Welcome to The Leader I Needed with James (Trig) Rosseau, Sr.

Episodes

181
Aug. 3, 2025

181. The Mission of Holy Smoke!

Join us as we dive into the heart of Holy Smoke, a festival that celebrates the vibrant community and artistic excellence of Christian hip-hop. Discover the journey of DJ Mykael V and Mogli The Iceburg as they share insights into the festival's origins, its unique community, and the commitment to delivering an unparalleled experience. Whether you're a fan of the music or curious about the movement, this video offers a glimpse into what makes Holy Smoke a standout event. Don't miss out on the sto...
July 28, 2025

179. Midyear Assessment: Defining Your Success and Goals

Focusing on midyear career reviews, the importance of reflecting on achievements, planning for the year ahead, and possibly considering career moves are a few ideas to be noted to strengthen your assessment. Trig provides 10 strategies for personal and career development: understanding your 'why', setting SMART goals, building in-demand skills, seeking and using feedback, cultivating a strong network, taking initiative, documenting achievements, sharpening leadership and communication skills, st...
July 21, 2025

178. Threading a New Path: Deborah Mack's Inspirational Journey

James "Trig" Rosseau interviews Deborah Mack, a visionary fashion entrepreneur. Formerly a judicial court worker in Connecticut, Deborah turned her lifelong passion for fashion into a thriving business called DAM Fashions, a luxury outerwear line emphasizing timeless style and sustainable innovation. Deborah shares her journey from working in the state court system for 20 years to moving to Pennsylvania, starting an organic dry-cleaning business, and finally leaping into fashion design. She disc...
July 15, 2025

177. The Stellars Turn 40!

James “Trig” Rosseau interviews Jennifer Jackson, President and COO of the Stellar Gospel Music Awards. Jennifer discusses the 40-year history of the awards, the importance in the gospel music community, and the challenges of curating the event to fit different genres and audiences. The Stellar Plus experience and various activities leading up to the main event are also highlighted, along with a call to support Christian hip hop and gospel music. Jennifer reveals CeCe and BeBe Winans as the host...
July 14, 2025

176. 7 Ways To Avoid Burnout

Join James Rosseau Sr. aka Trig on The Corelink Solution as he delves into the topic of burnout among high achievers, creatives, entrepreneurs, and leaders. James addresses the gradual buildup of burnout and offers seven practical strategies to detect and avoid it. Learn about defining your success, guarding priorities, creating rhythms, recognizing rest as a requirement, spotting early signs, finding accountability, and rediscovering your purpose. This episode provides actionable steps to maint...
July 7, 2025

175. Minipod: A Salute To Fathers

Join James Rosseau Sr. aka Trig on The Corelink Solution Show as he discusses the importance of honoring fathers this Father's Day weekend. James highlights the often overlooked value of fatherhood and calls for greater recognition and celebration. He also addresses the challenges many people face in the current job market through an insightful read of a LinkedIn post on the frustrations of job seeking. James emphasizes the need for kindness, clarity, and humanity in both personal and profession...
June 30, 2025

174. Minipod: A Call To Action

Join host James Rosseau Sr. in this episode of The Corelink Solution as he discusses the impending closures of Job Corps centers, a federal career training program for youth. James highlights the importance of Job Corps for low-income and minority communities and urges viewers to take action by contacting their state representatives. Additionally, he celebrates unsung heroes in the education sector who have made significant impacts on their communities. Tune in for a message on community growth,...
June 9, 2025

173. Levels of Leadership Intelligence

James discusses four critical levels of intelligence necessary for effective leadership, particularly for those guiding with a foundation of faith and cultural awareness. The levels include: Emotional Intelligence (managing and understanding emotions), Intrapersonal Intelligence (self-awareness and understanding why you lead), Interpersonal Intelligence (relating and understanding others), and Artificial Intelligence (leveraging technology wisely while maintaining human touch). The speaker empha...
June 3, 2025

172. From Darkness to Light: Razzie's Testimony Through Music

James “Trig” Rosseau interviews Razzie, a Miami-based rap artist who transitioned from secular to Christian hip-hop after a transformative spiritual experience. Razzie shares his turbulent upbringing, military service, and struggle with addiction and depression before giving his life to Christ following a spiritual attack. He recounts his journey of transforming his music and lifestyle to glorify God, erasing his old catalog, and focusing on creating faith-based music. Razzy now serves as a yout...
May 20, 2025

171. The Evolution of Edify: Balancing Music, Faith, and Mental Wellness

James interviews Edify, a CHH artist, producer, and mental health counselor. They discuss Edify's journey from playing hockey in Russia to engaging in music and ministry. Edify shares his experiences from his upbringing in Detroit's hip hop scene, his transition from hockey to music, and his journey into mental health counseling. He emphasizes the importance of balancing artistry, business, and faith while navigating personal and professional challenges. Throughout the conversation, Edify highli...
May 12, 2025

170. Navigating The Startup World of Your Entrepreneurial Journey

In this episode, James addresses the common barriers to starting a business, particularly focusing on the lack of capital. Referencing a Gallup study, he notes that while lack of ambition is not the main barrier, financial constraints are significant. James emphasizes that many successful entrepreneurs started without seeking capital, using creativity to overcome financial limitations. He highlights the importance of building good credit, especially for minority entrepreneurs who face systemic c...
May 5, 2025

169. Redemption Through Rap: IM4GIVEN's Testimony

IAM4GIVEN , who blends hip-hop and gospel to deliver faith-filled messages and hails from Miami, discusses his new album 'Hope for the Streets', his journey from secular to Christian hip-hop, and his impactful nonprofit ministry, MTM. He shares his inspirations, including his father's recovery from alcoholism, his grandparents' influence, and his own experiences growing up amidst struggles. He also discusses with James societal issues, youth mentorship, and his visions for the future. IAM4GIVEN ...
April 28, 2025

168. Navigating Uncertain Times

James discusses the significant changes AI will bring to the workforce by 2030, transforming 70% of jobs. Drawing on insights from Anish Rahman, LinkedIn's Chief Economic Opportunity Officer, he outlines the four phases of AI evolution: substitution, augmentation, transformation, and creation. Trig emphasizes the importance of preparing for these changes by enhancing critical soft skills such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence, creativity, communication, ethical leadership, and adaptab...
April 21, 2025

167. Celebrating Christian Artists: Missions & Messages

James discusses the importance of highlighting the ministry work of Christian hip hop artists, particularly focusing on Lamar Riddick's upcoming mission trip to the Dominican Republic. He then delves into leadership principles shared by Alan Mulally, former CEO of Ford and Boeing, emphasizing the significance of love, transparency, and collaboration in leadership. James also discusses the challenges faced by Christian content creators on platforms like YouTube and Facebook, advocating for strate...
April 7, 2025

166. Comfort Zones

In this episode, James revisits the notable first appearance of Christian hip-hop artists at Rolling Loud LA, highlighting Miles Minnick's impactful 20-minute set. The discussion includes the significance of Christian artists participating in secular events, emphasizing the biblical mandate to evangelize widely. James also delves into the concept of comfort zones, exploring when to step out for growth and when to stay for stability. He provides insights from a Fast Company article and shares his...
March 31, 2025

165. Context For Change Pt. 5

James discusses the importance of understanding the rationale behind tasks, both personally and professionally, and emphasizes the 'why' in processes, especially in the context of organizational change. Trig outlines three critical models: the business model (how an organization makes money), the operating model (how products or services are delivered), and the governance model (how decisions are made and accountability upheld). Through anecdotes and personal experiences, he explains how underst...
March 24, 2025

164. Context For Change Pt. 4

James discusses the challenges of sustaining change and emphasizes the importance of leadership in driving any transformation. He highlights three key areas: understanding the symptoms of leadership challenges, the solution set focusing on people, and today's focus on purpose. Leaders are urged to make the organizational purpose clear to enhance team alignment and motivation. The script also introduces a method called 'passion inquiry' to align personal and organizational goals by probing employ...
March 17, 2025

163. Context For Change Pt. 3

James Rosseau, aka Trig, discusses the importance of people in driving change within organizations. In this Valentine's Day-themed episode, he emphasizes the critical role that individuals play in achieving innovation, strategy, and culture. James recaps the first two parts of his series, focusing on the 'why' behind leadership and the four symptoms of leadership challenges. He introduces the first part of his solution set, arguing that people are the most essential component. James shares strat...
March 10, 2025

162. Life, Music, and Ministry: Ike Rhythm's Mission

The Corelink Solution Show host, James "Trig" Rosseau, interviews hip-hop artist Ike Rhythm from Macon, Georgia. They discuss Ike's passion for music and faith, his journey into Christian hip-hop, and the founding of Living Hydro Music Group to support independent artists with a shared vision. Ike shares personal anecdotes, including his emotional reaction to Whitney Houston's voice and his family connection to Little Richard. The conversation also covers Ike's musical influences, his transition...
March 3, 2025

161. Lyra C: Navigating Life's Trials Through Music and Faith

Lyra C, a Brooklyn-born Christian hip-hop artist and minister, is featured in today's episode of The Corelink Solution Show with James "Trig" Rosseau. James recounts meeting her at a Christian hip-hop competition where she performed impressively. Lyra talks about using her music to spread hope and salvation, sharing her desire to one day own a farm, and her career as an author, having written a book titled 'Prayers That Make Hell Nervous'. She discusses overcoming childhood trauma, gang affiliat...
Feb. 24, 2025

160. Unlocking Career Potential: Latrice Torres on Career Strategies and Development

James Rousseau, aka Trig, interviews Latrice Torres, founder of Leader Keys Consulting, about her recent pivot to focusing on leadership development for Black women. Torres shares insights about her personal experiences in corporate America, the impact of constant code-switching, and the lack of representation and promotion diversity, evidenced by alarming statistics on leadership promotion rates for Black women. Emphasizing the necessity of psychological safety and authentic, unapologetic prese...
Feb. 17, 2025

159. Rasool Berry on The Whole Man: Faith, Life and Growth

In this kingdom-building conversation on Holy Culture Radio, James “Trig” interviews Rasool Berry, a teaching pastor, director at Our Daily Bread Ministries, and the host of the 'Where You're From' podcast. They delve into Berry's book, 'The Whole Man,' which offers spiritual and practical guidance for African American men on achieving holistic development based on loving God with heart, mind, soul, and strength. The discussion covers the inspiration behind the book, the collaborative effort inv...
Feb. 10, 2025

158. From The Church To The Hood: The Journey of Jarred AllStar & Lady Davina

In this engaging episode of The Corelink Solution on Holy Culture Radio, hosts sit down with Jarred AllStar and Lady Davina, a dynamic power couple in Christian hip hop. Jarred, a pastor and versatile artist known for his mantra 'Born in the hood but raised in the church,' and Lady Davina, a gospel artist turned hip-hop talent, share their story from their personal lives to their professional ventures. They discuss their label, Humble Brag Music, dedicated to artist development and spreading the...
Jan. 30, 2025

157. The Context For Change

Join James Rosseau, AKA Trig, on The Corelink Solution Show on Holy Culture Radio as he explores the four symptoms of leadership challenges. This episode delves into global, industry, and company challenges and emphasizes the importance of leading oneself. James discusses the critical issues of lack of ownership, minimal cooperation, and the impacts of low aspiration and silos within a team. Learn practical steps to overcome these challenges and empower your leadership capabilities. Don't miss h...