All About The Joy

Pastor Rick, Pink Poodles & Podcast Magic – A Tribute & An Unexpected Friendship

• Carmen Lezeth Suarez • Episode 187

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This special episode is all about - a surprise tribute to Rick Costa, my steadfast co-host who has no idea this compilation is happening!

Through selected clips from our broadcasts in 2022 and 2023, I showcase the essence of Rick - kind, humble, supportive, and impossibly difficult to get to say anything negative about anyone (though occasionally I can get him to swear a little). These moments reveal how our partnership works despite fundamental differences in beliefs and perspectives, proving that creative collaborations don't require identical worldviews to thrive.

The compilation takes you through hilarious stories about "pink poodle" code words from Periscope days, shared pet peeves about inconsiderate drivers and grocery store behavior, and the origin of Rick's "Pastor Rick" nickname. What emerges is a portrait of a friendship built on mutual respect and support, where differences in religious beliefs and personal styles become strengths rather than obstacles.

What makes our partnership work is that beneath surface disagreements, we share core values about compassion, empathy, and kindness. As I note in the episode, "It's not that you have to agree on everything on the planet...but fundamentally, you believe in the same things that are good." This tribute celebrates how different perspectives can create the strongest creative partnerships when built on a foundation of genuine respect.

Join us for this heartfelt look at friendship, collaboration, and the behind-the-scenes magic that makes All About the Joy possible. What person in your creative life deserves a similar tribute?

Thank you for stopping by. Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share. You can also support us by shopping at our STORE - We'd appreciate that greatly. Also, if you want to find us anywhere on social media, please check out the link in bio page.

Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth


DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.

Carmen Lezeth:

Hey everyone, welcome to All About the Joy, the private lounge. This week we're doing something a little tiny bit different. I have compiled a few different videos from back in the day basically from 2022 and 2023, and they are all about Rick Costa. Actually, he has no idea I'm doing this and I have to say that my acting skills are chef's kiss perfect. He was asking me this weekend, after we did a recording, if I wanted to get together at a different time so that we could record something, because he knew on Thursday I was not able to do our regular recording. And he's just.

Carmen Lezeth:

Rick Costa is the nicest guy right. Anybody who knows him knows that he's a really cool, nice, kind of even keeled kind of person, and I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to him Because since we started this since I reached out to him and asked if he wanted to be on the show and then subsequently asked him if he wanted to be on the show and then subsequently asked him if he wanted to co-host he's always been supportive, kind and as helpful as possible and he's never been mean or cruel or well. Sometimes he's mean no, he's not. But my point is is I've never taken a moment to really just say thank you, and I wanted to do it in this way, and so I've gathered together some clips that I think are kind of fun and telling about who he is, and I hope he understands what he means to me. So enjoy.

Rick Costa:

So she was a pink poodle. I don't remember that. Did I tell you about that?

Carmen Lezeth:

What's a pink poodle?

Rick Costa:

So on Periscope there were women that everybody in the world could see. But stupid, ignorant, dumb, naive me that clearly they wanted some Rick and I'm like huh. And so they were like we need to come up with something to let Rick know this chick is trying to get with you. So they came up with we're're gonna type in pink poodle, that's your clue.

Carmen Lezeth:

And I'm like, oh, shoot, okay that is so random pink poodle but that's so good. It's kind of like. I mean, there's a little bit different. But when I was growing up I used to always like when I would talk to people on the phone, like if I was in danger, I would just say tomatoes, and it's in the front cover of my book and unless you know, you don't know. But I used to say like I'd be talking on the phone and I would just start talking about tomatoes. This is like a code word.

Carmen Lezeth:

I think one of the coolest things about Rick is that you can never get him to say anything bad about anyone. You know what I mean. But sometimes there are these moments and this next clip will show you where you can even get him to swear a little bit. Enjoy. Okay, let me just tell you what the what, the podcast. So the podcast and what I wrote were about pet peeves like people not using blinkersers, which is what we call them in boston, but directionals you know when, when you're driving. But I kind of listed out like 10 of them. Um, people using their cell phones on speaker while you're in the vicinity of a public space. Um, people having sex in my apartment building, which is fine, knock yourselves out, but like just screaming, like there's a I hate to say it, but there's somebody who lives above me and I want to go and knock on the door and be like, seriously, if you can't tell that she's lying, that she's faking it, I'm here to tell you that she is, but it's so loud, I'm sorry. Is that embarrassing you, rick?

Rick Costa:

Well, when I was a kid, we used to have tenants upstairs. This is a three-family house I live in.

Carmen Lezeth:

Yeah.

Rick Costa:

Yeah, on one of the apartments this woman was loud and I'm like, what's happening? I'm a kid, I don't know what. I don't understand. Like, what is all this noise? What is happening? Are they wrestling what's going?

Carmen Lezeth:

on you know what, but it's so like it's the fakery of it that cracks me up and I can't stop laughing. Anyway, I was just talking about kind of pet peeves on that end and people actually liked that episode.

Rick Costa:

But okay, what are? Some of your pet peeves well, it's saying a lot of pretty much the same ones, especially driving ones. Um, like either use the turn signal or we call turn signals here or don't. Don't do it after. I already see your car's already turning, I already know you're turning, idiot. What are you putting it on now? For what? The heck that pisses me off. I'm sorry, that makes me really mad. That's hilarious. Use youtube to watch other people's videos yeah, definitely definitely, but um stop signs.

Rick Costa:

I am a big proponent of stopping at stop signs, but almost most of my friends don't really care.

Carmen Lezeth:

People do a rolling stop here which is basically not stopping right. It's like you roll on, yeah. Yeah, I think one of my big peeves I talk about was when you're in the grocery store and somebody is in front of you in line and they're on the phone and they're being so disrespectful to the cashier. I don't even understand. Like. I think I mentioned that in the podcast. I actually will call people out on that, because then they get upset because they can't hear the cashier but they're on their bluetooth or whatever. They're having their very important phone call um, but I I have. I think as I get older, I'm less inclined to be okay with people being rude to other people in front of me. I can't stand it. Yeah, I can't stand it at all.

Rick Costa:

No, I've talked to people while I'm grocery shopping, but then I'll be like I'm getting in line, I gotta go right there I'm getting in like because I'm gonna sit there and talk to you and or something.

Carmen Lezeth:

No, that's just stupid right and so you know, someone told me carmen, I don't think people realize I'm like you know, that's just stupid, right. And so you know, someone told me Carmen, I don't think people realize I'm like you know what. That's the other thing. If you check yourself, how are people not realizing like that's not an excuse either? You're a grown person. You are not, you know, a seven-year-old kid that you don't know. When you're being rude, I mean, I just stop it, right, just stop it.

Carmen Lezeth:

Yeah, I'm going to be like getting people mad at me because I'm really adamant about the grocery store thing, but yeah, okay, another one. What's another one?

Rick Costa:

This is like a personal one to be honest with you. So people that know me somewhat know that I've literally been broadcasting every single day for over six and a half years. Never missed one day. Maybe I'm crazy, but that's not the point and then they'll be like oh, I never get to see you. I'm out every freaking day. What do you mean? You don't get to see me?

Carmen Lezeth:

That makes me so mad because they're just trying to be nice and I don't know. Yeah, all right, they're lying. Yeah, that makes me crazy. That is a pet peeve, but it's because they're trying to say they're interested. They just haven't been able to catch you. Yeah, why do you do it every day?

Carmen Lezeth:

I'm crazy I don't think you're crazy, but there must be a reason. It must be something in you that that you feel it's always about. Uh, I say this respectfully, I know it's going to come across badly, but it's because you're preaching the word or whatever right, which I'm not really into. But you know, you know I'm a recovering Catholic. So I think this next clip a lot of people know how we met, but this is, I think, the first time he actually explains how we met, and I will also say that Rick is probably one of the most humble people I've ever met. It annoys me to no end, like I can't stand it sometimes, but there's a lot of things about us that are so really different and I think that kind of really helps keep me happy and fresh and kind of just in a great space, because I know that there are things that we don't agree on at all. So why don't you tell people how we met?

Rick Costa:

So this wonderful app that no longer exists called Apps, that was just an amazing positive experience. I'm being so sarcastic right now. Yeah, we just came across each other on there, but I think the one video I saw was when you were with three other women and you guys were talking about men and I was like, oh, this is amazing. This conversation is awesome. I'm learning stuff right now. And I was like that's when I was like, oh, I like these people oh, that's so funny.

Carmen Lezeth:

I don't remember who that was, but that, that's. That probably sounds like me, whatever. Um, oh, that's hilarious. Yeah, and I, when I first ran into or started getting to know people on haps and anyone who listens to me or is on our show knows that I hate that app with every fiber of my being, and I say it every time, just to be clear part of it is because it was just a very toxic place. But there were pearls, there were people, and you're one of those people, rick, that I thought um were pretty cool, even though you and I do not believe in the same things, and that's what I want to talk about. So, rick costacom. So when I first met rick, I thought he was a pastor, because everyone called you pastor, rick.

Rick Costa:

Well, I so how did that come about? So it was on Periscope.

Carmen Lezeth:

Another app, wait, wait, yes, yes, periscope was another app, right yeah.

Rick Costa:

Periscope was pretty big back in the day. Actually, I think the second year it was out it became like the number one app and that's when it really kind of pulled and everybody was like on that thing. But funny enough, people have called me that like slipping, sort of Like oh, pastor, I mean Rick, like they've done that like forever. Even my own pastor has done that in front of the church and I'm like, hmm, what's that about?

Carmen Lezeth:

Yeah, but why you should tell people why.

Rick Costa:

Well, because I am super hardcore into the bible and jesus and okay being a little humble, let me.

Carmen Lezeth:

Let me intervene. It's not just that you're super hardcore into the bible, but that is part of it. But you also have a daily service show that you do. On, let me see if I got this right Sunday through Friday at 3 pm Pacific.

Carmen Lezeth:

Pacific and 6 pm Eastern, and it's about half an hour 45 minutes and you do a Bible reading. You do a song that you all sing together. You have regular people that come on the show. You read the Bible and then you have like some games that you do. That I try to once in a while come and visit and I always kind of into being when the games are going on because I think they're fun and you do a lot of praying for other people and stuff like that. So you've been doing this for eight years now. Every day is godly. You have not missed a day, which you're very proud about that. And I'm all like we're doing this podcast because we're taking off Thanksgiving. I have no interest whatsoever in doing that, but congratulations to you. But the reason why I bring that up is because I think that's why people were calling you also Pastor Rick is because you are providing a religious service or sermon or I don't want to speak for you, but why don't you tell people what you call it?

Rick Costa:

I mean that's what people just naturally started doing. And then it got to the point where it happened so much, where I was like, okay, I guess this is happening, so I'm just going to let it happen. And I even changed my name on Periscope to Pastor Ray Costa. I was like we're just going to go with it, that's what it is. And I mean I'm serving the purpose of one. You know I do. What do I do? That's different? Not really much. You know I. There's like a little sermon, you know I. I didn't. I fought that for the longest I was like no, no, don't put that on me, don't put that on me. But then I was like all right, all right what?

Carmen Lezeth:

what's the big deal? I mean, if I mean I, I mean I don't know what the okay, so let's just talk about we don't have to go down why you are or are not called Pastor Rick, and I understand you have a lot of humility issues and being so. I say that respectfully. I think what's really interesting sometimes is when you make a decision to want to do something, especially creatively, you have to have somebody who is going to support your idea right, somebody who's going to be like in your corner no matter what. And I have to say it's one of the things I really appreciate about Rick and he supports all about the joy because he believes in the mission and what it is I'm trying to do, and so I love that about him. But what's really interesting is sometimes people aren't as supportive as he is towards them and, uh, this clip kind of shows that pet peeves. Well, not even about pet peeves.

Rick Costa:

you can talk about other stuff, but whatever you want, yeah, I'm just, I'm just thinking still like um acting like I don't support you when I do, but you don't never support me like oh no, are you talking about me?

Carmen Lezeth:

I don't know.

Rick Costa:

No, no, not you personally, no, you do.

Carmen Lezeth:

But I do, but I don't no, you do, can't be no.

Carmen Lezeth:

No, I support you as a friend but I don't always support your because I want everyone to know it's not that I don't believe in god. I do, but I don't do the bible stuffage. So I get a little turned off sometimes when you go down that. But I feel bad because I try to go on TikTok and like stuff and then you say something I'm like no, I don't believe Jesus said that. I mean, I don't say that, but I'm like no, I don't believe that, I don't believe it. Yeah, but I don't want to do that because I don't want to be negative on your space, so that I sometimes support you by not writing anything yeah, no, I'll totally get it, totally get it.

Rick Costa:

But but there'll be people that say like, oh gosh, I never, I never hardly, I never hardly see you on my videos and I'm like, if we're gonna make a comparison, you never visit my videos, and I do visit you every once in a while, like I don't know, it's just annoying it takes a lot of work too to go and visit other people's.

Carmen Lezeth:

Like people got upset with me on Tik TOK because I don't follow everybody, Everybody who follows me, I don't follow them back. I'm like I, I go on Tik TOK, I do a thing and I will follow people because I actually want to watch your stuff, not just to follow them. Like, if I have 5,000 followers, I'm not going to follow 5,000 people because I'm not going to watch all 5,000 people.

Rick Costa:

No, it's interesting though I kind of have been doing the follow for follow this whole time and I'm like, oh, and I regret this probably one day, but everything that comes up for me, like you know you scroll, it's relevant stuff, stuff that I actually am interested in. So, right algorithm, they got going on behind the scenes.

Carmen Lezeth:

But that thing works well. I think it's the things that you like. So it's not about who you follow, it's the things that you like. So the more you like certain things, then you'll get more of those uh videos. But that's my problem with following everybody who follows me. I don't like somebody's following me who's like a punk rocker and I'm like I don't. I think you sound horrible. I don't like your genre of music, but thank you for following me, but I'm not going to follow that person back.

Rick Costa:

Yeah, Well, I used to be like more like that on Periscope and they'd be like, oh, follow me, follow. Well, I used to be more like that on Periscope and they'd be like, oh, follow me, follow me, follow me. And then I'd look at their profile and they have no videos and I'm like follow you for what you don't broadcast. Yeah, that's the other part, Right For what.

Carmen Lezeth:

There's no doubt that Rick and I don't agree on a lot of things, but there are some fundamental things that we absolutely agree on, even when it comes to religion, and I think that's what you want to find in someone when you're trying to create or build something, is you want to make sure that the person that you're working with not only believes in your mission but also has your back.

Carmen Lezeth:

You know what I mean Is somebody who is going to be there for you, and I think that's hard if you don't have some fundamental belief systems that are exactly the same.

Carmen Lezeth:

And even though Rick and I don't believe in a lot of things, when it comes to like you know the same, like politics or religion or you know things like that the truth is, at the end of the day, we're both good people, we're both compassionate people, we both have a lot of empathy for people, and I think that's what's important.

Carmen Lezeth:

It's not that you have to agree on everything on the planet. I think that would be impossible and a little weird, by the way, but I do think it's important that, fundamentally, you believe in the same things that are good and you believe in the same things that are bad, and believe in the same things that are bad and that at the end of the day, if you do argue with each other or you do which I don't know if we've ever had any arguments, I couldn't find any clips of those but at the end of the day, that even if you have a disagreement, you can have those disagreements, you can apologize to each other and then you can move forward, and I think Rick and I are really good at that, especially with each other. But I feel like some of these churches. I'm shook by the tithing and I'm okay. I'm okay investing in something you believe in, but if he's driving a Rolls Royce, I'm just saying I don't think that's what Jesus would have thought when your flocking got food.

Rick Costa:

Yeah, that's definitely one of the big ones too is they're like oh, they just want money, they just want money and I want money, da-da-da-da. And I hear it, I understand it. And that was a funny thing on Periscope, again, the first time I was on, because there was so many more people over there. They'd see me and be like, oh, here's another money-hungry preacher and I'm like you never asked for money Right Back then. I definitely did never, never asked for money. I don't know, I don't get paid to do this. No, I don't get a paycheck. No, it's going to go into my head either. I just do it because I want to do it. But, yeah, I definitely understand that. I what are you talking about? I got to get what?

Carmen Lezeth:

Well, and it's also when they tie the amount of money you get to the miracles and the blessings. I'm like that's your first clue that that is a bad place to be churching, as I call it. You know what I mean. Like if someone because your relationship with God is your relationship with God and it doesn't matter how much money you give to whoever is pretending Cause at that point you're pretending, I'm sorry, you know what I mean. Like if you're doing a quid pro quo. Like if you give me 10% of your salary and then I will give you a blessing. That's a red flag right there.

Rick Costa:

Yeah, and I've heard horror stories too. Like the person that's pretty well known, we'll say the name but some guy, some, uh, some brother, guy's brother went to his service and he said to the, to the preacher he's like hey, my mom's got cancer, it's not looking good. And he said, oh, buy this 50 bottle of oil, pour it all over her and she will be healed. She, she died a month later.

Carmen Lezeth:

Of course she did so. That's disgusting. I'm not trying to be funny, but come on now.

Rick Costa:

Stuff like that. That just is disgusting and it makes all of us look bad, like what are you doing?

Carmen Lezeth:

Stop it you do know that there are more churches like that than not, right, I mean, that's the problem.

Rick Costa:

I don't know every church, so I don't know.

Carmen Lezeth:

Well, okay, I'm sorry, let me talk about Catholic churches. Like, every time I go into a Catholic church, like even here, which is this big church right down the street here very well-known, very famous tour guides go by, whatever, and you know, even when you walk in there, the opulence. I mean it's beautiful, right, because these are the old churches, the old cathedrals, whatever, and all that has to be, you know, upcapped or whatever, and if you go to church that that tithing thing comes around three times. Okay, here's the thing about Catholic church. In case black people be listening, who are not Catholic, catholic church is maybe 40 minutes. You're not there all day. It is our father, we sing a song, it's the same. You know, sermon, whatever. I mean, I haven't been to church in a long time and every time I step in it's like I was just there yesterday.

Rick Costa:

Exactly, because it's the same exact thing every time.

Carmen Lezeth:

So in 40 minutes, when that basket comes around three or four times that's a lot of pressure. You know what I mean and I'm not saying you shouldn't invest in things that you believe in, but it's like non-profits to me. If you want to invest money to a non-profit you need to research it, find out how much money is going to the administrative costs which are valid. You can't have a non-profit without the administrative staff working to do the stuff. But you want to make sure that ratio isn't, you know, 80% administrative and then 20% to the actual thing you're supporting. And I don't think churches have that. But you can do research on some churches before you give money to them.

Rick Costa:

Yeah, and listen, if I didn't give it to you the first time, what makes you think two and three, and four, five more times? If I'm broke, I'm still going to be broke, no matter how much time you pass this thing around. Ok, like, what is the point of that?

Carmen Lezeth:

You know what that was so good, rick. Rick, thank you so much. I appreciate you. I hope you know how much you mean to me and to the show. I am so excited for whatever happens next and where we're going from here, and I appreciate our conversations that we tend to really have in the green room. I wish you would be so vocal when we're on camera.

Carmen Lezeth:

I don't know what happens. Maybe it's because I talk too much. I have no idea but we have some great conversations offline, as well as all your contributions and the way in which you help me do this. I know for a fact that, although I think I would still be trying to do my podcast and my live stream, I really could not do it without your support and the way in which you were always there for me when I asked you to do something, when I asked you to try to help me out with something, and so I just wanted to say thank you and I appreciate you. Oh, no, you did tell me about that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is the friend that you were in the car with and you say we're just friends and food.

Rick Costa:

She was like opening the food for you that's just the reason.

Carmen Lezeth:

That's not a big deal. I'm like, oh my god, you're so stupid yeah I remember that I was like he don't get it because I would not be like rick here. Let me open the water I was just like, like she's so considerate. No, that doesn't work.

Rick Costa:

Yeah. I was done.

Carmen Lezeth:

Yeah, no, sorry. Thank you so much again. We appreciate all your support. We love that everyone keeps coming by and hanging out with us. And yeah, just remember, at the end of the day it really is all about the joy. Bye everyone. Thanks for stopping by. All About the Joy Be better and stay beautiful folks, have a sweet day.