Hey awesome folks! 

Welcome to White Label American, where every week we have conversations that are bold, in-depth interviews with interesting people (mostly immigrants) taking down fake walls one story at a time.

We've just uploaded a couple of bonus episodes on Patreon - and if you're not a Patron yet, you're missing out on loads of exclusive content that's only available behind the paywall! Not to mention, you can support the podcast for as little as $3 - although any amount you can afford to give is always appreciated. 

You can also support us by buying some of our merch at https://vetclothing.com/collections/sponser-merch

or buying us a cup of Ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/whitelabelamerican

It's super important that we get five-star ratings on all podcast platforms - particularly Apple. But you can easily give us a 5-star rating and review via our website. And don't forget - you can download the free White Label American app from the Google Play Store https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=hr.apps.n245148.

The first Patreon episode was with upcoming guest Yuan Wang, Yuan asked about what makes podcasting feel so legitimate. My answer is, of course, an important one, but there's a lot more out there to consider. For now, though, I think my answer today should suffice.

Our pod fav and good friend Ashwin made an appearance and brought some great presents. What a great friend to have! I am so glad that I am where I am in life to be able to offer an answer that included a variety of reasons. As our dear friends always say, it's layered! Check out the answer here https://www.patreon.com/posts/77833500?pr=true

It was great to have Julia, Nadine, and Murielle, three wonderful women from Germany and Switzerland, on the podcast for the first time. Murielle, from Switzerland, is the first Swiss guest to join us on the show! We had a wonderful warmup session that set the tone for a great episode.

One of the questions brought up on the show was related to football, or soccer, and the concept of 'pay to play'. It's a term that's often used in the wrong context, but it's not necessarily as black and white as it appears. The discussion was sparked after hearing an African's reasoning for not watching African football due to the 'pay to play' situation of agents paying selectors to have their players on the team. This paints everyone with the same brush, forgetting that not everyone is the same. Check it out here https://www.patreon.com/posts/77838517?pr=true

This week, we just began to have a conversation about HBO’s The Last of Us. I was joined by friends of the pod Ashwin Gopi and Benyi Johnson (host of Stairways to Redemption). The episode is available next week and the conversation will continue after we watch two episodes.

In February, we’re planning to talk about two movies - You People and Wakanda Forever. More info to come on that, so stay tuned!

Plus, don’t forget about last week’s episodes. The first was a recap on the year 2022, featuring a super panel of podcasters from New York and Philadelphia. Listen to it now here: https://www.whitelabelamerican.com/2022-recap-share-your-most-memorable-moments-ft-corey-gumbs-johnnie-ray-kornegay-iii-mimi-jacks-sasha-marguerite/

The second episode to drop was a look back at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar from the African team's perspective. Benyi joined me, so don’t miss out! Listen to the episode here: https://www.whitelabelamerican.com/africa-qatar-2022-embrace-what-you-have-ft-benyi-johnson/

Get ready for an exciting February! White Label American's third-anniversary episode, followed by a powerful and honest conversation with Benyi Johnson about addiction and rehabilitation. Please invite your friends to join us and build a community together. If you have an opinion about Pay to Play or what makes podcasts legitimate (or on any other topic discussed), leave a voice note or email us at https://www.whitelabelamerican.com/contact/. Let your voice be heard! We invite all friends of the pod to join us this February – it's sure to be an informative and enlightening experience.

Thanks for your support!

Raphael