Archives: Episodes

Posted in: Podcast Season 2

EP 17: Leadership Efficiency: Those Who Destroy the Status Quo Win — With Brandon M. Harris, Global Head of Financial Products Marketing at Bloomberg

Organizations that destroy the status quo win. Whatever the status quo is, changing it gives you the opportunity to be remarkable. Today’s episode features my former Wharton classmate and super witty friend, Brandon Harris.  Brandon has had a rewarding and impressive 13 year career at Bloomberg, now serving as their Global Head of Financial Products Marketing.

Hope without a strategy doesn’t generate leadership. Leadership comes when your hope and your optimism are matched with a concrete vision of the future and a way to get there. Tune is as we discuss why Brandon chose Marketing over Consulting or Investment banking, how he rose in the corporate ranks (Hint: Closed mouths don’t get fed!),  why he hates office “face time” and the notion of 30- and 60- minute meetings, his self-reflection and thought processes when evaluating his professional happiness, and his slight obsession with SETT (superstition, efficiency, travel, and technology), plus more!

Posted in: Podcast Season 2

EP 16: Breaking The Grass Ceiling Bud Naked: Cannabis Social Equity — With Madison Shockley III, SEOWA Co-Founder and Entrepreneur

Many of us may recognize my next guest, Madison Shockley III, from his role as Fred on “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl”. The viral web series challenged the archetypes generally available for Black people in entertainment, especially women, who are often cast as sassy, power hungry, angry or motherly figures — sometimes a combination of them all — but rarely awkward.

What most of us may not know is that, through his organization SEOWA (Social Equity Owners and Workers Association), this actor-turned-cannabis entrepreneur, is at the forefront of activism pertaining to LA’s Social Equity Program (SEP). Cannabis criminalization and its enforcement has had long-term, adverse impacts on Los Angeles, particularly for low income and minority communities.  The SEP is one tool LA is using to begin to acknowledge and repair the harm caused by the War on Drugs and the disparate enforcement of cannabis prohibition.

Posted in: Podcast Season 2

EP 15: Stand Up Miami: We Don’t Break; We Bounce — With Mayor Francis X. Suarez, City of Miami

This episode features a very special guest, Francis X. Suarez, the Mayor of my hometown paradise, Miami, FL, one of the fastest growing and most dynamic places in the world.  In addition to year round enviable weather, nightlight, and cuisine, Miami is the only major U.S. city founded by a woman, the second most entrepreneurial city in the US, and a cultural crock pot teeming with unique flavor and energy. It is no wonder we are known as The Magic City!!

Tune in as Brittany Sharpton and Mayor Suarez discuss how his personal experience with COVID-19 influenced his approach on public policy, his plan on re-opening Miami, how traffic, technology, and a pandemic, surprisingly, go hand-in-hand, his current thoughts on parks overlaying highways, mass transit, and the SMART plan (Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit Plan), the after effects of the coronavirus on future building design & development, and….a potential future presidential bid??!

Posted in: Podcast Season 2

EP 14: Dressing Well Is A Form of Good Manners — With Christie Grays Chambers, CEO of I Am CHIC (Christie Has It Covered)

This episode features a guest who truly embodies beauty and brains, sprinkled with Southern charm and killer Manhattan-esque (is that a word? lol) fashion sense! Tune in as we discuss her take on what it truly takes to be a full-time entrepreneur, the continuous learning process, her candid account on contemplating returning to a 9-5 (on several occasions!), and the importance of mentorship, networking, and having your coins adequately in order to survive the uncertain, yet rewarding, journey of business ownership.

Posted in: Podcast Season 2

EP 13: Learn To Fish: Winning At Finance, Freedom, and Flexibility — With Al Pickett, Founder of The Blackprint

Today’s guest features author, trading coach, entrepreneur, and Memphis native Al Pickett.  Financial markets can be bewildering at the best of times, but the coronavirus has made the task of understanding them that much harder. One of the worst stretches in market history has included one of the most rapid stock rallies.

Tune in as we discuss how to survive the coronavirus markets, what Forex trading really is (Hint hint: NO MLM!), why it’s recession proof,  the importance of having a “why” when attempting to reach your goals, the role “thirst trapping” plays in social media algorithms, and much more.  This episode is definitely one to archive and save for future reference!

Posted in: Podcast Season 2

EP 12: Love and Lighty: Go Where You Are Celebrated, Not Merely Tolerated — With Dave Lighty of ViolatorSouth

Today’s episode features a guest who’s worked behind the scenes to deliver some of the biggest hits from the 90s and 2000s, many of which are still personal favs and can solicit a clachet (classy ratchet lol) twerk at the drop of an “Hey Alexa”! Dave Lighty (brother of the late great hip-hop mogul, Chris Lighty) was the Manager of A&R at Def Jam. By the late ’90s, Dave moved to Jive Records to become the Sr. Director of A&R, where he held that position for over a decade. Today, he’s the Owner of ViolatorSouth, a record label, management and marketing company and a consultant at Odlight LLC, a brand strategies firm.

Posted in: Podcast Season 2

EP 10: Great Leadership: Being Consistent In Your Drive to Realize Your Vision — With Bertha Henry, County Administrator for Broward County (FL)

Today’s special guest is Bertha Henry, County Administrator for Broward County, Florida, the second-most populous county in the state of Florida and the 17th most populous county in the entire United States.  Tune in for a powerful message from this accomplished history maker and wildly successful County CEO. We discuss effective, humble, and balanced leadership, exciting upcoming projects within Broward County, how to navigate the complex world of social media and public opinion, and why it’s so important to always remain unapologetically you.

Posted in: Podcast Season 2

EP 9: Shifting Your Focus to Build a Legacy — With Larry Spring, Manager for the City of North Miami

Tune is as we discuss what exactly a City manager’s role is, the challenges of working in the public sector/government, strategies for dealing with the not-always-so-honest or unbiased media, exciting new development and transit/transportation plans for North Miami, FL, Superbowl 2020, #BlackChef, the importance of creating and fostering a legacy, and what’s up next for Larry M. Spring.

Posted in: Podcast Season 2

EP 8: Parental Advisory: Explicit Truths — With Hip Hop Icon and Community Activist Luther Campbell

Today’s episode features hip-hop icon and long-time family friend, Luther Campbell aka Uncle Luke.  Luke is a successful entrepreneur, record executive, producer, football coach, and Miami-based community and political activist.