About this Episode Visiting the show on this episode is Latha Poonamallee. Among many things Latha is a Professor, CEO, DEI expert and author; she on a mission to catalyze radical change to create a better world. We discuss her work in corporate leadership and her thoughts on how important it is to be open and able to transcend our own world view in an attempt to be more inclusive of others. Guest/Episode Links: https://lathapoonamallee.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lathapoonamallee/ Connect ...
Feb 08, 2022•48 min•Ep. 81
Ninah and Heather discuss random topics Connect with Us: Website: https://www.breakingbiaspodcast.com/ Breaking Bias Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingbias/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakingbiaspodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/breakingbiaspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Breakingbiaspodcast Show Host, Heather: https://www.instagram.com/hponfire/ Podcast : Podcast Host Dashboard: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/breakingbiaspodcast Voicemail: (617) ...
Feb 01, 2022•36 min•Ep. 80
About this Episode Chatting it up with repeat guest Mr. Lee Hopkins! In this episode Lee shares how he went from confusion and feeling wrong in his own body to taking the steps to become his most authentic self. He graciously answers some hard questions that are often wondered but not asked. This story is about uncovering your true self in every way possible! Guest/Episode Links: https://www.patternsofpossibility.com/ https://www.patternsofpossibility.com/why-cant-i-make-friends Connect with Us:...
Jan 25, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 79
About this Episode In this episode Heather speaks with Author, speaker and coach Sheena Yap Chan. They discuss the importance of representation, how unmanaged past events can hold you back and small steps on how to become more confident. Guest/Episode Links: https://sheenayapchan.com/ https://sheenayapchan.com/product/asian-women-who-boss-up-book/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093ZSW3VC/ref=as_sl_pc_as_ss_li_til?tag=wwwpartner05c-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=8d19082e14ac262ac35e1426442f379d&c...
Jan 18, 2022•43 min•Ep. 78
About this Episode Bernie shares his bold and passionate mindset on personal transformation. Life has a way of showing us our path if we are brave enough to follow it. In this episode Bernie shares how he went from a job in tech world to a mentor and coach. His aim as a coach is to help others show up in the most authentic, powerful and bold way. Guest/Episode Links: https://berniekettle.com/ Book Mentioned: The Journey by Brandon Bays Connect with Us: Website: https://www.breakingbiaspodcast.co...
Jan 11, 2022•50 min
About this Episode In this episode Heather talks to Stephanie Costello who is the founder of Safety In Freedom, an organization committed to helping couples and individuals find personal growth and freedom in relationships. They dive into Stephanie’s background where she shares a couple moments in life that caused her to rethink her path and subsequently break generational patterns. Guest/Episode Links: https://www.safetyinfreedom.com/ Connect with Us: Website: https://www.breakingbiaspodcast.co...
Jan 04, 2022•45 min•Ep. 76
Short and sweet bidding 2021 a farewell. Connect with Us: Website: https://www.breakingbiaspodcast.com/ Breaking Bias Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingbias/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakingbiaspodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/breakingbiaspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Breakingbiaspodcast Show Host, Heather: https://www.instagram.com/hponfire/ Podcast : Podcast Host Dashboard: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/breakingbiaspodcast Voicemail: (617)...
Dec 27, 2021•8 min•Ep. 75
About this Episode This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Leslie Lew who is the Founder of Reclaiming your Courage. Leslie is nothing short of amazing and should serve as an inspiration and guide to her community and beyond. Leslie dug deep and shared some painful experiences that could have, and at points almost did, take over her life but she chose to get up, raise her voice and fight back! Guest/Episode Links: https://www.instagram.com/reclaimingyourcourage/ https://www.reclaimingyourc...
Dec 21, 2021•54 min
About this Episode It’s simply amazing what open, respectful conversation can lead to; that’s right it’s Roundtable week! In this episode Ninah, Heather and guest host Lee Hopkins (from Patterns of Possibility podcast) discuss hot button topics related to the LGBTQ+ community. Each host gets personal about these topics and shares key stories that played a part in forming the opinions the hold. June is Pride month and Diversity on Fire would like to help you hold your flag with love! Links: https...
Dec 14, 2021•1 hr 5 min
About this Episode This week’s guest, Donald Thompson, digs right in and talks about how growing up the son of a football coach helped guide him to become the man he is today. He treats every day as game day and remembers to celebrate the small wins along his journey. He knows firsthand that the game is not won when everyone is watching, it’s won through relentless practice, in quiet empty stadiums where the only critic is yourself. Donald reminds us that words, narratives and clear objectives m...
Dec 07, 2021•53 min
About this Episode This is part two of a two-part series with Trevia Woods. This week we discuss what can be done to become more culturally competent and how finding connection to our own heritage can help us appreciate that of others. We also discuss cultural appropriation and how important it is to support actual Indigenous artists and creators rather than buying from a wholesaler. Guest/Episode Links: https://www.manytreeslifeway.com/ https://www.instagram.com/trevia_woods/ Connect with Us: W...
Nov 23, 2021•37 min•Ep. 74
About this Episode This week Heather is joined again by guest host Ninah and they sit down with Ninah’s longtime friend, Trevia, to hear about her experience growing up mixed race and the struggle to find identity, This is part one of a two part episode with Trevia so don’t miss next weeks conclusion as we dive even deeper into hot topics around cultural heritage. Guest/Episode Links: https://www.manytreeslifeway.com/ https://www.instagram.com/trevia_woods/ Connect with Us: Website: https://www....
Nov 16, 2021•38 min•Ep. 73
About this Episode Today former co-host Ninah joins Heather for a deep, and important conversation with Sikowis Nobiss of the George Gordon First Nation. Sikowis is the founder of Great Plains Action Society and Truthsgiving.org. Please be advised this episode contains triggering topics. We hope you’ll join us as we talk about some very real issues that remain today. Change requires a willingness to get uncomfortable. We truly hope you’ll join us in an effort to find the truest version of histor...
Nov 09, 2021•53 min•Ep. 72
About this Episode Short episode with Heather sharing some updates, fun facts about listener demographics and some primer questions to ignite those brains in preparation for this months talks with people from the Indigenous/Native American community. Connect with Us: Website: https://www.breakingbiaspodcast.com/ Breaking Bias Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingbias/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakingbiaspodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/breakingbiaspod Facebook: ht...
Nov 02, 2021•9 min
About this Episode In this episode Heather chats it up with friend Rolando Alfaro as he shares a deeper look into his move to the US from El Salvador when he was just a kid. Rolando has faced many challenges but keeps a level head and a positive attitude. He shares with us what it was like to cross into the US on foot at 4am and quickly face stark uncomfortable changes in life including being bullied, food insecurity and having to take on an adult mindset at age 11 in an effort to lower stress o...
Oct 26, 2021•50 min•Ep. 70
About this Episode In this episode Heather is joined by the amazing Sandy Rodriguez who opens up about her life journey and how it has shaped who she is today. She shares how living in multiple countries and often being an outsider helped her grow as a person and experience things from a more well-rounded perspective. Living in Mexico City she experienced both incredible success and devastating personal tragedy all of which help guide her to a major move and career shift. Guest/Episode Links: ht...
Oct 22, 2021•53 min
About this Episode On this episode Heather dives into the conversation with Dr. Joel Pérez who is a multi-hyphenated professional with an immigrant background and a passion for helping others create success. Joel shares his personal history growing up including a couple pivotal moments that helped him find direction and set big goals. They discuss growing up watching as neighborhood demographics shift, how cultural competency isn’t enough and how to ensure you are fully aligned with your company...
Oct 19, 2021•51 min
Short episode touching on the lack of attention missing POC get and what little thing we're doing to help. Facebook goes down and proves that Diversity matters in all things not the least of which how we market our businesses and interact with others. Finally we are highlighting voices from the Latinx community in October so I share a couple interesting facts and leave you with an important question.
Oct 05, 2021•13 min•Ep. 67
About this Episode This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Jerry Fu who is a pharmacist and the founder of Adapting Leaders. This conversation was so informative and fun. Like most of us, Jerry has a long and storied history in dealing with conflict. Instead of letting the negative take over he utilizes his experiences to help others overcome challenges through his coaching and leadership platform. Jerry is a humble professional looking to help others level up while gaining a better respec...
Sep 28, 2021•53 min•Ep. 66
About this Episode Today’s guest is the amazing Julie Pham. She is Vietnamese born, American raised, refugee. Julie has dedicated her life to continued learning and development. She has some incredible stories and perspectives to share. This conversation reminds us that there are always multiple sides to every story and one person’s truth does not often cleanly align with another’s. Guest/Episode Links: https://www.amazon.com/Their-War-Perspectives-Vietnamese-Veteran-%C3%89migr%C3%A9s-ebook/dp/B...
Sep 21, 2021•55 min•Ep. 65
About this Episode This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Leslie Lew who is the Founder of Reclaiming your Courage. Leslie is nothing short of amazing and should serve as an inspiration and guide to her community and beyond. Leslie dug deep and shared some painful experiences that could have, and at points almost did, take over her life but she chose to get up, raise her voice and fight back! Guest/Episode Links: https://www.instagram.com/reclaimingyourcourage/ https://www.reclaimingyourc...
Sep 14, 2021•54 min•Ep. 64
Today I am coming to you with some updates, some questions/request for feedback and possibly a new version of our Firestarter…. Basically this is an all things change type of episode with a couple Firestarter questions to get you ready for Our September theme where we’ll be highlighting voices from the Asian community.
Sep 07, 2021•11 min•Ep. 63
About this Episode In this episode I spoke with guest Nathaniel Turner about the parents’ role in education. We put a lot of pressure on teachers and the system at large to educate and develop our youth but is that enough? We also discussed curating your own personal life with backwards design; how we can harness the future by making plans today. Guest/Episode Links: https://www.nathanielaturner.com/ https://lxtrap.com/ https://www.facebook.com/HumanityPropulsionEngineer https://www.youtube.com/...
Aug 31, 2021•56 min•Ep. 62
About this Episode In this episode I spoke with Beau Palumbo who is a high school teacher in Las Vegas, NV. Beau shared his views on some of the struggles teachers face as well as some ideas on how we can all continue learning as we grow. As humans we can gain so much knowledge and value from simple conversations and Beau was sure to impart on parents the importance of open conversation in the home. Critical thinking is a MUST for our society, and we hope this episode inspires you to dig a littl...
Aug 24, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 61
About this Episode Finding connection and perspective in higher education. Our guest in this episode is a Professor and Program Chair at a community college where she encourages deep thinking and new perspectives. She shares her educational story and experience with us both from being a student and now as an educator. Ilima went from working in the field as a social worker to guiding students and building their self-confidence to pursue their goals. The inequity in education is dangerous and we ...
Aug 10, 2021•51 min•Ep. 60
About this Episode It’s Roundtable time! The topic we are tackling this month is Education. This week Ninah and Heather are joined by special guest Ashley. Ashley is a 3rd grade teacher who shares some inside perspectives on what it’s like to adapt as times change. There are a lot of things that need work when it comes to education but there is also a lot going right. Connect with Us: Website: https://www.breakingbiaspodcast.com/ Breaking Bias Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakingb...
Aug 03, 2021•54 min•Ep. 59
About this Episode Our guest, Colleen Iacavino-Falicki, is the sweetest composter around! She has literally built a business on helping others live more sustainably by providing them a convenient and low-cost way of diverting compostable waste away from landfills. Colleens’ passion and knowledge are both evident and inspiring. This episode provides tangible idea’s for each and every one of us to make a small difference. We hope you’ll take action with us! Guest/Episode Links: https://backtoearth...
Jul 29, 2021•50 min•Ep. 58
About this Episode Today we spoke with Bruce Williams who has spent a lot of time researching climate change. His perspective is slightly different than others we have heard which is interesting and thought provoking. As with every episode we hope this conversation ignites flames of curiosity and inspires you to dig in and gain a deeper understanding of the diversity in our world. Connect with Us: Website: https://diversityonfire.com/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/diversityonfi...
Jul 27, 2021•53 min•Ep. 57
About this Episode In a world where educational degrees are becoming seen as a requirement, we often forget about the invaluable lessons and wisdom of firsthand experience; todays guest reminds us of the importance of lessons and growth that come from lived experience. Aaron has a wealth of knowledge, experience, and a fascinating story that we only just touched the surface of. In this episode we discussed how Aaron became an accidental conservationist and protector of Elephants and Lions in Afr...
Jul 20, 2021•49 min•Ep. 56
About this Episode We had a great conversation with Jon Green who is the program director for The Back Country Land Trust in San Diego, CA. We touched on several aspects of land conservation and more importantly how interconnected humans and land/nature truly are. Guest/Episode Links: https://backcountrylandtrust.org/ https://www.facebook.com/BackCountryLandTrust https://www.instagram.com/back_country_land_trust/ Connect with Us: Website: https://www.breakingbiaspodcast.com/ Breaking Bias Commun...
Jul 13, 2021•58 min•Ep. 55
