Powerfully Broken

You’re not just tired…
 You’re burnt out from pouring into everyone else.

In this episode of the Powerfully Broken Podcast, Alicia Gilmore breaks down something most high-performing women ignore:

👉 You can’t keep showing up for everyone else… and expect to stay whole.

We talk about:

•  Why self-care is NOT optional (especially for caregivers & therapists) 
•  How burnout shows up even when “you’re just talking” 
•  Why travel, res...

Ever wonder why some kids push every button just to see if you’ll leave? We sat down with welterweight champion, father, and entrepreneur Montana Love to unpack the power of consistency, the weight of community trauma, and the discipline it takes to keep showing up when it’s not convenient. What starts with rapid fire—love over money, character over clout—opens into a raw, practical guide to breaking cycles.

Montana shares...

A single nickname can carry a lifetime of weight. When “Barb” surfaces, it’s not just shorthand; it’s a trigger tied to an old marriage, a lost sense of self, and the slow work of rebuilding identity. We open that door and walk through it with care—naming how language, place, and early faith choices shape what we tolerate, what we fear, and what we finally refuse. From there, Ace takes us into his journey: agnostic roots, hard ques...

You’re not overreacting…
👉 you’re responding to old pain.

In this episode of Powerfully Broken Podcast, Barbara Parker breaks down one of the most important mental health skills:

👉 Learning how to respond instead of react

We talk about:

•  Why people trigger you on purpose 
•  How trauma lives below your awareness and controls your reactions 
•  Why your response is often bigger than the situation 
•  How to regulate your body in real-...

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why do I keep ending up with the same kind of partner?” this conversation goes straight to the root. We talk about how toxic relationship patterns can feel like comfort, why familiarity is so hard to let go of, and how fear can pull you right back into a dynamic you swore you were done with. With therapist and relationship expert Alicia Gilmore, we get practical about what actually helps you break th...

Pain can break you open or harden you shut—and Montana Love chose the first path. We sit down with the junior welterweight champion to unpack how a kid who started fighting at five turned grit into purpose, fatherhood into a calling, and fame into responsibility. From the origins of “Love Hertz” to the myth of violent masculinity, Montana shares why losing your identity hurts more than losing a bout, how love makes him stronger tha...

We hand the questions to Lucas Tindell from Lucas Live Media and let him pull Barbara L. Parker out from behind the host chair. What comes out is the real origin of BF Empowerment Center and the philosophy that drives Powerfully Broken: mental health support should help you get free, not keep you paying forever. We talk candidly about what it means to break unhealthy relationships that damage your mental health, and why Barbara mea...

What if the secret to lasting love is letting go of the highlight reel and embracing the ordinary acts that build trust? We sit down with Ace X—magician, mentor, husband, and father—to unpack how men grieve divorce, why calling it a lesson changes everything, and how security turns a guarded heart into an open one. From learning to argue without attacking to choosing to be a husband rather than just wanting a wife, the first minute...

Purpose changes the way we count success. We sit down with Andre Dotson to trace his path from hustling for survival to leading with service through CAV Leadership Academy, where kids ages five to eighteen find mentorship, a safe space, therapeutic support, and financial literacy that actually sticks. Andre opens up about why empowering women reshapes men, how accountability at home strengthens communities, and why influence beats ...

Your strongest rep might be the one you don’t take—and that simple shift could save your progress and your health. We sit down with Melvin Cantrell, former NFL player turned celebrity bodyguard and certified personal trainer, to unpack how beginners can train smarter: light weights, perfect form, and breathing that powers every lift without risking injury. Along the way, we talk about mental health, how stress hijacks your breath, ...

What happens when you stop negotiating with fear and jump anyway? We sit down with Elec Simon—world-class bucket drummer, event MC, Jiu-Jitsu gold medalist, and relentless builder—to unpack the mindset that turns setbacks into fuel. From winning on stage to getting humbled on the mat, Elec shows how quiet discipline beats loud ego, and how listening to mentors can save you years of pain in business and in life.

We trace hi...

The story begins with loss and lands in purpose. We sit down with world-traveled bucket drummer and MC Elec Simon to unpack how a best friend’s death pushed him to build work that preserves life—school assemblies turned “motivational musical,” community shows that reach kids where they are, and a personal code that values impact over applause. It’s a conversation that blends art, mental health, and mentorship with a clear message: ...

If love keeps feeling like a storm, maybe the problem isn’t romance—it’s access. We sit down with Apostle Andre Dodson to talk about the kind of boundaries that change outcomes, the difference between truth and omission, and why respect means protecting someone’s heart when no one is watching. Andre brings the lived experience of a father, husband, and community leader to redefine what healthy partnership looks like when you finall...

What if love isn’t a feeling to chase but a responsibility you choose every day? We sit down with Apostle Andre Dotson—community leader, father, husband, and repeat guest—to explore how disciplined love outlasts mood swings, why honor dictates access, and how preparation turns heartbreak into wisdom. His candid reflections after divorce reveal a path many skip: the prep season where you assess patterns, rebuild standards, and devel...

The story opens on a fast street where violence felt normal and kids learned to run before they could read the signs. Melvin Cantrell takes us through Edgewood’s split reality—games and laughter on one side, stabbings and speeding cars on the other—and shows how a simple, stubborn no to drugs became the first brick in a new life. He talks about father wounds, the rush of being an athlete with a secret, and the moment friends’ funer...

What does it take to turn a twelve-year-old drug dealer into a community father who keeps kids safe and seen? Andre Dotson joins us to unpack the hard choices, small mercies, and steady mentorship that carried him from East Cleveland’s street economy to a life spent building structure, courage, and opportunity for the next generation. No gloss, no shortcuts—just the real mechanics of prevention: boundaries that hold, programs that ...

What does it really take to unlearn a street-made identity and rebuild a life that lifts others? We sit down with Andre Dotson—once a teen hustler in East Cleveland, now an apostle, youth mentor, CCW instructor, and mayoral candidate—to trace the choices, influences, and turning points that shaped his transformation. The story is raw and unvarnished: early drinking at 11, hustling at 12, juvenile life by 14, and the gravitational p...

In this powerful Season 2 episode of the Powerfully Broken Podcast, host Barbara L. Parker, MA, LPCC-S sits down with Ateira Ashley—mother, wife, cheer coach, and AKA—to unpack the real blueprint for long-term, healthy relationships.

Together, they discuss:

• Why friendship first matters more than chemistry
• How faith, family, and maturity sustain marriage through hard seasons
• Letting go of unrealistic expectations and embracing growt...

When comfort starts costing you more than change, it’s time to move. We sit down with Denia, a mentor to founders and a master connector, to unpack the real signals that tell you to quit the job, bet on yourself, and build a business that can breathe. From the first manual that launched her company to turning bottlenecks into revenue, she lays out a grounded path: generate cash, hire the right people, and let systems carry the weig...