Nature Knows: Conversations with Wild Warriors and Change Makers

This week's podcast feature growth hack and brand-building genius and educational advocate Julian Espinosa of Papi Digital, Leaving the Nest, Start-up Kids, and the Growth Hack podcast. Julian is all about bringing authenticity to your brand and helping others find the value in their unique voice. As someone with a passion for developing useful life skills that create the foundation for a brighter future, he also brings his skills, experience, and drive to Leaving the Nest, a career-ready boot camp for high school students that ensures they have the fundamental life skills necessary to be both career- and life-ready.

For more information on Julian, check out the following links:

Papi Digital: www.papidigital.com

Leaving the Nest: leavingthenest.co

Start-up Kids: start-up-kids.org

Instagram: _papidigital

Facebook: PapiDigital

Podcast: GROWTH HACK

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Join me in a conversation with pangolin specialist and researcher (and all-around great gal) Wendy Panaino as we chat working in remote locations, challenges in the field, and spending your time studying one of the most unusual and heavily trafficked animals in the world.   

For more info about the incredible work Wendy does, check out  KEEP - the Kalahari Endangered Ecosystem Project and  Tswalu Foundation  And follow Wendy's adventures on social media Twitter: @wendz_222 Instagram: @wendz_222

Today's episode is bringing some brilliant and beautiful black magic and black truth to your ears. We're chatting with Ashley Jones, founder of Black Truth Media, an organization dedicated to showcasing the voices of African American leaders and celebrities and giving them a platform to tell their stories and share their 'truth' with the world. This energetic and inspiring woman is also an author, podcast host, magazine editor, performer, event planner, and, and, and (because I'm not sure there's anything this woman can't do if she puts her mind to it).   

In addition to her amazing work with Black Truth Media, Ashley has also put together a very cool event on February 20th - a virtual cooking class called Grown Woman Brunch, featuring Chef Dawn Moss of Carolina Kitchen. If you get your tickets by February 13th, you'll get a gift box as well. Use the code VALENTINE to get $15 off the price. Head on over to www.grownwomanbrunch.eventbrite.com to get your ticket!   

For more about Ashley, please check out the following links and support the empowering work she's doing.   

SOCIAL MEDIA: 

Instagram: Black Truth Media + Grownups in the Industry Podcast 

Facebook: Black Truth Media + Grownups in the Industry Podcast Pages  

SHOWS:

Black Magic Minute Radio Segment: Download the Radio Connect app and listen in from 6-10 AM to hear the segment air - A minute-long segment dedicated to highlighting key examples of black girl magic and black boy joy! Fridays in February feature the Black History Month Minute.   

Grownups in the Industry Podcast: A 20-60 minute segment highlighting entertainment industry giants, talking about their careers, the industry and industry news, business, investing, and love and relationships in the industry.  

Black Motivation Broadcast: A 20-60 minute segment highlighting different entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and celebrities and giving them a platform to share their truth and stories, and share advice on the industry to help encourage and grow the careers of the ones coming after them.  

BOOK: One Single Lady: A Guide to Single Christian LivingAvailable on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/OneSingleLady-Guide-Single-Christian-Living-ebook/dp/B06WVPD2S5/

This episode is so timely for a number of reasons, the main one being that the table is big enough for ALL of us. We just need to be willing to shift our seats and make the room. Shayna is brilliant woman who is engaged in making the world the best it can be. As an aerospace engineer, she is working to ensure the safety of people within our atmosphere and outside of it. By using her voice to advocate for inclusion, she is also ensuring that everyone gets access to and a voice in the conversation. A journalist turned engineer, she is a vocal supporter of getting more women in STEM and supporting young girls who like math and science. She also understands how vital the skill of effective communication is in every aspect of our lives. If you like honest conversations with highly intelligent people with their feet on the ground but their head in the stars, this is one you'll love! 

Here are links to the places Shayna references in the podcast, and to Shayna herself:

 Space for Humanity: https://www.spaceforhumanity.org/

The Wright Stuff: https://www.thenewrightstuff.com/

The Overview Effect - Frank White

Space Generation: https://spacegeneration.org/

Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship: https://www.matthewisakowitzfellowship.org/

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

https://www.instagram.com/space_shayna/

https://twitter.com/space_shayna

There are so many misconceptions about birds. For instance, the phrase 'bird brain' was traditionally used to suggest someone was less than intelligent. But birds are a lot smarter than we've given them credit for. All you need to do is watch a covid in action and you'll see how clever birds can be (hint - in some ways, more clever than us humans!). In this episode, I chat with Melissa Howes-Whitecross, the host of Conservation Conversations and the Landscape Conservation Program Manager of BirdLife SA. We cover the vital work BirdLife is doing in South Africa as well as around the globe, protecting species and habitat while also integrating community into the conservation process, as well as discuss her mission to bring more minorities into birding. (I also fawn a little over the accent because, well, it's so awesome!) So grab a drink and snack and get your bird nerd on with us!

To find out more info, check out the following links:

Website: www.birdlife.org.za (there are chapters all around the world)

Podcast: www.birdlife.org.za/blsa-conversations/

Great Backyard Bird Count: February 12-15, 2021 (birdcount.org)

Insta: @melissaw27

Twitter: @mwhitecross27

Today's guest is ocean engineering PhD student Hannah Arnholt. I came across Hannah from a mutual friend who thought she'd be an interesting guest. Taking their suggestion, I called her up and we started chatting and I KNEW she would be a great guest. For one, she's had more life experiences than people twice her age. And for another, she just has so many fun and inspiring stories to share. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we had some sound issues, but I hope that doesn't dissuade you from listening to this very informative and inspiring episode. Thanks for tuning in!

Here are links to the organizations Hannah refers to, in case, you know, you feel the desire to build your own robot fish...

UNH Ocean Engineering: marine.unh.edu/  

Society of Women Engineers: swe.org  

Robots Project - Instructables: www.instructables.com/circuits/robots/projects/  

Hannah’s LinkedIn and Instagram:https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-arnholt-116a298bInsta: arnholterr  

Today's podcast features systems engineer Kelly Burke. As someone who is not just a brilliant engineer, but also a talented tailor and gardener, Kelly is the epitome of the notion that none of us are ever just one thing - we are ALL complex creatures. Listen in for some funny stories about how sewing can be used to solve certain engineering challenges, the pitfalls of exploding flour, creating a career that doesn't solely define your life, and finding resources and outlets to suit your interests. 

Speaking of resources, here are a few that Kelly refers to in the podcast, perfect for any budding engineers or even those simply interested in how things work:

MIT Graduate course - Fundamentals of Systems Engineering

https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/aeronautics-and-astronautics/16-842-fundamentals-of-systems-engineering-fall-2015/index.htm  

Discover - lots of resources for child engineering projects  

https://www.discovere.org/our-activities 

Piper Computer - literally building a computer, including wiring it up  

https://www.playpiper.com/ 

First Robotics:

https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc  

A frank conversation with bassist extraordinaire Victor Wooten about the state of the world, of the value of nature in all its forms, and of finding a way forward together. Victor is not only a Grammy and Bassist of the Year winner many times over, but he's also an author, teacher, mentor, and naturalist. His interactive camps, based in the middle of the woods outside of Nashville, blend both nature and music in a way that focuses on helping students reclaim their 'naturalness', which leads them to become better people as well as better musicians in the process. This visionary has a message of love for all of us, a message that is very sorely needed these days. 

For more information on his work, his camps, and to purchase his merchandise (including his award-winning book, The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music), head over to www.victorwooten.com

To learn more about Late Shift Media, check out www.lateshiftmedia.com

Today, on our first ever podcast, we're talking with Sarah Johnson, founder of Wild Rose Education. A voice for wild places and connecting communities back to the land, she's a lifelong Girl Scout who truly understands the value of nature and of the impact each one of us is capable of making. Her work is helping to guide the next generation into a more environmentally and socially aware world, one where everyone's voice matters. 

For additional information, check out the following links:

 https://www.wildroseeducation.com

https://www.facebook.com/WildRoseEducation

The 1-minute trailer plug for the podcast series Nature Knows: Conversations with Wild Warriors and Change Makers. The series features diverse voices from a variety of fields, discussing the challenges they've faced, the ways they've used their unique brand of creativity on their personal and professional journeys, and how they navigate an ever-changing world where nature (both the human nature and the kind outside our doors) is calling the shots.