Plan A Konversations

About Brian Davis
Brian Davis is the founder/owner of Wooden Sleepers - a New York based brand specializing in vintage American clothing.

Connect with Brian: IG + Website.

Today's episode is SPONSORED by Mateo Records. Be sure to purchase Joshua Mateo's new single, "Let's Dance Together" on iTunes HERE and album "In Session" wherever you buy music.

Individual Sponsors:
Adriane Birt, MD
James J. Rollins

Want to support the show through a monetary donation? Feel free to donate via PayPal.

ALSO, we are stoked to welcome sponsorship at the Corporate, Community Partner or Individual levels. Please use the email below to connect us to any potential opportunities. Thank you. More Please, in advance.

Thank you for listening! 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. 

Andrea Watkins Hairston, Ph.D.

Dr. Andrea Watkins Hairston began her career in the Washington, DC Metro Area as an applied research mathematician for the United States Department of Defense. During her government career, she worked for various intelligence agencies as a mathematician and technical project lead mostly doing what today would be called data science. After a short time as a data scientist and consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton, Andrea found the perfect opportunity to blend her interests in user enablement and data science as a technical program manager in Netflix's Data Science & Engineering organization.
Andrea earned her Ph.D. in mathematics from Duke University, where she studied stochastic dynamical systems, and her undergraduate degree in mathematics and philosophy from Howard University. She was born and raised in Detroit, MI and now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three sons.

Learn more about Andrea: LinkedIn.


Today's episode is SPONSORED by Mateo Records. Be sure to purchase Joshua Mateo's “In Session” album HERE orvwherever you buy music.

Individual Sponsors:
Adriane Birt, MD
James J. Rollins

ALSO, we are stoked to welcome sponsorship at the Corporate, Community Partner or Individual levels. Please use the email below to connect us to any potential opportunities. Thank you. More Please, in advance.

Thank you for listening! 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].

AZ I AM® Founder Alanna Zabel brings over 25 years of fitness/wellness experience, with a passion for helping others connect with their organic self. She is the creator of Yoga Barre®, a registered ERYT-500 yoga instructor, Pilates and fitness instructor. In 2000, she founded her own unique YogaDance company based on combining the essential movements of yoga with modern dance. Her first performance was choreographed for a private party at Michael Jackson's home and performed at Neverland. Her performances have been requested at fashion shows, conferences and private parties.

With a flare for style and design, Alanna launched the premium AZ I AM® Active Wear collections. Beyond her accomplishments as an instructor, performer, program director, writer, and designer, Alanna is a creative force and a teacher with a passion for kids. In addition to fourteen children's books with yoga and wellness themes, she single-handed created The World's First Yoga Doll® and Soul Model collections.

Voted "Best Yoga Instructor in Los Angeles" in 2011 by LA Family Magazine and one of "Hollywood's Hottest Trainers" by Shape Magazine in 2014, Alanna is passionate about teaching yoga through her classes, life and writing. She is the author of As I Am: Where Spirituality Meets Reality and Meaningful Coincidence: Synchronistic Stories of the Soul. Her children's book titles include The Seven Doors, a children's version of Deepak Chopra's best selling The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. Alanna stars in five fitness DVDs: Yoga Total Body Makeover and Pilates Yoga Fusion, as well as Beginner Level Yoga for Toning, Flexibility + Stress Relief, Cardio + Conditioning Yoga, and Beginner Level Yoga which became a nationally bestselling fitness DVD in 2016.​

Learn More About Alanna: HERE + FB, Twitter, IG + LI.

Today's episode is SPONSORED by Mateo Records. Be sure to purchase Joshua Mateo's “In Session” album HERE orvwherever you buy music.

Individual Sponsors:
Adriane Birt, MD
James J. Rollins

ALSO, we are stoked to welcome sponsorship at the Corporate, Community Partner or Individual levels. Please use the email below to connect us to any potential opportunities. Thank you. More Please, in advance.

Thank you for listening! 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].

Gregory Clifton Smith

Becoming an educator was a natural transition after being a City Planner with the NYC Parks Department Street Tree Division and the Supervisor of Horticulture at the Bronx Zoo. The most logical transition into education was becoming a Career and Technical Education instructor at the Philadelphia School District’s W. B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences. Additionally, I've worked in the food and wine service industry at the acclaimed Standard Hotel’s Standard Grill in New York City and Robert Mondavi's Woodbridge Estates in California.  Currently, I am a Career and Technical Education teacher with a focus on Natural Resources Management and Food Science at the largest secondary Agriscience program in the United States, which also houses the largest single-school chapter of the FFA. 

I'm a multifaceted educator who likes to bring everything to the table when educating and influencing my students’ involvement in learning. I believe learning can be both educational and entertaining, which is why I construct multimedia STEAM-based lessons that employ creativity, real-world experiences, and active learning opportunities that are coherent, cohesive, and connected to 21st Century skills.  The foundation of my teaching pedagogy is to create engaging project-based learning experiences, rooted in real-world experiences and focused on developing essential skills like communication, research, critical thinking, and problem-solving in order to prepare my students for life after graduation. 

My educational background includes a Bachelor’s in Environmental Science from Hampton University, a Master of Environmental Studies from the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Science, and I am currently working on a Career and Technical Education certification and a second Master at Temple’s School of Education. Additionally, I have been recreationally trained in photography, video production, and multimedia at Delta College in Stockton, California. As evident by my academic past and present, I truly enjoy learning, and subsequently through my current experiences as Saul High School,  I have learned I am a great instructor. In 2020, I was acknowledged by the School District of Philadelphia as a 2020 Lindback Award winner for Distinguished Teachers.

To learn more about what I am doing to actualize this mission, please visit www.gregclifsmith.com and follow me on IG @smith.at.saul.

Today's episode is SPONSORED by Mateo Records. Be sure to purchase Joshua Mateo's new single, "Let's Dance Together" on iTunes HERE and album "In Session" wherever you buy music.

Individual Sponsors:
Adriane Birt, MD
James J. Rollins

Want to support the show through a monetary donation? Feel free to donate via PayPal.

ALSO, we are stoked to welcome sponsorship at the Corporate, Community Partner or Individual levels. Please use the email below to connect us to any potential opportunities. Thank you. More Please, in advance.

Thank you for listening! 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. 

Today's episode is SPONSORED by Mateo Records. Be sure to purchase Joshua Mateo's new single, "Let's Dance Together" on iTunes HERE and album "In Session" wherever you buy music.

Individual Sponsors:
Adriane Birt, MD
James J. Rollins

Want to support the show through a monetary donation? Feel free to donate via PayPal.

ALSO, we are stoked to welcome sponsorship at the Corporate, Community Partner or Individual levels. Please use the email below to connect us to any potential opportunities. Thank you. More Please, in advance.

Thank you for listening! 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].

About Dr. Wintley Phipps

Wintley Phipps is a world-renowned vocal artist, education activist, motivational speaker, pastor, and CEO and Founder of the U.S. Dream Academy. For his work at the U.S. Dream Academy he has received numerous service awards, among them: The Excellence in Mentoring for Program Leadership Award from MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnerships; the Oprah Winfrey Angel Network Use Your Life Award; and Philanthropist of the Year Award from The National Center for Black Philanthropy, Inc.

For more than twenty-eight years, he has traveled the world delivering messages of hope, advocacy, and equality to many thousands of people. A video of Phipps performing "Amazing Grace" has enjoyed over seven million views on YouTube. Notably, one of his most recent renditions of that same song came at the 56th Inaugural Presidential Prayer Service on January 21, 2009. To make a donation to benefit the Dream Academy and receive a CD of this music, please click HERE  to visit the Dream Academy Online Store.

A two-time Grammy Award nominee, Phipps is no stranger to performing in front of distinguished audiences. In addition to President Barack Obama, other notable listeners have included former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, former South African President Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Oprah Winfrey. Phipps is also an internationally recognized speaker on behalf of the U.S. Dream Academy and young people, having completed speaking engagements in Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. In recognition of his positive global impact through speaking, The National Speakers Association awarded Phipps the prestigious Master of Influence Award.

Born in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Phipps moved to Montreal at an early age and then studied at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama, where he received his bachelor of arts degree in theology. He went on to earn a master of divinity degree from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Phipps has three sons with his wife Linda Diane Galloway Phipps and currently serves as the senior pastor of the Palm Bay Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Palm Bay, Florida.

Connect with Dr. Phipps: HERE.

Today's episode is SPONSORED by Mateo Records. Be sure to purchase Joshua Mateo's new single, "Let's Dance Together" on iTunes HERE and album "In Session" wherever you buy music.

Want to support the show through a monetary donation? Feel free to donate via PayPal.

ALSO, we are stoked to welcome sponsorship at the Corporate, Community Partner or Individual levels. Please use the email below to connect us to any potential opportunities. Thank you. More Please, in advance.

Thank you for listening! 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].

About Neil Jacobs
Neil is the Founder and Principal of MindsOpen, where he routinely
coaches CEOs and C-Suite executives and works with leadership teams to
improve performance, shift culture and drive change. He plays a pivotal
role in helping leaders and teams unlock new insights in order to take big
strides forward. He achieves this through his relational style, being
unafraid to ask the tough questions and opening minds to new and
different possibilities. Other areas of specialism include leadership
development, organizational development and learning, creativity and
leveraging relationships.

A business psychologist and executive coach, Neil has 25 years of global
experience working with experts, leaders, teams and organizations from a
wide range of industries including media, advertising, luxury and beauty,
investment and commercial banking, hedge funds and private equity,
pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, food and beverage, professional
services, energy, healthcare and logistics. He has worked across the
spectrum of Fortune 500s, high-growth start-ups, non-profits and
government organizations.

Prior to founding MindsOpen, Neil was a Managing Director at YSC, the
prestigious global leadership consulting firm. As well as leading and
setting the vision for the Americas business, his client work included
coaching, executive assessment, succession planning, onboarding and
team development.

Neil began his career in the UK working for the British Military, where he
found his niche profiling officers for specialist roles. He then joined
Scotland Yard, the police service for London, and was soon appointed
Head of Psychology. He led a range of high-profile assignments including
debriefing the UK police response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. During his
time at Scotland Yard he completed a Fulbright Scholarship with the FBI.
His last role at Scotland Yard was Director of Security Strategy for the
London 2012 Olympic Games.

He lives in New York City but remains a dedicated supporter of Leeds
United, his hometown soccer team. He enjoys contemporary art, modern
design, travel and film.

Connect with Neil: Website + LinkedIn.

Today's episode is SPONSORED by Mateo Records. Be sure to purchase Joshua Mateo's new single, "Let's Dance Together" on iTunes HERE and album "In Session" wherever you buy music.

Want to support the show through a monetary donation? Feel free to donate via PayPal.

ALSO, we are stoked to welcome sponsorship at the Corporate, Community Partner or Individual levels. Please use the email below to connect us to any potential opportunities. Thank you. More Please, in advance.

Thank you for listening! 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].

Today's episode is SPONSORED by Mateo Records. Be sure to purchase Joshua Mateo's new single, "Let's Dance Together" on iTunes HERE and album "In Session" wherever you buy music.

Want to support the show through a monetary donation? Feel free to donate via PayPal.

ALSO, we are stoked to welcome sponsorship at the Corporate, Community Partner or Individual levels. Please use the email below to connect us to any potential opportunities. Thank you. More Please, in advance.

Thank you for listening! 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].

Seventh grade was the worst year of Kelly’s life.

She was awkward and uncool, bullied, and most days she just wanted to disappear. 

Through education and the unwavering support of strong role models, Kelly was able to find her voice. Today, more than 25 years removed from middle school, she works to help young girls overcome those same experiences. 

A public relations executive by trade, Kelly has served as senior communications counsel to some of the nation's most influential, female chief executives. Additionally, as founder and president of The Girl Power Agency, a full-service, female-focused message innovation agency, Kelly has worked with and crafted messages on behalf of vulnerable women and girls, most notably advising and advocating for one of the nation’s preeminent leaders in the fight to end child sex trafficking and exploitation. Through that work, Kelly observed how girls from high risk populations, with low self- esteem and limited access to resources and role models were particularly susceptible to predators who made them feel beautiful for the first time. 

Today, as the founder of selfE box and its nonprofit sister program, Glam4Grades, Kelly is on a mission to ensure that no more girls feel too awkward to achieve, and to protect the lives of young futures that have yet to be written. 

Kelly is a Leadership instructor at her alma mater Spelman College and holds a Master’s in Public Communication from American University. A noted essayist and public speaker, she is a passionate advocate for the advancement of women and girls. 

Kelly believes that education is the great equalizer and a strong sense of self-worth, beauty and dignity is an appreciable motivator. 

By bringing those ideals together, Kelly hopes to inspire all girls to believe that Brilliance Is Beautiful!  

Connect and learn more about SelfE Box + Kelly Smith Beaty: www.selfEbox.com

Instagram: @SelfE_Box | @girl_power_kelly | Facebook: @SelfEBox

Today's episode is SPONSORED by Mateo Records. Be sure to purchase Joshua Mateo's new single, "Let's Dance Together" on iTunes HERE and look for his soon to be released album, "In Session" on November 26th.

Thank you for listening! 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].

Anthea Kelsick is the Co-CEO at B Lab U.S. & Canada, the regional partner of the Global B Lab network responsible for stewarding over 3300 companies around the world who meet the rigorous standards of the B Corp certification. She is a champion of business as a force for good, connecting businesses of all sizes to the tools and resources they need to operate in the interest of all of their stakeholders, and not just shareholders. She joined B Lab in 2018 as Global Chief Marketing Officer and led the organization's first campaign garnering international attention that called for the Business Roundtable to take action and live up to their Purpose of the Corporation statement of serving people alongside profits. Prior to B Lab, Anthea spent a 18 year career in both management consulting and heads of strategy roles in Marketing & Advertising leading engagements for some of the world's largest companies. She is a proud alumna of Stanford University with an MBA from Wharton. And she currently resides just outside of NYC with her husband and two children. 

Connect with Anthea HERE.

Learn more about B Corporations HERE. 

Today's episode is SPONSORED by Mateo Records. Be sure to purchase Joshua Mateo's new single, "Let's Dance Together" on iTunes HERE and look for his soon to be released album, "In Session" on November 26th.

Thank you for listening! 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].