The Balanced Voice with Rania Mankarious

Rania and Jenn recap this season’s impactful guests and powerful conversations surrounding awareness, prevention, and the challenges affecting families and communities today.

🔗 YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube-TheBalancedVoice

🔗 Spotify: https://bit.ly/Spotify-TheBalancedVoice

#TheBalancedVoice #podcast

This week on The Balanced Voice Podcast, we sit down with Jordan James, also known as “Spooner, "former President of The Decoy Project, who is on the front lines of exposing online child predators.

Through powerful and controlled digital decoy operations, Jordan and his team pose as minors to identify predators, document their behavior, and help provide law enforcement with the evidence needed to take action.

This is a raw, eye-opening conversation that every parent, caregiver, and community member needs to hear. Awareness is key to protection.

Tune in and watch on:

🔗 YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube-TheBalancedVoice

🔗 Spotify: https://bit.ly/Spotify-TheBalancedVoice

Rania and Jenn sit down with @hcdao District Attorney Sean Teare to talk through common misconceptions, what the public should know about the role, and the changes he’s implemented since taking office, including updates to the intake process.

From how charging decisions are made in real time to clearing up misunderstandings about bail and the justice process, this episode breaks down how cases move forward and why it matters.

#Podcast #JusticeForAll #CriminalJustice #PublicSafety

🔗 YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube-TheBalancedVoice

🔗 Spotify: https://bit.ly/Spotify-TheBalancedVoice

What if the behaviors we try to “fix” are actually cries for connection?

Rania and Jenn are joined by Darius Payne, LMSW and TBRI Practitioner, to explore how trauma-informed care is transforming systems from juvenile justice to school by putting safety, regulation, and relationships first.

This episode will challenge how you see behavior… and what it really takes to create lasting change.

Don’t miss it.

Listen, watch and subscribe now!

🔗 YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube-TheBalancedVoice

🔗 Spotify: https://bit.ly/Spotify-TheBalancedVoice

Rania and Jenn sit down with Tracy Walder, former CIA officer, FBI Special Agent, author of 'The Unexpected Spy', and national security analyst.

She shares how her experience in national security shapes the way she views risk, preparedness, and the safety gaps many schools, camps, and communities still face today, including important lessons tied to the Camp Mystic tragedy.

Don't miss Tracy's insight into safety, national and local security and how to assess crisis situations and more!

Listen, watch and subscribe now!

🔗 YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube-TheBalancedVoice

🔗 Spotify: https://bit.ly/Spotify-TheBalancedVoice

🌐 Online safety is a conversation every family should be having.

Rania chats with Donna Rice Hughes, President and CEO of Enough Is Enough, about protecting children from online exploitation and the role families, communities, and tech companies play in creating safer digital spaces.

🎙️ Don’t miss this important conversation.

Listen, watch and subscribe now!

🔗 YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube-TheBalancedVoice

🔗 Spotify: https://bit.ly/Spotify-TheBalancedVoice

We’re joined by Johnathan Walton, author of "Anatomy of a Con Artist" and his story starts with something deeply personal… he was scammed himself.

After experiencing fraud firsthand, Johnathan turned pain into purpose. He has since investigated hundreds of con artists across multiple continents, uncovering the consistent behavioral patterns behind financial scams, romance fraud, and long-term confidence schemes.

In this powerful conversation, we explore:

🔎 How scammers strategically build trust

🧠 The psychology behind emotional manipulation

💔 How victims are isolated without realizing it

⚠️ The red flags most people miss

Listen, watch and subscribe now!

🔗 YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube-TheBalancedVoice

🔗 Spotify: https://bit.ly/Spotify-TheBalancedVoice

Rania & Jenn sit down with Dr. Crystal Collier therapist, educator, and nationally recognized prevention researcher, to unpack the teen brain, risky behavior, and how parents can move from fear to informed, brain-based action.

This episode is all about prevention over panic, connection over control, and turning neuroscience into practical tools families can actually use.

Join us for the season premiere!

🔗 YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube-TheBalancedVoice

🔗 Spotify: https://bit.ly/Spotify-TheBalancedVoice

This episode is one of reflection, remembrance, and responsibility.

We begin by honoring the life and legacy of Dave Ward, whose impact and contributions to Crime Stoppers of Houston helped shape the work we continue today.

From there, we take on the hard but necessary conversations of the moment:

• Lessons from Camp Mystic and the legislative changes needed before the upcoming season

• Why it’s critical to continue safeguards and support for neurodiverse teens

• Revisiting an important conversation with Constable Rosen and Dr. Karen Jaggers

• And reflecting on recent tragedies making headlines, including the shooting at Brown University in Australia and the loss of director Rob Reiner and his wife

This episode isn’t easy, but it’s important. It’s about honoring those we’ve lost, learning from what’s happened, and reinforcing why this work must continue.

🔗 YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube-TheBalancedVoice

🔗 Spotify: https://bit.ly/Spotify-TheBalancedVoice

Rania and Jenn are diving into all things Halloween safety, what parents should look for, how to keep kids safe, and the small details that make a big difference this spooky season.

They’re also tackling summer camp safety. Should camps reopen this summer? What new laws and safety concerns should parents know about before sending their kids off?

Plus, an important update on Robert Roberson’s stay of execution, his conviction for the tragic death of his daughter has long been questioned and his attorneys continue their fight for justice.

Tune in for an episode filled with awareness, insight and the conversations that matter.

🔗 YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube-TheBalancedVoice

🔗 Spotify: https://bit.ly/Spotify-TheBalancedVoice