The systems we operate in are breaking down because our humanity is at its breaking point. Something’s got to give. But since it’s so hard to teach an old dog new habits, in this episode of I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY I talk to Eduardo Caballero Executive Director and Co-Founder of EDMO®, a national non-profit enrichment organization that operates award-winning science, technology, art, and mathematics (STEAM) and social and emotional learning (SEL) experiences for kids in grades Pre-K through 8. As a young adult, Eduardo worked as a counselor in summer camps affording him to witness the transformational impact of extracurricular activities on child development. He knew then he had found his purpose and for the last 18 years through Camp EDMO®, Pre-K through 8th graders experience the adventure of summer camp while engaging in hands-on activities that unleash their inner maker, scientist, artist, and coder — all in a collaborative, inclusive environment that cultivates wonder and a knack for exploration. Collaboratively designed with a team of experts, including the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center, the EDMO® Method is an innovative approach to educating the whole child — mind, body, and heart. The key ingredient for transformation is creating an environment for children to learn how to build social connections, practice mindfulness and express their feelings in a constructive way. EDMO® now also partners with districts, schools and community organizations to create year-round, custom, in-person and virtual programs. As a Radical Transformational Leadership (RTL) Coach Practitioner who supports other leaders on how to create system-level shifts towards a more equitable society, Eduardo encourages us all to seize the timeliness of SEL Day (tomorrow March 11th) to take steps towards learning how to improve how we leverage our leadership and exercise our humanity.

#ihavesomethingtosay #urbander #udou #podcast #videocast #Entrepreneurship #Education #Equity #Diversity #SummerCamp #Leadership #Development #Collaboration #Purpose #Radical #Shift #edmo #campedmo #SELday #SEL #equityineducation #humanity

That intersection where entrepreneurship and leadership meet is not easy to navigate, especially if you are running a growing business and are also at the helm of an organization doing the work 100% as a volunteer.  In this episode of I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY I talk with Marlyn Bonzil-Juste, CEO of Top Choice Medical Transport, who was recently sworn in as the new President of the Greater Haitian American Chamber of Commerce in Orlando. As a woman who wears many hats, Marlyn is no stranger to long days, juggling many tasks to mitigate voids in our community and supporting others through employment, mentorship, and caregiving. After working for Corporate America and outgrowing the roles she was afforded, Marlyn decided in 2014 it was time to take a deep dive into entrepreneurship. Her business acumen was instrumental in launching a successful consulting firm, and most recently she started a non-emergency medical transportation business after experiencing the challenges faced by her family in caring for her grandmother – specifically, getting to doctor appointments and dialysis with ease. When I ask Marlyn why she volunteers, she explains that she always admired the tenacity of the leaders of the Haitian American Chamber and how they gave back to the community even though they were all extremely busy. She feels a sense of responsibility to carry the baton and contribute to the greater good of the community and hopes she can model behavior that will inspire younger leaders to do the same. “Sometimes I have to drag myself after a long day of work to go to a meeting or event and I have to rely on my tribe,” she shared. “I call my husband, and my mom to get some help with the kids because I believe in this calling. And once I step into the room, I’m surrounded by a wonderful team at the Chamber and all the tiredness goes out the window because I’m grateful that we can contribute together to better the community.”

#ihavesomethingtosay #urbander #udou #podcast #videocast #HaitianAmericanChamber #Entrepreneurship #Entrepreneurs #Equity #Diversity #BlackBusiness #Community #WomenLeaders #Leadership #Volunteerism #Responsibility #TopChoiceMedicalTransport #TeamWork #Development #Orlando #Networking #Collaboration #Elevation #Professionals #GHACC

Listen-up ENTREPRENEURS! We need to scratch trying to build “Generational Wealth”. Yes, you read me right. After speaking to Dr. LaTanya White, an expert in the intersection of the racial wealth gap and Black entrepreneurship, I’m now aware of the roadmap she designed to attain Dynastic Wealth™ instead. In this episode of I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY Professor White shares her immersive, intensive, and transformational entrepreneurial training experience in Bali over a decade ago and how it drove her to explore the underlying causes of the racial wealth gap between Black and White Americans. As a result of her extensive research, she developed an evidence-based model for building wealth by addressing the ancestral narrative and lived experience of Black entrepreneurs using a lens of racial equity. Her dissertation titled “Dynastic and Generative Intent for First-Generation Black Wealth Creators in a Modern Racial Enclave Economy” demonstrates step-by-step how to build wealth so that your GRANDCHILDREN don’t have to worry about money issues. LaTanya’s Dynastic Wealth™ model is literally a blueprint to remedy the absence of intergenerational wealth transfers in Black and Brown families who exercise business ownership. In this podcast, she explains the five types of wealth that characterize American dynasties such as the Rockefellers, above and beyond the most obvious “Financial Wealth”. It turns out that it’s so much more than just the money management aspect. WHO KNEW?!?! Oh, but now we do…and it’s ON. Thanks, LaTanya, for spelling it out for us!

What happens when all is seemingly OK with your career and life, yet you somehow yearn for that ‘something’ you can feel is still missing. In this episode of I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY my guest is Dr. Anitza San Miguel a certified coach, scientist, wife, mother, and business leader who, despite the challenges, stereotyping, and skepticism she faced, was able to rise to Dean of Science in a highly competitive academic environment. But it wasn’t enough. Gnawing her insides was an emptiness she couldn’t explain even while experiencing work-life balance and success. This void propelled her onto an intentional journey of self-discovery, personal development, and finding purpose. Anitza came to the conclusion that the answer is not learning to balance everything in life successfully. The key lies in finding harmony while on your path to accomplishing what matters most to you. As the Founder of ASM Mentors, she works with female leaders who are committed to a journey of transformational growth and personal development, because she can empathize with the twists and turns of exploring, unveiling, developing, and maximizing a purpose-driven life.

Most of us fail miserably in highlighting more frequently the barriers and discrimination experienced by people with disabilities (seen and unseen). In this episode of I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, I talk to my friend María Fernanda Saavedra about why she authored “A través de mis ojos” (Through My Eyes), a personal inside look into how she overcame being diagnosed as a child with an eye condition that led to blindness. We talk about the first time we met, and I had no idea she couldn’t see because she refuses to use a cane to navigate the world – María tells us why. She also shares how dance has been part of her life since she was a little girl and the joy that performing and teaching others how to dance traditional music from her beloved Colombia and other countries allow her to debunk myths about people with disabilities. With a Master’s in Social Work and BS in Psychology, María has had a long career in case management with organizations developing tailored plans, interventions, and support networks for youth and adults that need help. As an IDEAS expert (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Sustainability), she also started her entrepreneurship journey providing counsel to organizations on best practices in the delivery of equitable services and opportunities. This self-proclaimed diva is making a mark on stage, in the community, and in Corporate America. I know this eye-opening conversation benefited me, and I certainly hope you find value in it as well.

There is power in collaboration, especially if you’re in the business of disrupting the status quo. In this episode of I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, Efraín González, Founder and General Manager of Voz Latina Broadcasting, myself and our podcast producer Chris Majocha talk about CASA CULTURE, a Collaborative Arts Equity and Entrepreneurship Development Model designed to support an untapped, underrepresented, and disenfranchised community of artist-entrepreneurs, producers, and creators of color in Central Florida that are currently unable to sustain their families through their craft. The biggest challenge for communities of color is breaking free from the grasp of the low-paying part-time employment offered by the Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure industry that characterizes the region. This has resulted in a cycle of persistent urban poverty in distressed communities that live in the outskirts and serve as the primary workforce of the amusement parks, hotel strips, museums, performing arts and convention centers, cruise lines, and international airports that cater to this billion-dollar industry. Many individuals employed by this Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure industry are stifled artists, producers, and creators and they need access to resources. Through CASA CULTURE communities of color are exercising their multi-faceted leadership as creators, producers, artist-entrepreneurs, and decision-makers who share common struggles, sparking a special camaraderie to help each other expand their spheres of influence (social capital) and build their business acumen to generate wealth in their communities.  I want to thank the Latino Business Foundation of Silicon Valley and founder Jesus Flores for sharing resources with us for free. We currently have over 20 entrepreneurs enrolled in their online Entrepreneurship Certification in alliance with Santa Clara University. We invite you to support CASA CULTURE as well! 

This week’s guest in I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY is Steven Mangual, a Criminal Justice Reform Advocate who for over 25 years has dedicated his life to Justice in Love. He shares his experience growing up in a single-parent home in The Bronx and his first encounter with the criminal justice system when he was about 9 years old. This experience anchored his views about policing. “Witnessing abuse, seeing abuse, being abused, being an abuser – being on both sides, that’s the truth – it wasn’t an illogical and unreasonable leap for me to commit a crime and wind up incarcerated for 14 years at the age of 20.” In prison, Steven found his purpose. Having experienced the torture and the trauma of a broken criminal justice system to everyone involved (from victims to perpetrators and their families), he’s a firm believer in accountability, redemption, and in alternative ways to hold young people accountable, even those charged with serious violent felony offenses. Steven’s concern is that in our society we are quick to respond to a criminal act with punishment and isolation first, instead of creating spaces that provide the appropriate support for transformative interventions to occur. He states, “I am living proof that authentic transformation is possible, but I couldn’t do it alone.”

We’re back! After a healthy hiatus to regroup and recharge, I’m delighted to have Joseph Simmons, Founder of the Center for Micro-Entrepreneurial Training (CMET) as my first guest of I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY for 2022. I’ll be going through his program starting January 24th for an intense two weeks of guidance on how to take my successful small business to the level. In this episode, Joseph shares how and why he launched CMET’s coursework, designed to cut through the clutter and provide entrepreneurs with strong foundational knowledge and tools to understand financials, do business planning, market products/services, master the sales process (from pitching to closing), seek proper funding and build social capital (relationships). I’m excited that Joseph’s first cohort for 2022 is comprised of businesses at every level of the entrepreneurship spectrum, from seed to maturity, so that we experience peer-to-peer mentorship. And since we will be doing the training virtually, he has been able to secure instructors from a national pool of subject matter experts that are on top of their game. There are so many people that have turned to entrepreneurship (or have thought about it) in the past two years. If this is you, listen in to learn some key takeaways regarding the building blocks that must be in place to successfully launch and grow a business.

I needed to get unstuck and so I reached out to my friend and coach, Dr. Charlene Brown for a Clarity Session. In this episode of I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, Dr. Charli and I talk about her expertise in Integral and Transpersonal Psychology, in other words, integrating and connecting mind, body, spirit and environment. She says that when she was a little girl, she wanted to be in charge, and as she got older, she became curious about the metaphysical aspects of life and wondered how to bring them about on purpose, rather than through a terribly traumatic experience or crisis. Dr. Charli has been immersed in the metaphysical-spiritual world for over 20 years. After pursuing a traditional business undergraduate degree on a full scholarship, she leaned in on much more esoteric topics for graduate school, including women’s spirituality and mind-body-spirit psychology, called transpersonal. Through her work as a Spiritual Midwife and Sacred Mirror, she offers her gift of Truth to humans (mostly women) who are ready to be their full selves on purpose. And it works!  After a 50-minute Clarity Session with Dr. Charli – I got unstuck.