Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman

In this Season 6 finale of Owning Pleasure as a Black Woman , Natasha does something radical: she actually takes her own advice. After a season spent naming the patterns that keep high-achieving women stuck — inherited guilt, the productivity trap, the double bind of self-care, the cost of always choosing everyone else — Natasha pauses to reflect on what this season was really about, and what it l...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman, we're talking about the pattern that gets mistaken for strength all the time — hyper-independence. If you're the woman everyone leans on but you can't remember the last time you actually let someone carry something for you, this episode is going to feel very familiar. We explore where this pattern comes from, what it's really protecting you from...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman, we're talking about the pattern that gets mistaken for strength all the time — hyperindependence. If you're the woman everyone leans on but you can't remember the last time you actually let someone carry something for you, this episode is going to feel very familiar. We explore where this pattern comes from, what it's really protecting you from,...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman , we sit down with Simone’ — UX content designer turned full-time content creator — for one of the most honest conversations we've had about what happens when you do everything you were supposed to do... and life still falls apart. After nearly a decade in tech, Simone was laid off in 2025. She recorded the moment, posted it, and watched it reach...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman, we're sitting with a distinction that has the potential to change everything: the difference between ability and capacity. Being able to handle something has never meant you were supposed to. If you're a high-achieving woman who keeps saying yes out of competence rather than bandwidth, this episode will help you see why — and what it's been cost...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman , we explore what it actually feels like to always be the one everyone turns to — and why choosing yourself can feel like a betrayal even when you're running on empty. This isn't about self-care checklists. It's about the deep, inherited pattern of putting yourself last and what it's costing you long-term. If you're the woman everyone needs and y...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure as a Black Woman, we get honest about something most ambitious women feel but rarely say out loud — the exhaustion of your own drive. Host Natasha opens up about her own moments of wanting a regular life, the relief of imagining a simpler existence, and what it means when the people who love you keep reminding you that you weren't made for that. If you've ever th...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman, we're talking about what happens when your yes stops belonging to you. If you've been saying yes out of obligation, habit, or fear for so long that you can't even locate what you actually want anymore — this one is for you. We explore the pattern of compulsive compliance, why it develops, what it protects you from, and the real cost it carries o...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman , we explore one of the most tender and complicated experiences in personal growth — setting a boundary and having your family push back against it. This isn't about cutting people off or choosing between yourself and the people you love. It's about understanding why family systems resist change, what that resistance is really communicating, and...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman, we explore one of the most misunderstood relational dynamics that high-achieving women navigate — the difference between being defensive and defending yourself. If you've ever been told you're "too sensitive," "too much," or just "defensive" when you were trying to speak your truth, this episode is for you. We're naming what's actually happening...

In this deeply personal episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman, Natasha gets vulnerable about a pattern many high-achieving women struggle with: the gap between understanding what needs to change and actually changing it. If you've ever felt like you're performing transformation—consuming all the content, having all the insights, but not actually implementing anything—this episode will help y...

In this solo episode of Owning Pleasure As a Black Woman , Natasha gets real about what happened when she took a few weeks away from recording — and the fear spiral that almost wasn't. She opens up about the old version of herself that would have been glued to the analytics, catastrophizing about losing momentum and letting her audience down. But when she came back and looked at the numbers? Weekl...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure as a Black Woman, we explore that awful, anxiety-ridden feeling that comes after you set a boundary—what I call the people-pleasing hangover. If you've ever said no to something and spent the next 48 hours replaying the conversation, checking your phone obsessively, or planning how to take it back, this episode is for you. We dive into why your nervous system tre...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman, we explore what it really means to be a high achiever—and spoiler alert, it has nothing to do with your job title or how much money you make. If you're the woman who holds impossible standards for yourself, overthinks every decision, says yes when you mean no, feels guilty for resting, or secretly worries that people will discover you're a fraud...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure as a Black Woman, we dive into sensory disconnection and emotional numbness—that feeling of moving through your life but not actually living it. Tune in as we explore why high-achieving Black women become disconnected from their senses, what this pattern is protecting you from, and what it costs when numbness becomes your baseline. If you're looking to understand...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure of Black Women, we dive into the transformative power of boudoir photography with photographer Laquel. This isn't just about taking sexy pictures—it's about the profound experience of seeing yourself through a lens that celebrates rather than criticizes. Laquel shares how she creates safe, welcoming spaces for women to explore different sides of themselves, why m...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman, we're moving differently this January. Instead of the usual pressure to fix, grind, or reinvent yourself, I'm sharing the three words guiding my 2026: Space, Intuition, and Invest. Tune in as we explore why creating space isn't selfish—it's essential for capacity. Discover how your intuition didn't disappear, it just got drowned out by years of...

In this episode replay of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman, I'm pulling back the curtain and sharing my personal words for 2025: expand and repurpose . If you caught our previous episode about choosing words over resolutions, you know how transformative this practice can be. Now I'm walking you through exactly how I selected these words and what they mean for my journey this year. These words repr...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman, we're replaying our episode about flipping the script on traditional New Year's resolutions. If you've ever felt like a failure when you didn't hit your specific goals by December 31st, this episode is for you. I share her personal journey of replacing rigid resolutions with intentional words that guide her year—and how this shift transformed he...

In this brief holiday message from Owning Pleasure with A Black Woman, we're doing something radical—practicing what we preach. I share why the podcast is taking an intentional pause through the holidays and invites you to do the same. If you've been waiting for permission to rest without guilt, consider this it. Tune in for a warm reminder that rest is your birthright, plus details on replayed ep...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman, we challenge the relentless "finish the year strong" messaging that floods social media every December.  I explore why hustle culture was never designed with Black women in mind, what it means to coast into the new year with intention, and how to release the shame around unmet goals.  Tune in as we discuss the invisible labor that neve...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman, we explore how your body physically tracks and responds to holiday stress—even when your mind is trying to convince you that you're "fine."  I break down the science of why your body keeps score, identifies the most common physical stress signals during the holiday season (from jaw clenching to immune system crashes), and provides practical...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman, we dive into the complex reality of holiday family gatherings for Black women who are always expected to show up, hold it together, and keep the peace.  I share practical strategies for protecting your peace during the holiday season, including specific boundary scripts, energy protection techniques, and permission to redesign traditions ar...

In this episode of Owning Pleasure As A Black Woman, we dive into the often misunderstood journey of perimenopause and menopause.  Dr. Taniqua Miller, a board-certified OBGYN and certified menopause specialist, joins us to discuss the real symptoms women experience, why traditional healthcare often falls short, and how to build a comprehensive care team for this major life transition.  T...

In this special episode of Owning Pleasure as a Black Woman, we're doing something different—something just for YOU.  Instead of talking about pleasure, we're practicing it together through a guided embodiment meditation. This episode is your invitation to slow down, release the weight you've been carrying, and reconnect with your body, sensuality, and feminine energy through the warmth of go...