Conversations With Chan

In this heartfelt episode, I sit down with Cachét Rayford, Contemporary Christian artist, Arkansas educator, worship leader, and Stellar Awards ballot nominee, for an honest conversation about faith, resilience, and healing after heartbreak. Cachét opens up about the inspiration for her new EP, “Because I Love You,” which was written during a season marked by divorce, the loss of her father, and m...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. James Danoff-Burg , an Entomologist, Conservation social scientist, and Vice President of Conservation at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens , to explore the critical intersection between human behavior and biodiversity preservation. Dr. Danoff-Burg shares powerful insights on how community-led conservation is reshaping the future of environmental sustainability...

In this special episode, we sit down with Taliah Givens , Senior Director of UNCF’s Student Professional Development Programs, and Jaydon Molando , a graduating senior from Morehouse College, to explore the transformative power of the 15th Annual UNCF Student Leadership Conference (SLC) . The 2025 SLC will convene nearly 140 high-achieving HBCU students for an immersive, real-world career prep exp...

In this compelling episode, I had the honor to speak with Ms. Michelle Jones Galvin, where we discussed her ancestry as a descendant of Harriet Tubman. The conversation explores how preserving African American history through institutions like the Harriet Tubman Home and National Historical Park shapes national identity and informs our understanding of American history. Topics include the importan...

In this episode, I speak to Thana Hickman , the visionary CEO and founder of Viola’s House , a transformative nonprofit dedicated to supporting homeless teens and young mothers facing unplanned pregnancies. As we recognize Black Maternal Health Week , this conversation shines a powerful light on the urgent need to address the disparities affecting Black mothers across the nation. Thana shares how...

This conversation with Comedian Dwain Watts was full of laughter and real-life conversation. Hailing from Landover, Maryland, Dwain Watts brings more than just the funny when he hits the stage, he brings a fresh look on life and how you can see the comedy in it all. In this conversation, he shares everything from how to deal with imposter syndrome to owning your power. Follow Dwain on Facebook &am...

In this episode, I chat with Dr. Fadia Nordtveit. She is the Founder of ⁠collaborative.ly⁠ , a consulting company that provides services based on a model of DEIB that she has created after years of research and prototyping in an academic and industry setting. Fadia created the Inclusive Business Model Canvas, a tool that helps businesses and organizations build an inclusive foundational structure....

Get into this conversation with this hybrid comic talent, She is perhaps most well-known as a writer and cast member where she was a recurring guest star, on Netflix's acclaimed comedy series, DEAR WHITE PEOPLE. According to creator, Justin Simien, Dahéli is "the funniest person on the planet." She has written and directed digital content for Funny or Die, VH1, and CBS, and her short...

Monique Obeze is a published New York/Atlanta, Ga wardrobe stylist, fashion writer, social media brand ambassador and style influencer with almost sixteen years of experience in the fashion and entertainment industry. Monique has established her place in the fashion industry not only as a stylist but also as a fashion and business mogul. Fashion-forward is her motto! To learn more about Monique’s...

It was a pleasure speaking with Attorney Keisha R. Perry Walker. This powerhouse started The Perry Law Group in June of 2005, although hesitant to become a solo practitioner, Mrs. Perry Walker’s desire to reach the next level overcame the paralysis of her fear. Since establishing The Perry Law Group, Mrs. Perry Walker has served clients nationally and internationally in all of the Firm’s practice...

Kevin Quattlebaum is an emerging author of urban novels, in which he captures the gritty, fast-paced, intriguing world of the precarious conditions that often characterize our inner cities. Kevin’s works vividly depict the temptations that come with living the ”street life”, whose allure of money and power masks the tragic consequences that can, and do, follow one’s ill-considered action...

Chereda Miller is the owner of Miller Realty, located in the heart of Atlanta. Her interest in real estate was sparked in college, and she used her career as a flight attendant to fund her real estate career. With a degree in Business Administration and Finance, she established an understanding of the analysis of numbers, which has proved to be very beneficial to her real estate career.  With...

Welcome to the final episode of the 5-Part Special Series for Words with Chan - Friendship, Healing, and Love Volume II. Thank you so much for listening to this series. As this is the last episode of this series this is not the last of me sharing parts of myself I would normally not share. I I hope that my transparency inspires and prompts thought into the dynamics of your friendships, how you vie...

Welcome to episode 4 of the 5-Part Special Series for Words with Chan - Friendship, Healing, and Love Volume II. The Road to Me has been filled with a myriad of broken promises to myself, heartbreak, anger sadness but all of this brought me to self-love, acceptance, and awareness of myself. At times it was scary and I was afraid of what was around the corner but in the end - I am here.  I hop...

Welcome to episode 3 of the 5-Part Special Series for Words with Chan - Friendship, Healing, and Love Volume II. Mistakes and Lessons Learned shares my thoughts on my mistakes, missteps, and lessons learned on this journey of life.  I hope that my transparency inspires and prompts thought into the dynamics of your friendships, how you view love, and most importantly how healing comes in diffe...

Welcome to episode 2 of the 5-Part Special Series for Words with Chan - Friendship, Healing, and Love Volume II. This episode is a personal note to the person who inspired me. Words cannot express how grateful I am.  This podcast series shares my why for releasing my new book and provides insight into my poetry and mental musings contained in this body of work. I hope that my transparency ins...

Welcome to the 5-Part Special Series for Words with Chan - Friendship, Healing, and Love Volume II.  This podcast series shares my why for releasing my new book and provides insight into my poetry and mental musings contained in this body of work.  I hope that my transparency inspires and prompts thought into the dynamics of your friendships, how you view love, and most importantly how h...

This conversation with Dr. Shemena Johnson a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist was simply amazing! She provides therapy to individuals and couples in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles. Her areas of specialty include anxiety, depression, relationship issues, self-esteem, trauma, and life transitions.  Her early experiences have come to inform her therapeutic work. She has worked with a bro...

Check out my conversation with the founder of Black Creators Connect an engaging and business-focused thought-provoking group on Facebook.  He has used his lessons learned to specialize in lead generation and marketing and is helping businesses generate leads and make more sales. He recently started a Facebook group called Black Creators Connect . The goal of that group is to support other en...

I had the amazing opportunity to chat with Quadesha Halevi, Founder of Naked Body & Skin Care. This brand is the premier destination for natural feminine health and skincare products. Naked Body & Skin Care products are formulated with natural ingredients without any harsh chemicals. Founded by a former OB/GYN medical assistant, Q, Naked Body & Skin Care takes a natural approach to add...

Meet Maxim Azarov of Novkid  In 2017 Maxim founded the online school Novakid together with his son’s English teacher Amy (Gawron) Krolevetska and his former colleague Dmitri Malin. Novakid is a Series A startup ($6.5M raise) registered in the US, providing personalized English learning for children ages 4-12 around the world through AI- and VR-based digital platform. Novakid is implementing p...

This engaging conversation with Nathan Stooke was an eye-opener. He found a lane and grew in it.  In the last 17 years, Nathan Stooke went from programming PCs to building Wisper into a successful multi-million-dollar Internet service provider. With headquarters in Mascoutah, IL, Wisper now services Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. In 2018, the FCC announced that Wisper ISP won $220....

I really enjoyed this conversation with Jamie King the founder of Flex & Flow, an online fitness studio and inclusive wellness community that empowers people to fall in love with movement. Her goal was to create a culture where every person would feel a sense of belonging, both in their Digital Studio AND their flagship location in Portland OR, and leave classes- feeling empowered through move...

Kimberly McLemore is the CEO/Founder of Women’s Small Business Initiative, LLC (WSBI, LLC) , which she built on the foundation of family history in entrepreneurship, experience, values, and successes-driven work ethic and passion. Her drive for this initiative was to create a vault of resources and share her knowledge and expertise in business strategy, entrepreneurship, and marketing, mainly to w...

Katerina Sukhenko, founder & CBDO at Postoplan, is an experienced marketer with 7 years of international experience across Europe, the USA & China piloting & analyzing marketing projects.   Few highlights of Katerina’s expertise: In 2020, she founded Postoplan - is an automated marketing platform to create and publish content in social media and messengers. Startup's mission...