She specifically mentions Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American woman to win an Oscar, as an example of resilience and pioneering spirit. Arena shares a quote that has inspired her, encouraging listeners to maintain their faith and persistence through challenges. Cynthia concludes the episode by expressing gratitude to the listeners and inviting them to stay connected for future episodes, reminding them of the importance of support from the audience and sponsors.

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I am especially excited today for 2 reasons:


1. This is our first time coming to the table since the launch of the Book Club to have a candid conversation about a topic that continues to chronically, and sometimes lethally, maneuver in silence and we, especially people of color, must bring this subject to, and keep it at, the forefront.


2. For our May episode, we are celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month. This is such a critical topic.

I have joining me here today for this special episode of our CATT Book Club, my BFF Deloris, and some of my other sistah, sistah friends, and colleagues Arena and Lori. Ladies say hello to everyone!
I also want to take a moment to give a special shout-out and thanks to my niece, Marlo Washington, for designing our very nice and blinged CATT Book Club t-shirts. That’s right, we have our very own merch for the CATT Book Club. Thank you, Marlo! I’m also wearing lipstick by Mulan V and want to give a special shout-out to Mulan as well. Thank you, Mulan! Now, back to the topic at hand (laugh).

Our featured book that we will be discussing today is Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen: The Emotional Lives of Black Women by Dr. Inger Burnett-Zeigler, a clinical psychologist and associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University. We will be lifting up some of the primary points addressed in the book around some of the mental health challenges faced by Black women as well as explore how to identify and navigate through what healing looks and feels like.

I recently learned that depression rates in the U.S. have surged to record highs, especially in young adults and women. Now we won’t take a deep dive into the research on mental health disorders, particularly major depressive episodes, but I do want to share a few statistics to hopefully add some context to our book discussion. According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 21.0 million adults in the U.S. had at least one major depressive episode. This number represented 8.4% of all U.S. adults. The prevalence of major depressive episodes was higher among adult females (10.5%) compared to males (6.2%). The prevalence of adults with a major depressive episode was highest among individuals aged 18-25 (17.0%).


We hope you have enjoyed our first book reading and this episode as much as we have! And we are looking forward to vibing with you in our future CATT Book Club episodes. Please also feel free to share your suggestions regarding other books we can feature on our CATT Book Club Corner. As we continue to lift up self-care, we are asking you to submit nominations for a person who you believe deserves and would greatly benefit from a CATT Self-Care package as our way of saying “Your self-care matters and you matter”. We will be doing a drawing for a free giveaway of a CATT Self-Care package, so look out for this special announcement. More information will be sent out to CATT followers soon.

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But as I think back on the blood, sweat, and tears that my ancestors gave to make my future a better one, I can still hold my head high. I'm talking about the pioneers, prominent figures, trailblazers, abolitionists, civil rights leaders, unsung heroes, and advocates who have relentlessly given of themselves, many of them up until their dying days.

It is because of them that I proudly celebrate my Black History, even if it is only formally recognized in the month of February. It is because of them that I can be resilient and still have hope. It is because of them that I boldly and intentionally step into 2023 with my newfound mantra of “Leveling Up.”

If we really want to see the impact of our labor and move the needle in a meaningful way, we must level up. Leveling up, to me, means being accountable, being proactive, stepping up to the plate, and acting on integrity even when no one else is watching.

This applies to both our personal and professional lives. I believe that in all things, one must level up in order to move up. And I hope YOU are up for the challenge. So as we celebrate Black History Month, let's show up and level up - not just for our generation, but for the generations to come!

In closing, I'll leave you with this quote by Martin Luther king. It says... The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.

Until next time, stay safe, stay well, and stay connected!

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We’ve connected with a lot of awesome people this year and couldn’t think of a better way to wrap up our Season 2 year than celebrating and highlighting how we were able to continue to forge ahead with some of our guests in a year unlike any other.

Yes, today we are dedicating our show to celebrating a meaningful milestone with our Cynthia@theTable Leadership and Career Challenge, or CATT Challenge as we like to call it, participants on their success in completing the Challenge. And I certainly also want to acknowledge and again say how much we have truly appreciated our mentors for their inspiration and support, and for volunteering their personal time throughout the Challenge.

To once again bring our viewers up to speed regarding our Challenge initiative, and as a reminder to those of you who followed us through those episodes, The Challenge was designed so that our Team can be a support and resource and assist our participants with achieving their career journey goal(s) so that they can continue to elevate and grow both personally and professionally. This is personally gratifying for me because this is the real reason for this platform and our motivation for being here.

I’m going to take this moment to re-introduce our three Challenge participants: Joyell Siner, DeLlora Ellis, and Lori Talps. As many of you know, for several months during this year, we spotlighted and chronicled the journey of these three ladies, tracking and monitoring their progress, which included them identifying a goal that they each wanted to work on and then diligently navigating through the action steps of their milestones to ultimately achieve their developed goals.

We are so extremely excited to be celebrating, acknowledging, and congratulating each of our participants for successfully accomplishing their personal career journey here at the table! And, in doing so, we are presenting you each with a CATT Challenge Award and Certificate of Completion in recognition of your making it to the finish line. I can recall our episode when the CATT Challenge Leader Board page was shared illustrating each of the ladies had approached the finish line. That was a true kodak moment for all of us!

As we continue to celebrate today, I also want to again acknowledge the professional coaches/mentors: Wanda Hazel, Joseph Kelly, and Jeffrey Clark, whom as you know, were assigned to each of the CATT participants and collectively served as a support system and contributed to their success by providing them with expert guidance, feedback, mentoring and coaching throughout their journey. We have a little something for each of you too!

The Coaches/Mentors also showed what bringing us together meant to them by very thoughtfully providing the group with a picture taken during one of our episodes and had it beautifully framed. A card entitled “inspire” was provided with the framed picture. The definition of the word was also included and I will allow each of them to speak to this very kind gesture and what it specifically meant to them.

Remember to click on the link below to follow us on all media platforms, subscribe, tap the like button and leave a comment: 

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/CATT_podcast

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To once again make sure all of our viewers are up to speed regarding our current initiative, and as a reminder to those of you who have been following us since we launched it, The Challenge was designed so that our Team can be a support and resource and assist our participants with achieving their career journey goal(s) so that they can continue to elevate and grow both personally and professionally.

Back here with us again today are the selected individuals who are participating in The Challenge: Joyell Siner, DeLlora Ellis, and Lori Talps. As reported in our last episode, each of our participants did an exceptional job in identifying a goal that they each wanted to work on, making sure that it is SMART (meaning it is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound), as well as developing associated milestones (the action steps and activities that will lead them towards achieving their goals).

And, as many of you know, over the past couple of months, we have been chronicling the journey of these three ladies and tracking and monitoring their progress as they have been diligently navigating through the action steps of their milestones to achieve their developed goals. We are especially excited about this episode because we will be taking another look at our cool CATT Challenge Leader Board (courtesy of Candi Gurl), which I believe will be illustrating that the ladies are heading to the finish line.

As I also shared during our previous episodes, these CATT participants have each been assigned to professional coaches/mentors to provide them with expert tips to assist in the development and tracking of their identified goals and milestones. So also back here with us today as our Special Guests are our professional experts: Wanda Hazel and Joseph Kelly, who as many of you have heard me mention throughout the Challenge episodes, have graciously volunteered to serve as a support system to contribute to the success of our participants by providing them with expert guidance, feedback, mentoring and coaching.

During today’s episode, we will again hear from each of our participants, who will again share their established goals and milestones, as well as provide us with an update on their progress in accomplishing their individual milestone(s). They will also briefly tell us about their ongoing experiences in navigating through the process, including how having a CATT mentor/coach continued to contribute to their journey towards accomplishing their milestones and, ultimately, their overall goal.

Our participants will also be sharing with our listeners how the tools, in particular, the vision boards, CATT Goal Template, and journal that were provided to each of them prior to the Challenge launch were helpful in getting them to where they each are today.

Next, I would like to allow our expert guest mentors/coaches to say a few words about how the process has been for each of them.

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Welcome back to Cynthia@theTable. Thank you for joining us again today! I am your host, Cynthia. We’re back here today to do a check-in episode for our Cynthia@theTable Leadership and Career Challenge initiative.

To make sure all of our viewers are up to speed regarding our current initiative. As a reminder to those of you who have been following us since we launched it, The Challenge was designed so that our Team can be a support and resource and assist our participants with achieving their career journey goal(s) so that they can continue to elevate and grow both personally and professionally.

Back here with us again today are the selected individuals who are participating in The Challenge: Joyell Siner, DeLlora Ellis, and Lori Talps.

Each of our participants did an exceptional job in Phase 1 of the Challenge process, which was to identify a goal that they each want to work on, making sure that it is SMART (meaning it is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound), as well as to develop associated milestones (the action steps and activities that will lead them towards achieving their goals).

As shared in our last episode, over the next couple of months, we are chronicling the journey of these three ladies and tracking and monitoring their progress as they navigate through the action steps of their milestones to achieve their developed goals.

As I also shared during our last episode, these CATT participants have each been assigned to professional coaches/mentors to provide them with expert tips to assist in developing and tracking their identified goals and milestones.

As such, also back here with us today as our Special Guests are our three professional experts: Wanda Hazel. In addition, as many of you have heard me mention, Joseph Kelly and Jeffrey Clark have graciously volunteered to serve as a support system to contribute to the success of our participants by providing them with expert guidance, feedback, mentoring, and coaching.

Today, we will hear from each of our participants, who will again share their established goals and milestones and provide us with an update on their progress in accomplishing their individual milestone(s). 

They will also briefly tell us about their ongoing experience in navigating through the process, including how having a CATT mentor/coach contributes to their journey towards accomplishing their milestones and, ultimately, their overall goal.

Remember to click on the link below to follow us on all media platforms:

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/CATT_podcast

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Welcome back to Cynthia@theTable. Thank you for joining us again today! I am your host, Cynthia and I have my co-host, Arena, in the background, here with me today.

We’re excited to be back with a follow-up episode to our Cynthia@theTable Leadership and Career Challenge launch episode that we released in April. As I shared with you before, The Challenge is an initiative that is near and dear to me because of my own personal and professional leadership journey, charge, and commitment. It’s aligned with my story and my why, and the motivation behind having this platform.

As a reminder, The Challenge was designed so that our Team can be a support and resource and assist our participants with achieving their career journey goal(s) to also continue to elevate and grow both personally and professionally. 

Back here with us today are the selected individuals who are participating in The Challenge: Joyell Siner, Delora Ellis, and Lori Talps.

Also, here with us today as our Special Guest, are two of the three professional experts: Wanda Hazel and Jeffrey Clark, who we previously shared have graciously volunteered to serve as a support system to contribute to the success of our participants by providing them with expert guidance, feedback, mentoring and coaching.

Since our last episode, the CATT participants have each been assigned a professional coach/mentor to provide them with expert tips to assist in the development and tracking of an identified goal and milestones.

Today, we will hear from each of our participants, who will share their established goals and milestones as well as briefly tell us about their overall experience with the process, including how having a CATT mentor/coach contributed to their journey towards developing their goal and milestones.

Remember to click on the link below to follow us on all media platforms, subscribe, tap the like button and leave comment:

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/CATT_podcast

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Last season at the table around this time, I gave a little historical context on the founding of Father’s Day and how our nation began celebrating this holiday. Even now, I’m still intrigued regarding the history of Father’s day.

Last Father’s Day I talked about how I had learned that in 1924 President Calvin Coolidge recognized Father’s Day as the third Sunday in June of that year and encouraged States to do the same.

However, Congress only officially recognized Father’s Day in 1956 with the passage of a joint resolution. That’s amazing because that was only 65 years ago.

Obviously, many of the fathers out there were actually fathers long before the holiday was officially recognized by Congress. But wait, it gets better. Ten years later in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson issued a proclamation calling for the third Sunday in June to be recognized as Father’s Day. And it was not until 1972 that Richard Nixon permanently established the observance of the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day in the U.S.

Now that was only 49 years ago!


In comparison, and to add some more perspective, Mother’s Day became an official U.S. holiday in 1914, which was some 40 years earlier.

Wow…so enlightening, yet disheartening to see how, as a nation, we have over the years, while maybe not intentionally, systemically undermined the importance of fathers. I guess that means there is still much work to be done around fatherhood and celebrating our fathers.

Nevertheless, as I’m sure many of our listeners would agree, raising our children is at the top of the list of biggest accomplishments and responsibilities for a mom and dad. With that being said, Father’s Day is such a heart-warming celebration for me and a big deal in our home!

It is a time when we get to acknowledge and honor the men in our lives who have been a role model, father figure, a provider, an encourager, and a protector. That includes biological fathers, stepdads, big brothers, coaches, adoptive dads, paternal relative caregivers, and foster parents who have been father figures in the lives of others.

As I have shared before, having been raised by my mother and step-father, I personally have a special appreciation for men who step up and take care of children who are not biologically his own.

And I want to again thank and acknowledge today my dad for being there for me! I must also take the opportunity to give a special heartfelt recognition to my incredibly amazing husband, Mr. Marvin Miller, who is a remarkable man, husband, and father, and the backbone of my family who unselfishly gives so much of himself in providing for our family.

Happy Father’s Day babe!


I also want to recognize and acknowledge the wonderful fathers and husbands of my co-hosts. As well as take a moment to give a shout out to my brothers, brothers-in-law, and nephews for being the loving fathers that they are! Well alright listeners, you are in for some exciting table talk!

We are about to hear from our dynamic special guests with us today. We are going to spend some time talking to them about fatherhood and what the role of a father means to them based on their life journeys, upbringings, and experiences as well as how these experiences have shaped their lives into who they are today.

They are young, exceptional Black men who are amazing role models, influencers, fathers, and father-like figures in their own rights.

That’s right, we have some millennials at the table today!


They represent faith leaders, educators, executive directors, entrepreneurs, and community advocates. I’m not sure y’all ready for this.

Up first, let me introduce Pastor Ronald L. Bolden the second!
 Pastor Ronald is married to the Great First Lady Jasmine Bolden and they have an awesome daughter together, named Ka’Niyah. (You know the Pastors like to start off by telling you that they’re married with kids. Won’t He do it?)

A native of Compton, California, he pastors the Greater Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in the great City of Los Angeles.

Pastor Ronald was born for Ministry. Being raised in the church and a Christian home prepared him for his calling. He accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior and was baptized at an early age.
 Pastor Bolden graduated from Gardena Senior High School and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sacred Theology from the St. James Convergence School of Ministry.

He began preaching 11 years ago at the age of 19 and has been a pastor for 3 years. Pastor Bolden has been privileged to be a part of countless faith-based community efforts, partnerships, and engagements with the City of Los Angeles and local County government officials to be a voice for our communities, and through it all, he credits God for continuing to give him the victory!

Next at the table, we have Soul (Tim) Johnson, better known as Timmy. Timmy is a Los Angeles native with degrees (yes, plural) in Marketing/Communications as well as a Masters in Education.

While giving back to the inner city through the grace of God via a career in education for over 20 years, Timmy has also taken the time to mentor and manage aspiring artists in entertainment through artist management.

He is currently a Partner at Music Maven and BWSA Clothing, the host of the “BackPackinWithSoul” podcast, and Father Baker at Mattie Lee’s Cast Iron Cookie, a family cookie business that was started during quarantine with his daughter Penelope and son Gunnar.

Last but most definitely not least, I would like to introduce Demontea Thompson. Demontea is a Compton-native and the Executive Director of Together We Inspire – a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that improves current and former foster youth educational and career outcomes.

He is currently a Ph.D. student at UCLA in the School of Education, Urban Schooling Division.

His research explores how educational institutions can facilitate success for young boys and men of color, particularly those who have had interactions with the child welfare and justice systems.
 Demontea is also a slam poet (snap fingers for effect) and author of the inspirational autobiography, Raised From Scratch.

As a TEDx Talk speaker and featured guest on the Kelly Clarkson Show for his community work, he focuses on putting research into practice. He received his Master’s degree in Education from USC and his undergraduate degree in business management from Cal State Northridge (CSUN).

He is a board member of the CSUN Alumni Association.

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!

What a distinguished panel of guests! Okay now, let’s get into some table talk.

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You are in for another treat today. This is our Special Mother’s Day episode. Mother’s Day is very near and dear to all of us here at the table as we know it is for so many of you. 

It is a traditional celebration honoring motherhood and maternal bonds. So, in our true awesome CATT fashion, today we are celebrating biological mothers, foster mothers, big momma’s, play mothers from the neighborhood, pet mothers, adoptive mothers, bonus moms, and those who have been mother-like figures in the lives of others. 

For generations, so many of us have talked about things that our mothers do and have done, and sacrifices they’ve made to take care of their children who have in turn passed these valuable teachings on to their children.

We’re going to be reflecting on some of those fond memories and moments we’ve come to cherish through the years as we commemorate and celebrate all of the mothers today.

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The Challenge is an initiative that is near and dear to me because of my own personal and professional leadership journey, charge and commitment. Many of you have heard my story and my why, and the motivation behind having this platform.

The Challenge was designed so that our Team can be a support and resource and assist our participants with achieving their career journey goal(s) and to also continue to elevate and grow both personally and professionally.

Here with us today to help us Kickoff the launch are the selected individuals who will be participating in The Challenge: Joyell Siner, DeLLora Ellis and Lori Talps.

Also, here with us today is our Special Guest and panel of professionals’ experts: Joseph Kelly, Wanda Hazel and Jeffrey Clark, who have graciously volunteered to serve as a support system to contribute to the success of our participants by providing them with expert guidance and feedback, mentoring and coaching.

First, we will hear from each of our participants, who will briefly share their area of interest and why they chose to be a part of The Challenge.

1. Joyell;
2. DeLlora; and
3. Lori

Next, I would like to allow our panelists to say a few words about what this effort means to each of them. Over the next couple of months, we will be chronicling the journey of these three individuals and tracking and monitoring their progress as they navigate through their action steps and milestones to achieve their developed goals.

To get started, we are providing each of our participants with a vision board, CATT Goal Template as well as their very own personalized journals. We wish each of them the very best of luck and hope this will be a rewarding experience!

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We have much in store for this season and can’t wait to share it with you all!

With that, we are kicking off Season 2 with a special episode on “Black History Month” with our special guest Dr. M. Keith Claybrook Jr., who we will be talking with shortly. I am always so extremely excited to celebrate Black History Month because it allows us as a people to reflect on and highlight important events and the contributions and perseverance of significant figures who have been impactful and meaningful in shaping our present and future.

Black History Month is not a celebration merely because I am Black.

It is important to be reminded that Black History Month is about my history, your history, our history, and recognizing the stories and struggles of our ancestors and the generational impacts that have led us to be resilient people who are empowered to forge ahead despite the odds.

This year, as we celebrate Black History month, I want to start off first with acknowledging this as being a monumental and historic year with a new administration, the appointment of our first ever Black/Asian woman Vice President, Kamala Harris, whose agenda will be promoting diversity and inclusion. 

You will recall during this time last year, leaders in our communities were encouraging their constituents to get out and vote and reaffirmed to them that their voices mattered. The results were beyond AMAZING! 

Secondly, I want to honor a historic man of conscience – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. While there have been many, one of Dr. King’s most profound and courageous messages for me as a leader is that ON CONSCIENCE. 

“Cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’ Vanity asks the question, ‘Is it popular?’ But conscience asks the question, ‘Is it right?’ There are times when one must take a stand that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but you must do it because it is right.” 

Dr. King also spoke about not being a consensus leader; and that ultimately a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus on some positions. Oftentimes in a leadership role, particularly working in a government agency, there is a lot of politics at play.

As such, in my over 20 years in leadership and management positions, I have had to learn to balance my role as a servant leader within my organization with that of leadership teachings within my community, as I fulfill my obligation as a steward and advocate for both. To this day, I continue to be guided by that truth, both personally and professionally, and never compromising my ethics and integrity, and always doing what is right even when it is not popular.

Okay, listeners, we are just warming up at the table! I’d like to now introduce our special guest, Dr. Keith Claybrook.

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Even with it being an unprecedented and historic time in our history, and in the face of many challenges, we had a remarkable first year with Cynthia@theTable - there were 14 episodes where we touched on crucial topics such as Self Care; Faith, Family, and Friends; and Managing Through Diversity ... just to name a few.

We had some fantastic special guests who provided their expertise and words of wisdom, and there was lots of fun along the way. We want to share with you some memorable moments from Season 1.

So let’s take a look!

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No one would have known or ever predicted that we would be here now in the middle of a national crisis. Now I know Boyz II Men said, “It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday…” But after all the cards we’ve been dealt this year, I don’t know about you, but I think I’m ready to say goodbye to 2020 and Hello 2021! 

2020 has been characterized as a year of revelations, trials and tribulations, reflections, and many great sacrifices. While it has certainly been an extremely challenging year, I know it has been as designed and I believe He continues to be on the throne! 

As I reflect back and draw from the foundational strength, courage, determination, motivation, integrity, core values, selflessness, and inspiration of my generational matriarchs, I feel incredibly humbled, truly blessed, and thankful. 

I miss my grandmother, mother, and mother-in-law dearly; however, I still feel their strong presence as my influencers and they remain the strength under my wings.

Now, as a matriarch myself, as I readjust and savor in the special moments, I am focusing on what is most important in my life. I am forging ahead into 2021 with my husband, girls, and grandchildren with great hope; guarded and guided firmly in our faith, grateful for His favor and covered by His grace.

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That’s right, we are at the home stretch of the election race. We are literally 5 days away from election day. We at Cynthia@theTable are doing our part, and we want to continue to encourage all of you as well to get out there, show up and vote!  I’ve been saying for a while now, 2020 is the year!  This has been such a pivotal year.

Although we have been dealt some challenging hands with COVID-19 and other tragedies this year, now is the time to be impactful and purposeful. Let us not forget the price that our ancestors paid; sweat, blood and tears, to ensure that we have the right to vote. Not too long ago, women could not vote. People of color could not vote.

Now, in this great American nation, we have that essential right. So what are you going to do with the privilege that was given to you? Are you going to sit back and just complain about what’s wrong with America and who doesn’t deserve to be elected? Or are you going to get out there and do something to let your voice be heard. 

Well, the first place to start was to become a registered voter. There are sooooo many resources and information out there telling you how you could register and how and where you can go to vote.  In fact, I want you all to check out the Cynthia@theTable website and our Facebook page.

We’ve posted some great links to resources that will give you all the information you need for this election season:

• How to register;
• How to vote early by mail;
• Where to mail in your ballots; and
• Polling places to vote in person.

We have gotten so savvy with our voting mechanisms and tools. You can find out online the specific days and times your polling place is open and even the approximate wait times.

How cool is that!  There are so many ways that you can vote. So really, there’s no excuse. You have the power to be a change agent. Your voice matters, and your vote matters. As the great Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The time is always right to do what is right.”

And our time is now!

Our Lakers closed out the NBA season.  Our Dodgers brought home the World Series championship.

Now it’s time to close out this election race. Let’s get out there and vote vote vote!

 Don’t forget to check out the resources on our Cynthia@theTable website and follow us on Facebook! Until next time, be well, stay safe, and stay connected!

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Today’s episode is all about the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. To help us celebrate, we have two special guests at the table.

Up first, we have the lovely Penny Arroyo and we also have the talented Chris Reza with us. I am so glad to have you both at the table to share how you celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. 

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated annually from September 15th to October 15th and focuses on the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States.

What I learned as I was doing my research is that Hispanic Heritage Month began as a “week” back in 1968 under the administration of President Lyndon B Johnson, and was expanded by law to a full month in 1988 under President Ronald Reagan.

 Isn’t that something?

We have come a long way in recognizing and celebrating diversity in America, and there is still so much more work to do. Now it’s time to hear from our special guests – so let’s get to it!

Quote of the Day:  “We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community…Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.” - Cesar Chavez 

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We also have returning to the table the fabulous Yolanda DeRamus. She just rocked with us on the Managing through Diversity episode.

And we have another special guest at the table today, Sabra Johnson.

Today, we are talking about self-care and what that means, looks and feels like in this New Normal. You may recall back in early March we did an episode on self-care.

Back then, we talked about going to the beauty shop to get our hair done, getting manicures and pedicures and even having a spa day.

Then everything went left with COVID-19.

The salons closed, barbers closed, non-essential retail stores closed, and before you know it, we were all on lockdown under the Safer at Home order. This pandemic has forced us all to re-evaluate our

professional and personal priorities.

What was once routine now requires an extra step or two, thoughtful planning, and more time to get it done.

Having to juggle all of these new restrictions, figuring out where the next paycheck is going to come from, dealing with the racial injustices, or even trying to find suitable childcare while at the same time trying to balance family life and just survive can definitely take a toll on ones health and well-being.

With that, I would like to preface our discussion on self-care around Michelle Obama’s recent message from her “The Michelle Obama Podcast”.

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We also have returning to the table the highly acclaimed Pastor George Thompson from Faithful Central Bible Church residing in Inglewood, CA.

As I continue to celebrate my 40th career anniversary in the month of August, I wanted to host an episode around faith, family, and friends. It really does take a village and faith to get us through these trying times. 

These are definitely hard times, and some people are down to their last dime. Everything that is going on around us is enough for anyone to lose sight of who’s in control and maybe even waiver in their walk. And in doing so, people vacillate between their faith, family, and friends and they look to what gives them comfort and makes them feel good.

But we must stay encouraged and hold fast to our faith. 

Spiritually speaking, I can recall a sermon from a few weeks ago that Pastor Larry Weaver of Atherton Baptist Church in Hawthorne delivered on the book of Judges.

I was really inspired by his message as he talked about elevating one’s faith and trust in God, and that even during this problematic, difficult, and pandemic time, God is still on the throne.

He said that the battle is not ours. And he asked folks, how are you loving, giving and praying? Are you lifting up others who are in need? With that, let’s get into some table talk with our panelists.

To kick things off, let’s talk about how your faith, family, and friends have helped you get through these times. For example, COVID-19, the civil unrest, political climate, or just this new normal in general?

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I’m also super excited because we have special guests at the table with us: Yolonda De Ramus, Dawnna Brewton and Monica Paraja Dominguez. These women are a part of my circle of influences and they hold leadership roles in their current function.

And we are all in the pike 5x5!

As you know, I am celebrating my 40th career anniversary this month. For me, this month is all about sharing leadership and management nuggets that I have learned throughout my career journey that will hopefully help elevate Cynthia@theTable listeners in enhancing and achieving their career goals.

For this episode, we are talking about managing through diversity.

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Hello everyone. Welcome back to Cynthia at the table. I am your host, Cynthia.

As I continue to celebrate my career anniversary month, over the next couple of weeks I am sharing some of my nuggets I have collected through my journey starting from the bottom, as a clerk, to my current senior executive-level position. I am currently charged with providing executive leadership and management oversight for a collection of administrative and non-casework operations, consisting of over thirteen hundred staff.

I plan, organize, direct and evaluate, with my subordinate managers, the development and implementation of a performance-based management system that measures and monitors performance and outcomes to effect performance excellence throughout our operations and improve overall effectiveness throughout the organization.

While I have always coached, mentored and transferred knowledge to elevate my team and others, at this juncture in my career, I believe that the sharing of this knowledge and information with the next generation of leaders is also paramount.

Equally important, during this time of pandemic, in our new normal there is an increased emphasis on telework and virtual work environments, and having a structured management system and format, including some useful tools, are essential. For this episode.

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I also wanted to welcome everyone to August 2020. That’s right! August is indeed a special month. There is so much to celebrate and be grateful for. 

I did some research and found out that they’re a few celebrations that occur in August. 

For example, there is Black Business Month, National Eye Exam Month, International Peace Month, National Wellness Month, to name a few. 

So there are a lot of great things happening this month to be aware of and celebrate. 

Even more personal to me, August 2020 represents my 40th career anniversary with the county of Los Angeles (Ca). 

Let me say that again; 40 years with the county!

It is only by the grace of God, hard work, dedication, and commitment that has brought me this far and to this pivotal moment in my career journey. 

I am still forging ahead. 

Episode timestamp:

• 00:38 - Welcome Back! 

• 01:08 - Celebrations in August 

• 01:30 - Celebrating Cynthia’s 40th Career Anniversary

• 02:10 - Cynthia’s Career Journey

• 04:00 - Coming Soon in August 2020

• 05:00 - We Would Love to Hear from You (www.cynthiaatthetable.com)

“Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.”

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You know we had to come back for an episode dedicated solely to the Dads out there. I did a little research to find out when did we as a nation begin celebrating Father’s Day.

I found that in 1924, President Calvin Coolidge recognized Father’s Day as the 3rd Sunday in June of that year. [He] encouraged the states to do the same. 

Congress officially recognized Father’s Day in 1956 with the passage of a joint resolution. Now bear with me listeners, because I believe this historical context is important. 

10 years later, President Lyndon Johnson issued a proclamation calling for the 3rd Sunday in June to be recognized as Father’s Day. In 1972, President Richard Nixon permanently established the observance of the 3rd Sunday in June as Father’s Day in the United States. 

Now if you think about it, in 1956 which was when congress officially recognized Father’s Day was not that long ago. In comparison and to add some perspective, Mother’s Day became an official US Holiday in 1914 which was some 40 years earlier. 

Does this mean as a nation we value mothers more than fathers? 

Not necessarily, but to me, it demonstrates the struggle that fathers have had to withstand over the years. You may have heard me say before, I believe that raising our children are the biggest accomplishment and responsibility for a mom and dad. 

With that being said, Father’s Day is such a heartwarming celebration for me. It is a time where we get to acknowledge and honor the men in our lives. Who has been a role model, father figure, provider, encourager, and a protector. 

While I know of some very strong and amazing single mothers who have done an excellent job. I heard them oftentimes say having a father in the home is incredibly special for a child. As there are some things in life best taught by fathers. 

A father who is actively involved helps his child develop confidence. Teaches him or her about love. He is firm, yet gentle. He respects the mother of his child. He disciplines with love. He has your back and so much more. 

Dads! You are our rock and we are celebrating you today. I’m talking about biological fathers, stepdads, big brothers, papas, coaches, role models, and those that have been father figures in the lives of others.

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Mother’s day is very near and dear to my heart as I know it is for so many of you. It is a traditional celebration honoring motherhood and maternal moms. I’m talking about biological mothers, foster mothers, big mamas, play mothers from the neighborhood, and those who have been mother-like figures in the lives of others. 

You are all that! We are here to celebrate you! 

Mother’s day is traditionally celebrated in the U.S. on the 2nd Sunday in May. I also recently learned that Mother’s Day in Mexico is celebrated on May 10th each year. It just so happens, that in 2020 we are sharing in the celebration this Sunday, because both Mother’s day fall on May 10th. 

How awesome is that! 

I want to talk a little bit about what Mother’s day means to me, then we’ll get to hear from our co-host and special guest. We will be sharing some of our jewels, heart-warming traditions, testimonials, stories, and learned values that have shaped us into the woman we are today.

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The Coronavirus is sweeping through our communities, our cities, our country, and our nation. We are being put to the test on all levels in a way I’m sure none of us could have imagined during our lifetime.

We all have been overwhelmed with this pandemic. Wondering where will it hit next? If you or someone you know will become infected? Is there a cure?

We are all impacted to some degree…it’s being stated that California has not yet reached its peak, So here at Cynthia @ the table, we would be remiss if we did not use this platform to reach out to our listeners in a time like this and really just see how you are all holding up.

Episode timestamp:

• 00:38 - Welcome Back!

• 02:51 - COVID-19 April Stats

• 04:08 - Science & Evidence

• 04:38 - COVID-19’s Impact on Black & Brown Communities

• 05:32 - Our New Normal

• 06:12 - Help is on the Way

• 09:51 - Financial Relief

• 10:40 - Final Thought

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.