Radiant Mix

This Radiant Mix episode features Sara Blanchard & Misasha Graham, co-hosts of the podcast ‘Dear White Women’, an award-winning social justice podcast for women who are open to learning more about race, history, current events and how to elevate the happiness in your life. They are best friends who met at Harvard and identify as half-white and half-Japanese. Sara & Misasha drop some great wisdom in this episode as we talk about navigating the pandemic, expert advice on how to be the change from a political slant, navigating white fragility, embodying a sense of belonging,  what unfolds when mixed Japanese girls pass as white, the art of practicing gratitude and so much more.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

• The importance of caring for each other and removing blame during this global pandemic
• Learn about an important two-prong approach to ignite positive systemic change in our communities and the government from a legal & social justice perspective
• The catalyst for the ‘Dear White Women’ podcast & it’s similarities to the #blacklivesmatter movement
• “Whoa, you are not who I expected!” —- reactions to Sara & Misasha and the growth that comes from expanding minds
• The plight of mixed Hapa girls passing for white…”I’m legit.”
• A ‘white fragility’ breakthrough from a mixed perspective…secret tip…mindfulness 
• The power of a gratitude practice and watching our words when speaking on issues of race.

LINKS:

Dear White Women Podcast 

Dear White Women on Instagram + Facebook + Twitter + Website

Next Door app

In this episode, my daughter Ruby and I sit down to talk about how life is for us navigating the Corona Virus Pandemic.  It’s been such a challenge for everybody to deal with physical distancing, thousands of deaths and illnesses, the news! How can we stay safe and sane? How can we find joy and fun under quarantine? How do you grieve if a loved one passes away?  Ruby and I wanted to share about life with a positive slant despite so much negativity surrounding us. Tune in for some of our self-care rituals, mindfulness practices, creative ideas for at home activities and more.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

• Gain insights into how we are dealing with social distancing
• Test out some of our extensive self-care rituals
• Navigating grief and healing
• Hear one teen’s experience with online learning
• Learn some things we love to do to keep our joy alive in the house
• Home made beauty hacks you should not try at home
• Comparison kills joy - how to keep your mind right and practice gratitude

LINKS:

Instagram: @RadiantMix

RadiantMix.com

Email Hope: [email protected]

Michele Rannie is an attorney in New York City practicing civil litigation and a Brooklyn Mom from the island of St. Kitts. In this episode, we talk about the trials and tribulations of being an immigrant and a woman of color within the high-powered corporate world. Michele equates her experience of showing up at her firm to the storyline of the famous film “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” (1967) starring Sidney Poitier & Katherine Hepburn, when a white woman invites her black partner to her parents house to meet the family.  Most mixed couples can relate to some sort of shock by the family members.  We talk about how to overcome unattainable perfectionism, tips to elevate within the corporate world and so much more. If you work in the corporate world or desire elevate your professional game, may this episode inspire you.  

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

• Learn tips for people of color on how to navigate the corporate world
• The power of understanding your self-worth and dignity
• Notes on how women can take their power back
• The wake up call that perfectionism and pressures for over-achievement just be considered equal must stop and be transformed
• How to navigate the multiple micro-aggressions that can lead to the “angry black woman’ stereotype
• What is implicit bias?
• Money talk and negotiating for equal pay
• Self-care rituals to face daily white privilege in the corporate structures 

LINKS:

Michele Rannie on Twitter

Instagram:   @RadiantMix

Email Hope: [email protected]

Lori L. Tharps is a content creator whose work lands at the intersection of race and popular culture. Lori is an associate professor of journalism at Temple University, an award-winning author, creator of the My American Meltingpot blog and podcast and a mother of three. Lori Tharps strives to use her words to broaden the conversation about race in America; to challenges racial stereotypes; to dismantle white supremacy, and to celebrate ethnic and cultural diversity whenever possible.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

• What is a Diversity Diva?
• Life as an “Other” - Lori’s Midwest life as the only black kid in town
• The art of friendship desegregation - how to overcome fear of being different in diverse spaces
• Mothering mixed kids while navigating colorism and discrimination
• The power of cultivating diverse relationships across cultures
• How to appreciate difference rather than tolerate it
• Confronting the truth about the outsider status
• Difference is good. Notes on building confidence.

LINKS:

My American Meltingpot Blog

The Podcast on iTunes

Instagram @MyAmericanMeltingpot

Facebook: facebook.com/myamericanmeltingpot

Tropical Transformation Wellness Retreat 

Instagram:   @RadiantMix

Email Hope: [email protected]

So excited about this episode with the Dawnn Karen, a pioneer in the Fashion Psychology field, a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Founder of the Fashion Psychology Institute and the author of her new book Dress Your Best Life.

I believe fashion is art and in this conversation, you will begin to understand that fashion can also be viewed as a healing modality. It’s true! We touch upon how fashion can uplift us and reflect our moods, act as a storyteller, be a source of creative expression and more.  Dawnn specializes in styling from the inside out by bridging the gap between perception and reality. Join us fashionistas, as we go beyond the superficial to exemplify the importance of personal style.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

• Similarities between Dawnn’s multicultural heritage and the biracial experience
• What is Fashion Psychology? Get the breakdown and learn the theories
• Fashion analysis and the #metoo movement
• Get key style tips to look and feel your best every day
• Compassion for Meghan Markle…thoughts on her personal style and Megxit
• Learn Dawnn’s insights on overcoming adversity amongst the naysayers
• The importance of self-care and fashion as a healing modality

LINKS:

Fashion Psychology Institute

Dawnn’s Book: “Dress Your Best Life”

Dawnn Karen on Instagram

Tropical Transformation Wellness Retreat - www.tropicaltransformation.com

Radiant Mix Instagram

Natalie Evans is an activist and the host of the  “Some Kind of Brown” podcast, whereas a primarily Indigenous Black woman, she shares her own unique perspective about Mixed and Multiracial life’s journeys and current events. In this episode, we talk about her life and journey reconnecting to her Native American heritage. Natalie offers insights on rediscovering yourself, the effects of racial misclassification, the plight of the serious epidemic Native American communities MMIW - Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and how we can help support the Native American community.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

• Learn one woman’s story of navigating her multiracial identity in the south
• The importance of reconnecting with your ancestral lineage
• Get inspired with the dedication Natalie has for embracing and educating herself about her Native American heritage later in life
• The plight of refusing to be labeled “other”
• Bringing awareness about Indigenous causes, creativity, community and how to support
• Advocating for multiracial identity and accepting all of who we are

LINKS: 

Some Kind of Brown Podcast 

Instagram

Twitter

Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women - www.csvanw.org

Radiant Mix Instagram

Tropical Transformation Wellness Retreat www.tropicaltransformation.com

In this first episode of 2020, Hope McGrath talks with Cyndie Spiegel, an in-demand keynote and TedX speaker, the founder of “Dear Grown Ass Women,” a community-led platform for women over the age of 35 and Author of “A Year of Positive Thinking.”  In this first episode for 2020, Cyndi Spiegel inspires with feminine-empowered wisdom and excellent insights on kickstarting your new year off right with confidence-boosting, boundary-setting self-care tips. We dive deep on the importance of self-love, releasing shame, building community and so much more.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

• Key tips to set boundaries in your life…learn all about “liquid boundaries”
• Gain insights on the best way to push through fear and be vulnerable
• The power of kindness
• How to build your confidence…the answer will surprise you.
• The importance of women supporting women

LINKS:  

Dear Grown Ass Women

Cyndie Spiegel via Instagram

Dear Grown Ass Women Instagram

“A Year of Positive Thinking”

Tropical Transformation Wellness Retreat 

Radiant Mix - www.Radiantmix.com

Radiant Mix Instagram 

In this episode, Hope McGrath shares reflections on a few life lessons she’s learned this year.

In celebration of the launch of this Radiant Mix podcast, you’ll learn some of Hope’s  key takeaways from talking to some incredible change-makers about life, multiracial identity, multicultural existence and everything in between…lots of teachable moments. There is also some mixed pop culture news and Hope goes into coaching mode by offering some empowering visioning practices to help prepare you for the New Year.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

• Hope gets personal but sharing some important life lessons she’s learned this year.
• Key inspiring takeaways from the top Radiant Mix episodes of the year
• Five Mixed Pop Culture Shout Outs - yes, in today’s day and age there are so many mixed individuals making incredible moves

Links:

War of Art by Steven Pressfield - One of Hope’s favorite inspirational books

Hope’s Daily Self-Love Practices

RadiantMix.com

Radiant Mix via Instagram

In this episode, I decided to bring on my daughter Ruby and niece Julia to talk about the mixed experience from their perspective.  Our conversation offers a glimpse of two teen girl city kids who share a few experiences navigating race, friends, colorism, confidence building techniques and of course hair, hair and more hair…which seems to be the biggest topic that signifies the mixed experience for girls. If you are a parent or are simply interested in hearing a unique perspective of the teen mixed experience, check it out.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

• Fitting in and the different experiences between public and private schools in NYC
• How hair defines young mixed girls identity and the importance of confidence in one’s hair
• Stories of how colorism showed up at school and what surprised Julia about these experiences
• The importance of loving yourself no matter what
• Find out the girl’s favorite mixed influencers and how they inspire confidence in multiracial identity

LINKS:

A few of Julia and Ruby’s inspirational mixed girls…

Jasmine Brown

Joyjah

Lisette

Jorja Smith

Zendaya 

Liza Koshy

Winnie Harlow

In this episode of Radiant Mix, I’m excited to introduce one inspirational woman…Rebekah “Bex” Borucki. Rebekah is a mother of five, TV host, meditation and yoga guide, birth doula, and author of “You Have 4 Minutes to Change Your Life: Simple 4-Minute Meditations for Inspiration, Transformation, and True Bliss” (Hay House 2017) and her brand new book, “Managing the Motherload: A Guide to Creating More Ease, Space, and Grace in Motherhood” (Hay House 2019).

Rebekah also happens to be what she calls a white-passing biracial black woman.  One’s identity can be quite complex, as you can see. In this episode will be talking about life and the role race relations play from Rebekah’s unique perspective plus we cover all kinds of juicy topics. You’ll hear us discuss white supremacy, tokenization, navigating black and white spaces as a white-passing biracial woman, anti-racism vs. racism, colorism, the power of meditation and self-healing, motherhood and much more. Rebekah’s story is one of strength, survival, self-love, raw honesty, determination and sheer superwoman status. Check it.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

• Life experiences of an “ambiguously brown” white-passing woman
• Is white supremacy and white problem? Listen to Rebekah’s point of view.
• How Rebekah experiences tokenization as she navigates the world and her successful career.
• The power of meditation can change your life. Just four minutes a day can do the trick.
• How to take control of your own self-healing in order to live your best life
• Tips on motherhood from a with five children!!!  Yes, I repeat FIVE kids!
• Learn about Rebekah’s life story..and her personal fortitude to heal her mind, body and soul, which has led to success and peace of mind.
• Rebekah shared: “I want white people to know what blackness looks like. How it presents, all the different ways that it shows up in the world, how it behaves. We are not a monolith and there are as many ways to express to blackness as there are black people on this planet.”

LINKS: 

Bexlife Website

Rebekah’s YouTube Channel

Instagram: @bexlife

Facebook

Managing the Motherload: A Guide to Creating More Ease, Space, and Grace in Motherhood,