Brown Ambition

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. In this episode, Alexis joins Brown Ambition to talk about building a life and business that makes room for all of her interests, identities, and curiosities. She shares how her mother introduced her to foraging as a child, why she initially kept her love of plants and the outdoors to herself, and what it took to stop suppressing the parts of herself that didn’t fit other people’s expectations of Blackness, femininity, or success. Mandi and Alexis also get into the less whimsical side of turning a passion into a business, from navigating taxes and forming an LLC to saying no to brand deals, managing burnout, and learning how to treat your creativity like a business without losing the joy that made you love it in the first place. They also talk about connecting with Black ancestry through food and the land, the importance of curiosity in adulthood, and why getting to know the world around us can make our lives feel a little more magical. In this episode, we get into: Growing up with a mother who was a Black corporate leader and finding connection with her through gardening and the outdoors How Alexis discovered foraging at five years old and never really stopped being curious about plants The pressure to pursue a traditional, “successful” career and what happened when Alexis realized environmental engineering wasn’t for her Going from environmental science and theater to marketing and eventually becoming a full-time creator Why Alexis chose the name Black Forager and the importance of making Blackness visible in spaces where it hasn’t always been expected Challenging narrow ideas about Black femininity, identity, hobbies, and what Black people are “supposed” to be interested in Finding a deeper connection to Black history and ancestry through plants, gardening, and the land The complicated history of Black people and the outdoors and what it means to reclaim those spaces What happens when your hobby becomes your livelihood, including burnout and the pressure to always create Building a business around your personality without losing yourself in the process Why curiosity is a muscle we have to keep exercising, especially as adults Making everyday life more magical by getting to know the natural world around us Giving yourself permission to be playful, weird, creative, and fully yourself Alexis’ new cookbook, Happy Snacking, Don’t Die, and the community that helped bring it to life Plus, Alexis shares a few beginner-friendly foraging tips, the plant she thinks we should stop calling a weed, why we might want to rethink our relationship with black walnuts, and her official ranking of some very whimsical activities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 steps • Parents: Review what your child is bringing home from school, ask questions, document concerns, and organize with other families when systems are not meeting students’ needs. • Workers: Update your résumé with business outcomes, build fluency with the AI tools relevant to your industry. • SAVE borrowers: Check your StudentAid.gov and loan-servicer accounts, find your individual transition deadline, compare repayment options, and submit an application before that deadline. RESOURCES: Explore federal income-driven repayment options SAVE-plan transition information 🎁 FREE LINK to "In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own? By Nikole Hannah-Jones See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 understand their bodies instead of simply accepting that feeling bad is “normal.” But this conversation goes beyond health. Dr. Taz opens up about building her healthcare business from two rooms in her husband’s dental office, bootstrapping her businesses, navigating money with her husband, and eventually bringing her clinics, supplements, digital platform, and other ventures together under Whole Plus. In this episode: Why women need to stop normalizing exhaustion, brain fog, weight gain, and other health symptoms Dr. Taz’s experience of becoming a doctor who became the patient The connection between stress, gut health, hormones, and overall wellness What women in their 30s and 40s should know about hormone health Understanding thyroid, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, insulin, and other health markers How to become a better advocate for yourself at the doctor’s office Why your medical appointment should be treated like a business meeting The difference between conventional, functional, and integrative medicine What to know before adding supplements to your routine Why supplements shouldn’t simply be chosen because they’re trending How preventive and proactive healthcare can change the way we approach wellness The financial realities of accessing personalized and integrative healthcare Why healthcare providers need more time with patients How Dr. Taz built her first practice while still working in the ER Bootstrapping a healthcare business and betting on yourself How Dr. Taz and her husband navigated money, business, and entrepreneurship together The evolution of Dr. Taz’s businesses into Whole Plus Why women need to make time for quiet, reflection, and self-care Connect With Dr. Taz Learn more about Dr. Taz and Hol+ at holplus.co Connect With Brown Ambition Follow Brown Ambition on Instagram: @brownambitionpodcast Follow Mandi Money: @mandimoney If this episode spoke to you, share it with a woman who’s been told she’s “just stressed,” “just getting older,” or needs to simply power through—and remind her that asking questions about her health is part of taking care of her wealth, her future, and herself. Note: This is for informational purposes and not meant to be medical advice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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: Macklemore was removed from the tour after speaking out for Palestine, other artists walked away, and the controversy raises bigger questions about neutrality, power, and who gets to speak. • Rep. Jasmine Crockett is facing backlash after honoring Chris Brown at a Texas concert. Mandi unpacks the difference between fandom, Black joy, public recognition, and accountability. • Plus, a Brown Boost for Rep. Joyce Beatty after her response to President Donald Trump. Join the BA Book Club The Brown Ambition Book Club is back! Our September/October pick is Love, Me: A Letter to Black Women in a Toxic Country, Career, and Relationship by Tiffany D. Cross. Join the book club here: https://mandimoney.myflodesk.com/r77pw75z5q Sign up to receive details about the virtual October book-club meetup. The invitation and event details will go to BA Fam who join through the link. Stay connected Have a headline, question, or topic you want on a future Brown Buzz? Email [email protected], tag @brownambitionpodcast on Instagram, or send a DM @brownambitionpodcast Follow and subscribe to Brown Ambition, and come back every Wednesday for guest conversations and every Friday for Brown Buzz. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 joins Mandi Money to talk about the connection between wellness, ambition, money, and leadership. She opens up about losing her mother while writing her latest book, how grief changed the way she thinks about success and family, and why she’s learning to embrace a new version of herself. Koya also shares the entrepreneurial lessons she learned building her wellness business—from hiring and structuring a team to finding mentors and creating a financial design that helps her determine what she actually needs to earn and how much her time is worth. Plus, we talk about the rituals that can help us manage stress, process difficult experiences, and stop abandoning ourselves in the name of ambition. In this episode: Why ambition can sometimes lead to self-abandonment What grief taught Koya about success, family, and living authentically Building a wellness business from the ground up Why you don’t need a huge team to build a successful business The importance of structure, mentorship, and knowing when to ask for help Koya’s approach to financial well-being and “financial design” How to determine what you actually need to earn Using breathwork, affirmations, and other rituals to regulate stress Why women of color need tools to navigate difficult workplaces and relationships Learning to process pain instead of carrying it How to recognize when you’re self-abandoning for the sake of success Why sometimes the goal isn’t to leave—it’s to learn how to stay without losing yourself Finding the wisdom in your wounds and remembering that you can always come back Connect With Koya Follow Koya Webb on Instagram: @koyawebb Learn more about Koya’s work and get her new book, Well-Being Rituals: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394387229?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback Connect With Brown Ambition Follow us on Instagram: @brownambitionpodcast Follow Mandi: @mandimoney If this episode spoke to you, share it with a friend who is building a big life — and needs permission to protect her peace while she does it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.