In The Know with Tony Reeves

I had a college degree, military training ahead of me, and a summer job lined up. What I didn’t have was enough money to bridge the gap.

That’s how I ended up selling credit card add-on plans over the phone, catching a 6:30 a.m. bus, and stretching my graduation money while waiting for my next opportunity to begin.

In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I share the short-lived telemarketing job that rarely makes it into my career story—and why it deserves a place there.

Sometimes a job serves one essential purpose: helping you get through the weeks before your next step. Have you ever taken a job simply because you needed to make ends meet?Explore my books and more at https://linktr.ee/mynameisreeves.

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You can love where you come from and still want to discover who you might become somewhere else.

When I left Pine Bluff, Arkansas, for the University of Tampa, I wanted to see more of the world. By graduation, that desire had become a determination to stay in Florida—even without a permanent job or a clear plan.

In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I reflect on the experiences that expanded my outlook, my mother’s hope that I would return home, and why staying felt like the right choice for me.

Have you ever felt torn between returning home and building a life somewhere new? This conversation is for you.Explore my books and more at https://linktr.ee/mynameisreeves.

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It is so important to remember that when we celebrate young people who have graduated from a structured environment like school, they may not be ready to move into an unstructured environment like living on their own. Take the time ask how you can help them make the next moves In their life.

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December 1987. Finals were over, Christmas break was here, and my friend John and I couldn’t wait to leave Tampa and head home to Arkansas.

There was just one problem: we were both exhausted.

But at 18, we convinced ourselves that swapping drivers and catching a little sleep along the way would be enough. We also left in shorts and T-shirts—as if that Florida warmth would follow us all the way home.

Then came a stop at my dad’s place in Mississippi. We wanted rest. He wanted help getting a Christmas tree.

In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I look back at my first drive home from college: the excitement, the poor judgment, the unexpected family detour, and the lessons I can appreciate much more clearly now.

We made it safely, but looking back, we should have rested before we ever got on the road.What’s a road-trip decision you can laugh about now—but would never repeat?

Follow IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves for more Black Gen X stories, reflections, and lessons learned along the way. Share this episode with that friend who still remembers your first road trip together.

For more reflections on the experiences behind the miles, explore my e-book, Traveling While Black Gen X, through AnthonyReeves.com.



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A map could show my best friend how to reach me in North Carolina. But there were things about that overnight drive I wanted him to understand before he left.

It was the mid-1990s. I was stationed at Camp Lejeune, and he was coming up from Tampa. When he decided to take the backroads instead of my suggested route, our conversation became about more than directions.

Closed gas stations. Small towns after midnight. Sudden speed-limit changes. No cell phones to check in. And the concerns I carried as a Black man who grew up navigating the South.

He arrived safely—but one of the first things he told me was, “I need you never to let me make that drive again.

”In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I reflect on friendship, Black Gen X road-trip memories, and why knowing the route and understanding the places along it can be two different things.What travel advice did someone give you that made sense only after you experienced the trip yourself?

If this story brought back memories, share this episode with someone who remembers road trips before GPS, and follow IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves for more stories and reflections.

For more of my perspective on navigating the road as a Black Gen Xer, explore Traveling While Black Gen X through my store at AnthonyReeves.com.


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I thought I knew what mattered in a job: a salary, benefits, and an opportunity to grow. Then my first professional job taught me something I hadn’t considered—I needed variety to stay energized.I thought I knew what mattered in a job: a salary, benefits, and an opportunity to grow. Then my first professional job taught me something I hadn’t considered—I needed variety to stay energized.

In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I reflect on how trips to field offices and workplaces across Florida helped me discover the importance of breaking up my routine. Meeting different people, seeing new environments, and getting out of the office changed how I understood what I needed from my work.

Sometimes, you don’t discover what matters to you until you experience it. This is a personal reflection on career satisfaction, self-discovery, and paying attention to the parts of your job that make you feel engaged.

Call to Action
What did a job teach you about yourself that a paycheck couldn’t? Share your experience, send this episode to someone considering their next career move, and explore more of my podcasts, reflections, and books at AnthonyReeves.com⁠.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves--5596987/support.

Sometimes, confidence begins with someone giving you a chance to do something you’ve never done.

In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I reflect on an assignment from my first professional job in 1992. My supervisor asked for a training blueprint. I spent the weekend teaching myself unfamiliar software and building the entire program. What stayed with me wasn’t just what I created. It was the trust he placed in me—and the freedom he gave me to figure it out. That experience helped me recognize my ability to take initiative, learn as I went, and create something from scratch. Join me for a personal reflection on leadership, autonomy, and how someone else’s belief in you can help you begin believing in yourself.

Call to Action
Who trusted you with an opportunity before you felt ready—and how did it change you? Share your story in the comments, send this episode to someone who believed in you, and follow IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves for more reflections on work, life, and personal growth.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves--5596987/support.

Moving to Tallahassee for my first professional job meant leaving behind a world where people knew me. Suddenly, I was in a new city with no established circle—and little understanding of how to build one.
In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I reflect on why that first year produced no lasting friendships, the invitations I struggled to connect with, and the weekends I spent returning to familiar places. That experience shaped how I approached every move afterward. It taught me to think about the relationships, community, and sense of belonging I needed to build a life alongside my career.

Continue the reflection:
Starting over can leave you somewhere between the life you knew and the one you’re still learning to imagine. If that sounds familiar, I invite you to read my short memoir, Fresh Start: Sometimes You Don’t Know You’ve Started Over Until You’re Already There.

👉 Get your copy of Fresh Start

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I had a college degree, my first professional job, and an apartment in Tallahassee. What I didn’t have was a bed—or the understanding that asking for help was still an option.
In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I revisit the days of televisions on the floor, bare rooms, and the belief that being a grown-up meant figuring everything out myself. Looking back, I recognize how much that belief affected my quality of life. It’s a personal reflection on independence, accepting support, and helping the next generation build a foundation that includes more than a job and a place to live.

Continue the reflection:
Have you ever been so focused on handling a new chapter that you barely noticed how much your life had changed? Explore my short memoir, Fresh Start: Sometimes You Don’t Know You’ve Started Over Until You’re Already There.
👉 Get your copy of Fresh Start

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves--5596987/support.

In 1999, I walked into a karate school in Tallahassee looking for a place to train. What made me stay was the person teaching there.

In this episode, I share why I chose Master Anne, how she challenged me as a martial artist and a leader, and what it meant to have someone see qualities in me that I had not yet recognized in myself. More than 26 years later, her guidance is still part of my journey.

Has a teacher or mentor ever seen something in you before you could see it yourself? Tell me about them.Master Anne’s guidance also played a part in my return to competition later in life. I share more of that journey in Back on the Mat at 56: Rediscovering Strength, Purpose, and the Fight Within: https://mynameisreeves-shop.fourthwall.com/products/back-on-the-mat-at-56-rediscovering-strength-purpose-and-the-fight-within


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