In the wake of the Buffalo shooting on May 14, 2022 comes a timely episode about systemic racism in our schools and social services, and how we can be the change we want to see. Black lives matter. Some may counter that all lives matter, but that will not be true until Black lives matter. My guests in this episode are Erika Smith, high school teacher, co-founder of Matter of Black, and community activist, as well as Erica Williams, a social worker and founder of Erica's Embrace Support Services. We have a free-flowing open conversation about representation in our local school board, the lack of consideration for persons of colour when stocking supplies for women's shelters and everything in between. 

You can learn more about Erica' Embrace by visiting: https://ericasembrace.com/

Learn more about the DSBN's initiatives on anti-racism: https://www.dsbn.org/about/board-committee-meetings/equity-and-inclusion-trustee-advisory-committee

Learn more about Matter of Black: Instagram - @matterofblackniagara and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Matter-of-Black-108918417547359/ 

Cassandra Powell  is an entrepreneur and started her first business at the age of 12. She enjoys looking for opportunities to grow and loves helping others to do the same. Her background is in Music. She is currently the music director at Apostolic Gospel Lighthouse In London, Ont. In 2001 she founded the music company, Divinely Orchestrated Music Group which has since been changed to PowellHouse Company where she teaches piano and vocal classes. In 2004, She was on the TV show Gospel Challenge which aired on CTS. This led her to being hired to be a judge and vocal coach on the show “Gospel Dynamic Duets” in 2008.

In 2010, Cassandra was nominated for a Covenant Award for Gospel Song of the Year for her song “Grateful”. She travels regularly overseas as a vocal clinician and has helped many churches, schools & organizations with their music programs. She was a volunteer music teacher with the organization “Equip to Serve” in 2013-2017 and served twice a year in Jamaica, teaching in schools and churches and performing at community concerts. Cassandra was also a music professor at Canada Christian College, teaching Private vocal & piano lessons as well as Gospel Choir, Song Writing & Contemporary Worship Leading. She is also on faculty at Toronto Mass Choir’s Power Up Music Conference as a workshop clinician.

Cassandra also enjoys hosting her podcast called “Soul, Songs & Shenanigans” where she shares her faith, love of music and encourages her listeners to live, love & lead well in their lives.

Cassandra recently obtained her Ministerial licence in the Spring of 2021, and ministers through speaking engagements at various events throughout Ontario.

Whether it be teaching, speaking, leading worship or coordinating music events, Cassandra feels passionate about living a life that honours her God-given purpose.

You can follow Cassandra's shenanigans on Instagram and Facebook @powellhouseco.

In this episode, we set aside our regular programming format of engaging conversations with our guests to discuss the main subject of the week, "the slap heard around the world". What happened at the Oscars was shocking to many, but it provides us with an opportunity to examine our own reactions and to learn from Will Smith's very public error in judgement. The Anger Solutions approach provides us with a decision-making strategy that enables us to look past our angry reactions, and choose carefully what action we will take to generate the best possible long-term outcomes. 

I help mental health agencies and therapists deliver life changing anger programming that enables agencies to stay funded, helps therapists to stay passionate about group work, and creates radical, positive, lasting change in their clients. To learn more about Anger Solutions, visit my website, www.angersolution.com, and of course, you can follow me on Instagram: @julz_christiansen and @leverage_u. 

In this episode, I have a heart-felt chat with Camille Tucker about her talent, the importance of tenacity when working as a screenwriter, and the value of timing when you are living out your purpose with passion.

Camille Tucker is a writer, director and producer from Compton, CA, where both her father and brother were mayor. Passionate about empowering women and BIPOC in front of and behind the camera, she is a Sundance alum and has sold scripts to major studios such as Sony, Universal, New Line Cinema, Fox TV and Disney. She has been fortunate to have worked with A-list producers such as Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, Stacey Snider, Marc Platt, Debra Chase and the late John Singleton.

Follow Camille on Instagram: @camilletuc, on Twitter: @scriptlitchick and visit her website: www.camilletucker.com. 

In this episode, we meet Kerry Ramsay, the host of the Power Your Platform Podcast, a top 10 Marketing Podcast in Canada. She is also a Story Coach for women looking to build bold story brands and an enthusiastic champion of female speakers, leaders and entrepreneurs.

Through her full-time work with Queen's University, Kerry serves hundreds of women entrepreneurs in her role as  Project Manager of the women's entrepreneurship strategy for the greater Kingston region.

For Kerry, freedom means having the peace of mind to move through life knowing there is no obstacle that can stop us from achieving what we were born to achieve.

Kerry has had a storied career (pun intended) in journalism and communications, and she is most passionate about helping women entrepreneurs to build their story brand. She is such a font of wisdom, you will want to listen all the way through this one - make sure you have pen and paper handy because she is gonna drop some serious nuggets!

You can find Kerry on social media at @poweryourplatform and her website, www.powerherplatform.com and of course, listen to her amazing podcast, https://www.powerherplatform.com/podcast-1.

Welcome back to Season Two of Freedomology!

Our first guest of 2022 is the indomitable Crystal D'Cunha, Award-Winning Customer Xperience Engineer | Sales Training Expert | Executive Leadership Coach | Keynote Speaker  and Chief Experience Officer, The INSIDE View Inc. 

Crystal D’Cunha is the charismatic force behind the world's #1 leadership training program, Customer Experience Mastery! Crystal has spent nearly two decades in the corporate world directing, coaching and leading sales forces valued at more than $50 million. Her global experiences led her to her current role as President and CEO of The INSIDE View, Inc. 

As The INSIDE View. As Chief Experience Officer, Crystal is a global award-winning entrepreneur, international keynote speaker and Customer Experience Thought Leader with more than 22 years of success across multiple vertices in a wide variety of industries. Crystal inspires leaders to design dynamic team environments and engineer epic customer experiences. She is a valuable asset to companies seeking to achieve consistency with their customer-first approach; keeping employee and customer engagement, retention, loyalty and world-renowned Customer Service as top business priorities. 

Her career has taken her around the world physically and virtually, creating a global brand for herself and The INSIDE View, yet she stays rooted where she feels most at home, in Canada being a football mom. In addition to all of the above, as a Disney-certified Customer Experience Engineer, Crystal brings best practices to her clients from her affiliation with Tony Robbins, John Maxwell, Jack Canfield, and many more. Her mission is clear: to IGNITE Leaders, EXCITE Employees and DELIGHT Customers! 

Find Crystal at: 

https://linktr.ee/gettheinsideview 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystald1/ 

https://www.facebook.com/gettheinsidevu/ 

@crstld 

@gettheinsidevu 

This final episode is a reflection of the year that was, and some of the highlights. I know I missed some folks as I was going through my list (working from memory is always hit and miss with me), but I want to acknowledge my season one guests here:

The books I mention in this episode:

Our next season is already in production! We've got a great lineup of guests for you including Kerry Ramsay of Power Your Platform, Crystal D'Cunha of Get the Inside View, screenwriter Camille Tucker, and many more. Stay tuned. This next season of Freedomology is going to be lit! Thank you for listening, and if you hear something you love, please share it with your friends!

When you live your entire life pursuing the purpose you believe God has set out for you, and it all comes crashing down, what do you do? How do you cope? As the old poem says, "when doubts are high and faith is low", how do you get through the valley of shadow? That is the crux of my conversation with Tera Bradham De Neui, author of "Swimming for Freedom". Once on track to qualify for the Olympics as a competitive swimmer, Tera's dreams were crushed by a debilitatingly painful shoulder injury. How she bounced back from the brink of despair is in itself and inspiring tale, but the wonder of the journey is how God showed her (and continues to show her) His plan for her purpose. The holiday season and beyond is "the season to be jolly", but when your body is broken and your heart is torn, and you feel like there is no hope left for you, when all you can feel is the pain and there seems to be no end in sight... it's pretty hard to be jolly. This episode is for you, my friends who may be going through the darkest time of your life. Tera is here to remind you there is hope, there is a way to live your purpose even in chronic pain or with a chronic condition.

To learn more about Tera and to get a copy of her wonderful book, "Swimming for Freedom", visit her website at https://www.terabradham.com and follow her on Instagram or Facebook: @terabradham.

Anthony "Tony" Estrada is a Los Angeles-based producer, writer, and director. Currently, Tony produces and directs branded content and commercials for several national brands including; CBS, Mattel, Lyft, Niagara Bottling and Los Angeles County. His most recent concept film, ¡Viva la Revolución!, starred, Mexican crossover superstar, Maite Perroni, and child stars, Lonnie Chavis (This is Us) and Miya Cech (The Astronauts). After playing several festivals internationally, Estrada developed and presented a Youth Empowerment & Anti-Bullying Event anchored by the short film and presented to schools across the country. The film is being dual-tracked as a series of children's novels, and a television show, called The Revolutionary Kids. Currently, Estrada is in pre-prdoduction as a producer on the pilot, Classified, developing the feature Those Who Fear Us, and the filmed musical, Labor of Love, pitching Bridesman (based off his short film starring Danny Trejo), Forever Family for television, and his Motivational Self-Help Memoir, It's Ok I'm a Little Nuts: Stories of the Outlier Within is currently being pitched to publishers.

Tony and I talked about all sorts of things including the events that led to the making of Viva la Revolucion (watch the trailer), the cost of bullying, living with passion, as well as a host of other topics. To learn more about Tony and what he's up to, follow him on Instagram at @officialtonyestrada, and visit his website: http://officialtonyestrada.com/.

What can I say about my convo with Laurie? She is a wonderful, sensitive, funny lady who has experienced life transformation through her faith and through her connection to God's creation. The personality behind Bloom Life Coaching, Laurie strives to help others discover and thrive in their unique human blueprint through poetry, prose and non-fiction. 

A survivor, Life Coach, nature-lover and artist, Laurie writes from deep wells of experience on her path to deeper engagement, meaningful impact and less stress through simpler, more authentic living. Laurie approaches life as she does a canvas, finding unexpected treasure in the little things, and celebrating beauty through writing, painting, woodworking, kayaking and gardening. Despite an insatiable curiosity and seemingly endless list of interests, her faith and her family are her top priority. She and husband Grant enjoy collaborative play in woodcraft, Celtic music, beekeeping, and Scotland, ever dreaming of more time with children Kelli, Katherine, Jackson and Graceann. They live in Nashville, Tennessee but dream of life in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland.

Laurie's and my conversation was free-flowing and inspired. I'm sure you'll learn much from her! To get to know her better and to familiarize yourself with her work, please check out her website at: https://bloomlifecoach.wordpress.com/ and follow her on Instagram @lauriesoileau_bloom.