Story is.....

Hi everyone! This episode is not the usual format podcast I typically do. A few weeks ago, I presented a Masterclass training at PODFEST - a virtual online Podcaster Summit that brought together over 12,000 active podcast hosts - to share some principles I followed in starting my own podcast: A Culture Story. Take a listen to what I shared to fellow podcasters!

Happy [US] Mother’s Day. Flor is my guest today. Flor is a DEI and Language Consultant working with multilingual families for more than 8 years. Her passion for her native language Spanish has brought her to create Little Nómadas, a platform for cross cultural individuals and families to learn the Spanish language and Latino culture while creating a sense of belonging and identity. She teaches Spanish to children, teens and adults and designs diversity and inclusion programs for nonprofit organizations. https://littlenomadas.com/

Today, my guest is Joseph. Joseph Melkonian works in economic research in Chicago and will be starting a PhD in public policy this fall at Harvard. Joseph's experience growing up between Morocco and California has shaped his love of couscous, salsa, and cross-cultural spaces (both domestic and international). He enjoys biking around, shopping at ethnic grocery stores, and getting lost in libraries.

Today, my guest is Louise. Louise Wiles supports clients through the challenge and opportunity that comes with change and transition, including international relocation. Louise uses a strengths-based wellbeing framework as the foundation for her work with clients, helping them to create positive change based on an inspiring future vision. Louise draws on her personal and professional experience as an expat, repat, narrative coach and learning and development professional with an academic background in organisational psychology. Louise is author of Thriving Abroad: The definitive guide to professional and personal relocation success and host of the Thriving Abroad Podcast. To learn more go to https://www.ThrivingAbroad.com and register for the regular newsletter. Louise would love to connect with you via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisewiles/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/thrivingabroad Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThrivingAbroad Email: [email protected]

In this episode, I offer a brief exploration of “story is” - one of my open-ended prompts in each episode.

Today, my guest is Greg. Gregory Coles is the author of Single, Gay, Christian: A Personal Journey of Faith and Sexual Identity (IVP, 2017) and No Longer Strangers: Finding Belonging in a World of Alienation (IVP, 2021). He holds a PhD in English from Penn State and lives in central Pennsylvania, where he works as a writer, speaker, and worship leader. Greg is a frequent contributor with organizations like Revoice and The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender, and curates most of his creative activities at gregorycoles.com.

My guest today is Henriette. Dr. Henriette Javorek Runte, aka Dr. J is a multilingual academic with degrees in Human Biology and French Literature. She is also the creator and host of the podcast, “Language and Culture with Dr. J,” and the founder of Quadylle Books and Events. She writes under several different pseudonyms and has just recently published her first novel, We Fade to Green. @drjpodcast @quadylle LinkedIn: Henriette J. Runte cultureum.com

My guest today is Jake. Jake began traveling in 2010 when he started teaching English in South Korea. Since then he has taught students from more than 20 countries. Originally from South Carolina, he now lives in Denver, Colorado. His first book of travel stories, I’M NOT FROM AROUND HERE: TRAVELS IN ASIA, is available in paperback in his shop: https://jakehollingsworth.bigcartel.com. Also, he once ate a dog in Korea. It was delicious.

Today, my guest is Kelly. Kelly Wagner (she/her) is a Program Manager on the Global Engagement and Education Abroad (GEEA) team of the University of Michigan (U-M) International Center. Kelly also serves as the current Chair of NAFSA Region V. Since graduating with her M.Ed. in Higher Education from Loyola University Chicago in 2014, Kelly has worked passionately to create a globally inclusive campus environment for the institutions where she has served.  This is especially true when it comes to training faculty, staff and students about intercultural theory and practice. Kelly was a Fellow at the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communications (SIIC) the summer of 2017, and she became a Qualified Administrator (QA) for the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) in 2016.

Today, my guest is Stephen. Stephen is the host and producer of TCK Care, a podcast sharing stories, strategies, and support for third culture kids in all walks of life. Having grown up overseas himself, Stephen worked in an international school in Southeast Asia for five years, coordinated care for families serving globally for three years, and is currently studying to become a licensed mental healthcare professional. You can connect with Stephen on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tckcare/ and his podcast can be found on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/tck-care.