1:59

kind of got to a point where I

2:02

think you have to really bet on yourself

2:04

thing. And it's just

2:06

kind of when the industry wasn't

2:09

serving me anymore, but also I'm very much one of

2:11

those people who kind of sees the writing

2:13

on the wall. And I feel like so many

2:15

of us in editorial, I was just like, this is a sinking ship

2:17

and either I'm going to jump before it completely

2:19

capsizes, or I'm going to be on it

2:22

when it capsizes and have to get myself back up to the

2:24

top. So I tell

2:26

people like content creation right now is paying

2:28

the bill, but television

2:31

and on-air hosting is exactly what I want

2:34

to do. I tell people the easiest

2:36

way to describe what I want to do is like Maya

2:39

Jama who hosts Love Island UK.

2:41

She's like the big UK it girl for hosting.

2:44

I want to be the US Maya Jama, except

2:46

the US like newbie, but I feel like it's the easiest

2:49

way to kind of explain to people the

2:51

type of hosting I want to do. I want to host all the

2:53

dating shows. I want to host all the fun shows. I

2:55

want to host all of the game shows. Like

2:57

whenever you turn on your TV the

3:00

same way like

3:01

Steve Harvey's Monopolize is hosting

3:04

everything. I kind of want to like

3:07

slide in there in some of those ways.

3:09

Yes. So that is the pivot is

3:11

to hosting and television, but

3:14

content creation is just kind of like a piece of that. But

3:16

I was doing that even when I was in editorial. Oh,

3:19

that is a beautiful vision. I thank you. Thank

3:22

you. I'm so excited for you. I'm trying. It

3:24

is hard. The strike. Yeah.

3:27

Pause a lot of things. I think people think that it was just

3:29

scripted, but it impacted the entire industry.

3:31

So even non scripted. So my hope is

3:33

that now that writers are getting their due

3:36

and hopefully next the actors get their due

3:38

and everything can kind of not go back to

3:40

normal because normal was not working, but

3:42

kind of go back to a pace where I can

3:45

really get the ball moving on television. Exactly.

3:48

Yeah. And I love what you just said about

3:50

how content creation is paying the bills while

3:52

you're kind of working on building a different

3:54

direction for your career, because I think that's

3:57

important. A lot of us, we need to do

3:59

that.

6:00

And then when I was finally in position, I was

6:02

able to leave. Yeah. But

6:04

it's like, you know, it's like jumping off

6:06

a cliff from 10 feet back. But

6:09

you have to get catch momentum to be able to jump. Absolutely.

6:12

And so yeah, it's about, it's about that momentum

6:15

first. Definitely. Yeah. What were some of the

6:17

steps you took to prepare you to make that change?

6:20

So when I knew I wanted to leave editorial, I

6:23

started really, really cultivating my relationships

6:25

that I already had had for years with brands. Yeah. I

6:28

think half the industry

6:30

knew before Essence knew, I'm going

6:32

to be honest. Like I had told every publicist

6:35

I knew. Yeah. I was like, in

6:37

three months I'm leaving. I was like, I want

6:39

to let y'all know in 90 days I'm out of here. So

6:42

keep me in mind for influencer things. Keep me in mind

6:44

for consulting. Keep me in mind for hosting any panels

6:46

or events that you guys may have. And

6:49

I told everybody. Yeah. So

6:51

I think which two, you

6:53

have to teeter that line closely too,

6:56

right? Because it's like, well, you don't want your employer

6:58

to be like, how does everybody else know that you're

7:00

leaving? But so you need to know who to tell, how

7:02

to tell them

7:03

what to tell them. I

7:07

made sure that I had enough money lined up. So

7:09

I had said yes to enough brand partnership

7:12

that I knew, okay, how many

7:15

months do we have? Yep. And

7:18

then I had lined up my VC

7:20

role. And like, so it's, it's

7:22

not as simple as like, you know, but

7:24

I think about all the time I was also having this conversation.

7:27

I would not have been stable enough if I had just

7:29

relied on those brand partnerships at the time. Yeah.

7:32

Had I just bet on those brand partnerships that

7:34

I had, who knows? And I really

7:36

had to get myself together. It was like,

7:38

we need to post more. Yeah. I needed to, so

7:40

I, I upped how much I was posting on TikTok,

7:43

upped how much I was posting on Instagram, really

7:45

in those 90 days leading up to me leaving.

7:48

Yeah. Super smart. So everything, it was kind of

7:50

different pieces of the puzzle that all fit together. Yes.

7:52

Yeah. You can't just jump. Mm-hmm. You cannot

7:54

just, and we've seen these success stories, right? We

7:57

see these huge influencers,

7:59

like these young. girls who are absolutely incredible.

8:01

Like I think about like Monet who just

8:03

hit in the Forbes list, right? But it's like Monet

8:06

is the outlier. Yeah. As fantastic

8:09

and how as divine as her content is, she

8:11

is the outlier. Yeah. Especially

8:13

for women that look like us. Like

8:15

I implore you to tell me five Monet's.

8:18

Right. And so it's like, for

8:20

many of us, we are becoming

8:23

content creators and doing these pivots from

8:25

having jobs. Yep. Exactly.

8:28

And not jobs because concentration is a job. Yeah.

8:31

But from having what is traditionally considered.

8:33

Yeah.

8:33

Yeah. Exactly.

8:39

Deciding what to eat each week can feel

8:41

like a job in itself, especially

8:43

during the busy holiday season. And that

8:45

is why I love using

8:48

Green Chef. Green Chef

8:50

is the number one meal kit for eating clean

8:52

with dinners that work for you, not the

8:54

other way around. And Green Chef makes

8:56

eating well so easy with plans

8:59

to fit every lifestyle. With

9:01

Green Chef, you get everything you need to have

9:04

amazing wholesome dinners in 30 minutes

9:06

or less. They also have 10 minute grab

9:08

and go lunches and green bundles

9:10

featuring clean snacks and functional

9:12

beverages. Plus cut down

9:15

on meal prep with pre-portioned and prepped

9:17

ingredients, including pre-measured

9:19

sauces, spices and dressings

9:21

delivered right to your door. So it's one

9:24

less trip to the store. I love

9:26

using Green Chef during busy weeks where I'm working

9:29

and I'm recording. And I love having the

9:31

exact ingredients I need on hand

9:33

and easy recipes to follow for amazing

9:36

meals. I don't have to search the web

9:38

looking for or make extra trips to the store.

9:40

It's just so easy and their recipes

9:43

are so good. Some of my favorite recipes

9:46

are their harissa apricot chicken and

9:48

their maple butternut squash risotto. They are

9:51

perfect cozy fall recipes

9:54

but they have so many recipes to choose from

9:56

that can really satisfy any dietary

9:58

need or restriction.

9:59

For

10:01

Green Chef's best deal of

10:03

the year, get $250 off with code BALANCED250 at greenchef.com slash

10:11

balanced250. Again,

10:14

get $250 off

10:16

your meal kits by visiting greenchef.com

10:19

slash balanced250 and use the code

10:24

balanced250 at checkout.

10:34

You had a video a while back where you

10:36

said a really beautiful sentiment where it's

10:39

expensive to dream. It is expensive to

10:41

dream. It's a privilege to dream is what you said. Yes.

10:44

Which is, I think, so important and not enough

10:46

people acknowledge that and talk about that because

10:48

it's hard to dream if your basic needs aren't being

10:50

met. If you're thinking about survival, there's

10:53

not room. No. I

10:55

think I've been able to be extra audacious, take

10:57

risks that other people have not had because I have

11:00

always known in the back of my head,

11:03

which is where the privilege comes in, I've always known

11:05

in the back of my head that my parents

11:08

will always be there to catch me. Yeah.

11:11

I think that while it's a

11:13

point where my parents are like, now we think, I

11:15

don't have to ask my parents for anything. Right?

11:18

You are more inclined to take those risks

11:21

when you know that there

11:24

are parents, not only who can be that

11:26

safety net, but who are equally as invested in you

11:29

achieving your goals. Yeah. Because

11:31

there were me and my mom, it was funny when I got the essence

11:34

role, she sent me this long text about how proud

11:36

she was of me, but she also was talking

11:38

about how me and her had

11:40

had this

11:41

blowout fight.

11:43

Three or four months before I got the essence role,

11:47

because she was just like, you're not making enough

11:49

money. Me and your father are about done

11:51

supporting you and these dreams. You

11:53

need to move home and to DC

11:56

and you need to just copyright

11:58

or do something, but you can't.

11:59

you don't need to be doing it here.

12:02

Because it was, it was just like, there

12:04

has to be an end time. My parents had given me

12:06

an end time and I was about to approach that end

12:09

time. It literally

12:11

just happened. It literally

12:13

may be a month, two months later, I got the SN shot.

12:16

But

12:17

yeah, I had been able to

12:19

dream as big as I had because

12:22

my parents have always been like, this is what Blake

12:24

wants to do. So we're gonna support

12:26

it. And that is not a privilege

12:28

that everyone has. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

12:31

definitely. I can relate and feel

12:33

similarly, like my parents have not been able to

12:35

necessarily provide financial support, but in terms

12:37

of moral support and encouragement

12:40

and stability of, if I did want

12:42

to move back home with Seattle,

12:44

I don't. But if I did, I would always have a place

12:46

to go that is stable and safe and supportive.

12:49

I think my mom would want me to move back. I think she wants me to move

12:51

back. I'm like, well, I'm like, I'm 30. What do you like,

12:53

I'm almost 30. Like, what do you want me to do? Like, you want me to

12:55

move back? But I think like in perfect,

12:57

in the perfect world, she wants me to move back home. That

13:00

comfort of having you close, they love that.

13:02

But they also love seeing you spread your wings. They

13:05

think they're, my parents think they're influencers. Every

13:07

single time my dad is asking me

13:09

for residuals in his US open

13:12

content. I'm like, okay, absolutely not.

13:14

I'm the talent. Absolutely, they really think

13:16

they're influencers. I'm like, me and my mom did the Jurgens

13:19

campaign, which was beautiful. She's like,

13:21

where's my percentage? And I'm like,

13:23

oh, sweet God. But yes, they love it. They

13:25

love it. They love it. Definitely.

13:28

And it's, I'm sure an amazing thing to see your

13:30

child be able to reach their goals

13:33

and have these beautiful dreams. And I'm also sure it

13:35

was probably a really hard conversation when she did call

13:37

you and was like, listen. Well, funny enough, we

13:39

had it in person. Oh. Because she

13:41

came to New York to visit me. She loves to come and visit

13:43

me. Yeah. I'll never forget we had it. And

13:45

I was like, you can leave. She

13:48

like, so when she texted me after

13:50

I got Nessa's job, and she was just like, because

13:53

I just, and sometimes too, it's like, I

13:55

love my parents. Like they have, I

13:58

rave about them all the time. Yeah. But I do

14:00

think that sometimes, especially

14:02

with our parents generation, we

14:04

are able to see things for

14:07

ourselves that maybe they can't because their

14:09

path was much more traditional. For sure. For

14:11

so many of our parents, they're the first college graduates,

14:14

or you know what I'm saying? And so like, for many

14:16

of them, it's like, but this is not, this

14:18

is unconventional, and it hasn't worked for this long.

14:20

Like, I think you need to go the conventional route.

14:23

But I think when me and my mom were having that conversation,

14:25

like, I just knew that there was bigger,

14:27

and I just knew that there was more. But

14:30

how do you say that to the parent,

14:32

who is like, we are damn near paying your rent

14:35

every single month. Like, you are barely contributing anything

14:38

because your income can't allow

14:40

for that. So it was a tough conversation.

14:42

But it is, I think, sometimes, I

14:44

think that is when the betting on yourself and really

14:47

just staying step, but like, I just told them, I was just like,

14:49

I know that there's more. And there

14:51

was more. But sometimes

14:54

they can't see what we can see in ourselves

14:56

and for our future. Yeah, absolutely.

14:58

And also during that time, when things

15:00

were at a little bit of a lull, and you were having to

15:02

really bet on and believe in yourself, how

15:04

were you staying encouraged?

15:06

I don't know. I don't

15:09

know. I think that the

15:11

reason I say encouraged is because it has always been,

15:14

at least with my career path, it's always been

15:16

the slow creep. So while

15:17

it seems like it

15:20

was a lull, it has always been a creep. So

15:22

it was like, in COVID, I was getting

15:24

all of these newer

15:28

deals. So I was just like, while

15:31

it wasn't the springboard

15:33

that essence was, I was always getting

15:36

something a little bigger. And I think that that

15:38

makes you encouraged because you're like, well, this person

15:40

sees me or this brand sees me. So if I just keep

15:42

at it, then it'll be bigger. And I

15:44

think too, it's like, as I'm sure

15:47

you've experienced, I think sometimes, not

15:49

even to sound arrogant, but I think sometimes

15:51

you just feel in your heart that you're going to be a star. And

15:54

you don't know how, and you don't know the

15:56

path that it's going to be, and you don't know the route

15:58

that it's going to take. But you just know

16:01

in your heart of heart, there's something

16:03

really big at

16:06

whatever the end of what this is. And

16:08

I think that that, I think slight

16:11

delusion is

16:13

what kept me in place. Absolutely.

16:15

Yeah. Embrace the delusion. The

16:17

delulu is really, it is

16:19

important, and I think that I've only recently understood how

16:22

important it is. You have to be, to

16:24

do what we do, you have to be slightly delusional.

16:26

You do. This industry doesn't make sense. You

16:28

put yourself out there like that? Yeah.

16:30

You put yourself out there,

16:32

a slight bit of delusion is actually

16:34

very healthy. I think,

16:36

and the only way to survive is through this. It is. Yeah,

16:39

definitely. Yeah. I agree that

16:41

I do think you have this feeling where

16:44

you know you're meant for more, or you're in a space

16:46

where there's something else, and

16:48

I want to follow that. It's

16:50

just the how. Yeah. And

16:52

that's the thing is, I think about when I was doing the

16:55

It's Expensive to Dream video, it was

16:57

because a girl had asked, and it was like so many

16:59

people had responded, and they're like, the

17:01

thing is, I believe in myself, and I know that there's

17:03

more. Yeah. But I don't have

17:05

that safety net. Yeah. And so it does,

17:08

it puts into perspective, again, the privilege

17:10

when it's like, there's so many people out here

17:13

who actually are destined for more, who have a skill

17:15

set, who are meant to be stars, but literally

17:17

just don't have the circumstances to

17:20

be able to be delusional. Right.

17:23

And I think that's definitely operating in logic,

17:26

and what makes sense for the moment. And I have been able

17:28

to operate

17:30

in spaces of delusion and spaces where it's like,

17:32

this doesn't really make much sense, but I was able to do it

17:34

anyway. Yeah. Yeah, definitely.

17:37

Yeah. And I think in that, it makes me

17:39

wonder, like, how do we invest in those people?

17:41

Yes. Because they can't have space

17:43

to do that, or help one another create safety nets, even if we don't have

17:45

one built in. Yes. And what that

17:47

looks like. And I think there's, because there seems to be

17:50

so many things, not so many, but a lot

17:52

of things in place for people who want to be small business

17:54

owners,

17:54

or there's

17:55

so many things

17:57

for black people who want to do those things.

18:00

But there are not as many resources

18:03

for black people who want to do what we do in

18:05

terms of just content creation, because it's too volatile

18:08

for these big corporations

18:11

or big money to invest

18:13

in. There's corporations,

18:16

I just did a partnership with UPS, they're investing in

18:18

black designers, everything. But unfortunately,

18:20

there aren't as

18:22

many people out there willing to

18:24

bet on things that aren't as tangible. And

18:27

so it does suck, because there are so many

18:29

girls who could be these big content creators. But

18:32

what people don't understand is becoming a content creator is

18:34

expensive. It is. I

18:36

became a content creator because of the many

18:38

places I was able to go because

18:41

of my job. Whereas it's

18:43

like, people are always like, well, how do I get

18:45

into these spaces? Again, you have to have the

18:47

avenue to get into the spaces. So

18:50

it is unfortunate, because you think, like

18:52

you said, you think about how much talent is out there that

18:54

just can't be in position.

18:57

Definitely. And one

19:00

thing that I'm hopeful about is that we

19:02

are at a time where access

19:04

to creating a platform is more democratized

19:07

than it's ever been. Even shows like this.

19:09

I was able to create a podcast in my bedroom

19:12

five years ago that is now what it is, versus 15

19:14

years ago, you needed a

19:16

radio deal or a TV deal to reach people

19:18

in that way. And so there

19:20

are ways. We just have to sometimes be a little

19:23

bit crafty, and it takes a while. And

19:26

I think that's the thing is the crafting end. But

19:28

it is. But I think, again,

19:31

you had the resources

19:32

to be crafty.

19:34

So I just weren't a really

19:36

privileged position. But

19:38

it is. It's just like there's so many, even when you

19:40

look at some of the TikTokers who are

19:43

clearly not industry girls, but are

19:45

just hilarious girls sitting in the house in the

19:47

back. There's so much

19:50

black creativity out there. And

19:52

so it is. Even when I look at brands

19:55

like Topicals just did a brand

19:57

trip. And they took some.

19:59

Of course, it was.

19:59

some influencers that you were like, yes, we didn't,

20:02

we didn't anticipate those. And then they had these

20:04

curve balls in there. And it was

20:06

like, these are the black women

20:09

who wouldn't usually get opportunities to be

20:11

on these trips or the black men that wouldn't get opportunities to

20:13

be on this trip. So I think to there

20:16

are places, you know what I'm saying? That is an avenue

20:18

Yeah, to put them in different positions.

20:20

That's the way and it's refreshing to see. Oh, yeah.

20:23

Yeah. I was like, this is a group. I

20:25

was like, this looks so fun. So yeah, there

20:28

is yes, there are

20:29

not loopholes, but there are

20:31

pathways to doing it. Absolutely.

20:34

Yeah. Yeah. One of the things I would love to

20:36

go back to when we were talking more about your

20:38

pivot from leaving editorial going into

20:40

content creation, was you touched

20:42

on the importance of relationships, how you had

20:44

relationships with different people, and you were kind of getting

20:47

those things into position to prepare

20:49

you to take that step. What has been

20:51

really helpful for you in terms of building

20:53

your network, building those relationships and

20:55

cultivating relationships?

20:56

I say all the time, I am

20:58

my father's child. And

21:00

when I say that, I am a chatty

21:02

girl. So I think, number

21:05

one, what has been good for relationships, which again,

21:07

can also be a burden because it's like not everybody

21:10

is like this, but I'm super outgoing.

21:12

Like I could talk to a brick wall if I wanted

21:15

to. And so I think that has helped is that like, I'm

21:17

super chatty and talkative.

21:20

But I'm also just I've always been

21:22

what is very, very much been emphasized to me,

21:25

because I also talked about this in the It's Expensive

21:27

to

21:27

Dream piece was, I've

21:29

witnessed my parents do it. Yeah, right.

21:31

Like my first job at CVS,

21:34

when I moved to the city, was through

21:36

a family friend, my job at

21:38

Glamour that I got was through a family friend.

21:42

And it's like, you know, some

21:44

people call it black nepotism.

21:45

But

21:46

I've witnessed my parents maintain

21:49

and cultivate these relationships so that when their kids became

21:51

of age, or wanting to do things, they could call on people.

21:53

Yeah. And so I think that I have just really

21:56

adopted that and not for not

21:58

for my own personal game because I I talk about that a

22:00

lot. I don't go into

22:03

a relationship with people from

22:05

the standpoint of what can you do for

22:07

me. There's a lot of that in the industry.

22:09

But I literally just go into it. I'm going to be

22:11

Blake and that goes into believing and betting

22:13

on yourself. And I'm like, Blake is pretty

22:16

damn likeable. Maybe not to everybody, but

22:18

there are a lot of people that like me. I'm

22:20

pretty damn likeable. I'm nice. I'll

22:23

talk to anybody. I'm like,

22:26

girls when they meet me in person, they're like, you act

22:28

just like you do on TikTok. I'm

22:31

being myself. I'm being myself. And

22:33

so I think not just relationships,

22:35

but like ability. If I have

22:37

learned anything is that people can read through when

22:39

it is contrived, when it

22:41

is for you want something,

22:45

just talk to people. And it

22:47

has helped me because it's like when

22:49

young girls or other people are like, I

22:51

really want to do this or I want a job here. I

22:54

usually know somebody that I can call to

22:56

help. And usually because I've

22:58

been just nice to them, they

23:00

are willing to help. Absolutely.

23:03

Yeah. I had someone recently

23:05

ask for advice on starting to work with

23:08

brands and how they do that. And what I

23:10

told her was like, brands don't make decisions.

23:12

People do. Yes. Get

23:14

to know people and have them be familiar

23:16

with your work so that when an opportunity comes up,

23:18

you're top of mind. They know you. They're

23:21

familiar with you. So I think sometimes we do

23:23

think, OK, this brand or this entity or this

23:25

thing, but it's all people behind it. Keep follow up.

23:27

Like, you know, I'm like, keep like

23:29

I, for example, like I had done my first partnership

23:32

with AT&T at Essence Fest and

23:35

I was just myself. I was easy to

23:37

work with. I did the work. Doing

23:39

the work is important. Yes. I did

23:41

the work and I was good at the work. And

23:44

when it was time, they have this big initiative

23:47

this year and they always pick a face. They came

23:49

back and picked me as a face. And

23:51

it's like, but I kept in contact.

23:54

Yes. Social media has made that easier so

23:56

you don't have an excuse. Comment

23:58

on the person's picture. Like a

24:01

story, like just continue

24:03

to interact. Social

24:05

media has made that much easier. Like it used to be where you

24:08

had to send a follow-up email every six months. Like,

24:10

are you just checking in? Now

24:13

you don't have to phone call, just comment,

24:15

like just stay in

24:17

their orbit. Yeah, stay

24:20

in conversation, go the long way.

24:25

After so much travel and moving around this year, I'd

24:27

been feeling really fatigued, run down,

24:30

and experiencing some brain fog. So

24:32

I recommitted myself to my health and wellness.

24:35

And one of the best things I've done in

24:37

my journey is get my labs done at

24:39

Joy so I knew exactly what was going on

24:42

in my body. Joy is an

24:44

online clinic where women can come to find answers,

24:47

own their health journey, and truly start to feel

24:49

like themselves again. Their comprehensive

24:51

labs and the help of functional medicine

24:53

clinicians, Joy helps you understand

24:56

what's going on in your body and provide solutions

24:58

to address the root cause. I

25:01

got my blood work done with Joy and the process

25:03

was so easy. They sent

25:05

a really nice experience lab tech to

25:08

my home so I didn't need to leave or

25:10

make an appointment at a clinic

25:12

or wait in a waiting room. And the process was

25:14

so seamless. About a week

25:17

later, I got my results back and had a personal

25:19

consultation with a dietician from their team

25:21

to help me understand my results. We talked

25:23

through my nutrition gaps, what was

25:25

going on with my hormones. And we also talked

25:28

through an action plan I can take

25:30

to get my health

25:30

back on track.

25:32

She made some really helpful nutrition and

25:35

lifestyle recommendations and I was able to

25:37

order custom supplement packets that

25:39

are so easy to integrate into my routine

25:41

to give my body exactly what

25:44

it means. And after just a

25:46

few weeks, I'm already feeling so much better.

25:48

I have less brain fog, I have more energy,

25:51

and I'm really excited to test again in a few

25:53

months and see my progress. If

25:56

you're looking to take ownership of your health and feel

25:58

your best, joy is... giving you 20%

26:01

off your labs, which is incredible.

26:04

Go to choosejoy.co slash

26:07

balancedless and browse

26:10

their curated selection of comprehensive

26:12

labs. That's choosejoy.co

26:17

slash balancedless, B-A-L-A-N-C-E-D-L-E-S,

26:23

and get 20% off any labs. Choose

26:27

joy and feel like you again. Thank

26:30

you.

26:38

I would also love to talk to you a little bit about beauty because

26:41

you obviously are an expert in the beauty

26:43

and time and space. And

26:46

as this episode comes out, we're kind of nearing the end of the year.

26:49

It's holiday time, it's shopping time. I

26:51

think a lot about what it means to be

26:53

kind of a savvy consumer because

26:55

there's so many

26:56

things vying for our points

26:59

and our attention. And

27:01

so as somebody who has worked

27:04

with so

27:04

many brands, tried so many things, I'm curious about

27:06

how you go about being a smart

27:08

consumer

27:09

and what gets your attention. I've had to completely

27:11

change my ideals on consumerism

27:14

in the beauty space because

27:17

I ruined my skin. I've

27:19

been talking about this on TikTok. I've ruined my skin. So

27:22

I had to completely get my skin back in order. So

27:25

now I would dare to say my beauty routine

27:27

is a lot more pared down than people would think. I've

27:29

always been a makeup girl. Like I feel like there's never

27:32

an issue with trying

27:34

new makeup. But I think find the things

27:36

that work for you and find the things that work for your

27:38

body. For example, like my skin,

27:41

like I am now on

27:43

tretinoin. Like I think that is important.

27:45

Like if you have acne skin, go

27:48

to a professional, go to a derm, prescribe

27:51

something. Now I don't deviate. So unfortunately

27:53

I don't try much skincare anymore.

27:56

I try a lot of body care. That has been

27:58

my new thing to explore. because I've

28:01

been telling people that, number one,

28:03

body care is a booming industry right now. It's like

28:05

all the brands are deciding on skincare for body. But

28:08

I've been telling people like so

28:10

many black girls, you know how there's like those running jokes

28:12

about like black girls when we're kids, we all get like scars

28:14

on our ankles. Like, I

28:16

don't know, but the issue is that I've continued to scar

28:19

into adulthood. Like I could rub up against a pillow

28:21

and I scar. So I've been telling people a lot

28:23

about like discoloration, like discoloration

28:25

has been a big thing. So I've been using like a lot

28:28

of vitamin E, topical slather.

28:31

I love slather. It's so good for

28:33

body care, Augustina's Botter,

28:36

like Nessa Sayre, all of these brands have

28:38

really great body care. I personally

28:41

think that you can never splurge

28:43

enough on fragrance that involves perfumes

28:46

and candles. So that is the one thing

28:49

where it's like, Dan Blake, do you have enough candles

28:51

and fragrance? Actually, no. The

28:53

answer is no. The limit does not exist.

28:56

And I think makeup continue to, if that's your

28:58

thing, for the girls

29:00

who want to explore makeup and don't like

29:02

love heavy makeup, like I'm a

29:05

full face girl, because I'm always on camera and

29:07

I am not above body dysmorphia and

29:09

hating the way I look on camera. So I wear a lot,

29:12

now I do a lot of camera makeup, but

29:15

for the girls who don't do all that, like Ami Kole has

29:17

fantastic like finger,

29:21

like rare beauty is great with the easy makeup.

29:24

Like there's so many things, but I think

29:26

that the one thing that you can never go wrong with,

29:29

fragrance and body care,

29:31

especially as a black girl. Yes, definitely.

29:34

We always want to smell good and feel good. And

29:37

it's always like people say it, but it really

29:39

is a thing when they're like, she looks like she smells

29:41

good. The best compliment. Like that's a thing. It

29:43

is. That is a thing. So smell good.

29:45

Yes. I also love what you just said about knowing

29:48

kind of what's important to you or what your thing is, being

29:51

willing to go all in on that. And then if something's

29:53

not your thing, if you're not into it, you tune it up.

29:55

You don't. The other thing about me is I'm like all the

29:57

way over here. So like. It's

30:00

like, Blake is pretty extreme. So like, yeah, like

30:02

I am very extreme now with the skincare

30:04

and the body care and all these things. That doesn't have

30:06

to be for everybody. That is just personally what

30:09

I really take a lot of pride

30:12

in self, like not even, yeah.

30:15

I guess you call it self care or upkeep. Yeah.

30:18

Like I spend a lot, that is where I'm willing

30:20

to spend a ton of my money

30:23

is in upkeep. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

30:26

And you made a point too, and I think thought about this

30:28

a lot, especially now that the podcast is like becoming

30:30

video because it used to be audio only. It

30:33

is when you see yourself a lot and

30:35

your job involves now being

30:37

perceived.

30:38

It does girl. It's like,

30:40

oh, this is, I have been like, because

30:44

as I'm sure you can imagine,

30:46

you're like, this is not actually how I look. Right.

30:49

Yeah. You'll see yourself and you're like,

30:51

I'm telling y'all something's lost in translation.

30:53

Something is lost in translation. These cameras, these lights.

30:56

You start looking

30:58

like a completely different person. Yeah.

31:00

And so now, yeah,

31:02

like it's a little heavy handed

31:04

with the makeup,

31:05

like admittedly so. And so,

31:08

but that is my thing. Like I said, I'm a

31:10

lot of things, but I'm not a girl who is above

31:13

looking at herself. And like

31:15

the impact of society has not

31:17

skipped me and I'm

31:19

very unapologetic in that. Like you'll go to my TikTok

31:22

and I'm like, come to me to get fillers, come

31:24

to me to get this done. I'm not above

31:27

it. Well, and I think a lot of us appreciate the

31:29

honesty too, because for a long time, people were

31:31

doing those things and acting like they didn't. Yes.

31:34

And it's like, just let us know. Do you wanna?

31:36

We wanna do that. But that's something I

31:38

just got an email today. They were like, do you wanna come in? Cause

31:40

you know everybody's talking about facial balancing.

31:43

And I got an email like, do you wanna do facial

31:46

balancing? And I'm like, yeah. So

31:48

I'm gonna go do that. Yeah, and try it out. Tune in

31:50

to TikTok. I'll be doing facial balancing

31:52

on TikTok. Cause I'm gonna do it. But

31:55

I will say,

31:56

you have to have people though around you who are willing to tell

31:58

you to stop. Right.

31:59

Yes,

32:00

like they're like i've

32:03

definitely like I've

32:05

noticeably people always keep coming on my tick tock recently.

32:07

Everybody's like you're noticeably smaller Like

32:09

I have a friend that called me the other day. It was

32:11

like let's not lose too much more Wait,

32:14

like like, you know i'm saying like let's not

32:16

like let's not do that or

32:18

my mom is always like so do we need

32:20

to?

32:21

Do you have to go get the botox

32:23

like your face is already not moving Do we need more botox

32:26

in the face or like? It is important to

32:28

have people though who will ground you to say like

32:30

So I get it. You have to see yourself back, but

32:33

I am telling you that you look fine Like

32:35

so so actually stop. Yep, and I think

32:38

that we see that when we look at so many people In

32:40

the industry, we're like why is nobody telling them right

32:43

to stop right? And so I think

32:45

it is important to have people who can be honest with you and

32:47

be like yeah Let's stop. Yeah.

32:49

Yeah, I still want you to be you. Yes. Yeah.

32:51

Yes. Definitely. Yeah, very important Are

32:54

there any like upcoming either

32:56

beauty or style trends that you're really excited about?

32:59

I really I don't know if it's upcoming but

33:01

I love that we are getting back to the full face

33:04

I've seen a lot of it's like 2016 is coming back.

33:06

Yes The full face is coming back

33:08

like remember the ages when we were like I

33:11

know that my saves

33:12

were full of like

33:13

makeup. Shayla makeup by

33:16

aloe Like amrezzy

33:18

like the high glam girls. I do

33:20

love that high glam is coming back. Yes Style

33:23

wise I really love the low

33:25

rider trends. I personally don't have the

33:27

stomach that I want for it,

33:30

but I love a low rider

33:31

I love that the girls were It's

33:33

like a 90s like I think I like 90s donnell

33:36

jones videos and i'm just like the girls

33:38

are wearing low rider jeans I think that it is really

33:40

fabulous. You know what? I love i've noticed

33:42

that the girls weren't true religions again. Oh And

33:45

now I wish I would not have thrown my true religious

33:47

away in high school Just

33:50

everything old is new again, I kind of just love

33:52

that There's this

33:54

freedom

33:55

with wardrobe period. Yes

33:58

Where people are just wearing whatever

34:01

the hell they want that I'm really

34:03

enjoying right now. Yeah, I think people are

34:05

getting back to using fashion as self-expression. Yeah,

34:07

which is fun to see. Yes, and I think TikTok

34:10

and like places like that have made

34:12

it like a safe space because you will

34:14

always find somebody who has

34:16

style like you. Like if you ever

34:18

like worry like does somebody have a style like

34:21

mine? And it's like, yeah, like, yes,

34:23

you can find your people. You can find

34:25

your people. Yeah, yeah, definitely.

34:28

And it is fun to see. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

34:30

Yeah. And something too. I mean, as

34:33

somebody now in my 30s, too,

34:35

I think sometimes those of us that are a little

34:37

bit older feel a lot of pressure to like do

34:39

what the younger people are doing. I want to

34:42

encourage us to not

34:43

like, yeah, it's okay to not do. If

34:46

you're a millennial, you don't need to cosplay

34:48

a Gen Z. No, no, we can

34:50

update. We don't need to be doing the

34:53

same thing as we were doing in 2015. But

34:55

I don't think we should be. Yeah, no.

34:57

And I think it's been there. There is this thing

35:00

towards like aging gracefully. Yes.

35:02

That is happening. Like we look at the

35:04

the supermodels documentary that just came

35:07

out on Apple TV and like all of

35:09

these things. And it's like there is,

35:11

which is why it's so crazy because it's like we are now the age

35:15

where the girls on Twitter. I laugh all the time.

35:17

We're like when the girls are arguing on Twitter, we're

35:19

the old bitches. I know.

35:21

And I'm like, yes,

35:23

but you know what? The reason

35:25

that now and I used to be that you know, when you're young,

35:27

you're like, she's old. She's just all these things.

35:29

She should be focused on this. She should be focused on

35:31

finding a husband, having kids. And

35:34

now that I'm completely out of that space,

35:36

I realize that there is such beauty

35:39

and privilege

35:42

in growing old and living 100%

35:44

and growth and knowledge. It's

35:47

like the Blake that was calling

35:49

the girls old bitches, silly.

35:52

Like I'm just like, there was so much more to

35:54

learn. Right. That she hadn't learned. Yeah. There

35:56

was so much more to dive

35:59

into. And now that I'm in my, it's so

36:01

crazy now because it's like now that I'm in my late

36:03

20s, I cannot wait to get to the 30s. I've,

36:06

all the women that I talk to are like the

36:08

30s are beautiful. And then it's like, I talk to women,

36:10

they're like, no, the 40s. And then I was recently

36:12

at Essence Fest and I was talking to Tisha Campbell Martin

36:15

and she was like, no, no, no, but 50. And

36:17

so it's like, there is such

36:19

beauty in value.

36:23

I look back at silly Blake

36:25

and I'm like, you weren't doing life right, sis. There

36:28

was so much more to see. It's all part of the learning. It's

36:30

all part of the learning thing. And so

36:32

it is like

36:34

aging

36:35

and girl, Blake don't always love a nip and tuck.

36:38

I want to be abundantly pleased. So I might

36:40

be 60 on TikTok getting a facelift. It might be

36:42

come with me to get a facelift, but that is my

36:44

decision. Nothing wrong with that. And

36:47

it won't be, it's all about your reasoning.

36:49

Absolutely. Like it won't be to

36:52

fight time.

36:53

I will be the

36:56

fine 60 year old with a facelift. Yeah, absolutely.

36:59

And I will embrace it. Yeah. Hopefully it's 60,

37:01

I don't need a face. Hopefully I never need a facelift.

37:03

But if I want a facelift,

37:05

then cut me here and yank it

37:07

back. So yes,

37:09

absolutely. And I

37:11

think as I'm getting older, I'm appreciating

37:13

how much more there is to learn. Cause I think when

37:15

you're young, when you're in your like early to mid twenties

37:18

and you're like, okay, I'm grown now. I know everything.

37:20

The older you get, the more you realize how

37:22

much you don't know. And you kind of embrace that.

37:25

This pattern returns beating my ass. It

37:28

has been the most trying

37:30

time of my life, but it is so

37:32

crazy because it's like

37:33

you're in this

37:34

place. Number one, nobody

37:36

prepares you for how rough the Saturn return actually

37:39

is. But it's so crazy

37:41

cause it's like it is so trying and so hard,

37:43

but you are learning so much at such a rapid

37:46

speed

37:48

that you see the value in it. But I

37:51

am ready to get out of it. But I'm just like,

37:53

I don't really want to learn anything else. But

37:56

I just am learning so much. And

37:58

it's like things that I would have. Like I am a completely

38:01

different person than who I was at 25. Yep.

38:04

Like not even remotely similar. It is unreal

38:07

the change that somebody, if

38:09

somebody would have told me in three and a half years that I would, I

38:11

am, I don't even recognize 25 year old

38:14

Blake anymore. And so it is,

38:16

but there's such beauty in that. Especially

38:18

when you feel like I've been in this really

38:20

introspective place cause the center return will

38:23

force you into it. It does. And

38:25

it's like, I

38:27

think you have to experience these

38:30

things to

38:32

become who you,

38:32

who I actually want to become. Absolutely.

38:35

You realize how important all of the stress

38:38

and the struggles are

38:39

to getting you to where you want to be. Exactly. The

38:42

best way that I can describe the Saturn Return is it's

38:44

this series of events being like, are you sure

38:46

you want what you think you want? Girl. And it

38:49

will continuously test you and push

38:51

you. Yes. How bad do you want it? Right.

38:54

And then the delusion comes in. It does. It

38:56

keeps you going. I think delusion is pushing you. Or she's like,

38:58

this is teaching me. I'm

39:00

like, that's okay. We're going to keep going. And like,

39:03

okay. Yeah. Yeah. But

39:05

I want it. But it's beautiful on the other side. Is

39:07

it? Yes.

39:09

Okay. Yes.

39:11

When did yours end? I'm a Saturn and Capricorn

39:13

baby. So I think like at the beginning of 2020 or

39:16

the end of 2019 was when I got, but

39:18

when I entered my Saturn, people weren't talking about

39:20

Saturn Returns back when I. You

39:23

entered your Saturn Return. Right. In 2018. Okay.

39:26

I think it was when I was that age. So yours was about two

39:28

years. I was already getting my butt wet by Saturn. I

39:30

didn't know what was happening because nobody talked

39:32

about it back then. And then my friend was like, oh,

39:34

I think you're going through a Saturn Return. I'm like, what is that?

39:37

I'm halfway through it. The Saturn is returning. So

39:39

I'm glad at least now you all know. So yours was about two years.

39:42

It was about two and a half years. Yeah.

39:43

But you get through it and it gets better. So I get about

39:46

a year left. All right. It'll

39:48

get better. Let's regroup in a year and a half and see what's going on.

39:50

I'm excited to get an update. Yeah. Because

39:52

it's how you're feeling. It's whooping. It is.

39:55

The Saturn is returning. Yeah. Yeah.

39:58

So I also want to talk to you. a little bit about

40:00

self care, how you're doing because for those

40:02

of us who follow you, like you say

40:05

book and busy. I'm like, Blake

40:07

is doing like five events a day. How

40:09

is she doing this? You have also

40:11

at times mentioned that you have experienced some anxiety.

40:14

So how are you feeling?

40:16

What's what's helping you kind of navigate

40:19

that right now? So I think that this was the

40:21

first year that the

40:23

anxiety had become almost debilitating.

40:27

So this year, what am I doing? I mean, I got a psychiatrist.

40:31

I've tried the med, we're trying

40:33

the medication thing it is.

40:36

But that in itself is stressful. Anybody

40:38

who has experienced getting on SSRI

40:41

figuring out that cocktail sometimes it's like I don't want to

40:43

do this. Because it it like

40:45

for me the issue has been it's impeded sleep.

40:48

And I'm a grownie. The way that I go. It's

40:51

like I have done a lot of like, I'm just not going to take

40:53

it. Yeah. So what I have done, but I

40:55

knew that I couldn't do nothing. Yeah. So

40:57

I now and I talked about this on Alexis's

41:00

thing,

41:01

worked out a lot. Yeah, I've worked out I

41:03

work out a lot. Now I'm

41:06

I have a really rigid supplements

41:08

routine. Like I take probably

41:10

no BS, maybe like 30 supplements

41:13

throughout the day. Some of the main ones

41:15

that are most so the ones that had the one that has been transformative

41:18

for me is lemon balm, which people

41:20

have which funny enough people talked about on TikTok,

41:23

I discovered on TikTok in psychiatrists,

41:26

those that take holistic approaches have all the same

41:28

thing. Yeah, lemon balm really is as great

41:30

as it says, lemon balm, magnesium,

41:33

ashwagandha, even

41:36

though I feel like the lemon balm and magnesium has been

41:39

the most transformative. I've leaned

41:41

into the THC

41:41

for those

41:43

that want to indulge in that. And

41:45

I stopped drinking this year.

41:47

But I leaned into THC because I joke all the time. I'm

41:49

like, I can't be raw dog in this better return.

41:52

Like something I guess something has to do.

41:54

Yeah, but I stopped drinking, which I think has actually

41:57

been the most

41:59

transformative because

41:59

to what you guys will always see on my

42:02

TikToks. And before, everybody would be like,

42:04

how do you drink and eat this

42:06

much? And the reality was, well, that

42:08

takes, it takes its toll. Like, yeah, it was

42:10

great for TikTok to see. The beautiful

42:13

thing is that New York is a heavy mocktail city.

42:15

It is. So you can go anywhere. And it's

42:17

like now when y'all see me doing toast on

42:19

social media, it's like, no, that's like, it's a mocktail.

42:22

The not drinking has been really

42:24

transformative. I do a lot of deep

42:26

breathing now. I have to, my therapist

42:29

taught me that. But it has been

42:31

a, I didn't think that my anxiety

42:33

would get to this point. But it, and

42:35

it came out of nowhere. And I think that it was,

42:39

when I've talked through it with my therapist, I think that it was the

42:41

massive shift. It went from having the

42:43

full time. I think the pivot, like I genuinely

42:45

do think that the pivot contributed a lot.

42:48

And it started with, and I just started having frequent

42:50

panic attacks. And it was like,

42:53

something is off. But I think

42:55

that I am finally, I will say that I think

42:57

that I am finally at the place where

43:00

I have, I've mitigated the panic

43:02

attacks. And the thing is you never, you

43:04

don't heal from anxiety. Right. You

43:06

just learn how to manage it. And I've

43:09

always been an anxious person. I think not

43:12

screwed illusion in order for somebody to go,

43:14

go, go the way that I do. Yeah. There's

43:16

a, there is a, a layer

43:18

of anxiety to that. You know what

43:21

I'm saying? Like, and I think that I never thought

43:23

about it like that in order for somebody to go at the pace that

43:25

I do. There usually

43:27

is an anxiety

43:30

piece. It's like the tweet that said, like, the

43:32

more I healed, the less ambitious

43:34

I became. I love. Yes. And I think

43:36

that I am in peak ambition, but when that

43:38

comes a lot of anxiety, and

43:41

I still am right. Like I'm just going

43:43

to be an anxious person. I have been since I was

43:45

a child. And so I know that, but I

43:47

have mitigated it to where it's

43:50

not derailing me. Yeah. But you just have

43:53

to, you know, I was thinking about it, the

43:55

title of your podcast, because I was like, balanced

43:58

black girls. Like I'm totally not a balanced.

43:59

black girl. But I think that this

44:02

year has taught me how to properly

44:04

manage the imbalances of life. Yes,

44:07

exactly. And so, yeah, so I think

44:09

that this I've only managed it this year, because

44:11

this year has been whooping my hands.

44:14

And so you have to figure out life is never

44:17

my friend sent me this tweet that was like,

44:20

why are the 30s so great? And somebody was like, I

44:22

think that the 30s, why people say the 30s

44:24

is so great, is because you come to

44:26

a point of acceptance that life

44:28

is not linear enough to ever have it all together.

44:30

Yes, exactly. And so I think

44:33

that I am, while I'm having hit the 30s yet,

44:35

I think that I am in that season of understanding,

44:38

there will always be points in my life where

44:40

one thing requires more attention than the other. Yep.

44:43

And I'm in this season where my mental health is

44:45

requiring more attention than anything

44:47

else in my life. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well,

44:49

thank you so much for just sharing so vulnerably.

44:51

Of course, the girls are friends. Yeah.

44:54

I'm like, I'm like, and that's the thing is I think

44:56

people don't like, like,

44:58

now people talk about it a lot,

45:00

but there is a mental health crisis in this country. Absolutely.

45:02

In this world. Yes. But especially this country

45:04

that is happening. Yes. And

45:07

those of us who make it look good,

45:09

I think don't talk enough about

45:11

like, me and so many of my friends

45:13

who make this thing look good, or like, this

45:16

is the hardest, most trying period

45:18

of my life, and I can't figure out the why. Yeah. And

45:21

I am not exempt from that. But

45:24

I just I just keep going. Yeah. So

45:26

yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it sounds like

45:28

you're in a season of like,

45:30

getting your toolbox together, figuring out what tools

45:33

are helping you. Yep. While you

45:35

navigate these feelings and all these changes. And when

45:37

to deploy them. Yep. Yeah, I

45:40

am. I'm just I'm in the getting I'm literally

45:42

trying to get a really good toolbox

45:45

together. But I've also like I said, it's like in the

45:47

learning the things. Yeah. I

45:49

can't help but to think when it's think

45:51

of the greater purpose, I can't help but to think that all

45:54

of this is happening, because

45:56

something even bigger is coming, and I have to be

45:58

able in the position. To do

46:00

it and accept it and if I don't have the tools

46:03

that I learned in this season Then I won't be

46:05

able to be successful in the next season. Yeah,

46:07

that might be delusion, but I think

46:09

it's true I that's how I've been thinking about

46:12

absolutely literally just like this is all preparation

46:15

for what is next. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely Even

46:17

what you were saying about alcohol. I've had very

46:19

similar sentiments I don't drink much yet

46:21

past few years because I realized that I don't

46:25

have time to be as tired as alcohol Make

46:27

no and my hangovers also work

46:29

like like it wasn't just that my hangovers

46:32

I turned 26 and then that is over

46:34

like 25 it gets a lot worse and it takes

46:36

more out of you like 36 hour hangover Yeah,

46:39

I was like I don't have time right exactly

46:41

I don't have time to wake up puffy cuz then I'm gonna be

46:43

pissed about how I look on camera I don't have I

46:45

don't have all Sunday. I don't have all Sunday

46:47

to recover. Yeah,

46:49

it's real And so I will say that

46:51

yeah, there's some like do I miss

46:53

the occasional cocktails? Sure, but the thing is I'm

46:56

also having restricted myself so terribly. Yeah,

46:58

but it's like if I want if I do want a cocktail

47:00

then it's like Okay, then have a cocktail.

47:03

The thing is because of how I feel now.

47:05

I just don't desire you need it a cocktail Yeah,

47:07

absolutely. Which I think can be an incredible tool.

47:10

Oh, yeah for Managing

47:12

anxiety. Yes And I I've also

47:15

had a lot of experiences with anxiety and I didn't realize

47:17

how much alcohol was a contributing factor when

47:19

I was younger that now I can see how it

47:22

made those situations a lot work because it helps in

47:24

the moment and Then

47:26

it's like but you then you wake up and you have

47:28

the hangover and the hangover makes you anxious Right you have

47:30

I would have like hangover anxiety I was

47:32

like what I did when I was drunk right

47:35

and like how it was received Like

47:37

this is let's just let's just

47:39

not do it. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Yeah. Yeah

47:42

Well, thank you so much for for

47:44

sharing and I'm excited to as you continue to refine

47:46

your toolbox and like lean more into Self-care

47:49

we're gonna see to see I'm thinking I'm gonna

47:51

try the clay making thing. I've recently did the potter I

47:53

thought you did that. I think we're gonna try that.

47:55

I felt so Calm.

47:58

Yeah now my nails I got my nails done

48:00

yesterday and my nail girl was like you can't be doing

48:02

that a lot. No, it's like Okay,

48:05

maybe like at the end of manicure. Yes, so

48:07

we're gonna try. Yeah. Yes. I really enjoyed

48:09

that the beauty of hobbies

48:11

That yes, and I realized

48:13

this year. I don't have hobby

48:16

Work was my hobby. Yeah or Happy

48:19

hour and eating eating is still a hobby

48:22

But

48:22

it's like that's not like a

48:24

I was like Blake you need tangible hobby. Yeah Yeah,

48:27

and I realized this year that I didn't have tangible

48:29

hobbies. So we are currently on

48:30

a hunt. Yeah find our hobby Yeah

48:33

issues. I keep wanting hobbies

48:35

that the nails impede. That's hard

48:40

Like at the beginning of the year I was like I want to learn how to play

48:42

the piano people nails were like that can

48:44

kind of be trying

48:46

Now the pottery. Mmm. We'll

48:48

see. Yeah, we'll see how we'll have to find

48:50

you Yes, I'm gonna do I'm gonna find

48:52

a hobby. Yeah anybody has suggestions. Yeah,

48:55

I love that for you Maybe I mean, do you like any kind

48:57

of like sports or like rec things

48:59

that you would want to play? Okay We'll find you some

49:01

other not really the athletic girl. That's okay,

49:03

but I like Pilates amazing

49:06

I like Pilates, but I also and again,

49:08

it's like okay. So but is that a hobby?

49:11

You know, yeah, not necessarily like

49:13

it needs to be something to be

49:15

Transparent I do Pilates so that I can look good.

49:18

I feel like hobbies aren't supposed

49:20

to have pure enjoyment pure

49:22

enjoyment. Yes Like no

49:25

nothing at the end that you are like

49:27

this. Yeah, no end result. No end result, right?

49:29

So we'll see what what that hobby is gonna

49:32

be. Yeah. Yeah, we can explore. Yes What's

49:34

so like yeah, but water is a good one. It's

49:36

so fun and the space is beautiful and

49:39

it cultivates relaxation So we'll see definitely.

49:42

Yeah So one last

49:44

thing before we before we wrap up your

49:46

bio says I live a colorful life I

49:49

do What does having a colorful

49:51

life mean to you? My life

49:53

is the people around me are colorful

49:56

and fun I have

49:57

a life that is full of a lot of love

50:00

from friends

50:02

who I call my chosen family to my

50:04

family, like I rave about my family all

50:06

the time. I just, I

50:09

think I had been very, I've

50:11

been very blessed. I have

50:13

done

50:14

things that

50:16

many people can only dream of. I

50:19

have had experiences, I have met people,

50:23

I have, even the lows are colorful.

50:25

Like I even feel like the things that have

50:28

hurt me or scared me

50:30

or have been so

50:33

colorful. And I think

50:35

that that is, I think too, what

50:37

keeps me going is it's like the

50:40

beauty of how

50:43

great things have been in totality. And

50:45

the score, it actually came from this, I

50:48

had never thought of it as colorful until this one

50:50

woman on TikTok comment. It was like, you live

50:52

such a colorful life.

50:55

And I think what makes it even more

50:57

rewarding is that like, nothing that I post

51:00

is not what's actually happening. And

51:02

it's like, I laugh a lot. I cry a

51:04

lot. I feel

51:06

a lot. I experience

51:09

a lot,

51:10

but I look forward to a lot.

51:11

And I think that there

51:14

is,

51:14

even when times get hard and things

51:16

like that, I think the reason that

51:18

I'm able to see past

51:21

my situation

51:23

is

51:24

because I'm like, it has been this colorful.

51:27

You can't imagine that it's gonna get less

51:29

colorful. And so I

51:32

do, I love that. Like even this is colorful.

51:34

Like getting asked to do things like this, it's like,

51:37

I live a really

51:38

great life. Like I'm doing this on a Friday,

51:41

then I'm gonna go home and take a nap

51:43

and I'm gonna party tonight. But

51:45

I think so many of us live colorful

51:48

lives. We just have to see it as that. Absolutely,

51:50

that perspective. That perspective that it is colorful.

51:53

Even when it's not about the lows being

51:55

colorful. The lows are colorful too. Like

51:57

I'm like, I laugh at it. Like I can

51:59

laugh. at the things that have been

52:01

really hard.

52:03

So yeah. We all

52:05

can live colorful lives. Absolutely. It's

52:08

just, it is all about perspective. Definitely.

52:11

I love that. Thank you. Blake, thank you

52:13

so much for joining me here. Thank you. This was so

52:15

colorful. It was colorful. It was

52:18

so colorful. But I love your honesty, your vulnerability.

52:20

Thank you. I really appreciate it. I try.

52:23

Yes. I try. On

52:25

the TikkiTok.

52:26

Blake Newby. Yes. Underscore.

52:29

My Instagram is Blake Lauren, Blake

52:31

L-A-W-R-E-N. The reason

52:33

they are different is because I was one of those people that said I was

52:35

never gonna make a TikTok in my life. So

52:38

I picked the first username that I could pick, Jess.

52:40

And now I'm making TikTok. I'm now

52:43

hosting the, I'm hosting the women's

52:45

stage at Afro Tech in November. I

52:48

am going to be on the tour

52:50

with AT&T for their HBCU makers,

52:54

HBCU Rising Future Makers. So you

52:56

guys can catch me at TSU's homecoming. And

52:58

hopefully I will be on your TV, on a

53:01

major network or streaming service

53:03

very soon. Hopefully you'll see me on Peacock

53:06

or HBO Max or Netflix or

53:08

Hulu, whoever the hell wants to hire

53:10

me. Yes. So

53:12

yes. Yes. Yes, to it all. Thank

53:15

you so much. We will link your contact info and upcoming

53:17

events and show notes so that everybody can find

53:19

you. Thank you so much for being here.

53:21

Thank you for having me. Thank you all for tuning

53:24

into Balance Black Girl. Make sure

53:26

you stay subscribed. We come out with new episodes

53:28

every Tuesday. So I will see you.

53:43

Please note that this episode may contain paid

53:46

endorsements and advertisements for products and

53:48

services. Individuals on the show may

53:50

have a direct or indirect financial interest

53:52

in products or services referred to

53:54

in this episode.