Careshia Moore is an attorney, educator and most currently, President & CEO for Usher’s New Look, a non-profit established by singer Usher Raymond that transforms the lives of under-resourced youth from middle school through college.

As an advocate and educator who has a heart for inspiring others to reach their potential, she mentors leaders, facilitates workshops, designs educational products and connects people with others and opportunities to promote personal success through education. 

Originally from Miami, Florida, Careshia earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education and Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida. You can read her thoughts and experiences regarding education, parenting and success on her blog Compete to Succeed.

A few topics Careshia discusses:

1. Her belief that everyone will be where they’re supposed to be in life. She shares her winding journey to leading a non-profit which included working for the organization as a volunteer and on a part-time basis before being hired full-time.

2. How having talents and gifts will open up doors for you to make money

 3. Why one must act when ideas come to them (She credits the book Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert for teaching her this lesson.)

4. How to navigate imposter syndrome (She recommends and has her son reading Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everyone Else by Geoff Colvin.)

 5. How to establish a career in the non-profit sector

Connect with Careshia!

• Website for Usher’s New Look: http://ushersnewlook.org/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @CareshiaMoore
• Twitter: @CareshiaMoore

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Produced by Ken Inge of Dead End Hip Hop

 

Dr. Charles Thomas Jr. is a multi-award-winning social entrepreneur, educator, best-selling author, on-air personality, and Concerned Citizen™. In the public sector, Charles serves as CEO of Clear Cloud, a software engineering organization focused on development, data science, and delivery. Within the non-profit sector, he has served as Chairman of the Board for OAR Nova and currently serves on the executive team at Shelter House, teaches life skills classes to men who are incarcerated and preparing for re-entry to society, and volunteers for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students.

A few topics Charles discusses:

1. Lessons he learned as a walk-on to the basketball team at the University of Notre Dame

2. His perspective on networking vs alliance management. Charles describes networking as more transactional while alliance management focuses on building genuine alliances with others.

3. How everyone, even if you aren’t aware of it, is impacted by office politics in a work environment and how to best navigate them. This is critical for young professionals to know as this is rarely discussed openly with new employees; you have to pick up on the unspoken rules and power dynamics on your own.

Connect with Charles at https://charlesthomasjr.com/!

Check out his books:

• Best Kept Secrets: From Invisible Walk-ons to Life Champions
• Breakthrough: Stories of Resilience, Tragedy, and Triumph
• Leading Through Difficulty: The Darker Side of Workplace Behavior
• Scares, Exile, & Vindication

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Produced by Ken Inge of Dead End Hip Hop

Jeffery Beckham is a community leader and tech-entrepreneur known for advancing the fight for equity and exposure for youth in Chicago. Jeff serves as an executive at Chicago Scholars, the largest college access and success program in the city serving more than 5,000 first generation and/or low-income students to get to college, through college, and graduate. He's responsible for leading career and leadership development, corporate development, and external affairs for the organization.

His professional experience spans both the for-profit and non-profit sectors and includes various roles in sales, marketing, and technology entrepreneurship for Quest Diagnostics, Atlas Medical Corporation,  The New Teacher Center, and his own startup Black Box Creative as well as board positions at Foundation’s College Prep, The 100 Black Men of Chicago, and the Free Lunch Academy & Friends among many other accolades. In addition to his role at Chicago Scholars, Jeff serves as a mentor for many young people through his work with The 100 Black Men of Chicago, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity INC., and Link Unlimited.

Among the many insights and gems Jeff shares, he discusses: 

1. The importance of networking across aisles (race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc.) in college. Two key benefits of having a vast network are landing new jobs before you even start looking and establishing connections that may benefit you in your side hustle.

2. Why building skills while in college is critical. Jeff recommends that students take advantage of certification opportunities (i.e. process and project management certifications) while they are free or offered at a reduced cost.

3.How his experience with culture shock in high school prepared him for adapting to the cultures of his college and various working environments.

4. Debunking the imposter syndrome. Jeff shares a personal experience and explains why you should always take your shot at a career opportunity that interests you.

Connect with Jeff!

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffbeckham/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/jbeckham7
• Facebook:
• The GO! Defenders Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB9aRGzluq_RfIYomTLxVrg
• Chicago Scholars: https://chicagoscholars.org/

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Produced by Ken Inge of Dead End Hip Hop

Alex(andra) and Alex Sejdinaj met in 2015 while building technology education programs in South Bend, Indiana. Together, they have built three tech companies:

1. South Bend Code School - a coding program for students ages 18 and under that spans throughout the state of Indiana and beyond

2. South Bend Code Works - a digital product studio that builds early stage technologies

3. GiveGrove - a platform that makes fundraising technology easy-peasy lemon-squeezy.

In addition to their collective journey as tech entrepreneurs (and now husband and wife), the Alexes will also share how their prior career interests in music and pre-medicine led them on the path to careers as tech founders.

Connect with Alex(andra) and Alex!

• Instagram
  • https://www.instagram.com/galexsej/
  • https://www.instagram.com/alexsej/
  • https://www.instagram.com/sbcodeworks/
  • https://www.instagram.com/sbcodeschool/
  • https://www.instagram.com/GiveGrove/

• Twitter
  • https://twitter.com/galexsb
  • https://twitter.com/alexsej
  • https://twitter.com/sbcodeschool
  • https://twitter.com/sbcodeworks
  • https://twitter.com/givegrove

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Produced by Ken Inge of Dead End Hip Hop

 

Amond “AJ” Jackson aka #AJontheButtons is the founder of Salem Psalms, a professional audio company that is most well known for its excellence in recording, mixing, and mastering audio for music and film, as well as its professional studio designs and acoustic solutions. AJ’s reputation for his gift of understanding the technical complexities of sound and uncanny ability to translate it in a way that would make sense to anyone is what has drawn producers, artists, songwriters, filmmakers and engineers across multiple disciplines and genres to trust him with their ideas.

To date, he has received multiple awards for sound design in independent films and has tackled song mixes for artists Future, Young Thug, Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg, Method Man, Fat Joe, Ceelo Green, Killer Mike, David Banner, and Tee Grizzley, as well as corporations such as CNBC, Kellog, Ebony, and Walmart...just to name a few.

In addition to his winding journey from completing his GED to selling car stereos to having a career in the music industry, AJ also shares:

1. How his love and talent for creating music gave him solace during challenging times in high school while his parents were going through a bad divorce and loved ones became suicidal

2. A very interesting way to determine if you might have astigmatism (and need to get your eyes professionally examined)

3. How important relationships are for anyone wanting to work in the music industry and the approach he’s successfully taken

4. The litmus test to determine if a career is right for you

Connect with AJ!

• Website: https://amondjackson.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amondjackson/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/amondjackson

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Produced by Ken Inge of Dead End Hip Hop

Christmas Miller’s life experiences, background, and work are as uncommon as her name. Gifted with a strong ability to connect with people, see what isn’t visible, and accurately articulate helpful and useful information came as natural as breathing.

In addition to being an intuitive (a.k.a. psychic), Christmas Miller is certified by the Behavioral Healthcare and Leadership Training Institute as a Master Life Coach and Holistic Health Practitioner. She is also an author and the founder of Illuminations Intuitive Consult. For over 19 years, Christmas has consulted, coached, and mentored thousands in her private practice and continues to empower others with clarity and purpose while teaching them how to create a life full of passion and joy.

A few of the topics discussed in episode 28 with Christmas:

1. How to develop your intuition
2. Why talking with psychics won’t keep you from making some mistakes
3. How to determine the difference between fear and intuition
4. How to create the life you want
5. Words of wisdom from music mogul Jay-Z and actor Will Smith

Connect with Christmas!

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter
• SageFroots Membership

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Produced by Ken Inge of Dead End Hip Hop

Houston native Mair Emenogu is the owner of MAIR a fine fragrance brand. She got her start in perfumery from Fred Cohen, a renowned French chemist and fragrance nose who taught her the art of perfume making according to the age-old French tradition. 

Her brand MAIR has an unconventional start. A former coworker saw her signature and told her it could one day be on a perfume bottle. Three years later, she turned that dream into her reality.

After experiencing a series of lay-offs after the 2010 economic downturn, Mair committed to turning her interest in perfume into a full-time career. Since launching in 2015, Mair has grown her brand to include a silk scarf and a hand cream to accompany the scent. She is now working on her second sent.

Some key points Mair shares:

1. Your authentic story can move others so much that they will help you even when their assistance/expertise is generally more costly than you can afford. When this happens, you must do whatever it takes to hold your end of the bargain.

2. Incubators can be extremely helpful even for those outside the technology space who are interested in expanding their business. Mair participated in Macy's The Market.

3. When something is for you, it's for you. Though she was initially upset and disappointed when she was laid off from a job for the 6th time, it actually turned out to be the best thing that could have happened for her. Being out of work freed her attention to become aware of Macy's incubator program which has given her tremendous exposure for her business.

Connect with Mair!

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube

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Produced by Ken Inge of Dead End Hip Hop 

Dr. Robyn L. Gobin is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. She is a nationally recognized expert on interpersonal trauma, women's mental health, and the cultural context of trauma recovery in the African American community.   Her latest book, "The Self-Care Prescription: Powerful Solutions to Manage Stress, Reduce Anxiety, and Enhance Well-Being" aims to change the narrative around mental health and self-care in communities of color and teach people how to incorporate self-care into their busy lives in a sustainable way.     In addition to pointers on self-care, Dr. Gobin also shares a few points she's learned on her professional journey:     1. Attending summer programs in high school and college can be extremely helpful in helping students figure out what they want to study.     2. The difference between Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) and Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology) programs.      3. The importance of mentors. Dr. Gobin almost took a more costly route to getting her doctorate degree when a mentor advised her to reconsider.     4. The necessity of having self-awareness and knowing what works best for you. This will help you to know when to disregard or follow recommendations others make.      To learn more about her book and purchase your copy, visit Amazon or www.selfcareprescriptions.com. If you're in the Atlanta area, you can also attend a FREE workshop on Saturday, September 28, 2019. Get the workshop details here.   Connect with Dr. Gobin!

• Website:www.robyngobin.com
• Instagram 
• Facebook

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Produced by Ken Inge of Dead End Hip Hop 

Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama – the true birthplace of Mardi Gras, Justin “Chef JRob” Robinson brings a cajun kick to the Atlanta, Georgia culinary scene.

Though his culinary resume is quite impressive including being selected to compete in the latest MasterChef with Gordon Ramsay and working as a personal chef for R&B singer Monica Brown, rather than attending culinary school, Chef JRob actually earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from Auburn University and a Masters of Public Health from Mercy University. In fact, in addition to being a chef, Justin is also a tax preparer and traveling phlebotomist. His hustle is real!

His love affair with cooking was ignited out of the necessity to cook his own food in undergrad. What started as cooking his own meals on hot plates turned into creating brunch experiences for his fraternity’s signature lady’s appreciation events. Today, Chef JRob caters for events both large and small, offers meal plans, and meal prepping services among many others.

A few points he shares:

1. Surround yourself with like-minded people and those who want the best for themselves and for you.

2. Go after what you want and work for it. Seek out internship opportunities while in college. They are not going to come looking for you.

3. It’s hard after graduating from college; it’s all on you.

4. Find your passion as early as possible but also honor your own timeline in executing – especially when it comes to considering whether to quit your job or not.

5. Constructive criticism is important, necessary, and critical.....periodt...if you want to improve and be the best you can be.

 Connect with Chef JRob!

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chef.jrob/
• Website: chefjrob.com

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Produced by Ken Inge of Dead End Hip Hop 

On episode 24, we chat with Sedrick Lakpa, a product of two immigrant parents – his mom is from Sierra Leone and dad is from Ivory Coast in West Africa – who was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia.

Having been interested in film ever since high school, he majored in Film Studies while attending college at Emory University. During his time at Emory, he participated in the student film festival Campus Movie Fest, created his own student television sketch comedy show, and launched a chapter of Sustained Dialogue among many other activities.

After graduating from college, Sedrick began familiarizing himself with the rising film and commercial industry in Atlanta by working various jobs as a production assistant to set dresser to even freelance videographer for projects with Teach for America.

In his 11 years working in the film industry, Sedrick has quite an extensive resume including working on Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity Wars, On the Day Productions’ Life of the Party, and Bonanza Productions’ The Originals and Vampire Dairies to name a few. Having been a set dresser, he is now working to become a writer and director that tells stories about Atlanta through his venture @unitedstorytellers.

 A few points he shares:

1. Working for free can pay off. Showing great work ethic while working as an unpaid production assistant helped Sedrick prove himself and build relationships with people who ultimately helped him join the union and recommended him for paid gigs.

2. Most of the opportunities in the film industry are based on relationships. Networking and having a good reputation are critical.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about things you don’t know. Faking it until you make it doesn’t always work; sometimes you need to ask for clarification to understand what others expect of you.

4. Storytelling is important. Tell stories that you really care about. Your passion and expertise will build an audience.

5. Don’t get stuck doing something that you’re really good at that you really don’t like. It may be easy, but it won’t make you happy.

Connect with Sedrick!

Instagram:

• https://www.instagram.com/80sbabysed/
• https://www.instagram.com/unitedstorytellers/

Facebook

Also mentioned on this episode: Trevor Noah’s audiobook Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

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Produced by Ken Inge of Dead End Hip Hop