Host Ayané Watson introduces a new James Inc podcast series offering young parents inside looks at different careers, spotlighting upholstery with Tulsa Tech professor Mr. Griffin. Griffin shares his upbringing in Okmulgee, vocational training in high school, military service in Vietnam where he served in combat and received a Purple Heart, and how discipline from the military shaped his life. After working 10.5 years at Shell Oil, he pursued upholstery to gain stability and independence, earning training in home furnishings, automotive interiors, marine, and aircraft upholstery, starting his own business, and later teaching for decades at Oklahoma State Tech and then Tulsa Tech. He explains upholstery as a “dying art,” the value of hands-on instruction beyond YouTube, key skills like measurement, dexterity, and visualization, the importance of customization and quality, and how upholstery supports recycling and can provide a good living.

Certified trauma support specialist, and grief coach Kimberly Vaughn Daniels discusses her story as a teen mom. Daniels shares growing up as the oldest of four in a loving two-parent home, feeling sheltered before entering public high school at 14, and becoming a mother at 17. She reflects on the sadness and fear of telling her parents, the family impact, and the importance of fathers being engaged beyond providing. Daniels explains how she stayed in her high school, took only two weeks off after giving birth, and relied on trusted church childcare to continue her education. She recounts being treated unfairly as an unmarried mom during delivery in 1984, and explains why she volunteers at James Inc to help young parents, emphasizing that no one has to do it alone and that stories can keep changing with support and community.

Former Tulsa City Councilor Connie Dodson became a mother at 16 and expresses how it reshaped her goals, support systems, and education. Connie shares how family help and the Margaret Hudson program enabled her to stay on track and graduate, discusses recovering from an emergency C-section, and emphasizes postpartum depression awareness as a hormonal issue. She reflects on raising five children, maintaining individuality through creative pursuits, reading, and writing, and offers advice for young parents to build a trusted support team. Connie talks about co-parenting, boundaries, and today’s added challenges for kids due to phones and social media, including toxic relationships and domestic violence. She also announces her run for Tulsa school board District 4 and encourages lifelong learning and early dual-language exposure.