Pittsburgh-based foodie Jessica Iacullo stops by the show to talk about her journey to starting her social media marketing company called “Hungry Jess Big City.” She has partnerships with many brands including Cosmopolitan Magazine, Audi, Forbes, Kraft Heinz Foundation, Boars Head, and the New York Jets. In addition to Jess’s professional journey, we talk about how she creates boundaries to maintain her inner peace.

Catey Gilliam and Brett Gilliam are a married couple that owns Live Fresh Juicery in Pittsburgh. They have three locations in the city (Homestead, Northside, and Regent square). In this episode, they tell me about their first date at Clarion University, their individual health and wellness journeys, and the main qualities that they look for when they hire employees to work at Live Fresh.

Christina Glancy, better known as “Chrissy Lynn” is a program manager for a nonprofit tech company. In addition, she is the owner of her own strategic management firm called “At First Glance Solutions.” In this episode, Chrissy and I explore a plethora of topics including how growing up as a biracial, racially ambiguous Black child impacted her worldview. We also touch on her ability to transition from a blue collar upbringing to a white collar lifestyle.

Actress Shakirah Stephens joins the show to discuss her journey to becoming the talented performing artist that she is today. Some of her noteworthy performances include playing “Dussie Mae” in The Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater Company’s production of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” in 2018. In addition, Shakirah portrayed the featured role of “Beverly Harrison” in New Horizon Theater’s production of “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show” in 2022. Toward the end of the episode, Shakirah and I trade stories about our time working as background actors in Netflix’s original film “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom: A Legacy Brought To Screen” based on Pittsburgh native August Wilson’s play “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Enjoy the show!

TRIGGER WARNING! This episode contains content that some may find disturbing. Kyrie Curving is the host of a podcast called “Talk That Talk.” Her podcast primarily focuses on nourishing your mental health as well as social commentary on issues pertaining to race and gender. In addition to her podcast, Kyrie is the owner of a business called “KyrieKreations” where she creates customized artwork for her customer’s clothing. She is a painter as well. When she’s not listening to G Herbo, Kyrie is a proud single mom. Around the 1 hour mark of this episode, Kyrie talks about a time when someone took advantage of her and how that traumatic experience changed the way she navigates through life forever. Thank you Kyrie for your willingness to have this crucial conversation with me.

KDKA Meteorologist Mary Ours stops by to talk about her journey to becoming a star news contributor on television in Pittsburgh, PA. Mary is unlike most people that work in the news industry because she brings the same bubbly, fearless energy on-camera that she has when she’s performing at karaoke surrounded by friends. A 2012 Point Park graduate, Mary earned her broadcast meteorology certification through Mississippi State University. Also before becoming a meteorologist, Mary briefly worked as a news reporter. She loves to sing and dance on TikTok with her family, friends, and coworkers. That said, Mary is very serious about standing up for herself when some viewers resort to body shaming her or criticizing her just for having fun. She is a breath of fresh air and I loved how open she was during our conversation. Make sure you listen to the whole episode because Mary sang a lot on this episode.

Wedding photographer Melissa Jean A.K.A. “Mel” stops by to talk about her business, Photographs by Melissa Jean. As a person with a “creative career,” I really enjoyed listening to all of the jobs that Mel worked before she concluded that committing to her passion full-time is the only way that she will be fulfilled in her life. When she’s not taking pictures, Mel enjoys headbanging to heavy metal music. Enjoy this thoughtful conversation between two artists.

Actress Melessie Clark, born in Philadelphia and raised in Greensburg, PA, stops by the show to talk about her career as a theatrical actress. Melessie has been involved in multiple theater productions including Alhambra’s “Dreamgirls,” and the August Wilson play “Two Trains Running.” She honed her singing and acting skills at Point Park University, graduating with her BFA in Musical Theater in 2015. In this episode, we talk a lot about the impact that her theater training has had on her career as well as the differences between performing in New York City versus performing in Pittsburgh. So sit back, relax, and enjoy a smooth conversation with the Magnificent Melessie Clark!

“Art In The Clouds Clothing” owner LJ Wright stops by to talk about his journey to becoming an award-winning clothing designer in Pittsburgh, PA. Also we go back and forth about the ways in which Black men can exude healthy masculinity. This episode definitely reminded me that I need to create more space for Black men to talk about our issues on my show.

DaMia Law, a Pittsburgh native, stops by the show to talk about her journey to becoming a star content creator and business owner. Also a proud mother, DaMia excels at engaging her audiences on Instagram and TikTok through her humor, creativity, and high energy. In 2020, she launched a skin care line called DaMia Skin. On Youtube, DaMia is known for her motivational videos that promote self-improvement and women’s empowerment. This episode was so soothing because she also serves as my relationship coach at one point lol. Enjoy!