Plan A Konversations

About Janae Hudson:
At the age of 24, Janae Hudson is a Business Producer at BOLDTV and Founder of BrooklynTalk. Janae specializes in business news, by cultivating a number of segments featuring the biggest brands and personalities in business news including: PwC, UBS, Experian, Moody’s Investors Service, Beth Comstock, Regina Gwynn, The Wall Street Journal, Black Enterprise, The New York Times, Business Insider, Forbes Media, The Muse and more! In addition to her extensive producing experience, Janae has landed coverage on many events, including BET’s Black Girls Rock, CURLFest 2018 and Wendy Williams, Hunter Foundation X Perfect Snax, LLC.

When Janae is not creating at work she likes to spend time playing sports, listening to jazz and visiting all the best cuisines New York City has to offer (emphasis on tacos lol). Janae grew up in Brooklyn, NY and resides with her loving single mom and twin brother. She enjoys traveling with her family and hopes to expand her craft of producing into an international freelancing empire. She is currently enrolled in graduate studies and after receiving her Masters, Janae plans to pursue areas in international communications. With her love for the culinary arts, Janae also plans to retire as a Chef, owning her own little tapas restaurant in NYC! 

Janae holds a BA in communications and broadcast journalism from the University of Pennsylvania - University Park.

Share your thoughts and follow Klay on your favorite social media: @PlanAwithKlay and use the hashtag #PlanA101. Want more Plan A? Subscribe to Klay's website: KlaySWilliams.com Have a story to share and would like to be considered as a future guest on Plan A Konversations? Email our team: [email protected].

Want to support Plan A Konversations? If you find value in what you’ve heard, feel free to support the podcast and contribute whatever is comfortable for you HERE. Thank you!

We've entered the Season Of Giving and for a lot of people, this time is a reminder of loneliness, family breakdowns and hopelessness. In today's episode I chat with my bonus dad, Mr. Jorge Mateo about his spiritual + life awakening, how he reconciled his sense of hope, purpose, family and forgiveness all while deciding to get the help he needed in recovery. There's hope and I believe Mr. Mateo's story brings you a newfound sense of restoration and support.

About Mr. Jorge Mateo - I grew up in Spanish Harlem. I had a wonderful childhood - my mom made sure I went to church. When I was about 17, my dad bought my mom a house in Puerto Rico. I stayed behind to continue my schooling. I quit right before I graduated. I started hanging out with the wrong crowd and did my will. My will got me into trouble. At some point I ended up in the hospital in NYC. When I came out my dad told me to visit my mom in Puerto Rico. That's where I met my wife. We had 3 children. I retired from the Department of Sanitation. God has blessed me in so many ways and for that I am truly grateful.

Share your thoughts and follow Klay on your favorite social media: @PlanAwithKlay and use the hashtag #PlanA101. Want more Plan A? Subscribe to Klay's website: KlaySWilliams.com Have a story to share and would like to be considered as a future guest on Plan A Konversations? Email our team: [email protected].

Want to support Plan A Konversations? If you find value in what you’ve heard, feel free to support the podcast and contribute whatever is comfortable for you HERE. Thank you!

About Kent Edwards:

 I was born 12/4/1977 in Elizabethtown, KY and immediately placed for adoption due to circumstances involving race. My biological mother did not believe that she or her family could provide the type of support that a biracial (black/white) child would need. I was in foster care 14 months and adopted in February of 1978. My parents, both ordained ministers, had a miscarriage and afterward didn’t think they could conceive. However, during the adoption process they got pregnant with my little sister who was born two months after I came to live with them. Wow, talk about an instant family!

My sister and I grew up in Lynchburg, VA. I was a bit of a problem child, but was blessed with parents whose unconditional love showed no boundaries. Sports and physical activity were my outlet and where I excelled. School never came to easy for me, but it was mainly because of my short attention span. I was good enough in baseball to receive an athletic scholarship. In the fall of 2000 I graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan with a BA in History with a bulk of my studies focused on civil rights. A week after my last class, my father and I drove to KY to petition for my birth and adoption records and start “the search.” The process took a great deal of time but about a year and a half later I finally received my records. I now had quite a bit of info about my biological mother that included her name, SSN, DOB, last known address, etc. However, I was only given my biological father’s name and last known address. The search was not near as easy as I thought it would be. At the time I was unaware of how crucial all of the information about both of them truly was.

I began teaching elementary school shortly thereafter in northern VA. Five years later I moved to NYC to pursue my modeling and acting career more seriously. Because of my love of movement and activity I also began personal training as a supplemental income. The acting/ modeling thing was fun, but it was not truly fulfilling. Not to mention it required a great deal of sitting and thats just not me. From there my passion for movement and training (coaching and teaching) grew! I currently work full-time as a personal trainer.
Just a little over eleven years ago, with the help of a private investigator, I was able to locate the maternal side of my biological family. The initial contact with my grandmother was not the most pleasant, but over time things changed and she began to accept and love me. I found out from grandmother that I was a secret that only she and my mother (who passed roughly 20 years before) shared. I learned that I was indeed placed for adoption due to my race even though my father’s side wanted to keep me.

This past summer, at the strong suggestion of a dear friend, I decided to do a DNA test to explore my genealogy and perhaps find my biological father. I received the results on 7/27/18 and began sending emails to all of my closely shared DNA matches. I committed to working a minimum of one hour per day researching from a large list of data bases and sending emails to my DNA matches. On 8/11 a new DNA match popped up on the website and I remember thinking how much my cousin and I resembled one another. I immediately emailed him and a few days later he replied. Low and behold on 8/14 my life changed forever... I found my biological father! We met on 8/24 at his home in Chicago. I am the second oldest of my four siblings. On 10/27 we had a family reunion at my cousin’s home just outside of San Francisco. There is much more to this story, but keeping it simple it is all love! Learn more about Kent Edwards: Kent Edwards IG

Want to support Plan A Konversations? If you found value in what you’ve heard, feel free to support the podcast and contribute whatever is c

About Kent Edwards:

 I was born 12/4/1977 in Elizabethtown, KY and immediately placed for adoption due to circumstances involving race. My biological mother did not believe that she or her family could provide the type of support that a biracial (black/white) child would need. I was in foster care 14 months and adopted in February of 1978. My parents, both ordained ministers, had a miscarriage and afterward didn’t think they could conceive. However, during the adoption process they got pregnant with my little sister who was born two months after I came to live with them. Wow, talk about an instant family!

My sister and I grew up in Lynchburg, VA. I was a bit of a problem child, but was blessed with parents whose unconditional love showed no boundaries. Sports and physical activity were my outlet and where I excelled. School never came to easy for me, but it was mainly because of my short attention span. I was good enough in baseball to receive an athletic scholarship. In the fall of 2000 I graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan with a BA in History with a bulk of my studies focused on civil rights. A week after my last class, my father and I drove to KY to petition for my birth and adoption records and start “the search.” The process took a great deal of time but about a year and a half later I finally received my records. I now had quite a bit of info about my biological mother that included her name, SSN, DOB, last known address, etc. However, I was only given my biological father’s name and last known address. The search was not near as easy as I thought it would be. At the time I was unaware of how crucial all of the information about both of them truly was.

I began teaching elementary school shortly thereafter in northern VA. Five years later I moved to NYC to pursue my modeling and acting career more seriously. Because of my love of movement and activity I also began personal training as a supplemental income. The acting/ modeling thing was fun, but it was not truly fulfilling. Not to mention it required a great deal of sitting and thats just not me. From there my passion for movement and training (coaching and teaching) grew! I currently work full-time as a personal trainer.
Just a little over eleven years ago, with the help of a private investigator, I was able to locate the maternal side of my biological family. The initial contact with my grandmother was not the most pleasant, but over time things changed and she began to accept and love me. I found out from grandmother that I was a secret that only she and my mother (who passed roughly 20 years before) shared. I learned that I was indeed placed for adoption due to my race even though my father’s side wanted to keep me.

This past summer, at the strong suggestion of a dear friend, I decided to do a DNA test to explore my genealogy and perhaps find my biological father. I received the results on 7/27/18 and began sending emails to all of my closely shared DNA matches. I committed to working a minimum of one hour per day researching from a large list of data bases and sending emails to my DNA matches. On 8/11 a new DNA match popped up on the website and I remember thinking how much my cousin and I resembled one another. I immediately emailed him and a few days later he replied. Low and behold on 8/14 my life changed forever... I found my biological father! We met on 8/24 at his home in Chicago. I am the second oldest of my four siblings. On 10/27 we had a family reunion at my cousin’s home just outside of San Francisco. There is much more to this story, but keeping it simple it is all love! Learn more about Kent Edwards: Kent Edwards IG

Want to support Plan A Konversations? If you find value in what you’ve heard, feel free to support the podcast and contribute whatever is co

Meet Adriano Zago. I am a consultant and teacher in biodynamic agriculture, specialized in viticulture and enology.

Biodynamic agriculture in my opinion it’s a practical method which allows to obtain more fertile grounds, healthier plants, food and wine as much closest to a correct evolution of the human thought.

I have gained many different experiences all around the world as a consultant and as a teacher in biodynamic agriculture; more and more I take care of vineyards and of the wine itself.

Learn more about Adriano Zago: http://www.adrianozago.eu.

Share your thoughts and follow Klay on your favorite social media: @PlanAwithKlay and use the hashtag #PlanA101. Want more Plan A? Subscribe to Klay's website: KlaySWilliams.com Have a story to share and would like to be considered as a future guest on Plan A Konversations? Email our team: [email protected].

Want to support Plan A Konversations? If you find value in what you’ve heard, feel free to support the podcast and contribute whatever is comfortable for you HERE. Thank you!

Dr. Soorya is a board certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician, who alongside the rest of the Natural Balance team, combines conventional medical training with leading-edge concepts in biomedical-functional medicine. Her approaches include holistic prevention and alternatives, detoxification, physical modalities, nutritional therapy, herbs, chelation, and medications (when needed).

Dr. Soorya wears many hats in our clinic including co-leading our nationally recognized Precision Medicine & Advanced Neurocare programs and supervising patients undergoing neurofeedback, hyperbaric oxygen, sleep studies, IV therapies and numerous other clinical activities. Known for being ahead of the curve, her career path in integrative medicine began long before attending medical school as a research intern for the University of Michigan’s Integrative Medicine Program. There she observed firsthand how a comprehensive, whole person approach led to profound and life changing results for the patient’s she worked with. Recognizing the complex needs of her future patients, Dr. Soorya subsequently made mastering the intricacies of functional medicine a priority by enrolling in the Institute of Functional Medicine’s rigorous training program and seeking board certification.

During her hospital years at Washington University, Dr. Soorya received numerous accolades, including her role as chief resident physician and “Resident of the Year” for her work ethic, leadership qualities and excellent bedside manner. Presently, Dr. Soorya’s passions lean towards supporting our clinic patient’s and using her numerous layers of training to inspire hope, health and happiness in the many patients who come to our clinic from all over the country. Dr. Soorya joins us as an integral member of the Natural Balance Team.

In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, Indian classical dance, travel, and yoga for her own personal development.

Learn more about Dr. Aarti Soorya: http://nbwellness.com/staff/dr-soorya/ + IG: Dr. Soorya

Additional Resources: 
@drmarkhyman

@drjamesdinic

@drjasonfung

@idmprogram

@dramyshah

@drchaterjee

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/

Share your thoughts and follow Klay on your favorite social media: @PlanAwithKlay and use the hashtag #PlanA101. Want more Plan A? Subscribe to Klay's website: KlaySWilliams.com Have a story to share and would like to be considered as a future guest on Plan A Konversations? Email our team: [email protected].

Want to support Plan A Konversations? If you find value in what you’ve heard, feel free to support the podcast and contribute whatever is comfortable for you HERE. Thank you!

Beauty Expert, Mikki Bey is an authority on the art of reinvention! From CBS News Producer to Celebrity Makeup Artist and Entrepreneur she shares how she knew when to leap and how she dealt with failure in her career.

Learn more about Mikki Bey: IG @Mikki Bey

Share your thoughts and follow Klay on your favorite social media: @PlanAwithKlay and use the hashtag #PlanA101. Want more Plan A? Subscribe to Klay's website: KlaySWilliams.com Have a story to share and would like to be considered as a future guest on Plan A Konversations? Email our team: [email protected].

Want to support Plan A Konversations? If you find value in what you’ve heard, feel free to support the podcast and contribute whatever is comfortable for you HERE. Thank you!

Carrie Sheffield is founder of Bold, a digital news network committed to bipartisan dialogue & innovation for people, business & communities. Join us here: www.Bold.global With Clay Aiken, Carrie co-hosts Bold TV, created in partnership with Al Roker Entertainment. 

A founding reporter at POLITICO, Carrie contributed on political economy at Forbes, wrote editorials for The Washington Times and advised the digital women’s site Bustle.com. Carrie earned a master’s in public policy at Harvard University, concentrating in business policy. She has a B.A. in communications at Brigham Young University and completed a Fulbright fellowship in Berlin.

Carrie managed municipal credit risk at Goldman Sachs and rated healthcare bonds at Moody’s. Carrie later researched for Edward Conard, Bain Capital founding partner and American Enterprise Institute scholar, served as Warren Brookes Journalism Fellow at Competitive Enterprise Institute and spoke at the U.S. Senate alongside key senators in favor of landmark tax reforms passed by Congress in 2017.

Carrie analyzed the 2018 White House Correspondents’ Dinner as a CNN guest, discussed media bias on President Trump’s Facebook page and during a Fox & Friends appearance the President retweeted, debated Tom Brokaw on MSNBC the night of the 2016 Vice Presidential debate and previewed the first Fox News 2016 GOP presidential primary debate. She also co-moderated a U.S. House congressional debate in Harlem, provided live analysis of the November 2014 Election Day results on MSNBC, interviewed House Speaker Paul Ryan at the 2016 Conservative Political Action Conference and sparred on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher." Carrie has published in The Wall Street Journal, TIME, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post & HuffPost.

She is a 2018 winner of the William F. Buckley Awards by America’s Future Foundation and named a Most Inspiring New Yorker by Bumble, a social connection app with more than 40 million global users.

Learn more about Carrie Sheffield: https://bold.global/ + Twitter: @carriesheffield. 

Share your thoughts and follow Klay on your favorite social media: @PlanAwithKlay and use the hashtag #PlanA101. Want more Plan A? Subscribe to Klay's website: KlaySWilliams.com Have a story to share and would like to be considered as a future guest on Plan A Konversations? Email our team: [email protected].

Want to support Plan A Konversations? If you find value in what you’ve heard, feel free to support the podcast and contribute whatever is comfortable for you HERE. Thank you!

Robert Barea is a professional that continually strives to serve the greater good.  A recently retired US Army veteran, Rob continues to serve others, both in his professional and personal life.  Focusing on emotional intelligence, empathy and compassion, Rob supports associated organizations by improving people operations through his passion for Diversity and Inclusion and proven people management skills.  In his personal time, he serves as a mentor for multiple non-profit organizations, primarily focusing on teenagers of color but will provide mentorship to anyone that seeks guidance. Rob’s mantra is simple – Each one, teach one & Do one good deed per day.  He has lived by these two simplistic principles for most of his life and believes his purpose in life is to give back.  He was inspired as a youth by Gilbert Young’s He Aint Heavy painting and actively seeks opportunities to volunteer, mentor, and be a positive member of his community. Rob proudly represents Harlem NY but has been fortunate to live and visit many places both here in the US and globally.  He is married to his High School sweetheart, Asha Knight Barea, and has three boys.  He is credentialed as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and Lean Six Sigma – Black Belt.  He has also earned his MBA and BSBA and has received multiple training and leadership certifications through his service in the US Army.

Learn more about Robert Barea: LinkedIn.

​Share your thoughts and follow Klay on your favorite social media: @PlanAwithKlay and use the hashtag #PlanA101. Want more Plan A? Subscribe to Klay's website: KlaySWilliams.com Have a story to share and would like to be considered as a future guest on Plan A Konversations? Email our team: [email protected].

Want to support Plan A Konversations? If you find value in what you’ve heard, feel free to support the podcast and contribute whatever is comfortable for you HERE. Thank you!

Mia Tucker Williams is a Brooklyn based fashion stylist whose keen eye for detail and knack for creating unique, timeless looks have made her a freelance favorite in the fashion world. Coming from the world of Interior Design, she often finds inspiration in architecture around the streets of New York City.  A lover of designer accessories and vintage furniture, you will often find her perusing specialty boutiques and vintage shops for one of a kind pieces. In her downtime, Mia enjoys exploring Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters.

Learn more about Mia Tucker Williams: Instagram + https://www.miatucker.com/.

​Share your thoughts and follow Klay on your favorite social media: @PlanAwithKlay and use the hashtag #PlanA101. Want more Plan A? Subscribe to Klay's website: KlaySWilliams.com Have a story to share and would like to be considered as a future guest on Plan A Konversations? Email our team: [email protected].

Want to support Plan A Konversations? If you find value in what you’ve heard, feel free to support the podcast and contribute whatever is comfortable for you HERE. Thank you!