Hopemongers

Podcast Title: Hope, to My Younger Self Hosts: Aba Cato Andah and Zoe Baraka  Guest: Veronica Safoa Owusu Summary:  The podcast is inspired by their best-selling book, "Letters of Hope to My Younger Self,". Veronica Safoa Owusu emphasizes the importance of knowing oneself beyond labels and expectations, especially during challenging times like a relationship breakup or divorce. Veronica...

Season 2 Episode 9: “OWN IT!” (with Yaa Foda Attobrah) “I am a straight shooter; what you see is what you get. I believe in being your authentic self. A lot of times we put on these masks, and we don't have to; people need to know who you really are.” “…A lot of us women, with the script we have been fed, we give so much away to our families, and we forget about ourselves…”  “There is a finit...

Season 2 Episode 8: “Advocate” (with Dr. Jemima Kankam) “Many [patients] I see, come to me for the problem at the time. But I end up saying, ‘do you know you’re a hero? Not everyone survives what you just told me’. I’m inspired by my patients!” “…I think that it’s a gift that God gave me, to feel what the other person is feeling. Sometimes it can be a burden. But it’s a blessing…” “God has always...

Season 2 Episode 7: EMOTIONAL FREEDOM   “Who are you really, outside of the roles you play? Put the mirror of who God has said you are versus what the world has presented to you…You will have to peel some layers, to find yourself in the rubble.”  “…And not only are you not what happened to you, you are not the labels, people slap on you, you are not the misfortunes, the traumas, the failures…”  “T...

Season 2 Episode 6: PURPOSE, SELF-WORTH and a TESTIMONY “The first thing I learned is that God will give you the grace. But you have to play your part.”  “She told me, “If I were you, I would pack my bags and go back home”. And I replied, “I don't know how to do that. I don't know how to go back. I don't know how to look back. I would rather take a break… and then try to find ways t...

Season 2 Episode 5: ON PURPOSE “The Bible that says since the beginning of time, Wisdom was there. When God was about to create the Earth, the only person that was there with God was Wisdom. God and Wisdom sat at the beginning of time, and He said, “Let us make man in our own image. So surely you have a Purpose?” “The reason why we miss [our Purpose] most times is that we don't go back to our...

Season 2 Episode 4:  AUTHENTICALLY PURPOSED “I'm a mother, I'm a wife, I'm a business owner… I wear a lot of hats. But… everything that I do, I pour myself into… I am fully present in all the roles that I play.” “Being authentic means that you are expressing who you really are.”  “I’m just availing myself to do what I've been called to do. And that is what gives me fulfillment,...

Season 2 Episode 3: PURSUING PURPOSE   “We sing songs that say “this world is not my home; I’m just passing through”. But if that passing through is for seventy years, then you are here for more than “just passing through”. You are here for a reason.”   “Purpose answers the question of why we are here; the reason why God made you.”  "Calling is the specific thing that you are called to… Calli...

Season 2 Episode 2: WHOLE WOMAN LEADER “I am a Whole Woman – I bring all of who I am to every space… so when I show up, I show up in the fullness of who I am. I refuse to live in compartments. And that means that I don't live in a performative manner. But I live in an authentic manner. I don't live in a transactional manner, but I live in a transformative manner.” “Do good, but first be...

Season 2 Episode 1: VISIONARY  “Don’t be afraid to fail… Keep pushing. If plan A fails, go to B.” “Hope is important. Don’t ever give up.” “If you have the urge to do something, NOW is the time to start. You cannot GO, without taking the first step.” - Marjorie Boafo Appiah (Marjy Marj)  Visionary, management consultant, author and speaker Marjorie Boafo Appiah’s (Marjy Marj) life and career has b...

Episode 15: What’s Hope Got To Do With It? “… I recognized, that we needed to change our focus from the size of the storm, to the size of our God…”  - Aba Cato Andah, “Testimony of an Irmagee” from “Reflections of a Hopemonger”   In this bonus episode, I was interviewed by Ama Duncan, founder of “The Fabulous Woman Network”. We spoke about my essay “Testimony of an Irmagee”, from my book “Reflecti...

LIVING A LEGACY  “[The event] shook me to my very core. And then I realized that I needed to understand Who had created me, and then live my life to fulfill His purpose.” “What kind of legacy are you leaving? Leaving a legacy is a choice. If you are intentional in deciding what you want to have as your legacy, then you can know what to put in.”  “That legacy must be… fashioned in excellence. We se...

Episode 13: Not This Widow “I’ve become so determined to protect my peace and fight for my happiness.”  “I wrote the book for two reasons; one, because I felt that people needed to know… and to talk about practical things; like you need to have life insurance, you need to have a will…”  “I employed the services of a counselor, [even though] I’m a qualified coach. Too many people try to walk the gr...

Episode 12: Blossom at Any Age  “Many people, by their 50’s, have lost their passion and zest for life, partly due to their health decline, burnout from life's overwhelming difficulties and battle scars such as death, divorce, disease, and deception.” “Getting older should not make us shrink; rather, it is an opportunity to play a Higher role and serve a Higher purpose. But you have to prepar...

Episode 11: Iconic Womanhood “And for women, we have to understand that… we were created as a solution. We do ourselves a disservice when we refuse to be all that we are called to be, so that the world can rise to the level that it is meant to rise.” –  Ekene Onu Mindset & Transformation Coach Ekene Onu presents compelling reasons for women to celebrate their femininity, and to rise into the f...

Episode 10: Forgiving the Unforgivable “…And the Lord said: "get up, it’s going to be okay. Get up. Let it go". But in letting it go, it wasn’t that just because I heard the Lord speak to me, it went away. It didn’t. There were so many things I had to do in the natural realm; like not following them on the internet and not finding out about things they were doing. Sometimes we think beca...

Episode 9: Emerging Unscathed (with Tonbra Nwosuagwu) “…Even in times of your greatest trials, if you will allow yourself, you will be able to birth your greatest victories.” – Tonbra Nwosuagwu In this episode we have a riveting conversation with Resilience Coach, Gospel Singer and Host of the “The Unscathed Life” podcast Tonbra Nwosuagwu.  Tracing some of the extreme challenges she experienced ri...

Episode 8: Charlotte Osei: Trailblazer, Hopemonger “I will… use whatever talents and gifts God gave me. We know that He never gives you talents for your benefit, but for the benefit of all. And so, I will do my best in whatever position I find myself in… I think that it is enough that when I’m gone, they will say that I gave my best. I think that is all God requires from us.” – Charlotte Osei  Tod...

Episode 7: Practicing “Acceptance” as Part of my Faith Walk “My life is not my own. I have learned to accept that no matter what comes my way, God is not sleeping… It’s about learning to submit to God's final authority… And when you learn to submit and accept His will for you… you are joyful, no matter the storm, because He is right there with you.” – Ps. Annette Dei In this eye-opening episo...

Episode 6: Empowered To Do Great Things “You must be your authentic self. And the balance in that message is... being your authentic self, but also understanding that, you have to constantly work on your weaknesses, constantly seek to improve yourself. So, for me, “authentic” doesn't always mean, just accepting the status quo... It means staying true to yourself, but also recognizing, challen...

Episode 5: Why You Should Be Fabulous “In spite of everything that is happening, I am loving the purpose for which He has created me. That's what makes me fabulous. And that's what I strive towards…I strive towards being fabulous.” – Ama Duncan  Corporate Trainer, Business Coach, Author and Founder of The Fabulous Woman Network Ama Duncan, shares that the motivation behind her dynamism w...

Episode 4: Acceptance & Self-Compassion  “I had… to accept what was going to be. If I was going to go back to being as active as I had been or if I would need to reinvent myself.”  “I redefined [my life] and my expectations were different… I have a good life!” “Life is still good, even when there is sadness.” – Mayelly Alexandra Casal, LMHC, MCAP  Therapist Mayelly Alexandra Casal (Alex) was a...

Trailer: Hello and welcome to the “Hopemongers” podcast. On this weekly podcast I will have uplifting conversations with Hopemongers. Hopemongers are people whose personal stories are of courage, purpose and achievement, despite obstacles and adversity. Hopemongers share their stories to encourage and uplift others. We will explore ideas and share reflections on abundant living. In every episode,...

Episode 1: This Thing Called Hope On this very first episode of the “Hopemongers” podcast, I introduce myself and tell you why I am so passionate about Hope. I talk about the elements that make up this phenomenon of Hope and I tell you why rising Hope is important to have in our lives. And then, I share why we must all be Hopemongers. Let’s continue this conversation on Hope! Thank you for subscri...

Episode 2: Reframing How We View Failure “When something is in your spirit, and it doesn't work, it is but for a season. Everything that you learn as it is falling apart, will help you do it better the next time. I had no idea how much more I understood about the business and how many mistakes I was able to avoid, the second time around. All of a sudden, I got it right. God hadn’t fired me; H...