Arden Franklin built a 17-year media career without a college degree — and turned a teenage Tumblr blog into bylines at Billboard, SLAM, and SB Nation, work with Gary Vee, a social lead role at Fnatic, and his own marketing agency. In this episode of Red in Black, Arden sits down with Red Young to talk about the alternative route: chasing a sports journalism dream he's had since age 10, choosing hustle over a degree he couldn't afford, and the hip-hop ethos that taught him to make something shake instead of waiting for permission. It's a conversation about self-education, building a career on your own terms, and passing the game to the next generation. A proud Westchester County native, Arden breaks down how environment becomes instinct — and why "no plan B" never felt like a gamble. Arden Franklin, Red in Black, Red Young, Down to Earth, Black entrepreneurs, Black entrepreneurship, sports journalism, marketing agency, self made entrepreneur, no college degree, self taught, hip hop hustle, Gary Vee, Fnatic, SLAM magazine, Billboard, SB Nation, building a career without college, podcast for entrepreneurs, content creator interview, Westchester New York, social media marketing, starting a business, alternative route success, product of your environment, no plan B, sports media career, entrepreneur podcast, Black business owners, NYC podcast #RedInBlack #ArdenFranklin #BlackEntrepreneurs #BlackEntrepreneurship #SelfMade #HipHopHustle #SportsJournalism #MarketingAgency #GaryVee #Fnatic #NoDegree #SelfTaught #ContentCreator #EntrepreneurPodcast #BlackBusiness #DownToEarth #PodcastClips #NYCpodcast #NoPlanB #BlackMedia

Like many Black storytellers, Jajuan Malachi couldn't find his community in corporate media -- so he built one from scratch. Starting in his Prospect Lefferts apartment, the BJC is now one of the most influential spaces for Black storytellers in New York City. In this episode of Red in Black, Jajuan -- a journalist, culture writer, and founder of the Black Journalist Collective -- breaks down why he created the BJC, what it actually means to bridge the gap between traditional journalism and content creation, and why the corporate media machine was never designed to serve Black people the way they deserve. We get into the real stuff too: the fracturing of Black men and women in 2025, hypergamy, soft commitment, what love actually means versus what people say it means, and why first dates should go deeper than love languages. And we don't leave hip hop alone — Kendrick vs. Drake, what Drake's redemption arc is actually missing, why Sexy Red's rise is a symptom of something bigger, and how Leon Thomas might be the light at the end of the tunnel. Jajuan is sharp, observant, and deeply intentional. This one covers a lot of ground, and all of it real. CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:XX Meet Jajuan Malachi — Journalist, Culture Writer, Community Builder 00:XX Building the Black Journalist Collective 00:XX Conversational Libations — From His Apartment to a Movement 00:XX Corporate Media, Content Creators & the Gap Nobody's Bridging 00:XX The BJC's Next Chapter — DC, LA, Chicago & Beyond 00:XX Jajuan's Origin Story — Bronx, NYU, Morehouse & Fox News 00:XX The Gender Wars & Why Black Men and Women Are Fractured 00:XX Hypergamy, the Top 20% & What Women Actually Want 00:XX Soft Commitment & the New Rules of Modern Black Dating 00:XX What Love Actually Means (Beyond Love Languages) 00:XX Drake, Kendrick & the Last Real Moment in Hip Hop 00:XX Sexy Red, Leon Thomas & the State of Black Music 00:XX Jay-Z, Hell's Kitchen & the Casino That Almost Happened 00:XX Where the BJC Is Going FOLLOW YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCjiFJ5festi2gd6zd27i5Qw Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GFeHS9wP9btwKL8j03nMN Newsletter: https://getdowntoearth.substack.com Instagram: @redinblk TAGS Black Journalist Collective, Black journalism, Black storytellers, NYC community, Black dating, hypergamy, Kendrick Drake, hip hop 2025, Black culture, gender wars, Red in Black podcast, Down to Earth, Black entrepreneurship, content creators vs journalists, Conversational Libations, Black community NYC, corporate media, Black men relationships, modern dating, Ebony magazine, Black music 2025, Leon Thomas, Sexy Red, Jay-Z, Drake album, Black creatives New York HASHTAGS #BlackJournalism #BJC #BlackStorytellers #NYC #BlackCulture #BlackDating #HipHop #KendrickLamar #Drake #RedInBlack #DownToEarth #BlackCommunity #BlackEntrepreneurship #ConversationalLibations #GenderWars #BlackMen #BlackWomen #Hypergamy #LeonThomas #BlackMedia

From JP Morgan presentation specialist to Harlem-based creative tech entrepreneur — Dre Steinberg, founder of Designed to Conquer LLC, is one of the most practical and generous business minds in the city. In this episode of Red in Black, Dre breaks down what it actually takes to build a business from zero: branding vs. logos, why your website isn't converting, how to stop wearing all the hats, and what it means to run your operation like a COO instead of a freelancer. We get into the real ones: grants (Dre won $18K in one hour of writing), how to use Notion and HoneyBook to automate your entire client pipeline, and why lazy entrepreneurs always get scammed. Plus — his vision for Designed to Conquer becoming a full creative tech agency that creates jobs in Harlem. This is one of those episodes where you need a notepad. No gatekeeping. 🔗 Connect with Dre: Designed to Conquer: https://www.designedtoconquer.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designedtoconquerllc/ No Gatekeeping Podcast: [link] Grant Hub on Notion: designedtoconquer.com/granthub 🎙️ Red in Black is a podcast by Down to Earth — featuring entrepreneurs, creatives, and community builders doing real work in New York City. Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@UCjiFJ5festi2gd6zd27i5Qw Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Se2vCkDA0SP5l3HiGLQ8D Instagram: @redinblk Dre Steinberg, Designed to Conquer, Red in Black podcast, Down to Earth NYC, Harlem entrepreneurs, Black business owners, small business tips, how to get grants for small business, HoneyBook tutorial, Notion for entrepreneurs, creative tech agency, branding for small business, web design for beginners, how to start a business NYC, solopreneur systems, business automation, grant writing tips, MWBE certification, minority business enterprise, Honey Book grants, entrepreneurship Harlem, Red Young podcast, business systems, AI for entrepreneurs, no gatekeeping podcast #RedInBlack #DesignedToConquer #HarlemEntrepreneur #BlackBusiness #SmallBusinessTips #GrantMoney #BrandingTips #BusinessSystems #DownToEarth #NoGatekeeping #HoneyBook #NotionForBusiness #CreativeTech #SolopreneurLife #NYCEntrepreneur how to get grants for small business small business branding tips business automation for entrepreneurs Harlem entrepreneur podcast creative tech agency NYC how to write a grant application and win how to stop doing everything yourself in your business Notion HoneyBook small business workflow why your website isn't getting traffic Black business owners building generational wealth