Maria Maldonado Smith gets into the neuroscience and benefits of goal-setting. The leadership coach and speaker visited "Ethocast" to talk about how goal-setting fits into college fraternity and sorority life as well as the importance of members leaning on each other to meet their goals.

About the Guest

Maria Maldonado Smith [https://mmsconsultingfirm.com/] is the chief empowerment officer of MMS Consulting Firm and creator of the Executive Vision Imagery program. After 18 years of award-winning success in the corporate space, working as a sales leader for Fortune 500 companies across three different industries, Maria brings her unparalleled combination of experience to her proprietary process and interactive training, helping companies understand the neuroscience and benefits of goal-setting for their employees. She equips leaders, employees and organizations to clearly define goals and create a roadmap to achieving them, which allows for better alignment with corporate culture, leading to increased productivity and profitability.

Maria has served numerous national and international clients, including U.S. House of Representatives, Johnson & Johnson, Disney, Paramount Studios, and Constellation Brands. Growing up as the daughter of an immigrant parent, goal-setting has always been a way of life for Maria. At age 9, she set goals to become the first college graduate in her family and to earn the title of Miss Kentucky. Maria graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in political science, won the title of Miss Kentucky, and competed in Miss America in 2005.

A sister of the Beta Psi chapter of Alpha Delta Pi, Maria served as executive vice president and began honing her leadership and professional development skills. Her proprietary process has been an essential practice in achieving these goals and many more throughout her career and personal life. Maria has performed twice at Carnegie Hall and sang the National Anthem for an audience of over 120,000. She and her husband of 20 years raise their three children in a loving and encouraging environment where anything is possible when you set a goal and create a vision for it.

23. Psi | The Neuroscience of Goal-Setting with Maria Maldonado Smith

Fraternity and sorority life has no shortage of big personalities. So, what is a chapter to do when almost everyone's personality takes center stage? This episode is dedicated to applying the Big 5 Model of Personality to those chapter brothers and sisters, so that everyone can better understand each other.

22. Chi | The Big 5 Personalities in Your Chapter

As a fraternity man who was initiated in college, Mark Wiggins hadn't given life on the alumni much thought, let alone leadership. Next thing you know, he's leading his Kappa Alpha Psi alumni chapter. Mark visited "Ethocast" to chat about the mentality needed to shift from college-level leadership to alumni-level leadership including an experience he had guiding his chapter through an unexpected tragedy.

About the Guest

Mark Wiggins [https://markwigginsonline.com/] is an outstanding entrepreneur and motivational speaker with a remarkable ability to ignite passion and inspire others. As the CEO and editor-in-chief of "Off the Bench Magazine", he is a highly sought-after speaker, author, and coach.

Mark’s expertise extends to various methodologies and programs, including being a certified facilitator of the Lego® Serious Play methodology, a Master Presenter PSSP, and the co-creator of the transformative Journey to Success Program. He is also the creator of the C.O.R.E Speaker training program, designed to equip individuals with the essential skills to excel in public speaking.

With a strong background in collegiate basketball as a standout player at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Mark’s leadership skills were recognized through his three-year captaincy and induction into the UAH Hall of Honor in 1997. Leveraging his athletic experiences, he has also coached high school and AAU basketball teams, while sharing his insights as a speaker for the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) for over a decade.

Mark’s influence reaches beyond live events through his captivating podcast, “Off the Bench with Mark Wiggins”, available on popular platforms such as iTunes and Spotify. With over 25 years of experience in the corporate and communications industries, Mark is a dynamic force in empowering corporate organizations, individuals, and young people to “Move from the Bench to the starting line-up of life.

‘For the latest insights and updates, connect with Mark on Twitter and Facebook @speakerman87, and on Instagram @OTBMagazine. Tune in to “Off the Bench with Mark Wiggins” to embark on a transformative journey towards personal and professional growth. 

21. Phi | Leading on the Alumni Level with Mark Wiggins

Dr. Michael Ayalon recently defended his dissertation ⁠The Early Warning Signs of Hazing in College Fraternities and Sororities⁠ [https://jewlscholar.mtsu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/22d56067-00aa-4661-be38-7dcc2d59dd9a/content]. Upon the unfortunate fraternity hazing death of Caleb Wilson, Mike discussed the findings of his research. He talked about unexpected findings, how the definition of hazing compares among campus National Interfraternity Council groups, National Panhellenic Conference groups, and National Pan-Hellenic Council groups. Mike also described the pressures and stress of student affairs professionals and his recommendations for identifying early warning signs of hazing.Resources:

 * Episode 13 - ⁠Hazing Prevention with Jason Meriwether⁠ [https://zencastr.com/z/HBVorzIF]
 * Episode 14 - ⁠The Psychology of Hazing with Leslie M. Brown and Von Eaglin⁠ [https://zencastr.com/z/6E35FJB2]
 * Hank Nuwer's Unofficial Database of Hazing Deaths Database and Clearinghouse - ⁠hanknuwer.com⁠ [https://www.hanknuwer.com/]
 * Opinion by Dr. Walter Kimbrough on MSNBC - ⁠Caleb Wilson’s hazing death is a familiar cautionary tale⁠ [https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/hazing-death-caleb-wilson-southern-university-black-greek-life-rcna196350]
 * H.R.5646 - ⁠Stop Campus Hazing Act [https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5646]

20. Upsilon | Warning Signs of Hazing with Mike Ayalon

Donna Jones Anderson, the national president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, visited "Ethocast" to let us in on what NPHC is really about. She talked about programs and initiative that many may not realize the organization does, including an idea from a major department store that turned into millions of dollars in scholarships. Donna also gave us her big dream for NPHC's future.

About the Guest

Donna Jones Anderson is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., the Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter. She was initiated at the University of Pittsburgh where she collected fond memories of Greek life. Her favorite Divine Nine memory, however, is taking the oath to become the NPHC president. Professionally, Donna is a senior business technical analyst and IT support manager for PMA Companies. 

19. Tau | NPHC with Donna Jones Anderson

There's a reason they call him "Big Ed." Edson O'Neale, as he points out, is normally the tallest guy in the room. But what people may not know is that Edson may very well be the most open in the room about his vulnerability. He visited "Ethocast" to talk about he has turned his own struggles and victories, including what it means to find one's one voice in Greek life, into life lessons for members of fraternities and sororities.

About the Guest

A higher ed professional for close to 15 years, Edson O’Neale's mission to help students started with a simple question: “Have you ever thought about going into speaking and speaking at other colleges and universities?” That student believed that the information that Edson was providing for students on campus was very valuable, and other students at different campuses across the country needed to hear it. With his extensive experience supporting college admissions, advising, student success, student government, fraternity and sorority life, student activities and career services, Edson set out to create strong and inclusive communities wherever he speaks.  

Edson has spoken at numerous conferences and universities, motivating and bringing the best out of students and advisors through his interactive talks and passion for being a servant leader. A ⁠Greek University⁠ [https://greekuniversity.org/edson/] speaker, Edson works with the Divine Nine and multicultural groups to develop strong cross council collaborations and cultural competencies. He also shares his story of resiliency and gets raw about his issues with depression and how being vulnerable allowed him to be free to become the champion that he is meant to be.  

Edson gains his strength and his passion to serve people from his family deriving from his Caribbean heritage and background. As well the mission and values his dear fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. bestowed upon him. As a huge Spider Man fan, one of his favorite quotes is “With great power comes great responsibility.”

18. Sigma | The Power of Vulnerability with Edson O'Neale

Cory Bosco believes that students involved with fraternity and sorority life have transformational power. Not only has he seen their influence on campuses, but Cory has seen how this transformational power of Greek life extends well into members' professional years. 

About the Guest

Having worked for both at a fraternity's headquarters and professionally on campuses for over a decade, Cory Bosco has worked with communities of all sizes across most of the U.S. and Canada. While currently working as the director of fraternity and sorority life at Bradley University, Cory has also helped create large-scale learning strategies having served as the conference chair and on the Conference Leadership Team for the Northeast Greek Leadership Association's Annual Conference.

A consultant for Greek University [https://greekuniversity.org/cory/], Cory's drive is to help fraternity and sorority members recognize the potential that they have to be transformative leaders, change thinkers, and tone setters for their own campus and beyond. He believes that fraternities and sororities serve an ever more pivotal role in our changing society and the college experience. Cory is dedicated toward providing skills development and practice for our fraternity and sorority members so that they may excel as leaders within their own chapters, councils, and communities.

Cory was initiated into Sigma Pi at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where he also played ice hockey.

17. Rho | The Transformational Power of Greek Life with Cory Bosco

Dr. Bryan Dosono visits Ethocast to discuss APIDA fraternities and sororities as well as the National APIDA Panhellenic Association (NAPA). He talks about what attracted him to Greek life, what sets Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American fraternities and sororities apart, and where he sees NAPA going.

About the Guest

Dr. Bryan Dosono [https://www.bdosono.com/] joined Lambda Phi Epsilon at the University of Washington in the fall of 2008. As an undergraduate, he served as president of his fraternity chapter and president of his Greek council. During his doctoral studies at Syracuse University, Bryan established a handful of new chapters across Upstate New York while volunteering on his organization’s International Board. In 2020, he was elected to lead his fraternity as International President and now serves as the Executive Chair of the National Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Panhellenic Association [https://www.napahq.org/].

Outside of Greek life, Bryan scales user experience research practices in consumer technology. He applies human-computer interaction research methods with visual storytelling to modernize the design of global marketplaces and online communities. Bryan publishes award-winning research on decolonizing sociotechnical systems and actively expands talent pipelines across APIDA resource groups. Connect with Bryan on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdosono/].

Ethocast is a "For Our Edification" limited series and is supported by ⁠Edify Ventures, LLC⁠ [https://www.eddiefrancis.com/edify].

16. Pi | NAPA with Bryan Dosono

Known for her #SelfLoveChallenge, Brandy Wilson Edwards is big on mindfulness. She visited "Ethocast" to talk about how she has conquered a "horrible inner critic" to accept who she is unconditionally. In this conversation, you will hear why mindfulness and emotional intelligence should be a big part of fraternity and sorority members' personal and chapter growth so that they don't burn out before even reaching graduation from college.

About the Guest

With her passion for pink and yoga, ⁠Brandy Wilson Edwards⁠ [https://www.brandywilsonedwards.com/] is, by many measures, a unique attorney. A passionate speaker, well-being advocate and author, she works with organizations that value well-being and want to use the power of mindset to create happier, engaged, confident, and productive professionals. Brandy infuses personal stories and struggles to teach college students and professionals how to take control of their lives as they pursue and achieve their potential, both personally and professionally.

Brandy's J.D. is from Oklahoma City University School of Law, and she earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas . She is a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, a Greek University speaker, and a member of the programming committee for the Institute for Well-Being in Law. She is the founder of the Self-Love Challenge™ and certified to teach yoga and mindfulness.

Brandy embraces both self-love and sobriety as a lifestyle, and encourages audiences to adopt her life mantra “Be Strong and Courageous.”

15. Omicron | Mindfulness in Greek Life with Brandy Wilson Edwards

The second part of the series on hazing is a throwback interview with two mental health professionals. Leslie M. Brown and Dr. Von Eaglin gave their thoughts about what motivates students to commit acts of hazing. This interview was first posted in 2014 on "The Eddie Francis Podcast Show" and it was reposted on "For Our Edification."

About the Guests

Leslie is a licensed marriage and family therapist with extensive experience working with military veterans, veterans' families, and women/families in substance abuse recovery. She is a doctoral candidate at Barry University where her research interests include the evolution of families, polyamory families, race/class/gender and cultural competency as well as indigenous and traditional mental health healing modalities. Leslie earned her Master of Science in marriage and family therapy from St. Thomas University (Fla) and her bachelor's degree from Hampton University in mass media arts. She is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.

Von is a Licensed Professional Counselor who talks about positive psychology on One Life Radio [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/one-life-radio-podcast/id1234070221?ls=1&mt=2]. Von has experience working with physically and sexually abused youth, couples, men’s issues, anger management, adolescents, depression, anxiety, and addictions. Von earned his Ph.D. in counseling from the University of North Texas where he also completed his master's in education and his bachelor's in business administration. Von is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

Ethocast is a "For Our Edification" limited series and is supported by ⁠Edify Ventures, LLC⁠ [https://www.eddiefrancis.com/edify].

14. Xi | The Psychology of Hazing with Leslie M. Brown and Von Eaglin

Be more than a great Greek life leader, be a leader for good. "Ethocast" equips fraternity and sorority members with the skills to build strong chapters through effective leadership tips, insights, and conversations. Greek life and leadership speaker Eddie Francis and his guests give up the 411 to take your Greeks to the next level, regardless of the council. Stream "Ethocast" every week to level up your leadership!

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