Grub

The newest episode of the GrUBcast is up!   Today’s episode features a new friend of mine, Mr. Todd Bernard, and we discuss how he, as a young man from Trinidad, became a barber and turned his job into a Global Barbering Enterprise.    Growing Up, we often come to recognize the barbershop as a staple of the black community. But looking back I realized I never really asked my barbers about their lives before the shop, or how they even got to where they are today. Today's episode features master barber Todd Bernard, founder of global brand iCutPro who talks about his family history, transitioning from Trinidad to Long Island, and growing and honing his craft to where it is today. The story itself is incredible and I know you’ll enjoy what you hear.   Be sure to leave your comments, rate us on iTunes and continue to share the cast on all of your social media networks! That’s how the GrUB fam continues to grow and you never know who might benefit from hearing someone else’s story.   With that said y

"What's life without risk?"   Welcome Welcome Welcome ya to the FIRST episode of the GrUBcast in 2017! Today I want to talk to you all about being uncomfortable.    Every month I'll talk about a topic that’s been coming up in my everyday conversation, I'll discuss a couple of the top news stories of the past 2 weeks, and then I'll close it out with your monthly dose of positivity.   I find that in life it's very easy to get stuck in the routine of things and in doing so it becomes even easier to fall into complacency, because complacency is comfortable. But how can you really grow without exposing yourself to something new? In today's Soundbite I encourage you all to step out of your comfort zone and expose yourself to something new. Whether it's new experiences, new people, or new places, stepping into an uncomfortable situation can often lead to new discoveries about who you are and help you grow in ways you may not even have thought of before. Avoid stagnancy and always keep pushing boundaries for self-di

The newest episode of Soundbites is up and today we focus on the concept of just being thankful. Every month I'll talk about a topic that’s been coming up in my everyday conversation, I'll discuss a couple of the top news stories of the past 2 weeks, and then I'll close it out with your monthly dose of positivity. In the spirit of Thanksgiving two weeks ago (and the holidays in general) I've been having a lot of warm conversations that have been focused on appreciating some aspect of life. More often than not, when bad things tend to happen and negative things are thrown our way, it becomes so easy to forget just how fortunate we are. Everyday there are people, moments, and events that will attempt to rob you of your joy. But instead of focusing energy towards that, try to focus on the things that bring you joy instead. On today's episode of Soundbites I try to remind you all to show gratitude for the things that are right in your own lives. No matter how big or how small, an act of appreciation often opens

The newest episode of the GrUBcast is up! Today’s episode features the homie Simon Zhang and the multitude of things he's dealt with in both discovering himself and starting his business. When we take the leap to follow our dreams and work on things we believe in we often go through periods of self doubt. And in that self-doubt, we tend to forget how truly prepared we are for the obstacles life throws our way due to things that we survived through in our past. Today’s episode features Simon Zhang and we discuss his experience growing up as a first-gen Chinese-American in Minnesota, his journey in finding his own style, and the struggles he’s gone through in trying to get his jewelry business, MujoNYC, up and running. If you’ve ever doubted yourself in your own journeys, you’ll definitely relate to what we spoke about here. Be sure to leave your comments, rate us on iTunes and continue to share the cast on all of your social media networks! That’s how the GrUB fam continues to grow and you never know who might

The newest episode of Soundbites is up and it's all about encouraging ya to keep your dreams alive. Every month I'll talk about a topic that’s been coming up in my everyday conversation and then I'll discuss a couple of the top news stories of the last week. Now, we all have dreams we're working towards but sometimes the things we deal with and the environments we live in don't make it easy to stay on track. The 9 to 5 way of living doesn't necessarily promote the pursuit of a side hustle and it's easy to get discouraged by those who don't believe in you, and worse, can cause you to stop believing in yourself. On today's episode of Soundbites I encourage ya to keep your dreams alive and always remember that your working towards something much bigger than your current situation. Please let me know of what you think of this episode and leave your feedback here or rate us on iTunes. I’d really appreciate it. With that said ya’, have a great weekend, happy Halloween, and as always, keep eating.

The first official GrUBcast of SZN 2 is finally up! Today’s episode features my brother Jonathan McRae and we discuss the struggles one faces when trying to define themselves as a black man. Growing Up, I always remembered hearing things like "You speak so white" or "You dress like a white boy" and I never really understood why people associated certain positive traits with whiteness. Today I interviewed soon to be school psychologist Jonathan McRae who talked about his struggle in defining who he is as a black man, navigating different spaces, and just trying to enjoy life while being true to himself. Be sure to leave your comments, rate us on iTunes and continue to share the cast on all of your social media networks! That’s how the GrUB fam continues to grow and you never know who might benefit from hearing someone else’s story. With that said ya’, have an incredible week, much love, and as always, keep eating.

We’re back! The first episode of Season 2 and the newest episode of Soundbites: Chasing Perfect is up! Every month I'll talk about a topic that’s been coming up in my everyday conversation and then I'll discuss a couple of the top news stories of the last week. As people we often get wrapped up in the idea that our work is never quite good enough and we delay presenting our work , our creations, or even our plans to others because we feel that sometimes it is inadequate. Though sometimes this can be seen as ambition, we often fail to recognize the line between being ambitious and being obsessive. In the newest episode of Soundbites I discuss my own flaws, what it means to chase perfect, and how the idea of perfection can easily become our biggest obstacle towards success Please let me know of what you think of this episode and leave your feedback here or rate us on iTunes. I’d really appreciate it. With that said ya’, have an incredible week, be great, and as always, keep eating.

Hola GrUBfam! The last episode of The GrUBcast season 1 is up! And this episode features my sister from another Jamaican mister, Ms. Joan “Lyric” Leslie spitting a plethora of knowledges about her journey in starting her new podcast Fros and Woes with co-creator Kim Allen. As people who yearn to create and express ourselves, we often go through this difficult process of bringing an idea to fruition and yet rarely document or discuss what that process looks and feels like in real time. Today I had the pleasure of talking to Joan about her upcoming podcast titled Fros and Woes and what the process has been like in moving this thought into a reality. We talk about her thoughts, worries, and the importance of having a good team in building up a dream. Definitely another great listen, especially for all my listeners out there who are thinking of starting a podcast or creative ventures of their own. Be sure to leave your comments, rate us on iTunes (http://apple.co/1W0b3aP) and continue to share the cast on all of

We’re back! The newest episode of Soundbites: Setbacks is up! Every other week I talk about a topic that’s been coming up in my everyday conversation and then I discuss a couple of the top news stories of the last week. In life I feel like we all aim to be successful and throughout that journey towards our dreams, we reach an obstacle (or many, to be honest) and we fall. And when we fall, it is so easy to stay down, to sulk in our own setbacks and think "whats the point?". While we’re stuck in our feelings we sometimes fail to remember that in order to keep moving forward, to keep moving towards our goals, we have to get back up. This week’s episode discusses that process and I hope it helps those of you who get discouraged during the tough times of your own individual journeys. “It’s not so easy, but it’s not so hard, to stand up. But it’s just too easy, to sit back down." Please let me know of what you think of this episode and leave your feedback here or rate us on iTunes. I’d really appreciate it. With th

The newest episode of The GrUBcast is up! Two weeks ago we released the GrUBcast Unlearning: why Black Men don't Date Black women and I received an incredible amount of feedback from people of all different races, genders, and ethnicities. Some people expressed dismay, others frustration, but most were simply disappointed. Disappointed that this was not the first time they had heard something like this from another person of color. As a result of that feedback and per the suggestion of my good friend Joan Leslie we decided to do a reaction GrUBcast with two groups of black women from both Jacksonville ,Florida and Westchester, NY (much love to Tiff, Kim, Adj, Alyssa and Diane!) where they unpacked what was said and discussed their reactions to topics expressed in the episode. Like I said this was recorded on opposite ends of the country and the questions were NOT the same yet the similarities in the feelings and experiences expressed was incredibly powerful and I know you’ll be glued to the conversation. Be s

Happy Tuesday everyone! Every other week we listen to some edits of past podcasts, I talk about what was said for a bit, and then we close with a brief recap of some of the top news stories of the last week. Today's episode follows the format of the last Soundbite; Instead of an edit from a GrUBcast episode I decided to talk about another topic that’s been brought up constantly in my one on ones: comparing yourself to others. I've always believed in looking to others for inspiration. However sometimes we find ourselves looking to others and feeling inadequate in our own journeys and downplaying our own successes. We find ourselves comparing our journey to someone else's and discouraging ourselves which just isn't the way to progress. Once again I felt that I needed to speak on this because rarely do I hear it brought up in conversation. Please let me know of what you think of this episode and leave your feedback here or rate us on iTunes. I’d really appreciate it. With that said ya have an incredible week, be

Happy Monday, Happy Memorial Day, and Happy GrUBday fam! Tonight we have another special guest on the show, my good friend Kristoff Chambers, and we discuss why he has chosen to NOT date black women. In the black community, the conversation always comes up regarding black men who choose not to date within the community and their motivation for doing so. And while many people go into conversations like this with the goal of changing minds, I really just wanted to go in to understand the mentality. We discuss Kristoff's childhood, have numerous back and forths, and bring everything back full circle by talking about bun and cheese (shoutout to all my Jamaicans *cue reggae air horns here*).This was one of the more interesting, strange, and difficult conversations we’ve had on this show so far and I know you’re going to be engaged with what you hear. Be sure to leave your comments, rate us on iTunes and continue to share the cast on all of your social media networks! That’s how well continue to grow the GrUB fam a

Happy Monday everyone! The newest episode of Soundbites is up (finally)! Every other week we listen to some edits of past podcasts, I talk about what was said for a bit, and then we close with a brief recap of some of the top news stories of the last week. Today I’m trying something out something a little different. Instead of taking an excerpt from a past episode I decided to talk a little bit about a topic that’s been coming up in conversation time and time again: loneliness. The feeling of being lonely is very different than actually being alone and I felt as though it is something I needed to touch on because each and every one of us go through it, but rarely talk about it. Please let me know of what you think of this episode and leave your feedback here or on iTunes. I’d really appreciate it. With that said ya enjoy the episode, be great, and as always, keep eating.

Every other week we listen to some edits of past podcasts, I talk about what was said for a bit, and then we close with a brief recap of some of the top news stories of the last week. (Link in Bio) On today's episode we have another excerpt from the Yonkers Blues GrUBcast with Dakota Degree where we went on tangent about the system and how it was really made with people of color "in mind". A great, short listen for when you’re on the go this week. With that said ya enjoy the episode, be great, and as always, keep eating.

Happy Monday and Happy GrUBday fam! The newest GrUBcast is up and features another special guest, Marissa Igwe, talking about her journey as a new mother and what it took to get her to where she is today. As a young mother, there are countless struggles that present themselves everyday and as a young mother-to-be there are often many events that are rarely discussed, like the process of telling your family, or getting your affairs in order, or even what sacrifices you have to make for the happiness of your child. On today's episode Marissa discusses all of that and more as we go into the story of what it was like preparing for her now 1-year-old daughter's entrance into the world. Also with Mother's Day being around the corner, I think we should all be reflective on our lives and give thanks to the women that got us to where we are today. Now, this is a bit of a part 2 to an earlier GrUBcast called Fatherhood: The Importance of Just Being There, which I did with Marissa's husband-to-be, Anthony Berrios. So if

Happy Monday everyone! The newest episode of Soundbites is up and ready! Every other week we listen to some edits of past podcasts, I talk about what was said for a bit, and then we close with a brief recap of some of the top news stories of the last week. On today's episode we have an excerpt from the Break Ups GrUBcast with Jessica Valles where we went on a brief tangent about faith and the importance of simply believing in something. Another very dope, short listen for when you’re on the go this week. With that said ya enjoy the episode, be great, and as always, keep eating.

Alright everybody it’s about that time! This week on The GrUBcast we’ve got part 2 of the From the Chi to the Sky GrUBcast with Trevor and Cody Wilkins! Once Cody and Trevor are two young brothers from Chicago currently working on their own startups. Cody is also a comedian and Trevor recently made it in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 for his work education. In all of our lives we go through numerous points of transition in school, location, and growth in general but we take the time to reflect on those key parts of our lives. In this second part of our conversation the Wilkins brothers discuss their lives after college, the importance of celebrating small victories, and the struggles they dealt/deal with in trying to be adults in the world. Major thanks to the Wilkins brothers again for a truly amazing conversation and a special thanks to my guy Josh Hall for making this whole episode possible. You can check out Cody’s start up, The Up Next at theupnext.com and Trevor’s startup, Kudzoo, at kudzooapp.com. Go show your s

The next episode of Soundbites is here! Every other week we listen to some edits of past podcasts, I talk about what was said for a bit, and then we close with a brief recap of some of the top news stories of the last week. On this episode I have an excerpt of a conversation with Dakota Degree on how people change after college, black lives matter, and everything in between. Another very dope short conversation. So relax, enjoy, and as always keep eating.

This week on The GrUBcast we’ve got another incredible episode featuring Cody and Trevor Wilkins, two young brothers from Chicago currently working on their own startups. Cody is also a comedian and Trevor recently made it in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 for his work in education. In all of our lives we go through numerous points of transition in school, location, and growth in general but we rarely take the time to reflect on those key parts of our lives. In this first part of our conversation the Wilkins brothers discuss the bubble of Hyde Park, privilege, their experience navigating the Ivy League space, and so much more. And that’s only Part 1! I honestly learned a lot about the city of Chicago and it was dope to see how similar our reactions were in going to college. A lot of laughs in this episode. Be sure to leave your comments, rate us on iTunes and continue to share the cast on all of your social media networks! That’s how the GrUB fam continues to grow and you never know who might benefit from hearing someon

Today we have the first installment of Soundbites! I found that when I record episodes of The GrUB-cast with my guests we often go on tangents about some interesting topics that I end up taking out of the main episodes. I ended up with a vault of some very interesting side conversations that I'd love to release to the public, and that's what we're doing here. So every other week we're going to listen to some of these edits, I'll talk about what was said for a bit, and then we'll close with a brief recap of some of the top news stories of the last week. For the first episode I have an excerpt of a conversation with Andrew Lim and his curiosities about the N Word. Definitely a good short listen. Please sit back, relax, enjoy and as always keep eating.