Alexx Sans is a musical artist, fashion designer, works in stone masonry, and shares his authentic self with the world! He identifies as androgynous and in this interview opens up about his journey of self-discovery and self-expression, including who his influences have been. We discuss gender, sexuality, Alex’s music and fashion careers, androgyny, the queer community, masculine and feminine energies, building a brand, being yourself, going after your goals, and self-love. I am grateful to Alex for being vulnerable and willing to have a conversation about topics that can be difficult to talk about. I know I learned a lot from talking about androgyny, as well as other aspects of Alex’s life. Tune in for some inspiration!

My dad has always been a great role model for vulnerability. We planned to talk about something else but a discussion about Pickleball (lol) led to talking about his lifetime experience with depression, and how he has managed it.We discuss stigma then and now (1950s/60s vs. today), approaches to living with and treating depression, the power of exercise, medication, and lifestyle, hiding depression vs. being open about it, how others see depression, family history, and tips for helping yourself and others.Thanks dad! He was super open and we were able to talk in depth about this topic on both a personal and societal level.

Listen to get a breif overview of the Speaking Up with Emily podcast - a podcast about public mental health care and other systems - education, justice system, healthcare, etc., and the barriers faced by both helping professionals and individuals receiving services in these spaces. Your tax dollars fund these public services/systems, let's learn about how they impact people's day to day lives (discrimination, stigma, injustice, etc.), and what we can possibly do to help when they are falling short. Also, tune in for bonus episodes on all things mental health/wellness, social justice, and being human!