Verbally Effective

Orange Mound native Virginia Awkward has been a certified trainer for nearly one year, but her love for health and fitness started as a Memphis-area athlete at Craigmont High School. She is deeply rooted in the community with her father being a retired fireman and mother running Ernestine and Hazel's for many years. Virginia has a B.S in Psychology from Christian Brothers University and has been in law enforcement for over 15 years. Virginia shares some of the challenges involved with being in an all boys club, her reality show experience, and how she is a proud member of the LGBTQ community. Virginia wholly believes that physical and mental fitness is extremely important, hence the creation of VFit Lifestyle, LLC.

Today I'm taking you down memory lane with the "Best of 2019" snippets. My guests last year were extremely transparent discussing the highs and lows of their pursuits and I wanted to share a piece of their podcasts with all of you. Take a listen and enjoy the guests from episodes 50-100!

Growing up as a kid in Raleigh Phillip DeWayne did not have aspirations of becoming a chef. Playing the symbols in the band and eventually landing a role as the basketball manager for the Raleigh-Egypt Pharaohs encompassed his world during those days. Upon graduation, he attended the University of Memphis for a short while but later began working at the Peabody as a dishwasher. This is where his life abruptly changed. An Austrian chef by the name of Andreas from Vienna gave Phillip the opportunity to learn the art of being a chef. Nothing about this experience was easy, as you will soon learn on episode 105. Chef Phillip DeWayne also shares quite a few experiences of being a chef that include balance, behind the scenes, pet peeves, getting flewed out, relationships and special ingredients. You will also discover his thoughts on the corona virus, the sudden death of Kobe Bryant and potential reality TV.

My guest for episode 104 is author and writing professional Jae Henderson. She currently spearheads the PR and social media for several businesses and nonprofits as President of Put It In Writing Professional Writing Service & PR. Jae is a Memphis native and proud graduate of Treadwell High School and The University of Memphis. As you listen to Jae's journey, you'll discover what motivated her to become an accomplished author of 9 books and counting. You'll also understand how her broadcasting background was necessary as she launched her PR business.

Whitehaven native and real estate finance guru Al Pickett is my guest for episode 103. Currently residing in Houston, TX, Al continues to attract clients and build a trustworthy company brand recognized throughout the community via interruptive marketing and advertising campaigns. Since a youth, Al was fascinated with numbers and discovered it made perfect sense to bet on himself. At the age of twenty-four, he purchased his first company in a strategic buyout and “quintupled” the revenue in the first year. Nowadays, you can find Al operating a private investment firm with an emphasis on trading currency trends. His Inaugural book, The Blackprint, delivers readers the new rules for winning in a brave new world predominantly by trading the financial markets. The Blackprint also includes one-on-one coaching and has helped hundreds learn how to navigate and profit from the financial markets regardless of economic conditions. Take a listen as Al Pickett gives you a peak into his life. A life that is filled

As a real estate agent, tax professional, and credit counselor, Crystell Oliver is more than a successful serial entrepreneur. Her passion for entrepreneurship and others is part of what can be attributed to her success and the growth of Dream Team Solutions, LLC. The road to entrepreneurship was not easy, as it took many failures and lessons for Crystell to realize her calling. On episode 202 Crystell talks about dealing with the duality of being an entrepreneur, toxic relationships, and a DUI that was the turning point in her life. Crystell is on top of her game and wants to share her calling with others.

Born to sharecroppers in Batesville, MS, my radio colleague Bobby O'Jay walks us through his 47 years in the radio industry. After seeing his cousin Melvin Jones come home in a fancy ride in 1965 after sharing he was on the radio, Bobby immediately began practicing his radio voice. His first chance was presented in 1972 at the age of 18 when he received a phone call for his first gig in Montgomery, AL. From that moment, Bobby's voice was heard in numerous markets such as Milwaukee, Houston, Dallas, Chicago and most currently Memphis. He tells plenty of stories of his experiences in those cities including encounters with colorful decision makers, being hired and fired, and ultimately making a plethora of good and bad decisions. One of the most pivotal moments Mr. O'Jay shared was when he finally landed in Memphis at WDIA and made the choice to enter a 30 day program at St. Joseph's for rehab in 1985. He never used drugs or drank since. He's received countless accolades over the years for his contribution to

Here we are at episode 100!!! Ena Esco shares with her producer SunAh some of the pivotal moments that brought her to Memphis, to radio and to podcasting.  Memphis has been very good to Beaumont, TX native Ena Esco. Upon graduating from Millington-Central High School, Ena attended LeMoyne-Owen College where she was a Dubois Scholar and president of her sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Beta Tau chapter. In 2000, she was crowned Miss LeMoyne-Owen College and graduated cum laude with a degree in Business Administration the following year. Ena Esco has been in the radio business for almost two decades and has worked in various roles such as producer, voice-over talent, morning show co-host, mid-day and weekend talent. Ena holds her MBA and has worked in Corporate America in planning, procurement and marketing. She is also married with children. Currently, you can catch Ena Esco every Sunday from 10a-3p on iHeartMedia’s V101.1FM. In January of 2018 she started the “Verbally Effective Podcast” which is

Brandon Adams aka DJ B.A. #nogenre has become one of Memphis’ most respected turntablist in the city. Born in Raleigh NC and raised in Youngsville NC, the United States Navy brought Brandon to Memphis by way of Millington on his 5th deployment two years ago. He began djing in 2010 while stationed in Jacksonville, FL and quickly put those controllers to use. After receiving orders overseas in late 2010, he found his way forward being immersed in a melting pot of cultures in Manama Bahrain. It was here where DJ B.A. was exposed to the international music scene and became a staple in Bahrain's nightlife. Take a listen as DJ B.A. tells his story of how he injected himself into the Memphis music culture in addition to his love for the skate community and photography.

Kontji Anthony is an award-winning news broadcaster who is currently the evening anchor for WMC Action News 5. She has literally lived in every time zone including Iowa, California, North Carolina and Tennessee. Having Caribbean roots, Kontji grew up in New York outside of Manhattan where she received an amazing dose of culture attending Broadway plays, radio city music hall, statue of liberty and the likes. Kontji eventually moved to Washington, DC where she took up communications at Howard University. On this episode you will discover how Kontji entered into news broadcasting, the challenges she faces as a woman, and some of the interesting ways she receives some of her best leads on stories.

You can find my guest for episode 97 hosting trivia and bingo throughout the city of Memphis every week. Kevin Cerrito is the owner of Cerrito Entertainment and host of Cerrito Live and Wrestling Time on Sports 56 every Saturday from 10a-12p. After graduating from Houston High School, Kevin attended University of Memphis as a Communications major and wrote a weekly column for the Daily Helmsman. He later became a writer for Memphis Sport and entered the radio business with a focus on wrestling. Kevin's love for wrestling started at a young age attending matches where Jerry Lawler was considered The King. Not only does Kevin break down the territories of wrestling for me, but he also explains that wrestling was Memphis' very first professional sport. During the pod you will also hear Kevin's thoughts on social media with data sharing and having a digital footprint. He also walks me through how he developed a trivia company and how he has been blessed to carve his own niche in the areas of trivia, bingo an

North Memphis native Andrea Fenise is a lifestyle designer and creative entrepreneur. Born to teenage parents, Andrea lived with her grandmother for some time and had a creative knack for thrifting at an early age. Always labeled "Best Dressed" amongst her peers, Andrea graduated from Craigmont and later MTSU. She entered pharmacy school but found out quickly that she wanted to be an entrepreneur and pursue her interests in fashion. Andrea began blogging in 2007 and opened Style Junkie in 2008. Througout the podcast you'll discover that Andrea has always been a creative and needed to feed that energy. She is very transparent about relationships along her journey that have impacted the woman she is today. Andrea shares with us the reason why she started her apothecary business In Search of Our Garden which came about after reading an essay from Alice Walker. You'll soon discover the reasons she's on a quest to heal others while simultaneously healing herself.

Whitehaven native, Milton Howery III a.k.a. Milton Memphis, has spent the last 13 years working in the entertainment and tourism industry. Milton began his career in 2005 working in radio as the morning show producer for the Mike and Mandy Morning Show on WRVR The River 104.5FM and hosted a weekly show on U92-FM "The Jazz Lover." After graduating from two separate colleges on the same weekend in 2011, Milton was named the Top Marketing Representative intern with Black Entertainment Television. Immediately following he landed roles with the Memphis Cook Convention Center and later with the Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid. With such a solid foundation in entertainment and tourism, it was no surprise when Milton founded Milton Memphis Entertainment (MME), a business that is now focused on connecting people from music-related events to the extremely popular networking event The Link Up Memphis. He was recently named one of the Top 40 Under 40 Professionals by the Memphis Business Journal in 2019. As you liste

Ever since a young girl, Carlissa Shaw always knew she would become a lawyer. With North Memphis running through her veins, Carlissa's family supported her wholeheartedly with this end goal in mind. After completing Snowden, she entered Central High School and was very active in sports and student activities. However, it was her love for track that led her to MTSU as an athlete and political science major with a concentration in Pre-Law. Upon graduation, Carlissa returned home and attended the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphrey Law School where she graduated in 2012. She has worked in a variety of practices including non-profit, trial law and the county government. Carlissa has always been an advocate for empowering people hence her very first book entitled "Twenty Something: Lessons, Reflections, and Survival Tips for Your 20's and Beyond." On episode 94, you will find out the motivation behind Carlissa’s book including some additional lessons she has learned along the way. We also touch on Jam

Devin Dion is a Memphis native who has worked in all aspects of multimedia. Her energetic and lively personality can be seen on television as she hosts The Style Center which currently airs in six states on Comcast Networks. Her love for fashion fostered opportunities with working behind the scenes at LA Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week and now Memphis Fashion Week. Find out more about Devin Dion including her thoughts on TI's recent hymen check, Jay Z's lavish invites, a very personal encounter with Trump and a major upcoming event on episode 93 of the Verbally Effective Podcast!

With only four years of djing under his belt, DJ KVNG has worked with a plethora of artists and has even had the opportunity to dj numerous concerts. Kvng is currently the official dj for Duke Deuce who just signed to QC based in Atlanta. As you listen to the pod, you will discover the trials and tribulations he encountered along the way as he details his first gig at O'cielo and the sets he organized back in his UofM days. Although he loves to spin records, Kvng has an even deeper affection for community engagement. Last year he began the "901 Hope Project" which caters to those in our community who are in need and not exclusive to the homeless. Nowadays, Kvng is a traveling dj who is expanding his platform so that it reaches the masses in order to make the work of giving back and improving the living situations of those in the 901. Take a listen as he shares some of his dj pet peeves in addition to his thoughts on Kanye's new "Jesus is King" album.

Twenty years in the game and now headlining his own tour, episode 91 welcomes singer-songwriter Sammie! I often boast about this podcast having the secret ingredient of transparency and my Pisces brother Sammie fit right in. He first gained notoriety around the turn of the century with Gold certified top 25 Billboard Hot 100 hit "I Like It." Back on the scene with his fourth studio album Everlasting, Sammie says it hasn't always been easy going from teen star to adult. He's learned some powerful lessons when it comes to business and relationships and is completely humbled and thankful from those experiences. Sammie was an open book as he spoke about saying no to reality TV, his dating life and how social media was a tool that brought him back into the mainstream. I learned that he is an avid reader with "The Four Agreements" and "The Wait" as two of his most recent reads. Having such a loyal fan base and resilient mindset, I know Sammie will continue to do great things whether he continues in music or

I have known my guest for episode 90, John Cornes, close to two decades. I was first introduced to this North Memphis native as a student at LeMoyne Owen College. It was there where John Cornes earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Accounting, and has used that knowledge in various industries, including airline, medical and government. He is currently a Real Estate Affiliate Broker representing local, national buyers and international buyers and sellers of real estate investment and personal properties. John is also a real estate investor, owning properties in various parts of Memphis. Take a listen as John walks us through his time as a student attending LeMoyne Owen College in the late 80's. He also discusses pledging Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and his deep sense of pride for attending the only HBCU in Memphis, TN. You will also discover how and why Mecca Productions and the Brothers 7 was birthed. One thing that has always stood out to me about John is that

Native Memphian, Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell, was surrounded by music growing up in South Memphis. Boo is the son of legendary Hi Records and Al Green producer, Willie Mitchell. After graduating from Christian Brothers High School, he formed a rap group called the M-Team in 1988. Years later he worked as manager and talent coordinator for his family's club, "Willie Mitchell's Rhythm and Blues Club" located on Memphis's historic Beale street. As you can imagine, countless celebrities frequented the club during this time and Boo shares quite a few stories from this era in his life. We also discuss the dynamic of Memphis Music and how many artists are seeking that "vintage recording sound" from Royal Studios. Being a Grammy Award winning - engineer, producer, and composer, Boo walks me through the night he picked up the Grammy for "Record of the Year" for his work on the Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars hit "Uptown Funk." We also talk about the upcoming Mempho Music Festival which kicks off October 19th at Shelby Farms

Not conforming to the norms of a traditional artist, Dani McGhee-Barlow brings her own unique style, yet remains dedicated to the calling on her life to spread the love of Christ. From talent shows to award shows, this Whitehaven native has been singing gospel since the age of five. With both grandparents being pastors, it is no surprise Dani would excel in the gospel realm singing background vocals for national recording artists from the likes of Kirk Franklin, Karen Clark Sheard, Yolanda Adams and Kurt Carr just to name a few. In episode 88, we discuss how Dani has been able to navigate through multiple genres of music all while being a mother and entrepreneur. She also opens up about how she became the widow of Pastor Quinten Barlow Sr. a few years ago. Dani discusses how the pain of losing a spouse has guided her towards her purpose of helping others cope with grief. Take a listen and learn about Dani's mission of reaching the lost so that they may experience God's favor.