Kamal is a photographer who wanted to capture the essence of what really was happening in America in 2020. He wanted to use photography to let all of the division, hate, fear, anger, sorrow, love, compassion, and humanity show its true self–the true story of what was underneath it all.

As you’ll hear, he is also just a really authentic, thoughtful, self-aware person. It was fascinating to hear his stories, how he became so passionate about photography, and what he learned about humanity as he created his book, Black Astronaut.

I love talking to photographers because most of them are natural observers. They feel compelled to look at the world around them and see what is going on. Those are the types of people I want to hear from because very likely they’ve seen things I haven’t, and I can learn from them.

A more complete bio from Kamal is below:

I am Kamal X, a professional photographer that has been documenting my travels throughout the world since 2015. Photography found me at a time in my life where I felt confused and voiceless. I wasn’t sure of where I was internally and what direction I wanted my life to go. I welcomed my challenges and I found myself drawn to creating images that evoke emotions rooted in the many universal elements of the human experience.  My goal is to tell stories from all walks of life and give a raw voice to the world we live in, through compassion and honesty. 

Most Recent Episodes

November 10, 2023 Mature Content

"Family" – Tony Losacco

These conversations are hard. I've listened back to this one a number of times and the only thing I can keep thinking is "nuance."These discussions are nuanced, these topics are nuanced, life is...

Listen · 1:04:26

November 1, 2023 Mature Content

"The power of philosophy to heal society" – Nikos Patedakis

"Philosophy is actually the end of abstractions."Wow, what a statement to think about. How different our approach to life might become if we embrace that thought. How much more reflective and...

Listen · 55:00

October 25, 2023 Mature Content

"Everything is always my fault" – Chad Wittfeldt

Chad is a successful business person who now works to help coach others on how to be successful. What's super interesting about Chad is that:1. He has some spiritual and religious values that...

Listen · 42:27

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Terry McMullen Podcast Host

I spent much of my career trying to consult companies on how to better achieve their goals. I was a Finance major, a Harvard Business School graduate, and a business strategist. I've always been curious and I've always loved trying to solve problems. It was a really good fit for a while, but then life happened.

Within the span of a couple of years I had a son, my sister tragically passed away, and my wife became severely ill with Multiple Sclerosis. All of a sudden everything I thought I knew about life didn't seem to make sense anymore. I needed to raise my son and teach him how to be a good person but I realized I didn't even know what it meant to be a good person, let alone know how to teach him to be one. I also realized that I wasn't capable of being the person my wife needed me to be to help care for her. Simply put, I wasn't good enough.