Conversations with Carole is back in action, and this week’s episode is one you will not want to miss.

My guest is Linda Turnbull, a remarkable business leader, human resources professional, entrepreneur, woman of faith, and community advocate.

Together with her husband, Clayton, Linda owns and operates 30 Dunkin locations in Boston, Quincy, and Logan Airport, along with a manufacturing facility in Roxbury. Their organization has grown from one location to a thriving enterprise employing approximately 500 people.

Linda takes us behind the scenes of that extraordinary journey. She shares the grit, commitment, teamwork, and strong people practices required to build and sustain a successful business. She also explains why every entrepreneur and business owner should include a strong human resources strategy in their business plan.

But Linda’s story extends far beyond business success.

She is deeply committed to strengthening the community, developing women, and helping others discover their purpose. During our conversation, Linda introduces two exciting women’s events sponsored by Bethel AME Church in Boston.

The Significant Women’s Weekend takes place September 25 through September 27, 2026. This inspiring experience will celebrate sisterhood, wellness, faith, purpose, and the extraordinary legacy of Rev. Dr. Gloria White Hammond. Activities will include Pearls and Denims, a wellness experience, meditation, a sound bath, meaningful conversations, worship, and opportunities to build new relationships.

The Bethel Women’s Conference will take place October 24, 2026, at Simmons University. The conference will offer women an opportunity to explore healing, personal growth, purpose, networking, and becoming the best version of themselves.

Both events are open to the community. Women of every background are welcome.

As Linda reminds us, women spend so much time caring for their families, careers, churches, businesses, and communities that they do not always make time to care for themselves. These events offer an opportunity to pause, rejuvenate, recalibrate, and move forward with renewed clarity.

Listen to this powerful episode of Conversations with Carole and discover what can happen when business leadership, faith, sisterhood, and community service come together.

=====================

COMPLETE CONFERENCE INFORMATION AT:

www.BethelAME.org/significant

www.BethelAME.org

CONVERSATIONS WITH CAROLE IS BACK!! After pausing in 2025, we're back with exciting new topics and guests!!

===================================

On today's Podcast...

What happens when the business you carefully built suddenly disappears?

That is exactly what happened to entrepreneur, photographer, and branding professional Tiffany Arnold when the COVID pandemic brought the live events industry to a halt.

Before the pandemic, Tiffany had invested in photography equipment, artificial intelligence technology, a custom photo booth, and an innovative business model designed to serve conferences and special events. When the contracts stopped, she was forced to reevaluate everything.

She eventually relocated from California to Amarillo, Texas, rebuilt her photography business, and expanded her services to help entrepreneurs and small business owners improve their branding and marketing.

In this new episode of Conversations with Carole, Tiffany and I discuss the power of professional reinvention, the value of lifelong learning, the realities of running a small business, and the courage required to pivot when circumstances change.

Her story offers an important lesson for every leader and entrepreneur: Reinvention is not a sign that you failed. It is evidence that you were willing to adapt.

Learn more about Tiffany at www.eventstapic.com

or

On Instagram: BrandingAmarillotx

In today’s episode of Conversations With Carole, we explore the power of language and the unintended consequences of everyday words and phrases. What you say may seem harmless, but the impact on others can be lasting, offensive, or dismissive.

Carole breaks down eight common words and phrases that can trigger negative reactions, create distance, or reinforce harmful stereotypes. She explains why these expressions are problematic, shares cultural context, and offers better alternatives that promote respect and inclusion.

The eight words/phrases discussed include:

1. “You people” – why this collective phrase often sounds derogatory.
2. “People of color” – how usage depends on context and confidence.
3. “Colored people” – why this outdated term is unacceptable in the U.S. today.
4. “Articulate” – how it can feel condescending when applied selectively.
5. “Poor communities” – the hidden implications behind labeling.
6. “Safe neighborhood” (or its opposite “crime-ridden”) – the coded language of geography.
7. “Idyllic life” – how this phrase privileges some lifestyles while dismissing others.
8. “Broken home” – why this term can be inaccurate and painful, and what to say instead
   .

Carole draws from history, current events, and personal experience to demonstrate how these words can alienate others—even when not intended. By choosing more accurate and respectful language, we can create conversations that connect rather than divide.

=====================================

Discover how Carole can support your organization with keynote speaking, leadership training, and consulting solutions—visit www.carolecopelandthomas.com

In this empowering episode of Conversations With Carole, Carole Copeland Thomas shares her 10 Point Plan for creating the right mindset for a successful school year. Whether you’re a high school student, college learner, adult returning to the classroom, or simply someone looking to reset your approach to learning, these insights will set you on the path to success.

Carole covers strategies like:

• Embracing a clean slate and leaving the past behind
• Securing resources early to avoid mid-semester stress
• Building the discipline of routine study and research
• Using AI wisely without losing your critical thinking
• Finding study buddies and choosing teachers with care
• Avoiding the trap of a negative, self-fulfilling mindset
• Harnessing the power of faith, prayer, and self-belief

This episode is full of practical wisdom and motivational energy to help you or someone you know start the academic year strong.

Share this episode with students in your life—or use these tips yourself as a reminder that every season brings a chance for growth.

Listen now and step into the year with purpose, positivity, and power!

Learn more about Carole's speaking and training services at www.carolecopelandthomas.com

Recorded LIVE in Roxbury, Massachusetts outside of Logan's favorite Boston eatery, Merengue Restaurant,

==========================

In this episode of Conversations with Carole, Carole Copeland Thomas continues her Best and the Brightest series by spotlighting LOGAN BROWN, a rising fourth-year medical student at the University of Michigan.

Originally from Detroit, Logan spent the past year in Boston as a Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital, conducting groundbreaking work in women’s cardiology under Dr. Emily Lau. As she prepares to return to Ann Arbor to complete her final year of medical school, Logan reflects on the mentors and community she found in Boston, the challenges of preparing for residency applications, and her aspirations to serve diverse communities through medicine.

Logan shares wisdom about perseverance, faith, and believing in one’s purpose—even when the journey feels overwhelming. Beyond medicine, listeners will get a glimpse of her creative side as an avid event planner, her love for the film Best Man Holiday, and her dreams of future travels across Africa, Thailand, and Mexico City.

This inspiring conversation captures the voice of a determined young leader on the brink of a career in medicine. Logan Brown truly represents the best and the brightest.

Key Highlights

• Logan’s research year in Boston at Massachusetts General Hospital
• The upcoming residency application process and the path to Match Day 2026
• How faith and self-belief sustain her journey in medicine
• The importance of representation and diversity in healthcare
• Personal insights: event planning, favorite movies, and global travel goals

Guest: Lilly Marcelin, Founder & Executive Director of the Resilient Sisterhood Project (RSP)
Host: Carole Copeland Thomas
Episode Length: ~43 minutes
Original Air Date: August 5, 2025
Featured Event: Call and Response: Gynecology Art Exhibition
Location: Urban Farming Institute of Boston
Date & Time: Saturday, August 9, 2025 | 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Tickets: $20 | urbanfarminginstitute.org

Episode Summary:

In this powerful episode, Carole Copeland Thomas sits down with Haitian-born activist and visionary leader Lilly Marcelin, founder of the Resilient Sisterhood Project (RSP), to explore the intersection of art, medicine, Black history, and reproductive justice. What begins as a conversation about an upcoming art exhibition evolves into a profound journey through the untold stories of Anarcha, Betsy, and Lucy—three teenage enslaved girls subjected to brutal gynecological experiments in the 1840s by Dr. James Marion Sims, often lauded as the “father of modern gynecology.”

Marcelin shares how her early work with survivors of gender-based violence led her to uncover the silenced reproductive struggles of Black women—both past and present. She recounts the birth of the Resilient Sisterhood Project and its commitment to lifting the veil on generational medical inequities and racism through education, advocacy, and the arts.

The conversation highlights the upcoming Call and Response exhibition, featuring haunting and humanizing portraits by New York-based artist Jules Arthur. With six original paintings of Anarcha, Betsy, and Lucy, the exhibit reclaims their stories and invites attendees to witness history through an unapologetically Black and feminist lens.

This episode is a tribute to resilience, remembrance, and the sacred power of storytelling. Don’t miss it.

Links Mentioned:

• Resilient Sisterhood Project: rsphealth.org
• Urban Farming Institute of Boston: urbanfarminginstitute.org

In this powerful and practical episode of Conversations With Carole, meet Nicola Millington—visionary PR strategist, cultural curator, and author of the timely and transformative new book, SWIPE: Mastering the Art of Handling Trolls and Protecting Your Peace. From the bustling energy of the Notting Hill Carnival to the calm confidence of digital self-defense, Nicola brings 25 years of communications wisdom to the screen and the page.

This episode takes listeners on a journey through Nicola’s multicultural roots in Guyana and the UK, her philosophy of legacy business building, and the hard-won lessons that shaped her groundbreaking workbook, SWIPE. Designed to empower individuals and small business owners alike, the book offers real-life case studies, including the viral TikTok post on Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and introduces a practical five-step SWIPE method:

Stop. Weigh. Investigate. Protect. Educate/Exit.

Whether you're a Gen Z creator, a concerned parent, or a business leader fighting for your digital reputation, this episode arms you with tools, insight, and courage.

Why Young People Should Read This Book:

• Mental Strength in a Digital World: In an age of online aggression, SWIPE gives young people strategies to navigate trolls, protect their mental health, and preserve their peace.
• Practical Digital Wisdom: Nicola offers timeless guidance infused with cultural depth and lived experience. From decoding digital aggression to identifying bot behavior, SWIPE is a survival guide for digital natives.
• Bridging Generations: With youth depression and loneliness rising alongside internet use, SWIPE is more than a book—it’s a bridge between analog wisdom and digital resilience.
• Empowerment Through Storytelling: The book includes nine relatable case studies, making it a must-read for young leaders, creators, and everyday users navigating the fast-paced world of online engagement.

=================================================

Where to Purchase the Book at Nicola’s Website:

https://www.marketingwithlovedigital.co.uk/swipe-landing-page

Or in the UK purchase at Amazon

In this compelling and candid episode of Conversations With Carole, host Carole Copeland Thomas sits down with longtime colleague and diversity champion Robert Principe, author of "Excuse Me While I Skip a Beat: Working to Reinvent My Life and Leadership as a White Guy". With over three decades in the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) space, Robert pulls no punches as he explores what it means to be a straight white man doing the work of equity in a divided and resistant America.

From his Italian-American roots in segregated Queens, New York, to his transformational journey as an educator, court administrator, and DEI advocate, Robert opens up about personal blind spots, cultural reckoning, and the systemic challenges that white men often ignore—or reinforce—unknowingly. His voice is not one of paternalism but of partnership, rooted in humility and a fierce commitment to truth-telling and systemic change.

The episode unpacks:

• Why Robert wrote his book for “We the People”
• The lifelong impact of privilege and unearned access
• Honest conversations about race, gender, and history
• How his work with Black women like the late Mabel Milner shaped his lens
• Why DEI efforts need glue—not just performative urgency

Carole and Robert reflect on history, health disparities, Covid, George Floyd, and even corporate responsibility—from Target’s backtracking to Costco’s unwavering stance on DEI. The episode is both sobering and galvanizing, reminding us that this moment demands bold, sustained commitment—not polite conversations.

Whether you're a CEO, DEI professional, educator, or someone just beginning to examine your own place in this movement, this episode offers deep insight, practical wisdom, and the kind of straight talk that’s rare—and necessary.

Excuse Me While I Skip a Beat: Working to Reinvent My Life and Leadership as a White Guy

An expansive, evidence-based guide on confronting personal and societal biases, Robert's book is part memoir, part DEI manual, and part call to arms. It is especially resonant for white men seeking to do better—but not limited to them. The book explores themes like historical erasure, gender inequality, economic injustice, and the transformative power of truth-telling and systems thinking.

Purchase the book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.