self improvement Episodes

"If I'm smart enough to learn calculus, I'm smart enough to start a business"  Today, we are joined by Ms. D'Shawn Russell, owner of Southern Elegance Candle Company and very first sponsor of my podcast! WOOHOOO!!! This is one of those episodes where you leave PUMPED UP! It's a "let me do something different today type of episode," with energy, nuggets, laughs, vulnerability, relatability, & even moments you find yourself saying YES! If you've ever felt stuck in complacency, lost with no direction, felt celebrating wins were showboating or bragging, that folks may be weighing you down, THIS IS FOR YOU! Most of us have been there, thus none of us are alone! As a matter of fact, my hand is raised too. D'Shawn takes us through her journey of being a math teacher turned profitable business owner, & more by simply GETTING CLEAR!

Do you ever wonder, how can the tides of life bring healing after your storm?  How can our ups and downs in life offer any type of healing, especially when our world can sometimes feel like we are in a constant storm?  In today's episode, I am so excited to be joined by The War And Treaty.  Michael Trotter, Jr. and Tanya Blount-Trotter are the phenomenal husband and wife, power duo who are bringing their voices of healing to the world, through gospel, country, contemporary, and rock and roll, just to name a few!  They are on fire and are joining us at the kitchen-table for some good-ole-fashioned conversations. In this episode, I share 4 strategies to begin to H.E.A.L. after a storm and Michael and Tanya jump right on in to leave you with even more.  The affirmation that kicks us off is I am patient and deliberate as I breathe deeply and calmly.   Grab your affirmation deck at https://www.lolitawalker.com/shop

Chef Keesha O'Galdez shares how adversity helped find her purpose.  When two Simmons Graduate School of Management grads get together, we have some good ole-fashioned conversations.  Today, we are having a bit of fun and leaving you with a few nuggets and experiences that you may be able to relate to.  From losing a job to moving to a new city, to heartbreak, then leaping into your purpose, we talk it all!  There's even an aha that stuck out, as I traveled down memory lane, to my Simmons days.  It had me giving a shout out to Dr. Stacy Blake-Beard, whose leadership course helped me find aspects of my inner voice that were simply waiting to be unleashed.

Who said that the stigmas placed on me will define who I am?  Who said that I (or you) must walk, talk, & behave in the stigmas that have been handed down for generations? Not me?  In today's episode, I walk you through 5 strategies of how to dismantle generational stigmas.  I share how to P.O.U.N.D. those stigmas, while also bringing yourself to the carpet.

How often do we allow our limiting beliefs and those crazy negative talks in our head shut us down and make a u-turn on our journey's? How often do we sit in the comfort of complacency because it is easiest and most familiar to us? Well, in episode #10, I'm gifting you a pause and taking you through how to write your own "Journey Story." You are invited to listen in...and then meet me on the virtual dance floor because....I'm celebrating my #smallwin of hitting 10 podcast episodes AND 1K listens for a single episode....yep! If you don't celebrate, who will? I'll see you there!

My first male guest, Mario Scott is joining us at the kitchen table to talk all-things leadership. A leadership expert working with executives and teams to lead more efficiently and effectively, he leaves us with a few laughs and take-aways on how we can begin to lead differently - from the inside out. How do you define leadership? Would you say that your leadership is untapped? Are you leading yourself the same way you are leading those who are following you? Hmmmm! This episode is packed with nuggets that you can implement NOW, whether leading at work, home, or life. From me gifting 4 strategies to climb, what I call, the L.E.A.D. ladder, to Mario adding on the notion of leading from the inside out, we talk redefining leadership, the idea of proving yourself as a leader, assessing how you are showing up for the leader within you, for your clients, and even how your leader at work/school is showing up... hmmmmm. We even talk leadership at home and recognizing the balance that some women must still make when it comes to leadership.

It's a bonus episode on Forgiveness! Why? Because so many of us struggle with this notion of making a deliberate decision to release the feelings of resentment toward someone who has harmed us, regardless of whether we actually believe they deserve our forgiveness. Lemmie ask you this, Who is forgiveness for? Are you willing to forgive?  The real question is, Will you forgive?  I talk about Forgiveness Freeway, Stop 6 in my book, "The Intersection of You & Change" (https://www.lolitawalker.com/the-book) and this episodes journeys you through the various sections at this stop (chapter). Whether you have my book or it is still on your to-do list, we chat through how we each may better embrace forgiveness, are reminded that forgiveness does not mean "to forget," and we even find a bit of time to craft our own forgiveness story during the conversations portion of this episode.

“Sometimes I make myself smaller to make others feel comfortable.” Hmm, Let’s let that sink in. Now ask yourself, Do I? In this episode, Ingrid S. Clay, engineer, actress, fitness instructor, and plant-based chef, leaves us with “pause-worthy“ moments to reflect and ACT. Sometimes you must press pause to learn how to press play. Lemmie say that again...Sometimes you must press pause to learn how to press play! (Now That right there is tweet worthy!). Before we get into “conversations” with Ingrid, I share 7 strategies to help you CHOOSE to rebound with resilience. Are you ready? Let's go!

How often do we simply give our power away? How often does someone come by an simply steal it, ounce by ounce, from right before our eyes? In this episode, I share how to identify your power and then a few strategies on how to grab hold, cuz guess what?! It's yours.

* EXPLICIT LANGUAGE IN ONE SECTION * Today, during conversations, we are joined by Mariangela Abeo, photographer and founder of The Faces of Fortitude Project. We talk everything from her childhood trauma to white privilege, to steps you can take to support the Black Lives Matter Movement. Everything is based on knowing "who is at your playground" and challenging our status quo. Are you ready? Let's dive into some coaching, cocktails, and conversations.

Television Anchor and Talk Show Host, turned Communications Coach to all-things-media, Joy Sutton joins us during conversations to help us put a bit of supernatural on our natural. Through laughs, a few stories, and a few nuggets to get you on your way, grab a sheet of paper and a pen for coaching, cocktails, & conversations. Let's go!

From me, a black mom of a young black boy, to you. From him, an 8-year old black boy, to you and to me. May the words within this episode penetrate your soul and leave you with a sense of empathy, reflection, and renewed actions, that propels you to communicate, move, and behave differently.

In this episode, we meet Elmora Evans at the kitchen table for conversations. A COVID19 Nurse and Survivor, she is the perfect person to demonstrate what can happen when your courage meets your fear. First, let's head into a bit of coaching, celebrate with a cocktail of congratulations, then get into it with Elmora. Are you ready? Let's go!

More than an introduction, I not only take you through how and why I started a podcast (plus what took so long), but also leave you with a few nuggets of "soul-work" to challenge your thinking and get you back on a strong footing to strengthen your foundation. If I were to ask you today, "what foundation do you stand upon?" what would you say? Are you ready for a bit of coaching, cocktails, & conversations? Let'g Go!