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In today’s episode I interview Lissa Ramsepaul, an incredible woman who has literally dedicated her life to helping people in underserved communities and specifically people experiencing homelessness. Lissa’s journey began when she herself was placed in the foster care system due to abuse and neglect that she experienced as a child. She eventually aged out of foster care and would go on to work with at-risk communities which is where she found a passion. During her late teen and early adult life Lissa would continue to experience housing instability as she fought to create a better future for herself. One of the many things that inspires me about Lissa however, is her commitment to understanding the hardships that people with housing instability endure in her efforts to find a solution and create change. the topic for Lissa’s post grad dissertation was “ Risk and resilience in young adults who have experienced homelessness.” We discuss her findings in this interview as she was able to interview dozens of individuals and discover which factors led people to becoming homeless and the role that factors like trauma, and a lack of support played in the lives of people. Lissa also shares with us her own experience with housing instability and the struggles she faced  as she worked to create a better future for herself and how it shaped her life. Relentless Minds has an exciting announcement to make! Next month Relentless Minds will be relaunched in an effort to continue to release content that reflects the overall goal and focus we have of helping you to create a life you desire through the power of harnessing resilience. I will share more details on this next week so please stay tuned. If you want to get in touch please connect with me on instagram either via @relentlessmindsmedia or my personal account @iamlauriejimenez. I would love to hear your feedback on the podcast! The post Lissa Ramsepaul On: Risk & Resilience in Individuals Experiencing Homelessness. appeared first on Relentless Minds Podcast.

In today’s episode, I speak with an incredibly strong soul, who for the majority of her childhood, was labor trafficked across many states with her younger sister.  Hope Lloyd opens up about her experience being forced to work grueling hours and in horrible conditions at the hands of a woman who exploited and abused her and her sister for 13 years of their lives. Hope shares details about this period in her life that she has never told before on a media platform. I allowed Hope to express herself openly and reassured her that her story was safe here with us. Get ready to listen to an impactful story of survival, resilience, and reclamation. Thank you for tuning in. Special Note: This episode is family-friendly. Please rate and review this episode and let us know what you think of it! Your feedback matters.   The post When Survival Ends and Hope Begins. appeared first on Relentless Minds Podcast.

On todays episode I interview a woman who has preferred to stay anonymous due to the fact that her family and children still don’t know the things she underwent at the hands of their father- who was her husband at the time.  For the sake of this interview I refer to her as Jane. Jane met her ex husband early in life when she was still in college and he was in the army, and over the 20 plus years that they were married, her husband would come to pressure Jane into satisfying his twisted sexual desires which started with swinging, and ended with coercing her into selling her body for sex.  Jane discusses the troubling experiences she had in her marriage, the total loss of control she felt over her children and her own life, and the strength that helped her get through and, eventually, out of that situation.  This interview was moving and inspiring, and Jane opens up vulnerably and honestly about what she experienced for more than 20 years of her life.  The post Finding the Strength to Leave a Marriage of Abuse and Exploitation. appeared first on Relentless Minds Podcast.

Today’s story and incredibly  grounding conversation come from a special man by the name of Ron Dudley. Ron lives in Washington DC and is a musician, poet and also.. an author. I was able to meet Ron through Street Sense media, a nonprofit that publishes a newspaper in the city that is written and sold by people experiencing homelessness in an effort to spread awareness of their struggles, create an avenue for income and allowing them the space to explore their talents. Ron has struggled with his housing situation for years, which keeps him separated from his children and leaves him feeling unstable. Ron has been working with street sense for 6 years, working hard to make an income, which he contributes further to with the proceeds of his book called “My Science Project” a collection of profound and thought-provoking poems.  Today I tap into Ron’s life; his mindset and his hopes for the future as he shares with us his incredible ability to prevail when it seems that the odds are against him.  Purchase a copy of Ron’s book “My Science Project” by reaching out to Maddie or Brian at Street Sense Media via their emails: maddie@streetsensemedia.org or brian@streetsensemedia.org. The post A Life of Struggle But a Love For Life. appeared first on Relentless Minds Podcast.

Human trafficking has gained a lot of attention as of late through the media and among society as people make an active effort to join forces in order to end this multi-billion dollar industry, and save the lives of millions of people. I spoke with Representative Jake Johnson of North Carolina to discuss the current condition of human trafficking in NC, which is stated to have one of the highest cases of human trafficking in the United States. We covered an array of issues including; Implementing educational training in grade schools and law enforcement, factors that create human trafficking hubs, legislation and how it falls short in protecting victims, the silent opportunity for human trafficking in sporting events and communities that are repeatedly most affected by human trafficking.  I’m grateful for the insight and guidance Rep. Jake Johnson provided in this interview. Please tune in to learn more about human trafficking and what it will take to dismantle the industry, piece by piece.  The post Rep. Jake Johnson ON: The Battle Against Human Trafficking in North Carolina. appeared first on Relentless Minds Podcast.

For many years Mark Horvath struggled with his sense of confidence and self esteem in silence. Heightened by his grueling career in the film and music industry,  ultimately Mark went down an unforgiving path of drugs, alcohol and homelessness. This life changing experience opened Mark’s eyes to the lamentable and upsetting truth that the homeless experience daily- they are the unseen and forgotten members of our society. Mark recalls countless experiences when people would go through all means to avoid being near him, or worse, avoid even making eye contact with him. These memories left an imprint on Mark’s heart and moved him into later creating Invisible People, a non-profit that is fighting homelessness through storytelling, education, news, and activism, in an effort to change the narrative on homelessness. In this interview we hear about Mark’s troubling past, his journey to self discovery and happiness, and the powerful work he has led  for the last 11 years through Invisible People that has impacted millions of listeners.  To learn more about Invisible People TV check out: Website: https://invisiblepeople.tv  * Donate to Mark’s 25 Years of Sobriety Fundraiser* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/invisiblepeopletv IG: @InvisiblePeople Recommended Books: “The Power of Vulnerability” by Dr. Brene Brown  “I Ain’t Much Baby, But I’m All I Got” by Dr. Jess Lair    The post MARK HORVATH ON: BUILDING SELF-LOVE, 5 MINUTES AT A TIME. appeared first on Relentless Minds Podcast.

On today’s episode I interview Marianne Duquette Cuozzo on her personal experience battling cancer not once but 3 times as she was diagnosed twice with hodgekins lymphoma in 1994 and 1997 and then with breast cancer in 2014. She talks about her journey as she faced each diagnosis and series of treatments head on, hearing the news that she may never be able to have children and eventually having to undergo a double masectomy without reconstruction due to multiple infections, this was one of the hardest things Marianne has had to do in her life. She shares with us the emotional and mental pain she struggled with as she continuously worked to love herself and her new body image after the effects of cancer. Most incredibly Marianne shares her journey and emotions though her artwork which she posts on her media platforms to let other women know that they are not alone.  Marianne is an artist, mother, cancer advocate and cancer survivor. She aspires to empower women through her artwork and is currently writing a book which she will further use to share her journey and strength.  Follow Marianne on Instagram @Marianneduquettecuozzo9128 The post Marianne Duquette Cuozzo ON: Learning to Love Yourself After Breast Cancer. appeared first on Relentless Minds Podcast.

On this episode on Relentless Minds  I interview Tammy Harris who is the founder of the Ursus institute, A non-profit that works to combat human and sex trafficking. Her organization uses research, data and community engagement to disrupt human trafficking and to help survivors in their recovery. They also leverage the network within the anti-trafficking The post Tammy Harris ON:  The Realities Behind Sex Trafficking and How it Seeps Into Our Communities. appeared first on Relentless Minds Podcast.

For this episode I interviewed Jamie Margolin, activist and founder of Zero Hour, an organization that unites youth activists that are concerned about the lack of action being done by officials around the world regarding climate change. There is a crisis happening, but no action is being taken. Zero Hour is an international organization with the The post Jamie Margolin ON: Climate Justice and How She Mobilizes the Masses to Create Change. appeared first on Relentless Minds Podcast.

#PurposefulSeries Episode For this interview on Relentless Minds I traveled (virtually) to India, and interviewed long-time activist and change maker Lenin Raghuvanshi. Lenin is the cofounder of PVCHR (People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights) Founded with his wife Shruti in 1996. PVCHR is a community-based organization, which focuses on breaking the feudal hierarchies of conservative The post Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi ON: The Caste System in India: Slavery in Modern Times. appeared first on Relentless Minds Podcast.

This is episode 4/4 in the Genocide Series that began in April in honor of April being Genocide Awareness month.  This Interview covers another survivor or the genocide against the tustsis in Rwanda in 1994, but this interview is quite unique because Jeanne’s story of survival did not end with the genocide. In this episode The post Jeanne Celestine Lakin ON: How to Heal and Regain Control of Your Life By Learning to Forgive. appeared first on Relentless Minds Podcast.

#Purposefulseries This is episode 3 of a 4 episode series covering the stories of genocide survivors in honor of April being genocide awareness month, as well as it being the 26th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda. In today’s episode I sit down with Liliane Pari Umuhoza who was only 2 years old when the The post Liliane Pari Umuhoza ON: Personal Resilience, Mental Health and World Change. appeared first on Relentless Minds Podcast.

#PurposefulSeries This is episode 2/4 in the Genocide Series in honor of April being Genocide Awareness month. This April is also the 26th anniversary of the Genocide that occurred in Rwanda in 1994 where nearly 1 million tutsis were murdered. In today’s episode I speak with Jacqueline Murekatete who is a lawyer, a human rights The post Shining a Light on Genocide and the Dangers of Intolerance and Discrimination- With Jacqueline Murekatete. appeared first on Relentless Minds Podcast.

#PURPOSEFULSERIES   Today's guest on Relentless Minds is Consolee Nishimwe, who was raped  and tortured at the age of 14 during the Genocide in Rwanda against the tutsis and due to this contracted HIV, which had plagued her for years until she was able to find the strength to live with her conditions. Consolee had The post Consolee Nishimwe: Learning to Heal Through Vulnerability & Breaking the Stigma of Shame After Rape. appeared first on Relentless Minds Podcast.