Getting Under The Skin

What does leadership look like when certainty falls away?In this episode of GUTS, host Topaz Adizes sits down with Yoseph Ayele, Ethiopian-born entrepreneur and founder of LAVA, for a wide-ranging conversation about talent, ego, purpose, and the courage to not know. From growing up in Ethiopia to building across borders, Yoseph reflects on what happens when control loosens and attention shifts toward listening, humility, and service.Moving between leadership, inequality, and self-awareness, this conversation explores talent as energy, not status, contradiction as a source of truth, and why learning to let go may be one of the most important leadership practices of our time.In this episode, we explore:• What talent really is and how it develops• Ego, humility, and self-awareness in leadership• Inequality, access, and reframing prosperity• Letting go of control and certainty• Purpose as service rather than achievement• Parenting, legacy, and what we pass forward_____________________________________________________________________Listen GUTS:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1GSiahH3NYTiFKZ4mIGQnJ?si=fce013635cfa4947Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/getting-under-the-skin/id1821276933Follow GUTS:Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/guts.podcast/LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/topazadizes/Subscribe for updates: topazadizes.com

What matters when fear enters your life through the people you love most?In this episode of GUTS, host Topaz Adizes sits down with Airrion Copeland, a filmmaker, writer, and nonprofit leader, for a raw conversation about fatherhood, fear, and the moments that change how you see everything. After a near-death experience involving his young son, Airrion reflects on what breaks open when control disappears and what’s revealed in its place.From early trauma and storytelling to compassion, uncertainty, and raising children in an unpredictable world, this conversation explores suffering as a teacher, purpose as service, and why letting go of certainty may be the only honest way forward.In this episode, we explore:• Fatherhood and fear• Near-death experiences and wake-up calls• Suffering as a teacher• Letting go of certainty and control• Purpose as service• Raising children in an uncertain future_____________________________________________________________________Listen GUTS:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1GSiahH3NYTiFKZ4mIGQnJ?si=fce013635cfa4947Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/getting-under-the-skin/id1821276933Follow GUTS:Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/guts.podcast/LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/topazadizes/Subscribe for updates: topazadizes.com

What if progress isn't about moving faster, but about remembering what's sacred in what we build?In this episode of GUTS, host Topaz Adizes sits down with Andy Tudhope, a technologist, writer, and builder, for a wide ranging conversation about code, consciousness, and community.Andy reflects on formative experiences with violence, near death, and ego dissolution, and how those moments shaped his relationship with love, presence, and meaning. From Zen and Sufism to poetry, programming, and rethinking money as a communal habit rather than a fixed truth, this conversation explores sincerity, humility, and what it means to live inside the question rather than rush toward answers.In this episode, we explore:• Progress beyond speed and scale• Death, presence, and love as practice• Language, silence, and meaning• Code, money, and trust• Why better questions matter more than certainty_____________________________________________________________________Listen GUTS:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1GSiahH3NYTiFKZ4mIGQnJ?si=fce013635cfa4947Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/getting-under-the-skin/id1821276933Follow GUTS:Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/guts.podcast/LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/topazadizes/Subscribe for updates: topazadizes.com #GUTSPodcast #ConsciousTechnology #Philosophy #MeaningAndPurpose #RethinkingProgress

Belief is easy when you’re understood. Conviction is what remains when you’re not.In this episode of GUTS, host Topaz Adizes sits down with Charlie Goldsmith, Healer and Explorer, for an honest conversation about healing, belief, and what it means to follow a calling that challenges how people understand reality.Charlie shares the moment at eighteen when he first realized he could heal someone and the fear, disbelief, and isolation that followed. From family disapproval and years of having to prove himself, to being studied by major institutions and working to create pathways for others like him, this conversation explores resilience, empathy, and the cost of trusting your inner knowing.In this episode, we explore:• Discovering a gift no one believes in• Healing, chronic pain, and the placebo question• Family disapproval and self trust• Trauma, empathy, and purpose• Why not everything real needs explanation______________________________________________________________________________🌐 Subscribe for updateshttps://topazadizes.com👉 Follow us on social media:Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/guts.podcast/TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@guts.podcastLinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/topazadizes/

Accepting yourself isn’t a quote. It’s a practice.In this episode of GUTS, host Topaz Adizes, sits down with Kyrus Keenan Westcott, also known as KY, creator of The Vibe With Ky, to talk about mental health, ADHD, depression, and what it really means to stop pretending you’re fine.Ky shares the roller coaster moment that shaped how he understands fear, acceptance, and growth. From losing his friend Ashton, to a ruptured Achilles and a painful breakup, to being late diagnosed with ADHD, depression, anxiety, and OCD, this conversation explores humor as a coping mechanism, neurodivergence, mental health stigma, and why honesty can be strength, connection, and survival.In this episode, we explore:• ADHD, late diagnosis, and neurodivergence• Depression, anxiety, OCD, and mental health awareness• Fear, acceptance, and the roller coaster metaphor for life• Humor as survival and emotional regulation• Boundaries, vulnerability, and avoiding toxic positivity• What it means to stop pretending and start healing______________________________________________________________________________🌐 Subscribe for updateshttps://topazadizes.com👉 Follow us on social media:Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/guts.podcast/TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@guts.podcastLinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/topazadizes/

What if the real measure of a life was not success but the love and trust we leave behind?In this episode of Getting Under the Skin, Topaz sits down with entrepreneur and mentor Don MacPherson (he/him) to talk about family, resilience, risk and the lessons that shaped him.Don shares:• The gifts each of his four parents passed on to him• How loss and change shaped his view of life and relationships• The summer adventure that set him on a new path• Why he put off surgery for years and what it taught him when he finally said yes• How trust, curiosity and love guide the way he leads and livesThis is a conversation about facing hardship, choosing gratitude and discovering the power of love in leadership and in life.What has life designed you for?These conversations are not performative interviews, book release tours or productivity hacks.Genuine curiosity is the compass for these honest, human-to-human exchanges of stories. We explore how people are formed by the lives they’ve lived and celebrate the wisdom gained along the way.Welcome to Getting Under The Skin🔗 Learn more about our guesthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/donmacpherson/______________________________________________________________________________🎧 Watch the full season of GUTS on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4epHaaofIRu1qr0AK7PnwrYJDp2O_FTZ or listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts.🌐 Subscribe for updateshttps://topazadizes.com👉 Follow us on social media:Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/guts.podcast/TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@guts.podcastLinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/topazadizes/

What if the true measure of a life isn't success – but rather how you show up for others?In this episode of Getting Under the Skin, Topaz talks with educator, coach, podcast host, and father Joe Ferraro (he/him). Joe's journey has been shaped by baseball, family, and an unwavering pursuit of self-awareness. From Sunday dinners to national championships, his story reflects discipline, vulnerability, and deep reflection.Joe shares:- The quiet legacy of his dad and how food became their love language- What a recurring dream about losing his glove taught him about purpose- How becoming a coach at 21 compelled him to grow before he felt ready- The fears he still holds about being "too soft" with his students- Why learning to lead by voice, not just by example, is both a gift and a responsibilityThis conversation explores the gifts we inherit and those we discover, the tension between being a public voice and a private seeker, and the courage it takes to listen to what life is trying to offer us, even when it's unexpected.These conversations are not performative interviews, book release tours or productivity hacks. Genuine curiosity is the compass for these honest, human-to-human exchanges of stories. We explore how people are formed by the lives they’ve lived and celebrate the wisdom gained along the way.Welcome to Getting Under The Skin.🔗 Learn more about our guesthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jferraro1/https://www.onepercentbetterproject.com/https://www.damngoodconversations.com/joe-ferraro______________________________________________________________________________🎧 Watch the full season of GUTS on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4epHaaofIRu1qr0AK7PnwrYJDp2O_FTZ or listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts.🌐 Subscribe for updateshttps://topazadizes.com👉 Follow us on social media:Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/guts.podcast/TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@guts.podcastLinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/topazadizes/

What if your work in the world wasn’t your purpose - but your practice?In this episode of Getting Under the Skin, Topaz sits down with co-founder of Transcend Education, author, and creative strategist Dr. Jeff Wetzler (he/him), whose life’s work has been about bringing people together - from mountaintop gatherings to deep conversations on meaning, identity, and impact.Jeff shares:• Why “holding space” isn’t a tactic, it’s a way of being• How chasing significance can distract us from actually living• The tension between being a public leader and a private seeker• What real service looks like in an ego-driven world• How relationships - not accolades - are the true measure of a lifeThis is a conversation about practice over perfection, presence over performance.About letting go of the script, and listening for the deeper invitation underneath it all.These conversations are not performative interviews, book release tours or productivity hacks. Genuine curiosity is the compass for these honest, human-to-human exchanges of stories. We explore how people are formed by the lives they’ve lived and celebrate the wisdom gained along the way.Welcome to Getting Under The Skin🔗 Learn more about our guesthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-wetzler-9ba3824/https://transcendeducation.org/______________________________________________________________________________🎧 Watch the full season of GUTS on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4epHaaofIRu1qr0AK7PnwrYJDp2O_FTZ or listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts.🌐 Subscribe for updateshttps://topazadizes.com👉 Follow us on social media:Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/guts.podcast/TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@guts.podcastLinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/topazadizes/