The government is one of the largest buyers of goods and services, but how does a small business actually get a seat at the table?

In this episode of Turning Point, K. Patrice Williams is joined by Nancy Pigeon, procurement specialist with NorCal PTAC and former federal contracting officer, for a practical introduction to doing business with government agencies.

Nancy walks through the opportunities available at the local, state, and federal levels, what businesses should have in place before pursuing contracts, and how certifications can help reduce competition and open doors. From vendor registration and capability statements to market research, set-asides, and subcontracting, this episode provides a roadmap for businesses ready to explore government contracting as a new revenue stream.

Key Takeaways:

• Make sure you're contract-ready: An established business, financial capacity, sales history, a professional online presence, and the ability to deliver before receiving payment are important foundations.
• Certifications can create opportunities: Small business, women-owned, veteran-owned, HUBZone, and other qualifying certifications can reduce the competitive pool and unlock set-asides and subcontracting opportunities.
• Start with research, then position yourself: Identify which agencies buy what you sell, register as a vendor, build a strong capability statement, and use procurement resources to find and prepare for opportunities.

Connect:

Host:

K. Patrice Williams

Website: ⁠kpatriceforfairfield.com⁠

Social: @imkpatrice

Guest:

Nancy Pigeon

Procurement Specialist, NorCal PTAC Certified Federal Contract Manager & Former Federal Contracting Officer

Enjoyed this episode?

Follow @imkpatrice, subscribe to Turning Point, and share this episode with a business owner who's ready to explore government contracting and add a powerful new revenue stream to their business.

Diabetes can develop quietly, but understanding your risk can give you the opportunity to take action early.

In this episode of Turning Point, K. Patrice Williams sits down with Kirby Brooks, Senior Health Education Specialist with Solano County Public Health, for an accessible conversation about diabetes, prediabetes, and the lifestyle factors that can influence our health.

Kirby explains the differences between Type 1, Type 2, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes, while breaking down what actually happens inside the body when blood sugar remains elevated. She also shares practical guidance on A1C screening, physical activity, prevention programs, and resources available to help people better understand and manage their risk.

Key Takeaways:

• Know your numbers: Regular screenings, including A1C testing, can help identify prediabetes or diabetes and create an opportunity for earlier intervention.
• Small lifestyle changes matter: Regular movement, balanced nutrition, and sustainable daily habits can play an important role in reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes and managing existing diabetes.
• You don't have to do it alone: Diabetes prevention programs, public health resources, screenings, and community support can help make healthier changes more achievable.

Connect:

Host:

K. Patrice Williams

Website: ⁠kpatriceforfairfield.com⁠

Social: @imkpatrice

Guest:

Kirby Brooks, MPH

Senior Health Education Specialist

Solano County Public Health Master Trainer, National Diabetes Prevention Program

Enjoyed this episode?

Follow @imkpatrice, subscribe to Turning Point, and share this episode with someone who could benefit from knowing their numbers and taking a more proactive approach to their health.

What happens when women across a community come together, study the challenges, and then roll up their sleeves to do something about them?

In this episode of Turning Point, K. Patrice Williams sits down with Laura Petty, Chair, and Sakina Ali, Treasurer and Youth Member-at-Large of the Solano Commission for Women and Girls, for a conversation about advocacy, equity, and creating meaningful change for women and girls across Solano County.

They unpack findings from the Commission's Status Report, including concerns around poverty, homelessness, food insecurity, human trafficking, and maternal and infant health disparities. They also discuss the Commission's working groups, opportunities for community involvement, and why lasting solutions require bringing residents, experts, organizations, and advocates to the same table.

Key Take-aways:

• Data should lead to action: Understanding the realities facing women and girls helps communities identify where resources, advocacy, and policy attention are needed most.
• Collaboration creates stronger solutions: The Commission brings together community members, professionals, organizations, and advocates rather than duplicating work already happening.
• Everyone can get involved: You don't have to be a commissioner, or even a woman, to contribute. Community members can participate in working groups, meetings, initiatives, and other advocacy efforts.

Connect:

Host:

K. Patrice Williams

Website: ⁠kpatriceforfairfield.com⁠

Social: @imkpatrice

Guests

Laura Petty

Chair, Solano Commission for Women and Girls Attorney & Certified Criminal Law Specialist

Sakina Ali

Treasurer & Youth Member-at-Large, Solano Commission for Women and Girls Youth Equity & Community Advocate

Enjoyed this episode?

Follow @imkpatrice, subscribe to Turning Point, and share this episode with someone who believes stronger communities are built when women and girls have the resources, representation, and opportunities they need to thrive.

Your credit score isn't just a number. It can influence everything from borrowing opportunities to the cost of financing, but a damaged score doesn't have to be permanent.

In this episode of Turning Point, K. Patrice Williams sits down with financial educator Ruth Benjamin, founder of Financial Education Services, for a practical conversation about understanding, rebuilding, and protecting your credit.

After applying Ruth's strategies herself, K. Patrice shares how she increased both her and her husband's credit scores by more than 40 points in two months. Ruth discusses credit utilization, collections, authorized users, late payments, credit reports, bankruptcy, student loans, and the importance of understanding your rights as a consumer. She also touches on building business credit separately from personal credit and strategies for protecting your financial future.

Key Takeaways:

• Know what affects your score: Credit utilization, payment history, inquiries, account types, and other factors can influence your credit profile.
• Understand before you act: Before paying collections, disputing information, co-signing debt, or making major financial decisions, understand the potential consequences and your options.
• Credit can be rebuilt: Financial setbacks don't have to define your future. Education, consistent action, and a clear strategy can help you work toward stronger credit over time.

Connect:

Host:

K. Patrice Williams

Website: ⁠kpatriceforfairfield.com⁠

Social: @imkpatrice

Guest:

Ruth Benjamin

Founder, Financial Education Services

Financial Educator | Credit & Business Credit Specialist

Phone: 888-977-1222

Tax & 1031 Exchange Resources: Defer the Gains Tax

Enjoyed this episode?

Follow @imkpatrice, subscribe to Turning Point, and share this episode with someone who's ready to understand their credit, strengthen their financial position, and make more informed money decisions.

How do you turn devastating loss into a legacy of service, hope, and community impact?

In this episode of Turning Point, K. Patrice Williams sits down with Brother Ray Cordova of the Matt Garcia Foundation to honor the life and legacy of Matt Garcia, who became one of Northern California's youngest elected city officials after winning a seat on the Fairfield City Council in 2007.

Brother Ray shares Matt's passion for young people, reducing crime, and strengthening communities, as well as how his family transformed tragedy into action after Matt's death in 2008. From supporting youth and addressing homelessness to community programs, mentorship, and fundraising initiatives, the Foundation continues the work Matt began and challenges others to step up and make a difference.

Key Takeaways:

• Legacy is built through service: Matt believed young people could make a meaningful difference, and his commitment to serving others continues through the Foundation bearing his name.
• Community change takes collective action: Supporting youth, addressing homelessness, reducing violence, and strengthening communities requires people and organizations willing to collaborate and contribute.
• Step up to the plate: You don't need enormous resources to make an impact. Giving, volunteering, mentoring, advocating, or simply showing up can help keep a powerful vision alive.

Connect:

Host:

K. Patrice Williams

Website: ⁠kpatriceforfairfield.com⁠

Social: @imkpatrice

Guest:

Brother Ray Cordova

Community Leader | The Matt Garcia Foundation

Foundation: ⁠Matt Garcia Foundation⁠

Enjoyed this episode?

Follow @imkpatrice, subscribe to Turning Point, and share this episode with someone who believes a life of service can create a legacy that reaches far beyond one generation.

What changes when residents stop waiting for someone else to fix their community and start showing up for it?

In this episode of Turning Point, K. Patrice Williams sits down with Shelly Close, Community and Volunteer Coordinator for the City of Vallejo, for a practical conversation about volunteerism, community pride, and the collective effort required to create cleaner, stronger neighborhoods.

Shelly shares her journey from longtime community volunteer to coordinating volunteer initiatives for the city and discusses efforts to tackle illegal dumping and litter through programs such as Adopt-a-Block and Adopt-a-Street. She also explores community cleanups, volunteer recruitment, partnerships, reuse and recycling ideas, and why connecting the right people with the right resources can turn everyday residents into powerful agents of change.

Key Takeaways:

• Volunteerism builds more than cleaner streets: Working alongside neighbors creates relationships, strengthens community ownership, and encourages people to take greater pride in where they live.
• Prevention starts with education: Tackling illegal dumping requires cleanup efforts, but lasting progress also depends on helping residents understand disposal, recycling, reuse, and other available resources.
• Everyone has something to contribute: You don't need special expertise to volunteer. Bring your time, ideas, skills, or willingness to help, and there is a place for you to make an impact.

Connect

Host:

K. Patrice Williams

Website: ⁠kpatriceforfairfield.com⁠

Social: @imkpatrice

Guest:

Shelly Close

Community & Volunteer Coordinator

City of Vallejo

Community Engagement | Volunteer Recruitment & Program Development

Enjoyed this episode?

Follow @imkpatrice, subscribe to Turning Point, and share this episode with someone who's ready to roll up their sleeves, meet their neighbors, and help build a community everyone can be proud to call home.

Life insurance isn't only about what happens when you die. It's about what happens to the people you love when you're no longer there to help carry the financial load.

In this episode of Turning Point, K. Patrice Williams sits down with financial services professional Shelia L. Tyson to demystify life insurance and help families make more informed decisions about protecting their financial future.

With more than 31 years in financial services, Shelia breaks down the differences between term, whole life, final expense, and graded policies, while explaining living benefits, policy reviews, beneficiary updates, and the importance of buying coverage you can realistically maintain. She also tackles a powerful reminder: GoFundMe is not life insurance.

Key Takeaways

• Understand what you own: Term, whole life, final expense, accidental, and graded policies work differently. Know exactly what your policy covers before your family needs it.
• Review your policy regularly: Life changes, beneficiaries change, finances change, and your coverage may need to change too. Don't automatically cancel an older policy without understanding its value first.
• Protect your family, not just your funeral: Life insurance can help with income replacement, mortgages, living benefits, retirement planning, and leaving a financial legacy instead of leaving loved ones with bills.

Connect

Host:

K. Patrice Williams

Website: ⁠kpatriceforfairfield.com⁠

Social: @imkpatrice

Guest:

Shelia L. Tyson

Insurance & Financial Services Professional

Website: ⁠sheilaltyson.com

⁠Life Insurance | Retirement | Annuities | IRAs

Enjoyed this episode?

Follow @imkpatrice, subscribe to Turning Point, and share this episode with someone who needs the reminder that protecting the people you love is part of the legacy you leave behind.

What if your holiday shopping could do more than check names off your gift list? What if it could help a local entrepreneur grow their dream?

In this special Cyber Monday edition of Turning Point, K. Patrice Williams puts the spotlight on small businesses and local entrepreneurs, sharing shopping finds, holiday promotions, and businesses offering everything from beauty products and baked goods to clothing, artwork, and experiences.

K. Patrice also explores how local businesses are embracing e-commerce, highlighting entrepreneurs who adapted their businesses to make it easier for customers to shop online during the pandemic. At the heart of the episode is one simple challenge: if you're already spending, consider spending locally.

Key Takeaways:

• Shop local when you can: Holiday spending can directly support entrepreneurs, families, and businesses within your own community.
• E-commerce creates opportunity: Moving products and services online gives small businesses new ways to reach customers, especially when in-person shopping is limited.
• Support comes in many forms: Buying, recommending, sharing links, and amplifying local businesses can all help strengthen the small-business community.

Featured Businesses

• Crown 26 Beauty Supply
• • Baked at Grammy's
• • Modern Gypsy Boutique
• • Gotta Have It Artworks & Custom Framing, plus other local entrepreneurs and businesses featured throughout the episode.

Connect:

Host:

K. Patrice Williams

Website: ⁠kpatriceforfairfield.com⁠

Social: @imkpatrice

Enjoyed this episode?

Follow @imkpatrice, subscribe to Turning Point, and share this episode with someone who loves discovering local businesses. Your next purchase might be small to you, but a very big deal to a small business owner.

Why are Black mothers and babies still experiencing worse health outcomes, and what will it take to change that?

In this episode of Turning Point, K. Patrice Williams sits down with Dr. Shandi Fuller, Deputy Health Officer for Solano County, for a powerful conversation about Black maternal and infant health, racial inequities in healthcare, and the work of Solano HEALS: Health Equity for African American/Black Lives.

Dr. Fuller discusses the disparities affecting Black mothers and infants, including higher rates of infant mortality and serious childbirth complications. She also shares how Solano HEALS is responding through community-centered prenatal care, healthcare-provider equity training, mental health resources, and initiatives designed to ensure Black women and families are heard, valued, and supported throughout their healthcare journey.

Key Takeaways:

• Health disparities require more than awareness: Improving outcomes means addressing the structural inequities and racial bias that contribute to unequal healthcare experiences.
• Black women deserve to be heard and feel safe in healthcare: Self-advocacy matters, but healthcare systems and providers must also take responsibility for creating equitable, respectful, and responsive care.
• Community must be part of the solution: Solano HEALS centers Black families in its work and invites residents to become community champions who help shape strategies and solutions.

Connect:

Host: K. Patrice Williams

Website: ⁠kpatriceforfairfield.com⁠

Social: @imkpatrice

Guest:

Dr. Shandi Fuller Deputy Health Officer,

Solano County Health Equity & Maternal and Child Health Advocate

Solano HEALS Health Equity for African American/Black Lives Community meetings, resources, mental health support, and opportunities to become a Community Champion are available through the initiative.

Enjoyed this episode?

Follow @imkpatrice, subscribe to Turning Point, and share this conversation with someone who believes every mother and every baby deserves to be heard, protected, and given an equitable opportunity to thrive.

Before you rush into setting new goals, what if the first step is deciding what you don't want to carry with you?

In this interactive episode of Turning Point, K. Patrice Williams welcomes her friend and spiritual teacher Dr. Monique Hunt, founder of the Ancestor Wisdom School, for a guided workshop on closing one chapter and intentionally creating the next.

Using a vision box rather than a traditional vision board, Dr. Monique walks listeners through releasing difficult experiences, surrendering unfinished goals, practicing gratitude, visualizing what they want to create, and turning that vision into intentional action. The conversation also explores how service, gratitude, and regularly revisiting your goals can keep your vision alive throughout the year.

Key Take aways:

• Release before you rebuild: Let go of experiences, emotions, and unfinished expectations you don't want to carry forward.
• Create the vision as though you're living it: Get specific about what you want, how it feels, and how your success will allow you to serve and support others.
• Your vision requires action: Revisit your vision box regularly, celebrate what's manifested, surrender what no longer resonates, and identify the steps you can take each week to move forward.

Connect:

Host: K. Patrice Williams

Website: ⁠k. Patrice for Fairfield⁠

Social: @imkpatrice

Guest: Dr. Monique Hunt Spiritual Teacher & Founder, Ancestor Wisdom School Ancestral Story Clearing Practitioner

Website: drmonique.com

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Enjoyed this episode?

Follow @imkpatrice, subscribe to Turning Point, and share this episode with someone who's ready to release what no longer serves them, make room for what's next, and create their new chapter with intention.