The setback is your comeback! Don't let the pain of your past cause you to miss the blessings and opportunities that are destined for your journey. Get ready for some inspiration and motivation to never give up on your dreams in this episode.

So, we're switching it up this episode. I'm being interviewed by Kevin who is the host of the podcast, More Than A Soup Kitchen podcast where they share stories on what it's like to be homeless and information on services available to help end homelessness.

In this interview I share my upbringing facing poverty, homelessness, abuse as well as my motivation to start my business Light To Life an anti-domestic violence consultant program. I also share some of my work regarding reentry for justice-impacted womxn.   

Learn more about my Business Light To Life: https://www.lighttolife.org/

Learn more about my Best Selling Book: https://www.tenajmoody.com/shop/p/carry-it-with-you-ebook

Check out More Than A Soup Kitchen Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-than-a-soup-kitchen/id160858363

Support the show

In the United States, one in eight women will develop breast cancer by age 75 years.   Getting to know your breasts is crucial to catching breast cancer early. Major cancer centers recommend women start performing regular Breast-Self-Exams (BSEs) in their early 20s. That is one of the reasons why I wanted to have an episode dedicated to promote self efficacy and encourage women and people with breasts to perform this behavior as part of their routines.

In this episode, I spoke with Dani and Deanna who are part of a group of graduate public health students at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health enrolled in a health communications course. As part of the course Dani and Deanna along with three other group members Alex, Sofia, and Gabi, carried out a campaign teaching women about the importance of early breast cancer screening and teaching them how to perform breast self exams.

You will learn: 1) Why you should check your breasts 2) how to check your own breasts,  3) how to make it part of your routine!

Deanna Amarosa is a Masters of Science in Public Health candidate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland. She graduated from The College of New Jersey with a Bachelors of Science in Public Health and Communication Studies. Deanna is passionate about pursuing a career in health communication that educates and empowers others with information and skills they can use to improve their health.

Dani Maydan graduated from the University of Michigan with degrees in Neuroscience and Psychology in 2021. She is currently finishing her masters in public health at the Bloomberg school of public health at John’s Hopkins. She’s passionate about health communication and has spent the last two years working for Medicine for the Greater Good, partnering with community leaders in Baltimore to promote health and wellness beyond the confines of the hospital. 

Please share this episode with your friends, family and loved ones, to learn more I'm linking a Step by Step Guide on how to conduct a breast self-exam from the groups website : https://feel4lumps.wixsite.com/saveurbumps/how-to
#Feel4LumpsSaveUrBumps

Support the show

Good things in life take time and hard work!

In this episode I will be sharing some exciting news about a recent project I have been working on.  One of the projects was a grant Light To Life applied for in partnership with a national non profit called From Prison Cells to PhD (P2P) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. I'm excited to announce this project was a success! Light to Life and From Prison Cells to PhD (P2P) joint proposal was approved by Bloomberg American Health Initiative for funding $20,000 research on supporting justice impacted survivor reentry programming.

Our project entitled They Are Survivors Too: Gender- Responsive Programming for Justice Impacted Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) will apply a rigorous methodology to evaluate the impact of Light To Life's programming for survivors of gender-based violence and of the carceral system.

This research project will begin to set the standard for gender-specific programming for Womxn's reentry programming. Stay tuned for more research updates as we continue to develop our project! Interested in learning about P2P's Womxn's Cohort, check it out HERE!

I hope this episode inspires you and motivates you to keep pushing forward towards your goals, every day do one small things towards growing your craft! The small steps is what makes up the big steps! You got this! 

Support the show

How do you grow a deeper connection with our mind, body and soul? Dive into this conversation to learn how you can fully embrace your true self and stop holding back! 

I spoke with Dr. Brooke Fantin,  who is a Pelvic Health and Orthopedic Physical Therapist about her journey of weight loss and how it has inspired her to start her own business, Whole Soul Wellness & Physical Therapy, where Brooke and her team work with those who feel stuck and are lacking lust in their day-to-day lifestyle. The team’s primary focus is to help those who struggle with excess weight in tuning into themselves and their physiology to create the optimal internal environment our bodies need in order to thrive.

Through this clients increase their self-awareness, sense of autonomy and confidence in the decisions they make regarding their health and their lifestyle, as well as enhancing their self-expression to finally feel free from the weight that’s holding them down.

Brooke also works with pregnant and postpartum clients to help maintain their activity and fitness level during and after pregnancy. In Brooke’s free time she likes to practice jiu jitsu and yoga, and continues to learn and grow as a practitioner to better serve all of you.

To connect and learn more about Dr. Fantin and her work:
Instagram: @wholesoul_dpt
Whole Soul Wellness & Physical Therapy Program: https://whole-soul-wellness.com/

Please remember to Rate, Review and Follow on Apple & Spotify Podcasts!

• Scroll to the bottom
• Tape Rate with five starts
• Select "Write a Review"

Then be sure to me know what you loved most about the episode @janetbackwards
Your feedback is greatly appreciated, thank you :)

Support the show

Behind every successful women is her story!

Female Entrepreneurship is by no means easy, that is why I wanted to open up the conversation with a Female Entrepreneur who is paving her own way and providing some inspiration and tips for other women so you don't have to feel alone in your entrepreneurial journey.

Dive into this conversation with Basia Skudrzyk who is a Business Development & Workforce Executive.  With 20+ years of experience, Basia Skudrzyk can help identify strengths and opportunities that will help achieve individual and team goals as a program analyst and executive coach.

In this episode, you will learn more about Basia and her journey to becoming the Founder and CEO of World Wide Smart Beauty, a marketing and brand expert consulting company that helps brands achieve success locally and globally.  Of course, you will also leave with some advice and words of encouragement if you're thinking of becoming a Female Entrepreneur too!

To connect & learn more about Basia: https://www.basianajarroskudrzyk.com/social 

Please remember to Rate, Review and Follow on Apple & Spotify Podcasts!

• Scroll to the bottom
• Tape Rate with five starts
• Select "Write a Review"

Then be sure to me know what you loved most about the episode @janetbackwards
Your feedback is greatly appreciated, thank you :)

Support the show

What am I supposed to be doing in my late 20's? There are many descriptors to describe the different stages we go through life like mid-life crisis, quarter-life crisis but there is a period in your late 20's that does not have a descriptor to describe those experiences.   

In this episode, I share my personal 3 life lessons from my experiences this year to begin to create a conversation about the uncertainty, confusion  or urgency to live up to society's expectations of being in your late 20's.  This is a reminder that you're not alone in your journey and I encourage you to embrace getting older, to be honest and vulnerable about your experiences because someone might really need to hear this.

Book Resources:
My new Book: Carry It with You
Nell Frizzell: The Panic Years

Please remember to Rate, Review & Follow on Apple & Spotify Podcasts
Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write A Review." Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Your feedback is greatly appreciated :)

Support the show

All relationships exist on a spectrum. It is important to know where your relationship stands in order to build healthy foundational relationship patterns.  In this episode, I share part of my survivor story from my new book #CarryItWithYou coupled with information I wish I had when I was experiencing abuse in my past relationship.

In my  honor of Domestic Violence Awareness month, not only will your have some helpful information and resources but in this episode you will also learn how to:

• Identify healthy and unhealthy relationship patterns.
• Identify warning signs of an abusive relationship.

Sign up for the Relationship Spectrum Workshop HERE!

If you recognize any of the warning signs, it may be an indication that your relationship is abusive. See below for a list of resources including my consultant firm Light to Life. 

• Sign up for the Relationship Spectrum Workshop HERE!
• Develop a safety plan and learn more bout the Relationship Spectrum in my new book Carry It With You, visit TenajMoody.com 
• LighttoLife.org
• https://www.thehotline.org/resources/healthy-relationships to connect with an advocate to confidentially discuss your situation and explore available options.

Please share this episode with any friends or family members who might need to hear this.

Support the show

Are you tired of the flings? Well a Matchmaker might be a great resource for you to find the ONE! A Matchmaker does not mean you're desperate, it means you're ready to put in the work to find your partner. This means you're at a stage in your life that you're ready to put your best foot forward to become a better your to attract better!

So....Are you ready to build healthy long-lasting relationships? Well, in this episode I got your covered! Meet, Henvie! She is Certified Matchmaker who has been matching others on a personal level prior to establishing The Precise Approach Matchmaking. In this episode we talk about relationships, dating blind spots, how the match making process works and why you should consider a match maker versus online dating. 

Henvie is familiar to the dating world challenges. She once was in a relationship that ended badly and left her traumatized and fearful of getting out there and meeting new people. Once she developed the courage to get herself out of her traumatize state and navigate the dating world and it’s challenges she learned great things that she wanted to share with others in hopes of placing them in a lasting partnership. 

Hevie knows what it’s like to face these challenges  in the dating realm.  Through The Precise Approach Matchmaking, she matches and helps others find that very special someone. Henvie love's  LOVE  but most importantly, she LOVES IT FOR OTHERS.

Here is her Linktree link where you can find her direct number, website, Instagram, Facebook, and other cool things  she’ll have setup for you:

https://linktr.ee/PreciseApproach2019

Support the show

Support the show

About 25% of the world's total prison population is in the United States, which holds about 2.19 million incarcerated people as of 2019.  None where in the world incarcerates more than the United States. As a nation we have chosen prison over rehabilitation as a response to crime.  We're incarcerating whole social groups, specifically black men who have very low levels of schooling. Education is one of the keys to success to reduce incarceration rates among black men. 

William Freeman is a native New Yorker, who grew up in Baltimore and spent 21 years of his life in prison. At a young age struggled to find a community of self and a place where he felt accepted. He gravitated to the streets at an early age, where he experienced instant acceptance. During his time in prison, he developed a love for education, starting and completing more than 83 self-help, vocational, educational, and therapeutic programs. In the Fall of 2014, he enrolled into the Goucher Prison Education Partnership, earning 75 college credits before returning home to Baltimore. 

People who are formerly incarcerated and receive an associate degree drops the rate of recidivism to 13.7 percent, a bachelor's degree reduces it to 5.6 percent and a master’s degree brings recidivism to 0 percent. As a country, we need to begin to shift out views on the carceral system and the systems in place. It is clear based on a study by Emory University we need to value educational opportunities, and financial assistance to enhance our communities and the future. 

William is continuing to defy the odds after his release on August 18, 2018. On May 25, 2020, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology & Anthropology. William currently works with two criminal and racial justice organizations in Baltimore City: From Prison to Professional (P2P) and Redistributing Agency And Wealth (RAW) Trust. He also received two fellowships: the Fred Patrick Fellowship with the Vera Institute for Justice and the Education Trust Justice Fellowship. William is attending grad school this summer to pursue his Masters of Public Health. He plans to study initiatives to reduce gun violence in the City of Baltimore. 

To learn more and get connected with William see below:

Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/FormerlyIncarceratedEST2019 

Goucher College 2020 Commencement : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUEc2cQtqiY 

EdTrust Justice Policy Fellow:  https://edtrust.org/team/william-freeman/

Vera Institute for Justice:  https://www.vera.org/people/william-freeman 

The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health Fellowship: https://americanhealth.jhu.edu/news/introducing-2021-bloomberg-fellows

Linked In:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-freeman-iii-9b7798184/

Support the show