The Letters and Layers Podcast

Hi everyone!Coming to you half-way through the month with some helpful conversation around sleep. Many of us could use longer, better quality sleep at night and I wanted to share things that have worked for me along with recommendations I've shared with patients, family and friends (12:19). I hope you listed to the end!I've re-lauched my Youtube channel! Subscribe and support! Link: https://www.youtube.com/@mylettersandlayers/videosAs always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

Happy February!We are kicking off this month with the first installment of my thoughts on the book Matriarch by Ms. Tina Knowles. I have really enjoyed this memoir so far. Ms. Tina shares so much, and does a great job with chronicling pivotal moments in her life while also sharing much of her childhood, adolescence and young adulthood, and how all phases played a role in who she was a wife, and is as a mother and whole person. I share my thoughts after my personal update (10:12) and hope you listen to the end. I've re-lauched my Youtube channel! Subscribe and support! Link: https://www.youtube.com/@mylettersandlayers/videosAs always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

Happy New Year!I'm excited to fire up the microphone and reconnect with my listeners for the first episode of 2026. It is the 100th episode (!!!) and I can't believe the podcast has reached this point. I am immensely grateful to any and everyone who has listened and continues to do so. After sharing an update on my holiday, I talk about the decision to put in my notice and leave one of my positions as a Psych NP (13:37). I discuss my thought process with coming to this decision, and the urgency I feel in letting go what's holding me back and betting on myself this year. I hope you listen to the end.I've re-lauched my Youtube channel! Subscribe and support! Link: https://www.youtube.com/@mylettersandlayers/videosAs always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

We've made it to the final episode of the year and I feel so much gratitude for the success of this podcast this year and life personally. I used this episode to talk a little bit about my weekend and then shared what I'm thankful for this year. Lastly I talk about my hopes for 2026 - I'm looking forward to slowing all the way down and getting to know myself deeper as a woman who's transitioning into motherhood. I also talk about some career changes I'm working on and how that life will look a lot different a year from now. I hope you listen to the end. Happy New Year in advance! There will be no January 1st. episode. See you back on the 15th!I've re-lauched my Youtube channel! Subscribe and support! Link: https://www.youtube.com/@mylettersandlayers/videosAs always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

Happy December!As you can see from the title, I have some big news to share with my listeners, and am so happy to talk about what this pregnancy and journey to motherhood has been like for me so far. I hope you listen to the end.I've re-lauched my Youtube channel! Subscribe and support! Link: https://www.youtube.com/@mylettersandlayers/videosAs always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

On this episode of The Letters & Layers, Podcast, I share my review of Hulu's new show All's Fair, and talk about the concept of the 10-year overnight success. I share some examples and honorable mentions that are meant to remind us that often the people we see in the spotlight have worked years to get to where they are and if you believe in what your doing, know that time is on your side. I hope you listen to the end.I've re-lauched my Youtube channel! Subscribe and support! Link: https://www.youtube.com/@mylettersandlayers/videosAs always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

It's November!The holiday season is upon us, and that can mean more socializing and being out more with friends and family. I had to do some personal reframing for myself last weekend as someone who struggled with friendships when younger, but has done the work to build a community over the years. The cost of maintaining friendships is time and energy, and 9 times out of 10, it is always worth it. I also share a gentle reminder around the benefits of regular hydration. Daily adequate water intake is so important yet not encouraged enough, but is essential to so may bodily functions, and can often be the reason why we don't feel our best. I hope you listen to the end. Thank you again to the Black Podcasting Association for awarding TLLP the Best Personal Development Podcast of 2025!I've re-lauched my Youtube channel! Subscribe and support! Link: https://www.youtube.com/@mylettersandlayers/videosAs always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

It is the middle of October and I am excited to bring you an episode focused solely on my thoughts of former Vice President Kamala Harris' new book 107 Days. It was a pleasure to read while also feeling strong empathy for her navigating the insurmountable task of campaigning to be President of the United States in only three and half months, and still also dealing with challenges only unique to Black women. I feel like I know and understand her better as a person and would recommend the book if you'd like to get to know her better too. After giving my personal update, I start discussing the book at the (7:26) mark. I hope you listen to the end.Thank you again to the Black Podcasting Association for nominating the podcast for Best Personal Development Podcast!I've re-lauched my Youtube channel! Subscribe and support! Link: https://www.youtube.com/@mylettersandlayers/videosAs always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

Happy October!I wanted to share on this episode a behavior I've been practicing more often lately, where I incorporate moments and periods of silence in my daily life. We are inundated with external stimuli every second of the day, so being more intentional about this has helped with feeling more grounded and connected to myself. I hope you listen to the end.Thank you again to the Black Podcasting Association for nominating the podcast for Best Personal Development Podcast!I've re-lauched my Youtube channel! Subscribe and support! Link: https://www.youtube.com/@mylettersandlayers/videosAs always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

On this episode of the podcast, I continue sharing my thoughts on Chimamanda's book Dream Count by highlighting four quotes and excerpts that make me laugh, think, and will stay with me for a long time. I hope you listen to the end. I've re-lauched my Youtube channel! Subscribe and support! Link: https://www.youtube.com/@mylettersandlayers/videosAs always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

Happy September!In celebration of the four year anniversary of this podcast, I decided to look back and spotlight the first episode that kicked off this amazing journey. Before doing so, I share some personal thoughts about what this podcast has meant to me and what I hope for the future. If you've never heard the first episode, you're in for a treat. Thank you as always for listening.I've re-lauched my Youtube channel! Subscribe and support! Link: https://www.youtube.com/@mylettersandlayers/videosAs always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

On this episode of the podcast, I share my thoughts on the book Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I talk about how the theme of dreams expands beyond the role of men in these characters lives, but also cannot ignore their impact on Chiamaka, Zikora, Omelogor and Kadiatou, for better or worse. I hope you listen to the end.I've re-lauched my Youtube channel! Subscribe and support! Link: https://www.youtube.com/@mylettersandlayers/videosAs always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

It's great to be back with new episodes!I spent time this episode talking about my trip to Lisbon while I was away and Tracee Ellis Ross' new solo travel show on The Roku Channel. I loved it so much and thought the timing was perfectly aligned with my solo trip to Portugal. I hope you listen to the end!I've re-lauched my Youtube channel! Subscribe and support! Link: https://www.youtube.com/@mylettersandlayers/videosAs always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

On this episode of the podcast, I look back and reflect on some of my favorite Letters & Layers episodes of the year so far. Towards the end of the episode I share a prayer from Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley written specifically for Black women (19:16) . I hope you listen to the end.I'm going on break! This will be the last episode until we return for the fall season on August 1st.I started a blog! Visit (www.thelettersandlayers.com) and subscribe to the newsletter at the bottom of the homepage. I'd love to offer answers to your questions, real-time life updates and recommendations, and mental health/wellness insight and resources.As always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

On this episode of The Letters and Layers Podcast, I talk about some personal updates, then share how betting on yourself can mean turning down opportunities that come your way (10:26). I also discuss how my relationship with the phenomenon imposter syndrome has changed over time, and how I am actively in the process of rejecting it in my life (19:18). I hope you listen to the end.I'll be going on an extended break soon! The June 15th episode will be the last until we return with new episodes on August 1st.I started a blog! Visit (www.thelettersandlayers.com) and subscribe to the newsletter at the bottom of the homepage. I'd love to offer answers to your questions, real-time life updates and recommendations, and mental health/wellness insight and resources.As always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

On this episode of The Letters and Layers Podcast, I am very excited to share my interview with Nikkya Hargrove, author of Mama: A Queer Black Woman's Story of a Family Lost & Found. This was a rich and thoughtful conversation, and I hope you listen to the end.Nikkya Hargrove is a LAMBDA Literary Nonfiction Fellow and has written about adoption, marriage, motherhood, and the prison system for The Washington Post, the Guardian, the New York Times, Scary Mommy, and Shondaland. She has worked for social impact nonprofits providing support to underserved communities throughout her professional career. She graduated from Bard College and lives in Connecticut with her wife and three children.Mama: A Queer Black Woman’s Story of a Family Lost and Found follows Nikkya’s journey as she makes the decision to raise her half sibling, Jonathan, after he was born to her mother, who had a crack cocaine addiction and spent time incarcerated while Nikkya was raised by her grandparents. The book traces Nikkya’s path toward custody and adoption, her family’s perspective on her queerness, and the way she finds love and forms a family.Connect with Nikkya: https://www.nikkyamhargrove.com/https://www.instagram.com/nikkyahargrove/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/obodoserendipitybooks/I'll be going on an extended break soon! The June 15th episode will be the last until we return with new episodes on August 1st.I started a blog! Visit (www.thelettersandlayers.com) and subscribe to the newsletter at the bottom of the homepage. I'd love to offer answers to your questions, real-time life updates and recommendations, and mental health/wellness insight and resources.As always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

On this episode of The Letters and Layers Podcast, I talk about the commitment I made to eliminate my consumption of sweets and sugar during the season of Lent. I also share some realizations I had after Lent ended, and the noticeable ways my body and overall well-being has changed. I hope you listen to the end.I'll be going on an extended break soon! The June 1st episode will be the last until we return with new episodes on August 1st.I started a blog! Visit (www.thelettersandlayers.com) and subscribe to the newsletter at the bottom of the homepage. I'd love to offer answers to your questions, real-time life updates and recommendations, and mental health/wellness insight and resources.As always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

On this episode of The Letters and Layers Podcast, I'm talking about a Youtube video that prompted me to interrogate the limiting beliefs I have as a creative and artist. I share those limiting beliefs on the podcast, and encourage my listeners to identify where in their life they hold limiting beliefs that could be keeping them from the goals or success they are working towards. I hope you listen to the end.Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/4KTBS4LYC38?si=aaIXMRfZN7SJl8qRI started a blog! Visit (www.thelettersandlayers.com) and subscribe to the newsletter at the bottom of the homepage. I'd love to offer answers to your questions, real-time life updates and recommendations, and mental health/wellness insight and resources.As always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

On this episode of The Letters and Layers Podcast, I jump right in and talk about a traumatic event that happened to me while away for a weekend last month in California. In order to successfully process the experience and prevent any debilitating impact, I employed some exposure therapy tactics to help rewire my brain and prevent the trauma from impeding my day to day life. I hope you listen to the end.Exposure therapy resources:Very Well Mind: https://www.verywellmind.com/exposure-therapy-for-ptsd-2797654The Cleveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/25067-exposure-therapyI started a blog! Visit (www.thelettersandlayers.com) and subscribe to the newsletter at the bottom of the homepage. I'd love to offer answers to your questions, real-time life updates and recommendations, and mental health/wellness insight and resources.As always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!

On this episode of the podcast, I share three statements and affirmations that help with managing self-doubt and feelings of overwhelm and failure (11:29). Before I start the segment, I talk about some books I'm currently reading, giving back to the community and seeing amazing art from Black creatives at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. I hope you listen to the end. Black Creativity Juried Exposition: https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/black-creativity-juried-art-exhibition/artistsMama by Nikkya Hargrove: https://bookshop.org/p/books/mama-a-queer-black-woman-s-story-of-a-family-lost-and-found-nikkya-hargrove/21003176?ean=9781643751580&next=tDream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: https://bookshop.org/p/books/untitled-2724/c7b6aa2765889f35?ean=9780593802724&next=tWellness Bestie Chi: https://www.instagram.com/wellnessbestiechi/As always, please share and recommend, and thank you so much for the support!EMAIL: contact@thelettersandlayers.comNew podcast Instagram! @thelettersandlayerspod. Give us a follow!I appreciate you!