The Courageous Personal Leadership Podcast

"There are going to be things that come up. You can't predict everything. The test is being able to persevere through those things." - Attorney Nicole Theodore

In this episode, Corey and Sharma talk with Attorney Nicole Theodore, founding and managing partner of The Theodore Firm (founded in 2018), with offices in Atlanta and Nashville. She is a 2004 graduate of The Florida State University and earned her Ju...

"If you don't have equal opportunity to be at the table, and access to all the things that are at the table, there is no way you are going to be able to navigate anything." - Dr. Antonio Boyd

In this episode, Corey and Sharma talk with Dr. Antonio Boyd, President and CEO of the Think Tank Consulting Group, LLC, which is a national management, development, and public affairs company specializing in the educat...

"Even if it's not present doesn't mean it's not possible." - Jada Grandy-Mock

In this episode, Corey and Sharma talk with Jada Grandy-Mock, a senior executive in the financial services industry. Jada has over 20 years of banking experience, including commercial and small business lending, credit risk management, client relationship management, regulatory compliance risk management and community developm...

"If you can find your purpose, your passion will follow." - Dr. Sharica Brookins

To kick off season four, Corey and Sharma talk with Dr. Sharica Brookins, who is a double board-certified Nephrologist & Internist licensed in Georgia. Dr. Brookins is the Founder & CEO of Remote Renal Care, a telehealth kidney practice and the first of its kind providing care all over Georgia. She is a published author in medical...

Corey and Sharma are back to continue to the Courageous Personal Leadership conversation! In season four, they will continue bringing the Four Principles of Courageous Personal Leadership to life through the very real and vulnerable stories of their guests. The Four Principles are: Manage your internal environment, Ask for what you need, Decide to take risks, and Embody your personal mission, vision and values. Show guests will be ...

"Giving up is never an option. I will always be persistent. I will always find the opportunity in any obstacle. This movement is so beyond me that I have choice but to keep going." - Jeanine Suah

Jeanine Suah is a go-giving entrepreneur who uses the world as inspiration for community innovation and is an avid believer in the Experience Economy. With her life’s mission being to help black and brown communities att...

"If you're not managing your brand, someone else is. And I will not have someone else manage my brand. I understand that my brand precedes me before I get in the room." - James M. Davis, Jr.

After graduating from Florida State University, James moved to Los Angeles in 2005 to begin working for Enterprise in Southern California. He's held multiple roles including Talent Development Manager and HR Generalist M...

"Sometimes I'm just so happy with getting anything, that I don't realize there is more. Learning the art of saying 'no, pause,' has been so monumental in my career." - Vanessa Baden Kelly

In this episode, Corey and Sharma talk with actress, writer, author, and producer, Vanessa Baden Kelly. Vanessa is an Emmy-winning actress (Giants) and an Emmy-nominated screenwriter. She began her career as ...

"I always want to be toggling between authenticity and joy. To me, that means being this homegrown person from Gastonia, that got a PhD from U of Chicago, who is now an Ivy League professor, that wants to work in and support Black communities, who likes fried chicken and also eats sushi. I want to be all those things all the time, and that is who I am. And I want to bring that to work. " - Dr. Desmond Patton

In t...

"Be true to who you are, lead in a way that you can be proud of, and take care of yourself along the way." - Dr. Chanel Hampton

To kick off season three, Corey and Sharma talk with Dr. Chanel Hampton, Founder and CEO of Strategic Community Partners (SCP).  Founded in 2015, SCP is a national firm that works with organizations and leads initiatives that advance equity with and for communities. During this conversat...

Corey and Sharma are back to continue to the Courageous Personal Leadership conversation! In season three, they will continue bringing the Four Principles of Courageous Personal Leadership to life through the very real and vulnerable stories of their guests. The Four Principles are: Manage your internal environment, Ask for what you need, Decide to take risks, and Embody your personal mission, vision and values. Show guests will be...

"You can't fake confidence and you can't fake courage. You only have it when you know you have put in the time. You cannot run with the giants if you are not conditioned." - Ty McMath

In this episode, Corey and Sharma talk with Ty McMath, co-founder of Torch Fitness LLC, which was acquired by Valet Living in 2018. Torch Fitness provides local businesses, corporations, and residential communities with on...

"I knew I was talented enough to do anything, but never was ready to do any of it. I felt like I wasted my 20s and the early part of my 30s with this mindset. I realized there was an absence of confidence, purpose, and direction." - Jason Lampton

In this episode, Corey and Sharma talk with Jason Lampton, a marketer and entrepreneur who currently works in marketing for a large financial institution in the Charlott...

"We need everyone doing the thing that they are meant to do at their fullest potential. That is the only way we are going to get to all of the great possibilities that we can, with creativity and innovation." - Lynette  Barksdale


In this episode, Corey and Sharma talk with Lynette Barksdale, who is currently head of diversity, equity, and inclusion at a tech company. Lynette is a DEI champion whose previous ...

"Having the right people in your life enables you to move when it's time to move. It wasn't really me out there doing something. It was the people who had prepared me for leadership when leadership was needed. It takes people helping to prepare you." -Dontaye Carter

In this episode, Corey and Sharma talk with Dontaye Carter, Founder and CEO of Carter Media Group. Dontaye spent years in television news a...

"Legacy building is a huge part of who I am. It is something that has been with me since I was a little girl because of my family and the roots that we have in Miami. My great grandparents were pioneers in Coconut Grove in the 1800s. They were building homes and negotiating with white millionaires in what we know were segregated times. My grandfather was able to create a real estate company and a general store. His legacy fuel...

"It was a crossroads in my life. If I had not taken that leap of faith at that time, I don't know if I ever would have. But I'm so grateful I did." - Danielle Scurry

To kick off season two, Corey and Sharma talk with Danielle Scurry, REALTOR®, Scurry & Associates of Coldwell Banker Realty. She runs a thriving real estate business based in Charlotte, NC, and you may have even seen her on HGTV's ...

Corey and Sharma are back to continue to the Courageous Personal Leadership conversation! Season One was focused on introducing the world to the Four Principles of Courageous Personal Leadership which are: Manage your internal environment, Ask for what you need, Decide to take risks, and Embody your personal mission, vision and values. Season Two is all about bringing the Four Principles to life. Show guests will be sharing how the...

"The first pathway to determining your personal mission, vision, and values is authenticity. We have to reframe how we see conflict, challenges, and our need for help." - Colin Pinkney

In the final episode of season one, Corey and Sharma introduce Principle Four, and talk with Colin Pinkney, Executive Director of the Harvest Center in Charlotte, NC and the Chaplain for the NBA Charlotte Hornets. Colin shares the ...