theTYPEAhippie Podcast | ChiCast

41 | theTYPEAhippie Podcast | ChiCast: Southern, Progressive and Persisting (Emily Johnson)

I met Emily Johnson several years ago when I lived in Las Vegas. We met through friends of friends and bonded almost immediately. I remember meeting for a sushi lunch discussing essential oils and healthier living and thinking this woman is so rad. When you listen to our conversation, you'll see why!

Emily Johnson is a pastor's wife and mom of three living in Las Vegas, NV. She's trying to raise children to be brave and kind in this crazy world. 

To connect with Emily:

* Instagram: @ewj

* Facebook: Emily Johnson

40 | theTYPEAhippie Podcast | ChiCast: Faith, Politics, Veganism & Activism (Matt Statman & Anna Byberg)

I had the pleasure and honor of meeting Matt Statman and Anna Byberg when I returned to Michigan after living in Las Vegas for almost 10 years. They are rays of sunshine and have a zest for life, generosity of spirit and are some of the most hospitable people around. Additionally, many would agree that they are Ann Arbor's First Couple.

 

39 | theTYPEAhippie Podcast | ChiCast: Conversation on the Law, Social Justice and Activism (Selena Alonzo)

I had the pleasure of meeting Selena Alonzo and I was struck by how powerful she is. While she has a more quiet demeanor than some others, her strength is evident. Her insight on the law as a University of Michigan law student and social justice work and the impact of incarceration on the people around is much needed in this ongoing discussion.

Selena Alonzo was born and raised in Austin, TX. Selena became the first in her family to attend college at Amherst College in Massachusetts. She graduated with a degree in Law, Jurisprudence, Social Thought and Psychology. Throughout college, Selena began to develop an interest in social justice issues, particularly the failures of our criminal justice system. This interest led to Selena deciding to attend Michigan Law School. Despite being just a 1L, Selena established a lasting legacy at Michigan Law by helping found the First Generation Law Students organization. Her other involvement at the law school includes organizing a LawBreaks trip to assist death row appellants in California, the Unemployment Insurance and Civil-Criminal Litigation Clinics, Street Law, and MDefenders. Selena is an aspiring public defender and will spend her summer working for the Legal Aid Society’s Manhattan Criminal Defense Trial Office.

 

To connect with Selena:

 

* IG: selenaalo 

* email: scalonzo@umich.edu

38 | theTYPEAhippie Podcast | ChiCast: Conversation on the Work (Stephanie Moors)

This is the second time Stephanie Moors has been on my podcast and the conversation continues to be richer and richer. Today we discuss the work. The work we have each done and how our roads intertwine. The discussion moves to communication, self-care and life. 

Stephanie lives in Phoenix and is the mama to three incredible human beings. She is a 500 hr yoga instructor, a podcaster, a love activist and a photographer. Although she does not use the term 'Christian' to define herself, she advocates for the Way of Jesus in a beautiful, questioning world and she wholeheartedly believes that everyone deserves to belong. 

To connect with Stephanie:

* Website: www.stephaniemmoors.com

* Twitter: @stephaniemoors

* Instagram: @stephaniemmoors

 

37 | theTYPEAhippie Podcast | ChiCast: Body Positivity, Activism, Self-Care and Yoga (Mandy Reid)

I met Mandy Reid years ago through yoga and service. We talked for three hours on the bus ride down the mountain to the airport and it was a friendship that has bloomed over the years. She is an amazing human that adds great value to the world through her own work incorporating vulnerability and authenticity to body positivity, activism, self-care and yoga.

Mandy Reid teaches freedom. The heart of her teaching is to teach others about the fundamental goodness of their hearts and bodies. Mandy is a certified 500 hour Yoga Instructor. 

Currently, Mandy is in her second 500 hour Yoga Teacher Training with Yoga Medicine under Tiffany Cruikshank and additional 200 hour Ashtanga teacher training under Gillian St Claire and Brett Willaims. Mandy teaches online yoga practices, and locally in Nashville, TN.

Along with teaching, Mandy is an avid yogi, with an undying love for a good vinyasa practice. 

Mandy lives in Tennessee with her husband and two children. She enjoys organic green smoothies, gourmet donuts, and whiskey.

 

To connect with Mandy:

* Instagram: @mandyreidyoga

* Website: www.mandyreid.com

36 | theTYPEAhippie Podcast | ChiCast: Conversation on Restorative Justice (Ashton Marr)

This is Ashton Marr's second time on this podcast. Today we're talking about restorative justice.

To recap, I met Ashton Marr while on a panel speaking to University of Michigan social workers at the University of Michigan Health Systems on substance abuse disorder and we both have a passion with working with or cooperating with the professional community to educate them on substance use disorder (alcoholism and addiction). Ashton is the President of Washtenaw Recovery Advocacy Project (WRAP) and she most recently left her role as an Outreach Worker with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office. She's also studying Social Work at Eastern Michigan University (EMU). 

To connect with Ashton: 

* marra@ewashtenaw.org

* FB: Wasthenaw Recovery Advocacy Project (WRAP)

35 | theTYPEAhippie Podcast | ChiCast: Gender, Ministry and Politics (Rev Sarah Heath)

I'm looking forward to meeting Rev Sarah Heath in person sometime soon as she's sweet and spicy as well. Rev Sarah Heath is an ordained elder for the California Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC). She currently serves as the Lead Pastor of a Re-Start congregation in Costa Mesa, First UMC Costa Mesa (www.costamesafirst.com.) Sarah has spoken to groups of varying sizes all over the country on topics varying from creativity, authentic leadership, to learning how to tell your story,

Though Sarah was born in Newfoundland, Canada, she was raised in Ontario until her family moved to the Hattiesburg, MI in 1994 where she lived the rest of her childhood. Keeping close to her newfound, southern roots, Sarah attended the University of Southern Mississippi after high school graduation where she received her B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Biology. Hearing the call to ministry, Sarah attended Duke Divinity School where she earned her Master of Divinity degree in 2005.

Sarah is often a guest writer for various publications, websites and blogs where she shares insights on the topics of making faith relevant in our modern society and negotiating faith with church – How does faith “work,” grow, and be sustained when you don’t fit into the average church?  Sarah is a contributor to the book, Disquiet Time: Rants and Reflections on the Good Book by the Skeptical, the Faithful, and a Few Scoundrels edited by Jennifer Grant and Cathleen Falsani aiming to provide thoughtful, honest, and vulnerable biblical reflections for those passages that make people squeamish. Her first solo book "What's your story? Seeing your life through God's eyes"(Abington Press) comes out in April 17, 2017 https://amzn.com/150183789.

Sarah has a passion for music, traveling, acting, creating art, watching sports and making time for a little bit of play, which, if you stick around long enough, you will begin to notice creep their way into her ministries. If you ask her, Sarah will tell you her biggest blessings in her life are her random assortment of talented friends and her amazing mutt of a dog, Tenor (who seems to steal the spotlight at times, but she forgives him for it).

To connect with Sarah:

* Website: www.revsarahheath.com

34 | theTYPEAhippie Podcast | ChiCast: Conversation on Grief, Gender, Politics, Faith & Activism (Gina Pollard)

Gina Pollard and I met first over essential oils and the connection and kinship was immediate. She's a source of love and light that few have.

Gina Pollard is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist® and a Life Transition Coach. Her focus is in helping people deal with grief and loss, past abuse issues, and moving into new life stages. Her experience in leading Mending the Soul abuse support groups, and providing pastoral care gives her a deep understanding what it means to feel deep pain, need a glimmer of hope, and do the work to have a fulfilling life.  

A self-described “hope junkie,” Gina loves to journey with others, helping them to validate the whole of who they are in the world and in their lives.

Gina earned her Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary and is ordained by the National Association of Christian Ministers. In addition to her coaching and recovery practice, she also works at Fuller Seminary Arizona helping to provide spiritual formation for seminary students.

To connect with Gina:

* Website: www.ginapollard.com

* Facebook: Gina Pollard

* Twitter: @GinaPollard

* Instagram: @ginadpollard

33 | theTYPEAhippie Podcast | ChiCast: Advocacy & Recovery from Addiction (Ivana Grahovac)

I am looking forward to meeting Ivana Grahovac IRL (in real life) because it appears in many ways we may be soul sisters. She's a badass woman who has tackled a lot, moving from her old way of dying with herion abuse to a new way of living free in recovery and working as an advocate so others can find their way too. 

Ivana Grahovac is the Director of Advancement for the nonprofit, Facing Addiction, the lead advocacy organization for the national addiction recovery movement. Ivana is a woman in long term recovery and is celebrating 12 years of abstinence-based sobriety from heroin addiction. She has a proven track record in the nonprofit addiction field, having previously served as turnaround executive director of Austin Recovery, a treatment center with a 50-year legacy of affordability in the community. Prior to that, she served as executive director of Transforming Youth Recovery, a strategic grant program for school-based recovery support. Ivana began her career as director of The Center for Students in Recovery at The University of Texas, where she led the expansion of collegiate recovery programs to all eight UT system schools; a measure unanimously approved by the UT Board of Regents. She earned her B.A. from Wayne State University and her M.S.W. University of Michigan. 

To connect with Ivana:

* Twitter: @IvanaGrahovac1

* Facebook: Ivana Grahovac

32 | theTYPEAhippie Podcast | ChiCast: Drinking, Recovery & Collegiate Recovery Programs (Jason Whitney)

I had the privilege of meeting Jason Whitney recently during his visit to the University of Michigan. As Co-President of Students for Recovery at the University of Michigan, I knew I had to speak with him and his story of recovery was compelling. He got sober at age 19 and today has multiple decades of sobriety under his belt. He's now paying it forward in his current role  at Penn State University.

Jason Whitney is the Program Coordinator of the Penn State Collegiate Recovery Community and an Instructor in the College of Education. 

To connect with Jason:

* Email: jxw411@psu.edu

* Facebook for Penn State's CRC: https://www.facebook.com/pennstatecrc/