Forward 40 (4tea)

Episode 31: Amplifying the Power of Local Civic Engagement featuring Christine Edwards

Christine Edwards is a civic firebrand that has immersed herself in the art of helping urban communities reach their highest levels of growth, empowerment, and success. A speaker by profession, leader by vocation and entrepreneur by passion, Christine’s work involves using her voice to foster civically engaged communities through collaboration, partnership and digital communication. Embodying the essence of her core message she founded Amplify Community Consulting, that delivers community engagement outreach services, civic education workshops and resources for small businesses pursuing local government contracts. Amplify was founded in 2018 in Charlotte, NC. In her spare time, Christine volunteers, travels, enjoys good southern food and loves seeing urban policy theory play out in everyday life. Public service is her jam.

In this episode Christine shares the importance of staying civically connected and strategies for doing so while also protecting ourselves and the future of our communities. Tapping into her experience and expertise in local city government, she shares the genesis of Amplify. Studies have shown that women tend to ruminate over their qualifications for a role way more than men. Accounting for the racialized experience in the workplace, Christine shares what factors spurred her decision to leap into full-time entrepreneurship. With the election season well underway and the window of early voting becoming ever more narrow, we explore what people need to do to get schooled on their local engagements. As YelloPain, a Ohio rapper, highlights in his song, "My Vote Will Count" there is so much value in our local and state elections. Christine rallies us to stay informed, make micro-connections in our neighborhoods and ultimately see ourselves as local change agents.

We amplify our voices, representation and change for the betterment of our communities as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Stay connected to Christine on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. You can also follow the work of Amplify on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter. Lastly, stay tuned for updates on the launch of her contract academy here!

 

Follow Forward 40(4tea) on IG and Twitter @forward4tea. Continue to support and nominate a guest to be on the show. You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

 

Episode 30: Unveiling Inequities in Progressivism, Policing & Our Workplaces featuring Brandy Grant

Brandy Grant was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She holds a  Masters from the University of Oklahoma in Human Relations and Organizational Development with an emphasis in Counseling and Pre-Law certification from the University of Tulsa. Brandy and her family moved to Seattle to bring 20 years of mental health and community programming to Washington. She was sworn in, in April 2019 for the Seattle Community Police Commission (CPC) and recently became the Interim Executive Director of the Commission.  Brandy has spent the last 6 years in Washington applying her mental health analysis to her work in policy and programming while strengthening community engagement and partnerships.  In her work, Brandy continues to amplify voices, create policy and programming for further impact and awareness around civic engagement, police reform, and gun violence prevention.

In this episode, we pay homage to our excellence and adorn our crowns; even in the face of atrocities. Brandy's journey from Tulsa to Seattle is a great story that speaks to an inedible faith and resilience. She uncovers the "progressive veil" and shares how summers with her grandmother as a child, prepared and shielded her from what she has encountered in her move to Seattle. Additionally, as this year marks the 99th anniversary of the Tulsa massacre, Brandy reflects on the richness of her hometown and the generational trauma economic terrorism breeds as as a result of racism.

As the newly appointed Interim Executive Director for the Seattle Community Police Commission, Brandy also shares more about her work with police reform efforts and her unfiltered reflections on what's needed for true equity in leadership.  While the nation continues grapple with the newly released verdict in the state sanctioned murder of Breonna Taylor, Brandy speaks truth to power, "Our pain is not taken as seriously" as Black women. "Yet we are the shoulders and milk and honey to keep things together". Her duality as a mental health professional and working in a space of advocacy that is tied to lived experience, reminds us of how important it is to take care of ourselves and ensure our colleagues are holistically safe.

We champion community oversight in police reform and remove the veil of faux allyship and safety in our workplaces and beyond as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Stay connected to Brandy on LinkedIn and Twitter. You can also follow the work of the Seattle Community Police Commission on their website and Twitter.

Follow Forward 40(4tea) on IG and Twitter @forward4tea. Continue to support and nominate a guest to be on the show. You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

 

Episode 29: Disrupting & Taking Risks for Community Business Development featuring Karla C. Boldery (Cárdenas-Álvarez)

Mrs. Karla C. Boldery (Cárdenas-Álvarez), is currently the Cincinnati Market Manager for La Mega Media, Inc. La Mega Media, Inc. is the largest Hispanic media platform in the state of Ohio. It operates 3 radio stations in Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati and publishes 4 newspapers, spanning the state of Ohio and reaching Pittsburgh and Northern Kentucky readers. La Mega Media provides news, music, information, entertainment and education for the Hispanic market and through it's advising and consulting services, provides a bridge for clients to connect with the ever-expanding Spanish-speaking population. 

Karla was the former Innovation Services Director for HCDC Business Center. A not-for-profit organization that serves the Cincinnati Metro area in 3 areas: economic development, business startup incubation and lending. To date, she has helped over 500 Hispanic businesses get started, connected them to available resources and helped grow those businesses in the Cincinnati metro area. 

Karla is also the founder and host of a live radio show: “Miercoles de Negocios”(Business Wednesdays) at La Mega Cincinnati 97.7FM (since February of 2012), a live radio broadcast speaking on topics of interest for aspiring and current entrepreneurs. She is also the founder and facilitator for the Latina Entrepreneur Academy in Cincinnati, delivering startup business training for over 80 Latinas who have either started or want to start their own businesses and creating a support network of resources and connections that will enable Latinas securing a better chance of business success. As a result of her work, Karla has been recognized with the following distinctions: 2018 Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan by the Ohio Commission of Hispanic and Latino Affairs (OCHLA); 2017 SBA Partner of the Year for her distinguished leadership and efforts with the Hispanic business community; and 2015 Cincinnati Business Courier Forty Under 40. 

Karla’s dedication to the Hispanic community is evident through her work helping businesses grow as well as her community volunteer efforts. She is currently an active member at the Cincinnati Minority Business Collaborative and the Cincinnati Latino Leaders Collaborative. She is also a member of the Cincinnati Hispanic Chamber Board of Directors, and a past President of the LULAC Cincinnati Chapter. She also serves on the advisory board for the Cincinnati COMPASS (connecting immigrants & community for a stronger region).

In this episode, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month🎉!  A Jane of all trades in business and entrepreneurship in the Latino community, Karla speaks to the lineage of entrepreneurs in her family and its impact on her work.  When she moved to the Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati region the entrepreneurial ecosystem was more focused on African Americans. With Latinos making up roughly 4% of the population in the last census, she has been a key facilitator and leader in creating a pipeline of Latino-led businesses. We learn who and what relationships she leveraged to better serve the community. We also hear more about the impact and innovation she has been able to make with the Latina Entrepreneur Academy. They say "necessity is the mother of invention" and as Karla notes, the Hispanic community has been rising to the occasion to create, connect and be agile in business. We are also so inspired by Karla's pivot to radio where she has been able to combine her expertise in economic/business development to reach a larger segment of the community. Low-key but high-key, Karla is #BossGoals!

We sound the alarm for community-specific empowerment through business development and innovation as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Stay connected to Karla via  LinkedIn and Twitter. 

Follow Forward 40(4tea) on IG and Twitter @forward4tea. Continue to support and nominate a guest to be on the show. You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

Episode 28: The Pendulum Must Swing Towards Justice for Women & Girls featuring Amina Doherty

Amina is an African-Caribbean feminist and women’s rights activist, her work is centered around raising awareness for social justice through movement-building, and innovative approaches to philanthropy. Through actively supporting transformational work – from artists, dreamers, activists and organizations that strengthen social change – Amina is focused on helping to build a more colorful, equal and just world.  

Amina is currently the Program Director for the Caribbean Women’s Voice and Leadership Program at The Equality Fund.  She is also a founding member and the first coordinator of FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund, an organization that aims to strengthen the capacity of young feminist organizations around the world through small grants. Amina Doherty holds a B.A. in Political Science and Women’s Studies from McGill University (Distinction) and an MSc in Gender, Development and Globalization from the London School of Economics (LSE).

An adventurer by nature, Amina has lived and worked in Nigeria, Canada, Jamaica and the UK. She currently makes her home the small Caribbean island of Antigua and Barbuda.

In this episode, Amina shares her global perspective on investing in women's rights. As she puts it, she's in the work of philanthropy because "another woman believed in me". This woman-to-woman advocacy fueled her passion for investing in the rights of women, girls and LGBTQI people. Residing and working on behalf of an underfunded region in the philanthropic landscape, Amina shares what efforts are underway to ensure women and girls in the Caribbean have what they need to sustain and grow their movements. Positioning the work in the pandemic, Amina offers her thoughts on what it will take for the Caribbean to mobilize; a shift from a nationalist to regional identity. Additionally, Amina echoes how central wellness is to the sustainability of the work locally and globally. Business cannot go on as usual and we are grateful that Amina is at the helm of ensuring justice, equality and equity are core to our uplift in the Caribbean and beyond.

We commit ourselves to community activism, justice, equity and a continuum of learning for womanhood across the globe  as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Stay connected to Amina via her website , LinkedIn , Instagram and Twitter. 

Follow Forward 40(4tea) on IG and Twitter @forward4tea. Continue to support and nominate a guest to be on the show. You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

Episode 27: Cheffing Up Love & Advocacy for Vulnerable Populations featuring Shonah Jefferson

Shonah Jefferson began her culinary career at the tender age of 11 – by helping her dad at his local Houston restaurant.  After spending many years in business and as a practicing attorney, she returned to her culinary roots by managing the family restaurant for a few years while obtaining a degree in Culinary Arts from San Jacinto College.

Shonah has always had an interest in giving back to others because “to whom much is given, much is required.”  Being a Chefs for Seniors owner and personal chef gives her an opportunity to “do well by doing good” and to combine her love of people, business and the culinary arts.  She and her team of chefs primarily serve the seniors of the North Houston area.

Shonah attended The University of Texas at Austin, where she received a B.B.A. in Finance and a B.A. in Plan II Honors Liberal Arts.  She also has a law degree from Georgia State University College of Law.  She brings over 25 years of business and legal experience to the table as the owner of Chefs for Seniors – North Houston.

In this episode, Shonah, an avid green tea drinker, shares her journey of doing well and doing good. Her career in law was inspired by her senior thesis on transracial adoption and the Honorable Judge Hatchett, who years ago shifted her career from corporate law to presiding as juvenile court judge. Similarly, Shonah shares why she chose to leave a 6-figure job to work in spaces that fed her spirit.  A question she asked herself that is relevant to us in the work is "Can I bring this work home with me?". Better yet, "is this work where my heart is?" Driven by faith and her conviction that faith can indeed be centered in her work, Shonah invested in her entrepreneurial journey to blend advocacy and culinary arts. Now in the space of cheffing up meals, love and meaning for an undervalued and often overlooked population, the elderly, Shonah reminds us of the importance of our elders. With personal and professional reflections on mental health, depression and disparate rates of suicide in the aging community, Shonah offers up wisdom on what we should bear in mind for our elders and the Black community at large.

 

We feed our spirits, cultivate our minds and center faith in the work as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Stay connected with Shonah on LinkedIn Chef for Seniors website and Facebook. 

Follow Forward 40(4tea) on IG and Twitter @forward4tea. Continue to support and nominate a guest to be on the show. You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

Episode 26: Coalescing Community Needs in Health for Equitable Outcomes featuring Dr. Angelica Hardee

Dr. Angelica Hardee (affectionately known as Dr.gelz) is a native of Cleveland, Ohio. She currently leads strategy and advocacy as the VP of Health Strategies at the American Heart Association and also the President of the National Urban League Young Professionals of Greater Southwest Ohio. Dr. Hardee is a three-time alumna of the University of Cincinnati (UC) where she received her Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate in Public Health. At UC Dr. Hardee’s studies focused on global health systems and health policy. Dr. Hardee’s dissertation was related to malaria control methods among pregnant women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Her research internationally addressed the needs amongst the world's most vulnerable populations. In addition, she established health promotion and education programs while teaching and mentoring students interested in public health.

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Dr. Hardee attributes her dedication and passion for public health associated with her love for volunteering. Working everywhere from local classrooms at the University of Cincinnati to small communities in developing nations, she wants to be a part of eliminating health disparities. Dr. Hardee recently co-founded Let’s Change Our City, a community initiative in Cincinnati, Ohio. Within the organization students from neighboring universities are able to engage with community partners and refer patients to essential social services addressing both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Dr. Hardee always knew her future was in healthcare, but not as a medical doctor. Rather her passion for public health can help to inspire change of health outcomes.

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Currently Dr. Hardee lives in Cincinnati, Ohio and works in the nonprofit sector focused on population health. In her current role she works with health systems and community agencies to address and navigate health related social needs. In addition to her primary role Dr. Hardee works with public health organizations to implement policies to improve health in Ohio. She also mentors youth and tutors high school students on ACT & SAT preparation while mentoring college students and young professionals navigating the public health field.

 

In this episode, Dr. Hardee brings joy and equity to the center of community health. She reflects on her shift from international research to leading public health strategies locally in her home state. She also shares the misconception that women need to have said education credentials to have a seat at the table and lead systems change. Reflecting on an article written by Dr. Danielle Moss on Black women in the nonprofit sector, Dr. Hardee furthers the need to center race and race politics within the sector's operations internally and externally. We are in agreement that when we aren't empowered enough to advocate for ourselves, we set generations at a disadvantage. Her work with Cradle Cincinnati amplifies the significance of centering race to health outcomes of Black mothers and their babies. Additionally we explore her insights on what a younger generation of Black professionals desire in the moment of racial justice reckoning: alongside our elders and in predominantly White spaces. Dr. Hardee makes clear the diligence needed in public health and the nonprofit sector at large in valuing the treasures and assets within the community. 

****References to Dr. Danielle Moss's article Black Women in Nonprofits Matter  appear in this episode.

 

We celebrate our time, talent and treasures as we are also reminded that our voices matter in the sector as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

 

Stay connected with Dr. Hardee on LinkedIn Instagram and Twitter. You can also delve more into her journey on her personal website. 

 

Follow Forward 40(4tea) on IG and Twitter @forward4tea. Continue to support and nominate a guest to be on the show. You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

Episode 25: Centering Community-Specific Innovation in Education featuring Noella Moshi

Noella Moshi joined Future Fund for Education (FFE) with a strong passion for education and workforce development. Since graduating with a Master’s in Clinical Science from the University of Cape Town, Noella has worked on projects that provide scalable solutions to problems within health and education across Africa. Noella previously led operations at West Africa Vocational Education (WAVE) in Nigeria. She was on the founding team of African Leadership University in Mauritius and the co-founder of Goodbye Malaria in South Africa. In her free time, Noella likes to write poetry and fiction.

In this episode, Noella speaks about the importance of innovation in the education sector even in a time of "uncertainty". With her leadership as the Executive Director of FFE, she is championing "African-led solutions" on the continent. Despite being met with prejudice towards her leadership as a Black nonprofit executive, Noella has been gracefully buoyant. She offers insight into the agility that is being activated abroad as educators work to innovate and serve their respective communities. Questions around access, talent management and operations are at the forefront of FFE's cohort of entrepreneurs and FFE is providing a space for shared capacity building in their respective pursuits. We also hear more about her perspective on the benefit of telemigration in generating a more expansive workforce and connecting people across the African diaspora. A creative herself, Noella also invites us into ways she has been able to tap into her creative flow for balance and affirmation.

****References to Julia Cameron "The Artist's Way" appear in this episode.

We ground our confidence in our ability to learn, empathize and create solutions for our community as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Stay connected with Noella on LinkedIn and Twitter. You can also follow the work of FFE on Twitter. 

Follow Forward 40(4tea) on IG and Twitter @forward4tea. Continue to support and nominate a guest to be on the show. You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

Episode 24: Representative Asset-Building and Ownership in Social Entrepreneurship featuring Valerie Red-Horse Mohl

Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, of Cherokee ancestry, is the Executive Director/CEO of Social Venture Circle, a nonprofit leading the way in the field of social impact; building and galvanizing the business world to create social, economic, and environmental change. She is also the owner/founder of Red-Horse Native Productions, Inc., a film and television production company primarily focused on bringing important documentaries to the screen for which Red-Horse Mohl directs, produces, and writes. Additionally, she is the owner/founder of Red-Horse Financial Group, Inc., and has more than 30 years of in-depth experience in the financial services and investment banking industry with a unique expertise in the Native American tribal government sector. Red-Horse Mohl has raised, structured and managed over $3 billion in capital for tribal nations and holds seven FINRA registrations.

Valerie was inducted into the NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) Hall of Fame in 2008. She was recently appointed to the Board of Stanford University’s Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity and is teaching a Stanford course on Entrepreneurship for Race and Social Equity. She also serves as a Board Member for the Northern California Chapter of the International Women's Forum and the National Boys and Girls Clubs Native American Division. Valerie earned a B.A. with Cum Laude honors from UCLA and has founded several nonprofit ministries on reservations nationwide.

In this episode, Valerie shares what inspired her to serve her own community and advocate on behalf of other underserved communities of color. With the trillions of dollars that are leveraged in business, Valerie has been able to use her positional power to advocate peers and the next-generation alike to start their own ventures. Reflecting on the economic fallout and recovery efforts post-COVID 19, she shares what she believes is necessary for equitable capital ownership and deployment. We also learn what she is hearing from the next generation of social entrepreneurs and how they are hoping to shift the broken system of our economy. Valerie also offers up the principles of community and spirituality that she centers often in her work and extends her hopes of us doing the same.

We activate our power to create, own and leverage our innate assets as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Stay connected with Valerie on LinkedIn and Twitter. Look into her Top 5 recommendations for equitable social impact work here:

1. Take a look at SVC's website for free to help to get through COVID-19
2. American Sustainable Business Council
3. Leap Frog and Nathalie Molina Niño
4. Morgan Simon, author of Real Impact 
5. Purpose Economy

Follow Forward 40(4tea) on IG and Twitter @forward4tea. Continue to support and nominate a guest to be on the show. You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

Episode 23: Returning to the Land & Tapping Into the Richness of Our Journey featuring Leonette Henderson

Leonette Henderson is a native of Clarksdale, MS and serves as the Director of Development and Partnership for Higher Purpose Co. (HPC).  HPC is a 501c3 economic justice nonprofit, building community wealth with Black residents across Mississippi by supporting the ownership of financial, cultural, and political power. Leonette has a fervent desire to propel economic and social justice. This desire is rooted in a genuine concern for the overall well-being of people and community as well as a predilection for an equitable distribution of justice.

As a documentarian, she believes in shared stories that recreate narratives for individuals, communities, regions, and countries, giving light to their truth and healing.  Leonette has spent 14 years in higher education, education reform and secondary education collectively, six of which as a nonprofit professional.  She has served on the Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development team for the University of Virginia’s School of Medicine.  Prior to returning to the University of Virginia, Leonette joined New Leaders, a national nonprofit that develops transformational school leaders, where she served as the Program Coordinator and later the Program Manager for the Effective Practice Incentive Community (EPIC) in Memphis City Schools.  She then served as the organization’s Interim Development Manager.  

Leonette has served as a guest co-lecturer at the University of Virginia on the “Obesity in the African American Community,” and as a guest speaker on “Philanthroculture” for the North Carolina Planned Giving Council. She has served as a board chair for Sisters Conquering Cancer, board member of Shelter for Help in Emergency in Virginia and Higher Purpose Co (MS). Leonette has a Masters in Philanthropy and Development from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and is a proud HBCU alum with a BA in History from Tuskegee University.

In this episode, Leonette bridges the journey of generations past and connects them with the present-day reckoning of #BlackLivesMatter. She reflects on pivotal points in her career that inspired the return to her hometown of Clarksdale, MS in pursuit of authentic community development and empowerment. As #BlackLivesMatter is currently amplified in global discourse, we reflect on the historical context of this moment of racial trauma and lift up the hope we are witnessing through intergenerational community engagement efforts that are underway. As companies and organizations grapple with internal and external racial equity and anti-racist (more specifically anti-Blackness) strategies, Leonette sheds light on the reprieve and solace she has found with her Black-led team at Higher Purpose Co. Additionally, we glean the importance of accounting for regional perspectives as we look to bring or further investments into Black communities and Black-led organizations. Not only do we gain further insight into the climate of the "Black Belt" but we are also re-empowered by the history of Black ingenuity and resilience as we prepare to celebrate Juneteenth 2020.

We ground ourselves and celebrate our illustrious journeys as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Stay connected with Leonette on LinkedIn, Twitter and via email at: leonette@higherpurposeco.org. Learn more about the impact of Higher Purpose Co. on Facebook and Instagram.

Follow Forward 40(4tea) on IG and Twitter @forward4tea. Continue to support and nominate a guest to be on the show. You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.

Episode 22: Championing Light & Empowerment in the Wake of Abuse featuring Indrani Goradia

Indrani Goradia is the Founder of RAFT Cares (formerly Indrani’s Light Foundation), a philanthropist, and an advocate for women’s health and empowerment. She leads empowerment trainings in several countries around the world. She is also a board member of Everywoman Treaty and Think Equal.

In 2013, Indrani joined forces with the global health organization PSI and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to transform the lives of girls and women and lift them out of poverty. In partnership with PSI, Indrani’s Light Foundation launched programs in 2014 to eradicate gender-based violence in India and in her home country of Trinidad.

As an in-demand author, speaker, and master certified life coach, Indrani delivers keynote addresses and leads workshops around the globe. She has also participated as a speaker at the World Women’s Health and Development Forum at the United Nations. In addition, Indrani has served as a keynote speaker and/or panelist at multiple international gatherings. Her TEDx Talk, Love Expressed as Violence is a Lie, can be found here.

Indrani completed her formal education in New York City, attending CUNY Queens College and Kent State University. She recently earned a certification in Social Impact Strategy at UPenn and completed an executive leadership program at THNK in Amsterdam. Indrani is a master life coach and yoga teacher. As though these aren’t great accomplishments in their own right, Indrani became a triathlete and marathoner at 50 and believes the body needs exercise. In her spare time she quilts and travels with her family.

In this episode, Indrani shares her passion for advocating for women and children in the wake of abuse. She recalls her transformational journey from childhood trauma to being intentional about breaking the  cycle of abuse when she became a parent. Combating the notion "don't ask, don't tell" Indrani has been able to courageously speak to abuse on the global stage. By accessing spaces of validation, she herself was able to process her healing and is currently in the position to offer resources for those that are often forgotten in the process, victim/survivor activists. As the country and world readjust to what life will be like post-COVID 19, Indrani cautions educators and practitioners alike, to proactively create space for children and women who are facing abuse. Additionally, as the Founder and executive leader at RAFT, Indrani reflects on brand identity in the social impact space. She shares her lessons learned so we are not hindered executing on our missions. As she notes, "As activists, your brand has to be the work".

We are reminded of ways to shine in the face of adversity and trauma as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Stay connected with Indrani on LinkedIn, Twitter and through her website. Learn more about the resources at RAFT here. 

Follow Forward 40(4tea) on IG and Twitter @forward4tea. Continue to support and nominate a guest to be on the show. You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.