Send us Fan Mail

The Belonging Podcast by Elev8 Villages | Episode 019
Guest: Rebecca Justus, Ethical Leadership Coach and Mentor

In this episode, we explore one of the most important and often misunderstood topics of our time, Leadership.

But not just leadership…

👉 Ethical Leadership

Melissa sits down with Rebecca Justus, a coach and mentor in ethical leadership, to unpack what it truly means to lead with integrity, intention, and care in today’s complex and divided world.

💡 In this conversation, you’ll learn:

What leadership really means (and why most people get it wrong)
The difference between leadership and ethical leadership
Why leadership often turns into control or harm
How power changes people (and how to stay grounded)
The role of curiosity in great leadership
How to create safe spaces and belonging in teams
What inclusive leadership looks like in real life

This episode will challenge the way you think about influence, power, and responsibility.

Follow Rebecca

Websites: https://www.rebeccajustus.com/
https://www.reproductiveautonomy.org/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/therebeccajustus/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-justus/


If you lead in any way, at work, in your community, or even in your family, this conversation is for you.

This podcast is made possible by the generosity of our patron: Deana Laughlin.
Thank you Deana!!

Learn More About Elev8 Villages:
Website: https://www.elev8villages.org/
Download your FREE Belonging Kit: https://www.elev8villages.org/FREEkit

This podcast exists because we believe belonging is not a luxury. It’s a human need. Every story shared here helps us imagine a world where no one has to walk alone.

Send us Fan Mail

Episode 018
Guest: Just in Time for Foster Youth, San Diego, CA

There’s a difference between being supported… and truly belonging.

In this episode of The Belonging Podcast, Melissa sits down with Diane and Don from Just in Time for Foster Youth to explore what happens when young people are given something many have never experienced before: consistency, care, and a place where they don’t have to leave after making a mistake.

Through powerful stories and lived experience, this conversation reveals how early instability shapes behavior and how belonging has the power to rewrite those patterns.

This isn’t just about foster youth.
It’s about all of us.

What becomes possible when someone stays?
When mistakes don’t mean rejection?
When people are seen, supported, and given space to grow?

This episode is a glimpse into what it looks like to move from survival… into wholeness.

💡 Key Topics:

• Life after foster care
• The importance of belonging
• Mental and emotional challenges
• How mentorship changes lives
• Building real human connection
• The joy and wholeness of belonging
  
  This episode will open your eyes and touch your heart
  
  Just in Time
  Website: https://jitfosteryouth.org/
  
  BOOK:
  Life Changing Choices https://jitfosteryouth.org/book-lifec...
  
  If you’ve ever wondered how one relationship can change a life, this episode is a must-watch.
  
  This podcast is made possible by the generosity of our patron: Deana Laughlin
  Thank you Deana!!
  
  Learn More About Elev8 Villages:
  Website: https://www.elev8villages.org/
  Download your FREE Belonging Kit: https://www.elev8villages.org/FREEkit
  
  💭 If this episode inspires you, don’t for

This podcast exists because we believe belonging is not a luxury. It’s a human need. Every story shared here helps us imagine a world where no one has to walk alone.

Send us Fan Mail

In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Melissa sits down with Joseph Yoo, a Korean American priest, storyteller, and advocate for belonging. They explore what it truly means to feel seen, loved, and accepted.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why many people feel like they don’t belong
  
  
• The real meaning of peace (beyond silence)
  
  
• How to stay open in difficult conversations
  
  
• The difference between fitting in vs belonging
  
  
• What unconditional love really looks like
  
  
• How to create safe spaces for others
  
  

You’ll also hear a moving story about foster care and adoption. How one child transformed his understanding of love, presence, and belonging forever.

If you’ve ever felt like you don’t quite fit in… this conversation is for you.

A big thank you to our patron, Deana Laughlin, for making this podcast possible.

Melissa's fav Rev. Yoo post:
• Peace, biblically, goes deeper and further...

Website: https://josephyoo.com/

BOOK: https://a.co/d/0b0Eyw1W

In Pearland, Texas??
Visit Mosaic Church:
https://www.mosaicpearland.org/


Learn More About Elev8 Villages:
Website: https://www.elev8villages.org/
Download your FREE Belonging Kit: https://www.elev8villages.org/FREEkit

💭 If this episode inspires you, don’t forget to

This podcast exists because we believe belonging is not a luxury. It’s a human need. Every story shared here helps us imagine a world where no one has to walk alone.