This Week’s Episode:
What exactly does it mean to champion urban health? How does story influence people’s decisions? My guest today is a true thought leader. Dr. Yonette Thomas has had deep training in research and serves as an urban health champion around the globe.
What does all of that have to do with storytelling? In this episode, Dr. Yonette Thomas talks about the health and well-being of urban areas and brings statistical data to life through the stories of people who live in these communities. She and I also discuss what she calls the flickering of the career light bulb, amplifying your signal with story as a professional, and why failure is a good thing.
What you will learn in this episode:
- Why stories are integral for professionals worldwide
- How you can use story to advance your career
- What benefit you can derive from failure
Who is Dr. Yonette Thomas?
Recognized around the world as a thought leader, Dr. Yonette Thomas is an urban health champion who’s held academic positions at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Howard University. She’s also served as a vice president for research and the Chief of Epidemiology in the NIDA/NIH.
She’s a member of several important institutions focused on global health. As a social epidemiologist and medical sociologist, Dr. Yonette Thomas founded UrbanHealth360, an NGO focused on health in urban populations in the Global South. She also founded Borjoner International and Strategic Transitions to influence the health and well-being of individuals and communities worldwide and leads the Women’s Economic Imperative to advocate the financial value of women and girls’ health. Her resume extends even further with her work as a global advisor for institutions specifically focused on health systems and healthy populations in Asia and Africa.
In addition, she’s helped many of her colleagues throughout her professional career with clearly defining their professional and personal needs, identifying advancement opportunities, and navigating an effective path to achieve their dreams. Taking her own advice and following her passion, Dr. Yonette Thomas formed Strategic Transitions LLC to help people at all stages of their journey keep their passion alive while making strategic career transitions.
Links & Resources
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GREEN BERET, ENTREPRENEUR, STORYTELLER, TRAINER, COACH, AUTHOR
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ASTROPHYSICIST, TED SPEAKER