Purpose University

Broke people don’t talk about money. I realize this is because they believe they don’t have money to talk about, but I’m finding that this is why people stay broke. It can feel hurtful, maybe even shameful, to not have something that you desire... especially when it comes to money. The lack of financial peace and wellbeing can be pretty stressful, too. Yet, as with anything else, unless you’re willing to address the situation then you’ll stay in the same place. So, let’s chat about shifting your money mindset and moving from a place of scarcity to enough (and more). Don't forget to check out session notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/115. Come on over and become a part of The First-Gen Lounge Family: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/family. Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Have you ever considered that your purpose and mental health are connected? Like… Has it ever crossed your mind that by not doing what's necessary to take care of your mental health may be what's keeping you from living out your purpose? I found myself thinking about this quite a bit after having this conversation with Tanya. As someone who has experienced significant loss (a sister, sister in law, and grandmother within two years’ time), Tanya understands the importance of getting the support you need to continue to be well mentally and spiritually. Thus, she charges us to do what is necessary to take care of ourselves and put our pride aside to get the help that way need. Don't forget to check out session notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/114. Come on over and become a part of The First-Gen Lounge Family: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/family. Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Whatday reading over there, fam? I really want to know! Last month, I did 21 days of gratitude with Mr. Dr. Hudson (it was SO moving and much needed). One of the things that I found myself sharing was being grateful for reading. When I get a good book, I don't want to put it down. Recently, I had an "ah ha!" moment when I realized how much reading has helped me with mental wellbeing by shifting my perspective on various topics. As we’re celebrating mental health this month, I thought it would be cool to share with you how turning pages has been transformational for me. So, here’s to you turning a pages (literally) in your life, too. Don't forget to check out session notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/113. Come on over and become a part of The First-Gen Lounge Family: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/family. Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Are you doing what's best for you? Wait… Let me ask that question differently. Are you doing what's best for you so as long as it doesn't bother, disappoint, or upset anybody else? When we think about doing what's best for us, we must truly do the things that are going to make us happy even if other people don't agree. It's not always the easiest thing to do because of the concerns of disapproval or rejection. When we do not make the choices to do what’s best for us, however, we’ll always be miserable. So, in this chat with Nzinga D. Mpenda, we discuss the importance of being authentic, doing what’s best for you, and learning to choose joy. Don't forget to check out session notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/112. Come on over and become a part of The First-Gen Lounge Family: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/family. Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is there such a thing as being too prepared? I hope not. In effort to continue to help you prepare for what's to come next in your life professionally, I thought it would be ideal to share with you this very timeless and timely throwback with Chandria Harris. In this session, we touched on strategies to help first-generation college graduates to be successful in corporate America. Many of the things that we talk about are some of the unspoken rules of being a professional. After all, there is always a “code,” and if you don't know better you simply can’t do better. Don't forget to check out session notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/111. Come on over and become a part of The First-Gen Lounge Family: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/family. Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

First comes the degree, then comes the J-O-B. How are you feeling about it? Do you feel like you’ve got the keys to success? Be it that you’re going into the workforce for the first-time, or using that graduate degree to move on up, this show is for you. In this session, Kimberly Barrett, shares with us how to level up professionally by networking and utilizing our resources in the workplace. Don't forget to check out session notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/110. Come on over and become a part of The First-Gen Lounge Family: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/family. Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It sucks when something that you’ve been looking forward to for the longest doesn’t happen. It feels frustrating when you’ve worked hard for something just for things to not work out as you’d hoped. It hurts even more when things fall apart and there’s nothing that you can do about it. Graduation is upon us and this time around is like nothing we have ever seen before. At a moment such as this one, when you have put your all into getting to this place and have been looking forward to this momentous occasion, it is tough to deal with feeling like it was just ripped away. You can even end up feeling even more helpless when you think about there being nothing you can do about it. However, I want you to know that you are not alone, share my story of graduating disappointed when I got my PhD a few years ago, and offer you some perspective for getting this time of your life (and maybe even a few moments in the future). Don't forget to check out session notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/109. Come on over

What do you do when you know that you're created for something greater, but the life before you says otherwise? You choose to win anyways! From being born in Oakland and raised in South Central Los Angeles to becoming a graduate of Yale, later student of law at UC Berkeley, and now a first-gen professional--Antonio has not let anything, or anyone, stand in the way of the life he knew was meant for him. Join us as we chat about dreaming big, making tough but necessary choices, understanding social capital, and important lessons for those considering the path to law. Don't forget to check out session notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/108. Come on over and become a part of The First-Gen Lounge Family: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/family. Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

So, how YOU durin'? The last few weeks have been a lot to process--I'm with you. The thing is that it's a good time for us to press pause for a moment and think about what all of this means. In the midst of frustration, disappointment, and uncertainty... we might not like it, BUT it's a part of life that we learn to ride the wave. So, here's my take on sittin' with sh*t. Access the Show Notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/107. Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A first-generation college graduate, it's important to surround yourself with people who are going to have your back. After all, you weren't created to do this thing called life alone, so be sure that no matter where you go that you'll make it a point to build community. Access the Show Notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/106. Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Did you want to go to college? Was it something that you were excited for? Sometimes you don't go to college because you really wanted to, but because it was the best option at the time. For Sarah, she wasn’t motivated in high school but went to the one college that accepted her because she wasn't ready to start working. She soon found her drive and thrived in college. Tune in as we discuss leadership, willingness to admit when you don't know something, and not putting too much thought into what others think of you. Access the Show Notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/105 Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Have you ever struggled with owning your own identity? Well I know I have, and today we are going to get honest and a little vulnerable. Today, I want to talk about what being Black has come to mean to me. For a while, I have been scared of being too Black.. not wanting to step on anyone's toes or turn people off. Ironically? I wasn't always that way. So, in this week's session is all about being confident in who you are so that you can be the best version of yourself... and most of all show up for the people that need to see you as you are. You’re not going to be for everyone... and that's okay. Access the Show Notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/104 Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We are over halfway through Black History Month! Oh, doesn’t the time fly? Today, I thought it would be awesome for us to revisit a talk that we had last year about the “Crab in A Barrel” mentality. As a matter of fact, I think this is a good way to lean into to next week’s show where I’ll wrap up the month talking with you about being Black AND first-gen—a conversation I’ve tried so hard to avoid. Access the Show Notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/103. Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Have you ever been in a career that was successful, but that you knew that it wasn’t what you were meant to do? Dethorn Young was an assistant vice president at Capital One in New York City, when he decided that this was not what he was meant to do. So he made some big changes including living in other countries for a while, until he found out who he really was and what he wanted to be doing. We talk about how it’s okay to change directions and how to listen to yourself to find who you truly are. Now Dethorn is a personal development coach living in LA, living in his purpose. In our conversation Dethorn is very transparent in that his path was not a straight one, and is honest about some of the struggles he had to endure to get to the place he is today. Access the Show Notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/102. Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Happy Black History Month! For the next few weeks, we'll be celebrating and sharing the stories of those who are #blackfirstgen. So, we're kicking things off with a chat with someone whose parents, as she stated, were "Black Revolutionaries." Not just that.. If you think you have a big family, today’s guest, Senemeht Olatunji, was one of 12 siblings. Growing up in New York City, her parents started an African centered private school which she attended from K-12. We discuss the transition of her moving to Washington, D.C. and then back to New York City. She found a passion for helping kids in child welfare where she didn’t expect, and now helps kids transition out of foster care. We also discuss both external and internal growth, and how important it is to self care, making sure that mind, body, and spirit are in a good place. Access the Show Notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/101. Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-o

100 episodes is a huge milestone, and I want to take a moment to THANK YOU for being a part of this moment in time. In celebrating 100 sessions, I spent a lot of time in my thoughts about how to make this particular show something special.... meaningful and memorable. I also wanted to recapture the essence of what this show has meant to me, and why building this platform to support first-gens has been so significant. The one thing that sat with me most was for us to talk about legacy. (It's so many ironies about the timeliness of this show, too. We'll talk about it) As you are journeying through this thing called life, it's important to stop and take a moment (or a few) to think about what all of this means to you. Is the path you're on the one that you want to be on? Are you doing what you really want to do? Why does any of it even matter? For me... it's about leaving a legacy and knowing that I was able to change the world in some way, shape, form, or fashion. So, today, I

Today’s session is a little bonus, a must-do, because it's MY birthday! Why does that even matter? Every year I have a show on my birthday to commemorate the show, and today I want to talk about 9 things that podcasting has taught me. I’ve been podcasting for 3 birthdays now, and as this show has grown and evolved over the years, and so have I. As a lover of numbers, I'm even more fascinated by how things came together today. Check out this Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/B7y-I2Oh3YN/. Access the Show Notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/99. Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We talk a lot about success on The First-Gen Lounge, but today we are going to do something a little different. We’re talking about failure as things aren’t always going to go right for you. I know we’re still in January, but some of you may already be falling short on your resolutions and goals, and that's okay. We have to make sure we don't get stuck in the failure. Tune in today as I talk about 5 ways to face failure. Access the Session Notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/98. Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is your path towards getting your college degree taking a bit longer than you wanted? Well, it doesn't matter how long it takes, if you have patience and never lose hope, you can always reach your goals. In today's conversation with Angelika, we talk about never giving up. It took her 15 years to get her bachelor' degree, while at the same time serving in the military. Now she is going for her Ph.D. and helping homeless female veterans. We had a very open and honest conversation talking about parental divorce, food addiction, and self-care. Access the session notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/97 Track by The Boy:https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As a first-gen do you think about mentorship as being a crucial part of the collegiate experience? For Anthony, it was something he didn't really think about until he got to graduate school. Now he is an advocate for mentorship and even virtual mentorship. We also talk about how important emails can be, how to make social media work for you, and how important it is to always be learning. Access the show notes here: https://www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/96. Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.