Getting Under The Skin

The Skin Deep

Welcome to Getting Under The Skin (GUTS)! Where the stories of our lives can be medicine for each other. Where reflection and curiosity opens up paths of conversation for us to explore together. Join us for an exploration through conversation. This is an expedition, a journey in search of the stuff that makes us feel most human, the stuff that stirs your soul and reminds you of what really matters. These conversations are not performative interviews, book release tours or productivity hacks. They are an antidote to superficial small talk or marketing in disguise. We explore how people are formed by the lives they’ve lived, and celebrate the wisdom gained along the way. Hosted by Topaz Adizes, Emmy Award-winning writer, director, and experience design architect exploring the transformative power of human connection. He is the founder and executive director of THE SKIN DEEP, creator of {THE AND} and author of 12QFL. If you're ready to Get Under The Skin — we’ll meet you here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Creating Safe Spaces with Michele Lamoureux

    13 HR AGO

    Creating Safe Spaces with Michele Lamoureux

    What happens when the parts of you that were silenced begin to speak again? In this episode of GUTS, host Topaz Adizes sits down with award-winning podcaster, empowerment coach, and author Michelle Lamoureux, creator of The Good Life podcast and author of Design a Life You Love. Michelle reflects on the formative experiences that shaped her: being “othered” as a child, surviving a near abduction, and wearing a scoliosis brace for six years — and how those moments cultivated empathy, resilience, and a drive to create safe spaces for women to reclaim their voice. Together, they explore: • Reclaiming your voice after silence • How early experiences shape identity and empathy • Success as the courage to try • Motherhood, safety, and raising a daughter with agency • Designing a life with intention This conversation examines what it means to design a life with intention, expand beyond inherited limitations, and stay human in an increasingly AI-driven world. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Listen GUTS: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1GSiahH3NYTiFKZ4mIGQnJ?si=fce013635cfa4947 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/getting-under-the-skin/id1821276933 Follow GUTS: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/guts.podcast/ LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/topazadizes/ Subscribe for updates: topazadizes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 11m
  2. How Great Leaders Think About Talent and Ego with Yoseph Ayele

    9 FEB

    How Great Leaders Think About Talent and Ego with Yoseph Ayele

    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=fce013635cfa4947 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/getting-under-the-skin/id1821276933 Follow GUTS: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/guts.podcast/ LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/topazadizes/ Subscribe for updates: topazadizes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 16m
  3. What Matters: Fatherhood and Compassion with Airrion Copeland

    1 FEB

    What Matters: Fatherhood and Compassion with Airrion Copeland

    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=fce013635cfa4947 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/getting-under-the-skin/id1821276933 Follow GUTS: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/guts.podcast/ LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/topazadizes/ Subscribe for updates: topazadizes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 25m
  4. The Value Is In The Question: Presence with Andy Tudhope

    26 JAN

    The Value Is In The Question: Presence with Andy Tudhope

    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=fce013635cfa4947 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/getting-under-the-skin/id1821276933 Follow 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 16m
  5. Our Gift: The Truth About Healing with Charlie Goldsmith

    19 JAN

    Our Gift: The Truth About Healing with Charlie Goldsmith

    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 updates https://topazadizes.com 👉 Follow us on social media: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/guts.podcast/ TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@guts.podcast LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/topazadizes/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 18m
  6. Accepting Yourself with Kyrus Keenan Westcott

    12 JAN

    Accepting Yourself with Kyrus Keenan Westcott

    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 updates https://topazadizes.com 👉 Follow us on social media: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/guts.podcast/ TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@guts.podcast LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/topazadizes/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 13m
  7. #010 The Heart of an Entrepreneur with Don MacPherson

    19/09/2025

    #010 The Heart of an Entrepreneur with Don MacPherson

    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 lives This 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 guest https://www.linkedin.com/in/donmacpherson/ ______________________________________________________________________________ 🎧 Watch the full season of GUTS on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4epHaaofIRu1qr0AK7PnwrYJDp2O_FTZ or listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts. 🌐 Subscribe for updates https://topazadizes.com 👉 Follow us on social media: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/guts.podcast/ TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@guts.podcast LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/topazadizes/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 57m
  8. #009 How Great Leaders Combine Skills Into a Superpower with David Lancefield

    15/08/2025

    #009 How Great Leaders Combine Skills Into a Superpower with David Lancefield

    What if leadership wasn’t about having the answers - but holding the right space for the right questions? In this episode of Getting Under the Skin, Topaz sits down with strategist, leadership coach, and catalyst for change David Lancefield (he/him), whose work helps leaders expand their thinking, embrace discomfort, and step into deeper impact without losing themselves in the process. David shares: - Why presence matters more than perfection in leadership - How to balance ambition with genuine connection - The hidden cost of avoiding difficult conversations - Why curiosity is the ultimate leadership superpower - How to create environments where people -and ideas- can thrive This is a conversation about leading from the inside out. About slowing down to see more clearly, and realizing that growth is less about adding and more about uncovering. 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 guest https://davidlancefield.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidclancefield/ ______________________________________________________________________________ 🎧 Watch the full season of GUTS on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4epHaaofIRu1qr0AK7PnwrYJDp2O_FTZ or listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts. 🌐 Subscribe for updates https://topazadizes.com 👉 Follow us on social media: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/guts.podcast/ TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@guts.podcast LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/topazadizes/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 30m
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About

Welcome to Getting Under The Skin (GUTS)! Where the stories of our lives can be medicine for each other. Where reflection and curiosity opens up paths of conversation for us to explore together. Join us for an exploration through conversation. This is an expedition, a journey in search of the stuff that makes us feel most human, the stuff that stirs your soul and reminds you of what really matters. These conversations are not performative interviews, book release tours or productivity hacks. They are an antidote to superficial small talk or marketing in disguise. We explore how people are formed by the lives they’ve lived, and celebrate the wisdom gained along the way. Hosted by Topaz Adizes, Emmy Award-winning writer, director, and experience design architect exploring the transformative power of human connection. He is the founder and executive director of THE SKIN DEEP, creator of {THE AND} and author of 12QFL. If you're ready to Get Under The Skin — we’ll meet you here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    The Skin Deep
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Skin Deep
  • Show Website
    Getting Under The Skin

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