Episodes

  • Trailer

    Trailer
    Feb 18 2026

    You’re listening to The Sandbox Collective Podcast, hosted by Leilani Wells. I’m a Creative Director and Content Marketing Strategist, and this show is for the builders. Innovators, creatives, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs creating in real time. Come tap in, get inspired, and move into action. Welcome to The Sandbox. Let’s play.
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    Less than 1 minute
  • From Grief to Impact: Emily Ellis and the Mission Behind Nurse SillEE

    From Grief to Impact: Emily Ellis and the Mission Behind Nurse SillEE
    Jul 8 2026
    She built something beautiful out of something that broke her.Emily Ellis is the creative mind behind Nurse SillEE, a character-based health literacy program teaching kids how to care for their bodies, their minds, and each other. She plays five distinct characters; each one built around a different facet of health education. One of them is named Tootie Mill. All of them came from a place most people would have walked away from.In this episode we get into how grief became the starting point for something joyful, why she chose characters over lectures to reach kids, and what it takes to perform your way into a child's memory, so the lesson actually sticks.If you built something beautiful out of something that broke you, this one's for you.THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:Sheila D. Lipsey, Life and Leadership Coach and Podcast Sponsorhttps://bit.ly/SheilaLipseyNikki B. Jewelshttps://bit.ly/NikkiBJewels🎧 Listen and watch:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3ToZFevSpotify: https://bit.ly/sbcspot1emilyYouTube: https://bit.ly/SBCEp1YTPodcast website: https://bit.ly/SandBCPodcastCONNECT WITH EMILY:Website: https://bit.ly/NurseSillEEInstagram: https://bit.ly/NurseSilleeIGFacebook: https://bit.ly/NurseSilleeFBTikTok: https://bit.ly/NurseSilleeTikTokYouTube: https://bit.ly/NurseSilleeYTCREDITS:Hosted by Leilani Wellshttps://bit.ly/LeilaniMediaInstagram: https://bit.ly/LeilaniIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/LeilaniLIVideo and Editing: Dare'l McMillian, M2 McMillian Mediahttps://bit.ly/M2McMillianInstagram: https://bit.ly/M2MIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/M2MLIHead Graphic Design & Creative Assistant: Michelle Barzallo, Mamiworks Design Studiohttps://bit.ly/MamiworksDesignInstagram: https://bit.ly/MamiworksIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MichelleBLIGraphic Design: Jennifer Fontanillahttps://bit.ly/JenFontanillaInstagram: https://bit.ly/JenFIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/JenFLISet Design: Katerina "Kate" Mikhailovahttps://bit.ly/KateMikhailovaInstagram: https://bit.ly/KateMIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/KateMLISet Build: Zjanice Carter, Carter Contractinghttps://bit.ly/CarterContractingInstagram: https://bit.ly/ZjaniceIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ZjaniceLI👗 Fashion Styling: Danielle Fisherhttps://bit.ly/DanielleFisherInstagram: https://bit.ly/DanielleIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/DanielleLI💄 Makeup Artist: Lisa Noblehttps://bit.ly/LisaNobleWebInstagram: https://bit.ly/LisaVividIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/LisaNobleLIPodcast Website & Ads: Jackie Noelkehttps://bit.ly/JackieNoelkeWebI use my favorite social media posting platform to schedule and manage my content. Try it here: https://bit.ly/LeilaniPostingI edit a lot of my short-form clips with my favorite short-form editing software. Try it here: https://bit.ly/LeilaniClipsThis description contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Sponsorships and affiliate partnerships help support The Sandbox Collective Podcast.
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    39 mins
  • Art, Grief, and 40 Years: Janine Seals on the Black Arts & Cultural Center Kalamazoo

    Art, Grief, and 40 Years: Janine Seals on the Black Arts & Cultural Center Kalamazoo
    Jul 8 2026
    Her son built the walls. She still leads inside them.Janine Seals is the Executive Director of The Black Arts & Cultural Center Kalamazoo, a 40-year-old institution showcasing Black artists in their truest form. This summer she lost her son, the man who did every floor, every wall, and every piece of carpentry in the space she walks into each day. This conversation is about what it means to keep building when grief is in the room.In this episode we get into how the BACC chooses its monthly exhibits, why art heals when words run out, the moment she spoke at her son's memorial, and the plans forming to keep legacy alive through the trades and football he loved.If you are carrying something heavy and still showing up to lead, this one's for you.THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:Sheila D. Lipsey, Life and Leadership Coach & Podcast Sponsorhttps://bit.ly/SheilaLipseyA special thank you to Janine Seals and the Black Arts & Cultural Center, who sponsored our launch party and turned our space into an art gallery for the evening. Give back to the BACC and help them reach 40 more years:https://bit.ly/BACCKalamazoo🎧 Listen and watch:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3SPxaGKSpotify: https://bit.ly/sbcspot2janineYouTube: https://bit.ly/SBCEp2YTPodcast website: https://bit.ly/SandBCPodcast🎨 CONNECT WITH JANINE AND THE BACC:Website: https://bit.ly/BACCKalamazooInstagram: https://bit.ly/JanineIGFacebook: https://bit.ly/JanineSFBLinkedIn: https://bit.ly/JanineSLIVisit: 359 South Kalamazoo Mall, corner of Lovell and Burdick, open Tuesday through FridayCREDITS:Hosted by Leilani Wellshttps://bit.ly/LeilaniMediaInstagram: https://bit.ly/LeilaniIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/LeilaniLIVideo and Editing: Dare'l McMillian, M2 McMillian Mediahttps://bit.ly/M2McMillianInstagram: https://bit.ly/M2MIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/M2MLIHead Graphic Design & Creative Assistant: Michelle Barzallo, Mamiworks Design Studiohttps://bit.ly/MamiworksDesignInstagram: https://bit.ly/MamiworksIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MichelleBLIGraphic Design: Jennifer Fontanillahttps://bit.ly/JenFontanillaInstagram: https://bit.ly/JenFIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/JenFLISet Design: Katerina "Kate" Mikhailovahttps://bit.ly/KateMikhailovaInstagram: https://bit.ly/KateMIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/KateMLISet Build: Zjanice Carter, Carter Contractinghttps://bit.ly/CarterContractingInstagram: https://bit.ly/ZjaniceIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ZjaniceLI👗 Fashion Styling: Danielle Fisherhttps://bit.ly/DanielleFisherInstagram: https://bit.ly/DanielleIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/DanielleLI💄 Makeup Artist: Lisa Noblehttps://bit.ly/LisaNobleWebInstagram: https://bit.ly/LisaVividIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/LisaNobleLIPodcast Website & Ads: Jackie Noelkehttps://bit.ly/JackieNoelkeWebI use my favorite social media posting platform to schedule and manage my content. Try it here: https://bit.ly/LeilaniPostingI edit a lot of my short-form clips with my favorite short-form editing software. Try it here: https://bit.ly/LeilaniClipsThis description contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Sponsorships and affiliate partnerships help support The Sandbox Collective Podcast.
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    50 mins
  • Hidden History, Global Girls: Sonya Bernard-Hollins and the Merze Tate Explorers

    Hidden History, Global Girls: Sonya Bernard-Hollins and the Merze Tate Explorers
    Jul 8 2026
    She found a name on a list nobody recognized. It changed hundreds of girls' lives.Sonya Bernard-Hollins is an award-winning journalist, CEO of Season Press LLC, and founder of the Merze Tate Explorers, a travel writers' organization for girls. While writing about the first African Americans of Western Michigan University, she discovered Merze Tate: the first Black woman to earn a bachelor's degree there in 1927, the first Black graduate of Oxford University, and a teacher who took Black students across the country in a travel club in the 1930s. Nobody was telling her story. Sonya started, and in 2021 WMU named a college after Merze Tate.In this episode we get into the scrapbooks that started everything, how 12 girls and zero dollars became the world's only girls travel writers' organization, Sonya's own road through the Army, single parenthood, and welfare to the newsroom, and the elementary school teacher who showed her she was never poor.If you know a story the world needs and you're the one digging it up, this one's for you.THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:Sheila D. Lipsey, Life and Leadership Coach & Podcast Sponsorhttps://bit.ly/SheilaLipsey🎧 Listen and watch:Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/sbcappleep3sonyaSpotify: https://bit.ly/sbcspotep3sonyaYouTube: https://bit.ly/SBCEp3YTPodcast website: https://bit.ly/SandBCPodcast📚 CONNECT WITH SONYA AND THE MERZE TATE EXPLORERS:Sonya's website: https://bit.ly/SonyaHollinsInstagram: https://bit.ly/SonyaIGFacebook: https://bit.ly/SonyaFBLinkedIn: https://bit.ly/SonyaLIMerze Tate Explorers: https://bit.ly/MerzeTateWebExplorers Instagram: https://bit.ly/MerzeTateIGExplorers Facebook: https://bit.ly/MerzeTateFBGirls Can! Media on YouTube: https://bit.ly/GirlsCanYTHelp send the next girl on her first adventure. Give to the Merze Tate Explorers here:https://bit.ly/MerzeTateWebCREDITS:Hosted by Leilani Wellshttps://bit.ly/LeilaniMediaInstagram: https://bit.ly/LeilaniIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/LeilaniLIVideo and Editing: Dare'l McMillian, M2 McMillian Mediahttps://bit.ly/M2McMillianInstagram: https://bit.ly/M2MIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/M2MLIHead Graphic Design & Creative Assistant: Michelle Barzallo, Mamiworks Design Studiohttps://bit.ly/MamiworksDesignInstagram: https://bit.ly/MamiworksIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MichelleBLIGraphic Design: Jennifer Fontanillahttps://bit.ly/JenFontanillaInstagram: https://bit.ly/JenFIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/JenFLISet Design: Katerina "Kate" Mikhailovahttps://bit.ly/KateMikhailovaInstagram: https://bit.ly/KateMIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/KateMLISet Build: Zjanice Carter, Carter Contractinghttps://bit.ly/CarterContractingInstagram: https://bit.ly/ZjaniceIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ZjaniceLI👗 Fashion Styling: Danielle Fisherhttps://bit.ly/DanielleFisherInstagram: https://bit.ly/DanielleIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/DanielleLI💄 Makeup Artist: Lisa Noblehttps://bit.ly/LisaNobleWebInstagram: https://bit.ly/LisaVividIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/LisaNobleLIPodcast Website & Ads: Jackie Noelkehttps://bit.ly/JackieNoelkeWebI use my favorite social media posting platform to schedule and manage my content. Try it here: https://bit.ly/LeilaniPostingI edit a lot of my short-form clips with my favorite short-form editing software. Try it here: https://bit.ly/LeilaniClipsThis description contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Sponsorships and affiliate partnerships help support The Sandbox Collective Podcast.
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    52 mins
  • The Glam Squad: Danielle Fisher and Lisa Noble on Fashion, Friendship, and Fearlessness

    The Glam Squad: Danielle Fisher and Lisa Noble on Fashion, Friendship, and Fearlessness
    Jul 8 2026
    Confidence does not come from other people. It comes from the choices you make.Danielle Fisher is a fashion stylist. Lisa Noble is a makeup artist and the Executive Brand Artisan behind Vivid Visual Solutions. Together they are Leilani's glam squad, and this episode is a real conversation about what it takes to work in your zone of genius as a creative, why saying yes when you are scared matters, and how the details nobody sees are the ones that make the whole thing work.In this episode we get into how Danielle said yes to styling before she felt ready, Lisa's road back to makeup artistry and the artist who showed her she belonged, why creatives so rarely get credit for the work behind the work, and the full behind-the-scenes of building the Sandbox set as a team.If you are a creative who has ever been told "oh, my cousin does that too," this one's for you.THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:Sheila D. Lipsey, Life and Leadership Coach & Podcast Sponsorhttps://bit.ly/SheilaLipsey🍷The Wine ConciergeA minority and woman owned online wine store shining a light on wines by Black, women, and BIPOC winemakers. Sip along with us and change some mindsets.https://bit.ly/WineConcierge🎧 Listen and watch:Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/sbcep4appleglamSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/59xYU1VeV7LDtriUnV6yN4YouTube: https://bit.ly/SBCEp4YTPodcast website: https://bit.ly/SandBCPodcast👗 CONNECT WITH DANIELLE:Website: https://bit.ly/DanielleFisherInstagram: https://bit.ly/DanielleIGTikTok: https://bit.ly/DanielleTikTokFacebook: https://bit.ly/DanielleFFBPinterest: https://bit.ly/DaniellePinterestLinkedIn: https://bit.ly/DanielleLI💄 CONNECT WITH LISA:Website: https://bit.ly/LisaNobleWebInstagram: https://bit.ly/LisaVividIGFacebook: https://bit.ly/LisaVividFBLinkedIn: https://bit.ly/LisaNobleLIYouTube: https://bit.ly/LisaNobleYTCREDITS:Hosted by Leilani Wellshttps://bit.ly/LeilaniMediaInstagram: https://bit.ly/LeilaniIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/LeilaniLIVideo and Editing: Dare'l McMillian, M2 McMillian Mediahttps://bit.ly/M2McMillianInstagram: https://bit.ly/M2MIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/M2MLIHead Graphic Design & Creative Assistant: Michelle Barzallo, Mamiworks Design Studiohttps://bit.ly/MamiworksDesignInstagram: https://bit.ly/MamiworksIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MichelleBLIGraphic Design: Jennifer Fontanillahttps://bit.ly/JenFontanillaInstagram: https://bit.ly/JenFIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/JenFLISet Design: Katerina "Kate" Mikhailovahttps://bit.ly/KateMikhailovaInstagram: https://bit.ly/KateMIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/KateMLISet Build: Zjanice Carter, Carter Contractinghttps://bit.ly/CarterContractingInstagram: https://bit.ly/ZjaniceIG | LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ZjaniceLIPodcast Website & Ads: Jackie Noelkehttps://bit.ly/JackieNoelkeWebI use my favorite social media posting platform to schedule and manage my content. Try it here: https://bit.ly/LeilaniPostingI edit a lot of my short-form clips with my favorite short-form editing software. Try it here: https://bit.ly/LeilaniClipsThis description contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Sponsorships and affiliate partnerships help support The Sandbox Collective Podcast.
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    1 hr and 3 mins