BETTER with Mark Brand

Andrew Knapp is today's guest; a dog-lover, photographer, illustrator, and a New York Times best-selling author! His dog Momo created an internet sensation by playing hide-and-seek all over the world. Andrew’s books about Momo include Let’s Find Momo!, Let’s Find Momo Outdoors! and more. His latest release was published just last week titled Let's Find Yaya and Boo at Home!: A Hide-and-Seek Adventure. Find out more about Andrew Knapp, sign up for his newsletter & learn about his new book Find Momo Everywhere (which is viewable here and out in February) on his website: https://andrewknapp.com/ Follow along with Andrew and his furballs on Instagram.

This week, Mark's guest is Heather Plett, an international speaker, facilitator, writer, and life-long learner. She's the author of the book The Art of Holding Space: A Practice of Love, Liberation, and Leadership and the soon-to-be-released book, Where Tenderness Lives: On Healing, Liberation, and Holding Space for Oneself. She is also the co-founder of the Centre for Holding Space. Mark and Heather talk about their respective journeys through grief and the tools that we can all use to hold space for ourselves and those around us. Before launching her work in holding space, Heather worked in leadership and communications in government and non-profit. Having spent most of her adult life in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, where she raised her three daughters, Heather has recently become nomadic while she decides where to settle next. (Read more about her here.) Find her program here: afullbodiedlife.com Order her book here: https://a.co/d/0n0lDbJ

This week's guest is award-winning broadcaster Ziya Tong. She is best known as the anchor of Daily Planet, Discovery Channel’s flagship science program. Her book The Reality Bubble won the Lane Anderson Prize for best science writing in Canada and was shortlisted for the RBC Taylor Prize. The book has been translated into multiple languages, and has earned praise from luminaries including Naomi Klein and David Suzuki who calls Tong’s book, “required reading for all who care about what we are doing to the planet.” Tong also hosted the CBC’s Emmy-nominated series ZeD, PBS’s national prime-time series, Wired Science, and worked as a correspondent for NOVA scienceNOW alongside Neil deGrasse Tyson on PBS. Ziya served as the Vice Chair of the World Wildlife Fund Canada and is now on the board of directors of WWF International. She is currently working on a new documentary called Plastic People, looking at the frightening impact of microplastics on human health. Twitter: @ziyatong Blue Sky: @ziyatong.bsky.social Mastodon: @ziya@journa.host http://ziyatong.com/

This week's guest is a legend, especially in the projects on the south side of Chicago, where every unhoused human he looks in the face feels acceptance, love and dignity. He is the CEO and Founder of Taste For Thee Homeless. In this episode, you'll hear him talk about discovering his purpose, making people of influence like Chance the Rapper support his cause, and what he's planning next. Follow along with Mike on his Instagram for more @TasteForTheHomeless.

Host Mark Brand has a conversation with entrepreneur, social innovator, and activist, James Anderson. *DISCLAIMER* This episode will touch on suicide; please find some resources below if you are struggling. After overcoming a childhood riddled with great challenges, James’ story is one filled with hope and redemption. James graduated from UCLA with double honors while simultaneously helping to create one of the world’s leading criminal justice reform organizations—The Anti-Recidivism Coalition. In this episode, he will also talk about his work with Next Chapter. Previously at Guayakí Yerba Mate, James spent his time on their senior leadership team focused on the development and execution of the corporation’s social impact commitment to hire system-affected individuals, creating a world-class company culture, and ultimately using business as a force for good. His knowledge, achievements, and innovative solutions to contemporary issues has led to invitations to meet with high ranking political officials including President Barack Obama. One of his key messages is that we all carry an innate ability to create unparalleled change in the lives of others. Recommended Suicide Resources: In Canada: https://talksuicide.ca/ In the United States: https://988lifeline.org/

Anthony Demby has worn many entertainment-industry hats for more than two decades. From managing the careers of artists such as Childish Gambino and John Legend to advising global brands, his journey has been diverse and expansive. In 2010, Demby combined his recording label, artist management knowledge, and cultural curiosity to found Humbleriot, a New York-based intentional idea shop that utilizes music, culture, and social impact to create dynamic experiences and tell compelling stories. Additionally, he leads a mentorship program for international artists, musicians, and creators. His roster has included clients such as Google, Sonos, Oatly, HBO Max, The Red Hot Organization, For Freedoms, and many others. Follow Anthony Demby on socials: @dembycratic and @humbleriot. Artists Ant told us he loves right now in this episode: Yaya Bey, Yussef Dayes, and NeOne the Wonderer.

“Hawaii” Mike is a branding maestro and founder of Chef for HigherTM, a pioneering culinary and culture brand leading the exciting new era of Cannabis legalization. Chef for HigherTM specializes in creating exemplary Cannabis-infused sweet & savory foods and hosting popular tastemaker dining events, and check out the New York line which just launched HERE. For over 25 years, Hawaii’s been on the frontlines of music, media, and lifestyle, using Hip-Hop and Cannabis as conduits for pursuing his passions and refining his alchemy. Hawaii has worked with legendary Hip-Hop groups like Mobb Deep and consulted for global brands including Nike, Reebok, Estee Lauder, and Mountain Dew. As a talent manager, he guided the careers of influential personalities Nigel Sylvester, DJ Clark Kent, and Jonathan Mannion. He founded LTD magazine, served as a lifestyle editor for The Source magazine, and was co-founder & editor-in-chief of tattoo publication INKED. He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, VH1, BET, and Forbes. He currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, and is available for Private HigherTM catering events, Cannabis-related thought panels, and speaking engagements. Follow Hawaii on Instagram @HWMK.

Host Mark Brand welcomes Harold O'Neal to Better for a conversation about embracing conflict and creative storytelling through impact by turning inside. Don't miss a little performance on his keyboard at the end of the episode! Harold O'Neal is a musician and social entrepreneur, known for his work as a producer, pianist, composer, public speaker, and storyteller. He is widely recognized for his association with the legacy of jazz pianists and has also worked with a diverse range of artists across various musical genres, including U2, Lupe Fiasco, Bob Geldof, Jay Z, and Damien Rice. O'Neal has also been granted fellowship to the prestigious Royal Society of the Arts, with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as patron. Recently, Harold O'Neal brought his storytelling expertise to Pixar's Academy Award-winning film, Soul, serving as a creative expert behind the scenes with his stories providing valuable resources to the filmmaking process. O'Neal is currently working on a range of exciting projects, including his next cinematic jazz album set for release in 2023. He's also producing and scoring a feature-length film with an Academy Award-winning director, scheduled for release in 2024. Additionally, he's collaborating with NASA's Chief Story Architect, Paul Propster, to co-found the Admira Summit, a social enterprise focused on youth outreach, technology, and storytelling. Find out more about Harold O'Neal: https://www.pianocinema.com/ https://www.admirasummit.org/home https://www.instagram.com/haroldonealofficial

Holley M. Kholi-Murchison is an artist and cultural geographer exploring work as a portal to self and communal actualization. They study the human condition, desire, and potential within and outside of evolving definitions of work and workplace. From their research, they tell love stories, make artifacts and resources, and design and program spaces that open pathways for creators to nurture their gifts, talents, and growing edges for their life's work and personal fulfillment. Currently, Holley is Managing Partner and Director of Studio and Media Lab at Oratory Glory, and a co-steward at Celie & Squeak. Find out more about Holley (including the Tell Me About Yourself or TMAY book referenced in this episode) HERE.

BETTER is back for season two with Mark Brand. Today, he welcomes friend and fellow DJ Kirk St. Cyr, better known by his stage name as 4 Korners. He’s the official DJ for the Toronto Raptors and an international musician – he’s played the top nightclubs in more than 20 countries across the world while collecting awards and accolades, AND an NBA championship ring! Find out more about 4Korners and listen to his debut album 4Korners of the World HERE.

Tara McGuire is a mother, a steep advocate for change in the fight against overdoses, a former broadcaster, and a powerfully potent writer. Her book “Holden After and Before," gives us an honest insight into her grief, carried from the loss of her son, Holden to the opioid crisis, which Tara points out is better viewed as what it truly is: an overdose crisis. "He died because he made a mistake that day,” she says with heavy compassion for her own loss, and her son's loss, too, "He wasn't trying to die." Holden's overdose at 21 is not an isolated event. Over 35,000 families know their version of her pain from the last five years alone. That's 21 deaths a day. And while the "cause of death," might be marked on paper with the same words, the Cause of Life and the person behind it only exists once. We’re all one of one. That's the love part of the loss. That’s the crisis of One in many. Tara has turned that love for her son into proactive activism. She is now invited to speak to judges with power to change the course of treatment made available to people struggling. In this episode, we talk about the solutions—the life-saving solutions our youth deserve. And Tara drops bars in one of the most special elements of this episode. Through her prose and poetics Tara's gives voice to hope. At the top of Segment 2, we hear her read an excerpt and go into her world as she breathes in the life of her son . All of this takes us to the key emotion driving impactful change: compassion. "We need to find out why people are numbing themselves with these substances at all. Who we’re losing through this overdoes crisis are our most sensitive people." Tara says, "We need to be in the prevention business... we need to provide care instead of punishment." That part. WORKS: - Author of "Holden After and Before: Love Letter for a Son Lost to Overdose" - Notably recognized essay: “I Can Feel Him Breathing” - Tara's poems and essays have been recognized by Room Magazine, the Writer’s Union of Canada, the TNQ Edna Staebler personal essay contest, as well as broadcast on The Sunday Edition and The Vinyl Cafe on CBC Radio TOOLS: - Wisdom that guides us to our calling - How to speak to your children about drug use with compassion - Language to help us demystify the stigma of substance abuse - Permission to take your time with grief and guidance for how to express grief - How to transfer energy when someone we love dies - Reminders that bad advice exists everywhere and to feel your feelings - The importance of ritual - Pharmaceutical information that helps us question why our doctors are prescribing these highly addictive meds to begin with when there are alternatives MEMORIAL FUND After his passing, the Holden Courage Memorial Fund for Artists was created to support street artists. Link to donate here Addictions Treatment Helplines in Canada Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (U.S.) LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: BETTER is recorded on the unceded and ancestral territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and has been stewarded by them since time immemorial. BETTER with Mark Brand is produced by Pamela Rothenberg of I HEAR YOU STUDIOS and Adam Karch with Orbyt Media

Rick Doblin is a a psychedelic-assisted psychotherapist and the visionary behind MAPS—the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies), a non-profit dedicated to “delivering global healing through psychedelic research.” His research proves how psychedelics heal trauma. Rick started studying the power of psychedelics as medicine just one year before the US government scheduled an emergency ban on psychedelics—and he has continued to work on the frontlines of advocacy for the return of this medicine ever since. In this episode, you’ll hear us talk about the need for deep healing in a society that’s running on fumes. His words on PTSD and what’s possible for even the most complicated of cases brings a depth of hope that anyone with trauma (big t or little) can drop shoulders after listening. The long term effects measured by his clinical trials are there. The safety is there. The need is there. The only thing missing is the regulatory approval and the adaptation for certain psychedelics to move from Schedule I (the highest of offense) to Schedule II, which allows medical use. We also cover the extremes, like balancing a sober life with the use of this medicine— because that’s all it is, medicine—and combining it with therapy. And we catch beautiful quotes like this one: “A lot of the people who are involved in substance abuse problems feel isolated and alone. Part of the antidote to that is to feel that you are connected to this magnificent adventure of billions of years that’s produced life on earth, and to feel that there’s this web of love that’s underneath everything.” TRIGGER WARNING: This episode discusses suicide and suicidal ideation, and some people might find it disturbing. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please, contact your physician, go to your local ER, or call the suicide prevention hotline in your country. For the United States, the numbers are as follows: Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255), or message the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Both programs provide free, confidential support 24/7. For Cananda, the numbers are as follows: Call the Canada Suicie Prevention Service 1.833.456.4566, available 24/7/365 or Text the Crisis Text Line at 45645, available 4pm - midnight WORKS: - founder and executive director of MAPs—the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, which has “dedicated the last 36 years to changing the way people think of, talk about, and consume psychedelics through research, education, and advocacy.” - TED: The Future of Psychedelic-Assisted Research TOOLS: - Research that sheds light on the true safety psychedelics can provide in healing trauma - Profound insights and data that open us up to what’s happening when our minds are on psychedelics - Reminders of the power therapy has and why I always always recommend it - Insight into the studies MAPS is conducting to better understand the profound effects this medicine creates - Discussions around the equity and accessibility of these tools and what changes have to happen LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: BETTER is recorded on the unceded and ancestral territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and has been stewarded by them since time immemorial. BETTER with Mark Brand is produced by Pamela Rothenberg of I HEAR YOU STUDIOS and Adam Karch with Orbyt Media

Rachel Sumekh was in college when she noticed the problem: her peers are hungry. Then she spotted the solution and moved instantly into action. No flinching here. (You can see why we’re friends.) It didn’t take long for the administration to see her impact before they tried to shut it down. While they moved to block progress, the Obama White House named her organization a “Champion for Change.” What one authority called rebellion, another named Revolution. Same coin, different sides. One truth. In this conversation, Rachel speaks openly about the influence her Iranian-Jewish background has on her experience as a human in service to other humans. You’ll hear us talk about our duty, as people, to help end each other’s suffering. Let’s let that one hang. That’s OUR duty: end each other's suffering. We also explore the chapter-close of her decade-long role as the Founder of Swipe Out Hunger—a national nonprofit committed to ending college student hunger, which is something that went largely overlooked before her eyes and heart took notice—proving once again that it just takes One of us (to start). To date, the team at Swipe Out has proudly served over 4.8 million nourishing meals across more than 450 campuses. “This is a baton pass,” Rachel says mid-interview about leaving Swipe Out in the hands of new leadership. “These problems are so big. I’d need to be the whitest of white men to believe that I need to stay there and solve this problem.” And with THAT truth, the episode is yours. Let’s go. WORKS: - Founder of Swipe Out Hunger—a national nonprofit committed to ending college student hunger. From its beginnings as a grassroots movement at UCLA in 2010, Swipe Out Hunger has since served 4.8 million nourishing meals across more than 450 campuses in all 50 states and Canada. - Board member for her LA based Jewish community, IKAR - Owner, TypicalPersianGirl.com RESOURCES: If you or someone you know is experiencing hunger on a college campus, visit swipehunger.org to learn about resources TOOLS: - How to align your skill set with an issue you care about - Tools to recover from lone-wolf syndrome - Reminders that help us conceptualize away time from working - Incredible awarenesses around the true path to creating change - How to face the challenges of being idealistic as an adult - Reminders to find safe people who you can open up to - Stories that remind us HOW normal and common food insecurity really is LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: BETTER is recorded on the unceded and ancestral territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and has been stewarded by them since time immemorial. BETTER with Mark Brand is produced by Pamela Rothenberg of I HEAR YOU STUDIOS and Adam Karch with Orbyt Media

Eamonn Store is IN boardrooms changing the hearts, minds, and actions of some of the world's biggest companies. He’s the former CEO of The Guardian and current Founder & CEO of FairShare—an impact consultancy driven by the belief that “making a contribution to the World is no longer just a 'nice to have.'” I call him a board whisper because he has the critical ability to get people in powerful seats to see past greed’s inherent blindness and come to truth. We talk about capitalism’s many side effects—one being what Eamonn calls “addiction to winning,” and then move into how our current climate crisis, among other crises, can all see themselves in the face of this phenomenon. Thankfully, it’s hard-TRUTH-facing conversations like this, with people like Eammon who put action behind their beliefs, that brings us to see what’s most important and most possible: we have to show up for each other. We have to. We have no other choice. Trust, when I say, this conversation brings layers of wisdom about the machine, about community, about change, and our ability to make it—with a lens on what it looks like to live life with a compass of contribution at North. WORKS: - Former CEO of The Guardian, North America - Founder & CEO of FairShare, an Impact Consultancy that helps companies advance a Purpose beyond their product’s benefit and practices Conscious Commercialism, which “leverages the soul of your brand to the benefit of all while creating more long-lasting business value." TOOLS: - Tools to help us give ourselves permission not to push for perfection when the world just needs us to show up - Reflections that help us see our addiction to winning - The importance of developing a worldview - Reminders to give yourself permission to reflect on the last 5 years of your life with a compassion-centered lens - Reminders to value stakeholders in business, rather than centering shareholders alone - Questions to help you identify your true purpose - Reflections that validate the difficulty of disappointment that comes with hoping corporates aligns with true purpose and impact RESOURCE: - You'll hear us also talk about YOUTH v GOV, a must-watch documentary LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: BETTER is recorded on the unceded and ancestral territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and has been stewarded by them since time immemorial. BETTER with Mark Brand is produced by Pamela Rothenberg of I HEAR YOU STUDIOS and Adam Karch with Orbyt Media with special support and assistance for today's episode from Sarah Burke.

Brother Ernie Paniccioli is a legendary hip hop & culture historian, humanitarian, and self-taught photographer who has been ‘documenting the culture since the start.' My first meeting with Brother Ernie was in Vancouver where he said the feeling of being seen—truly seen and known—was more alive because Indigenous people are "everywhere." Unlike in Brooklyn where he grew up eight blocks away from Biggie Smalls. In this conversation, we track the history of hip hop as a global voice—a global power—and how it can teach us to inhabit a consciousness that promotes our collective wellbeing over a collective violence that he says, knowingly, only leads to the perpetuation of more violence. Here's a quote to kick us off, "If you're gonna love Tupac, if you're gonna love Biggie, then you have to look at it through a different lens—and that lens is how do we not hurt each other? How do we not expand on that violence? How do we not relive it? They say, History's best qualified to teach you, whether it's Germany and the Holocaust or the American Native situation. Unless you know your history, you're condemned to repeat it. So, my thing is very simple: let Tupac and Biggie rest in peace, but more importantly, learn from that and learn that violence creates more violence. What you eat, what you see, and what you absorb is what you become," he says before leading us into a list of recommendations to enlighten the mind and lighten the heart. Also, special side note, if you're catching this at the time of air, Brother Ernie's work is currently being displayed at the GRAMMY Museum Experience, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The feature exhibit is called, “A Hip-Hop Life: Five Decades of Hip-Hop Music, Art and Culture" and displays early & exclusive, behind-the-scenes photos of Hip-Hop legends: Tupac, Biggie Smalls, Naughty By Nature, Lauryn Hill, the Fugees, Ice T, Chuck D, Queen Latifah, and many many more. WORKS: - Dig into the history (see Ernie's prints for sale here) - Hip Hop Hall of Fame in 2014 - Served as the chief photographer for the hip hop magazine, “Word Up!” for over 20 years - Spokesman at The United Nations for The Temple of Hip Hop during the Hip Hop Peace Conference - Published several books, including “Who Shot Ya” - Featured as the subject of the award-winning documentary, “The Other Side of Hip-Hop" TOOLS: - Stories that help guide us into a deeper knowing of ourselves - Wisdom that appeals to the importance of history, knowing it, and using it to shape the future - Spiritual truths that guide us out of violence and into regular, good fun - Legendary tales that remind us to celebrate the ones who gave us what we have today LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: BETTER is recorded on the unceded and ancestral territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and has been stewarded by them since time immemorial. BETTER with Mark Brand is produced by Pamela Rothenberg of I HEAR YOU STUDIOS and Adam Karch with Orbyt Media

Zach Sciacca, aka DJ Z-Trip is a conduit for the power of music AND the love of music. He has a history of working alongside the world’s greatest artists including Chuck D & Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Biz Markie and the list of legends goes on (check the list of WORKS below*) His work showcases the connectivity that music brings us across lifetimes, friendships, memories… Music is one of—if not THE most—transformational tool we have. But when a song gets mashed with another, it transcends everything and becomes something entirely new. THAT power is something Z-Trip has mastered and even pioneered, in the truest sense of the word. Without Z-Trip, the modern-day mash-up doesn’t exist in music. His genius shows up in his ability to simultaneously create containers of celebration & containers of healing—both needed. It IS evolutions in music like this that have helped make me who I am today. What DJ Z-Trip DOES (for a living and for life) honors the past, present, and future all at once. Time is transcended. Feelings are processed. Memories are made and people are remembered. I bring him on today as my dear friend and someone I've been a fan of since before our friendship (shoutout Ant Demby for bringing us together at the Playlist retreat)—and let this stand as a reminder that bigging up your friends is always, always the move. WORKS: - Listen to DJ Z-Trip and support his crazy talent on Twitch, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube - 2009 recipient of the "America's Best DJ Award" (he remains on the top 10 lists year after year) - Respectively, Z Trip is the “Godfather of the mashup movement” - Topped the charts for “Best Album of Year” lists including Rolling Stone Magazine, Spin, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, among many others with his 2001 album, "Uneasy Listening, Vol. 1" - He has a history of working alongside the world’s greatest artists including Chuck D & Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Biz Markie and the list of legends goes on - Opened for The Rolling Stones - Headlined at major shows like Coachella and Rock The Bells - Produced music for EA Games and Tony Hawk - First and only DJ to have a remix approved by Nirvana and Kurt Cobain's estate TOOLS: - What it means to be an entertainer, to transcend space and create containers of healing - Reminders to let you know the importance of slowing down and reflecting on the impact of your work and life - The value of having perspective of where you’ve been to see where you’re going - The beauty of people whose life purpose is to give people a break from the hard stuff - Reminders of how music gets us through the day and through life - Advice that guides craters to be conduits who connect creation to audience not audience to your ego - Metaphors that reflect the balance we need for trust & safety AND playfulness & challenge - The importance of reconnecting with the core of your being - Stories that give the gift of gratitude for the music collectors in your life - Reminders to be a fan of your friends and how they show up in life - Truths that show us that time and time again, only you can do things your way - Permission to adapt daily for the sake of creativity - Inspiration to be your own student - Resonance that reflect the truth of how powerful music is as a healer - Wisdom that reflects the importance of respecting the culture and the history of your craft - Inspiration to take what you’ve learned in life and open someone else’s world with it LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: BETTER is recorded on the unceded and ancestral territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and has been stewarded by them since time immemorial. BETTER with Mark Brand is produced by Pamela Rothenberg of I HEAR YOU STUDIOS and Adam Karch with Orbyt Media

Jennifer Crawford is a gender creative queer who I could happily gush about for the entirety of this episode. We first met cooking for an organization called Sistering in Toronto, which does critical work with women and trans people who are predominantly street entrenched and fleeing violence. You’ll hear that story upfront. (I promise, it’s a warm one.) Jennifer is also the first queer winner of MasterChef Canada, and—wait for it—a professional wrestler who goes under the moniker of Moon Miss. BOTH of which make it super easy for us to talk about the inherent multi-dimensionality that comes with being a person (period), and that leads us right into talking about the trauma that first causes any of us to mask, and the secondary trauma that comes from the pain of masking. It’s a lot of uncovering. "There's a lot of peace in learning how your mind works and giving yourself that permission slip to treat the stakes as high as they are. When I think about authenticity, it's not something I think about a lot in terms of like, ‘Oh, am I being authentic?’ I think about the stakes being so high—and they are for so many. It's not just a thing we do for clout online. It is a thing we do to survive, and connect with other people, so that we can thrive together.” - Jennifer Crawford Take that in. And get ready to feel a whole lot of permission. (*Check the list of tools below for the full scope.) WORKS: - Winner of MasterChef Canada (Check their recipes at jenniferecrawford.com) - Professional wrestler, under the name Moon Miss - Columnist and author of the platform, “My Queer Kitchen" on Daily Xtra - Columnist for SaltWire TOOLS: - Reminders that free you from having to mask who you are - Truths that come from permission-granting lived-experience stories - How sobriety can help us discover more nuance about ourselves - Insight into the beauty and gift that comes with noticing yourself - Reflections that help us depart from codependent patterns - Lived lessons on finding the balance between humility and self-abandonment - Truths that show you’re always worthy of nurturing - Wisdom that creates doorways into small degrees of change (rather than the pressure to 180) - Connection and truths revealed about lone-wolfing life and how to break away from the damage of this trauma response - Ideas that free you from the trappings of niching down your life LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: BETTER is recorded on the unceded and ancestral territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and has been stewarded by them since time immemorial. BETTER with Mark Brand is produced by Pamela Rothenberg of I HEAR YOU STUDIOS and Adam Karch with Orbyt Media

Yarrow Kraner is the founder of HATCH—a global network of innovators and co-conspirators actively doing the work to create a more beautiful, sustainable, and just world (people who Yarrow refers to as “real-life superheroes”). HATCH'S mission is to accelerate solutions to global challenges. The how: by fueling extraordinary humans. The why: to HATCH a better world. Yarrow is a creative alchemist whose heart has the distinct ability to draw people out of a state of self-uncertainy and into a state of self-empowerment—one that has the literal power to change the world. I say that with no fluff. He is, with all sincerity a creative alchemist, builder of community, facilitator of hope, and someone who shows me the truest side of friendship. We have traveled the world together, backpacks on tight, creating safe spaces for people (like you, yes You) to see and discover their ability to make REAL change in this world. Today, you’ll hear him wax poetic like, “There's a race between consciousness and catastrophe.” And speak truth that brings you deeper into the hope we need. This one IS that: “You are either tapped into what you're meant to do in the world, or you have the potential to.” This one goes out to all of us. WORKS: - Founder of HATCH—a global network of innovators who are actively pursuing a more beautiful, sustainable, and just world. - Founder of H360, a machine learning platform that brings silos of organizations together to activate collaborations and create a "Network of Networks" for collaborations with the power to improve the world. - Tate and Olivia's stepdad - Named 2015 top 100 creatives in the U.S. by Origin - Founder, Superdudes—the original online community (pre-MySpace) connecting and empowering real life superheroes while gamifing community volunteerism - Director, Virgin Produced, which is the entertainment arm of Richard Branson’s Virgin group - Filmmaker, photographer, and director, leading projects with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Richard Branson, Sean Combs (aka P. Diddy), as well as, international brands - Aspen Institute Fellow TOOLS: Reflections that help us remember the endless value of true friendship Insights to guide you towards your own backyard and the changes in your hands Hope—THAT’S the tool Truths that help us restore balance in ourselves and inner-knowing LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: BETTER is recorded on the unceded and ancestral territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and has been stewarded by them since time immemorial. BETTER with Mark Brand is produced by Pamela Rothenberg of I HEAR YOU STUDIOS and Adam Karch with Orbyt Media

Loren Cardeli is a food sovereignty activist confronting the unjust power in our global food systems—systems that are crippling the well-being of people who grow our food. He asks us to look at the frameworks of our minds and says "To learn, we must unlearn." He is the Founder and President of A Growing Culture—an activist collective and nonprofit you must catch on IG (Run. Don’t walk) I’ll wait… @agrowingculture’s posts center farmer justice. The humanity of this issue is important for too many reasons, but one stat makes it really easy to get: “Right now, we have a food system [where] 1.2 billion people go to bed hungry,” Loren says. “70% of them are farmers. 70% of the hungry are the ones growing our food.” Drink that in. These hard truths have the power to wake us up and garner global solidarity for folks who need support. “We have no solution,” Loren says, “but I can point to 10,000 people that do, and none of them look like me. We champion those folks.” Then he says, “There are no voiceless people. People say [to me], ‘Oh, you give voice to the voiceless.’ No. There's no voiceless. There's only silenced.” This episode is in honor of the silenced and dedicated to the actions we are capable of together. WORKS: - Founder and President of A Growing Culture—an activist collective and 501c(3) nonprofit working towards a future of food sovereignty - Keynote speaker, addressing agricultural issues through the lens of economics, political science, and life sciences while promoting farmer-led research and innovation for the purpose of helping farmers throughout the world create sustainable, self-driving futures. - AGC PROJECT: “SEED IS POWER” - Seed is Power is a fund to ensure that seeds stay in the hands of the people. These funds support seed savers on their own terms. It’s designed to disrupt the status quo of philanthropy that often inadvertently harms communities. Instead, it creates a reciprocal system that redistributes power, building equity and community among seed savers. - AGC PROJECT: “HUNGER FOR JUSTICE” - Hunger for Justice is a storytelling series designed to center justice in food system dialogues. The series is an opportunity to shift our focus away from symptoms, like hunger, and towards the injustices at the root of our failing food system. AGC provides an emergent and interactive global platform for movements on the frontlines of the struggle for food sovereignty to connect with broader audiences and with each other. Until every last million of us hungers no more, we must hunger for justice. - AGC PROJECT: PEASANT AND INDIGENOUS PRESS - a bi-monthly forum, media workshops, a monthly dispatch, and a journalist fellowship program, Peasant and Indigenous Press centers and connects Indigenous and peasant communities with media and cultivates a more holistic and nuanced storytelling ecosystem. - AGC PROJECT: BIPOC FARMER LEGAL FUND - The BIPOC Farmer Legal Fund provides pro-bono legal services to majority BIPOC-owned agricultural entities to create pathways for agricultural futures. TOOLS: - Access to the most empowering definition of activism you’ve ever heard - Reframes for how to lift up voices that aren’t yours - Reminders of our true humanity and connectivity - Stories that emphazie why we say “If the community is unwell, we’re all unwell.” - Root definitions of words that will teach you how language distorts reality - Questions to ask yourself about belief versus fact and what narratives are running the behind the scenes of your daily life - Reframes for how to think about power and where it belongs LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: BETTER is recorded on the unceded and ancestral territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and has been stewarded by them since time immemorial. BETTER with Mark Brand is produced by Pamela Rothenberg of I HEAR YOU STUDIOS and Adam Karch with...

Samantha Ramirez-Herrera is a radical creator and a trailblazer in every sense of the word. Born in Mexico with a legacy lived, made, and growing in the US, she has become “her ancestor’s wildest dreams”—something I heard her describe from stage in the mountains of Montana. Sam is who I go to—as my North Star—to track the narratives being created in media that support the movements that support the people. Her work is provocative in that it represents resistance and progress all in the same sweep. Her mantra is “F-ck fear.” And, to top it all off (not even kinda), Sam is an Emmy Award-Winning filmmaker, a self-made entrepreneur, and the founder & CEO of OffThaRecord—a creative studio with the mantra, “We are creatives who give a damn.” She is a DREAMer who grew up in the United States undocumented, but what we learn without hesitation from her is that there is not a single DREAMER who’s out here wasting their opportunity. She says, “I am labeled as a DREAMer, but I am way more than that. I am a DOer. And I am a chain breaker for my family.” I’ll take a DEEP breath to that one. It’s that quote, and all the stories she's lived to date, that brought us the name for this episode: “BEYOND DREAMER.” This conversation is a repeat listen for those moments when we need to remember that we can make new rules for ourselves, our communities, our society, our future. It's not possible to leave this listen without a hunger for equity, a determination to “fuck fear,” (visualize those words in Old English, please) and a drive to love yourself radically. Get pen and paper. Your hands are about to be busy grabbing lines like this: “Being an immigrant in this country is difficult. Because every day you’re attacked with words… and if you don’t love yourself radically, if you don’t love yourself in a revolutionary way, they can break you. But I choose to be unbreakable. And I choose to love myself.” - Samantha Ramirez-Herrera WORKS: - CEO & Founder, OffThaRecord—a creative studio with the mantra “We are creatives who give a damn.” - CIVICS FOR THE CULTURE—a campaign launched by Fair Fight Action (founded in 2018 by Stacey Abrams) to mobilize young people of color 18-35 to vote and be civically engaged. - SEEDS OF RESILIENCE—Sam and her team at Off Tha Record worked with Food Well Alliance to uplift the stories of Black growers around Atlanta through a 4 part series titled “Seed of Resilience”. They discussed land access, growing food in the city, and the significance of supporting Black-led agriculture -- particularly in the South. - WE ARE HOME—a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-generational coalition calling on the Biden administration and Congress to take immediate action to protect millions of immigrants who call this country home and end the cruelty of our interior detention and deportation system. - UNDERDOG DREAMS—OffThaRecord executed storytelling and video productions for Underdog Dreams, a non-profit organization working on revolutionizing the flawed child welfare system. - Keynote Speaker, where she describes herself as "just a Brown immigrant pursuing all of my wildest dreams and hoping to inspire others to do the same." TOOLS: - How to transcend the lies of stigma - How to make new rules for yourself - What it really looks like to create the path to equity - Tools to redefine yourself in alignment with your true identity and ACTIONS - Contemplations to witness and honor the hardships and privilege people individually carry and inspiration to help guide you to work through yours - Stories that motivate you to embrace your actual potential - Permission to love yourself radically - Reminders that strengthen courage in the face of fear - Everyday practices we can do knowing traumatic events are happening DAILY without time to process - Reminders to see the way social media manipulates the mind. Sam talks about “appreciating the moments between the posts.” - Reminders to protect our mental...