First Sip
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!
Episodes
159 episodes
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...
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 questi...
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 ...
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 n...
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 bee...
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AI Data Centers: Who Actually Pays for the Buildout | Business & Tech | EP. 155
Click here to watch the full episode on YouTubeAI 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 k...
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Claude Has Taken Over the AI Race...For Now | Business & Tech | EP. 154
Click here to watch the full episode on YouTubeMost 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...
The Business Lessons Real Estate Taught Me That Nobody Talks About | Business & Real Estate | EP. 153
Watch the full episode on YouTubeAfter 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 p...
Ryan Conceicao: The LinkedIn Strategy That Gets You in Front of Decision Makers | Career Growth | EP. 152
Watch the Full Episode here on YouTubeImagine applying to dozens of jobs a week for months straight and getting zero interviews. Not one callback. Now imagine someone telling you that the...
Strait Up Closed: Why Gas Prices Are About to Explode | Business & Economy | EP. 151
Watch the Full Episode on YouTubeWhy are gas prices going up again… and how can something happening across the world impact what you pay at the pump so quickly?In this episode, I ...
How I Use AI to Save Time and Make More Money (and How You Can Too) | Business & Tech | EP. 150
Click to watch the full episode on YouTube!What if you could offload the busywork that keeps piling up every week and get back hours of focus without hiring a full team? In this episode, ...
What a New Fed Chair Could Change About Rates and U.S. Housing Prices | Real Estate & Finance | EP. 149
Click here to watch the full episode on YouTubeWe may finally know who could replace Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve Chair, and this decision could directly shape interest rates, inflati...
Jarred Smith: Is Buying a Home Still Worth It in 2026? Here's the Truth | Real Estate & Finance | EP. 148
Watch the full episode on YouTubeIs homeownership still the "American Dream"…or has the math and lifestyle completely changed for younger generations?In this episode of the First ...
Can Trump's $200B Plan Lower U.S. Mortgage Rates?" | Real Estate & Finance | Ep. 147
A $200 billion plan tied to mortgage rates just made headlines, and it’s coming from Donald Trump. The idea is that by buying mortgage bonds, borrowing costs could come down without cutting rates directly through the Federal Reserve. It sounds ...
Busy But Going Nowhere? | Business & Life | Ep. 146
Most of us start the year the same way. New goals, new plan, big intentions. And then somewhere along the way, we stop…reset…and start all over again.But this year we're doing things a little differently. This year is about doing less, ...
Financial Discipline Matters More Than the Market in 2026 ft. David Colon Jr. | Ep. 145
With so much noise around the economy, investing, and financial advice, it’s easy to feel like you’re supposed to react to every headline. Instead, David <...
The Harsh Reality of Entrepreneurship ft. David Colon Jr. | Ep. 144
Starting a business sounds exciting until you hit the weeks that nobody warns you about. The slow weeks. The weeks that test your confidence. The moments you wonder if you made the right choice.In this episode I sit down with David Colo...
Market Drip: Stocks Are Down, Bitcoin’s Tanking, Foreclosures Are Up…What’s Next? | Ep. 143
This episode started with a simple question that’s been sitting in the back of everyone’s mind lately...if prices are falling almost everywhere, why does it only feel harder to live your regular life?Groceries are still high. Gas is sti...
Market Drip: Could a 50 Year Mortgage Make Homes Affordable Again? (No, but let’s talk about it) | Ep. 142
People are talking about this new idea for a 50 Year Mortgage. Lower payments, easier entry and a chance to finally grab the home you’ve been staring at for years... at least that’s how it’s being sold.In this week’s episode of the First...
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How to Enjoy the Holidays Without Going Broke | Ep. 141
Every year, as soon as Thanksgiving ends, the sales start rolling in. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas discounts, and before we know it, our credit cards are maxed out again.In this week’s episode of the First Sip Podcast, I’m divi...
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Your Taxes Are Changing — Here’s What You Need to Know for 2026 ft. David Colon | Ep. 140
They’re calling it the “Big Beautiful Bill,” and it could change how much money hits your paycheck. In this episode, David Colon breaks down what’s inside Tru...
The Success Trap: Why the Goalpost Keeps Moving | Ep. 139
A few years ago, I thought success meant hitting big goals — closing more deals, making more money, buying that first property. But once I got there, it didn’t feel like “arrival". I realized the finish line keeps moving…and maybe it was never ...
Rates Drop, Rich Americans Fuel The Economy, and TikTok Gets the Green Light | Ep. 138
