Up From Here

This week, we're taking it all the way back to sleepovers. The theme of this episode is Slumber Party, and we wanted to recreate that feeling of being teenage girls—staying up way too late with your best friend, talking about absolutely everything, laughing until your stomach hurts, and somehow ending up in the deepest conversations without even trying. We play Never Have I Ever, put each other on...

In this episode, we celebrate the first men we ever loved—our dads. We reflect on the relationships we've built with our fathers, the lessons they've intentionally and unintentionally taught us, and the ways they've shaped how we love, trust, and move through the world today. We also ask an age-old question: Do we date people like our dads? And if we do, is that necessarily a bad thing? As we've g...

In this episode, we dive into friendship — how much our friends influence us, what it really takes to maintain long-term relationships, and whether "birds of a feather flock together" is actually true. We discuss how the people around us shape our decision-making, perspectives, habits, and even our judgment. Are we more influenced by our friends than we'd like to admit? From there, we get into the...

In this special Juneteenth episode, we decided to do something a little different. Instead of focusing on the pain, oppression, and suffering that often dominate conversations around Black history, we wanted to spend time celebrating the incredible contributions Black people continue to make today. After discussing the origins of Juneteenth and why the holiday exists, we shift our focus toward hon...

In this episode, we unpack the strange state of modern culture and ask a simple question: Has everybody become a critic? We start by talking about music and why so much of it feels stagnant. Why do some of today's biggest artists seem stuck creatively? Why does it feel like growth, evolution, and artistic risk-taking have become less important than staying relevant? That conversation leads us into...

In this episode, we talk about family, womanhood, power dynamics, and the ways our perspectives evolve as we get older. Kelsi shares what it was like having her in-laws visit and how unexpectedly healing the experience was. Watching David interact with his parents — especially his father — added an entirely new dimension to their relationship and gave her a glimpse into a family dynamic she hadn't...

In this episode, we unpack loyalty — what it actually means, what our boundaries are, and how friendships can completely shift when someone hurts the people we love. We talk about choosing our best friend's side in conflict, especially when there's genuine disrespect, betrayal, or harm involved. Not out of immaturity or "blind loyalty," but because some actions naturally change how safe or aligned...

In this episode, we talk about what it means to live a life that doesn't follow a traditional blueprint. Janai opens up about her growing desire to guide people who are curious about exploring "tripping," and how both of us are slowly accepting that our paths may never look conventional. We talk about embracing the fact that we'll probably do a little bit of everything throughout our lifetimes — e...

In this episode, we keep things light, fun, and surprisingly deep as we pull random questions out of a bowl and answer them in real time. What started as a simple game quickly turned into conversations that made us laugh, reflect, and learn even more about each other as best friends. From unserious takes to deeper reflections, these are genuinely the kinds of questions that bring people closer. We...

In this episode, we sit in a hard truth — what it feels like to be deeply misunderstood. We talk about a recent conversation with men that left us feeling unheard, unseen, and honestly… hopeless. Not because we expect perfection, but because it felt like there wasn't even a desire to understand where we were coming from as women. We unpack the emotional gap that can exist — how so much of women's...

In this episode, we check in on where we actually are right now — mentally, physically, and emotionally. Janai gives an update on her bodybuilding journey as she hits 26 weeks out, and how the discipline is getting very real. From quitting smoking to stay on track with her physique goals, to realizing how much it was emotionally blunting her, she opens up about what it feels like to be fully prese...

In this episode, we talk about something so many of us feel but rarely say out loud — the pressure of feeling behind. Kelsi shares her experience spending the weekend with a group of powerful female entrepreneurs while mentoring young girls around the city of Atlanta. Surrounded by women earning at the highest levels, she opens up about feeling inadequate and questioning what she had to offer… esp...

In this episode, we unpack the power of perspective and what it truly means to check your attitude in moments of conflict.   Kelsi shares a story about a tense encounter with a woman at an event that nearly escalated into a physical altercation. What initially felt like blatant disrespect later unfolded into a meaningful conversation, leading to mutual understanding and personal growth. The experi...

In this episode, we unpack the concept of "virtue" — and how differently it's assigned to girls versus boys from a young age. We talk about how little girls are often taught that their virginity is tied to their purity, their worth, and their value… while little boys are encouraged to explore, experiment, and gain experience without the same moral weight attached. We explore how those early messag...

This episode is all about vibes — because it's Kelsi's birthday 🎉 We kept things light, fun, and a little messy as we got into Kelsi's birthday icks… from fake love, to people somehow making your birthday about them, to the realization that sometimes the best way to celebrate is with a little solo time and real intention. We talk about what birthdays start to mean as you get older — less about pe...

In this episode, we unpack the unrealistic expectations placed on women — and how deeply they shape the way we see ourselves. From feeling like you can't even step outside with imperfect skin, to the pressure of looking "put together" at all times, we talk about how beauty has quietly become a performance… one that women are expected to uphold 24/7. We dive into how beauty and sexuality have been...

In this week's sexpisode, we unpack something most people were never properly taught — how to understand a woman's body. From pleasure to biology to overall vaginal health, we talk about how little education exists around what women actually need to feel good, stay clean, and maintain a healthy relationship with their bodies. We reflect on what first made us comfortable learning our own bodies, to...

In this episode, we unpack the unspoken expectations surrounding Valentine's Day — and dating in general. We talk about how hard it is to emulate something you never saw growing up. If you didn't witness romance, softness, or intentional love in your household, how are you supposed to naturally know how to give it? And on the flip side, if you grew up watching your dad be romantic and thoughtful w...

In this episode, we unpack the uncomfortable tension that can sometimes exist between women — especially when it feels unprovoked or unnecessary. We reflect on experiences where women have been mean or hostile toward us "for no reason," and what we discovered when we looked deeper. As light-skinned, conventionally attractive women who grew up with access to education and opportunity, we acknowledg...

In this episode, we unpack something that quietly shapes the way women move through the world — our cycles. We talk about how being on a monthly hormonal cycle impacts the way women show up in their careers, creatively, emotionally, and physically — and how that differs from men, who operate on a 24-hour hormonal rhythm. What does it mean to live in a world built around daily consistency when your...

In this special Valentine's Day episode, David joins us for an honest, layered conversation about love, friendship, and the realities of being in a healthy relationship — especially when your relationship exists in the public eye. We address the rumors head-on (no, we are not a throuple 🙄) and talk about why people are so quick to project narratives onto close friendships and romantic partnership...

In this episode, we look at the very first examples of love we ever witnessed — our parents — and unpack how those relationships quietly shaped our dating preferences, expectations, and blind spots. Janai shares what it was like growing up with parents who had a fun, wild relationship — a rough-around-the-edges provider father and a working, playful mother — and how watching that dynamic, along wi...

In this episode, we talk about deconstructing what we've been taught masculinity and femininity are supposed to look like — and reconstructing them in ways that feel healthier, more honest, and more personal. We explore how these energies don't look the same for everyone, and how rigid definitions can do more harm than good. Kelsi opens up about realizing her social media algorithm sometimes needs...

In this episode, we talk about what it really means to stay connected — to your partner, to your friends, and to yourself — especially when life gets busy, overwhelming, or isolating. We unpack how some people struggle with being part of a community and disguise that discomfort as "not wanting community" at all. The fear of closeness, accountability, and emotional presence — and how disconnection...

In part two of this conversation, we go deeper into emotional intelligence — what it actually looks like, how it's developed, and the conversations that need to be happening but rarely are. We talk through the kind of honest, patient conversation you'd have with a man if you were truly trying to teach emotional intelligence — not to shame, emasculate, or "fix" him, but to help him understand himse...