Who's Your Ma Honey?

In this episode of Who’s Your Ma Honey? Felecia Hatcher, CEO of Black Ambition, shares how she went from being a C student without a clear path, to helping entrepreneurs raise over $300 million in funding. Felecia opens up about imposter syndrome, undeserved shame, the pressure to measure yourself by someone else’s standards, and the mindset shift that helped her stop shrinking in rooms she had already earned her way into. Through stories about her Jamaican grandmother, Florence, high school shame, entrepreneurship, failure capital, and building Black Ambition, Felecia reframes confidence as trust. Don’t miss this episode as their conversation is a powerful reminder that there is more than one pathway to success, asking for help is a strength, and if you’re in the room, you’re in the room. KEY POINTS:  00:00 – Introduction 08:39 – Where shame started: not fitting the system in high school 12:28 – The “fish climbing a tree” realization 14:24 – Breaking free from shame through alternative pathways 16:38 – Why we don’t talk about shame and the need for generational dialogue 20:34 – Removing shame around asking for help and seeking therapy 24:49 – Confidence = trust: the real solution to imposter syndrome 32:20 – Validation, environment, and the systems that create self-doubt 40:51 – Failure, regret, and the truth about building success QUOTES: “I ended up winning $130,000 in scholarships. As a C student.” – Felecia Hatcher “Confidence means to confide. Confide means to trust.”  – Felecia Hatcher “If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its entire life feeling like it's stupid.”  – Felecia Hatcher “There's more than one pathway to success.”  – Felecia Hatcher Felecia Hatcher  Website: feleciahatcher.com Instagram: @feleciahatcher Explore more from OneUnited Bank: 🏦 Learn more: oneunited.com 💡 Build smarter with WiseOne: oneunited.com/wiseone 💳 Get the Card: oneunited.com/apply Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network (visit at epyc.co)

Marc Morial joins Who’s Your Ma Honey? for a powerful conversation on legacy, race, leadership, and the moments that shaped him long before public office. Born into the civil rights movement and raised in segregated New Orleans, Marc reflects on being seated in the back of the classroom at five years old, learning to navigate two worlds, and turning the pressure to prove himself into purpose-driven leadership. Marc Morial  Website | nul.org/our-team  Instagram | @marcmorial Explore more from OneUnited Bank: 🏦 Learn more: oneunited.com 💡 Build smarter with WiseOne: oneunited.com/wiseone 💳 Get the Card: oneunited.com/apply Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network (visit at epyc.co)

In this episode of Who’s Your Ma Honey?, Teri Williams and Suzan McDowell sit down with Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, to unpack identity, expectation, and the pressure of navigating spaces that challenge who you are. Marc shares what it was like growing up in environments where he was often one of the only Black students, facing moments where his presence was questioned and his potential underestimated. From early experiences of being doubted to stepping into leadership, his journey reveals how external perception can shape identity if you let it. Tune in as they explore what it means to carry expectation, define your own path, and build power in spaces.  KEY POINTS:  Walking into spaces where you’re questioned Growing up as one of the only Black students Early experiences of being doubted and underestimated The pressure to prove you belong How identity is shaped by environment Choosing your own path despite expectations Leadership and redefining belonging Turning pressure into purpose Building power in spaces not built for you QUOTES: “I was born in segregation… in a segregated hospital in a segregated city.” – Marc Morial “It fueled my ambition to fight for a more just society.”  – Marc Morial “The more someone told me I couldn’t… the more determined I became.”  – Marc Morial “No matter where you begin in life, the question is how far you go.”  – Marc Morial Marc Morial  Website | nul.org/our-team  Instagram | @marcmorial Explore more from OneUnited Bank: 🏦 Learn more: oneunited.com 💡 Build smarter with WiseOne: oneunited.com/wiseone 💳 Get the Card: oneunited.com/apply Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network (visit at epyc.co)

In this episode of Who’s Your Ma Honey?, Teri Williams and Suzan McDowell sit down with Congresswoman Frederica Wilson to unpack identity, resilience, and the early moments that shaped her bold, unapologetic leadership. From being teased as a child and made to feel like an outsider to becoming a lifelong advocate for the voiceless, Congresswoman Wilson shares how those experiences didn’t break her; they built her. She reflects on the influence of her grandmother, the lessons she absorbed growing up, and how those moments shaped her instinct to protect others, stand up for what’s right, and lead without fear. Their conversation is about more than politics, emphasizing on the importance of identity, courage, and the decision to not let the world define you. KEY POINTS:  Congresswoman Frederica Wilson on being teased as a child Reframing what “different” really means Using her experience to protect and uplift others The moment she chose to stand up and not back down Building boldness and leadership from early experiences Turning adversity into lifelong purpose QUOTES: “Children used to call us Nassaus, that was to make us feel different.” – Frederica Wilson “If I knew that I was doing the right thing, I was going to make it right.” – Frederica Wilson “That never bothered me, whether people liked me or not.” – Frederica Wilson Frederica Wilson Website: wilson.house.gov Explore more from OneUnited Bank: 🏦 Learn more: oneunited.com 💡 Build smarter with WiseOne: oneunited.com/wiseone 💳 Get the Card: oneunited.com/apply Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network (visit at epyc.co)

In this episode of Who’s Your Ma Honey?, Teri Williams and Suzan McDowell sit down with Congresswoman Frederica Wilson to unpack identity, resilience, and the early moments that shaped her bold, unapologetic leadership. From being teased as a child and made to feel like an outsider to becoming a lifelong advocate for the voiceless, Congresswoman Wilson shares how those experiences didn’t break her; they built her. She reflects on the influence of her grandmother, the lessons she absorbed growing up, and how those moments shaped her instinct to protect others, stand up for what’s right, and lead without fear. Their conversation is about more than politics, emphasizing on the importance of identity, courage, and the decision to not let the world define you. KEY POINTS:  Congresswoman Frederica Wilson on being teased as a child Reframing what “different” really means Using her experience to protect and uplift others The moment she chose to stand up and not back down Building boldness and leadership from early experiences Turning adversity into lifelong purpose QUOTES: “Children used to call us Nassaus, that was to make us feel different.” – Frederica Wilson “If I knew that I was doing the right thing, I was going to make it right.” – Frederica Wilson “That never bothered me, whether people liked me or not.” – Frederica Wilson Frederica Wilson Website: wilson.house.gov Explore more from OneUnited Bank: 🏦 Learn more: oneunited.com 💡 Build smarter with WiseOne: oneunited.com/wiseone 💳 Get the Card: oneunited.com/apply Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network (visit at epyc.co)

In this segment, Sybrina Fulton reflects on the strength it took to speak publicly after Trayvon Martin’s death, the moment she packed her bags to speak on his behalf, and why she refuses to give haters the reaction they want. She opens up about being guided by her mother, her pastor’s words that “trials and tribulations don’t build character, it reveals it,” and the generations of women who shaped her into the mother and advocate she is today. RESOURCES: Sybrina Fulton Instagram | @sybrinafulton Explore more from OneUnited Bank: 🏦 Learn more: oneunited.com 💡 Build smarter with WiseOne: oneunited.com/wiseone 💳 Get the Card: oneunited.com/apply Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network (visit at epyc.co)

In this episode of Who’s Your Ma Honey?, Teri Williams and Suzan McDowell sit down with Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, to unpack grief, public perception, and protecting her son’s legacy. Sybrina shares what it was like to navigate loss while watching the media reshape her son’s narrative and place blame where it didn’t belong. In the face of unimaginable pain, she chose not to retreat, but to rise. Their conversation goes beyond tragedy, emphasizing on reclaiming truth, finding purpose through pain, and using your voice to create change. Sybrina also reveals how her journey led her to advocacy, leadership, and building a legacy that continues to impact communities around the world. Listen in.  Trigger warning: Mention of gun violence & death.  KEY POINTS:  The moment everything changed Navigating grief in the public eye How the media shaped the wrong narrative The weight of carrying someone else’s story Turning pain into purpose Finding strength through advocacy Reclaiming truth and voice Building a legacy beyond tragedy QUOTES: “I’m doing this so no other family has to go through what I went through.” – Sybrina Fulton “I didn’t choose this, but I chose what I was going to do with it.” – Sybrina Fulton “I had to find strength in a moment where I didn’t think I had any.” – Sybrina Fulton Sybrina Fulton Instagram | @sybrinafulton Explore more from OneUnited Bank: 🏦 Learn more: oneunited.com 💡 Build smarter with WiseOne: oneunited.com/wiseone 💳 Get the Card: oneunited.com/apply Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network (visit at epyc.co)

In this deeply personal segment, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava reflects on growing up in a household shaped by emotional bullying and the complicated role she played within it. She shares how identifying with her father, rather than defending her mother, became a source of quiet shame, and how that experience stayed with her long after childhood. But instead of avoiding it, she examines it. What emerges is a powerful realization: the very thing she once struggled to understand became the foundation of her leadership. Today, her zero-tolerance stance on bullying isn’t just policy, it’s personal. This conversation explores how even our most uncomfortable truths can shape the way we lead, protect others, and show up in the world. Daniella Levine Cava Instagram | @mayordlc Explore more from OneUnited Bank: 🏦 Learn more: oneunited.com 💡 Build smarter with WiseOne: oneunited.com/wiseone 💳 Get the Card: oneunited.com/apply Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network (visit at epyc.co)

What if the moments that made you feel like you didn’t belong… were actually shaping who you were meant to become? In this episode of Who’s Your Ma Honey?, Teri Williams and Suzan McDowell sit down with Miami-Dade Mayor Daxniella Levine Cava to unpack how early feelings of loneliness, disconnection, and not fitting in became the foundation of her leadership. From being an outcast as a child to navigating constant change and reinvention, Mayor Levine Cava shares how those experiences forced her to develop empathy, deep listening, and a people-first perspective that would ultimately define her path. Tune in - this episode not only talks about identity, perspective, and purpose, but it’s also about realizing that the discomfort you once tried to escape may actually be the thing preparing you to lead. KEY POINTS:  Discovering the true source of success  Being made to feel ashamed of where Mayor Levine came from Realizing shame was actually her superpower Understanding “undeserved shame” and how it shapes identity Feeling like an outcast and not fitting in as a child Reinventing herself through new environments Becoming a leader by including others, not excluding them How perspective and exposure shaped her worldview Why deep listening became her greatest leadership skill QUOTES: “I wanted to have more friends, and I wanted to belong.” – Mayor Daniella Levine Cava “I had an opportunity to reinvent myself.” – Mayor Daniella Levine Cava “I needed to get outside of myself, be more present for others and listen better.” – Mayor Daniella Levine Cava RESOURCES: Daniella Levine Cava Instagram | @mayordlc Explore more from OneUnited Bank: 🏦 Learn more: oneunited.com 💡 Build smarter with WiseOne: oneunited.com/wiseone 💳 Get the Card: oneunited.com/apply Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network (visit at epyc.co)

In this emotional segment, Addonis Parker opens up about the lie he carried for years. He shares how rejection, pain, and self-doubt led him to believe he wouldn’t make it past 25, and how that internal narrative shaped the way he saw himself and his future. But instead of letting that lie define him, he chose to confront it.   This conversation is a powerful reminder that the most dangerous stories aren’t always the ones told to us, but the ones we repeat to ourselves, and that healing begins the moment we tell the truth. Explore more from OneUnited Bank: 🏦 Learn more: oneunited.com 💡 Build smarter with WiseOne: oneunited.com/wiseone 💳 Get the Card: oneunited.com/apply Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network (visit at epyc.co)

What happens when the thing you’re called to be… is the very thing the world tells you to hide? Today, Teri Williams and Suzan McDowell welcome the world-renowned artist Addonis Parker to unpack identity, masculinity, and the cost of suppressing your true self. From hiding his creativity as a young athlete to being told how his art should look, Addonis shares the internal battle of trying to fit into a version of himself that the world would accept. But what he once buried eventually became the very thing that saved his life. Listen in as this conversation goes deeper than art. It’s about confronting shame, reclaiming your identity, and understanding that your difference is not a weakness, but your calling. KEY POINTS:  0:00 – Introduction  3:14 – Success leaves clues: Legacy, lineage, and “Who am I?” 5:17 – Hiding creativity: Sports, masculinity, and burying emotion 6:48 – The moment at six: A sketchpad, sunlight, and realizing he was different 11:02 – Learning to be “other”: Accepting that art + athletics can coexist 13:51 – Being ashamed of “Adonis”: When your own name feels too artistic 15:35 – Everything changes: Owning “Adonis” and watching the world respond 24:21 – “Stop painting Black people”: The pushback against his Black art 39:17 – Turning pain into fuel: Using rejection as hidden fire and purpose 41:48 – The lie that almost killed him: Not expecting to live past 25 QUOTES: “When God gives you a gift, you've got to add on to it.” – Addonis Parker “You have to realize that you are a human being with worth before you become a superhero.” – Addonis Parker “The worst lie you can tell is the one you tell yourself.” – Addonis Parker RESOURCES: Addonis Parker  Website | addonisparker.com Instagram | @addonisp Explore more from OneUnited Bank: 🏦 Learn more: oneunited.com 💡 Build smarter with WiseOne: oneunited.com/wiseone 💳 Get the Card: oneunited.com/apply Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network (visit at epyc.co)

After being told her work was “not up to par” and getting fired early in her career, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Karen Hunter was forced to confront rejection, self-doubt, and the realities of navigating spaces that weren’t built for her. But instead of folding, she doubled down. From calling the newsroom every day to outworking everyone around her, Karen turned that moment into fuel and went on to land front-page stories at one of the biggest newspapers in the country. This isn’t just a story about getting fired. It’s about what you do next. RESOURCES: Karen Hunter  Website | www.karenhuntershow.com Instagram | @karenhuntershow Explore more from OneUnited Bank: 🏦 Learn more: https://www.oneunited.com/ 💡 Build smarter with WiseOne: https://www.oneunited.com/wiseone/ 💳 Get the Card: https://www.oneunited.com/apply/ Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network (visit at https://www.epyc.co/)

In this episode of Who’s Your Ma Honey?, Teri Williams and Suzan McDowell sit down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Karen Hunter to unpack identity, origin, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are. Karen shares powerful stories about her upbringing, her mother’s resilience, and the mindset that helped her navigate spaces where she wasn’t always welcome. From being told she wasn’t “up to par” to becoming one of the most influential voices in media, her journey reveals what it really takes to own your identity without apology. This conversation challenges the idea of shame and replaces it with something more powerful: self-awareness, imagination, and the courage to define yourself on your own terms. KEY POINTS:  0:00 – Introduction  3:22 – Karen’s “no shame” origin story: Delusion as protection 4:18 – Father’s grind and early expectations: Work ethic, plotting & skipping a grade 8:29 – Generational courage: From plantation roots to leaving the South 17:42 – Social discomfort vs. belonging: Introvert who refuses to shrink 24:03 – Cosplaying decoded: Performing the life others expect 29:16 – Suzanne’s parallel: Rejecting “weak” mothers, then realizing the cost 30:53 – Lessons for the community: You belong everywhere you are 48:36 – Racism in the newsroom: quota myths, slurs, and using it all as motivation 53:02 – All money ain’t good money: Community-first business ethic QUOTES: “Every time I do whatever it is, I imagine it happens.” – Karen Hunter “Most of the problems people bring to you are them telling on themselves.” – Karen Hunter “I like the ability to be able to do whatever it is I want to do, and that, to me, is power.” – Karen Hunter RESOURCES Karen Hunter  Website | www.karenhuntershow.com Instagram | @karenhuntershow Explore more from OneUnited Bank: 🏦 Learn more: https://www.oneunited.com/ 💡 Build smarter with WiseOne: https://www.oneunited.com/wiseone/ 💳 Get the Card: https://www.oneunited.com/apply/ Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network (visit at https://www.epyc.co/)

What do you do when you feel disconnected from yourself… like you don’t fully belong anywhere? In this powerful segment from Who’s Your Ma Honey?, Dr. Delvena Thomas shares practical tools for navigating shame, self-doubt, and the tension between who you are and who you’ve been told to be. This isn’t surface-level advice. It’s about doing the real work: Learning how to stop ruminating on your past, practicing self-love in a tangible way, and giving yourself the grace and forgiveness needed to move forward. Dr. Delvena Thomas breaks down how to reframe your story, why self-love is the foundation for everything, and how the very experiences you’ve been stuck on may actually be what led you to your purpose. If you’ve ever felt like you don’t fit in, questioned your worth, or struggled to let go of your past, this conversation will give you a new way to see yourself. GUEST RESOURCES: Dr. Delvena Thomas  Website | www.drdelvenahelp.com Instagram | @drdelvena RESOURCES: Teri Williams Website: @teri-williams Suzan McDowell LinkedIn: @suzan-mcdowell Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network

Shame doesn’t start with you. It’s learned, internalized, and carried until you decide to confront it. In this premiere episode of Who’s Your Ma Honey?, hosts Teri Williams and Suzan McDowell sit down with Board-Certified Psychiatrist Dr. Delvena Thomas to unpack the psychology of shame and how it silently shapes identity, confidence, and success. Teri shares the moment she realized she buried her roots to fit into elite spaces, disconnecting from the very woman who shaped her greatness. Suzan opens up about navigating identity, belonging, and the tension of growing up between polarizing cultures. Together, they reveal how external judgment becomes internal truth and how that truth can be rewritten. Tune in to find out how shame is formed, why we disconnect from our origins to survive, and what it really takes to reframe your story. This episode is a masterclass in self-awareness, healing, and reclaiming your power. If you’ve ever felt like you had to hide parts of yourself to belong, this conversation will change how you see your story. KEY POINTS:  0:00 - Introduction  2:38 – Burying your roots to succeed: how Teri erased Indiantown and Miss Honey from her Ivy League success story 7:48 – Internalized trauma & self-stigma: why we disconnect from our background to survive elite, white-dominant spaces 16:18 – How shame is imposed: subtle microaggressions and dismissal that signal “you don’t belong here” 25:12 – Undeserved shame exposed: institutions reward you for disconnecting from your roots, community, and history 30:41 – Suzan’s immigration shock: taken from Jamaica to Texas and forced into cultural displacement and poverty 32:03 – Split identity as a superpower: being both Jamaican and American becomes Suzan’s advantage in South Florida 49:20 – From trauma to resilience: reframing, “Brain Love,” and turning shame into your superpower QUOTES: “There could be some things about you and in our roots that we bury to try to fit into this integrated world. We went from segregation to integration.” - Teri Williams “I felt so ashamed of being this… dark skinned, ashy Jamaican… not fitting in girl in the middle of Texas.” – Suzan McDowell “We do this subconscious thing where we disconnect from our roots because this is our way of surviving.”  - Dr. Delvena Thomas GUEST RESOURCES: Dr. Delvena Thomas  Website | www.drdelvenahelp.com Instagram | @drdelvena RESOURCES: Teri Williams Website: @teri-williams Suzan McDowell LinkedIn: @suzan-mcdowell Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network

Welcome to Who’s Your Ma’ Honey? Hosted by Teri Williams, President and Owner of OneUnited Bank, and Suzan McDowell, President and CEO of Circle of One Marketing, this podcast opens a conversation most leaders never take the time to have. It all starts with one question: Who’s your Ma’ Honey? Each episode creates space for high-achieving leaders, founders, and changemakers to go back to the moments they once overlooked, hid, or felt ashamed of and uncover how those experiences shaped who they are today. Through raw, reflective conversations, Teri and Suzan guide guests to unpack the people, environments, and stories that formed their identity, the internal narratives they’ve had to confront, and the truth behind the success the world sees. Because this isn’t just about where you come from. It’s about what you’ve been carrying. And more importantly, how the very thing you once felt ashamed of can become the source of your power. Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network

Welcome to Who’s Your Ma’ Honey? Hosted by Teri Williams, President and Owner of OneUnited Bank, and Suzan McDowell, President and CEO of Circle of One Marketing, this podcast opens a conversation most leaders never take the time to have. It all starts with one question: Who’s your Ma’ Honey? Each episode creates space for high-achieving leaders, founders, and changemakers to go back to the moments they once overlooked, hid, or felt ashamed of and uncover how those experiences shaped who they are today. Through raw, reflective conversations, Teri and Suzan guide guests to unpack the people, environments, and stories that formed their identity, the internal narratives they’ve had to confront, and the truth behind the success the world sees. Because this isn’t just about where you come from. It’s about what you’ve been carrying. And more importantly, how the very thing you once felt ashamed of can become the source of your power. Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network

Welcome to Who’s Your Ma’ Honey? Hosted by Teri Williams, President and Owner of OneUnited Bank, and Suzan McDowell, President and CEO of Circle of One Marketing, this podcast opens a conversation most leaders never take the time to have. It all starts with one question: Who’s your Ma’ Honey? Each episode creates space for high-achieving leaders, founders, and changemakers to go back to the moments they once overlooked, hid, or felt ashamed of and uncover how those experiences shaped who they are today. Through raw, reflective conversations, Teri and Suzan guide guests to unpack the people, environments, and stories that formed their identity, the internal narratives they’ve had to confront, and the truth behind the success the world sees. Because this isn’t just about where you come from. It’s about what you’ve been carrying. And more importantly, how the very thing you once felt ashamed of can become the source of your power. Who's Your Ma' Honey?  is produced by EPYC Media Network