A Conversation with Teen Moms Who Made It Through

A Conversation with Teen Moms Who Made It Through

What if the hardest chapter of your life was actually the first page of your purpose? This episode stopped me in my tracks — because it reminded me that survival isn't the end of the story. It's just the beginning. I had the honor of sitting down with two women who carry so much wisdom, so much grace, and so much real in one room — our very own Diana Kirk, founder and executive director of Divine Connections, and Lavata Haggard, who serves alongside us in this work. Both became moms young. Diana at 12. Lavata at 19, newly married, and navigating a military deployment alone. Their stories couldn't look more different on the outside — but underneath, the threads are the same: loneliness, survival mode, generational patterns, and the slow, holy work of becoming. This wasn't a conversation about what went wrong. It was a conversation about what's still possible — and I needed it just as much as I hope you do. Key Themes + Takeaways Your first child grows up with you — and that means they also witness your hardest seasons. Both Diana and Lavata reflect honestly on how their older children experienced a version of them that was still figuring it out, and how much that matters. Survival mode is real, but it's not a destination. Working constantly can feel like love — but presence is what our kids remember. Slow down long enough to actually be there. Mentorship can come from unexpected places. Diana's teen parent teacher. Lavata's church community. Neither looked like what they expected — and that's exactly the point. You don't have to earn what you need. Resources, time, space to breathe — you don't have to rush out of them. Use them fully. That's what they're there for. Finding your people is a practice. Go to the parenting class you don't want to go to. Show up at the library storytime. That's where like-minded women are waiting for you. Advocacy is a skill you can learn — and if you can't do it alone yet, it's okay to bring someone with you just to be there. You don't have to fight every battle solo. Nothing is wasted. Everything you've been through is a clue to what you're called to do — and who you're called to reach. Our Favorite Quotes "I was fueled by anger and wanting to prove people wrong. I got a thick skin — because if I hadn't, they would have taken me out a long time ago." — Diana Kirk "I chose me and my kids. I never wanted to be a single mom. But at the end of the day, I had to choose what was healthy for me and for my children." — Lavata Haggard "Purpose leaves clues. Everything you're going through right now is a clue to what you're called to do — and who you're called to." — Diana Kirk "Breathe, babe. Slow down. Take the classes, get the information. There's no hurry." — Diana Kirk "You've given birth at your age. You can do anything." — Lavata Haggard Chapter Markers 0:00 — Two Stories, One Table 3:38 — What We're Most Proud Of 5:51 — Your First Child Grows With You 11:46 — What Made You Believe You Could Do This 20:06 — Survival Mode, the Turning Point, and Letting Go 33:35 — The Loneliness Nobody Talks About 42:09 — Using Your Voice: Advocacy as a Teen Mom 47:10 — A Letter to Your Younger Self Your Turn This week's reflection prompt: Where in your life have you been rushing — out of fear, out of habit, or because someone offered you something before you were ready? What would it look like to slow down and choose what you actually want? 🙌 Stay Connected + Keep the Conversation Going Website: ⁠⁠https://www.divinekonnections.org/⁠⁠ [https://www.divinekonnections.org/%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0] Follow Deyona on Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/divine_konnections_inc⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/divine_konnections_inc%E2%81%A0]  💬 Love what you heard? Share this episode with a friend, and leave a 5-star review on Apple or Spotify to help this show reach more hearts and homes. ✨ This is more than a podcast—it’s a movement. Thank you for being part of it. MB01AOZVAOU3RZY

Money, Mindset & Legacy: Building Generational Wealth for Our Families

What if everything you were taught about money was designed to keep you out — and what if you're just one mindset shift away from changing everything for your children and their children? I sat down with two people who are doing the work — not just talking about it, but actively teaching, coaching, and living it. Christopher comes from a background in personal finance, banking, and tax preparation, and now works with the Northland Small Business Development Center helping entrepreneurs grow and succeed. He's also a man on a mission: to help make 100 Black and Brown millionaires before he leaves this earth. Lavata brings over a decade of mortgage banking experience and serves as financial manager with Divine Konnections. She's a certified Freddie Mac Credit Smart coach — and she teaches for free, because she believes this knowledge belongs to all of us. What brought both of them to this work? The same things that brought a lot of us to where we are: watching their mothers struggle alone, burying family members with nothing left behind, and carrying student loan debt into a world that handed it out like candy but never explained the consequences. They came to finance out of necessity. And they stayed because they found the way through. Key Themes & Takeaways Understanding the history of why Black and Indigenous families have been locked out of homeownership, the GI Bill, and capital is the first step toward changing the story. Before you can build anything, you have to believe it's possible for someone who looks like you. Exposure matters — drive through that neighborhood, take your kids somewhere new, let them see what's available to them. Your budget is just one line item. Your net worth — your assets minus your liabilities — is where wealth actually lives. Track it, grow it, celebrate it. The order of assets matters: cash → stocks (start with your 401K match or a Roth IRA) → business ownership → real estate. You don't have to do it all at once, but you need a clear path. Real estate is a cheat code. Homeownership builds equity, improves credit, creates stability, and gives you something to pass on. It was kept from our ancestors — owning it is an act of reclamation. Your emergency fund is your protection. A $500 cushion is a starting place. Without it, every crisis wipes out your momentum. Budget for life happening, because it will. Free resources exist. The Libby app. Freddie Mac's Credit Smart program. Fidelity and Vanguard accounts starting at $50. The Automatic Millionaire. You don't need money to start learning. Our Favorite Quotes "Just because you keep telling me no doesn't mean I can't have it. It just means you're not going to help me get it."  — Christopher's partner "The hard work mentality is a myth. We're not lacking intensity — we're lacking consistency, understanding, and opportunity." "Real estate was my cheat code. And I mean it on so many different levels."  — Christopher "I do what I have to do in order to do what I want to do."  — Lavata "Financial freedom starts when you decide."  — Lavata Chapter Markers 0:00  Welcome to Divine Konversations 1:02  Meet the Guests — Finance, Banking & the Road Here 3:04  What Brought You to This Work? (The Personal Stories) 9:13  Why Generational Wealth Is Missing in Our Communities 16:40  Where Do You Start? Mindset, Exposure & Believing It's Possible 26:27  Organize First, Then Budget — Net Worth Is the Real Game 38:35  Homeownership as Legacy & The Order of Assets 48:26  Emergency Funds, Free Resources & Final Words 54:07  Rapid Fire: What Would You Tell Your Younger Self? This week's reflection: What is one belief you were handed about money that you're ready to release? And what do you want to believe instead — for yourself and for the people coming after you? You can write it down, pray over it, or share it in the comments. We're in this together. MB01RHUCVCYDJQ3

Men Tell All About Growing Up Black

What does it really mean to grow up Black in Duluth? This conversation mattered because it wasn’t just about race. It was about identity, survival, belonging, leadership, and what happens when young Black boys become Black men in a city still learning how to see them. In this episode, Tatianna sat down with Pez Davila, Kantrelle Kirk, and A.C. Kirk — three Black men deeply rooted in Duluth and deeply committed to the youth of this community. Each of them carries a different story. Some were born here. Some came from New Jersey, Texas, North Carolina, the Twin Cities. Some experienced culture shock. Some felt like fish out of water. All of them have had to navigate what it means to be Black in spaces where they were often the minority — in classrooms, in leadership rooms, in everyday life. It was a real, honest conversation about today’s BIPOC youth in Duluth — the barriers they face, the generational trauma families carry, the systems that complicate progress, and the hope that still refuses to die. Key Theme + Takeaway Growing up Black in Duluth requires navigating isolation, identity, systemic barriers, and internal narratives — but with community, truth, and accountability, hope is still alive. Our Favorite Quotes “When you walk in the room, act like you belong there.” “We black because of who we are, not because we broke.” “Don’t ever think what you done will make us not love and care for you.” “You’re a star. You can literally do whatever you want — but you’ve got to put work behind it.” “There’s nothing more important than knowing the truth.” Chapter Markers 00:00 – Why This Conversation Matters 00:56 – Meet Pez, Kantrelle, and A.C. 04:57 – School, Culture Shock, and Feeling Out of Place 10:57 – Identity, Exploration, and Internal Stories 21:15 – Confidence in Uncomfortable Rooms 27:23 – The Barriers Facing BIPOC Youth 40:02 – What Gives Us Hope 50:17 – A Message to the Youth Your Turn This week’s reflection: Where in your life have you felt like you didn’t belong — and what would it look like to stand firm anyway? Or maybe this: What truth about yourself do you need to hold onto, even when the room feels uncomfortable? Sit with that. Journal it. Pray through it. Talk about it. Healing begins when we’re honest. 🙌 Stay Connected + Keep the Conversation Going Website: ⁠⁠https://www.divinekonnections.org/⁠⁠ [https://www.divinekonnections.org/%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0] Follow Deyona on Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/divine_konnections_inc⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/divine_konnections_inc%E2%81%A0]  💬 Love what you heard? Share this episode with a friend, and leave a 5-star review on Apple or Spotify to help this show reach more hearts and homes. ✨ This is more than a podcast—it’s a movement. Thank you for being part of it. MB01GDIGR0H1BIV

Getting to Know Deyona Kirk: The Pain, Purpose, and Calling Behind Divine Konnections

Today, we sat down with our founder and executive director, Deyona Kirk—but not just as the leader of Divine Connections. We went deeper than we ever have before. Into childhood. Into trauma. Into faith. Into the grief that sparked a movement. And into the weight of leadership that most people never see. She shared about growing up in the projects in Sherman, Texas. Being the oldest. Being “bossy” because she had to be. Supervising at the playground instead of playing. Becoming a mom at 12. Experiencing abuse. Foster care at 14. Homelessness at 16—with a four-year-old. Her relationship with faith wasn’t linear. It was layered. There was anger. Doubt. Wrestling. A literal airplane wing malfunction moment that changed everything. And over time, she says she met God in different ways—Healer. Provider. Comforter. Sustainer. When her mom passed away, something shifted. Grief collided with purpose. The dream she had journaled about for years—opening a home for young mothers in honor of her mom—suddenly became urgent. What We Walked Away With Leadership is heavy. Not glamorous. Heavy. Healing doesn’t always happen in isolation—it can happen through service. Impact isn’t numbers. It’s lives changed. Discernment grows when you stop ignoring your gut. You can love your calling and still wrestle with what it costs. Sometimes the organization grows because the leader is willing to grow first. Our Favorite Quotes “Nothing is ever wasted.” “Church is like an emergency room waiting room. Everybody there is hurting.” “I don’t care about numbers. I care about impact.” “We’re not creating products. We’re entrusted with people’s lives.” “I just want my grandchildren to say, ‘My nana helped a lot of people.’” Chapter Markers 00:01:12 – The Oldest Child & The Weight of Responsibility 00:05:13 – Abuse, Foster Care & Becoming a Young Mom 00:10:52 – The Airplane & The Altar 00:27:32 – Building Divine Connections From Grief 00:38:58 – When the Vision Met Reality 00:44:16 – The Sacrifice of Leadership 00:55:01 – The Hardest Truth About Leadership Your Turn This week’s reflection: What pain in your life might actually be pointing toward purpose? And—Where are you being invited to trust your discernment, even if it feels scary? Sit with that. Journal it. Pray over it. And if this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear that nothing they’ve lived through is wasted. We’ll see you in the next Divine Konversation. 🙌 Stay Connected + Keep the Conversation Going Website: ⁠⁠https://www.divinekonnections.org/⁠⁠ [https://www.divinekonnections.org/%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0] Follow Deyona on Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/divine_konnections_inc⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/divine_konnections_inc%E2%81%A0]  💬 Love what you heard? Share this episode with a friend, and leave a 5-star review on Apple or Spotify to help this show reach more hearts and homes. ✨ This is more than a podcast—it’s a movement. Thank you for being part of it. MB01QTUMBU8QYPV

Latinx in Duluth: Finding Belonging and Building Community in the Northland

What does it mean to build belonging in a place where you’ve never seen yourself reflected? For me, this episode wasn’t just another conversation—it was a piece of home. A piece of identity. A reminder that our stories, our families, and our roots are deeply intertwined with the soil we stand on, even when that soil is frozen half the year in northern Minnesota. In this episode, I sat down with two incredible women—Susana Pelayo Woodward and Melisa Gomez Romo—to talk about what it means to be Latinx in Duluth. This conversation felt personal. For me, as someone adopted from Honduras and raised in the Twin Ports, it’s a lifelong journey of reconciling identity—of learning to see beauty in difference when all you wanted as a child was to blend in. Sitting with Susana and Melissa felt like breathing in recognition. Both women are mothers, leaders, and fierce advocates shaping what it means to belong here—building bridges in schools, faith spaces, and community gatherings where our voices haven’t always been heard. We talked about what it means to raise bilingual children in a place that doesn’t always understand your culture. About navigating racism, creating safe spaces, and the joy (and ache) of trying to give your kids roots when your own story began across borders. Key Themes + Takeaways Identity & Belonging: How we hold on to our culture while making space for new definitions of home. Motherhood & Leadership: The emotional labor of showing up for our families and our communities. Resilience Across Generations: Teaching our kids to stand proud in who they are, even when the world tells them otherwise. Community Building in Duluth: From salsa nights at Oasis del Norte to cultural centers at UMD—how representation becomes the foundation of hope. Legacy & Vision: The dream of a Latino Resource Center, more Latino-owned businesses, and political representation that reflects our presence in the Northland. Our Favorite Quotes “Don’t ask me if I can do something just because I have kids—ask me, and I’ll tell you if I can.” – Susana Pelayo Woodward “We’re carving out community from a blank slate. I want my kids to have a home they can come back to.” – Melissa Gomez Romo “I told my son, we’ve always been here. The border moved—we didn’t.” – Susana “You are the only one who knows the strengths of your child. Show up for them, every single time.” – Melissa “We’re here. And we’re not going anywhere.” – Both Chapter Markers 00:00 – A Personal Beginning 02:00 – Susana’s Story: From Mexico City to Ely, MN 04:00 – Melissa’s Story: From L.A. to Arkansas to the Northland 09:00 – Being Latinx Mothers & Leaders 18:00 – Racism & Resilience 23:00 – Education & Advocacy 40:00 – Sports, Safety, and the Reality of Raising Brown Kids in Minnesota 54:00 – The Power of Community 01:03:00 – Legacy & What Comes Next Your Turn ✨ This week’s reflection: Where are you being invited to show up—for your family, your culture, or your community—even when it feels uncomfortable or unseen? Because when we show up, we make the world a little bit more like home. 🙌 Stay Connected + Keep the Conversation Going Website: ⁠⁠https://www.divinekonnections.org/⁠⁠ [https://www.divinekonnections.org/%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0] Follow Deyona on Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/divine_konnections_inc⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/divine_konnections_inc%E2%81%A0]  💬 Love what you heard? Share this episode with a friend, and leave a 5-star review on Apple or Spotify to help this show reach more hearts and homes. ✨ This is more than a podcast—it’s a movement. Thank you for being part of it. MB01KXURGY2P6UU