
Black Fridays is a celebration of Black owned businesses, professionals, and creatives who thrive in their communities. Join Denzell Turner as he interviews guests about their unique career and business journeys to gain awareness into Black owned spaces.
Episodes
Latest Episode
September 4, 2026 · 46m
What Up Doe?! This week on the Black Fridays Podcast, we sit down with Sam White, founder and artistic director of Shakespeare in Detroit, for a powerful conversation about creativity, entrepreneurship, community, and the Detroit spirit that keeps builders moving forward. Sam shares how Shakespeare went from childhood punishment to a lifelong calling, why she intentionally learned startup strategy outside of the traditional arts world, and how Shakespeare in Detroit has remained standing for more than a decade by combining artistic vision with real business infrastructure. This one is for every entrepreneur, creative, and community builder trying to create something that lasts. Don’t Forget To Tap In With Our Sponsors!! 20% of All Bamboo Cowork Rentals with Promo Code “BlackFriday20”: Online Podcast Course: Podcast Ebook: Stay Connected Show IG: Guest Website: Guest IG: Apple Podcasts: Spotify:
More Episodes
Aug 28 · 44m
What Up Doe?! This week on the Black Fridays Podcast, we’re sitting down with Dr. Madeline Walker Miller, scientist, entrepreneur, and Founder & CEO of NexTiles, a Detroit-based textile recycling company giving new life to waste from the fashion, automotive, and aviation industries. Madeline breaks down how studying environmental issues led her into entrepreneurship, how she built NexTiles through grants and startup programs, and why founders do not have to follow one blueprint for raising money or building a company. We also get into Detroit’s place in the clean energy economy, why Black communities need a seat at the table when major developments are planned, the importance of exposing young people to STEM careers early, and the work happening through Walker-Miller Energy Services and the RECESS conference.Get in the Room at the RECESS 2026 Summit!Tap into the RECESS Summit, Detroit’s clean energy conference focused on resilience, equity, access, and opportunity for the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs. Purchase your tickets today and connect with the people, resources, and ideas shaping the future of the clean energy economy.Stay ConnectedShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/blackfridayspodcast/Guest Website: https://www.therecessconference.com/, https://www.nextiles.org/Guest IG: https://www.instagram.com/recessconference/, https://www.instagram.com/nextilesdetroit/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-fridays/id1596422513Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0vMobyyYrvRySGy1MbUTrF?si=1ff56aa6689a472d
Aug 24 · 55m
What Up Doe?! It’s back-to-school season, but this conversation asks a question we don’t hear nearly enough: who is taking care of the teachers? This week, we sit down with the educators behind Teachers Supporting Teachers Everywhere Inc. for an honest conversation about teacher burnout, mental wellness, classroom culture, student relationships, and what happens when the people responsible for pouring into our young people are running on empty themselves. We also get into classroom management, building relationships with challenging students, parent involvement, protecting your personal time, and why a healthy teacher is ultimately a better teacher.Don’t Forget To Tap In With Our Sponsors!!20% of All Bamboo Cowork Rentals with Promo Code “BlackFriday20”: https://linkly.link/2ZooiOnline Podcast Course: https://linkly.link/2EhT0Podcast Ebook: https://linkly.link/2EhSzStay ConnectedShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/blackfridayspodcast/Guest Website: https://www.teachers4teachers.space/Guest IG: https://www.instagram.com/allthingstst/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-fridays/id1596422513Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0vMobyyYrvRySGy1MbUTrF?si=1ff56aa6689a472d
Aug 21 · 57m
What Up Doe?! This week we’re tapping in with Rebekah, better known as Black Owned With Becks, to talk about what happens when a passion project grows into something much bigger than an Instagram page. Becks breaks down how her journey started with simply sharing Black-owned products she loved, why she walked away from the platform for two years, the unexpected message that pushed her to come back, and how she eventually turned content into events, partnerships, consulting, community experiences, and even activations at Essence Fest. We also get into making buying Black a lifestyle, building a business without losing the mission behind it, balancing entrepreneurship with a 9-to-5, creating experiences that actually drive customers into businesses, and her vision of making Black Owned With Becks a household name. If you’re trying to build a brand rooted in purpose without letting social media define the entire vision, this conversation is for you.Don’t Forget To Tap In With Our Sponsors!!20% of All Bamboo Cowork Rentals with Promo Code “BlackFriday20”: https://linkly.link/2ZooiOnline Podcast Course: https://linkly.link/2EhT0Podcast Ebook: https://linkly.link/2EhSzStay ConnectedShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/blackfridayspodcast/Guest Website: https://www.blackownedwbecks.com/Guest IG: https://www.instagram.com/blackownedw.becks/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-fridays/id1596422513Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0vMobyyYrvRySGy1MbUTrF?si=1ff56aa6689a472d
Aug 14 · 51m
What Up Doe?! We got Emmy Award-winning journalist and Detroit native Orlando Bailey joining Black Fridays for a conversation about media, community, leadership, and what it really means to serve the city you come from. Orlando shares how growing up on Detroit’s East Side shaped his love for journalism, how his grandmother inspired his commitment to community, and how that journey eventually led him to becoming Executive Director of Outlier Media. We get into why trust in traditional media has eroded, how Outlier lets Detroiters help shape the stories that matter, the realities of funding independent journalism, classism and elitism within Detroit, and why supporting other people costs you nothing. Orlando also breaks down the mission driving his work: creating platforms where Black people can express the power and expertise they already have. This one is bigger than journalism. It’s a conversation about building stronger institutions, stronger relationships, and a stronger Detroit. Outlier identifies Bailey as its current Executive Director and describes his work as rooted in Detroit-centered local journalism.Don’t Forget To Tap In With Our Sponsors!!20% of All Bamboo Cowork Rentals with Promo Code “BlackFriday20”: https://linkly.link/2ZooiOnline Podcast Course: https://linkly.link/2EhT0Podcast Ebook: https://linkly.link/2EhSzStay ConnectedShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/blackfridayspodcast/Guest Website: https://outliermedia.org/Guest IG: https://www.instagram.com/orlandopbaileyApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-fridays/id1596422513Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0vMobyyYrvRySGy1MbUTrF?si=1ff56aa6689a472d
Jul 31 · 11m
What Up Doe?! Black Fridays pulled up to All Things Detroit 2026 at Eastern Market to celebrate Detroit entrepreneurship, support local businesses, and hear directly from the people building brands in our community. Founder Jennyfer Crawford reflects on growing All Things Detroit from an event inside Nikki’s Lounge to one of the city’s most recognized small business marketplaces, while entrepreneurs from Candidly Speaking, Syd’s Gone Nuts, and The Coloring Museum share what it takes to prepare for pop-ups, create memorable displays, build relationships, manage inventory, and confidently put your business in front of new customers. Don’t Forget To Tap In With Our Sponsors!!20% of All Bamboo Cowork Rentals with Promo Code “BlackFriday20”: https://linkly.link/2ZooiOnline Podcast Course: https://linkly.link/2EhT0Podcast Ebook: https://linkly.link/2EhSzStay ConnectedShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/blackfridayspodcast/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-fridays/id1596422513Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0vMobyyYrvRySGy1MbUTrF?si=1ff56aa6689a472d
Jul 24 · 56m
What Up Doe?! This week on the Black Fridays Podcast, we sit down with Eradajere Oleita, founder of The Chip Bag Project, to unpack how a birthday service project grew into a Detroit-rooted sustainability movement. Erada shares how her Nigerian upbringing and love for Detroit shaped her commitment to community, how she turned discarded chip bags into insulated sleeping bags for displaced and nomadic individuals, and what happened when the organization grew faster than its systems. We get into founder burnout, nonprofit infrastructure, accepting help, pricing your intellectual property, testing business ideas before scaling, and why big dreams still need realistic operations. This is an honest conversation for every entrepreneur, creative, or community leader trying to build meaningful impact without losing themselves along the way.Don’t Forget To Tap In With Our Sponsors!!20% of All Bamboo Cowork Rentals with Promo Code “BlackFriday20”: https://linkly.link/2ZooiOnline Podcast Course: https://linkly.link/2EhT0Podcast Ebook: https://linkly.link/2EhSzStay ConnectedShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/blackfridayspodcast/Guest Website: https://www.chipbagproject.com/Guest IG: https://www.instagram.com/chipbagproject/ and https://www.instagram.com/erada34/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-fridays/id1596422513Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0vMobyyYrvRySGy1MbUTrF?si=1ff56aa6689a472d
Jul 17 · 1h 0m
What Up Doe?! Saisha Ishag-Osman, founder of SEI Management, pulled up to help entrepreneurs get their businesses in order. After nearly a decade in corporate leadership, earning her MBA, becoming an accredited Online Business Manager, and navigating entrepreneurship alongside motherhood, Saisha learned firsthand why talent alone cannot carry a growing company. We break down how service-based business owners can improve their client experience, organize their workflows, create useful SOPs, delegate the right responsibilities, and stop automating broken processes. Saisha also shares why founders must invest in operations, ask for support at home and inside the business, and build companies that give them room to operate in their zone of genius. Tap in for a transparent conversation about moving from daily chaos to sustainable growth.Don’t Forget To Tap In With Our Sponsors!!20% of All Bamboo Cowork Rentals with Promo Code “BlackFriday20”: https://linkly.link/2ZooiOnline Podcast Course: https://linkly.link/2EhT0Podcast Ebook: https://linkly.link/2EhSzStay ConnectedShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/blackfridayspodcast/Guest Website: https://seimanagement.com/Guest IG: https://www.instagram.com/seimanagement/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-fridays/id1596422513Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0vMobyyYrvRySGy1MbUTrF?si=1ff56aa6689a472d
Jul 10 · 46m
What Up Doe?! Detroit City Council President James Tate pulled back up to Black Fridays for a real conversation about leadership, service, and what it actually takes to fight for Detroiters every day. From stepping into his role as Council President to staying connected with District 1, Councilman Tate breaks down why government has to be personal, why young people need to learn the process before they check out of it, and how initiatives like Next Voice, Protect Your Crown, neighborhood redevelopment, and Black men’s wellness are helping move the city forward. This episode is a reminder that leadership is not about a title, it is about showing up, listening, making hard decisions, and doing the work even when nobody sees the full weight of it.Don’t Forget To Tap In With Our Sponsors!!20% of All Bamboo Cowork Rentals with Promo Code “BlackFriday20”: https://linkly.link/2ZooiOnline Podcast Course: https://linkly.link/2EhT0Podcast Ebook: https://linkly.link/2EhSzStay ConnectedShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/blackfridayspodcast/Guest Website: https://detroitmi.gov/government/city-council/city-council-president-district-1Guest IG: https://www.instagram.com/councilmantate313/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-fridays/id1596422513Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0vMobyyYrvRySGy1MbUTrF?si=1ff56aa6689a472d
Jul 3 · 48m
What Up Doe?! On this episode of Black Fridays, we’re sitting down with Jasmine Pitts, also known as The Attachment Healer, to talk about emotional intelligence, attachment theory, childhood patterns, trauma healing, and the real work it takes to become safe within yourself. Jasmine breaks down how her own healing journey started after divorce, self-sabotage, anger, and a life-changing attachment style assessment that helped her understand why she shut down, pushed love away, and struggled to trust herself. From there, she built Healed Black Women, a nonprofit helping bridge the gap between therapy and the community through cohorts, workshops, events, and honest conversations about inner child healing. This conversation is for anybody who has ever wondered why they keep repeating the same patterns in relationships, leadership, parenting, business, or life. The biggest takeaway is simple but heavy: healing is not just awareness, it is practice, consistency, community, and learning how to trust yourself again.Don’t Forget To Tap In With Our Sponsors!!20% of All Bamboo Cowork Rentals with Promo Code “BlackFriday20”: https://linkly.link/2ZooiOnline Podcast Course: https://linkly.link/2EhT0Podcast Ebook: https://linkly.link/2EhSzStay ConnectedShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/blackfridayspodcast/Guest Website: https://hbwoman.org/Guest IG: https://www.instagram.com/theattachmenthealer/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-fridays/id1596422513Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0vMobyyYrvRySGy1MbUTrF?si=1ff56aa6689a472d