Work Relationships Matter (WRM)

I joined our club shortly after becoming a certified Life Coach. Although I had plenty of public speaking opportunities in my previous role as a university administrator, I wanted to enhance my skills delivering different types of speeches. Joining Toastmasters is helping me become more consistent, because I get the opportunity to improve my public speaking ability by giving a speech every four to...

Rick Record is a multi-talented industrious individual. He started out operating his own business, then worked for the government, After retiring he developed a social service organization to help directionless young men find their way into productive work and create meaningful lives. It would be easy for him to rest on his laurels after accomplishing all of this. But as he continues oversight of...

Zach Lawrence, Program Manager at SMUD, grew up in a family that built a business from the ground up, literally and figuratively. He went to college intending to use what he learned there to help the family business. However, in college he developed an interest in history which became his major. Using his innate ability to plan and organize project he continue to assist with the business. Although...

Curiosity seeker, volunteer and coachable are a few words I would use to describe Alexia Hughes, Economic & Small Business SMUD team member, But she didn’t start out that way. She describes herself as a trouble maker during middle school years. As a result of her behavior, she was kicked out of high school. She finished her secondary education at a continuation school while working part-time....

Kevin John Peters, Sports Reporter at the Sacramento ABC 10 affiliate, is one of the most enthusiastic people I know. I watch his sports cast whenever I get the opportunity. Watching him broadcast with that radiant smile gave me the impression that his path to success was easy. That assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. He changed his college major several times before settling on Theater...

Rick Record, Executive Director of RCS, was born in Panama surrounded by a plethora of positive male role models that included his father, uncles and family friends. Although they didn’t consciously plan to mentor him, he gained so much from them in terms of skill building and communication. Those experiences prepared him for learning how to acclimate to the culture in California when his family m...

Gloria Bailey Ray, Founder and CEO of Its Essential LLC, has had multiple careers. After her divorce she pivoted from nursing to pharmaceutical sales which offered more predictable work hours as she raised her children as a single mother. In her first pharmaceutical sales position, she was grossly underpaid compared to her peers and given the most historically unprofitable sales territory. Rather...

”. I usually have guests who discuss work relationships. This episode focuses on work-life balance. The trouble started in the fifth year of Brad Qualls' marriage. He was a young California Highway Patrol officer seeking as much overtime to increase his income in order to better provide for his wife and toddler. While the extra money was welcome, his wife wanted more time with him. He was a great...

From as early as she could remember Ebony Hodge was interested in fashion. She was inspired by the way her mother and other women in her family’s social circle dressed. She dabbled in other vocations but was drawn to fashion as if pulled by a magnet. Friends and family were always coming to her to get tips on how to dress for events and how to apply make-up in just the right way. Rather than take...

The Edward Jones, hasn’t done a solo podcast in a while. After the unexpected departure of the Director of the Centers for Diversity and Inclusion , he was called back to the university to fill the position until a permanent replacement was found. That is where he heard the term “woke”. It is used to describe conditions that happened in this country that many would not want disclosed. He believes...

Kenneth (KJ) Johnston was born in Louisiana. He enjoyed listening to street musicians as well as viewing the artistic creations of street vendors. While he admired the entrepreneurial spirit and lively environment, he didn’tthink he could make a good living there. He went to college, earned a businessdegree and settled into a corporate job with a good salary and benefits. He wasdoing quite well, b...

Dr. Carla T. Galbraith is a born servant leader. Like many African Americans, the skill building process began at an early age in church. Her father and grandfather were pastors. As a preacher’s kid (PK), it was in her best interest to set a good example for the other children in the church. That was easy for her because it was a labor of love. She became an accomplished public speaker before star...

Dr. Sharon Whittaker-Davis, described herself as a serious student from elementary to graduate school. She probably spent more time in the library than the librarians. She sacrificed Ime at social events, which she regrets, but her investment in academicexcellence paid off. She received her bachelor’s, and master’s degrees fromHoward University where she earned high honors. She earned her doctorat...

Both of Jeanne Taylor’s parents served in the military. Although they were not hard-core disciplinarians she learned discipline and self-determination from them. She created her college major which was comprised of health care, administration and political science. She is one of the few people I know who found a position in the field in which they majored. She worked for the state of Califor-nia w...

Tony Silva was born in the United States, but lived the first 6 years of his life in Mexico. When a couple that was close to his parents lost their twin boys, Tony’s parents loaned him to the couple. As it turns out that became a permanent situation. His birth and unofficial adopted families were migrants which made it difficult to reconnect. Like his birth family, his new family valued education...

Although their educational opportunities were limited, Christine Lovely’s parents valued education. They encouraged Christine and her sib-lings to pursue learning opportunities in order to better themselves and the community in which they lived. Christine initially majored in Communications but changed her fo-cus after being stopped by a police officer which turned out to be an unwarranted stop. T...

Simeon Gant, Has had three careers. He started in journal-ism working in print and broadcast media. While working at a station in Reno, Nevada, a former colleague recommended him for a position in the California State Assembly where he work a number of years. He used his connections in state government to es-tablish the Green Tech Program which introduced green energy to underrepresented youth in...

Raymond Noble’s family immigrated from Pana-ma when he was a child. His parents wanted to experience the American Dream. As it turns out two of the fastest ways for him to learn the culture and assimilate was real es-tate and football. His father became a real estate professional. As a teenager his father would take him on home inspections and allowed him to tag along when properties were being sh...

“Soar with Your Strengths”. Will Grey, Operations Supervisor at Cardinal Health, is a self-starter. He was inspired by his mother’s can-do approach to life. No matter the circumstance, she made a way. Due to limited opportunities in Detroit, he joined the military where he acquired the discipline he wanted and needed to hone his natural abilities. His work ethic, self-discipline and interpersonal...

Dr. David Inniss Director of Product Management, Innovation Lead and Self-Acclaimed Productivity Guru. David was born in Barbados. He was raised in a single parent household with his siblings. His goal was to adhere to rules and learn from the examples and wisdom his mother and other positive role models exhibited. His self-discipline and drive landed him at West Point. He earned his first degree...

Lorena Cuffy, Founder and CEO of Top Notch Golf, is a Jill of all trades and master of many. She is an Administrative Expert, Program Coor-dinator and Golf Instructor. She is most passionate about golf because of the life les-sons it taught her. She was introduced to golf at an early age during a difficult period in her childhood. Through golf, she learned self-awareness, patience, integrity and r...

Dr Joe Sheley, former President of California State University, Stanislaus,. This is a classic “climb-the-corporate-ladder” story. Educators mentored joe. He started as a professor. He had to move to take advantage of promotional opportunities in higher education around the country. He was a department chair, Dean, Provost and then President. He is a proponent of continuous learning. He learned ho...

Julie DePrada-Schott, Executive Director of the Carmichael Chamber of Commerce, is exactly where she needs to be. She could have been an entertainer, manager or entrepreneur. She has the personality and or-ganizational skills to do so many things. However, her greatest strength is connecting people and organizations. I often ask my podcast guest if they chose their career or if their career chose...

Mia Dawson and Brenda Major told their story about how autism affected their lives and those around them in Ep #58 Adventures of Neo (Autism), Mia, Neo’s mother, described how her family dynamic was changed. Brenda helped frame the situation that supported the Dawsons and encouraged other families in similar circumstances. They are expanding their platform by launching their own show on Power Me U...

Jacquelyn Smithson Howard is all things writing, that is to say, she is a storyteller, editor, ghostwriter, poet and author. She has written 22 books so far. She recited one of her poems, “I See You, You Matter” during the interview. That poem was the essence of our conversation as a result, it became the title of this episode. We spent the entire interview discussing her amazing life. She was int...