What happens when reality starts cracking under the weight of our contradictions? In this illuminating conversation with Natalie Black, founder and CEO of Culture and Curate, we dive deep into how brands must evolve to remain relevant in an era where traditional marketing approaches are failing spectacularly.

Natalie's journey from New York fashion PR maven to cultural strategist reveals the underlying patterns that have shaped her unique perspective on brand strategy. With remarkable candor, she shares how her early fascination with human behavior and psychology eventually led her to question the systems that govern our professional lives. "I didn't realize I was doing strategy at the time, but I literally would just show up to meetings that I had no business being in," she confesses, highlighting how curiosity and determination can open unexpected doors.

The conversation hits a raw and real note when Natalie breaks down her leap from corporate to entrepreneurship. She challenges the romanticized narrative of “be your own boss” and calls it what it is. Liberating, yes, but also brutal. When you’re in charge, every win and every screw-up traces back to you and no excuse can save you. It’s the part of the journey most people don’t talk about, and her take is a must-hear for anyone thinking about making the switch.

At the heart of our discussion is Natalie's groundbreaking report, "Signal and Shift: The Great Awakening," which identifies three polar forces constructing our current reality: hyper-optimization, hyper-polarization, and hyper-normalization. These forces have created a world where consumers increasingly feel something fundamental isn't right—paying more for less while brands extract value from culture without genuine reciprocity. Her solution challenges conventional marketing wisdom: "People are not boxes," she asserts, urging brands to move beyond demographic targeting toward authentic human connection.

Want to understand how your brand can thrive amid unprecedented cultural shifts? This episode offers a new framework for approaching strategy in ways that honor human complexity while building meaningful connections. Subscribe, share your thoughts, and join us in reimagining how brands and humans can evolve together in these extraordinary times.

See below for how to connect with our guest, Natalie Black:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliesblack/
• Email: natalie@culturexcurate.com
• Website: https://culturexcurate.com

What do you do when the path you’ve dedicated your life to suddenly shifts? For Brandon Leopoldus, the end of his umpiring career at 24 wasn’t the finish line, it was the beginning of a new chapter. That pivot became the foundation for a thriving legal practice focused on guiding athletes and entertainers through the high-stakes business of sports.

Drawing from his five years in baseball's minor leagues, Brandon reveals the stark realities behind professional sports careers. "When you see guys on an NFL roster, you don't have 53 millionaires out there. You probably have 10 millionaires and 43 broke guys," he explains. With most NFL careers lasting under three years and players missing pension eligibility, the financial picture for athletes isn't what fans imagine.

Brandon's practice focuses on helping athletes navigate crucial transition points...from high school recruitment through college NIL deals to professional contracts and retirement planning. He emphasizes creating a trusted team of advisors who can protect athletes from poor investments and impulsive purchases that jeopardize long-term financial security. "If you haven't had money, it's the biggest thing in the world," Brandon notes. "It's like if you haven't eaten for three days and you open up the refrigerator, you eat everything."

The conversation takes a fascinating turn examining how NIL is transforming college athletics. Brandon predicts continued evolution toward direct player payments, creating widening disparities between revenue and non-revenue sports. This shift threatens Olympic sports development as universities potentially cut programs to fund football and basketball. "If you don't have collegiate cross-country, your Olympic teams in the future are really going to suffer," he warns.

Throughout our discussion, Brandon's authenticity shines through as both personal philosophy and business strategy. "I have a hard enough time being myself, let alone trying to be somebody else," he shares, explaining how this approach attracts clients who value transparency and honesty.

Ready to explore the hidden realities of sports careers and learn why authenticity might be your greatest business asset? Dive into this eye-opening conversation that will change how you view professional athletes and the business infrastructure surrounding them.

What does it truly mean to operate with an abundance mindset in business? Desirae Jones, founder of Desirae Jones Co., joins the Heavy On Brand podcast to share her extraordinary journey from corporate marketing to purpose-driven entrepreneurship.Desirae's story begins with a leap of faith - moving from Atlanta to New York for a global corporate communications position with barely any experience, a poor credit score, and no savings.

From her basement apartment in the Bronx, she navigated corporate America as a young Black woman, engaging with senior executives, managing global teams, and driving media relations for a publicly traded company hungry for market share. Long before DEI became part of the corporate lexicon—before terms like microaggressions or allyship were widely recognized—Desirae found her own way, often without a roadmap. Though she often felt undervalued and overlooked during her tenure, that season sharpened her instincts and resilience. She left the company but returned as a consultant to lead the company’s first multicultural marketing campaign for Marvel's “Black Panther.”

This pivotal moment revealed Desirae's "superpower" - the ability to create authentic multicultural campaigns that benefit both brands and communities. The experience taught her that her potential had been limited by corporate constraints, leading her to establish her own marketing communications agency focused on social impact. Rather than chasing awards or celebrity clients, Desirae finds fulfillment in projects that create meaningful change, shown recently through her work with Pfizer, Amazon Studios, and MGM Studios.

Throughout the conversation, Desirae and host Brian Fitch explore how their chance meeting at Atlanta's The Gathering Spot led to lasting friendship and collaboration. Their story exemplifies the power of horizontal networking and maintaining an abundance mindset - connecting people freely without expectation of return. As Desirae puts it, "When you truly look at the world or opportunities as an endless supply, it allows you to operate freely."

Follow Desirae Jones Co. on social media or visit www.desiraejonesco.com to learn more about how purpose-driven marketing and communications can create meaningful impact while achieving business objectives.

The relationship business always trumps visual representation when building a powerful brand. In this conversation with James Artis, co-founder and chief growth officer of The Observation Group, we explore how authentic connections create lasting success in the speaking industry and beyond.

James shares his fascinating journey from booking 50 Cent for college homecoming concerts to working with Russell Simmons at the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network before discovering his true calling: representing purpose-driven speakers who make real impact. What makes his approach distinct? A refusal to treat speaker representation as merely transactional. While many agencies focus solely on fees, The Observation Group built their business around clear pillars of purpose: global awareness, human rights, social justice, diversity, and education.

This values-first approach guided their roster development, beginning with Dr. Cornel West and expanding to include thought leaders like Bakari Sellers, Kenneth B. Morris (descendant of Frederick Douglass), and entrepreneurs who've built and sold companies worth billions. Rather than chasing celebrity speakers, they focus on authenticity, asking a powerful question: "What do they believe you for?" This simple inquiry forces speakers to consider how their personal story aligns with their message—creating deeper connections with audiences.

When building their own brand identity, James recounts how The Observation Group's early success came despite having what he calls a "hastily built Wix website." Their eventual rebrand transformed not just their visual identity but clarified their mission. The lesson? While visual branding matters, the emotional representation—how people feel about working with you—ultimately drives business growth.

For entrepreneurs and people building brands, this conversation reveals that purpose-driven businesses thrive when they prioritize relationships, maintain clear values, and ensure authentic alignment between personal story and business offerings. As technology continues advancing, remember this: the human element of branding will always take precedence over tools and templates.

Money never sleeps, and neither do the smartest wealth creators. Jason Mercer, a finance and investment expert, breaks down the strategies that affluent individuals use to generate passive income while catching Z's. This conversation with a longtime friend evolved into a masterclass on wealth-building through strategic investment.

With a background spanning investment banking at elite firms to his current role leading Cleveland Avenue's CAST US fund, Mercer's journey illuminates the critical decisions that shape financial success. Perhaps most compelling is his work addressing the stark disparities in venture funding - while Black and Latinx entrepreneurs represent about a quarter of the US population, they receive less than 2% of venture capital dollars. The $70 million CAST US fund directly tackles this imbalance, investing in underrepresented founders with unique cultural perspectives who create products that authentically resonate with diverse consumers.

The conversation ventures deep into the symbiotic relationship between product development, brand building, and market strategy. For early-stage companies, Mercer advises focusing first on creating exceptional products that solve real problems, then building brand infrastructure as you scale. Without strong branding, customers need products to be drastically better or cheaper to switch; with powerful brand equity, they'll stay loyal despite minimal differences. This balance becomes critical as companies grow - maintaining scrappy "hand-to-hand combat" customer acquisition strategies even while incorporating sophisticated digital marketing.

Looking toward 2025's investment landscape, Mercer predicts improvement but cautions founders to prioritize efficiency over "growth at all costs" mentality. The most attractive companies will demonstrate solid growth (30-50%) while moving toward profitability, rather than tripling revenue with unsustainable burn rates.

As you build your business or investment portfolio, remember: true wealth comes from creating systems that generate returns while you sleep.