Better than Clout

Matt and Bianca chat with Tommy Adams, former NBA player and current Director of Athlete Intelligence at Gatorade, about his career and what he learned from his time as a professional athlete. They explore how professional athletics informed his evolving definition of success and how sports can be a double edged sword for fans - both making measures of sports success easily digestible and obscuring the true ups and downs of success in sports. 

Matt and Bianca go outside the box of the traditional creative fields with Quilen Blackwell, Founder of Ecohouse Chicago, to chat about his work reimagining vacant lots around Chicago as vibrant flower gardens. They unpack his journey as a leader and offer some advice for the next generation of creative leaders who want to think outside the box in how they leverage their creative talents to support their communities. 

Matt and Bianca chat with photographer and multimedia artist Adrian Octavius Walker, who currently works as an artistic director for Getty Images, about his professional photography career, the benefits and drawbacks of trendiness and social media in the arts, and how he defines creative success in his practice. They dive into the trial and error process that is finding your creative calling - and understanding the ebb and flow of learning about what gives and takes away our creative energy. They wrap up with his advice for younger creatives who are exploring their creative callings and unsure if they want to pursue them professionally. 

Matt and Bianca chat with gospel star D'Shondra Perry about her career, her new EP, and the ins and outs of her creative process. They explore how her early rise to success in the music industry affected her definition of success. And they pull back the curtain on her creative process to offer advice on staying authentic in making music and maintaining creative energy as a professional creative. They wrap up with D'Shondra's advice on how to learn from the greats in our creative fields.

D’Shondra was born and raised in Flint, Mi. No sooner had she learned to talk, she began to sing and bless all who heard her miraculous gift. She served in various capacities in the local church and learned much about ministry from her grandfather who was her Pastor in her early years. By the age of 12 she relocated to Detroit, MI with her family to attend Perfecting Church where the Pastor and founder is Marvin L. Winans. Labeled as a child prodigy by Winans, D’Shondra was taken under his wing and as she grew older her gift blossomed. She was featured on Pastor Winans’ first and only solo album at the age of 14. By the age of 17 she was a featured artist on Kirk Franklin’s “The Fight of My Life” album and a guest on BET’s Celebration of Gospel. After graduating HS D’Shondra began touring with James Fortune & FIYA all while completing her degree from Oakland University.

Follow D'Shondra on IG and find D'Shondra's music on all platforms.

In an adapted interview from their old Twitch show, Matt and Bianca chat with Mashaun Ali Hendricks about how he arrived at his calling as a restorative justice practitioner and visual artist owning Trap House Chicago. They walk through his journey to finding his calling, how other folks have tried to label him - for better and for worse - as his work and definitions of success evolved, and the relationships that have informed his definitions of success. 

Mashaun Ali Hendricks is a restorative justice practitioner and visual artist. He is a result-oriented practitioner and educator in restorative justice philosophy and practices, specializing in providing training and professional development for youth services providers, including K - 12 teachers and school administrators, community organizations, and criminal justice systems. He is a social justice visionary committed to resolving social issues that lead to instances of crime and violence in under-served and disadvantaged communities. As a visual artist, Mashaun owns the streetwear brand, TRAP House Chicago. In the summer of 2016, Mashaun was selected as a Homan Square Artist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. 

Learn more about Mashaun's work on his Instagram.

Co-hosts Matt Fulle and Bianca Lackings chat with Philmore Greene about his hip hop career and how his definition of success has evolved with his creative calling. They explore the importance of authenticity in musical storytelling as musicians build relationships with their audiences, how Philmore became a master engineer of music, and the intersections between expectations of extreme success in sports and music. You can read the Chicago Sun Times profile of Philmore. Philmore Greene is a Hip Hop artist from the west side of Chicago. After honing his skills for years, he released his first official mix tape titled "The Seal Of Approval" in October of 2012. Following up with Chicago: A Third World City (2018), The Survival Scroll (2020), and Knowledge And Power (2021). With a sharp deliver, hard hitting punch lines and great storytelling ability, Philmore Greene gives you that nostalgia of when music was based on style, concepts, great production and lyrics. Due the city he's from and his upbringing, he shows intense emphasis on social issues, life in poverty, political views, relationships and more related topics.

Follow Philmore on Instagram and Twitter. You can find all of his music on Spotify.

Welcome to True Chicago's inaugural podcast! Over the course of 10 episodes, co-hosts Matt Fulle and Bianca Lackings will chat with established musicians, artists, and leaders in sports to deconstruct the concept of mainstream success. They'll explore their guests' careers, reflect on how their concept of success has evolved, and how there really is something better than clout to chase, especially in this day and age. 

The podcasts launches October 16, and will release new episodes every Saturday. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and check out True Chicago's instagram for updates.