The More You Love Yourself… With Timothy Mays

On this week’s podcast, I have the pleasure of speaking with Timothy Mays, an educator, artist and published author. In our talk, we delved into what it means to experience love and relationships and to feel a sense of community. We peeled back the layers and expectations of what being a man means - in whatever variant identities you may have.

Timothy shared his experiences growing up and how he has witnessed marriages changing and evolving throughout the years. We also talked about Black History Month and about books that have transformed and impacted Timothy's life and my life as well. You will not want to miss this episode so you can hear Timothy's perspective on creating community and how men can transform their lives through the creation of community.

Timothy received his Master’s in Higher Education from Loyola University Chicago in 2016 and continues to dig deeper into his research around exoticism, disposability, and the healing of Black bodies. 

As an Artist/Spoken Word poet, Timothy has competed in the National Poetry Slam, InkSlam, College and Universities Poetry Slam Invitational, and many other events. 

He is now conducting spoken word and critical pedagogy workshops that give students and community members a space to develop their voice and materialize their thoughts. 

Timothy recently released his first poetry and affirmation book entitled, “And Still I Rise to Fantasize” which attempts to channel Black resilience in the face of consistent trauma while having the unwavering courage to strive toward being holistically well.

Timothy has devoted himself to making sure that people from low-income communities are prepared for and comfortable with the possibility of advocating for themselves to ensure that a true sense of community is accomplished.

To find out more about Timothy, you can reach him on Instagram and on his website.

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Working With Intention With Melissa Denizard

On this week's episode, I talk to Melissa Denizard, a native of Haiti, who is a 20-year-old activist, documentarian, and senior at Babson College.    She shares the challenges of being an activist and an organizer and we talk about vulnerability and feeling comfort in discomfort as well as the loneliness epidemic that is facing so many young people.

As an activist, Melissa uses her many talents, including public speaking, film, and the written word, to bring attention to the intersections of race, gender, and social class in the United States’ political framework. 

Melissa runs a blog that focuses on the intersection of race, gender, and social class in pop culture and politics. In 2018, her YouTube video, Unbraid with Me: Is Hair Political? was featured on Brut Media and Refinery29. Later that year, her blog post, "Don't Tell Me to Smile: A Commentary on Harassment in the Service Industry" was adapted into a TEDx talk for TEDxTarrytown.

As an alumna of the Young People For Fellowship, Melissa had the opportunity to expand upon her technological social venture Voice, which is an online platform for contemporary activists that aims to make digital organizing more accessible and efficient.. Partnered with Babson College, Melissa is also currently creating an initiative that will aim to help Flint, MI's entrepreneurs cultivate entrepreneurial skills to build wealth that will accumulate to help the city eventually emerge out of both the Flint Water Crisis and decades of poverty.

You won't want to miss her honest self-reflection on growth and self-care and her insights on the ways we can use pop culture to analyze race, gender and cultural clashes.

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Banned: Immigration Enforcement in the Time of Trump With Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia

In this week's episode, I have the honor of talking with Professor Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia. We talk about how immigration policy has changed in the time of Trump and we also talk about why people on both sides of the aisle should care about immigration.

Dr. Shoba is the Samuel Weiss Faculty Scholar and Clinic Professor of Law at Penn State Law in University Park. Her research focuses on the role of prosecutorial discretion in immigration law and the intersections of race, national security and immigration. 

She has published more than thirty law review articles, book chapters and essays on immigration law.  In this episode Dr. Shoba shares the insights she received from the people she interviewed for her book on immigration enforcement as well as the role that being a lawyer had in writing and publishing her works. 

Wadhia’s first book, Beyond Deportation: The Role of Prosecutorial Discretion in Immigration Cases, was published by New York University Press in 2015, and was given an honorable mention for the Eric Hoffer Book Award. Her second book, Banned: Immigration Enforcement in the Time of Trump, was released on September 10, 2019 by New York University Press. Her immigration textbook, Immigration and Nationality Law: Problems and Solutions, with co-authors Steve Yale-Loehr and Lenni Benson, was published by Carolina Academic Press in early 2020.

In 2018, Wadhia was named the inaugural Editor-In-Chief of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Law Journal, a partnership between AILA and Fastcase. In 2019, she served as the Enlund Scholar In Residence at the DePaul University School of Law.  At Penn State Law, Professor Wadhia teaches doctrinal courses in immigration and asylum and refugee law. She is also the founder/director of the Center for Immigrants’ Rights Clinic (CIRC).

Dr. Shoba does a brilliant job of demystifying the machinery of Trump's immigration policy and she illustrates her perspective through stories, terms and concepts we can all relate to and take action upon. I know you are going to love this week's episode and Dr. Shoba's insight may just shine some light on some issues you have seen for yourself.

You can read more about Dr. shoba’s publications by visiting her  website and you can purchase her books here.

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The Tragedy & Triumphs of Transformations with Wally B

On this day, Jan 20th, we celebrate the life and achievements of Dr. King and today on the podcast, I talk to Wally B., an ordained minister, spoken word artist, and the Founder and Executive Director of the Heard Em Say Youth Arts Collective. 

In this episode, Wally shares his reflections on MLK and the influence Dr. King had on his life.  We dig deep into Wally's journey of transitioning from being a full-time artist, to founding his nonprofit back in May 2007 to cultivating Heard Em Say. We also talk about what ultimately led to his decision to transition out of the role of Executive Director and creating a succession plan so that he could continue to grow and serve the community.

You'll hear all about his conversations with God and with his leadership team, and how he redefined what it means to be an artist and a leader. You won't want to miss this episode. 

Heard ‘Em Say was created in May 2007 to identify, cultivate and empower youth in activism and advocacy through artistic education and expression.  The organization serves over 300 young people a year, providing a healthy social outlet for teens to express themselves through spoken word and performance.  His team has competed for years at Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival.

Check out the show notes at www.tomearl.com/wally.  

You can support by visiting their website or Facebook.  

You can listen to past episodes here and here.

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On Being Strong, Smart, & Bold With Niki Kelly

Niki Kelly is the Executive Director of Girls Inc. of Bay County and is someone whom I respect and admire so much. Our talk together was a great opportunity to learn from a professional who has been on every side of the nonprofit world - from direct service, fundraising, leadership to the Executive Director role.  

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the challenges facing nonprofit leaders and nonprofits and we discuss what it takes to run a successful business that is inclusive, value-driven, responsive but also business-oriented.  

Niki shares key insights about issues that our community is facing and the evolving world of non-profit work as well as the importance of advocacy and looking at the work differently to improve program delivery. Niki’s education includes a Bachelor's degree in Criminology with a minor in Psychology and a Masters in Management both from the University of South Florida. She spent 12 years working in community mental health and addiction services followed by more than 10 years in refugee and immigrant services.  

Niki Kelly relocated to Panama City Beach in the spring of 2014 and joined the leadership team at Girls Inc. shortly thereafter.  Since then, she has led Girls Inc. on an aggressive growth plan expanding services to more girls in Bay County and putting the organization on a solid footing that enabled them to persevere following the devastation caused by Hurricane Michael in 2018.  For her response to the hurricane, Niki was awarded the Humanitarian of the Year award by the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce, and the Outstanding Community Leadership award by the Girls Inc. national organization.

I bet you are going to love this episode even if you aren't in the nonprofit world because you will hear thoughtful advice on how to run your own business in an ethical and inclusive way. 

You can learn more about girls Inc. of Bay County by following them on Facebook or visiting their website.

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My Year of Adventure

Each year I set an intention for what my “year of” will be.  In past years, I’ve manifested My Year of Expression, My Year of Balance, My Year of Courage and most recently, My Year of Grace. 

This episode introduces what this year will be - My Year of Adventure! 

To introduce the theme, I take a group of my friends through a writing workshop exploring what adventures this next year will bring.

If you’re looking for an opportunity to set your new year’s intentions and goals - let’s do this.

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My Year of Grace Final Episode

On this week's episode, I reflect upon my year of grace. This is the last episode of 2019, therefore the last episode of the year of grace. Throughout this year, I've had the opportunity to ask some phenomenal people what grace means to them. Not only that, but I also got to hear responses from you sharing what you thought of when you heard my guests reflect upon what grace is. 

All throughout it, I've been journaling and reflecting upon what grace means to me. Here are the 5 things; here are my answers and my reflections upon what grace is. I also share some fun stories from my life and some inspiring stories I've gathered from throughout this past year. 

I hope you check it out! What lessons about grace have you learned this year? I love hearing from you via social media or email at tom@tomearl.com.

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Vulnerability, Manhood and Authenticity with Orlando Deral Wilson

This episode is one of the most powerful stories of the year and listening to this incredible story is a great way for you to wrap up 2019. This week I talked with Orlando Deral Wilson, who shared his extraordinary story of experiencing homelessness and living in his car and his journey of how he created stability in his life as well as in his mind and in his heart. 

He opens up about how he discovered that his experience of rejection had been influencing his decisions and how he was able to transform his reality through becoming vulnerable. We talked about the impact that being vulnerable can have on those around us, and how we can draw positive changes into our lives through opening our hearts.

Fueled by a passion to help others, Orlando began his fitness journey as a form of self-help after he found himself homeless. He had started going to the gym daily – originally only to shower – but slowly used exercise to overcome feelings of helplessness and convert them to feelings of empowerment. As he became stronger physically, he became stronger mentally and shared videos of his journey on social media and built a following of many who were inspired by his story.

Orlando discovered his love for cycling which made an enormous impact on him from both a mind and body perspective. Always focused on growth and knowledge, he quickly moved beyond student to pursuing his own certifications as a fitness trainer and cycling coach. This new career path clearly was Orlando’s calling and he become Certified Fitness Trainer  and earned cycling certifications from Schwinn, Spinning / MadDogg and Stages.

Throughout Los Angeles, Orlando has emerged as one of the most sought-after Cycling coaches, Personal Trainers and Wellness experts. He has built a loyal following based on his ability to connect with students and help them achieve and exceed their potential both physically and mentally.

I recommend this episode to anyone who has experienced serious challenges who would like to learn how to grow through the challenge by looking within and harnessing the power of transformation. Please share this episode with any men who you think can benefit from being part of the conversation that I have with Orlando about vulnerability and opening up our hearts to create a positive change in our lives. 

You can connect with Orlando on Instagram; and as personal trainer and cycling coach at Equinox Clubs and elite studios throughout the Los Angeles area. 

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How to Fund Your Nonprofit with Laura Ferretti

In today's episode, I talk to Laura Ferretti, a seasoned fundraising professional and family advisor, with particular expertise in social change organizations.  We talked about the business side of nonprofits and the tactical ways that non-profit owners can secure resources for their organizations. Laura provides a rare glimpse into the economics of fundraising, philanthropy and explains the role of the board and staff in fundraising. You won't want to miss this fascinating and deep dive into how to keep funds flowing through your non-profit organization. Bring your notepad because there are some key takeaways about different avenues of fundraising and possibly some information you didn't know. 

Laura has worked with 60+ organizations locally, nationally and internationally; from start-ups to $30M annual operating budgets; and with missions ranging from poetry-based peacemaking to creating a strong, inclusive, shared society in Israel, healing the Santa Monica Bay and reforming criminal justice laws in California. 

Laura's credentials include graduating from Smith College and she earned an MBA from UCLA; she’s also a Brittingham Fellow with USC’s Social Enterprise Lab and volunteer Co-Founder and Board Co-Chair of Los Angeles Advisors in Philanthropy with a commitment to seeing more money come into philanthropy through the intergenerational wealth transfer in support of social change leaders in LA.

You can connect with Laura on Linked In if you'd like to discuss fundraising with her.

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Superstition, Rituals and Reflection

In this week's episode, we begin the process of closing out this decade with grace. We do that by talking about how you can release blame, how you can regain control of your life through taking personal responsibility, and how you can release some of the disempowering superstitions that are holding you back - the superstitious thoughts may not be what you think!

Join me in this solo episode where I share some awesome stories that have led to my biggest breakthroughs this year. 

I'd love to hear what superstitious beliefs you become present to as you listen to this episode. I love hearing from you via social media or email at tom@tomearl.com

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