BE A BALLER -"Building a lifelong legacy"

Charity Martin-King and Ashley Logan, Legacy Builders: Education and Community Service

• Coach Tim Brown, Uncommon Life • Season 6 • Episode 4

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Ballers Edge Live Event, we sit down with Ashley Logan of I Know I Can and Charity Martin King—educator, strategist, and author—to map the real paths into 21st‑century careers and the habits that make those paths sustainable. From health sciences and advanced manufacturing to logistics, construction, and emerging tech, we unpack the roles beyond the obvious, the credentials that actually move the needle, and the local opportunities surging in a fast‑growing region like Columbus.

Ashley shares how a pivot from journalism to sociology led her to college access work that equips students with tools, confidence, and clear next steps. Coach King widens the lens to small business creation, reminding us that wealth and impact grow when we turn skills into services and jobs. Together, they break down the soft skills that employers notice—clear communication, eye contact, a positive attitude, and a willingness to learn—and why relationships compound into recommendations, internships, and new roles over time.

We also address mental health head‑on. Anxiety and depression are real, and reaching out is strength, not weakness. You’ll hear practical ways to reset—prayer for those who believe, counseling, journaling, gardening, and honest self‑check routines—so you can stay resilient through change. The final message is freeing: you don’t have to pick one thing forever. Stack skills, pivot with purpose, and let daily choices reflect the legacy you want to build for yourself, your family, and your community.

If this conversation helped you see your next step, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find it. Your story is already in motion—let’s make it count.

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SPEAKER_02:

Welcome to Be A Baller, where we're building a lifelong legacy for our families, communities, and the world. Your host, Coach Tim Brown, is excited for you to join him on this journey. On each episode, we'll be talking about how to be intentional about building a lasting legacy. We'll be exploring what it means to leave a mark that goes beyond just our lives, but has a positive impact on those around us and even generations to come. So if you're looking for inspiration, guidance, and practical tips on how to build a lasting legacy that makes a difference, then you're in the right place. So grab your earbuds, get comfortable, and let's dive in. It's time to be a baller.

SPEAKER_03:

Next, we're excited about these two young ladies who are gonna come and share as part of uh we're gonna talk about 21st century careers. I mean, times have change. Times have changed. There's this we're we're living in a different world. But it's a great world. Boy, it's so many opportunities. And so we're gonna talk about those pops, those possibilities and those opportunities for you. So, first on the show, first coming up will be Miss Ashley Logan. Ashley is the chief program officer for I know I can. Well, I know I can. Uh and I know I can. It's Central Ohio's only, it's Central Ohio's only college access organization. Ashley has over a decade of experience in college admissions and access. Uh Ashie is passionate about equal equity, opportunity, and making sure every student has tools and confidence to pursue higher education and meaningful careers. Her work is all about helping young people build their futures and in the process their lifelong legacies. Ashie, welcome to the show. This next young lady probably doesn't need an introduction. Everybody probably knows her. She's been around Columbus so long, and and I can't keep up with all the all the jobs and titles she's had, you know, but but they've all been about one thing. It's all been about one thing, helping young people. That's all it's been about for her. Her whole life has been that. Uh, she's an education leader, consultant, and strategist over 30 years of experience in transforming leadership, workforce development, and community education. She's the co-founder of Lead with Purpose, a NASI recognized innovator. Uh Coach King has dedicated her life to equity, purpose, and impact. So I want you guys to get ready for this inspiring conversation with Coach King and Ashie Logan. The other thing is that Coach King is also an author. She's written a book. Oh, I found the book now. I got the book, I got the book, I got the book, I got the book. She's an author. And and she's actually has about uh got about five books over there, and she's gonna sign it, sign it for somebody, and then somebody's gonna walk out of here with a a book from a published author. Give her a hand, give her a hand as she comes in and says, You got a mic.

SPEAKER_00:

Before you ask your question, Coach, I just want to let everybody know that Ms. Logan, when I worked at I Know I Can, was my supervisor. So it's nice to be up here with Miss Logan today.

unknown:

Hello, hello.

SPEAKER_01:

Check one, check two.

SPEAKER_03:

I'll just say I could just say in your mind. As we begin, I always like to begin interviews with uh the guests kind of sharing a little bit about their own personal journey. Because a lot of times we see people in their glory, but we don't know the story. Everybody has a story. All those person, all those celebrities you see, all those top athletes, they all they all have a story to get there. And all of us know as you get older, you'll recognize the journey is better than the story. The journey is better than the story. And if you if you if you can handle the journey, the story gets better and better, and you start making up stuff as you went through the journey. You know, I was this, I did that. Well, you know you ain't did nothing, but it sounded good, you know, as you go through that. So can you talk about what led you to the field of college uh access and education?

SPEAKER_01:

Awesome. So again, just want to thank you, Mr. Brown. Thank you for the students, for the adults in their lives for bringing them today. Um, so what led me to this journey? So I uh am a born and raised East Sider from Columbus, Ohio. And I went on to college and I thought that I wanted to be this broadcast journalist on the news and reporting maybe some sports or some weather or something. When I went to yes, that school up north, I had the opportunity to work in Detroit public schools as a college student and to work with smart, passionate, dedicated students who kept asking, you know, once I graduate, what is going to be my life next? I don't know, you know, where to go, what to do. And it hit me at that point in time that I end up changing my major to sociology and realize I want to pour into young people like mentors, like Mr. Brown, who's probably known me since I was six years old, have poured into me. So 13, 14, 15 years later, I am proud to be with I Know I Can, working with many of you on a daily basis, not me directly, but amazing staff. Um, and to be able to you guys make me better each day, and to be able to help provide those resources and tools that we all need to plan for life.

SPEAKER_03:

Thank you. Thank you. That's a hand clap. You gotta be an audience today now. We need you guys to be a good audience, dude. Uh Coach, your your your life has really been about service, even from a family standpoint. Can you talk about that and some things you saw that made you want to get in this space and helping others?

SPEAKER_00:

Sure. I want to um just is to say thank you for the opportunity to be here. Also, my mentor is here at the amazing T Street to tell her thank you and happy birthday. I was gonna say it's her birthday. Happy birthday, T Street. Who was spending her birthday? My coach, my high school coach, Dr. Bob Murphy in the back, who was my high school coach, is here. Um but mentorship is really huge. I wrote that down on the um on my sheet of paper. I'm the second oldest of my parents' five children. My father was born with a disability. He was born with cerebral palsy, and they never thought that he would walk, and he didn't walk until the age of five. And then my mother, um, doctor, I call her doctor mom, Apollo Stevens, just a dynamic uh woman of God, my family. At the core of all of that is my faith. Um, and growing up the way um around physics and being able to attend a Columbus City School, Eastmoor High School, and to go on to the Ohio State University, I have three degrees from Ohio State and am currently pursuing a PhD. But really at the core of it is God and people who have taken the time to invest in my life. And even when Doc was talking about these amazing individuals, when you talk about Sam Gresham, when you talk about Dr. Murphy, when I talk about an amazing T Street, when I talk about a Pam Gregory with the National Center for Urban Solutions, a John Gregory with the National Center for Urban Solutions, Tim Brown, Ashley Logan, we are all of the manifestation of these individuals. I've done a lot of different things. I've coached high school basketball, I've owned a coffee shop, I've written a book, I'm working on a couple other projects. But when I when I was growing up, I just wanted to be an artist or maybe dance on Broadway or play pro basketball in the uh NBA or WNBA. They didn't have a WNBA, but I was gonna go play for the NBA. I could still shoot a couple shots. But at the end of the day, have I done those things? Essentially, I have danced because in life I've danced from one career, one opportunity to the next. In life, I have shot a lot of shots, right? And then I have also still achieved art because art is always imitating life.

SPEAKER_03:

Thank you. Wow. You know, we we've heard a little bit about Asie's high school and her future, what she thought it would look like, and how it changed over time. When you were going through high school, you shared all these stories. What changed? What was that light bulb moment to say that you said, well, you know what? This is what I really want to do.

SPEAKER_00:

I don't I don't know that that exactly happened. I had an amazing mentor then, um, Mr. Al Ray, Alfred C. Ray with the Umadab program, who I still talk to today. Um, saw him a few weeks ago when I celebrated my 50th birthday. And being a part of that program and being a young person who was nurtured through prevention programming really was essential for me. He forced us to read books. He forced us to go and look at John Hendrick Clark and Mother Hale and to go to the uh conferences. And when he started to take us different places, it really that exposure changed my life. Prevention is very important. And that type of exposure to people, to scholarship, to opportunity, dollars that support prevention, dollars that support programming that transforms your mind outside of your current environment, is it it changed my life. And I started working with Mr. Ray at the age of 14. And I cannot point to a singular moment where I think that that is probably uh of that magnitude that has truly impacted. My parents are phenomenal. Uh, the my church community had a phenomenal village and youth pastors that were instrumental in my life. But that right there was so important is that exposure.

SPEAKER_03:

Thank you. Thank you for that. That's another hand clap. Well, I said, you know, in your role, um, you've seen, you've been around a while, you've seen careers change and all this. So, what are some of the fastest growing and most exciting careers in the 21st century that students should know about?

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I just want to acknowledge that sometimes, you know, where you are right now, we are in such an amazing community in Columbus, Ohio, because our region is growing and there are people who want to live where we live and want to come into our community. And because of that, that means that careers and industries are expanding and getting bigger and bigger. So one of the biggest is really health sciences right now. And when you think of health sciences, your brain may say right now, like, is that being a doctor? Is that being a nurse? Yes, but there are probably 100, 200 other types of careers just within health sciences. It's exciting because of the growth of the city. It's exciting because healthcare and health sciences are one of the sectors in which you can almost find any type of career in which you are interested in. And then, of course, the other one that I would talk about is a little bit with advanced manufacturing, which years ago, even a couple of years ago, when I heard that, I thought, well, what is that? Advanced manufacturing? Is that just working in a factory? What does that mean? But it's more than that. It is really creating sustainable items, things, objects in order to help things work. And so all of you in your creative, smart, individual minds, I think it's going to be so important for you to one, figure out your passion, and definitely the career will come your way. I know that Coach King, especially in her current position, may even be able to add a little bit more towards what are some of the other careers that I didn't talk about, but I'm sure she'll speak to that as well.

SPEAKER_00:

I appreciate that layup, that assist. Um to Ms. Logan's point, when we think about career or career tech in my current role with the National Center for Urban Solution and the Academy for Urban Scholars, and shout out to my students who came with me today. Um, what we really look at are things like advanced manufacturing, technology, construction, the application of um different diversified systems. For example, which is really fancy for we have a lot of work, there are a lot of projects happening currently at the airport. Those are jobs and logistics, advanced manufacturing and construction, that a lot of times many of us, as I look out in the room, of the dynamic and the demographic that I'm that I'm looking at in the room are locked out of a lot of those opportunities. So that essentially is just saying these are the practical applications of what is available in our industry. Also, there is something that CODA is doing around LinkedIn with transportation. When we think about how transportation is changing in one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, we have to, most of the time, cities of our size have a train. They have some sort of rail system. So there are projects that are happening Intel. When we think about Intel for technology, the the things that operate our phones or that operate these cameras that operate the microphones are things that we typically don't talk about. I'm a Columbus City School graduate, but I work for the National Center for Urban Solutions, the Academy for Urban Scholars. And our emphasis is on career tech. Did you know that small business creation is one of the most important things that we can do right now? Because we'll talk about getting a job, but we won't talk about being in a position to give a job. So if I'm working and I'm thinking about I'm doing all of this to go get a job, no, how can I take my certifications? I went to college, I said that several times, and I have that debt that I incurred from college. I'm not knocking college. I definitely wouldn't do that. It adds me extra things in my toolbox so I can hop around to different careers. But what if you took those credentials and those certifications and looked at how you can create your own businesses? Small business creation is critical to a capitalist economy, which is the United States. And the people who are creating small businesses at the fastest rate are black women, but they have the least amount of access to dollars and capital. We have to think about our minds for sustainable economies, that is, your food, your shelter, the things that you will always need, and turn education on its head by creating businesses, looking at career tech opportunities, and using those to impact our communities in a substantive way.

SPEAKER_03:

Thank you for that. As we think about this, and you were sharing about all these opportunities. And that's why I love when I see a student happy, smiling all the time, I love that student. That student's gonna keep a job. Employers love people that's always smiling, always happy on the job. They love it and they promote them. Julian McLaughlin at work, he's from Independence High School, and he's a globe trotter. He goes around the country playing for the Harlem Globetrotters. And Julian said this. What got him in the Globe Trotters was this. First off, he was tall and he could dunk. He was tall and he can dunk. But what really got him was he loved to smile. He was always happy. And so now he travels around the country with the globe. So these are there's other skills that you need besides the degree diplomas we're talking about. So, I think can you share some of those skills that employers are looking for?

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely. And so just to sort of um piggyback off of Coach Brown's point about happiness or smiling. So some of you may have said, you know, well, what well, how do I know what makes me happy? What I want you all to think about is finding what does make you happy. When you are doing this thing, this is when you are the most satisfied, and that puts a smile on your face. And because that does, work with adults like folks from I Know I Can, your teachers, your counselors, your principals, your mentors, your coaches, and seek them and sit in asking, how can I do this in life after I graduate from high school, after I figure out my postsecondary plan, whether that is a credential, whether that is an associate's, a bachelor's, and the list goes on. So I just want to be able to connect that importance of it's about finding your career, not your mom's career, not your dad's career, not your coach's career. It's what you are passionate about. Because in at the end of the day, when we think about living a long life and being happy, it is a huge factor in what honestly keeps us alive. So I want you all to definitely keep that in mind.

SPEAKER_03:

Amen. Thank you for that.

SPEAKER_00:

To add to that, relationships are so incredibly important. Miss Logan was my supervisor. I hope that the work I did at I Know I Can. If I needed to call Miss Logan and say, Miss Logan, do you have an opportunity? Is there a way that we can collaborate? And that has happened in the past, where I've called and said, Listen, I need a quick win and we need to I need to organize a college trip. Can we work together? Sure, this actually fits into what we do. Great relationships are really important. Can I make eye contact? Can I shake your hand? In 30 seconds, can I tell you about myself? Can I complete a sentence? Can I talk about something all the way from the weather to technology? I don't have to know everything. I just have to have a willingness to learn. Relationships are incredibly important. My high school track coach, Dr. Bob Murphy. If I called Dr. Murphy and I said, Coach, I need an opportunity, I believe that he would take my call and he would at least listen to what I had to say. And then surround yourself with people who are going to push you to that next mile. Because it's not just being able to shake the hand and talk about it. Again, the majority of my opportunities have come to me based on relationships and doing a good job wherever, as my mentor says, wherever you are planted, grow wherever you are planted. And going that extra mile. When Dr. Murphy said, No, you're going to run this extra race. I know you just did a 200, but you I need somebody who's going to run the four. And stretch yourself to go the extra mile. That's incredibly important. And be open to being uncomfortable because it's going to happen.

SPEAKER_03:

Coach Keen, what advice? Sometimes I know students feel overwhelmed, unsure, discouraged about their future. We look at the things going in the world. What advice will you give to a student who feels that way?

SPEAKER_00:

Find somebody that you can talk to. Um, I don't know what you believe prayer works, um, and prayer is important, and having a relationship with God is important. A relationship with a mentor is important. Uh, the rates of anxiety, in particular, in the age group that I see in the room are going up.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

The rates of um depression are going up. It's a real tangible thing. And then you're walking around with it and adults aren't addressing it. And adults, we because we're we're acting like we're okay. If you're not feeling something regarding what's happening right now, if you are not feeling something, whether that is anxiety, frustration, hope, aspiration, um, being disenchanted with things, if you're not feeling something, something is wrong. It's very natural to feel anxiety. It's very natural to feel like there is something out of place, but it's hard to put um a word to it or a touch to it. It is okay to reach out and say, I need somebody to talk to. It's okay to reach out and say, I'm not okay. It's okay to say, I need some services. And if it doesn't work with one person you're talking to, find somebody else. Keep discovering, keep pushing, keep going through the wall, keep developing your mental strength and your capacity. And then it's okay to say, not right now. I can't do it right now. I can't call you back right now. I can't do this assignment right now. I need a second. That's okay too. But it's okay to reach out and say, I just can't do it today. And again, if you're not feeling something, I'm concerned. Because what we're experiencing on the day-to-day, regardless, if it's in your school, it may be in your home, it may be with the political, what's happening politically, I don't know. But reach out, prayer works, it does work, and then find somebody and say, Will you pray with me or will you help me and get me connected to some resources?

SPEAKER_03:

Amen. Amen. Thank you for that. You want to add anything to that?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I think uh aside from the importance of seeking help, is also just sitting in, like checking in with yourself before and just in trying to pinpoint sometimes what is going on. When we walk into rooms, I had a I had a rough day yesterday, and that is an honest truth. But I had to sit with myself later on in that evening and just think like, what is it that bothered me and whether I justified it or not, checking in with and learning about yourself. And because the more and more you learn about yourself, just like any sports team, any athlete, and the more and more times you're going to learn, you're going to get better of being able to, like Coach King said, being able to navigate those hard times. Um, but yeah, I can't speak more about just also finding those people who, once you think about it, if you need the help, seeking those from those who care about you.

SPEAKER_00:

And let me say, real quick, to that point, thank you, Miss Logan. Journal. So I journal, I garden, I paint, I take my shoes off and just stand in the grass for a minute and breathe. Find something that helps you with that outlet to get all of that out, to push it out of you in the process.

SPEAKER_03:

That's good. That's good. You know, as we come around the corner and wrap up, um, one last thing. If you guys, as you look back, what's that one thing you wish someone would have told you about work, purpose, and legacy when you were a teenager? What's that one thing that you wish someone would have told you about work, purpose, legacy when you were a teenager?

SPEAKER_01:

The first thing that comes to my mind is, and I know as you all are sitting and listening to us today, when I was in your seats or in your shoes, I thought, I've got so much time to figure this out. What I'm doing right now as a freshman, a sophomore, a junior in high school, it doesn't really matter. I'll figure it out. And that is false. When you think about building your legacy, little do you know, or you may know this also, your legacy has already started. So are you proud of the legacy that you have built from the time you were born up until current age? If you're not, you still do have time to change it. If you are proud, keep it up. So I just want to make sure that, you know, when the adults, us or teachers are saying, Oh, you need to work on this, and you think I've got time to figure it out. Why are they on me? Your legacy has already started. And it's up to you to continue on in that positive direction or to make shifts now to making sure that you take control of your legacy so that when people look back and talk about you, they have positive things to say. They know the type of person you were, they know what your character was. And I just want you to know that it already has started and you can change what you need to change to continue to make things positive for yourself and for your future.

SPEAKER_00:

I was talking to Isaiah earlier. Um, and what he said to me is I had the opportunity to meet Isaiah when he was in the Young Scholars program. He was still in high school. And something he said to me when we were standing there was, You grew up with us. And I did, because I've been working with young people for I want to say about 30 years, and I did grow up with them, and I've done all this different stuff. What I wish somebody would have told me is you don't have to pick one thing. Because back then it was like choose, just pick something, just pick a career. You don't have to just choose one thing. I can do art and sell my art, I can upcycle a piece of furniture and do that. I can garden and have my salsa and stuff, and then I can open a coffee shop, then I can coach basketball, then I can write a book, and then I can do this. I don't have to pick one thing. My personality type is not one that can do one thing. I'm always going to do three to four to five things at one time. And people tell you, just pick. You're all over the place. You're just doing a lot. There's nothing wrong with doing a lot. There's nothing wrong with changing your mind. You're going to change your mind. Two years from now, I may be doing, I may be living on the continent and decide to be there in Africa for three months and then come back, right? You don't have to pick one thing. And are some of these things that we've pushed to people, are they really like a scheme to keep people's business open? Yeah, that's true. Because a lot of that you can learn it on YouTube University, right? So why do I have to do this? Sometimes I have to do this to get to here. I had to go to college to get this. I wouldn't have the job I have now if I didn't have a degree. But that doesn't mean that that defines my entire future. I wish somebody would have told me that I can change my mind and I can do more than one thing because guess what? I ended up doing it anyway.

SPEAKER_03:

Wow. Well, that was a that was a great uh drop the mic moment. You know, there. But I want to thank these two for their time and and and for um for all that they are are doing and continue to do and really appreciate your if you've enjoyed this episode, please share it with family and friends.

SPEAKER_02:

The Be a Baller Podcast is available on all major podcast platforms. This podcast was created by Coach Tim Brown and recorded and edited by the video production class of Worthington Christian High School. Be sure to come back next week as we continue to discuss on how to build a lifelong legacy. Until then, don't forget to be a baller.