Live Your Purpose Podcast

“You can’t heal what you don’t reveal” The thing about healing is, it takes reflection, full out transparency and acceptance of the past. Even without full clarity or understanding, accepting that the things we’ve gone through are all a part of a bigger plan and we aren’t in control as much as we think. This weeks guest was the good brother Marcel McDaniel, he shared his story from being a gangster in the height of the crack era to now being a servant to young brothers who are on the same path that he once followed. He shared the value of fatherhood, how his wife had allowed him to be fully human, & why everyone has the capacity for change & growth. We met a year ago around this time as we started working on the film “MY LIFE”. At the time I had an idea of what story I wanted to tell, but during the process of production & editing, we quickly learned that God had a different plan for what story to tell.

In this episode, two of LYPs finest Dr. Ci & Devin Joyce sat down to share how them forming an organic relationship/friendship was the foundation of them collaborating together to create “MORE LIFE Retreat”. After starring in LYPs film MORE LIFE: A Love Story on Black Women’s Full Humanity & Transformative Love the two curated a retreat dedicated to Black Women & Black Maternal Health full of rest and building connection. As both Dr. Ci & Dev share their birthing stories, they reflect on the joy of becoming mothers, & the impact of experiencing racism during their most vulnerable moments of pregnancy. This episode was full of laughter of friends and the beauty that is creating MORE LIFE with those you love most.

In this weeks episode we sat down with an LYP Alum and family member, Producer, Artist & Grammy Award Winner Swoope. We start the conversation by reflecting on how much has changed since our first conversation back in 2019. From there we get into the reflections of getting older, and learning things that no longer serve us today. We briefly talk about the Swoope’s POV on the state of Hip Hop, specifically Kendrick Lamar’s verse on LIKE THAT. Will Swoope retire from rap? Inner child healing and his relationship with fear. This was a conversation Amongst men who respect each other but love one another as well. Thank you for tuning in!

None of us know how we will react and respond when tragedy happens. I pray that all of us can tap into some of the wisdom and courage that our guest Karl Majors gave me. Karl’s has worked in the world of finance for over 20 years, but this conversation we talked about his childhood growing up in Youngstown around substance, mental and physical abuse, lead him to Akron to pursue a career of nursing where he would ultimately meet his wife of almost 20 years before she tragically passed away from Breast Cancer almost 10 years ago. Karl was transparent, vulnerable & and a true testament to we are all stronger than we even know, but sometimes it takes pain and heartache to see so. We thank Karl for sharing his story. LYP 🌱

We invited Dr. C back!!!! Last time we spoke with her, she told us her own story, This time we went through the origin of how we originally got together, before marriage & kids, bringing up the question of “who bagged who?!”. We’ve never shared our story on camera so this was so much fun to re live that first date. For those who do not know John & Ciara’s first date wasn’t like most traditional dating nights, there’s involved an 8 hour car ride to NYC where they ultimately established a great foundation for what you see today. But the question remains…. WHO BAGGED WHO?! Listen today for the real answer and please give us your opinion on who you all think did the bagging in the poll and question attached to this episode!

In this week’s episode of LYP I sat with my friend Anthony Isom-Barnhill who I met years ago when him and I both worked at the Boys & Girls Club at a point where I now know to be divine. Everyone who’s ever had a job knows that if you keep a friend that you met at work AFTER you leave the job then yall REAL friends! lol We bonded & would talk about things most men do, sports, music, complain about our bosses, but our conversations would always evolve into spirituality, politics, even relationships. I even found out him and my mother share the same birthday! Crazy! This episode was all about watching & listening to two men display some of their vulnerable moments in a genuine way. He shared with me how it was for him meeting with his biological father as an adult, how creativity has been a healthy coping mechanism for him. After you listen to this episode ask yourself these few questions…. What is an early childhood memory you have of shame or embarrassment? When was an early childhood moment that had lasting impact? In what ways do you cope with stress? Positively or negatively? Who are my safe spaces to communicate my thoughts & feelings to? I respect my bro for sharing stuff most men would never tell anyone let alone the world. In a world where podcasts continue to make trash content, it’s important to me we give you real moments from real people. All 2024

It’s been a min since we dropped anything podcast related. For a variety of different reasons… 1. I only want to share my space with people who genuinely care about the mission we are doing at LYP. Anything other than that don’t serve me. 2. I been focused on some of the other projects, while being a dad. Yo these kids mannnn… lol they make you EARN it 3. I’ve been grieving…. Hard. So I’ve been trying to slow down and allow myself to feel everything that comes with it. So sometimes the internet can be counter productive to that process. I recently sat with Delone Carter & Tyrus Dickerson nd we all shared our different experiences with grief. I recently lost my grandmother a few weeks ago and it’s shifted so many things about life that I once knew. Not to mention the grief of my Mother a few years ago still feels fresh in so many ways. Tyrus lost his mother almost 2 years ago at a pivotal time in his life while playing college football. I couldn’t imagine feeling that type of pain in my early 20s. Delone also lost his grandmother back in June and shares in this episode just how heavy the loss has been, but also shares the other side of it, which is how we can receive so much gratitude even in the darkest times. I appreciate these men for sharing their vulnerabilities on camera. So many of us experience some of the same things but in our own unique ways. If we each are willing to share our stories you’ll never know who you can help….. including yourself.

In this episode John & Dr. T jump right in and cover the social media uproar over Keke Palmer & her boyfriend Darius Jackson. They both give their opinions on who was in the right or wrong. Dr. T shares a personal story about an interaction with her significant other. They finish the conversation talking about recent comments made from a pastor about gender roles and expectations

This week John & Dr. T start this episode off with John memorizing and paying tribute to his late mother & discussing grief. Then go into a variety of topics including Open relationships becoming more and more of an option Spiritual connection leading to open relationships Head of household? What does it mean to lead a house? What does it mean to be submissive?

In this episode John & Dr. T discuss the topics - Friends with children - Authoritative parenting over authoritarian - Surviving & Healing - Parenting out of fear - Ego based & Spiritual Based

This episode Dr. T & John jump right into great discussions. Leading with John saying how he’s calling out all hate in 2023 by featuring classic songs. They discuss examples of vulnerability, family outside blood relationships, & if you should have friendships with your children

Dr. T & John start of this weeks episode with discussing the importance of practicing vulnerability during conflict.  From there we discuss inner child wounds in relationships and how that shows up.  We wrap the conversation up by answering A question from the audience. Lastly we talk about Ace Metaphor a relationship influencer and how his content and others are extremely divisive and dangerous

Suniyah El is a entrepreneur, fitness coach & overall mental health advocate. For the 1st episode of 2023 I released the conversation that I had with Suniyah, who talked openly with me about her life, battling depression and overcoming 7 different suicide attempts, while battling the trauma of being sexually abused as a child and experimenting what she called “Religious Trauma” growing up as a child in church. It’s an honor to sit with people like her who are able to share so openly and honest about something so personal and sensitive. Please if you or anyone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts/ideation please reach out and get immediate help! Enjoy the episode 🌱 #LYP #liveyourpurpose #mentalwellness #intentionalliving #wellnesscoach #selflove #relationshipcoach #mentalhealthskills

In this episode of FTL Dr. T & John jump right into the conversation discussing holiday stressors with family, grieving & pressures around the holiday Leading into more conversation around parenting and ending with criticism of social media influencer of Derrick Jaxn divisive content  topics include  - holiday stress - nothing more triggering than parenting  - nobody is wrong in relationships  - cheating is never the answer  - Derrick Jaxn divisive content  - having tough conversations when not in conflict

This weeks episode of LYP we sat down with family! Dr. Tania Lodge now becomes the only person to ever appear on LYP 3 times. Last time was right after George Floyd tragic killing in the height of the pandemic she gave us tools and insight on how to take care of ourselves mentally despite being in complete chaos. This time she caught us up on her life since then, including being diagnosed with Breast Cancer during the pandemic and feeling like her diagnosis was Gods way of making her be more conscious of her own health. Majority of this episode was dedicated towards couples, relationships, & single people searching for love as she answered all the questions y’all wanted her to ask!!! To contact Dr. T from info below 👇🏾 (234) 466-0445 info@kindredspiritbh.org

On this weeks episode of LYP we traveled to Columbus & sat down with Chanelle & Deja Redman owners of the the amazing restorative care and all around wellness facility Replenish, where they offer a variety of different services from body massages, face treatments & energy treatment to support you to boost vitality, strengthen your immune system and rebalance your bodies currency. I was introduced to replenish from Ciara early on when we first started dating. We’ve done couple massages, private yoga & mediation workshops at replenish. These two sisters talked to me about what they appreciated and remembered most about each other growing up as children and how their mothers dream & Gods divine order, would make Replenish a reality. After my mothers transition I’m always interested in hearing others peoples experience of grief and what they learned from it. Deja and Channelle recently experienced the transition of their grandmother who was the matriarch of their family, leading us to speak about being transformed through grief, and how birth can come through death, literally and metaphorically.

This weeks episode of LYP we sat down with Archie Green founder of the organization Peel Dem Layers Back where their mission is to culturally educate, empower and equip Black Men and Boys with essential tools necessary to live a mentally healthy life thru a Hip-Hop lens. Archie gave us his entire story from the impact of racial trauma as a child, battling alcoholism, and managing clinical depression & anxiety. From studying at Moorehouse to moving to New York to chase a music career dream where he’d seen early success, Archie quickly learned like many of us… God has his own plans. After catching a DUI Archie said he heard God speak to him directly and his life would forever be changed as he shortly after became intentional about his own healing & mental health, then forming his organization PDLB I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation because it was a great example of when Black Men share our stories we find out we have much more in common then we realize!! Brothers I pray we ALL take that step towards healing, finding a professional to talk to and being open to all forms of tools to help us manage our traumas. “You can’t heal what you don’t reveal”

This weeks episode of LYP was dedicated to Jayland Walker, his family and friends & the entire city of Akron. I had the opportunity to sit with some of the faith leaders in our city Pastor Jeff Dennis of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church and Pastor Lorenzo Glenn of Macedonia Baptist Church who have been diligently working behind the scenes to bring about appropriate justice for Jaylands tragic murder on June 27th. We also were joined by Dr. John Queener a Counseling Psychologist, the local president of National Black Psychology, and one of the most renowned clinicians in the country. This episode was recorded the day before Jaylands funeral, & I spoke to all of these Black Men about how they were taking care or their own mental health, and of course the next steps in seeing Jaylands family receive the proper justice by holding the Akron Police Department Accountable for their actions on June 27th. Spectrum Ohio did a segment to highlight the strength in collaborating with our local leaders right here in our city. I’m thankful for these men for being elders, men of God, & fearless community leaders who’s actions are often overlooked but never under appreciated. They spoke honest, vulnerable and left no punches in why this tragedy is completely inexcusable. JUSTICE 4 JAYLAND 🕊🙏🏾

In this weeks episode of LYP we traveled to LA & sat down with Ohios own Jerreau In 2020 a month before the world shutdown due to the global pandemic Jerreau dropped “KEYS” one of the best albums in that year & in my opinion one of the better rap albums and bodies of work in the last 5 years KEYS became autobiographical for Jerreau as he Raps about doing music since he was 5, battling with Survivors Remorse after loved ones passed away, and witnessing domestic violence as a child. KEYS went on to become the soundtrack for me personally during times of grief, joy and uncertainty as we all were quarantined during the pandemic. Jerreau proved that artists who show growth, vulnerability and provide thought provoking lyrics will always reign supreme no matter the circumstances of the world. In this convo we broke down some bars from KEYS, how as men we tend to block out some of our most traumatic experiences & more. 🌱 x 🔑

On this weeks episode of LYP we sat down with my guy Lorne Williamson founder of The Breakfast Box I’ve literally known this good brother my entire life and have a lot of classic memories with bro, from elementary school to our first couple years of college being OUTSIDE!!! The beauty of it all is seeing the evolution of us both, being husbands, family men, fathers & business owners. Ever since I can remember he’s had hands in something and fearlessly trying different things creatively. That passion and courage ultimately brought him back to his love of cooking that he told me he learned from his grandmother cooking famous breakfast and also his father having a love for cooking. That love and passion turned into The Breakfast Box which started as a stand in his back yard to a food truck and now with the hopes of one day franchising, operates at a central location here in Akron. It’s always fire to see the homies stick to their plan and watch it come to fruition, especially when you’ve seen the commitment and execution up close.

On this weeks episode of LYP we sat down with CJ Chatman of Carrington Financials & Legal Trapper Two years ago during our first ever live event we sat with CJ but only for a short time, but he gave a tremendous amount of value so it was only right we had him back for a full conversation. CJ is the CEO of Carrington Financials which is a Independent Insurance Agency and we went into a deep dive about Life Insurance and why it’s a must have for every household and the greatest tool in creating generational wealth. I always appreciate learning, but even more when it’s coming from people who are younger than me. CJ is a young star and a vital resource to our community. 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

After a few weeks off we came back with a good one. Kaylon Alexander is 1/2 of the creative unit that is 24Karat Posse alongside his partner Larry. I met Kaylon 5-6 years ago when we worked together at the Boys & Girls Club and even then I recognized this young king was ahead of his time and was very wise and talented. He spoke to us about pivoting from a dream as an athlete as a youngster, being inspired by movements such as Roc-A-Fella and others. He also touched on the steps he took to build his confidence that continue to serve him today. It’s always refreshing to build and converse with the young homies who ultimately leave me feeling inspired. Enjoy the episode. YouTube Clips available on the Live Your Purpose Podcast YouTube channel 🌱 x 🏪 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 #LYP #liveyourpurpose

This weeks episode of LYP is a milestone by it being our 50th episode, so we did it a little different this go round. I did it solo and I went over 4 main topics that I wanted to share with y’all. 1. Consistency 2. Faith & Vision 3. Why Honesty is important 4. How entrepreneurship and mental wellness are connected Some of the reasons I did this one solo is because… 1. Because it was important to me that I shared with y’all exactly what I’ve learned these last 2 years 2. I wanted to see how it felt lol 3. Im never married to just doing things creatively one way or following a certain method. I’m gone continue to try shit out along the way because that’s what keeps me finding joy in it! THANK YOU TO EVERY DAMN PERSON WHO MADE 50 EPISODES POSSIBLE 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

This weeks episode of the Live Your Purpose Podcast we virtually sat down with Dr. Evan Auguste to discuss one of my favorite topics mental health and specifically mental health for Black & Brown people. Evan is a certified star and a front line warrior that we should all be aware of. After recently finishing his PHD program Evan Auguste became one of the only Black male psychologists in a field where less than 4% of the providers are Black males. Evan gave us a historical breakdown of the origin of the field of psychology + how it was weaponized to harm Black people as a form of oppression. He also gave us game on several Black theorists/psychologists that specifically relate to our experiences and connect us to our true origin. In other words… the field/system of psychology just like every other system has it’s racist and oppressive origins, but there are Black therapists out there who have been specifically trained to work with Black people. I know this for a fact because I go to one… twice a month! He continues to serve in leadership within National ABPsi and will lead nationally and internationally…pay attention. He also told us he used to be a track star and starred alongside Usain Bolt once in a commercial! I was blessed to cross paths with this young king… his heart was genuine and his spirit is committed to fulfilling his purpose. 🌱 x 👨🏾‍⚕️ 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

On this weeks episode of the Live Your Purpose Podcast we spoke with Chanda Woodall the owner of In Time Studio Chanda found the practice of yoga after an injury as an athlete in college. She soon after enlisted in the military during a transition in her life, where she then fell deeper into becoming a full fledged Yogi, becoming an instructor teaching yoga and sound healing. We spoke about mental health, her experience as a Black Woman Yoga Instructor, content creation and just exactly what sound healing & meditation is. I enjoyed this conversation, as we agreed to disagree on some things but agreed that holding space for the conversation was the most important factor. Chanda gave a lot of information on the health benefits of yoga and meditation. Mind, Body & Spirit! 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 #LYP #liveyourpurpose

On this episode of the Live Your Purpose Podcast myself and the LYP team traveled down to Atlanta and sat down and met with the Connect themselves. Aaron and his wife Nadiyah are the owners of The Company Connect where they teach Entrepreneurs how to start, fund, and grow their business to 6 figures by leveraging their personal and business credit. In this conversation we spoke about their origin and how they met and came together at the perfect time while attending Ohio State. Over the years the duo has been through many trial and error experiences of entrepreneurship, but never giving up on their vision. One of the biggest takeaways I learned about them during this conversation that I came to really appreciate is how much faith these two have, through taking action and living with their results no matter what. During our conversation they gave us a great breakdown on steps for establishing your credit, basic credit tips everyone should be aware of and plays to accumulate $50k in business funding. They’re starting a challenge where they want to help 10 entrepreneurs learn these same gems and how to prosper in their business. That link will be available in the description on our YouTube video and audio episode. 🌱 x 🔌 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 *LINK TO ENTER THEIR CHALLENGE* USE CODE LYP FOR DISCOUNT 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾 http://Theconnectwaitlist.com The Connect mentorship program was created to teach entrepreneurs how to start, fund, and grow their business to 6 figures or more by leveraging credit. Ac & Nadiyah Carey have successfully scaled multiple businesses to 6 figures and now they’re giving you the blueprint they use to make it happen. In this mentorship, you’ll learn the fundamentals of business and credit because that’s where everything starts. Once your credit is in position, you can easily obtain $50k - $250k in funding to make your business dreams come true! Not only is the couple teaching you how to do this yourself, they’re also revealing a number of plays you can make to increase your income, including but not limited to starting an airbnb business, renting out cars, running a trucking company, manufactured spending, NFTs, and travel hacking. If you’re ready to take your income to the next level you do NOT want to miss this opportunity. You’ll learn how to: Make 6 figures or more with a new business Get a 700+ credit score Obtain $250k+ in credit to invest Get cars in your business name Properly structure your business Build a credit report from scratch Run a profitable Airbnb business Make 6 figures in Trucking without owning a truck Maximize your reward points on credit cards Obtain high status levels with hotels and car rentals How to liquidate your credit cards Travel for Free Join the waitlist now. LINK TO VIEW YOUR CREDIT REPORTS FOR $1: https://affiliate.upsellnation.com/scripts/x7y3nqcm?a_aid=6116acc88a4b0&a_bid=baba7135