What Happens In Between

Welcome to this week’s episode of What Happens in Between where Rose J Percy, founder of Quni Community and Dear Soft Black Woman, goes beyond standard definitions of culture, faith, and religion. She has created a community for all to gather who live at the intersections of several identities and this did not happen on a whim or overnight. This happened through her, “vocational seasons,” as Rose would call it.

Every season has the potential to change your vocation. Your reason, “why,” changes with the seasons of life and finding your purpose is not cut and dry. Part of having a vocation is listening to the direction and having an open mind to the answer. Rose J Percy has mastered taking a deep breath and asking, “What is God calling to me in this season?”

Right now, her fulfillment comes from the Quni Community and her podcast, Dear Soft Black Woman, where she is able to talk to her community not on behalf of her community. Everyone is able to share their own experiences and foster friendships through vulnerability. Rose illustrates the person is made up of a plethora of different identities, and several we might not even be able to see. Join us on this week’s episode to discover how belonging to your community feels so much better than being needed by the community.

Question of the Week: How many episodes of Smallville will I watch this week?

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

• A deeper definition for vocation and how it relates to spiritual calling
• Difference between faith and religion
• Difference between being needed and belonging
• How to grasp and release your understanding of Divinity
• Cultivating a supportive community as a Black woman
• Different ways to express the multi-layered aspects of Blackness

Resources Mentioned:

• Dear Soft Black Woman Podcast
• Quni Community Instagram
• Quni Website

Guest Info

Connect with Rose J Percy on her Twitter and website.

Follow Us:

• Instagram
• Website

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Are we products of our environment? Or do we have ancestral gifts we can tap into? Is it possible to rewire our childhood predispositions? Juliana Luna, founder of Aluna Method, shows us how to trust our intuition as a way to open space for new narratives. 

Luna’s story starts where her ancestors left off; it’s in her name and it’s in her nature. We learn her great grandmother was of the same mindset and daily practices when she receives her great grandmother’s ring, a memento traveling time and space to aid in Luna’s storytelling practices. 

She encourages us to step out of the rigidness of society, let go of negative experiences, and make space for the soft stillness of peace. The Aluna Method provides a Lunar Map based in Yoruba tradition that’s guided humans for thousands of years on how to live in sync with their truth. When we refer back to the moon, we refer back to our mother’s womb–our sense of safety–and we learn what made us who we are today. Listen in for that defining moment when your past, present, and future become an ever-changing force revealing your truth and making it possible to inhabit a softer experience.

Question of the Week: Whether to continue to nurture this work as my primary focus or if I should shift into something else?

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

• Lunar mapping
• Trusting your intuition
• Live in sync with your truth
• Our need for a sense of safety
• Ancestral wisdom

Resources Mentioned:

• PracticeAluna Instagram
• Teaching at Seagrape Apothecary
• Juliana Luna Facebook Page

Guest Info

Connect with Juliana Luna on her Instagram and website.

Follow Us:

• Instagram
• Website

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kacie Willis, founding Producer of Could Be Pretty Cool and You Heard Me Write, tells us her story behind sound design and how one unique experience can transform the trajectory of your career.

During a specific sound design project, Kacie was struck by not what was being created but how it was being created; there was no hierarchy of work, no drama between technicians–everyone was passionate about the project and approached it as a team. They had FUN. Kacie’s perspective on collaborative art completely shifted and now that environment is accessible to everyone with her own production company, Could Be Pretty Cool. 

When it comes to your work, who is your audience? Are they a part of your existing community or completely new members? What tactics do you use to attract new people into your world? How has the pandemic affected your work? With so many factors laced into art production, Kacie reveals strategic marketing for new audiences and relies heavily on honing her community of “1000 true fans.”

And to top it off, Kacie delves into the inspiration behind her podcast, You Heard Me Write. With an abundance of free time or maybe just a spare 60 seconds, Kacie calls herself the social media comment warrior–the confidence to reply to a social media post with your own educated opinion without being argumentative. You Heard Me Write was born out of the power of anonymity and brought up by the Sound Up Accelerator Program. Listen in on the week’s episode for Kacie’s expertise in knowing the right time to pivot and bringing your community along for the ride.

Question of the Week: How can I improve my active listening skills?

Topics Covered:

• Organic connection within your community
• Marketing strategy in attracting newcomers
• Pivoting your career with societal curveballs
• Being passionate and having fun in your work is a priority 
• Turning a social media comment into an educational space

Resources Mentioned:

• You Heard Me Write Podcast
• Sound Up Accelerator Program
• Black Podcast Festival May 28th

Guest Info

Connect with Kacie Willis on her Instagram and website.

Follow Us:

• Instagram
• Website

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does a Facebook group experience exponential growth overnight? How do you maintain a safe space with such a large growing audience? When do you start setting boundaries around work and your personal life?

Founded in 2018, Delilah Antoinette created a Facebook group for Black women centered around self-care and healing practices. She created a safe space that otherwise did not exist for Black women. Women who gathered to learn more about meditation, yoga, crystals, and soon the group grew to 15,000 members.

The pandemic doubled membership to 30,000 as everybody was experiencing loss, confusion, and searching for a safe space to heal. It became a retreat for even those who didn’t know any healing practices.

And with growth, comes evolving discourse. Delilah maps out her techniques for keeping negativity at bay and putting encouragement and occasional tough love at the center. These tactics work within her community and also in her business practices. In this episode Delilah shares her secrets to trusting the right people, setting boundaries for a work-life balance, and owning her CEO mindset. 

Question of the Week: What gifts am I overlooking that can bring in money to me?

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

• Creating an inclusive space in the wellness industry
• Being the only Black person in healing spaces
• Navigating exponential growth over short periods
• Intentionally curating community for business
• Honoring boundaries as a spiritual business owner
• How to curate your network as an entrepreneur

Resources Mentioned:

• Black Girl's Healing House Website
• Black Girl's Healing House Facebook Page | Facebook Group
• Black Girl's Healing House on Clubhouse

Guest Info

Connect with Delilah Antoinette on her Instagram and Facebook.

Follow Us:

• Instagram
• Website

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary: 

Welcome to this week’s episode of What Happens in Between where we speak about the power of internal healing and spiritual growth and the impact it can have on your daily life with entrepreneurs, Harpinder Mann & Irene Lo, who are the co-creators and facilitators Womxn of Color Summit. How did this summit come to be? What impact is it making? Is it sustainable through time to keep making an impact on people’s lives? Athena unpacks what drives this organization, how it continues to resonate with its members, and ultimately what healing can look like for womxn of color in today’s society. Curious to learn more? Join us on this week’s episode to learn more as Harpinder and Irene redefine what wellness and healing can look like when it is accessible to all.

Show Notes:

How did this summit come to be? What impact is it making? Is it sustainable through time to keep making an impact on people’s lives? Athena unpacks what drives this organization, how it continues to resonate with its members, and ultimately what it means to be a womxn/woman of color in today’s society.

Both Harpinder and Irene share a Marketing background and are entrepreneurs themselves in health and wellness. Harpinder is a Sikh-Buddhist Punjabi-American yoga and meditation teacher, while Irene is a Taiwianese-Canadian asana facilitator and intuitive tarot reader.

Founded in 2020, Womxn of Color Summit is an equitable community organization focused on creating safe and inclusionary spaces for womxn/women-identifying and nonbinary people of color where they can share stories, build connections, and make impactful change. Their goal with the Womxn of Color Summit starts with copy: writing Womxn instead of Women. A more inclusive version of what it means to be a womxn/woman in today’s society. By changing the language associated with the goal, it changes the narrative into something people can believe in and take with them. 

The Womxn of Color Summit has become a platform for folks to find commonalities, meet like-minded individuals, and give each other a voice in the crowd. The organization  has been so impactful on its community, the growth rate comes into question its sustainability. How can they fund the joy of healing? How can they keep this community alive for everyone to experience it and step into their full potential?

Like most journeys, this one is not only worth the adventure, it’s worth the listen.

Topics Covered:

• Spiritual growth
• Women of color
• Entrepreneurship
• Sustainability
• Social Justice

Guest Info

Connect with Harpinder and Irene & the Womxn of Color Summit on their website, Instagram, and TikTok.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Happens In Between is an exploration of the awkward middle phase of creating something beautiful. Join Athena for weekly installments to hear how folks are navigating the unsexy bits of the process. For season 2 our theme is Community! You'll hear from a range of people including entrepreneurs, artists, and creators who have reckoned with and redefined their personal and professional relationship to community.

We're finally back babay! Merci mille fois for your patience as we reimagined the podcast and cultivated more fruitful content to give you. Join us every Wednesday for this season's new, and always nourishing, episodes.

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Hey hey!

After 55 incredible, sumptuous, episodes, I have decided to take a break with the podcast. Moving forward the podcast will be seasonal, meaning I'll be dropping episodes in 12-15 episode chunks and then resting in a cycle. This is a much more sustainable model for me and it gives me the space to make sure each episode is extremely valuable for you as well.

Thank you so much for being on the journey of What Happens In Between so far. I can't wait to share what I've been cooking up for the next season :]

Much Love

AS

Connect on IG: @whathappensinbetween

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We get deep pretty quick and had a beautiful conversation spanning topics such as internal conflict, self definition, listening to your intuition, and engaging fully in life. This is an episode I can listen to over and over again. Lauren is someone I could spend hours listening to not only for her silky voice, but for her warm wisdom. 

Listen in if you want a moment of bright, fuzzy enlightenment. 

Question of the Week: Who is God? Who are you, really?

Connect with Lauren: @ipwomanpodcast on IG and Twitter and ipwomanpodcast.com

And check out the Imperfectly Phenomenal Woman podcast everywhere you listen to pods! 

Hi, I’m Lauren, the Founder, Producer, and Host of the Imperfectly Phenomenal Woman podcast. 

I never thought I’d be here doing this podcasting thing. I thought I wasn’t good enough and that no one would listen (yea…I have plenty of limiting beliefs too) but I was very, very wrong.

This podcast and community feel exactly right, like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. Amplifying the voices of Black women and women of color for all to learn from, honor, and celebrate. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

I believe that every woman is imperfectly phenomenal, and that accepting this duality is a gift that allows women to simultaneously embrace their flaws and their power.

Full show notes: https://athenasayaka.com/podcast/lauren-williams

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In this episode of What Happens In Between, Chrishan Wright, creator of Blaxit Global, talks about how she built her company and business to give her freedom. She discusses how she structured Blaxit Global so that it could grow sustainably, impact thousands, and prevent burnout.

Connect with Chrishan: @blaxitglobal on IG and blaxitglobal.com

Question of the Week: How?

Chrishan Wright is the founder of Blaxit Global, a platform dedicated to empowering and inspiring members of the African diaspora to pursue a life abroad. Chrishan is also the host and producer of the Blaxit Global podcast. 

Chrishan is an award-winning digital marketing expert with extensive consumer packaged goods and pharmaceutical experience. For nearly four years, she led digital marketing for the Advil brand. Now, she teaches podcasters how to leverage digital marketing techniques to amplify the reach of their shows through her course, Beyond the Launch: Podcast Marketing for Success. 

She’s received numerous industry awards including the 2019 Gold ARF David Ogilvy Award for the Advil PM Dance Campaign, and the “40 Under Forty” award from The Network Journal magazine. Chrishan’s been featured in various media outlets including Huffpost, MSNBC, CNN, Rolling Out Magazine, NJBIZ and The Houston Chronicle. 

Chrishan earned her B.A. and M.S.W. degrees from the SUNY Albany, and a Mini-MBA in Digital Marketing from Rutgers University. She is a mom of two and looks forward to her move abroad in 2023.

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THE SHOW

This week, we chat with Philadelphia based musician Zeek Burse about all things related to the creative process, from gratitude to family history to Divine signaling. We dig into Zeek’s personal and professional evolution before and after the pandemic. He shares how he maintains artistic honesty as his music career takes off and his audience continues to grow. We also get into relativity and taking yourself as you are everyday. 

Connect with Zeek at his website Zeekburse.com IG: @zeekburse Spotify and iTunes and wherever you stream music: Zeek Burse

Question of the Week: Will I get more plants this week? (probably yes)

ABOUT THE GUEST

Exhilarating passion, incomparable vocal range, and electrifying energy are just a few things that make up the Philly based artist known as Zeek Burse! Zeek challenges himself to "create art for vulnerable humans to make them feel safe, when battling judgement from others!”

FULL SHOW NOTES AND TIMESTAMPS HERE

CONNECT: @whathappensinbetween | LinkedIn

SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/g3q5Cr

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