Protégé Podcast With Rory Verrett

In our fourth and final episode in our Pivot to Purpose series, we welcome back Kourtney Whitehead, an executive coach at Boston Consulting Group. On this week's Protégé Podcast, Kourtney and I discuss simple, yet powerful techniques you can use to determine your career purpose. God created you with your skills and talents for a powerful reason. Don't just work to live. Listen to your soul to find the work of your life.

Stepping out on faith in our career is easier said than done. As part of our series "Pivot to Purpose," we talk with lawyer, pastor, and social justice advocate Natosha Reid Rice. One moment, Natosha was a single mother in a high paid, but unfulfilling career trying to figure out her next move. With prayer and determination, Natosha embarked on an ambitious pivot toward her purpose and created a career which fulfilled her intellectual interests, her financial needs, and, most importantly, her soul. Hear how Natosha went from private to nonprofit law practice, and to the pulpit of one America's most historic and revered institutions of faith.

When we hit a crossroads in our careers, we often consider major shifts. Maybe we are thinking about a pivot from corporate to entrepreneurship, or maybe from the public sector to the private sector. But what about working overseas? As part of our series “Pivot to Purpose” on Protégé Podcast, I talk with Kwame Som-Pimpong, a millennial business leader who manages the Africa Business Fellowship. The Africa Business Fellowship will match young American business professionals with paid placements in African companies. Maybe your Pivot to Purpose should extend beyond Wall Street and Silicon Valley. Maybe it's time to include startups, finance, and tech companies in Senegal, Ghana, and South Africa.

What impact do you want to make in your community through your career? For the month of July, Protégé Podcast is launching a series - "Pivot to Purpose" - which will focus on stories, opportunities, and techniques which can inspire you to make the shift toward a more meaningful career. On this week's episode, we have a conversation with Erika Watson, a management consultant turned education reform expert. Erika and I discuss how she turned a layoff into a launchpad for pursuing a career which reflected her values and her passion. On The Breakdown, I analyze three principles each of us can apply to create Pivots to Purpose in our own careers.

By popular demand, this week's Protégé Podcast is What You Need To Know Before Launching Your Podcast. I cover content strategy, equipment, hosting, marketing and podcast revenue models. Everything you need to get started on your podcasting journey!

Bernie Lawrence-Watkins has represented some of hip hop and R&B's most accomplished producers and songwriters. But the path to being one of the top entertainment lawyers in America hasn't been a crystal stair. On this week's Protégé Podcast, Bernie and I talk about being dismissed earlier in her career as just a pretty face, managing the recording career of her son, and packing some heat for the occasional crazy client.

When your career instincts call you, will you answer them? Joe Wilson Jr. answered the call as a creative talent in his early 20's, and the rest is history. After a stint acting on Broadway, Joe joined Trinity Repertory Company where he's been a resident actor for 13 years. Not content being a great stage actor, Joe is also a community activist in his adopted hometown of Providence, Rhode Island. On this week's Protégé Podcast, Joe and I discuss living in the moment, balancing personal success with community impact, and how being black and gay can still mean you are privileged.

One recipe for black girl magic: one Yale degree, a JD and PhD from Harvard, a professorship at Princeton, scholarly works on race and American history, managing both Lupus and Graves disease, and raising two children as a single mother. On this week's Protégé Podcast, I have a revealing conversation with superstar African-American studies professor Dr. Imani Perry. We talk about making race and legal scholarship practically relevant for people of color, the importance of defining excellence on your own terms, and what we've both learned from our unforgettable interactions with police.

Airports offer tremendous vendor and employment opportunities for professionals and entrepreneurs of color. On this week's Protégé Podcast, we have an informative conversation with Krystal J. Brumfield, the CEO of the Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC), the leading advocacy organization for minority professionals and small businesses at U.S. airports. Learn why DBE certification, joint ventures, and employment background checks are a few of the important aspects to consider regarding airport contracts. We also discuss the numerous employment opportunities available at U.S. airports. When it comes to airports, it's time to think about your career and small business - as well as your flight - taking off.

Should you consider public service as a career option? Randall Woodfin, the 35-year old mayoral candidate in Birmingham, Alabama, says history is filled with committed citizens who answered an early call to serve. A former SGA president at Morehouse, government attorney, and school board leader in his hometown, Randall is a tech savvy millennial with an old soul. On this week's Protégé Podcast, we discuss Randall's vision for Birmingham, what it's like to lose a loved one to gun violence, and why, as a public servant, he feels the fierce urgency of now.

When you think of an ultra-marathoner, Mirna Valerio might not come to mind. Our guest on this week's Protégé Podcast, Mirna is 250 lbs. and a self-described "fat girl runner." She is also a wife, mother, and the head of diversity at a private school in Georgia. Whatever goal you have in mind, Mirna's story is a powerful testimony about dreaming big, starting small, and making no excuses about achieving your goals!

Khalil Smith does it for the culture. An executive alum of Apple, Guess, and Gap, Khalil has helped train leaders to harness the power of culture for growth and innovation. On this week's Protégé Podcast, Khalil and I discuss the importance of workplace culture on long term growth, what companies like Uber can do to improve internal culture, and why your culture fit within a company can lower your stress level and elevate your chances for advancement.

Drake could have used Calvin Gladney's bio as the basis for his song "Started From the Bottom." Calvin grew up in public housing in Brownsville in Brooklyn, and went on to graduate from Cornell and Harvard Law School. A real estate developer, professor, and attorney, Calvin is the founder of Happier Better Lawyer, a company which helps lawyers and other professionals think and act more entrepreneurially in their jobs. On this week's Protégé Podcast, Calvin and I discuss the future of work (here come the robots), practical tips to incorporate entrepreneurial thinking into your job, and why you should never abandon the critical skill which got you where you are - your hustle.

At one point in his career, Mark Tatum knew he wanted to break into the sports industry, but he didn't know how. So he consulted his mentors, went to grad school, and the rest is history. Mark is now the Deputy Commissioner of the NBA and its Chief Operating Officer. In our fourth and final Anniversary Episode, Mark drops by Protégé Podcast and talks NBA Playoffs, diversity in the NBA league office and teams, the growth of the game, and what he's learned during his extraordinary career journey.

Valerie Jarrett served as Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, and was his most loyal and powerful advocate in the White House. On this Anniversary Episode of Protégé Podcast, Valerie talks about how to lean in during high pressure meetings, how to balance work and family, and how to stay vigilant during these turbulent political times. In one of the rare interviews about her career, Valerie shares powerful insight about what she might tell herself as a 35 year old single mother about career success and life.

Rory interviews his mentor of 25 years, Ben Wilson, on this week's Anniversary Episode of Protégé Podcast. The chairman of the Beveridge & Diamond law firm, Ben talks about incorporating faith into your career and how to fuse social justice values into a private sector profession. Rory and Ben also talk about Ben's relationship with his nephew, Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, and what Ben is most proud of regarding Russell's career (hint: it's not touchdown passes).

It's the one year anniversary of Protégé Podcast! Host Rory Verrett shares a behind the scenes perspective on starting a podcast from scratch. Hear how long it really takes to produce a podcast, why Rory's father and Jesus would be his ideal Guest Mentors to interview, and the best career advice he's ever given.

On March 28th Dallas Jackson enjoyed one of the most pivotal moments in his Hollywood career - the national debut of REBEL, a BET series he helped to produce. On this week's bonus episode of Protégé Podcast, Dallas talks about why working in the mail room at a Hollywood studio was better than grad school, how he and his wife collaborated to develop REBEL, and the mystery of the cigarette burn on Bobby Brown's movie script (yep, that Bobby Brown). It's an inspirational episode about childhood dreams, honing your craft, and never giving up!

Social media provides powerful tools to create a professional brand. Whether you are a corporate executive, work in government, or are launching an entrepreneurial venture, your social media brand tells a story about you. On this week's Protégé Podcast, we welcome back Blair Dottin-Haley, now a full-time entrepreneur who takes us through how he's built a social media following from scratch and leveraged his following to launch a successful, global apparel line. Blair shares how he went from #hashtags to direct deposits in 90 days.