defy community

McKenna Doe was born and raised by a loving, supportive family in Huntington Beach, California. She also happens to be an identical twin. McKenna and her sister grew-up with a closeness that many twins experience together. But McKenna was always fearful of hurting her sister’s feelings so she learned to minimize her accomplishments. This created an environment where McKenna doubted herself and her abilities.

In college at University of San Diego McKenna found an incredible network of support within her sorority which helped her be able to embrace her skills and gifts. As a result McKenna got a job as an intern at a socially conscious tech start-up, Vizer, her senior year of college. As a lifelong competitive soccer player McKenna learned early on that being coachable was an important component of growth (both on and off the soccer field). She applied her willingness to be coachable to her work at Vizer. In less than a year McKenna has been awarded Employee of the Year AND is the Director of Partnerships for Vizer. Learn more insights from McKenna that have helped her to JUST DO IT when it comes to elevating her career and personal growth!

Show Notes:

Vizer

https://www.vizerapp.com/

Interested in learning more about defy community? Come check out our website, babe!

www.defy.community

Holding space and including non-binary folks has been a priority for defy community. Have we done a great job of this? We don’t think so. As part of our effort to cultivate space for our non-binary members we worked with one of our colleagues, Worner Leland, of Upswing Advocates, to help us do better. Worner graciously agreed to sit down with Sarah to talk about their personal story and to share their expert advice on how ANYONE can educate themselves to better understand their own gender constructs/beliefs, the diversity within gender identities and how to avoid being on “team let’s not do that”!

Show Notes:

Upswing Advocates

http://www.upswingadvocates.org/home

Plume

https://getplume.co/

Interested in learning more about defy community? Come check out our website, babe!

www.defy.community

Adrienne Bradley was born and raised in a traditional black family in Troy, Michigan. Her father had a great job as an engineer at GM and she enjoyed all the privileges of a secure, middle class upbringing. When the auto industry tanked in 2008 Adrienne’s father lost his job and couldn’t secure another one. This was a turning point for Adrienne’s family, their financial security and for her father’s mental and physical health. Over the next 4-years Adrienne’s relationship with her father deteriorated until she was eventually kicked out of the house. When Adrienne’s father died in 2012 they were barely on speaking terms. Learn how the pandemic has forced Adrienne to start to work through her grief and guilt over the fractured relationship with her father, how she’s learned that nothing is unfixable and why she feels it’s so important not to sanitize death.

Show Notes:

Black Applied Behavior Analysts

https://www.babainfo.org/

Interested in learning more about defy community? Come check out our website, babe!

www.defy.community

Tiffany Bluhm was abandoned as a baby in New Delhi and adopted by a white family. Growing up as the only brown skinned girl in a small town in the Pacific Northwest Tiffany experienced overt racism. She also learned to be an agreeable, conflict-avoidant woman of color in order to preserve her value. But in junior high she discovered Christianity. Tiffany’s faith has helped her to transform her life. She’s learned how to harness her gifts of resiliency and the ability to connect with ANYONE in order to make a positive impact. Specifically, Tiffany has written a new book, “Prey, Tell, which focuses on why American society silences women who tell the truth and how everyone can speak up. In this episode Tiffany talks about WHY we need systemic cultural change in our society, HOW we can start to achieve it and WHAT she’s done to be able to harness her own power for positive change.

Show Notes:

Learn more about Tiffany, her book “Prey, Tell” and the other great work she’s engaged in!

www.tiffanybluhm.com

Interested in learning more about defy community? Come check out our website, babe!

www.defy.community

Each month, the defy.community podcast will be going live. This episode aired across defy.community social media on 2/10/21 and it features Sarah Trautman, Dr. Emily Callahan, and Cammie Morgan discussing life after surviving cancer and other health crises. 

Chauntae Gold grew-up with 2 parents who loved her fiercely, but also were very strict. They thought this was the best way to protect her against the hardships they had each faced. But Chauntae felt isolated and insecure. As a result Chauntae rebelled against her parent’s restrictions with alcohol and drugs. Learn how Chauntae was able to speak life back into herself when she rediscovered her love for fitness and nutrition and how she’s using the best of behavioral science to help her clients achieve their nutrition goals.

A little more about Chauntae’s work: The Path to Gold services include 1:1 Behavior Nutrition Coaching where I teach foundational skills around nutrition, physical activity, and sleep routines to help clients thrive in everyday life activities. I use the flexible dieting method where I coach clients on how to track macronutrients without restricting their favorite cultural dishes and sweets. Flexible diet, flexible lifestyle!

Show Notes:

Book Chauntae at www.thepathtogold.com

Follow Chauntae on IG @thepathtogold.com

Want to learn more about defy? Peep our website!

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Liat Sacks & Casey McDaniel are Behavior Analysts who each discovered early in their careers that the typical BCBA job was NOT going to work for them. So, they broke the mold and created their own path with their podcast, Behavior Bitches and BCBA test prep, SNABA. In this episode Liat & Casey have a candid conversation with Sarah about what it’s really been like to grow their business under the spotlight of social media and the biggest misconceptions that people have about them. 

Show Notes: 

Behavior Bitches: https://behaviorbitches.com/ 

Study Notes ABA: https://www.studynotesaba.com/ 

Want to learn more about defy? Peep our website! 

www.defy.community

Camille learned at a young age that no matter how hard she tried, she was never allowed to fully realize her dreams. She wasn’t allowed to engage in the activities she enjoyed as a child, wasn’t allowed to go to the university she worked so hard to get into and couldn’t find a job that was a good fit for her. Now, as she is embarking on a new journey as a business owner Camille is starting to better understand and reconcile her experiences as a black woman and what she needs to be able to fully realize her dreams.

Show Notes:

Camille Renee BCBA Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/autismparentcoach.camillereneebcba

Oversexualization of Black girls, women must stop

https://marquettewire.org/4041391/featured/moses-oversexualization-of-black-girls-women-must-stop/

We have a new homepage and we LOOOOVE it! Check it out!

www.defy.community

Dr. Allison Bickelman has an amazing career that she finds meaningful, a part-time job teaching at a university, is well liked and admired by her friends and colleagues, an adorable dog named Scooby...and two chronic mental illnesses. Learn how the 1994 LA-Northridge earthquake affected Dr. Bickelman and how her anxiety and depression has manifested throughout her life. Despite a wonderful relationship with her longtime therapist and a fulfilling career, nothing prepared Dr. Bickelman for the impact that COVID-19 and long-term isolation from others would have on her. In November 2020 Dr. Bickelman came the closest she’s ever been to ending her life, but instead chose to use her life savings to be admitted into a 5-week program. What tools and strategies has she learned that helped her get to a better place of peace, gratitude and joy? Listen now as Dr. Bickelman shares her deeply personal story for the first time.

Show Notes:

“I Am” Positive Affirmations app

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/i-am-positive-affirmations/id874656917

National Suidice Prevention Lifeline

https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

We have a new homepage and we LOOOOVE it! Check it out!

www.defy.community

We get it. There’s a LOT of questions about who we are and what we’re all about. In this episode 6 members of Team defy talk candidly about why they decided to be a part of our community, how we’re having hard conversations as a team to create authentic relationships with each other and why we are so passionate about the work that we do. We’ll also share some of our fave stories of working together and some embarrassing little known facts, too.

Show Notes:

Website updates, check ‘em out

www.defy.community