The Delicious Truth Podcast

Bullying is something that most of us are pretty familiar with. In fact, at a time, bullying had been so normalized that for a long time, there were no formal interventions. People just accepted that there were bullies and the bullied and that in time things would change.

Unfortunately, bullying has only progressed and has evolved into many forms. According to stopbullying.org:

Students ages 12-18 experienced various types of bullying, including:

There was a time where we thought bullying occurred in school. However, children face bullying at home by their loved ones and with the rise of the internet, bullyings seem to have an incredibly far reach into our lives. Now, you may or may not know your bully.

Believe it or not, bullying, short of harassment isn’t against the law. States have local legislation against bullying, but nothing has been passed at a federal level. Our guest today has the first-hand experience, being both a bully and an interventionist.

One day when she was at work, serving as the PR professional for Muhammed Ali, that she saw how pervasive bullying and the subsequent impact was on even young children. When Muhammed verbally surveyed a group of elementary school students about being bullied and wanting to harm themselves as a result, 30% raised their hands.

Betty Hoeffner is the co-founder and CEO of Hey U.G.L.Y. She is the author of STOP BULLYING HANDBOOK-A GUIDE FOR STUDENTS & THEIR FRIENDS, DEAL FEEL HEAL-KEYS TO UNDERSTANDING AND HEALING EMOTIONAL PAIN, and HUE-MAN KIND-A BOOK TO END RACISM. Hoeffner is a keynote speaker at anti-bullying conferences and resource for the media including national programs like the Steve Harvey Show. She created, and facilitates, Hey U.G.L.Y.’s Stop Bullying Boot Camps, Hue-Man Kind Art Projects, and the DEAL FEEL HEAL-Emotional Healing Program for youth.

You won’t want to miss the incredible insights she shares about Bullying and the impact it has on all of our lives.

Recommended resources:

Special Guest: Betty Hoeffner .

Native Americans, also known as American Indians, Indigenous Americans, and other terms, are the indigenous peoples of the United States. Indigenous peoples are the first people.

We recently, for the first time in US history celebrated Indigenous Peoples day, formerly Christopher Columbus Day. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling the newly branded day. When many of our fellow Americans think of Native American people, vivid images of headdresses, wild and free dancing, mystery, and what is most likely the most popular thought would-be “cowboys and Indians.“

The relationship between Indigenous peoples of America and newcomers is complicated, to say the least. These complications have driven such a deep divide that they are indeed different worlds. Despite Indigenous Americans often living on sovereign lands apart from the majority of Americans, they are experiencing the same disparities in their lives that other people of color in America experience.

The impact of COVID-19 on Native peoples have gone wholly unreported. In fact, there is no news concerning Native people, readily available to the non-native population. This has contributed to the ignorance about the very people who paved the way for every newcomer to this land to live and thrive.

Our guest today, John Bird “Elk Child,” is a Diversity and Inclusion professional and has a Masters in Education. Although he was trained as a clinician he quickly realized that he had to choose between doing clinical mental health work or community/organizational work. He chose to work with communities and organizations and has been doing some form of that for the past 35 years.

John is also a proud member of the Black Foot People, who reside in both the U.S. and Canada. During this episode, John shares the rich history of the Black Feet Nation, belief systems, and communities of some native people that are in such contrast with the way the majority of Americans live, that it seems almost otherworldly. Tune in, take it in and apply all that you can to your life and the lives of others.

Special Guest: John Bird.

Inclusion is defined as the action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure. We are familiar with that right?

On the playground, everyone gets picked to be on the team. Sucks to be picked last.

At home, older siblings are required to include their younger siblings. Spouses or lovers are reminded by national holidays to include one another.

At work, there are affinity groups, conferences, workshops and on a government level, affirmative action policies for the places we work, and the institutions in which we are educated include to include diverse persons.

These are all acts of inclusion. What all of these different acts in different areas of our lives have in common is that they are acts without heart. You also know that they are just acts because they feel like we are just going through the motions. This is why they are not sustained in any element of our lives.

We don’t appreciate being chosen when the picker didn’t have a choice in the matter. We don’t feel so special when someone celebrates our love because it’s required, or when people are being trained to respond to our diverse identities instead of naturally embracing us as 100% of who we are.

Our guest today perfectly phrased what inclusion really means. Acts of inclusion is only as effective as the spirit in which it is done is. The motivation of persons can’t be a quota or to meet an obligation of some sort. It has to be in a desire to create a spirit of inclusion within structures and groups where all parties can then reap the benefits.

Cecilia B. Loving, is the Deputy Commissioner/Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

You won’t want to miss her this incredible episode.

Resources:

https://mindfulnessgroup.blog/

https://godisabrowngirltoo.wordpress.com/

Special Guest: Cecilia B. Loving.

According to a research study by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, there are approximately 43.5 million caregivers in the United States that have provided unpaid care to an adult or child in the last 12 months, in 2019. The United States has 331,002,651 citizens.

This is a subject that impacts 13% of the population, and frankly, there isn’t enough support and awareness on the subject to offer adequate support. This issue is something that needs to be discussed. That is why I invited our guest today to share his first-hand experience with us, on what it’s like to suddenly find himself in the position of Caregiver and how he manages to keep himself healthy both physically and mentally while doing so.

Not only is Brian a caregiver he is also still a working professional. Brian oversees the development and delivery of client solutions for L+C Learning and brings over 25 years of corporate, non-profit, and academic experience to his role.

For most Americans, establishing a work-life balance is already a challenge, Brian not only offers us insight into how he is managing it but resources and ways of making it all work despite the challenges that come along.

Resources:

Special Guest: Brian Sorge.

Microaggression is a term used for brief and commonplace daily verbal or behavioral indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes toward stigmatized or culturally marginalized groups.

The fact is that you have likely been on both the giving and receiving end of microaggressions. When people speak of microaggressions most often they are talking about the subtle acts of exclusion that black people deal with on a day-to-day basis. The root of these acts feels like just another way that black people are subjected to racism.

However, microaggressions aren’t exclusive to any one race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or any other identity. Our guest, Michael Baran, PhD is a social scientist and has been a DEI speaker, author, a practitioner for the last 20 years. You don’t want to miss this delicious truth about the aggression that lives in all of us and ways to lessen expressing it, thus lessening the harm done to others.

Helpful Links:

Special Guest: Dr. Michael Baran.

Welcome back! Did you miss me? Cause I sure missed you.

Season one of the Delicious Truth was a pleasure to work on. I hope that it brought out everything that we hoped. This podcast was intended to start conversations, promote understanding, and more importantly, provide insight into barriers to joy so that people can take back their power and live a more joyful life.

This season we want to help you build a utility bag for self love and care. This season we’ll cover topics like micro aggressions, what they are, and how to manage them. Bullying, in all of it’s forms. Care for caregrivers, how to prioritize yourself and how to avoid uncessary martyrdom. The key theme will be self care and love. In the immortal words of Rupal, “If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”

2020 has brought about a lot of loss. And loss, especially unexpected loss can be traumatic. As if America wasn’t already fraught with social issues, COVID-19 has further shed light on our challenges. In the last episode, we broke down the root of slavery as it existed in America.

Let’s recap the definition of slavery:

In this episode, we’ll go deeper and explore the existence of slavery in various forms, all over the world. Forced marriage, also known as child marriage, Child slavery, Human trafficking, Debt Bondage, and so much more, contributes to the underbelly of societies across the world. 50% of all slave labor is performed by minors! Our children are the future. What do you think they will produce under these conditions?

"The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel it's warmth." - African Proverb

We are in a state of unrest. Unrest has occupied us, and I mean all of us. Whether you are black, white, rich, or poor, to be human is to be connected to one another and we are all in a state of unrest, and this unrest is a substantial barrier to joy.

In America, we have a deep problem with division. Labels and hierarchies are established to keep the system going, in favor of the favored. These systems and supports for that system were established long before Mr. Columbus rediscovered America, OKAY! Yet, we still pay into the hands of those who benefit from the inequity, division, and dehumanization of our brothers and sisters.

Slavery is a CaseStudy on how this system works. You see slavery has always been driven by economics and managed by emotions. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer because the rich keep them that way. Why? Riches = power. They weaponized emotions and mind control to leverage fear.

Survivors of American slavery are still affected by the most brilliantly diabolical manipulation of minds and hearts for profit and gain ever. That is called Post Traumatic Slavery Disorder (PTSD). Join me and Brandies Mevaa and we set the table for a hearty course on slavery and all that is leaves in its wake.

Special Guest: Brandies Mevaa.

I'm a proud supporter of our troops and vets, in fact, I have very close loved ones who have served in the military. No matter which branch they serve in, they do a great service in both America and countries abroad. The military has a substantial presence in our lives and whether we are conscious of it or not, they have a brand that conveys that the military is a family, career, a proud institution. No matter our individual impressions of military life, we automatically believe that by joining that we will be granted access to things like:

And it’s true. All of these benefits and more are afforded to you via a career in the military. However, not all vets are the same, and not all that serve are career military service members. That is why this topic is so important. Signing your employment contract with the US military could be a great opportunity or a grave disappointment if you don’t truly understand the realities of military life.

Our guest today Greg Jenkins is the Founder & CEO of Greg Jenkins Consulting, 28+ years of US Army Service, Retired Sergeant Major, Diversity & Inclusion practitioner, life-long learner. He has committed to helping both military and prospective military service members better understand the opportunities provided by the military and supporting members and families transition back into civilian life.

Follow Greg:

Helpful Links:

Special Guest: Greg Jenkins.

On this episode, we believe that love is greater than anything. Our relationships to ourselves and all things outside of ourselves when operating from a place of love has the best outcomes. The most fundamental loving relationship is between romantic partners. The desire to meet, fall in love and form lasting partnership is something that unites us as humans.

Before the internet, you'd meet at a place of worship, schools, bars, concerts or maybe the library. Sure that still happens but 48% of 18- to 29-year-olds say they have ever used a dating site or app, and the share is 38% among those ages 30 to 49. Lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) adults are roughly twice as likely as those who are straight to say they ever used a dating platform (55% vs. 28%).

It seems that online dating is how at least half of us are finding potential partners. The internet is the information highway, and in this case, the highway to love.

On this episode I sat down with Marco (who identifies as gay) and my daughter Lorren, (who identifies as straight). Both are single, and one is happily so.

Lorren is a beautiful black woman who is Navigating her career and the dating scene in LA. She is an actor and artist, who is single and ready to mingle.

Marco, is a handsome black man who is a successful PR professional, in LA. He is happily dating, but not seeking anything serious.

Both are originally from the Midwest, and will share the experiential truth about dating in 2020. Some of these facts we cover in this episode are eyebrow raising.