The Imperfect Pod The Imperfect Pod

Thank you everyone so much for supporting me on this journey. This is the last episode of The Imperfect Pod. On it, I share some of my favourite memories, what is coming next, how I'm feeling, what I've learned and why I'm at peace with my decision. I will be back.
To find out when I will be back, make sure to follow me on Instagram @lukeblessed (my personal) or on my podcast page @theimperfectpod as I will probably be rebranding that when I start my next thing.
This show has changed my life and for that I am forever grateful. And I'm ready for what's next.

What do you do when you come from a family of dysfunction? How do you learn to be a man when your father is a serial cheater, drug dealer, gambler and prisoner? How do you navigate that life? How do break that cycle of poverty to create a life of wealth? These are some of the topics and themes that we discuss on this week's episode.
Other key themes of the episode include:
His family history and the trauma surrounding it
What is was like navigating the impact of his father's life
Being a logical person rather than emotional
How he responded to being called like his dad
Ensuring the choices he made were different than his father's
Creating a life of wealth so that his children can have a different life
Why judgement of people in pain his wrong
His close encounter with divorce
Why counselling has been his saving grace
What he's done to learn more about emotional wellbeing
And much more

About Anthony: Anthony Kenneth Spark is a successful Serial Entrepreneur, Money Coach, Philanthropist, Author, and Personal Development Specialist. At 18 years old, with a vision to change his family legacy and positively impact people in need, he was searching for a career . With a clear picture of the life he truly wanted, he began building a company of his own. That company has evolved into several industries and now does 7 figures of revenue involving an organization of over 250 people. We have as of November 2020 helped people pay off $3 million in Debt, earn over $3 million more per year in annual salary and save/invest 1.6 million. He had his first book, Phoenix Manifesto, published in 2018. Updated Audiobook to be released December 2020! Anthony is the cohost of ExtraOrdinary Excellence Podcast with over 21,000 downloads in its first year. He is the visionary and founder of Kickstrings - a social entrepreneurship project which raises funds and awareness for charities. You can connect with Anthony at his number 1-631-327-2241 (It's an iPhone too) or at his email Anthony@phoenixevolution.co. You can read more about his company https://phoenixevolution.co/ (Phoenix Evolution).
As always, feel free to follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theimperfectpod/ (@theimperfectpod) or shoot me an email at luke@theimperfectpod.com

How can men heal from their alcoholism? What can they do to get out of their shame and guilt? Why are men more at risk of not getting help for this problem? These are questions that we discuss at length in this episode.
Other key themes of the episode include:
Where his own alcohol dependency started
How DNA and genetics play into the issue of alcoholism
Self-sabotage in the recover cycle
Why anger and shame are two emotions that are harmful in healing
Changing your neural pathways
Why Macho culture is hurting men in the long run
The difference between a Friday night drunk and a Friday night alcoholic
Distinguishing the drinker from the alcoholic
Why visualization is a powerful tool in recovery
Alcoholism as a disease
The power of routine in recovery
His own story with family, drugs and alcohol
University life and drinking and why it's unhealthy
and much much more

About Dr. Robb: Robb has overcome homelessness, alcohol dependency, trauma, and a whirlwind of events to be the "Gordon Ramsay" of the addiction treatment world. Before Robb succumbed to addiction and mental health issues, he played bass guitar at Abbey Studio with Queen, David Bowie, and Elton John. He is an accomplished musician, and the money he made helped him attend Oxford University to pursue a Ph.D. in Psychology. Robb's work ethic is defined by helping the addict step out of their disease and into a solution. We work with everyday people, professionals, and celebrities who want to reach sobriety and live in sustained recovery through evidence-based modalities and a genuine therapeutic alliance. https://robbkelly.com/ (Website). Email.
As always, feel free to follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theimperfectpod/ (@theimperfectpod) or shoot me an email at luke@theimperfectpod.com

There are many resources out there for expecting women, but what about expecting men? What can they do throughout pregnancy to reflect, grow and serve their family? That’s exactly what we talked about on this episode!
Key themes of the episode include:
The difficulties of having a child during COVID
Picking the hospital you want to have your child at
The challenges that pregnancy can cause in relationships and how to treat your partner with respect
Navigating your wife’s wants, needs and cravings during the pregnancy
Being comfortable with role reversals and humbling yourself to serve
How expecting men can navigate their own selves to become more positive and change their mindset
Dealing with resentment and relationship hijacking with intentionality
Continuing to connect with each other and not focusing on the baby
The idea of the registry and why it might take away or threaten your ideas of masculinity
The expectation of men to provide and the stress that can cause for men and why we need to broaden the definition of provision
Finding valuable mentors and using relationships to become a better father
Resources for expecting fathers to learn about their upcoming journey
His excitement for being a girl dad
The home environment he grew up in and why he desires to be different than his father
How his relationship with his father has changed after knowing he was going to become a father
Looking 20 years into the future, what does being a successful father look like?
The biggest fear Geston has in his daughter’s first year on Earth
Is there such a thing as being over-protective?

About Geston: "GP" is an emerging leader, and speaker with a decade of combined leadership experience in the non-profit, and entertainment sectors. As a reality television competition champion, and multi-award nominated musician and recording artist, he has mastered the art and science of performing under pressure. He is passionate about helping people and organizations leverage their influence to make a lasting impact. As a pod-junkie, he serves as a podcast start-up consultant, and as a co-host to many podcasts. He ultimately aspires to inspire 1 billion people with his voice before he expires. You can find out more about him through his https://linktr.ee/GPThePodcastPlug (Linktree), by connecting with him on IG @https://www.instagram.com/gpthepodcastplug/?hl=en (gpthepodcastplug), or by connecting with him on https://www.linkedin.com/in/geston-pierre/ (LinkedIn).
As always, feel free to follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theimperfectpod/ (@theimperfectpod) or shoot me an email at luke@theimperfectpod.com

Sexual violence in society has gone down 60% in the last several years but there's still more work to be done. Whether that's from more male allyship, discussing it on a wider scale, stopping it when you see it happen or just changing your own behavior, the fact that this reprehensible act is still so prevalent is awful. On this episode, Tim Mousseau and I discuss everything sexual assault.
Key themes of the episode include:
Finding his identity as a human and man after his sexual assault
Why the way we talk about sexual assault in society is wrong
Why sexual violence as a crime can be hard for people to understand
How changing the way we talk about sexual violence will change our reaction to it
Why statistics about sexual assault only get us so far in the conversation
Understanding who should be handling sexual assault cases and how the system needs to do better by victims
Looking at sensitivity training and why it’s important
What laws are emerging that can help direct us to a better understanding of how sexual violence permeates different areas of society
What we can do to start engaging in conversations both as bystanders and within our communities
Why we need to look at the data and methodology of the research being done on these topics
Tying in the #notallmen conversation based on the current situation with Sarah Everard
Acknowledging the progress that we’ve made as a society on sexual assault when appropriate
Looking at high profile cases and whether they hinder or help the discussion
Innocent until proven guilty and the believe all women narratives
Best practices to stop sexual violence or harm in real time without putting yourself or them in danger

About Tim: Tim Mousseau is a survivor of sexual violence turned educator and advocate on this important topic. At the age of 22, Tim was faced with an incident of sexual assault. On top of this, Tim had to manage the stresses of workplace sexual harassment from his boss who used knowledge of Tim’s trauma to exert toxic control. Coming to terms with his experience, Tim recognized how it left him feeling powerless. He vowed no one else should ever feel the same way. For the last nine years, Tim has spoken with over 400 organizations including members of the United States Congress, top universities, and Fortune 500 companies across the world on the topics of sexual violence and harassment prevention. Tim’s research currently centers on how individuals set and maintain safety boundaries, along with a study on how to better engage men in sexual violence prevention work. Professionally, Tim received a Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga and a Bachelor’s in Communication from the University of New Mexico. You can find out more about Tim and his resources on https://www.timmousseau.com/ (his website).
As always, feel free to follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theimperfectpod/ (@theimperfectpod) or shoot me an email at luke@theimperfectpod.com

On this episode, Johnson and I talk about the energetic and spirituality of masculinity from the East to the West, masculinity within the LGBTQ+ community and Asian masculinity. Disclaimer: This was recorded before the Atlanta Georgia mass shooting. Some themes might tie in but that was not included in the context.
Key themes of the episode:
Why there shouldn't be judgement on what is masculine vs feminine
How masculine and feminine energies shift from Eastern to Western societies
Religious trends of masculinity (dharma and ying and yang vs more rigid definitions)
The importance of exploring humanness... not just man and woman
What it's like to be a gay man and exploring masculinity
The intersectionality of Asian masculinity and LGTBQ masculinity
Looking at your childhood to understand your masculinity
How Asians take a softer approach to masculinity while the American way is more competitive

About Zach: Johnson Chong is the best-selling and award-winning author of Sage Sapien: From Karma to Dharma. He was the founder of Sagehouse in Singapore, a studio for yoga, Pilates, meditation and spiritual workshops and coaching. He is a native New Yorker, and has lived on 3 continents, currently based in Sydney, Australia. He specializes in helping people break free of their mental, emotional and spiritual roadblocks so they can live more aligned to their inner peace and joy versus their fears. Having worked with corporate professionals in various fields, he has a strong interest in working with members of the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized populations. He has also spoken and led workshops at companies like Unilever, Facebook, Nike, UBS, UOB and various other organizations. Johnson is known as a bridge between ancient wisdom and direct modern application. In his dynamic coaching style, he integrates the practical and most useful parts of yogic wisdom, meditation, somatic movement, energy medicine and shamanic journeying to help his clients breakthrough daily self-criticism and emotional overwhelm. The unique experiences that Johnson curates offer a profoundly healing self-discovery experience, followed by very practical and actionable steps to create the most powerful breakthroughs. As a certified InnerGuidanceTM coach, a Four Winds Energy Medicine Health Coach, and Reiki Master in conjunction with his background as an advanced E-RYT 500 Hr Yoga Teacher Trainer, and PMA Pilates Teacher Trainer, he has an expansive knowledge on the inner workings of human psychology and how it gets trapped in the physical and mental bodies. Johnson is the host of the Truth Wisdom Freedom Conversations podcast on Apple, Google and Spotify where he talks about holistic wellbeing with various conscious leaders in their field, and he also runs transformational retreats at www.exodusretreats.com. You can connect with him on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/johnsonchong_sagesapien/ (@johnsonchong_sagesapien), on https://johnsonchong.com/ (his website), or his https://www.facebook.com/johnsonchongsagesapien?ref=bookmarks (Facebook).
As always, feel free to follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theimperfectpod/ (@theimperfectpod) or shoot me an email at luke@theimperfectpod.com