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Some stories don’t unfold—they accelerate. From the buzz of Wilberforce’s music halls to the bright lights of 550 Madison Avenue, we trace how a sister’s blueprint, a fearless ask, and the quiet grind of craft turned campus life into a creative career. Our guest, Shava—songwriter, artist, producer, and proud Flint native—opens up about the unique alchemy of HBCU culture: choir discipline that builds stamina, student media that hones voice, and professors who raise the bar until excellence feels normal.

We walk through the moments that matter. Gospel Choir gave room to improvise; University Choir demanded precision and presence. That mix of freedom and rigor prepared her to seize opportunity when Sony’s HR leader stepped on campus. With support from the co‑op program, she landed in New York, learned the language of catalogs, copyright, and trademarks, and saw how legacy marketing protects and amplifies artists. Back home, she poured those lessons into education—mic’ing up students, producing stories, and turning classrooms into studios where young voices learn to lead.

The creative arc continues with “Through Me,” a faith-rooted project that carries both testimony and technique. She also shares the evolution of She Hope Publishing, an intentional shift toward optimism, ownership, and legal clarity for independent creators. If you’re hungry for practical steps—how to pitch internships, protect your work, balance service with studio time—this conversation delivers strategies you can use today. And if you needed a push, here it is: exhaust every possibility, because time moves whether you act or not.

If this story sparked something in you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs momentum, and leave a review with one step you’ll take this week. Your voice helps others find the show—and your action might start your next chapter.

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Two best friends pick up the thread right where campus left it. We rewind to Wilberforce University—move-in day, the union, freshman choir—and unpack how a demanding director, tight-knit classmates, and steady mentors forged habits that still carry us. The memories are hilarious and human (yes, there was a snowball ambush), but the takeaway is serious: community and standards can change the trajectory of a life.

Jami shares how a professional singing career evolved into producing films and series for Lifetime, BET+, TV One, Amazon Prime, and Tubi. She breaks down what producing actually means—location scouting, creative judgment, schedule wrangling, and protecting story truth. We spotlight the Miss Cleo biopic and why it reframes a '90s punchline with context and compassion. We also tease fresh releases, including a revealing Turkey Leg Hut documentary, plus a Tubi Original, The Caregiver, with a sequel on the way. If you’ve ever wondered how an HBCU foundation translates into a Hollywood workflow, this conversation connects the dots.

We bring it home with service and celebration: HBCU Night at the Wonder Chamber toy drive, ways to donate if you can’t attend, and the HBCU Community Awards and Gala, where Jamie will receive an Icon Award for her impact. Our message to students and emerging creators is simple and firm—finish what you start, keep your circle strong, and let your craft meet a higher standard. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a push, and leave a review with your favorite HBCU memory or mentor shout-out. Your story might be the nudge someone else needs.

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A quiet kid from Philadelphia. A long drive past Ohio cornfields. A campus that didn’t offer luxury, but taught resilience, community, and the kind of confidence that lasts a lifetime. That’s where our conversation with Alumni Association President Dell Woods begins—and it quickly becomes a blueprint for how HBCUs transform potential into leadership.

We swap homecoming energy for real talk about what makes Wilberforce work: rigorous professors who sharpen critical thinking, peers who feel like family, and alumni who show up with time, talent, and treasure. Dell credits a famously tough business instructor for pushing her beyond comfort zones and into a career defined by clarity and grit. From that foundation, we dig into the practical levers that move a university forward—paying national and local dues, launching or joining alumni chapters with just five members, and telling authentic stories that recruit the next class of scholars, artists, and entrepreneurs.

There’s urgency here, too. New dorms are coming online, and alumni are sponsoring the second building to make sure students live on campus and thrive. Enrollment has doubled, but the mission continues: wear the gear, share the wins, host a college fair table, mentor a first-gen student, and keep the pipeline strong. We spotlight the legacy of renowned Wilberforce figures, the power of HBCU bonds, and the simple truth that every voice and every dollar counts when you’re building a future bigger than yourself.

If you love Wilberforce—or you’re curious about what an HBCU can do for a student who needs a village—this conversation brings the receipts and the roadmap. Subscribe, share this episode with an alum or a college-bound student, and leave a review to help more people discover the Wilberforce story. Your voice helps keep the Woo thriving.

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Alumni pride is more than a colorway and a sweatshirt that still fits; it’s a blueprint for lifting the next class higher. We open with real community energy—VIP raffle tickets, an all‑black affair, and an HBCU family night at the Wonder Chamber that doubles as a toy drive—then move into the stories that make those events matter: health wins, campus roots, and the alumni who keep the circle strong.

Our guest, a Wilberforce graduate who served on the National Alumni Association board and mentored current students, takes us inside her leap from quiet campus days to building a national staffing firm. Selected for Goldman Sachs’ One Million Black Women program, she breaks down what an accelerated MBA taught her about financials, marketing, customer fit, and pitch craft—and how that training now powers Lowry Staffing’s growth across legal, engineering, finance, and healthcare roles. She’s hiring interns, too, and the opportunities are remote, open to HBCU students nationwide.

We trade memories that still teach—professors like Dr. Grisby, Dr. Shittu, and Dr. Callender, snow days on the hill, and the choir reunion that snapped back into harmony as if no time had passed. Along the way, we discuss self-care and diabetes awareness, because leadership starts with taking care of your health. For students heading home for the holidays, you’ll hear firm, loving advice on valuing family, embracing structure, and seeking guidance from people who’ve walked the path.

If you care about HBCU history, career pipelines, and practical ways to help students thrive, you’ll feel right at home here. Tap in for the raffle and toy drive, share this with a student who needs an internship link, and then subscribe, rate, and leave a review so more families and future leaders can find us. Your share might be the bridge someone’s been waiting for.

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What happens when a sharp-dressed dreamer can’t find clothes that fit—and decides to fix it for everyone? We sit with Rod, the founder of Upsize Fashion and a working comedian, to trace the leap from a Vegas fashion convention to a full-service menswear store at Rolling Oaks Mall. He opens up about starting with big and tall, expanding to small through 5X, and building a true one-stop shop: suits, tuxedos, polos, denim, Stacy Adams shoes, True Religion, and a fedora wall that crowns any look. It’s retail with purpose, including custom orders up to 8X and fast wedding turnarounds that make big moments feel effortless.

Then we step into the heartbeat of culture: the Black Friday All Black Affair with live music and comics, a multicultural celebration designed to get the city in the same room. Rod shares the lineup, the energy, and a challenge to show up—plus veteran discounts, a four-ticket raffle tabled together with champagne, and Monday comedy nights at Dave & Buster’s featuring food deals and parking support. Behind the laughs is a human story of loss and resilience; after his mother passed, comedy became a way to heal and help others breathe again.

All of this fuels something bigger: our HBCU Community Awards and youth programs. This year’s theme, Coming to America, invites bold style and cultural pride, and Upsize Fashion is ready to outfit couples head to toe, even matching gowns to suits. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to support local, invest in students, and look your best while doing it, this is it. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a fit and a laugh, and leave a review to help more people find the show. Your presence matters—see you at Rolling Oaks Mall and on Black Friday.

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Doors don’t open by accident—they open because communities decide to turn the handle. We celebrate student achievements, shine a light on HBCU pathways, and share tangible ways to show up, from buying a book that centers Black educational stories to cheering on a local step show that fuels scholarships and joy. Along the way, we welcome a staffing founder who traces her journey from Wilberforce’s quiet hills to building a national recruiting firm, proving how mentorship, rigorous writing, and public speaking at an HBCU can still shape contracts, client trust, and confident leadership years later.

We dig into the Common Black College App and why simplifying admissions matters for families balancing time and cost. Then we zoom out to entrepreneurship: our guest breaks down what she learned in Goldman Sachs’ One Million Black Women program, with NYU Stern instruction, mentor guidance, and a cohort of Black founders who turned community into momentum. Her playbook is practical—know your numbers, sharpen your offers, and invest in relationships—because placing candidates well is as much about listening as it is about speed.

This conversation threads personal pride with real resources. You’ll hear about upcoming mentoring events, a holiday fundraiser at the Wonder Chamber, and clear contact info for Lauris Staffing USA if you’re hiring or job hunting nationwide. We close where we began: with gratitude for HBCU faculty who push students to write tighter, think clearer, and speak up, and for alumni who keep showing up for the next class. If this story moved you, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who needs these resources, and leave a quick review to help more families find their path.

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A neighborhood can change when one brave yes turns into many. That’s the heartbeat of this conversation as we spotlight local leaders who feed families, mentor girls into confident young women, bring step culture roaring back to San Antonio, and create real publishing opportunities for HBCU student artists.

We kick off with Ronald Gordon of WSAN Radio, a community voice rooted in service. When Monique asked for help, Ronald committed to feeding 25 families for Thanksgiving before a single dollar was raised—and watched $1,100 arrive through everyday generosity, with clear accountability and tax-deductible receipts. That effort links with an East Side daycare run by the Wiggins family, a small business doing big work: extended hours for working parents, resource drives for kids, blankets and shoes for neighbors without housing, and a gift-card push to support students home from college.

Then we met with Tonya Swain
founder of This Is 4 My Girlz, Inc. a year-round mentorship program for ages eight to twenty-four. Her team is relighting the step tradition with the Rhythm of the Night Step Show at the Carver Joe Long Theater. It’s more than entertainment—it’s a cultural bridge to college life, featuring university Greek organizations, local performers, and a joyful stage where girls build voice, timing, and pride. With workshops in etiquette, safety, financial literacy, and creative production (yes, they once shut down a downtown street for a runway), Tanya’s program helps girls see themselves as leaders with options.

Rounding out the hour, Dr. Goshay invites HBCU students to submit artwork for a national contest. The winning piece becomes the cover of her new book on successful events, with credited copyright, a trophy, a cash award, and a free copy on release. It’s the kind of opportunity that turns talent into portfolio, and portfolio into paid work. She also teases future film projects and calls for actors, crew, and creators to stay connected.

If you believe in practical hope—full tables, full theaters, and full-circle opportunities—this is your kind of story. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves community wins, and leave a review telling us where you’ll jump in next. Your yes could be the spark someone’s waiting for.

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One decision on a two-lane road can change a life. Del Woods left Philadelphia for a small HBCU campus in Ohio and discovered a community that turned quiet potential into confident leadership. In this conversation, our National Alumni President shares how a no-excuses business program, a famously tough professor, and a family-style campus culture forged the skills she now uses to lead, build, and serve.

We dig into what makes Wilberforce different: intimate classrooms where you learn to think on your feet, dorms that build lifelong bonds, and mentors who expect your best even when resources are tight. Del explains how those experiences power her work today across a full-time role, multiple ventures, and the National Alumni Association. She lays out a clear, practical playbook for impact: pay your national and local dues, join or launch a chapter with just five members, recruit students who will thrive in a high-touch environment, and help finish funding the new dorms so more students can live on campus and stay connected.

You’ll also hear why visibility matters now more than ever. From college fairs to social media, we talk about wearing our colors, telling our stories, and making sure future students know where Wilberforce is and what The Woo stands for. Along the way, we honor the legacy of notable Wilberforce figures and the everyday heroes who keep the community strong. If you believe in HBCU excellence and the power of alumni to shape the next generation, this one’s for you.

If this conversation moves you, subscribe, share it with a fellow alum, and leave a review. Then take one action today—dues, a recruit, a donation—and be the force that keeps Wilberforce thriving.

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