Highly Visible & A Little Misunderstood

Ep. 61 - Real Talk Replay: Raising Kings

Yo! I am taking a much needed break from dropping new episodes, but I will be back with more dope guests in a couple of months. In the meantime, enjoy some of my favorite episodes from the RTWD fault.
Catch yall in a bit!
From Episode 5 - Raising KingsThis week’s guest is my mom, Stacia. Now, my mom used to say that we grew up together and I didn’t know what she was talking about until I realized that she had me when she was 15. So, yeah we definitely grew up together.
My mother is one of the kindest people I have ever met. So kind, in fact, she made friends with a stranger that accidentally called her phone. This is a legit story, she literally became friends with a random person that called the wrong number. My mom is the type of person that can make your day with her smile and warm presence.
At the same time, she’ll give you the honest truth that will set you straight. Her determination is unwavering and we talk about what it was like raising three black sons, the current state of America, and where we find hope moving forward.
Sources for the episode:
Arienne Thompson Plourde and Amelia Thompson are sisters from Memphis, Tennessee. Reprinted from Notre Dame Magazine (Winter 2016-17), a quarterly publication of the University of Notre Dame for its alumni and friends.
American Police by Throughline Podcast
School to Prison Pipeline - ACLU
Ways to support the show:
   👉🏾  Have you joined the Real Fam yet?
   👉🏾  Buy me Ko-fi ☕️
   👉🏾  Follow us on IG @RTWDPodcast
Production & Contact Details:
Producer: Jonathan Dumas (@rtwdpodcast)
Production help: Lindsay Dumas
Marketing and Production Intern: Reggie Hall
Additional editing support: (Bijoy Ahmed)
Music: Tony Deras (@tonesterderas)
Show art: Lia Osley (@liabedrawing)
Email: RTWDPodcast@gmail.com

Ep. 60 - Real Talk Replay: TV Saved Our Childhood

Yo! I am taking a much needed break from dropping new episodes, but I will be back with more dope guests in a couple of months. In the meantime, enjoy some of my favorite episodes from the RTWD fault.
Catch yall in a bit!
From Episode 2 - TV Saved Our ChildhoodIn this episode, I sit down with my youngest brother, Reggie. We chop it up about what it was like for him growing up as the youngest of 3, navigating poverty, and what friendships mean to him.
Reggie shares some wise takeaways from growing up that I believe will resonate with ya'll and will have a lasting impact on why it's important to always be happy with the person you see in the mirror.
Nine years separate Reggie and me, and I couldn't be more proud of the person he has grown to be. Check out this conversation to hear from this wise young brotha.
Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!
 
Ways to support the show:
   👉🏾  Have you joined the Real Fam yet?
   👉🏾  Buy me Ko-fi ☕️
   👉🏾  Follow us on IG @RTWDPodcast
Production & Contact Details:
Producer: Jonathan Dumas (@rtwdpodcast)
Production help: Lindsay Dumas
Marketing and Production Intern: Reggie Hall
Additional editing support: (Bijoy Ahmed)
Music: Tony Deras (@tonesterderas)
Show art: Lia Osley (@liabedrawing)
Email: RTWDPodcast@gmail.com

Ep. 59 - A Few Updates & a Much Needed Break

That's a wrap yall! The pod is going on a short hiatus, but don’t worry we will be dropping some of our favorite episodes while we are taking a much-needed break from the pod. I already have some great guests lined up for next season and there are a few DOPE updates! I heard a rumor that we have an intern now, and the show name is changing…WHAT?? 
 
Stay in Touch with us on IG @rtwdpodcast
Ways to support the show:
   👉🏾  Have you joined the Real Fam yet?
   👉🏾  Buy me Ko-fi ☕️
   👉🏾  Follow us on IG @RTWDPodcast
 
Production & Contact Details:
Producer: Jonathan Dumas (@rtwdpodcast)
Production help: Lindsay Dumas
Marketing and Production Intern: Reggie Hall
Additional editing support: (Bijoy Ahmed)
Music: Tony Deras (@tonesterderas)
Show art: Lia Osley (@liabedrawing)
Email: RTWDPodcast@gmail.com

Ep. 58 - Your Mistakes Can Equal Growth

This week, I am joined by Efe Fruci.
Efe has over 10 years of experience as a Career and Confidence Coach and is dedicated to building confidence and unleashing the potential in women. With an extensive background in female empowerment and a decade-long career that expands over several industries including Business, Hospitality, and Biotechnology to name a few, her main goal is to help women build the confidence needed to accomplish their career and life goals. 
Efe and I chat about a thriving mindset, focusing on our goals, and taking action each day to make our dreams a reality.
CLICK TO TAKE THE PODCAST SURVEY
 
Stay in Touch with:
↳ Work with Efe
↳ Efe’s Website
↳ Schedule a chat with Efe
 
Ways to support the show:
   👉🏾  Have you joined the Real Fam yet?
   👉🏾  Buy me Ko-fi ☕️
   👉🏾  Follow us on IG @RTWDPodcast
 
Folx, events & Orgs mentioned in the episode:
Odihi Foundation
OnThe Block Festival
 
Sources for the show:
Faith Over Fear: Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
 
Production & Contact Details:
Producer: Jonathan Dumas (@rtwdpodcast)
Production help: Lindsay Dumas (@lindsaymariedumas)
Additional editing support: (Bijoy Ahmed)
Music: Tony Deras (@tonesterderas)
Show art: Lia Osley (@liabedrawing)
Email: RTWDPodcast@gmail.com

Ep. 57 - Community is an Extension of You

This week, I am joined by Katryna Howard.
Katryna Howard, aka Kat, (pronouns she/her) is a connector, creator, diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant, and hype woman for her community. Residing in Brooklyn, New York by way of the Bay Area, CA, Fairfield 707 to be exact, Kat claims space in this world as a Black and Salvadoran woman, somebody’s auntie, and an Aquarius.
When I asked Kat what she wanted the Real Fam to get out of our conversation, she said, 
That as life ebbs and flows, there may be moments of pause, setbacks, or figuring it out and that's okay. As I am commanding spending more of my time pouring into endeavors that replenish me outside of my professional career, I want to inspire others to be curious and explore what existing in the multi-hyphenate could look like for you.
CLICK TO TAKE THE PODCAST SURVEY
Stay in Touch with:
↳ Pull up on her Instagram @katt_daddy
↳ Email her directly
Ways to support the show:
   👉🏾  Have you joined the Real Fam yet?
   👉🏾  Buy me Ko-fi ☕️
   👉🏾  Follow us on IG @RTWDPodcast
 
Production & Contact Details:
Producer: Jonathan Dumas (@rtwdpodcast)
Production help: Lindsay Dumas (@lindsaymariedumas)
Additional editing support: (Bijoy Ahmed)
Music: Tony Deras (@tonesterderas)
Show art: Lia Osley (@liabedrawing)
Email: RTWDPodcast@gmail.com

Ep. 56 - Not Every Event Has to Have Alcohol

This week, I am joined by Rahimeh Ramezany.
Rahimeh Ramezany (RAH-hee-may) (RAM-eh-zaun-nee) is a multiethnic, visibly Muslim American woman, and is a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Intercultural specialist. Rahimeh believes that no matter how big or small, all of us have spheres of influence to push for greater inclusion, equity, and intercultural understanding. Her work is focused on addressing the experiences of marginalized ethnic, racial, and religious communities in the United States, in order to create change on an individual, interpersonal, and systemic scale.
Rahimeh and I had a chance to talk about her experience living as a visibly Muslim American woman, working in DEI as such, navigating stereotypes about Muslims, especially women who wear hijab, and how some tips to planning an inclusive event. 
CLICK TO TAKE THE PODCAST SURVEY
Stay in Touch with:
  🧕🏻 Website: https://rahimehramezany.com/ 
  🌀 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rahimehramezany/ 
  💜 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rahimehramezany 
  📣 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7CJAoqNev01bcXdBCRXAyw
  🧠 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahimeh-ramezany/
  📬 Email list: https://rahimehramezany.com/join-email-list
 
Ways to support the show:
   👉🏾  Have you joined the Real Fam yet?
   👉🏾  Buy me Ko-fi ☕️
   👉🏾  Follow us on IG @RTWDPodcast
 
Sources Mentioned in Episode:
Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome by Ruchika Tulshyan & Jodi-Ann Burey
Why You Should Not Bring Your Full Self to Work - Jodi-Ann Burey
Folx, events & Orgs mentioned in the episode:
Mess in A Bottle
Production & Contact Details:
Producer: Jonathan Dumas (@rtwdpodcast)
Production help: Lindsay Dumas (@lindsaymariedumas)
Additional editing support: (Bijoy Ahmed)
Music: Tony Deras (@tonesterderas)
Show art: Lia Osley (@liabedrawing)
Email: RTWDPodcast@gmail.com

Ep. 55 - My Safety is My #1 Priority

This week, I am joined by Katrina Strohl (pronouns: They/She/He). 
Katrina is Black, Sāmoan, and Queer. They serve others through their work in psychological safety as a Psychological Safety Consultant, mental health advocacy, and boundary strategy for people who share their identities or their lived experiences. Katrina’s work also includes their podcast Absolutely Not!, the weekly live podcast dedicated to providing examples of setting personal boundaries at work and the vocabulary needed to name harm in those spaces.
When I asked Katrina, “What do you want the Real Fam to get out of our conversation?” They want you to walk knowing that “You deserve relationships built on trust, safety, and respect.” We spend some time talking about how to build these kinds of relationships, the importance of psychological safety,  as well as the lie of "professionalism.”
CLICK TO TAKE THE PODCAST SURVEY
Stay in Touch with:
↳ Katrina on Linkedin
↳ Katrina’s podcast 🎧 Absolutely Not!
↳ Work with Katrina
 
Ways to support the show:
   👉🏾  Have you joined the Real Fam yet?
   👉🏾  Buy me Ko-fi ☕️
   👉🏾  Follow us on IG @RTWDPodcast
 
Production & Contact Details:
Producer: Jonathan Dumas (@rtwdpodcast)
Production help: Lindsay Dumas (@lindsaymariedumas)
Additional editing support: (Bijoy Ahmed)
Music: Tony Deras (@tonesterderas)
Show art: Lia Osley (@liabedrawing)
Email: RTWDPodcast@gmail.com

Ep. 54 - Have You Heard of Social Journaling?

This week, I am joined by Alex Oh and Nikolay Borisov Co-founders and Partners at Ohlay, an engagement design company. Their current work explores the intersection of personal development and company culture, asking: how do people connect more deeply with themselves, with their work, with others, and within their communities? They believe in a world where people show up more fully in every aspect of their lives — people who lead with heart and purpose, and where meaningful work and connections are the norm.
In our conversation, we talked about their work at Ohlay, we have a little social journaling session (don’t worry they will explain what that is), and explored further this idea of connection: with ourselves, with others, and within our communities.
CLICK TO TAKE THE PODCAST SURVEY
Stay in Touch with:
↳ Learn more about Ohlay
↳ Ohlay on Instagram
↳ Alex on Linkedin
↳ Nikolay on Linkedin
 
Ways to support the show:
   👉🏾  Have you joined the Real Fam yet?
   👉🏾  Buy me Ko-fi ☕️
   👉🏾  Follow us on IG @RTWDPodcast
 
Production & Contact Details:
Producer: Jonathan Dumas (@rtwdpodcast)
Production help: Lindsay Dumas (@lindsaymariedumas)
Additional editing support: (Bijoy Ahmed)
Music: Tony Deras (@tonesterderas)
Show art: Lia Osley (@liabedrawing)
Email: RTWDPodcast@gmail.com

Ep. 53 - Surviving to Thriving

*ACTIVATION WARNING: Brief mention of suicide in this episode.*
One of my lowest career moments was my second year working as an Admission Counselor. I had lost all drive and motivation to succeed. I was constantly exhausted and I felt like I was terrible at my job. One day after a particularly exhausting event, I remember walking to my car and sitting in the driver’s seat. I just sat there just trying to breathe. I decided to call my mom and before I know it, I’m sobbing. 
I don’t remember specifically what I said to her, but I do remember that I referred to myself as “worthless” and “horrible.” 
I will never forget that phone call.
Pretty soon after that, I transitioned out of that role,  then that institution altogether. 
Thinking back to that time, I know I could have done better in the role, but so much of how I navigated the institution itself (the systems, the rules, the politics, etc.) was just me surviving. Although I left the institution, bits of those feelings of worthlessness and horribleness followed me to a few other organizations I worked at. It wasn’t until I made the decision to find MY community that I was actually able to move out of survival mode and learn what it meant for me to have a thriving career.
This week, I am joined by the amazing, Katherine Castro, proud mother of two Chamorro-Panamian-Italian children, co-founder of Parenting Backwards, board member of Finadenne, and social justice advocate to talk about her own story of surviving in the world of tech and her process to becoming a thriving multi-hyphenate badass. Katherine also drops her three golden tips for navigating organizations that were not designed for employees of color and how she started a community where the sole purpose is for DEIB practitioners to “give and receive.”
As mentioned at the top, there is some brief conversation about suicide in this episode. If you're in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
CLICK TO TAKE THE PODCAST SURVEY
Stay in Touch with:
↳ Katherine on LinkedIn
↳ Contact Katherine 📧
↳ DEIB Community Group on LinkedIn 🤝 
 
Ways to support the show:
   👉🏾  Have you joined the Real Fam yet?
   👉🏾  Buy me Ko-fi ☕️
   👉🏾  Follow us on IG @RTWDPodcast
 
Sources Mentioned in Episode:
Article: How my LinkedIn Post Turned Into a Job
 
Folx, events & Orgs mentioned in the episode:
Check out Finadenne and the dope work they are doing!
 
Production & Contact Details:
Producer: Jonathan Dumas (@rtwdpodcast)
Production help: Lindsay Dumas (@lindsaymariedumas)
Additional editing support: (Bijoy Ahmed)
Music: Tony Deras (@tonesterderas)
Show art: Lia Osley (@liabedrawing)
Email: RTWDPodcast@gmail.com

Ep. 52 - How About Saying, ”Hello”

This week, I am joined by Dr. Wilfredo Alvarez.
Dr. Alvarez is an Associate Professor of Communication and Media, and Co-Coordinator of Communication and Social Justice at Utica University, and we can add the author to the list of things that Dr. Alvarez does because I had a chance to chat with him about his new book "Everyday Dirty Work: Invisibility, Communication, and Immigrant Labor."
He explores how Latin American immigrant janitors communicate in predominantly White academic institutions from marginalized standpoints. Specifically, it takes a look at how custodial workers perceive, interpret, and thematize periodic messages regarding race, ethnicity, and other intersecting identities, and how those messages and overall communicative experiences affect both their work and personal lives.
CLICK TO TAKE THE PODCAST SURVEY
Stay in Touch with:
↳ Dr. Alvarez on Twitter
↳ Dr. Alvarez on Instagram
↳ Dr. Alvarez on Linkedin
 
Wanna Read Dr.Alvarez’s Book 📚? Click this link to grab your copy.
 
Ways to support the show:
   👉🏾  Have you joined the Real Fam yet?
   👉🏾  Buy me Ko-fi ☕️
   👉🏾  Follow us on IG @RTWDPodcast
 
Production & Contact Details:
Producer: Jonathan Dumas (@rtwdpodcast)
Production help: Lindsay Dumas (@lindsaymariedumas)
Additional editing support: (Bijoy Ahmed)
Music: Tony Deras (@tonesterderas)
Show art: Lia Osley (@liabedrawing)
Email: RTWDPodcast@gmail.com