The Imperfect Pod

Thank you everyone so much for supporting me on this journey. This is the last episode of The Imperfect Pod. On it, I share some of my favourite memories, what is coming next, how I'm feeling, what I've learned and why I'm at peace with my decision. I will be back. To find out when I will be back, make sure to follow me on Instagram @lukeblessed (my personal) or on my podcast page @theimperfectpod as I will probably be rebranding that when I start my next thing. This show has changed my life and for that I am forever grateful. And I'm ready for what's next.

What do you do when you come from a family of dysfunction? How do you learn to be a man when your father is a serial cheater, drug dealer, gambler and prisoner? How do you navigate that life? How do break that cycle of poverty to create a life of wealth? These are some of the topics and themes that we discuss on this week's episode. Other key themes of the episode include: His family history and the trauma surrounding it What is was like navigating the impact of his father's life Being a logical person rather than emotional How he responded to being called like his dad Ensuring the choices he made were different than his father's Creating a life of wealth so that his children can have a different life Why judgement of people in pain his wrong His close encounter with divorce Why counselling has been his saving grace What he's done to learn more about emotional wellbeing And much more About Anthony: Anthony Kenneth Spark is a successful Serial Entrepreneur, Money Coach, Philanthropist, Author, and Personal Development Specialist. At 18 years old, with a vision to change his family legacy and positively impact people in need, he was searching for a career . With a clear picture of the life he truly wanted, he began building a company of his own. That company has evolved into several industries and now does 7 figures of revenue involving an organization of over 250 people. We have as of November 2020 helped people pay off $3 million in Debt, earn over $3 million more per year in annual salary and save/invest 1.6 million. He had his first book, Phoenix Manifesto, published in 2018. Updated Audiobook to be released December 2020! Anthony is the cohost of ExtraOrdinary Excellence Podcast with over 21,000 downloads in its first year. He is the visionary and founder of Kickstrings - a social entrepreneurship project which raises funds and awareness for charities. You can connect with Anthony at his number 1-631-327-2241 (It's an iPhone too) or at his email [email protected]. You can read more about his company https://phoenixevolution.co/ (Phoenix Evolution). As always, feel free to follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theimperfectpod/ (@theimperfectpod) or shoot me an email at [email protected]

How can men heal from their alcoholism? What can they do to get out of their shame and guilt? Why are men more at risk of not getting help for this problem? These are questions that we discuss at length in this episode. Other key themes of the episode include: Where his own alcohol dependency started How DNA and genetics play into the issue of alcoholism Self-sabotage in the recover cycle Why anger and shame are two emotions that are harmful in healing Changing your neural pathways Why Macho culture is hurting men in the long run The difference between a Friday night drunk and a Friday night alcoholic Distinguishing the drinker from the alcoholic Why visualization is a powerful tool in recovery Alcoholism as a disease The power of routine in recovery His own story with family, drugs and alcohol University life and drinking and why it's unhealthy and much much more About Dr. Robb: Robb has overcome homelessness, alcohol dependency, trauma, and a whirlwind of events to be the "Gordon Ramsay" of the addiction treatment world. Before Robb succumbed to addiction and mental health issues, he played bass guitar at Abbey Studio with Queen, David Bowie, and Elton John. He is an accomplished musician, and the money he made helped him attend Oxford University to pursue a Ph.D. in Psychology. Robb's work ethic is defined by helping the addict step out of their disease and into a solution. We work with everyday people, professionals, and celebrities who want to reach sobriety and live in sustained recovery through evidence-based modalities and a genuine therapeutic alliance. https://robbkelly.com/ (Website). Email. As always, feel free to follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theimperfectpod/ (@theimperfectpod) or shoot me an email at [email protected]

There are many resources out there for expecting women, but what about expecting men? What can they do throughout pregnancy to reflect, grow and serve their family? That’s exactly what we talked about on this episode! Key themes of the episode include: The difficulties of having a child during COVID Picking the hospital you want to have your child at The challenges that pregnancy can cause in relationships and how to treat your partner with respect Navigating your wife’s wants, needs and cravings during the pregnancy Being comfortable with role reversals and humbling yourself to serve How expecting men can navigate their own selves to become more positive and change their mindset Dealing with resentment and relationship hijacking with intentionality Continuing to connect with each other and not focusing on the baby The idea of the registry and why it might take away or threaten your ideas of masculinity The expectation of men to provide and the stress that can cause for men and why we need to broaden the definition of provision Finding valuable mentors and using relationships to become a better father Resources for expecting fathers to learn about their upcoming journey His excitement for being a girl dad The home environment he grew up in and why he desires to be different than his father How his relationship with his father has changed after knowing he was going to become a father Looking 20 years into the future, what does being a successful father look like? The biggest fear Geston has in his daughter’s first year on Earth Is there such a thing as being over-protective? About Geston: "GP" is an emerging leader, and speaker with a decade of combined leadership experience in the non-profit, and entertainment sectors. As a reality television competition champion, and multi-award nominated musician and recording artist, he has mastered the art and science of performing under pressure. He is passionate about helping people and organizations leverage their influence to make a lasting impact. As a pod-junkie, he serves as a podcast start-up consultant, and as a co-host to many podcasts. He ultimately aspires to inspire 1 billion people with his voice before he expires. You can find out more about him through his https://linktr.ee/GPThePodcastPlug (Linktree), by connecting with him on IG @https://www.instagram.com/gpthepodcastplug/?hl=en (gpthepodcastplug), or by connecting with him on https://www.linkedin.com/in/geston-pierre/ (LinkedIn). As always, feel free to follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theimperfectpod/ (@theimperfectpod) or shoot me an email at [email protected]

Sexual violence in society has gone down 60% in the last several years but there's still more work to be done. Whether that's from more male allyship, discussing it on a wider scale, stopping it when you see it happen or just changing your own behavior, the fact that this reprehensible act is still so prevalent is awful. On this episode, Tim Mousseau and I discuss everything sexual assault. Key themes of the episode include: Finding his identity as a human and man after his sexual assault Why the way we talk about sexual assault in society is wrong Why sexual violence as a crime can be hard for people to understand How changing the way we talk about sexual violence will change our reaction to it Why statistics about sexual assault only get us so far in the conversation Understanding who should be handling sexual assault cases and how the system needs to do better by victims Looking at sensitivity training and why it’s important What laws are emerging that can help direct us to a better understanding of how sexual violence permeates different areas of society What we can do to start engaging in conversations both as bystanders and within our communities Why we need to look at the data and methodology of the research being done on these topics Tying in the #notallmen conversation based on the current situation with Sarah Everard Acknowledging the progress that we’ve made as a society on sexual assault when appropriate Looking at high profile cases and whether they hinder or help the discussion Innocent until proven guilty and the believe all women narratives Best practices to stop sexual violence or harm in real time without putting yourself or them in danger About Tim: Tim Mousseau is a survivor of sexual violence turned educator and advocate on this important topic. At the age of 22, Tim was faced with an incident of sexual assault. On top of this, Tim had to manage the stresses of workplace sexual harassment from his boss who used knowledge of Tim’s trauma to exert toxic control. Coming to terms with his experience, Tim recognized how it left him feeling powerless. He vowed no one else should ever feel the same way. For the last nine years, Tim has spoken with over 400 organizations including members of the United States Congress, top universities, and Fortune 500 companies across the world on the topics of sexual violence and harassment prevention. Tim’s research currently centers on how individuals set and maintain safety boundaries, along with a study on how to better engage men in sexual violence prevention work. Professionally, Tim received a Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga and a Bachelor’s in Communication from the University of New Mexico. You can find out more about Tim and his resources on https://www.timmousseau.com/ (his website). As always, feel free to follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theimperfectpod/ (@theimperfectpod) or shoot me an email at [email protected]