In our final episode of Ready to Exhale for the year, Katara sits with you for a short solo reflection to gently close this season of conversation and care. This episode is a moment of gratitude for every listener and for each of the incredible women who joined her throughout the year.

In this closing reflection, Katara shares what this year has held, what we are carrying forward, and offers an invitation to move into the next season with intention, softness, and breath.

We’re honored to welcome back Dr. Gail Parker to the Ready to Exhale podcast for a powerful two-part conversation. Together, we explore what it means to care for our mental health before reaching the breaking point and how daily practices can help us stay grounded and whole, especially in a year where over 300,000 Black women are unemployed and 45% of Black Women voters say their mental health has worsened this year. (according to The Highland Project Poll). 

In these episodes, Katara and Dr. Parker reflect on a recent event they co-hosted and a deeply moving moment standing at the river, a place Dr. Parker described as both boundary and horizon. Their conversation invites us to consider how that same duality lives within us today: the limits we honor and the possibilities we continue to reach for.

Tune in to both parts of this soul-nourishing dialogue on Ready to Exhale, available now.

We’re honored to welcome back Dr. Gail Parker to the Ready to Exhale podcast for a powerful two-part conversation. Together, we explore what it means to care for our mental health before reaching the breaking point and how daily practices can help us stay grounded and whole, especially in a year where over 300,000 Black women are unemployed and 45% of Black Women voters say their mental health has worsened this year. (according to The Highland Project Poll). 

In these episodes, Katara and Dr. Parker reflect on a recent event they co-hosted and a deeply moving moment standing at the river, a place Dr. Parker described as both boundary and horizon. Their conversation invites us to consider how that same duality lives within us today: the limits we honor and the possibilities we continue to reach for.

Tune in to both parts of this soul-nourishing dialogue on Ready to Exhale, available now.

In this solo episode, Katara invites us to pause, breathe, and reflect on the urgent importance of prioritizing our mental health and well-being as Black women. Especially now.

She begins with grounding breathwork practice, weaves in data from The State of Self-Care for Black Women and The Highland Project’s Poll and speaks truth about the systems that harm us while pointing toward collective care as resistance.

The episode closes with her reading her original poem, We Root Ourselves Here, a love letter to our care, joy, and community.

Our host, Katara, sits down with the brilliant Tamara Winfrey-Harris, award-winning author of Dear Black Girl and The Sisters Are Alright.

In this conversation, Tamara reminds us that freedom isn’t a finish line we cross, it’s a daily practice of telling the truth, creating community, and making space for Black women and girls to breathe fully. Together, Katara and Tamara explore what it means to live free in our bodies, our choices, and our joy.

Tune in now and let Tamara’s wisdom remind you that freedom lives within us, here and now.

Katara sits down with visionary leader Vanessa Garrison, co-founder of GirlTrek, the largest health nonprofit for Black women and girls in the U.S., with over one million walkers. Vanessa is reimagining public health as a path to liberation—grounding her work in the radical, beautiful act of walking.

From reclaiming green spaces to sparking a civil rights–inspired health movement, Vanessa shares how walking can be both healing and revolutionary.

We hope you enjoy this beautiful conversation between two sisters committed to the well-being of Black women.

This month on Ready to Exhale, we’re joined by Dr. Lakeysha “Key” Hallmon - educator, entrepreneur, and author of No One Is Self-Made: Build Your Village to Flourish in Business and Life.

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Hallmon unpacks the myth of individualism and invites us to reimagine success through the lens of collaboration and community. Together, we explore what it means to build a village that nourishes your growth, supports your vision, and sustains your well-being.

Tune in and be reminded: you don’t have to do it all alone.

Purchase No One is Self Made here: https://drkeyhallmon.com/noism/

Follow Dr. Key on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/drkeyhallmon/

In this episode, Katara sits down with Kyra Epps for a heartfelt conversation on identity, legacy, and the power of staying grounded. Kyra—creative, producer, founder, and a woman deeply rooted in care—opens up about her journey navigating her career, motherhood, and legacy building, all while prioritizing her own healing and growth.

This episode is full of reflection and real talk about what it means to build a life with intention, and to develop a relationship between you and yourself.

Join us for an honest, soulful exchange between friends making space for truth, care, and joy.

Enjoy!

We are thrilled to kick off a new season of Ready to Exhale with the incredible Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette!

Dr. B is a trailblazer in education, leadership, and community impact. She made history as the first female president of Huston-Tillotson University, Austin’s oldest institution of higher learning. With a background in engineering and technology, she has held executive roles in higher education, corporate America, and nonprofit leadership—including serving as President & CEO of Newfields in Indianapolis. A dedicated servant leader, she has championed racial equity, education, and community empowerment through partnerships with organizations like Apple and the Urban League.

In this episode, we dive into Dr. B’s inspiring career journey, how she navigates change, and the ways these transitions have shaped her mental health and well-being. This conversation is full of wisdom, resilience, and insight—we hope you enjoy it!

I sat down with Aseanté Renee, a colleague and healer. 

A few days after the election, she asked me what emotions were loud for me. Her question caused me to pause and be with all of the emotions I was having. I was grateful for her thoughtfulness and care during this tender moment for many of us. 

Aseanté is a beautiful human doing beautiful work. I was honored to have her on this episode of Ready to Exhale. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.

Follow and support Aseanté here
https://axongroupinc.com/
https://retiringsuperwoman.com/
https://www.susuhouse.org/