70 episodes

This is An Unconventional Life podcast hosted by astrophysicist turned teacher, author, dissertation coach, and more, Dr. Russell Strickland. He shares stories about the crazy 1% out there who earned their doctoral degrees and then went on to use them in crazy, cool, unique, and unconventional ways.

An Unconventional Life Dr. Russell Strickland

    • Education
    • 5.0 • 3 Ratings

This is An Unconventional Life podcast hosted by astrophysicist turned teacher, author, dissertation coach, and more, Dr. Russell Strickland. He shares stories about the crazy 1% out there who earned their doctoral degrees and then went on to use them in crazy, cool, unique, and unconventional ways.

    Making Friends with Fear

    Making Friends with Fear

    Mark Metry is a 24-year-old entrepreneur, author, creator, mental health advocate, coach, teacher, keynote speaker, podcast host, and loving human being.
    Mark has interviewed over 300+ top leaders around the world from billionaire philanthropists, to neuroscientists, professional athletes, New York Times bestselling authors, philosophers, and innovative disrupters on his Top 100 Humans 2.0 podcast, which NASDAQ, and Yahoo Finance placed in the "Top 21 Growing Podcasts you must listen to..”
    Now, Mark hosts the Social Anxiety Society podcast and is the bestselling author of Screw Being Shy: Learn How to Manage Social Anxiety and Be Yourself in Front of Anyone!
    Mark has been featured in Forbes, TEDx, HuffPost, Mindvalley, Inc and many more. Mark‘s been mentioned alongside Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos and can be found speaking at Universities like Rutgers to Nonprofits like Coptic Orphans, to conferences and high schools across the nation.
     

    In this episode… In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Mark Metry shares with Dr. Russell Strickland his story of growing up as an introvert who went through social anxiety, and eventually, social isolation. His struggles pulled a trigger that made him realize he didn’t want to be merely a statistic and felt he needed to speak up for the sake of his younger self, thus came the book, “Screw Being Shy.” The best-selling author talks about the many opportunities that built off each other when he put his authentic self out there for the world to meet. He also discusses the three biggest things he learned to overcome anxiety. And if you haven’t heard yet, your gut microbiome is a lot more connected with anxiety than you are aware. Interesting, isn’t it? Metry explains this unique perspective and some more helpful insight on overcoming anxiety.
    Mark Metry once couldn’t speak to people without the gut-wrenching aftermath of a panic attack, but now he has spoken with and for people who need his words the most.  There’s nothing wrong with you for having anxiety, and Mark can empower you with this episode.

    • 41 min
    Turning Pain into Purpose

    Turning Pain into Purpose

    Dr. Suzana E. Flores is clinical psychologist specializing in pop culture, mythology, and social media addiction, Keynote Speaker and author of "Untamed: The Psychology of Marvel's Wolverine" (McFarland Publishing, 2018) and "Facehooked: How Facebook Affects Our Emotions, Relationships, and Lives" (Reputation Books, 2014) with international book deals in South Korea and Poland. She currently works as a trauma specialist at Ochsner Healthcare System in New Orleans.
     

    In this episode… In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Suzana Flores speaks with Dr. Russell Strickland about the story of how she unexpectedly ended up in the comic book world as she recovered from pain and trauma. The author of “Untamed: The Psychology of Marvel’s Wolverine” shared how the X-Men character helped her turn pain into purpose, and consequently, through writing about her experiences, she has connected with people that resonated with her story of survival. Dr. Flores also discusses another book she wrote, “Facehooked,” which talks about the psychological effect of social media. She discovered many profound realizations about the younger generation’s dependence on social media, one of which is their utter discomfort in conversational pauses. Having the first name “Doctor” has opened up opportunities for Dr. Flores, and she’s prepared to seize some more.
    Life certainly doesn’t get easier, but you get strong and ready enough to face whatever comes your way. Learn about resilience and more from Dr. Suzana Flores.

    • 40 min
    Realizing the Dream...with a Twist

    Realizing the Dream...with a Twist

    As a child, you were probably asked multiple times about your dreams. And, as a child your answer was probably something fantastical: firefighter, ballerina, football player, and, maybe, doctor.
    Dr. Derichard McCoy is a Charlotte, NC native. He attended Livingstone College in Salisbury NC where he received a BS in Sport Management. He then went on to receive his MS in Education specializing in Sports Management from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale FL.
    Dr. McCoy earned his Doctorate of Education in Sports Management with an emphasis in Sport Leadership from the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, AL. He is currently the Athletic Director and Health/Physical Education Teacher at Mountain Island Lake Academy and the Varsity Defensive Line Coach at Providence Day School.
    Dr. McCoy consults with the Group of 5 college football coaches, helping them to better compete with the Power 5 programs within the Football Bowl Subdivision.
     

    In this episode… In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Derichard McCoy shares with Dr. Russell Strickland how his childhood dreams were always about football and how these dreams motivated him to ultimately earn his doctorate in sports management. A first-generation college student, Derichard took football as far as he could on the field before he made an unlikely transition... effectively getting his doctorate in football. Dr. McCoy talks about how he found Dissertation Done and got the help he needed to push through to graduation. Now that he’s finally done, he gives his heartfelt advice to students on finishing what they started.
    Many life circumstances compel us to take a different route. Dr. McCoy may not have ended up as the football player he had dreamed to be, but he certainly created his own destiny and took his football dreams to the next level. Are you ready to create yours? Helmets on as Dr. McCoy shares how to run your own route to success!

    • 43 min
    When Having the Smarts Is Not Enough

    When Having the Smarts Is Not Enough

    Have you been in a situation where just getting this one thing done seems impossible? It could be getting through step one of your workout routine, reading the first ten pages of a book, or writing one sentence for your diissertation. But dreams and goals don’t work unless you do, so what are you delaying?
    Dr. Greg Cason is best known as “Dr. Greg” from the Bravo series LA Shrinks, the controversial docu-series that showed what happens in the therapist’s office and in his real life.  He appears regularly as a psychological expert on The Nancy Grace Show and has also appeared a large variety of TV programs including The Jeff Probst Show, The Tyra Banks Show, Extra, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, and several news features.
    Dr. Cason's expertise was also featured in documentaries specifically about the gay community such as The Butch Factor, The Adonis Factor, and The Gift. Most recently, he provided expert psychological analysis in The Secret Tapes of the O.J. Case: The Untold Story. His writing includes an often irreverent psychology column for the gay community called “Off The Couch” in print and on-line versions of Frontiers magazine and his sometimes controversial views have been featured about in The Huffington Post, The Advocate, People, and several other publications.
    Dr. Cason currently teaches in the psychiatric residency at UCLA and is a licensed psychologist and  Diplomate in the Academy of Cognitive therapy with a private practice in Los Angeles specializing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy & the LGBT community.
     

    In this episode… In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Gregory Cason shares with Dr. Russell Strickland his dream of becoming a psychologist. Starting as a Theatre Arts major and making his way to Psychology despite the obstacles along his way, Dr. Cason says that plans never worked out the way he wanted, but all that matters is you push through it. Dr. Cason is deeply involved with the LGBT community and advocating for mental health. Although his dissertation process wasn’t as easy as he thought it’d be, setting his mind to his goal of graduating eventually did the trick. And his advice on pushing through your dissertation? Build success even for as little as fifteen minutes each day.
    When you set your mind to your end goal, completing the required tasks is no longer a burden. When you know your why, even the most arduous task is a joy, because it brings you closer to your goal. Be inspired by Dr. Cason and embark on your journey to success!

    • 55 min
    Passion, Grit, and Initiative

    Passion, Grit, and Initiative

    Do you consider yourself to be a lifelong learner? How do you leverage that learning to benefit yourself, your family, and your community?
    Dr. Michael Levittan is an accomplished and recognized expert on domestic violence, anger management, child abuse, trauma, PTSD, and suicide.  He is a licensed psychotherapist, director of T.E.A.M. - a state-certified batterers’ treatment program, serves as an Expert Witness in court, teaches seminars and courses at UCLA Extension, National Alliance on Mental Illness, International Conference on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma, L.A. Superior Court, Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect, California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, U.S. Marines, Women’s Shelters, etc.
    Dr. Levittan's media work as an expert includes the Tyra Banks Show, ABC-TV News, Starting Over, Bad Girls Club, Montel Williams, Robert Irvine Show, Politico.com, Hollywood 411, and radio, on-line, and print publications.  He has contributed a chapter to the International Handbook on Interpersonal Violence, "The History of Infanticide;" a chapter in Violence in Our Society; and a chapter on Domestic Violence in “Her Story, His Story.”
    Dr. Levittan appears in the newly-released documentary on parenting, "The Golden Opportunity of Child Development."  He also recently completed the soon-to-be-published “Essentials of Anger Management.”  Dr. Levittan is currently appearing as a Relationship Expert on the “Frangela” TV show.  As an Executive Board member of the NPEIV Think Tank (National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence), he launched the GLOBAL PEACE COMMITTEE in order to promote peaceful, humane solutions to societal problems.  Recently, he has completed podcasts on “Fathers Raising Daughters,” the “Me Too” movement, and “Gender Expectations in the 21st Century.”  Dr. Levittan appears in the soon-to-be released documentary “Chains.”  His passion comes across in his writings, presentations, and media appearances.
     

    In this episode… In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Michael Levittan talks to Dr. Russell Strickland about his journey as a student, transitioning to being a renown expert. Everybody has different goals in their dissertation process, but Dr. Levittan says that it was passion that carried him through. He also discussed the profound experience of becoming peers with your mentors, highlighting the transition from student to expert that every doctoral student undertakes during the dissertation process. Dr. Levittan also shares his favorite career story, which you simply must hear for yourself!
    Sometimes it's tempting to abandon your goals rather than pursue them. Taking the responsibility to create something may scare you quite a bit, but that is exactly what growth means and what being a real expert entails. Dr. Michael Levittan can help you become the expert you are meant to be.

    • 40 min
    Your LinkedIn Profile: It’s Not About You

    Your LinkedIn Profile: It’s Not About You

    Sandra Long is a global LinkedIn expert, consultant, author, and speaker. She is a professional member of the National Speakers Association and received her Certified Virtual Presenter designation from espeakers.
    Her best-selling book is LinkedIn for Personal Branding, The Ultimate Guide.  Sandra presented the first-ever TEDx talk about LinkedIn in 2019. The 11-minute speech is called, "LinkedIn Community: A Super Power Hiding in Plain Sight," and is available on YouTube.
    Sandra and her company Post Road Consulting focus 100% on LinkedIn education and thought leadership. Their clients include sales teams, corporate C-Level executives, HR teams, universities, job seekers, and business owners.
     

    In this episode… In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Sandra Long discusses with Dr. Russell Strickland why and how she chose LinkedIn as her expertise. She talks about her book LinkedIn for Personal Branding: The Ultimate Guide and also emphasizes the importance of maintaining a friendly and approachable online profile so you can build connections and help more people. The LinkedIn expert also shares some interesting tips in building a strategic network and her personal hobbies when she is not knee-deep in the professional platform.
    Even in the digital world, making a difference in people’s lives is the greatest measure of success. Before you can begin to make a difference, you need to build yourself a great LinkedIn profile. Not sure how? Sandra Long, the LinkedIn Expert, has got you covered!

    • 40 min

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