This A Podcast

Ep 59 w/ Abdi: Learning Photography, The Impact of Nip and Kobe, & Focusing On Purpose

April 30, 2020 13:19 - 1 hour - 84.1 MB

Mek sits down with Abdi, an ambitious artist whose main objective is to use his art to leave a legacy that inspires the world. In 90 minutes, they discuss: - Abdi’s beginnings as a photographer and how his creative art is different from the rest - being a novice and humbly taking advice on the job - how getting a Fox Five D.C. shout out helped his page gain traction - dealing with critics and receiving positive and negative feedback - starting to sell his work art and partnering up with...

Ep 58 w/ Fuad Saif: How To Get Into Stand-Up, Personality Duality, & Learning As A Father

March 31, 2020 11:16 - 1 hour - 98.4 MB

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 writi...

Ep. 57 w/ Jade Omari: Finding Your Sound, Dealing With Labels, & Letting It Flow

March 03, 2020 11:05 - 1 hour - 81.6 MB

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 no...

Ep. 56 w/ Ashley Sayles: The Cliche Career Question, How To Be A Nurse Practitioner, & Google It!

January 03, 2020 12:16 - 2 hours - 120 MB

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 ...

Ep. 55 w/ Claude Robinson: The Fundamentals, Reaching Mastery, & The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck

December 17, 2019 14:34 - 2 hours - 115 MB

On this episode of This a Podcast, it’s all about videography and choosing a career you value, even when it goes against conventional wisdom. In this two hour interview between Mek and Claude, you’ll hear about: - how Claude got his start and when he began seriously taking photos and video - an afternoon in his middle school life and how college influenced his networking ability - parents keeping kids on the straight and narrow and away from bullshit - separating a real professional vide...

Ep. 54 w/ Cheyenne Floyd: Being a Zombie Extra, Becoming a Reality TV Star, & Starting a Non-Profit

November 21, 2019 15:21 - 1 hour - 88.9 MB

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 t...

Ep 53 w/ Kevin Polite: The Best Part of Being an Entrepreneur, $300 Shots, & Start Today

September 25, 2019 12:16 - 1 hour - 110 MB

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 ...

Ep 52 w/ Rob Browning: Appreciating Nature, Being Transparent, and "Just Doing It"

August 12, 2019 14:52 - 2 hours - 142 MB

On this episode of This A Podcast, Mek interviews Rob Browning to talk about his interest in fashion, music, deeper thinking, giving respect to all, working for himself, and so much more. In two and a half hours, they’ll delve into: - how hiking brings him peace and what influenced his stylist sensibilities - what guided his photography and skill development - what being a creative means to him and what he was into as a kid - withstanding the pain of getting good at something - the choi...

Ep 51 w/ Brandon Driver: Overcoming Injury, Finding A New Avenue, & The Importance of Being Genuine

July 29, 2019 01:43 - 1 hour - 56.8 MB

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 ...

Ep 50 w/ Anguesomo: Songwriting At 6, Social Media Addiction, & You Are Enough

June 28, 2019 12:47 - 2 hours - 138 MB

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 Ame...

Ep 49: Hood Debates w/ We The 5th

June 11, 2019 20:31 - 1 hour - 59 MB

A deviation from the standard lifestyle interviews that Mek normally conducts, this episode features Mek and Tim (@wethe5th) debating on topics: -Snapchat is dead -The Wayans Bros. are not funny -Will Smith is a comedian

Ep 48 w/ Lou White: Cultivating Habits, Connecting With Young Athletes, & Investing In Yourself

May 28, 2019 13:30 - 1 hour - 76.1 MB

On this episode, Mek sits with Lou White to talk about his youth-athletic days, coaching young players today, and how the lessons learned while playing the game apply later on in life. In 77 minutes, you’ll hear them talk about: - coaches getting younger and kids thinking they’re older - rebounding a losing team into a winning one (literally) and doing the little things to achieve greater success - how “back in the day” is different than current day - Lou’s proudest achievement as a bask...

Ep 47 w/ Charlei H: Divine Ideas, Find Your Process, & This Is All We Have

May 06, 2019 11:21 - 1 hour - 101 MB

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...

Ep 46 w/ Alex Ngonga: Be Vulnerable, The Prestigious Black Experience, & Live Life To The Fullest

April 22, 2019 13:25 - 1 hour - 102 MB

On this episode of This A Podcast, Mek sits with Alex Ngonga to talk dating and relationships, family, Zumba, and then some. In this 106 minute show, you’ll hear about: - how she and Mek met each other - why she’s considered the relationship expert among her friends - being a social butterfly and matchmaker - her preference for face-to-face communication vs. the online dating world - why nobody wants to be vulnerable in relationships - the importance of being in the right mental space ...

Ep 45 w/ Hood Chef: From Savage Life to Hood Chef, The Art of Negotiating, & Making Your Job

April 02, 2019 12:06 - 1 hour - 56.4 MB

On this episode of This a Podcast, Mek talks with Hood Chef (a.k.a. Hector Vazquez (@thehoodchef), along with special guest Bruke Fasil (@brukefasil)) about his background, meeting rapper Curren$y, and his love of cooking and the cannabis culture and community. In this hour-long show, you’ll hear about: - what brought him to Los Angeles. - how his love of cooking developed and the name The Hood Chef came to life. - learning an important lesson in negotiation. - meeting Bruke and his...

Ep 44 w/ Natasha Rowe: A Leap of Faith, Daily Affirmations, & Don't Get Stuck

March 13, 2019 04:08 - 1 hour - 56.8 MB

On this episode of This a Podcast, Mek talks with Natasha Rowe (@rowetherealtor) about moving from banking to real estate, how the power of belief and personal growth tools have impacted her life, and much more. In this hour-long show, you’ll hear about: - why (and how) Natasha left banking and got into real estate - common misunderstandings about real estate property hunting and working with realtors - the biggest mistake people make when using sites like Zillow and Trulia - 3 ways Nata...

Ep 43 w/ DJ BJ: Houseparty w/ Waka Flocka, Engineers vs. Producers, & Don't Doubt Yourself

March 01, 2019 13:10 - 56 minutes - 51.8 MB

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” ...

Episodes

Books

Twitter Mentions