Episodios

  • How Eric Roberson Turned Pain Into Purpose with his 18th Album “Beautifully All Over the Place”

    How Eric Roberson Turned Pain Into Purpose with his 18th Album “Beautifully All Over the Place”
    Apr 13 2026
    On this episode of Stop, Look & Listen, we sit down with Grammy-nominated soul powerhouse Eric Roberson to unpack the heart, healing, and honesty behind his latest album, Beautifully All Over the Place.

    From turning failed relationships into timeless music to finding inspiration in everyday family moments, Eric reveals how chaos and creativity go hand in hand.

    He opens up about:
    🔥 His unique songwriting process and embracing spontaneity
    👨‍👦 How fatherhood shaped his music (including a moment with his son in the studio!)
    💔 The emotional depth behind songs like “Trust and Love”
    💛 The magic of collaboration on “Sweeter Than You” with Avery Sunshine
    💪 The powerful message of resilience in “Fight Through It All”

    “Every experience—good or bad—can become part of the process.”

    This isn’t just an album… It’s a soundtrack to growth, healing, and real life.

    🎥 Watch the full conversation and discover Fourcast Media’s stable of shows at Tap in now on www.pushplaypods.com!:

    🔗 Connect with Eric Roberson:
    🌐 www.ericrobersonmusic.com
    📸 IG: @Erro44
    🐦 Twitter: @IamEricRoberson
    📘 Facebook: /BlueErroSoul
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    21 m
  • Abdul Ra’oof Breaks Down The S.O.S. Band Legacy, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis

    Abdul Ra’oof Breaks Down The S.O.S. Band Legacy, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
    Mar 30 2026
    What really happened behind the scenes of one of R&B’s most iconic groups? 👀🎶

    In this episode of Stop, Look & Listen, host LeTroy Gardner sits down with Abdul Ra’oof of The S.O.S. Band to uncover the untold stories behind the music that defined a generation.

    From falling in love with music in junior high 🎺 to becoming the voice behind timeless records, Abdul shares his journey—from Albany, Georgia roots to joining S.O.S. in Atlanta after passing on an early opportunity with The Commodores 😳

    He also reveals how working with legendary producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis transformed the group’s sound, leading to classics like “Just Be Good to Me” and “Tell Me If You Still Care.” 🎧🔥

    💬 "We knew the sound was changing… and it changed everything."

    Abdul discusses:
    ✨ The making of “Take Your Time (Do It Right)”
    ✨ The Jam & Lewis era and sonic evolution
    ✨ Touring and Tabu Records behind the scenes
    ✨ Mary Davis stepping away
    ✨ Becoming a legacy act in today’s music landscape
    ✨ The truth about sampling and modern R&B
    ✨ What really happened to R&B bands

    Plus, he shares what’s next, including new music from a special side project featuring members of the band.

    🔗 Connect with The S.O.S. Band:
    Website: https://www.thesosband.com/
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@THESOSBAND
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealsosband/

    🎙️ Join LeTroy Gardner and the Stop, Look & Listen community for more incredible conversations:
    🌐 www.pushplaypods.com
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    1 h y 29 m
  • A Story of Resilience and Reinvention With Kettia Ming

    A Story of Resilience and Reinvention With Kettia Ming
    Mar 23 2026
    What happens when a thriving business success story suddenly turns into a $1.5 million legal battle?

    In this powerful episode of Stop, Look & Listen, host LeTroy Gardner sits down with entrepreneur, author, and Executive Director of Black Theater United Kettia Ming to talk about the highs, the setbacks, and the ultimate reinvention of her career and life. 🎙️

    Kettia shares how she built Smarter Toddler from her Manhattan apartment into two commercial childcare centers serving nearly 300 families, successfully sold the business to Bright Horizons, and later reopened new locations—only to face a $1.5 million lawsuit over a non-compete clause based on “as the crow flies.”

    After months of mediation and crushing legal fees, Kettia made the difficult decision to settle. The experience ultimately led to a strategic business bankruptcy, a sale to KinderCare, and a deeply personal period that also included divorce.

    But this isn’t just a story about loss—it’s a story about resilience, reinvention, and staying present when life takes unexpected turns.Kettia explains the stigma surrounding bankruptcy, the difference between personal and business bankruptcy, and how running and meditation helped her navigate one of the toughest chapters of her life.

    Today, she leads Black Theater United, an organization founded in 2020 to diversify backstage roles on Broadway through education, mentorship, and opportunity.

    Her upcoming book “Run the Mile You’re In” (releasing May 5th) shares the lessons she learned about perseverance, leadership, and finding purpose in the moment you're living.

    📚 Pre-order “Run the Mile You’re In” on Amazon

    🌐 Learn more about Kettia Ming

    Website: https://www.kettiaming.com/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kettiaming/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kettia/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kettia.ming

    🎧 Listen to more episodes from the PushPlay Pods family of shows:
    https://www.pushplaypods.com

    ✨ Don’t forget to:
    👍 Like
    💬 Comment
    🔔 Subscribe for more conversations that make you Stop, Look & Listen
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    46 m
  • James Saxon on Life as a Running Backs Coach & the Future of the Position

    James Saxon on Life as a Running Backs Coach & the Future of the Position
    Mar 16 2026
    On this episode of Stop, Look & Listen, host LeTroy Gardner sits down with former NFL fullback and longtime NFL running backs coach James Saxon. A proud Battery Creek High School product from Beaufort, South Carolina, Saxon shares how Lowcountry culture, discipline, and fierce high school rivalries helped shape the mindset that carried him to the NFL.

    Saxon reflects on being selected in the 6th round of the 1988 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, and his playing career with the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles.

    He also takes listeners behind the scenes of his coaching career, working in the NFL with players like Adrian Peterson, Larry Johnson, Priest Holmes, Ricky Williams, James Conner, and Le’Veon Bell.

    Along the way, Saxon opens up about the analytics debate, the evolving value of the running back position, dealing with pressure in professional sports, and honoring the legacy of players he’s coached. He also shares lessons learned through adversity and previews his upcoming podcast highlighting the voices and perspectives of assistant coaches.

    If you love football history, coaching insight, and real stories from inside the game, this conversation is a must-listen.

    👉 Join LeTroy Gardner and the Stop, Look & Listen community for this powerful conversation.

    🎧 Listen to the full episode and explore our family of shows:
    🌐 www.pushplaypods.com

    👍 Like, Comment, and Subscribe for more conversations with legends, creators, and culture-shapers.
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    1 h y 39 m
  • Majella Mark on Carriacou, Oral History & the Diaspora

    Majella Mark on Carriacou, Oral History & the Diaspora
    Mar 9 2026
    What happens when a hurricane hits not just homes but history?

    On this powerful episode of Stop, Look & Listen, host LeTroy Gardner sits down with cultural strategist, oral historian, filmmaker, and author Majella Mark to discuss preserving Caribbean memory in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.

    From her Grenadian roots to the lasting impact of the U.S. invasion of Grenada, Majella shares how her parents’ embrace of Black American history shaped her global lens. She breaks down her work leading the modern rebuild of Carriacou’s people-founded museum—balancing preservation with a future-focused approach that refuses to glorify colonial architecture.

    Majella also touches on:

    🌊 The Rising from the Waves project documenting post-hurricane recovery
    🗣️ The power of oral history to capture everyday voices
    🧠 Trauma support and therapy as part of cultural rebuilding
    📖 Her upcoming feminism book “Cats are Trash Human Beings” (releasing March 8)
    🎬 A film exploring Connecticut’s Black migration, tobacco labor & connections to Martin Luther King Jr.
    💙 A forthcoming coffee-table book tracing indigo’s cultural threads across Africa, the Caribbean & the Gullah Geechee communityThis is a conversation about memory, migration, identity, and the responsibility we all have to document our own stories before they disappear.

    Follow Majella Mark:
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/majellamark/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/majellamark/
    Website: https://www.majellamark.com/

    🎧 Join LeTroy Gardner and the Stop, Look & Listen family of shows now at:
    👉 www.pushplaypods.com

    If this conversation moved you, like, comment, and subscribe—and start archiving your own history today.
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    52 m
  • Luke Mickelson on Sleep in Heavenly Peace

    Luke Mickelson on Sleep in Heavenly Peace
    Mar 2 2026
    What if the solution to a hidden crisis started in your garage? 🛠️

    This week on Stop, Look & Listen, host LeTroy Gardner sits down with Luke Mickelson, author and founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), to tackle the heartbreaking reality of child bedlessness and how one simple act of service sparked a global movement. 🌎

    Growing up in Kimberly, Idaho, Luke learned the value of community early. But it wasn’t until a church conversation revealed local children sleeping on the floor that everything changed. What started as building a bunk bed with the Boy Scouts became a life-altering mission after delivering a bed to a 6-year-old girl who had never had one, sleeping instead in a “nest” of clothes.

    That moment ignited SHP’s growth from a garage project to a worldwide nonprofit with:
    🛏️ 430+ chapters
    🌎 48 states & 4 countries
    👧🏽 160,000+ children currently on the waiting listLuke shares how a feature on Returning the Favor hosted by Mike Rowe accelerated SHP’s expansion, how anyone can start a chapter through SHPbeds.org, and why service unites people beyond politics or background.💡

    His message? You don’t need money or extra time to make an impact. Start by sharing the mission so families know hope—and a bed—are within reach.

    This is more than a conversation. It’s a call to action.

    🔗 Connect with Luke:
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SHPLuke
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shpluke/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukemickelson/
    Website: https://shpbeds.org/
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lukemickelson5338🎙️

    Join LeTroy Gardner and the Stop, Look & Listen family of shows now on:
    👉 www.pushplaypods.com
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    59 m
  • From Billboard Hits to the Classroom With Sybil

    From Billboard Hits to the Classroom With Sybil
    Feb 23 2026
    What happens when a chart-topping voice trades the stage for shaping young minds? This week on Stop, Look & Listen, host LeTroy Gardner sits down with the legendary Sybil, the powerhouse behind timeless hits like Walk On By and Don't Make Me Over.

    Sybil takes us on a heartfelt journey from her upbringing in Paterson, to her college days at North Carolina A&T State University, to performing on international stages. She opens up about navigating the music industry, transitioning from independent labels to major platforms, and ultimately discovering a new calling in education.

    🌟 In this episode, you’ll discover:
    • The story behind her biggest hits
    • Lessons learned from the music industry
    • Why education became her next stage
    • How she continues to inspire through purpose and passion
    From Billboard charts to the classroom, Sybil proves that your voice can echo far beyond the mic.

    Follow Sybil:
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sybilsings/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sybil.lynch.9/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sybil-lynch-newman-ba4b5112/

    🎧 Join LeTroy Gardner and the Stop, Look & Listen family of shows now on www.pushplaypods.com
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    1 h y 11 m
  • How Billie-Jo Aasen Built a World-Class Music Festival

    How Billie-Jo Aasen Built a World-Class Music Festival
    Feb 16 2026
    🌟 What does it really take to build a world-class music festival from scratch?

    On this episode of Stop, Look & Listen, 🎙️ host LeTroy Gardner sits down with Billie-Jo Aasen, CEO of The Festival Company and the visionary behind Mudfest, Canada’s largest motorsports and music festival. 🚜🎶

    Billie-Jo shares her journey from a tiny Canadian town to producing major festivals across North America, breaking down the risks, planning, and people-first culture behind her success. She also pulls back the curtain on the realities of festival management, lessons from industry missteps, and how Mudfest grew into a family-friendly, community-driven experience.

    Beyond the stage, Billie-Jo opens up about how motherhood reshaped her perspective and inspired her growing commitment to youth mental health advocacy, proving that real impact extends far beyond the festival grounds. 💙🧠

    Whether you’re an entrepreneur, creative, festival lover, or community builder, this episode is packed with inspiration, hard-earned lessons, and gems you don’t want to miss. 💎🎧 Tap in, subscribe, and share if you believe music, leadership, and live experiences can truly change lives.🎙️

    Explore our full family of shows at 👉 www.pushplaypods.com

    🔗 Connect with Billie-Jo Aasen
    📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billiejobryce
    💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billie-jo-aasen-59428931/
    📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billiejoaasen/
    🌐 Website: https://thefestivalcompany.com/

    Join LeTroy Gardner for this powerful conversation on Stop, Look & Listen—stream this episode and more now at www.pushplaypods.com.
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    1 h y 10 m