Space To Exhale with Lisa Hurley

Sometimes you just have to tell it like it is. Because there is healing in the telling. And there is liberation in your legacy.

In this powerful continuation of their conversation in Episode 12, Lisa Hurley welcomes back Elona Washington, MSM, Chief Publishing Officer of The Author’s Journey and editor of the award-winning anthology Triumph in the Trenches: The Green Book for Black Professionals. In Part 2 of “Writing To Exhale,” they explore the sacred, collective, and transcendent power of Black storytelling as a means of healing, connection, and cultural preservation. Together, they dive even deeper into the sacred, liberating practice of writing one’s truths—out loud, on purpose, and without apology.

Whether you’re a seasoned author or a journal-on-the-nightstand type, this episode will affirm that your story matters and your voice is vital.Tune in to discover:

🖤 Why Black voices must be preserved, centered, and celebrated

🖤 How to turn your lived experience into legacy.

🖤 How writing in community (e.g. as with an anthology) can spark connection, conversation, and even communal healing?

🖤 How your story can create space for others to breathe, release, and transform.

🖤 What it means to lay down your armor down on the page, and how can that create space to finally exhale.

This is your sacred invitation to write your way to freedom. Because your truth isn’t just powerful—it’s necessary.

Remember to: 

Listen, follow and rate on Spotify

Listen, follow, rate, and review on Apple

Listen, follow, and rate on Audible

Watch, subscribe, and comment on YouTube

Share your favorite episode with someone!

Get a copy of Space To Exhale

Sign up for The Gentle Breath newsletter

CREDITS:

👸🏽Guest: Elona Washington, Chief Publishing Officer of ⁠The Author’s Journey⁠, and editor of⁠ Triumph in the Trenches: The Green Book for Black Professionals⁠

👸🏽Host & Executive Producer: Lisa Hurley, author of Space To Exhale and Founder of The Great Exhale

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Loved the episode? Write a review!  😊🙏🏾

SHOW NOTES

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:

🔗 Connect with Elona on:

⁠LinkedIn⁠

⁠Facebook⁠

⁠Instagram⁠

⁠TikTok⁠

Learn more:

⁠The Author's Journey⁠

Join Elona's Author Community on Skool

⁠IngramSpark Author Spotlight⁠

⁠Black Enterprise Feature: Navigating the Book Publishing World⁠

CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST:

🔗  Connect with Lisa on

LinkedIn

TikTok

Instagram 

Facebook

Learn more:

SpaceToExhaleBook.com

GET SPACE TO EXHALE:

📚Get your copy of Space To Exhale: A Handbook for Curating a Soft, Centered, Serene Life

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Already read it? Leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. (Or all three! 😊)

ABOUT SPACE TO EXHALE:

It is time to exhale: to say no to hustle culture, and yes to a life of ease. In Space To Exhale, Lisa Hurley, Anthem Award-winning activist, founder of The Great Exhale, and leader in the rest movement for Black women, provides you with an uplifting and practical guide to help you beat burnout, embrace rest, and live a soft life.

As a soft Black woman, and an advocate of rest for Black women, Lisa supports readers via modalities like affirmations, meditations, and breathwork, as well as her powerful Exhalation Point framework. This inspiring self-help book guides you on a life-changing journey to:

• Know Yourself: Remember who you are, align with your values, and celebrate your strengths.

• Love Yourself: Practice positive self-talk, select your close circle, and prioritize rest.

• Be Yourself: Show up authentically, protect your energy, and live a soft, centered, serene life.

Ready to exhale? Get your copy today. Published by Wiley, Space To Exhale is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, and wherever books are sold. 

Need several copies for your book club, event, retreat, or ERG? Visit our bulk orders partner Porchlight Books.

*TW: Mention of suicidal ideation*

Black women are done working twice as hard for half as much.

In this hard-hitting episode of Space To Exhale: The Podcast, Lisa sits down with Janelle Benjamin, B.A., J.D.—Founder & CEO of All Things Equitable Inc., and host of the Twice As Hard Vodcast Series—to unpack the exhausting, systemic reality that Black women are expected to work “twice as hard to get half as far.”

The friends and activists also discuss the “last in/first out” treatment that many Black women are subjected to, a topic that is particularly poignant at this time in history when thousands of Black women have lost their jobs.

Together, they explore the toll these dynamics take on Black women’s lives, health, and careers—and why it’s time to rewrite the rules.

🎧 In this candid conversation, you will learn:

✅ The historical roots of the “twice as hard” narrative, and why it persists today

✅ The hidden costs of overwork on Black women’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being

✅ Strategies Black women can use to set boundaries, rest unapologetically, and reclaim ease

✅ Practical ways organizations can dismantle inequitable systems and create cultures of care

✅ Why centering equity isn’t charity—it’s essential for sustainable success in every workplace

✅ How workplaces can stop perpetuating grind culture and start centering equity

This is your invitation to be more, do less, and live abundantly. 

Remember to: 

Listen, follow and rate on Spotify

Listen, follow, rate, and review on Apple

Listen, follow, and rate on Audible

Watch, subscribe, and comment on YouTube

Share your favorite episode with someone!

Get a copy of Space To Exhale

Sign up for The Gentle Breath newsletter

CREDITS:

👸🏽Guest: Janelle Benjamin, Founder & CEO of All Things Equitable Inc., and host of the Twice As Hard vodcast series

👸🏽Host & Executive Producer: Lisa Hurley, Author, Space To Exhale and Founder, The Great Exhale

SHOW NOTES

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:

🔗 Connect with Janelle on:

LinkedIn: @JanelleBenjamin

YouTube: @AllThingsEquitable

Instagram: @AllThingsEquitable

Learn more:

All Things Equitable

CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST:

🔗  Connect with Lisa on

LinkedIn

TikTok

Instagram 

Facebook

Learn More

SpaceToExhaleBook.com

Linktree

Engage

Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #TheSpaceToExhaleShow

Rate & Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Loved the episode? Write a review! 😊🙏🏾

GET SPACE TO EXHALE:

📚Get your copy of ⁠Space To Exhale: A Handbook for Curating a Soft, Centered, Serene Life⁠

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Already read it? Leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. (Or all three! 😊)

ABOUT SPACE TO EXHALE:

It is time to exhale: to say no to hustle culture, and yes to a life of ease. In Space To Exhale, Lisa Hurley, Anthem Award-winning activist, founder of The Great Exhale, and leader in the rest movement for Black women, provides you with an uplifting and practical guide to help you beat burnout, embrace rest, and live a soft life.

As a soft Black woman, and an advocate of rest for Black women, Lisa supports readers via modalities like affirmations, meditations, and breathwork, as well as her powerful Exhalation Point framework. This inspiring self-help book guides you on a life-changing journey to:

• Know Yourself: Remember who you are, align with your values, and celebrate your strengths.

• Love Yourself: Practice positive self-talk, select your close circle, and prioritize rest.

• Be Yourself: Show up authentically, protect your energy, and live a soft, centered, serene life.

Ready to exhale? Get your copy today. Published by⁠ Wiley⁠, Space To Exhale is available on⁠ Amazon⁠,⁠ Barnes & Noble⁠,⁠ Goodreads⁠, and wherever books are sold. 

Need several copies for your book club, event, retreat, or ERG? Visit our bulk orders partner⁠ Porchlight Books⁠.

What does it take to rebuild trust in workplaces that were never designed with us in mind? In this illuminating episode of Space To Exhale: The Podcast, Lisa sits down with Minda Harts, bestselling author of "The Memo" and of her latest groundbreaking title "Talk To Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace."

Together, the two authors unpack the silent crisis of broken communication at work, and reveal a liberatory new framework for repairing connection, restoring respect, and reinstating psychological safety—especially for Black women and women of color navigating systems that weren’t built for our brilliance.

Rooted in both lived experience and powerful research, Minda’s Seven Trust Languages® framework offers a practical path toward equity, empathy, and more human leadership.

In this episode you’ll discover:

✅ What the “Seven Trust Languages” are, and how they mirror love languages

✅ How to identify your own trust language and honor others' trust languages in the workplace

✅ The real impact of broken trust on teams, morale, and mental health

✅ How inclusive leaders can build (and repair) trust, intentionally and equitably

✅ How organizations can incorporate the trust languages into their formal processes like performance reviews

Whether you’re a people leader, team member, or aspiring changemaker, this episode will equip you with the tools to work smarter—not harder—and reclaim your peace while you’re on the clock.

🎧 Tune in, take notes, and remember: You deserve to feel safe, seen, trusted and supported at work.

Remember to: 

Listen, follow and rate on Spotify

Listen, follow, rate, and review on Apple

Listen, follow, and rate on Audible

Watch, subscribe, and comment on YouTube

Share your favorite episode with someone

Get a copy of Space To Exhale

Sign up for The Gentle Breath newsletter

CREDITS:

👸🏽Guest: Minda Harts, bestselling author of The Memo and Talk To Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace

👸🏽Host & Executive Producer: Lisa Hurley, Author, Space To Exhale and Founder, The Great Exhale

SHOW NOTES

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:

🔗 Connect with Minda on:

LinkedIn: @MindaHarts

Facebook: @MindaHarts 

Instagram: @MindaHarts

YouTube: @MindaHarts

Learn more:

MindaHarts.com

Get Your Self-Advocacy Starter Kit

CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST:

🔗  Connect with Lisa on

LinkedIn

TikTok

Instagram 

Facebook

Learn More

SpaceToExhaleBook.com

Linktree

Engage

Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #TheSpaceToExhaleShow

Rate & Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Loved the episode? Write a review! 😊🙏🏾

GET SPACE TO EXHALE:

📚Get your copy of ⁠Space To Exhale: A Handbook for Curating a Soft, Centered, Serene Life⁠

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Already read it? Leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. (Or all three! 😊)

ABOUT SPACE TO EXHALE:

It is time to exhale: to say no to hustle culture, and yes to a life of ease. In Space To Exhale, Lisa Hurley, Anthem Award-winning activist, founder of The Great Exhale, and leader in the rest movement for Black women, provides you with an uplifting and practical guide to help you beat burnout, embrace rest, and live a soft life.

As a soft Black woman, and an advocate of rest for Black women, Lisa supports readers via modalities like affirmations, meditations, and breathwork, as well as her powerful Exhalation Point framework. This inspiring self-help book guides you on a life-changing journey to:

• Know Yourself: Remember who you are, align with your values, and celebrate your strengths.

• Love Yourself: Practice positive self-talk, select your close circle, and prioritize rest.

• Be Yourself: Show up authentically, protect your energy, and live a soft, centered, serene life.

Ready to exhale? Get your copy today. Published by⁠ Wiley⁠, Space To Exhale is available on⁠ Amazon⁠,⁠ Barnes & Noble⁠,⁠ Goodreads⁠, and wherever books are sold. 

Need several copies for your book club, event, retreat, or ERG? Visit our bulk orders partner⁠ Porchlight Books⁠.

In a world that often equates volume with value, what does it mean to honor the quiet power of introversion, especially as a Black woman? In this illuminating episode of Space To Exhale: The Podcast, Lisa sits down with Jeri Bingham, Founder of Black Introvert Week, Host of the HUSH LOUDLY Podcast (WGN Radio), and creator of Hush Loudly: Introverts Redefined, to celebrate the brilliance, boldness, and beauty of those who speak softly but live powerfully.

Together, the two introverts unpack the intersections of race, identity, and personality, and explore how introverts are not only navigating but also transforming the workplace, community spaces, and the culture at large.

🎧 Tune in to learn:
✅ Why redefining introversion is a radical and liberating act for Black women and femmes
✅ How to thrive as a quiet leader in loud, extrovert-centered spaces
✅ The truth about rest, solitude, and reclaiming your energy as a superpower
✅ What inspired the creation of Black Introvert Week, and why it’s so necessary
✅ How to build a life and career that honors your authentic self
Whether you’re an introvert, or you love someone who is, this episode is a love letter to all the quiet ones—and a bold reminder that softness is strength.

Remember to: 

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.

Subscribe on YouTube.

Share your favorite episode with someone.

Get a copy of Space To Exhale.

Sign up for The Gentle Breath newsletter.

Rate the show and write a review.

CREDITS:

👸🏽Guest: Jeri Bingham, host of the HushLoudly: Introverts Redefined Podcast

👸🏽Host & Executive Producer: Lisa Hurley, Author, Space To Exhale and Founder, The Great Exhale

SHOW NOTES

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:

🔗 Connect with Jeri on:

LinkedIn

Facebook 

LinkedIn: @jeribingham

Instagram: @hushloudly

X: @HushLoudly

Learn more:

Listen to HushLoudly on WGN Radio

Black Introvert Week, every year from July 8-15

CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST:

🔗  Connect with Lisa on

LinkedIn

TikTok

Instagram 

Facebook

Learn More

SpaceToExhaleBook.com

Linktree

Rate & Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Loved the episode? Write a review! 😊🙏🏾

GET SPACE TO EXHALE:

📚Get your copy of ⁠Space To Exhale: A Handbook for Curating a Soft, Centered, Serene Life⁠

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Already read it? Leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. (Or all three! 😊)

ABOUT SPACE TO EXHALE:

It is time to exhale: to say no to hustle culture, and yes to a life of ease. In Space To Exhale, Lisa Hurley, Anthem Award-winning activist, founder of The Great Exhale, and leader in the rest movement for Black women, provides you with an uplifting and practical guide to help you beat burnout, embrace rest, and live a soft life.

As a soft Black woman, and an advocate of rest for Black women, Lisa supports readers via modalities like affirmations, meditations, and breathwork, as well as her powerful Exhalation Point framework. This inspiring self-help book guides you on a life-changing journey to:

• Know Yourself: Remember who you are, align with your values, and celebrate your strengths.

• Love Yourself: Practice positive self-talk, select your close circle, and prioritize rest.

• Be Yourself: Show up authentically, protect your energy, and live a soft, centered, serene life.

Ready to exhale? Get your copy today. Published by⁠ Wiley⁠, Space To Exhale is available on⁠ Amazon⁠,⁠ Barnes & Noble⁠,⁠ Goodreads⁠, and wherever books are sold. 

Need several copies for your book club, event, retreat, or ERG? Visit our bulk orders partner⁠ Porchlight Books⁠.

What does it take to alchemize your pain into purpose—and your triggers into triumph? In this powerful episode, Lisa sits down with the ever-impactful Alechia Reese, MBA, CSM: speaker, author, and host of the Triggered AF Podcast.

Alechia keeps it real about what healing actually looks like, beyond Instagram quotes and “positive vibes.” Together, Lisa and Alechia explore the messy middle of transformation, discuss how to honor your triggers without becoming them, and reveal why healing is both a personal rebellion and a collective revolution.

If you’re navigating trauma, reclaiming your voice, or seeking tools to thrive (not merely survive), this conversation is for you.

In this episode, you will learn:

✅ Why your triggers aren’t your enemies; they’re invitations to heal.

✅ How to stop performing strength and start practicing wholeness.

✅ Tools for navigating trauma while still choosing joy, softness, and community.

✅ What it looks like to build a life rooted in value, truth, and transformation.

✅ Why healing out loud is radical, sacred, and necessary for Black women.

Join us. Heal with us. Exhale with us. Transform with us. It is time.

CREDITS:

👸🏽Guest: Alechia Reese, host of the Triggered AF Podcast

👸🏽Host & Executive Producer: Lisa Hurley, Author, Space To Exhale and Founder, The Great Exhale

SHOW NOTES

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:

🔗 Connect with Alechia on:

LinkedIn

Facebook 

Instagram: @alechiareese

Instagram: @triggeredafpc

Instagram: @gotvaluenation

Learn more:

JustThriveNow.com

CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST:

🔗  Connect with Lisa on

LinkedIn

TikTok

Instagram 

Facebook

Learn more:

SpaceToExhaleBook.com

Linktree

Engage!

Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #TheSpaceToExhaleShow

GET SPACE TO EXHALE:

📚Get your copy of ⁠Space To Exhale: A Handbook for Curating a Soft, Centered, Serene Life⁠

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Already read it? Leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. (Or all three! 😊)

ABOUT SPACE TO EXHALE:

It is time to exhale: to say no to hustle culture, and yes to a life of ease. In Space To Exhale, Lisa Hurley, Anthem Award-winning activist, founder of The Great Exhale, and leader in the rest movement for Black women, provides you with an uplifting and practical guide to help you beat burnout, embrace rest, and live a soft life.

As a soft Black woman, and an advocate of rest for Black women, Lisa supports readers via modalities like affirmations, meditations, and breathwork, as well as her powerful Exhalation Point framework. This inspiring self-help book guides you on a life-changing journey to:

• Know Yourself: Remember who you are, align with your values, and celebrate your strengths.

• Love Yourself: Practice positive self-talk, select your close circle, and prioritize rest.

• Be Yourself: Show up authentically, protect your energy, and live a soft, centered, serene life.

Ready to exhale? Get your copy today. Published by⁠ Wiley⁠, Space To Exhale is available on⁠ Amazon⁠,⁠ Barnes & Noble⁠,⁠ Goodreads⁠, and wherever books are sold. 

Need several copies for your book club, event, retreat, or ERG? Visit our bulk orders partner⁠ Porchlight Books⁠.

There is power, and profound healing, in telling our stories out loud, in our own voices, and today’s guest knows that for sure. Elona Washington, MSM is the Chief Publishing Officer of The Author’s Journey, and editor of Triumph in the Trenches: The Green Book for Black Professionals, a groundbreaking anthology that centers the lived experiences of Black people navigating corporate spaces. 

In "Writing to Exhale: Triumph, Truth, and Transcendence," Elona joins Lisa to explore how writing becomes a path to reclamation, how storytelling becomes a salve, and how naming one’s personal truth creates space for collective healing. This is not just a conversation; it’s a call to write, to release, and to rise.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

✍🏾 How writing your truth can be a powerful form of healing, release, and resistance

✍🏾 Why storytelling is essential for Black professionals navigating systems designed to silence us

✍🏾The behind-the-scenes journeys of Elona's memoir and of Triumph in the Trenches, and what they revealed about the power of vulnerability and voice

✍🏾 Ways to begin documenting your own story, even if you’ve never called yourself a writer

✍🏾 Practical ways to honor your lived experience and turn it into a legacy that uplifts others

✍🏾 Why we must write ourselves into history

✍🏾 How sharing your truth can help others heal, grow, and exhale

This is your invitation to remember that your story is both your sanctuary and your superpower. 

CREDITS:

👸🏽Guest: Elona Washington, Chief Publishing Officer of ⁠The Author’s Journey⁠, and editor of⁠ Triumph in the Trenches: The Green Book for Black Professionals⁠

👸🏽Executive Producer: Lisa Hurley, author of Space To Exhale and Founder of The Great Exhale

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Loved the episode? Write a review! 😊🙏🏾

SHOW NOTES

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:

🔗 Connect with Elona on:

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram

TikTok

Learn more:

The Author's Journey

IngramSpark Author Spotlight

Black Enterprise Feature: Navigating the Book Publishing World

CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST:

🔗  Connect with Lisa on

LinkedIn

TikTok

Instagram 

Facebook

Learn more:

SpaceToExhaleBook.com

Linktree

GET SPACE TO EXHALE:

📚Get your copy of ⁠Space To Exhale: A Handbook for Curating a Soft, Centered, Serene Life⁠

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Already read it? Leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. (Or all three! 😊)

ABOUT SPACE TO EXHALE:

It is time to exhale: to say no to hustle culture, and yes to a life of ease. In Space To Exhale, Lisa Hurley, Anthem Award-winning activist, founder of The Great Exhale, and leader in the rest movement for Black women, provides you with an uplifting and practical guide to help you beat burnout, embrace rest, and live a soft life.

As a soft Black woman, and an advocate of rest for Black women, Lisa supports readers via modalities like affirmations, meditations, and breathwork, as well as her powerful Exhalation Point framework. This inspiring self-help book guides you on a life-changing journey to:

• Know Yourself: Remember who you are, align with your values, and celebrate your strengths.

• Love Yourself: Practice positive self-talk, select your close circle, and prioritize rest.

• Be Yourself: Show up authentically, protect your energy, and live a soft, centered, serene life.

Ready to exhale? Get your copy today. Published by⁠ Wiley⁠, Space To Exhale is available on⁠ Amazon⁠,⁠ Barnes & Noble⁠,⁠ Goodreads⁠, and wherever books are sold. 

Need several copies for your book club, event, retreat, or ERG? Visit our bulk orders partner⁠ Porchlight Books⁠.

Class is in session! 👩🏾‍🏫👩🏾‍🎓 In this nourishing and necessary episode of Space To Exhale: The Podcast, Lisa is joined by the brilliant Chantell Frazier, Ph.D., founder & CEO of Anansi Research, founder of the Healthy Scholars community, and creator of the Love Notes for Black Women in Academia campaign.

In “Soft-Life School: Black Genius and the Need for Rest,” Lisa and Chantell unpack what it means to center rest as a radical act of self-preservation, especially for Black women navigating the grind culture of academia.

In this first episode in the Soft-Life School series, you are invited into a space where Black brilliance does not require burnout, where healing is just as valuable as achievement, and where you are worth more than your credentials. This is a masterclass in unlearning the violence of overwork and reclaiming the healing energies of ease, imagination, and rest. 💚

In this episode, you will learn about:

✅ How grind culture impacts Black women in academia

✅ Dr. Frazier’s journey creating communities of healing and care

✅ How Dr. Frazier’s "Love Notes for Black Women in Academia" became a balm for burnout and a blueprint for collective care

✅ Why rest is not a reward but a requirement—especially for Black women intellectuals and creatives

✅ How to honor your genius and your humanity in high-performance spaces

✅ Simple, sustainable strategies for building a soft life that sustains your genius

Tune in and exhale. Because your body AND your brain deserve to rest.

Join us for what will be a healing and inspiring show. 

CREDITS:

👸🏽Guest: Dr. Chantell Frazier, founder & CEO of Anansi Research, founder of the Healthy Scholars community, and creator of the Love Notes for Black Women in Academia 

👸🏽Producer: Lisa Hurley, Author Space To Exhale and Founder, The Great Exhale

SHOW NOTES

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:

🔗 Connect with Chantell on:

LinkedIn

Linktree

Learn more:

Healthy Scholars Community

Anansi Research Newsletter

Storytelling for Researchers Webinar

CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST:

🔗  Connect with Lisa on

LinkedIn

TikTok

Instagram 

Facebook

Learn more:

SpaceToExhaleBook.com

Linktree

Engage!

Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #TheSpaceToExhaleShow

GET SPACE TO EXHALE:

📚Get your copy of ⁠Space To Exhale: A Handbook for Curating a Soft, Centered, Serene Life⁠

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Already read it? Leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. (Or all three! 😊)

ABOUT SPACE TO EXHALE:

It is time to exhale: to say no to hustle culture, and yes to a life of ease. In Space To Exhale, Lisa Hurley, Anthem Award-winning activist, founder of The Great Exhale, and leader in the rest movement for Black women, provides you with an uplifting and practical guide to help you beat burnout, embrace rest, and live a soft life.

As a soft Black woman, and an advocate of rest for Black women, Lisa supports readers via modalities like affirmations, meditations, and breathwork, as well as her powerful Exhalation Point framework. This inspiring self-help book guides you on a life-changing journey to:

• Know Yourself: Remember who you are, align with your values, and celebrate your strengths.

• Love Yourself: Practice positive self-talk, select your close circle, and prioritize rest.

• Be Yourself: Show up authentically, protect your energy, and live a soft, centered, serene life.

Ready to exhale? Get your copy today. Published by⁠ Wiley⁠, Space To Exhale is available on⁠ Amazon⁠,⁠ Barnes & Noble⁠,⁠ Goodreads⁠, and wherever books are sold. 

Need several copies for your book club, event, retreat, or ERG? Visit our bulk orders partner⁠ Porchlight Books⁠.

Join Lisa and Herisa Stanislaus, MPH (aka Herisa The Traveler and Herisa The Traveling Poet) for Visas, Verses, and Vulnerability: Healing Through Words. In this episode the two Caribbean-American creatives discuss what it means to journey inward and outward as Black women finding healing in unfamiliar places.

In a world that demands our resilience but rarely offers us refuge, Herisa reminds us that we can create sanctuary in our stanzas, liberation in our luggage, and softness in our steps. Because for those of us who’ve had to cross oceans just to breathe, poetry can be a passport to peace. 🙏🏾

In this episode, you will learn:

💚 How travel and poetry can become tools of healing, resistance, and return

💚 What it means to reclaim the visa narrative as a third-culture woman of Caribbean heritage

💚 The role of ritual and writing in nervous system regulation and creative grounding

💚 Why vulnerability is revolutionary for Black women—and how to make space for it

💚 What “home” means when you’re always in motion—but still rooted

Join us for what will be a healing and inspiring show. 

CREDITS:

👸🏽Guest: Herisa Stanislaus, MPH, founder House Poetry with Herisa, and creator of the Breathe, Speak, Thrive workshop.

👸🏽Producer: Lisa Hurley

SHOW NOTES

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:

🔗 Connect with Herisa on:

LinkedIn

Facebook

YouTube

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/herisathetraveler; www.linkedin.com/in/herisastanislaus; https://www.facebook.com/HerisaTheTraveler

Learn more:

www.herisathetraveler.com

www.herisastanislaus.com

GET SPACE TO EXHALE:

📚Get your copy of ⁠Space To Exhale: A Handbook for Curating a Soft, Centered, Serene Life⁠

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Already read it? Leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. (Or all three! 😊)

ABOUT SPACE TO EXHALE:

It is time to exhale: to say no to hustle culture, and yes to a life of ease. In Space To Exhale, Lisa Hurley, Anthem Award-winning activist, founder of The Great Exhale, and leader in the rest movement for Black women, provides you with an uplifting and practical guide to help you beat burnout, embrace rest, and live a soft life.

As a soft Black woman, and an advocate of rest for Black women, Lisa supports readers via modalities like affirmations, meditations, and breathwork, as well as her powerful Exhalation Point framework. This inspiring self-help book guides you on a life-changing journey to:

• Know Yourself: Remember who you are, align with your values, and celebrate your strengths.

• Love Yourself: Practice positive self-talk, select your close circle, and prioritize rest.

• Be Yourself: Show up authentically, protect your energy, and live a soft, centered, serene life.

Ready to exhale? Get your copy today. Published by⁠ Wiley⁠, Space To Exhale is available on⁠ Amazon⁠,⁠ Barnes & Noble⁠,⁠ Goodreads⁠, and wherever books are sold. 

Need several copies for your book club, event, retreat, or ERG? Visit our bulk orders partner⁠ Porchlight Books⁠.

What does it really mean for Black women to “have it all,” and who gets to decide? In this nourishing and truth-telling episode of Space To Exhale: The Podcast, Lisa Hurley is joined by powerhouse attorney, podcast host, wife, and mother of two, Liku Amadi, Esq., Founder of the Anasa Law Firm and host of the Black Women Can Have It All podcast.

Together, they dismantle the limiting narratives around Black womanhood, success, and “balance,” and instead offer a liberatory reframe rooted in choice, community, and joy. Liku brings her signature brilliance, candor, and care to the mic, sharing what it looks like to define success on your terms—and live it out loud.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅  Why the phrase “having it all” can feel both empowering and oppressive—and how to make it yours

✅  How Liku balances entrepreneurship, motherhood, and rest with grace, and without guilt or grind

✅  The difference between society’s expectations and your soul’s calling

✅  Why reframing “success” is crucial for Black women’s liberation and mental health

✅ How focusing on life-work balance, in that order, can help you create space to exhale

💚 Come exhale with Lisa and Liku as they redefine what “having it all” really means. 

CREDITS:

👸🏽Guest: Liku Amadi, Founder of the Anasa Law Firm and Host of the Black Women Can Have It All Podcast

👸🏽Producer: Lisa Hurley

SHOW NOTES

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:

Liku Amadi is an award-winning attorney and three-time-published academic author. She graduated magna cum laude from Thomas Jefferson School of Law and had the honor of serving as the first Black Editor-in-Chief on California’s first all-Black woman law review board.

As a first-generation Tanzanian, Bay Area native, and mother of 2, Liku blends legal expertise with the practical, forward-thinking solutions that only come from managing family and work life.

Her goal is to help you build a proactive legal foundation that supports your vision and growth so you can lead with peace of mind and security instead of worrying about whether your business is protected. It is.

🔗 Connect with Liku on:

LinkedIn

TikTok

YouTube

Instagram

LinkTree

Learn more:

Black Women Can Have It All website

Listen to Black Women Can Have It All on Apple

Listen to Black Women Can Have It All on Spotify

STAY IN TOUCH:

🔗  Connect with Lisa on

LinkedIn

Instagram 

TikTok

Learn more: 

SpaceToExhaleBook.com

Linktree

Engage!

Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #TheSpaceToExhaleShow

GET SPACE TO EXHALE:

📚Get your copy of ⁠Space To Exhale: A Handbook for Curating a Soft, Centered, Serene Life⁠

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Already read it? Leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. (Or all three! 😊)

ABOUT SPACE TO EXHALE:

It is time to exhale: to say no to hustle culture, and yes to a life of ease. In Space To Exhale, Lisa Hurley, Anthem Award-winning activist, founder of The Great Exhale, and leader in the rest movement for Black women, provides you with an uplifting and practical guide to help you beat burnout, embrace rest, and live a soft life.

As a soft Black woman, and an advocate of rest for Black women, Lisa supports readers via modalities like affirmations, meditations, and breathwork, as well as her powerful Exhalation Point framework. This inspiring self-help book guides you on a life-changing journey to:

• Know Yourself: Remember who you are, align with your values, and celebrate your strengths.

• Love Yourself: Practice positive self-talk, select your close circle, and prioritize rest.

• Be Yourself: Show up authentically, protect your energy, and live a soft, centered, serene life.

Ready to exhale? Get your copy today. Published by⁠ Wiley⁠, Space To Exhale is available on⁠ Amazon⁠,⁠ Barnes & Noble⁠,⁠ Goodreads⁠, and wherever books are sold. 

Need several copies for your book club, event, retreat, or ERG? Visit our bulk orders partner⁠ Porchlight Books⁠.

What does it mean to write while Black? To put your truth on the page in a world that so often tries to silence or sanitize it?

In this deeply personal and insightful episode, Lisa sits down with her brilliant big sister, Sharon Hurley Hall: author, anti-racism activist, and a fierce advocate for equity everywhere—including in the publishing industry.

Together, they explore the joys and challenges of writing as Black women, the publishing paths they've each chosen (Sharon is a self-published author; Lisa went the traditional publishing route), and the power of using their words as tools of both resistance and restoration.

This is more than a sibling conversation—it’s a masterclass in writing with purpose, publishing with intention, and building legacy on their own terms.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ The pros and cons of self-publishing vs. traditional publishing—straight from two sisters who’ve done both

✅ How to navigate racism, gatekeeping, and erasure in the publishing industry

✅ Why writing as a Black woman is both a radical act and a sacred responsibility

✅ The emotional labor of telling the truth, and how to care for yourself in the process

✅ How Sharon and Lisa each define success: not by sales alone, but by impact, agency, and integrity

CREDITS:

👸🏽Guest: Sharon Hurley Hall, author of I’m Tired of Racism

👸🏽Podcast Producer: Lisa Hurley, author of Space To Exhale and Founder of The Great Exhale

SHOW NOTES

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:

Sharon Hurley Hall (she/her) is an author, educator and anti-racism activist. A former journalist and writer, Sharon is also the author of I'm Tired of Racism: True Stories of Existing While Black and Exploring Shadeism. In addition, Sharon is the Founder of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter (where she's on a mission to fight racism one article at a time) and the SHHARE anti-racism membership community. In what passes for her spare time, Sharon provides mentoring for introverted Black women and creates courses to help people share their important stories. 

🔗 Connect with Sharon on:

LinkedIn

YouTube

Federate Social

Instagram

Learn more:

https://sharonhh.com

https://www.antiracismnewsletter.com/

https://books2read.com/tiredofracism#

STAY IN TOUCH:

🔗  Connect with Lisa on

LinkedIn

Instagram 

TikTok

Learn more: 

SpaceToExhaleBook.com

Linktree

Engage!

Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #TheSpaceToExhaleShow

GET SPACE TO EXHALE:

📚Get your copy of ⁠Space To Exhale: A Handbook for Curating a Soft, Centered, Serene Life⁠

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Already read it? Leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. (Or all three! 😊)

ABOUT SPACE TO EXHALE:

It is time to exhale: to say no to hustle culture, and yes to a life of ease. In Space To Exhale, Lisa Hurley, Anthem Award-winning activist, founder of The Great Exhale, and leader in the rest movement for Black women, provides you with an uplifting and practical guide to help you beat burnout, embrace rest, and live a soft life.

As a soft Black woman, and an advocate of rest for Black women, Lisa supports readers via modalities like affirmations, meditations, and breathwork, as well as her powerful Exhalation Point framework. This inspiring self-help book guides you on a life-changing journey to:

• Know Yourself: Remember who you are, align with your values, and celebrate your strengths.

• Love Yourself: Practice positive self-talk, select your close circle, and prioritize rest.

• Be Yourself: Show up authentically, protect your energy, and live a soft, centered, serene life.

Ready to exhale? Get your copy today. Published by⁠ Wiley⁠, Space To Exhale is available on⁠ Amazon⁠,⁠ Barnes & Noble⁠,⁠ Goodreads⁠, and wherever books are sold. 

Need several copies for your book club, event, retreat, or ERG? Visit our bulk orders partner⁠ Porchlight Books⁠.