Plattinum Passport Clenise Platt

The Plattinum Passport Podcast Travel Team is back again!! They kicked us off last year with travel tips for the Fall and Winter. In this episode, the conversation comes full circle with their ideas for Summer and Fall travel, budget-friendly travel...

Gary Anderson walked into his eighth-grade science class ready to teach his students. When he left a few years later, it was his students who had schooled him. Gary’s students changed the trajectory of his career and life. Listen as Gary details how they helped him discover his true passion and inspired him to go back to school. He also shares how his quest to invest in the success of his students led him to launch three nonprofit organizations, what caused him to run his first IRONMAN Race at 52 and more!ABOUT GARY ANDERSONGary Anderson is a retired educator. He served as a school psychologist in public education for 37 years. He has founded 3 nonprofit organizations involving Read Aloud programs and is passionate about increasing literacy leading to a lasting, positive impact on children, families, and the community. He is married to Debbie, his college sweetheart, and they reside in Portsmouth, Virginia. In addition to his work with All District Reads, one of his other great passions is spending time with his 13 grandchildren.Click below to find out more about All District Reads and the student book clubs.https://alldistrictreads.org/ (https://alldistrictreads.org)

For Dr. Shonna Johnson, there were several twists and turns and aha moments on her way to realizing her childhood dream of becoming a doctor. Today she has a robust practice in her hometown consisting of patients from two months old to 102 years old. In this episode, not only does Dr. Johnson, a breast cancer survivor, give us a peak into her life as she tenaciously pursued her dream, she also offers tips for selecting a primary care doctor and being proactive about personal health and wellness.ABOUT SHONNA JENE JOHNSON, MDDr. Johnson earned her medical degree from the University of Virginia in 2003. She completed family medicine residency training with Riverside Health System and Virginia Commonwealth University in 2007. Dr. Johnson is board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. With more than 20 years of experience, Dr. Johnson views her family medicine practice as more of a personal mission than a job. Dr. Johnson was a participant in the inaugural class for the Riverside Leadership Institute. Her group’s capstone project was selected as the overall winner and was implemented into the health system as the current E consult and enhanced referral system. As the physician lead for this project, this has become a passion of hers to help patients get the care they need from specialists and to help with the back log of referrals. Dr. Johnson also serves on the Culture and Communication Committee as well as the Primary Care Steering Committee. She was recently selected to serve on the Medication Reconciliation Committee. she is the Physician lead for the Outpatient division. Dr. Johnson enjoys caring for patients of all ages and has a special interest in diabetes care and women’s health. A Hampton native, Dr. Johnson still lives in the area and appreciates its beautiful water views. In her free time, she enjoys playing and listening to music. Dr. Johnson has been married to her childhood sweetheart for 27 years and they have an adult daughter and son. 

The leadership series continues with Sonia Alcántara-Antoine. Sonia is not only the CEO of Baltimore County Public Library (MD), but she recently became the President of the Public Library Association (PLA) which has almost 9,000 members in communities around the United States and Canada. PLA is the largest association serving public library professionals. In this conversation, Sonia shares her leadership journey and the importance of not being afraid to say yes, building a strong network, overcoming imposter syndrome and becoming confident enough to show up unapologetically as your authentic self. . . even in spaces where there aren’t a lot of folks that look like you.ABOUT SONIA ALCÁNTARA-ANTOINESonia Alcántara-Antoine is the CEO of Baltimore County Public Library (MD), overseeing 19 branches, 550 dedicated staff, and a budget of $45 million. She was recently named one of the Top 100 Women in Maryland. Prior to joining Baltimore County Public Library, she was director of Newport News Public Library (VA) and held leadership positions at Virginia Beach Public Library (VA) and Enoch Pratt Free Library (MD). She is the president of the Public Library Association and is on the board of the Maryland Association of Public Library Administrators. Sonia is proud to be an American Library Association Spectrum Scholar, and holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Florida State University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Old Dominion University. Sonia is a renowned speaker and thought leader on the art and science of library leadership, actively shaping the profession for today and tomorrow. Click below to find out more about Sonia and the Public Library Association.https://www.ala.org/pla/about/people/board/alcantara-antoine (https://www.ala.org/pla/about/people/board/alcantara-antoine)

Have you ever thought about just up and leaving it all behind? Your work, your belongings, your home . . . EVERYTHING?!!! Would you actually do it? In 2022 LaShon and Steven McKay ACTUALLY did! And so began a brand new life adventure for the couple. ABOUT LASHON & STEVEN MCKAYSteven and LaShon McKay have been married since 1998. They have two adult children, and two granddaughters with a third on the way. Steven served in the US Army and has worked primarily in security and corrections since leaving the military in 1999. His last position was as the Quality Control Supervisor with Newport News Juvenile Services where he worked for 13 years. LaShon worked with several institutions in the field of finance. Her last position was at Old Dominion University. After some research in January 2021, Steven and LaShon decided to plan for an early retirement and travel and live abroad. The original plan was to leave after 2-3 years, but after the pandemic and rapidly increasing home values, they accelerated their timeline. At the end of February 2022, they quit their jobs, and sold their home and moved to Ecuador on March 31st. To document their experiences, the McKay’s began a Youtube channel in September 2022. Their audience has grown steadily, and they also have two additional channels focused on their hobbies.  Steven contacted Plattinum Passport to share the couple’s story after he saw a piece about the podcast on the local news on the ABC affiliate, WVEC-13. You may follow Steven & LaShon on their journey at https://youtube.com/@LivingLovingAbroad (https://www.youtube.com/@LivingLovingAbroad).Click here (https://www.13newsnow.com/video/news/local/making-your-mark/making-a-mark-this-norfolk-woman-launches-a-podcast-with-a-purpose/291-fc33c55b-c34d-48c6-b9dd-3a3c29d4981d) to see Clenise’s interview about the Plattinum Passport podcast with WVEC -13 anchor Ashley Smith. 

Over this past year not only has Violet White helped me take care of my skin, but she and I have had some great conversations. I knew I wanted to invite her to be on the podcast to share her knowledge. As you listen into our conversation on this episode, be inspired by her personal story and learn from her unique perspective on how we care for our skin and think about beauty.ABOUT VIOLET WHITE Violet is the President of Violet White Inc., and Owner / Operator of Violet White Total Body Care. She is a Licensed Master of Esthetics, Licensed Cosmetologist and Freelance Makeup Artist. Violet White Total Body Care and Cosmetics was selected for the 2018 Virginia Beach Small Business Excellence Award in the Skin Care classification by the Virginia Beach Small Business Excellence Award Program.Violet White Total Body Care was named a Bioelements World-Class Spa. Bioelements World Class spas are chosen to represent the country’s best in spa amenities, from products to services and a dedication to excellence in the spa industry. Violet White Total Body Care provides an inviting environment unlike any other, where guests can receive custom blended Bioelements treatments and products.Violet White’s World Class status is also due to its belief in continual Bioelements education for its entire esthetic staff, to ensure they learn the latest treatments, techniques, and product advancements. The spa’s use of Bioelements means that they have access to renowned educators and courses created specifically for the spa professional. Clients can be assured that the technicians at Violet White are among the most knowledgeable in skincare.With 30 years in the industry, Violet passionately provides a cozy space to find or lose yourself whether it be 15 minutes or 2 hours of beauty exploration. Using their in-depth consultation process, staff at Violet White Total Body Care analyze a client’s skin, concerns and lifestyle to create freshly customized solutions, that integrate home care as well as in-salon products and services. In keeping with the Violet White philosophy, they strive to create a space that is both light and positive. Upon entering the peaceful environment, clients will find treatment areas are private and cozy with the comforts of home. Violet White Total Body Care offers a unique Associates Program to mentor and train new beauty experts. Find out more about Violet White Total Body Care here (https://shopvioletwhite.com/about/).