In this inspiring and transparent episode of DOTTIE’s House Podcast, I sit down with Stephanie and Floyd Rance, the powerhouse couple behind the iconic Run&Shoot Filmworks Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF).

Married for 28 years, Stephanie and Floyd open up about the highs and lows of growing a business together, raising two children (a Morehouse Man and a current Howard University student), and turning a side hustle into a cultural institution that now attracts thousands of visitors, and boosts Vineyard tourism by nearly 40% every summer.

This isn’t just a story about a festival; it’s about partnership, perseverance, and what it really takes to thrive in marriage while building something that matters.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• The Origin Story: How MVAAFF started as a small side project and the moment they knew it was going to be big.

• The Celebrity Factor: Spike Lee, Michael B. Jordan, Tracee Ellis Ross, Mara Brock Akil, and so many more who have graced their stage.

• Entrepreneurship & Marriage: The good, bad, and ugly of running a business with your spouse and the practices that have kept them together for nearly three decades.

• Tourism Game-Changer: How their festival transformed Martha’s Vineyard into a destination for film lovers and boosted the local economy.

What happens when you give love a second chance, leave behind the traditional lifestyle, and choose to live life fully on the road? In this episode, Arvia sits down, quite literally at her kitchen island, with Lisa and Marty Middleton for one of the most raw, open, and authentic conversations of the season.

Lisa and Marty are both on their second marriage and have been married for four years. Their story began decades ago at Howard University, when Marty was a freshman and Lisa a senior. They dated briefly, went their separate ways, married and divorced other people, and later reconnected during COVID. With the world on pause, Marty reached out and what began as reconnection turned into courtship, marriage, and a whole new adventure.

They’ve traded in the traditional house for a home on wheels. Living full-time in their RV, they travel the country 365 days a year, visiting friends, fishing, exploring, and soaking in every moment. Though they own land in Georgia (where they built a small shed “home base” with two big chairs, a TV, and a table but no running water), their true home is wherever the road takes them.

Marty even left his career behind to join Lisa on this journey, proving that love and partnership often mean choosing each other over convention.

This 25-minute, unplanned conversation, recorded around Arvia’s phone in her kitchen while the couple stopped overnight on their way to Martha’s Vineyard, captures the beauty of second chances, the courage to live differently, and the power of authentic connection.

🌟 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• The story of how Lisa and Marty met at Howard and reconnected decades later.

• Why they chose to live full-time in an RV and how they make it work.

• The sacrifices and joys of leaving a career to choose love.

• What their “home base” in Georgia looks like—and why they rarely use it.

• The lessons they’ve learned about partnership, freedom, and living life on their own terms.

This is a reminder that love doesn’t have to follow a script. It can show up later in life, take you across the country, and invite you to write a whole new story.

In this episode of DOTTIE’s House, we sit down with Jennifer and Sekou Kaalund, who met in high school, started dating in college, and have built nearly 25 years of marriage rooted in communication and friendship.

Jennifer, a Ph.D. and professor of religious studies, was the primary breadwinner early on, while Sekou began a career that would take him from J.P. Morgan , where he founded Black Pathways , to his current role as an executive at U.S. Bank.

A pivotal turning point came in graduate school, when they both won a national competition and gained access to the Executive Leadership Council (ELC). The exposure to mentors and executives shaped not only their careers but also their vision for family and legacy. As Sekou says, “It’s hard to be what you cannot see,” and those examples expanded his sense of what was possible.

With three children , a son at Morehouse College and two daughters one in high school and one middle school, the Kaalund’s share how family retreats, intentional communication (they’ve never gone a single day without talking since they began dating), and the guidance of mentors have grounded their marriage and elevated their impact.

Their story is a testament to how love, mentorship, and intentionality can shape not only a marriage, but a legacy for generations.