Let's Talk Elephants Podcast

10/03/2024

(s5e8) LOVING IMPERFECT PARENTS: lexie engdahl has a complex relationship with her father, who is currently serving time in jail for an attempted homicide in a road rage incident. lexie’s dad is a Vietnam veteran, who struggled with ptsd his whole life as well. on this episode, we discuss:

* the difficulty of growing up in a divorced household & the pressure to pick sides
* the nuance of people & how we all have lovable parts of us no matter who we are
* the importance of choosing forgiveness and love over resentment and hate
* the struggle of having older parents
* issues in the judicial system

episode available sunday, 10/15! last episode of the season!

09/12/2024

(s5e7) LIFE AS A SINGLE MOM: natalie dempsey had her daughter when she was 21 and has been navigating life as a single mom for the last 5 years. there are many stigmas/stereotypes attached to being a single mom, some good & some not so good. on this episode, we discuss:

* the challenges of having a child during a turbulent relationship
* the sacrifices you have to make for a child, financially and emotionally
* modern society’s lack of family values & the high divorce/separation rate
* how growing up in a divorced/separated household or witnessing a divorce/separation affects children
* troubles with dating when you have a child

episode available sunday, 9/15!

08/29/2024

(s5e6) NEW AGE DATING: WHY MEN WON’T COMMIT: having a brother that is so close in age to me has been like having an inside look into the way men’s heads work. caden has always been honest with me when it comes to advice on dating, men, their intentions, etc. because he been in both long-term relationships & casual flings with women throughout our life. obviously, his experience is one of many, but we can all recognize certain patterns within our own gender, so one experience is still a valuable one. on this episode, we discuss:

*how a guy acts when he is genuinely interested in a girl vs. something casual
*different attachment styles (anxious vs. avoidant) and how they handle intimacy
*the way social media makes it difficult to commit because of the perceived limitless options
*how a guy can tell when a woman has respect for herself or not

episode available sunday, 9/1!

08/15/2024

(s5e5) PRACTICING CHRISTIANITY IN GEN Z: jade gutierrez is 23 years old and has practiced her faith her entire life. religion is something that has become less popular and more controversial amongst younger generations, but jade has found a way to incorporate it into her life while still having fun and exploring herself. on this episode, we discuss:

* our differences in beliefs when it comes to the afterlife
* how she reconciles being christian while also still engaging in some activities that have not been traditionally accepted in christianity
* her experience with betrayal/infidelity & the importance of forgiveness regardless of religious denomination
* the difference between the ego and the soul

episode available sunday, 8/18!

08/02/2024

(s5e4) MARRYING TOO YOUNG: dawn bailey (who is also my grandma 😊) got married at a very young age, before she really knew herself or her partner (my grandpa). we all love my grandpa dearly, but he was a challenging person to deal with. they were married for almost 50 years, up until my grandpa’s passing 3 years ago, and he was the only person she had ever been with. on this episode, we discuss:

* signs of a controlling and possessive partner
* how childhood development, abandonment issues, and attachment styles affect your relationships for the rest of your life (generational trauma)
* the struggle to find your identity when you are too lost in a relationship

episode available sunday, 8/4.

07/24/2024

(s5e3) FILLING THE SHOES OF ABSENT PARENTS: savannah tuttrup grew up with two parents that battled addiction. she moved to las vegas when she was 24 with her younger sister, who she has been raising for basically her entire life. savannah and her sister are only 9 years apart, so she took on the role of a parent as a child herself. on this episode, we discuss:

*what it was like for her to grow up with parents who struggled with addiction
*the pressure of being a role model/guardian for a sibling
*how she has become better equipped to be a parent when she does have her own kids

episode available on sunday, 7/28.

07/03/2024

(s5e2) FIRST RESPONDER MENTAL HEALTH: glen simpson is the senior director at community ambulance and has been in the EMS community since 2004. he shared with me some of the struggles of maintaining mental health in a career where you are constantly exposed to traumatic events. glen was a first responder at the route 91 mass shooting in 2017, and he shared an in depth account of that night and the impact it had on him. on this episode, we discuss:

*some of the most tragic/impactful calls he’s received over the years
*the struggle of remaining emotionally available for other people in your life when you have to turn your emotions off for work
*the stigma around mental health & speaking up when you need help
*how, despite witnessing atrocities, glen still believes that 99% of people in the world are good

episode available sunday, 7/7.

06/19/2024

(s5e1) PRACTICING ETHICAL POLITICS: rafael arroyo is running for nevada state assembly in the upcoming election. he shared with me his vision for how to be an ethical & effective representative if he were elected. although rafael is running under the republican party, he emphasized the importance of representing ALL nevada citizens. on this episode, we discuss:

* corruption in both the state and federal government
* what it looks like to change a broken system
* differences between the republican & democrat parties
* his intentions behind running for office & his plan for improving nevada if he were elected

episode available on sunday, 6/23.

10/03/2023

(s4e9) LIFE IN THE NFL: ameer abdullah has been in the nfl for the last 9 years, having played for the detroit lions, minnesota vikings, and currently plays for the las vegas raiders. on this episode, we discuss:

•common stereotypes of pro athletes (unintelligence, superficiality, poor financial choices, cheating)
•the demanding nature of the job
•if race plays a role in choosing pro sports

available sunday, 10/8

09/20/2023

(s4e8) SURVIVING SEXUAL ASSAULT: rachel macias has experienced two different instances of sexual assault; once when she was 7 & another when she was 16. on this episode, we discuss:

•how experiences of sexual assault/harassment affect sexuality
•how trauma is non-linear; some days are more triggering than others
•the difficulty in trusting others after being assaulted

episode available this sunday, 9/24

09/15/2023

“The dangers of domestic abuse” went live yesterday on the
I lost my mom when I was 15 to a murder su***de. I don’t talk about it a lot anymore so it’s hard to dig this stuff back up, so I hope it comes across well. It was nice talking to Destiny about it all, she’s a great host!

Over the years it’s felt like I’ve really detached myself from the details and hardship associated with losing my mom. Which I think is healthy. I’ve Just been trying to heal from her not being here. Coming up on 10 years in January feels insane. I still wake up in the morning sometimes with an excited feeling like she’s gonna come back. Like she’s just been on a trip for 10 years and I’m gonna grab her from the airport…. Unfortunately that will never happen and those days are really the worst. She’s missed so much of my life. It feels like I’ve had to remember her longer than the time I got to spend with her. But with that said all life and circumstances are temporary. We are gonna lose a lot of people just by living. And that’s a hard lesson to learn at any age. Enjoy who you have in your life as much as you can while you have them. The world keeps turning and we have to live for the people that don’t get to anymore.

If you end up listening, I hope you enjoy it, and I’m sorry I said “like” too many times. Thanks for your continued support and have a great day. 🤘🏻

08/31/2023

(s4e7) THE DANGERS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE: when michael richter was just 15 years old, his mom wendy was killed by her husband. on this episode, we discuss:

•warning signs of a potentially abusive relationship
•how substances exacerbate domestic violence
•coping after a traumatic event/loss
•how his mom inspires him as a musician to this day

episode available on sunday, 9/3.

08/16/2023

(s4e6) SCHOOL CHOICE & THE EDUCATION PARADIGM: valeria gurr is a senior fellow for the american federation for children & graduates this year with her PhD in public affairs. we had an extensive conversation about why it is important for families to be able to choose schools that meet the needs of their children. on this episode, we discuss:

•how nevada’s education system continues to fail children
•the importance of school choice for kids from low-income and/or minority families
•how political party lines prevent us from moving forward as a people

available this sunday, 8/20!

08/02/2023

(s4e5) ADDRESSING SEXUALITY & GENDER IN SCHOOL: madisen silva is a teacher at a public charter high school in las vegas, and she shared with me some of the challenges of teaching controversial topics in the classroom. on this episode, we discuss:

• teaching about sti’s, gender pronouns, and sexuality
• the role of a parent vs. the role of a teacher
• if there is a place for opinion/valued-based learning in the classroom

episode available this sunday, 8/6!

07/19/2023

(s4e4) INSIDE POLICE MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING: stacy thaxton worked for the crisis intervention team of the LVMPD for 20 years. she helped educated officers on mental health disorders and how to appropriately recognize and respond to these types of calls. on this episode, we discuss:

•how to respond to calls dealing with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, su***de attempts, etc.
•how the 2020 george floyd killing affected law enforcement officers and their training
•ptsd, depression, & anxiety in officers themselves after dealing with traumatic calls

episode available july 23rd!

07/05/2023

some episodes are harder for me than others, and this was one of those tough ones. that being said, i am very grateful for conversations like this because they are so incredibly raw and showcase one of the best parts about being human, which is our ability and tendency to love others so deeply. tina robinson lost her 15 year old son, james, to su***de back in 2011. on this episode, we discuss:

• how bullying impacts mental health
• the lack of mental health resources for students in CCSD
• the struggle of moving forward with life after losing a child

available on sunday, 7/9

***deprevention ***deawarness

06/21/2023

(s4e2) BOTH SIDES OF BODY POSITIVITY: ben nevares has multiple degrees in sports nutrition & exercise science. he also grew up in a town where 98% of the population is below the poverty line, and they did not have access to health education. on this episode, we discuss:

•the good and bad things about the body positivity movement
•how genetics play a role in obesity
•the way poverty limits our ability to live a healthy life

available this sunday, june 25th!

05/22/2023

season 4 coming june 11th. new podcast cover too 🥰🥰

03/01/2023

here are some pretty impressive women throughout history. be appreciative of the women in your life this month (and every month). this is also a great month to work on your mommy issues 🫶🏻

02/11/2023

“we can learn to adjust and come to terms with death — this final and most humbling fact of life — and find relief in the understanding that there is nothing else nearly as hard left.”

6/10 overall, here’s why:

CONS:
• this is an opinion/perspective book. virtually no data other than anecdotes (not my personal preference)
• obviously is more addressed to a male audience (guys you might like it more than i did)
• can get very preachy at times, with him basically saying “people have it worse than you so get over it & do something about”
• idealistic, says to do these things and doesn’t give precise or helpful instructions about how to implement this into your life

PROS:
• quick read, easy to understand
• highly recommend if you feel stuck in a rut, has a very “get up off your ass” vibe to it
• chapter on “art of acquiescence” is particularly good, focuses on just rolling with whatever s**t gets thrown at you
• emphasizes how failure is a necessary precursor for success

02/05/2023

Bringing my podcast to another platform! Check out the audio on Apple, Spotify, etc., or if you are more of a visual person, I have a youtube version available as well. Season 4 coming in June!

An interview-style podcast about all of the things that make the room uncomfortable.