Changing the Course

Hair Love, the short animated film, won the Oscar this year and it is no wonder.  The inspiration for this adorable movie was none other than our guest Derrick Culpepper, owner of Active Dads Rule, Derrick strives to be a good example for dads everywhere.

Derrick was going about his routine and just getting his young daughter ready for her school day, but the video he made to show his wife went viral.  The rest, as they say, is history.  Listen to this episode and find out what happened along the way and why so many people found comfort and inspiration in this adorable video.

• His wife was out of town and it was his turn to take care of her daughter

• At first, it was just family and friends who saw and reacted to the video but after 10 months, it suddenly accumulated 500 views

• His video showed the counter to the narrative being portrayed in the media about African-American men

• He got an email from Cosmopolitan Magazine Asking him for permission if they can use the video to their site

• Derrick wants to encourage dads to be more involved

• Embrace your natural self and accept who you are

• His son signed a scholarship to Southwestern University in Kansas where he'll pursue his athletic career and higher education

• Derrick strives to stay hungry to serve

• Derrick is looking forward to making more videos

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Tammy Rabideau's story is as uplifting as it is moving; deeply personal, Tammy's journey with her daughter beside her, will inspire you to keep moving through all life's obstacles. Tammy was homeless not too many New Year's Eves ago, but she pulled herself back up and her young daughter was awarded a full scholarship to a top Ivy League college. Tammy chronicles her story from falling to rising in a beautiful essay, As the Ball Dropped our Life Fell Apart, chosen by Dan Jones, editor for the NY Times Style section's Modern Love column.

Deciding to Divorce is never easy, nobody knows that better than Susan Guthrie, divorce attorney and mediator for over 30 years, (but trust me, she doesn't look a day over 40!). Susan is the host of her own podcast- Divorce and Beyond and in her role as a divorce attorney, she has been helping couples make a clean, responsible and cordial break always being mindful of their children and the bond they once shared.

Susan shares her insights and years of experience both as a litigator and mediator in this week's podcast. 

Susan has been featured in and on media outlets such as CNBC, Market Watch, Forbes, the ABA’s Just Resolutions Magazine, Thrive Global, The Nook Online and many more; it is no wonder- listen to this Episode whether you are going through a divorce or just want to hear Susan's take on the recent movie, The Marriage Story, either way you will walk away just a little bit smarter and if you are breaking up- you will have the tools to do it the right way!

Do you often feel overwhelmed, too busy to read your to-do list let alone add one more thing to your plate? We felt the same way; between raising children, work, business ventures, the struggle of every-day life, we didn't think we had any time left in our busy schedules.  But when you want to make time you will be amazed at what happens.

Simple Acts: Of kindness, of giving back, of taking a moment to impact someone around you. Honestly "simple" is a misnomer because really acts of kindness can be hugely impactful, even life-changing which makes one believe that they are anything but simple.  Natalie Silverstein, author of Simple Acts:  The Busy Family's Guide to Giving back, explains in this week's episode how the beauty and the monumental lie in simplicity.  Grandeious acts of kindness, huge donations to charities, the Bill Gates Foundation- these are wonderful and they can be life-changing to those who are the beneficiaries of these institutions.  But you need not donate large sums of money or head a foundation to make life-changing impacts.  A smile, a kind word, a hand-made craft to the elderly, a toothbrush to the homeless these small things are anything but small.  Listen to this episode and you will fall in love with Natalie just as we did. She is an author, the founder of non-for profit and a person who followed her passion to do good all around her.  Her young husband was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease but even this failed to get her down.  After the shock of the discovery wore off, Natalie founded an organization, The Silverstein Foundation for Parkinson’s, determined to find a cure.  If you listen to Natalie you will be convinced that she will.   Natalie we are rooting for you!  Listen to this episode - it will "simply" change who you are!

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The Sunday NY Times Style Section is synonymous for many with sleeping late, lazy Sunday mornings, maybe a cup of coffee by your night table, perhaps a croissant or a donut half-eaten next to your newspaper.  For me, The NY Times Style section is about four words:  The Modern Love Column.  I LOVE the modern love column.  I wait for it all week, get excited to know the paper will be at my door, grab it before my husband can crinkle it up, making it harder to find my page.  And when it is in my hands I immediately flip through until I find the familiar font and the simple drawings accompanying this column. When I read Zoe Fishman’s column recently, The Subway Crush Who Crushed Me, I was blown away. Zoe’s writing is like poetry; her words flow one into the other and I found myself teary-eyed and choked up, not even realizing I was crying until a tear dropped on the paper in front of me.  I knew I had to interview Zoe; I wanted to hear her story in her own voice and share her words with our audience.

Zoe is now a single mom, a published author, a writing teacher but more than all of that she is thoughtful, deliberate, interesting and funny.  I liked her as much as I had hoped I would; the woman behind the words does not disappoint. Read the column here and listen to our podcast with Zoe Fishman. You will laugh, smile, maybe shed a tear.  You will definitely walk away holding the ones you love more closely, remembering that life is precious and that moments of happiness lie in the mundane and that in the end only love is real!

Mika Perry is put-together, organized, thoughtful, smiling almost picture-perfect.  But things are not always what they seem.  Several years ago, Mika found out her husband was cheating on her and her world almost fell apart.  She wanted to crawl into a corner and not come out but she had a new baby and a husband she did love.  Slowly Mika put the pieces back together and in this intimate podcast, she details just how she got through one of the hardest times of her life.  When your husband has an affair your world comes crashing down.  Life as you know it  ceases to exist, but Mika Perry created a new life and in doing so she uncovered pieces of herself she had never known.  Mika Perry describes her life now as better than ever and she attributes much of her growth and happiness to the very difficult time period post-affair.  You can grow from trials and tribulations if you want to, Mika Perry proves that and much more!  Listen to our interview and you will find out how to create goodness from disaster.

Davide Digirio- Tedx speaker, best-selling author, motivational speaker.  Davide coined two phrases that I absolutely love: “comparanoia” and “being unapologetic”.  

Listening to Davide’s Tedx talk was like listening to your wisest friend give you advice.  It was calming, smart, and mostly just... true. We know that comparing ourselves to others is bad.  We know that children suffer from this tenfold and that the harm this does to their sense of self can be so difficult to undo.   We know as parents and educators we need to teach them that comparing themselves to others is counter to their uniqueness.  These are things we know or at least we are supposed to know. But listening to Davide talk about so many important topics in both a light-hearted fun way and a deep soulful manner is somehow more impactful than just knowing.  His calm voice and his thoughtful non-judgemental demeanor make his advice feel less like advice and more like things your grandmother always told you when she braided your hair or made you hot chocolate or helped you tie your shoes for the first time.  

Davide is an author, a speaker, an educator,  but he is so much more, listen to this Episode and you will immediately know exactly what I mean.

Curlee Girlee podcast interviews Gil Zamora of the famed Dove Beauty Sketches

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? All too often, we can be harsh, critical, unforgiving in how we view our reflection.  Women and girls particularly fall victim to negativity and self-loathing. Girls as young as eight or nine years old feel the pressures of social media, fitting in and looking just like their friends do.

Dove brand set out to make changes and in doing so they launched The Dove Real Beauty Sketches Campaign. Similar to what we do at Curlee Girlee, Dove wanted to empower, encourage, and appreciate women of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities and diverse make-ups. Dove wanted women to see themselves as others see them; often less critically then we see ourselves.  In an effort to spread their message, Dove Real Beauty Campaign released its real beauty sketches video. Our guest today, Gil Zamora, is integral to this campaign and this very widely viewed video is one of the most acclaimed of its kind, with over 100 million views. 

Gil Zamora began his career as a police officer for the San Jose Police Department. As a young boy, he always loved to sketch but a career in law enforcement seemed to be the “right” thing to do.  Eventually, his love and passion for drawing won out and he became certified as an FBI Sketch artist. Gil worked on many high profile cases and was instrumental in solving thousands of cases with his ability to sketch from other people’s memories.  His popularity in the San Jose area led Unilever to seek out his expertise and employ him as their sketch artist for this groundbreaking video.

I have watched this video countless times both by myself, with friends and even with my young daughters, each time I am unable to speak after the reveal is unveiled.  The impact this video will have on you will be palatable. 

Beauty standards are both innate and learned.  We can change the conversation with our children by exposing them to positive role models and influences.  Gil Zamora is one such individual. Listen to our interview and you will be entertained, humbled and awed by Gil and his accomplishments.  Together we can change the coarse of curly hair and in doing so empower ourselves and our children.

So let’s get started now! 

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At last, you get to know the host behind our Curlee Girlee's Cracking the Kid Code podcast! Atara Twersky,  the Mom behind the Curlee Girlee book series and the Curlee Girlee movement and Today Show Style Hero is here answering questions about her incredible new book, Curlee Girlee's Got Talent. 

Atara shares that Curlee Grilee has entered a talent show and does not go the traditional way as far as talents are concerned. We find our favorite curly heroine choosing a STEM experiment as her talent. Parents and children everywhere are going to love this book and it's sending a clear message that everyone has an incredible talent!

We then get Atara to dish on everything from travel to Motherhood. We find out what inspires her as a Mom and as a person, whether she is a city girl or a country girl and the one thing that brings her peace!

You don't want to miss this wonderful entrepreneur, author and Mom behind this fun podcast!

Visit Atara at Curlee Girlee

Pick up Curlee Girlee, the first book of the Curlee Girlee book series!

Visit Grace at The Baby Spot

Working moms take heed!  This podcast is for you!  Julie Finn, CEO of the Working Mother's Mentor is our special guest today.  Julie went through the system checking all the boxes by attending the best schools, obtaining great degrees and finding herself high on the corporate ladder. Becoming a mom was just one more thing Julie was going to excel it and she did.  But despite her success, Julie felt that something was not right and the traditional roles she was placed in were not fulfilling her in the ways she wanted or needed to be fulfilled.  "Working Mother's Mentor" was born out of Julie's need to help herself and now as CEO, Julie is helping working moms find their groove and keep it by synthesizing, organizing and prioritizing.

Listen to this podcast you will be entertained and also learn a ton!