What if being awkward isn’t something we need to overcome but something we need to embrace?

In this episode of To Tell You the Truth, I’m talking with entrepreneur and creator Brittane Rowe, the woman behind the conversation game Hella Awkward which she took all the way to Shark Tank where she landed the full investment she was asking for.

We talk about why so many of us are afraid of looking foolish, saying the wrong thing, or making ourselves vulnerable, and how embracing awkwardness can actually lead to more connection, confidence, creativity, and fun.

Brittane shares her journey of turning something many people try to avoid into something that brings people together.

It’s a conversation about vulnerability, confidence, taking risks, and giving yourself permission to be a little weird...and of course why theater kids rule the world.

Brandon Piper: Gay Men’s Chorus, Saying Yes to Life & Leaning Into Your Most Authentic Self

What happens when you stop trying to fit yourself into the life you think you're supposed to have—and start building one that lets you fully be yourself?

In this episode, I sit down with Brandon Piper, a performer, strategist, artist, and proud member of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, to talk about authenticity, curiosity, creativity, and the courage to say yes to the unexpected.

Brandon and I met by chance in an Amsterdam speakeasy, and I knew immediately that he was someone I wanted on this podcast. He's the kind of person who seems to bring light wherever he goes—and his approach to life is surprisingly practical: surround yourself with people who make your light shine brighter, stay curious about what's possible, and take the next small step.

We talk about growing up as a Black gay man in Indiana, learning to stop performing the version of himself other people expected, balancing a career with a creative life, and why you shouldn't have to hide the parts of yourself that make you happiest.

Brandon also shares some incredible stories about moving to Rome, saying yes to unexpected opportunities, getting his wallet and phone stolen in Prague, finding his community through theater and music, and discovering the power of standing onstage with 150 other gay men.

This is a conversation about living without shame, finding your people, taking chances, and letting yourself be fully seen.

And yes… he sings for us!

In this episode:

• Finding people who make your light shine brighter

• Being fully yourself instead of performing for others

• Balancing a creative life with a stable career

• The power of curiosity over fear

• Saying yes without needing to know where it will lead

• Finding community through theater, music, and the LGBTQ+ community

• Living without shame

• Using your own life to change other people's hearts and minds

Come get inspired.

What happens when you stop waiting for permission from others and just f'ing go for it?

In this episode, I sit down with filmmaker Yana Alliata, whose first feature film went all the way from an idea in her head to theaters and now streaming on Apple TV. Yana wrote and directed Reeling after deciding she was done asking for other people’s opinions and started trusting herself instead.

We talk about making something from nothing, believing in your art before anyone else does, taking up space as a woman, letting go of the need for validation, and why the most powerful stories are often the uncomfortable ones.

Yana’s story is a reminder that sometimes you just have to trust yourself, make the thing, and see what happens.

This is the show for people who want honest, real, vulnerable conversations that will help you grow and become your most authentic self.

Hosted by Caroline Cook, To Tell You the Truth is a podcast about what makes a life meaningful. Caroline sits down with fascinating people who are creating lives on their own terms to talk about authenticity, creativity, courage, love, failure, identity, and the beautiful mess that makes us human.

Caroline is an award-winning entrepreneur, songwriter, illustrator, journalist and speaker who has spent her life collecting stories and searching for what makes people feel truly alive. From music and art to journalism and community-building, everything she creates comes back to one thing: helping people know themselves more deeply and live more courageously.

This podcast is her latest experiment in doing exactly that.

No perfect lives. No bullshit. Just real people telling the truth about how they got here and what they’ve learned along the way.

Follow the podcast on TikTok & Instagram @totellyouthetruthpod
Follow Caroline on TikTok @yourgayauntcaroline

Created & Hosted by Caroline Cook
Edited & Recorded by Caroline Cook & Ravi Ellis
Recorded with a RØDE Microphones

Special thanks to my wife Rebekah Wood for supporting me. This wouldn't be here without her.