Listen Up with Host Al Neely

A Working Mom And Army Veteran Explains Why Accountability Beats Party Loyalty

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2160156/fan_mail/new] Congress doesn’t just make laws, it sets the moral temperature for the whole country. When that temperature feels off, people notice, and they stop trusting everything downstream. We sit down with Haley Dollar, a mother of four, Army veteran, author, and Libertarian candidate running for Congress in Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District, to talk about what she thinks voters are sensing right now and why she refuses to squeeze her views into the usual Democrat vs Republican box. Haley lays out what “libertarian values” mean in practice: constitutional limits, personal freedom, and a neighbor-first culture that doesn’t need party permission to do the right thing. From her perspective inside federal agencies and as a veteran, she describes how corruption and lack of accountability can show up in everyday workplaces, not just in headlines. We also get into why political outsiders struggle with funding and access, and why she believes transparency and directness scare the system more than any polished talking point. Some of the most intense moments come when we discuss congressional workplace misconduct, secrecy, and the public cost of protecting powerful people. From there we shift into real-life policy that hits families now: homelessness and criminalisation, healthcare affordability, food safety, rising taxes, and the broader cost-of-living squeeze. Haley also shares her unconventional campaign approach, including a May 29 charity fundraiser in Norfolk that blends civic work with performance and community building. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s fed up with politics as usual, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation. What’s the first accountability change you want to see from your elected officials? Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2160156/support] Do us a favor and like, comment, share, and subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes. To see the full video on YouTube go to Listen Up with Host Al Neely Reach out to us on our socials and hit us up with any questions! Email: Info@listenup.biz Instagram:  ListenUp4U Facebook: Let's Talk About It - Listen Up  Twitter: ListenUp@Listenup4U Website: listenup.biz YouTube: Listen Up with Host Al Neely

How Clover Stokes Built A Modern Classic Rock Band

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2160156/fan_mail/new] You can look fearless under stage lights and still be shaking inside. That’s the truth Clover Stokes shares with us, and it’s exactly why her story hits. Clover is the frontwoman of Monarch, a Virginia Beach local band making waves across the 757 with classic rock covers, a growing original catalog, and a live show that pulls people in fast. We talk about the real work behind becoming “larger than life” and what it costs and gives back when you choose a public creative life.  Clover takes us from karaoke nights and choir days to discovering Stevie Nicks performances on YouTube and realizing she needed the stage. We dig into her influences, from Fleetwood Mac and Heart to Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, and Linda Ronstadt, plus the Dominican and Latin music that shaped her ear early. Along the way, she explains how Monarch starts as a duo, learns the three-hour set challenge, books shows across Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Hampton, and beyond, and navigates the hardest part of band life: finding people who want to build something that lasts.  We also get honest about stage presence and confidence. Clover describes exposure therapy, the nights the nerves don’t go away, and the freedom of being celebrated for being loud, expressive, and fully herself. We talk songwriting, why Monarch refuses to be “background music,” and what it means to hear a crowd respond to an unreleased original like “Lord Only Knows (God Bless Rock And Roll)” as recording begins. Plus: fan moments that trigger imposter syndrome, the weekday day-job reality, and the playlist range that keeps her creativity sharp.  If you care about live music, building confidence, the Virginia Beach music scene, or turning influences into a real career path, you’ll take something practical from this conversation. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a push, and leave us a review with the most unforgettable concert you’ve ever seen. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2160156/support] Do us a favor and like, comment, share, and subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes. To see the full video on YouTube go to Listen Up with Host Al Neely Reach out to us on our socials and hit us up with any questions! Email: Info@listenup.biz Instagram:  ListenUp4U Facebook: Let's Talk About It - Listen Up  Twitter: ListenUp@Listenup4U Website: listenup.biz YouTube: Listen Up with Host Al Neely

Who's Controlling the Narrative | Community Advocate Jessica Sanchez - ListenUp Podcast

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2160156/fan_mail/new] Democracy feels abstract until it shows up in your therapy office, your workplace, or your child’s school. We sit down with Jessica Sanchez, an author, advocate, and founder of Daughters Of Both Suns, to talk about what it really takes to support Black and Latina women with culturally responsive therapy, resource navigation, and community-based healing. Jessica explains why “mental health is health care” only becomes true when people can actually access care that fits their language, culture, and lived experience, especially in rural areas where hospitals close, providers are scarce, and internet access can decide whether telehealth is even possible.  From there, we trace how fear and instability spread through communities. Jessica shares what she’s seeing around immigration enforcement, ICE raids, and family separation, including the economic fallout when workers stay home and the psychological toll when a spouse is detained or deported. We also talk about domestic violence dynamics, why victims often hesitate to speak, and what trauma-informed support should look like when safety and trust have been broken.  We widen the lens to the post-2024 election environment, where misinformation, repetition, and propaganda fuel division and “vote for me” thinking. We discuss protest energy, the needs of veterans facing long wait times and funding cuts, and why pluralism depends on education, civic engagement, and rejecting white Christian nationalism while respecting freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. If you care about mental health equity, democracy, and real community support, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2160156/support] Do us a favor and like, comment, share, and subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes. To see the full video on YouTube go to Listen Up with Host Al Neely Reach out to us on our socials and hit us up with any questions! Email: Info@listenup.biz Instagram:  ListenUp4U Facebook: Let's Talk About It - Listen Up  Twitter: ListenUp@Listenup4U Website: listenup.biz YouTube: Listen Up with Host Al Neely

A Third-Generation Woodturner Explains How Craft Keeps Culture Alive

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2160156/fan_mail/new] A storm knocks down a cedar limb, and most people see yard waste. We see a whole philosophy. We’re joined by Nathan Elliott, a third-generation woodturner and woodcarver with roots connected to the Nansemond, Nottoway, and Saponi tribes in Eastern Virginia, and he walks us through how a spinning block of wood on a lathe becomes a bowl that carries memory, place, and purpose. From there, we follow the sound. Nathan explains the Native American flute, why he records real nature audio to build calm into his music, and how an Iroquois-style water drum actually uses water to soften and tune the drum head. We talk about making art that’s functional, not wasteful, and how traditional practices like brain tanning and using every part of a material connect to today’s conversations about sustainability, mindfulness, and stress relief. We also go deeper into faith and spirituality, what it means to speak of the Creator, and why respect for creation remains foundational. Nathan shares what it meant to perform at the Kennedy Center, then shifts into wampum jewelry, clamshell value, and the craft and discipline of silversmithing. We close with Indigenous history in Virginia that many people never hear, including how Native influence still shows up in language and ideas across the United States. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share this with a friend who loves art and history, and leave a review to help more listeners find Listen Up. What part of the conversation made you see “value” differently? Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2160156/support] Do us a favor and like, comment, share, and subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes. To see the full video on YouTube go to Listen Up with Host Al Neely Reach out to us on our socials and hit us up with any questions! Email: Info@listenup.biz Instagram:  ListenUp4U Facebook: Let's Talk About It - Listen Up  Twitter: ListenUp@Listenup4U Website: listenup.biz YouTube: Listen Up with Host Al Neely

What Makes a Real MC? | Musician & Rapper Sunny Black - ListenUp Podcast

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2160156/fan_mail/new] He’s built for the stage, obsessed with style, and still chasing that feeling hip hop gave him the first time he saw Run DMC. We sit down with Sunny Black, a Paterson, New Jersey rapper now active in the Virginia hip hop scene, and get the kind of story you only hear from someone who’s lived multiple eras of the culture. From cardboard breakdancing at home to sharpening his pen around the golden era sound, Sonny explains how the roots shaped his voice, presence, and the way he moves through music. We get into the artists and mentors that set the bar, including KRS-One, plus the legends he’s shared stages with. Sunny also breaks down the origin of his name, why he values craft over clout, and how he stays independent by doing the footwork himself. If you care about lyrical hip hop, performance mindset, and what it takes to build a real local following, there’s a lot here to steal for your own path. Then we zoom out to the modern rap game: why change is inevitable, what worries him about violence-as-content, and how AI in music could reshape everything from production to creativity. He also shares why he keeps his music clean while still delivering hardcore energy, which lets him perform anywhere and turn every set into a show, roses included. Tap in, stream Sunny Black’s music, and let us know what you think about where hip hop is headed. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the conversation. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2160156/support] Do us a favor and like, comment, share, and subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes. To see the full video on YouTube go to Listen Up with Host Al Neely Reach out to us on our socials and hit us up with any questions! Email: Info@listenup.biz Instagram:  ListenUp4U Facebook: Let's Talk About It - Listen Up  Twitter: ListenUp@Listenup4U Website: listenup.biz YouTube: Listen Up with Host Al Neely