The Seeds You Sow

Beyonce's relentless work ethic & Nipsey's consistent hustle has inspired and moved our culture in a number of ways! In this episode we examined how their movements have encouraged us ALL to strive towards excellence and continue doing the work that will empower ourselves and our local communities.

There are two articles for you to check out this week: "Nipsey Hussle's Dreams Were Bigger Than Hip-Hop" posted by the LA Times & "Beyonce's Black Intellectual Homecoming" posted by The Atlantic. We analyzed the impact of Nipsey's death, as well as how his work and legacy continues to live on. We defined Beyonce's work as legendary, and talked about how it serves as inspiration for us all to think about how much we're willing to push ourselves to master the gifts we have to share. Both of these figures have demonstrated consistency and sacrifice towards what they believe and have been unapologetic in lifting up black culture and their community. We hope this episode allows you to celebrate the greatness of what is currently happening in our culture and more importantly, we hope it allows you to recognize that the same greatness lives in you!

This week on the podcast we had a conversation on how to persist after experiencing rejection. Rejection at times can attack our sense of value and self-worth. It can also act as a deterrent, preventing one to further pursue whatever dream, goal, or interest they had in mind. This episode is a motivator to keep you going in the midst of discouragement or temporary failure.

We have two articles for you to indulge in: Why Rejection Can Be A Really Good Thing? posted by the Huffington post and 10 Benefits of Rejection posted by lifehack.org. We discussed the reasons why people avoid rejection and the courage and confidence it takes to go after the desires and dreams of your heart.  We offered our personal stories dealing with rejection and provided a humble perspective that allowed us to see rejection not as a negative experience but instead, as an experience that allows us to grow and be better.  In the words of our host Ashley, "We don't win or lose, we Win or Learn." Tune in and LEARN the different ways to push through any moments of personal or professional rejection in life.

The concept of selling out is layered with multiple viewpoints, and at times, can causes a lot of tension and division in the Black Community community. In this episode we discussed what causes these divides, and if there is a need to have more conversations with those who per se "sell out," or if it is acceptable to "cancel" those that we may not agree with.

We have two articles for you to indulge in, "The History of Race, And What Selling Out Means?" posted by The Washington Times and "Everyone is Canceled" posted by the NYTimes. We hope this episode challenges you to be mindful of the different experiences we all share and encourages you to think of more ways to build and connect with others in your community.

Since relationships are the theme for the month of February, we decided to highlight the universal love affair that everyone has experienced -- the relationship we all have with music. Music can define our mood, speak to our spirit, and even tell the story of our lives. In this episode we took the time to think about how music has influenced us over the years by sharing specific songs and albums that relate to our experiences thus far in life.

Some of the artists we featured in this episode were: Roy Ayers, ​Common,​ Big Tymers, The Mississippi Mass Choir, & Mary J. Blige, just to name a few. We answered several questions, from reflective ones such as “name a song or album that got you through a difficult time in life”, to intimate questions, such as “name a song or album that reminds you of the first time you fell in love.” We discussed how certain songs and even whole albums have helped us push through difficult times, and how other records have helped us celebrate the good times. Through this episode, we conveyed that music is an outlet that allows us to connect and express the varied emotions we experience. Musics like a partner or a good friend; one who offers comfort and inspiration, and reminds us that we are not alone as we go through this drama we call life.

Partnership, love, intimacy, a feeling of closeness, and connection are basic human needs. The ability to connect and relate is how we thrive as a people. While many people may wonder when and how they will meet the love of their life, there is a bigger question to ask -- how do you determine if the love and relationship you are seeking is healthy? The unfortunate truth is, some people risk entering unhealthy toxic relationships that endanger their sense of self-worth and overall well-being. This week on the podcast we had an intimate conversation about what a healthy relationship looks like, and ways to build stronger self esteem that will not allow you to settle for toxic behaviors from others that you do not deserve.

How many people are truly pursuing their passion in life? What prevents people from pursuing what makes them happy? How can we begin to encourage ourselves and others to pursue a career that brings joy not only to themselves but to the community they live in? This week on the podcast we answered these questions through a conversation on the importance of tapping into our passion, and pursuing careers that truly connect with our overall purpose in life.

We have a few helpful articles for you to indulge in:"Follow Your Passions and Success Will Follow" posted by Investopedia and "Do What You Love! How To Identify and Pursue Your Passions" posted by themuse.com. We acknowledged the process it takes to discovering your passion and the barriers that prevent people from going after what brings them joy. We offered advice, and tips on how to establish a strong mindset that is courageous enough to pursue the joys within your heart. We believe that our jobs should NOT be something “we do”, but instead, be something that contributes to our overall personal growth, and the greater good of our society. We encouraged our listeners to think critically about what they are passionate about, so they can in return, invest in a career that will grant them purpose.

This week we did a book review Becoming, the autobiography written by our previous FLOTUS, the one and only, Mrs. Michelle Obama.  We explored and discussed the power and vulnerability of her inspiring story and highlighted the areas of the book that spoke to us personally. Also in this episode, we highlighted the importance of sharing YOUR own personal narrative and encouraged our listeners to think about their story thus far and the type of legacy they hope to leave behind.

It's our final episode of 2018 and we thought to leave you all with something that would be reflective and inspiring. In this fast paced world, there are number of external stresses and circumstances that can cause a person to mentally or emotionally breakdown.  As a podcast team, we've given a lot of critical thought to this and talked about how the break down can actually set a person up for a build-up. Without the proper emotional support system or awareness to check in with yourself however, it can be difficult to overcome certain experiences and move forward in life.  Our goal with this episode was to remind listeners the importance of checking in with themselves. We provided an authentic space of encouragement and hope for those who may be in the midst of a major life transition or mental or emotional breakdown, and supported them with steps on how to start moving forward so they are able to build themselves back up again.

We have three helpful articles for you this week: “Having a Breakdown? The Best Tip I Ever Heard” posted by Psychology Today,  "Life After a Nervous Breakdown" posted by Bridges To Recovery and "You Can Always Build Yourself Up Again" posted by the Thought Catalog. We acknowledged the stigma associated with experiencing a mental breakdown, as well as the barriers that prevent people from reaching out for help. We offered our personal stories of times in our lives where we experienced a type of break down and what tools we used to build ourselves back up. This episode  is meant to offer you a truth, that no matter what experiences you endure you are not alone in the process. It was a cathartic, genuine, and uplifting show, and we hope it allows you to embrace the truth that no matter what you experience in life, you do have the power to not only endure it, but to overcome it.

How does one find balance in this fast paced non stop world? Between pursing your passions, spending time with your loved ones, taking care of your health, and finding time to just relax and "just be" it can be difficult at times to manage all of the responsibilities. In this episode, we offered our personal testimonies on how we maintain a balanced lifestyle and offered tips to our listeners on how to do the same! Balance is not something you achieve but something you consistently have to work on. Tune in and listen, as we inspire and encourage you all to be patient with yourself as you learn to sustain a more balanced lifestyle.

The concept of black hair being labeled as good or bad seems absurd, but the reality is, the notion that only a specific type of black hair can be "good" is still an ongoing issue in certain black communities.  We decided this week to think about the history of black hair, and had a conversation about how our hair is connected to our identity, culture, and expression not only as a race but as individuals. Following in the footsteps of Comedian/Social Commentator Chris Rock, who released his documentary "Good Hair" in 2009, we wanted to continue the discussion by offering some positivity and insight to the conversation around black hair in regards to racial identity and cultural expression.  

We have two short articles and one insightful video to share with you this week: "The Connection Between Hair & Identity in Black Culture" posted by C&R, "The Navy Is Finally Lifting Its Ban on Dreadlocks for Women" posted by the Huffington Post and “The black hair care industry generates billions — but the US is missing out on the market,” a 9 minute video posted by CNBC about the one billion dollar hair industry. We offered our personal testimonies by sharing the positive and negative experiences we have had with learning to accept and manage our hair. We discussed the natural hair movement and the one-billion dollar hair industry that black hair generates. We not only addressed the complexities and struggles behind black hair, but also its uniqueness in texture and the overall beauty & versatility in the styles it is able to display. We promoted a message that our hair is powerful and unique, which is synonymous to who we are as a people. We hope this episode empowers you to think about ways to accept the uniqueness of your hair, and more importantly, how to accept yourself.