Doug Melville welcomes in Lanny Smith to discuss his pivot from basketball to entrepreneurship as the founder of athleisure brand Actively Black. Lanny recounts playing college basketball, and signing as an undrafted free agent with the Sacramento Kings shortly before a knee injury ended his NBA career after 33 days, triggering an identity crisis. He explains how faith helped him launch his first brand, Active Faith, which Steph Curry later partnered in, and how experiences with racism and the 2020 social climate led him to launch Actively Black. Lanny discusses the brand’s “This is Not a Fashion Show” New York Fashion Week event featuring figures such as Ruby Bridges, and the daughters of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. As always, Doug closes with asking his guest for the best advice they've received, and Lanny tells us about rejecting fear.

For more of Lanny Smith:

Lanny's Instagram

www.ActivelyBlack.com

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@DougMelville

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Doug talks with longtime friend Andrew “Andy” Hilfiger about building culture at the intersection of fashion and music, from early retail lessons with his older brother Tommy Hilfiger, to creating Tommy Jeans, and his own brand, Andrew Charles. Andy recounts key moments in his career, including styling hip-hop and R&B artists, launching iconic campaigns with Aaliyah, and how Snoop Dogg ended up wearing his designs on Saturday Night Live. He tells Doug about launching J.Lo by Jennifer Lopez, and remembers where he first met Doug... on Britney Spears' Baby One More Time tour. Andy shares advice on how to start your career in the fashion industry and reflects on changes driven by e-commerce and fast fashion in recent decades.

For more of Andy Hilfiger:

Andy's Instagram

www.AndrewCharles.com

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Interviewed in this inaugural episode by Maisha Dyson, Doug Melville recounts some of the highlights of his astonishing career working with titans like Quincy Jones, Tommy Hilfiger, and Magic Johnson. Having been to over 40 countries, Doug shares how his experiences and lessons he learned, along with the uniquely positioned guests he'll bring on, can help you make your next career move your best career move.

For more of Maisha Dyson:

MaishaStudios.com

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@DougMelville on Instagram

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