On Becoming Bulletproof

Lonnie Brewer
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“On Becoming Bulletproof” is the podcast that exists to inspire, guide, and offer practical tools to high-achieving, high-potential, emerging leaders, through sharing powerful success stories of resilience and triumph from those who have achieved in life and work, while making a difference in their communities. Both inspiring and energizing, these stories from game-changers of our past and present will empower listeners, particularly those from marginalized communities, and beyond to find their path to becoming bulletproof, paving the way for leaders at all levels. I invite you to join me for stories On Becoming Bulletproof!!!

Episodes

  1. 07/14/2023

    BONUS: "Parenthood with Lonnie Brewer" (As featured on Born On 3rd the Podcast with Tim Kaelin

    Send a text Born On 3rd with host, Tim Kaelin https://sites.libsyn.com/399284/parenthood-with-lonnie-brewer Podcast Summary Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a triple. Regrettably, some people are born on 1st (or even in the dugout) and go through life feeling hopeless and forgotten. In this episode, host Tim Kaelin talks about what Born On Third means to him, how the analogy goes beyond 3rd base and his story on which base he was born on and his journey to the base he's on today. Episode Details (S1:E12, July 12, 2022) Welcome back to another episode of Born on Third, today on the show I am joined by Lonnie Brewer to discuss his experience growing up on first base and parenting. Lonnie is an H.R. consultant, a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant, and has his own podcast underway titled On Becoming Bulletproof. Growing up with three sisters and a mother who continually worked at least two jobs, Lonnie felt the responsibility to be the man of the house, even at five years old. He shares the stark transition from living in a dangerous area with no racism to a safer white neighborhood with overt racism. Lonnie’s experience navigating different layers of poverty has shaped him into the resilient father he is today with wisdom that can only be taught through sharing his experience. Key Takeaways: Being poor versus being broke is all about the mindset. Being poor is a mindset while being broke is an economic conditionSaying the word “can’t” holds deeper connotation than what appears on the surface; it signifies surrendering, reluctance, and weaknessThe passive racist; a person who enjoys the privileges from a system that oppresses others and does nothing about it Episode Highlights: [00:00] Introduction to Lonnie Brewer [02:33] What base were you born on? [07:21] The unwritten rules of the wealthy [12:04] Background growing up [18:41] Moving to Springfield [20:18] Broke vs poor [21:26] How do you teach resilience? [27:19] Role modeling [30:00] What parts of childhood help you as a parent? [34:17] The passive racist [37:41] Meeting your father [45:00] A purest at heart [48:55] Lessons to pass on [54:35] What base are you on now? [58:29] Outro Quotes: “Wow, so that’s what it looks like to grow up with privilege – you don’t really feel like rules apply to you”“When I was 11 years old I was jumped by 6 guys”“My life could have easily gone in the other direction; I feel fortunate just to be alive”“Tell me and I’ll forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me, show me and I’ll learn”“I had to learn how to be a man without the benefit of having one in my life”Our Sponsor! Compass 360 ILC: Website:  https://inclusiveleadershipcompass.com/Join us! Please support our podcast: Please rate/review, subscribe, and share!!Donate: PatreonHave a question or topic you want me to talk about?    I want to hear from you!! Twitter: @LonnBrewEmail: Lonnie@LonnieBrewerConsulting.comEmail: https://LonnieBrewerConsulting.com/ “If your life's work can be accomplished in your lifetime, you're not

    1h 1m

  2. 07/07/2023

    Anavelys Ortiz-Suárez, Head of Intellectual Property and Legal Operations at Sonoma Biotherapeutics on Designing Your Path and Achieving Your Design

    Send a text “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.  Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” — George Bernard Shaw How do you define "success?"  Jim Rohn said, “success is designing your path and achieving your design.” In today's episode, Anavelys Ortiz-Suárez shares her path from her humble beginnings in Puerto Rico to the highest levels of education and into the Board Room in  Silicon Valley, where she currently serves as the Head of Intellectual Property and Legal Operations at Sonoma Biotherapeutics, based in San Francisco, California. She has nearly 20 years of combined experience as a biotech patent attorney.  With a Ph.D. in Immunology.  She has helped clients from start-ups to large companies develop and execute their IP strategies. Her story begins in Puerto Rico, where she was born as the oldest of 3 girls, who incidentally all graduated with Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico. Anavelys went on to complete her Ph.D. in Cellular Molecular Biology at University of Michigan, before conducting her Post Doc work at Stanford University. She then went on to complete her Juris Doctorate at Santa Clara University, all while working full-time and raising 2 kids. In this episode, she takes on tough topics like race, sex and the privileges that one's socioeconomic status creates in life and work.  She also discusses other important topics like: Learning The Unwritten RulesBeing a Wife and Working MomAsking for Help as a Minority The Role of Family Values"What Would Brad Do?" PersonaCareer Transition from Academia to IndustryImposter SyndromeGrowing up as the oldest of 3 sisters Affirmative Action debate at the University of MichiganOur Sponsor! Compass 360 ILC: Website:  https://inclusiveleadershipcompass.com/Join us! Please support our podcast: Please rate/review, subscribe, and share!!Donate: PatreonHave a question or topic you want me to talk about?    I want to hear from you!! Twitter: @LonnBrewEmail: Lonnie@LonnieBrewerConsulting.comEmail: https://LonnieBrewerConsulting.com/“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes.  Art is knowing which ones to keep.  You have to let yourself go to be creative.” — Scott Adams “DAILY PRAYER TO COMBAT IMPOSTOR SYNDROME:  God give me the confidence of a mediocre white dude.” — Sarah Hagi (January 21, 2015, 10:22 AM)

    1h 13m

  3. 03/07/2023

    Mike Horn, Retired Police Commander Brings Peacemakers to American South (Part 2)

    Send a text "The highest courage is to dare to appear to be what one is." — John Lancaster Spalding  Have you ever heard of “Servant Leadership?”  If so, you know that it’s, ultimately, about “doing the right thing” as a leader, including things like striving to be:  Genuine and AuthenticHumble and VulnerableOpen and UnderstandingA Present and Great ListenerUseful and SupportiveInclusive and Empathetic In fact, Servant Leadership argues that becoming a better leader is the same thing as becoming a better “person,” a better human being. As an HR Leader and Executive Coach with nearly 25 years of combined experience, I have heard many leaders aspire to be Servant Leaders, but few find a way to get there.  And then, there is Mike Horn… In today’s episode, we will speak with a retired Police Commander, Mike Horn who found a way to integrate his personal and professional development to not only become both an exceptional leader at work, but in his community as well. Mike was able to build a culture of belonging within the police department, before deciding that he could make a bigger impact outside of law enforcement.  Mike is living proof that great leaders have different styles and can come from anywhere.  He discusses a variety of topics in this 2 part episode, including the following: Why he became a police officer?Not fitting the prototypical police officer personalityEmotional demands of law enforcementTransformation after life/death momentTelos trip to Israel-PalestineSocial Justice Issues (e.g., Louisiana and Mississippi laws on voting for former convicts who served their time)Starbucks sponsored trip to Deep South for High Potential Police Officers who have a chance to become future leadersMeeting Reena Evers-Everette, (Daughter of Medgar Evers)Meetings with Wrongfully ConvictedContact Mike: Mike Horn, Telos Group, ReStory US Program Manager - Law Enforcement Retired, Police Commander, Tempe Police Department Colorado Website: https://www.telosgroup.org/who-we-are/#team-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join us! Please support our podcast: Please rate/review, subscribe, and share!!Donate: PatreonHave a question or topic you want me to talk about?   I want to hear from you!! Twitter: @LonnBrewEmail: Lonnie@LonnieBrewerConsulting.comEmail: https://LonnieBrewerConsulting.com/

    52 min

  4. 03/07/2023

    Mike Horn, Retired Police Commander Brings Peacemakers to American South (Part 1)

    Send a text "The highest courage is to dare to appear to be what one is." — John Lancaster Spalding  Have you ever heard of “Servant Leadership?”  If so, you know that it’s, ultimately, about “doing the right thing” as a leader, including things like striving to be:  Genuine and AuthenticHumble and VulnerableOpen and UnderstandingA Present and Great ListenerUseful and SupportiveInclusive and Empathetic In fact, Servant Leadership argues that becoming a better leader is the same thing as becoming a better “person,” a better human being. As an HR Leader and Executive Coach with nearly 25 years of combined experience, I have heard many leaders aspire to be Servant Leaders, but few find a way to get there.  And then, there is Mike Horn… In today’s episode, we will speak with a retired Police Commander, Mike Horn who found a way to integrate his personal and professional development to not only become both an exceptional leader at work, but in his community as well. Mike was able to build a culture of belonging within the police department, before deciding that he could make a bigger impact outside of law enforcement.  Mike is living proof that great leaders have different styles and can come from anywhere.  He discusses a variety of topics in this 2 part episode, including the following: Why he became a police officer?Not fitting the prototypical police officer personalityEmotional demands of law enforcementTransformation after life/death momentTelos trip to Israel-PalestineSocial Justice Issues (e.g., Louisiana and Mississippi laws on voting for former convicts who served their time)Starbucks sponsored trip to Deep South for High Potential Police Officers who have a chance to become future leadersMeeting Reena Evers-Everette, (Daughter of Medgar Evers)Meetings with Wrongfully ConvictedContact Mike: Mike Horn, Telos Group, ReStory US Program Manager - Law Enforcement Retired, Police Commander, Tempe Police Department Colorado Website: https://www.telosgroup.org/who-we-are/#team-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join us! Please support our podcast: Please rate/review, subscribe, and share!!Donate: PatreonHave a question or topic you want me to talk about?   I want to hear from you!! Twitter: @LonnBrewEmail: Lonnie@LonnieBrewerConsulting.comEmail: https://LonnieBrewerConsulting.com/

    53 min

  5. 03/07/2023

    Deb Dagit, Former Chief Diversity Officer at Merck on Finding a Purpose in a Chosen Family

    Send a text “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” — Mahatma Gandhi When you were a little kid what did you want to be when you grew up?  Did you want to help other people? In today’s episode, we will speak with Deb Dagit who is a sought-after consultant and speaker in the Diversity, Equity, &Inclusion field and Former, Chief Diversity Officer at Merck Pharmaceutical. Deb discusses how being born with a disability meant that she would spend much of her childhood away from her family in hospitals and later, was repeatedly turned away from jobs that she was overqualified for without so much as an interview. However, Deb, found a purpose amidst these struggles and went on to spend the next few decades fulfilling this purpose.   She would go on to turn a 3-month contractor role with Sun Microsystems into the first Chief Diversity Officer role in the company’s history.   She also played a role in the historic Americans with Disabilities Act legislation, after being invited by a Congressmen to join him to help defeat the amendments to the ADA. Deb will share these stories On Becoming Bulletproof and many more, including! Contact Deb:   Deb Dagit, President of Deb Dagit Diversity, LLC. Former, Former Chief Diversity Officer at Merck Pharmaceutical Naples, Florida Email: debdagit@gmail.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/deborah-dagit-146823Phone: 908-319-4793Twitter: @DebdagitWebsite: www.debdagitdiversity.comJoin us! Please support our podcast: Please rate/review, subscribe, and share!!Donate: PatreonHave a question or topic you want me to talk about?   I want to hear from you!! Twitter: @LonnBrewEmail: Lonnie@LonnieBrewerConsulting.comEmail: https://LonnieBrewerConsulting.com/

    1h 14m

  6. 03/07/2023

    Joy Chen, Former Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles on Building a Powerful Strategic Network

    Send a text “Use what works for you and let go of the rest!” — Buddha Do you remember your first “REAL” job after you graduated?  What about when you first became a manager? If you are just starting your professional career, you’ll find in this episode what I wish someone had taught me over two decades ago.  We all know the importance of investing in our college degrees, work experience, and even, community service.  These are all known as “Personal Capital” investments. However, many of us lack an understanding of what the “unwritten rules” around life and work are, especially, when it comes to investing in our “Network Capital.” In this episode, Joy Chen talks about networking, imposter syndrome, and why Asian Americans are often overlooked for leadership roles in Corporate America.  The Los Angeles Times once referred to Joy as “The Networker” and the Wall Street Journal called her the “Lean-In Guru.”  Today, Joy Chen, CEO of the Multicultural Leadership Institute will be joining us to share more about how to build and grow a successful career that doesn’t over index on collecting more degrees and certifications to break through the glass ceiling. Joy discusses growing up in Baltimore as a child of immigrant parents from China and being raised in predominately white neighborhoods. She talks about how her conservative upbringing created a cultural echo chamber, which left her entire family both uncomfortable and unskilled with “how to talk to white people” and the impact that it had on her childhood and her parents’ careers. She introduces the concept of “Personal versus Network Capital” to us and many other important topics like: The Unwritten RulesBeing a “Lonely Only”Struggles with Self-HatredCode SwitchingImposter SyndromeThe “Rising Star” and the “Tide” behind youThe “Age 30 Problem” for Asian AmericansImportance of being a "T-shaped Thinker”Contact Joy: Joy Chen, CEO, Multicultural Leadership Institute  Former, L.A. Deputy Mayor  Pasadena, California Email: joy@themli.netLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joychenTwitter: @joychenyuWebsite: https://www.themli.net/joy-chenJoin us! Please support our podcast: Please rate/review, subscribe, and share!!Donate: PatreonHave a question or topic you want me to talk about?   I want to hear from you!! Twitter: @LonnBrewEmail: Lonnie@LonnieBrewerConsulting.comEmail: https://LonnieBrewerConsulting.com/

    1h 6m

  7. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Introducing "On Becoming Bulletproof!"

    Send a text We all have moments when we face a challenge that requires us to stretch beyond our comfort, to transform in a way that we are NOT sure we have in our potential.  We all MUST find a way to “Become Bulletproof!” On Becoming Bulletproof is an action-driven podcast spotlighting and amplifying candid, real-life stories of exclusion, adversity and triumph.  In this episode, we learn how through inspiring conversations with top leaders in their fields, host and Executive Coach Lonnie Brewer asks how we can build and practice personal power through our vulnerabilities, challenges, insights, failures and triumphs. Join us! Please support our podcast: Please rate/review, subscribe, and share!!Donate: PatreonHave a question or topic you want me to talk about?   I want to hear from you!! Twitter: @LonnBrewEmail: Lonnie@LonnieBrewerConsulting.comEmail: https://LonnieBrewerConsulting.com/

    16 min

Trailer

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About

“On Becoming Bulletproof” is the podcast that exists to inspire, guide, and offer practical tools to high-achieving, high-potential, emerging leaders, through sharing powerful success stories of resilience and triumph from those who have achieved in life and work, while making a difference in their communities. Both inspiring and energizing, these stories from game-changers of our past and present will empower listeners, particularly those from marginalized communities, and beyond to find their path to becoming bulletproof, paving the way for leaders at all levels. I invite you to join me for stories On Becoming Bulletproof!!!

Information

  • Creator
    Lonnie Brewer
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 On Becoming Bulletproof
  • Show Website
    On Becoming Bulletproof