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S3E10: How Sneakers Saved and Ruined My Life Featuring Trent Out Loud

Release Date: 09/29/2022

S3E16: Empowering Gen Z to Explore Their Passions Featuring Morgann Noble

Couched in Color

In this episode, guest Morgann Noble, daughter of Dr. Alfiee and an intern at The AAKOMA Project, gives unique insights for parents about the challenges that children of color experience. With a passion for bringing ideas to life, Morgann calls herself “a dreamer” at The AAKOMA Project, with a long list of people of influence she would like to engage in the non-profit’s mental health initiatives. Topics covered in this interview: The anxiety that arose for Morgann growing up affluent as a person of color with well-educated parents in what was considered a progressive...

S3E15: Expanding the Narrative for Black Men Featuring Shaka Senghor

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In this episode, guest Shaka Senghor shares his inspiring story from incarceration to becoming a two times bestselling author, influencer and one of Oprah’s “SuperSoul 100” – teaching lessons of redemption and vulnerability to the masses. He grew up spending 19 years in prison, seven of them in solitary confinement. Through reflection and writing, he later came to understand his story of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). At age 17, he was shot multiple times, and also has two brothers who were shot, one of whom ended up paralyzed. At the same time, he takes full...

S3E14: Building Bridges Featuring Kheira Bekkadja

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In this episode, guest Kheira Bekkadja, a Muslim Algerian American college student making an impact in mental health, inspires listeners with her insights on grounding in self-care and positive affirmations. As an example, she shares the Muslim practice of praying five times, at set times during the day, as challenging as it can be to stay persistent. There are movements that go with the prayer, including putting the forehead on the floor, which helps release negative energy and connect with God. “My faith is what rejuvenates me,” Kheira says. Surrounding oneself with good people...

S3E13: Spreading Hope Through Content Creation Featuring Gigi Robinson

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In this episode, 24-year-old guest Gigi Robinson, a master content creator, graduate student and model, shares insights for living with chronic illness and addressing mental health issues, inspired to use her story to move the masses through her highly successful social media channels. She calls the Internet “an oyster” for Gen Zers to see beyond the corporate world and live their dreams, based on their unique passions and dreams. Topics covered in this interview: Sharing the vulnerabilities that come with chronic illness and mental health issues to help others (and letting go of the...

S3E12: When You Hear Me, You Hear Us Featuring Brooke Simpson

Couched in Color

In this episode, singer-songwriter Brooke Simpson, who just made her Broadway debut in the revival of 1776, shares the impact her culture as an Indigenous woman has had on her creativity. From her early days dressing and dancing for her tribe’s “pow wow” ceremonies, she learned “to bleed creativity” into the foundation of who she is today. She has been a finalist for both The Voice and America’s Got Talent, and she also represents Nike's N7 campaign for Indigenous youth, supporting their mental health by promoting movement. Brooke sees her style of movement as...

S3E11: Creating the Right Parenting Mindset Featuring Dr. Ann-Louise T. Lockhart

Couched in Color

Couched In Color | Season 3 | Episode 11 In this episode, guest Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart, a pediatric psychologist, parent coach and widely followed social media expert, shares profound insights on ways to create a healthy mindset that takes the blame off the child. This mindset empowers parents and primary caregivers. Many parents come to the role without a plan, based on what they saw growing up, not understanding that it is normal to experience both positive and negative sides to parenting. “If I knew parenting was going to be this hard, I wouldn’t have signed up for it,” is one...

S3E10: How Sneakers Saved and Ruined My Life Featuring Trent Out Loud

Couched in Color

In this episode, guest Trent Out Loud, founder and CEO of Exclucity, a multi-million-dollar footwear and apparel company, shares his story of seeking therapy after losing $2.3 million dollars in his sneakers’ business. That loss came when he forgot to tend to his own mental health during the ups and downs of his business, including the shifts occurring in the sneaker industry. As a result, he said started making wrong decisions. His therapist helped him deal with issues related to hypomania, mania and bipolar, and trained his brain to work in ways that benefited him. He continues...

S3E9: Mental Health Advocate, Mom, Veteran, Latina: A Hidden Healer Featuring Ayanna Kelly

Couched in Color

In this episode, guest Ayanna Kelly, an Afro-Latina advocate, disabled veteran and mom, shares an inside look at her mental health journey from burnout to standing at the White House as a leader of the Mental Health Youth Action Forum. () That forum, which took place in May 2022, was created in partnership with MTV Entertainment Group and coordination with the Biden-Harris Administration. In a “surreal” moment, Ayanna found herself standing next to President Joe Biden and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and other highly accomplished people. She saw herself as...

S3E8: Carson Daly Feels Your Pain: A Special Conversation on Couched in Color

Couched in Color

In this episode, Carson Daly, co-host of “The Today Show” and creator of its “Mind Matters” digital series, and producer/host of Emmy-award winning “The Voice”, openly shares his mental health struggles. He discusses the trauma of losing his father unexpectedly at age 5 and the subsequent night terrors he experienced. Later diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, Carson believes environment alone is not the cause of his mental health challenges. Rather, he sees them as a combination of both “nature and nurture.” Using his story to help others, Carson is...

S3E7: Phillip Schermer’s Mastermind Approach to Mental Health for the Masses

Couched in Color

In this inspiring episode Dr. Alfiee interviews guest Phillip Schermer, founder and CEO of Project Healthy Minds, a non-profit created for a new era of mental wellness. Phillip, who was previously a Vice President & Chief of Staff to the Vice Chairman at BlackRock, the world's largest asset management firm, was so moved by the story of Logic, a rapper and record producer, he started the non-profit to more impactfully bring together mental health resources. Logic shed light on mental health challenges by writing a song with the phone number of the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline...

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That loss came when he forgot to tend to his own mental health during the ups and downs of his business, including the shifts occurring in the sneaker industry. As a result, he said started making wrong decisions.

His therapist helped him deal with issues related to hypomania, mania and bipolar, and trained his brain to work in ways that benefited him. He continues to go to therapy weekly, as an act of self-care, and teaches others--particularly Black men and youth--about the ways it is transformative and empowering to get mental health support.

Trent is also an author of two books, How Sneakers Saved My Life and How Sneakers Ruined My Life, (links at bottom of show notes), a youth mentor and a mental health advocate. The books are written in language, with hashtags, geared to pre-teens and young adults. He has a third book In the works about “how the quarantine saved my life” that he completed in 1.5 months.

Growing up a “delinquent kid,” who left home at age 17 feeling lost, “which gets you into trouble,” Trent says he always knew he wanted to be successful. He had five failed businesses before creating Exclucity, with its first brick and mortar site in the basement of a tattoo parlor. When the pandemic hit, he transformed his business into an online store, resulting in the business recently having its most profitable years ever.

Topics covered in this interview:

—Trent’s West Indian background and growing up in Canada, where only 3 percent of the population is Black versus 12 to 13 percent in the United States.

—Trent’s journey from start-up to successful business owner, now celebrating his company’s 15th year anniversary.

—Ways he self-medicated (through drinking alcohol which he later learned is a depressant), before accepting and appreciating help.

—Why Trent chose cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for his approach to healing.

—Some like CBT, which focuses on the problem, the behavior, the emotions, and the solution. Others may prefer different approaches such as psychodynamic therapy, which focuses on the psychological roots of emotional suffering.

—The importance of choosing the right therapist and asking that professional to share what approach he or she uses and see if it aligns with your needs.

—The freedom of the entrepreneurial life, with both Trent and Dr. Alfiee sharing the joys it brings them to fully express themselves.

—The power of using video podcasts, which Dr. Alfiee likes because “you can’t hear what people look like on audio.” Seeing others who look like themselves on camera is important role modeling.

—Dr. Alfiee acknowledges Trent’s “persistence and courage” in continuing his commitment to therapy.

—She also praises him for the ways he mentors youth on mental health issues, helping them see they are no different than someone as accomplished as Trent who has struggled.

—The importance of any entrepreneur having someone, whether he or she be a therapist or life coach, to check in with weekly, monthly, or as often as needed.

ABOUT TRENT OUT LOUD:

Founder and CEO of Exclucity

Trent Out Loud’s multi-million-dollar footwear and apparel business, Exclucity, laid the groundwork for sneaker culture in Canada. His autobiographical debut as an author, How Sneakers Saved My Life: Book 1 and How Sneakers Ruined My Life: Book 2, gives you an up close and personal look at the man behind the brand.

A child of Jamaican immigrants, Trent Out Loud went from being on welfare to CEO of one of the most successful brands in Canadian history. From selling Long Tees and Du-rags out of the trunk of a car to ten store fronts that have employed more than 800 people, people were curious how he achieved such success.

Today, he shares his “unfiltered truth” beyond just money and success. He talks openly about the toll it can take on your soul to reach these new levels, while also inspiring us with his story of innovation, creativity, resilience, self- discovery, wins, losses and love for culture and community.

Trent is the recipient of the he 2022 RBC Royal Bank Young Entrepreneur x BBPA Harry Jerome Award: .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyP1uLffBJQ

Follow Trent Out Loud:

Website: https://www.trentoutloud.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trentoutloud

Twitter: https://twitter.com/trentoutloud

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/Trent-carter

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trent-out-loud-6b4746234/

Business site for Exclucity: https://shop.exclucitylife.com/

Business Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exclucity

Book links:

(Book one—which is about how sneakers saved his life)

https://www.amazon.com/How-Sneakers-Saved-Life-Entrepreneurial/dp/1777524504