Crossroads & Callings

Chimere S. Brown
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Biweekly

"Crossroads & Callings" dives deep into the moments that shatter the plan. This is an intimate, interview-style podcast built for those navigating life's major turning points. We talk to resilient, everyday people—from corporate leaders to community builders—who transformed their biggest crossroads into their most profound callings. This is an honest, faith-and-humanity-driven space dedicated to answering one question: How do you courageously move forward when life doesn't go as planned? crxrdscallings.substack.com

  1. 2d ago

    S2, Ep 14: The Red Wagon & Financial Agency (Welcoming Gwen Cohen)

    Welcome back to Crossroads + Callings. If you have ever wondered what it truly takes to bulletproof your life against unexpected storms, corporate turbulence, or personal pivots, this episode will completely shift your perspective on money and power. In Episode 14, host Chimere Brown sits down with 36-year Morgan Stanley wealth advisor and author Gwen Cohen. Gwen’s story is a masterclass in generational resilience. Drawing from the wisdom of her great-grandmother Ida, grandmother Maude, and mother Clementine, Gwen breaks down how financial literacy isn’t just about math—it is about survival, autonomy, and refusing to ever be “in the dark.” In this conversation, Gwen unpacks: * The Little Red Wagon: How to audit the emotional and physical baggage you carry and make intentional course corrections. * The CFO Household Strategy: Why every woman must master financial management and have uncompromising conversations about resources before entering a partnership. * The Power of Independence: How absolute control over her finances provided a lifeline out of an abusive marriage and into absolute freedom. If you are ready to claim your financial agency and build a legacy on your own terms, open up this episode. Connect with Gwen & Get Her Book: * Website: https://gwencohen.com/ * Substack Newsletter: Gwen Cohen * Get the Book: Butterflies, Bees, and Bubbles on Amazon 🎧 [Watch the full episode on YouTube] | 🎙️ [Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crxrdscallings.substack.com

    S2, Ep 14: The Red Wagon & Financial Agency (Welcoming Gwen Cohen)

  2. Oct 27

    S2, Ep 13: Beyond the Bias (Welcoming Kathryn Charleston)

    Welcome back to Crossroads + Callings. If you have ever walked into a high-level corporate room and felt the invisible weight of people underestimating your technical brilliance, this episode will validate your experience and arm you for the battle. In Episode 13, host Chimere Brown sits down with Salesforce Senior Director Kathryn Charleston. Kathryn has spent over 20 years driving data and AI transformation for brands like Disney, Visa, and the NBA. But as a Black woman leading in the upper echelons of tech, she has had to master the art of blocking out the noise, overcoming upfront bias, and refusing to internalize other people’s limited opinions of her worth. In this conversation, Kathryn unpacks: * The Reality of Corporate Bias: How to stay grounded, lead with technical excellence, and let your brand outshine the room’s preconceived notions. * Sponsorship vs. Mentorship: Why finding the right allies who will actually open doors is the key to corporate longevity. * Turning Rejection Into Fuel: How to take negative energy from closed doors and use it to elevate your career to the C-suite. If you need a masterclass in executive resilience, open up this episode. Connect with Kathryn: * LinkedIn: Search and connect with Kathryn Charleston 🎧 [Watch the full episode on YouTube] | 🎙️ [Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crxrdscallings.substack.com

    S2, Ep 13: Beyond the Bias (Welcoming Kathryn Charleston)

  3. Oct 20

    S2, Ep 12: Healing from the Mask (Welcoming LaGena “Lala” Cain)

    Welcome back to Crossroads + Callings. If you have ever felt forced to maintain a picture-perfect exterior while quietly falling apart on the inside, this episode will meet you right where you are. In Episode 12, host Chimere Brown sits down with Chicago’s iconic brow veteran and founder of Poise Beauty, LaGena “Lala” Cain. Lala spent a decade operating as the ultimate corporate achiever—hiding profound personal devastation behind a mask. But when the weight of pretending became too heavy to bear, she chose to drop the mask, enter therapy, and do the messy, necessary work of deep healing. In this conversation, Lala unpacks: * The Cost of Silence: Why shame keeps us stuck in performance mode, and how sharing your story liberates you from the past. * Practical Healing Regimens: The power of journaling, morning meditation, prayer, and nervous system regulation to find peace. * Redefining Poise: How Poise Beauty evolved from a lipstick line dedicated to her mother into a holistic lifestyle brand where “beauty is the standard; alignment is the lifestyle.” If you need permission to stop pretending and start healing, open up this episode. Connect with Lala: * Instagram: @poisebeautylife 🎧 [Watch the full episode on YouTube] | 🎙️ [Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crxrdscallings.substack.com

    S2, Ep 12: Healing from the Mask (Welcoming LaGena “Lala” Cain)

  4. Oct 13

    S2, Ep 11: Art Beyond Boundaries (Welcoming Dej Hood)

    Welcome back to Crossroads + Callings. If you have ever felt restricted by traditional definitions of success or waited for permission to share your creative gifts with the world, this episode will ignite your spirit. In Episode 11, host Chimere Brown sits down with emerging multidisciplinary artist and curator Dej Hood. Dej represents a fresh voice on the show—a pandemic graduate who didn’t wait for a major institution to validate her craft. Instead, she self-funded a four-year solo exhibition titled Reclamation, directed dance films, and challenged societal lenses on the Black female body, nudity, and self-love. In this conversation, Dej unpacks: * The Power of Community Creation: How she collaborated with dancers and editors on zero budget to produce her breakout film, Styles. * The Weight of Reclamation: What it truly takes to spend four years building an art exhibition through financial hurdles, burnout, and profound personal growth. * Redefining Body Autonomy: How growing up seeing freedom modeled at home inspired her fearless artistic exploration of nudity and unshakeable self-acceptance. If you are ready to embrace childlike curiosity and create art on your own terms, open up this episode. Connect with Dej & Watch Her Featured Work: * Website: https://dejworks.com/ * Reclamation Video * The Naked Mom Playlist 🎧 [Watch the full episode on YouTube] | 🎙️ [Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crxrdscallings.substack.com

    S2, Ep 11: Art Beyond Boundaries (Welcoming Dej Hood)

  5. Oct 6

    S2, Ep.10: Live from Thryve Fest (Welcoming Terran Lamp)

    Welcome back to Crossroads + Callings. If you have ever let an excuse, an illness, or a number on your birth certificate convince you that it’s too late to change, this special live episode recorded at Thryve Fest will completely flip your perspective. In Episode 10, host Chimere Brown sits down with powerhouse coach, MBA graduate, and natural bodybuilder Terran Lamp. Terran doesn’t just talk about resilience—she embodies it. Born with a hole in her heart, a pacemaker by age four, a brain tumor by ten, and later surviving cancer, Terran refused to let her scars define her limitations. Instead, she stepped onto a bodybuilding stage past 50 and built a life dedicated to coaching others through their health journeys. In this conversation, Terran unpacks: * The Power of Reframe: How surviving multiple near-death medical experiences taught her to stop waiting and start living with radical intention. * The Right 540 Framework: Her holistic method for moving from recognition to sustainable action. * Strength at Any Age: Why consistency always beats intensity, and how simple body-weight movements can change your trajectory. If you are ready to stop making excuses and start moving, open up this episode. Connect with Terran: * Website: https://terranlfitness.com/ * Instagram: @terranlfitness 🎧 [Watch the full episode on YouTube] | 🎙️ [Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crxrdscallings.substack.com

    S2, Ep.10: Live from Thryve Fest (Welcoming Terran Lamp)

  6. Sep 29

    S2, Ep 9: From the Classroom to the White House (Welcoming Michael Hornsby)

    Welcome back to Crossroads + Callings. If you have ever felt constrained by a traditional resume or wondered how to pivot into an entirely different industry, this episode will blow your mind. In Episode 9, host Chimere Brown sits down with tech executive and AutoRabbit Vice President Michael Hornsby. Michael’s career defies every corporate rulebook. He started his professional life as a fourth-grade teacher in San Francisco before teaching himself tech, diving into Silicon Valley startups, and ultimately landing at the White House—serving as Chief Information Officer through a high-pressure presidential transition. In this conversation, Michael unpacks: * The Unconventional Pipeline: Why teaching is one of the best training grounds for high-level tech, leadership, and crisis management. * The Power of Sponsorship: How finding the right mentors and following through on their advice changed the trajectory of his entire life. * Surviving the Pressure Cooker: How to maintain your grounding, treat every colleague with equal respect from the janitor to the senator, and never buy into the myth of the “self-made” person. If you are ready to rewrite your own career script, open up this episode. Connect with Michael: * Company: https://autorabbit.com/ * LinkedIn: Michael Hornsby | LinkedIn 🎧 [Watch the full episode on YouTube] | 🎙️ [Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crxrdscallings.substack.com

    S2, Ep 9: From the Classroom to the White House (Welcoming Michael Hornsby)

  7. Sep 22

    S2, Ep 8: When Work Becomes an Idol (Welcoming Britney Robbins)

    Welcome back to Crossroads + Callings. If you have ever tied your entire self-worth to your title, your business, or your productivity, this episode will challenge and free you. In Episode 8, host Chimere Brown sits down with social entrepreneur and founder of The Gray Matter Experience, Britney Robbins. Britney has empowered over 2,500 youth with the training and capital to launch their own businesses, earning honors as an Essence Magazine trailblazer. But behind the milestone numbers and million-dollar milestones is a deeply human story of couch surfing, severe burnout, and a radical four-month sabbatical that forced her to dismantle work as an idol. In this conversation, Britney unpacks: * The Leap of Faith: How moving to Chicago with a three-pound dog and no roadmap taught her to lean completely on divine direction. * Building a Counter-Culture Incubator: Why closing the equity gap for Black youth entrepreneurs requires more than mentorship—it requires real capital and radical community support. * The Sabbatical Surrender: What happens when a high-achieving CEO finally steps off the treadmill, walks away from control, and lets God sustain the mission. If you need permission to rest, release control, and let go of hustle culture, open up this episode. Connect with Britney & The Gray Matter Experience: * Website: https://www.thegraymatterexperience.com * Instagram: @graymatterexp 🎧 [Watch the full episode on YouTube] | 🎙️ [Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crxrdscallings.substack.com

    S2, Ep 8: When Work Becomes an Idol (Welcoming Britney Robbins)

  8. Sep 15

    S2, Ep 7: Designing Your Future (Welcoming Zander Van Gogh)

    Welcome back to Crossroads + Callings. If you have ever felt like your career potential is constrained by a traditional corporate box, this masterclass will shatter your ceiling. In Episode 7, host Chimere Brown sits down with global operator, creative strategist, and founder of No Translation, Zander Van Gogh. Zander’s journey is a masterclass in intentional design. After spending 7 years climbing and shaping the corporate ladder at LinkedIn—ultimately engineering his own unique roles—he walked away to travel to 50 countries in a single year. Today, he is tackling the future of work head-on by helping people upskill through AI and human connection. In this conversation, Zander unpacks: * The Power of Relational Capital: Why building genuine, reciprocal relationships will always take you further than a transactional resume. * Engineering Your Own Space: How to spot unaddressed problems inside an organization and build a custom career path before anyone gives you permission. * The Global Classroom: What a year of intensive international travel teaches you about happiness, speed, and rewriting the American Dream. If you are ready to expand your mind and redesign your professional ecosystem, open up this episode. Connect with Zander: * Website: https://www.notranslation.co/ * LinkedIn: Zander Van Gogh | LinkedIn 🎧 [Watch the full episode on YouTube] | 🎙️ [Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crxrdscallings.substack.com

    S2, Ep 7: Designing Your Future (Welcoming Zander Van Gogh)
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About

"Crossroads & Callings" dives deep into the moments that shatter the plan. This is an intimate, interview-style podcast built for those navigating life's major turning points. We talk to resilient, everyday people—from corporate leaders to community builders—who transformed their biggest crossroads into their most profound callings. This is an honest, faith-and-humanity-driven space dedicated to answering one question: How do you courageously move forward when life doesn't go as planned? crxrdscallings.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Chimere S. Brown
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Chimere S. Brown
  • Show Website
    Crossroads & Callings