First Sip

Dekimbe Smith
  • 5.0 (40)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to First Sip! I'm Dekimbe Smith, your host, and every week we sit down for curious conversations about building wealth, growing a business, and showing up in your career and life with intention. Just the kind of conversations you wish you were having with someone who gets it. Whether you're figuring out how to start your first business, or want to make smarter career moves, First Sip is where curious people come to level up. New episodes drop weekly. So grab your drink, press play, and as always...enjoy your first sip!

  1. Jul 21

    Checkpoints: How to Stop Restarting From Zero | Business & Career | EP. 160

    Survival mode isn't a setting you choose. Its a setting we get locked into, that piles on quietly until you don't even notice it's on. This week breaks down why business owners and employees keep restarting from zero, the research-backed reason it happens, and how to get yourself out of that cycle. Here's what we're sippin on: Why researchers gave this exact mental state a name, and why it's not a discipline problemThe real numbers behind accountabilityWhat a video game character's stat sheet gets right about progress that most of us get wrong in real lifeThe people who keep moving aren't the ones with more willpower, they're the ones who built a way to check in on themselves before they needed it. Thank you for listening, and as always...enjoy your first sip! Click here to watch the full episode on YouTube What did you think about this episode? -------------------------------- Get the First Sip Field Notes: A weekly newsletter for curious people building better businesses, careers, and lives. You'll also get a free tool to help you decide if that idea you're sitting on is actually worth building. https://firstsipfieldnotes.beehiiv.com/subscribe CONNECT WITH DEKIMBE:  YouTube Instagram   Facebook  LinkedIn FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram Apple Podcasts Spotify For podcast sponsorship & advertising opportunities please contact: firstsippod@gmail.com

    Checkpoints: How to Stop Restarting From Zero | Business & Career | EP. 160

  2. Jul 14

    ChatGPT 5.6 vs Claude: Why Picking a Side Is the Wrong Move | Business & Tech | EP. 159

    ChatGPT vs Claude is the debate everyone's back to having this week, thanks to the release of ChatGPT 5.6. People are asking if they should switch back after just getting comfortable with Claude, and the honest answer is that's the wrong question to be asking in the first place. Click here to watch the full episode on YouTube Here's what we're sippin on: Why becoming AI literate matters more right now than picking the "right" tool, and how to actually get there without feeling behindA simple way to know which one to reach for depending on what you're actually trying to get done that dayWhy you don't have to be techy to get real value out of either one, and the easiest way to just get startedThe real risk right now isn't picking the wrong AI tool, it's sitting on the sidelines while everyone else is moving forward. Thank you for listening, and as always...enjoy your first sip! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — The ChatGPT vs Claude debate, PlayStation vs Xbox style 00:57 — Welcome back, why "which one's better" is the wrong question 03:15 — ChatGPT: the everyday ecosystem vs Claude's edge for deep work 05:36 — Connecting tools to Notion, and why preference matters most 07:54 — Becoming a "power user" and running into usage limits 10:11 — Splitting the work between tools, and standing out at your job 12:27 — Where to start if you're new, plus image generation and taste 14:42 — The adoption curve, and where you want to be What did you think about this episode? -------------------------------- Get the First Sip Field Notes: A weekly newsletter for curious people building better businesses, careers, and lives. You'll also get a free tool to help you decide if that idea you're sitting on is actually worth building. https://firstsipfieldnotes.beehiiv.com/subscribe CONNECT WITH DEKIMBE:  YouTube Instagram   Facebook  LinkedIn FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram Apple Podcasts Spotify For podcast sponsorship & advertising opportunities please contact: firstsippod@gmail.com

    ChatGPT 5.6 vs Claude: Why Picking a Side Is the Wrong Move | Business & Tech | EP. 159

  3. Jul 7

    The AI Skills Gap: Why "Darwinian" Is the Right Word for 2026 | Career Growth | EP. 158

    Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks, says 90% of his employees aren't AI-ready. The AI skills gap is quietly becoming the biggest career risk most professionals aren't watching, and instead of mass layoffs, he's rebuilding his team through hackathons and natural attrition. This week we cover what he said on the 20VC podcast, why he's calling out leaders like Coinbase's CEO and Block's Jack Dorsey for how they're handling AI-driven cuts, and why this moment feels a lot like the one our parents lived through when computers first showed up at work and typing classes felt optional. If you've been wondering whether AI will replace your job, this is really a conversation about how to stay ahead of it. Here's what we're sippin on: The exact numbers behind his 12-month and 3-year plan, and what he says happens if he's rightHow to tell if your role is one of the "replaceable" ones he's really talking aboutOne question to ask your parents that explains exactly where this AI moment is headedFive years from now, this either ages like a warning you caught early or one you ignored. Thank you for listening, and as always...enjoy your first sip! Click here to watch the full episode on YouTube Timestamps: 00:00 The 90% AI Readiness Problem 01:00 Settling In: The Move to Guyana 02:00 Who Is Nikesh Arora and Palo Alto Networks 03:00 Natural Attrition and Hiring Through Hackathons 04:00 The Jobs Most at Risk Right Now 05:00 Calling Out Coinbase and Block's Layoff Approach 06:00 The Parents-and-Computers Parallel 09:00 A Free Tool to Validate Your Next Idea 11:00 Using ChatGPT and Claude to Move Faster 12:00 Are You Seeing This Resistance Too 13:00 Final Thoughts and Sign-Off What did you think about this episode? -------------------------------- Get the First Sip Field Notes: A weekly newsletter for curious people building better businesses, careers, and lives. You'll also get a free tool to help you decide if that idea you're sitting on is actually worth building. https://firstsipfieldnotes.beehiiv.com/subscribe CONNECT WITH DEKIMBE:  YouTube Instagram   Facebook  LinkedIn FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram Apple Podcasts Spotify For podcast sponsorship & advertising opportunities please contact: firstsippod@gmail.com

    The AI Skills Gap: Why "Darwinian" Is the Right Word for 2026 | Career Growth | EP. 158

  4. Jun 29

    Moving to Guyana: Building a Business From Abroad | Business & Life | EP. 157

    After  years of going back and forth, I finally made the decision to move to Guyana. A one way ticket from Philadelphia to Georgetown, with no scheduled return date. Life in Guyana has been something I've been building toward for a while now, from the Airbnb, consulting work, the connections on the ground, and moving there just became the next logical step. This episode is a quick update on what made me pull the trigger, what the business picture actually looks like on the ground in Georgetown, and what Season 4 of the First Sip Podcast is going to look like from here. Here's what we're sippin on: - What finally made the decision click after two-plus years of going back and forth - What Guyana's economic boom actually means at the street level, and why it matters for entrepreneurs right now - What stays the same on the show and what's changing now that First Sip is officially going international If you've been thinking about making a move, going all in on something, or just wondering what it looks like to build a business in a new market, this one is for you. Thank you for listening, and as always...enjoy your first sip! What did you think about this episode? -------------------------------- Get the First Sip Field Notes: A weekly newsletter for curious people building better businesses, careers, and lives. You'll also get a free tool to help you decide if that idea you're sitting on is actually worth building. https://firstsipfieldnotes.beehiiv.com/subscribe CONNECT WITH DEKIMBE:  YouTube Instagram   Facebook  LinkedIn FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram Apple Podcasts Spotify For podcast sponsorship & advertising opportunities please contact: firstsippod@gmail.com

    Moving to Guyana: Building a Business From Abroad | Business & Life | EP. 157

  5. Jun 11

    Anthropic's IPO vs. Shrinking AI Budgets: What the Split Signals | Business & Tech | EP. 156

    The Anthropic IPO is officially in motion. IPO season is back, and companies like Anthropic and SpaceX are leading the race to go public. Anthropic just filed confidentially with the SEC at nearly a trillion dollar valuation, and Claude has been dominating the AI conversation all year. Almost at the same time, two of their biggest customers, Microsoft and Uber, are quietly pulling back on how much they're actually spending on AI. That tension is what this episode is all about. Here's what we're sippin on: What an SEC filing actually means, and why the timing of Anthropic's IPO matters more than the numberWhy Microsoft and Uber are cutting AI spend even though the tools are workingWhat the Gartner forecast on AI budgets tells us about where this whole thing is headed, and what it means for anyone investing in AI right nowIf you've been watching the AI market and wondering what any of this means for you on the ground, this one is for you. A SpaceX deep dive is coming soon, so stay subscribed for that one. Thank you for listening, and as always... enjoy your first sip! Click here to watch the full episode on YouTube What did you think about this episode? -------------------------------- Get the First Sip Field Notes: A weekly newsletter for curious people building better businesses, careers, and lives. You'll also get a free tool to help you decide if that idea you're sitting on is actually worth building. https://firstsipfieldnotes.beehiiv.com/subscribe CONNECT WITH DEKIMBE:  YouTube Instagram   Facebook  LinkedIn FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram Apple Podcasts Spotify For podcast sponsorship & advertising opportunities please contact: firstsippod@gmail.com

    Anthropic's IPO vs. Shrinking AI Budgets: What the Split Signals | Business & Tech | EP. 156

  6. May 28

    AI Data Centers: Who Actually Pays for the Buildout | Business & Tech | EP. 155

    Click here to watch the full episode on YouTube AI data centers are popping up across the country at a pace nobody's really talking about, and they might be the reason your electric bill keeps climbing. This week we're getting into what these data centers actually are, who's really paying for them, and where the money is moving behind the scenes. Here's what we're sippin on: Why your electric bill is climbing even if you're cutting off every light in the houseThe companies getting billions in tax incentives to build in your backyard, and who ends up footing the billHow to position yourself on the right side of a $7 trillion shift instead of just paying for itIf you've noticed your bill going up and you've been wondering what's actually going on behind the scenes, this one is for you. Thank you for listening, and as always... enjoy your first sip! What did you think about this episode? -------------------------------- Get the First Sip Field Notes: A weekly newsletter for curious people building better businesses, careers, and lives. You'll also get a free tool to help you decide if that idea you're sitting on is actually worth building. https://firstsipfieldnotes.beehiiv.com/subscribe CONNECT WITH DEKIMBE:  YouTube Instagram   Facebook  LinkedIn FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram Apple Podcasts Spotify For podcast sponsorship & advertising opportunities please contact: firstsippod@gmail.com

    AI Data Centers: Who Actually Pays for the Buildout | Business & Tech | EP. 155

  7. May 12

    Claude Has Taken Over the AI Race...For Now | Business & Tech | EP. 154

    Click here to watch the full episode on YouTube Most of us picked one AI tool a couple years ago and never looked back. If that tool is ChatGPT, there is a real chance you’re leaving a lot on the table and you might not even know it yet. This week we’re getting into the AI race as it stands right now in 2026. Here's what we're sippin on: One company just lapped the entire industry and it happened faster than anyone expectedThe four major AI tools broken down so you actually know which one to use and whenHow the company behind Claude is building its own product differently than any tech company before itIf you have been using the same tool since the beginning and wondering why everyone else seems to be moving faster, this one is for you. Thank you for listening, and as always…enjoy your first sip!  ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The AI race and why the conversation has changed 01:13 Welcome and what we are sipping on today 02:00 How Dekimbe has been using AI in his business and life 03:00 Breaking down the four major players in the race right now 04:43 What LLMs actually are and how they work 05:40 Why Claude is the deep thinker and how it compares to ChatGPT 07:18 ChatGPT's image generation and where it still wins 07:38 Gemini and its integration across the Google Suite 08:13 Why Gemini and NotebookLM are a powerful combo for content creators 09:18 Grok and where real-time information gives it an edge 09:35 How the race shifted and what happened to OpenAI's lead 10:38 Anthropic's growth from $9 billion to $30 billion in four months 11:12 Why it took Salesforce 20 years to do what Anthropic did in three 11:47 Enterprise adoption and over 1,000 companies paying $1M or more a year 13:28 Anthropic using Claude Code to write its own code 14:24 The Elon and Anthropic data center deal and what it means 15:48 How to pick the right AI tool for the right task 16:15 The knife analogy breakdown for ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, and Gemini 20:06 A simple challenge to compare tools on the same prompt this week 21:14 How Claude connects to the tools you are already using What did you think about this episode? -------------------------------- Get the First Sip Field Notes: A weekly newsletter for curious people building better businesses, careers, and lives. You'll also get a free tool to help you decide if that idea you're sitting on is actually worth building. https://firstsipfieldnotes.beehiiv.com/subscribe CONNECT WITH DEKIMBE:  YouTube Instagram   Facebook  LinkedIn FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram Apple Podcasts Spotify For podcast sponsorship & advertising opportunities please contact: firstsippod@gmail.com

    Claude Has Taken Over the AI Race...For Now | Business & Tech | EP. 154

  8. Apr 23

    The Business Lessons Real Estate Taught Me That Nobody Talks About | Business & Real Estate | EP. 153

    Watch the full episode on YouTube After 4 years as a real estate agent in Philadelphia, I'm being honest about what actually happened, what I earned, what I learned, and why I'm making a pivot now. This isn't a real estate episode. It's a business episode. I'm talking about the gap between the fantasy of being your own boss and the reality of building something sustainable, why doing the sales and the marketing at the same time will eventually break you, and how tying your identity to what you do can keep you stuck longer than you should be. I also get into how content marketing quietly worked behind the scenes even while the agent work wasn't, and what that proof of concept is pointing me toward next... If you've ever questioned a pivot, or felt like switching direction meant you failed, this one is for you. What did you think about this episode? -------------------------------- Get the First Sip Field Notes: A weekly newsletter for curious people building better businesses, careers, and lives. You'll also get a free tool to help you decide if that idea you're sitting on is actually worth building. https://firstsipfieldnotes.beehiiv.com/subscribe CONNECT WITH DEKIMBE:  YouTube Instagram   Facebook  LinkedIn FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Instagram Apple Podcasts Spotify For podcast sponsorship & advertising opportunities please contact: firstsippod@gmail.com

    The Business Lessons Real Estate Taught Me That Nobody Talks About | Business & Real Estate | EP. 153
See All (159)

5
out of 5
40 Ratings

About

Welcome to First Sip! I'm Dekimbe Smith, your host, and every week we sit down for curious conversations about building wealth, growing a business, and showing up in your career and life with intention. Just the kind of conversations you wish you were having with someone who gets it. Whether you're figuring out how to start your first business, or want to make smarter career moves, First Sip is where curious people come to level up. New episodes drop weekly. So grab your drink, press play, and as always...enjoy your first sip!

Information

  • Creator
    Dekimbe Smith
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    159
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 First Sip LLC
  • Show Website
    First Sip