The stark reality hits like a punch to the gut: Black men in America suffer worse health outcomes than any other demographic group. But why? In this powerful conversation with certified family nurse practitioner Isaiah Sankey, we dig beneath the statistics to uncover the complex interplay between personal choices, systemic barriers, and cultural norms that create this crisis.

Sankey, who also serves as president of the Metro Montgomery branch of the NAACP, brings both clinical expertise and community perspective as he explains how most Black men find themselves trapped in a cycle of "health repair" rather than practicing "health maintenance." The difference? Waiting until symptoms become unbearable versus engaging in preventative care that could save lives.

Heart disease remains the leading killer of men across all demographics, responsible for nearly a quarter of male deaths. For Black men specifically, the deadly lineup includes heart disease, cancer (particularly prostate), unintentional injuries, homicide, stroke, and diabetes. What makes these statistics particularly tragic is that many of these conditions are preventable or manageable with proper screening and early intervention.

"Don't be too religious," Sankey cautions with gentle humor, addressing the tendency to pray about health problems without taking practical action. "The Lord will heal you by sending you to a good doctor." This balanced perspective weaves throughout our conversation as Sankey offers practical, accessible solutions: integrating regular exercise (even something as simple as walking your dog), improving dietary choices, staying properly hydrated, and most importantly – getting regular check-ups and screenings.

Perhaps most powerful is Sankey's call for greater openness about health concerns. Cultural norms around masculinity often discourage men from acknowledging health symptoms or seeking help. Women play critical roles too – Sankey shares how his wife's attentiveness to subtle changes in his urinary function prompted him to seek medical attention.

This Father's Day, consider a different kind of gift. "Forget about that tie," Sankey suggests. "He's not going to wear it anyway." Instead, start a conversation about health that could literally save a life. Subscribe now for more empowering conversations that challenge conventional thinking about health, equity, and what it means to truly take care of ourselves and our communities.

Joyce E. Brooks captivates listeners with her powerful journey from electrical engineering executive to author, artist, and stress management expert. With warmth and authenticity, she shares the philosophy that transformed her life after facing unexpected challenges: "it ain't over."

At the heart of this episode is Brooks' revolutionary PEACE strategy for managing stress without "a prescription or a subscription." This practical framework begins with Prayer (or meditation), followed by Energy management through proper self-care, Attitude adjustment through gratitude practice, Communication skills including learning to say no, and finally Enjoying each day as the gift it is. Her approach resonates because it comes from lived experience rather than textbook theory.

Brooks vulnerably shares how her life transformed overnight when her husband unexpectedly passed away, leaving her a widow and single mother to two young sons. Rather than becoming defined by tragedy, she discovered deeper purpose through writing books that help others navigate similar challenges. Her journey through grief, career transition, and health struggles demonstrates the resilience that comes when we shift our perspective from "it's over" to "it ain't over."

What makes Brooks' wisdom particularly impactful is its practical application. She doesn't just offer platitudes but tangible strategies—like her practice of "being thankful backwards" by listing gratitudes before sleep, or recognizing when we're carrying "too many boxes" of responsibilities. Her children's books extend these lessons to younger generations, teaching them about persistence, self-belief, and sharing.

Whether you're facing career uncertainty, health challenges, or simply the day-to-day stress of modern life, Brooks' perspective offers a refreshing alternative to worry and overwhelm. As she powerfully states, "Peace and stress cannot reside in the same vessel. One is going to dominate." Through her story, you'll discover how to choose peace, even when shift happens.

Two pioneering pharmacists are radically transforming healthcare delivery by prioritizing patients over prescriptions. Dr. Jennifer and Dr. Pauline, co-founders of Meds Plus Consulting, share their journey from traditional pharmacy roles to creating an innovative healthcare model that puts relationship-building at its core.

Their story begins with a chance meeting at Walgreens in 2001, where Dr. Jennifer hired Dr. Pauline as her first intern. Years later, they've built a business that addresses a critical gap they witnessed countless times behind the pharmacy counter: patients leaving doctor's appointments with what they call "smile and nod mentality" – agreeing with everything their physician said while understanding very little about their conditions or medications.

Cultural competence shapes everything about their practice. "So many people are seeking care from people that look like them because of the cultural sensitivity, the ability to have a conversation, the ability to trust," explains Dr. Jennifer. This connection enables them to educate patients not just about medications but about becoming their own health advocates. Their diabetes education program teaches participants to track their health data and prepare reports for their physicians – transforming passive patients into active partners in their care.

As minority female business owners, they've faced significant challenges from securing capital to being recognized as legitimate healthcare providers by their own community. Despite these obstacles, they've expanded their services beyond medication dispensing to include remote patient monitoring, health coaching, workplace wellness programs, and pharmacy technician training – all while maintaining personal relationships with every client.

What makes Meds Plus truly revolutionary is their understanding that healthcare extends far beyond medical interventions. "Seventy to eighty percent of a person's health and wellness is based on social factors, not medical factors," Dr. Pauline explains. By addressing access to healthy food, safe exercise spaces, and mental health support, they're tackling the root causes of health disparities.

Ready to experience healthcare differently? Contact Meds Plus Consulting at 205-650-4636, follow their weekly "Meds Plus Medical Minute Live" on social media, or visit them in downtown Birmingham's New South Federal Building. Your wellness journey deserves this level of personalized attention.

What happens when women refuse to suffer in silence? Lives transform, generations heal, and nations change.

In this powerful conversation, three courageous co-authors from "Rising Above Narcissistic Abuse Volume 3" share the journeys that brought them to storytelling as a path toward healing. Visionary anthology creator Ina Johnson-Myers reveals how divine inspiration during her darkest moment led to a bestselling series now touching lives across multiple countries. With exactly twelve authors in each volume—a number she believes is spiritually significant—these books are creating safe spaces for sharing previously unspoken traumas.

The discussion delves deep into various healing modalities. Chelsea Lail Kennedy, a military veteran and somatic practitioner, explains how trauma gets stored in the body and how breathwork creates pathways for release. "When we're afraid, we get hunched over...we're stifling our oxygen," she notes, describing how physical tension perpetuates psychological distress. Her approach helps trauma survivors reconnect with their bodies through guided breathwork and mindfulness.

Perhaps most moving is Eula Guest's candid account of postpartum depression, including disturbing visions she initially feared sharing. Now an advocate for maternal mental health, she emphasizes how cultural dismissal of new mothers' struggles as mere "baby blues" prevents proper intervention. "A lot of mothers are not going to go to their doctor and say 'I'm having visions of killing my baby' because you're afraid you're going to have your child taken from you," she explains, highlighting why so many suffer in dangerous silence.

The authors collectively illuminate how narcissistic abuse typically stems from unhealed childhood trauma, creating cycles that repeat across generations. "Broken women raise broken children," Ina observes, underlining why healing isn't just personal—it's a gift to future generations.

With Volume 3 launching May 15th during Mental Health Awareness Month, these women invite you to witness their journeys from trauma to transformation. Their testimony stands as powerful evidence that your story, however painful, can become the lifeline someone else needs to begin their own healing journey. Will you join them in breaking the silence?

Reading isn't just a pastime—it's a lifeline that connects us to knowledge, history, and each other. Dr. Audrey Ann Moses welcomes two accomplished authors who demonstrate this powerful truth through their diverse experiences and writings.

Nurse Carolyn Coleman brings 35 years of healthcare expertise alongside her creative writing pursuits. As both a medical professional and author of fiction and non-fiction works, she illuminates how reading empowers patients to take control of their health journeys. Her practical advice resonates deeply: "Write down the name of your medication, write down how many milligrams, write down how many times a day you're to take it." This simple practice not only ensures better health outcomes but encourages literacy and self-advocacy.

Pastor Anthony Saunders, a retired Navy veteran with 32 years of service, shares how reading creates bonds that transcend physical distance. His devotional books—"Start Your Day with God," its companion journal, and "Let's Do It Again, God"—offer readers daily spiritual nourishment through accessible scripture readings and reflective writing opportunities. His touching story about reading bedtime stories to his now-adult children reveals how these moments create cherished memories that last generations.

Both guests emphasize that cultivating a love for reading must begin early. From making weekly library visits part of family routines to allowing children to choose their own books, these simple practices lay foundations for lifelong learning. The conversation weaves between practical parenting advice, personal stories of overcoming obstacles, and creative solutions for staying connected through reading—even during military deployments or other separations.

Whether you're seeking to strengthen family bonds, advance your career, manage health challenges, or deepen your faith journey, this episode reminds us that reading opens doors to unlimited possibilities. Take a moment today to pick up that book you've been meaning to read—your future self will thank you.

Lisa Faulkner's remarkable journey from communications professional to ministry leader reveals how seemingly disconnected career paths often lead us exactly where we're meant to be. With over three decades of experience under the communications umbrella, Lisa shares how an unexpected detour from broadcasting to writing human interest stories set the foundation for her future calling.

The conversation traces Lisa's professional evolution through major media organizations including the Birmingham News, WTTO television, CNN, InTouch Ministries with Charles Stanley, and Creflo Dollar Ministries before establishing her own consultancy. Throughout these transitions, Lisa discovered how God was preparing her for ministry work through every experience – a testament to her belief that "no knowledge is wasted."

Lisa offers profound insights for navigating today's rapidly changing digital landscape while maintaining authenticity. "You stay true to yourself. You stay you first," she advises, explaining that while tools and platforms constantly evolve, your core brand and voice should remain consistent. This wisdom extends to her approach with clients, where understanding their unique voice and audience needs creates more effective, customized communication strategies.

The conversation takes a deeply personal turn when Lisa discusses her devotional book "Minutes with the Master," which chronicles pivotal moments where God intervened throughout her life. From childhood trauma to professional challenges, Lisa shares these stories not for sensationalism but to help readers recognize they're not alone in their struggles. Her vulnerability in sharing difficult experiences, including being held at gunpoint by her father as a child, demonstrates how faith can transform even our darkest moments into sources of healing for others.

Whether you're navigating career transitions, seeking purpose in your professional journey, or looking for inspiration in your faith walk, Lisa's story offers powerful testimony to how God weaves our experiences together for greater purpose. Listen now to discover how embracing change while staying true to yourself leads to authentic living and meaningful impact.

When tragedy strikes, how do we find meaning in seemingly senseless loss? Charlena Bray's journey provides a powerful answer to this universal question. After becoming a widow at just 26 years old and subsequently experiencing the deaths of her parents and five siblings, Charlena discovered her calling: helping others navigate grief through biblical encouragement.

For 35 years, Charlena has worked with families experiencing loss at the Guiding Light Church. Rather than traditional grief counseling, she offers something distinctly different – a biblically-based approach to finding peace and purpose after devastating loss. Her first book, "To Live, to Die, to Live: Stories of Eternal Connections," compiles 14 remarkable stories that explore the profound question: "Could it be that death is but a stepping stone to life?"

In this deeply moving conversation, Charlena reveals her four-step path to finding "that peace which passes all understanding" – rejoice always, let your gentleness be evident to all, be anxious for nothing, and pray about everything. She shares intimate details of supernatural experiences that many grieving people encounter but often hesitate to discuss, offering validation that these connections with departed loved ones may be more than just imagination.

The discussion takes a fascinating turn when Charlena explains how her search for truth led her to a profound spiritual awakening. Now an Amazon #1 International Bestselling Author with her second book "Wisdom Speaks," she guides others to discover healing by telling their own stories and uncovering their God-given purpose even in life's darkest moments.

Whether you're currently grieving, supporting someone who is, or simply curious about the intersection of faith and loss, this conversation offers rare insights into finding light in darkness. Connect with Charlena at [email protected] to learn more about her work or to seek guidance in telling your own story of purpose through pain.

Have you ever stumbled upon something seemingly insignificant that sparked a creative revolution in your life? Sonya Mitchell, our special guest on Gentry's Journey, shares how a simple straw hat on the ground during the pandemic inspired her to embark on a remarkable journey from Birmingham, Alabama, to becoming a published author. With roles as varied as a college recruiter and a US Postal Service sales rep, Sonya’s diverse background adds layers of richness to her story. Her debut coffee table book, "Picture the Picture," is a testament to resilience and creativity, pairing striking photos with meaningful Bible scriptures that led her on a profound spiritual journey.

Join us as Sonya navigates the often turbulent waters of self-publishing, highlighting her resourceful transition from traditional publishing struggles to a successful partnership with a local print and binding company. Sonya’s story is filled with learning experiences, from online research to engaging with audiences through social media, libraries, and special events. Her insights into personal promotion and strategic marketing prove invaluable for anyone looking to champion their creative projects. And her unexpected entry into podcasting reveals a world of new connections and inspirations, broadening her horizons in ways she never anticipated.

Empowering and inspiring, Sonya’s journey underscores the importance of self-belief and the support of those around you. As she shares the joys of creative fulfillment and the impact of storytelling, listeners are encouraged to embrace their unique visions, even if they face initial skepticism. With a hopeful look toward the future and a potential second volume in mind, Sonia's story serves as a motivating reminder that passion and faith can guide us through adversities, opening doors to personal growth and spiritual peace.