They say you write what you know. For Candice Guardino, that was family.

A Brooklyn girl raised on Staten Island by a family that was equal parts chaos and love — she didn’t just mine that material, she crafted it to build an empire. Italian Bred, her critically acclaimed one-woman show, went from five minutes at a comedy club to a full theatrical special now streaming on Apple TV & Amazon Prime.

Candice and I met when we were 18 at Wagner College — two theater kids convinced we had something to say.

Turns out, we were right.

She sat down with me on Respectfu11y and we got into all of it — the years, the work, the becoming.

Episode goes LIVE 5/5.

Jacob Thompson left Iowa for New York City the second he could and never really slowed down. He circled the globe performing everywhere from stages to ships before trading sea legs for suburbia. These days he is a licensed personal trainer with a Marvel themed home gym proving that the line between performer and superhero is negotiable.

From New York Comic Con to cosplay conventions across the country Jacob has turned a love of muscle and spandex into a full blown lifestyle. It is equal parts discipline fandom and unapologetic fun.

A true shape shifter on and off the stage Jacob built his foundation in theater the old school way through training touring and saying yes to roles that demand physicality precision and presence. His work spans stage immersive theater and fan driven productions including visually striking work with Synetic Theater and interactive hits like Dungeons and Dragons The Twenty Sided Tavern.

Actor athlete cosplayer storyteller.

If there is a costume involved chances are Jacob is already in it and fully committed, Respectfu11y.

Meet Claudia DeMarco, founder of the Goddess Protocol, a movement rooted in discipline, identity and self mastery. For the past 10 years, Claudia has taken her research and personal experience and turned it into a framework that teaches women how to take control of their lives from the inside out. She makes no apologies for owning her goddess energy, and she does it with full conviction, Respectfu11y.

In this episode of Respectfu11y, we go deeper than surface level empowerment. Claudia breaks down what it really takes to become the woman you claim to be. From what you allow into your mind, to how you hold your standards, to the choices you make every day, the focus stays on action not empty talk.

Claudia challenges your perspective on confidence, growth and control. There are no shortcuts and no fluff, only truth.

Real. Raw. Rebellious.