Voices of Change Episode 6: Nana Churcher

Voices of Change Episode 6: Nana Churcher, TV show host, author and CAFOD volunteer

Join Celeste Iyinbo in an inspiring conversation with Nana Churcher, an award-winning international TV talk show host, motivational speaker, and CAFOD volunteer. Delve into Nana's incredible journey filled with success, motivation, and profound insights. Listen now for an empowering episode!

You can listen to the episode below, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is a transcript of the Voices of Change episode with Nana Churcher.

Celeste Iyinbo: Hello and welcome to Voices of Change. I'm Celeste Iyinbo, your host, and today we are joined by an incredible person. Nana Churcher. Nana has achieved incredible success as a motivational speaker, talk show host, and author. And amongst all of that she finds the time to actually volunteer for CAFOD as well. Amazing. So huge welcome to you, Nana.

Nana Churcher: Yay. I am so excited to be here. Thank you so much for inviting me. I am so honoured to be here.

Celeste Iyinbo: We're really happy to have you here. And, you know, it'd be really great to start off by having you introduce yourself. Tell us a little bit about you and your journey.

Nana Churcher: Well, my name is Mrs. Nana Chucher, I'm married to one husband. I have four amazing kids, three girls and a beautiful handsome boy. I am a talk show host as Celeste said and author of a book 'The power of your words' and 'Bigger dreams' which just launched. I'm also a business lady. I wear so so so many hats, but the one that people know me more for is my show the Nana Churcher show, which is my childhood dream come true.

Celeste Iyinbo: Oh fantastic. So I can't wait to delve in deeper about all of that. But before we do that, we're going to jump into our getting to know our guest section of the podcast, it's a quick fire round. Nana, are you ready?

Celeste Iyinbo: So tell us about a saint that inspires you and why?

Nana Churcher: The Saint that inspires me is St. Martin de Porres. He is a saint who cares for the sick, I love him because I love taking care of the sick in my spare time apart from volunteering for CAFOD, I also take care of the sick, the palliative and you know make them feel very important, very loving before if they have to pass on and that's why he's my favourite Saint.

Celeste Iyinbo: Oh fantastic. And if you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Nana Churcher: Just one food? It's going to be fried plantain and beans. Have you tried that before? Yeah. Okay, so it's it's one of the foods that I so love. It's plantain. The right one, you fry it. And then you cook the beans. Make a sauce. Mix it up and yummy. It's amazing. Yeah, I would go with that.

Celeste Iyinbo: Do you like to make your sauce extra spicy?

Nana Churcher: Yeah, you know, you know, I'm from Africa, Ghana. We love spices. Love the spice. Yeah, love the spice.

Celeste Iyinbo: Okay, so still on the food theme. If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be? And why?

Nana Churcher: It would have been been late President Mandela, but he's gone. Can I say? Because you know, he, I'm a person of love. See, I've got my love jumper. I'm a person of love. And for all that he went through, and came up and forgave people and talked about love. I would have just loved to sit with him and get that wisdom because I love to hang around people with wisdom. And he was one person that I had on my vision board. But unfortunately, he passed on, but hopefully I'll get to meet some of his, you know, children or grandchildren to, to know more about this remarkable man.

Celeste Iyinbo: He really was remarkable. And what's the best piece of advice you've ever received in your journey as a TV host?

Nana Churcher: Well, not just as even as a TV host but as a human being. There is a saying that which I got from a remarkable lady, Mary Kay Ash. On everybody's forehead is written, make me feel important. And we live in a generation where, or in a world where we look down on certain people with certain job criterias or status. But in this journey, everybody matters from the cleaner to the guy behind the scenes, every one of us, each one of us must feel important because you never know. When you cross paths with people you never never know where you need people's help. They also say that the people you meet on your way down are the same people you meet on your way out. So when I treat you great when I make you feel important and around me, you never know maybe you might be the next prime minister and you might employ me you never know. It's important that we make people feel important in our space.

Celeste Iyinbo: That's fantastic and totally agree with that. So amazing. We're gonna dive into our conversation then. today. So, first of all, you mentioned your TV show. I'd love to know more about it. How did you start the Nana Churcher show? And also, what is the aim of the show?

Nana Churcher: Wow. That could take all day but good to cram it up. Okay. So it's my childhood dream come true. It's my baby. And when I was a little girl, little, little, little girl, I used to watch Oprah, the Oprah Winfrey show and in school I loved you know, getting to know people, why they do what they do. I was the first that will jump up to tell stories, I didn't like Maths though. So when I when I came into my adulthood, this was this was eating me up, I still wanted to do it. I had blocks upon blocks upon blocks. And then when I travelled, and then I got married. One day, I got an invitation to a party. And the emcee didn't show up. So it was an opportunity for me. So the host said, we know you speak good English. So come in, you know, host for us. And in doing that, you know, when you go to party, I made sure everybody around the table was getting involved in the party. When we came home, I told my husband, I want to start my show, please. And he gave me his blessing. And then I thought, okay, we're going to call it we had so many names. And then a friend of mine came, we were going down the road to buy food. And I asked him, so what are you going to do? He just come from Afghanistan. And so what are you going to do? He said, I'm studying videography. I say, fantastic. I want to start my show. So in the in the walking down the road, we forget about the food. He said, I've got the cameras in my car. So there was a barber, who is from Ghana, and he's doing so well. So let's go there. Let's talk to him and see. So we took the cameras went and I told him that look, I'm starting the show. And I want to use you as my pilot. So, you know, tell me how you started your barbering shops and all that. And then all the people who came to have their hair cut, they became our audience. And then when we finished, everybody was clapping. And I thought, this is amazing, let's start it. And then my friend decided to leave me he had to go, he had to study. Then a friend came back. I talked about the show. We had put some stuff on YouTube then. And then he goes, Did you know that those guys behind your house are media people, and I have been going in the house selling Mary Kay to the wives. I never knew. So I stopped what I'm doing. I'm starting my show, please. I was you know, if you love what you do you so excited about it. I didn't think of the pros and cons of it. I just went for it. And then he said, Okay, come let's sit down and talk. And then I show them what we had done, we'd filmed. And they said, Okay, we will come on board. And then that was how the Nana Churcher show was born. And it has not been easy. I've met so many people by saying good morning by saying hello, and going to events, networking events. And through that. We are where we are today.

Celeste Iyinbo: What a story. Amazing and it goes to show how you can have this dream like you had as a little girl. And then circumstances now sort of align. Yeah. And you can just make it happen.

Nana Churcher: Yes, the the aim of it is to ignite the greatness in us. Each and every one I believe in everyone that comes around me that there is something they were created for. And sometimes we don't get if we don't go to school or even school we don't get to learn a lot of stuff. And people. The same goes that a lot of people who've passed on you go to the cemetery and there's a wealth of greatness there. And I use the show as as my dream has come true. Somebody watching or listening to an interview can ignite the greatness in someone to also go ahead and do something and also use it as a positive platform to promote love, promote greatness. And above all, make people know that they can do something with their lives.

Celeste Iyinbo: Okay, fantastic. And obviously as you have been moving on with the show, it's got bigger you've been interviewing lots of different guests. How did it feel I guess when you started off in the studio because your show is on? It's on television, isn't it?

Nana Churcher: Yes, it's on on. It's been on Vox Africa being on ABN. We've been in Ghana on TV three, which they are all proud of that ABN and Vox Africa or platforms on Sky, and then back home on DSTV, which was Africa, and now is on Omega TV UK. And then we also featured on international platform like Essence, the Grammys, the Oscars. I mean, where can't you find it?

Celeste Iyinbo: Global, you are global. So you've actually interviewed so many people from all walks of life? Do you have a person or couple of people? Perhaps that really stuck out in your mind?

Nana Churcher: Oh, wow. Wow, wow, there is a lot. There is a lot. There's a lot. But I think one that really recently I mean, I've interviewed from Brian D to Boris Kodjoe. Oh, wow. The Interview, once upon a time, I think the Mayor of New Orleans. I mean, now I'm going to, you know, I need to get my book going. But then so many of them. But what's recently stood out for me was a man who had such resilience of travelling here, and got knocked by hit and run and stayed in hospital for months. They didn't have family here, his legs, were getting rotten. And now he is he's built a multi million business. It's somebody who could have said, leave me and die, or just use his disability to just sit down do just give up on life. And when I interviewed him, I was so, so thankful for what I do, because it's it's really told me that the human spirit can overcome so much if you don't give up. And that for me is really stand out, especially this year. So yeah.

Celeste Iyinbo: What motivates you Nana? What keeps you going?

Nana Churcher: Wow, what keeps me going in life? What keeps me going is God created all of us for a purpose. And every day when I wake up, when I open my eyes, and I said, Thank You, Lord, it's an opportunity for me to live, it's an opportunity for me to do the things that I've been called to do is an opportunity to say, if I'm not gone, if I'm not dead, then I have to press on, I have to move on. I have people to motivate our people, to inspire our people to encourage and tell them, hey, you can do it. And that keeps me going.

Celeste Iyinbo: I heard you speak recently at an event in in the Southwark diocese. And you totally motivated everybody in the room. We were all like that's fantastic. Your speech was amazing. So it's evident also that faith plays a significant role in your life. Could you share how your faith inspires then and influences everything that you do?

Nana Churcher: Well, faith is to me is everything. I am such a believer of the Lord Jesus Christ, I believe in God. And the Bible tells us that we were made in the image and likeness of God. My faith makes me believe in Him that every day when you see the new plants, something growing, it shows that He is with us. And and that gives me that joy, that peace, the resilience that if He created me in his image, and He's given me that power that life to live and continue the work, we are now ambassadors, so my my faith is is it connects me as an ambassador of the Lord, and we represent Him. So whatever I'm doing has to represent my Creator. And that is why he plays so much in what I do.

Celeste Iyinbo: And also, I was wondering then with your faith, because I mentioned that you're also a volunteer as well. With CAFOD. Could you tell us a little bit about that. What is your volunteering role, and how long have you been doing it?

Nana Churcher: I've been doing it for I think it's getting to a year. I go to the Enfield's lady of Carmel and St. George's. And I met Tony, Tony Sheen, we went for the welcoming evening. And because of what I do, I believe in not just being in a place and not affecting or being effective, you know, so they were asking what we were doing. And I said, I'm in the media, and I would love to give my time and, and as a child of God, you, as I said, you always have to bring light to wherever you are. Yeah. So when Tony told me about what CAFOD is about it resonated with my values. And I said, I would love to you know, give time because we don't just just be doing the things that we do as a TV host and all that and not also give back. I love giving back to the community. And when he asked me to come, I was like, why not? I? Yeah, I'm here, and I love it. I love volunteering.

Celeste Iyinbo: What is what is it that you volunteer as?

Nana Churcher: I speak, stand in front of the audience. And I appeal, I hold the envelopes, that I give out envelopes, I hold the basket for people to put in. And then if we have to come to the headquarters for training, I make sure I also get up and share. And through that, I was able I was invited to speak at the seminar that you spoke about.

Celeste Iyinbo: Okay. See, again, it just shows all these doors, you do one thing and then another door opens and then another door opens?

Nana Churcher: That is why you don't have to sit, that is why you give back. That is why whatever you're doing, because you never know. Yeah. You never never never know even if it's just going to hold the basket. Yeah. So your smile, you know, there wasn't one was the you always happy. So because I'm alive. You know, your smile will attract somebody and want to know what you do. And then that is an avenue to share the gospel that is an avenue to share what you do, and then you never know if he can help can recommend you to somebody else. I went and lifted up my hands and I said I want to give back. I never knew that would lead to this. If I had not volunteered and helping. I wouldn't be sitting here today. So you never never know. That's one effort that tiny giving back to your community what it sets you up for I always say that our Heavenly Father places chairs in heaven. There is a day there is a time that he connects all of us. Every day I wake up looking forward to the day, the golden opportunities, but you make an effort. I made an effort lifted up my hands, say a volunteer even if it's a basket. And then I met Tony, Tony connected me to somebody, then I met Nana who brought me here, and then today I'm on the Voices of Change. Yeah, that one. Going to hold a basket? Yeah. So you never know. You never know.

Celeste Iyinbo: What would you say then to people who might be interested in volunteering. But they don't know if it's for them? Or they don't know if they can do it. But perhaps they then they haven't really done public speaking before. What would you say to them to make them come and do it?

Nana Churcher: We are different people. We all have gifts and talents God created you know, for being creative. You're not going to church or mass just for going for Mass sake that there is something in you there is something about you that the Lord wants you to use to be a blessing. It might not be public speaking, it might be your smile, it might be going to arrange the chairs, it might be going to arrange the cameras, you know, and that you will help somebody it might be making the teas and coffees. Volunteering that alone can lead you to something can lead you to your greatness. But until you take that step, you will never never know and you don't want to be here grow up die and go and then your your life will be played to you and you say oh my god, I should have met this person. I should have met that person. But because you didn't know one volunteer, you missed out on that stuff. And if you want to live your life to the fullest, there is a saying that live to the full so that when you are on your bed, your dying bed life will not come to you and say oh you should have done this or you should have done that, why are you taking us with you, you are full of greatness. But until you take that teeny step of volunteering of going to say, Okay, I want to do the cleaning, I want to arrange the chairs, I want to help with the cameras, I want to do the teas and coffees, I want to share the papers, I want to write the names. That alone will lead you to a door, that you would never ever thought it would have happened for you. So go and volunteer!

Celeste Iyinbo: Thank you for saying all of that because it is so important because I feel like you're sort of testament to that, just by doing one thing, it could just be holding the basket, you know, taking donations, it could be making the teas and coffees, everything makes a difference. And you know, that's what we try and sort of share with people and sort of inspire people to do that. So I think just hearing that from you and your experiences is amazing.

Nana Churcher: The other thing also, if you want to you think we all have platforms, we on social media, you have your Instagram that the young ones, the TikToks and the Snapchats. And, you know, even saying, Okay, I would I would share the CAFOD post, I would take a picture and put it on my status, if you would volunteer and by promoting by advertising CAFOD in those little little things. Yeah, you never know. So no excuse for all of us.

Celeste Iyinbo: No excuse for all of us. That's gonna be on your tag line No excuse. Tell me about that time that you were so close to meeting Oprah who I know is one of your favourite people. What happened?

Nana Churcher: So we were at Essence festival. Essence festival is an African American. One of the top festivals held in New Orleans every summer, okay, happens between the end of July to the end of June to the Fourth of July. They're about where families travel from all over the states and go so there is like your sisters, your cousins, everybody go and have the food, the music that everything concerts. So we've been going till COVID hit, so we film, I go in interviews and stuff. So they are convention seminars. And that particular year Oprah was the headliner. Among the other guests. So you know, it's like, Yes, I'm going to meet. I'm going to meet her. And we went to front row. You know, we had our press passes. I sat with Gayle. I'll share the photo! Gayle who is Oprah's bestie. So you know, after she had spoken, that day, I think the night before I didn't sleep? What are the questions you're going to ask? So I had three questions I was going to ask. Yeah. So when the time came for us to do the meet and greet, you get to meet the speakers. Everybody was going away in the queue. And then when he got to my turn, this security lady closed the gate and said, That's it. No, I said, I said no, it's my turn. It's my name. And she said, I'm sorry. And I was like, Are you kidding me? I you know, there's certain words, I couldn't say it on it. So you know, so I was I was very distraught. So then she opened the gate again, so you can go but then when I got there, they had put her in the small cart. Yeah. And she was being wheeled away. I stood there and I said to myself, This is not God's timing. I will meet her one day. And then what consoled me was I met her producer. Okay. And the producer who made sure that she she was at the event? Yeah. And then I said, Oh, my name is Nana. I've just started my talk show. And, and then she said, Okay, here's, this is my phone, put in your number. Amazing. I was like, I don't think you're going to call me because this is a big moment. You're not going to, she said put in your number and I'll give you a call. Okay. So I think in the haste of putting in, I didn't type the number right. But so I go back to London waiting and praying that this lady would call, she never called. The following year, we went back to Essence, okay. And I was minding my business. It was so hot. I walked by a restaurant and a voice. I was so thirsty. It's so hot in New Orleans. And I said, Let me pop into this restaurant. I went there. And I asked the guy at the bar said can I get some ice? And then something said turn, I turned, there sat this producer again, no way. And then she saw me and she goes, I know you. You gave me your wrong number. And I said, you remember me, of course you are Nana, the Nana Churcher show. And I said, Can I do a live with you? So I went online, and I did a live. And I said, there is a God, who, when you live your dream, you know, he will bring those people you wait. So I got the right number one said, anytime you in the states, and she was like, why don't you move to New Orleans? And as a no, I'm not ready. i She said, anytime you ready? Yeah, give me a call. But I called her back. But we did a wonderful interview. I was so happy. So you know? Yeah. Wow.

Celeste Iyinbo: Wow. I'm just kind of, I'm stunned. So I feel that you are going to be meeting Oprah!

Nana Churcher: It's coming, definitely coming. Because you know what, that's why I wrote my book, the power of your words, all these things, I turned 50, this May. And all the things that I have been saying with my mum, and I'm praying and written on my vision board. I have taken them and it's coming to pass and it's coming to pass and it's coming to pass. Why? Because I'm seeing it. And I'm believing it. And our Heavenly Father created the universe with words. So whatever we see and believe in our hearts, we will receive it. It might take some time. The time I wanted to meet her it did not happen. I don't know what the new year has. I know one thing I know for sure that God will answer that prayer.

Celeste Iyinbo: Yeah, he will. He will. So how, what do you say to people who are living in this, this times we're living in you know, there's a lot of negativity out there. But just speaking to you, you know, sitting with you, you radiate positivity and happiness. What would you say to people that are struggling to get that positivity or to feel like they've got a place in the world, they can make a change, or just to feel happy?

Nana Churcher: I say that when you go to bed, you're not guaranteed to wake up the next morning. But come morning, some people say is the alarm or it's not the alarm is the grace of God. Come morning, you are up or whatever time of the day. You will when you wake up, you've got to be grateful for life because life there is no amount of money on this planet that can buy you life. To be around people who are on their last leg before they transition. And one man that he was begging for water. He lived in a million pound house. And he was begging for just a drop. You know that little cutting that the kids have the drinks? Yeah, you know, the straw, that little straw? Yeah. We had to dip in that to just drop. I thought of that scripture of the rich man and Lazarus when he was begging for water. So with all the negativity and everything, the fact that you even have life, they can be a change is what you say to yourself, is what you think about yourself, what do you think about yourself? What do you want to you don't have to have all of the millions in the bank. And some somebody even wishes to be in your position, but you might not know. But when you're grateful for that little life, that little place that you are that you think you have nothing. When you're grateful for that something good will happen. But until you see that, you will not see the bigger picture until you see how you are so blessed. Yeah, I'm not talking about material things I'm not talking about I'm just talking about life. And when you have that, then you will see and understand how it is to have life. But be grateful for the person that you are. When I'm not all doing all this, I spend time with the vulnerable bedbound people. Palliative people that have been told within 24 hours you going. And one guy, he's got this is a multiple, the disease that is made his legs, his legs up, crammed up, I know. And he's lived a life. And he said, Nana look at me. And this, I said, I know I'm not in this position. But you're talking to me. You can eat. We're watching TV. You're laughing. Somebody cannot talk. Somebody cannot see. Somebody cannot even move your fingers. But you can. I mean, you know, what he said? Yeah, you're right. So no matter what circumstances that you are in, be grateful. When you're grateful, things begin to change.

Celeste Iyinbo: Gratitude is an amazing, it's an amazing thing. And it's something that we all do need to kind of really lean into. And as you say, be grateful. The fact that we are here, you know, and every day, I guess, is a new opportunity as well, for all of us. So I guess my, my final question to you would be what, what is what is 2024? Looking like, for you?

Nana Churcher: I'm grateful that I'm alive, I am thankful for family for friends, new friends, and grateful that I get to see 2024. And I know that in the in the calendar of my heavenly Father, He has great things for me. I take every day at a time i i spend time in his presence so that you give me that wisdom to move on because it's is a new is a new slate is a new slate. There's some that we continue that some that he's going to bring. So I'm just excited that I am alive to see this year. Yeah, and bigger things to come.

Celeste Iyinbo: Amazing. I just had a really great chat with you. I could speak to you actually all day, because you're just so radiant. You're just spreading a lot of positivity and doing great things out there. So I really want to thank you. Thank you so so much for your time with us today. Thank you for sharing your incredible journey and your insights with us. I gotta say to everybody out there follow CAFOD Voices of Change to stay tuned with what we're doing. Stay tuned with our upcoming episodes. So until next time, take care. See you soon and thanks again for listening.