In this episode, Andre explores how media, from TV shows and movies to news cycles and social feeds, shapes the way we view neighborhoods, people, class, race, and opportunity. Using personal experiences and academic research, he breaks down why the “hood” is often portrayed negatively, why the suburbs are glamorized, and how these narratives influence our assumptions without us noticing. 

You’ll hear:
 • The real impact of media stereotypes on identity
 • Why Black poverty is overrepresented in the news
 • How being biracial and navigating two worlds shaped Andre’s perspective
 • Why questioning media narratives matters more than ever
 • How storytelling, podcasts, and parasocial contact can change perceptions

Audience Question of the Week:
Is your perception of the hood and suburbs shaped more by media — or by your lived experiences?

Rate the show ★★★★★ on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help MOTF grow!
Follow @andrespruell on YouTube for full length episodes & clips.

“No matter what side of the fence you grew up on, we’re all more alike than we think.”

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Website: https://www.middleofthefence.com/

This Thanksgiving, we’re sitting at two different tables, but celebrating the same heart of gratitude 🦃✨

Andre reflects on:
 • Thanksgiving traditions in a big Hispanic & Black family household
 • Cultural dishes and making the most of what you have
 • Discovering suburban holiday traditions (like cranberry sauce for the first time 😅)
 • The 3 things he’s grateful for in 2025: opportunity, people & growth
 • Why giving flowers while people are here matters most

An 11-minute episode to remind us what truly counts before the feast 🍽️

New episodes every Wednesday!

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Follow Andre: @andrespruell across all major platforms (IG, TikTok, YouTube, and X/Twitter)

#MiddleOfTheFence #HolidaySeason #Thankful #FamilyFirstAlways

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 🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube: @andrespruell

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Website: https://www.middleofthefence.com/

This week on Middle of the Fence, Andre Spruell welcomes Matt Riddick, JD — a respected leader, mentor, and philanthropist whose story embodies resilience and purpose.

From his roots in Philadelphia’s “Tough Terrain” to his career leading organizations and mentoring future leaders, Matt shares lessons on:
 – Chasing perfection without losing peace
 – Building genuine connection in a disconnected world
 – Turning education and empathy into opportunity
 – Defining legacy through service, not status

It’s a masterclass in leadership, mindset, and authenticity.

🎧 Full video episode available on YouTube

Follow Middle of the Fence on Instagram: @middleofthefencepod

Follow Andre across all major platforms: @andrespruell

🔗 Connect with Matt Riddick:
LinkedIn: Matthew Riddick, J.D.
Instagram: @the_riddick_foundation 

#MiddleOfTheFence #Podcast #MattRiddick #Leadership #Purpose #Legacy

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 🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube: @andrespruell

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Middle-of-the-Fence-61572183504501/
Website: https://www.middleofthefence.com/

In Episode 19 of Middle of the Fence, host Andre Spruell breaks down how real estate looks completely different depending on which side of the fence you’re on — Tough Terrain or Affluent Acres.

From reverse mortgages that strip generational wealth in Black and Brown communities to lowball cash offers and heir’s property losses, Andre exposes the financial traps that keep people in urban environments from getting ahead. Then, he flips the script and explores how suburban access to credit, lower taxes, and intergenerational wealth creates long-term stability and opportunity.

With real stories, data from the CFPB, USDA, and Urban Institute, and personal experiences, including how his family lost their home. Andre highlights the reality behind property ownership, equity, and the American dream.

🎙️ Timestamps
00:00 – Intro
01:45 – Reverse mortgages & predatory lending
06:10 – Cash buyers and lowball offers
10:25 – Heir’s property and loss of Black land
14:20 – Suburban advantages: lower taxes, credit access, family wealth
21:00 – Andre’s personal story of losing his family home
25:00 – Knowledge is Equity: final thoughts

💡 Key Topics:
real estate inequality, generational wealth, urban vs suburban housing, predatory lending, gentrification, racial wealth gap, financial literacy, property ownership

Subscribe to Middle of the Fence for more real, thought-provoking discussions bridging life between Tough Terrain and Affluent Acres.

📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all streaming platforms
📱 Follow Andre Spruell on Instagram, X & TikTok → @andrespruell

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#RealEstateInequality #GenerationalWealth #MiddleOfTheFence #FinancialLiteracy #UrbanVsSuburban #ToughTerrain #AffluentAcres

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 🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube: @andrespruell

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleofthefence/
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Website: https://www.middleofthefence.com/

Andre Spruell and Jeremy Paulino return with bonus content from Episode 18 of Middle of the Fence Podcast — and this one’s for the wrestling fans. 💪

The duo relives the golden era of WWE, ranking their favorite wrestlers, entrance themes, and finishers that defined the sport’s glory days. From Stone Cold and The Rock to Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker, this conversation is pure nostalgia and energy.

🎙️ Hosts: Andre Spruell
🎧 Guest: Jeremy Paulino
🏆 Episode Theme: WWE Glory Days – The moments, music, and moves that made wrestling unforgettable.

Listen now and comment your favorite WWE legend or finisher!

#MiddleOfTheFencePodcast #WWEGloryDays #WWELegends

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 🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube: @andrespruell

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleofthefence/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Middle-of-the-Fence-61572183504501/
Website: https://www.middleofthefence.com/

In this episode of Middle of the Fence, Andre Spruell welcomes Jeremy Paulino (@jeremypaulin0) for a powerful conversation about faith, transformation, and personal growth. Jeremy shares his story of growing up in the Bronx, adjusting to life in New Jersey, and discovering his purpose through Christ.

Together, Andre and Jeremy open up about spiritual trauma, rediscovering faith, overcoming depression, and walking boldly in belief. Whether you’re on the Tough Terrain or Affluent Acres side of the fence, this episode reminds us how vulnerability and faith can build real connection.

💡 Topics include:

• Faith over fear
• Healing from church trauma
• Marriage, leadership & discipline
• Overcoming addiction & depression
• Building purpose through God

Follow Jeremy on Instagram @jeremypaulin0
Check out his and his wife’s Christian lifestyle brand at allthingsjesus.shop

🎙️ Follow the show 

Instagram: @middleofthefence | YouTube @andrespruell

Hosted by Andre Spruell

Follow me @andrespruell across all major social media platforms

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 🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube: @andrespruell

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For more Middle of the Fence, visit:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleofthefence/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Middle-of-the-Fence-61572183504501/
Website: https://www.middleofthefence.com/

This week on Middle of the Fence, I’m joined by my sister Alexia Lawrence — the oldest of our siblings and one of my biggest inspirations.

Alexia shares her journey of navigating both Tough Terrain and Affluent Acres. From growing up in diverse spaces to climbing the corporate ladder, facing an unexpected layoff the same week she found out she was pregnant, and learning that sometimes the toughest moments bring the biggest blessings.

We open up about:

• The pressure of being the eldest child
• Balancing identity between two worlds
• Mental health, therapy, and self-acceptance
• Women of color in corporate spaces
• Finding silver linings in heartbreak
• The beauty of vulnerability and family support

Tune in for an honest, emotional, and empowering conversation about strength, self-worth, and redefining success.

🎙️ Hosted by Andre Spruell
Follow: @middleofthefence on Instagram

Follow Alexia on Instagram @alexiamonetdesigns @alexias_table

Follow Andre across all major social media platforms @andrespruell.

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 #MiddleOfTheFence #ResilienceStory #HealingJourney #BlackExcellence #WomenInLeadership #MentalHealthAwareness #PodcastConversation #FamilyStories #BreakingCycles #AuthenticVoices

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 🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube: @andrespruell

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleofthefence/
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Website: https://www.middleofthefence.com/

Education is often called the great equalizer, but depending on which side of the fence you grew up on, it can be a ladder out—or another broken promise.

In this episode, Andre Spruell explores how access to education shapes opportunity, identity, and generational outcomes. From underfunded schools in the Tough Terrain to resource-rich classrooms in the Affluent Acres, Andre breaks down the systemic disparities that keep families trapped in cycles of poverty—and the mindset shifts and community efforts that can help break them.

Drawing from his own experience growing up in an urban neighborhood while attending a private school in a wealthy suburb, Andre shares how education became the foundation for his growth and his mission to inspire others.

💬 Episode Highlights:

• The $23 billion funding gap in public education
• How environment impacts learning and opportunity
• The difference between privilege and perseverance
• Hidden struggles in affluent communities
• Ways to bridge the educational divide

🎙️ Question for the listeners:
How did your educational environment shape your path—and are you using it to break cycles or repeat them?

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
📺 Watch full episodes and clips on YouTube: @andrespruell

Follow us on Instagram @middleofthefence

Follow me across all major social media platforms @andrespruell

📲 Follow & leave a 5-Star rating to best support this show.
 🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube: @andrespruell

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For more Middle of the Fence, visit:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleofthefence/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Middle-of-the-Fence-61572183504501/
Website: https://www.middleofthefence.com/

Moving out can mean freedom or survival—depending on which side of the fence you grew up on.

In this episode of Middle of the Fence, host Andre Spruell explores what independence looks like from both the Tough Terrain (urban environments built on resilience and self-sufficiency) and Affluent Acres (suburban upbringings rooted in stability and support).

Andre breaks down how socioeconomic background shapes our experience of living alone—from paying rent and managing bills to coping with solitude and building emotional strength.

💭 Key takeaways:

• Freedom vs. fragility: how resources change the meaning of independence
• Mental and emotional tolls of solitude
• The cost of freedom in America’s housing market
• Bridging the gap between privilege and perseverance

At the end of the day, no matter where you start, independence tests your emotional infrastructure.

🎧 Tune in to reflect, relate, and redefine what living on your own really means.

👇 QUESTION OF THE DAY:
 When you think about living alone, does it feel more like freedom or survival?

Follow us and DM us directly

@andrespruell across all social media platforms

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleofthefence/
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Website: https://www.middleofthefence.com/

Episode 14: Durags and Yerba Mate | Middle of the Fence Podcast

In this episode, host Andre Spruell dives deep into his dual heritage, Black American and Argentinian, exploring how both cultures shaped his identity, values, and perspective. From sipping yerba mate with his grandfather to wearing a durag as a symbol of pride, Andre reflects on the history, meaning, and overlap between these two worlds.

Discover the cultural roots behind Argentinian traditions, the African influence in Argentina, and the powerful symbolism of Black culture that continues to shape global identity. Whether you grew up on the “Tough Terrain” or in “Affluent Acres,” this episode reminds us how connected our stories truly are.

🎙️ Topics Covered:

• History of yerba mate and Argentinian ancestry
• African influence in early Argentina
• The evolution of durags and Black headwraps
• Cultural pride, resilience, and personal identity
• Finding unity between two distinct worlds

Follow Andre on Instagram @MiddleOfTheFence and join the conversation:
👉 What cultural symbol or tradition represents you?

#MiddleOfTheFencePodcast #DuragsAndYerbaMate

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Website: https://www.middleofthefence.com/