Trust Your Voice: Recent Episodes
Sylvie Légère
As a civically engaged entrepreneur and mom, I understand the challenges of advocating for yourself and others while attempting to balance your personal and professional demands.
I had to develop a personal system of success in every area of my life. Now I want to help you build your unique system and truly trust your voice, even if it shakes. That’s why this week I am launching my new podcast entitled “Trust Your Voice”, based on my new book, “Trust Your Voice”, A Roadmap to Focus and Influence.”
By the end of each episode, you'll be energized to advocate for yourself, spark your creative
In this episode, host Sylvie Legere and guest Jennifer-Ruth Green dive deep into the art of effective leadership and team management. Sylvie and Jennifer explore the crucial strategies for developing organizational values, clear communication, and empowering individuals to thrive within their roles. They also unravel the importance of recognizing individual preferences, instilling leadership values from a young age, and balancing affirmation with direction and correction in guiding future leaders.
Jennifer, a military veteran and author, shares practical insights from her extensive experience, emphasizing the profound impact leaders have on their teams' well-being. From discussing her book "People Don't Quit Their Jobs. They Quit Their Bosses" to touching on her company, Battle Proven Leadership, Jennifer reveals the key characteristics of respected leaders and the foundational principles every leader should embody.
This episode promises actionable advice for both new and experienced leaders and is a must-listen for anyone dedicated to improving their organizational impact.
Guest bio
Jennifer-Ruth Green served in the U.S. Air Force and the California Air National Guard, and serves in the Indiana Air National Guard. Green earned a B.S. in foreign area studies (Asia) from the United States Air Force Academy in 2005, a master's degree in ministry from Golden State Baptist College in 2013, and a B.S. in aeronautics/aviation/aerospace science and technology from Liberty University in 2021. Her career experience includes working as the chief information officer with the Indiana Air National Guard, an AFVentures fellow with SecurityScorecard, and the director of the Student Employment Resource Center of Hyles-Anderson College. Green founded and serves as the director of MissionAero Pipeline.
Amazon: People Don’t Quit Their Jobs, They Quit Their Bosses
Visit the Battle-Proven Leadership website
In this episode, we explore the direct impact of online platforms and big tech in facilitating various forms of sexual abuse, including the exploitation of minors and the proliferation of deepfake pornography. Insights from our guests highlight significant campaigns aimed at holding major tech companies accountable, the ongoing challenges survivors face in finding comprehensive support, and the complexities of legal frameworks dealing with these heinous crimes.
Personal stories from Brenda and Jessica, who have not only survived exploitation but are now front-line warriors helping others navigate through recovery, emphasize the necessity of sensitive victim support systems that do not compel survivors to relive their trauma.
Moreover, Lina Nealon will critique the role of mainstream corporations in the commercial exploitation industry and shed light on the adverse effects of decriminalizing the sex trade.
Be informed, moved, and motivated to act as we navigate these challenging but crucial discussions aimed at sparking change and offering hope.
Guest bios
Jessica Lamb is a survivor leader and expert in tattoo iconography, specializing in identification and education on trafficking and gang-related tattoos. She founded Atlanta Redemption Ink and built a national network supporting survivors of exploitation and teaches on her experiences, contributing to anti-trafficking advocacy for over a decade. Recognized for her impact, Jessica has received numerous accolades and trained thousands of professionals in the field.
Lina Nealon is the Vice President and Director of Corporate Advocacy at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. She spearheads the “The Dirty Dozen List” an annual campaign calling out twelve mainstream entities for facilitating, enabling, and even profiting from sexual abuse and exploitation. Lina poses as a teen online to collect evidence of to what and to whom children are exposed in the digital landscape.
📌Read more about Lina Nealon here
The Honorable, Brenda Myers-Powell is based in Chicago and is the founder and CEO of Ernestine’s Daughter that fights human trafficking. She is a dynamic, beautiful POWERHOUSE and survivor. She also sits on the US Advisory Council on Human Trafficking.
📌Read more about Brenda Myers-Powell here
Episode Overview
In this episode, we explore the direct impact of online platforms and big tech in facilitating various forms of sexual abuse, including the exploitation of minors and the proliferation of deepfake pornography. Insights from our guests highlight significant campaigns aimed at holding major tech companies accountable, the ongoing challenges survivors face in finding comprehensive support, and the complexities of legal frameworks dealing with these heinous crimes.
Personal stories from Brenda and Jessica, who have not only survived exploitation but are now front-line warriors helping others navigate through recovery, emphasize the necessity of sensitive victim support systems that do not compel survivors to relive their trauma.
Moreover, Lina Nealon will critique the role of mainstream corporations in the commercial exploitation industry and shed light on the adverse effects of decriminalizing the sex trade.
Be informed, moved, and motivated to act as we navigate these challenging but crucial discussions aimed at sparking change and offering hope.
Guest bios
Jessica Lamb is a survivor leader and expert in tattoo iconography, specializing in identification and education on trafficking and gang-related tattoos. She founded Atlanta Redemption Ink and built a national network supporting survivors of exploitation and teaches on her experiences, contributing to anti-trafficking advocacy for over a decade. Recognized for her impact, Jessica has received numerous accolades and trained thousands of professionals in the field.
Lina Nealon is the Vice President and Director of Corporate Advocacy at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. She spearheads the “The Dirty Dozen List” an annual campaign calling out twelve mainstream entities for facilitating, enabling, and even profiting from sexual abuse and exploitation. Lina poses as a teen online to collect evidence of to what and to whom children are exposed in the digital landscape.
📌Read more about Lina Nealon here
The Honorable, Brenda Myers-Powell is based in Chicago and is the founder and CEO of Ernestine’s Daughter that fights human trafficking. She is a dynamic, beautiful POWERHOUSE and survivor. She also sits on the US Advisory Council on Human Trafficking.
📌Read more about Brenda Myers-Powell here
In this episode of Trust Your Voice podcast, we dive deep into understanding judgment, its impact on our behavior, and how to navigate it. Melinda Oakes, author of the book The Cheerleader's Guide to the Workplace: How an awesome attitude and a peppy perspective will help you go, fight and win at work! and Sylvie, share their insights on differentiating between judgment and feedback, accepting human nature, and choosing a response to judgment. Sylvie also shares personal anecdotes from her book "Trust Your Voice," exploring the features of human nature that drive judgment.
Join us as we discuss strategies to deal with judgment and embrace self-acceptance. Tune in and let us know how you deal with judgment at work. Share your thoughts on LinkedIn or email sylvie@trustyourvoicepodcast.com.
If you enjoy this episode, please give us 5 stars, leave a review, and share it with a friend.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice Podcast, host Sylvie Légère engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Congresswoman Laurel Lee. Throughout the conversation, they delve into Lee's journey into politics, her unwavering commitment to public service, and the challenges she faced in stepping into a new role. They also tackle the pressing issues of restoring trust in American political institutions and the importance of constructive engagement in the democratic process. This enlightening dialogue offers valuable insights into the responsibilities of a House representative, highlighting the complexities and nuance of their work.
By sharing Lee's experiences and perspectives, this episode gives a compelling reminder of the significance of active participation in shaping our communities. It serves as an invitation for listeners to consider the impact of their own voices and engagement in the democratic process, encouraging thoughtfulness and introspection on the role each individual plays in contributing to the broader conversation of civic leadership and engagement.
Guest speaker bio:
Congresswoman Laurel Lee, representing Florida's 15th District since January 2023, has a rich background in public service. Born in a military family at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, she has a deep commitment to representing her district in Congress. Prior to her congressional role, Laurel served as Florida’s Secretary of State under the DeSantis Administration, where she enhanced the state's election infrastructure and cybersecurity. Before that, she was a Circuit Court Judge in Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Court, appointed by then-Governor Rick Scott, and worked as a federal prosecutor handling a wide range of criminal offenses.
In this episode, Sylvie Légère dives into the essence of civility in our modern society. She is joined by an inspiring trio: author Alexandra Hudson with her wisdom from 'The Soul of Civility', Beth Feeley with her grassroots community activism insights, and Yani Manson, the CEO of Girls Inc. of Chicago, discussing the pivotal role of youth in shaping a respectful future. This episode serves as a profound journey, exploring the internal disposition of the heart, respect towards others, and the golden rule, interweaving historical anecdotes and personal experiences.
In this episode, host Sylvie Légère leads an informative discussion on aging, health, and fitness with guests Mona Antwan, Alex Rodriguez, and Ashanti Johnson.
Rounding out the conversations, we explore the role of discipline and intentionality, making mindful wellness a daily habit.Join us as we delve into life's low hanging fruits - the things we all can do to age better, live healthier, and promote overall well-being. Let's unlock the secrets to creating a happier, healthier future together.The Policy Circle Brief: Health Disparities and the Determinants of Health
Mindfulness Leader
Episode Summary:
Sylvie Légère hosts a discussion on the pillars of a good life, specifically focusing on financial readiness, technology literacy, and community engagement in the context of aging. The guests share their perspectives and experiences on these topics, highlighting the importance of financial education, the challenges of navigating technology as one ages, and the role of community and government in supporting the elderly population. They also discuss the prevalence of scams and fraud targeting older adults and the need for better support and resources in dealing with these issues. About The Guests:
Sylvie Légère: A civically engaged entrepreneur, co-founder of the Posse Circle, and a mom.
Derek Kreifels: CEO of the State Financial Officers Organization, representing state treasurers and auditors across the country.
Ferona Lee: CEO of Near Technology, a company that provides tech support and education for older adults.
Sheila Brown: A senior executive at Medtronic with over 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry.
Key Takeaways:
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Financial education is crucial for individuals of all ages to ensure financial readiness and stability throughout their lives.
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Technology literacy is essential for older adults to stay connected, access services, and protect themselves from scams and fraud.
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Community engagement and support are vital for the well-being and quality of life of aging individuals.
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Scams and fraud targeting older adults are prevalent and often result in significant financial losses.
Great Quotes from The Episode:
"Women live longer and are inheriting the largest transference of wealth in American history." - Derek Kreifels
"When someone retires, they often lack practice with technology, which can lead to challenges in various aspects of their lives." - Ferona Lee
"Having an advocate is crucial when navigating the complexities of aging and accessing support services." - Sheila Brown
Helpful Resources:
Resources from the Policy Circle:
https://www.thepolicycircle.org/brief/aging-in-the-21st-century/
https://www.thepolicycircle.org/brief/financial-literacy/
Resources from Derek Kreifels:
ourmoneyourvalues.com
1792exchange.com
https://swsmmagazine.com/
Resources from Ferrona Lee:
feelnear.com
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Magatte Wade, Founder and CEO of Skin is Skin, to talk about the complexities and nuances of Africa's challenges and opportunities.
Magatte Wade challenges the traditional narrative surrounding sub-Saharan Africa and sheds light on the missing middle in foreign aid. Drawing from her own experiences and expertise, she questions the effectiveness of international aid and explores how it often fails to reach local entrepreneurs and stimulate economic growth.
About Magatte Wade:
Magatte Wade is passionate about creating jobs and prosperity in Africa through entrepreneurship and economic freedom. She was born in Senegal, educated in France, and launched her entrepreneurial career in San Francisco. She is fluent in and conducts business in Wolof, French and English. Magatte's current product line, manufactured in Senegal, is Skin is Skin, a lip balm dedicated to reducing racial discrimination. Her previous companies, Tiossan and Adina, brought Senegalese recipes and ingredients to U.S. markets in skin care and beverages.
Based on her experiences creating consumer brands and building agricultural and manufacturing capacity in Senegal, Magatte has spoken at dozens of universities including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, MIT, etc. as well as at global conferences on innovation and economic development in France, England, Dubai, Guatemala, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Rwanda, Gabon, Senegal, and more. She writes for the Huffington Post, Barron’s, and the U.K. Guardian. She is a Young Global Leader with the World Economic Forum at Davos and has appeared on the cover of Forbes Afrique. She was also named one of the “Twenty Young Power Women of Africa” by Forbes U.S.
Connect with Magatte:
- Instagram - @magattw
- Twitter - @magattw
- LinkedIn - @magattw
Resources:
- https://magattewade.com
- https://www.amazon.com/Juice-How-Electricity-Explains-World/dp/B088N9SBC8
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Lindrea Reynolds, an agency founder, strategist, and visionary to talk about how to define and integrate the various aspects of our personal identity, professional persona, and our many-sided selves.
As the Founder and CEO of LR Brand Consulting (LRBC), Lindrea leverages over 15 years of marketing and design experience to help businesses and professionals find focus, articulate their value and prioritize well-being practices. Emphasizing a human-centered approach to brand-building, Lindrea believes that empathetic storytelling is essential for cultivating purposeful interactions. She has shared her philosophy with top-performing enterprises, educational institutions, and influential figures spanning both the public and private sectors. Lindrea's strategies have secured collaborations with the NBA, Google, iHeart Media, Amazon, and others.
A zealous educator and advisor, Lindrea is shaping the future of inclusive brand marketing. Her expertise has earned her invitations to share her insights on various platforms and stages. Additionally, Lindrea has taught for the University of Chicago’s Department of Professional Education, sharing her knowledge with rising marketing professionals. As a sought-after mentor and brand builder, her influence extends globally, enhancing stakeholder experiences from employee to consumer. PRSA, Communication Arts, Ad Age, the City of Chicago, Academic leaders, and business influencers have acknowledged Lindrea's insights and contributions to the design and brand marketing industries.
When Lindrea is not building brands, she dedicates her time to promoting positive youth development and fueling her creativity through oil painting, DIY projects, lots of laughs with family and friends, and enjoying sports-related activities. She shares these joyful experiences with her husband, Solomon, and their Pomeranian, Adobe (yes, named after the software).
https://www.lrbrandconsulting.com/
Other resources:
Lindrea’s example of one of the best personal branding - https://www.bozomasaintjohn.com/
Bozoma Saint John is a Hall of Fame inducted marketing executive, author, and entrepreneur. Her book “The Urgent Life” is a memoir of grief that had ultimately driven her to thrive in the face of loss.
Economics is essentially the science of human nature as it manifests through our innate desire to create and capture value. Even in the most intricate economic structures, at their core, you'll find individuals making decisions to maximize what they value, based on their perceptions of the facts and options available to them.
Traditionally, economics has sought to simplify this complexity by assuming that businesses strive to maximize their profits and individuals aim for what's best for themselves, armed with complete knowledge of all relevant facts and options. This framework creates neat scenarios where rational decisions lead to optimal outcomes. While this has significantly contributed to our understanding of economic behaviors, it often fails to explain why some decisions seem irrational and result in detrimental outcomes.
Behavioral Economics fills this void by focusing on the individual. It challenges the assumptions of traditional economics, which believes everyone in the economy is rational and selfish, as Richard Thaler, a Nobel laureate for his work on Behavioral Economics, puts it. His goal for this field is to assist people in making the choices they would have made if they had paid full attention and had complete information, unlimited cognitive abilities, and absolute self-control.
From my perspective, this translates into making economics consider two main factors. First, the limitations around information—understanding how much a person can genuinely gather and process. And second, the unique individual factors such as psychological, cognitive, emotional, cultural, and social influences which can shape what people value, sway their perceptions, and occasionally create a disconnect between their perceptions and reality.
Perhaps the most pertinent concept for policy-making is the idea of a "nudge". This concept focuses on presenting choices in such a way that aids individuals in making better-informed decisions that align with their values. By implementing nudges effectively, policies can safeguard personal freedoms while guiding individuals towards choices that generate the most beneficial outcomes for all. Importantly, this approach enables the government to act without infringing on its ideal role of aiding economic individuals in acting on their incentives. However, as Richard Thaler of UChicago suggests, "If you want people to do something, make it easy."
Yet, it's crucial to navigate this process with integrity and precision. We must be mindful not to employ nudges as manipulative tools, by being opaque about our intentions or making it challenging to opt for anything other than the default. Additionally, nudges may not be appropriate where there isn't a widely agreed-upon best choice or where a strict mandate should be enforced.
A key takeaway is that even a meticulously crafted policy can falter if its communication fails to align with individuals' perceptions. Consequently, people might resort to workaround methods that counteract the policy's intentions, as they strive to maximize their value.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Craig Scalise, a distinguished economist with a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and who also taught at the University of South Carolina.
His publications include the book, “Intellectual Property Protection: Theory, Evidence and Policy” and the “Entrepreneurial Energy: It’s Creation and Capture” series of journal articles about innovation policy.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Craig discussed:
- What is the essence of behavioral economics and how it delves into the complexities of human decision-making
- The differences between the traditional vs behavioral economics
- The 'nudge' concept which involves designing choices and decision environments
- Other behavioral economics key concepts
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
Edith Jorge-Tuñón has over a decade of political experience, ranging from overseeing the national
Coalitions program at the Republican National Committee during the 2018 midterm elections, to
directing national field efforts at the Koch Network’s LIBRE Initiative during the 2016 election
cycle. Formerly the Political Director for Governor Susana Martinez’s re-election
campaign, Edith built a grassroots program that helped win the New Mexico statehouse for the
first time in over 50 years. Prior to that, she helped New Jersey Governor Chris Christie secure the
Hispanic vote during his re-election campaign by 51%, and in 2020 led the Political Department
at the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) in holding 59 legislative chambers across
the nation and picking up two more during a half a billion-dollar redistricting cycle. Edith is
currently the Deputy Executive Director at the RSLC; the only national organization committed to
electing republicans at the state level.
What You'll Learn:
- State candidate qualities + political parties and how their members interact
- Criterias to determine to engage in a state race
- What are state parties, the caucus, and the local party entities at the county and precinct levels
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Suzanne Clark, president and chief executive officer of the US Chamber of Commerce. She is a vocal proponent of policies that enable businesses to innovate, invest and grow, and help lead the fight against government proposals that undermine America’s economic strength and competitiveness.
Clark spearheaded efforts to dramatically increase support for small businesses by creating CO—the US Chamber’s award-winning digital home for small businesses. Clark earned a B.A., magna cum laude, and an M.B.A. from Georgetown University.
Learn more about the US Chamber of Commerce on their advocacy work and how they help their members:
- uschamber.org
We are also encouraging everyone to visit your local chamber of commerce and see how you can offer your talent and services.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Ciara Wolfe, the executive director of Yellowstone Club Community Foundation. Sylvie has already worked with her and witnessed the impacts of her efforts firsthand. Stay tuned throughout the episode to learn about the story of Ciara Wolfe and the humble beginnings of Big Sky and how it played a big role in helping Ciara find her potential in empowering people and understanding communities. Moreover, the episode tackles what it means to be in an unincorporated community and other unique concepts to be introduced by Ciara with her experiences.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down in this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast with Ashely Marsh, co-founder of Marsh Collective with her husband. She has pioneered the redemption of Opelika, and place-making in cities across the country. Stay tuned throughout the episode to learn about the history of Marsh Collective, from the humble beginnings of Ashely and John Marsh, and how they learned about the potential of building visions for communities and the people within them. Understand the process behind the design thinking of Ashely and Marsh with how they help redeem communities across the country through this episode.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Jamila Trimuel, Founder of Ladies of Virtue, to inspire you to spark the key to mentor young people with different paradigms and views of the world.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Jamila discuss:
- Becoming the leader you wanted to be, you need to be of virtue
- What it makes to be a strong leader?
- Mentoring and leadership program for girls about empowerment and confidence
- Influencing the youth to make a change
Connect with Jamila:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamila-trimuel-6737b710
Know more about LOV Chicago Ladies of Virtue, give them a follow on their social media accounts:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LOVChicago/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovchicago/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LOVChicago
To get involved with providing for the students, visit their website, LOV Chicago Ladies of Virtue, to know how to be a mentor, volunteer, and donate and be a sponsor or partner.
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Alexandra Hudson, Founder of Civic Renaissance, to inspire you to spark civility and interest in understanding the human condition through stories.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Alexandra discuss:
- Deepening people’s understanding of the human condition through ancient stories.
- Defining civility and the best way to practice it.
- Understanding suffering, love, hate, vengeance, competition, joy through stories.
- What stories are teaching us.
Connect with Alexandra:
- Website: https://alexandraohudson.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexandraOHudson/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexiohudson
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexiskye09/
Alexandra published a book about the difference between politeness—a superficial appearance of good manners—and true civility, you can get your copy here The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal the Society and Ourselves. And enjoy her new series, Storytelling and the Human Condition, for FREE—and get a month subscription to Wondrium—by joining nearly fifty thousand other readers of Civic Renaissance!
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Charles Marohn, Founder and President of Strong Towns, and Lou Powell, President of High-Tech Small Town, to talk about what makes a town strong and thriving.
In this conversation, Sylvie with Charles and Lou discuss:
- What makes a strong town?
- 5 pillars of a strong town to note of
- Insights on what makes a thriving community
- How to improve the quality of life and prosperity of a community
- Transforming cities to be successful
Here is an article how High-Tech Small Town, with their advocacy of bring tech talents and attracting high-tech remote jobs into a small town, made Aledo stronger than it was before.
Charles authored great books about communities in America: Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity and Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: A Strong Towns Approach to Transportation . He has a podcast piece about struggling communities and you may listen it here: A Model for Suburban Development? And lastly, if you want to know the difference between a road and a street, Charles also has a TedTalk episode about it.
Connect with Lou:
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/loupowell
Connect with Charles:
- LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesmarohn
- Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/marohn
- Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/clmarohn
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Karith Foster, CEO of INVERSITY Solutions and Founder of INVERSITY Foundation, to spark a new way to think, talk and act on diversity.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Karith discuss:
- Defining Diversity
- Engaging in conversation to learn people’s lens and experiences
- Language on how to be thoughtful and compassionate
Connect with Karith:
- FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/FosterKarith/
- INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/karithfoster/
- TWITTER: https://twitter.com/karithfoster
- LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karithfoster
Know more about Inversity Solutions to help eliminate the division among us. Karith also authored a book, you can get yourself a copy here: “You Can Be Perfect or You Can Be Happy: How to Let Go, Worry Less, and Enjoy Life!”. And Karith’s also been a guest on the She Said She Said podcast, you can listen to it here: She Said She Said Podcast Episode 218 with Karith Foster where they talked about using humor as a skill.
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
To kickstart our new season, we had a live podcast stream on YouTube last January 23. In case you missed the live podcast, we have posted the episode on the channel for you.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Kymyona Burk and Nathan Hoffman, to talk about shining a light on literacy and its importance.
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Barbara Stewart, Former CEO of AmeriCorps to know what is the uniquely American value of volunteering and giving back.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Barbara discuss:
- What is AmeriCorps?
- How AmeriCorps promotes volunteerism
- Leading AmeriCorps key goals and values
- Future of Volunteerism in America
To bring out the best of America, visit AmeriCorps to serve and make a difference.
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In case you missed the live podcast, we have posted the episode on the channel for you.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Laura Cox Kaplan, creator of She Said/She said podcast, to talk about knowing the potential and power of your voice to influence people.
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Melanie Kirkpatrick, writer-journalist, author of three books: Lady Editor: Sarah Josepha Hale and the Making of the Modern American Woman; Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience (2016) and Escape from North Korea: The Untold Story of Asia’s Underground Railroad(2012), and a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, to enlighten you about women and the history of Thanksgiving.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Melanie discuss:
- Story of Sarah Hales and her influence
- The history of Thanksgiving
- Condition of Women in the 1800s
- How Sarah advocated for Thanksgiving
Get to know Melanie more on her website http://www.MelanieKirkpatrick.com.
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Chris Meek, co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of SoldierStrong, founder of BraveMind and ReachStrong, also the Managing Director and Global Relationship Manager at S&P Global Inc, and adjunct professor at Syracuse University, on how to be a strong soldier in and out the field.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Chris discuss:
- Story of building Soldier Strong and BraveMind
- Building A Coalition To Broaden Impact
- Bringing the most advanced technology to veterans
- Reducing stigma about the mental health of soldiers
Chris has a podcast of his own where he discusses personal empowerment, commitment to our own well-being, and the motivation to achieve more, listen to him on Next Step Forward.
To help our veterans take their next step in life, visit SoldierStrong. To know more about other information about helping our veteran’s recovery, read BraveMind and pay ReachStrong a visit.
Let’s review three things on The Policy Circle: Armed Forces, Veterans, and Mental Health
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Kristin Jackson, Co-Founder of Freespoke.com, a new search engine platform, to prepare you to go to the next voting booth and how to follow the election results.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Kristin discuss:
- What is Freespoke – what does it offer that’s different
- Challenges in getting ready to go to the voting booth
- How can Freespoke help you prepare for the elections
- Helping others to figure out how to vote
If you want to be prepared and know what your ballot is going to say, you can look up your candidates on Freespoke. Check out Freespoke and download the app, and you can see the elections portal there. Download the app from the app store and start using Freespoke – we need your feedback to improve it!
Follow The Policy Circle on social and share Policy Circle briefs that you can use to host conversations and look for The Policy Circle’s Active Voter Guide.
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Deana Bass Williams, Co-founder of Bass Public Affairs, who Co-authored "Prayer & Pound Cake", and with renowned national media relations experience, to discuss what is Public Relations and where do we start.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Deana discuss:
- What is PR?
- Personal public relationships - where do we start?
- Interacting with the media
- Roadmap to reaching people that are not on well-traveled paths
Visit Bass Public Affairs which specializes in helping organizations impact public discourse by projecting a clear message in the crowded marketplace of ideas and grab a copy of Prayer & Pound Cake which made #1 on the Amazon Hot Releases for Christian prayer books
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Terri Reid, one of Michigan’s most experienced political operatives, President of the Michigan Freedom Fund, and Co-founder of League of Our Own to know what volunteering in a campaign looks like.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Terri discuss:
- Why volunteer?
- How to volunteer for a campaign
- Type of volunteer activities that awaits you
- Considerations you need for volunteering
Be an Active Voter now! Visit Active Voter Guide to learn how to be an active voter and exercise your rights. Pay Candidate Pathways a visit if you are interested for Candidate Development through training and mentoring.
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Roxy Ndebumadu, founder, technology leader, and the youngest female and first African American woman to be voted and sworn into office as a Councilwoman for the City of Bowie in Maryland, to trust your voice to be heard on multiple stages and redefine what it means to be an innovative professional powerhouse.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Roxy discuss:
- Regulations around safety in the virtual world
- Deciding to run for office and make a difference
- How to juggle professional responsibilities and civic responsibilities
To know more about Roxy and her visions, visit her website Roxy for Bowie
Be an Active Voter now! Visit Active Voter Guide to learn how to be an active voter and exercise your rights.
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Betsy DeVos, the nation’s leading advocate for education freedom for students of all ages, having served as the 11th U.S. Secretary of Education from 2017-2021, to inspire you to care about access to good education right here in the US.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Betsy discuss:
- Her new book Hostages No More
- The State of Education
- Examples of states that have education policies at work
- A vision for what education could be in America
- Find out what Parents can do to change the system
To learn more on the issue of Education by visiting the Education Saving Account Brief and the Civic Leadership Roadmap program (CLER) at www.policycircle.org
Connect with Betsy DeVos
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betsy.p.devos/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BetsyDeVos
Be inspired by Betsy’s book, “Hostage No More’, and buy yourself and your friends a copy here, https://www.amazon.com/Hostages-No-More-Education-American/dp/B09S84D3D7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1LXA0XEWN6NNT&keywords=hostage+no+more&qid=1660236999&sprefix=hostage+no+more%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-1.
To know more about Betsy and her advocacies, visit her website https://betsydevos.com/ and learn about School Choice.
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Kim Borchers, who spearheads the Civic Leadership Engagement Roadmap program (CLER) at The Policy Circle and is the President and owner of Bird Dog Recruitment and Consulting, and Denisha Merriweather, founder of Black Minds Matter and the director of Public Relations at the American Federation for Children, to know your truths, and to show up and speak up for what you believe. That may our discussion will spark you to build a network in your community
In this conversation, Sylvie with Kim, and Denisha discuss:
- Effective advocacy and community engagement
- Choosing and access to quality education
- Civic Leadership Engagement Roadmap program (CLER) and its importance
- Gender differences in approaching advocacy
We invite our women listeners to consider participating in The Policy Circle CLER program by visiting thepolicycircle.org/cler. It is a virtual program for women from all over the country. There are two cohorts starting this coming September, check them out!
To learn more about Kim visit her website, Bird Dog Recruitment. And check out blakmindsmatter.net to follow and support Denisha’s efforts.
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Father Ross Romero, Associate Professor of Philosophy - Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, to talk about the need to recognize the features of human nature that we experience in ourselves and in others.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Father Ross discuss:
- Human nature (acknowledging flaws and greatness)
- Ignatius' directive to always seek to better ourselves
- Value of silent retreats and the spiritual exercises
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Kirstin Ricketts, Certified Financial Planner, Co-Creator of the blog Hold Loosely Live Freely, to talk about how to lean on faith to make decisions to lead and find renewing or discovering faith is actually what you need to achieve your potential.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Kirstin discuss:
- Leading decisions with faith
- Acknowledging God’s gifts
- Being bold to empower others
- Learning to hear God’s voice.
To learn more about Kristin visit her website Hold Loosely, Live Freely. We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Karen Wells to talk about having the courage to say yes and creating new experiences rooted in the ability to move forward.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Karen discuss:
- Saying yes and stepping into different experiences
- Knowing yourself and appreciating others by using tools such as the DISC
- Being result-driven and measuring impact
- Creating opportunities
- Journey with Bridge Communities
- Making a difference
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Nathalie Sabourin to talk about amplifying your strength to achieve your full potential in life and at work.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Nathalie discuss:
- Elevate your Leadership: Be at your best and release your potential
- Build your Co-Leadership Potential: Accelerate your goals and objectives with diverse perspectives and confidence
- Rediscover your strengths with an Inquiry and Growth Mindset
-
Actions to go to the next level:
-
Being a Lifelong Learner (Always Learning)
-
Mentor, coach, guardian angel, sponsor
- What are the challenges when you embark the journey of knowing yourself
- How to use the results when interacting with others, when making decisions or building a team
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Taylor Shanklin to talk about the method - minimize to maximize.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Taylor get into and discuss:
- Event that impacts health
- Branding and Definition of Success
-
Three steps to Minimize to Maximize
-
How to devote your time. Do it, Delegate It, Drop it.
- Show up as your authentic self every day.
- Recognize and Accept that change does not happen overnight. Trust the process.
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
Trusting your voice requires expanding your knowledge and your perspective, sometimes on complicated topics. In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down to review a brief and topic covered by The Policy Circle, refugee crisis.
Sylvie walks through this topic that can feel rather difficult to navigate and understand, by giving listeners insight into:
- Sylvie’s “Lens of Care” and personal lens at looking at the refugee crisis
- International Laws and Definitions around refugees - United Nations Refugee Convention (1951)
- Definition of Asylum Seekers
- Role of US Federal Government
- Role of Congress - judiciary committees
- Executive Branch & United States Refugee Admissions Program
- Refugee Act of 1980 established formal refugee and asylum programs in the U.S., and brought U.S. law into greater alignment with the UN Refugee Convention.
- Difference between Refugee and Asylum Seekers
- Special Immigrant Visas (interpreters) - and Humanitarian Parole “allows an individual to be in the United States for a temporary period for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.”
- Process for specific individuals who have met humanitarian priorities - Refugees (P1), Asylum Seekers have 2 paths - Affirmative Asylum Processing with USCIS or Defensive Asylum Processing with EOIR
- Management and funding of refugee-related programs and services comes from the federal government, implementation is the responsibility of states and localities
- PRIVATE SECTOR - Federal, state, and local governments rely on non-governmental partners to provide resettlement assistance and services to arriving refugees. See Office of Refugee Resettlement.
- Challenges & Areas for Reform - Backlog of Asylum Cases
- Impact on communities
- Ways to Get Involved/What You Can Do
To learn more on this topic, The Policy Circle recently published a brief on Responding to the Refugee Crisis – you can find it on thepolicycircle.org
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Beth Feeley to talk about building a network and finding your focus by stepping out of your comfort zone and making an effort to stay informed.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Beth get into and discuss:
- The launching of The Policy Circle
- Building a network that started with The Policy Circle discussion and briefs
- Finding your focus
- Goals, structure and lessons learned in launching the New Trier Neighbors
Connect and listen to Beth Feeley through her podcast: Take Back our Schools with Andrew Guttman and Beth Feeley
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légèresat down with Lindrea Reynolds about personal branding.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Lindrea get into and discuss:
- What is a personal brand and why is it important
- Some examples of different personal brands
- What do you do with your brand and how to stay true
- Recommendations on how to communicate your brand with teams and other people.
- What is the first step to articulating your brand.
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Laura Cox Kaplan, to talk about building an ecosystem of relationships that enriches our life because we are wired to connect, to help each other achieve our full potential.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Laura get into and discuss:
- The importance of building a network - an ecosystem of relationships.
- Being intentional about building a network.
- Seizing opportunities to broaden and diversify relationships.
- Deepening relationships and keeping them alive.
- How to use your network.
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with Dr. Kim Kagan, to talk about the language of war.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Dr. Kagan get into and discuss:
- The mission of the Institute for the Study of War and why it is established.
- Where is Dr. Kagan’s confidence rooted and how did she build and nourish the ecosystem of relationships that enable her to do the work.
- The three keys to understanding the Language of War
- What is the role of the United States in conflicts?
- How will future conflict end?
- As everyday citizens, what can we do to help in ending war?
Here are some useful links about the recent Ukraine-Russia Crisis and on which Dr. Kim Kagan participated at the end of the Policy Circle program on Disinformation on the Ukraine-Russia War.
https://www.thepolicycircle.org/minibrief/russia-ukraine-crisis/
https://www.thepolicycircle.org/war-of-words-the-ukraine-russia-war/?is_blog=1
Other useful references:
https://spiritofamerica.org/
https://kse.ua/support/donation
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/join-kyiv-school-economics-direct-220500705.html
We hope you enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to the Trust Your Voice podcast on your favorite podcast player
Trusting your voice requires expanding your knowledge and your perspective, sometimes on complicated topics. In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down to review a brief and topic covered by The Policy Circle, antitrust laws.
Sylvie walks through this topic that can feel rather difficult to navigate and understand, by giving listeners insight into:
- What are antitrust laws
- History on antitrust laws
- How these laws are enforced
- The role of government
- How these laws affect the private sector
- How these laws affect big tech companies
- The issue of privacy
- The topic of market concentration
- Free speech
- What you can do in regards to antitrust laws
To learn more on this topic, The Policy Circle published a brief on AntiTrust - you can find it by visiting thepolicycircle.org.
Enjoy the episode and tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to your favorite podcast player.
In this episode of the Trust Your Voice podcast, host Sylvie Légère sat down with the co-author of her new book to talk about the process of taking an idea all the way through to a published book.
In this conversation, Sylvie and Keri get into and discuss:
- The importance of working with a collaborative writer to build rapport and trust
- The process of taking an idea all the way through to a published book
- How the two collaborated by recording interviews and shaping those interviews into book chapters
- The importance of good writing, self-editing, and rewriting when necessary
- The process of self-publishing
Enjoy the episode and tell us what you think by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Stay tuned for more episodes and be sure to subscribe to your favorite podcast player.
Janice Bond (b. 1984, Houston, Texas) is a photographer and visual artist based in both Houston and Chicago, Illinois. Her works in photography, collage, textile, and video are inspired by intersecting human experiences and nature. Her intention is for others to experience a new form of cultural mapping built on trust, liberation, and love when engaging with her work. Bond has exhibited in a variety of spaces, including Woman Made Gallery (Chicago, IL), Mark Rothko Art Center (Daugavpils, Latvia), SE Center for Photography (Greenville, SC), MANA Contemporary (Jersey City, NJ), and more. In 2020 her photography was featured in” BORDERS”, an international arts and architecture festival in Venice, Italy. Her ongoing projects, Beyond the Binary (2016 - ) and I Still Love Him (2016 - ) affirm that it is imperative for women, particularly women of color to take the lead in documenting each other as well as other marginalized bodies across mediums and platforms. She creates because creating is truth – the most earnest reflection of us all in our most divine formation.
https://www.janicebond.com/aboutme
Our goal is to offer unbiased fact based information that acts as a starting point for you to get involved and have a larger positive impact on your community.
When it comes to civic and community leadership most of us don't know where to start and we definitely don't feel we have all the facts. That’s why each episode of The Civic Leader goes beyond the headlines to bring you facts and data points that will help you understand the role of business, government and its citizens to solve society's greatest challenges.
01:30 The state of the arts and getting to know Janice Bond
04:30 The creative economy
12:00 Art, entrepreneurship, and society
17:45 Technology helped Art expand to a wider market
28:15 Investing in the creative process
32:45 Art, the private enterprise and philanthropy
40:45 Community level support for the arts
46:15 National level support for the arts
54:45 Engaging with the creative economy
Subscribe to TCL on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR03IkIycQdu5B-4b8xsDyg
Cynthia Noble is an accomplished arts and cultural leader with more than two decades of experience in interpretive programs, partnership cultivation, relationship management, donor engagement and strategic planning at top international cultural institutions and businesses, including theMART, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Guggenheim Museum, Northwestern University and The University of Chicago. Drawing upon this experience, Cynthia is the Executive Director of Art on theMART and leads Noble Private Art Tours and Events, a boutique cultural tourism company offering expert and multilingual access for groups and individuals to the world of art in Chicago and beyond.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-noble-a9761227/
Our goal is to offer unbiased fact based information that acts as a starting point for you to get involved and have a larger positive impact on your community.
When it comes to civic and community leadership most of us don't know where to start and we definitely don't feel we have all the facts. That’s why each episode of The Civic Leader goes beyond the headlines to bring you facts and data points that will help you understand the role of business, government and its citizens to solve society's greatest challenges.
01:00 What is Public Art?
05:45 How public art is initiated
07:00 Public Art in Chicago
13:15 Art on the Mart
17:00 Switching up the art
21:00 Thinking long term
26:45 Art on theMart as a model
28:15 Starting a public art project
Subscribe to TCL on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR03IkIycQdu5B-4b8xsDyg
Theodia B. Gillespie has dedicated more than four decades to the mission of the Urban League. A native of Missouri and graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, she began her career with the Quad County Urban League in 1984. Theodia became the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Quad County Urban League in 1993 after serving as its Education Coordinator, Director of Education, Director of Employment and Program Director. Combining a passion for serving clients through education and workforce development and a commitment to service leadership, Theodia has transformed Quad County Urban League into a thriving affiliate by improving operations and public perception and by developing collaborative community partnerships, which expanded the agency’s profile and provided wrap-around services in DuPage, Kane, Kendall, and Will counties. An outspoken advocate for equality, Theodia dedicates herself to a host of community and regional boards and organizations, and was recently appointed as Co-Chair of the Education and Workforce Development transition team for the newly elected mayor of Aurora. A thought leader in education, employment, law enforcement and politics, Theodia has received several awards for her outstanding record of service. Innovative and forward-thinking, she continues to foster, develop and mentor in the areas of non-profit management, organizational development, and fund development to create a sustainable, economic and civil community model with global impact. https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodia-gillespie-a15753a/ https://twitter.com/QCUL Our goal is to offer unbiased fact based information that acts as a starting point for you to get involved and have a larger positive impact on your community. When it comes to civic and community leadership most of us don't know where to start and we definitely don't feel we have all the facts. That’s why each episode of The Civic Leader goes beyond the headlines to bring you facts and data points that will help you understand the role of business, government and its citizens to solve society's greatest challenges. 01:00 Getting to know Theodia Gillespie 17:05 Why this issue matters 23:40 Health Disparities in context 29:10 The role of the federal government 34:40 State and local government participation 38:55 The role of the private sector 48:25 Social determinants of health 47:10 Health Behaviors 53:40 Lack of trust in the healthcare system 59:55 Education and health literacy 1:07:10 Employment and income issues 1:13:25 Nutrition in the US 1:19:55 Community-based solutions and how we can get involved Subscribe to TCL on YouTube
Nicole Cline is Director of External Relations and Expansion at The Policy Circle.
She works to promote The Policy Circle among various constituencies through outreach activities and plays a leading role in the organization’s recruitment and growth efforts nationally and internationally. In leading The Policy Circle’s membership initiatives, Nicole is also responsible for policy engagement strategies and leadership development among its members.
Prior to joining The Policy Circle, Nicole was Public Affairs Manager at the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, where she worked with Connecticut’s leading companies to influence the legislative process.
Nicole is also an accomplished food publisher. Her food photography and recipes have been featured on the websites of Time, Inc., Country Living, Women’s Day, The Huffington Post and Buzzfeed. Her recipes and photos can be found at https://www.seasonlycreations.com/
Our goal is to offer unbiased fact based information that acts as a starting point for you to get involved and have a larger positive impact on your community.
When it comes to civic and community leadership most of us don't know where to start and we definitely don't feel we have all the facts. That’s why each episode of The Civic Leader goes beyond the headlines to bring you facts and data points that will help you understand the role of business, government and its citizens to solve society's greatest challenges.
1:00 Getting to Know Nicole Cline
4:14 Case Study
10:44 Why Financial Literacy Matters
15:29 Defining Financial Literacy
27:14 Financial Literacy by the Numbers
32:59 The Role of the Federal Government
35:59 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
38:59 State Level
42:00 Role of the Private Sector
46:15 Measuring Financial Literacy
52:30 Teaching Financial Literacy
54:00 Destigmatizing Talking About Finances
57:45 Confidence and Personal Responsibility
1:01:00 Breaking Cycles
1:05:45 The U.S. Military & Veterans
1:13:30 How You Can Get Involved
Subscribe to TCL on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR03IkIycQdu5B-4b8xsDyg
Did you know for a neighborhood to thrive, there are many factors involved – business development, government relations, housing development, technology, and more? Every neighbor has a vital role to play in building flourishing communities. Have you identified your role yet?
During this conversation, Sylvie and Heather Way Kitzes discuss the importance of each of these factors and how one affects the other's success. Listeners will also learn simple actions they can take to build their own communities.
Heather Way Kitzes has dedicated her life to civic and community engagement. She has spent nearly 20 years advocating for small business and non-profit organizations. Her passion for building flourishing communities is evident through her work with the Chicago Cubs and the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce. While with the Chamber, she led many initiatives, including the commission of SSA 27, the Lakeview Area Master Plan (LAMP); The latter winning international recognition. During her tenure, Lakeview was named by CNN Money Magazine as one of the top three "Best Big City Neighborhoods" to live within. https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherway/ 1:30 Introduction
6:33 Understanding Neighborhoods
12:17 Why They Matter
18:03 The Role of the Federal Government
22:18 The Local Government
26:38 How Are Neighborhoods Changing Through Small Businesses
29:00 Effects of the Digital World on Neighborhoods
30:47 Tax Incentives and the Amazon Effect
31:50 Social Infrastructures
37:42 Zoning
42:34 What Does This Mean for the Future of Neighborhoods and How We Can Get Involved
Subscribe to TCL on YouTube
Lainna Callentine, MD, MEd, is a pediatrician and member of the Physicians Resource Council of Focus on the Family. She is a speaker, teacher, missionary doctor and the founder of Sciexperience. Her work as an author includes the book series God’s Wondrous Machine a hands-on curriculum for children showcasing the human body. Follow Dr. Callentine at sciexperience.com.
In this episode, we take a deeper look into the state of healthcare, health insurance, and government policies that surround healthcare in the USA.
Our goal is to offer unbiased fact based information that acts as a starting point for you to get involved and have a larger positive impact on your community.
When it comes to civic and community leadership most of us don't know where to start and we definitely don't feel we have all the facts. That’s why each episode of The Civic Leader goes beyond the headlines to bring you facts and data points that will help you understand the role of business, government and its citizens to solve society's greatest challenges.
5:30 Why Talking About Healthcare Matters
9:45 How health insurance started
13:00 Where Do Americans Get Insurance?
20:15 Government’s Participation in Health Insurance
25:00 What We Need to Improve With the Current Health Policy
33:30 The Cost of Prescription Drugs
44:15 The Affordable Care Act
51:45 Medicare for All
54:45 The Single-Payer System
1:04:15 Employer-Based and Private Insurance
1:11:45 The Role of Technology
Subscribe to TCL on YouTube
Megan Cummings Hansen is Vice President of Political Affairs at Detroit-based Rock Central, a professional services company that supports Rocket Mortgage, Quicken Loans and the Rocket Family of Companies. In that role, she leads Rock Central’s political strategy and fundraising at the federal, state and local levels. Megan also leads the company’s federal government affairs team, advocating for Rocket Companies’ legislative priorities in Congress.
Megan got her start in politics working at the Bellwether Consulting Group, a political fundraising firm, she also served as Finance Director at the NRCC.
A Washington, D.C. native, Megan is a graduate of the University of Richmond. She lives in D.C. with her husband, Chris, and son, Owen.
In this episode, Megan discusses the value and role of campaign financing and why it matters as our expression of free speech.
Our goal is to offer unbiased fact based information that acts as a starting point for you to get involved and have a larger positive impact on your community.
When it comes to civic and community leadership most of us don't know where to start and we definitely don't feel we have all the facts. That’s why each episode of The Civic Leader goes beyond the headlines to bring you facts and data points that will help you understand the role of business, government and its citizens to solve society's greatest challenges.
1:30 Getting to Know Megan Cummings Hansen
2:45 Why Campaign Finance Is a Form of Free Speech
7:00 Are Politicians Bought Out by Large Contributions?
10:45 What Are Election-Related Organizations?
18:00 527s AND 501Cs
25:15 The Role of the Government in Campaign Finance
29:00 Campaign Finance Legislation
34:15 Significant Court Cases That Affected Campaign Finance
42:45 Contributing to Campaigns
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Mary Dunne is a Communications Associate for Ballotpedia. She spent several years dedicated to national and then global humanitarian work before her lifelong interest in politics led her to pursue a degree in Political Science. Mary is based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she lives with her partner and their three dogs.
In this episode we talk about everything you need to know when voting from registration to elections. Furthermore, we dive deep on how to become an active voter, and how to properly assess your candidates.
Our goal is to offer unbiased fact based information that acts as a starting point for you to get involved and have a larger positive impact on your community. When it comes to civic and community leadership most of us don't know where to start and we definitely don't feel we have all the facts. That’s why each episode of The Civic Leader goes beyond the headlines to bring you facts and data points that will help you understand the role of business, government and its citizens to solve society's greatest challenges.
1:45 Mary Dunne’s thoughts on diplomacy, voting, and the election process
4:15 Registering to vote
9:15 Where to go on Election Day
12:30 What to bring when voting
16:30 Researching a candidate
23:45 Ballot Measures
30:45 Poll Workers
Subscribe to TCL on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR03IkIycQdu5B-4b8xsDyg
Patricia Rucker is a first generation American citizen, born in Caracas, Venezuela, coming to the US, Montgomery County Maryland, in the 80s when her father was assigned by Agence France Presse to the Washington DC desk, eventually becoming its Latin American Editor.
She is the co-founder and former president of We the People of West Virginia-Jefferson County. And became a West Virginia State Senator serving in the 16th District.
In this episode she breaks down Venezuela pre and post Hugo Chavez. We discuss how Venezuela went from being the 4th wealthiest country, to drowning in poverty.
Our goal is to offer unbiased fact based information that acts as a starting point for you to get involved and have a larger positive impact on your community.
When it comes to civic and community leadership most of us don't know where to start and we definitely don't feel we have all the facts. That’s why each episode of The Civic Leader goes beyond the headlines to bring you facts and data points that will help you understand the role of business, government and its citizens to solve society's greatest challenges.
3:15 Venezuela’s Transformation Through Patricia’s Eyes
5:15 Why Talk About Venezuela
8:15 What Life Is Like in Venezuela
12:15 Why Talking About Venezuela Matters
14:00 Hugo Chavez’ Campaign Promises
22:15 How Government Mismanagement Brought the Collapse of Venezuela
25:30 Venezuela’s Nationalization
30:00 Freedom of Speech in Venezuela
32:15 Suppressing the Opposition
37:30 The Oil Curse
45:00 Healthcare Problems in Venezuela
51:15 The Refugee Crisis
57:15 The International Response to Venezuela’s Downfall
1:08:30 How to Get Involved and What We Can Do
Subscribe to TCL on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR03IkIycQdu5B-4b8xsDyg
Karen is the CEO of Bridge Communities, and President and CEO of AIW Group. She has more than 25 years of corporate and entrepreneurial experience. As VP of nutrition, she led McDonald’s negotiating team with Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative. A champion and thought leader in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion in leadership, she is an accomplished keynote speaker and soon to be a published author.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-wells-ab8708126/
0:50 - Karen’s Background (She’s Kind of a Big Deal!)
8:00 - Case Study: Kimi Gray
11:00 - Some Historical Context
13:00 - Poverty in America by the Numbers
17:00 - 4 Categories of Poverty
22:15 - The Role of Government in Alleviating Poverty
28:00 - How the Human Factor Complicates Policy
35:50 - Challenges and Areas for Reform
46:00 - The Poverty Trap & the Income Leap
50:50 - The Local Approach
1:02:00 - Measuring Income Disparity
1:06:50 - Universal Basic Income and Minimum Wage
1:17:10 - The Importance of Mentorship
Subscribe to TCL on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR03IkIycQdu5B-4b8xsDyg
Kim Borchers is the President and Owner of Bird Dog Recruitment & Consulting LLC. She also served as the Executive Director of Leadership Development at a National Think Tank called The Foundation for Government Accountability. She’s spent 20 years in grassroots movements and was Chief of Staff for Governor Sam Brownback in Kansas.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-borchers-8758385/
5:45 - How to successfully engage with your community
9:00 - Introduction: What is civic engagement?
9:50 - Benjamin Franklin on the responsibility of citizens to protect the republic
16:50 - Eric Liu video: why ordinary people need to understand power
17:20 - Putting it in Context
19:30 - The values promoted by civic engagement
27:30 - Democracy in America by Alexis de Toqueville
34:10 - Free To Choose by Milton and Rose D. Friedman
36:30 - Current Challenges and Areas for Reform
40:30 - The courage to elevate the conversation
41:40 - Media and the dangers of confirmation bias
59:30 - Citizen academies
1:07:30 - Path to civic leadership
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As Thomas Jefferson remarked to James Madison, “Educate and inform the whole mass of the people…They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.” Yet the U.S. Constitution does not address education directly, and there is much disagreement around how we, as a nation, should ensure both the quality and equality of our education system. The Policy Circle brief up for discussion this week is Education K-12, and Sylvie and Beth tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our education system. Do we need a Federal Department of Education, or should the question of how best to educate children be left entirely to the states? How should educational funding be spent, and how can we ensure equity in the distribution of that funding? Why do our national test scores rank so far behind other countries? How can we, as individual citizens, help fix these and other problems in our educational system? We hope you’ll read along, and start a discussion of your own.
Beth Feeley is a freelance writer, editor, and communications strategist in Wilmette, Illinois, working mainly for nonprofit organizations. She served as launch director for 1776 Unites at the Woodson Center. She is also the co-leader, along with Sylvie Legere, of the Rose Friedman Society Policy Circle. Her work has been published in National Review Online and The Federalist. Beth also runs a local civic organization, New Trier Neighbors, which promotes common sense policies in local government. Beth lives in the north suburbs of Chicago with her husband and three children. She is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio (B.A.) and Northwestern University (M.S.).
https://1776unites.com/contributors/beth-feeley/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-feeley-132a8a61/
5:50 Historical overview of education in America
16:31 Educational spending vs. results
23:00 Funding gaps across schools
26:10 U.S. student performance as compared with other countries
30:30 Teaching quality matters: teacher performance & pay
40:10 The real story behind declining teacher pay
44:00 Protecting the gains from early childhood education
48:30 Rural education - getting our national priorities online
49:30 Lifting the stigma on Technical Education
53:00 Combating summer loss & rethinking the school calendar
55:10 Who’s in charge of U.S. education?
1:00:30 How can we help? Principles of reform & what you can do to make a difference.
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Free and fair elections are the bedrock of democracy. When the voting public loses confidence in the sanctity of our electoral system, our entire political system is in jeopardy. This brief covers the set-up of U.S. elections, common types of election fraud, and ways active citizens like you can help ensure election integrity.
Our goal is to offer unbiased fact based information that acts as a starting point for you to get involved and have a larger positive impact on your community.
When it comes to civic and community leadership most of us don't know where to start and we definitely don't feel we have all the facts. That’s why each episode of The Civic Leader goes beyond the headlines to bring you facts and data points that will help you understand the role of business, government and its citizens to solve society's greatest challenges.
2:58 Election Integrity in 2020: why it’s as crucial as it is challenging
6:27 Election Day: An Overview
7:48 How Elections Are Organized & Run
8:12 What is a voting precinct?
12:14 Technological advances in voting and the new challenges they pose
18:01 Two important roles at the polls: election judges and poll watchers
23:17 Election Fraud
25:46 truethevote.org
26:32 What does election fraud look like?
32:58 Why 100% turnout in any precinct raises red flags
34:40 What You Can Do
39:30 Requirements to be an election judge
44:38 How to become a poll watcher
51:52 Poll Watching at Nursing Homes
1:00:04 Closing a precinct
Explore the full election series.
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