All About The Joy

Ever wonder why some leaders pull us toward our better selves while others license the worst in us? I sit down with director and activist Joel Lava for a candid, funny, and sometimes fiery conversation that moves from election reactions to what conviction really looks like under pressure. We unpack the Mamdani win in New York, the trap of demanding perfect candidates, and how media platforms reward hysteria over nuance. Joel doesn’...

In this episode of All About The Joy, Culture and Consequence: 

The lines wrapped around buildings, the speeches were unapologetic, and for a moment the air felt lighter. We dive into why this week’s blue wave hit so hard, not as a finish line but as proof that showing up still moves the needle. From New York’s historic win to California’s focused ballot, we celebrate the turnout while arguing for what comes next: sustained particip...

Two alarms go off across the same city, and the day splits: one morning sprints through breakfast prep, school runs, and budget math; the other flows with nannies, a chef, and a tennis lesson on the calendar. We use these parallel routines to explore how privilege changes not just outcomes but mindset - how decisions feel when every choice has a price tag versus when most frictions are outsourced. It’s not a guilt trip or a fairy t...

The episode starts with shine - literal shine - as we trade retinol tips, laugh about mic placement, and compare notes on simple routines that actually work. Then the tone shifts. We walk through the government shutdown, what a “clean” continuing resolution really means, and why leaving ACA funding out isn’t a technicality - it’s a strategy that hikes premiums and pushes people off care.

From there, we go straight to the d...

What if the best education for your child isn’t a yes-or-no choice between homeschooling and traditional school? We sit down with education reform advocate and author Chris Linder to explore a flexible path that blends the strengths of both. The idea is simple and powerful: keep the structure and social energy of the classroom, then add focused, at-home learning to close the gaps - critical thinking, financial literacy, study skill...

A historic wing falls under the wrecking ball while the government sits frozen and the real story isn’t the rubble, it’s the missing guardrails. We dig into how a fast-tracked White House East Wing demolition bypassed the usual preservation process and why a proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom could dwarf the White House and reshape what the People’s House symbolizes. From the National Capital Planning Commission to the GSA, we wa...

What if the difference between “out now” and “taking off” was simply three weeks of planning and the right people answering your email? We sit with Jesse Flores, VP of Artists and Label Partnerships at Intercept Music, to map the modern indie playbook—how to keep your masters, design smarter releases, and turn attention into a durable career.

Jesse takes us from his mixtape‑selling college days to national roles at EMI, th...

A burger run after a high school football game should be forgettable. Instead, teens were pulled from their cars, handcuffed, and taken to a station for violating a 10 p.m. curfew - no drugs, no fights, no vandalism. We follow that one night in LA County to its bigger meanings: how “law and order” becomes spectacle, how small policies teach big lessons about power, and how a first brush with policing can harden into lifelong distru...

What if happiness isn’t a mood spike but a skill you can train? We sit with author and coach Trish Ahjel Roberts to explore how transformational leadership, nervous system tools, and a new relationship with anger can change how you work, lead, and live. Trish shares her path from two decades in corporate America to founding Mind Blowing Happiness, and we dig into why so many organizations still run on a military model - uniforms, t...

What if the real crisis isn’t left vs. right, but dignity vs. spectacle? We take a hard look at how performative nastiness - on camera and in hearings - rewards the loudest bad actors while starving institutions of trust. From Stephen Miller’s cultivated cruelty to a combative congressional appearance that dodged every question, we trace how contempt becomes a political brand, and why that brand reliably escalates toward harm when ...

The stories we inherit about money can be louder than any spreadsheet, and today we put those stories under a kinder light with financial therapist Lindsay Bryan-Podvin. From the shock of a first paycheck that doesn’t match the essential work behind it to the quiet panic of opening a bank app, we trace how culture, family, and systems shape what we think we “should” feel about money - and how that clashes with reality. Lindsay brin...

A Super Bowl halftime rumor shouldn’t trigger a civics crisis - but the Bad Bunny backlash did exactly that. We start with culture and run headlong into identity, geography, and the gaps in how we understand America. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. Spanish is part of the national soundtrack. When people panic about who “counts,” it’s really a story about education, belonging, and whether we can sit still long enough to be surprise...

Ever wondered what it means to find joy in every circumstance? Carmen Lezeth takes you behind the scenes in this special episode, unveiling the four distinct shows that make up the All About the Joy podcast network while sharing the deeply personal story behind its creation.

Growing up in challenging circumstances, Carmen discovered a survival mechanism that would eventually shape her entire worldview: "When you'...

Raw, unfiltered, and desperately needed - Carmen and Andrea tackle America's most uncomfortable truths in this powerful episode that dives headfirst into the forces shaping our divided nation.

The conversation begins with a stark assessment of current leadership, examining the embarrassment many Americans feel watching their representatives on the world stage. When a president tells global leaders "your countries...

What happens when traditional weight loss approaches fail because of underlying medical conditions? In our most candid conversation yet, Cynthia courageously shares her 14-month journey with Wegovy - a path she initially kept private due to fear of judgment.

This powerful discussion reveals the complex relationship between chronic illness and weight gain. Cynthia's lifelong battle with asthma led to steroid treatments...

The divide between political ideologies in America runs deeper than most realize, and in this raw, unfiltered conversation, Carmen and Andrea break down what actually defines liberalism and conservatism beyond the superficial party labels.

Using a brilliant analogy, they explain how ideologies are like phone operating systems (iOS vs Android) while political parties are just the apps running on them—helping listeners under...

What happens when life throws you a curveball and you find out who truly shows up? In this powerful episode, Maurio returns to All About the Joy after his 36th surgery, sharing raw insights on friendship, healing, and emotional boundaries. 

From spinal stenosis to Paget’s disease, Maurio’s resilience shines through as he reflects on the people who stayed, the ones who faded, and the wisdom he’s gained along the way. “I’m on the back...

The assassination of Charlie Kirk forces a confrontation with uncomfortable truths about political violence, empathy, and America’s uncertain future. Carmen and Andrea navigate this sensitive terrain with nuance, revealing how this tragedy fits into a broader epidemic - where 47 other people also died from gun violence that same day.

They explore the troubling disconnect in how we respond to tragedy based on political alignment, arg...

What does it say about you when someone's failure to use a turn signal sends you into a rage? Or when the sound of someone chewing makes your skin crawl? In this engaging conversation, we dive deep into the psychology behind our pet peeves and what they reveal about our values and expectations.

The hosts share their most triggering annoyances – from drivers who don't signal to people typing loudly on keyboards, f...