Conversations about Armenian politics, history, science, technology, and beyond.
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Welcome to the Epics Podcast where we tell Epic Stories from Epic People. My name is Alex Wait, host of Epics Podcast. We have not been told all of the stories worth telling. Through interviews and reflection, on the Epics Podcast, we will hear from the “ordinary”, the ignored and the broken of our communities, and what their stories are. Together, we will work to gain an understanding of hardships that are unfamiliar to us. Our intention is to find a common ground with one another from whic ...
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25. Mac McGregor │The Gender sensei teaching about the yin & yang of gender norms. A journey of transition after years as a world class female athlete.
1:03:41
1:03:41
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In this episode of the Epics podcast, Alex interviews Mac McGregor, also known as the Gender Sensei, who is an activist and public speaker focused on creating a world where people can be their authentic selves. Mac talks about how martial arts impacted his life, his transition, and the importance of looking at gender norms in a new way. He also dis…
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24. Janell Jones │Breaking Barriers and Empowering Women. From teenage mom to best selling author.
1:03:16
1:03:16
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In this episode, Alex announces an exciting referral program for his production company Epics Productions, where for every successful referral that results in a new podcast with Epics, the referrer will receive $500. The focus of the podcast remains on sharing stories and promoting understanding between people, and the guest for the week is Dr. Jan…
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23. Emily Anne Vargas │A latina engineer and graduate student to inspire and encourage others.
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Today’s episode is a joint episode that is being released both here on the Epics Podcast but ALSO on the SHPE Out Loud Podcast! SHPE (the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) is the nation’s largest association dedicated to fostering Hispanic leadership in the STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) field. There is a huge di…
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22. Sherisse Bisram │Taking the pain and hardships she has faced and using them to become the authentically empowered version of herself that she has always wanted to be.
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This week I have the pleasure of sharing with you the story of Sherisse Bisram.Sherisse is a professional dancer, dance teacher, now an empowerment mentor, public speaker and Someone that has never fit into a box or conformed to societal expectations. Growing up in a volatile household and as a woman of color in a predominantly white area added und…
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21. Shermin Kruse │ From fleeing war in Iran to mastering empathy and stoicism.
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My guest this week on the show is Shermin Kruse. Shermin has a widely diverse background and range of expertise, but more importantly is just a beautiful human being. She is a , lawyer, speaker, professor, TEDx producer, writer, and idea curator, currently teaching at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Sher is a TED and TEDx talk producer (having…
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20. Evelien Kong│Finding humanity if we are willing to look for it. A life in the media searching for stories.
1:04:19
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This week I have a fellow podcaster join me, and her name is Evelien Kong. A producer and Director by day Evelien Kong founded Reppin Podcast with more than 25 years of experience and a myriad of credits that range from producing award winning documentaries with MTV to crafting digital content with Law and Order SVU. She’s worked with Hollywood hea…
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19. JP Der Boghossian│What it means to be both queer and Armenian. The journey of identity that led to the founding of the queer Armenian library.
1:13:02
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Our guest on this week’s show is J.P. (DARE Boh-goh SEE Yahn). JP has done many different amazing things in his life including being a classically trained shakespearean actor and Chief Diversity Officer. Given the amazing person that JP is I’m sure that we could have easily made whole podcasts about either of those, but the reason that I invited JP…
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18. Ethan Nkana │The life of a black man in corporate America and starting a sports marketing agency for doctors.
1:20:01
1:20:01
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Welcome back to the Epics Podcast. I started this podcast because I believe that the foundation of hate and discrimination in our world comes from a lack of understanding of those who are different from ourselves. We plan to combat that by hearing everyone's stories, that we can better understand them, be a part of creating real positive change. Th…
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17. Chelsea Elliott │How mental health affects her life and also affected her childhood.
57:54
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Welcome back to the Epics Podcast. I started this podcast because I believe that the foundation of hate and discrimination in our world comes from a lack of understanding of those who are different from ourselves. We plan to combat that by hearing everyone's stories, that we can better understand them, be a part of creating real positive change. I …
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16. Sedruola Maruska │A life dedicated to social justice, equity, inclusion, and sharing hope and love with anyone who cares to listen.
1:09:15
1:09:15
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Welcome back to the Epics Podcast. I started this podcast because I believe that the foundation of hate and discrimination in our world comes from a lack of understanding of those who are different from ourselves. We plan to combat that by hearing everyone's stories, that we can better understand them, be a part of creating real positive change. Th…
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15. Bob Gatty - A life in journalism and thoughts on the state of our current media.
51:24
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Welcome back to the Epics Podcast. I started this podcast because I believe that the foundation of hate and discrimination in our world comes from a lack of understanding of those who are different from ourselves. We plan to combat that by hearing everyone's stories, that we can better understand them, be a part of creating real positive change. Th…
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14. Finding identity with ADHD: Alex Wait, your host, shares his story - Life with ADHD, why storytelling is so important, dedicating a life to social justice work and the creation of Epics
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Welcome back to the Epics Podcast. I started this podcast because I believe that the foundation of hate and discrimination in our world comes from a lack of understanding of those who are different from ourselves. We plan to combat that by hearing everyone's stories, that we can better understand them, be a part of creating real positive change. Th…
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13. Dr Elijah Nicholas - Transitioning at the age of 48 and writing a children's book about a transgender family member!
1:20:35
1:20:35
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Welcome back to the Epics Podcast. I started this podcast because I believe that the foundation of hate and discrimination in our world comes from a lack of understanding of those who are different from ourselves. We plan to combat that by hearing everyone's stories, that we can better understand them, be a part of creating real positive change. Th…
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12. Amanda Micallef - Dealing with online hate after time in the public eye.
1:11:44
1:11:44
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Welcome back to the Epics Podcast. I started this podcast because I believe that the foundation of hate and discrimination in our world comes from a lack of understanding of those who are different from ourselves. We plan to combat that by hearing everyone's stories, so that we can better understand them, be a part of creating real positive change.…
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11. Reggie Ford: Breaking the Curse of Intergenerational Trauma as a Black Man in America
1:03:02
1:03:02
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Welcome back to the Epics Podcast. I started this podcast because I believe that the foundation of hate and discrimination in our world comes from a lack of understanding of those who are different from ourselves. We plan to combat that by hearing everyone's stories, that we can better understand them, be a part of creating real positive change. Re…
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#5 - Dr. Richard Hovannisian: The First Republic, Simon Vratsian, The Importance of Independence, Armenia in History, Decreasing Polarization, and More
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Dr. Richard Hovannisian is a historian, author, and professor emeritus at UCLA. He is a pioneer in Armenian studies and has contributed immensely to Armenian academia. After listening to this podcast, you will better understand Armenia in history, the First Republic of Armenia, the importance of independence, and much more. Music: "Tamzara" by Tamz…
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#4 - Dr. Artyom Tonoyan: Armenian Nationalism, Church-State Affairs, Russian Press, and More
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Dr. Artyom Tonoyan is a sociologist researching politics in the Southern Caucasus and the intersection of religion and nationalism. He recently published his new book called "Black Garden Aflame: The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict in the Soviet and Russian Press," which can be bought here: https://www.eastviewpress.com/resources/books/black-garden-aflam…
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#3 - Narek Amirkhanyan: Business, Productivity, Stories, Facebook Culture, and More
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Narek Amirkhanyan is the host of the Rearrange podcast and the COO of a fast-growing data company called Hexact. We discuss business, productivity, the effects of stories, Facebook culture, and I even ask a question about love. - Listen to Rearrange here: https://open.spotify.com/show/7ehJWj20B16cOUkOaywxTK?si=b20933da90874fc6 - Find Hexact here: h…
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#2 - Sergey Ghazinyan: Human Rights Violations against Armenia and Artsakh, International Courts, and Human Rights in Penitentiaries
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Sergey Ghazinyan is a human rights lawyer and the former advisor to the previous human rights defender, Arman Tatoyan. He has done work on refugee laws, human trafficking, human rights in penitentiaries, and more. Link to report: https://ombuds.am/en_us/site/ViewNews/1987 Music: "Tamzara" by Tamzai Noe…
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#1 – Anush Ghavalyan: Artsakh Politics, Women in Politics, and Social Media
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Anush Ghavalyan is the former advisor and former press secretary to the president of the Artsakh National Assembly and the former head of the press and PR department of the Artsakh National Assembly. She is currently the presenter on Artsakh Public TV for the "Today's Topic" political program. She graduated from Artsakh State University with a bach…
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10. Michael Dumlao - The life of a gay, immigrant of color. Code-switching and the life of Guncles, gay-uncles!
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Show Notes: EpicsPodcast.com/episodes/MichaelDumlao IG: Instagram.com/EpicsPod FB: Facebook.com/groups/epicspod/ Patreon: Patreon.com/EpicsPod FREE BONUS CONTENT and Epics Email List: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60d0ce05a462d91c1971b4dc Are you the black sheep in your family who chafes at traditions and seeks examples of how to redefine them? Th…
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09. Anna Battista - Life with Cystic Fibrosis and undergoing her 1st lung transplant at 22
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Show Notes: EpicsPodcast.com/episodes/AnnaBattista IG: Instagram.com/EpicsPod FB: Facebook.com/groups/epicspod/ Patreon: Patreon.com/EpicsPod FREE BONUS CONTENT: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60d0ce05a462d91c1971b4dc This week I am joined by Anna Battista! Anna was born with Cystic Fibrosis, or CF which is a chronic illness that causes Anna to fig…
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08. Kyra Dawkins - A lover of words, teaching about the values and dangers of living in our distinct communities
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51:51
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Show Notes: EpicsPodcast.com/episodes/KyraDawkins IG: Instagram.com/EpicsPod FB: Facebook.com/groups/epicspod/ Patreon: Patreon.com/EpicsPod FREE BONUS CONTENT: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60d0ce05a462d91c1971b4dc My amazing guest this week is Kyra Dawkins! Kyra is the author of the book “The We and the They”, storyteller and avid reader and lea…
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07. Kimberly Smith - Finding herself while shedding the expectations of women and mothers.
1:12:54
1:12:54
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Show Notes: EpicsPodcast.com/episodes/KimberlySmith IG: Instagram.com/EpicsPod FB: Facebook.com/groups/epicspod/ Patreon: Patreon.com/EpicsPod FREE BONUS CONTENT: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60d0ce05a462d91c1971b4dc This week my wonderful guest is Kimberly Smith. Kimberly is a Resilience & Life Transition Coach and the founder of Encompass Coach…
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06. Travis Creasy - The journey of surviving fast acting Leukemia
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Show Notes: EpicsPodcast.com/episodes/TravisCreasy IG: Instagram.com/EpicsPod FB: Facebook.com/groups/epicspod/ Patreon: Patreon.com/EpicsPod FREE BONUS CONTENT: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/60d0ce05a462d91c1971b4dc On episode six of the pod I bring to you my conversation with Travis Creasy. Travis is a fellow podcaster, a husband, father, and a …
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05. Pandemic Donuts - Michael Milton shares the story of starting a bakery with his girlfriend Gabrielle Henning after they both lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic
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If you have made it this far, congratulations! This is the fifth episode of the pod and it is a special episode for me. For this episode I interviewed Michael Milton who is the co-founder of Pandemic Donuts and was my first interview IN PERSON! Michael graciously invited me down to their bakery for the interview which was so much fun, but was sligh…
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04. Augustine Tanner - From Chicago to the Church of England. The journey of a queer black man in a patriarchal church and what we can learn from his experiences.
36:56
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I am so pleased that Augustine Tanner joined me for the fourth episode of the Epics Podcast. Augustine is a black queer man from Chicago, Illinois and currently lives in the UK where he is about to be ordained in the Church of England. Augustine and I had a great conversation about the dynamics culture and race as well as many other factors that ha…
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03. Theresa Mitchell, The racial disparity that moms of color experience in our healthcare system and her documentary Life After Loss
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58:19
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Theresa Mitchell is the founder of Jhene Productions and executive producer of an upcoming documentary Life After Loss which is being created to bring light and truth to the struggles faced by black and brown women as they quietly suffer through miscarriage, infant loss, and infertility. After suffering 3 miscarriages Theresa finally had her rainbo…
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02. Nick Elio, Being a youth pastor at a church that became inclusive of LGBTQ and how to talk to our youth.
46:38
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Nick Elio is the Family Ministry Pastor at Denver Community Church (DCC) in Denver, Colorado. With a life spent in youth ministry and leading youth he has seen teenagers go through all sorts of struggles and ask some really hard questions. In our conversation we discuss how DCC’s stance on full inclusion of LGBTQ affected his students and how the c…
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01. Jose Silva, Witnessing the murder of his best friend at age 14.
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On the very first episode of the Epics Podcast I was very fortunate to be joined by a friend of mine, Dr. Rev. Jose Silva. Jose is the CEO of the Colorado Association for Infant Mental Health, and is the only person of color leading an infant mental health organization in the country. Jose is a friend of mine who’s story I sought out right away for…
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The Epics Podcast is here! But what is it? My name is Alex Wait and I have a lot to learn. I see the discrimination in our world that continue to hurt and dismiss others that is fueled by a lack of understanding of those who are different from us. Through interviews and reflection I will hear from the ignored, the broken and the silenced of our com…
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