It's the end of 2023, and what does the culture look like at the end of every year? We talk about how we are going to work out, learn new languages, etc. It's the most popular time to go through the self-improvement journey. As some of you may know, the culture isn't always so supportive of that journey. It's always a good idea to self-evaluate and determine if improvement is needed. We usually turn to our friends, family, and community for support. That doesn't always turn out well. Let's explore how that process goes as you share your dreams of a future self with the culture.

Listen to the episode and let me know what you think. Let's overcome some of the cultural influences that we subscribe to that don't serve us every day. Listen, laugh, and share. Don't forget to subscribe and rate.

Follow along on Instagram at @aubasscity and @jasoncbass

It's the gift-giving season. We all feel the pressure on us to get the best possible gift for our loved ones, but we also feel the pressure of shopping with intention. The culture expects a lot from us these days, and as business owners, we need to do our best. Customers do have a responsibility to help inform the business owner so they do better, and the business owner has a responsibility to their organization and customers. So let's explore a few behaviors that we consider to be cultural norms with a few stories from my personal life.

Listen to the episode and let me know what you think. Let's overcome some of the cultural influences that we subscribe to that don't serve us every day. Listen, laugh, and share. Don't forget to subscribe and rate.

Follow along on Instagram at @aubasscity and @jasoncbass

Thanksgiving has passed, and traditionally, we get together with family to feast and be thankful. Over the years, the holiday has changed a lot. Many of the elders in our family can't afford to host on their own dime, or the grandparents are still building out their lives while in their late 30's and early 40's. Being with family can also be very stressful, so over the years we've spent more time celebrating with our friends, aka the chosen family. When it comes to friendships, I'd like to discuss how we built our friendships over the years. Should the people we grew up with still be our friends? Were those relationships built off of shared trauma that doesn't exist anymore? Do we really know who should be our friends as adults, and why? Are we constrained by the loyalty created by situations that we've grown out of over the years?

Listen to the episode and let me know what you think. Let's overcome some of the cultural influences that we subscribe to that don't serve us every day. Listen, laugh, and share. Don't forget to subscribe and rate.

Follow along on Instagram at @aubasscity and @jasoncbass

It's officially sports season, with football and basketball everywhere. Those are the only two sports that really matter, right? I mean, who cares about baseball, soccer, or golf? Those aren't real sports.

This is what I'd like to discuss. The culture only approves two major sports, basketball and football, but there are so many other sports to be played and appreciated. What is this about? Let's talk through why the culture has these constraints and discover some other options.

So, let's overcome some of the cultural influences that we subscribe to that don't serve us every day. Listen, laugh, and share. Don't forget to subscribe and rate.

Follow along on Instagram at @aubasscity and @jasoncbass

Reference
The Best Black Men's Tennis Players Of 2023
https://www.ranker.com/list/best-black-tennis-players-2023/pedro-cerrano

The conversation around black restaurants and service has gone viral. It was already in popular culture, but it's reached new heights, and we learned that honesty isn't always the best policy.

This is important to me for a few reasons. Professionally, I am the Director of Culture and Programming for the Thompson Atlanta-Buckhead. Which is a beautiful lifestyle-luxury hotel in Atlanta. I am also the founder of The Night Brunch, which is a pop-up dining service that started in Baltimore in 2018, and I now live in Atlanta. So when Michelin visited for the first time this year and created a guide of restaurants to celebrate, we were all excited for the accomplishment. But when Keith Lee visited and gave his honest review of some of the small black-owned restaurants, things got crazy.

We recently hosted a Thompson Talk at Tesserae, a rooftop cocktail lounge at the Thompson, with a few of the most influential figures in Atlanta's culture and food scene. Check out an article about it here.  As you would have expected, we talked about things that are specific to the culture and how they have impacted how a business operates, as well as ways the culture can contribute to the service.

So, let's talk through it all and learn about how we have to overcome some of the cultural influences that we subscribe to every day. Listen, laugh, and share. Don't forget to subscribe and rate. Thank you.

Follow along on Instagram at @aubasscity and @jasoncbass

It's Halloween this week, and for this episode, I will be exploring a few superstitions and a scary story for spooky szn. Growing up, I thought everyone went by the same beliefs when it came to avoiding cracks in the sidewalk, splitting poles, or leaving your purse on the ground. But later in life, I discovered that we just have our own ways of being, and that's great. It does make you look crazy when you're out with non-black people and you're working hard not to split the poles when you're walking to the next bar at happy hour.

I'm also going to talk about lore that's local to Atlanta and that's scary and real. Lake Lanier is a man-made lake; it's not natural. In fact, it's supernatural. Over 700 people have gone missing or died at this lake since it was made in 1956. Listen to learn more about why and what's going on.

So, let's talk through it all and laugh about how we have to overcome some of the cultural influences that we subscribe to every day. Listen, laugh, and share. Don't forget to subscribe and rate. Thank you.

Follow along on Instagram at @aubasscity and @jasoncbass

Links to Lake Lanier info:
The Haunting Of Lake Lanier And The Black City Buried Underneath
Mysterious Disappearances Haunt Georgia Lake | The UnXplained (Season 3)

I'll be in Miami at the Black Travel Summit for work and to support the event in-person. If you haven't heard about the summit, it's all about creating opportunities with and for the Black travel community. Check them out yourself online at https://reveal.blacktravelsummit.com/.

Since I was on the road, I was inspired to focus this episode on Black Travel and a cultural expectation that impacts the urban black American man. It's hard to enjoy life when society, or your culture, won't allow you to do you. In this case, I tell a story from my young adult years when I visited Miami for the first time and I didn't feel comfortable showing my toes even on the beach. That just wasn't allowed in my community. Back in the day, a black man wearing a sandal with their toes out was inexcusable.

So let's talk through it all and laugh about how we have to overcome some of the cultural expectations that we subscribe to every day. Listen, laugh, and share. Don't forget to subscribe and rate. Thank you.

Follow along on Instagram at @aubasscity and @jasoncbass

Created by Jason C. Bass, Aubasscity analyzes cultural behaviors, challenges the ones that are toxic, and has the audacity to explore alternatives. 

How you move within the culture says everything about you. Even if you aren’t aware of it, you’re broadcasting social signals. Before you even speak, things about you are being communicated with to the community. 

Your fit is saying something. Your walk is saying something. How you stand is say a thing. So once you say something out your mouth, everyone knows if you’re a clown or can stick around. 

“Whose man’s is this?”

This generation is different. We are challenging the cultural norms and see them as constraints. Some of the codes are helpful to know who should be trusted but other norms can leave us isolated. 

The negative behaviors that defines the urban Black American culture comes from how society wants the world to see us as and is not natural. It’s now being noticed and rejected. 

But the motivation for me is them telling me would I could not be. Oh well.

Follow along at @aubasscity and @jasoncbass on Instagram