Waiting To Excel Podcast W/durrel K. Douglas

Poverty in Black Families by

There's both an ART and a SCIENCE to "Stacking Paper," let's talk about it.

I'm back after a 4-year break! I'm in Detroit, Toledo, and Houston these days. A lot has changed since the last time we spoke!

I'm Baaaack EP 34 by

Samantha Blair is only 25 but she already hosts a radio show on Houston's 97.9 the box, produces a TV show on ABC 13, and is a force in local politics... today, she joins the podcast. We talk about vision boards, planning your goals, and turning them into reality!

If you've ever moved to a new city, you know it's a daunting task, but it's very rewarding. I've moved to a different city 5 times in the last 7 years. No, I'm not running from the law LOL, I just believe in taking opportunities that align with my goals when they present themselves. I regret none of the moves, and each of them set me up better than the last one. In addition to planning and research, you really want to make sure you're in the right mental space. Get used to taking risks. The money situation will never be perfect, the job situation will never be perfect, and if you keep waiting on one of those things to change, you'll never change yourself. You'll remain where you are. Eventually, you have to take a deep breath and DO IT!

Could you go 90 days without sex? Well, Rocko took on this challenge leading up to the release (no pun intended) of his book "Rescue Your Gift" and his birthday. Rocko is the type of mystical figure that just emits positive energy constantly. In this first of 3 conversations, he talks a bit about this 90 day challenge, and the strength that comes from such discipline.

Before you can make a big order, you have to take inventory to see what's selling--or sailing-- at the store. In this ramble, I talk about ways to truly improve our lives by paying attention to the impact we allow the outside world to have on our momentum. Who are you spending the most time around? Who's on your cell phone's call log? Which small decisions are you making these days? Where are you going?

She's a single mother, she travels, she's in college, and her name is R. Lee. She drops a few nuggets on what drives her to do it all, and what inspired her to go back to school in the first place. What's holding you back from excelling?

I met Issa at work a few years ago, and she's now one of my best friends. She took a leap of faith and quit her job in politics to become an electrical apprentice. She's now headed to her second Bachelors Degree and following her dreams.

Are you building your Ark? Noah's task in life was to build the Ark, but what are you here for? Are you a good cook? Is there a book inside you waiting to be written? How long have you talked about starting that podcast? Do something TODAY to get you one step closer to your goal. If you're listening out there, I'd love to hear from you: ddouglas@houstonjustice.org

Marcus has a unique model: he launches a business, gets it up and running, then sells it to someone else. In this episode, he talks about the ups and downs of starting his first business, an auto detailing shop, then a bit about the restaurant, moving company, and boutiques he's owned as well. In my intro rant, I talk about vision boards. It's important to know what your goals are, and to be reminded of them everyday. Whether you're looking to start a business like Marcus did, move to a new city, or write that book, a vision board is a great place to start. Here's a link to an article that talks a bit more about vision boards: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elizabeth-rider/the-scientific-reason-why_b_6392274.html

Sure it's easy to talk about your goals: that business you want to start, the book you want to write, or how you want to get in shape. If you're not setting and tracking the progress of your goals, you may as well just give up! In this episode, I talk about my process for goal setting, and the most important part: EXECUTION. I talk about suggestions to make your surroundings prone to success, and how to break your ideas down into digestible pieces.

A couple of weeks ago I sat down to dinner w/my mother and younger brother before he'd move to another city for his new job as band director of a high school in Tyler, Texas. I asked him "What made you want to be in the band in the first place?" to which he responded with a sharp side-eye, and the words "You know!" So, him seeing his older brother play trumpet years ago led to him wanting to pick up one, too. Well, know who inspired me to pick up a Trumpet? Today's guest, Mark Gordon, who was the director of the band at the high school my cousin played football for. While my dad would look at the field, I was constantly looking at the band. This episode is long, but inspirational. Many of the nuggets he drops about building a band program are transferable to your organization, business, etc. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Justin has authored four books, starred in an online reality show---he's degreed, an educator, and WINNING at life. Check out my conversation with the Tri-Coastal man himself.

Elisabeth E. Johnson is an author, philanthropist, organizer and millennial politico. If you like Episode 2 "How to choose Your Friends," you'll love this episode as well. Ever wonder how people juggle work, school, church, and everything else? Well, Elisabeth is one of those people who juggle. She talks about tactics she uses to keep the train on the tracks. Hope you enjoy.

Aisha Koroma and her mother fled war in the West African country of Sierra Leone almost 20 years ago before ending up in Senegal, New York and finally Houston, Texas where I met her my senior year at Westbury High School. She now works as a counselor at the very agency that assisted her family when she touched down in Houston. Not only is Aisha resilient, she's also brilliant. I love her theory of change. You see, when you ask most people how you can "help" their project, they almost always reply with a Paypal link. Not Aisha. She FIRST wants people to be aware. You see, with awareness, a person has a better idea of the issue at hand before reaching in their wallet. With awareness, they'd probably reach a little deeper, and truly understand the impact. She wants us to know that refugees are PEOPLE first. Just like you. People who didn't ask to be refugees. Imagine war breaking out in your country. Imagine stepping over the remains of those who lost their lives at the hand of an ongoing war.

With so many of my friends now being single mothers, I thought it'd be interesting to bring the best mother in the world to the podcast, my mother! In this episode we talk about what it was like being a single mother, the decisions my mom made, and what she'd do differently if she could go back in time.

Torrey is going to be an artist...well, in my book, Torrey is already an artist. What are you? Where are YOU going? In the 20th installment of my podcast, I sit down with one of my best friends for a conversation about DREAMS. What happens to a dream deffered? The poem by Langston Hughes could've been a book. We made it a podcast.

This episode picks up right where I left off in Episode 1. When thinking about your career change, WHY do you want to do what you do next? Is there a reason? For instance, if you want to be a cook or chef, do you LIKE cooking? These are among the questions one should ask themselves when thinking about next steps.