S2:E8 Ashley Douglas. Helping Baltimore City Public Schools Thrive As They Navigate COVID-19

S2:E12 Marjorie Walsh. Committing to Antiracism & Embracing A Growth Mindset

Being An Ally Doesn’t Mean Having All The Answers. It just requires a commitment to antiracism, empathy, and cultivating a growth mindset that helps them research and understand how policies and politics can affect their own and others’ everyday experiences and access to resources. Marjorie and I attended the @brynmawrschool for 7 years, but didn’t become friends until 10 years after our graduation. We connected on IG when we realized that we were both educators that loved fitness, wellness, and social justice. Over the years Marjorie has consistently shown her commitment to antiracism by speaking up about inequality, and showing up for students in the classroom. In this episode we discuss -How books can open windows to learn about other cultures -Owning your voice through writing -Critical thinking & media literacy -Embracing a growth mindset after trauma -Preparing students for success -The power of code switching -How educators and allies can support African American students and colleagues -Making antiracism a lifestyle -Addressing and combating microaggressions in and out of the classroom -Acknowledging privilege & inequality during the pandemic -How empathy and compassion can help us heal -Habits and mindsets to support personal and professional growth -Being an ally after the protests stop The real change starts at home for each one of us. Do what you can...as much as you can...and know that your voice matters so much! Take your time, but keep putting in the work. It’s everyone’s duty to make the world a better place. Go to https://justbloom.io/being-an-ally-doesnt-mean-having-all-the-answers-how-to-make-empathy-equity-a-habit/ to get more tips to engage in online and in-person conversations about social justice and the equitable treatment of Black people in America and abroad and all people. Marjorie Walsh (BMS ’06) is a National Board Certified Teacher. She recently finished her tenth year, teaching high school English for Baltimore County Public Schools and most recently St. Mary’s County Public Schools. She taught ESL Across the Curriculum as an adjunct professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and helped establish a dual enrollment English course with the College of Southern Maryland. She currently serves as a school mentor for new teachers, county curriculum writer, and College Board reader for the AP English Literature & Composition exam. *Any opinions expressed reflect her personal point of view and do not represent any of these institutions. . Connect with Marjorie at: IG:https://instagram.com/thefitlitteacher?igshid=cfbytsvejd7b #Wellness #Antiracism #Empathy #Equity #GrowthMindset #EducatorsOfInstagram #Teachers #EnglishTeachers #English #Voice #Literature #Teens #Parenting #COVID #Maryland #Schools #BlackLivesMatter #Equity #Diversity #Inclusion #DiversityandInclusion #Policy #Baltimore #WomenEmpoweringWomen #Fitness #Running #Yoga #Namaste #Spirituality

S2:E11 Dr. Tony Awojoodu. Getting Clear on What You Want & How You’re Going To Get It

If you get clear on what you want, Dr. Tony Awojoodu can help you figure out how to get it. Dr. Tone is the Founder and CEO of Tone's Professional Advisory Solutions & Services, LLC, a proud husband, #GirlDad, healthcare strategist, serial entrepreneur, accredited investor, and high performance coach who helps high potential, impact-oriented, and unfulfilled professionals unlock their full potential so that they can change the world, build generational wealth, and live their best lives.    Several years ago Tony was working on his PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech on the path to becoming a professor for a top tier research University but something wasn't right. He was broke (making $25,000 a year on a graduate student stipend), completely unfulfilled with life, and had no clarity into what the future would hold for me. His health and relationships suffered, and he felt completely lost. During that period, Tony went searching for meaning in life and discovered that there were many things that he had not fully tapped into: his purpose, the strengths he naturally possessed, and strategies to increase his time, energy, and money. Collectively, he now refers to these as the ingredients of "peak performance". Tony reinvested in these things and started to unlock the full potential in his life. He discovered his love for problem solving, graduated with his PhD, and landed a job at McKinsey & Company, the world's top management consulting Firm. He built a 7-figure investment portfolio in under 5 years and started building wealth for the next generation. He reinvested in his relationships and his health & wellness and married his college sweetheart. Today, Tony leads strategy for the northeast for DaVita, the world's largest dialysis provider, helps impact-oriented professionals achieve peak performance through his business, Tone's Professional Advisory Solutions and Services, and is a managing partner for multiple investment groups focused on early stage black-owned ventures and small businesses. Connect with Dr. Awojoodu at:  Website: https://www.tonespass.com/aboutme IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr_tone/?hl=en  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnVWZKzVTJR_96DttWDFWoQ?view_as=subscriber Email: info@tonespass.com  Follow Bloom on  IG: Dr. Stephanie Akoumany  https://www.instagram.com/dr.stephanieakoumany/   IG: The Blooming Is A Habit Podcast https://www.instagram.com/thebloomingisahabitpodcast/?hl=en Website:http://justbloom.io   Email: stephanie.akoumany@justbloom.io   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieakoumany   Johns Hopkins Center for Adolescent Health’s Blog https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/center-for-adolescent-health/blog/bloom-wellness-summit  Stephanie Introducing President Obama at White House Pell Grant Press Conference   https://www.c-span.org/video/?285476-1/president-obama-remarks-higher-education-policy   2018 NAIS POCC Conference- Self-Care and Mindfulness Strategies to Help Faculty of Color https://youtu.be/w6p-Fyip5d0

S2:E10 Bei Achirimofor. Having Faith & Following Your Dreams on Purpose.

How do you find joy in the midst of chaos? Bei says the secret is to walk in your purpose. You must identify your calling, gifts, talents, and follow your dreams. Despite your religious beliefs, we can choose to work towards our dreams and have faith on purpose. Not just to make a wish and close our eyes, but to put everything on the line to pursue our goals. We hope you enjoy S2: E10 of the Blooming is A Habit Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and get more tips on making yourself a priority. Please rate, subscribe, and share! This is the best possible time to show the world our gifts because we all need inspiration. We can be the rainbow in the midst of global storms. Show others a path to sunnier days. Right now. Bei asks us to consider how healing starts within. Self love is essential for us to thrive, and self care is more than a trendy word. We have to make it a lifestyle. Bei reminds us that everyone can flourish with love. Who are you going to be when times are tough and when things are going great. Train and Bloom. Bei Achirimofor’s Bio: Growing up in two worlds, Bei can be best described as a lover of life. Born of Cameroon parents, Bei was born in Durham, NC and raised in Silver Spring, MD. She attended primary school in Yaounde, Cameroon. Bei attended the University of Maryland where she majored in Communications. She is currently residing in Los Angeles, California where she is pursuing her dreams of becoming a journalist and a film director. Bei has been a professional photographer for over 8 years, which allowed her to travel the world. Her love for traveling and storytelling, started in high school when she would frequently participate in missions trips with her church youth group. Bei doesn't plan on stopping any time soon. She enjoys being a moderator & an MC at events and also enjoys working out. Fitness is her middle name. As a lover of life, Bei hopes to impact her community by spreading her infectious joy and love for dancing and smiling with every individual she encounters.

S2:E9 Joseph Green. Reimagining How We Can Live, Learn, Work, Play, & Grow Together

We are facing unprecedented times. A global pandemic and global antiracism movement to protect and celebrate black lives. @josephlmsgreen notes that the revolution has already happened and now it’s time to put in work. He urges us to use our imaginations to create the lives and world that we want to see, especially during our most challenging days. He advocates for us to believe in ourselves, no matter what, because our abilities to dream and take action are our superpowers. Please listen, share, subscribe, and rate The Blooming is A Habit Podcast. Joseph’s Top Tips To Reimagine & Redesign Your Life Embrace a Growth Mindset Use Technology to Create Innovative Learning & Entertainment Experiences Offer Genuine Apologies Make Kindness A Priority in All Of Your Relationships Choose Happiness Consistently Practice Self-Reflection, Mindfulness, Meditation, Journaling, Self-Care Build Honest & Connections With Your Children, Family, Colleagues & Friends Reimagine & Schedule Time For Work & Play with Children and Family Joseph’s Bio: Over the past 15 years, this passionate motivational speaker, workshop facilitator, professional storyteller and award-winning performance poet, has created and facilitated thousands of workshops with youth, educators, health care professionals, realtors, nonprofit organizations, and many others. His workshops focus on implementing effective youth development strategies, Diversity and Inclusion, Creative Mindfulness, and burnout prevention for both personal and professional spaces. With a background in theatre, performance poetry, and social justice education, Joseph seamlessly intertwines storytelling and spoken word poetry into his presentations and workshops to inspire his audience to join him on a journey which uplifts the core principles of self-care, self-awareness, diversity and inclusion, and paying your blessings forward to make a world a better place for everyone. He believes in the innate ability of story to connect people to their higher purpose and one another. Joseph’s life story and work have been featured in media outlets such as Youth Today, UpWorthy, PBS NewsHour, and many more. He has recently keynoted or presented at the 2017 American Society of Addiction Medicine, Talks @ Google, University of Baltimore, 2016 and 2018 California Statewide Conference on Substance Use Disorder, 2017 Utah Fall Substance Abuse Conference, and Wisconsin Voices for Recovery Rally for Recovery. After co-founding the nonprofit, poetryN.O.W., Joseph merged his organization with Split This Rock, a Washington DC-based poetry and social justice organization, where, for three years Joseph served as Director of Youth Programs. In 2017 Joseph started LMSvoice, an organization dedicated to helping people and socially conscious organizations discover and share the transformative power of story. www.LMSvoice.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/josephlmsvoice/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josephlmsgreen/ Website: https://www.LMSvoice.com Email: joseph@lmsvoice.com Dr. Stephanie Akoumany is host of the Blooming is a Habit Podcast a podcast series highlighting innovative solutions to complex social challenges discovered by students, parents, educators, business professionals, business owners as they pursue their passions and create careers and/or businesses of their dreams. Join Dr. Akoumany and her guests as they discuss their journeys and their impactful interventions in the areas of Health & Wellness, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Family, Relationships, Education, Science & Technology, Career & Business. Follow Bloom on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.stephanieakoumany/ Website: http://justbloom.io Email: stephanie.akoumany@justbloom.io Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieakoumany Stephanie Introducing President Obama at White House Pell Grant Press Conference https://www.c-span.org/video/?285476-1/president-obama-remarks-higher-education-policy

S2:E8 Ashley Douglas. Helping Baltimore City Public Schools Thrive As They Navigate COVID-19

When teachers believe in their students, they empower them to change the world. In this episode, Ashley Douglas shares success stories from teaching Kindergarten & 1st grade as a model teacher and team lead for 9 years in Baltimore City Public Schools before & after COVID-19. She shows how important it is to understand our students’ and their families’ experiences and how schools can create in school and now online programming to meet their needs. Ashley is one of the most passionate teachers and mothers that I know! Her children are amazing and her students and their parents always share stories of how she changed their lives! She is also an Adjunct Professor at Towson University in the department of Elementary Education, an Improving Education Teacher Implementation Fellow, and Teach For America Alumna. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ashley and her cohort of Improving Education Fellows developed Learning in a Box, interactive resources that can be used to engage in fun, meaningful learning activities at home for children in Head Start and Pre-Kindergarten through Second Grade. She was a celebrated TFA alumna, Ashley has been featured in internal instructional videos and material after obtaining model teacher status in 2015. She is a Baltimore native and graduate of The Bryn Mawr School and the University of Maryland, College Park. She earned a Masters of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University. Ways you can connect with Ashley: Email: ashley.douglas0128@gmail.com Twitter: @mrsdouglas6 https://twitter.com/mrsdouglas6 Instagram: @ashleydouglas6 https://instagram.com/ashleydouglas6?igshid=1m0cvxdc563tp Improving Education Teacher Improvement Fellowship https://www.improvingeducation.org/teacher-improvement-fellowship Learning in A Box: https://bedtimeinabox.org/pages/donate-learning?mc_cid=95869a1dba&mc_eid=483c525354 Follow Bloom on IG: www.instagram.com/dr.stephanieakoumany/ Blog: justbloom.io Email: stephanie.akoumany@justbloom.io Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieakoumany Johns Hopkins Center for Adolescent Health’s Blog www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/center-for-adolescent-health/blog/bloom-wellness-summit Stephanie Introducing President Obama at White House Pell Grant Press Conference www.c-span.org/video/?285476-1/president-obama-remarks-higher-education-policy 2018 NAIS POCC Conference- Self-Care and Mindfulness Strategies to Help Faculty of Color youtu.be/w6p-Fyip5d0