What's Your Story?

William Flippin Jr. shares his background and childhood experiences that led him to a mission of empowering people from the chess board to the property market. He discusses how his upbringing in Atlanta and being the oldest child and grandchild shaped him. He also talks about the importance of having multiple streams of income that allow him to follow his interests. William highlights how he developed his passion for franchising and the ways he helps others become franchisees. He expresses his concerns about the future of the church and the broader need to embrace technology. Lastly, he reflects on the impact of marriage and parenthood on his life and the importance of cherishing the simple moments. 

You will learn:

• That often the simple things in life can be more important than the big things that you think you'll enjoy.
• Remembering someone's name shows them that they matter to you and creates a deeper connection.
• The person you partner with in life will evolve over time and you should embrace that as it's happening to you as well.

You can follow William's story at:
LinkedIn / Email

Follow the pod:

• IG - https://www.instagram.com/podwhatsyourstory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@podwhatsyourstory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/PodWhatsYourSto

Follow my story:

• Main site - https://www.mattestory.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattestory/
• IG - https://www.instagram.com/mattestory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mattestory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/mattestory

Cuy Sheffield, the Head of Crypto at Visa, shares his background and journey into the world of crypto. Growing up in rural Ohio, basketball became his passion and a way to find his own identity and confidence. He attended Pomona College in California, where he discovered his interest in entrepreneurship and technology. After joining TrialPay, a startup in the mobile app advertising ecosystem, he developed a passion for sales through building authentic relationships. Following the acquisition of TrialPay by Visa, Cuy would eventually find a unique opportunity for his skillset at the intersection of crypto and payments. Cuy shares his passion for crypto and how he became an advocate for the industry within Visa and beyond. He discusses the importance of spending time learning and engaging with the crypto community on platforms like Twitter/X. Cuy also talks about his superpower of translating complex concepts into easy-to-understand terms, and how he currently strives to be the best at explaining crypto to a broad audience.

What you will learn:

• Your environment can amplify and accelerate your capabilities.
• You can differentiate yourself by finding the intersection of spaces where few people are focused.
• You have to move at the pace of trends if you want to remain on top of the latest. 

Follow Cuy's story at:
Twitter/ X

Follow the pod:

• IG - https://www.instagram.com/podwhatsyourstory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@podwhatsyourstory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/PodWhatsYourSto

Follow my story:

• Main site - https://www.mattestory.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattestory/
• IG - https://www.instagram.com/mattestory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mattestory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/mattestory

On this week's episode, we celebrate Father's Day as Matt sits down with his dad, Ken Davenport, to hear his story. Ken shares his story of growing up in Detroit, his curiosity as a child, and his journey into the corporate world. He discusses his experiences building a career in data processing and IT, the challenges he faced as technology evolved, and the importance of work-life balance. He also talks about the impact of parenthood on his life and decision-making process. Ken shares how grandparenthood has changed him, the joy of spoiling his granddaughter, and the importance of spending time with family. He also talks about how he got into running and the physical and mental benefits it has brought him. 

You will learn:

• to live for today enjoying where you are currently.
• the power of asking questions to connect with others.
• that running can show you what you can endure.

You can follow Ken's story at:
Facebook / Instagram

Follow the pod:

• IG - https://www.instagram.com/podwhatsyourstory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@podwhatsyourstory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/PodWhatsYourSto

Follow my story:

• Main site - https://www.mattestory.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattestory/
• IG - https://www.instagram.com/mattestory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mattestory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/mattestory

Charles Thompson shares his journey from a competitive kid with dreams of the NFL to his transition into the professional world of sales, emphasizing the role of community, mentorship, and the power of storytelling. He discusses the impact of LinkedIn on his career and the importance of personal branding and consistency in content creation. The conversation explores the importance of building a community on LinkedIn, the value of being comfortable in one's own skin, and the significance of putting your family first. The conversation also touches on the characteristics of good storytellers and the impact of vulnerability in leadership.

You will learn:

• Putting a story to your name can help you move to the front of many industry lines. 
• To build content for the one person you can impact vs. the crowd.
• That showing people you know them will give them more reason to open up with you.

You can follow Charles' story on:
LinkedIn 

Follow the pod:

• IG - https://www.instagram.com/podwhatsyourstory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@podwhatsyourstory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/PodWhatsYourSto

Follow my story:

• Main site - https://www.mattestory.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattestory/
• IG - https://www.instagram.com/mattestory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mattestory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/mattestory

Devo Harris, a Grammy award-winning producer and founder of Adventr, shares his journey from the world of music to the fast paced tech industry. As a Army brat, he grew up moving around a lot, which has influenced his work style and approach team building. Devo co-founded G.O.O.D. Music with his cousin, Kanye West, and was responsible for bringing John Legend onto the label. However, he realized he wanted to have a broader impact and didn't want to be the old guy playing beats for 18 yr old rappers so he transitioned into the tech industry. Devo started Adventr as a solution to building personalized, intelligent, and dynamic media experiences. In the conversation, Devo shares his perspective on the future of connected media and the challenges faced by  underrepresented founders in the technology industry.  The discussion touches on  the importance of storytelling and the impact it has on empathy and understanding. 

You will learn:

• Not to assume an opportunity or resource is for someone else. Take your chance.
• To see your job as more than the role you currently do and instead finding new ways to add value.
• That no matter how good it may seem someone else has it, they are likely still facing challenges you can't see.

You can follow Devo's story at:
Instagram / LinkedIn

Follow the pod:

• IG - https://www.instagram.com/podwhatsyourstory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@podwhatsyourstory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/PodWhatsYourSto

Follow my story:

• Main site - https://www.mattestory.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattestory/
• IG - https://www.instagram.com/mattestory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mattestory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/mattestory

In this conversation, Matt Story interviews Mengistu Tad Tilahun, a global executive with over 25 years of experience in technology and the payments industry. They discuss his background, journey in the corporate world, and role at Visa. Tad emphasizes the importance of curiosity, taking risks, and adding value in one's career. He also highlights the need for self-advocacy and authenticity in the workplace. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the impact of technology and the importance of diversity and inclusion in the industry.

You will learn:

• the key to staying up to speed with technology is keeping an open mind.
• acting as you think a title should can hinder your ability to reach your full potential.
• power of being curious about being curious.

You can connect with Tad at:
LinkedIn

Follow the pod:

• IG - https://www.instagram.com/podwhatsyourstory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@podwhatsyourstory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/PodWhatsYourSto

Follow my story:

• Main site - https://www.mattestory.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattestory/
• IG - https://www.instagram.com/mattestory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mattestory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/mattestory

In this episode, Matt takes a moment to celebrate Mother's Day and reflect on the impact his mom had on his life. He shares three important lessons he learned from her: the power of keeping your word, the importance of being a supportive fan, and the value of hard work and impact. Matt encourages listeners to share their own stories about the moms in their lives and emphasizes the power of storytelling and learning from each other.

Follow the pod:

• IG - https://www.instagram.com/podwhatsyourstory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@podwhatsyourstory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/PodWhatsYourSto

Follow my story:

• Main site - https://www.mattestory.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattestory/
• IG - https://www.instagram.com/mattestory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mattestory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/mattestory

Ashley Menzies Babatunde shares her background and early experiences as a multi-hyphenate and focused overachiever. From an early age, she had high expectations of herself and others, and her leadership skills were evident. She even wroter herself a letter outlining her goals that she has largely achieved so far. Ashley reflects on her time at Stanford for undergrad and Harvard for law school along with the importance of relationships and exploration. She discusses her transition into the work world as a paralegal and then as a lawyer, and how she had to pivot within her practice to find work that aligned with her personality and values. Ashley also shares her journey of self-discovery and the role of journaling and feedback from loved ones in guiding her career decisions. She discusses the power of storytelling and her podcast, 'No Straight Path,' where she explores the human stories behind success. Ashley walks us through her journey into podcasting, starting with her love for podcasts and finding positive ways to deal with failure. She talks about the loneliness she felt after failing the California bar exam and how storytelling helped her during that time. Ashley also discusses her decision to take a sabbatical and the importance of listening to your body. Ashley reflects on her superpowers of connection and inspiration, and how the podcast has become a source of joy in her life that allows her to do both.

You will learn:

• It's ok to color outside the lines.
• The importance of living a life that is aligned to what you want from life. 
• Exploring the power of regret in your decision making.

You can follow Ashley's story at:
LinkedIn / No Straight Path IG / Ashley IG / TikTok 

Follow the pod:

• IG - https://www.instagram.com/podwhatsyourstory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@podwhatsyourstory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/PodWhatsYourSto

Follow my story:

• Main site - https://www.mattestory.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattestory/
• IG - https://www.instagram.com/mattestory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mattestory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/mattestory

Jerri DeVard, founder and CEO of the Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA), shares her background and journey to the Advertising Hall of Fame in this podcast episode. Jerri highlights her experience as an example of the role HBCUs play in shaping top talent and industry leaders. She talks about her transition into the corporate world and the importance of finding her voice early in her career. She shares her experience moving into the C-Suite and how what she enjoyed most about it. Jerri also discusses the significance of being a leader who inspires and supports others, and she offers advice for those aspiring to be in the C-suite and on corporate boards. Jerri discusses the inspiration behind creating BECA and their future plans, including expanding internationally and launching programs for vice presidents. She reflects on being inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame and the responsibility of using her recognition to uplift others. 

You will learn:

• As a leader, remember that your team's family members know your name and you have a reputation but it's up to you what that reputation is known as.
• To be a board member, you have to be really good at what you do and be recognized for that outside of your organization.
• To be a Hall of Famer, it's not just about the work you did for yourself but also what you did for others.

You can follow Jerri's story at:
BlackExec.com / BECA IG / BECA LinkedIN / Jerri IG

Follow the pod:

• IG - https://www.instagram.com/podwhatsyourstory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@podwhatsyourstory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/PodWhatsYourSto

Follow my story:

• Main site - https://www.mattestory.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattestory/
• IG - https://www.instagram.com/mattestory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mattestory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/mattestory

Deb Dutta, CEO of Criya, shares her journey as a female immigrant founder and the challenges she faced in the tech industry. She discusses her upbringing, the skills she developed, and her transition from a technical engineering role to product management. Deb also talks about the birth of Criya and how it helps individuals make stellar first impressions through AI technology. She emphasizes the importance of personal branding and the need to take control of how others perceive you. Deb shares her experience with Y Combinator and fundraising, highlighting the value of strategic partnerships and the supportive startup community. Deb discusses her journey of building a portfolio career and the importance of embracing multiple roles and interests. She shares how she managed to balance her full-time job with her side hustles and eventually transitioned into entrepreneurship. Deb also highlights the influence of her husband on her career growth and the value of having a supportive partner. She emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and staying curious, both personally and professionally. Deb reflects on the challenges of scaling a business and the need to constantly strive for growth.

You will learn:

• When you get comfortable, you may be getting complacent which stops forward progress.
• Look for projects outside your day job that help you build new skills and grow your visibility.
• There is power in having a partner that is supportive for those days when you may not think you can reach your dreams.

You can follow Deb's story at:
Deb.Criya.ai

Follow the pod:

• IG - https://www.instagram.com/podwhatsyourstory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@podwhatsyourstory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/PodWhatsYourSto

Follow my story:

• Main site - https://www.mattestory.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattestory/
• IG - https://www.instagram.com/mattestory/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mattestory
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/mattestory