Let's Talk

be here. I came through the canal and wound of life Thrower, and I hope you enjoyed that last week's episode Malik speaks to Mama. You know, we're going through some trials, miss last week, just dealing with a lot of things. But hey, I'm back this week. I'm putting together this episode and it's called Let's Talk. And I have a few guests that I was able to interview last week. Won by the name of Laura Robbins, who

wrote a book called Stash, so I interviewed her. Also interviewed h Shelley Poxton, who wrote a book called Sobbatical And both of these books are intriguing, So I got a chance to interview while I was at Loyolamremont and they did a lecture out there, so I was able to was blessed to do a quick few minutes talk about with them about their books, and so I hope you enjoy that. Uh, you know, I don't want to do any spoiler, but I think these books are relevant

and real and timely. It's a lot of addiction and people, and Laura talks about how she was able to overcome her addictions and what she was dealing with and her new Memoirsta and the Sobbatical by Shelley Poxton. It's all about she was the chief marketing officer for Harley Davidson, you know, so she was on top of the food chain, well accomplished, you know, in the business world, worked in

it for twenty six years. So she offers, you know, her insight into how she was able to transcend from the corporate world into a transformation and personal development and this called Sobbatical. The other thing is, hey, Malik, journey to a school and I was able to talk to some kids, some youth and inspire them. So I'm gonna feature that on this episode. I don't get a whole lot of those where I'm talking in front of our young and youth. But I do believe children of one

hundred percent of our future. So I was honored and when I visited the school and I got a chance to talk to the kids and talk to them about things that I think that are important and try to help inspire them. Also, I interviewed Joso Bozo, who is a clown that Bozo was the most recognizable clown in the past. With Joso Bozo was like, they're making a family, you know, a fair type of thing, and it's something

that I thought was interesting. I got a chance to talk to her at this event, this Black History event, well it was a Keen Festival event, so I got a chance to talk to her and I opened up about some things about myself throughout that interview, and it was all about aspiring kids and youth. That's because they wanted to set up my future. So I featured that on this episode. Hope you enjoy that. So sit back. We like and enjoyed this new episode. Let's talk. Well,

how you doing. I'm alive, I'm okay, I'm about to interview You're from a podcast. Malik spokeshef bringing the world together with books, culture and community that I got two bookstores. I'm in Los Angeles and I'm in Covid City wonderful Pleasure Medium. So I have I have the author here wrote a wonderful new book that just came off called Stash My Life in Hiding. Her name is the author is Laura Cathcart Robbins. So just tell me a little bit about this wonderful book that just came out. Well,

this book is an addiction memoir. It's about ten months of my life from the year in the year of two thousand and eight m during which I ended a marriage, I went to treatment for a drug and alcohol addiction, and I fell in love. Wonderful. Yeah, So the was it the marriage that caused the addiction? I know, I don't believe anything like that causes an addiction. I believe you're born with it. Okay, That's what I believed. Yeah, and so you struggle within in for ten months, um,

for a little bit longer than that. But it was the ten months that brought me down. Well, actually half the book I'm sober because I've gone to treatment and I've gotten sober. So it's really four months of addiction. Okay. Yeah, so this is a journey then, yes, it And this is a personal journey. Indeed it is. It is my journey, and I'm talking about it fifteen years later from a new vantage point. Yeah. And now you an author, tell us a little bit about your background and where you from.

And yeah, I grew up kind of all over the country. I've written ever since I was five years old. And I had a few different careers, including raising my two sons who were now in their twenties, and so writing was something that I went back to about four years ago. So you've written before, You've never authored a book before, but always written. Yeah, do you teach or anything like that? I do not, Okay, and so and so now that you got your story on these pages and what have you,

what do you hope to gain from your book? I hope that other people can find themselves in the pages and get well. When you know, mental health and addiction is rapid in these communities all over America. That's number one of the number one problem. So your story is definitely gonna be inspirational to help others alone in that journey. And one more thing, one more question, anything you would like to tell my audience at Malik's Bookshelf that you

think can resonate. I think you know support independent bookstores, especially black owned. This is why we ask for you to be the bookseller at this event because bookstores are dying. People do not go to bookstores and buy books off the shelves. It is so important. We need the next generation to be able to go find themselves on the shelves of a bookstore. To Shank, I love that. Thank you,

and everybody. Well, hey, I'm at another event at Loyola Marymount University and Shirley Paxton came out, Shelley, let's get it right against get it tight. Shelley Paxton came all the way from Chicago to speak about her book So Bad. Yeah. So look at So Battical, a corporate rebels guide defining your best life. Well eight, I have the author, so she could tell you more about the book than me. I love it. You nailed that. I should have you do more readings for me. That's amazing. So yeah, this

is Shelley. This is the story of my uh you know, leaving the corporate world. So I was in the corporate world for twenty six years. I worked for some really incredible brands. I climbed to the top of the proverbial corporate ladder, and twenty six years later, I was the chief marketing officer of Harley Davidson. And I got to the top of that and I was like, how can you get to such a place in life and still feel empty inside and feel drained and feel burned out

and not feel fulfilled? And so this is the story of a nightmare was having that woke me up to my truth, that sent me on a journey to reconnect with my soul. And I'm still doing it six and a half years later. So this story is like the journey that I went on. Everything I learned, it's meant to inspire others to rewrite their own script of success. You found your soul, you found yourself, and if you're not happy in early, then you can't reflect it out early.

A brother, you know, twenty six years top brand, you said, chief operating Chief marketing Officer Harley Davidson was my Yeah, it was my last gig in the corporate world. Yeah. People pull the hair out to get these positions. Yeah, and you had them for sure. You did the thing and then you left it, I did the thing, and I walked away. Yeah, that's a story by myself, because

that's a risk. You used to a certain lifestyle. Was you're able to still maintain that because in the twenty six years that you may, you know, you sacrifice another person before you found the soul of yourself. Where was you able to then, you know still financially? Yeah? Over time? Yeah, I mean what I did initially was that I had a little budget and I said, you know what, I'm going to take some time. I'm going to give myself

a year. Maybe it'll be less than a year, maybe it'll be more than a year, but I'm going to give myself a year to do this exploration. So I had been working for long enough that I could start to set aside a little bit of money and then ultimately figure out, like where was this leading me? And it led me to become an author and I do speaking, and I do teaching and I do coaching and wow, yeah all different kinds of things. And so yeah, over time,

I've definitely like built up my revenue again. But you know, but I definitely put aside a little money to do it. Well, you had to have developed a work a holic habit working at the top of the food chain. Now, I worked a lot night and that's part of what I talk about where I think that we're honestly like work. We become slaves to that, right, So I think that's

why burnout is such a real thing. And so I think how we rewrite the script of success is also like, how do we how do we, you know, have a script that's more about our own well being, our own humanity, our own soul. And so that's important to me and that's what I write about you. You're contributing now to not only you know, to the humanity. That's why I think you said soul batticle, right, you know it still

a sub batticle. It's so battle yes, yes, yes, well, hey, I think that's a message that can resonate with my audience and the world. And one more last question, um from my audience at Maliek's books of bringing a world together with books, culture in a a community, what would you like to say to him? Oh, man, stay bold, brave and badass, do the thing that your soul is calling you to do now beingal you heard it live from Shirley Paxton. Shelley, I got it wrong again, Shelley Paxton,

bo I didn't right. I'm at your place and I'm saying, well with that thing. It's a honor to talk before so many bright shines stars, and my name is relieved. I'm a founder and you call woman. I'm on with eight book right here, and uh, we have a couple of book stories in the community. How many of you like to read? Now? Come on, man, that that should be everybody had. What you're gonna do in this world. If you don'nna read, it's funding and it's part of you.

If you don't, I'll tell you something. If what you don't like, sometimes you got to learn to like. So if you don't like reading, I will jesting read a little bit every day and develop I having because every career, every profession, and anything that you're trying to do in this world, even graduating requires three y'all understanding that, okay, So if you don't like to read, I applause you

to learn. I know y'all love them phones, I know y'all love them video games, but have that same passing for reading, you know, because you ain't gonna go far without. I'm telling you it ain't easy. I'll his word. We got a couple of bookstores in the community, and our purpose and believe voices is to get voice to the voice. Listen, you see y'all too young to understand it, but when you get older you will. But you have a voice, and you need to speak when your voice and a

resigning your way as you get old. You know, I'm ushould be talking to adult. So hey, I'm gonna do'tna have to learn how to talk to some youth. But I tell you what, though, I'll tell you what. One thing that I love to say is that you know, um, belief books is just an extension of you where our growth of the voice of our people. You know? And how many in here know that that black people were kings and queens and royalty from Africa? How many an't

here know? Happen? See? And you know that's less than a fifty percent of the rong hand in the hand. But everyone in here from ross, everyone everyone in here as a descent that was a king in a point who got it? Everyone in here, you, specially you are somebody. You're born to be great, you're worn to step and two who you are born to be. You gotta love yourself. That's why I'm believing books exists because we want our youth, which is one percent of our future, to love themselves.

You know why, because your success depending on how you see yourself. You gotta love yourself. I don't care what complexion, I don't care what skick color. I would care what texture you'll have. You gotta love yourself, whatever size you are behind me, did you hear? Because you're paying a price to be here. Y'all don't even understand which wick to to get here. But I'll tell you here now, and you are the best of the best, and you gotta be productive in order to be what you want

to be. That's require reading. It's going to require signifies. You'll understand that right now. But you do understand reading. Man, when the rook or take rock. So but how many of y'all understand that in order to in order to build, or in order to do anything, it requires a man? All right? Yeah? And I should get everybody, all right? Who who knows? How many steps did you take when you walk through this assimility to day? How many? All right? He said? For how many of you? Pat steps? You

do it? Okay, twin, but you actually didn't comprenation. You just walked over here, right, but it didn't take a certain amount of steps to give here. That's a man. That shirt you got on your back, it took mass to make it. You choose you got on your feet. It's at math to make it. There's nothing that he says without math and masters. That's the number one subject you're gonna have to learn. And if you read more, it gives you comprehension, which helps you in man. Because

everything is a word problem, every single thing. You can reduce everything you do to a simple word problem because math is the rule of all language. And so I'm telling you and come in terms of man. I would love to see y'all brought and be scientists, be doctors, be nurses, being engineers, be astronaut, to be pilot jack

because it doesn't higher line. Those are nation building skills. Unfortunately, a lot of childs are going away, and y'all gonna be Scott going to see that sharking with your years as y'all grow up. So hey, Man, don't be shot matter because man is the root of all languages. So I'll tell you there's nothing without There's nothing that exist in this world without maga. Did y'all know it took matter to make this building? Did you know it took matter to make this Viking phone? Did you go when

it took manter to make no phones? Did y'all like to pry on? Did you know what your man play? The video games you playing? That's the rue language. Don't run from that math because that's number one in this world. That's number one. So if I could need anything, any thoughts, it would be, you know, work on you man, work on your reading, love your self. And that's why I'm legals exist. Now I need y'all to tell your parents

come on out without a group of build here. But when we ain't here, you can find us in the Ball and ball you can find us in the West Coast anymore. And guess what y'all can followers too? Got great contact, Belie. Most is his degramming time. Alright, alright now. I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Joso Bozo at this community event in Inglewood. It was called the keen Fest, and I had an opportunity to interview her

about her becoming a known, well known, recognizable clown. You know, Bozo was the most recognizable clown in the world at one time. My understanding was she someone I guess brought the rights to Bozo and creating a family around the concept, and she and her character it's called Joso Bozo, and she jazzed up the youth, the kids, and had a wonderful time here at the festival. So I got a chance to interview or about her how she come about to become a Bozo, that is Joso the Bozo. So hey,

here's the interview. He bought the rights to Boso the Clown, and he said, you want to come with me to work on this documentary. So I was like, sure, of course, I didn't know he meant as a character character. And he's like, I got this costume for you, I got the shoot for you, got everything ready, know if you want me to be Toboso. I wanted to be a Boso and he was like, yeah, I do. So he

documents you wherever you travel, wherever you go. So yeah, so the new Bozo, we're bringing back Bozo the Clown, and he's got a bunch of friends. So I'm Joso Bozo got new new boss, not a bunch of press. Yes, so you let the clown frown sending the clown that's older, and that's some we'll talk about, you know, bringing back that happy clown and getting rid of that scary Oh he's talking up in the pokmobilit here talking. Yep, he said, I believe I can. So you go surfaces and good

things right there. Or television television, Yeah, okay. Bozo was a television clown and he used to be the most famous clown. But we are the most famous and friendliest clowns. So we're friendly clowns. Yeah, not scary friendly. Well, you know, laughing is contagious, Smiling is contagious. And it's also the best medicine, the best medicine, best medicine. We've been working with a company called Healthy Humor, okay, and so they

helped children and hospitals who are sick with clowning. So they bring clowns and they came home and they healthy kids. And they say, I think they say it's a seventy or eighty percent rates up their sickness. Who goes, you know, they get deals, they're better buy the clowns coming in and working with them. Wow, because laughter, laughter, laughter, chemical and um. Yeah, you know when you're in a hospital, you kind of get a little defeated. Yeah, like why

am I here? I can't be home? But you have these chilly clowns who come around, and you can't just go into the hospital. You gotta go through clown training, you gotta go through toops, you gotta pop certain bubbles. WoT a home or you can just become a hospital clown. Yeah really I didn't know that. Yeah, it's not simple. You getta the shutter pot. Yeah, yeah, hospital, So chuck out Healthy Humor. They're agree organization helping Kim. Yeah. We actually have an event coming up and on sunset have

Bootsy Bellows that's called the Bashot Bootsey. So we're doing a huge charity gallery to help Healthy Humor raise money for the kids in hospital. Bosons all about charity everything, every dollar may stick to charity, all for the kids. When you know, part of my podcast really Bullshelf is

about community. Yeah yeah, yeah, you know yeah, And I know, like I said, that's also cultural because you know, laughing, smiling and the historical years of you know, people bowling, you know, looking at clowns, whether it be a circus hospital, you know, like you said, television Boson being the movie recognizable clowns in the world bringing the crowd together before

the circus big events happen. They would get the people together, you know, in the community and bring them in and make them laugh and remind them to be silly and to do all of those you know they would normally not doing. They're so serious. Yea. And then you watch the show. The clowns are clowning us been around forever, and there's clowns been all different cultures. Absolutely French clowns, there's clowns, bying clowns, there's the American clowns. Yeah, there's lines,

there's all different types of clowns. And you know what has helped me be more outspoken and video you know how used to have stage right, Really I was just shy and introvert. I still have shy, I still have here. But what helps me talk to my audience and even due these interviews, when I'm doing an interview with a Turret Crews or a Spike League or a car sail or any you know, a O. B. Lister, what helps me not fold or feel inferior is the fact that laughter,

smiling sweet It takes the anxiety away. Yeah, it's all made with just to do the him or nothing worth. No, folker, you don't for it's the laughter. And I was you know, I talked with somebody up there boxing. Man. I was never like it, but I found the joy of smiling, laughing when I'm getting I love that. I love that. I love that. It has helped me. Yeah, we overcome the stage quart and anxiety I used to. It's really important. That's important that three year podcast I'm sharing. I was

there so they can understand too. And they have anxiety or depression or any kind of fear. Hey, I can laugh it up. You know. I lacked it up absolutely. Yeah, well this is wonderfulman. Will definitely fat believe books were world with books culture. Yeah, Joe, Joe, thank you. Yes, You're so welcome. They thank you. Say thanks for listening to Malik's Bookshelf with topics on the shelf, our books, culture and community. Be sure to subscribe and leave me

a review. Check out my Instagram at Malik Books. See you next time.