After a long day of school and work, I decided to sit down and reflect on my week! And with this weekly reflection came reminiscing on family ties that needed to be cut in order for me to become an individual and embrace who I am outside of their gaze.

Sometimes in order for you to make new self-discoveries, you have to re-establish boundaries with the people that once aided the suppression of your individualism.

This is my first solo podcast episode and I am excited that I was able to be vulnerable with you all once again, because that is one of the main reasons I started this!

Stay authentic and do not forget to like, comment, and subscribe!

IG, Twitter, YouTube: The Narrative Vodcast @thenarrativevod

Founder of Black Voices On The Hill, Daniel James, joins Nay this week to discuss Black Excellence.

Black Excellence can be defined differently by many, but generally is used to describe Black people who "make it to the top" of the institutions that were not made for us.

But is Black Excellence *sometimes* synonymous with getting closer to whiteness?

If you are ready to question what you view as "excellence" and why, listen to this episode. Daniel and Nay draw on their personal experiences and hint at the importance of redefining Black Excellence.

How are you contributing to systems of oppression by wanting to achieve Black Excellence? We may all be guilty!

Being ’Type A’ comes with a lot of great qualities, but also some that can HINDER your success.

During Pamela’s time at Harvard, she learned that her high-anxiety personality may not always help her. And, as she moved into tech post-graduation, letting go of some of her Type-A qualities helped her “level-up.”

On Nay's journey, she has been redefining productivity and her metric of success; success no longer looks like getting a 100 on a test, but becoming her best self and tuning into her talents.

They both mention the cloudiness of their brains, the unrelenting anxiety, and over-consuming perfectionism that comes with being Type A— and for a long time they both accepted that is just 'who they are.'

If you’re Type A, you may feel like you will NEVER be satisfied and are never doing enough.

But…

That gives little space to celebrate your success.

Over quarantine, the tantalizing skinntyqueen became famous for being her true self and making funny tik toks! We have @theskinntyqueen here this week! Join Melissa and Nay in a conversation about balancing your passion and your "white collar" career aspirations.

This conversation starts off with a series of questions posed by Nay to Melissa but quickly turns into a discussion about the need for change in many spaces and how their skill sets will aid the advancement of institutions. Melissa highlights the power in everyone and how channeling this power can open many doors filled with possibilities and opportunities and reminds us of how by challenging what is "expected" we are all working to redefine what it means to "be" especially in particular professions.

She also claims Jahnay is the Oprah, Wendy William hybrid. Do you agree? 👀

As per usual, this episode is loaded with gems and you have to watch until the end to figure out what will resonate with you most. There's a reason you're listening! See you next week.

There comes a point in time where you realize you cannot please everyone and if loving yourself is too much for someone, that is not YOUR problem.

Too often people try to knock people's confidence and tell those who practice self-love they "do too much." In this episode, Kam and Nay explore whether or not "too much" is actually a thing or If it's a response from people who are actually insecure.

The conversation also led to formulating distinctions between cocky and confident. More specifically, posing this question: are cocky people even confident? Or are they overcompensating?!

While there is no concrete solution, Kam and Nay underscore the importance of continuing to practice self-love and spread the love! ❤️

As we digest our emotions and think about all that is happening throughout the African contient and the Diaspora, it is important that we also think about our individual contributions. In this conversation Nay has a discussion with two Nigerian college students from Syracuse University. They acknowledge and digest their differences in perspectives and experiences, their contributions to all the movements, and call out where viewpoints diverge between Africa and the African diaspora. But to end it off, they also discuss Black Joy and the importance of finding your peace/joy in the movement.

Please be aware of some audio malfunctions because of the virtual platform.

Thank you for listening and don't forget to leave a comment and check out my YouTube channel @ Nay With The Narrative for the visual component.

Instagram: @thee.narrative

Join Nay and Selam for this episode discussing humility, elitism, mental health, and college as a whole! This episode starts off discussing the difference between being humble and undermining your experiences and privilege. Then, we take a deep dive into what we are reaping from our college experience, positive and negative. If you have been questioning your identity outside of college, now's the time to start reflecting!

What started off as a conversation about "high maintenance" and being "boujee," soon after turned into a conversation about confidence, creativity, and empowering those around you. In this episode, special guest Kaya Coleman (founder and host of the podcast "Speak,") and Nay go on a journey of exploring the root of terms like "high maintenance" and the importance of liberating yourself enough to empower and support those around you. If you are ready to reflect on more than just the term "high maintenance," listen to this episode-- you may get a part 2, too!

In this episode, Ni & Nay explore the ways in which “Cancel Culture” is problematic! Especially because of the selectivity and the ostracism. They explore crucial questions such as the following: Is there a solution? Why do we forgive corporations before we forgive members of our community? And is ANYONE even benefiting from Cancel Culture? 

While they do not have all the answers, they suggest that the community works to stop exercising this problematic, selective Cancel Culture that limits the opportunity for people to learn and evolve.