The First With Dr. Sandi Webster

Elman Woodson, today's guest, is currently an attorney – the first in his family; however, it wasn't an easy road for Elman. But his strong belief in the power of self pushed him out of banking into law. Elman's new book, Looking Up, will be coming out in May. It captures his story of all the things he had to overcome in order to become a lawyer. Let's welcome Elman Woodson to The First podcast.

Nell Merlino is an icon and a legend in her own right. She has a list of firsts that will impact generations. She was at the forefront to change the outlook on Aids during the Aids epidemic by handing out condoms with the Gay Men's Health Crisis as an Awareness campaign. She utilized that campaign opportunity to springboard starting the first girls' initiative, Take Our Daughters to Work Day, while she worked with Ms. Magazine – yes, the Gloria Steinem magazine that changed women's outlook. After reading some research that said girls' self-esteem dropped dramatically after reaching adolescence, she decided to change the way that girls see themselves by bringing them to a physical space where they could see themselves differently – the workplace! That movement is still around today and has expanded into Take Your Daughters and Sons To Work Day. Every year in April (this year, it's April 22), children trek into the workplace with their parents to understand what they do and learn about different career options in preparation for real life. This year, quite a few of them will be leaving their at-home classrooms to invade the work-from-home environment created by their parents. For a few hours, they will listen in on negotiating, making tough decisions, and having fun doing at work. Her next adventure was Make Mine a Million $Business, where I met her. She was on fire to help women grow their businesses to the million-dollar mark. Again, research showed her that only about 3% of women business owners ever passed the million-dollar revenue goal. That program was sponsored by corporations like American Express and closed when sponsorship declined. Now, during COVID, Nell was moved to restart that venture to help small business owners take advantage of loan opportunities and discuss their issues during the pandemic; now in her next chapter with Count Me In Revival, she's again following her calling. As I spoke with Nell, I couldn't help wonder what it's like to be her – from kicking down doors for women business owners to hosting Queen Raina of Jordan - all the time, fearless in forging new paths for women! Listen in and see if you feel the same way.

When you listen to Dr. Larry McCord tell his story, you swear you saw the movie! He is someone whose life is simply beyond belief! He has so many firsts that I couldn't possibly list them all here. In this podcast, we focused on some key turning points in his life. His athletic career made him the first in his family to win college scholarships, which enabled him to leave his hometown of Lutcher, LA. Since then, he was the first in his family to graduate from college and has received several degrees ending in a Juris Doctorate and a Ph.D. He was the first in his family to be President of a School Board and now teaches young people that they can get academic or athletic scholarships for college. His stint in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War resulted in being the first in his family, and one of the very few men, to be listed in the Purple Heart Hall of Fame for earning four Purple Heart Medals and a Bronze Star – this meant Dr. McCord got shot four times. He utilizes his discipline and leadership skills to build today's leaders through the New York school system or through his church, New Birth Christian Ministries in West Babylon, NY, where he is the first ordained minister and pastor in his family. As a leader, the Rev. Dr. Larry neatly ties together his athletics, military service, education background, and ministry to create tomorrow's leaders.