Wife, mother, granddaughter, journalist, executive producer of WSBT’s HomeTown Living, event planner at a local university and member of the D-9 sorority Zeta Phi Beta are among the many roles played and hats worn by Wanda Dudley. In the fall of 2005, Dudley added another hat – caregiver. The road that launched Dudley’s entrepreneurial journey started that year when her husband, Chris, was diagnosed with cancer. Chris’ survivor journey and Wanda’s caregiver journey started at the same time as my survivor journey and Gail’s caregiver journey. I would wave to Chris and Wanda as I passed them in Memorial Hospital’s oncology unit after completing my radiation treatment and before Chris’ session began. Fortunately, Chris and I have been cancer free for 20 years. However, Gail and Wanda have spent much of the last 20 as caregivers for parents, grandparents and terminally ill relatives. Entrepreneurs ask questions that lead them to identify problems. As Wanda continued her caregiving journey, she realized that providing aid and comfort to an ailing loved one is a noble calling that is also isolating, stressful and physically taxing. Caregivers rarely acknowledge the toll that taking care of a sick family member or friend takes. Wanda knew from experience that asking a caregiver how they were doing would yield the response fine. She knew that response was not an honest response, but caregivers often feel guilty talking about their problems when someone that they love is dealing with serious medical issues. So, Wanda looked for ways to get beyond the mask that caregivers wear. That search lead Wanda to found You Too: Caring for Caregivers, a support group that helps caregivers move from survival to sustainability, from burnout to belonging, and from being overlooked to being uplifted. Wanda Dudley, founder of You Too: Caring for Caregivers is my next guest on the Many Hats Podcast.

Mia Diggins. The entrepreneurial journey of Mia Diggins, the first lady of Believers Church of God In Christ, began when she wore the hat of caregiver for her terminally ill daughter. First Lady Diggins saw the impact that rounds of radiation and chemotherapy had on her daughter’s skin and hair. After her daughter, Diamond, passed away and in the throes of grief, First Lady Diggins ask God for comfort and direction. “I asked the Lord what can I do to come out of this place, and along with that helping someone else who may be going through what we went through.” God’s answer was Mia More Oils, a skin care company that Mia Diggins founded after her daughter’s passing in 2022. Mia More Oils originally began when Diggins developed a natural hair growth oil for those who lost their hair during chemotherapy. Since, then her product line has expanded to include skin oils, body butters for men and women and beard oils and butters for men. Please welcome First Lady Mia Diggins, owner and founder of Mia More Oils to Many Hats.

Trailer introducing the premier of my podcast titled Many Hats. Anyone who knows me knows that I like my hats. I have dozens of them: fedoras, newsboys, buckets, porkpies, ball caps. The lids on my head reflect the many identities that I’ve worn in my life. Journalist, poet, playwright, educator, and entrepreneur. I know that each of the other hats I wear can make my entrepreneurial hat kind of a tight fit. However, juggling all those hats can be inspirational. And all this got me to thinking, how do other entrepreneurs manage the many hats they wear? How do all those life be lifing aspects of their daily walk serve as the launch pad for their entrepreneurial journey? My name is Howard Dukes, and I welcome you to Many Hats.