Jas Kirk Comfortable Conversations

There's a real math to getting sponsored, and it has nothing to do with luck. In this episode of Comfortable Conversations, host Jas Kirk sits down with Imani Maatuka, an entrepreneur who has never once built something on instinct alone, to break down how a thousand no's became the two yeses that funded her first business, and why she believes passion without a plan is the number one reason businesses fail before they even launch.

Imani Maatuka is a corporate litigation attorney with a JD from Washington University School of Law, a former public relations firm founder, and the co-founder of Bridging the Gap Scholarship, an initiative expanding access to corporate law careers for students of color. That law-and-PR combination is exactly why she thinks in business cases instead of good intentions, and it's the throughline behind everything she's built.What you'll walk away with: how to build a business case a brand or investor can actually say yes to, how to identify your real target audience before you ever ask for money, and the planning process she runs before any pitch, ask, or business idea.This is also the first time the show has ever filmed inside a guest's home, an art-gallery-inspired space that sets the tone for a wider conversation about faith, rejection, and building something real.

Timestamps

00:00 The power of a name

00:32 Welcome to Comfortable Conversations

02:09 Inside her first big girl home

04:08 The discomfort that shaped her

07:57 Fear of failure as fuel

10:02 Firstborn daughter syndrome

15:04 The branding shift that gets brands to say yes

21:12 What "I am Faith" really means

27:33 The planning process before any pitch

36:19 The exact pitch that turned 1,000 no's into 2 yeses

41:28 The power of lateral networking

44:05 The illusion of choice in law school

50:07 The loss she still carries

New episodes of Comfortable Conversations drop weekly on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. If this one gave you something to think about, subscribe, it's the easiest way to make sure the next conversation finds you.

Why going to therapy has become the ultimate green flag in modern dating, and what it actually takes to set boundaries and build real community once you've done the work. In this episode, Jas Kirk sits down for a second time with Jettana Okoye, LCSW, licensed clinician, health and wellness coach, and founder of J. Okoye Wellness for an honest conversation about what it actually takes to go from aware to healing.They break down why 81% of Americans recognize the importance of mental health, yet 52.6% have never tried therapy or psychiatry and why the real barrier isn't information, it's social permission. From there, the conversation moves through the alarming statistics around men's mental health and how they are the least likely to seek help, why always being the "repair person" in your relationships is a quiet form of self-abandonment, and why therapy attendance has become a green flag in dating, while daily dating app use is linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression.

In this episode:

• Why therapy is becoming a "green flag" — and what that shift says about where we're headed
• Social permission vs. awareness: the real reason people don't seek help
• Men, masculinity, and breaking the stigma around vulnerability
• Self-abandonment: why always being the one to repair the relationship is exhausting you
• Boundaries, distance without shame, and choosing yourself without guilt'
• Dating apps, anxiety, and building real community instead of chasing the next milestone
• Reframing therapy as a mirror and a relationship, not a fix
• When outpatient therapy isn't enough and why higher levels of care don't mean "crazy"

Jas Kirk sits down with global fitness leader and Nike Master Trainer alum Betina Gozo Shimonek for a vulnerable conversation on faith, identity, motherhood, postpartum and the versions of ourselves that discomfort shapes. They explore the wellness topics that often go unspoken, from cultural identity to spiritual grounding to the strength required to reinvent yourself. A powerful episode for anyone navigating change, purpose, or personal growth.

What does it mean to build your dream home—with intention? In this Comfortable Conversation, Jas Kirk is joined by Aala Buisier, visionary architect and partner at Buisier Development, whose Mediterranean-inspired approach to luxury has reimagined what sanctuary feels like in Dallas and beyond.

Rooted in her Libyan heritage, Aala’s work transforms architecture into art and homes into spaces that heal. But behind the success lies a deeper story—the discomfort that shaped her, the identity she refused to hide, and the discipline required to protect a vision built on soul.

Together they talk about:

💭 The power of honoring where you come from.

💭 What it takes to stay grounded when building big dreams.💭 Why stillness is just as important as ambition.

💭 And how true luxury begins with intention.

You’ll walk away from this conversation reminded that the homes we build — and the lives we shape — are both reflections of the same thing: who we’re becoming. The home you build should feel like peace.

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In this episode of Comfortable Conversations, Jas Kirk sits down with Kimberly Y. Evans — CEO of Purposed Consulting, Executive VP at Five Rings Financial, and a powerhouse in economic development, strategy, and purpose-driven leadership.

Together, they explore what it truly means to get unstuck — in life, business, and belief. Kimberly opens up about the valley moments that shaped her growth, how faith and strategy can coexist, and why saying yes and no with intention can change everything.From redefining wealth and purpose to learning how to receive help and be honest about where we are, this conversation is an invitation to slow down, reflect, and ask: How does this serve me?

✨ Topics We Explore:

The power of mentorship, accountability, and alignment

Planning your life with purpose — not pressure

Finding light in the valley and sharing your story

Balancing faith and fear when pursuing your next destination

Allowing yourself to have fun and still move with strategy

Why purpose is meant to be shared, not duplicated

This one’s for anyone standing at the edge of change, wondering what’s next. Kimberly reminds us that growth requires willingness — the willingness to plan differently, receive help, and allow yourself to become who you were always meant to be.

🎧 Listen in and let this conversation help you find your own rhythm of faith, purpose, and becoming.

Join us for a straight-up, powerful chat with Dr. Brian Nwannunu, an orthopedic surgeon who embodies Black Excellence. A proud graduate of Morehouse College and Howard University College of Medicine, Dr. Nwannunu’s story is about building a professional life that truly matters.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to be "Built Different": Why the HBCU environment is the ultimate proving ground that prepares you to thrive—and not just survive—in any professional space.

• The Power of Identity: How Dr. Nwannunu turned being an "othered" Nigerian-American kid into his greatest strength, giving him the resilience to navigate microaggressions in medicine.

• Legacy Over Validation: The honest lesson he learned about stopping the chase for outside approval and rooting his belonging in his own values.

• Your Blueprint for Impact: The discipline and mindset behind a 20-year career that’s dedicated to excellence and expanding representation in healthcare.

This conversation is for anyone seeking to turn their unique background into a powerful legacy. Don't miss this one.

In this episode of Comfortable Conversations, Dr. Michelle Rankine Jamaican-born entrepreneur, Ph.D., and owner of multiple Right at Home and Fastest Labs franchises joins Jas Kirk where they talk about moments when being strong isn’t enough.Dr. Michelle Rankine shares what it really means to care for others and how none of us are meant to carry it all alone. Through her story of becoming a caregiver for her brother and now leading a business that supports families through their hardest seasons, we explore the bigger picture: we all need care, community, and spaces that pour back into us.

You’ll walk away with perspective on how to ask for help, receive support, and rebuild your strength without guilt. Healing is a never a solo act, it’s something we do together.

This episode is a free therapy session for everyone caught in the cycle of perfectionism and burnout. Therapist Jettana Okoye (J Okoye Wellness) sits down with Jas Kirk and unpacks the core fear driving the "must-be-perfect" mindset. We explore how to set kind boundaries, shift to self-compassion, and finally accept that discomfort is the path to authenticity, not proof of failure. Start your journey to true mental wellness and resilience now. 

This episode is about shifting your mindset — and while the lesson applies to everyone, in business it shows up most clearly in the difference between an employee mindset and a CEO mindset.

I’m joined by Zhanna Blazej, a strategist and CEO who has built her career helping entrepreneurs create sustainable businesses rooted in strategy, clarity, and boundaries. For Zhanna, motherhood was the catalyst that forced her to evolve — her son’s existence required her to stop running her business on poor boundaries and start making decisions that were truly worth her time.

Together, we unpack what it means to separate who you are from what your business produces, why emotions often keep people stuck, and how the CEO mindset allows you to lead with intention instead of burnout.

In this episode of Comfortable Conversations, NFL star Matt Judon sits down to talk about life far beyond the game. We explore the discomforts that shaped him, the role of faith in his journey, and what fatherhood has brought into his life.Matt shares candidly about mental health, and what it means to be intentional with what you bring to your friends versus what you bring to your therapist or support system because not everyone can hold the same weight.

We talk about how he protects his peace in a career built on pressure, the routines that keep him grounded, and the vision he’s carrying for the future. It’s about being present, knowing where to place your trust, and choosing intentional living in every arena of life.