Career Change: He discusses how he is helping individuals enter high-paying tech careers (UX design and AI) without four-year degrees. 

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning!

Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success.

Business Podcast

Entrepreneurship

Small Business

Business Growth

Financial Literacy

Wealth Building

Black Entrepreneurs

Minority Business

Leadership

Executive Leadership

Business Funding

Marketing Strategies

Personal Development

Startup Advice

Sales Training

CEO Interviews

Founder Stories

Professional Development

Economic Empowerment

Business Success

Networking

Brand Building

Innovation

How to start a business

Small business funding

Entrepreneur success stories

Business leadership podcast

Wealth building strategies

Black entrepreneur podcast

Minority business development

Marketing for small businesses

Business growth strategies

Startup funding opportunities

Executive leadership training

Financial literacy education

Success mindset podcast

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Everett Swain.

🔷 Interview Summary

Everett Swain, founder of UXD Academy, discusses how he is helping individuals—especially underserved communities—enter high-paying tech careers (UX design and AI) without a traditional four-year degree.

The conversation centers on:

• AI as both a threat and opportunity
• Alternative education pathways (certifications vs degrees)
• Breaking barriers in tech through accessible training
• Building practical, job-ready skills quickly
• Empowering individuals to change their financial trajectory

Swain’s approach blends self-learning, portfolio-based skills, and real-world application to create career opportunities.

🎯 Purpose of the Interview 1. Expand awareness of non-traditional education paths

• Show that high-income careers are accessible without college degrees
• Promote certifications, portfolios, and practical skills

2. Reframe AI as an opportunity

• Help listeners understand how AI can create jobs, not just remove them

3. Inspire career transformation

• Target people:
  • Struggling financially
  • Stuck in low-wage jobs
  • Looking for a career pivot

4. Bridge opportunity gaps

• Focus on helping:
  • Underserved communities
  • People without access to formal education

5. Provide actionable entry points

• Direct listeners to:
  • Free resources
  • Self-learning paths
  • UXD Academy

🔑 Key Takeaways 1. AI is both a disruptor and an enabler

• Two approaches:
  • Replace workers
  • Amplify workers’ productivity [Everett Sw...II iHeart | Txt]

2. Degrees are becoming less important in tech

• Over 40% of tech companies prioritize skills over degrees [Everett Sw...II iHeart | Txt]
• Real hiring focus:
  • Portfolio
  • Demonstrated ability

3. Skills can be self-taught

• Swain learned through:
  • YouTube
  • Online resources
  • Practice
• This model is replicable for others

4. Portfolio > credentials

• Employers want proof of skill:
  • Projects
  • Real-world work
• This levels the playing field

5. Fast income growth is possible

• Swain’s trajectory:
  • $75K → $105K → $140K within a few years [Everett Sw...II iHeart | Txt]
• Demonstrates rapid upward mobility in tech

6. Accessibility is key to opportunity

• Training can be done:
  • On a phone
  • Without expensive tools
• Removes traditional barriers

7. Learn-by-doing model works best

• UXD Academy combines:
  • Training
  • Real client projects
  • Apprenticeships

8. AI tools require minimal technical background

• No-code and low-code tools allow:
  • Beginners to build apps, bots, workflows quickly

9. Small businesses are the biggest AI opportunity

• AI can help:
  • Automate operations
  • Improve efficiency
  • Scale growth

10. Traditional education is slow to adapt

• Colleges struggle to keep up with:
  • Rapid tech changes
• Agile programs like UXD Academy fill this gap

11. Mindset shift is essential

• Success requires:
  • Initiative
  • Discipline
  • Self-learning

12. Exposure creates opportunity

• Many people don’t pursue tech careers because:
  • They don’t know they exist
• Awareness is the first step

💬 Notable Quotes On AI’s dual impact

“Companies are either using AI to replace people or to amplify their people.” [Everett Sw...II iHeart | Txt]

On degrees vs skills

“Over 40% of tech companies do not care about degrees anymore… they care about your portfolio.” [Everett Sw...II iHeart | Txt]

On education alternatives

“You can become an AI designer… without a degree.” [Everett Sw...II iHeart | Txt]

On learning path

“YouTube, Google, and books taught me everything I know.” [Everett Sw...II iHeart | Txt]

On AI functionality

“AI is like the smartest intern you know—you can train it to work for you.” [Everett Sw...II iHeart | Txt]

On opportunity

“You can change your life in under a year and a half.” [Everett Sw...II iHeart | Txt]

On discipline

“From five to 2 a.m., I was learning, building, and redoing my portfolio.” [Everett Sw...II iHeart | Txt]

On mission

“I want people to realize they can create their own reality with this.” [Everett Sw...II iHeart | Txt]

On urgency

“AI is our opportunity… we have to get on the ball.” [Everett Sw...II iHeart | Txt]

🧭 Bottom Line

Everett Swain’s message is a blueprint for modern career access in the AI economy:

• Skills beat degrees
• Self-learning is powerful
• AI is a career lever, not just a threat
• Execution (portfolio) matters more than theory
• Opportunity is available—but requires action

👉 His core philosophy:
With the right skills, discipline, and access to knowledge, anyone can break into high-income tech careers—without traditional barriers.

#SHMS #BEST #STRAW

Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.