Can I Have a Word?

In this episode, I’m joined by my friend and returning guest Ty McKinnie, a singer-songwriter whose honesty and introspection make every conversation feel grounded. Our word is "Becoming" — a lifelong unfolding, the continuous evolution toward your most authentic self, refined by experience but never complete.Together, we explore what it really takes to grow:- Letting go of who you were- Navigating tension, doubt, and self-trust- Allowing creativity to shape your identity- Finding support through your evolution- Treating "becoming" as both surrender and intentional practiceThis is an honest conversation between friends — unfiltered, thoughtful, and rooted in the ongoing process of becoming ourselves.

Welcome back to "Can I Have a Word?" — and welcome to Season 2! We’re starting with a word that’s being stretched, questioned, reclaimed, and redefined: masculinity.In this episode, we explore masculinity as a living language — not a fixed identity or checklist of behaviors, but a space shaped by culture, history, and personal truth. We look at how masculinity is inherited, where it harms, where it heals, and how more men are learning to lead with presence, emotional honesty, and self‑definition instead of performance. This isn’t about prescribing a new model of manhood — it’s about listening, unlearning, and expanding the ways we understand strength and control. In this redefinition, vulnerability and power equally coexist.✨ If this resonates, like, share, and subscribe — and join the conversation.Production Team Host/Creator - Carl James Lead Engineer - Josh Wilcox Editor - Walter NordquistLogo Design - Stephanie Cardenas Music - Yennaedo Balloo

What does it mean to build a relationship with a place you’ve never lived—but that somehow still lives in you?With a nod to exploring the roots of our identity, we examine the notion of "home" through the lens of memory, migration, and meaning. For many first-generation Americans, and particularly for Black Americans navigating the legacy of forced displacement, home is not always a fixed location. It can be a country your parents left behind, a village you’ve only seen in photos, or a continent you feel connected to in spirit but not necessarily in experience.In this final episode of the season, we dive into the emotional and cultural work of cultivating an intentional relationship with ancestral homelands—especially when that relationship feels distant, unfamiliar, or incomplete. What customs can you adopt? What stories can you reclaim? And how do you navigate the tension between longing and belonging?This episode invites listeners to reflect on the ways we build home—not just in geography, but in practice, memory, and spirit.Production Team Host/Creator - Carl James Lead Engineer - Josh Wilcox Mix Engineer/Technical Producer - Adam Goins Logo Design - Stephanie Cardenas Music - Yennaedo Balloo

What does it really take to chase our dreams? In this episode, we unpack ambition— not just as a goal or drive, but as a mirror. To move forward, we must first get honest about what's holding us back. Join us for a raw, reflective (and at times humorous) conversation on how our mental and emotional health directly shape our ability to pursue our highest goals. Because ambition isn't just about striving — it's about healing, too.Production Team Host/Creator - Carl James Lead Engineer - Josh Wilcox Mix Engineer/Technical Producer - Adam Goins Logo Design - Stephanie Cardenas Music - Yennaedo Balloo

What do you do when the story you’ve always told yourself…isn’t true anymore? What if that familiar, comforting narrative needs to be refined to reflect your age, growth, or maturity? How do we begin to let go of the assumptions that once shaped and protected us to reflect the person we are today? In this episode, we examine the origin and power of the biases rooted in our past and how they might be holding us back in our present.Production Team Host/Creator - Carl James Lead Engineer - Josh Wilcox Mix Engineer/Technical Producer - Adam Goins Logo Design - Stephanie Cardenas Music - Yennaedo Balloo

Anxiety is one of the most common - and most hidden - experiences in our world today. Unfortunately it often exists behind polished exteriors and unexplored stereotypes. This episode explores what it means to live with anxiety and still show up fully in life, work, and relationships. There is power in giving language to our internal struggles IF we're willing to sit with vulnerability. Whether you've experienced anxiety yourself or want to better support someone who has, this conversation offers space, insight, and solidarity.Production Team Host/Creator - Carl James Lead Engineer - Josh Wilcox Mix Engineer/Technical Producer - Adam Goins Logo Design - Stephanie Cardenas Music - Yennaedo Balloo