Becoming a mother at 17 changed everything Thalishka Fuentes thought her life was supposed to look like.

From being removed from school after becoming pregnant, to rebuilding her life after Hurricane Maria, losing her mom, navigating grief, and eventually embracing her identity and creating a family that feels true to her, Thalishka’s story is one of learning that life doesn’t have to follow the plan to still become something beautiful.

In this episode of Permission, Morgan sits down with Thalishka for an honest conversation about motherhood, grief, sexuality, family, and what happens when you finally stop believing you have to be the strong one all the time.

You’ll hear about: • Becoming a teen mom at 17 and how motherhood changed the direction of her life • Being removed from school after becoming pregnant and finding another path forward • Moving from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and starting over • Losing her mom and learning to live with grief that never completely disappears • Coming into her queer identity and choosing a life that feels authentic to her • Raising daughters who feel safe expressing exactly who they are • Building a blended family rooted in love rather than traditional expectations • Why being “the strong one” can become its own kind of survival mode

This is an episode about realizing that strength doesn’t always mean holding everything together.

About accepting that motherhood can be beautiful and exhausting, grief and gratitude can exist together, and the life you build may look completely different from the one you originally imagined.

About giving yourself permission to stop performing strength and start allowing yourself to be human.

Key takeaways: • Your life doesn’t have to follow the timeline you imagined to still become beautiful • Breaking generational patterns can coexist with honoring where you came from • Grief doesn’t disappear just because time has passed • Family can be built around love, safety, and authenticity • Being vulnerable doesn’t make you weak • Sometimes the strongest thing you can say is, “I can’t do this today”

I hope this conversation reminds you that you don’t have to carry everything gracefully to prove how strong you are.

You’re allowed to grieve. You’re allowed to change. You’re allowed to build a life that looks different than what you were taught it should look like.

And most importantly, you’re allowed to put the cape down sometimes.

There was a time when I thought loving someone meant staying.

Staying patient. Staying understanding. Giving another chance. Trying harder. Making it work.

But as I’ve grown, I’ve realized that love and loyalty aren’t always the same thing. Sometimes loving yourself means getting honest about what a relationship, friendship, or connection is actually costing you.

In this episode of Permission, I’m talking about what happens when your relationships start evolving alongside you, and why having standards doesn’t mean you love people any less.

I’m also sharing a personal friendship breakup that taught me about boundaries, communication, and how our choices can impact the people we love, even when our intentions are good.

You’ll hear about:
• Why loyalty doesn’t have to mean staying no matter what
• How growth can change friendships and romantic relationships
• What losing a close friendship taught me about boundaries
• Learning to consider how your choices impact the people you love
• Why uncertainty and constant questioning shouldn’t be confused with love
• The difference between an ultimatum and a standard
• Why you shouldn’t have to beg someone for consistency

This is an episode about learning yourself deeply enough to recognize what love actually feels like for you.

About honoring your boundaries while respecting someone else’s.

And about realizing that sometimes the most loving thing you can do is stop waiting for a relationship to become something it isn’t.

Key takeaways:
• Loving someone doesn’t automatically mean you have to stay
• Boundaries can reveal where communication needs to grow
• Your standards are allowed to evolve as you do
• Healthy relationships require consideration from both people
• You shouldn’t have to convince someone to choose you
• Love and waiting are not the same thing

If you’ve been holding onto a relationship, friendship, or connection hoping it will eventually become what you need, ask yourself:

Does this actually feel like love, or does it feel like waiting?

Because you’re allowed to love deeply and still have standards for how you’re loved in return.

Let’sConnect:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/morgancarringtonburton/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/permissionpodcast_/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thewlwcollective⁠⁠⁠

What if success isn't about working harder... but about becoming safer to receive everything you've been asking for?

In this deeply honest conversation, Morgan sits down with business strategist, manifestation expert, and founder of The Tapping School, Jessica Tellian, to unpack what it really takes to build a life and business that feels aligned.

Together, they explore everything from ADHD diagnoses and limiting beliefs to nervous system regulation, manifestation, entrepreneurship, healing, self-worth, friendship breakups, and what happens when women stop trying to earn their success through burnout.

This isn't a conversation about hustle.

It's a conversation about becoming.

If you've ever questioned your worth, struggled with self-sabotage, felt stuck in survival mode, or wondered why success still doesn't feel fulfilling, this episode will challenge the way you think about growth.

• Why healing isn't complete without action

• The difference between ambition and self-abandonment

• How nervous system regulation affects your success

• Why manifestation is more than journaling and vision boards

• The hidden ways self-sabotage shows up in business

• Growing a business without living in survival mode

• Rebuilding friendships after conflict and choosing reconnection

• Why authenticity creates magnetism online and in life

• The relationship between self-trust and consistency

• How childhood labels shape adult confidence

• Why boundaries, slowing down, and joy are business strategies

• Letting go of society's definition of success

• Building a business that supports your life instead of consuming it

"Abundance is your birthright."

"You don't need more healing. You need more action."

"Authenticity is what makes people magnetic."

"You're manifesting twenty-four hours a day, whether you realize it or not."

"Sometimes the biggest breakthrough is allowing yourself to receive."

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a woman who's ready to stop surviving and start creating a life that actually feels like hers.

In this episode we discuss:Memorable Moments

How much of your life is built on beliefs you actually chose?

From childhood, we're handed invisible rules about success, relationships, gender roles, healing, and what a "good life" is supposed to look like. Most of us never stop to ask if those beliefs are truly ours.

In this solo episode of Permission, Morgan explores what happens when you begin questioning the expectations you've inherited and start building a life based on your own truth. Drawing from her experience in a queer relationship, she shares how challenging traditional gender roles opened the door to living more intentionally, loving more authentically, and letting go of the need for external validation.

You'll hear about:

• The invisible rules we inherit without realizing it

• Why questioning your beliefs is a powerful act of self-discovery

• How traditional gender roles shaped Morgan's perspective on relationships

• The freedom that comes from choosing your own values

• Why living authentically often means making others uncomfortable

• How to stop following scripts that were never meant for you

This episode is an invitation to pause before accepting the life you've been told you should live. Because your greatest freedom begins when you decide what you actually believe.

Key Takeaways:

• Not every belief you've inherited deserves to be carried forward.

• Questioning your worldview isn't rebellion. It's growth.

• Healthy relationships are built on partnership, not prescribed roles.

• You don't need external validation to live an authentic life.

• The life that's right for you may not look like anyone else's, and that's okay.

I hope this conversation reminds you that you don't have to keep living by rules you never agreed to. You have permission to question, to unlearn, and to create a life that feels honest to who you are.

Because Permission isn't about becoming someone different. It's about returning to yourself.

Let’sConnect:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/morgancarringtonburton/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/permissionpodcast_/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thewlwcollective⁠⁠

We’re often told to pick one path, one identity, one version of success. But what if you were never meant to fit into just one box?

In this episode of Permission, Morgan sits down with Oyefunke Fayoyin to explore what it really means to build a life that honors every part of who you are. As both a Chief Information Security Officer in cybersecurity and the founder of a thriving beauty salon, Oyefunke shares how she stopped shrinking herself, embraced her multidimensional identity, and gave herself permission to want more.

Together, they unpack the pressure women face to be understood instead of free, why wanting more isn't greed, and how confidence is built from choosing yourself again and again.

You'll hear about:

• Why wanting more is a sign of capacity, not greed
• How women unconsciously shrink themselves to make others comfortable
• Building confidence in both business and personal identity
• The connection between beauty, leadership, and self-worth
• What it means to stop living inside someone else's limitations
• Why freedom is more important than being understood
• The courage it takes to step into rooms exactly as you are

This conversation is a reminder that you don't have to choose between your passions, your ambition, or the different parts of who you are.

You are allowed to build a life that reflects all of you.

Key Takeaways

• You don't have to fit into one box to be successful.
• Wanting more isn't selfish. It's honoring your capacity.
• The only person who can truly stop you is you.
• Confidence grows when you stop shrinking yourself.
• Freedom begins the moment you stop living for other people's understanding.

If this episode reminded you that you're allowed to dream bigger, take up space, and become everything you're capable of becoming, we'd love it if you shared it with someone who needs to hear this conversation.

Connect with Oyefunke:

https://www.instagram.com/thefunkified

Let’sConnect:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/morgancarringtonburton/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dmstrategiesco/⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thewlwcollective⁠⁠

There comes a point in your growth where you stop explaining your boundaries and start honoring them.

For so many of us, "no" feels uncomfortable because we've been taught to prioritize keeping the peace over protecting it. We over-explain, soften our words, and convince ourselves that if people just understood our reasons, they'd respect our boundaries.

But real boundaries don't require a presentation. They require consistency.

In this episode of Permission, we're talking about what it looks like to stop abandoning yourself to make other people comfortable and why the smallest boundaries are often the ones that shape your life the most.

You'll hear about:

• Why over-explaining is often a trauma response
• The hidden cost of saying "yes" when your body is screaming "no"
• How weak boundaries quietly become resentment
• Why people only learn to respect the boundaries you consistently enforce
• The freedom that comes from a simple, unapologetic "no"

This is an episode about choosing yourself before resentment chooses for you.

About understanding that boundaries aren't walls. They're clarity.

And about realizing that the people who truly value you won't need you to justify your limits.

Key takeaways:

• Your boundaries don't need to be understood to be respected
• Over-explaining often comes from a fear of conflict or rejection
• Every time you betray a small "no," it becomes easier to betray a bigger one
• A simple "no" is a complete sentence
• The right people won't ask you to abandon yourself to keep them comfortable

Your peace is not something you negotiate. It's something you protect.

If this episode reminded you that your "no" deserves just as much respect as your "yes," share it with someone who's learning to choose themselves, and don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and join us next week for another conversation about becoming who you were always meant to be.

Let’sConnect:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/morgancarringtonburton/ ⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/permissionpodcast_/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dmstrategiesco/⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thewlwcollective⁠⁠

What does it really take to build a meaningful business without losing yourself in the process?

In this deeply personal conversation, Morgan sits down with her partner, Foluke Olaoye, founder of The Nourishing Fork and co-founder of the WLW Collective, to talk about entrepreneurship, identity, leadership, love, and what it means to trust yourself when the path ahead isn't guaranteed.

From nearly being evicted while starting her business to building a thriving six-figure catering company, Foluke shares the behind-the-scenes reality of entrepreneurship, the self-doubt that never fully disappears, and why success is less about having it all figured out and more about continuing to show up.

Together, they explore how relationships become mirrors for healing, why leadership begins with composure, and how choosing yourself often requires letting go of who you used to be.

If you've ever questioned yourself while building something meaningful, this conversation is for you.

• How self-doubt shows up, even after reaching success

• Building a six-figure business from the ground up

• Learning to trust yourself before anyone else does

• Why leadership starts with emotional regulation

• Entrepreneurship, identity, and evolving into new versions of yourself

• The role relationships play in healing old patterns

• What true nourishment looks like beyond food

• Why vulnerability creates stronger connection

• Choosing growth over comfort

• The power of slowing down, listening, and leading with intention

"You have to shed the old version of yourself to become the person your next season requires."

"I didn't know if I could trust myself. I just kept showing up."

"Love isn't just a feeling. It's a choice you keep making."

"Being seen isn't about performing. It's about being honest."

"What is meant for you will always require you to become someone new."

Join the Presence Membership waitlist

Connect with Foluke Olaoye

The Nourishing Fork: 

Website: https://thenourishingfork.net

Instagram: 

@thenourishingfork_ 

@chefoluke_2.0

If this conversation resonated with you, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's building something meaningful or learning to trust themselves a little more every day.

Your support helps Permission reach more women who need these conversations.

Let’sConnect:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/morgancarringtonburton/ ⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thewlwcollective⁠⁠

In this episode, we discuss:Memorable QuotesResources & Links
Loved this episode?

Who decided what the "right" kind of woman looks like?

Somewhere along the way, many of us learned that we had to fit into a version of womanhood that was easier to understand. Be strong, but not intimidating. Soft, but not too soft. Ambitious, but still likable.

In this episode of Permission, Morgan explores the invisible expectations women carry, the pressure to perform a version of ourselves that earns approval, and what it means to redefine womanhood on your own terms.

Through personal stories, including navigating identity, relationships, and choosing authenticity over expectation, this conversation is a reminder that your life doesn't have to make sense to everyone else. It only has to feel true to you.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The invisible rules women are taught to follow

• How we slowly begin performing instead of living authentically

• The courage it takes to choose yourself over expectations

• Letting go of the version of womanhood that never fit

• Navigating identity shifts with honesty and confidence

• Why other people's opinions don't get to define your life

• Creating your own definition of what it means to be a woman

• Living in alignment instead of seeking approval

Memorable Moments:

"At some point, you're performing a version of womanhood that doesn't even feel like you anymore."

"I don't need my life to make sense to everyone else. I just need it to make sense to me."

"You don't need to be another person's version of yourself. You just need to be yours."

Key Takeaway:

There is no single right way to be a woman. The moment you stop trying to fit inside someone else's expectations is the moment you finally create space to become yourself.

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a woman who's learning to choose herself over expectations.

Your presence is the permission.

Let’sConnect:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/morgancarringtonburton/ ⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/permissionpodcast_/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thewlwcollective⁠⁠

What happens when the life you've built no longer fits the person you're becoming?

In this deeply honest and emotional conversation, Morgan sits down with Drea Aguilar, founder of Conscious Mother and creator of The Cycle Breaker Method, to explore what it really means to choose yourself, break generational patterns, and trust the version of you waiting on the other side of change.

Together, they dive into motherhood, identity shifts, healing, spirituality, nervous system work, and the courage it takes to stop performing and start living authentically. Drea shares her journey from working in reality television to becoming a transformational guide helping women reconnect with themselves through deep inner work, somatic healing, and consciousness expansion.

This episode is a reminder that growth isn't about becoming someone new. It's about remembering who you were before the world told you who to be.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• What happens when your current life no longer feels aligned

• How saying "yes" to yourself can change everything

• The identity shifts that come with motherhood and personal growth

• Why joy can feel uncomfortable after years of survival mode

• The difference between being seen and truly being known

• Breaking generational cycles and rewriting old stories

• Trusting yourself even when you don't know the next step

• Spirituality, healing, and finding authenticity in a noisy world

• The role of nervous system work in lasting transformation

• Why choosing yourself isn't selfish, it's necessary

Memorable Moments:

"You can love your life and still know you're meant for more."

"The biggest cycle breaker move is allowing yourself to fully live in your joy."

"Being seen isn't about performing. It's about being honest."

"What is meant for you will meet you halfway."

Let’s Connect:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/morgancarringtonburton/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/permissionpodcast_/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/dmstrategiesco/⁠⁠⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/thewlwcollective

Connect with Drea Aguilar

@waking_drea.m | https://www.instagram.com/waking_drea.m/

What if the thing holding you back isn't your voice... but the version of yourself you've been editing to keep everyone else comfortable?

In this episode Morgan dives into the cost of being likable, the exhaustion of performing for acceptance, and the freedom that comes when you stop filtering yourself to fit into rooms that were never meant for you.

This conversation explores the hidden ways we abandon ourselves to be accepted, why authenticity feels uncomfortable after years of people-pleasing, and what happens when you finally decide that being fully seen matters more than being universally liked.

In This Episode

• The emotional cost of constantly editing yourself
• Why being "palatable" can disconnect you from your authentic identity
• How people-pleasing quietly shapes your relationships and decisions
• The difference between being liked and being truly known
• The childhood experiences that teach us to shrink ourselves
• Why authenticity often feels awkward before it feels empowering
• The freedom that comes from speaking honestly
• How the right people will meet you where you are
• Learning to trust your own voice again
• What it means to stop performing and start living

Key Takeaway

Being liked is expensive when it costs you yourself. The moment you stop performing for acceptance and start speaking from truth, everything changes. The right people won't ask you to become smaller. They'll invite you to become more of who you already are.

Let’sConnect:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/morgancarringtonburton/ ⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/permissionpodcast_/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/dmstrategiesco/⁠