The Hustle Theory

Episode 13: Celebrating Pride w/ Mitchel Meighen

In Episode 13, we celebrate Pride Month by sitting down with award-winning educator and presenter, Mitchel Meighen. Mitchel has been recognized for his passion for student engagement and non-traditional teaching philosophies. He has a special interest in ed tech and empowering students to be active contributors to their educational goals and outcomes.  Mitchel has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished Educator, a program designed by Apple to recognize K-12 and higher-education pioneers who are looking to change the world and use Apple technologies to transform teaching and learning.  We discuss his journey coming out and the importance of living your true self. We also touch on the importance of empowering and educating our youth early on about Pride, and more.

Episode 12: Living Fearlessly

How many times have you caught yourself living vicariously through someone else? How many times have you told yourself that you WISH you could do something, but were too scared to actually do it?  Most of the time, we are our biggest barrier to overcoming fear to do whatever we put our minds to. We are so quick to think about all the cons of what could happen if we took a risk in life, rather than all the pros that could come.  Episode 12: Living Fearlessly dives into why it's important to do things for yourself without the fear of the what-ifs, of judgment, and more. I share my story of living fearlessly and the ups and downs that had to happen before I finally made my big move to LA! The key to living fearlessly is falling in love with the process with less emphasis on the end goal.

Episode 11: Breaking the Silence w/ Phor

In Episode 11, we sit down with Chicago native, Phor, to discuss his journey opening up about his depression and the importance of breaking the silence around mental health.  Phor is a tattoo artist, rapper, and cast member of VH1's Black Ink Crew Chicago. Since opening up about his battle with depression, Phor has emphasized the importance of advocating for mental health.  In 2020, he released his album, "Self Love," to share his journey of rediscovering his worth and the healthy habits that have helped him love himself.  Phor hopes his platform can give others an outlet to openly talk about mental health and end any negative stigmas, especially in the Black Community.

Episode 10: How to Cope w/ Depression for FREE

Never neglect your mental health. Unfortunately, seeking professional help isn't always the cheapest. This is why some people think they have to put their mental health on the back burner. However, there are other methods to help you cope for FREE until you can receive professional help. In Episode 10: How to Cope w/ Depression for FREE, I talk about ways that helped me cope with my depression using the acronym IRIS. Blue Irises commonly symbolize faith and hope. Both of which I hope you continue to have throughout your mental health journey. I also share four free apps that you can also integrate into your daily lives to help you cope.

Episode 9: The Best of Both Worlds - Creative Producing, Set Design, & Dance

Florida native, Francene Halili found her passion for the essence of creativity through fashion, architecture, marketing, film, dance, and the arts. Francene started her journey studying architecture and found herself following a non-traditional path to blend her educational background with her dream of pursuing dance professionally.  Rather than practicing professionally with her Masters in Architecture, she trusted her vision to have the best of both worlds and became a set designer and creative producer while also professionally dancing on the very stages she helped design! Not only has she worked with the biggest names in the Latin music industry including the Latin Billboards, Luis Fonsi, and more. But, she has also worked with some major players in the fashion industry including The Row, Tory Burch, and more.  In Episode 9: The Best of Both Worlds, Francene shares her experiences how each one allowed her to gain the knowledge and skills to be able to create connections between multiple realms within the industry. Francene says, "Through experiences of being the user and performer to creator and producer, it has given me an innovative and strategic edge."