Verbally Effective

Benton Harbor, MI native, Dr. Earle Fisher, resides as Senior Pastor at Abyssinnian Baptist Church and Founder of #UpTheVote901. This is Fisher's second visit on Verbally Effective and we truly enjoyed him expressing himself. He has been boots on the ground organizing as he began #UpTheVote901 in 2018. You will hear a resounding message throughout this podcast as it relates to politics, celebrity and purpose.

As you know, election day is tomorrow Tuesday, Nov 8th. Dr. Fisher advises that this mid-term election has the "essence of democracy on the chopping block." Amendments ranging from unionization, affirmative action and even slavery are on the ballot.

Part 2 of the podcast focuses on the recent headlines surrounding Kanye West and most recently Kyrie Irving. Just know that Dr. Fisher is giving no one any passes on this topic. The overarching message is "nuances matter" when it comes to these two individuals and the claims they've made.

Founder of the Reaves Law Firm PLLC, Henry Reaves makes his second round on the Verbally Effective Podcast introducing his new movie "Queen Rising." If you're from Memphis you may have seen Henry either on a billboard or television advertisement promoting his personal injury law firm. However, it was during covid when Reaves decided to execute this passion project made in Memphis with a Memphis cast on a modest budget of about $450K. Queen Rising is a psychological mystery-thriller in which a traumatized young woman is haunted by memories of the infamous "College Town Slayings" that terrorized "Bluff City University." During the podcast you'll understand how deep Henry's love for the arts community really is and how he wants to continue investing in its future right here in Memphis.

You can check out "Queen Rising" at your local Memphis Malco locations just in time for Halloween.

With 10 years of community health experience, Miami, FL native Andrea Jacobo is a first generation Afro-Dominicanx who has fully embraced and connected with the Memphis community. Andrea Jacobo is currently a Visiting Instructor at Rhodes College within the Urban Studies-Health Equity Program. She believes that community-centered, people-centered approaches are key to addressing health inequities. Andrea is a doctoral candidate in the Doctorate of Public Health (DrPH) degree at the University of California Berkeley. She has a Master of Public Health from The University of Memphis and a Bachelors of Science in Exercise Physiology from the University of Miami.

Take a listen as Andrea shares how she started her career Memphis in the health industry which has completely expanded throughout the community. With the hispanic culture currently documented at ten percent in Memphis, Andrea breaks down the history and nuances of Hispanic Heritage/LatinX month that has incurred much tension this year due to anti-blackness. We also discuss how Urban Studies has developed in Memphis currently faced with gentrification with demographics at the forefront. Learn more about this beautiful soul inside and out as she approaches community as a storyteller using her voice, the arts and yoga.

Batesville, MS native Micheal Sykes, globally known as M.I.A.M.I. Mike, has been making major moves since before he got in the music industry. He is the CEO of a multi-platinum independent recording label, Palm Tree Entertainment and has been in the business for two decades. As the president of Soulja Boy’s S.O.D.M.G., Mike has helped grow his brand into a million dollar business.

During this podcast you will discover that Mike spent time in prison for drug dealing and money laundering. This year he is celebrating twenty years since he's been in prison, twenty years in the entertainment business and creating twenty millionaires. Mike has recently been appointed as a board member of the R&B Hall of Fame which is a $100M project that just broke ground in Marks, MS. He discusses the power of social media, radio and podcasting in addition to how and why he started The Soap Shop Franchise. Take a listen and enjoy Miami Mike's journey filled with plenty of stories from the entertainment world over the past twenty years.

Rodan, also known as Daniel Ross, is a Memphis-based artist that focuses on telling the story of the Black American journey through art. He was educated at Tennessee State University and Memphis College of Art. Over the years he has perfected the use of hard to soft graphite and clay on cold press board, striving to make his work appear photo realistic. Through a technique he calls “loose realism”, Rodan exhibits control but not controlled paintings that will never let us forget the contributions of those who have paved the way for us in civil rights, music, literature and culture. Listen to how hip hop totally transformed Rodan's technique and purpose.

Westwood, TN native Sedrick Askew is the founder of Impact Lyfe Media. Attending one of the prominent high schools by the name of Westwood High, he knew early on that media was his calling by having a camera placed in his hand as early as 13. After graduating in 2004 and attending University of Memphis, media took a major role in his life by filming multiple shows hosted by the school as well as the school's many organizations. During his time at UofM he found a new love and profession of Photography as he earned his BA degree and Masters in Special Education. After graduating he became a SPED teacher for Memphis City Schools, after 3 years in the profession he took a major leap of faith by becoming a business owner, which goes by the name Impact Lyfe Media.

Take a listen as Sedrick shares how the landscape of photography has changed through technology and social media. You will also learn about some of his pet peeves when it comes to clients in addition to how he's been profiting off of "REELS" on Instagram.

Originally from Washington D.C., Attorney Lee Rankin now calls Memphis, TN her home. Lee is the proud visionary and creator of the boutique law firm, Lee Rankin Group, serving clients in music tech, virtual reality, social media influencers and legal marketing as it pertains to the metaverse.

In this episode, you'll learn the how and the why Lee planted roots in Memphis wanting to fill the gap with black creators finding opportunities in the tech space. Lee shares how it all began with an Aunt who held executive leadership in Marketing at BET. This began her appetite for the entertainment space in addition to meeting her first child's father, Dallas Austin, as a freshman at Spelman College. Although the definition of an entertainment lawyer back in the early nineties consisted of being a white male, Lee pushed through and broke barriers to enter into this field. Her circle consisted of many celebrities as she climbed the ranks and learned the lay of the land.

Lee provides much advice surrounding the process of reinventing yourself and having a strong team. She also shares the importance of financial literacy and quite a few women that have shaped her career.

Born and raised in Greenville, Ms, Michael Jefferson is the founder of JeffBow Enterprises LLC starting in 2018. He began this journey as a master barber and in 2020 he moved to Memphis and stepped out on faith and formed 901 Barber Concierge, Memphis' only luxury mobile barbershop under JeffBow Enterprises LLC. Take a listen as Michael walks us through on WHY he began this new concept and some of the lessons he learned surrounding the competition within the hair and beauty industry. He also talks about how God has turned his life that was once filled with crime into a life of success and intention.

On Sunday, September 25th, JeffBow Enterprises will launch their first BSNEM (barbers, stylists, nail techs, estheticians and mua) Industry Trade Show and Mixer at the Great Hall in Germantown TN. This is an all day event, hosted by Ena Esco of the Verbally Effective Podcast, that will highlight the industry professionals that usually get passed over for the big breaks.

South Memphis native Chris McNeil a.k.a. DJ Superman keeps Memphis motivated as the voice of middays at KXHT Hot 107.1FM in addition to the producer of the Morning Show Hustle. Growing up at College and Mclemore street, DJ Superman had a close connection with the community with both Stax and LeMoyne Owen College nearby. He followed his mother's footsteps and attended both Memphis Catholic High School and later matriculated to LeMoyne Owen College where he pledged Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. His father, mother and uncle exposed him to a plethora of music at a very young age taking him to jazz concerts in addition to Prince, Rick James and Parliament shows. Once he entered into the radio space, DJ Superman had a musically trained ear for all genres. Take a listen as DJ Superman shares plenty of gems encompassing history, music and Memphis. You can also catch DJ Superman at his new residency in downtown Memphis every Thursday and Friday night from 6-9pm at Caption by Hyatt Beale Street for "The Corporate Connection."

It's been three years since Jerica Phillips and I first chatted about sisterhood and balancing motherhood. Now a Verbally Effective alum, Jerica gets a chance to finally open up about the price of popularity and what's next in her career. We discuss mental health, substance abuse, single parenting, new beginnings, special needs advocacy, Serena Williams legacy, and more.

A Memphis native and legacy SCS graduate, Jerica earned a Communications and Broadcast Journalism degree from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Her accomplishments have catapulted her to a position of trust and admiration. Throughout her career, she has unapologetically advocated for educational equity and access. From becoming a recognizable and credible face in local news to serving as a parent-advocate on the Board of Directors for the Down Syndrome Association of Memphis, to graduating with the 2021 Executive Class of Leadership Memphis and being honored as Top 40 Under 40 Urban Elite Professionals, she has embraced her ability to authentically engage people and uniquely influence stories.