This week we're joined by Damon Young of VSB for the first of a 2-part discussion. Damon is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of the black culture cornerstone, VerySmartBrothas.com. He has had his work featured on places like Slate, The Root, Ebony, Essence, HuffPost and everywhere the cool kids hang out on the e-corner. Last but not least, he's working on a book of essays to be published by Ecco (HarperCollins). He lives in Pittsburgh, really likes pancakes, and Damon is a busy man, so we're happy he took the time out to speak with us and the questions that have plagued the internet for years, like: why do men love Dodge Chargers (and her cousin, The Dodge Challenger)??? On part 1 of our entertaining discussion with Mr. Young we cover:

• How Damon went from rag to riches covering the journey from bad plagiarist poet to great authentic writer after finding his own voice, "I can swim now, but only because someone pushed me in the pool." - Mr. Young
• He breaks down one of the hardest lessons he learned in his writing career, how it shaped him then and now, and why "STFU is free."
• The impact money, or the lack thereof, had on his personal life and professional decisions, "I didn't have enough money to afford free sh*t."
• Why making good money is nice but having more money than your neighbors is what really drives people.

On Part-2, we'll discuss how money changes your outlook and how people view you, Damon's view on the True Cost of Parenting, and much more. Stay tuned and tune in!

References

• Money Isn't Everything...Unless You Don't Have It, then Yeah It's Everything
• Behind the Brilliance Podcast: Ep 117 ft Lisa Nicole Bell and Damon Young
• Money only makes you happy if you have more than neighbors
• ICYMI - PB26: Behind the Brilliance ft. @LisaNicoleBell
• ICYMI - VSB Feature: How Marcus Got $26,000 in Debt in Less than 72-Hours

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