What a journey this season has been! Thank you so much for joining me, listening week in and week out. What a beautiful, teachable heart you all have. I've met so many interesting people I never would have had the opportunity to meet in the course of my ordinary life. Sometimes we have to go out of our way to meet people outside our spheres of influence. Today's episode will be a deep dive into what these past few months have taught me about the formerly incarcerated as well as the U.S criminal ...
Jan 10, 2022•23 min•Season 3Ep. 18
Elizabeth's one tip to make the world a better place reiterated a long held truth, but also one I easily forget. Communication is key. I needed that reminder that "conflict is based on false perceptions of the other person's role and capabilities, and without asking, you have no idea what you're asking of them. You're assuming how they feel and what they meant, based on your life experiences" This is exactly what I needed to hear at this exact moment in life. Her advice about taking whatever is ...
Jan 03, 2022•49 min•Season 3Ep. 17
Sithy brought up an interesting point on his decision to join the gang...not only was it considered just the next step because everyone around him was doing it, but he wanted the dual benefits of belonging and protection. The need for acceptance and to impress silenced his initial desire to not participate in the illegal activities of the gang. He was slowly desensitized to the impact of his crimes on others because the praise received from fellow gang members was worth more than the values of h...
Dec 27, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 16
Education taught David how to hone skills he didn't realize he had. It also taught him to take the negative impulsiveness that had plagued him his entire life and reframe it as a tool that he can use, not one that controls him. Although his transformation was a long time coming, when it occurred, it was genuine. Like he said, "To change you have to want it." Once his mindset changed, there was no looking back except to use his past choices to motivate him to keep progressing forward. David's enc...
Dec 20, 2021•55 min•Season 3Ep. 15
After hearing Laura's story, the words that come to mind are: determined, brave, compassionate, strong, forgiving, teachable, and resilient. She was dealt a terrible hand in life. She confesses to her mistakes without playing the victim. She wakes up every day and chooses to better herself and help others. Her life is a testament to this. It seems that many prison programs are what help bring about healing in so many broken souls who've found themselves incarcerated. They are finally in a place ...
Dec 13, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 14
Andy's generous, gentle soul had quite the impact on me. Despite his life experiences he is still an ardent believer that people are born good and he chooses to see the good in people, try to find common ground, and bring people together. This is a transformed man from the one who thought fighting was the answer to everything. I loved the surprise bunny trail we went down about dog training and learning how to read people. I'm so thankful there are organizations who reach out to prisoners and gi...
Dec 06, 2021•1 hr 25 min•Season 3Ep. 13
II was deeply touched by the simple yet profound recognition that Darlene so eloquently gave voice to: Healing is not linear. If you stop and think about it, it makes perfect sense. None of us deal with an issue and move on. It keeps resurfacing and sneaking up on us throughout our life. This is why we seek out friends and therapists to talk to. This is why we get depressed. This is why we often get stuck in cycles of unhealthy thinking. Giving ourselves permission to heal over and over again, e...
Nov 29, 2021•46 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Nhut enlightens us about why insecure kids are drawn into gang life - the feelings of loss of control, inadequacy, not belonging to their culture of origin or their new culture. In this light, broken people are taken with the allure of gang life by finding a place to belong and come together - not for healing their brokenness - rather ,to encourage the trifecta of false pride, false power, and false respect. He's intimately aware of this mindset and has compassion on those who find this their on...
Nov 22, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 11
All I can say is that I'm so thankful for the Melissa's of the world. Those people who work tirelessly for the underdog, who clearly see the system that failed them and valiantly aim to fix those broken structures. Melissa's pronouncement of the need to address the root causes of why people go into the system in the first place is paramount to reforming it. She and others that are like-minded are creatively seeking ways to give power back to those who were never given a fair chance in life throu...
Nov 15, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Season 3Ep. 10
He speaks about his younger years from the standpoint of: "this is just the way it was" with not a hint of bitterness in his voice. And he never portrays himself as the victim. He teaches us that often our misconceptions, preconceived ideas, and false judgements of situations, or people, or things that happened in the past have fed our anger for so long but are often false. If he, who had every right to hold onto anger or resentment was able to see past it and forgive, who am I not to? It gives ...
Nov 08, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 3Ep. 9
I'm so glad to hear that Mr. Pitts Sr. became a Defy facilitator while in prison. Can you imagine all the men he encouraged and helped. I appreciate his insightful recognition that Defy is not there to teach about entrepreneurship solely, but that the entire program is based first and foremost on character development...exercising those muscles of responsibility, forgiveness, and the ability to examine your motivations. It was because of this internal work that he was able to eventually voice hi...
Nov 01, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 8
I know Kathy would never have chosen this path to intentionally walk down, but the lessons, friendships, and change of heart she gained while in prison were transformational for her. Our lives are but a series of small choices compiled together to form a cohesive whole. Every seemingly inconsequential act matters. They all form the basis of our character, our thought processes, and eventually our actions. After our conversation Kathy emailed me some more thoughts that she regretted not sharing d...
Oct 25, 2021•57 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Ian's insight as to how the rest of society views and judges the incarcerated is spot on. I really appreciate his counter argument against that mindset. I love how he appeals to our humanity by reminding us that they are just people who were shaped by a certain set of circumstances which eventually influenced who they became. It's not an excuse, it's one explanation that helps us put the shoe on the other foot for a minute. What would you have done had you grown up in these set of circumstances?...
Oct 18, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Who he is now seems incongruous with the story he shares of his early life. His transformation blows me away. He is kind, forgiving, and generous. He is open and vulnerable, sharing his fears and deepest sorrows. It breaks my heart hearing that he wanted to end his life so bad. Thank God for somebody seeing the good in him, having the courage to tell him and in doing so reignited his spark to continue living. I'm so thankful that spark of fire in him never went out and that he ultimately decided...
Oct 11, 2021•54 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Sandy is completely others centered. She genuinely cares and does everything in her power to help make life better for those around her be it her family, her community, or those she touches through her work. What a wonderfully unique vantage point Sandy brings to each situation she encounters. It was the positive influence of her community in her own life that taught her who she was and grounded her. She's witnessed the benefits of it in her own life and sees the lack of it in the lives of other...
Oct 04, 2021•45 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Erik was not shy in naming his problem and the root of his choices...he cared deeply about what others thought of him. Haven't we all been in those same shoes? Yet ,at the time, he didn't have the tools to handle that fear and insecurity with mental clarity. How many of us would be so forthcoming in telling others where we lacked character and understanding in our youth...most of the time we prefer to chalk it up to stupidity instead of our own ignorance. I'm deeply impressed by the level of cha...
Sep 27, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Season 3Ep. 3
When we sat down to talk, he had this awesome lion as his zoom background. He named him Wayne. After visiting with Chris, I learned that it couldn't have been a more perfect representation of who he is. It represents the strength of character and resilience he now possesses. Join me as Chris reveals with profound vulnerability the story of his life. Chris' insight into the human condition astounds me. He's so perceptive, intelligent, and humble. I LOVE how he said, "People have opened up to me a...
Sep 20, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Quan works as the Senior Post Release Program Manager for Defy Ventures, a non-profit helping those with a criminal past transform their lives through the journey of entrepreneurship. After spending twenty-two years in and out of correctional institutions, Quan was paroled from a life sentence in 2015 and created his first company six months later. The following year, he received the Peace Fellowship Award for his work with the Alternatives to Violence Project. Quan has been featured in Entrepre...
Sep 13, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Season 3Ep. 1
I'm so thankful you're joining me for another season of listening to and learning from those who have been pushed to the fringes of society. This entire season was borne out of a book I read about one man's story. The book is titled, "The Sparrow In The Razor Wire" by Quan Huynh. As soon as I finished reading it, I knew I had to meet this incredible man. I also knew I wanted to learn more about what it was like on the inside and listen to the stories of all the men and women who have endured thi...
Sep 06, 2021•8 min
This would be so much more fun in a community setting if we could each share our takeaways with each other and support one another in our growing and learning process. I gain so much from hearing your thoughts and experiences. Thank you to each one of you who have shared with me throughout the season. And finally, as much as I look forward to sharing what I've learned this season with you, I'm equally nervous. This is very personal. It's as if you found the key to my diary and are able to read m...
Jun 07, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Tiara's website describes her as a sought-after thought partner, and I can totally see why. I really enjoyed our deep talk over ideas of social justice and police accountability. I especially appreciate how she differentiates between social justice vs social injustice! Social Injustice is not limited to a black/white issue...injustices happen everywhere. I can learn alot from Tiara's approach to growth. I was impressed how she took what could be viewed as something negative, or maybe even discri...
May 31, 2021•55 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Corey's passion for tap is contagious. I love how excited he gets when he talks about it! I love the freedom of expression and form that tap dance allows. But mostly I appreciate how personal this is to Corey, how he knows he's part of a culture of the history of tap and he's doing his part to pass the mantle and history down to the younger generation. I like how Corey views the world and sees opportunities. For example, how he used his time traveling with Riverdance to learn more about world cu...
May 24, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Hearing Josh talk about how he's constantly thinking about it and actively working at not coming across as "shady" makes me sad. I hate that the onus is often on Black people to look non-threatening. This is not right and it saddens me that this is a daily reality for African Americans. They are fighting a centuries long battle of stereotypes and false information that are rampant among white Americans. Speaking of that, I really, really appreciate Josh's confession that even he sometimes harbor...
May 17, 2021•44 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Right out of the gates JaQuintin exposes his heart in how he expresses his desire for unity. When he's explaining injustices against Black or Indigenous people, it's for the sole purpose of educating, overcoming, and healing in order to create a better future for our children. Doing the hard work now will yield positive results for future generations. JaQuinitn's insight into how there are people from every race thriving and oppressed really challenged me to stop and think and see this through h...
May 10, 2021•45 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Chalmer speaks to racism's cousin...classism. I appreciate his description of racism not being as direct when you grow up in an area that is economically depressed and you live among the marginalized. It's just not something you see. But classism is extremely pervasive as well as a slowly boiling frustration hidden just below the surface. Passive enough not to be talked about very often but noticed by all. It fascinated me how Chalmer explained his education on racism (or lack thereof) in his ch...
May 03, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Kevin actively works at helping others identify where they have prejudices and how they can work to grow and include the "other." It's beautiful, necessary, hard work. Kevin has all the best words. I'm envious of his ability to string such genius sentences together. He definitely has the gift of communication. The thing I love so much about Kevin is genuineness. Everything he does comes out of a desire for a deeper connection between differing cultures. For example, in both his book and his podc...
Apr 26, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 14
I really like how Dr. Meredith spoke to our motives, especially when it comes to being an ally. We must questions ourselves as to why we want to be this….so that we look good, are seen, for our own ego. We can't say we're an ally and only do it when it's convenient. I'm speaking to myself here too. I often feel like giving up, thinking my effort isn't enough. But it's not about me. It's about us and what is best for the common good. If my voice, actions, money, or other contributions help better...
Apr 19, 2021•57 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Greg and I start off the conversation with some hot sports opinions! We connected over his love of sports. What a fun conversation this was! This is what an interview looks like when you just follow where the conversation leads. Greg brings a young, important, balanced perspective to our conversation. During his free time, he records and produces his very own podcast called: On The Spot where he discusses all things sports, entertainment and music. I was really surprised and impressed with Greg'...
Apr 12, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Harold has more than a decade of teaching and counseling experience, enabling him to reach others with truth, transparency, and strength. In addition to over a decade of service to the United States Army, Harold has launched several successful businesses, and now focuses all his humor, experience, and enthusiasm on being of deep service as an Entrepreneur and Creative Director with the goal of inspiring people to develop lives that display purpose, freedom, and legacy! In today's episode we tack...
Apr 05, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Janice's accomplishments astound me. She received her undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University, her MPH (which stands for Masters of Public Health, I had to look that one up) from the University of Pennsylvania, and her almost M.D from Ohio State University Medical School. She is excited to start her residency this June as a full fledged medical doctor. And, as if that wasn't impressive enough, she is also a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force (soon to be promoted to Captain in May). ...
Mar 29, 2021•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 10
