Burn the Ships

Mark Bush has lived 17 lifetimes in the time most people have lived one. He's an Air Force veteran, former Law Enforcement Officer, and current business owner in Atlanta. He's also just a good friend who takes care of his people. Lately, Mark and I have been talking a lot about his experiences as a Black man in America, and what he thinks we need to do about racism amongst law enforcement. He shares all that and more here. All aboard the Truth-Train. We're going on a ride.

Gerald claimed 2019 was the "Year of the Jordan 1." Today he told me that 2020 is just the, "Year of Survival." And if that ain't the truth, I don't know what is. Seriously, Gerald is an incredible leader and communicator who knows adversity personally. He's walked through immense challenges and—against all odds—he's in a place today to help others walk through their own. His voice is exactly what we need today.

Don't miss this conversation, and make sure to go get his book on June 15!

If you want to understand racism in America better, or figure out what to do with the emotions you feel right now, this one’s for you.

We talk about protests and riots, having friends across racial and religious lines, why the church needs to be engaged in the fight, why The Avengers is actually a metaphor for racism, and (most important) why you NEED Toni at your next party. I hope this means as much for you as it did for me.

There are people who talk a big game about their dreams, and there are people that go and build them. My parents are the second kind, and have a bunch of insane stories from decades of leadership in education, ministry, entrepreneurship, and marriage. We talk Mom's vision to turnaround a local elementary school, the church that ousted my Dad for inviting a bi-racial couple to church, and how they've sustained 32 years of a healthy marriage. Take a seat for this one.

In the second installment of Friend-Ships (really people, I need a new name for this) we surprise Clayton with a Hinge phone date. Preston talks about getting engaged. And we all share our experiences navigating the change and challenges two months into quarantine. If nothing else, listen to the moment that Clayton tells the girl she's a real "quaran-cutie." New COVID pickup lines are welcome.

A few years ago Garrett Lobaugh quit a stable job to see if he could make it as a full-time freelance photographer. What happened next was unreal. He ended up working for a ton of really cool companies, and spent the last couple years as THE photographer for Lauren Daigle.

When I first moved to Atlanta, everybody told me I HAD TO meet Garrett. Now that we're good friends, I'd say the same to anybody else. He's incredibly wise, an unbelievable photographer, and the local expert on all things Kardashian. This was a fun one.

Not only is Keely Cartrett a D1 collegiate athlete, she's also grown a Tik Tok following of half-a-million people this year, and is just one of the most FUN people I know.

In this episode, we talk what it’s like to go viral, whether Katiniss should have chosen Gale or Peeta, women’s equality in sports, and so much more. Fair warning: Keely BROUGHT IT in this conversation. Buckle up.

You may recognize my friend Chidima from the latest Passion Conference album, but her real goal is to travel back in time and become a dancer on Dance Moms. Really. She told me she’s sending her entire paycheck to Elon Musk each month just in hopes he’ll figure out time travel and make the dream come true. In the meantime, she’s chasing a career as a musician and is SO TALENTED.

Don’t miss this conversation where she shares the stories behind her top tweets, being a solo artist in the midst of a pandemic, and moving forward even when you’re afraid.

Today we're starting a NEW SERIES tentatively named Friend-Ships. Get it? Burn the Ships. Friend. Ships.

I know it's not great, new names are welcome.

Anyway, this will be a weekly conversation with some of the friends I'm quarantined with covering all sorts of topics and stories. Today, we share how we're coping with this mess, our lowest moments of quarantine, anti-sex reality TV, my new fear of birds, the time Katie got Coronavirus, starting new creative ventures, wanting to hug God, and MUCH more. This is by far the most hilarious and random episode yet.

Jordan Sasser uses more emojis than anybody I know, and is also one of my most talented friends. Therefore, I've determined that people who use the most emojis are the most talented. That's the Sparknotes version of this entire interview. It's just science. You're welcome. If you choose to still listen, good news is Jordan has some incredible stories about being Top 24 on American Idol, moving to Costa Rica on a whim, and living courageously as a Father and Husband. I learned SO MUCH in this conversation.