What happens when retirement plans are replaced by school drop-offs, homework, and parenting all over again?

In this episode of Conversations with Karen and Cat, we welcome Dimeca and Burdette Hawkins, founders of Poppa & Gigi's Promise. They share their journey of unexpectedly becoming full-time caregivers for their grandchildren and how that experience inspired them to create a nonprofit dedicated to supporting grandparents and other relative caregivers.

Resources from the episode

Poppa & Gigi's Promise

Supporting grandparents and caregivers raising children through resources, community, advocacy, and events.

Step Forward Community Walk

📅 October 3

🕘 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Learn more, register, and donate at:

PoppaAndGigisPromise.org

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If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need this conversation.

Together, we can ensure that no grandfamily walks this journey alone.

Can healing truly change your life?

This week on Conversations with Karen and Kat, we welcome Eboni Caldwell, founder of Productive & Prosper-Us Empowerment, LLC. After surviving homelessness, domestic violence, divorce, and financial hardship, Eboni transformed her pain into purpose and now helps women heal emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

In this powerful conversation, she discusses healing trauma, inner-child work, setting healthy boundaries, journaling, faith, forgiveness, and discovering purpose after life's greatest challenges.

If you're ready to embrace healing and move forward with hope, this episode is one you won't want to miss.

Topics Covered

• Healing trauma
• Women's empowerment
• Inner-child healing
• Faith and purpose
• Mental wellness
• Healthy relationships
• Self-love
• Personal growth
• Journaling
• Breaking generational cycles

Subscribe for more inspiring conversations with changemakers, community leaders, and visionaries who are making a difference.

What if the behaviors we label as resistance, defiance, or laziness are actually signs of an untold story?

In this powerful episode of Conversations with Karen and Kat, we welcome Dr. Erlange Elisme, behavioral health consultant, trauma-informed leadership strategist, author, and founder of Elisme Consulting Services.

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in behavioral health, education, and leadership, Dr. Elisme explores how trauma shapes our relationships, workplaces, and communities. She explains why many high-functioning people silently carry emotional burdens, how leaders can create psychologically safe environments, and why healing is a collective responsibility—not an individual one.

The conversation also highlights the wisdom of the Haitian tradition of kombit, reminding us that we were never meant to carry life's challenges alone. Dr. Elisme shares practical insights on building resilient teams, supporting young people, addressing mental health stigma in communities of color, and recognizing the humanity behind every behavior.

• Why behavior is often communication rather than defiance.
• How trauma affects leadership, workplaces, and families.
• Why high achievers are often the last to seek support.
• The importance of psychological safety and compassionate leadership.
• How community and connection are essential to healing.
• Practical ways to support mental wellness in everyday life.

This timely conversation, released during National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, is an invitation to rethink resilience, extend grace, and create communities where people feel seen, heard, and supported.

Email: elisme@elismeconsultingservices.com

Phone Number: 6785956446

Website: https://www.elismeconsultingservices.com

Signup for Dr. Elisme's July 16th webinar, The Body Whispers: Catch Burnout Before Resignation https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1991030125703?aff=oddtdtcreator

Subscribe to Conversations with Karen and Kat as we continue impacting the world—one conversation at a time.