EPISODE 50!!!!!   Today's episode features my good friend and master barber Michael "Coop" Cooper as he talks about his journey getting to where he is today. From leaving NC with just a bag and the clothes on his back to elevating his craft and brand in NY, Coop drops gems all throughout the episode on his growth and outlook on life. Best way to start off season 5.  Check it out and let me know what you think!   Blessings, Much Love, and as always, keep eating!

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Michael "Coop" Cooper: Leap Towards Your Dreams

Happy GrUBday ya'll! Newest episode (and last one for season 4) is now up!    Thank you all for your patience over the past year. I just wanted to give you all an update on what's been going on with the GrUBcast, what future plans are, and as an added bonus give you all an episode featuring yours truly. Really hope y'all enjoy.   As a token of appreciation, all GrUB shirts are 50% off when you use the code GRUBFAM on the site for the rest of the week! On 8/26 they'll be 20% off till the end of the month. Don't miss out! http://thegrubcast.com/shop Check out TTV Radio here and show my guy Tolley some love: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ttv-radio/id1463485030   And with that said ya'll, I'll see you back in September for Season 5 (!), much love, and as always keep eating.

GrUBdate: Legacy

Happy Sunday GrUBfam!     Back off hiatus with more fire and stories that inspire.     Today’s episode features Brandon Blackwell and we discuss his journey to becoming an occupational therapist and starting his own training program: B3lite training.     Now per usual, there are gems everywhere here. Throughout the whole convo we touched on the serendipitous story of how he made it to Ohio state, how hard it was to step away from a sport that he loved and the difficult pursuit of balance within his life. Whether you’re an athlete or not, there is so much to gain from the rawness of this episode.     Be sure to follow us on Spotify, rate us on iTunes and continue to share the cast on all of your social media networks! That’s how the GrUB fam continues to grow and you never know who might benefit from hearing someone else’s story.     With that said, stay blessed on this wonderful Sunday afternoon. I wish happiness and prosperity for you all, much love, and as always, keep eating.

Brandon Blackwell: The Art of Balance

Happy GrUBday fam!   For this episode of the Growing Up Black podcast, we speak to Jonathan Weber about his pursuit towards writing and acting, growing up as the only black person in his family, and the importance media plays in helping young people of color discover who they are.   We all have different starting points as we navigate our way through life. Some of us may be born into wealth, others in poverty. Some grow up with all members of our family in the same neighborhood while others may not even have the benefit of knowing half of their family history. But through stories and media we often have the privilege of taking a look at life through a multitude of different perspectives. In today’s episode, Jon and I talk about the role tv father figures played in his life, his journey towards discovering and defining his blackness, and why he believes storytelling is one of the most effective ways we can understand each other as human beings. Jon is one of the most charismatic people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and I know that just listening to this episode is bound to brighten your day.   Be sure to follow us on Spotify, rate us on iTunes and continue to share the cast on all of your social media networks! That’s how the GrUB fam continues to grow and you never know who might benefit from hearing someone else’s story. For more from Jon, follow him on Instagram @jwebs42 and if you want some GrUB merch, check out thegrubcast.com/shop.   With that said, I wish happiness and prosperity to you all, much love, and as always, keep eating.

Jon Weber: Storytelling and Self-Discovery

Happy Tuesday GrUBfam! We’ve got the first segment of soundbites coming at your earlobes today and we’re talking about the importance of self love! No long winded description this time around. Just wanted to send you all a reminder to love yourselves today.  Please let me know of what you think of this episode and leave your feedback here or rate us on iTunes. I’d really appreciate it.   With that said ya’, have a great rest of the week, much love, and as always, keep eating. P.S. Visit thegrubcast.com/shop for the merchandise! #Soundbites #GrowingUpBlack #SelfLove #advice #Brazil #Ferguson #AndrewGillum #Madea #RedTableTalk #Election #KainSpeaks #blavity #thegrubcast #WillSmith #Szn4 #PBS #blackexcellence #listen #nyc #podcasts #JadaPinkettSmith #GrUB #soundcloud #media #blackexcellence #DonLemon #Elections #loveyourself #blessup #keepeating

Soundbites Ep. 16: Self Love

Season 4 is here! Happy GrUBday fam!   For the 45th episode of the Growing Up Black podcast, we speak to Chiara Richardson about her journey as an artist, discovering what your passions are, and learning to be OK with being perfectly imperfect along the way.   When discovering who we are, life can sometimes seem daunting, often because we dont necessarily “know” our purpose. Everybody seems to want to find a side hustle but struggle with both where to start and how to keep the momentum going once you do. In today’s episode, Chiara and I talk about her work as a spoken word poet and actress, the necessity of sometimes stepping away from your art, and battling that incessant need to always be “perfect”. This episode comes complete with a plethora of motivational gems, real raw honesty, and even a few ad-libs by the multi-talented Joan Lyric Leslie. Great way to jump into the weekend.    Be sure to follow us on Spotify, rate us on iTunes and continue to share the cast on all of your social media networks! That’s how the GrUB fam continues to grow and you never know who might benefit from hearing someone else’s story.   For more from Chiara, check out her website ChiaraSpeaks.com and if you want some GrUB merch, check out thegrubcast.com/shop.   With that said ya’, I wish happiness and prosperity to you all, much love, and as always, keep eating.

Chiara Richardson: Being Perfectly Imperfect

Happy Tuesday GrUBfam! We’ve got the last segment of Soundbites to close out season 3 and today I want to encourage you to keep doing what you’re doing.*   *If you believe you’re already putting your best foot forward   Every month I'll talk about a topic that’s been running through my head, I'll discuss a couple of the top news stories of the month, and then I'll close it out with your monthly dose of positivity.    Sometimes in life we’re faced with a challenge (or multiple) and we never know exactly what we’re supposed to do. Then we may start to feel stagnant and forget to realize the fullness of our progression thus far. We often forget to reflect and recognize how far we have come, not only as individuals, but also how far we’ve come from the foundations set by generations prior. To close out the season I wanted to share a little bit about my family story that will hopefully inspire you all. Today I want to encourage you to put your best foot forward and if you believe you already are, keep doing what you’re doing. The blessings are definitely on the horizon, you just need to keep pushing.  Please let me know of what you think of this episode and leave your feedback here or rate us on iTunes. I’d really appreciate it.  Also big shout out to my sister Harlems Own Lyric! Be sure to check out her tour schedule here: https://bit.ly/2NV8dTB With that said ya’, have a great week, see you in the Fall, much love, and as always, keep eating. P.S. Visit thegrubcast.com/shop for the merchandise!

Soundbites Ep. 15: Keep Doing What You're Doing

Happy Friday and Happy GrUBday fam!   It’s #Pride Month and today we have another great conversation ahead with Mr. Darius Glover discussing his journey as a gay black man, intersectionality, and the importance of finding/creating a community that encourages you to truly be yourself.    Homosexuality has always been a subject rarely talked about in the black community, especially amongst heterosexual black men. In my childhood I don't remember having even one conversation that discussed being gay in a positive light. As a result many people of color often grow up ignorant to the subject and toxic masculinity has continued to thrive. On this episode Darius and I talk about how he's developed his identity over the years, the part New York played in helping him come into himself, and the overall importance of never hiding who you are. The conversation is as enjoyable as it is enlightening and I have no doubt that you will enjoy every minute of it.    Be sure to follow us on Spotify, rate us on iTunes and continue to share the cast on all of your social media networks! That’s how the GrUB fam continues to grow and you never know who might benefit from hearing someone else’s story.   Also as a quick reminder I will be speaking at the Passion Is Pursuit conference next week in NYC. Be sure to use code KYLENY18 for 15% off your ticket. See you there!   With that said ya’, have a great weekend, happiness and prosperity to you all, much love, and as always, keep eating.

Darius Glover: Sexuality and the Spectrum of Blackness

Happy #ThrowbackThursday and Happy GrUBday fam!   Today we have part 2 of our conversation with Shayla Mars as we dive deeper into her journey with mental health, how friends can help others with depression, unpacking what it truly means to be “better” and so much more.   Across all communities, when talking about mental health there are many nuances that either aren’t explained or that people typically shy away from. From moving, to family, to relationships, we avoid  being honest with ourselves in our own journey which often prolongs the process to heal. In the second part of our conversation, Shayla and I discuss her upbringing in Chicago, the importance of being honest with one’s self throughout their mental health journey and breaking down how dealing with mental illness for some feels like drowning while awake. It’s a very in-depth conversation with just as much knowledge and vulnerable insight as the first. Personally I’ve gained so much from listening to Shayla speak her truth and I hope you will too.   Be sure to follow us on Spotify, rate us on iTunes and continue to share the cast on all of your social media networks! That’s how the GrUB fam continues to grow and you never know who might benefit from hearing someone else’s story.   With that said ya’, have a great weekend, happiness and prosperity to you all, much love, and as always, keep eating.

Shayla Mars: Mental Health and Wearing Masks Pt. 2

It’s #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth and the newest episode of the GrUBcast is up!    Today’s episode features another guest I’ve wanted for a long time, Shayla Mars, and we discuss mental health in the black community, her specific experience dealing with ADHD as a black woman, and how she’s managing finding herself + seeking mental wellness as a young adult.   Growing up, conversations about mental health were few and far between in communities of color and, in many cases, that still hasn’t changed. Whether it be due to our upbringing, pressures of society, or our own willful ignorance, as people of color we tend to deal with our trauma in silence and rarely seek diagnosis when it comes to seeking mental wellness. In part one of our conversation, I spoke with Shayla Mars about a range of topics regarding her mental health journey including the hardships she’s faced through her life, the process and costs associated with mental health diagnosis, perceived loss and so much more. It’s engaging within the first five minutes and only gets more raw, honest, and insightful as time goes on. One of the best conversations I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of.    Be sure to follow us on Spotify, rate us on iTunes and continue to share the cast on all of your social media networks! That’s how the GrUB fam continues to grow and you never know who might benefit from hearing someone else’s story.   With that said ya’, have a great weekend, happiness and prosperity to you all, much love, and as always, keep eating.

Shayla Mars: Mental Health and Wearing Masks Pt. 1

The newest episode of the GrUBcast is up!   Today’s episode features my good friend and aspiring director James Austen as we discuss what it meant to grow up biracial, how he’s come to define his identity, and how his background has inspired him to pursue his passion to direct.    Growing up, it sometimes feels like society is constantly trying to force you into one box. If you play sports you must be a jock, or if you work in corporate America you can’t also be an artist. But as we grow older we should realize that identity is dynamic. What happens when you fit in multiple boxes? And how do define who you are when there are limited representations of what you could be? Today I spoke with director James Austen on what it was like to grow up half-black and half-white/Jewish, the thoughts he’s faced as he’s defined his own space in the world, and how cooking shows inspire his style of directing (it sounds a little off the wall but the explanation was extremely enlightening). We had a great, raw conversation and the longer you listen, the better it gets.    Be sure to follow us on Spotify, rate us on iTunes and continue to share the cast on all of your social media networks! That’s how the GrUB fam continues to grow and you never know who might benefit from hearing someone else’s story.   With that said ya’, have a great weekend, happiness and prosperity to you all, much love, and as always, keep eating.

James Austen: Finding a Place in Placelessness

Happy Sunday GrUBfam! We’ve got another segment of Soundbites for season 3 and tonight I want to remind you all to show someone in your inner circle some love.    Every month I'll talk about a topic that’s been running through my head, I'll discuss a couple of the top news stories of the month, and then I'll close it out with your monthly dose of positivity.    We all have many people out there that inspire us. And not just celebrities. Maybe it’s an old neighbor, a friend from college, your parents, whoever. And for whatever reason, even though we live in the most communicative and accessible era of all time, we tend to appreciate in silence. More often than not we don’t reach out to those people just to say “yo, you’re dope” or “that piece really touched me” or “that thing you did inspired me to do xyz” etc, etc. And why not? What’s stopping us from showing appreciation to the people in our inner circle who deserve it? Today I’d like to encourage you to remove all hesitation and go ahead and show love. You never know who might need to hear it.  Please let me know of what you think of this episode and leave your feedback here or rate us on iTunes. I’d really appreciate it.  Also be sure to check out Top Tier Vision!  With that said ya’, have a great week, much love, and as always, keep eating.

Soundbites Ep. 14: Show Love

The newest episode of the GrUBcast is up!   Today’s episode is part 2 of last week’s GrUBcast with serial entrepreneur Malik "Mr. Entreprenoir" Mack. In this 2nd half we talk about the remainder of Malik’s businesses and practical advice on how to start your own side hustles.   Often when people first have an idea for a business, they have little idea on how or where to get started. That small seed of uncertainty sometimes develops into a tree of doubt and prevents us from even getting on the road to pursuing our dreams. During today’s episode Malik and I continue our conversation and discuss how he was able to start these businesses while working a 9 to 5, the motivations behind everything he does, and how he’s constantly able to overcome small moments of defeat and redirect his energy. This 2nd half is even more engaging than the first so I know you’ll enjoy the rest of this episode.   Be sure to follow us on Spotify, rate us on iTunes and continue to share the cast on all of your social media networks! That’s how the GrUB fam continues to grow and you never know who might benefit from hearing someone else’s story.   With that said ya’, have a great weekend, happiness and prosperity to you all, much love, and as always, keep eating.

Malik Mack: The Foundations of Mr. Entreprenoir pt. 2

The newest episode of the GrUBcast is up!   Today’s episode features the serial entrepreneur Malik "Mr. Entreprenoir" Mack. Throughout the episode we chop it up about his journey to becoming a full time entrepreneur, constantly reminding people of his worth, and developing the courage to chase what you believe you’re meant to do.    When discussing the journey of entrepreneurship, very rarely do people discuss their “true beginning”. What inspired them at 10 or 14 years old, why pursue something with a nonlinear path of success, how did the first dream become reality on a step by step basis? During today’s episode I had the pleasure of interviewing Malik Mack and we talk about his road to full time entrepreneurship, what experiences lead him to running more that 5 successful businesses and why taking a chance on yourself is a fundamental step in living a fullfilling life. His story is entertaining, captivating and filled with gems of knowledge and we have even more content coming at you in Part 2 next week.   Also, completely by chance, today is also Malik’s birthday! So as a present you should definitely take a listen and send some positive vibes his way   Be sure to follow us on Spotify, rate us on iTunes and continue to share the cast on all of your social media networks! That’s how the GrUB fam continues to grow and you never know who might benefit from hearing someone else’s story.   With that said ya’, have an incredible weekend, WAKANDA FOREVER, much love, and as always, keep eating.

Malik Mack: The Foundations of Mr. Entreprenoir pt. 1

Welcome Welcome Welcome ya to the first segment of Soundbites for season 3! Today I want to encourage you all to stop worrying so much about things that are out of your control.    Every month I'll talk about a topic that’s been coming up in my everyday conversation, I'll discuss a couple of the top news stories of the month, and then I'll close it out with your monthly dose of positivity.    When it comes to achieving our own dreams and goals we are often our own worst enemy. We question and worry about so many possible outcomes that we end up stagnant, not taking any action at all and in turn, delay possible success. So today I want to remind you of a phrase we all (hopefully) learned as children. Hakuna Matata = No worries. Let’s all try to use this childhood message to push ourselves further as adults.    Please let me know of what you think of this episode and leave your feedback here or rate us on iTunes. I’d really appreciate it.  With that said ya’, have a great weekend, much love, and as always, keep eating.

Soundbites Ep. 13: Hakuna Matata

GrUB is an acronym for Growing up Black and is a podcast about stories, topics, and ideas from people of color in all different ages, shades, and cultural demographics. We often think that the situations and hardships that we go through are original when, more often than not, many people are going through similar, if not the same situations. From the way we've grown up, to the way we react to things on an everyday basis. The main goal of this podcast is to create a forum for the diversity of the minority experience. Hopefully you hear something that you have gone through and are going through and realize that you are not alone and better days ahead. You may laugh, you may cry, you may learn, but at the very least, you will feel. Always remember: Keep Eating.

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