Verbally Effective

Jeff “Trot” Trotter is an Atlanta native that has been living and serving in the city of Memphis for over 12 years. Deeply rooted in faith and family, Jeff has carved out a lane in Memphis that has helped him stay hungry. He currently serves as the Special Projects Assistant to the Senior Pastor at Hope Church Memphis; which is the largest Presbyterian church in America. He is developing a business apprenticeship program entitled Prolifix as well as building his own athletic apparel line Bend Dxnt Break. Trot loves to use his creative energy and insights to impact society holistically. He is an actor, who had his first movie role in the film Brian Banks, a recording artist, fashion designer and entrepreneur. Take a listen to Jeff's amazing story.

Westwood native, Arriell Gipson, loves people and even more to make powerful impact on lives. Whether it is on the job, in the community, or within her family, Arriell leads by serving. Arriell has worked in four diverse career fields, from non-profit to small business and government, enhancing her skillsets to impact positive change vigorously. Arriell is also a candidate for Shelby County Clerk, 2022. Arriell currently serves as the Public Health Coordinator under the Population Bureau with The Shelby County Health Department.

Tune in as Arriell walks us through her amazing journey beginning in Westwood and later transitioning to Cordova, TN. She talks of her robust background in civic engagement, professional development, and community wellness. Arriell's love for God resonates throughout the podcast in addition to her love for community.

Germantown native, AyeshiA Smith, is both CEO and Fashion Designer of the next big global brand, AyeshiA, an all-inclusive luxury women’s wear brand designed for women who appreciate timeless custom made pieces that creates confidence. AyeshiA's passion for fashion started at the age of five when she would often frequent Hancock Fabrics with her mom. At the age of thriteen she started sewing and repurposing denim jeans into designer handbags and selling them at her high school. Since then, she launched her business in January 2013 and the rest is history. She has showcased her line in several fashion shows across the country including LA Fashion Week and next up she will be showcasing her newest collection, “Memphis” at New York Fashion Week this September 11th and 12th. Balancing being the boss of her brand and a fulltime mom to her two kids is challenging, but so rewarding. AyeshiA has upcoming showcases in both New York and California in 2022. Be on the lookout for more to come with vibrant and timeless brand, AyeshiA.

Holly Springs, MS native, Bianca Richmond, manifested her very first publication into a hit stage play. She started writing this book after a divorce which led to the creation of "Married to a Cheater, In Love with a Husband." Take a listen as Bianca walks us through growing up in Holly Springs where her creativity was developed and nurtured. Fast forward to today, Bianca is an entrepreneur owning numerous businesses while leading the charge of executing and marketing her new stage play in Memphis and beyond.

South Memphis native, Ashley Dortch, is bridging the gap between millennials and the masses. She was so bothered by the negative connotations associated with being a millennial in the workplace that she wanted to make a change. In 2018, she leaned on both her marketing and therapy skills to create Millennial Consulting to help organizations and companies understand how to work with millennials to increase employee retention. As you can imagine, business is booming with the onset of the pandemic and more attention surrounding metal health. Take a listen as Ashely walks us through her journey where she excelled at LeMoyne Owen College as president of Beta Tau chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc in addition to serving as Miss LOC 2013 and Miss UNCF where she advocated the relevance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in America. You'll also discover which form of counseling is Ashely’s favorite and which pair of sneakers are her most coveted possessions.

Born in New Orleans and based in Memphis, Preauxx mines musical inspiration from both cities even as his lyrics take listeners far beyond his humble Southern roots. Preauxx recently dropped his new project entitled "Slide" that is accompanied with a nice two-step dance. Take a listen to Preauxx's story stemming from a military family filled with religion and discipline. You'll discover that music has always been at the cornerstone of his life as he navigated through a plethora of situations. Fast forward to today where Preauxx is a part of the Unapologetic family deeply rooted in creativity and execution not only through music but also in the Orange Mound Community. Tune in as we talk missed opportunities, Ye vs. Drake and depression.

Trinica Goods is a professional dancer born and raised in Memphis, Tn. Since she was a young girl she always had a strong passion for dance. Trinica began her dance training at the age of 11 at Colonial Middle School. She attended multiple performing arts school(s) for the next four years. After graduating high school, she went on to continue her dance training at The University of Memphis. There at The University of Memphis, she was trained intensively in modern, contemporary, and ballet. In May of 2015, she received her BFA in Dance.

During her time in college, Trinica began her professional career as an NBA Dancer. She completed her time with the The Memphis Grizzlies after her 5th season. She also began training under professional dancer/ choreographer Brandee Evans. This is where she learned the proper technique of dancing in heels. This led to Trinica creating “The Goods Experience” which is a series of dance classes created for the everyday woman, to help find her sexy while dancing in heels.

Just recently, Trinica resigned teaching dance at Overton High School. She has moved to Atlanta to become a student once again in the dance field. T Goods says "I want to eat again" and is highly motivated to tour and compete.

Senator Katrina Robinson was elected to the Tennessee General Assembly November 6, 2018. With no political background but a fire for a good fight on behalf of the underserved, Sen. Robinson launched an aggressive campaign for office, ultimately unseating a 12-year incumbent in a 2 to 1 victory. Sen. Robinson is Founder and CEO of The Healthcare Institute Inc. - one of Memphis’ leading postsecondary healthcare career colleges and training consulting company. This very business has been the center of much controversy in the media. Katrina is no longer biting her tongue while the media has created a negative narrative surrounding her business dealings. On this episode, you'll hear Senator Robinson give insight into this matter in addition to a variety of things you may not know about.

South-Mound-Haven best describes Katrina's roots in Memphis. Her independence started very early attaining her first job at the age of fourteen. She attended Xavier University with hopes of becoming a plastic surgeon but eventually came home and finished at University of Memphis. After an accelerated nursing program, she became an ICU nurse. You'll hear more about Katrina's nursing background which led her to starting Healthcare Institute, Inc. You'll learn why Katrina was compelled to run for State Senate and prevailed. She's now facing one of the biggest challenges of her life while still being a servant of the people.

White Haven native Ashley Ave. has her hands in quite a few bags. Not only is she a singer-songwriter, but Ashley is also the mastermind behind the creative content for Memphis' first Women's Semi-Pro Basketball League, She Got Game. She refers to her upbringing as "High Class Hood Culture" stemming from both worlds of Tennessee and Mississippi. However, it wasn't until the age of twenty-three when Ashley pressed the gas on her music career. She is an alum of the Consortium MMT Emerging Stars and speaks of how her experience in the program aided her heavily with a strong business acumen in the music field. Ashely is now directing and creating visuals with Memphis elements for numerous clients. Tune in and hear Ashley Ave's journey on episode 176.

New Orleans, LA native Damieon Henry aka "Boss Spook" has made Memphis his home while he builds his empire. He is the CEO of Connected and Respected clothing line where his merch is housed at the Lyfestile Clothing Shop and Tattoo Shop in Whitehaven, TN. With over six hundred tattoos and known affectionately as Spook, he and I go way back meeting in 1999 when he stepped on the lawn of LeMoyne Owen College with an athletic scholarship for basketball under the tutelage of Coach Jerry Johnson. After graduation, he entered the job market but aspired of becoming an entrepreneur. Spook began Connected & Respected clothing line based on principle consisting of everyday wear such as T Shirts, hats, socks and shorts. He utilizes social media heavily and has connected with a few heavy hitters that support his vision and brand such as "Freeway" Rick Ross and J Prince just to name a few. Find out why networking has been a major part of Spook's success on Ep 175 with my good friend and entrepreneur Boss Spook.