Statement Makers

Send us a Text Message. In today's mini-episode I talk about how to take action so you can start fulfilling your Divine Purpose. When you feel like there's more to life, but you feel unfulfilled, there's a sort of unhappiness that you can't shake off. That's a call into something bigger and with more purpose for you. . Taking steps into the unknown can be scary. In this episode, I share how you can learn to pay attention to the clues around you that are telling you to take a leap of faith and follow your heart. All so you can take ACTION and ultimately, begin fulfilling your Divine Purpose. Connect and help us grow: @statementmakerspodcastSpotify!

Send us a Text Message. Bienvenidos al Statement Makers Podcast. Este es nuestro primer episodio en Español. Acompañanos mientras hablamos con Tatiana Viecco, quien fue otorgada varías becas y se graduó como ingeniera industrial con una maestría en ingeniería para desarrollo sostenible de la universidad de Cambridge de Inglaterra. Tatiana se mudo de Colombia a los Estados Unidos a los 15 años junto con su familia en busca de mejores oportunidades y despues de mas de una decada de estudios, regresó a su pais para aportarle su conocimiento y con mucho deseo de mejorar el futuro de su comunidad. En nuestra conversacion hablamos de: National Science FoundationConectate con nosotros y ayudanos a crecer: @statementmakerspodcastApple PodcastsSpotify

Send us a Text Message. In today's mini-episode I share with you the difference between Talents and Gifts. Talents are things you are naturally good at, but gifts are connected in a spiritual way to your Creator. It’s crucial that you understand the difference so you can use your talents and gifts to effectively live a life of purpose. . Listen to this episode and discover how gifts and talents are related and how they play an important role in helping you fulfill your divine purpose. Connect and help us grow: @statementmakerspodcast

Send us a Text Message. Theresa Smith-Levin is an opera singer and voice teacher who attended the University of Central Florida and University of Miami to study music and vocal performance. She wanted to have a career in the arts, when one day she woke up and realized that there was a need she could fulfill with her skills. Her love of the arts led her to found the non-profit organization, Central Florida Vocal Arts. This organization is dedicated to re-imagining the future of vocal arts by providing the highest quality training to young artists and opportunities to emerging and professional artists of all ages. Their goal is to use the arts to create tangible social good in our community. Topics of conversation in this episode: 1. Why Theresa decided to have a career in the arts. 2. What led her to found her non-profit. 3. Running a non-profit as a business 4. Female and Male representation in non-profits 5. Challenges in running a non-profit 6. Stories of success 7. Advice to others on making a difference Article: Non-profit Leadership - Gender Gap Connect and help us grow: @statementmakerspodcast

Send us a Text Message. Join me, your host Karen Vergara, as I pick up the mic to share my thoughts on a subject I'm very passionate about, purpose. There are big misconceptions around your purpose and your calling. In this episode, I explain the difference between those two concepts. Your calling is tied to your position, your title or your job, but if we don't understand the difference between the two, there is a possibility that you find yourself living a life misaligned with your DIVINE purpose. Connect and help us grow: @statementmakerspodcast

Send us a Text Message. "It's never too late", it's Gina Solomon's motto. After taking a decade to finish her post-secondary education degree, she decided to join the U.S. Peace Corp where she served as a teacher volunteer in Kyrgyzstan for two years. That experienced changed her life and career goals. Today she's the Executive Director for the Adult Literacy League. In this podcast, Gina shares her journey into finishing her degree, what it was like to volunteer for the U.S. Peace Corps and multiple stories on how how literacy affects more than just reading and writing and the difference it can make in someone's life. Websites: U.S. Peace CorpsAdult Literacy LeagueGina Solomon's Linked In ProfileConnect and help us grow: @statementmakerspodcast

Send us a Text Message. Join me, your host Karen Vergara, as I pick up the mic to share my thoughts after a break from the podcast. I believe we all have a purpose, but it all starts with accepting we have one. I have some thoughts regarding this subject and although I'm not an expert, I have a real passion for helping others DISCOVER, DEFINE and LIVE OUT their purpose. Join me for this short episode where I share my thoughts and also, ask you a very important question regarding YOUR purpose. Connect and help us grow: @statementmakerspodcast

Send us a Text Message. Betty Martinez Lowery is an icon in her community. She has had a very impressive career, holding numerous leadership roles, serving on several non-profit boards and receiving various awards for her achievements and community involvement. She is going through a major transition in her life as she was recently laid off from a job she loved due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Betty was the Senior Manager of Corporate Citizenship with Walt Disney World where she led a team that developed community outreach and contribution strategies that made the greatest impact. She says however, that her most important role is that of wife, mother and grandmother. She has been married to her middle school sweetheart for 45 years. She is also the proud mother of four grown children and grandmother to 7 grandchildren ranging from 24 to 6 years in age. Join us as we discuss her transition into retirement, her thoughts on family and how social media helped her overcome grief. We also discussed her newest award, the Don Quijote Lifetime Achievement Award and what that means for her. Connect and help us grow:

Send us a Text Message. J Hackett is the Co-Owner of Grind, Asheville NC's first Black coffee shop and the founder of Griot, a storytelling app that captures real time stories and makes them searchable. He is also an ex-convict. J is an expert in social entrepreneurship, community and economic development, and discovering purpose. Join us as he shares what he learned during his time in prison. The importance of valuing our stories and finding our identity so we can make a difference in our community. Note: This episode contains explicit material. Connect with J Hackett Asheville's first Black coffee shop Grind Connect and help us grow:

Send us a Text Message. Eddy Moratin is a Social Entrepreneur. He is President of LIFT Orlando, a non-profit strengthening the historic neighborhoods around the downtown area of Orlando Florida. His lifework is to inspire and equip leaders to make a difference by working with community-minded leaders to rethink business and make an impact on social issues. During our conversation we discuss the definition of Social Entrepreneurship, the importance of our human connections and why it's important that we build community by getting to know our own neighbors. Learn about Eddy and his work with LIFT Orlando on their website. Connect and help us grow:

Send us a Text Message. Janet Perez-Eckles lost her eyesight, endured the murder of her 19 year old son and experienced a divorce after 42 years of marriage. However, none of those challenges have kept Janet from living a life of purpose. She's an international speaker, best-selling book author, missionary and award-winning Spanish interpreter. Listen to our conversation, as she shares how despite her physical disability and personal challenges, has been able to overcome the pain and chooses to live a life full of joy and happiness. Connect with Janet on her website. Connect and help us grow:

Send us a Text Message. Nina Yon was an executive in corporate America when she felt a calling to leave everything behind and move to Guatemala to become a missionary. Nina shares why she made that decision, her experience and the lessons she learned. While Nina was in Guatemala, she worked on her Masters in Non-profit Management and moved back to the United States. Currently, she's the CEO of The Sharing Center, an organization whose mission is to provide essential resources to those in need while ensuring dignity, reflecting Christian generosity, and sharing God’s love. Join us, as she shares the moral and economic importance of helping our homeless population and the importance of volunteers to help carry out the mission of non-profit organizations. Connect with Nina Yon on Linked In. Connect and help us grow:

Send us a Text Message. Lizette Valarino was a government employee when she had an idea of starting a scholarship fund for deserving students in her community. With very little funding and a lot of initiative, she worked with community leaders to create the Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund of Metro Orlando. To date the organization has given more than $1.6 Million to over 300 students. All of this happened because one person thought it was worth the effort. Listen as Lizette shares how she founded the organization and how you don’t need a lot to make a difference in the world. Connect with Lizette on Linked In. Connect and help us grow:

Send us a Text Message. Sue Reynolds is the first guest to the Statement Makers podcast. Her story is one of hope, tenacity and faith as she went from weighing 335 pounds to losing 200 pounds and becoming a world-class triathlete representing the United States around the world in various races. During the podcast, we discussed her transformation journey, which surprisingly included a spiritual journey that she was not expecting would happen. Connect with Sue Reynolds: The Athlete InsideWebsite Connect and help us grow: