The Moxie Podcast

Becky Jo Harris sets the bar high on our first episode of season four! As an artist, comedian, actor, voice actor, painter, and perhaps creative/genius, she has a lot to teach about chasing new experiences and overcoming imposter syndrome.

On our season opener, you’ll learn about figuring out the puzzle of life in all its messy complications. Becky Jo will also show why this hard work makes slow mornings and funny videos in bed an absolute must. She has so much to share - and she does it all wearing a wig. Welcome back, y’all!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. What a typical morning looks like if you’re Becky Jo.
2. About fulfilling her dream of being flown to another country for an acting job and the ups and downs that came with it.
3. How she deals with doubts and self-sabotage that could limit her opportunities.
4. The importance of finding what works for you and sticking to it, even with something as simple as your sleep schedule.
5. Why Becky Jo’s free spirit and willingness to put her full self out there drew us to her.
6. How trying out for new opportunities changes as your career advances.
7. To embrace the journey, even when it’s hard to put the pieces together or even see the big picture.
8. What embracing the journey and letting stuff go looks like for Becky Jo.
9. How she used her differences to land an acting commercial with DoorDash.
10. What we’re all celebrating this week.

Find Becky Jo on any social media @itsbeckyjoharris (we highly recommend her Instagram!)

We’re giving you a peek behind the curtain as we wrap season three of The Hectic Podcast. This week’s guest is, well, me! You’ve been reading my words since the beginning, but I’m leaving the keyboard to sit in front of the microphone for our season finale. 

My name is Emily Finlay and I’m the creator behind the podcast’s written content. I joined Darryl and Michelle to share a bit about myself and the work I get to do with the Hectic team. We had a blast discussing what we’ve learned from our many guests and what we’re looking forward to in season four. You’ll also hear how the podcast has evolved over the past few seasons as we discovered which stories we wanted to tell.

I’m so excited to share my experience with the podcast and I hope you have as much fun listening as we did recording. Thanks for another amazing season! See you in season four!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. What I hope every listener gets from the podcast’s written content, particularly the weekly companion blog.
2. Why Hectic is my perfect client and how I discovered what I wanted from my business partnerships.
3. About this season’s common thread of knowing yourself and leaning into your strengths.
4. That self-work can and should be a normal part of every day, plus tips for approaching it in a healthy way.
5. How starting counseling just before this season began has affected me and the way I approach the podcast’s weekly blogs.
6. The story behind the podcast’s rebrand in season three, including how I may have unknowingly saved it from disaster (No, Darryl, there was no witchcraft involved).
7. All of the things we each love about the podcast and our work in it.
8. An easy way to build each other up and be sunlight to those around us.
9. A sneak peek at everything coming next season.
10. Darryl’s request for our amazing listeners, who we’re so grateful for!

A few episodes that we reference as we wrap:
Dr. Dom
Beth Waterman

Other team members of the podcast:
Audio engineer Tate Luck
Video editor Ryan Weir
Graphic designer Leah Deal

Our final guest this season is the one Michelle has been most excited about. Neosha Gardner is an incredible creator and problem solver who never lets an idea pass her by. Whether she is developing a resource platform for fellow homeschool moms or starting a stock photo site that focuses on melanated women, she is always looking for ways to offer a better solution.

Join Michelle as she explores the roots of these problem-solving pursuits. You’ll discover the power of self-activation and the benefits of chasing every idea you’re given.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. About the first problem Neosha can remember solving.
2. How she is intentionally finding ways to help others through the things she loves (and what those many, many things are).
3. The varied job and educational experiences that pushed her to pursue entrepreneurship.
4. What helped her move from creating $10 business logos to building websites, making YouTube videos, and running a beauty and lifestyle blog.
5. Why hating to take her own photos for the blog led her to create a stock photo site where she…takes photos for everyone else.
6. How a simple Facebook post revealed the desperate need for stock photos of black women.
7. The clever ways Neosha leveraged this post to build an audience for the stock photo site she launched, CreateHER Stock.
8. Why she will never be someone who wishes she had pursued an idea, embracing a perspective that offers the perfect way to beat imposter syndrome.
9. About the new shop she’s launching for CreateHER Stock and the suggestions to charge more that led to it.
10. How you can support other creators who are building their own problem-solving resources.

Get all of your stock photo needs met with CreateHERStock. Not a paid promotion. Just genuinely the site we use for everything.

This week we’re joined by the other half of the Cultivating H.E.R. Space podcast, Dr. Dominique Broussard! In keeping with the spirit of their podcast, we explored the importance of making space for ourselves and others throughout every season of life. 

Whether she’s making herself a safe space for her nieces or using her own safe space to celebrate all that she’s accomplished, Dom understands the power of having a place where you can fully be yourself. She shares what she’s learned in her life and through her career as a college professor and licensed psychologist, giving us ways to grow with grace in our own journeys. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why being unapologetically black is an important part of who Dr. Dom is, plus what that means to her.
2. How being a safe, judgment-free space for her nieces is helping them develop the confidence and freedom to be themselves from a young age.
3. The ways she and Terri are using their podcast to grant the same space to other black women, using conversation to invoke healing, empowerment, and resilience.
4. How she teaches her college students and clients to seek out the safe spaces that already exist in their circles (hint: communication is key).
5. To have grace for yourself when the lifelong process of learning to identify and communicate what you need doesn’t always look like progress.
6. Why hearing the same things from multiple people is essential to building a holistic picture of the advice, topic, or issue you’re dealing with.
7. About the importance of mental diversity and how it can improve our journeys.
8. The many reasons you should celebrate and recognize what you’ve learned from each stage of your life as you transition into a new chapter.
9. How those around you benefit from your investment in self-mastery and self-discovery.
10. Dr. Dom’s three favorite phrases that she uses to guide her journey.

Find Dr. Dom's practice here: https://www.drdominiquebroussard.com/
Listen to the Cultivate H. E. R. Space Podcast here: https://herspacepodcast.com/

TW: In this episode, Darryl and Terri share their stories which contain stories of past abuse.

Sometimes the most unexpected meetings are exactly what you need to understand yourself a little more. That was certainly the case with this week’s episode. Though I met Terri Lomax for the first time when we recorded, we soon found that we connected on a deeper level than I’d anticipated.

Both of us have spent years learning about ourselves, how our adversity-filled childhoods continue to affect us as adults, and what we want to change for the people that come after us. In this raw, vulnerable episode, we explore our journeys to understanding, accepting, and healing what we’ve endured. 

In a conversation that left us in tears, we go deep into our stories, hoping that doing so helps you find the validation and healing you might need too.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. About Terri’s podcast, where she dives into taboo topics to make them more approachable and to facilitate healing within them.
2. How dating herself helped Terri uncover and develop her identity after years of being a social chameleon.
3. More about my own childhood, including how my parents’ choices affected my development and led to a similar social chameleon defense mechanism.
4. Why both of our traumatic upbringings robbed us of the ability to ask what we want, something we had to learn through therapy and self-discovery as adults.
5. To fill your cup first so you can be more present and capable of showing up for the other people and needs in your life.
6. How I’m using my journey through imposter syndrome to create systems that can lessen the same struggle for my children and other freelancers.
7. The ways our childhoods prepared us for the challenges in life, plus ways that we can harness these skills in the workplace.
8. Which grace practices Terri uses to heal the self-hatred created by childhood abuses.
9. To talk to and treat yourself with love so you can demand the same level of respect from others.
10. That feeling emotions, both positive and negative, is such an important part of healing and living a wholehearted life.

Tennielle Clark host of She Speaks Bougie introduced us to Terri. The episode with the two of them together is here.
The episode of Cultivating H. E. R. Space that Darryl recommended on sisterhood is The Importance of Sisterhood and Friendship to Black Women with Bethany Hawkins.
Find Terri's free podcasting masterclass at podcastwithterri.com
The book Terri talks about is Self-Esteem: A proven program of cognitive techniques for assessing, improving, and maintaining your self-esteem by Matthew McKay, PhD, and Patrick Fanning.

Find Terri on her website and on Instagram.

Believe it or not, we are officially halfway through Season 3 — and what a season it’s been! I’ve been thinking a lot about the conversations I’ve had this season, so I wanted to bring Michelle on to talk about some of my thoughts and get her insights on the things we’ve learned over the past few episodes.

For those who have listened to Lindsey Jo Scott’s episode (and if you haven’t, give episode 308 a listen after this!), you might remember our discussion about finding your perfect place in the things you do. We dived deep into this topic, exploring what that means for us, how Michelle became so comfortable with it, and how it has changed my relationship with myself.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Michelle’s Hectic origin story, including why she didn’t want to take the job initially and what changed her mind.
2. How she has helped me love myself more by showing me that accepting my weaknesses only amplifies my strengths.
3. The opportunities freelancing offers for people who want to bring their strengths to a team that is strong where they are weak.
4. About the summer camp job that helped Michelle understand her strengths and learn how to use them to build something powerful with the strengths of others.
5. Why sharing your strengths and weaknesses honestly is the first step to putting this way of working into action.
6. The ways leaning into your strengths makes you more productive and even better at what you do.
7. How embracing a collective way of working helps you appreciate what others do more, creating a team that is confident in its ability to do great things.
8. To talk to yourself kindly so you can extend that same graciousness to others.
9. What I love about Michelle’s gift for seeing other’s strengths and building them up in these traits.
10. That being more kind than necessary and working with each other can create a much more beautiful piece of music than we ever could alone.

The book Michelle talks about is The Delicate Art of Dancing with Porcupines by Bob Phillips
Michelle can't remember the article about leaning into your strengths, but this is a great one on the same topic.

My guest this week is a jack of all trades and a master of one in particular. Since he was five years old, Michael Jung has been captured by the power of storytelling. He’s cultivated this passion in many ways throughout his life, telling stories through acting, volunteering at schools and children’s museums, online book dealing, and more.

Michael currently works as a freelance writer, but he has been writing his own stories for years. Through his education, mentorships, and personal experiences, he has learned what makes a good story and the best ways to share those stories with others. 

He dropped by the podcast this week to give us tips for telling our own stories, reflect on the power of choice, and celebrate the value of communication. No matter how you feel about writing and communicating, Michael has something for everyone in this captivating episode.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why Michael labels himself as a professional side hustler and what he loves about having a different job all the time.
2. The dangers of confusing who you are and what you do, especially when your work constantly changes.
3. How Michael came to see himself as a storyteller from a young age and continued growing in that understanding throughout his life.
4. About the influences, both positive and negative, that helped him discover what he wanted from life.
5. A practical way for everyone, both writers and those who hate writing, to have fun telling stories through the written word.
6. How this technique helped (and continues to help) Michael get out of his own way and give himself permission to enjoy the process.
7. The ways our world today is showing the value and power of communication, even in superheroes and comic books.
8. Why making choices about your life is the only way to get where you want to go.
9. What makes a good story and how you can create your own stories better.
10. Where you can find Michael’s work and what he’s cooking up next.

Find Michael on his website, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
See Michael's ebooks on his Amazon page.
The mentor Michael plugs is Jewell Parker Rhodes.
The TEDTalk from Carol Dweck that Darryl talks about is The Power of Believing that You Can Improve.
The concept from Isaac Asimov that Michael talks about is The Eureka Phenomenon.
Douglas Ramsey, the Marvel comic mutant that has a superpower of communication, is Cypher.

Melanie Aksamit is proof that it’s not when you start, but how you do it that matters. She joins this week to give us a peek into her world and work as a special effects makeup artist. With projects such as Stranger Things and Insidious under her belt, you would never guess that she’s only been working in the industry for 8.5 years.

Dive into Melanie’s undeniable passion for her work as she shares the roots of her love of monsters, makeup, and special effects. You’ll also learn why she waited until her late 20s to pursue this dream and how this timeline affected her journey. Join me to celebrate Melanie’s success and marvel at the life-changing experiences that can happen in Nebraska.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. How her father’s love of old monster movies inspired her passion for special effects makeup.
2. Why a trip to Nebraska led Melanie to quit her job waiting tables and enroll in special effects makeup school when she was 29.
3. What she appreciates about finding her path later than usual and what she wishes was different.
4. The surprising items that you can find in her kit, including one particularly odd item with an unusual purpose.
5. How a personal connection helped Melanie break into the industry and how she still relies on relationships to find new work.
6. The realities of working your way from a shop runner to a special effects artist.
7. About some of the amazing projects she’s worked on and people she’s met.
8. Why it’s important to celebrate the effort you put into your journey, even if you need the right connections to reach some milestones.
9. That a positive attitude can mean more for your success than your skills in any industry.
10. How to celebrate yourself and others for doing big things and sticking with the journey.

Find Melanie on her website and on Instagram.

My guest this week loves to use stories to show new ways of being in the world. Whether she’s making illustrations, writing, building content strategies, or using any of the other creative outlets forms she thrives in, Lindsey Jo Scott’s neurodivergent brain offers a unique perspective on the world and all that life has to teach. 

I was so excited to connect with Lindsey about our shared experiences with ADHD and our journeys to recognizing it as a superpower, not a shameful label. Through these experiences, we learned to embrace ourselves and find what fuels our inner fires. After listening to this episode, I hope you will find the inspiration, encouragement, or support you need to do the same.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. All of the ways Lindsey pursues creativity through her work, way of seeing the world, and future plans.
2. How practicing mindfulness to find her truer sense of being helps her get in touch with her creativity.
3. Why cultural stigmas of shame, guilt, and fear can keep us from living a full and fulfilled life.
4. About my experience with ADHD and how I have learned to embrace all of the ways it makes me powerful. 
5. Plus, how sharing our journeys makes it easier for others to find a sense of belonging.
6. The reasons everyone benefits when we can build teams that allow everyone to do what they do best.
7. How asking for help was the first brave step toward Lindsey understanding and loving herself, which allowed her to feel more comfortable in her story.
8. What it means to focus on internal success over external markers.
9. Why internal success is the only way to do the things you want to do while still enjoying the process.
10. Tips for processing the emotions this episode may have stirred up.

In the episode, the book Darryl talks about is ADHD is your superpower. The TEDTalk Lindsey Jo talks about is The danger of a single story.

Find Lindsey Jo on her website and Instagram.

My guest this week loves helping others and building a space for the black tech community, but she is ultimately working toward her own freedom. The freedom of financial stability, of focusing on the things she’s passionate about, of just chilling out and living life.

Pariss Athena, founder and CEO of Black Tech Pipeline, joins me to share real truths about her journey to this point and her hopes for the future. From her experiences as a black woman in tech to what drives her every day, we explore all of the great insights she has to offer for others on a similar path. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. How Pariss’ drive for freedom is a direct response to hustle culture and a reflection of what she values.
2. What went into building Black Tech Pipeline, from starting the business to deciding what she wanted to create.
3. Some of the hardest things she experienced while doing it.
4. Why she thinks being transparent about the messy middle of entrepreneurship is so important.
5. About her experiences as a black woman in tech and how they shaped her journey.
6. How Pariss changed her perspective about life’s difficulties and used these struggles to keep pushing forward.
7. The realities of balancing work with life as a mom and fiancé.
8. Her take on Kim K’s recent quote about working hard.
9. The better advice she has for women who are pursuing a dream.
10. In a bit of table turning, what I love about my job and which parts of work I like the least.

Find her on Twitter and Instagram.