Let's Talk About Shhh(it)!

Once upon a time Hillary found out she was pregnant. In true Hillary fashion, although not expecting this big news at this current point in her life, she welcomed this spontaneous gift. Cue her routine sonogram when she discovered not one, but THREE babies chilling in her womb! Hillary is now raising 3 black boys at the same time in today's racially unstable & unequal America. This is just one part of the many missions that Hillary is dedicated to on her journey through life. This doula, yoga teacher, dancer with a background in holistic health & a degree in communications, is on a mission to focus the world on the importance of POC health education. Why? Because we are DYING at much higher rates! FACT. Let that sink in & come on in to learn more. Mmk? Mmk! Gday. TODAY'S TRIVIA: TRIPLES

https://www.hillarylopes.com

https://www.instagram.com/everyones_mama_/

https://www.instagram.com/blackswell_birth/

Do you ever feel like you are "too much" for people? What if we took that thought & flipped it? What if our new stance was that others may just "not be enough"? Today I share a story I wrote a few years ago inspired by my summer at the beach. My friend Denis & I would contemplate life each evening as we sat by the bay & watched the sunset. It was here that I thought to myself, "What if the Sun & the Moon were in love? What would that look like?" Well come on in & hear my take on that.... #NeverDimYourLightForANYONE

We've been in the land of COVID for about a year & life STILL feels quite Topsy-Turvey! Conversations around mental health are FINALLY coming to the forefront of our daily priorities. If it hasn't yet for you, I highly recommend you make that a focus. I believe in order to survive, self care should not be an option. It should be a necessity. Today I speak with Dr. Jen; a nationally recognized child, adolescent & family psychologist based in NYC. Jen is a frequent contributor on NBC's The Today Show & a core expert on The Dr. Oz Show. Dr. Jen is also the author of Princess Recovery: A How-To Guide to Raising Strong Empowered Girls Who Can Create Their Own Happily Ever Afters. Yeah, She's a badass! Come on in & listen as Jen takes us on an educational journey, offering best practices & tools to help us keep it movin. Parents, she also offers you some hot pockets of wisdom in this time of extreme societal exhaustion. Mmk? Mmk! Gday. TODAY'S TRIVIA: 80s MUSIC, NAME THAT TUNE!

Order Jen's book here: https://amzn.to/3dcBqJy

As we head into Valentine's Day tomorrow, I wanted to take a moment to call out a type of love in our on lives that can for most people, often go unspoken. The love of & for our pets. Today I dedicate this episode to the memory of our family dog Milo, named after the Disney film Milo & Otis (yes I know Milo was the cat, I tried to tell my mom that). Milo left us right after the New Year & he gave our family over 12yrs of licks, sniffs & cuddles, even when we didn't want them. Thank you for your unconditional love you little beaver bear, according to my brother he looked like a cross between a beaver & a baby bear. We raise a glass to ye Milo Johnson (yes I am aware that his name is VERY close to mine, something I also tried to tell me mom lol). #LoveISAllAroundUs

Anyone who knows me well, knows about my interest in (OBSESSION) with digestion & ultimately the schedule of my poop life. As someone who grew up with personal waste managment challenges, I went on a joureny to remedy that as soon as I realized how important it was for my health. Studies show that as human, we often hold stress in different parts of our bodies. These stressors can ooften affect the function of that body part. My personal woes & anxieties have always effected my gut. Let's literally talk about SHIT y'all! Come on in & learn about about my daily cleansing tools, my thoughts on gut health & the time(s) I pooped my pants on my journey to belly nirvana. #EverybodyPoopsSoGetOverIt

It is no secret that we live in a society obsessed with body image. Over Christmas I was FEELING MYSELF. I had been on a pretty consistent workout regime, paired with a healthy well balanced diet & daily evening stretches. I felt strong & confident, that is until I saw a picture of myself enjoying the holidays & then... I stepped onto a scale. My heart sank... FAST! I went into a spiral as that former husky department segregated child was immediately transported to December 2020. As a NYer who was walking on average about 3 to 5 miles a day pre-pandemic, my body has begun to catch up. Throw in aging and I just wasn't ready for that beeping number staring back at me. What if we could throw every scale away & pay attention to what some say really matters, the way our body truly & authentically feels. Guess what?!? WE CAN! In our interview, Ms. Emilie Battle helped me see that. That the beeping number staring at me from that demonic tool of self inflicting judgement & shame, that MF scale, had no power over me. Throwing off the projected desire to look a certain way & starting to reprogram ourselves to pay attention to how we FEEL, is what Battle Body is all about. Well boom, Ah ha moment, no more scales for me. I mean it takes more obvs, but as Whitney & TGIF once preached, it's "step by step, day by day" that makes change happen. Come on in & learn more. Mmk? Mmk! Gday. TODAY'S TRIVIA: MUSICAL THEATER

As someone who has worked in the customer service industry for almost 25yrs, I have a PSA to share. Somewhere in time there was an expectation created that the "cusotmer is always right". I am sorry (that I am not sorry) to say, I do not believe this to be correct. What I believe & train on is that the customer always deserve to get what IS right. In this heightened time of emotions during our current climate, the customer service industry has often defaulted to society's whipping post. I challenge you as consumers to think about the other side of the coin today. Don't understand the difference? Come on in & learn more. #CustomerServicePeopleAreHumanToo

Meet Rad! Join us as we discuss his journey from that timid little boy from the boogie down Bronx to rising fitness star leading the masses with the intention of community & connection. In my experience, it is not often you meet a leader in the fitness community who actually gets the purpose of their mission. The boutique fitness world is over saturated with privilege. That is a fact. I mean, who else can afford it (insert your favorite Bernie in gloves meme)? I often find the best leaders are people who start from the foundation of an organization or craft & work their way up through the ranks with diligence & hard work. I believe struggle often makes the best leaders. Rad started as a maintenance team member at a NYC gym & now leads a multitude of people on their fitness journeys. In my observations, I have seen a pattern when it comes to "rising to the top". With increased power, we can often see an increase in unnecessary ego & a detachment from the original mission. Rad understand the importance of human connection & individual empowerment. He also understands the importance of using your voice & platform as a mouthpiece for change. Come in & meet my guy, Radicheeeeeeeell Lopez. Mmk? Mmk! Gday. TODAY'S TRIVIA: WHAT HAPPENED IN 1991 (THE YEAR OF THE GOAT)?

Clean out yo' shiiiiiiiiiit. The minimalistic approach is always my intention. We live in a consumeristically focused world where we seem stuck in a constant battle between buying and selling. It seems to be at the crux of what people deem as power. We as a human race have become collector, collectors of nouns (people, places & what most deem THINGS). What I want to encourage you to really think about today is: What you have? Why you have it & most importantly, DO YOU NEED IT? We all have a little bit of hoarder in our spirit. This hoarding comes from the fear that we will eventual run out, and that we must be on top if and when that happens. Well as a reminder y'all, the universe is abundant, so if it no longer sparks joy, emotionally &/or physically #MarieCondoThatShit theminimalists.com amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/1607747308/

Eileen and I met almost 20 years ago when we were performing at the Hershey Park Christmas show. Yup you heard it right! Join us as we regale our holiday adventures, our commitment to accenting in red, our transitions into other directions and most importantly our continued friendship full of laughter. Today's conversation is my first real look at the very important and stigmatized conversation around miscarriages and IVF. As I head into my middle life years, I've noticed many people in my life have had issues and are suffering from the ability to easily conceive. This is a very normal and horribly stigmatized conversation. Join Eileen and I as she walks us through the emotions of 2 years of miscarriages (7 of them), one round of IVF (producing only 1 viable egg) and miraculously, the birth of her amazing daughter (in a pandemic) little Miss Livie Liz. NOTE: Livie Liz is one of the sweetest faces I have ever seen and her social media antics are often the highlight in my collection of daily joy. Come on in friends & learn more. Mmk?Mmk! Gday.