Thriving Adoptees - Let's Thrive

Discovering & Sharing Our Uniqueness With Chris Johnson

What if discovering and sharing our uniqueness drives our thriving? How does that help us tough times. Chris is dad to 10 including 7 through  adoption from foster care. Listen as we dive deep into our diamond nature how his beliefs power his thriving. Chris Johnson serves as the Sr. Director of Church Partnerships & External Advocacy at Lifeline Children’s Services. With over two decades of pastoral experience and a background as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Governor’s Office of Faith and Community Based Initiatives, Chris is a seasoned leader and advocate for vulnerable children and families. As a consultant and frequent speaker, Chris has inspired audiences at conferences, churches, and community gatherings across the nation. He passionately shares his family’s journey and challenges others to respond to the gospel call to care for the most vulnerable in society. A native of metro Atlanta, Georgia, Chris now resides in Birmingham, Alabama, with his wife, Alicia. Together, they have 10 children, seven of whom were adopted from foster care, and are proud grandparents, including two grandchildren adopted through foster care. Their commitment to serving children extends to fostering over 40 children throughout the years, embodying their dedication to family and community. Chris holds a B.A. in Church Ministries from Trinity Baptist College and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Regent University. His passion for equipping churches and individuals to make a lasting impact continues to shape his ministry and advocacy efforts. https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisjohnsondoz/ https://www.facebook.com/lifelinechild https://lifelinechild.org/ https://www.instagram.com/lifelinechild/ https://twitter.com/lifelinechild https://vimeo.com/lifelinechild Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Superpowered With Wes Cuell

What would it do for you to find your superpower? What if your difference IS your superpower? Listen in as adoptee Wes dives into difference, superpower and more. Wes has more than 40 years of experience working in social care, primarily in services for children and young people as a qualified social worker.  He worked for many years in local authorities including Luton, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire as the head of services and was director of services for children and young people at the NSPCC until 2011.   He has a special interest in the support of vulnerable children and families and in safeguarding which included chairing a local children’s safeguarding board and being a board member of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Service (CEOP).   Wes chairs the Hertfordshire Adoption Panel and, having been adopted as a child, has a lifelong interest in and commitment to the role of adoption in transforming the lives of children.  He lives with his wife in Woburn and has two grown up children and grandchildren who live in the USA. Wes is a keen long distance walker, sailor, trombone player and fly fisherman and loves to travel.  Find out more about Wes and the charity he chairs at: https://www.pactcharity.org/ https://www.facebook.com/pactcharity https://www.linkedin.com/in/wes-cuell-547b623a/     Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Handling Tough Emotions With Rhiannon Franklin

Handling tough emotions is human's biggest challenge. And it's particularly tough for adoptees and adoptive parents given the complex emotions around adoption. So what helps us do this? Listen in as we dive deep and explore powerful learnings... Find out more about Rhiannon and her organisation at: https://mofosteradopt.com/ https://www.facebook.com/FosterandAdopt https://www.instagram.com/cmfcaa https://www.linkedin.com/company/cmfcaa/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhiannon-franklin-b498ba239/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

The Past Doesn't Determine The Future With Robin Sizemore

Hope. The hope that the past doesn't determine the future. A positive outlook. Life as an adoptive parent and as an adoptee can be tough. What keeps us going? Love, for sure. And hope! Listen in as we dive into overcoming trauma, abuse and other tough stuff. Robin Sizemore, Executive Director of Hopscotch Adoptions Inc., was recognized in 2012 by the Winston-Salem Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc as a person who has “Transform Lives and Impacted the Community”. Among five other recipients, Robin Sizemore, was recognized in the area of “International Awareness” for her work and advocacy of children through international adoption and aid.  Robin was also the recipient of the “Angels in Adoption” award in 2008, in recognition of her service to children since 1995. She is an adoptive mother and has been an adoption professional since 1995. In addition to placing children in forever families, Robin has been involved in both national and international levels regarding policies and regulations impacting child welfare: she has brought educational opportunities to a variety of officials in Georgia and Armenia, spearheaded cooperative humanitarian efforts, and hosted numerous international delegations through the U.S. State Department and Ministries in other countries which are associated with institutionalized children. Robin has a warm rapport with the wide range of individuals involved with children in need, including government officials, orphanage directors and staff, hospital and humanitarian aid administrators, and adoptive families and children alike. Robin volunteered as a Council on Accreditation Hague Accreditation evaluator and team lead from 2016- 2020 and earned a Certificate of Nonprofit Executive Director Academy Institute/ Nonprofit Executive Director Academy Institute -Center for Creative Leadership – Guilford County Nonprofit Consortium 2014 and a Certificate of Nonprofit Management Nonprofit Management – Guilford Nonprofit Consortium – High Point University 2013. Robin and her husband James are the adoptive parents of the first internationally adopted child from Georgia and, with their second adoption, of the first direct “birthmother to adoptive mother” international placement in Georgia. In addition to their two beautiful children from Georgia. Robin and James have also been blessed with the surprise birth of their youngest and third child. Robin’s work is well regarded and highly respected within the country programs and she is considered a valuable resource and thoughtful orphan advocate by U.S. and international officials as the result of her dedication to children and families through humanitarian assistance programs over more than a decade. Robin has developed direct programs for Hopscotch with highly experienced and reliable partners in Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Ghana, Guyana, Morocco, Pakistan, Serbia, Trinidad & Tobago, Ukraine, and appreciates the uniqueness of complex Kinship cases in need of a provider, when called upon. Robin graduated in 1986 from Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, with a Bachelor of Science from the School of Communication and Media Arts, with a Concentration in Public Relations and Minor in Marketing. https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-ellington-sizemore-a4188a7/ https://www.instagram.com/hopscotch_adoptions/ https://www.facebook.com/HopscotchAdoptions/ https://hopscotchadoptions.org/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

Changing Life For The Better With The Altmans

The Altman family was formed by a unique set of circumstances that no-one could have predicted. This episode is a little different to honour that. A profound dive into deep topics. Claire and Stan along with their daughter Stefanie share their learnings on unconditional love, growth and changing life for the better. Find out more about them and the book they've written together at: www:TwiceBlessed.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefaniemercadoaltman/ https://www.instagram.com/stefandrepeat/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-altman-145b5512/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.