Unlocking Commerce

PERC Interview, Unlocking Second Chance Citizens in Communities

This episode of Unlocking Commerce explores the intersection of community and commerce with Rich Alvarez and Michael Jalazo from PERC. They discuss PERC's mission to empower communities through employment and partnerships. Rich shares his journey and success stories in employment and reentry, addressing hiring stigmas and the benefits of employing returning citizens. The episode highlights the role of nonprofits in economic growth, trauma-informed coaching, and technology's impact on community service. It concludes with insights on the importance of personal connections and trauma awareness in fostering inclusive economic benefits. PERC website: https://www.exoffender.org/ [https://www.exoffender.org/] Connect with Michael on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-jalazo-66032415/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-jalazo-66032415/] (0:00) Introduction and focus on community and commerce (2:14) Guest introductions: Rich Alvarez and Michael Gelazo of PERC (3:40) PERC's mission, rebranding, and community impact (7:29) Empowering communities through employment and partnerships (11:57) Rich Alvarez's personal journey and motivation (16:44) Success stories in employment and reentry (18:26) Understanding commerce in community work (21:48) Overcoming hiring stigmas and barriers (25:07) Employer experiences and benefits of hiring returning citizens (27:09) Nonprofits' role in economic growth and community development (33:01) Workforce development and community partnerships (37:01) Economic opportunities for ex-offenders and public safety (41:05) Economic vitality, compassion, and addressing trauma (47:21) Trauma-informed coaching and emotional awareness in business (49:27) Transportation initiatives and community collaboration (54:21) Technology's role in serving community needs (57:43) Collective effort in transportation solutions and community safety (1:02:28) Inclusive economic benefits and innovative collaboration (1:05:01) Trauma-informed principles and bridging technology gaps (1:09:56) The importance of trauma awareness in the workplace (1:11:05) Personal connections in commerce and concluding thoughts (1:12:18) Engaging with Unlocking Commerce and final sign-off

The Emotional Cost of Staying the Same?

In this episode of Unlocking Commerce, the discussion centers around the emotional aspects of business and how they influence financial outcomes. The conversation begins by exploring the emotional cost of remaining stagnant versus the discomfort associated with growth. It highlights the impact of familiar emotional patterns on financial decisions and outcomes. Practical tools for building emotional capacity are shared, offering listeners a way to shift these patterns for improved financial decision-making. The episode underscores the importance of emotional awareness in commerce, providing insights into how emotional growth can lead to better business practices. Resources: Download the My Money Story Worksheet — Work through your past, present, and future money story (link below) Apply for 1:1 Plug the Leaks Coaching — Get personalized support to rewrite your money story and create lasting change (link below) Your money story is not your fault. You didn't choose it. But you CAN change it. And this episode will show you how. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and comment on this podcast and the Unlocking Commerce channel. Supporting them supports voices like mine — and maybe yours next. Links: 📥 Download the My Money Story Workbook Here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeG0Vt3vqifye74lCvU6XHwXy6Vpiq1SDJGKnzYpiebSTOfHg/viewform?usp=publish-editor [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeG0Vt3vqifye74lCvU6XHwXy6Vpiq1SDJGKnzYpiebSTOfHg/viewform?usp=publish-editor] 📝 Apply for 1:1 Coaching: https://docsgoogle.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoh9UL6GkFSEddywdYTn5EhS7neQZLD6SEanTB4w3L-qMQSA/viewform?usp=header [https://docsgoogle.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoh9UL6GkFSEddywdYTn5EhS7neQZLD6SEanTB4w3L-qMQSA/viewform?usp=header] (0:00) Introduction to the emotional side of commerce (1:44) The emotional cost of staying the same (4:42) Familiar pain versus growth discomfort (6:07) How emotional patterns affect financial outcomes (8:12) Building emotional capacity with real-world tools (11:09) Shifting emotional patterns for better financial decisions

Revolutionizing HR: Kasey Devine on Earned Wage Access and Conscious Capitalism

In this episode of Unlocking Commerce, the focus is on earned wage access and its significance for change makers. Kasey Devine joins the conversation to discuss her background, mission, and the HR challenges faced by small businesses. The episode explores Entravia's modern HR solutions and insights into the meaning of commerce, highlighting market inefficiencies and personal healthcare experiences. Discussion extends to conscious capitalism, fintech collaboration, and the evolution of commerce and payment systems. Emphasis is placed on Entravia's technology pillars, employee benefits, and community-level customization. Future plans, economic challenges, and empowering thought leaders are also covered, concluding with engagement and closing remarks. Entravia is a B2B infrastructure company modernizing how HR outsourcing actually works. The platform automates document and data collection, transforms unstructured information into usable inputs, and provides a secure, HIPAA- and SOC 2-compliant system for PEO and broker sales workflows. By replacing manual intake, spreadsheets, and email chains with structured, repeatable processes, Entravia helps teams move from first conversation to quote-ready submission in a fraction of the time—without compromising security or compliance. Website: https://entravia.co/ [https://entravia.co/] (0:00) Introduction to Unlocking Commerce (1:14) Welcome to the Era of Restorative Commerce (2:06) Kasey Devine's Background & Introduction to Entravia (4:13) Entravia's Solution to HR and Benefits Challenges (5:22) Commerce Meaning & Becoming the Ecommerce of HR (7:10) Addressing Market Inefficiencies & Employee Benefits Impact (10:27) Entravia's Ease for Small Business Owners (13:10) Conscious Capitalism and Collaborative Synergies (16:00) Entravia's Success in Various Industries & Fintech Synergies (18:47) Technological Foundations and Future of Entravia (23:39) Technology Adoption: Early Adopters vs. Majority (26:06) Challenges of Innovation in Established Organizations (28:03) Small Business Realities & Leveraging Community Connections (32:18) Catering to Micro Nonprofits' Needs (36:06) Evolving Employment and Compensation Trends (39:31) Redefining Employee Benefits (42:25) Tailoring Benefits for Specific Communities (45:00) Entravia's Future and Connecting with Them (46:21) Strategic Insights for Empowering Communities (48:16) Health Care Spending and Custom Benefits Strategies (51:01) Incremental Improvements in Employee Care & Closing Remarks

When Systems Pacify Instead of Pay: A Hard Truth About Disability and Work

In this episode of The Restoration Exchange: Banking on Humanity, we confront the uncomfortable reality behind a familiar phrase: “You could always volunteer.” For disabled adults, volunteering is too often positioned not as a choice, but as the highest form of opportunity available—while paid work, fair wages, and economic agency remain out of reach. Building on the previous episode, “The Money Connection Nobody Addresses,” host Janine Kasper connects unpaid labor to broader financial exclusion, exposing how systems keep people busy but broke, included but uncompensated. This conversation challenges employers, nonprofits, workforce programs, financial institutions, and policymakers to stop confusing access with equity—and to finally acknowledge that dignity begins with being paid for the value you bring. This episode continues The Restoration Exchange’s exploration of economic dignity by confronting a deeply normalized but rarely challenged practice: steering disabled adults toward unpaid labor under the guise of opportunity. Building directly on the previous episode, “The Money Connection Nobody Addresses,” this conversation exposes how systems disconnect people from money and then fault them for lacking independence. Through the lived experience and uncompromising voice of guest Nick Comstock, the episode names a hard truth: people cannot achieve independence—financial or otherwise—if they are denied the dignity of being paid for the value they bring. This is not an episode about inspiration. It is an episode about accountability. (0:00) Introduction to the episode and guest Nicholas Comstock (2:23) Why disabled adults are often expected to volunteer instead of being paid (4:40) Societal expectations and systemic challenges for disabled individuals (8:22) Nicholas's personal anecdotes on systemic discrimination (16:24) Economic value and potential of disabled individuals (18:05) Employer liability perception and trust issues (20:29) Need for systemic change in resource allocation (23:20) Recognizing the economic value of disabled individuals (25:54) Economic justice and the $2,000 asset cap (29:37) Potential policy changes and their impacts (31:31) Promoting independence and entrepreneurial ventures for disabled people (34:12) Personal journey into podcasting and overcoming employment challenges (37:21) Raising employment standards and providing real jobs for disabled people (39:48) Overcoming employer fears and supporting disabled employees (41:22) Acknowledgements and Sponsor message (42:04) Invitation to Nick Speaks podcast and closing thoughts

The Past, Present and Future of YOUR Money Story

In this episode of PLUGGING THE LEAKS™ BECAUSE BROKE IS BORING™, we dive deep into the money story you've been living — and how to rewrite it. Here's the truth: The beliefs you have about money today didn't start with you. You inherited them. Before you had your first paycheck, before you understood what a bill was, someone taught you what money means through stress, silence, or survival. But your money story is not your identity. It's just a script you've been reading. And in this episode, we're rewriting it together. In this episode of PLUGGING THE LEAKS™ BECAUSE BROKE IS BORING™, we dive deep into the money story you've been living — and how to rewrite it. Here's the truth: The beliefs you have about money today didn't start with you. You inherited them. Before you had your first paycheck, before you understood what a bill was, someone taught you what money means through stress, silence, or survival. But your money story is not your identity. It's just a script you've been reading. And in this episode, we're rewriting it together. What You'll Learn: The Past: Where your money beliefs came from and how they were formed by age seven The Present: How those old beliefs show up today as avoidance, emotional spending, boundary violations, and self-sabotage The Future: How to consciously rewrite your money story through new beliefs and intentional action This episode is interactive. You'll work through your own money story using the My Money Story Worksheet as you listen. By the end, you'll have identified your inherited beliefs, recognized how they show up now, and created a plan to rewrite your story moving forward. Resources: Download the My Money Story Worksheet — Work through your past, present, and future money story (link below) Apply for 1:1 Plug the Leaks Coaching — Get personalized support to rewrite your money story and create lasting change (link below) Your money story is not your fault. You didn't choose it. But you CAN change it. And this episode will show you how. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and comment on this podcast and the Unlocking Commerce channel. Supporting them supports voices like mine — and maybe yours next. Links: 📥 Download the My Money Story Workbook Here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeG0Vt3vqifye74lCvU6XHwXy6Vpiq1SDJGKnzYpiebSTOfHg/viewform?usp=publish-editor [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeG0Vt3vqifye74lCvU6XHwXy6Vpiq1SDJGKnzYpiebSTOfHg/viewform?usp=publish-editor] 📝 Apply for 1:1 Coaching: https://docsgoogle.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoh9UL6GkFSEddywdYTn5EhS7neQZLD6SEanTB4w3L-qMQSA/viewform?usp=header [https://docsgoogle.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoh9UL6GkFSEddywdYTn5EhS7neQZLD6SEanTB4w3L-qMQSA/viewform?usp=header] (0:00) Introduction to rewriting your money story (1:29) Welcome to Plug in the Leaks (3:02) Understanding the origins of your money story (4:53) Common inherited money beliefs (7:57) Working through your money story: sections one and two (12:06) The emotional cycle of money beliefs (15:01) Rewriting your money story and section three (21:06) Final thoughts and resources for further support