In a new episode of Badass Black Girl, MJ talks with Simone Kelly, business and life coach, intuitive and author. They discuss her entry into coaching, and her journey as a writer. They also discuss what it means to be an intuitive and how everyone possesses the gift of intuition. Kelly talks about her writing process and the importance of finding a writing buddy to be accountable to. MJ and Kelly also explore the notion of past lives, dream interpretation and how the supernatural is natural. https://youtu.be/EqeWW-wgm_s Simone Kelly, CEO of Own Your Power® Communications, Inc., is an author, internet radio host & producer, holistic business, and intuitive life coach. Her previous books include a self-help book on marketing called, Jack of All Trades, Master of None? Her second book is a novel entitled At Second Glance that has set the stage for the smart and sexy Like A Fly on the Wall and Whispers from the Past, a two-book deal from William Morrow/Harper Collins.

In a new episode of Badass Black Girl, MJ talks with Lady Brion, a spoken-word artist, Cultural Curator of Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, and Executive Director of the Black Arts District in West Baltimore. They discuss her background as a spoken-word poet, and what it takes to find success as a spoken-word artist. They also talk about the relationship between activism and art, her work in prisons and group homes, and performances at protests and rallies. They discuss ways that young people can become engaged in activism and the importance of attaching oneself to current movements that are in place, fighting for social justice. Lady Brion tells a little about her upbringing in East Baltimore and how that upbringing and her hometown informed her career. Other topics include Lady Brion’s commitment and passion for the Black community, how she practices self-care and the difficulty of finding balance between a personal life and a busy work schedule. In the end Lady Brion leaves us to ponder the question: How can art revitalize communities without resorting to gentrification? Lady Brion is an international spoken word artist, poetry coach, activist, organizer, and educator. Brion is a recipient of the Open Society Institute Fellowship centered around her project facilitating poetry workshops in prisons and group homes throughout Maryland. She also received the 2017 Salzburg Fellowship for Social Innovators. She received her B.A. in Communications from Howard University and her MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts from the University of Baltimore. Brion is a board member and manager of 10 teaching artists, dispatching them to teach poetry workshops in middle and high schools in the Greater Baltimore Area for Dew More Baltimore, an art centered non-profit using spoken word as a tool to foster community and civic engagement. She also holds the position of Cultural Curator for Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS), a grassroots think-tank which advances the public policy interest of Black people, in Baltimore, through: youth leadership development, political advocacy, and autonomous intellectual innovation. As an independent artist and entrepreneur, she offers artistic consulting, residencies and workshop, keynotes and other speaking engagements and spoken word performances around the world.

In a new episode of Badass Black Girl, MJ and Mahalia speak with artist, educator and visual anthropologist Régine Romain about her coloring book Nou Pap Bliye, which transforms photographs of Haitian subjects taken after the 2010 earthquake into an interactive art form. They discuss her personal experience with Haiti and her roots as a Haitian artist, the importance of Black representation in coloring books and popular media, and her work as a race equity coach, in which she works to make sure that curricula in Public and private charter schools reflects the diversity of students. They also discuss the gift of time given by the pandemic quarantine. They are joined by Tiffani Gomez, Regine’s niece, and the artist who transformed her photographs into illustrations that can be colored, and discuss her journey as an artist, the purpose of artists and how story and representation of Haitians matters. Régine Romain is a Haitian-American artist, educator, visual anthropologist, and racial equity coach living in Brooklyn, NY. With 20+ years of teaching, training, and supporting diverse communities, she uses photographs/film/performance as mixed-media educational tools to promote love, understanding and respect in addressing issues of race, representation, and justice through participatory and reflective learning practices. Through an extensive global network, she produces culturally transformative curricula, workshops, salons, performances, forums, exhibits/festivals, and tours. She is the founder of Urban PhotoPoets, Brooklyn Photo Salon and the Brooklyn to Benin projects.

In this episode of Badass Black Girl, MJ talks to scholar and creative writer Myriam Chancy. They discuss how literature became a central part of Myriam’s work, and how her Haitian parents felt about her career path. They discuss both her scholarly and creative books and the differences in writing scholarly work versus novels. They also talk about the inheritance of spirituality and the mystical component of writing and other creative arts, which leads to a conversation about the interplay between visual arts like photography or painting and writing. They also discuss the impact of the pandemic on the creative and grief processes of artists and writers. Myriam J. A. Chancy is the Hartley Burr Alexander Chair of the Humanities at Scripps College. Her books include From Sugar to Revolution: Women's Visions of Haiti, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic and Framing Silence: Revolutionary Novels by Haitian Women

This week, on Badass Black Girl, MJ talks with Catherine Rincon, a licensed mental health care professional about a variety of topics that are important in these trying times with the global pandemic. She discusses the stigma surrounding mental health especially in the Black and Caribbean communities, and raises some red flags that signal an imminent mental health crisis including difficulties performing at school or work and withdrawing from friends and loved ones. Catherine and MJ discuss the need for quality mental health care counseling among those of lower socio-economic status, who may miss out on quality health care due to the cost and stigma associated with mental health care among those of Black or Caribbean descent especially for women, children and the Latinx communities, and the importance of having a cultural understanding of the Black and diasporic communities. They also discuss the difference between face-to-face counseling and tele-health appointments which allow for a certain kind of intimacy not necessarily available in face-to-face meetings. Catherine reports that many of the issues she is seeing in her clients these days come from women and girls who are experiencing shame-based anxiety due to parental expectations. MJ talks about the situation in Haiti for mental health and how she has seen a slight improvement. They both discuss the unprecedented crisis the world is facing mental health wise with the global pandemic and the isolation that comes along with it. Catherine shares her secrets for self-care which include video games in moderation. The big take away from the discussion is understanding that no one is an island and that keeping things bottled up in unhealthy. You should vent whether it’s to a counselor or to a friend. Catherine Rincon is an accredited licensed mental health professional, a member of the American Mental Health Counselors Associations [AMHCA], and a training Clinical Hypnotherapist. Most of her professional practice has been with children, adolescents and adults. Catherine received her master’s degree in mental health counseling and school counseling from Carlos Albizu University in Miami. Catherine is also a graduate of Florida International University. Her early work consisted of working with children in the foster care system with Kids in Distress and Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health. Catherine has worked for 10 years in community mental health programs within Miami-Dade and Broward. She has served more than a year with the Youth Emergency Services [YES] mobile crisis team post-licensure. Areas of study include Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Trauma informed interventions, Infant and Child Play Therapy, and parenting support education through the Nurturing Parenting Program. Catherine is currently employed full-time with the Florida Department of Education. She is currently working on completing licensure in Hypnotherapy with the Wellness Institute. Visit Catherine's practice, Happy Thoughts Mental Health, at https://happythoughtsmh.com/

In this episode of “Badass Black Girl,” MJ talks with Lillian Harshaw the “Wordly Church Girl” and podcast hostess. They discuss Lillian's Pentecostal upbringing and how she found a balance between the rules of her church and personal freedom. Lillian shares the convictions her upbringing instilled in her, and how she sets an example of faith for her children through her daily walk. They also talk about what it’s like to be a Black woman in Marion, IN and the microaggressions that are a regular part of life for Lillian there. They also discuss some exciting new plans for her podcast and her fictionalized memoir in progress. Lillian Harshaw is the hostess of “Worldly Church Girl,” a podcast located at https://worldlychurchgirl.com/welcome/. She is currently writing a fictionalized memoir about her journey to faith. She grew up in Indianapolis, IN, the youngest of nine children, and currently lives in Marion, IN.

In this episode of “Badass Blackgirl,” MJ speaks with Kalynn Bayron, author of Cinderella is Dead, her debut novel. Set in a dystopian fairytale landscape, Cinderella is Dead follows the exploits of a queer Black protagonist, who is not interested in Prince Charmings. Kalynn was one of the presenting authors at the 2020 Miami BookFair Online and you can still catch her panel until the end of the year. She discusses her journey to writing, her background in music, the writing community that keeps her grounded. MJ and Kalynn also discuss connecting with readers over the internet because of the covid pandemic, and how Kalynn manages self-care with four children at home. Kalynn also offers one bit of advice for budding writers. Kalynn Bayron is a debut author and classically trained vocalist. She grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. When she's not writing, you can find her listening to Ella Fitzgerald on loop, attending the theater, watching scary movies, and spending time with her kids. She currently lives in San Antonio, Texas with her family. Kalynn Bayron at the Miami Book Fair: https://www.miamibookfaironline.com/event/panel-a-legendary-remix-fresh-fairy-tale-faces/ Support our independent bookstore: https://shop.booksandbooks.com/book/9781547603879

In this episode of Badass Black Girl, Nehemie and Jasmine talk with the founder and CEO of Mess in a Bottle, Kalilah Wright. Mess in a Bottle is an amazing apparel company that utilizes powerful and inspirational messages as a centerpiece of their design. Kalilah discusses her motivation for founding the apparel line after the death of Freddie Gray, an unarmed Black man who died while in police custody in Baltimore. The death sparked protests, which led Kalilah to search for a way to give voice to the voiceless. They talk about her priorities for her company, the importance of self-care and setting boundaries, and the transition from a six figure job in the corporate world into life as an entrepreneur. They also discuss the inspiration she draws from her hometowns of Brooklyn and Baltimore, and Black women she looks up to and admires. Kalilah also offers some advice for budding entrepreneurs, and makes some predictions about the next generation of badass Black girl entrepreneurs. Jamaican born, Brooklyn bred, Kalilah Wright is a trained architect, who merged her love of fashion and architecture to peruse entrepreneurship — crafting cool MESSages on t-shirts, birthing apparel brand, Mess in a Bottle. Kalilah’s mission is to help entrepreneurs figure out their MESS. She too, worked a corporate job but left feeling unfulfilled. Through motivational speaking and one-on-one consultation, her goal is to sketch entrepreneur’s vision and curate a schematic design to transform their ideas into something they can monetize.