In this episode, Brett D'Alessandro (he/him) shares his journey from active military service as a Marine in Afghanistan to founding Backpacks for Life - a nonprofit dedicated to supporting homeless and at-risk veterans. Drawing from his own difficult reintegration into civilian life after a tough deployment, Brett’s work with veterans is rooted in establishing trust and making them feel human again. He shares about his struggles with alcohol addiction - and how a chance encounter with a homeless veteran helped him find his purpose and open the door to recovery. He emphasizes that seeking help when struggling is a sign of strength, and shares a wide range of available therapeutic approaches. He expresses gratitude for the clarity, strength and resilience he gained from overcoming hardships, and how - while he’s still human - it has made him a better person in every aspect of his life.

Brett D’Alessandro is the Founder of Backpacks for Life, a nonprofit that supports homeless and at-risk veterans. He also owns Golden Door Dispensary, where he focuses on innovation and exceptional service in the cannabis industry. His career is shaped by a commitment to giving back and creating meaningful solutions for underserved communities.

Shanti Joy Gold is a professional coach, 30-year corporate warrior and member of the LGBTQIA+ community. She understands the unique challenges faced by those who feel like outsiders and, as an executive coach, helps underrepresented people confidently thrive in their careers by being fully themselves.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT 1:1 CAREER COACHING WITH SHANTI JOY GOLD, BOOK A COMPLIMENTARY DISCOVERY CALL HERE

Brett and I also discuss:

• Navigating the specific challenges he faced after returning home from war - “They train you how to go to Afghanistan and how to survive, but they don't tell you how to leave.”
• Discussing how words matter - and how communicating with kindness and empathy can change outcomes and create positive results
• Realizing that, at times, we can all become jaded in our work - and the importance of having the presence of mind to catch ourselves and reconnect to our purpose
• Connecting with other like-minded people is an important part of navigating through challenging times
• Understanding that success isn’t about perfection - it’s about the important lessons we can only learn when things don’t go as planned

Thank you for listening! Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive insights about how to navigate your career as an outsider - and learn more about the impact of allyship. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and find me below to share your key takeaways!

Learn more about Stories We Haven’t shared at https://storieswehaventshared.com

CONNECT WITH BRETT D’ALESSANDRO
Backpacks for Life (BFL) - learn more or donate!
BFL on LinkedIn
BFL on Instagram
BFL on Facebook
BFL on X (Twitter)
ROGER - a resource website for NJ veterans

CONNECT WITH SHANTI JOY GOLD
LinkedIn
Instagram
Podcast Spotify playlist
Take the Free Thriving Assessment
Book a Free Discovery Call

In this episode, Ruth Rathblott (she/her) shares her story of finding the courage to reveal her limb difference after the exhaustion and loneliness of hiding it for 25 years. She reveals the deep relief that comes from vulnerably letting others in, embracing her true self - and experiencing the power of connection and community. She also emerges with a mission to help leaders transform cultures so their employees can unhide, thrive and belong. Ruth offers practical steps to catch the ways in which we each may be building walls in an attempt to fit in and avoid judgment - and the empowering choices we can make to emerge into our full truth and potential.

Ruth Rathblott is a disability specialist and inclusion expert who empowers leaders to foster an inclusive and diverse culture of unhiding in order to unleash untapped potential and ignite innovation. She is a bestselling author who has published two books, including this year’s “Unhide and Seek: Live Your Best Life. Do Your Best Work.” She is also a TEDx and inspirational speaker.

Shanti Joy Gold is a professional coach, 30-year corporate warrior and member of the LGBTQIA+ community. She understands the unique challenges faced by those who feel like outsiders and, as an executive coach, helps underrepresented people confidently thrive in their careers by being fully themselves.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT 1:1 CAREER COACHING WITH SHANTI JOY GOLD, BOOK A COMPLIMENTARY DISCOVERY CALL HERE

Ruth and I also discuss:

• Understanding the importance role leaders play in creating spaces for employees to feel safe to unhide - and the opportunity to model this behavior by being vulnerable and prioritizing connection
• Expanding the view of what we may be hiding - including neurodiversity, relationship status, financial situation, education level, trauma, family background, health, difficult family relationships and more….
• Looking at the ways that hiding limits our presence in the moment, leads other people to make assumptions about our behavior - and may create a limited view of our ability to make a contribution
• Examining the momentum of both hiding and unhiding

Thank you for listening! Check out all the episodes to receive insights about how to navigate your career as an outsider - and learn more about the impact of allyship. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and find me below to share your key takeaways!

Learn more about Stories We Haven’t shared at https://storieswehaventshared.com

CONNECT WITH RUTH RATHBLOTT
Work with Ruth - speaking and consulting
Book - “Singlehandedly: Learning to Unhide and Embrace Connection”
Book - “Unhide and Seek: Live Your Best Life. Do Your Best Work”
TEDx - “When I Stopped Hiding, I Found Freedom”
LinkedIn
Instagram
X (Twitter)
YouTube

CONNECT WITH SHANTI JOY GOLD
LinkedIn
Instagram
Podcast Spotify playlist
Take the Free Thriving Assessment
Book a Free Discovery Call
Work with Shanti!

In this episode, Justin Ayars (he/him), shares his journey to starting EqualityMD, an LGBTQ+ telehealth platform that enables marginalized patients to enjoy affordable, affirming care in safe digital spaces - and become the superheroes of their own healthcare stories. Justin - a white, cisgender, gay man - has a story that starts in a showbiz family as the godson of Liberace...and gets more interesting from there. His eclectic professional journey brings him to an intersection of LGBTQ+ circles, where he consistently hears the question: “Where can I find a doctor who makes me feel safe?” Justin goes on to share a deeply-personal and shocking experience of discrimination he encountered in a medical setting - as well as statistics about the healthcare disparities that lead many people in the LGBTQ+ community to avoid health care altogether. Justin’s knowledge and experiences inspire him to mission-driven action, powerfully illustrating the impact of living deliberately and authentically.

Justin Ayars is a former healthcare trial lawyer turned healthtech entrepreneur. As the Founder of EqualityMD, he is working to transform how the LGBTQ+ community perceives and receives healthcare - offering a telehealth platform that affordably connects them with culturally competent providers for all of their mental, physical and prescription healthcare needs.

Shanti Joy Gold is a professional coach, 30-year corporate warrior and member of the LGBTQIA+ community. She understands the unique challenges faced by those who feel like outsiders and, as an executive coach, helps underrepresented people confidently thrive in their careers by being fully themselves.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT 1:1 CAREER COACHING WITH SHANTI JOY GOLD, BOOK A COMPLIMENTARY DISCOVERY CALL HERE

Justin and I also discuss:

• Examining our own intersectionality of identities - and how these different parts of ourselves can complement each other and lead to our fullest potential
• Demonstrating why “your network is really your net worth” and the importance of building trust and social capital over time
• Choosing to embrace the uncomfortable as an avenue to achieving transformative growth and impact
• Looking at an example of how being a white, cisgender male can open doors professionally - but may not prevent LGBTQ+ bias
• Exploring how music can “...uplift the soul and speak to the height of what the human condition can attain - if only we stay curious and look up”

Thank you for listening! Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive insights about how to navigate your career as an outsider - and learn more about the impact of allyship. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and find me below to share your key takeaways!

Learn more about Stories We Haven’t shared at https://storieswehaventshared.com

CONNECT WITH JUSTIN AYARS
EqualityMD Website
EqualityMD Product Demo
Justin on LinkedIn
EqualityMD on LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH SHANTI JOY GOLD
LinkedIn
Instagram
Spotify playlist
Take the Free Thriving Assessment
Book a Free Discovery Call Here
Work with Shanti!