Episodes

Happy Earth Day 2024! In the spring of 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day knowing there were no legal or regulatory mechanisms to protect our environment. As a result, twenty million Americans demonstrated in different U.S. cities, and it worked! In December 1970, Congress authorized the creation of a new federal agency to tackle environmental issues, aptly named the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the EPA. On today’s episode we'll be talking to BLI trainer Beth Pollack who...

We can solve the world health crisis! Yes, you heard that right! CEO of Last Mile Health, Lisha McCormick, joins the podcast with THE answer. Community Health Workers. If we invest in the health care workers who are part of the communities that need the help...quality of care increases. This is a fact. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisha-mccormick-150a8b5/ https://lastmilehealth.org/ So join Lisha and BLI as we celebrate “World Health Day” and this year's theme of "My Health, My Right". https...

Today we're here to continue the celebration of Women's History Month by sharing the stories of inspiring women and honoring the choices that they've made throughout their lives. Today Wendy invited national speaker, trainer, and Toastmasters graduate Rah Kalon onto the podcast. Rah got their bachelor's in strategic communication from the University of North Texas and claimed their master's in clinical counseling from UNT Dallas. They went on to found their own emotional intelligence consulting ...

Whats' Your Story? Balancing Life's Issues CEO Wendy Wollner kicks of Women's History Month with a message about honoring your choices. This is Balancing Life's Issues the Podcast. Got an idea for the show? Email kai@balancinglifesissues.com

Welcome to Balancing Life’s Issues the podcast. Today we are wrapping up Black History Month with a call to action. Reach out to your community. In our concluding episode Kai Sorensen, Director of Podcasts and Chester NY resident, delved into his community to explore its Black history. It was during his interaction with Clifton and Leslie of the Chester Historical Society that he uncovered the profound Black history embedded in his town. Little did he know, the town where he and his wife chose ...

As we wrap up Black History Month, our featured guest on the podcast is John Ebron, a distinguished BLI top trainer and military veteran. In a candid conversation, John shares how cultivating a resilient mindset played a transformative role in saving his life as a black, gay man. Hailing from Greenville, North Carolina, John's origin reflects a town divided by a railroad – one side inhabited by the white population and the other by the black community. Born on the side less privileged, John's l...

Black people make up 12 percent of the US workforce but only 8 percent of employees in tech jobs. That percentage is even smaller further up the corporate ladder (https://www.mckinsey.com/bem/our-insights/how-to-close-the-black-tech-talent-g). As we continue the celebration of Black History Month, we will be sharing the story of someone we at BLI work with every single day. His name is Michael Havis, and he is a Technical Project Lead at Soliant Consulting. A company that is vital to the succes...

Have you heard of the term HBCU before? It stands for "Historically Black College or Universities" and these are not institutions that just happen to be majority black. In the late 1800s, they were founded to both educate Black American students and to equip them with the viable skills necessary to excel in the nation’s workforce...while also acknowledging and celebrating their ethnic histories and cultures (https://www.tmcf.org/history-of-hbcus/). HBCUs offer an educational environment in whic...

256 years. If Black business ownership continues at its current rate, it would take 256 years to reach parity with the share of Black people in America—a timeline that leaves racial wealth gaps entrenched. (https://www.brookings.edu/articles/who-is-driving-black-business-growth-insights-from-the-latest-data-on-black-owned-businesses/) On today's episode we continue the celebration of Black History Month with insights from a Black woman, entrepreneur - Latisha B. Russell. What black history mean...

Today we kick off Black History Month with the WHY? Why do we celebrate Black History? Currently Black American History is being watered down by lessening the impact years of systematic oppression has had on a group of people. This is happening at the very foundations of our education system in states like Florida. So today we are joined by BLI Senior Trainer and DEIB Contributor James Francis to celebrate the father of black history, Carter G Woodson. As well as offer a message as to WHY he d...

Kai and Wendy discuss the viral news around Kyte Baby CEO (Ying Liu) who denied the work remote request of an employee who wanted to be with their premature child in the NICU...9 hours away from their Dallas home. https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/21/business/kyte-baby-ceo-apology-marissa/index.html https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kyte-baby-tries-to-fend-off-boycott-over-firing-of-new-mom/ AND we're talking "The 5 Buckets"! BLI's flagship class that teaches us how we can have it all. Join us on Friday ...

On Monday January 15th, 2024 we will celebrate MLK Day. But why is it the third week in January and what did it take to become established as a federal holiday? Listen in as we explore the history of this important day and take note from James Francis (DEIB Director at Balancing Life's Issues) on the importance of this day, and why it's up to all of us to be the change we wish to see.

Wendy has been across the country, virtually and in-person, delivering the seminar "Leading and Living in Uncertain Times". It has been so successful that we had to bring that message to the podcast as we close out 2023 and look to 2024. So here are the 5 tips you need to lead in uncertain times.

On May 14th, 2022 Megan Andrews was faced with the unthinkable. A shooter drove to her community of Buffalo, NY and killed 10 Black people in a racist massacre at a supermarket in a predominantly black neighborhood. (Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/28/nyregion/buffalo-shooting-guilty-plea.html) What happened next for Megan was the culmination of 30+ years of experience as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Megan and her team were sent to the scene to provide immediate, on-site support ...

Antisemitism is on the rise. Not only in this country, but across the world. What's our role in confronting hate head on? How do we talk about it with our families, friends, and loved ones? The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has recorded a dramatic increase in U.S. antisemitic incidents following the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre (https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/adl-records-dramatic-increase-us-antisemitic-incidents-following-oct-7). To help us navigate this recent surge in hate, Kai and Wen...

The brutality of what we are seeing on the news is overwhelming and there is nothing you can do. Evil exists in the world and you can't control it. You can control how you respond though. So, how are you managing your mental health today? Wendy and Kai are connecting first thing this morning to Check-In, Double Down, & Do Something Fun.

Kai and Wendy welcome the Director of the Finance and Business Consultation Department at MATI, Akiva Ganz. Akiva is joined by a small business owner in Jerusalem to talk about how donations to MATI directly affect their business during this time. To donate to MATI's Jerusalem's Emergency Campaign please go to https://tinyurl.com/3mappd6x MATI Jerusalem’s Emergency Campaign Over the last few days, the magnitude of the disaster that has befallen the State of Israel and the residents living nea...

Kai and Wendy welcome Zvia Shelly and Uri Gordon from the MATI Jerusalem Business Center to talk to us about the importance of supporting a small business during a time of war. To donate to MATI's Jerusalem's Emergency Campaign please go to https://tinyurl.com/3mappd6x MATI Jerusalem’s Emergency Campaign Over the last few days, the magnitude of the disaster that has befallen the State of Israel and the residents living near Gaza has been revealed. Many residents from the South have come to s...

Summer is almost over and you know what that means... It's time to get ready to go back to school! With so much excitement it's easy to forget that there's a lot of anxiety and pressure about getting back into that school rhythm. Re-establishing sleep rhythms, shopping, and prepping lunch are all things that may have been replaced with the flexibility of those glorious summer days. Not to mention the mental health crisis we are in as a result of the last few years. How are we talking about CO...

‘Lazy girl jobs’ might just be the secret to work-life balance is trending on tik tok. https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/lazy-girl-jobs What does it mean to "coast" in a role and take advantage of a lack of oversight? Is it really that lazy to be totally OK with sticking to an administrative role knowing that will bring better work/life balance? If you run a company and there’s a role that has no actual responsibilities...who's fault is that really? Join Wendy and Kai as they discus...

Pride month comes at a time when there are there are 491 anti- LGBTQ bills at the state legislative level according to the ACLU (as of Thursday June 1st 2023). SOURCE: https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights How can you be a better ally to the LGBTQ+ community this month and why has the trans-youth conversation become so politicized? Nicole Modonna (She/Her, licensed Social Worker and Clinical Therapist) and Hayden Nielsen (He/Him, Trans man and Licensed Clinical Social Work ...

We kickoff mental health awareness month with uncertainty...well how to live with it! Dianne Pulleyblank (25+ years as an exercise physiologist) joins the show to talk about how she has navigated, and continues to navigate, multiple myeloma. A type of bone marrow cancer that has sent her life into limbo. Got an idea for the show? Leave a comment or email kai@balancinglifesissues.com

In this episode, we explore the difficult topic of tragedy and how we can cope and bounce back. Wendy Wollner provides valuable insights on the "why" and "how" of bouncing back from yet another school shooting. Sharing her experiences and offering practical advice on how to move forward. This episode offers a compassionate and hopeful perspective on a difficult topic, and provides valuable insights for anyone looking to cope with pain and trauma. Got an idea for the show? kai@balancinglifesis...

Join CEO of Balancing Life's Issues, Wendy Wollner, as we continue the celebration of Women's History Month. Who is your north star? Friend of the podcast Rain Henderson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rainhenderson/) joins the show to talk about navigating her career as a woman and how she used (and continues to use) her "north star" to navigate difficult career decisions.