GOOD AT LIFE

Episode 2: The Richardson Family, Adopting a New Outlook

Same-sex couple Renee and Kate Richardson made a life-changing decision to grow their family and adopt through the foster care system. Their intention to adopt one child over the age of ten quickly shifts to adopting two sets of younger siblings with very different backgrounds, including trauma and special needs. It may get noisy around the house at times, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Expert Insight: Scarlet Bell Moore, an attorney specializing in child custody, with an 18-year affiliation with the Department of Social Services in South Carolina, shares her experience of advocating for children in foster care and adoption cases.

Listen to episode two here.

Read a transcript of the episode here.

Episode 3: Matt Fesler, When a Disability Becomes a Superpower

Matt was diagnosed as having bipolar disorder in his early teens in his early teens and spent much of his youth struggling to find his footing. When an injury at a restaurant derailed his plans to become a chef, he discovered the field of technology, where he realized he had the extraordinary ability to fixate and focus on problem solving. He is now established as a software engineer in cutting-edge health tech.

Expert Insight: Vanessa Greenwood, researcher, author, and professor of Media at Montclair State University, discusses the importance of media literacy and technology for youth as they navigate the world and innovate the future.Listen to episode three here.

Listen to episode three here.

Read a transcript of the episode here.

Episode 4: Charlten Henderson, a Cut Above the Rest

Charlten Henderson trained as a mental health counselor and witnessed first-hand the reticence in his community to seek formal counseling.  So, when he opened the Plaza Style barber shop in Springfield, Missouri, it wasn’t just to cut hair and boost confidence; he intended to create a place where community members feel comfortable sharing their personal challenges.

Expert Insight: Allison Task, career coach, life coach, and author of Personal Revolution: How to Be Happy, Change Your Life, and Do That Thing You've Always Wanted to Do shares how people can develop a more purpose-driven livelihood.

Listen to episode four here.

Read a transcript of the episode here.

Episode 5: Sheryl Pabatao, a Brave of Heart Story

Sheryl Pabatao comes from a hardworking Filipino family. Early on in the pandemic, she was concerned about her parents, both healthcare workers, who became ill while on the job helping others. Her dad got sick first, and died within a week from COVID-19. Her mother’s situation deteriorated, and she died soon after. Sheryl applies for and is awarded a charitable relief grant from the Brave of Heart Fund, which delivers much-needed aid.

Expert Insight: Trudy Lindsey Dinkins is a program delivery manager for E4E Relief working with the Brave of Heart Fund to ensure the emotional and financial needs of frontline healthcare workers’ families who lost a loved one to COVID-19 are served.

Listen to episode five here.

Read a transcript of the episode here.

Episode 6: Marian Chauvin, Beyond the Eye of the Storm

Two days before Hurricane Ida made landfall, Marian Chauvin and her family evacuated the family home they had sacrificed so much to build. They returned to find it destroyed. With no hotel rooms or places to stay available, they were forced to take shelter in a shed for several weeks. Their community banded together to supply food, water, and other essentials. Then they learned about the St. Bernard Project, a disaster relief organization that rebuilds housing for low- to moderate-income homeowners, and their life takes a turn for the better.

Expert Insight: Thomas Corley, chief recovery officer, St. Bernard Project. He is responsible for shaping strategic direction, program expansion, and team building for St. Bernard Project disaster recovery and resilience programs.

Listen to episode six here.

Read a transcript of the episode here.

Episode 7:  Rachel Wyman, the Sweet Taste of a Fresh Start

JRachel Wyman started baking bread to support herself in college and ended up finding her passion. She opened Montclair Bread Company in 2012 and found great success when she added donuts to her menu. The COVID-19 pandemic afforded an opportunity to bring her team even closer together to provide her community with fresh produce at a time when it was harder to come by. 

Expert Insight is given by: Katherine Danesi, a business coach and brand strategist helping female entrepreneurs, business owners, and freelancers get the clarity needed to trust their choices, confidently express their mission and message, and build their businesses.

Listen to episode seven here.

Read a transcript of the episode here.

Episode 8: Hmong American Farmers Association, When Food is Medicine.

In addition to passing down lessons about agriculture and farming to younger generations, a group of Hmong farmers from the Twin Cities area of Minnesota is, with the support of a grant from the American Heart Association, at the forefront of a local effort to promote health, wealth and equity through food. Hear the story from three generations of the Hang family, who are farmers and co-founders of the Hmong American Farmers Association.

Expert Insight: Susan Stokes, partner at the law firm of Lind, Jensen, Sullivan & Peterson in Minneapolis shares her experience working with the Hmong American Farmers Association and other farmers in the Twin Cities.

Listen to episode eight here.

Read a transcript of the episode here.

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