Beyond 6 Seconds

I recorded this episode with my friend Corinna Bellizzi at the She Podcasts Live conference in October 2021. Corinna hosts the Care More. Be Better. podcast and was a guest on my show a few months ago. In this episode, Corinna interviews me about the why behind Beyond 6 Seconds, including the importance of going beyond the initial 6 seconds of our first impressions. We also discuss our podcasting journeys and how we work to peek behind the veil and get to the truth behind the story in our interview format shows. We also share our key takeaways from She Podcasts Live. This interview originally aired on the Care More. Be Better. podcast and then on the Femcasters podcast.   Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes! Click here for the episode transcript.   *Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not represent those of my employer or other organizations.*  

Travis Davis remembers the first time he realized the impact of sharing his story -- a simple lunchtime conversation that encouraged him to start talking about his life with cerebral palsy. Since that pivotal conversation, Travis has become a TEDx speaker, podcaster and local disability advocate in New Mexico. He has a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in Adapted Physical Education, and is ADA Coordinator certified. In this episode, Travis talks about that lunchtime encounter, as well as: When he was a substitute teacher, why he encouraged his students to ask him questions about his disability The chance meeting on an airplane that introduced him to wheelchair basketball Why he started his "Off The Crutch Podcast" about his experiences with cerebral palsy To learn more about Travis and his work, you can find him at the following links: TravisDavis.net Facebook Instagram EqualSteps.org consulting services Off the Crutch Podcast   Watch the video of this interview on YouTube! Subscribe to the FR

Margaux Wosk is a non-binary, autistic artist residing in Canada, and the owner of Retrophiliac, their own art business. They are bridging the gap between activism, advocacy and art to bring a message of acceptance to the world. During this episode, you will hear Margaux talk about: What led them to create their art business, Retrophiliac, after many years of being a self-taught artist The story behind the Neurodiversity Pride Infinity Rainbow pin – the first pin design they created How their art has helped amplify their advocacy for disabled small business owners To find out more about Margaux and their work, you can find them on the following links down below: Navigating Life website Retrophiliac Etsy store Retrophiliac on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter Watch the video of this interview on YouTube! Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes! Click here for the episode transcript.   *Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Secon

Jasmine Crowe is an award-winning social entrepreneur, TED Speaker, and leader who is working to make the world a better place one cause at a time. In 2017, after years of feeding people experiencing homelessness from her own kitchen, she launched Goodr, a sustainable waste management company that leverages technology to combat hunger and reduce food waste. She has been featured on CNBC, Oprah Magazine, Inc., Forbes, Fast Company, the NY Times, and was named by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 100 influential female founders. Under her direction, Goodr has redirected over 12 million pounds of surplus food from restaurants, event centers, airports, and businesses to the millions of people who are food insecure. Goodr clients include SAP, Turner Broadcasting, Hartsfield Jackson Airport, Six Flags Over Georgia, and many more. During this episode, you will hear Jasmine talk about: What makes Goodr different from a food pantry How Goodr works with large venues and local non-profits to distribute food to pe

TW: Mentions of suicidal ideation, death from cancer Kathleen Brown was diagnosed with a rare cancer at the age of 13. While her cancer battle was enormously challenging, she felt completely unprepared for the mental health and emotional struggles that came with it: dark feelings, isolation, trauma and loss. This difficult experience inspired Kathleen to found buddhi, a digital platform with content, community and curated products for cancer thrivers and their family and friends. With buddhi, she is on a mission to support healing across the entire cancer experience. It's a place to bring your realness and leave toxic positivity at the door. Before founding buddhi, Kathleen worked for more than 25 years on behalf of the cancer community in fundraising and advocacy, for organizations including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and The V Foundation. Prior to St. Jude, she spent a decade in advertising sales with Disney/ESPN and Comcast. During this episode, you will hear Kathleen talk about: Her story of g

In this episode I’m talking with Jacob Ratliff, a Client Attraction Coach and entrepreneur, about bringing your authenticity into your business. As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, Jacob used his identity and lived experiences as the catalyst for creating his business, where he helps entrepreneurs increase brand awareness and visibility, create meaningful engagement, and maintain long-term clients.  Jacob struggled with being authentic in his business at first. We’ll learn how he stepped into his authentic self and found success, and as a result, is able to help his clients lean into their authentic, confident, empowered selves to grow their businesses.  Stay tuned to hear Jacob’s advice for getting more clarity and alignment in your business as an entrepreneur! And if you find this episode helpful, then please share it — or let me know how you’ve used authenticity to succeed in your own business. During this episode, you will hear Jacob talk about: Discovering his entrepreneurial spirit at five years

Minda Harts is the CEO of The Memo LLC and the award-winning and best-selling author of “The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table.” In 2020, Minda was named the #1 Top Voice for Equity in the Workplace by Linkedin. She’s been featured on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Fast Company, The NY Times, and Time Magazine, to name a few. Minda also speaks on topics like managing diverse teams, courageous leadership, and advancing women of color in the workplace. During this episode, you will hear Minda talk about: How her own experience with job-related trauma and racism inspired her to write a career book for women of color -- despite being told that there was no market for a book on this topic Some of the less-examined causes of “imposter syndrome” at work How to build your network in a hybrid workplace or fully remote workplace Why Minda uses the term “success partner” instead of ally -- and how managers and coworkers can be success partners for women of color at work What inspired the topics

"Move forward. Step back and recalibrate. Move forward again." This is how Doug Stevenson, CEO of Story Theater International, has built a successful life and career as a storyteller, keynote speaker, trainer, and coach. Doug is a masterful storyteller, but his true gift is helping people become engaging storytellers and unforgettable leaders. He is the author of Doug Stevenson’s Story Theater Method, and has delivered storytelling keynotes and workshops for leadership, sales, training, marketing, and HR teams in the US and in 17 other countries. In this episode, Doug shares: How his background as an actor and real estate agent led him to his passion for public speaking and storytelling The stories in his own life that have led him to “move forward, step back and recalibrate, move forward again” The power of finding and sharing the meaningful moments in life, no matter how small How he teaches corporate leaders to tell stories that improve their performance and communications How the pandemic forced him to s

After 28 years as a highly skilled employee, David Shriner-Cahn was told that his job was over. In spite of the immediate trauma and fear, he knew that as his next step, he’d rather work for himself and have more control over his destiny. That was in 2006. Today, David is a thriving entrepreneur, podcaster and speaker. He guides high achieving professionals who yearn to impact the world with their knowledge and creativity by becoming successful consultants or coaches, following long careers as employees. He also hosts two podcasts: Smashing the Plateau, which focuses on how to overcome roadblocks and generate long-term business success, and Going Solo, which explores how to reinvent yourself as an entrepreneur after a late-career job loss. During this episode, you will hear David talk about: His career journey from engineer to entrepreneur His own experience with job loss -- and how he coped and moved forward from it How he learned about business development and marketing to be a more successful entrepreneur

Corinna Bellizzi is a natural products industry executive and social benefit entrepreneur. In her professional life as the head of marketing and sales for her clients, she champions social benefit programs to enhance brand development and company impact. In January 2021 she launched her show, “Care More. Be Better: A Social Impact + Sustainability Podcast” to amplify the efforts of inspired individuals and conscious companies. Through Care More. Be Better, she shares their stories in an effort to show us all that one person with one idea can have a big impact. No subject is off limits -- as she covers topics from refugee relief to payday lending and everything in-between. During this episode, you will hear Corinna talk about: How she wanted to create an impact on the world with her podcast The “Calls to Action” she includes for her listeners on her podcast How important it is to donate time and skills to organizations Why it is important to connect with others, even if they are far away How her podcast helpe

Linda Maloney served 20 years in the Navy and was one of the first women in U.S. history in 1993 to join a combat military flying squadron. She was designated a Naval Flight Officer (NFO) and is the recipient of numerous military awards, including the distinguished air medal for combat. She also was the first woman to eject from a Martin Baker ejection seat from her A-6 aircraft over the Atlantic Ocean. She retired from the Navy in 2004 and started her second career as a defense contractor, author and business owner. Linda is currently the CEO of Women Veteran Speakers, the first speaker’s agency of its kind that exclusively offers exceptional women military veterans as event speakers, trainers, coaches and facilitators. She is also the Project Director for the Proudly She Served project, which highlights women who serve or who have served in the U.S. military and tells their stories. During this episode, Linda shares: Her story of ejecting from her aircraft What it was like being one of the first women in a

Kuda Biza is a serial entrepreneur who started his first company when he was 9 years old in Zimbabwe. Over the course of 10 years he has successfully launched 6 businesses. Currently, he is the co-founder & CMO of Nunbelievable, a socially-conscious baked goods company that donates meals for every box of cookies sold. He is also the co-founder of #ThisIsMyEra, a personal development brand, and Signables, a sports collectibles brand. Kuda also founded the Amani Hope Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to empower underprivileged children by providing scholarships. During this episode, you will hear Kuda talk about: How a desire for an ice cream as a child led him to fall in love with entrepreneurship How he picks the focus areas for his businesses Why it’s important for entrepreneurs to make mistakes they can learn from and take conscious risks every day How his non-profit organization aligns with the goals of his socially conscious businesses Learn more about Kuda at his website

Chien-Chi Huang is the founder of the Asian Breast Cancer Project and the Executive Director of Asian Women for Health, a peer-led, community-based network dedicated to advancing Asian women's health and wellbeing through education, advocacy and support.   During this episode, you will hear Chien-Chi talk about: How her personal experience with breast cancer inspired her to start the Asian Breast Cancer Project How Asian Women for Health has helped Asian women speak out about their experiences with racism and isolation during the pandemic Her own experience with racism – and how it led her to create the “Racism is a Virus” public service announcement video Her career journey in Taiwan and the United States, through advertising, video production and motherhood How “The Three Cs” method can help people interrupt their negative thinking and support their mental well-being On June 5, 2021, join Chien-Chi at the Asian American Mental Health Forum! The event is free and open to all. Register at http://bit.ly/AAMH

TW/CW: War, violent imagery, PTSD Diana Oestreich is an activist, veteran, nurse, and relentless practitioner of peace. She is the founder of the Waging Peace Project, a movement activating everyday peacemakers to commit acts of courage for the sake of justice, rooted in relentless love. In her first book, “Waging Peace,” she shares her experience serving in Iraq as a combat medic and her choice to wage peace during wartime and after returning home. During this episode, Diana shares: What it was like being deployed at age 23 to the “War on Terror,” as part of the Army National Guard What her daily life was like in Iraq as a combat medic The critical moment of conflict between her faith in God and her duty as a soldier that changed her forever -- and compelled her to wage peace in a place of war How her friendship with a local Iraqi woman changed how she thought about the “enemy” The challenges she faced after returning home, and why she was silent for many years about her experiences in Iraq How she learned

Kevin Allen is a classically trained pianist, music producer, math teacher, guest speaker, entrepreneur and YouTuber. From spending 12 years working in the corporate world, to becoming a middle school math teacher, to really diving into music and content creation, Kevin has had a diverse and multi-creative career journey. He has been making music for about 15 years and just recently decided to begin sharing his content with the world through his podcast and YouTube channel. During this episode, you will hear Kevin talk about: How he started making music as a young child, then rekindled his passion for music as an adult Why he created his YouTube channel, K_AL Experience The story behind his corporate career -- how he got his first job while still in college, the different roles he held, and his decision to move on to pursue teaching How he balances his teaching, tutoring business, and YouTube channel How networking has been critical to growing his career The multi-creative “dream guests” he’d like to intervi

Hunter Hansen is an autistic content creator on YouTube and Instagram and a blogger on thelifeautistic.com. After discovering his autism in his late teens, Hunter tried to outgrow and suppress his autistic traits for years, until coming to terms and embracing his identity as an autistic adult. He has since turned that suppression into passion, advocating for greater understanding and appreciation of autism and autistic people. Hunter works for a major company as a business analyst and lives in the Denver area with his wife and three daughters. During this episode, you will hear Hunter talk about: The origin of his blog -- and why he decided to shift his blog’s initial focus and start writing about his autism What inspired him to start The Life Autistic channel on YouTube His process for creating his videos -- and why he never runs out of idea topics How Instagram Reels helped him expand his audience further His advocacy goals for helping companies create better workplaces for autistic employees and get the m

TW/CW: Mentions of domestic violence Nichelle Walker is a passionate community service advocate who encourages people to take responsibility for doing things that matter within their local communities. She sees community service as a way to find local solutions to national and global problems. Nichelle is also a survivor of domestic violence; her experience further cultivated a need inside of her to give back to others. During this episode, you will hear Nichelle talk about: How her passion for community service started at a young age How she believes that even the smallest actions can help the community How she learns from the girls that she mentors through BUILT BY GIRLS How her experience as a domestic violence survivor led her to change her life and help other people in similar situations The community service she has done on a national and global scale, in both the US and UK How community service has helped her make new connections and learn about different cultures, despite the isolation of the pandemi

Julia Ward is an actor and filmmaker whose award-winning documentary, in.clu.sion, is raising awareness about the authentic representation of people with disabilities in the media. Julia is also a senior in high school, and filmed in.clu.sion during lockdown in 2020. During this episode, Julia shares: How her brother Spencer inspired her to film in.clu.sion The challenges and benefits of filming during lockdown -- including how she got interviews with actors Cole Sibus and Mat Fraser and director Peter Farrelly How her film discusses issues with the representation of people with disabilities in movies and television The reaction her film has received from the public Her goals and plans for the future You can watch in.clu.sion on Amazon Prime and find out more about Julia on her official website. Watch the video of this interview on YouTube! Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for all the latest news and updates about my podcast! Click here for the episode transcript.

If your employees spent their workdays engrossed in colorful LEGO® bricks, what would you think? If you're David Kokai, you'd probably think that business is good!  David founded a company devoted to the LEGO® secondary market when he left the corporate world to start WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD (WLWYB), a LEGO® parts dealer. WLWYB operates their breakthrough platform, MOCHUB, which allows LEGO® builders to share their work and make money with their creations. WLWYB is a neurodiverse workplace that employs autistic people in key parts of their business, and recognizes that the diversity within their teams makes their company stronger. During this episode, David and Lili talk about: How David’s interest in data science inspired him to start a LEGO®-focused business Why they decided to create a neurodiverse and autism-friendly work environment at their company How they recruit and employ autistic people in key parts of their business and build a work environment that is safe, effective and a great place to grow for

Kevin M. Yates is a learning & development leader with a career spanning 20+ years, a sought-after expert in the field of learning measurement, a global public speaker and e-book author... and as a Black man living and working in the U.S., he sometimes feels he is mistakenly seen as a "unicorn." On this episode, Kevin talks about what he means by “unicorn” and how it relates to his experiences as a Black man living and working in the United States. He speaks candidly about the impact of race in his professional and personal life. We also talk about how the racial and social justice movements of 2020 have further inspired Kevin to live in authenticity by being transparent about his whole self and experiences, because as he puts it, “living in duality is too much work.” Find out more about Kevin on his website, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Twitter, on LinkedIn, and on YouTube. Get your free copy of Kevin’s e-book, “L&D Detective Kit for Solving Impact Mysteries©” Listen to my previous Beyond 6 Seconds