For Our Edification

As someone who often speaks her mind, Carrie KC West ’s story of career transformation began when a single, unfortunate moment with her boss in Corporate America led to her current career. As she has worked with people as a “hidden story doula,” Carrie has also worked to be the pattern so that her clients could “disrupt the familiar” to tell their hidden stories. About Carrie KC West | carriekcwes...

Michelle Steiner suffered a setback in her career when she lost her job during the COVID lockdown, but she had already passed a major life test. Michelle had been told that she wouldn't be successful in college because of her learning disability. Instead of retreating within, Michelle leaned on her community and used that setback to earn her bachelor's degree. Now a disability advocate and an educ...

A common question that has come up since my most recent full-time adventure: How did I pivot so quickly? I got to work on reinventing myself quickly, but the truth is that this career pivot—my fifth one—took a bit longer. In this episode, I talk about the steps I took and why patience matters in the pivot. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get ac...

"Setbacks start with what feel like peaks." That's how ‪ Phillip Holmes kicked off his conversation with me about his journey from surviving a toxic workplace to helping others navigate toxic workplaces. A coach and leadership consultant, Phillip visited For Our Edification to talk about the process of rebounding from getting lost in ambition to gaining clarity through self-evaluation. Check out P...

It was 15 years ago that I encountered my first and worst crisis as a public relations professional. It was then, when I was Southern University at New Orleans’ public relations director, that a Louisiana legislator proposed a bill that would merge SUNO with the University of New Orleans as part of their move into the University of Louisiana System. The writing was on the wall that a merger presum...

As was the case for so many, 2020 wasn’t a great year for Dave Delaney . With the COVID-19 lockdown, his speaking business took a big hit, and natural disasters had become too much a part of his life. On top of that, Dave had been diagnosed with ADHD. With his love for communication and the stage, Dave found a renewed energy in improv, but he found new life in mindfulness. In this conversation, Da...

Rory Verrett felt "rudderless" after being defeated early in his career—literally. The New Orleans native had returned from Harvard Law School and had a strong start to his career when he decided to run for public office. But he suffered a bitter defeat. It was a moment that Rory describes as feeling "devastated" and "embarrassed." That moment led to a series of career moves that have helped Rory...

What happens when a self-described workaholic hits a wall with corporate politics? For Melinda Van Fleet it was a sign that something had to change. Melinda visited For Our Edification to share her journey from successful retail buyer at Saks Fifth Avenue to empowerment and business coach. After years of thriving in Corporate America, regularly working 12-hour days because she genuinely loved what...

The Season 7 premiere kicks off a new direction for the podcast. For Our Edification is setting sail into deeper personal leadership waters with stories of career transformation. We’re kicking off the new season with a challenge to both managers and their direct reports in the workplace to make five promises to tighten their relationships . These aren’t just any promises. I reach into my strategic...

I focused more on personal leadership in Season 6 of For Our Edification, brought back the Write to Bear Alms segment, and launched the Higher Edification segment. Take a listen to some of the episodes that stood out to me: 56 | Eddie’s the Guest 68 | Creating Student Success From Access with Dr. James K. Winfield 71 | Colleges and Universities as Civic Anchors with Dr. Halima Leak Francis 70 | Ph...

In the Higher Edification segment, Halima discusses how colleges and universities are civic anchors, something that was part of her doctoral research in higher education administration at New York University. She shares her thoughts about the importance of colleges and universities’ role as civic anchors, how different types of institutions of higher learning contribute to their respective communi...

Approaching the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, The Data Center published “The New Orleans Index at Twenty” Collection , which included “Resourcing resilience and prosperity: Philanthropic investment in New Orleans’ nonprofit sector after Hurricane Katrina” . The research was produced by For Our Edification’s very own Dr. Halima Leak Francis , who is the Carnegie Corporation of NY Professor...

Dr. Esha Lovrić deeply believes that there is a need to widely promote critical thinking. She is so convinced of it that she has taken to Threads for a public commentary, even focusing on making the distinction between critical thinking and conspiratorial thinking. I was so excited about her posts that I invited Esha to join me for an episode of my weekly radio show “The Way Forward” on WBOK radio...

The first Higher Edification guest stepped in to share some great perspectives about the profound impact that higher education has on him. Dr. James K. Winfield is a student access and success leader who champions first-generation college students. Having been a first-gen student himself, James shares his higher education empowerment story. A current university administrator, he also talks about t...

Randy Phares got it out the mud…literally. Once upon a time, he was digging a ditch for a living while dealing with diagnoses of Tourette’s Syndrome and ADHD. That didn’t stop Randy from showing his bosses how creative and determined he was to be a problem-solver. Now Randy does a presentation and masterclass called “How to Outinterview Everyone and Get the Job of Your Dreams”. A successful entrep...

On April 10, 2023, I decided to bet on myself. It was scary, but I did it, dang it! But seriously…going into my third year as a business owner and realizing that there are probably thousands of small businesses being opened around the U.S. due to major job losses, there are five big things that I’ve learned that I want to share with others who are betting on themselves. The views expressed on "For...

Andrea C. McLean had a promising path in Corporate America until something unexpected happened. It was then that she realized that she needed to shift her mindset. But Andrea also recognized that there were others like her—especially women—who needed to shift their mindsets. That’s when she set out to coach people to become their future selves. Andrea visited For Our Edification during Podapalooza...

Lori Osborne loves what she does. A brand strategist, web developer, and speaker, Lori finds joy in helping thought leaders turn their voices into internet things of beauty. We had a conversation about what’s behind Lori’s sparkly personality. She shared her story of resilience—from surviving cancer and an abusive marriage to coping with the effects of a procedure to remove a brain tumor. Yet, Lor...

Introducing a new segment-- Higher Edification ! In future episodes, we'll hear about how higher education touches our lives. This commentary sets the table for the importance and personal impact that higher ed has on our personal leadership. Note:  A passage from the book "Footprints of Black Louisiana" was shared on this episode. It reads that Xavier University of Louisiana opened in 1915, howev...

Carlos Henry is serious about two things--leadership and winning. Having grown up in a challenging environment (to put it mildly), Carlos made up his mind that he would be the best he could possibly be. And he hasn't looked back. Not even 30 years old, Carlos visited "For Our Edification" to talk about what makes him so hungry for greatness, what he has learned about himself in his leadership setb...

For Dominique Luster , archives are more than artifacts. They're stories that both give life to history and provide direction for the future. A passionate professional archivist and proud product of Kentucky, Dominique visited "For Our Edification" to talk about how her work informs her personal growth and development as well as her leadership path. About Dominique Luster Dominique's Website:  htt...

Can we talk? I am nowhere close to satisfied with For Our Edification. So, help me out and let me know how this podcast can play a productive role in your life.  Plus, I’m introducing Higher Edification , more personal leadership conversations, and Write to Bear Alms . The views expressed on “For Our Edification” do not reflect the views of any entity with which the hosts or guests are affiliated....

When Rashad Young speaks, there's a lot to take in. He is open about the work in progress that he is, showing a wealth of authenticity. The host of the podcast, Knowing Is Knowing, Rashad joined For Our Edification to discuss how he tries to live up to the (literal) meaning of his name and how he finds purpose in setbacks. Rashad also delved into how other Black men respond to his open vulnerabili...

Chris Tidrick is on a mission to create a world where people think and feel so that they can lead better, especially men. That is why he started hosting the ILLUMENATE podcast. Chris joined For Our Edification to chat about his podcast, his "Think. Feel. Lead." mantra, and the "a-ha" moments that have helped him become a better leader.  About Christopher Tidrick Website:  https://christophertidric...

Christine D. Ross has had to deal with serious life setbacks even as she sat in paradise. This is what led her to commit her life to health and wellness. Christine joined "For Our Edification" for an honest conversation about the importance of gratitude, mindfulness, and food as medicine. About Christine D. Ross Website:  https://www.radiatehealthandwellness.com/ Christine has a passion for holist...