The Carlos Whittaker Podcast

We are taking the next two weeks about something that goes unnoticed in our society. There are THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of people incarcerated today for crimes they did not commit! This is why it is SO important to look at it. The criminal justice system is imperfect and doesn’t always get it right.  This is where organizations like the Tennessee Innocence Project come in. They are dedicated to exo...

This episode is such a GIFT. We are being joined by two dear friends to me. I know we wrapped up the It’s Never Too Late Series last week but after doing this interview, I really think that this episode will INSPIRE you to go on a new adventure or a new journey and IT IS NOT TOO LATE! Chris and Sara are full time digital nomads - they work FULL TIME on the road. Chris has designed so much of what...

It’s the last episode of the It’s Never Too Late series and I have loved hearing about the ways this series has impacted you!! This week I am on my own talking through the idea of how and why people dread turning 50 (I feel like more people listen to my now than even when I was 49, HA!). Y’all, my life is FULL and yours can be too!  Stepping into my 50s I am caring for my kids AND my parents. AND...

We are on week TWO of the It’s Never Too Late Series and I am so excited for you to hear this one. Phil Rasmussen is an executive pastor at my church here in Nashville and one of my favorite people to spend time with.  In his late 50’s, Phil completely changed careers. In the same week that he felt all of his doors were closed, he got a call that completely changed the trajectory of his life.  Thi...

What is up, Human Hope Familia?! I’ll tell you what’s up— my age. That’s right. You know I turned 50 last month, and even just 2 months ago that would have really stressed me out. But today? Not at all. I even got an AARP application in the mail, and I didn’t break a sweat.  And you know who helped me feel confident in my middle-age? Today’s guest: Mimi Ison.  Mimi LITERALLY changed my life and my...

I LOVE BEES!! And today we are talking ALL about bees!  When I learned about bees and how they operate, I was BLOWN away and immediately addicted to learning all about bees.  My friend Danica introduced me to Jay Williams and his bee school and can I just say, Jay and his bee school changed. The trajectory. Of my life.  Me, the guy who used to be terrified of bees, ordered 20,000 bees (Yes all tho...

Human Hope familia, let me introduce you to my new friend and this show’s VERY FIRST novelist: Johanna Rojas Vann!!!  When I tell you this woman is a BRILLIANT storyteller, I’m not lying.  I don’t think I’ve ever identified with a guest as much as I do with Johanna… and she writes about our shared experience as the children of Latino immigrants so thoughtfully.  Listen when I tell you that Johanna...

We just wrapped up our parenting series last week and this week, while we’re not talking about parenting, I AM talking to one of my favorite friends that is a parent, Wade Joye! Wade and I go way back to when I was a worship leader with him at Elevation. He has been a great friend over the years and I am so happy for you, my Instafamilia, to meet him!  Wade JUST released an incredible book, This D...

Insta Familia!!! I am SO excited to wrap up the Parenting Series with my friend, Paula Faris. Paula Founded CARRY Media which exists to celebrate, champion and advocates for working moms by passing them the mic. We talk all about the tension of being a working mom, how raising a family is SO different in this country than others and the far too common MOM GUILT.  We get into how someone BEGINS to...

This is quite possibly the MOST REQUESTED topic y'all ask me to talk about when it comes to parenting. That's right... we're talking about PHONES. This conversation will look different for every family and every kid, but it is INEVITABLE that every kid will have access to phones and screens. So how do we help them? What worked 10 years ago, may not work today. Heck, what works now will probably ch...

This week, we have two of our very best friends, Blake and Allie. We raised our kids together. At least 50% of the things we tried with our kids, we got from Blake and Allie. WHEN I TELL YOU they have raised 4 of the greatest women on Earth! It’s been a joy to watch them grow. In 2011, when I ruined my life and my family’s lives, they were the ones that said to me “you can live with us.” (If you d...

My kids' therapists are here!! I am SO grateful for David Thomas and Sissy Goff. They are the hosts of the Raising Boys and Girls podcast and are SO wise. They are also both Executive Directors of Daystar Counseling Ministries here in Nashville, TN. With a combined 50+ years of experience, they KNOW what they are talking about!!! I’ve had each of them on separate episodes but never together. YOU A...

Your Favorite, Heather Whittaker is HERE to begin the series on Parenting! If you have ANY kids in your life, this series is for YOU! Even if you don’t have any kids in your life, this series can still help you! We touch on fostering relationships with your kids, how to navigate drama and emotions in the tween years, some family rules and guidelines, what happens when you start parenting their kid...

I am FINALLY home from Rwanda and in Nashville for a minute before going out on TOUR!!! Last week’s episode with Emmanuel really laid the groundwork for this episode, so if you haven’t listened to that one yet, go back and listen to it first!  This week, we are going to go deeper into the story and into the beauty of what the human spirit can accomplish… This week’s episode is very specific on FOR...

INSTAFAMILIA! WE DID IT! You helped us raise money for a church building, Hope Center, AND a school in Rwanda!!!!! I've been sharing with you all about my time in Rwanda on Instagram but wanted YOU to hear from the people I have spent the week with. This is episode one of two from Rwanda and this one will help lay the groundwork for the next episode about supernatural forgiveness that maybe we hav...

This week, we have an incredible conversation with my friend Eugene. Eugene is an advocate for justice, an intellectual, and very grounded in his theology and humanity. He is such a good human that SEES humans.  Eugene is the president of Bread for the World - a Christian advocacy organization that urges U.S. decision makers to do all they can to pursue a world without hunger, whose mission is to...

We do NOT have the capacity to consume the amount of content we are consuming…  We are not designed to continue to consume content at the rate that we are.  This week, I get into DOOMSCROLLING - a problem that we ALL have.  We have been holding ANGER in higher regards than EMPATHY because we are only built for so much trauma gazing….. It can affect us both mentally AND physically. I share with you...

Roman candles, fireflies, and sweet tea… I LOVE the Fourth of July. I love this country and the ideas that it was founded on, and I love the opportunities it has given me and my family. But just because I love America doesn’t mean that I have to accept its DYSFUNCTION.  It’s okay to be PROUD of your country and celebrate. And it’s okay to have a COMPLICATED relationship with this holiday. This epi...

It’s time OFFICIALLY meet the Black Aunties! A few of these ladies have been on the show before, but today they are coming in FULL FORCE. The Black Aunties are going to nurture you, uplift you, correct you, and call you higher.  If you want to know what REAL, RICH, AND THICK FRIENDSHIP looks like, this is the conversation for you. These women have been a HAVEN for one another as they walked throug...

It is our final week of the Mental Health Series and these have been some of my FAVORITE episodes of ALL. TIME.  This week, I have Dr. Dan Allender, Founder and Lead Instructor, of the Allender Center at the Seattle School. I have been following his work for a long time and he is literally a hero of mine. I wish this episode could be 15 hours long it is SO GOOD. This was one of the more special po...

Welcome to the Juneteenth BONUS episode! It’s been a HOT minute since we’ve addressed any conversations on race so today, you are getting just me having a conversation around the historical LEGACY of Juneteenth. I dig into the history of Juneteenth and the reality that these things are still in NEED of focus… I help to lay the groundwork for the TRUE meaning of Juneteenth. If you want to DEPOLITIC...

My new friend, Kobe, is a therapist in Charlotte, NC and she is on the cutting edge of what therapy can be.  We talk about how God and therapy can exist in the same space.  We get into our bodies and how they carry trauma… How anxiety, depression and trauma can actually be passed down through generations… This episode will BLOW. YOUR. MIND. AND leave you with hope. _____ Get Kobe’s new book ‘Why A...

I absolutely LOVED this conversation with the man, the myth, the legend - my friend, Miles Adcox. Miles is the CEO of Onsite Workshops here in Tennessee. Onsite is an emotional wellness lifestyle brand dedicated to changing the world through enhanced emotional health.  If you have read my book Kill the Spider, the story arch IS Onsite. It is all about my 7 days spent there and how it completely tr...

YOU GUYS! I'M GOING ON TOUR NEXT WEEK!! I get to spend the month of June on the Here For You Tour (brought to you by Africa New Life) with one of my favorite people, Annie F. Downs. So many things in my life now are because of Annie. My speaking agent, my amazing management team, THIS PODCAST!!!! If you haven't met Annie yet, listen to this episode!! You'll get to hear all about who she is and how...

Welcome to our first episode of our Mental Health Series! Over the next few weeks we are  going to be talking to some of the leading minds when it comes to mental health. If you’ve ever struggled with your mental health, you’re not going to want to miss these episodes!  This week we are kicking it off with MY therapist, Al Andrews. If you’ve read Kill the Spider, you know Al! He was there in the t...