I Can Do This Show Me How!

My entry into the workforce after graduating highschool was likely different from that of a young woman of the same age entering the workforce today. That being said, it’s also likely that many aspects of this transition remain the same. Trepidation, uncertainty, and anxiety are still very much factors that plague women in the working world today, as they did when I was first starting my career. And the unfortunate fact about it is, these factors are either caused or amplified by workplace culture. 

In today's episode, in honour of Women’s History Month, I’m sharing what my experience with bad workplace culture and, more specifically, workplace bullying has been. I do this in an attempt to highlight the unique experience of being a woman in the working world and what it means to navigate the good, the bad, and the ugly - mainly the ugly. In sharing my own stories of workplace bullying, I hope to amplify the voices of all women going through something similar, and also provide helpful tools and tricks to identify and challenge bullying in the workplace.

Tune in and listen to the seventeenth episode to see if my story is one that you, or a loved one, can identify with and together we’ll learn how to rise above bullying and build a better work environment for ourselves. 

In this episode, you will learn:

• What skills I had upon graduating highschool (4:03)
• What led to me being fired from my first job (9:16)
• What it was like getting married and moving out of my mother’s home (13:21)
• About my experience with workplace culture at my first secretary job (15:44)
• The important life lesson I learned after being bullied at work (21:11)
• What strategies I learned to identify bullying in the workplace (27:49)
• About one necessity when it comes to dealing with bullies (37:26)
• What you should do if you feel overwhelmed by you workplace culture (42:34)

Resources

The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers

Freedom’s Teacher by Katherine Mellen Charron

Let's connect!

• My Email: [email protected]
• Mentor International: www.mentorfoundationusa.org
• Mentor: www.mentoring.org
• Ashoka Changemakers: www.ashoka.org
• Women’s World Banking Mentorship Program: www.womensworldbanking.org
• Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) www.score.org
• Big Brothers Big Sisters: www.bbbs.org
• Cherie Blair Foundation for Women: www.cherieblairfoundation.org
• Toastmasters International Mentorship: www.toastmasters.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you look back on your time in school, is there a particular teacher or staff member who stands out? One who made a big enough impact, good or bad, that you still, to this day, remember how they made you feel and what you learned from them? Truthfully, when we think back, most of us can recall at least one person from this time in our lives.

In today's episode, I have a very special guest on the show. Educator, coach, mentor, and someone I’ve known for over two decades, Ms. Kelly Beavers. She joins me today to share her professional journey in, and overall perspective on, education. As someone who spent over twenty fulfilling and impactful years in education, Ms. Kelly is an inspiration to me, and she can be one to you too.

Tune in and listen to the sixteenth episode of I Can Do This Show Me How! to listen to Ms. Kelly’s story and her perspective on what it means to bear the responsibility of shaping the minds of future generations.

In this episode, you will learn:

• What research shows about what happens when teachers foster a ‘growth’ mindset in their students (1:37)
• What sparked Ms. Kelly’s interest in education and, more specifically, educating children (5:28)
• About a time in Ms. Kelly’s life when she felt discouraged as a teacher, and what helped her carry on (12:04)
• How Ms. Kelly believes educators can be a little more creative (16:01)
• About one of the profound things that I learned from Ms. Kelly (28:12)
• Why the 3rd and 4th grade are pivotal for a child (31:42)
• Ms. Kelly’s advice for parents on helping their children learn and grow (34:45)
• What parents and teachers can do to reconnect to their purpose and make a difference (42:20)

Resources

The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers

Freedom’s Teacher by Katherine Mellen Charron

Let's connect!

• My Email: [email protected]
• Mentor International: www.mentorfoundationusa.org
• Mentor: www.mentoring.org
• Ashoka Changemakers: www.ashoka.org
• Women’s World Banking Mentorship Program: www.womensworldbanking.org
• Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) www.score.org
• Big Brothers Big Sisters: www.bbbs.org
• Cherie Blair Foundation for Women: www.cherieblairfoundation.org
• Toastmasters International Mentorship: www.toastmasters.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we grow into adulthood and progress through life, many of us start to better understand that a blueprint for success does, in fact, exist. That’s not to say that the blueprint shows us the exact steps we need to take to live the life we want, but rather it shows us how to do the inner work needed to reach success. 

In today's episode, I talk about three things that I believe are crucial to being able to get what we want out of life: energy, effort, and courage. Three simple words that hold a magnitude of power. I discuss how each of these words has applied to my life as well as the lives of three monumental and influential African American women: Mary McLeod Bethune, Anna Julia Cooper, and Septima Poinsette Clark.

Tune in and listen to the fifteenth episode of I Can Do This Show Me How! to be inspired into your own journey, led by energy, effort, and courage.

In this episode, you will learn:

• What three words we can use to shape our future (0:50)
• What courage meant for me (6:04)
• What courage meant for Mary McLeod Bethune (6:58)
• About the importance of practicing self-reflection (12:52)
• What energy is and how to find ways to replenish it  (15:19)
• About Anna Julia Haywood’s journey (17:11)
• How I define courage and what it’s meant to me through the years  (24:32)
• About how Septima Poinsette Clark understood the power of sustained effort  (25:40)

Resources

The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers

Freedom’s Teacher by Katherine Mellen Charron

Let's connect!

• My Email: [email protected]
• Mentor International: www.mentorfoundationusa.org
• Mentor: www.mentoring.org
• Ashoka Changemakers: www.ashoka.org
• Women’s World Banking Mentorship Program: www.womensworldbanking.org
• Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) www.score.org
• Big Brothers Big Sisters: www.bbbs.org
• Cherie Blair Foundation for Women: www.cherieblairfoundation.org
• Toastmasters International Mentorship: www.toastmasters.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Think back to a time in your life when you were going through something difficult. A time when the tides weren’t moving in your favor and things may have felt overwhelming or uncertain. Most of us have been there at least once in our lives. So how do we cope in these instances? How do we drown out all the noise, listen to our inner voice, and pave a path forward that’s intentional and aligns with our own best interests?

In today's episode, I continue the story of one of the most difficult times in my life. Reconnecting with a past boyfriend, and eventually marrying him despite all the warning signs and red flags, was not an easy journey for me. The silver lining is that it taught me a lot about resilience and what it means to learn and grow from these experiences. Today, I can look back and easily pinpoint all the ways in which I ignored my intuition, hoping against hope that my story, our story, would turn out the way I’d written it in my mind.

Tune in and listen to the fourteenth episode of I Can Do This Show Me How! as we continue to explore what it means to be resilient and how to harness adversity and use it to learn and grow.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why I think it’s important to talk about money (5:30)
• What I began to develop when I started to manage my finances the right way (6:58)
• How you navigate relationships when you don’t have positive role models growing up (8:54)
• About my story of reconnecting with my future (at the time) third husband (9:25)
• How my friends reacted when I told them I had plans to get married imminently (16:03)
• Why the realization that I wasn’t responsible for repairing cracks in my relationship didn’t come easily (26:55)

Resources

The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers

Let's connect!

• My Email: [email protected]
• Mentor International: www.mentorfoundationusa.org
• Mentor: www.mentoring.org
• Ashoka Changemakers: www.ashoka.org
• Women’s World Banking Mentorship Program: www.womensworldbanking.org
• Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) www.score.org
• Big Brothers Big Sisters: www.bbbs.org
• Cherie Blair Foundation for Women: www.cherieblairfoundation.org
• Toastmasters International Mentorship: www.toastmasters.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As adults, we are often resistant when it comes to change. Things like changing jobs, stepping into new professional roles, or even going back to school can seem daunting and full of the unknown. In these situations, the fear or nervous anticipation that comes with starting on a new life journey can be difficult to get past and navigate without some sort of external guidance or insight.

In today's episode, I share why mentorship is so important for adults, particularly those embarking on new journeys after having grown accustomed to the routine and safety of their day-to-day lives. I share insights about how to make the most of being a mentee and how to pick the right mentor as well as my own experience of being a mentee and how it changed my own life.

Tune in and listen to the thirteenth episode of I Can Do This Show Me How! and take that first step towards mentorship.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why I believe adult mentorship is a crucial resource for those pursuing education or transitioning to new careers (1:26) 
• Some red flags to look out for when searching for the right mentor (6:24)
• About my experience as a mentee at the beginning of my life-changing journey (7:09)
• About my life before I started my academic journey (10:39)
• What I’ve learned from all my mentors (19:15)
• Some guiding principles to help you as a mentee (23:17)

Resources

The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers

Let's connect!

• My Email: [email protected]
• Mentor International: www.mentorfoundationusa.org
• Mentor: www.mentoring.org
• Ashoka Changemakers: www.ashoka.org
• Women’s World Banking Mentorship Program: www.womensworldbanking.org
• Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) www.score.org
• Big Brothers Big Sisters: www.bbbs.org
• Cherie Blair Foundation for Women: www.cherieblairfoundation.org
• Toastmasters International Mentorship: www.toastmasters.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Life is full of twists and turns, moments that test our resilience, and times when we’re forced to step into the unknown. It’s these moments of uncertainty and transformation that we often discover how strong we are.

In today's episode, I share the first part of a deeply personal story of resilience. It involves reconnecting with an old suitor,  stepping into the unknown, and how the choices I made paved the way for this new call to adventure. 

Tune in and listen to the twelfth episode of I Can Do This Show Me How! to explore resilience, transformation, and how to find your footing when stepping into the unknown.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How resilience is built (0:43)
• What purchasing my own home meant to me (2:05)
• What my willingness to open to the door to a previous suitor symbolized (8:23)

Let's connect!

• Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Life is a journey filled with challenges that shape who we are and what we’re meant to become. Whether we’re exploring new paths, facing fears, or finding inspiration in the unexpected, it’s these experiences that provide us with the courage to grow and transform. 

In today's episode, I welcome my first-ever guest, Dr. Damon Cagnolatti. Dr. Cagnolatti is an educator at Cerritos College and he joined me on the podcast to share his perspective on education, mentorship, and the pursuit of potential. Riding on the idea that “our greatest potential lies in the cave we’re too afraid to enter”, Dr. Cagnolatti’s story offers powerful insights into the transformative impact of education. 

Tune in and listen to the eleventh episode of I Can Do This Show Me How! to hear Dr. Cagnolatti’s inspiring educational journey and the lessons he’s learned along the way.

In this episode, you will learn:

• What Dr. Cagnolatti’s experience of education was growing up and who inspired him during this time (2:15)
• About a moment in Dr. Cagnolatti’s childhood that defined his outlook on education (8:15)
• How Dr. Cagnolatti’s college experience shaped him (19:48)
• About the culture shock Dr. Cagnolatti experienced in college (22:46)
• How Dr. Cagnolatti developed some of his academic skills in college (31:24)
• What led Dr. Cagnolatti to pursue a career in higher education (41:34)

Let's connect!

• Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever been inspired by someone? Just hearing their story ignited your passions, fueled your values, and encouraged self-reflection? And have you ever been a token of inspiration for someone else? Learning about others and sharing stories is how we’re encouraged to take action in our own lives. It lets us see the world from a different perspective, re-imagining our lives through a lens that’s separate from our own.

In today's episode, I talk about the importance of communication and story-telling. I share how I applied it to my work as an educator, and then I share the stories of two amazing, powerful women, highlighting the inspirations within each.

Tune in and listen to the tenth episode of I Can Do This Show Me How! to hear the stories of Wangari Maathai and Ida B. Wells and perhaps gain your own inspiration, or even insight, from them.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How I found useful ways to deliver my content to my students (1:14)
• What many of my students never thought would happen as a result of taking my course (3:34)
• The story of Wangari Maathai (8:18)
• The story of Ida B. Wells (15:04)
• What we can learn from the stories of Wangari and Ida (22:04)

Let's connect!

• Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Questioning our life’s purpose is something we all do at one point in our lives. We often associate it with a job or role, but what if it’s so much more than that? Last week we spoke about how navigating change and life transitions often leaves us feeling disoriented and anxious about the future. Perhaps a large part of this anxiety comes from the fact that we’re either moving away from what we thought our life’s purpose was, and now we’re faced with figuring it all out again.

In today's episode, we’re continuing our conversation about life’s transitions and taking a look at the personal journey that comes with navigating a major career shift. Using my transition from a college president as an example, I share how I embraced this change through self-reflection and self knowledge.

Tune in and listen to the ninth episode of I Can Do This Show Me How! to learn how to embrace transitions through finding your purpose, trusting yourself, and reorienting towards your true values.

In this episode, you will learn:

• What I felt my purpose as a college president was (1:45)
• What it’s like to leave a role that you worked over several years (10:30)
• What the pandemic forced me to do, and where this led me (12:41)
• What my vision was when I was president (17:26)
• What became my compass at this time in my life (18:50)
• What self-reflection helps us do (23:22)

Let's connect!

• Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Change is inevitable, yet moving through it often leaves us feeling disorientated and uncertain. Deviating away from the life we know usually feels uncomfortable. It’s not just about adapting to your new life, it’s also about the decisions you make and the introspection that comes with taking that leap of doing something new.

In today's episode, we’re diving into the deeply personal, yet universally experienced, journey of navigating life changes. Whether it’s a career shift, a move, or a change in relationships, embracing change is key to our growth. We’ll discuss how to face life’s transitions with resilience and how to find balance amid uncertainty. 

Tune in and listen to the eighth episode of I Can Do This Show Me How! to learn how to embrace change, trust yourself, and discover the strength in reorienting towards the life you’re supposed to be living. 

In this episode, you will learn:

• About a life-changing decision I made in 2020 (0:39)
• Some of the transitions I’ve navigated over the years (2:48)
• Why change can be beneficial (4:07)
• About something that’s especially difficult when it come to change  (14:12)
• Why life transitions unsettles us (17:40)
• Why stepping away from the ‘roles’ we think we’re supposed to play is important  (19:06)
• What’s important to remember as you navigate your journey (22:34)

Let's connect!

• Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.