This week I talk to Mr Aaron Chess about his wild journey trying to get into politics so far. Why would young black kid from the south side get into politics? Do we as minorities hold our minority candidates to a higher standard? Why did you put on "the hat"??????? We talk about all of these and more. Proud of what he's trying to do to make the 309 a better place and only 23!! Keep grinding young man

Joined by Financial Services Professional Aaron Montgomery to talk about the importance of financial literacy, especially in the black community. We share some sobering statistics about Peoria, talk about our experiences and lack of education about money growing up and the importance of taking the next steps in understanding money so we can change our financial futures!

Joined this week by Michael Price from C.O.R.E. Boxing and Fitness. We talk about his path to helping get his boxing facility off the ground with his partners, their struggles finding their footing and then trying to navigate the pandemic caused by COVID-19!

Me and Antwaun Banks are joined by my good friend Anthony Harris Sr. to talk about his business - The Heir Cigar Lounge. We talk about his path to becoming a business owner, his motivations for starting a cigar lounge and how he has navigated starting a business in the middle of a pandemic. It's been awesome seeing his growth throughout this entire process!

Joined in episode number 2 by Ashley Whitlatch, author of "I Am Everything". We have an awesome conversation about why she got into writing, how she balances so many things on her plate and dive into our feelings about why affirmations are important for todays youth! She is such an inspirational woman. If you would like to purchase a book for you and your family, here is a link!  https://a-k-c-and-co.myshopify.com/

We're back for season 2 and year 2 of the Make Your Marq podcast and we've got some fun new ideas on the way. With the help of my friend and partner Antwaun Banks (founder of Product of the Project) we talk about our programs, how we linked up and our new venture - Behind the Brand. Excited to see what this brings and be on the lookout for our upcoming YouTube channel! 

Joined by a young man that I have admired from afar. He has and is doing some things at 21 that I wouldn't have even thought of when I was his age. We talk about his support system, the AVID program, his love for numbers and his motivations in starting his own charity. An inspiring young man, his story and his journey are absolutely awesome and we need to appreciate kids like him so much more than we do. Check him out!

It's harder to be a kid now than it has ever been. Two school counselors, Lori LaFond and Bianca Brown come on and talk to me about the importance of mental health in our youth. It's never been more important, especially going back to remote learning during a pandemic and with the holidays coming up. These two ladies were awesome in talking about their backgrounds and how they affect their views on the job, how it's harder to navigate being a kids than ever (especially with social media) and about being aware of changes in the behavior of our kids.  I can't express how awesome they were and how important this topic is!!

Joined this week by Andre W. Allen, District 4 City Council Member hopeful joins me this week. A proud product of Peoria Public Schools, we talk about a lot of different topics. He talks about his less than straightforward journey through college, being in the right place at the right time finding his awesome job as Dean of Students at Methodist and how important his support system has been on his journey into politics. We also covered his platform for District 4 and the importance of having your voice heard in local elections. It's a great listen and he is an awesome example of what making your mark on your community means!!!

I can't say enough about this man, his story is one that everybody could learn something from. He's a redemption story and he has finally found his purpose in life and that is helping our youth. His organization, "Product of the Project", is all about helping our youth find different ways to navigate the curveballs life will inevitably throw at them. We talk about his childhood growing up, the wrong decisions he made for the right reasons and how he finally found his calling helping young kids find their own paths. It's a must listen and I'm proud to call this man a friend. He is exactly who Peoria needs and I appreciate him for making his mark on our community!!! Check us out!