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A virtual meeting can fall apart for one simple reason: nobody feels understood. We talk with psychological business analyst Audra Sweet about how she uses emotional intelligence, tone awareness, and careful observation to improve stakeholder communication on government contracts, including work supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs. When so much of work moved online, the loss of nonverbal cues created new stress, more misinterpretations, and slower progress. Audrey explains what it takes to “read people” on camera, build rapport without hallway conversations, and keep feedback from turning into conflict.

We also get specific about the reality of government work: success has to be proven, not just claimed. Audra shares how she tracks metrics and percentages to show that better communication leads to better releases, stronger trust, and smoother collaboration. She breaks down why projects like digitizing GI Bill forms can be so intense, where every word must be exact, and approvals can involve layers of review, including Congress, because the language is legally binding. If you care about remote work, stakeholder management, business analysis, and workplace communication, this conversation is packed with practical insight.

Then things get personal and unexpectedly fun. Audra talks about staying connected during a spouse’s deployment through shared painting nights, building a neighborhood community from scratch, and why doing a task together can open the door to deeper conversation. Finally, we take a left turn into her “side quest” hobby: ghost hunting. EMF detectors, strange experiences, and a grounded look at how psychology and perception shape what we think we encounter all make an appearance.

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Two strokes at 27 can either break you or rebuild you. We sit down with Dr. Tamika Quinn, nationally recognized community health advocate, legislative activist, and founder of GLAM Giving Life and Motivation Inc., to talk about what survival really demanded after the cameras were gone: relearning how to live, confronting uncontrolled high blood pressure, and finally turning personal pain into public health work.

We get specific about stroke prevention and heart disease risk reduction without pretending it’s easy. Quinn shares the family moment that forced lasting change, plus the simple systems that helped: walking after dinner, using the palm of your hand to spot real portion sizes, swapping oversized plates for smaller ones, and trying her “15-minute rule” before getting seconds. We also talk hydration goals (based on body weight), why exercise affects blood pressure even when the scale does not move, and how progress beats perfection when you’re building new habits.

Then we zoom out to policy and consumer power. Quinn explains the Philadelphia sodium warning label bill for chain restaurants, why sodium disclosure matters for hypertension and cardiovascular health, and what she’s pushing for in Virginia. We also dig into food labels, processed foods, and what “bioengineered” can signal when you’re trying to eat more whole foods.

If you care about community health, nutrition education, or just want practical ways to protect your brain and heart, hit subscribe, share this conversation with a friend, and leave us a review so more people can find it.

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Do us a favor and like, comment, share, and subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes. To see the full video on YouTube go to Listen Up with Host Al Neely

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A paintbrush can be a turning point, and this conversation proves it. We sit down with Philadelphia based multidisciplinarian artist, writer, curator, and creative facilitator Ayana Viviana to unpack how neurographic art and abstract acrylic painting can pull buried emotions to the surface and turn them into meaning, color, and forward motion.

Ayana breaks down her neurographic art process in plain language: intuitive lines first, interpretation second. From there, we talk about what it really looks like to become a professional artist fast, including her early gallery experiences and the story behind her major sale, “Hire for Hire,” a piece that challenges us to “hire” our higher self instead of living on autopilot. If you care about emerging artists, pricing artwork, artist mindset, or building a sustainable creative practice, you will hear hard earned perspective without the fluff.

We also dig into community art in Philadelphia, from a City Hall exhibition tied to Hispanic Heritage Month to a residency with Tacony Lab Community Arts Center under Mural Arts, where phrases became multilingual banner messages meant to spark everyday acts of care. Ayana shares what it felt like to get the invitation to live paint at Roots Picnic, why photojournalism is really “the art of noticing,” and how her cultural writing took her to Trinidad for a story that stayed with her.

Subscribe for more real conversations, share this with a friend who needs a creative reset, and leave a review with one takeaway you want to carry into your week.

Support the show

Do us a favor and like, comment, share, and subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes. To see the full video on YouTube go to Listen Up with Host Al Neely

Reach out to us on our socials and hit us up with any questions!

Email: Info@listenup.biz
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Facebook: Let's Talk About It - Listen Up
Twitter: ListenUp@Listenup4U
Website: listenup.biz

YouTube: Listen Up with Host Al Neely