Episodes

  • Abstract Essay in its sixth season features Ryan Beckett as my guest, sharing insights, experiences, and perspectives on personal growth, leadership, and navigating life's challenges with purpose and resilience.
    Jun 13 2026

    Ryan Beckett

    From the Bachelorette, to real estate CEO, startup founder, adjunct professor & a Doctorate in Business.

    Ryan Beckett is an entrepreneur, educator, endurance athlete, and media personality passionate about helping others think bigger, perform at a higher level, and adapt to the future of business. He is the Founder and CEO of BitRealty, a modern real estate brokerage known for blending high-touch service with innovative marketing and technology-driven strategies.


    Ryan also serves as an adjunct professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where he teaches Real Estate Development and Finance, helping prepare the next generation of professionals for success in the real estate industry.


    Beyond business and academia, Ryan is an accomplished endurance athlete who completed an Ironman triathlon and once rode his bicycle across the United States to raise awareness and support for dog rescue initiatives. His passion for discipline, perseverance, and personal growth carries into every aspect of his professional and personal life.


    Ryan first gained public recognition through appearances on The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, experiences that gave him a unique perspective on relationships, media, and personal branding.


    As co-host of the REDA Podcast (Real Estate in the Digital Age), Ryan regularly discusses entrepreneurship, leadership, emerging technology, artificial intelligence, mindset, and the future of business. He also brings a fun and curious edge as a co-host of the South Florida-based podcast *Weird and Whatever*, where he dives into the paranormal, aliens, and all things out of this world.


    Known for his energetic and thoughtful conversational style, Ryan brings audiences a unique blend of practical experience, motivational insight, and forward-thinking vision. Whether discussing entrepreneurship, real estate, technology, mindset, or even the unexplained, Ryan offers audiences actionable insights and an authentic perspective on building success with purpose.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    26 mins
  • Abstract Essay, now in its sixth season, features Elliot Sawyer, Loyalty Strategist, helping high-capacity organizations transform low buy-in into cultures where people love to work and customers love to engage.
    Jun 2 2026

    Elliot Sawyer

    Loyalty Strategist: Helping High Capacity Organizations Experiencing Low Buy-In, Become Businesses People Love to Work For and Buy From

    Elliot Sawyer speaks around the world to a wide range of audiences. He has delivered over 1,500 talks, spent more than 10,000 hours guiding professionals across many industries, two decades of leadership development and has influenced nine figures of revenue. His hope is to inspire you, challenge you, connect with you, and most importantly, to help you prosper.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    27 mins
  • Abstract Essay, now in its sixth season, features Al Krockey, author of Straight Outta Skokie: The Krockey Chronicles: 1968—the first installment of an upcoming coming-of-age trilogy—as a special guest, sharing the inspiration behind his compelling story, the cultural landscape of 1968, and the experiences that shaped his journey as a writer.
    May 28 2026

    Al Krockey

    In 1968, Al Krockey was eighteen years old coming of age in the most culturally explosive era in American history.

    In 1968, Al Krockey was eighteen years old coming of age in the most culturally explosive era in American history.

    But the road to that moment began years earlier in Skokie, Illinois, where a block of co-op apartments and split-level houses felt like an entire universe.

    From hustling a buck—hawking souvenirs outside Wrigley Field, working odd jobs, and dealing a little weed—to chasing the music that defined a generation, Krockey lived fast and wide open. Nights at Chicago’s legendary Kinetic Playground, cross-country trips to wild pop festivals, and encounters with unforgettable characters turned 1968 into a year of freedom, risk, and discovery.


    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    25 mins
  • Dr. Shenetta Malkia as my guest on Book 101 Review in its sixth season, featuring a compelling conversation on global real estate strategy, leadership, resilience, mental wellness, and the power of transforming adversity into long-term success.
    May 24 2026

    Dr. Shenetta Malkia

    Global Real Estate Strategist | CEO & Broker | Author of The Resilient Asset | Leadership, Resilience & Mental Wellness Advocate

    Hi, I’m Dr. Shenetta Malkia-Sapp, a global real estate strategist, author, speaker, and entrepreneur dedicated to helping leaders, investors, and organizations build resilient assets and sustainable legacies.

    With extensive experience in real estate brokerage, property management, asset management, and business development, I focus on transforming complex market challenges into strategic opportunities for growth, stability, and long-term wealth.

    As the CEO and Broker of Sable Edge Realty and Management, I work with property owners and investors to navigate evolving housing markets while building systems that create predictable performance and long-term impact.

    Beyond real estate, I’m also the founder of Malkia Relations and Empowerment Essence, where I focus on leadership development, mental wellness advocacy, and empowering individuals to build purpose-driven businesses and lives.


    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    5 mins
  • Abstract Essay, now in its sixth season, features George Little as my guest a creative mind who designs, builds, and tinkers with ideas, projects, and innovations driven by curiosity, passion, and experimentation, sharing thought-provoking insights on creativity, invention, problem-solving, craftsmanship, and the fascinating intersection between passion projects, technology, and purposeful work.
    May 20 2026

    George Little

    I design, build, and tinker. Always for fun, sometimes for money.

    I'm George, a designer, tech entrepreneur, and outdoor enthusiast! I have an equal love for tinkering with AI as I do hiking with my dogs.

    Here's a little backstory on who I am and what makes me tick...

    Originally from the Philly area, I studied architecture at Syracuse and thinking I was going to be a black turtleneck wearing new york architect, moved to Brooklyn to work for one of the big name firms.

    After a few years, I realized this wasn't for me. It dawned on me that the part of my job I liked the most I was doing the least of: graphic design & technology. I found I was much better at pitching building designs, marketing the company's brand, and tinkering with technology to improve our efficiencies and workflows.

    So I pivoted my career to "graphic design" which lead me to an AI company where I learned about startups, remote-work, SaaS marketing, and building a business that serves the tech community.

    Years later, I now run my own remote-only consultancy that aims to work with startups and venture-backed companies to build/improve their brands and websites.

    I spend my workdays balanced between client work, marketing my own business, and tinkering on projects I find interesting... like VetResumes.com, Archive51.art, Stacked.camp, to name a few. More recently I've been trying to slash my AI company subscriptions by building my own system on the back of a bunch of used mac minis.

    Outside of work, I'm a big nature lover. I've hiked, camped, kayaked, trailered, overlanded, and backpacked all over this country (and a splash of Canada). My wife and I recently moved our family to Oregon to purse a long-time dream of running a PNW flower farm (which i will, of course, find a reason to apply technology).


    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    23 mins
  • Abstract Essay, now in its sixth season, features Kelly Gagalis as a special guest, sharing expert insights on modern relationships, online dating safety, emotional awareness, and how individuals can navigate today’s digital dating world with greater confidence, clarity, and protection.
    May 14 2026

    Kelly Gagalis

    Online Dating Safety Expert and Dating Coach

    I have been a dating coach for over 15 years. A few years ago I realised that my clients don't have the same horror stories as other people I talk to do because I bake safety into their dating training.

    A year ago in the same 24 hour period I heard from two friends that their children had just experienced horrific sexual assault... gang rape on a young gay man naively picking up someone for a 1st date on tinder and the rape of my friend's daughter hosting a dinner on a second date while my friend was in the house.

    In both of these instances when I heard the circumstances I KNEW that these horrible assaults could have been prevented if these young people had only had the skills and tools I teach to date safely online.

    From there I created Swipe Safely, the first course aimed at increasing internet dating safety.

    It is now my mission to make people safer dating online, shifting them from prey behavior to confident deterrance.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    24 mins
  • Abstract Essay, in its sixth season, features Mark Astor as my guest — an attorney dedicated to helping families navigate the complex intersection of legal challenges, mental health struggles, and addiction recovery. Through compassionate advocacy and real-world experience, this conversation explores the emotional, legal, and human realities faced by individuals and families searching for healing, justice, and hope.
    May 11 2026

    Mark Astor

    Attorney Saving Families at the Intersection of Law, Mental Health & Addiction

    I didn’t set out to build a law firm. I set out to save families.

    Early in my career, I was a prosecutor inside the criminal justice system. I saw firsthand what happens when addiction and untreated mental illness collide with law enforcement: people don’t get better — they get processed, warehoused, and traumatized. Families are left powerless, confused, and grieving someone who is still alive.

    Years later, after leaving government service, I found myself sitting across from parents, spouses, and siblings who all said the same thing:

    “We don’t know what to do anymore.”

    Their loved one wasn’t asking for help. Treatment had failed. The system had failed. And “waiting” felt like a death sentence.

    So I co-founded a law firm with a singular mission: to give families lawful, compassionate tools to intervene when a loved one’s mind has been hijacked by addiction or severe mental illness.

    Since then, I’ve helped thousands of families navigate crises involving substance use, psychiatric instability, medical complexity, and resistance to care — using legal frameworks most people don’t even know exist. I’ve watched families move from chaos and despair to clarity and action. And I’ve seen lives saved not by handcuffs or hope alone, but by informed intervention.

    What makes my voice different is this:

    I live at the intersection of law, mental health, addiction, and family dynamics — and I’m not speaking in theory. I’m speaking from the trenches.

    On podcasts, I don’t offer platitudes. I explain:

    Why “waiting until they’re ready” can be deadly

    Why the system often reacts after irreversible harm

    Why families are not “controlling” — they are responding to cognitive impairment

    And why legal intervention, when done correctly, can be an act of love, not punishment

    Hosts book me because I bring clarity to uncomfortable conversations, challenge popular myths around addiction and recovery, and give audiences something rare: a framework for action when compassion alone isn’t enough.

    If your show tackles mental health, addiction, family trauma, personal growth, leadership, or hard truths — I won’t just fill time.

    I’ll give your audience something they’ll remember, wrestle with, and share.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    29 mins
  • Abstract Essay, in its sixth season, features Ryan Matthews — 2x TEDx Speaker, former Army Combat K9 Handler, and trauma-to-transformation leadership expert — as a special guest. Through powerful storytelling and lived experience, Ryan shares profound insights on resilience, healing, leadership, and personal transformation, exploring how adversity, trauma, and life’s most difficult moments can become catalysts for growth, purpose, and authentic leadership. This compelling conversation dives into mindset, emotional strength, human potential, and the journey of turning pain into purpose while inspiring others to rise beyond their limitations.
    May 7 2026

    Ryan Matthews

    2x TEDx Speaker | Former Army Combat K9 Handler | Trauma-to-Transformation Leadership Expert

    I’m Ryan Matthews — former Army combat K9 handler, 2x TEDx speaker, published author, and founder of World of Dog Training. By age 30, I had survived combat PTSD, cancer, a serious car crash, and a heart attack. Those experiences forced me to rebuild from the inside out.

    Today, I help people and leaders turn trauma into transformation using practical frameworks rooted in resilience, communication, and relationship leadership — lessons drawn from real life, elite K9 work, and human-animal behavior. I’ve worked with 6,000+ dogs and their owners, celebrity clients, and high performers who needed calm, clarity, and control under pressure.

    I’m not here to offer motivation fluff. I bring honest stories, tactical tools, and immediately usable strategies your audience can apply to lead themselves, their relationships, and their teams more effectively.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    27 mins