Be Well Sis: The Podcast

Six years ago, I kept finding myself in wellness spaces that weren't built for me, and honestly, weren't built for us. Black women were absent from the center of a conversation that directly impacts our lives, our bodies, and our health. Be Well, Sis was my answer to that. A space built specifically for us, where our voices lead, our experiences are honored, and our wellness  is never an afterthought.

What followed was you, showing up week after week, listening and sharing and passing the show along to someone you love.

You made this something I never could have built alone.

To every guest who trusted this mic with their expertise, their stories, and their heart, thank you from the bottom of mine. And to every single listener who has ever pressed play, whether you found us in our very first season or just this week, thank you.

You are the whole reason this existed.

I'm not entirely sure if this is goodbye forever or simply goodbye for now. Time will tell. But what I know without question is that this community is real, this work matters, and I am so deeply grateful for every moment of it.

The conversation isn't over. I'd love for you to stay close.

Stay connected:

Follow along at @bewellsis_podcast and subscribe to the newsletter at https://bewellsis.substack.com/ so you're the first to know what comes next.

With so much love and gratitude, Cassandre 

Check out the Voices For Impact film festival here: https://watch.eventive.org/voiceswithimpact/play/69ca5f14897d99a7c2e2e0c2/69cce74044275704d9df3338

Connect with Be Well, Sis:

Instagram – @bewellsis_podcast

Substack – bewellsis.substack.com

Follow, rate, and share this episode!

We’re supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Head over to www.stjude.org/bewellsis right now and sign up to be a monthly donor. Together, we can make a real impact.

Want to get in touch? Maybe you want to hear from a certain guest or have a recommendation for On My Radar? Get in touch at [email protected] with Be Well Sis in the subject line! Have your own Not Well, Sis rant to contribute? Click here to send it into the show!

Be Well, Sis is hosted by Dr Cassandre Dunbar. The show is edited, mixed and produced by Megan Hayward. Our Production Manager is Kathleen Speckert.

Be Well, Sis is an editaudio collaboration.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Feeling drained, overextended, or like something in your life needs to shift? In this solo episode, Dr. Cassandre Dunbar gets radically honest about burnout, intentional living, and what it really means to outgrow a season of your life.

Dr. Cassandre explores why ignoring what you already know costs more than acting on it, how to protect your time, energy, attention, creativity, and peace as true non-negotiables, and why meaningful change doesn't require a full life overhaul.

In this episode:

• Recognizing the exhaustion that comes from overextending yourself
• Outgrowing rhythms, relationships, and routines that no longer serve you
• Protecting your energy and attention as a wellness practice
• Starting small: identifying what doesn't feel good and working from there
• Embracing stillness, silence, and rest without guilt
• Moving into a season that feels more aligned, even when it's uncomfortable

Connect with Be Well, Sis:

Instagram – @bewellsis_podcast

Substack – bewellsis.substack.com

Follow, rate, and share this episode!

We’re supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Head over to www.stjude.org/bewellsis right now and sign up to be a monthly donor. Together, we can make a real impact.

Want to get in touch? Maybe you want to hear from a certain guest or have a recommendation for On My Radar? Get in touch at [email protected] with Be Well Sis in the subject line! Have your own Not Well, Sis rant to contribute? Click here to send it into the show!

Be Well, Sis is hosted by Dr Cassandre Dunbar. The show is edited, mixed and produced by Megan Hayward. Our Production Manager is Kathleen Speckert.

Be Well, Sis is an editaudio collaboration.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You've been more critical of your body lately. The timeline isn't helping. And somehow it feels like the progress we made around body acceptance just... evaporated. In this solo episode, Dr. Cassandre Dunbar names exactly what's happening and delivers the big-sister conversation she always wished she'd had, from body image and hormonal changes to mood, skin, and the relationships that literally extend your life.

Drawing from personal experience, therapy, and women's health research, Dr. Cassandre gets honest about her own complicated history with her body and the lessons that took decades to learn, so you don't have to wait as long.

In this episode:

• Why diet culture is surging again and what history tells us about why women are being pushed to get smaller
• Why your body deserves reverence, not punishment, and how to start practicing that
• The truth about movement: why exercising as punishment is neither healthy nor sustainable
• Creative hobbies, flow states, and the parasympathetic nervous system connection your mental health needs
• Why building a sisterhood isn't just a nice-to-have, it's linked to women's longer life expectancy
• The 13-year-old and 83-year-old framework for making decisions you won't regret

This episode is for you if:

• You've been more critical of your body lately and can't quite pinpoint why
• You grew up exercising or restricting food as punishment and are still unlearning it
• You want practical, science-backed ways to support your mood without overhauling your life
• You're craving the kind of honest conversation an older sister would have with you

Connect with Be Well, Sis:

Instagram – @bewellsis_podcast

Substack – bewellsis.substack.com

Follow, rate, and share this episode!

We’re supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Head over to www.stjude.org/bewellsis right now and sign up to be a monthly donor. Together, we can make a real impact.

Want to get in touch? Maybe you want to hear from a certain guest or have a recommendation for On My Radar? Get in touch at [email protected] with Be Well Sis in the subject line! Have your own Not Well, Sis rant to contribute? Click here to send it into the show!

Be Well, Sis is hosted by Dr Cassandre Dunbar. The show is edited, mixed and produced by Megan Hayward. Our Production Manager is Kathleen Speckert.

Be Well, Sis is an editaudio collaboration.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Black women enter perimenopause earlier, experience more severe symptoms, and are significantly less likely to receive adequate treatment. Dr. Cassandre breaks down the research, names what so many women have been living through without language, and gives you the tools to advocate for yourself in any medical setting.

What we cover:

• Why perimenopause can start in your 30s — not just your 50s
• The symptoms most commonly misdiagnosed as stress, anxiety, or depression
• What the data says about Black women — earlier onset, more severe symptoms, and a significant treatment gap
• The connection between chronic stress, structural racism, and accelerated reproductive aging
• Fibroids, heavy bleeds, and the generational pattern nobody talks about
• What to say to your doctor and exactly which tests to ask for by name
• Why normal lab results do not rule out perimenopause

This episode is for the woman who has been dismissed. For the woman whose mother and aunties suffered through things they never had a name for. And for every Black woman who deserves to walk into a medical appointment prepared and impossible to ignore.

Episodes mentioned:

Dr Kameelah Phillips: https://youtu.be/dnwlrgtI3d0?si=L6uP1R6lH6UaCi8P

Brain Fog: https://youtu.be/uzuYgxlRJs0?si=g4zPijo3k5M42C6B

Check out https://thebewellsis.com/ for more resources!

Connect with Be Well, Sis:

Instagram – @bewellsis_podcast

Substack – bewellsis.substack.com

Follow, rate, and share this episode!

We’re supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Head over to www.stjude.org/bewellsis right now and sign up to be a monthly donor. Together, we can make a real impact.

Want to get in touch? Maybe you want to hear from a certain guest or have a recommendation for On My Radar? Get in touch at [email protected] with Be Well Sis in the subject line! Have your own Not Well, Sis rant to contribute? Click here to send it into the show!

Be Well, Sis is hosted by Dr Cassandre Dunbar. The show is edited, mixed and produced by Megan Hayward. Our Production Manager is Kathleen Speckert.

Be Well, Sis is an editaudio collaboration. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Spring reading season is here and Dr. Cassandre has your wellness reading list covered.

Five book recommendations across five categories: romance, memoirs, self-help, historical fiction, and smut. Something on this list will meet you exactly where you are.

BOOKS IN THIS EPISODE:

• Romance: You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi 
• Memoirs: The Soul Instinct by Beatrice Dixon and Worthy by Jada Pinkett Smith 
• Self-Help Stack: The Black Joy Playbook by Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts, Less is Liberation by Christine Platt, and The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor 
• Historical Fiction: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi and Some People, Some Other Place by J. California Cooper 
• Smut: Restore Me by J.L. Seegers

Shop every book from this episode in one place at the Be Well, Sis Bookshop storefront. 

Screenshot this episode and tag @bewellsis_ podcast on Instagram with what you're reading first! 

More on each book over on Substack

Connect with Be Well, Sis:

Instagram – @bewellsis_podcast

Substack – bewellsis.substack.com

Follow, rate, and share this episode!

We’re supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Head over to www.stjude.org/bewellsis right now and sign up to be a monthly donor. Together, we can make a real impact.

Want to get in touch? Maybe you want to hear from a certain guest or have a recommendation for On My Radar? Get in touch at [email protected] with Be Well Sis in the subject line! Have your own Not Well, Sis rant to contribute? Click here to send it into the show!

Be Well, Sis is hosted by Dr Cassandre Dunbar. The show is edited, mixed and produced by Megan Hayward. Our Production Manager is Kathleen Speckert.

Be Well, Sis is an editaudio collaboration. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you are navigating perimenopause and scrolling to decompress, there are two things happening at once that nobody is talking about together. This episode connects those dots WITH the research to back it up.

Dr Cassandre Dunbar dives into the impact social media is having on our brains, what that means for those of us experiencing perimenopause, and how to reverse the effects! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• What short-form content actually does to your dopamine system and why it is not a willpower problem
• The neuroscience of the scroll: theta brainwaves, the prefrontal cortex, and measurable attention decline
• Why the perimenopausal brain and the algorithm create a compounding problem
• Supplements with real research behind them for brain health during the transition
• The specific labs to ask your doctor for  because "your results look normal" is only as useful as what was actually ordered

CLICK HERE to get your free Brain Health Resource Guide with all the products and studies mentioned in this episode!

CLICK HERE to shop the supplements that I use to support my brain (and overall) wellbeing.

Connect with Be Well, Sis:

Instagram – @bewellsis_podcast

Substack – bewellsis.substack.com

Follow, rate, and share this episode!

We’re supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Head over to www.stjude.org/bewellsis right now and sign up to be a monthly donor. Together, we can make a real impact.

Want to get in touch? Maybe you want to hear from a certain guest or have a recommendation for On My Radar? Get in touch at [email protected] with Be Well Sis in the subject line! Have your own Not Well, Sis rant to contribute? Click here to send it into the show!

Be Well, Sis is hosted by Dr Cassandre Dunbar. The show is edited, mixed and produced by Megan Hayward. Our Production Manager is Kathleen Speckert.

Be Well, Sis is an editaudio collaboration.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join me for another solo chit-chat; this week we’re diving into a variety platter of all the stuff: navigating the school system with a neurodiverse child, how grief comes in many forms, and how I’m building a community right here at Be Well, Sis! 

Find the products I get ready with are here

Watch the ep on YouTube!

Connect with Be Well, Sis:

Instagram – @bewellsis_podcast

Substack – bewellsis.substack.com

Follow, rate, and share this episode!

We’re supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Head over to www.stjude.org/bewellsis right now and sign up to be a monthly donor. Together, we can make a real impact.

Want to get in touch? Maybe you want to hear from a certain guest or have a recommendation for On My Radar? Get in touch at [email protected] with Be Well Sis in the subject line! Have your own Not Well, Sis rant to contribute? Click here to send it into the show!

Be Well, Sis is hosted by Dr Cassandre Dunbar. The show is edited, mixed and produced by Megan Hayward. Our Production Manager is Kathleen Speckert.

Be Well, Sis is an editaudio collaboration.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What started out as a T-shirt (the now-viral “Well-Read Black Girl” phenomenon) followed by a book club, has since transformed into a literacy festival, a publisher imprint and an international community, all thanks to the vision of Glory Edim, founder of Well-Read Black Girl.

In today’s episode, we chat about how she turned her love of literature into a global organisation, why reading is pivotal for joy and wellness, and the one book every woman should read before turning 40.

Find out more about Glory and Well-Read Black Girl here

Connect with Be Well, Sis:

Instagram – @bewellsis_podcast

Substack – bewellsis.substack.com

Follow, rate, and share this episode!

We’re supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Head over to www.stjude.org/bewellsis right now and sign up to be a monthly donor. Together, we can make a real impact.

Want to get in touch? Maybe you want to hear from a certain guest or have a recommendation for On My Radar? Get in touch at [email protected] with Be Well Sis in the subject line! Have your own Not Well, Sis rant to contribute? Click here to send it into the show!

Be Well, Sis is hosted by Dr Cassandre Dunbar. The show is edited, mixed and produced by Megan Hayward. Our Production Manager is Kathleen Speckert.

Be Well, Sis is an editaudio collaboration.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I’m doing things a little bit differently today- join me as I get ready for the day (in my bathroom!) and talk through what’s really been on my mind the last few months.

With everything that’s going on in the world, it’s tough to celebrate the small wins- but it’s those moments of joy that keep us going and keep us showing up.

Mentioned in this episode:

- Find the products I use here

- The Coloring Book that’s bringing me joy here

This episode is a reminder to do something for yourself each and every day that brings you some joy- you deserve it!

Connect with Be Well, Sis:

Instagram – @bewellsis_podcast

Substack – bewellsis.substack.com

Follow, rate, and share this episode!

We’re supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Head over to www.stjude.org/bewellsis right now and sign up to be a monthly donor. Together, we can make a real impact.

Want to get in touch? Maybe you want to hear from a certain guest or have a recommendation for On My Radar? Get in touch at [email protected] with Be Well Sis in the subject line! Have your own Not Well, Sis rant to contribute? Click here to send it into the show!

Be Well, Sis is hosted by Dr Cassandre Dunbar. The show is edited, mixed and produced by Megan Hayward. Our Production Manager is Kathleen Speckert.

Be Well, Sis is an editaudio collaboration. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are you tired of unrealistic conversations about money?

Forget all the buzzwords around building wealth because today we’re joined by The Broke Black Girl, financial activist Dasha Kennedy for a truly candid chat about what it actually means to start off broke…

We get into:

• Dasha’s journey from the mail room to financial freedom
• The systemic barriers that shape how Black women experience money
• How to filter money advice through your own reality instead of someone else's income
• Why we’re raising our kids with a true understanding of personal finance

If you enjoyed this ep and want to know more about Dasha’s community, which provides non-traditional money management resources & strategies to women of color, you can find the Broke Black Girl facebook group here:  and purchase her book, Moving Beyond Broke, here. 

Connect with Be Well, Sis:

Instagram – @bewellsis_podcast

Substack – bewellsis.substack.com

Follow, rate, and share this episode!

We’re supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Head over to www.stjude.org/bewellsis right now and sign up to be a monthly donor. Together, we can make a real impact.

Want to get in touch? Maybe you want to hear from a certain guest or have a recommendation for On My Radar? Get in touch at [email protected] with Be Well Sis in the subject line! Have your own Not Well, Sis rant to contribute? Click here to send it into the show!

Be Well, Sis is hosted by Dr Cassandre Dunbar. The show is edited, mixed and produced by Megan Hayward. Our Production Manager is Kathleen Speckert.

Be Well, Sis is an editaudio collaboration.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.