S8E11 - Living Authentically in the Digital Age And Navigating Life's Chaos: The Power of Podcasting, Community, and Self-Care!! #ShitHappens

What happens when life throws curveballs, but you have a microphone and an award-winning producer Latrice Sampson Richards by your side? 

Join us as we uncover the raw and unfiltered truth about the unpredictable nature of life and podcasting. You'll hear behind-the-scenes moments from our busy week, laugh at our shared technical hiccups, and appreciate the powerful connections built within our podcasting community.

Our special guest Latrice sheds light on building relationships in the industry and how these bonds help us navigate life's chaos.

Ever felt overwhelmed by social media's pressure and the constant demand for content? This episode tackles the emotional toll of social media and the importance of self-care. We dive into practical strategies for managing workload, setting boundaries, and prioritizing mental well-being without compromising on genuine content creation. 

Our discussion extends to the delicate balance between maintaining a public persona and protecting personal privacy, emphasizing the need to live in the moment while still capturing life's precious moments.

Celebrate the journey of Podmelanin with us as our guest shares her inspiring experiences and the deep connections formed through podcasting. From overcoming self-doubt to community support, this episode is a heartfelt tribute to the collaborative spirit of podcasting. 

You'll also hear about the therapeutic power of storytelling, the joys of producing live events, and the significance of brand authenticity. Whether you're a seasoned podcaster or just starting, this episode offers invaluable insights on mental health, building relationships, and staying true to your mission.

To get connected with Award-Winning Producer Latrice Sampson Richards https://linktr.ee/latricesampsonrichards?

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

You know I'd be getting sidetracked.

Speaker 2: 0:02

I'm like you hit me for 15 minutes, I know, I know.

Speaker 1: 0:06

And I said I was going to be quick, but that's Anyway. The point that I'm making is that podcast. She was saying that you can introduce a difficult discussion about sex by saying I was listening to this podcast, you get what I'm saying. So that way it makes it a little easier to transition into those difficult topics, because there's a podcast on everything. There's a podcast for every conversation you could ever need to have, for every relationship you could ever hope to be a part of, and for every situation that you could ever possibly experience for better or for worse. There's a podcast episode that can help you get a new perspective, that can help you move forward in that area or that can help you to close the door that needs to be closed. So I think that Shit Happens. Shit happens to you and me.

Speaker 3: 1:05

It doesn't matter if you're a wizard, a king or a queen, Even if you are magic, you've got to agree it's worth it to talk shit out, no matter how messy. Welcome to Shit Happens where shit always happens, and no shit is too insignificant to discuss, From trivial inconveniences to life's profound challenges and everything in between. This show explores every aspect of the unpredictable nature of existence with your favorite shit talker and host P.

Speaker 2: 1:37

Yeah, it's P hello, hello, hello and we are back to another session. Oh, shit happens. It's actually supposed to be the last one, but, uh, my guest is not yet here. So I'm gonna be hopeful and hopefully she's running late. Uh, but in the meantime, since this is the last one, I was actually also trying to um, I was trying to support a friend and be on a um and be on a.

Speaker 2: 2:20

Okay, I had to make sure that I sent my guest the email to the link to this session, because I remember I did not do that with Brian, so I just wanted to make sure, but it looks like on my sent inbox. I did send it yesterday, so, yay. But also shout out to Stacy, who's having an event today the new jersey, new york, podcast meetup, which is, uh, was happening at 6 30 to 8 30 and I haven't found a link yet. Hopefully I will be able to catch it after this. But but my guest is here and I just want to say I'm so proud of myself.

Speaker 2: 3:07

I've been getting my to-do list for this week going and I'm left with two shit and I did. I did three of the things I I was dragging to do. But before I continue taking all the time. Let me bring this incredible guest who I met for the first time last year at Afrozen Algeas and I just loved her energy and her vibe and I was just like I want to stay connected with you and I'm so happy to see her at Podfest as well and she's just an incredible human being. We're going to get into all the amazing stuff she does because she is a motherfucking award-winning producer. Okay, so let's put some respect to miss. Let's see, if this shit happens, how you doing baby there we go.

Speaker 1: 3:58

Hi I was about to take.

Speaker 2: 4:03

I was about to take a piss like listen.

Speaker 1: 4:06

I am so sorry for my tardy. My computer was giving me a hard time and um, which is not an excuse. I apologize.

Speaker 2: 4:18

I definitely apologize but it's all right, baby, you made it, and before even five minutes. I I've had people a little bit late. I feel like I, I I jinxed myself when I named this, this segment, shit happens, so it's like shit actually happens yes, yes, shit always happens.

Speaker 1: 4:38

It seems like if, if nothing else happens, shit's going to happen.

Speaker 2: 4:43

Yeah, I I swear, and that's the thing I I like. Whenever shit happens, like whether electronic or to do with mic and sound and wi-fi, it's always that I have another podcaster because it's more easier for them to understand than an actual. Like people will be understanding, but a fellow podcaster understands, because this shit we go through every day, however much yes, yes, like I.

Speaker 1: 5:08

I think that's why I think it's so important to like have relationships and connections within the industry, like as a podcaster. It's just certain things that only other podcasters are going to be able to understand. You know, like it's just, you know it's, I don't know, it's kind of like an unwritten kind of understand. You know, like it's just, you know it's, I don't know, it's kind of like an unwritten kind of thing. You know where we get each other, even when, like, maybe, like most of the outside world just does not.

Speaker 2: 5:36

Exactly so. Aiming to us, aiming to podcasters, for understanding the struggles, and also y'all, if you're not podcasters, just understand that the struggles are real. When it comes to electronics, you can be prepared as much as you want. It's going to stop when he wants to stop.

Speaker 1: 5:53

And I mean that's it and that's all right, like that's it and that is all so, but I'm very excited to be here with you. Um, I'm I'm very much looking forward to you know, whatever comes out of this conversation. So cause you, I'm very much looking forward to you know, whatever comes out of this conversation, so cause you and I haven't had a whole lot of time to just talk to each other. You know, like it's always at an event, and so you know, up and up never like yeah yeah, so it's.

Speaker 1: 6:20

I'm really looking forward to, just you know, getting to know you a little bit better and having this conversation.

Speaker 2: 6:26

And look at that, we're doing it live. I like that, like what's more personal than just putting your shit out in live.

Speaker 1: 6:32

Yes, yes, let's trauma bond Right.

Speaker 2: 6:37

By the way, you look amazing. Okay, oh, thank you, you're glowing.

Speaker 1: 6:41

Thank, you so much. I appreciate it. You know, life has been kind of rough the last couple of years. I talked a little bit about that at Afros and audio Um, and you know I think anybody who follows me you all know my dad passed last year and that was very difficult for me and so, um, I really struggled with that emotionally, you know. So I'm finally starting to feel like I'm on the other side of just like that really difficult part of the grief and I mean I still miss my daddy. You know. Happy for that, I'm very excited about that because you know, I'm getting an opportunity to finally like all of the ideas that I've had, things that I've been wanting to do that I just was too emotionally spent to even like make the effort. I feel like that energy is has come back to me now, um, and I can finally execute on some of my goals. So I'm really excited about that.

Speaker 2: 7:49

I love. Well, uh, I'm sorry about your dad, but I do remember your panel, um, and that's when I met you and you were talking about collaborative and how uh shout out to Lisa, I believe, right, uh, yes, they will give you, yes, they will give you grace and allowing you and that's important, right, because grief, right, some people it doesn't treat them straight up. You know, some people choose to dive into work to deal Some people. I'm an emotional person. When I'm emotional, I'm sorry, I can't create. Like there are people who say my best things come when I'm emotional. I'm sorry I can't create. Like there are people who say my best things come when I'm emotional. No, my, my content creation comes best when I'm feeling good or I'm happy.

Speaker 1: 8:31

You, know, that is a really good point that you make.

Speaker 1: 8:34

Like I'm the same way, like I think we are. There's a lot of emphasis in our society that's you know, kind of like on this deranged genius kind of you know, like this, you know, madman, kind of like on this deranged genius kind of like this madman kind of mindset when it comes to creation that for some reason we want our creators to be emotionally disturbed and we want them to create from an emotionally disturbed place. And I'm just not that girl. Like I do not function well when I am in emotional distress, and so it took me a really long time to realize that and to like understand that about myself, and then an even longer time to accept that you know, like the reality of that, and so, like now I'm just in the head space where I'm like, look, I ain't got time for all of that, I don't enjoy feeling that way, like so any, any people, any situations, any, anything that makes me feel and icky and just sad and and depressed and like consistently, every time I engage with that thing, I feel this feeling of dread.

Speaker 2: 9:51

I really just would rather not, and the thing that I think a lot of us miss is that I don't have to exactly my point and I feel maybe that's why I I was so drawn to you, because I am really an empath and an emotional person. Like I carry things deep down in me, like I can't, and I tell people when I create content where I'm emotionally drained or when my I'm not enjoying it. You can tell from my content, because I take my emotions with me in almost every shit, even like whatever emotion it is. So you can tell where I'm creating, what level of emotions I'm creating. That that stuff, and that's why this is also my last shit happens.

Speaker 2: 10:38

Shout out to you is being my last one. I'm taking a break from social media because I started being like I felt the need to constantly create because I'm on social media and I'm constantly seeing people, and now, because of the things I'm going personally in my life, I'm feeling like social media is really draining me because it's making me feel I should be where I know I should be, but I also know that in God's time right, there's a reason I'm not there.

Speaker 2: 11:09

But it's putting me in that position where I'm starting to hate my life and hate everything. So I'm like I need to step back. So I'm like, yes, yes.

Speaker 1: 11:19

So I think what you're feeling and what you're like describing Well, first of all, thank you for sharing that with me. You know what I'm saying, because I think it's you've given voice to something that a lot of people experience but don't ever really either. They don't have the words to communicate it, like they don't really understand what it is. They don't really understand what is contributing to that feeling that they're having, or they, you know, they don't want to admit it. You know, like they don't want to acknowledge it Because again, in our society and in our culture is this, you know, black excellence.

Speaker 2: 12:01

Hustle vibe on 24, seven.

Speaker 1: 12:04

Everybody, just everybody, don't have to be excellent at all times and the reality is that you, being who you are and taking care of yourself and giving yourself what you need, that is excellence. You know, like we, we need to start normalizing and prioritizing self-care and I know that that sounds very cliche, you know, because self-care in over the last 10 to 15 years has really become like a trending topic. You know what I'm saying. But the reality is that saying no is self-care, like that is. That's not a trending topic. That is a truth, it is. It's just a fact of the universe. Is that taking care or saying no to things and being intentional about what you take on and what you don't take on, whether that be relationships or workload, all of those things, that is self-care, and I think it's one of those things that's a lot easier said than done, and I say that as a you know recovering perfectionist. I'm in recovery, he done with me. Yet you know what I'm saying. I mean at least you took the step.

Speaker 1: 13:23

You took the step. You know they say the first step is admitting you have a problem. You can't do nothing about the problem until you acknowledge that it is a problem. But for me personally it has been quite a journey of being able to like admit that to myself and like acknowledge that, like I, yes, I can do everything I think I can do, but also I need to be in control of how I do it. Right, I don't even need, but I get to be in control of how I do it, from the ideation part and thinking it through and the planning stages and all of that, because I need to be intentional as I'm planning so that I can be intentional as I'm executing.

Speaker 1: 14:17

I still have a nine to five and I joke with my coworkers all the time when, like, let's say, I'm working on something and I go to my calendar and I have something coming up in a couple of days and I'm like, oh Lord, I got to do X, Y and Z. And then I go to start doing that thing and I realized that I've already done it and I say you know what I really love past me, because she be thinking about future me and she be like, future me is going to want to wish that this was already done, so. So future me is going to be very grateful when she sees that. And future me is always grateful and future me always says thank you. Past me you, my girl, I fucks with you for real. You know what I'm saying. Past me you, my girl, I fucks with you for real. You know what I'm saying Because it's that that. You know self-care can look like it needs to start in the planning phase, right, you have to be realistic about what you can handle, what you can take on I.

Speaker 1: 15:18

One of my biggest lessons has been and I've had to give myself be more realistic about timelines, right, Like, yes, I know how many hours it'll take me to get something done and I do need to count those hours to make sure that, like, I'm aware of the amount of time it takes me to do things, but I also need to be aware of how much downtime it's going to require for me to produce at the quality and level that it needs to be produced at, for the amount of hours that it's going to take me to do that thing. Right. So, if a project is, if I calculate that a project is going to take me 10 hours.

Speaker 1: 16:02

Let's say I'm producing an episode, right? So just the production of the episode itself, the recording, the cutting, the script writing, the you know all of that stuff, just that stuff is not even talking about the pre-production. But if just that stuff is going to take me 10 hours to do a single episode, I know that the most time that I can sit at my computer is going to be, you know, maybe two and a half to three hours at a time, and then I'm going to need at least 12 hours to recover from that. You get what I'm saying. So when I'm setting my timeline I need to include my break.

Speaker 1: 16:48

I need to include my downtime. So, yes, it's only going to be 10 hours, but it's going to take me a week and a half. It's going to take me two weeks. It's going to take me three weeks because I also have this thing to do, and I also because I'm taking into consideration what other responsibilities I have, what other obligations I have. Realistically, how long is it going to take me to do this thing?

Speaker 2: 17:13

And I like that you mentioned that, because most people don't calculate the time, the break they need from doing that shit and that's why we get drawn. And I like that you brought that up, because, even though I'm stepping away from social media, it isn't like I ain't gonna be doing shit, no, it's like I.

Speaker 2: 17:30

I feel like I I'm at that point where, because I social media is drowning me to this, to constantly creating content, I feel like I'm slacking on the behind the scenes, where I have so much shit and I've put a data into them and everyone's right around the corner and I was like, oh shoot, I ain't got where I'm supposed to be, so I want to be, where you are, with where I can thank my past me yes or where?

Speaker 2: 17:55

my future me is. So I'm like, let me take a step back from social media so I can walk through my behind the scenes and then, when I'm finally on the same level with the in front of the scene and behind the scene, I can start putting an actual time for me to be able to work where I'm not socially I'm not drained so much by social, because I'm not gonna lie. People say, oh, you just have to set a time, you can just go to social media for one hour. Clearly you don't know social media.

Speaker 1: 18:23

Clearly, you do not understand how social media works. Social media is designed to keep you sucked in. Okay, like that is. Its literal purpose is to get you to do as much screen time as possible, and they're very open and upfront about like they. They will tell you that their goal is to keep you tuned in for as long as humanly possible, and it works.

Speaker 2: 18:52

They're very good at it. There was a reason why it took me so long to open a TikTok because I would see people constantly like, oh, I'll be talking to people. I'm like, why are you awake at 1am? I'm here trying to to do my podcast and I'm just swiping on TikTok. I'm like, oh, this is why I don't have TikTok. But now, because I run all my social media, so I have to. I'm on threads, I'm on uh x, I'm on uh Facebook, so you go and post on one page. Of course you get kind of into swiping. Then you remember, oh, I still have five more pages to go, or five more, yeah, To go post. And by the time you come back from that you're like, oh shit, let me go look at the comments, let me go look at the lines.

Speaker 1: 19:34

Because now you got to respond to the comments and you got to listen. I was literally just having this talk, with this conversation with a friend of mine, like right before we started recording. Like the social media is just, it's a lot you know and like for somebody like me. You know I go back and forth about identifying myself as a private person. You know, because there, in a lot of ways I am a very private person, like there's just certain aspects of my life that I feel like are just for me and the people who exist in things to be for me, and I'm the only one that has memories of those things. But I also understand the role that social media plays for someone like myself who is, you know, a a figure in a community. You know, um, that that people know me, people like me, people want to see more of me and people want to have that relationship with me. You know, and I get that as well.

Speaker 1: 20:54

But it has been a serious struggle for me to try to find that balance between how much do I actually feel comfortable with sharing, how much can I give and not feel like I'm being depleted in the process.

Speaker 1: 21:13

You know, and I just haven't, I don't know that I have really found that yet. I mean, where I am right now I feel okay with, but I do kind of feel like I need to do a little bit more. And I got some things that I'm working on and just other ways like I can create in other ways that will generate social media content, without necessarily feeling like I need to generate social media content if that makes sense, like I want to do the things that bring me joy and the things that I enjoy doing, because at the end of the day, that's what makes for the best content anyway, right, but I want to be able to repurpose that content multiple ways so that I don't feel burnt out in the process. And so I feel like you know, like kind of zeroing in on what that might look like for me, but it's a struggle. It's a struggle for real. So I totally understand what you're saying and where you're coming from.

Speaker 2: 22:15

It really is. And it's funny because our struggles are kind of opposite, because I used to be that person who I don't care, my business is on the streets 'm. I want to show everybody what I am doing whenever I'm doing like I used to be that person, right. And then, the more I started getting into, uh, being a podcaster because I started podcasting in 2020 and then realizing that there's more to just promoting your podcast, you kind of now people these are people who now are listening to you and they want to know you up outside of you and then, when it started becoming like a necessity kind of thing, it became like but I don't want to like, yeah you know yeah now I'm going into that phase where, even unless I'm in a conference, but if I'm out with my friends or whatever, I'll take pictures and videos but I won't share them right there, like it will take me a minute, like I was in Miami.

Speaker 2: 23:12

Normally I would have already posted when I was, from when I was getting on a plane to when I arrived to every night, but there are people who might not even know I was in Miami because I barely posted and I would only repost if somebody posted me and tagged me.

Speaker 2: 23:26

But, now I'm in that phase where I kind of want to protect, like be in the moment while I'm enjoying that, and not to take content, to take videos and pictures for like, yes, in my head it's still, everything is content you never know when you're going to use it. But, also it's like not for right now.

Speaker 2: 23:44

Right now I also want to enjoy the moment and just have these memories and then share whatever I want to share later on, where we already, like, I'll be in my bed and sharing the things I want to share, because even if you end up pulling up, I ain't there. I already left, and this also happened because somebody got shot after.

Speaker 1: 24:06

Yeah, like it's a reality, like you know. You never know what's going on, but I remember, um. I actually remember the moment that I decided that, you know, social media might not be for me. You know, um, you know I'm from New Orleans, and so I went away for college, so I came home for Mardi Gras one year.

Speaker 2: 24:31

Where did you go to college?

Speaker 1: 24:33

I did my undergrad at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, go Cajuns, and then I did my graduate degree, my master's, at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. We're the pilots, we're not the tigers. We're the pilots.

Speaker 2: 24:49

I can see you being a pilot and a tiger, you know?

Speaker 1: 24:52

Yes, yes, so yeah, and then I took some classes to get my floor, get licensed in the state of Florida. I took some additional classes at Nova Southeastern University.

Speaker 2: 25:03

So where are you located now? I took some additional classes at Nova Southeastern University.

Speaker 1: 25:06

So where are you located?

Speaker 2: 25:06

now I'm in South Florida. Okay, yeah, I live in the Fort.

Speaker 1: 25:08

Lauderdale area. I was just going to say. You said you was in Miami. I was like girl, you should have called me.

Speaker 2: 25:15

Yeah, but actually I only came to Florida on Lee's funeral, but I was literally in Miami and that's the thing. I stopped telling people I was coming because a few people was hitting up. They're like where are you going to be, man? Oh, you're four hours, you're five, like Florida is too big for me.

Speaker 1: 25:38

Like you keep saying, oh, when you come to Florida, let me know, and then when I come, everybody's like, oh, you're four hours, right, but they should have said Florida, they should have said where they at.

Speaker 2: 25:43

So if you in south florida, south florida, you let me know thank you for yes, yes, palm beach, miami, fort lauderdale, I got you, girl, I got all right now I know, but yes, I remember I went to the.

Speaker 1: 25:57

I came home and I went to the madrigal parade and uh, so we at the at the parade and'm looking, I looked for some reason on uh Twitter. I I'm not a big fan of Twitter, but at that time, like every now and then, I go through these stints of where I try to, like, force myself to engage in social media. You know what I'm saying? Um, cause, it's just not, I just won't do it. And so so I was going checking the Twitter and a friend of mine was posting. He was also at the parade and he was posting literally every five to 10 seconds.

Speaker 2: 26:42

That was me.

Speaker 1: 26:43

That was me back in the days, and I remember looking at the posts and I said you know he's. The caption is like I'm having such a great time. I said but are you really? Are you really? Are you really enjoying yourself? Are you really like you're posting every 10 seconds, literally every 10 seconds. How much fun could you really be having? You're not even present in the moment.

Speaker 2: 27:12

How else the online people going to know he's having a good time? How are people going to know he's outside?

Speaker 1: 27:20

Like I was just like. So it was in that moment that I was like, if this is what it takes to be successful on social media, y'all can have it. Because I want to be present in my life, I want to actually experience the thing. I want to actually feel the joy. I want to actually like talk to the people that I want to talk to and have meaningful conversations with people. I want to, you know, experience joy. And I want to drink too many drinks and I want to get my belly full and I want to talk shit about the food and I want you know what I'm saying Like I want to be present and in the moment.

Speaker 2: 28:02

And I just don't see how you can do that when everything again, because you know you want to post whoever is on the stage, whatever talks you in, so you can make those people who are not in the conference show up next time. But also even this time in Port First, I think, because I became so busy with wearing so many hats that I was even forgetting that. But people were so used to me like you're not at Port First unless you're on Paula's story, so people will come and they'll take a picture of me so that I post on their stories and sometimes, because I am so much in a run or actually enjoying conversation, I take the picture but I I don't post it right then then, like I have when I disappear to take like five, ten minutes, then I start posting on my story and people come up to me. I haven't seen our picture yet.

Speaker 2: 29:05

I'm like come down, it's yeah, yeah but I get, because that's what I I'm known for at port face but anywhere else these days is like I will, sometimes I'll even be, it will come to towards the end. Yes, I remember, take a picture of the food, especially if it's designed well, if it's just normal food, and you know. But sometimes the presentation comes, you're like, oh, this deserves a picture. You know. But sometimes the presentation comes, you're like, oh, this deserves a picture. You know. So I would do that. But sometimes I'll be so much in the moment that even by the time we're leaving I'm like, oh shit, we haven't even taken a picture.

Speaker 2: 29:37

But, also to me the pictures when I take, it's because this has come from back home, because I am from Tanzania, which is in East Africa. Home, because I I'm from Tanzania, which is in East Africa. Um, and I haven't lived in my country since I was in high school. I left and I've been moving around. I've lived in UK, dubai, uh, south of like, so I'm constantly moving. So to me pictures, it's those like, it's what kind of covers me, yes, their memories, but sometimes that could have been the last picture I took with somebody, because yes god knows when I'm gonna be yeah when am.

Speaker 2: 30:13

I gonna be home again, or even when I'm home again. They might be married. They might like, it's not the same when. I left them so for me pictures and videos has always been a ways of memories, because I'm not sure when next I will see or if I do and sometimes even like last time I went home, I hanged out with my friends and I didn't take pictures.

Speaker 2: 30:31

And then, when, um, during COVID, I lost a lot of my friends and I was trying to find pictures and I was like, oh shit, the last time I went home we really didn't take pictures. And that, to me, is sad, because I feel like when I do, because I am that person, my friends will even tell you. When you come to my house because this is just my new place I frame pictures, I print pictures, I put them on the wall, I have albums. Even when I had a fire last year, one of the things I was so mad was about my albums, my pictures, and I'm the person who keeps letters and cards. I save them. Oh wow, because I'm like some of these people, god knows when I will have a child. I'm 35. I do not have a child yet, and that's my choice, because I haven't found an amazing baby daddy, whether we are married or not.

Speaker 2: 31:18

I ain't about to have a child with just no random baby daddy, because I see all these baby daddy, baby mama dramas on the streets. No, I want a peaceful whether we are together or not. I want somebody who I can co-parent with peacefully.

Speaker 1: 31:31

Otherwise.

Speaker 2: 31:32

I am good baby. So, I'm like I don't know when I have my kids, when I'm telling them these stories, at least I want to have the pictures as well of the moment. Oh my God, this is when we did that. This is like it goes with it. So I've learned to just now to take pictures without having the need to share? Yeah.

Speaker 1: 31:52

Like I have a ridiculous amount of photos in my phone, photos, videos, like just the whole nine yards and a lot of times. Like I don't take a lot of photos and videos as compared to most people. Like I have one friend and everything is a photo op and I'm just like girl.

Speaker 2: 32:16

My friends do that to me.

Speaker 1: 32:18

She's like take pictures, latrice, and I'm like we'll see, we'll see, I'll let you know what happens. I can't make no promises, I'll let you know what happens. I can't make no promises, I'll let you know what happens. But I have, you know, when I do take photos and videos and things like that, like, I have those things and I'm always grateful to have those memories. But that's, you know, like what you're saying, like those are my memories. You know those memories are for me.

Speaker 1: 32:46

It's, I feel, like the parts of myself that I do share with the, with the world, um, those parts are well documented, you know. So, like, like, I shared about that I was going to be on this show. You know, um, this show itself, this recording, is the documentation that I was here and this is going to live on past either one of us. You know what I'm saying, and so it's like this is the documentation that I was here. This my legacy is is it can't just be about what the world is to see. You know what I'm saying, like it also that I want my legacy to also be something that only a handful of people can tell you about.

Speaker 2: 33:31

You know what I'm saying. Yeah, that's amazing and it's funny because not funny, but it kind of is because after COVID because I was that people, a person who always wanted to have people around, constantly around, people who hated being alone, constantly jumping into relationships because I hated being alone. But then after COVID, I had to learn to be by myself and to be my own best friend and to I'd gone through my breakup and to really take the time to learn. Like, okay, all these relationships are not working, it can't always all be them. What am I also doing wrong?

Speaker 3: 34:07

So I needed to really work on myself.

Speaker 2: 34:10

And that's when I realized I also kind of like the private life, like I've become this person who I'm really protective of my surroundings and my moments, like I share them when I want to share them, and I'm learning that it's okay, even if you share them six months down the line, it doesn't matter, you don't have to share them when it happens, or when it's happening you don't.

Speaker 2: 34:32

There's no rule and I'm a person who, like even right now, when I'm creating content, I'm finding my old pictures and using old pictures and old videos to create content. Nobody gives a fuck when it was made.

Speaker 2: 34:46

Nobody at all the fuck when it was made. Nobody at all, nobody at all. My friends are very grateful. They used to hate that I would want pictures or take pictures of everything, but whenever I would make that video because I'm very good at the content, creating part like when I sit down and start compiling the shit and making it and they're like oh my god, this is so beautiful, I'm so glad you made us take those pictures. Oh, and they need pictures for certain things. Listen, but it's funny how much we have spent talking about this.

Speaker 2: 35:13

But we already 36 minutes in.

Speaker 1: 35:16

I can't believe it listen, shit happens, and when you're having a good time.

Speaker 2: 35:20

You're having a good time yes let's talk a little bit. Let's talk to us about pod melanin, because I fucking love that name and I'm like, oh my God.

Speaker 2: 35:30

Sometimes I wish I would have gotten into this one a little bit earlier so I can see other people's names, but it kind of suits you. You know, and sometimes people don't realize, when they pick names or they start something, how that name actually ends up being their character or really was for them, without knowing that. So before you tell us what Podmelanin is all about and everything, I want to know what. How did you come up with that name? Cause I like knowing how people came up with the names of their businesses.

Speaker 1: 35:59

Yeah. So, um, I actually went through about three different names for my business and that's the and that's the other thing about social media it's like you think you done, figured something out, and then you post about it and then you're like, oh shit, I got to change that, you know. And then you change it, you know. So I came up with the first name, STS Productions, because I have a I'm a therapist by trade, right, I have a I'm a therapist by trade, right. And so my first business was Samson Therapeutic Services, which started off as a private practice, a mental health private practice, but has kind of morphed into I do like speaking and curriculum development for mental health right, I'm a therapist. And STS Productions was allowing me to create a production company that's connected to the original company, and so I ran with that name, got the logo made, everything like that.

Speaker 1: 36:57

I filed with the state of Florida and then when I went to file on the federal level, it kept rejecting it but it wouldn't tell me why. And so when I got nominated for the Sonic Bloom Awards no, well, I did get nominated, but that wasn't when I, when we won this is my communicator award here, yes, thank you when we won the communicator award. On the web page where they list all the winners. I, you know, I saw I went on there because obviously I want to see federal website and I searched for that particular one and I was like this is why they keep rejecting it, you know, because it already exists.

Speaker 1: 37:56

It is a literal podcast production company Like you ain't going to be able to do that. You got to do something else, so I had to dissolve that and then I came up with Eden Rock Productions, which is the street that I grew up on and my mom still lives in that house on that street today. But Eden Rock was already taken as well, and so I got so discouraged and I was just like, okay, like you said, I needed to find something that felt like me. I needed to find something that really could communicate like what my priorities are in the podcasting industry and what it is that I hope to accomplish. And really, when I look at all of my work, I've been blessed to really be able to have a very diverse portfolio in podcasting. I've done a little bit of everything in podcasting and I'm very, very grateful for that, but the common thread across everything that I've done is that it's blackity, black, black, black.

Speaker 2: 39:05

You know what I'm saying? All the way black black, black black.

Speaker 1: 39:08

All the way black, black, black. You know like I love black people. I really do.

Speaker 2: 39:13

We love you too.

Speaker 1: 39:15

I love black people and y'all love me back and that I think I don't even have the words to fully communicate how much it really does mean to me. You know, um, like that that y'all love me back. It is a mutually beneficial relationship.

Speaker 2: 39:37

You know what I'm saying, oh my god, latrice. I've never met anybody who will say like anytime I mention latriceis is like good vibe, and I don't know if you saw uh on threads when I posted about you coming shout out to white label America, mr Raff, who I don't- like that's my friend and I was like you are around podcasting loyalty, black loyalty.

Speaker 1: 40:02

I was, and you know when Rob starts talking, right, yes, I love him so much, um, but the community, you know, has the community has been very good to me, um, and so that's why I just keep giving y'all what I got to give. You know what I'm saying, um. And so you know, the idea of doing pod melanin, I was just thinking, you know, cause you want it to be catchy. You know, from a marketing standpoint, it needs to be something that's going to stand out to people. And I was like, well, I wonder, I want to put melanin in there. And so I was like, well, maybe let's do melanin pod. And I was like, no, uh, you know, when I get a Google search, it's a lot of podcasts with the word melanin in it. Um, at the beginning of the, the show, like the, the first word.

Speaker 1: 40:50

SEO yes, and so for it's a SEO nightmare. Um, and shout out to Akilah, uh, tompkins, because Akilah was like girl, don't do that, you know. So. Um, and so I, okay, like melanin pod or melanated pod or, like you know podcasters, melanin or something like that, and then I was like pod melanin.

Speaker 1: 41:15

Like, literally, I was just sitting on the sofa one and I actually was in the shower is actually what I was doing. I was in the shower and I just couldn't stop thinking about it and then, all of a sudden, I said pod melanin. I was like that, I think that's it. I think it's pod melanin. So I did a Google search and, um, you know, I found that while there was like some variations, there was not anything that was exactly pod melanin.

Speaker 2: 41:43

So this time you did your research.

Speaker 1: 41:45

I did my research in advance. Yes, I did Um and so for SEO purposes, it wouldn't be a battle to build my SEO because it wasn't really being like you. Nothing really was strongly up at the top on it, and so I just went with that, you know. And I designed the logo in Canva Um, and I love the logo. You know, we went through about five or six different iterations of the logo. My inner circle, I, you know, I text Anna, deshawn and Nicole, and and I'm like, hey, what'd you think about this, adele Coleman? Like I was like which one you prefer? And they helped me to narrow it down and then I was like, okay, this is the business. And I knew that it was the right name because there was a clarity that came with it. Like you said, when you hear pod melanin, you know what this is, you know what, you know what you're, what you're getting, you know what to expect. Right, and it just feels like home. It feels like that's what it always was supposed to be.

Speaker 2: 43:00

Yeah, I love that and shout out to friends who give constructive criticism because they want to see us win and for us taking it in, because sometimes you know, we grew up in that place where when you give somebody constructive criticism you're a hater. You don't want to see me win, why are you hating? No, we want to see you win. That's what we're telling you. Yeah, and also shout out to Anna Deschamps, because they just celebrated their 11 year anniversary, if I'm not mistaken.

Speaker 1: 43:26

Seven to Anna Deschamps, because they just celebrated their 11 year anniversary. If I'm not mistaken, seven years, seven years, married Seven years.

Speaker 2: 43:31

I just saw that on social media. Was it today or yesterday? One of the days, I think yesterday.

Speaker 1: 43:36

I think it was yesterday and even that has been such a blessing. Like the relationships that I've made in this industry have just been amazing, you know, have just been amazing. You know, because through Anna I've met Anna's wife and she and I have our own relationship. She just styled me that, that photo, my new headshot, my brand new headshot yes, she styled me for that photo shoot. She's a stylist. She has her own company, the Kaya collection. She does sunglasses, earrings, all kinds of stuff and actually I was going. I didn't have time cause I was running late but I was going to put my earrings on. I just didn't have time. But these are Kaya Collection earrings. They are super cute. Kayacollectionscom Okay, but anyway. But like she, kaya has come into my life and kind of expanded my world and has been a great friend to me, you know. So it's, it's this, this world. For me, podcasting is self-care as well.

Speaker 2: 44:42

And that's what I love that you say that, because I started my podcast in 2020 because of my depression and I, literally the first time I spoke at Podfest, even okay, my last case study, my Pecha Kucha I did this year, was how podcasting saved my mental health. Am I cured from my depression? No, but am I better? Because now, whenever I have found ways and support and and all these different types of things to help me go through it because of podcasting. And what people don't understand is these collaborations, these communities you get into. If you are intentional with them and the connections you make, they become more than just podcasting family. They become really your family, the community. I can't speak so like podfest black black podcast association, women of colors, like these people who really want to see you win empowered podcasting podmatch like they just uh, they just they just want to hear about your podcasting journey and what you're doing, but they also really want to know how are you doing as a person.

Speaker 1: 45:55

How are you doing? Yes, yes, it's a great community.

Speaker 2: 45:59

Which most places, whether you go to the book clubs or the actors or those people who are always trying to compete by here. People want to collaborate. People want to help you. People want to know you're doing well.

Speaker 1: 46:12

People advise you to take a fucking break when you see yes, yes, very much so, and it it is important to have those connections you know like, and not only um, just to make yourself a better creator, you know, a better podcaster, a better producer, a better sound engineer, like, whatever your thing is. It makes you better at that thing, but I think also, as you get better at those things, it makes you feel better about who you are like, being able to have like creative expression and like. For me, I think one of the things that has been extremely healing about podcasting when it, when it comes specifically to like creative expression, um, is really being able to test the limits of what I can do. You know, like, my first podcast was unicorns talk podcast, um, and that's I always say that's the podcast where I learned how to be a podcaster, right? Um, everybody, you know this is my first baby, right? Uh, I had a Logitech headset, okay that, that I went down to the, to the, to the Walmart Um, I was on a military base at the time, so I got it at the NEX and I made it happen and that just kind of opened me up to this world of learning how to podcast. I was like well, I think I can do this for real, like I enjoy it. I like the way it makes me feel. I like the way it feels to hear the finished product and like to take an episode from the idea all the way through release and then to have people listen. And then to have people come back and not only tell me that they've listened but tell me how they were impacted by what they heard. People want to send messages and people jump in your DMs and even people in my everyday life like I haven't produced a new episode of Unicorns Talk since August 2019, right, August 2019 was the last episode that I produced of Unicorns Talk podcast and released.

Speaker 1: 48:37

And people still listen. People still like I had someone that exists in my world, in my mental health world, exists in my world, in my mental health world. She started listening and she texted me. She was like I'm on episode 33. She was like I started at episode one. I'm now on episode 33. And, girl, you didn't have to read me like that. You know what I'm saying. I'm on the, the Erykah Badu episode. You know the uh, the the Hoation 101 episode is is really what it was. It's Issa Rae episode, actually Insecure, ah, yes, and she was like. She was like I got some more. You know, I I can add to this conversation. I thought of some more while, while, while I was listening like people really still engaging with the content, you know, even though there's been nothing new, um, so I decided to relaunch that podcast because, um, you know at its core, thank you At its core.

Speaker 2: 49:41

The world is demanding it.

Speaker 1: 49:43

Yeah, I think it. But at its core, unicorns Talk podcast helped me get through a very difficult period in my personal life, you know and every now and then you will hear me talk about it. I very distinctly remember there was one episode I did my outline and everything. I did the script and all of that which I don't really do scripts. But I did my outline and I sat down to record it.

Speaker 1: 50:10

But I had so much going on in my personal life that I just was like you know what? I had something planned for y'all today, but I'm just going to say what I need to say today, because this is where I am. I'm in this head space and y'all just don gonna have to bear with me, and I just talked about what I was dealing with and what I was thinking and what I was feeling about whatever. I don't remember what the exact topic was, but it was a huge part of my own personal healing journey and I feel like I'm in a space right now where I'm also going through a healing journey. It's a very different like I'm healing from grief. I'm grieving multiple situations and relationships and people in my life right now. You know some that have passed on, like my dad and some that are still physically here, but I'm come to the realization that I have to let go of those relationships Right, and so that's a loss.

Speaker 1: 51:15

Yeah, it's a loss and I need to grieve those losses. And so I've decided and, at the same time, like I've discovered podcasting in a way that I never really experienced it before, and like I have skill sets now that I didn't have then and I have relationships now that I didn't have, like I'm a seasoned podcaster now versus, you know, an indie startup, hobbyist podcaster when I first started it up, hobbyist podcaster when I first started it. And so I'm interested to see what Unicorns Talk podcast would look like now that I'm a seasoned podcaster. And so I decided to bring it back. I'm kind of rebranding it. It's still the same premise but it's a little different at the same time and I'm excited to, you know, just to offer up what I have to give at this phase in my life.

Speaker 2: 52:08

I'm excited for you and rebrand is always important and I can't wait to check it out, and there's things you say there where I can relate. Right. The thing I can't like these days half of the people who are in my life who I talk more to are people who I've met through my podcasting world.

Speaker 1: 52:25

Like for real Family and friends.

Speaker 2: 52:27

Yes, those are the people and we don't just talk about, we talk about creating, we talk about checking on each other, our kids, our personal lives, our mental health. All of that Because we understand each other more than the actual people, and I wasn't expecting that when I was starting my podcast, when I was starting my podcast.

Speaker 2: 52:45

I thought, you know, I expecting that when I was starting my podcast. When I was starting my podcast, I thought, you know, I need something to get me out of my depression. It's COVID, I need something. So to me it was like this is a hobby during COVID, right. And then when COVID, when life started moving back, I was going to work and everything. I was still doing it. And I remember when I started my podcast, my brother shout out to my younger brother, alvin boy. That boy uh, he would. Every time an episode comes out, he'll send me a voice note on whatsapp. I would always look at his message and be like not right now, I need, I need to be on on mental space because he'll be telling me what I did wrong, what I should do right, what I should change.

Speaker 2: 53:24

And the voicemail started to be two hours and then, 145, and then 130, and then one, and then one day there was no voicemail. I was like yo, you didn't listen to the episodes. Like no, I did and I liked it. I'm like no voice. I was like you're finally doing everything. There's nothing more I can. So to me to see that progress. And even one time he reached out to me and was like you know how you used to stay up late at night for like six, six hours not sleeping, and you know you still gotta go to work. Because you know I work later editing, making sure an episode comes out in perfection, because I self-taught, I taught myself.

Speaker 1: 54:04

I woke up listened to a podcast and Googled everything. And figured it out. And figured it out.

Speaker 2: 54:11

Yes, and that's why I don't want to take away, because some people are like oh, once you get there, remove your old episodes. I'm like no, let people see from where I started to where I am right now, because I didn't get here to where I am because of no. So I was like I went from spending six hours to editing to actually being on a bus going to work on my uncle app editing it in 30 minutes.

Speaker 3: 54:36

That's how good I got.

Speaker 2: 54:38

I didn't like doing videos. I started doing videos and then I was like screw videos, let's do lives. But it really does give you that courage that you think you can't do certain things or you assume you can't do because you're not on that level, but you have it in you. I used to enjoy content creators and say, oh my God, that must be so easy. All you gotta do is shoot video, create videos, put them up and you get to travel and live this. Until I started creating videos and like I'm officially a content creator and I don't really see how I was feeling those content creators being like.

Speaker 2: 55:16

I mean, there are levels to content creators because once you start making that money. All you gotta do is show up and you have people just doing everything.

Speaker 1: 55:24

Yeah, because you have people that can, because you have you, you have people that can do it for you.

Speaker 1: 55:27

But the reality is that most of us are not there and so we're trying to keep up with. You know it's not a realistic thing. You know, and even like where I am, like I do recognize that I need to post more um, because I'll go two weeks without posting nothing. I actually, girl, I could go a month or so without posting nothing and won't even think twice about it. You know, um, because it's just not, it's not my thing, it's not something that's ever really on my well, I do think about it because then I feel bad cause I'm like, well, I probably should post about this. Or you know, like I still have an unboxing video from when I got my award.

Speaker 2: 56:04

Oh my God, I love doing unboxing videos. That's like my favorite shit I've recorded it.

Speaker 1: 56:08

It's on my phone somewhere. I could send it to you if you want to edit it for me, girl, because I love creating content.

Speaker 2: 56:16

Send your shit, I'll edit it for you and. I'll even post it for you Listen.

Speaker 1: 56:20

I just ain't doing my own shit. I don't mind. Don't threaten me with a good time now, Paula Listen.

Speaker 1: 56:26

I'm telling you bring it, bring it, bring it, listen we do have to talk Not tonight, because I got another thing after this, but we're going to talk and just allow to. Be true for myself is that my measure of success looks different than most people's measurement of success, and so I feel like people will make you believe that success in any industry at this point in life, right at this point in time, looks like you know 10,000 followers on Instagram, 200,000 followers on TikTok, you got to have, you know 20,000 subs on YouTube and you got to get this and the metrics of this and the metrics of that. And you know I definitely understand the place that those things serve right, like that they hold and the relevance that they serve right. But that is not how I determine success. Success for me is when I show up at Afros and Audio in person and people are excited to see me and genuinely happy to meet me for the first time and, oh my God, I can't believe I'm meeting you and I'm like girl, I can't believe I'm meeting you. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1: 57:56

Like my, when someone that I look up to also looks up to me, also looks up to me, that's a mind blowing kind of experience and I've been blessed to have that experience, and that is what success looks like for me. It is the mark and the impact that I have left on people's lives, and I know that, regardless of if I have 1600 followers which I think I have like 1600 followers right now on Instagram that is a good number for me. I feel like I'm okay with that number. But for business and branding, you want the number to be higher. I get that as well.

Speaker 1: 58:40

So I don't feel let me correct that I have felt that pressure and literally, like in the last two months or so, I'm choosing to relieve myself of that pressure. You know, I'm choosing to let let that go, because I know that my people are out there and I know that I'm connected to my people and I'm leaning more into what works for me and what feels right for me, which is meeting people in person, live. I enjoy the energy of people and I enjoy being in a room and like it's just something about that in-person energy exchange so true, you just can't beat it. And so I said you know I'm going to stop trying to force something that is needing to be forced and just lean into the things that come more naturally. So I've been planning some in-person events, you know, a couple of pop-up events and things like that, which is, you know, I have a plan for the next two to three years of like how.

Speaker 2: 59:53

I want to I hope Atlanta is on your list, because we briefly talked about this at Afros. We need to put Atlanta on that list.

Speaker 1: 1:00:00

Yeah, atlanta is on my list. Everybody's like is so-and-so on the list Is this one, and I'm like, listen, if y'all can find me the funding for it, I can put all of y'all on there. Okay, I could put all of y'all on there. I would love. I want to go everywhere. I want to see all the faces, I want to be there. I want to come see y'all, but also, you know budget is non-existent.

Speaker 2: 1:00:24

Okay, closer to where you come in, yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:00:27

And that's what I'm, you know. So I've I've kind of come up with a plan for myself to kind of start where I am I need to start where I am and then kind of grow it out and build it out as as I can and um, and like I said earlier, I just feel like I'm finally in a head space to, because I've been planning this for two to three years now, like I wanted to get started last year and then my dad passed and that just kind of went out the window, and so I'm finally in a space where I am beginning to execute on these plans. Hallelujah, yes, and, and it just feels really good, I'm very happy to be in this space, you know.

Speaker 2: 1:01:11

And, and I like that and I like that. Um, I think we all have this. Um, I hate when people, oh, the norm is, there's no norm. Everybody should define success to what they are. There are people who I've seen, with less followers, doing amazing shit. And people with big followers and nothing, shit. And people with big followers and nothing. And to me, for the longest time, I was like I don't care about the followers, I want engagement, because what's the point of having so many followers and there's no engagement? As long as I have engagement on my posts, even if I have 500 people, I'm happy with that. I remember, even on threads when I went and people were like oh, follow me, if you're this, this, this, I follow you back. And I actually posted something and I say for all those asking about this follow, follow back. After you follow back, what's the next step? Are you collaborating?

Speaker 1: 1:01:58

What are we doing?

Speaker 3: 1:01:59

What are we doing?

Speaker 2: 1:02:00

We're just following to add our numbers, just to have more people.

Speaker 1: 1:02:03

Listen, let me let you in on a little secret. I have actually been unfollowing because you remember, when Clubhouse was a thing, when Clubhouse became a thing during the pandemic and everybody was going crazy about the Clubhouse. I will admit that I loved Clubhouse, I thought Clubhouse was going to be and I mean, I guess in some ways it has become but I think it had the potential to be something really big for podcasters in particular. You know, um, because of the format. Um, it's an audio format, it's an audio based format. Um, but you know, as time goes on, as they all do it, it became the same thing as a lot of time.

Speaker 1: 1:02:47

Yes, like, once the once those algorithms start kicking in it, just it doesn't. It's not fun anymore like I should be able to control what I see. Why does the algorithm get to tell me so?

Speaker 2: 1:03:06

many ads and shit.

Speaker 1: 1:03:08

It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous. I'm like why are you?

Speaker 2: 1:03:10

on my page. I don't even follow you and you're suggesting me to follow. No, if I want to follow them, I'll follow.

Speaker 1: 1:03:15

Then I would exactly.

Speaker 2: 1:03:16

But speaking of Clubhouse, one minute Empowered Podcasting. Clubhouse Room still runs Monday to Friday, 7 to 8.

Speaker 1: 1:03:28

And we're having our first in-person event in charlotte, north carolina, this june.

Speaker 2: 1:03:31

Oh, congratulations 28 to 29, and it's amazing, because now um dominic is a moderator, in their water is a moderator. Christian is always in the room. We have started getting creating our pattern in there as well, so we've been growing, and they recently turned it into a podcast as well, so they put it out on on on other platforms as well. So, but, but that's the only time I go to, to, to, to clubhouse.

Speaker 1: 1:03:58

I might have to revisit clubhouse. I don't know. I'm going to give it another chance.

Speaker 2: 1:04:03

Come to our rooms Monday to Friday, seven to eight. It's all about podcasting. We have different topics and we bring guests. Actually, we should bring you as a guest.

Speaker 1: 1:04:12

Yes, I'll talk to my I would love to be a guest yes, I, I would actually before we.

Speaker 2: 1:04:18

I know you said you have something else and it's funny because this conversation went so quick that even half of the shit I was gonna ask evan as how much more time do I have with you, how much more time do you have to spare for me before I?

Speaker 1: 1:04:31

can do like maybe another 15, 10 or 15 minutes.

Speaker 2: 1:04:33

All right, all right, I'll find.

Speaker 1: 1:04:35

You want to do like a rapid fire, let's go.

Speaker 2: 1:04:38

But you had something to say. First, go ahead and say what you were going to say I was just going to say, gonna say I um, I don't know, girl, I don't forget, that's all right okay, let me go to my question as a mental health counselor.

Speaker 2: 1:04:51

first of all, I'm very curious how you got into uh, uh, being a dual licensed mental health and becoming a therapist, uh, and then as a mental health counselor, how can put uh? How have you seen podcasting being uh, utilized as a tool for mental wellness and healing, which is amazing that I had this question, cause we kind of dived in a little bit. I was focused on this shift.

Speaker 1: 1:05:19

There we go, there we go. So, um, how I became a therapist, um, I'll the long, the the long story short is that is that I kind of feel like I didn't choose therapy. Therapy chose me. I just literally kind of fell into it.

Speaker 1: 1:05:38

At freshman orientation I came across psychology as a major and I had never even considered it before. I really knew what it was. And I read the description and I was like that's very interesting. It's, you know, the study of human behavior, and I've always been a people watcher. I've always been interested and really just fascinated by human beings. There's so many different types of human beings in this world. It is mind boggling to me the reality that in the history of the universe, since the beginning of time, no matter when you think that is, there has never been another you and will never be another you ever. You know that is. That's just absolutely fascinating to me, and so I just I don't know that I could have done anything else or could have been anything else. It just was where I was supposed to be.

Speaker 1: 1:06:46

And so, when it comes to mental health in podcasting, I think that there's a lot of transferable skills there. A lot of Therapy is storytelling, the stories that we tell ourselves really are at the root of a lot of the issues that we experience as humans, and so what we as therapists really do is, first and foremost, create a safe space for you to be able to tell your story Right which is what a good podcaster does and then actually listen to your story, which is also what a right which I think great podcasts also do, you know, and so there's so many similarities there that it just was a natural progression. I think that podcasting as an art form has been extremely helpful to the overall reducing stigma around the idea of mental health. It has made mental health conversations just a part of everyday dialect and it's just something that is not so taboo to have a conversation, because it ain't nothing to start a conversation you can hear any day of the week. You can hear somebody start a conversation, say I listened to this podcast and they said such and such and such and such and such.

Speaker 1: 1:08:31

Right, I was watching a diary of a CEO podcast on YouTube the other day and it was a sexologist, was his guest and she was talking about like all of these myths around you know orgasm and intimacy and things like that, like really looking at it from, like, a mental health perspective. You know so, not salacious, but like really, let's take a look at what's going on in our minds when it comes to sex and intimacy. What's going on in our minds when it comes to sex and intimacy, and she you know.

Speaker 2: 1:09:10

So anyway, you know I'll be getting sidetracked. I'm like you hit me 15 minutes. I know, I know.

Speaker 1: 1:09:13

And I said I was going to be quick, but that's, but it anyway. The point that I'm making is that podcast. She was saying that you can introduce a difficult discussion about sex by saying I was listening to this podcast, you get what I'm saying. So that way it makes it a little easier to transition into those difficult topics, because there's a podcast on everything. There's a podcast for every conversation you could ever need to have, for every relationship you could ever hope to be a part of, and for every situation that you could ever possibly experience, for better or for worse. There's a podcast episode that can help you get a new perspective, that can help you move forward in that area, or that can help you to close the door that needs to be closed, you know. So I think that podcasting is a great tool for mental health, and I think it has been.

Speaker 2: 1:10:17

I like to call it the great equalizer, because it makes this information available to people that might not otherwise have access to that information and that's not true because, um, I remember back in the days you have to refight to movies or or series, but lately the movies and series feels like a reputation just in a newer generation. But everything seems compared to a podcast and I remember on my podcast talk she will be I've had accidental swingers, um, and anybody who has been at podfest you know who these are and literally they started having the talk about the opening up their marriage because of a podcast. The husband was constantly listening on his on his drive to and from work.

Speaker 2: 1:11:02

I was like I'm listening to this podcast, baby, so what do you mean?

Speaker 1: 1:11:07

Which.

Speaker 2: 1:11:08

I love. Also, it's funny that some of the questions we kind of already discussed like I was going to ask importance of authentic connections and community building but we kind of talked about that, how those connections become more than just normal connections and family. So I'm not going to ask that question. But I'm going to ask a question on something that you actually also do you curate immersive live events and shows. So what inspired you to create immersive live events and shows for podcasters and brands to connect with their audiences?

Speaker 1: 1:11:47

brands to connect with their audiences. Yeah, so what inspires me now is just what I said earlier, is that I'm just fascinated by human beings and I believe that, because of my background as a therapist, I understand humans. I think, a little bit differently than the average producer you know what I'm saying and so it brings me joy to be in a position to bring joy to the lives of other people. What inspired me to get into it in general terms, like in a practical or really practical kind of way, is that I was asked to it's wild.

Speaker 1: 1:12:29

I started working with Afros and audio during the pandemic. I was supposed to be a speaker and then, when the pandemic happened, talib sent out an email asking who knew how to do virtual, and at that point I was doing three to four live streams a week and so I knew how to do virtual, you know. And so I responded and I was like I do, and then you know. The rest is history. From that point on, I was a part of the Afros and Audio family and then after, while I was at Afros and Audio, before I left Afros and Audio, I came into contact with Lisa Woolfolk with the Stitch Please podcast. I love her.

Speaker 1: 1:13:10

I love Lisa. Lisa is one of the most interesting people I've ever met in my life and that's very, I think that's a big thing for me because I literally meet people for a living. So you know, there's that. You know what I'm saying, uh, but Lisa is, hands down, one of the most interesting people I have ever met in my life. I love Lisa.

Speaker 1: 1:13:36

Um, and Lisa had reached out to me, um, after, uh, some of the work that she saw that I did with Afros and audio, and she asked me to help her with planning a live event that she wanted to do. And I said, lisa, of course I will help you, because I had kind of started getting the itch to try to want to do more things. Afros and Audio kind of introduced that idea to me that this is something that I can do, and I was ready to kind of stretch and see what I could actually do. You know, like what I was capable of. And then this opportunity with Lisa just landed right on my lap and so we planned that first show. I believe we went to Seattle the first show and I loved it so much and she loved it so much and after that she was like you are officially my live event producer and I was like, okay, say this, all right, you know.

Speaker 1: 1:14:34

And since then we have done, uh, two more I think we did. We did three cities altogether so far Seattle, chicago and Atlanta and we've produced I have produced with Lisa over eight episodes. About eight episodes I've produced with Lisa in those three different events and it's been amazing. We actually are planning one, about to start planning one right now. And so that's how I got into it. It was just somebody reaching out to me and saying hey, would you mind X, y and Z, and me just kind of trusting my instinct that this is something that not only can I do, but that I think I can do it very well.

Speaker 2: 1:15:17

And that shows that's the thing. Sometimes we don't believe in ourselves as much, even though we know we have it. But people see it. For me it was after Podfest when I got that award at Podfest for Community Year Award. To me it's just something I'm doing because I love doing it. Most of the times you don't think people are noticing the shit you do, just by you being you. Like I was just being Paula, like yeah, I do what I love. I like talking to people, I like making people comfortable and especially when I find a community that pours so much into me, I want to pour back. It makes me want to pour back, because why wouldn't I right?

Speaker 2: 1:15:59

yeah, I'm getting all this and just and to be to be given that award. I was like yo I want to continue being in places where I am seen. But it was also a lesson. Like these people believe so much in me, I'm here thinking I'm this small fish in this big pond, but they're actually people sitting in rooms talking about me and what I bring to the table.

Speaker 1: 1:16:21

That should show you.

Speaker 1: 1:16:23

It's, but it's it's a blessing. Like it's such a blessing, um, for it's it's. I think it's one thing for people to support you. By way of um, you know I'll give her a little download. You know I'll listen to her stuff every now and then. Um, you know like we was. I was download. You know I'll listen to her stuff every now and then. Um, you know like we was. I was talking with one of my friends earlier about like black movies and stuff and I'm like, even if it's a movie that I'm not really interested in seeing, I'm probably going to go see it at the movie theater.

Speaker 2: 1:16:59

Yes, just to add the numbers, because, like we to support black, you know what I'm saying, like brotherly love of kiki palmer and and diddy I. I still will never forget that movie. I was like yeah not brotherly love she's so specific. I I remember till today that movie. I was like it's only because you're specific but like whatever.

Speaker 1: 1:17:22

Whatever that is for you but at the same time, like it's it's. It's one of those things where for people to come to you and offer an opportunity by saying by, by like pouring into you. You know, yes, I need you to support my projects because I'm I'm trying to grow something and I'm trying to build something, and you know I'm trying to do something for the community. But more so than anything, I need you to support me because I feed, it's a, it becomes a cycle. I feed off of that energy and there's times when I don't feel like I'm as good as y'all think I am. There's times that I don't feel like I can get the thing accomplished or I want so badly to give y'all something that's great and worthwhile that it can feel like a heavy task at times. You know, because I care, I care about you know what impact is my work going to have on the community, on y'all, on the people who love me and support me. Because y'all give me so much, I want to do my best to try to give that back to you in the work, you know, and I can feel a little heavy sometimes, and so when you show up and you say, girl, I love you so much, you are so amazing, and I just appreciate you for this, that and the other.

Speaker 1: 1:19:04

Or when you show up and you say, like somebody asked me for my autograph once and I was just like me, girl, you want my autograph. What you talking about, girl? And she was like yes, like I was like okay, like it was. I could not even believe it. Like that was, you know, it reminds me like the community got my back. Y'all believe that I can do the things that I'm setting out to do. Y'all believe that whatever you get from me is is going to be the best that I have to give, Um, and y'all give me grace when I need grace, and so that level of support is just, it's beautiful, it's a beautiful thing and indescribable.

Speaker 2: 1:19:51

And I want your autograph too. And it's funny because I've already met you twice. But you know, and I have a picture, but who wouldn't want your autograph, latrice? But also saying that, right, I remember last year when I went to Podfest it was my second one and I was still feeling kind of newish, but not newish and I went to the expo hall and I was talking to one one, uh one booth and as I introduced myself, the guy from the next booth came over and was like wait, you're a talk show whippy. I was like wait, you're Tokshin Wipi. I was like, yeah, why? Because now I'm starting to be scared, like you know. Because it's like oh, my God, I've been meaning to meet you, I've been wanting to meet you, you're so cool. And I'm like huh.

Speaker 1: 1:20:33

Yeah, and to me.

Speaker 2: 1:20:35

that was like wait, I'm new here, how do people even know about me? Like mommy, like what do you mean? So those things do brings this loveless like yesterday. I, on saturday, I interviewed this girl, rebecca widower, and then yesterday she sent me a voicemail voicemail on instagram. She was like yo, my mom was listening to us on our port while we were live, but the entire night I kept on walking next to our room and she has been listening to all your other shit. She's officially a fan, she loves you. So I sent her a voicemail today and it was so beautiful, she got so excited. She's like I'm out of words. I can't believe you sent me a voicemail. But to hear people actually love your shit and go about Even Buzzsprout I haven't produced an episode for Talk.

Speaker 2: 1:21:21

She Will Be since before Christmas last year. These two weeks my downloads have been going out of the roof. I'm getting emails of 300 downloads, 400. And there's one person because now shout out to Buzzsprout and the app that they finally gave us, because now you can look at it nicely. And there's one person I feel like I have a new fan who went and listened from the trailer, because from that trailer to my latest episode.

Speaker 2: 1:21:46

I've gotten one, so I know this person literally went and listened to everything yes and I'm like I must be keeping you entertained if you have to listen to all, because my episodes are kind of all different and shit, but you literally listen. So to me it's like there are people out there who are literally wanting to hear from you and that shit. And I know one day, if I meet her, she'll be like I'll be the one because I talked about it and I said yo, if you're the one, please let me know, because I really want to send you some swag or something. Yes, that means a lot to me, right yes, yes, it's just amazing that.

Speaker 2: 1:22:18

But I don't want to keep keep you any longer. I know you gotta go, so as we end this today, because I'm definitely gonna have you back, because clearly we still have a lot to talk. But I also have your number now and, funny enough, latrice always responds to my messages after midnight and I'm always also awake and she'll be like it's been a long day, but she's texting me at 1, 2 AM. I'm like, girl, go sleep Because I just be like I I so I turn off my notifications.

Speaker 1: 1:22:47

I do not get notifications from any social media apps.

Speaker 2: 1:22:50

I'm on all this stuff throughout me neither.

Speaker 1: 1:22:51

Yes, like none of my social media apps, I do not get notifications, so I don't even know that a message has been sent until I go on the app, right? So that's first and foremost, and usually I'm not even getting on the app until late at night, you know, once everything is calmed down. But let me tell you that we talked about self-care, and I guess this is the perfect way to kind of wrap this all up. I think you know the world that we live in today. It just it makes us feel like we have to constantly be going, going, going, going, going, and if you not, you know, if you want to be a bad bitch, then you got to do this and you got, and I'm like bitch, I'm tired.

Speaker 2: 1:23:32

I'm a bad bitch. I'm going to go sleep.

Speaker 1: 1:23:34

I'm a bad bitch on this sofa. Okay, I'm a bad bitch on this sofa sometimes, um, and, and it's not that sometimes, and it's not that I don't want to go out, it's just that my everyday life is an adventure. I always have things that I'm doing. I always have places that I'm going. People enjoy talking to me. I enjoy talking to people. So when I leave the house, I'm talking, I'm on. So, like, when I leave the house, I'm talking, I'm on, I'm engaged the entire time until I get back home. And so that when I do get home, that is my time to just kind of relax and be quiet.

Speaker 1: 1:24:13

And I try not to bring social media into that until, like you know, I got my stepdaughter, my baby. That's my baby. She live in Jamaica and um, and so I gotta you know she wants her attention every day and she wants her bedtime stories. You know what I'm saying, and stuff like that. So, after I do what I need to do to be present for the people in my real life, then you get I shift over and I say, okay, now what do I need to do? All right, I gotta make sure I send this email, because I was supposed to send it last week and I told that girl I was going to send this email and I didn't send it yet, and I don't want to be that person. So I'm going to hunker down and do this right now. I'm going to respond to this message. I'm going to do this because this is the time that I have available to do that and I and I'm okay with that.

Speaker 2: 1:25:00

But it's funny whenever you respond like, however late, it's like I sit right there because I'm also awake. I'm like because I don't even check emails like that. I hate emails. I don't check emails. My WhatsApp is always on mute because all my family's on there they are knowing and I love that my phone call itself. Unless you're safe, you're still on silent. But if no number I don't have, it goes straight to voicemail Messages. I don't get notification. I have to open the message up to see if I have messages Like I'm a person who.

Speaker 2: 1:25:31

My phone doesn't even have a ring. I don't remember even listening to it.

Speaker 2: 1:25:35

Unless I'm expecting a call or somebody say they'll call me back and I don't want to miss it. That's when I turn the ringer on. Call me back and I don't want to miss it. That's when I turn the ringer on. But yeah, I'm always on silent, like I will respond when I want to. I will reach out because we also have this thing like oh, she's on social media, why isn't she responding to my message? Because I don't want to respond to your message right now.

Speaker 1: 1:25:53

I don't feel like it, and that is enough reason why but, um, as we end this, please let the people.

Speaker 2: 1:25:59

First of all, I want to say thank you so much. I had an amazing time with you and I mean I already knew it was going to be a good time, but I'm just saying thank you for bringing the good time in reality. So, as we end this, let the people know where they can find you. If there's anything you have coming up that you need support that they can support or show up for. If there's anything you need us to know that you're working on future plans, let us know. And also an advice for people out there who are having a hard time approaching collaborations with brands and organizations to amplify the impact of their podcast limitations, Because you're good at that, reaching out for collaborations to brands. I mean, where is that? Look at all this list of collaborations. We have BPA, then we have BPA. Bpa needs like we can't have BPA for-.

Speaker 1: 1:27:00

I know I always say BP Association or BP Awards, like we have to. We got to do better with these acronyms. Okay, we got to do better with these acronyms.

Speaker 1: 1:27:09

But, I want to say thank you. Thank you so much for having me. This has been amazing. You are, you always have such good energy and I am very sensitive to energy. I'm very much an empath, am very sensitive to energy. I'm very much an empath, and so I feel people's energies, I think, maybe a little, just really deeply, you know. So you always have really great energy and so I appreciate you for asking me to be on your show and for you know, just kind of creating the space for us to be able to have this conversation. So thank you for that.

Speaker 1: 1:27:47

As far as where people can reach me, so I am on Instagram at Latrice Samson Richards. I'm also on TikTok as Rich by Marriage. I'm just letting y'all know. Right now I don't be posting like that, okay, but I do. It is a great way to keep up with what I have going on. So anytime I'm doing a show or doing a you know an interview, or launching a new project if you want to know what projects I have that I'm working on, when I release new episodes, things like that, then follow me on Instagram, because that is the primary place where that is shared.

Speaker 1: 1:28:25

I'm still working on I'm working on right now the website for Podmelanin, and so that's going to be coming very soon. For anyone who's interested in working with me In the meantime, my DMs are open on Instagram. I do check my DMs, but just remember, like I said, I might not respond to you immediately because I do not have notifications on, and so give me a little bit of time. But I'm going to get to you and then you know, you can definitely go to my website, latricesamsonrichardscom, which is under construction as well. I'm kind of shifting it over from mental health to, you know, to podcasting, and so that transition is happening as well. And yeah, I mean, that's, that's it. If you see me out there in the streets, say hey, I'll say hey back.

Speaker 2: 1:29:20

As for as for autograph, but, yes advice for the people.

Speaker 1: 1:29:25

Yes, and then, um, I think, that advice that I would give. So so I think it's important, first and foremost, for me to be very transparent and honest about the fact that, um, honestly, the relationships that I have right now are not or that like the collaborations that I have right now are not, or that like the collaborations that I have been blessed to be a part of. I did not go seeking those out. They were offered to me or they came to me in some way. Like I said, the opportunity with Afros and audio just kind of presented itself, you know, and I took advantage of it and, you know, became a part of that team. But in some other cases, you know, those offers were made to me. So I don't necessarily have, you know, I haven't necessarily had to seek out relationships, but I do find myself now in a space where I'm being more intentional about seeking out relationships. And I think the number one thing that I have learned and am learning in this journey and that I think is a really good takeaway for anybody who might be interested in partnering with brands to create events and things like that live shows is that you have to be clear about what it is you're doing, and you have to be unwavering about how it is that you do that Right. And what I mean by that is and this is something actually that I learned in my time with Afros and audio is that if a brand is going to work with you, it's because you have something that they find valuable. Okay, whatever that might be, you have something that they find valuable Okay, whatever that might be, you have something that they find valuable, and the reason that you have that thing, which is your audience Okay. And the reason that you have that thing that audience is because of who you are and how you show up. Your audience is attracted to the content that you create from your mind. So a brand does not get to come in and change the way that you do what you do, because when you allow them to change what you're doing, you're allowing them to interfere with the relationship you have built with your audience, and so they can give feedback, they can make requests, but at the end of the day, I'm doing what I want to do, the way I think it needs to be done. Now. I can give some concessions if it's okay, if it's reasonable. Of course, we want to be flexible in that way. But if you start to feel like a brand is trying to change the core or the essence of who you are or how you do what it is, that you do make itself available, that is a better fit for who I am and what it is that I do.

Speaker 1: 1:32:52

I remember I used to do military counseling and this older white guy told me one time most gangster shit anybody ever told me before in my life. I swear to God, but it turned out to be very true. I didn't fully understand it at the time, but I understand it now. Scared money can't make money. Scared money can't make money. At the end of the day, if you are taking jobs because you're scared not to, you're never going to get to a place that's sustainable. You have to be intentional about building a brand that feels good to your spirit, because that's the only way it's going to be sustainable. You might have some success early on, but it's not going to last because it's not authentic and it's hard to play a character 24-7.

Speaker 2: 1:33:50

Amen. So true, not all money is good money. And something Dominic today reposted of his older self when he said share it to Facebook. And these memories Something about sometimes we ask for opportunities and then, when the opportunities come, we forget what it comes with it just like money. We ask for this money, but what does it come with if you have to sell yourself and quit while you're ahead because it ain't gonna stop and sometimes we think that, oh, it's just gonna be this once, baby, once, it's just once.

Speaker 2: 1:34:22

It's never this once. You should look at the people join the gangs and shit, it's just gonna be this once, baby, once, it's just once. It's never this once. You should look at the people join the gangs and shit, it's never this once.

Speaker 2: 1:34:28

It's never one job it's a forever thing and once you sell your soul, you sell your soul. But um, thank you so much. Thank you for all those who are live with us and engaging, for those who are gonna watch later on. Thank you for hanging out with Shit Happens. This is Shit Happens where shit always happens, with the one and only award winning producer, miss Latrice. Thank you for joining us today. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1: 1:34:57

You too, shit.

Speaker 3: 1:35:00

Happens. Thank you for tuning in to Shit Happens, an integral segment of the innovative platform Talk Shit with Pete. If you enjoyed today's episode, make sure to hit subscribe and leave a review. You can find Shit Happens on YouTube at Talk Shit with Pete. If this served, share with friends or family who can relate. Remember we all face challenges, but it's how we push past them that defines us. So until next time, keep pushing forward and remember shit may happen, but so does growth, and you got this. Shit happens.