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This week hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma brought sports psychologist Stefan Shakiba. In this first episode, we got to know Stefan and got some tips on how to be a good sports parent and more.

Guest 

Stefan Shakiba’s blend of experience in sports and as a Licensed Psychotherapist are unique in today’s field of sports psychology. His clients include athletes in Major League Baseball, the National Football League, Major League Soccer, Professional Tennis, Olympic Sports, and collegiate athletics. Prior to becoming a licensed clinician Stefan spent nearly three decades as an athlete. He was a ranked tennis player in Northern California, competed for traveling teams in soccer and football, and played baseball for over two decades. Additionally, his work experience in sports includes coaching high school tennis, conducting research for sports agents Steinberg Moorad and Dunn, and serving as the Director of Baseball Operations at the University of California, Berkeley. Stefan earned his Bachelors degree from the University of California – Berkeley, and holds Masters degrees from the University of San Francisco (Sports Management) and Pepperdine University (Clinical Psychology). He currently resides in Pasadena, California, where he continues to work both as a SPET coach and as a licensed therapist.

You can buy Stefan’s book, the ART of SPET at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/069276707X  

You can watch the full episode here:

Find Us Online 

– Website: http://www.bestorworstpod.com/ 

– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BestWorstDayOfYourLIfePodcast/ 

– Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBestOrWorst1 

– Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bestorworstdaypod/ 

About Us 

Our society is so focused on celebrity, we sometimes forget that “regular” people lead interesting lives too! Best or worst moment of your life? Hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma are here to let your story out. We put people on the spot. What are you going to hear? It could be funny, it could be poignant, it could be sad… you’ll know when we know.

Best or Worst is a twice-weekly podcast. On Tuesdays, we get to know our guests and on Thursdays, we find out their best or worst moment.

Download and subscribe to the podcast at your favorite podcasting host: iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Tunein, iHeart Radio, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Deezer, Listen Notes,  and most recently Amazon Music.

This week hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma brought on filmmaker Tamara Ruppart. In this second episode, we put her on the spot and asked her about the best OR worst day of her life. Tamara’s moment included a flakey chef and a fainting family member.

Guest

Tamara Ruppart has worked as a director, producer and actor in both theater and film. Film/TV directing credits include the documentary Rising Soul, the Japanese-language film short Path of Dreams, and Season 1 of The Kool School (web series for youth education).  Path of Dreams won numerous awards including Best Short and the Award of Excellence at the Winter Film Awards, Best Short Film at Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival, and the Director’s Choice Award at the Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival. She is in development with two feature films, and, in 2021, will be mounting the Los Angeles production of Broken Story for New York City’s White Horse Theater Company.  Ms. Ruppart studied Digital Filmmaking at New York Film Academy in Los Angeles; and received a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from The New School for Drama and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Davidson College, North Carolina.

You can follow her at https://www.instagram.com/tamararuppart/

Watch the whole episode here:

Find Us Online 

– Website: http://www.bestorworstpod.com/ 

– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BestWorstDayOfYourLIfePodcast/ 

– Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBestOrWorst1 

– Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bestorworstdaypod/ 

About Us 

Our society is so focused on celebrity, we sometimes forget that “regular” people lead interesting lives too! Best or worst moment of your life? Hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma are here to let your story out. We put people on the spot. What are you going to hear? It could be funny, it could be poignant, it could be sad… you’ll know when we know.

Best or Worst is a twice-weekly podcast. On Tuesdays, we get to know our guests and on Thursdays, we find out their best or worst moment.

Download and subscribe to the podcast at your favorite podcasting host: iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Tunein, iHeart Radio, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Deezer, Listen Notes,  and most recently Amazon Music.

Host Koji Steven Sakai talks to filmmaker Kerwin Berk. Kerwin’s advice to Koji’s son included (but was not limited to) investing, learning how to survive in a post-apocalyptic, and more. They also got into a discussion about the model minority myth and the universal basic life income (go Andrew Yang!). This was probably one of the most wide-ranging conversations on the podcast! Enjoy!

Guest

Kerwin is a Sansei filmmaker who was born and raised in San Francisco’s Japantown. He is an award-winning journalist who worked at newspapers and wire services in Asia and the United States for more than 20 years. His last stop was at his hometown newspaper – The Chronicle. Today, he is a freelance writer and independent filmmaker who still calls The City his home. He has written, produced and directed award-winning films and web series such as “The Virtues of Corned Beef Hash,” “Infinity & Chashu Ramen” and “Gold Mountain.”

You can check out his films at https://ikeibifilms.com/

You can watch the whole episode here:

Find Us Online

Website: https://guycodepod.buzzsprout.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GuyCodePod

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/guycodpod/

About Us

Koji wanted to impart all of his “wisdom” to his son. But of course, his son already thinks he knows more than me. So instead of trying to tell him now and having it go in one ear and out the other, he decided to record them here with the hopes that maybe… just maybe… when he’s ready he’ll listen to his advice in the future and not make the same stupid mistakes he did. He’ll also bring on guests to impart their advice as well.  Koji has no doubt their advice will be better than his.

Download and subscribe to the podcast at your favorite podcasting host: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Tune In Radio, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, and most recently Amazon Music.

This week hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma brought on filmmaker Tamara Ruppart. In this first episode of the week, we got to know Tamara and found out about her first film, her time teaching in Japan, and most importantly we learned all about Japanese “Love” Motels.

Guest 

Tamara Ruppart has worked as a director, producer and actor in both theater and film. Film/TV directing credits include the documentary Rising Soul, the Japanese-language film short Path of Dreams, and Season 1 of The Kool School (web series for youth education).  Path of Dreams won numerous awards including Best Short and the Award of Excellence at the Winter Film Awards, Best Short Film at Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival, and the Director’s Choice Award at the Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival. She is in development with two feature films, and, in 2021, will be mounting the Los Angeles production of Broken Story for New York City’s White Horse Theater Company.  Ms. Ruppart studied Digital Filmmaking at New York Film Academy in Los Angeles; and received a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from The New School for Drama and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Davidson College, North Carolina.

You can follow her at https://www.instagram.com/tamararuppart/

You can watch the whole episode here:

Find Us Online 

– Website: http://www.bestorworstpod.com/ 

– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BestWorstDayOfYourLIfePodcast/ 

– Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBestOrWorst1 

– Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bestorworstdaypod/ 

About Us 

Our society is so focused on celebrity, we sometimes forget that “regular” people lead interesting lives too! Best or worst moment of your life? Hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma are here to let your story out. We put people on the spot. What are you going to hear? It could be funny, it could be poignant, it could be sad… you’ll know when we know.

Best or Worst is a twice-weekly podcast. On Tuesdays, we get to know our guests and on Thursdays, we find out their best or worst moment.

Download and subscribe to the podcast at your favorite podcasting host: iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Tunein, iHeart Radio, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Deezer, Listen Notes,  and most recently Amazon Music.

• 

Super excited to announce that my online screenwriting class has gotten such great reviews!

Have you ever wanted to write your own movie or wondered what it takes to write one? In this educational and FUN four hour-ish workshop, I’ll teach you the basics of movie screenplays, how to properly structure and format them, how to begin to write your own stories, and an honest insiders take on the movie business from a working screenwriter and producer with almost twenty years of experience.

You’ll walk away not only with the tools to begin to write movies, but you’ll leave with the beginnings of your own story. This is a great introduction for those interested in a possible career in film but also for those who love movies and want a one-of-kind experience.

CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED ON YOUR COURSE TODAY! 

This week hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma brought on musician Ed Donnelly. In this second episode, we put him on the spot and asked him about the best OR worst day of his life. His answer involved the best and the worst moment of his life. We don’t want to spoil it for you, but let’s just say that it involves Willie Nelson and a joint.

Guest

Ed Donnelly is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer, record producer and activist from South Pasadena, CA.   He has worked with Matchbox Twenty, The Cult, Gladys Knight, Willie Nelson, Smashing Pumpkins, Del McCoury, OK Go, Exodus, Tom Morello, O.A.R., Madness, The Crystal Method, Deadmau5, Zac Brown, Crowded House, Marc Cohn, CrysP Tyger, Bighead Todd and the Monsters, Jake Shimabukuro, Barenaked Ladies, Tsar, Killola and more. Donnelly regularly performs with Little Silver Hearts and records with GhostsDream.  Little known fact: He previously held Top Secret Security Clearance with the Department of State and Q Clearance from the Department of Energy.

He currently runs The Barber’s Basement Recording Studio in Highland Park.

You can follow Ed at https://www.facebook.com/edward.donnelly3 or check out his company at http://www.barbersbasement.com/

You can watch the whole episode here:

Find Us Online 

– Website: http://www.bestorworstpod.com/ 

– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BestWorstDayOfYourLIfePodcast/ 

– Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBestOrWorst1 

– Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bestorworstdaypod/ 

About Us 

Our society is so focused on celebrity, we sometimes forget that “regular” people lead interesting lives too! Best or worst moment of your life? Hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma are here to let your story out. We put people on the spot. What are you going to hear? It could be funny, it could be poignant, it could be sad… you’ll know when we know.

Best or Worst is a twice-weekly podcast. On Tuesdays, we get to know our guests and on Thursdays, we find out their best or worst moment.

Download and subscribe to the podcast at your favorite podcasting host: iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Tunein, iHeart Radio, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Deezer, Listen Notes,  and most recently Amazon Music.

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Host Koji Steven Sakai talks to professor, writer, curator, DJ, and father Oliver Wang. Oliver came on the show via Zoom and gave Koji’s son some great life advice—such as being intellectually curious, the importance of travel, and more! Check out the episode and be sure to subscribe!  

Guest

Oliver Wang is a professor of sociology at CSU-Long Beach. He is the creator of the audioblog, Soul-Sides.com, author of Legions of Boom: Filipino American Mobile DJ Crews of the San Francisco Bay Area and editor and co-writer of Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide. He contributes on arts, music and culture to NPR, KCET’s Artbound, KPCC’s Take Two and other outlets.

Check out what he’s up to at https://soul-sides.com/

You can watch the whole episode here:

Find Us Online

Website: https://guycodepod.buzzsprout.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GuyCodePod

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/guycodpod/

About Us

Koji wanted to impart all of his “wisdom” to his son. But of course, his son already thinks he knows more than me. So instead of trying to tell him now and having it go in one ear and out the other, he decided to record them here with the hopes that maybe… just maybe… when he’s ready he’ll listen to his advice in the future and not make the same stupid mistakes he did. He’ll also bring on guests to impart their advice as well.  Koji has no doubt their advice will be better than his.

Download and subscribe to the podcast at your favorite podcasting host: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Tune In Radio, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, and most recently Amazon Music.

This week hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma brought on musician Ed Donnelly. In this first episode of the week, we got to know Ed and found out about his musical origin story, his musical career, and more!

Guest 

Ed Donnelly is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer, record producer and activist from South Pasadena, CA.   He has worked with Matchbox Twenty, The Cult, Gladys Knight, Willie Nelson, Smashing Pumpkins, Del McCoury, OK Go, Exodus, Tom Morello, O.A.R., Madness, The Crystal Method, Deadmau5, Zac Brown, Crowded House, Marc Cohn, CrysP Tyger, Bighead Todd and the Monsters, Jake Shimabukuro, Barenaked Ladies, Tsar, Killola and more. Donnelly regularly performs with Little Silver Hearts and records with GhostsDream.  Little known fact: He previously held Top Secret Security Clearance with the Department of State and Q Clearance from the Department of Energy.

He currently runs The Barber’s Basement Recording Studio in Highland Park.

You can follow Ed at https://www.facebook.com/edward.donnelly3 or check out his company at http://www.barbersbasement.com/

You can watch the whole episode here:

Find Us Online 

– Website: http://www.bestorworstpod.com/ 

– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BestWorstDayOfYourLIfePodcast/ 

– Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBestOrWorst1 

– Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bestorworstdaypod/ 

About Us 

Our society is so focused on celebrity, we sometimes forget that “regular” people lead interesting lives too! Best or worst moment of your life? Hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma are here to let your story out. We put people on the spot. What are you going to hear? It could be funny, it could be poignant, it could be sad… you’ll know when we know.

Best or Worst is a twice-weekly podcast. On Tuesdays, we get to know our guests and on Thursdays, we find out their best or worst moment.

Download and subscribe to the podcast at your favorite podcasting host: iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Tunein, iHeart Radio, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Deezer, Listen Notes,  and most recently Amazon Music.

• 

• 

To help celebrate my 21st birthday (j/k), I’m giving away (for free) my Udemy intro to screenwriting course to anyone who wants it. This code will only work for three days so click on the link now.

If you like the class, be sure to write a great/awesome review.

https://www.udemy.com/course/screenplay-101-from-idea-to-screen/?couponCode=2C99730BD92ED6878FCE

Host Koji Steven Sakai talks to filmmaker and educator Michael Sloman. Michael gave Koji’s son five great pieces of life advice that included such diverse topics as not saying “should,” putting family first, and how to treat others.

Guest

Michael Sloman lives in Upstate New York with his family. He is a filmmaker and educator. Keep up with his latest work at the Facebook page for his latest film, Our Harlem, https://www.facebook.com/ourharlemfilm.   

You can watch the whole episode here:

Find Us Online

Website: https://guycodepod.buzzsprout.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GuyCodePod

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/guycodpod/

About Us

Koji wanted to impart all of his “wisdom” to his son. But of course, his son already thinks he knows more than me. So instead of trying to tell him now and having it go in one ear and out the other, he decided to record them here with the hopes that maybe… just maybe… when he’s ready he’ll listen to his advice in the future and not make the same stupid mistakes he did. He’ll also bring on guests to impart their advice as well.  Koji has no doubt their advice will be better than his.