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In this powerful return episode of The Spilled Milk Podcast, Lala and Yolie peel back the layers on what happens when you finally pause. When the burnout bubbles over, when the boundaries break, and when life says—“Be still or be broken.” Lala opens up about her 8-month break from the podcast and how the silence wasn’t empty... it was sacred. Yolie discusses how stepping back all 2025 was necessary and unapologetically so. This episode explores the radical revelations that surface when you stop performing and start paying attention:✨ How burnout is not a badge but a betrayal.✨ Why clarity, peace, and purpose don’t shout—they whisper in the pause.✨ And how hitting pause is not the end... it’s a powerful portal to your next becoming. From redefining legacy to releasing what no longer honors you, this conversation is your gentle permission slip to stop, reassess, and choose you again. 👑 Press play and discover the wisdom waiting for you in the stillness.🎧 Listen now. Share it with someone who’s tired of holding it all together. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Pause 00:45 The Importance of Authenticity 04:03 Navigating Life's Challenges 13:13 Understanding Burnout 21:31 Lessons from Relationships 31:28 Setting Boundaries and Letting Go 34:09 Embracing Imperfection and Redefining Legacy 38:46 The Power of Release and Transformation 43:53 Gratitude and Acknowledgment of Support 44:35 The Villain Archetype and Personal Growth 45:47 Unsubscribing from Negativity and Chaos Sound Bites "The pause was a gift." "The assignment is me." "Honor thyself."

In December 2020, a CNBC journalist wrote an article which stated that 9.8 million working mothers in the U.S. are suffering from burnout.  Of that 9.8 million, 53% of these women are the primary caregiver in their homes "masterfully" juggling work, child care, remote learning, cooking, cleaning, being a wife, and the list goes on.  At the end of the day, who is refueling your tank when you're empty?  How are you countering negative, self-deprecating, or increasingly overwhelming defeatist thoughts? On this episode of Mommying While Black®, we sit down with Chelsey "The Refresher" Richardson who is the owner of four companies and author of two books.  One of her companies, F5 Consulting LLC, caters to individuals and business owners who are passionate about creating excellence both personally and professionally and who want to grow their brands from idea to implementation.  Come get refreshed! Lean in as we chat with The Refresher about transforming and renewing your mind. Follow Chelsey (IG and Tik Tok @iAmTheRefresher) where she gifts humanity with pro tips and gems about examining yourself, peeling back the layers, and leveling up because "harmony is attainable in everything we do".  For executive coaching, process improvement, and mindset transformations visit F5 Consulting at www.ffiveconsulting.com to book your consultation. Mommying While Black® IG @mommyingwhileblk www.mommyingwhileblack.com

As of December 13, we have reached a grim milestone in the United States with over 804,000 deaths as a result of COVID-19, the global pandemic affecting the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the loud and the meek, the strong and the weak.  COVID has struck across continents, race, gender, religion, economic status, political affiliations and faiths.   On this episode of Mommying While Black™, we sit down with Dr. Fátimat Okafor (aka Dr. Fáti) to dissect how to safely spend the holidays with our families and children.  You may recognize her face for going viral as the "Houston rapping bride" for spitting hot fire lyrics with her husband on their wedding day, but she is more than a gifted lyricist.  This doctor has beauty, brains, and bars.  Arguably, it's her brain that the most amazing asset of all to her patients.  Dr. Fáti is a pediatrician in Houston, TX--a state with second-highest number of reported deaths in the country second only to California.   Lean in as we chat with Dr. Fáti who has been examining "The Littles" on the frontlines daily.  We thank you for your service, Dr. Fáti! xoxo     That said, be well.  Travel Safe.  Stay vigilant. Also, you can follow Dr. Fáti (IG @drfatimd) where she gifts us with pro tips and gems about caring for our Littles the best way possible while also being gracious with ourselves. #BlackPediatriciansMatter #BlackGirlMDs #HoustonStrong Mommying While Black IG @mommyingwhileblk www.mommyingwhileblack.com

On this episode of Mommying While Black™, we discuss the latest happenings, but get into October being Breast Cancer Awareness month.  According to the American Cancer Society's Cancer Facts and Figures for African Americans 2019 - 2021, "Among all racial/ethnic groups combined in the US, at least 42% of newly diagnosed cancers are potentially avoidable, including 19% caused by smoking and the 18% that are caused by a combination of excess body weight, physical inactivity, excess alcohol consumption, and poor nutrition."   Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in African American women with eight states carrying the highest incidence rates in the US--Alabama, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, and Virginia.   Educate yourself by knowing your family history. Get screened early and often. Eat well.  Exercise daily.  Remove stressors. Keep GOD first. Mommying While Black IG @mommyingwhileblk www.mommyingwhileblack.com

On this episode of Mommying While Black™, we sit down with Operation Stop CPS, an on-the-ground movement birthed through the awakening of two former child protective services caseworkers--Amanda and Tafarrah.  The mission of Operation Stop CPS is to dismantle the agencies created by CAPTA that operate in the systemic oppression that inflicts trauma and rips apart families daily.   How is this accomplished?   Operation Stop CPS created a roadmap titled, "Respond in Power Guide: A Parent and Caretaker Guide to the Child Protection System."  With over 20 years combined experience, Amanda and Tafarrah were tasked with investigating allegations of abuse and neglect.  That means that these women are fully-equipped to guide families on how to arm themselves with knowledge about their rights and what CPS can and, more importantly, cannot do.  For lack of knowledge, the people perish.   Arm yourself so you can protect your family.  Arm yourself so that you can share that knowledge with others.  Listen as MWB gets into this raw discussion with Amanda and Tafarrah (IG @operationstopcps). Purchase the Guide on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Respond-Power-Guide-Caretaker-Protection/dp/B094CXWT2W Donate and actively Fuel the Movement: https://operation-stop-cps.mykajabi.com/donation-page Follow the ladies and the active operations/campaigns to reunite children with their families on FaceBook @OperationStopCPS, on IG @operationstopcps, listen to their podcast on Spotify by searching Operation Stop CPS-Voices Of The Unheard, and on their website at www.operationstopcps.com. #BringOurBabiesHome #RespondInPower #BearWitness Mommying While Black   IG @mommyingwhileblk www.mommyingwhileblack.com

This episode of Mommying While Black™ discusses how families are being ripped apart through a phenomenon known as legalized medical kidnapping.  If you live in America, are black, and have children under the age of 18, each trip you make the an urgent care, emergency room, standard pediatric visit puts your child/children under the lens of intense scrutiny and your family the casualties of medical kidnapping i.e. Child Protective Services (CPS) taking all minors in the household.  In far more sinister and gut-wrenching cases, parental rights are severed forever through the American judicial system.  Sadly, your family could be next. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is the leading organization for physician board certification.  As such, ABMS provides the "expertise, insights and support to elevate the discipline of specialty medicine." (https://www.abms.org/about-abms/) .  In 2006, ABMS began to recognize the subspecialty in medicine known as child abuse pediatrics. Dayton Children's Hospital. May 31, 2021. A place and date that has forever changed the lives and trajectories of four human beings--A'mir and Aniyah so new to being Earth-side and Arianna and D'rontae--newly engaged, new entrepreneurs, new first-time parents, planning for a new life in Florida...the newness is now marred with trauma, baseless allegations, and excruciating emotional turmoil. In this episode, MWB sits down with Arianna Brooks, a mother fighting the state of Ohio and CPS to regain custody of her nearly 7-month-old twins, A'mir and Aniyah.  The twins were merely 2-months-old when both children were removed from the custody of Arianna and her husband, D'rontae.  This is the most heartbreaking story of a young entrepreneurial mother and father desperately exhausting all resources--financially, emotionally, spiritually, and physically to regain care, custody and control of their newborn babies. A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money for Arianna and D'rontae to retain competent, dedicated, and fearless medical experts to challenge CPS and the child abuse pediatrician's claim of physical abuse inflicted upon A'mir and Aniyah at the hands of their parents.  Please share their story and donate.  No donation is too small.  The family has a goal of $10,000 and are at $5,162.  Let's help them get there so they can bring their twins H O M E.  https://www.gofundme.com/f/3jsfq-please-help-reunite-this-family Listen as MWB gets into this raw discussion with Arianna (IG @forever_the_same_ari). #JusticeForAmir #JusticeForAniyah #JusticeForAmirandAniyah #BringOurBabiesHome Mommying While Black  IG @mommyingwhileblk

This episode of Mommying While Black™ discusses how families are being ripped apart through a phenomenon known as legalized medical kidnapping.  If you live in America, are black, and have children under the age of 18, each trip you make the an urgent care, emergency room, standard pediatric visit puts your child/children under the lens of intense scrutiny and your family the casualties of medical kidnapping i.e. Child Protective Services (CPS) taking all minors in the household.  In far more sinister and gut-wrenching cases, parental rights are severed forever through the American judicial system.  Sadly, your family could be next. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is the leading organization for physician board certification.  As such, ABMS provides the "expertise, insights and support to elevate the discipline of specialty medicine." (https://www.abms.org/about-abms/) .  In 2006, ABMS began to recognize the subspecialty in medicine known as child abuse pediatrics. In this episode, MWB sits down with Brittany Budlove, a mother fighting the state of Florida and CPS to regain custody of her 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Teigan.  Teigan was only 9-months-old when she was taken away from her mother in December 2019.  Brittany was permitted 1-hour/week with Teigan and when the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020, Brittany's visits became virtual visits with her beautiful, infant daughter.  By spring/summer 2020, the virtual visits ceased.  No criminal nor civil charges have ever been filed against Brittany.  However, the state of Florida found it justifiable to grant an expedited request to terminate Brittany's parental rights to Teigan. December 2021 will mark two LONG years since Brittany has had custody of Teigan or spent any meaningful amount of time with her always smiling, bubbly daughter.  A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money for Brittany to retain a competent, proficient, family law attorney and secure medical experts.  Please share Brittany's story and donate.  No donation is too small.  https://www.gofundme.com/f/get-justice-and-bring-teigan-home Listen as MWB gets into this raw discussion with Brittany (IG @britbrat0912). #JusticeForTeigan #BringTeiganHome Mommying While Black  IG @mommyingwhileblk

In this episode of Mommying While Black™ we sit down with Yolie, CEO of Freedom Architects, to discuss what is the investment and sacrifice it takes to be a present WHOLE parent.  Specifically, that proximity does not equal presence.  It's not enough to have your child in the same home as you without more or think that because you are financially providing for your children that this alone is all that is required.  Lean in as we discuss this in a raw, spur of the moment conversation. IG: @freely_yolie IG: @mommyingwhileblk www.mommyingwhileblack.com Listener [email protected]

In episode of Mommying While Black™ LT sits down with Jamie, an elementary school educator teaching students in the midst of COVID-19's most vicious virus...the delta variant.  Students are returning to schools August and September in this country .  Yet, tensions are at an all-time high as teachers juggle the pressures of the school board administration, the expectations of parents, the demands of principals, and the never-ending saga of governors' mask mandates.  Listen as MWB gets into another open and raw conversation.  Unorthodox is normal here, sis.    www.mommyingwhileblack.com    IG @mommyingwhileblk

This episode of Mommying While Black™ discusses how being a black mommy in America is a form of PTSD.  Emotions are at an all time high with the state of things in this country.  On Sunday, April 11, 2021, Daunte Demetrius Wright was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis blocks away from his home and minutes away from the courthouse where another white police officer is being tried in the George Floyd murder trial. Daunte was pulled over for an air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror.... The complexities and intricacies of being stamped from birth for a life of perpetual fighting to be treated simply humanely is exhausting.   Listen as MWB gets into this raw discussion with Nichelle of Xcel N Life (IG @xcelnlife0419) and Yolie of Freedom Architect (IG @freely_yolie and @thefreedomarchitects). Mommying While Black  IG @mommyingwhileblk

Part 2 of MWB's interview with Toni of Tony by Toni™--a branding that brings families together through fashion!  In this episode we discuss Mommying While Black from the perspective of working full time and being an entrepreneur striving to create a legacy for your family--creating financial freedom so that we can be more present for our families.  The conversation is raw, the topic is real, and the sentiments are uncensored.    IG: @tonybytoni website:  www.tonybytoni.com

One month into the MWB podcast and we round out the first month sitting down with Toni, wife-mommy-mogul, of the fashion-forward family brand Tony by Toni™.  In part 1, we bring our little kings together for a playdate that took us on an adventure around the greater Houston area.  We discuss how Toni and Corey met, their little prince Tony, our sales jobs, and just God's favor!! It's a great episode that's the perfect segue into part 2 where we discuss mommying while black, our current employment expectations and entrepreneurship. IG: tonybytoni https://www.tonybytoni.com/

This episode discusses how I have experienced mommy guilt as of late and what I am doing to remedy those feelings and the steps I am taking to  limit the frequency of it reappearing. 

MWB sits down with Tasha Richardson (mommy of 3, recording artist, massage therapist, a living your best life enthusiast) to chat while dining on steaks, lobster and good wine.  In this episode, we have an honest discussion concerning coparenting, mommy wellness during and post-divorce, and the lack of diversity in the massage therapy industry.  

This episode discusses how to find your voice and then using that voice to speak your truth.  After being silenced, Megan Markle finds her voice on the edge of nearly losing it all.