I asked my friend, my mentor, my 'big brother' Fred to humor me in 2020, by allowing me to have him on my podcast. I affectionately called him "Boss", and per usual, he was willing and excited to encourage my creative, storytelling nonsense. He knew this would go live online. A few months before he died I mentioned that I still hadn't edited the episode. "What's to edit?"So. I share this with you.Fred, I am grateful we stayed in touch until the end, but I would have liked to come and see you ...
JUST SAY IT – S01 E23 - Esther Pearl, PIXAR Studios, and reel-stories.com*FINAL EPISODE OF SEASON ONE *Esther Pearl is the founder and Executive Director of Reel Stories. She received her Bachelor’s in Visual Arts from the University of California, San Diego and her M.B.A. in Sustainable Management from The Presidio Graduate School. She spent 15 years working in Production Management in the entertainment industry. The majority of Esther’s film career was spent at Pixar Animation Studios where...
JUST SAY IT – S01 E22 - Rene Howitt & COPE24, Changing Our Parenting ExperienceRene Howitt is the founder of a non-profit child advocacy organization COPE24…Changing Our Parenting Experience. She is also an appointed member of Missouri’s Task Force on Children’s Justice and the Critical Event Review committees. She has authored two books:Whose Best InterestFosterhoodCo-Authored a Bible study:Family. It’s Complicated. A Bible Study of Adverse childhood Experiences (ACEs) in Genesis. She is...
JUST SAY IT – S01 E21 - Troy Williams and the film "The Prison Within"*Trigger Warning - difficult topics discussed**EXPLICIT LANGUAGE*JUST SAY IT podcast with host and author, Jen SluMac: Seeking Beloved Community through stories, conversations and questions. Learn more at her website.Interview Recorded: August 24, 2020Troy Williams was released on October 29th, 2014 after serving 18 years of a life sentence in San Quentin State Prison. One of the most notable parts about his incarceration i...
JUST SAY IT – S01 E20 - Charlie - She escaped a forced marriage. Survivor, Sister & Artist *Trigger Warning - difficult topics discussed**EXPLICIT LANGUAGE*JUST SAY IT podcast with host and author, Jen SluMac: Seeking Beloved Community through stories, conversations and questions. Learn more at her website.Interview Recorded: September 28, 2020Charlie Lewin is an artist and songwriter living in London, UK. She escaped the expectations she was born into just two days before she would be fo...
JUST SAY IT – S01 E19 - Michelle Ashe, 42 year old African American Woman*Trigger Warning - difficult topics discussed**EXPLICIT LANGUAGE*JUST SAY IT podcast with host and author, Jen SluMac: Seeking Beloved Community through stories, conversations and questions. Learn more at her website.Interview Recorded: June 16, 2020Michelle Ashe "I am a 42 year-old African American Woman - Daughter of a beautiful, beautiful, amazing woman. From what she hears, a pretty awesome, cool father. I pride myse...
JUST SAY IT – S01 E18 - Ginny Berson, Activist, Olivia Records & Racial JusticeJUST SAY IT podcast with host and author, Jen SluMac: Seeking Beloved Community through stories, conversations and questions. Learn more at her website.Interview Recorded: June 6, 2020Ginny Z Berson has been a social justice activist her whole life, and is thrilled to be alive at this time of social change. She is Director of Outreach for World Trust Educational Services; a co-founder of Neighbors for Rac...
JUST SAY IT – S01 E17 - Diatra Simpson, Chains are Meant to be BrokenJUST SAY IT podcast with host and author, Jen SluMac: Seeking Beloved Community through stories, conversations and questions. Learn more at her website.About Diatra: Diatra is the founder of DLS Inspirations, LLC and author of the all inspiring book Chains Are Meant To Be Broken: A Preparation For Mental and Emotional Healing. She is a Change Agent who inspires and empowers others in their transformation process through trai...
JUST SAY IT – S01 E16 - Kim Boardman, Educating our YouthJUST SAY IT podcast with host and author, Jen SluMac: Seeking Beloved Community through stories, conversations and questions. Learn more at her website.Kim says: After 32 years as a middle school science teacher, I have a few thoughts, opinions and ideas about the job and how teachers and students touch each other's lives.About Jen SluMac: Jen SluMac is a hope dealer, living a life that aims to make the world beautiful and just for all....
JUST SAY IT - S01 E15 - Charles Ryan, Reentry Mentor & MoreJUST SAY IT podcast with host and author, Jen SluMac: Seeking Beloved Community through stories, conversations and questions. Learn more at her website.This conversation took place around 2018. I met Charles through work we were both doing at a company called Five Keys Charter Schools. We went into the jails and prisons to serve as teachers and mentors. I loved this mans heart immediately, and his story is a story the world needs ...
S01 E14 - JUST SAY IT - Jon Slusser, A Creative and Resourceful DadMy brothers are amazing people. I have three, this is one of the two younger ones, Jonathan. He grew up in the same world that I did and I admire who Jon is as a man, a husband, a daddy. My brother has a creative spirit and a tender heart like I do, we were buddies when we were little and he's been one of my biggest cheerleaders through some of my darker days growing up. I too, am one of his biggest fans.In this episode, I've ...
JUST SAY IT - S01 E12 - Leo Mercer, Mercer Brotherhood, Part IIJUST SAY IT podcast with host and author, Jen SluMac: Seeking Beloved Community through stories, conversations and questions. Learn more at her website.This is part two of a 5 part series talking with a man named Leo Mercer. He was born and raised in Oakland CA and we met each other in the midst of some restorative/social justice work we were both involved around 2010. He’s become a leader of his generation, an advocate for the va...
JUST SAY ITS01 E11 - Leo Mercer, Mercer Brotherhood, Part Ifrom the website: http://www.mercerbrotherhood.org/about/Hello beautiful souls. my name is Leo Mercer and music is my passion. Understanding that music alone will not liberate us nor pay the bills, I incorporate it into most aspects of my life.This has been quite the decade (2010-2019). So many highlights, so many dark moments. We turned a white lady calling the police on two black guys for breaking an ordinance into an organized rall...
JUST SAY IT - S01 E10 - Excerpt from Jen's Book: "soulnotskin"How our lives collide - a reflection. I believe in the power of story to connect us. There are no hard or fast lines separating us. What affects one of us affects all of us, just in different ways. I want to share a story of a teacher who played a big role in my life, when I was a mere ten years old. Enjoy.https://www.soulnotskin.com/authorSupport the show
JUST SAY IT - S01 E09 - Hector James, Reentry Faith Initiative, part IIIThis conversation took place in 2018 and is still relevant today. Hector is a family man, a servant of his faith and lives a life of ministry. I was fortunate to work with him for just over a year and we had amazing conversations about faith and people on the margins. Hector also identifies as formerly incarcerated. #iamformerlyincarceratedHe has created The Reentry Faith Initiative where he works to equip faith comm...
JUST SAY IT - S01 E08 - Hector James, Re-entry Faith Initiative, Part IIThis conversation took place in 2018 and is still relevant today. Hector is a family man, a servant of his faith and lives a life of ministry. I was fortunate to work with him for just over a year and we had amazing conversations about faith and people on the margins. Hector also identifies as formerly incarcerated. #iamformerlyincarceratedHe has created The Reentry Faith Initiative where he works to equip faith comm...
JUST SAY IT - Hector James, Re-entry Faith Initiative, Part IS01 E07This conversation took place in 2018 and is still relevant today. Hector is a family man, a servant of his faith and lives a life of ministry. I was fortunate to work with him for just over a year and we had amazing conversations about faith and people on the margins. Hector also identifies as formerly incarcerated. #iamformerlyincarceratedHe has created The Reentry Faith Initiative where he works to equip faith communities t...
JUST SAY IT - S01 E06 - My old buddy Mike, Part IIThis interview took place in 2018.This is Mike Van Vliet. He hails from the Chicago area and he's an artist, procrastinator, recovering alcoholic and he's a pretty grateful guy. I did comedy with him fifteen years ago and we've both come a long way.Mike Van Vliet: https://www.instagram.com/Maui_artsSupport the show
JUST SAY IT - S01 E05 - Mike Van Vliet, My old buddy Mike, Part IThis interview took place in 2018.This is Mike Van Vliet. He hails from the Chicago area and he's an artist, procrastinator, recovering alcoholic and he's a pretty grateful guy. I did comedy with him fifteen years ago and we've both come a long way.Mike Van Vliet: https://www.instagram.com/Maui_artsEnjoy the talk.Support the show
JUST SAY IT - S01 E04 - DD & Jen, Depression & Suicide - Part IIThis is part two of a two part episode dealing with depression and suicide.The conversation took place in July 2018, and DeeDee and I had both recently lost someone to suicide.Ms. Jen - https://www.soulnotskin.comDD - https://www.facebook.com/denese.colquittSupport the show