What does it mean to become medicine for someone else's wounds? Shavetta Craig has crafted an answer through poetry that serves as emotional first aid for life's toughest moments.

Shavetta joins us to unveil her soul-stirring poetry collection, "Being a First Aid Kit," containing 490 poems designed to comfort, inspire, and heal readers through various life challenges. With disarming authenticity, she shares how her journey began with writing love letters for friends in high school, eventually amassing thousands of poems before divine timing prompted her to publish.

"When someone has a wound, I want to be the peroxide, I want to be the alcohol, I want to be the band-aid, I want to be the suture to that bleed," Shavetta explains, revealing the heart behind her mission to offer written remedies for emotional pain. Her approach to poetry comes from a deeply personal place—having weathered her own storms while maintaining her trademark smile and warmth.

The conversation takes a touching turn when we hear from Shavetta's three sons, who express profound pride in their mother's accomplishment. One son even confesses to "stealing" her poems as a child to impress dates, a testament to the power of her words even before publication. Beyond poetry, Shavetta discusses her other book "Camouflage," which has attracted interest from Netflix, suggesting her storytelling reaches beyond the written page.

Drawing inspiration from her theatrical mother, her nurturing grandmother, and literary icon Maya Angelou, Shavetta represents a beautiful convergence of inherited creativity and personal calling. Her parting wisdom resonates with universal truth: "It is time for us to live, it is time for us to love, and it's time for us to have lots of laughter."

Follow Shavetta's journey and discover her healing words on Facebook (Shavetta Murray Craig) or connect via email at scraig345@yahoo.com.

In this episode, we introduce a series of masterclass topics we will provide in our new Coach's Corner presented in our LevelUp Coaching Podcast with Mel Capers. This subscription podcast includes masterclass sessions covering hard-hitting topics that will elevate listeners to their next level of success. Learn more about the podcast at melvincapers.com/coaching-podcast.

In this episode, we connect with the Rev. Dr. Sande Bailey-Gwinn founder of Foundations for Living (FFL) a 501c3 non-profit organization that brings strength and transformation to marginalized communities through Mental Healthcare Awareness, Domestic Violence Survivor Services, AIDS/HIV Prevention, and Career Development Support for Reentry. Dr. Sande is a remarkable woman of God doing incredible work in her community and around the country. You can connect with Dr. Sande on Instagram @foundations_4living and LinkedIn at Dr. Sande Bailey-Gwinn, D. Min.