The First-Gen Lounge

100 episodes is a huge milestone, and I want to take a moment to THANK YOU for being a part of this moment in time. In celebrating 100 sessions, I spent a lot of time in my thoughts about how to make this particular show something special.... meaningful and memorable. I also wanted to recapture the essence of what this show has meant to me, and why building this platform t...

Today’s session is a little bonus, a must-do, because it's MY birthday! Why does that even matter? Every year I have a show on my birthday to commemorate the show, and today I want to talk about 9 things that podcasting has taught me. I’ve been podcasting for 3 birthdays now, and as this show has grown and evolved over the years, and so have I. As a lover of numbers, I'm even more fascin...

We talk a lot about success on The First-Gen Lounge, but today we are going to do something a little different. We’re talking about failure as things aren’t always going to go right for you. I know we’re still in January, but some of you may already be falling short on your resolutions and goals, and that's okay. We have to make sure we don't get stuck in the failure. Tune in today as I...

Is your path towards getting your college degree taking a bit longer than you wanted? Well, it doesn't matter how long it takes, if you have patience and never lose hope, you can always reach your goals. In today's conversation with Angelika, we talk about never giving up. It took her 15 years to get her bachelor' degree, while at the same time serving in the military. Now she is going for he...

As a first-gen do you think about mentorship as being a crucial part of the collegiate experience? For Anthony, it was something he didn't really think about until he got to graduate school. Now he is an advocate for mentorship and even virtual mentorship. We also talk about how important emails can be, how to make social media work for you, and how important it is to always be learning....

Happy new year and happy new decade! To ring us into the new year, today we are going to discuss 5 business must haves to keep in mind when running your business. These are just some of the important things that I have learned in owning my own business, and I want to pass them along to you in order to help your business prosper in 2020. Access the session notes: www.thefirstgenlounge.com...

It’s the last show of 2019, and the decade! Before we go into the new year, I want to reflect upon these past 10 years. I have come up with a list of 10 highlights that I want to share with you. And at the end of the episode I am going to leave you with some clips from the 9 most downloaded episodes of 2019. Head on over and check out the session notes at  https://www.thefirstgenlounge.c...

Today we are going to talk about 15 ways to find your chill. What do I mean by finding your chill? In a nutshell, practicing self-care--finding more peace, simplifying your life, and just making things easier for yourself as we go into the new year. Head on over and check out the session notes at https://www.thefirstgenlounge.com/session/93 . Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/mus...

Have you ever felt like you’re too late to start the things that you’ve always wanted to do? In our conversation with Michae, we learn that there’s no such thing as being too late to start or finish something. We talk about his plus size photography business and his real estate dreams of owning multi-family homes. Join The First-Gen Lounge Family: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/family . Track by T...

Being transparent can be hard at times, but it’s in these moments of transparency and truth that we learn to get stronger and work through the difficult things we are going through. And also learn that we are not alone. Today we talk to Dempris about mental health, and how important it is to talk about it. Too often we keep these things to ourselves, but if we are a little more transparent ab...

If you are seeking self growth, if you are looking to improve your quality of life, then you need to ask yourself these 5 questions. Today we discuss some things you could be reflecting upon in an effort to improve your life as we're moving into the new year. Join The First-Gen Lounge Family: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/family . Track by The Boy: https://theboy.beatstars.com/music/tracks . Host...

Has something ever helped you out or altered your life for the better? Have you ever wanted to be a part of what it was that helped you? For Marsha that thing is TRIO programs. After facing a great deal of racism growing up, Marsha is now helping her community by teaching diversity and inclusion as well as helping first-gens get to college. Join The First-Gen Lounge Family: www.thefirstgenlou...

This week we're going to try a little something different. Instead of me as the host, I'm going to be the guest! I was featured on the Mentor Select Podcasts hosted by Derrich Phillips. We talked about how mentorship has played an important role in my life. As well as leading with passion and purpose.  Join The First-Gen Lounge Family: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/family . Track by The...

Do you want to get more things done? We all know there are only 24 hours in a day, but how can we make the best out of those hours? Today we talk about 5 productivity hacks and how we can be a little more intentional about the things we do. The new year is upon but before we get there, let's envision what we want it to look like.  Join The First-Gen Lounge Family: www.thefirstg...

Today we’re going to do a throwback, way back to our eighth ever episode. Back to when the podcast was still called the Purpose University. We talk about living in your purpose, alignment, and how Elisa is living her best life. Walking in your purpose is not always going to be easy, but we talk about how to get there, and how to recognize when you’re not living your best life. &nbsp...

Have you ever had somebody not support your business? Does it make you feel some type of way? Today, we are going to reflect on how that feels and how we can not let that discourage us. Your business is your business and nobody is going to care about it more than you. You need to show up for the people that need you. Join The First-Gen Lounge Family: www.thefirstgenlounge.com/family . Tr...

What does finding meaningful work look like? What does your first-gen voice look like in the corporate world? In our conversation with Chandria we talk about how a first-gens resilient nature is beneficial when you are making your way into your career. As well as the challenges that diversity and inclusion present in the workplace.   Chandria Harris is a Global Career Developme...

Are you a first generation-college graduate and a first-generation to the United States? Being the first can be difficult, but it is getting through these transitions where we grow to become someone better than our past selves. Cesar shares with us his transitions from being born in Mexico to now becoming an entrepreneur. Being transparent in our story is what gives others the strength t...

We already know that being a first generation college graduate usually means your parents aren’t able to help you with all of the challenges of going to college. But when your parents discourage higher education because of certain religious beliefs, it makes it even tougher. Dalia didn’t let that stop her from pursuing her education, finding belonging, and validating one's self.  Dalia K...

It's an extra special Thursday because... we are celebrating the end of palindromes week (and it's my late grandfather's birthday). This week we will answer another question from one of our fam, Mel, who asks for advice for someone considering entrepreneurship. Here are a few things for you to consider when thinking about moving into entrepreneurship. The First-Gen Lounge Mixer: www.thef...

Are you a square peg trying to fit into the round hole that is conventional success? Are you doing what you were made to do? Part of being a first gen is taking the path of uncertainty. And if you can start to normalize the unconventional path, it starts to seem a little less scary. Ayeesha’s path has been nothing but conventional. Moving from Alaska to Oregon State, getting her doc...

It has been one year since we changed the name from the Purpose University Podcast to The First-Gen Lounge, and it has been amazing to see how this show has taken on a life of its own! Have you ever felt like you were awake in a dream? I’m talking about living something that you’ve longed for. When you finally start to see all the time you put into something, all the hard work and sleepless n...

What do you do when the world that you know is nothing good? How do you take a tough situation and win? Where do you find the the courage and hope to make something more of your life? The journey from poverty to promise is no easy one; however, it is possible to pick yourself up and push yourself forward. Our brother (and Veteran), Derrich, is here to give us some insight on making the most out of...

Have you come around to embracing ALL of who you are? If so, at what cost? Like... What do you give for being YOU? What do you do when those who love you reject you because of who you are? What happens when you have a plan and things don't go the way you though that they'd go? Let's talk about it with Emmanuel and the journey of becoming, falling backward, and moving forward. Emmanuel is a 29-year...

Have you ever taken the time to think that who you are and the places you're supposed to go is much bigger than you can imagine? Do you realize that YOU are not just a citizen of your community or country, but... a citizen of the world? Even as a first-gen, it's important for you to know that the WORLD is your oyster! Garry Moïse is a multilingual Education Administrator, Life Cultivator (focusing...