The Letters and Layers Podcast

Happy March! I had a lot of fun recording this episode. At the top, I share about my weekend and taking a historically black neighborhood bus tour around Bronzeville, Chicago and some of what I learned (3:06). Next I talk about watching Mea Culpa over the weekend and my thoughts with spoilers (16:36). Lastly I spend some time entertaining the thought exercise of which Black women in entertainment,...

I read Behold the Dreamers in 2018 and loved it so much that I wrote a reaction essay to process my thoughts and feelings about the story. Every so often I re-read the essay, and decided to record it and turn it into an episode. The story follows characters Jende and Neni, and married couple from Cameroon who come to the states with their six year old son with hope for a better future in the US. B...

Happy February! We're kicking off the new month by reflecting on Kerry Washington's memoir, Thicker Than Water. I've been an admirer of Kerry's work for a long time, and since she is known to be very private, I was curious about what she had to share and was not disappointed. She was very open and shares so many gems and lessons she's learned in her personal life and her acting career. I talk abou...

Happy New Year! In this episode I begin by sharing how I spent the holiday season, before talking about my 2024 Ins and Outs, which was a popular topic on social media as we approached the new year (06:54). Finally I discussed an experience I had after seeing the Beyonce concert film that moved me to unfollow almost all the celebrities I followed on Instagram (24:49). I hope you listen to the end....

Happy New Year! While on break from new episodes, I thought it might be timely for listeners looking to use the new year as a fresh start or new opportunity to re-release this podcast episode from April 2022. I shared my thoughts about the book Atomic Habits by James Clear (3:30), and in preparing for this re-release, I listened to the episode again and am so glad I did. I think I needed to hear s...

The end of the year often comes with sentiments around where we are in the moment, and hopes for the future. Opportunities to try again. Second chances. A black page. A new chapter. A clean slate. On this episode I look back on what 2023 meant for me and my thoughts around the transition to a new year. I talk about refocusing, particularly around this podcast, and what I got right this year that I...

Hey everyone! It. Is. December. Where did the year go? I truly can't believe we're already here. I start this episode sharing my thoughts on heading back to the east coast for the first time since our move out to the mid-west and how I'm feeling ahead of my travels. I spend the majority of this episode discussing how hormones we may not otherwise consider as contributors to our mental and emotiona...

Hey everyone! It's hard to believe we're halfway through November. Thanksgiving is literally around the corner. It felt good to talk about surprising my mom for her birthday at the top of the podcast, then chat a bit about how my fitness journey is going and a milestone I hit recently that I'm proud of (10:26). I also talk about how voice notes offer a means of self-accountability as they have for...

Hey everyone! Happy November! As we near the holiday season, I am so excited to share the first interview conducted on The Letters & Layers Podcast with Dr. Jeannelle Perkins-Muhammad. Dr. Jeannelle is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, owner of private practice TMI Counseling, and author of Into-Me-See: Mastering Black Intimacy for the Relationship You’ve Always Wanted. We dive deep in...

Y'all! It has been a morning. Recording on publishing day because of my schedule, coupled with technical issues and experimenting with video for the first time resulted in a not so smooth recording experience for my 50th (!!!) official episode, but the show goes on. Leaning hard on consistency today and less on timing as I love to get these episodes out early in the day for you all, but today was...

Hey everyone! The past couple of weeks have been eventful to say the least. From going to Beyonce's Dallas show which I rave about at the top of the podcast, to meeting Victoria Monet, last weekend was all about music and appreciating some of the artists I love. Later on in the podcast I open up about my current fitness journey, and how I work on staying consistent by depending less on motivation...

Hey Everyone! I recorded this episode right after seeing my panel of patients that morning, one of which made a major life decision that we have been working towards over the past few months. I talk about the process with the patient and how it feels to support her on this journey. I also talk about a Tik Tok/podcast episode with Mel Robbins and KC Davis who wrote the book How to Keep House While...

Hey Everyone! Happy September! Today's episode marks two years since the first episode of what is now known as The Letters & Layers Podcast. In this episode I discuss why I changed the name and what the new title means for me personally. I also talk about having a "come to Jesus" moment with myself last week, and needing to make changes when it comes to my level of comfort. I also talk about n...

Hey everyone! I'm recording this episode off the heels of a great weekend I had with one of my closest friends. During the episode I give a quick recap of what we did and how I felt considering my philosophies around friendship and how has matured over time. I also share my initial thoughts on the show Painkiller on Netflix with Uzo Aduba, and later on, my intentions around curbing my social media...

Hey everyone, I’m really happy to be bringing you a new episode on the first of this month, talking about overcoming recent setbacks, success with sobriety, and the next chapter in All About Love chapter three. I’ve had to deal with a pretty unfortunate situation recently that I talk more in depth about in the episode, but ultimately I’m happy to be on the other side. I highlight one of my favorit...

Hey everyone! I was so happy to fire up the mic and kick off the second half of the year with a new episode. I'm easing back in by sharing details about my experience driving from NYC to Chicago, and how conquering that challenge has impacted me mentally. In the second half of the episode I discuss what I call anchors: places, tools and strategies that I've counted on to help me successfully trans...

Hey everyone, I'm delivering to you guys my last episode for the first half of the year! I'll be taking a break from publishing for the next month, so I will be back before you know it with new episodes on July 15th. This episode is short, because I am leaning on consistency above all else in making sure I connect with you guys no matter how short a time, while managing the craziness that has been...

Hey everyone! Happy June! With this month comes major transitions for me that I am mentally preparing for, while being very excited for the summer! I decided to have this be a conversational episode where I talked about my holiday weekend to start, and gave an impromptu review of Tia Mowry's new hair care line 4U By Tia (6:00). I also talked more about the changes coming for the podcast. We are re...

Hey everyone! We're halfway through the month of May and I'm coming to you with thoughts about my adult friendships, and the work I've done to get here, where I feel I have deep, authentic, genuine friendships in my life (00:33). I also talk later on in the podcast about knowing your number, or the amount of time your brain registers positively when it comes to accomplishing tasks and increasing y...

Hey Everyone! Happy May! The weather is warming up, the days are getting longer, and Spring has sprung. I excited to talk to you guys about some things that have left an impression on me recently, which include the meditation/affirmation "I am Making Space," by Alex Elle in her most recent book, How We Heal (5:44), alongside the affirmation track Worth Ethic by Toni Jones I stumbled upon on Spotif...

Hey everyone! As you can see from the title of the episode, I'm throwing it back this week to one of my best performing episodes to date that was posted one year ago today. But before the episode starts, I give a quick update about the reason behind unexpectedly re-publishing this episode. If you just listen to the update, or listen to the whole episode, I appreciate you. Thank you for your suppor...

Hey everyone! Happy April! I’m kicking off the new month by sharing my initial thoughts on the book All About Love by bell hooks (8:29). I have barely scratched the surface with my thoughts on this book. The episode focuses on the introduction and first chapters, and I plan to continue the conversation on this book in segments on future episodes. There’s so much to cover and I do not want to rush....

Hey everyone! Halfway through March! And coming to you with an episode where I wanted to chat, share some updates, and offer some pieces of inspiration and motivation that's been helping me recently. I was feeling nostalgic last week so I took a drive back to my old childhood neighborhood and I talk about how it felt to go back. I also discuss a speaking engagement I did around mental health for B...

Hey everyone! Happy March! On this episode I wanted to talk about my personal journey with therapy. I thought listeners might find it interesting to hear about this from someone who is a mental health professional and provides supportive therapy to her clients in her work. I discuss the reasons why I decided to start it, some false starts and changes along the way, and where I am now on the therap...

Hey everyone! We're halfway through February and I'm very happy to close out my two-part segment on Untamed by Glennon Doyle (8:42). I focus on two chapters in the second half of the book, Racists and Deliveries. I share my thoughts around Glennon's account of her journey towards becoming anti-racist, and how her experiences may help white women like her who are starting that journey for themselve...