We Ain't Dying For This

What if freedom isn't something we chase… but something we remember? In this episode, host Crystle Johnson sits down with Najma Ahmed, creator of the Free Black Girl podcast, to explore what it really means to be free. From leaving her "dream job" to breaking generational patterns and embracing radically soft living, Najma shares her powerful story of transformation, healing, and rec...

In this soul-nourishing episode, host Crystle Johnson sits down with DreChir Whitfield — aka The Wedding Realtor — to revisit one of the most essential topics for Black women on the liberation journey: Self-Love. And yes, we’re running it back… because you can never have too much of it.💬 Through candid storytelling and deep reflection, Dre and Crystle explore the lies we believe about self-love,...

In this powerful episode, host Crystal Johnson sits down with special guest Marisha Dixon to explore Pleasure as Liberation — what it means, why we’ve been conditioned to deny it, and how Black women can reclaim pleasure as a birthright.💫 What you’ll experience in this conversation:- Real talk about letting go of “the grind” and embracing softness- How to redefine pleasure beyond the bedroom- Mar...

This episode is a mirror for anyone who’s ever felt stuck, stifled, or like freedom is on the other side of a map they haven’t drawn yet. Dr. Lawanda Hill shares what it really means to move from survival mode into joy — especially as a Black woman. From unpacking generational habits to studying examples of ease, this conversation is a deep breath, a pause, and a blueprint.✨ Whether you're st...

"In this economy?!"You probably giggled a little reading that because it's real and you've probably heard it a lot lately. During this season, we've talked a lot about legacy and how it isn't just about assets you can touch and feel. I would venture to say that while wealth is similar, we still want our money. I'm so excited to sit down with Jasmine Smalls to talk abo...

What if your birthday wasn’t just a celebration—but a call to go? This week on We Ain’t Dying For This, we’re talking about Wandering as Liberation with my good Sis, Natasha Wade . And babyyyy, it’s not just a cute little travel story. Sis packed up her car and hit the road—solo. No set plan, just a deep need to feel free. She wandered to places where Black stories live, where liberation was fough...

Sometimes rock bottom looks like the end. But often, it’s the beginning. When COVID hit, everything shifted, the businesses, the plans, the certainty of what life would look like. And when entrepreneurship suddenly wasn’t enough to stand on, what was left was shame, grief, and the quiet question: Who am I now? This week’s episode with Kimberly Pack is about sitting in that collapse, letting yourse...

If you’re anything like I used to be, you’ve probably disqualified yourself as a creative again and again. You believe that creativity looks a certain way–pretty, polished, and perfect. But guess what? Those aren’t the qualifiers of what being creative means. This week’s episode with Shellsy Malveaux is all about her journey of liberation through creativity. Stay Connected with Shellsy Malveaux: L...

I’ve burned myself out a couple of times, and to be honest, each time I was stuck in this place of believing I wasn’t enough, that I should be doing more, and that I had zero power to change anything. It took a few months of resting, clearing my mind, and getting in my body to arrive at a place of knowing: none of those things were true. I have always been enough. I did not need to do more. I am t...

Whether you want to hear it or not, healing starts with you. And the faster you push what someone else did to the side, the quicker you can move on to understanding who you want to be and what it will take to get there. And while I’m a strong advocate for community, this part of the journey is all about self—self awareness, self compassion, self love. This week’s episode with Melinda King, she/her...

Crystle sits down with Brittany Janay to discuss creating and passing on legacy.  Growing up, when I thought about legacy, it was always tied to tangible things that could be handed to the next generation. But it’s so much more than that, isn’t it? Our legacies are connected to who we are, how we show up in community, and the things we create that reverberate through the world while we’re here and...

Folks who have taken our love, dedication, empathy, and presence for granted are now in the find out phase. And while they are over there trying to figure it out, I hope you’re finding the joy that lives within. I’m over the moon to drop this week’s episode featuring Joy Donnell —Joy As Liberation. I’ve always felt her through what she shares here on LinkedIn, but to meet her in person healed me a...

In this episode of the We Ain't Dying For This podcast, Crystle sits down with Eren Cooper to discuss how she romanticizes her life as a form of liberation. You are the main character in your own story and it’s time to start acting like it.  We are all spinning together on this rock in the middle of the universe with many things we’re juggling, but we can’t let that keep us from experiencing joy....

Crystle sits down with Jasmine Fluker to talk about vulnerability and what we lose when we choose not to lean into it. What I find most powerful about elevating the stories of Black women, is that sharing affirms the truth—we are not alone. It is through our vulnerability about our experiences that we heal parts of ourselves and parts of those who’ve been waiting for us. Stay Connected with Jasmin...

Crystle sits down with Brittany King to discuss hope's role in her own liberation, her daughters', and the lives of Black women she's in community with. “Hopelessness has a high price tag. You put your head down and your hope goes down, too.” — Brittany King Listen, I had to challenge every single thing I thought I knew to get free from the prison I built for myself. There is always an option to d...