Shows
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeDr. Ronnie Taylor: From ex-Mormon felon to Oregon’s first Black male occupational therapist!Dr. Ronnie Taylor was born to extremely young parents who divorced after a few years of marriage. His mom converted to Mormonism and moved the family to Salt Lake City to start a new life. Unfortunately, the missionary who converted and recruited her failed to tell the church Ronnie’s family was Black. They weren’t exactly welcomed with open arms.His mom worked and went to college full time, and eventually she remarried. Growing up in Utah as a Black Mormon was tough. Ronnie moved out when he was 17 and tried to build a life for hims...2022-09-3030 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeMelissa Jenkins Mangili: Neuropsychologist reinvented as a modelDr. Melissa Jenkins Mangili is a neuropsychologist and medical school faculty member who has reinvented herself as a fashion and fitness model. Her life began with grit and resilience. She and her three siblings were was raised in poverty in rural Maine by a single quadriplegic mother. “The nice thing about being from a small town is that everybody knows each other…and rallied to help us. (My mother) couldn't drive at first. She had to relearn how to drive and get an adapted car. Eventually we were able to build a wheelchair-accessible home…and she was a...2022-09-0836 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeVernita Bowe: Transforming grief and COVID into a zest for lifeVernita L. Bowe is a survivor. As a smaller-than-average child, she experienced bullying in school. When she grew up she married the wrong man and wasn’t able to get out of that marriage for 24 years, three kids later.Parenting has been about huge loves and losses for Vernita. Her middle son landed in prison, and four years ago her oldest son Byron died in a car accident.“You really don't wanna bury your children. But what I've learned is all of the promises are gone…all of the things that you and he were gonna...2022-07-2029 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeNicole Lee: Playing taps, coming out, a wild RV trip across country, and job discrimination!Happy Pride! What better month to launch this fun episode and celebrate a wonderful queer story.Growing up in Germany, when Nicole moved to the U.S. as a teen she never felt like she fit in. Then she joined the military during Desert Storm, and she ended up playing Taps for 600 funerals of her colleagues. That nearly broke her. She married a man before coming out as gay, and her dad and sisters rejected her.Around the same time of that rejection, her beloved mom—the only family member who truly embraced Nicole for wh...2022-06-1452 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeCheryl Parks: From Shyest Girl in the Room to Sales Coach Extraordinaire!This week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Cheryl Parks, sales and mindset coach. Cheryl works with my business coach, Liz J. Simpson, and has provided me invaluable advice and confidence boosts as I reboot my business. Cheryl and I immediately connected, and I was especially lucky to meet her in person in early March, since the Big Money Movement coaching program happens all on Zoom and social media. It was a delight to delve into her background and discover how many ways our lives overlap and connect.I was surprised to discover t...2022-05-1238 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeMichele Heyward: A hurricane and engineering camp made her an engineerMichele Heyward is a civil engineer who built the U.S. power grid. Now she's a tech startup founder building the future of work at PositiveHire. Michele grew up in rural South Carolina in a three-bedroom house full of kids. She had four siblings. She describes herself as the weird kid, really good at math.Encouraged to pursue science and engineering, she went to engineering camp 30 years ago at 13 years old.“But what really got me sold on engineering was when I was 12, a Category Five hurricane hit South Carolina and my mom's you...2022-04-2745 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeGresham Harkless, Jr.: From childhood newspaper to founding two companies and becoming a media expertWhen Gresh was a kid, his military dad worked overseas for a year and this English major/entrepreneur started a family newspaper to keep his whole family up to date on what was going on. His first business was born!This week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Gresham Harkless, Jr., founder of CEO Blog Nation and Blue 16 Media, and host of the I AM CEO Podcast + CEO Chat Podcast. Gresh graduated from Howard University and Georgetown and has interviewed more than 1,000 CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business owners, including me!Life hasn’t always be...2022-04-0739 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeChantal Cox: Creating a life she loves after stress, alopecia, and an abusive marriageThis week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Chantal Cox, a special educator, author, speaker, and Transformation NeuroCoach™. Chantal lives in Wichita, Kansas, now but she grew up all over the world. Her birth dad is Mexican, but her mom remarried when she was three years old. Her adopted dad was in the army, so the family moved every two years. They lived in several states as well as Panama, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands. Chantal was born a shy, timid introvert. Being the new kid every two years was traumatizing but forced her to g...2022-03-1634 min
Companies That CareTal Zlotnitsky and Tonya Coppin-Fox, Our.Love: A new app empowering people to love more and love betterWatch on YoutubeImagine how much better the world would be with just 1% more love. That’s what the co-founders of Our.Love envision for the world. More and better love, delivered in a FUN way! Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of that opportunity?The Companies that Care podcast highlights business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Tal Zlotnitsky and Tonya Coppin-Fox, co-founders of Our.Love Company. Our.Love is a love and relationship wellness technology company dedicated to helping couples find, maintain, and nurture their best love. Our.Love...2022-03-0135 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeDevin Tomiak: Helping kids learn how to be resilient after experiencing a personal tragedyThis week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Devin Tomiak, founder of The Biggies Cards.After losing her youngest brother Grant to suicide 7 years ago, Devin Tomiak became driven to understand resilience--in particular, how to build resilience in kids. As a mom of two young boys, her preoccupation had a unique urgency. She created The Biggies cards, an innovative, research-based take on conversation cards designed to spark fun discussions about BIG social emotional concepts with elementary-aged kids. Devin grew up with two loving parents and two younger brothers. She felt close to...2022-02-1732 min
Companies That CareKim Sundy of Kellogg Company: Living proof you can get paid to change the worldThe Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Kim Sundy, senior director of sustainability at the Kellogg Company.Driven by the legacy of its founder, W.K. Kellogg, the Kellogg Company is the world’s leading producer of cereal and snacks. But did you know Kellogg’s vision is a good and just world, where people are not just fed but fulfilled? This cereal and snack company is serious about living out its mission and has set some ambitious goals. These are just a few ex...2022-02-0849 min
The Create a Life You Love PodcastResilient and Thriving with Marie Gettel-Gilmartin
Welcome to today’s episode of the Create a Life You Love video podcast!
Marie Gettel-Gilmartin is the founder of Fertile Ground Communications LLC, is a writer, podcaster, and marketing communications consultant who loves to help her clients communicate clearly and painlessly.
She dropped some fabulous tips on how you can embrace your resiliency and really THRIVE!
Fertile Ground Communications is a certified women-owned business enterprise, disadvantaged business enterprise, and emerging small business, dedicated to creating a kinder, more sustainable, and just world.
We had so much fun digging into topics such as:
The importance of buildi...2022-02-0746 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeMahlena-Rae Johnson: Finding her fertile ground as a Black expat creative in CanadaThis week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Mahlena-Rae Johnson. Mahlena was born in Arkansas but grew up on the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Mahlena is a speaker, comedian, author, and communication expert for introverts.After graduating from the School of Film and Television at Loyola Marymount University, earning her MBA at the University of Southern California, and working a variety of jobs, she felt her potential was being wasted in Los Angeles. She discovered other Black American women were living their best lives outside of the United States...2022-02-0343 min
Companies That CareJon Roesser, Weavers Way Co-op: Growing the cooperative community in PhiladelphiaThe Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Jon Roesser, general manager of Weavers Way Cooperative Association. Founded in the early 1970s, Weavers Way is a consumer-owned food co-op in Philadelphia with three stores, two farms, a non-profit, and community newspaper. They have more than 10,500 member households representing over 25,000 individual member-owners.Weavers Way is a critical link in the Philadelphia food shed, connecting local food growers and producers with values-driven consumers. Working with more than 300 vendors in the Philadelphia area, the co-op emphasizes the n...2022-01-1936 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeBarbie Liss: Healing through restorative justice and reclaiming her wise woman archetypeThis week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interviewed Barbie Liss from Toronto, Canada. Barbie is an anti anti-aging coach who guides women as they heal their wounds and shed shame around aging.Barbie found her own fertile ground through a traumatic incident. Her daughter was raped at age 21. Barbie had to work through her own secondary trauma while supporting her daughter. They both entered into a restorative justice process with her daughter’s attacker. According to restorativejustice.org, “Restorative justice views crime as more than breaking the law – it also causes harm to people...2022-01-0641 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeJulie Allen: Using her battle with eating disorders to inspire others and dismantle diet cultureThis week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, it was a joy to interview Julie Allen again. I had the honor of interviewing Julie earlier this year for my Companies That Care podcast.During this interview, Julie shared her 15-year battle with eating disorders. She was in and out of treatment during her entire teenage years and into her early 20s. Her breaking point was a rape at 18 that took her eating disorder to a whole new level of self-hatred and lack of regard for her own life with an attempted suicide. She has been in recovery...2021-12-2150 min
Companies That CareAaliyah Nitoto, Free Range Flower Winery: Protecting the planet and giving back to her community by making wine with flowersThe Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Aaliyah Nitoto, the visionary founder of Free Range Flower Winery, an award-winning, winemaker-owned and -operated boutique winery in Oakland, California. Aaliya handcrafts premium wine in small batches from locally sourced, organically grown flowers…not grapes. She has been hailed as an "innovative producer" (Wine Enthusiast) who is "revolutionizing the world of wine" (Kourtney Kardashian's POOSH). Aaliyah updates ancient women's garden winemaking traditions for 21st century tastes. As Phil Long, winemaker/founder of Longevity Wines and president of t...2021-12-1535 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeMike Ganino: A NICU baby in Mexico during a pandemic = grit and resilienceThis week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Mike Ganino, a storytelling and communication expert, podcaster, and public speaking coach. He’s also husband to Phil and dad to Viviana, who was born at 29 weeks gestation in Mexico during the first stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. I loved hearing Mike’s life story, starting with growing up poor and getting diagnosed with diabetes as a kid. He also shared about coming out as gay in college and finding what he was meant to do in the world. And as a preemie mom myself, I was fasci...2021-12-0848 min
Companies That CareVeronica Arreola, Educator and Policy Activist: Working to diversify the STEM field and help Latinx students thriveThe Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Veronica Arreola, a professional feminist, mom, and writer who has been working to diversify the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) field for over 20 years. She has a particular passion for working with Latinx/Latina youth.Veronica is director of Hispanic Serving Institution Initiatives for the University of Illinois-Chicago and most recently was program director for their Hispanic Serving Institution STEM grant, Latin@s Gaining Access to Networks for Advancement in Science. She ensures a supportive campus environment f...2021-12-0137 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeNura Elmagbari: Muslim-American feminist, supporting refugees and living out her faithThis week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Nura Elmagbari, a Muslim-American mom, wife, scientist, educator, nonprofit leader, activist, and community leader. I met Nura several years ago through my church, Spirit of Grace. Nura was our guest preacher for Mother’s Day, spoke on an interfaith women’s panel, brought her teen daughter to our youth group and talked about Islam, and emceed an immigrant storytelling event. Nura came to the United States as a child when her family escaped from Libya. They had to adjust to the American way of life with no suppo...2021-11-2348 min
Companies That CareHeather R. Younger, Employee Fanatix: The Employee Whisperer who teaches leaders how to careThe Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Heather R. Younger, a best-selling author, international speaker, consultant, adjunct organizational leadership professor, and facilitator.Born to a white, Jewish mom and a Black dad, Heather was deliberately excluded from her mom’s family, thanks to racism. She grew up feeling like an outsider, which has made her especially determined to create caring environments wherever she goes.“I didn't even get to go to a large family gathering until I was 36 years old, which, by the way...2021-11-1637 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangePaula Dunn: Once bullied for her cleft lip, now helping teens become resilientThis week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Paula Dunn, who was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. Paula is my first Australian guest, and my first with a cleft lip and palate like me.On her first day of school, Paula was bullied by her classmates and when she told the teacher, she was called a tattletale. The bullying stunted her academic abilities and self-esteem during primary school and filled her with anxiety, stress, and depression. As immigrants to Australia, her parents told her the best way to set herself a...2021-11-1045 min
Companies That CareRoss Ching, Mama’s and Hapa’s: Destroying the notion that ecofriendly has to be expensiveThe Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Ross Ching, founder of Mama & Hapa’s Zero Waste Shop in Portland, Oregon.Ross moved to Portland with his family in 2019 after working as a TV commercial director. He was inspired to start a zero waste shop after watching the news and hearing terrible things about climate change.“In the past three or four or five years, there's been more and more reporting about how recycling isn't what we all thought it would be. Recycling back in t...2021-11-0233 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeLily Shaw: Calling Sandra Bullock! Lily’s in the house!This week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Lily Shaw, a powerhouse actress, an expert writer, and an award-winning motivational speaker who was rescued and inspired by the make-believe world of cinema at the age of 7. When Lily was just starting out, her first Hollywood agent told her, “if you only had the right look, you could be Sandra Bullock.” Despite this subtle racism, Lily had some initial success as an actress of color in Hollywood. But none of her talent and skill and hard work seemed to create lasting success. The #MeToo and #B...2021-10-2649 min
Companies That CareMallorie Dunn, Smart Glamour: Creating affordable, inclusive, and size-inclusive clothing for allThe Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Mallorie Dunn, founder of Smart Glamour in New York City. Mallorie has been interested in clothing her whole life. She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Pratt Institute. She found that corporate fashion was not her cup of tea. Mallorie also began noticing how badly women and femme people feel about themselves in their bodies…and how difficult it can be for people to find clothes that fit them well and are made well.She...2021-10-1944 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeTracey Osborne: Moving past trauma to help women reclaim their voice and inner powerThis week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Tracey Osborne from Dallas, Georgia. After bouncing around in various locations during her childhood, Tracey got sexually assaulted by her live-in boyfriend the night of her senior prom. It was not her last sexual assault, and soon she found herself in and out of several domestic abuse situations and getting married several times. Tracey shares how she identified her fear of abandonment and broke the cycle of abuse. She also realized she had an addictive personality, so she gave up alcohol.Tracey bounced around in a...2021-10-1229 min
Companies That CareDr. Erica Gamble, The Wig Doctor: Helping people look and feel their best at a tough time in their livesThe Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Dr. Erica Gamble, known as the Wig Dr.The Wig Doctor, headquartered in Marietta, GA, specializes in high-quality wigs and hair pieces for people suffering from hair loss because of chemotherapy, alopecia, and other auto-immune disorders. It all started when Erica wore her mom’s wig to her private high school one day. The nuns were not pleased, because they associated wigs with prostitution. “I thought wow, how could this be so wrong when it fee...2021-10-0646 min
Companies That CareKim Sundy of Kellogg Company: Living proof you can get paid to change the worldThe Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Kim Sundy, senior director of sustainability at the Kellogg Company.Driven by the legacy of its founder, W.K. Kellogg, Kellogg's is the world’s leading producer of cereal and snacks. You might have grown up with Cheez-It®, Coco Pops®, Corn Flakes®, Eggo®, Frosted Flakes®, Mini-Wheats®, Pop-Tarts®, Pringles®, Rice Krispies®, Special K®, and other foods…or Tony the Tiger or Toucan Sam.But did you know Kellogg’s vision is a good and just world, where peop...2021-10-0649 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeDaniel Sartin: Choosing sobriety and compassion after trauma, abuse, and abandonmentTrigger warning: This episode contains some racist and adult languageThis week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Daniel Sartin. Daniel is just a bit younger than my oldest son, but he’s survived a lifetime of trauma and difficulty. Born into the foster system, he got adopted and raised by a relative. He was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness even though he is queer, which resulted in deep shame about his sexuality. And then there’s just living while Black.Daniel shared stories about his childhood and upbringing. He also shared vulner...2021-09-2855 min
Companies That CareTaylor Loewen of Ridwell: Giving new life to household trashCompanies that Care highlights business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Taylor Loewen, Portland general manager of Ridwell, a sustainability startup that makes wasting less easy for its members. Ridwell picks up stuff from your front door and makes sure it gets sustainably reused or recycled. Taylor’s background is mostly in nonprofit and political campaigns and environmental organizations. She was drawn to Ridwell because it’s a small business trying to have a positive, tangible impact in their local community. Their ties to nonprofits made it an ideal fit for Taylor as a care...2021-09-2143 min
Companies That CareDavid Brackett of Linguava: Providing health equity through language accessThe Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like David Brackett, founder and CEO of Linguava. Linguava is a full-service language interpretation and translation company that provides health care and medical equity through language access.David shared how he first became interested in languages, when his grandma gave him cassettes to learn Spanish when he was just four years old. After living in Spain for several years, David decided to become an interpreter. He founded Linguava in 2010, and now the company has more than 50 full-time employees, covering...2021-09-1441 min
Companies That CareLara Smith of Dad’s Garage: Making theater fun, a part of the community, and financially sustainableIf you like what you hear or read, visit my website to find out more about my work.The Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Lara Smith, former managing director of Dad’s Garage, a theatre company in Atlanta, Georgia. Since we recorded this interview, Lara now works as a consultant for Purpose Possible, and Dad’s Garage’s new managing director is Stacey Sharer. The transition happened just in the last month.During this interview, we spoke about the powerhouse that is Lara a...2021-09-0142 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeTerri Kozlowski: From sexual abuse and abandonment to raven warrior transcending fearIf you like what you hear or read, visit my Fertile Ground Communications website.This week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Terri Kozlowski. She is a proud Native American warrior of the Athabascan, Tlinglet Tribe and Raven Clan. When she was just 11 years old, her mother sold her for drugs and shut her out on the streets of Albuquerque, New Mexico. After many years of trying to process what had happened to her through therapy, Terri has learned to transcend her fears. She believes that life experiences or abuse may instill fear a...2021-08-2528 min
Companies That CareAmber Taggard of the Organizer Chicks: Helping people reclaim their 17 minutes per dayThe Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Amber Taggard, founder and CEO of The Organizer Chicks and host of The Organizer Chicks podcast. The average American wastes 17 minutes each day looking for lost items.When Amber read this statistic, she decided to use her M.S. in clinical mental health to help people reclaim their homes and spaces. Since 2011, Amber and her flock of Organizer Chicks have helped people fight the clutter, find the calm, and take back their 17 minutes each d...2021-08-1853 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeMini-episode: How my podcast guests are like octopusAs a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police. If you like what you hear or read or would like to see photos of Leslie, visit my Fertile Ground Communications website.This week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I reflect back on the last 13 months. My little podcast is now one year, one month old after starting on July 6, 2020. I’ve interviewed over 70 amaz...2021-08-1013 min
Companies That CareErin Shakespeare of the Macquarie Group Foundation: Employee-driven corporate philanthropyThe Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Acting Global Head of the Macquarie Group Foundation Erin Shakespeare. Erin leads a team that directs Macquarie’s efforts on philanthropic grantmaking and employee volunteering, working closely with the company’s people around the world. Macquarie Group is an Australian-headquartered multinational financial services company. My sister-in-law Shemara has worked there for 34 years and is now the CEO and managing director. The foundation provides support to hundreds of community organizations through financial support, volunteering, and skills sharing. A seri...2021-08-0453 min
The Heart of Marketing You with Erica CastnerEnhance Your Communication with Marie Gettel-GilmartinMarie Gettel-Gilmartin is on a mission to impact more people by helping them enhance their communication. She is the founder and principal of Fertile Ground Communications, is a writer and marketing communications consultant who can turn a piece of lackluster, jargon-filled or technical prose into a clear dynamic narrative. As the host of the Finding Fertile Ground and Companies That Care podcasts, she interviews people from underrepresented populations and helps them bring their stories to life.2021-07-2926 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeLisa Marie Simmons: Resplendent and creative after abandonment and abuseNote: This episode contains a racist epithet.This week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Lisa Marie Simmons. Lisa grew up in Boulder, Colorado, but now lives in Lake Garda, Italy. I contacted her when I read her post on the Huffington Post, As A Young Black Girl, I Loved My Grandfather. Then I Found Out He’d Been A KKK Member.I have interviewed 75+ people since I started podcasting. I’ve made incredible connections and new friendships. But this one feels different. Lisa feels like a soul sister. Lisa has writt...2021-07-281h 02
Companies That CareNaama Barnea-Goraly of Girltelligence: Creating an app to support young womenAs a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police. This is a continuation of the systemic racism pervasive in our country since its inception and we are committed to standing against racism in all its forms. If you like what you hear or read, visit my Fertile Ground Communications page on Patreon and find out how you can support my work.The Companies that C...2021-07-2041 min
Finding Fertile Ground: Communicate for ChangeLeslie Batchelder: Childhood trauma and abuse made her resilientAs a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police. If you like what you hear or read or would like to see photos of Leslie, visit my Fertile Ground Communications website.This week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview my friend Leslie Batchelder. We both sing soprano in our local Rock Voices choir. I’ve always loved her spirit and spunk. Le...2021-07-1446 min