In this Side Salad, I challenge the reflex to reduce people to labels.

What if the “liberal,” the “illegal,” the “piece of…” or the stereotype you casually assign doesn’t tell the full story? What if the person you’ve minimized excels in ways you’ve never considered?

This episode asks a harder question:

What does it say about our character when we choose dehumanization over curiosity?

Sometimes labels protect our comfort. But dignity requires something deeper.

A short reflection on character, projection, and the discipline of seeing people as human.

In this special episode of The Salad Bowl Podcast, I’m sitting down with someone who isn’t just a guest — he’s one of my bestest friends, my brother in life, and someone I’ve been proud to know for nearly 20 years: Brandon Mitchell. This conversation hits different because Brandon and I don’t just talk… we reflect. We challenge. We laugh. We unpack what it really means to become a man, a leader, and a champion — in every sense of the word. Brandon shares his perspective on:

🏆 What it means to truly win in life

🔥 Becoming a champion without following the “straight line” path

🛤 Stepping off the beaten military track to chase his hoop dreams

🎖 Leaving the Marine Corps… and later returning as a commissioned officer

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Staying authentic as a father, husband, and leader in today’s world

This episode is about identity, evolution, purpose, and the courage it takes to bet on yourself — even when the world expects you to stay inside the mold. If you’ve ever felt called to something bigger… or wondered what it looks like to chase your dream while staying grounded in who you are — this one is for you. Welcome back to the Salad Bowl.

In a world full of influencers and misinformation and before you let someone’s words shake your confidence, your clarity, or your sense of self—pause.

In this Side Salad, we unpack a truth most of us learn the hard way:

position does not equal qualification.

From bosses and parents to leaders, pastors, friends, and celebrities, we’re often taught to trust the loudest voices in authoritative spaces. But what happens when confidence masks insecurity… or access gets mistaken for insight?

This episode challenges you to consider the source without dismissing the message—because sometimes wisdom arrives through imperfect messengers, and sometimes discernment matters more than agreement.

This is a conversation about balance.

About listening without surrendering your power.

About growth that requires both courage and humility.

Pull up a seat.

This Side Salad might sit with you longer than you expect. 🥗

Girl + Boy Doesn’t Equal Sex is a Side Salad conversation that challenges one of the most quietly damaging assumptions in our workplaces and social spaces: that the mere presence of different genders automatically introduces sexual tension.

In this episode, we step into the Human Resources lens—not to police behavior, but to examine human dynamics, boundaries, and professionalism at their core. We talk about why mature, high-functioning teams are built on trust, respect, and clarity—not suspicion or avoidance—and how projecting sexual narratives onto everyday interactions undermines cohesion, inclusion, and performance.

This conversation is for leaders, teammates, and culture-shapers who understand that accountability doesn’t require discomfort, and that men and women can coexist, collaborate, and even care about one another without it being sexualized. Because when we stop assuming intent, we create space for healthier environments where people can show up fully—and do exceptional work.

Not everything needs to be “managed.” Some things just need to be understood.

Disclaimer: This conversation is framed through a heteronormative lens, simply because that is the most commonly referenced dynamic in workplace discussions. That said, the principles explored here—boundaries, professionalism, respect, and the ability to coexist without sexualization—apply equally to same-sex interactions and any workplace relationship where assumptions can undermine trust and cohesion.

In the journey of podcasting, I’ve learned something unexpected.

If your goal is views, comments, and engagement, the obvious move is to sit across from someone with a large following. That makes sense in today’s world. But I’ve also learned that some of the most compelling, meaningful stories don’t come from people chasing attention at all.

This episode is one of those moments.

I sat down with Terrence Lestelle—a 75-year-old attorney, athlete, and thinker. He doesn’t look like me. He didn’t grow up in my generation. He isn’t building a brand or cultivating an online presence. In fact, he has no interest in any of that.

And yet, our conversations—on the basketball court and at the table—have been some of the most authentic I’ve experienced.

Terry shares perspectives shaped by decades of lived experience, history, and reflection. Conversations like this remind me why I started The Salad Bowl Podcast in the first place. I always walk away carrying new thoughts, new questions, and a deeper appreciation for connection across difference.

I didn’t chase the algorithm with this guest—but I believe this is a conversation worth your time.

What happens when we stop talking about generations—and start talking to them?

In this Side Salad, I step into a conversation that’s been quietly waiting its turn: a conversation across generations. From Baby Boomers and Gen X, who carried the weight of survival and sacrifice, to Millennials shaped by transition, to Gen Z and Gen Alpha redefining awareness and emotional fluency—this episode is a pause, a thank you, and an invitation.

This isn’t about blame.

It’s about bridges.

It’s about acknowledging the foundations laid before us, the questions being asked now, and the compassion required to move forward together. Every generation brings a distinct flavor, texture, and purpose to the Salad Bowl we all share.

Because growth doesn’t happen in silence.

And progress doesn’t require erasing what came before.

It requires listening.

It requires grace.

It requires all of us at the table.

This is a Side Salad—served with perspective, gratitude, and hope for a healthier collective future.

Season Two starts now. 🥗✨

In a world that wants us to blend in, The Salad Bowl Podcast exists to remind us:

You don’t have to dissolve who you are to belong.

Different stories.

Different experiences.

Different flavors—still whole, still necessary.

This isn’t about telling you what to believe.

It’s about asking better questions.

Listening deeper.

And showing up as your full self—without apology.

2026 is the year we normalize authenticity.

Not melting down.

Showing up whole.

Welcome back to The Salad Bowl Podcast.

Peace.

🎧 New season available coming soon.

The Final Project of 2025

As 2025 comes to a close, this Side Salad marks the final offering of the year for The Salad Bowl Podcast—a quiet, intentional pause before Season 2 begins in 2026.

In this deeply reflective episode, we explore the parts of ourselves we rarely put on display: procrastination, jealousy, ego, lust, negativity—the inner patterns that shape how we show up long before anyone else notices. Not as moral failures. Not as flaws to shame or hide. But as signals.

This conversation challenges the idea that growth starts with fixing ourselves. Instead, it asks something more uncomfortable—and more honest:

What if growth begins with curiosity rather than condemnation?

We unpack how shame keeps our struggles in the dark, and how anything hidden tends to grow unchecked. By reframing our flaws as information—not indictments—we create space for self-awareness, healing, and sustainable personal growth.

This Side Salad is about:

1. Emotional intelligence and self-awareness
2. Letting go of shame-based self-improvement
3. Understanding the root of habits and behaviors
4. Humanizing character flaws without excusing harm
5. Doing the slow, intentional work of becoming more whole

As we close out the year, this episode isn’t about resolutions or reinvention. It’s about telling the truth—quietly, courageously—and committing to understanding ourselves better.

Season 2 of The Salad Bowl Podcast kicks off in 2026, and I’m deeply excited to watch this space, this community, and these conversations continue to grow.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re wrestling with parts of yourself you don’t quite understand yet—this one’s for you.