Eating While Broke

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Latest Episodes:

DON BENJAMIN - No Gluten, All Grit Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

Host Coline Witt welcomes model, actor, and entrepreneur Don Benjamin to Eating While Broke. Don makes a childhood “hood classic” gluten-free Hamburger Helper using gluten-free noodles, ground turkey, and the sauce packet, while breaking down how a gluten allergy that began at 26 changed his life (and how expensive it can be to eat gluten-free on a budget).

Don shares what it was like growing up in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota with his mom, his dad’s struggles with addiction and incarceration, and navigating identity as a biracial kid.

He talks about his early dream of playing pro basketball, moving to Los Angeles at 19 on a $3,000 student loan, surviving on ramen and background acting, and the turning point after America’s Next Top Model (2013) leading to signing with Wilhelmina and landing major campaigns.

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ISAAC CARREE - Heat, Slaw, and Salvation Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Gospel artist Isaac Caree joins host Coline Witt on Eating While Broke to make a Southern classic with a twist: North Carolina chili slaw dogs (Nathan’s short hot dogs with ketchup, mustard, homemade chili, onions, and coleslaw). While the chili simmers and the slaw hits the bun, Isaac reflects on a 30+ year music career shaped by faith, sacrifice, and the broke seasons that built his business mindset.

Isaac opens up about growing up in church with a hardworking single mother, dropping out of high school to pursue music, and traveling with John P. Kee while earning no money—living eight people in a two-bedroom apartment and relying on cheap Circle K hot dogs just to eat.

He shares how those years strengthened his faith, taught him how to handle business, and influenced how he treats collaborators today.

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ARMANI GREER - Frying Faith: A Road Less Traveled Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Actress Armani Greer joins host Coline Witt on Eating While Broke to cook up crispy catfish sandwiches and talk about the road less traveled—from humble beginnings to major bookings. Armani shares her Houston upbringing with a hardworking single mom, the grandparents who helped hold it down, and how she started acting at seven years old.

In the conversation, Armani opens up about being pushed toward a “practical” college path, finding her way back to theater after graduating, quitting her job to pursue acting and modeling, and moving to Los Angeles with little money—leaning on hustle, faith, and occasional help from her mom.

She also talks pandemic survival mode, auditions, setbacks, and the wins that kept her going: booking a McDonald’s Super Bowl commercial, signing with her manager, filming Water Boys in Atlanta, nearly landing P-Valley, her latest project, and later booking a role that took her to Italy.

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JENNIE GARTH - Butter, Syrup, and Boundaries: The Sweet Work of Choosing Me Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

Host Coline Witt welcomes actress, author, podcaster, designer, and mom Jennie Garth, to discuss her new book, I Choose Me, which deals with self-doubt, impostor syndrome, and self-love.

Jennie shares a budget-friendly comfort meal from her Midwest farm upbringing: pan-fried “rice cakes” made from cooked rice and eggs (with a vegan alternative), cooked hot for crispy edges and topped with butter and syrup, plus optional savory variations.

They discuss her blended-family childhood in rural Illinois, her father’s long struggle with heart disease, moving to Arizona, and how a pageant judge became her longtime manager—leading to acting in California and rapid fame on Beverly Hills, 90210.

Jennie also opens up about depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, early coping tools, later reliance on wine and anxiety meds, and building her very own brand.

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BALE - Crisp Bacon, Clear Purpose: The Discipline Behind the Dream Aug 27, 2026

Show notes

On Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt welcomes recording artist and writer Bale, who cooks a simple turkey bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich while talking confidence, discipline, and refusing to second-guess himself.

Bale shares growing up in South Central Los Angeles as the oldest of five, being raised by a schoolteacher mom and supported by his grandma, with his father incarcerated for most of his life. He explains how music found him, helped keep him out of trouble, and how early shows and outside validation confirmed he was on the right path.

He also breaks down why his album is titled Stay Faithful, the patience required to pursue his craft, and the value of a supportive team and family, especially as a new dad to his daughter Onyx.

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DAMION HALL - The Turkey Slammer & the Cost of a Signature Aug 20, 2026

Show notes

Coline Witt sits down with Damion Hall (also known as Damion “Guy” Hall)—producer, songwriter, and founding member of the legendary R&B group Guy for a powerful conversation about family, fame, finances, and survival.

While cooking Damion’s go-to broke meal, the “Turkey Slammer” sandwich (turkey, spinach, eggs, honey wheat bread, mayo, and seasoning), Damion shares how he left college at 17 to support his brother Aaron Hall and help build Guy—then realized he needed a niche beyond playing drums. He takes us back to early New York studio days with Teddy Riley, and the hard lessons that came with the music business.

Damion also opens up about trading on the New York Stock Exchange as a teen—including a devastating loss for his father’s firm—and breaks down what it really means to sign a “lock, stock, and barrel” contract. He also explains why artists must learn the business, stop chasing materialism, and protect their future.

Finally, he talks candidly about his 2023 stage-two prostate cancer diagnosis and blood clots, and how that fight pushed him to create his album Perfect Designer—'52 songs in 40 days', no samples—plus a personal studio story you won’t forget.

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REGGIE BALL - Balling On A Budget Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

Host Coline Witt welcomes former Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball, who signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2007 and is now COO of Effect Fitness in Atlanta and a co-host on The Broken Play.

Reggie cooks his family’s ramen-and-ground-beef “lo mein” using soy sauce, garlic salt, pepper, parsley, and broccoli while discussing how the meal came from busy, broke post-practice nights. He explains the undrafted free agent process, recalls Detroit’s loyal fan base during the Lions’ 0–16 season, and describes the difficult mental transition out of the NFL, including injuries and learning to save money.

After working at Chrysler and later fixing U-Haul trucks, he recommits to fitness, helps build Effect Fitness from a garage, emphasizes hard work, self-prioritization, and consistency, and details podcasting and Effect Fitness tours and app growth during the pandemic.

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CLAYTON ENGLISH - When Grit Become a Game Plan Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

Coline Witt welcomes comedian, actor, and podcast host 'Clayton English' back to 'Eating While Broke' after their past cheap Chinese wings combo “fiasco.” They joke about fried rice, bottle and red Solo cup “measurements,” and broke-food hacks. Then, Clayton makes 'breakfast for dinner': instant cheese grits, rolled cheesy eggs, and budget turkey links.

Over the meal, Clayton opens up about growing up with a single mom who worked her way up at IBM, his dad being in and out, and how recurring “pancakes for dinner” nights were a clear sign money was tight. He shares how humor helped him early on, why he started stand-up in his mid-20s after college, and the breaks that helped shape his career—plus lessons from early financial missteps.

They also talk about Clayton’s comedy journey and credits, including 'Robert Townsend’s 'Partners in Crime', 'Who’s Got Jokes?', 'Tyler Perry’s 'House of Payne', winning 'Last Comic Standing', building his 'English Majors' podcast during the pandemic, upcoming voice work on 'Megan Thee Stallion’s anime', and why relationships and getting paid matter in entertainment.

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PINKY COLE - A Sandwich, a Setback, and a Second Empire Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt sits down with entrepreneur Pinky Cole—founder of Slutty Vegan—for an honest conversation about money, mindset, and rebuilding after major setbacks. Over a homemade **Tofurky sandwich**, Pinky breaks down vegan label-reading, food costs, and why she stopped eating meat in 2007.

Pinky shares her upbringing in a Jamaican family, her father’s 22-year imprisonment, and how early exposure to her mother’s music career shaped her ambition. She recounts hustling as a teen party promoter, working in TV production (including Maury), and opening a Harlem Jamaican restaurant that later burned down without fire insurance. She explains how that loss—and other setbacks—ultimately led to new opportunities, including launching **Slutty Vegan** in Atlanta.

She also discusses Slutty Vegan’s rapid rise, later restructuring, personal bankruptcy, $20M in debt, and the lessons she learned about transactional relationships, team alignment, and ego.

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YOLANDA "YOYO" WHITAKER - 'Pennywise Quality' Sandwiches & a Second Act Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Eating While Broke, host Coline Witt sits down with Grammy-nominated artist, actress, philanthropist, and TV host Yo-Yo (Dr. Yolanda Whitaker) for a real conversation about budgeting, confidence, and rebuilding after major career shifts.

Yo-Yo shares her go-to budget-friendly rotisserie chicken sandwich made with potato bread, cheddar cheese, mayo, mustard, pickles, and banana peppers—an easy meal she says can feed a family for about $20. While cooking, she opens up about learning to budget as a parent, navigating changing image expectations in hip hop, and pushing through industry gatekeeping after leaving her label.

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