Isn’t it Lovely to Be a Credible Messenger? Special Guest: Terry Liggins
“Man’s choices [don’t] change God’s purpose.”
Prepare to be hit with a wave of impassioned empowerment as Isn’t it Lovely? welcomes motivational speaker and Hurdle Life Coach Foundation Executive Director Terry Liggins to the podcast! With compassion and sensitivity, Terry describes how a challenging childhood and adolescence led to an encounter with the justice system that changed the course of his life and set him on a path to higher education, and national recognition as a record-breaking athlete. After college, Terry found himself experiencing one of his greatest challenges when he spent time in federal prison. Today he utilizes his own life experiences to positively impact others and advocate on their behalf. Terry explains why “credible messengers” and peer-shared experiences are vital to providing the unique support, long-term care, accountability, and empathy required to help justice-impacted individuals reenter and thrive in their communities. Instead of “hurt people hurt people”, Terry encourages communities to become trauma-informed allies and advocates for their neighbors, creating trust with survivors and recognizing that “healed people help people”. Terry and Tracy bond over their shared high school experiences in Omaha, Nebraska as (Mighty) Bunnies and Huskies, respectively; Rachel cries no less than 5 times in this episode after being repeatedly brought to tears by Terry “taking everyone to church.”
Episode Mentions:
Terry Liggins’ Website: https://www.hurdlelifecoachfoundation.org/
Terry Liggins’ Instagram: @thehurdlelifecoach
Terry Liggins’ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hurdlelifecoachfoundation/
Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken’s Argus Leader Opinion Piece Suggesting Safer Communities Require Collaboration: https://www.argusleader.com/story/opinion/2022/09/04/paul-tenhaken-sioux-falls-mayor-south-dakota-growth-public-safety/7971957001/
What Are You Loving:
Terry: Sioux Falls Chick-fil-A, hard work and challenges: “The hard things are the good things.”
Tracy: New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional by Paul David Tripp
Rachel: Burnt Toast Podcast Episode 47: “Skincare Culture is Dewy Diet Culture”
Terry Liggins has been a practitioner of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) principles and a developer of DEIJ programs since 2005.
Terry’s cross-cultural immersion experience began as a first-generation college student enrolled in a predominately white institution in rural Vermillion, South Dakota. He was born in North Omaha, Nebraska, raised by a single mom of six, and experienced a childhood saturated with adversity and chaos, drugs and violence, gangs and trauma - in his home, neighborhoods and the thirteen schools he attended as a youth.
Terry is a graduate of the University of South Dakota (USD) where he completed his Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and minored in Leadership Studies. He also completed his Master of Arts in Public Administration with an emphasis in Non-Profit Organizations.
Terry is recognized for partnering with startup nonprofits, corporations, charitable groups and advocacy efforts that help to advance a healing-informed society that is inclusive and equitable in all its practices. Specializing in recruitment and retention strategies through a whole-person focus, he helps teams develop a trauma-informed culture that is safe for all people while inviting a community-based response to the Administration of Justice.
Passionate about workforce development, entrepreneurship, mentorship in the margins and effective communication as a full-time consultant and coach, Terry is proud to be the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at TLC Services and Hurdle Life Coach Foundation.