A self-professed drama kid turned Certified Hormonal Specialist, Paige Lindgren never in a million years thought she’d have a career creating content about where the best salad is in LA to how to create a blood sugar balanced plate. Her passion for simplifying how to live a more hormonal balanced life came from her own medical diagnosis that challenged her to get back to the basics when it came to eating and she’s cultivating a community and a platform built on truly trusting your gut while healing yourself from the inside out. 

Interview Highlights: 

• Sometimes, the simplest things can have the greatest impact 
• Vulnerability can create community and provide resources that may not have always existed 
• When passion meets determination and purpose, the opportunities are limitless 

Stay Engaged

• Host: @iamejjames | @therealdba

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

Produced by Dear Media.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kier Gaines is a licensed therapist who’s building brave spaces for men, especially Black men, to have the agency to heal, learn  and grow in a world that often forgets they exist. After the video of him and daughter discussing life and therapy went viral two years ago after the tragic murder of George Floyd, Kier has since become an online personality where he uses his skills as a therapist to challenge himself and his community to heal and grow mentally while the world continues to change around them. As he shares his life and family with the world, Kier is truly on a mission to encourage everyone to discover the unapologetic versions of themselves that they often hide in order to fit in. 

Interview Highlights: 

• • Same skills, different stage - use all of life’s teachings to navigate the journey of life and the path of self-discovery 
  • We must allow space for people to be 100% themselves, unapologetically in order to give others the same permission to show up as their fullselves 
  • Creating brave spaces where men can heal, learn and grow allows them to increase their bandwidth to be able to show up for the people in their lives that need them the most

• Stay Engaged
  • Host: @iamejjames | @therealdba 

Produced by Dear Media.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Who’s on Content chats with Venita Aspen, DBA client and star of Bravo TV’s hit reality shot, “Southern Charm,” regarding the content of keeping it real when your life is shared online and on tv. Aspen discusses her southern roots; love for food and fashion, while detailing the difficulties of being herself in a world where people define you before truly getting to know you. While reality tv has taken over mainstream media, Aspen hopes that by sharing her life online, she can show her community and show fans the Black woman she’s becoming that honors her Southern roots while challenging stereotypes and inspiring more dialogue about what it means to be from the South. 

Interview Highlights: 

• Even if something is a passion of yours, it’s okay to pivot from it if it doesn’t bring you joy in the way you imagined or want it to 
• Honoring who you are is hard, but necessary when sharing your life online and on TV.
• Your community wants to know the “real you” not who you portray to be - this builds trust and support when the pressure to show up online is too much 

Stay Engaged

• Host: @iamejjames | @therealdba

Produced by Dear Media.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week EJ chats with award winning storyteller and creator, Madison Utendahl who through her work as the Head of Social for the Museum of Ice Cream received two Webby awards but also experienced burnout as a result of it. Burnout taught Madison that although she could create great work, there was a price and sacrifice that was paid, and most times the sacrifice of one’s self worth is a price too steep to pay. Understanding that she could create impactful, original content that represented while also inspired her community, she founded Utendahl Creative, a Black-owned, female only, creative agency that allowed her to be creative and groundbreaking in her storytelling while also providing content deeply rooted in culture and community. As a Forbes 30 Under 30, Madison knows that while viral trends may be par for the course with social media today, the longevity of creativity is rooted in something far more deeper. 

• Interview Highlights: 

• Content is ever evolving and should always reflect the time and space the creator/s are in
• You must acknowledge your fears but act despite them 
• Creating content rooted in community cultivation that helps creatives define who they are and what their work stands for will always be inspiring and have impact 

• Stay Engaged
  • Host: @iamejjames | @therealdba

Produced by Dear Media.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, EJ chats with Chinae Alexander, a beautifully vulnerable lifestyle creator and entrepreneur who understands “we are what we consume” when it comes to content we’re intentionally and unintentionally exposed to every day. As someone who loves the world and creates content that is truly authentic to her truest form while inspiring others to find that version of themselves, Alexandera truly does the work to block out negativity on social media while providing positive examples through her acts of her service with her event planning company and community outreach work for the unhoused.

Interview Highlights: 

• Recognize what drives your passion and lean all the way in! 
• It’s never too late to start the career of your dreams! 
• Providing a unique perspective to a traditional industry can help cultivate community.

Produced by Dear Media.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

First up, Who’s on Content?! This Week?! Is Netflix’s From Scratch which  has been on everyone’s tongues and tissues in the past few weeks. The 8 episode limited series depicts the beautiful love story of Tembi Locke and her husband, a Sicilian chef named Saro. It is one the rawest pieces of content EJ has experienced and it was only right that he dissects what makes it so. 

Next up, EJ chats with Alex Hill of Just Add Hot Sauce about her recent transition to being a fulltime food creator. As a marketer by trade, Alex suffered from imposter syndrome many times where she started and stopped her online career a few times until fully leaning in and betting on herself. Her content celebrates the culture of family and heritage with every post. 

Interview Highlights: 

• Recognize what drives your passion and lean all the way in! 
• It’s never too late to start the career of your dreams! 
• Providing a unique perspective to a traditional industry can help cultivate community.

Produced by Dear Media.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Who’s on Content?! This Week?! Netflix’s From Scratch has been on everyone’s tongues and tissues in the past few weeks. The 8 episode limited series depicts the beautiful love story of Tembi Locke and her husband, a Sicilian chef named Saro. It is one the rawest pieces of content EJ has experienced and it was only right that he dissects what makes it so. 

Featured Guest: Award Winning Author of In Bibi’s Kitchen, Hawa Hassan connects and invites people to eat and learn from her Somalian table. When she launched her hot sauce line for Basbaas Foods, Hassan was just looking for an entry point to start a global conversation around the need for diversification of available foods on grocery shelves that also connected people to the culture and communities of those cuisines. As a proud Somalian, she needed to find ways to diversify the content of our people and the narratives that were being shared about them. Understanding that food is the best cultural gateway that explores the ways in which we are all connected as humans, she’s on a mission to continue inspiring others to explore the foods around the world as a way to better connect with communities far and wide. 

Interview Highlights: 

• It’s better to invite people into an idea rather than tell them what to do or how to do it. 

• Keep the community first - community cultivating content will always reign supreme as the community becomes invested in you! 

• Industry disruptors allow for diverse representative storyteller that connects and expands the experience one could have or share.

Social Handles 

• Host: @iamejjames

Produced by Dear Media.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There’s nothing like the power of representative content, especially when that content reflects you and the amazing community you live in. Irene Walker, Head of Business Equity Programs at Meta grew up understanding that community leaders were the brave small business owners in her neighborhood - including her favorite superhero, Ivory Man. Understanding that economic empowerment for marginalized communities and their business leaders could help improve the lives and environments of the communities they locally and globally service, Walker Co-Founded Meta Elevate - a free business resource for Black and LatinX business leaders to learn valuable advertising tools to help scale their businesses using a suite of digital tools and expertise from one of the largest social platforms to date! 

Episode Highlights: 

• • • Life is the greatest content and experience is the best teacher for guiding a life of purpose and service to others. 
    • Small business leaders are community leaders that inspire and empower their community to think of the possibilities of success when one dares to succeed despite their beginnings/surroundings. 
    • Programs like Meta help businesses learn simple advertising tools that allow them to tap into the vast power of digital marketing in order to scale and expand locally and globally in a highly digitized economy.

Social Handles 

• Host: @iamejjames

Produced by Dear Media.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the show’s first solo episode, host EJ James, Special Projects at the Digital Brand Architects (DBA) and self proclaimed champion and defender of content, discusses the content of Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise following the network’s BravoCon 2022 hosted last weekend in New York. When it comes to Bravo, though there are several successful franchises, including Southern Charm which includes DBA’s own talent, Venita Gibson, there’s no denying the cultural influence of The Real Housewives and the hold it’s had on audiences for the past 16 years. This if the first of many content reviews EJ provides in order to understand why the content contents. 

Episode Highlights: 

• Seeing “real people” succeed is inspirational.
• There’s no denying the positive and negative influence of “real content” on and off the TV screen
• A winning content formula can serve as the framework for true brand building

Social Handles 

• Host: @iamejjames

Produced by Dear Media.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We should all embrace color and living as boldly as artist and designer, Dani Dazey. From t-shirt designer, to graphic designer and now a sought after artist, sustainable fashion and interior designer, not to mention, HGTV designer and host of Trixie Motel, Dazey has built a successful brand rooted in self-expression where colors and patterns rule. 

Episode Highlights: 

• Checking in with yourself by asking questions that challenge the content you’re consuming helps to keep you true to you and that which you .
• Know and hone your aesthetic in everything you do. 
• Bring things into your life that bring you joy. 

Social Handles 

• Host: @iamejjames

Produced by Dear Media.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.