Episodes
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My guest for this episode is Founder and Executive Director of H.U.T.C.H. (Help United Through Caring Hands), Armishia Wiley-Adams.
Armishia was raised by her grandmother and uncle after her mother died when she was eight. She became pregnant in high school and dropped out. After having two more children before the age of 22, Armishia became determined to get off government assistance. She earned her GED followed by a Bachelorâs in Organizational Management with a specialization in Human Resources Management and then a Masterâs in Organizational Management with a specialization in Organizational Leadership.
Over her decades of working in HR and making job placements, she was keenly aware of the gaps and flaws in the system where women were consistently referred for jobs that they were unqualified to keep. Armishiaâs passion for helping women break out of poverty drove her to found her nonprofit H.U.T.C.H. Their mission is to teach women of all ages to become self-sufficient and workforce ready.
During this interview, Armishia and I talk about everything from referrals and assessments to job training and placement; from George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks to voter suppression and what itâs like being an African-American mom in the Atlanta area, and we also talk about the pandemicâs impact on programs and the board. Through it all, Armishia generously shares her triumphs and struggles of running a nonprofit all while holding down a full time job in HR.
As you know, I finished recording all the podcasts for this year months ago, and yet, each one has been released at a specific time for a specific reason. And Iâve been holding this interview until now because my guest holds a Vision Board Workshop every JanuaryâŠand I want you to consider sponsoring at least one woman to attend this because it will literally change her life.
https://yournonprofitlife.com/s2-ep-18-armishia-wiley-adams/
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Iâm about to introduce you to a woman who is proof positive that the mission her organization passionately pursues on a daily basis works amazingly well.
My guest, DeLashea Strawder, is the Executive Director and Artistic Director of the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroitâa creative youth development organization. In other words, Mosaic is a nonprofit organization which helps to unleash and explore the creative talents of young people all while developing leadership skills which will serve them the rest of their lives.
DeLashea first learned about the organization in middle school, and after much prodding in high school by friends and teachers, she auditioned for and was accepted to Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit and participated until she graduated. And though she never planned to return to Mosaic after graduation and heading off to college, the universe had other plans.
As you listen to DeLasheaâs story, youâll be inspired by her strong commitment to both her career and her family, and you might be surprised how a turn in her grandparentsâ health turned DeLasheaâs plans upside down...but her journey into discovering her purpose in life right side up.
I really appreciated DeLasheaâs vulnerability as she shared about the intersectionality of being a young, black, woman running an established nonprofit in Detroit and the courage she has every day to lift up other people and make sure that the conversations that need to be had are had.
Youâre gonna love this interview with wife and mother of four, DeLashea Strawder, the Executive and Artistic Director of Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit.
https://yournonprofitlife.com/s2ep17-delashea-strawder
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Missing episodes?
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In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States, we are re-releasing an educational and inspirational interview with someone whose people lived here before the country was âdiscovered.â Krista Beazley is now serving as the Executive Director of the Fort Apache Heritage Foundation. Hear about her journey into nonprofit leadership which began after the death of her husband. Show notes: https://yournonprofitlife.com/encore-s1e32/
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Happy Veterans Day! Every year, here in the United States, we observe November 11th as a federal holiday to honor our military veteransâpersons who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
âIt [Veterans Day] coincides with other holidays including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day which are celebrated in other countries that mark the anniversary of the end of World War Iâ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day).
In this episode, youâll meet a remarkable woman who is not only the daughter of a veteran but the Deputy Director of a nonprofit organization that serves some of the most vulnerable veterans and service members in the country.
KellyAnn Romanych is the Deputy Executive Director of Veterans Legal Institute. VLI provides pro bono legal assistance to homeless, at risk, disabled and low income current and former service members to eradicate barriers to housing, healthcare, education, and employment and foster self-sufficiency.
Her journey to VLI might surprise youâespecially when you hear what her college major was! For KellyAnn, though, every move was made conscientiously as she followed her inner compass which continually directed her on a career path of serving the servers.
KellyAnn is a lover of nature, a gifted writer, and one of the kindest women I know. I canât wait for you to get to know her better as she shares her story and what itâs like to lead this growing nonprofit in Southern California.
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Long time no see. Can you believe itâs already October and the holidays are right around the corner? Literally. And I think weâre all still waiting to see what itâs going to be like this year as we begin peeking out from behind this life-altering global pandemic. I know one of the traditions my family missed out on last year was an in-person holiday handbell concert by the Raleigh Ringers. It wasnât safe and like most arts organizations, they took their performance to cyberspace.
This pandemic has really turned the way we experience life upside down, and I truly believe that one of the hardest hit subsectors in the nonprofit world is arts & culture. And yet, the sector rose to the occasion as it provided us with virtual concerts weâd otherwise never been able to attend (Third Coast Baroque and Broadway Inspirational Voices, Iâm talking to you!), virtual gatherings to create and reflect on beauty, and so much more.
My guest today is Dionne Powlenzuk, the Executive Director of the Visual Arts Centre of Clarington in Bowmanville, Ontario Canada. We recorded this podcast earlier this year before adding video, so ironic as it is, we only have audio for this interview.
So⊠could you imagine how to run a public art gallery during a pandemic? Like how can you even? How do you continue serving your community when everything is on lockdown? Or not? Or again?
The fact is: Even though we are finally seeing the light at the end of the Covid tunnel, this pandemic has hit the arts sector the hardest of all.
And yet, I cannot fathom how we would have survived this pandemic without leaders like Dionne who took what was primarily an in-person only experience and moved it online and outdoors so we could learn and refresh our spirits during one of the darkest times in our lifetime!.
In this interview, Dionne and I talk about how she started volunteering at the organization she now leads, and what that journey has been like. We also explore the various ways the pandemic has changed the way we experience the arts, and how her local gallery has not only expanded their audience, theyâve also grown the pool of artists they supportâwith living wagesâto include artists worldwide.
So with no further adieu, allow me to introduce you to Dionne Powlenzuk, the Executive Director of the Visual Arts Centre of Clarington.
https://yournonprofitlife.com/s2ep16-dionne-powlenzuk
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Todayâs interview is with the founder of a Humane Society in southern Texas.
You might not be familiar with this type of organization so let me help you get your bearings. Youâve heard of animal rescues and animal shelters before, right? And when you think about them, you probably imagine they rescue pets like cats and dogs.
And maybe, if youâve been listening to this podcast for a while, you also think of birds, pigs, and snakes!
So, let me ask you this. Have you ever thought about what happens to abused and neglected horses? Or what happens when a horse owner loses her job and canât afford to care for her well-loved four-hoofed friend? Did you realize that horses sometimes need to be rescued? Sheltered? Rehabilitated?
Well, they do, and today youâre going to meet a woman who not only saw the need for a horse rescue, she decided to start a nonprofit organization that does just that.
Todayâs episode was so much fun to record. My guest is the Founder and Executive Director of Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society, Jennifer Williams. During our interview, Jennifer shares about her love of horses and her journey into the nonprofit sector--which, by the way, was never part of her life plan.
She also shares about how she met her husband online back in the mid 90s (something we have in common), and how her life changed after having her daughter later in life.
Additionally, Jennifer has a genetic condition that has made running a nonprofit more challenging than it would have been without it. We also discuss life as a nonprofit founder and how hard it was to build a strong board--but so worth it.
I canât wait for you to meet Jennifer Williams, Founder and Executive Director of Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society in Rosharon, Texas.
https://yournonprofitlife.com/s2ep15-jennifer-williams/
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Today's guest is a young man who found his lifeâs purpose while pursuing a music degree at Yale University. He was working toward a career in musical theater (think Broadway) and enjoyed studying alongside so many talented musicians and artists.
He longed for the chance to collaborate with fellow students outside of coursework, but quickly discovered there werenât actually that many opportunities to be found.
So, as it often happens with nonprofit founders, my guest decided to take action... and now chronically ill children are not only writing their own lyrics and songs, but they are collaborating with professional musicians to produce their songs and share them with the world...
How? Thatâs exactly what youâll learn in my interview with Dan Rubins, Founder and Executive Director of Hear Your Song. During our conversation, youâll learn not only how this organization was born, but also how it has evolved over the past few years, and how it is poised for exponential growth in the very near future.
And let me just say this here and now: Prepare to be impressed. This is a truly unique podcast, because not only will you get to hear all about âHear Your Songâ, youâll also learn the backstory of a few of the kidsâ songs AND actual excerpts that have already been produced.
https://yournonprofitlife.com/s2ep14-dan-rubins/
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My guest today is LeeAnn Porter, the Founder and Executive Director of Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank in Galesburg, Illinois.
LeeAnn started the organization in her home back in 2014, and now they operate out of a 5,000 square foot warehouse and serve residents of SEVEN COUNTIES in Central Illinois.
Even though Loving Bottoms is a diaper bankâa hub for diaper distributionâthe organization also provides a variety of basic necessities such as period supplies, incontinence supplies, and wipes to those in need.
Why is LeeAnn so passionate about diapers, you ask? Well, it goes back to a time when her world had turned upside down and LeeAnn found herself in a place sheâd never been...making choices she never thought sheâd ever have to make.
You will be inspired by LeeAnnâs story. It took a lot of grit and determination to rebuild her life. It wasn't long until she knew she had to help others who face similar challenges. And that's when the idea of a nonprofit burst in and said, "Start a diaper bank!"
I canât wait for you to meet LeeAnn and hear how sheâs helping her community (and surrounding communities) by providing what they need when and where they need it.
If you listen to the whole episode, youâll hear about the most creative and fun fundraising idea Iâve heard about in a super long time. When she explained it, I was like, âSign me up!â and âTake my money!â Yes, itâs that good, and you could totally adapt it to a virtual fundraiser if needed.
Enjoy this interview with the lovely and tenacious LeeAnn Porter, founder and Executive Director of Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank.
https://yournonprofitlife.com/s2ep13-leeann-porter/
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In this podcast, you will meet the Reverend Young Lee Hertig. She is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of both the Innovative Space for Asian American Christianity AND Asian American Women On Leadership. Sheâs also the Editor-In-Chief of ChristianityNext, and the author of The Tao of Asian American Belonging: A Yinist Spirituality.
Did you catch that? She literally wrote the book on Asian American Christianity...because there wasn't one!!! Her book lifts up the voices of female, Asian American in Christian ecological theology. She coined the term yinist in the 1990s to âname the nameless Asian American feminism.â Her organization is progressive, intersectional, holistic.
My personal educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and a Master of Divinity in Biblical Studies and Archaeology so I was basically fangirling the entire time. It was an honor to interview someone who shares my love of theology and passion for elevating the voices of womenâespecially minority and marginalized women in Christianity.
We have such an incredibly diverse group of nonprofit leaders we support in the Nonprofit Leadership Lab. They are incredible human beings, and Rev. Hertig totally filled my tank.
Without any prompting from me (I promise!), Dr. Hertig shared her appreciation for the Lab and said our resources are what helped her get out of the catch-22 of not being able to raise money for her 15-year old organization.
Wow... I'm on cloud nine right now... just to have the opportunity to interview Young and learn the details of her own journey into the nonprofit sector. You will be inspired and motivated when you hear why they changed the name of their organization without losing the acronym ISAAC.
I cannot wait for you to meet Rev. Young Lee Hertig, co-Founder and Executive Director of ISAAC: Innovative Space for Asian American Christianity.
https://yournonprofitlife.com/s2ep12-young-lee-hertig/
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In this episode, we turn our focus to PRIDE and the nationwide celebration of LGBTQIA2S+ humans who deserve the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness just like everyone else.
We are all image bearers.
Today, I am honored to share my interview with Katie Cox, the new Executive Director of The Equi Institute, a nonprofit located in Portland, Oregon. The Equi Institute exists to enrich the lives of marginalized humans with trauma-informed and culturally affirming care with a little social justice advocacy for good measure.
In this interview, Katie and I will discuss the total metamorphosis of her organization over the past few years.
She will share the interesting story of how a car accident led to her landing a job as the Billing Specialist for the medical doctor who eventually founded The Equi Institute and how her role in the organization evolved during what I'm calling their âcaterpillar days.â
Unfortunately, the organization was experiencing financial difficulties about the time Covid-19 was declared a pandemic. They pivoted as much as they could but eventually had to pause programs and go into a "cocoon" state, not sure if theyâd ever get out of it.
But here we are in the summer of 2021, and The Equi Institute has emerged as a strong, beautiful, financially stable butterfly ready to take flight.
https://yournonprofitlife.com/s2ep11-katie-cox/
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Todayâs guest is Henry Burrell, the founder of the Jonesboro Business Association. Originally from New York, Henry relocated to Louisiana and now resides in Jonesboro, Arkansasâand weâll talk a little bit about the difference between life in Queens as opposed to life in the South.
Hereâs what you need to know about Henry. First and foremost, he is a successful businessman. He has been in the hospitality industry for decades developing leaders and pouring his life into his community. After moving to Jonesboro, he recognized a gap in the local business sector and began brainstorming how to fill it in such a way that the community would be stronger AND locally owned businesses would collaborate for a bigger impact â especially with the students in Jonesboro.
And isnât that the way it happens with nonprofit Founders? They see a gap or a need, envision a way to address it while changing lives, and then they rally other leaders to join them for greater impact?! You should be nodding your head up and down right now, because thatâs exactly how nonprofits get started.
I canât wait for you to meet Henry and hear his story about what itâs like to develop leaders in both the for profit and nonprofit sectors of Jonesboro, Arkansas.
https://yournonprofitlife.com/s2ep10-henry-burrell/
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Rutgers is the 8th oldest college in the U.S. having received its charter in 1766â10 years before the Revolution. Recent research documents the university's foundation on land taken from the indigenous Lenape people and at one time benefited from slave labor and funds derived from purchasing and selling slaves.
As you can imagine, itâs not easy creating a sense of belonging for students whose ancestors were directly impacted by this. And for decades...centuries, really... there was no association dedicated to serving the alumni of African descent. But that all changed when students banded together in 1989 to form the original Rutgers African-American Alumni Alliance on campus.
RAAA was re-launched in 2001 (and incorporated in 2006) as an all-volunteer organization serving the African, Afro-Asian, Black/African-American, Afro-Caribbean & Afro-Latinx alumni encompassing all of Rutgers University's undergraduate and graduate schools in New Jersey.
In this episode, my guest, Kendall Hall, shares her passion for building unity and developing camaraderie among students, faculty, and staff of African descentânot only as alumni, but possibly just as important, while they are are actively enrolled in studies at the University. She explains how a studentâs experience of belonging while studying at the university directly impacts their involvement as alumni which indirectly impacts the experience future students have at Rutgers.
And it makes sense, right? If you donât feel like you belong at your university, when you matriculate, you walk away.
Envisioning a more inclusive future for both students and alumni, Kendall has actively been involved in running various aspects of RAAA, Inc. since 2001. Notably, she worked directly with the class of 1971 on the their class gift: the Paul Robeson Plaza to honor one of Rutgerâs most famous graduates.
Kendall highlights why this project was so significant for the university, and why she was so intent on helping with it even though she graduated more than 25 years after the class of 71.
I canât wait for you to meet Kendall Hall, President of Rutgerâs African-American Alumni Association, Inc.
https://yournonprofitlife.com/s2e09-kendall-hall
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Itâs Mental Health Month, and I could not think of a more important way to wrap the month than talking with someone who runs an established mental health agency in Southern California.
I donât know about you, but if you are like me, you are probably wondering what happens with the unaccompanied minors who have found their way to the land of the free and the home of the brave, right? And how does one cope when theyâve experienced trauma but cannot afford the professional help they need to start the healing process?
Let me introduce you to my next guest because sheâs going to educate us about all of this and more.
Teddie Valenzuela is the Executive Director of Amanacer Community Counseling Service in Los Angeles. Sheâs a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been at Amanacer for more than 20 years starting as a therapist and currently serving as Executive Director. Weâre going to unpack her journey over the course of this conversation and youâll be inspired by what Teddie has been able to accomplish over the years in her different positions.https://yournonprofitlife.com//s2e08-teddie-valenzuela
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Sharnette Lewis, the Executive Director of Dogs Deserve Better, a nonprofit organization dedicated to freeing the chained or penned dog as well as helping the dog who is abused, neglected, homeless and abandoned. Their goal is to rescue, rehabilitate and help the dog find a home where they can live inside with a loving and caring family.
Dogs Deserve Better has multiple locations, and their main headquarters is located in Smithfield, Virginia on the property once owned by Michael Vick. During this interview, Sharnette shares the story of what theyâve done with the former dog fighting compound and how they have memorialized the dogs who died there. We also talk about how Dogs Deserve Better is working to break through cultural traditions and stereotypes to help people appreciate dogs as companions.
Please pay close attention to Sharnetteâs words as they are sometimes hard to hear due to background noise. Her message is clear, powerful, and applicable across the sector, no matter what your mission is.
Youâll walk away from this interview understanding why itâs so important that we, as nonprofit leaders, meet people where they are and build relationships with them to spark change.
Itâs the genuine relationship that creates the circumstances conducive to change in behavior, attitude, and expectation. I canât wait for you to meet Sharnette Lewis, a woman who has a heart for all animals and a passion to break the chains of dog abuse and neglect. Letâs get started.
https://yournonprofitlife.com/s2e07-sharnette-lewis
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This episode features one of the most unique nonprofit organizations I'm aware of. In fact, as far as we know, this is one of only two organizations with this mission in the entire world. Let's set the stage a little bit.
Like many of you, my family switched to watching Sunday Services online when the pandemic was declared. Last week's sermon was based on a passage in the book of Numbers in the Hebrew Scriptures where the people were being bitten by snakes. Not exactly the kind of story you're expecting to hear on a Sunday morning! Then the priest shared a story about her own experience being trolled by a snake in her backyard. She cannot stand snakes!
Maybe you're now thinking about all the movies you've seen where snakes are the representation of evil, or maybe even they're the villains themselves.
Well, today we're here to flip the narrative around snakes and learn about them from a completely different perspective.
My guest today is Melissa Amarello, the founder and executive director of Advocates for Snake Preservation (A.S.P.).
Asp! Isn't that a cool name for this organization?!
Melissa has been fascinated with snakes since she was a little girl, but it wasn't until she was in college that she saw her first rattlesnake out in the wild. And that experience changed the trajectory of her career.
Over time, Melissa realized that she had a gift for helping people better understand snakes. She found that being face-to-face with people, she could break through the misinformation and help people care about the snakes they might encounter in their yards or out on a trail.
Melissa focused her passion, started a nonprofit from scratch, and is now the first paid staff at her organization, the Executive Director. Her story will inspire and educate you.
https://yournonprofitlife.com/s2e06-melissa-amarello
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Today is International Womenâs Day â March 8, 2021
Today's episode features an interview with a woman who, like the me, is someone with a strong faith and a desire to see more women in leadership rolesâboth secular and religious. My guest and I have had similar journeys fighting misogyny and patriarchy in our different religious traditions.
Fatima Sadaf Saied is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Muslim Womenâs Organization in Orlando, Florida. Sheâs a wife, a mother, and a fierce advocate for the women in her community, but especially those in her faith community.
In this interview, Fatima shares how her parents immigrated to the United States from Pakistan and worked to establish a mosque for Asian Muslims who had also immigrated to the same area. We talk about everything from growing up in the nonprofit world and attending the University of Miami to getting married and being a full-time mom, and from that to starting an organization to empower Muslim women with service opportunities as well as trauma-informed training.
We talk about why some Muslim women wear a hijab, why she does, and how wearing the hijab changed her life. We also delve into what it takes to make real, tangible change in a system steeped in patriarchy, and I have to say, her approach is genius!
Fatima is the real deal. A strong woman of faith who works hard every day to elevate the voices of women in spaces where they are often silenced.
I just couldnât be happier to bring you this interview today. Now more than ever, we need role models of strong womenâespecially in the faith community which can skew towards patriarchy. We need to hear their stories and see them in action. We need to be reminded that one woman CAN make a huge difference even when the approach towards making that change has to be indirect.
https://yournonprofitlife.com/s2eb1-fatima-sadaf-saied
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Thereâs something you need to know up front about this particular episode: Itâs for the birds! All of them! Raptors, Songbirds, Scavenger Birds, Owls, I could go on and on.
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Mainly because I love trying to identify different types of birds. In fact, one of my familyâs favorite movies is called âThe Big Yearâ with Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson. We watch it frequently and enjoy identifying the various birds who land on our fence or in the trees next to it. But this is nothing compared to todayâs guest. Her whole life is birdified!
Wendy Perrone is the Founder and Executive Director of the Three Rivers Avian Center (TRAC) in Brooks, West Virginia. TRAC is located right next to the New River Gorge National Park in the southern portion of the New River Gorge National River down by Sandstone Falls Overlook.
Wendy and her husband Ron founded TRAC back in 1990, and they still run it to this day. Thatâs 31 years of bird rescue, rehabilitation, and reintroduction from the property on which they live. 31 years is a long time so you can count on my asking Wendy about succession planning and the future of the organization.
Wendy was a delight to interview. I always find someoneâs path into the sector interesting, and youâll be amazed at what Wendy and her husband did prior to starting TRAC! The thing is, now that theyâve had the organization for so many years, itâs hard to imagine them doing anything else!
With a rather remote location, you might be surprised to know TRAC receives injured birds from all over the stateâI think youâll be impressed with how the birds are transported. Can you say âvolunteer coordinationâ?!
By the time youâre done listening to this podcast, youâll be observing birds from a whole new perspective. Iâm so happy youâre here to learn about the important work Wendy Perrone is doing at Three Rivers Avian Center and what her plans are to keep it going long after sheâs gone--not that sheâs leaving anytime soon!
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Chay Neal is the Executive Director of Animal Liberation Queensland in Queensland Australia.
Animal Liberation Queensland exists to protect all animals from abuse, exploitation and suffering; to foster respectful and compassionate community attitudes towards animals; and to promote veganism as the most ethical and ecologically sustainable lifestyle.
During this interview, Chay reveals when he made the decision to go Vegan (he started at a younger age than you might expect) and how love for his first pet ignited something in him that turned into a lifelong passion of advocacy for all living creatures.
As we do in all our podcasts, we explore Chayâs journey into the nonprofit sector which began with volunteering and protests. He also shares his move from volunteer to board member and then what it was like transitioning from a long-time board member position to being the organizationâs first paid staff.
Chay explains the organizationâs strategic use of storytelling to help open the minds and soften the hearts of lawmakers inspiring significant change in the animal rights movement.
By the time you've finished listening to this interview, you'll know more about what you can do to make the world a more respectful and compassionate place for all living creatures.
https://yournonprofitlife.com/s2e04-chay-neal
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CONTENT TRIGGER WARNING:
This episode includes discussions about sex trafficking, commercial sex exploitation, and pimp culture. So, if this is something you want to skip, you should skip it. Listener discretion advised.January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month so Iâve been interviewing a variety of nonprofit leadersâfounders, ceos, and executive directorsâwho run organizations addressing the horrible evil of human trafficking.
Today's guest is Natasha Paradeshi, the Co-Founder of The Landing, a drop-in center for survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation in Houston, Texas. Whether providing them with an advocate, reaching out to them in the red light district, the folks at The Landing intend to meet people where they areâwherever it may beâand support them throughout their journey.
In this interview, Natasha will share how she became interested in nonprofit service while she was a college student, and how her heart was stirred to action when she learned about the horrors of human trafficking at a conference. One of the gaps she recognized was the lack of identifying victims of human trafficking, so she and other co-founders established their first (and only...so far) âDrop-in Centerâ in the red light district of Houston.
At The Landing, they seek to meet people where they are, honor their inherent dignity and worth, and walk alongside them on their journey. This organization was started out of the deep faith of the founders, and so as you might expect, it comes up. Whether or not you share her faith, you will LOVE hearing Natashaâs story and her passion for serving and identifying victims of human trafficking. The Landing offers a fair, just, and healthy culture of inclusion, diversity, and empowerment for all victims of human trafficking.
As heavy as this topic is, Iâm still excited for you to meet this amazing woman who is making a tangible difference in the lives of victims of human traffickingâeven if they donât yet realize they are being trafficked. Youâre going to love Natasha Paradeshi, co-founder of The Landing in Houston Texas.
https://yournonprofitlife.com/s2e03-natasha-paradeshi
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SEASON 2, EPISODE 2: CONTENT WARNING
This episode includes discussions about sex trafficking and exploitation of young children. So, if this is something you want to skip, you should skip it. So, if this is something you want to skip, you should skip it. Listener discretion advised.January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month so Iâm interviewing a variety of nonprofit leadersâfounders, CEOs, and Executive Directorsâwho run organizations addressing the horrible evil of human trafficking.
My guest in this episode is Heather Bland. Heather is the CEO of My Refuge House, a long-term aftercare home in Cebu Philippines where survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse live in a safe, family-like environment while receiving comprehensive, therapeutic care so they can reclaim their lives.
During our interview, Heather shares how she knew from a very young age what she wanted to be when she grew up, and I promise you itâs something youâve never heard of before! We also discuss the incredible origin story of My Refuge House and how one small church in Southern California determined to change lives in the Philippines.
Heather is also a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and so we have some bonus content at the beginning of our interview where we discuss the StrengthsFinder Assessment as well as Marcus Buckinghamâs StandOut Assessment (which he is currently offering at no charge due to the pandemic). Links to both assessments are in the show notes.
My interview with Heather is a little longer than others, but I promise youâll go away informed, inspired, and filled-up with hope for humanityânot to mention a little more educated about discovering your strengths.
Sheâs just a phenomenal leader, plus sheâs funny and fun. Iâm excited for you to meet her. This was such an interesting, lively conversationâdespite the heavy subject matter. I think itâs because what Heather and her team are doing at My Refuge House is so incredibly inspiring.
Enjoy this incredible conversation with this hope wielding, loud laughing, includer, optimist, storyteller, coffee drinker, and inventor of "the good vibe thumb": Heather Bland the CEO of My Refuge House.
https://yournonprofitlife.com/s2e02-heather-bland/
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