Respect Circles - The Podcast

In a recent episode, we spent time exploring what it means to live a quality life and how our choices, sacrifices, and perspective influence our own meaning of life. Today we'd like to go deeper with this conversation and look at what it means to live wholeheartedly, and share some steps we can take to move towards being more courageous in this pursuit.

During this conversation, we often refer to the amazing teachings and philosophies of Brené Brown, including her "guideposts." We both love Brené's work and have spoken about it in past episodes of Respect Circles, and we encourage you to refer to Brené's work and the resources listed below so that you can take just one step to show up in a more authentic way. See what happens as you challenge yourself to lean into love and to be more courageous, and let us know how it impacts your life, and the life of your loved ones as well!

As always, we love to hear your feedback. If you have a question or topic that you'd like us to discuss in a future episode, please go to https://www.respectcircles.com/voicemail/ to leave us a message.

You can also reach us by email, [email protected], on social media at https://www.facebook.com/respectcircles and https://www.instagram.com/respectcircles/, or by visiting our website at www.respectcircles.com too. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks so much for listening. We'd love to have you subscribe to the podcast, leave us a rating and review, and share with your friends!

In this episode you'll hear:

• What one of our favorite authors, Brené Brown, says about living wholeheartedly [1:31]
• AJ's constant pursuit of living this way, and the acronym he attempts to live by [3:31]
• What vulnerability and courage look like to us, and why people are so often hesitant to show up, especially on social media [6:51]
• Stories that we have told ourselves from an early age that still resonate with us years later [11:18]
• Why shame is such a powerful emotion, plus a quote that has helped lift the shame for Stephanie [14:10]
• A conscious decision that AJ had to make to stop playing small [18:48]
• What Stephanie noticed early on about how other women leaders were showing up in the workplace [19:13]
• Why perfectionism really equals fear [22:33]
• Tips for cultivating a resilient spirit [28:00]
• How Brené Brown's TED Talk literally changed AJ's life [35:03]
• Why you need to start getting selfish and strategic about the people you surround yourself with [37:03]
• The reasons we are both such big fans of Brené Brown, and our biggest takeaways from her work [38:18]
• Actions steps you can take this week to step into living more courageously [43:29]

Links & Resources:

Brené Brown's Website, Books & Podcast

Brené Brown: The Call to Courage on Netflix

HBO Max Presents Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart

Watch Her 2010 Ted Talk, The Power of Vulnerability

30: Perspective: What Does Quality of Life Really Mean?

Earlier this March the U.S. House of Representatives passed The CROWN Act, which bans any form of discrimination based on hairstyle or texture. We also recently witnessed one of the most qualified Supreme Court candidates, Ketanji Brown Jackson, complete her senate confirmation hearing. Though we heard a lot about her qualifications and her appointment was well-deserved, there was just as much chatter about her "sister locks." This has been an ongoing issue for decades, if not centuries, and we just knew that we had to dive deeper into the topic of Black women in America, and the role that hair has played in their journey.

If you think this is just about hair though, stay tuned, because we have two very special guests joining us to share their experiences, not only in corporate America, but in academia and in society as a whole.

Joy Morton is the Assistant Deputy Insurance Commissioner with The Virginia State Corporation Commission, and Ayo Morton is a preacher, poet, doctoral candidate, and adjunct professor at The University of Memphis. Both happen to be AJ's relatives, his sister and his niece respectively, and they offer a wealth of insight into this topic.

It was so much fun to have Joy and Ayo as our guests on the podcast. As always, we learned and gained a broader perspective and we'll continue to have these conversations so that we can educate ourselves and raise awareness. That's what Respect Circles is all about.

As always, we love to hear your feedback. If you have a question or topic that you'd like us to discuss in a future episode, please go to https://www.respectcircles.com/voicemail/ to leave us a message.

You can also reach us by email, [email protected], on social media at https://www.facebook.com/respectcircles and https://www.instagram.com/respectcircles/, or by visiting our website at www.respectcircles.com too. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks so much for listening. We'd love to have you subscribe to the podcast, leave us a rating and review, and share with your friends!

In this episode you'll hear:

• A look back at the history of the Black hair care industry [4:09]
• AJ's experience growing up around this topic [5:06]
• Why hair is such a significant conversation in the Black community, especially amongst the women [8:03]
• Hair as a way for Black women to reclaim their agency [11:38]
• How Both Joy and Ayo were introduced to the importance of hair, and the role it has played in both of their lives [13:00]
• What their initial thoughts on The CROWN Act were, and whether they think this law will make a difference [21:18]
• A fascinating study that shows the majority of people, regardless of race or gender, hold some biases around hair [27:49]
• The pressures faced by Black women in relation to their hair, particularly from others in the Black community [32:10]
• The differences that Joy is seeing with hair in Corporate America [36:38]
• What magic can happen when someone is comfortable with who he or she is [41:11]
• What both Joy and Ayo's preferred hair style of texture would be if no social pressures existed [43:06]
• Ways to become an ally and to show up and support others [48:20]
• Their advice to parents of young people on navigating this important issue [51:33]

Links & Resources:

India.Arie ft. Akon - I Am Not My Hair (Official Video)

Chris Rock's Documentary, Good Hair

Madame C.J. Walker

28: Microaggressions: What They Are and Why They Are So Damaging

14: Spotlight On Generosity: How Greta Randolph's Outreach is Impacting Lives

12: The Cost of Code-Switching 2: Have We Lost Our Humanity? with Rev. Dr. Lisa Johnson

The Characteristics of Negro Expression by Zora Neale Hurston

http://americainclass.org/seminars11-12/artnewnegro/NegroExpression.pdf

The "Good Hair" Study by Perception Institute:

https://perception.org/goodhair/

Take the Perception Institute's Hair Bias test here.

Duke University Study, Black women with natural hairstyles are less likely to get job interviews: https://socialequity.duke.edu/news/black-women-with-natural-hairstyles-are-less-likely-to-get-job-interviews/

The Chastity Jones Case

The Jenesis Jones Case

A wrestler was forced to cut his dreadlocks before a match. His town is still looking for answers (Andrew Johnson): https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/04/17/wrestler-was-forced-cut-his-dreadlocks-before-match-his-town-is-still-looking-answers/

2019 Joy Collective Study

Six Things Everyone Should Know About Black Hair History

https://odelebeauty.com/blogs/the-rinse/black-hair-history-facts

What is the meaning of life? We have all heard this unanswerable question, but we often don't take the time to reflect on what a good quality of life really is. In today's episode, we thought we'd venture into a conversation on life and help give some perspective on this question that is so very important to everyone, particularly at this point of time.

We want to share how we view quality of life, and to let you know how you absolutely are in control of how you look at life and the choices you make. The perspective that you choose to hold will help determine your quality of life and the life you want, and we hope this conversation helps you in some way.

As always, we love to hear your feedback. If you have a question or topic that you'd like us to discuss in a future episode, please go to https://www.respectcircles.com/voicemail/ to leave us a message.

You can also reach us by email, [email protected], on social media at https://www.facebook.com/respectcircles and https://www.instagram.com/respectcircles/, or by visiting our website at www.respectcircles.com too. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks so much for listening. We'd love to have you subscribe to the podcast, leave us a rating and review, and share with your friends!

In this episode you'll hear:

• How the World Health Organization defines "Quality of LIfe" [1:31]
• What the meaning of life is all about for AJ [7:31]
• How life really is a series of choices [11:18]
• A look at choices, rewards, and consequences [15:37]
• The magic that gaining perspective will bring to your quality of life [17:44]
• How forgiving others will improve your well-being, and allow you to move on [23:44]
• Best Practices for developing a positive mindset, and as a result, a better quality of life [26:19]

Links & Resources:

Quality of Life Study by US News & World Report

Oprah's Super Soul Conversation podcast with Frank Bruni:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/super-soul/id1264843400?i=1000554938812

Frank Bruni's book, The Beauty of Dusk.

Current statistics show that there are approximately 330 million people living in the United States, and according to our national ethos, we each live by the ideals that our freedom as American citizens includes the opportunity for prosperity and success. As well, it includes an upward social mobility for our family and our children achieved through hard work in a society with few barriers. However, what if all of this is out of reach for a large part of our population? In this episode, we want to explore the concept of The American Dream, and talk about if it is truly something that is offered to all of our citizens.

How could you be getting a little more involved in helping people? Today we'll be providing examples of what we could, and should, be doing to help as many of those around us in need achieve The American Dream as possible. Start with one small step, and see the magic that happens for those who need a lift and a little bit of help, because it could be any of us, at any time, in that same situation.

As always, we love to hear your feedback. If you have a question or topic that you'd like us to discuss in a future episode, please go to https://www.respectcircles.com/voicemail/ to leave us a message.

You can also reach us by email, [email protected], on social media at https://www.facebook.com/respectcircles and https://www.instagram.com/respectcircles/, or by visiting our website at www.respectcircles.com too. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks so much for listening. We'd love to have you subscribe to the podcast, leave us a rating and review, and share with your friends!

In this episode you'll hear:

• Where the term "The American Dream" came from originally [1:46]
• What the restaurant industry is doing to help its workers get closer to realizing this dream [6:41]
• How the poverty measure for the United States is calculated, and what's been happening to average salaries in this country [9:00]
• What living in poverty really means [10:16]
• Important things that have been overlooked about poverty for too long [11:49]
• Why the topic of poverty can be so controversial [13:28]
• The impact that Stephanie has seen from pandemic stimulus given to Americans the last few years [15:02]
• What changes need to be done at the political, and business level, to lift Amercians out of poverty [15:36]
• Actions steps that each of us can take as individuals to help those in need [22:43]

Links & Resources:

Current Population Survey (CPS)

An Experiment to Inform Universal Basic Income (McKinsey & Company Study)

One of the many things we love about doing this podcast is that there is always more to learn and explore. Our mission is to share thought-provoking topics that help us all be better humans. One conversation at a time.

Join us this week as we start a dialogue about microaggressions - words and actions directed at members of a marginalized group that are often offensive or unconsciously reinforce a stereotype. We'll share examples and talk about ways to respond to these types of aggressions.

As always, we love to hear your feedback. If you have a question or topic that you'd like us to discuss in a future episode, please go to https://www.respectcircles.com/voicemail/ to leave us a message.

You can also reach us by email, [email protected], on social media at https://www.facebook.com/respectcircles and https://www.instagram.com/respectcircles/, or by visiting our website at www.respectcircles.com too. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks so much for listening. We'd love to have you subscribe to the podcast, leave us a rating and review, and share with your friends!

In this episode you'll hear:

• How a "microaggression" is defined [2:54]
• What is a "macroaggression" and one recent example of it [4:10]
• Both of our experiences with both micro and macroaggressions [4:43]
• What the appropriate response to others after getting stung by a microaggression should look like [11:30]
• Examples of different types of microaggressions in action [14:52] How when it comes to microaggressions we all have a responsibility to do better [23:00]
• Tips for minimizing the possibility of offending others [28:09]

While many of you have heard of Title IX, most people haven't paid close attention to what it is and who is protected underneath it. In this episode, we're looking at interpretations of this comprehensive law that removed many of the barriers that once prevented people, on the basis of sex, from participating in educational opportunities and the careers of their choice.

During the past two administrations, the responsibility for applying this law shifted from the federal level to the states, especially as it relates to gender identity for transgender athletes.

There is much to learn about this evolving topic, and we want to look at it from multiple perspectives. How can we all learn, and have empathy for all involved? While we definitely don't have all the answers, we hope to shine a light on it today and to encourage respectful conversation and debate around it.

As always, we love to hear your feedback. If you have a question or topic that you'd like us to discuss in a future episode, please go to https://www.respectcircles.com/voicemail/ to leave us a message.

You can also reach us by email, [email protected], on social media at https://www.facebook.com/respectcircles and https://www.instagram.com/respectcircles/, or by visiting our website at www.respectcircles.com too. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks so much for listening. We'd love to have you subscribe to the podcast, leave us a rating and review, and share with your friends!

In this episode you'll hear:

• What Title IX is, what it meant in 1972, and what is means now [1:18]
• Who Lia Thomas is, and how AJ's view of her story has evolved [3:26]
• A look at the debate of who is allowed to compete in women's sports [6:48]
• The role that a lack of data in comparing performances in transgender and cisgender people is having in this discussion [8:57]
• Both sides of the debate around allowing people to compete or not to compete [11:27]
• What's really needed right now that would make this issues surrounding Title IX clearer [16:08]
• Whether or not we think this is just the beginning of human advancement [18:36]
• What happens when a level of religious beliefs and values are added to the discussion [21:12]
• The different levels of barriers that exist for trans athletes in 2022 [22:43]

Today on the podcast we thought we'd have a candid conversation about where we find ourselves, both mentally and emotionally, after two+ years of a pandemic, political and social unrest in our country, and watching the horrific events unfold in Ukraine.

We felt it might be therapeutic for listeners (and for us!) if we had a conversation about how we're doing right now, and to share some ways that we minimize and manage the impact of the pressures we've all been facing.

There may be a lot happening in the world right now that we can't control, so listen in as we talk about ways to focus on the things we can do something about. We acknowledge that we're all going to have challenges, but the more we get out and start living our lives, the more alive we are going to feel.

As always, we love to hear your feedback. If you have a question or topic that you'd like us to discuss in a future episode, please go to https://www.respectcircles.com/voicemail/ to leave us a message.

You can also reach us by email, [email protected] , on social media at https://www.facebook.com/respectcircles and https://www.instagram.com/respectcircles/, or by visiting our website at www.respectcircles.com too. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks so much for listening. We'd love to have you subscribe to the podcast, leave us a rating and review, and share with your friends!

In this episode you'll hear:

• How we each feel about things opening up post-pandemic, and what we're looking forward to the most [6:07]
• The ways that we managed our worries throughout the pandemic [12:40]
• What is the one thing that we can take control of, regardless of what is happening around us or globally [13:31]
• Why finding and focusing on the positives of each day is such a powerful practice [15:12]
• What we're doing to manage the information overload and stresses on our schedules [19:48]
• Our thoughts and feelings about the current conflict in Ukraine [27:12]
• Why a return to decency is needed from everyone at this point in time [33:05]

On today's show, we welcome a special guest who helps us explore an area which we can all be more knowledgeable about. Listen in as we have a great dialogue about the Jewish experience, the rise in anti-Semitism around the world, and what is happening today.

Tanya Schecter is a highly experienced leadership coach and consultant who focuses on relationship-based leadership and the author of Lead from Your Heart: The Art of Relationship-based Leadership among other writings. She's been doing this work for over two decades and believes that all relationships are important, starting with the one we hold with ourselves. One of the areas that she is passionate about is exploring differences and fostering conversations to facilitate growth.

This was a fascinating conversation that will help us all play a more supportive role when confronted with anti-Semitism and the rise in violence against Jewish people. We hope that it will help you, too, in learning and becoming more aware.

As always, we love to hear your feedback. If you have a question or topic that you'd like us to discuss in a future episode, please go to https://www.respectcircles.com/voicemail/ to leave us a message.

You can also reach us by email, [email protected], on social media at https://www.facebook.com/respectcircles and https://www.instagram.com/respectcircles/, or by visiting our website at www.respectcircles.com too. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks so much for listening. We'd love to have you subscribe to the podcast, leave us a rating and review, and share with your friends!

In this episode you'll hear:

• Tanya's background and what led her to offer leadership coaching [4:14]
• What her own experience looks like being Jewish, and what she feels is causing the rise of anti-Semitism that exists today [7:57]
• A look at Judaism and the stigmatization of the jobs that Jewish people were forced into [16:41]
• What the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement is about and what the real impact of it is [21:41]
• How you can fight anti-Semitism and create more tolerace and inclusion [25:55]
• The benefit of studying and understanding the history of anti-Semitism [28:08]
• Tanya's thoughts on the recent incident involving Whoopi Goldberg and the comments she made [34:19]

Links & Resources: https://htiinstitute.com/

Contact Tanya by Phone: (778) 859-0703 or Email: [email protected]

Get Tanya's Book: Lead From Your Heart: The Art of Relationship Based Leadership ​​

CNN poll reveals anti-Semitism is alive and well in Europe: https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2018/11/26/cnn-poll-anti-semitism-in-europe-lon-orig.cnn

List of Attacks on Jewish Institutions in the U.S.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_attacks_on_Jewish_institutions_in_the_United_States

Whoopi Goldberg Clarifies Comments About the Holocaust on The Late Show (Vanity Fair Article and Video Clip): https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/02/whoopi-goldberg-clarifies-comments-about-the-holocaust-on-the-late-show

https://aninjusticemag.com/dear-american-progressives-your-jewish-friends-are-terrified-b24068fcf488

If you've turned on a television or looked at social media over the past decade, it's hard to miss the discourse that's taking place in our country. We as Americans pride ourselves in our rights in free speech, as spelled out in the First Amendment to the U.S, Constitution. However, lately there seems to be a lot of discussion around what should and shouldn't fall under our rights to protected speech, which is why we wanted to dedicate an episode to this topic.

In this episode, we look at how far we've gone to protect ourselves from offensive remarks, and look at whether it is time to take a stand against what many consider hateful, and even harmful, rhetoric. Is there a balance that can be achieved here, and is there a line that should not be stepped over?

We don't have all the answers, but, as always, hope to provoke and expand your thinking. It's a timely conversation, particularly keeping in mind the college and university students of today will become our decision makers and leaders of tomorrow.

As always, we love to hear your feedback. If you have a question or topic that you'd like us to discuss in a future episode, please go to https://www.respectcircles.com/voicemail/ to leave us a message. You can also reach us by email, [email protected], on social media at https://www.facebook.com/respectcircles and https://www.instagram.com/respectcircles/, or by visiting our website at www.respectcircles.com too. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks so much for listening. We'd love to have you subscribe to the podcast, leave us a rating and review, and share with your friends!

In this episode you'll hear:

• A discussion of free speech and the dangers of creating "safe spaces" [4:54]
• A look at the different parts of the first amendment, and why they need to be understood [8:47]
• Our thoughts on the need for respectful discourse and debates at this time [11:33]
• The freedom of information that exists today, and who is controlling the narrative [14:59]
• What role healthy dialogue with our neighbors will play as we navigate the subject of free speech [17:13]
• How right now we are all living in a world of receiving information via media sound bites [19:10]
• The hypocrisy of cancel culture and first amendment offences [21:44]
• The ways that oppression still exists, and the systemic components that will reinforce those oppressions even further [28:10]
• What is our responsibility as society and individuals, and how you get involved in this discussion and issue [33:19]

Links & Resources:

22: Choosing Courage Over Comfort: Time to Speak Up

Mike Rowe's Podcast, The Way I Heard It: https://mikerowe.com/podcast/

No Safe Spaces (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGasBP2TxJeWBG5ZcyDyHWw

Throughout the month of February we are honoring Black History Month on Respect Circles, with featured episodes focused on the contributions made by Black Americans in our country. Today we're excited to share information and insights about Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the important role that they continue to play in our society.

Many of today's and yesterday's notable figures have walked the campuses of HBCUs, including our very special guests, whom AJ is proud to call his friends.

Dr. Richard Mason, who also goes by Rick, is a Professor and Department Chair of Conselling at Hampton University, based in Hampton, Virginia, and Miss Alice Coleman is Magnet Resource Coordinator at Engineering & Science University Magnet School (ESUMS) located in West Haven, Connecticut.

This was an engaging conversation on the importance of HBCUs and the impact that they have played in the lives of Black Americans, and the country as a whole. We hope you will find our guests' personal experiences and the insights they've gained from HBCUs as informative and inspiring as we did.

As always, we love to hear your feedback. If you have a question or topic that you'd like us to discuss in a future episode, please go to https://www.respectcircles.com/voicemail/ to leave us a message.

You can also reach us by email, [email protected], on social media at https://www.facebook.com/respectcircles and https://www.instagram.com/respectcircles/, or by visiting our website at www.respectcircles.com too. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks so much for listening. We'd love to have you subscribe to the podcast, leave us a rating and review, and share with your friends!

In this episode you'll hear:

• What HBCUs are and the importance they have had in the past, and the future, of Black Americans [1:51]
• How both Rick and Alice were introduced to HBCUs while growing up [3:42]
• The way that HBCUs were historically formed in this country, and why they exist today [5:27]
• The reasons that it is so important to expose our children to HBCUs and what they stand for [8:52]
• What role HBCUs play in relieving the bias pressure for their students [11:05]
• A few common misconceptions about HBCUs [19:05]
• The life-changing experiences and values Alice and Rick carried forward by attending HBCUs [20:13]
• AJ, Alice and Rick's take on the powerful bonds and sense of community and family formed at HBCUs [26:55]
• What needs to be done differently in order to keep HBCUs viable in the future for years to come [29:28]
• A look at HBCU Homecoming, what it stands for and what makes it so special [34:33]
• What corporations need to do to support HBCUs and the future leaders [38:25]

Links & Resources:

Alice's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-s-coleman-mba-48500a227/

Email Rick: [email protected]

https://www.respectcircles.com/22-choosing-courage-over-comfort-time-to-speak-up/

CT HBCU Alumni Network: https://www.cthbcu.com/

Hampton University: https://www.hamptonu.edu/