051 | The Journey to Self-Validation

Priscilla María Gutiérrez's story is a true mental health journey. Having lived through trauma, she set to understand what it means to truly trust herself. Priscilla joined "For Our Edification" to tell her story of personal leadership so that others can understand what it means to reach a point of self-validation. In this episode, we learn, most importantly, what a healthy support system looks like and what keeps Priscilla going as a life coach.
About Priscilla María Gutiérrez
Website:  https://www.priscillamaria.com/
Priscilla María Gutiérrez is a keynote speaker, Certified Trauma-Informed Life Coach and trauma survivor who empowers others to become cycle breakers. She also a certified speaker for National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) who holds a J.D. from the University of California Irvine School of Law. She also graduated cum laude from Johns Hopkins University.
Also a speaker for Greek University, she sees her life's purpose as helping others heal from trauma, overcoming limiting beliefs, and creating their ideal lives. As a sober, bisexual Latina woman with diagnosed mental illness, she makes it a point to show up authentically to exemplify that recovery and healing are very possible.
Priscilla is most active as a mental health advocate. She has served as a thrive coach for the Reframe App, supporting people reducing or quitting drinking. She coaches students in the DC Futures Program, a scholarship program offered through the Washington, DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education. Priscilla also hosts a monthly support group for LGBTQ+ Latinx people for OutCare Health, and she co-hosts Tuesday meetings for the Sober Black Girls Club that serve queer BIPOC femmes in recovery. She has helped facilitate a domestic violence support group as a trained advocate at the Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility, and Priscilla has supported trauma survivors as a law student through the Veterans and Domestic Violence Clinics.
Additionally, she has written op-eds and essays for popular online platforms, such as Yahoo!, Blavity, and Nalgona Positivity Pride about mental health and the effects of trauma. Priscilla has also provided leadership and secured almost $400,000 in funds for a national mental health organization that serves Black communities.
The views expressed on "For Our Edification" do not reflect the views of any entity with which the hosts or guests are affiliated.

050 | Another Way to Win

On episode 19 of "For Our Edification," David Grubb spoke passionately about athletes and their mental health. Trevon Bryant lived it. As a running back at the University of New Hampshire, he saw his future as a professional football player ahead of him. One day, it slowed down drastically because of a severe knee injury. Trey eventually fell into what he calls a "dark hole," not only because he felt his dream slipping away, but also because he was missing a critical figure in his life--his father.
On this episode, Trey talks about how he climbed out of that dark hole to find other ways to experience that winning feeling. He talks about how he uses his story to inspire others through his talks as well as his mindset coaching.
About Trevon Bryant
Social Media: LinkedIn and @talkingwithtrey on Instagram and TikTok
Trey was a college football player with dreams of playing in the NFL when he suffered a traumatic knee injury, tearing his ACL, MCL, both medial and lateral meniscus and patellar tendon all in one snap. His life changed in an instance. He had to figure out a way to reinvent himself. Trey’s educational, professional and athletic leadership experiences have allowed him to develop different concepts and perspectives on how to effectively lead through adversity and opposition.
Trevon uses his Division-1 football experience to motivate and challenge those who have faced any level of difficulty or challenge through their position of leadership. As a residential hall director at the University of New Hampshire, Trevon worked with students closely through their personal and professional development. He continues to connect with students as a speaker with Greek University.Trey is sharing his message through “Talking with Trey” and is uplifting people all over the world.
The views expressed on "For Our Edification" do not reflect the views of any entity with which the hosts or guests are affiliated.
 

046 | I Have ADHD

At the age of 53, I found out that I have ADHD. Here's how it feels and this is how I'm handling it.

038 | Your Wellbeing Is Your Voice

At one point, Kimberly O'Neil was concerned that she would lose her voice, both figuratively and literally. Heavily committed to community work and education, Kim dedicates her life to empowering people to lift their voices to fortify the causes they care about. When her wellbeing was threatened by COVID-19 and workplace bullying, she realized that she had to take care of herself, too. Kim shares personal leadership stories and thoughts to encourage each of us to take care of ourselves so that we can do what we do best.
Eddie also shares candid thoughts about the impact of Antoinette "Bonnie" Candia-Bailey, a university vice president who died by suicide in January of 2024 on the heels of workplace bullying allegations.
Warning: This episode includes comments about self-harm. If you are thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the 988 Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States.
 
About this episode's guest, Kimberly O'Neil
Website: justkimonline.com
TED Talk, Your Voice Is Your Currency: https://youtu.be/no_QblQ27h4
A native of Queens, New York, Kim is the CEO and founder of Giving Blueprint and the creator of Cause Studio, a collaborative nonprofit initiative, to provide cost-friendly training and resources that aid the social sector in reducing the number of failing startup nonprofit organizations.
Having grown up with community work, Kim understands that a community’s voice is its currency and must be used in order to affect real change. As an authority in the nonprofit space, she frequently speaks publicly, teaching organizations how to cultivate long-standing relationships and partnerships to support communities.
She is an award-winning professor, executive leader, and social good expert with an impressive list of accomplishments.
She served as the youngest African-American woman city manager in the United States.
Kim is a former veteran senior government and nonprofit executive who has led activities that have generated more than $20 million for community initiatives. She has also mentored organizations to collective revenue-generating activities in excess of $1 million annually since 2015.
She is experienced in negotiating major urban economic development projects and has impacted public policy decisions while lobbying in New York City and on Capitol Hill.
Kim's awards and honors include:  the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas award for Social Innovation, a Business Journal Minority Business Leader, the Association of Women Business Owners-DFW Chapter Entrepreneurial Spirit Mentor, Outstanding Associate Faculty of the Year for Collin College, one of Frisco Style Magazine's Faces of Higher Education, and she was featured in Plano Magazine's 2018 Girl Boss issue.
The views expressed on "For Our Edification" do not reflect the views of any entity with which the hosts or guests are affiliated.
Thoughts? Jump into the conversation!

032 | Overcoming Obstacles

If anybody knows anything about overcoming obstacles, P.J. Dixon does. Here's someone who has lived a chunk of his life in a wheelchair, yet that hasn't stopped him from living life to the fullest as a wheelchair athlete, international traveler, 10th degree black belt, and a martial arts and women’s self-defense instructor. So, how has P.J. done it???
In this energized interview, we go in about overcoming obstacles to strengthen personal leadership. From the power of awareness to dealing with baggage to choosing who we are in the moment to putting accountability in perspective, P.J. covers a lot of emotional ground.
Learn more about P.J. and connect with him at https://www.pjswisdom.com.
The views expressed on "For Our Edification" do not reflect the views of any entity with which the hosts or guests are affiliated.

027 | No Shame in the Struggle, Part 1

It's so refreshing to have Halima back on the mic with me! She had something serious on her heart and wanted to share it with the "For Our Edification" audience. Halima wants you to know that there's no shame in the struggle. 
She has ever so wise words about the importance of showing up when you're in the middle of the struggle and how she works through moments of struggle, even in her job as an educator. Finally, find out why Halima says it all comes down to your "why." This is part one of pure inspiration.
By the way, part of the inspiration for this episode is our good friend and mental health professional Leslie Brown who appeared on episode 4 to talk about the mental health benefits of giving and episode 12 to give her thoughts (along with Dr. Von Eaglin) about the psychology of fraternity and sorority hazing.
The views expressed on "For Our Edification" do not reflect the views of any entity with which the hosts or guests are affiliated.

019 | Mental Health in Sports

My dude David Grubb paid the podcast a visit again to talk sports. This time, we had a rich conversation about mental health in sports. David is a sports reporter who has been in the locker room with pro athletes after crushing defeats and he has seen the effects that injuries have had on athletes' mental health. He is even open about managing his own mental health. David commented on Naomi Osaka, we chatted about what athletes don't own us, and I explain why I am no longer a sports fan.
Check David out on "Crunch Time" on 103.7 The Game, "Hard in the Paint," MLBbro.com, The Bird Writes, and The Bird Calls on Spotify.

018 | To Be Creative (and Black)

There is no doubt that creativity is ever-present in our lives, but how much do we take away from ourselves when we don't invest in our creativity? And do we take creativity seriously in the Black community? After watching the documentary "The Creative Brain," I had questions.
I turned to a couple of great, creative friends, Khalilah Elliott and Jamal Sterling. Khalilah is the founder and chief disruptor of Gafford Communications, and Jamal is an actor and educator. Both also host the arts and entertainment podcast "Whatever We Want with Jay & Kay." Besides creativity in the Black community, we talk about the creative process, barriers to creative output, finding creativity in whatever you do, and why it's good for creativity to make people nervous.
The views expressed on "For Our Edification" do not reflect the views of any entity with which the hosts or guests are affiliated.

012 | The Psychology of Hazing

Every September, HazingPrevention.org holds National Hazing Prevention Week to create and share awareness about the dangers of hazing. An instrumental figure in tracking hazing deaths is Hank Nuwer. On the old Eddie Francis Podcast Show, we talked to professional mental health counselors Leslie Brown and Von Eaglin about the psychology of hazing, particularly in the Divine Nine. As a member of a Divine Nine fraternity--Alpha Phi Alpha--I thought it important to talk to a couple of counselors who speak our language, and both came through with great insight about what goes through the mind of potential hazers.
Leslie is no stranger to "For Our Edification". A member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., she appeared on episode 4, "The Mental Health Benefits of Giving". Leslie is a relational counselor with extensive experience working with military veterans, veterans' families, and women/families in substance abuse recovery. She is a doctoral candidate at Barry University where her research interests include the evolution of families, polyamory families, race/class/gender and cultural competency as well as indigenous, and traditional mental health healing modalities. Leslie earned her bachelor's degree from Hampton University in Mass Media Arts and her Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from St. Thomas University (Fla).
 
Von is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. who talks about positive psychology on One Life Radio. Von earned his bachelor's degree in Business Administration and master's degree in Education at the University of North Texas. He has experience working with physically and sexually abused youth, couples, men’s issues, anger management, adolescents, depression, anxiety, and addictions. Von is currently a doctoral candidate at the North Texas where his research focuses on formulating a new approaches to couples therapy using men’s groups.

007 | On My Brain: Fyre Fest and Narcissistic Leadership

Social media was abuzz in early 2019 when two documentaries about the infamous Fyre Festival dropped on Netflix and Hulu. People could not believe how the event got so out of hand and how the festival's creator, Billy McFarland, seemed oblivious to the harm he caused several parties in the process. I believe the reason is McFarland's narcissism.
Using my professional experience and information I am gathering for my master's degree research, I lay out the signs of narcissistic leadership using the events surrounding Fyre Fest as portrayed in the documentaries. This isn't about McFarland so much as it is about helping people understand how working under narcissistic leaders can adversely affect one's identity and value. Trust me, I know. Not only do we look at warning signs in this episode but also ways people can protect themselves under narcissistic leadership. 
Click the image above for Dr. Ramani's web site. For her great TED talk on narcissism, click here.
SOURCES
Leader Narcissism and Outcomes in Organizations: A Review at Multiple Levels of Analysis and Implications for Future Research by Susanne Braun
The Narcissism Spectrum Model: A Synthetic View of Narcissistic Personality by Zlatan Krizan and Anne Herlache
How to Handle Narcissistic Abuse by Darlene Lancer
Narcissistic Leaders: The Incredible Pros, the Inevitable Cons by Michael Maccoby
8 Types of Narcissists -- Including One to Stay Away From at All Costs by Kristen Milstead
Narcissistic Leaders and Their Victims: Followers Low on Self-Esteem and Low on Core Self-Evaluations Suffer Most by Barbara Nevicka, Annebel De Hoogh, Deanne Den Hartog & Frank Belschak
The Narcissism Epidemic and What We Can Do About It by Joe Pierre
EDITORIAL NOTE
I made a reference to the Op Ed Project during my "to be sure." Please take time to find out more about this great organization.

004 | Mental Health Benefits of Giving

WRITE TO BEAR ALMS
In this first installment of Halima's Write to Bear Alms segment, we take a look a the mental health benefits of giving. To do that, we're taking it back to her old "Write to Bear Alms" radio show which aired on the Dallas-based Radio Azad.
Halima's guest was Leslie Brown, a mental health professional who is pursuing her Ph.D. in Counseling. Leslie's mental health work includes stress reduction workshops for various groups and counseling military veterans. She explains the neuroscience behind the feelings of satisfaction that come from giving and how an attitude of gratitude relieves stress. Halima and Leslie also discuss the importance of leveraging giving to help youth develop their mental health.
Not only is Leslie a great friend but she also serves on the board of the Purposeful Philanthropy Foundation.