Somewhere In The Middle With Michele Barard

Somewhere in the Middle with Michele Barard Welcomes Business Mentor Ana Robles Ana Robles is the founder of Life’s Journey to Excellence in Covina, California. She helps business owners, sales professionals & entrepreneurs by providing sales training, create a system and business strategy in both group and one-on-one environments. Ana specializes in working with Small Businesses, Emerging & Established Entrepreneurs, and Independent Contractors.

Education Mentor and Author Darrian Tanner Encourages Educators to Create Win-Win Situations in the Classroom Darrian Tanner is currently an 11th-year secondary education English teacher and a 2nd-year Instructional Mentor in the state of Florida. She was born and raised in East St. Louis, IL, and this is where her love for education truly began as she was inspired by both her teachers and aunts who were educators and administrators in the school district. Darrian graduated from the College of Education at Michigan State University with a B.A. in English Ed and completed the teacher certification program with a yearlong internship at a local high school. Throughout her years of teaching, she came across great success on the school campus whether it was through her student mentorship programs or The Classroom Experience. Darrian was presented with the Florida High Impact Teacher Award two years in a row because of the significant growth in her students’ reading and writing state testing scores. She has a phil

Tawana Williams "The Hope Coach" Discusses the Choices She Made to Build Her Writing and Speaking Career Tawana Williams was born without arms and impaired use of her legs. She’s an award-winning Keynote Motivational Speaker, TV Personality, Author, Artist, Mentor, Executive Producer, Co-Producer, Businesswoman, Humanitarian & CEO. She’s a highly sought-after speaker with a powerful and uplifting message for all generations. Her compelling story is one of Triumph, Perseverance, and Determination. She’s overcome many obstacles and has never let her disability stop her. Tawana is the first black Tha-li-do-mide baby in the U.S. that became an Internationally acclaimed Les Brown Platinum Motivational Speaker! She’s the author of six books including her classic book UNarmed but Dangerous. This book is her personal testimony and will be featured as her Debut Movie “Eagle Without Wings” coming soon to theaters. She became a professional speaker in 1996 and travels the country with her husband, Toby, speaking at

Somewhere in the Middle welcomes Food Activist Yvette Blair-Lavallais Reverend Yvette Blair-Lavallais was seven years old, sitting in the pew at Lee Chapel AME Church in Dallas, when she sensed that God was calling her to preach. By the age of 10, she became involved in children’s Sunday School and afterschool Bible studies. God continued to shape her for ministry as she took on leadership roles within the church and the community throughout her teen and young adult years. Yvette has held pastoral appointments in The United Methodist Church, including serving as the Associate Pastor of Discipleship at the historic St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church in Dallas. Her fruitful ministry included cultivating and leading the Young Adult Ministry, Women’s Ministry, Bible study, e2 Elevate Your Experience Wednesday Night worship, and serving as Director of The Zan Wesley Holmes, Jr. Servant Leadership Institute. Yvette was named the 2017 Woman of the Year by IMessenger News/Texas Metro News for speaking out

Christian Coach, Author, and Inspirational Speaker Dr. Kendra Davis-Burch helps women change their lives for the better Dr. Kendra Davis-Burch is a 1999 & 2009 graduate of Winston-Salem State University. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology (1999) & a Master of Science Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling (2009). She is also a 2016 graduate of Apex School of Theology where she earned a Master of Divinity Degree. Kendra earned a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Biblical Studies at Apex School of Theology May 2017. In 2010, Kendra established K*METAMORPHOSIS, a Christian counseling organization whose vision, mission and philosophy were birthed out of the desire to fill a much-needed treatment gap in the community. The organization’s mission is to utilize a holistic approach to restore fallen humanity. This organization believes that individuals; despite their past are capable of transforming spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. In 2012, Kendra became a published author. Her b

Education Expert and Social Worker Dr. Terriyln Rivers-Cannon shares her experience working with and helping children succeed in the Atlanta public school system Dr. Terriyln C. Rivers-Cannon is a School Social Worker in the Atlanta area and has devoted over 18 years to improving the lives of Georgia’s school-aged population. Her role is that of a child advocate, providing appropriate interventions and services that help an average of 2,500 children and families per year who are at risk for educational failure. Terriyln had a spotlight press release for CUTV News Radio in 2017 followed by a featured interview on December 1st that provided her with an opportunity to discuss her nonprofit organization Karing Actions Towards Inspiring Eagles (K.A.T.I.E.), which she dedicated to her aunt, Katie Mae Tindal, who was also a Social Worker. She is also the host of “DARE to Soar with Doctor R.C.” on The Bold Brave MEDIA network, which airs every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Eastern time. Terriyln was the rec

Did you know the United States is the last Western power to use the death penalty? Steffen Hou discusses the devastation the death penalty causes in individual lives and entire communities. Steffen Hou is a Danish author and filmmaker, who lives in Copenhagen, Denmark. As a true-crime author, he has worked all over the world and written about topics such as child abductions, the Ku Klux Klan, the white supremacy movement, human trafficking, and the death penalty. Steffen Hou emphasizes that he always describes problems through the people who are victims of them rather than through experts sitting at their desk. Therefore, he always follows his main characters closely over a period of time and he is not afraid to put himself in danger zones. He is also known to tell his stories in a captivating and engaging way, so readers feel that they have a good reading experience. Besides the authorship, Steffen also produces documentary movies. You can find Steffen Hou's book, The Deprived: Innocent on Death Row on A

Sherry Hill, author and mother of late New England Patriot's player Marquise Hill, shares her journey through grief after her son's death Sherry Hill is the proud mother of the Late Marquise Hill who played as #94 at LSU and #91 with the New England Patriots. Ms. Hill is a ’79 Alumna of Alabama A & M University where she earned a B.S. Degree and Pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha in ’77. She has ten years of experience in the public school system and 16 years of experience with the Federal Government. Ms. Hill’s proudest achievement is helping steer young people in the right direction while working as a Juvenile Counselor with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD). Ms. Hill has a passion to help the youth and needy. Sherry Hill’s first book, The Marquise Hill Story: From the Cradle to the Bowl, is five-star rated on Amazon. Hill shares the story of a little boy growing up in a cutthroat environment in South Louisiana from the perspective of a grieving mother who gave her all to guide and support her son while

Julia Black and I discuss how African-American Characters are portrayed in literature and film in the US Julia Black and I are getting into the topic of how African-American Characters are portrayed in literature and film in the US a little bit deeper this time, and it's just because the topic is so big. It's it really warrants a lot more discussion, a little bit more thoughtfulness. So, we are doing a special True Talk. This is like a little bonus True Talk. It's a little bit longer than the other ones. And that's why we're making it a bonus. And the topic required a little bit more than 10 or 15 minutes, which is what most of our True Talks end up being. For the full show notes, visit https://urbanbookeditor.com/blog/julia-black-and-i-discuss-how-african-american-characters-are-portrayed-in-literature-and-film-in-the-us.  

Tammy Hopson shares her quest to see black romantic love captured in photographs and poetry Tammy Hopson, also known as Sefa Noir, was reared in the suburbs of Northern NJ. She did all the right things and followed every societal rule, moving through life doing the expected: college, career, family. Today, she is a single mother, HR professional, and dedicated daughter. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and an MBA with a focus on organizational development. Hopson currently serves as Vice President of Human Resources for a $500 million dollar a year physician group. However, underneath her responsibilities beat the heart of a passionate poet and a student of Black Culture and eroticism. After a trip to a local bookstore in 2010, left her feeling unrepresented when trying to find a gift book about black romantic love, she began the journey create to one. As a longtime lover of poetry, sonnets, and great photography she chose to use these elements to create her first collection of poetry. Sefa Noir u

Leadership Coach, Trainer, and Speaker La Toya Gadson shares how we can act as leaders in the lives of others and how role models shape lives for the better La Toya Gadson is the Founder of La Toya Gadson Coaching L.L.C, leadership and personal development company based out of Charlotte, NC. She is also a proud certified John Maxwell coach, trainer, and speaker. La Toya coaches and trains leaders how to lead boldly and take audacious action to intentionally improve themselves, their teams, and their businesses. La Toya’s passion is to help organizations cultivate a result-driven environment while improving employee engagement to reduce turnover and increase the effectiveness of leaders to identify top talent to avoid external hiring. Before devoting her work to La Toya Gadson Coaching LLC full-time, La Toya held various leadership roles within Corporate America for more than 10 years where she discovered her purpose and calling to coach and mentor others in the workplace. She has been recognized for her abil

Somewhere in the Middle welcomes Hikes Heal! Creator Leslie Ann Roszyk as she explains how our best healing takes place when we release what no longer serves us Leslie Ann moved to Las Vegas 20 years ago, with dreams of illuminating the neon lights beyond measure. With no decent plan of action, she studied many different areas of interest, then after nine years of studying, she finally graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. While attending college, Leslie Ann worked in three high profile resorts as a Security Manager on the infamous Las Vegas Strip. That unique hands-on experience was just what Leslie Ann needed to fulfill her illuminating leadership dreams, yet she didn’t know it at the time. With encouragement from senior leadership, Leslie Ann took a risk and entered the realm of loyalty marketing as a developer. Leslie Ann did not have any marketing experience, yet from her background in improv and speech performance, she stumbled upon her

Author and Inspirational Speaker Tawana Williams shares how she overcame being born without arms to create an amazing life and business with her husband, Toby Tawana Williams was born without arms and impaired use of her legs. She’s an award-winning Keynote Motivational Speaker, TV Personality, Author, Artist, Mentor, Executive Producer, Co-Producer, Businesswoman, Humanitarian & CEO. She’s a highly sought-after speaker with a powerful and uplifting message for all generations. Her compelling story is one of Triumph, Perseverance, and Determination. She’s overcome many obstacles and has never let her disability stop her. Tawana is the first black Tha-li-do-mide baby in the U.S. that became an Internationally acclaimed Les Brown Platinum Motivational Speaker! She’s the author of six books including her classic book UNarmed but Dangerous. This book is her personal testimony and will be featured as her Debut Movie “Eagle Without Wings” coming soon to theaters. She became a professional speaker in 1996 and t

Lashone vs. Shaneek discusses pushing past the naysayers and haters as you pursue your goals on Somewhere in the Middle with Michele Barard Lashone Vs. Shaneek, was born in Charleston. She is a mother of three and now resides in Charlotte, NC. Lashone writes action-packed mysteries filled with love and loss. Her characters are both feared and fearless, though ironically, in real life Lashone is afraid of looking in the rear-view mirror while driving at night and walking up the stairs in the dark. Lashone is a hard-working dreamer, who started out writing a stage play but instead turned it into I, BEAUTY, her debut novel which is the first of a book series. She has an interest in everything from fantasy to forensic science. Her true passion lies within whatever she can create. In Lashone's world, everything is in balance, whether positive or negative. Along with the graphic design skills that Lashone has picked up over the years, she has a great love for Blues & Jazz. Particularly, she developed a deep in

Rabbi Yonason Goldson shares his search for ways we can communicate with honesty and integrity Yonason Goldson is the director of Ethical Imperatives, LLC. After graduating from the University of California with a degree in English, he hitchhiked cross-country, backpacked across Europe, lived in Israel for nine years, received his rabbinic ordination, then taught high school for 23 years in Budapest, Hungary, and St. Louis, where he and his wife now live happily as empty-nesters. He’s published five books, including "Proverbial Beauty: Secrets for Success and Happiness from the Wisdom of the Ages," and "Fix Your Broken Windows: a 12-step system for promoting ethical affluence." He’s also published hundreds of articles applying ancient wisdom to grapple with the challenges of the modern world and to find fulfillment in our personal and professional lives.

Andrew E. Guy is a phenomenal inspiration to millions, TEDx speaker, author, and thought-leader who challenges people to shift their mindset from limited-belief to Creating A Greater impact of influence and a life with meaning and purpose. Whether he's delivering conference keynotes, facilitating staff development seminars, advising municipal leaders, or empowering students to higher performance, Andrew Empowers "YOU" to Create Your Greatest Impact in the four most important areas of your life.™ With over 15 years of leadership and staff development coaching, Andrew helps organizations to implement effective strategies that create a culture of community which inspires leaders, and employees to thrive through productive action and effective employee collaboration. His disruptive, high impact and highly interactive approach to engaging his audience make him unforgettable. Organizations gladly request Andrew as their speaker because of his ability to connect with diverse audiences through seminars and insightfu

Candace Jones, The Attorney Next Door, shares her experience advocating for families and children, tips for families in distress, and how we can help advocate for kids in our own communities Candace Jones is an attorney at law in my new home state of California. But get those stuffy images and greedy stereotypes out of your head. Candace became an attorney to help people and she’s here to help you. Too many people don't know the little things that can make all the difference in their lives. Sometimes you just need a friendly neighbor with some helpful insight. That’s why she calls herself The Attorney Next Door! Calling herself The Attorney Next Door has been a long time coming. Candace believes law school doesn't teach lawyers how to help people. It teaches them how to think from different perspectives, see issues from multiple vantage points and argue different positions. It teaches lawyers how to research the law and apply it to different fact patterns. But it doesn't teach how to make these skills and se

Author & Speaker Bernard N. Lee, Jr. shares his experiences growing up in a military family in the segregated South and in Germany during the 50's Bernard N. Lee, Jr. is the oldest son of a career veteran of the US Army. He traveled throughout the United States and Europe during his childhood. The places he traveled, the people he met, and the stories he remembers are shared in his memoir, A Look Back In Time: Memoir of a Military Kid In The Fifties. Bernie attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., joined the Army ROTC Program, obtained a private pilot’s license, a regular army commission, and retired as a Captain from the Army Reserves. Upon graduating, Bernie joined AT&T in New Jersey, where he worked until his retirement in 2003. Bernie also taught classes at Somerset VoTech and led a group called PACE, preparing high school students for STEM programs in college. Bernie is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI); Georgia Writer’s Association; Books by Bra

Cheryl Cooley of the all-female funk band Klymaxx shares about making funk music as a lead guitarist in the 80's and today You know Cheryl Cooley from her amazing guitar playing as the lead guitarist of Klymaxx. The R&B all-female funk band, KLYMAXX is KLYMAXXTIC, and still going strong. Their music is a staple on the radio and in dance clubs around the world. Belting out hits like, “The Men All Pause” and “Meeting in the Ladies Room” the group’s name is synonymous with classic women’s anthems. Their beautiful ballad, “I Miss You”, was Billboard Magazine’s #3 song of 1986 and still to this day is played when love is in the air. Continuing into the 90’s with the #4 R&B hit, “Good Love” followed their sultry Neo-Soul groove entitled, “Private Party” showed that they could flow with the changing music trends. Much of the group’s success can be credited to Cheryl Cooley, Co-founder and original member. She has personally nurtured the group’s unique sound by overseeing the infusion of 80’s funk with a mo

Somewhere in the Middle with Michele Barard welcomes Executive Coach Donald R. Hunter, who discusses overcoming fear and becoming an inspiring leader Donald R. Hunter specializes in leadership, employee engagement and productivity. He dedicates himself to help leaders create transformation in their own performance and then in their organization, which results in highly productive employees, customer loyalty and increased bottom-line performance. Donald deeply engages with clients to create rapport and long-term relationships. He effortlessly expands his client’s leadership effectiveness. His magical intuition merged with his ability to quickly shift perspectives far exceeds his client’s expectations. Donald has designed an executive coaching program that establishes a foundation for each client and clarifies professional goals, then develops their ability to inspire. He combines this insight with his client’s talents and skills to create a coaching plan, used as an accountability and decision-making framework