Own Your Truth Podcast
by Ken Cervera
Welcome to the Own Your Truth Podcast, a show that highlights individuals who've embraced the dark lessons of life, and used these difficult moments as fuel for growth and success. These are the artists, entrepreneurs, creators, leaders, survivors, and thrivers who have made it to the other side of hardship with unique knowledge, and inspirational insights.I'm your host Ken Cervera, and I believe a good conversation can change your life. So if you're curious to explore the gritty business of living your purpose, then I invite you to step into the present moment, remove the mask, and Own Your Truth.
Episodes
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Ep.92: For Such A Time As This
Imagine a little girl growing up in Cameroon, from humble beginnings, curious about everything and never afraid to ask why. Decades later, she is in Silicon Valley building AI technology used by billions of people around the world. This is Dr. Marie-Ange Eyoum Tagne, and she became the first...
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Ep.91: Live Sovereign
The first time I sat down with Radiah Rhodes was back in 2020, and a lot has changed since then. The world has gotten louder, careers more uncertain, and people everywhere are being forced to ask questions about who they are that they never would have had to ask before. Most of them don't have a...
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Ep.90: There Will Never Be Another You
Liz Scott, is an author and psychologist who has lived through loss, childhood trauma, cancer, and the quiet realization that time is no longer theoretical. Instead of avoiding that truth, she leaned directly into it. In this episode, we talk about mortality, love, fear, and the deeper question...
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Ep.89: How to Stay Human in an AI World - Feelings, Connection & The Future of Work
What if artificial intelligence isn't here to replace our humanity…but to force us to remember it? In today's conversation, I'm sitting down with Anne Brashier. She's an immersive storyteller, creative director, and creator of the "Carnival of Feelings," a grief-and-play experience that helps...
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Ep.88: Single Thread
Marcus Morgan-Etty is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Single Thread, a design agency that positions founders to help them break through growth ceilings. In this episode, Marcus and I explore what it means to defy expectations, embrace imperfect parenting, and find success on your own…
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Ep.87: Cup of Joey
Joey Sanchez is the founder and CEO of Cup of Joey, a movement that brings people together with purpose and for good. Instead of slinging business cards, every Cup of Joey event starts by asking participants a single question: "What is your WHY?" The amount of people who get stumped at the…
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Ep.86: Human AF
What if the real strategy isn't strategy at all...but the courage to show up as yourself? In this episode, Adam Faulkner and I explore what it means to trade performance for presence, frameworks for freedom, and "more" for enough. From his days as a journalist knocking on doors to now building a...
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Ep.85: Justice, Equity, and AI
What if the Fourth Industrial Revolution wasn't just about power or profit—but about equity, connection, and human dignity? My conversation with Malika Saada Saar explores this idea and the deeper questions around technology and the rapid advancement of AI that we all need to be asking ourselves....
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Ep.84: Lyrics to Legacy
When the world shut down, so did the stage, and Dynasty was forced to face a version of herself she hadn't met yet. In this raw, honest conversation, she shares how creativity became her lifeline, how music helped her reconnect with purpose, and why self-love had to start from within. From...
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Ep.83: Leaving Safety to Find Self
Imagine you've built a successful 20 year career as an executive at Google, then became the chief of staff for a 3,000 person organization, and your sitting at your computer screen staring at all the zeros on the compensation packet you're about to leave behind in pursuit of something greater.…
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Ep.82: Jot Jot Boom
In this delightfully raw, honest, and frequently hilarious episode, Emma Cownley gets real about freelancing, nailing your niche, and not giving a single f*ck about what anyone else thinks. From witchy freelancing to metal journalism and the battle with self-doubt, this episode is a mini...
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Ep.81: Musical Musings
From his role as VP of Artist Development and A&R at A&M Records, to managing Korn, The Offspring, Social Distortion, and Taking Back Sunday, to becoming the CEO and Co-Founder of Fanscape—and now serving as the CEO of Beckett's, a non-alcoholic cocktails and spirits company, Larry Weintraub has...
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Ep.80: The Savants
Kathryn Morris is a mother, actress, producer, and genuine leader on a mission to change the narrative around Autism and how people on and off the spectrum live and work together. As the founder and CEO of The Savants, a lifestyle brand for misfits, makers, and mind-benders, she's transforming...
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Ep.79: Just Breathe
Jamie Castaño is the Founder of Just Breathe For Kids and a mission-driven entrepreneur with decades of school social work experience. This episode is a raw and honest exploration of what our kids need to notice, feel, and be inspired to show up in the world as their most confident selves.
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Ep.78: Reclaim Your Time, Master Your Day
Dr. Emily Masters Rosenthal, a lifestyle optimization expert and a leadership strategist, shares her journey of building Concierge Associates and redefining support networks. Listen to her insights on leadership, motivation, and creating a deeper impact while navigating entrepreneurial…
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Ep.77: Change Is Inevitable, Struggle Is Optional
Terry Dry is the co-founder and CEO of Future Proof Advisors, a company that helps mid-market and emerging companies get "unstuck" and on the path to rapid transformation. He is also the co-founder and CEO of the Smarter Service, a leading provider of personalized technology concierge services…
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Ep.76: The Divine Union in Business & Life
Christabelle Joseph is a global connecter, coach, CEO, and speaker who helps conscious leaders transform, expand, and express their vision through connection. What's beautiful and unique about Christabelle's approach is that her work is informed by a powerful journey of healing and growth, which...
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Ep.75: Beyond The Brand
As the founder of Ninety Five Media and the host of the Stop Scrolling, Start Scaling podcast, Emma Tessler and her incredible team help modern brands organically scale through high-converting content, social media, e-mail, and podcast management. In my conversation with Emma we explore the…
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Ep.74: Transforming Challenges Into Creative Fuel
Chris Valdheims is an entrepreneur, writer, podcaster, and lawyer who is dedicated to helping creatives bring their visions to life. As a client of Chris's innovative law firm, Counsel for Creators, I didn't just learn about how to protect my intellectual property or navigate contracts, I learned...
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Ep.73: Earn, Own, Give
Paris Davis is a former Division 1 athlete, who leveraged sports, a job, and real estate to become the founder of multiple businesses, a national educator, and an adjunct professor at Saint Xavier University. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Paris is the kind of heart-centered human who...
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Ep.72: From The Hart
At the time of this recording, Emily Hartstone will have been hospitalized twice to receive the vital treatments she needs for her ongoing battle with Leukemia and severe graves disease. She also will have taken more than a few Zoom calls from her hospital bed and/or removed the IVs from her arm…
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Ep.71: In The Wright Mind
Before I interviewed Chris Wright, I had the opportunity to learn about some of the pivotal moments that shaped his life, and when I discovered the depths of physical and psychological trauma he endured at a young age, the one question that came to mind was: "How did this guy survive?" As the…
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Ep.70: Then He Said: I Hate You Dada
This episode is about the art and practice of shutting down the ego and deeply listening to the only truth that matters. Because someday, we may get the most powerful insight and life-changing clarity we need, at exactly the moment we no longer have the patience or mental bandwidth to receive it.
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Ep.69: Embracing The Unknown
Monique Scott is a Law of Attraction Coach who helps single women over 40 recreate the lives they truly want. Through guided manifestation practice, coaching, and affirmation muzic, Monique's work is about helping her clients to shift the negative paradigms in their lives and achieve their…
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Ep.68: Overcoming Self-Doubt & Perfectionism
Our behavior, habits, and emotions don't just manifest out of the ether, it all comes from somewhere. My conversation with Natalie Moore was such a fun and fulfilling opportunity to explore the source of where it all comes from and to take a deep dive into the steps, actions, and journey of…
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Ep.67: Surviving The Dark Moments
In 2021, I connected with Lu Bryant, an incredibly talented writer who found the courage to share her deeply personal story that quite frankly, changed my life. Her book, Tortured to Triumph, is a journey through complex PTSD and the story of a child who was neglected, abused, starved, torn from...
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Ep.66: Invisible Battles in Small Business
When you run a small business, you will inevitably face countless challenges and invisible battles that your customers may never know about. As the co-owner of à bloc coffee and the head of all delicious treats and baked goods, Jenny Johnson's story of resilience and innovation, shed some...
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Ep.65: Turning Pain Into Profit
Emilie Given is the founder and CEO of She's A Given, a Seattle-based virtual assistant agency that specializes in matching high-level executive assistants with business leaders and their teams. I was introduced to Emilie by a recent guest on the podcast when I realized it was finally time for me...
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Ep.64: From Chaos To Confidence
While our stories have the power to shape us, it's the decisions we make that define us. However, for so many of us, it can be so easy to fall victim to the narrative of the past and all the roadblocks that have kept us from believing we deserve better. Natalie Crawford is a confidence and...
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Ep.63: Conscious Parenting & Relationships
When we become a parent, we are provided with two vital opportunities for growth and awakening. We can either consciously choose to confront the wounds of our past or unconsciously carry our generational pain into our relationships with our kids. Yummii Nguyen is someone who chose to confront her...
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Ep.62: Leading From Within
Lisa Winneke is the Founder of The Wholehearted Method, the host of the Good News Guide podcast, a speaker, author, and heart-centered visionary who has been deeply immersed in the personal development space for over a decade. After years of struggling with depression, coping with an eating...
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Ep. 61: Reimagining Hospitality with Orso Pasta
Imagine being a chef with a lifelong dream of opening up your restaurant, only to have it all stripped away by the pandemic and having to rethink your entire vision from the ground up. As the founder, chef, and chief "noodle head" at Orso Pasta in Los Angeles, this was the reality that forced…
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Ep.60: The Give and Take of Entrepreneurship
When I learned about Kristin Swanson's journey of surviving breast cancer, coping with loss, and the personal, professional, and spiritual transformation that informed her life and the why behind her work, I was inspired to dig deeper. As a strategy implementation consultant and business coach,...
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Ep.59: Metal, Truth, and Moving Through The Darkness
Peter Buck is a sustainability education advocate, an author, poet, musician, and award-winning teacher who has always had a strong sense of what should be righted and what has been wronged in the world. His 2017 TEDx Talk: What's the Future Hold? Ask a Metalhead...opened my eyes to how heavy…
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Ep.58: Putting the Love Into What You Make
My 40th birthday will forever be known as the day I had my first bite of Baked by Sha Sha "funfetti" cake. That first bite was my "Ratatouille" / Disney movie moment where I was transported back to my childhood and fully immersed in the kind of delicious, sensory experience that happens when you...
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Ep.57: Just a Squiggle
What if our perception of creativity was completely wrong? What if it's not just something you're born with, but a superpower that you can access by provoking your brain to get out of "shortcut mode" and think thoughts that have never been thought before? As the founder and CEO of Just a…
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Ep.56: Kono's Kitchen
Michelle Chu is the founder and CEO of Kono's Kitchen, a pet treats company that is helping dog parents to build stronger connections with their pets, one treat at a time. What I love most about Michelle's story and the mission of her company, is that in addition to donating 10% of the profits…
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Ep.55: Selfless Giving
Yuri Williams is the founder of the non-profit A Future Superhero and Friends whose mission is to provide essential support for the homeless, veterans, sick children, low-income families, and anyone in need of uplifting. As a juvenile correctional officer for over twenty years, Yuri has...
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Ep.54: Community, Growth, and Connection
Found Coffee in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, is not just my favorite local coffee shop, it's the place where my son had his first babycino. It's where I wrote, edited, and created hours of content for this podcast and it's the place that made this Northeast LA neighborhood feel like home. Annie Choi…
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Ep.53 How to Transform Your Reality
Imagine what it would look like to let go of the forward-facing image of your life, to leave your profession, and completely scrap reality as you know it? As a lifelong entrepreneur and Certified Reality Transurfing instructor, Renée Garcia has ventured deeply into the metaphysical practice of...
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Ep.52: Connection, Love, and Belonging
For some of us, there are barriers that exist along the path of religious engagement, finding a sense of belonging, or cultivating wholeness in our lives. Catharine Clarenbach is on a mission to remove these barriers and to nurture deep spirituality in those who are ambivalent about or alienated...
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Ep.51: Spirit-Led, Science-Based, and Reality Driven
Have you ever had one of those conversations that recharges you, inspires you, and reminds you of what this human journey is all about? My interview with Radiah Rhodes was one of those conversations and her example of love, creativity, and kindness was a powerful reminder of what we can achieve...
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Ep.50: It's Time to Hit the Reset Button
This episode is about the unexpected clarity that comes from chaos and how we can build a brighter future with our partner. When manifestation and communication meet strategic action, anything is possible.
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Ep.49: This Is My Truth
Early one morning, Jessi Shuraleff was brushing her teeth, when her husband looked over and asked: "Are you happy?" She looked back at him and the truth came out: "No." This was when everything changed. It was the end of Jessi saying "I'm fine" whenever someone would ask, and it was the moment…
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Ep. 48: The Layers of Our Identity and What Matters Most (Part 2)
If you haven't listened to Part 1 of my interview with Eve Sturges, I highly recommend you go back and listen to Ep. 42 "The Layers of Our Identity" to get fully immersed in what you're about to hear. So, Imagine waking up one day, going about your usual routine, and receiving a phone call from a...
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Ep.47: Self-Love & Realness
Aubree Nichols is a self-love advocate, writer, and organizational change consultant who is transforming lives and brands with the power of authentic storytelling. When I discovered Aubree's work, her brilliant writing, and the many courageous and vulnerable podcast interviews she's done, I was...
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Ep.46: The New Happy
What if our idea of happiness was wrong and there was actually a simple formula to get it right? As the CEO and Founder of The New Happy, Stephanie Harrison's mission is to share this formula with the world and redefine what it means to live a good life. Armed with over 300 studies, wisdom...
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Ep.45: How To Live Your Truth
A few years ago, I had my first haircut with Kit Shields at the Blind Barber in Highland Park. Since that time, we've have had some truly insightful chats about life, work, sobriety, and pretty much the full spectrum of the human experience. This is why for me, Kit is more than just my barber or...
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Ep.44: Build Your Creative Fire
Maram Taibah is a children's fantasy and steampunk author whose recent publication "Weathernose" explores the Cerulean Universe, a world that is only just awakening to scientific discovery and invention. Maram's origin story as a writer is just as fascinating as the world she's created with her...
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Ep. 43: Change Your Narrative, Change Your Life
Some of us may spend our entire lives putting the needs of others above our own. But what happens when we define our self-worth based on how well we suppress our own needs, wants, goals, and dreams? Monica Vandermeer chose to break this cycle within her marriage and set a powerful example of…
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About this show
Welcome to the Own Your Truth Podcast, a show that highlights individuals who've embraced the dark lessons of life, and used these difficult moments as fuel for growth and success. These are the artists, entrepreneurs, creators, leaders, survivors, and thrivers who have made it to the other side of hardship with unique knowledge, and inspirational insights.I'm your host Ken Cervera, and I believe a good conversation can change your life. So if you're curious to explore the gritty business of living your purpose, then I invite you to step into the present moment, remove the mask, and Own Your Truth.
Hosted by
Ken Cervera
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