Co-Hosts, Attys. Michelle Jenkins and Shelley Whitehead sit down with Thank God It's Natural CEO, Chris-Tia Donaldson to discuss the Black experience in high-level corporate spaces at the Black Esquire Podcast's first ever LIVE TAPING and Season 1 Finale! The trio identified the challenges minorities face in their attempts to sincerely thrive in the C-Suite including: managing imposter syndrome, building a diverse book of business, and navigating cultural differences in the board room.

This episode was sponsored by KOVAL Distillery and Liquor and Savage Smyth Event Space. Our sincere thanks not only to our special guest, Chris-Tia Donaldson, but also to performing artist Nola Ade, master of ceremony Rendel Solomon, and our sound sponsor DJ Double M.

Guest Spotlight:

Chris-Tia Donaldson is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Thank God It's Natural (TGIN), a manufacturer of natural hair and skin care products currently sold in Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Sally's Beauty, and Walgreens. In her role, she oversees all aspects of day-to day operations, sales and strategic partnerships. Her book Thank God I'm Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Natural Hair is a #1 Amazon bestseller and was hailed the "Natural Hair Bible" by Essence Magazine. Prior to starting her own company, Chris-Tia represented Fortune 500 companies in complex business transactions involving technology and open source code. Chris-Tia earned her A.B in Economics from Harvard University with high honors and is a graduate of Harvard Law School.

The Black Esquire Podcast, hosted by Attorneys Michelle Jenkins and Shelley Whitehead, is a virtual space for young minority professionals to explore taboo topics related to the black experience in corporate America. The podcast can be found on social media @BlackEsquirePodcast and for listening on ITunes, Google Play, Sound Cloud, Stitcher, and You Tube.

Episode 8

Ron Swanson, Squidward, and SheNeNeh:

How-To Manage Difficult Personalities In the Workplace

In this episode, Co-Hosts Atty. Michelle Jenkins and Atty. Shelley Whitehead sit down with Jason Johnson to discuss best methods to avoid the ultimate clap-back session in the workplace. Michelle takes her first ever Myers Briggs test; our co-hosts learn why they work so well together; and the group identifies best practices for working with different personality types. Tune-In for this fun episode and identify your personality type and how you can improve your relationships with other personality types. Also, listen in for a HUGE announcement pertaining to our live taping, June 23rd, at Savage Smyth Event Space in Chicago, IL. Purchase your tickets today at BlackEsquirePodcast.EventBrite.com

Follow Us on Facebook @The Black Esquire Podcast, Instagram @BlackEsquirePodcast, and in our closed Facebook Group "The Fellowship: The Black Esquire Podcast Congregation".

Guest Spotlight:

Jason Johnson is the Director of Entrepreneurship for the Chicago Urban League. As Director, Jason manages the day to day operations of the Entrepreneurship Center and guides the strategic direction of the department. Prior to becoming Director of Entrepreneurship, Jason served as a Entrepreneurship Program manager for the Chicago Urban League Entrepreneurship Center for three years. In this role, he was the primary instructor for the nextSTEP business launch program, and the nextCONNECTION technology integration program which launched in 2015. Through the nextCONNECTION program, Jason has provided intensive technology training to over 60 businesses. Jason also launched the Chicago Urban League Entrepreneurship Center’s #TechAroundTown event series while in the role of Entrepreneurship Program Manager.

Prior to joining the Chicago Urban League, Jason was founder and principal consultant of Identity Engineers, a boutique business development and organizational development firm located in the Chicago Loop for 5 years. He also founded Konveau, a technology company that uses personality type and personal interests to help people connect at social gatherings. Jason is a doctoral candidate in Organizational Leadership and holds a Masters in Industrial Organizational Psychology. His dissertation will explore the impact of personality type on the networking behavior of executives.

Resources:

https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

Episode 7

Lovita Alize Jenkins: Authenticity in the Workplace

Co- Hosts Michelle Jenkins and Shelley Whitehead sit down with guest, Victoria Watkins, Senior Advisor to Mayor R. Emanuel and Co-Founder of Project Style. The three chat about the added challenge Black women face in their attempts to be palatable in predominately white spaces and give tips on how-to introduce unfamiliar audiences to your personal style/ personality.

Guest Spotlight:

Victoria R. Watkins currently works for the City of Chicago in the Office of Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Victoria serves as Senior Advisor, leading efforts related to external affairs, legislative issues, neighborhood policy, and overall City priorities. Previously, Victoria was Deputy Director in Legislative Counsel & Government Affairs, leading the City's efforts on all state government-related initiatives. In her role, she was the main conduit between the priorities of the City and state government, dealing directly with elected officials, state agencies, and related stakeholders.

Prior to joining the City, she served as Assistant Counsel to House Speaker Madigan, advising State Representatives on legislation and procedure. In addition to her legislative law work, Victoria counsels, researches, and writes on fashion law, entertainment and sports law, copyrights and trademarks, and other related fields. She is the Chief Editor and Creator of B.A.F.F.L.E.D. (Business Advice, Fashion Facts, Law & Entertainment Domain), a lifestyle blog on the topics she loves most. She has spoken on panels on fashion law for the Beverly Hills Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, John Marshall Law School Fashion Law Society, and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

Victoria is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and earned her Juris Doctorate from DePaul University College of Law.

Book Mentioned: Beauty Sick - How the Cultural Obsession with Appearance Hurts Women and Girls -by Renee Engeln

Episode 6: "You'd Better Get Controversial" - M. Waters: Diversifying Your Network for the Better

Co-Hosts, Atty. Shelley Whitehead and Atty. Michelle Jenkins sit down with multi-talented Atty. Ashley Kirkwood to discuss the value and necessity of diversifying your network. The three discuss how-to strategically challenge your comfort zone and expand your business approach to incorporate more relevant, nourishing, and synergistic people into your network.

GUEST SPOTLIGHT

Ashley Kirkwood is an associate at a large law firm in Chicago. She’s a trial lawyer with a focus on employment and government litigation. She also maintains an active civil rights pro bono practice. When she’s not engaged in work, she enjoys recording for her YouTube channel, Passion, Purpose, and Paychecks, where she interviews a variety of professionals who have left traditional corporate jobs to launch businesses that they are passionate about. Outside of work, Ashley loves traveling with her husband, worshiping at her family’s church, and singing.

CONTACT US:

Facebook - The Black Esquire Podcast

Facebook Closed Group - The Fellowship: The Black Esquire Podcast Congregation (http://bit.ly/BEPFellowship )

Instagram - @BlackEsquirePodcast

Email- [email protected]

Hosts, Atty. Michelle Jenkins and Atty. Shelley Whitehead sit down with guest, Rhandi Childress-Anderson. As an attorney who moonlights as a match-maker! In this episode, Rhandi shares her insight on best practices for young professionals as they navigate the dating scene. Among other things, the conversation visits the concept of cultural compatibility, the importance of salary in dating, and 5 dating tips you don't want to miss!

GUEST SPOTLIGHT:

Rhandi Childress Anderson is a dating coach and licensed attorney. She received her Juris Doctor degree from The John Marshall Law School and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Valparaiso University where she majored in Sociology, specifically focusing her study on the institutions of family, marriage, and religion and sexuality. Rhandi has clocked thousands of hours of qualitative research on the intersectionality of relationships, marriage and African American studies, and takes a no-nonsense approach to dating and relationship advice. She is married to her husband of seven years and they have one fur-baby named Kooper, a feisty terrier mix. Rhandi enjoys traveling, curating resale fashion, astrology and reading. She is a transplant Chicagoan by way of Northwest Indiana.

Episode : "I Got 99 Problems But My Check Ain't One" -

Co- Hosts, Michelle Jenkins and Shelley Whitehead, sit down with guest, Rendel Solomon, to discuss finances. Receiving your first salaried check is a brand new, liberating, experience. However, with that experience comes new responsibility. In the interest of encouraging more fiscally responsible money management habits, co-hosts and guest discuss investment tools, best practices when deciding to invest, how-to pick a financial adviser, asset building, and resources that can assist with your financial journey.

Guest Spotlight:

Rendel Solomon is a Principal with Muller and Monroe Asset Management, a Chicago- based private equity firm that has advised over $1 billion in assets since its inception. In June 2016 he founded the non-profit 1 Stock 1 Future to increase the access to opportunity to one million under-served youth throughout Chicago and across the country by turning them into public company shareholders.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Rapunzel App

Stash App

LearnVest App

Learn App

Betterment App

Stockpile App

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

Four Laws of Debt Free Prosperity by Blain Harris

Note to listeners: Please Turn Your Volume Up! We are working on our sound quality. Thank you for your patience.

Episode 2: We All Lose When The Family Feuds-

Hosts Shelley Whitehead and Michelle Jenkins sit down with guest, Erika Orr, to discuss the "do's and don'ts" of dealing with family over the holidays. In this episode, our hosts and guest share their personal experiences with setting boundaries for family members, strategies for wealth building, and a response to a listener letter regarding racist comments in the workplace.

Guest Spotlight:

This episode's guest Erika Orr is a candidate for judge in Cook County's 1st Sub-Circuit and a family law practitioner with 18 years of legal expertise including 13 years spent working in the public accounting field. Listen-in as she provides insight into the importance of participating in the election process and her experience as a judicial candidate and attorney in Cook County.Visit www.orrforjudge.com to learn more about her campaign.

Episode 1: On this episode, Shelley Whitehead and Michelle Jenkins discuss the purpose and what to expect from the podcast, white people feeling uncomfortable being the minority, whether friends should do business together and the importance of surrounding yourself with beasts.