Sundays With Verna

In this illuminating episode of Sundays with Vernā, Dr. Dan Young joins the conversation to draw a line most of us never think to draw: the difference between transition and transformation. Transition, he explains, is taking the skills you already have to a new job, a new company, a new address. Transformation is becoming someone you were not before. One is a change of scenery. The other requires you to risk who you are.

Entrepreneur, educator, and founder of TEDx Wilmington and the Ladybug Festival, Dan has spent his life building things that did not exist before he built them. But in this conversation, he traces the inner logic beneath all of it, from a career pivot made on the strength of a single talk to a redefinition of wealth that has nothing to do with money.

Vernā and Dan explore the questions that sit underneath ambition itself: What does it mean to inherit a legacy and feel you can never live up to it? What becomes possible when you stop measuring success by what you accumulate and start measuring it by what you contribute? And what is the real risk, the one we rarely name, of staying somewhere that no longer fits?

They talk about roots and why Dan never left the city that raised him. They talk about amplifying voices that have gone unheard, and why that work matters more now, not less. They talk about what young people actually need from the adults around them, and the misconception about entrepreneurship that keeps good ideas from ever leaving the room.

Through Dan's story, the conversation becomes a meditation on purpose, calling, and what he calls delusional optimism. His life reveals that the most meaningful work is rarely the safest, and that nothing you build alone ever truly gets built.

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For more information on Vernā, visit her website: www.vernamyers.com

To learn about Ladybug Festival: https://www.theladybugfestival.com/

In this thought-provoking episode of Sundays with Vernā, Jane Marie Chen joins the conversation to explore a question that haunts so many of us: What remains when everything you've built falls away? Author of the bestselling memoir Like a Wave We Break, Chen traces her extraordinary journey from social entrepreneur to someone forced to reckon with the cost of that climb, and ultimately, to discover who she is when all is lost.

With an infant warmer that has saved over one million premature babies, backing from Beyoncé, and recognition from the World Economic Forum, Jane's accomplishments are undeniable. But in this intimate conversation, she ventures deeper into the trauma that fueled her relentless drive, the generational patterns she inherited, and the unexpected freedom that comes when you stop running from yourself.

Vernā and Jane explore the questions high-achievers are afraid to ask: What happens to your identity when everything collapses? What does it really take to break generational patterns? And what does success look like when you finally stop measuring it in impact, accolades, or outcomes?

Through Jane's deeply personal narrative, the conversation becomes a meditation on worth, authenticity, and what we truly owe ourselves. Her story reveals that the real work isn't always visible on a résumé. It's the brave, unglamorous work of coming home to yourself.

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For more information on Vernā, visit her website: www.vernamyers.com

To learn about Jane and Like a Wave We Break: https://www.janemariechen.com/

In this timely episode of Sundays with Vernā, Jason G. Green joins the conversation to explore how one family's story can deepen our understanding of the American story. Inspired by his memoir, Too Precious to Lose, Green traces his family's roots through generations of Black life in rural Maryland, revealing a legacy of resilience, faith, and community that offers a richer understanding of our nation's history.

In the wake of America's 250th anniversary, Vernā and Jason reflect on what it means to move beyond commemoration and into deeper understanding. Together, they examine how the stories we preserve (and those we overlook) shape our national identity, our understanding of freedom, and our vision for the future.

Their conversation explores the enduring influence of family, the power of memory, and the essential role Black Americans have played in shaping the nation's past and present. Through Green's deeply personal narrative, history becomes more than a collection of dates and events; it becomes a living inheritance that challenges us to expand our understanding of who "we" are.

With warmth, honesty, and insight, this episode invites listeners to see America's history not as a finished narrative, but as a tapestry woven from countless individual lives and experiences. As we reflect on the nation's 250-year journey, Jason's story reminds us that honoring our history requires a willingness to embrace its full complexity, and that a stronger future begins with a more complete understanding of our shared past.

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For more information on Vernā, visit her website: www.vernamyers.com

To learn about Jason and Too Precious to Lose: www.jasongerardgreen.com

In part two of Vernā's conversation with Kevin Shird, the discussion turns to life after incarceration and the often-overlooked challenges of rebuilding a life once a prison sentence has ended.

Drawing from personal experience and years of advocacy, Kevin shares what he has learned about post-incarceration syndrome, the psychological and emotional impact of long-term incarceration, and the barriers many people face as they attempt to reintegrate into their families, workplaces, and communities.

Together, Vernā and Kevin explore the stigma that continues to follow people long after they have served their time, examining how labels, assumptions, and systemic obstacles can limit opportunities for healing and growth. Their conversation highlights the importance of dignity, belonging, and support in helping people successfully navigate reentry.

Kevin also reflects on his work as an author, discussing the inspiration behind his books and how storytelling has become a powerful tool for education, advocacy, and transformation.

With candor and compassion Kevin offers a compelling vision of what becomes possible when we move beyond punishment and invest in healing, restoration, and second chances.

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For more information on Vernā, visit her website: www.vernamyers.com

For more information on Kevin Shird and A Life For A Life Foundation, visit: https://alifeforalifefoundation.org/

To Learn About Kevin's Book, A Life For A Life: Poor Choices and Unresolved Trauma Is Killing America: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216809326-a-life-for-a-life

In this special in-studio episode of Sundays with Vernā, Vernā sits down with author, educator, and social justice advocate Kevin Shird for a deeply personal conversation about trauma, choice, incarceration, and transformation.

Kevin shares his journey from growing up in poverty in Baltimore to becoming involved in the underground drug economy at a young age, a path that ultimately led to more than a decade in federal prison. With honesty and remarkable clarity, he reflects on the series of choices, circumstances, and unresolved trauma that shaped his early life and the lessons that emerged from living through its consequences.

Together, Vernā and Kevin explore the language we use around incarceration, the realities of prison life, and what it means to hold space for both accountability and humanity. Their conversation moves beyond labels and stereotypes to examine how identity is formed, challenged, and rebuilt.

Kevin also opens up about the practices that helped him survive incarceration: education, fitness, mentorship, and a commitment to reimagining who he could become. Along the way, he offers powerful insights about transferable skills, community, and the psychological shift required to believe in a different future.

With vulnerability, wisdom, and hard-earned perspective, this first part of their conversation challenges us to think differently about trauma, redemption, and what becomes possible when people are given the opportunity and support to transform.

This is part one of a two-part conversation.

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For more information on Vernā, visit her website: www.vernamyers.com

For more information on Kevin Shird and A Life For A Life Foundation, visit: https://alifeforalifefoundation.org/

To Learn About Kevin's Book, A Life For A Life: Poor Choices and Unresolved Trauma Is Killing America: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216809326-a-life-for-a-life

In this special mailbag episode of Sundays with Vernā, Vernā sits down with questions straight from her listeners, opening up a warm, honest conversation about transitions and transformations, the changes we plan for and the ones that catch us off guard.

How to you not lose yourself during transition? What are the right conditions for transformation to happen? From career pivots and relationship changes to those quieter inner evolutions, she reflects on how we can meet uncertainty with a little more curiosity and a lot more self-compassion.

Whether you're in the middle of a big life change or simply sensing that something new is unfolding, Vernā invites you to embrace the process and stay open to what's possible.

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For more information on Vernā visit her website: www.vernamyers.com

In this thought-provoking episode of Sundays with Vernā, Susanne Goldstein joins the conversation to examine what shifts when women lead from a place of alignment, integrity, and true power.

Rooted in her work and the foundation of Lead Like a Woman, Goldstein introduces a new way of approaching leadership that moves beyond burnout, constant striving, and outdated frameworks that were never built to support women.

Vernā and Susanne explore the inner transformation that makes this shift possible, from reconnecting with feminine wisdom and intuition to challenging the learned behaviors that often shape how women navigate leadership spaces.

Their conversation invites a different understanding of leadership, one grounded not in pressure or performance, but in presence, self-trust, and embodied confidence. It's a shift that has the potential to influence not just individual leaders, but the cultures and systems they're a part of. With depth, clarity, and compassion, this episode offers a reimagined vision of leadership, one where women are no longer conforming, but creating new possibilities.

Vernā encourages us to imagine a future where feminine leadership is not marginalized, but recognized as essential to meaningful and lasting change.

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For more information on Vernā, visit her website: www.vernamyers.com

To learn about Susanne and Lead Like A Woman: www.susannegoldstein.com

Can DEI withstand the attack it's under? Imagine a future where inclusion not only survives but thrives, overcoming every obstacle and restoring balance to our workplaces.

Vernā is joined for a very special episode by NY congressional candidate James Felton Keith (JFK), CEO of Inclusion Score. In this prerecorded conversation, they dive into why DEI is not going anywhere.

We explore the financial and legal risks companies face when they fail to prioritize inclusion, from rising insurance premiums to Title VII compliance pitfalls. Hear why avoiding DEI could cost more than you think, both ethically and economically.

To JFK, inclusion is integral to the broader mission of promoting a human-centric economy and ideology.

JFK unveiled groundbreaking ideas for a reimagined economy, one where individuals are truly valued for their labor and the data used to market goods to them.

He highlights the systemic imbalance in value distribution, emphasizing how workers, particularly from diverse communities, are often denied fair compensation for their contributions.

Vernā and JFK's hopeful and pioneering ideas bring a fresh perspective that will inspire you!

This episode provides a roadmap for a better world, outlining the action steps to achieve it and explaining why DEI will stand the test of time.

Join us for this compelling discussion and subscribe to ensure you never miss an opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

Visit Vernā Myers' Website here: Vernā Myers' Website

To learn more about James Felton Keith: James Felton Keith For Congress

Think about the three people closest to you in your professional orbit....

If you were truly honest with yourself, how much do you really trust them?

Trust is in short supply, and workplace silence is on the rise... a challenge that poses significant risks for organizations at a time when we need it the most.

Vernā sits down with workplace culture luminary, Minda Harts, to explore the transformative power of trust and compassion in the workplace.

Work culture is evolving rapidly, and these two experts reveal how trust drives innovation, strengthens teamwork, and maximizes profit in this dynamic shift.

Minda's groundbreaking "Seven Trust Languages" framework, featured in her latest book Talk to Me Nice, stands out in the discussion, offering clear and actionable steps to foster trust in today's complex social landscape.

Together, they share valuable insights and heartfelt humor as they explore the universal need for human connection and collaboration. This episode is not to be missed!

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For more information on Vernā, visit her website: www.vernamyers.com

For more information on Minda Harts and to purchase her new book, Talk to Me Nice, visit: www.mindaharts.com

What does it mean to truly belong, to feel seen, and to build a community where every thread of identity is honored? As a society, we often pride ourselves on progress, yet the persistent barriers to truly inclusive spaces reveal that we may be further behind in embracing equity and belonging than we'd like to admit.

Join Vernā Myers for an extraordinary conversation with Prasanna (Pras) Ranganathan, a South Asian, queer, disabled consultant, filmmaker, ex-lawyer, and tireless advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Pras has spent his 18-year career in tech, law, entertainment, and human rights dismantling barriers and fostering genuine inclusion. He challenges us to reflect on the distinctions between disability, accessibility, and inclusion while shedding light on the problematic ways society often conceptualizes disability.

With his remarkable gift for communication and teaching, Pras eloquently unpacks what many of us misunderstand about disability, allyship, and how to cultivate inclusivity in today's social climate.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone striving to co-create a future where every individual is celebrated for their uniqueness, and collective collaboration drives the betterment of all.

Listen now, and join us in creating a world where everyone belongs.

Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode to keep the conversation going!

Visit Vernā's Website for more information, bookings, and online inclusion training courses: www.vernamyers.com

Visit Prasanna's Website here to learn more about him, his work, and how to collaborate with him:

www.prasannaranganathan.com