Ernest (Ernie) Cason is not only my cousin, he's my friend. A few years my senior, the age difference has also made him a mentor. That said, his story was almost over before it was getting to the good parts. Listen as he shares his experience as a TedTalk speaker, a co-host of a successful podcast with his lovely wife and the moment that he didn't allow to break him.

Youth doesn't always equate foolishness. Some young adults deserve to be in your circle. Some young adults are better examples than our supposedly wiser (older) peers. Eboni Russell is blazing a path that she'll be proud of when she looks back on her youth. While she has reached career and life goals that many of her peers admire, this woman's work is far from over.

Listen-in as I spend some time with my sister and day one friend, Tamara Kennedy.

Teenagers (and some foolish adults) believe it's possible to live one way in public and another in private. In reality, it's nearly impossible to live a double life. Andre Montgomery is an intelligent man who always knew that in life there ain't no half-steppin.' To survive in one world or thrive in the other, a choice must be made. Listen as he tells his coming of age story.

Derek Nordgren is an extremely strong man. However, it's not his physical strength that pushes him out of bed each morning. It's an unseen strength. A humble mentality that allows him to admit he's weak. It's this weakness that makes him so incredibly strong. Confused yet? Listen and get to know Derek and you'll have a better understanding of what strength looks like and how you too can obtain it. You too can wake up, look in the mirror and say, "it's all good."

Each day, life is a blank page for us all. We often steal a glance at someone else's page to see what they've written. Rose Johnson, a beautiful soul, stares at her page quite often. Like so many of us, she too wondered did her page measure up to her peers. However, through life's up's and downs, she decided to focus on her own story. While not perfect, she realizes today is where her book begins...the rest is still unwritten.

"Got my head on straight, I got my vibe right, I aint gonna let you kill it. You see I wouldn't change my life, my life's just fine, fine, fine..." This anthem by Mary J. Blige summarizes my dear childhood friend, Leeta Harlem perfectly. Listen-in to see how she never allowed circumstances to determine her value or her tomorrow's.

Now this is an episode all about how his life got flipped turned upside down. The main difference is that Janai Carter is from Baltimore (not Philadelphia) and he moved to Northern Virginia (not Bel Air). But if you were an observer to all of this, your heart would've formed an attachment to Janai, just as easily as audiences did to Will Smith in the 90's sitcom, "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air." Janai Carter, a kind soul, a loving husband, son, brother and dear friend faced a transition that played out in front of those closest to him. While he wasn't initially embraced, he also didn't make it easy. However, looking back 10+ years later, what would he change (if anything) about his move from the city to suburban America?

Parenthood is one of the hardest yet most fulfilling responsibilities one can have in life. However, throw a pandemic on top of that and no matter who you are, where you live or how much support you have...it can be a lonely road to successfully raising a human baby. Caroline Quat, an intelligent mother, daughter, sister, employee and dear friend, along with her husband, took on this challenge and continue to thrive. However, is it as easy as it looks? What's it like raising a pandemic baby?

What can we learn from friends we don't see or speak to that often? Can those brief interactions add value to our lives? Seon Fernandes, husband, father, minister and still time for kindness. Listen-in as he shares his story of childhood insecurities, the definition of self-confidence and rising above everyday challenges to provide his children with a legacy they can be proud of.