Christie Taylor was born in Washington D.C., and in the early 1970’s moved with family to West Tennessee. Her early years fostered in her a strong affinity for music performance and radio. Her love of “all things artsy” led to her pursuit of a Communication Degree with concentration in Radio, TV, and Film; and later graduated with a Bachelor in Drama TV and Film Performance from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her radio career can be traced to her hosting an evening show on KUTA, the...
Mar 13, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Cleveland, Ohio native, Jarrett Stephens, is the Athletic Director and the Men's Head Basketball Coach at Southwest TN Community College. Jarrett shares his story of often being the only black person growing up in the suburbs of Cleveland. His senior year he and his mom attended a HBCU College Fair where he was recruited on a choir and baseball scholarship to LeMoyne Owen College. Stephens shares that there was a culture shift he adjusted to when first arriving in Memphis. He spoke about the man...
Mar 06, 2023•55 min
Jennifer Elaine (Jenn) is a Professional Fine Artist blessing homes and offices with aesthetically dope Black art around the world. Originally from Louisville, KY, Jennifer she relocated to Memphis, TN in 2010 and has embraced the city with her creativity and ambition. God revealed her passion and natural talent of painting in the summer of 2015 after her ankle was fractured in three places making her immobile for 8 weeks. While she was healing, she decided to teach herself how to paint and deve...
Feb 27, 2023•45 min
Get into this DEEP CUT with the President of UNAPOLOGETIC Label, Kid Maestro. Learn more about the journey of this phenomenal creative and how the new OUTERSPACEMANE studio was formed. Born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago, Kid Maestro moved to Memphis and planted himself deep into the creative community of the city. A few years later, Kid joined IMAKEMADBEATS as he formed Unapologetic and is still a proud member of the Unapologetic family. As a music producer and sound artist, Kid’s s...
Feb 20, 2023•1 hr
Keenan Shotwell is a native Memphian and believes in the power of music to make people realize and celebrate all that they have in common with other people. He began playing music at a young age and practiced music at the Jackson Studios during the early 90s. Keenan mastered the piano and organ while a student at the University of Memphis. As his skills grew and his talent flourished, he began making a name for himself as a captivating musician in his hometown. The music he creates does not stic...
Feb 13, 2023•27 min
Byhalia, MS native Tori Thompson is the Queen of Conversation and Host of Tea Time with Tori. Thompson has always had a love for writing, poetry and singing as she navigated through Southwind High School. She later matriculated to the University of Memphis as a Communications major where she began talk show Tea Time with Tori. Her show became a huge success with attendees discussing taboo topics not normally up for debate. Tori talks about why the show is now on pause finding time to regroup and...
Feb 06, 2023•44 min
Ena sits down for a second time on the podcast with Government Official Antonio Parkinson the TN House Representative for District 98. Take a listen as Representative Parkinson discusses his work in Nashville in addition to his reactions to the Tyre Nichols video.
Jan 30, 2023•56 min
Kelvin "York" Brown is the owner and master trainer at IAmFitness Memphis LLC training center and the founder of non-profit Boyz To Men Strength Training and Mentoring Program. Kelvin has been in the fitness industry for over twenty years focusing on nutritional science. I was able to witness him in action at his boot camp session this past Saturday for an on location podcast. It was fascinating to see the connection he has with his clients consisting of women and men averaging ages 40 and up. O...
Jan 23, 2023•58 min
Currently the President/CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission, Paul Young has his eyes set on being the next Mayor of Memphis. With a background in city planning, community development and affordable housing initiatives, Paul feels that he is the best candidate to elevate Memphis to the next level. Take a listen as Ena sits down with Paul to discuss key issues affecting the city such as infrastructure, crime and race.
Jan 16, 2023•42 min
Marco Pavé has been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Contemporary Classical Composition Category for Requiem for the Enslaved which tells the story of 272 slaves sold to pay the debts of Georgetown University. Featuring hip-hop artist Marco Pavé, trumpeter Jared Bailey, and Simon on piano, Requiem for the Enslaved explores the sacred and historical, and honors the lives of those bought and sold. Marco Pavé is a Grammy Nominated, Hip-hop artist and Memphis-raised Muslim writer who uses hip hop ...
Jan 10, 2023•37 min
Chasity Monroe, the owner of Pink Noire Beauty Supply and Cosmetics, one of the few Black-owned beauty supply stores in Memphis, Tennessee, hopes to reclaim the Black beauty industry through her corporate and consumer perspectives. Estimates from The Black Owned Beauty Supply Association (BOBSA) show the Black haircare and cosmetics industry is worth about $9 billion. However, less than 5% of the beauty supply stores in the United States are Black-owned, which presents Black shoppers with an iss...
Jan 03, 2023•36 min
I had the best time chopping it up with Illustrator/Designer Mia Saine. This Arlington, TN native's family purchased land and bartered with one another in the 90’s. Mia actually grew up in the midst of development in Arlington which welcomed new classes of people and many adjustments. She is the youngest of three siblings and was greatly influenced by her grandmother as a child that fostered her creativity. As a high school student, Mia was introduced to Graphic Media, Design and Screen Printing...
Dec 19, 2022•1 hr 22 min
Singer/Songwriter, Stephani Doll McCoy, originally hails from North Memphis by way of Hollywood, Jackson and Frayser. Stephani's grandmother was instrumental in her start of learning all aspects of music at their church Greater Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in South Memphis. It was at Ridgeway High School where she met her sisters and began the singing group ADAJYO. At one point Stephani took the leap and moved to L.A. to pursue music full time. Her experience on the West Coast presented many challe...
Dec 12, 2022•47 min
Blytheville, AR native Bria Jones has officially been a news reporter at WREG News Channel 3 for one year now. She moved to Memphis at the age of 7 and received her introduction into journalism at Cordova High School as a writer for their newspaper. Remember the "Teen Appeal" at the Commercial Appeal? Well Bria also was a part of that coveted team as well and always wanted to be the "Black Carrie Bradshaw" growing up. Bria attended St. John's University in New York where she interned for the Wen...
Dec 05, 2022•40 min
Southside Chicago native Ben Colar moved to the Bluff City in 2002 after to study graphic design at Memphis College of Art. He had only heard about the Convocation and Three 6 Mafia prior to moving to Memphis. Ben excelled during his time at MCA and was immediately baptized by the fire working at an ad agency the summer before graduation. After commencement, he moved to Philly and became engulfed with freelance work. Ben made his way back to Memphis and started his brand design firm Baby Grand i...
Nov 28, 2022•44 min
Whitehaven, TN native, Nathan Ollie, is a financial advisor, nonprofit leader, tech entrepreneur and girl dad. In 2007, Nate graduated from Whitehaven High School, where he excelled both academically in the top 10% of his class; and athletically being awarded local honors in basketball. Nate went on to continue his post-secondary academic and athletic journey at Rhodes College. It was there where Nate joined Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., a moment he considers a huge milestone in his life. Na...
Nov 14, 2022•32 min
Benton Harbor, MI native, Dr. Earle Fisher, resides as Senior Pastor at Abyssinnian Baptist Church and Founder of #UpTheVote901. This is Fisher's second visit on Verbally Effective and we truly enjoyed him expressing himself. He has been boots on the ground organizing as he began #UpTheVote901 in 2018. You will hear a resounding message throughout this podcast as it relates to politics, celebrity and purpose. As you know, election day is tomorrow Tuesday, Nov 8th. Dr. Fisher advises that this mi...
Nov 07, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Founder of the Reaves Law Firm PLLC, Henry Reaves makes his second round on the Verbally Effective Podcast introducing his new movie "Queen Rising." If you're from Memphis you may have seen Henry either on a billboard or television advertisement promoting his personal injury law firm. However, it was during covid when Reaves decided to execute this passion project made in Memphis with a Memphis cast on a modest budget of about $450K. Queen Rising is a psychological mystery-thriller in which a tr...
Oct 31, 2022•36 min
With 10 years of community health experience, Miami, FL native Andrea Jacobo is a first generation Afro-Dominicanx who has fully embraced and connected with the Memphis community. Andrea Jacobo is currently a Visiting Instructor at Rhodes College within the Urban Studies-Health Equity Program. She believes that community-centered, people-centered approaches are key to addressing health inequities. Andrea is a doctoral candidate in the Doctorate of Public Health (DrPH) degree at the University of...
Oct 24, 2022•36 min
Batesville, MS native Micheal Sykes, globally known as M.I.A.M.I. Mike, has been making major moves since before he got in the music industry. He is the CEO of a multi-platinum independent recording label, Palm Tree Entertainment and has been in the business for two decades. As the president of Soulja Boy’s S.O.D.M.G., Mike has helped grow his brand into a million dollar business. During this podcast you will discover that Mike spent time in prison for drug dealing and money laundering. This yea...
Oct 17, 2022•1 hr 11 min
Rodan, also known as Daniel Ross, is a Memphis-based artist that focuses on telling the story of the Black American journey through art. He was educated at Tennessee State University and Memphis College of Art. Over the years he has perfected the use of hard to soft graphite and clay on cold press board, striving to make his work appear photo realistic. Through a technique he calls “loose realism”, Rodan exhibits control but not controlled paintings that will never let us forget the contribution...
Oct 10, 2022•37 min
Westwood, TN native Sedrick Askew is the founder of Impact Lyfe Media. Attending one of the prominent high schools by the name of Westwood High, he knew early on that media was his calling by having a camera placed in his hand as early as 13. After graduating in 2004 and attending University of Memphis, media took a major role in his life by filming multiple shows hosted by the school as well as the school's many organizations. During his time at UofM he found a new love and profession of Photog...
Oct 03, 2022•36 min
Originally from Washington D.C., Attorney Lee Rankin now calls Memphis, TN her home. Lee is the proud visionary and creator of the boutique law firm, Lee Rankin Group, serving clients in music tech, virtual reality, social media influencers and legal marketing as it pertains to the metaverse. In this episode, you'll learn the how and the why Lee planted roots in Memphis wanting to fill the gap with black creators finding opportunities in the tech space. Lee shares how it all began with an Aunt w...
Sep 26, 2022•47 min
Born and raised in Greenville, Ms, Michael Jefferson is the founder of JeffBow Enterprises LLC starting in 2018. He began this journey as a master barber and in 2020 he moved to Memphis and stepped out on faith and formed 901 Barber Concierge, Memphis' only luxury mobile barbershop under JeffBow Enterprises LLC. Take a listen as Michael walks us through on WHY he began this new concept and some of the lessons he learned surrounding the competition within the hair and beauty industry. He also tal...
Sep 19, 2022•21 min
South Memphis native Chris McNeil a.k.a. DJ Superman keeps Memphis motivated as the voice of middays at KXHT Hot 107.1FM in addition to the producer of the Morning Show Hustle. Growing up at College and Mclemore street, DJ Superman had a close connection with the community with both Stax and LeMoyne Owen College nearby. He followed his mother's footsteps and attended both Memphis Catholic High School and later matriculated to LeMoyne Owen College where he pledged Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Hi...
Sep 12, 2022•33 min
If you haven't checked out my guest for Ep 224 media platform Unapologetically Memphis yet you're definitely missing out on Memphis culture. Marques Cook is the creator and CEO of Unapologetically Memphis media platforms. Deeply rooted in Orange Mound, White Haven and Olive Branch, Marques began the Unapologetically Memphis platform in 2019 wanting to bring the culture of Memphis together similar to Dr. King's Dream. The socials have risen to over 65K followers as of today and growing.Take a lis...
Aug 29, 2022•21 min
South Memphis native, Bertram Williams Jr. is my guest for episode 223. You may be familiar with Bertram as he plays the character "Woddy" on P-Valley Starz. You may also be familiar with Bertram as he very active in the theatre community in Memphis playing a very active role on stage with Hattiloo Theatre. Take a listen as Bertram shares his story of entering into the world of performing arts which prepared him for the big screen. You'll also learn that Bertram is a huge proponent for sustainin...
Aug 22, 2022•47 min
On episode 222, we are LIVE in the WYXR studio on the radio airwaves with Memphis-based interior designer, content creator and lifestyle blogger Carmeon Hamilton. She is the winner of HGTV’s Design Star: Next Gen and star of HGTV’s Reno My Rental. Her 15 years of experience in multiple facets of the design industry, from public health-care to residential to retail and merchandising, is the foundation of her work in discovering the beauty in all things and helping others find beauty in what surro...
Aug 19, 2022•56 min
North Memphis native, Shahidah Jones is my guest for Ep 221 of the Verbally Effective Podcast. Shay comes from a huge family consisting of Smokey City, Hurt Village, New Chicago and more. Half of her family is of the Islam faith which is the cornerstone of her organizing efforts. She tells us of her time at Austin Peay University where she encountered much adversity while earning her degree. Upon graduation, Shay shares her journey which encompasses working as a waitress at Ebony and Lace which ...
Aug 15, 2022•44 min
North Memphis native, Camille Patrice Fulton is passionate about sharing messages about the cultural vibrancy that make up this eclectic city. She hopes that her reviews via the "Camille Unlimited" blog inspire people to experience Memphis differently. Growing up as an only child, Camille was very inquisitive. She attended Cordova High School and matriculated to HBCU Alabama A&M University. Camille eventually moved back to Memphis and began her "Expert Reviewer" journey. You'll learn that Ca...
Aug 08, 2022•36 min
