In this episode of Suite Talk we check in with Khali Gallman a successful entrepreneur and author about the upcoming Columbia Career Connect conference. We not only talk about what she’s got planned for the Third Annual “C3” conference (sneak peek: entertainment and nightlight industry maven Peter Thomas will keynote), but also the latest with her travel and events app Not Just Spring Break.

In the middle of the conversation, Khali turns the tables on me and asks me a couple of questions about what we’ve got planned for Thinking Good (hint: we’re writing books).

Click here to listen to our previous podcast with Khali.

Lean in, lean back and enjoy!

In this episode of Suite Talk, we speak with Dan Metcalf a married father of two boys, a highly successfully real estate agent and martial arts instructor. We explore how these three focal points (family, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and work) serve as the “tripod” of his life providing focus and balance.

This conversation covers a lot of ground: from Dan’s days as a Peace Corp. volunteer in West Africa; why Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is a terrific tool for personal development; working with his mom; finding the right diet to fuel and nourish the mind, body and spirit; the App that keeps his family on track; what kids can teach us about death and much more.

I hope you enjoy listening to Dan as much as I did speaking with him!

Lean in, lean back and enjoy!

In this episode of Suite Talk we chat with Dr. Aisha Liferidge, founder of the Minority Women in Science Foundation, a nonprofit that provides scholarships and mentorship to girls and young women of color with academic and professional interests in STEM related fields.

Additionally, Dr. Liferidge is a practicing Emergency Room physician at The George Washington University Hospital, where she is also on the medical school faculty. Our conversation with Dr. Liferidge covers a lot of ground including how doctors overcome implicit biases, how patients and their relatives can be better advocates and what it means for little girls of color to see positive female portrayals in Marvel’s Black Panther.

Lean in, lean back and enjoy!

In this episode, we speak with Brandon Northington, a rising corporate attorney, talented entrepreneur, budding author and inspiring public speaker. As the “Millennial Motivator,” Brandon shares his inspiring story of overcoming adversity through self-determination, grit and an unyielding belief in his ability to succeed.

Despite being told by his middle school teachers that he wasn’t smart enough to get in the honors program, he persevered to not only get in that program, but graduate from college with honors, graduated from law school and pass the bar on his first try. In this inspiring and motivational interview, Brandon takes us on a wild ride that is instructive for old and young.

We’ll hear more from Brandon, but for now, lean in, lean back and enjoy!

In this episode of Suite Talk we chat with J.C. Smith, co-founder of Bailiwick Clothing, a Washington, D.C. based apparel brand that captures the rhythm, flavor and pride of our nation’s capital through design.

The idea for Bailiwick was planted over a decade ago, when J.C. and his brother and co-founder, Jeff Smith, won a t-shirt design competition that earned another company tens of thousands of dollars. The brothers (who are also brothers) only got some free t-shirts and stickers, but also a dream. They were inspired to do for themselves what they did for that other company.

We talk with J.C. not only about the creative process behind his imaginative designs, but also what it is like running a full-fledge business, while holding down a 9-to-5 job. Time management, organization, long-term planning, having a strong passion and drive to succeed are some of the lessons we explore in this episode of Suite Talk.

Lean in, lean back and enjoy!

In this episode of Suite Talk we chat with occasional collaborator Lance Watson, Jr. about Marvel Studio’s Black Panther and begin our deep dive analysis of Gary Vaynerchuk’s latest book “Crushing It!”

In this freewheeling exchange we explore the various allegories presented in Black Panther, legacy, leadership, competing political ideologies, as well as broader questions surrounding the pop-culture and cultural significance of the film. If you’re the type of person who likes to see a movie cold, you might want to fast forward the first 20 or so minutes of this conversation because we reveal a lot of plot details.

On “Crushing It!” we examine the first three chapters focusing on the 8 essentials to a “strong personal brand” (Intent, Authenticity, Passion, Patience, Speed, Work, Attention and Content). We talk about how we apply these essentials to building our businesses and how you can too. We’ll be back over the next couple of weeks with more insights on “Crushing It!”

You can find Lance on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram  under the handle: @lwatsonjr.

Lean-in, lean back and enjoy!

I've made my fair share of mistakes. Not everything has turned out as I would like, but fortunately most of my missteps have been instructive and none fatal. Learning from failure has been an important lesson. Yes, failure sucks and it can hurt, but it ain't always bad.

In this episode we check back in with Alexis Coates, Founder and CEO of Black Business Review, a digital news company connecting minority business owners with a network of information, contacts and knowledge.

A serial entrepreneur and former professional basketball player on the European and Middle East circuits, Alexis lunched Black Business Review in 2016 and has experience tremendous growth online and social media.

We last spoke with Alexis about one -year ago, so as Black Business Review approaches its second anniversary, we thought it was a good time to circle back to find how things are going and what’s on the horizon. We’re also both dads, so we spent a little time talking about our kids and parenting.

Lean-in, lean-back and enjoy!

A brief autobiography of J. Jioni Palmer, the Founder & Publisher of Thinking Good, a media and lifestyle company. Be Your Better Self

Click here to learn more about Jioni and Thinking Good.

In this episode we speak with Fareed Nassor Hayat truly a man of many talents and passions. He is a playwright, a successful real estate entrepreneur, a former public defender in the City of Baltimore, founder of The People’s Law Firm, LLC, and a law professor. And he just turned 40.

We talk about how Fareed endeavors to balance his diverse personal and professional pursuits with being an active and engaged family man. Growing up, Fareed was surrounded by close relatives who were pimps, prostitutes and gang members, who set the example for what he says he was supposed to become.

Yet, Fareed managed to “slip through the cracks” of a life destined to be trapped in the criminal justice system to receive a bachelor’s degree from UCLA, MFA from USC and a JD from Howard University. Today he stands in the courtrooms fighting for justice and civil rights for many whom he is their only hope, while in classrooms training the next generation of lawyers to join him in the fight.

This is a very thought-provoking conversation about the criminal justice system, economics and the ability to transcend or fulfill family legacy.

To learn more about Fareed, check out the links below. 

Lean-in, lean back and enjoy!