Episodes
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Episode Summary
On this episode of the Create Your Life Series podcast, host Kevin Y Brown continues his conversation with Ras Mutabaruka, a former refugee, sharing an inspiring life story. After spending over a decade as a refugee, he found stability in Canada, which opened doors to education and resources. Initially aspiring to be a lawyer, his mindset shifted, leading to a passion for storytelling about Africa. From a blog to a magazine and documentary, the guest aimed to challenge stereotypes.
This episode explores his college experience, professional journey as a public servant, and entrepreneurial ventures. Emphasizing authenticity and consistency, the guest discusses personal growth and leadership. The episode concludes with insights into community recognition and the ongoing pursuit of goals, highlighting resilience and the power of storytelling in his journey from refugee to visionary entrepreneur.
Tune in to this episode of the Create Your Life series for an inspiring and heartfelt conversation.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Ras Mutabaruka
Ras Mutabaruka founded The African Perspective (TAP Media Ltd) after being frustrated with seeing how Africa and Africans were often portrayed in global media. TAP is a Pan-African media platform that tells African stories from an African perspective with a mission to rebrand Africa, one story at a time.Born in Rwanda during tumultuous times, he and his family sought refuge in neighboring countries. The journey eventually led him to Kenya, where he settled and found a sense of belonging amid a diverse community. His journey then took him to Canada for higher education.
Before working on TAP full-time, and to give back to his once adopted country of Canada, he spent five years working as a public servant in the department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) where he received three back to back Ministerial Awards of Merit for service to Canadians.
Insights From the Episode
How to use collaboration as a tool for growthEmphasizes the importance of networking and persistenceDiscussion surrounding Intrinsic Motivation in Entrepreneurship: countering negative narratives about Africa and staying true to personal values as intrinsic motivations in entrepreneurshipReflecting on the historical impact of media, emphasizing its responsibility to tell authentic and responsible storiesDiscussion about the evolution of entrepreneurial journeys, showcasing diverse ventures and experiences over the yearsQuotes from the Show
“I stayed true to myself and for the times where I didn't stay true to myself. It ended up rerouting me and telling me that you should have stayed true to yourself. And so when you look at a life at your life, you know what I mean? I think it's important to be able to say that you chose what you did, not that somebody else chose it for you and that you followed other people. But that you did what you felt was the things that you wanted to do and that you needed to do.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #206“Real people do real things and you know, sometimes it comes at the expense of what could have been, you know, the easy route, the more financially sound route, right? But you know, when you look back at it, you can always say, you know, I'm happy to waive it for what I did because I know that I chose me.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #206“My commitment to building a bright future for Africa is to continue to tell African stories in all its forms, is to continue to bring out a part of Africa that people don't know is to continue to inspire, to challenge and to move the needle forward, I think and part of that and also a commitment I have for Africa and for Africans is to continue to be me to live my life to, to share my story.” - Ras Mutabaruka, Create Your Life Series, #206“My biggest challenge was probably my biggest blessing. My biggest challenge was when, when my, when my older sister returned back to our biological family when I was 10. That time after that trying to figure out life on my own without someone being there, who I was familiar with and who I had known since the beginning was definitely a challenge. And I think choosing to stay on the right path, in spite of everything happening around me, I think, you know what I mean was it was a challenge that definitely helped me to to become the man that I am today.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #206“... That's where create your life as a term comes from, that's all that I had was a life that I could dream of but that I wanted to manifest. And that's what I stuck to every day when it was hard where I have foster parents who were mistreating me or where my peers didn't understand where I was coming from or where I was moving from house to house and, you know, all of these things, it was just this dream and this focus and this possibility.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #206Resources Mentioned
Apple WatchGoogle CalendarFavorite Book
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story by Ben CarsonFavorite Quote
“My life is my message.” - UnknownKeys to Create Your Best Life
Be consistentRemain true to who you areMaintain balance in your lifeStay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
YouTube: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: Kevin Y Brown
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Ras Mutabaruka
Website: The African Perspective (TAP) Magazine
Instagram: Ras Mutabaruka
Twitter: Ras Mutabaruka
Linkedin: Ras Mutabaruka
Email: [email protected]
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Afripods, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com).
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Episode Summary
On this episode of the Create Your Life Series podcast, host Kevin Y Brown welcomes a truly inspiring guest to the studio, Ras Mutabaruka. A storyteller, entrepreneur, and community builder, Ras’ life is a testament to resilience, vision, and an enduring love for the African continent. Delving into the challenges he faced and the transformative impact of facing a traumatic past, including his experiences during the genocide in Rwanda. He opens up about the deep scars left by those events and the long journey toward healing. Ras also reflects on the importance of speaking out about personal struggles and advocating for mental health support, breaking the silence that often surrounds such experiences.
The conversation takes a turn as Ras shares lighter moments from his life, including his time in Canada, where he discovered his purpose and passion for storytelling. As he navigated cultural differences and stereotypes, he found strength in embracing his identity and heritage.
Ras Mutabaruka’s journey exemplifies resilience, the power of storytelling, and the unwavering commitment to make a positive impact on the continent he calls home. Tune in to this episode of the Create Your Life series for an inspiring and heartfelt conversation.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Ras Mutabaruka
Ras Mutabaruka founded The African Perspective (TAP Media Ltd) after being frustrated with seeing how Africa and Africans were often portrayed in global media. TAP is a Pan-African media platform that tells African stories from an African perspective with a mission to rebrand Africa, one story at a time.Born in Rwanda during tumultuous times, he and his family sought refuge in neighboring countries. The journey eventually led him to Kenya, where he settled and found a sense of belonging amid a diverse community. His journey then took him to Canada for higher education.
Before working on TAP full-time, and to give back to his once adopted country of Canada, he spent five years working as a public servant in the department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) where he received three back to back Ministerial Awards of Merit for service to Canadians.
Insights From the Episode
Reflecting on the Rwandan Genocide, Ras Mutabaruka underscores the healing power of facing the pastEmphasis on the need to challenge stereotypes about AfricaMutabaruka shares experiences in CanadaDissatisfaction with Western media narratives inspires TAP Media, evolving from a blog to a magazine, focusing on science in AfricaImportance of remaining true to oneself and consistent for personal growth and successStrategies for Building a Platform: discussion surrounding transitioning from a blog to a magazine format broadens TAP Media's platform, leading to partnerships with prestigious institutionsStrategies for overcoming Imposter SyndromeHow to use collaboration as a tool for growthQuotes from the Show
“... the narrative about Africa was still the same, probably even worse because the academia surrounding African people of African descent is really terrible… There's not that much that the academia says we've done and I found that to be a challenge… And then one time he hit me like, OK, you didn't go to journalism school, you not a, you know, you're not a journalist but you can write. So if you, if you don't like what other people are talking about, you or your country or your continent do something about it.” - Ras Mutabaruka, Create Your Life Series, #205“the BBC says this, the CNN says the BBC is a British Broadcasting Corporation. They have their agenda, they are speaking for the British audience. So I'm like, so who, who's speaking for Africa or for Africans? And so it started out as a, as actually started very humble beginning, starts out as Facebook note. I would like write like notes about facts and things about Africa.” - Ras Mutabaruka, Create Your Life Series, #205“It's a pleasure to know you as a leader and someone who, you know what I mean has I, I would say rose to the occasion or accepted the challenge of being a leader, being a dynamic person.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #205“Create a group, create an insider group of people who can see the things you are doing and if they, and, and, and you can trust their feedback, of course, you're still the executive of your own story.” - Ras Mutabaruka, Create Your Life Series, #205“I wished I knew that as much as money is not everything, money is probably like 50% of everything… So, you know and understand that you need money, know and understand where or how you're gonna get money, and then when the rubber meets the road don't go in by yourself, get someone else to come along… I think you're gonna go faster, you're gonna go farther and the knock and the pressure is gonna be less if you have two, if you have another person or two along with you.” - Ras Mutabaruka, Create Your Life Series, #205Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
YouTube: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: Kevin Y Brown
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Ras Mutabaruka
Website: The African Perspective (TAP) Magazine
Instagram: Ras Mutabaruka
Twitter: Ras Mutabaruka
Linkedin: Ras Mutabaruka
Email: [email protected]
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Afripods, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com).
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Episodes manquant?
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Episode Summary
On this episode of the Create Your Life Series podcast, Angela, host of Zen Moments, discusses the transformative power of podcasting, particularly for the youth. She emphasizes the platform's freedom for self-expression without limitations and encouraging aspiring creators to explore the diverse world of podcasting. Angela shares personal anecdotes, highlighting the role of mentorship, discipline, and motivation in her journey.
The conversation delves into lessons learned in podcasting, such as the importance of time investment and planning. Angela reflects on moments when she contemplated giving up but found motivation in the positive impact her podcast had on strangers. The episode concludes with Angela expressing her commitment to shaping a vibrant future for Africa, particularly in the podcasting industry, aiming for inclusivity and financial opportunities.
In the rapid-fire segment, Angela discusses favorite productivity apps, commitment to personal growth, and her love for art. The episode ends with Angela turning the tables, posing three unscripted questions to host Kevin Brown, adding a lighthearted and engaging touch to the conversation.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Angela MachuaAngela Machua, host of the impactful podcast "Zen Moments," is a trailblazer in the world of podcasting, advocating for limitless self-expression and empowering youth to embrace content creation without constraints. Her journey reflects resilience, disciplined commitment to personal growth, and overcoming moments of self-doubt.
Angela's story is one of unwavering determination, embracing the challenges of podcasting with grace. Beyond her podcast, she is a talented graphic artist and is dedicated to elevating the podcasting industry in Africa, making it accessible and financially viable for creators.
In essence, Angela Machua's life is a testament to the power of resilience, self-discovery, and pursuing passions, inspiring others to embark on their unique journeys with purpose.
Insights From the Episode
Importance of Africans telling their own stories without translation when needed to maintain accuracy and authenticityHow to maintain the integrity of the story: directly sharing ensures that the narrative isn’t influenced by external perceptionsSignificance of persevering in the face of challenges and chasing what you are passionate about: Angela’s drive for learning outside of office hours is emphasized in reference to her growth in the podcasting industryAngela’s approach to understanding challenges faced by new podcastersStatistics of podcast listenersPodcast listening behaviorAdvice for new podcastersImportance of mentorshipDiscussion of key elements of personal growthConversation surrounding how to create the life you want, from the perspective of AngelaQuotes from the Show
“… it's important for us as Africans to tell our own story the way we want to tell it. If we don't want to translate it, say it as it is because that's how it comes accurate and because sometimes things can get lost in translation.” - Angela Machua, Create Your Life Series, #204“It's been amazing to see your growth and watch you as this person who essentially to me, I've been watching your evolution going from a project manager who was primarily dealing in finance to I call you, that's my personal moniker for you, the data maven of African podcasting.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #204“Podcasting is so important because it gives you the individual the space to be who you want to be. There's no limitations in podcasting and I think that's what makes it different from other platforms. As a young creator, you're able to express yourself how you want to without any limits. And I think that it's important for the youth to be able to get into content creation as they would like without being told this is how you have to do it. And because I feel like that cripples creativity and podcasting has opened up that space that anyone can be anything they want to be.” - Angela Machua, Create Your Life Series, #204“Mentorship is important also because sometimes you might feel like I'm just doing something, you are only looking at the now, but with mentorship you're able to see the entire growth journey.” - Angela Machua, Create Your Life Series, #204“I feel like imposter syndrome is something that a lot of people struggle with, but if you just decide and tell yourself this is not real, you can do what you want to do and there are no limits, you can go ahead.” - Angela Machua, Create Your Life Series, #204“We need to build a platform or an industry that is easily accessible by everybody… make it possible for people to make a living out of podcasting. Because content creation, yes, it's still a new thing, but it's a viable option for monetizing yourself, whether you're a company or you're just trying to build your own brand, your personal brand or your company brand. We need to make the space viable for everyone to be able to be successful. And my commitment in that is just being involved in the industry in whatever capacity, but mainly in data to push for platforms to provide the space for this to be possible.” - Angela Machua, Create Your Life Series, #204Resources Mentioned
NotionAkiflowFavorite Book
The Alchemist by Paolo CoelhoFavorite Quote
“Just do it.” - Nike3 Keys to Create Your Best Life
Visioning and Goal Setting:Angela emphasizes the importance of envisioning the life you want and writing down your goals. Breaking down these goals into achievable steps, whether monthly or weekly, helps track progress and encourages a sense of accomplishment.
Taking Action:Angela advocates for taking action without waiting for the "perfect" moment. She suggests breaking down tasks into manageable steps and enjoying the journey of personal development, growth, and achievement.
Enjoying the Journey:Angela highlights the significance of finding joy in the process of pursuing your goals. It's not just about reaching the end goal but relishing in the experiences, growth, and connections made along the way.
Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
YouTube: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: Kevin Y Brown
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Angela Machua
Linkedin: Angela MachuaInstagram: @angela_machua
Podcast: Zen Moments (Afripods, Apple, Spotify)
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Afripods, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com).
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Episode Summary
In this episode of the Africa X series, Kevin Y. Brown is joined by Cyril Afeku and Donald Ayree, cofounders of The Gold Coast Report. The GCR is a thriving podcast network based in Accra, Ghana, whose unwavering mission is to forge accessible avenues for visibility and to curate impactful experiences that empower individuals and communities alike. Cyril and Donald explain how the World Cup led to their initial idea for The Gold Coast Report, which changed from being a single podcast to the beginning of a network in the same week. They discuss the milestones they’ve passed so far and where they hope to go, the shows they’re most proud of, and how they were able to turn a passion project into a self-sustaining business. As leaders they share their tips for creative compromise and amplifying the creativity of their team, along with their thoughts on the importance of sharing their knowledge and experience with others in the community. In the Turnaround, Kevin opens up about how his trip to Africa in 2018 influenced his understanding of legacy, of family, and his responsibilities as a Black man, and how it led to him moving back to the Continent and joining the movement to amplify African stories through podcasting.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Cyril Afeku and Donald Aryee
Cyril Afeku and Donald Aryee met in high school and reconnected after university where together they created The Gold Coast Report, a podcast network based in Accra, Ghana. They produce shows covering a variety of interests such as sports, women-focused issues, religion, sex, pop culture, social issues, entertainment and more. Cyril and Donald are results-driven and inquisitive professionals with a vast expertise in developing podcasting infrastructure in Africa. Their passion revolves around amplifying African creativity and nurturing self-sustaining communities, providing them with the space to incubate, flourish, and achieve their aspirations. Every action, word, and endeavor The Gold Coast Report undertakes is a dedicated stride to realizing this vision.
Insights From the Episode
Tips for dealing with difficult clients and creatorsWhere to look for guidance when you’re an early adopter in a burgeoning industry3 tips for new podcasters looking to join an established networkHow to stay rejuvenated and focused as a leaderAdvice for handling conflict between teammatesTips for dealing with negative feedbackThoughts on the keys to personal growthStrategies for directing your energy so you don’t overextend yourselfQuotes from the Show
“At the time this was just two friends in a room trying something out. When you look back and zoom out to what it is now, it’s kind of crazy. We thought that we could tell our own better stories, and we also felt like there was some creativity in everyone.” - Cyril Afeku, Create Your Life Series, #203“[The schedule] helped build consistency within the team. That helped also build some level of planning. We obviously got better at the editing and figured out the mechanics that came to podcasting, and we figured out how to actually run and operate as a network because that wasn’t a skillset that we had coming in.” - Donald Aryee, Create Your Life Series, #203“All those shows are not failures, because those really are learning opportunities. All those episodes that we didn’t record correctly—all those where the mic went wrong or we didn’t export something perfectly or the audio didn’t sync up—all those things are the learning opportunities that make these batch of shows much better than they could have been. So it all counts, and I’m really grateful for that.” - Donald Aryee, Create Your Life Series, #203“Lessons learned, not failures, right? Opportunities to improve.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #203“I always feel like to get the best out of people in what we do, it’s always best to give them that room to express themselves and hear what they have to say and see how best we can bring what it is they want to do to life. The hope is that with our experience and expertise, they would also trust whatever guidance and inputs we bring to the table is worthy of incorporating.” - Cyril Afeku, Create Your Life Series, #203“You kind of have to look in the mirror and work out how you are a mentor to yourself. Be honest with who you are and what self-improvement looks like, and what challenging yourself looks like.” - Donald Aryee, Create Your Life Series, #203“We realized that we weren’t going to be able to either serve every community, or serve every community exhaustively or adequately. On our end we’ll provide you with our resources as we can to get you started, and that way it doesn’t become a case of you have to rely on GCR before this gets done because I think for us, first and foremost, we are huge fans of the medium and do want this space to grow.” - Donald Aryee, Create Your Life Series, #203“For me in all spaces it’s really ‘how do I figure out what somebody is way better than me at’, and then ‘how do I have them teach me and show me?’ Usually it helps build really good relationships and connections too because people like teaching, they like talking to you, they tell you about themselves, and you get to know them better.” - Cyril Afeku, Create Your Life Series, #203“If somebody takes the time to correct you or give you feedback, that’s them showing you love and trying to help you to improve, and that’s an opportunity. It’s not about taking things personal, but remembering why you’re here.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #203“Ghanaians are passionate people. We do care about each other, we care about our family, our friends, our loved ones, our community, and podcasting just makes that so much more personal because it’s not as structured or rigid as traditional media is. The host allows for a much deeper connection, and I think that’s something that works natural for who we are as a people, and zooming out I think that works well for the continent of Africa because one thing that keeps coming up when you look back at our history is ours is an oral tradition, and nothing hits home like audio. And what’s a thing about audio that has a future? It’s podcasting.” - Cyril Afeku, Create Your Life Series, #203“Growing up in foster care from 9 months to 18 I think foundationally is what has made me strong, helps me to adapt to new environments, makes me curious to know people, to learn people, to learn about different cultures, and is probably a big part of my foundation for hard work and also for my confidence.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #203Resources Mentioned
Sincerely Accra, a GCR podcast on everyday life in GhanaAfter the Whistle, a sports podcastFree Your Mind, a general talk and lifestyle podcastSex and Sanity podcastThe Unartiste Podcast, a pop culture podcastSunday Fufu, a podcast hosted by Donald Aryee where men have conversations they’ve been conditioned not to haveIs It Crack?, a podcast on everyday trending topicsThe Palaver Podcast on storytelling and travelHairpins & Straights, a motorsports podcastGCR LabsMosaic - A GCR EventMeditations by Marcus AureliusAsics Gel Kayano running shoesFavorite Book
Donald Aryee: The Purpose Driven Life by Rick WarrenCyril Afeku: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas AdamsFavorite Quote
“Step in love.”“Be a wrestler for the greatest prize of all, which is control of self.”“The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing, because an artful life requires being prepared to meet and withstand sudden and unexpected attacks.” - Marcus Aurelius3 Keys to Create Your Best Life
Donald Aryee:
ConsistencyBe ready for opportunityOpen yourself up to different experiences and try new thingsCyril Afeku:
LoveBe able to challenge yourselfEnjoy your lifeStay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
YouTube: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: Kevin Y Brown
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Cyril Afeku
Podcast: Bad Energy
Donald Aryee
Instagram: whatdonaldsaid
Twitter: whatdonaldsaidd
Podcast: Sunday Fufu
Gold Coast Report Network
Website: The Gold Coast Report
Facebook: The Gold Coast Report
Instagram: thegoldcoastreport
Twitter: thegoldcoastreport
TikTok: thegoldcoastreport
Email: [email protected]
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Afripods, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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Episode Summary
This special episode of the Africa X series features Kevin Y. Brown’s recent appearance on Trace FM with Calvin Wanguku. They talk about the personal and professional opportunities that drew Kevin back to Kenya, the evolution of Create Your Life, and the power of the grind. Kevin shares his excitement for the Africa X series and where it’s going, why podcasting is an ideal medium to preserve African history, language, culture, and traditions, and why when we’re looking to create our lives the most valuable question we can ask is ‘how.’
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Insights From the Episode
What makes African storytelling uniqueThe opportunity for creators in Africa in the podcasting industryTips for how creatives can get paid for their workQuotes from the Show
“I went on a journey of finding what was exactly was going on with me, but also I had the opportunity to really see Black legacy here, for generations and generations of people who have these families who have been doing striving and excellence. So because of that I wanted to come back and really be immersed in blackness in a place where I don’t have to worry about my skin complexion, where I don’t have to worry about so many things and I’m allowed to just exist.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #202“I was so keen on helping to amplify African stories, but also I think that podcasting is a low-cost way to save and preserve African history, language, culture and tradition so that those in the future can have authentic African experiences. To me that matters a lot.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #202“The ability to be able to adapt, listen, and then actually move into learning about these other stories you haven’t heard about, you have Hollywood and these other stories that are coming from the West, but it’s Africa’s time to hear these stories from the source.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #202“The biggest thing for me with Create Your Life is that a lot of times when they’re interviewing people ask ‘why’ and ‘what’ you do, but they never ask ‘how’, and the ‘how’ is the only thing that can be duplicated. So as I talk to amazing trailblazers and I also have conversations with the youth, a lot of times the youth are asking, ‘hey, what about the how?’ or my peers are asking ‘how?’. How did you do this? How did you do that? So I said, why don’t I open up a space where you can hear from people who have walked your walk… I think Africa X is that way for people to be able to create their life, and that’s my whole thing: create the life you’ve always wanted to live. I live by that; I’m a product of that; I am that; so I wanted to share it.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #202“I think one of the biggest things to keep in mind as a creator is ‘don’t complain about not getting the rewards you didn’t work for.’ If you’re going to become a podcaster, you’ve got to be committed to the grind, and being ‘committed to the grind’ looks like doing the work and being consistent and understanding your audience, understanding your listener, understanding what guests you should have on your show. Those are the important pillars of having a good show.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #202“You’ve got to grind it out in order to get these results. Money is the result of hard work and dedication. I remember my high school principal said, ‘There’s no job called “make money. You make money by being good at what it is that you do.’” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #202Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
YouTube: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: Kevin Y Brown
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Afripods, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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Episode Summary
In this episode of the Africa X Series, Kevin talks with Yoeal Haile, CEO and Co-Founder of Sava, on the ways that his education and career opportunities have helped him discover the life he wants to live. Yoeal shares the story of how a seventh grade stock market club led to his passion for fintech, how he used an engineering degree and some tenacity to break into Wall Street, the investment he made in himself and his goals that got him into grad school, and the pivotal moments that led to him sorting out his identity as a first-generation African American immigrant and moving back to Africa. Kevin and Yoeal discuss Kevin’s “Ambition Mentality” and the opportunities that can make change fun, the principle of kaizen, and possibilities for the future of fintech in Africa.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Yoeal Haile
Yoeal is the CEO and Co-Founder of Sava, a fintech business helping businesses manage their finances and access affordable credit. He was previously the CEO and Founder of Aspira, the largest Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) fintech in East Africa, the Founder of Winelife, and also worked as the Chief Strategy Officer of the African Leadership Group where he helped the founding team establish universities in Rwanda and Mauritius. Yoeal also spent time as an EquityDerivatives Associate for Merrill Lynch in Hong Kong and New York. He has a MBA with a dual major in Finance and Management from The Wharton School of Business and a BS in Industrial Engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Insights From the Episode
How investing in yourself and committing to your goals with tenacity can open up opportunitiesTips for starting a successful business and bringing in a strong customer baseHow to take care of yourself as a leader and avoid burnoutThe impact of having and becoming a mentor to give back to your communityTips for those wanting to get involved in the African fintech spaceThe power of intuition and trusting in yourselfOvercoming work challenges and the ‘near death experiences’ in a company by focusing on the long-term gameHow making changes to your diet, sleep schedule, and cutting out alcohol could affect your personal and professional lifeUsing challenges as an opportunity for personal feedback and looking within yourselfQuotes from the Show
“For those who went over prior, generations and generations ago, it’s very interesting when you have those who’ve just come and it’s like, ‘oh we’re so different.’ In reality, at least to me, a lot of our cultures and traditions are similar, they just look different because of the amount of time away from the homeland. I think about what happens to that first generation Eritrean in five generations. How much of the culture is still intact versus it becoming Americanized or African-Americanized? This is about bringing us together and bringing abundance to our communities. Because at the end of the day, whether it’s now or it’s in five generations, we’re all going to still be fighting the same fight. I think that there’s strength in numbers.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #201“I knew I wanted to go to Wall Street, but at the same time I didn’t want to study finance. I think there’s a separation between following your passion and what you do for a living. For me I was like let me do something that gives me optionality and challenges me, and I thought engineering was that.” - Yoeal Haile, Create Your Life Series, #201“One phrase that I love is ‘Kaizen’, continuous improvement. Just knowing that even if everyone’s happy you’re continuing to raise that bar for your customers and they’ll be your brand ambassadors and you’ll see a ton of organic growth.” - Yoeal Haile, Create Your Life Series, #201“One thing I enjoy about entrepreneurship is when you get to a certain stage of the business and your product is out there and you can see people interacting with your product; that’s the ultimate high. I don’t think there’s anything in the world that feels better than that.” - Yoeal Haile, Create Your Life Series, #201“At the end of the day you just have to have a clear vision of what your purpose is and keep that top of mind always. Every day think about it, use that to ground you, and keep pushing.” - Yoeal Haile, Create Your Life Series, #201“Self work is a continuous process. It’s a lifelong journey, and once you start embracing it you start to see things change around you.” - Yoeal Haile, Create Your Life Series, #201“I’m always challenging myself to become better and learn something new, so I’m going to continue to keep setting up new goals and knocking them down. That’s my real thing, but also continuing to look inward and be present with myself and focus on the things that matter to me and also continue to be open, honest and vulnerable with myself and others.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #201“My mentality is Ambition Mentality. Ambition is my word, a word that means a lot to me. For me it’s always about ‘feed your ambition.’ The ambition mentality is about getting better and being better every day, and also being open to being wrong so that you can continue to ultimately get better.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #201“Change is fun. It’s fun as in you know what’s going to happen on the other end of it. There are going to be times where it’s challenging, it’s de-motivating and all of these things, but what’s on the other side of it is beautiful. So embrace the challenge of having to evolve and to change. I think the interesting part about it is that most people don’t embrace the challenge happily of making the change and evolving, and I wish that a lot more people would because there is so much more that you could become, and to me it really matters.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #201Favorite Book
Conversations With God by Neale Donald Walsch3 Keys to Create Your Best Life
Stop making excuses.Go after it today.Talk to your customers.Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
YouTube: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: Kevin Y Brown
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Yoeal Haile
Instagram: Yoeal Haile
Twitter: Yoeal Haile
Facebook: Yoeal Haile
LinkedIn: Yoeal Haile
Email: [email protected]
Website: Sava
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Afripods, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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Episode Summary
To celebrate the 200th episode of the Create Your Life Series podcast, friend of the show Eric N. Fondran steps in as guest host to speak with Kevin Y. Brown about the journey that the Create Your Life Series has traveled. Beginning ten years ago in Japan as a series of motivational videos, it became a syndicated radio show on Sirius XM before transitioning to our podcast series today. Kevin shares the story and motivation behind the show, how he overcame various challenges and stayed focused on the dream, and what he’s learned along the way. Kevin talks about the future potential of the show, how he continues to create his own best life, and then enters the dolphin tank for the first time to reveal his answers to the rapid fire questions he poses to his guests.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Eric N. Fondren
Eric N. Fondren is a former resident guest of the Create Your Life Series, sharing lessons and stories on CEO Talks. He is a financial professional that specializes in wealth management and estate planning for young families and professionals. Guided by his faith and family, Eric’s career and entrepreneurial background have provided him with knowledge from many different industries including professional counseling, web design, technology and ad sales, and securities management. Today he is a Registered Representative with NYLIFE Securities LLC helping young and mid-career professionals develop a sound financial strategy, protect their loved ones and create generational wealth.
Insights From the Episode
The origin story of Create Your Life and its sloganStrategies for transitioning from a fear-based to vision-based mindsetHow to shape your own value system rather than chasing someone else’sInsights on the keys to continual successHow to find the motivation to overcome challenges and persevereThe factors and characteristics that can help you create your best lifeQuotes from the Show
“The absence of expectation can lead to amazing results. A lot of people were very surprised that I even made it into college, and all of my mentors at the time were surprised that I made it through a week. Thank God they never told me that until I had finished, because I just had this level of determination. What it means to me to create my life is that, I’m lucky. There was no expectation, so I just got to create.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #200Kevin on making good grades in highschool: “I came up with this rule when I was in high school, always more A’s than B’s and never any C’s.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #200“Everybody creates their life, but you transitioned from the motivating factor behind the creation. It seems like you started out as ‘I’m creating my life because I’m running from something’, and the Kevin Y. Brown that I know in 2023 creates his life because he’s chasing something.” - Eric N. Fondren, Create Your Life Series, #200“I had to make peace with where I was from, what challenges I had to endure, and what was less than ideal. I think that personal work has helped because it has allowed me to be free from those shackles of having to live within that space. In order to create, you have to be free.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #200“I’ve always been very transparent with my audience about the things that I’m working on as well. Because it’s not me sitting up here trying to give you this grand advice as much as I’m in this with you too; these are the things that I'm learning; this is where I might be falling short; these are the things I’m looking to improve.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #200“I think a lot of times that vision of the life we create and that belief of where we want to be, sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to already be that person that we don’t even stop to realize the value of who we are today and what we’re doing for the people around us.” - Eric N. Fondren, Create Your Life Series, #200“Many people think about creating your own life as this love story to yourself and it’s this beautiful arc, but just like every story there is some conflict, there is a valley that you have to walk through.” - Eric N. Fondren, Create Your Life Series, #200“Life has its ups and downs, but if you keep going straight everything will work out. You have to persevere; you have to keep going.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #200“Being able to admit when you’re wrong and having no problem being wrong is, I think, the ultimate goal. If you’re okay with being wrong, you can be taught. And if you can keep learning, you never go out of style; you can always evolve. But you have to be honest with yourself.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #200Resources Mentioned
AfripodsSlack softwareGoogle suiteFavorite Book
PowerNomics by Dr. Claud AndersonThe Alchemist by Paulo CoelhoFavorite Quote
“Excellence is the bare minimum.” - Kanye West“Do it well or not at all.”3 Keys to Create Your Best Life
Do it well or not at all. Be consistent.Be you. Be authentic. Be original.Be curious. Try different things and explore.Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
YouTube: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: Kevin Y Brown
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Eric Fondren
Instagram: ericnfondren
Twitter: Eric Fondren
LinkedIn: Eric Fondren
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Afripods, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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Episode Summary
This week Kevin Y. Brown has a discussion with Molly Jensen, his colleague and CEO of the growing pan-African podcast hosting company, Afripods. They talk about how Afripods helps creators take up as much space as possible while getting paid for their genius, and the ways that they uniquely serve African creators and consumers. Molly shares how a New Yorker ended up in Nairobi, what she’s learned about leading and motivating a team, how she’s working to overcome challenges and get comfortable with discomfort and uncertainty, and the ways that her experience as an athlete have translated into her success as a CEO. Kevin and Molly discuss the personal habits that fuel their days, the idea of legacy, and the difference between the juice and the sauce–you’ll want to listen in to find out!
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Molly Jensen
Molly Jensen is the Chief Executive Officer of Afripods, a free pan-African podcast hosting platform building the largest library of African audio stories on the planet, based in Nairobi, Kenya. With the ability to categorize in over 50 languages and with content from over 30 countries including that from individual podcasters, radio stations and media houses, Afripods is the home for African podcasting across the continent and within the Diaspora. As a Ghanaian-American born in New York, Molly is extremely excited to help digitize African stories and wants to see African creators take up as much space as possible while creating avenues to help them get paid for their work. She has over ten years of experience across people management, sales, marketing and technology. Molly has spoken at Podcast Movement, Africa Podcast Day, Africa Media Festival, BBC Media Leaders conferences, and Advertising Week Africa as well as most recently featured in Forbes, The Guardian, Reuters, JamLab Africa, Podcast Sessions and Apple Podcasts.
Insights From the Episode
Advice on how you can fill your cup and show up for yourself so you can better support othersTips for aspiring business leaders and women, in particular, wanting to build their own companiesStrategies for identifying distinguishing qualities in people and assembling a powerful teamWhat makes Afripods different from other podcast-hosting companiesStrategies for being a good leader and managing relationships with team members in the workplaceDiscussion on the differences between doing business in Africa vs. in New YorkTips for problem-solving when your perspective is different from your team membersThoughts on the future of podcasting in Kenya and Africa as a wholeQuotes from the Show
“With Afripods we’re able to speak to these creators, we’re able to create a technical solution for them, we’re able to advocate for them. When I look at my role it’s not just a privilege to be in a position as an executive, there’s a real responsibility to do right by the people on the ground. My job isn’t just enforcing my opinion; my job is listening to what creators want and then advocating for it and making sure that it happens alongside our incredible team. That’s what we do, and that’s why I think it’s important.” - Molly Jensen, Create Your Life Series, #199“I think a lot of times you want everything to go right, and you’ll miss your opportunity to catch the wave by waiting for perfection. A lot of times it’s not you that’s causing the delay–it’s your team, it’s another person, it’s getting reviews back–and I think trusting yourself, you will never look back and be upset if you trusted yourself. You will look back and be upset if you trusted someone else and things went wrong, but if you trust yourself and you make a mistake, that’s just a learning experience. I’m definitely working on my ability to be comfortable with failing.“ - Molly Jensen, Create Your Life Series, #199On doing business in Africa: “People care about relationships, which then goes back to this innate understanding of community. People matter. And once I really understood that the connecting piece of all this was people, I was able to lean in on experience and continue to research the best ways to get maximum value out of people.” - Molly Jensen, Create Your Life Series, #199“Work is work, and when we have a problem or if someone feels disrespected, we have to stop. The thing is, we can argue until we’re blue in the face about if this table is black or if it’s navy blue… if someone says, ‘Are you blind? This table is black!’, that’s disrespectful. I think as you touch an emotion what happens is that you make people feel less than, you make people feel insecure, you make people feel not confident to speak, so from a work perspective, we can do as much work as we can–there’s going to be more work tomorrow and the day after that and after that–but if you feel unsafe, if you feel disrespected, if you feel you can’t voice your opinion, we have to stop and handle that.” - Molly Jensen, Create Your Life Series, #199“Everyone who has an opinion thinks their opinion is right–that’s the thing about an opinion. For me, I am working at being better at listening, hearing people all the way through. Not just having my thought and waiting to speak my thought, but actually hearing what someone else says.” - Molly Jensen, Create Your Life Series, #199“The funny thing about making a mistake is someone can tell you that you’re about to make a mistake and it won't stop you from making the mistake. Sometimes you have to make the mistake yourself and know how bad it is so you won’t do it again.” - Molly Jensen, Create Your Life Series, #199“When you distill it, we’re really talking about storytelling in Africa and the opportunity to memorialize language, the opportunity to reposition and evolve regular radio talk shows to a more on-demand version. I don’t think radio’s going anywhere, but I think podcasts provide another opportunity for people to engage with highly specialized niche content, and why would we let anyone who doesn’t care about that into this space? I think that it’s a win across the board, whether big multinationals come into place, whether local businesses are built up, what we know is that Afropods is advocating for the creator which means that everyone is going to have to advocate for the creator. You’re not going to be able to be successful if you don’t advocate for the creator, and I feel very proud about that.” - Molly Jensen, Create Your Life Series, #199“I am one of those people that believe I want my life to be measured in moments of celebration. I throw a party for everything, and what I’m so grateful for is that my community shows up. When I ask for help, they show up.” - Molly Jensen, Create Your Life Series, #199“I feel like sometimes the support you have in one situation is not the support you’re going to have in another situation, and I think that it depends on what you need but you also need to either know that you need something or know what you need. You may not know what it is that you need, but if you know that you need something you can ask for it, and I’m not afraid to ask, I’m not afraid to be exposed, I’m not afraid to be vulnerable. I think there’s a lot of power in vulnerability, and I am grateful that the champions that surround me, the ones who are rooting for me, the ones who want me to be successful, the ones who comment on my Instagrams, the ones who are praying for me without knowing what’s going on…they’re all part of my community, and whether they want to be or not, they’re in the game with me.” - Molly Jensen, Create Your Life Series, #199 “It’s becoming even more comfortable with people essentially not liking you. Sometimes people’s issues have to do with themselves and don’t necessarily have anything to do with you, and then sometimes might just not be feeling you… I just have to realize and be okay with who I am and how I operate, while also being open to being wrong and doing things differently and accepting feedback.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #199“If somebody spends the time to tell you what you could be doing better, I think that is them expressing love and expressing that they care, and that it’s my responsibility to take that love and then move differently.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #199Resources Mentioned
Juice vs Sauce Explained Best Buy employee videoLinkedInGmailFavorite Book
Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building by Claire Hughes JohnsonFavorite Quote
“It’s not the juice, it’s the sauce.” - Kevin Y. Brown via Juice vs. Sauce video3 Keys to Create Your Best Life
Go after it.You only have one life.Love on everyone, hard.Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: Kevin Y Brown
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Molly Jensen
LinkedIn: Molly Jensen
Twitter: mj_acosua
Afripods
Website: Afripods
Twitter: afripods
Instagram: afripods
Facebook: Afripods
LinkedIn: Afripods
YouTube: Afripods
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Stitcher, Afripods, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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Episode Summary
In this week’s live show, Kevin Y. Brown gives a presentation on The Opportunity within the African podcast industry, using his experience on the business, talent, and technical side of podcasting to analyze some of the statistics and trends that have been found in African markets. He talks about the rise of vernacular podcasts on the Continent, the value in authenticity and developing strong relationships, and how to be successful in the African market, especially when you’re coming in as a newcomer. Kevin answers questions on the size of the African market and how podcasting can become a sustainable business, along with how we can support Afripods from across the Diaspora and collaborate with other creators to strengthen the industry as a whole. Get a deeper look into Kevin’s podcast beginnings, the launch of his production company Podcast Laundry and the Create Your Life Series, and hear the story of how his trip to Africa gave him the spark to move to Nairobi and become a part of the emerging African podcast ecosystem.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Insights From the Episode
How an African American came to be working on the ground in the podcasting industry in AfricaInsights into the trends and behaviors of the emerging African marketHow to work to be a part of the community and respect those that have existed in the space before youThe importance of authenticity, relationships, and coming into a new market with a student mindsetDifferences between podcasting in Africa vs. in the WestTips for finding success in different African marketsInsights into how podcasters are working to create a sustainable industry and where we can growTechnical insights on advertising, release schedules, recording lengths, genres, and podcast appsQuotes from the Show
“At Afripods, we’re really encouraging creators to do content in their vernacular because as the world becomes more westernized, it’s really important for people–especially in Africa–to preserve their history, culture, traditions, and also language so that future generations can also have an authentic African experience. I think that podcasting is a low-cost way for us to achieve this goal. That’s something that I’m really passionate about when it comes to podcasting and the industry in Africa.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #198“In the different countries people have different behaviors because all of these countries have different things going on. What I think is important is you have to really go in and respect the way that people do things and really learn. We can’t go in with a colonial mindset of this is how things should be done, this is how we should view them, etc. We have to literally be students of how things operate and ask a lot of questions in order to understand the behaviors.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #198“In order for podcasting to grow as an industry overall, we’re going to need help from the Diaspora and there’s going to need to be a collaborative effort. No industry is an island.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #198On moving into the African market as an outsider and collaborating with partners: “As knowledgeable as you may be or you may feel, you still need to bring somebody who is from home into the mix and have them having the conversations and being a part as a student. A lot of the time it’s you getting out of the spotlight and supporting your team members in order for the greater good of the industry.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #198Particularly in the African market: “Essential for success is relationships. Money is great, but people have to like you and need to know you, and that might require a couple of warm intros for you to get the conversation and really move things. I cannot stress the value of relationships enough. Everything will depend upon a relationship and you really have to do a good job in guarding it, nurturing it, and making sure that you’re watering it, because you won’t be able to move forward if you don’t have the relationships.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #198“You need to be able to adapt, you need to ask a lot of questions, and you need to understand–I can’t stress that enough. You have to understand and you have to be curious about how to continue to improve. It’s like being a student everyday.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #198“You want to exercise patience. While your time might be valuable to you, it might not be a priority to someone else, so you need to exercise patience and persistence.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #198“Understand the benefits of your client. From city to city, from country to country, those benefits may look differently so it’s going to require some additional research and conversations with people on the ground who are working in the industry and understand what it is that is driving this particular media house, this particular set of creators, this particular set of creators who are part of this particular collective.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #198“I think it’s important that whatever you’re asking for, however you want to contribute, that it’s mutually beneficial. A lot of times people’s ask can be one-sided, so I think it’s really important to make sure that your value is mutually beneficial.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #198Resources Mentioned
Africa Podfest, who has compiled the statistics on behaviorThe Gold Coast ReportMosaic Conference (hosted by The Gold Coast Report)Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: Kevin Y Brown
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Stitcher, Afripods, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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Episode Summary
In this week’s episode of the Africa X series, Kevin is joined by Rutendo Nyamuda, founder and CEO of pan-African podcast company Tinzwe Media and host of “The Podcast Sessions”, “In My 20s”, and the poetry and storytelling podcast told in each guest’s mother tongue, “Inside Wants Out.” Rutendo shares her thoughts on innovation and incorporating other mediums into podcasting such as video, TikTok, YouTube shorts, and print–as she’s done with her own digital magazine companion to “The Podcast Sessions”, Africa’s first pan-African podcast magazine. She talks about ways to cater to those who want to consume something visual while still staying true to the roots of the audio medium along with offering an opportunity for podcasters to tell their stories in a different way. Rutendo and Kevin share how best to learn from the people you respect and incorporate their practices in your own life in a way that works for you, feeling excited about the person you’re becoming, and the origins of the Create Your Life Series.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Rutendo Nyamuda
Rutendo Nyamuda is the founder and CEO of Tinzwe Media, a podcast company focused on the pan-African podcast industry. The company produces three original podcasts, “The Podcast Sessions”, “In My 20s” and “Inside Wants Out“. Tinzwe Media also produces Africa’s first pan-African digital podcast magazine also titled “The Podcast Sessions”. In her career she has worked across various areas of the media and entertainment industry including journalism, TV production, corporate video production, PR and podcasting. Rutendo has written for prominent publications including: ELLE SA, Forbes Africa, CNBC Africa Online and the Huffington Post. She has also worked in TV for The Expresso Morning Show and The Afternoon Express Show (SABC3).
An avid speaker, she served as the President of the Ernst and Young Toastmasters Club for the 2019 / 2020 season. She was also recognised as one of the top 10 Toastmasters speakers in the SADC region for 2019/2020. In addition, she is a voice over artist having voiced adverts as well as corporate videos for the likes of: ABSA, Takealot, MultiChoice, TCM, and the SA-Eu Strategic Partnership to name a few. In 2020 Rutendo was featured on the prestigious Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans list for her work in the podcast industry.
Insights From the Episode
Rutendo’s vision for the future of podcastingWhy it’s important to share stories in other mother tongues and for listeners to hear them, even if they don’t understand the wordsInsights into how the South African podcasting market differs from other markets on the ContinentHow to find and grow your audienceHow you can contribute to the podcast industry even if you don’t have your own podcastTips for new African podcasters who are starting out in the industryWhen numbers can help you as a form of feedback, and when you should ignore themHow the role of a mentor differs from a friend, the different kinds of mentors in our lives, and how to make the most of the time and resources they give youGetting past the mental block of overthinking and searching for perfectionQuotes from the Show
When she was looking for a job after being retrenched: “I asked myself, ‘if money wasn’t an object, what is it that you would do?’” - Rutendo Nyamuda, Create Your Life Series, #197 [05:50]“Let’s put podcasters on the covers of magazines. We have such a rich African storytelling, podcasting community… Why aren’t we on the covers of magazines? And people are saying, ‘I really like this person, they inspire me.’ They should be seen. They should be on the cover of a magazine. Because maybe they won’t be on the cover of an ELLE or a Vogue or a TIME, but we can put you on the cover of our magazine because we see you and we appreciate the work that you’re doing and you’re changing the game in such big ways.” - Rutendo Nyamuda, Create Your Life Series, #197 [12:05]“As someone who was born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, there is this sense of being a child of the Diaspora, but there’s also a sense of longing. You’re always longing for the sense of trying to find yourself, trying to discover yourself. Being born in Zim and raised in South Africa, I wasn’t South African enough. There are certain things that from a cultural perspective would miss me. I didn’t grow up in Zim, so as much as I understand parts of my culture that I do understand, sometimes it’s like, ‘I didn’t know that.’ You’re discovering. And wherever I travel on the Continent, you feel a sense of ‘I get the culture, I can feel that sense of being African, but at the same time it’s like I want to get to understand your culture a little bit more’ because I think we are incredibly interconnected as Africans in so many more ways than not.” - Rutendo Nyamuda, Create Your Life Series, #197 [16:08]“I would love to see more podcasts around culture, around language, around understanding the history of various countries, practices, why practices were done, why they weren’t done.” - Rutendo Nyamuda, Create Your Life Series, #197 [19:12]“If you are growing a business or you’re starting a company, you want to make sure it’s sustainable without you so you don’t always have to be there. I want to take holidays, I want to take a break, I want to know that there is a team that are in positions to do this, and that is the way that we make this profitable and sustainable.” - Rutendo Nyamuda, Create Your Life Series, #197 [22:30]“I think what the big podcasters and podcasts have managed to do really well is they’ve found their audience. You have the sense of ‘we’re not trying to reach everyone. We’re trying to reach this group of people, and by trying to reach this small group of people we just happen to be reaching a whole bunch of people.’ They know their audience. They know who they’re speaking to.” - Rutendo Nyamuda, Create Your Life Series, #197 [31:26]“This game doesn’t work if everyone is not able to succeed. You can’t be only one and then say I’m in an industry of one. You can be the first and you can amplify, but there’s no harm in me sharing the success and challenges of The Podcast Sessions with the next person. ‘Lighting someone else’s candle doesn’t take away the light of your own candle’, and that’s why these conversations, these platforms, are really important.” - Rutendo Nyamuda, Create Your Life Series, #197 [35:15]“Life is a marathon. The things you do are a marathon, and the only way to really get out of these things what it is that you want is to be yourself and stay in your lane. Don’t watch what everybody else is doing; stay in your lane. Stay steadfast. Stay the course.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #197 [40:38]“I think there’s something to be said about doing what you say you’re going to do. To me that’s what builds your confidence, that by continuously doing what you’ve said you’re going to do it’s like, ‘I’ve done the work, so there’s no way you’re going to shake this foundation.’”- Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #197 [01:06:47]“A lot of times when I look at people I respect, I’m really looking at their ‘how.’ Because the ‘why’ and the ‘what’ can always change and that can be personal, but the ‘how’, the steps to getting there, is something that you can repeat and put your own twist on it, making it into something that works for you.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #197 [01:09:02]Resources Mentioned
Inside Wants Out podcastIn My 20s podcastChatGPTFavorite Book
The Alchemist by Paulo CoelhoFavorite Quote
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - Marianne Williamson3 Keys to Create Your Best Life
Decide what it is that you want. Sometimes we are influenced by society, family, or friends, and we don’t actually know what we want.Don’t be afraid to unlearn and relearn. You can change if you want to change.You are going to fail. Tell yourself it’s okay to fail and keep moving. It’s not going to be perfect.Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: Kevin Y Brown
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Rutendo Nyamuda
Website: Tinzwe Media
Twitter: roo10dough
Instagram: roo10dough
The Podcast Sessions
Website: The Podcast Sessions
TikTok: thepodcast sessions
Facebook: The Podcast Sessions
Email: [email protected]
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Stitcher, Afripods, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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Episode Summary
In this special episode of the Africa X series, Kevin Y. Brown moderates a discussion on The Emergence of the African podcast industry with a panel of four experts who all contribute to content in the African podcasting ecosystem: Dan Aceda, Kim Fox, Molly Jensen, and Anthony Frasier. The panel goes through statistics on African creators and their listenership, giving their takes on where the industry’s strengths lie, areas for growth, and what needs to happen to get there. They discuss how the organizations that they are a part of–Afripods, SemaBOX, PodFest Cairo, and ABF Creative–are working to meet the needs of both their creators and listeners, encourage and support underrepresented voices in media to share and distribute their stories and reduce barriers to entry so that creators have the resources they need to consistently create audio content. They answer audience questions from current and aspiring podcasters and end with a call to action to support and uplift African creators.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Dan Aceda
Dan Aceda is an activist, entrepreneur, actor, and award-winning musician. He is the founder and CEO of SemaBOX, a podcast studio based in Nairobi, Kenya that helps emerging podcasters create and distribute their stories across the world and is the largest podcast production company in Africa, producing over 700 different episodes with 200 podcast creators. In 2021 they launched the DADA Podcast Incubator, a program to upskill, to publish and create a platform specifically for women and non-binary people whose stories and storytelling ideas can resonate globally. Dan is a board member of the Music Publishers Association of Kenya and co-founded Studio Tisa, an online live music platform that acts as a virtual concert venue to showcase live music from the people of East Africa and beyond.
Kim Fox
Kim Fox is a professor of practice in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (JRMC) at The American University in Cairo (AUC) in Cairo, Egypt, primarily teaching Audio Production and other journalism courses. She spent decades working in the US radio industry in various positions at WOUB AM/FM/TV in Athens, Ohio; WIZF in Cincinnati, Ohio; WBLK in Buffalo, New York, WAKR in Akron, Ohio and many more. In 2020 Kim founded PodFest Cairo, Egypt’s first podcasting conference, hosting nearly 100 podcasters for learning sessions and a podcast pitch competition. As the executive producer of the award-winning Ehky Ya Masr (Tell Your Story Egypt) Podcast, a narrative nonfiction podcast about life in Cairo, Egypt, she works with young freelance producers, many of them former students, writing and editing audio content. Kim is also the Vice President of Academic Affairs for the Broadcast Education Association and the Co-President of AIR, the Association of Independents in Radio.
Molly Jensen
Molly Jensen is the Chief Executive Officer of Afripods, a free pan-African podcast hosting platform building the largest library of African audio stories on the planet, based in Nairobi, Kenya. With the ability to categorize in over 50 languages and with content from over 30 countries including that from individual podcasters, radio stations and media houses, Afripods is the home for African podcasting across the continent and within the Diaspora. As a Ghanaian-American born in New York, Molly is extremely excited to help digitize African stories and wants to see African creators take up as much space as possible while creating avenues to help them get paid for their work. She has over ten years of experience across people management, sales, marketing and technology. Molly has spoken at Podcast Movement, Africa Podcast Day, Africa Media Festival, BBC Media Leaders conferences, and Advertising Week Africa as well as most recently featured in Forbes, The Guardian, Reuters, JamLab Africa, Podcast Sessions and Apple Podcasts.
Anthony Frasier
Anthony Frasier is a tech entrepreneur, digital strategist, and the CEO and founder of ABF Creative, a multicultural podcasting production company that produces kids and family podcasts for people of color. Frasier also currently serves as the entrepreneur in residence for Newark Venture Partners, a fund created by Audible & Amazon to help bring more tech startups to his hometown of Newark, NJ. Anthony's mission is to tell and amplify stories that bring entertaining and positive transformations to as many lives as possible.
Insights From the Episode
Insights into the relationship between radio and the emergence of the podcasting industry in AfricaThoughts on how to get more creators to record podcasts in their native vernacular languagesHow platforms can evolve to improve discoverability both within Africa and outside of the Continent to highlight African storiesDiscussion on how to raise the awareness and quality of local content to get the same kind of listenership as international podcastsHow we can support, empower, and connect with the African podcasting ecosystemWhy we should care about content coming from AfricaQuotes from the Show
On the relationship between radio broadcasts and podcasts: “We are a continent of orated history. We’re comfortable getting information from our ears, and radio is the most prevalent medium on the Continent. As the digitization of internet media, technology, and podcasts becomes more popular, it’s important to meet people where they are.” - Molly Jensen, Create Your Life Series, #196“In the existence of our studio, the early adopters were female. They were the first ones who came and the first ones to try a new technology, telling new stories. They were also the ones with multiple different vulnerabilities that needed to be highlighted; stories that needed to be told. As soon as that became clear to us at SemaBOX, we were mobilizing as much as we could to find ways to discover more voices and make sure that those are on the right platform. Even though women–as Thomas Sankara said–’hold up half of the sky’, their voices don’t represent half of what you hear on radio or on the internet. They are valid, fantastic, and they need to be out there.” - Dan Aceda, Create Your Life Series, #196On breaking into podcasting in Africa: “My advice would be to find someone who you can collaborate with, especially on the Continent where there are so many universities you can tap into, to help bring your resources and get some resources from them as well.” - Kim Fox, Create Your Life Series, #196“We all want to see African creators take up as much space as possible, but also get paid for their genius.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #196“Podcasting is a low-cost way for us to be able to preserve history, culture, traditions, and language. Other languages will die if we do not preserve them or if we are not using them, so for future Africans, no matter where they are throughout the Diaspora, in order for them to have an authentic history they need to hear their language, culture, and traditions from themselves.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #196“One of the biggest focuses for Afripods is that we’re making sure we’re building a product with the African creator in mind, but also with the African creators’ input.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #196“You have to have an Africa strategy. If you don’t have one, there’s a problem. You’re missing out on a billion people, a huge market to not be talking about. There needs to be more investment in local platforms–Afripods, SemaBOX, Africa Podfest, Podfest Cairo–because we are the ones that have granular knowledge of the market and can lead the world towards what can work because we work with it every day.” - Dan Aceda, Create Your Life Series, #196“If you don’t have an Africa strategy, you do not have a growth strategy. And that’s on everything.” - Molly Jensen, Create Your Life Series, #196“Podcasting has hit a wall when you think about listeners. There’s only a few growth areas where more listeners can come in–people of color in the U.S., kids and family, and other continents like Africa. That’s the reason why you need that strategy. The only way you’re going to grow podcasting in general is if more people start to create outside this continent.” - Anthony Frasier, Create Your Life Series, #196“If you want to craft an Africa strategy, you need Africans. A lot of times Africans are not the ones telling our own stories, and that has to change. We need to be a part of the development strategy for the things that affect us. If it’s about me, it needs to include me.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #196“I think it’s important to be an advocate, to be an ally, to a lot of the people who are already on the ground creating content.” - Anthony Frasier, Create Your Life Series, #196“More is more. We need more visibility, we need more press, we need more money, we need more resources, we need more people speaking, yelling, talking about Africa–especially when we’re not in the room. We need more being curious, reaching out to people on the ground, and making sure we’re taking up space.” - Molly Jensen, Create Your Life Series, #196“There is no better opportunity at this point than Africa. If you’re looking for content, it has to come from Africa. Everyone is under 19 years old. There needs to be a shift into what’s happening with Black people. Fundamentally I think Black women, Black American women, are the curators of culture, and I think Black women need to get more credit for that. The entire Black experience is not seeing the value they create financially, and that’s exploitation. Exploitation is not capturing the value you create, so making sure that African creators are getting paid the same in bringing stories to the forefront. … We cannot take a piece of the pie right now; we need the pie to get bigger.” - Molly Jensen, Create Your Life Series, #196Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: Kevin Y Brown
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Dan Aceda
Website: Dan Aceda
Website: SemaBOX
Website: Studio Tisa
Website: DADA Incubator
Instagram: danaceda
YouTube: 1mwarabu
Twitter: Dan Aceda
Facebook: Dan Aceda Music
LinkedIn: Dan Aceda
Kim Fox
Tilda: Kim Fox
Instagram: ohradiogirl
Instagram: PodFest Cairo
Facebook: PodFest Cairo
Twitter: KimFoxWOSU
Podcast: Ehky Ya Masr
Molly Jensen
Website: Afripods
LinkedIn: Molly Jensen
Twitter: mj_acosua
Anthony Frasier
Website: ABF Creative
LinkedIn: Anthony Frasier
Instagram: anthonyfrasier
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Stitcher, Afripods, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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Episode Summary
In this week’s episode of the Africa X series, Kevin is joined by Gavin Kennedy, a pioneer of podcasting in South Africa whose company, Solid Gold Podcasts, was one of the first podcasting studios on the Continent. Solid Gold is a family company that produces podcasts for over 100 clients from hobbyists to corporations to the United Nations, communicating serious messages to women and young girls in Africa and the challenges they face. He shares his wisdom on starting out in a newly developing industry and the challenges and risks that come with experimentation, how life coaching has helped him in running a successful business and working with his family, and the importance of always having something in the pipeline that you can wake up and feel excited about. Listen in to learn more about how as a leader you can help foster creativity and motivation and create your own best life.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Gavin Kennedy
Gavin Kennedy is the founder of Solid Gold Podcasts, a podcast and audiobook production company that has 11 studios, a team of professional creators, and produces over 100 podcasts and growing. Gavin comes from a family of entrepreneurs and has always worked in one of his family’s businesses before branching off and starting his own, including video and audio post-production (The Wave Factory Facilities), running radio stations (Solid Gold FM), and television broadcasting (SABC, MNET, Soweto TV). Along the way he was certified as a Life Coach which has helped clarify thinking and strategy for himself and his clients when he launched the Solid Gold Podcasts production company. Gavin is dedicated to helping people Be Heard and share their stories, and his love for the industry is evident across the work he does everyday. "It doesn't matter how many people you reach, but that you reach the people who matter." - Gavin Kennedy
Insights From the Episode
The challenges and the benefits of being the first in a space, taking on the risk but also having room to experimentRecognizing where your strengths lie and when it makes sense to delegate tasks to others who have those strengthsHow to keep business and personal relationships separate when you’re working in a family businessFostering a creative and supportive work environmentHow to navigate challenges when dealing with difficult clientsThe key to staying motivated when you’re starting out in a new ventureTips for focusing on how you can be happy even when everything isn’t perfectQuotes from the Show
“There’s a niche for everybody. No matter what you talk about, there’s going to be somebody. They say that if you’re one in a million, there’s 7000 of you on the planet. That’s quite a number, so you should be able to find your tribe.“ - Gavin Kennedy, Create Your Life Series, #195“We are trying very hard not to sell a commodity; for us it’s about a relationship. In technical terms, anybody can make a podcast. The barriers to entry are so ridiculously low that if you get into a commodity/price war it’s just a race to the bottom. We’re trying to make it easy for clients to make a podcast.” - Gavin Kennedy, Create Your Life Series, #195“You should be doing your thing three hours a day, whatever you’re curious about or interested in. If you do something for three hours a day for a month, that’s 90 hours. If you do that for a year, it’s 1000 hours.” - Gavin Kennedy, Create Your Life Series, #195“When you’re hiring people, you’re really hiring for how they are going to be in the operation of the business, not what did they do. The interview is about clues to who they might be, but you really want to watch them in operation. You want to see them thriving; you want to see them happy; you want to see them enjoying stuff. How can you do what needs to be done while feeling and looking and being excited that way? I don’t want to make anybody come to work who doesn’t want to be there. You have tough days, but it’s realizing that you’re working with somebody to create something. You’re an integral part of capturing what somebody is trying to say and share, and that’s the most fundamental thing.” - Gavin Kennedy, Create Your Life Series, #195On working with difficult people: “Sometimes it’s about managing the relationship more than the work. People come to you because you’re an expert; you don’t need to demonstrate and beat them with your expertise, you just need to do good work.” - Gavin Kennedy, Create Your Life Series, #195“I think the most important thing that creative people forget is that if you try and protect and constrain and limit people using your creativity, you stop growing and being creative. The more you are creative, the more creativity will bubble out of you. You’re not going to use it all up. So if you do something and somebody copies you, it’s pointless being resentful–be creative again. It will come again. Creativity breeds creativity–you’re never going to use it all up, so don’t get stuck by holding on to your past best work.” - Gavin Kennedy, Create Your Life Series, #195“The art of mentoring is about shutting up more and asking good questions. You might know the answer to the question, and you might be surprised by the answer or part of the answer that you didn’t know that the mentee does know because of their age or experiences. If someone comes and asks, ‘where should I host my podcast?’, I’m not just going to say you should host it there; it’s going to be a series of questions–tell me more about the podcast, where are you going, what are you trying to do, what’s your budget–a range of questions that lead to the revelation of an answer as opposed to ‘well I’ve been doing this for longer than you, I’m going to prescribe what the answer is.” - Gavin Kennedy, Create Your Life Series, #195“You have to have a goal. If you aren’t heading towards something, you’re just ambling around. The clearer the goal is, the easier it is to move in that direction. But even if the goal isn’t crystal clear, at least you should be pointing in the direction.” - Gavin Kennedy, Create Your Life Series, #195“Describe things as you want them, not as you don’t want them… If you’re thinking about what you don’t want to do, you’re cluttering your path with things that are obstructing you.” - Gavin Kennedy, Create Your Life Series, #195“Reading and writing is about taking the spoken word and not losing it. If 50,000 years ago we were able to record the spoken word, would we have evolved language as much as we did? We learned to read and write so that we could capture what we were saying and not lose it, and now we are actually able to record what we’re saying and not lose it. I think we’re going to revert to the mean, which is spoken word, and there are going to be a lot more creative manifestations of it.” - Gavin Kennedy, Create Your Life Series, #195“You get ‘and’ and ‘or’ views to the world. If I ask you what makes you sad, what you’ll tend to do is list a couple of things and say ‘this makes me sad or this makes me sad or this makes me sad’, and if I ask you what makes you happy, you’ll say ‘this makes me happy and this makes me happy and this makes me happy.’ By making something an and, you make it cumulative–they all have to be in place for you to be happy, and you’re making it harder for you to be happy than to be sad. If my dog dies, I’m sad. If I get a new puppy and if I’ve got a job and if I see my friends, I’m happy. You have to put all three of those things together to be happy, and we do this subconsciously. We should just take the win–I got a new puppy, I’m happy. And vs. or. The and is going to make your life challenging.” - Gavin Kennedy, Create Your Life Series, #195“I’m really into people’s work ethic and the way that their mind works. I get fascinated with the people around me and the way that they think. I’m really interested in people’s work ethics and their processes.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #195Resources Mentioned
Rode tech - RodeCaster Pro II, NT-U mikes, Wireless GO mikesEntrepreneurs on Fire podcastInside the Vault with Ash Cash podcastEarn Your Leisure podcastTalking Thrones YouTube channelFavorite Book
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn RandThe Covenant by James A. MichenerThe Richest Man in Babylon by George S. ClasonFavorite Quote
“To be understood, you must first be heard.” - Solid Gold Podcasts motto3 Keys to Create Your Best Life
Trust yourself.Have a purposeful, meaningful destination.Take people with you. Have fun with people along that journey.Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: Kevin Y Brown
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Gavin Kennedy
Website: Solid Gold Podcasts
Email: Gavin Kennedy
LinkedIn: Gavin Kennedy
Instagram: Solid Gold Podcasts
Facebook: Solid Gold Podcast Studios
Twitter: Solid Gold Pods
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Stitcher, Afripods, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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Episode Summary
This week Kevin is joined by Tony Doe, a veteran radio and podcast consultant with years of experience, both behind the scenes for multi-format radio stations and on-air as the face and voice behind the Tony Doe podcast. He is also a featured voice artist on the Africa X theme intro! With his experience, Tony gives back to the community through his work in promoting other podcasts and curating an industry newsletter and podcast called Podcast Related, which provides insightful commentary and analysis on the latest happenings in the Podverse. Kevin and Tony discuss how we can support and amplify the voices of others in the podcasting community, the power in taking on different perspectives and sharing your own, and Tony gets an update on Kevin’s progress in immersing himself in the football fandom through his 2 plus years of living in Kenya.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Tony Doe
Tony Doe is a Radio and Podcast Consultant, out of Lagos, Nigeria who has dedicated his expertise to shaping and supporting the growth of podcasts in Nigeria and beyond. As the Country Representative for APVA in Nigeria, he is committed to championing African voice talents, including podcasters, voice-over artists, spoken word artists, poets, and more. His goal is to provide these unique voices with the recognition and attention they deserve. Tony hosts his own successful podcast, “The Tony Doe Podcast,” as well as curates the informative podcast industry newsletter/podcast, "Podcast Related.” Through these endeavors, he actively contributes to the knowledge-sharing and growth of the podcasting community. His audio series, "Into The Podverse," delves into the latest innovations, challenges, and opportunities for podcasters, with a particular focus on the African perspective. The show features exclusive interviews with influential figures in the podverse, providing valuable insights and expertise to elevate the voices and experiences of the podcasting community.
Insights From the Episode
Tips for getting into voice artistry and podcasting in today’s podcasting ecosystemBalancing ambition with enjoying life and giving time to the people you loveThe importance of being vulnerable and asking for help when you need itHow to navigate negative perceptions from people who don’t understand what you’re doingLearning to recognize when to push through challenges and when to let something goThe importance of not just projecting self-confidence, but feeling that confidence from withinQuotes from the Show
“For everything I think I know I’m doing, I’m actually just winging it but God knows the rest. For everything I think I’m empowered to do, my strong faith base helps me deal with these things a little better. I think the key is to make up your mind to enjoy life.” - Tony Doe, Create Your Life Series, #194“What you declare over yourself consistently ends up playing a big part in how your life plays out.” - Tony Doe, Create Your Life Series, #194“We have stories to tell; we have talented people who have worldviews that need to be heard. For the longest time we’ve had to depend on what the west thought of us. They come in here, they see what you’re thinking and then they shape it into what they want it to be. It’s good to have a platform where the authentic stories can be told by the originators.” - Tony Doe, Create Your Life Series, #194“I feel like creators here are on another level of innovation. When you’re coming from a non-established market or industry, there’s room for you to just create. You might be creating something amazing and you might not even be aware of it, and I think we are definitely seeing that with the African creators.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #194“Know your ‘why’ because whatever you face going forward, you’ll go back to your ‘why’ and that will help you determine whether you’re on the right path or not.” - Tony Doe, Create Your Life Series, #194“There is always room for adaptation and that’s the beauty of this medium. Everything is changing, but people are changing as well and some people who are changing are changing at a rate that they can take other people along and help them not get lost.” - Tony Doe, Create Your Life Series, #194“I love podcasting. I love the culture, I love the ecosystem, and when you’re passionate about something, you’re going to be consistent with it. The passion even supersedes the consistency. You have to love it first to be consistent. It has to have a reward, and the reward is that it makes me feel good.” - Tony Doe, Create Your Life Series, #194“When you have a different perspective, especially one that’s complimentary to what you do, you begin to become a bit more vulnerable because you know that the end goal is something much better.” - Tony Doe, Create Your Life Series, #194Resources Mentioned
Afripods, a platform for African podcast creatorsPodcast Related newsletterFavorite Book
Maximizing Your Potential by Myles Munroe In the Meantime: Finding Yourself and the Love You Want by Iyanla VanzantFavorite Quote
“Hurry up slowly.” (Something his dad would tell him, meaning to be patient.)3 Keys to Create Your Best Life
Be true to yourself. Be authentic.Don’t be afraid to ask for help.Be of value to others. Be ready to offer value for what you want.Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: Kevin Y Brown
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Tony Doe
LinkedIn: Tony Doe
Instagram: tonydoemedia
Facebook: Tony Doe
Twitter: Tony Doe Media
Podcast: The Tony Doe Podcast
Newsletter: Podcast Related
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Stitcher, Afripods, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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Episode Summary
In this episode of the Africa X series Kevin Y. Brown speaks with Bidemi Adedire, the founder of the Association of African Podcasters and Voice Artists (APVA), on her passion behind the foundation and growth of a community-driven organization to amplify and celebrate the diversity of African voices and create opportunities for African creatives. As a Communications and Idea Strategist and Marketing Automation enthusiast, Bidemi has always been someone who loves to think outside of the box and come up with ideas. An avid podcaster herself, she was looking for a community and saw a need for accessible home-grown resources for African podcasters and voice artists which led to her taking a lead in bringing this community together. In 2022 they hosted one of their first major events, the APVA awards, which drew in 2200 nominations and 70,000 votes while showcasing growing talent and bringing attention to the potential of the African podcasting industry. Bidemi and Kevin discuss how to turn ideas and passion into action, the many forms of generosity that strengthen a community, and dreams about how podcasting can evolve in the future.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Bidemi Adedire
Bidemi Adedire is a Communications Expert, Idea Strategist and Marketing Automation enthusiast, crazy about discovery and constantly excited at the thought of learning new things. She is a passionate podcaster and adolescent health advocate, making every effort to promote both industries. Impact is everything! Bidemi is the founder of the Association of African Podcasters and Voice Artists which amplifies the voices of podcasters, voice artists, and spoken word artists through events and creating opportunities for African creatives. Her personal mantra is, “challenges are opportunities for growth and reskilling.”
Insights From the Episode
The current resources we have that cater to the needs of African creativesHow important it is to document our stories and why podcasts are an ideal way to share themKeys to balancing your goals when you have multiple projects you’re working onHow to keep the passion for your work going and avoid burnoutThe role of mentorship and learning from others who can share their experienceThoughts on the future of podcasting in Nigeria and Africa as a wholeTips for setting up a group to keep you accountable to your goalsQuotes from the Show
“I love ideas. I’m an ideas person, but I also like to test ideas. For me, passion is also key; it’s the thing that keeps us going. If I’m talking about the challenges of APVA, I also wake up every day and the first thing I think about is APVA, so it’s important that I don’t start something and get tired of it. When I put it in writing I realize there’s a lot we can do, so right now the excitement is that what we have is amazing, but there’s a lot more to achieve. Because I am looking forward to seeing these things come to pass, I keep myself energized and I want to see APVA become the community I envisioned.” - Bidemi Adedire, Create Your Life Series, #193“We have seen that as the result of the surge in wanting to share our narratives, we are shifting what people think about Africa.” - Bidemi Adedire, Create Your Life Series, #193“Philanthropy in the Global North is different than in the Global South in Africa where it’s ingrained in our culture. Because it’s in our culture, it’s in our everyday lives, we don’t see the reason to be intentional about documenting these things, so it begins to look like philanthropy doesn’t really exist or has been taught to Africans. With podcasts, it gives us that opportunity to document our stories.” - Bidemi Adedire, Create Your Life Series, #193“We want to create a space where every audio creative feels like a celebrity… we want to tell Africans that what they are doing matters, that what they are doing is important, and encourage them so they do not stop doing what they do. Burnout is real, and sometimes when you feel like no one is listening you might want to stop talking. APVA is here to encourage everyone to keep up what they do and create a connection point for potential sponsors and collaboration. This can only be possible when we have a structure in place, and this is what APVA is here for.” - Bidemi Adedire, Create Your Life Series, #193“I believe in what we want to do, and I try to manifest what we want to achieve.” - Bidemi Adedire, Create Your Life Series, #193“One of the things I love is how we’re so communal and collaborative across the industry, across the continent. I think it also gives us the opportunity to learn from each other.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #193“Giving up is not a part of me. I know that there are going to be challenges, so I always take on projects with the mind of ‘come rain, come sunshine, this is happening.’ When it looks like we’ve hit a dead end, I just think of another way. There is always an alternative way of achieving something, so I do not quit. I don’t start what I can’t finish.” - Bidemi Adedire, Create Your Life Series, #193“I’m looking forward to the time when podcasting will be an actual industry for people to select on forms, when people can say ‘I’m a full-time podcaster.’ That’s the future.” - Bidemi Adedire, Create Your Life Series, #193“There are so many different types of generosity. I have some friends who are super generous with knowledge. I have another friend who’s just a very kind person; she’s someone I can always call on, so I think that’s a way of being generous. Even when people offer you grace in order to grow; people who give you feedback to become someone better or even course-correct or course-accelerate. I think that’s generous because a lot of times people can just be quiet and let you go on at the pace you are, but when people offer you feedback or advice I look at that as generosity. My grandmother, who’s turning 99 in a couple of weeks, is generous for the way she’s always so welcoming and warm. You’re being generous with me by giving me your time. I’m surrounded by generosity.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #193Resources Mentioned
Association of African Podcasters and Voice Artists (APVA)AfripodsAfrica PodFestAsana (project management tool)Favorite Book
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert GreeneFavorite Quote
“Ideas and creativity rule the world.” – Bidemi Adedire3 Keys to Create Your Best Life
Go for it.Be consistent.Impact your little corner one step at a time. Before you know it, you’ve impacted the world.Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: Kevin Y Brown
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Bidemi Adedire
LinkedIn: Bidemi Adedire
Email: Bidemi Adedire
Facebook: Bidemi Adedire
Instagram: adedirebidemii
Twitter: adeirebidemii
YouTube: The Smile Outreach
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Stitcher, Afripods, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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Episode Summary
Kevin continues the Africa X series focused on conversations with experts from Africa, in Africa, about Africa by speaking with Gathoni Ngumba, the community manager at Afripods. Afripods is a platform built to distribute African stories and support African creators, and Gathoni speaks on her role in fostering a space that unites creators in Africa and sets standards for how they will be treated and paid fairly for their work. She shares how she got started in the podcast industry, the podcast she records with her sisters, Okay Kiasi, and tips for building not just an audience but a community. Gathoni and Kevin discuss the importance of stories in helping us learn as a people and grow, allowing for the space to turn folk tales into something more real and tangible in its effects on the people who have experienced them, and telling our own stories so that we can shine on our terms, in our space.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin leads Afripods’ multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Gathoni Ngumba
Gathoni Ngumba is a Kenyan native and community builder in the African podcasting community. She is a social media consultant, event manager, and the community manager at Afripods, a distribution network focused on creating spaces for African podcasters to connect and grow the African podcasting ecosystem. Gathoni is a journalist and co-host of the Okay Kiasi podcast with her two sisters, sharing their experiences and perspectives on various topics such as period stigma, body image, and parenthood as siblings from a blended family. She believes that Africa's stories should be told by the people who know them best, and is proud to be on the panel of judges for the 2023 African Podcasts and Voices Awards.
Insights From the Episode
Thoughts on what is unique about podcasting in Africa, how the industry has changed, and the future of the podcasting industry in AfricaWhy it’s important for Africans to tell their own storiesLearning about stories like the Mau Mau movement from the people who were involvedStrategies for new podcasters looking to grow their communityThe role of mentorship (or friendtorship) in the success of the African podcast industry, and the value of sharing support and resources with each otherStrategies for surrounding yourself with right people who will help support your personal growth and call you out when you need itMethods for goal-setting and growthQuotes from the Show
“I feel like podcasting is a space where we have figured out how people in South Africa, Egypt, West Africa, East Africa are finding a way to build the ecosystem together. There’s a lot of collaboration that I feel is not necessarily typical in a lot of spaces, and it’s really exciting to see it happen.” - Gathoni Ngumba, Create Your Life Series, #192“I think there’s such potential for the growth of the industry. Not only podcasting, but for storytellers and creators on the African continent.” - Gathoni Ngumba, Create Your Life Series, #192“Africa’s stories should be told by the people who know her best, which is the Africans. I feel like for a long time we have been told our story; we have been told our narrative. The world has decided who we are, and then it’s been fed to us. For the first time it’s a chance for us to take control of the narrative.” - Gathoni Ngumba, Create Your Life Series, #192“I feel like podcasting on the Continent is a way to preserve traditions, languages, stories, and history in an authentic way so that the future generation can still have an authentic African experience no matter where they move, by being able to rely on history told by those whose history it is.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #192“If you’re not able to put in who you are as a person I feel like you’ll have a problem building community because a lot of the community in the podcast will be attached to who you are, so authenticity is very important.” - Gathoni Ngumba, Create Your Life Series, #192“Podcasting has the ability to be the thing that unites us because we are uniting on storytelling, which is the one thing that is absolutely African. As an African it doesn’t matter which part of the continent that you’re on; storytelling is your thing.” - Gathoni Ngumba, Create Your Life Series, #192“I think the beautiful part about being collaborative is that we’re also open to other people’s feedback so there’s a chance to course-correct and be open to being wrong and being able to pivot to be able to do things that are in the best interest of the greater African podcasting community.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #192“A lot of times we’ve been taught that mistakes are bad, so it’s about reminding myself that it’s okay to make a mistake. I’ve learned to look back and the one thing I thought was such a giant mistake a long time ago, it’s not that big of a deal now.” - Gathoni Ngumba, Create Your Life Series, #192“I want to create a space that makes Africans understand their worth, know that they’re worthy, and take up that space. I want to see Africans take up the space that is ours.” - Gathoni Ngumba, Create Your Life Series, #192“I’ve allowed myself to give people space in understanding that people project, and sometimes what they have going on has nothing to do with you.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #192“[About overcoming mistakes] So is just like in this moment it seems like giant, but in two weeks when you look back on it, it wouldn’t be that big. So, think two weeks ahead and come back and then it’s small now and then you can continue.” - Gathoni Ngumba, Create Your Life Series, #192Resources Mentioned
Canva for creating images for social mediaFavorite Book
The Big Leap by Gay HendricksFavorite Quote
“'It is never too late to be what you might have been.” - George Eliot3 Keys to Create Your Best Life
Know yourself.Love yourself.Surround yourself with people who know and love you.Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: Kevin Y Brown
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Gathoni Ngumba
LinkedIn: Gathoni Ngumba
Website: AfriPods
Facebook: AfriPods
Instagram: podcastinginafrica
Podcast: okaykiasi
Podcast Instagram: okaykiasi
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Stitcher, Afripods, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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Episode Summary
In this episode of the Africa X series, Kevin is joined by Adelle Onyango in Kenya to discuss her journey to becoming one of OkayAfrica’s 100 Extraordinary African Women. She talks about why and how she transitioned from being a popular primetime radio host to launching her own podcast, Legally Clueless, amplifying African stories about business, relationships, and grief, but also the places where these stories take place. Adelle shares what she wishes she knew before launching one of Spotify’s most listened-to podcasts of 2021, tips for new podcasters, and thoughts on the future of podcasting in Kenya and Africa as a whole. She talks about her co-written book, On Broken Silence, which holds the stories of survivors of sexual violence from the Greater East African region, and the creation of the Adelle Onyango Initiative to provide programming and group therapy for survivors. Kevin and Adelle discuss the mindset of continual learning and staying humble even if you have years of experience, feeling comfortable being yourself (and the cost of doing otherwise), and how to be an active citizen.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin leads Afripods’ multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Adelle Onyango
Adelle Onyango has over 10 years experience in the radio industry. She begun as a drive show host on 1FM where she was instrumental in bringing in a digital arch to the Kenyan radio scene.
Adelle then moved to Kenya's top media house; Radio Africa Group as a presenter on their radio station, KissFM. She hosted the mid-morning show and created a show dedicated exclusively to African music which was a first of its kind on the station. She later moved to host their prime breakfast show until June 2019.
During her time on the KissFM breakfast show it was the 3rd most listened to show in Kenya. She then left to start her new media company, Legally Clueless Africa.
Adelle is a Kenyan businesswoman, author, award winning podcaster, one of OkayAfrica’s 100 Extraordinary African Women, and also one of the BBC’s 100 Inspirational and Innovative Women in the World. She is on a mission to impact and empower women globally.
Insights From the Episode
How to notice when you’re in a toxic space, get out of it, and move forwardInsights on what it means to be a woman working in the media industryTips for new podcasters for creating a sustainable business and an engaging podcastHow to reduce the noise in your life and follow your intuitionStrategies for dealing with negative feedback and sorting out constructive criticismTips for setting goals and following through on themQuotes From the Show
On the purpose of her podcast, Legally Clueless: “Everybody has a story, and if you look at Africans, storytelling and really having that oral connection has been part of our culture for eons.” - Adelle Onyango, Create Your Life Series, Episode #191On leaving her job and branching out on her own: “Was I scared? Absolutely, but I just feel that there’s no point where you’ll ever be free of fear. You just don’t let the fear win.” - Adelle Onyango, Create Your Life Series, Episode #191On creating a podcast: “Preparation makes life so much easier and it also helps you to run a system and something that can sustain.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, Episode #191On the framework that has helped her launch a successful podcast: “Figure out your brand heart. That’s made up of your vision, your mission, your values, and your purpose. Your vision is your ideal world and what you are trying to create in your ideal world. Your mission is what you’re going to do repeatedly every single day to try and actualize that vision. The purpose is your why–why do you exist? And your values should be about 3-5, and it’s the things that you stand for.” - Adelle Onyango, Create Your Life Series, Episode #191“We all have to be active citizens… I’ve been told I’m an activist, but I call myself an active citizen. Just by you being alive and in this moment, you have a responsibility–and a right!–to speak up on issues that are not going right. … Why are we not stepping into our responsibility as active citizens and demanding better for ourselves?” - Adelle Onyango, Create Your Life Series, Episode #191“I think it’s very expensive to try to fit in. Expensive because it costs you yourself.” - Adelle Onyango, Create Your Life Series, Episode #191On telling African stories: “On a continental level, we’ve always had our power stripped from us. We’re really just coming into our power in different industries, and why media is so important (like podcasting) is we get to tell our own stories, talk about our own topics that affect us from our lens without waiting for somebody with a skewed lens or an ignorant lens to do that for us.” - Adelle Onyango, Create Your Life Series, Episode #191On his experience growing up in foster care: “I still take that attitude of always being a student, understanding that sometimes people will be there for you but a lot of times you’re going to have to keep going by yourself. …If I end up somewhere by myself, I’m okay because I understand the things that matter and how to navigate the world.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, Episode #191Resources Mentioned
Legally Clueless podcastOur Broken Silence by Lanji Ouko-Awori and Adelle OnyangoThe Adelle Onyango InitiativeDaughter of Africa by Gina DinThe Kenyan Breast Health ProgramUshuru.co.ke tax services for freelancers and small businessesFavorite Book
The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck by Mark MansonThe Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives by Lola ShoneyinFavorite Quote
Favorite word: Expand“I need to go through experiences that expand me.” - Adelle Onyango, Create Your Life Series, Episode #1913 Keys to Create Your Best Life
You do not have to explain yourself to anybody.Get rid of all the noise in your life. To live your best life, you have to hear yourself tell you what that looks like.Nobody knows what they are doing, so extend grace to yourself. Speak to yourself as you would a lover.Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: www.kevinybrown.com
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Adelle Onyango
Website: adelleonyango.com
Instagram: adelleonyango
Twitter: adelleo
Facebook: adelleonyango
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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Episode Summary
In this episode host Kevin Y. Brown is joined by Dan Aceda and Doris Onyango of SemaBOX. SemaBOX is a podcasting studio that began as a podcasting incubator. In the past year there have been over 600 episodes produced through SemaBOX. Dan and Doris provide a wealth of knowledge and resources centered around the history and culture of podcasting in Africa. Please join Kevin in learning more about these two amazing individuals and how they have been able to influence and advance the podcasting industry in Africa.
About Our Guests
Dan Aceda is a Kenyan musician and entrepreneur. He is one of the founders of SemaBOX.
Doris Onyango is the program lead at DADA Podcast Incubator and a recording engineer at SemaBOX. She also doubles in other areas such as program management, communication, administration, and events management.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin leads Afripods’ multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…
Insights From the Episode
Insights into SemaBOXInsights into the DADA Podcast IncubatorStrategies for using SemaBOX and DADA for podcastersStrategies to work seamlessly with partnersSecrets to navigating challenges with difficult clients or people you work withInsights on how mentorship can help your successStrategies to stay motivated when starting outSecrets to dealing with negative feedbackSecrets to goal setting and making personal growthStrategies to overcoming challengesSecrets to making your business run smoothlyQuotes from the show
“We are very open. We are pretty genre agnostic. We are gonna support you no matter what your content vision is.” -Dan Aceda, CYLS, #190“The Dada Podcast Incubator is to position women storytellers in Africa.” -Doris Onyango, CYLS, #190“You all are doing good work in order to give voices to people who need to be heard from their perspective.” -Kevin Y. Brown, CYLS, #190“I think that’s the biggest challenge of the media landscape. In this part of the world, the person with the biggest microphone tends to win. So in this part of the world it’s politicians.” -Dan Aceda, CYLS, #190“It feels like podcasting is like you’re just shouting out into the ether, but there is someone out there who’s listening.” -Doris Onyango, CYLS, #190“There’s you the person, and there’s you the job. Take yourself out of the job and just look at the job.” -Doris Onyango, CYLS, #190“Podcasting as a space is very brand new, if someone says they are an expert in podcasting, they’re lying. In this ecosystem of ours it’s brand new.” -Doris Onyango, CYLS, #190“It’s okay to make a mistake and go through the learning. But it’s really important that the person you’re working with is willing to allow you room to learn.” -Dan Aceda, CYLS, #190“Forget perfection. Get better every day.” -Dan Aceda, CYLS, #190Resources Mentioned
https://semabox.net/Fikradhaxaliye PodcastFavorite Book
Animal Farm by George Orwell -Doris Onyango, CYLS, #190Shoe Dog: By the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight -Dan Aceda, CYLS, #190Favorite Quote
“You cannot buy a dog and bite yourself.” -Doris Onyango, CYLS, #190“In the end, you will win. If you are not winning, it is not the end.” -Dan Aceda, CYLS, #1903 Keys to create your best life
Doris
Try, try, try, and try again.Find your family.Do what you can with what you have.Dan
Forget perfection.Get better every day.Have no fear.Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: www.kevinybrown.com
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
SemaBOX
Twitter: semabox
Instagram: semabox
Facebook: semabox
Website: https://semabox.net/
Doris Onyango
Twitter: dorisonyango
Dan Aceda
Twitter: danaceda
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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Episode Summary
In this introductory episode your host, Kevin Y Brown, returns to the Create Your Life Series after some time off. He discusses his move to Kenya, his continued dedication to providing value and resources for his listeners, as well as his shift into all aspects of podcast creation. Kevin introduces Africa X, a series dedicated to highlighting conversations and experiences with experts across different industries who are from Africa, live in Africa, and can talk about Africa responsibly.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin leads Afripods’ multi-country strategy and product vision.
Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine, and many more…
Insight from this episode
Kevin’s return to the Create Your Life SeriesPodcasting requires a lot, especially when doing it outside your country and cultureIntroducing the series Africa XAmazing and talented people who live in Africa will contribute to Africa XStrategies from trailblazers to follow their footstepsQuotes from the Show
“Working in the business of Podcasting requires a lot. And so does doing it outside of your native country and culture.” -Kevin Y. Brown, CYLS, Episode #189“But Create Your Life fam, I want you to know I have never forgotten about you. I actually miss you dearly.” -Kevin Y. Brown, CYLS, Episode #189“You know the Create Your Life Series is only for self-starters who are looking to live life on their own terms.” -Kevin Y. Brown, CYLS, Episode #189“I have had the fortunate opportunity to rub shoulders and converse with so many amazing, talented people on the continent of Africa.” -Kevin Y. Brown, CYLS, Episode #189“Keeping up with the standard that we have built with the Create Your Life Series over these last seven years, you can be sure that Africa X will provide you with the same great strategies behind the success of today’s trailblazers by uncovering experiences, daily habits, and defining moments of high achievers.” -Kevin Y. Brown, CYLS, Episode #189Stay Connected
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: www.kevinybrown.com
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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Episode Summary
On his adventure to explore Africa, Kevin Y Brown gives his experience traveling in Africa and how he discovered the young market of podcasting on the continent. He highlights the lessons he learned from visiting six countries on the continent and how it has impacted his life. In this episode, Kevin discusses landing a job at Afridpods as the Chief Content Officer and Head Of Strategy and what to expect from CYLS.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin Y. Brown is a National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) Center For Public Trust (CPT) “Being A Difference” award recipient, international speaker, entrepreneur, and author. The former MTV Networks host and NYC fashion marketer has created an international following as a speaker on personal excellence, effective communication, and leadership. Kevin has been featured by Black Enterprise magazine as a “Modern Man of Distinction” and highlighted in various publications for his self-help speaking work and helping students graduate college debt-free. Recognized for his commitment to empowering foster care youth and as a foster care system alumnus, he has also delivered the keynote address at the International Foster Care Organizations Conference in Sydney, Australia, and Osaka, Japan. Kevin is currently the creator/host of Sirius XM’s “Create Your Life” series, a fellow in the New York Chapter of the Startup Leadership Program, and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Insights from this episode:
Kevin’s experience in AfricaKevin’s curiosity about podcasting in AfricaHow his trip to Africa impacted himKevin’s transition from an entrepreneurship to office cultureKevin’s move to Kenya and getting recruited to work at AfripodsQuotes from the show:
“I knew there was an opportunity on the continent, and I understood the importance of podcasting and what it could do in order to preserve the language, the traditions, and customs for people on the continent” –Kevin Y. Brown, Episode #188“I had the opportunity to see the lineage of black excellence, and culture in all these different countries: unity, family ties, and so much more” –Kevin Y. Brown, Episode #188“I had to learn that people don’t work around the clock 24/7 like I had been doing” –Kevin Y. Brown, Episode #188“I knew that I saw an opportunity and I needed to get back to Africa, but I just didn’t know how” –Kevin Y. Brown, Episode #188“Living in Africa definitely has its pros and cons, but the pros definitely outweigh the cons, and I am very thankful” –Kevin Y. Brown, Episode #188“Staying focused, staying true to myself always really helped me and has been a true North even when it seems like things are blurry” –Kevin Y. Brown, Episode #188Stay Connected:
Create Your Life Series
Facebook: Create Your Life Series
Instagram: Create Your Life Series
Kevin Y. Brown
Website: www.kevinybrown.com
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
Facebook: kevinybrown
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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Episode Summary
In this episode of the Create Your Life Series, Kevin is a guest on Afros & Audios IGTV, where he talks with Talib Jasir about why he made the leap into podcasting and how his experience in other industries laid a foundation for his podcast success. This uplifting interview on personal evolution and being committed to excellence will inspire you to keep making the hard choices that will bring the success and happiness we are all seeking.
Kevin Y. Brown
Kevin Y. Brown is a National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) Center For Public Trust (CPT) “Being A Difference” award recipient, international speaker, entrepreneur, and author. The former MTV Networks host and NYC fashion marketer has created an international following as a speaker on personal excellence, effective communication, and leadership. Kevin has been featured by Black Enterprise magazine as a “Modern Man of Distinction” and highlighted in various publications for his self-help speaking work and helping students graduate college debt-free. Recognized for his commitment to empowering foster care youth and as a foster care system alumnus, he has also delivered the keynote address at the International Foster Care Organizations Conference in Sydney, Australia and Osaka, Japan. Kevin is currently the creator/host of Sirius XM’s “Create Your Life” series, a fellow in the New York Chapter of the Startup Leadership Program, and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Talib Jasir
Talib Jasir is a storyteller, author, podcast producer, and advocate for the people and their collective power.
Born a twin in Baltimore, MD, he spent his earliest years traversing the backwoods of Maryland’s Eastern Shore under the guardianship of his Great Grandmother. Reared by a village of irrepressible folk, he learned the paramountcy of kinship, love, and the dynamism of language.
Talib is a creative entrepreneur with over 15 years of professional experience in marketing and advertising. Founder of the Afros & Audio Podcast Festival and the Vanguard Podcast Network, he is also a dual-certified Life Coach with a focus on supporting creatives, podcast creators, and entrepreneurs. Talib received his BA in Public Policy/Urban Studies, Africana Studies and Social Justice (Summa Cum Laude) from St. Peter’s University in Jersey City, NJ.
Insights from this episode:
Details on why Kevin started on a radio platform, how he built his catalog of shows to launch on SiriusXM, and how that led to starting Podcast Laundry.Differences between being a creative person versus a business person and how to bring those two aspects together to succeed.How to set goals and be intentional in achieving what you desire and the life that you want through personal work and personal evolution.Difficulties Kevin experienced that helped him find a better way forward.Benefits of using a podcast production company beyond just the technical aspects.How to build and surround yourself with a community that provides support and opportunity for everyone.Quotes from the show:
“You’ve got to think outside the box. If you have places that already have a large distribution network, this is just a way to increase your reach.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Episode #187“I approached [podcasting] like a business from day one.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Episode #187“Audio is a cornerstone. It is an opportunity to expand so far into different creative aspects.” – Talib Jasir, Episode #187“These legal and small things like that make people come in and respect you and your show on another level and I think that helps to raise your bar.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Episode #187“In order for you to get where you’re needing to go, you’re going to have to do your due diligence.” – Talib Jasir, Episode #187“Sometimes the absence of expectation allows you to breed creativity.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Episode #187“Personal work is what helps you maximize your potential in this lifetime.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Episode #187“If you have thoughts that don’t serve or support you, then they don’t challenge you to do anything different.” – Talib Jasir, Episode #187“Protect what you bring into your life … protect your peace.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Episode #187“The only resource you can’t get back is your time.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Episode #187“Community leads to opportunity.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Episode #187“Business is cool but you’ve got to be human. You’ve got to want to see other people evolve.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Episode #187“As you manifest your vision, your vision starts to manifest you.” – Talib Jasir, Episode #187Stay Connected:
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Kevin Y. Brown
Website: www.kevinybrown.com
Instagram: kevinybrown
Twitter: kevinybrown
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Talib Jasir
Website: talibjasir.com
Website: afrosandaudio.com
Instagram: @afrosandaudio
Instagram: @iamfwdmvmt
Facebook: Afros & Audio
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This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
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