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With her thriving business, career, and accomplishments, Tonya is a picture of success and influence. However, her strength lies not just in accolades, but also in being transparent about her vulnerabilities. In this season finale of the Get Loved Up podcast, Koya Webb talks to financial educator Tonya Rapley about balancing motherhood, sisterhood, and entrepreneurship, and why going through the trouble of showing up for all three is worth it.  GUEST BIO Tonya Rapley is an award-winning millennial money expert and creator of My Fab Finance. Its mission is to help 100,000 people make at least one financial decision they’re proud of. As an internationally recognized speaker and sought-after media personality, Tonya helps educate and empower other people to break the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck – so they can live life on their terms and do what they enjoy. She is co-host of the Ashton Kutcher-produced show Going From Broke and is the author of the Amazon best-seller, The Money Manual. Tonya has worked with countless Fortune 50 brands and built a million-dollar financial education business that has impacted the lives of thousands across the world. She has been featured in Forbes, Vogue, Essence, and the Washington Post; and has been seen on Good Morning America, The Today Show, Headline News, and countless local media outlets. Connect with Tonya and follow her work through the links below:  Website: https://myfabfinance.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonya.rapley/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyFabFinance  HIGHLIGHTS 06:48 Take care of yourself to take care of others  11:02 You don't and shouldn't raise a kid alone 18:19 You'll get the support you need when you ask for it 31:08 Why Tonya decided to be open about her personal problems  34:09 The importance of showing up for other women you love  43:13 Be intentional with who you take on as clients QUOTES 08:25 Tonya on raising her son while keeping her career: Be very intentional about the time of motherhood journey you want to have. For me, I knew I wanted to have a nanny. I knew I wanted to keep my career. I set it up that way to where when my son was two months old we were interviewing nannies. "  14:04 Tonya on her decision to get into financial education: I think I've always wanted to teach people through my journey, with me becoming a financial educator. I came into financial education unconventionally  because I needed to improve my own finances."  18:18 Tonya on having the courage to be honest about your adversities: "I really want to tell people that sometimes you want to have the strong face and we want to go through adversity on our own. But you get the support you need when you're honest about what you're going through."  35:28 Tonya on what sisterhood means: "An important component of sisterhood is being vulnerable and letting them know how you feel, and trusting that they'll be responsible with those feelings." Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

Hair comes in all shapes and sizes, and we all love changing our hairstyles to fit our mood and vibe. But for Black women it is not only a form of expression, it is identity and culture. In this episode of the Get Loved podcast, Koya talks to Keziah Dhamma, author of the SwirlyCurly Method. Keziah shares her early childhood struggles with her hair, and how she eventually learned to appreciate and take care of her natural curls, the SwirlyCurly way.  GUEST BIO Keziah Dhamma is the founder of SwirlyCurly, CurlCollege & the author of The SwirlyCurly Method. The EASY Step by Step Guide to Getting The Natural Curls You Love! Since 2014, Keziah has helped over 200,000 curly haired women get beautifully long, moisturized, healthy curls in less time and with less effort. To get a free copy of Keziah's book, text "BOOK" to 833 589 1362. Use the coupon code KOYA15 to get 15% off of products at the SwirlyCurly store.  Connect with Keziah and follow her work through the links below:  Book: https://click.swirlycurlyhair.com/theswirlycurlymethod54751896 Website: www.swirlycurlyhair.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swirlycurlyhair/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOry648eUNSXoXA80Rdv3Dw HIGHLIGHTS 04:24 Keziah's childhood struggles with her hair  12:07 The search for better hair solutions 16:38 The 4 different ways to categorize your hair  21:51 The SwirlyCurly Method 28:03 Curly hair is all about moisture 28:51 Do away with these 4 myths to hair care  39:21 Tips for taking care of your edges QUOTES 13:08 Keziah: "It was really through my own frustration and my own unhappiness with my own hairs that led me into learning about natural curly hair and just all the things about it."  15:13 Keziah: "Even when my hear was in a 'fro, I was twisting it, I was still trying to straighten it, you know, elongate it, just trying to do all this stuff to it. I was like I'm just not gonna do that anymore, and I'm just committing to taking care of my hair. Once I did that, everything changed for me. The way I saw myself, the way I looked in pictures, the way people complimented me, just the way it came to my wash day was a lot easier. Everything changed." 22:31 Keziah: "If we're putting all these products on our hair and a lot of them do have chemicals in them, it needs to be washed out of your hair so your hair can have a break and a refresh."  28:03 Keziah: "When it comes to curly hair, the culprit of everything is moisture. If you can't have moisture, then you're not gonna have defined curls. You're gonna have frizz, you can't retain length, your hair is gonna be breaking off, it's gonna be harder to detangle and style."  Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

Impostor syndrome can affect anyone, but it doesn’t have to define you. By acknowledging its existence and addressing its root causes, you take away much of its power. In this episode of the Get Loved Up podcast, Koya Webb talks to Dr. Lisa Orbe-Austin, one of the foremost experts on Imposter Syndrome, to help us detect its early signs, what causes it, and how we can avoid being stifled by it.  GUEST BIO Dr. Lisa Orbe-Austin is a licensed psychologist and executive coach, with a focus on career advancement, leadership development and job transitions. She is a co-founder and partner of Dynamic Transitions Psychological Consulting, a career and executive coaching consultancy, where she works mostly with high potential managers and executives. Connect with Dr. Lisa and follow her work through the links below:  Website: https://linktr.ee/drorbeaustin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaorbeaustin/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Own-Your-Greatness-Overcome-Self-Doubt/dp/164604024 HIGHLIGHTS 02:00 Why Dr. Lisa focuses on Imposter Syndrome specifically 06:59 Signs you may be suffering from Imposter Syndrome 10:27 Why you need a community around you 13:13 You are not your thoughts  17:27 Stand in your power while sharing your vulnerability 27:18 Always consciously take care of yourself 33:48 Keep trying to find the therapy that fits you QUOTES 05:25 Dr. Lisa: "When families focus on achievement as the only method of validation, you have to do something, achieve something, be something that's impressive in order to be recognized, and when you fail at that, the love is pulled away as like a punishment, you're not necessarily valuable unless you keep achieving. Those kinds of dynamics really do exacerbate the achievement component of Imposter Syndrome where we constantly feel we're in this rat race of achievement 'cause we're trying to prove we're worthy." 07:01 Dr. Lisa: "Imposter Syndrome is the experience when you're skilled, credentialed, competent, have experience, yet you haven't internalized that. As a result of not internalizing that, you then feel like you might be exposed as a fraud if you make a mistake or stumble in any way."  15:14 Dr. Lisa: "Perfectionism is death. Perfectionism is the death of opportunity of progress, of risk taking. It's a death of a lot of different things and if you're aiming toward perfection, you are losing so much in the process." 34:10 Dr. Lisa: "As a therapist I want to be present for you in whatever form, and some therapists are not like that. Some therapists are what we call tabula rasa, which is a blank late and you can't see what they feel like."  Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

In this episode of the Get Loved Up podcast, Koya talks to Dr. Thema Bryant, President-Elect of the American Psychologist Association. Dr. Thema shares some ways to deal with distress and trauma effectively, particularly with the importance of being connected to your emotions. Dr. Thema believes that mental health awareness should go beyond the confines of psychologist's clinics and so has spent considerable time and effort building a community through social media. As a survivor herself, Dr. Thema talks about dealing with sexual assault, and how men and society in general can do better with regards to sexual relations. GUEST BIO Dr. Thema Bryant is the president-elect of the American Psychological Association, the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology with more than 120,000 members (apa.org). She is host of the Homecoming podcast and author of the new book Homecoming: Overcome fear and trauma to reclaim your whole authentic self.  Connect with Dr. Thema and follow her work through the links below: Website: https://drthema.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/drthema Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drthema Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-homecoming-podcast-with-dr-thema/id1471604689 Book: https://www.amazon.com/Homecoming-Overcome-Trauma-Reclaim-Authentic/dp/059341831X HIGHLIGHTS 07:09 Tools to help people 'come home' to themselves 15:18 Love isn't usually enough in the day-to-day 20:05 The importance of spirituality to our wellness 27:37 Building a community and life as an entrepreneur 33:29 Sincere curiosity vs being argumentative  35:42 Taking breaks is crucial for everyone 41:39 'Coming home' from sexual assault 46:37 Men need to unlearn a lot of things 50:03 Sex always needs to be consensual, no gray areas QUOTES 07:16 Dr. Thema: "To come home to myself is to tell myself the truth and then live based on that truth, and that requires me being able to know how I feel. Many of us are disconnected from our own emotions."  15:16 Dr. Thema: "People assume that if you love each other that's gonna be enough. I love you and you love me, that's love conquers all. But when we talk about the day-to-day, along with that love, you're dealing with a personality." 35:55 Dr. Thema: "It's a marathon, not a sprint. We have to pace ourselves for the change we want to see in the world or in your personal life. For it to be sustainable, I cannot empty myself out. I cannot operate on fumes."  40:22 Dr. Thema: "Therapy is not for us to tell people what to do. Therapy is for you to come home to yourself so that you can then operate in clarity."  49:55 Koya: "The best sex happens when both people are like yes absolutely let's go. Everything else is a gray area and can be very harmful eventually to both people." Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

In this episode of the Get Loved Up podcast, Koya talks to Co-Founder & Vice President of Mindfulness at Open, Manoj Dias. Manoj opens up about his own journey towards becoming a student of Buddhist wisdom, and how that learning paved the way towards becoming more mindful about life in general. As a teacher of meditation, Manoj urges us to surrender ourselves to cultivate flow and alignment and achieve stillness of the mind, body and spirit. GUEST BIO Through mindfulness & meditation, Manoj has helped thousands of people around the globe trade mania for pause, so that they can live fearlessly in honor of a happier, more meaningful life.  In 2015, he co-founded A—SPACE, Australia’s first multidisciplinary drop-in meditation studio with a special focus on creating access for BIPOC and youth. Through his philanthropic work with lululemon he has supported trauma-informed therapeutic programs for refugees in Melbourne, social justice movements in Oakland, and mindfulness scholarships in New York City. Last year his debut book, “Still Together” was released to critical acclaim. Manoj is currently a co-founder of Open, a modern mindfulness studio merging technology, culture, cinematography, and proven practices to create community and presence. Whether he’s teaching through words or the silence in between them, Manoj’s great love for Buddhist wisdom and contemporary science is present in every encounter. Connect with Manoj and follow his work through the links below: Listen to Manoj's book: https://www.audible.com/pd/Still-Together-Audiobook/B09FFHXT3V Website (Open): https://o-p-e-n.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manoj-dias-46b857a7/ HIGHLIGHTS 03:05 What's keeping Manoj busy these days  04:58 Ways to stay grounded while traveling 07:01 How Manoj learned the art of meditation 20:08 Developing a self-compassion practice 26:07 Dealing with comparisons  38:52 'No' is sacred QUOTES 08:11 Manoj: "When I did have the panic attack it was a moment in my life where it was like the universe was slapping me and it's like, well you can't keep living like this. You can't keep doing this. And so it manifested in a whole host of other physical conditions. There was depression for a period of time, there was chronic insomnia for about two years, there was an eating disorder for a period of time." 14:20 Manoj: "Surrendering to just what is in front of us sometimes can feel like resistance. But it's actually the easiest thing to do to cultivate flow and alignment."  18:52 Manoj: "I generally meditate everyday. I have done so for the majority of the last 15 years. But I remember there was a period in 2022, there was so much going on and I was glued to the news. And all of this where I just couldn't sit." 38:45 Manoj: " I felt like if I tell someone no, they're not gonna love me. I'm gonna lose their friendship. That's something I had to heal from and realize that no is sacred. Actually you should be able to tell everyone in your life no at some point and not feel like you're gonna lose their love."  Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

In this episode of the Get Loved Up podcast, Koya talks to celebrated environmentalist Leah Thomas. Leah talks about Intersectional Environmentalism and how we can’t separate social justice from true environmentalism. While a little goes a long way when it comes to protecting the planet, Leah also recognizes that unsustainable practices also stem from social realities that need to be changed. Our planet’s struggles are also our own and to solve environmental issues would also require solving the problems that hound human species alone.  GUEST BIO Leah Thomas is a celebrated environmentalist based in Santa Barbara, CA. Coining the term ‘eco-communicator’ to describe her style of environmental activism, Leah uses her passion for writing and creativity to explore and advocate for the critical yet often overlooked relationship between social justice and environmentalism. With this intersection in mind, Leah founded and launched Intersectional Environmentalist in 2020, a resource hub and platform that aims to advocate for environmental justice, provide educational resources surrounding intersectional environmentalism, and promote inclusivity and accessibility within environmental education and movements. Leah, who is also the founder of eco-lifestyle blog @greengirlleah, uses her multiple years of eco-focused educational and work experience to inform her ever-expanding list of projects, as well as her audience of more than 350k followers. A graduate of Chapman University with a B.S. in Environmental Science & Policy and a cluster in Comparative World Religions, Leah has interned twice with the National Park Service and has worked at leading green companies, including eco-friendly soap company Ecos and most recently, Patagonia. A fundamental optimist and opportunity-maker, Leah used her time after being furloughed during the pandemic to create Intersectional Environmentalist. Leah’s writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire and Highsnobiety, and she has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, W Magazine, Domino, GOOP, and numerous podcasts. Connect with Leah and follow her work through the links below:  Website: https://www.greengirlleah.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greengirlleah/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahpthomas/ HIGHLIGHTS 04:34 Leah's political awakening  07:42 What 'intersectional' means  23:27 Top 5 questions to dive into to become a better person 26:08 Support conscious capitalism as much as you can  30:30 Living the nomad life in LA 40:22 How to get started in becoming an environmentalist QUOTES 05:35 Leah: "Really early on, I started seeing in my studies that environmental legislation is not enforced equally for all people, especially along racial and economic lines. That's something that always stuck with me for a really long time, just not understanding why there wasn't more representation of all the incredible black folks and our contributions to sustainability. "  06:22 Leah: "We can't separate the liberation of people from environmentalism. And if we do, I don't really want to take part in that type of environmentalism."  22:04 Leah: "I think about my time spent writing the book and it's all kind of a haze. I was just so into it, I was writing it during the pandemic. And I'm the type of person where if I have something to say, I'll say it. And when I don't, I'll be quiet. I'll be quiet for years. But I had something to say, I had it in my heart, and there's something just so freeing about that and then also I know that I can back it up."  26:10 Leah: "If you can, I mean, supporting conscious capitalism, shopping local, trying to reduce harm by getting things that are fair-trade, locally sourced, ethically made. I know sometimes there's a really hefty price tag on that."  41:03 Leah: "Do a little audit. Reward yourself with the things that you are doing. Compassionately guide yourself to do better in the areas that you're not."  Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

In this episode of the Get Loved Up podcast, Koya talks to actress and model, activist and motivational speaker Gabriella Wright. Gabriella opens up about her own traumatic experiences, how she found the inner strength to overcome them, and the many initiatives she started as a way to help others who are also dealing with mental distress.  GUEST BIO Gabriella Wright is an actress, model, activist and motivational speaker with long-standing humanitarian engagement. Alongside her Chopra Foundation initiative, Never Alone, and Deepak Chopra, she is the creator, co-host, and executive producer of Never Alone Artists on Triller. The series brings together popular artists with the Never Alone co-founders, to dive deep into their mental space, creating bridges to our collective vulnerability through the art of storytelling. As a lifelong thespian, Gabriella has an equal passion for humanitarian causes. She developed Never Alone, a mental well-being and suicide prevention initiative of the Chopra Foundation, which she currently oversees as co-founder alongside Deepak Chopra and Poonacha Machaiah. She is the innovator of the Mental Hygiene Toolkit, a collection of mind cleansing and self-awareness tools that help individuals nurture their bodies, minds and spirit, while developing inner guidance to consciously choose the best path for their lives. Born from the tragic passing of her sister who took her life in 2018, Gabriella’s mission in life has expanded to provide free services to those struggling, and to promote healing for those touched by suicide. She will soon also be seen starring in the indie feature film “I Am Never Alone” in partnership with the Never Alone initiative, which will be making film festival rounds in 2022.  Connect with Gabriella and follow her work through the links below:  Website: https://neveralone.love/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladygwright/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ladygwright HIGHLIGHTS 05:22 The importance of mental and spiritual hygiene 10:24 Surviving sexual assault and committing to find joy  19:16 Life after divorce and remaining friends with an ex 24:29 The inspiration behind 'Never Alone'  34:50 What the world would look like if it was up to Gabriella  44:31 Be the change you want to see in the world QUOTES 08:42 Gabriella: "When I say I'm engaged in a spiritual experience of being, it's because every morning and every night, I make sure I'm connected in this thread from my heart to the world in, in a way where I always ask the question, how can I listen more deeply, how can I help, am I on my purpose, and how does that make me feel?" 11:28 Gabriella: "When you don't trust the world you live in, you feel completely separate, you feel isolated. I didn't want to dress like a woman, I was dressing like a tomboy. I couldn't walk down the street. I couldn't look at a phone. I was just completely triggered by everything that connected me to a stranger or my sense of self as a woman."  24:49 Gabriella: "Never alone is a love story. And it's a love story because my sister died by suicide and it's an, it's an homage to who she is. But also to all of the others who have experienced the depth of the dark night of the soul and how that dark night of the soul didn't see the light. And unfortunately they lost their lives to suicide." 35:38 Gabriella: "In a world that I would like to live in. I would like there to be no frontiers. I would like people to exchange each other's culture freely. I would love the free exchange of how human beings just migrate from one place to another."  Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

On this episode of the Get Loved Up podcast, Koya talks to bestselling author, podcast host, and motivational speaker Gabby Bernstein. Gabby talks about her own childhood trauma, her journey to healing, and some tips for people going through the same journey. With refreshing honesty and awareness of her own vulnerability, Gabby admits that she herself is a work in progress, and the only way forward is to continue working on yourself everyday.  GUEST BIO For over sixteen years, Gabby Bernstein has been transforming lives—including her own. The #1 New York Times best-selling author has penned nine books, including The Universe Has Your Back, Super Attractor, and her latest, Happy Days. In her weekly podcast, Dear Gabby, she offers up real-time coaching, straight talk, and conversations about personal growth and spirituality with unique and inspiring guests. What started as hosting intimate conversations with twenty people in her New York City apartment, Gabby has grown into speaking to tens of thousands in sold-out venues throughout the world.  Gabby was featured on Oprah’s SuperSoul Sunday as a “next-generation thought leader.” The Oprah Winfrey Network chose Gabby to be part of the “SuperSoul 100,” a dynamic group of trailblazers whose vision and life’s work are bringing a higher level of consciousness to the world. The New York Times identified Gabby as “a new role model.” She co-hosted the Guinness World Records’ largest guided meditation with Deepak Chopra, and appears regularly as an expert on TODAY and Good Morning America, among other publications. She connects with her community through her books, her Miracle Membership, and her podcast Dear Gabby. Connect with Gabrielle and follow her work through the links below:  Website: https://gabbybernstein.com/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dear-gabby/id1561694805 Books: https://www.amazon.com/Gabrielle-Bernstein/e/B002Z97V9M HIGHLIGHTS 03:43 Addiction and Redemption: Gabby's journey so far  06:11 Coming to terms with childhood trauma and dissociation 09:11 To show strength is to allow yourself to be vulnerable  12:21 Psychopharmacological medication and deeper therapy work together 14:00 A deeper dive into childhood trauma and dissociation  20:22 What is Reparenting? 22:54 Couples should work on themselves together QUOTES 06:00 Gabby: "I never understood why I was an alcoholic and drug addict until I was  36. I got sober at 25, but by the time I was 11 years sober, that was when I realized why I was using in the first place. And that was when I remembered childhood trauma.  07:29 Gabby: "We all dissociate in different ways. When we've had extreme trauma, we can go as far as dissociating in such an extreme way where we literally tuck away the memory and it's a brain function that is developed to protect us. And it protects us temporarily but we still can live with the feelings that are so impermissible." 09:11  Gabby: "In the beginning of the book I talk about how my publisher said, 'we're nervous for you, Gabby. You're sharing one negative story after the next. You're being too vulnerable and you're not showing your true strength. And my response was, 'my ability to be this vulnerable is my true strength.'" 12:17 Gaby: “It's very dangerous to shame psychopharmacological medication when it's necessary. When someone's having a biochemical condition, you can't meditate your way out of it. There's also the other side of that which is that medication can be overly prescribed and people can have a lot of trouble with side effects."  Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

On this episode of the Get Loved Up podcast, Koya talks to life coach, mental health advocate, and affirmation musician, Toni Jones. Toni talks about being present in the moment, healing, spirituality and takes us with her to the journey that led her to discovering and inventing Affirmation Music.  As a proponent of self healing, Toni hopes to touch more lives and help more people be attuned to themselves and their wellbeing, all in hopes of building a  better world for everyone. GUEST BIO Toni Jones served for six years as a Life coach and Mental Health advocate for women and youth. Now as an Affirmation Musician, she found creative ways to promote the message of conscious well being through her music. Toni started making music as a tool for her life coaching clients to practice healing on the go. After great response from her first album she decided to make music full time. She has since released five projects so far: Affirmation for the Grown Ass Woman, Affirmations and Chill, I See Me Mantras, and Get Cha Mind Right (the mental health mixtape). Toni’s music is healing music, she coined it as Affirmation music. Affirmations set to modern music, which is different from the traditional way of saying Affirmations and mantras that are usually set to relaxing new age music. By creating affirmations to modern music this allows the listeners to ride, be on the go and vibe, just dance to the music while still reciting healing words. Connect with Toni and follow her work through the links below:  Website: https://www.iamtonijones.com/ Be a member: https://www.wifeyourlife-vip.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/tonijones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamtonijones/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IamToniJonesIam Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAMtonijonesIAM Merch: https://tonijonesmerch.com/ HIGHLIGHTS 03:11 To be tender is to treat yourself like a newborn 06:23 What is self-parenting for adults? 11:00 Early childhood and growing up in church 13:24 Going back to school and independence  14:48 The birth of Affirmation Music 19:39 How to feel what you want to feel 21:34 Toni's self-care rituals  26:34 It takes a village to complete your hero's journey 31:51 Avoid dwelling in scarcity and tap into abundance  33:25 Toni's thought process for writing affirmation music  44:11 Healing is a journey  QUOTES 11:21 Toni: "I just remember watching everybody praise God. I just remember this appetite within me. Like what is, what is making people do this? And I always had a curiosity, an insatiable curiosity for the unknown, the unspoken, but, you know, and so as I grew up in church as a teenager, I just remember asking provocative questions because I'm like we are learning about you. We learn about these miracles and things, but it was like, it didn't make me want to be a better Christian."  19:03 Toni:  "I asked myself these three questions, how do I feel? And I give myself the space in time. This is how I feel right now. I'm going to be honest. And then I go into the next question of how do I want to feel? And I go into what is the ideal emotional goal that I would love to embody today. And I jot that down or I spend time in my mind about what's true for me, how I want to feel." 28:24 Toni: "Knowing when to say, I need help, I need support is monumental. It's monumental, even in business. Oh I need a team, I need PR, I need a manager. I need this. Let me bring this to the altar, to manifest those alignments and those relationships to make my business, to make my success, to make my finances that much more sustainable and healthy." 31:51 Toni: "You know,  you can think on what's not here and go right into the emotional reality of scarcity. But then you can look at what you're saying at the present moment. Focus on what's here, what you can be grateful for and tap into that emotional reality of abundance, you know? And so gratitude is such an important practice because it helps you to get present in the moment in a way that is supportive for your future." 38:42 Toni: "I'm going to love you forever. No matter what changes I'm going to treat you just like how oxygen treats you. Oxygen doesn't judge you. It supports you no matter what your habits, no matter what your practice is, no matter what race, no matter how much money, we're gonna treat you like the level of oxygen treats you." Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at  https://koyawebb.com/.

On this episode of the Get Loved Up podcast, Koya talks to entrepreneur, author and podcast host Lisa Bilyeu. Lisa takes us through her journey from devoted housewife and mother to a leader of women. Overcoming the limits of the belief system imposed upon her, Lisa has developed what she calls the radical confidence to ask questions and give herself the grace to learn new things. Instead of being held back by our fear of failure, we need to embrace it. And when we do fail, as Lisa demonstrates through her life story, we need to look for opportunities to learn. Radical confidence is not to go blindly into the storm, but to willingly face crippling doubt with a concrete plan for success.  GUEST BIO Lisa Bilyeu co founded Quest Nutrition, which grew 57,000 percent in its first three years. She is also the cofounder and president of Impact Theory Studios, a revolutionary digital-first studio that produces wildly entertaining original content focusing on themes of empowerment. Over the course of her career, Lisa has created a slate of content that has been viewed more than half a billion times, and she and her husband have built Impact Theory’s global audience to more than 7.5 million. As host of the digital series Women of Impact, Lisa conducts real, uncensored conversations with the most inspiring women. Her book, Radical Confidence, will hit shelves May 10th, 2022. Lisa lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Tom, and their two furbabies. She frikin’ loves her life. Connect with Lisa and follow her work through the links below:  Get her book Radical Confidence now: https://radicalconfidence.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisabilyeu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisabilyeu/ HIGHLIGHTS 02:37 Lacking confidence? Do it anyway 05:17 Don't give up on the life that you want  13:59 You don't need to find a reason to make changes 18:03 Go and get started on your goals 24:04 How to develop radical confidence 27:58 You don't learn from the mistakes you don't address 29:23 The failure that turned out to be an opportunity 34:29 From housewife to entrepreneur 40:00 Always give yourself enough grace to learn 47:00 Lisa's top three books to help you be the hero of your own life 53:21 Have the radical confidence to ask questions QUOTES 08:36 Lisa: "I thought that I was asking for too much. And as women, we all know that we think about all of these things. We want to be people pleasers. We want people to like us, we don't want to ruffle the feathers. And so a lot of the time we end up stuck in a life that maybe we didn't want, but we don't feel like we have the right to ask for more."  13:23 Lisa: "You convince yourself, well, I'm not in a frickin war zone. Well, I have a roof over my head and we convince ourselves that it's not that bad. So I ended up living eight years of a life that wasn't the dream. It was what I call purgatory, the mundane, where I lost everything. I lost my dreams. I lost my hopes. I lost who I was." 28:26 Lisa: "The biggest lesson that I've learned. I repeat to myself every single time that every time I fail, what's the opportunity. Every time I literally fall on my face, I used to be like, I can't believe it. I'm so bad. See, I knew that I shouldn't have started this. I told you that you were no good Lisa, right, the voice in my head. Even now, it doesn't matter how many successes because the failures and the mess-ups still sting. And I can't get rid of the sting. So now I recognize that even if it's a private failure, I must address it."  36:49 Lisa: "Like why do we set the bar low? Set the bar high and bust your ass to exceed it. And if you don't, be proud that you freaking went for gold."  Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

On this episode of the Get Loved Podcast, Koya talks to Yvonne Orji about pursuing your creative vision, finding people who will support you, and knowing when to maintain your own boundaries.  Yvonne shares her unabashedly honest and raw views on everything from her faith, mental health, and the lessons she learned while working in the creative industry, particularly with working as an actress and as an executive producer. She also shares her realizations while writing her book Bamboozled By Jesus, where she talks about her faith and road to success while also providing a fresh interpretation of Biblical stories fit for modern times. GUEST BIO Yvonne Orji is a Nigerian-American Emmy-nominated actress, comedian and writer who is best known for her performance as Issa Rae’s best friend and fan favorite, “Molly” on the HBO comedy series, Insecure which garnered her an Emmy Nomination for best supporting actress, and her newest show ‘My Mom, Your Dad’ on HBOMax where she spreads her talents as Executive Producer AND Host! A distinguished standup comedian, Yvonne previously opened for Chris Rock on various stops of his Total Blackout Tour and headlined her first comedy tour, Lagos To Laurel, at the top of 2020. Her 1-hour Stand-Up Special  Momma, I Made It was shot in the two places Yvonne called home while growing up, Washington DC and Nigeria. Orji’s film credits include Universal’s Night School alongside Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish as well as Hulu’s Vacation Friends alongside Lil Rel and John Cena. Her debut book, Bamboozled by Jesus: How God Tricked Me into the Life of My Dreams, was released in spring of 2020. In addition to Yvonne's work on camera, she is executive producing an autobiographical comedy entitled First Gen which is currently in development at Disney+. Outside of her creative work, Orji is dedicated to her charitable efforts. In 2018 she spent six months working in post-conflict Liberia with Population Services International (PSI), an NGO that utilizes social marketing in the adoption of healthy behaviors. While in Liberia, she worked with a group of talented youth to help build a mentoring program as well as a weekly talk show that helped educate and prevent teen pregnancy and HIV/AIDS. Orji has brought her work with the youth community back to the states, where she is currently involved with (RED) campaigns and faith based youth ministries. Before moving to Los Angeles, Yvonne earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Masters of Public Health from George Washington University. Connect with Yvonne and follow her work through the links below:  Book: https://amzn.to/3MQMI4V Twitter: https://twitter.com/YvonneOrji Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yvonneorji/ HIGHLIGHTS 05:10 Story behind writing Bamboozled by Jesus  10:21 Having a personal relationship with Jesus will change you 17:28 Talking about your faith will come with challenges  25:42 Find people that will protect you while you're working on yourself 29:37 Women are intuitive but over rationalize so many things  32:12 Lessons learned while working in the creative industry 49:14 Limit your circle to people that know how to grow 54:52 You don't need to handle everybody else's problems  56:38 Life is all about training QUOTES 18:40 Yvonne: "People will ruin even the good stuff that God has pre-ordained and predestined for them. That doesn't change in church. People will ruin the good stuff that God has pre-ordained and predestined for them. It just sucks because in their ruining that, it ruins it it for a lot of other people who can't get over that."  21:13  Koya: "When we're able to have compassion for the darkness, and realize in the world there's a lot of darkness in it, there's so much power in that."  23:18 Yvonne: For everybody that leaves in such a fantastical way, there are those who have come and stayed in an even more beautiful way. And so it as like, you know what, yes, I've had to curate boundaries, and who gets in and go to the inner core because I was very much like, inner core immediately kind of person. And then now, it's just like, game recognize game."  25:44 Yvonne: "We all have our insecurities. We all have the areas in our lives that we are so vulnerable in and we are working on. We need people around us. Not people who will coddle us, but people that will make us feel safe in the midst of all those things. Because if you're also committed to growing, you're working on that." Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

On this episode of the Get Loved Podcast, Koya talks to Jovanka Ciares about the importance of  reconnecting with your ancestors and their ancient wellness practices to reclaim your own wellness. As a trained herbalist and nutrition educator, Jovanka talks about unearthing and using the massive amount of wisdom and traditional wellness techniques that ancient civilizations have passed down to generations, some of which have been forgotten in the present day.  There’s so much to learn about our own bodies and wellness that is not covered by western medicine, and Jovanka’s expertise on the topic will surely help you unlock your hidden potential.  GUEST BIO Jovanka Ciares is the author of Reclaiming Wellness and several other titles. A certified wellness expert, integrative herbalist, nutrition educator, and coach, she offers lectures and workshops in Spanish and English. Ciares studied nutrition with bestselling author T. Colin Campbell, PhD, at his Center for Nutrition Studies (in partnership with Cornell University) and herbalism / plant medicine with Tieraona Low Dog, MD. A native of Puerto Rico, she lives in Los Angeles. Connect with Jovanka and follow her work through the links below:  Reclaiming Wellness (Book): https://amzn.to/3rZFPpH Facebook: http://facebook.com/jovankaciares Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jovankaciares Twitter: https://twitter.com/jovankaciares YouTube: http://youtube.com/user/jovankaciares LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jovankaciares/ HIGHLIGHTS 02:17 A second chance at life outside of western medicine 04:28 A deep dive into Reclaiming Wellness 09:24 Practices to enhance your everyday wellness 12:45 The top myth about herbalism  15:13 Jovanka's wellness initiatives  17:51 The best way for people to rebuild communities  21:40 Spirituality and religion can co-exist 24:51 Jovanka's morning and evening routines 29:35 The pros and cons of entrepreneurship 32:07 The importance of water in wellness  34:32 Stop using harsh soaps in your showers  38:42 All about herbs and plant-based diets  42:38 Specific herbal remedies and advice for women 47:34 Jovanka's favorite book 48:17 What Jovanka's ideal world would look like QUOTES 05:41 Jovanka: "It's true that once you get to learn something, you learn to love it. Once you learn to love it, it's easier to implement. So I decided to write this book as an homage to my own ancestry, but also to remind people that in your ancestry lineage, chances are you're going to have some of these practices and it's important that we reclaim them in order to reclaim our natural and our rightful state of wellness." 15:32 Jovanka: "With the development of social media and the way that we can communicate now and spread the word far and wide, it became very obvious especially at the beginning of the pandemic that I was also not reaching the people that I believed need this information the most. So I created the Reclaiming Wellness initiative, it's an educational initiative that essentially teaches people how to use some of these practices so I do cooking classes, how to use herbal medicine, how to prepare your own medicine at home."  21:41 Jovanka: "Spirituality and religion don't have to be at odds with each other. We could have a religious practice that has its dogmas and follows a particular set of tenets and we can be very spiritual and also take from other religions or other spiritual practices  to make our lives better."  29:56 Jovanka: "Every time I get off a phone call with a client and they have clarity about what they're supposed to do, they have hope about the fact that they can heal, it just reminds me that I'm in the right place."  Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

In this episode of the Get Loved Up Podcast, Koya Webb talks to entrepreneur, podcast host, and author Jenna Kutcher. Jenna talks about her journey to healing, her relationship with her emotions, and life as a mother of two while also working as an educator and media personality. Jenna also shares how she keeps her online and offline lives separate, and gives us valuable insight on intentionality and dealing with stress and burnout.  GUEST BIO Jenna Kutcher is a born-and-raised Minnesota wife, mother, and entrepreneur who aims for two things daily: helping others wake up to life and staying in comfy pants. Creator and host of the top-rated Goal Digger Podcast, she’s helped thousands redefine success and chase bold dreams through her decade-long work as a leading online personality and educator. Connect with Jenna and follow her work through the links below:  How Are You, Really? (Book): https://jennakutcher.com/book Goal Digger (Podcast): https://jennakutcherblog.com/goal-digger-podcast/ Website: https://jennakutcher.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennakutcher/ HIGHLIGHTS 01:30 How are we, really?  07:29 Jenna's journey of healing from previous miscarriages 12:26 Building relationships in the COVID-19 era  20:42 There's no need to belittle yourself or other people 25:34 The truth behind burnout and why it happens  34:45 You don't have to earn the right to rest  40:14 We need to re-learn how to process our emotions  46:45 Try to wake up slower in the morning  52:20 Jenna's self-care tips  QUOTES 05:07 Jenna: "I think that for so long, we've gotten in the habit of fast conversation. I mean our culture is obsessed with efficiency. We're like how can we do things faster, better, how can we do more. And in that, our ability to conversate, specifically to when we think about these last few years, I mean a lot of people have literally been in survival mode. We can barely carry our own answers to the questions, let alone shoulder the potential burden of someone else's answers."  10:04 Jenna: "I learned so much about grief. A lot of times we try to overcome grief, and what we forget is sometimes we just have to pick up the grief and start moving with it and building those muscles. You don't leave grief behind."  16:06 Jenna: "One of my greatest frustrations in being an online personality or having a brand online is a lot of times, people watch what you're doing online and they assume that's it. But people like you and I, we share like 2% of our lives online and we live 98% of our lives offline. And I want my life offline to be far richer and more beautiful than the life I'm presenting online."   23:08 Jenna: "Don't assume that someone cannot hold or understand something. But think about how you can communicate in a way that invites them to have empathy, to understand at a deeper level."  41:42 Jenna: "Without sadness, we don't know what joy feels like. Without fear we don't know what safety feels like. If we want these full lives, we have to experience full feelings. And a lot of us are just uncomfortable to just sit in them."  Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

Yasmine Cheyenne is a self-healing educator, author, speaker, and mental wellness advocate committed to helping people build healthy, joyful lives. Yasmine believes in “Self-healing For Everyone™” and on 2/22/22, launched The Sugar Jar® Community app, a safe space to develop self-awareness, learn boundaries, and find resources to support your mental health.  Her expertise has been featured in top media such as The Today Show, Forbes, InStyle Magazine, Refinery29, and she has had partnerships with EmergenC and Two Chairs Therapy, amongst other wellness and mental health companies.  Yasmine was also recently featured as a speaker at TEDxRutgersCamden on the topic of “How Boundaries Make Space For The Sweet Things In Life’’.    Connect with Yasmine and follow her work through the links below:  The Sugar Jar Community (App): https://yasminecheyenne.com/app/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminecheyenne/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sugar-jar-podcast/id1521329814 Website: https://yasminecheyenne.com/ HIGHLIGHTS 03:54 Experiencing mental health problems while in the military  06:38 How to identify signs of mental health problems  11:31 Why do you feel the need to always say yes? 18:10 Set boundaries for sleep and recovery 22:53 Question your values every once in a while 24:49 People need the space to acknowledge their own trauma 33:14 Your healing is your responsibility  34:17 Self-care beyond the bubble baths 39:51 Yasmine's recommendations QUOTES 10:10 Yasmine: "I think, that's how we begin to prioritize our time and space and our energy, by recognizing that we don't have control over everything but there are a lot of things that we do have control over and how we spend our time a lot of the times outside of work, outside of kids. We do have those pockets of time that could be dedicated to ourselves. I think it's important to ask ourselves what we do in those moments." 12:15 Yasmine: "It can get really hard when you are literally holding everyone else and feel like no one's holding you. The invitation is to ask yourself what it would feel like to allow people to figure out how to deal with their own issues, to maybe not have access to calling you after a certain time, to give yourself the attention and energy that you're pouring into everyone else." 23:02 Yasmine: "Whatever it is that you identify as, it's so important to question it because sometimes we're limiting ourselves by these ideas of what we think we have to be. And it may not actually be fulfilling what we want to be in alignment with." 33:27 Yasmine: "The reason that we want to have space for the people, places, and things that we love is so that when we connect to people, we experience the joy of vulnerability. We experience the joy of connection. We experience the joy of being in a relationship with people."  33:42 Yasmine: "If I struggle with my worthiness, then I'm also going to struggle with believing that the people I'm in a relationship, truly want to be here." Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

Devi Brown is a master well-being educator, certified multi-modality healer, and entrepreneur. Devi is devoted to spiritual connection meant to aid in the healing of generational trauma rooted in sharing tangible healing modalities to support radical self-acceptance.  Devi serves as the Chief Impact Officer at Chopra Global, the leading meditation and education wellness company founded by Dr. Deepak Chopra. In addition to leading diversity and inclusion initiatives for the company, she serves as an executive and educator at Chopra events globally, she is also the voice of daily meditation on the Chopra wellness app.  As a seasoned broadcaster and host of leading spirituality podcast, Dropping Gems on iHeart Media’s Black Effect Network, Devi leads transformative conversations and offers education in spiritual psychology, meditation, energy, and metaphysical healing of individuals with a focus in the BIPOC community.  In 2017, Devi released her first book, Crystal Bliss, and most recently joined as an advisor to Emmy award winning media & storytelling company, Religion of Sports, and is a founding board member of the Mental Wealth Alliance.  Connect with Devi and her follow her work through the links below:  Website: www.devibrown.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devibrown/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeviBrown?s=20 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeviBrown/ Book: https://amzn.to/3JJJO0B HIGHLIGHTS 08:26 Connect with your mind and body through music and dance 13:53 The benefits of working on your mental health and generational trauma 22:38 Suppressing trauma robs you of understanding interpersonal intimacy 30:00 Co-dependence is not love 35:02 Learn how to make healthy boundaries for yourself 49:33 Boundaries can make your life easier  1:00:21 Saying no can open yourself up to bigger opportunities  1:01:25 Details about Devi's new book  1:06:41 Devi's favorite books  QUOTES 22:37 Devi: "Typically, trauma, and the depending on how it manifests and especially in childhood, it can really mean that you don't have the ability to feel or understand authentic interpersonal intimacy with other people and within yourself." 28:20 Koya: "You can love others, but you cannot love others to the detriment of yourself." 33:40 Devi: "If you've been made to feel wrong about yourself or wrong about your choices, there's always this piece of you that's like, but what if I'm wrong? Or maybe I am a bad person. Maybe there's something off about me." 35:16 Devi: "You're not making or setting a boundary for every individual person that you're bumping up against. You decide what is the boundary for my life, based on who I am, and anytime anyone walks up to the counter and asks for something or does something, I experience it based on the boundary I've set for myself. So then it feels even less personal as we're getting into with other people. Because we're saying it's not about you, this isn't personal. This is my boundary, for me." 51:56 Devi: "Any relationships that may have had some challenge around those boundaries were just ones that needed to lightly slough off anyway. It wasn't necessary to maintain the relationship because I will not maintain anything that requires me to be minimized." Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

Anna Malaika Tubbs is a New York Times Bestselling author, advocate, and educator who is inspired to bring people together through the celebration of difference. Motivated by her mother’s work advocating for women’s and children’s rights around the world, Anna uses an intersectional lens to advocate for women of color and educate others. Her focus is on addressing gender and race issues in the US, especially the pervasive erasure of Black women which she explored in her recent release The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation.  Connect with Anna and her work in the links below:  Book: https://amzn.to/3wam81h HIGHLIGHTS 02:23 The secret power of power naps  05:12 The story behind the book  10:24 Rewriting the stories of the black mothers  15:22 The role of white supremacy in the erasure of black mothers' stories 19:50 Black people do not need to educate everyone of their pain 22:35 We don't need to carry the burden alone 23:40 Anna's self-care habits and ways to prioritize family 32:35 Ways that society can improve their treatment of black mothers  38:32 Raising a black family in this political climate  50:19 Change is always possible in the world QUOTES 08:31 Anna: "It happens all the time, that black women's stories are erased, that black mother's contributions are taken for granted. But I narrowed it down to the civil rights movement because we come back to it all the time in our policy discussions." 10:30 Anna: "It's very clear there's an intentional erasure of women's stories, and very specifically black women's stories. Because it doesn't fit this kind of hegemonic notion of this white male who is the leader, this white cisgender male as the hero of every story. It doesn't fit that, we're just gonna say it never happened or it didn't exist." 34:59 Anna: "These biases in our healthcare systems that tell back women, you're imagining this, this is just something you're feeling, happen over and over and over again. The black maternal health crisis, so much of it is a result of bias against black women that doesn't hear us, when I say this is happening to me."  36:48 Anna: "We as a nation have seen over and over again that policing should not be responsible for social work. There should be more funding put towards social workers and de-escalation and thinking about other resources that people could call, especially victims of domestic violence." 41:16 Anna: "I needed to keep a hold on my joy and my love, and not allow fear to be the only thing that I was feeling. To use that fear as a driving force, to face it, not to hide it.  Say don't be afraid, but say yes, this world can be very scary but my joy and my agency is something I need to hold on to because that's how I continue to fight against these forces." Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

Sah D’Simone is a spiritual revolutionary, artful guide, international transformational speaker, best-selling author, and creator of The Sah Method spiritual workout. He is pioneering a Spiritually Sassy, heart-based healing movement rooted in science-backed, tried-and-true techniques, in which joy and authenticity illuminate the path to enlightenment.  His infectious enthusiasm for healing is grounded in a masterful and revolutionary synthesis of ancient Buddhism, modern contemplative psychotherapy, meditation, breathwork, and integrative nutrition, all delivered in his own radiant, approachable, and playful style.  His teachings have helped enrich the lives of millions of people, and inspire a new generation of change-makers. Deepak Chopra called Sah a "radical spiritual guide.” Sah has worked with Kanye West, Cardi B, Google, MoMa, Unicef, and American Express among others, and is a TEDx speaker. His first book, 5-Minute Daily Meditations, has been translated into Spanish and was called “a yearlong personal retreat of daily meditations” by Sharon Salzberg and his 2022 Page-a-Day Calendar, 5-Minute Daily Meditations is available now. His second book, Spiritually Sassy: 8 Radical Steps to Activate Your Innate Superpowers, is out now and has been translated in German; and his top-rated podcast, The Spiritually Sassy Show, is a top 100 podcast in the United States in Spirituality. Sah’s message has been featured on The Doctors, Forbes, Vice, Refinery29, USA Today, Adweek, BuzzFeed, and more. Connect with Sah and his work in the links below:  Website: https://www.sahdsimone.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sahdsimone/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sahdsimone Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spiritually-sassy-show/id1547752940 HIGHLIGHTS 04:14 Finding beauty in the chaos 13:27 Flying high and unexpected ending 17:56 Trip to north of India and introduction to Buddhism 21:34 People have basic goodness, but it must be unlocked 27:04 Essential lessons to achieve wellness 37:17 A poetic state of mind is a liberated state of mind  46:51 The next Buddha will be the community 48:30 Find people with the right amount of water and sunlight to your seed 53:05 Peace and true liberation is a paradox  55:43 Experience Sacred Boredom 1:05:24 Vulnerability is the forefront of expression QUOTES 10:06 Sah: "Your eyes recalibrate with the darkness and then all of a sudden, you're able to see in the dark. And then you don't have to go frantically look at every corner of the walls finding the light switch. All of a sudden, there is this moment where you know exactly where the light switch is so you just calmly walk yourself over across the room and you turn the light switch on and all of a sudden a dark room is filled with light." 16:23 Sah: "We're not conditioned to seek liberation. We're conditioned to accumulate and in hopes of more stuff will turn into inner liberation. The capitalistic god was at the forefront of my altar at that point." 21:07 Sah: "We have basic goodness. Everyone has basic goodness. yes, there's evil behavior but there are no evil people. People make evil mistakes and destructive and hurtful mistakes but there's no such thing as evil people because the core of our being, our essence is basically good." 53:02 Sah: "We've become so desensitized to our own suffering and the suffering of the world that we've learned to be okay with things that are not okay, we've learned to be comfortable with things that are not okay for us or for the world."  1:05:07 Sah: "Never put yourself in that space that you are fully healed. Never put yourself in that space that you know all the answers. Never put yourself in that space that you are the wisest person in the room." Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

Rachel Ricketts (she/her/hers) is a queer, multiracial Black woman. She is a global disruptor, mystic, media consultant and author of the international bestselling book Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy. As a racial justice leader, spiritual activist and collective mirror, she supports individuals and organizations heal from internalized oppression, unpack their role in perpetuating white supremacy, and help end global oppression in all forms. She has helped numerous global brands and organizations with racial justice including Google, WeWork and Buzzfeed and was named one of well+good’s 2020 Changemakers. Rachel’s work has been featured on Good Morning America and Vox, and in the New York Times, People, Forbes, The Atlantic, Elle, Essence and Cosmopolitan. She loves donuts, dancing, disruption and all things metaphysical (ideally all at once). Learn more at www.rachelricketts.com and @iamrachelricketts and grab a copy of her book from the link below. Amazon - https://amzn.to/3KdDqOT  HIGHLIGHTS 03:39 We all need to believe that we can do better 06:37 Growing up as a poor person in a wealthy neighborhood  10:51 A pile of black and brown bodies 14:02 COVID-19's effect on your life depends on your privilege  17:09 Change is possible, but we all need to put in the work 19:38 The bare basics of shadow work 22:11 We're all oppressors and oppressed in various ways  25:38 Self Care vs Soul Care  34:43 How is your heart? 37:01 Helping her mother die 47:17 How to effectively deal with loss and grief 54:16 Ways we're addressing the systems of oppression  58:57 Rachel's favorite things  QUOTES 10:44 Rachel: "I don't know what this is, because none of us really do, but I know what's coming. And I literally just envisioned piles of brown and black bodies. I know that this is going to disproportionately impact those already made most marginalized, those already carrying too much of the load, those already ostracized and pushed to the margins of society."  16:05 Rachel: "Things will continue to catch fire until enough of us activate and awaken for long enough for the critical mass to occur for change to happen. I wouldn't be in tis work if I didn't believe that that's possible. I do believe it's possible. But I also believe that we're running out of time and it's actually possible that we've missed the mark."  22:26 Rachel: "I have lots of privilege and as a result, I oppress. I cause harm. I'm a bad person not because I'm trying to, not because I intend to. Just, that's the nature of the game. That's the way that it rolls and so, if I'm not doing my work to be able to withstand that and own that and acknowledge it, then I can't do anything to actually action on it, in a way again that prioritizes and centers those have been most harmed instead of prioritizing and centering me and my feelings about it." 48:43 Rachel: "We hold not only our grief and trauma, but we hold our ancestor's grief and trauma as well. All that unresolved harm and violence, and trauma, and loss." 49:19 Rachel: "Grief is rage, and hopelessness and despair, but it can also be relief and reprieve." 49:25 Rachel: "When my mother died, I was overwhelmed by sadness, make no mistake. And I was also relieved because she didn't want to be in that body anymore and she was in so much pain. And I was so glad that finally she had found the peace she so desperately deserved that she was unable to acquire in this lifetime because of these systems of oppression."  Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

Bryant Terry is a James Beard & NAACP Image Award-winning chef, educator, and author renowned for his activism to create a healthy, just, and sustainable food system. He is editor-in-chief of 4 Color Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House and Ten Speed Press, and he is co-principal and innovation director of Zenmi, a creative studio he founded. Since 2015 he has been the Chef-in-Residence at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco where he creates public programming at the intersection of food, farming, health, activism, art, culture, and the African Diaspora.  His forthcoming collection of recipes, art, and stories entitled Black Food will be published by 4 Color Books/Ten Speed Press in the fall of 2021. In regard to his work, Bryant’s mentor Alice Waters says, “Bryant Terry knows that good food should be an everyday right and not a privilege.” San Francisco Magazine included Bryant among 11 Smartest People in the Bay Area Food Scene, and Fast Company named him one of 9 People Who Are Changing the Future of Food.  Connect with Bryant via the links below:  Website: https://www.bryant-terry.com/ Book: https://amzn.to/3BTpFC9 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryantterry/ HIGHLIGHTS 04:23 Getting busy on Black History Month 08:20 Bryant's self-care non negotiables  11:27 Mindfulness and meditation are crucial too 18:37 Working as a resident chef and writing a book  23:02 Having the impetus to do more in the midst of a racial reckoning 24:09 Imagining a different kind of activism 28:38 Giving back to the community and honoring past mentors 30:38 Growing up creative with family in Memphis 42:51 Healing generational trauma starts with the family 49:25 Negative parenting styles don't work in the long term 55:15 The connection between corporal punishment and slavery 57:59 Capitalism and the illusion of choice 1:02:06 Veganism isn't the end solution 1:05:23 All about Positive Mental Attitude  QUOTES 21:15  Bryant: "We all eat. We all have a stake in a healthy, just, and sustainable food system. There should be space in these institutions to talk about these issues, to build a community around these issues." 24:08 Bryant: "I want people to imagine activism outside of just on the ground, confrontational protests on the streets, or grassroots base building. And to be clear, those things are the foundation and the cornerstone of movement building. But everyone can't be in the streets like that." 37:32 Koya: "I think it's so important that people understand that men and women and gender roles and things like that don't have to be. And we all have masculine and feminine energy and how if we nurture both of those sides of ourselves, we can really grow and thrive." 42:54 Bryant: "One of the most important things which our family has been on the journey on is healing generational traumas and being aware that we so often pass down these traumas unknowingly just through the way that we live and not knowing that these are toxic behaviors." 49:25 Bryant: "The cornerstone of this parenting model is that shaming, blaming, isolating, and punishing children, it doesn't work. It may work in the short term. If you have a kid and you're doing something and you shame, blame, punish, yeah it might stop that behavior but what it also does is it instills fear, it starts to chip away at their self esteem, it doesn't create empowered people who are gonna be empowered adults."  55:43 Bryant: "The more that we can do this introspection and recognize that these larger systems and histories have impacted the way that we interact with each other, I think it will get us closer to healing." 58:15 Bryant: "An industrialized food system that's largely controlled by a handful of multinational corporations, we need to understand that so much of the way that the food is grown, the way that it's transported, the way that it's cooked, the way that it's presented to us, these are decisions that are made by a small handful of people." 59:08 Bryant: "We need to be organized against capitalism. I'm just gonna say it. If people don't understand that capitalism is not like if I just work hard I can make enough money. Capitalism is about these institutions that are concentrating so much wealth and making so many decisions about these systems that we have to push back against them." Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.

​​Queen Afua is a New York Times best selling author, holistic health practitioner and wellness coach and a pioneer in the green foods movement. She is the author of  5 best selling books, the creator of the Heal Thyself product line, Founder of Sacred Woman Rites of Passage Program and CEO of the Queen Afua Wellness Center. She has devoted her life to fighting diseases by teaching people how to understand and utilize the power of food, self-care, and holistic healthy choices as an empowering lifestyle. Queen Afua has inspired over 1,000,000 women, men and children throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe with her workshops, books, products, and presentations. Connect with Queen via the links below: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/queenafua/ Website: https://www.queenafua.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queenafua/?hl=en Book: https://amzn.to/3sqvion HIGHLIGHTS 02:30 Healing is a daily practice  05:57 Top 5 things to do to purify oneself 09:58 The challenge with family 12:04 Be patient with growth 15:04 Pray every day, all day long 18:03 Nourishment will help you heal 22:26 Learn how to reframe your situation 23:35 How do we end all suffering? 32:50 Allow the help to come through 35:09 Give yourself what you need 38:21 Dark periods are like messengers 44:04 Childbirth and learning how to listen 56:46 Be open like the water QUOTES 10:37 Queen: "Stay in the spirit of gratitude. Because it will keep your heart light. Otherwise, you say, did you get this immediately when you heard it? How many people had to show you, how many workshops did you have to take before you got a deeper level? So be grateful that you have a family, some don't have families." 12:04 Queen: "Be patient with your growth, be patient with other people's growth. I would know because when I started this,  I wanted everybody to get it and I would Badger them into it. And I'd give them statistics and what are they doing with themselves? And I said I would have a heart attack trying to help people to heal." 17:51 Queen: "I found that all disease is two things: malnourishment and toxicity. So if you're depressed, you're malnourished. That's all. And so when you nourish yourself, then depression will leave. It's just the body is breaking down because you're not building it up." 22:24 Queen: "You're not limited to space. You are connected as you connect to your inner self, you connect to your outer self. This may be the best time for a retreat. People will say, 'I'm depressed because I just had a divorce. I said well don't say that word. Say, 'I'm going through a transformation now that I'm going through a divorce.'" 31:58 Queen: "It's a spiritual practice to listen, to get in tune. First, you got to get in tune. Like a whole instrument. That attunement is what impeccable listening will do.” 35:10 Queen: “You could ask at that moment, I am feeling in a state of despair. I am feeling empty. Because you have to be your own truth teller. I'm feeling lonely, whatever that is. And now ask, how do I overcome my loneliness? What do I need to do, to not feel afraid?” Please leave a five-star review for the Get Loved Up Podcast. When you leave that review, please take a screenshot and email me at koya@koyawebb.com, and I’ve got a little gift for you. Your thoughts light up Koya’s soul, and it helps continue to bring on great guests. To hear more about Koya Webb and Get Loved Up episodes, please visit her website at https://koyawebb.com/.