Real Talk with Benny T

Shannon Turner is a storyteller, an artist, an observer of life, and she’s a podcast pro.

Growing up with a father as a minister, Shannon shares how she moved around a lot as a kid being in the business of the church and how that shaped her growing up.

We talk about the artist’s identity and what it’s like to lean into claiming yourself as an artist before she shares some wisdom on not everyone being for you and that feeling of being stuck in your 20s.

Later in the episode, she reveals what it’s been like transforming into the hero of her own story, what she believes makes a great storyteller, she coaches me through one of her deep listening exercises, and finally, she shares her realest talk.

You can follow her on Instagram @story_muse, her YouTube account @storymuse, and if you enjoy this episode, please drop a rating and a review wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with two other people. Put ‘em on. Help me grow this show and keep building up this community.

Elizabeth Milano is the Queen of the comeback story. She’s a journalist, a fighter, and an epic storyteller.

Raised by a single mother in Atlanta, Elizabeth shares how growing up as an only child forced her to make new connections and friendships all throughout her life, as well as instilling grit in her from a young age.

I call her the queen of the comeback story because in this episode, she details how she went from having a 0.0 GPA her freshman year of college, to packing up, transferring, earning a 4.0 GPA the next semester and achieving her Associate’s Degree, and eventually transferring to and graduating from the University of Georgia.

All of this happened as her mother battled breast cancer, so it was a challenging time for her, but she speaks on what helped her through those times and what that experience was like.

Later in the episode, we go deep into her career in journalism, how she got into digital news, working at places like USA Today and Access Hollywood, and using the things she’s learned along the way as stepping stones to the path that she’s carved out for herself.

We definitely nerd out journalist to journalist for a bit when talking about favorite stories she’s covered, the rush of breaking news, journalism best practices, and storytelling’s importance in society, before wrapping up with her dishing her realest talk.

This was a fun episode and gets heavy at times and I’m glad to call this woman a friend and definitely respect her game when it comes to pursuing her own path.

You can follow her on Instagram @elizabeth_milano_lipke, and if you enjoy this episode, please drop a rating and a review wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with two other people. Put ‘em on. Help me grow this show and keep building up this community.

Keenan Mulherin is a go-getter, an entrepreneur, a Wildcat, a salesman, a mover and a shaker, and he’s the Director of Real Estate Relations for Padly.

Keenan is also a graduate of the University of Kentucky, where he attended during the same stretch I was in Lexington.

We actually have a great time recapping the infamous SAE mummy-wrapped pledge that got lit on fire and the subsequent fallout.

But anyways, it really wasn’t until years later when I visited Atlanta and stayed with him and my friend Michael Choe for a week that we really got to know each other.

Being a fellow transplant, I have nothing but the upmost respect for him and anyone else who decides to go out there in life and make a run at it. To carve out their own path. It takes guts.

So what do we got for ya in this episode?

We begin this episode breaking down where and how Keenan grew up, how being an only child shaped him, and eventually we dip into his first brushes with entrepreneurship.

Shifting gears to the real world, Keenan reveals his first jobs, as well as making the decision to quit and move to Atlanta with nothing lined up, placing ultimate reliance on the self.

It didn’t take long before he entered the world of investment real estate, where he enjoys what he does and is crushing it.

Later in the episode, we touch on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the market, I ask him what makes a great entrepreneur, he shares a dream deal that he’s worked on, and we even get a tattoo peep show live in-studio.

All of this, before Keenan shares his realest talk.

Give him a shout on Instagram @lilmully and if you enjoy this episode, please drop a rating and a review wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with two other people. Put ‘em on. Help me grow this show and keep building up this community.

Kevin Cole is an artist, a sculptor, a muralist, creative, Teacher of the Year, philanthropist, self-believer, death threat survivor, and an incredibly genuine human being.

His works are featured in 5,000 collections around the world, including the Atlanta Airport and City Hall, and pursuing his dream has led him to places he never thought he’d see.

Kevin describes his art as sound boards for human experiences, which is why I’m so drawn to them. They capture moments in time and tell a real story. They’re thought provoking. And they’re about people and their stories, which is exactly what we’re doing here.

When Atlanta hosted the Olympics in 1996, it was Kevin who was tapped by the Coca-Cola company to create a 15-story mural that would introduce Atlanta to the world. It’s truly an iconic piece of work. You can see a picture of it here.

In his own words, he describes what that process was like and why it had to be completed in a unique way and the challenges that arose.

He also shares why he credits his mom for becoming an artist, reveals what it was like during the beginning of his artist’s journey, what it looked and felt like, and ultimately how he carved a life for himself with his creations and built his business.

Later, he shares his creative process and how he taps into creator mode, sheds some light on the intersection of commercialization and art, a wild story about how he narrowly missed 9/11, how to get out of a creative slump, and finally, his realest talk.

Thank you, Kevin, for the time, the conversation, and everything you shared. All love baby.

You can follow him on Instagram @kevincole2378, check out his website kevincoleart.com to see more of his work, and if you enjoy this episode, please drop a rating and a review wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with two other people. Put ‘em on. Help me grow this show and keep building up this community.

Lee Judge is a keynote speaker, a creative marketer, a DJ, and currently the CEO of Content Monsta, a digital media company based in Atlanta.

Lee was my first mentor when I moved down to Atlanta in 2022 and we’ve stayed close ever since. So, it was only right that my first episode off the rip would be with my man right here.

In this episode, we begin by learning how Lee grew up on a large production chicken and tobacco farming North Carolina, how that was his first foray in entrepreneurship, and later how he first got into radio and production at Eastern Carolina University.

After moving to Atlanta to make his run at the music producing business, Lee realized that if he transitioned into marketing automation and marketing operations, he could build on what he had already been doing.

And that’s ultimately how Content Monsta was born – out of necessity. The COVID-19 pandemic suddenly made remote production a must-have, and Lee capitalized on it.

Lee also shares his go-to song on the dance floor to get people moving when he DJs, and what it was like growing up as a Black man on a farm in North Carolina and witnessing systemic racism.

One of the most poignant points of the interview comes when he opines on the saying “I don’t see color” and why that is a harmful thing to say, even if you don’t intend to do harm or realize it.

Finally, Lee wraps up with some tips on public and keynote speaking, what makes a great storyteller, and finally, he shares his realest talk.

Shoutout to Lee for taking the time to rap with me one time in the studio, and thanks for being my guy down here. It’s hard to find good people but you’re a real one, Lee. All love.

Follow him on Instagram @aleejudge, check out his YouTube Channel, @aleejudge, if you need some help sharing your story digitally, hit up contentmonsta.com, and if you enjoy this episode, please drop a rating and a review wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with two other people. Put ‘em on. Help me grow this show and keep building up this community.

Welcome, my friends.

These are my mixtape days, so in honor of so many intros, I give you this one. There’s an interlude on Lil Wayne’s No Ceilings mixtape where he was this playing in the background and I really always loved the sound and the sample of Whitney… I had to bite it and run it for y’all man.

This is Real Talk.

Down here in Atlanta, had to do a little living

Like an artist when they disappear when they’re working on a new project. I had to do a little living and not only gather new material, but experience new things, travel to new places and connect with new people.

But I got this very special batch of episodes for you. I’ve got platinum selling DJs, award-winning muralists, trauma specialists that boast 1.6 million followers on TikTok, entrepreneurs and business owners, rappers, journalists, coaches, chefs, sales men and women…

I’ve got transplants, I’ve got locals, I’ve got people who joined me from Stockholm Sweden despite the time difference.

I’ve got it all, and it’s a beautiful collection of human beings and I’m finally ready to share their stories and this project with the world.

I hope that these episodes inspire you, speak to you, that you connect with them and they resonate with you in a major way. Because at the end of the day, you are not alone.

A lot of these guests are people who have never been on a podcast before, and I take the upmost pride in how well they did as a result of trusting me and feeling comfortable in that space to open up and share.

I love it when people say, I’ve never told anyone this before, or, I never really connected those dots until just now, or this was therapeutic! Those affirmations are my why. That’s the real shit.

Every episode is a certified banger. Run it front to back and you will not be disappointed.

Have a story you want to share with the world? Hit me at [email protected], or on social media @bennytomp18 or @realtalkwbennyt

Shoutout Ikson for intro/outro music

I’ve decided to go with the batch of episodes over dropping week to week because I’m the king of the binge. Benny the binger. Most of these are about an hour long, and I firmly believe that if the content if good enough, people will come back to it.

And hopefully, if you enjoy one of these episodes and you’re new to the show, checkout the backlog I have up on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We’re somewhere around 130 episodes at this point, I’m gonna serve y’all some new stuff here, let you discover the older stuff which are just as great, and then I’m gonna get back to work and have another drop for you later this year.

In this batch of episodes, it’s my pleasure to introduce the following men and women and their topics.

I hope you enjoy these episodes half as much as we enjoyed playing em for you because we had a ball. Major shoutout to all my guests who came on and made time and shared everything they did.

If you vibe with any of these episodes, please, drop a rating and a review wherever you listen to podcasts, and share them with two other people. Put ‘em on. Help me grow this show and keep building this community.

I’ve got some more guests to find and people to connect with, so enjoy these, and stay tuned for the next drop.

This is Real Talk. Enjoy, my friends.

Nick Jourdan is an industry staple 🔗

There’s nothing this man can’t do. He can host, he can write, he can shoot and edit, he can produce, he’s a leader, a hustler, as genuine as they come and he makes an outstanding addition to any team.

Nick joined the show to share his personal journey and his professional journey through the sports journalism world, including stops at ESPN, being the Director of Creative Services for a minor league baseball club, numerous internships and freelance work, and of course, an esteemed showrunner at the University of Kentucky’s student radio station, WRFL.

Anybody that’s worked in the industry or anyone listening that knows someone who’s interested in working in the industry will benefit from listening to this episode.

Not only is Nick one of the most knowledgeable colleagues I’m proud to know, he speaks very candidly about the ups and downs of choosing this path, the perception vs. the reality of working at ESPN, what it was like making that leap from the worldwide leader, and much more.

We also have some lighter stuff in there too, like his favorite moment from one of the broadcasts he’s worked and other iconic sports memories.

And finally, Nick wraps things up with his realest talk, and it’s something everyone needs to hear.

Major shoutout to my boy right here for persisting down his path and being the Swiss Army Knife that he is, it’s been fun to watch and admire from where I’m sitting and here’s to many more accolades and celebrations, my friend.

Jamie Leddin is a powerhouse ⚡️

She’s a leader, a storyteller, a mom and a wife, a lecturer at Vanderbilt University, and she is the Director of the Leddin Group, a Nashville-based boutique leadership consultancy firm that she runs with her husband, Patrick.

I first crossed paths with both Jamie and Patrick while I was in undergrad at the University of Kentucky, where they co-taught a few business classes at the time. We’ve stayed connected through the years via LinkedIn and as I’ve followed her work, I couldn’t think of a better guest I’d want to feature on the show.

A naturally gifted speaker, Jamie came on and absolutely crushed this interview.

We begin with how growing up in West Virginia shaped her early experiences in life (7:07), as well as the gap year she took in Denmark, then transitioning into motherhood and being a full-time mom and business leader (28:00).

Later, Jamie shares how she strives to bring inclusivity to her classrooms (38:55), as well as some of her personal beliefs that people should bring their whole selves to work (45:42) and that everyone is a leader (56:35).

We touch on storytelling as a skill, thought leadership, building trust through spoken word, organizational culture, women in leadership, building the business with her husband, and finally, Jamie wraps up with her realest talk (1:28:44).

This is a special episode and one that I really enjoyed. I’m so glad we’ve stayed connected and could link back up for this interview, I hope you enjoy it as well!

If you enjoy this episode…

• Sarah Cummins on Entrepreneurship, Voluntary Discomfort and the Art of Dentistry

• Kayla Weber Nord on Artistry, Kentucky Things, and the Creative Journey

• Brad Steinfeld on Mountain Climbing, Medical Sales, and Hitchhiking Around the World

• Tim O’Neil on Building Products and Processes from Scratch, Dealing with No, and Nuances of Networking

Sara Cummins is a hustler, a mother, a businessowner, a solo traveler, an artist, and a bad ass human being. Give her a Louisville Legend banner already.

I’ve known her for most of my life as she’s been my dentist and friend through it all.

This is the woman who fixed me after I broke myself post Derby ’17 and there’s nothing I can say about her other than it’s all love.

Sarah joins the show to share her strengths, her insights, and her expertise on how to build a business and what she believes are the core keys any entrepreneur should have.

We start with how she grew up and how her parents’ divorce when she was young shaped her adolescence, and how she’s strived to do things different through her own divorce (8:20)

She takes us through her time in college (13:26), starting out as an artist, and eventually moving back home to make the shift into dentistry. She shares how the two things are synonymous for her.

Then (24:12), we get into the meaty parts of how she built her business, starting from scratch, the system building that had to happen (27:57), the processes and the culture she built (33:30), and eventually, opening an additional location.

We talk about what it’s like being a mom and running a fulltime business and how she balances all of those things (37:20)

Later, we go super deep when talking about rock bottoms (46:05), why she loves being in solitude and solo traveling, women in business, voluntary discomfort, and finally, she gives her realest talk.

I’m so so grateful that she trusted me to share her story. Editing this episode, I felt like I was touching something so delicate, so fragile, because it’s that special to me.

Thank you, Sarah, for all that you do for the Louisville community!

Like fellow Louisville legend Bryson Tiller once rapped, I’m back and I’m better. It’s true. Not only are we back and better than ever, I also have some big news to share on today’s episode… your boy is now a Chief Storyteller in Atlanta. Thanks to everyone that has played a role in me getting to this point, especially my family and my new home in Cinamaker. Here’s to new beginnings, new stories, new episodes, and new levels.