Rosa Hart sits down with Louisville keynote speaker and confidence curator Chris Fulkerson to talk about personal reinvention, empowering women, and the "F Words to Live By" framework she teaches across the country.

In this episode:

How Barbie birthday parties became a symbol of joy and resilience after profound personal loss

The journey from image consulting (closets, fashion shows, feng shui!) to full-time keynote speaking

Why dressing women on the outside can't work if they're not supported on the inside

The "F Words to Live By": Food, Fashion, Fitness, Fun & Friendship

A moving story from a Dress for Success Louisville fashion show that illustrates the power of community and saying yes to yourself

How Toastmasters and the National Speakers Association transformed Chris's speaking career

Dress for Success Louisville's work — including outreach to teachers and rural counties

Timestamps:

1:17 – Meeting through Toastmasters & NSA Louisville

1:38 – The Barbie birthday party origin story

2:17 – Grief and the mindset shift behind the parties

7:00 – Goal: a 100th Barbie party

11:17 – What image consulting really involves

14:45 – The mission: women saying yes to themselves

17:00 – The F Words to Live By framework

20:40 – Self-care is not selfish

22:35 – Breaking cycles of self-sacrifice for our kids

26:00 – Toastmasters & NSA journey

30:20 – The power of storytelling

36:38 – What Chris's business looks like today

38:00 – Dress for Success: "Turning Over a New Leaf" story

44:14 – Dress for Success mobile outreach

46:07 – How to book Chris

47:05 – Wags Pet Therapy & dog fashion show

49:59 – Outro

Find Chris: fwordstoliveby.com

Instagram: @chris_fulkerson

The Lou Review podcast highlights powerful conversations around business, branding, entrepreneurship, and community stories from Louisville and beyond.

We feature inspiring founders, creatives, and leaders sharing real insights, growth strategies, and behind-the-scenes journeys.

Topics Covered:- Business Growth & Marketing- Branding & Creative Strategy- Entrepreneurship & Startups- Local Louisville Stories & CultureSubscribe for weekly podcast episodes and real conversations that matter.

Learn more about The Lou Review Foundation Inc at LouReview.com

Connect with host, Rosa Hart on Instagram: @RosaRaves

What does it actually take to end homelessness in a city? Rosa Hart sits down with Ra'Shann Martin, Executive Director of St. John's Center for Homeless Men, to find out.

Ra'Shann didn't start in homeless services — he started with young people. His work at YouthBuild showed him how quickly housing instability derails a life, and that realization sent him on a path that eventually led to leading one of Louisville's most essential nonprofits. In this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on what homelessness in Louisville really looks like, who it affects, and what's actually working.

In this episode:

Ra'Shann shares his journey from YouthBuild to executive leadership, including the unexpected phone call that changed everything. He breaks down how St. John's Center operates across shelter, outreach, and permanent housing — and why something as simple as a mailing address can be the difference between stability and crisis. He introduces Sheehan Landing, the new 80-unit permanent supportive housing complex, and tells the story of an 83-year-old man found living in an encampment who now has a home. He also unpacks the myths around homelessness in Louisville, explains the new Outreach Referral Tool as a compassionate alternative to calling 911 or 311, and answers the question everyone wants to ask: should you give money to someone panhandling?

You'll walk away knowing:

• What homelessness in Louisville actually looks like — and who it affects
• How permanent supportive housing works and why it changes outcomes
• What the Outreach Referral Tool is and how to use it
• What supplies are always needed (it's not just socks)
• How employers, volunteers, and community members can get involved right now

Connect with St. John's Center:
Website: stjohnscenter.org
Outreach Referral Tool: stjohnscenter.org (click "Referral Tool")
Phone: 502-568-6758 (ask for Outreach)
Connect with Ra'Shann Martin on LinkedIn

Support the work:
Donate, volunteer, or explore partnership opportunities at stjohnscenter.org

Know a Louisville mover and shaker making a difference? Rosa wants to hear from you.

On this episode, host Rosa Hart sits down with Ebony Bartee, co-owner and Senior VP of Equus Flight Academy, and one of fewer than 12 Black women in the U.S. to ever own a Part 141 flight school. Ebony shares how she "tripped into a Cessna" with zero aviation background and now leads a multi-location flight training company spanning Kentucky, Indiana, Oregon, New Hampshire, and Florida.

But this episode is about much more than planes. Ebony is described as a "pipeline builder" on a mission to bring awareness, accessibility, and affordability to the aviation industry, starting as early as kindergarten.

From co-founding an Aerospace Engineering CTE program at W.E.B. Du Bois Academy to drone certifications, discovery flights, and dual credit high school programs, she's opening doors to 200+ aviation career paths that most people never knew existed.

In this episode:

• What Part 141 vs Part 61 flight schools actually mean
• How students can earn a pilot's license before their driver's license
• Why drone piloting is a near six-figure career at age 17
• Scholarships nobody is applying for — and why you should
• The full spectrum of aviation careers (nurses, lawyers, engineers, IT, and more)
• How Jefferson County EMS is using drones in emergency response

Connect with Ebony on LinkedIN🌐 Equus Flight Academy — equusflightacademy.com 📱 Instagram: @Equus.FlightAcademy

To learn more about college scholarships in aviation:

https://www.aviationstart.org/

https://aopa.org/

https://www.eaa.org/eaa/learn-to-fly/scholarships

https://nbaa.org/professional-development/scholarships/

The Lou Review podcast highlights powerful conversations around business, branding, entrepreneurship, and community stories from Louisville and beyond.

We feature inspiring founders, creatives, and leaders sharing real insights, growth strategies, and behind-the-scenes journeys.🔹

Topics Covered:- Business Growth & Marketing- Branding & Creative Strategy- Entrepreneurship & Startups- Local Louisville Stories & CultureSubscribe for weekly podcast episodes and real conversations that matter.

Learn more about The Lou Review Foundation Inc at LouReview.com

Connect with host, Rosa Hart:

on Instagram @RosaRaves

on Linkedin