CYLS 200: Africa X Podcasting - The Road to Episode 200

Create Your Life Series

Episode Summary

To celebrate the 200th episode of the Create Your Life Series podcast, friend of the show Eric N. Fondran steps in as guest host to speak with Kevin Y. Brown about the journey that the Create Your Life Series has traveled. Beginning ten years ago in Japan as a series of motivational videos, it became a syndicated radio show on Sirius XM before transitioning to our podcast series today. Kevin shares the story and motivation behind the show, how he overcame various challenges and stayed focused on the dream, and what he’s learned along the way. Kevin talks about the future potential of the show, how he continues to create his own best life, and then enters the dolphin tank for the first time to reveal his answers to the rapid fire questions he poses to his guests.

Kevin Y. Brown

Kevin is a seasoned multi-media executive who is passionate about Africa’s digital future. As an award winning entrepreneur, podcast producer (over 1,000 episodes across different genres with over 30 million downloads across clients) and tech veteran, Kevin is the Chief Content officer and Head of Strategy at Afripods leading their multi-country strategy and product vision.

Kevin is the host of the Create Your Life Series podcast and has been featured or spoken in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence, Podcast Movement, Podcast Sessions, Ted X, Sirius XM, Inc. magazine and many more…

Eric N. Fondren

Eric N. Fondren is a former resident guest of the Create Your Life Series, sharing lessons and stories on CEO Talks. He is a financial professional that specializes in wealth management and estate planning for young families and professionals. Guided by his faith and family, Eric’s career and entrepreneurial background have provided him with knowledge from many different industries including professional counseling, web design, technology and ad sales, and securities management. Today he is a Registered Representative with NYLIFE Securities LLC helping young and mid-career professionals develop a sound financial strategy, protect their loved ones and create generational wealth.

Insights From the Episode

• The origin story of Create Your Life and its slogan
• Strategies for transitioning from a fear-based to vision-based mindset
• How to shape your own value system rather than chasing someone else’s
• Insights on the keys to continual success
• How to find the motivation to overcome challenges and persevere
• The factors and characteristics that can help you create your best life

Quotes from the Show

• “The absence of expectation can lead to amazing results. A lot of people were very surprised that I even made it into college, and all of my mentors at the time were surprised that I made it through a week. Thank God they never told me that until I had finished, because I just had this level of determination. What it means to me to create my life is that, I’m lucky. There was no expectation, so I just got to create.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #200
• Kevin on making good grades in highschool: “I came up with this rule when I was in high school, always more A’s than B’s and never any C’s.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #200
• “Everybody creates their life, but you transitioned from the motivating factor behind the creation. It seems like you started out as ‘I’m creating my life because I’m running from something’, and the Kevin Y. Brown that I know in 2023 creates his life because he’s chasing something.” - Eric N. Fondren, Create Your Life Series, #200
• “I had to make peace with where I was from, what challenges I had to endure, and what was less than ideal. I think that personal work has helped because it has allowed me to be free from those shackles of having to live within that space. In order to create, you have to be free.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #200
• “I’ve always been very transparent with my audience about the things that I’m working on as well. Because it’s not me sitting up here trying to give you this grand advice as much as I’m in this with you too; these are the things that I'm learning; this is where I might be falling short; these are the things I’m looking to improve.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #200
• “I think a lot of times that vision of the life we create and that belief of where we want to be, sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to already be that person that we don’t even stop to realize the value of who we are today and what we’re doing for the people around us.” - Eric N. Fondren, Create Your Life Series, #200
• “Many people think about creating your own life as this love story to yourself and it’s this beautiful arc, but just like every story there is some conflict, there is a valley that you have to walk through.” - Eric N. Fondren, Create Your Life Series, #200
• “Life has its ups and downs, but if you keep going straight everything will work out. You have to persevere; you have to keep going.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #200
• “Being able to admit when you’re wrong and having no problem being wrong is, I think, the ultimate goal. If you’re okay with being wrong, you can be taught. And if you can keep learning, you never go out of style; you can always evolve. But you have to be honest with yourself.” - Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #200

Resources Mentioned

• Afripods
• Slack software
• Google suite

Favorite Book

• PowerNomics by Dr. Claud Anderson

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favorite Quote

• “Excellence is the bare minimum.” - Kanye West
• “Do it well or not at all.”

3 Keys to Create Your Best Life

1. Do it well or not at all. Be consistent.
2. Be you. Be authentic. Be original.
3. Be curious. Try different things and explore.

Stay Connected

Create Your Life Series

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Kevin Y. Brown

Website: Kevin Y Brown

Instagram: kevinybrown

Twitter: kevinybrown

Facebook: kevinybrown

Eric Fondren

Instagram: ericnfondren

Twitter: Eric Fondren

LinkedIn: Eric Fondren

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This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)