Black Girl Burnout

Kelley sits down with Sonya Renee Taylor, author of The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love, for a conversation Kelley calls essential reading for every Black woman. They trace the phrase's origin story, unpack what body shame really is beneath the physical, and walk through Sonya's roadmap for opting out of shame and into radical self-love: mapping your way out of shame, the four pillars of practice, and why community and self-compassion are what actually make the work sustainable.
Key Takeaways
Body shame isn't only physical. It shows up as shame around our needs, our emotions, our voice, and how much space we let ourselves take up. The physical body is just where 90% of the conversation gets stuck.
Opting out of shame starts with three peace treaties: making peace with not understanding, making peace with difference, and making peace with our bodies, in that order.
Radical self-love isn't something you build, it's your default state. The four pillars (taking out the toxic, mind matters, unapologetic action, collective compassion) are about removing what's been layered on top, not adding something new.
Episode Highlights & Timestamps
02:00 - Where the phrase "the body is not an apology" came from
08:00 - What body shame really means, beyond the physical
13:00 - Mapping your way out of shame: the three-step framework
20:00 - Making peace with our bodies as "currency"
29:00 - The four pillars of a radical self-love practice
55:00 - Where to connect with Sonya Renee Taylor
Gentle Invitation
This week, notice one place you apologize for taking up space, in your body, your voice, your needs, or your wants.
You don't have to fix it. Just notice it, and see if you can meet it with the same grace Sonya describes: "It's okay. I love you, just as you are."
Choose one small, unapologetic action. Not ten. Just one.
Let that be enough for now.
Connect with Sonya Renee Taylor
Instagram: @SonyaReneeTaylor
Patreon: Sonya Renee Taylor
Website: sonyareneetaylor.com
Book: The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love
Support the Show
If you'd like to make a one-time gift in honor of this milestone and support the continued work of Black Girl Burnout, you can donate through Ko-fi at ko-fi.com/blackgirlburnout.
Like, follow, and subscribe across all platforms. Find us @blackgirlburnout.
Subscribe to our newsletter at blackgirlburnout.com. Watch on YouTube. Drop a review — your words make a real difference, and they warm Kelley's whole heart every single time.
Stay in Touch
Join our Substack family for weekly reflections, tools, and behind-the-scenes notes from Kelley.
Become a paid subscriber ($8/month) for exclusive resources and monthly workshops.
Our Sponsors
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We're on hiatus, but Kelley couldn't let August start without checking in. In this solo episode, she talks about why this month feels less about goal-crushing and more about giving herself permission, to have fun, to earn what she's worth, and to be brave, vulnerable, and visible. From booking concert tickets before she "earned" them to rehabbing the Substack membership, this is a conversation about scheduling joy instead of waiting for it, and about what's coming next for Black Girl Burnout.
Key Takeaways
Waiting for permission is its own kind of emotional death sentence. So many of us live in an invisible waiting room, we've done the courses, read the books, listened to the podcasts, but still wait for the "right time" to actually live differently.
Joy is scheduled, not earned. Kelley bought concert tickets to see Olivia Dean months in advance as a reminder that delight doesn't have to be a reward for finishing a task, it can be planned for.
Worthiness shows up in money and visibility too. Giving yourself permission isn't just emotional, it's charging what you're worth, unlearning inherited scarcity stories, and being willing to be seen.
Episode Highlights & Timestamps
00:00:00 -Welcome back: why Kelley couldn't let August start without a hiatus check-in
02:00 - The invisible waiting room: why so many of us know what to do but haven't stepped through the door
05:19 - Permission #1: More fun: scheduling joy on purpose (hello, Olivia Dean tickets) instead of waiting for it to drop in your lap
08:04 - Permission #2: More money: worthiness, unlearning scarcity stories, and separating guilt from what you charge
11:04 - Permission #3: Bravery, vulnerability & visibility: showing up more on social, and what's coming with the Substack membership rehab and the first digital magazine
15:07 - The bigger invitation: what could August become if you stopped waiting and started participating in your own life?
17:30 - Outro: catalog picks to revisit on hiatus, including the Michelle Young, Sonia Renee Taylor, and Morgan Harper Nichols interviews
Gentle Invitation
This week, notice where you're waiting for permission you could just give yourself.
What are you telling yourself you'll do "when", when you lose the weight, when you have more money, when someone else validates the idea? What would it look like to do it now, in one small way?
Choose one micro-permission. Not ten. Just one. Schedule the joy, send the pitch, post the thing.
Let that be enough for now.
Support the Show
If you'd like to make a one-time gift in honor of this milestone and support the continued work of Black Girl Burnout, you can donate through Ko-fi at ko-fi.com/blackgirlburnout. Thank you for being part of this community.
Like, follow, and subscribe across all platforms. Find us @blackgirlburnout.
Subscribe to our newsletter at blackgirlburnout.com.
Watch on YouTube. Drop a review, your words make a real difference, and they warm Kelley's whole heart every single time.
Stay in Touch
Join our Substack family for weekly reflections, tools, and behind-the-scenes notes from Kelley, including a first look at the digital magazine and the rehabbed membership community.
Become a paid Substack subscriber ($8/month, the cost of a latte!) for exclusive resources to support your burnout-free life.
Our Sponsors
Savvy Ladies Free Financial Helpline: https://www.savvyladies.org/
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In this thoughtful conversation, Kelley sits down with licensed clinical social worker Michelle Goodloe to explore what burnout really is—and why so many Black women experience it differently. Michelle shares her personal journey through professional burnout, explains why self-care alone isn't enough to recover, and offers a compassionate framework for rebuilding a healthier relationship with yourself through boundaries, restorative self-care, and intentional slowing down.
Together, they unpack the Strong Black Woman stereotype, capitalism fatigue, identity beyond work, and why healing begins with giving yourself permission to become more than what the world expects of you. The episode is both validating and practical, offering listeners tangible first steps toward burnout recovery and a more joyful, sustainable life.
Key Takeaways
Burnout develops over time—and recovery does too. Healing begins by slowing down, identifying what's contributing to burnout, and taking small, sustainable steps toward rest.
Boundaries are an act of self-respect. Healthy boundaries protect your time, energy, and joy while teaching others how to have healthy relationships with you.
Black women deserve identities beyond "strong." You have permission to redefine strength to include rest, softness, vulnerability, and self-compassion.
Episode Highlights & Timestamps
00:02 – Michelle's personal burnout story
Michelle shares how professional burnout transformed both her life and the work she does today.
09:00 – What burnout actually is
A powerful conversation on how burnout develops over time, the role of capitalism fatigue, and recognizing the signs before your body forces you to stop.
16:30 – Beyond the Strong Black Woman stereotype
Michelle and Kelley unpack how inherited expectations around strength contribute to burnout and how Black women can redefine what strength means for themselves.
29:00 – Boundaries protect your joy
Michelle shares practical boundary-setting strategies—including her "Yes, No, Yes" framework—and explains why protecting your time is essential for burnout recovery.
A Gentle Invitation
This week, ask yourself one simple question: "What would help me go from a 10 to a 9?" Instead of trying to overhaul your life, choose one small way to slow down—reschedule one task, say no to one request, or create one boundary that protects your time. Burnout recovery isn't about changing everything overnight; it's about consistently choosing yourself, one step at a time.
Connect with Michelle
G. Michelle Goodloe, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker, burnout recovery strategist, and founder of Gmichelle Wellness. Through her therapy-informed approach, Michelle helps exhausted professionals—especially Black women and helping professionals—recover from burnout, unlearn toxic productivity, and build sustainable self-care practices rooted in compassion and rest.
Website: Gmichelle Wellness
Instagram: @thegmichelle (https://www.instagram.com/thegmichelle)
Books & Guided Journals
The Self-Care Investment: Your Guide to Making Your Self-Care Non-Negotiable – A practical workbook filled with guided exercises, self-care trackers, and reflective activities to help you build a personalized, sustainable self-care practice.
Purchase: The Self-Care Investment
I Own My Magic: Self-Talk for Black Women – An affirmation and self-reflection journal designed to help Black women strengthen self-esteem, practice self-compassion, and embrace their softness.
Purchase: I Own My Magic
Self Explore, Self Restore – A guided self-care journal with thoughtful prompts to help you reconnect with yourself, reduce stress, and make self-care a consistent part of everyday life.
Purchase: Self Explore, Self Restore
Support the Show
If you'd like to make a one-time gift in honor of this milestone and support the continued work of Black Girl Burnout, you can donate through Ko-fi at ko-fi.com/blackgirlburnout. Thank you for being part of this community.
Like, follow, and subscribe across all platforms. Find us @blackgirlburnout.
Subscribe to our newsletter at blackgirlburnout.com. Watch on YouTube. Drop a review — your words make a real difference, and they warm Kelley's whole heart every single time.
Stay in Touch
Join our Substack family for weekly reflections, tools, and behind-the-scenes notes from Kelley.
Become a paid subscriber ($8/month) for exclusive resources and monthly workshops.
Our Sponsors
Advertising Inquiries: RedCircle | Privacy & Opt-Out: RedCircle

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Michelle Young joins Kelley for an honest conversation about what happens when life changes in ways you never expected. From navigating sudden public attention after The Bachelor and The Bachelorette to living with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), Michelle shares how she's learned to redefine strength, embrace rest, and let go of the belief that productivity determines worth.
Together, they explore burnout, chronic illness, boundaries, activism, community, and the courage to build a gentler life. Michelle also reflects on finding new purpose through her foundation, supporting underserved students, and discovering that slowing down doesn't mean giving up—it creates space to live with greater intention, joy, and authenticity.
Key Takeaways
Rest is not something you earn—it's essential to healing. True strength isn't always pushing through; sometimes it's leaving a little energy in the tank.
Your worth isn't measured by your productivity. Healing often requires redefining success and learning that who you are matters more than what you accomplish.
A meaningful life is built through intentional choices. Whether it's protecting your energy, setting boundaries, or nurturing relationships, small daily decisions create lasting change.
Episode Highlights & Timestamps

00:00 – When life changes overnight: Michelle reflects on staying grounded through sudden fame, remaining true to herself, and navigating life in the public eye.
17:45 – Living with POTS and redefining strength: Michelle explains POTS, shares how chronic illness transformed her relationship with rest, and why pushing through is no longer the goal.
33:20 – Finding purpose after burnout: Michelle discusses building her foundation, discovering a new way to make an impact, and embracing seasons where purpose evolves instead of disappears.
49:30 – Leaving a little energy in the tank: Michelle and Kelley explore what it means to measure success differently, embrace intentional living, and find joy in slowing down.
See You Soon
Leave a Little Energy in the Tank
This week, notice where you're treating exhaustion as proof that you've done enough. Instead of giving every ounce of yourself away, experiment with ending one day with a little energy left. Rest before you're depleted, be fully present with someone you love, and remember that your value isn't determined by how much you produce—it's already yours.
Connect with Michelle
Michelle Young is a former elementary school teacher, television personality, and fan favorite from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Today, she continues her work as an educator, speaker, and advocate, using her platform to expand opportunities for young people and support communities through education-focused initiatives.
Website: https://michelleyoungofficial.com
Instagram: @michelleyoung
TikTok: @michelleyoung
The Michelle Young Foundation
The Michelle Young Foundation: https://www.themichelleyoungfoundation.org
Through The Michelle Young Foundation, Michelle partners with educators and school districts to connect underserved students with scholarships, enrichment opportunities, and after-school programming like Homework and Hoops. The foundation is dedicated to helping students access experiences that foster growth while supporting the educators who champion them every day.
Support the Show
If you'd like to make a one-time gift in honor of this milestone and support the continued work of Black Girl Burnout, you can donate through Ko-fi at ko-fi.com/blackgirlburnout. Thank you for being part of this community.
Like, follow, and subscribe across all platforms. Find us @blackgirlburnout.
Subscribe to our newsletter at blackgirlburnout.com. Watch on YouTube. Drop a review — your words make a real difference, and they warm Kelley's whole heart every single time.
Stay in Touch
Join our Substack family for weekly reflections, tools, and behind-the-scenes notes from Kelley.
Become a paid subscriber ($8/month) for exclusive resources and monthly workshops.
Our Sponsors
Advertising Inquiries: RedCircle | Privacy & Opt-Out: RedCircle

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Healing isn't another achievement to unlock—it's a relationship we cultivate with ourselves over time. In this conversation, Kelley sits down with therapist, trauma-informed movement specialist, and holistic health coach Jayden Aubren to explore why lasting healing begins with honoring our capacity instead of pushing past it. Together they unpack the connection between trauma, movement, nervous system regulation, and intentional living, offering practical ways to build sustainable habits that support healing without burnout. If you've ever felt pressured to "fix yourself" faster, this episode is an invitation to embrace a softer, more sustainable path.
Key Takeaways
Healing becomes more sustainable when we honor our body's capacity instead of chasing perfection or quick fixes.
Small, consistent practices—like mindful movement, breathwork, quality rest, and intentional routines—create lasting transformation over time.
Building a healing lifestyle means shifting from solving isolated problems to nurturing your whole ecosystem: body, mind, relationships, and daily habits.
Episode Highlights & Timestamps
00:00 — What does healing on your own terms actually look like?
Kelley introduces Jayden Aubren and explores why healing should honor our whole humanity—not just our productivity.
15:45 — Why your body needs less, not more
Jayden explains trauma-informed movement, the nervous system, and why slowing down often creates better long-term results than pushing harder.
39:30 — Building a healing lifestyle through small daily habits
The conversation turns toward practical ways to reconnect with your body through sleep, movement, food, breathwork, and mindful routines.
59:10 — "What brings you joy?"
Jayden shares a memorable answer about finding joy in themselves, followed by Kelley's reflections on nurturing the relationship we have with ourselves.
Gentle Invitation
This week, choose one small practice that helps you reconnect with yourself. Maybe it's taking three intentional breaths before your next meeting, eating one meal without distractions, going for a short walk, or simply allowing yourself to rest without trying to earn it. Notice how that one small act shifts the way you move through your day. Healing doesn't have to be rushed to be real.
Support the Show
If you'd like to make a one-time gift in honor of this milestone and support the continued work of Black Girl Burnout, you can donate through Ko-fi at ko-fi.com/blackgirlburnout. Thank you for being part of this community.
Like, follow, and subscribe across all platforms. Find us @blackgirlburnout.
Subscribe to our newsletter at blackgirlburnout.com. Watch on YouTube. Drop a review — your words make a real difference, and they warm Kelley's whole heart every single time.
Stay in Touch
Join our Substack family for weekly reflections, tools, and behind-the-scenes notes from Kelley.
Become a paid subscriber ($8/month) for exclusive resources and monthly workshops.
Our Sponsors
Advertising Inquiries: RedCircle | Privacy & Opt-Out: RedCircle

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy