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Get to know Conscious and become part of the Team

February 16, 2019February 16, 2019teeco71

I recently came across the music of Conscious (Brett Prusinski) on Twitter and then did a little reading up on him. Brett is known for his viral presence online with videos that have accumulated an increasing following and that inspired a movement referred to as #TeamConscious. With his music, Conscious brings melodic, sensual vibes packed with witty, emotional and memorable lyrical verses that matches over unique and funky production. Along with a pure flow Conscious provides the listener with a voice that is said to be “powerful and made to move crowds”.

Conscious is more than a musician, he is also involved in every end of the production including writing all of his own lyrics, directing and editing all videography & photography. Conscious has quickly made his footprint in his hometown of Buffalo, New York and has created a great presence online that I am sure will quickly translate into an incredible career.

Q: Tell us a little about your new song, ‘Lies’. What is it about, what does it mean to you, and what inspired you to write it?

Conscious: “LIES” is my first musical release of 2019 and one of my deepest, real-est songs I’ve ever made. This song means a lot to me as the song follows my pain and heartbreak as I talk about a long-term relationship that was toxic and filled with lies, lust and sex. The song was inspired my a past relationship of mine that really changed my perspective on love & relationships.

Q: You have said that you wanted to be an entertainer from a very young age. What are some of your first memories of acting upon that desire to entertain?

Conscious: Sheesh the good old days. So I’ve always had a knack & passion for entertaining. As a young kid I idolized movie stars and musicians. I’ve always had this deep passion for creating. When i first laid my hands on a camera I knew it was magical. Soon after, My mom had purchased me one when was just a little kid. When something inspires me, I become obsessed with it and really soak it up. When i was twelve years old I launched my first Youtube account & within one year of creating videos I landed Youtube partnership (which back then was a BIG deal!). I remember when I first became a partner with Youtube and started earning money online, my mother thought I was scamming people online or something! She didn’t believe it until we started getting mail from Google in our mailbox. I recall always making all types of videos online, some my dad even participated in and helped me make. It grew from there and I never looked back.

Q: Where can people find you and your music online?

Conscious: I’m everywhere! Not only that I’m very engaged with my following. You support me, I support you! Just how I am.

You can find me on Youtube, Facebook , Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat. My music is available on all major music platforms including Itunes/Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, etc.

Q: What’s one thing you absolutely cannot live without and one thing you wish we could all live without?

Conscious: I’m assuming this is asked in a just for fun manner, so no obvious things like oxygen, etc. Haha. So as sad as it sounds, I’d probably say the internet. They used to say money makes the world go round, but now a-days I think the internet is what makes the world go round. The internet in my opinion is the single handily most powerful tool if used correctly.

Q: Who are some of your inspirations in music and entertainment?

Conscious: I am inspired by artist of all kinds, music of all genres. I can draw inspiration from even everyday life. So it’s hard to answer this. I’m mainly inspired by myself and the last thing I made as I’m always trying to be better than I was yesterday.

Q: What artists would you like to work with in the future?

Conscious: I’m very interested in working with other talented up & coming artist from across the world who are passionate about the art and have a story to tell.

Q: With social media, artists have a chance to be seen and interact with fans more regularly. How do you find time to balance that with working on your music and projects?

Conscious: It’s very hard. You have to really find a balance. Some spend too much time in the studio and not enough time building an audience or following. On the other hand, some spend too much time online promoting the music and not enough time working on their craft. I struggle with this myself time to time. I think it comes down to prioritizing and time management. I think as artist we tend to think we need to respond and be active 24/7 with our following we forget they are going to understand we are human and at times it’s just not possible to respond and get back to everyone as your audience grows. I personally allow myself a time block to get on social media, so that way I can dedicate and give my full attention to my audience. While during other parts of my day be able to give my full attention to other affairs.

Q: Social media can be a great help but there are still lots of challenges artists face when navigating the music business and entertainment industry. What do you think are some of the greatest difficulties creative types are dealing with now?

Conscious: I think for me, the most difficult thing is getting the funding needed to truly take this movement to the next level. Things like setting up tours, merch and high budget advertising all take money. For me everything is stepping-stones, one day & one song at a time. With each song I see my audience grow significantly and I believe if I stay true to the art and make quality content and put my all into this, things will come together.

Q: What’s up next for Conscious?

Conscious: 2019 IS A BIG YEAR FOR #TeamConscious!! I will be dropping a boatload of singles leading up the release of my 4th and best project to date, Path To Redemption. Which follows my journey from heartbreak to reclaiming independence and turning the negativity into success. I also have several high-profile music videos dropping as well some giveaways to show my appreciation to #TeamConscious and all the love & support I’ve been shown.

He is the official video for ‘Lies’ be sure to subscribe to Conscious on YouTube and like and share:

Kaden James wants to give you All He Has to Give

December 22, 2018December 23, 2018teeco71

Kaden James is someone who not only has many gifts, he also has the talent of knowing HOW to share them. I’ve known Kaden for years now, have interacted with him almost daily on social media, and have always found our exchanges positive, uplifting, and important. He wrote a truly wonderful Christmas story last year, ‘All I Have to Give’ (available on Amazon). I think it’s the perfect holiday book to read to your children, have your children read, and to read yourself. It makes a great stocking-stuffer or holiday gift too! We tend to lose sight of the true meaning of the Holidays with all the shopping and gift giving. This book puts that all in perspective in such a lovely way! As Kaden ends the book: “When life is tough and you feel you have nothing to give, remember that what you have is always enough, for the most precious gift we can ever give is love”.

When I first came across Kaden, he was pursuing a career in music, his songs have been featrued on a few MTV shows and I was thrilled for him. He was also doing some amazing modeling (just check out his Instagram to see how great he is!). Kaden is definitly someone who is always evolving and searching for the next way to help people, so it was very natural for him to get into life coaching and empowerment as well.

One thing I have always noticed about him is that he takes time to connect and thank me for my support. But, really, he is the kind of soul I want to support. It’s a natural meeting of souls who want the same thing for our world. I am so interested in everything that is for Social Good, that helps others on their journey in life, and that helps all of us get along, as well as get ahead in life (and that doesn’t always mean in material ways). Kaden absolutely gets that.

I could go on for paragraphs about how amazing he is, but I really want you to enjoy this interview that has been a few years in the making!!

Q: Tell us a little about you. How did you get into life coaching and empowerment?

Kaden James: I was in a place where I was feeling very stuck in my life and knew I needed a radical shift in my approach to live. I had always enjoyed hearing how others had gained success and moved their lives forward and I just started studying experts that really resonated with me. I knew I needed to learn what they knew. After having dinner with a mentor friend of mine, and giving him some advice on some things he had been going through, he said “Wow, you really have a talent for this. You should think about becoming a professional life coach”. I had never even considered what I had done for him or other people I had helped in life as a career. I had always just enjoyed making people feel good and getting there lives on track was much easier for me than getting my one on track. So I was sitting there thinking – I NEED A LIFE COACH! So I went home that night and researched some coaches and then reality hit in the form of how much money coaching cost. I am by no means knocking the prices of others who lend their expertise to help people, this is VALUABLE work that we do… I just didn’t have those kinds of resources to create an ongoing relationship with a coach so I enrolled in a course where I could learn what coaches knew and make payments, like student loans to learn. I dove in full force, got certified and then started gaining clients and working with people who had different budgets – the goal was always the same to help people get the life they want, and by helping others do this I am getting the life I want. It’s a beautiful flow of energy that really elevates and great coach/client or teacher/student relationship. I think of it as a partnership and I learn a lot form those I have the pleasure of working with.

Q: I love the term SpirLit! explain what that means to you.

Kaden James: I have always felt that we all have light within us when we are born and through life’s troubles and hardships sometimes that light dims but as long as you are alive there is an ember within you that can be fanned into a beautiful flame that lights up your spirit and the world. It is your job to discover the ways you have blocked your light and then shine brighter than ever. Spirlit came to me while meditating on this concept and is a way I am putting more light into this world. Look out for Spirlit.com launching in the new year to produce content that helps charities reach a wider audience and as a platform that shines a light on people doing kind things in their communities. I hope you will join us and become a “Guardian of Light” which is what we call our members. It’s a very exciting time to be AWAKE and to be willing to spread the light of love across the world.

Q: You’re also a model, your pictures are always so well done. Do you have say over that sort of thing or does it come from picking the right photographers? Or maybe both? How did you get started with that industry?

Kaden: Thank you. Modeling started out as a way for me to make a little money and gain confidence. I would then reinvest what I was earning into music and other things that were important to me. I have always been an artist and felt that I had more to say and offer the world than just some nice images, but with that said I have had a lot of fun with it. I have met some really tremendous people and have been able to spread word about things that are important to me with this platform.

Q: You wrote a book, ‘All I Have to Give”. What inspired that story and then how did you go about getting it out there?

Kaden: I felt a tugging at my heart last year around the holidays to write. I hadn’t yet built up my businesses and was struggling financially. I was left wondering what I could get my loved ones. I knew I could just force myself to work odd jobs and spend my time that way, just hustling away or I could use my time to write. My heart won that battle and “All I Have to Give” became the gift I gave to my loved ones. It’s something I am even more proud of as I read it again this year. We have raised money for two very deserving charities and I as I wrote the story I connected with the real meaning of the holiday season, it was pure and powerful. I hope others who read it will feel more connected with the spirit of the season as well.

Q: What is the best Christmas gift you’ve ever received? (Material item and non material item)

Kaden: Material item- I was given a scrapbook that my mother put together that showed them as children, then when they met and finally when they had me and our lives together through the years. It was so thoughtfully made and I treasure it.

Non material I love a good hug from loved ones during the holidays and also just chatting and being present (pun intended) near a Christmas tree.

Q: In your opinion, what is the best gift you’ve every given?

Kaden: All I Have to Give: this book is deeply meaningful to me and my hope is that it will continue to touch people for many years to come. That’s a gift that keeps giving and I love that.

Q: I remember finding you through your music. Is that still something you are pursuing?

Kaden: I have always loved music, I will always have more songs in me. I have a few unreleased works, one of which I want to lend to a youth homelessness charity, I was homeless for a time and lived in a shelter so this is my way of honoring the people who help in this area as well as help other young people who go through these hardships. I am still working out the best way to do this. It’s a deeply personal song called “Don’t Leave Me Lonely” and is about not knowing your direction or who you are supposed to be in this world. I have also been writing music for a musical called “The Fall”.

Q: What is one thing you absolutely cannot live without and one thing you wish we could all live without?

Kaden: I can’t live without my connection to Spirit. I wish we could all live without hate, it’s a poison that harms everyone.

Q: Where can we find you online, besides following you on Instagram at @Kaden? Or is Instagram your main platform?

Kaden: I have a few little homes online: KadenJames.com YouTube.com/Kaden and of course Instagram and you can check out @SpirLit as well.

Q: What’s coming up for you in the new year?

Kaden: I will be launching a Daily Playbook, to help people adopt good daily habits like daily goal setting, positive thinking, gratitude and a way to check in with themselves and best of all it’s easy and fun. So be on the lookout for that. I will also be releasing more GOOD STUFF! So please connect with me online and join the party.

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I definitely encourage you to join the party. Here’s a video from Kaden’s YouTube channel so you can see how relatable he is and how passionate he is about what he does:

Jordyn Pollack is a man who is all about the love with no time for hate

August 3, 2018August 3, 2018teeco71

I enjoyed my interview with Ryan Santanna so much (I hope you all did as well and that you learned a little something from it) that I decided to reach out to a friend of mine I have known through Instagram. Jordyn Pollack has shared his journey as a Trans man on the social media platform and on YouTube, much like Ryan has. Their stories are similar but I feel (and I’m sure you agree) that we need to hear all the stories because each of us, no matter how similar we are, are so unique. There is always more to learn from each other, more to experience through each other’s eyes, and more bridges to build.

I really love how brave Jordyn has been by sharing his top surgery photos, progress, his experience with testosterone, and most importantly his feelings throughout. I know he is helping so many others, he is inspiring me, and he is allowing people in similar circumstances to know they will be OK!

The power of social media has always been in the sharing, in being a voice for individuals who don’t feel they have one, and in showing them there are others who are experiencing the same things we are even if we feel alone.

Jordyn is someone you need to follow, someone you need to know, and I believe someone who is making the world a better place. Let me introduce you to Jordyn Pollack:

Q: When did you first realize you didn’t identify with the gender you were when you were born?

Jordyn Pollack: This is a difficult question because I truly believe since I was a young child I knew deep down I wasn’t comfortable with being categorized as a “female”. I truly have realized now that all of my actions back then relate 100% to me taking the step and transitioning. When I was a child I would dress all my “female” dolls as “males”, I would cut their hair, dress them in more masculine clothes. I also remember lying in my bed some nights and just wishing I could be a “boy” for one day, which is crazy to think now that my wish came true about 17 years later. Growing up I always played sports and tried to hang out with all the “boys”, even going into middle school I was very into skateboarding. I dressed in “boy” clothes, when I wasn’t at school, at the skatepark, or even hanging out with some of my friends. One year for Halloween, I believe I was 12, I dressed as a “boy” and went into the guys restroom at Disney Halloween, that is one of my favorite childhood memories, not going into the restroom of course, but having that feeling of passing as a “male”.

Q: What age did you start to become vocal about it? What was the reaction from your family and friends?

JP: I came out to my parents and partner about two years ago, I was 24. Then I came out to some of my close family members, and then I made a Facebook post. Everybody reacted as I expected, luckily I am blessed with a huge immediate and extended family that excepted my transition with open arms. From my Uncles, Cousins and Grandparents they all use the correct pronouns and still love me just as much or even more now. The person I am now is much more confident, outgoing and just loving to be around. My family is my everything. My fiancé told me she would always love me as long as the person I am inside never changes, which how could it, because that is who she fell in love with and wants to marry. Ziggy has never cared about gender, she just wants me to be happy and true to myself. I will always be Jordyn, that is my birth name and I chose to keep it my name. That is who I will always be and was, It just took me this long to get here.

Q: Did anyone surprise you in a positive or negative way as you became more open about it all?

JP: The people or should I say children who surprise me most are my cousins. I have a very big family as I said above, I would say about 10 cousins on my Moms side and even more on my Dads. From the ages of newborn to my age, they have all been amazing. Validating me every chance they get, reaching out after my surgery. I truly couldn’t feel more love and support.

Q: I’ve seen you posting about your journey on Instagram and it has inspired me so. Does that help you during this process?

JP: Instagram has been an amazing outlet for me during my transition and even before. Social media really helped me come out and realize that transitioning was what I truly wanted to do. Being able to see other people’s journeys, helped me a lot. That is why I post so frequently and try to connect with all of my followers. I truly think being a part of a community and knowing we can have each-others back when nobody else understands means so much.

Q: What are some misconceptions you would like to clear up about trans people?

JP: Honestly, the only thing I would like to clear up is that we are no different from any other human being. We are all equal, but different in so many ways and that is what makes the world truly a beautiful, magical place.

Q: Other than Instagram, where can we find you online? Have you documented your journey elsewhere?

JP: I have a YouTube account, it is just under my name Jordyn Pollack. I will say, I have not made any update videos recently, but I will make one soon on my Top Surgery experience.

Q: Do others reach out to you and what advice do you/would you give them if they were struggling with their own identities?

JP: Yes, others reach out to me daily through social media. Whether it be to tell me I inspired them, to ask for advice, or just to say hi. I like to connect with my followers as much as possible, as I said before to me having a safe community is so important. I would tell someone struggling with their identity, to for one second try not to worry about anything else in the world besides themselves and in that moment how do they want to look when they see themselves. How do they want to feel? How do they want to be treated? If you are struggling just give yourself time to find who you truly are. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, YOU are the only person that knows how YOU feel inside and out.

Q: What is one thing you absolutely cannot live without and one thing you wish we could all live without?

JP: The one thing I could not live without is Ziggy. She is truly my everything. I have never met a human being who is so kind-hearted. Ziggy makes me feel special every day. Yes, we have had our struggles, but who doesn’t. The best part about her is that we can communicate and at the end of the day we have each other no matter what. She is the first thing I see when I open my eyes and the last thing I see before I close them. I am more than excited to spend the rest of my life with her and marry her, that way I will never have to live without her.

The one thing I wish we could all live without is HATE. It is as simple as that. If all humans had more love, compassion and understanding in their hearts we would have a better world.