Stephen A. Smith is on the podcast this week talking all about the difficulty in navigating his complicated family dynamics growing up, what it was like losing a scholarship, his reaction when a mentor told him he was quitting on himself, the importance of learning the value of your word and not wasting someone’s time, working for ESPN, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yara Shahidi joins the podcast this week and shares all about her journey from growing up in Minnesota to attending Harvard—a dream she never initially envisioned. She reflects on the life-changing experience of starring in Black-ish, the profound impact the show had on society, and her passion for driving change in her community and beyond. Yara also discusses the lasting influence of Prince on her life, the unwavering support of her family, and the lessons she's learned along the way. Plus, she chats about her new podcast “The Optimist Project." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leslie Odom Jr. joins the podcast this week! He talks all about how he was only 17 when he was offered a professional job on Broadway, moving from NYC to LA, working with legends like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Kingsley Ben-Adir, what success for his children looks like for him today, how Hamilton shaped not only his career but him as a person, memories from One Night in Miami, his passion for music and writing, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the podcast, the talented Aldis Hodge joins us! He talks about what it was like being raised in New York, the support he always got from his mother, starting in the industry at a young age alongside his brother, being proud of his identity, how actors like The Rock and Kevin Bacon shaped him, his time working on Friday Night Lights, his entrepreneurial spirit, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

La La Anthony joins the podcast this week! She talks all about her journey from radio to film and TV, being told she was at the peak of her career as a young adult working for MTV, her favorite character she’s ever played, her book and soon to be TV series, The Love Playbook: Rules for Love, Sex, and Happiness, what makes her feel wealthy (and it’s not money!), her non-profit organization ThreeSixty’s work rehabilitating young men who are incarcerated at Rikers Island, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Gabby Thomas joins the podcast to share her journey—from moving to an all-white town in Massachusetts as a young girl to attending Harvard, where her coach had a game-changing heart-to-heart with her about running track. She talks about being named Ivy League Most Outstanding Track Performer two years in a row, turning Pro with New Balance, winning medals at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, training in Austin, TX, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jemele Hill joins the podcast to talk all about her tumultuous childhood growing up in Detroit, the “Why not me?” moment she had becoming the only black female sports columnist at a daily newspaper in North America, getting her own show, her new podcast Spolitics, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

D-Nice joins the podcast this week to talk about growing up in New York, encountering fame at a young age and how that shaped him, the support system he had in the entertainment idustry, producing the famous song” Self-Destruction" for the Stop the Violence Movement, what made him start Club Quarantine in 2020, how he continues to evolve as a creative individual and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quincy Isaiah joins the podcast this week to talk about booking the role of Magic Johnson in the HBO series Winning Time, what life was like post-filming, if Magic Johnson signed off on the TV series, understanding the producing process and his interest in directing, valuing therapy and taking care of your mental health, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EMMY-nominated writer, actor, and show runner Diallo Riddle joins the podcast this week. He talks all about the struggle of figuring out how to pay for your life while you’re pursuing your art, the confidence of your 20’s you can use to your advantage, having faith in your dreams, what it’s really like developing a TV show, his excitement for Sherman’s Showcase live in Los Angeles, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ALOK joins the podcast to talk about the challenges they’ve come across as a trans person in the world of comedy, having to constantly prove their work, being disruptive to induce change, the feelings workshops they’ve led across the world, the value in vulnerability, taking inventory of the cost of not being yourself, crushing on Pedro Pascal, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roy Wood Jr. joins the podcast to talk about growing up watching his dad work in the radio business and the risks he took to get his own start, what he realized he had to do to stand out in the world where sports commentary meets comedy, what he wants his tombstone to read one day, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Ealy joins the podcast to talk about his acting journey from New York to LA, following his gut instincts, how fatherhood changed him, landing his breakout role in Barbershop, what it was like for his peers to see him in a new light after one life-changing role, his true thoughts on winning awards, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sanaa Lathan joins the podacst to talk about how she found her path into acting, what it was like training for her role in Love and Basketball, how she wants to touch the world with her art, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jay Ellis joins the podcast to talk about how he went from modeling in NY to acting in LA, what it was like starting out knowing nothing about the entertainment industry, the audition process for his breakout role on the TV show The Game, his experience working with Issa Rae on the TV show Insecure, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles D. King joins the podacst to talk about growing up in Georgia, his journey from working as a traveling paper salesman to becoming a junior agent, and later Partner, at WME, starting his company, MACRO, what he thinks it really takes to success in the entertainment industry, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blake Griffin joins the podcast to talk about what it was like growing up alongside his brother playing basketball, getting drafted in the NBA the same year as his brother, the impact Kobe Bryant had on him, his experience playing for the Clippers, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adrienne Warren joins the podcast to talk about her journey finding her voice as a young artist, what it felt like to attend a school where she was the minority, her life changing experience playing Tina Turner on Broadway and what she learned from the icon herself, her advocacy work and finally getting recognized for making a difference, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shanola Hampton joins the podcast to talk about being raised as a pastor's kid, growing up in South Carolina, what it was like hustling as a bartender even after she booked her role on Shameless, how she gave herself financial stability while pursuing a creative career, the impact her mom had on her, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kelvin Harrison Jr. joins the podcast to talk about the mistakes he made when he first found success as an actor and what he's learned since then, the best advice he got from a co-star, his perspective on continuing to evolve as a person, his role as a producer on future projects, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jurnee Smollett joins the podcast to talk about the support she received from her mother early on in her acting career, what roles gave her a new perspective, how her mother instilled the importance of advocacy and education, what it was like working with Denzel Washington, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gabrielle Union joins the podcast to talk about her early days playing soccer and attending college in Nebraska, how modeling transitioned to her acting career, her experience with sexual assault and how that changed the trajectory of her life, the importance of advocacy, her most meaningful acting roles recently, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Candace Parker joins the podcast to talk about her love for basketball finding her at a young age, how being in a family who also played the sport shaped her, what it meant to win her first WNBA championship, having a winner's mentality, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marlon Wayans joins the podcast to talk about his belief in karma, holding space for our own humanity, how he brings a unique perspective to the projects he works on, forgiving to free yourself from pain, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Legend joins the podcast to talk about his early memories of being drawn to the stage, his experience recording the first album he was ever on, the "why not me?" moment he felt getting a record deal, the world he envisions for his daughters, and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices