Being Authentic AF

Integrating Authentically: Lessons from Stage, Studio & Social

This wrap-up centers what our guests taught us about real-world expression: a stage actor on technique as a path to truth; a metal/opera vocalist on honoring style while staying personal; a tattoo artist on meaning, placement, and consent; a strength/yoga coach on day-one presence and boundaries; and a social-media scholar on how audiences read authenticity over time. I pull their through-lines into two pocket tools—VOICE (expressing) and ANCHOR (sustaining)—but the heart of this episode is their stories, and how they help us tell ours with care. This episode of Being Authentic AF was produced by Brandon Talton. Original music written and performed by John Fichera.

Sustaining Authentically: The ANCHOR Checklist

When the stakes rise, this companion to VOICE focuses on keeping it true over time. I introduce ANCHOR (Alignment, Nervous system regulation, Community & context checks, Habits & rituals, Ongoing consent & boundaries, Repair & recalibration) and apply it to workplace crunch, family dinner boundaries, hard-news posts, and creative slumps. We cover the 90-second Anchor, exits for common pitfalls (authenticity fatigue, impulse-as-honesty, algorithmic drift, the tax of visibility), and simple weekly practices to stay grounded. Duration with dignity beats intensity without care. This episode of Being Authentic AF was produced by Brandon Talton. Original music written and performed by John Fichera.

Branding Authentically: Algorithms, Audience Trust, and Sharing the Real (feat. Dr. Shanetta Pendleton)

Dr. Shanetta Pendleton is an assistant professor of strategic communications at Elon University and an authenticity scholar studying how organizations use social media to build genuine relationships with minority audiences. From Instagram statements to corporate policies, Dr. Pendleton maps the cues people use to judge perceived authenticity—why sustained action beats statements—and how to design pro-social authenticity that doesn’t just game the algorithm. This episode of Being Authentic AF was produced by Brandon Talton. Original music written and performed by John Fichera.

Exercising Authentically: Movement, Resilience & Creating your Day One (feat. Maria Finnegan)

Maria Finnegan is on the faculty at Duke University’s Department of Health, Wellness & Physical Education, where she teaches activity-based courses and coaches across ages; she’s also a longtime yoga instructor. She shares how athletics gave her a fearless self, how Crohn’s shaped (but didn’t define) her path, and why “Day One” beats waiting for perfect conditions. Inclusive coaching, small habits, and yoga’s deeper principles (presence, moderation) make authenticity a practice—not a pose. This episode of Being Authentic AF was produced by Brandon Talton. Original music written and performed by John Fichera.

Inking Authentically: Meaning, Visibility, and Intention (feat. Jessica Tippins)

Jessica Tippins is a North Carolina–based tattoo artist and owner of Five Studio, with a decade in graphic design and makeup artistry; she moved into permanent cosmetics in 2019 and expanded into tattooing in 2023. She explores tattoos as lasting self-expression—co-creating designs around a client’s “why” and choosing meaning over trend. We dig into placement-as-message (visible vs. private), boundaries and etiquette, and how “forever art” can support wellbeing. This episode of Being Authentic AF was produced by Brandon Talton. Original music written and performed by John Fichera.