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Strange on Purpose

Strange on Purpose

By Izzy Lugo

The Strange on Purpose Podcast tells the stories of professionals shattering the glass ceilings of culture and shows young professionals what happens when you are authentically you, 100% of the time. Highlighting creatives in sports, apparel, lifestyle and beyond, the show aims to connect creatives everywhere to professionals that can help guide them in their individual journey.
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From getting fired to being a host on NBC - Jacques Slade - Strange on Purpose

Strange on PurposeDec 10, 2019

00:00
31:33
Sarmad Marzuq of New Balance
Apr 04, 202328:06
How your past influences your future with Ricardo Emmanuel 🇩🇴
Jan 09, 202337:35
Chloe Mann & Aundre Gray of Reebok
Dec 06, 202216:47
Alison Mariella Désir of Running While Black

Alison Mariella Désir of Running While Black

Running saved Alison Mariella Désir’s life. At rock bottom and searching for

meaning and structure, Désir started marathon training, finding that it vastly

improved both her physical and mental health. Yet as she became involved in the

community and learned its history, she realized that the sport was largely built

with white people in mind. To help make running more inclusive and welcoming

to people of color, Désir founded Harlem Run, an NYC-based running movement,

and Run 4 All Women, which has raised over $150,000 for Planned Parenthood

and $270,000 for Black Voters Matter.


Désir is currently co-chair of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition, a Run Happy Advocate for Brooks Running,

and an Athlete Advisor for Oiselle. A graduate of Columbia University for her bachelor’s and two master’s degrees,

including a master’s of education in counseling psychology, Alison has been published in Outside Magazine,

contributed the foreword for Running is My Therapy by Scott Douglas, and founded the Meaning Thru Movement

Tour, a speaking series featuring mental health experts and fitness professionals. Running While Black is her first

book. Alison Mariella Désir currently lives with her son, Kouri Henri, and partner, Amir Muhammad Figueroa,

outside of Seattle.

Oct 18, 202222:34
Andrea Campos of @dreasdoodles

Andrea Campos of @dreasdoodles

Andrea Campos is a proud first-generation Latinx illustrator & photographer based in sunny California that specializes in creating expressive, upbeat work. Andrea joins us today to talk about how COVID started her journey in illustration and her new book with Jimmy Fallon and JLo!

Oct 14, 202225:56
Gabrielle Serrano aka Queen Leo

Gabrielle Serrano aka Queen Leo

Queen Leo took the sneaker world by storm in 2019 with her Air Max 98 "La Mezcla." Today she's a jack of all trades. She's a designer, photographer, nurse practitioner, daughter and more. In this episode, Serrano opens up about imposter syndrome, being raised in an immigrant household and what she's doing to give back to the people of El Salvador.

Apr 26, 202220:17
David Filar of Endstate

David Filar of Endstate

Dubbed as the "Nicest footwear designer you'll ever meet" David Filar jumps on the show to talk about his creative journey, commitment to the underground creatives and how the immigrant mentality fuels his everyday. He has had the opportunity to design two products with Yvon Chouinard the founder of Patagonia! PSA : This episode was prerecorded. David has since made the move to work with another former SOP guest in Stephanie Howard of Endstate!

Apr 19, 202223:14
A Conversation With Puma Hoops

A Conversation With Puma Hoops

Today's episode features the latin members of the Puma Hoops design team, Jacob Garcia, Kirby Nunez and Roberto Agrait as they talk about landing their respective roles and what it's like to work in a startup within a generational business.

Apr 12, 202231:29
Jairus Morris of SUPLMNT

Jairus Morris of SUPLMNT

Jairus Morris is on a mission to educate the urban community on the importance of water. As a kid, Jairus knew friends that would play basketball for hours and and look to soda or juice to hydrate themselves. After becoming an adult, he found himself looking for a reusable water bottle but none of them spoke to him and that's when he realized that the reusable water bottle space only spoke to a select few. Through SUPLMNT, Jairus is showing that everyone deserves a seat at the table and educates the next generation on the importance of clean water.

Apr 05, 202221:56
John Clayton of Footlocker

John Clayton of Footlocker

I met John Clayton a few months ago and the first thing I thought to myself was, "This guy is just giving out free game." After talking, I realized why. A child from Philly that just wants to see people that look like him win, John jumps on the show to talk about his journey and what he really wants his legacy to be.

Mar 29, 202233:26
Simran Kaleka of Made for the W

Simran Kaleka of Made for the W

In late 2018, entertainment attorney Simran Kaleka came on board the Made For The W roster to help push the brand forward. With her knowledge and expertise in the industry, the brand hasn't looked back. In this episode, Simran talks about her passions and what we can do to become better advocates for women everywhere.

Mar 22, 202226:06
Javier Rodriguez of El Puerto

Javier Rodriguez of El Puerto

Launching your own thing is tough enough but when you add in a pandemic–the stakes get higher. Two weeks before the covid-19 pandemic put the island of Puerto Rico into a state of flux, Javi launched his first location in Condado, Puerto Rico. Meaning for it to just be a pop-up, Javi wanted to make sure everything went according to plan but what came next proves that entrepreneurs like Javi had to quickly adapt to the ever-changing landscape of the world–or see their hard work be driven into the ground. 

Mar 14, 202217:42
Jeff Cole of Ikonick & Metarelics

Jeff Cole of Ikonick & Metarelics

The visual artist known only as @Cole on Instagram has made a name for himself with his artwork, but it’s the team behind his Ikonick brand that truly elevates his craft. In this episode, Jeff talks about what the team has up their sleeve with their new project, Metarelics.

Mar 07, 202235:48
Roberto Agrait of Puma

Roberto Agrait of Puma

A member of the all latin design team at Puma Hoops, Roberto Agrait is living his childhood dream. Since he could remember, he wanted to get into sportswear design and when basketball brought him to Lasell University in Massachusetts, his dream was just getting started. In this episode, Roberto talks about how he deals with creative block, working with athletes like LaMelo Ball and Boogie Cousins and sooo much more.  

Feb 28, 202222:45
Nicolle Nicosia-Polanco of Adidas

Nicolle Nicosia-Polanco of Adidas

How many stories have you heard of a retail team member at Adidas rising through the ranks and landing a job at the corporate HQ? Enter Nicolle Nicosia-Polanco, a Dominican that refuses to hear "you can't do that."

A recent DACA recipient, Nicolle's story is one of the most inspiring stories ever featured on Strange on Purpose.

Feb 21, 202224:23
Liz Beecroft of Mentl.Sesh

Liz Beecroft of Mentl.Sesh

Psychotherapist, mental health advocate, and lady hooper with a soft spot for sneakers, Liz Beecroft is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Psychotherapist whose main mission is to educate and raise awareness on mental health. Liz joins us to talk about her journey, her day to day creative process and the importance of Mental health in creative careers. 

Feb 14, 202226:41
Meline Katchi of Studio Mesmel & IVY PARK

Meline Katchi of Studio Mesmel & IVY PARK

In one of the most informative episodes yet–Meline Katchi, founder of Studio Mesmel & Design Director of IVY PARK,  joins Izzy to talk about her creative process, experience as a woman in the industry and working with the likes of Jerry Lorenzo and Beyonce.  instagram.com/melinekatchi
Feb 07, 202222:51
Sam Smyser-De Leon of Nike

Sam Smyser-De Leon of Nike

Samantha Smyser- De Leon is a Puerto Rican visual artist from Humboldt Park, Chicago. She holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Columbia College Chicago with a minor in Arts Business. She works primarily at Nike as a Footwear Color Designer, at the global design level but also works as an independent installation artist, fabricator, graphic designer and illustrator, with a focus on set-design installations for special events, concerts, and video production.

Jan 31, 202214:22
Nikko Locander aka Ali Six

Nikko Locander aka Ali Six

Ali Six is a multi medium artist born and raised in Humboldt Park Chicago. Since he was a child he ventured with his imagination to create cartoons, and in high school painting the streets of Chicago. After realizing there was more to art than just graffiti he combined what he learned through spray paint and his love of cartoons to create Richie the Raccoon. Ali Six uses Richie to liven up the streets of Chicago and around the world with murals. 

Jan 24, 202213:21
Camila Diaz, Associate Manager, Global Markets Acceleration at Reebok

Camila Diaz, Associate Manager, Global Markets Acceleration at Reebok

Camila Diaz finally joins the show to talk about the journey of landing her new role at Reebok, Puerto Rican creatives, the island, Anuel AA and sooo much more. 

Jan 17, 202215:47
Anthony from Sneaker Ether

Anthony from Sneaker Ether

Sneaker Ether is more than a hype project, it is a multi-dimensional apparel and digital brand for the sneaker community. The brand combines elements of cryptocurrency, gaming, and sneaker culture to create one of a kind non fungible tokens (NFT's), and apparel for this universe.


https://twitter.com/SneakerEther

sneakerether.com


Jan 10, 202213:44
MAWdoods

MAWdoods

In this episode, Izzy interviews MAWdoods. A Green Bay, WI native that creates pieces of art that are originally hand drawn on a Nike shoebox using the Swoosh as part of his #ShoeBoxSeries. MAWdoods talks to us on the inspiration behind his work, the creative process behind it and what's in the near future for him. 


Check him out on instagram:

https://instagram.com/mawdoods

Jan 03, 202227:15
Shake James of Black Market, Clicks, J.A.Y. Academy and Sneex
Dec 19, 202117:58
Christian Figueroa of See.Fig

Christian Figueroa of See.Fig

When his parents wanted to narrow him into a path he wouldn't be happy with, Christian Figueroa started a long journey of following his dreams and when an opportunity came to pitch himself to the team at KITH, he didn't let it pass him up. Christian jumps on the pod today to talk about his entrepreneurial journey, breaking into the industry and sooo much more! 

Dec 13, 202118:37
Sam Hart of Complex

Sam Hart of Complex

A Jersey boy through and through, meet Sam Hart, Style Director, Brand Partnerships at @complex

A dad of 2, San has been a consumer, creative, student and more of the culture for most of his life. He’s an avid sneaker collector and terrible NY sports team fan.

Nov 29, 202123:56
Noel Bronson of Bronson & Bronson

Noel Bronson of Bronson & Bronson

Noel Bronson is a creative based in The Bronx, NY who lives by the motto that he thinks he created, but is no longer sure “Always Tired, Never Bored”. His fear of boredom has pushed him to work with various brands on various things. Titles don’t mean much to him, but he firmly believes Net 30s should be paid within 30 days.

Nov 29, 202120:28
Leland Grossman of kyx.world

Leland Grossman of kyx.world

@leland11 jumps on the pod to talk about all things @kyx.world and his experience working with brands like American Express, Nike, Chipotle, Sprite, H&M, and Allbirds.

Nov 22, 202124:41
Mateen Zar of Social Studies Brand

Mateen Zar of Social Studies Brand

Mateen Zar of @socialstudiesbrand joins us to talk about founding his brand, entrepreneurship and what to expect next for the up and coming brand. 

Nov 22, 202117:40
Jackie Munroe of ASICS
Nov 15, 202121:11
Arwa al Banawi

Arwa al Banawi

In this episode, I'm joined by Arwa al Banawi ( @arwaalbanawi ). She's a Founder, Designer and Creative Director from Saudi Arabia. Arwa talks about her journey as a designer, failure and we leave some time to talk about her recent collaboration with Adidas Originals on the Forum ADV.  

Oct 18, 202116:30
Byron Stewart of Foot Locker

Byron Stewart of Foot Locker

I'm joined with Byron Stewart (@byronste_if ) of Foot Locker this week to talk about his journey from Amazon to Foot Locker. The marathon includes starting a blog with his brother, working at places like MTV, Highsnobiety, Jimmy Jazz and so much more. 

Oct 11, 202125:37
Austin LaBoda of HatClub

Austin LaBoda of HatClub

Austin has a decade in the hat biz under his belt working with brands such as @47 and @neweracap

Austin joins us this season to talk about his journey, the hype around fitters and sooo much more.

Oct 04, 202123:37
Hannah Moore of Reebok

Hannah Moore of Reebok

After spending 10 years in the agency space, Hannah wanted to her next move to be with a brand.

Hannah joins us this season to talk about her journey, what’s new at Reebok and what the future has in store for her.

Sep 20, 202115:49
Carmina Rodriguez-Ruiz of Adidas

Carmina Rodriguez-Ruiz of Adidas

In the long awaited season opener, Carmina ( @carmisabella ) joins me on a conversation about her journey, generational hesitations and finding yourself in life. 

Sep 13, 202112:23
Jess Dalton of Dr. Martens

Jess Dalton of Dr. Martens

Jess Dalton of @drmartensofficial joins us for a conversation on rejection, being you and sooo much more.

Aug 17, 202116:44
Gerardo Ortiz of Malditogedo

Gerardo Ortiz of Malditogedo

In today's episode Gerardo Ortiz aka Malditogedo jumps on to talk about his upbringing, being a creative, and how the next generation of creatives can pave a path of their own.

Aug 09, 202113:59
Mbiyimoh, Darren and Tony of Tradeblock

Mbiyimoh, Darren and Tony of Tradeblock

Mbiyimoh ( @redbeemsandmics ), Darren ( @thedarrensmith ) and Tony ( @tony.malveaux ) of Tradeblock ( @tradeblock.us ) jump on the show to talk about the founding story of Tradeblock, raising as black entrepreneurs and new features coming to the app.

Jul 12, 202141:22
Bernadette Little of Adidas

Bernadette Little of Adidas

Bernie ( @youcancallmebernie ) of Adidas jumps on the pod to talk about her journey from Baltimore to Portland, the creative process and the help she's offering to POC creatives about the sneaker industry.

Jul 06, 202122:45
Priscella Shum of Pyer Moss
Jun 28, 202121:52
Marina Skye, Founder @ Setbyskye

Marina Skye, Founder @ Setbyskye

From her time doing free work to creating at the @trapmusicmuseum, @setbyskye is self taught and gives creatives real advice on getting started. Skye gets real with us about family, building a business and so much more. 

Jun 21, 202117:41
Jeremy Green of Calling All Creators

Jeremy Green of Calling All Creators

Jeremy Green ( @jeremym.green ) of Calling All Creators ( @callingallcreators ) joins Izzy to talk about his journey starting a business in the footwear and design industry, the struggles of being a black entrepreneur, what he's building with Calling All Creators and checks some of the
"pledges" these brands made last year.
Jun 14, 202116:27
Lance Troh of Own Kicks
Jun 10, 202112:07
Carli Pacheco of Mofongo Kicks 🇵🇷

Carli Pacheco of Mofongo Kicks 🇵🇷

Carli ( @carlimofongo ) of @mofongokicks jumps on the pod to talk about his journey from Puerto Rico to New Jersey, the creative bumps along the way and the help he's giving to creatives on the island!

Jun 03, 202120:49
A conversation with Adidas–How to Get a Sneaker Brand’s Hiring Manager to Notice You
May 27, 202158:16
Jeff Henderson, 15 year Nike Alum and Founder @ AndThem Creative & 99 Products
May 20, 202147:44
David Gibson, Global Product Manager at New Balance Lifestyle

David Gibson, Global Product Manager at New Balance Lifestyle

Not one to put himself in the spotlight, David Gibson steps up to the plate and educates Izzy on his journey – from an intern at the General Motors factory in Flint to a dream role at New Balance and all the stories in between. D1 athlete, driving across the mitten and sooo much more. You won't want to miss this one. Follow David on Instagram, @mvp.dg

May 13, 202134:06
Oscar Castillo, Founder of Modern Notoriety
May 06, 202130:08
Cesar Idrobo, Head Pattern & Sample Maker @ Yeezy
Apr 29, 202133:28
Lucy Crivelli, Community Manager at Aglet

Lucy Crivelli, Community Manager at Aglet

In today's episode, Izzy chats with Lucy Crivelli,  Community Manager @ Aglet & Founder of Tomorrow Isn't Promised. Lucy holds nothing back as she talks about her experience in the industry, representation and what's in her future. This episode highlights the immigrant journey, the generational expectation to follow a path and what happens when you don't. Follow Lucy on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/lucycrivelli/

Apr 22, 202144:20
Don Dudley, Director of Marketing @ Foot Locker

Don Dudley, Director of Marketing @ Foot Locker

In today's episode, Izzy chats with Don Dudley,  Director of Marketing of Foot Locker & Creative Director of Clean Sneaker Care and Wins Brand. Don spits some knowledge to young professionals trying to break into a new industry and talks about his love for sneakers. This episode captures everything that creatives need to hear, whether just getting started or needing a reminder in a current role. Follow Don on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/staylaced_don/
Apr 13, 202150:04