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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.

Send us Fan Mail

The Belonging Podcast by Elev8 Villages with Cullen Wallace | 016

This episode of the Belonging Podcast is a deeply honest and powerful conversation about loneliness, mental health, and what it truly means to belong.

Cullen Wallace shares his life growing up in Alaska, the importance of deep friendships, and the reality of struggling silently. From dealing with depression and vulnerability to finding “3AM people," the kind of friends who truly show up. This episode is filled with raw truth and life-changing insights.

In this episode, we explore:
• What belonging really means in life
• Why most people feel alone (even when they’re not)
• The importance of having “3AM people”
• Mental health struggles and opening up
• How to build deep, honest friendships
• Learning to be present and value time
• Finding purpose during difficult seasons

If you’ve ever felt lost, disconnected, or unsure of your path, this conversation is for you. You are not alone.

Check out “Today’s Thought Worth Thinking About” and follow Cullen here:
https://www.facebook.com/cullenwallacerealtor
https://www.instagram.com/cullenwallace.fairbanks/

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

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255

OR DIAL 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

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

The Belonging Podcast by Elev8 Villages with Behi Shafiei | 015

This episode of the Belonging Podcast is one of the most powerful and emotional conversations we’ve had.

Behi Shafiei shares her incredible journey. Growing up in Iran, losing her sister in a fight for justice, and rebuilding her life in a new country. From surviving oppression to creating financial freedom, her story is a testament to courage, belonging and purpose.

In this episode, we talk about:
• What it’s really like growing up as a woman in Iran
• The emotional impact of losing a loved one fighting for justice
• Immigration, identity, and finding belonging
• Why financial literacy is the key to freedom
• How to stop trading time for money
• Building wealth as a woman and immigrant

This is more than a story, it’s a wake-up call!

If you’ve ever felt lost, stuck, or unsure about your future, this conversation will inspire you to take control of your life and build your own path.

Follow Behi’s journey:
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/behi-shafiei/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behishafiei/

Read more about Behi in her new Bestselling Book:
https://a.co/d/0g39A8HM

Live in Canada? Work with Behi and learn how to grow your wealth:
https://wealthbridgeto.ca/

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 a text

The Belonging Podcast by Elev8 Villages with Maria Travieso | 014

In this powerful episode of the Belonging Podcast by Elev8 Villages, host Melissa Kaye sits down with Maria Travieso, Christian influencer, content creator, minister, and cancer survivor.

Maria shares her deeply personal story of navigating divorce, identity loss, and a life-changing cancer diagnosis, and how faith, resilience, and community helped her rebuild her life.

This honest and inspiring conversation explores:

• Life after divorce
• Surviving cancer and rebuilding identity
• Faith and personal relationship with God
• Soul ties and emotional healing
• Building healthy relationships
• Finding belonging and purpose

Maria also shares how her journey led her to become a podcaster and social media content creator, helping women heal and rediscover their strength.

If you’ve ever struggled with heartbreak, loss, illness, or searching for your purpose, this episode will remind you that healing and transformation are always possible.

Visit us at church:
https://www.rockfaithcenter.com/
https://www.palestinechurch.com/

Connect with Maria here:
https://stan.store/MariaTraviesa

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

🔔 Subscribe for more powerful conversations about faith, healing, relationships, and belonging.

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

The Belonging Podcast by Elev8 Villages with Sam Jockel | 013

In this powerful episode, host Melissa Kaye sits down with Sam Jockel, CEO and Founder of ParentTV and producer of the powerful parenting documentary “SEEN.”

Together they explore what it truly means to be seen, understood, and to belong. Not only as children but also as parents navigating the emotional challenges of raising families in today’s world.

Sam shares the deeply personal story behind creating the documentary SEEN, a film that highlights how parenting transformation often begins when parents turn inward and take responsibility for their own emotional growth.

This conversation dives into the powerful idea that belonging begins with being truly seen by others and by ourselves.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The inspiration behind the documentary SEEN
• Why parenting transformation starts with self-awareness
• How parents can create deeper connection and belonging in their families
• The difference between being told you are loved vs. truly feeling loved
• Why emotional growth is like going to the gym for your mind
• The importance of community, vulnerability, and building a modern village

If you are a parent, caregiver, educator, or someone interested in healing family relationships and building stronger communities, this conversation will resonate deeply with you.

Watch the SEEN Documentary:
https://youtu.be/bZPQXpw6kT0?si=ERh_hM2HdwRMaaHa
https://seenthefilm.com/

Follow Sam Jockel:
https://parenttv.com/
https://www.instagram.com/parenttv/
https://seenthecommunity.substack.com/podcast

🌍 Learn more about Elev8 Villages
https://www.elev8villages.org/
Download your FREE Belonging Kit here:
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

The Belonging Podcast by Elev8 Villages with Aabha Gupta | 012

In this deeply reflective episode, Melissa sits down with holistic nutritionist and EFT practitioner Aabha Gupta to explore a powerful question:

What if belonging isn’t just social, but physiological?

Born in India and having lived in the United States and Canada, Aabha shares her personal journey of identity shifts, immigration, motherhood, and midlife transformation.

Together, they explore:

- Why belonging is a nervous system experience
- How menopause becomes a threshold of identity
- The hidden grief women carry in midlife
- Why “fitting in” is actually shrinking
- The role of silence, meditation, and service in creating belonging
- How to quiet the inner critic and return home to yourself

If you are navigating menopause, relocation, identity shifts, or simply feeling untethered. This episode is for you.

Belonging begins with self-love and returning home to yourself.

Learn More from Aabha
Website: https://claimvitality.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aabhag/

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