Taking Off The Mask Ashanti Branch

“There’s times where it feels like I’m in my own bubble. And, as soon as I leave that bubble, I realize I’m still this very lost, immature kid in a lot of ways.” - Gael Aitor

Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Gael Aitor. Gael is the creator and a host of the “Teenager Therapy” podcast - the largest teen mental health podcast, with over 1,000,000 followers. In this conversation, Gael and Ashanti discuss their inner-child and what it means to them, their masks, what it means to be your own best friend, and what’s next for Gael. In this conversation, it’s clear why Gael has such a beloved podcast; it’s not just Gael’s speaking ability, it’s his ability to deeply listen to his counterpart and generate true chemistry and connection.

(1:15) Ashanti’s introduction and a big announcement about receiving the Surgeon General’s medallion.

(10:05) Gael introduces himself, his podcast, and his new venture, Astro Studios.

(12:30) Ashanti shares the front of his mask - serious, passionate, caring - and they both find solace in the fact that growth is not linear.

(16:55) Gael shares the front of his mask - maturity, composure, confidence - and they both yearn for more moments in life to get back in touch with their inner-child.

(29:30) Ashanti shares the back of his mask - fear of failure, sadness, worry/self-doubt - and how he needs to make himself his best friend.

(34:45) Gael shares the back of his mask - vulnerability, anger, love.

(47:15) Gael and Ashanti wrap up their conversation, and Gael shares a message for today’s teens.

(49:45) Gael shares how you can get in touch with him.

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Connect with Gael Aitor: 

Instagram: instagram.com/gaelaitor

Podcast: instagram.com/teenagertherapy



Create your own mask anonymously at millionmask.org

Email us questions and comments at totmpod100@gmail.com 

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Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram: instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook: facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter: twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

Website: branchspeaks.com

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Support the podcast and the work of the Ever Forward Club: anchor.fm/branch-speaks/support


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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support

“I often greet people with a smile, no matter how I’m feeling. I’ve always wanted folks to feel comfortable engaging with me. No matter how I feel I want them to feel comfortable, like I’m approachable.” - Rondy Isaac

Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Rondy Isaac. Rondy is a father of two, the Wellness Program Director for Create The Space, and a Yoga Instructor, certified in Vinyasa yoga teacher training, power yoga teacher training, psychotherapeutic yoga teacher training, and trauma-based yoga training with the Art of Yoga Project. Rondy would consider the things listed here as “modifiers” - only temporary labels orbiting around his core, “signature” entity. What is that entity? As Rondy puts it, "I am a light that's trying to connect with you."

(0:25) Ashanti’s introduction

(4:10) Rondy and Ashanti overcome some technology hurdles, then Rondy introduces himself, his core entity/“signature”, and his “modifiers”.

(14:40) Rondy and Ashanti make their masks together.

(16:10) Rondy shares the front of his mask - friendly, proud, healthy.

(17:40) Ashanti shares the front of his mask - funny, serious/hard-working, caring - then, he and Rondy discuss how they handle failure.

(24:20) Rondy shares some thoughts on the book, “The Four Agreements.” And then they discuss why people deserve a grace period to get over mistakes.

(29:35) Rondy shares the back of his mask - sadness, anger, frustration.

(32:30) Ashanti shares the back of his mask - self-doubt, balancing blessings and burdens, fear - and they both reflect on how they can continue to shed their capitalistic mindsets.

(40:20) Rondy comes up with a new tagline for Ashanti. Then he shares his final thoughts.

(43:55) Rondy shares how you can get in touch with him.

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Connect with Rondy:

Website: rondyoga.com

Black to Yoga: blacktoyoga.com

Create The Space: instagram.com/create_the_space

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Create your own mask anonymously at millionmask.org

Email us questions and comments at totmpod100@gmail.com 

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Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram: instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook: facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter: twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

Website: branchspeaks.com

---Support the podcast and the work of the Ever Forward Club: anchor.fm/branch-speaks/support


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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support

“Now that I’m much older I realize, I was never really lonely. There was always people around me in my life - my family, my friends - that I could have reached out to and built a relationship with.” Jordan Barragan

This TOTM Face to Face conversation is between Wenceslao and Jordan Barragan. Wenceslao is the Ever Forward Club’s Youth Host. You can get to know more about him in episode 123. Jordan  is currently a student at Cal State East Bay, and he also interned at the Ever Forward Club thi past summer. As they share their masks, play our Adventure Card Game, and discuss career paths, poetry, the future, and what it means to be truly authentic, Jordan is allowed to look back on his adolescence so that he and Wenceslao can both learn from the experience…

0:15 Ashanti’s introduction

6:00 Jordan introduces himself

7:30 Jordan shares the front of his mask - I’m always energetic, got a smile on my face, funny. Then, he shares the back of his mask - career path insecurities, fear of failure, desire for acceptance, am I making the right decisions?

10:00 Wenceslao shares the front of his mask - bravery, risk taker, compassionate. Then, he shares the back of his mask - shy around people, lost in what I love, memories absorb me.

12:30 Jordan and Wenceslao play the Everforward Club: The Adventure Card Game. Question 1. What can you start right now in your life to become a better person?

13:30 Question 2. What is something you want to do in your life but don’t talk about?

19:10 Question 3. Tell us a time when you realized you’re becoming an adult.

20:40 Question 4. How much much information do you need before you believe something someone says?

22:40 Question 5. Name something you can do to improve your life. What’s stopping you?

23:30 Question 6. Does the image you have of yourself match the image others have of you?

25:50 Jordan looks back on his high school years and gives Wenceslao some advice.

33:50 Jordan shares how his relationship with authenticity has changed over time.

40:50 Jordan and Wenceslao wrap up, and Jordan shares some final words of advice for Wenceslao.



Create your own mask anonymously at millionmask.org

Email us questions and comments at totmpod100@gmail.com 

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Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram: instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook: facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter: twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

Website: branchspeaks.com

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Support the podcast and the work of the Ever Forward Club: anchor.fm/branch-speaks/support 

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Connect with Ever Forward Club:

Instagram: instagram.com/everforward

Facebook: facebook.com/everforwardclub

Twitter: twitter.com/everforwardclub

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club


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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support

Today is a special crossover episode, featuring The Contemplative Corazón podcast, with Julie Calderon!

The episode you will hear today from The Contemplative Corazón, featuring Ashanti Branch, originally aired on June 11th, 2023 - episode 27: Holding Space for Healing.

In it, they discuss Ashanti’s career journey and eventual calling to be a teacher, the story of the Ever Forward Club, how to set high expectations for students, the time Ashanti was so burnt out he needed a ride to the hospital in an ambulance, how they practice self-care, and how wellness is going mainstream.

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Connect with Julie Calderon:

Website: mujerevolving.com

Podcast: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/julie-calderon

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Create your own mask anonymously at millionmask.org

Email us questions and comments at totmpod100@gmail.com 

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Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram: instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook: facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter: twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

Website: branchspeaks.com

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Support the podcast and the work of the Ever Forward Club: anchor.fm/branch-speaks/support 

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Connect with Ever Forward Club:

Instagram: instagram.com/everforward

Facebook: facebook.com/everforwardclub

Twitter: twitter.com/everforwardclub

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club


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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support

“I try to lie to myself that ‘I find stillness in activity.’ But actually I think I’m terrified of stillness. I’m terrified of sitting with me.” - Kip Ioane

Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Kip Ioane. Kip is a former NCAA Head Basketball Coach of 14 years, who spent the last 10 years of his career crafting a framework of coaching designed to empower coaches to enlighten their players to the power of reimagining manhood. In creating and executing the TeamsOfMen program over the last decade, Kip has been forced to self-reflect and unlearn my own toxic ideas around being a man, a father, a husband, and a coach…

(0:25) Ashanti’s introduction

(5:00) Kip introduces himself, his family, his career in NCAA basketball, and his organization TeamsOfMen.

(12:25) Kip shares the front of his superhero-inspired mask - innovative, intentional, family legacy.

(16:05) Ashanti shares the front of his mask - dedicated, determined, purpose - and the numbing that goes on in our culture that appears in many different forms.

(23:55) Kip shares the back of his mask - unworthy of belief, weak with self-doubt, the legacy ball dropper. All the way to 27:20 check for teasers.

(28:35) Ashanti shares the back of his mask - self-doubt, world-doubt, I can’t be lazy so I stay busy - and he and Kip further analyze grind culture.

(35:30) Ashanti and Kip discuss “the mean friend” and “the mean voice inside your head.”

(47:20) Kip shares some final words and how you can get in touch with him.

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Connect with Kip Ioane:

Twitter: twitter.com/@teams_men; twitter.com/@kipioane

Youtube: youtube.com/@teamsofmen

TikTok: tiktok.com/@teamsofmen



Create your own mask anonymously at millionmask.org

Email us questions and comments at totmpod100@gmail.com 

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Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram: instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook: facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter: twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

Website: branchspeaks.com

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Support the podcast and the work of the Ever Forward Club: anchor.fm/branch-speaks/support


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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support

“I’ve always been, quietly, a fearful kid growing up. And there’s always that fear in the background. It probably wasn’t until I was in college - fear was the only form of motivation that I knew.” - Gerry Sandusky

Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Gerry Sandusky. Gerry is the voice of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, and he’s a broadcaster and communications coach. As Gerry puts it, “I show leaders how to become presenters people cancel plans to hear.” And, wouldn’t you know it, Gerry believes that the key to being a great public speaker has something to do with taking off the mask…

(0:25) Ashanti’s introduction

(4:25) Gerry introduces himself, his work with the Baltimore Ravens, and his consulting business. Then he and Ashanti discuss the writing process.

(9:40) Gerry and Ashanti make their masks together.

(10:45) Gerry shares the front of his mask - entertaining, insightful, guide.

(11:45) Ashanti shares the front of his mask - serious, dedicated, driven.

(13:30) Gerry shares the back of his mask - afraid, failed potential, not enough.

(17:50) Ashanti shares the back of his mask - self-critical, fear, family loss.

(22:00) Gerry and Ashanti reflect on how much they have in common despite growing up on opposite sides of the country with different backgrounds.

(30:00) Gerry and Ashanti discuss what young athletes may need to hear about character vs. talent.

(34:00) Gerry shares how you can get in touch with him.

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Connect with Gerry Sandusky:

Website: sanduskygroup.com

Instagram: instagram.com/gsandusky

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gerrysandusky



Create your own mask anonymously at millionmask.org

Email us questions and comments at totmpod100@gmail.com 

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Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Instagram: instagram.com/branchspeaks

Facebook: facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter: twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

Website: branchspeaks.com

---Support the podcast and the work of the Ever Forward Club: anchor.fm/branch-speaks/support


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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support