The James Inc Podcast

Former Tulsa City Councilor Connie Dodson became a mother at 16 and expresses how it reshaped her goals, support systems, and education. Connie shares how family help and the Margaret Hudson program enabled her to stay on track and graduate, discusses recovering from an emergency C-section, and emphasizes postpartum depression awareness as a hormonal issue. She reflects on raising five children, m...

Crystal Scarborough, a former career coach and certified life coach now pursuing a master’s in therapy, to discuss her story as a young parent. Crystal shares becoming “parentified” around age eight while her nurse mother worked and stepfathers entered the home, and how losing childhood freedom contributed to overwhelm and anxiety in adulthood. She describes a rape-related abortion at 14, having h...

Colleen McCarty, a lifelong Tulsan, prosecutor-trained attorney, wife and mother, and founder of Oklahoma Appleseed (currently on leave while campaigning) who is running for Tulsa County District Attorney. McCarty shares her background from the Bama Company to law school as a young mom, her prosecution and policy experience, and her work growing Appleseed. She explains what a district attorney doe...

Paula Marshall, CEO of Bama Companies and founder of the Paula Marshall Foundation, to discuss how becoming a teen mom at 19 shaped her life, leadership, and goals. Marshall shares a tumultuous upbringing marked by her father’s alcoholism, her early relationship struggles, domestic violence, and later a second marriage impacted by addiction and abuse. She explains how motherhood altered her educat...

Former Oklahoma House District 71 Representative Amanda Swope, now Director of Tribal Policy and Partnerships for the City of Tulsa, to discuss being raised in a family impacted by a young parent and growing through related stigmas. Swope shares her upbringing in East Tulsa after her parents divorced, frequent school changes, and how her family relied on WIC, SNAP, Section 8, free and reduced lunc...

In this episode of the James Inc. Podcast, host Ayane' Trout speaks with Mattece Mason, a prolific multi-hyphenate professional who shares her journey from young motherhood to managing multiple businesses, including Butterfly (A) Effect and Jewel's Place. Mattece discusses the vital role of childcare, the necessity of combining grassroots methods with modern techniques, and the importance of...

Join us for a compelling conversation with Dr. Ebony Johnson, a lifelong educator and transformational leader who shares her remarkable journey from North Tulsa to becoming a dedicated advocate for young lives in education. Dr. Johnson opens up about her initial aspirations of being a sports broadcaster and how her path shifted towards education, driven by her desire to make a meaningful impact. W...

Carla's story blossoms as she narrates the shift from managing a local garden center to sprouting her own company, born from a health scare and a burning desire to be more available for her family. Listeners will harvest the fruits of Carla's wisdom as she details how she cultivated a business that not only aligns with her personal values but also contributes to the health and sustainability of he...

Join the conversation with Regina Goodwin, State Representative for House District 73, as we unearth the treasures of Tulsa, Oklahoma's storied Greenwood District. Through Regina's eyes, we traverse the landscape of her family's profound legacy, from the entrepreneurial pursuits of her grandfather, E.L. Goodwin Sr., to the impactful narratives preserved in the Oklahoma Eagle newspaper. Our episode...

Discover the remarkable tale of Kim Jackson's ascent from teen mom to media maven in our latest podcast episode. Kim's incredible journey of transformation serves as a beacon of hope and a powerful example of how unwavering determination can turn life's trials into triumphs. From the halls of Central High School in Tulsa to the bustling corridors of the broadcasting world, we explore the pivotal m...

The Young Parents podcast returned with a follow-up episode featuring Marquess Dennis, the executive director and founder of Birthright Living Legacy. Alisa Bell and Jesse Ulrich, co-hosts of the podcast, welcomed Marquess back and then get right into the debate. They discuss a specific Youtube video (Trigger warning, this video contains a multitude of swear words and yelling) and debate the idea...

Alisa and Jesse are joined by Marquess Dennis Sr., the executive director of Birthright Living Legacy. Birthright Living Legacy creates a community for fathers to meet and connect while having a safe place to be a part of their children’s lives. We discuss the history behind the organization, what drives Marquess not only to be a good father to his children, how he wants to help all fathers, and w...

In this episode of the Young Parents podcast, Brianna speaks with "Victoria." Victoria tells her and her families tragic story of arrest by ICE officers, having to move to Africa to be with her husband, and their long journey back to the United States. Please support the work James Inc. does by donating on their website: https://jamesinc.org/ Please rate and review this episode on Apple Podcasts,...

In this episode of the Young Parents Podcast, Brianna is joined by Tulsa World editorial writer Ginnie Graham to talk about a series of upcoming bills from the Oklahoma Legislature that parents should know about. SB 1647, the Oklahoma Empowerment Act; SB 1142, prohibiting certain schools and libraries from maintaining or promoting certain books; and SB 1470, which would create the Students' Religi...

The Young Parents Podcast is joined by Kurt Sterling, Health Education and Prevention Coordinator for Tulsa Youth Services. Kurt talks about his passion for helping the youth of Oklahoma, what people need to know, and where you can go for help. Check out all that Tulsa Youth Services offers at their website, https://www.yst.org , and follow J.A.M.E.S. Inc. and the Young Parents Podcast on Facebook...

In this fantastic episode, we talk with Jennifer Moss of BabyNames.com, the BabyNames.com Podcast and the author of the Baby Names Workbook. Jennifer walks us through the waves of baby name changes, whats in now, whats out now, and what certain names mean. Check her out at the links below: https://babynames.com/ https://babynames.com/podcast/

Brianna and Jesse are joined by executive director of Impact Tulsa, Carlisha Williams Bradley. Carlisha walks us through the current debate concerning Critical Race Theory. What it is, what it means, where it is actually taught, and where we go from here. Carlisha is also the only Black member of the state Board of Education and the only appointee who has ever worked as a classroom teacher. She re...

We were honored to be joined by Catherine Betances, Education and Outreach Manager of the Take Control Initiative, and Jenny Briggs, MSW, the Program Director from Amplify Tulsa, to help us work through all of the different myths, legends, and unknowns of pregnancy and what we can do to help educate others about them. Find out more about JAMES Inc. and the Young Parents Advisory Council at https:/...

Brianna and Jesse are joined by Alden Maynard. Alden talks about what it is like to be a father without having the knowledge, the memories, or the burden of being raised or really knowing his father. Find out more about JAMES Inc. and the Young Parents Advisory Council at https://jamesinc.org/.

Brianna and Jesse are joined by Tenesha Williams, former teen mother, business woman, and mother to an autistic child. She tells us about her journey as a teen parent, as a college age parent, and all the lessons learned and joy she has found raising her youngest son Joshua, who has autism. Please like James Inc. on Facebook as well and subscribe to this podcast anywhere you get your podcasts.

T Deloceano, YLC Program Coordinator for Amplify Tulsa joins the Young Parents Podcast to talk about the issues that issues that affect both young parents and young parents who are LBGTQ+. T Educates us on personal pronouns, what to do if you make a mistake, and how to bring more love into the world. Amplify Tulsa can be found on the web , on Facebook , and on Instagram Please like James Inc. on F...

Marcus Anderson, Clinic Director and Instructor at Northeastern State University's Speech-Language Pathology Program, joins Alisa Bell and Jesse Ulrich to talk about how the laws and policies (like FERPA) that are designed to protect the privacy of students and children affects all of us, both positively and negatively. If you have ever wondered what happens to your children's or your records when...

Alisa and Jesse are joined by Paula Marshall, CEO of the Bama Companies. Paula tells us her story of being a young mother, her journey becoming the CEO of Bama Companies, and what she has learned along the way. Listen to her fascinating story help support J.A.M.E.S. Inc. as it continues to help young and adolescent parents during the Covid-19 Pandemic by donating here:https://jamesinc.org/donate/P...

Alisa and Jesse are joined by Amber England, campaign director for Yes on 802. She tells the story of how State Question 802 came to be, the story of the fight over healthcare in this country and in this state, and her personal journey into political advocacy. To find out more about SQ802 before the vote on June 30th and to get involved check out their website: https://yeson802.org/To find out mor...

Donna Ross and Jocelyn Payne, two lifelong educators and organizers of J.A.M.E.S. Inc. Summer Parent Academy join Alisa and Jesse to discuss the history of the Summer Parent Academy, what they have learned from past years, what they have changed to meet the needs of the participants, and how the SPA will work this year during the Coronavirus Pandemic. To find out more about the SPA or to sign-up f...