THE STORY OF PRESS4TIMETEES — SHAWN A. BARKSDALE

The episode is here.

From the thought of what he wanted to do to looking at what he has actually done, Shawn A. Barksdale’s journey has become much bigger than a T-shirt company.

For nine years, Press4TimeTees has been built through hard work, setbacks, mistakes, perseverance, faith, and Shawn’s determination that where he started would never determine where he finished.

In this episode, Shawn tells the story from his perspective—the good, the bad, the struggles, the lessons, the community work, the advocacy, the returning citizens he has helped, and the doors his faith has opened along the way.

This is more than a story about building a business. It’s about building a life, finding purpose, and understanding that sometimes the difficult parts of the journey are the very things that prepare you for what comes next.

🎙️ The Story of Press4TimeTees with Shawn A. Barksdale is available NOW on the Ten Minutes of Truth Podcast.

🎧 This is an audio-only episode. Listen now on Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms.

It’s not how you start—it’s how you finish.

#Press4TimeTees #TenMinutesOfTruth #ShawnABarksdale #ItsNotHowYouStart #ItsHowYouFinish #FromNothingToSomething #Entrepreneurship #ReturningCitizens #CommunityAdvocacy

Today was a powerful moment for me.

I had the opportunity to sit down and have a real conversation with my daughter, Sierra Richardson Brown—and as her father, I walked away from that conversation humbled.

I’ve watched her grow. I’ve watched her become a wife, a mother, and a successful professional. But sitting across from her and simply listening allowed me to see something deeper:

I got to meet the woman my daughter has intentionally chosen to become.

Sierra talked about knowing where she stands—with God, her husband, her children, her family, and herself. And once those things are in their proper place, the outside noise doesn’t get to determine whether her life is successful.

One of the most powerful things she talked about was social media and comparison.

We live in a world where people show us the best two seconds of their day—the vacation, the promotion, the new house, the perfect marriage, the smiling children, the accomplishment.

But we don't see the other 23 hours, 59 minutes and 58 seconds.

And when you compare the reality of your entire life to somebody else's two-second highlight reel, you're measuring yourself against something that isn't real.

Sierra has reached a place where she understands that.

She doesn't need someone else's life to validate hers.

She has made a conscious decision to be purposeful and intentional about what actually matters: her relationship with God, the marriage she is building with her husband, the children she is raising, the family she loves, and the professional life she continues to build.

That doesn't mean life is perfect.

It means she's learned the difference between what looks important and what actually is important.

And maybe that's one of the greatest forms of success there is.

Not having everything.

Not impressing everybody.

Not keeping up with somebody else's highlight reel.

But being able to look at the life God has given you and say:

This is mine. These are my people. This is my purpose. And I'm going to be fully present for it.

As her father, hearing that meant more to me than any title she could ever hold or any professional accomplishment she could ever achieve.

There comes a point when you realize your children aren't children anymore. They're adults making their own decisions, building their own families, developing their own relationships with God, and deciding what kind of legacy they want to leave.

And sometimes, if you're fortunate, you get to sit across from them and listen.

Today, I listened.

And I couldn't have been prouder.

This wasn't just another episode of The Conversations That Change Lives.

For this father, it was a milestone.

And this one was monumental.

#SierraRichardsonBrown #ConversationsThatChangeLives #FatherAndDaughter #FaithFirst #FaithAndFamily #Marriage #Motherhood #FamilyFirst #IntentionalLiving #PurposeDriven #WomenInLeadership #WorkingMothers #ExecutiveLeadership #NoComparison #RealLifeNotHighlights #FamilyLegacy #Purpose #Legacy #RealConversations

Conversations That Change Lives Podcast
Episode: Leading the Next Generation (with Stephanie Stephens)

Some of the most powerful leaders in a community don’t always stand in the spotlight—they build it for others.

In this episode of Conversations That Change Lives, we sit down with Stephanie Stephens, founder of Essence of Movement Dance Studio, to explore what it really takes to shape confidence, discipline, and self-belief in the next generation.

What started with just a handful of students has grown into a program serving over 200 young dancers, but the real impact goes far beyond the stage. Stephanie shares how mentorship through the arts helps young people develop identity, resilience, and leadership skills that carry into adulthood.

We also dive into her journey as an entrepreneur, the challenges of building and sustaining a business, and how she balances her work in the community, the jail system, and her role as a mother—all while continuing to pour into the lives of young people.

This conversation goes deeper than dance.

It’s about leadership.
 It’s about discipline.
 It’s about building something that lasts.

🔑 In this episode, we discuss:

•  Growing a youth program from a few students to over 300 
•  The role of discipline and structure in building confidence 
•  Navigating diverse families, expectations, and backgrounds 
•  The realities of entrepreneurship and long-term commitment 
•  The lasting impact of mentorship on young people 

💡 Key takeaway:

When you invest in young people, you’re not just shaping who they are today—you’re influencing who they become tomorrow.

🎧 These are the conversations… that change lives.

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Jeannette Villines Bynum as she shares real-life wisdom shaped by years of lived experience, resilience, and reflection.

This isn’t theory… this is life.

From navigating challenges to finding strength in moments that could have broken her, Jeannette offers insight that speaks to anyone who has ever had to push through, hold on, and keep moving forward when life didn’t make sense.

You’ll hear truth, transparency, and perspective that only comes from someone who has walked through it… not around it.

If you’ve ever needed encouragement, clarity, or simply a reminder that your story still has purpose—this conversation is for you.

🎧 Listen now and take in the kind of wisdom you can’t Google… only live.

There is a quiet pressure that many men carry every single day—the pressure to appear strong.

Strong emotionally.
 Strong financially.
 Strong mentally.
 Strong no matter what.

And because of that pressure, many men learn to wear a mask…
 a mask that tells the world everything is under control—even when it isn’t.

In this episode, we break down the reality behind that mask and the cost of carrying everything in silence.

This conversation explores:

✔️ How early messages shape how men handle pressure
 ✔️ Why silence and isolation often replace honest conversation
 ✔️ The difference between real strength and the appearance of strength
 ✔️ Why emotional honesty is necessary for long-term stability

Because real strength is not pretending everything is fine.
 Real strength is facing reality honestly.

It’s the ability to acknowledge pressure…
 to seek guidance when needed…
 and to build trusted relationships where the mask can come off.

This episode challenges men to rethink what strength really means.

Because you were never meant to carry everything alone.

#ConversationsThatChangeLives #TenMinutesOfTruth #PodcastEpisode10 #MensMentalHealth #RealStrength #Accountability #MensGrowth #EmotionalHealth #Leadership #RealTalk

Elder Wayne Wiley – Unfiltered: The Journey From Crime to Ministry

📝 Episode Description:

In this powerful unfiltered conversation, Elder Wayne Wiley shares his real-life journey from a life shaped by poor decisions and crime… to a life now rooted in faith, purpose, and ministry.

This is not a polished story—it’s the truth.

Elder Wiley opens up about the mindset that led him down the wrong path, the consequences that followed, and the turning point that forced him to reevaluate everything. He speaks honestly about accountability, transformation, and what it really takes to change—not just outward behavior, but the heart and mind.

This conversation goes beyond redemption.
 It’s about ownership.
 It’s about growth.
 It’s about making a decision to live differently—no matter where you started.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in your past, defined by your mistakes, or unsure if real change is possible—this episode will challenge you to think again.

Because your past may explain you…
 but it does not have to define you.

🎧 Episode Description 

What does it really take to build a life from the ground up?

In this powerful conversation, Vencinta Williams shares her journey of perseverance, faith, and growth—balancing entrepreneurship, motherhood, relationships, and purpose along the way. From starting her business at home to building a successful salon in a rural community, her story is a testament to what’s possible when determination meets vision.

But this conversation goes deeper than business.

Vencinta opens up about raising a child who needed patience, understanding, and advocacy, while learning how to show up for someone who doesn’t fit into a one-size-fits-all system, navigating the emotional realities of marriage and divorce, and finding healing through a relationship that truly supports her. Through it all, her faith has become a foundation—guiding her into ministry and helping her grow into the woman she is today.

This is a conversation about resilience.
About rebuilding.
About learning who you are while life is still unfolding.

If you’ve ever had to start over, hold things together for your family, or find your strength in the middle of uncertainty—this conversation is for you.

Because sometimes the most powerful stories aren’t about where you started…
they’re about how you kept going.

If you want next, I’ll give you that Facebook post that really pulls women in emotionally—this one is set up perfectly for it.

What if everything you think you know about the paranormal... is only part of the story? GET READY TO GO ON A WILD RIDE!

Most people have wondered about ghosts, UFOs, spirits, crop circles, or life after death. Most people stop at wondering. My next guest, Thomas Ginther, didn't.

For decades, Thomas has investigated some of the most fascinating mysteries of the unexplained. He has researched Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP), examined reports of hauntings, investigated crop circles, explored whether solar weather may influence paranormal recordings, and documented what he believes are unexplained phenomena throughout Virginia and beyond.

Thomas has been published by the Center for Paranormal Research and Investigation (CPRI), where he has written about EVP research, crop-circle investigations, and other paranormal topics. His work reflects years of field investigations, research, and documenting evidence as he continues searching for answers to questions that have fascinated people for generations.

Whether you're convinced the paranormal exists, believe there's a logical explanation for everything, or simply enjoy exploring life's biggest mysteries, this conversation is for you.

Join us as we discuss ghosts, spirits, UFOs, crop circles, Electronic Voice Phenomena, near-death experiences, and the possibility that there may be more to our world than we can explain.

Because the best conversations aren't always about what we know... they're about what we're still trying to understand.

Some stories deserve more than a headline.

This is one of them.

For 26 years, Lawrence Howerton, Jr. lived behind prison walls.

Most people would expect that to define the rest of his life.

They'd be wrong.

Today, Lawrence stands before law students at Harvard Law School, Georgetown Law, the University of Virginia School of Law, and the University of Richmond School of Law, not as a case study—but as a teacher.

His story has become his greatest credential.

He's an entrepreneur. A community leader. A board member with Tri-County Community Action. A champion for underserved communities. A man committed to connecting people with resources, opportunities, and hope.

He didn't just earn a second chance.

He made the most of it.

Lawrence proves that redemption isn't something you talk about—it's something you live, one decision at a time.

The most remarkable part of his story isn't that he came home after 26 years.

It's what he's done every day since.

He serves.

He mentors.

He leads.

He reaches back to help others find a path forward.

In a world that is quick to judge people by the worst chapter of their lives, Lawrence reminds us that one chapter should never become the entire book.

This isn't a conversation about prison.

It's a conversation about purpose.

It's about accountability.

It's about resilience.

It's about refusing to let your past write your future.

I had the privilege of sitting down with Lawrence Howerton, Jr. for one of the most honest, transparent, and inspiring conversations we've ever recorded on Conversations That Change Lives.

No script.

No excuses.

No filters.

Just the truth.

🎙️ Listen now on your favorite podcast platform and discover why this is a conversation you'll be thinking about long after it ends.

#ConversationsThatChangeLives #LawrenceHowertonJr #ReturningCitizens #SecondChances #Purpose #Transformation #Redemption #Leadership #CommunityImpact #HarvardLaw #GeorgetownLaw #UVALaw #RichmondLaw #TriCountyCommunityAction #Podcast

In this Unfiltered Conversation, Ernest W. Richardson, III sits down with Ryan Garrett—a man with a background in financial advising, but a deeper understanding of what real wealth truly is.

This conversation moves beyond money and into the wealth of abundance… the wealth of relationships… and the power of living as a giver, not a taker.

Ryan shares how impact in your community, the way you treat people, and the legacy you build at home matter more than any number in a bank account. Together, we explore what it means to create generational wealth through love, intentionality, and showing up for your family in ways that last far beyond this moment.

Because real wealth looks like:
 Strong relationships.
 A giving spirit.
 Time invested in your children.
 And a legacy that reaches your children’s children.

This isn’t just about building success…
 It’s about building something that lives on.

🎧 Real conversations. Real values. Real legacy.

#WealthBeyondMoney #UnfilteredConversations #LegacyBuilding #GenerationalWealth #RelationshipWealth #PurposeDrivenLife #GiversNotTakers #CommunityImpact #FamilyLegacy #TenMinutesOfTruth