No Straight Path

Join us for a thoughtful conversation with entertainment attorney, Thomas Russell. Thomas’ story is all about grit. It’s about resilience. It’s about dreaming. It’s about chasing your dreams relentlessly. Thomas Russell III is Corporate Counsel at Amazon Music where he advises the tech-giant on its livestreaming, video-on-demand and sponsorship efforts. Thomas was recognized by Variety as one of t...

Join us for a fascinating conversation with USA Today bestselling author, journalist, and marketing consultant, Amy Shoenthal. Blending her marketing expertise with her formal journalism training, Amy approaches storytelling as sense making. As a top contributor to ForbesWomen and Harvard Business Review, she shines the spotlight on those who have been historically underestimated yet are doing the...

Join us for a thought-provoking two-part conversation with Dr. Feranmi Okanlami as we celebrate the two-year anniversary of No Straight Path. Feranmi embodies all of the things that No Straight Path represents–honesty, vulnerability, compassion, self-awareness, intellectual curiosity, a commitment to excellence, resilience, purpose, and faith. We delve into his fascinating life and career journey....

Join us for a thought-provoking two-part conversation with Dr. Feranmi Okanlami as we celebrate the two-year anniversary of No Straight Path. Feranmi embodies all of the things that No Straight Path represents–honesty, vulnerability, compassion, self-awareness, intellectual curiosity, a commitment to excellence, resilience, purpose, and faith. We delve into his fascinating life and career journey....

Join us for an insightful episode with Phill Agnew, host of Nudge, the UK’s #1 marketing podcast. On his show he interviews experts in psychology and behavioral science to try to better understand how humans make decisions. He has spent over a decade in senior marketing roles at Buffer, Hotjar, and Brandwatch, where he helped launch products in social media, website analytics and AI.   Today, we l...

Join us for a a thoughtful conversation with CEO of Vera Jean Media, Jourdan Guyton! She is a visionary entrepreneur with a decade-long immersion in the entertainment industry. Leveraging experience with giants like Meta, Teachable, and Blavity, Jourdan founded Vera Jean Media to empower heart-centered entrepreneurs through authentic social media strategies. Achieving rapid six-figure growth withi...

We are back with a new season for 2024. It is election season, and the California Primary is Tuesday, March 5th. We have a special guest who is running for office on the show today. Although media coverage often focuses on the political polarization at national level, state and local politics have a direct impact on the lives of Americans. Tune in to hear from a Millennial running for State Assemb...

Ashley provides a quick update about what's in store for No Straight Path in 2024. Although it's a quick message, you'll leave it inspired! Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Ashley Menzies Babatunde Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram Hubspot Podcast Network Sign Up for Ashley's Newsletter Ashley's Substack Rate & Review: If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a...

Tune into our final episode of this year with Manager of the HubSpot Creators Carly Baker. We cover Carly’s transition from a creative industry to the corporate world and how she let go of one dream and embraced a multi-passionate identity. Carly's passion for the Podcast Industry can be traced back to her roots as a professional musician, where she spent significant time working in and exploring...

Tune in today for a dynamic conversation with entrepreneurs Luis and Fonzi Camejo. They are  the dynamic brothers behind BIZBROS and they have spent over seven years mastering the art of content creation that drives opportunities and profit. As online personalities, owners of Studio Podcast Suites and hosts of the top 0.5% global podcast, Content is Profit, which is in the HubSpot Podcast Network,...

On this episode of No Straight Path, Ashley interviews civil rights attorney Antonio Ingram. Antonio serves as Assistant Counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. He is a graduate of Yale College and UC Berkeley School of Law. He served as a federal judicial law clerk for the honorable Ivan L. Lemelle in the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans and for Chief Judge Roger L. Gregory for the F...

On this episode on of No Straight Path, Ashley interviews the talented actress, singer and producer, Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins. Ashley has appeared on several television series and she starred in the critically acclaimed Netflix Original Series, DEAR WHITE PEOPLE for four seasons.  She is the host of Trials to Triumphs, which is an interview-style show in the Oprah Winfrey Network. Ashley’s...

Join us today for our live conversation at Podcast Movement with online business strategist, podcaster and speaker Steph Taylor. She helps business owners build profitable and sustainable online businesses that continue to grow even when they’re offline. She is also the host of Imperfect Action, a podcast where Steph uses her experience of building a million-dollar online business to help listener...

On today's episode of No Straight Path, Ashley interviews Henna Pryor, a highly sought after Workplace Performance Expert and an award-winning 2 time TEDx and global keynote speaker, author, and executive coach. Her clients call her their “secret weapon for impossible change,” an honor she wears proudly. She’s known for her science-backed approach to improving the performance, habits, and actions...

On this episode of No Straight Path, Ashley shares her reflections on life and career to celebrate her 34th birthday! She shares some of the important lessons she's learned on her journey thus far. She covers mindset, envy, purpose, authenticity, and kindness. Her hope is that these lessons help you as you work to achieve your version of success. This is the second part of a two-part conversation....

On this episode of No Straight Path, Ashley shares her reflections on life and career to celebrate her 34th birthday! She shares some of the important lessons she's learned on her journey thus far. She covers mindset, envy, purpose, authenticity, and kindness. Her hope is that these lessons help you as you work to achieve your version of success. Don’t forget to tune in to part two next week. Than...

Welcome to Part 2 of our conversation with our special guest for the Halloween Season, author and psychiatrist, Justin Key. He recently published his debut book with HarperCollins called The World Wasn’t Ready For You. In his book, Justin expands and subverts the horror genre to expertly explore issues of race, class, prejudice, love, exclusion, loneliness, and what it means to be a person in the...

This episode of No Straight Path features a special guest for the Halloween Season, author and psychiatrist, Justin C. Key. He recently published his debut book with HarperCollins called The World Wasn’t Ready For You. In his book, Justin expands and subverts the horror genre to expertly explore issues of race, class, prejudice, love, exclusion, loneliness, and what it means to be a person in the...

Switching careers can be a stressful and daunting prospect for anyone who is looking to make a vocational change, but it can also be a source of inspiration and a catalyst for growth and for finding your life’s purpose. Today’s guest, Isaiah Deporto-Plick is no stranger to change, as he’s jumped between various industries to finally land on a path that is truly aligned with his purpose. Aside from...

What if it only took five seconds of radical courage to change your life? That is the bold idea underpinning Natalie Franke’s new book, Gutsy: Learning to Live with Bold, Brave, and Boundless Courage. In today’s episode, we continue our thought-provoking conversation with Natalie, a bestselling author, community-builder, neuroscience nerd, and mama bear for small businesses. Join us as we get into...

Joining us today is Natalie Franke, a best-selling author, community builder, neuroscience nerd, and mama bear for small businesses. She founded The Rising Tide Society (a game-changer in community building for entrepreneurs), which was acquired by HoneyBook in 2015. Now, at Flodesk, she continues to empower entrepreneurs globally. Her latest publication, Gutsy: Learning to Live with Bold, Brave,...

Our guest today is Sarah Chen-Spellings, an award-winning entrepreneur and investor. She co-founded Beyond The Billion, a global consortium of over 100 venture funds and investors committed to investing over $1 billion in women-founded companies. Sarah's extensive experience includes corporate venture capital within a $13 billion conglomerate, cross-border investments, and leadership roles in orga...

It’s possible to work in social impact without truly moving the needle on the most pressing issues. But there are plenty of organizations that want to do more than add immediate value. These are the foundations, non-profits, and governments that DC Design serves. During Part 2 of our conversation with Founder and CEO Durell Coleman, we discuss the three primary methods DC Design employs to support...

Durell Coleman founded DC Design with the goal of addressing some of America’s most pressing social challenges through the design thinking process. He has since collaborated with global non-profits, large tech companies, and small businesses to fight against homelessness, mass incarceration, economic inequality, Black infant mortality and more. In part one of our two-part conversation, we explore...

There is no doubt about it: life is full of challenges that come in all different shapes and sizes. But when we approach those challenges with a joyful attitude and an open mind, the possibilities of cultivating prosperity (in every sense of the word) are endless. Les Alfred is the founder of the online wellness community and podcast, Balanced Black Girl. Her mission is to help others create nouri...