824: Written in the Waters Author Tara Roberts on Diving into History, Discovering Your Purpose & Following the Unconventional Path
Release Date: 06/04/2025
828: Belonging That Works: Beyond the DEI Checkbox with CEO Jean IbaĂąez Payne
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Content note: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault and mental health. Founder/CEO Jean IbaĂąez Payne of TI Verbatim Consulting shares how to build humane, people-first culturesâwithout outsourcing leadership to HRâand her courageous journey as a military sexual trauma survivor choosing healing, daily. Highlights âGoing to work shouldnât suckâ: why culture starts at the top, not in HR What HR can doâand why it canât fix leadership problems alone How TIVC blends qualitative interviews + natural-language AI to turn employee feelings into decisions leaders...
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827: How to Design a Life Beyond Burnout with Life Coach Jelan Agnew
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In this powerful conversation, Life Coach Jelan Agnew, LCSW shares how ICU-level burnout during 2020 became her wake-up call to design life on purpose. She walks us through the mindset shifts that took her from overachievement and overload to presence, sobriety, and self-permissionâultimately moving to Mexico and reshaping her work from one-to-one therapy into coaching, workshops, and speaking. We unpack her "empty notebook" and baseline frameworks, why perfection is just avoidance in a cute outfit, and how focusing on feelings first (not the resume or the how) opens unexpected doors. What...
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826: How to Practice Self-Care on Your Own Terms with Asutra CEO Stephanie Morimoto
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Episode theme: Selfâcare on your terms, scaling with intention, and growing a modern wellness brand without burning out. Guest: Stephanie Morimoto â CEO & Owner of Asutra; partner with Venus Williams; champion of practical selfâcare. What youâll learn What âselfâcare on your termsâ looks like (microârituals you can actually keep). Why Stephanie bought a business she lovedâand how she knew sheâs a 10â100 builder, not a 0â1 founder. The pivot from bigâbox retail to QVC, Amazon, and a highâgrowth DTC engineâand why mass retail is tough without huge ad...
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825: You Canât Unknow the Truth â Preserving Black History with Historian JerriAnne Boggis
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In this powerful and timely episode, Iâm honored to connect with historian JerriAnne Boggis â Executive Director of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire â for a deeply resonant conversation about history, healing, and holding onto the truth. JerriAnne shares her personal journey from Jamaica to New Hampshire, the legacy of Black women trailblazers, and the 450-year untold story of Black lives in one of Americaâs whitest states. She reminds us that Black history isAmerican history â and once you know the truth, you canât unknow it. Together, we talk about: đ§ The importance...
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824: Written in the Waters Author Tara Roberts on Diving into History, Discovering Your Purpose & Following the Unconventional Path
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What an absolute JOY it was to reconnect with my sister-friend and former colleague from our Essence magazine days, the brilliant storyteller and explorer Tara Roberts! 𧥠Tara is someone Iâve admired for decadesânot only for her sharp editorial mind and deep heart, but also for her fearless pursuit of meaningful storytelling. And in this conversation, we dive (pun intended!) into her latest transformational journeyâliterally and spirituallyâas a National Geographic Explorer and author of the gorgeous memoir "Written in the Waters." Tara takes us behind the scenes of how a visit to...
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823: How to Face Your Fears, Be Resilient and Begin Again with Immigration Attorney Gina Diaz
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In this inspiring episode of Support is Sexy, host Elayne Fluker speaks with Gina Diaz â immigration and real estate attorney, entrepreneur, cancer survivor, and advocate for womenâs empowerment. From being deported twice as a child before finally settling in the U.S., to becoming a single mother at 19, to beating ovarian cancer in her early 30s, Ginaâs journey is a testament to resilience and fearless reinvention. She opens up about the emotional toll of her experiences, the strength she found in her faith and family, and the power of choosing gratitude over self-pity. Now one of...
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822: How to Overcome Complex Shame with Dr. Zoe Shaw
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On this episode of the Support is Sexy podcast, I speak to my brilliant friend Dr. Zoe Shaw, author of the upcoming bookâStronger in the Difficult Placesâabout what she calls Complex Shame. Dr. Zoe defines Complex Shame as "a hidden emotional wound many women carry from childhood or relational trauma." Dr. Zoe Shaw is a licensed psychotherapist, motivational speaker, podcast host of Stronger In The Difficult Places, relationship coach and fitness fanatic. She is a mom to 5, and is passionate about helping women overcome complex shame and find strength in difficult relationships, including...
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821: How to Deal with a Difficult Boss
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As an executive coach, speaker and facilitator of leadership development workshops, I lean into my specialty around Soft Skills -- which are non-technical skills such as empathy, emotional intelligence, adaptability and resilience -- and teach on the topic in diffferent forums. One place I teach is as an instructor is on LinkedIn, where I have over 78,000 followers and where one of my courses on "How to Deal with a Difficult Boss" has surged to over 15,000 students in the past couple of weeks. I have lots of theories on why that surge is happening (long story short: folks are...
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820: How to Network and Build Authentic Connections with WomenTech Network Founder Anna Radulovski
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Anna Radulovski is author of Chief in Tech: How Women Are Breaking the Silicon Ceiling and Leading with Impact and she is the Founder and CEO of WomenTech Network â a global community with 150,000 members across 179 countries. WomenTech Network provides mentorship, career development, and networking opportunities connecting women with industry leaders at top companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM. Anna also hosts host the Women in Tech Global Conference and the Chief in Tech Summit, which is coming up on May 20, 2025. The summit brings together thousands of executives and...
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819: So Now What? (And Other Questions During Mass Layoffs)
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Laid off? Worried about being laid off? You are not alone! It's a tough time and we're all experiencing it together. In the first two months of 2025, approximately 221,812 Americans have lost their jobsâa 33% increase compared to the same period in 2024*. These losses are across every sector, from government jobs to the private sector, hitting us all hard. There are no easy answers on when it will end and improve. The uncertainty, the ever-changing workforce and the constant reorgs can lead to stress, anxiety, grief and the looming question: So now what? What should I be doing to prepare...
info_outlineWhat an absolute JOY it was to reconnect with my sister-friend and former colleague from our Essence magazine days, the brilliant storyteller and explorer Tara Roberts! đ§Ą
Tara is someone Iâve admired for decadesânot only for her sharp editorial mind and deep heart, but also for her fearless pursuit of meaningful storytelling. And in this conversation, we dive (pun intended!) into her latest transformational journeyâliterally and spirituallyâas a National Geographic Explorer and author of the gorgeous memoir "Written in the Waters."
Tara takes us behind the scenes of how a visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture changed everything. What began as a passing curiosity about a photo of Black women in wetsuits turned into a multi-year, purpose-driven adventure uncovering the stories of sunken slave ships and the descendants connected to them.
In this episode, Tara opens up about:
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How following a spark of curiosity led her to scuba diving and uncovering buried Black history
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What it means to say a âheartfelt yesâ even when the path is uncertain
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Navigating shame, solitude, and the unconventional path as a woman and an explorer
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Why reclaiming history through storytelling is an act of healing, not just remembrance
This is one of those conversations that will live in your heart. Whether you're questioning what's next or just need permission to follow your own lightâTaraâs story is a beautiful reminder that your soul already knows the way.
đ Grab Taraâs book: Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home and Belonging â available wherever books are sold.
đ˛ Connect with Tara on Instagram: @tararoberts_explorer
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Support is Sexy podcast host Elayne Fluker is an ICF-trained Executive Coach for high-performing women who are transitioning to their next level. Her clients have worked for organizations such as Pfizer, Amazon, Expedia, Bain & Company and more. She is creator of Next Level Navigator -- a dynamic 3-month coaching program for women leaders. Elayne is also an author, speaker, and facilitator of leadership development workshops for Fortune 500 companies and organizations. Her LinkedIn Learning courseshave been attended by more than 70,000 students. Click here to get in touch with Elayne.