Rants And Randomness With Luvvie Ajayi

This week on Professional Troublemaker, we are airing an encore episode where Luvvie is sharing her travel favorites. As people get vaccinated and the world starts to open up again this summer and after traveling hundreds of thousands of miles for work and play, Luvvie has opinions to share on travel essentials. She's sharing everything from her favorite travel products from packing cubes that will help you organize your luggage to noise-canceling headphones to tune out the world during your flight to a few tips to make your trip a little easier.Visit Luvvie's travel page at Awesomely Luvvie to get links to the products mentioned in this episode.***Follow @Luvvie everywhere – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Check out her New York Times best-selling book I’M JUDGING YOU: The Do-Better Manual! And be sure to pre-order PROFESSIONAL TROUBLEMAKER: The Fear Fighter Manual, Luvvie’s second book, wherever books are sold.Have thoughts about the episode? Share on social media using the hashtag #ProfessionalTroublemaker.

 On this episode of Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie is in conversation with  Elizabeth Gilbert for her Onward Book Club that she holds each month on her Instagram Live. Elizabeth created the Onward Book Club as a way of spotlighting, studying, and celebrating the work of Black female authors, and Luvvie was honored to be her guest in April as Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual was spotlighted. Elizabeth and Luvvie have a wide-ranging conversation, featuring some stories that hadn't been told yet on the Professional Troublemaker Tour. They talk about Luvvie's grandmother and her story in more detail, and why her story and spirit are so integral to the book, drawing boundaries around what is sacred, why Liz and Luvvie mutually don’t believe in the concept of fearlessness.  You'll also get some behind-the-scenes stories from Luvvie's TED talk and a really great moment where they discuss dreaming audaciously and what that looks like.****Follow @Luvvie everywhere – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. C

On this episode of Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie is talking to bestselling author and businesswoman Sarah Jakes Roberts. Sarah is the daughter of Bishop T.D. Jakes and Mrs. Serita Jakes and pastors a dynamic community of artists and professionals in Hollywood alongside her husband, Touré Roberts and is the phenomenal mother of six kids. In this episode, Sarah shares some of the adversities she’s had to overcome that eventually led her to who she is today. She’s an example of someone who is willing to show up with heart, and she’s a leader who demonstrates vulnerability, which is so important and valuable.  What glitters is not always gold, and Sarah Jakes Roberts’ story is an example of all things coming together for good and the power of discovering your whole purpose through every experience in your life.***Follow @Luvvie everywhere – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Check out her New York Times best-selling book I’M JUDGING YOU: The Do-Better Manual! And be sure to pre-order PROFESSIONAL TROUBLEMAKER: The

This week on Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie is speaking to veteran political strategist, Donna Brazile. Donna is the former interim Chair of the Democratic National Committee and became the first African American woman to serve as the manager of a major party presidential campaign when she ran the campaign of former vice president Al Gore. Donna is a best-selling author and speaks at colleges and universities across the country. She’s been an adjunct professor at Georgetown and the Harvard Kennedy School and is currently the Gwendolyn S. and Colbert I. King Endowed Chair in Public Policy at Howard University.  Donna talks about her early ambitions of being a priest and later, a doctor, and how she found her calling for public service very early in her life. She and Luvvie also touch on the beauty of cherishing your inner child and challenging authority, as all great Professional Troublemakers do so well. Luvvie and Donna the importance of always asking why, how critical it is to lift others as we climb, an

On this episode of Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie is talking to lawyer, coach, and newly minted author Rachel Rodgers. Rachel is the founder of Hello Seven, a multi-million-dollar company that teaches women how to earn more money and build wealth, and she’s the author of We Should All Be Millionaires: A Woman’s Guide to Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Economic PowerRachel is telling some powerful and formative stories she’s never shared before. She talks all about her career as a lawyer and how she shifted into the coaching and entrepreneurial space, and why she’s so passionate about making sure women – especially Black women – have the knowledge and tools they need to build multi-generational wealth. Rachel is someone who works hard, knows her boundaries, and is such a professional troublemaker. Luvvie and Rachel discuss how Rachel was able to go from a negative net worth to riding horses that she owns on her ranch. And through her book and her business, she walks women through how that life an

In this #ArchiveApril episode, we're re-airing Luvvie's 2019 interview with Yvette Noel-Schure - legendary media mogul and publicist to stars like Prince, Maxwell, and Beyonce. Luvvie and Yvette are talking about how she chooses happiness and has established an award-winning career built on respect, loyalty, hard work, and love. And Yvette shares one of our favorite, heart-opening stories we've ever heard on the podcast. We learned so much about love and life from this conversation, we wanted to share it again.Be sure to follow Yvette on  Instagram (@yvettenoelschure) and come back next week for an all-new episode of Professional Troublemaker.***Follow @Luvvie everywhere – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Check out her New York Times best-selling book I’M JUDGING YOU: The Do-Better Manual! And be sure to order Luvvie’s second New York Times bestselling book PROFESSIONAL TROUBLEMAKER: The Fear Fighter Manual wherever books are sold.Have thoughts about the episode? Share on social media using the hashtag #Professi

In this 2018 episode that we're re-sharing as part of Archive April, Luvvie has an in-depth conversation with Sundial Brands Co-Founder and CEO Rich Dennis. In this interview, Rich shares how he went from selling soaps on 125th street in Harlem to building a business that is now a global conglomerate. He chats about why economic freedom is so critical for the Black community and breaks down the costs of (not) buying Black. He talks about buying ESSENCE Magazine and explains how he had the conviction to insist that Unilever invest $100 million in Black women entrepreneurs as part of this partnership with the megabrand. Follow Rich on Instagram at @richelieudennis, and follow his fund focused on women of color entrepreneurs, New Voices Fund, on Facebook and Instagram.***Follow @Luvvie everywhere – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Check out her New York Times best-selling book I’M JUDGING YOU: The Do-Better Manual! And be sure to order Luvvie’s second New York Times bestselling book PROFESSIONAL TROUBLEMAKER: The F

Today on Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie is in conversation with Thasunda Brown Duckett. This is an encore episode from a previously aired conversation on Rants & Randomness that we just had to re-share as part of Archive April. At the time of this interview, Thasunda was serving as the CEO of Chase Consumer Banking, but earlier this year she was named as the president and CEO of TIAA and is the first woman to serve in that role. Thasunda is at the top of her game in her career and is a mother of four, proud wife, proud daughter, and just overall noir pixie dust carrier. In this interview, Luvvie and Thasunda talk about her upbringing, how she became the woman who cared so much about talking about money, especially when it comes to Black women and how you can diversify your life as a portfolio. 

On this episode of Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie is bringing back a conversation she had with her guest Bozoma Saint John back in 2018. We’re reaching back into past episodes of the podcast you may have missed and sharing great conversations with Professional Troublemakers as part of what we're calling Archive April.Though she’s now the Chief Marketing Officer for Netflix, at the time of this interview Boz had just left Uber and was taking on a new role as Endeavor’s Chief Marketing Officer. We talk about why she must bring unfiltered #NoirPixieDust into boardrooms and how she made her own lane at brands including Pepsi, Apple, Uber and Endeavor, and why bringing her real self into the C-Suite gives her an edge. Boz also shares why there’s no room for imposter syndrome in her life and why she’s her own biggest supporter.Let us know what your favorite interview has been from our past archive, and check back next week for a new interview!***Follow @Luvvie everywhere – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Check out

On this episode of Professional Troublemaker, host Luvvie Ajayi Jones is talking to legendary shoe-designer and President of Fear of God Athletics, Jason Mayden. In this episode, they discuss Jason’s journey from designing girl’s names in bubble letters to designing shoes for Nike at 21. Jason describes his design strategy as “looking for the narrative”. Instead of looking at other products for inspiration, he sees products as artifacts that tell a story. And when it comes to presenting these ideas, he has had to kill impostor syndrome and advocate for himself. They converse about the urge to give in to impostor syndrome, the process of recognizing mediocrity, and the realization of belonging in a room. Jason describes Professional Troublemaking as being an accomplice--not an ally---and believes the world needs Professional Troublemakers in order to take risks and say the inconvenient thing at the inconvenient time. Kick back in your favorite kicks and enjoy this episode of Professional Troublemaker with icon

On this episode of Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie is talking to CEO of PMM Promotions and communications powerhouse, Kimberly Blackwell. As another honorary “almost-doctor”, Kimberly talks about her pre-med beginnings and journey to entrepreneurial success. We engage in conversation about building wealth and legacy,  working toward meaningful goals, and trusting your team. Kimberly also delves into being an advocate for community, having positive women to be vulnerable with, and the strength she has found in her friends like Luvvie. We get into the good and the challenging parts of living in your purpose unapologetically. Grab a notebook and a pen, and get your life with the latest episode of Professional Troublemaker. ***Follow @Luvvie everywhere – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Check out her New York Times best-selling book I’M JUDGING YOU: The Do-Better Manual! And be sure to pre-order PROFESSIONAL TROUBLEMAKER: The Fear Fighter Manual, Luvvie’s second book, wherever books are sold.Have thoughts about th

This week on Professional Troublemaker, I’m talking to superstar basketball player Sue Bird.You may know Sue as one of the most recognized and heralded basketball players of all time, which is reason enough to have a conversation. But my team and I wanted Sue on the podcast because Sue was one of the forces behind the “Vote Warnock” t-shirts the WNBA was wearing this summer to throw their support behind now Senator Raphael Warnock after his opponent Kelly Loeffler (and co-owner of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream) came out against Black Lives Matter. During our conversation, we talk through Sue’s experience coming up through high school and college, and how she’s committed to helping the players who are coming up behind her. She also touches on how team sports taught her valuable lessons like how to be disciplined, how to get along with others, and what it means to set and achieve goals. Listen and enjoy as we talk with Sue Bird about using your platform as a Professional Troublemaker! ***Follow @Luvvie everywhere – 

On this episode of Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie is talking to Nicole Walters. Nicole is the founder and CEO of a multi-million-dollar personal development and business education empire. After quitting her corporate job on livestream in front of 10,000 people Nicole uses all the skills and knowledge she learned in the corporate world and specializes in business development training and strategic coaching for emerging entrepreneurs and established business owners. She works with everyone from stay-at-home parents to small business owners, and her transformative resources help everyday entrepreneurs build a legacy they will be proud of.Nicole is blessing us with the information she shares in this episode. Just effortless gems dropping all around. You see her out here running her business and on her new show on USA Networks, but in this episode she shared some amazing stories we’d never heard from her before. How she’s been this professional, gifted entrepreneur from the time she was small, how she strategic

How would our lives be different if we were given permission to be disruptors for the greater good? How far will we have gone if we already knew that our jobs aren’t to shy away from big things but to run towards them? How dope would our legacy be if we knew that FEAR is natural and we’re actually supposed to do the things that scare us? You can’t have courage without fear. You’ve already got the first step to having courage – you’re afraid. Don’t stop there. Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t put shame around being afraid. It’s natural, so move forward anyway. Fight your fear.Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual is out today, everywhere books are sold.  ***Follow @Luvvie everywhere – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Check out her New York Times best-selling book I’M JUDGING YOU: The Do-Better Manual! And be sure to pre-order PROFESSIONAL TROUBLEMAKER: The Fear Fighter Manual, Luvvie’s second book, wherever books are sold.Have thoughts about the episode? Share on social media using the hashtag #Professi

On this episode of Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie is talking to comedian and social media sensation Elsa Majimbo. Pre-global pandemic, Elsa was a journalism student with just over seven thousand followers. Fast forward a few viral videos later, and Elsa is out here with a Fenty endorsement and major corporate partnerships, taking meetings with actors and musicians she's looked up to for years, releasing her own ASMR song about snacks on Apple Music and Spotify, all while millions of people around the world waiting for her to drop her next video. Elsa is making her voice heard through her comedy, which is amazing. And she’s one of those people who was born to speak out in the world - which is why you might be surprised to hear her talk about how she’s actually shy and quite reserved. But her sense of abundance and gratitude and joy for everything she has the opportunity to do right now is infectious and such an example of what is possible if we feel the fear and start doing the thing we want to do regardles

In this episode of Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie is talking with someone who is the literal walking definition of what a professional troublemaker is. She’s a truthteller, she’s a disruptor, she’s a trailblazer and a change agent – activist, author, and speaker Tarana Burke.In this Fear Fighter February conversation, Luvvie and Tarana talk about what it was like for Tarana growing up and all the paths she walked down to end up on the one she’s on right now, the pain of being misunderstood when you’re trying to make the world a better place for everyone and how Tarana has learned to lean into vulnerability more as she continues to do her work. They also discuss Tarana’s upcoming anthology co-edited with Brené Brown, You Are Your Best Thing as well as Tarana’s memoir, coming later this year in 2021.***Follow @Luvvie everywhere – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Check out her New York Times best-selling book I’M JUDGING YOU: The Do-Better Manual! And be sure to pre-order PROFESSIONAL TROUBLEMAKER: The Fear Figh

On this episode of Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie is sharing the audio from an IG Live conversation she had with Because of Them We Can founder Eunique Jones Gibson. Part of Fear-Fighter February, this conversation was so filled with inspiration to help people fight their fear and live audaciously, we had to share it here on the Professional Troublemaker podcast as well. Eunique is the publisher and creative mind behind not only Because of Them We Can, but the creator of the wildly popular game #CultureTags. She was our first guest on the podcast, and we’re thrilled to have her back on the show. In this episode, Luvvie and Eunique discuss how they show up and give each other courage, why no one can really steal one of your ideas, why it’s important to run your own race when it comes to going after your dreams, and what steps to take first when you’re bringing one of your ideas to life.***Follow @Luvvie everywhere – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Check out her New York Times best-selling book I’M JUDGING YOU

This week on Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie is talking to award-winning actress and writer Gabourey Sidibe. After breaking on the scene as the title character in the Academy Award-nominated film, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, Gabby has gone on to create memorable characters on several seasons of the Emmy Award-nominated anthology series “American Horror Story.” She has also appeared in the Golden Globe Award-nominated series “The Big C,” and on the smash-hit series “Empire.” Gabby is also a director, with several television episodes and short films to her credit. Her critically acclaimed first book, "This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare," was released in 2017.In this episode, Luvvie and Gabby are discussing the amazing story of how Gabby became an actress in the first place, the wild connection through a viral video they didn’t realize they had until this conversation, why vulnerability is vital and the need for self-care and boundaries in tumultuous times.***Follow @Luvvie everywhere

On this episode of Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie is reflecting on the recent passing of her therapist of four years, and how that has caused her to reflect on the importance of therapy in her evolution over that time. Luvvie is talking through some of the feedback and comments she has received after writing about her therapist’s death on AwesomelyLuvvie.com, and how things are going now as she continues to figure out how to process the death of the person who helped her process life. Luvvie is also talking all about the importance of therapy for everyone trying to show up as their full selves in this world and shares the reasons everyone should get therapy, how to find a therapist (including resources on finding one) and challenges listeners to start therapy if they aren’t already working with someone.***Follow @Luvvie everywhere – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Check out her New York Times best-selling book I’M JUDGING YOU: The Do-Better Manual! And be sure to pre-order PROFESSIONAL TROUBLEMAKER: The Fear

On this episode of Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie is talking to multiple award-winning actress and singer Cynthia Erivo. Cynthia is a Tony®, Emmy® and Grammy® Award-winning actress, as well as Academy Award®, Golden Globe®, and SAG nominee. She played Celie in the West End and Broadway revivals of the musical “The Color Purple,” and was nominated for an Academy Award for her work in “Harriet," She currently appears on the HBO series “The Outsider,” and will soon play Aretha Franklin in National Geographic’s “Genius: Aretha,” airing in March.During their conversation, Cynthia and Luvvie are talking about how she landed her life-changing role in the West End revival of The Color Purple and why she almost didn’t get the chance to audition, as well as how she’s continued to grow and thrive in a business that is difficult to handle.***Follow @Luvvie everywhere – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Check out her New York Times best-selling book I’M JUDGING YOU: The Do-Better Manual! And be sure to pre-order PROFESSION