<p>I had the pleasure of sitting down with THE Tomas J Stanton, author of Wolves Don’t Perform in The Circus, A collection of poetry in which encapsulates much of life experience and legacy - from his work as an educator, community organizer, and entrepreneur, but also as a human,  husband and father. </p> <p><br></p> <p><br></p> <p>In this episode: </p> <p><br></p> <ul> <li>We deep dive into Tomas’ journey into the world of poetry &amp; spoken word by attending and eventually performing at one of the largest open mic nights in Phoenix seating over 500 people </li> </ul> <p><br></p> <ul> <li>We discuss how nearly 14 years later, after co-creating various poetry / spoken word programs within community art centers - Tomas is finally releasing his first book, which he’ll be hosting a big community book release event and poetry performance in collaboration with Diana Resendiz, called INDIE - UP Festival happening Saturday May 11th from 7:30 - 10:30pm (ticket link below) </li> </ul> <p><br></p> <ul> <li>Tomas shared an intimate look on how pondering what legacy he wants to leave, especially for his children, is what initially sparked the idea for his book + a very moving poem that literally brings me to tears </li> </ul> <p><br></p> <ul> <li>We spoke a little bit about mental health and how poetry can be used as a therapeutic modality </li> </ul> <p><br></p> <ul> <li>Tomas shares about impact his lifestyle brand, “Righteous, Kinda” is making an impact within the community + invites me  to be a guest on his podcast (stay tuned for that) </li> </ul> <p><br></p> <p><br></p> <p>If you are local to Phoenix, you are NOT going to want to miss the event he is putting on this Saturday! </p> <p><br></p> <p><br></p> <p>Get tickets for the INDIE - UP Festival:</p> <p><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/indie-up-festival-tickets-877061212697?aff=ebdssbdestsearch">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/indie-up-festival-tickets-877061212697?aff=</a></p> <p><br></p> <p><br></p> <p>Connect with Tomas J Stanton:</p> <p><a href="https://linktr.ee/tomas.j.stanton?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabWhbYCKk9Nrp38LpJyWTsljJPEbjxWTtBBxQ694pE3ifJGX8BKdgnfEXk_aem_AULuGPelkBS68FUSyWmVTHlZt-9Urq3VbLGf8j5WQ96EwMbMvbdAZXgg2hq5dhK8FzOrrOwKxjh-kMao5SMuIY41">https://linktr.ee/tomas.j.stanton?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabWhbYCKk9Nrp38LpJyWTsljJPEbjxWTtBBxQ694pE3ifJGX8BKdgnfEXk_aem_AULuGPelkBS68FUSyWmVTHlZt-9Urq3VbLGf8j5WQ96EwMbMvbdAZXgg2hq5dhK8FzOrrOwKxjh-kMao5SMuIY41</a></p> <p><br></p> <p><br></p> <p>If we haven&#39;t yet, lets connect: </p> <p><br></p> <p>visit https://www.candywheelerofficial.com </p> <p><br></p> <p>https://www.instagram.com/candy_wheeler/ </p> <p><br></p> <p>https://www.facebook.com/candywheelerofficial</p> <p><br></p>