PoolePRoof Wisdom

Do you ever watch the news or read newspapers ((which not many people do) and wonder about how the stories being told today seem so much different than they used to?  Do you wonder how we've gone from Walter Cronkite being the trusted figure he was to journalists being perceived as untrustworthy and anything but objective and fair?  I sure have. My guest for this episode, Jonathan Clarke, is a writer and Emmy Award-winning journalist who has worked in broadcasting, communications and marketing for more than 35 years. He specializes in News Analysis, Strategic Communications, Multiplatform Writing, Broadcast and Print Journalism, Voiceovers, and On-Camera Talent. We're gonna break it all down and then some. Join us.

I remember when I was a kid that we'd sometime encounter people who just seemed to go off for no reason, and my mama would lean in an tell us, "That one woke up with hell in 'em this morning!" These many years later, I think of what she said because it seems a whole lot of people are waking up that way. The social graces we once took for granted in terms of how we treat other have fallen away and been replaced with an anger and argumentativeness that's always on. How'd this happen and what, if anything, can we do about it? Well, that's what we're getting after today in my conversation with Jeannette, who spent a decade as an investigative reporter, then another as staff writer for a city magazine, winning multiple national awards. She is now a staff writer for The Common Reader, a journal of the essay, and her work has twice been cited in Jeannette spent a decade as an investigative reporter, then another as staff writer for a city magazine, winning multiple national awards. She is now a staff writer for The Common Reader, a journal of the essay, and her work has twice been cited in Best American Essays. She majored in philosophy and has a doctorate in American studies. She majored in philosophy and has a doctorate in American studies.

In a world where the constant pursuit of the "grind" is celebrated as the best way to define one's worth, Keith Levy, a wildly successful, now semi-retired executive whose portfolio of professional achievements can be considered gold standard, begs to differ.  Levy has worked hard and reaped the rewards that arose from those efforts, but doesn't define himself by his work, but by his growth as a human being and ability to use what he's learned to provide for his family and his community.  He's known plenty of success, but his greatest success, he'll tell you, is in realizing the value of living a significant life that not only changed how he exists in the world but encourages others to find the personal path that allows them to do the same.

It's May, and the start of Mental Health Awareness Month!  While every month is important to our mental health, taking special notice of its importance is a very good thing, and here at the podcast we always do what we can to help everyone think differently about mental wellness.Today, my guest is not only helping others become aware of protecting mental health, but fighting stigma and access to services. Her commitment is both personal and professional, and entirely inspiring. So listen and learn, and when you learn, apply it to your own life and spread the word to help others, as well.

Remember the old idea that a person chooses a profession and then does that thing for the rest of their lives?  It's how the world thought everyone would be happiest back then, but time and experience hasproven that the bold, the inspired, the creative among us can do multiple things, often at the same time. Vonda Paige is doing multiple things, all very successfully, and never limits herself to any one thing because curiosity and interest in the world inspires her all the time. So where many people are struggling with what they're doing professionally, she's professionally doing everything she wants.In this episode, we talk about how she does it and you can do it to. And here's the best part: It's easier than you think.

Charles continues the tradition of looking at the year that was and seeking to understand what it has taught us as we look to the year ahead. In a year as topsy-turvy as 2023 has been, the perspective in this reflection is practical, but very, very hopeful.

While career professionals from all walks of life may have generated their sense of accomplishment from trading handshakes after closing a business deal, or being recognized for being the best at what they do, many people are finding that they want more. They want to fuel their passion by making a different kind of difference in the world. Jane Langa Miller, Founder of Purpose-Driven Transitions, says that for many people, nonprofits are the perfect way to do exactly that, and their professional skills are exactly what those nonprofits need. Jane's firm helps people understand what it takes to make a transition, provides perspective that highlights the differences between profit and nonprofit organizations, and connects the dots that help corporate careerists understand their desire to not just know success in their careers, but experience significance by making a difference in the lives of real people. Many executives and senior-level professionals find nonprofits exceptionally rewarding, not just monetarily but also when it comes to emotional fulfillment. If you're considering moving into the nonprofit sector, listen and learn what you should know making the transition as smooth as possible. I think you'll be glad you did.

I am grateful to be able to discuss faith and personal development in these episodes, and from time to time I find I'm able to do that along with many other topics that interest me. Today, it's real estate. Everything you want to know about it, but through the lens of a realtor whose approach to being a broker, agent, and investor is built on the foundation of her faith. It's a conversation punctuated with make-you-think moments, personal insights, and many moments that will also make you laugh. Enjoy the episode; I sure did.

In this episode, Charles reflects on his recent vacation and how Beyonce's Renaissance Tour and some essential personal reflection on life and living made a difference in his personal vibe, and may do the same for you.

Many dream of changing their lives but few do more than that. But Darin, a successful media executive, had reached a point where his life -- and career -- had become less about joy and more about frustration, uncertainty, and not believing he had a purpose. In this episode, we discuss how he reached that point, then found the courage to leave everything behind and start fresh. . .in Mexico. There, he's found a new life, new professional pursuits, and discovered that after doubting he had more to offer, he has plenty.

In this episode I speak with Matthew, an attorney who has helped free a number of wrongly convicted people, and I was impressed by his reasons for taking on this work and his appreciation of why freedom is so important, such as when he said, "I think we take for granted a lot of things that happen in life. Freedom is one of them." Listen as we discuss what brought him to the law, misconceptions about the law, and ultimately how he sees the law as a calling to help people. It's a conversation many need to have about "the system" and what we can do to improve it.

Charles speaks with new author Giarrante, who wrote Desire Unleashed: The Starting Point to Achieving Your Wildest Dreams. Giarrante describes the book as "designed to guide, inspire, and empower individuals seeking to attain success, wealth, and happiness." Sharing how his own experiences led him to write the book, Giarrante provides insights that are bound to unleash the desire in anyone who wants a better, more fulfilling life.

Join Charles for a candid, inspiring, and thought-provoking conversation with award-winning broadcaster, author, and community leader Carol Daniel, who in a mere weeks from now will be closing one chapter of her life after 28 years with KMOX radio and a 40-year career as a journalist. We discuss everything from the profession, to the faithful journey Carol took to reach her decision to retire from the station, but continue focusing on the many other passions that now define her life.

Charles has been away for four months since the last episode, picking up life and moving from the West Coast back to the Midwest. But this wasn't just another move. In doing in, he has unlocked some additional understanding about life, purpose, and meaning that he thoughtfully shares in hopes that you appreciate how even upheaval can lead us to the place we're supposed to be.

It's the end of the year, and Charles has some thoughts and reflections on what that means.  The end of any year typically finds people ready to leap into the next with all kinds of resolutions, or carrying worries about the life they are leading with them.  But Charles discourages that.  In this episode, he offers hope for the year or just the day ahead, and shares his perspective on how our lives are proof that all is not lost, and hope is ours to claim.

In this episode, Charles provides a stream of consciousness read on a school shooting that left two dead and several wounded in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, and ties it into the kind of behavior that Kayne West is engaging in that diminishes us as a people whose great commonality is that we make up the human race. He encourages accountability across the board, and unity in accepting that sometimes, we've all got to stop wondering what's wrong with someone and just focus on the fact that what they're doing is wrong.

In this episode, Charles talks about how something we all have in common, trauma, influences who we are and what we do. He also discourages judging people based on how trauma influences people to behave, but to learn what role trauma played in their lives before summarily determining someone is a horrible person. First among these, he says, is ourselves. Listen and hear how he makes that distinction, then consider how focusing on what happened to you and others, and not assuming there's something wrong with yourself of them, will change how you move through the world.

When the weight of the world makes trust difficult, Charles has suggestions and insights to help you find your way again.  Listen and get some PooleProof Wisdom.

Away for a month, Charles is back with plenty of reflections on what's been on his mind, and some thoughtful recommendations for making the most of our lives.

The Creative Entrepreneur - Building a Business Without Losing Your Vision In this episode, I speak with Jane Davis, a director-producer and owner Of HypeGirl Creative, an Atlanta-based full-service production house that produces video content. We discuss her journey to finding what has become her life's work, the challenges and opportunities involved in the industry for a woman who describes herself as "an army brat of Korean heritage," and what it took to find both the courage and resolve to create a business and keep it operating in the last two years, when the pandemic saw so many businesses discontinue operations. As we've known each other for many years now, we also have a good time remembering the personal and professional battles we've fought and, I'm happy to say, won. Settle in for a good conversation, and some personal wisdom from Jane that even gave me a special moment of clarity.

A lot of people have a lot of opinions about people who pursue any kind of therapy to address emotional and other mental health challenges. There are all kinds of reasons: some believe therapy discloses problems we should protect from outsiders. Others think therapy is for people who are weak, weird, or just can't get their shit together. And even individuals themselves may be convinced that seeking therapy means they're not self-sufficient or self-reliant. Whatever the reason, when therapies are perceived as more esoteric -- like hypnotherapy -- fears and judgments are only further compounded. But the truth is, millions of people use hypnotherapy to help them manage any number of issues that stand in the way of them fulfilling their true and full potential, and it's an effective tool to do so. In this episode, clinical hypnotherapist Kim Yurkovich helps us explore what hypnotherapy is, isn't, and how it helped her -- and now those she helps -- improve life. Listen and learn, and as always, if you need help. . . get it.

I titled this episode “Ain't I A Woman?”: Women in the C-Suite and Trailblazing for DEI, because Zing is truly a worthy inheritor of the message and meaning behind Sojourner Truth's iconic 1851 speech to the Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. In particular, this: “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.” Zing is turning the world right side up, y'all! A successful executive, wife, mother, and advocate for diversity who represents the growth of women executives in the workplace and the impact they're having not only in that space, but in the social and political spaces, as well. Hers is journey, we can all learn from and be inspired by.

Featuring: Learning and Organization Development Executive Ruth-Ann Clurman and Organization Change Management Executive Angela Bilkey Chesmore. We're at the start of a new year and the first thing we need to leave in the past is the sense that we're not good enough when it comes to our work, our relationships, and our goals and aspirations. The idea that we're phonies and only getting by on luck and not talent or skill is at the core of why so many have inner saboteurs and end up getting in their own way, never believing they measure up to anyone's expectations, particularly their own. But this year, we're not doing that. No, we are walking into the days, weeks, and months ahead driven by one essential belief: I am worthy. When we think that way, we'll also find a method to embrace coming to believe that we have earned what we've worked for. No one just gave it to us, and we did not get it just because we were in the right place at the right time. To help listeners understand how easy it is to fall into thinking negatively about themselves, however, we are having a lively -- but thoughtful -- conversation about imposter syndrome in this first episode of the second season of the PooleProof Wisdom podcast. We'll talk about what imposter syndrome is, how it originates, different types of imposter syndrome, how to overcome it, and much more. My guests are both well-versed in human behavior and how the syndrome plays out for many people. There is a really insightful conversation ahead. So insightful, in fact, that we discovered some things about ourselves we didn't recognize by the end of the episode.

One Mom's Journey to Health Advocacy It's our podcastversary! On the podcast's one-year anniversary, I speak with Brooke Abbott, a health advocate and mom who is living with inflammatory bowel disease and fighting for other moms -- and anyone -- living with IBD or any chronic illness.  She explains that while doing so can can be isolating, frightening, and sometimes hopeless, it doesn't have to be.  At least not always.  Listen and learn about how to live, with or without a chronic disease, because her advice is just that insightful, real, and inspiring.

In this episode, Charles recounts his personal battle with COVID, from which is recovering. What he learned is a life lesson worth thinking about, and a testament to the power of faith in all circumstances we face.

Beyond the Headlines: Stopping AAPI Hate Now In this episode, we revisit the ongoing issue of violence against Asian and Pacific Islander people that grabs fewer headlines today, but remains a real and painful reality. In a recent national report – issued in August and representing incidents through June -- Stop AAPI Hate, an organization formed after an alarming escalation in xenophobia and bigotry against Asian and Pacific Islander people in the US, reported that the number of incidents reported to its center increased to 9,081 from 6,603 between April and June. Of all incident reports, 4,548 hate incidents occurred in 2020 and 4,533 of hate incidents happened in 2021. These attacks ranged from physical assault to verbal harassment, to online harassment, to civil rights violations. David Kim, our guest, weighs in with personal experience, some answers about why many in the community had once opted not to report incidents, and insights about why personal safety, freedom, equity, and respect should be available to us all.

The Good Work of Doing Work for Good In this episode, our focus is on giving. As someone who firmly believes personal happiness is in part made possible by doing good in support of others, this discussion is of value to anyone who is looking for purpose and meaning. And the good news is that anyone can find these things, working from where they are, using whatever they have. Michael Chatman, my guest, is a nationally recognized leader in philanthropy, social entrepreneurship, and civic engagement. Prior to joining the Cape Coral Community Foundation, he served as a senior corporate responsibility consultant for Anheuser-Busch Companies. That's where I came to know and appreciate him. Michael also was the senior vice president for philanthropy of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, and former nationally syndicated radio host for the Michael Chatman Giving Show, where he had the largest philanthropy radio audience in America. Chatman has an extensive network as a social media strategist, publisher of digital content, public speaker and thought leader on reaching Generation Xers and Baby Boomers age 50 and beyond, youth philanthropy and nonprofit capacity building. He holds a master's degree in philanthropy from St. Mary's University of Minnesota, executive leadership certification from Harvard Business School, and a bachelor's degree in political science from Missouri State University. It's a great conversation, and I hope you'll find it's one you might want to have with yourself, as well.

In this episode, artist and marketing/branding executive Mark Witzling discusses his journey from work to his life's work, and what that journey means in terms of finding meaningfulness and purpose in life.

The Future of Personal Happiness "I just want to be happy." You've heard others say it perhaps thousands of times, or have said it yourself almost as many. But since 2020, and the pandemic that redefined how we live and what we expect, happiness has been harder to define and pursue for millions of people. Anger, frustration, and doubt have instead come to define the time in which we live and echo the uncertainty we have about the present. In this episode, Charles and his guest talk about rediscovering happiness today and claiming the keys are to happiness tomorrow and beyond for ourselves. What they offer may not be what many may think the answers will be, yet it is everything we need to know to pursue and find real happiness on our own terms. Listen, learn, and share to find your own way to happy, and help others do the same.

In this episode, Charles speaks about regaining weight after losing a significant amount during quarantine, and what that does and doesn't mean in terms of the goals he has for his health, and his life.

Charles' not-so-random thoughts on a number of topics, delivered in his very PooleProof way.

For the Love (And Advocacy) of Animals Today, it's all about our friends and companions, furry and otherwise. We speak in this space about all manner of human topics and issues, but for many of us our dogs, cats, reptiles, pigs, horses. . .and every other kind of animal friend under the sun are part of the family and often perceived as so much better than a LOT of humans. Katherine has more than 26 years of experience she brings to her role with The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement. She speaks publicly on leadership, culture, coalition building, communications, fundraising, and industry trends. Her animal welfare career began as communications head for the Humane Society of Missouri. She has since served as executive director for the Animal Protective Association of Missouri, animal welfare issues consultant for The Humane Society of the United States, president and CEO of Asheville Humane Society, and executive vice president for San Diego Humane Society. She is the author of Coalition Building for Animal Care Organizations.

Working, Now: A Whole New World What You Need to Know about how we work, when we work, and why we work now. About Angee Linsey Angee Linsey has dedicated the last 20 years of her career to helping companies build great teams through exceptional recruitment strategies, as well as helping individuals achieve their career goals. Currently she leads Linsey Careers, a national executive search firm that specializes in marketing and communications recruitment and career coaching. She has successfully filled communications leadership roles for companies including Logitech, Serta Simmons Bedding, Nordstrom, Jackson Family Wines, A.T. Kearney, Omnitracs, Travelport, Kosmos Energy, Dolby, Kimberly Clark and more. Angee has been a featured presenter and keynote speaker at international and regional industry conferences, as well as at academic institutions from Columbia University to the University of Washington. She also authored the book, Dare to be Deliberate – Level Up Your Communications Career, a guide for communications professionals who want to be more intentional in how they manage their careers. A three-time Silver Anvil award-winning comms pro herself, Angee understands the sector and what it takes to succeed in it. She held communications roles in corporate and agency environments, as well as served for 25 years in the military — first as a U.S. Army journalist and then as a Navy Reserve Public Affairs Officer. She graduated from the highly regarded School of Journalism at the University of Missouri, and later earned a master's degree in career development.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion seems on everyone's lips these days, particularly business leaders who, on the heels of social justice protests, realized they could no longer ignore the obvious. It sounds like good news, but too many were interested in monetizing the movement and not truly committing to change. There's been an exceptional increase in how many have gotten on the apparent DEI bandwagon, reflecting what they claim is their commitment to DEI in advertising and other programming, but not in boardrooms and C-suites in any significant way beyond the symbolism such companies and brands are selling. There are exceptions of course, like Procter & Gamble, and in my hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, Schnuck Markets. In this episode, I speak with the company's President and Chief Operating Officer, Dave Peacock, about the company's efforts and how business leaders must walk the talk when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Today, good people, it's all about health, wellness, and fitness. About how a dedication to personal fitness blossomed into a source of fitness inspiration and a growing fitness business. Join me as I have an honest and very thoughtful conversation with Kevin Morris, a Newark, New Jersey personal trainer and owner of @BlackFitness. Kevin created BlackFitness in 2015 based on a desire to educate and inspire the Black community to be advocates for their own health, whether physical or emotional. And today, the page that reaches more than 240,000 Instagram followers and receives approximately 1,500,000 views weekly.

Artist, entrepreneur, activist, change-maker. These are but a few of the terms that describe Sabrina Thompson Mitchell. From North Carolina to the Big Apple (shout out to Brooklyn), and now residing in Houston, Texas, Sabrina's stint on CBS's Survivor may be how many came to know her, but for the rest of us we've seen her create her life on her own terms and encourage others -- as a high school teacher and mentor to young women -- to do the same.  Whether building businesses or being responsive to her innate creativity through photography and filmmaking, Sabrina's story is one worth hearing, learning from, and being inspired by. Trust me on that.

In this Conversations episode, I speak with Denise Pines, a longtime community health advocate and media pioneer who also has become trusted resource for women as they pursue midlife wellness. She's the co-visionary and CEO of Tea Botanics and inspiration of Hot Flash Tea. Founder of WisePause, a pro-aging health and education platform, and The FemAging Project, which provides research and reports to the health and tech industry in addressing innovation for women ages 40+. Denise is on the Board of Directors for the Federation of State Medical Boards and Osteopathic Medical Board of California and she's the immediate past President of the Medical Board of California. If that wasn't enough, she's the co-founder of Women in the Room, an award-winning filmmaker who has produced 11 documentaries including the award-winning film, “PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools.” Her next documentary, Anthony Fauci, will air on PBS Spring 2022. I call her a BOSS. Listen and you'll understand why.

In this Conversations episode, Charles speaks with Damon Jones, Procter & Gamble's Chief Communications Officer, about being a trailblazer, business and advocacy, what it takes to succeed, and the importance of faith in both personal and professional pursuits.  It's a conversation that will make you think, laugh, and ultimately realize that while the world may want to label Damon a business executive and professional communicator, he's so much more.  When you listen, you'll understand why.

In this episode, Charles does a live reading from his recently re-released third book, I Am My Own Cause, The Third Act: Surviving and Thriving, as an audiobook now available on Audible and pooleproofbooks.com. The produced version is read by a voiceover artist Charles personally selected,  but in this exclusive reading, Charles tells his story in his own distinctive voice based on requests from loyal readers and listeners alike.  It's a very personal and thoughtful share that he hopes they'll all appreciate.

In a new episode focused on mental health during Mental Health Awareness Month, Charles discusses trauma and how understanding its origin and influence on who we are is the pathway to healing and being OK.

In this Conversations episode of the podcast, Charles discusses Mental Health Awareness Month with guests from Saint Louis Counseling, including the importance of mental health, the challenges of maintaining it, and some of the stigmas society associates with mental health issues.

I'm excited to announce an expansion of the PooleProof Wisdom podcast with PooleProof Wisdom: Conversations! This new format is all about conversations with people whose stories and experiences reflect the podcast's interest in discussions of spirituality, personal development, resilience, self-awareness and self-respect, and human collaboration. In this inaugural Conversations episode, which will run regularly, alternating with the standard podcast, I have a thought-provoking and inspiring conversation with Selwyn Jones, a civil rights activist and the uncle of George Floyd, about race, loss, turning tragedy into triumph, and a host of other topics that are worth hearing and considering.

In this episode, Charles discusses the importance of creating a place for yourself when other places don't welcome you. And while you're at it, he encourages, find others in need of a place and bring them along too.

Do you have trust issues? A lot of people do. But not a lot of people realize that the first person they've failed to trust is themselves, which is why they are not easily convinced to trust others. In this episode, Charles addresses his own issues with trusting himself and others, and how he eventually arrived at a place where he's able to do both.

In this episode, Charles explains why relying on instinct is important, and how doing so can give everyone what they need to live the life they hope for and dream of. Sharing how following his own instincts has influenced his life, he provides some interesting and insightful reasons that, like always, will make you think, and perhaps act, differently.

In this episode, Charles delivers a message to his 10-year-old self that is warm, loving, and more than anything, hopeful.

Has the pandemic left you feeling without purpose, with no sense of passion about anything? You're not alone. In this episode, Charles discusses how to reconnect with your purpose and discover your passion despite the way the pandemic has left so many feeling hopelessness. These approaches, he says, apply to facing any challenge life will inevitably hand us along the way.

In this episode, Charles discusses how we must look beyond what is seen as representing our lives to define that meaning for ourselves.  The way he does that, drawing upon a conversation from decades ago, will change the way you look at something you may have once understood in a very different way.

In this episode, Charles discusses how, despite all the signs and ideas to the contrary, there is reason to believe in better for the world and all of us who live in it. But first, he addresses some thoughts on how we got here followed by several insights about how we'll get where we're ultimately destined to go.

In this episode, Charles discusses how the community he grew up in defined his approach to making decisions based on what his mama called "going with your first mind," or what most call instinct. He then addresses why you, too, should do the same.