Rebuilding The Beast
Turning tragedies into triumphs: Hosted by NBA champion Festus Ezeli, tune in every Wednesday for a dose of heartfelt stories, great advice and complementary light hearted fun. Sharing his personal story from coming to America to a career defining injury, join Festus on his journey to Rebuilding the Beast. Featuring an array of inspiring guests and honest conversations about the ups and downs of life. From injuries, mental health issues, diseases, addiction, to strokes of fate and more, learn about overcoming adversity. Rebuilding the Beast gives a platform to others to tell their story in hopes of inspiring, spreading positivity and guiding through challenges. Let’s talk about the hard times and let’s be vulnerable, because your story can be someone else’s survival guide!
Episodes
Welcome to the season 3 finale of Rebuilding the Beast! On this episode I reflect on all the guests we’ve had this season and the things I learned from them. We also dive deep into where my life is headed and the future I imagine for the podcast.
Your guy’s support means the world to me and I’m so glad to have you all on this journey. But I need your help… if you’d like the podcast to keep going, I need you to rate us, follow us o...
Hello my fellow beasts! As our season starts winding down, I wanted to share this quick story called the Farmer With Two Buckets. It’s a great reminder that even though we may feel broken or have flaws, we can still inspire those around us in a positive way.
I created this podcast for you to get inspired and have tips as we all journey through our own rebuilds. Surround yourself with others that inspire you and uplift you. And rem...
Trigger Warning: Suicide
Our next guest is joining us all the way from Australia, today we have Alexa Towersey! Alexa, also known as “Action Alexa,” is a celebrity trainer, nutritionist, writer, sports model, and mental health advocate. This woman is a literal BEAST! After being bullied for being too skinny, the gym became her safe place as she developed strength both mentally and physically.
Alexa has had many turning points thr...
Let’s say Aloha to our next guest Xeana Kamalani - aka, Kama! Kama is a model, actress, Philanthropist, founder of Kama Training, and is the first pro league pitcher in softball that’s from Hawaii. And being only 25 years old, she has accomplished so much.
Today we cover,
· What growing up in Hawaii is really like and how her hometown, Makaha, would be best described as the ghetto.
· The hardest part growing up...
Trigger Warning: Suicide
Our next guest has been a long time coming… today we have my good friend Tara Mackey on the podcast! Tara is the CEO of “The Organic Life,” founder of “Genetix,” Author of Cured By Nature and Wild Habits, a musician, a scientist, and then her most important job – a solo mother. She’s on the journey of always pursing her interests and using her knowledge to help others. But like so many of us, all of this ca...
You guys, I am so excited about our next guest. Today on the podcast we the legendary Mahmoud Abdul Rauf! Mahmoud is a former NBA player who has played for the Denver Nuggets, the Sacrament Kings, and Vancouver Grizzles. He is one of the greatest players in the game, even while living with a form of Tourettes.
We have seen his name in headlines often and not just for his incredible free throw shooters. In 1996, he made headlines f...
We have a beautiful, inspiring episode this week my fellow beasts! My friend Karly Ashworth is our next guest. She is also our first ever reality tv star that we’ve had on the podcast.
After her time on the UK’s Big Brother, Karly decided to leave the world of fame and climb the ladder of the corporate world. After finding success there, feeling burned out, and then the pandemic, Karly decided to follow a new career path when hypn...
This week on Rebuilding the Beast we are breaking down the stigma of the sex industry and the use of psychedelics. I ask that you come in with an open mind and heart and be ready to learn something, because I for sure did! With that being said, our guest today is Lana Shay! Lana is a conscious sex worker, the co-founder of Psychedelic Times, and author of Erotic Hustle: Redefining Sin Through Sacred Sexuality. Today, Lana shares h...
We’ve got a special episode this week, my good friend Caity Lotz is our next guest! Caity is an actress, dancer, director, and stunt woman. You may have even seen her on shows like Mad Men, Arrow, and Legends. Recently, Caity got engaged, so get ready to hear a loved-up episode!
Today we talk about
· How she met her fiancé Kyle and how she finally understands the phrase “when you know, you know.”
· What work she did for...
Happy New Year!
To kick off the new year we have compiled all the answers this season to my favorite question, “If you could talk to your younger self, what advice would you give them?” I love looking back on the answers to these questions because they perfectly encapsulate that person’s journey of rebuilding.
Please enjoy as we reflect on these 10 guests that we’ve had this season so far.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanza, and a Happy New Year! This week we’re taking it easy as we get ready to enter the New Year. Today you’ll hear the story, Box Full of Kisses. It’s a beautiful reminder that love is the most precious gift in the world, so hold onto your loved ones tight and check in with them.
Now, before you read this next section, take a listen to the episode.
Did you listen?
Great!
As you heard, w...
This episode was a long time coming because my good friend Thomas Vu is finally our guest here on the podcast. If you remember from season 2 of Rebuilding the Beast, I went to the Joe Dispenza retreat. Well, the person who introduced that retreat to me, was none other than Thomas! Thomas is a master meditator and so I fully trusted him in attending this retreat, and I am so glad did.
Other than a master meditator, Thomas is also a...
Buckle up because this week we have Marcellus Wiley on the podcast! After growing up in Compton and South Central Los Angeles, Marcellus didn’t let where he grew up define how his life was going to pan out. He would soon go to Columbia University to further his education as well as play football. Then after being a second-round pick in the 1997 NFL Draft, Marcellus would soon go on to be a defensive end for the Buffalo Bills, San D...
Next up on our holiday special is my Nigerian brother Kevin Olusola! You may know him from the Grammy award winning acapella group “Pentatonix” or his own podcast that he cohosts called “Imagine Faith Talk.”
Kevin has a beautiful soul and we got deep on this episode today. We talk about,
· Growing up and what it means to be an immigrant as well as a half Nigerian, half Caribbean in Kentucky.
· How his parents shielde...
We’re kickstarting this holiday season with my good friend Chloe Arnold! Chloe is a multi-talented dancer, an Emmy nominated choreographer, a featured dancer in the Syncopated Ladies, and so much more! She has also gone viral on YouTube with 100 million views for the Syncopated Ladies “Viral Tap Band” to Beyoncé. Her love of tap dancing has brought upon countless opportunities, and she has even taught me a few moves. Most recently,...
Welcome back everyone! Today on the show we have Corey Phelps. I stumbled across Corey’s Instagram a few months ago and instantly knew I wanted to have him on the podcast. Corey is a “bad bitch” (as he would say), but also a leader in body positivity, owning his queerness, and an advocate for mental health and homelessness. You may have watched him on the hit TLC show Too Large or seen him on YouTube sharing his weight loss journey...
TW: Eating Disorder
Welcome back! This week we have the very talented Alexa Mansour! Alexa is an actress who you’ve probably seen on The Walking Dead and soon, Avalon. After struggling with an eating disorder that caused her to end up in the ICU, Alexa decided it was time to regain control over her life and start putting herself first.
Today, you’ll hear all about
· Alexa’s life growing up with and Egyptian father and Mexica...
Welcome back to Rebuilding the Beast! Today we have India Shawn. India is a singer, songwriter, and my good friend! After growing up singing in the church, singing backup for artists like Anderson Paak, Chris Brown, and Harry Styles, India began to pursue her own career. And just recently, she released her debut album, “Before We Go Deeper.”
We talk about so much on this episode…
· What life was like growing up singing in the...
Welcome back to Rebuilding the Beast! Today we have Wesley Hamilton. You’ve potentially could’ve seen him on the hit Netflix show Queer Eye, or his feature in Men’s Health, or have even seen one of the countless speeches he has done. But now, he’s graced us with his presence on our show!
Wesley grew up on the east side of Kansas City, where many young African Americans struggled to find opportunity outside of the streets. Back in ...
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