#120 with Jake Messier, @theguywithstage4breastcancer

We talked about men with breast cancer, having a presence on social media, getting the message out about men with cancer and why they are misdiagnosed more often and a lot more!

Jake Messier, @theguywithstage4breastcancer, is a pioneering speaker and advocate, shattering stigmas around male breast cancer.​ With the largest social media platforms dedicated to the subject, he inspires men and women alike to confront breast health challenges, advocate for early detection, and build a community of support and awareness for survivors.

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

We talked about men with breast cancer, having a presence on social media, getting the message out about men with cancer and why they are misdiagnosed more often and a lot more!

Jake Messier, @theguywithstage4breastcancer, is a pioneering speaker and advocate, shattering stigmas around male breast cancer.​ With the largest social media platforms dedicated to the subject, he inspires men and women alike to confront breast health challenges, advocate for early detection, and build a community of support and awareness for survivors.

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

#119 with Ralph Velasco Photography around the globe.

Great conversation with Ralph talking travel photography, most visited countries, why it's good to put the camera down and enjoy the view sometimes and much more.

More info and all the links right here:

Since 2008 (17+ years) Ralph Velasco has been a full-time travel photographer and international tour

organizer, having created and led over 130 five star-rated international tours in well over 30 countries on

7 continents (plus over 100 domestic tours in the U.S.)

When not traveling, Ralph is currently based in Chicago. However, he's been location-independent for

13+ years and traditionally spends anywhere from 8 - 9 months on the road internationally scouting and

leading his tours.

Ralph has authored several books on travel photography, travel tips and mindful travel, and he just

released his newest book called Bucket Lists for Travel: Places to Go Before Your Knees Give Out!

(https://tinyurl.com/bucketlistsfortravel). Ralph also just combined several of his most recent books into a

3-in-1 book bundle titled The Mindful & Intentional Traveler

(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DKTL61PL) and you can find the individual books at this link

(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3YY3ZY3).

These books include:

1. How to Be a Mindful Traveler Using Your 5+ Senses

(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DFM2P87D)

2. Travel Activity Book for Adults: GRATITUDES Edition

(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D3MKB1TP)

3. 60 AFFIRMATIONS for Travel (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQPLBM6T)

He has a YouTube channel called The Continental DRIFTER® (https://youtube.com/continentaldrifter)

and a related website (https://ContinentalDRIFTER.co) where everything about his business can be

found, including tours, blog posts, his YouTube channel, podcasts, merchandise and more.

Ralph is often asked how people can learn to do what he does and so he created a self-guided online

course called Tour Organizer Training: Get Paid to Travel. In this course made up of 7 Modules and 26

Lessons, he goes step-by-step through what's involved in creating a tour business.

Ralph has spoken all over the world and in the U.S. at the Travel & Adventure Shows and the New York

Times Travel Show, as well as at travel blogger conferences (in Spain, Sweden, Israel, and Ireland) and

the IOETI digital marketing conference in Cairo, Egypt (see more at https://continentaldrifter.co/speaking/)

Finally, he created an iOS app called My Shot Lists for Travel more than 14 years ago, but it's no longer

on the app store and instead he turned the information into a book called 52 Categories of a Shot List:

Create Images that Tell a Story, also available on Amazon (https://tinyurl.com/52categories).

Website: https://continentaldrifter.co

Social Media

https://fb.com/thecontinentaldrifter

https://instagram.com/ralphvelasco

https://www.linkedin.com/company/continental-drifter

https://x.com/ralphvelasco

https://tiktok.com/@continentaldrifter

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

My guest today is an expert in personal reinvention. Lorie Kleiner Eckert is a dynamic author, fiber artist, and motivational speaker who has inspired over 22,000 people. In her latest book, CHAI ON LIFE, she shares heartfelt and humorous essays on navigating life's biggest transitions, from an empty nest to personal loss. Described as the 'magical love child of Nora Ephron,' Lorie is here to share her practical, vulnerable, and uplifting wisdom on finding resilience, embracing authenticity, and transforming your life at any age.

Check out the website and buy the book: https://www.loriekleinereckert.com/

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

Episode #117 Empowering Narratives: Insights from Kay A. Oliver

Storytelling, working in Hollywood, leaving Hollywood to go her own way, and championing women's resilience are just a few of the things we talked about on this episode.

Kay A. Oliver, is a dynamic storyteller holding degrees in Radio/TV/Film from California State University, Fullerton, and an MBA in Business. With over 3 decades in entertainment, spanning studios and TV stations, she produced, wrote, and directed films.

Defying gender biases and the notion that female-centric stories lack marketability in Hollywood, Oliver leaped into authorship, championing women's resilience and intelligence in her novels. Characters, often professionals such as archeologists and anthropologists, navigate life's challenges with humor despite their imperfections.

Passionate about storytelling, Kay's literary journey began with the success of "Disturbed Tombs," evolving into a compelling series. Fifteen books later, Oliver is still winning awards for her stories. Her latest, "Fear Struck," won two literary awards just months after its release.

Honored in Marquis' Who's Who in America 2024, Oliver's legacy as a legendary storyteller is cemented.

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

Episode #116 With Edward Miskie - Cancer, Musical Theatre & other Chronic Illnesses

My conversation with Edward felt honest, heartwarming, fun, sad, and everything in between as we talked about theartre, cancer, social media, favorite musicals, how annoyingly good young actors of today can be and much more.

Copied from website:

A musical theatre fever dream fueled by chemo, alcohol, sex, & heartbreak. Told from the honest, raw & oftentimes hilarious view of Edward, as he navigates his way through the painful realities of being a full-time cancer patient - indecencies, heartbreaks, wins, shenanigans & more.

https://www.edwardmiskie.com/

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

Episode #115 – With George Siegal – Built to Last Buyer Beware

This engaging and important conversation on buying, renting, building or updating your home is filled with real world information you need to know. Not just about what to ask your insurance agent, but about things you can do to prepare for the unexpected.

Here is the giveaway for this episode: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TkzZTJ4usVBcude7T7hMT9zv_z1vnlgL/view?pli=1

More about my guest:

George Siegal (Writer-Director-Producer) began his career in front of the camera as a weathercaster, newscaster, sportscaster, and feature reporter. He worked in major markets around the U.S. including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Detroit.

More recently, Siegal started the documentary film company Move the World Films to take advantage of his many years of news background to highlight important issues to mass audiences around the world. He wrote, directed, and produced the award-winning documentary film The Last House Standing (a wake-up call for homeowners to understand the hazards that occur where they live, and to know how their house will hold up when disaster strikes) and License to Parent (which offers insight into the troubling issue of bad parenting and presents a path to improve it).

Please support the film: https://movetheworldfilms.gumroad.com/l/kaywco?_gl=1*1acusx4*_ga*NDkzNDEwNDEwLjE3NDM2MjUxOTU.*_ga_6LJN6D94N6*czE3Njg1MTE3MDkkbzEwMSRnMSR0MTc2ODUxMTc5NiRqNDkkbDAkaDA.

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

Episode #114 – With Rabbi Bob Alper – They Really Let You Do That?

Fun conversation with Bob Alper, world's only practicing rabbi/stand-up comic (really). We talked about his start in comedy, the Jewish comedy of the year contest, totally clean comedy and much more.

From Bob:

Key Message / Core Story:

Maya Angelou wrote that people forget what you say, and they forget what you do, but they never forget how you make them feel. My calling – and my rabbinate – is trying to make people feel good, whether through my formal performances, often before hundreds, or when I encounter someone checking papers and licenses at a car rental lot. I enter their lives for a few moments and hope to lift their spirits through my humor.

There's a reason why Sirius/XM satellite radio plays Rabbi Bob Alper's comedy bits many times daily, often sandwiched between Bob Newhart and Jerry Seinfeld. Bob's background – he served large congregations for fourteen years and holds a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary which prepared him well for a thirty-five year comedy career with delicious material presented in a way that's intelligent, hilarious, and 100% clean.

The New York Times put it succinctly: Bob "…had the audience convulsing."
From Hollywood's IMPROV to The Montreal Comedy Festival to Toronto's Muslimfest (really), Bob's unique brand of humor has a universal appeal.

Get more info: https://bobalper.com/

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/

Episode #113 – Jill Chalsty: Packets of Hope & Life Skills That Change Lives

In this episode, I sit down with Jill Chalsty — author, educator, filmmaker, and founder focused on bringing life-skills education to students around the world. Jill shares the heart behind her memoir, Packets of Hope: A Journey of Healing and Rediscovery, and how a global journey became something much bigger than travel — it became a mission.

We talk about resilience, healing through service, and why teaching practical life skills can shape not just individuals, but entire communities. Jill's story is personal, global, and deeply rooted in hope.

In this episode we talk about:

· The journey behind Packets of Hope and how travel became transformation

· Why life-skills education, communication, empathy, and conflict resolution matters now more than ever

· Turning personal hardship into meaningful impact

· The ripple effect of empowering young people with tools for real-world challenges

· Hope as action — not just a feeling, but a choice

About Jill Chalsty

Jill is the founder of the Community for Education Foundation and has helped bring life-skills programming to educators and students in nearly 200 countries. Her work focuses on equipping people with practical tools to navigate relationships, decisions, and adversity with confidence and clarity.

Her memoir, Packets of Hope, shares the story behind that mission — and it's available free, making her message accessible to anyone who wants to read it.

Learn more about Jill and access the memoir here:
👉 https://www.packetsofhope.com/

Why you'll want to listen

This conversation is thoughtful, encouraging, and grounded in real experience. If you're interested in education, service, travel with purpose, or stories that turn hardship into impact, Episode 113 delivers.

🎙️ Were You Still Talking? is hosted by Joel Albrecht – actor, content creator, and curious conversationalist. New episodes drop regularly wherever you get your podcasts.

Want to be a guest on Were You Still Talking?? Send Joel Albrecht a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17479536339826768613f136d

Music for all episodes by Jon Griffin.

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugOLERePPuD4nwtZO-Zwnw?view_as=subscriber

My Instagram: @joelyshmoley

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wereyoustilltalking/