Trust Me, You Can Relate: Recent Episodes
Lisa Johnson Smith
On Trust Me, You Can Relate, Host Lisa Johnson, a youthful, 50 plus divorcee, mom, former NBA wife, TV Host, Producer and breast cancer survivor, gets real with her guests about the good, bad & the ugly of this life while offering valuable takeaways on how to overcome its challenges. Combining her sharp interviewing skills and authenticity about her own life with a mix of real-life & thought-provoking topics, her expert guests help to provide inspiration and advice on some of life’s most relatable issues you are going through.
In part two of this heartbreaking, yet powerful interview, actor and author Dondré Whitfield, painfully, reveals how he blamed himself for the death of his best friend and lived with guilt for 10 years. He also weighs in on Will Smith's infamous Oscar slap, shares how he was able to to heal from his pain and offers advice on how you can too.
Dondré's book "Male vs. Man" is a literal recipe guide for young men (and young women) on how to turn one's pain into #purpose. This book evolved from his strong faith in God and his deep passion and commitment to helping others find their purpose through healing.
healing #mentalhealth #motivation #god #family #father #fathersday #male #relationship #dad #fatherandson
Link to Dondré's book: "Male vs. Man: How to Honor Women, Teach Children, and Elevate Men to Change the World".
https://www.amazon.com/Male-vs-Man-Children-Elevate/dp/0310357136
In one of the most moving interviews I've ever done, Actor Dondré Whitfield, (Queen Sugar, All My Children, The Real Husbands of Hollywood, & The Cosby Show), tearfully, recounts the childhood trauma he experienced, after being kidnapped by his late father, who later, went to prison for manslaughter. He reveals how, after years of abandonment, he reconciled with and cared for his father up until his death , only by the grace of God.
Dondré's book "Male vs. Man" is a literal recipe guide for young men (and young women) on how to turn one's pain into purpose. This book evolved from his strong faith in God and his deep passion and commitment to helping others find their purpose through healing.
purpose #healing #mentalhealth #motivation #god #family #father #fathersday #male #relationship #dad #fatherandson
While a high school academic scholar, community activist and model citizen, Herron Gaston dreamed of attending Yale University. That dream came true when he was accepted to Yale on a full scholarship. But, his world would be turned upside down in an instant. While in class one day, he was arrested, charged with sexual assault and thrown in jail. Now a PhD, with 7 degrees, including a law degree, Dr. Herron Gaston tells how he endured this nightmare that would change his life forever.
Less than 1% of airline pilots are African-American women, and Carole Hopson is determined to change that. At 54, after walking away from a lucrative career in corporate America, Carole achieved her life-long dream of becoming a commercial airline pilot for United Airlines. In her book, "A Pair of Wings", Carole chronicles the life of her inspiration, African-American Aviatrix Bessie Coleman. Bessie Coleman overcame insurmountable odds in 1921 when she became the first woman ever to obtain her international pilots license. She was forced to go to France (and learn to speak French) in order to learn to fly after being denied entry into flight schools in the U.S. because of her race. Carole is now working to send 100 African-American women to flight school through her non-profit, The Jet Black Foundation. She is proof that it's never too late to go after one's dreams.
jetblackfoundation #overcomer #OBAP #determination #BlackHistoryIsAmericanHistory #dreambig #goforit #unitedairlines
Get to know the other side of Ed Gordon. I had a candid conversation with this Emmy award-winning journalist and author who has interviewed everyone from Nelson Mandela to O.J. Simpson. He talks about his relationship with Tupac Shakur, his secret crush and reveals the one and only person he interviewed that left him awestruck. He also reflects on the pressure he's always felt to represent Black America.
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How does one go from abject poverty and bouts of homelessness to becoming the CEO of a major organization? In a candid conversation with Marcus Allen, the 1st Black CEO of BBBS in its 106-year history, he reveals how overcoming the obstacles in his life has fueled his passion for the community and shaped his vision for changing the lives of youth who are experiencing similar childhood traumas.
Your daughter brings home the last person in the world that you'd think she would. You cannot stand the sight of him! Here are some tips that will help you to avoid making mistakes that could only make matters worse with your daughter...and better for them!
These are some great tips that have worked for me in building and maintaining a healthy relationship with my kids. All of my boys are so different, but these consistent strategies have helped to build strong bonds with them or aided in helping to reconnect with them at some point, if necessary. Give them a try and let me know how it goes in the comments!
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Imagine being sentenced to 60 years in prison at 18 years of age and serving nearly 17 years for a murder you own brother allegedly committed. Taron HIll shares his inspiring story of survival, perseverance, hope and redemption in the face of injustice. Today he is a free man working to put the pieces of his life back together and help others who are headed down a path of destruction.
MTV and BET Host Ananda Lewis shares the grim details of the holistic breast cancer treatments she is receiving, their efficacy and one invasive technique she even tried on herself during COVID lockdown (but does not recommend) before being able to get the alternative treatments by a professional that she believes in. She also opens up about how she feels her previous lifestyle as a smoker contributed to her Stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis and how her drastic lifestyle changes have impacted her health for the better.
breastcancer #breastcancerawareness #holisticbreastcancertreatment #anandalewis
BET #MTV #alternativebreastcancertreatment #integrativebreastcancertreatment #breastcancersurvivor #survivor
Most people don't even know that men can get breast cancer--but they do, and they are dying because they're not being properly diagnosed. In this interview, I talk to a young man diagnosed at age 24. This episode will tell you how you can check yourself or a loved one and everything you need to know to find out if you or your loved one needs to see a doctor.
On this episode, Lisa talks with 36-yr-old Tara Watts, a social media influencer, teacher and mom of 5 and her husband, Chris. She's already undergone months of chemotherapy, and she's preparing herself for an upcoming double mastectomy in just 2 weeks - days after her 37th birthday. The two talk about their new reality, their fears, hopes and dreams and how they draw strength from each other. They offer ways that couples and their children can grow closer during this stressful time and maintain some sense of normalcy.
A person's life is not always what it looks like. My life is no different. In this episode, I share the good, bad & the ugly about my life--a failed marriage, breast cancer journey, and the hardships involved in surviving it all and finding healing through the grace of God in order to find my purpose.