Being Present, When You're Present | Kumari L. Williams | 15 Minutes With #42

Living A Good Story & Inspiring Hope in Others | Byrd Baggett | 15 Minutes With #49

Byrd Baggett hopes his whole life can be summed up in one sentence: "He lived a life that inspired hope in others." After this conversation, you'll believe he's done exactly that. It's easy to be impressed by the résumé, an All-American athlete, author of 15 books, a speaker who's influenced thousands of leaders. But none of that was the most memorable part of this conversation. This one pulls back the curtain on the human underneath the accomplishments, because the people who change us rarely do it from a stage. They do it across a table, in a hallway, in the moments they aren't trying to be impressive, just honest. Who he is: Byrd is an All-American athlete, the author of 15 books, and a speaker who has influenced thousands of leaders. But the titles aren't the point, what he hopes to be remembered for is the hope he's left in other people. What he does: He writes, speaks, and leads, but more than that, he shows up for the conversations that actually matter, the ones about being human. What he believes: That the most important conversations aren't about success, they're about humanity. About the moments that break us, shape us, and teach us how to hope again. How he works: Across the table, not from the stage. Byrd connects in the honest, unguarded moments, talking openly about forgiveness, fathers, regret, and the weight people carry that no résumé will ever reveal. In this episode: * Why the people who change us rarely do it from a stage * Honest conversation about forgiveness, fathers, and regret * The weight people carry that no résumé will ever reveal * What it means to live a life that inspires hope in others New episodes of 15 Minutes With drop weekly. Subscribe so you never miss a conversation.

Authenticity Isn't a Strategy, It's Survival | Jordan Jones | 15 Minutes With #48

The bravest thing most of us will ever do is refuse to abandon ourselves in order to be accepted. Jordan Jones is living that out loud. It's easy to see someone in their role and assume they always had it figured out. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the real journey: leaving public health, looking honestly at the next ten years, and choosing not to let the work turn him into someone he doesn't recognize. Jordan names something a lot of us feel and rarely say out loud, that people can sense when you're performing, and they can feel it when you're real. Who he is: Jordan is a Project and Engagement Manager at Workday who left public health to get here. He didn't follow a straight line, he made a deliberate choice about who he wanted to be over the next ten years. What he does: He leads projects and engagements at Workday, and on the side runs a food page, Meals by Jordan, on Instagram. What he believes: That you have to belong to yourself first, and that the bravest thing you can do is refuse to abandon yourself just to be accepted. How he works: By staying real instead of armoring up. Jordan brings his whole self to the work, trusting that people can feel the difference between performance and authenticity. In this episode: * Why belonging to yourself has to come first * Leaving public health and choosing the next ten years on purpose * Why people can always sense when you're performing * The pull to armor up, and the courage not to New episodes of 15 Minutes With drop weekly. Subscribe so you never miss a conversation.

Psychology & Resilience | Andrea Mata, Ph.D. | 15 Minutes With #47

Even the people who help others heal are still doing the work themselves. This is the most vulnerable conversation we've ever had on camera. It's easy to see a clinical psychologist and author and assume she has it all figured out. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the real story, how tragedy turned to triumph in Andrea's life and in Lee's, and what it actually takes to keep showing up for your kids and yourself in the middle of it. Who she is: Andrea Mata, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, the founder of BrightSpot Families, and the author of The No. 2 Parenting Book. She's spent her career in the trenches of family life, and like everyone, she's still doing her own work too. What she does: She helps parents build stronger bonds with their children, protect their own mental health, and find clarity in the daily chaos no parenting class ever fully prepares you for. What she believes: That even the people who help others heal are still healing themselves, and that there's strength, not shame, in naming that out loud. How she works: With honesty and hard-won clarity. Andrea meets parents where they actually are, turning her own experience of tragedy and recovery into a path others can follow. In this episode: * What actually matters in raising kids today * How tragedy turned to triumph in Andrea's life and Lee's * Why even the people who help others heal are still doing the work * Protecting your own mental health in the middle of family chaos A powerful close to a powerful month. This one closes out Mental Health Month with a voice every parent and every survivor of tragedy needs to hear.

Caregivers & The Superhero Generation | Sonya Thompson | 15 Minutes With #46

Leadership is easy when the stakes are low. Sonya Thompson built her career proving what it looks like when they're not. It's easy to see a president of an organization and assume the title tells the story. This conversation pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to lead when the margin for error is thin and the meaning of the work is everything. As President of Compass Connections, Sonya leads an organization devoted to caring for some of the most vulnerable populations in the country, demanding operational excellence and deep humanity in equal measure. Who she is: Sonya is the President of Compass Connections, leading an organization that cares for some of the most vulnerable people in the country. She leads where the stakes are highest and the room for error is smallest. What she does: She runs a mission-driven organization at scale, delivering operational excellence and deep humanity at the same time, every single day. What she believes: That service has to be more than a slogan stitched onto a wall, and that the best leaders show up for the people the world too often overlooks. She calls the people doing this work the "Superhero Generation." How she works: By holding excellence and humanity together. Sonya leads at scale without losing sight of the individual people the mission exists to serve. In this episode: * Why leadership is easy when the stakes are low, and what changes when they're not * What it takes to lead a mission-driven organization at scale * Why service has to be more than a slogan on a wall * The story behind the "Superhero Generation" New episodes of 15 Minutes With drop weekly. Subscribe so you never miss a conversation.

Veteran x Therapist x Life After Service | Rose Browne | 15 Minutes With

She's a licensed therapist and an Army veteran who knows firsthand what it means to serve, to struggle, and to heal. It's easy to see a therapist and assume their understanding comes only from training. This conversation pulls back the curtain on a perspective most clinicians simply can't replicate, one that sits at the intersection of clinical expertise and lived experience. Rose talks about what veterans actually need from mental health care, how trauma shows up long after the uniform comes off, and why healing is never linear. Who she is: Rose is a licensed therapist and a U.S. Army veteran. Her path gives her something rare, an understanding of service and struggle from the inside, not just the textbook. What she does: She provides mental health care grounded in both clinical training and lived military experience, with a particular focus on veterans. What she believes: That the work of healing is never linear, and that veterans need care from people who actually understand what they carry. How she works: From the intersection of expertise and experience. Rose meets people honestly and without pretense, in a way only someone who's served and healed can. In this episode: * What veterans actually need from mental health care * How trauma shows up long after the uniform comes off * Why healing is never linear * The perspective that comes from serving and surviving