The Purpose Producer

Jeff Jenkins is inspiring a new community of travelers through his new show Never Say Never on National Geographic. The award-winning travel journalist first appeared on the podcast in 2021. 

Now, the former school teacher is back with his infectious energy and unshakeable faith. In this episode, he talks about increasing visibility for plus-size travelers. Plus, the safety measures that made his adventures possible.

Never Say Never with Jeff Jenkins premiers on National Geographic and Disney+ on July 9th.

Sampson McCormick is an award-winning comedian, writer, and producer known for sharing his unique perspectives on stages around the world. His career spans two decades but he's just getting started. In addition to standup, he's performed in nine independent films, including "B-Boy Blues," "Love the One You're With" and the Oscar-nominated short film "I Live Here," and written several more, including his filmed comedy shows. In this interview, he talks about cancel culture, being attacked on stage, and pronouns.

Ashley Harris is the host of The Queerly Blax podcast. The Queerly Blax Show aims to normalize the everyday existence of black LGBTQIA individuals through an interview style series. In this episode, we turn the tables on the beloved host and dive deeper into the power of our language. Hear how she balances queer life in corporate, being a wife, and life with a new baby.

2wicee is a native of Richmond, Virginia, and is an aspiring singer/songwriter. She grew up around a family of musical talent, which has motivated her to be the performer that she is today. In this interview, she highlights the struggles of being an independent artist and collaborating with R&B Legend Ne-Yo and singer Tiffany Evans.

Keith Terrell is the host of Young, Black, and Vegan. With more than 70,000 subscribers, Keith has been recognized as a YouTube Creator of the Rise. In this episode, the South Central native opens up about his spiritual journey through plant medicine. From Costa Rica to Peru, he talks about the power of ayahuasca and navigating political unrest during a spiritual retreat.

Black Boy Joy is fighting back tears at the sight of your mom in her wedding dress. You can tell by the way the bride holds her son's face that Sommer L. Jean and Mekhi Sheffield have a strong bond.  

As seen on Good Morning America and CBS This Morning, this emotional first-look has been viewed more than 8 million times on TikTok. The newlyweds who met online sat down for an interview on The Purpose Producer Podcast just 8 days after their wedding.

The heartfelt moment has inspired the "Black Boy Joy" series on The Purpose Producer. This campaign will feature interviews from Black men who are finding joy in everyday life.

After being rejected by religion, two queer Black women embark on a spiritual journey to find God within. In this episode, Purpose Expert Kalyela Josephs shows us how she’s using her experience to bring the LGBTQ+ Community closer to God. This episode is for anyone searching for identity and purpose.

Find more information at: https://www.kalyelaj.com/

Travel Influencer Rachel Hill opens up about leaving corporate America to pursue her true purpose. After being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in 2014, Rachel set out to travel the world indefinitely. Since then, the author and keynote speaker has helped hundreds of people create and build profitable online businesses. In this episode, she shares the wake-up call that ignited her path to success and healing.

Roy Wood Jr. is a stand-up comedian, producer, and actor. He is currently a correspondent on Comedy Central's Emmy and NAACP award-winning The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. He has had three stand-up specials on Comedy Central: Father Figure in 2017, No One Loves You in 2019, and his latest, Imperfect Messenger, in 2021. In this episode, he talks about his first Black journalist conference and how he strategically supports Black female comics.

Most recently Roy starred alongside Jon Hamm in the Fletch sequel 'Confess Fletch' as well as 'Better Call Saul', 'Only Murders in the Building', 'The Last O.G.' & 'Space Force' Roy is the Executive Producer of the 2022 Emmy Nominated documentary / The Neutral Ground.

Benjamin Carlton is an author, activist, actor, comedian, and minister of love.

He is a Co-Founder of BMe Community, a social impact organization that has served over 1,000,000 families, influenced national policy, and committed more than $2,000,000 to local community leaders.

His debut memoir, I’m Black, I’m a Minister, and I’m Gay, details how queer Christians can live beyond fear and condemnation. In this episode, he opens up about his experience with conversion therapy and being queer in the Black church.

Read more about the movement at www.blacklovewins.com

From the New York Comedy scene to the Kennedy Center stage, Courtney Bledsoe is breathing new life into entertainment television. After asking God for a recurring television role, the former teacher turned actress got not one – but two roles in 2022. She made her primetime debut on HBO Max's That Damn Michael Che, and now she's the newest member on the cast of MTV’s Wild’N Out. This episode details the obstacles she overcame to see her dream come true. 

Shayla Racquel is a master storyteller and powerful manifestor. This talented director is no stranger to overcoming odds - diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease at birth and a stroke at the mere age of 12, her battle with this illness is what brought her closer to the art of storytelling, which unlocked her love for filmmaking. Through prayer, hard work, and sticky notes, this talented director is creating her own path in Hollywood. In this episode, she opens up about her role on ABC's The Wonder Years and the legacy of the late director John Singleton. 

Sunni Speaks is a vegan chef best known as the plant-based "Trap Queen". Since launching her "Vegan Trappin" business, Chef Sunni has managed to reach thousands with her "Smackin" foods via pop-up shops, food delivery, private dinners, catering, and nationwide shipping. In this episode of The Purpose Producer Podcast, Chef Sunni opens up about the tragedy that sounded the alarm about Black Health. Plus, the steps she took to lose more than 100lbs.

Keith Terrell is a writer, producer, and director who got his start at BET after film school. In this episode, he discusses the steps he took to launch his own show, Young, Black, & Vegan. Plus, the life lessons he learned from NBA Legend John Salley and America's Mom Tabitha Brown.

Chloé Hilliard is a writer and comedian who first appeared as a semi-finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing and went on to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, and more. Hear the journey that led her to become a writer on HBO's A Black Lady Sketch Show.  

Winter Wheeler is a former top civil litigator who has made her niche as an expert mediator. She is sought out for her unique, compassionate, and successful style of handling complex matters that involve a diverse range of cultures, including Spanish-speaking clients.

In this episode, Winter breaks down The Four Cornerstones of Mediation™, an original theory introduced to the world during her first TEDx talk in March 2021.

Kenny Lewis is a veteran gospel singer and songwriter. Since releasing his first national project in 2000, he’s gone on to work with some of the greatest in gospel music. Now, 22 years in, Kenny Lewis & One Voice are Stellar Award-nominated. Their latest single "He's Been Good" featuring Charles Jenkins already has more than one million streams. In this episode, he breaks down what it means to have an undefeated attitude and destroy the box.

Kim Smith is the CEO and Founder of LNQ Media. As a veteran journalist, she has gone from reporting local news to curating content for the most powerful media companies in the world. In this episode, Kim discusses being one of few women in sports journalism, embarking on motherhood, and becoming a media powerhouse.

As a singer, songwriter, and publicist, Josh King (JKing) is making his mark on the entertainment industry. After getting his start with R&B singer Sammy, he has continued to build relationships helping countless celebrities and brands along the way. In this episode, the renaissance man opens up about adoption, therapy, and the $15,000 investment that changed his life.

Tamika Newhouse is the CEO who went from teen mom to running her own company by the age of 20. Affectionately known as the Shonda Rhimes of Black Publishing, the award-winning author has penned 17 novels and helped to publish nearly 300 books. In this episode, Tamika opens up about living with bipolar disorder as a single mom and media maven.

Chelsea Fuller is an expert in crisis management. As the deputy communications director for Blackbird, she is basically the Olivia Pope of the social justice movement. From campaigns like #MeToo to #BlackLivesMatter and #DefundthePolice, Chelsea plays a leading role in responding to the headlines that keep us up at night. In this episode, the veteran journalist explains why she only responds when called upon and how her faith guides her every step of the way.

As a career coach, leadership speaker, and business consultant, Brittany Cole finds joy in encouraging others to thrive. After spending 12 years at Pfizer, she found herself at the crossroads of grief and transition. This year, the former marketing executive released, Thrive Through It: A Guide for Redefining Resilience in Life and Business. In this episode, she peels back the pages of her best-selling book to show us how to define who we are through moments of loss.

This episode is for the believer who is barely hanging on. With the unemployment rate, at 6.2 percent, and the number of unemployed persons, at 10.0 million, many are struggling to keep the faith. All while Black and Brown business owners are closing their doors at alarming rates. In this episode, Host and Executive Producer Georgia Dawkins discusses lessons of faith, success, and purpose.

Kiami Davael is an American actress best known for her role as “Lavender” in the film Matilda. Throughout her career, she has starred in numerous TV shows like "Moesha" and "The Steve Harvey Show.” But perhaps she has learned the most from the roles she didn’t book and the ones she never saw coming. In this episode, Kiami details how her posture of faith has sustained her through loss and uncertainty.

Elissa Yancey is an educator, author, co-founder of “A Picture's Worth,” a story-gathering tool that builds trust, adds context to issues shaping our world. Her new book, “Grab Happy,” addresses something we all can relate to in this season: grief. In this episode, Elissa opens up about the stages of grief, who we can become, and two words from her mother that changed her entire outlook on life.

Meet Sirdarius Benton, better known as “The Dancing Deputy.” Deputy Benton first went viral in 2018 when he danced to Drake’s “In My Feelings.” In the midst of social unrest and a global pandemic, the Henry County, Georgia deputy says he’s bridging the gap by being in the gap.” In this episode, he opens up about a near-death experience that left him upside down after a high-speed chase.

As a recording artist and songwriter, Phoenix Sohl is using energy healing to reach listeners on a deeper level. Using frequencies like binaural beats, she is creating transformational media to inspire and uplift the masses. In this episode, she opens up about the spiritual awakening that led her to the trail she’s blazing today.

From “Hot Tub Time Machine” to “Black-ish,” Kellee Stewart has breathed life into characters for more than 10 years. Now, as a proud egg-advocate, Kellee is inspiring an underserved community through her weekly Instagram series, Warrior Wednesdays where she shines a light on other fertility stories. Whether you’re believing God for a child or you’re just believing God for a miracle, Kellee’s story is a reminder that we all play a leading role in activating our faith.

CJ Faison is the founder of Face Forward Productions where he curates cultural stories. After walking away from a career in finance, he took a non-traditional route to entertainment which led him to the Emmy nominated digital series, Giants. His latest short film, Junebug, explores fatherhood, girlhood, and mental wellness. In this episode, CJ gives us a look inside his process, his passion, and most importantly, his faith.

Erin Waller is the founder of  BWFwoman, an organization that supports and heals the brokenhearted and celebrates the inherent beauty of Christ in the spirit of women. Her goal is to empower others to make choices that strategically shift emotions.

In this episode, she breaks down how to become intentional about our emotions so that we can all achieve our physical, mental, and spiritual goals.

After doctors told them they would have trouble getting pregnant, Talya and Dwayne Parker dared to ask God for more. As it turns out, the young couple was expecting before they ever petitioned God. Growing in your faith can be difficult when you are in a relationship, and that kind of love calls for an even deeper level of intimacy. In part II of our interview, Talya and Dwayne candidly detail the moments where they needed grace the most.

Sometimes the gift you use to help position others for success is your story. My guests today know all about the power of their testimony. In 2018, Dwayne and Talya Parker went viral after sharing the news that they had closed on their first house. While millions of people saw the photoshoot in their orange and green t-shirts outside their new home, it is the testimonies that they continue to share that make their ministry so unique.

This is a special episode about finding purpose in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sometimes the miracle is not getting what you prayed for. Sometimes the miracle is being able to make it through a difficult season.

Aqueela Maddox is using the power of words to transform the lives of everyone she meets. As an author, speaker and relationship coach, she has impacted thousands around the world including Mexico, London, Paris, and the Dominican Republic. While she can be spotted as a recurring guest on VH-1's T.I. and Tiny's Friends and Family Hustle, her largest platform is wherever God decides to take her next. In this episode, Aqueela shows us how our testimonies can lead to a life of abundant faith.

Deejay Young is an award-winning actor, singer, songwriter, and independent artist. At the peak of his career, he made the decision to leave one of the biggest brands in the world for an even greater dream. While on tour with "Hamilton: An American Musical," the multitalented entertainer pauses to explain how he manifests one life-changing opportunity after another.

In this episode of the Purpose Producer Podcast, Executive Producer Georgia Dawkins takes listeners down a path of hope, redemption and spirituality through a series of purpose reflections. Since launching her career with ABC News in 2008, the author, producer and journalist has gone on to blaze a dynamic path in media. While writing her debut book, “Everybody Knows: The Power of Being Position,” Georgia says she was called to be a Purpose Producer. Hear how she’s using her gifts to help others birth their dreams.