In this episode, I sit down with Bells for an honest, unfiltered conversation about what it really means to show up as yourself in a world full of expectations. We trace how childhood experiences shape our sense of safety, development, and identity, and how early lessons around honesty and authenticity can follow us well into adulthood.

Together, we unpack the idea of masking—when it protects us, when it costs us, and how it shows up in everyday moments like delayed replies, people-pleasing, and emotional self-editing. Bells shares thoughtful reflections on representation, Blackness, and the quiet pressure of stereotypes, while we question who these expectations are really for—and who they leave behind.

This episode is about learning to unlearn, finding safety in being seen, and making space for nuance, softness, and truth—especially when the world expects you to be something else.