The Next Chapter

Named one of the top 25 CEOs in Phoenix, Christy McClendon’s passion comes from her own personal experience.  McClendon, who runs the Phoenix based non-profit New Pathways for Youth, was raised in Kentucky by grandparents who had only 8th grade educations.  She joins Carey in studio along with 22 year old Mentor, Eugenia Folks, whose…

"If you share from a place of vulnerability, the real healing happens." Tracey Martin is a Life and Wellness Coach based in Scottsdale, Arizona.

At an early age, she was the victim of domestic violence. Martin says walking out of that violent relationship helped frame the way she sees life. She believes the key is focusing on the future, not the past.

Martin is living proof that the strategy is a good one.

Not only is she a successful coach, she also has a fashion line, Threads of Evolution www.threadsofevolution.com Her handbags can frequently be seen on the arms of celebrities like Julia Roberts.

We asked for her top tips when it comes to improving overall health and wellness.

It all starts and ends with food, she says. "Food is your medicine. Understand what you are taking in and why you are taking it in."

Martin then shared the following tips:

1. Learn to understand and channel your own intuition.

Martin has 15 questions she asks her coaching clients. The first one is Are You Happy? "It is amazing to me how many people have to stop and think about it," she says. "They have gotten so numb they can't understand what it feels like to be happy." In large part, she says, it has to do with the fact that so many people are unhappy with work. "If you love what you do, it feeds your soul."

1. Realizing fear is an illusion.

"You always have the power to change your reality." In relationships and in work, Martin says people make the mistake of giving their power away. "When you take that back it is a piece of the puzzle you are putting back together."

1. Being your own advocate, using your voice, and asking powerful questions.

1. Owning your own greatness.

There needs to be a call to action in each of our lives. "People always talk about their fear of failure." Martin says, "I think more people are fearful of success. Once you have that, then what? It is fear of the unknown."

1. Start with what is in front of you.

It can be overwhelming if you try to fix everything all at once. Start with what it in front of you and there will be a ripple effect with the rest.

For more on Tracey Martin, go to www.evolutionwithtracey.com

The post 5 Ways To Improve Your Life Today with Life and Wellness Coach Tracey Martin appeared first on Inspired Media 360 TV - Inform | Inspire | Engage.

“If you share from a place of vulnerability, the real healing happens.”  Tracey Martin is a Life and Wellness Coach based in Scottsdale, Arizona. At an early age, she was the victim of domestic violence.  Martin says walking out of that violent relationship helped frame the way she sees life.  She believes the key is…

"I like to compare it to wealth accumulation. There is no one way that a person can accumulate large amounts of wealth at one time. It takes time. The same with a weight loss program. If you have gained weight over many, many years, the way to loose that is to take some time. But people get on an emotional response to losing quickly."

Kevin Shepard is a former athlete turned trainer and nutritionist. He believes fad diets — all of them — are a mistake. Instead, Shepard encourages clients to make lifestyle changes to lose weight and keep it off.

He says sleep is the single most important part of the health and wellness equation. Figure out what amount of sleep allows you to function at the highest level — if possible, 8 hours.

Here are Shepard's other top tips:

-Watch your sugar intake: Men should eat no more than 25 grams. Women should eat more than 16 grams.

-Focus on breakfast. He recommends oatmeal because it fills you up and gives you energy.

-For a mid-day snack, eat fresh fruit (no more than 4 ounces).

-At lunch have a salad and/or lean protein.

-In the mid-afternoon have a snack! Try raw nuts, boiled eggs, a protein shake or another 4 ounces of fruit.

-At dinner time, Shepard says eat something reasonable and pay attention to portion size. After dinner, he emphasizes, the kitchen is closed. Do not enter. This is where so many people stumble when it comes to weight loss and gain.

Shepard says we need to take responsibility for how we fuel our bodies. "You eat disease. So either you eat foods that boost your immune system and fend off disease or you eat foods which can break down your immune system and allow the disease to grow."

He is a very busy trainer and nutrition coach in Scottsdale, Arizona. His star client is a woman named LA Kowall. She was diagnosed a decade ago ago with ALS and told to go home and "rest her body". She refused. In fact, she did the opposite.

LA told Kevin she wanted to "move before she dies". What the two found out was how much she could accomplish by going beyond the limits. "Her disease tries to keep her from moving her body and I say push it," Shepard says. (see LA's story here https://inspiredmedia360tv.com/10/ ))

LA has an all terrain wheelchair and on the days when she is not in the gym, she is with Shepard on the hiking trails. He tells her, and all of his clients, "The body is a perpetual motion machine that needs to be moved on a regular basis."

No excuses. Take action.

The post Treat Your Body Like A Ferrari with Kevin Shepard, Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist appeared first on Inspired Media 360 TV - Inform | Inspire | Engage.

“I like to compare it to wealth accumulation.  There is no one way that a person can accumulate large amounts of wealth at one time.  It takes time.  The same with a weight loss program.  If you have gained weight over many, many years, the way to loose that is to take some time.  But…

"You teach by behavior instead of what you say." Dr. Kellie Warren is a powerhouse. A CEO named one of the most admired leaders of 2015 in Phoenix. Dr. Warren talks to Carey about her leadership style as the head of the powerful non-profit, Florence Crittenton. Warren says she works with purpose and teaches her staff to do the same. Their mission is for the girls who walk through their doors, many broken and abused, to walk away empowered and seeing their full potential.

Podcast Transcript

Carey Pena: Hey everyone. I'm Carey Pena. Thank you so much for joining us. "I raise up my voice, not so I can shout, but so those without a voice can be heard. We cannot succeed when half of us are held back." That is a quote from Malala Yousafzai, the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who has become a symbol of the fight for girls worldwide.

Our guest today, Dr. Kellie Warren, is the CEO of Florence Crittenton. Kellie, thank you so much for being here.

Dr. Warren: Thank you for having me.

Carey Pena: Can I call you Kellie? Or Dr. Warren?

Dr. Warren: Kellie's fine.

Carey Pena: All right. Your mission is to give every girl whose life you touch safety, hope, and opportunity. The quote I just read from Malala, who was shot in the forehead by the Taliban because she wanted to go to school, because she's fighting for the rights of girls to go to school, tell me your reaction to that quote.

Dr. Warren: It just resonates with me, and really represents the mission of Florence Crittenton. I think, for me, we are a voice for girls. We listen to their voice, and we respond on their behalf. More than that, we understand how important it is for girls to have a safe place to get the services they need. So when I hear that it really represents the work that Florence Crittenton does, and my personal journey in life.

Carey Pena: What does it mean to say, "Every girl matters."?

Dr. Warren: Every girl that comes through our door, no matter what her background is, her story is, her social economic status, her culture, sexual orientation, identity, it doesn't really matter. If she walks through those doors, we have to give all of ourselves on her behalf.

Carey Pena: Well, I want to talk to you a little bit about being the CEO of this organization, and your personal success as a woman and a business leader in just a minute. But first, a little bit more about this agency. Florence Crittenton is a social service agency, one of the oldest. It began in 1896 in central Phoenix, serving unwed mothers. And today you help approximately 1,200 girls and young women a year. One of the things that you guys focus on is helping these girls and young women become empowered to reach their full potential. How are you able to do this when so many girls who walk through your doors are coming from horrendous circumstances? Some who've been abused emotionally and physically, some have been homeless, some are teen mothers. There's just such a plethora of problems that these girls have faced at very young ages. How do you go about trying to break down what they've been through and then show them there is life out there, there is a future, and empower them to take control of their lives?

Dr. Warren: I think first of all we have a full continuum of care. In other words, we offer many services. It's not a one-size-fits all. So our girls there are as young as 10, all the way to their 18th birthday. They have an opportunity to work through our therapeutic group home where we provide behavior health services. So we employ qualified mental health professionals in that program, as well as behavior health staff, and we introduce the girls, again, to education and support. They go on their own treatment journey. Some of them stay with us from 90 to 120 days on average. But some of the girls have been there close to a year. So I think for the girls that need that intensive behavior health, support for mental illness, substance abuse, and trauma, that's a good program for them.

We also have a girls' ranch program. If they're 12 to 18, pregnant parenting and non-parenting, we provide a safe home and support for them to receive life skills, self-sufficiency, and parenting classes. Their babies actually have the opportunity to live with them while our staff teach them how to be good parents, and maybe break some of those cycles that they've been exposed to, if you will.

Carey Pena: Mental health issues is such a big problem in our society. Because you deal with so many young women and young girls who have mental health issues, at a young age, what do you think it is? And I know there's no magic bullet, but what have you seen as a piece of your success in sort of showing these girls that they do have the power to go out and live a decent, fulfilled, healthy life?

Dr. Warren: Well, I think starting with our therapeutic group home, we do a screening, an assessment process, and we also assess for trauma, because sometimes trauma mirrors mental illness. Sometimes you're responding to the trauma in a way that looks like you're suffering from a major mental illness. So I think it's important for us as a voice for girls to consider the impact of trauma.

And during that journey, while they're with us we give them the tools and resources to live their own lives. And we try to motivate them and instill hope so that they know that whatever they've been through, there's still a promising future. So I believe when they walk through the door, many of them do not see hope. But when they walk away, they can be so empowered to live their full potential. We have future senators, presidents, engineers right in our hands. So I believe if we believe in them and we demonstrate support and treat them with dignity and respect, many of them can start to see hope or a future that they didn't even think they were worth having that opportunity.

Carey Pena: How important is it that these girls, and this could be applied to all sorts of folks in a society who've been treated poorly, who've suffered trauma, and now are sort of cast aside as having mental health problems, how important is the respect component, feeling that they matter?

Dr. Warren: I think you teach by your behavior, instead of what you say. So we can promote this great mission, but if we don't believe in that mission and walk the walk, we have less of an opportunity to really impact their lives. Maybe they haven't had anyone to say, "You're beautiful. You have the opportunity to be the greatest whatever: veterinarian, doctor, lawyer, what have you."

We have a teachable moment every day with these girls, and we have to stay consistent and supportive and let them know that we care. That does more than any of our treatment, in my opinion.

Carey Pena: Well, you are such an incredible woman in your own right. I have to say to our listeners, I mean, you walked in here in this incredible red dress. I mean, you are a fashionista. And these shoes that are beyond amazing leopard shoes. And the Phoenix Business Journal recently named you, congratulations, one of the valley's most admired leaders of 2015. That's huge. That's such a huge honor.

Dr. Warren: Thank you.

Carey Pena: What kind of personal attributes do you bring to your role as CEO to try to keep your staff motivated?

Dr. Warren: I think I just try to encourage them to really work with purpose. I think that every last one of our staff, no matter what role they play, have a purpose in these girls' story. So I think when you have purpose somewhere and you give all your heart, it makes it feel good to be there. And in social services and nonprofit work, it's not the money that draws us. It has to be the mission. So I try to walk each day with a purpose-drive life. And I like these girls to know just how special they are. They pay very close attention to me and the other staff, and so my example will either break some cycles, or continue to validate to them that they are not worth anything. So for the staff, I believe I encourage them to bring their purpose in every day, and let these girls know that we are collectively rooting for them.

Carey Pena: You know, Dr. Warren, one thing that you just said really strikes me, because I'm fascinated how more and more people today, both in the nonprofit world, and just in the corporate world are searching for more purpose in their lives and in their jobs. Something you just said really struck me: that you try to give your employees, the folks who work with you, motivation that you believe in them. What do you see the reaction being? Psychologically, there has to be a shift when people know that the CEO cares about what they're doing and values them, because we're not seeing that in every company today. We're seeing people feel just so broken down, and just worked to the bone. That sort of steals your soul a little bit.

Dr. Warren: Well, I think for me, I just feel very blessed to have been selected. I don't think that I'm just teaching girls. I'm also being an example for staff. And people believed in me. So I think that I'm where I am today because I had people that invested in my life, so I want to invest in our staff's life. And I'm so amazed by their courage and commitment to come in every day and deal with girls who are oftentimes broken and don't believe in the staff that show up. So I just find it so meaningful, even for me to spend time and build relationships with these staff, and encourage them to fight the fight, and come in every day with their smiles, and keep trying, even when girls have given up on themselves and the world.

Carey Pena: And when you do see a girl who rises out of that, that must be a tremendous feeling of accomplishment.

Dr. Warren: It's major. And I think every day that I walk around … so I'm a walk-around leader. I don't sit in my office-

Carey Pena: You're not in your office with the doors shut, "Do not disturb"?

Dr. Warren: No. No. No. Not at all. I walk around every day, and I'm reminded of how much these girls need us. My staff know me. I know them. And I care about the girls and the staff. So to me, that gives me some meaning in my life, because I will not land anywhere in a job unless there's a purpose that I can fulfill. So I am just encouraged by them. Because without them, there's no way that we can deliver the safety, hope, and opportunity to these girls. I need every last one of them.

Carey Pena: You try to teach these girls to become more than a statistic and accomplish all of their dreams. Do you think there is a level playing field out there for women in general? And I ask you that for multiple reasons, one, because I'm just curious what your thoughts are. But I also read the other day, Sheryl Sandberg published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, and it was titled, When Women Get Stuck, Corporate America Gets Stuck. And just to kind of boil this down for you, her organization, LeanIn.org, which I know you know a lot about, just published a study about the state of women in the workplace for 2015. Part of their results are as follows. I'm quoting here: "Women see an uneven playing field. A workplace tilted against them. Women are twice as likely to believe their gender will make it harder to advance, and senior-level women view gender as a bigger obstacle than entry-level women."

So I'm just wondering kind of what your thoughts are and how you prepare your girls to go out there. Do you feel that there is a level playing field? How do you prepare them to go out and take on the world?

Dr. Warren: I think that your gifts really make room for you. So I don't think that the world is necessarily fair. I don't think that the girls, even with their greatest gift, will always be afforded opportunities, but I want them to learn from my story. So, I've been the first at many things. I think the mistake my parents made was to tell me that I was beautiful and I could do whatever. And I've walked through life like that. So I don't ever let anyone tell me who I am. My worth comes from inside.

When I don't look at the world to validate me, I have a better life. So I want these girls to focus on their education. I want them to get beyond their past story and see their future. And I believe that, despite the world's craziness, they can accomplish whatever they need to accomplish. So I've lived it. I mean, I was a deputy director of juvenile corrections. Corrections was seen as a male-dominant career. But I came in there every day and gave all my might. And I knew in the end they would change their opinions. So for the girls, I want them to know that, "Don't look for the world to validate you. Learn to love and validate yourself." I think that's one of the greatest gifts we can give them.

Carey Pena: That is such great advice. Florence Crittenton is well known to have very successful fundraising, including the Teaming Up For Girls luncheon, which I was so honored to emcee for several years. And I will never, ever forget the year that kidnapping survivor, Elizabeth Smart, spoke at the luncheon. She was the keynote. And I interviewed her up on stage. And I was so amazed that she does not live her life with a victim mentality, even after all that she went through: being kidnapped and forcibly raped day after day. How do you go about teaching these girls to escape the victim mentality?

Dr. Warren: Well, I think we deliver a lot of services. So through our individual, group, and family therapy we do a lot of work. But more than that, I think we have a great opportunity to teach them that they are more than their past, that they can write their own story. So Elizabeth Smart taught all of us, a couple of years ago, that you can go beyond the tragic situation and live a fulfilling life. I think the girls walked away hearing that. I heard it. It validated how I kind of see the world as well. So we're encouraging these girls to take a different route. Don't let the tragic situation, the trauma that they've experienced, the neglect, abuse or anything define them. That they have the power of the pen, and they can write their own stories. So I think that's one of the greatest gifts that we can give at Florence Crittenton to the girls we serve.

Carey Pena: Do you think that that is a conscious decision that we all have to make: to get past whatever stuff is in our past, and everybody has stuff, and make a conscious decision to write your own story?

Dr. Warren: I think we are empowered to write our own stories. There's the statistics that have told me who I should be. I've never really listened to that, because I had people that invested in me, believed in me, and told me at a very young age that I can conquer whatever. So I have the power of my pen, and I write in a different story. So I don't worry about the playing field. I don't worry about what the TV says about people that look like me. I know that I have a purpose in this life, and I'm going to spend this life living it and serving others.

Carey Pena: I love it. And you feel so fulfilled. You just have a peace about you, a strength, but a peace. And I think that's because you're so comfortable in your own skin as a woman, and as a leader. What a great example for these girls to see in you.

Dr. Warren: Thank you.

Carey Pena: I mean, you're an amazing example. One of your big accomplishments at Flo Crit is the Girls Leadership Academy of Arizona, the state's first and only single-gender public high school. I read an article published last year where you were quoted as saying, "Research has shown that there are many benefits to single-gender education, including high academic achievement, improved self-confidence, and increased college enrollment." What has been your experience and what are some of the statistics that you're seeing there?

Dr. Warren: Well, first of all, we opened the doors in 2011, and last year we graduated 33 girls, many of whom had started with us in 2011. Of the 33 girls that graduated, 100% of them were accepted into a college. That's all I need to say.

Carey Pena: You changed their lives.

Dr. Warren: Exactly. And I think we provide a safe place for girls to accel and support one another, and learn leadership, college preparation. With the state of education in Arizona, I'm so grateful that our board of directors decided to invest in education. You cannot have opportunity, as our mission describes, without having education. So our Girls Leadership Academy allows girls from everywhere. I think we have about 33 zip codes represented in our school, to come and get quality education, and to get a teaching staff that really drives them, pushes them, and believes in them. So I'm very excited that we started with an idea, and it is now a major accomplishment for our girls.

Carey Pena: Another way you guys raise money is the Heels For Healing event. And I mentioned earlier about your amazing leopard shoes. So you wore them on a perfect day because the Heels For Healing event is going on this weekend. Tell us about it.

Dr. Warren: I'm so excited. We are having our seventh annual Heels For Healing event right at our store, Flo's on 7th. It's on the corner of 7th Avenue and Indian School. So we kick it off with the Diva Dash, which is a high heel race where our participants have paid $25 to run in this obstacle course. We have males and females participating.

Carey Pena: It's always so funny. I love it.

Dr. Warren: So we're giving awards to the person with the highest heel, which for the last two years has been a man.

Carey Pena: Oh, wow!

Dr. Warren: Yes!

Carey Pena: Impressive!

Dr. Warren: Yes! And for the person with the fastest time, and the team with the fastest time. We kick it off, and then we sell at our thrift store new and gently-used shoes and handbags to the public. Our goal is to raise money. Then, we send the proceeds back to our programs.

Carey Pena: And by the way, for people who are listening who are not in Arizona, people can always visit the website because you guys have incredible things there. I mean, very high end. You have some Chanel there. I know one year I donated a pair of Lanvin high heels. I parted with them. They were … my wrist was … I was clenching. But I know that they were going to a great place. So how can people find out more information if they want to check it out, here in Arizona or elsewhere?

Dr. Warren: So they just go to our website, FloCrit.org, and learn about the agency's history, the life-changing programs, our thrift store, our Heels For Healing event, and any other fundraisers that we have.

Carey Pena: I always like to ask our guests before we end this show, what personally inspires you?

Dr. Warren: I think the girls. I mean, when I'm having a rough day, I just walk the campus, and they greet me with pictures, and … One of the girls just drew me a picture thanking me, calling me the best CEO, and she loved me, and she had a high heel on it. So I think the best part of my job is I get to touch these girls' lives every day, advocate for them, be a voice for them. And I'm so grateful for the opportunity.

Carey Pena: Well, it goes without saying you know how amazing I think you are personally, woman to woman. You're just incredible.

Dr. Warren: Thank you.

Carey Pena: You're an inspiration. And Florence Crittenton, the work that has been done at that facility year after year, it's God's work, really. I mean, you're changing lives for these girls. It just makes me so proud to have been a part of that mission over the years. Dr. Warren, thank you so much.

Dr. Warren: Thank you as well.

Carey Pena: It's always a pleasure to see you. Now go out with that red dress and those leopard shoes and stir it up out there today!

Thanks for listening, everyone. I'm Carey Pena. Today's show was produced and engineered by Shannon Hernandez, brought to you by Inspired Media 360. Until next time, stay inspired.

The post How Non Profit CEO Dr. Kellie Warren is Changing Lives and Giving Girls a Chance appeared first on Inspired Media 360 TV - Inform | Inspire | Engage.

“You teach by behavior instead of what you say.”  Dr. Kellie Warren is a powerhouse.  A CEO named one of the most admired leaders of 2015 in Phoenix.  Dr. Warren talks to Carey about her leadership style as the head of the powerful non-profit, Florence Crittenton.  Warren says she works with purpose and teaches her…

"It was that phone call that you get in the middle of the night. The one that every parent dreads. We got the call about 5 in the morning. Christopher was taken to Tulane Emergency Medical Center. They didn't know what was wrong. He was non responsive."

Eric Gregory and his wife Grace rushed to be with their son. 19 year old Christopher, a tall, handsome, gym going guy, had suffered a brain aneurysm. It was without warning.

"When you get that news, suddenly the entire universe is turned inside out. Everything is wrong. Everything is backwards," Gregory says, "this dull ache sets into your heart and your soul."

Not long before this tragedy, the family had all been together at dinner and talk had turned to organ donation. Christopher, his dad recalls, said if anything ever happened to him, he wanted his organs donated.

When Christopher's life abruptly came to an end, his family saw that his wishes were fulfilled. They thought maybe something positive could come out of tragedy.

As the Gregory's struggled to say goodbye to their son, to try to memorize every feature on his face, they were told, "There are planes flying all over tonight because of you." Christopher's organs were being rushed to patients in dire need. He ended up saving five lives.

"Throughout the United States about 124,000 people are waiting for life-saving organ transplants," says Jacqueline Keidel from AZ Donor Network. She says it is important for families to have conversations — like the Gregorys had — to express individual wishes.

Eventually, the Gregorys would meet the people whose lives were saved by Christopher's decision to donate his organs. Including Jorge Barcardi, the Patriarch of the Barcardi family.

Gregory describes their first meeting.

"We get to their hotel, we walked in, they turned and suddenly it was like in slow motion. Everyone was crying and it was a very emotional moment," he goes on to say, "We didn't know their name was Barcardi, it didn't matter, it still doesn't. It was clear the impact of Christopher's gift — it went way beyond."

Gregory is now working on a book about the week their son died. The relationships that were formed in the hospital and the lives that were saved all over the country.

7 years and 5 months later, Christopher's "heart still beats, his eyes still see, his lungs draw breath and his love of humanity is still very much alive".

The post Teen Organ Donor Saves Five Lives appeared first on Inspired Media 360 TV - Inform | Inspire | Engage.

“It was that phone call that you get in the middle of the night.  The one that every parent dreads.  We got the call about 5 in the morning.  Christopher was taken to Tulane Emergency Medical Center.  They didn’t know what was wrong.  He was non responsive.” Eric Gregory and his wife Grace rushed to…

Lori Golberg is an Arizona wife and mother from an affluent neighborhood known as Paradise Valley. She is also a philanthropy powerhouse. Goldberg made it her mission to get outside of her comfort zone. Her charity, Global Family, works to rescue from poverty as many children as possible in a place she fell in love with years ago — Haiti. Not only has Goldberg changed the lives of hundreds of children, she has pushed friends and family out of their comfort zones and into new awareness about life and love.

Podcast Transcript

Carey Pena: Hey everyone, it's Carey Pena. Glad to have you with us today. "When you dare to step out of your comfort zone and simply believe that you can make a difference, you will be led down paths you've never imagined." That is a quote from Kim Hupke after she did a volunteer project with Global Family. The founder of Global Family, Lori Goldberg, is with us in studio today. Lori, thank you so much for being here. It's great to see you.

Lori Goldberg: It's great to see you and thank you for having me.

Carey Pena: Kim Hupke volunteered with you back in 2010, and like so many people who've gotten involved with your great organization, she says it was life-changing. She went on to say in this quote, "Global Family gave me the opportunity to dare to step out of my comfort zone and I am forever changed." What's your reaction to that quote?

Lori Goldberg: It brings me so much joy, because that is my goal, for every volunteer to go into the trip with an open heart and an open mind, and experience all the country has to offer.

Carey Pena: Let's talk about what Global Family is and how it all began. It really began with you stepping out of your own comfort zone. You came up with the idea in 2008 when you and your husband shared what you call, your Haiti, with your two daughters. What do you mean by your Haiti?

Lori Goldberg: Well, there are so many things about Haiti that are so personal to me. The sights, the smells, the people. My senses come alive when I'm there. People welcome you with open arms, and they smile, and they laugh, and they're happy to see you. They know that you're there to be with them and believe in them. But, sharing it with our daughters, we went into it not knowing what to expect, whether it would be really challenging for them, because they were young, or if it would be the most beautiful thing in the world. We were just so blessed to have an incredible experience with them, that they just went with the flow. They were somewhat overwhelmed with things and with people wanting to be close to them, because there aren't a lot of children that travel to Haiti. It was a really wonderful experience for them that just opened our hearts to the idea of sharing it with more families and more individuals.

Carey Pena: I know people have asked you over the years, "Why Haiti? Why did you choose Haiti?" Do you have a good answer for that, or is it something that just spoke to you?

Lori Goldberg: Something spoke to me. The people spoke to me, especially the children. When I first went, I was there to support schools and education programs, and I really didn't realize how many orphans there are in Haiti. Not true orphans, just parents giving their children up, because they can't afford to care for them. They'll put them in an orphanage, so they have a better life, and get to go to school, and have more opportunity.

Carey Pena: This is what has been really impactful to me over the years as I've watched Global Family grow, because you have such a personal connection to this mission. A lot of women and men do charity work, and I think that is beautiful. Anyone who steps outside of their comfort zone and does charity work should be commended. But something about your level of involvement really struck me. You live in a beautiful house. You live in an affluent neighborhood. You never had to get involved in doing this. But not only do you raise the money … I want people who are listening to know more about you. You go there regularly. You go out yourself on missions that are potentially hazardous to your own health. You rescue children from … I remember one story where you rescued a little girl from a gutter or something, correct?

Lori Goldberg: Clara. She is still with us.

Carey Pena: You went down there … Tell me that story.

Lori Goldberg: Well, a police officer told us about a little baby girl, a newborn, that was born, and it was next to the river. The mother was mentally and physically disabled, and they said that there was no hope for this little girl unless someone could rescue her, and take her to the hospital and take her in. We found Clara. She was in a very small makeshift tent on the floor, dirt floor. Her aunt was helping to care for her, because her mother, I think, was having issues feeding her. She had never seen the light of day. She was five days old when we rescued her.

Carey Pena: What was that like emotionally, for you to see a baby just sort of discarded in that way?

Lori Goldberg: Emotionally overwhelming, that there was no way … Whatever we had to do, we were going to save her, and bring her into our family and into our home. She's the most resilient little thing that you'll ever meet.

Carey Pena: How old is she now?

Lori Goldberg: She's four.

Carey Pena: She's four years old.

Lori Goldberg: She's just full of everything.

Carey Pena: Well, the funny thing about you, I want the listeners to know, is you are a very tiny little woman. How tall are you? Just a tiny slight little woman.

Lori Goldberg: I like to say almost 5′ 4″.

Carey Pena: Okay, so we'll give you 5′ 4″. But the thing is, is when you go down, when you go to Haiti, you really open a can of whoop you know what, because you are not messing around. You're there to save as many children as possible, and you guys actually have built a home. This is what I love. You started Global Family, and you started going on these missions, and then you decided to do something sort of very tangible and organized. Tell me about this home that you built.

Lori Goldberg: Well, the home that we built is for the neediest children. We have had children that have come in and stayed with us, and we've just fostered them, and then successfully reunited them with their family, because often times there are so many stories that come with children, that someone will say they don't have living parents, but they actually do. We really want people to know that if we can help you, if we can give you opportunity, create a small business for you, we want your child to be with you, we don't want you to have to give your child up. But, the home that we built is really all about growing our family. We bring volunteers down there regularly. We have so many repeat volunteers that are madly in love with our children. Our kids get so excited to see them. They have ongoing relationships with them. It's a beautiful thing.

Carey Pena: Lori, how have you dealt with the criticism over the years when people say, "Why aren't you putting the money here at home? Why aren't you opening an orphanage here at home, or putting your money into kids who need help in the United States?"

Lori Goldberg: It's a really tough question, and it's hard for me to answer, because you really have to experience Haiti firsthand to understand the need there. It is so great. It is all about survival, and for these children, and the elderly that we help, it really is a matter of life or death, because everybody's trying to survive.

Carey Pena: It was made so much worse in 2010. I believe that was the year of the devastating earthquake, magnitude 7.0, that struck Haiti, killing more than 160,000 people, displacing close to 1.5 million people. When I read that statistic, I had to read it a few times, because to wrap your brain around 1.5 million people being displaced. Five years later, a lot of scars remain in Haiti. The citizens there are still dependent on housing and medical aid. According to a stat from the UN World Food Program, 100,000 children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition. What do you see when you go down there? Describe it to me.

Lori Goldberg: You see children that aren't clothed, they're barefoot. The malnourished children have lighter hair and big bellies. Because they don't have clean drinking water, most of them have parasites, which are eating all the nutrients if they are getting any food. But sadly, Haitians are lucky to have one meal a day, and our children have three meals a day, and they're healthy, and flourishing and thriving. But, it's very desperate.

Carey Pena: There's been some criticism over the years. Since this earthquake, a lot of money was raised to try to help the Haitian people, but there is a certain level of corruption there. How have you been able to cut through that and try to protect your own efforts?

Lori Goldberg: Well, with us, everything is a firsthand experience. We deliver our donations to our projects. We're there regularly, so we're not shipping things, and we're sending things directly to our family members that manage our projects. But it is a very challenging place to work, because of the corruption.

Carey Pena: I want to talk to you about the emotional aspect of this. When you go to Haiti and you see this level of poverty, this level of struggle … And you are known I think as Momma Lori there. I mean, how do you return to the states to your beautiful house, to your great life, which you and your husband have worked so hard to have, but how do you return and not feel a level of guilt? How do you come back and not think about every single child there? I would just want to just bring them all back with me.

Lori Goldberg: I do come home, and it is a big adjustment, and a very emotional one because I miss them. But I realize that creating change from within and empowering this generation could be the solution for Haiti, through education, through love, through positive relationships and role models. It's a country that's been forgotten, and it hasn't had great leadership, and it's a very challenging place. But I will say that Haitians are generally very happy people. Very, very happy.

Carey Pena: What does that tell you about the human spirit, when you're in a place like Haiti and you meet a mom. I know a lot of the stories I've read, the photojournalists who've gone to Haiti and documented, particularly since the earthquake. It's amazing to me to see the resilience of the human spirit, that you see a mom, who's a single mom, who's got three, four children, and they're living basically in shambles, and barely any food, like you said, no clothing. But there does seem to be a sense of happiness. Is it a very religious place?

Lori Goldberg: It is a religious place. The strength that Haitians have, it really blows me away. There can be a storm and your entire home could be flooded, and they're outside waving. They're just use to living this way. Unfortunately, we are so spoiled that we can't even wrap our mind around something like that, that how could your home be flooded and you could still be happy and waving? We'd be going crazy.

Carey Pena: Yeah. What has this taught you? Have you sort of had to gut check, because you know as women, we like clothing, we like fashion. Does it come a point where you feel like, "Enough. I don't need so much more stuff."

Lori Goldberg: Definitely. I will say that it has given me a new perspective. What's important to me is really my family and the people that I love, and good health, and helping others. It's not about things, it's about people.

Carey Pena: I want to talk to you about some of the creative ways that you have raised money and filled needs over the years, including Chicks For Children. I think this is so great. Tell us about this.

Lori Goldberg: Chicks For Children is about chickens, building chicken coops and sharing the gift of what a chicken can actually do. It's a campaign that should alleviate hunger, and help people build a business, and provide good nutrition to their family members.

Carey Pena: How does it work?

Lori Goldberg: Well, we actually love to share chickens and build coops for those in need. What we do is we provide training to them on how to raise chickens. They have to commit to share the offspring and help them create a little business, so they can understand what this one chicken can do, and what it can provide to their family and to the community.

Carey Pena: Where are you doing this, Chicks For Children?

Lori Goldberg: Well, we're doing it in Haiti, but we also just built a coop here in Phoenix at Starshine Academy.

Carey Pena: Oh, how wonderful.

Lori Goldberg: It's wonderful.

Carey Pena: That's great. You are doing some projects here at home as well and spreading your love here locally. You also have had some success with pop-up stores, and I know a lot of charities are often trying to figure out ways to raise money. Tell folks how you have been able to navigate a pop-up store. You said the last time you did it, you raised enough money to send an entire crate of medical supplies to Haiti.

Lori Goldberg: Yes.

Carey Pena: Tell us more about that.

Lori Goldberg: Well, the pop-up is really fun, because who doesn't want to buy merchandise and support a great cause? But, our current pop-up is at the Scottsdale Waterfront, and the space was donated to us from the Waterfront. Then, we've also had so many shoes donated through Shoe Biz San Francisco, High Point, Adrian Wilson.

Carey Pena: Adrian Wilson is so great. The Cardinals player Adrian Wilson, yeah, he's wonderful.

Lori Goldberg: He's wonderful. He's been there for us through and through.

Carey Pena: He's helped you guys a lot, right?

Lori Goldberg: A lot. A lot. He participated in our pop-up three years ago. He came to our galas. He's a wonderful man. Very humble, very kind, very giving.

Carey Pena: I'm glad you brought that up too, because I find often times a lot of professional athletes are really out there doing some tremendous things that they don't have to do, and that they are not asking for credit. So often all we hear is the one story of an athlete who does something bad and it gets tons of press, but at the same time there are so many athletes out there doing wonderful things. I'm glad you brought up Adrian Wilson. The pop-up store is going for how long?

Lori Goldberg: It's going through the end of the month. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this weekend and next.

Carey Pena: Where can people find out more information?

Lori Goldberg: On our website, www.globalfamilyphilanthropy.org.

Carey Pena: All right. I want to read a few more quotes that I thought were beautiful about your effort. One of them says, "The poverty in Haiti is inconceivable. It scars one's heart. The Haitian people are so beautiful and so in need. I am proud and honored to have been a part of a phenomenal team of volunteers that made a difference in their lives." Another quote here, "Everything we have and everything we enjoy is due to the kindness of others. Every happiness there is in the world results of others' kindness. Because of Lori and Global Family, that happiness is with me forever. Thank you for falling into my life, and giving me and my children the opportunity to make a difference." That is from Stacey Webb who volunteered with you back in 2011. I see you tearing up over there. Why does it make you so emotional when I read these?

Lori Goldberg: Oh, it makes me feel good. Stacey is a sister to me and she is family. Most of the volunteers that travel with us, they become part of this Global Family. It's really a beautiful thing, and just to know that she had that experience and her children have had it, just warms my heart.

Carey Pena: Well, it strikes me that your mission is not just about going to Haiti and helping people. You are also expanding the views and the hearts of all of the volunteers who have worked with you, who have done work with you over the years, and that's pretty tremendous. For you personally, how has this changed you as a person?

Lori Goldberg: It's my way of life now and it's my priority. For my daughters, I want it to be their way of life, that think about others, put others first.

Carey Pena: Let me ask you Lori, because you're a very frank-speaking woman, you tell it like it is. For your daughters, because you have two beautiful teenage daughters, and teenagers can be teenagers, it's hard sometimes to get them to connect with an effort that is more than just, "Hey, we're going to the mall," and this, that and the other, social media. "Let's post a bunch of pictures about ourselves." Have you been able to break through that with your daughters?

Lori Goldberg: Somewhat. I mean, I will be honest, they are teenagers and they're girls, but they're amazing young women. They're strong young women. They have shared Haiti with many of their friends, and it's something that they're very proud of and it's important to them. They love our children, and our children are their siblings.

Carey Pena: You've been doing this now since, what do we say? When did you start? 2008?

Lori Goldberg: Yes.

Carey Pena: Seven years now. When I ask you this question and you think about five, ten years down the road, what is your hope for Global Family and your mission?

Lori Goldberg: Well, we are in the process of setting up college funds for our children, so they can either receive a higher education, or a trade school. But, at some point I'd love to have them come visit, just visit, because I want them to go back and be members of their community. But I see us having a place where we can spend more time in Haiti. When my daughters are in college, I'd like to live there part-time.

Carey Pena: For you, knowing that you have gone outside of your comfort zone to really do something to make this world a better place, how does that make you feel?

Lori Goldberg: It makes me feel good. It makes me feel really good. It's really hard, but it makes me feel good.

Carey Pena: What personally inspires you to keep going every day, even in the hard times?

Lori Goldberg: All the little faces and the smiles, and the people that love us and that we love.

Carey Pena: One more time, where can people find you?

Lori Goldberg: On our website, www.globalfamilyphilanthropy.org.

Carey Pena: I encourage people to go there and check out all of the things that Lori's doing, because this little lady right here, 5′ 4″ in her heels, is packing a punch. I just think your amazing. People like you inspire me. I appreciate you being here today. Lori Goldberg, thank you so much.

Lori Goldberg: Thank you Carey.

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