https://simplecast.com YOU Better! If your life doesn’t feel like it’s truly yours, it’s time to YOU better. In every episode of the podcast, we explore what it means to get even better at actually being you. In this space YOU is a verb. It’s not about improving who you are. It’s about discovering -or remembering- and reclaiming who you were meant to be all along before people with oppressive standards got their hands on you. YOU Better! is filled with expansive, soul-stirring dialogue to help you get to your real self - someone whose is living nourishing dreams and impacting the world in ways that make YOU proud. Let’s adventure together toward deeper knowing, bold self-reclamation, and more liberated ways of existing. These are conversations that help you find the keys to being more fully, freely, brilliantly you. Start listening now. Let’s see what you unlock about yourself. 2026 Gem Drop, LLC en Sat, 15 Jul 2023 12:00:00 +0000 Thu, 5 Mar 2026 09:31:21 +0000 https://youbetter.simplecast.com YOU Better! https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/b74a822c-4457-4f17-8e00-3088dd39a05e/3aa45c86-dc36-48bc-b37e-6d6453159ce9/3000x3000/2026_podcast_cover.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://youbetter.simplecast.com episodic If your life doesn’t feel like it’s truly yours, it’s time to YOU better. In every episode of the podcast, we explore what it means to get even better at actually being you. In this space YOU is a verb. It’s not about improving who you are. It’s about discovering -or remembering- and reclaiming who you were meant to be all along before people with oppressive standards got their hands on you. YOU Better! is filled with expansive, soul-stirring dialogue to help you get to your real self - someone whose is living nourishing dreams and impacting the world in ways that make YOU proud. Let’s adventure together toward deeper knowing, bold self-reclamation, and more liberated ways of existing. These are conversations that help you find the keys to being more fully, freely, brilliantly you. Start listening now. Let’s see what you unlock about yourself. Kiesha Garrison, Kiesha B. Free true https://feeds.simplecast.com/uGtL2NxX interviews, personal development, self love, self-discovery, self-love Gem Drop, LLC 239a1607-da31-48a1-a6d6-ae519667553d Season Two Reflections It’s the end of season two of You Better! This episode features a compilation of Kiesha's reflections, questions, and conversations with this season’s guests.

If you’ve listened to season two, enjoy returning to the most powerful moments from these episodes. And if you’re tuning in for the first time, let this compilation point you to some must-listen episodes for your podcast queue.

Make sure you listen to the end of the episode to hear about her new project Hey, Black Seattle!

 

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]]> Sat, 15 Jul 2023 12:00:00 +0000 Celine Brozovich, Aramis O. Hamer, Dr. Lauri Conner, Bernice Ye, Heather Burris, Aaron Ableman, Stephanie Ann Ball, Kiesha Garrison, Dr. Amber Thornton, Rhonda Joy McLean https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/season-two-reflections-Mrk1s5mh It’s the end of season two of You Better! This episode features a compilation of Kiesha's reflections, questions, and conversations with this season’s guests.

If you’ve listened to season two, enjoy returning to the most powerful moments from these episodes. And if you’re tuning in for the first time, let this compilation point you to some must-listen episodes for your podcast queue.

Make sure you listen to the end of the episode to hear about her new project Hey, Black Seattle!

 

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Season Two Reflections Celine Brozovich, Aramis O. Hamer, Dr. Lauri Conner, Bernice Ye, Heather Burris, Aaron Ableman, Stephanie Ann Ball, Kiesha Garrison, Dr. Amber Thornton, Rhonda Joy McLean 00:34:01 It’s the end of season two of You Better! This episode features a compilation of Kiesha's reflections, questions, and conversations with this season’s guests. It’s the end of season two of You Better! This episode features a compilation of Kiesha's reflections, questions, and conversations with this season’s guests. true full 62 37fbcd52-ea69-4b15-b946-b9a13b53c1bb Rise Together with Rhonda Joy McLean In this inspiring final interview of the season, Kiesha talks with Rhonda Joy McLean, a celebrated attorney, entrepreneur, leadership consultant, and co-author of The Little Black Book of Success.

Rhonda shares her family heritage and pivotal life lessons, including her experience of integrating a school at age thirteen in the Jim Crow South.

Kiesha and Rhonda also discuss high achievement, depression, and mental health — making this episode a must-listen for anyone wondering how successful individuals prioritize their mental and emotional well-being.

Rhonda is a phenomenal human who offers her wisdom with an open heart. She is sisterhood with a capital “S”. Tune in to learn from her story!

 

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]]> Sat, 8 Jul 2023 12:00:00 +0000 Rhonda Joy McLean, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/rise-together-with-rhonda-joy-mclean-HusH9_0x In this inspiring final interview of the season, Kiesha talks with Rhonda Joy McLean, a celebrated attorney, entrepreneur, leadership consultant, and co-author of The Little Black Book of Success.

Rhonda shares her family heritage and pivotal life lessons, including her experience of integrating a school at age thirteen in the Jim Crow South.

Kiesha and Rhonda also discuss high achievement, depression, and mental health — making this episode a must-listen for anyone wondering how successful individuals prioritize their mental and emotional well-being.

Rhonda is a phenomenal human who offers her wisdom with an open heart. She is sisterhood with a capital “S”. Tune in to learn from her story!

 

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]]> Rise Together with Rhonda Joy McLean Rhonda Joy McLean, Kiesha Garrison 00:55:01 In this inspiring final interview of the season, Kiesha talks with Rhonda Joy McLean, a celebrated attorney, entrepreneur, leadership consultant, and co-author of The Little Black Book of Success. In this inspiring final interview of the season, Kiesha talks with Rhonda Joy McLean, a celebrated attorney, entrepreneur, leadership consultant, and co-author of The Little Black Book of Success. true full 61 8c12694d-7678-49bb-af50-f20ac34c7393 Pay Attention to Your Impact with Dr. Lauri Conner In this moving and thought-provoking interview, Kiesha talks with poet and educator Dr. Lauri Conner. Together, they explore the value of personal reflection in shaping character and discuss freer, more open-minded ways to think about education. Dr. Conner also reflects on her young life and shares some vulnerable and difficult lessons she learned, leading to a discussion on the importance of compassion & accountability.

Dr. Conner is a Cave Canem fellow whose poems have appeared in Calyx, Seattle Review, and other journals and anthologies. She holds a Ph.D. and an MFA from the University of Washington and has taught at Cornish College of the Arts, Antioch University, Seattle Central College, and Seattle Academy. Now, as the Head of School at Lake Washington Girls Middle School, Dr. Conner uses her past experiences to help understand and shape her students for the better. Her inquisitive spirit, love for Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, and ability to share what she’s learned make this an episode you don’t want to miss!

 

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]]> Sat, 1 Jul 2023 12:00:00 +0000 Dr. Lauri Conner, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/pay-attention-to-your-impact-with-dr-lauri-conner-TTq3d5W8 In this moving and thought-provoking interview, Kiesha talks with poet and educator Dr. Lauri Conner. Together, they explore the value of personal reflection in shaping character and discuss freer, more open-minded ways to think about education. Dr. Conner also reflects on her young life and shares some vulnerable and difficult lessons she learned, leading to a discussion on the importance of compassion & accountability.

Dr. Conner is a Cave Canem fellow whose poems have appeared in Calyx, Seattle Review, and other journals and anthologies. She holds a Ph.D. and an MFA from the University of Washington and has taught at Cornish College of the Arts, Antioch University, Seattle Central College, and Seattle Academy. Now, as the Head of School at Lake Washington Girls Middle School, Dr. Conner uses her past experiences to help understand and shape her students for the better. Her inquisitive spirit, love for Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, and ability to share what she’s learned make this an episode you don’t want to miss!

 

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Pay Attention to Your Impact with Dr. Lauri Conner Dr. Lauri Conner, Kiesha Garrison 00:43:15 In this moving and thought-provoking interview, Kiesha talks with poet and educator Dr. Lauri Conner. Together, they explore the value of personal reflection in shaping character and discuss freer, more open-minded ways to think about education. In this moving and thought-provoking interview, Kiesha talks with poet and educator Dr. Lauri Conner. Together, they explore the value of personal reflection in shaping character and discuss freer, more open-minded ways to think about education. true full 60 8a19a55b-c7cc-4061-9fd7-a61fe50d65b7 Question Societal Norms with Dr. Amber Thornton In this episode, Kiesha is joined by Dr. Amber Thornton, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Default Parenting + Millennial Motherhood Wellness Expert, and the Founder of Balanced Working Mama, where the mission is to support millennial mothers in creating a life of more balance and wellness.

It is important that we - for our individual and collective wellbeing - break free from confining social norms and cultural conditioning that don’t serve us.  And this is why Dr. Amber is a person I appreciate deeply because that is exactly what she helps people do. Her current teaching is focused on undoing the prevalence of default parenting syndrome.  Tune in to learn how default parenting can lead to a type of life that makes it easy to lose yourself and your dreams.  

Together, we discuss the power of crafting a life that includes space for you to learn yourself and to have what you need to thrive. We also highlight the importance of effective communication and questioning societal expectations.

You better tune in and learn more about supporting the parents in your community!

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]]> Sat, 24 Jun 2023 12:00:00 +0000 Dr. Amber Thornton, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/question-societal-norms-with-dr-amber-thornton-pwlluqge In this episode, Kiesha is joined by Dr. Amber Thornton, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Default Parenting + Millennial Motherhood Wellness Expert, and the Founder of Balanced Working Mama, where the mission is to support millennial mothers in creating a life of more balance and wellness.

It is important that we - for our individual and collective wellbeing - break free from confining social norms and cultural conditioning that don’t serve us.  And this is why Dr. Amber is a person I appreciate deeply because that is exactly what she helps people do. Her current teaching is focused on undoing the prevalence of default parenting syndrome.  Tune in to learn how default parenting can lead to a type of life that makes it easy to lose yourself and your dreams.  

Together, we discuss the power of crafting a life that includes space for you to learn yourself and to have what you need to thrive. We also highlight the importance of effective communication and questioning societal expectations.

You better tune in and learn more about supporting the parents in your community!

Episode Resources:

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Question Societal Norms with Dr. Amber Thornton Dr. Amber Thornton, Kiesha Garrison 00:45:09 In this episode of the YOU Better! podcast, Kiesha is joined by Dr. Amber Thornton, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Default Parenting + Millennial Motherhood Wellness Expert, and the Founder of Balanced Working Mama, where the mission is to support millennial mothers in creating a life of more balance and wellness. In this episode of the YOU Better! podcast, Kiesha is joined by Dr. Amber Thornton, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Default Parenting + Millennial Motherhood Wellness Expert, and the Founder of Balanced Working Mama, where the mission is to support millennial mothers in creating a life of more balance and wellness. self-discovery, parenting, self-love, default parenting, self development, black psychologists true full 59 d11a6729-9d6f-42b8-9da8-7c884fed6192 Learn to Love Your Layers In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on why we should love all parts of ourselves and live our layers.

She explores a few common ways we lose touch with ourselves. And offers suggestions for returning and reconnecting, time and time again.

She also shares an exercise for figuring out when and where you’re denying yourself so you can connect with your ideal self and your most supportive community.

Grab some pen and paper, then tune in to learn how to love your layers. And if you want to share anything that comes up, find Kiesha on social media @kiesha_garrison.

 

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]]> Sat, 17 Jun 2023 18:04:11 +0000 Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/learn-to-love-your-layers-JyHDWSkc In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on why we should love all parts of ourselves and live our layers.

She explores a few common ways we lose touch with ourselves. And offers suggestions for returning and reconnecting, time and time again.

She also shares an exercise for figuring out when and where you’re denying yourself so you can connect with your ideal self and your most supportive community.

Grab some pen and paper, then tune in to learn how to love your layers. And if you want to share anything that comes up, find Kiesha on social media @kiesha_garrison.

 

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Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Learn to Love Your Layers Kiesha Garrison 00:18:59 In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on why we should love all parts of ourselves and live our layers. In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on why we should love all parts of ourselves and live our layers. true full 58 7560b5d2-e6a0-4da4-b5cb-15b798a63739 Find Your Burning Yes with Celine Brozovich At the height of her career, Celine Brozovich was experiencing severe health issues and fell into a deep depression that pushed her to the edge of her life. After watching her mother battle similar issues with little success, she decided to make matters into her own hands by becoming a Lifestyle Medicine Coach.

Celine is the founder of Baykenji Health and the creator of the E.L.M. tree method for improving your Emotional Intelligence, Lifestyle Medicine, and Mindset. She believes in helping people achieve health and happiness through self-acceptance, good nutrition, reconciliation, and movement.

Together, Kiesha and Celine discuss Celine’s six pillars of nutrition, as well as many of her tried-and-true best practices for a happy, healthy life. Ultimately, Celine strives to contribute to healing and encourages listeners to slow down, appreciate what they have, and focus on helping others. You better tune in to learn how!

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]]> Sat, 10 Jun 2023 12:00:00 +0000 Celine Brozovich, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/find-your-burning-yes-with-celine-brozovich-C29wnVYC At the height of her career, Celine Brozovich was experiencing severe health issues and fell into a deep depression that pushed her to the edge of her life. After watching her mother battle similar issues with little success, she decided to make matters into her own hands by becoming a Lifestyle Medicine Coach.

Celine is the founder of Baykenji Health and the creator of the E.L.M. tree method for improving your Emotional Intelligence, Lifestyle Medicine, and Mindset. She believes in helping people achieve health and happiness through self-acceptance, good nutrition, reconciliation, and movement.

Together, Kiesha and Celine discuss Celine’s six pillars of nutrition, as well as many of her tried-and-true best practices for a happy, healthy life. Ultimately, Celine strives to contribute to healing and encourages listeners to slow down, appreciate what they have, and focus on helping others. You better tune in to learn how!

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]]> Find Your Burning Yes with Celine Brozovich Celine Brozovich, Kiesha Garrison 01:02:56 At the height of her career, Celine Brozovich was experiencing severe health issues and fell into a deep depression that pushed her to the edge of her life. In this episode, Kiesha and Celine discuss Celine’s six pillars of nutrition, as well as many of her tried-and-true best practices for a happy, healthy life. Ultimately, Celine strives to contribute to healing and encourages listeners to slow down, appreciate what they have, and focus on helping others. You better tune in to learn how! At the height of her career, Celine Brozovich was experiencing severe health issues and fell into a deep depression that pushed her to the edge of her life. In this episode, Kiesha and Celine discuss Celine’s six pillars of nutrition, as well as many of her tried-and-true best practices for a happy, healthy life. Ultimately, Celine strives to contribute to healing and encourages listeners to slow down, appreciate what they have, and focus on helping others. You better tune in to learn how! true full 57 03e46252-17a0-4b97-a168-944f0a12f1f7 Heal Through Sound with Stephanie Ann Ball Have you ever wondered if music could help you heal? In this episode, Kiesha is joined by Stephanie Ann Ball to discuss just that.

Stephanie is a professional classical singer who performs in curated concerts across the country, as well as a sound meditation facilitator who holds space for people to hear healing sounds. She is also a Certified Hypnotherapist and Certified Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Mental Emotional Release.

Together, they discuss how post-college and mid-Covid anxiety led her to take a non-traditional path in the world of performance and sound. They also discuss the struggles of being visible in our daily lives and how Stephanie learned to let music come through her without trying to control it.

 

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]]> Sat, 3 Jun 2023 12:00:00 +0000 Stephanie Ann Ball, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/heal-through-sound-with-stephanie-ann-ball-KBFKeMvc Have you ever wondered if music could help you heal? In this episode, Kiesha is joined by Stephanie Ann Ball to discuss just that.

Stephanie is a professional classical singer who performs in curated concerts across the country, as well as a sound meditation facilitator who holds space for people to hear healing sounds. She is also a Certified Hypnotherapist and Certified Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Mental Emotional Release.

Together, they discuss how post-college and mid-Covid anxiety led her to take a non-traditional path in the world of performance and sound. They also discuss the struggles of being visible in our daily lives and how Stephanie learned to let music come through her without trying to control it.

 

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]]> Heal Through Sound with Stephanie Ann Ball Stephanie Ann Ball, Kiesha Garrison 00:47:16 Have you ever wondered if music could help you heal? In this episode, Kiesha is joined by Stephanie Ann Ball to discuss just that. Have you ever wondered if music could help you heal? In this episode, Kiesha is joined by Stephanie Ann Ball to discuss just that. true full 56 170541c7-8288-4cde-856b-c3f6df9e318b Unleash Your Uniqueness with Bernice Ye In this fun and inspiring episode, Kiesha and Bernice Ye discuss how sometimes we must go against everything we’ve been taught to find the path that fits who we are. Together, they unpack how embracing your unique perspective is a key to a happy life.

Bernice is a comedian, first generation Chinese-American, and producer of the multicultural comedy show Fine Imports in Santa Monica, CA. In her journey to living as her true self Bernie has boldly rejected confining cultural norms to take ownership of her path forward. From an intense and demanding Chinese grade school education, to her initial distaste for public speaking, to embracing standup comedy as part of her skincare routine— her life is full of delightful twists and turns.

Bernice lives by the mantra “rules are suggestions” and that shows in her willingness to be courageously unique in everything she does and in the stories she tells in this episode. You better tune in to hear about it!

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]]> Sat, 27 May 2023 12:00:00 +0000 Bernice Ye, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/unleash-your-uniqueness-with-bernice-ye-tAn2EKdI In this fun and inspiring episode, Kiesha and Bernice Ye discuss how sometimes we must go against everything we’ve been taught to find the path that fits who we are. Together, they unpack how embracing your unique perspective is a key to a happy life.

Bernice is a comedian, first generation Chinese-American, and producer of the multicultural comedy show Fine Imports in Santa Monica, CA. In her journey to living as her true self Bernie has boldly rejected confining cultural norms to take ownership of her path forward. From an intense and demanding Chinese grade school education, to her initial distaste for public speaking, to embracing standup comedy as part of her skincare routine— her life is full of delightful twists and turns.

Bernice lives by the mantra “rules are suggestions” and that shows in her willingness to be courageously unique in everything she does and in the stories she tells in this episode. You better tune in to hear about it!

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Unleash Your Uniqueness with Bernice Ye Bernice Ye, Kiesha Garrison 00:46:58 In this fun and inspiring episode, Kiesha and Bernice Ye discuss how sometimes we must go against everything we’ve been taught to find the path that fits who we are. Together, they unpack how embracing your unique perspective is a key to a happy life. In this fun and inspiring episode, Kiesha and Bernice Ye discuss how sometimes we must go against everything we’ve been taught to find the path that fits who we are. Together, they unpack how embracing your unique perspective is a key to a happy life. true full 55 b5c3b351-eb43-4300-aad8-1275272afc11 Process Feedback With Care In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on how we can receive and process feedback while staying true to ourselves.

She explains why processing feedback requires knowledge of the self and knowledge of the source. And she shares a story about feedback she received after an internship that shows how critical feedback can actually tell us our superpowers.

She also reflects on the messiness of feedback, including how some people will give you feedback that sends you where they want you to go and when positive feedback can be clouded by contemporary -isms.

Listen in to hear Kiesha’s poignant reflections on praise and criticism, as well as her two quick tips about feedback. Then share your thoughts on social media!

 

Links

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]]> Sat, 20 May 2023 12:00:00 +0000 Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/process-feedback-with-care-twKvImvd In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on how we can receive and process feedback while staying true to ourselves.

She explains why processing feedback requires knowledge of the self and knowledge of the source. And she shares a story about feedback she received after an internship that shows how critical feedback can actually tell us our superpowers.

She also reflects on the messiness of feedback, including how some people will give you feedback that sends you where they want you to go and when positive feedback can be clouded by contemporary -isms.

Listen in to hear Kiesha’s poignant reflections on praise and criticism, as well as her two quick tips about feedback. Then share your thoughts on social media!

 

Links

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Process Feedback With Care Kiesha Garrison 00:23:44 In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on how we can receive and process feedback while staying true to ourselves. In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on how we can receive and process feedback while staying true to ourselves. true full 54 b048b2c8-3487-4cf4-b52e-1dcbc530fdfc Be the Example with Heather Burris In this heartfelt episode, Kiesha and Heather Burris dig deep into what it means to set an example for those around us.

Together, they talk through Heather’s pandemic journey, one that brought a deep grief that taught her the importance of leaning on and receiving God’s love through community. They also discuss the book she wrote after embracing an uncomfortable lesson about how we embody the lessons we want our children to learn. 

Heather Burris is the Immunization Division Chief at the District of Columbia Department of Health (DC Health). Her expertise includes vaccine operations, program management, and clinical research administration of infectious diseases. In addition, she is mission-focused on health equity and ensuring vulnerable residents or those hard-to-reach community members have access to immunizations. A champion for Black women, particularly Black girls, Heather also authored Hair Like Me, a children’s story about beauty and confidence inspired by her daughter.

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]]> Sat, 13 May 2023 12:00:00 +0000 Heather Burris, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/be-the-example-with-heather-burris-blbRoGvQ In this heartfelt episode, Kiesha and Heather Burris dig deep into what it means to set an example for those around us.

Together, they talk through Heather’s pandemic journey, one that brought a deep grief that taught her the importance of leaning on and receiving God’s love through community. They also discuss the book she wrote after embracing an uncomfortable lesson about how we embody the lessons we want our children to learn. 

Heather Burris is the Immunization Division Chief at the District of Columbia Department of Health (DC Health). Her expertise includes vaccine operations, program management, and clinical research administration of infectious diseases. In addition, she is mission-focused on health equity and ensuring vulnerable residents or those hard-to-reach community members have access to immunizations. A champion for Black women, particularly Black girls, Heather also authored Hair Like Me, a children’s story about beauty and confidence inspired by her daughter.

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Be the Example with Heather Burris Heather Burris, Kiesha Garrison 00:59:48 In this heartfelt episode, Kiesha and Heather Burris dig deep into what it means to set an example for those around us. Together, they talk through Heather’s pandemic journey, one that brought a deep grief that taught her the importance of leaning on and receiving God’s love through community. In this heartfelt episode, Kiesha and Heather Burris dig deep into what it means to set an example for those around us. Together, they talk through Heather’s pandemic journey, one that brought a deep grief that taught her the importance of leaning on and receiving God’s love through community. true full 53 15456a4f-7d17-4b36-b76f-d020ca1b0a5d Be a Rebel of Kindness with Aaron Ableman In this spiritually-rich episode, Kiesha talks with proud father, artist, actor, producer, author, and activist, Aaron Ableman.

Aaron shares his unusual life story, from being born in Michael Douglas’s basement to traveling the world for his award-winning work to support children and families.

Together, they discuss the challenges of being renaissance people in a world that encourages hyper-specialization, the lack of systemic support for parenthood, and what it means to be a Rebel of Kindness.

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]]> Sat, 6 May 2023 05:00:00 +0000 Aaron Ableman, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/be-a-rebel-of-kindness-with-aaron-ableman-f8B7WvC3 In this spiritually-rich episode, Kiesha talks with proud father, artist, actor, producer, author, and activist, Aaron Ableman.

Aaron shares his unusual life story, from being born in Michael Douglas’s basement to traveling the world for his award-winning work to support children and families.

Together, they discuss the challenges of being renaissance people in a world that encourages hyper-specialization, the lack of systemic support for parenthood, and what it means to be a Rebel of Kindness.

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]]> Be a Rebel of Kindness with Aaron Ableman Aaron Ableman, Kiesha Garrison 00:39:00 In this spiritually-rich episode, Kiesha talks with proud father, artist, actor, producer, author, and activist, Aaron Ableman. Aaron shares his unusual life story, from being born in Michael Douglas’s basement to traveling the world for his award-winning work to support children and families. In this spiritually-rich episode, Kiesha talks with proud father, artist, actor, producer, author, and activist, Aaron Ableman. Aaron shares his unusual life story, from being born in Michael Douglas’s basement to traveling the world for his award-winning work to support children and families. true full 52 8b2b6ea9-e07b-4c13-95a5-f418a59037f8 Curate Joy with Aramis O. Hamer Welcome back to YOU Better! We’re so excited for season two of the podcast.

Today’s episode is full of vibrance and joy as Kiesha talks with Aramis O. Hamer (AO for short), an exuberant artist and spiritual woman. Together, they follow Aramis’s journey as she decided to pack up her life with her husband and move from her hometown of Chicago to Seattle for nursing school, only to discover that the kind of healing she truly felt called to do was through art.

Now, Aramis paints enormous and beautiful murals all over Seattle, highlighting the beauty, the splendor, and the magic of Black women. She’s an exuberant soul who is overflowing with lessons to share about spirituality, energy, self belief, self image, and how everything you want is on the other side of fear.

 

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Sat, 29 Apr 2023 13:00:00 +0000 Aramis O. Hamer, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/curate-joy-with-aramis-o-hamer-VYh1m203 Welcome back to YOU Better! We’re so excited for season two of the podcast.

Today’s episode is full of vibrance and joy as Kiesha talks with Aramis O. Hamer (AO for short), an exuberant artist and spiritual woman. Together, they follow Aramis’s journey as she decided to pack up her life with her husband and move from her hometown of Chicago to Seattle for nursing school, only to discover that the kind of healing she truly felt called to do was through art.

Now, Aramis paints enormous and beautiful murals all over Seattle, highlighting the beauty, the splendor, and the magic of Black women. She’s an exuberant soul who is overflowing with lessons to share about spirituality, energy, self belief, self image, and how everything you want is on the other side of fear.

 

Episode Resources:

Contact Info:

 

Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Curate Joy with Aramis O. Hamer Aramis O. Hamer, Kiesha Garrison 01:06:37 Kiesha talks with Aramis O. Hamer (AO for short), an exuberant artist and spiritual woman. Together, they follow Aramis’s journey as she decided to pack up her life with her husband and move from her hometown of Chicago to Seattle for nursing school, only to discover that the kind of healing she truly felt called to do was through art. Kiesha talks with Aramis O. Hamer (AO for short), an exuberant artist and spiritual woman. Together, they follow Aramis’s journey as she decided to pack up her life with her husband and move from her hometown of Chicago to Seattle for nursing school, only to discover that the kind of healing she truly felt called to do was through art. true full 51 6a0c0970-2b69-419c-85ce-1c3e471815d7 2022 Reflections - Year End Double Episode | Part 2 This episode features a compilation of Kiesha's reflections, questions, and self-discovery advice from the second half of her 2022 interview guests.  Let these moments of post-conversation musing inspire your end of year journaling or your beginning of the year intention-setting.

Reflections are from the following episodes:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Sun, 1 Jan 2023 20:25:45 +0000 Gem Drop, LLC https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/2022-reflections-year-end-double-episode-part-2-10dPqWGk This episode features a compilation of Kiesha's reflections, questions, and self-discovery advice from the second half of her 2022 interview guests.  Let these moments of post-conversation musing inspire your end of year journaling or your beginning of the year intention-setting.

Reflections are from the following episodes:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> 2022 Reflections - Year End Double Episode | Part 2 Gem Drop, LLC 00:59:59 This episode features a compilation of Kiesha's reflections, questions, and self-discovery advice from the second half of her 2022 guest interviews. This episode features a compilation of Kiesha's reflections, questions, and self-discovery advice from the second half of her 2022 guest interviews. true full 50 136ec1fa-df2e-4aa1-8e01-9b669a956e8d 2022 Reflections - Year End Double Episode | Part 1 This episode features a compilation of Kiesha's reflections, questions, and self-discovery advice from the first half of her 2022 interview guests.  Let these moments of post-conversation musing inspire your end of year journaling or your beginning of the year intention-setting.

Reflections are from the following episodes:

 

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Tue, 27 Dec 2022 02:51:04 +0000 Gem Drop, LLC https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/year-end-double-episode-reflections-part-1-Wnw2WmHB This episode features a compilation of Kiesha's reflections, questions, and self-discovery advice from the first half of her 2022 interview guests.  Let these moments of post-conversation musing inspire your end of year journaling or your beginning of the year intention-setting.

Reflections are from the following episodes:

 

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> 2022 Reflections - Year End Double Episode | Part 1 Gem Drop, LLC 00:50:34 This episode features a compilation of Kiesha's reflections, questions, and self-discovery advice from the first half of her 2022 guest interviews. This episode features a compilation of Kiesha's reflections, questions, and self-discovery advice from the first half of her 2022 guest interviews. find your voice, self love, pursue your passion, personal development, self discovery, personal discovery, life stories, interviews, self-inquiry, self love journey, self development journey, self discovery journey true full 49 dea465ad-a42b-4de7-a435-88d7dd029b0b Redefining Self with Tomasina Boone Tomasina Boone is the founder of The Curls and Natural Hair Beauty Place, a unique space that is the only service provider of it’s kind in Sydney to provide a retail shop for great quality products and a beauty space dedicated to the care, maintenance, and styling of naturally curly hair.  As a former Essence Magazine Advertising Beauty Director, Tomasina moved to Sydney, Australia 15 years ago with her hubby (lawyer and former NAACP board member) and 1 year old daughter.

When leaving the USA she was constantly asked two questions: one, are there any Black people there? And two, who is going to do your hair? Tomasina’s hair was relaxed at the time so she thought nothing of it.  But years later, Tomasina finally went natural (begrudgingly) and her hair fell out. This inspired her to purchase an e-commerce business to supply imported products from the States for natural and curly hair. What started out as a business to support expats quickly expanded into a market and knowledge place for all kinds of clients and curly hair textures. 

In this conversation, Tomasina shares with Kiesha how her sense of self evolved through her changes in geography, career, and through her journey with her hair.

Episode Resources:

Contact Info

  • Want Kiesha to host a YOU Better! experience for your team? If you are ready to strengthen the foundation of your team culture by investing in your team members’ self-development, reach out for a free discovery call:  kieshagarrison.co/discoverycall
  • Send speaker booking inquiries for Kiesha to (send an email to:  info @ kieshagarrison.co)
  • Follow Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

 

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Tue, 20 Dec 2022 04:59:21 +0000 Tomasina Boone, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/redefining-self-with-tomasina-boone-qlejoyYv Tomasina Boone is the founder of The Curls and Natural Hair Beauty Place, a unique space that is the only service provider of it’s kind in Sydney to provide a retail shop for great quality products and a beauty space dedicated to the care, maintenance, and styling of naturally curly hair.  As a former Essence Magazine Advertising Beauty Director, Tomasina moved to Sydney, Australia 15 years ago with her hubby (lawyer and former NAACP board member) and 1 year old daughter.

When leaving the USA she was constantly asked two questions: one, are there any Black people there? And two, who is going to do your hair? Tomasina’s hair was relaxed at the time so she thought nothing of it.  But years later, Tomasina finally went natural (begrudgingly) and her hair fell out. This inspired her to purchase an e-commerce business to supply imported products from the States for natural and curly hair. What started out as a business to support expats quickly expanded into a market and knowledge place for all kinds of clients and curly hair textures. 

In this conversation, Tomasina shares with Kiesha how her sense of self evolved through her changes in geography, career, and through her journey with her hair.

Episode Resources:

Contact Info

  • Want Kiesha to host a YOU Better! experience for your team? If you are ready to strengthen the foundation of your team culture by investing in your team members’ self-development, reach out for a free discovery call:  kieshagarrison.co/discoverycall
  • Send speaker booking inquiries for Kiesha to (send an email to:  info @ kieshagarrison.co)
  • Follow Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

 

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Redefining Self with Tomasina Boone Tomasina Boone, Kiesha Garrison 01:09:42 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Tomasina Boone, the founder of The Curls and Natural Hair Beauty Place in Sydney, Australia. Tomasina shares with Kiesha how her sense of self has evolved in the 15 years since she moved from New York City to Sydney with her hubby and 1 year old daughter. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Tomasina Boone, the founder of The Curls and Natural Hair Beauty Place in Sydney, Australia. Tomasina shares with Kiesha how her sense of self has evolved in the 15 years since she moved from New York City to Sydney with her hubby and 1 year old daughter. find your voice, self love, pursue your passion, personal development, self discovery, personal discovery, life stories, self development, interviews false full 48 f28a3f9f-55e6-4589-981b-5dd0b8910e8a Value Life with Kaska Adoteye Kaska Adoteye, Ph. D. has held many hats, being a data scientist, author, investor, and entrepreneur. He has taken his skills from Wall Street to Silicon Valley and is known for his technical excellence across domains. He is also the author of the thought-provoking and insightful book Theory of Mind. The book, among other things, follows his story of discovering he has a rare and potentially lethal brain malformation, as well as the failed journey to treat it. The experience left him rattled, but also allowed him to gain empathy, compassion, and get closer to those around him. 

Episode Resources:

Contact Info

  • Want Kiesha to host a YOU Better! experience for your team? If you are ready to strengthen the foundation of your team culture by investing in your team members’ self-development, reach out for a call to discuss:  kieshagarrison.co/discoverycall
  • Send speaker booking inquiries for Kiesha to (send an email to:  info @ kieshagarrison.co)
  • Follow Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Tue, 13 Dec 2022 05:23:17 +0000 Kaska Adoteye, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/value-life-with-kaska-adoteye-U1EUpNxF Kaska Adoteye, Ph. D. has held many hats, being a data scientist, author, investor, and entrepreneur. He has taken his skills from Wall Street to Silicon Valley and is known for his technical excellence across domains. He is also the author of the thought-provoking and insightful book Theory of Mind. The book, among other things, follows his story of discovering he has a rare and potentially lethal brain malformation, as well as the failed journey to treat it. The experience left him rattled, but also allowed him to gain empathy, compassion, and get closer to those around him. 

Episode Resources:

Contact Info

  • Want Kiesha to host a YOU Better! experience for your team? If you are ready to strengthen the foundation of your team culture by investing in your team members’ self-development, reach out for a call to discuss:  kieshagarrison.co/discoverycall
  • Send speaker booking inquiries for Kiesha to (send an email to:  info @ kieshagarrison.co)
  • Follow Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Value Life with Kaska Adoteye Kaska Adoteye, Kiesha Garrison 00:44:48 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with data scientist and author Kaska Adoteye. Kaska shares with Kiesha his approach to life after grappling with a diagnosis of having a rare and potentially lethal brain malformation. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with data scientist and author Kaska Adoteye. Kaska shares with Kiesha his approach to life after grappling with a diagnosis of having a rare and potentially lethal brain malformation. find your voice, self love, pursue your passion, personal development, self discovery, personal discovery, life stories, interviews false full 47 d0bea1c4-33a5-4d3d-80be-0df28a1cbbae Get Strategic with Tonya Fewell This episode features Tonya Fewell, J.D., a highly driven woman who is truly powered by purpose.  She has made her life’s work the work of walking other people through radical transformation. As the senior strategist at Bridge Every Gap Tonya and her team build optimal systems and strategies for success with individuals, teams, and organizations in leadership and self-development.

Her role as a mother to her three children Briana, Evan, and Grace, plays greatly into her identity – she even professionally goes by the moniker “Mama T” She recognizes her kids are at the center of so much motivation for her, but she also shares some of self-inquiry she had to do around the fact of her being an unmarried mother of three. We also talked about her figuring out where she belonged and how she began the process of living in alignment with who she actually is. 

Tonya believes that a goal with a plan and a guide is the recipe for success 

Episode Resources:

Contact Info

  • Want Kiesha to host a YOU Better! experience for your team? If you are ready to strengthen the foundation of your team culture by investing in your team members’ self-development, reach out for a free discovery call:  kieshagarrison.co/discoverycall
  • Send speaker booking inquiries for Kiesha to (send an email to:  info @ kieshagarrison.co)
  • Follow Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Tue, 6 Dec 2022 22:05:19 +0000 Tonya Fewell, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/get-strategic-with-tonya-fewell-6257mxPq This episode features Tonya Fewell, J.D., a highly driven woman who is truly powered by purpose.  She has made her life’s work the work of walking other people through radical transformation. As the senior strategist at Bridge Every Gap Tonya and her team build optimal systems and strategies for success with individuals, teams, and organizations in leadership and self-development.

Her role as a mother to her three children Briana, Evan, and Grace, plays greatly into her identity – she even professionally goes by the moniker “Mama T” She recognizes her kids are at the center of so much motivation for her, but she also shares some of self-inquiry she had to do around the fact of her being an unmarried mother of three. We also talked about her figuring out where she belonged and how she began the process of living in alignment with who she actually is. 

Tonya believes that a goal with a plan and a guide is the recipe for success 

Episode Resources:

Contact Info

  • Want Kiesha to host a YOU Better! experience for your team? If you are ready to strengthen the foundation of your team culture by investing in your team members’ self-development, reach out for a free discovery call:  kieshagarrison.co/discoverycall
  • Send speaker booking inquiries for Kiesha to (send an email to:  info @ kieshagarrison.co)
  • Follow Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Get Strategic with Tonya Fewell Tonya Fewell, Kiesha Garrison 01:00:24 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Tonya Fewell, JD, a personal development & leadership strategist and proud mom of three. Tonya shares with Kiesha how she broke free from environments where she didn't feel like she belonged and her strategic approach to living a life that honors who she actually is. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Tonya Fewell, JD, a personal development & leadership strategist and proud mom of three. Tonya shares with Kiesha how she broke free from environments where she didn't feel like she belonged and her strategic approach to living a life that honors who she actually is. find your voice, self love, pursue your passion, personal development, self-development, self discovery, personal discovery, life stories, interviews, bridge every gap, self-inquiry false full 46 9663c36c-67d8-4b45-9d3d-52ac43ede6c4 Face Yourself with Coax Marie Coax Marie is a powerful talent - an artist whose music affirms what is unique and magical about us. She uses her gifts to promote energetic freedom and liberation and creates the type of music that holds your hand throughout the beautiful challenges of being human.  She has moved thousands of people to assert “I Am Enough.” In this interview with Kiesha, Coax talks about her artistic origin story, how she challenges herself to show up as the person she says she is, and how she looks within for insight for her journey.  She also digs into some people’s tendency to dismiss things they don’t yet understand as “woo-woo” and shares about how she’s holding herself accountable for finishing what she starts. 

 

Episode Resources:

Contact Info

  • Want Kiesha to host a YOU Better! experience for your team? She speaks and hosts workshops to help your team members develop a stronger sense of self:  kieshagarrison.co/discoverycall
  • You can also submit speaker booking inquiries by emailing info@kieshagarrison.co
  • Follow Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Tue, 29 Nov 2022 02:00:16 +0000 Coax Marie, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/face-yourself-with-coax-marie-Hv481qIU Coax Marie is a powerful talent - an artist whose music affirms what is unique and magical about us. She uses her gifts to promote energetic freedom and liberation and creates the type of music that holds your hand throughout the beautiful challenges of being human.  She has moved thousands of people to assert “I Am Enough.” In this interview with Kiesha, Coax talks about her artistic origin story, how she challenges herself to show up as the person she says she is, and how she looks within for insight for her journey.  She also digs into some people’s tendency to dismiss things they don’t yet understand as “woo-woo” and shares about how she’s holding herself accountable for finishing what she starts. 

 

Episode Resources:

Contact Info

  • Want Kiesha to host a YOU Better! experience for your team? She speaks and hosts workshops to help your team members develop a stronger sense of self:  kieshagarrison.co/discoverycall
  • You can also submit speaker booking inquiries by emailing info@kieshagarrison.co
  • Follow Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Face Yourself with Coax Marie Coax Marie, Kiesha Garrison 01:16:59 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Coax Marie, an affirmation artist, coach, and woman of science. In this interview Coax and Kiesha have a deeply reflective conversation about the practice of living as the person you say you are and how to face yourself during decision points and growth moments. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Coax Marie, an affirmation artist, coach, and woman of science. In this interview Coax and Kiesha have a deeply reflective conversation about the practice of living as the person you say you are and how to face yourself during decision points and growth moments. find your voice, self love, pursue your passion, personal development, self discovery, personal accountability, personal discovery, life stories, self-awareness, interviews, introspection, affirmation music, self-inquiry false full 45 6c21e22b-ec0d-4cfa-a50e-25265f59fc35 Recognize the Offering  A conversation about grace in the workplace from one of Kiesha's Culture Conversations with a corporate client group is lingering on her mind along with the memory of the last three minutes of raw vulnerability from Deon Cole's Netflix comedy special Charleen's Boy.  In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on two recent moments of introspection, both centered on being able to recognize the goodness that other people are sometimes offering us.

 

Contact Info

  • Want Kiesha to host a YOU Better! experience for your team? If you are ready to strengthen the foundation of your team culture by investing in your team members’ self-development, reach out for a free discovery call:  kieshagarrison.co/contact
  • Send speaker booking inquiries for Kiesha to (send an email to:  info @ kieshagarrison.co)
  • Follow Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Mon, 21 Nov 2022 20:51:45 +0000 Gem Drop, LLC https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/recognize-the-offering-D9fg1Ft9  A conversation about grace in the workplace from one of Kiesha's Culture Conversations with a corporate client group is lingering on her mind along with the memory of the last three minutes of raw vulnerability from Deon Cole's Netflix comedy special Charleen's Boy.  In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on two recent moments of introspection, both centered on being able to recognize the goodness that other people are sometimes offering us.

 

Contact Info

  • Want Kiesha to host a YOU Better! experience for your team? If you are ready to strengthen the foundation of your team culture by investing in your team members’ self-development, reach out for a free discovery call:  kieshagarrison.co/contact
  • Send speaker booking inquiries for Kiesha to (send an email to:  info @ kieshagarrison.co)
  • Follow Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Recognize the Offering Gem Drop, LLC 00:15:16 In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on two recent moments of introspection, both centered on being able to recognize the goodness that other people are sometimes offering us. In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on two recent moments of introspection, both centered on being able to recognize the goodness that other people are sometimes offering us. dei work, extending grace, self love, workplace culture, deon cole, personal development, vulnerable stories, the gift of sharing, self discovery, personal discovery, life stories, charleen's boy, offer grace, give grace false full 44 2ef06211-4d71-443d-96ce-da8d3e2854c4 Unlock Your Voice with Quinn Conyers In this episode, Kiesha Garrison interviews Event Emcee and Author Quinn Conyers who shares her story of giving up, finding her way back to her unique gift, and defining success on her own terms.

Episode Resources:

Contact Info

  • Want Kiesha to host a YOU Better! experience for your team? If you are ready to strengthen the foundation of your team culture by investing in your team members’ self-development, reach out for a free discovery call:  kieshagarrison.co/discoverycall
  • Send speaker booking inquiries for Kiesha to (send an email to:  info @ kieshagarrison.co)
  • Follow Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Mon, 14 Nov 2022 22:44:33 +0000 Quinn Conyers, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/unlock-your-voice-with-quinn-conyers-zLKlzORR In this episode, Kiesha Garrison interviews Event Emcee and Author Quinn Conyers who shares her story of giving up, finding her way back to her unique gift, and defining success on her own terms.

Episode Resources:

Contact Info

  • Want Kiesha to host a YOU Better! experience for your team? If you are ready to strengthen the foundation of your team culture by investing in your team members’ self-development, reach out for a free discovery call:  kieshagarrison.co/discoverycall
  • Send speaker booking inquiries for Kiesha to (send an email to:  info @ kieshagarrison.co)
  • Follow Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Unlock Your Voice with Quinn Conyers Quinn Conyers, Kiesha Garrison 00:56:23 In this episode, Kiesha Garrison interviews Event Emcee and Author Quinn Conyers who shares her story of giving up, finding her way back to her unique gift, and defining success on her own terms. In this episode, Kiesha Garrison interviews Event Emcee and Author Quinn Conyers who shares her story of giving up, finding her way back to her unique gift, and defining success on her own terms. find your voice, hear yourself, self love, pursue your passion, personal development, self discovery, personal discovery, life stories, event emcee, interviews, speak black woman true full 43 b0abc205-20ca-42ee-ab46-578701047aa1 Pursue Your Dreams with Anthony Cole Growing up Anthony Cole dreamed of being a recording artist, but like many talented creatives who enter the job market, corporate pursuits became his source of stability.  But you know that saying, wherever you go, there you are... Well, eventually Anthony’s musical self became a part of his corporate life which has led to the artist in Anthony taking center stage in his life. In October of 2022, he released his first album, Good Vibes Only.  In this interview he shares with Kiesha about how he finds fulfillment and what he has learned about embracing his full self and speaking up for what he wants and needs in life.

Episode Resources:

Contact Info

  • Want Kiesha to host a YOU Better Workshop for your team? If you are ready to strengthen the foundation of your team culture by investing in your team members’ self-development, reach out for a free discovery call:  kieshagarrison.co/freecall
  • Send speaker booking inquiries for Kiesha to (send an email to:  info @ kieshagarrison.co)
  • Follow Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Tue, 8 Nov 2022 02:11:39 +0000 Anthony Cole, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/pursue-your-dreams-with-anthony-cole-xHWoVfaG Growing up Anthony Cole dreamed of being a recording artist, but like many talented creatives who enter the job market, corporate pursuits became his source of stability.  But you know that saying, wherever you go, there you are... Well, eventually Anthony’s musical self became a part of his corporate life which has led to the artist in Anthony taking center stage in his life. In October of 2022, he released his first album, Good Vibes Only.  In this interview he shares with Kiesha about how he finds fulfillment and what he has learned about embracing his full self and speaking up for what he wants and needs in life.

Episode Resources:

Contact Info

  • Want Kiesha to host a YOU Better Workshop for your team? If you are ready to strengthen the foundation of your team culture by investing in your team members’ self-development, reach out for a free discovery call:  kieshagarrison.co/freecall
  • Send speaker booking inquiries for Kiesha to (send an email to:  info @ kieshagarrison.co)
  • Follow Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Pursue Your Dreams with Anthony Cole Anthony Cole, Kiesha Garrison 00:52:38 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with recording artist Anthony Cole. Anthony shares with Kiesha how he anchors his life in positivity and finds fulfillment making music that calls upon his Caribbean heritage and his desire to uplift and inspire others. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with recording artist Anthony Cole. Anthony shares with Kiesha how he anchors his life in positivity and finds fulfillment making music that calls upon his Caribbean heritage and his desire to uplift and inspire others. find your voice, self love, pursue your passion, personal development, self discovery, personal discovery, life stories, interviews false full 42 0922fcc6-294b-4807-b7fd-ed5b8f91ce0e Get in the Game with Chipalo Street Chipalo Street has worn many hats throughout his life – in addition to being a groundbreaker and mentor in the tech world, he’s had a “nights and weekends” career refereeing international, professional, and collegiate soccer matches.  In this episode, Chipalo talks with Kiesha about how his dreams of playing in the NBA morphed into something else - a life filled with solving dynamic problems in a variety of spaces. Currently, Chipalo is combining his excitement for problem solving with his desire to create positive change in the world by running for the office of Washington State Representative for Legislative District 37.  Join Kiesha to learn about Chipalo Street in this season of his life where he is experiencing the whirlwind that is running for office in America. 

 

Episode Resources:

About Chipalo Street: Chipalo Street – The path forward (electchipalo.com)

Contact Info

  • Want Kiesha to host a YOU Better Workshop for your team? If you are ready to strengthen the foundation of your team culture by investing in your team members’ self-development, reach out for a free discovery call:  kieshagarrison.co/freecall
  • Send speaker booking inquiries for Kiesha to (send an email to:  info @ kieshagarrison.co)
  • Follow Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Mon, 31 Oct 2022 22:26:31 +0000 Chipalo Street, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/get-in-the-game-with-chipalo-street-GescuQpy Chipalo Street has worn many hats throughout his life – in addition to being a groundbreaker and mentor in the tech world, he’s had a “nights and weekends” career refereeing international, professional, and collegiate soccer matches.  In this episode, Chipalo talks with Kiesha about how his dreams of playing in the NBA morphed into something else - a life filled with solving dynamic problems in a variety of spaces. Currently, Chipalo is combining his excitement for problem solving with his desire to create positive change in the world by running for the office of Washington State Representative for Legislative District 37.  Join Kiesha to learn about Chipalo Street in this season of his life where he is experiencing the whirlwind that is running for office in America. 

 

Episode Resources:

About Chipalo Street: Chipalo Street – The path forward (electchipalo.com)

Contact Info

  • Want Kiesha to host a YOU Better Workshop for your team? If you are ready to strengthen the foundation of your team culture by investing in your team members’ self-development, reach out for a free discovery call:  kieshagarrison.co/freecall
  • Send speaker booking inquiries for Kiesha to (send an email to:  info @ kieshagarrison.co)
  • Follow Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Get in the Game with Chipalo Street Chipalo Street, Kiesha Garrison 00:57:13 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Chipalo Street, a technology executive and former professional soccer referee who decided to take his love for serving his community to the next level and run for political office. Chipalo spoke with Kiesha as he is campaigning for Washington State Representative for Legislative District 37. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Chipalo Street, a technology executive and former professional soccer referee who decided to take his love for serving his community to the next level and run for political office. Chipalo spoke with Kiesha as he is campaigning for Washington State Representative for Legislative District 37. find your voice, self love, political candidate, pursue your passion, personal development, self discovery, personal discovery, run for office, life stories, interviews false full 41 3f13f059-1a0f-4bb9-a8d6-bd05c67dda32 Embrace Your Pain with Joy White After reaching many of her professional and personal goals, Joy White still found herself unfulfilled and unhappy.  Once she allowed herself to acknowledge things that she survived, feel her way through her painful past, and love her inner child better, she was able to move forward boldly towards a more fulfilling and authentic life.  In this interview, she shares with Kiesha her about her decision to tell her story publicly to help other women like her find their path towards healing.

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]]> Mon, 24 Oct 2022 04:20:21 +0000 Joy White, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/embrace-your-pain-with-joy-white-2P5wNTTN After reaching many of her professional and personal goals, Joy White still found herself unfulfilled and unhappy.  Once she allowed herself to acknowledge things that she survived, feel her way through her painful past, and love her inner child better, she was able to move forward boldly towards a more fulfilling and authentic life.  In this interview, she shares with Kiesha her about her decision to tell her story publicly to help other women like her find their path towards healing.

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]]> Embrace Your Pain with Joy White Joy White, Kiesha Garrison 01:03:57 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Joy White, Managing Partner of The White Legal Group and the CEO of Flawed Masterpiece, a certified Black woman-owned personal development, urban wellness, and lifestyle business unapologetically catering to the unique needs of Black women. Joy shares with Kiesha about her decision to reveal painful details about her life story as she embarked on a mission to help other women find healing from the wounds they often try to push past. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Joy White, Managing Partner of The White Legal Group and the CEO of Flawed Masterpiece, a certified Black woman-owned personal development, urban wellness, and lifestyle business unapologetically catering to the unique needs of Black women. Joy shares with Kiesha about her decision to reveal painful details about her life story as she embarked on a mission to help other women find healing from the wounds they often try to push past. survivor, self love, healing journey, personal development, sexual abuse, self discovery, personal discovery, domestic violence, flawed masterpiece, healing for black women true full 40 0bd8a1bb-060e-4f3b-a1cc-fefac9d90a32 Honor Your Limits In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on one of the areas of personal work that continues to unfold for her - honoring her limits.  This commitment to a lifestyle that allows for more reasonable expectations of mind, body, & spirit is not as simple as making the decision.    Check out the episode to find out more of how this work is informing Kiesha's identity today.

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]]> Mon, 17 Oct 2022 16:20:03 +0000 Gem Drop, LLC https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/honor-your-limits-BMMZ3FBB In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on one of the areas of personal work that continues to unfold for her - honoring her limits.  This commitment to a lifestyle that allows for more reasonable expectations of mind, body, & spirit is not as simple as making the decision.    Check out the episode to find out more of how this work is informing Kiesha's identity today.

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]]> Honor Your Limits Gem Drop, LLC 00:15:53 In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on one of the areas of personal work that continues to unfold for her - honoring her limits. This commitment to a lifestyle that allows for more reasonable expectations of mind, body, & spirit is not as simple as making the decision. Check out the episode to find out more of how this work is informing Kiesha's identity today. In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on one of the areas of personal work that continues to unfold for her - honoring her limits. This commitment to a lifestyle that allows for more reasonable expectations of mind, body, & spirit is not as simple as making the decision. Check out the episode to find out more of how this work is informing Kiesha's identity today. self love, you better, personal development, rest is resistance, rest, self discovery, personal discovery, self development, sleep revolution false full 39 b4859835-7b2c-4b34-a31f-ce197f470f73 Come Home to Yourself with Troy Williams While serving time in San Quentin State Prison Troy Williams was able to step all the way outside the box of one would typically imagine for an inmate and create a media organization inside the walls that confined him.  In this episode of YOU Better!, Troy shares with Kiesha about his passion for being a student of life, his evolution towards listening to his inner knowing, and how love for his family kept him anchored in his humanity.  They also discuss the power of storytelling and why Troy sees it as a powerful tool in personal and societal transformation. 

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]]> Sat, 8 Oct 2022 20:36:20 +0000 Troy Williams, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/come-home-to-yourself-with-troy-williams-4Okbj69U While serving time in San Quentin State Prison Troy Williams was able to step all the way outside the box of one would typically imagine for an inmate and create a media organization inside the walls that confined him.  In this episode of YOU Better!, Troy shares with Kiesha about his passion for being a student of life, his evolution towards listening to his inner knowing, and how love for his family kept him anchored in his humanity.  They also discuss the power of storytelling and why Troy sees it as a powerful tool in personal and societal transformation. 

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]]> Come Home to Yourself with Troy Williams Troy Williams, Kiesha Garrison 01:16:02 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Troy Williams, a man with a powerful story about how he navigated his way back to himself after serving 18 years of a life sentence in San Quentin State Prison. He has embraced his conviction for what it was and positioned his experiences in life as tools that now help him inspire transformation in others. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Troy Williams, a man with a powerful story about how he navigated his way back to himself after serving 18 years of a life sentence in San Quentin State Prison. He has embraced his conviction for what it was and positioned his experiences in life as tools that now help him inspire transformation in others. self love, restorative justice, self discovery, personal discovery, personal transformation, self development, prison reform true full 38 664c7655-7959-437c-adcf-9058b90f27e2 Master Self-Discipline with Kena Tchiteya Kena Tchiteya is a skincare entrepreneur who puts nutrition and discipline as top priorities in her message; She rapidly grew an audience of over 1 million followers on TikTok in only 9 months by sharing her vulnerable journey to clear skin after suffering from severe acne, deep hyperpigmentation and more. She is widely regarded for using her platform to share the steps she took to achieve her skincare goals to empower other acne sufferers to do the same.

In this interview, Kena shares with Kiesha how she gained deep insight about herself through her relationships, how she cultivates her inner voice of awareness and how she continues to practice self-discipline in her thoughts and actions. 

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]]> Sun, 2 Oct 2022 18:40:36 +0000 Kena Tchiteya, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/master-self-discipline-with-kena-tchiteya-y90l_xCw Kena Tchiteya is a skincare entrepreneur who puts nutrition and discipline as top priorities in her message; She rapidly grew an audience of over 1 million followers on TikTok in only 9 months by sharing her vulnerable journey to clear skin after suffering from severe acne, deep hyperpigmentation and more. She is widely regarded for using her platform to share the steps she took to achieve her skincare goals to empower other acne sufferers to do the same.

In this interview, Kena shares with Kiesha how she gained deep insight about herself through her relationships, how she cultivates her inner voice of awareness and how she continues to practice self-discipline in her thoughts and actions. 

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]]> Master Self-Discipline with Kena Tchiteya Kena Tchiteya, Kiesha Garrison 00:53:03 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with skincare entrepreneur and influencer Kena Tchiteya. Kena shares with Kiesha her tips for cultivating self-awareness and mastering self-discipline. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with skincare entrepreneur and influencer Kena Tchiteya. Kena shares with Kiesha her tips for cultivating self-awareness and mastering self-discipline. self-discovery, self-discipline, self assessment, self-love, discipline, self-awareness, boundaries false full 37 07042560-84b0-4024-a43e-5a77467f9fb2 Break Free From Normal with Prairie Rose Free Prairie Rose is an author, trained sommelier, wine and spirits educator, and host of the popular podcast Bit by a Fox. She is also a woman who, after a childhood that began in a hippie commune, found herself making bold choices to show up for herself.  From saving up to take a life-changing solo trip to Europe in her twenties, to launching the Bit by a Fox platform after a major heartbreak, Prairie has moved through her life making friends her family and her wholeness her priority. 

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]]> Sun, 25 Sep 2022 20:17:00 +0000 Prairie Rose Free, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/break-free-from-normal-with-prairie-rose-free-mxtkKK_o Prairie Rose is an author, trained sommelier, wine and spirits educator, and host of the popular podcast Bit by a Fox. She is also a woman who, after a childhood that began in a hippie commune, found herself making bold choices to show up for herself.  From saving up to take a life-changing solo trip to Europe in her twenties, to launching the Bit by a Fox platform after a major heartbreak, Prairie has moved through her life making friends her family and her wholeness her priority. 

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]]> Break Free From Normal with Prairie Rose Free Prairie Rose Free, Kiesha Garrison 00:59:16 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with wine and spirits educator and podcast host Prairie Rose Free. Prairie Rose shares with Kiesha about her life story of breaking free from her desire to be normal and embracing the twists and turns that have made her life a great adventure. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with wine and spirits educator and podcast host Prairie Rose Free. Prairie Rose shares with Kiesha about her life story of breaking free from her desire to be normal and embracing the twists and turns that have made her life a great adventure. pivots, life story, self love, self discovery, personal discovery, bit by a fox, breakups, interview false full 36 a17833cb-9daa-46b1-b770-53fbee4c3614 Walk Through the Fire with Kim Blue In this episode Kiesha goes inside the life and lessons of Kim Blue, an HR powerhouse who cherishes her role as a mom first and foremost.  She shares her blueprint for self-care and her reflections on a life of big moves and even bigger lessons.  She's a woman who is using her voice, practicing her boundaries and continually making space for her own healing.

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]]> Sun, 18 Sep 2022 01:26:08 +0000 Kim Blue, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/walk-through-the-fire-with-kim-blue-ys58RxLz In this episode Kiesha goes inside the life and lessons of Kim Blue, an HR powerhouse who cherishes her role as a mom first and foremost.  She shares her blueprint for self-care and her reflections on a life of big moves and even bigger lessons.  She's a woman who is using her voice, practicing her boundaries and continually making space for her own healing.

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]]> Walk Through the Fire with Kim Blue Kim Blue, Kiesha Garrison 00:53:44 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Kim Blue, a dear friend who also happens to be a devoted mom, an HR executive powerhouse, and a woman who has made a lot of moves and grown through her fair share of tough situations. In this interview, Kim shares with Kiesha about her personal discovery journey starting from being a young woman leaving North Carolina on her own terms. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Kim Blue, a dear friend who also happens to be a devoted mom, an HR executive powerhouse, and a woman who has made a lot of moves and grown through her fair share of tough situations. In this interview, Kim shares with Kiesha about her personal discovery journey starting from being a young woman leaving North Carolina on her own terms. friendship, self love, self care, self discovery, personal discovery, black women, black women healing, community, finding community false full 35 82e906bc-1cf6-47db-80db-4a45cc69775d Be More Than Enough with Dr. Shelly Bhowmik In this interview with Kiesha Garrison, Dr. Shelly Bhowmik discusses her own personal journey of self-discovery and recovery after experiencing burnout so bad it motivated her to launch a platform for helping others not end up in the same place.   Her practice is based on the belief that mindset is medicine, a belief she came to realize through her own journey that began at the edge of a subway platform. Shelly is impacting the world through her work as a physician specializing in Preventive Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine and her programs for companies who appreciate having employees who enjoy professional growth and success without having to sacrifice their health and wellbeing. All the while, she is a human being on the continual path to learning and loving herself just like all of us. 

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]]> Sat, 10 Sep 2022 20:27:18 +0000 Shelly Bhowmik, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/be-more-than-enough-with-dr-shelly-bhowmik-rPz2lEhh In this interview with Kiesha Garrison, Dr. Shelly Bhowmik discusses her own personal journey of self-discovery and recovery after experiencing burnout so bad it motivated her to launch a platform for helping others not end up in the same place.   Her practice is based on the belief that mindset is medicine, a belief she came to realize through her own journey that began at the edge of a subway platform. Shelly is impacting the world through her work as a physician specializing in Preventive Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine and her programs for companies who appreciate having employees who enjoy professional growth and success without having to sacrifice their health and wellbeing. All the while, she is a human being on the continual path to learning and loving herself just like all of us. 

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]]> Be More Than Enough with Dr. Shelly Bhowmik Shelly Bhowmik, Kiesha Garrison 00:54:34 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Dr. Shelly Bhowmik who is the founder of Platform Wellness, a practice dedicated to helping people heal from burnout. Shelly shares with Kiesha her journey to becoming a lifelong learner, a sharp contrast to her youth of striving for achievement to overcome the messages she received from a society tainted by colorism that told her she was not ever going to be good enough. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Dr. Shelly Bhowmik who is the founder of Platform Wellness, a practice dedicated to helping people heal from burnout. Shelly shares with Kiesha her journey to becoming a lifelong learner, a sharp contrast to her youth of striving for achievement to overcome the messages she received from a society tainted by colorism that told her she was not ever going to be good enough. burnout, colorism, self love, self worth, self care, interviews true full 34 d718958d-a4e2-4c8e-b8cd-028dc608502e Reload Yourself with Latorsha Peake In this interview with Kiesha Garrison, wellness consultant Latorsha Peake shares her lessons of learning to care for herself better.  Her experiences led her to write a book titled Iced Coffee and Self Care® in which she aims to help us move ourselves higher on our own to-do lists.  Self-care is not only about spa treatments! So join this conversation where Latorsha and Kiesha share their insights on what else it entails. 

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]]> Sat, 3 Sep 2022 19:39:04 +0000 Latorsha Peake, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/reload-yourself-with-latorsha-peake-1_ZKStFl In this interview with Kiesha Garrison, wellness consultant Latorsha Peake shares her lessons of learning to care for herself better.  Her experiences led her to write a book titled Iced Coffee and Self Care® in which she aims to help us move ourselves higher on our own to-do lists.  Self-care is not only about spa treatments! So join this conversation where Latorsha and Kiesha share their insights on what else it entails. 

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]]> Reload Yourself with Latorsha Peake Latorsha Peake, Kiesha Garrison 00:53:09 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with author, Registered Nurse, and Certified Health Coach Latorsha Peake. Latorsha hosts Iced Coffee and Self Care®, a podcast where she shares lessons learned from her own journey to prioritize self-care, plus challenges us to do the work to upgrade our own lives. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with author, Registered Nurse, and Certified Health Coach Latorsha Peake. Latorsha hosts Iced Coffee and Self Care®, a podcast where she shares lessons learned from her own journey to prioritize self-care, plus challenges us to do the work to upgrade our own lives. self-care, self-love, life stories, interviews, authors false full 33 9b65f1a0-0cf5-4494-abdd-43bbe0fe805a ICYMI: Healing from Within with Tira Feierstein In this episode, we talk about what it looks like to go on a healing journey towards self-love.  Kiesha is joined by a dear friend who has made her life’s work about helping others understand and get to “the work.” Her name is Tira Feierstein, and she is a writer, artist and spiritual thought leader who is passionate about helping other woman feel less alone on their journey. Through her artful expression and storytelling, it is her mission to help illuminate a path of authenticity and healing for feminine empowerment. Her work focuses on women, but fellas, rest assured that this episode has lots of goodness for you too.  In this interview, Tira takes us through her insight about the important steps in a self-love journey with some of her personal reflections along the way.

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]]> Sat, 27 Aug 2022 16:27:45 +0000 Kiesha Garrison, Tira Feierstein https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/icymi-healing-from-within-with-tira-feierstein-NBsG6c0r In this episode, we talk about what it looks like to go on a healing journey towards self-love.  Kiesha is joined by a dear friend who has made her life’s work about helping others understand and get to “the work.” Her name is Tira Feierstein, and she is a writer, artist and spiritual thought leader who is passionate about helping other woman feel less alone on their journey. Through her artful expression and storytelling, it is her mission to help illuminate a path of authenticity and healing for feminine empowerment. Her work focuses on women, but fellas, rest assured that this episode has lots of goodness for you too.  In this interview, Tira takes us through her insight about the important steps in a self-love journey with some of her personal reflections along the way.

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]]> ICYMI: Healing from Within with Tira Feierstein Kiesha Garrison, Tira Feierstein 00:49:41 While YOU Better! is on production break for August 2022, Kiesha is featuring some of the most popular episodes of this year - in case you missed them. In this episode Kiesha and Tira Feierstein talk through the stages of a self-love and healing journey. What is really involved? What does that work actually look like? While YOU Better! is on production break for August 2022, Kiesha is featuring some of the most popular episodes of this year - in case you missed them. In this episode Kiesha and Tira Feierstein talk through the stages of a self-love and healing journey. What is really involved? What does that work actually look like? healing, self love, self discovery false full 32 d68dad82-f5fc-48f3-9532-264db7c25308 ICYMI: Taking the Leap with Sukie Jefferson So many people have the experience of feeling like they are in the wrong profession. But they stick it out for years even when that work environment is so bad it feels like it’s going to break them. We have gotten so used to sacrificing our selves in the name of survival, that it is hard to even imagine what another kind of existence could look like.

This episode's guest, Sukie Jefferson, is someone who allowed herself to pursue another way. Sukie and I share the experience of both being young Black women who left corporate jobs to launch our own businesses.  Her company is called Suki’s candle company and she’s a new kind of leader.  I call her the soulful CEO.  In this interview conversation Suki takes us inside the experience of how her life changed when -in an act of self-love- she made space for and listened to the messages from inside herself and allowed them to guide her decisions. And let me tell you this…Suki is not continuing on with business as usual. 

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]]> Sat, 20 Aug 2022 18:22:54 +0000 Kiesha Garrison, Sukie Jefferson https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/icymi-taking-the-leap-with-sukie-jefferson-iesEd9TL So many people have the experience of feeling like they are in the wrong profession. But they stick it out for years even when that work environment is so bad it feels like it’s going to break them. We have gotten so used to sacrificing our selves in the name of survival, that it is hard to even imagine what another kind of existence could look like.

This episode's guest, Sukie Jefferson, is someone who allowed herself to pursue another way. Sukie and I share the experience of both being young Black women who left corporate jobs to launch our own businesses.  Her company is called Suki’s candle company and she’s a new kind of leader.  I call her the soulful CEO.  In this interview conversation Suki takes us inside the experience of how her life changed when -in an act of self-love- she made space for and listened to the messages from inside herself and allowed them to guide her decisions. And let me tell you this…Suki is not continuing on with business as usual. 

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]]> ICYMI: Taking the Leap with Sukie Jefferson Kiesha Garrison, Sukie Jefferson 00:55:06 While YOU Better! is on production break for August 2022, Kiesha is featuring some of the most popular episodes of this year - in case you missed them. In this episode, Kiesha and Sukie Jefferson have a heartfelt conversation about making space to hear the messages from inside of us and taking big leaps in life. While YOU Better! is on production break for August 2022, Kiesha is featuring some of the most popular episodes of this year - in case you missed them. In this episode, Kiesha and Sukie Jefferson have a heartfelt conversation about making space to hear the messages from inside of us and taking big leaps in life. self love, intuition, entrepreneurship, human centered leadership true full 31 38b0238f-a467-4147-bdec-a909f70537e8 ICYMI: Being Present with Mark Hatcher Detroit native and Morehouse Man, Mark Hatcher, sits down with Kiesha to share his life story.  He talks through his journey from his premature birth to his mother's guidance which provided inspiration for how he moves with purpose and how he fathers his elementary school aged daughter Maris Mays.  He also celebrates the goodness that was poured into him on the campus of historic Morehouse College.  Take in this story of a Black man whose model of manhood highlights community care, service-based leadership and honoring black femininity.  There are lessons here about being open to new ideas and perspectives and about letting go of the quest for perfection

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]]> Sat, 13 Aug 2022 21:41:43 +0000 Kiesha Garrison, Mark Hatcher https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/icymi-being-present-with-mark-hatcher-UpRIZjD5 Detroit native and Morehouse Man, Mark Hatcher, sits down with Kiesha to share his life story.  He talks through his journey from his premature birth to his mother's guidance which provided inspiration for how he moves with purpose and how he fathers his elementary school aged daughter Maris Mays.  He also celebrates the goodness that was poured into him on the campus of historic Morehouse College.  Take in this story of a Black man whose model of manhood highlights community care, service-based leadership and honoring black femininity.  There are lessons here about being open to new ideas and perspectives and about letting go of the quest for perfection

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]]> ICYMI: Being Present with Mark Hatcher Kiesha Garrison, Mark Hatcher 00:59:09 While YOU Better! is on production break for August 2022, Kiesha is featuring some of the most popular episodes of this year - in case you missed them. In this episode Mark Hatcher shares his life story with Kiesha and recounts tales of the nurturing relationships, impactful environments, and the moments of chance that went into making him the man of integrity, service, and rabblerousing he is today. While YOU Better! is on production break for August 2022, Kiesha is featuring some of the most popular episodes of this year - in case you missed them. In this episode Mark Hatcher shares his life story with Kiesha and recounts tales of the nurturing relationships, impactful environments, and the moments of chance that went into making him the man of integrity, service, and rabblerousing he is today. black fathers, self love, you better, morehouse college, self discovery, fatherhood, black daughters true full 30 dff2acc0-4373-4c6d-a50c-c679b912edce ICYMI: Blooming in Hope and Love with Charles E. Sims. Jr. What happens when you feel like your environment does not properly reflect love back to you?  On this episode of YOU Better! Charles E. Sims Jr. reflects on his melancholy filled childhood and his journey to seeing himself as a “60-year-old late bloomer.” This self-proclaimed prisoner of hope also shares his learnings about self now that he is experiencing the ultimate safe space with his boyfriend. 

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]]> Sat, 6 Aug 2022 19:28:28 +0000 Charles Sims Jr., Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/icymi-blooming-in-hope-and-love-with-charles-e-sims-jr-PD2G7R26 What happens when you feel like your environment does not properly reflect love back to you?  On this episode of YOU Better! Charles E. Sims Jr. reflects on his melancholy filled childhood and his journey to seeing himself as a “60-year-old late bloomer.” This self-proclaimed prisoner of hope also shares his learnings about self now that he is experiencing the ultimate safe space with his boyfriend. 

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]]> ICYMI: Blooming in Hope and Love with Charles E. Sims. Jr. Charles Sims Jr., Kiesha Garrison 00:42:10 While YOU Better! is on production break for August 2022, Kiesha is featuring some of the most popular episodes of this year - in case you missed them. In this episode, Charles E. Sims Jr. speaks with Kiesha about his self-love journey, continuing to bloom at 60 years of age, and what he has learned about himself now that he is in a loving partnership with his fiancé. While YOU Better! is on production break for August 2022, Kiesha is featuring some of the most popular episodes of this year - in case you missed them. In this episode, Charles E. Sims Jr. speaks with Kiesha about his self-love journey, continuing to bloom at 60 years of age, and what he has learned about himself now that he is in a loving partnership with his fiancé. false full 29 9d9a1ac6-a4d3-47cc-86b3-568ef52c4fe5 Take Action: Shine a Light In this last episode in the YOU Better! Take Action Series, Kiesha highlights the work of storyteller Ava DuVernay whose aunt sparked her interest in the arts when she was a little girl.  Kiesha reflects on how she has learned from and taken action based on Ava's work, chiefly the documentary 13th. She also discusses how shining a light on issues and opportunities for learning is a critical action to take as we work for a more humane society.

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]]> Sun, 31 Jul 2022 18:33:40 +0000 Gem Drop, LLC https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/take-action-shine-a-light-OxD3ooZA In this last episode in the YOU Better! Take Action Series, Kiesha highlights the work of storyteller Ava DuVernay whose aunt sparked her interest in the arts when she was a little girl.  Kiesha reflects on how she has learned from and taken action based on Ava's work, chiefly the documentary 13th. She also discusses how shining a light on issues and opportunities for learning is a critical action to take as we work for a more humane society.

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]]> Take Action: Shine a Light Gem Drop, LLC 00:27:10 In this last episode in the YOU Better! Take Action Series, Kiesha highlights the work of storyteller Ava DuVernay whose aunt sparked her interest in the arts when she was a little girl. Kiesha reflects on how she has learned from and taken action based on Ava's work, chiefly the documentary 13th. She also discusses how shining a light on issues and opportunities for learning is a critical action to take as we work for a more humane society. In this last episode in the YOU Better! Take Action Series, Kiesha highlights the work of storyteller Ava DuVernay whose aunt sparked her interest in the arts when she was a little girl. Kiesha reflects on how she has learned from and taken action based on Ava's work, chiefly the documentary 13th. She also discusses how shining a light on issues and opportunities for learning is a critical action to take as we work for a more humane society. criminal justice, ava duvernay, documentaries, take action, prison reform, storytelling false full 28 52a7715f-382b-499b-9e6b-8f0f2cf090f0 Take Action: Join the Work in Progress Sat, 23 Jul 2022 23:38:32 +0000 Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/take-action-join-the-work-in-progress-g_skusRH Take Action: Join the Work in Progress Kiesha Garrison 00:17:57 In this fourth in the YOU Better! Take Action Series, Kiesha highlights the work of civil rights activist Marian Wright Edelman who dedicated her life to advocating for the rights and welfare of children. Those who have already invested in the work have left so much information and instruction that sometimes the action for us to take is to actually engage with the work they have already put in front of us! In this fourth in the YOU Better! Take Action Series, Kiesha highlights the work of civil rights activist Marian Wright Edelman who dedicated her life to advocating for the rights and welfare of children. Those who have already invested in the work have left so much information and instruction that sometimes the action for us to take is to actually engage with the work they have already put in front of us! do better, child welfare, you better, child rights, childrens welfare, childrens rights, take action, childrens defense fund, marian wright edelman, child poverty false full 27 bf1e5ab0-b330-4fcc-851f-36b0a0953c3d Take Action: Get Creative! Most Black people, despite our ingenuity, still have to push through a wall of distrust, opposition and financial impediment that was built at the base of our family trees from the beginning. In this episode from the Take Action Series, Kiesha focuses on learning from work of Kerry Coddett, an activist and multi-hyphenate creative in NYC, who is doing her part to chip away at that wall.  Kerry and her sister have showed moxie and creativity in designing and running a pub crawl with an aim to demonstrate black buying power, support the local black economy, and honor the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

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]]> Sun, 17 Jul 2022 00:31:46 +0000 Gem Drop, LLC https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/take-action-get-creative-DwSN7dEW Most Black people, despite our ingenuity, still have to push through a wall of distrust, opposition and financial impediment that was built at the base of our family trees from the beginning. In this episode from the Take Action Series, Kiesha focuses on learning from work of Kerry Coddett, an activist and multi-hyphenate creative in NYC, who is doing her part to chip away at that wall.  Kerry and her sister have showed moxie and creativity in designing and running a pub crawl with an aim to demonstrate black buying power, support the local black economy, and honor the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

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]]> Take Action: Get Creative! Gem Drop, LLC 00:17:45 In this episode of the special YOU Better! Take Action Series for Summer 2022, Kiesha Garrison continues her journey of getting informed & inspired to take action for social change. In this episode she shares what she learned from the story of Kerry Coddett, a leader of today who is making a difference in the area of Black economic empowerment with her work launching Kwanzaa Crawl in Brooklyn & Harlem. In this episode of the special YOU Better! Take Action Series for Summer 2022, Kiesha Garrison continues her journey of getting informed & inspired to take action for social change. In this episode she shares what she learned from the story of Kerry Coddett, a leader of today who is making a difference in the area of Black economic empowerment with her work launching Kwanzaa Crawl in Brooklyn & Harlem. activist, activism, black economic empowerment, black solidarity, take action false full 26 218a2290-e257-4a8a-98c2-0277bc3b769a Take Action: Squad Up! In this episode from the Take Action Series, Kiesha focuses on learning from the life of women's health advocate and activist Byllye Avery.  She shares some stories from the early parts of Byllye's  life and how she ended up beginning her work as an activist supporting women who were seeking abortions in the 70's.

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]]> Sat, 9 Jul 2022 23:06:43 +0000 Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/take-action-squad-up-K4VrARDf In this episode from the Take Action Series, Kiesha focuses on learning from the life of women's health advocate and activist Byllye Avery.  She shares some stories from the early parts of Byllye's  life and how she ended up beginning her work as an activist supporting women who were seeking abortions in the 70's.

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]]> Take Action: Squad Up! Kiesha Garrison 00:23:19 In this episode of the special YOU Better! Take Action Series for Summer 2022, Kiesha Garrison continues her journey of getting informed & inspired to take action for social change. In this episode she shares what she learned from the activist origin story of Byllye Avery, an early pioneer in the women’s health movement. Anyone looking to impact today's issues related to women's reproductive health might benefit from learning about Avery's work given it has inspired much of the efforts happening today. In this episode of the special YOU Better! Take Action Series for Summer 2022, Kiesha Garrison continues her journey of getting informed & inspired to take action for social change. In this episode she shares what she learned from the activist origin story of Byllye Avery, an early pioneer in the women’s health movement. Anyone looking to impact today's issues related to women's reproductive health might benefit from learning about Avery's work given it has inspired much of the efforts happening today. abortion, self-discovery, community action, activism, taking action, reproductive rights, byllye avery false full 25 d692fb51-5cc8-4d88-b7a1-2402f32f9607 Take Action: Explore Mutual Aid Work In this special summer series about taking action to care for community, Kiesha is taking a pause from interviews to share what she is learning about people who have led important movements in their communities along with the actions they are inspiring her to take.  

This episode features the writing of activist Dean Spade, who authored the book Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) and has inspired Kiesha's current focus.  Mutual aid projects are a form of political participation in which people take responsibility for caring for one another and changing political conditions not just through symbolic acts or putting pressure on gov't representatives, but by actually building new social relations that are more survivable. 

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]]> Sat, 2 Jul 2022 17:20:20 +0000 Gem Drop, LLC https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/take-action-explore-mutual-aid-work-qsClNVhH In this special summer series about taking action to care for community, Kiesha is taking a pause from interviews to share what she is learning about people who have led important movements in their communities along with the actions they are inspiring her to take.  

This episode features the writing of activist Dean Spade, who authored the book Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) and has inspired Kiesha's current focus.  Mutual aid projects are a form of political participation in which people take responsibility for caring for one another and changing political conditions not just through symbolic acts or putting pressure on gov't representatives, but by actually building new social relations that are more survivable. 

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]]> Take Action: Explore Mutual Aid Work Gem Drop, LLC 00:17:11 This is the kickoff episode of the special YOU Better! Take Action Series for Summer 2022 in which Kiesha Garrison will bring listeners on her journey of getting herself informed inspired to take action for social change. In this episode she shares what she has learned about mutual aid, a form of political and community action that can empower people to care for each other and learn about the root causes of the conditions in which they find themselves. She also introduces listeners to queer and trans liberation activist named Dean Spade. This is the kickoff episode of the special YOU Better! Take Action Series for Summer 2022 in which Kiesha Garrison will bring listeners on her journey of getting herself informed inspired to take action for social change. In this episode she shares what she has learned about mutual aid, a form of political and community action that can empower people to care for each other and learn about the root causes of the conditions in which they find themselves. She also introduces listeners to queer and trans liberation activist named Dean Spade. community action, dean spade, take action, mutual aid false full 24 050fe025-8596-432e-8c21-ef119a473ed8 Brace for Impact with Bobby Morgan Bobby Morgan is a man committed to education.  He is also a husband, father, and founder of Liberation Lab, an educational consulting firm that builds pathways of internal and external accountability.  In this interview with Kiesha Garrison, Bobby talks about how he freed himself from the toxicity of chasing acceptance in places he was taught to value that did not value him back.  The two also discussed the mixed feelings of both Father's Day and Juneteenth.

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]]> Sat, 25 Jun 2022 14:00:00 +0000 Kiesha Garrison, Bobby Morgan https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/brace-for-impact-with-bobby-morgan-6QalUrng Bobby Morgan is a man committed to education.  He is also a husband, father, and founder of Liberation Lab, an educational consulting firm that builds pathways of internal and external accountability.  In this interview with Kiesha Garrison, Bobby talks about how he freed himself from the toxicity of chasing acceptance in places he was taught to value that did not value him back.  The two also discussed the mixed feelings of both Father's Day and Juneteenth.

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]]> Brace for Impact with Bobby Morgan Kiesha Garrison, Bobby Morgan 00:59:58 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Bobby Morgan, a dynamic educator who is committed to inspiring as many people as possible to get in the fight for liberation. Bobby shares with Kiesha how he goes about healing the wounds of his youth, deepening his understanding of history, and making an impact in healthier ways that he did in his past. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Bobby Morgan, a dynamic educator who is committed to inspiring as many people as possible to get in the fight for liberation. Bobby shares with Kiesha how he goes about healing the wounds of his youth, deepening his understanding of history, and making an impact in healthier ways that he did in his past. liberation lab, self love, father's day, self discovery, juneteenth, liberated teaching, fatherhood, middle school teachers, patriarchy false full 23 7078fd70-4859-4e2e-985b-59f5b99a01dc Get to the Other Side with Allison Zinczenko Allison Zinczenko is many things - a mom, wife, educator, business leader and so much more.  But above all else, she describes herself as a work in progress and shares with Kiesha on YOU Better! how she has taken that work seriously.  She recounts her journey of growing up as a young child who felt unsafe, trying to navigate that by portraying perfection - to now being a mother who is nurturing a home environment with her husband and two teenage children that prioritizes healing from the inside rather than the appearance of goodness.

TRIGGER Heads-up: There are mentions of suicide and sexual abuse of children in this episode.  Please consume the content at a time when/if you have the emotional and mental space to do so.

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]]> Sat, 18 Jun 2022 15:00:00 +0000 Kiesha Garrison, Allison Zinczenko https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/get-to-the-other-side-with-allison-zinczenko-_hUW_vVE Allison Zinczenko is many things - a mom, wife, educator, business leader and so much more.  But above all else, she describes herself as a work in progress and shares with Kiesha on YOU Better! how she has taken that work seriously.  She recounts her journey of growing up as a young child who felt unsafe, trying to navigate that by portraying perfection - to now being a mother who is nurturing a home environment with her husband and two teenage children that prioritizes healing from the inside rather than the appearance of goodness.

TRIGGER Heads-up: There are mentions of suicide and sexual abuse of children in this episode.  Please consume the content at a time when/if you have the emotional and mental space to do so.

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]]> Get to the Other Side with Allison Zinczenko Kiesha Garrison, Allison Zinczenko 00:55:12 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Allison Zinczenko, a woman who is at peace with being in progress and far from perfect. In this interview Allison shares with Kiesha her experience with the spiritual practice of Buddhism and how her children's presence in her life impacts her healing journey and how her journey impacts her children. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Allison Zinczenko, a woman who is at peace with being in progress and far from perfect. In this interview Allison shares with Kiesha her experience with the spiritual practice of Buddhism and how her children's presence in her life impacts her healing journey and how her journey impacts her children. mindful parenting, self love, buddhism, healing journey, self discovery, thich nhat hanh false full 22 4c5122b5-bec3-433f-baeb-904a2a956259 Spread Truth and Joy with Alliah L. Agostini Alliah L. Agostini is a proud native of Buffalo, NY and a developing creative.  In addition to being a mom, a Harvard grad, and so much more, Alliah is the author of the kids book The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States (released in May 2022).  In this interview with Kiesha, she discusses the importance of preserving heritage and of integrating the new layers we find in ourselves as we grow into who we have always been.

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]]> Sat, 11 Jun 2022 16:49:33 +0000 Kiesha Garrison, Alliah L. Agostini https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/spread-truth-and-joy-with-alliah-l-agostini-trFeET5z Alliah L. Agostini is a proud native of Buffalo, NY and a developing creative.  In addition to being a mom, a Harvard grad, and so much more, Alliah is the author of the kids book The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States (released in May 2022).  In this interview with Kiesha, she discusses the importance of preserving heritage and of integrating the new layers we find in ourselves as we grow into who we have always been.

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]]> Spread Truth and Joy with Alliah L. Agostini Kiesha Garrison, Alliah L. Agostini 00:50:39 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Alliah L. Agostini, a creative with a passion for sharing her gifts to spread joy and truth. Alliah shares with Kiesha lessons from her life as well as why it was important for her to write her first book - The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Alliah L. Agostini, a creative with a passion for sharing her gifts to spread joy and truth. Alliah shares with Kiesha lessons from her life as well as why it was important for her to write her first book - The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States. self-discovery, black women authors, self-love, juneteenth, authors false full 21 a7da413d-f910-405f-be5b-904990589db0 Overflowing Out of the Box with Shermica Farquhar Shermica Farquhar is many things including being a multi-faceted Black woman and a Brooklynite proud of her Trinidadian heritage.  She is an incredibly strategic problem solver who also runs two companies – Solutions by SF, a business growth strategy firm, and Soka Tribe, a cultural organization that spreads the joy of carnival through dance. In this episode, she shares with Kiesha her stories of taking bold steps for change in her life, living in alignment with her values.

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]]> Sat, 4 Jun 2022 15:19:37 +0000 Kiesha Garrison, Shermica Farquhar https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/overflowing-out-of-the-box-with-shermica-farquhar-S0p7tDbd Shermica Farquhar is many things including being a multi-faceted Black woman and a Brooklynite proud of her Trinidadian heritage.  She is an incredibly strategic problem solver who also runs two companies – Solutions by SF, a business growth strategy firm, and Soka Tribe, a cultural organization that spreads the joy of carnival through dance. In this episode, she shares with Kiesha her stories of taking bold steps for change in her life, living in alignment with her values.

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]]> Overflowing Out of the Box with Shermica Farquhar Kiesha Garrison, Shermica Farquhar 00:58:27 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Shermica Farquhar, a Brooklynite proud of her Caribbean roots. Shermica shares with Kiesha some of her key life lessons about not getting stuck in painful situations and living free of the boxes that people try to put us in. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Shermica Farquhar, a Brooklynite proud of her Caribbean roots. Shermica shares with Kiesha some of her key life lessons about not getting stuck in painful situations and living free of the boxes that people try to put us in. self love, living boldly, solutions by sf, self discovery, life stories, soka tribe, interviews false full 20 767da3e3-0288-4a15-aa16-a22dbb4f9196 Replenishing the Soul with Kev Marcus Kev Marcus is a Grammy nominated recording artist and co-founder of Black Violin, a band he formed with his longtime friend Wil Baptiste, in which they combine their classical training and hip-hop influences to create a distinctive multi-genre sound.  In addition to being a musical groundbreaker, Kev is a father, husband, activist, author and a person who pushes for progress and seeks to shatter expectations.  In this interview, Kev shares with Kiesha about finding his way after feeling trapped by the very success he pursued and about how he has approached navigating depression and replenishing his soul. 

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]]> Fri, 27 May 2022 05:00:10 +0000 Kev Marcus https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/replenishing-the-soul-with-kev-marcus-EzK2pQto Kev Marcus is a Grammy nominated recording artist and co-founder of Black Violin, a band he formed with his longtime friend Wil Baptiste, in which they combine their classical training and hip-hop influences to create a distinctive multi-genre sound.  In addition to being a musical groundbreaker, Kev is a father, husband, activist, author and a person who pushes for progress and seeks to shatter expectations.  In this interview, Kev shares with Kiesha about finding his way after feeling trapped by the very success he pursued and about how he has approached navigating depression and replenishing his soul. 

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]]> Replenishing the Soul with Kev Marcus Kev Marcus 00:55:50 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Kev Marcus, a Grammy nominated recording artist and co-founder of the dynamic and groundbreaking group Black Violin. Kevin shares his story of pushing for progress while also setting his intentions and actions on developing a healthier relationship with success. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Kev Marcus, a Grammy nominated recording artist and co-founder of the dynamic and groundbreaking group Black Violin. Kevin shares his story of pushing for progress while also setting his intentions and actions on developing a healthier relationship with success. self-discovery, mental health, black violin, grammy-nominated, meditation, violinist, healthy success, depression false full 19 dc1c2333-4ded-42e8-9148-35dae8cfdcee Apply the Lessons Kiesha Garrison reflects on having to shut her productivity down while being sick and lessons from the one work assignment she allowed herself to still do during that time - a speech for the Stanley Ann Dunham Scholarship Fund which celebrates young women who exhibit excellence in academics, leadership, and community service. 

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]]> Fri, 20 May 2022 19:03:35 +0000 Gem Drop, LLC https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/apply-the-lessons-oYgKEvkU Kiesha Garrison reflects on having to shut her productivity down while being sick and lessons from the one work assignment she allowed herself to still do during that time - a speech for the Stanley Ann Dunham Scholarship Fund which celebrates young women who exhibit excellence in academics, leadership, and community service. 

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]]> Apply the Lessons Gem Drop, LLC 00:14:09 In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on her experience in the past week of being sick and having to shut down. Past Kiesha would have either tried to still get everything done or would have been a bit down on herself about not being able to...so what happened this time? Check out the episode to find out. In this solo episode, Kiesha reflects on her experience in the past week of being sick and having to shut down. Past Kiesha would have either tried to still get everything done or would have been a bit down on herself about not being able to...so what happened this time? Check out the episode to find out. false full 18 ece27f62-5507-47e6-ba65-ef65c986a593 Know That You Can Matter With Shaya Lyon  Some in the classical music scene might know Shaya Lyon as the founder of a nonprofit organization called the Live Music Project.  For Kiesha, Shaya is also a very dear friend full of global perspective, earnest curiosity, and sincere compassion.  In this episode, Shaya - a descendent of both a blacklisted physicist and a Holocaust survivor - shares about her upbringing as a young woman who was raised with a charge to make the world better.  Tune in to hear Shaya outline the ways she supports herself so she can have her dreams and how she allows herself to matter enough that she can hear those dreams in the first place.

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]]> Sat, 14 May 2022 08:26:34 +0000 Shaya Lyon, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/know-that-you-can-matter-with-shaya-lyon-m8OBByyB  Some in the classical music scene might know Shaya Lyon as the founder of a nonprofit organization called the Live Music Project.  For Kiesha, Shaya is also a very dear friend full of global perspective, earnest curiosity, and sincere compassion.  In this episode, Shaya - a descendent of both a blacklisted physicist and a Holocaust survivor - shares about her upbringing as a young woman who was raised with a charge to make the world better.  Tune in to hear Shaya outline the ways she supports herself so she can have her dreams and how she allows herself to matter enough that she can hear those dreams in the first place.

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]]> Know That You Can Matter With Shaya Lyon Shaya Lyon, Kiesha Garrison 01:08:41 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with photographer and community builder Shaya Lyon. Shaya shares with Kiesha her life lessons about supporting herself in her life goals and about allowing herself to matter alongside the larger troubles of our world - and her desire to make that world better. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with photographer and community builder Shaya Lyon. Shaya shares with Kiesha her life lessons about supporting herself in her life goals and about allowing herself to matter alongside the larger troubles of our world - and her desire to make that world better. live music project, self-discovery, gloria hollander lyon, self-love, life stories, photographer, interviews false full 17 2362d397-84a5-4106-be36-0cbcf312f7d4 Reclaim Your Imagination with Zerandrian Morris Living a life that doesn't center Whiteness is bold and requires intentionality and imagination.  Zerandrian Morris joins Kiesha on this episode to talk about turning points in her life that led her to imagine what's possible and listen to spirit instead of following oppressive social conditioning.  She also shares about the powerful work she does with her organization The Ignant Intellectual Group, LLC. They also discuss getting comfortable with the "both/and" aspect of dynamic parts of life as well as the importance of dreaming and how White Supremacy robs us of imagination and steals our innate ability to see past our present moment.  

About Zerandrian:

Zerandrian Morris (a/k/a ‘The Ignant Intellectual’) is a capital 'B' Black non-binary transmasculine girl-identified person born & raised in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans currently living in Washington DC. Zerandrian is a 2001 graduate of THEE Spelman College. Zerandrian is a social impact strategist who spends time creating paradigm-shifting experiences for companies, institutions, organizations, & individuals around topics like anti-racism, anti-Blackness, and racial equity. Zerandrian is also an Epidemiologist/Biostatistician & Owner/Principal Strategist of The Ignant Intellectual Group LLC, a NYC-headquartered consulting and strategy social enterprise that guides organizations and companies through the process of transforming themselves into anti-racist places of business.

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]]> Fri, 6 May 2022 10:06:53 +0000 Kiesha Garrison, Zerandrian Morris, Ignant Intellectual https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/reclaim-your-imagination-with-zerandrian-morris-ysIaGFdU Living a life that doesn't center Whiteness is bold and requires intentionality and imagination.  Zerandrian Morris joins Kiesha on this episode to talk about turning points in her life that led her to imagine what's possible and listen to spirit instead of following oppressive social conditioning.  She also shares about the powerful work she does with her organization The Ignant Intellectual Group, LLC. They also discuss getting comfortable with the "both/and" aspect of dynamic parts of life as well as the importance of dreaming and how White Supremacy robs us of imagination and steals our innate ability to see past our present moment.  

About Zerandrian:

Zerandrian Morris (a/k/a ‘The Ignant Intellectual’) is a capital 'B' Black non-binary transmasculine girl-identified person born & raised in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans currently living in Washington DC. Zerandrian is a 2001 graduate of THEE Spelman College. Zerandrian is a social impact strategist who spends time creating paradigm-shifting experiences for companies, institutions, organizations, & individuals around topics like anti-racism, anti-Blackness, and racial equity. Zerandrian is also an Epidemiologist/Biostatistician & Owner/Principal Strategist of The Ignant Intellectual Group LLC, a NYC-headquartered consulting and strategy social enterprise that guides organizations and companies through the process of transforming themselves into anti-racist places of business.

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]]> Reclaim Your Imagination with Zerandrian Morris Kiesha Garrison, Zerandrian Morris, Ignant Intellectual 01:10:23 In this episode, Kiesha Garrison is in conversation with Zerandrian Morris, the Owner/Principal Strategist of The Ignant Intellectual Group LLC, a NYC-headquartered consulting and strategy social enterprise that guides organizations and companies through the process of transforming themselves into anti-racist places of business. Zerandrian shares stories from her life as well as thoughts on the ways that White Supremacy robs us of our imaginations. In this episode, Kiesha Garrison is in conversation with Zerandrian Morris, the Owner/Principal Strategist of The Ignant Intellectual Group LLC, a NYC-headquartered consulting and strategy social enterprise that guides organizations and companies through the process of transforming themselves into anti-racist places of business. Zerandrian shares stories from her life as well as thoughts on the ways that White Supremacy robs us of our imaginations. spelmanite, racial equity, epidemiologist, anti-racism, ignant intellectual, imagination true full 16 c5cf4c56-381d-4698-9911-462725ad1d7b Apply The Right Pressure with Aspen Fitzgerald-Dorsey Aspen Fitzgerald- Dorsey shares with Kiesha Garrison details from her life story as a young Black woman who dealt with the pressures of attending Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology, one of the country's highest ranked magnet schools, and her experience needing to leave graduate school because of crippling student debt.  With Aspen being pregnant with her first child at 40, the first cousins compare notes about the different messages they received about the "must-dos" of womanhood and about when was the right time to become a mother.  

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]]> Fri, 29 Apr 2022 14:46:30 +0000 Aspen Fitzgerald-Dorsey, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/apply-the-right-pressure-with-aspen-fitzgerald-dorsey-lSwmKz4L Aspen Fitzgerald- Dorsey shares with Kiesha Garrison details from her life story as a young Black woman who dealt with the pressures of attending Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology, one of the country's highest ranked magnet schools, and her experience needing to leave graduate school because of crippling student debt.  With Aspen being pregnant with her first child at 40, the first cousins compare notes about the different messages they received about the "must-dos" of womanhood and about when was the right time to become a mother.  

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]]> Apply The Right Pressure with Aspen Fitzgerald-Dorsey Aspen Fitzgerald-Dorsey, Kiesha Garrison 00:56:35 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Aspen Fitzgerald-Dorsey, her first cousin. The two are very close in age but had some very different life experiences. Aspen shares stories from her life including intense academic pressure she experienced attending a prestigious magnet high school, dealing with prohibitive graduate student loan debt, and how she is thinking about her values and priorities now that she is pregnant with her first child at 40. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Aspen Fitzgerald-Dorsey, her first cousin. The two are very close in age but had some very different life experiences. Aspen shares stories from her life including intense academic pressure she experienced attending a prestigious magnet high school, dealing with prohibitive graduate student loan debt, and how she is thinking about her values and priorities now that she is pregnant with her first child at 40. pregnancy, magnet school, self love, student loans, student debt, black excellence, self discovery, womanhood, life stories, pregnant at 40, gifted and talented programs true full 15 bec24e66-38e6-4d6e-b547-acf468573ca7 You Are Worthy of Dignity with Nikki Gane-Butler In this episode, Kiesha is joined by Nikki Gane-Butler, the Founder and Director of Dignity for Divas, who shares her story as well as her perspective on self-leadership, our connectedness as humans, and how own experience with homelessness has led to her finding the personal power she always hoped was there. 

More about Dignity for Divas: Nikki Gane- Butler is committed to creating an impactful and replicable approach to supporting women as they transition out of homelessness. In 2012, Inspired by her own experience fleeing an abusive marriage and becoming homeless, Nikki founded Dignity for Divas. Dignity for Divas supports women across the Puget Sound transition out of homelessness with a self-care platform that creates pathways to success. Nikki and her team are committed to creating an impactful and replicable approach to supporting women as they transition out of homelessness. With a unique focus on self-care Dignity for Divas has created a pathway empowering woman experiencing homelessness reminding them of their dignity and sense of self-worth.

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  • Dignity for Divas - Visit the organization's website to support this incredible organization. 

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]]> Fri, 22 Apr 2022 17:23:57 +0000 Kiesha Garrison, Nikki Gane-Butler https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/you-are-worthy-of-dignity-with-nikki-gane-butler-EoAnE9Z6 In this episode, Kiesha is joined by Nikki Gane-Butler, the Founder and Director of Dignity for Divas, who shares her story as well as her perspective on self-leadership, our connectedness as humans, and how own experience with homelessness has led to her finding the personal power she always hoped was there. 

More about Dignity for Divas: Nikki Gane- Butler is committed to creating an impactful and replicable approach to supporting women as they transition out of homelessness. In 2012, Inspired by her own experience fleeing an abusive marriage and becoming homeless, Nikki founded Dignity for Divas. Dignity for Divas supports women across the Puget Sound transition out of homelessness with a self-care platform that creates pathways to success. Nikki and her team are committed to creating an impactful and replicable approach to supporting women as they transition out of homelessness. With a unique focus on self-care Dignity for Divas has created a pathway empowering woman experiencing homelessness reminding them of their dignity and sense of self-worth.

Episode Resources:

  • Dignity for Divas - Visit the organization's website to support this incredible organization. 

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Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> You Are Worthy of Dignity with Nikki Gane-Butler Kiesha Garrison, Nikki Gane-Butler 01:02:06 Kiesha Garrison is in conversation with Nikki Gane-Butler who shares her story of learning to lead herself, growing into her power, and showing up in life as a changemaker. Nikki now uses her first-hand understanding of the experience of homelessness to be a steward of dignity and hope for others in the same position today. Kiesha Garrison is in conversation with Nikki Gane-Butler who shares her story of learning to lead herself, growing into her power, and showing up in life as a changemaker. Nikki now uses her first-hand understanding of the experience of homelessness to be a steward of dignity and hope for others in the same position today. dignity for divas, leading yourself, self love, self care, nonprofit leader, homelessness false full 14 e278f498-7193-46b3-9b8f-dbdbb5556fc7 Choose Joy and Come Alive with Dr. Jun Love Young Jun Love Young, PhD is many things...CEO of ZUM Communications, founder of Beloved Arise which celebrates and empowers LGBTQ+ youth of faith, a father, a storyteller, and so much more.  In this interview with Kiesha Garrison, Jun shares his journey to being a person who has come alive and chooses joy.

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]]> Fri, 15 Apr 2022 04:25:11 +0000 Kiesha Garrison, Dr. Jun Love Young https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/choose-joy-and-come-alive-with-jun-love-young-Ifmz9U_U Jun Love Young, PhD is many things...CEO of ZUM Communications, founder of Beloved Arise which celebrates and empowers LGBTQ+ youth of faith, a father, a storyteller, and so much more.  In this interview with Kiesha Garrison, Jun shares his journey to being a person who has come alive and chooses joy.

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]]> Choose Joy and Come Alive with Dr. Jun Love Young Kiesha Garrison, Dr. Jun Love Young 00:47:09 In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Dr. Jun Love Young, an inspiring man who moved to the United States from the Philippines as a young boy and grew up to remix the dream his parents had for him.  Jun shares with Kiesha his motivation for focusing on joy and his powerful story of interrogating the religious beliefs he grew up with so that he could find his way to a faith practice that doesn’t require him to deny or punish parts of himself as a gay man. In this episode Kiesha is in conversation with Dr. Jun Love Young, an inspiring man who moved to the United States from the Philippines as a young boy and grew up to remix the dream his parents had for him.  Jun shares with Kiesha his motivation for focusing on joy and his powerful story of interrogating the religious beliefs he grew up with so that he could find his way to a faith practice that doesn’t require him to deny or punish parts of himself as a gay man. beloved arise, career change, coming out, self love, choosing joy, queer faith, storyteller, self discovery, gay faith, interviews true full 13 ee0c5b27-eea9-49fc-95b3-735775a38b46 The Superpower of Sensitivity with Ben Shimizu Join Kiesha Garrison and Ben Shimizu of Canine Cornerstone for this episode featuring many lessons about love, connection, and relationships we can glean from people who are intuitive enough to communicate well with animals. Ben enlightens about the deep connections between pets and their owners and uses his life story as an example of how our human lives impact the animals in our care and how our pet relationships impact our lives and our growth as individuals.  They also talk about staying connected to things you care about throughout your life, caring for oneself during a grieving process, and how embracing what others may call weird about you might just lead you to your superpower. 

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]]> Fri, 8 Apr 2022 20:54:51 +0000 Kiesha Garrison, Ben Shimizu https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/superpower-of-sensitivity-with-ben-shimizu-QHjbmgMf Join Kiesha Garrison and Ben Shimizu of Canine Cornerstone for this episode featuring many lessons about love, connection, and relationships we can glean from people who are intuitive enough to communicate well with animals. Ben enlightens about the deep connections between pets and their owners and uses his life story as an example of how our human lives impact the animals in our care and how our pet relationships impact our lives and our growth as individuals.  They also talk about staying connected to things you care about throughout your life, caring for oneself during a grieving process, and how embracing what others may call weird about you might just lead you to your superpower. 

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> The Superpower of Sensitivity with Ben Shimizu Kiesha Garrison, Ben Shimizu 01:10:24 This week, Kiesha is in conversation with her dear friend Ben Shimizu who shares his journey from a being a deep-sensing and deep-feeling kid who was called weird to a fulfilled person at peace. Ben now uses his superpower of sensitivity and his love of animals to help dog owners better elevate their entire family’s awareness, involvement and commitment in transforming life with their dog. This week, Kiesha is in conversation with her dear friend Ben Shimizu who shares his journey from a being a deep-sensing and deep-feeling kid who was called weird to a fulfilled person at peace. Ben now uses his superpower of sensitivity and his love of animals to help dog owners better elevate their entire family’s awareness, involvement and commitment in transforming life with their dog. grief, pet lovers, self love, dog trainer, love and loss, national pet day, intuitive, self discovery, pet training, sensitivity, emotional intelligence, emcee false full 12 6fa8de94-27db-4341-9f6c-727124a9c677 Rethink Resilience Calling someone resilient is usually meant as a compliment.  And for many years, Kiesha hoped to be more resilient.  But her experience of pushing past fibromyalgia pain, weathering the negativity directed at Black women, and also learning more about how we inherit trauma from our ancestral line, has caused her to rethink her expectations around what it means to "bounce back" and press forward.

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]]> Thu, 31 Mar 2022 19:32:02 +0000 Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/rethink-resilience-RxlTqs6h Calling someone resilient is usually meant as a compliment.  And for many years, Kiesha hoped to be more resilient.  But her experience of pushing past fibromyalgia pain, weathering the negativity directed at Black women, and also learning more about how we inherit trauma from our ancestral line, has caused her to rethink her expectations around what it means to "bounce back" and press forward.

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]]> Rethink Resilience Kiesha Garrison 00:16:45 In this solo episode, Kiesha shares about her evolving relationship with the concept of being resilient and how it is impacted by her health realities, her identity as a Black woman, and her growing understanding of the generational inheritance of trauma in America. In this solo episode, Kiesha shares about her evolving relationship with the concept of being resilient and how it is impacted by her health realities, her identity as a Black woman, and her growing understanding of the generational inheritance of trauma in America. generational trauma, black women and rest, event emcee, epigenetics, reesilience, black resilience, the nap ministry, grind culture false full 11 6aac5101-01cf-413b-bdae-bc56ea623b63 Let Empathy Change You with Nyah Peyton Kiesha met Nyah Peyton in LuvvNation, an online community founded by NY Times Best-selling author,  Luvvie Ajayi Jones.  Together, Nyah and Kiesha co-host Sunday Souls Sessions in LuvvNation, a monthly event about mind, body, and soul wellness discussions in a safe space.   Arkansas native Nyah is a college student who also happens to be the author of the book In Favor of Everything Right, published in 2020. In this episode, Nyah shares some of her reflections about how easy it is to be super firm in your own point of view when you haven't necessarily been in someone else's shoes. And she also touches on the power of freeing yourself with your own truth.

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]]> Fri, 25 Mar 2022 03:10:42 +0000 Nyah Peyton, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/let-empathy-change-you-with-nyah-peyton-wEpJggTy Kiesha met Nyah Peyton in LuvvNation, an online community founded by NY Times Best-selling author,  Luvvie Ajayi Jones.  Together, Nyah and Kiesha co-host Sunday Souls Sessions in LuvvNation, a monthly event about mind, body, and soul wellness discussions in a safe space.   Arkansas native Nyah is a college student who also happens to be the author of the book In Favor of Everything Right, published in 2020. In this episode, Nyah shares some of her reflections about how easy it is to be super firm in your own point of view when you haven't necessarily been in someone else's shoes. And she also touches on the power of freeing yourself with your own truth.

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Let Empathy Change You with Nyah Peyton Nyah Peyton, Kiesha Garrison 00:47:05 In this episode, Kiesha sits down with Nyah Peyton, author, poet, and her co-host in the online community LuvvNation. They have a buoyant conversation about Nyah's journey which involved growing more empathetic after finding herself in situations she had never anticipated and the unnerving experience of sharing her truth in a very personal book - all before turning 21. In this episode, Kiesha sits down with Nyah Peyton, author, poet, and her co-host in the online community LuvvNation. They have a buoyant conversation about Nyah's journey which involved growing more empathetic after finding herself in situations she had never anticipated and the unnerving experience of sharing her truth in a very personal book - all before turning 21. self love, poetry, self discovery, empathy, authenticity, self development false full 10 a8891e3e-a9d2-4b7e-ba30-9c4a03209144 Observe Where You Are with Les Alfred In this episode, Kiesha shares her thoughts about some of the faulty ways we think about self-development and then is joined in conversation by Les Alfred, the founder of Balanced Black Girl, an online wellness community and podcast focused on health, wellness, and self-care from the perspectives of Black women. Together they talk about the self-development trap - this seemingly endless pursuit of things we can fix about ourselves - and Les shares learnings from her own self-love journey. The two also discuss tips for learning from our subconscious and our memories and how to engage in healthy self-awareness inquiry so you can be real with yourself about who you are and where you really are in your journey.

Enjoy the lessons from this very observant woman who has made a habit out of observing what is and isn't working in her life and then making choices to chart an intentional, better path for her future.

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]]> Fri, 18 Mar 2022 02:27:55 +0000 Lestraundra Alfred, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/observe-where-you-are-with-les-alfred-ByY5lDdq In this episode, Kiesha shares her thoughts about some of the faulty ways we think about self-development and then is joined in conversation by Les Alfred, the founder of Balanced Black Girl, an online wellness community and podcast focused on health, wellness, and self-care from the perspectives of Black women. Together they talk about the self-development trap - this seemingly endless pursuit of things we can fix about ourselves - and Les shares learnings from her own self-love journey. The two also discuss tips for learning from our subconscious and our memories and how to engage in healthy self-awareness inquiry so you can be real with yourself about who you are and where you really are in your journey.

Enjoy the lessons from this very observant woman who has made a habit out of observing what is and isn't working in her life and then making choices to chart an intentional, better path for her future.

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Observe Where You Are with Les Alfred Lestraundra Alfred, Kiesha Garrison 00:48:32 Les Alfred, host of the Balanced Black Girl podcast, joins Kiesha to talk about the self-development trap - this seemingly endless cycle of "fixing" things about oneself- and to share learnings from her own self-love journey. Enjoy the lessons from this very observant woman who has made a habit out of observing what is and isn't working in her life and then making choices to chart an intentional, better path for her future. Les Alfred, host of the Balanced Black Girl podcast, joins Kiesha to talk about the self-development trap - this seemingly endless cycle of "fixing" things about oneself- and to share learnings from her own self-love journey. Enjoy the lessons from this very observant woman who has made a habit out of observing what is and isn't working in her life and then making choices to chart an intentional, better path for her future. self-discovery, self-love, self-development, dream journaling, self-inquiry false full 9 eeffacc4-2008-4ef0-bbe0-c4d2f18eabc3 At the Edge of Growth with Phill Nosworthy In this episode, Kiesha heads over to Australia (virtually!) to connect with Phill Nosworthy to indulge in mutual curiosity about how it feels to grow and how you compassionately guide yourself when you find yourself at the edge of growth.  The two discuss the idea of slowing down to move at the speed of wisdom so you can do less, better. And they also talk about how to tackle that gap between all those things you learn and the things you actually put into practice. 

At the time this episode airs in March of 2022, our human family on the east coast of Australia are being impacted by severe flooding.  After an initial crisis such as this, recovery takes anywhere from weeks to years. And the trauma lingers for quite some time.  Please send well-wishes and for a list of practical ways you can help, check out this article from the Guardian. 

 

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  • Send booking inquiries for Kiesha to (info at kieshagarrison.co)
  • Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison
  • The Nosworthy Group

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Thu, 10 Mar 2022 23:30:46 +0000 Phill Nosworthy, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/at-the-edge-of-growth-with-phill-nosworthy-02u6q5DD In this episode, Kiesha heads over to Australia (virtually!) to connect with Phill Nosworthy to indulge in mutual curiosity about how it feels to grow and how you compassionately guide yourself when you find yourself at the edge of growth.  The two discuss the idea of slowing down to move at the speed of wisdom so you can do less, better. And they also talk about how to tackle that gap between all those things you learn and the things you actually put into practice. 

At the time this episode airs in March of 2022, our human family on the east coast of Australia are being impacted by severe flooding.  After an initial crisis such as this, recovery takes anywhere from weeks to years. And the trauma lingers for quite some time.  Please send well-wishes and for a list of practical ways you can help, check out this article from the Guardian. 

 

Episode Resources:

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  • Send booking inquiries for Kiesha to (info at kieshagarrison.co)
  • Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison
  • The Nosworthy Group

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> At the Edge of Growth with Phill Nosworthy Phill Nosworthy, Kiesha Garrison 01:10:53 Kiesha sits down with Phill Nosworthy, one of the world’s leading corporate educators and mentors, to discuss his insights into how we lead ourselves and how to push ourselves towards transformational growth that also leaves plenty of room for self-compassion. Kiesha sits down with Phill Nosworthy, one of the world’s leading corporate educators and mentors, to discuss his insights into how we lead ourselves and how to push ourselves towards transformational growth that also leaves plenty of room for self-compassion. intellectual humility, self love, you better, personal development, self discovery, personal growth true full 8 f93cf669-5094-4ff1-9693-ec819b800b4f Happiness Takes Courage with A. Jade Smith Kiesha and A. Jade Smith met on the internet 20 years ago and bonded over a shared connection to the phrase "Happiness takes courage."  The two come together for a conversation that begins with discussing the idea of the purpose in our lives…and then Jade reflects on how her journey found her looking for purpose and value of her life through things such as finances, jobs, and relationships outside of herself.  She then shares about life-saving advice from friends, a period of deep self-inquiry, pausing to face herself, and a commitment to inspire others to answer the call to courage. 

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Music: 

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Fri, 4 Mar 2022 07:50:36 +0000 Kiesha Garrison, A. Jade Smith https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/happiness-takes-courage-with-a-jade-smith-FawMGAHm Kiesha and A. Jade Smith met on the internet 20 years ago and bonded over a shared connection to the phrase "Happiness takes courage."  The two come together for a conversation that begins with discussing the idea of the purpose in our lives…and then Jade reflects on how her journey found her looking for purpose and value of her life through things such as finances, jobs, and relationships outside of herself.  She then shares about life-saving advice from friends, a period of deep self-inquiry, pausing to face herself, and a commitment to inspire others to answer the call to courage. 

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Music: 

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  • Send booking inquiries for Kiesha to (info at kieshagarrison.co)
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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Happiness Takes Courage with A. Jade Smith Kiesha Garrison, A. Jade Smith 00:52:01 A. Jade Smith and Kiesha connect for a conversation about self-worth and the courage to look within to find value, joy and grounding for one's own life. A. Jade Smith and Kiesha connect for a conversation about self-worth and the courage to look within to find value, joy and grounding for one's own life. self-discovery, self-love, self-worth, self-reflection true full 7 17029f0c-0ec9-4f23-8736-2e422c89a729 Being Present with Mark Hatcher Detroit native and Morehouse Man, Mark Hatcher, sits down with Kiesha to share his life story.  He talks through his journey from his premature birth to his mother's guidance which provided inspiration for how he moves with purpose and how he fathers his elementary school aged daughter Maris Mays.  He also celebrates the goodness that was poured into him on the campus of historic Morehouse College.  Take in this story of a Black man whose model of manhood highlights community care, service-based leadership and honoring black femininity.  There are lessons here about being open to new ideas and perspectives and about letting go of the quest for perfection

Resources from this episode:

Mindfulness Resources

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  • Send booking inquiries for Kiesha to (info at kieshagarrison.co)
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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Thu, 24 Feb 2022 21:08:35 +0000 Kiesha Garrison, Mark Hatcher https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/being-present-come-what-may-with-mark-hatcher-m_AlKWhG Detroit native and Morehouse Man, Mark Hatcher, sits down with Kiesha to share his life story.  He talks through his journey from his premature birth to his mother's guidance which provided inspiration for how he moves with purpose and how he fathers his elementary school aged daughter Maris Mays.  He also celebrates the goodness that was poured into him on the campus of historic Morehouse College.  Take in this story of a Black man whose model of manhood highlights community care, service-based leadership and honoring black femininity.  There are lessons here about being open to new ideas and perspectives and about letting go of the quest for perfection

Resources from this episode:

Mindfulness Resources

Books Recommendations 

Contact Info

  • Send booking inquiries for Kiesha to (info at kieshagarrison.co)
  • Kiesha on IG: @kiesha_garrison

Directly support the podcast financially:

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Being Present with Mark Hatcher Kiesha Garrison, Mark Hatcher 00:59:09 Mark Hatcher shares his life story with Kiesha and recounts tales of the nurturing relationships, impactful environments, and the moments of chance that went into making him the man of integrity, service, and rabblerousing he is today. Mark Hatcher shares his life story with Kiesha and recounts tales of the nurturing relationships, impactful environments, and the moments of chance that went into making him the man of integrity, service, and rabblerousing he is today. self love, you better, morehouse college, self discovery, detroit, fatherhood, black daughters false full 6 68d8a5c3-db89-4bc5-8558-9d7cce0fe614 Rooted in Community with Yaribel Mercedes Kiesha and Yaribel became fast friends after finding one another frequenting the same online spaces, cheering for the same authors and generally being in community with each other digitally.  In this episode, the two dig into a conversation about identity and community and how we can be impacted by genuine and connected love from others who live in alignment with our purpose and vision.  Yaribel shares stories from her life as a Black Latina growing up in Washington Heights in NYC and the responsibility she feels as one of the "guardians of the community garden." 

Shop book recommendations from this episode:

Book Kiesha at https://kieshagarrison.co

Find Yaribel online: Yaribel on Instagram (@yari.mercedes)

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]]> Thu, 17 Feb 2022 22:23:58 +0000 Kiesha Garrison, Yaribel Mercedes https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/rooted-in-community-with-yaribel-mercedes-_yXWIas7 Kiesha and Yaribel became fast friends after finding one another frequenting the same online spaces, cheering for the same authors and generally being in community with each other digitally.  In this episode, the two dig into a conversation about identity and community and how we can be impacted by genuine and connected love from others who live in alignment with our purpose and vision.  Yaribel shares stories from her life as a Black Latina growing up in Washington Heights in NYC and the responsibility she feels as one of the "guardians of the community garden." 

Shop book recommendations from this episode:

Book Kiesha at https://kieshagarrison.co

Find Yaribel online: Yaribel on Instagram (@yari.mercedes)

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Rooted in Community with Yaribel Mercedes Kiesha Garrison, Yaribel Mercedes 00:54:40 Kiesha speaks with Yaribel Mercedes, an educator with a passion for cultivating curiosity, knowledge, intellect, and highlighting the genius of every child. They discuss the ways that community love fortifies us as individuals. Kiesha speaks with Yaribel Mercedes, an educator with a passion for cultivating curiosity, knowledge, intellect, and highlighting the genius of every child. They discuss the ways that community love fortifies us as individuals. self-discovery, self-love, dominican stories, community true full 5 2e6bdd89-a3bf-4e57-b905-b00ef5649842 Blooming in Hope and Love with Charles E. Sims. Jr. What happens when you feel like your environment does not properly reflect love back to you?  On this episode of YOU Better! Charles E. Sims Jr. reflects on his melancholy filled childhood and his journey to seeing himself as a “60-year-old late bloomer.” This self-proclaimed prisoner of hope also shares his learnings about self now that he is experiencing the ultimate safe space with his boyfriend. 

Shop book recommendations from this episode:

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Fri, 11 Feb 2022 04:26:43 +0000 Charles E. Sims Jr., Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/blooming-in-hope-and-love-with-charles-sims-jr-YULdzFOP What happens when you feel like your environment does not properly reflect love back to you?  On this episode of YOU Better! Charles E. Sims Jr. reflects on his melancholy filled childhood and his journey to seeing himself as a “60-year-old late bloomer.” This self-proclaimed prisoner of hope also shares his learnings about self now that he is experiencing the ultimate safe space with his boyfriend. 

Shop book recommendations from this episode:

Book Kiesha at https://kieshagarrison.co

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Blooming in Hope and Love with Charles E. Sims. Jr. Charles E. Sims Jr., Kiesha Garrison 00:42:11 Charles E. Sims Jr. speaks with Kiesha about his self-love journey, continuing to bloom at 60 years of age, and what he has learned about himself now that he is in a loving partnership with his fiancé. Charles E. Sims Jr. speaks with Kiesha about his self-love journey, continuing to bloom at 60 years of age, and what he has learned about himself now that he is in a loving partnership with his fiancé. self-discovery, self-love, relationships, love false full 4 4cd5be31-4230-45f8-8f94-1f9d1b163428 Healing from Within with Tira Feierstein In this episode, we talk about what it looks like to go on a healing journey towards self-love.  Kiesha is joined by a dear friend who has made her life’s work about helping others understand and get to “the work.” Her name is Tira Feierstein, and she is a writer, artist and spiritual thought leader who is passionate about helping other woman feel less alone on their journey. Through her artful expression and storytelling, it is her mission to help illuminate a path of authenticity and healing for feminine empowerment. Her work focuses on women, but fellas, rest assured that this episode has lots of goodness for you too.  In this interview, Tira takes us through her insight about the important steps in a self-love journey with some of her personal reflections along the way.

Find Tira Online:

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]]> Thu, 3 Feb 2022 22:40:31 +0000 Kiesha Garrison, Tira Feierstein https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/healing-from-within-with-tira-feierstein-episode-03-WSAmeTSP In this episode, we talk about what it looks like to go on a healing journey towards self-love.  Kiesha is joined by a dear friend who has made her life’s work about helping others understand and get to “the work.” Her name is Tira Feierstein, and she is a writer, artist and spiritual thought leader who is passionate about helping other woman feel less alone on their journey. Through her artful expression and storytelling, it is her mission to help illuminate a path of authenticity and healing for feminine empowerment. Her work focuses on women, but fellas, rest assured that this episode has lots of goodness for you too.  In this interview, Tira takes us through her insight about the important steps in a self-love journey with some of her personal reflections along the way.

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]]> Healing from Within with Tira Feierstein Kiesha Garrison, Tira Feierstein 00:49:42 Kiesha and Tira Feierstein talk through the stages of a self-love and healing journey. What is really involved? What does that work actually look like? Kiesha and Tira Feierstein talk through the stages of a self-love and healing journey. What is really involved? What does that work actually look like? self love, healing journey, self discovery, tira feierstein, self-love journey false full 3 c0453951-c3da-4425-a4e8-8d87bc15f800 Taking the Leap with Sukie Jefferson So many people have the experience of feeling like they are in the wrong profession. But they stick it out for years even when that work environment is so bad it feels like it’s going to break them. We have gotten so used to sacrificing our selves in the name of survival, that it is hard to even imagine what another kind of existence could look like.

This episode's guest, Sukie Jefferson, is someone who allowed herself to pursue another way. Sukie and I share the experience of both being young Black women who left corporate jobs to launch our own businesses.  Her company is called Suki’s candle company and she’s a new kind of leader.  I call her the soulful CEO.  In this interview conversation Suki takes us inside the experience of how her life changed when -in an act of self-love- she made space for and listened to the messages from inside herself and allowed them to guide her decisions. And let me tell you this…Suki is not continuing on with business as usual. 

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]]> Thu, 27 Jan 2022 16:51:28 +0000 Sukie Jefferson, Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/sukie-jefferson-episode-02-WZR42_lV So many people have the experience of feeling like they are in the wrong profession. But they stick it out for years even when that work environment is so bad it feels like it’s going to break them. We have gotten so used to sacrificing our selves in the name of survival, that it is hard to even imagine what another kind of existence could look like.

This episode's guest, Sukie Jefferson, is someone who allowed herself to pursue another way. Sukie and I share the experience of both being young Black women who left corporate jobs to launch our own businesses.  Her company is called Suki’s candle company and she’s a new kind of leader.  I call her the soulful CEO.  In this interview conversation Suki takes us inside the experience of how her life changed when -in an act of self-love- she made space for and listened to the messages from inside herself and allowed them to guide her decisions. And let me tell you this…Suki is not continuing on with business as usual. 

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Book Kiesha at https://kieshagarrison.co

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Taking the Leap with Sukie Jefferson Sukie Jefferson, Kiesha Garrison 00:55:07 Kiesha and Sukie Jefferson have a heartfelt conversation about making space to hear the messages from inside of us and taking big leaps in life. Kiesha and Sukie Jefferson have a heartfelt conversation about making space to hear the messages from inside of us and taking big leaps in life. betting on myself, intuition, self-love, sukies candle company, candle company, taking the leap, black women entrepreneurs true full 2 d754c39d-71f5-424d-a2d1-dbde8d74f66a Starting with Why Given that most YOU Better! episodes will involve interviews with other people about their life stories, it's only fair that Kiesha  start with a bit of sharing about herself as well. So, for Episode 1, she's starting with “Why.” She then highlights some of her motivation for creating this show and the joy that teenage Kiesha would feel about her using her gift for gab in this way.  And finally, she discusses feelings of urgency to “give herself” a show and her commitment to you for the type of reflective and care-filled space she intends for this to be.

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Thu, 27 Jan 2022 16:51:03 +0000 Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/starting-with-why-episode-01-6uilOFEH Given that most YOU Better! episodes will involve interviews with other people about their life stories, it's only fair that Kiesha  start with a bit of sharing about herself as well. So, for Episode 1, she's starting with “Why.” She then highlights some of her motivation for creating this show and the joy that teenage Kiesha would feel about her using her gift for gab in this way.  And finally, she discusses feelings of urgency to “give herself” a show and her commitment to you for the type of reflective and care-filled space she intends for this to be.

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To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Starting with Why Kiesha Garrison 00:13:13 In this solo opening episode, Kiesha shares her "Why," some learnings from her journey using her voice, and why she isn't waiting for anyone to give her an opportunity to do the work of her heart. In this solo opening episode, Kiesha shares her "Why," some learnings from her journey using her voice, and why she isn't waiting for anyone to give her an opportunity to do the work of her heart. self-love false full 1 f709bccf-b6d8-4afc-a751-1093f711cac1 Trailer In this introduction, Kiesha shares what the podcast is about and what you can expect from the weekly episodes.

Write to theyoubetterpodcast  at gmail.com to submit a question for the show. 

Follow Kiesha on Instagram at @kiesha_garrison

To book Kiesha to speak or host a conversation, visit https://kieshagarrison.co

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Tue, 25 Jan 2022 02:46:52 +0000 Kiesha Garrison https://youbetter.simplecast.com/episodes/trailer-S3XMJiI6 In this introduction, Kiesha shares what the podcast is about and what you can expect from the weekly episodes.

Write to theyoubetterpodcast  at gmail.com to submit a question for the show. 

Follow Kiesha on Instagram at @kiesha_garrison

To book Kiesha to speak or host a conversation, visit https://kieshagarrison.co

To connect with host Kiesha B. Free, visit kiesha.org

]]> Trailer Kiesha Garrison 00:03:10 YOU Better! is a weekly conversation with self-love and community care advocate Kiesha Garrison. The podcast is all about nurturing inner self-love that considers what we are really up against in society. The "love yourself" memes make it sound so easy, but it will actually take a revolution inside yourself given all the systems in place demanding that you ignore and betray YOU every day. This episode is an introduction on what you can expect to hear from Kiesha and her guests. Via thought-provoking conversations, YOU Better! aims to give you the insight, inspiration, and tools to head towards a deeper, more rooted love for yourself. A love so graceful and compassionate that it radiates to your broader human family. YOU Better! is a weekly conversation with self-love and community care advocate Kiesha Garrison. The podcast is all about nurturing inner self-love that considers what we are really up against in society. The "love yourself" memes make it sound so easy, but it will actually take a revolution inside yourself given all the systems in place demanding that you ignore and betray YOU every day. This episode is an introduction on what you can expect to hear from Kiesha and her guests. Via thought-provoking conversations, YOU Better! aims to give you the insight, inspiration, and tools to head towards a deeper, more rooted love for yourself. A love so graceful and compassionate that it radiates to your broader human family. self-discovery, radical self love, self love, self-love false trailer