Super discussion with Dr. Steve Gallon III, Vice-Chair and elected District 1 School Board Member for the Miami-Dade County Schools, the 4th largest school district in the nation. Tune in to hear how Dr. Gallon rose from the streets of 1980s Liberty City to impactful community servant, lifelong educator, and successful entrepreneur. We discuss bridging the achievement gap, what makes M-DCPS so unique, how to successfully manage staying true to yourself in a highly critical political area, and much more!
EP 36: The Essence of Great Leadership Is Influence; Not Authority — With Crystal Wagar, Mayor of Miami Shores
Excited to welcome back, Crystal Wagar, the first African American woman to serve as the Mayor of Miami Shores Village! During her first visit on Britt Happens in 2019, Mayor Wagar had recently began her term. Fast forward to mid-way through 2021, and we had a colorful and honest discussion about the challenges of running a city through a pandemic while also being a mom, the historic George Floyd movement in the Shores, new projects and economic development in her city, white allies to combat racism, and much more!
EP 35: Grind Now. Greatness Later. — With Dave A. Salvant, Squire Technologies Co-Founder & President
When Dave Salvant, Co-Founder & President of Squire Technologies, launched tech startup Squire in 2016, he wanted to help barbershops achieve greater success by streamlining operations. What he didn’t anticipate was a global pandemic hitting a few years after launching that would immobilize their customer-base for months.
After seeing their net revenue drop to zero in March 2020, when barbershops across the country were forced to close, the Black-owned tech company has tripled its valuation from $85 million to $250 million with the help of investors in its latest round of funding.
EP 34: Chase Excellence and Success Will Follow — With Theresa Therilus, Esq, City of North Miami Manager
Very excited to usher in Women’s History Month with my next guest, Theresa Therilus, Esq., the City of North Miami’s very first woman and Haitian-American City Manager!….and maybe Florida’s future governor?!?! Subscribe and tune in as we discuss Ms. Therilus’ interesting career path, building capacity for minority participation in development, Black banking, the legacy she hopes to leave at NoMi, why she eats challenges for breakfast, and much more! #BrittHappens #BlackGirlMagic
EP 33: Go Ahead and Doubt Me; I Promise I’ll Prove You Wrong — With Bershawn ‘Batman’ Jackson, Track and Field Olympic Medalist
There will be haters, doubters, non-believers, and then there will be you…proving them all wrong! My childhood friend, former Miami Northwest Express Track Club teammate, and Olympic medalist Bershawn ‘Batman’ Jackson’s personality has always been as big as his talent!
Tune in to hear what motivated this track and field super star turned sports agent and founder of his very own track club to block out the noise of naysayers and dominate for *years* in a sport that said he was just too small to succeed.
EP 32: One Vision; One Mission; One City — With Esmond K. Scott, City Manager, North Miami Beach
Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm, but rough seas require creative, transformative leadership. Most of us want a leader with passion and energy to make things happen; but we also want to know that when crisis hits, our leader will take decisive action in a calm and professional manner. If “Cool, calm, and collected” was a person, you’d be looking at my next podcast guest and friend, Mr. Esmond K. Scott, City Manager of North Miami Beach, FL. Esmond is as hilarious as he is shrewd, worldly, super sharp, and charmingly unassuming.
North Miami Beach is the epicenter of Northeast Dade, a hidden gem, and mini paradise within our diverse County. NMB is a city bursting at the seams to take off and finally gain its own earned identity and personality. Tune in as we discuss Mr. Scott’s vision, challenges, and plans to further elevate his City to the destination of choice in South Florida!
EP 31: Cotton Candy Sweet As….Say What, Now??? — With Thrill Da Playa of the Legendary Miami Bass Group, 69 Boyz
Straight out of Duval County Jacksonville, FL, Thrill Da Playa has held it down for the Sunshine State ever since the early 90’s as a member of the world renowned 69 Boyz of the coveted Quad City Family. Tune in for this informative and super enlightening conversation with Van Thrill Da Playa, one half of the legendary Miami bass Grammy award winning rap group, the 69 Boyz. In addition to answering my burning questions about lyric confusion, we discuss how he’s navigated the music industry through a global pandemic, reinventing himself as an artist while staying true to who he is as a person, the most challenging part of his career, what being a MILF really means LOL, and much more!
EP 30: Unbought and Unbossed: Keep Pushing! — With Gary Chambers, Jr, Community Activist and Advocate
Tune in for a much-anticipated, super lively, and enlightening chat with the man behind THE read of 2020! Louisiana activist, Gary Chambers, Jr., became a household name in the advocacy world this past June when a video of him brilliantly calling out East Baton Rouge School Board Member, Connie Bernard, went viral and shared by the likes of LeBron James, Madonna, and millions of others.
That moment at the school board meeting was only one of several instances over the years where Chambers used his voice and media platform to speak truth to power. Chambers is also fundraising for a potential Congressional bid for U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond’s soon-to-be vacated seat—Keep Pushing, Gary!
EP 29: If You Don’t Vote, Don’t Complain — With Nancy S. Dawkins, Community Activist and Education Advocate
Nancy Dawkins is a force to be reckoned with, a walking legacy who does not take no for an answer, and the wittiest 96-year old I know! She is a community activist, an education advocate, Liberty City pioneer, and one of my most favorite people! She along with her late husband, Miller Dawkins, who served as a City of Miami Commissioner for years, moved into their Liberty City home over 60 years ago. Since then, Mrs. Dawkins has worked tirelessly to make her community a better place.
EP 28: Started From The Bottom, Now We’re Here — With Byron Donalds, FL State Representative, District 80 & U.S. Congressional Candidate, District 19
Tune in to hear why Florida State Representative (District 80) Byron Donalds, self-proclaims to be a proud “pro-Trump, pro-2nd Amendment, pro-life” Black man, what inspired him to run for Congress, police brutality, his thoughts on the relationship between the Republican party and the Black community, education, criminal justice, and immigration reform, draining the swamp, and much more!