Byke like they never left! Charles and Shireen return for season 2 after an exciting year, full of wonderful changes. They start with a thank you to the audience (both real friends and fans of the show) for pressing them about returning to the mics. Charles then brings us up to speed on his professional adjustments. Having been no stranger to layoffs in the tech space, he was shocked but still at peace when his news came mid-vacation. He didn't want to hide it, despite his ego being slightly bruised, and reminds listeners to have their own IP because corporate can let you go at any time (5:15-10:02). After Essence Fest, Charles began talks with Blavity about a possible acquisition of R&B HouseParty. Charles explains acquisition preparedness and his due diligence checklist, now having the time to devote to his passion project (12:30-19:52). Charles' new position at Blavity is the GM of community. Morgan DeBaun(CEO of Blavity) understood how much of an asset Charles is and saw the vision he had for his role. A music festival has always been a dream of his, and this summer its finally coming to fruition. While Charles was planting new creative seeds, Shireen was planning Carter's 1st birthday party and simultneously being scammed out of tens of thousands, trying to build a pool! They were told that contractors everywhere were shady and it turned out someone else they knew was also scammed by the same one(21:46-27:02). Over the course of several months, the pool nightmare continued. Shireen took over communication and eventually had to pull up on the guy becuase what should've cost $40k ended up costing close to $60k! What's the number you would lose your mind for? What amount of money could you let go? All is well that ends well, since lessons can be blessings, however some lessons cost more than others. Needless to say, do your research thoroughly before hiring contractors. And also, the pool really turned out great!