Talking with Queenie was truly inspiring and easily one of my favorite conversations I have ever had. She talks about the challenges of being 1 of 2 black students in med school, coming from Cameroon to find asylum in the U.S., overcoming traditional gender roles, dealing with ADHD and dyslexia, and adapting to the American education system on her road to becoming a doctor. She describes how a strong sense of self-confidence, acceptance, and creative problem-solving helped her navigate the obstacles in her way. In a few years, her goal is to specialize in family medicine and psychiatry. She credits her family and community as the foundation that has lead her to be as successful as she has been.

Since this conversation has taken place, Queenie has been accepted into a family medicine program in Pueblo, Colorado and will be starting her first year of residency.

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Mike Brancatelli, the Host of the Mikeadelic Podcast, is dedicated to liberty, psychadelics, and self-empowerment. Mike has been plagued with depression, escapism, and destructive habits in what he describes as his version of hell. He finds himself masking these through stand-up comedy, corporate success and travel. In 2016, his life changed when he found his healing through Ayahuasca while living with the Shipibo people in the Amazon.

Mike has been on a profound and inspiring journey for personal and social truth. Through his transformation, he has found that his process has moved from the ego into vulnerability and heart-centered creativity. He hopes that this can ripple into people developing a stronger sense of curiosity, community and raw honesty in their paths.

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Hannah is a writer and advocate for mental health awareness and sexual assault prevention. She comes from a journalistic background and seeks the nuance in difficult social conversations. Hannah grew up in Mississippi in a somewhat conservative household and has learned the importance of creating space for productive dialogue where minds can be changed. 

Since this conversation took place, Hannah and I hosted "Un/pact: a creative dialogue on consent" which was an extremely impactful evening. 10 performers shared personal stories on consent including topics like "hot consent", the gray spaces of power, how to ask for what you want, sexual assault, being a survivor, religion's impact on sex, and much more.

In this episode, Hannah details parts of her own story and what she learned from an abusive and coercive marriage. This is an important conversation that I encourage you to listen to.

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