Episode 5 | Wise Up Part One

What happens when a former skeptic of politics becomes the prosecutor making life-changing decisions? In this episode, Rich and Kev welcome their first guest, Christian Wise Smith, a man with a name fit for greatness and a story built for a movie. From dodging AR-15s in his first hours in Atlanta to battling the justice system from the inside, Christian shares how his unconventional path led him to the courtroom—not as a defendant, but as a prosecutor fighting to keep Black men out of prison. This one’s got Pepsi vs. Coke beef, political war stories, and a firsthand look at what it means to play chess in a system designed for checkers. Buckle up—this is a Wise Up moment you don’t want to miss.

Topics:

📍 01:02 – The Great Southern Soda Controversy:

Kevin commits Georgia blasphemy by drinking Pepsi. Rich explains why Coca-Cola is the South’s holy water (and why Kevin’s basically a heretic).

📍 10:24 – Jump First, The Net Will Appear:

Christian breaks down how blind faith and a cold call got him a top campaign strategist—for free—the real cost of political dreams and why most people never even try.

📍 26:10 – The Day Atlanta Introduced Christian to AR-15s:

Lands in ATL, gets guns in his face within hours—why? Turns a racial profiling nightmare into a courtroom revolution.

📍 39:14 – When a Prosecutor Breaks the Rules for Justice:

The unwritten power of prosecutors: to ruin lives or change them. How one decision stopped a Black kid from going to prison and sent him to the NFL.

📍 50:37 – Running for DA During a Pandemic… with No Blueprint:

Death threats, lost friendships, and political sabotage—what running for DA really looks like. The real reason Black men don’t trust politics (and why they should care anyway).

🏆 Mamba Mentality Award Goes To…

🐍 Christian Wise Smith for betting on himself, changing lives from the inside, and proving that real justice is personal, not political.

🐍 All the "Christians" Out There for every Black prosecutor, public servant, and changemaker who shows up, stands firm, and refuses to let the system break them — because the system only changes when the right people are in the room.

🐍 Rich McDaniel & Kevin Harris (and their wives)  for turning high-level political chops into service for the culture, building campaigns with heart (and zero invoices), and for the wives who hold it all down so the dream can breathe.