4 JAN 2024 · In this two-part episode of Shaping Freedom, Lisane interviews Kevin Powell, a poet with Jersey roots and a Grammy nomination tucked under his belt, about family, resilience, and his album, "Grocery Shopping with My Mother," birthed from real-life trips to the store with his ailing mom. Listen as we explore love, health, and his surprise Grammy nomination. In the second part of this powerful conversation, Liasane and Kevin both look at the responsibilities and influences that creatives and their works have regarding the world and society around them. They later transition into why the creative’s journey is so important to shaping them and their works. Key takeaways: The journey that creatives take in their personal lives is critical to who they become and how that influences their works in both the positive and negative spaces. Creatives and activists, really alone with a public voice have a deep responsibility to guide the world towards love and kindness. The people will listen to folks like Kevin and Lisanne and they will connect. It’s important to use that voice for everyone.The spiritual and mental sickness that we feel in our society and Kevin’s experiences grappling and overcoming his battles with the sickness in our society. This second episode pulls back the curtain on who Kevin Powell is and what events shaped his work, his soul, and his outlook on life, love, and how to show up for the people who listen to his words. The rest of this interview goes far beyond a simple conversation about what inspired a writer. No, it shows the world that every creative out there has a responsibility to be a positive influence and spread nothing but love and respect for all who come to hear their words.You can find Kevin Powell’s incredible new book in print https://softskull.com/books/grocery-shopping-with-my-mother/. Soft Skull Press https://softskull.com/books/grocery-shopping-with-my-mother/ “Kevin Powell returns with a poetic time capsule written with love in honor of his mother’s evolution. Powell investigates the nature of our country’s oppression through the gener… 25 Feb 2022 (704 kB)

30 DEC 2023 · In this two-part episode of Shaping Freedom, Lisane interviews Kevin Powell, a poet with Jersey roots and a Grammy nomination tucked under his belt, about family, resilience, and his album, "Grocery Shopping with My Mother," birthed from real-life trips to the store with his ailing mom. Listen as we explore love, health, and his surprise Grammy nomination. In the first part of this series, Lisane and Kevin focus heavily on what it means to break the shackles of toxic masculinity and what it means to find love in a heartless society. Key takeaways: Kevin's experiences with racism and sexism, as well as his journey to becoming a more responsible and respectful man. The importance of focusing on what we want to see in the world and speaking from a place of love rather than negativity. Influencers from his mother, his first teacher and leader, to the anti-apartheid movement, hip-hop culture, and the writing of Langston Hughes, Malcolm X, and Audre Lorde. This first episode of this series transcends a normal personal history lesson but instead aims to show the power of vulnerability and a call to action that love and kindness will always be the most important lessons this world has to offer. Find Kevin Powell’s incredible new book in print https://softskull.com/books/grocery-shopping-with-my-mother/.

25 MAY 2023 · This week I speak with Stephanie Mitchell, a wellness and fitness instructor and founder of The Rolling Mat, which has worked with several companies since 2016. She’s helped several companies and teams on their personal wellness journey in turn creating a healthy work-life balance for them. We discuss her inward reflection, self-discovery, entrepreneurial work, and difficulties she’s overcome through yoga and wellness. Find out more about Stephanie: https://www.therollingmatadventure.com/

18 MAY 2023 · https://shop.shapingsanctuary.com/products/shape-your-foundation-retreat-the-women-in-the-family In this episode of Shaping Freedom, host Lisane Basquiat interviews Dr. Salvatore Forcina, an accomplished doctor and author of The American Doctor. Dr. Forcina shares his inspiring story of overcoming obstacles and achieving the American Dream through education, hard work, and resilience Dr. Salvatore Forcina's book, The American Doctor: Key Takeaways: - Education and resilience are key to achieving success, regardless of your background or starting point. - Navigating a new experience can be complex and challenging, but it's possible to succeed with dedication and strategic planning. - Success in any competitive field requires hard work, determination, and a willingness to adapt to changing circumstances.

13 MAY 2023 · https://shop.shapingsanctuary.com/products/shape-your-foundation-retreat-the-women-in-the-family In this week’s conversation with Hannah Summerhill we explore her insights on how we can all work to overcome the barriers that prevent us from having conversations on race, inequity, and how to best navigate these issues while creating more inclusive and equitable communities. Her new book, "Real Friends Talk About Race: Bridging the Gaps Through Uncomfortable Conversations,” was co-authored with Yseult P. Mukantabana and discusses how to best approach these conversations. Their book can and can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever major physical and digital publications are sold. Hannah Summerhill: https://www.hannahsummerhill.com/ Real Friends Talk About Race (Bridging the Gaps Through Uncomfortable Conversations): https://www.amazon.com/Real-Friends-Talk-About-Race/dp/0778387054 The Kinswomen Podcast: https://www.kinswomenpodcast.com/

4 MAY 2023 · https://shop.shapingsanctuary.com/products/shape-your-foundation-retreat-the-women-in-the-family In this episode of Shaping Freedom, Lisane Basquiat is joined by Ruby Warrington, author of "Sober Curious," "The Sober Curious Reset," and her latest book, "Women Without Kids," to discuss the intersections of sobriety, redefining motherhood, and finding freedom in our choices. The conversation begins with Ruby sharing her personal journey to sobriety and how it led her to explore spirituality. She highlights the importance of exploring sobriety as a tool for personal growth, rather than just a means of quitting alcohol. The discussion then moves to the societal expectations placed on mothers and the need to redefine motherhood and find freedom in our choices. Ruby challenges the belief that motherhood should be the primary focus of a woman's life and encourages us to create our own definitions of motherhood. Lisane and Ruby then dive into Ruby's latest book, "Women Without Kids," which explores the stigma surrounding women who choose not to have children and the societal pressures they face. Ruby discusses how she hopes the book will encourage conversations around this topic and provide support to women who have made this choice. Finally, Ruby shares how she found spirituality as a means of connecting with something greater than herself and how it has been a transformative experience on her journey towards freedom.Key Takeaways: - Sobriety can be a tool for personal growth and self-discovery. - It's essential to redefine motherhood to find freedom in our choices. - "Women Without Kids" provides support and encourages conversations around the stigma surrounding women who choose not to have children. - Spirituality can be a powerful means of connecting with something greater than ourselves and finding freedom. Resources Mentioned: - Ruby's website:https://www.rubywarrington.com/ - "Sober Curious" by Ruby Warrington:https://www.rubywarrington.com/books/ - "The Sober Curious Reset" by Ruby Warrington:https://www.rubywarrington.com/books/ - "Women Without Kids" by Ruby Warrington:https://www.rubywarrington.com/books/women-without-kids Join us on Shaping Freedom, where we bring you conversations on creating and living a life of freedom. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite platform.

27 APR 2023 · This week I’m joined by the wellness guru, founder, speaker, and fellow human, Tai Beauchamp. After leaving a career in publishing, Tai decided to pursue her entrepreneurial heart and follow her desire to help women of color to connect and care for themselves. We’ll talk about Tai’s journey from her impressive journey in publishing to the founding of her wellness beauty brand Brown Girl Jane and why she decided to start her Instagram live experience Morning Mindset with Tai. We’ll talk about the privilege of caretaking and how we have to find a balance between our personal and professional lives. And we’ll talk about the complexities of growing at different rates than those around us. I had such a wonderful time talking with Tai and I know you’ll connect with her humanity just like I did. Tai on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taibeau/?hl=en The Morning Mindset With Tai: https://www.instagram.com/morningmindsetwithtai/?hl=en Brown Girl Jane: https://www.browngirljane.com/

20 APR 2023 · This week I’m joined by Oliver Chittenden, the founder of Head Talks, a site that gathers hundreds of educational and inspirational stories about the different ways people care for their mental and emotional well-being. The site has been dubbed TED Talks for the mind. We’re talking about how to build your own toolbox for your mental and emotional health. We’re all unique individuals with different needs and one-size-fits-all solutions don’t work for everyone. And even as the stigma surrounding mental health melts away, we need to learn to recognize what makes our own struggles, recoveries, and successes our own. We’ll talk a little bit about Oliver's own journey to self discovery and how he hopes to help people everywhere get to know themselves better and find the tools that work best for them. If hearing new perspectives on finding a healthy balance for your mental health is exciting to you like it is for me, I think you’ll love listening to my conversation with Oliver Chittenden. Visit Head Talks here: https://www.headtalks.com/

13 APR 2023 · This week’s conversation is with Steve Simms, a Brooklyn born brother of color who is leveraging his own journey from anger and hitting rock bottom to help other men, like himself, to a greater level of self-awareness, personal growth, and the achievement of their personal goals. He brings personal insights and his own self-improvement approaches through self-awareness, meditation, dedication to achieving personal goals, and all with an upbeat Brooklyn, New York, approach to what life may bring. Steve and I discuss the best way to shift energy, priorities, and guidance on personal and family relationships, difficulties, and how to overcome these struggles through making these more emotionally manageable while maintaining personal, inspirational growth. He currently hosts two online groups, “The League” and “The Breakfast Club” on Telegram, and can be booked for one-on-one life coaching sessions in the link below: https://stvsmms.com

6 APR 2023 · This week I spoke with Stephanie Singleton, owner and founder of Prana Wellness. Today we discuss how she started her personal wellness journey after her work started affecting her health when she hit peak burnout through her self-reflection and spiritual journey learning about meditation, yoga, and breathwork to manage stress. You can find more information and book a session with Prana Wellness in the link below: https://pranawellnessworks.com/about