This week Skye and Amanda read How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams, a romance novel about how a daring to-do list and a crash course in flirtation turns a Type A overachiever’s world upside down. The book leads to a conversation about that first stage of dating and the two talk about what type of flirt they each are (or aren’t). Hear what the ladies consider to be good flirting and what they don’t suggest people do when approaching someone of interest. 

Find out how the residue of a past relationship has impacted Skye when it came to getting back out into dating again and the lessons that she took from Shan Boody’s The Game of Desire,  about stepping out of your comfort zone when flirting and looking at dating as an experiment to find what best works for you. 

Books mentioned in this week’s episode are linked to our Bookshop.org shop* 

• How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams 
• The Game of Desire: 5 Surprising Secrets to Dating with Dominance-- and Getting What You Want by Shannon Boodram

This week’s ‘Bout That Action! highlight is: Black Scholarship
Follow @blacksyllabus on Instagram and apply or donate to their goal of funding scholarships for up to 5 Black students for the Spring semester. 

Check out what Skye & Amanda have been loving this week: 

• The Harder They Fall on Netflix
• Horror Noire on Shudder 

Check out this episode’s Book EP for Amanda’s Big Flirt Energy playlist 

Support Long Story Short and Local Bookstores:
Libro.FM - get two audiobooks for the price of one when you use the code LSSPODCAST when signing up for your first month of membership. 

Long Story Short Hotline: (646) 543-6232

Follow us online:

Instagram: @LongStoryShortPod
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*Purchasing books through Bookshop.org earns Long Story Short a small commission.

This week Skye & Amanda read Solving the Procrastination Puzzle: A Concise Guide to Strategies for Change by Timothy Pychyl and discuss what it looks like to avoid tasks for the sake of avoiding negative emotions. From sending emails at work, to writing essays for school, to washing dishes, to having difficult conversations and spending money, the ladies admit to the ways that they each find themselves ​​procrastinating the most and why. 

Listen in to hear the hosts break down different types of procrastination scenarios and the ways that Pychyl suggests we combat the urge to put things off. Learn how future forecasting with delays like “I’ll get to it later” or “I’ll feel more like it next week” rarely ever works, how emotional intelligence and personality type are tied to procrastination and the importance of allocating willpower to what matters.

It’s time to get started! 

Books mentioned in this week’s episode are linked to our Bookshop.org shop* 

This week’s ‘Bout That Action! highlight is: Essence Wellness House 

RSVP to join their next free virtual event, The Mental Health Edition: You are What You Think: Managing Your Mental Health on Thursday, Nov 11th 7-9pm

Check out what Skye & Amanda have been loving this week:
Harry’s Daughter Restaurant in Jersey City
Casamigos Casa Colada Cocktail Mixer and Red Chile Salt Rimmer 
Well Read Black Girl Festival 
Sex Love & Goop TV Series on Netflix
Soul Food the Movie on Amazon Prime

Check out this episode’s Book EP for Amanda’s ‘Done Procrastinating, Time to Hit The Gym’ playlist 

Support Long Story Short and Local Bookstores: 

Libro.FM - get two audiobooks for the price of one when you use the code LSSPODCAST when signing up for your first month of membership. 

Long Story Short Hotline: (646) 543-6232

Follow us online:

Instagram: @LongStoryShortPod

Twitter: @LSSpodcast

Facebook: @LongStoryShortPod

Email: [email protected]

*Purchasing books through Bookshop.org earns Long Story Short a small commission.

In honor of Spooky Season, Skye & Amanda read the horror anthology, Black Magic Women: Terrifying Tales by Scary Sisters. From magical dolls to flesh eating bees to birth control with abnormal side effects to witches and vampires, the two discuss some of their favorite stories from the book and think about what they would do if faced with horror-like situations.

Hear their thoughts on Black Magic and how far each of them are willing to go with potions and spells. Amanda opens up about an experience she had with an ancestor and Skye tells us about that time her toy did a little more than it was supposed to. Find out what role each of the ladies would play in a zombie apocalypse and why vampire life ain't the move for either of them.

Books mentioned in this week’s episode are linked to our Bookshop.org shop* 

Black Magic Women: Terrifying Tales by Scary Sisters Edited by Sumika Saulson 

This week’s ‘Bout That Action! highlight is: Arianna Elizabeth 
Subscribe to Arianna Elizabeth’s youtube channel and get access to free yoga and meditation practices.

Check out what Skye & Amanda have been loving this week: 

Insecure TV series on HBO
Insecuritea Podcast 

Support Long Story Short and Local Bookstores: 

Libro.FM - get two audiobooks for the price of one when you use the code LSSPODCAST when signing up for your first month of membership. 

Long Story Short Hotline: (646) 543-6232

Follow us online:

Instagram: @LongStoryShortPod
Twitter: @LSSpodcast
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Email: [email protected]

*Purchasing books through Bookshop.org earns Long Story Short a small commission.

Skye & Amanda read Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted Word by author and professor, Cal Newport and discuss what productivity can look like when we go into a state of distraction-free concentration that pushes our cognitive capabilities to their limit. 

The two break down Newport’s theory on deep work vs shallow work and how much of our time is taken away from the focus we need to take us, our passions, skills and careers to the next level. They each reflect on where they struggle when it comes to focusing their attention and time into one task and how the book is shifting their thinking and plans for their calendars. 

Listen in to learn about the methods of deep work and what is needed to build a realistic plan that you can ritualize and sustain.

Books mentioned in this week’s episode are linked to our Bookshop.org shop*
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted Word by Cal Newport 

This week’s ‘Bout That Action! highlight is: Well Read Black Girl 
Follow @wellreadblackgirl on IG and get your tickets to this year’s virtual Well Read Black Girl Festival, taking place online 10/26-10/30

Check out what Skye & Amanda have been loving this week: 

• In Treatment TV series on HBO 
• Netflix announcement of Book Club and social series “But Have You Read the Book?”
• Food52 Brown Butter Blondies

Support Long Story Short and Local Bookstores: 

Libro.FM - get two audiobooks for the price of one when you use the code LSSPODCAST when signing up for your first month of membership. 

Long Story Short Hotline: (646) 543-6232

Follow us online:

Instagram: @LongStoryShortPod

Twitter: @LSSpodcast
Facebook: @LongStoryShortPod
Email: [email protected]

*Purchasing books through Bookshop.org earns Long Story Short a small commission.

This week Skye & Amanda read a Psychology Today article by Juliana Breines, “Self-Compassion vs. Letting Yourself Off the Hook”. The two define self compassion and discuss where they were with it prior to reading. They open up about what areas they see that they can make improvements with how much grace they give themselves. 

Together the ladies run through the four questions that Breines suggests we ask ourselves if we’re unsure whether we are being genuinely self compassionate or just letting ourselves off easy.

Skye talks about how hearing and receiving what other people think of her has positively impacted how she sees herself. Amanda talks about how she’s bringing self compassion into her career and what grief has taught her about common humanity. 

Books mentioned in this week’s episode are linked to our Bookshop.org shop* 

• Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristen Neff
• Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown

Articles mentions in this week’s episode:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-love-and-war/202006/self-compassion-vs-letting-yourself-the-hook

This week’s ‘Bout That Action! highlight is: NoName Book Club & Radical Hood Library 

Follow @book.clubhq on IG and stop by the library’s Los Angeles location

Support Long Story Short and Local Bookstores: 

Libro.FM - get two audiobooks for the price of one when you use the code LSSPODCAST when signing up for your first month of membership. 

Long Story Short Hotline: (646) 543-6232

Follow us online:

Instagram: @LongStoryShortPod
Twitter: @LSSpodcast
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Email: [email protected]

*Purchasing books through Bookshop.org earns Long Story Short a small commission.

Skye & Amanda are back with a part two to their professional development discussion. After going through the upsetting stats that make it very clear where Black women fall in the pay wage gap, they revisit Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You’ll Love by Kimberly B. Cummings and dive into her chapters on advocating for yourself and negotiating your salary. 

The two open up about their experiences or lack thereof with asking for more in the workplace. Skye talks about why she’s never negotiated or asked for a raise until now and tells us about learning the difference in pay between her and her male counterpart. Amanda shares what her worries were with negotiating after switching industries and how past companies have handled her request for an increase in pay. 

The ladies break down Cumming’s three step process to negotiating a salary during the interview process or asking for a raise once you’re in the position: assessing our value as a professional, understanding the value of the role & benefits and having a strategy to approach the conversation. 

Books mentioned in this week’s episode are linked to our Bookshop.org shop*
Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You’ll Love by Kimberly B. Cummings 

Articles mentions in this week’s episode:

• Be willing to walk away
• Business Coach Offers Tips

This week’s ‘Bout That Action! highlight is: Trae of Blk Book Swap
Follow @blkbookswap on IG and join her Book Swap on Saturday, 10/16 at Cafe Con Libros, 12-4pm

Check out what Amanda’s Black Women Boss Shit podcast recommendations:

• Myleik Teele’s Podcast 
• Side Hustle Pro
• Your Next Move Podcast 
• Professional Troublemaker 
• Girl CEO Podcast 
• Brown Ambition
• Journey to Launch 

Long Story Short Hotline: (646) 543-6232
Follow us online:
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Twitter: @LSSpodcast
Facebook: @LongStoryShortPod
Email: [email protected]

*Purchasing books through Bookshop.org earns Long Story Short a small commission.

After reading Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You’ll Love by Kimberly B. Cummings, Skye and Amanda are discussing their own professional development. In the book, Cummings uses her years of experience as a former career development advisor to guide readers toward utilizing their highest potential, skills and passion to strategically ensure success in their careers. 

With such different experiences, both ladies open up about the journeys of their career up until now and how this book is helping them prepare for the future. Skye reflects on how much she has been pouring into her growth in the workplace lately and what needs to change. Amanda shares what contributed to the success of her recent career transition and how she’s now thinking about what true leadership looks like.

Books mentioned in this week’s episode are linked to our Bookshop.org shop*
Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You’ll Love by Kimberly B. Cummings 

This week’s ‘Bout That Action! highlight is: The Afro Latin Diaspora
Follow @theafrolatindiaspora to learn about and celebrate Afro Latinx culture and history.                

Check out what Skye & Amanda have been loving this week: 

James Clear’s 3-2-1 Newsletter 
Skylar Marshai Sunday Special Sauce Newsletter
Courtney aka @blkgirlgrnthumb and her ‘Sneakers and Plants’ Photo Series. Shop her ‘I Rap to My Plants’ merch.

Support Long Story Short and Local Bookstores:
Libro.FM - get two audiobooks for the price of one when you use the code LSSPODCAST when signing up for your first month of membership. 

Long Story Short Hotline: (646) 543-6232

Follow us online:

Instagram: @LongStoryShortPod
Twitter: @LSSpodcast
Facebook: @LongStoryShortPod
Email: [email protected]

*Purchasing books through Bookshop.org earns Long Story Short a small commission.

This week the ladies switch it up, as Amanda goes into the book talk blind. She listens as Skye reads a true crime article from Vanity Fair. “The Body in Room 348” tells the story of Greg Fleniken, a middle-aged popular gas and oil man who is found dead in his room at the Eleganté Hotel in Houston Texas. Detectives have no explanation for Fleniken’s bizarre death or who would want to harm him.

Listen along to hear Amanda’s ever-changing predictions and make some predictions of your own. Stay until the end to find out who is the culprit and see if you were able to crack the case. 

This week’s ‘Bout That Action! highlight is: Outdoor Afro

Follow Outdoor Afro on IG @outdoorafro & check out their website to find local meet ups and get into some outdoor activities in your area.

Check out what Skye & Amanda have been loving this week:
Ida’s Bookshop 
BESPOKE Plant Shop
Sex Education on Netflix
The Ms. Pat Show on BET+

Support Long Story Short and Local Bookstores: 

Libro.FM - get two audiobooks for the price of one when you use the code LSSPODCAST when signing up for your first month of membership. 

Long Story Short Hotline: (646) 543-6232

Follow us online:
Instagram: @LongStoryShortPod
Twitter: @LSSpodcast
Facebook: @LongStoryShortPod
Email: [email protected]

*Purchasing books through Bookshop.org earns Long Story Short a small commission.

Skye and Amanda are both experiencing burn out, so they thought it would be the perfect time to read Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily & Amelia Nagowski. The book breaks down the stress cycle and the scientific importance of dealing with your stress as a separate process from dealing with the things that cause your stress. 

Listen in as the ladies define the stress cycle, break down the difference between stress and our stressors and talk about how burnout usually shows up in each of their bodies. 

From physical activity to guilt-free rest to social interaction to shifts in mindset to giving the patriarchy the middle finger, Skye and Amanda discuss how they previously related to or are now considering each of the strategies that Emily & Amelia suggest completing the stress cycle.

Books mentioned in this week’s episode are linked to our Bookshop.org shop* 

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily & Amelia Nagowski 

Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley by Timothy White 

This week’s ‘Bout That Action! highlight is: Maya Cade of Black Film Archive 
Check out the website for links to where you can watch Black films made from 1915 to 1979

Check out this episode’s Book EP for Amanda’s feel good playlist                           

Check out what Skye & Amanda have been loving this week: 

Clickbait on Netflix 

Two or Three Things I Know About Her on HBO Max 

Support Long Story Short and Local Bookstores: 

Libro.FM - get two audiobooks for the price of one when you use the code LSSPODCAST when signing up for your first month of membership. 

Long Story Short Hotline: (646) 543-6232

Follow us online:

Instagram: @LongStoryShortPod
Twitter: @LSSpodcast
Facebook: @LongStoryShortPod
Email: [email protected]

*Purchasing books through Bookshop.org earns Long Story Short a small commission.

This week Skye & Amanda take a break from reading altogether and have a much-needed shoot the shit session. Listen in as the two have random conversations ranging from check-ins, first loves, and favorite summer moments. And in true Long Story Short fashion, the conversation leads back to a book they have discussed to tie their discussion in. 

Tune in to hear the ladies compare their “Before 40” bucket list. Hear who has a revelation on their goals and which one of the ladies plans to take the next steps to complete a goal.                          

Check out what Skye & Amanda have been loving this week: 

The Skin Deep YouTube Videos & Decks

Support Long Story Short and Local Bookstores: 

Libro.FM - get two audiobooks for the price of one when you use the code LSSPODCAST when signing up for your first month of membership. 

Long Story Short Hotline: (646) 543-6232

Follow us online:
Instagram: @LongStoryShortPod
Twitter: @LSSpodcast
Facebook: @LongStoryShortPod
Email: [email protected]

*Purchasing books through Bookshop.org earns Long Story Short a small commission.