Happy International Women's Day! There are so many amazing women I have the blessing of being connected to in friendship, family, faith and that have supported me through my educational and entrepreneurial pursuits. As I reflect on what a celebratory month February was for me, I take time to remember the beautiful women who gave me life and whose name now lives in my own. I also share the difficulties I faced following her passing after battling breast cancer, and what helped me to navigate grief through a reading my personal essay "What I Gained From My Loss."

jayswatermelonade.com

Music:

In the premier of The Vulnerable Space with Joyson, I begin I open up about my personal struggle that I kept in silence for many years out of shame and fear. I share the conditions of my upbringing that contributed to my shame and fear, such as growing up in a religious environment and witnessing the mistreatment of of openly LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as what it took to embrace the part of my truth that I prayed would disappear.

Welcome to My Podcast! | The Vulnerable Space with Joyson

For most of my adolescent and teenage life, there were a lot of things didn’t talk about: I didn’t talk about the death of my mother. I didn’t talk about struggling with my sexual orientation. I never revealed dealing with a daily addiction to pornography.

In this prelude to my podcast, I reveal why I didn’t talk about these big parts of my lived experience, what I learned along the way, and what I want you to know. One of those being that you are loved, and don’t have to remain in silence or shame about anything you have dealt with in the past or are currently going through.

I thank you for watching and hope that you’ll share any thoughts, questions, or feedback in the comment section or by directly messaging me on instagram @joysonbalisamore. Don’t forget to subscribe if you’d like to join this journey of vulnerability.

Song:

Kenzi Tower - Toyb

℗ Free To Use Music

PS: Similar to me, the audio quality is not perfect but will be improved in future episodes as I learn and develop the art of podcast recording 😅

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