In the season finale of Check My Vibe, host Smit turns the mic inward for the most personal episode yet. After a season exploring friendship, community, and the unspoken truths behind “I’m good,” this episode is a raw reflection on loneliness, emotional isolation, and the messy, beautiful work of showing up for yourself.

From navigating the paradox of being digitally connected but emotionally unseen, to the daily work of managing mental health, setting boundaries, and redefining what it means to truly "check your vibe"—Smit shares honest insights, personal stories, and listener reflections from a season of growth.

This episode is for anyone who's ever scrolled for hours and still felt invisible. Anyone who’s learning to sit with themselves, ask better questions, and build quieter but deeper connections.

🧠 Topics Covered:

• The emotional cost of social media and overstimulation

• How therapy and self-check-ins changed Jalen’s life

• Learning to set boundaries—with people, perfectionism, and your phone

• Redefining “Check Your Vibe” as a daily practice of self-honesty and care

• A heartfelt thank-you to the listeners and a teaser for what’s next in Season 2

🎧 Final prompt: “What’s one thing that helps you feel seen—not followed, not liked—just seen?”

💬 Stay connected, send a voice note, and follow the journey on Instagram and Twitter for updates on Season 2.

🙏 Whether you tuned in once or every week, thank you for being here. Keep checking in—with your people, your healing, your heart. And always…check your vibe.

Not all families are made by blood—and some of the deepest, most powerful connections we form are the ones we choose. In this episode of Check My Vibe, host Jalen Smith is joined by his cousin and chosen brother, Randall Smith, for a heartfelt conversation on the beauty, depth, and necessity of chosen family.

Together, they explore how queer folks, creatives, and those navigating survival often build family from scratch—through shared experiences, deep loyalty, and unwavering care. From personal stories to cultural context, this episode honors the legacy of chosen families as lifelines in queer communities and celebrates the joy of defining family on your own terms.

Whether you’ve found your chosen family or you’re still building it, this one’s for you.

💬 Topics Include:

• The meaning of chosen family

• Queer history & survival through community

• Creating new traditions and safe spaces

• How to recognize & nurture chosen bonds

• Personal reflections from Jalen & Randall on love, brotherhood, and showing up

📩 Listener Prompt:
Who in your life feels like chosen family? What have they taught you about love, safety, or belonging? DM or voice message us—we’d love to hear your story.

🎧 Stay tuned for the season finale next week on belonging—and how to create spaces where you truly matter.

Real friendship takes work—and in this episode, we get honest about what that really means.

Host Smit is joined by longtime friend and educator Nina Felton to explore the emotional labor behind sustaining friendships. From managing awkward conversations and unmet expectations to navigating one-sided effort and growing apart, they unpack why friendship isn't always effortless—and why it shouldn’t be.

Together, they dig into:
💬 The myth of “easy” friendships
🔄 The real maintenance behind staying connected
🧨 The uncomfortable truth about letdowns and boundaries
⚖️ How to tell when it’s worth fighting for—and when it’s time to let go

Whether you're feeling distant from your people or wondering if you're being a good friend yourself, this episode is a warm, reflective check-in on what it really means to show up.

Prompt for listeners:
What’s one friendship in your life that’s taken real effort—but was worth it? Or one you had to let go of to protect your peace?

Sometimes, the hardest kind of loneliness is the one that happens when you're not actually alone. In this episode, we explore what it means to feel invisible in a room full of people—at parties, with family, at work, or even online.

Smit shares a personal story, and a special guest, K. Bolden, opens up about their own experience with this quiet kind of disconnection.

Together, we unpack why this happens, what keeps us from speaking up, and how to find real connection in the noise. If you've ever felt isolated in a crowd, this one’s for you.

💬🎧 Listener prompt:

💬Have you ever been surrounded by people and still felt completely alone? What was that like for you?”

What does community actually mean when you’re grown, busy, and still figuring out who really sees you?

In this reflective and real second episode, I sit down with my good friend Quintonn—someone who’s become an unexpected but essential part of my core community—to unpack what community looks and feels like in adulthood. We talk about the difference between surface-level connection and the deep stuff, how COVID shifted everything we thought we had, and why some friendships feel like going through the motions, while others feel like home.

We also dive into:

• What we were taught about friendship vs. what we’ve learned the hard way
  

• The people who surprised us by showing up in ways we didn’t expect
  

• What it takes to actually build (or rebuild) real community as an adult
  

• Honest tips for creating connection without forcing it
  

Whether you’re searching for your people, rethinking who’s really in your corner, or wondering how to start again—it’s all here. This one’s for anyone who’s felt the difference between fitting in and truly belonging.

Listener Prompt:

💬 What does real community feel like to you?

Welcome to the first episode of Check My Vibe—a space for honest conversations about connection, loneliness, and all the feelings we usually keep to ourselves. In this solo episode, I’m sharing the story of one Sunday night that started with solo plans and ended in a spiral of overthinking, frustration, and that deep, aching question: Do I really have people I can turn to?

If you’ve ever felt disconnected in a room full of people—or caught yourself wondering why it’s so hard to just feel okay—this one’s for you. I’ll unpack what this moment taught me about emotional needs, silent loneliness, and what helps when connection feels out of reach.

🎧 Take a breath, press play, and let’s talk about the stuff behind “I’m good.”
💌 Send in your voice notes or reflections—your story matters here.