03/09/2026
This is a short piece of a much longer conversation between me and Sharese Powell.
Sharese came to Goodwill to go through the CNA program. She wasn’t coming in trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life or what field she wanted to go into. She was already doing the work. She just needed the certification to continue moving forward in it.
But while she was here, she also found people who gave her the opportunity to talk about some of the things she was dealing with in everyday life.
I think of these as the “in-between conversations.”
Most of the time when I sit down with someone to film their story, there’s a main reason we’re there. But somewhere in between the questions and the story we came to tell, we usually just start talking. I think those conversations help people get more comfortable, but they also give us a chance to talk about things that may have nothing to do with why we originally sat down.
In this part of our conversation, Sharese and I talk a little bit about loss and grief, and about the people we’ve lost that we still want to make proud.
I don’t consider myself a therapist by any means. I’m just a really good listener. And I think a big part of what I get to do is give people the space to speak freely about what’s on their mind and what they’re going through. And if I have a little wisdom to share or a few words of encouragement that might help, I’ll give that too.
These are the kinds of conversations I get the opportunity to have all the time, and I think this particular piece is something a lot of people will be able to relate to.
Because while a lot of the services Goodwill provides are about helping people find jobs, earn certifications and move forward in their careers, sometimes what happens along the way goes a little deeper than that.
Sometimes people just need somebody to listen.
Sometimes they need a little encouragement.
Sometimes they find a little hope.
And sometimes that can be just as important in helping somebody move forward.
