I Am Speaking

Mike Is Speaking

Being a flight attendant is not all about handing out peanuts and making sure people have their tray tables up. Not even close. Every day at work, Mike takes on much of the responsibility for the safety of the passengers on the flights that he is working on. And most people do not recognize how much responsibility that actually is when they are demanding a better seat or fighting about wearing a mask on board.

In 2013, Mike was the only straight man in the room during his training courses. And while things are changing, they aren’t changing quickly. This conversation was so so good, you do not want to miss it. Mike is funny, open, and thoughtful. And if you are anything like Shailushi and Kosha, you will come away from the discussion not only understanding a bit more about the industry, but also hoping Mike is your lead flight attendant on your next flight. You might also question some of your own ingrained asumptions and ideas of gender and how or why we see certain professions as "for men" or "for women".

What happens you are in a professional that assumes something about your personality and your sexuality without you saying a word about either? Listen to Mike to find out. He was a joy to speak to and with.

Ares Collins Is Speaking

A well-known scene from the movie, Meet the Parents:

Jack: Greg's in medicine too.
Bob: What field?
Greg: Nursing
Bob: Ha ha ha ha. No, really, what field are you in?
Greg: Nursing.

And now, meet Ares Collins, a nurse who happens to be male (and African-American.) We discuss how both of these facts have impacted his career.

You will love Ares. You will hope that Ares, or someone like him, will care for you or your loved one if they need a nurse. He is clearly intelligent, cares about his patients, and is passionate about nursing. And you will hear about the side looks or the "really, nursing?" questions he gets all too often. However, you will also hear about how he has been able to connect with patients differently and how he has stood up for his female counterparts when they are being mistreated. 

Ares is someone who will show you that being a certain (or any) gender should not be the default for being a nurse. Toxic masculinity does hurt society and progress as a whole, not just one side of the coin. 

As we, as a society, realize that jobs don't have genders, we will get more nurses like Ares, more engineers like Dawn, more lawyers like Susan...which is to say more passionate, capable, dedicated people performing at the top of their game. 

Thank you, Ares, for joining us on I Am Speaking with Shailushi & Kosha. 

We Are Speaking with Joel Hubbard

We are loving our I Am Speaking with Expert Voices series, and this week’s guest is no exception. We think you’ll love him as much as we did: Mr. Joel Hubbard, cofounder of The Art of Growth and a certified Enneagram Coach. 

You might have heard about Ennegram, or heard that it’s “one of those personality tests.” But what you’ll learn from this conversation is how much deeper the enneagram insights can go, if you are willing to do the work (that’s the tough part, right?) 

Joel’s life work has revolved around seeing people grow and transform. Globally recognized as a leader in the field of Enneagram coaching and development, Joel has a unique approach to helping people develop self knowledge, self observation, and transformational habits. Joel helps individuals and teams understand their core motivations so they have better communication and shared success. 

Moreover, Joel is just a lovely man. We laughed so much throughout our discussions. But we learned so much as well. It’s easy to see how Joel has risen to the top and become a true expert in his field. 

Karen Rothstein Pineda Is Speaking (Back for Season 3)

I Am Speaking’s brilliant and thoughtful resident therapist is back for another session with Shailushi and Kosha. This time, we talk about gender stereotypes in the workplace, how toxic masculinity starts early, and how Karen thinks we might be able to eventually break free of toxic cycles. 

Karen is the founder of Multicultural Counseling Associates in Oak Park, IL. They are a unique group focusing on the needs of people of color as well as the LGBTQQ community. Her personal experience and professional expertise gives her a unique perspective and deel understanding of the needs of diverse communities. We are lucky to have her. 

Also, as a Colombian therapist who really focuses on cultural and generational trauma and healing, we were able to get her insight on the hot-off-the-presses new movie, Encanto! 

DISCLAIMER: I Am Speaking is for information, education and entertainment purposes only. In no way is I Am Speaking intended to provide medical advice or substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are feeling suicidal, thinking about hurting yourself or concerned that someone you know may be in danger of hurting themselves, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the Suicide Hotline at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or call 911

Jason Krebs Is Speaking

“I mean, I was king shit of changing a diaper.” - Jason Krebs. 

Friends with Shailushi for three decades, a clinical psychologist, and a Stay-at-Home-Dad 

Being a SHAP is hard. No matter what. But what happens when the world isn’t used to seeing a man in that role? Jason says there are 2 main reactions. Listen in to see what they are and what Jason thinks of them. 

Nationally, we are engaging in a “where do dads fit in childcare?” conversation. Ashton Kutcher (to Jason’s amazement) took the change table conversation national several years ago. We can’t take these conversations seriously until we take SAHDs seriously.

Lets talk to SAHDs about sexism in parenting. Start by listening to Jason Krebs. He Is Speaking. 

 

 

We Are Grateful - 2021 Edition

Happy Holidays! We wanted to wrap the year talking about holiday traditions, holiday favorites and holiday wishes.

See you all in 2022! Merry Everything, and thank you for joining us on this ride. It is not over. We have so many more stories to hear, share and amplify. Happy New Year, and remember to always stand up a little straighter and talk a little louder when you say " I am speaking."

-Love, Shailushi and Kosha

Chirayu Baxi Is Speaking

If you’ve ever been curious about the inner workings of the Baxi Sisters, welcome to at least their brother’s side of the story. 

Chirayu Baxi is Shailushi and Kosha’s youngest sibling and only brother. Growing up in small-town central IL, one of the only Indian or Brown families around, with 3 independent, opinionated strong older sisters…that will definitely influence and help mold a young man as he grows. 

Chirayu joins us to discuss his experience of gender roles, how he explored what gender norms mean through high school and college, and how toxic masculinity truly impacts everyone. As a physician, he sees it daily. 

Shailushi and Kosha loved this conversation. As much as you know someone, you don’t really know them. There’s always something new to learn. Enjoy this episode with the Baxi Brother who brings up the caboose of our family (and only sometimes is the butt of our jokes!)

We Are Speaking with Hemant Mehta

Hemant Mehta is an author, an activist, and a blogger. Oh, and he’s also an atheist. He has been the force behind The Friendly Atheist blog, podcast, website and social media platforms for years. But before you think Hemant’s sole purpose is to convert people to atheism, listen to this conversation. He doesn’t care to debate anyone on atheism vs religion.  His scope of work goes far beyond tallying atheists to carry on the torch. Hemant’s work is about ensuring that belief- or faith-based decisions aren’t being made in places where they shouldn’t. 

We had a fantastic conversation with Hemant. To find him and his work, Google “the friendly atheist” and his work pops up. As he says “it’s not hard to find”.

Hemant’s CV is lengthy. His books, I Sold My Soul on eBay (2007),The Young Atheist's Survival Guide (2012) and The Friendly Atheist: Thoughts on the Role of Religion in Politics and Media (2013) are widely available. His YouTube series, The Atheist Voice, has nearly 220K subscribers. But mostly what you’ll hear today is that Hemant is kind, brilliant, articulate and wants to make this world with this life a better place. He is a remarkable and accessible scholar and was a joy of a guest. 

"Simply put, I have never seen any evidence of 'God's work' in action. I've seen what people think is God's work, but which actually has perfectly natural explanations. I believe that most people are good, even when nobody's looking. I believe our best path to discovering the truth lies in science, not religion." - Hemant Mehta, 2013

Dawn Munson Is Speaking

"You don't have to go to the best of the best to be the best." - Dawn Munson

How do you respond when your professor says “that’s what I get for calling on the woman in the room”? There are plenty of ways one *could* respond. The way Dawn Munson did, you’ll just have to listen to find out. Spoiler alert: it didn’t involve throwing things and curse words as one might imagine (and hope for.) It did involve being gobsmacked, finding peers, working hard and rising above. Admittedly not as satisfying in the moment, but the proof is in the pudding with this brilliant, hilarious, successful person Shailushi calls her best friend. 

Sometimes (often) as the “other” or the “token” in the room, the cards are already stacked against you. What did Dawn do? She played her best hand and then another. And then brought her own deck to start her own game. As she openly admits, she’s still learning. But she has much to teach the generations who follow her. 

Dawn Munson Is Speaking. We all will do best to listen up. 

Michael Vadacchino Is Speaking

What an incredible ride this conversation was with MIchael Vadacchino. Throughout his life, Michael has fought against gender norms and expectations - sometimes just being a badass gymnast or dancer and sometimes actively as he leads male dancers in a judgement-free Boys Dance Too conference. Any way you slice it, Michael is an artist, a thinker and a leader. 

You hear, toward the end, some emotion come out of Michael. There were, in fact, a few tears. It won't do this conversation or Michael justice to try to explain to you, but it is powerful. Because realizing that you are able to live without worrying which parts of you are "too" anything is liberating and exciting and emotional. 

Also his familect is hilarious. There are pictures of Shailushi and Michael trying to perfect it, stay tuned for those!