Talk2Tamara

Dr. Yehudah Pryce reflects on his time in prison and personal transformation.Dr. Yehudah Pryce's story is one of resilience and reflection. At just 19 years old, he was sentenced to 24 years in prison, a reality that felt incomprehensible to someone so young. In our latest episode, we dive deep into his experiences, focusing on the raw emotions and mental struggles he faced during his incarceration.Confronting RealityWhen he first received his sentence, the gravity of spending a quarter century behind bars was overwhelming. Yehudah recalls, "How do you conceptualize having to spend a quarter century of your life behind bars?" The initial shock led him to push the reality aside, clinging to a glimmer of hope that an appeal might allow him to escape his fate.Identity and SurvivalIn prison, Yehudah developed a new identity, one that he felt was congruent with his past actions. He describes this transformation as a defensive mechanism, saying, "I kind of just pushed it from my mind as much. Yes, it was sad. I felt a certain loss of myself... that was essentially taken away from me." He found himself grappling with anger and victimhood, feeling that the system had failed him.The Shift Towards AcceptanceHowever, it wasn’t until he had served nearly nine years that Yehudah began to accept his reality. He reflects, "What am I sacrificing my life for?" This question catalyzed a profound shift in his mindset. By recognizing the power of his choices, he began to craft a new narrative for his life.Empowerment Through ChoicesYehudah emphasizes the importance of finding agency within the confines of prison. "I found a certain empowerment by taking all the choices, all the opportunities I had for choices... that gave me so much agency," he explains. This mindset ultimately propelled him towards personal growth and self-discovery, allowing him to visualize a future beyond incarceration.The Bigger PictureDr. Pryce also shares insights into the broader patterns he observed among fellow inmates. Many had faced significant trauma before entering prison, highlighting systemic issues that contribute to cycles of incarceration. He notes, "Up to 98% of people who are incarcerated have experienced at least one lifetime traumatic event."Reflecting on his journey, Yehudah Pryce’s story stands as a testament to the human spirit’s capacity for resilience and transformation. As he continues to share his experiences, he encourages others to recognize the power of their choices, no matter the circumstances.

This week on Talk2Tamara, Tamara sits down with saxophonist and 613 Music Academy founder Sarah Koussevitzky for a conversation about what happens when the identity you’ve built your life around suddenly disappears. Sarah spent years immersed in music, performing at jazz festivals, studying jazz at the University of Texas at Austin, and building a life around being a musician. Then COVID brought that world to a halt, and somewhere along the way, Sarah stopped playing, took down her websites, deleted pieces of her musical past, and eventually stopped calling herself a musician altogether. What followed was a journey of searching. Through Judaism, community, teaching, marriage, and eventually motherhood, Sarah continued to redefine who she was. But becoming a mother brought another unexpected identity shift, forcing her to confront the parts of herself she thought belonged to an old life and decide which ones she wanted back. Sarah shares how Jewish music ultimately helped reconnect her to the part of herself she had walked away from and inspired her to create 613 Music Academy, a space that brings together her love of jazz, Jewish music, education, and community. Tamara and Sarah also talk about burnout, hustle culture, learning to listen to yourself, letting go of labels, balancing ambition with motherhood, and realizing that growth doesn’t always require becoming someone new. Sometimes, it means finding your way back to who you’ve been all along. It’s a conversation about identity, faith, motherhood, music, and learning that every version of yourself can belong in the same story.

This week on Talk2Tamara, Tamara sits down with Isaac Rudansky, author, entrepreneur, andlifelong creative, to talk about the nearly decade-long journey that eventually led him to athree-book deal with Penguin Random House.Isaac’s story didn’t begin with a publishing deal. It began with hundreds of pages written in theearly hours of the morning, an editor telling him his manuscript simply wasn’t ready, and adecision to put it away. He went on to build a successful advertising business, start a family, andspend nearly nine years away from the book. But the feeling that he had started something andnever finished it never fully went away.When he finally returned to writing, the road wasn’t any easier. Isaac rewrote the manuscript,studied the craft, attended workshops, queried roughly 350 middle-grade literary agents, andfaced rejection after rejection. Even the agent he wanted most turned him down multiple times.Instead of accepting the no, Isaac kept refining the book and trying again.Eventually, the same agent who had previously passed on his work read the new manuscriptand wanted to represent him. That journey ultimately led to something Isaac had spent yearschasing: a three-book deal with Penguin Random House.But this conversation goes far beyond becoming a published author.Tamara and Isaac get candid about ambition, rejection, creativity, insecurity, growing up in acreative and religious home, the need for external validation, and why achieving the thing youthought would finally make you feel “enough” doesn’t necessarily stop you from searching forthe next thing.They also explore the power of what Isaac calls “idiotic optimism”: believing in somethingeven when the odds are stacked against you, being willing to look a little crazy while chasing it,and using that chip on your shoulder as motivation to keep going.This episode is about unfinished dreams, relentless persistence, and the complicatedrelationship between success and self-worth.Because sometimes the dream you put away is the exact one you’re supposed to come back to.

In this deeply personal episode of Talk2Tamara, Tamara sits down with Shelby Armstrong, aformer D1 athlete, fitness manager, and entrepreneur, for an honest conversation aboutrelationships, emotional abuse, resilience, and finding your way back to yourself.Shelby opens up about the patterns that followed her through several serious relationships, fromfeeling responsible for someone else’s happiness to confusing intensity with intimacy. Sheshares the reality of her most recent relationship, where love bombing and feeling deeply caredfor slowly turned into walking on eggshells, sleepless nights, emotional manipulation, andfeeling like she had lost pieces of herself along the way.She also shares the moment she realized she needed to leave, the people who helped her findthe strength and resources to do it, and what it took to rebuild her life on her own terms. Now onthe other side, Shelby reflects on learning that healthy love may not feel intense or chaotic at all.Sometimes, it simply feels calm, safe, and easy.This conversation is about more than leaving an unhealthy relationship. It’s about recognizingpatterns, trusting yourself again, allowing others to support you, and rediscovering the version ofyourself you thought you had lost. As Shelby puts it, she finally feels free to show up fully asherself and wants a future with someone who allows her to keep doing exactly that.

In this episode, Tamara sits down with Hannah Schuster, a New York attorney, entrepreneur,founder of Shuster Law, and creator of Legal Bestie, for a conversation that goes far beyondthe courtroom. Hannah shares how an unexpected divorce during law school, years of helpingfamilies navigate high-conflict situations, and becoming a stepmom completely transformed theway she approaches both life and law.Together, they dive into blended families, conflict resolution, co-parenting, setting healthyboundaries, and why "winning" a divorce often comes at the expense of the people who mattermost. Hannah also opens up about her breast cancer diagnosis, the life-changing perspective itgave her, and the importance of prioritizing your health, relationships, and peace overperfection.Whether you're navigating divorce, blending a family, facing a personal challenge, or simplytrying to create healthier relationships, this episode is filled with practical advice, heartfeltstories, and powerful reminders that your hardest seasons can become the foundation for yourgreatest growth.Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: 0K3OIBPCZZHWHONY, HS0RF6DPAEIJMPL8