Empowered Conversations

Olaolu Ogunyemi is a U.S. Marine Officer, award-winning children's book author, and leadership mentor on a mission to empower the next generation. In this episode of Empowered Conversations, we talk about: ‎- What turned things around for Olaolu – and how he avoided becoming a statistic ‎- The moment he realized he wanted to dedicate his life to the next generation ‎- What "leading last&q...

Dr. Bilal Ahmed is an interventional cardiologist and founder of Lylah Health, a gut microbiome supplement company. In this episode of Empowered Conversations, we talk about: - Why a cardiologist started a supplement company – and the unsaid question behind that ‎‎- What the gut microbiome is – and why you should care ‎- The latest research on the link between the gut microbiome and heart health ‎...

Allison Lorne is a perimenopause embodiment coach who helps women see this phase as a portal rather than a problem. After a decade of misdiagnosed symptoms – night terrors, anxiety, mood instability, irritability, and depression – she discovered somatic work and finally understood what her body was holding. She now teaches women to decode their symptoms as signals, not signs of something wrong. In...

Ben Oofana is a healer who trained under Horace Daukei, one of the last surviving traditional Kiowa medicine men, and later with Chinese Master Sifu Li Tai Liang. He combines these ancient practices to help people heal from heartbreak, trauma, and destructive relationship patterns. In this episode of Empowered Conversations, we talk about: ‎‎- How Ben came to train with a traditional Kiowa medicin...

Jennifer White is a retired RN and brain tumor surgery survivor who, after waking from a coma, had to relearn how to walk, think, and talk. As part of her recovery, she began writing – which led her to reinvent herself as an author of medical thrillers and children's books. In this episode of Empowered Conversations, we talk about: ‎‎- Jennifer's crisis and turning point – the moment she l...

Dr. Albert Bramante is a veteran talent agent and psychologist who helps performers overcome self-sabotage, imposter syndrome, and fear of failure. In this episode of Empowered Conversations, we talk about: ‎‎- What led Dr. Bramante to connect self-sabotage with performing artists ‎- The most common form of self-sabotage he sees in performers ‎- One piece of advice for someone overwhelmed by self-...

Chris Rogers is a certified porn addiction recovery coach who works with teenagers and young people, combining his experience as a former public school teacher with his own recovery journey. In this episode of Empowered Conversations, we talk about: ‎‎- What led Chris from teaching to porn addiction recovery coaching ‎- His own recovery journey – and the turning point ‎- Why porn addiction is espe...

Amy Vincze is a certified EFT Tapping Coach and founder of the Soar with Tapping App. After navigating her own struggles with cancer, trauma, anxiety, and depression – and finding that traditional approaches fell short – she discovered tapping and used it to heal herself from chronic medical conditions. In this episode of Empowered Conversations, we talk about: ‎‎- Amy's personal journey throu...

Bonnie Butler is a certified life coach, mother of ten (four biological, six adopted), and former foster parent to 17 children. She helps overwhelmed parents and professionals move from reactivity to resilience through practical emotional regulation tools. She shares what inspired her to become a coach, the most common challenges parents face, and what misconceptions people have about foster and a...

Many people know the Bible – but don't know how to live it out. They understand biblical truth, but still struggle to apply it in areas like identity, emotional health, decision-making, and daily habits. In this episode of Empowered Conversations, we talk about: ‎- Why so many believers struggle to live out what they know ‎- What actually creates the gap between belief and behavior ‎- How bibl...

Dyslexia touches as many as 15 to 20 percent of all learners, yet most families still hear "wait and see." Russell Van Brocklen – the Dyslexia Professor – flips that script. ‎‎He translates structured-literacy methods proven most effective for struggling readers into bite-size actions parents can use tonight. ‎ ‎In this episode of Empowered Conversations, we talk about: ‎- Why there is s...

‎If you are in a relationship with a "nice" guy who doesn't feel so nice behind closed doors – this conversation is for you. You are not crazy. You are not alone. And silence only protects abusers. Healing is possible. In this episode of Empowered Conversations, we talk about: ‎‎- What narcissistic abuse actually is – and how it's different from what people imagine ‎- Why she sta...

Rabesh Sukrajh is an award-winning author and lifestyle coach who spent 18 years in the corporate world. After experiencing burnout himself – working weekends, facing tough deadlines, and losing balance – he developed systems to help stressed corporate professionals get from burnout to balance in just four months. He shares practical advice on morning and evening routines, increasing energy levels...

Anu Verma doesn't speak about trauma for shock value. She speaks about it because silence nearly killed her. ‎She has survived childhood sexual abuse, suicide attempts, addiction patterns, an abusive relationship, and years of self-destruction disguised as "coping." For a long time, she lived completely disconnected from herself – masking pain through reckless behaviour, overworking,...

Rev. Dr. Robin Blair has spent over 40 years helping families answer these questions. She is an award-winning speaker, best-selling children's author, podcaster, clergy, chaplain, and spiritual director. Her work helps parents and ministry leaders see how digital culture shapes our children – and respond with wisdom, courage, and grace. ‎ ‎In this episode of Empowered Conversations, we talk ab...

Marc Paisant struggled early in his adult life – with his weight, his confidence, anxiety, and depression. He had a few bad experiences with therapy but never gave up. He decided that he was worth it. ‎He dropped over 100 pounds. But even after getting in shape, he realized he needed to combine his physical health and his mental health – to work on both together. Now he is a certified personal tra...

If you have ever felt like you "should be further along" in your personal growth – or wondered why the same patterns keep showing up – this conversation will come as a relief. ‎‎Dr. Leslie Newman is an author and speaker who wrote A Daily Dose of Happiness. She helps people navigate life's challenges – especially in relationships and transitions – so they can feel more clear, steady,...

Jessica Danel is a former childcare who built a million-dollar preschool business from the ground up. She is a mom of three, a wife of 25 years, and a woman who stepped away from her thriving business to focus on her daughter's special needs – then earned her Master's Degree. ‎Now she has written a memoir: Bucket List from a Redneck Girl– a raw, hilarious, and deeply heartfelt collection o...

Craig Parks has worked with kids for decades as a camp director, a kids musician, and a proud dad of two – including a son on the autism spectrum. He has trained hundreds of people how to effectively work with children to elicit their best and be lifted by the experience. ‎His A to E Parenting method helps parents lift the mundane into the memorable and increase the joy while reducing the stress o...

Willie Blake grew up with dyslexia, diagnosed in first grade. For years, he believed he was broken. He spent most of his life trying to catch up, hide, and be someone he wasn't – chasing perfection, pleasing people, and constantly second-guessing himself. ‎Then he got tired of surviving. He made a decision: if he was going to live with this, he was going to lead with it. ‎Now Willie is a high-...

Renee Calhoun is a therapist who accidentally discovered that human trafficking was already sitting in her therapy room. She thought she was treating trauma, addiction, and toxic relationships. What she realized was that many of her clients were surviving coercion and exploitation that even trained professionals fail to recognize. That realization changed how she understands human behavior complet...

Sylvia Worsham is a warrior of light and faith. Her superpower is her ability to see the silver lining in challenges – not as toxic positivity, but as a genuine, hard-won perspective. ‎She is a 3x bestselling author, spiritual transformation coach, and host of the Release Doubt, Reveal Purpose podcast. But her journey didn't start on a stage. She had a miraculous recovery from a medical compli...

Most trauma therapy keeps women stuck in their pain – talking about it over and over, reliving it for years. Anissa Hudak believes that is exactly what keeps them trapped. ‎Anissa is a neuro-somatic therapist and a two-time sexual trauma survivor. She is also the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran and a military spouse. She helps women retrain their nervous systems – so they can finally feel safe in th...

Why do so many high-achieving people – who are successful in every other area of their lives – keep attracting toxic relationships? Why do they tolerate what they would never accept in their careers? And why does the same destructive pattern keep showing up? ‎‎Anutza Bellissimo is a behavioral skills coach, certified anger management specialist, and founder of the Stress & Anger Management Ins...

Today's conversation is for men who feel lost. For men who feel like they're just going through the motions. For men who have achieved what they were supposed to achieve – but still feel empty, directionless, or disconnected from their own lives. Maxim Shapiro lived without direction for years. He thought he was on the right track, but still felt depressed and lacked pride in himself. Deep...