The Inside Circle Podcast with Eldra Jackson III

Both a group facilitator and organizational leader at Inside Circle, Aaron Burris is passionate about his work expanding the reach of our healing circles and leading struggling justice-involved people through transformative group processes each day. In this profound conversation, he shares about his darkest moments in prison and the challenges of confronting intergenerational trauma. Having committed his life to breaking cycles of incarceration, Aaron’s decades of hard personal work shine through this dialogue, highlighting his beautiful, grounded, uplifting perspective on how we can all learn and grow by sitting with ourselves. If you don’t like the person you see in the mirror, there’s hope. Show up and do the work.

In this incredible conversation, Eldra Jackson III of Inside Circle talks to DJ Vodicka, a former prison guard and special investigations unit officer in the California prison system. Exposing a corrupt gang of prison guards and officers known as the Green Wall, DJ’s experience of institutional corruption, from the warden to the administration and even the prison guard union, drives home yet another problem with the prison industrial complex. The guards and officers at a prison are often corrupt and set up incarcerated people to be abused, treated unfairly, and disrespected. Listen as DJ Vodicka describes how he stood up against these abuses. His immense sacrifice and work are an important step to making the path through incarceration an opportunity for people to find stability and healing.

Kat Taylor is a prolific philanthropist who works with communities to develop the resources they need to thrive. She co-founded Beneficial State Bank and TomKat Ranch, two businesses that focus on creating a more just and sustainable world while also generating profit for the people they serve. In this conversation, what really comes through as extraordinary about Kat’s commitment to giving is that it extends throughout her life. She is dedicated to personal growth, communities, family, and the betterment of humanity as a whole. Kat has found a way to weave together outsize impact with real grassroots engagement and empowerment for the people her generosity benefits.

Janet Harvey is the CEO of Invite Change, a coaching organization dedicated to building a world where people love their work. Focusing on generative wholeness, which she writes about in her recent book, Invite the Change: Lessons from 2020, Janet shares about writing this book, nurturing resilience, and her career transition from financial services to supporting leaders. Tune in as Janet Harvey, with brilliant loving kindness, drops pearl after pearl of wisdom throughout this delightful conversation.

After being in and out of prison for almost a decade, Joybelle Phelan transformed herself with the support of communication workshops that revealed the awesome power of doing hard, serious work on herself. Highly committed to sharing her story, Joybelle inspires all of us to confront what scares us most inside ourselves. In this warm conversation, listen as she talks about her background, her journey toward stability and self-acceptance, and how she now works to bring compassion and humanity to all of her interactions.

Tony Porter is seeking a transformational experience with men - and that does not begin in the head. For Tony, transformation starts in the heart. CEO of A Call To Men, an incredible organization dedicated to preventing violence against women by promoting healthy, respectful manhood, Tony has given TED talks, published a book, and led countless workshops and trainings. This in-depth conversation gets down to his roots, the personal experiences, and deeply held convictions that drive him to be a healer and a hero living and teaching from the heart.

Raised by a single mother on welfare in Oakland, Ashanti Branch started his first career as a civil engineer yet later found his true passion was for teaching struggling students. Founder and Executive Director of The Ever Forward Club, a support group that mentors opportunity youth in middle and high school by providing them with safe, brave communities that build character, Ashanti was featured in the documentary, The Mask You Live In, and launched the #MillionMaskMovement to connect people all over the world in a self-reflective experience designed to help them visualize and realize the truth that they are not alone. Listen as he describes the powerful shift that occurred in his life when he moved from seeking financial satisfaction to seeking heart satisfaction.

Executive Director of New York Harm Reduction Educators and Inside Circle Facilitator-in-Training, Sam Rivera has transformed the challenges of his youth into an incredible wealth of compassion and knowledge to help others find wellness through his work in harm reduction, education, and services for people struggling with addiction. In conversation with Eldra Jackson of Inside Circle, Sam weaves together the struggles of black and brown people with his own journey of personal growth and finding meaning in his life.

In this uplifting conversation author Greg Archer shares his understanding of vulnerability and growth. His book, Grace Revealed, tells the story of his parents’ internment in Stalin’s concentration camps in the 1930s, and their journey as refugees. Join Greg and Eldra as they uncover the wisdom gained through hardship.

Join Eldra Jackson as he sits down with William “Mecca” Elmore, author of Prison from the Inside Out: One Man’s Journey from a Life Sentence to Freedom.  Incarcerated for over 24 years, Mecca is a man who’s taken on some of life’s greatest challenges and used them to build a dignified, self-realized life. Sharing his experiences with enthusiasm, his strength and resilience shine through every word of this passionate conversation.