You Belong Here with Beth Ruffin

Join us in this episode as we chat with Ken Elliott, a seasoned Professional Web Developer and Digital Brand Consultant from Columbia, SC.

With over 20 years of experience, Ken has shaped creative brand concepts for 500+ clients at BKreative Media Solutions. Beyond his tech prowess, Ken is a community builder, founding a local creatives support group and co-organizing the Columbia WordPress Meetup chapter. Discover Ken's insights into web development, social media, and online marketing, and learn about his passion for family time, travel, and tinkering with tech gadgets.

Don't miss this engaging conversation at the intersection of technology, community, and creativity!

Connect with Kenhere:

Connect with Beth here:

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Send in a voice message: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bethruffin/message⁠

Support this podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bethruffin/support

Join us in this episode as we chat with Ken Elliott, a seasoned Professional Web Developer and Digital Brand Consultant from Columbia, SC.

With over 20 years of experience, Ken has shaped creative brand concepts for 500+ clients at BKreative Media Solutions. Beyond his tech prowess, Ken is a community builder, founding a local creatives support group and co-organizing the Columbia WordPress Meetup chapter. Discover Ken's insights into web development, social media, and online marketing, and learn about his passion for family time, travel, and tinkering with tech gadgets.

Don't miss this engaging conversation at the intersection of technology, community, and creativity!

Connect with Kenhere:

Connect with Beth here:

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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bethruffin/message

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bethruffin/support

In this episode, we're joined by Ellen, the passionate owner of Crazy for Ewe, a knitting haven. Ellen takes us back to 1983, sharing her humble beginnings with brushed acrylic, aluminum needles, and a Woolworth's pamphlet. Despite an initial tight, matted creation, she was hooked on knitting's allure.

Discover Ellen's love for custom-fit sweaters and vibrant accessories, as well as her fondness for intuitive stitch patterns and the oddly satisfying art of finishing touches. In 2002, after a hiatus, she fulfilled her dream of opening Crazy for Ewe, a cozy space echoing her own introduction to knitting.

Join us for a delightful chat with Ellen, exploring the warmth, creativity, and community that defines Crazy for Ewe. Whether you're a seasoned knitter or just starting, this episode promises inspiration and a peek into the heart of a knitting enthusiast. Welcome to the world of stitches and stories with Ellen!

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Join us for an inspiring episode as our guest, Sherry Jones, shares her perspective and her mission to empower women globally. Discover the daily practice that transformed her life and learn how she equips women to break free from stagnation, embrace authenticity, and fulfill their God-given assignments.

Explore the transformative power of words as Sherry applies biblical principles, addresses negative self-talk, and shifts mindsets. From impactful coaching services to inspiring messages on various stages, she's on a mission to help women leverage their words for personal transformation.

Say yes to the Journey, and don't miss this insightful conversation on embracing authenticity and unlocking your true potential with Sherry Jones.

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In this week’s episode, we’ve had the pleasure of talking with Joanna Rawbone MSc, the person behind Flourishing Introverts. 

Joanna created Flourishing Introverts with two main goals: 

(1) to question the preference for extroverts in business and education and 

(2) to empower introverted individuals to embrace their natural strengths without pretending to be someone else. 

She starts by helping quiet introverts discover and confidently use their strengths through group coaching programs and one-on-one sessions.

With a strong sense of purpose and enthusiasm, Joanna collaborates with companies and organizations to promote the valuable and gutsy contributions that introverts can bring to their businesses. It's a practical demonstration of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Joanna Rawbone is determined to change the bias toward extroversion and help introverts reach their full potential. We can't wait for you to hear her thoughts on our podcast.

So, put on your headphones, get cozy, and let’s look at a different perspective with Joanna. 

You definitely don't want to miss it!

Connect with Joanna here:

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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bethruffin/support

This week, we're incredibly honored to welcome an exceptional guest, Dr. Aida, fondly known as Doc A. 🌟
Dr. Aida is a renowned Global DEIB+ strategist, speaker, and certified personal & executive coach. With her passion for creating inclusive workplaces, she's been a guiding force in transforming the corporate landscape. As a remote work advocate and a staunch supporter of mid-managers, her insights are invaluable for navigating today's dynamic work environment.
She is the CEO & Founder of Taina Coaching & Training, a consultancy that leverages positive psychology to advance organizational DEIB+ objectives and convert them into transformative action. We can't wait for you to hear the wisdom and expertise she brings to the discussion!
So, grab your headphones 🎧, get comfortable, and join us on this enlightening journey with Dr. Aida. Trust us; you don't want to miss out on this one!

“Understanding pain changes pain” – Lorimer Moseley

Connect with Deana at: https://pain2possibilities.com/

Deana, with her rich background in Physical Health, Education, and Lifestyle Management from the University of Toronto and George Brown College, has dedicated her life to transforming pain into possibilities. As a certified Wellness Coach through the American College Of Sports Medicine, she's no stranger to the challenges of chronic pain and how to navigate them.

Join me this week as I speak with author & executive coach, Gigi Gilliard.

This week, we discuss:

Author of The Loud Brown Round Girl, The Inclusion C.O.D.E. (2020) and Hello Beautiful, Get Well Soon (2021), Gigi Gilliard owns and operates her learning and organizational development consultancy – (affectionately referred to as GGD).

A graduate of Rutgers University, (New Brunswick, New Jersey), with a Bachelors in Sociology and Communications, Gigi is a triple-certified Master Coach in the disciplines of leadership development, executive coaching and coaching for presentation/speech delivery for C-suite executives. She has also earned the prestigious and coveted Certified Diversity Executive, CDE ® distinction from the respected Society For Diversity/ Institute for Diversity Certification. Renowned for her work in the DEI&B space and leadership development, Gigi masterfully coaches professionals of all levels through the mindset and skill-building shifts necessary to help them elevate as inclusive leaders of influence.

Under her brand Gigi Gilliard: Author| Speaker | Executive Coach, Gigi utilizes dynamic content and facilitation to share remedies designed to help organizations in the areas of leadership development, inclusive leadership, and inclusion strategy. She helps these organizations build solutions that encourage and embed inclusion, while coaching behaviors that promote the attitude of belonging. A stalwart enemy of exclusion and inequality for any group anywhere, DEI&B, (diversity, equity, inclusion, AND belonging) is her specialty. She has helped to popularize the moniker DEI&B and believes that creating the sentiment of belonging is a crucial, and often missed, part of the inclusion conversation.

Recognized as “a conversation architect,” Gigi is a prolific orator and deeply skilled facilitator. An intuitive empath, she is regularly sought-out to lead the most difficult, painful, and challenging conversations about “otherness “and race. Here in the United States, she is excitedly partnered with several East Coast based C-suite executives and their teams like, Ryan Health, Hachette Book Group, Hudson River Museum, Young Audiences New York, Penguin Random House, and globally across the pond with Tempo Recruiting.

A native and resident New Yorker, Gigi is devoted to her faith, family, and equality. She is committed to elevating principles of belongingness and inclusion to those interested in championing these crucial behavioral changes in their workspaces… and in their lives.

Connect with Gigi here:

This week’s guest is Dayna Heckstall, Clinical Social Worker, and Founder of Ms. Well and Woke. She is on a mission to spread Mental Health Awareness from the Black Millennial perspective. Ms. Well and Woke creates a community of wellness aimed toward educating and motivating the masses. Dayna enjoys spreading her message of betterment through music, physical fitness, and therapeutic services. She describes herself as a plant enthusiast socialite who enjoys traveling and R&B music.

On this week’s episode, we discuss:

Links mentioned in this week’s episode:

 Get in touch with Dayna:

“Your goals need to be bigger than your fears.”

This week’s guest, Julia C. Rock, provided that nugget of wisdom in this week’s episode and I could NOT GET ENOUGH!

Julia C. Rock is a career and leadership development coach who has helped hundreds of ambitious Black and POC professionals break through career plateaus to secure six figure salaries and fulfilling job opportunities. Through her company Rock Career Development, she helps Black and POC former athletes and professionals in transition successfully find their next career play. Through her signature coaching methods, clients can secure dream positions while earning their value and then some. Julia is a published author, co-authoring two new books: The Six-Figure Athlete and Athlete to Entrepreneur (available soon). She has been featured in several major publications and platforms, including: Fortune, Business Insider, Monster, Blavity, and xoNicole.

This week, we discuss:

1.    Our tendency to disqualify ourselves

2.    The barriers we face when job searching

3.    Be willing to do the work

4.    Ask, Learn, Invest

5.    Knowing when it’s time to transition your career/job

6.    The connection between your why and your impact

7.    Aligning with your why

8.    Finding worth outside of your job title

 Connect with Julia here: