The Podcast That Doesn't Tell You What To Think | THEE BIG SWING

What if a podcast didn't tell you what to think?

On this episode of Right Now with Rhenotha, Lloyd Hassell returns to talk about THEE BIG SWING, a growing audio experience that invites listeners to reflect on life's defining moments without giving advice, taking sides, or telling them what to believe.

More than a podcast, THEE BIG SWING combines thoughtful conversations with original companion music and written reflections, creating space for listeners to wrestle with their own questions and discover their own answers.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The philosophy behind THEE BIG SWING
• Why the show refuses to tell listeners what to think, feel, or do
• How music and reflection deepen each episode
• What has changed since Lloyd first appeared on Right Now with Rhenotha

Discover THEE BIG SWING at theebigswing.com and experience the conversations, reflections, companion songs, and more.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who enjoys thoughtful conversations that stay with you long after they end.

#RightNowWithRhenotha #TheeBigSwing #Podcast #Reflection #LloydHassell #MeaningfulConversations

Right Now with Rhenotha
Hosted by Rhenotha Whitaker

Right Now with Rhenotha is an experience designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. Blending conversation, storytelling, and everyday moments, it captures the energy of what's happening right now.

📺 Watch full episodes on https://www.youtube.com/@rhenotha
🌐 Stream episodes anytime at Rhenotha.com
📲 Follow for updates, clips, and behind-the-scenes moments

#RightNowWithRhenotha #RhenothaWhitaker #ThereWillBeShenanigans #AllTheThings #OutHereInTheseStreets #YouTubeCreator

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Good evening, everybody, and thank you for tuning in to right now with Renata.

SPEAKER_03 0:05

The one and only.

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Yes, the one and only. And I do appreciate you for being here tonight. We are live on YouTube, obviously.

SPEAKER_03 0:14

You think we are?

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 0:16

Maybe we're maybe we're holograms and we're recording.

SPEAKER_01 0:19

Right. Okay. So we're live. Thank you for um coming on and um hanging out with us eight o'clock on a Friday night. Appreciate you so much. Tonight, tonight, tonight. I have a guest.

SPEAKER_03 0:32

What else are they gonna do on a Friday night at 8 p.m.?

SPEAKER_01 0:34

Right? You better be watching right now with Renata.

SPEAKER_03 0:37

If we're on, what else are they gonna be doing?

SPEAKER_01 0:39

What else are they gonna be doing?

SPEAKER_03 0:40

I don't mean that. Trying to match your energy.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

You're doing a good job. You're doing a good job. So tonight we have a guest, our old pal, our old friend, Lloyd Hassel.

SPEAKER_03 0:54

Then I'm not a guest, then I'm one of the family. No, right?

SPEAKER_01 0:58

Yeah, he's yeah, he's family, okay?

SPEAKER_03 1:01

All these formalities.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

Well, I mean, I've got to introduce the show, right? You're fine. You're fine.

SPEAKER_03 1:06

They know your show.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

Yeah. So tonight we are talking about Lloyd's amazing podcast. It's no longer a podcast, though. And that's what we're about to get into, okay? The big swing.com.

SPEAKER_03 1:24

That's the that's the URL, my dear. That is the URL. The big swing is the concept. It's not a concept anymore.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

No.

SPEAKER_03 1:33

The big swing is a destination.

SPEAKER_00 1:35

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 1:36

It's a world onto itself.

SPEAKER_00 1:38

Can I do that?

SPEAKER_01 1:39

Well, it's mine. Can I do that?

SPEAKER_03 1:40

It's mine. It's my show.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

Yeah, I know, but I'm it was coming. It was coming. You ain't have to.

SPEAKER_03 1:46

She always has to take the lead.

SPEAKER_01 1:48

I mean, it's my show.

SPEAKER_03 1:49

But you're talking about my show.

SPEAKER_01 1:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:51

Let's keep on track. Let's be serious.

SPEAKER_01 1:56

So truly, it's an amazing concept.

SPEAKER_03 2:00

No, Penanthera. It's no longer a concept. And I'll tell you why it's not a concept anymore. Because people are listening. I'm only using your word. Well, I caught myself. Okay, very good. I'm grateful that people are listening.

SPEAKER_00 2:13

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 2:13

In 25 throughout 25 countries and 167 cities.

SPEAKER_01 2:18

So before you go there, before you go there, for the folks who may not know what the big swing is, can you elaborate on the website, the world, the movement? What is the big swing?

SPEAKER_03 2:31

Do I have to do it in order or can I just take No, go with your foot? The big swing is where people, myself sometimes, solo, and sometimes with guests, sit down and talk, right? About real life questions, issues, experiences. Yeah. Where we really get real, honest, and we try to share something that makes sense, for one, and two, that could be helpful. But most of all, I ask myself of myself, and for anyone else, we'll call them a guest, right? To just get down to the nitty-gritty of what they're talking about. So it could be something small that planted in your mind, or my mind, or their mind at some point, that led to another move. And then another move. And then after a while, it was a change in their life, right? We all go through that. So that's what it is. The web address is what it is, thebigswing.com. And I'm grateful that hundreds well, let me take away the number. Many, many people are downloading the episodes. It's not video. I didn't do video because I didn't want to be distractive of what was being said. I wanted to just focus on that and let that hopefully resonate with some people. And on the site, where you can listen, and more people listen on the site than they do on any apps, Apple or Spotify. They come right to the site because on the site, there are the episodes, right? There's the framework of what the Big Swing is about. There then are written reflections that are not the episode, but wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

SPEAKER_01 4:25

So the Big Swing started out as an episode, an audio episode podcast, correct?

SPEAKER_03 4:33

Yeah, it was a simple, it was a simple approach at first. And then it took other forms, just like life, right? You start here and you move, right? Hopefully you do, you grow. So we grew into written reflections. We don't recap the episode. It's some food for thought based on the essence of the episode, right? Something you can sit down and read or reread. So the episode gets you going, the reflection takes you to another place. And in addition to that, we have original companion songs to the episodes. Why that? Because music moves everybody, right? Not all music moves everyone the same way, but you can listen to the song that's boiled down from you can listen to the song that accompanies the episode and see what you get. And we have several artists that perform. They come out of the Big Swing Studios. How'd I do it?

SPEAKER_01 5:36

You did a wonderful job. Thank you so much. Oh, you're so lovely.

SPEAKER_03 5:40

Sounds like I had something to do with it, huh?

SPEAKER_01 5:43

So the Big Swing started uh in December 31st as an idea, but you had it before December 31st. You want to tell people like what brought you to December 31st and what finally said, what made you finally say, I'm gonna get this done?

SPEAKER_03 5:57

You know you're my girl, right? So therefore I can't I can make corrections, right?

SPEAKER_01 6:02

Sure.

SPEAKER_03 6:03

Iron sharpens iron, right?

SPEAKER_01 6:04

Iron sharpens iron.

SPEAKER_03 6:06

So December 31st was not the inception of the idea. Right. I think that's what you're getting at.

SPEAKER_01 6:10

I just said that. I said before, before December 31st. You got started December 31st, but you but you had it before December. We'll play it back. We'll see what I said.

SPEAKER_03 6:19

Well sure. This is this is document. I had an idea to do a show. Right. It was something that I wanted to do. It was something I wanted to take a swing at.

unknown 6:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:30

But I procrastinated and so on and so forth. But in November of 2025, I made a commitment that I was going to launch the podcast by the end of 2025. So me caught up in my perfectionism, had to have all the right equipment, the right setup. And it was December 31st, New Year's Eve, and I was struggling with these new pieces of equipment that I didn't know how to operate. And Renatha said to me, She was over, she said, Look, you don't need to be perfect. You don't need to have everything just right. Let's just do this, huh? You said you're gonna do it. And it was like maybe 10 p.m.

SPEAKER_01 7:13

Really late.

SPEAKER_03 7:14

Really late.

SPEAKER_01 7:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:15

She said, listen, let's pull out this phone and record this episode and make this happen. So I relinquished my urge for perfection and control.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 7:29

And I went with it. And Renatha was the first guest on the show. And I think you spoke about that very thing.

SPEAKER_01 7:36

I spoke about that very thing. Yeah. I spoke about doing it anyway and it not being perfect and setting up.

SPEAKER_03 7:43

That's part of what you spoke about.

SPEAKER_01 7:44

Yeah. One of the things that I talked about in that episode. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:47

I think the episode's title is She Took a Chance. Then what? Like life, right? So that was our first inaugural episode. And actually it's it's it's very popular amongst people.

SPEAKER_01 8:03

It is. Yeah, it's skyrocketed almost to No, let's not mention any numbers. No numbers.

SPEAKER_03 8:08

It's not about the numbers.

SPEAKER_01 8:09

It's not about the numbers. It's what it's it's about what's resonating with people. And so that episode has resonated with a lot of people.

SPEAKER_03 8:16

A lot of people. Yeah. Because that's the essence of the big swing. We're talking about how we moved from one place and made pro mostly incremental steps to a new place. And I call that change, right? We're talking about reckonings. Like some things that you really think about and you say, wait a second, this isn't for me anymore, or I'm not that same person. I need to create a different or nuanced version of myself. And this is the kind of episodes that we put out.

SPEAKER_01 8:49

Absolutely. And so talk about the fact that uh the big swing world universe does not tell you what to do.

SPEAKER_02 8:59

Oh no.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

Yeah. It doesn't tell you what to do, doesn't give you advice, you're not being interviewed.

SPEAKER_03 9:05

No.

SPEAKER_01 9:05

Elaborate more on that.

SPEAKER_03 9:06

Okay, let's start from the back and go from the last and go to the first first. I don't do interviews.

SPEAKER_01 9:13

Right.

SPEAKER_03 9:13

There's no script.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:15

Because life is not scripted, as far as I know.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 9:20

Um. So that's off the table. And then what was the other portion?

SPEAKER_01 9:27

Right. So you don't do interviews and the show doesn't tell you what to do.

SPEAKER_03 9:31

Oh, no advice. No advice. I have no, who am I to give you or you or anybody advice? I'm trying to figure out my life myself. I don't have any advice. I have, let me not digress, but I have children.

SPEAKER_02 9:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:46

I find it difficult to give them advice. And they're resistant. So who wants to hear my advice? What I do is reflect on where I was in life, where I'm at, where I'm headed, where I'd like to be, who I was versus who I'm becoming. That's where it's at. There are no answers on the big swing.

SPEAKER_02 10:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:09

If that's disappointing to anyone, I cannot apologize. We want everyone else to think for themselves. And maybe your story, my story, or someone else's story resonates with you, the listener, because you found yourself in similar places. That's what it's about. I don't like the whole guru thing. I'm not a guru. If I were, I'd be in another place. I'm 62 years old and I am still evolving. I'm still using my old world ideas to create an interesting life for myself.

SPEAKER_01 10:50

Yeah. So on the website, dvicswing.com, you know what? I'm gonna just go ahead and do it.

SPEAKER_00 10:56

Wait, please spell it out.

SPEAKER_01 10:58

T H E E B-I-G S-W-I-N-G. Go there right now, okay?

SPEAKER_03 11:04

Well, how are you gonna go there right now and watch us?

SPEAKER_01 11:06

Well, it's called picture on picture. It's called picture on picture like mine is now because I'm there now.

SPEAKER_03 11:10

I'm not a techie. See, I don't how can I provide answers for people?

SPEAKER_01 11:15

Or you could go insight. You can also go on his YouTube channel, subscribe to the YouTube channel, The Big Swing as well.

SPEAKER_03 11:23

Um on are you plugging the The Big Swing experience?

SPEAKER_01 11:27

Absolutely. That's why that's why we're here. Well, that's why that's you know we want people to experience the experience because it's so brilliant. Um it's it gives you awareness, it gives you internal shift.

SPEAKER_03 11:38

Does it give you and it gives you decision making glean glean? Absolutely. We're not putting out, we're not we don't have an orb where we're sending out a signal. No there's no programming.

SPEAKER_01 11:53

Reflective. It's all it's all reflective, it's all internal. It's just reflective. Yep, it's all you being aware.

SPEAKER_03 11:59

For them to reflect.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 12:01

Based on a reflection someone else shares.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:04

I mean, storytelling's been around since the beginning of time, right? So and there's a saying saying that there's nothing new under the sun. So my story or your story probably is someone else's. It's still definitely someone else's hearing, right? And then by learning, we learn, people learn different ways. Auditory learning, visual learning, right? And I'm not a kineticist, but maybe movement. But we learn from others. That's how we learn. So that's why we share.

SPEAKER_01 12:34

Absolutely. So what's new from December 31st, like Loy expressed, is that um The Big Swing is no longer just the episode by itself.

SPEAKER_02 12:46

No.

SPEAKER_01 12:47

It now gives you, and I'll go quote from the website. I'll quote from the website, listen to the episode, read the reflection, hear the companion song. Okay. And so all of those things move together.

SPEAKER_03 13:05

But but not, here's the deal. You can, it's like a menu. You can go a la carte.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:12

Or you can have the three, uh, what's the term? Three course three course meal. Three course experience. Sure.

SPEAKER_02 13:19

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 13:20

It's up to you. But they're designed to have you have for you to have the opportunity to immerse yourself in what we share. And that you could possibly come out with something for yourself and then you have something else to give to someone else if you choose to. Right.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

We don't we don't do it. I don't I'm not sitting how you experience what the big swing is.

SPEAKER_03 13:49

I'm not sitting with them when they have their phone in hand and tell them what to do. Right. They're gonna do what they want to do. We just try to put enough information. Right. Not information, I'm sorry. We're not interested in the experience. There you go.

SPEAKER_00 14:01

There you go. Experience.

SPEAKER_03 14:02

Enough realism for someone to say, wait a second, I get it. I understand. Right. And I've been looking for something that could help me tweak my thinking or how I move through life.

SPEAKER_01 14:14

Yeah. So let's get into the music really quickly. Um the you one day, what how did how did you come about the music, coming up with the music for the episodes?

SPEAKER_03 14:26

Well, I'm gonna tell the story as it is. Renatha wrote a song, right?

SPEAKER_02 14:33

And she shared it with me, and I thought this song is great. And I thought I need to have companion music for the episodes.

SPEAKER_03 14:45

Just that simple.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

Yeah. And you one of your episodes called I Was Here But I Wasn't Alive. Right resonated so much with you because literally that's your philosophy these days. That was a solo episode. Solo episode, right. And that one resonated with you. That was the first song that was created for The Big Swing Studios.

SPEAKER_03 15:10

Sung by Marcus Reed.

SPEAKER_01 15:12

Sung by Marcus Reed. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:14

A great vocal artist.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

Great vocal artist out of the big swing studios.

SPEAKER_03 15:21

One of my favorite songs.

SPEAKER_01 15:22

Yes, one of your favorite songs.

SPEAKER_03 15:24

Um, I think today we have 12 songs.

SPEAKER_01 15:27

We do. We do have 12. And a 13th one on the way, it's coming. Um we're plugging away tonight. Yeah. Listen, the people won't know what they don't know unless you tell them.

SPEAKER_03 15:42

And so lead them to it and then they choose.

SPEAKER_01 15:45

Absolutely. And if and even if you tell them, they don't have to. Or they or they can.

SPEAKER_03 15:51

I don't control anybody. Absolutely. Sometimes I have a difficult time, to be honest, controlling myself. Sometimes I want that ice cream when I don't need it. I mean, I never need it, but I have to control myself.

SPEAKER_01 16:02

So tell me about Alive While I'm Here. That is the name of the song, Alive While I'm Here. It is on the playlist uh for the big swing on the website on the sessions page.

SPEAKER_03 16:13

Should I give it away? I like a little mystery. We're giving them a episode.

SPEAKER_01 16:19

Give them something to say, yeah, let me listen to it. Yep.

SPEAKER_03 16:23

I shared my experience talking to a younger person based on being a 62, and based on seeing the years go by real fast, and based on seeing the years ahead as less than the years I had. So that's the nexus of the um episode. And again, the reflection, which there will be there is a reflection. There is a reflection out. There is. It's a lot to keep up with. And the companion song. They intertwine. And maybe you go through that three-course experience and find a portion that you like, or maybe more than a portion.

SPEAKER_01 17:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:14

Is that fair?

SPEAKER_01 17:15

That's fair. That is fair. Thank you for that.

SPEAKER_00 17:17

You're welcome.

SPEAKER_01 17:18

Right. So the big swing is more than it's become more than a podcast. Um, it is now a world where you can experience reckoning, the word your words, where you can experience awareness and come to it uh not emotional, but um intentional. That's how you sure. There's nothing wrong with emotional, right? But the word I wanted to use was intentional. Come to the website with intention so that you can come away with something. What do you want people to come away with?

SPEAKER_03 17:59

Whatever they whatever they want to come up with, whatever they choose to. Yeah. I can't, I don't dictate. I don't try to dictate. You see, that's one thing that I'm against. I'm against somebody else thinking that this stuff is so great that somebody else has to see it like they see it. You know, so I already know.

SPEAKER_01 18:20

That's exactly what I wanted him to say.

SPEAKER_03 18:22

Some people might listen to an episode and say, hey, what is this nonsense? What can I do about that? The world is full of opinions. All I can do is be honest, be real about what I'm doing, try to make it a quality presentation, right? And leave an open door. That's why the website exists. It's available 24-7. And people in other countries are listening.

SPEAKER_02 18:51

Other cities. It's just an open door. It never closes. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 19:00

So this was is a big a the big swing update show for our family.

SPEAKER_03 19:10

Not my idea, Ronaldo's idea.

SPEAKER_01 19:12

Of course. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:14

But thank you.

SPEAKER_01 19:14

You're so welcome.

SPEAKER_03 19:15

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 19:16

I just believe that what you're doing is brilliant. And um folks, the masses, need to be able to consume it and use it for their everyday lives and be inspired. And so I wanted to make sure that folks knew that there's new things happening at thebigswings.com with the new companion songs for every episode.

SPEAKER_02 19:44

True.

SPEAKER_01 19:44

With the reflections for every episode. The start with the main page. Start with the main page, thebigswing.com, because it is a world of reflection, a world of brilliance. And we I believe you'll be blessed by it. You want this?

SPEAKER_03 20:05

Yeah, I mean, I'm always gonna speak my truth, right?

SPEAKER_01 20:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 20:09

That was her take. It's a beautiful take. I say start with it. Whatever page you want to start, just come and visit. Right? Yeah. Visit. All of the pages are linked to one another. So if you find you land somewhere, you choose to land somewhere and it takes you somewhere else, it's just a click away.

SPEAKER_01 20:27

There you go. So thank you for coming on tonight, Lloyd.

SPEAKER_03 20:32

Oh, you're welcome. When's the check being cut?

SPEAKER_01 20:36

Oh, please.

SPEAKER_03 20:37

I'm just kidding. I would I would do a lot of things for you.

SPEAKER_00 20:42

Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 20:46

So again, please check out thebixwing.com. And thepexwing is everywhere Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, the website, Spotify, Apple, all the things.

SPEAKER_03 20:58

She's very promotional. But since she's on that vein, I think we're even gonna try TikTok soon.

SPEAKER_01 21:04

Yeah, okay. Why not? Why not?

SPEAKER_03 21:07

It's a digital age, right?

SPEAKER_01 21:08

It is a digital age.

SPEAKER_03 21:09

And our platform is strictly digital.

SPEAKER_01 21:12

Yeah, definitely. And so make sure you check it out. However you stream, however you experience digital um Spotify, um, digital auditory listening.

SPEAKER_03 21:24

Sure. Audible, Facebook.

SPEAKER_01 21:27

There you go. Echo.

SPEAKER_03 21:29

So many. So but here's the deal. Come to the site. Come to the website, the bigspot.com. I'm just saying, come to the site. That's where everything lives and breathes.

SPEAKER_02 21:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 21:41

Right? That's where it's at. Come experience the site. You don't need to go anywhere else to experience the big swing. There you go. You don't need to. Just come to the source.

SPEAKER_00 21:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:54

Please.

SPEAKER_01 21:56

All right. Thank you, Lloyd. You're welcome, Renata. Get my sugar. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 22:01

Oh, yeah. All right. Give it up.

SPEAKER_01 22:04

All right. Good night, everybody. And thank you for tuning in to right now with Renata. Have a good night. We'll see you next week.

SPEAKER_03 22:10

Thanks for listening, folks.

SPEAKER_01 22:13

Okay, now.

SPEAKER_03 22:14

Is the jammy still rolling?

SPEAKER_01 22:15

The camera is still rolling. So you stay right here, okay?

SPEAKER_03 22:18

Is this janky or what?

SPEAKER_01 22:20

It's not janky. Not janky at all.

SPEAKER_03 22:22

Should I talk with the folks watching you then? In all seriousness, folks. We really appreciate you listening, and I hope you heard something that's worth your time, interest, and um would love to hear from you. You know, we have a we have a contact page. You can email me anytime. I would love to hear from you. Whatever you have to say.

SPEAKER_02 22:44

Thank you. Good night.