This A Podcast

Mek talks with Fuad Saif about comedy, writing, growing up in Egypt, and more. In 103 minutes, you’ll hear about: 

- A lifelong love of comedy and telltale signs of a successful comic 

- How Fuad ended up on a stage doing stand-up for the first time and what he’s learned thus far from the experience 

- The surprisingly most influential comedian in Fuad’s life 

- Feeling the crowd and ways of getting them more involved in a stand-up performance 

- Difference for him between comedic writing and other writing and the feedback he received 

- Being born on Christmas Day and moving to Egypt for a few years at the age of 10 

- Experiencing the culture shock, language barrier, and overt racism there and how soccer was a saving grace 

- Learning and living with less after spending time in a developing country like Nigeria and Egypt 

- Needing to unplug and sit with just your own thoughts for extended periods of time 

- Twitter as the source of everything and the one app Fuad wouldn’t give up 

- Trevor Noah and the duality of being a foreign-born black person in America 

- Applying the “less is more” principle in writing and the reason why some don’t 

- Fuad’s goals for the year, books that have had a big influence, and the American perception of being an African kid then and now 

- Failure, its importance in preparing for life’s trials, and hustling for what you want from a young age 

- Favorite comics and honorable mentions for Mek and Fuad (some surprising and others controversial) 

- What Fuad has in common with Harry in Harry Potter, his to-the-point billboard message to the world, and more.  

Bio 

Fuad Saif is a writer who’s always loved comedy. Born into a family originally from Somalia, he’s spent the majority of his life as a Maryland resident, with the exception of living in Egypt during an important period of his life. He got into writing as a therapeutic outlet and is currently doing stand up on stages around the DMV, while writing a fictional miniseries dedicated to his mother called “Surviving the Cycle.” 

Mek talks to Jade Omari about her music and the soul-crushing music industry today, dealing with other people’s expectations, being super sensitive as a strength, and much more. In 84 minutes, you’ll find hear about:

- the state of the musical world that caused her to shift from hobby to career

- her creativity as a child, dealing with her shyness, and trying to get over the fear of failure

- the process she went through to dig herself out of heartache

- coming to the realization that not everyone around you is a real friend

- people digging up the past to drag famous artists down

- how Jade deals with naysayers and shit-talkers

- finding her own spirituality as an LGBTQ+ person

- going through the emotions and finding the triggers when things aren’t going so well

- wanting to break out from the underground scene and be the next big thing

- others’ expectations making music less enjoyable and turning it into a job

- the power of music and responsibility of artists towards their fans

- her super-sensitivity superpower being seen as a weakness

- why there’s really no such thing as a waste of time or money

- reflecting on the past year and goals for 2020

- and her billboard message to the world.

Bio

Jade Omari is an independent artist from Maryland with a dream of breaking out. Loving music and creativity since childhood, she wrote her first song at age 17 and has been chasing her dream ever since.

You can find her on Instagram @jadeomariofficial, and her music is available on all platforms such as iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio--just look her up by name.

Links

Mek talks with Ashley about the trials, tribulations, and joys of being in the healthcare industry as a nurse practitioner. In two hours, you’ll hear about:
- how she got her job and the quality care gap that exists within the medical industry
- exceeding the expectations of her patients and serving as a role model to other people, especially black people
- all the things she really wanted to be when she grew up and geeking out over architecture
- her and Mek’s history with both organic chemistry and being a physical therapy technician
- falling in love with nursing school and being a success at anything she wanted to try
- leaving patient sob stories at the office so they don’t dampen your energy
- that time when four dollars was a hurdle for a patient’s mother and a potential Pandora’s Box for Ashley
- always feeling the pressure to help take care of patients and pumping on a dead baby’s chest
- how her career makes her more vigilant with other things and the dangers of asthma most people are unaware of
- actually explaining to patients why to take certain treatments over others, particularly for those with chronic asthma
- what she advises to asthma patients to help them always be prepared
- one example of a difference in bedside manner and consideration between doctors and nurses/nurse practitioners
- people following a script and never questioning how things have always been done
- how getting an F on a high school paper completely changed her writing style and the essay she’s most proud to have written
- discovering the world of nursing on social media and sharing her own stories online
- people expecting great life changes with minimal (or no) effort
- the process she went through to learn how to become a nurse
- the annoying fictional character who most reminds Ashley of herself
- figuring out what you want to do and why while not letting fear of others’ feelings dictate whatever you choose
- one thing people can do to improve their resumes, and more!

On this episode of This a Podcast, Mek talks with Cheyenne about her experiences on reality television, becoming an influencer on social media, and being a mom to a child with a rare condition. In this 90-minute interview, you’ll find out:

- what she was like in college and why she made the switch from broadcast journalism to public relations

- doing her part to shed the stigma of black co-parenting and what it was like growing up

- why she took a year off after college and the pressure that comes with graduating

- the surprising thing she never got into (and why) and the entertainment she DOES consume

- her dream of being a zombie extra on The Walking Dead and what she got instead

- bullshitting her way through an application for MTV’s Are You the One? reality dating show

- her experience being on the show and how they deliberately set up certain dynamics between the cast

- getting invited to The Challenge and why it was the hardest thing she’s done other than giving birth

- the crazy things she had to do, how far she made it before elimination, and how it changed her

- the wild story behind the production of her “MTV baby” and being invited on Teen Mom despite her adult age

- the show’s huge and devoted (almost to the point of psychotic) following

- the joys (and challenges) of motherhood and building a non-profit around her daughter’s metabolic condition (VLCAD)

- navigating the round of rapid-fire questions (while also trying to “keep it clean”)

- dealing with the "Negative Nancies" in Teen Mom’s fandom and her final (politically correct) message to everyone.

On this episode of This a Podcast, Mek talks with Kevin Polite about everything entrepreneurial, the power and reach of networking in business and life, and valuable lessons learned. In 2 hours, you’ll hear about:
- pivoting from ministry to business and how that impacted Kevin’s relationship with his mother
- his first job out of the seminary and being home-schooled during his teen years
- getting into the intimidating and oftentimes confusing world of stocks
- what sparked the idea of getting into business and what he likes about being an entrepreneur
- volunteering for Sunday Suppers to feed and fellowship with the homeless
- Mek getting over his fear of death and living a contented life right now
- emulating civil rights heroes and the unconventional way Kevin chooses to protest
- making money throwing house parties and booking limos as the middleman (before Uber took off)
- buying his first luxury car for his company and using his network to help him get off the ground
- the circumstances that led to him quitting his first job and going full-time in the limo industry
- growing and learning about the business and driving around celebrities like Sharon Stone
- meeting other celebrities and being around bigwigs by putting yourself in the right place
- buying a friend $300 shots of cognac for the first (and last) time and picking your luxuries
- facing financial business challenges and becoming more disciplined with money
- selling his company to RMA in 2017 and the most important employees in the industry
- learning the truth about Baltimore by simply riding on the bus
- what Kevin’s daily life looks like these days
- his billboard message to the world summed up by proverbs 14:23 and Nike
- the first step any aspiring entrepreneur can and should take, and much more!

On this 57-minute episode of This a Podcast, Mek talks with Brandon Driver about counseling, playing and coaching football, and forging a new path for himself after injury ended his original plans. In this interview, listen as they talk about:

- deciding to get a Masters degree and connecting and leading kids in counseling
- his biggest influences then and now and the biggest lesson learned about himself in this whole process
- the injury in junior college that caused schools to back out and using rejection as fuel
- getting accepted into San Jose State and adversity striking again with another injury during his senior year
- being forced to discover who else he was besides a football player and give up dreams based on the false promises of others
- receiving an invitation to start coaching and making the mental transition from player to coach
- building a feeling of brotherhood among the team and a staff that relates to the players, on and off the field
- mistaking passion for anger in conversation and looking forward to the next season
- his growth as a coach after just one year and genuineness serving as his superpower
- high character helping you out anywhere you happen to be and the advantage of not having everything handed to you while growing up
- the comic book character that resonates with him the most and the most influential person in his life
- the wise message he’d put on a billboard and final parting words.

On this episode of This a Podcast, Mek talks with Anguesomo about moving around as a kid, going through some pretty rough times, loving music, and so much more. In two and a half hours, you’ll hear about:
- spending her first few years in several African countries and getting the better of a racist bully in South Africa
- her time in Switzerland and the Congo and the process for learning a new language
- the difference between Castilian Spanish speakers and Spanish speakers from Latin America
- writing her first song at six years old (and getting treated to a short serenade on the show!)
- the danger of playing the comparison game and appreciating where you’re at now
- the business side of music and entertainment, “practice makes better,” and how her songwriting has changed over the years
- a turning point that found her homeless and suicidal only a year ago and how she dug herself out of that situation
- how a concert with Mek and his buddies led to the creation of this podcast
- Anguesomo being real and honest AF about how she deals with the stuff she goes through
- communication expectations between friends and romantic partners and different ways of dealing with anger
- social media daily check routines and having a love/hate relationship with or addiction to it
- her surprising (or not) view of the U.S. before and after she moved here and her favorite subjects in school
- microscopic writing and other school cheating tactics and a viral clip that encapsulates the African parents who live to brag about their kids
- Anguesomo interviewing Mek for a few minutes about taking on family business obligations
- the fictional book character she relates to, her definition of what success really is, and healing through song as her superpower
- her billboard message to the world she wished she’d been told while growing up
- introvert power and the encounter with a librarian that led Mek to discover his own, and more.

On this episode of, Mek talks with Charlei H about fashion and design, childhood memories, trials and tribulations of being in business, the power of communication, and then some. In 104 minutes, you’ll find hear about:
- how she and Mek first met
- who she looked up to as a child (and still does today)
- her childhood memories of living in Maryland and visiting Sierra Leone
- Mek’s childhood experience of going to Nigeria
- dressing up and “schooling” her dolls
- having a rare kind of mother within the African community
- breaking boundaries and learning to bridge the gap between the African and American lifestyle
- getting a beat down at McDonald’s from dad and butting heads with mom
- memories of high school and what she was into during that time
- being the last generation who went outside to play before the great Internet shift
- the advantages of being a part of this shift generation and wandering through life blindly versus with awareness
- working at Nordstrom after high school and building a book of clients
- the non-glamorous side of entrepreneurship, the lie told about following your passion in business, and following your formula
- impostor syndrome
- Mek’s skepticism about calling himself an entrepreneur and how he defines it
- Charlei’s first entrepreneurial role at 17 years old and her approach to Instagram and her business right now
- knowing who you are and what you’re about before putting yourself out there
- the importance of Mek’s contribution to his family and how it’s different than the original plan
- clear messaging, communicating to individuals in compatible ways, and moving ideas from thoughts to tangible assets
- Charlei’s book recommendations and how they really changed her life
- your proudest accomplishments being those others don’t care about at all
- media training vs. being your authentic self
- who comes to mind when Charlei thinks of success and why
- what she’d define as her God-given gifts
- and her two-sided billboard message to everyone.

On this episode of This a Podcast, Mek talks with DJ BJ (a.k.a. Brad) about his involvement in DJing and producing music for Young Nudy and other artists, his work philosophy, and who he looks up to in the industry. In this 50-minute show, you’ll hear about:
- Why DJ BJ seemed destined to be a lawyer...until he wasn’t
- Love for what you do vs. being only about the money
- Radiating confidence and how it can pay off down the line, even if it doesn’t up front
- Becoming a “studio junkie”
- DJ BJ’s opposite approach to appearing pushy, professionally speaking, and being his own biggest critic
- The difference between engineering vs. producing music and how they can still get intertwined with each other
- Dealing with ear fatigue
- Other music engineers DJ BJ admires
- What DJ BJ has learned about himself recently, outside of music
- Growing up playing basketball and advice for players who love their love of the game while
still in school
- The danger with being too comfortable in your current position
- The story of how Young Nudy originally called him “DJ Fuck -up”
- Why artists shouldn’t go chasing for management
- DJ BJ’s final message to everyone, from artists to janitors