Eating While Broke
The Black Effect Podcast Network and iHeartPodcasts·193 episodes·Weekly
Hosted by media maven Coline Witt, ‘Eating While Broke’ podcast is a new interview series centered around self-made celebrities, influencers, disruptors and entrepreneurs eating meals they once ate when they were broke. Episodes will also feature guest who are in the mood to recreate some of their favorite low cost meals.
EWB guest will introduce the dish, as the dish is revealed to the host, before the chow down begins, while discussing life, some of the their most pivotal moments and more. In this intimate setting the interview begins with a journey of tales from the trenches not matter if you're Eating While Broke or Eating While on a Budget.
Episodes
Latest Episode
September 3, 2026 · 49m
Host Coline Witt welcomes actress, author, podcaster, designer, and mom Jennie Garth, to discuss her new book, I Choose Me , which deals with self-doubt, impostor syndrome, and self-love. Jennie shares a budget-friendly comfort meal from her Midwest farm upbringing: pan-fried “rice cakes” made from cooked rice and eggs (with a vegan alternative), cooked hot for crispy edges and topped with butter and syrup, plus optional savory variations. They discuss her blended-family childhood in rural Illinois, her father’s long struggle with heart disease, moving to Arizona, and how a pageant judge became her longtime manager—leading to acting in California and rapid fame on Beverly Hills, 90210. Jennie also opens up about depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, early coping tools, later reliance on wine and anxiety meds, and building her very own brand. See for privacy information.
More Episodes
Aug 27 · 41m
On Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt welcomes recording artist and writer Bale, who cooks a simple turkey bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich while talking confidence, discipline, and refusing to second-guess himself. Bale shares growing up in South Central Los Angeles as the oldest of five, being raised by a schoolteacher mom and supported by his grandma, with his father incarcerated for most of his life. He explains how music found him, helped keep him out of trouble, and how early shows and outside validation confirmed he was on the right path. He also breaks down why his album is titled Stay Faithful, the patience required to pursue his craft, and the value of a supportive team and family, especially as a new dad to his daughter Onyx. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 20 · 49m
Coline Witt sits down with Damion Hall (also known as Damion “Guy” Hall)—producer, songwriter, and founding member of the legendary R&B group Guy for a powerful conversation about family, fame, finances, and survival. While cooking Damion’s go-to broke meal, the “Turkey Slammer” sandwich (turkey, spinach, eggs, honey wheat bread, mayo, and seasoning), Damion shares how he left college at 17 to support his brother Aaron Hall and help build Guy—then realized he needed a niche beyond playing drums. He takes us back to early New York studio days with Teddy Riley, and the hard lessons that came with the music business. Damion also opens up about trading on the New York Stock Exchange as a teen—including a devastating loss for his father’s firm—and breaks down what it really means to sign a “lock, stock, and barrel” contract. He also explains why artists must learn the business, stop chasing materialism, and protect their future. Finally, he talks candidly about his 2023 stage-two prostate cancer diagnosis and blood clots, and how that fight pushed him to create his album Perfect Designer—'52 songs in 40 days', no samples—plus a personal studio story you won’t forget.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 13 · 41m
Host Coline Witt welcomes former Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball, who signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2007 and is now COO of Effect Fitness in Atlanta and a co-host on The Broken Play. Reggie cooks his family’s ramen-and-ground-beef “lo mein” using soy sauce, garlic salt, pepper, parsley, and broccoli while discussing how the meal came from busy, broke post-practice nights. He explains the undrafted free agent process, recalls Detroit’s loyal fan base during the Lions’ 0–16 season, and describes the difficult mental transition out of the NFL, including injuries and learning to save money. After working at Chrysler and later fixing U-Haul trucks, he recommits to fitness, helps build Effect Fitness from a garage, emphasizes hard work, self-prioritization, and consistency, and details podcasting and Effect Fitness tours and app growth during the pandemic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 6 · 50m
Coline Witt welcomes comedian, actor, and podcast host 'Clayton English' back to 'Eating While Broke' after their past cheap Chinese wings combo “fiasco.” They joke about fried rice, bottle and red Solo cup “measurements,” and broke-food hacks. Then, Clayton makes 'breakfast for dinner': instant cheese grits, rolled cheesy eggs, and budget turkey links. Over the meal, Clayton opens up about growing up with a single mom who worked her way up at IBM, his dad being in and out, and how recurring “pancakes for dinner” nights were a clear sign money was tight. He shares how humor helped him early on, why he started stand-up in his mid-20s after college, and the breaks that helped shape his career—plus lessons from early financial missteps. They also talk about Clayton’s comedy journey and credits, including 'Robert Townsend’s 'Partners in Crime', 'Who’s Got Jokes?', 'Tyler Perry’s 'House of Payne', winning 'Last Comic Standing', building his 'English Majors' podcast during the pandemic, upcoming voice work on 'Megan Thee Stallion’s anime', and why relationships and getting paid matter in entertainment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 30 · 49m
On this episode of Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt sits down with entrepreneur Pinky Cole—founder of Slutty Vegan—for an honest conversation about money, mindset, and rebuilding after major setbacks. Over a homemade **Tofurky sandwich**, Pinky breaks down vegan label-reading, food costs, and why she stopped eating meat in 2007. Pinky shares her upbringing in a Jamaican family, her father’s 22-year imprisonment, and how early exposure to her mother’s music career shaped her ambition. She recounts hustling as a teen party promoter, working in TV production (including Maury), and opening a Harlem Jamaican restaurant that later burned down without fire insurance. She explains how that loss—and other setbacks—ultimately led to new opportunities, including launching **Slutty Vegan** in Atlanta. She also discusses Slutty Vegan’s rapid rise, later restructuring, personal bankruptcy, $20M in debt, and the lessons she learned about transactional relationships, team alignment, and ego. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 23 · 46m
On this episode of Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt sits down with Grammy-nominated artist, actress, philanthropist, and TV host Yo-Yo (Dr. Yolanda Whitaker) for a real conversation about budgeting, confidence, and rebuilding after major career shifts. Yo-Yo shares her go-to budget-friendly rotisserie chicken sandwich made with potato bread, cheddar cheese, mayo, mustard, pickles, and banana peppers—an easy meal she says can feed a family for about $20. While cooking, she opens up about learning to budget as a parent, navigating changing image expectations in hip hop, and pushing through industry gatekeeping after leaving her label.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 16 · 37m
On this episode of Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt welcomes entrepreneur Summer Grays —founder and CEO of Mercy Angels Hospice and creator of the My Butler Al app while cooking her struggle meal: spaghetti with butter, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Summer opens up about becoming a teen mom, a short-lived marriage to an older man, and finishing school through summer school. She shares how she hustled through a range of jobs—including banking and stripping—before becoming a flight attendant, with crucial support from her grandmother, who helped raise her kids. She also reflects on a guidance counselor who told her she’d “never be anything,” a comment that fueled her determination. Summer later found success selling card terminals, earning six figures in her first month. After moving from Indiana to California, she bought a home health business and then a hospice, walked away from a lucrative contract after experiencing racial disrespect, and expanded to Indianapolis by launching another hospice. She later purchased a primary care practice, opened a med spa, and discusses the realities of entrepreneurship—cash flow, regulations, and staffing—along with joining the **Indy Bosses Reality Show** as a cast member and co-executive producer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 9 · 53m
On this episode of Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt is joined by comedian and podcast host Aida Rodriguez, who makes a budget-friendly French bread pizza inspired by her childhood. Aida shares how her Puerto Rican upbringing led her family to make “poor people pizza” at home using whatever bread, marinara sauce, and affordable cheese they had. Together, they taste-test a cheddar-cheese version and compare it to classic school cafeteria French bread pizza. She opens up about growing up very poor, working at a young age, supporting herself early, and navigating family challenges—including meeting her biological father in 2021 during her HBO special. Aida also talks about getting into stand-up after a roast led Chris Spencer to encourage her, the realities of comedy clubs in the internet era, representation in comedy, and her podcast Say What You Mean. She previews touring, an upcoming special, and her lead role in the film Hurricane Seasons.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 2 · 56m
In the second part of her comprehensive interview, Coline Witt sits down with Doug Melville: reputation management and international diversity expert, Stanford lecturer, Forbes contributor, bestselling author of 'Invisible Generals', interim CEO of the Council of Urban Professionals (CUP), and host of 'DM Me With Doug Melville.' Doug breaks down what reputation management really means today, how skills and networking shape opportunity, and why AI is changing the career playbook—plus the story behind helping retire iconic food mascots, including Aunt Jemima.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.