“I Was Not What They Expected” With Dr. Kikanza Nuri-Robins

Sometimes you just don’t fit in. What should you do then?

Explore this intriguing topic with us as we chat with our very special guest, Dr. Kikanza Nuri-Robins, author of several books including Fish Out of Water.As someone who never fit into a particular group, she became a force for awareness and change.

For years, she’s been an amazing advocate for justice, equity, and inclusion, for hundreds of organizations across the country and continues to teach companies how to create a healthy corporate culture for all employees. 

When asked to describe herself in 6 words, she replied: ”I was not what they expected.”

Come by to hear our discussion where we go deeper on what it’s like to feel like someone who doesn’t belong and how we can play our part to help society become more inclusive.

🎧 Ready to listen?

Head over to: www.tomearl.me/knr.

Check out Dr. Kikanza Nuri-Robins’ books and how you can work with her here.

Listen to "“I Was Not What They Expected” With Dr. Kikanza Nuri-Robins" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Black Love & Plugging Into Your Spiritual Power Source With Wally B and C-Main Jennings

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how would you give voice to those words? 

This is the mission of Mouth of the Mural. 

Mouth of the Mural is an ekphrastic (i.e. visual art into words) event that unites visual, literary and performance artists with business owners in an effort to celebrate community, connection, and conversation. 

The initiative is founded by power couple Walter “Wally B.” Jennings and Charmaine "C-Maine" Jennings. 

During our interview, we explored how to cultivate a loving, supportive, and long-lasting relationship. 

There were so many special moments where Wally and C-Maine shared honest and vulnerable moments from their 20+ year marriage. 

Walter “Wally B.” Jennings is an ordained minister, published poet, spoken word artist, MC/Host, instructor and strawberry Fruit Roll-Up enthusiast!  A native of Tampa, FL, his poetical talents has allowed him to conduct over 1000 performances, workshops and mentorship sessions in the national spoken word community during his 20-year career.  

Charmaine "C-Maine" Jennings is a 20+year leader in education.  She is a writer, artist and champion for equity, culture, diversity and inclusion.  She has designed and facilitated professional development and workshops for private organizations and K-12 public schools across county and state lines.

At the core of this episode, we discuss the importance of finding the spiritual power source that will sustain you. 

I hope you will do yourself this favor, and dive into this week’s episode. 

Enjoy. 

You can learn more about Mouth of the Mural here and here.

Listen to "Black Love & Plugging Into Your Spiritual Power Source With Wally B and C-Main Jennings" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Stories of Healing & Survival With Sumiyah Mshaka, Dania Alkhouli, and Neda.

What conversation should we be having on domestic violence? 

That is the question that begins this week’s episode. 

This week’s episode brings you a panel discussion on domestic violence, stories of Healing & Survival. 

My panelists are Sumiyah Mshaka, Dania Alkhouli, and Neda. 

Each guest brings their unique insights, story, and experience to this important conversation. 

Together, we discussed the misconceptions, myths and misinformation that surround domestic violence. 

We also explored ways to support and be there for someone who is currently experiencing domestic violence or is a survivor. 

I am grateful to Sumiyah, Dania, and Neda for sharing their stories and journeys with us on this week’s episode. 

A theme that arose during the panel discussion was that, even though it may be difficult, is important we have this conversation.

About My Guests: 

Sumiyah Mshaka is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and group fitness instructor who comes from a family with a legacy of social justice work. After graduating from the UCLA MSW program in 2004, Sumiyah began her extensive career in social work specializing in mental health treatment and advocacy for youth in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sumiyah taught kickboxing and strength training classes at 24 Hour Fitness for 7 years. She recently started her own online fitness business featuring live virtual fitness classes, 722 Sweat Mvmt. You can follow Sumiyah on IG - https://www.instagram.com/turbosumiyah

Neda is a nurse practitioner in Los Angeles. She does primarily reproductive and prenatal care, and is covid testing all day every day. When she isn’t in the clinic, she’s on the pole doing strong woman things. You can follow Neda on IG - https://www.instagram.com/hijabiluscious/

Dania Ayah Alkhouli is a Syrian writer, blogger, poet, editor, and author. Dania’s work centers on feminism, mental health, sexuality, identity, culture, religion, her war-torn homeland, Syria, and on grief, loss, and death. She has been featured on Buzzfeed and Jubilee Media, and has performed across national venues such as Da Poetry Lounge in Los Angeles, House Slam in Boston, and Busboys & Poets in D.C. You can follow her on IG at @lady_narrator and @acountrycalledsyria.

If you are looking for resources or support on Domestic Violence you can visit https://www.thehotline.org/. 

The disclaimer on the website shares: 

“Internet usage can be monitored and is impossible to erase completely. If you’re concerned your internet usage might be monitored, call us at 800.799.SAFE (7233). Learn more about digital security and remember to clear your browser history after visiting https://www.thehotline.org/plan-for-safety/internet-safety/.”

Listen to "Stories of Healing & Survival With Sumiyah Mshaka, Dania Alkhouli, and Neda." on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Defining Success

Have you been following along on our “Manifesting Your Adventure” series? Most of you know that 2020 is my “Year of Adventure” and in honor of my upcoming adventure, I’d like to give you some tools to allow you to have this year be your most wonderful year yet. I invite you to cast aside any preconceptions you might have about what an adventure is or has to look like.

I’ve brought together 3 amazing people from different industries and took them through a 7-day workshop with experiential hands-on activities and exercises and from those hours I put together an online course to share with you called “Manifesting Your Adventure.”

Welcome to Naming Your Adventure! This is our third installment of our “Manifesting Your Adventure” workshop and if you haven’t tuned into our first 2 episodes in the series, you want to go back and listen to days 1 and 2 (March 9 and 16).

On day 3, we talk about your definition of success. We want to make sure we are not heading towards a goal that sounds good in theory but once you get there doesn’t bring you any joy.

How has your definition consciously or subconsciously been influencing your decisions? For many of us, success has been defined for us by our parents, our society, and our culture. Without realizing it, we have been consciously or subconsciously striving to achieve a bar of success we may not even believe in anymore.

This week’s experiential episode will engage you in creating a holistic perspective of success. After listening to this workshop, you will be empowered to attain a realistic, accurate and updated vision of how you want to measure the life you’re living.

Make sure to go back to the last 2 episodes before you go through this one. If you’d like to go through the rest of the 7-day program, I’m giving you the gift of 30 days free of T.H.E. Celebration Academy membership. As a member, you receive access to all of our class and are able to participate in the monthly live workshop that is exclusively for members.

 Visit tomearl.com/manifest to start your 30 free days.

Listen to "Defining Success" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Conversations on Ending Fatphobia With Dr. Jeannine Gailey

Did you know fatphobia bias is the top implicit bias of Americans? This week, I have the pleasure of talking with Dr. Jeannine Gailey, who specializes in gender and deviance.

Her research and teaching interests include sociology of the body, fat or critical weight studies, sexualities, gender, and organizational deviance. We talked about the history of fat bias and being fat and the effect that body-size privilege has on all of us.

If you always suspected there was an unspoken prejudice against those who didn't fit the mold that our culture deems appropriate, you’ll definitely want to listen to Dr. Gailey as she shares her knowledge about diet culture and discrimination and the Fat Acceptance Community. 

Dr. Gailey recently guest-edited two special issues for the journal Fat Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Body Weight and Society. Her monograph, The Hyper(in)visible Fat Woman, was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2014.

In addition, her work has appeared in journals such as Fat Studies, Social Psychology Quarterly, Deviant Behavior, Qualitative Research, and the Journal of Gender Studies. In 2015, Gailey received the WGST Claudia Camp Research and Creative Activity Award for her work on the stigma and marginalization women of size experience in society.

Listen to "Conversations on Ending Fatphobia With Dr. Jeannine Gailey" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Defining Success

What is your definition of success?  How has your definition consciously or subconsciously been influencing your decisions?  For many of us, success has been defined for us by our parents, our society, and our culture.  Without realizing it, we have been consciously or subconsciously striving to achieve a bar of success we may not even believe in anymore.

Let’s end 2018 intentionally by determining for ourselves, fully aware, what success means. While achievement is heavily stressed in our culture, often reflecting upon what creates fulfillment and true happiness is left behind.

This week’s experiential episode will engage you in creating a holistic perspective of success.

After listening to this workshop, you will be empowered to attain a realistic, accurate and updated vision of how you want to measure the life you’re living.

Listen to "Defining Success" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Interfaith, Creative Writing, and Magic with Alex Sullivan

Poet and editor Alex Sullivan is studying the ways religion and and culture interact, with a focus on postcolonial and diaspora studies.  So it was no surprise when our conversation this week went into the areas of interfaith work, and big vocabulary words like intersectionality.

This is also Alex’s birthday week so we couldn’t resist talking about cool magic spells, and some really terrifying things like reading poetry OUT LOUD.

Alex has her BA in both Religious Studies and Social Science, and is currently doing her Masters at NYU’s Center for Experimental Humanities.  She edits for GSAS literary journal Caustic Frolic and believes there’s beauty in everything and she is always looking for it.

Check out this week’s beauty-full episode.

You can follow Alex on Facebook and Instagram.

Listen to "Interfaith, Creative Writing, and Magic with Alex Sullivan" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.