DON BENJAMIN - No Gluten, All Grit

Motivational speaker and basketball trainer AJ Rompza joins Coline Witt on Eating While Broke for a real conversation about mindset, gratitude, discipline, and overcoming setbacks—all while cooking Velveeta mac and cheese in a hot studio with the AC out. AJ opens up about growing up in a divorced household in Chicago, being told he was “too small,” and how that doubt became fuel. He shares the role his brother and mentors played in shaping his work ethic, then walks through earning a Division I scholarship at UCF and the shock of losing half his senior season due to an NCAA compliance case tied to $900 he received years earlier. From there, AJ talks about the identity struggle after basketball: breaking his foot at a pro workout, working in his father’s bar, rebuilding through training, and moving to Los Angeles in 2019. He explains how COVID unexpectedly accelerated his client network and why boundaries, vulnerability, and choosing positivity matter when life gets heavy. If you’re navigating a setback, trying to rebuild your confidence, or looking for motivation that’s actually practical, this episode is for you!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of  Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt sits down with radio personality, senior producer, and podcaster Loren LoRosa to talk about her new podcast Love Lately (with co-host Dr. Contessa) a show centered on love, relationships, dating, and sexual health, and making conversations with doctors feel more normal. Loren opens up about strict vs. open upbringings around sex and relationships, then shares her broke-day staple Wendy’s 4 for 4 while juggling multiple jobs in  Los Angeles to afford rent, including relying on tips from the TMZ tour bus. She traces her path from Delaware State University to internships in New York City, moving to LA, working as a Delta flight attendant, breaking into TMZ through persistence, and ultimately joining The Breakfast Club through networking, pitching, and showing up consistently. We also get into covering the Diddy trial, developing her voice as an on-air personality, securing a Black Effect Podcast Network deal for The Latest with Loren LoRosa, and recording a live Love Lately episode with Ciara ahead of its Oct. 6 launch. If you’re into podcast interviews, celebrity news, media careers, radio industry stories and real conversations about relationships and mental health, this episode is for you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt sits down with entrepreneur Zakiya Elick, Founder & CEO of The Cookie Dip Company, to talk food, money, mindset, and building a premium brand from a simple idea. We taste-test Zakiya’s refrigerated, all-organic cookie dip flavors—think banana cream, piña colada, and milk chocolate horchata plus we talk about the growing demand for cannabis-infused options and what it takes to scale a product line responsibly. Then Zakiya makes her ultimate comfort meal: “cush-cush” (corn porridge) a humble cornmeal dish made with water, milk, butter, and sugar. While the pot simmers, she shares the real story behind her rise: - How a childhood craving for the “cream part” of ambrosia inspired cookie dip  - The moment people at the Playboy Jazz Festival asked to *buy* her dip (and sparked the business)  - How a financial coach helped her identify an affluent target customer and price with confidence  - What she learned from pop-ups, selling out, and building consistent online sales  - Her Sip and Dip wine + cookie dip pairing event (November 8 in Gardena)  - Why she launched Dipping Into Change, a nonprofit supporting neurodivergent learners with financial literacy and entrepreneurship If you’re into small business, food entrepreneurship, product-based brands, pricing strategy, and how to turn a comfort-meal story into a scalable company, this episode is for you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Coline Witt sits down with psychotherapist, author, and podcaster Elliot Connie (@elliottspeaks) one of the leading voices in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) for a real conversation about  healing, boundaries, anxiety, depression, and purpose. Over a broke meal of spaghetti and meat sauce, Elliot shares how a cheap, filling dish he learned to cook as a teen became more than food—it became a form of survival, routine, and control during a turbulent childhood. He opens up about growing up with depression and anxiety, navigating an abusive and inconsistent father, and being supported by a mother who gave him responsibility and space to cook. Elliot also breaks down:- How he learned to set firm boundaries (including “forgiveness without access”)  - The professor who helped him find direction and pursue graduate school  - How he built a successful private practice and pushed brief therapy despite resistance  - Why he wrote six books to teach practical therapy skills (including Change Your Questions, Change Your Future)  - His media journey, including projects connected to Tiffany Haddish and Black Effect, after connecting with Charlamagne Tha God If you’re trying to heal, protect your peace, or build a life with intention—this episode will meet you where you are.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coline Witt welcomes entrepreneur Malik Muhammad, owner of Malik Books, for a powerful conversation about building a Black-owned bookstore rooted in culture, community, and “knowledge of self.” Malik shares his broke meal: poor man’s potato salad (potatoes, mayonnaise, celery seed, salt, and pepper) with turkey hot dogs, then takes us through his journey from Washington, DC to Los Angeles, running track at USC, competing in the 1984 Olympics, and ultimately launching a Black-curated bookstore in 1990. He breaks down the real lessons behind entrepreneurship—learning business through mistakes, investing equity and losing a home, growing sales through festivals and community events, and expanding Malik Books to key locations including Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall and Westfield Culver City during the pandemic. Malik also highlights the community support behind malikbooks.com, the National Association of Black Book Stores, and his vision for a bookmobile for schools. Plus: Malik’s recommended reads include Powernomics, Who Moved My Cheese?, and Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice. If you care about Black entrepreneurship, independent bookstores, Black literature, LA small business, and building a legacy this episode is for you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coline Witt welcomes entrepreneur and celebrity stylist 'Fiskani', who reflects on being “broke and elegant,” moving to Atlanta for school, 'dropping out', and getting 'cut off by her parents'. After discovering styling on a music video set, she pushed through low-paying jobs and learned how to hustle—traveling to the 'MAGIC' trade show in Las Vegas with just '$50', modeling furs, and eventually being trusted with '$250,000' worth of inventory to sell in Atlanta. A major breakthrough came when 'Keith Sweat' bought furs and connected her to key contacts, which helped open the door to 'Akon' hiring her as his stylist and rapidly expanding her client list.  She also shares hard-earned advice for entrepreneurs: protect your vision, keep tunnel focus, and don’t let distractions pull you off your path.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Coline Witt  welcomes comedian and actor Lou Young, a former NFL cornerback turned content creator with 3M+ followers. Lou’s work includes Netflix’s They Cloned Tyrone, brand collaborations with the NFL, ESPN, and Nike, and a Sundance-featured pilot, Freelance. Over tequila and a nostalgic “lunch meat nacho supreme” (Doritos, deli turkey, bologna, cheese, Old Bay, peppers, and ketchup), Lou opens up about growing up in a single-dad household, babysitting siblings at eight years old, and learning to cook through improvisation and budget-friendly meals. Lou also breaks down the business side of the NFL getting cut often, how little money is guaranteed as an undrafted rookie, and why he started social media while injured. He shares the rise (and limits) of his “Shleve Harvey” character, shifting into more personal storytelling, and building a podcast largely out of pocket. by reinvesting in production while balancing fatherhood, family routines, and his daughter’s gymnastics success.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Coline Witt welcomes model, actor, and entrepreneur Don Benjamin to Eating While Broke. Don makes a childhood “hood classic” gluten-free Hamburger Helper using gluten-free noodles, ground turkey, and the sauce packet, while breaking down how a gluten allergy that began at 26 changed his life (and how expensive it can be to eat gluten-free on a budget). Don shares what it was like growing up in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota with his mom, his dad’s struggles with addiction and incarceration, and navigating identity as a biracial kid. He talks about his early dream of playing pro basketball, moving to Los Angeles at 19 on a $3,000 student loan, surviving on ramen and background acting, and the turning point after America’s Next Top Model (2013) leading to signing with Wilhelmina and landing major campaigns.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gospel artist Isaac Caree joins host Coline Witt on Eating While Broke to make a Southern classic with a twist: North Carolina chili slaw dogs (Nathan’s short hot dogs with ketchup, mustard, homemade chili, onions, and coleslaw). While the chili simmers and the slaw hits the bun, Isaac reflects on a 30+ year music career shaped by faith, sacrifice, and the broke seasons that built his business mindset. Isaac opens up about growing up in church with a hardworking single mother, dropping out of high school to pursue music, and traveling with John P. Kee while earning no money—living eight people in a two-bedroom apartment and relying on cheap Circle K hot dogs just to eat. He shares how those years strengthened his faith, taught him how to handle business, and influenced how he treats collaborators today.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actress Armani Greer joins host Coline Witt on Eating While Broke to cook up crispy catfish sandwiches and talk about the road less traveled—from humble beginnings to major bookings. Armani shares her Houston upbringing with a hardworking single mom, the grandparents who helped hold it down, and how she started acting at seven years old.   In the conversation, Armani opens up about being pushed toward a “practical” college path, finding her way back to theater after graduating, quitting her job to pursue acting and modeling, and moving to Los Angeles with little money—leaning on hustle, faith, and occasional help from her mom. She also talks pandemic survival mode, auditions, setbacks, and the wins that kept her going: booking a McDonald’s Super Bowl commercial, signing with her manager, filming Water Boys in Atlanta, nearly landing P-Valley, her latest project, and later booking a role that took her to Italy.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.