when i decided

Kennita Hickman - Innovator. Connector. Boss.

“I am here for international domination.” And for Kennita Hickman that journey began and continues to build in Milwaukee. If you live in the city, and if you support independent artists, you’ve likely heard her name. She was also given the Milwaukee Music Ambassador Award by Radio Milwaukee in 2021. And she has a really cool show called “Artists Eats [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoeGwV0dqrPeY6aJocgiUVA]” that highlights local musicians and spotlights local restaurants. This summer, Kennita celebrated one year as a full-time entrepreneur and drops some good advice for others. I caught up with her to talk about her passion for talent in her city, making access for creatives equitable and when she decided it was time to follow her intuition.  Instagram: @cateramusic [https://www.instagram.com/cateramusic/] Photo Credit: Chris Siegel

Shantell E. Jamison - Life Coach. Motivational Speaker. Author.

Shantell E. Jamison holds many titles including certified life coach and author. Helping others has always been her passion, but in order to truly be of service she had life lessons to learn. In this episode we talk about her motivations, her moments of clarity and how getting fired from some high-profile jobs, including at some top companies, helped her refine her life, listen to her inner self and decide to make a change. Connect with Shantell: - Instagram: @asipofjamison [https://www.instagram.com/asipofjamison/] - Facebook: Shantell E. Jamison [https://www.facebook.com/shantell.jamison1]

Courtney McGhee - Matriarch. World Traveler. Fashion Maven.

“I thought I was open minded before we came here.” And Courtney McGhee would discover that life was so much broader than she could’ve ever imagined. Courtney’s from the Chicagoland area. She’s lived in California, worked in fashion in New York but took her biggest leap of faith with her now-husband, following his career to China. They’ve lived there four years now and have two children, four year old Grace and Zen - who’s almost two. In this episode, Courtney and I talk about so many things like how it is to live so far from home, being a Black family in China, how they survived the Coronavirus pandemic abroad and why they’re never coming back to live in the United States.

Derald Gray - Ambitious. Visionary. Freedom.

Derald Gray is one of the kindest people. He’s a young entrepreneur who is very driven and also very transparent about his process. His company - DG Visionaries [https://www.dgvisionaries.com/]- is his videography and wedding DJing business. Fun fact #1: Derald has shot some music videos. Fun fact #2: he used to work in TV news as a photographer and editor. But Derald left that life, putting his time, money and confidence into a path that’s always been his calling. Check Derald's company website: DG Visionaries [https://www.dgvisionaries.com/] Follow DG Visionaries on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/dgvisionaries/] Follow Derald on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/deraldgray/]

Lia Day - Fitness. Family. Confidence.

“I would love to. That’s my ultimate goal - is to have my own gym and have it be a place where women are safe to explore fitness.” - Lia Day Lia is more confident now in her body, and in her mindset, than she’s ever been. She says her insecurities started in middle school but after years of self-discovery, she realized “healthy does not look a certain way.”  As a certified personal trainer, Lia wants to help others - especially women - find their confidence.  And she’s doing all of this while raising two young girls and being a teacher. In this episode, Lia explains the moment she started appreciating her body, shares her thoughts on goal setting and gives tips for working out at home. Check out Lia on Instagram: @lia_dia [https://www.instagram.com/lia_dia/] Visit her website: "Curved By Day" [https://www.curvedbyday.com/]