The Shift: Stories of Resistance + Resilience

Mark Travis Rivera

The Shift is a podcast series exploring stories of resistance and resilience from activists, creatives, and leaders across industries who are boldly challenging the status quo. Through honest conversations and powerful storytelling, we uncover how people shift systems, narratives, and culture to create a more inclusive, just, and liberated world. If you believe in the power of stories to spark change, this is the podcast for you. It is hosted and produced by Mark Travis Rivera, CEO + Founder of The Professional Storyteller, LLC.

  1. Blooming Wildly and Being Free with Rigness Rush

    4h ago

    Blooming Wildly and Being Free with Rigness Rush

    This episode is one of Mark’s most personal conversations yet: a sit-down with his neighbor, his chosen family, and one of his favorite humans on the planet, Rigness Rush. Known simply as "Rig," Rigness is a health-centered space designer, social justice advocate, and visual artist whose fingerprints are on rooms you've walked into, campaigns that moved you, and communities that held you, even if you never once heard his name. That's by design. Rig has always preferred to be felt more than known. But today, he steps into the light. This conversation travels through spirituality weaponized against a boy just trying to bloom, through the documentary Speaking Out, which dared to hold a mirror up to buried pain, through the quiet revolution of designing healthcare spaces that greet people with dignity rather than shame. It moves through chosen family and biological wounds, through forgiveness that doesn't excuse and love that doesn't look away. And woven through all of it: the question that anchors this whole conversation: what does it really mean to resist, to endure, to show up proudly, scars and all? If you've ever had to fight just to exist in a room, in your family, in your body, in your identity, listen to this episode.  Guest Bio: Currently, Rigness helps design health-centered spaces and creates engagement activations rooted in social justice,  health literacy, and equity.  He continues to emphasize the importance of fostering community insight, which translates research and scientific data into social marketing initiatives. He combines empathy,  intuition, and creativity to retool programs and efforts, making them more culturally informed, sustainable, and profitable.   Recent campaigns he has driven include the Stand Against Hate Campaign, aimed at fostering accountability and action through disruptive messaging, and the We the People campaign, which bolstered inclusion and equity by creating space for honest engagement and alignment across cultural, racial, and equitable lines of division.  Outside of work, Rigness travels the world constantly learning and engaging with people. He strives to develop a heightened sense of global awareness and activism, built on a foundation of empathy and LGBTQ visibility and representation. Connect with Mark: ⁠Sign up for Mark's Newsletter⁠ ⁠Follow Mark on Social Media⁠ Connect with Rig: Instagram Questions or comments? Email us at Hello@MarkTravisRivera.com.   Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/success License code: SQK0ZY8P3EBIUZYY Disclaimer Note: The captions in this video are auto-generated, and while we try to ensure accuracy, you may notice a typo or error. Thank you in advance for extending grace.

    42 min
  2. Combating Anti-Blackness and Being An Authentic Ally with Dr. Norman Kim

    Jun 24

    Combating Anti-Blackness and Being An Authentic Ally with Dr. Norman Kim

    Mark sits down with Dr. Norman Kim, a psychologist, DEI scholar, UN expert affiliate on LGBTQ rights, and co-editor of a new Oxford University Press book on anti-blackness, for a wide-ranging conversation about what resistance really looks like in this political moment. They dig into the model minority myth, what authentic allyship demands of people of color, the limits of Western medicine's approach to healing, and why community — not the tools of oppression — is the only path to collective liberation. Guest Bio: Dr. Norman Kim is the inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for the Center for Practice Innovations at Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, an adjunct faculty member at New York University, the co-founder of the Institute for Antiracism and Equity, a social justice-focused consultancy, and an expert affiliate on LGBTQ rights to the United Nations. He completed his B.A. at Yale and his Ph.D. in Psychology at UCLA. Specializing in examining the impacts of racism and discrimination, minority mental health, social determinants of health, and psychiatric complexities, his research and clinical interests span the application of transdiagnostic frameworks for eating disorders and anxiety, evolutionary approaches to shame and psychopathology, autism spectrum disorder, and the developmental course of bipolar disorder. He is a regular national and international speaker, educator, and passionate advocate with a particular focus on health equity, systemic racism, and anti-Blackness. He advises health tech startups in the UK and the US, professional organizations, and providers, and was the co-founder of a national eating disorder center. His co-edited book, Antiblackness and the Stories of Authentic Allies: Lived Experiences in the Fight Against Institutionalized Racism, was just released by Oxford University Press. Connect with Mark: ⁠Sign up for Mark's Newsletter⁠ ⁠Follow Mark on Social Media⁠ Connect with Dr. Kim: Instagram LinkedIn Website  Questions or comments? Email us at Hello@MarkTravisRivera.com.   Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/success License code: SQK0ZY8P3EBIUZYY Disclaimer Note: The captions in this video are auto-generated, and while we try to ensure accuracy, you may notice a typo or error. Thank you in advance for extending grace.

    54 min
  3. Being Whole As A Black Neurodivergent Man

    Jun 17

    Being Whole As A Black Neurodivergent Man

    What does it mean to show up as a deeply loving, emotionally intelligent Black man in a world that wasn't designed to see you that way? In this rich conversation, host Mark Travis Rivera sits down with entrepreneur, speaker, and podcast host Sheldon Gay to explore neurodivergence, Black identity, radical self-love, and the power of community in a world that often asks us to fragment ourselves. Sheldon opens up about arriving in his early 40s without realizing he was neurodivergent, how representation finally made it click, and why he calls his life's purpose "leveraging technology to create a more equitable, just, and joyous world." This episode is a love letter to every Black and melanated person who has ever been told their way of thinking was a problem — and a reminder that your "brain sparkle" is a gift. Guest Bio: Sheldon Gay is an entrepreneur, speaker, and host of the I Must Be Buggin' podcast — where B.U.G.N. stands for Black, Underrepresented, Unidentified, Gifted, and Neurodivergent. He is a leading advocate for gifted and neurodivergent people, especially those from melanated and marginalized communities. His lived experience empowers him to help people become curious about their minds, foster community, and experience peace and joy through authenticity. Connect with Mark: ⁠Sign up for Mark's Newsletter⁠ ⁠Follow Mark on Social Media⁠ Connect with Sheldon: Instagram Website  Questions or comments? Email us at Hello@MarkTravisRivera.com.   Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/success License code: SQK0ZY8P3EBIUZYY Disclaimer Note: The captions in this video are auto-generated, and while we try to ensure accuracy, you may notice a typo or error. Thank you in advance for extending grace.

    40 min
  4. Building Friendship and Community with Intentional Care with Daniel D. Edwards

    Jun 10

    Building Friendship and Community with Intentional Care with Daniel D. Edwards

    In this special in-person episode of The Shift, Mark Travis Rivera sits down with one of Atlanta's most quietly brilliant minds, educator, facilitator, photographer, and movement creative entrepreneur Daniel Davis Edwards. What begins as a conversation about Daniel's multidisciplinary work quickly deepens into something rarer: an honest, unfiltered exploration of what real friendship looks like between two queer men of color, how movement and joy can be acts of resistance, and why the "both/and" philosophy might be the most radical framework available to us right now. This one is personal. And that's exactly the point. Guest Bio: Daniel Davis Edwards is an educator, facilitator, speaker, photographer, and movement teacher based in Atlanta, GA. He is the founder of Clear Pathworks, which includes: SoLit Education — interactive workshops on identity, race, gender, sexuality, healing, and unlearning, rooted in sociological theory and real-world application Unbound — a movement and yoga practice centered on embodiment and joy BlackVign Photography — his fine art and portrait photography practice Daniel holds a BA in Sociology from Morehouse College and an MFA in Photography from SCAD. He brings over 15 years of experience facilitating with students, community organizations, and corporate groups. Connect with Mark: ⁠Sign up for Mark's Newsletter⁠ ⁠Follow Mark on Social Media⁠ Connect with Daniel: Website Instagram Questions or comments? Email us at Hello@MarkTravisRivera.com.   Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/success License code: SQK0ZY8P3EBIUZYYDisclaimer Note: The captions in this video are auto-generated, and while we try to ensure accuracy, you may notice a typo or error. Thank you in advance for extending grace.

    53 min
  5. Aging and Radical Self-Love with Heidi Clements

    Jun 3

    Aging and Radical Self-Love with Heidi Clements

    In this episode of The Shift: Stories of Resistance and Resilience, Heidi Clements joins Mark Travis Rivera for a bold, unfiltered conversation about aging, self-acceptance, and what it means to live authentically in a world obsessed with youth. Heidi shares her journey from a successful career in television to becoming a powerful voice on social media, where she uses fashion and storytelling to challenge societal norms on aging—especially for women over 50. She opens up about resisting beauty standards, rejecting the idea that younger is better, and embracing wrinkles, change, and the realities of growing older. Together, Heidi and Mark explore how deeply ingrained expectations around appearance impact women’s self-worth, and how radical self-love can serve as a form of resistance. Heidi speaks candidly about body image, menopause, and the lifelong pressures women face to conform, while emphasizing the importance of rejecting external validation. The conversation also delves into broader cultural dynamics, including ageism in the media, the lack of representation for older women, and how storytelling can shift perspectives across generations. Heidi reflects on the surprising reach of her work—particularly among younger audiences—and the power of showing up honestly online. At its core, this episode is a call to rethink everything we’ve been taught about aging. Heidi reminds us that resilience is not about chasing youth, but about embracing every version of ourselves with honesty, humor, and compassion—and allowing others to do the same.  Guest Bio: Heidi Clements - 65 - wants to change the way the country looks at women over 50. A former TV writer turned social media influencer, Heidi uses fashion and storytelling to help reframe how people view aging. Heidi has worked in both magazine news and entertainment news, running shows like Entertainment Tonight, before moving into scripted television at 51. After producing 100 episodes of Freeform’s Baby Daddy, Heidi decided to shift her script focus and now writes only about women over 50. Heidi is now focused on turning her social media into a business and spreading the word about pro-aging, anti-alcohol, and general ideas about life, love, the pursuit of happiness, and crushing the patriarchy. Connect with Mark: ⁠Sign up for Mark's Newsletter⁠ ⁠Follow Mark on Social Media⁠ Connect with Heidi: Heidi’s Instagram Heidi’s Substack Heidi’s Podcast: “Talk Fifty To Me” Questions or comments? Email us at Hello@MarkTravisRivera.com.   Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/swoop/success License code: SQK0ZY8P3EBIUZYY Disclaimer Note: The captions in this video are auto-generated, and while we try to ensure accuracy, you may notice a typo or error. Thank you in advance for extending grace.

    20 min
  6. Apr 29

    Breaking Free from People Pleasing with Natalie Poindexter

    In this episode of The Shift: Stories of Resistance and Resilience, Natalie Poindexter joins Mark Travis Rivera for a powerful and honest conversation about entrepreneurship, identity, and what it truly means to become yourself. Natalie shares her journey from people pleasing and overgiving to building a life and business rooted in boundaries, clarity, and purpose. Drawing from her background in grant strategy and her experience as a Black woman founder, she reflects on the realities of entrepreneurship—navigating uncertainty, rejection, and growth without losing yourself in the process. Together, Natalie and Mark unpack the tension between authenticity and expectation, exploring how societal norms, workplace environments, and generational conditioning can shape how we show up in the world. Natalie opens up about her experience stepping into entrepreneurship after being unexpectedly let go from her job, and how that moment forced her to trust herself in a completely new way. They also discuss the importance of community, the power of saying people’s names in rooms they’re not in, and what it looks like to build connections that go beyond transactional relationships. Throughout the conversation, Natalie emphasizes the role of faith—choosing to move forward even when the path is unclear—and the importance of doing the exact opposite of what you’ve been conditioned to do in order to step fully into your purpose. This episode is a reminder that resilience is not about doing more or pushing harder—it’s about choosing yourself, setting boundaries, and trusting that you already have everything you need to move forward. Guest Bio: Natalie Poindexter is a TEDx speaker, founder, and funding systems strategist who helps leaders move from chaos to structure without burning out. With 10+ years in grant strategy, evaluation, and technical assistance—and a background in pre-hospital EMS—she brings a practical “triage + build” approach to leadership, boundaries, and sustainable impact. Natalie is the founder of NPI Consulting House and the creator of Scaffina, a platform supporting grant and procurement readiness. Her work centers ambitious women—especially women of color—in leading with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Connect with Mark: ⁠Sign up for Mark's Newsletter⁠ ⁠Follow Mark on Social Media⁠ Connect with Natalie: Natalie’s Instagram Natalie’s LinkedIn Natalie Poindexter Initiatives  Questions or comments? Email us at Hello@MarkTravisRivera.com.   Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/dan-snyder/returning-home License code: ASYBPBHYUQEWOLWE Disclaimer Note: The captions in this video are auto-generated, and while we try to ensure accuracy, you may notice a typo or error. Thank you in advance for extending grace.

    39 min
  7. Becoming Yourself and Living Authentically with Dion Davis

    Apr 22

    Becoming Yourself and Living Authentically with Dion Davis

    In this episode of The Shift: Stories of Resistance and Resilience, Dion Davis joins Mark Travis Rivera for a raw and layered conversation about authenticity, spirituality, and the journey of becoming yourself. Dion shares his path from being deeply rooted in evangelical ministry to ultimately stepping away in order to live fully and truthfully as a Black Latino gay man. He reflects on the internal and external tensions he faced as he navigated faith, identity, and societal expectations, and how those experiences shaped both his personal growth and his creative expression. Together, Dion and Mark unpack the complexities of religious trauma, the evolving relationship between spirituality and queerness, and what it means to reclaim faith on your own terms. They also explore the broader cultural and political landscape, discussing how belief systems can both support and suppress authenticity, and why choosing to exist unapologetically is an act of resistance. Dion opens up about the role of grief in his journey, from letting go of the life he once envisioned to embracing the unknown. He shares how giving himself space to evolve helped him reconnect with his creativity, leading to the release of his new single, Better, and a renewed commitment to living as a fully expressed artist. This episode is an honest reflection on identity, healing, and the courage it takes to choose yourself. It reminds us that authenticity is not a destination, but a lifelong process of becoming—and that in choosing ourselves, we create space for others to do the same. Guest Bio: Dion is an independent artist whose work is spiritually and emotionally layered. He blends personal insight with cultural commentary, creating music that resonates with intimacy and impact. His work is rooted in authenticity, introspection, emotional complexity, resilience, and a refusal to compromise integrity. Above all else, he is committed to authenticity within his expression, regardless of the medium. Connect with Mark: ⁠Sign up for Mark's Newsletter⁠ ⁠Follow Mark on Social Media⁠ Connect with Dion: Instagram Dion’s Music  Questions or comments? Email us at Hello@MarkTravisRivera.com.   Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/dan-snyder/returning-home License code: ASYBPBHYUQEWOLWE Disclaimer Note: The captions in this video are auto-generated, and while we try to ensure accuracy, you may notice a typo or error. Thank you in advance for extending grace.

    52 min
  8. Returning to Yourself and Helping One Another with Mayda Del Valle

    Apr 15

    Returning to Yourself and Helping One Another with Mayda Del Valle

    In this episode of The Shift: Stories of Resistance and Resilience, Mayda Del Valle joins Mark Travis Rivera for a deeply personal and powerful conversation about creativity, loss, and returning to yourself. Mayda shares her journey of moving back home to Chicago to support her family, navigating caregiving, grief, and major life transitions while questioning her identity as an artist. She opens up about a period where her creative voice felt distant, and how surrendering to where she was led her back to her work in a more grounded and expansive way. Together, they explore the tension between creativity and productivity, challenging the idea that we must constantly produce in order to be considered artists. Mayda reflects on how community, cultural lineage, and intergenerational living shaped her understanding of success and belonging, while Mark emphasizes the importance of honoring our humanity in a time of collective uncertainty. They also discuss what it means to hold joy and grief simultaneously, and how both can coexist as part of a full and meaningful life. Through reflections on heartbreak, healing, and creative rebirth, this conversation reminds us that even in our most difficult seasons, we are being prepared for something new. Ultimately, this episode is a call to stay rooted in our humanity, trust our inner voice, and remain connected to each other as we navigate change together. Guest Bio: Mayda del Valle was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago. She is the author of The University of Hip Hop and a winner of the 2016 Drinking Gourd Chapbook Poetry Prize from Northwestern University Press. Her full-length collection, A South Side Girl’s Guide to Love and Sex, was published by Tia Chucha Press. She began her artistic career at the Nuyorican Poets Café, where she was the 2001 Grand Slam Champion, and went on to become the National Poetry Slam Champion in the same year. She appeared in six episodes of the HBO series Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry and was a contributing writer and an original cast member of the Tony Award-winning Def Poetry Jam on Broadway. She has performed at venues across the world, including the White House in May of 2009, by invitation of President Obama and the First Lady. In 2024, Mayda was the recipient of the Letras Boricuas Fellowship, sponsored by Flamboyan Arts Fund and the Mellon Foundation. Most recently, she was selected to be the second Poet Laureate of the City of Chicago. Connect with Mark: ⁠Sign up for Mark's Newsletter⁠ ⁠Follow Mark on Social Media⁠ Connect with Mayda: LinkedIn Instagram Website Buy Her Books Questions or comments? Email us at Hello@MarkTravisRivera.com.   Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/dan-snyder/returning-home License code: ASYBPBHYUQEWOLWE Disclaimer Note: The captions in this video are auto-generated, and while we try to ensure accuracy, you may notice a typo or error. Thank you in advance for extending grace.

    45 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The Shift is a podcast series exploring stories of resistance and resilience from activists, creatives, and leaders across industries who are boldly challenging the status quo. Through honest conversations and powerful storytelling, we uncover how people shift systems, narratives, and culture to create a more inclusive, just, and liberated world. If you believe in the power of stories to spark change, this is the podcast for you. It is hosted and produced by Mark Travis Rivera, CEO + Founder of The Professional Storyteller, LLC.