The Last Zebra

The Last Zebra

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The Last Zebra episodes

  • Filmmaker and Baker: What New Orleans Taught Him About Home

    What do filmmaking and baking have in common? For Lino Asana, everything.

    Filmmaker, storyteller, and Lagniappe Bakehouse Co-Owner Lino Asana joins Dr. Ugo Ezema on The Last Zebra Podcast to explore how food, film, and culture can preserve the stories that might otherwise be forgotten.

    From discovering cinema as a child in Cameroon to spending eight years documenting the overlooked Black chefs who helped shape New Orleans cuisine, Lino shares how his creative journey led him to build Lagniappe Bakehouse alongside his wife, Caitlin.

    They discuss immigration, cultural identity, the realities of running a creative business, the responsibility of telling other people's stories, and why artists shouldn't wait for perfect conditions to create meaningful work.

    This isn't just a conversation about filmmaking or food. It's about finding where you belong—and creating something that honors where you came from.

    TIMESTAMPS

    00:00 — Preview

    04:15 — A storyteller first, a filmmaker and entrepreneur second

    05:45 — Discovering cinema in Cameroon

    10:58 — The eight-year journey behind Creole Feast

    15:35 — Why documentary filmmaking takes patience

    20:40 — Food, immigration, and rediscovering identity

    27:25 — The complexity of being Cameroonian-American

    33:15 — Returning to Cameroon after years away

    37:45 — Why New Orleans feels like home

    42:00 — Honoring Black chefs at Congo Square

    53:00 — Turning grief into art through Onion 22

    1:03:40 — How Lagniappe Bakehouse began

    1:09:35 — Bringing African ingredients into Southern baking

    1:12:40 — Building a business with your creative partner

    1:20:40 — The responsibility of becoming a business owner

    1:25:15 — Create by any means necessary

    💬 Comment “ZEBRA” if you want more conversations about creativity, entrepreneurship, cultural identity, and the stories that deserve to be told.

    💾 Save this episode to revisit Lino Asana's insights on filmmaking, preserving cultural history, building a creative business, and finding your voice as an artist.

    🎧 Watch or listen to the FULL conversation with Lino Asana on The Last Zebra Podcast:

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13QjxW49xOkSqkP9zQKyRS

    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-last-zebra/id1715958112

    Captivate: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-last-zebra/

    ▶️ Subscribe for more conversations exploring the intersection of creativity, culture, entrepreneurship, and the human experience:

    https://www.youtube.com/@UgoEzemaMD?sub_confirmation=1

    🔗 Follow the Conversation:

    Dr. Ugo Ezema — https://instagram.com/ugoezemamd

    The Last Zebra Pod — https://instagram.com/thelastzebrapod

    📧 Join the community newsletter:

    https://linktr.ee/ugoezemamd

    Hosted by Dr. Ugo Ezema, The Last Zebra explores the people, experiences, and ideas shaping medicine, culture, creativity, leadership, and the communities around us.

    #TheLastZebraPodcast, #LinoAsana, #LagniappeBakehouse, #NewOrleans, #Filmmaking, #Storytelling, #CreoleCuisine, #BlackFoodHistory, #AfricanDiaspora, #Cameroon, #CulturalIdentity, #Entrepreneurship, #FoodCulture, #BlackChefs, #IndependentFilm, #CreativeEntrepreneur, #DocumentaryFilmmaking, #NewOrleansFood, #PodcastEpisode

    1 hr 38 min
  • Nurse Practitioner: The Equation That Explains Healthcare Burnout

    What happens when the people caring for everyone else are the ones who need support?

    Nurse Practitioner Jade Carrere joins Dr. Ugo Ezema on The Last Zebra Podcast for an honest conversation about the realities of healthcare—from caring for patients with advanced lung disease and navigating difficult end-of-life decisions to advocating for the elderly and confronting burnout in medicine.

    With experience across cardiology, neurosurgery, pulmonology, and geriatric care, Jade shares what years of patient care have taught her about compassion, teamwork, professional growth, and finding a career that makes room for family.

    This is a conversation about the human side of medicine—and why caring for others should never mean losing yourself.

    TIMESTAMPS

    00:00 — Preview

    02:45 — What does a nurse practitioner actually do?

    05:30 — From pre-med and music to nursing

    12:30 — Discovering a passion for cardiology

    16:30 — Balancing NP school, work, and family

    22:20 — Starting a career in neurosurgery

    27:00 — Why pulmonology was her biggest challenge

    32:20 — Finding purpose in geriatric care

    34:50 — The emotional reality of losing independence

    40:40 — Why more medication isn't always better

    43:10 — Nurse practitioners vs. physicians

    51:45 — End-of-life care and difficult conversations

    57:00 — What really causes healthcare burnout?

    1:03:25 — Where the healthcare system fails patients

    1:09:20 — Finding balance between work and family

    1:17:00 — What every patient should ask their provider

    💬 Comment “ZEBRA” if you want more conversations about nursing, patient care, healthcare burnout, and the human side of medicine.

    💾 Save this episode to revisit Jade Carrere's insights on navigating chronic illness, caring for aging loved ones, advocating for patients, and building healthier habits.

    🎧 Watch or listen to the FULL conversation with Jade Carrere, NP, on The Last Zebra Podcast:

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13QjxW49xOkSqkP9zQKyRS

    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-last-zebra/id1715958112

    Captivate: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-last-zebra/

    ▶️ Subscribe for more conversations about medicine, nursing, healthcare, leadership, and the people making a difference in their communities:

    https://www.youtube.com/@UgoEzemaMD?sub_confirmation=1

    🔗 Follow the Conversation:

    Dr. Ugo Ezema — https://instagram.com/ugoezemamd

    The Last Zebra Pod — https://instagram.com/thelastzebrapod

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    Hosted by Dr. Ugo Ezema, The Last Zebra explores the people, experiences, and ideas shaping medicine, healthcare, culture, and the way we care for one another.

    #TheLastZebraPodcast #JadeCarrere #NursePractitioner #Nursing #NurseLife #HealthcareBurnout #GeriatricCare #PulmonaryMedicine #PatientAdvocacy #HealthcareSystem #NursingCareer #HospiceCare #PalliativeCare #HealthcareWorkers #WorkLifeBalance #ChronicIllness #PatientCare #MedicalPodcast #LouisianaHealthcare #PodcastEpisode

    1 hr 21 min
  • I Was a Side Character in My Own Story: Ugo & Uzo Njoku on Identity & Public Health

    Can storytelling change the way we understand health, identity, and community?

    Siblings Ugo and Uzo Njoku, co-founders of The Social Boot Network, join Dr. Ugo Ezema for a conversation about public health, filmmaking, environmental justice, creativity, and the deeply personal journey behind their documentary, The Social Boot Vol. I: Boundaries Unchained.

    Together, they discuss growing up in a Nigerian immigrant family in Louisiana, witnessing healthcare disparities from an early age, using art to communicate public health, and why the most powerful stories often begin by asking better questions.

    More than a conversation about filmmaking, this episode explores what it means to find your purpose, honor your community, and create work that outlives you.

    TIMESTAMPS

    00:00 — Preview

    03:00 — The story behind Boundaries Unchained

    11:00 — Why they chose documentary filmmaking

    20:15 — Growing up around healthcare disparities

    27:00 — Being Nigerian in South Louisiana

    43:30 — Psychology, public health & storytelling

    49:00 — The future of public health

    56:00 — Making a film without film school

    1:13:30 — Carrying other people's stories

    1:23:30 — Losing yourself—and finding yourself again

    1:35:00 — Building something together as siblings

    1:49:30 — The future of The Social Boot Network

    1:55:00 — Who are Ugo and Uzo?

    2:03:30 — Creativity, community & what's next

    💬 Comment “ZEBRA” if you want more conversations about storytelling, public health, environmental justice, identity, and building healthier communities.

    💾 Save this episode to revisit the lessons on community, creative purpose, environmental justice, and the power of telling stories that change how we see the world.

    🎧 Watch or listen to the FULL conversation with Uzoamaka "Uzo" Njoku and Ugonna "Ugo" Njoku on The Last Zebra Podcast:

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13QjxW49xOkSqkP9zQKyRS

    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-last-zebra/id1715958112

    Captivate: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-last-zebra/

    ▶️ Subscribe for more conversations that explore the intersection of medicine, public health, culture, creativity, and the people shaping a better future:

    https://www.youtube.com/@UgoEzemaMD?sub_confirmation=1

    🔗 Follow the Conversation:

    Dr. Ugo Ezema — https://instagram.com/ugoezemamd

    The Last Zebra Pod — https://instagram.com/thelastzebrapod

    📧 Join the community newsletter:

    https://linktr.ee/ugoezemamd

    Hosted by Dr. Ugo Ezema, The Last Zebra explores where precision, prevention, humanity, culture, and storytelling intersect to shape healthier people and communities.

    #TheLastZebraPodcast, #TheSocialBoot, #BoundariesUnchained, #PublicHealth, #Storytelling, #Documentary, #EnvironmentalJustice, #CommunityHealth, #CreativeResearch, #Louisiana

    2 hr 7 min
  • Money Expert: Yes, Money Buys Happiness. Here's Why.

    What if everything you've been taught about money... is backwards?

    Andrea Ewalefo, Founder and CEO of Modern Lady Vibes, believes many of us are following financial advice that was never designed for the lives we're living today.

    In this episode, we explore why money often feels like a source of stress instead of freedom, why paying off debt isn't always the smartest financial move, and why focusing exclusively on becoming debt-free may actually delay your financial independence.

    Andrea shares her remarkable journey from Teach For America educator to financial advisor, entrepreneur, and dual JD/MBA graduate. As a single mother, she made the difficult decision to return to school in her 30s, strategically buying a duplex, selling her car, and building systems that allowed her to create the future she envisioned for herself and her son.

    But this conversation goes far beyond personal finance.

    We dive into neurodiversity, executive functioning, masking, ADHD in women, and why so many women go undiagnosed until adulthood. Andrea explains how understanding the way your brain works can completely change the way you approach money, productivity, work, and life itself.

    She also introduces her VIBES framework—a practical system for creating financial clarity by starting with your vision, defining intentional goals, establishing your financial baseline, engineering your money around your priorities, and building systems that actually work with your brain instead of against it.

    This isn't just a conversation about budgeting.

    It's about designing a life intentionally, understanding yourself deeply, and realizing that building wealth starts with building systems that fit who you are—not who everyone else expects you to be.

    TIMESTAMPS

    00:00 — Preview

    01:35 — Why money once felt like "shackles"

    07:10 — Why Andrea earned both an MBA and a law degree

    12:20 — Returning to school as a single mom

    21:55 — Advice for anyone overwhelmed by money

    28:25 — How Andrea became passionate about personal finance

    32:00 — The financial advice she completely changed her mind about

    46:25 — ADHD, masking, and why women are diagnosed later in life

    58:20 — Why executive dysfunction isn't laziness

    1:17:20 — Building Modern Lady Vibes

    1:29:20 — Why traditional financial advice failed her

    1:35:20 — The VIBES financial framework explained

    1:56:20 — Hustle culture and social media's money trap

    2:00:30 — The one lesson everyone should remember about money

    💬 Comment “ZEBRA” if you want more conversations about financial freedom, entrepreneurship, neurodiversity, and designing a life on your own terms.

    💾 Save this episode to revisit Andrea's VIBES framework, her insights on money mindset, and her practical advice for building long-term financial security.

    🎧 Watch or listen to the FULL conversation with Andrea Ewalefo on The Last Zebra Podcast:

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13QjxW49xOkSqkP9zQKyRS

    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-last-zebra/id1715958112

    Captivate: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-last-zebra/

    ▶️ Subscribe for more conversations that explore medicine, entrepreneurship, leadership, psychology, finance, and the people shaping the future:

    https://www.youtube.com/@UgoEzemaMD?sub_confirmation=1

    🔗 Follow the Conversation:

    Dr. Ugo Ezema — https://instagram.com/ugoezemamd

    The Last Zebra Pod — https://instagram.com/thelastzebrapod

    📧 Join the community newsletter:

    https://linktr.ee/ugoezemamd

    Hosted by Dr. Ugo Ezema, The Last Zebra explores the people, experiences, and ideas shaping medicine, business, culture, and the way we understand one another.

    #TheLastZebraPodcast #AndreaEwalefo #ModernLadyVibes #PersonalFinance #MoneyMindset #FinancialFreedom #WomenInBusiness #Entrepreneurship #ADHD #Neurodiversity #ExecutiveFunction #FinancialLiteracy #WomenAndMoney #SelfDevelopment #Leadership #PodcastEpisode

    2 hr 9 min
  • Mortgage Lender: What Most Renters Don't Know About Building Wealth

    Is buying a home still the American Dream—or has the market changed the rules?

    Mike Domangue, Senior Mortgage Loan Officer, breaks down what today’s housing market means for buyers, from interest rates and rising insurance costs to affordability, debt, and the future of homeownership.

    Are 3% mortgage rates coming back? Should you wait to buy? How much house can you really afford?

    Mike shares why homeownership can still build stability, equity, and long-term wealth—and why getting approved for a certain amount doesn’t mean you should spend it all.

    He also explains the three steps every future buyer should focus on: reduce debt, save money, and pay your bills on time.

    But this conversation goes beyond mortgages. Mike opens up about fear, purpose, family, and why helping people become homeowners has become more than a career—it’s a calling.

    Because buying a home isn’t just about getting the keys.

    It’s about making informed decisions and building the life beyond the closing table.

    TIMESTAMPS

    00:00 — Preview

    02:40 — How Mike became a mortgage lender

    05:25 — Are today’s mortgage rates actually high?

    08:15 — Renting vs. buying and building wealth

    13:10 — Growing up blue-collar in South Louisiana

    22:00 — Leaving mortgage lending—and realizing it was his purpose

    30:20 — Helping people become homeowners

    34:30 — What really happened during the 2008 housing crisis

    43:30 — Why mortgage rates dropped below 3%

    47:30 — When a buyer isn’t ready yet

    50:45 — Will 3% mortgage rates ever come back?

    52:30 — Should you wait for a better time to buy?

    55:00 — 100% financing and no-PMI mortgage options

    57:15 — Why homeowners insurance is getting so expensive

    59:40 — The biggest financial mistake homebuyers make

    1:07:35 — What separates a trusted loan officer

    1:08:55 — Why money can’t fix everything

    1:11:45 — 3 things future homeowners should do now

    1:16:00 — What 27 years in finance taught Mike about people

    1:19:10 — Homeownership and long-term wealth

    💬 Comment “ZEBRA” if you want more conversations that make money, homeownership, and wealth-building easier to understand.

    💾 Save this episode to revisit Mike Domangue’s advice on mortgages, interest rates, preparing to buy a home, and building long-term wealth through homeownership.

    🎧 Watch or listen to the FULL conversation with Mike Domangue on The Last Zebra Podcast:

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13QjxW49xOkSqkP9zQKyRS

    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-last-zebra/id1715958112

    Captivate: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-last-zebra/

    ▶️ Subscribe for more conversations about medicine, business, money, leadership, and the decisions that shape our lives:

    https://www.youtube.com/@UgoEzemaMD?sub_confirmation=1

    🔗 Follow the Conversation:

    Dr. Ugo Ezema — https://instagram.com/ugoezemamd

    The Last Zebra Pod — https://instagram.com/thelastzebrapod

    📧 Join the community newsletter:

    https://linktr.ee/ugoezemamd

    Hosted by Dr. Ugo Ezema, The Last Zebra explores the people, experiences, and ideas shaping medicine, business, culture, and the way we understand one another.

    #TheLastZebraPodcast #MikeDomangue #Homeownership #Mortgage #MortgageTips #FirstTimeHomeBuyer #RealEstate #HousingMarket #InterestRates #PersonalFinance #FinancialLiteracy #WealthBuilding #GenerationalWealth #AmericanDream #LouisianaRealEstate #MortgageLending #PodcastEpisode

    1 hr 21 min
  • The Chef Proving That Creole Cuisine Has Always Been African Food | Chef Serigne Mbaye | The Last Zebra

    What happens when the food you grew up on finally gets the recognition it deserves?

    For Chef Serigne Mbaye, Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Dakar NOLA, it’s been a lifelong journey.

    Raised between Harlem and Senegal, his earliest kitchen was his mother’s restaurant—and later, their home. At five, he moved to Senegal. He returned to the U.S. as a teenager without English, working by day, studying by night, and finding his way through kitchens.

    He chose cooking when others laughed. He never stopped.

    From dishwashing to Michelin-starred kitchens to founding Dakar NOLA, his path has been defined by resilience, identity, and an unwavering belief in Senegalese cuisine at the highest level.

    Today, Dakar NOLA is nationally acclaimed—but his philosophy stays simple: one dish at a time.

    This is a story of legacy, culture, and building something bigger than yourself.

    00:00 — Preview

    01:50 — The mission behind Dakar NOLA

    04:00 — Winning the James Beard Award

    12:00 — The cost of success

    15:00 — Three generations of hospitality

    24:30 — Moving to Senegal at five years old

    27:30 — Returning to America without speaking English

    35:30 — "I want to be a cook"

    42:00 — The encounter that brought him to New Orleans

    49:00 — The burn that almost ended his career

    56:45 — Why West African fine dining had to exist

    1:00:00 — Building Dakar one dish at a time

    1:03:55 — His mother's advice: "More rice, more spice"

    1:08:35 — His dream of opening a culinary school in Africa

    1:10:30 — What his mother would say today

    1:12:30 — Why New Orleans feels like home

    💬 Comment “ZEBRA” if you want more conversations with chefs, founders, creatives, and innovators turning culture and personal history into something bigger than themselves.

    💾 Save this to revisit Chef Serigne Mbaye’s lessons on resilience, legacy, leadership, African cuisine, and building something one step—and one dish—at a time.

    🎧 Watch or listen to the FULL conversation with Chef Serigne Mbaye on The Last Zebra Podcast:

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13QjxW49xOkSqkP9zQKyRS

    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-last-zebra/id1715958112

    Captivate: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-last-zebra/

    ▶️ Subscribe for more conversations that explore the human stories behind medicine, entrepreneurship, culture, leadership, and innovation:

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    🔗 Follow the Conversation:

    Dr. Ugo Ezema — https://instagram.com/ugoezemamd

    The Last Zebra Pod — https://instagram.com/thelastzebrapod

    📧 Join the community newsletter:

    https://linktr.ee/ugoezemamd

    Hosted by Dr. Ugo Ezema, The Last Zebra explores the people, experiences, and ideas shaping medicine, culture, entrepreneurship, and the way we understand one another.

    #TheLastZebraPodcast, #SerigneMbaye, #DakarNOLA, #NewOrleans, #JamesBeard, #AfricanCuisine, #SenegaleseFood, #WestAfricanFood, #FineDining, #ChefStories, #NewOrleansFood, #Senegal, #CulinaryArts, #RestaurantIndustry, #Entrepreneurship, #Legacy, #Hospitality, #PodcastEpisode

    1 hr 16 min
  • From the Lab to a Startup: Fighting Hearing Loss and the Gap He Won't Ignore | The Last Zebra

    What if we could understand hearing damage before it becomes permanent?

    For Dr. Marcus Brown, that question sits at the intersection of engineering, medicine, research, and entrepreneurship.

    A biomedical engineer and co-founder of Oto-Biomechanics, Dr. Brown has spent years studying how sound, pressure, and blast exposure affect one of the most intricate machines in the human body: the ear. His work has particular implications for military personnel and veterans, where repeated exposure to aircraft, weapons, explosions, and other high-noise environments can lead to hearing loss and tinnitus long before most people expect it.

    But this conversation goes far beyond the science of hearing.

    Dr. Brown shares the unconventional path that took him from mechanical engineering into biomechanics, graduate research, technology transfer, and eventually entrepreneurship. Without a clear roadmap or the kind of mentorship that could have shown him exactly which doors to walk through, much of his career was built by finding opportunities, taking chances, and figuring things out along the way.

    We get into the work behind Oto-Biomechanics and how computational models of the human ear could help researchers better understand hearing damage, evaluate hearing protection, and potentially improve the way new technologies are developed before expensive physical prototypes are ever built.

    We also talk about what it actually takes to move an idea from the laboratory into the real world, why customer discovery should happen before founders become too attached to their solution, how non-dilutive funding can help scientific startups grow, and why having the right mentors and team can matter just as much as having a great idea.

    Dr. Brown also speaks candidly about navigating engineering and academia as a Black man, watching representation become increasingly scarce as he advanced through higher levels of education, and wondering whether even something as simple as his name could influence which opportunities came his way.

    One of the biggest themes running through this conversation is mentorship. Looking back, Dr. Brown can see how having the right guidance earlier might have shortened parts of his journey—and today, that experience shapes how he thinks about helping others find opportunities he once had to discover for himself.

    For anyone interested in biomedical engineering, hearing science, research, startups, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, or what it really takes to turn scientific knowledge into something that can impact people's lives, there is a lot to take away from this conversation.

    💬 Comment "ZEBRA" if you want more conversations with scientists, engineers, physicians, and innovators building the future of healthcare.

    💾 Save this to revisit Dr. Marcus Brown's lessons on entrepreneurship, mentorship, hearing research, and turning an idea into something real.

    🎧 Watch or listen to the FULL conversation with Dr. Marcus Brown on The Last Zebra Podcast:

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13QjxW49xOkSqkP9zQKyRS

    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-last-zebra/id1715958112

    Captivate: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-last-zebra/

    ▶️ Subscribe for more conversations that explore the human side of medicine, science, and innovation:

    https://www.youtube.com/@UgoEzemaMD?sub_confirmation=1

    🔗 Follow the Conversation:

    Dr. Ugo Ezema — https://instagram.com/ugoezemamd

    The Last Zebra Pod — https://instagram.com/thelastzebrapod

    📧 Join the community newsletter:

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    Hosted by Dr. Ugo Ezema, The Last Zebra explores where precision, prevention, innovation, and humanity intersect in modern medicine.

    #TheLastZebraPodcast, #DrMarcusBrown, #BiomedicalEngineering, #OtoBiomechanics, #HearingLoss, #Tinnitus, #HearingHealth, #BiomedicalInnovation, #MedicalTechnology, #MedTech, #Entrepreneurship, #HealthcareInnovation, #VeteranHealth, #Engineering, #StartupFounder, #MedicalPodcast

    2 hr 4 min
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist: This Birth Defect Is 10x More Common and Still Going Undetected

    Most people think a 20-week ultrasound is about finding out whether they're having a boy or a girl.

    Dr. Celeste Sheppard wants to change that.

    A maternal-fetal medicine specialist, perinatologist, and founder of the Tiny Hearts Project, Dr. Sheppard has dedicated her career to solving one of the biggest blind spots in prenatal care: congenital heart disease. It's the most common birth defect, yet prenatal detection rates remain far lower than they should be—even though finding these conditions before birth dramatically improves outcomes.

    In this conversation, we explore how an art history major became one of the country's leading advocates for improving prenatal cardiac screening, why learning to "look" may be one of the most important skills a physician can develop, and how medicine is as much about doctoring as it is about diagnosis.

    We also discuss:

    – Why congenital heart disease is more common than most people realize

    – The five essential ultrasound views that can save lives

    – How Tiny Hearts Project is training sonographers across the country

    – Why many heart defects are still missed before birth

    – The difference between being a doctor and truly doctoring

    – How mistakes become the foundation for better medicine

    – Why empathy, curiosity, and careful observation matter just as much as technology

    One of the most powerful moments in our conversation came when Dr. Sheppard reflected on a patient she missed early in her career. Rather than hiding from that mistake, she allowed it to shape the physician, teacher, and advocate she would become. That humility—and her relentless commitment to improving prenatal care—is what makes this conversation unforgettable.

    Whether you're an expectant parent, a healthcare professional, someone interested in medicine, or simply someone who appreciates thoughtful conversations about purpose and humanity, I think you'll take something meaningful away from this episode.

    💬 Comment "ZEBRA" if you want more conversations like this.

    💾 Save this to revisit Dr. Celeste Sheppard's insights on prenatal care, congenital heart disease, and the art of truly seeing patients.

    🎧 Watch or listen to the FULL conversation with Dr. Celeste Sheppard on The Last Zebra Podcast:

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13QjxW49xOkSqkP9zQKyRS

    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-last-zebra/id1715958112

    Captivate: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-last-zebra/

    ▶️ Subscribe for more conversations that explore the human side of medicine:

    https://www.youtube.com/@UgoEzemaMD?sub_confirmation=1

    🔗 Follow the Conversation:

    Dr. Ugo Ezema — https://instagram.com/ugoezemamd

    The Last Zebra Pod — https://instagram.com/thelastzebrapod

    📧 Join the community newsletter:

    https://linktr.ee/ugoezemamd

    Hosted by Dr. Ugo Ezema, The Last Zebra explores where precision, prevention, and humanity intersect in modern medicine.

    #TheLastZebraPodcast, #DrCelesteSheppard, #TinyHeartsProject, #MaternalFetalMedicine, #Perinatology, #CongenitalHeartDisease, #PrenatalCare, #Ultrasound, #Women'sHealth, #Medicine, #DoctorStories, #MedicalEducation, #Healthcare, #MedicalPodcast, #Pregnancy

    1 hr 34 min
  • Cancer Surgeon: He Cures Lung Cancer With a Robot. Here's How.

    When most people think of heart surgery, they think of dramatic operations and life-or-death moments.

    Dr. Brian Pettiford sees something different.

    He sees an opportunity to diagnose cancer earlier, treat it with less pain, and give patients a chance to go home just days later with their disease already behind them. As one of the Gulf South's leading cardiothoracic surgeons, Dr. Pettiford has spent decades at the forefront of lung cancer surgery, helping transform procedures that once required massive incisions into robotic operations that patients often recover from in just a few days.

    But this conversation goes far beyond the operating room.

    Dr. Pettiford shares the deeply personal story that first inspired him to become a surgeon after losing his grandmother to heart disease, growing up in segregated South Georgia, and attending Morehouse College before completing medical school, general surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery training at the University of Pittsburgh. He reflects on mentorship, purpose, leadership, and the responsibility of opening doors for the next generation of physicians.

    We also explore:

    – How robotic surgery is changing the future of lung cancer treatment

    – Why early detection is still the biggest challenge in thoracic oncology

    – The promise of single-anesthesia diagnosis and treatment

    – What multidisciplinary cancer care means for patients

    – Why technology should only be adopted if it genuinely improves outcomes

    – Lessons learned from decades in surgery and leadership

    – Why mentorship is one of the greatest responsibilities in medicine

    One of my favorite moments came when Dr. Pettiford reflected on his family and said that no matter what he accomplishes, it will never compare to the sacrifices made by the generations before him. That perspective shaped not only the surgeon he became, but the mentor he continues to be.

    Whether you're interested in medicine, surgery, leadership, innovation, or simply hearing the story of someone who has dedicated his life to helping others, this is a conversation worth your time.

    💬 Comment "ZEBRA" if you want more conversations like this.

    💾 Save this to revisit Dr. Brian Pettiford's lessons on mentorship, innovation, and the future of lung cancer surgery.

    🎧 Watch or listen to the FULL conversation with Dr. Brian Pettiford on The Last Zebra Podcast:

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13QjxW49xOkSqkP9zQKyRS

    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-last-zebra/id1715958112

    Captivate: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-last-zebra/

    ▶️ Subscribe for more conversations that explore the human side of medicine:

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    🔗 Follow the Conversation:

    Dr. Ugo Ezema — https://instagram.com/ugoezemamd

    The Last Zebra Pod — https://instagram.com/thelastzebrapod

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    Hosted by Dr. Ugo Ezema, The Last Zebra explores where precision, prevention, and humanity intersect in modern medicine.

    #TheLastZebraPodcast, #DrBrianPettiford, #CardiothoracicSurgery, #ThoracicSurgery, #LungCancer, #RoboticSurgery, #CancerCare, #MorehouseCollege, #Mentorship, #Medicine, #Healthcare, #DoctorStories, #MedicalInnovation, #MedicalPodcast, #Leadership

    1 hr 1 min
  • Marketing Expert Reveals What Agencies Don't Want You To Know

    Calvin Carr thought success looked like wearing a suit and working on Wall Street.

    Instead, he ended up building a marketing agency called Trash Marketing.

    In this conversation, we trace Calvin’s journey from growing up in Portland, Maine, to studying economics and finance at Tulane, working at some of the largest advertising agencies in the world, helping scale venture-backed startups, and ultimately walking away to build something of his own.

    What stood out most to me wasn’t the marketing tactics. It was the way Calvin thinks about human behavior.

    Long before AI, growth hacks, and viral content became buzzwords, he was fascinated by behavioral economics — the idea that people don’t always make rational decisions. That curiosity eventually led him into advertising, where he learned that great marketing isn’t about manipulating people. It’s about understanding them.

    We talked about why most businesses waste time trying to be everywhere at once, why the best marketing often looks boring from the outside, and why many agencies create unnecessary complexity to justify their fees. Calvin also shares some brutally honest insights into how marketing actually works behind the scenes and what business owners should know before hiring an agency.

    We also got into:

    – Why he grew to hate traditional ad agencies

    – The hidden incentives that make marketing less effective

    – What most small businesses get wrong about growth

    – Why “doing things that don’t scale” is often the smartest move early on

    – Lessons learned from living across South America during the pandemic

    – The difference between ambition and fulfillment

    – And why life is about the journey, not the destination

    One of my favorite parts of this conversation was hearing Calvin talk about chasing success for years only to realize that what matters most isn’t a title, a city, or a salary. It’s spending time doing meaningful work with people you care about.

    Whether you're building a business, growing a brand, or simply trying to figure out what success looks like for you, there’s a lot to take away from this one.

    💬 Comment “ZEBRA” if you want more conversations like this.

    💾 Save this to revisit Calvin’s lessons on entrepreneurship, marketing, and building a business that actually matters.

    🎧 Watch or listen to the FULL conversation with Calvin Carr on The Last Zebra Podcast:

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13QjxW49xOkSqkP9zQKyRS

    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-last-zebra/id1715958112

    Captivate: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-last-zebra/

    ▶️ Subscribe for more conversations that explore the human side of business, entrepreneurship, and personal growth:

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    🔗 Follow the Conversation:

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    The Last Zebra Pod — https://instagram.com/thelastzebrapod

    📧 Join the community newsletter:

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    Hosted by Dr. Ugo Ezema, The Last Zebra explores where ambition, purpose, and humanity intersect.

    #TheLastZebraPodcast, #CalvinCarr, #TrashMarketing, #MarketingStrategy, #Entrepreneurship, #SmallBusiness, #StartupLife, #Advertising, #BehavioralEconomics, #BusinessGrowth, #MarketingAgency, #Leadership, #BusinessPodcast, #FounderStory #PersonalGrowth #NewOrleans

    1 hr 4 min

About The Last Zebra

From the publisher's feed

“The Last Zebra” draws its essence from the timeless medical adage: