Space To Exhale with Lisa Hurley

To beat burnout, press pause. Sometimes the most radical act of self-preservation is to stop. In this affirming episode, Lisa is in conversation with the brilliant Samantha-Rae Dickenson, PhD, to talk about what happens when we finally stop over-performing and instead start listening to what our minds and bodies actually need. Which is lots and lots of rest. Together, they peel back the layers of...

“Wow! You’re so nice!” So many of us have been raised to crave those words. We’ve been socialized to be agreeable…amenable…accommodating. But here’s the truth folks never tell you (especially the ones benefitting from your niceness 👀: being “nice” can cost you everything. Your peace. Your boundaries. Your energy. Your well-being. Your power. Being nice can leave you feeling completely depleted. I...

Sometimes you just have to tell it like it is. Because there is healing in the telling. And there is liberation in your legacy. In this powerful continuation of their conversation in Episode 12, Lisa Hurley welcomes back Elona Washington, MSM, Chief Publishing Officer of The Author’s Journey and editor of the award-winning anthology Triumph in the Trenches: The Green Book for Black Professionals....

*TW: Mention of suicidal ideation* Black women are done working twice as hard for half as much. In this hard-hitting episode of Space To Exhale: The Podcast , Lisa sits down with Janelle Benjamin, B.A., J.D. —Founder & CEO of All Things Equitable Inc. , and host of the Twice As Hard Vodcast Series—to unpack the exhausting, systemic reality that Black women are expected to work “twice as hard t...

What does it take to rebuild trust in workplaces that were never designed with us in mind? In this illuminating episode of Space To Exhale: The Podcast , Lisa sits down with Minda Harts , bestselling author of "The Memo" and of her latest groundbreaking title "Talk To Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace." Together, the two authors unpack the silent crisis...

In a world that often equates volume with value, what does it mean to honor the quiet power of introversion, especially as a Black woman? In this illuminating episode of Space To Exhale: The Podcast, Lisa sits down with Jeri Bingham, Founder of Black Introvert Week, Host of the HUSH LOUDLY Podcast (WGN Radio), and creator of Hush Loudly: Introverts Redefined, to celebrate the brilliance, boldness,...

What does it take to alchemize your pain into purpose—and your triggers into triumph? In this powerful episode, Lisa sits down with the ever-impactful Alechia Reese, MBA, CSM : speaker, author, and host of the Triggered AF Podcast . Alechia keeps it real about what healing actually looks like, beyond Instagram quotes and “positive vibes.” Together, Lisa and Alechia explore the messy middle of tran...

There is power, and profound healing, in telling our stories out loud, in our own voices, and today’s guest knows that for sure. Elona Washington, MSM is the Chief Publishing Officer of The Author’s Journey , and editor of Triumph in the Trenches: The Green Book for Black Professionals, a groundbreaking anthology that centers the lived experiences of Black people navigating corporate spaces.  In &...

Class is in session! 👩🏾‍🏫👩🏾‍🎓 In this nourishing and necessary episode of Space To Exhale: The Podcast , Lisa is joined by the brilliant Chantell Frazier, Ph. D. , founder & CEO of Anansi Research , founder of the Healthy Scholars community, and creator of the Love Notes for Black Women in Academia campaign. In “Soft-Life School: Black Genius and the Need for Rest,” Lisa and Chantell unp...

Join Lisa and Herisa Stanislaus, MPH (aka Herisa The Traveler and Herisa The Traveling Poet) for Visas, Verses, and Vulnerability: Healing Through Words. In this episode the two Caribbean-American creatives discuss what it means to journey inward and outward as Black women finding healing in unfamiliar places. In a world that demands our resilience but rarely offers us refuge, Herisa reminds us th...

What does it really mean for Black women to “have it all,” and who gets to decide? In this nourishing and truth-telling episode of Space To Exhale: The Podcast , Lisa Hurley is joined by powerhouse attorney, podcast host, wife, and mother of two, Liku Amadi, Esq. , Founder of the Anasa Law Firm and host of the Black Women Can Have It All podcast. Together, they dismantle the limiting narratives ar...

What does it mean to write while Black? To put your truth on the page in a world that so often tries to silence or sanitize it? In this deeply personal and insightful episode, Lisa sits down with her brilliant big sister, Sharon Hurley Hall : author, anti-racism activist, and a fierce advocate for equity everywhere—including in the publishing industry. Together, they explore the joys and challenge...

Join Lisa and her fabulous soul-tribe of sisters for a very special episode of Space To Exhale: The Podcast! This show is a celebration of Lisa’s first-ever pub day of her first-ever book, Space To Exhale!! 😁🎉📚 The show is moderated by Alexis Mobley, PCC 💚 (@imattercoaching), and features these special guests:  💚 Liku T. Amadi, Esq. ( likutmadoshi ) 💚 LaTonya Davis ( @iamlatonyadavis2025 )...

This episode brings together family, fire, and fierce truth-telling. Lisa is joined by none other than her brilliant big sister—author, activist, and anti-racism educator Sharon Hurley Hall —whose powerful book I’m Tired of Racism has become a rallying cry for equity and justice in workplaces around the world. Together, the sisters exhale and unpack what it really means to navigate the working wor...

Both embracing your silence and using your voice can be sources of power, but how do you know how to tell? In this soul-stirring episode of Space To Exhale: The Podcast , Lisa sits down with the brilliant Elaine Lin Hering—facilitator, keynote speaker, and author of the must-read book Unlearning Silence . Together, they explore the delicate dance between the silence imposed on us, and the silence...

What if softness isn’t something you do , but something you think ? In this tender and thought-provoking episode, Lisa is joined by the luminous LaTonya Davis—Founder of the LaTonya Davis Network and of 4C in the C Suite—to explore the radical truth that soft living begins not with scented candles or spa days (although those matter), but with how we think, speak, and relate to ourselves. Together,...

Ready to revolutionize your career? You’re in the right place. It’s pretty much impossible to curate a life that truly works for you without also curating your career. Join Lisa and Latrice Torres, Founder and CEO of LeaderKeys Consulting , as they share strategies, signs, and secrets to success, and talk about how to create space to exhale in your professional life. If you’re at a crossroads in y...

Get ready for a spirited conversation that's the best mix of spicy and serene. Lisa is joined by her very first guest, Alexis Mobley, PCC, CEO of I, Matter Coaching & Consulting. Like Lisa, Alexis is known for her energy of refined ratchetry, so you're in for a treat. Edges will be snatched, gems will be dropped, and tea will be spilled. The two friends talk about all things boundaries...

In the début episode of Space To Exhale: The Podcast, Lisa shares the “why” behind the show—and the book after which it is named. She reveals her battle with burnout, her desire for better, and shares the event that finally made her start fully embracing soft living. After grounding everyone with a collective breath, she shares a poignant and compelling excerpt from the book that not only outlines...