Black Man In A White Woman’s World (Am I The Only One?) - with Michael Thomas

Ever walk into a room and immediately realize: you’re the only one? The only Black person in a white space. The only woman in a boardroom full of men. The only creative in a room of corporate drones. The only one who didn’t grow up in church. The only single person in a room full of married couples calling each other babe.

That feeling? It hits different.

This week, I’m sitting down with Michael Thomas. A teacher, cheer coach, and a Black man navigating a very white school system in the South. He’s also married to a white woman, he's working on a doctorate, and trying to figure out life while constantly walking into spaces where he’s the only one.

We get into:

• The pressure to “represent” when you never signed up for that job.
• Navigating identity in work, marriage, and life.
• When to speak up, when to blend in, and when to just let people sit in their own awkwardness.
• Why “being the only one” can be both exhausting and powerful.

And, because this is Almost Grown-Up, expect some hard laughs, some real talk, and a few moments that’ll make you go, oh, damn.

Follow Michael on TIkTok - @the_mr.thomas