Brown Ambition

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 f...

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...

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 guara...

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 col...

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...

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...

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 conside...

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. ...

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 step...

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 under...

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: Mackle...

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...

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 th...

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 co...

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. 🔑 Highlights: Why failing fast is essential to the entrepreneurial journey How to...

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 Boos...

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 a...

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 bo...

This week, Mandi is reporting live from the National Association of Black Journalists convention with reflections, real talk, and a reminder that the best opportunities at a conference rarely come from simply being in the room.First, she breaks down how to turn conferences, industry events, and professional gatherings into meaningful networking opportunities. From preparing before you arrive to making authentic connections in the moment—and actually following up afterward—Mandi shares practical ways to leave an event with more than a tote bag and a stack of business cards.Then, the episode shifts to exce...

Mandi Money closes out the Summer Money Reboot series by rethinking what ambition looks like when the goals you once chased no longer fit the life you're living today. If you've ever reached a milestone and wondered, Is this still what I want?, this episode is your invitation to redefine success on your own terms. Mandi explores the difference between Brown Ambition and toxic ambition, sharing why changing direction doesn't mean you're giving up. Through the story of a coaching client navigating divorce, financial pressure, and a career crossroads, she breaks down what can happen when you...