Getting Under The Skin

The Skin Deep
  • 5.0 (1)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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. To Feel Seen: Building Community & Finding Purpose with Sugary

    4D AGO

    To Feel Seen: Building Community & Finding Purpose with Sugary

    What happens when the person who makes everyone feel seen has never felt it himself? In this episode of GUTS, host Topaz Adizes sits down with Gary Su, known as Sugary, a cultural curator who built a community of 30,000 people in New York City and nearly lost his life doing it. After a health crisis landed him in the ICU last August, Sugary had to confront the one person he had never really shown up for: himself. In this episode, we explore: - Growing up as the only child of Taiwanese immigrants - How bullying became the birthplace of a superpower - Building a city's community while practicing self-abandonment - The ICU moment that forced a hard reset - What it means to finally feel seen from the inside out - Connection, healing, and learning to receive what you give Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 11m
  2. Be Like the Bamboo with Iván Saldaña

    APR 27

    Be Like the Bamboo with Iván Saldaña

    What happens when the most productive thing you can do is learn to bend? In this episode of GUTS, host Topaz Adizes sits down with Ivan Saldaña, PhD biologist, master distiller, and co-founder of Casa Lumbre. After years building brands at the intersection of biology, culture, and commerce, Ivan has arrived at a new chapter, one that asks him to look inward as fiercely as he has always looked outward. In this episode, we explore: - Growing up in a household where storytelling was survival - Why agaves only become extraordinary under restriction - Building brands rooted in biology, not mythology - What it means to lead a growing team through your own transformation - Moving from achievement to legacy, and learning to teach what you know Listen to 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 4m
  3. Different Types of Love with Shan Boodram ​

    APR 20

    Different Types of Love with Shan Boodram ​

    What happens when you reach the top and it still doesn't feel like enough? In this episode of GUTS, host Topaz Adizes sits down with Shan Boodram, board-certified sexologist, bestselling author, and one of the most recognized voices in modern intimacy. After more than a decade of building a career around human connection, Shan hit a wall, a moment of hyper-isolation that forced her to question everything she had been running toward, and whether she had actually been running away from something deeper. Through stories from her upbringing, her marriage, her creative work, and her relationship with social media, Shan opens up about the tension between needing validation and finding genuine purpose, and what it looks like to finally explore the different types of love that were missing from her life. In this episode, we explore: - Growing up with immigrant parents and professional caregivers - The sediments that shape a life - Intimacy, desire, and building a body of work - Social media, discardability, and the fear of being forgotten - Finding meaning beyond performance - What it looks like to stop running and start living Listen to 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.

    55 min
  4. Approve of Oneself with Mitchell Goldman

    APR 13

    Approve of Oneself with Mitchell Goldman

    What happens when you realise no one is coming to save you, and you have to face yourself? In this episode of GUTS, host Topaz Adizes sits down with Mitchell Goldman to unpack the moment everything shifted. From a breaking point in front of the mirror to confronting suicidal thoughts, Mitchell shares how he stopped seeking validation and took responsibility for his own life. This conversation explores identity, self-perception, and what it really means to approve of yourself. If you’ve ever felt stuck in your own patterns or disconnected from who you are, this episode offers a direct perspective on doing the inner work and rebuilding from within. In this episode, they explore: • The mirror moment that changed everything • Suicidal thoughts and self-confrontation • Taking responsibility for your own life • Approval vs external validation • Identity and self-perception • Healing from within Listen to 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.

    59 min
  5. Starting From Victory With Pastor Tim Johnson

    APR 6

    Starting From Victory With Pastor Tim Johnson

    What does it mean to stop proving yourself and start living with purpose, identity, and faith? In this episode of GUTS, host Topaz Adizes sits down with Pastor Timothy Johnson, a former NFL player turned pastor, to explore the shift from performance-driven success to a purpose-driven life. Through stories of football, fatherhood, and spiritual growth, Timothy unpacks how chasing validation can disconnect us from who we truly are and what it looks like to start from victory instead of striving for it. This conversation explores identity, self-worth, faith, and mindset, from navigating fatherlessness to redefining success beyond achievement. If you’ve ever felt stuck chasing goals that don’t fulfill you, this episode offers a grounded perspective on purpose, belief, and living with intention. In this episode, they explore: • Finding purpose vs chasing success • Identity and self-worth • Faith and personal growth • Growing up without a father • Control vs surrender mindset • Overcoming the need for validation Listen to 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.

    59 min
  6. What to Do With What You Have with Susan Asiyanbi

    MAR 30

    What to Do With What You Have with Susan Asiyanbi

    What does it really mean to show up for others and why do we struggle to do it consistently? In this episode of GUTS, host Topaz Adizes sits down with Susan Asiyanbi, a leader working at the intersection of relationships, culture, and organizational change. Susan reflects on how her parents’ values shaped her understanding of service, community, and the belief that every day offers a chance to try again. Through stories of grief, friendship, and personal evolution, Susan challenges the idea that we are “good friends” by default. She explores the gap between how we see ourselves and how we actually show up, the tension between independence and community, and why relationships require more honesty than we’re comfortable with. From navigating loss to redefining what it means to give without expectation, this conversation exposes the complexity of connection. Together, they explore: • Why we’re not always the friends we think we are • The difference between giving freely and giving with expectation • How grief shifts perspective and what actually matters • Why asking for help is uncomfortable but necessary • The tension between independence and needing a village • What it means to be complete but not resolved 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 9m
  7. Strong, Kind, Confident & Resilient with Luis Velasquez

    MAR 23

    Strong, Kind, Confident & Resilient with Luis Velasquez

    What does it mean to choose your life, even when everything feels stacked against you? In this episode of GUTS, Topaz Adizes sits down with Luis Velasquez, executive coach, Stanford leadership facilitator, and author of Ordinary Resilience. This is a conversation about resilience that isn’t performative. It’s lived. Through stories of survival, identity, fatherhood, and near breaking points, Luis unpacks how reframing reality can become a tool for transformation and how the smallest shifts in perspective can change everything. In this episode, they explore: • Why resilience is built through choice, not circumstance • The difference between fearlessness and fearing less • How identity shapes behavior and long term growth • Reframing pain into purpose and forward movement • Parenting, legacy, and what it means to truly prepare your children for life _____________________________________________________________________ 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 3m
  8. The Musicality of Life with Didier Sylvain

    MAR 16

    The Musicality of Life with Didier Sylvain

    What does it mean to truly come home to yourself, and what happens when you stop performing and start creating from your soul? In this episode of GUTS, host Topaz Adizes sits down with Didier Sylvain, coach and creative practitioner working at the intersection of personal liberation and collective transformation. Didier has guided executives and teams at organizations like Lionsgate, WME, and the NBA Foundation, drawing from a background that spans Deloitte Consulting, somatics, sound healing, and a deep lineage of embodied practice. Through decades of inner work, loss, and creative discovery, Didier reflects on what it really means to lead from your values, why music is the marrow of his soul, and how the work we do for others is often the work we most need to do ourselves. Together, they explore: • What it means to be alive in your soul vs. hiding from it • How lineage and ancestry shape who we become • The dance between dreaming and discipline • Why the opposite of fear might be play • Creating beauty as a spiritual practice • Grief, vision, and learning to trust the unseen • What it feels like to finally come home _____________________________________________________ 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 22m
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Ratings & Reviews

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
    27
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Skin Deep
  • Show Website
    Getting Under The Skin

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