“Healing Through Words: Venchele Saint Dic on Public Health, Purpose & The Power of Storytelling”

Welcome back to the CJ Moneyway Show, where legacy is currency and purpose is the blueprint. Today we're stepping into the space where public health, personal empowerment, and storytelling meet. Our guest is Eventually Saint Dick. An accomplished author, a public health leader, and the founder of Pathlight Cultural Identity. Work is about more than systems and statistics. It's about people helping individuals find their voice, clarify their path, and turn lived experience into impact. This conversation is about Healing, growth, and using your story to create change that lasts. Fentilly Saint Ake. It's a pleasure to have you here. Welcome to the CJ Moneyway Show.

What's up, my good people? Welcome to the CJ Moneyway Show. We're diving into the intersection of public health, personal empowerment, and the art of storytelling with my guest, Vinschaelle, an accomplished author, public health leader, and founder of Pathway Coach Writing. Vinschaelle, it's a pleasure to have you on the show today.

Thank you so much for having me on the show, CJ.

Hey, and if you all didn't know, Michelle is a little, you know, maybe a little bit occupied because she's going to school to get her doctor's degree, and she is not a big Lamar Jackson fan for Baltimore area. She is actually a Boston fan because that's where he's from. So as she told me, I'm not gonna hold that against her, and That's how we gonna start this Money Way Show off. So Michelle, thank you for joining the Money Way Show. I'm excited to have you here with me today. How you doing?

I'm doing good. I'm excited to be here and talk about just, you know, money, financial literacy. And the reason why I'm so passionate about the topic that we're going to discuss today is because, you know, this is timely and relevant, right? With everything that's going on, I'm sure, you know, people want to know you know, how they can continue to set themselves up for success. And so that's why we're here, you know, we're using this platform for good. So thank you for having me here.

Oh, thank you. So tell me, Michelle, you're also a prolific writer with works featured in various publications. How do you see storytelling influencing public health initiatives?

I see storytelling influencing writing from the standpoint of how it is used in the industry. And again, I'm one of these people, I think that everything happens in context. And especially now, I think that it is impacting it from a public health standpoint in terms of advocating more on what needs to be done and advocating more on how people can access certain things that may be taken away from them.

Yeah, and we're just getting on the brink of things being taken away, and we're not going to talk about that. So let me ask you a question, Lisa.

You know, I think it's more about— I think it's just like I said, when we talking about writing, we always got to put it into context. There may be situations where writing is being used in terms of, you know, coming up with policy solutions. So that's something that I have noticed and that I think is definitely going to continue to be relevant.

So Michelle, let me ask you, your writing, as you were just talking about, it covers topics like being resilient, mindfulness, and cultural identity. How do these things integrate into your public health work?

Cultural identity and public health.

Yeah, how does it integrate into what you're doing?

That's a good question. I would say, I think like the example that I can think of is it depends on how you define, you know, cultural identity, you know, because different cultures may have different notions of how to even talk about it, like from a storytelling approach. Because public health doesn't just exist in a vacuum. It's deeply intertwined with cultural identity, beliefs, and lived experiences. I think that, for example, many diaspora communities can experience— I would have to think a little bit more about that because I can think of it in terms of scenarios. So for example, like for medical distress. In terms of like why historical trauma would shape, you know, decisions. So one of the stories that I can think of is like of a young man who's a Black father who avoided taking his son to the doctor for checkups. And his hesitation was not personal. It was more generational because his grandmother was like part, like of the era where the Tuskegee Experiment was happening. Where Black men were denied treatment for syphilis in a long-term government study. And so because of this, Marcus didn't trust, you know, again, I'm just calling this person Marcus, but that's not the real name, but that young man didn't trust the healthcare system because there was a fear of hidden agendas. And I think like when I think of like the public health connection, the medical mistrust perhaps is deeply rooted in historical injustices like the Tuskegee Experiment or unethical experiments on Black and brown bodies. And I think also it shows or it reinforces, you know, findings from studies that show that communities of color may be less likely to trust doctors, you know, which leads to lower vaccination rates, delayed medical visits, and untreated illnesses. That's one example I can think of in terms of your question.

Yeah, that was a good one because you made me think about it too, and you brought it up just now about the vaccinations. When COVID was going on, we had a lot of people, not only on the other side, but a lot of us didn't want to take the vaccination shots for different reasons. I think you just touched on that too, because of hereditary things, generational thoughts of things that was going on back in the day, and people just not trustworthy of the health system. That was a good point that you brought up. So let me ask you, Vachelle, how do you tailor your coaching to individuals at different stages of that writing journey?

So when it comes to tailoring my coaching to writing, it depends on where the person is, like, in their writing journey. So the way that I would work with someone who is at the beginning phases who probably may not have like an outline would look very different with someone who has published, you know, multiple books or multiple articles. And so for me, my tailored approach is just always to ask my clients like why they want to write something and who are they trying to cater to. So we have, like, you know, structured— like, we come up with, you know, structured writing plans to sort of break down those large projects, like whether it's a book, a research paper, a blog series, into manageable sections. And I also have to be mindful of making sure that the person is coming up with, like, a realistic writing plan, you know, because again, working with someone who has children, versus someone who doesn't have many responsibilities, it's going to take a different toll on them. So I always ask my clients to be mindful of where they are in their process and how much they can give to the work.

Mm-hmm. So even with that, and I didn't have this, but we touched on something earlier, I kind of heard it in the conversation. So let's just say with writing a financial plan, or if you dealing with somebody in the financial, aspect. How would that differ from, you know, storytelling writing? Like, how do we separate the two?

I think we can separate the two when it comes to finances. There is a difference because, like, for me, I'm looking at it from the standpoint of— actually, it's not that different because both of them, you have to come up with like a set goal. You always gotta know what is the outcome that you want to achieve? And so even when I think about financial, instilling financial literacy in children, one of many goals could be sustaining generational wealth. And how would you be able to do that? Just like in writing, you would have to come up with a plan. If we're gonna use that example to discuss strategies, I would have to discuss strategies for parents to teach their children about money management. You know, such as involving them in budgeting discussions and, you know, setting up saving accounts. And it would be tailored again based on where the child is in their process. So the way that I may explain it to a 5-year-old may be very different than someone who's a teenager. And so I don't think that there is much a difference because for both of them you would have to come up with a plan. You know, so that you can leverage your money, you can make the money work for you and not let the money control you, you know, and lead you down a path that doesn't serve your higher purpose. And I think that's where, you know, when we're talking about financial literacy, one of the things that I had to do as I learned to better manage my money was, you know, to get some level of understanding of financial principles. Goals, right. And I feel like the research that I did helped indicate that individuals with higher financial literacy are better equipped to make informed decisions, you know, leading to greater wealth accumulation. And I think that it also helped me engage in continuous financial education, whether it was through workshops, courses, you know, online resources, and even some podcasts. One of the ones that I listen to on a daily is the Radical— I think it's Radical Personal Finance. Uh, don't quote me on it, but because I listen to many podcasts, but that's the one that I typically go to when I need some— just, I need a refresher.

So let me ask you, Michelle— well, let me put some respect on your name, Dr. Michelle.

Not yet, but you know, we're working towards that.

Things that you call those things that's not as if they were, as if it was already done. And so recently, especially recently, I've been talking to a lot of financial people that deal with financial literacy as you explaining and things of that nature. So what I want to ask you real quick is, 'cause you said something about, you know, like the 5-year-old, if you're teaching the 5-year-old that, you know, you have a different approach if you was teaching a teenager. What age would you say to start showing a child about financial literacy? Because coming up in the Black household, I don't know what from Boston, it might have been a little different, but coming from where I come—

I'm not gonna hold that against you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Look different over there. Y'all built to make it look different. But in all honesty, in a lot of Black households, I was talking to a guy the other day about this, Herman, and he said, "Man, they got 400 years up on us on certain things as far as building and obtaining wealth." And so one of their biggest things is to give back or give knowledge, as you're doing, to the Black community on how to get through some of these loopholes the same way that they do. But these are certain things that wasn't taught. In the household coming up, so we didn't have, you know, knowing about good credit and things of that nature. So what age would it be to start teaching a child about financial literacy, about credit, you know what I'm saying, so that they can begin to learn how to build generational wealth?

So what comes up for me is I think kids as young as 3 to 5 years old can understand like basic financial concepts. And I would say by age 7, many money habits are probably already formed because you're right, this is not something that's talked about in most Black households. And then again, only the parent would have a clear idea. I mean, and I'm not sure if you have children, I don't have children, but I can only imagine, you know, a parent would, would have to determine when they think it would be the right time for them to teach their children about money. Parents know best. That's what I would say. But for me personally, I would say as young as 3 to 5, as we were talking, when I'm thinking about in terms of steps, you know, for that age group, you know, you definitely want to use real money, you know, like giving them physical coins and bills to touch and play with. Let them sort, count, and compare values. There's also too, like I've seen people do like a play store at home, you know, like you set up like this pretend store where they buy toys boys using like play money, Monopoly. I don't know if you've ever— Monopoly money.

Only people in Boston— it ain't just people in Boston that know about Monopoly. Now don't do that. Don't insult my intelligence there, Miss Dr. Michelle. Don't do that.

No, I'm not, I'm not. I'm just, you know, because sometimes when I say people just give me like the look, and so I just went to make sure we were on the same page. And then And then another way that you can introduce them to saving, to make a distinction between saving versus spending, you can give them like a piggy bank and explain that saving money helps them get something special later. I'm just throwing like, you know, again, just some ideas that I've seen that has worked for this age group. And then obviously As children get older, you know, you have to, you know, obviously tailor the guidance according to like their knowledge skills and what you would want to teach them. Because I know that if when I was age 6 through 9, you know, that's when I learned about working for money and I learned about sweat equity where I was taught that saving helps you reach certain goals. So one of the ways that I think parents can teach their children about delayed gratification is like give them small jobs to do, like, you know, pay them for simple household tasks, not just for being good, but that I think it teaches them about earning money. At least that's how I learned about the value of money.

A work ethic. Learn about work ethic.

Yes, definitely about work ethic.

That's one thing I don't care, it ain't just The young generation, I don't know the Zs, Xs, and all that, but I ain't talking about just 18, 19-year-olds. I'm talking about 34, 35, 36-year-olds. A lot of people in this area, they do not know about work ethics. You know what I'm saying? I've been working since I was 16 years old. And so it's a difference between when somebody been working their whole life and then when somebody get a job and they just, it's like, okay, I'm just here. But don't want to do no work because these things right here, this is work. And so this is what they feel like you should be doing at work, just on your phone all the time. But I brought this up to show you something, to prove a point to you, uh, Miss, uh, Miss Dr. Michelle. Not only do I know about Monopoly, not only do I know about Monopoly, Miss Michelle, You'll be surprised. I'm actually playing it, if you can see it.

Oh, I can see it, I can see it.

Yeah, I'm actually playing it on my phone on the mobile app on the iPhone.

That was such a good guess. You'll be surprised, some people have never played Monopoly. Yeah, and I was shocked.

Check out the movement, family, real quick.

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Cause it's fake money. People in Boston play with real money, you know. They, they play with the Monopoly board for real. They was going to Atlantic City right around, you know, on the East Coast over there. There was real money going on, not no play money where you put the money under parking and then steal it, uh, whatnot, try to cheat. So, so let me ask you, uh, Michelle, back to the writing, back to the writing tip. How do you tailor your coaching to individuals of different stages of their writing journey?

So as I've shared with you, I think one approach is coming up with like a structured writing plan depending on where the person is in their writing process. You know, so for novices, we would start with an outline and try to flesh out the ideas as much as we can. And it would depend on the type of project. So I know for new writers, perhaps in this case, we would focus more on confidence building, like idea organization through these outlines, and then also trying to build a writing habit. So focusing more on writing consistency. And that's where I'm going back to coming up with, like, an outline where I would help, like, a first-time author, for example, outline their memoir. For intermediate writers, what I typically do with them is work on voice development, like structure and then storytelling techniques. One example I can think of is when you are working with a professional who wants to start blogging, but they struggle with structure. And that's where I would have to teach them about grammar syntax, the elements of style. For advanced writers, depending on the experience level, because even advanced writers, like, struggle with writing too, you know, because you have to go through many— it's an iterative process, and then they have to go back and revise, review, like, what they wrote multiple times. And so I typically would provide strategic feedback and then publishing guidance. And so I can think of, like, one example where, I work someone, refine their book for self-publishing or help them pitch to a publisher.

So with that group that you named, I would consider myself a newbie. I'm a creator. I just create. I got to think of stories, I write. And when I gave my first manuscript to the editor, he told me, he said, "Man," he said, "You write like you talk." I'm like, "Yes." He go like what you just said about the format and you had said, I can't even remember the name, how you called it. It's just so many different styles to writing, you know what I'm saying? So I just write and then I just give it to somebody like you or somebody else that's more proficient in that and let them handle that. Like you say, I was interviewing a young lady, I met her, and she said the same thing. She had to go get writing coaches and things of that nature because it was just so much into just writing. It ain't just putting pen to paper and then coming up with a story because It's the ins and outs, how you cut off this sentence and how you do this down, this and that. So I leave that to the professionals. See, I know my lane. You know what I'm saying? You gotta know your lane and then you gotta get under people like the good doctor to know and structure things the correct way. So I only have a few more questions for you, Doc. Let me ask you, networking is vital in any field. How do you balance authentic connections with strategic networking?

In terms of authentic connection and strategic networking, I'm thinking about what I used to say and where I am right now in my season. I think that when we're talking about strategic networking, you always want to be value-added to the person that you're meeting. And I think that it ties very nicely with authentic connection because you want to make sure that you're always creating a win-win situation. Wherever you go, because people may forget what you did or what you said to them, but they'll never forget how you made them feel. Like the late Dr. Maya Angelou used to say. And like you said, strategic networking is essential, whether you're an entrepreneur, a writer, a professional in public health leadership and financial literacy. And I think that you want to make sure that it doesn't feel forced or transactional. Because people can sense when someone is not being sincere. And the best relationships, in my opinion, are built on mutual interest, you know, shared values and real conversations. Get curious about others, you know, focus on learning about them first, you know, rather than meeting them with self-promotion, because there's a lot of that going on. When I go to different networking events. And so from personal experience, I think that, you know, you want to find common ground with the person you're talking to. So instead of generic small talk, you know, try to connect with them based on shared interests. You know, like right now in this podcast, like, you know, one of our shared interests is the writing piece and the financial literacy piece, right? And then also always try to find out how you can offer value, like I said. You know, ask yourself that question, like, how can I help them before asking for anything? That's what I would say.

So instead of—

give more than you take. Give more than you take. Because when you genuinely support others, they naturally will want to reciprocate.

I like that. We're going to use that phrase for the day. Give more than you take. But I want the audience to understand this. So you got to listen to the good doctor real good because y'all saw that she throughout. The great Dr. Angela Myers. See, people, when they on the connection like that, that's how they roll. So they get shoutouts to where they trying to go. Hey, I, I feel you, I feel you, B. I feel you, I'm with you. So Michelle, about to wrap this up. I got a new game that I've been playing on the CJ Moneyway Show for the last month or so. 5 questions, it's called Quick Fire Questions. I'm going to ask you a couple of questions and you say the first thing that comes to mind, okay? You ready?

Okay, I'm ready.

Now, what book has had the most significant impact on your life?

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

Mm, ding, ding, ding. I got that on here. Uh, guess I got that somewhere. One place of advice you would give to aspiring public health leaders?

Don't always lead with the mind, lead with the heart. And be intentional when you say that you want to have a social impact on people because it's real lives that you're impacting. So just be impeccable with your words and actions. That's what I would say.

Mm, I thought you would say embrace continuous learning and empathy.

Yeah.

A daily habit that keeps you grounded. I'll keep a track. Monopoly, baby.

A daily habit that keeps me— I have a gratitude journal. I always wake up in the morning and think about at least 3 things that I'm grateful for.

Good. Morning meditation.

Morning meditation.

Got that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I told you I'm on you. I'm on you. What's your favorite travel destination and why?

I would have to say France. Because I'm a native French speaker. And so who wouldn't want to sit and read a book, like, you know, while overlooking, like, the Eiffel Tower? So it's a romantic city. So I love France. I would say also too, it's a tough question because I love Italy as well, but that's for another episode.

Now, which one is de Gaulle in? Because I ain't been in neither one of them, France or—

Charles de Gaulle?

S-E-G-A-U-L-E? N-E-G-A-L?

S-E-N-E-G. I'm drawing a blank, but Charles de Gaulle, that's in France.

Okay, so that's why, because it's rich for its culture and history. Okay, I'll give you that one. I'm on you, V. I'm on you. One word that describes your journey so far?

I would say resiliency. I mean, I'm someone who knows how to pick myself up with the grace of the Lord each time that life tries to knock me down. Because there will always be temptations. I'm saying this as a believer. Even as a believer, I'm not immune to bad things, you know. Bad things can also happen to good people. And so I always stay humble. That's my motto. I stay humble and I never get too comfortable, you know, and don't take anything or anyone for granted. So I would say resiliency. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for the communities of people who have been put in my life to be where I am, including my amazing parents and then of course the Lord himself.

Amen. Amen. And I thought you would've said transformative, but I take your answer. You know, what you just said is true. I got another podcast Plant Seeds with CJ. And I was just working on the piece the other day alluding to what you say, regardless of where you at in life, whether you a Christian or, you know, you walk in this walk and the faith. I was reading, I think it was in James, where he was talking about where none of us is immune to, you know, sin. We've all, you know, been to sin. And he was talking about the tongue, because how do we get into certain— he said this small thing that's in our mouth, he said men and tame beasts They can tame things of the field and everything. He said, but the one thing that man has not been able to tame is this tongue, this small thing that ravaged fire in our mouth. So as you were saying, I was listening because at the end of the day, every day we always working on something. You know what I'm saying? We always working because as you were saying, it's not being tempted because we always going to be tempted. In life is the yielding to temptation. So when do you get to that point where you stop yielding to the things that you used to yield to? When you stop going to the places that you used to go to? When you stop being tempted to go there? Or like me, one of my biggest things was with women. And I was tempted because the enemy knew my desires, because temptation is all about your desires. And like you say, I love these type of topics and we'll save that one for another day because we can go on and on about that because I love the word of the Lord.

But, you know, that also ties in with what we've been talking about in our conversation, because when we talk about when do you stop yielding to temptation, which is a powerful question, it's really also understanding discipline, boundaries, and growth. And that's something you also need when it comes to managing money. And also even getting started with your writing journey.

Yeah. And then we'll just end it on this because as you were saying, it ties everything in and this ties it all in. It say, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all his righteousness." And all these financial literacy, all this writing that you want to do, all this generational wealth that you're looking for, it say, "Seek ye first and I will add all these things unto you." So Keep that in mind, you all. Hey, I've been out here with the good Dr. V. Hey, thank you for sharing your insights and experience with us today. Your work with public health and dedication to empowering others through storytelling is truly inspiring. So Dr. V, leave us on this note. What can we expect from you in the upcoming months? Any new projects, anything on the horizons?

So I think for me right now, I am trying to think of some other writing projects that I can do, and that's aside from helping my clients, because I'm a firm believer that I'm not going to teach something to someone that I haven't gone through myself. And so I'm trying to find additional ways to acquire new skills and continue to deepen my knowledge in, in the writing editing industry. And so that's where I see myself, like, just focusing on in the next few months for sure.

Girl, you are a woman of word, because what the Bible say, say, how can you get the planks out of your brother's eye if you got planks in your eye? So I can't teach you something that I don't know myself, and so that I struggle with. But let's be— social media outlets, social media links.

Yes, so people can find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and other social media channels. And obviously you can always— you should visit, you know, my website at www. Pathwaycoachwriting.com to learn more about my mission and my movement, if you will, in helping people find their voices.

Be sure to send me all your links so the listeners can find them in the show notes and so that you can follow her on Pathway Writing. Go get your consultant if you're out there trying to get a book together. Go holla at the good doctor. To our listeners, although she stay in Baltimore— I mean, not Baltimore, Maryland— and a Boston Man, we not gonna hold that against her. To our listeners, if you're interested in learning more about Vachelle's work or Pathway Writing, check out the links in the episode description. Don't forget to subscribe to the CJ Moneyway Show for more inspiring conversations. Until next time, keep striving for excellence and empowerment, and empower those around you as well. This is your boy CJ Moneyway with the Good Doctor. We out of here.

Peace.

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