🎙 Carnela Speaks: Faith. Leadership. Purpose.

Today’s conversation features Dwan Kelsey, a seasoned nurse, healthcare leader, entrepreneur, and author with over 30 years of experience. From WakeMed to correctional nursing, her journey led her to specialize in HIV/oncology and launch one of North Carolina’s first diabetes clinics.

In this powerful conversation, Dwan shares a defining moment where she felt God’s presence guiding her through a challenging season—drawing from the story of the woman at the well. Her story reveals how faith, surrender, and divine timing shape both purpose and leadership.

Now the owner of wellLIFE House Calls, she brings care directly into homes—meeting people where they are, clinically and spiritually.

Carnela “Speaks”: Faith. Leadership. Purpose… In this episode, host Carnela Renee Hill shares a heartfelt reflection on the importance of wisdom to pause, rest, and realign with purpose amid life's turbulence. She emphasizes the significance of understanding divine seasons in leadership and entrepreneurship, encouraging listeners to honor their own rhythm and season of life. If you are feeling overwhelmed by constant hustle, Carnela Renee Hill shares a powerful reminder: sometimes, the greatest leadership move is to pause. On this episode of Carnela Speaks, she's taking a deliberate step back to embrace the wisdom of rest, revealing how even the most driven entrepreneurs and leaders need to know when to stop, reset, and realign with their purpose.

Discover how understanding the seasons of your life can transform your approach to success. Carnela recounts her recent milestone—celebrating her 57th birthday and her pastoral anniversary—highlighting the importance of honoring your own limits and embracing the power of stillness. She shares practical insights on recognizing when to rest without guilt and how this pause can lead to greater clarity and renewed strength—both personally and professionally.

You'll learn how to tune into your body's signals, the spiritual significance of surrender, and how intentional pauses can propel you forward more effectively than relentless grinding. Carnela also discusses the importance of self-care as a leadership strategy, emphasizing that you can't pour from an empty cup. Plus, she invites you to reflect on your own season, encouraging actionable steps to incorporate rest without guilt.

This episode is perfect for leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives feeling exhausted or stuck in their hustle—especially if you're searching for sustainable ways to lead with faith and purpose in times of turbulence. Missing this message could mean risking burnout or losing sight of what truly matters; embracing the power of rest can unlock a new level of clarity, resilience, and impact.

Join Carnela and discover why sometimes the best move is to pause, reflect, and prepare for what's next. Because leadership isn't just about pushing harder—it's about knowing when to stop, listen, and realign with your greatest purpose. Perfect for anyone ready to lead with intention and spiritual wisdom in their season of life.

This is Carnela’s birthday show. She ask you to support one her favorite charity for the kids, ## Resources & Links:

- [Thrive Resource Center](https://www.thethriveresourcecenter.org) — Supporting youth and young adults in North Carolina and beyond

## Connect with Carnela:

- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/carnelareneehill.com)

- [Website](https://www.carnelareneehill.com)

🎙 Carnela “Speaks”: Faith. Leadership. Purpose.

In this episode, Carnela sits down with LaMonique Hamilton, founder of Centre Creative Co., a boutique multimedia firm dedicated to amplifying voices that have historically been muted or ignored.

LaMonique is an Emmy-winning producer, award-winning writer, digital media executive, former journalist, and political strategist who has helped shape powerful narratives for creators, public leaders, and cultural influencers. She is also the author of Shift: Essays from a Woman in Progress, a reflective collection on growth, voice, and the evolving journey of becoming.

In this conversation, Carnela and LaMonique discuss storytelling, leadership influence, and what it truly means to take yourself seriously as an entrepreneur.

One of the key insights from this episode:

Entrepreneurs must structure time for their own vision with the same discipline and excellence they once gave to someone else’s organization.

This episode is a powerful reminder that purpose requires stewardship, structure, and the courage to honor your own calling.

Listen. Reflect. Align.

Carnela “Speaks”: Faith. Leadership. Purpose.

In this episode, Carnela sits down with Deji Olajide — former NCAA athlete turned coach, speaker, and sports chaplain — for a powerful conversation on purpose beyond performance. Walking in Purpose — From NCAA Champion to Author, Speaker, Coach & Chaplain w/ Deji Olajide… What does it look like when talent, discipline, and calling align?

Deji holds a B.A. in Sports Ministry and a Master of Divinity from Azusa Pacific University and is a certified coach through Jon DeCuir’s Session 5 Institute. As a former student-athlete, he won CIF and state championships at Corona Centennial High School and went on to secure two NCAA Division II national championships during his collegiate career.

Today, he serves as a sports chaplain for La Salle High School and Chaffey College and as a youth minister at Victory Bible Church, mentoring and developing student-athletes on and off the field. His impact extends nationally and internationally — from Los Angeles and Texas to Canada, Kenya, Nigeria, and Zambia.

This conversation is for athletes, parents, leaders, and anyone discerning their next season.

Purpose is not accidental. It is cultivated.

Check out Deji @ Www.dejiolajide.com

Carnela “Speaks” | Faith. Leadership. Purpose.

Carnela answers two powerful questions:

How did this podcast begin?

And how does she integrate faith into leadership and business spaces?

In this episode, she shares the moment that shifted her perspective — learning that faith is not a setting, it is a stance. She speaks candidly about boldness, balance, and allowing your voice to be heard without shrinking in professional rooms.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you can walk by faith in every space you occupy, this episode is for you.

Listen. Reflect. Align.

In this powerful episode of Carnela Speaks… Faith. Leadership. Purpose., Carnela sits down with Rev. Kezra Yvette Marshall—faith leader, advocate, entrepreneur, and visionary servant.

Founder of The Hidden Jewels Project, Inc., Kezra leads trauma-informed work addressing domestic violence at the intersection of faith, justice, and healing. She also serves as Site Pastor of UBC Saturday Connect Worship in Winston-Salem, NC, and is the CEO of Kezra Yvette Crown Coffee Co., a brand built on the declaration: “Brewed to Reign™: Royalty in Every Pour.”

Together, they unpack obedience, perfection, performance, and what it truly means to rest in God’s timing. This conversation challenges the pressure to strive and invites listeners into authentic freedom.

If you’ve been navigating purpose under pressure, this episode will meet you right where you are.

Carnela Speaks with Dr. Linda Jordan is a compelling conversation at the intersection of voice, leadership, and purpose. Dr. Jordan brings a rare blend of experience as a communications strategist, leadership coach, entrepreneurship, public servant, and mayor. In this episode, she shares how leaders can communicate with clarity, integrity, and courage—especially in moments that demand wisdom, restraint, and resolve.

Together, Carnela and Dr. Jordan explore what it means to find, steward, and protect your voice across different leadership spaces—faith, civic life, and community influence. They discuss navigating seasons of transition, entrepreneurship, leading in the public eye, and discerning when to speak boldly, when to listen deeply, and when to shift direction. This is not a conversation about polished soundbites. It is about purposeful communication—the kind that builds trust, shapes culture, and anchors leadership in conviction without sacrificing compassion.

If you are carrying responsibility, influence, or a calling that requires you to lead and speak wisely in complex spaces, this episode will both challenge and encourage you to lead with intention and truth.

Carnela Speaks… Faith. Leadership. Purpose.

This week’s conversation with Rashaad McNeil, founder of RM Media Productions, carries a powerful reminder for leaders and creatives alike: Sometimes we miss what God is doing because we’re looking for a “big” miracle. The miracle happened—just not the way we expected. In this episode, we talk about faith in the process, creativity as obedience, and learning to recognize God’s movement in the unexpected moments—not just the breakthrough headlines.

Episode 2: Jimmy Davies — Legacy, Leadership, and the Season of Building

In Episode 2 of Carnela Speaks: Faith. Leadership. Purpose., Jimmy Davies, Founder and CEO of Every.Black, joins the conversation to share his personal journey, leadership purpose, and the season he is currently navigating. Jimmy reflects on what it means to build with intention while carrying forward a powerful entrepreneurial legacy—one shaped by pioneers such as Dr. S. B. Fuller and Dr. Joe Dudley. Through Every.Black, he is continuing that legacy by creating access, opportunity, and sustainable pathways for entrepreneurs to thrive. This episode is for leaders and entrepreneurs who are navigating responsibility, purpose, and influence—while staying grounded in vision, legacy, and impact.

Episode 1: What Season Are You Actually In? | Alignment Over Activity

Welcome to the kickoff episode of Carnela Speaks: Faith. Leadership. Purpose. & Business.

In this opening conversation, Carnela Renée Hill invites listeners to pause and reflect on a foundational leadership question: What season are you actually in? Too often, we stay busy without clarity—moving out of obligation instead of alignment.

This episode sets the tone for the podcast by exploring how awareness, intentional reflection, and alignment shape wise leadership decisions. Carnela introduces the rhythm of the show—reflection, conversation, and practical application—while preparing listeners for future interview-based episodes.

You’ll leave with:

• ​A powerful question to reflect on this week
• ​A simple action to create space for clarity
• ​A word of wisdom to carry forward

This episode is about setting the foundation—because clarity begins when you recognize your season.