Empowered to Connect Podcast

It's Friday and you know what that means - it's time for Carpool Q&A with JD, Tona and Becca! Each week, one of us brings a topic for the group to talk through and today JD asked the question: What do you do when you encounter perpetual lying with one of your kiddos? The group talks it over and gives some explanation as to what could be happening underneath the surface as well as some practical tips to address the issue while continuing to build connection. 

You can find every episode of the Empowered to Connect Podcast as well as Carpool Q&A on our YouTube Channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to your favorite Podcasts!

Today on the show we talk about knowing and understanding our stress capacity - this is a skill that is beneficial to every person on earth! Yes, absolutely essential for parents, but also for human beings who endeavor to be in ANY kind of relationship with another human being, knowing ourselves and our stress capacity helps us manage our humanity and help the humans around us manage theirs. Becca McKay joins us to break down what stress capacity is and why it's so vital for everyone. 

What can we do to mitigate meltdowns in our home? How can we better understand ourselves and predict what might set us off and handle it before that point? All of that and more in today's episode of the ETC Podcast!

To learn more about Empowered to Connect you can check out our website, our YouTube Channel with hours of teaching and conversations to help you take care of the children and other adults in your life and as always, follow us on social media for parenting content and the latest news on what we're up to as an organization!

Welcome to episode 2 of Carpool Q&A - quick episodes about one topic designed to be listened to as you go to or from your carpool responsibilities!

This week we cover a topic that affects so many of us today - how to handle picky eaters! Now - before we launch off into the episode, a few caveats - there is not, unfortunately, a 15 - 20 minute conversation that can cure picky eaters or teach you all you need to know about food, trauma and how they affect the brain. We wish there was - but there's not. Today's episode is an attempt to answer some questions and give a few strategies/solutions that can help you on that journey!

You can watch brand new episodes of Carpool Q&A on YouTube and listen to Carpool Q&A anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts! To learn more about Empowered to Connect, head on over to our website or follow us on social media!

On today's episode, one of our faorite guests is BACK to talk about her incredible new book. It's our friend Robyn Gobbel and her book, Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors: Brain, Body, Sensory Strategies that Really Work, is one of our favorite parenting books ever. Robyn talks about why she wrote this book, the thought behind her creative approach of weaving narrative and instruction together and why she felt so strongly to approach the book in a non-traditional way. We also dive deep into some of the strategies and practical advice in the book including what an Owl Brain is and why we need to grow it!

You will love this episode and you should go buy Robyn's book immediately - IF YOU DON'T WIN ONE FROM US FIRST! To find out how to win a FREE copy of Robyn's book, listen to the whole episode - we're giving away two copies this week!

You can learn more about Empowered to Connect on our website or from following us on social media and don't forget to check out our YouTube Channel for more content!

Surprise!! We have a brand new show launching today! 

We're calling it Carpool Q&A - a one-topic show to get you from point A to point B with practical tips and advice to help you parent today. New Episodes drop on Fridays where JD, Becca and Tona will take turns throwing out a topic and discussing it. These will be shorter, more direct episodes than our long form Tuesday episodes and we'd love to know what you think!

Today Tona throws out Homework as the topic of the day - tune in to hear Becca, JD and Tona discuss how to support your kiddos through the homework struggles and successes in today's episode of Carpool Q&A!

You can learn more about Empowered to Connect on our website or by following us on social media!

Happy Tuesday and I hope you're ready for an uplifting episode today! We've got a special guest, Dr. Maureen Michele with us today and she's going to talk about how to reclaim your life. Dr. Maureen Michele is a mom,  Pediatrician, author, life coach and more - she's here today to talk about how parenting a daughter through a cancer diagnosis changed her life - and how she nearly missed the opportunity to reclaim a life that had become filled with bitterness and frustration. 

You will not want to miss this episode! After you've listened, please go buy her book here! You can learn more about Dr. Maureen Michele and all of the offerings she has right here. 

If you've been following along with ETC for a while now, you have no doubt heard about our upcoming fundraising event with Grammy-Nominated Comedian and this past week's Saturday Night Live Host, Nate Bargatze! We are UNDER 2 WEEKS AWAY from our event and would LOVE to have you join! There are a handful of tickets still available, so if you want to join us, act now before they're all gone!

In this episode of the Empowered to Connect podcast, our ETCI Program Manager, Becca McKay, joins host JD Wilson to delve into the challenging topic of "How to Talk to Your Kids About Tragedy."

With the horrific news coming out of the middle east right now as the war between Israel and Hamas rages on, we thought it pertinent to have an episode where we talk about how to talk about hard things. We will say off of the jump - this isn't an episode explaining how to make this task easy. It isn't an episode to take the guesswork out of a hard conversation like this. Talking to our kids about tragedy is hard. "Tragedy" is a subjective term - some of the topics that may fall into a tragic category for one family are not as uniquely challenging to others and vice versa - that's why we wanted to talk through a simple framework for how to have these conversations in as healthy of a manner as possible.

On a lighter note, we are less than a month away from our first ever global connection event here in Memphis, TN with Grammy-Nominated Comedian and this week's Saturday Night Live Host, Nate Bargatze! Join us November 12th in Memphis for a night to remember as ETC hosts our first ever fundraising event to share about the incredibly dire need for our work right now and the exciting future ahead of us! To purchase tickets or have your company sponsor the event, just head to empoweredtoconnect.org/investinginhope TODAY!

Today's the day to hear from the dads! We've been talking lately at ETC about how important it is to get on the same parenting page as your spouse. It's difficult - it can be contentious - but it's necessary. We had Cultivate Connection Facilitator dads Evan Dyson and recurring guest Todd Baumann join us to talk through that important process - how did they do it? What were the challenges and hurdles and how can YOU avoid those same challenges as you and your spouse work to get on the same parenting page? Glad you asked! Todd, Evan and JD talk through all of it on a special Dads-only episode of the ETC Podcast!

Also, don't miss the opportunity to see world renowned, Grammy Nominated comedian Nate Bargatze at the first annual Investing in Hope event this November! Sunday night, November 12th in Memphis, Tennessee, come hear a brand new hour of Nate Bargatze stand up comedy, have dinner and drinks on us and support the global impact of Empowered to Connect all in one night! Details can be found at empoweredtoconnect.org/investinginhope - but hurry, a limited number of tickets are available! 

In today's episode of the Empowered to Connect Podcast, we're joined by a recurring guest, the wonderful Rhonda Roorda. Rhonda joined us early in our show's history, if you never listened to that episode, you can (and should) find it right here!

She's not only an award-winning author but also a transracial adoptee, bringing a unique perspective to the table. Apart from her work as an author, Rhonda has been a contributor and consultant in a litany of settings from CNN to People Magazine and the Emmy Award Winning NBC TV Series "This is Us". You're going to love hearing from her!

Rhonda dives into the real, sometimes tough, and always important aspects of transracial adoption. From identity to embracing cultural diversity, this chat is a down-to-earth conversation about the sometimes beautiful, sometimes ugly, but always messy nuances of transracial adoption.

Rhonda shares practical tips for adoptive families and parents. Her experiences and insights are a roadmap for navigating the unique challenges and and opportunities that come with transracial adoption.

Don't miss this eye-opening conversation that goes straight to the heart of transracial adoption. 

Also, don't miss the opportunity to see world renowned, Grammy Nominated comedian Nate Bargatze at the first annual Investing in Hope event this November! Sunday night, November 12th in Memphis, Tennessee, come hear a brand new hour of Nate Bargatze stand up comedy, have dinner and drinks on us and support the global impact of Empowered to Connect all in one night! Details can be found at empoweredtoconnect.org/investinginhope - but hurry, a limited number of tickets are available! 

In today's episode of the Empowered to Connect Podcast, we're joined by ETC Training Specialist Jesse Faris, along with host JD Wilson and ETC Institute Program Manager Becca McKay, to explore the complex world of parenting in the digital age. As technology continues to play an integral role in our lives, it's crucial to strike a balance between maintaining a strong connection with our children and ensuring their safety online.

Jesse, JD and becca bring their expertise to the forefront, guiding us through practical strategies for approaching technology with our kids. Whether you're a seasoned parent or just beginning to navigate the digital landscape, you'll find valuable insights on fostering healthy digital habits, open communication, and setting boundaries that empower both parents and children.

Also - BREAKING NEWS - Today we announce the mystery guest we've been hinting at for the last several weeks. Joining us at our first ever global connection event is none other than Grammy-Nominated comedian Nate Bargatze! 

You heard right, November 12 in Memphis, Tennessee at Investing in Hope, our first ever global connection event fundraiser, catch the one and only Nate Bargatze live and in person! Seats are going fast, so if you want to join us for a night of laughter and hope, head to empoweredtoconnect.org/investinginhope to reserve your seat now and invest in hope for the next generation of world-changing work happening here at Empowered to Connect!