Listen Notes Top 2% Global Ranking.
New to The Tragedy Academy?
Check out our featured guests!
Recent Episodes
March 18, 2025
Breaking the Chains: Addiction, Perspective & The Power of Self-Redefinition
In this episode of The Tragedy Academy Podcast, Dr. Adi Jaffe joins Jay for a deep, unfiltered discussion on addiction, transformation, and the illusions of identity that hold us back. From his personal journey of addiction a...
March 11, 2025
From Medical Survival to Unhinged Comedy – The Reawakening of Rachel
In this unforgettable episode of The Tragedy Academy Podcast, Jay sits down with Rachel, a survivor of Cranial-Cervical Instability (CCI) who spent 14 years misdiagnosed before undergoing life-saving neurosurgery. But Rachel ...
March 4, 2025
Breaking the Cycle: Cindy Benezra's Journey of Healing and Empowerment
Trigger Warning: This episode of The Tragedy Academy Podcast addresses serious and potentially distressing topics, including sexual abuse and trauma. The content may be triggering to those who have experienced similar events ...
Feb. 25, 2025
Resilience & Reinvention – Edison Jakupi’s Story
In this throwback episode of The Tragedy Academy Podcast, Jay reconnects with Edison Jakupi, a man whose journey embodies resilience, reinvention, and the power of never giving up. From fleeing war-torn Kosovo to building a t...
Feb. 18, 2025
Special Rerelease: Susan Gold – Breaking Cycles, Finding Freedom, and Transforming Trauma
Susan Gold—a woman whose journey from a tumultuous childhood to becoming a transformational coach is nothing short of inspiring. This video edition brings a fresh perspective to an episode that resonates deeply with the show’...
Feb. 4, 2025
The Blue Collar Mystic, Bootsy Greenwood
In this episode of The Tragedy Academy Podcast, Jay welcomes Bootsy Greenwood, a multi-talented entrepreneur, personal development coach, and creator of the Blue Collar Mystic persona and podcast. Bootsy shares his down-to-ea...
Join the Email List
Listen On
Support On
Recent Blog Posts
Nov. 22, 2024
Bridging Science and Spirituality: My Conversation with Crystal Cassi…
When I think about the divide between science and spirituality, I don’t see conflict—I see a yin-yang. In the same way, the black swirl of the yin carries a dot of white, and the white swirl of the yang carries a dot of black, so science…
Nov. 15, 2024
Transforming Teenage Lives: Building Resilience and Coping Skills for…
Transforming Teenage Lives: Building Resilience and Coping Skills for a Lifetime In this blog post, I want to reflect on my recent conversation with Austin Davis, a leader in teenage behavioral health and addiction recovery, on The Tragedy Academy …
Nov. 8, 2024
Stay Young in Your Creative Pursuits: Navigating the Path to Success …
In the world of creativity, few journeys are as varied and inspiring as that of Steve Young. Known for his Emmy-nominated work on The David Letterman Show, his quirky exploration of industrial musicals in Bathtubs Over Broadway, and most recently, h…
About the Host
Jay Hicks
Host / Creator / Owner
Florida native Jay Hicks is a music producer, podcaster, graphic designer, Voice Over Artist and the owner and creative mind behind The Tragedy Academy Podcast. Jay has held many careers, from digging septic drain fields to being a Financial Services Solution Architect Manager for one of the nation's largest consulting firms. Jay has experience producing and engineering podcasts, voice-overs, promotional videos, and advertisements.
Why?
I lived most of my life imprisoned in my mind, a slave to past experiences and choices and anxiety over the future. Seemingly random memories and worries trapped me: Will I be successful? Am I successful enough? Does she love me? Will people admire me? Do people hate me? Am I the way that I am because someone made me this way? Someone told me I'm no good. Does that mean it is true? I experienced shame over past bad decisions or was overly prideful with no need. The list of mental agonies is endless.
Looking at this box created around my life, I can see that I had succumbed to an onslaught of past and present thoughts. I had forgotten entirely about NOW. I wasn't grateful for today, the moment, family, friends, or existence itself. I will not break down my construct and inner demons, but I want to give some insight and share my thoughts on what I believe is missing from humankind today.
I never learned how to be thankful and present now. I was taught to focus on the perceived problems from my past experiences or my need to prove something to imaginary adversaries. For myself, it has been a journey to this point - not good, not bad, just experiences as they all define who I am today. Without them, I would not see this need to be grateful in my own life. This realization is what drives my work, my creativity, and my mission.
Sponsors
