What if building wealth starts before you ever have the wealth to build?

In Ep. No. 0027 of The GR8TNESS Router, Zena C. sits down with financial planner, educator, and Brands + Bands Strategy Group founder Nadia C. Vanderhall for a candid conversation about money, entrepreneurship, resilience—and learning how to work with what is already in your hands.

After experiencing a layoff during the 2008 recession, Nadia began examining not only what she knew about financial services, but what she understood about money for herself. That journey eventually became the foundation for work centered on making financial education practical, culturally relevant, and accessible.

Together, they unpack the financial stories we inherit, why small habits can create meaningful change, the difference between consuming financial information and actually understanding your money, and Nadia's belief that the wallet you have today has to be prepared for the wealth you envision tomorrow. Because whether the goal is saving, investing, building a business, or simply making better decisions, progress doesn't have to happen all at once. Sometimes, it's built bit by bit.

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Connect with Nadia and The Bands + Brand Strategy Group by visiting their Website [https://www.thebrandsandbands.com/thefounder] or on any of the following social platforms: Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/BrandsAndBands] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thebrandsandbands/] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiavanderhall/] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@nvknows] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkmPaBZAgAHrIESMOywcw1A]

Ep. 0027 | Prepare Your Wallet for the Wealth You Want

What happens when the path you planned doesn’t work out—but somehow leads you exactly where you’re supposed to be?

In this episode of The GR8TNESS Router, host Zena C. is joined by husband-and-wife duo Dr. Kevin Wilson, higher education leader and sport management scholar, and Dr. Shanika LaVie Wilson, social work educator, scholar-practitioner, and administrator. Individually, they’ve built careers centered on developing people, strengthening institutions, and creating opportunities through education and leadership…all while building a family and continuing to invest in one another.

Together, they explore career pivots, finding purpose, navigating professional sacrifice, developing confidence, and maintaining individuality within partnership. And in an unexpected turn, they reveal how a shared experience that once looked like failure became part of the route toward their careers and towards each other. At its core, this conversation is about recognizing that the route may change without changing the destination.

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Click Here to connect with Dr. Kevin Wilson on LinkedIn. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-wilson-ed-d-b1b0a932/]

Click Here to connect with Dr. Shanika Wilson on LinkedIn. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lavi-wilson/]

Ep. 0026 | The Roles We Choose To Play

What does it mean to truly think critically?

In this episode of The GR8TNESS Router, Zena C. sits down with retired educator, journalist, and communications scholar Dr. Phillip Jeter for a conversation that stretches far beyond media literacy.

Drawing from more than four decades in journalism and higher education, Dr. Jeter reflects on the professors who shaped his thinking, the unexpected pivots that redirected his career, and why education should challenge us—not simply prepare us for a job. Together, they explore the value of asking better questions, embracing complexity, understanding history, and remaining intellectually curious throughout life.

Whether discussing philosophy, higher education, journalism, or the importance of perspective, this conversation serves as a reminder that some of the greatest lessons begin with a willingness to reconsider what we think we know.

Ep. 0025 | Thinking Beyond The Surface

What if healing wasn't something you had to earn—but something you could experience through movement, creativity, and play?

In Episode 0024 of The GR8TNESS Router, Zena C. welcomes longtime friend, creative healer, and founder Michelle "Meesh the Great" Flowers for an honest conversation about transformation, grief, somatic healing, authenticity, and what it means to truly return to yourself.

After navigating profound personal loss, health challenges, and seasons of reinvention, Meesh shares how movement became more than exercise—it became medicine. Through Reiki, somatic practices, intentional play, and creative expression, she has developed experiences that help others reconnect with themselves in ways that feel accessible, joyful, and deeply restorative.

Together, Zena and Meesh explore the relationship between healing and creativity, why authenticity matters more than performance, and how choosing yourself often begins with simply giving yourself permission to feel.

If you've ever felt disconnected from yourself, stuck in survival mode, or wondered whether healing could look different than you imagined, this conversation offers both encouragement and practical perspective.

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Follow Meesh to learn more about: Somatic Dance Floor experiences, Healing-centered play events, Reiki and trauma-informed healing, Creative collaborations, The Mystical Gemini fragrance and Necessary Glitter updates. Visit meeshthegreat.com [https://www.meeshthegreat.com/]

Ep. 0024 | Healing Through Play

NOTE: This episode contains a strategic "f-bomb" or two...hence the "explicit language" tag. Forgive me in advance and ENJOY! — ZC

How many brilliant ideas are sitting in drafts right now?

In this installment of The Gr8tness Router, host Zena C. sits down with Shirley Sampson, Founder of Fathom & Flourish, Business Strategist, and Accountability Coach…for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, purpose, faith, and the courage required to act on what you already know you're meant to do.

From growing up around generations of entrepreneurial women to navigating corporate leadership, caregiving, grief, and business ownership, Shirley shares the experiences that shaped her belief that most people don't need more information…they need accountability, reflection, and the confidence to trust themselves.

Together, they explore joy versus safety, the power of community, overcoming perfectionism, and why greatness often emerges when someone is willing to hold up a mirror and remind us who we are. At its core, this conversation is about choosing purpose over fear and refusing to let your gifts remain hidden.

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Connect with Shirley on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/theshirleysampson/], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/theshirleysampson/] and Threads [https://www.threads.com/@theshirleysampson] or by visiting her website fathomandflourish.com [http://fathomandflourish.com/]. If you’re interested in learning more about F*uck That. The Unfiltered Summit click here [https://fathomandflourish.com/].

Ep. 0023 | The Gap Between Knowing and Doing

What if the greatest leadership lesson isn't found in a title…but in the lives you've helped transform?

In this episode of The GR8TNESS Router, Zena C. welcomes one of the people most responsible for shaping her academic and professional journey: Dr. Kandace L. Harris. An educator, media scholar, administrator, mentor, and advocate, Dr. Harris has spent her career helping students recognize the greatness already within them while creating pathways for them to thrive.

Their conversation explores the transformative power of HBCUs, the importance of representation in education, and why teaching is far more than delivering information…it’s about cultivating lives. Dr. Harris reflects on her upbringing in Oakland, her Howard University experience, the lessons she learned as a young professor at Johnson C. Smith University, and the moment she realized that every word spoken to a student carries lasting weight.

The discussion also dives into purpose, career pivots, lifelong learning, faith, accountability, and the importance of extending grace to yourself while pursuing excellence. Whether you're an educator, entrepreneur, student, or leader, this episode is a reminder that influence isn't measured by titles…it’s measured by the people who become greater because you showed up.

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Connect with Dr. Harris on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kandace-harris-ba03166/] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kaleighgurlprof/]

Ep. 0022 | What You Say Matters

What if the thing you're building isn't just a business…but a space for restoration?

In this episode of The GR8TNESS Router, host Zena C. sits down with Sherry Waters, founder of Pauline Tea-Bar Apothecary, community chaplain, spiritual director, and stewardship coach. Through a conversation rooted in service, healing, and community care, Sherry shares how a simple green chair became the catalyst for creating one of Charlotte's most beloved spaces for reflection and connection.

From her early career in television news to decades serving nonprofit organizations, Sherry reveals the breadcrumbs that led her toward social entrepreneurship and the creation of a tea lounge designed to help people slow down, reconnect, and be restored.

Together, they explore stewardship, resilience, meaningful connection, spiritual discernment, and the courage required to honor a vision that doesn't look like anyone else's. At its heart, this conversation is about creating space…for yourself, for others, and for the healing work we're all called to do.

Find Sherry online at http://www.ienate.com/ or the tea bar at http://www.thepaulineteabar.com/

Ep. 0021 | Steep, Soak & Serve

In this episode of The GR8TNESS Router, host Zena C. sits down with Dr. Erica N. Hilton, a Strategic Communications + Media Scholar and Assistant Professor of Strategic Communications at Hampton University, for a conversation that bridges scholarship, strategy, and soul.

With a career spanning higher education, national nonprofits, and digital activism, Dr. Hilton shares how her journey from aspiring publicist to award-winning educator revealed a deeper calling: to teach, to advocate, and to communicate for good.

Together, they explore what it means to take the pause in a world that demands instant responses, the lessons learned from moments of redirection, and how passion can guide us toward a purpose-filled life.

This episode is about resilience, discernment, and the power of aligning personal truth with professional calling.

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Connect with Dr. Erica Hilton on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericahltn/] or Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ericahltn/]

Ep. 0019 | Find Your Passion, Follow Your Purpose

What does it mean to keep creating when everything around you feels like it’s collapsing?

In this episode of The GR8TNESS Router, host Zena C. is joined by Dr. Ashley Gaddy Robbins, Equity, Liberation + Authenticity Scholar and Founder of Ashley Gaddy Enterprises, for a candid conversation on resilience, authenticity, and the storms that shape us.

From her early lessons in social justice to navigating systems not designed with her in mind, Dr. Gaddy Robbins reflects on what it takes to stand firm, speak truth, and center humanity even in the most turbulent seasons.

This is not just a conversation about leadership. It’s about finding joy, protection, and power when the storm refuses to let up.

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Connect with Dr. Ashley Gaddy Robbins on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleygaddyenterprises/], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/dr.ashleygaddyrobbins/?hl=en] or by visiting her at ashleygaddyenterprises.com [http://ashleygaddyenterprises.com/]

Ep. 0018 | In the Midst of the Storm

In this illuminating chapter of The GR8TNESS Router, host Zena C. sits down with scholar, author, and trailblazing university president Dr. Brian L. Johnson. From his roots in Durham, North Carolina, to becoming the first minority president in Warner Pacific University’s history, Dr. Johnson shares the lessons, pivots, and defining moments that shaped his purpose-driven path.

With honesty and depth, he opens up about:

 * The faith and encounters that clarified his calling
 * The pivotal rejection that redirected him from law school to academia
 * The resilience built by remembering where he came from
 * How mentorship, integrity, and preparation remain cornerstones of leadership

Dr. Johnson reminds us that purpose isn’t static — it evolves, it pivots, and it proves itself through resilience. This is a conversation for anyone navigating their own calling and searching for the courage to keep pressing forward.

Because the greatest story you’ll ever live is the one where you remember the good, so it can prepare you for the greater.

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Connect with Dr. Brian Johnson on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-johnson-ph-d-004a8425/], Twitter [https://x.com/drbrianjohnson1] or visit intersectionoffaithandlearning.com [http://intersectionoffaithandlearning.com/]

Ep. 0017 | The Greatest Seven-Letter Word

Where purpose meets process. One conversation at a time.

Greatness isn’t random—it’s built through purpose, process, and perseverance. The Gr8tness Router is where deep, real conversations uncover th

The GR8TNESS Router · Zencastr

The GR8TNESS Router

Where purpose meets process. One conversation at a time.

Greatness isn’t random—it’s built through purpose, process, and perseverance. The Gr8tness Router is where deep, real conversations uncover the why behind success—not just what people do, but what drives them and how they navigate the journey.

Hosted by Zena C., this podcast moves beyond inspiration into practical insight, blending thought-provoking interviews with personal reflections to help listeners apply key lessons in their own lives.

Season 1: The Doctor’s Journey

Doctors don’t just wake up with a title—they are crafted through discipline, decisions, and defining moments. This season, we sit down with Black Doctors across disciplines—PhDs, MDs, JDs, Ed.Ds, ClinSciDs— to explore the wisdom, struggles, and breakthroughs behind their journeys.

But the conversation doesn’t stop there. In solo episodes, Zena C. unpacks key takeaways, shares hard-hitting insights, and breaks down how we can all apply the principles of greatness—no matter our field.

Why Listen?

🔹 Real stories. Real strategies. No fluff.
🔹 Conversations that connect purpose to process.
🔹 Actionable takeaways to help you navigate your own journey.
🔹 A fresh, engaging, and authentic space for learning and growth.

Whether you’re chasing your next milestone, pivoting in life, or just hungry for deeper conversations, The Gr8tness Router is here to connect you to the wisdom, resilience, and mindset behind success.

New episodes drop on Thursdays. Subscribe and let’s get to work. 🎤✨