Find Your Spark

In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Brooke and Ashley discuss the relationship between the unknown and the faith that it all works out. This topic has been a recurring one both at the office and in Brooke's day-to-day life. Listen as the two discuss the possibilities that open up by simply relying on your SPARK to calm your anxiety and reinforce the belief that it truly all works out....

In this episode, Stephanie tells the story of a recent conversation she had with her 10-year old son. After excitedly sharing that she’d be teaching SPARK to 8th graders at the local middle school in DC, he emphatically proclaimed she was “going to get cooked.” Tune in to hear her thoughts on this ominous prediction.

During this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Makayla is joined by a very special guest, her mom. Makayla and Jocelyn had the privilege of teaching together during Makayla's time in the classroom. Listen as they reflect on that special time in both of their lives. The pair also speak to the role of educators, how teaching has changed, and the importance of programs like SPARK in every classr...

In this episode of the Find your SPARK podcast, hosts Ashley and Jena dive deep into one of SPARK’s core beliefs: "Possibilities are Infinite." Together, they explore the powerful impact of embracing limitless potential in both their professional and personal lives. Ashley and Jena share candid stories of times when their own thinking hindered their creativity, as well as moments when being open t...

During this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Brooke and Makayla Wheeldon sit down in the infamous Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to discuss an insight that Makayla recently shared with the SPARK team. Makayla, someone who has struggled with OCD for most of her life, shares how a lesson from the SPARK curriculum changed her approach to one of her toughest battles. Brooke, who is also Makayla's...

This week on the #FindYourSPARK Podcast, inspired by a Jim Carey video and Independence Day, Ashley, Jena, and Stephanie reflect upon the concept of freedom. Recognizing their privilege in enjoying many social and physical freedoms, this conversation focuses on perhaps the most valuable freedom a person can have – freedom of mind. Freedom of mind is recognizing the fundamental truth that no one ca...

In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Chad speaks about the importance of understanding the power of "no" and how to navigate its power in our everyday lives.  Chad also discusses impactful steps to self-discovery and self-care. Join us as we do a deep dive into the ways "no" can help us with self-discovery and empower us to the best of our abilities.

In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Nicole Wilson and Brandon Evans discuss the importance of men’s mental health and why mentoring young men at an early age is crucial. Brandon speaks on his experiences of societal pressures and what he does differently with the young men he mentors to give them a safe space and educate them on their emotional intelligence. He also shares some helpful...

This week on the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Makayla and Chad choose to highlight that June is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month. Men's Mental Health is a topic that is not typically in the spotlight; however, at SPARK we believe that everyone's mental health is equally important. Join Makayla and Chad as they share stories regarding the stigma surrounding men's mental health in their own lives. As...

In this episode, Stephanie, Brooke and Ashley formally announce that The Spark Initiative is hosting the inaugural National Wellbeing & Resilience Conference. The trio speak to the importance of restoring hope, resilience, and mental & physical wellbeing within some of the most taxing professions. The National Wellbeing & Resilience Conference presents the unique opportunity to create a ripple eff...

This week on the Find Your Spark podcast, Jena, Mari and Nicole reflect on the past Mental Health Awareness month by highlighting the SPARK inside all athletes. Together, they share some of the benefits and struggles competing in sports may have on wellbeing as well as some of the stigma surrounding athletes. Jena, Mari and Nicole all share their unique experiences around this topic while shining...

In this episode, Ashley introduces a new team member, Marketing and Events Coordinator, Makayla Wheeldon.  Makayla, a former elementary school teacher, is now learning and embracing the beautiful insight that every human has a Spark inside of them that can't be broken. Join Ashley and Makayla as they shine light on Mental Health Awareness Month, specifically teacher mental health. In a profession...

This week on the Find Your Spark podcast, Brooke is joined by colleague turned personal mentor and coach Monica Corota. Monica Carota is a top-tier coach who’s redefining how we understand and embody high-performance. Her work uses precision and depth to polish away any barriers to the remarkable power that already lies at the core of who you are. She believes that peak performance is the result o...

Your hosts, Brooke and Ashley, work with youth in rehabilitation centers, jails, trafficking survivor safe houses, and other alternative settings with one objective - to teach an understanding of how the mind works so they can tap into their potential and thrive. This episode will explore how a simple understanding of how the mind works leads to young people becoming more resilient and less reacti...

This week on the Find Your SPARK podcast, Brooke shares a story about how she recently navigated an argument between her parents who have been married for over 60 years. To her it was both entertaining and insightful to see two people, who have so much love for each other, get lost in the details of their own crazy state of minds and lose sight of things most obvious to those around them. Listen a...

The SPARK Initiative recently participated in Week of Caring, a week-long collaboration by United Way Suncoast and partner organizations to enhance our community through volunteer efforts while learning about other like-minded organizations in our area. Nicole, Jena, Chad, and Mari discuss the importance of volunteerism and the amazing opportunities offered at MacDonald Training Center in Tampa.

In this episode of #FindYourSpark podcast, Stephanie and Denzel discuss "Learn Fresh" and the active learning Denzel promotes by using sports as a method of teaching math. As a former educator himself, Denzel speaks passionately about a child's innate ability to learn, but believes that learning comes easier when it involves things that they love. Stephanie and Denzel discuss the #SPARK inside of...

In this episode of the Find your Spark podcast, Nicole and Ashley share their personal stories of recent stress and the implications they have recently experienced in their work and their home life. Listen as they highlight how a simple conversation helped provide a key to unlocking the chaos in their mind and allowed them to step outside of the "stress storm."

In this episode, Nicole and Mari discuss one of SPARKs values, “we’re all in this together” and what that means to them. Listen as they share how this has impacted them and how it can relate to others in the world. 

In this episode, Stephanie has the pleasure of interviewing Elexa Reece, a 16-year-old, who has been described as ‘wise beyond her years.’ Elexa talks about the importance of having a mentor and some of the key insights she’s had about herself and the human experience. She shares about learning to embrace her humanness, developing a true connection with herself, and not focusing on things beyond h...

In this episode, Chad talks about the importance of access and how there is beauty in how we choose to navigate it throughout our experiences. Join us as we discover how impactful life can get when we choose ourselves, minds, souls, and energy based on the access we decide to give or not to give!

In this episode, Brooke and Ashley discuss what it means to truly “be you”. They recently listened to a podcast from Michael Neill, and gained some insight around what they see to be true about their “true” selves. Listen as they share stories of when they have gotten caught up and tried to be the version of themselves they "think" they should be, and other times when they just are being, without...

In this episode, Ashley and Stephanie explore a value at the core of our organization – our belief that no one is broken. While labels such as “broken” can be well-intentioned to describe the hurt, pain, and suffering that someone is enduring, we believe that at our core, humans are still whole. There is an untouchable, unbreakable essence to us – our SPARK. We discuss how we’ve seen this to be tr...

In this episode, Nicole, Mari, and Jena discuss SPARK's approach to self-esteem and confidence for International Boost Self-Esteem Month. Listen as they share different experiences where they thought self-esteem and confidence sounded like a lot of work, when in fact, it's something that's always there and you can rely on and trust at any given moment.

In this episode, Brooke and Stephanie kick off a new podcast series discussing our eight values. These values act as our compass, guiding both business and personal decisions. In honor of the month of Valentine’s Day, this episode explores why we believe that Love Wins. For us, this value points to a state of mind characterized by clarity, ease, compassion, and understanding. When you come from a...