Detroit is Different

Detroit is Different
Detroit is Different

The Detroit is Different podcast is about exposing artistry, business, ideas, and dynamic people, places, and things that make Detroit a mecca. Tune in weekly and subscribe to get the true stories from the people shaping the culture of an American classic city.

  1. 3 days ago

    How Ashley Nicole Turned One Personal Journey into a Movement For Women Everywhere

    "It went from me wanting leggings that fit my body on my weight loss journey to people wearing them at the airport." That single moment captures the heart of Ashley Nicole's Detroit Is Different conversation. Ashley reflects on transforming a deeply personal health journey into a nationally recognized athleisure brand featured by Oprah and Good Morning America, while remaining grounded as a wife, mother, business owner, and creative spirit. She shares how authenticity, consistency, and showing both victories and setbacks built a loyal community that believed in her l"It went from me wanting leggings that fit my body on my weight loss journey to people wearing them at the airport." That single moment captures the heart of Ashley Nicole's Detroit Is Different conversation. Ashley reflects on transforming a deeply personal health journey into a nationally recognized athleisure brand featured by Oprah and Good Morning America, while remaining grounded as a wife, mother, business owner, and creative spirit. She shares how authenticity, consistency, and showing both victories and setbacks built a loyal community that believed in her Filled with stories about social media, branding, family, faith, and resilience, this episode explores how one woman's commitment to herself became an invitation for thousands of others to believe in themselves. Ashley reminds us that when Black women create solutions rooted in lived experience, they build businesses that strengthen families, inspire future generations, and leave a lasting legacy for the Detroit community and beyond. Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co

    How Ashley Nicole Turned One Personal Journey into a Movement For Women Everywhere

  2. 3 days ago

    Building Trust Through Community Data Marnita Harris Shares a Vision For Detroit's Future

    "The first thing I like to say when I talk to anybody who filled out the survey thank you thank you." That simple expression of gratitude opens a powerful conversation with Marnita Harris of the Detroit Regional Chamber, revealing how something as ordinary as a neighborhood survey can become a blueprint for the future of Detroit. As Khary Frazier reflects on being selected for yet another survey, he realizes these questions were different because they centered families, neighbors, and the lived experiences of Detroiters instead of statistics alone. Marnita explains why every response matters, reminding listeners that authentic community voices shape the policies, investments, and decisions that will define the city's future. Filled with humor, memories of Nielsen ratings, YouTube playlists, and the unexpected ways people participate in research, the conversation builds into a deeper examination of trust, representation, and civic engagement. **"Who did they survey Who is really taking them"** becomes more than a joke; it becomes a challenge for communities to recognize their own power in telling their stories. This episode connects Detroit's long tradition of neighborhood organizing with the emerging tools of community research, showing that the future is strongest when it is informed by the wisdom of everyday people. Listen to hear why your voice is not just counted but needed. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co

    Building Trust Through Community Data Marnita Harris Shares a Vision For Detroit's Future

  3. 3 days ago

    Danielle Jackson Explains Why Belle Isle Connects Detroit's Past Present And Future Together

    "It's our park," Danielle Jackson declares, setting the tone for a conversation that reminds every Detroiter why Belle Isle is far more than an island in the Detroit River—it's a living symbol of community, resilience, and shared responsibility. In this episode of Detroit is Different, Danielle, representing the Belle Isle Conservancy, explains how "we're the nonprofit partner" helping preserve one of Detroit's greatest public assets while inviting residents to reclaim ownership through participation and presence. Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, she shares how "you could literally get a prescription to go to the park," describing the national ParkRx initiative that encouraged healing through nature, movement, and fresh air. Khary connects those memories to the emotional significance of the Belle Isle memorial honoring lives lost during the pandemic while reminding listeners that "as far as us being citizens and appreciating the asset that's right here in our city—get there." Together they unpack Belle Isle's complicated governance, its deep place in Detroit's identity, and why protecting public spaces requires community engagement across generations. This conversation honors Detroit's past, celebrates the people working today to steward its treasures, and challenges listeners to imagine a future where Belle Isle continues serving as a place for healing, education, recreation, and collective pride for every family that calls Detroit home. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co

    Danielle Jackson Explains Why Belle Isle Connects Detroit's Past Present And Future Together

  4. 13 Aug

    From Highland Park to AI Dafina Brown Maps Black Detroit Future

    "Everything I know is Detroit." That powerful declaration from Dafina Brown sets the tone for a conversation that explores why our roots matter just as much as our innovation. Growing up in Highland Park after her parents made Detroit home, Dafina explains how the city's culture became the lens through which she sees the world, insisting, "When I go to Ohio... it's not us. Go to Chicago, it's not us." From reconnecting with Khary Frazier years after they worked together to leading conversations around artificial intelligence, technology, and digital equity, Dafina shares why Black Detroit cannot afford to be spectators in the AI revolution. This episode journeys through family history, neighborhood identity, Detroit pride, and the responsibility to ensure emerging technology reflects the voices and experiences of our community. Filled with stories of Highland Park, TechTown, African World Festival, and the relationships that continue to shape Detroit's future, this discussion reminds listeners that innovation without culture is incomplete. As Detroit has always transformed industry, music, and movements for justice, the next chapter demands that we also shape artificial intelligence with the wisdom of our ancestors and the imagination of future generations. If we do not help build the future, someone else will build it for us—and Detroit has always been a city that leads rather than follows. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co

    From Highland Park to AI Dafina Brown Maps Black Detroit Future

  5. 13 Aug

    Pierre Roberson Shares How Faith Family and Business Build a Lasting Detroit Legacy

    “We hung in there, man. We got some of the best clients that I could ever ask for.” That powerful reflection from Pierre Roberson captures the heart of a conversation about vision, resilience, and the courage to build something bigger than yourself. In this Detroit is Different episode, Pierre shares the journey from growing up in Detroit to becoming an accomplished architect before taking the leap into entrepreneurship with Framework E. He opens up about walking away from the security of a career, surviving months without pay, exhausting his savings, and trusting that faith, preparation, and consistency would carry him through. “We were already setting all that groundwork of being very reliable,” he explains, revealing how reputation is built long before opportunity arrives. Pierre also reflects on balancing business ownership with family life, establishing boundaries with clients, and designing spaces that strengthen communities instead of simply filling them. The conversation closes by connecting his personal journey to Detroit's larger legacy of Black entrepreneurship, inspired by leaders like Coleman A. Young who expanded opportunities for others. “Whatever is in us, we should be trying to break down whatever barriers for as many people as we can.” This episode is a blueprint for anyone determined to build a lasting business while creating opportunities that shape the future of Detroit. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co

    Pierre Roberson Shares How Faith Family and Business Build a Lasting Detroit Legacy

  6. 13 Aug

    AJ Williams on Black Storytelling Detroit Roots and Writing the Culture Forward

    “Honestly, I am blessed. What up Doe?” That joyful introduction sets the tone for an unforgettable conversation with AJ Williams, a journalist and storyteller whose words have helped shape Black culture while remaining grounded in the lessons of family, migration, and Detroit. From reflecting on being “used to asking the questions” to tracing her roots from Newark to Chicago and ultimately Detroit, AJ reminds us that every journey carries a deeper community story. She shares how her grandmother and mother built new beginnings, how Black cities remain connected through shared experiences, and why Detroit became part of her family's legacy. Along the way, the conversation celebrates everything from hoodies and summer style to the significance behind a simple Detroit greeting of “What up though?” while uncovering the deeper meaning of identity, belonging, and home. This episode explores how personal history becomes cultural history, showing that the people who document our stories are shaped by stories of their own. AJ's reflections connect the Great Migration, Black journalism, and today's evolving media landscape, reminding listeners that preserving our voices is essential to building our future. If we understand where our families have traveled, struggled, and flourished, we become better equipped to tell the stories that strengthen our communities for generations to come. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co

    AJ Williams on Black Storytelling Detroit Roots and Writing the Culture Forward

  7. 6 Aug

    Detroit Comedy Culture And Hip Hop History Through The Eyes of Foolish

    "You won't even be trying to laugh and it's like damn he got me." That quote perfectly captures the genius of Detroit comedy legend Foolish as he joins Detroit is Different for a conversation that is equal parts hilarious, historical, and deeply reflective. From memories of knowing Khary Frazier before Detroit is Different, when he was immersed in hip hop, to stories from BET Comic View, Foolish reminds us that laughter has always been one of Black Detroit's greatest survival tools. Quoting, "I always talk about my life through jokes," he reveals how comedy became his language for processing life, culture, and community. Together they celebrate hip hop icons like Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, E-40, Richie Rich, MC Breed, and The Lox while reflecting on how music sounds different as we grow because, as Foolish explains, "Everything you listen to as an adult becomes a chapter in your life that you didn't pay enough attention to." Filled with unforgettable backstage stories, reflections on Detroit audiences showing unmatched love to legendary performers, and memories of artists whose influence continues to shape culture, this episode reminds listeners that preserving these stories is how communities protect their legacy. The laughter, music, and memories shared here connect Detroit's past to its future, proving that culture lives through conversation, storytelling, and the people determined to keep those stories alive. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co

    Detroit Comedy Culture And Hip Hop History Through The Eyes of Foolish

  8. 6 Aug

    Building Legacy Through Business Music Acting, Tunesia Turner is a Creative

    "I am really humble I'm used to being the person asking all the questions" is how Tunesia Turner opens this unforgettable Detroit is Different conversation, revealing the curiosity, confidence, and purpose that have shaped her journey as an entrepreneur, singer, actress, and cultural leader. From memories of her grandmother's home in Southwest Detroit to stories of growing up in Royal Oak Township where "everybody always knew where you were," Tunesia reflects on the community values that continue to inspire her work today. She celebrates the legacy of her grandmother, a brilliant laboratory technician who "would have been a doctor" if opportunities for Black women had been different, connecting family history to the responsibility of building a stronger future. Tunesia shares how creativity and business move together through her performances alongside her husband Khary Turner when they were performing in Black Bottom Collective, and her commitment to using music, theater, and storytelling to create opportunity. Filled with laughter, neighborhood memories, and reflections on Black history, this conversation reminds us that entrepreneurship is about creating opportunities, artistry is about preserving culture, and community is built through relationships that span generations. This episode is a celebration of Detroit's creative spirit and a blueprint for honoring the past while courageously creating the future. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com Find out more at https://detroit-is-different.pinecast.co

    Building Legacy Through Business Music Acting, Tunesia Turner is a Creative
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The Detroit is Different podcast is about exposing artistry, business, ideas, and dynamic people, places, and things that make Detroit a mecca. Tune in weekly and subscribe to get the true stories from the people shaping the culture of an American classic city.

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