Welcome to the “Conquer Your Battlefield” podcast, where we come together to discuss some of the more significant struggles, and metaphorical battlefields, that we’ve faced along our journeys, and share some insight on how we’ve conquered them.

I’m JD McGibney, and today I’ll be chatting with a modern heavy metal icon. One of the most surreal, epic, commanding, and powerful voices I’ve ever personally heard. She is the brain behind the band Unleash the Archers, a Dungeons and Dragons connoisseur, and every cat’s best friend: Brittney Slayes.

Today we are going to be talking about Overcoming Prejudice. Prejudice, to give it an exact definition, is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.

Prejudice can lead to things such as racism, sexism, or even xenophobia. Prejudice has been an ongoing issue for all humanity throughout recorded history, and oftentimes ends up being the root behind a lot of conflicts. In more recent history, prejudice has led to people calling for significant social reform, such as with the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s-1960s, and an ongoing call for equality between men and women in the workplace.

Having to face prejudice in one’s daily life can oftentimes lead to negative mental health side effects such as stress, anxiety, and depression. In the realm of music, heavy metal specifically, it is heavily male dominated. The ratio of men to women is significantly slanted to the point where if a woman does “make it,” she tends to stand out, and usually has to face a plethora of stereotypes.