Brown Ambition

This week, Mandi Money is breaking down everything from a three-year-old soccer star making headlines for all the wrong reasons to the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders finally making moves toward getting the respect (and compensation!) they deserve. Because let's be clear: exposure doesn't pay the bills, and prestige isn't a benefits package! We're also talking about some major corporate shakeups. With Microsoft offering employee buyouts and DoorDash making a multibillion-dollar move to acquire Instacart, Mandi is sharing what workers need to know before making their next career move. Whether you're considering a severance package or wondering if your position might be on the chopping block, the message is simple: Don't panic. Prepare. And always have your receipts ready. Plus, we're getting into the conversation surrounding The Lip Bar, founder Melissa Butler, and the pressure Black-owned businesses face when trying to grow without alienating the communities that helped build them. Can we hold corporations accoun

This week on Brown Ambition, Mandi Money sits down with Emmy Award-winning journalist, author, and two-time breast cancer survivor Robin Allison Davis, whose journey from New York City to Paris is anything but your typical Emily in Paris fantasy. After spending a decade building her career at NBC, Robin decided it was time for something different. So, at 32, she quit her job, saved $10,000, and moved to France to start over. But between taking a major pay cut, navigating a new language, struggling to build community, and facing two breast cancer diagnoses, Robin quickly learned that starting over isn't always as glamorous as it looks on Instagram.And BA fam, we're getting into ALL of it. Robin opens up about the financial realities of moving abroad, the differences between American and French healthcare, learning to advocate for herself after devastating medical experiences, and why surviving cancer completely changed her relationship with ambition. Plus, Mandi and Robin get real about dating abroad (because

This week on Brown Buzz, Mandi Money is breaking down everything from billionaires promising to make our babies stockholders to Gen Z investors letting election anxiety get a little too close to their retirement accounts. And while everybody keeps telling us the economy is doing great, why are our grocery bills, rent payments, and bank accounts telling a completely different story?! First up, Elon Musk wants to give every child in America a share of SpaceX. Sounds generous, right? Well, Mandi has some questions! We're talking about the fine print, the risks of tying a child's financial future to one company, and why building generational wealth should be about more than billionaire promises.Then, we're getting into why your 401(k) is NOT a ballot box! With investors making major money moves ahead of the midterm elections, Mandi explains why panic-selling could cost you more than you think and why she's standing ten toes down on her tried-and-true, set-it-and-forget-it investing strategy. Plus, what exact

This week, Mandi Money is joined by Paula Pant, real estate investor, entrepreneur, and host of the Afford Anything podcast, for a conversation that's equal parts money masterclass and millionaire mindset check. Paula went from earning just $21,000 a year as a newspaper reporter to building a $3.7 million net worth by age 42. And no, she didn't get there by chasing the hottest stocks or trying to become an overnight millionaire.Instead, she focused on increasing her income, investing consistently, and making intentional financial decisions. She's breaking down how she bought her first triplex for $225,000, turned it into a property now worth more than $1 million, and built a portfolio of seven paid-off rental properties. But don't get it twisted. Paula is the first to admit that building wealth comes with mistakes, expensive lessons, and some serious money mindset work. Mandi and Paula get into the real numbers behind real estate investing, why renting isn't always throwing money away, and the difference betw

On this week's Brown Buzz, Mandi Money is breaking down the stories affecting our money, our careers, our communities, and our everyday lives. First up, the WNBA is making history, with the Atlanta Dream heading to the finals and fans showing up in record numbers. But with all that momentum comes a bigger question: Will the investment, respect, and compensation finally match the talent these women bring to the court? Then, Mandi gets real about career security in the wake of Netflix’s reported 1,000 job cuts. Even when a company is worth billions, your job isn’t guaranteed. She shares why we can’t rely on a company’s success to determine our own financial stability and how unexpected setbacks can change the way we approach our careers and money. Plus, it’s time to talk politics. With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, Mandi breaks down the high stakes of Georgia’s gubernatorial race, the investigation involving Representative Ilhan Omar, and Kamala Harris’s

What if getting ahead didn’t require you to outwork, outperform, or out-hustle everyone around you? This week, we’re revisiting Mandi's  conversation with leadership and inclusion strategist Ruchika T. Malhotra — author of Uncompete: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Radical Success. In a world obsessed with winning, Ruchika’s message is a breath of fresh air: true success comes from rest, collaboration, and community not from constant competition. Together, they unpack the toxic myth that somebody else’s win has to mean your loss—and offer a more sustainable path to ambition rooted in community, self-trust, rest, and collaboration. They also get real about career comparison, envy, burnout, anxiety, and the pressure to keep proving yourself in a world that constantly tells women to do more. If you’ve ever watched someone else land the opportunity you wanted and immediately wondered whether you need to work harder, be better, or push yourself past your limits, this

This week on Brown Buzz, Mandi Money is breaking down the headlines shaping our money, careers, culture, and everyday lives. First up, LeBron James’s reported $15 million partnership with Polymarket raises questions about the growing popularity of prediction markets and how these platforms are marketed to people who may already feel financially behind. Mandi explains how prediction markets work, why the line between trading and gambling deserves a closer look, and what you should know about protecting your money if you use these apps. Then, Mandi celebrates some major Black business wins, including Carol’s Daughter founder Lisa Price returning to an ownership role in the brand she built from her Brooklyn kitchen. She also dives into the Ebony Power 100 list and shares a reminder for anyone who has ever felt overlooked: someone else’s recognition is not evidence that your work is small. Plus, Mandi breaks down what rising home heating costs could mean for your winter budget, gives Cultur

What happens when you grow up knowing what it feels like to not have enough money? For La La Anthony, that feeling became part of the fuel behind her ambition. Raised by a single mom, La La learned early that she wanted to build a life where she could take care of herself and never have to feel guilty about asking for money. That independent spirit eventually took her from an unpaid radio internship at 16 to a career spanning radio, acting, producing, entrepreneurship, fashion, and philanthropy. In this episode of Brown Ambition, Mandi Money sits down with La La to talk about the money lessons she had to learn the hard way, from spending her first paychecks on things that made her look successful to negotiating an $80,000 salary at just 18 without a lawyer or agent. La La gets candid about what it took to understand her worth, why she believes you have to stay involved in your finances even when you have financial professionals managing your money, and why asking questions is a critical part of becoming finan

This week on Brown Buzz, we’re cutting through the headlines and getting into the stories that affect our money, careers, and lives. First, Mandi discusses the allegations involving Cornell and LSU, why Title IX is not the same thing as a criminal investigation, and what students and survivors should know if they want to explore a report to law enforcement. TW: From  02:21 - 11:05 this episode includes discussion of SA. Then, we get practical: • The career skill employers say matters most in an AI-powered workplace • Why more buyers are considering adjustable-rate mortgages—and the questions to ask before you sign • A listener inherits more than $100,000 from her great-aunt: Should she pay debt, save it, invest it, or spend a little to honor her aunt? • Why $100,000 invested at a hypothetical 7% annual return could grow to nearly $1.5 million over 40 years, before taxes, fees, inflation, or investment volatility Plus, Mandi gives Alexis Nikole Nelson—the Black Forage

What happens when the thing that makes you feel most like yourself doesn’t fit neatly into the version of success you were raised to pursue? For Alexis Nikole Nelson, aka The Black Forager, that question has shaped nearly every chapter of her life. From growing up as a curious, outdoorsy kid who learned about plants in her mother’s garden to studying environmental science and theater, working in marketing, and eventually building a community of millions around her love of foraging, Alexis has never really fit into just one box. And that’s exactly the point. In this episode, Alexis joins Brown Ambition to talk about building a life and business that makes room for all of her interests, identities, and curiosities. She shares how her mother introduced her to foraging as a child, why she initially kept her love of plants and the outdoors to herself, and what it took to stop suppressing the parts of herself that didn’t fit other people’s expectations of Blackness, femininity, or succ

Brown Buzz is back! Mandi breaks down the Nikole Hannah-Jones school-choice debate, the latest in the Nolan Wells case, why the AI job apocalypse may be more complicated than it sounds, and what SAVE borrowers need to do now. In this episode•    Nikole Hannah-Jones, school segregation, and the emotional cost of impossible parenting choices•    Why repair and accountability matter after harm•    The latest in the Nolan Wells case•    The AI “boomerang” trend and how to strengthen your career resilience•    What SAVE borrowers need to do now•    Kennedy Ryan’s major adaptation news BA Fam action steps•    Parents: Review what your child is bringing home from school, ask questions, document concerns, and organize with other families when systems are not meeting students’ needs.•    Workers: Update your résumé with business outcomes, build fluency with the A

In this episode, Mandi sits down with Dr. Tasneem “Dr. Taz” Bhatia, a board-certified physician and integrative medicine expert, to talk about women’s health, hormones, healthcare, and what it really means to advocate for yourself. Dr. Taz shares her own experience of becoming a doctor who became the patient after struggling with fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, hair loss, and other symptoms that were initially dismissed as stress. She also explains how her journey into integrative medicine changed the way she thinks about gut health, hormones, nutrition, stress, supplements, and preventive healthcare—and why women need to understand their bodies instead of simply accepting that feeling bad is “normal.” But this conversation goes beyond health. Dr. Taz opens up about building her healthcare business from two rooms in her husband’s dental office, bootstrapping her businesses, navigating money with her husband, and eventually bringing her clinics, supplements, digital p

In this special Friday episode, Mandi celebrates the BA Fam, shares the origin story behind Brown Ambition, and introduces Brown Buzz—your new end-of-week roundup of the headlines shaping your money, career, culture, and life. This week on Brown Buzz:•    The Federal Reserve raised interest rates. What does that mean for credit-card debt, variable-rate loans, savings accounts, and your investments?•    More job seekers are getting interviewed by AI bots instead of actual humans. Mandi shares how to navigate the robot-filled hiring process—and why your real-life network matters more than ever.•    Ed Sheeran’s tour drama: Macklemore was removed from the tour after speaking out for Palestine, other artists walked away, and the controversy raises bigger questions about neutrality, power, and who gets to speak.•    Rep. Jasmine Crockett is facing backlash after honoring Chris Brown at a Texas concert. Mandi unpacks the difference betwee

What happens when the ambition that helped you build your life starts costing you your well-being? For many ambitious women, especially women of color, success can come with a hidden cost: saying yes when we’re exhausted, pushing through when our bodies are asking us to slow down, and measuring our worth by how much we can accomplish. But wellness isn’t just about massages and self-care days. Sometimes it looks like setting boundaries, asking for help, knowing what you actually need, and giving yourself permission to come back to yourself. In this episode, Koya Webb joins Mandi Money to talk about the connection between wellness, ambition, money, and leadership. She opens up about losing her mother while writing her latest book, how grief changed the way she thinks about success and family, and why she’s learning to embrace a new version of herself. Koya also shares the entrepreneurial lessons she learned building her wellness business—from hiring and structuring a team to finding ment

What happens when you spend years pouring everything into your career, relationships, and success only to realize they aren’t pouring the same love back into you? In this episode of Brown Ambition, Mandi sits down with journalist and author Tiffany D. Cross to talk about her new book, Love, Me: A Letter to Black Women in a Toxic Country, Career, and Relationship. Tiffany opens up about her very public exit from MSNBC, rebuilding her life after career heartbreak, and the difficult process of learning to recognize her own value. Together, Mandi and Tiffany explore the parallels between toxic workplaces and toxic relationships—and why so many of us chase validation through promotions, titles, money, and other people’s approval. They also talk about financial security, building your own table instead of waiting for a seat, the power of community, and why Black women need to think differently about career success, wealth, and what we’re building for the next generation. Plus, Tiffany makes

September can be a powerful time to get visible, activate your network, and pursue the next role—but smart career strategy is not just about landing a new job. It is also about protecting your options before year-end budget decisions and possible restructurings. In this solo episode, Mandi shares how to use the fall hiring window, make yourself easier to hire, and create a no-panic layoff-readiness plan for your career and your money.   In this episode, Mandi covers: • How to get specific about the role and work you want next • Why real conversations can be more useful than online salary data alone • A simple outreach script to reconnect with your network • How to refresh your résumé and LinkedIn without overthinking either one • Why 2–5 strong-fit applications can beat dozens of random ones • How to prepare for possible reorgs or layoffs without spiraling • Why you cannot afford to be the best-kept secret in your industry   Get the free S

This week's BA Q&A, Mandi is joined by friend of the show Naseema McElroy of Financially Intentional to answer a question from Serena, a 28-year-old multi-passionate entrepreneur torn between beauty and holistic health. Naseema drops gems on the power of niching down, embracing your unique story, and positioning yourself as a Key Person of Influence. If you’re feeling stuck between passions and need clarity on how to turn your ideas into a purposeful business, this episode is for you.

Hey BA Fam! Mandi Money is back with a Brown Boost, Brown Break because there’s simply too much happening to stay quiet. First, Mandi turns her attention to Gary, Indiana, where tens of thousands of residents were left without power following severe storms. She talks about what the crisis reveals about racial inequity, the communities that too often get overlooked by mainstream media, and why voices like Keith Lee and other independent creators have become so important in bringing attention to stories that deserve national coverage. Then, it’s time for a much-needed Brown Boost. Mandi celebrates journalist Karen Attiah’s arbitration victory against The Washington Post after challenging her firing with the support of her union. Her win opens up a bigger conversation about Black women in media, workplace power, racial double standards, press freedom, unions, and what can happen when workers have the resources to fight back. And because we could all use a little inspiration, Mandi closes things

Mandi responds to a listener trying to help her 59-year-old mother recover from a costly retirement mistake after medically retiring from a job she held for 19 years. After discovering her mom had just $36,000 left and had accidentally withdrawn her retirement balance instead of rolling it into an IRA   the listener is left figuring out how to protect what's left without creating an even bigger tax or benefits problem. What starts as a question about a 401(k) withdrawal turns into a bigger conversation about helping aging parents navigate retirement. Mandi breaks down the 60-day rollover window, taxes, income-based assistance, and the questions they need to ask Fidelity before making another move. She also explains why the "perfect" financial advice doesn't always fit real life. Sometimes the goal isn't keeping every retirement dollar untouched it's creating a plan that balances accessible cash, benefits, taxes, and long-term security without putting the entire responsibility on one person's shoulders.Se

Hey BA fam, it’s Mandi Money! Today I’m bringing you a Brown Ambition Rewind featuring my conversation with physician, author, entrepreneur, and health equity advocate Dr. Uché Blackstock. We get real about burnout, identity, ambition, and what it takes to walk away from spaces that no longer serve you. Uché shares why she left a prestigious academic career, the emotional cost of feeling unseen, and how grief, motherhood, caregiving, and entrepreneurship have reshaped her definition of success. We also talk about the backlash against DEI, what patients should know about AI in healthcare, and why listening to your body, prioritizing rest, and making room for joy and community are just as important as chasing the next accomplishment.   Resources & Links Dr. Uché Blackstock’s memoir: Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine Follow Dr. Uché Blackstock on Instagram: @ucheblackstockmd Learn more about Dr. Uché Blackstock: Uche Blac