Pay It Fwd Podcast

In this episode, Mikell Fine Iles joins to talk mentorship, design careers and advice for young designers looking to make their mark.  Mikell is executive design director at Hook. He is a Brooklyn-based graphic designer with over 10 years professional experience. Originally from San Francisco, CA, his first exposure to the arts was through community rallies and calls for justice. That early foundation informs his desire to have a sense of social awareness in his work. 

In special episode #2, Jay shares some updates and thoughts about what's going in life and career, and what he's been up to lately.  The list of topics includes classical and house music; Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man; Jay's recently-released album, Get Down; curiosity (and what to do when you don't feel curious enough); Malcolm Gladwell; and The Inner Game of Tennis.

We take a detour in this episode. We've been off the air for a while, and we're back with a different format just for these next two episodes. Instead of having a guest, Jay gives some updates on the podcast guests thus far and thoughts about the podcast. Tune in for the first of two special episodes.

In this episode, Tia Cummings joins to chat about attending an HBCU, career pivots and shifts, finding mentors, deep brand purpose work, meaningful marketing, what it takes to be a great manager, and believing in yourself.  Tia is a strategic brand and general manager with over 15 years of post-MBA experience and a passion for building strong consumer brands. She has been consistently praised for cross-functional team leadership, strategic and analytical thinking, finding and leveraging consumer insights, developing talent, P&L management, creating integrated marketing campaigns, and commercialization. And recently, she has become Senior Vice President Global Brand Marketing Lead at Square.

On this episode, Kareem Folarin joins to chat about onboarding during the pandemic, building teams, changing passions, and letting career twists and turns unfold.  Kareem Folarin is a storyteller who has years of experience in strategic consulting involving small to large organizations. Those experiences have focused on digital marketing, event marketing, public relations, and branding. He has a proven record of implementing effective marketing campaigns that accelerate progress and positively affect change. 

Micöl Rankin joins this episode to chat about being yourself at work, not compromising who you are, valuing yourself highly, philosophies of life, cryptocurrency, and outer space.  Micöl is a senior art director at Moxie and host of the #YouAreDope show. He is a multimedia artist, musician, and creative designer. He has worked in the advertising industry since 2008, creating content for some of the biggest brands in the world including Coca Cola, Starbucks, Porsche, Verizon, iHeartMedia, McDonalds, and more. In March of 2020, he created a digital show on the platform, LinkedIn, titled #YouAreDope. An interview formatted show, that celebrates positivity and shines a spotlight on power players in the marketing industry and beyond. The show has been featured in Ad Age, the inspiration behind the "Be Dope Vote" platform, garnered over tens of thousands of views from all over the world, and earned hundreds of hours of viewed time.

Welcome back, folks. In this episode, Natalie Gullatt joins to chat B2B and SaaS marketing, all things networking, how to get experience before getting experience, founding the Black Marketers Association of America, career switches, and what getting an MBA looks like. Natalie is an Experienced strategic and passionate marketing professional with a focus on marketing strategy, social media marketing, digital marketing and customer marketing. She is also the founder of the Black Marketers Association of America, which is an organization that helps marketers of color with having fulfilling careers through full-time marketing jobs, through owning marketing agencies and businesses, and providing a safe space for persons wanting to learn more about marketing and marketing enthusiasts!Enjoy!

In this episode, De'Osha Randolph joins to chat about the duality of Black women working in PR and media, navigating and leading clients through multicultural and D&I communications, and overcoming job anxiety. This is HIGHLY suggested listening for PR students. Find De'Osha on social @bigdeenergy_ and subscribe to her newsletter, The Nook at http://deosharandolph.com!This week we also unveiled musical suggestions and quotes. The music suggestions are Chandelier by Sia and Symphony 2 by Gustav Mahler. And the quote of the episode comes from Confucius:  “If one learns from others but does not think, one will be bewildered. If, on the other hand, one thinks but does not learn from others, one will be in peril.”

In EP 12, Francine Tamakloe joins to breakdown what it means to be really good at your job; the benefits of not planning a career trajectory; using your space and access to advocate for others; capitalism, advertising and our role in this system; different phases of a career (especially during a pandemic); and the importance of therapy.Buckle up.Francine is a marketer and project manager with an affinity for cultural storytelling, creative, and event production. Francine has done event and marketing coordinating at She Runs It; she’s been a brand specialist at Spotify; and a Senior Associate of Brand & marketing at Dig.

In this episode, Tierra Thomas joins to chat all things health literacy and communications, and graduate school.  Tierra is a Communications Coordinator at SC First steps. Tierra is a marketing and communications professional with healthcare, nonprofit, and government agency experience. She enjoys being a resource to others by simplifying information into comprehensive formats. She’s also very passionate about health literacy and women's health, and especially Black maternal health.

Kene Uwajeh joins this episode of Pay It Fwd. Kene is a student at UNC-Chapel Hill where she studies industrial-organizational psychology and entrepreneurship. Kene has a wide range of experience with internships, nonprofits, and organizations she's helped launch. 

In this episode, Anthony Smith talks about being young in the industry, trying new things, and the art of resilience. Anthony is a team-oriented and creative leader, project manager, and innovator. He’s passionate about new technologies, business development, and consumer behavior. Anthony graduated with his B.A. in 2018 but he’s already built up an impressive resume, with positions ranging from marketing coordinator to project manager, and most recently to human resources planner.

In this episode, Gavin Guidry talks about hypercreativity -- having lots of creative passions and pursuits, why we should shift to community relevance over cultural relevance and his winding path of various creative jobs throughout the industry. Gavin is an Associate Creative Director at Havas/The Annex in Atlanta, where he leads a team of creatives to produce content on social platforms for brands like Sprite and Fanta. Outside of the office, he works with a variety of other brands and publications doing photography, videography, and graphic design.Gavin started out as a content creator focused on streetwear, and worked for a boutique called Wish Atlanta before contributing at places like Hypebeast, Complex, and Nike. 

In this episode, Alex Grant joins to talk about content and media production, sports communications, and how to turn passions and internships into careers.As of this week, Alex has accepted the role of Creative Director for the University of Maryland Football.Alex has held a range of production positions at various organizations alongside his freelance work. He’s also volunteered for a handful of amazing organizations. Tune in to hear us catch up!

Briona Brooks joins this episode of Pay It Fwd to talk about being a Black woman in corporate environments; education, professionalism, and professional development; getting an MBA; and taking the time to plan a career. Briona is an accomplished marketer spanning several industries and areas of marketing and communications. She’s held various marketing management roles, has her MBA from the University of Georgia, and recently started her journey at Amazon. 

*This is highly suggested listening for Black students who want to work in creative strategy.*In this episode, Donovan Triplett joins to talk about the abstract idea of professionalism and presenting yourself as a Black person at work; strategy, branding, and diversity efforts; the realities of agency life; and progressing and building confidence as a strategist. 

In this episode, Charnita Mack talks about turning journalism experience into social and PR skills, the importance of taking care of yourself, and deciding to start your own creative venture. Charnita is an experienced writer, journalist, and marketer. She has broad experience ranging from reporting at a newspaper in Aiken, SC, to handling social and PR at an agency and at a university. Just this week, she took on a new position at Associate Digital Director at Rhodes Branding. Charnita launched her own entrepreneurial social media strategy venture called # Communication Goals. Thanks for tuning in.

In this episode, Destiny Davis joins to talk about her newest initiative, Hire Black Marketers, freelancing, representation & diversity, speaking up at work, and social listening. 

In this episode, we talk to Zeldrick Martin about pivoting, charting new paths, and piecing together the career you want.  Zeldrick has worked with several agencies, and he's done freelance and consulting work in marketing, but specifically digital marketing and media.  Some list items on Zeldrick's resume include: owning his own business where he uses his marketing expertise with clients; managing and overseeing sports marketing for a university; and working in the marketing department of an NBA team.

In the first episode of Pay It Fwd, Jonathan Franklin talks about journalism, getting diverse experiences, navigating rejection, and choosing the right moves.  Jonathan Franklin is a Digital Multimedia Journalist at WUSA-TV in Washington D.C., where he develops ideas, writes, shoots, and edits stories for both digital and on-air platforms.  He is an award-winning journalist with demonstrated talents in the fields of digital and broadcast journalism. Outside journalism and communications, he’s had experience working in higher and secondary education, consulting, and non-profit organizations.  He has a Masters in Journalism from Georgetown University, along with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English, Humanities, and African/African American Studies from Wofford College.

In this episode, Jay talks through what the Pay It Fwd podcast is, how it came to be, and what to expect.