Send us a text I was blessed to have the opportunity to have an honest and open conversation with mental health advocate, entrepreneur, and life coach George P Brooks. George is the founder of METTA Association, a nonprofit organization committed to advocacy and awareness for decriminalizing and destigmatizing that which concerns mental illness. After discovering his mental illness at a young age, George has dedicated his time to helping others get to the root of their mental illn...
Send us a textTrigger Warning: This episode contains content about suicide. Today, I share an eye-opening interview with my brother, Zach Brooks. Zach shares some major trauma that he has experienced and how he has taken his adversities and turned them into strength. Zach unfortunately lost two of his dearest friends within months of each other, which brought on strong feelings and many questions. When he went to take on some serious life changes, he experienced a few ...
Send us a textIn this episode of our Mental Matters series, I share with you an interview with a dear friend of mine, Kayla. She shares with us her journey of navigating life with anxiety from childhood to adulthood. Kayla discovered her feelings of anxiety at a young age, and her journey to becoming ready for therapy aims to inspire and give you guidance. Realizing you have anxiety, depression, or another mental illness can leave you questioning your value and the validity ...
Send us a text We are back after taking some time to develop a new series: Mental Matters. Throughout this series, I will be taking you into the minds and the hearts of people like you... people with unique stories, everyday battles, and accomplishments that have molded them into the individuals they are today. Mental health has become near and dear to me as I have experienced my own journey through therapy, and I wanted to make this series one of knowledge and hope. I look ...
Send us a textIn this episode, we hear the story of Bebe Porpilia, who was adopted by my paternal aunt. Bebe was the youngest adoptee from our orphanage in Haiti who recently graduated from Anderson University. We get to know more about her family background and her journey from the orphanage to the states.
Send us a textYou should always be your biggest supporter and always make sure to surround yourself with the right people that wants to see you win. Our minds are so powerful, and we have to use that to our advantage. We have to believe in our dream, put the work in, then we will become whatever we put our minds to.
Send us a textI wanted to start a mini-series explaining the meaning behind the title of my podcast. Believing, becoming, and belonging are three powerful words that are the epitome of my journey, and this journey starts with believing. Through finding myself, I have had to wholeheartedly believe in the power I hold to own my truth as I work through my story.
On today's episode, I touched the surface on mental health and my experience with therapy which is what I feel like worked well for me. Before the pandemic, mental health had already been something that was hurting Americans and people around the world. After the pandemic, our mental health had gotten worse because we went a long time without seeing our loved ones, we didn't really have much communication with the outside world because we were all indoors which took a huge toll on all of our mentals. Please help support this podcast by sharing it with your friends and posting it on your social media and tag me @the_outcastspod. Thank you for your continuing support.REMEMBER YOUR MENTAL HEALTH IS VERY IMPORTANT AND PAY ATTENTION TO IT!!!!!
Send us a textAmanda was adopted from China over 25 years ago. Growing up as a transracial adoptee, Amanda has embraced and celebrated both sides of her culture & heritage. She focused heavily on theater, dance, and music artistry before landing a career as a CG Lighter. Amanda is well known for Yuanfen, a short film she created and directed highlighting the adoption process through a child's eyes. Currently, Amanda stays busy as a CG Lighter, Adoptee Advocate, and Career Coach for ...
Send us a textIn today's episode, my special guest is Merlande Brooks. Merlande and I are both from Haiti. We were adopted into the same family in 2010. Merlande is very resilient. She was raised by her grandfather before she got to the orphanage, and after being adopted she has now taken the responsibility of taking care of her siblings and grandfather.
Send us a textAs promised, this week, I had the opportunity to interview the woman who made it all happen - my mother, Tara. I was able to gain a new perspective of my journey through Tara's story. Our interview was eye-opening to the obstacles she and my father faced while bringing Woody and me to the United States. I am so appreciative that her resilience was able to give me so much opportunity.
Send us a textAfter telling you guys about my life story, I wanted to give each of you the opportunity to ask some questions and you guys did not disappoint. I want to thank each and everyone that took the time to ask a question.I had a special guess helping me with these questions.
Send us a text After I graduated high school, I got a scholarship to play football as a kicker at an HBCU in Missouri called Lincoln University, it was quite the shell shock for me. It was there that I learn so much about what it means to be black in America, who I am, and where exactly I might fit in. I transferred to multiple schools and in the midst of all that, I joined the Air National Guard in Charlotte North Carolina. After taking many breaks from school to ...
Send us a text In this week's episode, the adoption is finalized and we made it home to the state of North Carolina. We had our first meal in the states after being adopted and you'll be surprised to find out what it is exactly. We find out the hardships Woody and I had to deal with from, school, to the language barrier, to everyday life. In the midst of all that we learn to adapt to the environment even though everything was completely different from what we were used to. The ha...
Send us a text In February of 2007, my friends and I in the orphanage were brought to the United States as a choir to sing in churches throughout the country. During this period is when I met my adoptive family for the first time. Coming from Haiti to the U.S. was my first real culture shock. My friends and I had to adapt to a totally different lifestyle, even though it was for a short duration of time. We found a way to make the best of a seemingly uncomfortable situation as youn...
Send us a text As Early on as I can remember, I've had to make some big life-changing decisions. At a very young age, my mom passed and everything in my life had changed. In this episode, we will be traveling back to the earliest I can remember, from playing soccer daily with my friends in the neighborhood to making decisions that would affect where my life is currently. My resiliency is one of the biggest reasons I'm where I'm at in this life today. I always took every obstacle head-on. I w...
Send us a text Our stories are what make each of us who we are, and every individual’s story is unique in its own way. I felt called to create a space of comfort, love, and fellowship and to share not only my life’s journey but other amazing narratives from powerful overcomers. I welcome you to join me in building a community that brings support, value and hopes to a world full of dreamers. I welcome you to THE OUTCASTS: A Journey of Believing, Becoming, and Belonging. I look forward to sh...