Everything & Anything...and a bit gay Podcast

Zach Randles-Friedman
  • 4.8 (58)
  • Relationships
  • Updated Daily

Queer-hosted and unapologetically curious. We cover everything and anything — and yes, it's a bit gay.

  1. 1d ago

    Ep. 330: This Is Everything: Why Is Everyone So Tired? Doom Scrolling, Bad News & Finding Joy

    In this solo This Is Everything episode, Zach Randles-Friedman takes on the exhaustion so many people are feeling right now. He talks about doom scrolling and a news cycle that feels like a horror show. He covers a job market where AI-polished applications flood every listing, grocery prices that jumped his weekly Instacart order from $200 to $312, and a McDonald's hot fudge sundae that now costs $6.99 on DoorDash. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Zach reacts to Senator Tuberville's "furry pilots" claims, to rhetoric targeting trans people, and to calls for violence against queer people. He also explains why he believes the November midterms matter so much. Through it all, he finds signs of hope: strangers being a little kinder, a TikTok plant auction that brings him joy, and the comfort of good friends. He closes with simple ways to feel better, including limiting screen time, volunteering, FaceTiming with a heads-up, sending voice notes, guarding your social battery, and getting help when you need it. It's a candid reminder that if you're in a funk, you're not alone. Intro music by Six Foot Five. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Ep. 330: This Is Everything: Why Is Everyone So Tired? Doom Scrolling, Bad News & Finding Joy

  2. 1d ago

    Ep. 329: Kiko Zhang on Chomp, Belonging, and Building a More Honest Internet

    What do people really think when no one is watching? Startup founder Kiko Zang joins Zach to talk about the gap between how we perform online and what we actually believe, and why she's betting $3.6 million on closing it. Born in China and sent to an all-girls boarding school in small-town New Zealand at just 12, Kiko grew up as one of only a handful of Asian people in town. She opens up about the questions, the exclusion, and the moments of outright hostility that shaped her, including a story she's never shared publicly before. From there, her path winds through jazz conservatory, USC, the H-1B lottery, seven years in Shanghai, and a year and a half in Singapore. Now she's building Chomp, an app that asks you what you think and what you think everyone else thinks. The results are often surprising: Zach guesses wrong on both questions Kiko puts to him live on the show. In this episode: Growing up Chinese in a town of 50,000 on New Zealand's South IslandWhy her parents sent her abroad, and why she's not mad about itRacism, ignorance, and becoming "prickly" as protectionWhy "being different" may be the most universal experience there isZach on once wishing he were straight, and why he'd never trade it nowHow social media rewards people for pretending to be authenticThe perception-versus-reality gap, and how algorithms make the world seem more extreme than it isWould you cheat for $100,000? The surprising Chomp answerSaying "I love you" in the first month: red flag or green flag? 93% say greenThe couple who hit a 100-day streak answering Chomp questions togetherWhy brand partnerships hurt user enthusiasmKiko's bigger vision: a more honest internet and AI that understands lived experienceTexting after a first date, and whether phone calls are now a "what the f—" momentWhy Kiko held her wedding in New ZealandLinks: Chomp: https://chomp.fyi/ https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chomp-can-you-read-the-room/id6758931572 Follow Kiko: https://www.instagram.com/kikochomps/ 500 users to receive 1 month free https://apps.apple.com/redeem?ctx=offercodes&id=6758931572&code=EVERYTHINGCHOMPS    Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Ep. 329: Kiko Zhang on Chomp, Belonging, and Building a More Honest Internet

  3. 4d ago

    Ep. 328: The Gay Bit: Reading My DMs — Heartwarming, Hilarious & Unhinged Messages From Listeners

    and Facebook and finds thousands of unread DMs waiting for him. After wading through the Nigerian princes, SEO pitches, and spam, he pulls out the real ones and reads them on air, Jimmy Kimmel mean-tweets style, except not all of them are mean. In this episode: Why Zach ignores most comments, and the one thing that always gets a clapback (anyone coming for trans people)A listener who has walked 600 miles and lost 11 pounds to the show after a bad breakupThe commuter who missed an exit, drove 11 extra miles, and blamed "traffic"A 24-year-old's "not flirtatious" career inquiry, and Zach's honest advice on starting a podcastA 58-year-old who came out to their kids in January and just wanted someone to knowListening in a truck with the windows up in a town of 3,000: why it feels like somewhere to goThe first thing one listener could get through after losing their momFive-point "constructive feedback" that's really a backhanded love letterA testosterone supplement pitch from someone who isn't sure the show is what he thought it wasShout-out to Six Foot Five, the artist behind the intro musicA listener who disagrees with everything Zach believes but keeps listening because he sounds like their Uncle RayWill there ever be a co-host again? (No.) An in-person show? (Maybe, Oprah, call him.)"The call is coming from inside the condo," the comment that roasted Zach's gay voice episodeWhy Zach covers transgender news so often, and why every part of the LGBTQ+ community should careHave a question? Email Zach at zach@everythingandanythingpodcast.com. Comments can still go to the DMs; he'll get to them eventually. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Ep. 328: The Gay Bit: Reading My DMs — Heartwarming, Hilarious & Unhinged Messages From Listeners

  4. 5d ago

    Ep. 327: Julie Ryan on Medical Intuition, Past Lives & Spirit Talk: The Buffet of Psychicness

    What happens when a surgical device inventor and serial entrepreneur discovers she can "see" inside the human body from across the world? Zach sits down with Julie Ryan — medical intuitive, psychic medium, author of eight books, and host of the Ask Julie Ryan show — for a wide-ranging conversation about what she calls "the buffet of psychicness." Julie shares how a birthday gift of Caroline Myss's Anatomy of the Spirit sent her on a 30-year journey from hospital supply sales rep to one of the most recognized intuitive healers working today. She explains how she scans people energetically (with permission, always), why she believes nobody ever heals anybody else, and how a jar of Dippity-Do became one of her favorite healing analogies. The conversation moves into end-of-life experiences and her "12 phases of transition," the reason her book Angelic Attendance is now handed out by churches, hospices, and military chaplains, and her belief that nobody ever dies alone. Zach opens up about his late mother-in-law, Irene, and the quarters that keep appearing — and Julie offers a meaning he didn't expect. They also get into past lives (including Julie's own lifetime during the Irish potato famine), how she handles skeptics, her take on TV mediums who read strangers uninvited, and her simple first step for anyone who wants to start developing their own intuition.   Connect with Julie Ryan: Website, free copy of Angelic Attendance, and workshop registration: https://askjulieryan.com/Socials: @AskJulieRyan on all platformsAsk Julie Ryan live call-in show: Thursdays at 8 pm ETConnect with Zach: everythingandanythingpodcast.com@TheRealZachRE on all platforms Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Ep. 327: Julie Ryan on Medical Intuition, Past Lives & Spirit Talk: The Buffet of Psychicness

  5. 6d ago

    Ep. 326: When You Stop Caring: Friendship Cleanses, Frozen Shoulder & the Truth About Life After 50

    In this solo episode, Zach talks about something most of us hit eventually: the moment you just stop caring what people think. For him, it clicked at 50. Now 53, he's still cutting people out, or at least putting them "on pause." He gets candid about the second half of life and the things nobody warns you about, from a surprise frozen shoulder diagnosis to the role reversal of caring for aging parents. Zach also takes on friendship: why the friends you've had since sixth grade are forever, why some newer ones wouldn't make the cut if you met them today, and how to tell a normal rough patch from a friendship that's all take and no give. Then he turns to modern dating. He explains why he'd never want to be single today and reacts to news that a gay dating app promising "verified" profiles was found to have a big chunk of AI accounts. He closes with the growing wave of midlife professionals walking away from corporate burnout, and his own decision about whether to go back. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Ep. 326: When You Stop Caring: Friendship Cleanses, Frozen Shoulder & the Truth About Life After 50

  6. Sep 29

    Ep. 325: He Died in a Dairy Queen Bathroom for 47 Minutes — Vincent Tolman on Heaven & Coming Back

    At 25, Vinney Tolman was found dead on the floor of a Dairy Queen bathroom. Medics pronounced him dead, zipped him into a body bag, and loaded him into an ambulance. Then a rookie medic in the back of that ambulance got a feeling he couldn't ignore. In this episode, Zach talks with Vinney, author of The Light After Death: My Journey to Heaven and Back, about watching his own death without realizing it was him, the life review that showed him every harm he'd caused from the other person's side, and his three days in heaven with a guide named Drake, who turned out to be his great-great-great grandfather. Vinney also talks about the childhood abuse that shaped him, why he now calls Earth "grad school," the 10 principles Drake taught him, and what it was like to finally sit across a lunch table from the medic who brought him back. Content note: this episode includes discussion of drug use, overdose, and childhood physical and sexual abuse. The 10 principles Drake taught Vinney AuthenticityLife's purpose is to learn and growLove is the most powerful force on EarthThe voice of intuition inside your heartUse technology responsiblyHating prejudiced people makes you prejudicedYour thoughts are your magic wandsConquer negative energy by loving and releasing itThere is purpose in evilWe're all fingers on the Creator's hand Links Living God's Light: https://livinggodslight.org/ The Light After Death: My Journey to Heaven and Back: thelightafterdeath.com If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs it and leave a rating or review. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Ep. 325: He Died in a Dairy Queen Bathroom for 47 Minutes — Vincent Tolman on Heaven & Coming Back

  7. Sep 27

    Ep. 324: Fighting for Their Lives: Jenn Garofolo on Mental Health & Raising a Trans Son

    Fighting for Their Lives: Jenn Garofolo on Mental Health & Raising a Trans Son Fellow Bostonian Jenn Garofolo joins Zach to talk about her book Fighting for Their Lives, a mother's account of two separate but overlapping journeys: her son Daniel's severe mental health struggles, which began when he was a toddler, and his coming out as nonbinary and then as a transgender young man at 11. Jenn has an Ivy League education, two master's degrees and a career in biotech, and it still took her a decade to navigate the mental health system for her child. She talks candidly about the early signs everyone wrote off as the "terrible twos," the judgment from her own parents that led to their estrangement, and the devastation of leaving her eight-year-old at a locked psychiatric unit. Then she shares how Daniel came out to her by text on a family vacation, why finding an affirming therapist was its own battle, and why, compared to everything before it, the trans journey was the easier one. Zach and Jenn also get into her husband Craig's unwavering support, how the family's crises affected Daniel's younger siblings, the difference between gender dysphoria and body dysmorphia, the importance of found family and LGBTQ+ elders, and her decision to publish despite fears for her son's safety in today's anti-trans climate. About Jenn Garofolo:Jenn Garofolo, MPH, MBA, is an author, advocate, speaker and consultant with more than 20 years of experience leading healthcare access strategy. She sits on the board of the Boston Gay Men's Chorus and mentors families navigating mental health and LGBTQ+ journeys. Links: Get Fighting for Their Lives: https://www.jenngarofolo.com/bookJenn's website: https://www.jenngarofolo.comFollow Zach: @TheRealZachREMore episodes: everythingandanythingpodcast.comDaily LGBTQ+ news: Listen Up Girl, listenupgirl.com Content note: This episode includes discussion of child suicidality and psychiatric hospitalization. If you or someone you love is struggling, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). LGBTQ+ young people can reach The Trevor Project at thetrevorproject.org. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Ep. 324: Fighting for Their Lives: Jenn Garofolo on Mental Health & Raising a Trans Son

  8. Sep 26

    Ep. 323: Damian Pelliccione on King of Drag, Revry & Building Free Queer TV for the World

    Zach sits down with Damian Pelliccione (he/they), co-founder and CEO of Revry, the free, ad-supported LGBTQ+ streaming network, and co-creator and Kings' Court judge of the hit competition series King of Drag. As Revry nears its 11th year and King of Drag returns for season 2, Damian opens up about the Apple keynote that sparked the whole idea, the years of pitching a drag king show to advertisers who didn't know what a drag king was, and the stories that remind him why this work matters. In this episode: Zach launches his matchmaking service for Damian (applications open in the DMs)How an Apple TV announcement in 2015 inspired Revry, and the four co-founders who built it from Damian's living roomWhy Revry chose to be free and ad-supported so anyone in the community can see their storiesThe long road to King of Drag, from two NewFronts presentations to e.l.f. Cosmetics finally saying yesSeason 1's surprise success, including watch parties in Brazil, Taiwan, Madrid, Paris, and beyond"Drag Race meets The Great British Bake Off": a competition built on support rather than cattinessThe Dong Show, King of Drag's answer to Snatch GameThe rainbow of drag king artistry, and the season 2 winner becoming the first drag king to perform at The DinahVoting for Mr. Congeniality with a $1 donation to Translatina CoalitionWhy gay men need to show up for the trans community, and a new all-trans-women franchise in developmentDamian on disrupting spaces as a non-binary CEO, and why he's moving to New YorkRaising venture capital as an LGBTQ+ and BIPOC-founded companyA story from Mumbai that brought him to tears, and a framed message from a closeted young man in Saudi Arabia that he still keeps on his deskMost of King of Drag's U.S. audience watching from red statesHis dream Mic Drop guests: Andy Cohen, Tim Cook, and OprahDustin Lance Black's new docuseries Rock Out, premiering on RevryWatch King of Drag season 2 on Revry, with new episodes every Sunday through November 8. The season finale, crowning, and watch party will be at Webster Hall in New York City. Rock Out, the four-part docuseries, streams on Revry and ends on National Coming Out Day, October 11. Follow Damian: @damianmedia on InstagramWatch Revry: https://www.revry.tv/ Support Translatina Coalition: https://www.translatinacoalition.org/ Follow Zach: @TheRealZachRE Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Ep. 323: Damian Pelliccione on King of Drag, Revry & Building Free Queer TV for the World
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Queer-hosted and unapologetically curious. We cover everything and anything — and yes, it's a bit gay.

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