Create Your Life Series

By Kevin Y. BrownBusiness Entrepreneurship Health & Fitness Mental Health Education How To

Create Your Life Series episodes

July 21, 2020CYLS 176: CEO Talks - Hire Slow, Fire Fast with Eric Fondren
Episode Summary
If you want to increase effective communication and leadership in your business, don’t miss this episode of the Create Your Life Series. Eric and Kevin discuss their commitment to creating a company culture that reflects the values of their organization and how they incorporate the Hire Slow, Fire Fast method to achieve that goal. They break down their core concepts of hiring employees, conflict resolution, and how to release the anchor of commitment when you need to take the final step and fire an employee.

Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin Y. Brown is a National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) Center For Public Trust (CPT) “Being A Difference” award recipient, international speaker, entrepreneur, and author. The former MTV Networks host and NYC fashion marketer has created an international following as a speaker on personal excellence, effective communication, and leadership. Kevin has been featured by Black Enterprise magazine as a “Modern Man of Distinction” and highlighted in various publications for his self-help speaking work and helping students graduate college debt-free. Recognized for his commitment to empowering foster care youth and as a foster care system alumnus, he has also delivered the keynote address at the International Foster Care Organizations Conference in Sydney, Australia, and Osaka, Japan. Kevin is currently the creator/host of Sirius XM’s “Create Your Life” series, a fellow in the New York Chapter of the Startup Leadership Program, and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Eric Fondren
Eric Fondren is a mixed bag of skills that includes both hard and soft skills. After obtaining his computer science degree from Morehouse College, Eric spent 3 years on Wall Street learning why it's difficult for large companies to innovate. While working full-time, Eric also went on to obtain his Master's degree in professional counseling.

After his stint on Wall Street, Eric tried his hand with a number of ventures including web design, relationship coaching among other things. All of this experience showed him his true path, which was to build a technology company.

Today, as CEO of ITELLIO (originally branded as FreeATM) Eric has built a large scale ad network that aggregates 9,000 digital screens into a central buying platform.

Insights From the Episode
How to hire employees to create a respectful culture within your organization that fosters success.
Strategies for defining who will be a good fit to join your organization.
Benefits of having a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), paying attention to the details of your business, and knowing your personnel.
How to deal with clients that have a company culture that clashes with your company’s culture.
Benefits of taking responsibility as a leader and the impact it makes on your culture.
Strategies for effective communication especially through digital methods such as email and text.
The secret for dealing with conflict communication; the positivity sandwich.

Quotes From the Show
“Creating a culture is probably the most important thing you can do to set up success for your business long-term.” – Eric Fondren, Create Your Life Series, #176
“Being organized starts from the top. You have to understand your personnel.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #176
“You don’t want to have to spend time teaching somebody the skills necessary to do the job. That’s an important piece.” – Eric Fondren, Create Your Life Series, #176
“You’re hiring somebody to do the job; you’re not hiring someone to learn the job. That’s an internship.” – Eric Fondren, Create Your Life Series, #176
“People value different things. People have different priorities, different motivations.” – Eric Fondren, Create Your Life Series, #176
On communicating with employees: “I had to be mindful of the way that I was communicating as the leader in this situation as well.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #176
“Conflict resolution is a huge part of culture. If people are scared to resolve conflict both internally and externally, it’s going to stop your business almost immediately.” – Eric Fondren, Create Your Life Series, #176
“You have to know what the goal is beyond this conversation or the goal of the conversation.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #176

Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series

Kevin Y. Brown
Website: www.kevinybrown.com
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown

Eric Fondren
Website: www.itellio.com
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: Eric Fondren

Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify.

This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
40 min
July 07, 2020CYLS 175: CEO Talks - Quarantine and Pivot with Eric Fondren
Episode Summary
In this episode of the Create Your Life Series, Kevin talks with Eric Fondren of Itellio about the effects of quarantine on life and business and the lessons they are learning during this time. Eric discusses his new venture, Bankable Business Blueprint, and other projects he’s working on right now and Kevin shares what the future holds for his business, Podcast Laundry. Whether you’re starting a business or trying to break a plateau, you don’t want to miss this episode on how to make your venture more effective.

Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin Y. Brown is a National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) Center For Public Trust (CPT) “Being A Difference” award recipient, international speaker, entrepreneur, and author. The former MTV Networks host and NYC fashion marketer has created an international following as a speaker on personal excellence, effective communication, and leadership. Kevin has been featured by Black Enterprise magazine as a “Modern Man of Distinction” and highlighted in various publications for his self-help speaking work and helping students graduate college debt-free. Recognized for his commitment to empowering foster care youth and as a foster care system alumnus, he has also delivered the keynote address at the International Foster Care Organizations Conference in Sydney, Australia and Osaka, Japan. Kevin is currently the creator/host of Sirius XM’s “Create Your Life” series, a fellow in the New York Chapter of the Startup Leadership Program, and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Eric Fondren
Eric Fondren is a mixed bag of skills that includes both hard and soft skills. After obtaining his computer science degree from Morehouse College, Eric spent 3 years on Wall Street learning why it's difficult for large companies to innovate. While working full-time, Eric also went on to obtain his Master's degree in professional counseling.

After his stint on Wall Street, Eric tried his hand with a number of ventures including web design, relationship coaching among other things. All of this experience showed him his true path, which was to build a technology company.

Today, as CEO of ITELLIO (originally branded as FreeATM) Eric has built a large scale ad network that aggregates 9,000 digital screens into a central buying platform.

Insights From the Episode
Strategies for attracting and retaining the right customers for your services.
Benefits of evolving and redefining your clientele to ensure business success and growth.
How to set your business up for success and maintain consistent growth.
Details on the “six-figure follows” system that Eric created and uses to help his customers reach more customers.
Differences between word-of-mouth marketing and content marketing and when to employ each.
Benefits of researching your competition to find what made them successful and what didn’t to improve your own business.

Quotes From the Show
“I feel like quarantine and pivot has been the story of my life.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #175
“Quarantine has really helped me to become laser-focused.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #175
“The product should be catered to the client and if you don’t know who exactly the client should be you can’t build a good company around it.” – Eric Fondren, Create Your Life Series, #175
On client relationships: “Our success is tied to your success.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #175
“I don’t want to help people build a product … I want to help people go from just product development to sales to a consistent managed sales process.” – Eric Fondren, Create Your Life Series, #175
On the “six-figure follows” system: “Why post all day when you can make money all day.” – Eric Fondren, Create Your Life Series, #175
“Real competition means someone doing the exact same thing as you at potentially higher quality and lower prices.” – Eric Fondren, Create Your Life Series, #175
“Don’t recreate the wheel but you can have a different type of wheel and it can be made of something different.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #175
“People nowadays buy because of authenticity and relatability.” – Eric Fondren, Create Your Life Series, #175

Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series

Kevin Y. Brown
Website: www.kevinybrown.com
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown

Eric Fondren
Website: www.itellio.com
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: Eric Fondren

Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify.

This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
31 min
June 23, 2020CYLS 174: Going Beyond Empowerment With Alechia Reese
Episode Summary
In this episode of the Create Your Life Series, Kevin talks with Alechia Reese about how to go beyond empowerment to achieve your goals. Alechia shares how she successfully juggles the management of three business teams and two brands while being a single mother. She also discusses her surprising take on higher education, the biggest challenge she had to overcome, and what’s next on her journey. Whether you're starting a business or want to have better relationships, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways you can immediately employ to transform your own life.

Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin Y. Brown is a National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) Center For Public Trust (CPT) “Being A Difference” award recipient, international speaker, entrepreneur, and author. The former MTV Networks host and NYC fashion marketer has created an international following as a speaker on personal excellence, effective communication, and leadership. Kevin has been featured by Black Enterprise magazine as a “Modern Man of Distinction” and highlighted in various publications for his self-help speaking work and helping students graduate college debt-free. Recognized for his commitment to empowering foster care youth and as a foster care system alumnus, he has also delivered the keynote address at the International Foster Care Organizations Conference in Sydney, Australia and Osaka, Japan. Kevin is currently the creator/host of Sirius XM’s “Create Your Life” series, a fellow in the New York Chapter of the Startup Leadership Program, and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Alechia Reese
Alechia Reese is the chief brand strategist of 360 Gateway Brands, author of the award-winning book, Eating Elephants, former director of PR & creative marketing of Soledad O'Brien's PowHERful Foundation, and the former strategic marketing director of Disney star, Zendaya Coleman’s fashion line, Daya by Zendaya. She specializes in the development of brand identity, strategy and execution. Her clients have been featured in Glamour, on the covers of Cosmo and are regular speakers for Ivy League institutions and the White House, under the Obama administration. Alechia is also a media personality, certified international professional speaker and humanitarian who has hosted and curated award-winning entertainment and corporate activations. As an event curator and coordinator her company has designed events for Art Basel, Miami Fashion Week and a host of other tours and client campaigns. With a master’s degree and ScrumMaster certification Alechia’s skilled, fun and energetic speaking style has afforded her the opportunity to partner with and speak for a myriad of corporations & organizations from the entertainment stage to the corporate boardroom including Bank of America, UPS, the Miami Marlins, Progressive, Grey Goose, Verizon and others.

Honored as a Woman of Power Awardee presented by Bank of America & NABA NYC, her specialty is purpose leadership, millennial leadership development, effective networking and relationship building, and brand and business development. A firm believer in all things positive empowerment and strategic differentiation, you can catch her on a plane near you interviewing some of the most influential & successful world leaders, or hosting some of the most progressive and exclusive events around the globe. Alechia is a domestic violence thriver and she believes beyond empowerment it is necessary to properly equip all people to succeed. Her life's mantra is, "Your life is the sum total of your beliefs - believe greatly!"

Insights From the Episode
Strategies Alechia teaches her daughter to ensure that she can also become the person she wants to be.
Benefits of using solid systems and creating an amazing team to help you achieve your goals.
Details on Alechia’s program to assist businesses in creating programs for remote workers.
Secrets to creating strong relationships with companies and maintaining that relationship.
Benefits of personal development and continual learning on emotional and physical wellness.
How to develop your brand, process and incorporate feedback, and overcome personal challenges.

Quotes From the Show
“Just because I was born into a certain situation does not mean that I have to accept that and make that what it is for the rest of my life. Just because it looks like that now, does not mean it has to look that way for life.” – Alechia Reese, Create Your Life Series, #174
“You are the author of your story. No one else can create it.” – Alechia Reese, Create Your Life Series, #174
“I am just really good at building and developing and then maintaining relationships. I understand it’s not about me, I’m in a position to serve.” – Alechia Reese, Create Your Life Series, #174
“A lot of people get real confused about how to find out what people need and I’m a firm believer in just open your mouth and ask.” – Alechia Reese, Create Your Life Series, #174
“All that degree meant was that I could stick through something and finish it. It doesn’t mean I’m skilled, it doesn’t mean I’m talented, it doesn’t mean I know how to build something, it just means I know how to finish a class.” – Alechia Reese, Create Your Life Series, #174
“I thought the degree would legitimize me and honestly it didn’t. The relationships that I built and the results that I was able to achieve, that legitimized me.” – Alechia Reese, Create Your Life Series, #174
On overcoming obstacles: “That’s when I became a survivor and later I became a thriver.” – Alechia Reese, Create Your Life Series, #174
On sharing the struggles of beginning a business: “That window of time is so important for somebody who might be going through a similar experience.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #174
“Make a decision, this is what I want, this is what I’ll have, and then put in the work to get there.” – Alechia Reese, Create Your Life Series, #174

Resources Mentioned
Women's Business Enterprise National Council
LinkedIn Learning
The Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
The Aladdin Factor by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
International Players Anthem by Underground Kings

Favorite Books
A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
The Aladdin Factor by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

Favorite Quote
“Life is a relationship game, learn how to play it well”

Keys to Create Your Best Life
Make a decision...have few made the decision
Deny everything that doesn’t look like where you are looking to be, or who you are looking to be
Be intentional

Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series

Kevin Y. Brown
Website: www.kevinybrown.com
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown

Alechia Reese
Website: www.alechiareese.com
Instagram: alechiareese
Twitter: alechiareese
Facebook: alechiareese
YouTube: alechiareese
LinkedIn: alechiareese

Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify.

This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
57 min
June 09, 2020CYLS 173: 1 Year Back In America
Episode Summary
In this episode of Create Your Life Series, Kevin reflects on the last twelve months and shares his thoughts on the current events that are changing the world. This episode is real talk on the real impacts of what is happening around us. Kevin talks about his feelings on loss and legacy, how he has been coping, and the books that are helping to shape his approach to life.

Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin Y. Brown is a National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) Center For Public Trust (CPT) “Being A Difference” award recipient, international speaker, entrepreneur, and author. The former MTV Networks host and NYC fashion marketer has created an international following as a speaker on personal excellence, effective communication, and leadership. Kevin has been featured by Black Enterprise magazine as a “Modern Man of Distinction” and highlighted in various publications for his self-help speaking work and helping students graduate college debt-free. Recognized for his commitment to empowering foster care youth and as a foster care system alumnus, he has also delivered the keynote address at the International Foster Care Organizations Conference in Sydney, Australia and Osaka, Japan. Kevin is currently the creator/host of Sirius XM’s “Create Your Life” series, a fellow in the New York Chapter of the Startup Leadership Program, and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Insights From the Episode
The stark differences between travelling across Africa and living in the United States as a black man.
How COVID-19 has personally impacted Kevin and his wish for his audience and the world.
The secrets that he has learned from his experiences especially during the last year.
Strategies for coping and finding balance in troubled times.
How to continue to strive to be better.

Quotes From the Show
On traveling across Africa: “I just never had that heightened level of stress that I have to deal with on a day-to-day basis here in the U.S. [United States]” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #173
“To be honest this is a really stressful reality and one that is even hard to convey to you and it’s something that’s been going on since the beginning of the United States.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #173
“It seems like the world, and the United States, people both white black and people of color are coming together as one in order to talk about the injustice and make a movement.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #173
“For the first time in my life I feel like there might actually be change coming.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #173
“What kind of legacy will you leave behind?” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #173
“Nothing is promised.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #173
“One of the biggest lessons I had to learn was humility, humility, humility.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #173
“I had to understand that I am not the man that I planned to be.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #173
“These twelve books are about wealth creation, mindset, and history and I believe you need all three to be successful in this world.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #173

Recommended Books
Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington
The Power of the subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
Cashflow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki
The Wealth Choice by Dennis Kimbro
Powernomics by Claude Anderson
The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
F.U. Money by Dan Locke

Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series:
https://www.facebook.com/cylseries/
https://www.instagram.com/cylseries/

Kevin Y. Brown:
www.kevinybrown.com
www.instagram.com/kevinybrown
www.twitter.com/kevinybrown
www.facebook.com/kevbrown001

Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify.

This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
20 min
January 21, 2020CYLS 172: Renewable Energy Goals with Benoy Thanjan
Episode Summary
This episode of Create Your Life Series will motivate you to make and keep your resolutions this year. Kevin talks with Benoy Thanjan, owner of Reneu Energy, about his path to entrepreneurship in the solar energy industry and his passion project, the Solar Maverick podcast. Benoy and Kevin look back on their journeys over the past year and discuss what it takes to be successful in entrepreneurship, podcasting, and life.

Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin Y. Brown is a National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) Center For Public Trust (CPT) “Being A Difference” award recipient, international speaker, entrepreneur, and author. The former MTV Networks host and NYC fashion marketer has created an international following as a speaker on personal excellence, effective communication, and leadership. Kevin has been featured by Black Enterprise magazine as a “Modern Man of Distinction” and highlighted in various publications for his self-help speaking work and helping students graduate college debt-free. Recognized for his commitment to empowering foster care youth and as a foster care system alumnus, he has also delivered the keynote address at the International Foster Care Organizations Conference in Sydney, Australia and Osaka, Japan. Kevin is currently the creator/host of Sirius XM’s “Create Your Life” series, a fellow in the New York Chapter of the Startup Leadership Program, and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Benoy Thanjan
Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, as well as an advisor for several solar startup companies. Reneu Energy is a premier international solar energy consulting firm and developer, and the company focuses on developing commercial and industrial solar, as well as utility-scale solar plus storage projects. The company also sources financing for solar projects and hedges both energy and environmental commodities. Reneu Energy has brokered $27 million in environmental commodity transactions.

Benoy received his first experience in Finance as an intern at D.E. Shaw & Co., which is a global investment firm with 37 billion dollars in investment capital. Before founding Reneu Energy, he was the SREC Trader in the Project Finance Group for SolarCity, which merged with Tesla in 2016. He originated SREC trades with buyers and co-developed their SREC monetization and hedging strategy with the senior management of SolarCity, to move into the east coast markets. Benoy also worked at Vanguard Energy Partners, Ridgewood Renewable Power, and Deloitte & Touche.

Insights From the Episode
Details on Reneu Energy, how the company became involved with Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs), and how states are employing them to incentivize solar development.
How to create a more eco-friendly lifestyle on a daily basis and incorporate renewable energy into any household.
Strategies on goal-setting, forming a work plan, and taking action steps to attain those goals.
How to create a successful podcast in a niche market, facing challenges, and making your own opportunities.
Details on how Benoy and Kevin became podcasters and what that process has taught them.

Quotes From the Show
“My first background in energy was at Deloitte & Touch and then I knew that renewable energy sustainability was my passion.” – Benoy Thanjan, Create Your Life Series, #172
“There’s a lot of exciting things that are happening with the (renewable energy) industry, specifically related to solar.” – Benoy Thanjan, Create Your Life Series, #172
On having a renewable lifestyle: “There’s the Three R’s that we could all incorporate into our whole lifestyle, which is Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.” – Benoy Thanjan, Create Your Life Series, #172
On what it takes to become an entrepreneur: “A lot of time, in pursuit of running your own company, it takes a while.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #172
On entrepreneurship: “It’s not easy to just go (out) and then suddenly start a company and take that leap, it definitely takes time.” – Benoy Thanjan, Create Your Life Series, #172
On attaining goals: “Every day I come up with a task list… of what are the biggest things that are going to move the needle to get me closer to my goals.” – Benoy Thanjan, Create Your Life Series, #172
On making Solar Maverick: “It’s important to take the feedback that you get from the podcast but it’s also important to be what you wanted the show to be about.” – Benoy Thanjan, Create Your Life Series, #172
On listening to Solar Maverick: “Solar is here to stay and it is something that is becoming bigger and bigger and more a part of our daily lives and with that, we need to be informed and that’s why I tune in to the Solar Maverick podcast” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #172
On Kevin creating the Create Your Life Series: “It was being a professional speaker and I wanted a way to engage with my listeners and audience members on a continuous basis.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #172
On what Kevin has learned through his guests on the Create Your Life Series: “You have to be bold and authentic and actually be doing what it is that aligns with you.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #172

Resources Mentioned
Solar Maverick with Benoy Thanjan
Create Your Life Series: Episode 134 with Kevin Y. Brown
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

Favorite Book
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

Favorite Quote
“God, grant me to serenity to accept the things that I can’t change, and the wisdom to know the difference” - Reinhold Niebuhr

Keys to Create Your Best Life
Be in the present moment, don’t think about the past and future
Take a lot of action to get your goals done
Be positive throughout the process

Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
https://www.facebook.com/cylseries/
https://www.instagram.com/cylseries/

Kevin Y. Brown
www.kevinybrown.com
www.instagram.com/kevinybrown
www.twitter.com/kevinybrown
www.facebook.com/kevbrown001

Benoy Thanjan
www.reneuenergy.com
www.instagram.com/benoit0212
www.linkedin.com/in/bthanjan/

Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify.

This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
35 min
January 07, 2020 CYLS 171: Welcome Back 2020
18 min
May 21, 2019CYLS 170: Be The Best That You Can Be In Your Own Lane with Yvonne McNair
Episode Summary
Yvonne talks about her entrepreneurial journey, sharing how she used her experiences and her education to become a go-to special event producer in the music industry. She shares inspiration and strategies for navigating negative feedback and holding her own in an industry where women of color are minorities. She also talks about the importance of the behind-the-scenes movers and shakers in all industries: how to value them and how fulfilling a job in that role can be.

Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin Y. Brown is a National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) Center For Public Trust (CPT) “Being A Difference” award recipient, international speaker, entrepreneur, and author. The former MTV Networks host and NYC fashion marketer has created an international following as a speaker on personal excellence, effective communication, and leadership. Kevin has been featured by Black Enterprise magazine as a “Modern Man of Distinction” and highlighted in various publications for his self-help speaking work and helping students graduate college debt-free. Recognized for his commitment to empowering foster care youth and as a foster care system alumnus, he has also delivered the keynote address at the International Foster Care Organizations Conference in Sydney, Australia and Osaka, Japan. Kevin is currently the creator/host of Sirius XM’s “Create Your Life” series, a fellow in the New York Chapter of the Startup Leadership Program, and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Yvonne McNair
Yvonne McNair is CEO of Captivate Marketing Group. She is a certified and Emmy-nominated special events producer and entertainment marketing professional. She was mentored by Esther Gordy Edwards, Berry’s Gordon’s sister and the creator of Motown Museum. At 22, she was featured on the cover of Crain magazine as someone to watch in the industry. Today, she has 20 years and over 10,000 events under her belt. She has worked with artists big and small, including working with Prince as well as top media companies including the Sundance Film Festival and MTV, among others.

Insights From the Episode
Strategies for continuing to innovate and evolve with your craft
Strategies for cultivating and sustaining relationships
How to play the long game when securing clients
Secrets to mastering your craft
How to show your gratitude for the people in your corner
Strategies for pushing past introversion to network successfully
Strategies for retaining clients year over year

Quotes From the Show
“I wanted to have all those same credentials so there was nothing holding me back.” - Yvonne McNair, Create Your Life Series, #170
On developing strong relationships with clients: “When I’m working with artists, I’m not just gonna hit you up when you’re high.” - Yvonne McNair, Create Your Life Series, #170
“I’m the go-to person when people want something a little different. I compete against myself. I want to do better than the last event.” - Yvonne McNair, Create Your Life Series, #170
“There are so many things I learned from grad school that I use every day.” - Yvonne McNair, Create Your Life Series, #170
On navigating negative feedback: “I just shake it off. I feel that I’m really strong and I feel that there’s nothing I can’t handle or do, so you know just having strength and believing in yourself.” - Yvonne McNair, Create Your Life Series, #170
“I try to go with how a person makes me feel – instinct. If I’m gonna partner with you we gotta both be bringing something to the table.” - Yvonne McNair, Create Your Life Series, #170
“Be the best that you can be in your own lane” - Kevin Y Brown, Create Your Life Series, #170
On rebuilding her business after moving to New York: “I had to really have the confidence in myself. I had to have a long talk with myself.” - Yvonne McNair, Create Your Life Series, #170
“I think it’s so important, especially with things that go on in the world, I’ve lost a couple very close friends – they’ve passed away – so I want my friends to know I love them and I appreciate them because you just never know.” - Yvonne McNair, Create Your Life Series, #170
“A plan is not a plan until you write it down.” - Yvonne McNair, Create Your Life Series, #170
“You only have one time, in fact you might have half a time to show me who you are before I believe it. That doesn’t mean that I’m through with you, but I might reposition you.” - Yvonne McNair, Create Your Life Series, #170

Resources Mentioned
Keynote

Favorite Book
The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

Favorite Quote
“When people show you who they are, believe them.” - Maya Angelou

Keys to Create Your Best Life
Persistence
Step out of your comfort zone
Be a risk taker

Stay Connected
Show Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/cylseries/
https://www.instagram.com/cylseries/

Kevin Y Brown
www.kevinybrown.com
www.instagram.com/kevinybrown
www.twitter.com/kevinybrown
www.facebook.com/kevbrown001

Yvonne NcNair
www.instagram.com/ymcnairasiseeit
https://twitter.com/ymcnair
www.captivatemarketinggroup.com

Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify.

This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
52 min
May 14, 2019CYLS 169: Redefining the College to Career Pipeline with Dr. Cherise Bernard
Episode Summary
Cherise talks about her educational experience and her pivot from the biomedical field to media and technology through working for Spotify. She describes how her passions and experiences came to coalesce around her current job, and why she finds it fulfilling to work at Spotify and with students and universities.

Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin Y. Brown is a National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) Center For Public Trust (CPT) “Being A Difference” award recipient, international speaker, entrepreneur, and author. The former MTV Networks host and NYC fashion marketer has created an international following as a speaker on personal excellence, effective communication, and leadership. Kevin has been featured by Black Enterprise magazine as a “Modern Man of Distinction” and highlighted in various publications for his self-help speaking work and helping students graduate college debt-free. Recognized for his commitment to empowering foster care youth and as a foster care system alumnus, he has also delivered the keynote address at the International Foster Care Organizations Conference in Sydney, Australia and Osaka, Japan. Kevin is currently the creator/host of Sirius XM’s “Create Your Life” series, a fellow in the New York Chapter of the Startup Leadership Program, and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Cherise Bernard
Cherise Bernard is a senior talent acquisition partner at Spotify, overseeing the outreach strategy and management for all undergraduate business, MBA, and PhD research internships in the United States, Canada and South America, especially those with a focus on diversity initiatives. She also leads the creation of Spotify’s new academic relations division with the goal of initiating and managing partnerships between spotify and us universities to amplify research in artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing for new product development. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Spelman College, an MBA from Rutgers University and a PhD from Rutgers in cellular and molecular pharmacology.

Insights From the Episode
How having a spiritual anchor can offer support in your life
Strategies for showing up every day in the midst of grief and hard times
How to use self reflection in your work life
How to use your strengths and experiences to make you flexible along your career path
Strategies for securing internships as a student
Secrets to becoming your best self
Strategies to taking initiative of programs at work to new levels

Quotes From the Show
Something Cherise took away from her experience at an HBCU: “We [African Americans] can do more than what was originally slated for us.” - Cherise Bernard, Create Your Life Series, 170
“Learn how to be flexible in terms of how you communicate with people.” - Cherise Bernard, Create Your Life Series, 170
“Be careful how you present yourself to the outside world because it matters.” - Cherise Bernard, Create Your Life Series, 170
On what she took from her PhD experience: “Really how to own something and lead it out on your own is really what I took from that whole experience which is I think the most valuable thing ever.” - Cherise Bernard, Create Your Life Series, 170
“If we were aware of the whole staircase, we wouldn’t want to take any steps, because it would be scary. I’m a person who focuses on one step at a time.” - Cherise Bernard, Create Your Life Series, 170
“Follow your internal compass and be ready for that next step even when you don’t know what it is.” - Kevin Y Brown, Create Your Life Series, #170
“I really love engaging with students because of their hope.” - Cherise Bernard, Create Your Life Series, 170
“You don’t have to be in control to make greatness happen. When you are great it just happens for you and with you when it’s supposed to.” - Kevin Y Brown, Create Your Life Series, #170
“Traveling, seeing the world, learning other cultures is creating your best life.” - Cherise Bernard, Create Your Life Series, 170
“What motivates me is the fact that it’s bigger than me.” - Kevin Y Brown, Create Your Life Series, #170

Resources Mentioned
Budget app through Bank of America

Favorite Book
The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer

Favorite Quote
Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” - Maya Angelou

Keys to Create Your Best Life
   Focus on self love; make loving yourself a priority
   Get used to change
   Become okay with forgiving yourself often

Stay Connected
Show Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/cylseries/
https://www.instagram.com/cylseries/

Kevin Y Brown
www.kevinybrown.com
www.instagram.com/kevinybrown
www.twitter.com/kevinybrown
www.facebook.com/kevbrown001

Cherise Bernard
www.cherisebernardphd.com
https://twitter.com/drCBernard1
www.instagram.com/docshortcut

Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify.

This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
41 min
May 07, 2019CYLS 168: Redefining Her Quest - Insight into the life of America’s money maven with Patrice Washington
Episode Summary
Patrice shares her financial and emotional intelligence, telling her story of redefining her quest for money into a quest for purpose. She speaks with compassion for herself – speaking honestly about the challenges she has overcome – and compassion for others in their own journeys to find purpose and financial stability.

Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin Y. Brown is a National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) Center For Public Trust (CPT) “Being A Difference” award recipient, international speaker, entrepreneur, and author. The former MTV Networks host and NYC fashion marketer has created an international following as a speaker on personal excellence, effective communication, and leadership. Kevin has been featured by Black Enterprise magazine as a “Modern Man of Distinction” and highlighted in various publications for his self-help speaking work and helping students graduate college debt-free. Recognized for his commitment to empowering foster care youth and as a foster care system alumnus, he has also delivered the keynote address at the International Foster Care Organizations Conference in Sydney, Australia and Osaka, Japan. Kevin is currently the creator/host of Sirius XM’s “Create Your Life” series, a fellow in the New York Chapter of the Startup Leadership Program, and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Patrice Washington
Patrice Washington is an award-winning author, personal finance coach, inspiring public speaker and media personality. She is known as “America’s Money Maven,” she is the host of the Redefining Wealth Podcast and she founded the Earn More Money Movement for Women. Her podcast was placed on Forbes’ list of 15 inspiring podcasts for professionals of every stripe. She is also a mom and a wife and an excellent scrapbooker.

Insights From the Episode
How to evaluate your money patterns and habits in order to change them
How to start saving money by aligning yourself with your purpose
Secrets to listening to your heart even when you’re broke
Strategies for upholding your relationships in the midst of tough financial times
How to create harmony in your life by respecting your important relationships
Strategies for cultivating understanding
Strategies for organizing your goals

Quotes From the Show
“Every time it does get hard, I remind myself that I am blessed to be a blessing.” - Patrice Washington, Create Your Life Series, #168
“I’ve always believed that becoming wealthy has nothing to do with money and everything do to with mindset.” - Patrice Washington, Create Your Life Series, #168
“I don’t believe you can recondition what you’re not gonna recognize.” - Patrice Washington, Create Your Life Series, #168
“Seventy to 80 percent of my audience, even though they were making good money, they were not working in their purpose, therefore they were so unfulfilled that they were using all these other things to cope. Or they were using all these other things to fill the void that’s created when you’re not working or living in your purpose.” - Patrice Washington, Create Your Life Series, #168
On maintaining a healthy relationship through tough times: “I think the foundation of that is he was my best friend before he was my boyfriend so he is my friend friend.” - Patrice Washington, Create Your Life Series, #168
On raising her daughter and cultivating harmony in her life: “It was important to me that she knew that it was possible, that she knew she would never have to grow up and make the choice between I am I going to be a mother or am I going to be a businesswoman or professional.” - Patrice Washington, Create Your Life Series, #168
“If it don’t feel right it’s probably not right.” - Patrice Washington, Create Your Life Series, #168
On seeking therapy: “Going to sit on somebody’s couch I think saved my destiny.” - Patrice Washington, Create Your Life Series, #168
“I do not believe that I could be who I am today had i not gotten the help for the childhood trauma that I experienced.” - Patrice Washington, Create Your Life Series, #168
“I’m not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s okay.” - Patrice Washington, Create Your Life Series, #168

Resources Mentioned
Google calendar

Favorite Quote
Her motto: “I am who I say I am.”

Favorite Book
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Ecker

Keys to Create Your Best Life:
Chase purpose not money
You have the power to define wealth as whatever you see it as
Make it a point to create relationships that matter - everything that you need, if it’s not within your reach, you know someone who can get you there.

Stay Connected
Show Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/cylseries/
https://www.instagram.com/cylseries/

Kevin Y Brown
www.kevinybrown.com
www.instagram.com/kevinybrown
www.twitter.com/kevinybrown
www.facebook.com/kevbrown001

Patrice Washington
www.patricewashington.com
www.instagram.com/seekwisdompcw
Redefining wealth podcast: www.patricewashington.com/listen and wherever you listen to podcasts!

Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify.

This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
55 min
April 30, 2019CYLS 167: Find A Way Or Make One with Jeremy Christian
Episode Summary
This episode sounds like two friends catching up. It is a beautifully honest conversation between two entrepreneurs full of mutual respect. Jeremy shares his story of leaving a lucrative contract as a rapper to pursue passions closer to his heart. He talks about starting over and his grind to secure a place in the L.A. comedy world. He also talks about his passion for self care and his firm belief in the importance of validating your mental health and wellbeing.

Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin Y. Brown is a National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) Center For Public Trust (CPT) “Being A Difference” award recipient, international speaker, entrepreneur, and author. The former MTV Networks host and NYC fashion marketer has created an international following as a speaker on personal excellence, effective communication, and leadership. Kevin has been featured by Black Enterprise magazine as a “Modern Man of Distinction” and highlighted in various publications for his self-help speaking work and helping students graduate college debt-free. Recognized for his commitment to empowering foster care youth and as a foster care system alumnus, he has also delivered the keynote address at the International Foster Care Organizations Conference in Sydney, Australia and Osaka, Japan. Kevin is currently the creator/host of Sirius XM’s “Create Your Life” series, a fellow in the New York Chapter of the Startup Leadership Program, and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Jeremy Christian
Jeremy Christian is a rapper and musician turned actor and comedian. He currently writes, acts and produces for MTV’s WILD ‘N OUT show. He also helps create and run shows at Let’s Be Honest Comedy and hosts, performs and produces shows at The Comedy Store. He has a degree in television and film communication from Clark Atlanta University. He is also a dad, and says his daughter is his biggest source of motivation.

Insights From the Episode
How to use the resources available to you to make it happen
How to stick with it when you have to start over
Strategies to push past stress and find yourself
Strategies for prioritizing your mental health, your needs and your goals

Quotes From the Show
On working at a Hallmark store when he first moved to LA: “Everything I did I took pride in, because I was like if I’m gonna be here, I’m gonna be here. If I’m gonna sell cards, I’m gonna be the best at selling cards.” - Jeremy Christian, Create Your Life Series, #167
“I really just stopped thinking about everybody else and started working on my own stuff.” - Jeremy Christian, Create Your Life Series, #167
On self care: “As long as I take care of that core, I think everything else is good.” - Jeremy Christian, Create Your Life Series, #167
“I had to dig up a lot of that stuff in order to really move forward and get that weight off my shoulders I didn’t even realize was there.” - Jeremy Christian, Create Your Life Series, #167
On the power of sharing personal stories and experiences: “Even though you know that these stories happen, you feel like you’re going through it by yourself until you share the same stories.” - Jeremy Christian, Create Your Life Series, #167
On his life outlook: “I just want to be able to look back and say, ‘well done.’” - Jeremy Christian, Create Your Life Series, #167

Resources Mentioned
Final Cut
Final Draft

Favorite Book
48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

Favorite Quote
Gumbo’s motto: “Find a way or make one.”

Keys to Create Your Best Life:
    Look into yourself, do some soul searching and figure out what is true for you
    Know what it is that you want, but also be open minded about how you’re going to get there
    Be a good person and be kind

Stay Connected
Show Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/cylseries/
https://www.instagram.com/cylseries/

Kevin Y Brown
www.kevinybrown.com
www.instagram.com/kevinybrown
www.twitter.com/kevinybrown
www.facebook.com/kevbrown001

Jeremy Christian
www.instagram.com/heyitsgumbo
https://twitter.com/HeyItsGumbo

Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify.

This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
48 min

About Create Your Life Series

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