Life changes when we become a parent. It's an indescribable feeling. The love, the responsibility, the joy, the weight. For Kim Somenske, the realization that she and her husband would be welcoming a child into the world was met with every emotion. No longer was it just about her. In fact, it was no longer about her at all. The entire focus of her life shifted to how she could be the best mother to her daughter. Throughout the journey, seeing her daughter grow from a child into a girl and from a girl into a woman, Kim has experienced the highs, the lows, and everything inbetween. Without question, she has learned innumerable things about parenting, but, perhaps more subtly, about life as well.

Our relationship with our parents evolves over time. We go from needing them to survive, to wanting them to leave us alone, and finally to appreciating, loving, and caring for them. Like many kids his age, Alberto Maldonado was known to stir up a little trouble in his middle school years. This aloof behavior came to a head one day when his mother received notice of his unacceptable actions in the classroom. Her reaction was strong, emotional, and, for Alberto, a lasting memory. At this moment, he realized that he never wanted his mother to feel this way as a result of something he did ever again. From that point forward, Alberto began to change his behavior, wanting to trade his mother's disappointment for pride. Ultimately, Alberto received his Master's Degree from UW-Milwaukee and has gone on to lead the university's Roberto Hernandez Center, a group on a mission to serve Latinx students and the Latinx population of Southeastern Wisconsin.

How can a single bully turn someone into the CEO of one of the largest non-profit organizations in the Midwest? Ask Héctor Colón. When he was just a boy, Héctor, like many, fell victim to unfair, cruel bullying. Yet, unlike many, he, with the encouragement of his father, decided to do something about it. By age 9, Héctor was enrolled in boxing classes, primarily as means of learning self-defense. By age eleven, he won his first National Title and was number one in the country for his weight class. He was gifted. Over the course of the next 8 or so years, Héctor earned three Silver Glove National Championships, two Junior Olympic National Championships, one U.S. National Championship, and a Muhammad Ali Invitational National Championship. Yet, despite his resounding success, he found a new ring to enter, one called upon by God. Héctor pursued higher education and strategically entered the business world with an eye on eventually becoming as successful a servant leader as he was once a fighter. Today, as the CEO of Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin & Upper Michigan, he is putting the fight to something different, but is still relentless in his pursuit of excellence. You can learn more about Héctor, his book, and everything else he has going on via his website: champinstitute.com.

Everything happens for a reason, right? Or, so they say? For Liz Boyna, this longstanding axiom certainly rings true when thinking about the moment at which her life took an unmistakable turn. What was seen as a short-term hiccup, a setback, a stumble, actually turned out to be the purveyor of a long-term clarity of purpose. Informed about a month prior to her undergraduate graduation that she was one credit short from completing her program, Liz had reached a point of total disillusionment about her college experience. However, rather than wallow and embrace self-pity, she began to wonder how her situation could have happened and how she could perhaps prevent others from having a similar, rocky, educational journey. This quest to help compelled Liz to obtain her Master's degree in Higher Education Administration at UW-Milwaukee and eventually put her passion to work in higher ed settings. Liz now uses that same empathy at the family business, American Licorice Company, as part of its social impact team.

"Go with the flow!" It sounds like good general advice, right? Be open, experimental, and willing to try new things. But, it also is a pretty passive way to live your life. It's letting life happen TO you, rather than you being intentional with your decisions. Ashley Valentine was kind of just going with the flow. As a teacher—a role moreso stumbled upon than sought after—she wasn't necessarily unhappy, but she was taking on too much, trying too many new things...to the point of burnout. It wasn't until she learned how to prioritize herself, and her wants and needs, that she began to align her actions with her intentions. She had known her purpose was to support urban youth in literacy, but, for her, was teaching the best way to do that? By founding Rooted MKE, a Milwaukee-based BIPOC bookstore and tutoring & makerspace (launching in March 2022, hopefully!), Ashley seized control of her journey. She decided to root her life in her own soil, on her own path. | You can follow Rooted MKE on Facebook (@RootedMKE.Tutoring) and Instagram (@rooted.mke)!

What's in a name? Well...if we think about it, our name really is the basis of our identity. It's how we are perceived, at first interaction, by the people and the world around us. It is as inherent to who we are as our body, mind, and spirit. We own it. We grow with it. We live with it. A name is such an important part of who we are...but, what if it changed? When N'Jameh Russell-Camara went off to college, she was emboldened to align herself, her identity, with that of her proud heritage. And that meant changing her name to N'Jameh. Now, how does she let this embracing of her true self impact the direction of her life? And, how does having a non-traditional name affect her journey? She shares all in this episode, as well as offers up some sound advice for all of us as we learn how to best honor and respect the identities of others unlike us. Oh...and, she tells us all about the many things she has going on as a performing artist, teacher, and Associate Director of Engagement for Milwaukee Reperatory Theatre. -- To learn more about all things N'Jameh, visit her website: njameh.com

Turns out the COO of a Fortune 100 company knows a thing or two about success. Who knew?! Souheil Badran, currently the Chief Operating Officer of Northwestern Mutual, is not only a prime example of a career well-defined and well-traversed, he's also a testament to the American Dream—emigrating from Lebanon—and living with intention, purpose, and conviction. And, it's these traits that manifested themselves into a seminal moment in Souheil's life—the decision to move his family to California, and embrace the risk of joining a startup with a mere 50 employees. It was a decision that ended up working out, providing Souheil with a rock-solid base upon which he would go on to stack career success. -- P.S. Because we had to ask...Souheil is currently reading Coach Wooden by Pat Williams and Humor, Seriously by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas.

Sometimes your parents know best. Well...maybe more than just sometimes. When Cetonia Weston-Roy was a child, she wouldn't have claimed reading as a hobby. That is until her step-father entered her life and bestowed upon her the gift that keeps on giving: a love for books. And, it was a love that grew over her formative years into a passion that spoke to her soul. Like most eventual entrepreneurs, which she now is, Cetonia's passion led to the identification of a problem. She knew, through experience and conversing with her community, that Black literature, of all varieties, was simply too hard to find. However, unlike most eventual entrepreneurs, she thought it was a problem someone else should fix. But, when no one stepped in to do so, Cetonia knew it had to be her. Niche Book Bar is the result. -- You can support Niche Book Bar on Facebook (@FindYourNicheMKE), Instagram (@nichebookbarllc), via its website (findyournichemke.com), as well as on bookshop.org. Cetonia is also the founder of Black Author's Collective and the author of The Misadventures of Toni Macaroni children's book series!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work alongside your parents? To have a shared purpose guiding you down the same path? For mother-son duo, Irma and Dachon Freeman, a giving heart has proved to be genetic. With 25+ years of experience as an educator for Chicago Public Schools, Irma recently decided to leverage this experience into launching Kingdom Communities and Families, a non-profit designed to meet the needs of low-income communities on Chicago's west side, like those where she raised her son. To get such an ambitious effort off the ground, right there alongside Irma was her son, Dachon, harnessing his skills to grow the brand, now from his new home of Milwaukee. The two are an absolute inspiration, proving that following your heart and improving the lives of those around you leads to a happy, fulfilled existence. Help support Kingdom Communities and Families: Follow on LinkedIn; Follow on Instagram; Donate!

What do you do when your purpose is to educate, but your calling is outside the classroom? Well, if your Michelle Boening, you make the difficult decision to answer the call. No matter how esoteric it is. After 22 years in public education, Michelle made the brave transition into a newfound passion of hers: spiritual care—namely Reiki, Tarot Readings, and Animal Communication. Starting her business, Ananda Citta Spiritual Care, in 2018, Michelle encountered her ups and downs, like any new business owner, but has consistently found strength in her work, her family, and the positive impact she is making in the lives of her clients. ** You can learn more about Michelle's business online. Also, check it out on Facebook and Instagram!