The Minds w/ Hakeem

Jjuan is on the mic today in the first episode of our newest series. These episodes will be a chance to listen in on what Jjuan is learning and being challenged by in real time. Today, Sammi and Jjuan discuss what he's been learning from the book, "Principles" by Ray Dalio. This episode is sponsored by Jared Nicolaisen, Mortgage Advisor (IG: @jn_mortgage, website: www.jnhomeloan.com) and Jonathan'...

Jaidin Ross (IG: @youlovejaimarie | @blankcanvasthebook) is on The Minds for Season 3's segment of Inside the Artist to discuss her experience writing two poetry books. Hard Boiled Eggs and Blank Canvas are both written representations of Jaiden's journey, and she unpacks some of the details in this episode. In addition, we touch base on current issues surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement a...

To kick off Season 3 of The Minds, Jjuan breaks down the "why" behind creating this podcast. Three core values; wisdom, growth, and love, are the purpose behind everything produced for the show. As a driving force, these values shape both our goals and how we want to impact our audience. This episode is all about asking why we do what we do, and The Minds challenges you to ask yourself, "what's my...

In this bonus episode, we sit down to recap the highlights and takeaways from Season 2 of The Minds w/ Hakeem. Jjuan talks about transitioning out of 2020 and into 2021, and what the year is shaping up to be. This episode is packed with the best lessons and stories of Season 2, tune in!

Dejay Lester (ID: @d_lester1 ) is on The Minds to share the story of his life, from the states to Nigeria and then back. On this episode, Dejay opened up his book, Fostering Dreams. In the book, he talks about the struggles of his upbringing in the foster system as the child of a sperm donor. Tune in to hear more of Dejay’s journey and learn why we should keep moving forward through our lives, no...

Ryder, age 12, is on The Minds to give us a fresh, new perspective on life. We can learn so much from kids, and Ryder delivered with his thoughts on the best parts of childhood. He also gives some insight on what he wishes adults understood about kids. Get ready for some laughs and some WWE talk, this episode is going to bring out your inner child!

Phoenix Lee (IG: @riseagaincreate) is on The Minds to walk us through his experience building brand awareness and brand identity. Like anything else, this comes with failures, which we discuss and learn from in this episode. Tune in to hear more and learn practical tips for branding your business. This episode is sponsored by Jared Nicolaisen, Mortgage Advisor (website: jnhomeloan.com) and the Ris...

Julian Seay (IG: @human_podcast) is on The Minds to discuss his podcast, The Human Podcast, with us. Julian walks us through his journey to finding meaning in different areas of life, including his podcast. You'll hear stories from his past and goals he has for the future. Hope you're up for some basketball arguments, Julian is a hooper and we had to debate on the pod! This episode is sponsored by...

Marcus Owens (IG: @convex_visions1) is on the Minds to break down his journey as a D1 athlete and author. His multi-media platform, Convex Visions, aims to educate and motivate people through his podcast, blog, and two books; Leverage and The Game that Mirrors Life. On this episode, Marcus gives us a glimpse into his perspective on goal setting and mindset development. Tune in for practical takeaw...

Kayla Bell-Consolver (IG: @questionkayla28 ) is on The Minds to discuss mental health, especially in light of the current pandemic. She gives us insight on ways to actively support your mental health by identifying triggers. Kayla brings in her perspective on how all of this, in consideration with current events, affects the black community. Tune in for practical ways to take care of yourself and...

On this bonus episode of The Minds, Jjuan honors the life and legacy of Kobe Bryant. By remembering his impact on individuals lives and the world, we are able to move forward with his mission. Tune in for Jjuan's tribute to Kobe.

Abena Imhotep (IG: @abenasimhotep; FB: Abena Imhotep) is on The Minds to discuss effective leadership, and additionally, her views on black culture. As the director of Sankofa Literacy & Empowerment Group, Abena's work celebrates the legacies and stories of the black diaspora. She is also the Principal Facilitator of Sankofa Strategies Consulting. Abena has years of experience in leadership, a...

Jared Nicolaisen (IG: @jn_mortgage) is on The Minds to give us some insight and better understand the housing market. Jared breaks down some basic principles of real estate for first-time home buyers, and give advice on how to know when it's the right time to buy. Tune in for practical tips you can use in your own home-buying process. This episode is sponsored by Jared Nicolaisen, Mortgage Advisor...

Trevor Elmitt (IG: @trevorelmitt) joins us on The Minds to discuss his career path through athletic training into biotech. From experiencing firsthand Colin Kaepernick's historical kneel, to starting his own business, to researching new developments in the medical field today, Trevor has many inspiring stories to share his vision of "be not afraid." Tune in for his advice on navigating life with a...

Austin Neal (IG: @Nealbydesign) is an artist of many crafts; painting, poetry, clothing design, and photography. On this episode of Inside the Artist, we discuss his poetry book, “ Privileged ” available now on Amazon. You’ll also hear more about his failures, and how he took that into his own hands to make his business and art even better.

In this bonus episode, we sit down to recap the highlights and takeaways in Season 1 of The Minds w/ Hakeem. In addition, Jjuan shares his experience in the last year as he started the podcast, and what’s to come in the future for The Minds. Tune in for a quick run-down of the best-of-the-best in Season 1!

Ian Warner (thehabitstacker.com | boastinchrist.com) is on the Minds to discuss the power of building habits. Ian walks us through his own experience improving his personal and professional life through consistent habits, while sharing practical tips for anyone to change their life through small, simple steps. Through his app, Habit Stacker, Ian has found that by tracking daily habits, he is able...

Austin Luse (IG: @ausitinjluse) is on The Minds to walk us through his journey through law. We talk about his experiences growing up, struggles in law school, and how he is helping to make a positive change in the world today as an attorney. Luse also shares some practical tips on how to address law enforcement to stay safe when you're being pulled over. Tune in for our conversation on hard work,...

UnoUp6 (IG: @unoup6) is the first guest for our new series: Inside the Artist. On this episode, we discuss Uno's rap career and his journey with music. You'll hear more about his team, UVT, and his relationship with mental health. Tune in for and inside look at the life of an artist and a deeper conversation about the kinds of struggles we all go through in life.

Join me as I unpack fear, especially fear in the year 2020. I dig into issues surrounding social media, the election, and the current pandemic. Tune in for my takeaways, including strategies I use to combat fear and stay grounded in these unprecedented times.

Jon Romans (IG: @515mixtapes) is on The Minds to discuss perseverance. We dig into Jon's story as a young promotor and filmmaker in the Des Moines area. Tune in for more of our conversation on never giving up on your dreams, your goals, and yourself!

Dr. Darlene Turner (IG: @dr.darleneturner) is on The Minds to discuss counseling and therapy, and why it can be so beneficial for people to talk to a professional. We dig into why Dr. Turner got into the practice and her journey to Nouthetic counseling. Tune in to hear more of Dr. Darlene's story in this episode!

In this episode I sat down with Andrew Springer (IG: therealtorandrewspringer) to unpack the narrative that going to college is the only way to be successful in the world.  Our goal is not to trash college, instead we want to bring awareness to the professional careers that don't necessarily need college in order to succeed. We also hit on self-education and how that may look for different pe...

In this Ep we collaborated with The Hear Success Podcast (Ig: Hearsuccess) host Ri' keam to discuss our upbringing, our mothers, maturity and purpose. We collaborated to give both of our following more background on the host and what drives us. 

Ben Spellman (IG @goodvibesmovementdsm) is on The Minds to share his experience with yoga; on and off the mat. Also, we discussed mediation and how different that could look for every individual person. We discuss Ben's story and the work he is doing through Good Vibes Movement to uplift the community in Des Moines. Tune in to hear how we show up for ourselves and find ways to live in the moment&n...