Verbally Effective

If you haven't checked out my guest for Ep 224 media platform Unapologetically Memphis yet you're definitely missing out on Memphis culture. Marques Cook is the creator and CEO of Unapologetically Memphis media platforms. Deeply rooted in Orange Mound, White Haven and Olive Branch, Marques began the Unapologetically Memphis platform in 2019 wanting to bring the culture of Memphis together similar to Dr. King's Dream. The socials have risen to over 65K followers as of today and growing.Take a listen as Marques tells the story of how and why he began the platform and how the Who's Who of Memphis are engaged. You'll discover what a day in the life of managing such a huge account entails and some of the daily feedback he receives. Get ready because in another month Marques is planning to launch the The Unapologetically Memphis podcast.

South Memphis native, Bertram Williams Jr. is my guest for episode 223. You may be familiar with Bertram as he plays the character "Woddy" on P-Valley Starz. You may also be familiar with Bertram as he very active in the theatre community in Memphis playing a very active role on stage with Hattiloo Theatre. Take a listen as Bertram shares his story of entering into the world of performing arts which prepared him for the big screen. You'll also learn that Bertram is a huge proponent for sustaining our planet. Through his work with Mama's Sundry, he's continuing his fight for healthy food and viable food production systems in the mid-south. Bertram is proudly rooted in South Memphis with his beautiful wife Talibah Safiya finding creative ways to reach the community.

On episode 222, we are LIVE in the WYXR studio on the radio airwaves with Memphis-based interior designer, content creator and lifestyle blogger Carmeon Hamilton. She is the winner of HGTV’s Design Star: Next Gen and star of HGTV’s Reno My Rental. Her 15 years of experience in multiple facets of the design industry, from public health-care to residential to retail and merchandising, is the foundation of her work in discovering the beauty in all things and helping others find beauty in what surrounds them every day. Her work, story and content around design, business and branding and elevating the everyday are featured and referenced in Architectural Digest, Southern Living, Essence, Domino and more. She’s often asked to share her insights and opinions by way of podcast interviews or panel discussions with major industry associations, such as Popsugar and Ballard Designs. Take a listen as Carmeon so beautifully shares her amazing journey that includes her process of creating Reno My Rental in Memphis, managing multiple personal projects,the tragic loss of her husband Marcus and how she's highly sought out now in the speaker circuit.

North Memphis native, Shahidah Jones is my guest for Ep 221 of the Verbally Effective Podcast. Shay comes from a huge family consisting of Smokey City, Hurt Village, New Chicago and more. Half of her family is of the Islam faith which is the cornerstone of her organizing efforts. She tells us of her time at Austin Peay University where she encountered much adversity while earning her degree. Upon graduation, Shay shares her journey which encompasses working as a waitress at Ebony and Lace which deeply humanized her. She later worked her way through call centers and entered the corporate world working in Marketing at FedEx. Shay felt that the titles and money was not fulfilling her purpose. When she entered her 40’s life changed and she started paying attention to some of the grass roots organizations and started doing work in the community. However, it was the death of Darrius Stewart that totally changed the trajectory of her organizing and activist work. Take a listen as Shay breaks down the predatory criminal justice system in Memphis and her thoughts on the recent District Attorney race. She’s currently active in the Black Lives Matter Memphis Chapter working towards improvement on bail bonds, transformative justice trainings, voter registration programs, end money bail campaign and the Freedom Singers Fellowship. You can also catch Shay managing Tyke T’s career and promoting his new album, “Written by Tyke T” in addition to planning DreamFest 2023.

North Memphis native, Camille Patrice Fulton is passionate about sharing messages about the cultural vibrancy that make up this eclectic city. She hopes that her reviews via the "Camille Unlimited" blog inspire people to experience Memphis differently.

Growing up as an only child, Camille was very inquisitive. She attended Cordova High School and matriculated to HBCU Alabama A&M University. Camille eventually moved back to Memphis and began her "Expert Reviewer" journey. You'll learn that Camille did not plan to become the social butterfly that she is but rather worked her way into this world. She provides commentary on social media on a plethora of experiences in the Mid South area. In a timeframe of one year Camille has successfully partnered with brands as an Expert Reviewer. Take a listen to her advice for upcoming expert reviewers regarding the need to have tough skin and providing honest feedback to businesses.

North Memphis native, Jay Gray is our guest for episode 219. Jay is currently the Brand Operations Manager for We Are Memphis which is a digital marketing firm that promotes "Memphis" to the masses via data research and community outreach.

Jay's story is deeply rooted in the Raleigh area. After losing his mom at the age of twelve, Jay lived with his grandmother who was a nurse working twelve hour shifts. Jay became a product of his environment having to grow up very fast taking on responsibilities at a very young age. Take a listen as Jay speaks of losing many friends and loved ones as a result of violence. Hustling was a part of his world until he graduated from Raleigh-Egypt high school and had his first child. Jay attended the University of Memphis and discovered his leadership skills working at Bridge Builders. Shortly after, Jay entered into the nightlife world and later began working in management at the FedEx Forum arena. These days Jay Gray is moving the culture forward as the Brand Ops Mgr for We Are Memphis. Take a listen as Jay shares the mission behind WAM in addition to upcoming events such as Trolley Night and Soul In One in addition to partnerships with Collage, Hattiloo and Latino Memphis.

Oakhaven, TN native, Paul Young, is our current President and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission. Paul's upbringing has been centered on finding purpose in work and a strong spirit of service. After graduating from UT Knoxville, Paul experienced a turning point in his life as he listened to one of his mother's sermons encompassing the purpose driven life. It was that moment when Paul discovered that he wanted to rebuild communities in Memphis. Since then he has served in a myriad of roles such as Legislative Liaison for the Shelby County Office of Legislative Affairs; Financial Analyst with Community Capital (Memphis, TN); Assistant Program Officer for Local Initiatives Support Corporation (New York, NY); and Associate Planner for the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development.

Take a listen as Mr. Young walks us through his current role as President and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission. Upon entering the role, Memphis was coming out of covid proper which welcomed endless opportunities. Paul talks about the makeup of your typical investor for projects in downtown Memphis and why they are attracted to the city. Paul feels that "Diversity is our Super Power" in Memphis and that we should all strive to have a mindset of abundance. We also discuss the correlation of poverty as it relates to the DMC in addition to crime being one of their biggest challenges. Last but not least, Paul participates in "Finish That Line" where we see if he knows his 90's R&B. You'll discover some of the upcoming activations in downtown Memphis in addition to a five year outlook.

Originally from Pine Bluff, AR, Fabian L. Matthews has definitely found his niche in the Memphis media space. His entry into the technical side of television began shortly after graduating from Arkansas State University and a brief stint in the military. Fabian worked as a a producer/director at KAIT TV in Jonesboro, AR and joined WMC TV-5 in Memphis as a Senior Commercial Producer/Avid Editor in 1997. He later started his media company Spotlight Productions which is still flourishing after twenty two years and has picked up three Emmy Awards and a plethora of Telly Awards. Take a listen as Fabian shares many stories from both the tv business and entrepreneur world. You'll learn about some of his most notable clients including a few projects he's currently working on. Fabian describes Memphis as "We are what people want to be" in reference to our rawness, grit and hospitality. Fabian also shares how The Smoke Podcast began in addition to how he's helping other creatives hone their craft.

Talibah Safiya is an independent soul singer and a captivating story teller from Orange Mound, TN. Using impactful instrumentation and visually stimulating lyricism, Talibah’s music has a way of deeply connecting you to her story and your own.

Since 2011, Talibah has been dropping jewels on her own terms that have put her on stages Nationwide. In the summer of 2019, she completed her first tour “A Deep Water Sound” which traveled 10 cities in the US. She has performed for world renowned platforms such as Sundance, The Kennedy Center, Folk Alliance International and more. Her festival credits include Americana Fest (where NPR named her one of the top ten performers of 2018), Mempho and Tone’s Juneteenth Festival. Safiya’s celebrated single Healing Creek was chosen by Spotify as one of the best blues songs of 2020. It’s video, shot by Kevin Brooks, won Best Hometowner Music Video at the Indie Memphis Film Festival 2019. In 2020, Oxford American Music issue features an article written by Jamey Hatley that centers Safiya called “The Oracle of Castalia”. This year her single “Animal Kingdom has gained over a half million streams on Spotify and her latest release “Waiting All Night” has received several playlist placements.

Talibah Safiya has organically gained over 1.1 million listens across streaming platforms and over 20,ooo followers across social media platforms. This year she accepted her first residency with the University of Memphis’s High Water Records and looks forward to creating and releasing new music with this collaboration.

Take a listen as Talibah walks us through growing up in Orange Mound developing her love for music as a student at both Overton and Central high school. Simultaneously, she was surrounded with music and the art of theatre with her father being a huge radio personality in the city of Memphis. Talibah shares how she became a "student of life" after attending Howard University for about a year and a half in Washington, DC and later moving to Brooklyn, NY. Find out what brought Talibah back to Memphis and why it is extremely important supporting local and experiencing a life of sustainability. You'll discover the details surrounding the artist residency at the University of Memphis which currently has Talibah in student mode. We even dive deep into her relationship with her husband Bertram who is currently on the big screen in the Starz hit show P-Valley.

Born Denisha Bonner, Cookie901 is a female Hip-Hop artist emerging from the asperous streets of Memphis, Tn. Her musical sound clinches tightly onto her city’s roots as she embarks upon the music industry, giving transparency and authenticity. As an adolescent, luminaries such as Memphis natives Gangsta Boo, Playa Fly, and Yo Gotti, fueled her passion of journaling to evolve into a love for bass and bars!

Years laters while attending her hometown HBCU, LeMoyne Owen College, she procured the attention of many and built a local following. She quickly propelled to viral fame on social media in 2015-2018 thanks to a series of freestyle covers and live videos. In 2018, She established herself as one to reckon with in the Memphis underground rap scene as she collaborated with videographer extraordinaire WikidFilms to debut her first music visual to her Bloc Boy JB “Rover” freestyle. Despite her rising notability she also received a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice in 2018 from her hometown HBCU, Lemoyne Owen College.

In 2019, she released head banging singles “Trap” and “Ima Dog” which gave a southern flavor the game had been lacking. In 2020, she continued to deliver music that became testimonials of heartache and resilience in singles like “No More” and “Hammer”.

Unwittingly, her transparency on social media captivated the eyes of over 4.5 million viewers as she spoke on personal relationship matters and narcissism. She then began to use her platform to become an advocate of self-love, awareness, and a safe place for real women to bask in their femininity. After a year long mental hiatus she returned rejuvenated and dedicated to giving her fans the best version of herself.

In her latest single and summer smash “Let’s Go” she proclaims herself as “Ms. Good in Any Hood”. With many hidden talents and aspirations, Cookie901 is destined for greatness. Her 2022 lineup is sure to take her music career to the next level!