Episode 7: The Pathway to Success — Purpose Driving Work | Featuring Raymond Laseter What drives you when the journey gets difficult? In this episode of "Striving for a Healthier You", Crystal Mullen-Johnson sits down with Raymond Laseter for an honest and inspiring conversation about success, resilience, mentorship, mental health, family values, focus, and purpose. Together, they explore what it means to build a meaningful life and career while navigating challenges, transitions, and unexpected changes along the way. Raymond shares insight on the importance of having mentors who recognize your potential, staying connected to your purpose, protecting your mental health, and remaining focused on the bigger picture. This episode is a reminder that success is not always about the destination. Sometimes, the greatest lessons are found in the pivots, the setbacks, the people who support us, and the courage to keep moving forward. In this episode, we discuss: • Resilience and overcoming challenges • Why mentorship matters • The connection between entrepreneurship and mental health • Family values and their influence on success • Staying focused while pursuing your goals • Finding and following your purpose • Knowing when to persevere and when to pivot • Building a legacy that impacts others Listen, reflect, and remember to keep striving for a healthier you.

Episode 6: Roots | Family, Grief, Resilience & Breaking Generational Cycles This one is personal. I’m sitting down with my brother, Edward Mullen Johnson, for a real and heartfelt conversation about our roots in Demopolis, Alabama, family, loss, healing, breaking generational cycles, and how siblings can grow into genuine friends. We laughed. We reflected. We got real. Because our roots shape us—but they don’t have to define our future.

🎙️ Episode 5 | Striving for a Healthier You Bridging Generations: Lessons, Legacy, Life & The Power of Mentorship. I'm honored to welcome Robert Averhart as my special guest for an inspiring conversation about personal growth, leadership, and mentorship. Great leaders aren't born—they're developed through resilience, intentionality, and a commitment to serving others. In this episode, Robert shares powerful insights on leading with purpose, investing in the next generation, overcoming challenges, and embracing lifelong growth. Whether you're an emerging leader, a seasoned professional, a mentor, or someone striving to become the best version of yourself, this conversation is for you. Join us as we explore how leadership begins within, mentorship creates lasting impact, and personal growth transforms lives. Together, we'll discuss the importance of building a legacy that extends beyond personal success—one that empowers others and bridges generations through wisdom, service, and purpose. 🎧 Tune in and be inspired to grow, lead, mentor, and leave a lasting impact.

NEW EPISODE | Striving for a Healthier You Episode 4: Breaking the Silence: Mental Health, Faith & the Black Community What happens when faith and mental health come together? Join me for a powerful conversation with Rev. Dr. Ken J. Gordon, Jr., my mentor, a pastor, award-winning author, speaker, and mental health advocate as we tackle some of the most important conversations impacting our families, churches, and communities. In this episode, we discuss: 🎙️Breaking the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community 🎙️How faith and therapy can work together to promote healing 🎙️Marriage, relationships, and emotional wellness 🎙️Parenting after divorce and remaining present in your children’s lives 🎙️Why fathers matter and the lasting impact they have on their children’s emotional well-being 🎙️Encouraging men to prioritize their mental health, their healing, and their families 🎙️How churches can become places of hope, healing, and restoration Whether you’re a parent, pastor, therapist, church leader, or someone navigating life’s challenges, this conversation will inspire you to choose healing over silence. We want to make everything Crystal clear. Listen, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. 🎙️Spotify and YouTube

I'm honored to share one of the most personal and powerful conversations we've had on Striving for a Healthier You—featuring my son, Ethan Johnson. Ethan is a student-athlete at Ramsay High School, where he excels in both football and track. He plays cornerback and has earned more than 20 NCAA Division I scholarship offers before committing to Kennesaw State University to continue his football career. While many people see the highlights, scholarships, and success, they often don't see the sacrifices, pressure, expectations, and mental strength it takes to compete at a high level. Today we're going beyond the stats and beyond the game to have an honest conversation about the mental health of student-athletes. In this heartfelt episode, Ethan courageously shares how he navigated depression, grief, and the impact of divorce while balancing the demands of being a student-athlete. Together, we discuss the importance of prioritizing mental health, breaking the stigma, and recognizing that there is a person behind every uniform. This conversation is for athletes, parents, coaches, educators, and anyone who needs the reminder that healing is possible and that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

An Overview on the Origins, Consequences, and Potential Remedies. In this powerful episode, I sit down with Dr. DeWayne Stallworth for an important conversation about race-based trauma—what it is, how it affects individuals and communities, and what we can do to heal. Dr. DeWayne R. Stallworth is a researcher, essayist, consultant, lecturer, and cultural critic who focuses on the black lived experience. His work explores the intersections of slavery, religion, spirituality, social transformation, and ethics. He is a recognized scholar, with his work recommended for study at institutions such as Stanford and Boston University and cited in the Oxford Academic Review. He is the author of Stable Conscience: Awareness of God, Self, and Others (2013), Existential Togetherness: Toward a Common Black Religious Heritage (2019), The Problem of Black Skin: Critical Reflections on Cultural Awareness, Social Change, and Spiritual Evolution (2025), and Writing in the Darkness: The Cosmic Spiral of the Black Soul, Futurism, and Existence in the New, New World (2026) During our conversation, we discuss: What race-based trauma is, the impact of racism, discrimination, and microaggressions. Common signs and symptoms and practical strategies for coping and healing. This episode is about education, awareness, and creating space for meaningful conversations that reduce stigma and promote healing. 🎙️ Subscribe today!

Episode 1: Then & Now | Speaking the Vision Into Reality with Kim King Recorded poolside during the early days of Strive Counseling Services, Inc., this conversation with Kim King captures a vision before it became reality. Years later, we’re looking back at the dreams we spoke into existence, the faith that sustained the journey, and the resilience that turned purpose into impact. Sometimes the most powerful conversations become part of your legacy.