In this week’s episode of We Are Out of Office, your co-hosts Veteran Television Executive Producer Nikki T and Bestselling Author Jayne Allen clock in with a rich, wide-ranging conversation about over-functioning, space exploration, cultural disappointment, Black excellence, hair journeys, and the healing power of choosing your own peace.

The episode opens with the ladies doing what they do best: catching up like public girlfriends before finally turning on the microphones. Nikki is fully locked into the wonder of the Artemis II mission, celebrating the crew’s safe return from orbiting the moon and reflecting on what it means to see Earth from the outside. Jayne, meanwhile, arrives with a deeply relatable out-of-office reply: she is currently under-functioning because she got tired of over-functioning — a phrase that sets up one of the episode’s most resonant conversations.

From there, the conversation moves through international dating, Black women in space, fasting and autophagy, Black-owned haircare, deepfake violations, burnout, boundaries, music, Mardi Gras Indian artistry, and the emotional labor of finally telling the truth to yourself.

Jayne’s I See You Girl goes to Nia Moore, the endlessly entertaining private flight attendant, foodie, and globe-trotting auntie who is documenting her international dating adventures with boldness, humor, and zero apology. From London to Barcelona to LA, Nehamore is trying different dating apps, inviting handsome men out on dates she plans herself, and showing what it looks like to create your own fun instead of waiting to be chosen. For Jayne, it’s both aspirational and refreshing — an example of a woman fully living.

Nikki’s I See You Girl goes to Kiari Dools, the NASA exploration scientist and flight controller who became a Threads favorite during the Artemis II mission. As one of the Black women helping guide the mission from the ground, Kiari became a symbol of brilliance, representation, and modern-day hidden figures no more.

Jayne is currently on autophagy — the body’s process of cellular cleanup and renewal — and specifically the role fasting can play in activating it. She shares her fascination with Fast Life Jay, who has been publicly documenting an extended fast and dramatic health transformation, and reflects on how that conversation intersects with her own wellness and body-composition journey.

Nikki is currently on space exploration, and not casually. She is all the way in on Artemis II, from the astronauts’ reflections to the emotional symbolism of the mission to the generations of Black brilliance that made it possible. For Nikki, this mission was more than science — it was hope, perspective, humility, and a reminder that we are all riding this same fragile spaceship together.

Jayne’s Mindin’ My Black Business goes to Camille Rose Naturals, the Black-founded natural haircare company still owned by its original founder, Janell Stephens. As Jayne continues her daily wash-and-go experiment and deepens her relationship with her hair, she spotlights the brand’s ingredient integrity, founder story, and commitment to natural formulations rooted in care.

She also gives love to TGIN, another Black-founded haircare line with deep personal significance, as she reflects on the importance of supporting companies that remain rooted in their original mission and legacy.

Nikki’s Mindin’ My Black Business spotlights the DualShot app, created by Derrick Downey Jr., which allows creators to record vertical and horizontal video at the same time. Born from Derrick’s own creative needs — and after many people first came to know him through his beloved squirrel content — the app is a smart, useful reminder that innovation often starts with solving your own problem first.

Nikki’s Jesus Take the Wheel comes out of Germany, where a television presenter and actress has alleged that for years, pornographic deepfakes, fake social profiles, and AI-generated voice impersonations of her were being spread online — and that the person behind it may have been her own husband. The story becomes a chilling meditation on digital abuse, humiliation as a fetishized form of control, and the terrifying reality that some of the chaos women experience may be coming from inside the house.

The conversation then broadens into a larger reflection on insecurity, manipulation, and the unsettling emotional pattern of people harming the very person they are supposed to love.

This week’s Health & Healing centers on a powerful question:

What happens when you stop over-functioning?

Jayne opens up about realizing just how much of her life has been shaped by over-functioning — managing other people’s comfort, suppressing her own pain, dulling her honest reactions, and carrying emotional burdens that should never have been hers to hold. Triggered by a recent piece of information that opened a much older wound, she reflects on the compassion she now feels for past versions of herself and the cost of constantly staying regulated for everyone else.

Nikki meets her there with sharp clarity, connecting Jayne’s revelation to her own experience of leaving a job that required too much and gave too little back. Together, they talk about the long arc of burnout recovery, the challenge of staying honest once you’ve finally named the problem, and the active work of under-functioning after years of doing too much.

The takeaway is clear:

sometimes healing is not about doing more.

Sometimes it is about finally stopping.

Nikki’s What’s Good is Demond Melancon, the New Orleans artist and Big Chief of the Young Seminole Hunters tribe whose hand-beaded Mardi Gras suit this year told the story of the Amistad. Through an explanation of Black masking culture, Mardi Gras Indian tradition, and the artistry behind the suits, Nikki highlights a breathtaking example of Black craftsmanship, cultural memory, and living art. Demond’s work is now headed to the Venice Biennale, and rightly so.

Jayne’s What’s Good is simple but resonant: the beauty of seeing the culture continue to create, endure, and expand — from music to style to spiritual resilience. And if there is a through-line in this episode, it is that Black creativity remains one of the most enduring forms of survival and joy we have.

Nikki’s final word:

One love, one heart. Let’s join together and feel all right.

Jayne’s final word:

The joy that I have, the world didn’t give it to me — and the world can’t take it away.

Episode Links:

Nia Moore on Dating and Dining Around the Globe

Kiarre Dumes x Artemis II

Artemis II

Fast Life Jay on His 99th Day of Water Fasting

Derrick Downey Jr x DualShot App

Camille Rose Naturals

Big Chief Demond Melancon’s 25K Suit

Questions? Comments? Email us at: [email protected]

or follow us on TikTok and Instagram at: @weareoutofofficepod

In this week’s episode of We Are Out of Office, your co-hosts Veteran Television Executive Producer Nikki T and Bestselling Author Jayne Allen clock in with a conversation that moves from sports heartbreak to reality TV betrayal, Broadway wins, Black business brilliance, and the emotional labor of learning when to let people go.

The episode opens with the ladies doing what they do best: turning on their out-of-office replies and catching up like the public girlfriends they are. Jayne is still in mourning over Duke’s devastating NCAA loss to UConn — a loss so painful it reopened a very specific 1999 college-era wound. Nikki, meanwhile, is fully tapped into the Bravo discourse and gives Jayne a live update on the latest Summer House chaos, friendship betrayal, and why the girls are currently riding at dawn for Sierra.

From there, the conversation moves through Black excellence, Women’s History Month, the WNBA, music, natural hair, vacation dreams, AI theft, disappointing public figures, and the healing work of learning to protect your peace without explanation.

Jayne’s I See You Girl goes to Megan Thee Stallion, whose latest era continues to be one of expansion, reinvention, and undeniable elevation. This week, Jayne spotlights Megan’s historic Broadway run in Moulin Rouge, where she is playing the role of Zidler — a role traditionally played by a man — making her the first woman to take it on in the production. Even with a brief health scare caused by exhaustion, Meg remains a force, and Jayne gives her flowers for continuing to level up in public, in real time, and on her own terms.

Nikki’s I See You Girl goes to Claudia Goldin, the Nobel Prize-winning economist whose volunteer work helped the WNBA Players Association secure one of the biggest labor wins in sports history. From salary increases to better benefits and long-overdue structural correction, Claudia’s work reminds us that math, rigor, and advocacy can absolutely change lives — especially for women whose labor has long been undervalued.

Nikki is currently on music — specifically a run of artists who are making her life better in real time. She shouts out RAYE, whose new album has only deepened her admiration, and also puts listeners onto Naomi Scott’s album Fallen to Grace, a polished, soulful, pop-forward project with texture, restraint, and a boutique-coffeehouse kind of cool. For Nikki, this is music to drive to, live with, and return to.

Jayne is currently on daily washing for natural hair — a full-on experiment inspired by the idea that Black textured hair may thrive with more moisture than many of us have been taught to give it. She talks about washing, finger-detangling, trying products, and building a new relationship with her hair in real time. It’s part beauty journey, part discipline, part curiosity, and fully a reminder that sometimes growth requires unlearning.

Jayne spotlights Amina Jillil, the luxury shoe designer whose sculptural, hyper-feminine, instantly recognizable footwear has become a fashion force. From oversized bows to statement gems to thigh-high leather boots that may or may not become a post-Duke-loss consolation gift to herself, Jayne celebrates Amina’s rise from dancer to global designer and the vision it took to build a brand that feels both glamorous and unmistakable.

Nikki highlights Finger Lakes Treehouse, founded by Daryl and Patrice Maxam, a Black-owned hospitality concept that grew from an Airbnb room rental into a full experience-driven getaway brand. With treehouses, cabins, Airstreams, nature, fire pits, and a whole different pace of living, the property becomes a symbol of what can happen when you start small, stay consistent, and build toward something bigger.

Nikki’s Jesus Take the Wheel goes to the bizarre and deeply troubling story of a white influencer who allegedly used AI to put her face onto the body of a Black woman in a tennis-stadium photo and then posted it as her own. The conversation becomes a larger meditation on theft, digital fraud, entitlement, and the exhausting familiarity of seeing Black creators and Black women treated as raw material for somebody else’s image.

From there, the ladies also touch on the disappointment of public figures like Chilli and Nick Cannon, using those examples to ask a bigger question: what do you do when people you once rooted for reveal themselves to be out of alignment with your values?

Jayne’s answer is simple: vote with your feet.

This week’s Health & Healing centers on disappointment fatigue, boundaries, and the emotional maturity of knowing when not to save people.

Nikki reflects on the reality that some people do not want to be saved, corrected, or called in — and exhausting yourself trying to do so only drains your own peace. Jayne builds on that by naming something many Black women are actively unlearning: the idea that we are responsible for carrying, defending, and rehabilitating everyone around us, even when they are causing harm.

Together, they talk about what it means to let people sit in the consequences of their own choices, to stop overexplaining distance, and to understand that not every apology deserves reentry.

Sometimes healing looks like clarity.

Sometimes it looks like grief.

Sometimes it looks like boundaries.

And sometimes it just looks like leaving.

Nikki highlights Nia DaCosta and Connor Story’s branded horror short, Look Behind You, created in partnership with Verizon. Stylish, sharp, and far more cinematic than anyone might expect from branded content, the short becomes a celebration of creative range, inventive storytelling, and what’s possible when artists are allowed to make something compelling even inside commercial work.

Jayne’s What’s Good is actually a continuation of Nikki’s earlier point about music, but with a specific spotlight on Elmiene, whose forthcoming album Sounds for Someone has her fully locked in. For anyone who misses real soul, vocal depth, and artists who sound like they mean every note, Elmiene remains one to watch.

Jayne’s final word:

Hold yourself in loving kindness, care, and compassion — and keep finding new ways to do that.

Nikki’s final word:

When you lose a parent, life doesn’t get harder. It gets bigger.

Show Links:

Claudia Goldin & WNBA

Aminah Jillil Shoes

The Gravest Crime

Naomi Scott's new album

FingerLake TreeHouse by the Maxams

Verizon's Look Behind You Starring Connor Storrie

Questions? Comments? Email us at: [email protected]

or follow us on TikTok and Instagram at: @weareoutofofficepod

In this week’s episode of We Are Out of Office, your co-hosts Veteran Television Executive Producer Nikki T and Bestselling Author Jayne Allen keep the conversation going in their first intentional audio-only episode — live from Nikki’s mother-in-law’s closet in Oregon and fully committed to staying out of office, even off-camera.

The episode opens with the ladies doing what they do best: turning on their out-of-office replies and letting the conversation unfold from there. Nikki is busy watching QVC and reflecting on the unexpected entertainment value of daytime television, while Jayne shares a deeper lesson from her own QVC experience — that manifestation requires aiming beyond the moment you think you want, because getting exactly what you asked for is not always the same as arriving where you’re meant to be.

From there, the conversation moves through beauty, Black history, fitness, haircare, loneliness, friendship, truth-telling, and the discipline of choosing yourself again and again.

Jayne’s I See You Girl goes to Chaka Khan, who at 73 is still glowing, radiant, and completely herself. After hearing Chaka casually reveal that her beauty “secret” is simply slathering her face with oil or heavy lotion before bed, Jayne takes the moment as both a practical skincare tip and a broader reminder that consistency, moisture, and keeping it simple may still be some of the best anti-aging wisdom there is.

Nikki spotlights Biddy Mason, the formerly enslaved woman who became one of the wealthiest Black women in Los Angeles. From winning her freedom in court to building a real estate empire, founding institutions, and leaving behind a legacy of generosity and civic power, Biddy Mason becomes this week’s reminder that Black history is full of women who transformed survival into ownership, influence, and lasting community impact.

Nikki is currently on Tae Bo with Billy Blanks, rediscovering the joy of old-school workouts that still get the job done. Between YouTube Tae Bo sessions and figure-eight resistance bands, she’s focused on toning, moving with intention, and reconnecting with a kind of fitness that feels fun, effective, and sustainable.

Jayne is on Cécred, Beyoncé’s haircare line, and specifically has her eye on what appears to be a quietly excellent formulation strategy. After trying the Silk Protein Rinse and reviewing the ingredient deck through the lens of her own beauty industry background, she suspects the line may be doing much more than it initially lets on — and is preparing to test the styling products next, wash-and-go included.

Jayne brings a twofer this week, highlighting both Cécred and Grow Good, Cardi B’s newly launched haircare line. With one brand positioned as luxurious and ingredient-forward and the other appearing more affordable and accessible, the ladies are interested in seeing how both lines perform — especially for women on real-life healthy hair journeys.

Nikki spotlights Cedric Mitchell Design, the work of Black glassblower Cedric Mitchell, whose sculptural glassware blends art, function, nostalgia, and what he calls modern funk. His kinetic glasses feel equal parts conversation starter and design object, and the whole collection is a reminder that Black creativity continues to expand the definition of luxury, beauty, and everyday ritual.

Jayne’s Jesus Take the Wheel comes from a trend she finds both unsettling and deeply sad: people using AI for romance. What begins as a conversation about AI “boyfriends” and digital companionship becomes a broader reflection on loneliness, emotional avoidance, and the ways people are increasingly turning to simulation over actual intimacy. For Jayne, it’s a sharp reminder that AI may be a tool, but it cannot replace the humanity of being seen, challenged, and loved by another real person.

Nikki’s Jesus Take the Wheel goes to the bizarre story involving Alan Ritchson, a bike ride, a neighbor dispute, and a body-cam reveal that changed the whole narrative. What initially looked like one story became another entirely once more footage surfaced, and Nikki is left asking the obvious question: why are people this committed to schemes, setups, and self-inflicted chaos in the first place?

This week’s Health & Healing centers on a hard truth: not everyone who says they want honesty is actually ready to receive it.

Nikki reflects on a pivotal moment when her father-in-law lovingly but directly called her out for not being present enough with her daughter — a truth that was painful to hear, but powerful enough to change her life. Jayne builds on that by reflecting on the friendships she has lost in the act of being honest with people about their own misalignment, and the courage it takes to tell someone the truth not because you want to hurt them, but because you care enough not to lie.

Together, they explore the difference between judgment and loving accountability, and the rare value of the people willing to tell you when you are falling short of your own standards.

Jayne shouts out Elmiene, the British soul singer whose new album Sounds for Someone is on the way. Blending the emotional texture of artists like Maxwell, Raphael Saadiq, and D’Angelo, Elmiene remains one to watch for anyone craving real voice, real feeling, and a return to musical artistry.

Nikki highlights Alexis Coakley, whose mantra loops have become part affirmation, part soundtrack, part energetic reset. Between the catchy abundance mantras and her discovery of so-called songs that “hack the matrix,” Nikki is fully leaning into sound as vibration, intention, and maybe even a little magic.

Nikki’s final word:

Some of you think you need a business mentor when you really need a business midwife. A mentor gives you steps. A midwife helps you deliver.

Jayne’s final word:

I’m choosing me. Every time.

Show Links:

Chaka Khan on Table Manners Podcast

Women's History- Meet Biddy Mason

Resistance Bands Workout

Cedric Mitchell Design Glassware

Elmiene Tiny Desk (You're Welcome)

Alexus Cokley Mantra-Honey Getting Money

Song Matrix Hack

Questions? Comments? Email us at: [email protected]

or Follow us on TikTok and Instagram at: @weareoutofofficepod

In this week’s episode of We Are Out of Office, your co-hosts Veteran Television Executive Producer Nikki T and Bestselling Author Jayne Allen clock in with a full, fiery, culture-forward conversation about storytelling, self-definition, personal power, and what it means to wake up to your own truth in a world determined to narrate you incorrectly.

The episode opens with the ladies doing what they do best: turning on their out-of-office replies and setting the tone. Jayne is focused on growing her hair, regulating her sleep, and shortening her manifestation window, while Nikki declares herself busy creating propaganda—the kind rooted in equity, storytelling, and shaping narratives that actually serve people.

From there, the conversation moves through Oscars discourse, Black excellence, mirror work, renesting, AI-fueled innovation, and the emotional labor of reclaiming joy without apologizing for it.

Jayne’s I See You King goes to Michael B. Jordan, whose Best Actor Oscar win becomes a larger meditation on talent, truth, and what it means to beat the machine. Rather than centering the usual industry narratives, Jayne breaks down how Sinners and its team stayed rooted in the truth of their work—despite the noise, despite the positioning, and despite the systems designed to uplift someone else.

Nikki spotlights Quenlin Blackwell, the internet personality and host whose chaotic, compelling energy made her one of the breakout standouts of Oscars red carpet coverage. Funny, unfiltered, and impossible to ignore, Quenlin becomes a case study in what happens when personality, presence, and platform collide in real time.

Jayne is currently on re-nesting—the act of intentionally simplifying your life, moving closer to yourself, and rejecting the external trappings of success in favor of healing, focus, and alignment. She reflects on what it means to leave behind peacocking and performance in order to build something quieter, truer, and more sustainable.

Nikki is on mirror work, inspired by a wildly insightful nine-year-old who described the mirror as a gateway to infinite versions of yourself. By whispering affirmations and truths to her reflection, Nikki has found a playful but powerful way to shift her mood, check her energy, and reconnect to herself with intention.

Jayne highlights The Best Man: Unfinished Business, Book One, inviting book clubs to slide into the DMs and invite her and Malcolm D. Lee into their discussions. The response has already been strong, and the authors are eager to join readers in unpacking the story together.

Nikki spotlights The Meridian Club, founded by Nany, a private travel and spa club for women centered on rest, restoration, and low-demand luxury. Built around healing water traditions, pleasure-driven food, and soft community, it’s the kind of wellness concept that feels deeply aligned with the moment.

Jayne’s Jesus Take the Wheel comes from an unsettling documentary about men who spend thousands renting girlfriends—not for companionship, but for control, compliance, and the illusion of relational ease without another person’s actual humanity. The conversation becomes a sharp examination of entitlement, emotional underdevelopment, and the danger of wanting a relationship without the existence of another will.

Nikki’s Jesus Take the Wheel goes to Tasha K, following the latest developments in her ongoing legal and financial fallout after losing a defamation case to Cardi B. From alleged asset shielding to a GoFundMe aimed at helping pay the judgment, the situation becomes a case study in consequences, ego, and what happens when sorry could have saved everybody time.

Jayne offers a powerful word this week: wake up.

Not to fear—but to yourself. To your own truth. To your own story. Using Ryan Coogler and the Sinners campaign as the example, she reflects on what happens when you refuse to let the loudest lie become your reality. If you stay rooted in the truth of your work, your gifts, your effort, and your story, then even the machine eventually has to face what’s real.

Nikki builds on that with a needed reminder: if someone else’s joy makes you uncomfortable, that discomfort is information. Using the reaction to Teyana Taylor’s visible joy as an example, she unpacks how deeply many of us have internalized the policing of Black joy—and how healing requires expanding ourselves, not shrinking other people.

Jayne shouts out the new WNBA collective bargaining agreement, which dramatically increases average salaries, minimum salaries, and revenue share for players. The numbers tell the story clearly: women’s professional basketball has long been undervalued, and this new agreement is a major step toward correcting that.

Nikki highlights a wild but hopeful story out of Australia, where a man used AI and determination to help create a custom vaccine for his dog Rose after a devastating diagnosis. It’s a reminder that technology, used well, can still reflect the best of human ingenuity and love.

Nikki’s final word: be blessed.

Jayne’s final word:

Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.

Epsisode Links:

Quenlin Blackwell YouTube Channel

An Article About Why the Loser Lost

Young Mensa Member talks Mirror Work!

Spa Travel Group w. The Meridian Club

Wait, Now They’re Renting Girlfriends?

Man uses to ChatGPT to develop vaccine

New Agreement for WNBA Players

Questions? Comments? Email us at: [email protected] or Follow us on TikTok and Instagram at: @weareoutofofficepod

In this week’s episode of We Are Out of Office, your co-hosts Veteran Television Executive Producer Nikki T and Bestselling Author Jayne Allen return with a short but layered conversation about voice, visibility, culture, and what it means to build a life rooted in self-respect, alignment, and enoughness.

The episode opens with the ladies doing what they do best: turning on their out-of-office replies and naming the energy. With the world worlding as usual, Jayne is busy reading up on the latest developments in community collective action, while Nikki enters her birthday month with one clear instruction: talk to her nice.

From there, the conversation moves through brilliance in marketing, creativity, entrepreneurship, internet foolishness, and the quiet power of building a life that doesn’t require over-explaining, over-proving, or begging to be believed.

Nikki spotlights Dara Treseder, the powerhouse marketing executive currently serving as Chief Marketing Officer at Autodesk. From helping drive Peloton’s explosive growth to turning software into story-driven cultural messaging, Dara is a reminder that the best marketing doesn’t just sell products — it sells identity, possibility, and belonging.

Jayne highlights Viola Davis, who now adds novelist to her already-iconic résumé with the release of Judge Stone, a courtroom thriller co-written with James Patterson. Viola also narrates the audiobook herself, because of course she does — and the hosts reflect on what it means to witness a woman continue to evolve at the highest level of her craft.

Jayne is currently on facial massage — and not in a frivolous way. After noticing puffiness and fluid retention from travel, stress, and changing routines, she’s been deep in the world of lymphatic drainage and facial massage, discovering just how much a few intentional minutes can shift how you look and feel.

Nikki, meanwhile, is deep in another internet rabbit hole — or rather, several. From “attic lady” and “birthday cake lady” to a wedding canceled under mysterious circumstances and a husband allegedly stranded overseas with his sneaky link, Threads continues to prove itself as one of the most chaotic storytelling platforms on the internet.

The ladies also take a moment to praise Paradise, which Nikki says is doing the rare thing: delivering a season two that may actually be just as strong as the first.

Jayne brings listeners a Black-owned coffee brand: Kahawa 1893, founded by Margaret Nyamumbo, a Kenyan-born entrepreneur who transformed her family’s coffee legacy into a growing business now generating millions in annual sales. Her discovery began with fear-mongering around mycotoxins in coffee and ended in a much more useful place: supporting a Black woman-owned company doing the work right.

Nikki highlights Gracie’s Cakes, the stunning cake artistry business of Ronique Briggs, a Bahamian-born, Ontario-based hyper-realistic cake artist whose sculptural creations are almost too beautiful to cut. Between her Netflix appearance on Is It Cake? and her online courses, this is artistry, entrepreneurship, and sweetness all in one.

Jayne’s Jesus Take the Wheel goes to the rollout surrounding Reverend Jamal Bryant's announcement of the conclusion of the latest retail boycott. The hosts unpack whether collective action can simply be declared over, and how accountability, results, and respect are required for the community involved.

Nikki’s Jesus Take the Wheel comes out of Bakersfield, California, where a college basketball coach is under investigation for allegedly trafficking women across multiple states while simultaneously serving as an assistant coach. Combined with a separate investigation involving another athletic program at the same school, the hosts raise the larger question: what is happening inside these institutions that are supposed to protect young people?

This week, Jayne is in a real-time healing space and gives herself permission not to force clarity before it’s ready. Sometimes healing takes longer than a week, and sometimes the healthiest thing to do is to pause, process, and return when there’s something real to say.

Woven throughout the episode is a larger truth: the life you’re building should not require begging — not for respect, not for resources, not for clarity, and not for permission to trust what you already know.

Nikki shouts out Professor Jason Arday, the youngest Black professor in the history of the University of Cambridge — and a man who did not speak until age 11 and did not learn to read and write until age 18. His story is a stunning reminder that timelines are not destiny.

Jayne recommends an episode of Shan Boodram’s Lovers podcast featuring Melissa Ford, centered around the question: What if you never meet the one? The conversation explores wholeness, happiness, decentering men, and the growing cultural shift toward women building lives so full and joyful that partnership becomes an addition — not the point.

Nikki’s final word: the universe be knowing. Pay attention.

Jayne’s final word:

If it doesn’t cost you, it won’t change you. Information alone doesn’t change your life — habits do.

Show Links:

Dara Tresseder of Autodesk

Viola Davis is an Author - Judge Stone on Goodreads

Attic Lady

Birthday Cake Lady

Wedding Cancellation Thread

Kahawa 1893 - Black Woman Owned Coffee Company

Jason Arday- Cambridge’s Youngest Professor

Lovers by Shan - Melyssa Ford Episode - What if You Never Find the One

Questions? Comments? Email us at: [email protected] or Follow us on TikTok and Instagram at: @weareoutofofficepod

In this week’s episode of We Are Out of Office, co-hosts Veteran Television Executive Producer Nikki T and Bestselling Author Jayne Allen return from a brief hiatus — truly out of office — reflecting on travel, geography, healing, and the lessons that appear when you slow down long enough to see them.

Jayne shares insights from a week spent between Los Angeles, Palo Alto, and Stanford, including a striking realization after meeting an Uber driver who moved to Silicon Valley through the green card lottery: sometimes success isn’t just about talent or effort — sometimes it’s geography. Being in the right environment, surrounded by people who believe in ideas, can change the trajectory of what’s possible.

Meanwhile Nikki reflects on a packed week in Los Angeles celebrating Black excellence — from producing a Hollywood Confidential fireside chat with legendary actress Loretta Devine to attending celebrations surrounding the NAACP Image Awards, including honoring powerhouse creator Mara Brock Akil.

From culture and creativity to healing and entrepreneurship, the conversation explores what it means to keep moving forward — even when you’re still figuring things out.

Jayne honors Susan L. Taylor, the legendary former Essence editor-in-chief whose “In the Spirit” column shaped generations of Black women. A recent interview reminded Jayne of Taylor’s powerful message: you already have everything you need for this journey — even the moments when you lose your way.

Nikki spotlights Wilglory Tanjong, founder of luxury handbag brand Anima Iris, who has launched a bold social campaign asking billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott to invest $1 billion into 1,000 Black women founders. The numbers behind Black women entrepreneurship are undeniable — yet the venture capital funding gap remains staggering.

Nikki shares how somatic exercises have become part of her healing routine while navigating grief. These small, intentional movements help regulate the nervous system and release stress stored in the body.

Jayne breaks down the surprisingly simple routine behind her ongoing body recomposition journey, including daily eggs for complete protein, intermittent fasting, and consistent movement. Her takeaway: sometimes transformation isn’t about extreme measures — it’s about trusting the process and staying consistent.

Jayne highlights Genesis House in Sedona, a beautiful Black woman–owned wellness estate created by Genesis Lafourcade. The retreat blends sound healing, yoga, restorative practices, and intentional design into a luxury healing experience.

Nikki sends New York listeners on assignment: visit Marquette Restaurant in Chelsea, a Caribbean fine-dining concept by Michelin-starred chef India Doris that deserves far more attention from food lovers and creators alike.

Nikki introduces the internet’s newest relationship horror story: “Alpine Divorce.”

The viral term describes people who take their partner on a hike or into nature… and abandon them there instead of simply communicating that the relationship is over.

The hosts have questions. Many questions.

Nikki reflects on learning to live in what she calls the liminal space — the hallway between the life you’ve left behind and the life you’re building next. It’s uncomfortable, uncertain, and often where the most important growth happens.

Jayne shares a powerful memory of hearing Iyanla Vanzant speak at Agape during a difficult transition in her own life — and the message that stayed with her: sometimes the darkness of the well is preparation for what comes next.

Both hosts reflect on the challenge — and the radical joy — of trusting the process even when the outcome isn’t visible yet.

Jayne introduces listeners to rising neo-soul artist Johnny Burgos, whose smooth sound blends 90s soul with modern R&B.

Nikki celebrates Michael B. Jordan and the cast of Sinners winning at the SAG Awards, adding momentum to the film’s powerful awards-season run.

Jayne’s closing reminder: Show love anyway.

Nikki’s reflection: Sometimes the universe asks you to find peace where you are before it moves you forward.

📩 Questions or comments?

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🎧 If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and share it with someone who might need a reminder that sometimes the biggest breakthroughs begin in the in-between — when you learn to trust the process.

Show Links:

Wilglory Tanjong x MacKenzie Scott!

Susan L. Taylor Has Always Been That "IT" Woman

Somatic Exercises w. The Workout Witch

Markette Restaurant Review

The Jenesis House in Sedona, Arizona

Alpine Divorce?!?

Brooklyn's Daniel Burgos Gives us NeoSoul Jamiroquai Meets Justin Timberlake

In this week’s Episode 53 of We Are Out of Office, co-hosts Veteran Television Executive Producer Nikki T and Bestselling Author Jayne Allen clock in with a joy-fueled, culture-first episode that moves from unhinged internet hilarity to a real conversation about accountability, healing, and the cost of “just going along to get along.”

The ladies kick things off celebrating the chaotic brilliance of Threads (because Black History Month online is truly a different universe), then shout out their recent first-ever interview episode with Candice Marie—the woman behind the viral vertical series “Your Type Might Be the Korean Barista Who Don’t Speak English.” If you haven’t watched Episode 52 yet, they make the case: it’s a must.

From there, it’s I See You, Girl time: Jayne spotlights Alexis Barber and her real-world “alignment edit” experience blending ambition, community, and goals—while Nikki celebrates Charm La’Donna, the powerhouse choreographer/creative director behind major halftime show moments (The Weeknd, Kendrick, Beyoncé Bowl, and Bad Bunny).

Then the episode turns—Jesus Take the Wheel is supersized this week. Nikki breaks down why the America’s Next Top Model Netflix documentary stirred up real anger: the show shaped a generation, but the harm was real—and she’s calling out the difference between “it was a different time” and true ownership. Jayne adds her own lens, unpacking a viral roundtable clash as a case study in generational trauma, emotional triggering, and what happens when accountability shows up without safety or context.

In Health & Healing, both hosts get personal: Nikki reflects on moments she stayed silent in non-melanated spaces to feel “chosen,” and Jayne speaks on growth, past relationship patterns, and the journey of reclaiming full humanity beyond checklists. The through-line is clear: healing requires truth—but truth also needs space.

They wrap with what’s good (including an athlete shutting down a ridiculous interview question) and Jayne’s joyful Detroit love letter: the Wright Museum social content is giving mockumentary brilliance and Black culture excellence.

Final Word: “Own it.”

Questions? Comments? Email us at: [email protected] or Follow us on TikTok and Instagram at: @weareoutofofficepod

Show Links:

Charm La’Donna Interview w. The Grio

The Real Origins of Betty Boop

Darnell Davis The Wig Engineer

Eileen Gu, the most decorated female free skier, claps back!

Actor Clifton Powell Takes Accountability But Is Interrupted

Airbnb Does Experiences - Life Edit with Alexis Barber in NYC

In this week’s Interview Episode of We Are Out of Office, your co-hosts Veteran Television Executive Producer (The Night Agent) Nikki T and Bestselling Author Jayne Allen (Black Girls Must...trilogy) welcome their first-ever guest, Candice Smith (Candice Marie)—the creator behind the wildly popular vertical solo series: “Your Type is the Korean Barista Who Don’t Speak English.” If you’ve been on the timeline, you’ve seen the slow-burn, real-life K-drama unfolding in public—and yes, we’re just as seated as you are. (“If you know, you know.”)

But this conversation goes beyond the café.

Candice takes us all the way back—sharing how she first moved to Korea in 2005, what it was like to build a life overseas, and how she’s turned her lived experience into a platform and business helping others move abroad through Shy Girls Fly. She breaks down the difference between leaving to escape and leaving to choose joy, and why many of us don’t realize how much freedom is available on the other side of fear.

A major theme lands with clarity: permission isn’t something you receive—it’s something you decide. Candice shares a line that stopped us in our tracks:

“No one gave me permission… they just didn’t give me limits. So I allowed myself.” (00:41:48–00:42:32)

The conversation moves through community, dating, self-trust, and cultural contrast—especially what it feels like as a Black woman to be in environments where you’re not required to constantly prove your worth. Candice reflects on how energy changes when you’re not spending your life convincing people you’re capable—how that frees you to create, build, and live expansively.

This episode is about:

1. Not waiting to be chosen—choosing yourself
2. The courage it takes to move without consensus
3. Why transition can hurt even when it’s your dream
4. Building community abroad (especially among Black women)
5. A real-time reminder that Black women deserve soft, intentional love—and full lives

They close with a powerful image: when you stop waiting for permission and take the leap anyway, you may find yourself on the other side in “a whole garden” of freedom, acceptance, and possibility. (01:07:27–01:08:39)

Find Candice on Social Media:

@ShyGirlsFly on TikTok

@ShyGirlsFly on Instagram

And on the Web:

www.ShyGirlsFly.com

Questions? Comments? Email us at: [email protected] or Follow us on TikTok and Instagram at: @weareoutofofficepod

In this week’s Episode 51 of We Are Out of Office, your co-hosts Veteran Television Executive Producer (The Night Agent) Nikki T and Bestselling Author Jayne Allen invite listeners into a grounded, grown conversation about timing, agency, and the quiet power of choosing now.

With the out-of-office replies still firmly on, the episode centers on a liberating idea: you don’t need more information, permission, or perfect conditions to move forward—you need to recognize when the present moment is already enough. Nikki and Jayne explore how often we postpone peace, clarity, and action while waiting for things to feel safer, clearer, or more resolved, and how much power is reclaimed when you decide that now is your hour.

The conversation moves fluidly through relationships, work, creativity, and culture, naming how hesitation often disguises itself as preparation. Together, the hosts unpack the difference between patience and delay, reflection and avoidance, and how discernment sometimes sounds like a simple, internal yes.

In Health & Healing, the focus turns to nervous system regulation and self-trust. Jayne reflects on how choosing now reduces anxiety by ending endless internal negotiations, while Nikki speaks to the confidence that grows when you stop deferring your own authority. The episode reframes “right timing” as something you participate in—not something you wait to be granted.

The episode also includes:

1. Insight into why clarity often arrives through decision, not contemplation
2. Honest reflection on momentum, maturity, and emotional readiness
3. Cultural observations about productivity, control, and urgency
4. Reminders that power doesn’t always announce itself—it often whispers

They close with a resonant truth: the present moment becomes powerful the instant you choose it.

This is a calm, affirming, culture-forward episode about agency, self-trust, and the radical joy of deciding that now is enough.

Show Links:

Toni Bravo (@bonitravo) | TikTok

Gullah Geeche Wins!

New Life Working Dogs

Dee Starks aka "Granny Love" on Instagram

Non-Alcoholic Sensori (Black Woman Owned)

Usher and Big Sean Invest Big in Detroit's Kids

Questions? Comments? Email us at: [email protected] or Follow us on TikTok and Instagram at: @weareoutofofficepod

In this week’s Episode 50 of We Are Out of Office, your co-hosts Veteran Television Executive Producer (The Night Agent) Nikki T and Bestselling Author Jayne Allen reach a powerful turning point: the freedom that comes when you stop waiting for an apology that may never arrive.

This milestone episode centers on emotional closure without permission—what it means to move forward without acknowledgment, accountability, or validation from the people who hurt you. Nikki and Jayne explore how waiting on an apology can quietly tether you to disappointment, keeping your nervous system in negotiation long after the relationship, situation, or season has ended.

The conversation moves through work, relationships, creativity, and cultural dynamics, naming a truth many people avoid: not every harm will be named, and not every wound will be repaired by the person who caused it. But healing doesn’t have to wait.

Together, the hosts unpack how maturity often looks like releasing the fantasy of repair, choosing peace over resolution, and reclaiming energy that’s been stuck in expectation. They talk candidly about how apology culture can sometimes mask avoidance—and how closure is something you can give yourself.

In Health & Healing, the episode reframes forgiveness as a personal decision, not a public performance. Jayne reflects on how self-trust grows when you stop rehearsing conversations that will never happen, while Nikki speaks to the relief that comes from no longer needing someone else to “get it” before you move on.

The episode also includes:

1. Insight into why apologies aren’t always the healing we imagine
2. Honest reflection on grief, accountability, and acceptance
3. Cultural observations on emotional labor and expectation
4. Grounded reminders that peace doesn’t require agreement

They close with a liberating truth: you don’t need an apology to be free—you need clarity.

This is a deeply introspective, culture-forward episode about release, self-trust, and the radical joy of choosing yourself without waiting.

Show Links:

Scientists Prove Discrimination Shortens Lives

Questions? Comments? Email us at: [email protected] or Follow us on TikTok and Instagram at: @weareoutofofficepod