In Good Connects

DeAngelo Watson got fired from his corporate job and turned his side hustle into a business funding company with a team of 10 and $20M+ deployed to small business owners. But it wasn't clean. He tried trucking, e-commerce, car rentals. He bought a Chicago quadplex that became a disaster with squatters and vandalism. And he spent years stuck at the same revenue because he was afraid of the responsi...

Actor Myles Bullock grew up in South Central LA, went to school alongside the children of Denzel Washington, and stumbled into acting through a single college play that changed his life. Since then, he's built one of the most impressive resumes in Hollywood: Slick on BMF, Renzo in White Men Can't Jump, Willie Black across all 8 episodes of Peacock's Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist alongside...

Dev The Somm went from the shipping department at Wally’s Wine and Spirits in Beverly Hills to Wine Spectator, NBC’s Grand Crew, and a hip-hop music video with Cedric the Entertainer. In this episode, he shares the origin story behind his 15-year journey in wine, what it was like being in rooms with Jay-Z and Drake, why the wine industry needs to stop blaming Gen Z, and why the biggest mistake we...

Great conversation with two of Charlotte's premier dentists. Dr. Lauren Rennick Lockhart and Dr. Lindsey Rennick Salone are identical twin sisters and co-founders of Dual Image Dentistry and Orthodontics. Three practices across Charlotte. Over 130K followers online as The Twintists. And a story that starts with a family where healthcare was the only language spoken at the dinner table. We talked a...

Wine isn't about knowing the right answers — it's about being curious enough to ask the questions. Chasity Cooper is a Wine Culture Expert, award-winning journalist, published author, and 2024 Wine Enthusiast Future 40 Tastemaker. She's written for over 30 publications including Wine Enthusiast, Food & Wine, and the Chicago Tribune — and she built the whole thing from a study abroad trip in Ma...

"Picking one lane" is career advice that's officially expired. Alton Peques is in Product at LinkedIn while running Nexus Commerce AND leading product at Forefront. We've been friends since before he even got to Carolina—I was one of his counselors in high school. Watching his journey has been incredible. In this conversation, we get into: - Why AI is collapsing traditional career paths - The mult...

He was selling cupcakes out of his dad’s barbershop in high school. Today he’s had the opportunity to cook for celebrities such as Martin Lawrence, George Lopez, Storm Reid and more. In this episode, I sit down with Chef Scotty B (Scotty Bonds) — a celebrity private chef, founder of Gourmet 21, and someone I’ve known since middle school in Greensboro, NC. Scotty takes us through his full journey:...

Most politicians follow the polls. Senator Caleb Theodros talks to people. At 30 years old, Caleb is the youngest current State Senator in North Carolina. He’s built his career through banking, entrepreneurship, tech, and civic leadership — and brings a perspective to the chamber that most of his colleagues don’t have. He sits on the IT, Education, and Regulatory Reform committees, and he’s one of...

Hard work alone won't get you promoted—Chris Tazewell learned this when he turned down $100K to take an internship. Everyone thought he was crazy. Two months later, he doubled his salary. In this conversation, we explore why "work hard and you'll get promoted" is a lie, how he went from managing 20 people making $50K to being an individual contributor making 3x that, and why most people are still...

Wine doesn't have to be intimidating—it starts with curiosity, not credentials. Shay Gilchrist is the founder of Wine & Vibes, LLC, a WSET Level 2 certified wine expert, and author of Vinology. She's built a business around intimate, sensory-rich wine experiences in Charlotte—capped at 30 people because she refuses to sacrifice connection for scale. In this conversation, we get into: - Why win...

AI isn't here to replace you—it's here to coach you. But only if you know how to use it. Sly Gittens is the founder of Tech Simplified (100K+ YouTube subscribers), a Microsoft AI & Cloud Specialist, and a tenured tech professional. He once took a "step backward" from network engineering to tech support—and it became the best decision he ever made. In this conversation, we get into: - Why AI sh...