July 21, 2023 • 29 mins
I speak to Shari Williams, the Goddess of Drones. She’s one of the first Black female commercial drone pilots in the United State. Williams talks about her program that offers prep classes, courses and ground flight training and which can earn students a drone pilot's license.
Home (shariwilliamsenterprises.com)
Philadelphia is the nation's big city with the highest poverty rate. Achievability’s aim is to lift people out of poverty with services that provide housing, educational support and jobs. I speak to Jamila Harris-Morrison Executive Director at Achievability about the program and their backpack drive. https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2AIDCCDXUH4YN/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex
Website and social media handles and tags https://achieveability.org/ www.Instagram.com/achieveability https://www.facebook.com/ACHaPhilly https://www.linkedin.com/company/achieveability/
First, we tell you how you can make a difference and all you have to do is dig down into your couch and gather up your loose change. I speak to Reverend David Brown, part of the ministry staff of First United Methodist Church of Media about his campaign “Make Change Happen” which collects change and direct donations to provide micro grants that make a big impact. https://www.gofundme.com/f/tq36c-make-change-happen
Home (shariwilliamsenterprises.com)
Philadelphia is the nation's big city with the highest poverty rate. Achievability’s aim is to lift people out of poverty with services that provide housing, educational support and jobs. I speak to Jamila Harris-Morrison Executive Director at Achievability about the program and their backpack drive. https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2AIDCCDXUH4YN/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex
Website and social media handles and tags https://achieveability.org/ www.Instagram.com/achieveability https://www.facebook.com/ACHaPhilly https://www.linkedin.com/company/achieveability/
First, we tell you how you can make a difference and all you have to do is dig down into your couch and gather up your loose change. I speak to Reverend David Brown, part of the ministry staff of First United Methodist Church of Media about his campaign “Make Change Happen” which collects change and direct donations to provide micro grants that make a big impact. https://www.gofundme.com/f/tq36c-make-change-happen
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Good morning. You're listening to Insight, a show about empowering our community.
I'm Lorraine Ballard Morrow. Philadelphia isthe nation's big city with the highest poverty
rate. A Chiefability's aim is tolift people out of poverty with services that
provide housing, educational support, andjobs. We'll be talking with Shari Williams,
the Goddess of drones. She's oneof the first black female commercial drone
(00:23):
pilots in the United States. Shetells us about her program that offers prep
classes, courses, and ground flighttraining to eventually earn a drone pilot's license.
First, we'll tell you how youcan make a difference. And all
you have to do is dig downinto your couch and gather up your loose
change. I am so delighted tobring into the studio a very good friend,
(00:44):
the Reverend David Brown, who hasbeen a change maker all of his
life and that includes right now.And he has a program called Make Change
Happen that is actually pretty literal,and we're going to have him tell us
all about it. David, greatto see you, Great to see you,
the r Thank you so much.So tell us make Change Happen.
What is it? How does itwork. Yeah. It was really kind
of an idea that all the workthat I do them always encountering people that
(01:08):
have a little bit of a need. Honestly, I was cleaning out somebody's
house or something like that. There'sa bunch of change that was and I
was like, well, we gotto do something with us. And I
happen to have a Bank of Republicbank I think it is that you can
take your change in and kind ofturn it into cash or whatever. And
I've made that commitment. It saysthis would be a great way to raise
(01:29):
money literally, kind of like takinglatent change and latent coins and putting them
to work in the community. That'sreally the impetus for it. And so
we called it and make Change Happen, and we've been able to help a
lot of people just who just needjust a little bit of help and support.
And it's funny too, because it'snot just the money, it's being
able to plug them into resources howto get scarcity to meet abundance, and
(01:52):
that's what we're trying to do.It's so interesting that this program exists because
I have seen other examples, forinstance, Action Aids No the AIDS Fund
does this wonderful program where they givepeople microgrants because you know, for someone
to be successful in their treatment,they need maybe a mattress they can sleep
(02:13):
in, or they need a refrigeratorthat it can store their their medications.
So to get people to meet peoplewhere they are, it often is doesn't
really take a lot a lot ofmoney. So give us some examples of
people that you've helped and how youdid it. Yeah, actually, this
was actually that came some years ago. We had a student who was graduating
(02:34):
from Temple was got a great internshipin New York, but he was only
going to be paid seventeen twenty fivecents an hour. Obviously, couldn't live
and take the internship there. Sohis parents decided, like, let's see
if we can do something, sowe started something called the X Fund.
His name was Xavier, so wecalled him the X Fund, and we
just started raising money. His parentswere able to find a relative in New
(02:55):
York who could give him a littleflat in the Bronx, which was great,
but he still needed transportation, sowe raised enough money to give him
transportation for the whole for the wholetime that he was there, was able
to take the internship. He wenton and had a great career, but
to your point, it was onlythat small intervention that was needed, and
we started the X Fund to dothat that and we kind of sunseted it
(03:16):
for a while, but the needwas still out there. So this year
I had got a call from anotherstudent who wasn't really someone I knew,
but she heard about this fund thatdidn't exist anymore, and he said,
Hey, I'm in danger of beingevicted from my apartment. I really want
to stay here long enough so ican get to know Quaker Town and then
I'm going to go to Vegas andstarted my career. Just needed a little
(03:38):
bit of help, a little bitof intervention, so we created this thing
called Make Change Happened. She wasthe first recipient of our dollars, but
we also put her in touch withhow to, you know, negotiate your
electric bill, how to you know, be able to talk with your landlord
to kind of not reduce your rent, but to work out a payment plan.
Because some of the things, toyour point, some of his intervention
where you can buy something that couldhelp help, but more of it is
(04:00):
just resources and being able to say, how can you start to improve your
situation. So that was the firstone. The other one was more arbitrary.
Happened to come on Temple's campus asa young man who studies ceramics at
Bowyer. He was literally selling waterice outside one of one of our buildings
and we got to talking and he'slike, you know what if I had
a table, I could really dosome things. And I said, you're
(04:23):
gonna be here to marrows. Like, yeah, I said. The next
day, we bought him a tableand he's and he's making his money.
So we've got these these gifts orthese encounters that we're having very i think
spontaneous. But you know, I'ma person of faith, so I think
it's very divinely inspired that we findthese folks who along the path that we
can help them in a certain kindof way that otherwise that intervention wouldn't happen.
(04:44):
Well, let's talk about how wecan help, and also how people
who need help can access this program. That's a great question. So how
we can help. It's like we'realthough we are picking up coins, we're
taking donations. If you go ongo fund me and just put in may
change happened that go fund me willcome up. People can contribute right there.
We're trying to get as much moneycollective so we can get as much
(05:06):
money out. We have one situationright now, we're trying to send a
young doctoral candidate who's got a greatjob up in Massachusetts a young family.
He needs help with moving, sowe're trying to help him to do that
by raising money. So that's oneway, and how we are trying to
find out different ways in terms ofconnecting with the people who may be in
(05:26):
need. Some of it kind ofthe point that I made before is very
spontaneous, but we need to havea greater degree of intention so folks can
reach out. My email address actuallya Temple is David W. Brown at
Temple dot eedu or my personal isRev. David W. Brown, because
again that's who I am, Rev. David W. Brown at Gmail.
And we're trying and then we've beencautious that you know, there will be
(05:49):
people say, you know, takeadvantage. We know what we're hoping for
good intent, that people who reallyhave a need that we really can help.
You know, we don't have anyformal kind of process that you have
to make an application for where they'retrying to meet the need as we see
them, but also try to pluginto people's resources beyond the dollar amount that
can help people move forward. Onceagain, if people want to contribute and
(06:13):
go to that GoFundMe website, tellus specifically how they get to make change
happen. Absolutely. So, ifyou go to GoFundMe dot com, put
in the search engine make change Happen, that campaign comes right up and people
can make donations right online. It'svery very simple, and that's the intent.
We wanted to make it as simpleas possible, so there's no barrier
(06:34):
to getting money in and getting moneyout. Great. And if people have
a big jar of pennies, greatquestion. Thank you for that, Lorraine.
Right, So people have a bigjar of pennies literally, you can
send me an email to either Rev. David W. Brown at gmail dot
com or David W. Brown atTemple dot etu. I will go and
get the pennies. I will goget them, take them and take them
(06:57):
and put them to work. I'llgive you a receipt for the money that
we as you can if you wantto claim that on your tact or whatever.
We can do all that we've donewherever there's change that needs to happen.
We'll go get it and we'll turnthat change into making a difference in
somebody's life. Fantastic Make Change Happena great program provides microgrants to individuals out
there in need, and it's justremarkable how just even a small amount of
(07:19):
money can truly transform a person's life. David Brown, who is on the
ministry staff of the First United MethodistChurch of Media, First Church Media,
thank you so much for this andhopefully people out there will listen and will
contribute or maybe bring their big jarsof change and pennies over to you or
(07:40):
for you to pick it up.Thank you for everything that you do for
our community. You are really achange maker. Thank you, Lou,
appreciate you. The nineteenth annual Duffy'sHope Celebrity Basketball Game is to return to
(08:00):
the Chase build House in Wilmington,Delaware on August fifth, starting against six
fifteen pm. This event brings togethera remarkable lineup of celebrities including Lorenz pay
and Black China, and community leadersunited in their commitment to supporting the local
youth. Duffi's Hope, Inc.Is dedicated to creating events that promote peace,
non violence and positive recreational activities forat risk youth in Delaware. For
(08:22):
more info, go to Duffy ShopInc. Dot org. Sherry Williams is
the president and founder of Sherry WilliamsEnterprises, LLC. She's a well known
public relations practitioner, coach, eventplanner, but more interestingly these days,
she's a licensed remote drone pilot andinstructor, known as the Goddess of Drones.
(08:46):
Also, she's proud to be oneof the first black female commercial drone
pilots in the United States, andshe's utilizing her love of drone piloting to
extend out into the community to supportSTEM. So thank you so much for
joining us here today. I loveit. You're the Goddess of drones.
What got you interested in drones inthe first place, Well, thank you
(09:07):
so much, Lorraine for having metoday. And what got me into drones
was a girlfriend that basically said,Sherry, I know a way to help
you sell your business. You havea love for STEM and technology, engineering,
science, everything and art. Sowe went out to the local area
and write in my neighborhood. Shepulled out a black box, she threw
(09:28):
it up in the sky and shebasically said, Sherry, your professional model,
wouldn't you like to have a camerain the sky? And I just
literally lost my mind. I grabbedthe thing out of her hand and I
basically said what is this? Shesaid, it's a commercial drone and we
were able to fly drones, andI said, of course I wanted to
do this, and that's when Itook her course and became a remote drone
(09:52):
pilot. So tell us what thedistinction is between being commercial drone pilot and
just you know, getting something fromlike a toy store or whatever, the
kind of drones you see kids playwith. Well, the differences. I
have a license, It's just likea driver's license. I have a license
to blye drones and with that youcan make money. And if you're just
(10:13):
a hobbyist, you can have thatas well, and you can have the
trust certification, which means you knowthe safety features and you know the safety
rules and regulations of the industry thatthe FAA sets forward. But if you
want to make money and be legit, you want to have that license because
again, it gives you the credibility, it gives you the rating that you
(10:35):
need. And then of course companieswant to hire you and work with you
because you have your credentials. Soit's just like any other industry. It's
another form of credentials that you wouldhave, but you have to train and
study for the tests, which weteach piloting classes so that you can get
prepared for the test. You passthe test, and your license is good
(10:58):
for two years and then you areoccurring evaent. Okay, and so you
have a course called Shut Up andFly. Tell us about that. Well,
you know, I started the courseafter I did my training because I'm
just a natural person that loved tospeak and talk and so and educate.
So as a public relations professional,it was just a natural thing for me.
(11:20):
So I said, okay, wellI can teach this, and so
I learned the areas that I neededto learn. Of course, I learned
that when I was getting my license. Then I just naturally transitioned into teaching.
So my mentor was the first personthat hired me. Yeah, okay.
And so there's another aspect of yourdrone world, and that is something
(11:41):
I've never heard of, which isa Philadelphia drone soccer league. How do
you play soccer with drones? Tellus more, Well, I'm telling you,
Lorraine. It is the most excitingthing that I've ever come across.
So, like I said, inthe drone industry, you have all these
different things that you can do.You have all these avenues that you can
(12:03):
take a niche market into, likedrone delivery. Drone soccer is a way
to get our youth and others interestedin aviation. They did it by creating
an esport that gamifies the education.And so if you play drone soccer with
three on three, four on fouror five on five, you're in a
meta arena. They drones are placedinside the arena. The kids placed themselves
(12:28):
outside of the arena, and thedrones are flying inside the meta arena and
they're trying to score through a goaland it's just mid collision in air,
and it's just so cool because you'regetting that drone through that hoop you're scoring
is fast paced, it's electrifying,it's thrilling, and it's the way for
our kids to get that aggression out. And it's also a way for them
(12:52):
to learn a team sport where theyhave the opportunity to build program fly and
then compete with their drone soccer balls. So I just love it. Because
it works for every age group.We have something for the smaller kids in
elementary school. I've worked currently withkids that are twelve years old and older,
(13:13):
and then we also have something forthe collegiate level as well, so
and it works for adults as well. So this is a wonderful way to
get everyone interested in aviation and tolearn how to fly a drone and to
play fund drone soccer. Tell ushow we can find out more about this
drone soccer Philadelphia Drones Soccer League,and also about shut Up and Fly well.
(13:35):
You can find out more at ourwebsite which is www dot Sherry Williams
Enterprises dot com. So we haveinformation there on how to sign up for
drone soccer. So, if you'rea school, a group of organization,
you have some kids you want ina summer program, a apt school program,
and you're right here in the Philadelphiaarea or surrounding area, go to
the website, tell us how manykids you would like to have, what
(13:58):
kind of program you would like tohave, and then we will generate information
for you to say, hey,this is the possibility for you to have
this in your school, your club, your group, your organization. It
doesn't matter. Even individuals can signup to be on our shut Up and
Fly Team. So our shut Upand Fly Team it's our demo team that
(14:20):
goes out and we showcase drone soccerto groups and organizations so that we can
show you how the game is played. And the overall game is played by
a thirty minute match, and thenyou have sets of three which are three
minutes per set, and the winnerof the overall three sets is the winner
(14:41):
of the game. Well, thatsounds very exciting. Is there a YouTube
around that or can you see iton your website? Yes, we have
information on our website. Again,the website it's www dot Cherry Williams Enterprises
dot com. Let's click on drowneSoccer. So we have videos there.
We also have a TikTok page Goddessof Drones, and we also have our
(15:05):
Instagram page Goddess of Drones, andyou can see videos of the kids working
on the drones. We're training instructors, we're just having a good time.
My model, Lorraine, especially herein Philadelphia, is we have to show
our kids something better. We haveto give them something that they can look
forward to, and this is it, and I just love it. Because
(15:26):
the kids that are coming through theprogram are having a lot of fun and
now they're more interested in aviation technologyin other areas like communications, because we
also help them with their first resume. How do you want to present yourself?
How are you showing up through socialmedia and in light Well, it
sounds like a wonderful program and it'svery exciting to get kids involved in STEM
(15:50):
in aviation through a very fun way, which is through this Philadelphia Drones Soccer
League and also the courses that youare involved with. Any final words before
we close. My final words arethank you Loraine for having us. Philadelphia
Drone Soccer is here in Philadelphia.Why not make it the biggest best?
(16:10):
And we just want everybody to joinour league, set up teams, we
train you, we help you dothat, and we want you to take
our course so that we can getyou licensed and you can get into this
industry hard time. I'm or justchange your career altogether, and we just
want you to shut up and flylove it. Sherry Williams, President and
founder of Sherry Williams Enterprises, LLC. G's a public relations practitioner, coach,
(16:33):
event planner, licensed remote drone pilot, and instructor, known as the
Goddess of drones and also the firstblack female commercial drone pilot in the United
States, one of them. Anyway, thank you so much for joining us
today. You're listening to Insight.Philadelphia is the poorest large city in the
country. There are many organizations thatare trying to do their best to move
(16:55):
the needle when it comes to liftingpeople out of poverty. One organization has
had success in doing that, andthat is Achieveability, which addresses barriers preventing
individuals and families from achieving their potential. Joining us right now is Jamilla Harris
Morrison, executive director at Achievability.Thank you so much for joining us today.
Hi, Loraen, thanks for havingme. Well, we're going to
(17:17):
talk about a bunch of different things, but let's begin by talking about Achievability.
How did it get started, Whydid it get started, and what
are some of the ways in whichyou achieve the goal of lifting people out
of poverty. So Achievability was startedin nineteen eighty one really by concerned citizens,
business executives, women experiencing homelessness,really wanting to find some permanent solutions
(17:42):
to help families overcome homelessness, andwhile that is where we started, the
mission has grown cut significantly over thelast forty years. Now we serve annually
over three thousand residents with our antipoverty services. Some of those services include
connecting residents to job opportunities, helpingprepare residents for those job opportunities, providing
(18:06):
affordable housing in the West Philadelphia neighborhoods, particularly the Haddington and Cops Creek neighborhoods,
also teaching and training digital literacy,helping residents get comfortable with not just
your smartphone, but your computer andall the technology that we need to live
in a twenty first century economy,and beyond that, because we just know
it's not enough just to help theresidents, we're really investing in strategies that
(18:30):
help to create economic opportunities in thecommunity. So we're located at sixty if
in market and we're supporting the businesseson that corridor. There's over a hundred
and forty small businesses that are allled by black and brown business owners,
and so we're helping them to builda capacity, create infrastructure, but most
(18:51):
importantly, connect them to capital thatcan help sustain their businesses and to help
with those efforts, we connect thatwith a number of safe and public space
in communities because we really believe thatour neighbors deserve beautiful, clean streets and
they deserve to have well lit streets, and so we have a number of
lighting projects happening right now, greeninginitiatives. We're adding three hundred trees in
(19:15):
the next eighteen months, but reallyjust looking at ways that we can partner
with residents to create a vibrant communityand make our neighborhood a neighborhood of choice.
Well, you've been with the organizationfor a little bit and you kind
of rose up through the ranks.You started out as a self sufficiency coach
and you moved up and eventually becameexecutive director. I want if you can
(19:37):
just share with us a little bitabout that journey from someone who worked hands
on directly with your clients and consumersto where you are now. Tell us
how that happened and what's been yourexperience going through that process. Yeah,
I mean, so I am enteringnext month my eighteenth year with the organization,
(19:59):
and I look back, I'm like, well, where did the time
go. But one of the reasonsI was attracted to Achievability. Coming out
of college, I had to studypsychology, came back home, I knew
I wanted to work in the socialwork field, and I really wanted to
work with residents and with programming thatwas really generative. And when I saw
Achievability on Craigslist, which probably doesn'texist anymore, but it was a program
(20:25):
where families chose to be a partof the program. And so the idea
that families had a choice and atsome point said hey, I want to
do something different with my life andthey turned to this organization to make that
happen was really compelling to me.And I started as a coach, a
social worker working directly families and theFamily Self Sufficiency Program, and that program
(20:47):
is really focused on pairing affordable housingand coaching services, but the foundation of
it is education as a halfway outof poverty. So all the parents are
working towards post secondary degrees with theidea that that could help them get to
a living wage career. And forme, coming from a single parent household
with a mom who only graduated highschool and being able to use education as
(21:08):
a way to leverage me to pathto opportunities, that mission just really resonated,
and so I started there. Ithought I was going to be there
for two or three years and figuresomething out. And I stayed because there
have been so many great opportunities andthe ways that the organization has continued to
grow and evolved. And you know, sometimes you have a path and sometimes
the universe has a path for you. But I've really been surrounded by great
(21:33):
mentors and boards and teams that havereally helped me transition into these areas.
And when we found ourselves looking foran executive director in twenty seventeen, I
was asked and my first response wasno. And then after some thinking and
some talking and meeting with stakeholders,it was like, why not be I've
(21:55):
been doing this work. I livein West Philadelphia. We focus on West
Philadelphia, and the mission is nearand dear to my heart, and so
being able to turn a passion intoa job, it's been a pretty illuminating
experience and just really grateful for everyonethat helps us to get the work done
that we do, which is socritical to helping families really overcome poverty in
(22:18):
our city. Well, you've beenwith the organization for eighteen years, and
I wonder if you can share withus maybe some stories or examples of how
achievability has really helped lift of familyor an individual out of poverty. Store.
Yeah, there's so many. I'llgo into the into the Vallum.
(22:40):
One of the first families that Iworked with, and I'll change the name
just for confidentiality, but her nameis Tina, and she had a daughter
named Shakira, and she was workingat Duncan Donuts making seven seventy five an
hour part time, and she reallywanted to be a nurse, and so
she was struggling with housing, hadbeen experiencing violence with her boyfriend, really
(23:02):
needed a safe place to live.And so when she came her daughter was
three years old, and like Isaid, she was working part time at
Dunkin Donuts. We got her intoCommunity College. It was really great because
it was a little barrier entry school. The classes were affordable, she was
able to take all of her prerecksand able to get into their nursing program.
(23:22):
Once she completed that nursing program,she then went on for a bachelor's
sides and nursing at Thomas Jefferson University. And so that was a really transformational
experience for her because once she completedthat degree, they had a job waiting
for her, and so someone whocame in making seven seventy five an hour
and just about five and a halfyears was now making sixty five thousand dollars.
(23:48):
And her daughter, Shaquia had supportfrom us to navigate school counseling to
address trauma from what she had experiencefrom her mom being in a challenge relationship,
but also helping them to build financialstability, learning how to see preparing
for homeownership. And I think oneof the most compelling pieces of that particular
(24:10):
part of our program is that there'sa lot of support for the parents.
But we have seen for the lastseven years one hundred percent of our high
school students graduate in eighty percent ofthem and roll into college. And that's
where we really see that big generationalshift and change. And you know,
we're just like a partner on thejourney, and it's like skipping rocks.
You don't know how far the ripplegoes, but we get to be a
(24:32):
part of the beginning of those seedsof transformation, and it's beautiful. That's
a wonderful story. And also thatgraduation rate is pretty spectacular given the general
graduation rate in the city of philiolfiaIs is not anywhere close to that.
Now, I'd like to talk aboutan upcoming event that's allowing all of us
to help support students who going backto school. Tell us about that.
(24:56):
Yes, so we know families arestill struggling. I mean, COVID may
feel like it's gone, but it'sstill impacting families and incomes and so forth.
And it's really important that we setour students up for SUCs US.
So if you have extra supplies orextra funding and generosity to give, we
invite you to participate in our backpackdrive. We're asking for backpacks to be
filled with we have a list ofthings but pencils, tissue boxes, calculators,
(25:22):
notebooks, binders, and so forth. We are looking to get over
a thousand backpacks donated that we cangive out to students, and we'll be
taking those donations up until August eighth. You can reach out to us on
social media or call us at twoone five seven four eight eight eight zero
zero, or check out our website. If you don't want to come and
(25:44):
drop it in. You can alsosend those supplies through Amazon Smiles, so
we make it really easy to getthose supplies to us, but we love
for people to come out and supportwith backpacks. And then on August eleventh,
we are having a block party orwe'll have resource fare for residents.
If you need a backpack, comejoin us at SIXTYFM Market where you and
your children can get backpacks and thechildren get to go into an area where
(26:10):
they're shopping on their own and theyget to pick out the one. And
it's really just like wonderful to seethe kids like pick out their backpack and
say, oh, I want thisone, and then open up and see
all the wonderful supplies and just feellike really good and really seen and that
there's someone who's thinking about them duringwhat can sometimes be a financially stressful time
for their households. If you wantto donate a backpack by August eighth,
(26:33):
or join us on August eleven topick up a backpack, that's great.
And also with that option for Amazonto be able to contribute as well,
makes it very convenient. Now Achievabilitydoes something which is very wonderful, which
is you're very holistic. It's notthat you just take one aspect of this
poverty piece puzzle but you take youlook at all of the different facets,
(26:57):
and so I'm sure they're going tobe some family and individuals out in West
Philadelphia who are hearing this and saying, Okay, maybe I'm ready. I'm
ready to make a change in mylife, to move forward and to enter
into a life sustaining career. Howdo they get in touch with you?
Once again? For more information,you can visit us at fifty ninth in
(27:19):
Market just walk on in Monday throughFriday nine to five. But you can
also call us at two one fiveseven four eight eight eight zero zero or
find us on social media at hashtagachievability on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Come check us out. If we'renot able to provide you that support,
will definitely connect you to a resourcethat can get you what you need.
(27:41):
Great and also, as this interviewwill be posted as a podcast,
will be sure to have all thatinformation in the podcast description. Well,
I'm very very impressed with the workthat you're doing. You're making a difference.
Clearly, being able to lift peopleout of poverty will have such a
ripple effect. Thanks to you forjoining us today. I love your logo.
The A is like a little ladder, so you climb that ladder and
(28:07):
achievability in housing and career and education, those are all possible thanks to your
organization. Jamila Harris Morrison, ExecutiveDirector of Achievability, thank you so much.
Thanks Lory. You can listen toall of today's interviews by going to
our station website and typing in keywordCommunity. You can also listen on the
iHeartRadio app Keyword Lorraine with one R. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at
(28:33):
Lorraine Ballard. I'm Lorraine Ballard Morrowand I stand for service to our community
and media that empowers. What willyou stand for? You've been listening to
Insight and thank you
Good morning. You're listening to Insight, a show about empowering our community.
I'm Lorraine Ballard Morrow. Philadelphia isthe nation's big city with the highest poverty
rate. A Chiefability's aim is tolift people out of poverty with services that
provide housing, educational support, andjobs. We'll be talking with Shari Williams,
the Goddess of drones. She's oneof the first black female commercial drone
(00:23):
pilots in the United States. Shetells us about her program that offers prep
classes, courses, and ground flighttraining to eventually earn a drone pilot's license.
First, we'll tell you how youcan make a difference. And all
you have to do is dig downinto your couch and gather up your loose
change. I am so delighted tobring into the studio a very good friend,
(00:44):
the Reverend David Brown, who hasbeen a change maker all of his
life and that includes right now.And he has a program called Make Change
Happen that is actually pretty literal,and we're going to have him tell us
all about it. David, greatto see you, Great to see you,
the r Thank you so much.So tell us make Change Happen.
What is it? How does itwork. Yeah. It was really kind
of an idea that all the workthat I do them always encountering people that
(01:08):
have a little bit of a need. Honestly, I was cleaning out somebody's
house or something like that. There'sa bunch of change that was and I
was like, well, we gotto do something with us. And I
happen to have a Bank of Republicbank I think it is that you can
take your change in and kind ofturn it into cash or whatever. And
I've made that commitment. It saysthis would be a great way to raise
(01:29):
money literally, kind of like takinglatent change and latent coins and putting them
to work in the community. That'sreally the impetus for it. And so
we called it and make Change Happen, and we've been able to help a
lot of people just who just needjust a little bit of help and support.
And it's funny too, because it'snot just the money, it's being
able to plug them into resources howto get scarcity to meet abundance, and
(01:52):
that's what we're trying to do.It's so interesting that this program exists because
I have seen other examples, forinstance, Action Aids No the AIDS Fund
does this wonderful program where they givepeople microgrants because you know, for someone
to be successful in their treatment,they need maybe a mattress they can sleep
(02:13):
in, or they need a refrigeratorthat it can store their their medications.
So to get people to meet peoplewhere they are, it often is doesn't
really take a lot a lot ofmoney. So give us some examples of
people that you've helped and how youdid it. Yeah, actually, this
was actually that came some years ago. We had a student who was graduating
(02:34):
from Temple was got a great internshipin New York, but he was only
going to be paid seventeen twenty fivecents an hour. Obviously, couldn't live
and take the internship there. Sohis parents decided, like, let's see
if we can do something, sowe started something called the X Fund.
His name was Xavier, so wecalled him the X Fund, and we
just started raising money. His parentswere able to find a relative in New
(02:55):
York who could give him a littleflat in the Bronx, which was great,
but he still needed transportation, sowe raised enough money to give him
transportation for the whole for the wholetime that he was there, was able
to take the internship. He wenton and had a great career, but
to your point, it was onlythat small intervention that was needed, and
we started the X Fund to dothat that and we kind of sunseted it
(03:16):
for a while, but the needwas still out there. So this year
I had got a call from anotherstudent who wasn't really someone I knew,
but she heard about this fund thatdidn't exist anymore, and he said,
Hey, I'm in danger of beingevicted from my apartment. I really want
to stay here long enough so ican get to know Quaker Town and then
I'm going to go to Vegas andstarted my career. Just needed a little
(03:38):
bit of help, a little bitof intervention, so we created this thing
called Make Change Happened. She wasthe first recipient of our dollars, but
we also put her in touch withhow to, you know, negotiate your
electric bill, how to you know, be able to talk with your landlord
to kind of not reduce your rent, but to work out a payment plan.
Because some of the things, toyour point, some of his intervention
where you can buy something that couldhelp help, but more of it is
(04:00):
just resources and being able to say, how can you start to improve your
situation. So that was the firstone. The other one was more arbitrary.
Happened to come on Temple's campus asa young man who studies ceramics at
Bowyer. He was literally selling waterice outside one of one of our buildings
and we got to talking and he'slike, you know what if I had
a table, I could really dosome things. And I said, you're
(04:23):
gonna be here to marrows. Like, yeah, I said. The next
day, we bought him a tableand he's and he's making his money.
So we've got these these gifts orthese encounters that we're having very i think
spontaneous. But you know, I'ma person of faith, so I think
it's very divinely inspired that we findthese folks who along the path that we
can help them in a certain kindof way that otherwise that intervention wouldn't happen.
(04:44):
Well, let's talk about how wecan help, and also how people
who need help can access this program. That's a great question. So how
we can help. It's like we'realthough we are picking up coins, we're
taking donations. If you go ongo fund me and just put in may
change happened that go fund me willcome up. People can contribute right there.
We're trying to get as much moneycollective so we can get as much
(05:06):
money out. We have one situationright now, we're trying to send a
young doctoral candidate who's got a greatjob up in Massachusetts a young family.
He needs help with moving, sowe're trying to help him to do that
by raising money. So that's oneway, and how we are trying to
find out different ways in terms ofconnecting with the people who may be in
(05:26):
need. Some of it kind ofthe point that I made before is very
spontaneous, but we need to havea greater degree of intention so folks can
reach out. My email address actuallya Temple is David W. Brown at
Temple dot eedu or my personal isRev. David W. Brown, because
again that's who I am, Rev. David W. Brown at Gmail.
And we're trying and then we've beencautious that you know, there will be
(05:49):
people say, you know, takeadvantage. We know what we're hoping for
good intent, that people who reallyhave a need that we really can help.
You know, we don't have anyformal kind of process that you have
to make an application for where they'retrying to meet the need as we see
them, but also try to pluginto people's resources beyond the dollar amount that
can help people move forward. Onceagain, if people want to contribute and
(06:13):
go to that GoFundMe website, tellus specifically how they get to make change
happen. Absolutely. So, ifyou go to GoFundMe dot com, put
in the search engine make change Happen, that campaign comes right up and people
can make donations right online. It'svery very simple, and that's the intent.
We wanted to make it as simpleas possible, so there's no barrier
(06:34):
to getting money in and getting moneyout. Great. And if people have
a big jar of pennies, greatquestion. Thank you for that, Lorraine.
Right, So people have a bigjar of pennies literally, you can
send me an email to either Rev. David W. Brown at gmail dot
com or David W. Brown atTemple dot etu. I will go and
get the pennies. I will goget them, take them and take them
(06:57):
and put them to work. I'llgive you a receipt for the money that
we as you can if you wantto claim that on your tact or whatever.
We can do all that we've donewherever there's change that needs to happen.
We'll go get it and we'll turnthat change into making a difference in
somebody's life. Fantastic Make Change Happena great program provides microgrants to individuals out
there in need, and it's justremarkable how just even a small amount of
(07:19):
money can truly transform a person's life. David Brown, who is on the
ministry staff of the First United MethodistChurch of Media, First Church Media,
thank you so much for this andhopefully people out there will listen and will
contribute or maybe bring their big jarsof change and pennies over to you or
(07:40):
for you to pick it up.Thank you for everything that you do for
our community. You are really achange maker. Thank you, Lou,
appreciate you. The nineteenth annual Duffy'sHope Celebrity Basketball Game is to return to
(08:00):
the Chase build House in Wilmington,Delaware on August fifth, starting against six
fifteen pm. This event brings togethera remarkable lineup of celebrities including Lorenz pay
and Black China, and community leadersunited in their commitment to supporting the local
youth. Duffi's Hope, Inc.Is dedicated to creating events that promote peace,
non violence and positive recreational activities forat risk youth in Delaware. For
(08:22):
more info, go to Duffy ShopInc. Dot org. Sherry Williams is
the president and founder of Sherry WilliamsEnterprises, LLC. She's a well known
public relations practitioner, coach, eventplanner, but more interestingly these days,
she's a licensed remote drone pilot andinstructor, known as the Goddess of Drones.
(08:46):
Also, she's proud to be oneof the first black female commercial drone
pilots in the United States, andshe's utilizing her love of drone piloting to
extend out into the community to supportSTEM. So thank you so much for
joining us here today. I loveit. You're the Goddess of drones.
What got you interested in drones inthe first place, Well, thank you
(09:07):
so much, Lorraine for having metoday. And what got me into drones
was a girlfriend that basically said,Sherry, I know a way to help
you sell your business. You havea love for STEM and technology, engineering,
science, everything and art. Sowe went out to the local area
and write in my neighborhood. Shepulled out a black box, she threw
(09:28):
it up in the sky and shebasically said, Sherry, your professional model,
wouldn't you like to have a camerain the sky? And I just
literally lost my mind. I grabbedthe thing out of her hand and I
basically said what is this? Shesaid, it's a commercial drone and we
were able to fly drones, andI said, of course I wanted to
do this, and that's when Itook her course and became a remote drone
(09:52):
pilot. So tell us what thedistinction is between being commercial drone pilot and
just you know, getting something fromlike a toy store or whatever, the
kind of drones you see kids playwith. Well, the differences. I
have a license, It's just likea driver's license. I have a license
to blye drones and with that youcan make money. And if you're just
(10:13):
a hobbyist, you can have thatas well, and you can have the
trust certification, which means you knowthe safety features and you know the safety
rules and regulations of the industry thatthe FAA sets forward. But if you
want to make money and be legit, you want to have that license because
again, it gives you the credibility, it gives you the rating that you
(10:35):
need. And then of course companieswant to hire you and work with you
because you have your credentials. Soit's just like any other industry. It's
another form of credentials that you wouldhave, but you have to train and
study for the tests, which weteach piloting classes so that you can get
prepared for the test. You passthe test, and your license is good
(10:58):
for two years and then you areoccurring evaent. Okay, and so you
have a course called Shut Up andFly. Tell us about that. Well,
you know, I started the courseafter I did my training because I'm
just a natural person that loved tospeak and talk and so and educate.
So as a public relations professional,it was just a natural thing for me.
(11:20):
So I said, okay, wellI can teach this, and so
I learned the areas that I neededto learn. Of course, I learned
that when I was getting my license. Then I just naturally transitioned into teaching.
So my mentor was the first personthat hired me. Yeah, okay.
And so there's another aspect of yourdrone world, and that is something
(11:41):
I've never heard of, which isa Philadelphia drone soccer league. How do
you play soccer with drones? Tellus more, Well, I'm telling you,
Lorraine. It is the most excitingthing that I've ever come across.
So, like I said, inthe drone industry, you have all these
different things that you can do.You have all these avenues that you can
(12:03):
take a niche market into, likedrone delivery. Drone soccer is a way
to get our youth and others interestedin aviation. They did it by creating
an esport that gamifies the education.And so if you play drone soccer with
three on three, four on fouror five on five, you're in a
meta arena. They drones are placedinside the arena. The kids placed themselves
(12:28):
outside of the arena, and thedrones are flying inside the meta arena and
they're trying to score through a goaland it's just mid collision in air,
and it's just so cool because you'regetting that drone through that hoop you're scoring
is fast paced, it's electrifying,it's thrilling, and it's the way for
our kids to get that aggression out. And it's also a way for them
(12:52):
to learn a team sport where theyhave the opportunity to build program fly and
then compete with their drone soccer balls. So I just love it. Because
it works for every age group.We have something for the smaller kids in
elementary school. I've worked currently withkids that are twelve years old and older,
(13:13):
and then we also have something forthe collegiate level as well, so
and it works for adults as well. So this is a wonderful way to
get everyone interested in aviation and tolearn how to fly a drone and to
play fund drone soccer. Tell ushow we can find out more about this
drone soccer Philadelphia Drones Soccer League,and also about shut Up and Fly well.
(13:35):
You can find out more at ourwebsite which is www dot Sherry Williams
Enterprises dot com. So we haveinformation there on how to sign up for
drone soccer. So, if you'rea school, a group of organization,
you have some kids you want ina summer program, a apt school program,
and you're right here in the Philadelphiaarea or surrounding area, go to
the website, tell us how manykids you would like to have, what
(13:58):
kind of program you would like tohave, and then we will generate information
for you to say, hey,this is the possibility for you to have
this in your school, your club, your group, your organization. It
doesn't matter. Even individuals can signup to be on our shut Up and
Fly Team. So our shut Upand Fly Team it's our demo team that
(14:20):
goes out and we showcase drone soccerto groups and organizations so that we can
show you how the game is played. And the overall game is played by
a thirty minute match, and thenyou have sets of three which are three
minutes per set, and the winnerof the overall three sets is the winner
(14:41):
of the game. Well, thatsounds very exciting. Is there a YouTube
around that or can you see iton your website? Yes, we have
information on our website. Again,the website it's www dot Cherry Williams Enterprises
dot com. Let's click on drowneSoccer. So we have videos there.
We also have a TikTok page Goddessof Drones, and we also have our
(15:05):
Instagram page Goddess of Drones, andyou can see videos of the kids working
on the drones. We're training instructors, we're just having a good time.
My model, Lorraine, especially herein Philadelphia, is we have to show
our kids something better. We haveto give them something that they can look
forward to, and this is it, and I just love it. Because
(15:26):
the kids that are coming through theprogram are having a lot of fun and
now they're more interested in aviation technologyin other areas like communications, because we
also help them with their first resume. How do you want to present yourself?
How are you showing up through socialmedia and in light Well, it
sounds like a wonderful program and it'svery exciting to get kids involved in STEM
(15:50):
in aviation through a very fun way, which is through this Philadelphia Drones Soccer
League and also the courses that youare involved with. Any final words before
we close. My final words arethank you Loraine for having us. Philadelphia
Drone Soccer is here in Philadelphia.Why not make it the biggest best?
(16:10):
And we just want everybody to joinour league, set up teams, we
train you, we help you dothat, and we want you to take
our course so that we can getyou licensed and you can get into this
industry hard time. I'm or justchange your career altogether, and we just
want you to shut up and flylove it. Sherry Williams, President and
founder of Sherry Williams Enterprises, LLC. G's a public relations practitioner, coach,
(16:33):
event planner, licensed remote drone pilot, and instructor, known as the
Goddess of drones and also the firstblack female commercial drone pilot in the United
States, one of them. Anyway, thank you so much for joining us
today. You're listening to Insight.Philadelphia is the poorest large city in the
country. There are many organizations thatare trying to do their best to move
(16:55):
the needle when it comes to liftingpeople out of poverty. One organization has
had success in doing that, andthat is Achieveability, which addresses barriers preventing
individuals and families from achieving their potential. Joining us right now is Jamilla Harris
Morrison, executive director at Achievability.Thank you so much for joining us today.
Hi, Loraen, thanks for havingme. Well, we're going to
(17:17):
talk about a bunch of different things, but let's begin by talking about Achievability.
How did it get started, Whydid it get started, and what
are some of the ways in whichyou achieve the goal of lifting people out
of poverty. So Achievability was startedin nineteen eighty one really by concerned citizens,
business executives, women experiencing homelessness,really wanting to find some permanent solutions
(17:42):
to help families overcome homelessness, andwhile that is where we started, the
mission has grown cut significantly over thelast forty years. Now we serve annually
over three thousand residents with our antipoverty services. Some of those services include
connecting residents to job opportunities, helpingprepare residents for those job opportunities, providing
(18:06):
affordable housing in the West Philadelphia neighborhoods, particularly the Haddington and Cops Creek neighborhoods,
also teaching and training digital literacy,helping residents get comfortable with not just
your smartphone, but your computer andall the technology that we need to live
in a twenty first century economy,and beyond that, because we just know
it's not enough just to help theresidents, we're really investing in strategies that
(18:30):
help to create economic opportunities in thecommunity. So we're located at sixty if
in market and we're supporting the businesseson that corridor. There's over a hundred
and forty small businesses that are allled by black and brown business owners,
and so we're helping them to builda capacity, create infrastructure, but most
(18:51):
importantly, connect them to capital thatcan help sustain their businesses and to help
with those efforts, we connect thatwith a number of safe and public space
in communities because we really believe thatour neighbors deserve beautiful, clean streets and
they deserve to have well lit streets, and so we have a number of
lighting projects happening right now, greeninginitiatives. We're adding three hundred trees in
(19:15):
the next eighteen months, but reallyjust looking at ways that we can partner
with residents to create a vibrant communityand make our neighborhood a neighborhood of choice.
Well, you've been with the organizationfor a little bit and you kind
of rose up through the ranks.You started out as a self sufficiency coach
and you moved up and eventually becameexecutive director. I want if you can
(19:37):
just share with us a little bitabout that journey from someone who worked hands
on directly with your clients and consumersto where you are now. Tell us
how that happened and what's been yourexperience going through that process. Yeah,
I mean, so I am enteringnext month my eighteenth year with the organization,
(19:59):
and I look back, I'm like, well, where did the time
go. But one of the reasonsI was attracted to Achievability. Coming out
of college, I had to studypsychology, came back home, I knew
I wanted to work in the socialwork field, and I really wanted to
work with residents and with programming thatwas really generative. And when I saw
Achievability on Craigslist, which probably doesn'texist anymore, but it was a program
(20:25):
where families chose to be a partof the program. And so the idea
that families had a choice and atsome point said hey, I want to
do something different with my life andthey turned to this organization to make that
happen was really compelling to me.And I started as a coach, a
social worker working directly families and theFamily Self Sufficiency Program, and that program
(20:47):
is really focused on pairing affordable housingand coaching services, but the foundation of
it is education as a halfway outof poverty. So all the parents are
working towards post secondary degrees with theidea that that could help them get to
a living wage career. And forme, coming from a single parent household
with a mom who only graduated highschool and being able to use education as
(21:08):
a way to leverage me to pathto opportunities, that mission just really resonated,
and so I started there. Ithought I was going to be there
for two or three years and figuresomething out. And I stayed because there
have been so many great opportunities andthe ways that the organization has continued to
grow and evolved. And you know, sometimes you have a path and sometimes
the universe has a path for you. But I've really been surrounded by great
(21:33):
mentors and boards and teams that havereally helped me transition into these areas.
And when we found ourselves looking foran executive director in twenty seventeen, I
was asked and my first response wasno. And then after some thinking and
some talking and meeting with stakeholders,it was like, why not be I've
(21:55):
been doing this work. I livein West Philadelphia. We focus on West
Philadelphia, and the mission is nearand dear to my heart, and so
being able to turn a passion intoa job, it's been a pretty illuminating
experience and just really grateful for everyonethat helps us to get the work done
that we do, which is socritical to helping families really overcome poverty in
(22:18):
our city. Well, you've beenwith the organization for eighteen years, and
I wonder if you can share withus maybe some stories or examples of how
achievability has really helped lift of familyor an individual out of poverty. Store.
Yeah, there's so many. I'llgo into the into the Vallum.
(22:40):
One of the first families that Iworked with, and I'll change the name
just for confidentiality, but her nameis Tina, and she had a daughter
named Shakira, and she was workingat Duncan Donuts making seven seventy five an
hour part time, and she reallywanted to be a nurse, and so
she was struggling with housing, hadbeen experiencing violence with her boyfriend, really
(23:02):
needed a safe place to live.And so when she came her daughter was
three years old, and like Isaid, she was working part time at
Dunkin Donuts. We got her intoCommunity College. It was really great because
it was a little barrier entry school. The classes were affordable, she was
able to take all of her prerecksand able to get into their nursing program.
(23:22):
Once she completed that nursing program,she then went on for a bachelor's
sides and nursing at Thomas Jefferson University. And so that was a really transformational
experience for her because once she completedthat degree, they had a job waiting
for her, and so someone whocame in making seven seventy five an hour
and just about five and a halfyears was now making sixty five thousand dollars.
(23:48):
And her daughter, Shaquia had supportfrom us to navigate school counseling to
address trauma from what she had experiencefrom her mom being in a challenge relationship,
but also helping them to build financialstability, learning how to see preparing
for homeownership. And I think oneof the most compelling pieces of that particular
(24:10):
part of our program is that there'sa lot of support for the parents.
But we have seen for the lastseven years one hundred percent of our high
school students graduate in eighty percent ofthem and roll into college. And that's
where we really see that big generationalshift and change. And you know,
we're just like a partner on thejourney, and it's like skipping rocks.
You don't know how far the ripplegoes, but we get to be a
(24:32):
part of the beginning of those seedsof transformation, and it's beautiful. That's
a wonderful story. And also thatgraduation rate is pretty spectacular given the general
graduation rate in the city of philiolfiaIs is not anywhere close to that.
Now, I'd like to talk aboutan upcoming event that's allowing all of us
to help support students who going backto school. Tell us about that.
(24:56):
Yes, so we know families arestill struggling. I mean, COVID may
feel like it's gone, but it'sstill impacting families and incomes and so forth.
And it's really important that we setour students up for SUCs US.
So if you have extra supplies orextra funding and generosity to give, we
invite you to participate in our backpackdrive. We're asking for backpacks to be
filled with we have a list ofthings but pencils, tissue boxes, calculators,
(25:22):
notebooks, binders, and so forth. We are looking to get over
a thousand backpacks donated that we cangive out to students, and we'll be
taking those donations up until August eighth. You can reach out to us on
social media or call us at twoone five seven four eight eight eight zero
zero, or check out our website. If you don't want to come and
(25:44):
drop it in. You can alsosend those supplies through Amazon Smiles, so
we make it really easy to getthose supplies to us, but we love
for people to come out and supportwith backpacks. And then on August eleventh,
we are having a block party orwe'll have resource fare for residents.
If you need a backpack, comejoin us at SIXTYFM Market where you and
your children can get backpacks and thechildren get to go into an area where
(26:10):
they're shopping on their own and theyget to pick out the one. And
it's really just like wonderful to seethe kids like pick out their backpack and
say, oh, I want thisone, and then open up and see
all the wonderful supplies and just feellike really good and really seen and that
there's someone who's thinking about them duringwhat can sometimes be a financially stressful time
for their households. If you wantto donate a backpack by August eighth,
(26:33):
or join us on August eleven topick up a backpack, that's great.
And also with that option for Amazonto be able to contribute as well,
makes it very convenient. Now Achievabilitydoes something which is very wonderful, which
is you're very holistic. It's notthat you just take one aspect of this
poverty piece puzzle but you take youlook at all of the different facets,
(26:57):
and so I'm sure they're going tobe some family and individuals out in West
Philadelphia who are hearing this and saying, Okay, maybe I'm ready. I'm
ready to make a change in mylife, to move forward and to enter
into a life sustaining career. Howdo they get in touch with you?
Once again? For more information,you can visit us at fifty ninth in
(27:19):
Market just walk on in Monday throughFriday nine to five. But you can
also call us at two one fiveseven four eight eight eight zero zero or
find us on social media at hashtagachievability on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Come check us out. If we'renot able to provide you that support,
will definitely connect you to a resourcethat can get you what you need.
(27:41):
Great and also, as this interviewwill be posted as a podcast,
will be sure to have all thatinformation in the podcast description. Well,
I'm very very impressed with the workthat you're doing. You're making a difference.
Clearly, being able to lift peopleout of poverty will have such a
ripple effect. Thanks to you forjoining us today. I love your logo.
The A is like a little ladder, so you climb that ladder and
(28:07):
achievability in housing and career and education, those are all possible thanks to your
organization. Jamila Harris Morrison, ExecutiveDirector of Achievability, thank you so much.
Thanks Lory. You can listen toall of today's interviews by going to
our station website and typing in keywordCommunity. You can also listen on the
iHeartRadio app Keyword Lorraine with one R. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at
(28:33):
Lorraine Ballard. I'm Lorraine Ballard Morrowand I stand for service to our community
and media that empowers. What willyou stand for? You've been listening to
Insight and thank you
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!