Brown Ambition
The Brown Ambition Podcast helps you unapologetically build wealth by saving, investing and making smart career choices — on your own d@mn terms! New episodes Wednesdays and Fridays.
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Single AF and Building a Real Estate Empire ft. Allure Magazine Editor-in-Chief Jessica Cruel
<p>🔥 In this episode of Brown Ambition, Mandi sits down with Jessica Cruel, the powerhouse Editor-in-Chief of Allure and SELF magazines, to talk about her journey to the top of the beauty media world and how she’s building wealth through real estate investing as a single woman.</p> <p> </p> <p>👑 We dive into:</p> <p> </p> <p>✔️ How Jessica climbed the ranks in the magazine industry</p> <p> </p> <p>✔️ Her journey to financial independence & the FIRE movement</p> <p> </p> <p>✔️ The ups and downs of being a single woman in real estate</p> <p> </p> <p>✔️ Smart investing tips for firs...
From Nanny to CEO: Do You Really Need an MBA?
<p>Hey BA Fam! Today I’m answering a question from a listener who calls herself “Tired Nanny” — a 27‑year‑old who recently moved to the U.S., has a bachelor’s in education, and is wondering if an MBA is the key to pivoting into business. She’s saved enough to cover grad school tuition and a year of living expenses and is tempted to quit nannying altogether so she can focus on school full‑time.</p> <p><br>In this throwback Brown Ambition Q&A, I break down:<br>• Why your current job (yes, even nannying) can be a powerful bridge and...
Mandi's Life Update + How Celebrity Hairstylist Lacy Redway Turned $10 Braids Into a Six‑Figure Career
<p>This week, we’re heading back into the Brown Ambition vault for a powerful conversation with celebrity hairstylist and image maker Lacy Redway.</p> <p>Lacy may not always be in front of the camera, but you’ve definitely seen her work. From red carpets to fashion campaigns and TV and film, she’s shaping the way Black women show up on screen and in the culture.</p> <p>In this episode, we get into:</p> <p>• Growing up as a Jamaican immigrant, being the “foreign kid,” and learning to do her own hair after a bad relaxer left it broken and...
Using a 401(k) Loan to Tackle Debt: Smart or Risky? [BA QA]
<p>In this Flashback Friday Brown Ambition Q&A, Mandi and Tiffany tackle two big money dilemmas listeners are facing right now: whether to borrow from a 401(k) to pay off debt, and how to make the most of a 200K inheritance without blowing your shot at building generational wealth.<br><br>In the first question, they break down when a 401(k) loan can make sense, the major risks if you leave your job, how balance transfer cards and personal loans compare, and why lenders are often “betting against” your behavior with these products.</p> <p>Then they dig into Eric...
I Make Six Figures and I’m Still Drowning: Debt Relief Options No One Explains
<p>Debt doesn’t have to be the big bad boogeyman on your back. In this throwback episode of Brown Ambition, I’m joined by two powerhouses in the money space—financial activist Dasha Kennedy (The Broke Black Girl) and National Debt Relief Chief Compliance and Consumer Affairs Officer, Natalia Brown—for an honest, stigma‑free conversation about what debt relief is, who it’s for, and how to finally create a plan you can live with.</p> <p>We unpack the emotional weight of debt, from shame and secrecy to the very real health impacts of chronic financial stress, and we walk th...
How Our Marriage & Business Survived Reality TV ft Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson
<p>This week on Brown Ambition, we’re joined by none other than HGTV’s powerhouse duo, Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson, stars of “Married to Real Estate” and hosts of the Marriage & Money podcast.</p> <p>Together, we dive into what it really looks like to build a business, raise a family, and keep a marriage strong—all while staying true to themselves. From juggling show tapings to managing their growing empire (hello, new furniture line Indigo Road!), Egypt and Mike don’t hold back.</p> <p>We talk about: </p> <p>- The honest truth about therapy, teamwork, and choosing l...
You’ve Got a 750+ Credit Score… Now What?
<p>In this throwback BA Q&A episode, we revisit two powerful listener questions all about leveling up an already strong credit score without losing your sanity in the process.</p> <p>First, we coach Nicole, whose mid-700s scores have plateaued, through a method that uses everyday subscriptions, strategic statement-date timing, and automatic payments to show consistent, responsible card usage that can gently nudge scores higher over time.</p> <p>We also break down what credit “mix” really means, how much weight it carries, and how to safely use tools like credit-builder loans from credit unions instead of taking on u...
Dr. Uché Blackstock on Burnout, Purpose & Walking Away
<p>This week on Brown Ambition, Mandi Money sits down with physician, author, entrepreneur, and health equity advocate Dr. Uché Blackstock for a deeply honest conversation about burnout, identity, purpose, and the courage it takes to leave spaces that no longer serve you. Dr. Blackstock opens up about her journey from Harvard Medical School to becoming one of the most trusted public voices on racism in medicine and public health. She shares the pivotal moment she realized that prestige and titles weren’t enough and why leaving a secure academic career during one of the most uncertain times in recent his...
How TODAY Show Host Sheinelle Jones Manages Motherhood, Grief & Career Success
<p>In this episode of Brown Ambition, Mandi sits down with Sheinelle Jones Today Show co-host, journalist, and New York Times bestselling author of Through Mom’s Eyes for an honest conversation about working motherhood, career growth, loss, and finding balance in real life.</p> <p>Sheinelle shares how her journey as a working mom of three shifted while writing her book, and how she continues to show up professionally while processing personal grief after the loss of her husband.</p> <p>This episode explores the realities of:</p> Motherhood and career balance in high-pressure environments Grief and healing while ma...
The Reality of “Having It All” [BA QA]
<p>Hey BA fam! In this Q&A episode, we’re diving into two conversations that have been all over your group chats, your timelines, and probably your own thoughts lately: what it really means to “have it all”… and what it costs to keep up the image that you do.</p> <p>First up, we’re unpacking the Emma Grede controversy from her “three-hour mom” comments to her take on working from home being a career killer for women. As a working mom without billionaire resources, Mandi Money breaks down what’s actually realistic, what feels out of touch, and what ambitious...
