There’s a reason Black wealth is projected to hit near-zero for too many families. Realtor leader Diahnna Curtis (President, Akron Realtist) breaks down how our homes are lost to probate, Medicaid estate recovery, and bad planning—and exactly how to protect them.

What you’ll learn

Why approvals ≠ closings: the hidden drop-off for minority buyers

The wealth math of homeownership (leverage, stability, legacy)

Probate vs. Trusts vs. Survivorship deeds — which keeps the house in the family

How Medicaid’s 5-year lookback can claw back the home—and what to do before crisis

Practical help: grants for inspection/appraisal, scholarships into real estate careers, and vetted pros

Ever wonder why so many approved buyers still lose their homes days before closing? We unpack that frustrating cliff edge and connect it to a bigger mission: building minority wealth through sustainable homeownership, smarter financing, and estate planning that actually protects families. Our guest, Diahnna Curtis—president of the Akron Realtist Association and a seasoned realtor—brings the blend of creativity, grit, and practical know‑how that turns raw circumstances into stable futures.

We start with the personal: how divorce and tight budgets can spark the creativity to DIY, save, and learn the real estate game from the studs. From there, we go wide—examining the minority homeownership gap, why women are carrying more approvals than men, and what the SHIBA report reveals about a troubling wealth forecast. Diahnna explains the late‑stage hurdles that derail closings, including appraisal gaps, thin reserves for surprise costs, and underwriting shifts that punish buyers with limited credit histories. Together, we propose tangible fixes: scholarships to bring more minorities into real estate careers, funds that cover inspections and appraisals, and a community network of lenders, appraisers, and inspectors committed to fair outcomes.

Then we double down on wealth preservation. Too many elders lose homes to Medicaid’s five‑year lookback or see properties trapped in probate for a year while taxes and repairs pile up. We walk through practical tools—living trusts, transfer on death and survivorship deeds—and the hard but necessary family conversations that assign responsibilities early and keep property in the bloodline. Diahnna shares the emotional reality of selling a parent’s home and how to balance memories with stewardship, so care decisions and financial decisions serve both dignity and long‑term stability.

If you care about generational wealth, neighborhood health, and giving kids a foundation stronger than circumstance, this conversation is your field guide. Subscribe, share with someone planning to buy or protect a family home, and leave a review with your biggest question about closing the deal or setting up a trust—we’ll tackle it in a future episode.

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Shop: www.bfempowerment.com/shop

Follow: @powerfullybroken | @queenblparker | bfempowerment.com/pbp
Book: A Powerful Divorce
Therapy: BF Empowerment Center 526 South Main Street Akron, Ohio 44311

Watch Powerfully Broken Podcast airing on Fridays at 9am.

She was the protector everyone called when things got ugly. Today, Kitten (Charlesetta Byers-Richardson) is the founder & CEO of Nalijaron Wines—and she’s sharing how she transformed street survival into a legitimate, legacy-building business.

What you’ll learn

• Why some girls “choose the life” (trauma, “protection,” fast cash) and how to exit
• Street loyalty vs. self-loyalty: the moment everything changed
• Turning hustle into a business: discipline, product, pricing, and shipping
• Boundaries, safety, and protecting your kids without losing yourself
• Legacy lens: from ‘mama pimp’ to mama entrepreneur

What happens when the fiercest protector in the room decides to protect herself too? We sit down with Kitten—founder and CEO of Nalijaron Wines—for a raw, unflinching conversation about survival, loyalty, and what it takes to turn pain into purpose without losing your edge. She opens up about a childhood shaped by absence and street codes, the years she became the one people called when things got dangerous, and the moment a devastating loss forced her to choose a different legacy.

We go deep on the gray spaces people rarely admit out loud: harm reduction inside “the life,” why fast money can be addictive even when it’s killing you, and how protection built on fear can slowly become protection built on structure, options, and community. Kitten shares how she tried to make the streets safer—clean rooms, food, medical care—while wrestling with the moral cost and the heartbreak of losing someone she tried to help. Her honesty about caring for everyone else while ignoring her own health will hit home for anyone who’s been the family backbone for too long.

The turn toward entrepreneurship is both practical and poetic. With Nalijaron Wines—31 flavors with a clean, no-hangover finish—Kitten channels grit into craft and turns survival skills into business skills. We talk about product quality, customer trust, and a brand rooted in healing, dignity, and second chances. If you’re navigating trauma, exploring life after the streets, or building a business that reflects who you’re becoming, this story offers a grounded blueprint for change.

Subscribe for more conversations that transform hard truths into healthy futures, and share this episode with someone who needs proof that survival can ferment into something beautiful. If you enjoyed the show, leave a review and tell us the moment that moved you most.

• Nalijaron Wines, 2535 Romig Rd, Akron, OH 44320 | (330) 459-9090 | Ships (where legal)
• Follow: @powerfullybroken | @queenblparker | bfempowerment.com/pbp

• Book: A Powerful Divorce

Therapy: BF Empowerment Center 526 South Main Street Akron, Ohio 44311

Watch Powerfully Broken Podcast airing on Fridays at 9am.

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Keys can feel heavier when life is heavy. We sit down with Diahnna Curtis—realtor, community leader, and caregiver—to trace how a home becomes more than an address when you’re navigating grief, surgery, and the hard math of a volatile market. What starts as a story about buying and selling turns into a blueprint for building stability: saving through feast-or-famine seasons, trusting your gut after an inspection, and designing for a future self that deserves ease, access, and dignity.

Diahnna brings the honesty most sales conversations skip. She breaks down why door hangers and endless open houses often look busy but underperform, and how to replace them with strategies that actually convert. We unpack the punch list that matters—decluttering, targeted fixes, smart staging—and the cold truth about ROI: over-improving for your neighborhood won’t generate fantasy offers. You’ll hear how to decide between “as-is” pricing and selective upgrades, how to read your market with comps, and why an agent who can read your face may save you from decades of buyer’s remorse.

Underneath the tactics is the heart: being a primary caregiver while running a business, reordering a day when a parent with memory loss needs you longer than planned, and still showing up for clients without letting your own life fall apart. We talk about the quiet heroism of support systems—lenders, friends, and colleagues who catch the baton when your hands shake—and the deeper meaning of a “forever home” for someone who moved every year as a child. Accessibility, first-floor living, and spaces that evolve with you turn a house into a partner for the life you’re actually living.

If you’re buying, selling, caregiving, or just craving a space that holds you together, this conversation gives you both the playbook and the permission to choose well. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a lifeline, and leave a review telling us the one feature your forever home must have.

Resources & Safety

If you’re in danger, call 911 (U.S.).
Domestic Violence Hotline (U.S.): 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or chat: thehotline.org
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.): Call/Text 988 (24/7)
About the show
Powerfully Broken helps you overcome unhealthy relationships that harm mental health. New episodes Tuesday and Fridays at 9 AM ET and Sunday at 8am ET

• Book: A Powerful Divorce — reclaim peace & purpose
• BF Empowerment Center — counseling, coaching, MPAC youth program
• Guest: Google “Diahnna Curtis Akron Realtor” or call 330-715-5650
• Follow: @powerfullybroken | @queenblparker | bfempowerment.com/pbp

Support the show

Shop: www.bfempowerment.com

Follow: @powerfullybroken | @queenblparker | bfempowerment.com/pbp
Book: A Powerful Divorce
Therapy: BF Empowerment Center 526 South Main Street Akron, Ohio 44311

Watch Powerfully Broken Podcast airing on Fridays at 9am.

After two marriages, violence, and the terror of choosing survival, Realtor & community leader Diahnna Curtis tells host Barbara L. Parker, MA, LPCC-S how she rebuilt: leaving abuse, working three jobs, choosing public assistance without shame, raising two daughters through activities and structure, and transforming health with intentional eating and meal prep (autoimmune-friendly).

What you’ll learn

• The moment you know it’s over—and how to plan your exit safely
• Working hard vs. working smart (at-will state, layoffs, pivot to real estate)
• Single-mom playbook: activities as stability (golf, theater, teams)
• Food as medicine: anti-inflammatory choices, meal prep & label literacy
• Boundaries that last: “If I can choose never again, I had power all along”

What if the dream you chased became the cage you had to escape? That’s where our conversation with Diahnna Curtis begins—young love misread as devotion, red flags disguised as attention, and the quiet, terrifying shift from romance to violence. Diahnna takes us into the moment she chose safety over the picture-perfect story, and the long, unglamorous road that followed: two divorces, three jobs, school at night, and the pain of missing first steps while building a way out. From there, we pull back the curtain on how survival turns into strategy. Diahnna reclaims her power by reframing public assistance as a bridge, not a failure; by leaving toxic workplaces in an at-will state that thrives on precarity; and by pivoting into real estate where she can set her ceiling, advocate for minority homeownership, and lead with integrity. She shares what autonomy really looks like—choosing not to return to a place you were released from, building income around values, and protecting your peace even when the numbers tell you to compromise. Threaded through is a masterclass in parenting through upheaval and caring for a body that demands intention. Golf lessons at lunch breaks, theater sign-ups, swim practice, and drive-thru dinners gave her daughters rhythm when life felt uncertain. An autoimmune condition reshaped her kitchen: weekend meal prep, freezer-ready proteins, fresh markets, and seasoning shelves split into “safe” and “general.” She talks about setbacks from indulgent meals out, the joy of almond flour pancakes, why blueberries and kale stay on the plate, and how improved labs prove that consistent choices pay off. Diahnna’s final insight lands with weight: if she can say she won’t allow abuse again, then she admits she allowed it once—and that admission returns her agency. If you’re navigating control, career burnout, parenting in transition, or a health reset, this story offers a blueprint: walk when you’re released, design work that serves your life, feed your body with care, and build a home—literal and emotional—on your own terms. If the episode resonates, subscribe, share it with someone who needs hope, and leave a review so more listeners can find their way to safety and strength.

Resources & Safety

• If you’re in danger, call 911 (U.S.).
• Domestic Violence Hotline (U.S.): 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or chat: thehotline.org
• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.): Call/Text 988 (24/7)

About the show
Powerfully Broken helps you overcome unhealthy relationships that harm mental health. New episodes Tuesday and Fridays at 9 AM ET and Sunday at 8am ET

• Book: A Powerful Divorce — reclaim peace & purpose
• BF Empowerment Center — counseling, coaching, MPAC youth program
• Guest: Google “Diahnna Curtis Akron Realtor” or call 330-715-5650
• Follow: @powerfullybroken | @queenblparker | bfempowerment.com/pbp

Support the show

Ever wondered how the person everyone leans on finds their own support? Stephanie Brooks—minister, mother, mental health advocate, and sexual minority advocate—joins us for a raw conversation about navigating life as both a support system for others and a human being with her own needs.

Stephanie unveils her powerful strategy for discerning when to process alone versus when to call in reinforcements. "Betrayal for me is one of those times when I need to isolate," she reveals, sharing how moments of deep hurt require space to recalibrate before determining who truly deserves proximity to your heart. With disarming honesty, she explains how she communicates her needs: "I need y'all to check on me. I need y'all to call." This ability to articulate vulnerability while maintaining strength offers a masterclass in emotional intelligence.

The conversation turns to identifying your true inner circle—those rare few who can be trusted with your full weight in crisis. Drawing wisdom from scripture, Stephanie notes how even Jesus had different tiers of relationships, bringing only three disciples to his most vulnerable moments in Gethsemane. She introduces the concept of "destiny partners" versus "taking friends," a profound framework for understanding which connections are meant for your journey ahead and which served a purpose for just a season. "Your ride-or-dies can't come with you into destiny," she explains, detailing how growth sometimes necessitates leaving certain relationships behind.

Ready to strengthen your discernment about who belongs in your inner circle? Listen now to gain life-changing insights about trusting wisely, healing thoroughly, and growing powerfully through life's challenges. Whether you're the "strong friend" everyone depends on or someone looking to build a healthier support system, this episode offers valuable wisdom for navigating relationships with greater clarity and purpose.

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After seven suicide attempts and years of stigma, mental-health advocate and trainer Shanika Suniyah Jordan chose help over silence. With host Barbara L. Parker, MA, LPCC-S, she unpacks faith vs. therapy, finding the right therapist (CBT/EMDR), and her “Release the DOPE” framework for letting go of shame, fear, and self-sabotage.

What you’ll learn

• Faith and therapy: why it’s not either/or
• How to find a therapist who fits (beyond “How does that make you feel?”)
• Hidden grief & early trauma → adult anxiety/depression
• “Release the DOPE”: ditching unhealthy habits to unlock purpose
• Why fitness supports mental health (confidence, serotonin, cortisol)

A private battle with depression can look like a normal life from the outside—until the day you meet your edge and realize you need a different kind of help. We sit down with mental health advocate and trainer Shanika Jordan to trace her path from a faith-only framework to trauma-informed therapy after a seventh suicide attempt became the turning point. What followed wasn’t magic or instant relief, but skillful work: finding the right therapist, embracing CBT and EMDR, doing uncomfortable homework, and building the muscles—mental and physical—that keep you steady when emotion runs high.

We explore the friction between religious stigma and real psychological needs, and how privacy protections make it possible to seek care without shame. Shanika shares how a therapist’s focused structure replaced vague “talking” with targeted tools, lighting up self-awareness where dogma had kept questions quiet. We connect the dots between movement and mood—burning off cortisol, boosting serotonin, and rebuilding confidence through consistent, accessible fitness. And we dig into “Release the Dope,” Shanika’s framework for dropping self-sabotage, guilt, and fear so your actual strengths can surface and guide purpose.

This conversation is honest, practical, and hopeful. You’ll hear how to evaluate therapist fit, why healing is a lifelong practice rather than a destination, and how purpose can be small, specific, and still profound enough to make you stay for tomorrow. If you’ve ever felt torn between faith and therapy, or stuck with a therapist who wasn’t a match, this story offers a roadmap: try again, ask better questions, and build a simple system you can keep. Subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave a review telling us the one belief about mental health you’re ready to let go of today.

• Book: A Powerful Divorce — reclaim peace & purpose
• BF Empowerment Center — counseling, coaching, MPAC youth program
• Guest: ReleaseTheDope.com | IG/TikTok: @releasethedope
• Follow: @powerfullybroken | @queenblparker | bfempowerment.com/pbp

Support the show

Men cry. Men break. Men heal. In this powerful roundtable, Brian D. Nordstrom Jr., Apostle Andre Dodson, and Will Van Dyke sit with host Barbara L. Parker, MA, LPCC-S & Co-Host Mary Kent to break the stigma around male emotions—especially for Black men—and talk boundaries, therapy, co-parenting, and choosing peace over chaos.

What happens when men's emotions are invalidated in relationships? Our raw, honest conversation with three men who've walked through relationship trauma reveals the hidden struggles many face behind closed doors.

The stigma against men expressing emotions runs deep in our culture. As one guest poignantly shares, "The only time you can show that you are human is if there's a loss of life." This emotional suppression creates devastating ripple effects through relationships, yet few talk openly about it.

These men courageously share their journeys from denial to acceptance about their failing relationships. "My friends had told me several times what was going on. I didn't want to hear, didn't want to see it," one guest admits. This resistance to seeing relationship problems keeps countless men trapped in cycles of pain and frustration.

The most powerful revelation comes when discussing healing. Against cultural norms urging men to "get another one" after breakups, our guests took radical paths of self-discovery. One spent five years intentionally single, focusing on therapy and personal growth. "Quit blaming other people. Find fault in yourself," he advises. This counterintuitive approach - taking responsibility rather than casting blame - transformed their ability to build healthy relationships later.

Communication emerges as the critical skill many men never learned. "I hid it through religion, I hid it through prayer," one guest shares about his former approach to relationship problems. Learning to express emotions clearly and set boundaries compassionately revolutionized his marriage.

Perhaps most importantly, these men challenge the stigma around therapy in the Black community. Their unanimous endorsement of counseling offers a powerful alternative narrative for men struggling with emotional issues. As one powerfully states, "I had to be broken to be as powerful as I am right now."

Join us for this essential conversation about vulnerability, healing, and finding strength through brokenness. Subscribe, share, and follow us @QueenBLParker or @BF_Empowerment for more transformative discussions on relationships and emotional health.

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After a 17-year relationship ended, veteran and artist Brian D. Nordstrom Jr. hit an unthinkable low—then rebuilt from the inside out. In this raw conversation with host Barbara L. Parker, MA, LPCC-S, Brian shares how therapy, Buddhism, creativity, and a service dog helped him choose life, self-love, and purpose.

The path from despair to self-discovery rarely follows a straight line. In this raw and deeply moving conversation, veteran Brian Norson shares his journey through the darkest moments of his life to finding profound self-love and purpose.

When a 17-year relationship suddenly ended, Brian found himself at rock bottom. Covering mirrors because he couldn't stand his reflection and contemplating suicide on his 50th birthday, he credits his service dog Miles Walker with the moment that saved his life. "I had a gun in my mouth... I looked at my dog and thought, he'll never understand. How could I do that?" From that pivotal moment, Brian began the slow, challenging work of rebuilding himself.

Buddhism became Brian's philosophical framework for healing, teaching him the compassion he desperately needed to show himself. "I started saying it out loud in the shower—you deserve this, you're a good man. And then right after, I'd say, 'You're a fucking liar,' because I couldn't get past myself." Through persistent self-work, meditation, and therapy for his PTSD, Brian gradually reclaimed not only his mental health but also his artistic passions that had been neglected during his relationship struggles.

Today, Brian creates beautiful furniture pieces, has purchased a home with a workshop, and practices meditation four times daily. His perspective on his journey reflects profound wisdom: "I would never change what happened to me. The things and trials I've gone through, I'm glad I went through them because I'm the best man I've ever been in my life now." For anyone struggling with trauma, relationship loss, or thoughts of suicide, Brian's story offers a powerful reminder that healing begins with self-compassion and that our darkest moments don't define us—they refine us.

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