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An Operations VP on leadership, marriage and overworking.

We talk generational expectations, hiring retail workers, leading with ADHD, life's fair shake, embracing passions, identity politics & a warning for overworking spouses.

We talk about leaving the gang environment, being a terrible high-schooler, dreaming big, becoming mayor, leading through crisis, vaccine equity and Aurora's formula for success.

This episode is part of a special series: Aurora, Meet your Mayor. The series focuses on the men running for the city's top position, their profession and what drives them.

This episode features mayoral challenger John Laesch, carpenter and activist on a mission to go green and create better jobs. We talk about people-powered campaigns, green new deal, job training, democracy, leadership and the cycle of poverty and empowerment.

This episode is part of a special series: Aurora, Meet your Mayor. The series focuses on the men running for the city's top position, their profession and what drives them.

This episode features mayoral challenger Judd Lofchie, a real estate broker, attorney and city alderman. We talk compassion, living a life of service, getting Aurora's financial house in order, building wealth with real estate, and the Rotary club. 

This episode is part of a special series: Aurora, Meet your Mayor. The series focuses on getting a deeper understanding of  the men running for the city's top position, their profession and what drives them.

A Mother’s Hope: A Story of Self Love & Sovereignty 

(full series in one episode)

My mom is a multiplying life force. I hope many more are lucky enough to know her. She inspires work, faith, and play in everything she does. Growing up she instilled a deep hope and love for people into my twin sister and I. This is her story. 

Part 1: “Get Off Your Shaky Legs and Walk Straight”  Teenage Dreams & Nightmares: Surviving Domestic Violence

Part 2: "I Love You Enough To Leave” Sacrificial Love: Facing Addiction and her second divorce. 

Part 3: "Dignity in a Dump" Go and Let Go: Living a Life of Mission. 

Part 4: "This One is Yours" Promises Fulfilled: Everlasting Love. 

Part 4:  Promises Fulfilled: Everlasting Love

Marrying the wrong person, becoming a grandmother, leaning on God's promises and the dream that confirmed everything.

Part 4 of four-part series: 

A Mother’s Hope: A Story of Self Love & Sovereignty.

Part 3: Go and Let Go: Living a Life of Mission

Lessons from Ecuador and Kosovo, letting go of a promising suitor and hearing that still small voice (the knowing).

Part 3 of four-part series: 

A Mother’s Hope: A Story of Self Love & Sovereignty.

Part 2: Sacrificial Love: Facing Addiction and her second divorce

Delia DeLeon Dy on embracing love again, facing the consequences of addiction and accepting loss.

Part 2 of four-part series:  

A Mother’s Hope: A Story of Self Love & Sovereignty. 

Part 1: Teenage Dreams & Nightmares: Surviving Domestic Violence

Growing up in a family of nine, teenage marriage and motherhood, finding Jesus and recognizing the early stages of abuse.

*** 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience physical violence by their intimate partner at some point during their lifetime. As ugly as this topic is it must be addressed. ***

This is my mom’s story of surviving domestic violence and the brave people and spaces that helped her through.

Part 1 of four-part series:  

A Mother’s Hope: A Story of Self Love & Sovereignty. 

Software Engineer: Empowering DevOps Teams

Lessons from Japan, what the world needs more of, and connecting people through technology.

Executive Connector: Diversifying the Board Room

Librarian and research director on increasing Latino representation in 'the room where it happens' and building a pipeline of board-ready individuals. 

Andrea McMillian sits down with serial entrepreneur Perla Tamez to talk about scaling and operating her businesses. This conversation focuses on entrepreneurship, scaling her businesses, and building culture. 

Andrea McMillian sits down with Sam Nunez to talk about his campaign for Aurora Township Trustee. This conversation focuses on local elections, role of government, community engagement and advice for youth interested in local leadership.

Learn more about Sam at: https://www.facebook.com/samfortrustee2021/ 

Finding Peace: Growing up adopted & anxious.

And that's a wrap! Thank you for tuning in! Can't wait for Season 2 in January!  

Much love,  ~Andrea

Finding Peace: Growing up adopted & anxious.

Sarah's journey of finding her birth family, unlocking her identity and letting go of anxiety.

Family Legacy: A Father’s Might and Mission. Facing loss and grief as a widowed dad and embracing a diverse, blended family. 

My first podcast ever recorded with my dad, Jason. He shares his story of being an Asian immigrant, becoming a doctor, being a widowed father to two, and finding new love, family and meaning.

She served two tours in Iraq, one in Kuwait, and 1 year in the reserves. 

Learn this military patriot’s story of sacrifice and service. 

Warning: A not-your-typical Veterans’ Day podcast from a not-so-typical army veteran on patriotism, equity in higher education, her year of yes & what civilians should know.

Tough but fair: 

Developing champion people 

Lisette oversees 45 Xfinity Stores and several hundred Xfinity retail sites. Learn how this fortune 50 vice president leads high-performing teams at work and at home. 

When blinders come off: 

Unleashing creative potential amidst retail struggles and job transitions. 

Mike’s built his career helping customers and developing people as an assistant store manager for places like BestBuy, Target and Trader Joe’s. Now he’s focusing on developing himself and shares personal details of how being laid off helped him flex his creative muscles and sparked questions of how and where he spends his time.  

Leading Courageously in Crisis: 

History-making police chief leads law enforcement response for the second-largest police department in the state. Her reflections on the Henry Pratt mass shooting, Covid-19, civil unrest, and why she's not afraid of the "c" word - compassion. Also, the self-talk that almost stopped her from being "the first".

Dallas socialite, Nicole, was earning 200k as a sales executive at Oracle & At&T when sentenced to 10 years in prison for a DUI resulting in a death. In prison she became aware of the need to support women wanting to turn their life around & founded The Rusty Diamond Network offering re-entry services for returning women. Also a former 'student' of Provo Canyon School, Nicole sheds light on the abusive troubled-teen industry.

Nurses around the world make huge personal sacrifices to help fight covid-19. Orlando shares what it's like managing acutely ill patients, dealing with death on a daily basis, and triaging patients during the pandemic. Also my younger brother, we talk about growing up Boricua, coping with loss, coming out, and bougie standards.

Hilarious (and controversial) behind-the-scenes discussion on #DatingDuringCovid and #whatmenwant in women. 

Shannon is an HR executive leader navigating ‘work in the time of a global pandemic’. He's also one of my closest friends. We talk business continuity, diversity and inclusion, brave conversations, and how he puts his values into action in the workplace.

Listen as he hilariously shares his journey into HR and how a high school corporate internship program changed his life.

Jackie, unleashes the amazing in young Latinas. Founder of The Fig Factor Foundation, author of 18 books, and creator of the international movement and book series, Today's Inspired Latina, she shares her entrepreneurship journey and her 'responsibility to land' as pilot in command. 

Alexandria advances equity within her district and is rehauling the learning experience for high school teachers and students. Launching today is volume II of her newest book: today's Inspired Latina! Did I mention she's my twin?! We also talk about mom guilt and when sisters fight.

As commissioner for Governor Pritzker’s Serve Illinois Commission and CEO of Chicago Cares, Jenne is a power player among Chicago's professional elite. Learn how she's pivoting through Covid, connecting folks of difference & bringing her 'whole' self to the table. 

Spoiler: It's with radical honesty, authentic connection, & lots of laughs.

Leadership lessons from CompTIA's president and chief executive officer, Todd Thibodeaux, on expanding emotional intelligence, stepping into leadership, and creating a culture of continuous improvement.

Shawndra's artistry inspires me to think critically and live authentically, and her ministry leading a citywide college outreach with her husband - intrigues me. How are they building faith, empathy and culture with students across Chicago? What is the voice of our young people? How does she get them to 'listen'? In this episode, she takes me back to church and talks about faith and reconciliation in modern times.

As a mental health provider, Tony is a professional at counseling people through problems. After earning the trust of my teenage son and husband, he's now someone I count on to 'tell me like it is'. In this episode, we talk about common challenges families and couples face, navigating interpersonal conflict, and self-improvement.

As a visual storyteller, David captures the life and personality of people all over the world and as founder of True Chicago, he’s creating spaces to connect and encourage creatives. Learn how his work continues to promote life and the empowerment of others.

This conversation focuses on David's photography journey, founding True Chicago, and what it means to be a black creator during this time.

Emily is a gladiator defense attorney and fierce advocate of criminal justice reform. Learn how she's empowering others to fight back and her holistic approach towards practicing law. A graduate of Harvard University and Stanford Law School, Emily is Senior Legal Counsel at The Justice Collaborative, and Founder & CEO of Partners For Justice, a nonprofit committed to increasing access to justice.  

This discussion focuses on law, public safety and civics.

The beauty of education is that it’s never ending.

It’s been 15 years since I walked into his classroom and I haven’t left. Insightful conversation with former professor, Dr. Caliendo, political scientist and dean at North Central College. He reminds me that “we can criticize & love” and that we all have yet “so much much to learn”.

This discussion focuses on racism, politics and power. 

Adrienne is a social change maker on a mission to unite communities. Serving as a 'chief' in her city with a Ph.D. in political science and public policy, she has the smarts and authority to make massive impact. Learn how growing up in Harlem and the Bronx by first-generation Puerto Rican parents shaped her approach to building community.  Discussion themes include the power of struggle, surrender, sisterhood and seeking help.

Kim is a fellow North Central College alumni with a master's degree from Northwestern University,  a marriage and family therapist in Naperville and a local activist with the NAACP. In this episode, she's sharing her insight on gaining meaning from our past and the importance of having a community of elders.  She also talks about protective factors used to guard our hearts during times of crisis and finding our tribe.

65% of U.S. inmates meet medical criteria for substance abuse and addiction yet only 11% receive treatment.   

This is my dad’s story.  

Finding hope and healing; my dad's journey towards recovery and breaking the cycle of addiction and imprisonment.

My thoughts on George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement.  

As a minority I am always keenly aware of my "color" along with everyone else around me. And I see white people everywhere. Especially in areas of executive leadership, government and higher education. It's time we start seeing more black and Hispanic people in those places, too.  

YouTube video contains visual graphics that are not included in the iTunes format. 

Jessica Banta, 25yr old restaurant worker, isn't letting this global pandemic crisis get the best of her or the people she loves. After being laid-off due to Covid-19, she co-founded the Relief Coalition, a local grass-roots initiative run by and for the people. They've since packaged 36,000 pounds of food for curbside pickup, helping 6,600+ locals. 

She shares details about the journey to launch and how her team of "regular" people came together to advance the mission.

Q&A: Healthcare Tips from Local Heroes

My dad, Dr. Jason Dy, and our family pediatrician, Dr. Priti Amin - both from DuPage Medical Group - share tips on how we can stay healthy & informed while sheltering in place.

This episode is dedicated to the bosses who champion their people!   

Charles is CEO of a national workforce nonprofit that is changing the game for tech education and helping people get tech jobs. He shares his experience growing up as a diplomat's kid in Hong Kong, his passion for fanatical learning, and his views on education, marriage, parenting & more.

This episode is dedicated to all the badass moms out there!     

Meet Ericka, a modern day superwoman who is unapologetically carving her own career lane as creator of the multimedia brand Sinking Heels of Motherhood while also being a full-time stay-at-home mom to a multicultural, blended family of 7 with special needs.  

In this episode we talk about balancing motherhood with career, our teen mom stories, and the importance of women sharing their story with others.

Raul is a Comcast essential worker helping his community stay connected. He's also a trusted friend, respected peer and a championed leader. Married for 17 years and raising two teen boys, he's learned a thing or two about life. In this episode we find out who inspires him and how he uses his favorite call to action on himself.  Warning: This episode might restore your faith in humanity.  Spoilers: 1 - good people still exist, 2 -  making new friends is always possible, 3 - distance doesn't have to divide and 4 - somewhere out there is a good soul who's willing, ready and able to elevate your huddle

Meet JP Calkins, a professional medical device salesman and what he considers "the best sale" he's ever made. Hear about his former jobs at Tweeter, Circuit City and Best Buy; how he dealt with the loss of his high school girlfriend; and how he went from working that "retail life" to landing a lucrative sales position within the medical industry.  

Land of the free; home of the brave. Barbara is the youngest Latina in the Illinois House of Representatives and the daughter of Mexican immigrants. Learn how this 1st generation American became one of the youngest shining stars in the Democratic party and how she's leading through Covid19.