The Power of Living Authentically (even when it’s hard) | Danica Roem
Good Life Project
Jonathan Fields / Acast
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 9 June 2022
⏱️ 55 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
My guest today, Danica Roem, went from fronting a Death Metal band by night while building a career as an accomplished journalist by day, to being the first person to be elected and serve in any U.S. state legislature while openly transgender.
When you hear that story, you might think, “wow, that’s amazing, but I don’t really relate.” Not so fast. When you zoom the lens out, Danica’s story is really about the quest to live as the truest expression of yourself, to not stifle or deny who you are, and to find a sense of home for all parts of you within a community. Which is something nearly all of us often struggle with. I know I do. This is why I was so excited to be in conversation with Danica Roem.
My chat with Danica takes us back to her teenage years, where she first found her community in (what may sound surprising now, but won’t later) metal music. We talk about the struggles of masking the authentic parts of yourself in order to fit in, and how she’s been able to use her experiences to relate with people from all different backgrounds on a human level.
Danica’s new memoir-meets-manifesto, Burn the Page: A True Story of Torching Doubts, Blazing Trails, and Igniting Change, deconstructs the many, sometimes outrageous and deeply isolating and offensive stories her doubters and opponents have thrown at her and shows through brutal honesty how she’s turned her identity, values and experiences into her greatest strengths. She brings that same honesty and authenticity to our conversation today, so know that you’re in for a real treat.
You can find Danica at: Website | Twitter
If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Jeffrey Marsh about living into your own sense of identity, unapologetically.
Check out our offerings & partners:
- My New Book Sparked
- My New Podcast SPARKED.
- Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | when you spend every day trying to be the person other people want you to be, |
| 0:07.2 | while still exploring your identity enough to be different, |
| 0:13.4 | it can be exhausting and mentally to keep that up every day for four years. |
| 0:22.4 | My guest today, Danica Roam, went from fronting a death metal band by night |
| 0:27.4 | while building a career as an accomplished journalist by day to being the first person |
| 0:31.9 | to be elected and served in any U.S. state legislature while openly transgender. |
| 0:37.4 | And when you hear her story, you might think, wow, that's amazing, |
| 0:40.2 | but I don't really relate to it. |
| 0:42.3 | Well, not so fast when you zoom the lens out. |
| 0:44.9 | Well, Danica's story is really about the quest to live as the truest expression of yourself |
| 0:49.5 | to stifle or not deny who you are to find a sense of home for all parts of you within a community, |
| 0:56.4 | which is something nearly all of us struggle with, I know I do. |
| 1:00.1 | So think about the first time you felt seen and heard despite what you look or talk or act like, |
| 1:04.6 | what you believe or who you love. |
| 1:06.3 | We all want to be embraced for who we truly are and there's no better feeling than finding |
| 1:10.9 | that affirmation and safety in your chosen community, whether it's family, friends, |
| 1:15.5 | or even strangers you share a common interest with. |
| 1:18.4 | Experiencing life's smallest and most significant moments is just so much more meaningful |
| 1:23.1 | when shared with other people. |
| 1:24.9 | And this is especially relevant now, right? |
| 1:26.9 | When it's so easy to choose divisiveness over unity or focus on the differences between ourselves |
| 1:33.2 | and the next person versus the things that we share in common. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jonathan Fields / Acast, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Jonathan Fields / Acast and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.