When you sit down with someone as grounded and passionate as Corey Dion Lewis, you’re guaranteed a conversation that will move you, challenge you, and stay with you long after the episode ends. On Episode 2 of Season 2 of the Black. Girl. Iowa. podcast, I had the absolute honor of talking with Corey—clinical health coach, media founder, health equity advocate, and the host of The Healthy Project Podcast—about his journey, his purpose, and the power of using your voice to spark change.
Corey’s story begins in East Moline, Illinois, where a mentor’s advice and a desire to not drift too far from home led him to the University of Iowa. Like many of us, Corey didn’t have a straight path. He explored architecture, psychology, and clinical therapy before finding his calling in health coaching—thanks to a professor who saw something in him and encouraged him to pursue a new, developing program. That leap of faith led him to Des Moines, where he’s been building community and reshaping healthcare conversations ever since.
But what makes Corey’s work so impactful isn’t just his degrees or credentials. It’s his heart. His purpose became crystal clear in 2019 when his mother’s declining health and lack of adequate care pushed him into the role of health advocate. As he supported her through breast cancer, kidney failure, and complications from diabetes, he realized how broken the system truly is—and how many people, especially in our community, fall through the cracks.
Corey shared:
“It wasn’t until I witnessed it myself that I realized I had been seeing healthcare through rose-colored glasses. That was my wake-up call.”
That wake-up call led him to launch The Healthy Project Podcast—originally called Smart Talk—and eventually evolve it into a platform focused on health equity, advocacy, and community voices. His work has been recognized across the state, including being named the Iowa Public Health Association’s 2024 Health Equity Advocate of the Year and co-founding the award-winning conference series, My City, My Health.
We also talked about the power of storytelling, and how sometimes you just have to start—ready or not.
“I thought about podcasting in 2015 but didn’t launch until 2020. I just had to do it. My heart was in the right place, and people could feel that.”
Throughout our conversation, Corey emphasized intentionality, community, and accountability. His mission is to amplify voices doing the work, especially around health disparities and social determinants that disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities. Whether it’s through his podcast, his public health initiatives, or his panel series, Corey is committed to changing the narrative—locally and nationally.
“Health is a community effort,” he said.
“We need to find someone we trust in healthcare so we can get the care we deserve.”
This episode is more than an interview—it’s a reminder that we all have the power to advocate for ourselves and our loved ones. That healthcare isn’t just about appointments and prescriptions—it’s about feeling seen, heard, and cared for.
✨ Shout out to Corey for not only joining me on the podcast but for inviting me to his show, Coffee Can’t Fix Everything. Be sure to check out both The Healthy Project and Coffee Can’t Fix Everything—available wherever you stream your podcasts!
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