Eating While Broke

Motivational speaker and basketball trainer AJ Rompza joins Coline Witt on Eating While Broke for a real conversation about mindset, gratitude, discipline, and overcoming setbacks—all while cooking Velveeta mac and cheese in a hot studio with the AC out. AJ opens up about growing up in a divorced household in Chicago, being told he was “too small,” and how that doubt became fuel....

On this episode of  Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt sits down with radio personality, senior producer, and podcaster Loren LoRosa to talk about her new podcast Love Lately (with co-host Dr. Contessa) a show centered on love, relationships, dating, and sexual health, and making conversations with doctors feel more normal. Loren opens up about strict vs. open upbringings around sex and rel...

In this episode of Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt sits down with entrepreneur Zakiya Elick, Founder & CEO of The Cookie Dip Company, to talk food, money, mindset, and building a premium brand from a simple idea. We taste-test Zakiya’s refrigerated, all-organic cookie dip flavors—think banana cream, piña colada, and milk chocolate horchata plus we talk about the growing...

Host Coline Witt sits down with psychotherapist, author, and podcaster Elliot Connie (@elliottspeaks) one of the leading voices in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) for a real conversation about  healing, boundaries, anxiety, depression, and purpose. Over a broke meal of spaghetti and meat sauce, Elliot shares how a cheap, filling dish he learned to cook as a teen became more than food&md...

Coline Witt welcomes entrepreneur Malik Muhammad, owner of Malik Books, for a powerful conversation about building a Black-owned bookstore rooted in culture, community, and “knowledge of self.” Malik shares his broke meal: poor man’s potato salad (potatoes, mayonnaise, celery seed, salt, and pepper) with turkey hot dogs, then takes us through his journey from Washington, DC to Lo...

Coline Witt welcomes entrepreneur and celebrity stylist 'Fiskani', who reflects on being “broke and elegant,” moving to Atlanta for school, 'dropping out', and getting 'cut off by her parents'. After discovering styling on a music video set, she pushed through low-paying jobs and learned how to hustle—traveling to the 'MAGIC' trade show in Las Vegas with just '$50', modeling furs...

Host Coline Witt  welcomes comedian and actor Lou Young, a former NFL cornerback turned content creator with 3M+ followers. Lou’s work includes Netflix’s They Cloned Tyrone, brand collaborations with the NFL, ESPN, and Nike, and a Sundance-featured pilot, Freelance. Over tequila and a nostalgic “lunch meat nacho supreme” (Doritos, deli turkey, bologna, cheese, Old Bay,...

Host Coline Witt welcomes model, actor, and entrepreneur Don Benjamin to Eating While Broke. Don makes a childhood “hood classic” gluten-free Hamburger Helper using gluten-free noodles, ground turkey, and the sauce packet, while breaking down how a gluten allergy that began at 26 changed his life (and how expensive it can be to eat gluten-free on a budget). Don shares what it was like...

Gospel artist Isaac Caree joins host Coline Witt on Eating While Broke to make a Southern classic with a twist: North Carolina chili slaw dogs (Nathan’s short hot dogs with ketchup, mustard, homemade chili, onions, and coleslaw). While the chili simmers and the slaw hits the bun, Isaac reflects on a 30+ year music career shaped by faith, sacrifice, and the broke seasons that built his busine...

Actress Armani Greer joins host Coline Witt on Eating While Broke to cook up crispy catfish sandwiches and talk about the road less traveled—from humble beginnings to major bookings. Armani shares her Houston upbringing with a hardworking single mom, the grandparents who helped hold it down, and how she started acting at seven years old.   In the conversation, Armani opens up about bein...

Host Coline Witt welcomes actress, author, podcaster, designer, and mom Jennie Garth, to discuss her new book, I Choose Me , which deals with self-doubt, impostor syndrome, and self-love.  Jennie shares a budget-friendly comfort meal from her Midwest farm upbringing: pan-fried “rice cakes” made from cooked rice and eggs (with a vegan alternative), cooked hot for crispy edges and t...

On Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt welcomes recording artist and writer Bale, who cooks a simple turkey bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich while talking confidence, discipline, and refusing to second-guess himself. Bale shares growing up in South Central Los Angeles as the oldest of five, being raised by a schoolteacher mom and supported by his grandma, with his father incarcerated for...

Coline Witt sits down with Damion Hall (also known as Damion “Guy” Hall)—producer, songwriter, and founding member of the legendary R&B group Guy for a powerful conversation about family, fame, finances, and survival. While cooking Damion’s go-to broke meal, the “Turkey Slammer” sandwich (turkey, spinach, eggs, honey wheat bread, mayo, and seasoning), Damion...

Host Coline Witt welcomes former Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball, who signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2007 and is now COO of Effect Fitness in Atlanta and a co-host on The Broken Play. Reggie cooks his family’s ramen-and-ground-beef “lo mein” using soy sauce, garlic salt, pepper, parsley, and broccoli while discussing how the meal came from busy,...

Coline Witt welcomes comedian, actor, and podcast host 'Clayton English' back to 'Eating While Broke' after their past cheap Chinese wings combo “fiasco.” They joke about fried rice, bottle and red Solo cup “measurements,” and broke-food hacks. Then, Clayton makes 'breakfast for dinner': instant cheese grits, rolled cheesy eggs, and budget turkey links. Over the meal, Clayt...

On this episode of Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt sits down with entrepreneur Pinky Cole—founder of Slutty Vegan—for an honest conversation about money, mindset, and rebuilding after major setbacks. Over a homemade **Tofurky sandwich**, Pinky breaks down vegan label-reading, food costs, and why she stopped eating meat in 2007. Pinky shares her upbringing in a Jamaican family, her...

On this episode of Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt sits down with Grammy-nominated artist, actress, philanthropist, and TV host Yo-Yo (Dr. Yolanda Whitaker) for a real conversation about budgeting, confidence, and rebuilding after major career shifts. Yo-Yo shares her go-to budget-friendly rotisserie chicken sandwich made with potato bread, cheddar cheese, mayo, mustard, pickles, and banana p...

On this episode of Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt welcomes entrepreneur Summer Grays —founder and CEO of Mercy Angels Hospice and creator of the My Butler Al app while cooking her struggle meal: spaghetti with butter, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Summer opens up about becoming a teen mom, a short-lived marriage to an older man, and finishing school through summer school. She shares how...

On this episode of  Eating While Broke, host  Coline Witt  is joined by comedian and podcast host  Aida Rodriguez, who makes a budget-friendly French bread pizza inspired by her childhood. Aida shares how her Puerto Rican upbringing led her family to make “poor people pizza” at home using whatever bread, marinara sauce, and affordable cheese they had. Together, they...

In the second part of her comprehensive interview, Coline Witt sits down with Doug Melville: reputation management and international diversity expert, Stanford lecturer, Forbes contributor, bestselling author of 'Invisible Generals', interim CEO of the Council of Urban Professionals (CUP), and host of 'DM Me With Doug Melville.' Doug breaks down what reputation management really means today, how s...

Coline Witt  welcomes Doug Melville—reputation management and international diversity expert, Stanford lecturer, Forbes contributor, bestselling author of 'Invisible Generals', interim CEO of the Council of Urban Professionals (CUP), and host of 'DM Me With Doug Melville' for an unforgettable conversation on career pivots, reputation, and the broke-college origin of his famous “Ch...

In this episode of Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt is joined by special guest Nina Lynn, a seasoned executive, founder of the Wonder Seed Foundation, and a candidate for Congress. They discuss Nina's background, her nonprofit work helping at-risk youth heal from trauma, and her advocacy for meaningful education reform. Nina shares her personal story, including her family's journey as first-ge...

Host Coline Witt welcomes Lakeisha Landrum Pierre, founder and managing partner of Emily Line Venture Capital, for a conversation about venture capital’s influence, the industry’s barriers for women and people of color, and why representation among check-writers matters. Lakeisha cooks a low-cost Colombian coconut rice with raisins inspired by her broke grad school days at Harvard, and...

Host Coline Witt welcomes streamer and content creator Zoe Spencer to an episode of "Eating While Broke," where Zoe cooks her throwback meal: pork and beans with cut-up hot dogs, butter, pepper, and sugar, served with rice (or bread). While cooking, Zoe talks about growing up in a two-parent, middle-class household in Brooklyn with hardworking parents, her early jobs (a supermarket at 16, Burlingt...

Laugh your way through the grind with this episode of Eating While Broke! Host Coline Witt welcomes stand-up powerhouse Usama Siddiquee for a raw, hilarious, and inspiring look at the real life of a comedian chasing big dreams in New York City. Usama opens up about deferring med school, surviving on bagels, the relentless hustle of the NYC comedy scene, and the cultural expectations from his immig...