Be Vulnerable & Make A Powerful Decision With T’keya Marquez and Shadé Adu

Be Vulnerable & Make A Powerful Decision. 

This was the resounding theme that arose from my roundtable conversation with T’keya Marquez and Shadé Adu. 

Oftentimes, when we think of ‘branding’ we associate it with the colors, and fonts, and aesthetics consistencies of a company. 

In reality, ‘branding’ is more complex. 

It is what people say about you when you’re not around. 

It is a movement. 

It is a feeling.

And to move people emotionally, you have to make the decision to stand for something. 

My guests this week - T’keya Marquez & Shadé Adu - both share their unique insights and perspective on all things branding, copywriting, and connecting with your people. 

T’keya Marquez has made a career out of human connection + storytelling. She is driven by creating heart-centered copy for passionate mental health and holistic wellness professionals. As a copywriter, her goal is to uncover what makes you and your brand unique. 

Shadé Adu is a digital brand strategist, international speaker and best selling author. Driven by the desire to support women entrepreneurs and facilitate the creation of generational wealth, Shadé is truly committed to offering a comprehensive range of services which is oriented towards achieving the 3 I’s; Income, Influence, and Impact. 

Shadé and T’keya both shared their inspiring and powerful origin stories and entrepreneurial journey. 

I took so many notes as I was listening to this week’s episode. 

You will walk away with tangible steps you can take towards honing in on your messaging, strengthening your brand, and standing for what truly matters to you. 

Most importantly, you will walk away with a resolution to make that important decision to step into the next chapter you are being called to begin.

You can follow Shadé on IG

You can follow T’keya on IG

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Authenticity, Personal Branding, and Flawesomeness with Dr. Natalia Wiechowski

In marketing, there are certain buzzwords that can be overused.  

‘Authenticity’ and ‘personal branding’ are two of those words. Especially when they’re in the same sentence. 

So when someone can actually demonstrate how to create an authentic personal brand, that is both refreshing and remarkable to me. 

This week’s guest, Dr. Natalia Wiechowski, does just that, while also giving us a blueprint on how to up our personal branding game.

Natalia’s story is truly remarkable. I’ll give you a teaser: 

If you had the top floor penthouse suite, the high-end clothes, the high power job – if you had acquired everything you had ever wanted… could you give it all up to answer a new calling?

During my interview with Natalia, she shares her journey on discovering her calling and how she found the courage to answer that call. 

For my marketers out there, Natalia is known by Inc. Magazine as the LinkedIn Marketing Unicorn, and is a Forbes Coaches council member. 

We take a deep dive into how you can grow your business, both by using LinkedIn and following strategies to create consistent leads. 

For my personal development enthusiasts, Natalia delivers powerful insights into how we can cultivate a growth mindset.

This interview will leave you with pages of notes on how you can take your business and your mindset to the next level. 

Do yourself this favor and listen to this one. 

Instagram

Linkedin

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Do Things That Don’t Scale (It’s the Secret to Scaling) With Crysta Tyus

The way to differentiate yourself in today’s economy is by investing time and resources in things that don’t scale. 

Deep listening + building lasting relationships will always = a fantastic customer experience. 

This is at the center of my conversation with this week’s return guest - Tech Founder and Millionaire Business Coach - Crysta Tyus.  

As a refresher, Crysta Tyus is an online marketing consultant who helps service-based businesses get clients from social media, master sales without being salesy, and build multiple 6-figure businesses. 

Crysta’s episode, which was released 1 year ago, is in our top 3 most listened to episodes from our almost 300 episode catalog.

‘How can I scale this and fast?’ is the question many entrepreneurs are pondering these days. 

Sadly, it often leads to a low-quality customer experience.  

What many business owners find is that when they start to scale, they water down the magic that brought them their initial success in the first place. 

That is because many businesses are willing to trade speed in exchange for real human touchpoints. 

Crysta shares with us how she has been able to build a 7 figure business and create a technology company, all without sacrificing building authentic connections with her customers. 

Deep listening and having actual conversations with your customers is what Crysta believes will give you an unfair advantage over your competitors. 

Over this past year, Crysta has also developed, designed and launched an app that is able to add even greater value to her customers. 

Crysta shares with us the lessons she has learned serving as the CEO of a technology company, and the insights we can all take away no matter what industry we work in. 

This was a very special episode. 

Crysta and I also have real conversations on mindset, limiting beliefs, self-doubt, believing in yourself, and the power of being a visionary. 

I promise you will walk away transformed after listening to this episode. 

Do yourself the favor. 

Hit play. 

P.S.

You can follow Crysta on Instagram or watch her on YouTube

You can check out my past episode with Crysta here. 

Listen to "Do Things That Don’t Scale (It’s the Secret to Scaling) With Crysta Tyus" on Spreaker.

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Doulas & Advocacy for Black Maternal Health With Deej, Iman Seraaj, and Nicky Dawkins

“We need to have an honest conversation on Black Maternal Health and the disparities in healthcare that threaten Black Women’s lives.”

This is the core conversation that takes place on this week’s episode.

This week’s episode is a panel discussion, where I am joined by 3 professional doulas - Iman Seraaj, Nicky Dawkins, and Deej.

Iman Seraaj is a trained full-spectrum doula passionate about VBACs, breastfeeding, birthrights education, orgasmic birthing, postpartum and prenatal care. With over 12 years of doula and birth advocacy experience; she founded FullCircle Doula Services in 2014.

Nicky Dawkins is a holistic Full-Spectrum Doula and Feminine Health Coach. She is also the founder of Werk it Moms — a mom-driven, soon-to-be charity organization — that focuses on providing educational workshops, products, and a safe space for moms in need to connect. 

Deej is a mother of three little boys, a wife, doula, childbirth educator, and breastfeeding specialist. Deej also owns a brand that focuses on educating women on their birthrights and all things from pregnancy to postpartum called The Nurtured Baby. 

During this episode, we have an honest and real conversation on how Black women in the United States experience disproportionately high rates of death related to pregnancy or childbirth - irrespective of income or education level. 

Iman, Nicky, and Deej provide candid and professional insights into the cause of these health disparities and share solutions we can implement. 

They also provide questions, advice, and tactics Black Women can use when they are having to engage with a racist medical system and provider. 

We also have an open conversation on infertility, miscarriages, and loss. 

I highly encourage that everyone listens to this episode and to the important conversation that Iman, Nicky, and Deej shared with us. 

I am grateful to my guests for the energy, brilliance, and generosity that they brought to this week's episode. 

This is an issue that all of us must address.  

I hope you will listen to this episode and take action.

Here’s how you can connect with this week’s guest: 

Iman

Nicky

Deej

Listen to "Doulas & Advocacy for Black Maternal Health With Deej, Iman Seraaj, and Nicky Dawkins" on Spreaker.

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Black Love & Plugging Into Your Spiritual Power Source With Wally B and C-Main Jennings

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how would you give voice to those words? 

This is the mission of Mouth of the Mural. 

Mouth of the Mural is an ekphrastic (i.e. visual art into words) event that unites visual, literary and performance artists with business owners in an effort to celebrate community, connection, and conversation. 

The initiative is founded by power couple Walter “Wally B.” Jennings and Charmaine "C-Maine" Jennings. 

During our interview, we explored how to cultivate a loving, supportive, and long-lasting relationship. 

There were so many special moments where Wally and C-Maine shared honest and vulnerable moments from their 20+ year marriage. 

Walter “Wally B.” Jennings is an ordained minister, published poet, spoken word artist, MC/Host, instructor and strawberry Fruit Roll-Up enthusiast!  A native of Tampa, FL, his poetical talents has allowed him to conduct over 1000 performances, workshops and mentorship sessions in the national spoken word community during his 20-year career.  

Charmaine "C-Maine" Jennings is a 20+year leader in education.  She is a writer, artist and champion for equity, culture, diversity and inclusion.  She has designed and facilitated professional development and workshops for private organizations and K-12 public schools across county and state lines.

At the core of this episode, we discuss the importance of finding the spiritual power source that will sustain you. 

I hope you will do yourself this favor, and dive into this week’s episode. 

Enjoy. 

You can learn more about Mouth of the Mural here and here.

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Going After What Really Matters to You With Rene Wiley

The whole reason I started my podcast was because I recognized I was hiding my gifts. 

The main reason: 

I was afraid of rejection and ridicule. 

Instead of putting myself out there and potentially getting ridiculous - I just hide my voice. 

On New Years Day 2016, I envisioned where my life would end up if I were to continue down this path. 

I realized that if I continued hiding - I would end up with a life of regret. 

Worse - it would be a wasted life. 

I wasn’t about to let that happen. 

And so I made 2016 my ‘Year of Expression.’

I vowed to record and put out a 3-minute video, every Thursday, no matter how terrible I thought it was. 

The result was a year of epic growth, adventure, and the foundation for everything I’ve done since. 

I am guessing many people can relate to this. 

That feeling of wanting to hide so you can avoid rejection. 

And yet...knowing you can’t live your life that way.

If you resonate with this then this week’s episode is for you. 

It is a replay of my conversation with the legendary Rene Wiley. 

Rene is one of my favorite people because he has this unique ability to get you to connect with your body, your spirit, and your passion. 

This interview offers a powerful insight into that magic. Rene shares with us his origin story on how he went from a DJ to a high-performance fitness trainer. 

Rene also speaks on the importance of listening to your heart and the courage it takes to do that. 

Plus - we take up the science of creating the best workout playlist! 

You’re going to really love this one!

I’m telling you, this interview is fire!

Check it out. 

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End-to-End Marketing and Rigorous Thinking With Wes Kao

To become a strong marketer, you must develop a skillset that extends beyond just “marketing.”

This could include a knowledge of human psychology, design aesthetics, analyzing data, how to create & publish content, or an assortment of other skills. 

This empowers you to be able to bring your vision to life because you are able to execute it every step of the way. 

This week’s guest, Wes Kao, has coined a term to perfectly describe this marketer. 

She calls this an ‘End-to-end marketer.’ 

Wes explains that an end-to-end marketer can “have a vision, can develop a strategy, and can execute to bring their idea to life.”

During our interview together, Wes offers key insight into how being an end-to-end marketer is becoming a necessary skillset in today’s marketplace. 

Wes Kao has the hands-on experience to back up her insights. 

Wes Kao is a marketer who helps B2C brands launch new products and create new categories.

Previously, she was the co-creator and Executive Director @ Seth Godin's altMBA where she helped thousands of change agents level up. In the past fifteen years, she has launched 150+ products, features, and campaigns @ Flite (acq Snapchat), BareMinerals, L’Oreal, and Gap 👖.

Now she works with CEOs at companies like Poo~Pourri 💩, Outlier.org (from the co-founder of MasterClass) 🎓, Shaftesbury (creators of Slasher on Netflix) 🔪, Professor Scott Galloway 👓, Tandem Diabetes 💉, Morning Brew ☕️, and other incredible clients.

Wes believes that the “best product doesn’t always win. It’s our responsibility to help people care.” 

I know that this last line is going to resonate with many of us.  

If you are a part of this community, I know you have a product or service that will genuinely empower and transform the lives of your customers. 

Our job is to empower you to have the marketing skills that ensure your customer chooses your product over the inferior alternatives. 

This week’s episode with Wes Kao is going to offer you tangible steps and tools to make that happen. 

Do yourself this favor: 

Hit play. :) 

P.S. 

I highly suggest you check out these two blogs posts from Wes: 

The Rise of End-to-End Marketer

& 

To Become A Better Marketer Study These Non Marketing Topics 

Listen to "End-to-End Marketing and Rigorous Thinking With Wes Kao" on Spreaker.

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Stories of Healing & Survival With Sumiyah Mshaka, Dania Alkhouli, and Neda.

What conversation should we be having on domestic violence? 

That is the question that begins this week’s episode. 

This week’s episode brings you a panel discussion on domestic violence, stories of Healing & Survival. 

My panelists are Sumiyah Mshaka, Dania Alkhouli, and Neda. 

Each guest brings their unique insights, story, and experience to this important conversation. 

Together, we discussed the misconceptions, myths and misinformation that surround domestic violence. 

We also explored ways to support and be there for someone who is currently experiencing domestic violence or is a survivor. 

I am grateful to Sumiyah, Dania, and Neda for sharing their stories and journeys with us on this week’s episode. 

A theme that arose during the panel discussion was that, even though it may be difficult, is important we have this conversation.

About My Guests: 

Sumiyah Mshaka is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and group fitness instructor who comes from a family with a legacy of social justice work. After graduating from the UCLA MSW program in 2004, Sumiyah began her extensive career in social work specializing in mental health treatment and advocacy for youth in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sumiyah taught kickboxing and strength training classes at 24 Hour Fitness for 7 years. She recently started her own online fitness business featuring live virtual fitness classes, 722 Sweat Mvmt. You can follow Sumiyah on IG - https://www.instagram.com/turbosumiyah

Neda is a nurse practitioner in Los Angeles. She does primarily reproductive and prenatal care, and is covid testing all day every day. When she isn’t in the clinic, she’s on the pole doing strong woman things. You can follow Neda on IG - https://www.instagram.com/hijabiluscious/

Dania Ayah Alkhouli is a Syrian writer, blogger, poet, editor, and author. Dania’s work centers on feminism, mental health, sexuality, identity, culture, religion, her war-torn homeland, Syria, and on grief, loss, and death. She has been featured on Buzzfeed and Jubilee Media, and has performed across national venues such as Da Poetry Lounge in Los Angeles, House Slam in Boston, and Busboys & Poets in D.C. You can follow her on IG at @lady_narrator and @acountrycalledsyria.

If you are looking for resources or support on Domestic Violence you can visit https://www.thehotline.org/. 

The disclaimer on the website shares: 

“Internet usage can be monitored and is impossible to erase completely. If you’re concerned your internet usage might be monitored, call us at 800.799.SAFE (7233). Learn more about digital security and remember to clear your browser history after visiting https://www.thehotline.org/plan-for-safety/internet-safety/.”

Listen to "Stories of Healing & Survival With Sumiyah Mshaka, Dania Alkhouli, and Neda." on Spreaker.

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7 Negotiation Strategies (That Build Relationships & Get You Your Yes)

Whenever I play the “what superpower would you pick” game - my answer is always: to speak every language in existence.

If I could choose a superpower it would be to speak every language in existence.

Imagine being able to effectively communicate with every single person on the planet.

This usually sets me up nicely for the joke, “well Tom, you can barely effectively communicate in English, why don’t you start there.”

Cue the laughter. 

Whether you are a marketer, activist, creative, educator or you’re just living your daily life - the ability to communicate with influence has a huge impact on our lives.

Negation is a particular form of communication that carries a lot of stress, and sometimes even baggage.

Usually you’re negotiating in stressful situations, and for many people it may even feel that you are in an unbalanced relationship within the negotiation.

While the ability to negotiate is such a crucial skill, most of us are never given any formal training in negotiation.

At the heart of negotiation is empathy, active listening and relationship building.

This is certainly contrary to the stereotype of what we think of when we think of negotiations.

Another misconception is that the tools of negotiation aren’t particularly complex or tricky.

Like all things they do require practice to hone your skill but the concepts can be grasped fairly quickly.

On this week's episode, we are going to explore 7 core negotiation strategies. 

This episode originally aired a few years ago. 

And so, I can share that I’ve received many emails from folks on how this episode really had a huge impact on their lives.

We’re going to explore ways to use negation beyond business as well as within your personal life and relationships.

I’d love to know what your biggest takeaway is! 

Enjoy! 

Listen to "7 Negotiation Strategies (That Build Relationships & Get You Your Yes)" on Spreaker.

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New Year. Who are you?

Do our behaviors influence our identity? Or does our identity influence our behavior?  

And how do thoughts and feelings play into the mix? 

Here’s what we can say for sure - self-awareness is powerful.

As we begin this new year, I invite you to start with this question: who are you? 

What are the ideals you are going to live by this year? 

When you’re stressed, your moral compass is challenged, and your energy is low, what ethos is going to sustain you? 

On this week’s episode, we walk through specifically designed exercises that are intended to help you create a vision for who you want to be. 

We’ll start by constructing the mottos and ideals that make up your best self. 

For example, here are three of my ethos I live by:

Courage Over Fear. 

Creativity Over Regurgitation. 

Consistency Over Perfection.

Don’t let this be one of those things you bookmark and never return to. 

Allow yourself the gift of intention today. 

It will provide the foundation for you to cultivate your best self. 

Let’s do this. 

Hit play.

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