Say It Straight Sessions with TLC

Say It Straight Sessions with TLC
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Personal Journals

Some conversations make you laugh. Some make you uncomfortable.The best ones make you feel understood.Welcome to Say It Straight Sessions with TLC, where Tonichi Achurra-Parekh, Larah Diaz-Sta. Maria, and Claire Sommereux-Alfonso talk about the realities women rarely admit out loud from navigating leadership and ambition to relationships, boundaries, identity, and everything in between.These aren't conversations reserved for CEOs or women who've "made it." They're for every woman who's ever questioned herself, felt stretched too thin, celebrated a win that somehow still felt lonely, or wondered if she's the only one figuring it out as she goes.With honesty, humor, and perspective earned through experience, every episode feels like sitting down with the friends who tell you the truth, remind you you're not alone, and somehow leave you lighter than when you arrived.Because life doesn't come with all the answers.But it gets a little easier when someone says it straight.

Episodes

  1. Jul 6

    Passing the Leadership DNA, Empowering Others, and Building Impact | Costs of Leadership

    Leadership is remembered less for the spotlight it stood in and more for the light it gave others.  Leadership is often measured in wins and milestones, but its greatest joy comes from seeing people grow, teams succeed, and lessons endure long after the work is done.   In Episode 8 of No Agenda with TLC, Tonichi, Larah, and Claire reflect on the costs of leadership that lingers: the moments of standing firm for a team, the joy of watching someone grow into their own strength, and the resilience built in the middle of crisis.  Their stories reveal that leadership is less about heroics and more about the shared credit and wisdom. Above all, what endures are not the metrics, but the lessons carried forward and the impact left behind. A legacy built not on titles, but on the strength left behind in others.  Off The Record, On Your Heart: Passing the DNA. It’s the transfer of values, resilience, and vision that outlasts any single leader. Leadership Lives in Shared Credit. The truest measure is not standing alone, but seeing others rise because you cleared the path. Not All Struggle Is Loss. The sleepless nights and emotional taxes become the very lessons that endure. Legacy Outlasts Titles. What remains is not the role you held, but the wisdom you passed on and the growth you sparked. Joy Is the Quiet Glue. Leadership is remembered in the moments that outlive the metrics, when others shine because you believed in them.  © 2026 A Team Dklutr Production

  2. Jun 22

    Belonging, Identity, and the Weight of Visibility: Pride Month with No Agenda with TLC

    Pride isn’t just about the colors we see in June.  In Episode 7 of No Agenda with TLC, Tonichi, Larah, and Claire sit with stories and voices from the LGBTQ+ community sharing what visibility, courage, and belonging really look like. Each guest video opens a window into lived experience. They talk about what it means to hold hands in public, to face microaggressions, to find resilience in high school hallways, and to insist on inclusion that is more than just symbolic. What comes through is that Pride is layered. It’s joy and struggle, celebration and challenge, resilience and recognition. And in those reflections, you hear how identity and community become strength, the ones you carry with you long after the parade ends. Happy Pride Month, Sang’gre’s! 🌈  Off The Record, On Your Heart: Belonging Is Built Daily. Community isn’t only found in big celebrations, but in the quiet ways we hold space for each other. Symbols Don’t Replace Stories. Rainbows matter, but the voices behind them are what make Pride real. Inclusion Is More Than Policy. It’s felt when workplaces, families, and friendships embrace authenticity without condition. Visibility Is More Than a Parade. Pride isn’t just about showing up once a year — it’s about the courage to be seen in the ordinary moments. Visibility Can Feel Heavy. Being seen is powerful, but it also means carrying stares, questions, and risks that others don’t face. We'd Love to Hear Your Stories! This conversation reminds us that being seen is not always simple.  Sometimes it comes with weight, questions, and unspoken moments. The cost of becoming visible or the cost of becoming yourself is __________. © 2026 A Team Dklutr Production

  3. Jun 8

    Guidance, Gaps, and The Many Faces of Fatherhood | The Men Who Shaped Us

    In this Father’s Day episode of No Agenda, Tonichi, Larah, and Claire reflect on the men who shaped their lives. Not just fathers, but father figures, stepfathers, grandfathers, and the quiet presence of who stepped in when it mattered most. They share honest, personal stories about growing up with very different experiences of fatherhood: presence, absence, rebuilding relationships, and learning what steady love can look like in different forms. From childhood memories to adult reflection, the conversation explores how these relationships shaped their sense of safety, identity, resilience, and love. More than a celebration, this episode is a candid look at what fatherhood really means when stripped of expectations, and what stays with you long after childhood is over. As we mark Father’s Day, we hold space for those who shaped us in quiet and lasting ways. Wishing a thoughtful Father’s Day to all who carry that role–in blood, in choice, and in presence.  Off The Record, On Your Heart: Fatherhood Is Not Always Singular. For some, it comes from a grandfather, an uncle, or multiple father figures who step in and hold different parts of a child’s life together. Forgiveness Often Comes Later Than Understanding.  For some, it arrives only after new figures enter the picture and show what steady presence feels like. Presence Teaches Safety More Than Words Ever Can. When parents show up consistently, a child learns what stability feels like without needing it explained.A Father Can Shape Your Confidence Without Direct Instruction. From how to speak to people, to how to hold a room, to how to believe in oneself without question. Father Figures Are Not Only By Blood. They can be a choice, such men who stepped up by choice We'd Love to Hear Your Stories! Sometimes the word “father” doesn’t point to just one person. It can point to a mix of people, moments, or even memories you’re still trying to understand. If someone came to mind while listening today, we’d really love to hear about them — who showed up for you, and what they taught you along the way. 💙 © 2026 A Team Dklutr Production

  4. May 25

    Seen by Many, Known by Few | Gladys Reyes on No Agenda with TLC

    Maybe the real work is staying yourself after others label you. In Episode 5 of No Agenda with TLC, Tonichi, Larah, and Claire are joined by special guest Gladys Reyes for a conversation that goes way beyond the “kontrabida” everyone grew up knowing her for. From her Little Miss Philippines days to becoming one of television’s most iconic kontrabidas, Gladys opens up about growing up in the public eye while trying to hold on to who she is outside of the roles people remember her for.  In a touch deeper on motherhood and the work of staying true through it all, beneath all the stories and laughter is something understood by most: what it means to be remembered for one version of yourself while still growing into another.  Pull up a chair and catch up with us. Somehow, it lands differently when you hear it from her. Find Gladys Reyes-Sommereux on Instagram: @iamgladysreyes Off The Record, On Your Heart: Not Everyone Who Misunderstands You Is Your Enemy. Sometimes they just met a version of you they never stayed long enough to know.Being Seen Is Not the Same as Being Known. One is perception. The other takes time, care, and a willingness to look again.Public Life Does Not Replace Private Identity. Wife, mother, leader, public figure. None of these erase who you were before.Never Tried to Escape the Villain Role. Some labels don’t limit you when you stop treating them like something to fix, and start treating them like something to master.Loving the Job Means You Don’t Need to Be Liked for Every Part of It.  When you’re grounded in the craft, approval becomes optional, and consistency becomes the real reward.Being Misunderstood Publicly Is Part of Being Visible. The trade is that the more people see you, the more versions of you get created without your input.  © 2026 A Team Dklutr Production

  5. May 11

    Grace, Grit, and Getting It Wrong: What Motherhood Actually Teaches You

    You think you know yourself. And then you become a mom. In Episode 4 of No Agenda with TLC, Tonichi, Larah, and Claire set aside their leadership hats and get into the role that changed them most: motherhood. This is their Mother's Day episode, and it is exactly what you would expect from three women who never do anything halfway. They talk about who they were before: the ambitious one, the happy-go-lucky one, the self-directed one who lived by a strict rule book, and what happened to all of that the moment a child arrived and quietly rewired everything. From Larah's moment of laser-sharp instinct when Max choked on an M&M, to Tonichi becoming fiercer and softer at the same time as a young single mom, to Claire learning that grace is not about being gentle -- it is about staying faithful even on the days it is hard to love them. This episode goes there. They also ask their kids. And the answers will get you. 90% of motherhood is sacrifice. The other 10% is incomparable. And if you have ever second-guessed yourself as a parent, this one is your reminder that you are exactly who your child needs. Happy Mother's Day, Sang’gres. This one is for you. 🤍 Off The Record, On Your Heart: You Were a Whole Person Before. Motherhood Did Not Complete You; It Rebuilt You. And the version that came out the other side is someone worth knowing.Your Instincts Are Not Anxiety. They Are Information. That hypervigilance, the constant calculation, the awareness that does not switch off -- that is not overthinking. That is love in its most alert form.90% of Motherhood Is Sacrifice. The 10% Is Incomparable. And it is more than enough. Every time.Being Present Is Not the Same as Being Available. They need you when they need you -- not when your calendar clears. Showing up on their timeline is the whole game.Grace Is Not Gentleness. Grace Is Staying. Faithful in the hard days. Present when they have nothing to give back. There when it is inconvenient. That is where real love lives.You Do Not Have to Be a Perfect Mother. You Have to Be Theirs. And there is a reason they were given to you specifically.The Fact That You Are Asking If You Are Enough Means You Already Are. The ones who stop asking are the ones to worry about. Keep asking. Keep showing up. © 2026 A Team Dklutr Production

  6. Apr 27

    The Brutal Truths of Leading People Nobody Prepares You For

    Nobody hands you a manual. They just hand you a team and wish you luck. In Episode 3 of No Agenda with TLC, Tonichi, Larah, and Claire get into the conversation that every leader has quietly had with themselves at some point, but rarely out loud. What does leadership actually cost? And would you have signed up for it if someone had been honest with you from the start? From the myths they believed as young managers, to the hard calls that followed them home, to the moments they realized that being liked and being effective are two very different things, this episode pulls back the curtain on the emotional labor that comes with leading people. They talk about the loneliness of knowing more than you can say. The weight of decisions that change someone else's life in an hour. The moment empathy quietly becomes avoidance. And why the best leaders they know are not the ones who never got it wrong -- but the ones who kept showing up anyway. Whether you lead a team of two or two thousand, or you are still figuring out if leadership is even for you: this one is worth your time. Pull up a chair, ka-TLCs. This conversation is for you. 🎙️ Off The Record, On Your Heart: Leadership Was Never Going to Be What You Imagined. The attache case, the busy calendar, the authority -- none of it looks like you thought it would. And that is not a disappointment. That is just reality arriving on time.The Emotional Burden Is Not a Side Effect. It Is the Job. You cannot delegate the weight of a decision that changes someone's life. You carry it. That is what you signed up for -- even if nobody said it that clearly.Empathy Is Not About Whether You Act. It Is About How. Delaying a hard call is not kindness. Sometimes the most empathetic thing you can do is tell the truth early. Clearly. And with care.Being Liked Is a Very Expensive Hobby for a Leader. Popularity feels good in the short term. Trust is what actually moves the team forward. Know the difference and choose accordingly.The Loneliness at the Top Is Real, But It Does Not Have to Be the Whole Story. You cannot always share what you know. But you can build the kind of relationships that make the silence a little more bearable.Leadership Is a Trade Off, Not an Upgrade. You gain influence and lose comfort. You gain authority and lose the freedom to fall apart in the open. Know what you are trading before you sign up for it.The Best Leaders Are Not the Ones Who Never Got It Wrong. They are the ones who asked themselves, hand over heart, did I give everything I could? And then showed up again the next day. © 2026 A Team Dklutr Production

  7. Apr 13

    Chasing Validation vs. Chasing Goals: That Gold Star Isn’t Your North Star

    Nobody handed it to you. You just decided you needed it, and then spent the next two decades running after it. Is it worth it, though? In Episode 2 of No Agenda with TLC, Tonichi, Larah, and Claire trace it all the way back: to gold stars on homework, to recitation ribbons, to being the reliable one, the academic one, the entertainer in the family. Before any of them had a title or a corner office, the chase had already begun. This is the origin story. The one that explains how three high-achieving women got wired for ambition before anyone sat them down and told them to be ambitious. And the more interesting question they sit with: was it ever really about achievement, or was it always about approval? From Larah's quiet internal competition with her sister, to Claire's early years running her lola's business at 12, to Tonichi's childhood prayer to just finally be happy. This episode is honest, funny, and will make you question your decisions. By the end, they land on three questions worth asking before chasing any gold star: Did it make you better? Did it make you richer? Did it make you healthier? Sunshines, this one's for you. 🌟 Off The Record, On Your Heart: Nobody Told You To Chase It. You built the competition yourself, set the standard yourself, and moved the finish line yourself. Which means you also get to decide when enough is actually enough.The Gold Star Was Never Really About the Gold Star. At the bottom of most achievements is an approval you were looking for. Naming that is not weakness. It is just finally being honest.Chasing Everything When You Are Young Is Not a Mistake. It is how you figure out what actually matters. The regret is not in the chase. It is in never stopping to ask who it was for.You Were Not Competing With Them. You Were Competing With a Version of Yourself You Had Not Met Yet. And most of the time, the person you were measuring yourself against had absolutely no idea.Not All Gold Stars Were Worth the Lost Sleep. Some of them built you. Some of them just kept you busy. You are allowed to tell the difference now.The Best Achievements Are the Ones Nobody Asked For. No audience. No comparison. Just you, deciding to be good at something because it matters to you. Chase more of those.Your Younger Self Would Be Proud. Not because you got everything right. But because you got back up every single time you did not. © 2026 A Team Dklutr Production © 2026 A Team Dklutr Production

  8. Mar 30

    Nobody Checked. So We're Checking Now.

    What does it actually cost to look like you have everything together? Welcome to the very first episode of No Agenda with TLC — the podcast where we, Tonichi Achurra-Parekh, Larah Diaz-Sta. Maria, and Claire Sommereux-Alfonso (or TLC!) finally stop performing for the room and start talking to each other (and you) for real. This is the one we've been building to: raw, unscripted, and honestly overdue. In this maiden episode, we introduce ourselves (not the LinkedIn version) but the real ones. The ones who showed up to work while quietly grieving, hustled through promotions while losing sleep, and kept the team inspired while nobody thought to ask, Are you still okay? From Claire's journey of rebuilding after loss, to Larah's intersection moment between ambition and guilt, to Tonichi stepping into a new kind of courage. Episode 1 is a check-in that's years in the making. Spoiler: nobody checked on us… so we’re checking it now. If you've ever felt like you're doing everything right but somehow still running on empty… this one's for you. Like, follow, and subscribe on all platforms. Welcome to No Agenda. We're so glad you're here. Off The Record, On Your Heart: Nobody Was Going to Check. Waiting for someone to ask "are you still okay?" before you pause is a losing game. The check-in you've been waiting for? It was always yours to give yourself.The LinkedIn Version Is Not the Whole Story. Every polished bio has a cost behind it: lost sleep, processed grief on a deadline, and promotions earned while quietly falling apart.Keeping It Together Is Not the Same as Being Okay. Functional is not fine. Showing up is not healing. There is a difference, and you are allowed to name it.The Cape Was Never Yours to Keep. Nobody handed it to you in a ceremony. You just picked it up one day because someone needed you to, and you forgot to put it down.Your Definition of Success Has an Expiry Date. What drove you at 30 is not supposed to drive you at 45. Changing what you want is not failure. It is just growing up.Choosing Yourself Is Not Selfish. It is overdue. If not now, then when?You Are Not Behind. Some of us get there at 40. Some at 45. Some are still buffering… and that is also a valid place to be.© 2026 A Team Dklutr Production © 2026 A Team Dklutr Production

  • 8 Episodes

About

Some conversations make you laugh. Some make you uncomfortable.The best ones make you feel understood.Welcome to Say It Straight Sessions with TLC, where Tonichi Achurra-Parekh, Larah Diaz-Sta. Maria, and Claire Sommereux-Alfonso talk about the realities women rarely admit out loud from navigating leadership and ambition to relationships, boundaries, identity, and everything in between.These aren't conversations reserved for CEOs or women who've "made it." They're for every woman who's ever questioned herself, felt stretched too thin, celebrated a win that somehow still felt lonely, or wondered if she's the only one figuring it out as she goes.With honesty, humor, and perspective earned through experience, every episode feels like sitting down with the friends who tell you the truth, remind you you're not alone, and somehow leave you lighter than when you arrived.Because life doesn't come with all the answers.But it gets a little easier when someone says it straight.

Information

  • Creator
    Say It Straight Sessions with TLC
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Say It Straight Sessions with TLC
  • Show Website
    Say It Straight Sessions with TLC