Verbally Effective

Meet Whitehaven, TN native and fashion designer Prep Curry. When he arrived in Los Angeles, California with only $6 to his name to work on his dream of becoming an accomplished fashion designer, he had no idea where his journey would lead. Five years later, history has been made as Prep Curry has grown his craft from creating bowties and pocket squares to become the first African American designer to partner with Banana Republic to release a collection. Take a listen to Prep's amazing journey which includes many challenges that has made him much stronger.

Finance professional and podcaster, Willams D. Brack, is originally from the Delta of Greenwood, MS. Growing up he faced much adversity moving to Chicago, IL for a few years and coming back to the midsouth with family in Memphis, TN at the age of thirteen. He learned a plethora of life skills at a very early age and excelled in academics and sports graduating summa cum laude from Carver High School. Brack's next chapter consisted of a few school endeavors in which he ultimately graduated from Morehouse College. Fast forward to today Brack is the Vice President and Community Development Manager for Regions Bank in West TN and AR. Brack believes there is plenty of financial opportunity for the midsouth community through elevating income and providing much needed resources. Take a listen as Brack breaks down the Community Reinvestment Act, his love/hate relationship with cryptocurrency and his thoughts on a few trending topics. You'll also learn more about how he became the co-host of The Grindset Podcast and Sell or Fail Podcast.

Mike Ware, Jr. is an entrepreneur who is part owner of Chuckles Comedy House and the Cockeyed Rooster. He was born and raised in Whitehaven, TN and graduated from Overton High School in 1998. Mike received a chorus scholarship to the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff and majored in Communications. Upon graduation, he began working in radio sales at WRBO where he gained his confidence in building relationships that would soon be important in future business endeavors. In 2014, he along with his father Mike Ware, Sr. and Prescott Gilliam, started Chuckles Comedy House. Take a listen as Mike walks us through the dynamics of the comedy scene in Memphis and beyond, navigating through multiple businesses during covid and expansion. Mike has quite a few stories to tell us from having some of the biggest comedians come through the city of Memphis to grace the stage of Chuckles. He also shares his thoughts on how the comedy game has changed with the onset of the internet versus stage presence amongst entertainers. Nowadays Mike has his sights set on expansion with an upcoming Crumpy's opening soon in Memphis in addition to a Chuckles Comedy House in New Orleans, LA.

South Memphis native, Larry Dodson, has experienced a total reset since the pandemic. From writing a book, to becoming a spokesperson for Guidance Whiskey, Larry has created many opportunities for himself. It all began in South Memphis at Carver High School when he started a group called the Temprees. Once he graduated, he joined the Bar-Kays and began his entertainment journey. On this episode you'll hear Larry discuss his time selling millions of legendary masterpieces, however, you'll also discover that moment in his career when he decided to take a step back from the limelight to focus on family. You'll learn the motivation behind his first book including some exclusive info regarding his Music Moves record label he runs with his son. He shares some key advice for artists and continues to let his light shine during this pandemic.

White Haven native, Jimmy Stokes II, is ready to wake up the city of Horn Lake, MS. He is currently the City Planning Commissioner for Ward 5 and Pastor at Northeast Side Church of Christ. Her grew up as a preacher's kid and always knew he would one day become a pastor. He proposed to the love of his life his senior year in college and officially started his ministry after graduation. These days Jimmy has his sights set on being the first black mayor of Horn Lake, MS which is a city consisting of 60 percent minorities. Jimmy speaks on the citizens top concerns in addition to opposition he has faced since campaigning. Help Jimmy Stokes move Horn Lake, MS forward by voting in the General Election on June 8th.

East Memphis native, Nia Dorsey, is a model, actress, writer and entrepreneur. 2021 has started with a bang being featured in British Vogue, Vanity Fair and the recent season of VH1's Basketball Wives. Take a listen as Nia walks us through her formative years playing sports in high school, attending University of Memphis and how she started taking her role in the modeling and the entertainment industry more seriously in 2015. Like many of us, the pandemic has affected Nia personally when her father unexpectedly passed away. You've probably seen this tragedy discussed as the world watched Nia and her sister Noria make their debut on the new season of Basketball Wives franchise. You'll learn how the entire Basketball Wives opportunity unfolded including the background tea with OG. Nia is definitely on the come up and wants the world to soon know her name.

Felicia Jarrell is a walking goldmine of resources for those who want to step out of their comfort zones to pursue their calling and create generational wealth. She is the owner of Goldmine & CoCo which is a luxury stationery business featuring hand-drawn images everyday African American women. Felicia is also a six-figure luxury business coach providing aspiring eCommerce startups and veteran entrepreneurs with the insight they need to curate profitable product launches, build loyal communities and plan for the luxe life of their dreams. Take a listen and learn about Felicia's journey and how she will soon be the first black owned luxury stationery company on retail shelves.

Jasmine Wilson moved to Memphis about eight years ago and knew she would have many opportunities in the city, but had no idea she would fall in love with both its soul and the people. She is currently a business coach, healthcare/non profit expert, and recently elected as West Tennessee Vice Chair for the Tennessee Democratic Party. Jasmine comes from a military and multigenerational household soaking in plenty of knowledge and wisdom. Her story continued as she selected HBCU Spelman College as a sociology major. Take a listen as Jasmine brings us up to speed on what we all should pay attention to in the next election cycle in addition to her upcoming IGTV series called Listen, Sis.

Henry Reaves III roots reach back to Benton County, MS and White Haven, TN. He is the owner of one of the largest African American law firms in the country, Reaves Law Firm, PLLC. Henry was raised in a middle class military family living in various time zones including California and Japan. Life was good until the crack epidemic infiltrated his world. Unfortunately, Henry's father fell victim and his life changed forever. Take a listen as Henry describes this pivotal moment in his upbringing including his decision to join the Air. Henry later attended and graduated from Indiana University School of Law which brought him back to Memphis. You'll hear about many of the challenges he faced when moving back home and ultimately starting his very own law firm. Henry expresses why his messaging is intentional when it comes to marketing his firm in the personal injury law arena. What you'll learn is that this sector of law yields very high margins and is also extremely competitive. Find out about Henry's Unity Campaign in addition to why he stresses the need for building generational wealth.

Latrivia Welch is the President and CEO of RiverHouse Publishing, LLC, an indie publishing house for self-published authors spending her time helping people realize their artistic dreams through literature. She currently represents over 75 authors nationally. Welch is the founder of the Russian Romance genre which includes a black heroine lead. If you find this interesting, please take a listen as Latrivia created this entire genre because she was told that there was no room for it in the writing space. Ever since I met Latrivia during our days in the Dubois scholarship program and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority at LeMoyne Owen College, she has always been a forward thinker and change maker. Quite naturally she is an advocate in the Memphis community working with the National Civil Rights Museum, ALSAC St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, the Memphis Redbirds and two award winning PR Firms, Trust Marketing and The Carter Malone Group. Tune in and hear how Latrivia's journey intersects interracial relationships, women's rights and community engagement.