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How do we stay rooted in self-trust when the world is constantly shifting around us? What does it mean to build a life that honors our truth, even when that means slowing down, letting go, or starting over? In our final episode of the season, Afiya talks about navigating career transitions, learning to listen to the body’s signals, and cultivating a deeper sense of wellness and self-acceptance. We explore the power of intuition, the slow unfolding of purpose, and how nourishment, both physical and emotional, can guide us back to ourselves. This episode is a reminder that your body, your pace, and your path are all worthy . Even if they don’t match the blueprint you once held. Guest: Afiya "Fi" Williams Show Overview 00:00 Introduction to Tea and Transitions 01:39 Career Transitions and Personal Growth 04:40 Welcoming Afiya “Fi” Williams 04:59 Icebreaker Game 09:01 Deep Dive into Career Journeys 14:07 Navigating Career Changes and Wellness 25:13 Building a Life of Liberation and Creativity 31:50 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Show Notes On Transitions: Riding the Winds of Change: https://www.iamwildfiya.com/post/navigating-transitions Afiya “Fi.” Williams is a multi-talented impact producer, educator, artist, and wildflower planting seeds of joy, justice, healing, and love in every space she moves through. For over 15 years, her work lives at the intersection of art, education, wellness, and community with a focus on elevating and advancing the well-being and lives of Black people and marginalized communities. When not curating playful and transformative spaces for clients and her company WildFiya, you can find Fi daydreaming and plotting about her farm, basking in the beauty of the redwoods, or enjoying a curated playlist with a good book (or nearly any other task really).

What does it mean to care for your body across the seasons of your life? And how do our early influences shape — and sometimes limit — the ways we define wellness? In this reflective and generous conversation, Talia shares her evolving relationship to food, movement, and care. We talk about going vegetarian, shifting motivations, and listening deeply to what the body is asking for. From napping to coconut oil to rethinking why we change, this episode is full of gentle wisdom about the rituals that help us stay grounded. This is a reminder that your body is always talking to you. The question is: are you listening? Guest: Talia Witherspoon Show Overview 00:00 Introduction to Tea and Transitions 02:33 Discussing Body Image and Surgery 04:04 Body Image and Family Influences 07:20 Introducing Guest Talia Witherspoon 07:58 Icebreaker Game 13:00 Journey to Body Positivity 19:32 Advice for Wellness and Self-Care 28:48 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections Show Notes Talia Witherspoon is a Creative Director, wellness entrepreneur, and founder of Sweet Peach Pilates—a brand that blends Pilates with soft life rituals to support nervous system regulation and embodied well-being. She’s passionate about helping women reconnect with themselves and design lives that embrace flow, self-devotion over discipline, and sustainable success.

Sometimes, we don’t even realize how much we’re bracing until we find someone or somewhere that lets us fully exhale. In this moment from the hosts’ conversation, Odelia and Vina reflect on psychological safety, chosen communities, and learning to trust the spaces where we’re truly seen. Catch the full episode: Black Tea & Learning to Belong to Yourself with Lan Guo out now!

What does it mean to belong when your life has crossed continents, cultures, and expectations? In this reflective episode, Lan shares her journey of migration from China to the U.S., the shaping of her values across languages and geographies, and how her understanding of community has shifted over time. We talk about caring for aging parents, letting go of inherited expectations, and learning to center your own needs without guilt. This episode is a meditation on transitions, chosen values, and the slow, intentional work of becoming yourself on your own terms. Guest: Lan Guo Episode Overview 00:00 Introduction to Tea and Transitions 00:19 Sipping on Stories: The Power of Tea 01:32 Exploring the Concept of Belonging 02:18 Personal Stories of Belonging 03:37 Navigating Relationships and Belonging 07:09 Guest Introduction: Meet Lan 07:57 Icebreaker Game 14:40 Discussing Community and Values 27:01 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Show Notes Lan Guo grew up in Tianjin, China. After graduating from high school, she moved to the US with her parents. She spent 4 years in New York state for college, then 2 years in Georgia for grad school. Her first job took her to Pennsylvania in 2007. A few job switches later, in 2015 she moved to the Bay Area in California with her husband to take on a new career opportunity in tech. All the transitions so far gave her many chances to try new strategies in navigating through changes. She loves watching people, listening to their stories, and making sense of things.

What happens when you return to the land of your ancestry not as a tourist, but to plant roots, build community, and do the work? In this episode, Ghanaian American consultant and facilitator Akosua shares what it was like to move to Ghana, full of intention and vision, only to be met with the complexity of culture, expectation, and belonging. From navigating assumptions about her Americanness to adjusting her approach to leadership and community-building, Akosua walks us through the learning, the listening, and the letting go that comes with returning to a place you’ve never quite lived, but always carried. We talk about diasporic identity, spiritual and cultural integration, code-switching across continents, and how true community takes shape when you stop assuming and start observing. Akosua reminds us that humility is a skill, gratitude is cultural, and belonging is something we build, not just something we expect. Guest: Akosua Episode Overview 00:00 Introduction to Tea and Transitions 00:19 Today's Tea and Topic: Community Building 03:54 Guest Introduction: Meet Akosua 04:20 Icebreaker Game 09:18 Akosua’s Journey: From the Bay Area to Ghana 14:56 Navigating Cultural Differences in Community Building 26:25 Advice for Women of Color in Transition 30:33 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Show Notes Akosua is the Founder of Dua Pa, an organisation which that supports the next generation of change makers by providing HR and business development consulting services in Ghana. Her latest venture, &Spice, is an agriculture development company that focuses on trading along the agric value chain. She focuses on building community by connect stakeholders and young women who are seeking to make impact. She is passionate about helping underserved people and children find opportunities to grow. When not working, she enjoys learning new dances, drinking tea and doing art projects to relax.

A warm first pour before the full episode brews. Before we sit down with Akosua next week, your co-hosts Odelia and Vina reflect on what it means to build real community in times of crisis. From meeting your neighbors to showing up at the polls, this is a tea time check-in on local action, shared humanity, and why small is everything.

What does it mean to grieve with intention? And how do we hold on to community, identity, and love when so much is shifting around and within us? In this raw and deeply moving conversation, Dr. Ash opens up about losing her father, becoming a parent, and how grief has shaped her relationship to community and self. We talk about isolation, intergenerational loss, chosen family, navigating grief, and the quiet work of learning new language and tools, not just for ourselves, but for each other. This episode is an offering for anyone carrying grief while still being asked to carry so much more. Guest: Dr. Ash Episode Overview 00:00 Introduction to Tea and Transitions 00:30 Sipping Lemongrass Tea and Tasting Notes 01:27 Building Community and Belonging 05:18 Introducing Dr. Ash 05:52 Icebreak Game 11:25 On Community and Belonging 15:10 Navigating Grief and Loss 27:12 Closing Thoughts and Reflections Show Notes Dr. Ashley C. Williams is a thought leader, facilitator, and strategist who nurtures justice-rooted ecosystems across early care and education. As the founder of justECE, her work bridges research, practice, and community voice to build dignified systems that ensure young children, their families, and the educators who work with them can thrive. Her approach is grounded in the belief that wellness and belonging are essential to any vision of justice. Dr. Ash brings magnetic energy, storytelling, inquiry, and humor into every space she enters. Whether she is leading strategy, guiding professional development, shaping equity-driven policy, or co-designing reflection spaces that honor identity and lived experience, she centers healing, joy, and collective care. Outside of her work, she enjoys curating playlists, writing poetry, and making a new meaning of life as Mommie to her young son, Ashtyn.

What if the way you’ve always worked is no longer sustainable? In our season premiere, Laura Saldivar Luna shares the moment her body called for a reset and the journey that followed. From guilt and burnout to clarity and rebuilding, this episode is a powerful reflection on letting go of what no longer serves in order to lead differently. Guest: Laura Saldivar Luna Episode Overview 00:00 Introduction to Tea and Transitions01:03 Finding Groundedness in Career Shifts05:11 Introducing Laura Saldivar Luna05:49 Icebreaker Game10:59 Laura's Career Transition Journey19:33 Embracing the Unknown and Building New Paradigms27:29 Advice for Women of Color in Transition31:33 Conclusion and Future Possibilities Show Notes Laura Saldivar Luna (she/her/ella) is a creator of the possible and a believer in the limitless potential of humanity. Laura specializes in conscious leadership development and coaching to help human beings access powerful breakthroughs in their lives and leadership by tapping into the infinite wisdom they hold within. As the Founder and CEO of Piñata Possible, Laura is committed to creating a new leadership paradigm where people can be fully expressed in their individual identities and generously supported in collectively sharing their gifts to positively impact the world. She lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband, two children, three corgis, and a spirit of possibility that’s contagious. Apply now for The Breakthrough Builder with Laura.

Something new is brewing. Tea & Transitions returns for Season 3 with fresh conversations, honest reflections, and the stories that remind us how change shapes who we are becoming. This season, we’re joined by six incredible women of color to reflect on the in-between spaces, embrace the challenges that shape us, and honor the communities that carry us through. Season 3 of Tea & Transitions begins soon.

After a summer hiatus, we're back with episode 2 and an inescapable topic: motherhood. And while many conversations and depictions around motherhood are forced upon us, we're exploring stories from individuals reclaiming their narratives around motherhood. So grab your cup or mug, and join us as we take a look at how we define and redefine motherhood.   Guests: Deepa Manjanatha and Jennifer Ng

What are we holding on to from previous generations? How do we engage the past while living in the present? What legacy do we want to leave behind? In this first episode of Season 2, we navigate these questions and more as we serve up another season filled with sips and stories from the dynamic lives of women of color.  Guests: Christine P. and Elyse Gainor

As we grow older, life takes us from one place to the next, often creating physical distance between us and our friends. In this bonus episode, we invite our closest friends for a tea time chat on how we bridge the divide of distance and sustain our strong friendships. Guests: Alexandra and Kelly

International global sensation Bangtan Sonyeondan, better known as BTS, have been encouraging individuals around the world to love themselves since their debut in 2013. During the pandemic, many have been drawn to their openness, honesty, and hope during these difficult times. In this bonus episode, we explore the inspirational and joyful role that BTS has played in our lives. Guest: Paola Pinedo-Vargas

In our last episode of the season, we return to the place we started: touch. As vaccine rollouts continue, and we feel hopeful for the future, we revisit this topic again to see where we are over a year into the pandemic, as we discuss missing the weight of another and attending to our grief. Guests: Bhumi Patel and Amber Butts

In this episode, we meet for our weekly tea ritual alongside the heaviness of the increased violence of the past few weeks. Sit with us as we discuss how cross-racial solidarity brought us together as a Viet American woman and a Black woman, and engage our guests in conversations about race, identity, resistance, and friendships.  Guests: Brittney Enin and Ava Abbey