Love Pono: Podcast

s part of our observance of Disability Awareness Month, we are thrilled to have an extraordinary guest with us - the viral creator @itslaurenduh94 on TikTok and Instagram. She is a disability advocate, singer, and actress with over 900K+ followers on TikTok.

Join us in celebrating Women's History Month on Live Pono, Love Pono where we shine a spotlight on Anela Bird, the empowering co-founder of Kula Mana wellness center. Our episode will revolve around her significant contributions in the wellness sector and delve into her enriching journey in the world of modern shamanism, plant medicines, and their integrative roles in therapeutic processes.

Hey there! It's Social Worker Month and I couldn't be more excited! I just finished recording a podcast where I shared my personal journey as a social work student. Let's celebrate Social Worker Month together and keep making a difference in people's lives!

In this engrossing series, we unravel the complexities of narcissism, shedding light on the different facets that define it.

In this episode, we extend the conversation beyond the stage and get deeply personal with Joshua "Baba" Kamoani‘ala Tavares, the director of a new family drama set in Hawai’i. The illuminating chat encapsulates a vibrant exchange, entwining his play's underlying themes - focusing on narcissism within the family dynamics - and his creative process as a storyteller. Narcissism, often misunderstood or brushed under the rug, is woven delicately through the narratives of his characters.

In today's podcast episode, we dive into an area that may be familiar to quite a few of you: grappling with the emotional upheaval and pressure that come with restructuring families due to divorce. Lisa Jacobs, founder and president of Better Way Divorce, a firm also known as Pono Divorce, brings an enlightening take on this matter.

nder Equality is a huge factor and issue that many people globally deal with. Our guests have a broad knowledge on the multi-faceted angles in which gender equality, women's empowerment, and general human rights affect people living in Hawai’i. The objective of this conversation is for viewers to witness a discussion on the multi-faceted aspects of gender equality, as well as women's empowerment.

This episode will guide you through the terrains of self-doubt, providing you with tried-and-true self-care strategies and insights to embrace your inherent worth. Our goal is to leave you informed, engaged, and importantly, a little more self-compassionate.

Today, we have an extraordinary guest who will be shedding light on a topic that deserves our full attention: domestic violence. This issue affects individuals and families across the globe, and we must engage in meaningful conversations to raise awareness and promote change.

he International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire. Each year, the UN focuses on a theme, this year being to bring awareness to the . One of which of those goals is Gender Equality, and Womens Empowerment. Gender Equality is a huge factor and issue that many people globally deal with. Our guests have a broad knowledge on the multi-faceted angles in which gender equality, women's empowerment, and general human rights affect people living in Hawai’i.

Today Love Pono Student Assistants Alex and MJ have the pleasure of speaking with Rosie Aiello, the co-founder of the Love Is Kind Network and movement.
She is on global movement to inspire and impact 100M women with their children to release the shackles of abuse, learn to become 100% fully expressed and believe that they deserve to be treated with kindness.

Independence day is around the corner and you know who else should be celebrated? The independent you! This month we focus on the Independent you and celebrate individuality and what makes each and everyone of us special. Join the Love Pono Team for this episode and feel free to continue the positivity chain on our instagram post about what makes you proud to be you!

Join Alex and Jess in their talk with Palehua Lee about the harmful stereotypes surrounding drag queens.

In this episode, we discuss more about Juneteenth and what it means to be involved in activism in black, queer, and people who identify with both communities.

Happy Summer Leeward! Our Talk Tuesday Series for June is: PRIDE Month, All about LGBTQ+! The whole month we will focus on various topics regarding the LGBTQ+ community and their experiences with unhealthy or toxic relationships. June is Pride Month! Thank you to our guest speaker Dr. Sara Vogel for sharing her journey and experiences.

*Trigger Warning: The following episode mentions talk of grooming, sexual assault, and other topics which may be triggering. Please take care of yourself and listen at your own pace. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and today we continue the talk of Sex: Is this normal? with a focus on grooming, views on relationships through adolescence and young adulthood, and healing into the future.

Happy Aromantic awareness week! We celebrate with guest speaker Kalei Ruiz who introduces Aromanticism and its umbrella of other romantics and sexualities in this informative talk. Link in our Instagram bio for more resources on Aromanticism and helpful links.

What is the best way to be your own most valuable person? Take care of yourself, that’s how! By incorporating healthy habits and routines into our life we practice self care that has lasting effects. On this podcast, Student Government President Alex Williamson talks with Leeward’s Faculty Wellness Committee about trying different plant based choices. We discuss the importance of finding a meal plan or routine that works right for you, because not everyone is the same. We also talk about how taking yourself on a date is one of the most important things you can do for yourself.

Aloha Love Pono Family, to continue our theme of Love Myself we invited Social Work graduate students interning with the UH Advocate program, Kristofer Teves and Ashley Nelson over to talk about the influence social media has. We dive into how not everything you see on the internet is genuine, how people can compare themselves and others, how body image is affected, and how to love yourself past these issues.

Join Love Pono Assistant Summer in the talk with One Love Foundation's Melanie Sperling in the topic of Domestic Violence and the holidays. In the session they dive into some reasons why domestic violence calls spike in the holiday season, how those calls spiked even more amid the pandemic, and how to stay mindful when in the digital space during the holidays. Tune in to hear more!

Disclaimer: Today's topic dives into intergenerational violence and how to prevent it from continuing. There are themes that may be distressing to listen to such as physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, childhood trauma, loss, and continuous abuse. These themes may be difficult to listen to even if you haven't been in a similar situation.

To continue with our conversation about IPV in relationships with keiki we talked with PACT Hawaiʻi, Parents and Children Together. Listen to a conversation about resources available to families who have experienced domestic violence and abuse in their household. Various outlets are discussed from groups for families, children, as well as their unique program for men affected by domestic violence.

Disclaimer: This topic includes themes of violence, Intimate partner violence, physical abuse, emotional/mental abuse, financial abuse, sexual abuse, shame, guilt, depression, trauma and mention of controversial themes. In light of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we shine light on the topic of IPV (Intimate Partner Violence) in Relationships with Keiki. From what IPV is, what it looks like, and how it affects the survivor and keiki alike, guest speaker Leslie Cabingabang joins Summer, a Love Pono Assistant, in the expansion of this subject.

This conversation is hosted by Love Pono assistant Alex Williamson as he interviews Dr. Loretta Chen. Loretta Chen is a professor, author, actress, and philanthropist among many other attributes. Her experience related to this topic weaves a tale of loss, heartbreak, and healing. Feelings of grief and guilt are shared as well as the basics of Loretta's self-healing "formula."

This week's Talk Tuesday episode guest stars Justin Fienhold, a licensed clinical social worker who works with VA and supervises the Suicide Prevention programs. He joins us in the talk that focuses on how to tell someone you’re in need of assistance with a special focus on the Veteran demographic

Love Pono sits down with Leeward CC's Licensed Mental Health Professional, Lori Lum, to talk about how we can help someone in need. What are the warning signs? What are ways we can approach a loved one if we think they need to talk to someone?

This episode may include themes of depression, self harm, drug use, and suicide. Some may find this difficult to listen to even if they have not went through similar situations. Listener discretion is advised.

Shame & Sexuality with Guest Speaker Kalei Ruiz
Kalei Ruiz is a Counselor at Leeward Community College. Today's podcast with Kalei shares how indigenous views on sexuality did not make it shameful the way it does with colonized worlds.

*WARNING* Topic/content can be triggering to some listeners; listener discretion is advised.
AJ & Nick continue their talks with David Nisthal, an educator and social worker, to have a very deep conversation about sexual violence and abuse.

Love Pono decided to focus this month’s Talk Tuesday on SAAM with “It Starts with Our Keiki.” As adults, a lot of what we learn and a lot of our behaviors can be traced back to our childhood.

We share this Thursday about the hero’s journey. We talk about how we can be our own heroes and not be rescued or rely on external factors to heal us.

Love Pono sat down with Leslie Cabingabang our Confidential Advocate on a podcast episode that sheds light on why previous trauma affects us and what we can do about it.

Mental Health Counselor, Lori Lum, explains the different ways our mind and bodies react to trauma and how we can cope with it.

We focus on how we can learn from the past and move forward without letting it be a crutch. It is important to recognize the red flags in dating that can be toxic, unhealthy, or just not the right fit. It is a balance between not engaging in a potential relationship that could be unhealthy and learning from the red flags and communicating our wants and needs to form a healthy relationship.

We were fortunate enough to chat with Olivia Moten from the Domestic Violence Action Center and Syreeta Washington a Leeward CC Counselor. In this episode, you’ll learn about red flags and resources for the LGBTQ+ community.

We chatted with Brea Kaye from the One Love Foundation to share more about the One Love foundation itself and the key healthy and unhealthy signs of a relationship. She provides us with an overview of what to be aware of that may or may not be familiar for us.

Our Talk Tuesday series will start off this week with sharing the history of Love Pono, the impact this program has on the campus and our students, and what to look forward to in the next year or so.

We have our Early College Counselor, Syreeta Washington who chatted with Kaian Torres about kaimiloa and how to maintain balance.

Kalei, a counselor at Leeward, shares what pono really means. It is to live a balanced life with everything around us that can range from the land to people.

Love Pono shares our take on the Holstee Manifesto to remind ourselves to focus on what’s important to us.