Everything Begins with Play with Kevin Carroll

Jelani talks with Sam Rapoport and Becca Gitlitz-Rapoport. Ever wanted to know what a power couple looks like? It looks like Sam and Becca. Sam is an  executive at the National Football League. Yep. The NFL. She just so happens to be an out and proud employee working in football, where she's a 21 year veteran. Her wife, Becca, is an Emmy-winning producer, director, and filmmaker currently creating films at Time Studios. They also happen to have two little amazing children at four and nine months old. The conversation gets into all about how they met, started a family, and learned both have incredibly high profile careers while raising their kiddos. Sam and Becca talk about the stigma they face as a gay couple and what society feels is and isn't acceptable for them in raising their children. Jelani shares that Sam and Becca are good friends, allies, and two of the best parentshe knows. Enjoy this conversation and all the wisdom they share.Check out Sam and Becca’s book, A Kids Book About Allyship, by visiting ​​akidsco.com/products/a-kids-book-about-allyship. Contact us by emailing us at [email protected] our collection of over 80 books made to empower, by visiting akidsco.com. 

Jelani talks with Matthew Winner, a podcast producer, host, and school librarian.Matthew is the former host of The Children’s Book Podcast. He's kind of a veteran in the kid's podcast space. In fact, he produces all of the shows on our A Kids Co. podcast network. He also spent 15 plus years as an educator and librarian. Matthew believes kids have an extraordinary potential and don't quite get enough credit for it, for how absolutely brilliant they are. One of his superpowers is creating safety for kids. We touch on the needs of kids and grownups, and what the rest of us parents can learn from just listening to our kids.Matthew is a friend, colleague, and simply an all-around amazing human being. And we’re pleased to get to share this conversation with you.Learn more about Matthew at his site, ​​matthewcwinner.com. Contact us by emailing us at [email protected] our collection of over 80 books made to empower, by visiting akidsco.com. 

Jelani talks with Joy Cho, creative director, designer, author, Thai American, and mother.  Joy is the founder of Oh Joy! and has collaborated with brands like Target, Band-Aid, Petco, and so many more.  She’s done 40 licensing partnerships to date, creating colorful, and incredibly designed products.  Joy also happens to hold the record for the most followers of any influencer on Pinterest at 15+ million.Here’s the thing about Joy though: just like Jelani and many others, she’s an introvert.  She doesn’t recharge when there’s a bunch of people around her, but rather in those quiet moments by herself.  The child of immigrants, this conversation gets into how Joy’s learned to keep the good things she got from her parents while evolving to fit with her family today.Jelani and Joy talk about how the key to parenting might just be flexibility. Flexibility with how you think things are supposed to go and how they actually go. Flexibility with the different stages of your kids' lives.  And flexibility to balance work, home, life, and everything else.  Joy has this parenting thing figured out, and we’re so excited to share this conversation with you.Learn more about Joy at her site, ​​ohjoy.com. Contact us by emailing us at [email protected] our collection of over 80 books made to empower, by visiting akidsco.com. 

Jelani talks with Daron K. Roberts, a speaker, investor, two-time author, former NFL coach, and all around incredible person.  Jelani met Daron back in 2019 and worked with him to create his first children’s book, A Kids Book About Empathy.  Daron is truly someone who’s hard to forget.  He’s a wealth of wisdom when it comes to leaning into the most important aspects of parenting and the conversation covers everything from advice Daron got from his own parents, remembering to slow down with your kids, and how he learned to let go of his ego when it came to being a parent.A note from Jelani before we start:  Daron and Jelani are both Black fathers, with 11 kids between them, which means they’ve seen some stuff and it shows in this robust conversation.  Learn more about Daron at his site, ​​coachdkr.com. Contact us by emailing us at [email protected] our collection of over 80 books made to empower, by visiting akidsco.com. 

Jelani talks with Jason Mayden, a Black designer, educator, entrepreneur, and father of 2.Jason Mayden also happens to be the author of A Kids Book About Design.Jason is chock-full of wisdom and amazing insights into what it means to be a parent. Something about the way he weighs philosophy with practical advice, you'll want to have your pen ready to take notes.Jelani and Jason talk about race, agency, empowerment, stewardship, and even Batman. Yes. Batman. You've never met anyone quite like Jason. And we should all be thankful that there are dads out there in the world like him. All right, Jason Mayden. Let's get into.Learn more about Kevin by visiting ​​linktr.ee/jasonmayden. Check out A Kids Book About Design.Shop the latest from Super Heroic.Contact us by emailing us at [email protected] our collection of over 80 books made to empower, by visiting akidsco.com. 

Jelani Memory talks with Kevin Carroll, an author, speaker, and catalyst of inspiration.We promise you've never met anyone like Kevin. Even though he was abandoned by his parents at six years old, he went on to play soccer professionally, speak seven languages for military intelligence and, you know, become the The Philadelphia 76ers first Black head athletic trainer. He's also maybe the only person who's ever created his own job and title at Nike during his tenure. Kevin’s story is full of inspiration, insight, and wisdom.We get into his childhood, how he was raised by his grandparents, and the supremacy of the playground when it comes to building belonging and connections. And also his life as a single dad raising two sons.Kevin and Jelani have known each other ever since Jelani was a teenager. So if it sounds like they go back, they do. He's been a friend, mentor, and father figure to Jelani, and Jelani’s thrilled to share one of his favorite people with you. Learn more about Kevin at his site, ​​kckatalyst.com. Contact us by emailing us at [email protected] our collection of empowering kids books, by visiting akidsco.com. 

Jelani talks with Lindz Amer, a multi-hyphenate writer, performer, creator, and activist.Lindz is the creator of the beloved web series, Queer Kid Stuff, and their work has been featured by Good Morning America, Kidscreen, Teen Vogue, and so many more. They've even got a TEDtalk. They've written and consulted on kids shows like The Fabulous Show with Fay and Fluffy, the Webby-award winning Blues Clues, and You Pride Parade music video for Nick Jr. Lindz is like a modern day queer and non-binary Mr. Rogers. Making media for the next generation is what they do, which is why I thought they'd be the perfect person to talk with when it came to kids, identity, gender, and how to navigate it all as a parent. We absolutely get into it in the best way possible. And answer questions like, when do kids fundamentally understand their gender? How can you not screw up when your kid comes out? And why that last question is actually kind of problematic? Why is there so little queer kids content? And are things actually getting better for queer kids? Or is it maybe worse than it's ever been?We’re so excited about this conversation. Buckle up. Learn more about Lindz at their site, ​​queerkidstuff.com.And pre-order your copy of Rainbow Parenting: Your Guide to Raising Queer Kids and Their Allies.  Contact us by emailing us at [email protected] our collection of over 80 books made to empower, by visiting akidsco.com. 

Jelani talks with Christie Pitts, general partner at Backstage Capital.Christie is an incredible VC, investing specifically in companies led by underrepresented founders. That's women, people of color, and LGBTQ folks. She's also a mother of two. And Jelani and Christie get into the societal expectations of mothers who work. They talk about the fact that no matter how much mothers juggle, they can never quite hit that imaginary bar that society puts on them.Christie also helps Jelani investigate his own shortcomings managing the household with my wife. She also shares some tips on how to begin dismantling the evidence of sexism and patriarchy that we see around us everyday. They explore how Christie navigates the male-dominated industry that is VC, and how she hopes her kids grow up to believe they can belong anywhere.Christie is actually an investor in the company that makes this podcast, A Kids Co. So that kind of makes Christie Jelani’s boss. Honestly, after this interview, we couldn't think of a better boss to have. All right, Christy Pitts. Let's get into it.Learn more about Backstage Capital at ​​backstagecapital.com. Contact us by emailing us at [email protected] our collection of over 80 books made to empower, by visiting akidsco.com. 

Better Grownups is all about getting into the nitty gritty of parenting. Identity, gender, race, class, mental health, you name it.  Host Jelani Memory talks with a new guest each week about how parenting is a reflection of our identity, how we were raised, and who we are. About how sometimes we’re still trying to grow up even as we raise our kids.  About how leaving behind the way you were parented isn’t so easy.  And how the kids in our lives need us to be better grownups.  In each episode, you’ll hear real-world stories, explore uncomfortable topics, and gain inspiration from icons, professionals, and everyday folks.Listen to Better Grownups every Tuesday wherever you find your podcasts.