In this episode, we talk to the author of Training Wheels: How a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Road Trip Jumpstarted My Search for a Fulfilling Life, Dr. Valerie Worthington. Valerie holds a Ph.D. in educational psychology from Michigan State University and is a 3rd degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. She is currently a faculty member in the department of Mind-Body Medicine in the College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences at Saybrook University, teaching courses in healthcare ethics, evidence-based coaching, and research literacy for scholar-practitioners. Indeed.

During the course of our conversation, Valerie explains why, in 2006, she abruptly left behind a seemingly ideal professional/personal life to embark on a nationwide spiritual vision quest through the grappling art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. We'll talk about how the various experiences and lessons from this journey have helped shape her into the person she's become today.

Providing music for this episode is the alt-country band Wild & Blue. Wild & Blue is the California-bred father/daughter duo of Steve and April Bennett, who take the time-honored tradition of family harmony into inspirational new territory. Steve writes insightful, personal songs, and he and April sing them with timeless emotional urgency. Writer Bill Bentley of Americana Highways writes, "Their debut album (Restless) is as strong as anything released out of Nashville the past few years... this is the kind of album that could come out of left field and take it all the way home.".

VALERIE WORTHINGTON:
Order the book 'Training Wheels'
On the Road with Valerie Worthington (video)
Valerie accidentally choking out MMA fighter Ryan Hall (video)

WILD & BLUE:
The music video for the song 'Wedding Dress For Sale'
Purchase the album 'Restless'
Wild & Blue on Facebook

SHOW RESOURCES:

Theme music - Terry Michellis via Filmstro.com

A cappella vocals - Midori

Voice over announcer - Jimmy Lockett, Vox2Studio

***Any featured music used in this podcast is with the written permission of the recording artist. All theme music is used through a paid license.

Maximillian Alvarez is the editor-in-chief of the Real News Network and the host of the podcast 'Working People'. He has a dual-PhD from the University of Michigan in history and comparative literature. Max's writing has been featured in The New Republic, Current Affairs, Boston Review, The Nation, and the Los Angeles Review of Books.

In this episode, Max joins us to discuss how the financial ruin & hardship his family faced in the 2008 recession helped redirect his personal ideology. From growing up in a staunchly conservative household to evolving into a self-professed 'left-wing nut job', Max walks us through his journey. We also touch upon: the recent failed union organization attempt at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, the forthcoming book Max is writing about working people's struggles in the age of the pandemic, how literature provided him a path out of conservatism, how voters are forced to make important decisions based more on short-term survival than examining the issues, how Max used his podcast as an opportunity for his dad to find much-needed closure, and much, much more.

Music for this episode has been graciously provided by Jules Taylor. Jules is a singer-songwriter, record producer & multi-instrumentalist out of Saugerties, NY. Writer Paula Cummings of NYS Music describes Jules's album 'Mountain Time' as, "the musical equivalent of the Great American Novel: a work that captures what it means to be human – the shortcomings and the triumphs, the heartaches and the joys." Jules is also the producer of the 'Working People' podcast and the host of his own podcast, 'No Easy Answers'.

MAX ALVAREZ:
'Working People' podcast
The Real News Network
Max's interview with actor/activist Danny Glover

JULES TAYLOR:
"Who Is Jules Taylor?"
'No Easy Answers' podcast
The album 'Mountain Time'

SHOW RESOURCES:

Theme music - Terry Michellis via Filmstro.com

A cappella vocals - Midori

Voice over announcer - Jimmy Lockett, Vox2Studio

***Any featured music used in this podcast is with the written permission of the recording artist. All theme music is used through a paid license.

For this episode, we proudly welcome Grammy award-winning recording artist, Lili Haydn. Ms. Haydn is a world-renowned violinist, composer, vocalist and activist. She's been referred to by her peers as 'the Jimi Hendrix of the violin'. Besides her own prolific career, Lili has shared stages with such musical icons as Sting, Tracy Chapman, Roger Waters, and Herbie Hancock to name a few.

During this conversation, Lili shares: how a friend named Sunshine Lee helped change the course of her childhood, how contracting COVID-19 during production of her new album informed her world-view, how she lends her talents to causes dedicated to promoting social justice. how scoring music for TV and film has helped her overall sound evolve, and much more.

We are also able to share, courtesy of Ms. Haydn, two selections from her newly released album, More Love.

LILI HAYDN:

Lili Haydn.com

More Love (on Spotify)

TEDx talk - "If You Can Hear It, You Can Play It" - featuring Lili Haydn

Lili Haydn performs Led Zeppelin's Kashmir

SHOW RESOURCES:

Theme music - Terry Michellis via Filmstro.com

A cappella vocals - Midori

Voice over announcer - Jimmy Lockett, Vox2Studio

***Any featured music used in this podcast is with the written permission of the recording artist. All theme music is used through a paid license.