Coffee & Conversations

Coffee & Conversations with Jana Angel is a space for real stories and honest insight — the kind that meets you where you are and gently nudges you forward. Each episode features heartfelt conversations with creators, leaders, and changemakers as they share lived experiences around building something from scratch, leading through transition, finding your voice, shifting your mindset...

In this episode of  Coffee and Conversations , host  Jana Angel  welcomes her mother,  Jan Nieuwstraten Angel , for a personal talk about family, faith and the choices that shaped Jan’s independent path. From free-range childhood adventures in Savannah to a spur-of-the-moment move to Asheville, Jan reflects on responsibility, reinvention and the power of steady composure....

Host Jana Angel is joined by Nichole Eaton — therapist, author and manifestation coach — for a candid conversation about what it really takes to move the needle in your life. Nichole draws on her personal story of rising from poverty, food stamps and depression to building a thriving practice, writing two books and living in the home she once only dreamed about — all by learning...

What happens when a rapper picks up a DJ board during a pandemic — and never looks back? In this episode of Coffee & Conversations, Jana Angel sits down with Charlotte's own DJ See Bird Go and her mother, manager, and life coach Mama Bird for a candid conversation about building a sustainable career in the arts, knowing your worth, and the power of a mother-daughter partnership. From lea...

Host  Jana Angel  welcomes  Anne Steppe  (Step by Steppe Professional Organizing) for a deeper conversation about decluttering—why it’s so hard to let things go, how guilt and identity get tied to “stuff,” and how to create home systems that work long-term. Anne shares tips for reducing overwhelm (especially for ADHD/neurodivergent brains), building simp...

In this episode of  Coffee & Conversations , host Jana Angel sits down with Melinda Morris Zanoni, Esq., founder of Apollo Sports & Entertainment Law Group (Chambers-ranked; GGI Global Alliance), to talk about building a firm from scratch and leading at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and media. Melinda shares insights from representing professional...

UpShot League Coach  Trisha Stafford-Odom (Coach Trish)  sits down with host  Jana Angel  for Coffee & Conversations to discuss adaptive coaching, leadership standards, and why women’s basketball is building something entirely its own—bold, fast, and intentionally modern. Coach Trish shares how she tailors her approach to each athlete to unlock performance and b...

If you’ve ever wondered what real healing can look like, or how to be a better friend, family member, partner, coworker or community member to someone navigating a hard chapter in their life - this conversation is for you. In the Season 2 finale of Coffee & Conversations, I sat down with Lisa Colson, a beloved part of the team at Community Matters Cafe, and a familiar face to the QC Life...

This week on Coffee & Conversations , hosts Jana Angel and Angel sit down with former NASA astronaut and Navy pilot Winston Scott . Scott shares the story of his path from Naval Aviation Officer Candidate School to flying the F-14 Tomcat , logging more than 7,000 flight hours, and eventually being selected by NASA. During his time with NASA, Scott flew on two Space Shuttle missions and complet...

Have you ever wondered how nonprofits build a legacy rooted in purpose, or how national brands choose the right partners to serve their communities? In this special on-location episode, host Jana Angel explores what creates meaningful partnerships and lasting impact when mission-driven organizations come together. This week, Coffee & Conversations spotlights two Carolina staples: The Greg Olse...

What can you learn about someone you see on your television every single day, but never quite get to know. Today on Coffee & Conversations, I am sitting down with the man behind the desk, and so many media moments across the Carolinas, John Carter. For decades, John has been a trusted voice in our community, delivering the news at four, six, and eleven, and sharing unforgettable stories throug...

Good manners go far beyond the dinner table. In this episode of Coffee and Conversations , host Jana Angle talks with Elizabeth Anne Russell , founder of Mannerly , about why etiquette still matters and how it’s being reshaped for today. Elizabeth Anne shares her story of stepping away from a successful banking career to continue her family’s legacy as a third-generation etiquette inst...

How do you go from the White House to Broadway in one life? Host Jana Angel sits down with Paul Oakley Stovall , an actor, writer, producer, and storyteller whose journey spans the Obama White House, Broadway stages, and deeply personal creative work. Paul portrayed George Washington in the first national tour of Hamilton , is a Tony Award–winning producer of A Strange Loop , and spent seven...

Hosted by Jana Angel, this conversation with Chef Sam Hart isn’t about food. It’s about people. Chef Sam Hart, the mind behind the Michelin-Star restaurant counter-, shares what leadership looks like when care, honesty, and respect come first. From building a people-centered kitchen culture to creating sustainable career paths rooted in fair pay, education, shared ownership, and mental...

Join Jana Angel as she talks to Meredith Dean, the personal branding coach who's helping creators launch their dreams without the corporate cage. After 10 years in Charlotte, from CBS to Ryan Seacrest Studios, Meredith made the bold move to go all-in on her passion: coaching entrepreneurs to build authentic personal brands. In this episode, she breaks down: The "Forget Me Not" framework—a ga...

We all talk about “new year, new me,” but real change doesn’t start with resolutions. It starts with grace. Before growth can happen, we have to forgive ourselves for the past mistakes, the decisions we wish we could redo, and the versions of ourselves we’re still learning from. The first guest of 2026 is Will Whitlow — a Charlotte native, proud father, and man in rec...

Coffee & Conversations is a WBTV original series created as a space for meaningful connection with people who made bold choices to build lives they truly wanted to live. Throughout the first season, those choices often meant taking risks, betting on themselves, and embracing uncertainty, and every conversation became a moment of growth and learning for me as the host. At the end of each episod...

Have you ever thought about walking away from everything safe, secure, and predictable - because you just had a gut feeling you were meant for something bigger? Did you ever feel like your shine was constantly being dimmed? If you are ready to hear from a woman who amped up her own wattage by walking away from her corporate career to become a full time media maven, then buckle up and tune in to th...

If you are faced with unexpected change, the feeling it's time to try something new, or you just want to hear what life at Hallmark is really like, this conversation is for you!  One of our very own Queen City locals has taken on many roles from First Wives Club to Will and Grace and most recently this season of Hallmark’s “Finding Mr. Christmas”. But before Angel Garrett st...

Ever wanted to quit your job and travel the world? Have you thought about opening up a restaurant inspired by your favorite places? Have you ever experienced a time where your body was fighting a battle with you and you didn’t know why? If any of these thoughts cross your mind, then this conversation is for you. This week we are diving into the extraordinary journey of Jamie Brown and Jeff T...

If you have neurodivergent tendencies, a diagnosis, or have a loved one or colleague that is neurodivergent, this conversation is for you. We are diving into executive functioning skills and how they can help support and create peace within worlds and minds that work differently. Jana Angel hosts Executive Function Coach, Ashley Mangione who combines personal stories with real life application and...

If you feel like things are always happening around you, but you are racing through life with no real direction? Buckle up for a crash course in self acceptance and discovery. From NASCAR to tiaras, mom, wife, work life, and everything in between - Tara and Deanna will share how they each crafted a life with intention and purpose to find fulfillment and true joy. This week on Coffee and Conversati...

If you want to take center stage in your own life and step into the spotlight, but just need a push to take that next step and bet on yourself, this conversation is for you. Double the talent and double the inspiration, Maria Howell is a world-renowned singer and actor known for her powerful, energizing voice paired with her ability to act and perform on any stage or screen. In her career, she has...

If you are wondering whether it's too late to start something new, or an opportunity just seems too big, or if you just want to hear the real truth about what it looks like to start with nothing and end with more than you could have imagined, this is the conversation for you.    You might think it’s an easy day in showbiz when you interview your own dad, but it is quite the opposit...

If you have a cause that is close to your heart and wonder if you can really make a career out of it, this conversation is for you. Dr. Hrishita Negi shares how her passion for Tiger conservation brought her from Central India to Clemson University in the name of conservation. We talk passion, perseverance, and community without borders.  Dr. Hrishita Negi is the Associate Director of Tigers...