The delicate thing we call life is that we only experience it once, so how do we live it with purpose and passion? This week, co-host AYD once again joins us as we discuss how to find our purpose, how it reflects growth, and the internal conversations we must have to determine the things, people, places, and ideas that give genuine meaning to our lives. It is common to be stuck in a routine, living on autopilot and uncertain in a busy world to survive, adhering to a cycle where you are inhibited...
Mar 21, 2025•41 min•Ep. 41
For the first time, MJ's mother, Silvia, joins us on the 40th episode of Riding The Wave. MJ asks a series of profound questions regarding his mother's tenacity and perseverance during her darkest times, which involve the passing of her friend and that of her husband in later years. It is no easy feat discussing these matters; however, MJ, followed by his sister Mo, after several decades, finally learns about their mother's point of view, feelings, and thoughts on these unfortunate experiences. ...
Mar 07, 2025•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 40
On this week’s podcast, we feel nostalgic as we learn to interpret the world through the intricate lens of a child. We are joined by MJ’s very own bright, enthusiastic, and youthful eight-year-old son, Aaron. Although we cannot take back time and revert to our years of childhood, the children around us can offer and teach us many valuable lessons about the world we now live in. Aaron takes us back to the basics and discusses how to have fun, the importance of friendships, being a good person, be...
Feb 28, 2025•21 min•Ep. 39
This week, we are joined by returning guest Mo as we explore the topic of cheating within relationships, its psychological effects, and some personal anecdotes. The most prominent question asked is, why do people cheat? Do people cheat because of insecurity, lack of commitment, lack of self-respect, ego, or retaliation? Cheating within a relationship is an action that demonstrates a lack of commitment, accountability, and respect, consequently leading to severed trust. Mo and MJ then ask the aud...
Feb 14, 2025•57 min•Ep. 38
In this episode on Riding The Wave, we are joined by a resilient and knowledgeable guest, Rick, a financial advisor who has been in the industry for 17 years. Raised by a single father who was a war veteran and not culturally accustomed to what it meant to live according to city life because of his non-stationary lifestyle, Rick persevered through a myriad of existing adversities. Said hardships were a result of childhood traumas; many of which stemmed from his mother’s rejection, and growing up...
Jan 31, 2025•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 37
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our next star, talented vocalist and musical genius, Violet Melody! Although working a corporate office job by day, Violet Melody makes time for her musical passions and hobbies during her free time, encouraging others not to abandon their creative pursuits and talents in lieu of adhering to a 9-5 work lifestyle where there is often little to no room for creativity. Violet Melody, inspired musically by the R&B genre through her tunes, seeks to encourage s...
Jan 24, 2025•58 min•Ep. 36
Welcome to Luigi’s Barbershop, where special guest Luigi joins us as he gives MJ his fresh cut. Luigi is a Whittier native whose journey began as soon as sixth grade with a pair of clippers as a result of his desire to achieve the perfect cut for himself and eventually for others. Becoming a certified and trusted barber proved difficult, having worked several other jobs previously. However, Luigi testifies to the importance of continual practice and sticking through to your passion even during c...
Jan 17, 2025•51 min•Ep. 35
In this week’s podcast, we change the scene as we are accompanied by Rudy, The Vicious Barber, in the place where he perfects his craft best, his barbershop, while also giving A.Y.D a cut. Rudy talks of his inception as a barber, from starting ground zero and how, through the help of his brother, YouTube searches, and the willingness to learn and put in relentless hours of work to improve, he was able to obtain his barber license this year. Rudy teaches us the importance of aligning with our val...
Jan 04, 2025•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 34
This week, we are joined by special guest Misael, who goes by the name of “Wheels” as a result of having endured a motorcycle accident at the age of 16, resulting in paralysis from the waist down. Despite this complete shift of lifestyle during the early years of his adolescence into adulthood, Misael is a testament to the power of strength as he does not let his condition limit, discourage, or deter him from pursuing his aspirations and accomplishing his day-to-day tasks. Through his sense of h...
Dec 20, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 33
This holiday week on Riding The Wave Podcast, we are joined by a special guest seeking to change the world through the power of education, Dr. Ji Son. Well-rounded and invested in continual growth, Dr. Ji Son is a Cognitive Science Professor, Scientist, Researcher, Author, and Psychologist. UCLA Alumna with a PhD from Indiana University and proud of her Korean roots, Dr. Ji Son continually follows her curiosity and interests, as advised by her hardworking parents. Dr. Ji Son discusses changes in...
Nov 29, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 32
On this week’s podcast, we are rejoined by Coach Flaco, who presents us with the privilege of introducing us to 16-year-old Lincoln Heights boxing champion, Lennon Sosa, going 21-3, who aspires to be our future 2028 Olympic gold medalist. Hungry for the sport and proud of his persistence, Lennon demonstrates that age is just a number for achieving your goals. Not only is Lennon challenging his opponents in the ring, but academically, he is thriving by inputting the same technique into his studie...
Nov 22, 2024•54 min•Ep. 31
Although there is no way to foretell the challenges that life will throw at us, we do have control over how we choose to respond to them. In this week’s episode, we are joined once again by Fedna, a resilient Coach, Minister, and active member of his community who serves as a testament to the healing power of forgiveness and growth. Living in a single-mother household and being part of the foster care system placed Fedna and his siblings under circumstances where they learned to become independe...
Nov 15, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 30
This week, we are joined by Fedna, an active member of the Lincoln Heights community. He serves as a Youth Minister and Coach at his local high school, relentlessly demonstrating his commitment to his family and community. Fedna shares the importance of honoring his father’s legacy, who was murdered, through being rooted in his Haitian-Creole roots. Fedna shares how his upbringing with his siblings and mother contributed to who he came to identify as and aspired to become based on his lived expe...
Nov 08, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 29
On this week’s podcast, we talk business. We are joined by special guest, Monica Flores Roman, entrepreneur and financial expert of 18 years. Monica shares with us how her upbringing and tight-knit nuclear familial dynamic led to her desire to follow in her hard-working father’s footsteps in the entrepreneurial world and pursue her own business ventures. Monica emphasizes the importance of mindset as her father had instilled in her, reiterating that it is 90% mindset that leads to success, and 1...
Oct 25, 2024•55 min•Ep. 28
This week we are joined by a special guest "Rooster", an eccentric idiosyncratic individual who shares with the audience his upbringing; from his relationship with his parents to the meaning of his tattoos, which demonstrates his outlook towards life. From enduring difficult losses such as losing his loving wife and home, and living on the streets for 17 years despite working multiple jobs within the construction and warehouse industry, Rooster emphasizes the importance of being an honest and ea...
Oct 18, 2024•8 min•Ep. 27
Special guest and pastor Sergio Vera returns for part two of this week’s podcast to share how living a tumultuous lifestyle led to a road of struggle, danger, and a lack of progress, motivating him to reframe his mindset and re-establish his priorities in order to be fully present for himself, his family, and his friends. Living an adult life at such an early age means compromising much and missing out on many early archetypal childhood experiences. Sergio testifies to this as he details being s...
Oct 11, 2024•46 min•Ep. 26
On this week’s podcast MJ and AYD are joined by special guest Sergio Vera, a Boyle Heights native centering his energy around God’s plan. Father of three and a dedicated member of his church, Sergio shares with the audience his experience during his transition from the streets into the church, reminiscing on and demonstrating the significance of willpower, and the importance of finding inner peace and strength in the face of life’s adversities. Family dynamics differ across all households. Altho...
Oct 04, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 25
Boxing and sobriety have helped many develop a lifestyle that is conducive to their needs, goals, hopes, and aspirations for the future. On this week’s podcast, we are joined by returning guests Spencer Valenzuela, undefeated boxing champ and longtime persistence and resistance Coach, Flaco, who reiterate how life’s hardest battles that exist within the ring and outside of it become possible to tackle through acknowledging your need for help and establishing a purpose greater than yourself. Boxi...
Sep 27, 2024•59 min•Ep. 24
It’s the sound of the bell ringing and immediately all that exists is you, your technique, the adrenaline, and your opponent in the ring. In that ring and in life, we learn that it does not matter how you start, but how you finish. This mantra is emphasized and reiterated further in this week’s episode with guests Spencer Valenzuela, a boxer with an undefeated amateur record and two belts under his sleeve, and his coach, Flaco, a Boyle Heights native who fell in love with the sport of boxing sin...
Sep 20, 2024•58 min•Ep. 23
Setting realistic expectations, repeating exceptional performances systematically, and ultimately trusting the process: all of these being effective mindset tools and strategies recommended by our returning guest and personal mind and fitness coach, Canidate (@IamCanidate) to ultimately ensure that your workout plan serves a purpose. In this week’s episode, we revisit the topic of working out the mind and body and the importance of establishing routines to remain consistent in your journey towar...
Sep 13, 2024•57 min•Ep. 22
F.I.T. - Foraging Instinctive Thinking- a mind tool and strategy introduced by our special guest in order to train your body and mind into habit. In this week’s episode with MJ and AYD, we are joined by special guest Canidate (@IamCanidate), an OC based fitness guru with 30 years of experience in personal training, coaching, and all areas of fitness. Motivating the mind and body to remain consistent when it comes to prioritizing health and fitness can prove to be both challenging and daunting. I...
Sep 06, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 21
Tears will roll! In this week’s episode, longtime parents, Mo and host MJ continue on the topic of co-parenting and provide advice on lessons they’ve learned from their personal experiences when dealing with partners who have been both intentional and immature with their co-parenting approaches. It can be universally agreed that when one has a child, the child becomes the priority and the parents therefore must present the best versions of themselves to their child. Feelings will get hurt, chall...
Aug 30, 2024•34 min•Ep. 20
Join MJ and returning guest and mother of two (Mo) as we delve into the difficult and ambiguous topic of what effective co-parenting looks like and the implications that different co-parenting styles may have on the child. Co-parenting can prove to be difficult to navigate through –especially when both parties possess differing opinions on what it means to successfully raise and be present for their child. Does effective co-parenting then mean being able to put your ego, pride, and emotions asid...
Aug 23, 2024•30 min•Ep. 19
In this week’s episode, we are joined by special guest Mo –Monique–, an insightful and independent individual who helps us venture into the world of Red Flags and how to identify them within relationships, the workplace, amongst friends, and within our own families. Red Flags cover a broad spectrum of topics, but how do we define them, identify them, and work toward improving ourselves? We hear this popular term commonly used in this generation; but does this subjective topic mean the same to ev...
Aug 16, 2024•39 min•Ep. 18
Noah is an idiosyncratic youngster who does not waste his time! Join MJ and special guest Noah on his voyage to success as he demonstrates his will and commitment to his college career, side hustle, circle of trust, lovable family, and God. How does a 19-year-old manage an equilibrium of the adherences above, in addition to the many barriers that seem never-ending in the second half of 2024? Find out as Noah elaborates on what it takes to become deterministic, diligent, and constantly fight for ...
Aug 11, 2024•51 min•Ep. 17
This episode is a DOOZYl, featuring AYD and his wife Tasha dropping some serious knowledge about their 18-year marriage journey. They dive deep into the ups and downs of their relationship, from rocky beginnings to smooth sailing, keeping it real every step of the way. AYD and Tasha don't shy away from the heavy stuff. They open up about past struggles, including AYD's drinking and emotional challenges, and how they've worked through them together. But it's not all choppy waters – they share som...
Jul 26, 2024•57 min•Ep. 16
Hey there, Wavers! Join MJ, Mo, and the crew as they dive into the world of intentional dating. This episode of Riding the Wave Podcast is all about navigating modern romance with purpose and authenticity. Our hosts get real about dating in 2024, covering everything from the impact of social media on our romantic expectations to balancing parental responsibilities with the search for love. They share personal experiences and offer wisdom on how to build meaningful relationships. Key takeaways: -...
Jul 19, 2024•59 min•Ep. 15
Calling all Kings and Queens navigating the exciting (and sometimes awkward) world of first dates! In this episode, MJ, AYD, and Mo are diving deep into everything you need to know to make that first impression a lasting one. The episode kicks off with everybody sharing their current emotional states. They then transition into practical tips, tackling everything from how to prepare beforehand to conversation starters and choosing the perfect location. Listen in for advice on how to showcase your...
Jul 12, 2024•47 min•Ep. 14
MJ and AYD are fighting! Tune in this week to hear what's been going on between MJ and AYD behind the scenes of Riding the Wave podcast. We talk about trusting the process as you learn and grow. And how to deal with collaborators and close personal friends who you are involved in a project with. All friends have their highs and lows, it's how you deal with the tough times that matter. Learn from AYD and MJ as they talk about communication, trust, and friendship.
Jul 05, 2024•39 min•Ep. 13
In this episode of Riding the Wave, AYD and MJ open the show with a more personal tone. They acknowledge that both of them have recently faced challenges, hinting at a deeper discussion for a future episode. MJ gives a shoutout to his nephews for their recent accomplishments, while AYD offers condolences to a friend who experienced a loss. The core topic of this episode is Adapting to Change. MJ admits his difficulty with change and overthinking situations, while AYD emphasizes taking action to ...
Jun 28, 2024•48 min•Ep. 12
