Empathy Evolution

Elise and Jenny McWilliams are beautiful wives that have a young son named Edison (who pays us a visit on the episode)! They discuss navigating religion and being a member of a Baptist church as a gay couple. Elsie discusses how she came out to family and friends that were a part of the church community and the challenges that came with it. They cover the topic of acceptance and their journey of Christianity together. Elise identifies as a Christian and Jenny identifies as agnostic which sparks an incredible conversation. This episode will challenge some to find acceptance in love, in community, and to understand LGBTQ+ Christians.

What is two-spirit, non-binary, non-gender conforming. If you have been part of the world of social media the terms they/them are becoming as important as ever. Bri and Becca invite their friend Hane Skot to join the conversation and discuss how empathy impacts a persons transition and gender identity. We talk from definition, the journey from someone who embraced both spirits they felt inside them, and how they like the world to see and interact with them now. We also talk about the challenging things, like being mis-gendered by others and how to handle that with empathy as an ally, as the mis-gendered individual, or even the person who may have not understood their gender identity.

On this Episode of Empathy Evolution Bri and Becca dive deep into the world of youth and collegiate sports with Shanna Pearson, a coach and mentor for this high performance athletes. Bri being a college athlete herself has a unique perspective from her own journey. The big questions circling after Simone Biles Olympic run is commitment to self or commitment to sport. Where does mental health and the push to perfection find balance. All of this is a welcome topic in a time when raising children is harder than ever especially if they have high athletic goals and aptitude.

Meet Bryen Ballard, founder of the non-profit Sportsmen Giving Back. The story of this organization goes back a full decade supporting famlies with children who have disabilities, other local non-profits and brings a community together annually to give back in a major way. Bryen, a humble soul, discusses his journey of having his own child with a rare genetic disease and how he was enlightened by others struggling with poverty, divorce and finances which ultimately led him on a path to giving his life to helping others.

What if you were feeling ill and found out that you'd only have 3 months to live? This is the beginning of the story of how the Nikki Mitchell Foundation was brought into the world of Pancreatic Cancer. We talk with the President of the foundation, Rhonda Miles. Rhonda and Nikki met long before she was ever diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and their story and journey is something that could be written for the box office. Nikki folded Rhonda into a historical adventure, the high profile country music industry and ultimately her role as the President of her foundation just before she passed. Listen more to see why big names like Jamey Johnson, Toby Keith, Waylon Jennings and more support The Nikki Mitchel Foundation and the upcoming events supporting Pancreatic Cancer patients and families.