What becomes possible when we stop waiting for permission to make a difference and start believing in the power of our own voices? In this episode of Love on Record, Pooja Tilvawala, founder of Youth Climate Collaborative, shares how her family's history of activism, her passion for community development, and a desire to create a better world inspired her to build a global movement empowering young people to take action on climate change.

Pooja takes us inside the work of Youth Climate Collaborative, an organization dedicated to equipping individuals and communities with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to become effective climate advocates. She highlights the organization's media training initiative during New York Climate Week, where, with support from a Let's Choose Love grant, participants gained valuable tools to communicate climate issues and inspire action within their communities. She also reflects on the importance of having people believe in your vision, sharing how an early $60,000 funding opportunity helped transform an idea into an organization reaching communities around the world.

Throughout the conversation, Pooja challenges the belief that young people must wait until they have more experience, recognition, or resources before creating meaningful change. From navigating the uncertainties of founding a nonprofit in her twenties to learning how to overcome self-doubt and external expectations, she reminds listeners that impact isn't always measured by the size of an audience or the applause received. Sometimes, the greatest change begins with one conversation, one courageous decision, or the willingness to keep showing up when the results aren't immediately visible.

Pooja leaves us with a powerful reminder: "Don't say no to yourself." Whether it's applying for an opportunity, sharing an idea, or standing up for something you believe in, she encourages us to give ourselves permission to try. It's a conversation about courage, community, self-belief, and recognizing that choosing love also means caring for the planet and the generations who will inherit it.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youthclimatecollab?dlrf=OXYyNGpnZjg1enFn
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/youth-climate-collaborative/posts/
Website: https://www.youthcc.org/climate-courage

Follow Youth Climate Collaborative to learn more about their global climate initiatives, youth leadership opportunities, media training programs, and ways to get involved in creating a healthier, more sustainable future.

Special thanks to Marilyn Walker for her generous support of Let's Choose Love and for helping us continue spreading love, one story at a time.

♡ Brought to you by Let's Choose Love ♡

Learn more and connect with us:
https://www.letschooselove.org

Stay Connected with Youth Climate Collaborative. Special Thanks

What becomes possible when we stop defining success by how far someone goes and start celebrating the courage it takes simply to show up? In this episode of Love on Record, Andrew Florence shares how nearly 13 years of working with young people in the foster care and child welfare space led him to combine two things he deeply values: helping people feel well and creating meaningful experiences through outdoor adventure.

Andrew takes us inside the work behind Miracle Heights Adventures and the development of its Adaptive for Allprogramming, where individuals with varying physical abilities are given opportunities to participate in climbing, ropes courses, zip lines, and other adventure experiences. With support from a Let’s Choose Love grant, his team was able to purchase specialized adaptive equipment designed to remove barriers and create more accessible opportunities for participants. Pasted text

Throughout the conversation, Andrew challenges the idea that accomplishment has to look the same for everyone. Whether someone puts on a harness, reaches the top of a climbing wall, rides the zip line three times, or simply discovers that heights are not for them, every experience offers an opportunity for growth, self-discovery, and celebration. He also introduces the powerful idea of “challenge by choice,” reminding us that people deserve the agency to decide what challenge looks like for them.

Andrew leaves us with an unexpected lesson about love: stay curious. He shares how curiosity can help move us away from fear and toward exploration, connection, and possibility. It’s a conversation about accessibility, agency, courage, and creating spaces where people are reminded that what has happened to them does not have to determine what happens next.

Stay Connected with Crossnore Communities

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/crossnorecommunities/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crossnorecommunities/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrossnoreCommunities

Follow Crossnore Communities to learn more about their work supporting children and families, creating opportunities for healing and growth, and expanding access to meaningful experiences through programs like Miracle Heights Adventures.

♡ Brought to you by Let's Choose Love ♡

Learn more and connect with us @letschooselove.org

Pregnancy and birth can be some of life’s most beautiful experiences, but no one should have to navigate them feeling unheard, unsupported, or alone. In this episode of Love on Record, Lakisa Muhammad, founder and CEO of Black Birth Equity Now and a retired midwife, shares how her own experiences as a mother became the catalyst for more than two decades of advocacy, education, and service in maternal health.

From learning to advocate for herself during a high-risk twin pregnancy to supporting families as a birth worker and midwife, Lakisa reveals why informed consent, shared decision-making, compassionate care, and community are so important throughout the birthing journey. She also shares the heart behind the Love Notes Project, an initiative supported by Let’s Choose Love that transformed handwritten messages of encouragement from community members into 50 bundles of love for Black birthing families.

It’s a powerful conversation about turning lived experience into purpose, creating systems of care where families feel seen and supported, and remembering that even the smallest expression of love can have a lasting impact. Lakisa leaves us with a simple but powerful reminder: give love freely, because the more love we put into the world, the more it has the opportunity to multiply.

Stay Connected with Black Birth Equity Now

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbequitynow
Website: https://www.bbenow.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/black-birth-equity-now

Follow Black Birth Equity Now to learn more about their work supporting culturally relevant care, workforce development, community-based research, advocacy, and healthier outcomes for Black birthing families.

♡ Brought to you by Let’s Choose Love
Learn more @ letschooselove.org ♡