It doesn't need to be February to recognize and honor black excellence and in this special edition of I Am Black, we are not only recognizing black success but black female success. Brandon Marshall and Fred Taylor sit down with Ese Ighedosa, President House Of Athlete, and Bri Thompson, founder of Spiked Spin, for a deep conversation about their journeys and what it means to insult the standard.

Sharing her words to live by, Bri explains how insulting the standard is more than just a catchy phrase, it's about being confident, passionate, and a risk-taker. This mantra guided her journey into the fitness industry and defined her mission as an entrepreneur. Starting Spiked Spin during a global pandemic and a time of heightened social unrest didn't intimidate Bri but motivated her to keep going and keep impacting lives. When asked by Brandon what it's like taking on industry giants like Soul Cycle and Peloton, Bri smirked and replied I don't think about it because I see myself as the giant in the industry.

Ese talks about her time working in the NFL and points out that as players Brandon and Fred never had to worry about feeling like an imposter in the league while for her, feeling invisible in meetings and her daily role was the norm. Fred chimed in that he never had this dream of playing in the NFL but his passion led him there on his journey and Brandon agrees that football found him. Understanding the ladies' point of a different path, Fred respects that their community needs to do a better job of lifting each other up. Brandon praised Ese's success of being resilient and leaving the comfortable for the unknown.

Bringing back Chef Shawn Williams from our episodes in Black History Month, Shawn expresses his admiration for the ladies and their grit to follow their dreams. Having money is one thing but being prideful and passionate about what we do every day is true power and happiness.