The Refined Collective Podcast

Johan Khalilian has been a dear friend for years, and today he is a guest on the podcast! He is a person who fights for truth, and there isn’t a complacent bone in his body.  He continually challenges himself and those around him to grow. He is a youth motivational speaker and has been for fifteen years. Today we’re talking about God, faith, and the deconstruction of sex.   Truth and Rebellion   “...

How to be a Powerful Woman with Carmina Becerra PS You already are one. Usually I record podcasts remotely.  But this episode, I got to sit on Carmina Philipe’s couch with green smoothies in hand to talk about life, love, and everything that goes along with it. Carmina is a powerful woman.  She is the co-founder of Camera Ready, a media training company. Prior to this, she worked as a TV host on n...

Love + Football:  Female Empowerment in a Male Dominated Industry with Samantha Ponder This week, I am talking to Samantha Ponder, the Sunday NFL Countdown host on ESPN. Y’all.  She is the first female host of an NFL pregame show. She lives in New York City with her husband Christian, whom she married after three months of dating, and they have their third child on the way! This episode, I talk wi...

If you’re ever looking for an excuse to sit and talk with the people you most admire, start a podcast. This week I am talking to the amazing impact entrepreneur, Liz Bohannon. She lives in Portland, Oregon but her reach extends across continents. She is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sseko Designs, an ethical fashion brand. The amazing thing is that they work directly with women in East Africa and help...

When I stumbled, I stumbled not backward, but forward. So when I fell, I fell into grace. --Morgan Harper Nichols   Poet Morgan Harper Nichols speaks the words that my heart doesn’t know it’s trying to say.   On a whim I reached out to one of my favorite poets, Morgan Harper Nichols, to be on The Refined Collective Podcast. When she replied yes, I was OVER THE MOON!   She writes poetry that I’m su...

I'm still blown away by how many of you have emailed and asked me questions about my story on waiting until marriage to have sex.  In order to serve you better, this week I am talking with Church of the City New York pastor, Jon Tyson.  And yes, he’s our very first man on our podcast! (No pressure Jon!) We talk about the cultural landscape of sexuality in Western culture, and how we got here.  Fro...

It was a gift to interview the wonderful photographer and business strategist for creative entrepreneurs, Jasmine Star, this week for the podcast. She dives into the process of dropping out of law school to pursue her dreams and how she became a photographer and business strategist. She opens up about how her intentional career pivots as a small business owner that got her to where she is today, h...

Bethany is the founder of Primally Pure , a small business and brand based out of wine country California.  They creates toxin-free and completely natural skincare products. We met each other the Jenna Kutcher Mastermind that I'm in this year, and I was so inspired by her business. Bethany built her business from the ground up.  And while there is no formula to success there is one secret from Bet...

Back in January, I was on The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey podcast. As her guest, I reflect on old jobs, old perspectives, and old heartache. It was the first time I did a podcast interview about my choice to remain celibate until marriage, and what that journey looks like for me. Ever since that episode aired, I have received over a thousand messages from people curious about my decision and my tho...

Komal Minhas is a first generation Indian-Canadian immigrant who, in just the past two years, was invited to the White House to premier her documentary ‘Dream, Girl,’ was named one of Oprah’s Supersoul 100, and was on the cover of Power & Influence Magazine. Her passion is fostering the advancement of women and girls, especially women and girls of color. We got so lost in our conversation that we...

In this episode, I am talking with the wonderful Chinae Alexander. She’s a Brooklyn-based entrepreneur, lifestyle personality, writer, speaker, wellness expert, and YouTuber who is currently in the process of writing a book and creating a podcast. Chinae opens up about failure, vulnerability, and self-love in this episode and I cannot wait for you to hear what she has to say. People as Motivation...

" My vision in life is to meet women in their most insecure moments and flip that script for them," says Emily Sexton.   She went into college wanting to be a backup dancing for Britney Spears, went to work at a Swiss investment bank after graduation, and is a successful female entrepreneur. Her boutique, The Flourish Market, features products made from artisans all over the world. A 2 a.m. Pinter...

The Refined Collective is back this week with the lovely Joanne Encarnacion. She is a wife, mother of two, and editor and founder of gofitjo.com, a blog dedicated to redefining health and wellness, and it a newly integrative health and life coach. You guys, Arianna Huffington named her one of San Francisco’s top 20 wellness role models. How amazing is that? In this episode we get real about moving...

This week I’m talking to my longtime friend from Dallas, Lauren Scruggs Kennedy, who now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Jason. Lauren has a lifestyle brand with an intentional social strategy.  She focuses on her health and wellness journey, personal development, faith, and navigating marriage. The First Steps to Wellness Lauren has been on a journey of recovery after an accident involving...

On this first episode of The Refined Collective podcast, I welcome Nikia Phoenix--founder of Black Girl Beautiful, content creator and model--to leave the pressure to be perfect at the door and have a meaningful dialogue with me, and all of you. She’s talking with me from sunny Los Angeles where the birds are chirping loud enough for us to hear. Her love for others radiates from everything she doe...