April is Financial Literacy Month! In this week's episode, I invited Norris Jackson, author of a Financial Literacy book called Positioned To Fail, to inform us how to avoid some common financial mistakes and his journey writing his first book. Norris walks us through his financial journey, his nontraditional philosophy on spending habits, and why it's important to prioritize prenups, and much more. Connect with Norris on Instagram here Check out the book here. Did you enjoy this?  You...

In this week's episode, I chatted with Cheryl W. Brooks. She is an author, professional singer/songwriter, and editor. She introduces us to another Hidden Figure during Black History Month: Madame Sara Spencer Washington through her book Golden Beauty Boss: The Story of Madame Sara Spencer Washington and the Apex Empire’. Tune in to hear her journey of how she learned about this hidden figure while researching her debut book, Chicken Bone Beach: A Pictorial History of Atlantic City’s...

Meet Latrez, one of the audio engineers behind the Not Your Average Culture podcast. Tune in to hear his journey of how he got into mixing and mastering the art of sound. Latrez is an audio engineer and producer based in Atlanta, GA. He received his B.S. in recording arts in 2014 and shortly hit the ground running at Patchwerk Recording Studios. With a great ear for music and skillset, Latrez now works with major industry names. His credits span Includes artists such as Lil Duval (Best Life)...

Get in touch and stay connected! Follow me on IG: @ChardeneyMason Subscribe on Youtube: https://youtu.be/yHA706wSVrM Want to start the new year with some new skills? Get two months of Skillshare free by clicking this link, it's on me: https://skillshare.eqcm.net/yDezv Have a safe and happy New Year! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/not-your-average-culture/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/not-your-average-culture/support

In this episode, I chat with Kaya Thomas, an iOS developer, author,  writer, and public speaker. She currently works as a Senior Software Engineer at Calm. We chat about how she broke into tech and shares a few resources for those interested in exploring tech and coding. Stay connected with Kaya follow her on Twitter: @kthomas901  Website: kaya.dev Apps Developed by Kaya: We Read Too Irth App Check out some of the things mentioned in this episode: Hacking With Swift How to write iOS apps...

In this episode I chat with Erin Lowry, author of the three part Broke Millennial series of books. We talk about how to curb impulse spending and how to have more natural conversations about money. For anyone who purchases the book can submit proof of purchase to [email protected] to get the exclusive bonus chapter and other goodies! Stay connected with Erin follow her on IG: @thebrokemillenniablog  Website: https://brokemillennial.com/ Check out some of the things mentioned in this...

In this episode, I got a chance to chat with Justin Bridges about how to navigate life as a creative entrepreneur and how to stick to the plan once you create a financial goal. We dive deep into how he has navigated from the financial industry into being his own boss through fashion photography, podcasting, and more.    Justin hosts a weekly podcast dedicated to being a resource on freelance, finance, and personal wellness, and you can check it out here. Check out some of the things...

In this week's episode, I got a chance to chat with RJ Temple. He shared his journey of how he went from being a musician to writing stageplays to now working within the Themed Entertainment Industry producing and writing shows for major companies, cruise ships, theme parks, and more.   Connect with RJ on LinkedIn here Check out some of the things mentioned in this episode. Immersive World Handbook Creative Quest Slice Creative Network Themed Entertainment Association Did you...

In this week's episode, I talked to Fauna Solomon, and she shares her unique perspective on dating. Fauna is a dating expert and creator of TheDatingTruth.com. She provides honest advice and simple instruction for men and women committed to building stronger relationships. She works on the internets and goes by The Convo Queen. She gives unsolicited advice on dating, career, marketing, personal branding, and self-worth. If you are currently single during the season of quarantine, then this is...

On June 2, 2020 Blackout Tuesday was a collective action against racism and police brutality. The action, originally initiated within the music industry in response to the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. Other industries followed suit to acknowledge the moment. Nickelodeon demonstrated support for the Black Lives Matter movement by going off the air for 8 minutes and 46 seconds and sharing a message about kids' rights. Patrick Kling, The Associate Art Director for...

July is minority mental health month. In this weeks episode I got a chance to chat with Nia Ridgle. She is a Licensed Mental Health Faith-Based Therapist, currently residing in San Jose California. She is the owner of Ridgle Consulting. In addition to owning her private practice, Nia is a full-time practitioner at Kaiser Permanente Adult Psychiatry Department. Nia’s area of expertise primarily focuses on treating mental health symptoms such as: depression, trauma/PTSD, anxiety and...

This episode is for anyone interested in getting serious about their financial goals. Dasarte Yarnway is an author, podcaster, and, most importantly, the Founder & Managing Director of Berknell Financial Group, an innovative independent wealth management firm focused on helping millennials and seasoned investors design their best lives. We discussed the importance of seeking out advice from a financial advisor, recommendations for planning for emergencies similar to COVID-19, financial...

In this episode I got chance to speak with Arlan Hamilton Founder and Managing partner of Backstage Capital to talk about investing for beginners, tips for recent graduates, how to raise money for a company, and her book It's About Damn Time.   Stay Connected with Arlan and other topics mentioned in this episode Follow: Arlan on Twitter @ArlanWasHere Arlan on Instagram @ArlanWasHere Check out her book here Arlan's Academy on how to raise capital for your company Other topics...

In this episode, I spoke with Maira Benjamin - Director of Engineering at Pandora. We talked about how Diversity and Inclusion are not just buzz topics within the workplace but also how it shows up in other areas such as health and education. We also talked about the work she's doing to help encourage and retain more women within the tech industry. Connect with Maira on Linked here Check out my Medium post here Leave me a voice message and share your thoughts with me about this episode or...

In this week's episode, I share some updates along with some books I'm currently enjoying and sharing some tips I've found to be helpful when I experience creative blocks or experiencing imposter syndrome. Check out the books I mentioned here: The Secret Vibrate Higher Daily The Magic of Thinking Big What A Time To Be Alone Sharing some of my thought on Medium here:  https://medium.com/@cjmmason/how-podcasting-changed-my-life-31ce7817757e Therapy | Mental Health &...

Passion Over Popular Opinion In this episode, I chatted with Durell, aka DC is Chillin Oakland's very own DJ, event host, and entrepreneur. We talked about his upbringing in Oakland, breaking into the entertainment industry and personal branding. Tune in to hear his story and get tips on being a DJ, being present, and more! Stay Connected with DC is Chillin on IG here Catch DC on the 106.1 KMEL weekdays 6 am - 2 pm On iHeart Radio Vontourage podcast Weekends on V101  People mentioned ...

Lesley Touche is the founder of Next Play. Events curated to help young professionals of color land their dream job within the tech industry.  In this week's episode I chatted with Lesley and discussed how left his corporate job at Linkedin as a recruiter to start his own company. Tune in to hear how to land your dream job in tech.  Stay Connected with Lesley and other organizations discussed in this episode Follow:  @nextplayevents Other organizations mentioned in this episode Linkedin...

I'm excited for this milestone. This is my 10th podcast and I'm looking forward to season 3! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/not-your-average-culture/support

Liane Membis is the founder and editorial director of BAUCE Magazine. She originally created BAUCE as a platform for driven and ambitious women of color who desire to become high net-worth individuals. Liane Membis is also a full stack web developer and wordsmith that is based in New York City. In this weeks episode I chatted with Liane and discussed how she juggles personal and professional relationships as an entrepreneur. We also touched on what it looks like truly be a boss. Tune in to...

"If you build the table right we can all have a seat at the table." Genevieve Leighton-Armah is the Academy Coordinator at BayCat Academy. BAYCAT ACADEMY is an internationally-acclaimed school that provides free digital media education to underserved youth and young adults in San Francisco. In this weeks episode I chatted with Genevieve and discussed how BAYCAT and other programs provide support to the youth and young adults within the creative community. We also touched on what it means to...

In this weeks episode I chatted with Ro$$ Mac who is an Entrepreneur and Entertainer.  We discuss his various business ventures from the infamous Drill parties, Drink Haus Chicago, Up Next App, working on Wall Street to balancing life as an entertainer.  Tune in to learn how he juggles life as an entrepreneur and how he is revolutionizing what it means to be cool.  Ross is being intentional with his music by incorporating terms used on Wall Street with hopes it will inspire the youth to...

 Adanta Ahanonu is the Site Director for Year Up at Diablo Valley College. Year Up is a national nonprofit that empowers underserved young adults to go from minimum wage to meaningful careers in a single year with the help of a free intensive career readiness and higher education training program. Students spend six-months in a classroom setting learning professional and technical skills, followed by six months in an internship at top companies like Facebook, Airbnb,  Google, and...