Walk Talk Listen Podcast

Sabrina Matthews believes that good questions can change the way we lead, learn, and build community.
 
In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, Sabrina reflects on growing up in Macon, Georgia, overcoming a childhood speech impediment, learning from her parents' example of civic engagement, and gradually discovering that leadership is less about being in front and more about helping others find their voice. Throughout the conversation, she returns to a simple conviction: assumptions limit people, while curiosity creates opportunity.
We explore how her career evolved from accounting and financial analysis into organizational development, leadership, and workplace transformation. Sabrina shares the three questions that have guided every career decision she has made: What issues do I want to work on? Who do I want to work on them with? And what room do I want to be in? Those questions ultimately led her to her current work at FSG, helping organizations create more equitable and healthier workplaces.
 
Along the way we also talk about faith, belonging, siblings, grief after losing a parent, creating intentional traditions like an annual siblings-only retreat, and why communities become stronger when people feel safe enough to ask honest questions.
 
As always, the conversation includes a question from the previous guest, Sabrina's question for a future guest, and her choice of music: Waltz (Better Than Fine) by Fiona Apple, a song that celebrates embracing who you truly are.
 
Listener Engagement:
Learn more about Sabrina and her work via her LinkedIn or her organization FSG website.
Don't only listen to the song picked by Sabrina, but also those by other guests on our #walktalklisten playlist here.
Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter!
Follow Us:
Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work.
Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).

In Episode 248 of Walk Talk Listen, I speak with Rachel Bayani, Principal Representative of the Bahá'í International Community to the United Nations. Rachel reflects on growing up between cultures, choosing the Bahá'í Faith for herself as a teenager, and how the principle of the oneness of humanity shapes her understanding of development, education, governance, and international cooperation. We explore why development cannot simply be transferred from one part of the world to another, why humility is essential for meaningful collaboration, and why every community possesses knowledge the world needs. One idea especially stayed with me: the ultimate expression of faith is service to humanity.
Rachel Bayani serves as the Principal Representative of the Bahá'í International Community to the United Nations in New York. Previously, she led the BIC's Brussels Office, engaging with the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and civil society organizations on issues including social cohesion, food systems, youth, global governance, and the role of religion in society. Before joining the Bahá'í International Community, Rachel served at the Permanent Representation of Luxembourg to the European Union and worked with the United Nations and European Union missions in Bosnia-Herzegovina. She holds a law degree from Sorbonne University and a master's degree in international law from the University of Cambridge.
Listener Engagement:
Learn more about Rachel and her work via LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. Check out the website of the Bahá'í Community. Click here.
Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter!
Follow Us:
Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work.
Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).
 
 

In Episode 247 of Walk Talk Listen, I travel through conversation to the shores of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, where Marina Cruz shares a remarkable story of courage, healing, and ancestral wisdom.
 
This conversation was conducted in Spanish with interpretation by Krysten Vazquez. Throughout the episode, we intentionally preserve portions of Marina Cruz's original voice so listeners can experience both the beauty of her language and the English interpretation.
 
Marina reflects on growing up during Guatemala's armed conflict, the persecution of Indigenous spiritual leaders, and the extraordinary strength of her mother, whose courage protected both her family and their sacred traditions. We explore what it means to be a Maya spiritual guide, why the Maya calendar is known as the "medicine of time," and how ancient wisdom continues to offer guidance for future generations.
 
Marina Cruz is a Maya Tz'utujil spiritual guide (Ajq'ij), ceremonial leader, educator, and guardian of Maya ancestral knowledge from San Pedro La Laguna on the shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. She conducts traditional fire and cacao ceremonies, teaches the Maya calendar and cosmology, and works to preserve and share Indigenous knowledge, language, and healing traditions with future generations. Her work has brought Maya wisdom to audiences around the world while remaining deeply rooted in her community and ancestral lineage.
 
Special thanks to Krysten Vazquez for her thoughtful interpretation, making it possible to preserve Marina's original voice while sharing her wisdom with English-speaking listeners.
 
Listener Engagement:
Learn more about Marina Cruz and her work via her Facebook and Instagram. Also check the episode with Kristen Vazquez if you didn't do so already. Click here.
Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter!
Follow Us:
Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work.
Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).

In Episode 246 of Walk Talk Listen, Samantha Jack, an Indigenous youth leader, educator, and policy advocate from Nuu-chah-nulth and Yale First Nations is the guest. Samantha reflects on growing up between worlds, navigating adoption, discovering her identity through Indigenous Studies, and how understanding intergenerational trauma transformed both her life and her purpose. We explore belonging, reconciliation, youth leadership, spirituality, courage, and why changing ourselves is inseparable from changing the world. One message will probably stick with you: leadership is not about status, it is a submission to duty.
 
Samantha serves as the elected National Youth Executive of the National Association of Friendship Centres, representing urban and away-from-home Indigenous youth across Canada. She also serves as the North American Focal Point for the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus at the United Nations, advocating for Indigenous rights and ensuring Indigenous youth are not simply included but centered in decision-making. Her work is driven by a vision of creating a future where Indigenous governance, healing, joy, language, and identity flourish for the next seven generations.
 
Listener Engagement:
Learn more about Samantha Jack via Linkedin and Instagram.
Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter!
Follow Us:
Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work.
Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).

Healing begins long before medicine is prescribed. In this episode, Dennis Cherian reflects on a remarkable journey from growing up between Singapore, India and Dubai, spending much of his childhood in boarding school, to becoming a physician, missionary doctor, and global health leader. Through deeply personal stories, from treating more than one hundred patients a day in a remote mission hospital to witnessing how trust, faith, and human connection transformed lives, Dennis explains why health is never simply about treating disease. Together we explore resilience, leadership, misinformation, community trust, faith-inspired service, and why true healing requires understanding the whole person rather than only their symptoms. This conversation reminds us that dignity, peace, and relationships are just as essential to health as medicine itself.
 
Dr. Dennis Cherian is Managing Director for Technical Services and Global Practice Head for Health & Nutrition at Corus International. With nearly three decades of experience, he has held leadership positions with Jhpiego, World Vision, Plan International, MCDI, and the New York State Department of Health. His work has spanned Asia and Africa, leading innovations in health systems, nutrition, and community development. Dennis also serves on the Board of the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network and chairs its Advocacy Advisory Committee. His academic background includes medicine, health management, psychological counseling, and leadership psychology, bringing together science, leadership, and compassion in service of healthier communities.
 
Listener Engagement:
Learn more about Dennis Cherian and his work with Corus (website). His Linkedin, Instagram and Facebook.
Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter!
Follow Us:
Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work.
Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).

Growing up on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, surrounded by coffee farms, banana trees, faith, family, and a strong sense of community, Edwin Maleko learned early lessons about service, perseverance, and responsibility. In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, Edwin reflects on his journey from a curious young boy inspired by his father's work with refugees to becoming Program Manager for Sightsavers Tanzania, where he has spent nearly a decade advancing eye health, disability inclusion, and equitable access to healthcare. Along the way, he shares stories of boarding school life, formative mentors, and the experiences that shaped his commitment to development work.
 
The conversation explores what it means to create lasting change rather than short-term projects. Edwin discusses how Sightsavers works alongside government, communities, health providers, and people with disabilities to strengthen systems, expand access to care, and promote health equity. He shares powerful stories of individuals whose lives have been transformed through restored sight and reflects on the importance of locally led development, co-creation, and ensuring that communities themselves shape the solutions that affect their lives. At its heart, this episode is a reminder that meaningful development begins with listening, partnership, and a commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind.
 
Edwin Maleko is Program Manager for Sightsavers Tanzania, where he leads programs focused on eye health, disability inclusion, and inclusive education. With more than 13 years of experience in international development, he has worked across health, education, livelihoods, water and sanitation, and social inclusion.
 
Listener Engagement:
Learn more about Edwin Maleko and his work with Sightsavers (website). His Linkedin.
Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter!
Follow Us:
Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work.
Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).

“Everyone you're looking at is also you.” That James Baldwin-inspired line sits at the heart of this conversation with flutist, composer, educator, and collaborator Anne Drummond.
 
In Episode 243 of Walk Talk Listen, Maurice Bloem speaks with Anne about music, creativity, improvisation, community, and the people who shape our lives. Raised in Seattle by music educators and profoundly influenced by her middle school band director Robert E. Natt, Anne reflects on the experiences that helped form her unique musical voice.
 
The conversation explores her journey from Seattle to New York, her collaborative approach to music-making, and the vibrant creative community she is cultivating through her recording studio and ongoing series of singles.
 
Anne also shares the story behind her song People, inspired by the words and wisdom of James Baldwin. Together, Maurice and Anne discuss listening, learning, hope, neuroscience, creativity, and why music can help us reconnect with ourselves and one another.
 
Topics include:
• The influence of mentors and teachers• Finding a unique musical voice• Collaboration and creative community• Music, neuroscience, and learning• Improvisation and navigating uncertainty• James Baldwin and shared humanity• The story behind the song People• Why Anne believes that life itself is improvisation
 
As Anne reminds us, music is more than performance, it is a language, a way of listening, and a way of understanding ourselves through others.
 
Listener Engagement:
Learn more about Anne Drummond and her work through her University website, her own website and her social media handles: Instagram.
Anne is also on Linkedin.
Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter!
Follow Us:
Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work.
Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).

In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, I speak with Jody Fry about the journey that led him from engineering and organizational leadership to becoming one of the leading voices on spiritual leadership and leadership for sustainability. We explore purpose, belonging, hope, sustainability, and the challenge of bridging competing worldviews in an increasingly polarized world. Along the way, Jody reflects on personal experiences that shaped his thinking and explains why leadership ultimately begins with an inner journey of self-awareness and service to others.
 
Jody Fry is Regents Professor of Management and Leadership at Texas A&M University-Central Texas and Director of its MS Leadership for Sustainability Program. His work on Spiritual Leadership has been cited more than 20,000 times and has influenced scholars and practitioners around the world. He is the author of Maximizing the Triple Bottom Line Through Spiritual Leadership, founder of the International Institute for Spiritual Leadership, and co-author of the forthcoming book Completing the SDG Promise: Leadership to Bridge Competing Worldviews for a Sustainable Future. His research focuses on helping leaders and organizations create flourishing futures that work for people, planet, and prosperity.
 
More information:https://www.iispiritualleadership.com/
Texas A&M Central Texas:https://www.tamuct.edu/directory/louis-fry/
International Institute for Spiritual Leadership:https://www.iispiritualleadership.com/
 
Listener Engagement:
Learn more about Jody Fry and his work through his website, see above and his social media handles: YouTube and Facebook.
Jody is also on Linkedin.
Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter!
Follow Us:
Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work.
Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).