Life = Choices; Choices = Life

In this episode, I’m thrilled to interview the authors of Little Learners, Big Hearts: A Teacher's Guide to Nurturing Empathy and Equity in Early Childhood—Christine Mason, PhD, Orinthia Harris, PhD, Randy Ross, and Jill Flanders. These remarkable women are leaders in their fields and together contribute to the Center for Educational Improvement (CEI), founded by Dr. Mason, with Jill Flanders serving as Executive Director. Their book equips teachers with tools to nurture empathy and equity in the classroom, emphasizing the importance of raising a new generation of anti-racist children to achieve true equity. If you're curious about your own implicit biases, explore Harvard's Implicit Bias Assessments. We all have biases—recognizing and reducing their impact is key to fostering change in ourselves and those around us.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing a very pregnant Genesis Amaris Kemp. Genesis was someone working in the gas industry in corporate America, when she realized the industry wasn't holding up to the principles of DEIB. Yes, she was a woman of color in a predominantly white men's world and she had a seat at the table but she was the only one and she didn't feel like her contributions were taken very seriously. So what did she do? She wrote the book,  Chocolate Drop in Corporate America, to call attention to the issue. Genesis is a deeply spiritual person who has suffered four major losses in the past four years, including a child. She shares how she is still smiling and how her faith helps her withstand those losses with selflessness rather than selfishness. Check out her Gems podcast and visit her website at https://genesisamariskemp.net. You can, of course, contact her there, but give her some time to respond because she is about to give birth to her second child any day now.

In this episode, I had the distinct pleasure to interview Dr. Susan Jackson, a close collaborator with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, founder of the flow concept. With a PhD in Sport and Exercise Psychology, Sue has extensive experience in the sports, performance, and health industries. In this conversation, we talk about what flow is and why it's an important experience to understand. Sue covers the characteristics of being in flow and some things we can do to make flow more likely to occur for us in our lives and performance tasks. Sue has written the recently released Amazon #1 bestselling book, Experiencing Flow: Life Beyond Boredom and Anxiety, and shares her motivation for writing it and what you'll get when you read it. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and know you will, too. If you'd like to learn more about Sue and her work or contact her for more information, you can do that here,  

In this episode, I had the joy of interviewing Kealah "Coach Kiki" Parkinson. Coach Kiki is a master at her craft of emotionally intelligent communications coaching. We talked about conquering one's fear, as Kealah went from being painfully shy to becoming a public speaker! We discussed developing your key mantra and your BMT Index, both trademarks held by Kealah. She defined what a communication coach is and what they do. We talked about the fight-or-flight response and how that affects communication. Kealah shared her favorite tools for processing feelings and distinguished between processing and managing feelings. The BMT Index stands for body, moods, and thoughts. Coach Kiki is also working on her pilot program called, "The Four Corners of Feelings" and she's looking for some people willing to go through her beta program to co-create with her what this program will look like. She knows how important emotions are in communications, both in one's personal and professional life. You can follow her on Substack at We Build Better Humans | Coach Kiki Kealah Parkinson | Substack, or visit her website to sign up for the Four Corners of Feelings pilot program, take her coaching eligibility quiz, or contact her about her expertise or services.

In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alison Schmidt, PhD, BCC. Among other things, Alison is the CEO of unconvention™, and a graduate of the Academy of Choice's Board Certified Coaching program. I recently became aware of Alison's rebrand to unconvention and wanted to have her on the show to talk about it. Alison most definitely has some interesting unconvention qualities. In this episode, we discuss how she decided on her rebranding, what unconvention means to her, her use of "un" words in coaching, my personal unwords, her podcast "unconversations," and how she works with her clients to help them discover what is unique about themselves, often the very things they have gotten criticized for in the past. Once discovered, a person learns to lean into those qualities and lives a life filled with passion, purpose, and authenticity. To contact her for more information or for coaching yourself, check out her website at unconventionllc.com [email protected].

In this episode, I continue the conversation with Dr. Charles Dent about how mental health interventions can be tailored to resonate more deeply with Black men, considering the intersection of masculinity, cultural identity, and mental well-being. We discuss how to advocate for great access to culturally competent mental health services for Black men and what steps people can take to break down the barriers to seeking help. You can reach Dr. Dent through his website, Max Out Coaching for more information.

In this 2-part episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Charles Dent, an educator, counselor, coach, and pastor. Charles utilizes Choice Theory and Reality Therapy in his work and has penned several books: When a Woman Gives Up Her Heart, 42 Days: Becoming a Powerful Person of Patience, How to Overcome the Predator of Your Faith, Date Rape at 11 AM Sunday, and 42 Habits of Successful Parents. Charles is a Black man living in the south committed to creating bridges between faith-based communities and mental health clinics to better serve the African American population who has been disenfranchised by the medical system. We discuss the unique mental health challenges Black men face and how systemic issues and economic disparities contribute to these challenge, how mental health professionals can better understand and address the culture stima surrounding mental health particularly among Black men and how the community, family, and faith can strengthen their support systems. You can reach Dr. Dent through his website, Max Out Coaching. Tune in next week for part 2.

In this episode, I was delighted to speak with Kate Varness, a Clarity Coach who helps women find their path through life's transitions. She does this with an astrological tool called Human Design. Learning your Human Design assists you to understand yourself better and figure out the best ways to respond during transitions based on your specific traits and strengths. It was fascinating to me, especially when Kate delved into an example of some work she did with a consultant who was struggling with overwhelm. Kate offers our listeners a free video called How to Find Your Way In. It's a 2-part method to identify where you are and where you're going. You'll also learn why it's so important to intentionally shift during life transitions, and how to prepare for your next adventure with confidence and support. You can reach Kate for more information at [email protected].

In this episode, I get to chat with Nichole Meade about her creation, Mindful Self-Intelligence. Nichole created her concepts from a variety of disciplines, including quantum physics, Shamanism, Buddhism, science, and mathematics, of all things. Nichole describes herself as a rainbow unicorn in a ones-and-zeroes world, which makes her a breath of fresh air for me. Listen in to discover Mindful Self-Intelligence and how to solve for the f(me) or the function of me. Nichole also shares her thoughts about discovering oneself so people can be the best and most aligned version of themselves for themselves, but also, for "all the things." She discusses finding ways that work for her that start as a way, become a transitional the way, on the way to simply being her way. This is not your regular conversion. If you want to take a dive into a converstion you probably won't have in your everyday life, have a listen. Should you want to reach out to Nichole to continue the conversation, the best way to do that is on LinkedIn.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Dr. Kiley Callaway about his work with couples in his congregation. As a pastor with a degree in pastoral counseling, Kiley is a certified Mental Freedom practitioner who uses that and Choice Theory psychology with those who come to him for help. He shares how he does that, along with some successes his clients have achieved. We also talk about how both Choice Theory and Mental Freedom, while not associated with any religion, can be supported by biblical scriptures. Kiley's counseling license allows him to work across all states so if you are interested in pastoral counseling that is underpinned by Choice Theory and Mental Freedom, you can contact him through his website, Christian Counselor | Be Transformed Christian Counseling | Gering (betransformedcounseling.org).