Podcasts of a Tex-Mex Mess

Zoey Lucinda chose her name to illuminate her true self. Zoey means "life" and Lucinda means "brilliant light," and she really does bring so much light into life for herself and others through her spirit and laughter. Zoey is an Atlanta comedian that openly shares her upbringing in an abusive household and what that meant growing up as a transgender child that would one day break the mold. Just days before her long-awaited gender confirmation surgery, Zoey sees the light and opens up about her long journey to finally inhabit the body she was meant to have. Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/TEXMEXMESS)

Neal Reddy can’t go back from being exposed, so why not lean into it? The Atlanta comic catches us up on what his life has looked like since it was transformed in the first season of Netflix’s Queer Eye, and it proves that showing the world who you really are might not be such a bad thing after all. Neal opens up about his experiences with being bullied as a child, how it manifested, and how he has worked to embrace vulnerability. We also dive into the destruction of toxic relationships, the importance of therapy, and that "self care" is more than just a hashtag.Support the show

Look, we'd like to say that we're past the world of comedy being a boy's club, but we're not quite there yet. Join me and comedy writer Murda Hill as we go into the depths of how sexism has affected our self-esteem and success in the comedy industry. We touch on everything from nuances and secretive setbacks to full on harassment. How much further might we be without the bullshit? Perhaps we'll never know, but the best we can do is to call it out as it comes. Murda also opens up about her upbringing in East Atlanta, and how only after kicking her addictions she was finally able to get down to business in creating great comedy. Support the show

Ain't it great to be alive? Caleb Synan decides to wake up every day with excitement that he is still around to meet his dreams at full speed. Raised religious in the south, contemplation of the world ending was commonplace, so Caleb sees every moment of being alive as a gift. He shares how he translates his upbringing into his comedy, how he finds silliness in even the darkest of topics, and how it brought him successes such as appearances on Conan and Comedy Central. This, and our shared love for Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Support the show

Annie Lockwood is a rollercoaster cowgirl who also struggles with an emotional rollercoaster behind the scenes. After battling with mysterious and painful migraines, Annie was finally diagnosed with IIH, an illness that causes intracranial hypertension. When inflamed, it causes immense pain, leaving her no choice but to cancel work and her comedy shows. Gaining a higher gratitude when she is feeling well, Annie shows us that her wild and ambitious spirit cannot be suppressed by her illness as she strives to do what she loves best. This, and we talk about our shared love of fashion, perfectionism, and the bitch that is adult acne. Buckle up, this one is a thrilling ride! Support the show

Brilliant comedian Minori Hinds and I sit down to talk about the resilience of the mind, the work it takes to heal your heart, and how important it is to reclaim a childlike goofiness. Minori opens up about loss, trauma, and trying to kick crutches like weed to stop escaping and become more present in a beautiful life. She also shares about how living in a diverse city like Atlanta vs. the mostly white one she moved from opened up a greater freedom in her comedy. This episode reminded me why I started this pod in the first place, give it a listen! Support the show

Though silly on stage, life isn't always fun behind the scenes for a comedian. Ben Wallis grapples with the difficulty of his new situation of being separated from his two young children as his ex relocates to the other side of the country. He opens up about marrying young, the difficulties of divorce, and the freedom of coming out as bisexual later in life. What does a platypus have to do with all of that? Tune in to find out! 

Most of us think about what our legacy will be when we die, but for cancer survivors like Heather Tolley-Bauer, you have to care what it will be a lot sooner than you’d like. Known as Atlanta’s favorite “mom-edian” and creator of the female centered show Laugh-lines & Stretch-marks, Heather preaches that if we have the ability to laugh at the small stuff then we have the band-width to deal with the big stuff. Her speciality is helping other moms break free of a Pinterest prison world, and knows just how much they need a comedic break in their day in order to relax. Heather has decided that her legacy will be laughter and positivity, and if you take a listen, you will see that she is nailing it! Support the show

Joe Pettis, Mayor of Atlanta Comedy and the producer of 1UP Comedy, opens up about his own rock bottom - a bad hospital visit and being too drunk to remember a piece of pizza. Since ditching alcohol, Joe has curated a successful comedy empire that gives opportunities to local comics, showcases big name touring comedians, and often gives proceeds from comedy shows to charities. He doesn't take for granted his second chance at life, which is why he named his comedy production "1UP," to allude to the life giving mushrooms from the old school video game Super Mario Bros. Joe teaches us that if you fend off your demons, you can achieve anything that you work hard for. Support the show

Meet Art Sturtevant, a 58 year-old comic who's tenure in comedy has only made him more vibrant. Raised with strict religious influence, he was told that it was bad to be "worldly," meaning, "of the world." But after attending college, finding comedy, and meeting the love of his life, his mindset quickly changed and he started taking on the world. Art also opens up about his experience caring for his daughter fighting cancer at the young age of seven, and how through all of this he realizes how precious life truly is. So give it up for Art! Support the show

Elisha Transou found his calling in comedy, but it wasn't a life that he was set up for. Growing up in Detroit, his examples of what success meant included making money by selling drugs on the street and getting caught in dangerous situations. Knowing that he didn't want to get stuck in that trap, he decided to reinvent himself to create his own life. Elisha opens up about what it meant to breakaway and have the courage to start a new life on his own, and how comedy gave him the power to be himself. This, and what the hell is forgiveness anyways?  Support the show

Comedian Miguel Osornio opens up about the realities of living as an immigrant in America and how everyone is a person worthy of empathy. Having moved from Mexico when he was a child, Miguel feels the weight of the reality of immigrant children and families being held captive in camps in today's America, and it is an evil too much to bear. Join us as he discusses his own journey of self worth that is impacted by our country's discriminate propaganda of immigrants, and how he has found comedy as a way to find his joy again and to bring relief to others. This, and the place he found is the best place to cry in public. Support the show

Right before Lisa Smith heads off to New Orleans, she shares with us her experiences as a female Lyft driver, a struggling millenial, and her fascination with survivalists. We also get into why women should be more unified and not pitted against one another, regardless of how they present themselves. This, and we ponder on how to best represent abusive relationships as female comedians, challenging the lines to find catharsis for our past experiences. Support the show

Jen O'Neill Smith is obvs not a new kid in comedy, but she reflects on being uprooted from her home of New York at 14, starting over as the new kid in Georgia, and how that adaptation taught her resilience that prepared her for the world of comedy. Jen opens up about the experience of bombing no matter how many years you have on stage, and how it's not so bad to always see yourself with having more room to grow. But... new kids still have to tough it out, and trust her, you'll be better for it. Support the show

Andrew Michael (with his baby Randy Gene in tow!) opens up about his family's struggle to survive a sudden NICU experience in the far away land of Greece. When Randy Gene was born unexpectedly at 24 weeks (yeah, that's four months too early) right when his mother got off the plane for a trip, Andrew quickly flew across the world to join them. He shares what it meant to uproot their lives, to live in Greece, to work through the language barrier, and the scary uncertainty of staying by tiny Randy Gene's side at the hospital. Randy Gene is strong and fought for life like a true Hercules, and Andrew doesn't take a moment for granted. But coming back home meant unpacking more than a suitcase, listen to this incredible story of a family's turbulent journey that changed them forever. Support the show

For a comedian, timing is everything. But sometimes timing isn't very funny, like the timing of restrictive abortion laws that don't understand the timing of women's bodies. Sam Gordon opens up about facing a hard decision right as Georgia's "Heartbeat Bill" went through. At a time that women feel so powerless, Sam uses her production company Windy Peach Comedy to put on comedy shows to help raise money for organizations that fight for reproductive justice. Believe it or not, we can laugh during these scary times AND do it for a cause! Support the show

Vas Sanchez is a god damn prince, you'll see. Growing up, boys are told they can either be Prince Charming or a beast with no in-between. But is Prince Charming even actually everyone's ideal? Vas opens up about his lifelong struggle with weight, the stereotypes that follow, and how he redefines what it means to be happy in your own skin.Support the show

Anthony Todaro is an EX-comedian and dog trainer that teaches us that even fur babies have anxiety and trauma, how to better communicate with them, and how animals help with our anxiety as humans. Anthony also opens up about his struggle with dyslexia as a child and how its mistreatment at the time affects him today as an adult. There is a parallel there with animals and children - are they being disobedient, or are we failing in our communication with them? Support the show

Amber North and I get down talkin' about riot grrrls, Black excellence, and how she stays woke in her comedy. Amber opens up about shaking off a toxic relationship, being robbed at gun point, and how she addresses tough issues like police brutality on stage with honesty while also finding levity through humor. Listen to find out more about how this rebel girl creates a space for other female comics and shifts the paradigm!Support the show

As Atliens dry our tears from the departure of Olive Lynch heading to the Big Apple, we at least have this saga of our hero to listen to in sweet remembrance. Olive shares how she makes one of the most controversial topics a little more normalized and humorous (spoiler - it's abortion!). This and poop mummies. What the hell am I talking about? Listen to find out!Support the show