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This episode features teacher, community organizer and doctoral student, Sandra Gonzalez and her quest to bring the student and faculty voice back to the forefront in education governance. Join the conversation as she talks about transparency, equity and governance in higher education.

https://www.sandrag4wcc.com/ 

Health & Fitness Owner on a Mission: Be Better

Friend a fellow NCC Alum on running multiple businesses, the sacrifice of success, derailments (that could end it all!)  and opening the first high-end vegan, gluten-free restaurant in the midwest.

https://www.rejoicelounge.com/ 

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.

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.

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 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 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. 

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. 

Finding Peace: Growing up adopted & anxious.

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

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.

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.  

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.

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

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. 

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.

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 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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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 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.

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.