Sunshine & Rain

In this episode, host Victoria Fortune sits down with certified Conscious Connected Breathwork coach Kathleen Booker, also known as the Jedi of Calm. Kathleen came to breathwork after a tough period in her life and found a renewed purpose through it to teach as many people as she can the power of the breath. Kathleen explains the many ways that breathwork can be used to heal trauma and stress, and what she’s learned from teaching it through the years.

Chris Thomas has been dealing with disproportionate loss from a young age growing up in Philadelphia where he started losing people he knew at a young age. But when his older cousin and father passed away in short succession, his world was turned upside down. In the wake of their transitioning, Chris has been reflecting on what it means to lose male role models while coming into manhood, especially when some have set good examples while others have shown him some behaviors he doesn’t want to replicate. Chris talks with host Victoria Fortune about his experiences navigating consecutive loss, periods of desensitization, and the very particular experience of losing his father.

Ashlee Wisdom is the founder of Health in Her Hue, a platform that connects women of color to culturally competent health care providers. But before starting her own company, she struggled with stress-related health complications related to racism and microaggressions at work. This experience  led her to rethinking her original career path. Ashlee sits down with host Victoria Fortune to talk about how she’s navigated the grief of realizing her former work life was harming her health, the stresses of becoming a founder, and the unwavering support of Black women who’ve helped her through it all. 

Jason Collins is a retired 12-year NBA veteran who’s played for franchises like the New Jersey Nets, the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets. He was also the first active player in any of the big four leagues–the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL–to come out as gay. His coming out on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 2013 was a rare moment in sports history let alone the NBA–where there has yet to be another active player to come out as gay since. Host Victoria Fortune sits down with Jason to talk about what it was like for him to navigate life in the closet in his adolescence and later as an NBA player. Jason discusses how he got the courage to come out, homophobia baked into sports culture, the supporters who surprised him, and rebuilding his relationship with church.

Asha Tarry is a trauma-informed psychotherapist, life coach and consultant who has been helping clients overcome mental and spiritual roadblocks to live more freely. In this episode, host Victoria Fortune sits down with Asha to talk about the many ways that grief impacts our bodies and how we can prevent ourselves from developing new health issues while grieving. They talk about the healing power of music and dance, Somatic therapy (aka body-focused therapy), and other tips to keep our health up amidst other traumas. She also warns against the overuse of the word “trauma” and teases out some important nuances on how to recognize what trauma really is.

Cory Townes is a celebrated Brooklyn-based DJ, son of DJ Jazzy Jeff, and a good friend of host Victoria Fortune’s. But it hasn’t been easy getting to where he is today. On this episode, Cory talks about his experience navigating a period of unemployment and career uncertainty after early successes in advertising and media. He opens up about his mental health journey during that time, and what it was like for him to share his struggles online for the first time, especially as a Black man in a more public family. On this episode, Cory gives listeners words of wisdom as he reflects on his experience getting back to himself and finding stability.

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, they can call the 24 hour suicide prevention hotline at 988-suicide. We hope everyone stays safe and that you find this episode uplifting.

Many know Yvette Noel-Schure as Beyoncé’s publicist and co-founder of Schure Media Group. But she’s also a Grenadian mom who developed an intergenerational close friendship with a sweet young man, Jonty, who she met in Grenada one fateful day. Host Victoria Fortune talks with Yvette about how she’s coming back to herself and learning to find the joy of life again after losing her “bonus son” at such a young age in 2023. Yvette shares her story of experiencing this life-altering loss while on the Renaissance tour, navigating grief with a busy schedule, and what it was like to be visited by Jonty’s spirit.

In this special first episode, host Victoria Fortune sits down with her childhood friend Millen Tesfaldet to talk about the loss of her older brother Nathaniel aka Nati. Millen shares what it was like to experience this big loss as a high school student doing her best to live a normal life. Millen talks about her challenges navigating her grief while her family was able to express their grief more openly through practices unique to their Habesha heritage. 

Host Victoria Fortune introduces Sunshine and Rain, a podcast about the good things that can come from giving yourself the time and space to heal.