Brian McManamon on Fatherhood, Pride & Finding His Second Act

Brian McManamon on Fatherhood, Pride & Finding His Second Act

Brian McManamon has spent his career bringing complex characters to life on stage and screen. But his own story is just as compelling. In this episode of Love, Take Two, Brian opens up about the loss of his father, surviving a violent attack in New York City, and the life-changing period that led him to his husband of more than twenty years. He reflects on how grief, love, and resilience shaped his journey as an actor, teacher, husband, and father. Brian also discusses Bad Dad, the powerful new short film he produced and stars in, which explores bullying, LGBTQ+ parenting, and what happens when people are pushed to protect the ones they love. The conversation expands into Pride Month, representation, raising children in queer families, and why visibility still matters. This is a conversation about second chances, chosen family, creativity, and finding meaning in the chapters you never planned to write. Key Takeaways * How grief and trauma became a turning point in Brian's life * The role love played in building his "Take Two" * Why becoming a father changed his perspective on purpose * The inspiration behind Bad Dad and its message about LGBTQ+ families * What Pride, representation, and visibility mean today * How teaching at Juilliard transformed his understanding of artistry * Why Brian believes actors don't need to suffer to create meaningful work * If this episode stayed with you, send it to someone who could use a reminder that life's biggest pivots often lead us exactly where we're meant to be. Connect with Us Love, Take Two Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lovetaketwopod/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love, Take Two Tiktok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  [https://www.tiktok.com/@lovetaketwopod] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love, Take Two Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZrf3XmSTWlr6aqU1unYdKw]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jaimie Kelton Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  [https://www.instagram.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jose Rolon Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/nycgaydad/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Connect with Brian McManamon Brian McManamon [https://www.instagram.com/brianjmcmanamon/] Credits Edited by: Jerson Barajas Recorded by: MCM Creative Produced by: Jose Rolon and Jaimie Kelton

Bryce Ziskin on Spirit Signs, Synchronicities, and Purpose

Bryce Ziskin spent years trying to build the kind of life that looked stable and predictable on paper. But motherhood, grief, and a series of unexplainable moments ultimately pushed her toward the path she had spent most of her life trying to avoid. In this episode of Love, Take Two, Bryce opens up about growing up with intuitive abilities she did not fully understand, the traumatic experiences that changed her relationship with control, and how becoming a parent cracked her wide open in ways she never expected. She talks about signs, synchronicities, spirit communication, queer family building, and why she believes we are all far more intuitive than we realize. Bryce also shares the story behind her work with the Forever Family Foundation and her role on the true crime paranormal series Voices from the Grave, where she helps investigate unresolved cold cases alongside forensic experts. This is a conversation about grief, purpose, inner knowing, and what happens when life keeps pushing you toward the thing you were never planning to become. Key Takeaways * How Bryce first realized she had intuitive abilities * Why motherhood and trauma completely shifted her life path * What “tapping in” actually means and how intuition works * The connection between grief, signs, and synchronicities * How queer family building shaped Bryce’s understanding of control and purpose * What it is like working on Voices from the Grave and investigating cold cases * If this episode stayed with you, send it to someone who could use the reminder that sometimes the things we try hardest to ignore are the things meant to guide us most. Connect with Us * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love, Take Two Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/lovetaketwopod/] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love, Take Two Tiktok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@lovetaketwopod] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love, Take Two Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZrf3XmSTWlr6aqU1unYdKw] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jaimie Kelton Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jose Rolon Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/nycgaydad/] * Bryce Ziskin [https://www.instagram.com/connectionswithb/] Credits: Edited by: Jerson BarajasRecorded by: MCM CreativeProduced by: Jose Rolon and Jaimie Kelton

Tony Morrison: The Emmy Award Winning Journalist Who Decided to Tell His Own HIV Story

Tony Morrison has spent his career making sure the right stories get told. It took a little longer to turn that same intention toward his own. In this episode of Love, Take Two, Tony sits down to talk about the journey that took him from producing at CNN and Good Morning America to working at GLAAD to launching Morrison Media Group, where he now builds culture moving campaigns for brands like Disney, Netflix, and the NFL. It is an extraordinary career built on one consistent through line — the belief that representation is not a nice to have, it is a necessity. But the conversation goes deeper than the resume. Tony opens up about living with HIV, what that diagnosis meant for him personally and professionally, and how it ultimately sharpened his sense of purpose around the stories he chooses to tell. He talks about what it has been like to navigate a media industry that has historically been slow to center queer voices, what drove him to do something about it, and why he made the decision to live and speak openly about his status. He also gets into where he came from, how he built something from the ground up, and what it really looks like to run a business that is as much about mission as it is about strategy. This is a conversation about owning your narrative, showing up fully in an industry that does not always make that easy, and what happens when the person telling everyone else's story finally decides to tell their own. Key Takeaways * What Tony's path from CNN and Good Morning America to GLAAD to Morrison Media Group actually looked like * How his HIV diagnosis shaped his sense of purpose and the work he does today * What genuine LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media looks like in practice and why it still matters * The mission behind Morrison Media Group and what drives the brands and stories he chooses to work with * Why he made the decision to speak openly about living with HIV and what that has meant for his advocacy If this conversation stayed with you, pass it along to someone who needs a reminder that the most powerful story you can tell is your own — and come hang out with us on social. Connect with Us * * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love, Take Two Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/lovetaketwopod/] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love, Take Two Tiktok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@lovetaketwopod] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love, Take Two Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZrf3XmSTWlr6aqU1unYdKw] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jaimie Kelton Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jose Rolon Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/nycgaydad/] * ⁠⁠Tony Morrison [https://www.instagram.com/thetonymorrison/] Credits: * Edited by: Jerson Barajas * Recorded by: MCM Creative * Produced by: Jose Rolon, Jaimie Kelton, and Dianni Hall

Jove Meyer: From $700 and a Craigslist Post to One of the Top Wedding Planners in the World

Most people move to New York with a plan. Jove Meyer moved to New York with $700 and figured the rest out on Craigslist. In this episode of Love, Take Two, Jove takes us back to where it all started — a leap of faith into a new city with virtually nothing, and a scrappiness that eventually built one of the most recognized wedding design businesses in the world. His work has been featured in Vogue and The New York Times, he has been named one of the top wedding planners globally, and he hosts his own podcast Wedding-ish. None of that happened by following the traditional playbook. Jove gets into what it has looked like to push back against an industry that for a long time had a very narrow idea of what a wedding was supposed to look like — and who it was supposed to be for. He talks about the work of making the wedding space genuinely inclusive for LGBTQ+ couples, not just symbolically but in the actual design, language, and experience of the day itself. For Jove, a wedding should feel like the couple, full stop. He also opens up about his own journey to starting a family with his husband, what that process taught him about love and patience, and how his personal life has shaped the way he shows up for the couples he works with. This is a conversation about building something from nothing, refusing to let an industry tell you what is possible, and what it really means to celebrate love on your own terms. Key Takeaways * How Jove went from $700 and a Craigslist ad to one of the most celebrated wedding planners in the world * What genuine LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the wedding industry actually looks like in practice * How he has created space for queer couples to celebrate in ways that feel authentically theirs * What his own journey to fatherhood taught him about love, partnership, and patience * Why he believes your wedding should look like absolutely no one else's If this episode resonated, send it to a couple who is planning their day and needs a reminder that there are no rules — and come hang out with us on social. Connect with Us * * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love, Take Two Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/lovetaketwopod/] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love, Take Two Tiktok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@lovetaketwopod] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love, Take Two Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZrf3XmSTWlr6aqU1unYdKw] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jaimie Kelton Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jose Rolon Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/nycgaydad/] * ⁠Jove Meyers [https://jovemeyer.com/] Credits: * Edited by: Jerson Barajas * Recorded by: MCM Creative * Produced by: Jose Rolon, Jaimie Kelton, and Dianni Hall

Marti Cummings: Why Drag Is Resistance and Everything is Political

What does it look like to build a life at the intersection of art, activism, and heartbreak — all while the world around you feels like it is coming apart at the seams? In this episode of Love, Take Two, Marti Cummings gets into all of it. As a drag performer, TV personality, and activist who has performed on all seven continents and hosted their own talk show, Marti has never done things the conventional way. That includes becoming the first openly non-binary candidate to run for office in New York City — a campaign that was as much about visibility and community as it was about politics. Marti opens up about what drove them to step into the political arena, what that experience actually looked like on the ground in New York, and how they think about advocacy and resistance in the current political climate. They also get personal about love. Marti reflects on their marriage, their divorce, and what moving through the end of a relationship taught them about themselves. It is the kind of honest that does not show up in press junkets. This is a conversation about showing up — for your community, for yourself, and for the people you love — even when it is hard, even when it costs you something. Key Takeaways * What led Marti to run for office in New York City and what that experience was really like * How drag has evolved for them from art form to platform for political resistance * Their take on the current administration and what effective advocacy looks like right now * What their divorce taught them about love, identity, and starting over * How they have built a career that refuses to separate entertainment from activism If this conversation lit something up in you, share it with someone who needs a reminder that resistance can look like a lot of things — and come hang out with us on social. Connect with Us * * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love, Take Two Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/lovetaketwopod/] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love, Take Two Tiktok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@lovetaketwopod] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love, Take Two Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZrf3XmSTWlr6aqU1unYdKw] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jaimie Kelton Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jose Rolon Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/nycgaydad/] * Marti Cummings [https://www.instagram.com/martigcummings/] Credits: * Edited by: Jerson Barajas * Recorded by: MCM Creative * Produced by: Jose Rolon, Jaimie Kelton, and Dianni Hall