Meet T. Francis 2nd.

We recently connected with T. Francis 2nd. and have shared our conversation below.

T., so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Purpose. A seven-letter word. It’s so simple in its stature. In real life, purpose is what carries you through deep terrain. One part of me would say that I stumbled upon my purpose, to a degree, and resisted my purpose. But another part of me would say that purpose found me. I accepted the assignment. In this human life, it’s so unfortunate that sometimes we have to break parts of our being to ignite our purpose. My relationship with toxicity, grief, hurt, and disappointment led me to love myself again. Through love, I could tap into my abilities in a way I never before. At that moment, a semi-roadmap is planted in your mind. You have a choice – do you want to go forward, or do you want to stay still?

I chose to go forward. I chose to unravel this assignment that was ultimately attached to my purpose.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

T. Francis 2nd is a Blk- woman card game creator and social connectivist. I am the founder of In Podcast Mode. I was always a socially awkward girl/ woman who navigated spaces mostly quiet and to myself. I was not quite skillful in connecting with other people in a meaningful way. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic further exaggerated this when I felt deeply lonely and isolated. Digital platforms fed my surface-level connection cravings, but it wasn’t enough. In fact, according to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community (2023), the lack of social connections is as dangerous as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day—this loneliness I held on to so comfortably ultimately was impacting my health and well-being. So, I started to dream of a bridge that could encourage people to connect. Why not a game? Why not a card game? Why not a card game that deepens connections through play? Why not a card game that mirrors podcast?

A series of questions led me to identify how podcasting is a powerful medium for bridging information across communities. We are inspired for In Podcast Mode to do just that! In Podcast Mode is a conversational card game that inspires players to deepen connections through play. It offers 8 incluvise topics that range from money, family, and friends to work culture and self-care. In addition, each topic has 15 questions. So, in total, players have 120 questions to learn about their friends, families, and communities in a different way.

In Podcast Mode merges two industries into one: podcasting and tabletop games. If you like podcasting, you’ll enjoy In Podcast Mode because it gives you a real-world experience of what a podcast would feel like with your different social spaces but in a game format. If you like card games, you’ll find In Podcast Mode engaging because we have game modes that add some entertainment to the conversations. It gives players two worlds in one. I am most excited that people can select a topic, answer the question within their social space, and feel empowered to share their experiences or stories. Like a podcast, everyone is an expert on the topic they feel passionate about. There is no hierarchy in storytelling, only storytellers and story listeners. In Podcast Mode aims to deepen social connections through questions and play.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

When In Podcast Mode was just an idea, the most impactful part of the journey is having someone or several people who are motivated to see your vision manifest. While some brands have a team, I have ONE teammate. My partner in design is Jeremiah Auguste. He is the lead graphic designer for In Podcast Mode. I trusted Jeremiah with the idea; he helped me craft it into a tangible product. Without that support, I think the journey would have taken a lot longer or might have festered away. One area of knowledge I would share is that having even one person who believes in your goals and aspirations can significantly boost your motivation, confidence, and, ultimately, your chances of achieving your goal. In the early stages of developing In Podcast Mode, I wanted a cohort of supporters. Now, I am incredibly grateful to have at least one person beside me and along this journey with me. Therefore, value who you have and stay on course.

Let me take a moment to acknowledge the infantile stage of entrepreneurship. It is a stage that I never want to forget because it continues to expand my creative being in ways I never anticipated. Early-stage brands don’t get the exposure, resources, or access to opportunities as mid or later-stage businesses. In part, that is a blessing because, as a founder/ CEO, you follow no one’s rules or blueprint in the infantile stage. Everything is an experiment, and you are constantly in the “lab,” refining your product or service to the level you desire it to be. This stage gifts me free-flowing creativity, freedom of expression, untapped ideas, and opportunities to research. In time, I will move swiftly into the next stage of this business algorithm, but I will bring forth those core creative tenets that were birthed in the beginning. Enjoy the beginning stage of your business, for it is a time of freedom, creativity, and dreaming.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

As a social connectivist, I believe in the true essence of collaboration, like the type of collaboration governed by shared leadership and power. There is no hierarchy when ideas and brainstorming are in motion. Through hosting focus groups and testing the product with different communities, I fostered a connectivist approach where connections can evolve when humans share their viewpoints, ideas, experiences, and stories in a collaborative social space. That is what In Podcast Mode offers to the world: an opportunity to center the people in the space and lean on listening, understanding, and connection while answering a question in a playful format.

I desire to partner with fellow social connectivists ( even if they don’t even know they are one yet!)—people who genuinely enjoy learning about others around them. I have a desire to start with podcasters and play the game on podcasts to have the audience witness the magic of conversation. This desire is even more profound because I envision hosting social connection mixers throughout NYC and out-of-state (i.e., Chicago) that bring different folks together in a game-related way. Lastly, I aspire to connect with animators, graphic designers, creators, and artists. I dream of a time when we, as humans, understand the importance of social connections, and this claim can be depicted in illustrative and animated ways.

If anyone is open and ready to connect, head over to our Instagram ( @inpodcastmode) or email us at info@inpodcastmode.com. Let’s connect!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @inpodcastmode
• Youtube: inpodcastmode
• Other: Tik Tok: in.podcast.mode

Image Credits

Untitled design ( SVA DSI interns Spring 2024 cohort)
IMG_0976, IMG_1015, IMG_1014 ( COOP Career fellows Fall 2024)