100,000 subscribers. We did it.

When we started the Truth Hurts Show, the goal was simple: create a place where we could have real conversations, ask the questions other people avoid, and sit down with guests who have stories worth hearing.

What started as an idea turned into something much bigger than we expected. We’ve had conversations about health, business, politics, relationships, corruption, recovery, technology, personal transformation, and some of the wildest stories we’ve ever heard.

Now we’ve officially crossed 100,000 subscribers and received our YouTube Silver Creator Awards.

In this episode, we’re looking back at the journey from our perspective. The guests who surprised us, the moments that stuck with us, the episodes that made us rethink what we believed, and what we’ve learned from building the show together.

More than anything, this episode is our way of saying thank you.

Every person who watched an episode, shared a clip, left a comment, subscribed, sent the show to a friend, or supported us along the way helped make this possible.

We’re proud of how far the Truth Hurts Show has come, but we’re nowhere near finished.

100K was the first major milestone.

Now we’re coming for 1 million.

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Brian's Links
Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/briangoldphd
TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@briangoldphd

Makan's Links
Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/Makan.Mostafavi
TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@makanmostafavi

Timestamps:

00:00 We Hit 100,000 Subscribers
01:17 Unboxing Our YouTube Silver Awards
03:46 Thank You to the Truth Hurts Community
05:12 The Road to One Million Begins
06:38 Our Favorite Guests So Far
08:21 The Prison Story We’ll Never Forget
10:07 The Episodes That Opened Our Eyes
12:16 Body Brokers and the Dark Side of Los Angeles
14:09 The Stories Coming Out of Downtown LA
16:02 Politics and Conversations That Surprised Us
17:41 The Weird Guest Requests We Get
19:03 Should Hunting for Sport Ever Be Ethical?
20:18 Who Should We Interview Next?

#TruthHurtsShow #100KSubscribers #YouTube100K #SilverPlayButton #Podcast #BrianGoldstein #MakanMostafavi #PodcastMilestone #YouTubeCreator #100K

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Dr. Topeka Sam went from facing more than a decade in federal prison to becoming one of the country’s prominent advocates for women impacted by incarceration and eventually receiving a full presidential pardon.

Topeka was sentenced in 2012 after pleading guilty to a federal drug conspiracy charge. In this episode, she takes Brian and Makan inside the moment everything collapsed, what she encountered after entering prison and why meeting incarcerated women from radically different educational and socioeconomic backgrounds changed the direction of her life. The archived White House clemency announcement says she received a 130 month sentence and served three years before becoming an advocate for criminal justice reform.

Topeka says she became convinced she wouldn't serve her entire sentence.

After writing directly to the judge, her sentence was reduced. Additional programming and sentencing changes shortened her incarceration further, and she was ultimately released on May 5, 2015 after serving roughly three and a half years.

But her story didn't end when she walked out.

Topeka founded The Ladies of Hope Ministries and began advocating for women and girls affected by incarceration. The organization now describes its mission as ending poverty and incarceration while providing housing, reentry support and advocacy.

On December 23, 2020, President Donald Trump granted Topeka a full pardon. The White House announcement cited her post prison advocacy and identified Alice Johnson among those supporting the pardon.

This is a story about what happens after the sentence. From federal prison to advocacy, Alice Johnson, Kim Kardashian and ultimately a presidential pardon, Topeka Sam turned one of the darkest periods of her life into a mission to change what comes next for others.

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Brian's Links

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

TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@briangoldphd

Makan's Links

Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/Makan.Mostafavi

TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@makanmostafavi

Dr. Topeka’s Links

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

Website: / https://www.drtopekaksam.com/

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome Dr. Topeka!

03:18 How Her Life Led to a Federal Case

06:47 Facing More Than 10 Years in Prison

10:26 Entering Jail and Seeing Who Really Gets Incarcerated

14:03 What Federal Prison Was Actually Like

17:38 Why Topeka Believed She Would Get Out Early

20:16 The Letter That Helped Change Her Sentence

23:41 Walking Out After Three and a Half Years

26:08 Building The Ladies of Hope Ministries

29:37 The Alice Johnson Case Goes Viral

32:24 How Kim Kardashian Became Involved

35:06 Alice Johnson Helps Topeka Get a Presidential Pardon

37:42 Trump Pardons Topeka and the Backlash Begins

40:13 Why She Works Across Political Lines

42:16 Restitution and the Punishment That Continues After Prison

44:07 What Topeka Is Building Now

#TopekaSam #TruthHurtsShow #PrisonReform

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Rafael Petardi has spent more than 30 years acting, and after working alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, he has stories about what these people are really like when the cameras stop rolling.

Eventually, that persistence put him on some massive sets.

Rafael appeared in Netflix’s Red Notice alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot. He describes The Rock as extremely professional, Ryan Reynolds as funny and Gal Gadot as glamorous, while explaining what filming one of Netflix’s biggest productions during the COVID era actually looked like.

Then there’s Keanu Reeves.

Rafael worked with Reeves on Siberia and says everything people have heard about Keanu’s kindness is true. He recalls sneaking away for a cigarette with him when a homeless man emerged from a pile of garbage and immediately recognized Keanu. Instead of ignoring him, Rafael remembers Reeves treating the man with kindness and helping him get something to eat.

But not every celebrity left the same impression.

Rafael reveals that he once worked with someone who has since become an Oscar nominee whom he describes as “horrible” to work with. He refuses to reveal the identity, but the conversation turns into a brutally candid discussion about ego, fame and why Rafael has sometimes found the biggest stars easier to work with than actors still fighting their way to the top.

This is what Hollywood looks like from someone who spent decades actually doing the work. The celebrities, the egos, the rejection, the changing industry and the perseverance required to stay alive in a business designed to make most people quit.

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Brian's Links

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

TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@briangoldphd

Makan's Links

Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/Makan.Mostafavi

TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@makanmostafavi

Rafael’s Links

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

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

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome Rafael!

03:16 Getting His First Acting Job

06:47 Moving to LA and Starting From Scratch

10:28 Working With The Rock, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot

14:36 What The Rock Is Really Like on Set

17:12 Keanu Reeves Is Exactly Who You Hope He Is

21:03 The Homeless Man Who Recognized Keanu Reeves

24:41 The Oscar Nominee Rafael Says Was “Horrible”

28:26 Why Some Famous Actors Are Surprisingly Nice

31:54 How Bad Hollywood Has Become for Working Actors

35:17 Will AI Replace Actors?

38:43 Adapt or Die in the New Hollywood

41:26 Growing Up Italian and Learning Real Food

44:38 Food, Community and Surviving Between Acting Jobs

47:09 Rafael’s Depth of Field and What He’s Working on Now

#RafaelPetardi #Hollywood #KeanuReeves #TheRock #DwayneJohnson #RyanReynolds

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