TELLING OUR STORY Atlanta Business League Podcasts
Successful African American business and professional people in Atlanta, GA share stories about their lives and explain how their careers evolved based on the choices they made. Two different podcast series are part of this broadcast. LESSONS from LEADERS allows individuals to talk about their achievements. ABL DUOs interviews two professionals about one topic. This series started in 2023 as part of the Atlanta Business League's official 90th anniversary celebration. The new season began in 2025.
TELLING OUR STORY Atlanta Business League Podcasts
ABL DUOs: Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson
AS SEEN ON TV...
More than 80 percent of the population in the United States watches reality TV and one of the most popular genres deals with home renovations. Many of these shows are often produced to cater more to cameras than construction and there don't see a lot of people of color on camera. That’s why real estate expert Egypt Sherrod and her husband, master builder, Mike Jackson, have garnered a worldwide audience of enthusiastic viewers.
In this podcast, they explain that none of their TV projects were window-dressed. In fact, some took up to a year to complete. They also discuss why a business plan and the objective of doing more than just starring in a reality show has made them millionaires.
They’re a part of this series because, first and foremost, Egypt and Mike are astute business people.
In addition to having decades of experience in their industries, they have built companies that aren’t dependent on on-air programming. Mike owns Jackson Draper Construction, which he runs with Egypt’s uncle, Mark. Egypt has developed products that sell nationwide at JC Penny and Target stores under her Indigo Road family of companies. This episode of ABL DUOs explains how this couple was able to use their reality show to create sustainable business models while also building a following.
But there’s another inspiring story behind the slick production, most recently seen on their Emmy nominated HGTV series, “Married to Real Estate.” This is a married couple who has been together for more than 20 years and have a hilarious story about how they fell in love. They describe the dynamics of their relationship and explain how they use it to run successful businesses while also raising three children.
Through it all, they both focus on remaining positive while working in an industry that makes money showcasing negative behavior. The reward for their perspectives is the ability to build success in the face of obstacles.