It’s not often that one of your childhood friends is a Grammy, Tony, and Emmy award winner. But that is the case with Jess and music director, arranger, and composer— Alex Lacamoire. Alex is best known for his work on Broadway shows like In The Heights, Dear Evan Hansen, and Hamilton.

Most recently, Alex composed the score for Netflix’s Vivo and serves as Executive Music Producer on the upcoming film Tick, Tick...BOOM!

On this episode, Alex and Jess (who have been friends since they were 12) talk about Alex’s musical childhood, the incredible success of Hamilton, and his efforts to extend the same opportunities he’s had to the next generation.

Alex and Jess both attended the same performing arts middle school and high school in Miami. But this is the first time these friends are talking about Alex’s hearing impairment and how it impacted the Dominant Stories he told himself as a kid, and how he’s learned to not only overcome those stories but help change them for the next generation of musicians.

Alex, who co-arranged the score of Hamilton and also is the orchestrator, music director, and conductor for the original broadway show, reflects with Jess on how Hamlton has changed the trajectory of representation in musicals forever.

For all of you Ham Fans out there - you don’t want to miss this one!

And if you want to help pay it forward for the next generation of musical artists - Alex talks about the organization he co-founded, M.U.S.E. (Musicians United for Social Equity) to help increase diversity in the theater industry by providing resources, internships, mentorships, and support to historically marginalized people of color.

You can search through their directory of talent to find a musician for your next show at museonline.org.

You also can follow Alex Lacamoire @LacketyLac on Twitter and @alacamoire on Instagram.

Please rate, review, subscribe and share Dominant Stories with everyone you know.

If you want to learn more about Dominant Stories and how you can challenge and change them, visit jessweiner.com or follow Jess on Instagram @imjessweiner.

You can also email us about your Dominant Stories and how you are changing them - podcast@jessweiner.com or leave us a voicemail at 213 259 3033

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may remember Stacy London, one of America’s foremost style experts and co-host of TLC’s iconic show, “What Not to Wear.”

Well now, in the middle passage of her life, Stacy is adding CEO to her resume. After an accomplished career in fashion, Stacy is now CEO of State of Menopause, a lifestyle company that is advocating for the underrepresented issue of menopause while providing helpful products.

In this episode, she speaks with Jess about her own confusion when perimenopause hit, and how she didn’t have the knowledge or language to help herself through what many women experience as a difficult time.

Stacy vulnerably shares how we can all set ourselves up for a healthier outlook on aging and the changes happening to our bodies as we grow older.

With so many Dominant Stories in culture around aging, this conversation is an important reminder that we can shift the narrative and in turn the way we see ourselves!

You can find Stacy London on social media, or visit her company’s website at stateofmenopause.com, to find products and advice.

Please rate, review, subscribe and share Dominant Stories with everyone you know.

If you want to learn more about Dominant Stories and how you can challenge and change them, visit jessweiner.com or follow Jess on Instagram @imjessweiner.

You can also email us about your Dominant Stories and how you are changing them - podcast@jessweiner.com or leave us a voicemail at 213 259 3033

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Jess speaks publicly for the first time in a decade about a subject near and dear to her heart: body positivity in the context of weight loss. This episode tackles the question:

“Can you love your body while still desiring to lose weight?”

Jess and her guest for this episode, Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, have both experienced 100+ lb weight loss in their life. They know firsthand what it’s like to grapple with that question. They both share candidly about what life is like in a larger body and what happened when that weight started to drop (the answer may surprise you).

Amani’s not only a voice for body inclusivity for women around the world but at 25 years of age she’s also a “media titan” (according to the New York Times) and the founder and creator of muslimgirl.com.

Amani started Muslim Girl as a blog when she was still in high school. After she couldn’t find any publications that spoke to her experience as a Muslim girl growing up in America, she decided to make her own. The blog has since taken off and become the first Muslim company on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, making Amani the first veiled woman to be listed.

Amani’s background is important because her experience growing up as a Muslim woman in America affected her weight, just as her weight affected her experience as a Muslim woman. This is an intersectional conversation that embraces the nuance inherent to the question of the episode. There’s so much more to health than weight, there’s so much more to weight than the way you look, and there’s so much more to this conversation that you’ll just have to hear for yourself!

You can follow Amani @Amani on most platforms, and @xoamani on Twitter. Also, check out her book named by the same title as her blog: Muslim Girl.

To learn how you can support the next generation to have a positive relationship with beauty, visit Dove.com/selfesteem for academically validated tools to help parents, teachers, and mentors tackle tough topics ranging from bullying and poor body image to discrimination.

Please rate, review, subscribe and share Dominant Stories with everyone you know.

If you want to learn more about Dominant Stories and how you can challenge and change them, visit jessweiner.com or follow Jess on Instagram @imjessweiner.

You can also email us about your Dominant Stories and how you are changing them - podcast@jessweiner.com or leave us a voicemail at 213 259 3033

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been collecting questions from you, sweet listener, and in this very special holiday edition of Dominant Stories, Jess and Iskra Lawrence tackle some of your questions: From managing grief during this time of year to managing body image and appearance related comments from your family, this episode is your guide to survive the holidays with your sanity intact.

Iskra started her career in modeling, but after being told she was either “too big” or “not big enough,” she decided to focus on promoting a more healthy atmosphere for women in the media.

Now she is adding entrepreneur to her list of impressive titles including being on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. She has just launched the Self Funding Planner at selffundingplanner.com, which is a combination of journal, planner, and self-care exercises designed to help you connect more to yourself and your vision.

You can follow her and learn more at @iskra on social media.

Please rate, review, subscribe and share Dominant Stories with everyone you know.

If you want to learn more about Dominant Stories and how you can challenge and change them, visit jessweiner.com or follow Jess on Instagram @imjessweiner.

You can also email us about your Dominant Stories and how you are changing them - podcast@jessweiner.com or leave us a voicemail at 213 259 3033

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jess talks with Rachel Bloom, Emmy and Golden Globe winner, and the star and creator of the hit show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. After Rachel’s recent breast reduction surgery and the media’s (false) portrayal of it, they discuss how media tropes and stereotypes can force women into boxes about how they feel about themselves.

Jess and Rachel reflect on the new culture of “tweakments,” and the evolving understanding that body modifications like plastic surgery can be empowering in some situations, or the result of falling victim to a culture of unattainable beauty ideals in others. The trick is to know the difference. Rachel shares with us how she thought it out for herself.

After her convo with Rachel, Jess speaks with Nadia Craddock, a body image researcher (PhD) at the Centre for Appearance Research, who explains where our ideals and dominant stories about beauty come from. Nadia is skeptical that plastic or cosmetic surgery can ever be “empowering,” except in rare circumstances. She reminds us that there are powerful commercial forces who like to take advantage of the latest beauty trends, and she warns that the warm and fuzzy feelings that come after a cosmetic operation may not last.

Find Rachel @racheldoesstuff on Instagram. You can find Rachel’s new book (also in audio form), I Want To Be Where The Normal People Are, on her website racheldoesstuff.com.

You can follow Nadia @nadia.craddock on Instagram and @Nadia_Craddock on Twitter. She’s also a co-host on two podcasts of her own, The Body Protest and Appearance Matters: The Podcast.

If you’d like some tips for navigating appearance pressures and building body confidence with a young person in your life, please visit Dove.com/selfesteem.

Please rate, review, subscribe and share Dominant Stories with everyone you know.

If you want to learn more about Dominant Stories and how you can challenge and change them, visit jessweiner.com or follow Jess on Instagram @imjessweiner.

You can also email us about your Dominant Stories and how you are changing them - podcast@jessweiner.com or leave us a voicemail at 213 259 3033

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all know and love the mind of Shonda Rhimes.

She’s the founder of Shondaland and the force behind so many beloved TV series including Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, and How to Get Away with Murder + Bridgerton.

In this episode, Shonda talks about the intentionality behind her shows and explains how having a diverse cast and crew wasn’t so much a matter of choice as it was simply inevitable. She talks about her “unaplogetically feminist upbringing,” and a family that gave their children what they needed to succeed in this world.

Indomitable as Shonda is, it hasn’t always been easy. Jess and Shonda talk about Shonda’s “Year of Yes,” the year in which Shonda said “yes” to the things that terrify her, and the memoir by the same name that she wrote about her experience.

Shonda’s no stranger to Dominant Stories, and as one might expect from a prolific writer, she has powerful insights to share regarding how she challenged and changed them.

These days, Shonda is unapologetically herself, and still creating amazing television, such as the upcoming Netflix Original series, Inventing Anna.

This incredible and inspiring conversation is a must-listen!

And to learn how you can support the next generation to have a positive relationship with beauty, visit Dove.com/selfesteem for academically validated tools to help parents, teachers, and mentors tackle tough topics ranging from bullying and poor body image to discrimination.

Please rate, review, subscribe and share Dominant Stories with everyone you know.

If you want to learn more about Dominant Stories and how you can challenge and change them, visit jessweiner.com or follow Jess on Instagram @imjessweiner.

You can also email us about your Dominant Stories and how you are changing them - podcast@jessweiner.com or leave us a voicemail at 213 259 3033

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, Dominant Story fans! We're excited to share the Jill Scott podcast hosted by culture expert Jill Scott. It's a show from iHeartRadio and we think you'll enjoy it too. Don't just take our word for it, though. Check out the trailer and decide for yourself!

About the podcast: Jill Scott, Laiya St.Clair, and Aja Graydon-Dantzler are music and entertainment icons, but they’re also experts in the art of no-holds-barred conversations. Jill Scott Presents: J.ill the Podcast is like chilling with that friend who says what everyone wants to say but is too afraid to – times three. Expect unfiltered talk about relationships, health, art, and everything else that comes with surviving and thriving as a Black woman in the world.

Listen and subscribe to J.ill the Podcast with Jill Scott on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You might think that “breaking the binary” is only about breaking the gender binary, but there is so much more to binary thinking.

Binary thinking refers to anytime we see the world as one way OR another. Binary thinking allows no room for the in-between. And Dominant Stories thrive on binary thinking.

To help us explore how thinking differently about our gender, beauty fashion, and identity can help us break free from our limiting beliefs, Jess is joined by two incredible guests:

Addison Rose Vincent is an educator, LGBTQ+ advocate, speaker, and community organizer. Since coming out as trans and nonbinary in 2010, they’ve been dedicated to creating systemic change across the country. Addison eloquently breaks down what binary thinking means, and how challenging it can help us in our everyday lives. They have some pretty incredible stories to share about trans joy and gender euphoria as well!

Nicolette Mason is a fashion writer and creative consultant, you’ve probably read her work in Marie Claire, Glamour, Teen Vogue, or Refinery29. Nicolette hones in on how binaries play out in the fashion and beauty industries. It might surprise you to learn how much of an effect these industries have on us, and especially the self esteem of women and girls. Nicolette has been working for more than 12 years to push the needle on LGBTQ+ and body-size inclusion.

You can find Addison Rose Vincent @breakingthebinary (@breakingthebinary_ on Tiktok) or at www.breakthebinaryllc.com. You can find the Nonbinary and Intersex Recognition Project’s site, which Addison mentioned, at nirp.us. And you can find Nicolette Mason @nicolettemason or at nicolettemason.com.

If you’d like access to resources to help you be a better ally, (or “accomplice,” as Jess likes to say), the beauty brand Dove has created “Proud To Be Me” to address topics ranging from inclusive language, avoiding misgendering, and challenging negative body talk. Go to Dove.com/ProudToBeMe to learn more.

Please rate, review, subscribe and share Dominant Stories with everyone you know.

If you want to learn more about Dominant Stories and how you can challenge and change them, visit jessweiner.com or follow Jess on Instagram @imjessweiner.

You can also email us about your Dominant Stories and how you are changing them - podcast@jessweiner.com or leave us a voicemail at 213 259 3033

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.