In this episode of the Books with Purpose podcast, host Shannon Whittington visits with author Dr. Markus Smith about his upcoming book, “Journey Through the Hoods”. Having grown up in Oklahoma in a gang-riddled part of town, drowning in poverty and a victim of racism, Dr. Smith had a lot to overcome. After 20 years of being told by friends and students that he needed to write his story, he finally decided to get it done when a good friend gave him the inspiration he needed. Dr. Smith’s biggest hope is to inspire just one person to fight their demons. “It’s all about how you attack with life gets hard” ~Dr. Markus Smith

Poet and NBA basketball player Antoine Hood "Clark Wayne" visits with host Shannon Whittington about his book of poetry, "Hood Thoughts". Antoine talks about how he found his passion for writing, the importance of emotional intelligence, his fight with cancer, how he chose his pen name (it involves Batman!) and much more! In this episode, we don't talk much about Antoine's time with the Nuggets and Spurs - we focus more on whether men are really free to share their emotions and something called the Belly Button Effect...

Best-Selling author Mandy Cavanaugh visits with host Shannon Whittington about her book F*ck the Glass Ceiling. Mandy is an international business coach and focuses on aspiring feminine coaches. While her message to women is about starting at the top and staying there, you may be surprised to hear how she advises women to make that happen...