018 | To Be Creative (and Black)

There is no doubt that creativity is ever-present in our lives, but how much do we take away from ourselves when we don't invest in our creativity? And do we take creativity seriously in the Black community? After watching the documentary "The Creative Brain," I had questions.
I turned to a couple of great, creative friends, Khalilah Elliott and Jamal Sterling. Khalilah is the founder and chief disruptor of Gafford Communications, and Jamal is an actor and educator. Both also host the arts and entertainment podcast "Whatever We Want with Jay & Kay." Besides creativity in the Black community, we talk about the creative process, barriers to creative output, finding creativity in whatever you do, and why it's good for creativity to make people nervous.
The views expressed on "For Our Edification" do not reflect the views of any entity with which the hosts or guests are affiliated.

017 | Apple Fried Apple

When 6th grade teacher, Dee Holt, told his class that he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, they joked that he was a member of "Apple Fried Apple." Then Holt decided to take it further and turn seven of his students into a "line" of "Seeds." Apple Fried Apple captured the hearts of many Divine Nine members and even the nation. 
My fellow Alpha brother did me the honor of joining me on "For Our Edification" to talk about how Apple Fried Apple. Most importantly, we chatted about how D9 members in education leverage their memberships to expose their students to higher education, especially HBCUs.
The views expressed on "For Our Edification" do not reflect the views of any entity with which the hosts or guests are affiliated.

016 | Motivational Speaking

Does motivational speaking get you...motivated? With so many motivational speakers out there, some question whether or not they hold real value. At the same time, maybe there isn't enough motivation out there. 
To talk this out, I turned to an old speaking colleague of mine, Mark Wiggins. Mark is a speaker, author, trainer and host of the "Off the Bench" podcast. We talk about how he got into the business, when he realized that his words were reaching people and what motivational speaking does for folks' identity and value. And Mark also talks about why the word "until" is special.

015 | On My Brain: My Obsession with Narcissism

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed that, at times, I reference narcissistic leadership (#narcissisticleadership). You may even believe that I have somewhat of an obsession with narcissism. The reason narcissism tends to be such a big deal to me is 1) my professional experiences and 2) I researched narcissism in leadership for my master's degree. What a revelation! In this episode, I break down what narcissism does to followers' identity and value and I also explain why narcissism is an actual epidemic.
RESOURCES
The Narcissism Spectrum Model
"Why Is Narcissism Increasing Among Young Americans?"

014 | On My Brain: Kamala’s Divine Shout Out

During her vice presidential nomination speech, Kamala Harris gave a shout out to the Divine Nine after mentioning her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. Many of us were pretty excited that she took the time to do so. But why, on the biggest stage of her career and in a such a critical moment, would she do such a thing?
I know exactly why--identity and value. Alpha Kappa Alpha, like so many of our sororities and fraternities, probably helped her figure out who she is and how she influences those around her. Not only that, Divine Nine organizations are built on causes. Listen to me break it down on this episode.
Some Divine Resources:
A Deeper Look at the Divine Nine's Impact | The Huffington Post
Black Greek Success Blog | BlackGreekSuccess.org
Sister Soldiers: A Look at Black Sororities in the Black Lives Matter Movement | Essence
Loretta Lynch hearing: Why all those red suits in the crowd? | Christian Science Monitor
Watch the Yard
Grown and Greek TV
Photo: watchtheyard.com

013 | Being Better: Eric and Maleka Beal

In 2018, on the old Eddie Francis Podcast Show, Halima and I thought it would be great to interview Eric and Maleka Beal, a husband and wife team that lost a combined 300 lbs. Their feat was so impressive that the couple had been featured on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "Dr. Oz," in Essence, and People. Their success also led them to start the health and wellness company Better Choices.
In this great interview, Eric and Maleka talk about how their relationship blossomed and served as a foundation for their health and wellness success with Better Choices.