What are you suffering from?  What keeps you up at night, and makes you cry?  What do you worry about the most?  CJ Stewart, the former professional baseball player, Owner at Diamond Directors, and Founder of the non-profit L.E.A.D, says when you can answer these questions you truly will know your passion in life.

On this episode, we talk with the Atlanta native about his professional baseball career,  to his work with disadvantaged youth in the inner city of Atlanta.  Specifically we talk about how racism and discrimination are even a part of the sport he loves, even at the lowest levels with tee ball and AAU baseball in the city of Atlanta, and how he is working hard to combat that.  

But we really hit hard on this episode, this notion of finding what you are passionate about in life and how you can make your mark on this world.  CJ has played at the highest level in sports, has achieved tremendous business success, and now shares his life lessons and tips on this episode.  Sit back, and enjoy.

I love interviewing entrepreneurs.  Each one always has a special journey that they had to go through to get to where they are today.  And Octavia Gilmore, the Owner and Chief Creative Officer at Creative Juice is no different.

On this week's episode we get to hear all about her journey from working as a temporary freelance graphic designer after she graduated from SCAD, to finally having enough of the uncertainty of a temp job, and branching out on her own to start her own agency.

Octavia discusses the ups and downs of entrepreneur life, as well as gives practical tips on things she would do differently knowing what she knows now.  If you are an entrepreneur that has hit a rough patch, or looking for the push to go full time into your business then this episode is for you!

Folks, this is the most powerful interview that I've ever done.  Antonio Brown, who is the CEO and Creative Director for LVL XIII - a luxury shoe company, has been through more adversity in his young life than 10 men or women put together.  But yet, he never let his struggles define him or deter him.  From losing both of his parents at a young age to the criminal justice system, to living in poverty, to almost dying when he was a kid, even to being physically abused by a family member at a young age, Antonio always knew he was destined to do great things in his life and to help others, and was willing to fight through his obstacles to get where he wanted to be in his life.

In this episode, we get to hear in depth Antonio's Trailblazer story, and how Antonio developed that never quit mindset, and how it helped him create a million dollar company in only four years - oh and he did it all without finishing college.  We tackle everything from entrepreneurship, how to raise capital for a startup, to why it is so important to have a thorough business plan for your dream company.  

On the Great Debate Topic, we discuss what is the most important social or political issue plaguing our society today?  Find out who win's the debate this week!

If you want to be inspired, and have your battery recharged to chase your dreams, look no further than our episode with Antonio Brown.  Enjoy. 

Pastor Tamarkus Cook is one of those rare individuals who knew what he wanted to be very early on in his life.   It was his calling, in a sense to become a preacher. But on this episode, we talk with the former U.S. Congress candidate and 2017 Coweta County Citizen of the year about how to use spirituality to find your calling/passion as well.

 On this episode, Tamarkus gives specific advice on how to know when you have found your passion.   He also dishes on relationships, and how to improve your relationships personally and professionally.

 On the Great Debate Round we debate should government and religion in school and other public settings be separate? Check out who wins the debate on this episode.

 Finally we deal a lot on this episode with handling negativity, and how to handle failure. Tamarkus tells us about his interesting approach to handling failure, and how you can use this approach to improve yourself too.   Tamarkus drops an abundance of practical tips and advice on this episode. Make sure to check it out and let us know your thoughts!

Social Media - @tamarkuscook

Book Suggestion - 48 Laws of Power

Dr. Roshawnna Novellus has always been a life long learner. After earning four degrees, including a doctorate in systems engineering with a minor in finance all while receiving over 600k in scholarships, she remembers her mother saying to her "ok lets take a break, no more school!"

 Being a serial entrepreneur, Dr. Novellus recalls on this episode when she started her first business.   With this initial business she worked hard to secure a yearlong contract with a client that would pay her for the year so that she wouldn't have to struggle developing new business during her first year out on her own. But there was one problem. There was a tricky clause in the contract she signed with the client that allowed the company to void the contract if they found another outside company at a cheaper rate.   She ended up losing the contract. Because of that initial setback, she always teaches fellow entrepreneurs to have a plan – know who is going to pay you, and when. Know your target client, and your business' sales cycle. And oh, always have a legal expert review your contracts!

 Since then, Dr. Novellus has started multiple successful businesses, and most recently held the #EnrichHER conference which brought together over 250 female entrepreneurs. At the conference Dr. Novellus had panelists and speakers - including CEO's of billion dollar companies – all sharing their experiences and business tips with the guests.  

 On this episode, you will learn how Dr. Novellus is able to juggle her incredibly busy schedule and multiple businesses, and how she used yoga-based concepts to do so. Specifically, she will give her secrets for the 4 elements of managing your time to create a successful lifestyle.  Dr. Novellus also dishes on why it is so important to travel, and how it helped shape who she is and positively affected her businesses as well.

 On the Great Debate Round, we discuss with our financial expert if it is smarter to buy or lease a vehicle? Check out who wins the debate on this week's episode.

Dr. Novellus' Social Media:  @roshawnnanovellus

Book Suggestions:  4 Hour Work Week by Tim Feriss 

K Renee Ward is an author and business advisor . Her book and company Straight Out of Corporate help individuals successfully transition out of Corproate America. Toward the end of K. Renee's 12 year career in Corporate America she was looking for a way out. She wanted to run her business (that was a side hustle at that point) full time. But then internal doubt started to creep in. Fear of the unknown. Fear of giving up her corporate title. Fear of if she would miss corporate America. Finally, she got the courage to get over that fear and quit. In fact she had her resignation letter all drafted up. As she struggled over when to submit that letter, she got, perhaps an unexpected push from God that going full time on her business was the right move.

She got laid off. The message she received from that obstacle was that was God's way of telling her to accept the challenge, and that it was alright for her to go. Since then she has had a wildly successful business in guiding solopreneurs and small busineses to business success. On this episode, she discsses how to overcome internal doubt. And some of the biggest takeways that she learned while working in corporate America. Also, K Renee discusses the biggest mistake aspiring and CURRENT entrepreneurs must avoid with their businesses. Finally, she gives great tips on the 3 most common missteps and mistatakes she sees entrepreneurs make, and how you can avoid these same mistakes. You don't want to miss K. Renee's inspiring story and all of the gems she drops on this episode.

K. Renee's Book Suggestion:  Straight Out of Corporate

Social Media:  @kreneeward, www.kreneeward.com, and @straightoutofcorporate

Fitness isn't only about looking physically fit, or having a 6 pack. It's all about how mentally fit you are as well, and what your mindset in tackling life each day. No one knows that better than this week's guest Roc Shabazz who is a fitness guru and owner of Fitness Pros Wellness Center in Atlanta, Georgia. On this week's episode Roc explains how you can use fitness to not only get in great shape, but to also gain an amount of discipline that can translate to greatness in other areas of your life too. But first on the episode, Roc explains his humble beginnings, and how growing up he tended to underachieve academically due to a lack of focus. It wasn't until he found bodybuilding that he found his passion, and his passion led him to becoming extremely disciplined with fitness. Roc goes on to explain how important it is, before you begin your day, to take a few minutes to yourself each day to reflect. so that you can set out and meet your goals each day. In addition, Roc talks about the importance of diet, not only how that affects your body but how it affects your mind. For the business owners, he touches on the importance of creating business plans . Specifically, he touches on how he is able to teach his business model to aspiring trainers so that they can become successful business owners as well. In our Great Debate Round we discuss cosmetic surgery vs fitness. As a trainer is he ok with folks going the cosmetic route? Find out who wins the debate on this week's episode! Roc Shabazz's Instagram: @rocshabazz Suggested Book: 11 Rings:  The Soul of Success, by Phil Jackson Roc's Website: Rocshabazz.com

Maria Taylor is currently one of the most recognizable faces on ESPN, as well as in the sports broadcasting world as a whole. But that wasn't always the case. In fact, when Maria graduated from the University of Georgia several years ago, she couldn't find anyone to hire her in the sports broadcasting world. So she went to work at LA Fitness and had to move back in with her parents.

But Maria never stopped working on her craft, and eventually she got her breakthrough in the form of a call from Comcast Sports to come be an analyst for a collegiate volleyball game. After that day, she's never looked back. On this episode, you will hear all about Maria's journey from LA fitness, to now being a host and analyst for ESPN's College Game Day and ABC's Saturday Night Football.

On this episode, she will discuss how she used her athletic background in basketball and volleyball to build her confidence professionally and personally. She will also discuss first hand the emotions she goes through whenever she gets in front of the camera during a big game or event.

Maria also breaks down the mindset of an athlete, and give tips on how you can use this mindset to tackle any issue you face - whether you played sports or not.

Maria also has GREAT tips for overcoming the fear of public speaking that she is going to share on this episode. Finally, Maria touches on being a woman in a heavily male dominated industry, and initially feeling like she didn't belong and how she was able to overcome that.

During our "Great Debate Forum," we get personal :) We debate who is the better CURRENT athlete, Maria or myself? Help us decide who won the debate and give us your feedback!

Maria's Book Suggestions: Blue Like Jazz, and A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller.

Maria Social Media: Instagram and Twitter - @mariataylor7. Snapchat - Irepzone7

Andrew Nguyen hasn't had an easy life by any stretch of the imagination.  He is first generation Asian-American.   He never had a silver spoon.  In fact at one point in college he was living out of his car, with no money.  But Andrew never let that stop him, and always had a plan.  He hustled.  After going through that experience, Andrew was able to rake in at least 6 figures since the age of 23 through determination, grit, and smart decision making.

 After graduating with his MBA from Hampton University, Andrew went and worked for a large corporation.  But that wasn't really for him.  So at the young age of 23, he decided to leave corporate America and start his own branding and marketing agency called the O Agency.  Ever since then Andrew has been working with everyone from celebrities,  Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, to professional athletes to grow and expand their brands. 

 In this episode, Andrew is going to take us through how to step by step enhance your own personal brand, and why branding is so important in the 21st century.   He will discuss overcoming fear, and ultimately where he gets his fire for life from.   Andrew will also breaks down what is the difference between branding and selling?  And why it is so important you know the difference when running your business.

 Andrew also discusses why its important to have a pure heart when running your business and how customers can tell whether or not you are authentic. 

 Finally in our Greate Debate Topic, we discuss college.  Is it worth the money and time anymore?  Find out who wins the debate this week!

Andrew's Suggested Book:  The E Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

Andrew's social media:  @brandingwithdrew and www.theOagency.com and www.byobsociety.com