As the opening of my podcast informs you, I do not live in Minneapolis, but across the country in Sonoma County, CA.

I've been thinking a lot about voices lately. Not the loud ones. Not the ones on cable news.

The steady ones. The voice that explains something complicated and suddenly you can breathe again. The voice on stage that reminds you who you are. The voice that says, "You're not alone."

For almost forty years, Teri Parker Brown has been that voice in Minneapolis.

She's stood on the stages of Chanhassen, The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, and History Theatre in Saint Paul. She's narrated for Blue Cross,American Express, 3M and many other name brands. She's guided people through healthcare modules, commercials, and stories.

Her voice is described as warm. Smart. Inviting. Like a best friend.

And yet… she lives in Minneapolis; a place that has known beauty — and tension. Community — and conflict. Immigration enforcement activity has increased and as a result, protests fill the streets.

But today isn't about headlines. It's about what it feels like to love a place —and stay with it when things feel complicated. With deep respect, I'll be speaking with Teri about her career and what happens when the place that shaped your voice becomes unsettled and uncertain?

It's also my chance to meet a fellow Door Builder in the Building Doors VO campaign. Created by fellow voiceactor, Christy Harst, Building Doors advocates for equal opportunities in the voice-over industry, for both men and women, the campaign aims to foster industry-wide equity.

Following is list of organizations who are doing grassroots work to help the residents of Minnesota that are in need of legal aid and other assistance:

Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota: https://www.ilcm.org/

LaVina church https://iglesiavina.org/

Legal Aid Minnesota https://mylegalaid.org/

Second Harvest Heartland: https://secure.2harvest.org/

Stand with Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com/

The Open Door Pantry: https://theopendoorpantry.org/

Book that Teri referenced during our interview: The Neutrality Trap by Jaqueline Font-Guzman

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Theme Song Credit: 'Together' by For King & Country

Outro song excerpt: 'Let's Go Crazy' by Prince and the Revolution © 1984 All Rights Reserved

Proverbs 23:18

"Surely there is a future, and your Hope will not be cut off."