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PODCAST

In The Know with Tony Reeves

Hosted by former attorney and Judge Tony Reeves, this podcast delivers sharp insights, commentary, and real talk on law, leadership, public service, and the Black Gen X experience. Whether you’re navigating bureaucracy, seeking inspiration, or craving honest reflections from someone who’s lived it, ‘In The Know with Tony Reeves’ offers the wisdom and wit to keep you informed—and empowerBecome a supporter of this podcast:

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All Episodes

18:37

Sleeping on the Floor: Why I Thought Adulthood Meant...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/10/05

I had a college degree, my first professional job, and an apartment in Tallahassee. What I didn’t have was a bed—or the understanding that asking for help was still an option. In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I revisit the days of televisions on the floor, bare rooms, and the belief that being a grown-up meant figuring everything out myself. Looking back, I recognize how much that belief affected my quality of life. It’s a personal reflection on independence, accepting support, and

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19:31

How I Chose My Karate Instructor—and Found a Mentor

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/09/30

In 1999, I walked into a karate school in Tallahassee looking for a place to train. What made me stay was the person teaching there.In this episode, I share why I chose Master Anne, how she challenged me as a martial artist and a leader, and what it meant to have someone see qualities in me that I had not yet recognized in myself. More than 26 years later, her guidance is still part of my journey.Has a teacher or mentor ever seen something in you before you could see it yourself? Tell me about

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18:37

Why I Returned to Competitive Karate After 50

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/09/28

After more than 20 years away from competition, why did I step back onto the karate mat?In this episode, I talk about how work and life gradually pulled me away from martial arts, what changed as I got older, and why simply going to the gym no longer felt like enough. I also share how my teacher’s trust helped me return to competition—and how that decision gave my workouts a purpose again.This is a story about making room for something you love while you still can. What passion have you been

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13:32

The Navy Recruiter who came looking for me

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/09/23

In the summer of 1994, I met a Navy recruiter who was searching for people with training in public health and industrial hygiene. I was interested, but I was only halfway through my graduate program. The Navy needed someone immediately, so I assumed the opportunity had passed.One year later, I had completed my Master of Public Health—but professionally, nothing seemed to be changing. I had not received a promotion or meaningful raise, and I was uncertain about my next move. Then the recruiter

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11:37

The Two Follow Up Calls That Helped Me Get Hired

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/09/21

Submitting my application was not the final step in getting my first professional job.I followed up after mailing it, and that call helped me secure an interview. After the interview, I called again to thank the employer and answer any additional questions.Those two calls mattered even more because I did not have a telephone where I was staying. If I had submitted the application and simply waited, the opportunity might have passed me by.In this companion episode, I discuss what that experience

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19:21

I Got the Job but I Was Not Ready for the Loneliness

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/09/16

Getting my first professional job solved one problem: I finally knew what I was going to do next.What it did not solve was how I would adjust to an unfamiliar career, a new city, and a life without the community I had previously taken for granted.In this follow-up to my story about choosing my next opportunity, I revisit the early days of working as a safety and health specialist in Tallahassee, Florida.Professionally, everything was new. I had my own office, telephone extension, and computer—but I

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8:04

My First Job Was Not the Dream It Was the Bridge

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/09/14

In 1992, I completed my military training with a biology degree, a car payment, and no clear idea of what I wanted to do next. Instead of returning home to Arkansas, I went back to Florida and slept on a friend’s couch while searching for work.The state job I eventually accepted was not something I had dreamed about doing. It was an opportunity that provided income, allowed me to remain in Florida, and gave me the time and experience I needed to determine my next move.In this companion episode, I

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8:58

Becoming Visible: When Other People See Your...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/09/09

Sometimes the people around us recognize our growth before we do.During my senior year of college, I began showing up differently. I was more expressive, more confident, and increasingly willing to offer perspectives I had previously kept to myself. To me, I was simply becoming more comfortable in my own skin. To other people, however, something significant was changing.A hall director challenged me to speak up after realizing that the quiet recommendations I whispered to her were often the ideas

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14:16

I Moved to Tampa Before I Even Applied to Graduate...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/09/07

At 23 years old, I transferred my job from Tallahassee to Tampa because I intended to attend graduate school at the University of South Florida. There was just one important detail: I hadn’t applied yet.I paid for the move myself, rented a truck and car dolly, found an apartment, coordinated the end of one lease with the beginning of another, and drove around Tampa with my checkbook getting the utilities connected—all before knowing whether the graduate program would accept me.From the outside, it

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10:10

Their World Is Not Ours: When Experience Becomes Advice

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/09/02

At what point does sharing your experience become telling someone else how they should live? In my recent video, I told the story of a decision my mother made when I chose to attend the University of Tampa. She knew my choice could create financial difficulties. She knew I had other opportunities. And she knew that if she told me to choose another school, I probably would have listened. But she also knew what it felt like to have the direction of her own education changed by circumstances outside of

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16:15

Your Future Doesn’t Have to Look Like My Past

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/08/31

The world Generation X entered as young adults doesn’t exist anymore.College degrees were rewarded differently. Career paths were more predictable. Technology hadn’t created today’s opportunities. And for many of us, education represented access to doors that had previously been closed to our parents. So what happens when we try to give advice to Gen Z and Gen Alpha?In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I wrestle with a question I’ve been thinking about a lot: How do we share what we’ve

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9:52

Would I Make the Same Choice Today? How Information...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/08/26

In 1987, I made one of the biggest decisions of my young life: where I would go to college. I chose the University of Tampa without visiting the campus, without social media, without virtual tours, and without access to the enormous amount of information students have today. Much of my decision was based on a college catalog, reputation, and the recommendation of someone I trusted. That raises an interesting question:If I were 17 years old today, would I make the same choice? The answer is that I

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13:18

When Life Gets Real: Recognizing the Next Chapter...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/08/24

There are moments in life when you realize something has changed. You’re not simply getting older. You’re not just moving from one semester, job, position, or responsibility to another. You’re entering an entirely different chapter—and suddenly, everything feels a little more real.In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I reflect on one of those moments in my own life: entering my junior year of college and realizing that several different parts of my life were changing at the same time

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13:10

Sometimes the Job Isn’t the Destination — It’s...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/08/19

Sometimes the job you’re in isn’t where you’re ultimately supposed to stay. Sometimes its real value is what it makes possible next. In this episode, I share how my first job with the State of Florida became the vehicle that helped me earn my Master of Public Health while taking on very little additional student debt. At the time, I wasn’t making much money. The job wasn’t necessarily where I wanted to remain long term. But once I discovered the educational benefits available to me, I realized

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20:29

Who Am I at 30? When Your Career Stops Defining You

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/08/17

What happens when you finally reach the career you worked so hard for—and realize you still have to figure out who you are? In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I reflect on entering the legal profession in my early 30s after already having careers in state government and the military. I had the degree. I passed the bar. I had the title. But I was still trying to understand what it actually meant to be a professional—and whether I needed to change myself to fit the image of what I

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9:38

The Advice I Didn’t Understand Until Years Later

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/08/12

There are moments in life that don’t seem particularly significant when they’re happening. Then you look back 10, 20, or 30 years later and realize:That conversation changed everything. During my junior year of college, I was struggling with some of my science courses and seriously considering leaving my biology major. I wasn’t failing to understand the material. I was struggling to produce the grades I expected from myself—and I started interpreting that struggle as evidence that maybe I didn’t

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16:22

The Party Wasn’t for Me — But the Lesson Was

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/08/10

In the fall of 1987, just days into my freshman year at the University of Tampa, I was invited to my first real off-campus college party on Davis Island. I had an idea of what a college party was supposed to look like. Music. Food. Dancing. People having a good time. What I found was a beach, a couple of kegs, no food, no music, and an environment where I was one of only a few Black students — and I didn’t drink. At the time, I could have easily dismissed the entire experience as a bad party.Looking

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6:49

The New Normal We Built: Why Gen X Must Pass the...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/08/05

For many members of Generation X, success did not come with a roadmap. We entered colleges, professions, leadership positions, and social spaces that were unfamiliar to our families. We learned through experience, experimentation, mistakes, and persistence. Along the way, we became the attorneys, doctors, judges, executives, educators, entrepreneurs, and mentors we may not have personally known when we were younger. That matters because the generations coming behind us are no longer starting where

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14:59

The Conversation That Almost Ended My College Journey

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/08/03

A few weeks into my freshman year, I was pulled out of class and told that I owed the university $900. It was 1987.My student loan had not been processed, my mother could not pay the bill without jeopardizing her own ability to survive, and I was warned that I could be removed from school. I was only 18 years old. In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I reflect on the emotional weight of that conversation, the painful reality many students face when financial aid falls short, and the

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9:58

Starting Over Isn’t the End—It’s Where You Find...

In The Know with Tony Reeves ·

2026/07/29

In this companion podcast to my YouTube video, “The Fall of 1988: When I Had to Rebuild My Life Without My Friends,” I reflect on one of the biggest lessons I learned from returning to college after nearly everyone in my support system had disappeared. When I came back to the University of Tampa as a Resident Assistant, I expected to continue building on the friendships I’d made during my freshman year. Instead, I found myself almost completely alone. My closest friends had transferred or chosen not

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