Echo shares her personal "kink origin story," tracing her journey from childhood curiosity to becoming an event organiser. She recounts how early online research led to virtual workshops, mentorship, and eventually local munches, all while navigating the initial overwhelm of discovering the "Fet-verse."

She opens up about her motivations for starting her own events: a desire to combat the pressure to play, ensure women feel safe, and increase visibility for people of colour and diverse gender identities within predominantly white spaces. Echo discusses the practicalities of vetting attendees, organising security, and the thoughtful process behind her themed parties.

The conversation delves into her personal explorations with kink, which she frames as acts of reclaiming autonomy and challenging sexual shame. Echo emphasises the mental and emotional aspects of kink, the critical importance of aftercare, and how she assesses play partners through consistency and genuine communication.

Offering advice for newcomers, Echo encourages starting with education and virtual communities to build confidence before stepping into physical spaces. Tune in for a candid discussion on building trust, fostering representation, and creating joy on your own terms within the kink world.

Echo is a young black woman who found herself researching and discovering about the kink/BDSM lifestyle through group chat and kink social online platforms such as Fet. Part of her self-discovery journey is to help others learn, discover and appreciate their kinks and fetishes while focusing on connection, acceptance and communication.

In between hosting events, Echo writes erotica stories that stemmed mostly from her fantasy world.

Outside of kink, Echo is a mother, wife, teacher, traveller, enthusiast and passionate about learning

daniika is a writer, event organiser, and aspiring educator in the BDSM community. She’s a collared neurodivergent slave and leathergirl that lives in a 24/7 total power exchange Master/slave dynamic.

Her writing focuses on her lived experience as a consensual slave, and on the knowledge she’s gained under her Master’s guidance. daniika is also the leader of Spokane’s Power Exchange Together chapter, where she facilitates discussions about building and maintaining dynamics.

Along with her Master and her sister slave, she is a founding member of House Praxis, a Leather and M/s family whose mission is to be a resource for relatable education on sustainable and ethical power exchange.

Damir Fisher, the founder and creative force behind DF Media, shares his unconventional journey from streaming video games in his mom's basement to becoming a sought-after photographer and videographer. He reveals how a job as a restaurant server became his unexpected business school, teaching him the human connection skills that are now the foundation of his brand.

He pulls back the curtain on his philosophy: that genuine relationships, not transactions, drive a successful creative business. He discusses why he believes passion must come before profit, why mastering editing is more critical than buying expensive gear, and how he built a content strategy by listening to what his audience truly wanted to learn.

Learn how Damir transformed a side hustle into a fulfilling career by focusing on what came naturally, helping others grow creatively, and learn why he thinks the best business plan is to stop treating your passion like a business in the first place.

Check him out @iamdfmedia

In this episode of the podcast, Courtney gets raw about the loneliness, shame, and societal judgment she’s faced while living a “monogamous-looking life” in a small military town in Germany. She shares the psychedelic trip that made her realise she was polyamorous (after finding poly people “so annoying”), how opening her marriage completely reshaped her relationship with herself and her body, and the misconceptions about capacity and hierarchy that nearly burned her out.

Courtney Boyer, M.Ed., M.S., is a therapist-turned-relationship coach, writer, and speaker whose work centres on love, desire, and authenticity. She has been featured in The New York Post, Cosmopolitan, The Huffington Post, and BBC Radio Live. Drawing on her background in mental health and sex therapy, she brings a unique blend of professional expertise and lived experience to conversations around relationships and identity.

When she isn’t writing or coaching, Courtney can be found chasing joy—travelling, reading, or savouring delicious coffee and deep conversation. She is passionate about helping women break free from shame, reclaim their bodies and voices, and create relationships rooted in honesty and autonomy.

Courtney lives in Germany with her husband and three children, where she is still learning, unlearning, and writing the next chapter of her story.

Learn more @courtneyboyercoaching

Danielle Narveson is a writer, content creator, and the voice behind Openly Committed, where she shares honest stories about marriage, motherhood, and ethical non-monogamy.

With a background in strategy and storytelling, she brings a fresh, deeply personal perspective to topics such as jealousy, boundaries, identity, and long-term partnerships. Her videos and essays reach millions of people looking for a more honest, expansive way to think about relationships.

What does it take to build a thriving open relationship that lasts for over 15 years? In this profoundly honest episode of The Sanctuary, host Israel sits down with Danielle, the creator behind the popular platform Openly Committed. Danielle pulls back the curtain on her long-term polyamorous journey with her husband, from the first two years of trial and error to navigating parenthood, perimenopause, and the emotional challenge of telling her conservative Texan parents.

She gets raw about the realities that often get glossed over, sharing why she rarely feels "compersion," why she and her husband abandoned the "veto" power, and how their communication has had to evolve through every life stage. This is a masterclass in the practicalities and emotions of ethical non-monogamy, filled with hard-won wisdom for anyone curious about relationships of any kind.

You’ll hear about:

• The "Coming Out" Playbook: The six-year journey to telling her parents, including the powerful letter from her religious mother that offers a blueprint for unconditional love.
• Beyond the Hype: Danielle’s candid take on jealousy, the myth of constant "compersion," and why she no longer believes in strict rules like "veto power."
• Logistics of Love: How they manage time, privacy, and introducing partners to their children while running a business and writing a book.
• Advice for the Curious: Her top three pieces of advice for opening a relationship, starting with the most important question: "Why?"
• The Polyamorous Toolbox: What monogamous relationships can learn from polyamory about communication, jealousy, and granting freedom.

Whether you're polyamorous, monogamous, or simply interested in the complexities of human connection, this conversation is a treasure trove of actionable insights about building a relationship on your own terms.

Follow Danielle’s work:

Openly Committed on Substack

@openlycommitted on Instagram

In this captivating episode of The Sanctuary, rising Nigerian artist OG Mage dives deep into his incredible journey from software engineer to full-time musician.

OG Mage opens up about the viral success of his breakout hit "Head of State," revealing how a simple Instagram reel with a flute sample turned into one of the most talked-about drill songs. He shares the wild story of shooting the music video in just two days with help from his Abuja community, proving that grassroots support can create magic.

The conversation explores his creative process, from his university days coordinating a Christian rap group to collaborating with legendary Nigerian rapper Ill Bliss on "Like An OG." OG Mage discusses his unique approach to features, his spiritual connection to music-making, and the stories behind his captivating cover art designs.

Beyond the music, he reveals his multifaceted background as a digital artist and software engineer who taught himself to code by writing out the code on paper before he even had a laptop. From working at MTN to his recent role at D Brand, he explains how he finally leapt to pursue music full-time.

Looking ahead, OG Mage teases his upcoming EP "The Calm" and hints at "The Storm" - a major project featuring collaborations with established artists like Skales. Throughout the conversation, his core message rings clear: consistency is everything.

This episode offers an intimate look at an artist who's building something authentic in the Nigerian music scene, one collaboration and one consistent step at a time.

Check him out @ogmagegram

In this explosive episode of The Sanctuary, host Israel sits down with Dwayne Marcial, former Director of Artists and Industry Development at the East Coast Music Awards (ECMA), for an unfiltered, no-holds-barred account of what really happened behind the scenes of one of Atlantic Canada's most important music organizations.

Dwayne pulls no punches as he reveals the shocking reality of organisational dysfunction, alleged conflicts of interest, and the systematic exclusion that led to the dramatic ousting of Executive Director Blanche Israel and his own resignation. From mysterious 10-year handshake deals with no paperwork to board members vacationing in Mexico during crunch time, this conversation exposes the deep-rooted problems plaguing the institution meant to champion Atlantic Canadian artists.

Dwayne reveals how a petition signed mostly by non-members led to organisational chaos, why six board members resigned in rapid succession, and how the organisation burned through Executive Directors in a single year while haemorrhaging funds that should have supported artists.

But beyond the drama, this conversation is ultimately about the future of Atlantic Canada's music scene. Dwayne shares his vision for reform, explains why he believes artists of all genres—not just Celtic and folk—deserve equal support, and offers hard-won advice for musicians navigating an industry where politics often trumps talent.

Whether you're an artist, industry professional, or simply someone who cares about supporting regional music, this episode will leave you questioning how music organisations operate and what real change looks like. Dwayne's passionate call for transparency, accountability, and genuine inclusivity is about reimagining what music advocacy should be in 2025.

This is the conversation the music industry needs to hear, delivered with the brutal honesty that only comes from someone who witnessed it all from the inside.

@realdjslim

In this candid conversation, Melissa Shadows opens up about her journey from traditional marriage to embracing non-monogamy, polyamory, and BDSM.

She shares how photography and erotic art became both a creative outlet and a form of healing, and how trust, vulnerability, and the right partners shaped her evolution as a submissive.

There is a dive into topics of jealousy, compersion, building meaningful connections, and what it really takes to thrive in alternative lifestyles.

Enjoy this honest, vulnerable, and deeply human story about self-discovery, pleasure, and growth.