Happy New Year! We made it to 2021...woohoo! So, blessed that we walked through 2020 together BIV family. Well, now is the time for us to fully embark on this new year. Let's take this fresh start as a way to pivot into a greater hope for what's next. Oh and there is a next for each of us! This kick off episode is one that is straight up, no chasers...okay! Our guest Cassandra Vincent, is a leadership coach, author of 'Life is Full', co-founder of the Vision + Strategy Brunch and dedicated educator who dropped so many truth nuggets that I lost count. You will need your notepad and favorite pen for this one. Cassandra gives us principles and practices for us to put into place to go to our level in 2021 on and in purpose. LISTEN...it is a full meal and you will be licking your fingers and rubbing your tummy from the lessons she brings on this episode. Some of my favs: lean into kindness and honor. Prioritize wealth building and flourishing fellowship opportunities. #playtimeisover, let's go with faith, focus and action. Stay in touch with Cassandra @cassandranvincent.co and grab her book at http://www.cassandranvincent.com/books-by-cassandra

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! We are *holly jolly* excited for this week's special episode celebrating the season and we decided to drop it a day early in honor of the holiday. Today, DeShaun Monique Stafford, founder of Calling Joy, mom, wife and Healthcare advocate give us a message of hope and joy. She reminds us that we are the gift that keeps on giving. That as we are shopping and wrapping gifts, that we be reminded of the amazing treasures we are to this world. We are good gifts that God wants to use to bring hope, joy and love. DeShaun Monique shares simples ways on how we can do that during this special time of the year. Keep up with all that DeShaun Monique is doing @DeShaun.monique and learn more about her coaching company callingjoy.com and IG @callingjoy.

"Then I realized that to be more alive, I had to be less afraid. So I did it. I lost my fear and gained my whole life." This week, Danielle DuCre` an adventure seeker, community advocate and organizer, philanthropist, and co-founder of the lifestyle brand rib+arrow, takes us on a reflective journey of saying YES to adventure. Yes to opportunities that will align us to living our most bravest lives. Danielle challenges us to find areas in our lives where we can say yes. This is a mini-episode that will have you look for adventure over fear! Keep in touch with Danielle and her adventures @sphereofdin and @ribandarrow. Also, check out her cool blog @sphereofdinblog.

So, who knew there could be a fear of stillness!?! Yet, its a real and true thing. We have been taught that the grind and hustle gets the goal, right? Well, today we are going on a journey of overcoming the fear of stillness and taking ahold of the gifts that come with it. Our guest, Javon Inman, awarding wining recording artist, husband, father and fellow go-getter challenges us to welcome in the "still monster" lol. Yep, you read that right! Its an invitation to unsubscribe to the performance curse, to shatter the pieces to get to peace. Javon gives us some incredible tips on how to move into a place of rest. This episode is just what we need. You have to check out the beautiful music and amazing work Javon is doing by following him @javoninman. Also, here's the link to his latest single https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=G2BVCTYaC_U#menu.

As we are approaching the close of 2020, many of us are still recovering from the daul pandemic of COVID and racial injustice. We've been in this dance of being safe from an invisible virus and then if you are a person of color protecting your identity and worth. The navigation of "coloring in white spaces" has become the norm for brown and black people. When among predominately white groups we may have the tendency to code switch just to fit in. Change the tone of our voice around certain colleagues or become quiet or invisible in the space. Those acts take away our identity and ability to be truly authentic. Today, it's an honor to have my sista friend and fellow storyteller Jennifer Tyler on the show. Jennifer is a champion of hope, community bridge builder and fierce entrepreneur. She joins us with a heart to get encourage black and brown people to know their worth, to stand in their most authentic selves when in spaces when you are the only one and to lean into community as a form of soul care. This episode comes at an ideal time as we close this year out in reflection and owning our truth. Jennifer has her hands so many amazing initiatives and causes, stay in touch with her @Jenniferlucytyler and www.jenniferlucytyler.com.

Hey Ya'll! I had to stop by and share a little thanksgiving. So, 2020 definitely has come with it losses, crazy and "what just happened" moments, yet it has also come with so many beautiful surprises and blessings. One for sure has been this platform...this podcast! Wow, this space has been an Incubator for hope, faith, community and encouragement. I'm forever grateful to the guests that showed up and shared their brave stories! Kept us sane, laughing and encouraged through this pandemic! Yep, I had to take a moment to say, I'm grateful💛

" When you modify, you are literally and figuratively standing up for yourself; you're building the muscle of looking inside and asking for what you need right now." When we experience unprecedented events in our lives, they become the markers of where redefining begins. We start to look at our purpose and see the areas that require a change. On the podcast today, my beautiful niece, Ashlee Tate, who is a Strategic Communications Consultant and self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur shares with us how the pandemic and the death of George Floyd pushed her into a journey of redefining her purpose. Ashlee comes raw and with a spirit of vulnerability and transparency in this episode. Throughout she drops truth nuggets and challenges us to do the work to modify, pivot and redefine! Ashlee is also the founder of LaunchPad 4 Kids, Inc., as well as creator and co-host of a local television show in the Redding, CA PBS station. Follow Ashlee @thesocialifediaries and to learn more about all she is doing check out smart.bio/thesocialifediaries.

What does surrender look like to you? For me it's allowing space for failure, owning that being a limited edition could look weird to some, trusting God's plans for my life greater than my own, blooming even in midst of struggle and redefining what womanhood and sensuality look like for me. I'm forever grateful for the gift of surrendering and today I invite you to join me on a journey of letting go. Today's guest Shakirah Hill Taylor, social advocate, author, wife and dope sista friend will be unwrapping the secrets to surrendering. Shakirah takes us on a beautiful journey of acceptance and letting go! Grab your notebook and pen and open your heart to what this episode is going to bring. Stay in touch with Shakirah on @the_dope_doula and grab her book Until My Surrender: A Story of Love, Loss and Letting Go, available at Amazon.com.

We are back! During this time of reflection, recharging and stillness, alot of self-talk happened. I was reminded again of how necessary affirmations and declarations are to self-love. What you say to yourself really matters! So, I had to ask my sista friend, fellow visionary and #confidencebuilder to the podcast! Our guest Celi Dean-Toure is founder of ELLE EST FIERCE, author of Her Declarations and Her Game Strategy is Prayer journal and she brings all of her fierceness to this episode. Celi takes us on a journey of practicing self-love through the gift of self-talk. She gives us 5 icredible gems on how we can implement this practice into our daily lives and yes she throws in a challenge or two to keep us on our game. Grab your note pads because you don't want to miss a single nugget from this episode! Stay in touch with Celi by following her at @celimariedeantoure and @elleestfierce. To grab a copy of her ebook and prayer journal, go to www.lnk.bio/celimariedean.

"There's no place like home, there's no place like home." Dorothy was right! There definitely is no place like the steadiness and comfort of "home" which is not a building but a place of being. Today's guest is Ericka Oakely, veteran, wife, entrepreneur and #MUA queen. Ericka gives us a beautiful vulnerable moment as she shares her journey through inner healing. It challenges and reminds us that we should never discount the investment in our mental, emotional and spiritual health. That investment helps us find our way and to build harmony in our relationships as well. This mini-episode is full of real and relevant nuggets that encourages us to do the inner work that gets us from the thought of sick and tired to one of Ericka's favorite mantras, " the best is yet to come."