For Better Or Best Podcast

• When Is Enough Enough?

  This week is all about that cash money! Shireen comes in hot, saying that Charles is having an existential crisis. Charles pretends not to know what that big word means so Shireen explains how introspective Charles has been in 2025, trying to establish the work/life balance. Charles still can't believe how much money he made in 2024, both of them have reached new heights in their careers. He also shares that he has spent more days of his life poor than he has spent living "rich"(1:34-6:23). When assessing how much their house cost compared to what many of their other friends have paid in other places, it was clear that they paid 3x more because they're in LA. They question if it's worth it long term, is LA a forever financial place? Charles' mother now lives with them, so wanting another child means that more space is necessary. Shireen says she wants to create generational wealth, so maintaining their quality of life might mean relocating. Charles mentions life insurance policies and how crucial it is now(7:40-16:15). Shireen points out that part of building personal branding means health has to be a priority, so get it while you're healthy. Charles announced he's officially launched Charles Beloved Productions, with Kareem and Shireen as business partners. Any time Charles got booked in the past it was through R&B HouseParty and now Charles Beloved is its own entity. Someone at AfroTech called Charles a "curator of Black joy" and it stuck. Charles says he's not getting outta bed anymore for less than the number he has in mind. He has no problem saying it with his chest(19:30-26:15). Shireen tells Charles he taught her how to negotiate for what she wants. Say your number and then shut up. Don't talk yourself out of your worth, start high. Charles enjoys working for himself, Shireen shares that she does not and that's ok. He knows business, how to scale and build and market and will bet on himself. Shireen set up the sharing of an update that Charles has, after he has been setting his goals for the year. He wanted to become an ambassador for a liquor brand considering how much his lifestyle/content matches. Finally the call came from Hennessy/LVMH. The Henny Beloved era is upon us!(26:15-33:25). Charles says this is a match made in heaven. God will give you the desires of your heart. Charles says he's had nights of questioning if he was making the right choices but he's always been patient in looking for signals and signs. Charles is ready to take the risk and sacrifice for alignment. Shireen confirms that whatever fell through or didn't work out, will never be God's best for you. Anxiety and faith can't live in the same house. Charles stresses that sacrifice is a real thing. You've got to be willing to go without. Normalize doing that to get after what you really want. Being responsible with what you've got will set you up for your future. Get your tickets for The Oxtail Off @ The Beehive on Sunday May 25th in LA! https://events.eventnoire.com/e/the-oxtail-off/tickets Keep up with us on IG @forbetterorbestpod Listen to us on Apple and Spotify Subscribe, Like, Comment and Share! xoxo

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  39:42
• The Birthing Of Beloved Feat. Shontina

  Ok so we know we said no guests this season but an exception had to be made for Chi Town Tina, the queen mother of Charles Beloved himself! They go back to the 80's when Shontina and Charles' father were 19 and 20yrs old, married and working. Shontina explains feeling older than she was, even before kids, because life was moving fast. Enter Charles' brother and the birth of Beloved. Their parents didn't stay together for long, and the boys moved to the west side of Chicago with Shontina where she bought a house. Realizing schools weren't great in the neighborhood, Shontina went to see a Senator and then wrote to the White House to try and get her sons into magnet schools. Now we see where Charles gets his "won't take no for an answer" determination from!(1:23-9:35). Shontina recalls Charles always being a go getter, even if it wasn't reflected in his grades. Girls started distracting him in third grade. Charles says watching his mother hustle with multiple jobs inspired him to later do the same. Shontina had her own beeper company(Google 'beeper' if you're GenZ), she also worked for the IRS. She credits her mother for being so enterprising; she had beauty salons and her own radio station. Once Shontina became a flight attendant and was traveling she would bring souvenirs home for Charles. Throwback jerseys happened to be a trendy thing and Charles started slinging them left and right. By the time the boys were graduating, Shontina told Charles he either had to join the army or go to college. Shireen points out that Charles isn't Army material. Shontina was a great cook and would prep meals for the local hustlers in exchange for protection for her sons(10:33-19:27). Charles' brother Monty was always a scholar and Charles was the big personality. Shontina worked her magic and pushed to get Charles an interview at Monty's school where the director called him lazy. That birthed the version of Beloved that's dead set on proving everyone wrong. He and his brother were always very different, on different paths. Shontina explains that her being an only child was less pressure, compared to having multiple kids fighting to succeed. Both brothers are successful in their own right. Shontina shares how she sacrificed and chose her children and improving their lives over anything else(22:19-34:52). Shireen shares that they didn't get along right away and that it took work over the years. Now being a mom of 2 boys, Shireen has an appreciation for how strong willed Shontina was. The mother of sons doesn't have as much say as the mother of daughters when it comes to access to grandkids. Shontina shares that she'd be open to finding love and getting married again and hints at having met someone worthy. She goes on to spill the beans on an online encounter she had with who she thought was a Nigerian star. After months of communication and making plans unsuccessfully, Charles and Shireen started getting suspicious. Shontina was getting the run around and Charles finally DM'd the Nigerian actor on IG to try and piece it all together. It became clear after Charles reached out that Shontina was being catfished. Despite the embarrassment and sense of betrayal, Shontina is still hopeful and looking for love, much more carefully this time Get your tickets for The Oxtail Off @ The Beehive on Sunday May 25th in LA! https://events.eventnoire.com/e/the-oxtail-off/tickets Keep up with us on IG @forbetterorbestpod  Listen to us on Apple and Spotify! Like, Subscribe, Comment and Share! xoxo

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  1:04:29
• We're Going To Dubai, Habibi

  Charles and Shireen are fresh off the plane from Dubai, and it's spring break! Every year they take a family trip, last year was Paris and this year their son CJ had been mentioning the Burj Kalifa nonstop, so Dubai was the choice. Charles says Mexico City was his initial pick, but after pricing it out, surprisingly Dubai made more sense. Shireen was anti Dubai because she was supposed to be pregnant and she didn't want to be in main cabin pregnant (they booked it in October). When you get a taste of first class, you never want to go back! Charles recalls their first trip to Dubai 10 years ago when the glitch happened, before the kids, before Instagram had stories and only had posts. On Christmas Day, there was a flight sale glitch, and Dubai had never seen so many Black people (1:52-8:37). Charles describes Dubai as a new city, there are so many new builds in the last 10 years and he researched a bunch of different activities for kids. Charles' brother and his family as well as Charles' best friend Kareem and his family came along for the spring break vibes as well. Charles notes that he is the masterful planner with a Google Doc itinerary and Shireen doesn't know the details at all. Shireen defends her position, reminding hm who shops, packs and preps them and their sons for every adventure. Not to mention the pre-trip appointments (lashes, nails etc). 16 hours on a direct flight with kids in coach is no joke and jetlag for little ones is real! Carter at 2yrs old did better than some adults!(9:12-17:22). First day of the trip, CJ's dream came true, visiting the Burj Kalifa. Charles would've paid the express fees had he known the line was gonna be 2hrs long! While it is a tourist trap, they both agreed its a must see in Dubai. Charles brags on the food and restaurants, Miss Lily's and Ting Irie. He notes that the McDonald's and Raising Cane's in Abu Dhabi tastes exactly the same as America. Abu Dhabi was the next stop where they visited the Grand Mosque. Shireen made sure to pack more conservative clothing, covered from neck to ankle. When they went 10yrs ago, you used to be able to rent a head covering outside the mosque. Now, you walk through a mall to get the mosque, prompting you to buy head scarves, socks and arm coverings. Charles got in trouble for posing with prayer hands and Shireen got left behind with her mother in law trying to take pictures. Everyone makes it onto the shuttle except Shireen and her phone was in the stroller so Charles felt like Liam Neeson in 'Taken'. Shireen eventually made her way to the help desk, where she was able to call Charles' mother and get back to the group. (19:48-30:29). Charles then soothes his anxiety with shopping!by Gold is a big thing in Dubai(and in the Bronx as well, let Shireen tell it). The boyd got matching name bracelets but Charles mentions the 5% VAT tax so they didn't go too crazy. Their inventory of Rolexes was amazing but Charles was proud he didn't buy anything. Food, hotel prices and activities were spectacular, a yacht day, and some shopping made spring break in Dubai an A1 trip! Get your tickets for The Oxtail Off @ The Beehive on Sunday May 25th in LA! https://events.eventnoire.com/e/the-oxtail-off/tickets Keep up with us on IG @forbetterorbestpod  Listen to us on Apple and Spotify! Like, Subscribe, Comment and Share! xoxo

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  38:50
• Bacchanal Beloved

  Goes to Trinidad Carnival once: and now we're being introduced to Bacchanal Beloved. Clearly the brand is strong and expanding! Shireen being of Antiguan and Jamaican descent, she's always had ties to the experience "on di road" as Charles says. His good friend Kareem is Trinidadian and wanted to experience his first carnival at home so Charles went with him. Shireen breaks down the costs of carnival; both financially and physically!(0:12-4:55). Charles didn't know Shireen was West Indian until he met her mother with an accent. African American Christmas vs. Antiguan Christmas was a culture shock. Shireen didn't play much soca around Charles while they dated so he wasn't familiar with aritsts like Kes. Charles confused Kes with Kem, the R&B singer and Shireen and BK had to promptly correct him(5:26-12:47). Charles carnival time was a guys trip and was anti Shireen wanting to come along to do her own thing. Carnival is so packed with people that you could do it without running into people you know. Charles didn't want no smoke about getting wined on and being on road for 12-16hrs. Shireen describes the even calendar for carnival week. Monday fetes(the Caribbean word for parties) have one costume and Tuesday is for the major costumes. Kareem planned the trip since he's Trini but it was hiis first time so they booked an AirBnB 30min away from the events. So no breaks, once you're on road, you're there for the day. The original dates they booked would've had Charles leave and miss the highlight of carnival Tuesday but Shireen updated them and they stayed(13:29-22:21). Shireen and Rene(bestie and season 2 guest) agreed to let Charles tag along on their next adventure, now that Charles knows the lay of the land. Charles and Kareem randomly ended up in the same band/group as Rene this year so they were running around together the whole time. Shireen was so happy that Charles called to say he wished she was there so they could experience it together. Charles now wants to explore the other Caribbean carnivals like Cropover in Barbados. He was fascinated by the Indian population in Trinidad(due to slavery/colonization). From a production standpoint, culture curator Beloved was pleasantly surprised and impressed. The sound, the trucks, the food, the digital screens on stage, the brands present, organization getting in/out. It worth the price to pay for the experience(Haagen Dazs was a highlight). Shireen is hype that Charles is immersing himself in Caribbean culture and wants her children to experience it. Shireen drops a hot take that her sons may not marry Black women so the culture has to be passed on through them!    Get your tickets for The Oxtail Off @ The Beehive on Sunday May 25th in LA! https://events.eventnoire.com/e/the-oxtail-off/tickets Keep up with us on IG @forbetterorbestpod Listen to us on Apple and Spotify Subscribe, Like, Comment and Share! xoxo

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  33:23
• There Is No Announcement

  Charles and Shireen are back in their fashion bag, Charles kicks off the episode giving Shireen her flowers for not only looking good but also getting in her own corporate bag; hosting panels in tech spaces. She acknowledges enjoying moderating/interviewing, as Charles takes credit for encouraging her(2:01-5:26). Shireen revisits the sensitive subject of IVF, and shares the challenges of the process, updating us that she is not currently pregnant. Charles admits that men don't really do much during this process and that he has a new level of empathy for the women who have gone through IVF treatments(6:23-9:12). Shireen tells a story about bringing her hormonal syringes to a live comedy show, planning to do her injections in the bathroom. Thank God there was enough room and privacy to get it done. The dedication is no joke! Charles jokes that if the roles were reversed, he wouldn't be strong enough to go through all that. Shireen mentions timing her implantation around the school year, not wanting to give birth too late in the year(11:19-15:03). Shireen recalls feeling pregnant at Afrotech after the first implantation attempt. They went to the doctor once home. The doctor said the HCG hormones looked good, spiking excitement. She then reached back out a few days later to let them know the hormone levels hadn't changed, indicating the implantation was unsuccessful. While eager to try again, the doc advised waiting a few months, since they only had 3 embryos left(or 3 chances to try). Shireen says it harder to conceive going the scientific route than it was to do it naturally. July 2026 is their 10yr wedding annniversary, so Shireen assessed that with the amount of changes coming up, it might be worth postponing and Charles wasn't in favor at first(17:12-24:15). Shireen is wondering what another year and a half of aging might look like for her body health, also wanting lipo when all is said and done. Charles explains his agreement with the delay because he always wanted to wait til his 40s, he's currently in go mode and wants to slow down in the next few years. He emphasizes that trying one more time would be enough for him, that he doesn't want to put Shireen through the process more than twice, but Shireen says she's willing to see it through with all 3 embryos before considering adoption or surrogacy. Surrogates are the most selfless loving vessels, but Shireen would rather save the money and go the adoption route. Both are always resigned to whatever God's will is, whether its a baby announcement next season or lipo!(26:39-32:50) Get your tickets for The Oxtail Off @ The Beehive on Sunday May 25th in LA! https://events.eventnoire.com/e/the-oxtail-off/tickets Keep up with us on IG @forbetterorbestpod Listen to us on Apple and Spotify Subscribe, Like, Comment and Share! xoxo

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  33:05

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