Everything and Anything…and a bit gay Podcast Zachary Randles-Friedman

Zach sits down with Karen Kendra Holmes — U.S. military veteran, TEDx speaker, author, and longtime transgender advocate — for a wide-ranging conversation about her decades-long path to living authentically. Karen shares that she began privately exploring her gender identity at age 13 but didn't transition until 53, describing the internal and religious struggles that shaped those "40 years of wandering." She discusses her 24-year military career (including roles with the Maryland Defense Force and U.S. Veterans Reserve Corps), the carefully planned rollout of her transition across a 47-office federal agency, and her work bridging the transgender community and law enforcement through the Department of Justice. The conversation also covers current political attacks on transgender rights, the science behind hormone levels and trans athletes in sports, the challenges of dating later in life, and the writing of her memoir, 40 Years and Wandering No More: Loving My Life Being Transgender. Karen closes with a message to anyone struggling: build a platform, believe in yourself, and know that dreams are made to be lived.

Links & Resources:

• Book: 40 Years and Wandering No More: Loving My Life Being Transgender — available on Amazon
• Website: kkholmes.com
• Email: kkholmes1956@gmail.com

If this episode touches on suicide for anyone listening personally, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988) is worth including in your notes or an on-screen resource, given Karen mentions it directly toward the end.

Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ

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In this episode, Zach sits down with Mike Wood — COO of a $100M company and founder of a 10-week anxiety and depression recovery program — for a raw conversation about what it actually takes to quiet a mind that won't stop running.

Mike traces his anxiety back to a single moment at age five: struggling to spell his name in front of his kindergarten class due to undiagnosed dyslexia. That moment programmed a core belief — "I'm not as smart as everyone else" — that ran in the background for the next 35 years, even as he built outward success: a thriving marriage, seven kids, and an executive career. At 45, sitting on top of everything he thought would bring peace, he realized none of it had. That's when he turned inward.

The conversation moves through the mechanics of how the subconscious mind actually works — why it can't distinguish real from imagined events, how elevated emotion plus intention creates lasting programs, and how those same programs can be consciously rewritten. Mike shares the exercise he uses to revisit painful childhood moments and offer his younger self compassion and forgiveness, and explains why forgiving others (and eventually himself) was the turning point in breaking the cycle.

They also dig into:

• The science of cortisol vs. oxytocin, and why stress can cut brain function by up to 60%
• A moving story about calming his 8-year-old son's nighttime fears using a simple gratitude game
• Why Mike had to strip away identities — husband, dad, "Titans fan," Democrat — to stop reacting defensively in daily life
• The difference between believing something and knowing it through direct experience
• A guided breathing technique Mike uses to move through anxiety in real time
• What it actually looks like when someone breaks free — and why environment and the people around you matter more than most people realize

Mike closes with a simple starting point for anyone feeling stuck: stop, get quiet, and start noticing your own thoughts without running from them.

Connect with Mike Wood:

• Free gift: mwoodmindset.com/everything

Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ

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Zach sits down with antique dealer, picker, and bestselling author Duane Scott Cerny (Selling Dead People's Things) for a conversation that swings from delightful to deeply human. Duane recounts his most treasured find — a photo of three-legged circus performer Frank Lentini, discovered by chance in a pile of picture frames — and opens up about his love of John Waters and Divine memorabilia. The conversation turns thoughtful as Duane and Zach discuss the overlooked history of gay antique dealers, what belongings reveal about the people who owned them, and the harder side of the business: hoarding, home shopping addiction, and the toll dementia can take on a person's relationship with their possessions. It's a episode that's equal parts fascinating, funny, and unexpectedly moving.

• Duane's origin story: hunting for wooden picture frames at a rural Wisconsin farm sale
• The incredible find: an 1880s cabinet card photo of circus performer Frank "The Great" Lentini, bought for $5
• Duane's connection to John Waters and his extensive Divine memorabilia collection
• How his book Selling Dead People's Things hit #1 on Amazon three times in the antiques/collectibles category — and why resold copies now go for a premium on eBay
• What personal belongings reveal about the people who owned them (with privacy always protected)
• The history of gay antique dealers, from Christopher Street and Bleecker Street to today's Instagram shops
• Surprising items the gay community collects (hint: it's not what you'd expect)
• Real hoarding stories: garbage in backpacks, dryer lint collections, and homes torn down due to mold and neglect
• The connection between hoarding, home shopping networks, and cognitive decline
• Where to find Duane: sellingdeadpeoplesthings.com and his Substack, plus his monthly column in the Village View

Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ

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In this special, more serious episode of Everything & Anything...and a Bit Gay, Zach steps away from the usual campy interviews to talk directly about the 2026 midterm elections — and why he believes this is one of the most consequential votes of our lifetime.

Topics covered:

• Trump's approval rating sitting in the low-to-mid 30s, trailing his 2018 numbers, with independents souring fast
• Why the midterms could determine impeachment prospects and the fate of the Trump family's business dealings
• The $300–400 million White House ballroom and demolition of the East Wing and Rose Garden
• The proposed $250 million "arc" near the Lincoln Memorial and other vanity construction projects
• The reflecting pool renovation that ballooned from $1.8M to $14M — and turned green with algae
• Marjorie Taylor Greene's public break with Trump ahead of November
• The stalled Epstein files release and redactions
• Affordability complaints, cost of living, and broken campaign promises
• The Iran conflict, the Strait of Hormuz, and unresolved questions about nuclear weapons
• Renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America" and escalating tariffs with Canada
• LGBTQ+ perspectives on safety and travel to the U.S. right now
• Natalie Harp, dubbed the "human printer," and how curated news reaches the president
• The $400 million Air Force One gift from Qatar
• A direct call to action: register, show up, and vote in every state — red, blue, or purple

Zach closes with a personal appeal: no matter where you live, your vote is part of the message the country needs to send this November.

Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ

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In this episode of The Gay Bit:

Zach kicks things off with a slightly chaotic morning — a physical, low blood pressure, a failed Starbucks latte experiment, and a reaffirmed loyalty to homemade Cuban coffee. Then it's straight into the real topic: his friend's very active dating life.

Zach plays relationship detective on three guys currently in rotation — Benji (a non-texter who's fading out), Kevin (mysteriously gone quiet), and Rob (four dates in and cooking dinner together next). Zach interrogates the details the way he always does with his friends' new prospects, admitting he can be "a lot" but insists it's coming from a good place.

That leads into a bigger riff: Zach and Andrew are just days from their 28th anniversary, and Zach uses that milestone to make his case against modern dating rules — the "don't text more than once a week," "don't call too soon," "wait until the sixth date" mentality he thinks is holding people back. His advice: skip the rulebook, read the room, and go with your gut.

He also touches on body confidence, why Botox and self-assurance go a long way, and teases a future episode about the "real fucking losers" he dated back in South Beach before meeting Andrew.

Topics covered:

• Morning routine and coffee opinions (RIP Dunkin' loyalty)
• Playing detective in a friend's dating life
• 28 years with Andrew and what makes it work
• Why Zach thinks dating rules are killing romance
• Body confidence and self-acceptance in dating
• A teaser for a future "worst dates of my single life" episode

Content note: Adult language and frank sexual references throughout.

Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com

Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.