What happens when a girl from Brooklyn and a boy from South Central Los Angeles find each other in college — and never let go?
37 years of marriage. 43 years of friendship. And enough real life between them to fill a book.
EsaysPsays is the candid, unfiltered conversation of Paul and Ellyn Mock — told from our perspective. A special educator who survived the streets of South Central. A Brooklyn girl who grew up worlds apart but loved the same man through all of it. Together they've navigated young love, culture clash, grief, financial strain, family chaos, faith and a whole lot of laughter.
This isn't a perfect marriage podcast. It's an honest one.
New episodes every two weeks. Because real love stories don't have a finale — they just keep going.
#BlackLove #BlackMarriage #Cheersto37Years #37YearsAndCounting
Back to Back Episode BONUS:
To make up for the missed week, we are dropping another episode this week.
Enjoy!! This Week -
Financial Series Part 2: Debt, Investing & Building Wealth with Michael Collison
ESaysPSays | Your Biweekly Dose of Black Love
Michael Collison — retired software engineer turned certified financial coach — returns for round two, and this conversation goes deep. Ellyn and Michael dig into the mindset shifts that actually move the needle on money, not just the tactics.
💬 What's covered:
The budget-first philosophy — why Michael believes investing and saving mean nothing without a real budget as the foundation, and why "hiding money from yourself" is a sign your money doesn't have a job yet.
Is it ever okay to carry debt? — Michael breaks down when low-interest debt (like a mortgage) can actually work in your favor if the market outperforms the interest rate — and why that logic doesn't apply to credit card debt.
Snowball vs. Avalanche — actually, neither — Michael's controversial take: the real fix for large debt isn't picking a payoff method, it's stopping the overspending first. "Stop the bleeding" before you attack the balance.
Beginner investing 101 — Why your 401(k)/403(b) match is step one, and why inflation (his "silent killer") means stopping there isn't enough.
Busting the Bitcoin myth — Michael's honest take on why chasing lottery-ticket returns isn't a wealth strategy, and what diversification really looks like.
Salary negotiation & knowing your value — Why understanding your market value (and whether your skills are scarce or a commodity) matters more than negotiating tactics.
The most underrated income stream — Michael makes the case for asset appreciation as passive income, using his son's brokerage account and Tim Cook's Apple stock compensation as real-world examples.
Michael's most expensive financial mistake — an honest, personal answer about early withdrawals and lost compounding time.
Recovering from a financial setback — it starts with being willing to actually look at the numbers, no matter how hard that is.
🔗 Connect with Michael Collison: yourfirejourney.coach or michaelcollison@yourfirejourney.coach
Michaels Mentioned Tools:
YNAB - You Need a Budget - ynab.com
Book - Business Model You - businessmodelyou.com
Disclaimer: Paul and Ellyn are not financial advisors - Michael Collison is a professional in this field, but this conversation is for informational purposes only and isn't a substitute for personalized financial advice.
Connect with us:
🌐 mockmediagroup.com
📧 mockmediagroup4@gmail.com
FB, IG and TikTok - @esayspsays
YouTube - @esayspsayslive
Etsy Shop - ezztees
☕ buymeacoffee.com/mockmediagroup
📰 Mock Minute on Substack: substack.com/@mockmediagroup
13 Aug 2026
Romantic Film Rewind
This week, Ellyn and Paul step away from their usual relationship deep dive to celebrate the movies that have shaped how they see love, partnership, and commitment. Five films, five decades, one couple who's been watching (and debating) together for almost 40 years.
🎬 The Lineup:
Claudine (1974) — Diahann Carroll and James Earl Jones star in this raw, honest look at love, single motherhood, and the impossible math of poverty and welfare in 1970s New York. Ellyn and Paul reflect on watching it as kids during Sunday movie marathons — and what hits differently as adults.
The Greatest (1977) / Ali (2001) — Muhammad Ali plays himself in the original, and Will Smith takes on the role in the acclaimed remake. Ellyn shares a core memory: her father taking her to see this in theaters — a rare outing that made it unforgettable.
Pretty Woman (1990) — Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in the ultimate "wrong side of the tracks" love story. Ellyn and Paul unpack the class commentary tucked inside the fairy tale — and why "big mistake, big mistake" never gets old.
A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) — Martin Lawrence, Lynn Whitfield, and Bobby Brown in a movie that went in a completely different direction than they expected. Spoiler: it's not the comedy the trailer promised.
Love & Basketball (2000) — Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan's decades-spanning love story, one that Paul and Ellyn hold close as one of their all-time favorites.
🏅 Honorable Mentions: Mahogany, When Harry Met Sally, Ghost, Boomerang, The Best Man, and Four Brothers
💬 Mock Minute Segment: What do you do when your partner's family treats you differently — and who's responsible for addressing it? Ellyn and Paul share their take on speaking up, red flags, and knowing when someone is (or isn't) truly "your person."
📣 Join the conversation: What are YOUR top 5 romantic films? Email or comment and let us know — Ellyn and Paul want to hear your list.
ESaysPSays | Your Biweekly Dose of Black Love
Connect with us:
🌐 mockmediagroup.com
📧 mockmediagroup4@gmail.com
☕ buymeacoffee.com/mockmediagroup
📰 Mock Minute on Substack: substack.com/@mockmediagroup
21 Jul 2026
Finances with Michael Collison, PT 1
This week, Ellyn and Paul sit down with financial planner Michael Collison for a refreshingly honest conversation about money — growing up with less, learning to budget the hard way, and why "I'll have more money someday" isn't actually the fix people think it is.
In this episode:
👦🏾 Michael's early money story — growing up the son of a single mom in D.C., wanting Izod shirts he couldn't have, and the budget his mother literally made him fax her before she'd lend him a dime.
🎯 The belief that holds most people back: thinking a higher income solves everything (spoiler — it doesn't), plus a nod to Ramit Sethi's I Will Teach You To Be Rich
🧭 How Michael defines real financial success: not net worth, but financial independence and generational security
📋 The habit that matters most — living through your budget, not just writing one
💳 Why "The Matrix" is the perfect metaphor for credit card debt (and why the credit card companies are counting on you not paying it off)
🪜 The 3 steps to take if you're starting from zero: financial priorities, a real budget, and weekly check-ins
⚖️ Saving vs. investing vs. paying off debt — and why funding your essentials always comes first
📉 The single biggest budgeting mistake Michael sees: tracking expenses instead of setting limits
🌪️ A real-life "financial tsunami" — how a $15K AC/furnace disaster tested Michael's own emergency fund
📊 A quick word on the 50/30/20 rule — and why Michael thinks it should bend to your personal priorities
Michael's tool of choice: YNAB (You Need A Budget) — ynab.com
Connect with Michael:
yourfirejourney.coach
michael@yourfirejourney.coach
Disclaimer: Ellyn and Paul are not financial advisors — Michael Collison is a professional in this field, but this conversation is for informational purposes only and isn't a substitute for personalized financial advice.
Connect with us:
Facebook: esayspsays
Instagram: @esayspsays
TikTok: @esayspsays
YouTube: @esayspsayslive
X: @esayspsays
Etsy shop: ezztees
Website: mockmediagroup.com
Newsletter: substack.com/@mockmediagroup
Email: mockmediagroup4@gmail.com
Subscribe so you don't miss Part 2 💛
#EsaysPsays #BlackLove #BlackPodcast #FinancialLiteracy #MoneyMindset #BudgetingTips #FinancialFreedom #DebtFreeJourney #BlackWealth #PersonalFinance #PodcastLife #MarriedLife
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 15 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
29
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
Contact EsaysPsays
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of EsaysPsays?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
