More Than Words Podcast
Meet Liz and Shara. An unlikely pair who connected through an assignment in West Africa, a near impossible work request, a pandemic pool day, and hoop earrings. Affectionately known as the “Aunties of Inclusion”, Liz and Shara both share a passion to create impactful change. Join Liz and Shara as they explore and empathize how to value the similarities shared with others, the differences they are curious to discover, and the tools they have found helpful. This podcast is about growth, inclusion, and appreciating the humans around you. Engagement and discussion are critical to self-growth, and they won’t shy away from the tough stuff. They are looking beyond DEI academically and promoting accountability, celebration and curiosity. Their vision is to build a community where people can be completely themselves, navigating fear while being courageous and transforming insight to action. They embody the lessons of their abuelitas, where caring for others isn’t hospitality but the essence of who you are, how you survive, and how you are known. It’s a legacy.
Episodes

Thursday Jul 21, 2022
Thursday Jul 21, 2022
Join us as we continue pushing forward DEI conversations no matter how difficult they are to have. This podcast is about growth, inclusion, and appreciating the humans around you. Engagement and discussion are critical to self-growth, and we won't shy away from the tough stuff.They say "money isn't everything"...well, actually building wealth is crucial especially for communities that were historically excluded from wealth and having cash on hand. Join us as we talk to Enrique Basañez, a Financial Advisor with Thrivent Financial, about why it's important for people from historically excluded communities to get their mind right when it comes to money. Building wealth is about legacy. What do we need to do to create an inclusive and equitable economy when it comes to building wealth? And how do we do this when we lack family wealth?Enrique is a successful Financial Advisor with Thrivent Financial who is focused on helping underserved communities, families and small businesses.Enrique was born and raised in Mexico and immigrated to Texas at the age of 15. He graduated from Valley View High School in 2001. He received a bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems from UT - Brownsville in 2006. Enrique started his career in technology and has been in the financial industry for 15 years working for global Investment and Banking institutions: Merrill Lynch, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs. He was a Vice President at Goldman Sachs and Bank of America. Enrique successfully managed and helped individuals progress in their career through mentorship. He is passionate about giving back to the community and helping others achieve success. He believes every person has the right to similar opportunities to be successful in the workplace and society.Enrique lives happily with his wife Alex, 18-year-old daughter Jazmin and 13-year-old son David near the mountains in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Wednesday Jul 13, 2022
Wednesday Jul 13, 2022
Join us as we continue pushing forward DEI conversations no matter how difficult they are to have. This podcast is about growth, inclusion, and appreciating the humans around you. Engagement and discussion are critical to self-growth, and we won't shy away from the tough stuff. Are you ok? Each day, we navigate the question "are you ok". Often we have an automated response and other times we use it as an opportunity to share, but let's take it a step further and talk about how we care for ourselves. Join us as we explore this topic with Melanie Ryan, CEO of MFR Coaching and Consulting about the equity of selfcare and how that has different meanings. For some, self-care looks like taking care of basic necessities and for others it's taking a walk with a friend. Either one is necessary for our well-being. How are we putting ourselves a priority without feeling selfish or guilty?Melanie has over twenty years of experience in leadership, culture development, building equitable teams and facilitating individual growth. She is known for her ability to connect what people say to underlying root issues.

Thursday Jul 07, 2022
Thursday Jul 07, 2022
Join us as we continue pushing forward DEI conversations no matter how difficult they are to have. This podcast is about growth, inclusion, and appreciating the humans around you. Engagement and discussion are critical to self-growth, and we won't shy away from the tough stuff.**TRIGGER WARNING** #roevwade #activeshooter #mentalhealthJoin us on this episode as we have a colorful discussion surrounding current events. This may get uncomfortable, but we think you can't discuss one topic such as #activeshooter without talking about another #roevwade. Ultimately, the question is as a society, what do we want this to look like? How do we practice empathy, lean in to curiosity and check our own bias in order understand different perspectives.

Thursday Jun 30, 2022
Thursday Jun 30, 2022
Join us as we continue pushing forward DEI conversations no matter how difficult they are to have. This podcast is about growth, inclusion, and appreciating the humans around you. Engagement and discussion are critical to self-growth, and we won't shy away from the tough stuff.Joining The Aunties of Inclusion in this episode is Brandi, who is passionate about improving the lives of marginalized youth and advocating for equity in education. Brandi is a first-generation college graduate and professional born and raised in Houston, Texas. She earned each of her college and graduate degrees from the University of Houston – Main Campus. Brandi began her career in education 15 years ago as an English and English as a Second Language teacher at a large comprehensive high school. In 2012, she made the transition into school leadership as an assistant principal then moved into the principal position at a high performing high school where she earned the title Principal of the Year for the East Area twice. To support her passion, she spends her time volunteering throughout the city and was recently elected as the Board Secretary for Out for Education, a non-profit organization dedicated solely to providing college scholarships for LGBTQA+ youth in Houston.Brandi has two life partners: Mathew and Libby with whom she has been since 2010 and 2017 respectively. Together, their family has two children named Apollo and Clementine and one chihuahua-papillon mix named Herman.More information on Out for Education, can be found here: https://outforeducation.org/

Wednesday Jun 29, 2022
Wednesday Jun 29, 2022
Join us as we continue pushing forward DEI conversations no matter how difficult they are to have. This podcast is about growth, inclusion, and appreciating the humans around you. Engagement and discussion are critical to self-growth, and we won't shy away from the tough stuff.This episode explores how language that means to include can exclude due to how a person is valued and treated. We will be joined by Robert - a longtime mentor, DEI champion, and a person who can meet people where they are in the journey. Join us as we have a real conversation about what it means to be “human” and how that doesn't always create a sense of inclusion and belonging.

Tuesday Jun 28, 2022
Tuesday Jun 28, 2022
Take II in introducing The Aunties of Inclusion. We were so excited about the podcast, we completely forgot to tell the listeners about the podcast, our why and what listeners will gain from this podcast. This is Take II with an actual format...well sort of. Join us as we continue pushing forward DEI conversations no matter how difficult they are to have. This podcast is about growth, inclusion, and appreciating the humans around you. Engagement and discussion are critical to self-growth, and we won't shy away from the tough stuff.

Tuesday Jun 28, 2022
Tuesday Jun 28, 2022
Introducing Liz and Shara affectionately known as the "Aunties of Inclusion".
We have the ability to create familiarity and a sense of trust that lend itself to vulnerability. We are who you want to text, FaceTime or dare I say call when you need to process out loud. Don’t let the “auntie” term fool you, we are embracing where we are in our self-awareness and pushing forward diversity, equity and inclusion in our Corporate and consulting work. Join us as we explore valuing similarities, learning from differences, and tools to support with both.
This podcast is about growth, inclusion, and appreciating the humans around you. Engagement and discussion are critical to self-growth, and we won't shy away from the tough stuff.

Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
Introducing Liz and Shara affectionately known as the "Aunties of Inclusion".
Liz and Shara have the ability to create familiarity and a sense of trust that lend itself to vulnerability. They are who you want to text, FaceTime or dare I say call when you need to process out loud. Don’t let the “auntie” term fool you, they are embracing where they are in their self-awareness and pushing forward diversity, equity and inclusion in their Corporate and consulting work. Join them as they explore valuing similarities, learning from differences, and tools to support with both.
This podcast is about growth, inclusion, and appreciating the humans around you. Engagement and discussion are critical to self-growth, and they won't shy away from the tough stuff.