The BodPod

31. Talking Body with Carlen Costa

Welcome to another episode of the BodPod! Today, we chatting with the incredible Carlen Costa, a clinical sexologist, psychotherapist, cannabis educator, activist, and author of the Amazon number one best-seller Love: The Women’s Guide to Not F*cking Settling. Carlen’s work is largely focused in the field of sexology as she teaches people of all genders how to love with confidence through radical self-love and how to create healthy, happy, and consensual relationships in intimate settings. She has been featured in Fashion, Cosmopolitan, HuffPost, Refinery29 and many other publications and media outlets. In this episode, Carlen will share how she got into body work including her own body confidence journey and her life design community called The Everyday Goddess, how limiting labels can be, and how important it is to own your body and yourself. We’ll also discuss weight loss and how diet culture tells us we’ll be happier if we’re a certain size and the relationship between and body confidence. Last but not least, we’ll talk about how we typically allow others to validate our experiences of pleasure and how we can and should change that. Keep listening to hear how Carlen is working to help people get to know their bodies and bring pleasure back into themselves. Carlen’s Instagram: @carlen.costa Carlen’s website: https://www.carlencosta.com/Love: The Women's Guide to Not Settling: AmazonBe sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

30. Talking Body with Jessamyn Stanley

Welcome to the BodPod! Today, we are thrilled to have Jessamyn Stanley, an internationally acclaimed voice in wellness, a yoga teacher, advocate, podcaster, and published author, on the show! She launched The Underbelly, a wellness platform that includes on-demand streaming yoga classes – taught by Jessamyn – for everyone, especially those who may feel displaced, discouraged, or overlooked in the health and fitness community. Her most recent book, Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance, explores issues of self-love, body positivity, race, , sexuality, and so much more all through the lens of an authentic yoga practice. Jessamyn’s advocacy work includes a variety of cultural issues including the modern Black experience, LGBTQIA+ representation, and equity in the health industry among so many others. She is a regular contributor for Self Magazine and has been featured in the New York Times, CNN, Good Morning America, Vogue, InStyle, BET, Cosmopolitan, and many other publications.In this episode, Jessamyn will share with us how her yoga journey began, why it was important for her to share her practice, and how this led to her wellness community called The Underbelly as well as her advocacy work. We will also discuss Jessamyn’s book including cultural appropriation and the reason she uses the word “yoke”, her experience with yoga teacher training, and why it’s important for her to reach everyone who has asked her to teach yoga. Last but not least, we’ll talk about the overwhelming whiteness that has become the hallmark of yoga, the importance of sitting in discomfort, and Jessamyn’s personal body confidence. Keep listening to hear how Jessamyn is taking care of her body and letting it be, while encouraging others to do the same. Jessamyn’s Instagram: @mynameisjessamynJessamyn’s podcast: https://dearjessamyn.comThe Underbelly: theunderbelly.comBe sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

29. Talking Body with Dr. Joshua Wolrich

Welcome back to the BodPod! Today, we are so excited to have Dr. Joshua Wolrich, an NHS doctor living in the U.K. with a passion for helping people improve their relationship with food, on the show! After his own weight loss journey, he delved deep into the complexities of weight science and the health-at-every-size approach and realized that he had to make a public and deliberate shift away from promoting weight loss online. As a result, you will find him regularly addressing weight stigma and diet culture to his audience of over 400,000 while also fighting nutribollocks. He also recently completed his master’s in nutrition and released his debut book, Food Isn’t Medicine. In this episode, Dr. Joshua will share a bit about how he started using his Instagram as a platform for weight loss, the point at which he realized this was problematic, and the origins of his book. In addition, we’ll talk about the importance of willing to be wrong and how Dr. Joshua came to this realization, how healthcare must change to become accessible to everyone, and how stereotypes can and often do play a role in healthcare. Last but not least, Dr. Joshua will discuss the way in which healthcare is weight-centric, how this leads to exclusive healthcare, and how this isn’t really challenged by many doctors. Keep listening to hear how Dr. Joshua is working to rid healthcare of weight stigma and diet culture.Listen to Dr. Joshua Wolrich’s podcast, Willing To Be Wrong, here.Instagram: @drjoshuawolrichBe sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

28. Talking Body with Tiffany Yu

Welcome back to another episode of the BodPod! Today, we are thrilled to have Tiffany Yu, a social impact entrepreneur, podcaster, disability advocate, three-time Tedx speaker, and the CEO and founder of Diversability, on the show! At the age of nine, Tiffany became disabled as a result of a car accident that also took the life of her father. Since then, Tiffany has dedicated her life to elevate disability pride through her award-winning social enterprise, Diversability, by working as a part of the San Francisco mayor’s disability council, and by founding the Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter, a monthly micro-grant that has awarded over $50,000 to 53 disability projects in eight countries. In this episode, Tiffany will open up about how she acquired her disabilities including the ones you can’t see, how she came to be an advocate for others with disabilities, and how shame held her back from being her true self. She will also talk about her journey to accepting her body, how the media influences our beauty ideals, and ableism including internalized ableism. Last but not least, we’ll discuss the way in which society frames disability as a hindrance rather than something to celebrate, the misconceptions surrounding disabled people, and the importance of eliminating these misconceptions. Keep listening to hear how Tiffany is working to help other people feel as unapologetically themselves as possible. Tiffany’s Instagram:@imtiffanyyu@diversabilityTiffany’s websites:https://mydiversability.com/https://www.tiffanyyu.com/ Be sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

27. Talking Body with Julia Parzyck & Jayne Mattingly

Welcome back to the BodPod! We have an extra special episode for you today as one of our BodCon alums, Julia Parzyck, takes over the podcast with her bestie, Jayne Mattingly.Julia Parzyck is an eating disorder recovery coach and body acceptance influencer who has fully recovered from her own eating disorder. She helps women develop a healthy relationship with their bodies, food, and fitness and truly learn to appreciate and accept themselves. Jane Mattingly is a master’s level eating disorder recovery therapist turned coach as well as CEO and owner of the global virtual coaching group practice, Recovery Love & Care. Having fully recovered from her own eating disorder as well, Jane lives with chronic illnesses and proudly identifies as disabled which has inspired her to help others within their own healing journeys with their bodies.In this episode, Jayne will talk about her recovery coaching business which Julia is a part of, her chronic illnesses, and the way in which she copes with her physical disabilities. The pair will also share the details of their eating disorders, their struggles with anxiety, and their recovery journeys. Last but not least, they will speak about the education or lack thereof surrounding eating disorders, the skepticism that recovery coaches often face, and the way social media impacts our mental health but also the way it can be beneficial. Keep listening to hear how Julia and Jayne are helping their clients navigate their healing journeys overall and during a global pandemic.Julia’s Instagram: @fitfatandallthatJulia’s website: https://www.fitfatandallthat.com/Jayne’s Instagram: @recoveryloveandcareJayne’s website: https://recoveryloveandcare.com/Be sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

26. Talking Body with Reena Ruparelia

Welcome to another episode of the BodPod! Today, we are thrilled to have Reena Ruparelia, a mindfulness junkie, empowerment speaker, skin positivity advocate, and the voice behind the Psoriasis Thoughts Instagram community, on the show! Reena aims to empower, educate, and connect those living with psoriasis in an authentic and meaningful way. As someone who has been living with psoriasis for over 25 years, she began advocating for the condition in 2016 when she launched her online community of Psoriasis Warriors who come together to share inspiration and connect through live chats. In this episode, Reena will explain what exactly psoriasis is, what her journey to diagnosis entailed, and her relationship with her skin. She will also discuss why she launched her online platform and how that helped her come to terms with her condition. Last but not least, Reena will talk about how she deals with the negative thoughts surrounding her psoriasis including mindfulness and meditation practice, how she got to know herself better, and how this led to her respecting her body more. Keep listening to hear how Reena is encouraging others to never give up and to listen to their bodies too. Instagram: @psoriasis_thoughtsWebsite: https://reenarup.com/Be sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

25. Talking Body with Katrina Nichole

Welcome back to the BodPod! Today, we are so excited to be chatting with Katrina Nichole, a plus-sized model, content creator, and fitness enthusiast whose platform is focused on body positivity, fitness for everybody, and the newest fashion trends that she hopes will inspire women of all sizes to learn to love themselves exactly as they are. Katrina’s confidence is evident in her content and her honest reviews make her feel like she is the BFF you can trust. We are thrilled to be Katrina’s first ever podcast interview!In this episode, Katrina will discuss the origins of her fashion and fitness platform, how she grew up in an environment that encouraged her to be her true self, and her approach to fitness. She will also open up about her anxiety going back to the gym, the importance of trying new things in order to find what works for you, and her own body image journey including her experience with restrictive diets and disordered eating. Last but not least, we’ll talk about the way in which media and clothing brands shape our thoughts about larger bodies, how this has inspired Katrina to post real and genuine content, and how Katrina navigates diet culture while also wearing the kinds of clothes she wants. Keep listening to hear how Katrina is working to encourage women to live their most authentic lives!Instagram: @thekatrinanicholeBe sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

24. Talking Body with Danielle Catton & Virgie Tovar

Welcome back to a very special episode of the BodPod! Today, we are so excited to have Danielle Catton, a Canadian mental health, self-love, and body confidence advocate, take over the podcast. Danielle uses her platform to shine light on the daily struggles of anxiety that many suffer from and she hopes to normalize mental health as well as start inclusive conversations to further education on the topic. Danielle will be sitting down with body confidence trailblazer Virgie Tovar who is one of the nation’s leading experts and lecturers on fat discrimination and body image. She holds a master’s degree in sexuality studies with a focus on the intersections of body, race, and gender. She is also creator of the campaign #LoseHateNotWeight and is an accomplished writer having authored multiple books as well as being a frequent contributor for Forbes and Bedsider. Recently, Virgie was named one of the top 50 most influential feminists by magazine and is a recipient of the Poynter Fellowship in Journalism at Yale University. In this episode, Virgie will discuss how she became an advocate for fighting against weight discrimination, her book titled The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Colour, and her personal journey with body confidence and acceptance. In addition, Virgie will share how she was taught to believe that all of her mental health issues were connected to her weight, how she worked to unlearn this, and how she came to the realization that she was at her best mental health when she was at her highest weight. Last but not least, Virgie will touch on the way we’ve been taught to believe that love, acceptance, and happiness are equated with a certain body weight and how this is actually a lesson in rape culture. Keep listening to hear how Virgie is working to combat fat phobia and teaching others to do the same. Plus, she will give some sneak peaks into her new book coming out next year!Danielle’s Instagram: @danielle catton Danielle’s website can be found here.Virgie’s Instagram: @virgietovarVirgie’s website can be found here.Be sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

23. Talking Body with Neon MUA Darius McKiver

Today, we are pleased to welcome Darius McKiver a.k.a Neon MUA to the BodPod! Darius is a makeup artist enthusiast and content creator whose style focuses on the combination of avant-garde concepts with everyday wearable beauty. His mission is to help bring awareness to the way beauty is represented for black creators, especially black beauty boys and other bodies, and he has done this by co-creating the hashtag #ColourPopMeBlack and developing the Dusk To Dawn face palettes with Midas Cosmetics’. Darius’ goal in this industry is to pave the way for black creators and to ensure that any black body that loves makeup can truly feel beautiful. In this episode, Darius will share how his journey with makeup and makeup artistry began, how he himself became a social media mogul, and what his platform is all about. We will also discuss the lack of foundation options for people of colour, how that inspired the variety of shades in Darius’ palette collaboration with Midas Cosmetics’, and how the #ColourPopMeBlack hashtag came about including the change it spurred with one specific makeup brand. Last but not least, Darius will talk about the intersection of beauty and body confidence and his own body confidence journey. Keep listening to hear how Darius is working to make the beauty industry more inclusive for people of all skin complexions.Twitter: @neonmMUAInstagram: @neonmua   YouTube: Neon MUADarius’ collaboration with Midas Cosmetics’ can be found here.Be sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets

22. Talking Body with EVIO Beauty’s Brandi Leifso

Welcome back to the BodPod! Today, we are pleased to welcome Brandi Leifso, founder and CEO of Canadian clean beauty company Evio Beauty, to the show. At the age of 21, Brandi was living in a women’s shelter where she created the concept for a cosmetics brand and lets just say, the rest is history! Not only has she secured a spot as an alumni member of the esteemed Sephora Accelerate program in 2018, but she was also selected as one of Chatelaine Magazine’s 2018 women of the year. Brandi believes change can happen through small, conscious, and consistent actions and Evio continues to show their dedication to this through their numerous charitable initiatives and actions, including the Break Things podcast and the “Did I Make Myself Clear” campaign. Brandi was also recognized as one of 2020’s top 25 women of influence.In this episode, Brandi will open up about living in a shelter, the origins of Evio, and how she found herself in a male-dominated beauty industry almost a decade ago. Brandi will also talk about the shift she sees in an industry that is not necessarily geared toward men in power and women consuming anymore, especially given the multitude of men’s products and genderless products coming out nowadays. She will also discuss the challenges of trauma, PTSD, and stress, including the importance of exercising your mind just as much as your body. Last but not least, Brandi will reflect on the harmful ways in which we define people, often based on physical appearance. Keep listening to hear how Brandi is using her beauty company and podcast to break stigmas, provide “kind luxury,” and to start the conversation of reallocating funds from domestic violence police units to support organizations keeping our communities safe.EVIO WebsiteInstagram:@eviobeauty@brandileifsoBe sure to follow, like, and subscribe to get the latest body confidence news!Watch the BodPod on YouTubeFollow us @thebodconGet your BodCon 2023 tickets