Leonarda Minutillo: Let’s Talk About The Elephant in the Room

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, and the 5 questions you MUST ask your next lover. Leonarda Minutillo is a poet, writer, teacher, mom, and speaker (even in ASL). She studied at York University in Toronto with an Honours BA with Physical Education /Psychology; B.Ed at University of Toronto; Deaf Ed at York University; and then, with an International Rotary Scholarship attended Gallaudet University in WDC, the only university in the world tailored to Deaf students. It was a dream come true. Leonarda is now making a big career shift slowly leaving the classroom and stepping into the role of writer and poet where she has not only found great healing but also a long-awaited connection to her intuition. After publishing her first poetry book, “The Day I Bought a Teddy Bear and a Vibrator”, Leonarda says the whole process has been incredibly transformational.

In episode 608 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out what inspired Leonarda to start writing poetry and how that helped to reclaim her voice, how learning to listen to her intuition changed the trajectory of her life, how college students can channel creativity to heal from heartbreak or self-doubt, how she defines self-love in a world where people often seek validation from others, what are the 5 conscious questions to ask a potential lover so you can take care of yourself, what is the P.I.E. Principle, how studying at Gallaudet University shaped her perspective on communication and connection, how young people learn to see endings as beginnings, what role does community play in healing and self-discovery, how transitioning from teaching to writing and speaking full time taught her courage, and what advice she would give her younger self. Enjoy!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQe8KKc6M4A

Fraternity/Sorority

Todd Brison: How can college students make their papers and written assignments more memorable?

When Todd Brison began writing, he had a big goals, but ultimately he wound up following a two-step process: – Write a post – Pray for attention Later, when the internet matured and creators started getting paid to post, the process changed slightly. At that time, it looked like this: – Write a post – Pray for money The first half of that story led him to a world of scraping together a lot of tone-deaf half-truths for thirsty self-improvement seekers. The second half led him to take a few stabs at political writing, for no other reason than because it was popular at the time. He could not have cared less about politics, but he still chased down that cash cow. Somewhere in between drawn-out doses of dopamine from a string of fake attention metrics, he forgot a simple truth. You write because you have something to say. Now he’s on a mission to publish words that matter again.

On episode 361 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out why Todd decided to attend East Tennessee State University, what should aspiring writers really be concerned about, how long the strike will last with The Writers Guild of America, how much of a threat is AI and ChatGPT to writers, how our listeners can use writing to maximize their study time, how we can use writing to create better relationships, how writing can improve your mental health, how to maximize your creativity through two exercises first thing in the morning, and how college students can make their papers and written assignments more memorable. Enjoy!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_tCEJXuCUI

 
Fraternity/Sorority

Nathan Spiteri: How did you break up with your abuser and then forgive?

Nathan Spiteri is a filmmaker, actor and writer. He is also a sexual abuse survivor, activist and advocate. Born in Canberra, Australia, Nathan was sexually abused as a child, threatened with his life and that of his family. He turned to drugs, violence and sex as a result to survive. Hitting rock bottom, Nathan finally came out the other side, through intense therapy, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics and Sex Anonymous. He has chosen to use his painful past to help others, aligning himself with organizations both in Australia and the US to raise awareness, educate people and act as an advocate for sexual abuse.

In episode 346 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out what life was like growing up in Canberra, Australia, what happened in January of 1987 when Nathan was at a local swimming pool with his friends, why Nathan kept going back to the abuse, what Nathan’s reaction was when the abuser had moved out of his home, what happened in Sydney when cocaine, heroin and sex was used to cope, how he got help in New York City with Alcoholics Anonymous, Sex Addicts Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, his family’s reaction to the abuse, how writing a screenplay helped him move forward, how he broke up with his abuser and then was able to forgive, and why it’s important to feel our pain, cry, and share our vulnerability with others. 

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05HH5V8NWsA

 
Fraternity/Sorority

Kirstie Taylor: What do you wish you knew about love?

[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/23793806/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/191970/” height=”90″ width=”100%” placement=”top” theme=”custom”]Kirstie Taylor is a dating and relationship writer. Her work has been featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine, Well + Good, and The Washington Post, and The Lily. Kirstie helps people feel more confident in their love life through articles and videos. She has an anxious attachment workshop that has hundreds of people feel more secure in their love life. She also wrote a book What I Wish I Knew About Love and created the Anxious Lover clothing line.

In episode 265 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out why Kirstie chose the University of Southern California for her undergraduate experience, why she’s so passionate about dating and relationships, whether we should all take time off to figure out what we really need before jumping into the dating pool, what two questions we should ask after a first date, what are the signs that your partner is emotionally unavailable and it’s time to move on, why that last talk with your ex is not always a good idea, ways we might be hurting our relationship, why it’s important to have some alone time when you’re in a relationship, and what conversations we should have with our significant others before we move in with them. Enjoy!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb1AYihIMlo

Fraternity/Sorority

Mariah “Modi” Fair: How can we encourage students to get help with depression and anxiety?

[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/16005158/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/191970/” height=”90″ width=”100%” placement=”top” theme=”custom”]Welcome to episode #83 of Fraternity Foodie! Today we have with us Mariah “Modi” Fair, who is an author, blogger, and writer. A graduate of Fisk University with a degree in English, Modi fell in love with literature. She is the author of “Some Women Prefer Hell”. Her passion for writing keeps her depression and anxiety at bay. Depression can be a crippling disease, but Modi was and still is resilient and refuses to let it get the best of her.

We find out why Fisk University in Nashville chose her, what it’s like working in the family business of day care centers, what the business looks like today, what Modi’s purpose was in releasing her book, how parents model behavior for their children, how writing helps Modi deal with issues she’s having, what someone should do if they find themselves in an abusive or manipulative relationship, how we should talk more about depression or anxiety within families, what’s next in Modi’s career, and her favorite place to eat in Chicago. Enjoy! Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRIVX9zsu5Y

Fraternity/Sorority