Doug Melville welcomes in Lanny Smith to discuss his pivot from basketball to entrepreneurship as the founder of athleisure brand Actively Black. Lanny recounts playing college basketball, and signing as an undrafted free agent with the Sacramento Kings shortly before a knee injury ended his NBA career after 33 days, triggering an identity crisis. He explains how faith helped him launch his first brand, Active Faith, which Steph Curry later partnered in, and how experiences with racism and the 2020 social climate led him to launch Actively Black. Lanny discusses the brand’s “This is Not a Fashion Show” New York Fashion Week event featuring figures such as Ruby Bridges, and the daughters of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. As always, Doug closes with asking his guest for the best advice they've received, and Lanny tells us about rejecting fear.

For more of Lanny Smith:

Lanny's Instagram

www.ActivelyBlack.com

DM Doug:

@DougMelville

www.DougMelville.com

Doug Melville welcomes in Lanny Smith to discuss his pivot from basketball to entrepreneurship as the founder of athleisure brand Actively Black. Lanny recounts playing college basketball, and signing as an undrafted free agent with the Sacramento Kings shortly before a knee injury ended his NBA career after 33 days, triggering an identity crisis. He explains how faith helped him launch his first brand, Active Faith, which Steph Curry later partnered in, and how experiences with racism and the 2020 social climate led him to launch Actively Black. Lanny discusses the brand&rsquo;s &ldquo;This is Not a Fashion Show&rdquo; New York Fashion Week event featuring figures such as Ruby Bridges, and the daughters of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. As always, Doug closes with asking his guest for the best advice they've received, and Lanny tells us about rejecting fear.
For more of Lanny Smith:
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/l.smith23/">Lanny's Instagram</a>
<a href="https://activelyblack.com/">www.ActivelyBlack.com</a>
DM Doug:
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dougmelville/">@DougMelville</a>
<a href="https://dougmelville.com/">www.DougMelville.com</a>

“DM Me with Doug Melville” is a direct, practical self-help podcast in which Doug Melville answers real questions with clear guidance to help listeners grow and take action on their careers, reputation, culture and life.

&ldquo;DM Me with Doug Melville&rdquo; is a direct, practical self-help podcast in which Doug Melville answers real questions with clear guidance to help listeners grow and take action on their careers, reputation, culture and life.

DM Me with Doug Melville

 Life After the NBA: From Injury to The Birth of Actively Black - A Sit Down with CEO Lanny Smith

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d06e3430-9056-416b-96f5-b45d009a61c7/transcript