Brown Ambition

🎙️ Hey BA Fam! We’re back with a brilliant BA Q&A! Mandi sits down with Dr. Jatali Bellanton—Angel Investor, financial literacy powerhouse, and founder of Kids Who Bank—to talk about the game-changing power of mentorship and building teams that actually work . Whether you’re dreaming up your first business or scaling your empire, this convo is a must-listen for leveling...

Hey BA Fam! We’re back with a classic BA Q&A. Mandi is joined by Yanely Espinal (aka MissBeHelpful) and Marc Russell from BetterWallet to answer Amber’s question: What should I look for when opening a business bank account—and what are the red flags? Whether you’re launching a side hustle or running a full-on business, this convo breaks down what really matters when cho...

In this week’s Brown Table, Mandi is joined by Yanely Espinal ( @missbehelpful ) and Marc Russell from Better Wallet to break down the new “baby bonds” launching in 2025 (if your baby’s already here... sorry, you missed the cutoff 😅).We also get into the mess around the so-called “Social Security tax credit” (spoiler: it’s not a credit), and why that dist...

Welcome to Washday Woosah, BA Fam! It's the Sunday slow-down you need, something to listen to while you're doing the laundry, deep conditioning, or simply enjoying a nice quiet moment of relaxation before the Sunday scaries start to hit.  If you needed a sign to play matchmaker for your friends, this episode is it! Gabrielle and I were "set up" by a mutual friend during the pandemic when he r...

Hey BA Fam! Mandi's riding solo today for the brown table and sharing insights on the biggest headlines that impact your wallet.  New here? Join us three times a week: 💼 Washday Woosah (Sunday interviews with inspiring guests) 🪑 Brown Table Wednesdays (group chat energy, always) 🎤 BA Q&A Fridays + Conversations! (your money + career questions answered) We launched a Patreon , too! 🎥 G...

Hey Ba Fam! It's Mandi — yes, human me! And yes, I use em-dashes in real life! This ain't Chatgpt!  Ok, so you might be surprised (hopefully delighted!) to see new episode of the show in your feed on a Sunday.  I used to reserve my one-on-one guest interviews for our Monday show, but you know what... .Sundays make so much more sense. It's wash day. For our bodies, our hair, our dis...

BA fam, we’re diving deep into the world of credit cards this week! Mandi, Yanely (aka MissBeHelpful), and Chris Browning break down the newest updates to premium cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Amex Platinum, and Capital One Venture X. From new streaming perks to rising annual fees (hi, $795!), they weigh in on what’s actually worth it and what’s just hype. If you’r...

BA Fam! We’re back at the Brown Table with your faves—Yanely Espinal (aka MissBeHelpful) and Chris Browning catching up on all the things. Mandi shares some big news: her dad got a kidney (!!) and the story behind it will have you in your feels and thinking hard about health in our communities. Then we get into the heavy stuff—yes, the U.S. bombed Iran and what that could me...

In this episode, Brown Ambition host Mandi Woodruff-Santos sits down with the fearless author and activist Mikki Kendall, whose groundbreaking book, Hood Feminism, helped reshape how we think about feminism, community, and survival. In this wide-ranging conversation, Mikki dives deep into her journey navigating personal growth, relationships, and the challenges of confronting white feminism....

At the Brown Table this week, Mandi is joined by first-time BA guests Elizabeth Ayoola, host of Smart Money by NerdWallet, and Haniyah Philogene, lifestyle reporter at TheGrio. They dive into the chaotic beauty of career pivots, being Black women in media, and the emotional labor of storytelling. We talk motherhood, dating, the cost of protective styles (spoiler: $400 braids are wild), and the com...

Brace yourselves, BA fam—this week’s Brown Table gets deep into the dollars and the drama. Mandi is joined by not one, not two, but three first-time Brown Table guests: Alexa Claire from The Financial Diet , JQ (aka Jonquilyn Hill) from Vox’s Explain It To Me podcast, and Yvie Saint-Louis from Blavity . They’re diving into the news, the nonsense, and the real-life mess of n...

Whew… this week’s Brown Table is packed, y’all. Mandi is joined by not one, not two, but three first-time Brown Table guests: Alexa Claire from The Financial Diet, JQ (aka Jonquilyn Hill) from Vox’s "Explain It To Me" podcast, and Yvie Saint-Louis from Blavity. We dive into the news, the nonsense, and everything in between from pop culture and politics to the real-life mes...

🎙️ BA Fam, Let’s Talk Black Capitalism (w/ Dr. Rachel Laryea) This week’s episode is full of truth, power, and possibility. Mandi sits down with Dr. Rachel Laryea, author of Black Capitalists: A Blueprint for What is Possible , to unpack what it really means to build wealth, create impact, and hold onto your identity as a Black entrepreneur in corporate and capitalist America. From ide...

BA Fam, Let’s Go! This week’s episode is all vibes and real talk. Mandi is Beyoncé-bound , and she’s bringing the energy! As she preps for her London trip (yes, packing for a quick getaway is a whole production), she shares exciting updates from the Brown Ambition universe. We’re talking brand-new cover art , a book club (yes, you’re invited!), and deeper commu...

BA Fam, Buckle up! This week’s episode is a ride. Mandi sits down with author Cebo Campbell to talk about his debut novel “ Sky Full of Elephants ”, a bold, emotional story that begins with every white person in North America vanishing and unfolds into a layered exploration of Blackness, identity, and healing. Cebo opens up about the personal roots of the story, the inspiration b...

Hey BA Fam! This week, Mandi is diving into a conversation that every woman needs to hear. She’s joined by two powerhouse doctors—Dr. Uché Blackstock, author of the New York Times Bestselling book, Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons With Racism in Medicine , and Dr. Jessica M. Shepherd, author of  Generation M: Living Well in Perimenopause —for a raw, real, and  e...

Hey BA Fam! In this episode, Mandi sits down with the unstoppable comic genius and *Official!* New York Times Bestselling author Zarna Garg to unpack her remarkable journey from stay-at-home mom to comedy superstar in her mid-40s. Less than a decade ago, Zarna was packing snacks for her kids' sports teams and tracking down missing socks in the laundry. Today, she's celebrating the release of her n...

This week on Brown Ambition , Mandi sits down with the powerhouse that is Page Turner —real estate broker, single mom, and the magnetic new host of HGTV’s  Love It or List It . Page opens up about her incredible journey from hustling as a single mom to owning her spotlight on national TV. She gets real about what it takes to bounce back from life’s curveballs, trust your gut...

Student loan repayments are officially back, and if you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or just plain confused, you’re not alone. This week on Brown Ambition, we’re diving deep into the chaos with two of our favorite money minds: Yanely Espinal , author of Mind Your Money, and Chris Browning from Popcorn Finance. We break down what’s really going on inside the federal stu...

BA Fam we’re back at the Brown Table! It’s been a minute, but the original crew Mandi , Yanely , and Chris  are together again and catching up on everything. From West Coast travels and birthday plans to coaching updates and sleep podcast dreams (yes, really), this episode is full of laughs, life, and hard-earned lessons. Mandi shares the behind-the-scenes of launching her new 12-...

This week on Brown Ambition, Mandi sits down with the incredible Monique Rodriguez, founder of the powerhouse haircare brand Mielle Organics and author of the new book, The Glory in Your Story: Activating a Fearless Faith to Change Your Life, Your Career, and the World . From her kitchen table to a billion-dollar acquisition by P&G, Monique's journey is a masterclass in faith, resilience, and...

BA Fam, we’re back with a classic BA Q&A, and this week’s episode is all about the kind of debt that just hits different credit cards with sky-high interest rates. A listener wrote in with a heartfelt message and a tough reality: nearly $12K in credit card debt spread across multiple cards, with APRs climbing over 30 percent.  Mandi breaks down: When debt consolidation actuall...

BA Fam, we’ve got a good one for you today! Mandi is joined by licensed financial therapist Aja Evans for an eye opening convo about something we all deal with but rarely talk about money feelings. From stress-spending and avoiding your inbox to doom-scrolling at 6 a.m., Aja breaks down how our emotions drive financial behavior and why learning to sit with discomfort might just be your most...

BA Fam, we’re in our investing bag today—and who better to guide us through this unpredictable market than Racquel Oden, Head of U.S. Wealth and Personal Banking for HSBC (yes, that HSBC)? With 30 years of experience under her belt, Racquel breaks it all the way down: why now *isn’t* the time to panic, how to pivot smartly, and what staying “active” with your money re...

Hey BA fam — this week, Mandi is back at the Brown Table with two of her favorite mama podcasters: Jessica Norwood from The Sugar Daddy Podcast and Rana Campbell, from Dreams and Drive. We’re getting real about what it means to be a mom, a creative, and a corporate baddie in 2025 all at the same time. From burnout and baby wipes to balancing big dreams and meal prep, this is a love let...