Videos

Summary This week Jay and Gary are joined by an extra special guest: Jay’s father-in-law, Gabriel Torres…and he’s got quite the story to tell. Gabe grew up in Colombia where as a student he was a basketball star. After graduating high school, Gabe had an opportunity to come to the…

This week we're joined by professional fighter and Moyamoya survivor Vince Murdock. Vince has gone through a lot of setbacks in life: • A Moyamoya diagnosis led to brain surgery. • Injuries dogged his career. • A car accident came out of nowhere. Others may have crumpled, but Vince proved…

Summary *TW* - This episode discusses experiences with death and violence that may be upsetting for some listeners. Please listen with caution. This week The Tragedy Academy is honored to have Deandre "Sip the Kid" Smith on the show. These days Deandre is an actor and motivational speaker, but in…

TheTragedyAcademy.com This week's academic is five-time Miss Michigan, professional ring girl, and circus trapeze artist Sarah Donna. With such incredible accomplishments, you could not ask for a more humble and gracious guest, not to mention hilarious. Sarah discusses life as growing up in a small town as a gamer through…

In today’s episodes of The Tragedy Academy, Jay is joined by Brazilian actor and dancer Glauco Araujo. Glauco walks us through his life growing up in remote farmland in Brazil and how he turned his internal struggles into beautiful art for all to consume. Key Points: • Glauco tells his…

Summary *TW: This episode contains discussions of suicide; please listen with caution.* This week on the podcast, Jay welcomes Iden Crockett. Iden is a true Renaissance woman: artist, writer, photographer, musician, and so much more, but this has been her second lease on life. Iden was a paramedic and firefighter…

This week on The Tragedy Academy, Jay welcomes back musician and executive producer, Gary DeFranco, for a very special episode: The Tragedy Academy’s season finale! This is TA’s last episode before taking a short hiatus to come back even bigger and better. Jay covers some of the highlights from the…

TheTragedyAcademy.com In today’s episode, Jay is joined by Jazmine Brown of “Just Jazz”. She has a podcast and YouTube channel. She utilizes her authenticity and position to empower people. Episode Highlights: • 3:08: It all started on November 13th, 1991, that is when Jazmine was born. Soon after, she found…

Summary Welcome to The Tragedy Academy... 2.0! In this episode get the scoop on what we have in store for our relaunch. Jay sits down with our new co-host, Gary, to talk about this new era of TA - from new team members to new merch, we've got it all.…

Summary Jay and Gary are joined in the studio by musician and rapper, Matthew Scheall. Matthew came to music a little later in the game, not starting his journey until college when he was inspired and encouraged by close friends. Matthew has grown as an artist in the years since…

On this installment of the Tragedy Academy, writer, actor, and speaker Janet Conroy Quirk is in the studio. Janet is an advocate for the plus-sized community and is co-founder of National Plus Size, a directory that connects people with plus-friendly businesses. In this episode, we dig into the stereotypes surrounding…

Summary This week's episode of The Tragedy Academy features speaker, model, and wellness advocate, Jetty Nieuwenhuis. Despite having the following of an influencer, Jetty rejects the perfect curated image of the influencer and instead uses her platform to inspire others to pursue their dreams unapologetically. The guys and Jetty discuss…

Summary Welcome to the Tragedy Academy's very first detention episode! With the teachers away, Jay and Gary get up to more shenanigans and our favorite delinquents have brought some seriously heavy-hitting topics. From Teddy Ruxpin bumping Wu Tang Clan in church to nightmarish ER visits, they've got it all. Plus…

Rediscover Your Greatness and Unleash the Beast Within We all carry limiting ideas that prevent us from succeeding in the business and life we want. 95% of our lives are under the control of our subconscious mind, which operates on autopilot. By reshaping your perspective, you can transform into a…

In this episode, Jay and Gary welcome Kerri McKinney to talk about the highs and lows of being an alcoholic and getting sober. Kerri is an empowerment coach, energy healer, and speaker who is also a recovering alcoholic who started drinking when she was at an astonishing 12 years old.…

SummaryIn this episode, Jay welcomes Mike Talerico to shed light on what it’s like to be a professional skydiver. Mike is a competitive skydiver who’s done over 2,900 jumps throughout his career. Pretty wild, right? Skydiving is often a life-changing experience for the average person… but how has it changed…

Welcome to The Tragedy Academy, where our guest Joe Legolvan shares his journey of overcoming personal tragedy and transforming his life into a successful real estate investor, entrepreneur, and mindset and life transformation coach. In this episode, we have Joe Legolvan, a father, multimillionaire real estate investor with over 100…

🎙️In this episode of The Tragedy Academy Podcast, host Jay Hicks sits down with Keli Kane, a Kindergarten Reading Specialist, Reiki Master, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivor who shares her story of tragedy and triumph. Together, they discuss Keli's journey, her challenges, and the newfound abilities she discovered due…

Everyone suffers trauma. But it’s how we choose to deal with it. One perspective is to look at your own trauma as stored energy that needs to be released. You cannot get over your emotional pain without allowing yourself to feel it. Listen here as Ann Hince shares her journey…

In this episode of The Tragedy Academy, Jay, Gary, and guest Marina Hernandez have a thought-provoking and insightful conversation about cultural identity and the challenges and celebrations that come with it. Marina, a Chicana business owner and photographer in East Las Vegas shares her experiences of being told she does…

The journey after cancer, or any disease, is one to be reckoned with, and it is not simple and takes time, patience, and strong support from your loved ones. Tune in as Juni Bucher discusses how she managed life during her cancer journey and how she uses therapy to aid…

Summary This episode we welcome professional fighter, Bobby Maximus, to the show. A long-time friend of Gary's, the two first met on the set of The Ultimate Fighter years ago and discuss their shared experience on the show. Bobby also shares his experience of growing up in a community that…

In this episode of The Tragedy Academy, we meet runway model and actor Max Eric Lemberger. Max's journey into acting and the fashion industry came later in life but with double the intensity. He is a true testament to time having no boundaries and an inspiration to those who have…

Summary The Tragedy Academy is excited to present a new regular feature for the show: TA Library. In this episode, TA librarian Jennifer steps out from behind the curtain to talk about what academics can expect from these after-school study sessions. There will be some history, some mystery, and as…