Trailblazing In Color

Welcome to Season 2 of the Trailblazing in Color podcast! This season, we're excited to bring you even more empowering stories from guests who are paving the way as trailblazers in their fields.

In today's first episode of the season, our guest is AJ Crabill, an accomplished leader in the field of education who has dedicated his career to improving the lives of students by transforming school systems from the ground up and the top down.

AJ's book, Great On Their Behalf, Why School Boards Fail, How Yours Can Be Effective, offers a powerful blueprint for leaders at all levels to shift their focus towards student outcomes and create lasting impact. Great on Their Behalf's approach to transformative change transcends education and can be applied to many industries and community work.

Whether you're actively involved in education or lead within another sphere, AJ's insights on coaching, mindset, and systemic transformation will resonate deeply. When there are weaknesses in a school district, the teachers and students are rarely the cause. More often than not, the weakness stems from poor leadership higher up the chain. When the school board is more effective, in giving the teachers the support they deserve, the results can blow you away.

If you’re feeling called to become a school board coach and make your impact in that way, email AJ directly at [email protected] for more information.

You can find AJ’s book and many more great resources at https://greatontheirbehalf.com/.

Finally, we’d love to hear from you: What are you celebrating? What support do you need? Reach out at [email protected] to share with me and let’s stay connected.

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Thanks for your ongoing commitment to keep knowing better and doing better!

Be sure to hit Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss an episode: www.trailblazingincolor.com/join

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Podcast Intro/Outro Music composed by Troy Chapman

A Podcast Launch Bestie production

Welcome to the final episode of Season 1! It's been quite a ride. 

In this solo episode, I wanted to share a few things I’ve learned during our inaugural season, what I’m feeling grateful for, and where we’re headed from here.

In January 2023, we’ll be launching our first series of community events open to everyone, as well as our peer advisory program: The Trailblazers Collective.

Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a thing! Sign up at www.trailblazingincolor.com/join

And we’d love to hear from you: What are you celebrating? What is lighting your fire as we go into 2023? And finally, what support do you need?

Reach out at [email protected] to share with me and let’s stay connected.

_____________

Thanks for your ongoing commitment to keep knowing better and doing better!

Be sure to hit Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss an episode: www.trailblazingincolor.com/join

Trailblazing in Color

Podcast Intro/Outro Music composed by Troy Chapman

A Podcast Launch Bestie production

Today’s guest, Samara Hakim, is an international culture and inclusion thought leader, data strategist, keynote speaker, writer, and facilitator. She is also the president of CuturGrit, LLC and her mission is to bring people together to be themselves and to create the most impactful work they would like to see for their own dreams and for their own legacy.

In our conversation, we talk about her active approaches to creating more inclusive, innovative work environments within organizations, leveraging cultural intelligence and tenets of inclusive leadership. We also discuss the role discomfort plays in culture transformation work and the evolution this work needs to take in 2023 and beyond.

Connect with Samara at culturgrit.com

Be sure to hit Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss an episode: www.trailblazingincolor.com/join

Thanks for your ongoing commitment to keep knowing better and doing better.

Trailblazing in Color

Podcast Intro/Outro Music composed by Troy Chapman

A Podcast Launch Bestie production

Today we’re talking about coaching and what it means to really move into ascension and elevation with support through an influential coaching process. I’m visiting with my friend and fellow coach, Chris Ho. Chris is a certified coach, leader, entrepreneur, father, husband, and community advocate.  Professionally he is the founder and coach of ConsciousStudio.ca, a 1:1 life coaching organization focused on helping people become leaders in their own lives, living life in the present, on purpose, and with passion. 

We explore how great coaches ask insightful questions while also meeting the client where they are, holding space, and leading them to heightened discovery, decision-making, and performance improvement.

We have found that the clients that have the biggest, most expansive transformations have come to the coaching experience with an openness to learn and a willingness to commit. If you've ever considered working with a coach to take you to the next level, you will love listening to this episode.

Connect with Chris at www.consciousstudio.ca

Be sure to hit Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss an episode.

Thanks for your ongoing commitment to keep knowing better and doing better.

www.trailblazingincolor.com/join

Podcast Intro/Outro Music composed by Troy Chapman

A Podcast Launch Bestie production

Our guest this week is Joan Maze, founder of Life in Seven Coaching & Consulting and the creator of Work Wellness Academy (WWA), a learning community dedicated to providing the practical strategies and resources needed to help people show up at work happy, healthy, and whole.

Joan is a speaker, facilitator, and certified personal and executive coach who specializes in helping individuals and organizations create more freedom and fulfillment in their work. As part of WWA, Joan works with organizations to help them systemically unlearn toxic work habits and status quo work conventions.

In this episode, we’ll talk about Joan’s experiences navigating a toxic work environment and how she learned to separate her worth from her work, while still maintaining a focus on her strengths and her purpose — and how we can all work towards doing the same.

Connect with Joan on her website https://www.therealjoanmaze.com/

If you want to tune into the conversation, be sure to hit Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss an episode. Thanks, Trailblazer!

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A Podcast Launch Bestie production

Today’s trailblazing guest is my long-time friend, Kyle Ali. Kyle is an advocate for equal educational and workforce opportunities and has led several large-scale initiatives to attract and develop Black talent at Google and through his work as Global Chairperson for the Black Googler Network.

In so many of the arenas in which Kyle serves, his focus is on creating ripple effects of long-term impact and lasting change.

Over the course of our conversation, Kyle shares how during his work with Teach for America, witnessing the lack of opportunities, particularly for young Black, Brown, and Native youth, shaped his focus on educational and workforce advocacy. We examine the work of building leadership that is reflective of the communities served and moving towards building prosperity for all.

In all of his work, Kyle is focused on maintaining alignment with what matters most: fulfillment and impact.

If you want to tune into the conversation, be sure to hit Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss an episode.

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Hi, everyone! Our guest today is an Emmy-award-winning Distinguished Software Engineer passionate about encouraging more young women to enter the tech field. Leslie Chapman is an Engineering Fellow for Comcast, a sought-after speaker, and an advocate for young women to pursue careers in technology.

I am lucky enough to call her my Aunt Leslie and, throughout my life, she has served as a huge inspiration for me. Even so, like so many of us, she still struggles with imposter syndrome and believing she deserves a seat at the table. Over the course of our conversation, Leslie shares:

• How her intersectional identities of being Black, biracial, and a woman have impacted her experiences in the tech field
• How she’s learned to embrace her identities as an integral part of her story and personal brand
• What's needed to create sustainable mentorships
• How we can still influence significant change as individual contributors

If you want to tune into the conversation, be sure to hit Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss an episode.

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Today’s guest is Tania Bhattacharyya, founder of Lumos Marketing, a thought leadership consultancy for social impact entrepreneurs ready to stand out as they stand up for their mission.

In our conversation, we chat about:

• Strategies she uses to overcome imposter syndrome and other challenges that get in the way of women taking up more space.
• How to stand up and stand out as an expert with clarity and intention.
• The power of authentic storytelling and building your campfire circle.
• Helping social impact leaders attract their dream allies and build movements.

Above all, Tania shares her hard-won wisdom and vision for raising the resources we collectively need to create positive change. Thank you for tuning in!

Connect with Tania at https://lumosmarketing.co/

Be sure to hit Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss an episode.

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Today's guest is Desiree Aspiras, founder of Deep Breath Network, a diverse and welcoming space to share creativity, mindfulness, and embodied practices with changemakers around the globe.

Desiree is trailblazing paths as an educator, therapist and facilitator focused on integrating these practices into her arenas of mental health, higher education, and social justice. Infused in all of her work is a belief that inspiring individuals to find hope, meaning, and courage is essential to creating change.

In our conversation, we talk about:

• Her journey to integrating mindfulness and contemplative practices into her work as an educator and therapist.
• What it means to reject the established and conditioned norms, particularly in the higher education space, and make the choice to authentically show up differently.
• How we avoid replicating oppressive systems in the spaces we occupy.

Desiree and I have known each other for over 12 years and today we’ll chat about evolutions we’ve seen each other through that have shaped the experiences that made us who we are today. Thanks for tuning in!

Connect with Desiree on her website, deepbreathnetwork.org or on IG @deep_breath_network

Be sure to hit Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss an episode.

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A Podcast Launch Bestie production

On today’s episode, our guest is Kim Desmond. She is trailblazing paths as the City of San Diego’s first Chief of Race and Equity. Prior to this appointment, Kim served as the Director and Interim Chief Equity Officer for Mayor Michael B. Hancock, overseeing the Mayor’s Office of Social Equity and Innovation within the City and County of Denver.

This conversation is a powerful one, as Kim has a way with storytelling, connecting dots, and role-modeling what it means to be intentional and care-driven in this work. 

Kim shares the winding, but ultimately, very aligned road that brought her to this work and how the intersection of all that she’s done makes her uniquely equipped for the work she does. 

She talks about the mindsets she’s adopted in order to what to do when everyone is looking to you to solve one of the most deep-rooted problems: systemic racism.

I hope you are as inspired by this conversation as I was while having it!

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Be sure to hit Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss an episode: www.trailblazingincolor.com/join

Thanks for your ongoing commitment to keep knowing better and doing better.

Trailblazing in Color

Podcast Intro/Outro Music composed by Troy Chapman

A Podcast Launch Bestie production