Walk Talk Listen Podcast

Walk Talk Listen, an attempt to connect people and make this world a bit better by sharing opinions and experiences based on the belief that everyone’s perspective is true albeit partial.

Walk Talk Listen Podcast is a society podcast hosted by Maurice A. Bloem, with 100 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Maurice A. Bloem hosts Walk Talk Listen Podcast, a society show with 100 episodes published.

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  Episode #252

  Mashallah with Rima Alshawkani - Walk Talk Listen (Episode 252)

  Aug 19, 20261h 15mS1

  Rima Alshawkani's story has unfolded across countries, languages and cultures. Born in New York to Yemeni parents, she spent parts of her childhood in Yemen, Ethiopia and Belgium before eventually settling in Northern Virginia. In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, Rima reflects on what those transitions taught her about belonging, independence and resilience. She remembers learning Arabic because she wanted to understand what her classmates were saying, cycling freely through Brussels, and walking through markets in Yemen as one of the only girls there alongside a father who encouraged her not to worry about whether she fit the norm, but simply to "keep on going." Today Rima is Chief Financial Officer of the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities, an organization she joined in 2018 and has helped shape through several stages of its development. Our conversation goes well beyond finance, however. We talk about family, the influence of her father, raising two teenagers, learning to listen rather than immediately defend, and why she sees herself and her two children in the Arabic song Three Friends. We also talk about why she will walk through Washington, DC on September 25 as part of the 100-Mile Campaign: to help amplify voices from communities that too often remain unheard. Listener Engagement: Learn more about Rima and her work via her LinkedIn or the JLI website . Don't only listen to the song picked by Rima, 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).

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #251

  How Ordinary People Create Extraordinary Change with Alvin Andanje - Walk Talk Listen (Episode 251)

  Aug 12, 20261h 12mS1

  Growing up in western Kenya, Alvin Andanje learned that a community is built not only through shared geography, but through shared responsibility. In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, Alvin reflects on a childhood where neighbours cared for one another, where faith was expressed through everyday acts of kindness, and where the idea that "a child belongs to the community" shaped his understanding of life. Those early experiences continue to influence his work today, leading him to believe that lasting development is built as much on relationships, dignity and social capital as it is on infrastructure. Along the way, he shares moving stories about his family, the challenges surrounding his older brother's illness, the remarkable origin of his family name, and why he has "always had this fascination about how ordinary people create extraordinary change." Today, Alvin serves as the Africa Regional Coordinator at the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI), where he also leads Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) for the Faith and Positive Change for Children initiative. With experience spanning more than twenty countries, he has contributed to research and learning on climate justice, peacebuilding, gender equality, vaccine uptake and the role of faith communities in development. During our conversation, he also reflects on the influence of the late Dr. Agnes Abuom, whose integrity and refusal to take shortcuts continue to shape his own leadership. Throughout this conversation, Alvin reminds us that extraordinary change often begins with ordinary people who choose to care, to serve and to walk alongside others. Listener Engagement: Learn more about Alvin and his work via his LinkedIn or the JLI website . Don't only listen to the song picked by Alvin, 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).

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #250

  In Search of My Own Homecoming with Tony Hernandez - Walk Talk Listen (Episode 250)

  Aug 5, 20261h 7mS1

  Tony Hernandez is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, oral historian, and founder of the Immigrant Archive Project. Over the past two decades, he has dedicated his life to preserving thousands of first-person immigrant stories, ensuring that families, communities, and future generations never lose the voices that shaped them. Today he also produces private documentary films for families and founders who wish to preserve their personal histories with the care of an oral historian and the craftsmanship of cinema. In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, Tony reflects on his own journey from Cuba to the United States as a young child, the extraordinary sacrifices made by his parents and grandparents, and the unexpected role Church World Service played in helping his family begin a new life. Those early experiences became the foundation for a lifetime of listening. Our conversation explores what "home" really means when you feel both from somewhere and not entirely from there anymore. Tony shares how Steven Spielberg's Shoah interviews inspired the Immigrant Archive Project, why storytelling is fundamentally an act of respect, and how listening deeply creates spaces where people often share stories they have never told anyone before. Along the way we discuss resilience, belonging, kindness, memory, faith, identity, and why, despite today's polarized debates around migration, Tony remains convinced that we are far more alike than we are different. The episode is filled with remarkable stories, from a migrant farm worker, families rebuilding their lives after unimaginable hardship to quiet moments of hope, including a little girl learning to dance with her homeless mother under the stars. If you care about preserving family history, understanding migration beyond headlines, or simply becoming a better listener, this conversation is for you. At the end of the episode Tony answers the previous guest's question, "What's good?" and leaves a thoughtful question for the next guest, and reminds us that every life contains a story worth preserving. I forgot to ask Tony the question about a song or piece of music that represents what Tony is about. After listening to this episode, you will not be surprised that he texted me after our recording. "It would be Cecilia Cruz's La Vida es un Carnaval (Life is a Carnaval) as the song’s central message is that life inevitably contains pain, loneliness, injustice, and difficult moments, but none of those conditions is permanent. We should face adversity with hope, companionship, faith, and the determination to keep living fully. That message feels especially powerful coming from Celia Cruz. Her performance turns the song into more than cheerful advice. It’s an anthem of resilience, particularly for people who have endured displacement, loss, or hardship." Listener Engagement: Learn more about Tony and his work via his LinkedIn or his company IAP website . Also check out his SubStack . His Instagram and Facebook are also worthwhile following. Don't only listen to the song picked by Tony, 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).

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #249

  The Tolerance of Questions with Sabrina Matthews - Walk Talk Listen (Episode 249)

  Jul 29, 20261h 18mS1

  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).

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #248

  The Ultimate Expression of Faith Is Service to Humanity with Rachel Bayani – Walk Talk Listen (Episode 248)

  Jul 22, 20261h 5mS1

  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).

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