We Ain't Dying For This

Crystle Johnson
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

We Ain't Dying For This: A Black Woman's Guide To Liberation is a community of Black women demanding our collective liberation through radically soft living. We feature the stories of Black women who have set themselves free from the expectations of others and are choosing to live on their own terms.

  1. 6d ago

    Why I’m Ending We Ain’t Dying for This

    After three seasons, I’m bringing We Ain’t Dying for This to a close. In this final episode, I reflect on burnout, identity, belonging, and the decision to build a life beyond other people’s expectations.For three seasons, I’ve shared stories of Black women choosing to live differently. Those conversations helped me reimagine my own life, too.I share how divorce, work, loneliness, and the pressure to meet expectations led me to question the life I was living. I also explain “underbelonging”, the experience of being allowed into a space without feeling that you truly belong.Finally, I share what comes next: my plan to open Casa Kinory in Mérida, Mexico, in February 2027, a space where Black women can rest, work on meaningful projects, connect with community, and simply be.Thank you to every guest who shared their story and everyone who listened throughout these three seasons. I hope these conversations have helped you imagine a different life for yourself, too.#BlackWomenEmpowerment #BurnoutRecovery #StartingOver

  2. Oct 1

    She Left Her Dream Life in the US to Start Over in Mexico | We Ain't Dying For This S3 E9

    Markita Privott had the house, the money, and the career she was told to want. But inside, she felt like she was slowly losing herself. At 52, she left the United States and moved to Mérida, Mexico, in search of a life that felt more like her own. In this episode, she joins Crystle Johnson to talk about starting over, rediscovering herself through solo travel, finding unexpected community, and experiencing the kind of rest she struggled to find back home. Timestamps 00:00 - Feeling like she was slowly losing herself 05:40 - How solo travel changed her 08:00 - When success no longer feels fulfilling 09:45 - Why she considered leaving the US 10:25 - Finding unexpected kindness in Mexico 12:40 - Why she chose Mérida 14:45 - Selling everything and starting over 16:00 - Feeling safer in a new country 17:00 - How Mexico changed her relationship with rest 19:40 - Learning to feel at home in her new life 20:15 - Advice for women considering moving abroad 20:55 - Where to find Life Redesign Abroad Subscribe to We Ain't Dying For This for more conversations about Black women abroad, liberation, and creating a life on your own terms. Connect with Markita: Life Redesign Abroad on YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok. #WeAintDyingForThis #MarkitaPrivott #LifeRedesignAbroad #BlackWomenAbroad #MovingToMexico #RadicallySoftLiving ____ I'm Crystle Johnson, founder of Kinory®️, a global social dining community and belonging ecosystem for Black women. I spent over a decade as a DEI leader at Nike, Pandora, and Electronic Arts before building the thing I needed and couldn't find: rooms where Black women don't perform, prove, or shrink. Now I build them full-time, from dinner tables to retreats to a home base in Mérida. If the conversation stayed with you, there's more waiting. Kinory's Liberation Starter Kit (https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit) is a workbook for the woman who's ready to stop waiting for permission and start choosing herself. When you want to go deeper in person, our next retreat, Belonging, Abroad, is this November in Mérida. And everything else begins at kinory.co. Connect with the ecosystem: 👉🏾 Kinory → www.kinory.co + @kinory.co on Instagram & TikTok 👉🏾 The Liberation starter kit: www.kinory.co/liberation 👉🏾 Belonging, Abroad the November retreat at Ixchel Balam → Learn more here: www.kinory.co/retreats

  3. Sep 24

    She Moved Her Family to Mexico Before She Felt Ready | We Ain't Dying For This S3 E8

    A lot of us will wait around, gathering information before we actually move. Alisha Nicholson-Ting did the opposite. In this episode, she talks with Crystle about spending five years thinking before finally making the leap to Merida, Mexico with her husband and son, and why no amount of research can fully prepare you for a decision like that. Alisha opens up about the real, unseen hardest part: not the logistics, but the fear of not knowing if she's making the right choice. She shares how she and her husband navigated the financial uncertainty of leaving behind his role as the breadwinner, how she built community from scratch through spontaneous "side quests," and why she believes that once you've truly decided, everything else moves fast. This conversation is for anyone stuck in the planning phase of a big decision, whether it's moving abroad or anything else you've been sitting on. Sometimes the information isn't the missing piece. The decision is. Timestamps: 0:00 Waiting to gather information vs. just moving 3:26 How Alisha decided on Merida and convinced her family 5:51 Meeting through the SideQuest for Black Women group 9:34 Learning through play, not planning everything out 15:24 The hardest part nobody saw 17:12 Advice for a woman stuck gathering information for 5 years 20:34 Where to find Alisha online 🎧 New episodes every Thursday. Follow Alisha: TikTok @WanderTogetherCo Subscribe to We Ain't Dying For This: A Black Woman's Guide to Liberation, hosted by Crystal Johnson. ____ I'm Crystle Johnson, founder of Kinory®️, a global social dining community and belonging ecosystem for Black women. I spent over a decade as a DEI leader at Nike, Pandora, and Electronic Arts before building the thing I needed and couldn't find: rooms where Black women don't perform, prove, or shrink. Now I build them full-time, from dinner tables to retreats to a home base in Mérida. If the conversation stayed with you, there's more waiting. Kinory's Liberation Starter Kit (https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit) is a workbook for the woman who's ready to stop waiting for permission and start choosing herself. When you want to go deeper in person, our next retreat, Belonging, Abroad, is this November in Mérida. And everything else begins at kinory.co. Connect with the ecosystem: 👉🏾 Kinory → www.kinory.co + @kinory.co on Instagram & TikTok 👉🏾 The Liberation Starther Kit: https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit 👉🏾 Belonging, Abroad the November retreat at Ixchel Balam → Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4oqSFcv 👉🏾 Liberation Starter Kit → https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit

  4. Sep 17

    She Found Family in Mexico Without Speaking the Same Language | We Ain’t Dying For This S3S7

    What happens when you land somewhere completely unfamiliar and find family in people who don't even speak your language? For Shakey Mervin, her journey to Mérida wasn't planned perfectly. After years in the United States, a difficult chapter pushed her to take a chance on herself and leave. What she found was unexpected. A family who welcomed her into their home. Shared meals with her. Worked alongside her. Loved her. And showed her that connection doesn't always require the same language, background, or culture. In this episode of We Ain't Dying for This, Shakey talks about leaving the U.S., finding community in Mexico, her 17-year journey as a barber, and the family that changed how she understands love, belonging, and time. Because sometimes, you don't find home by looking for people who are just like you. Sometimes, you find it in people who simply decide: this person needs me right now. Like, subscribe, and share this episode with a Black woman who might need permission to think bigger about her life. #WeAintDyingForThis #BlackWomen #Liberation #MéridaMexico #blackwomenabroad ____ I'm Crystle Johnson, founder of Kinory®️, a global social dining community and belonging ecosystem for Black women. I spent over a decade as a DEI leader at Nike, Pandora, and Electronic Arts before building the thing I needed and couldn't find: rooms where Black women don't perform, prove, or shrink. Now I build them full-time, from dinner tables to retreats to a home base in Mérida. If the conversation stayed with you, there's more waiting. Kinory's Liberation Starter Kit (https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit) is a workbook for the woman who's ready to stop waiting for permission and start choosing herself. When you want to go deeper in person, our next retreat, Belonging, Abroad, is this November in Mérida. And everything else begins at kinory.co. Connect with the ecosystem: 👉🏾 Kinory → www.kinory.co + @kinory.co on Instagram & TikTok 👉🏾 The Liberation Starther Kit: https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit 👉🏾 Belonging, Abroad the November retreat at Ixchel Balam → Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4oqSFcv 👉🏾 Liberation Starter Kit → https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit

  5. Sep 11

    What Happens When Black Women Stop Suppressing Themselves? | We Ain’t Dying For This S3S6

    What happens when you stop keeping everything inside? In this episode of We Ain’t Dying for This, Crystle Johnson sits down with Dr. Jennifer Taylor, a Chinese medicine practitioner who left the U.S. and brought her knowledge, experience, and practice to Mérida, Mexico. Jennifer shares how growing up as a Black girl in the South shaped her, why she wanted something different for her children, and how her journey from dentistry and scientific research eventually led her to Chinese medicine. They talk about what happens when Black women are taught that expressing anger makes them “too much,” the connection between speaking your truth and keeping your heart open, and why Jennifer believes Black women deserve more options when it comes to their health and wellness. They also get into the identity shift that comes with leaving behind a career, a familiar system, and the version of yourself you built around it. In this episode: Speaking your truth without needing to confront everyone What Black women are taught about anger and self-expression Jennifer’s journey from science to Chinese medicine Moving to Mérida and creating a new life Rethinking what healing and wellness can look like Letting go of perfection and allowing yourself to try something new Building a life and practice that isn't tied to one place We Ain’t Dying for This is a community of Black women demanding our collective liberation through radically soft living. New episodes every Thursday. #WeAintDyingForThis #BlackWomen #Liberation #RadicallySoftLiving #BlackWomensWellness Connect with Dr. Jennifer Taylor 🌿 Website: https://www.5emethod.com/ 📧 Email: hello@fiveemethod.com Follow her: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_taylor_lac 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferhutchison Free tools: 🌸 Perimenopause Decoder - https://decoder.5emethod.com 🌙 3am Wake-Up Quiz - https://3am-rescue.5emethod.com ____ I'm Crystle Johnson, founder of Kinory®️, a global social dining community and belonging ecosystem for Black women. I spent over a decade as a DEI leader at Nike, Pandora, and Electronic Arts before building the thing I needed and couldn't find: rooms where Black women don't perform, prove, or shrink. Now I build them full-time, from dinner tables to retreats to a home base in Mérida. If the conversation stayed with you, there's more waiting. Our Liberation Starter Kit (https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit) is a workbook for the woman who's ready to stop waiting for permission and start choosing herself. When you want to go deeper in person, our next retreat, Belonging, Abroad, is this November in Mérida. And everything else begins at kinory.co. Connect with the ecosystem: 👉🏾 Kinory → www.kinory.co + @kinory.co on Instagram & TikTok 👉🏾 Belonging, Abroad the November retreat at Ixchel Balam → Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4oqSFcv 👉🏾 Liberation Starter Kit → https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit

  6. Sep 11

    She Left the Hustle Behind and Learned to Receive | We Ain’t Dying For This S3S4

    What happens when you spend years believing you always have to be doing more? In this episode of We Ain’t Dying for This, Crystle Johnson sits down with DJ Fre-Quency, a DJ, sound healer, creative, and community builder who moved from Texas to Mérida, Mexico and began learning how to live differently. They talk about leaving the hustle behind, learning to just be, following your heart, getting out of survival mode, and creating a life that actually gives you room to breathe. Sometimes the next level isn't about doing more. It's about finally giving yourself permission to receive. In this episode: 00:00 Learning to just be 03:51 What she got back when she moved 05:05 Working multiple jobs and living in survival mode 12:44 What she had to unlearn 20:36 Making time for the thing you're passionate about Like, subscribe, and share this episode with a Black woman who might need permission to think bigger about her life. #WeAintDyingForThis #BlackWomen #RadicalSoftLiving #BlackLiberation #CrystleJohnson #BlackWomenAreMagic #BlackLiberation #LivingAbroad #BlackWomenTravel #LifeTransition #Burnout #SelfLiberation ____ I'm Crystle Johnson, founder of Kinory®️, a global social dining community and belonging ecosystem for Black women. I spent over a decade as a DEI leader at Nike, Pandora, and Electronic Arts before building the thing I needed and couldn't find: rooms where Black women don't perform, prove, or shrink. Now I build them full-time, from dinner tables to retreats to a home base in Mérida. If the conversation stayed with you, there's more waiting. Liberation Starter Kit (https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit) is a workbook for the woman who's ready to stop waiting for permission and start choosing herself. When you want to go deeper in person, our next retreat, Belonging, Abroad, is this November in Mérida. And everything else begins at kinory.co. Connect with the ecosystem: 👉🏾 Kinory → www.kinory.co + @kinory.co on Instagram & TikTok 👉🏾 The Liberation Starter Kit: https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit 👉🏾 Belonging, Abroad the November retreat at Ixchel Balam → Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4oqSFcv

  7. Sep 10

    She Had the Life She Wanted. So Why Did She Leave? | We Ain’t Dying For This S3E4

    What if the life you built is actually costing you your peace? In this episode of We Ain't Dying For This, Crystle Johnson sits down with LaGloria to talk about leaving behind a life that looked good on paper, moving to Mérida, Mexico, and learning that sometimes liberation doesn't mean blowing your entire life up. Sometimes it means giving yourself permission to imagine something different. Timestamps 00:00 — When the life you built is no longer sustainable 03:55 — What staying was costing La Gloria 09:57 — What happens when you put your peace at the center 17:51 — Letting go of FOMO 20:02 — Why you need to give up your current reality and think bigger The biggest question isn't always "How do I escape?" Sometimes it's: "What if my life could actually be better than this?" If this episode resonated with you, hold on to that feeling. Like, subscribe, and share this episode with a Black woman who might need permission to think bigger about her life. #BlackWomen #BlackWomenAreMagic #BlackLiberation #RadicalSoftLiving #LivingAbroad #BlackWomenTravel #LifeTransition #Burnout #SelfLiberation ____ I'm Crystle Johnson, founder of Kinory®️, a global social dining community and belonging ecosystem for Black women. I spent over a decade as a DEI leader at Nike, Pandora, and Electronic Arts before building the thing I needed and couldn't find: rooms where Black women don't perform, prove, or shrink. Now I build them full-time, from dinner tables to retreats to a home base in Mérida. If the conversation stayed with you, there's more waiting. Kinory's Liberation Starter Kit (https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit) is a workbook for the woman who's ready to stop waiting for permission and start choosing herself. When you want to go deeper in person, our next retreat, Belonging, Abroad, is this November in Mérida. And everything else begins at kinory.co. Connect with the ecosystem: 👉🏾 Kinory → www.kinory.co + @kinory.co on Instagram & TikTok 👉🏾 The Liberation Starther Kit: https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit 👉🏾 Belonging, Abroad the November retreat at Ixchel Balam → Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4oqSFcv 👉🏾 Liberation Starter Kit → https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit

  8. Sep 10

    Nothing Has To Be Forever with Obi Nwabuzor | We Ain't Dying For This S3E3

    What if your next chapter wasn't supposed to be forever? Obi originally moved to Mérida, Mexico for what she thought would be a six-month adventure. Five years later, she has helped build one of the city's most recognized Black communities while challenging everything she believed about permanence, legacy, and belonging. In this conversation, we explore: • Moving abroad without a perfect plan • Why community changes everything • Building Black Mérida from the ground up • The beauty of impermanence • Creating legacy without staying forever • Why waiting for certainty keeps us stuck Whether you're dreaming of living abroad or simply wondering what's next in your own life, this episode offers a refreshing perspective on choosing presence over perfection. Subscribe for more conversations about intentional living, community, and designing a life that feels like your own. ____ I'm Crystle Johnson, founder of Kinory®️, a global social dining community and belonging ecosystem for Black women. I spent over a decade as a DEI leader at Nike, Pandora, and Electronic Arts before building the thing I needed and couldn't find: rooms where Black women don't perform, prove, or shrink. Now I build them full-time, from dinner tables to retreats to a home base in Mérida. If the conversation stayed with you, there's more waiting. Kinory's Liberation Starter Kit (https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit) is a workbook for the woman who's ready to stop waiting for permission and start choosing herself. When you want to go deeper in person, our next retreat, Belonging, Abroad, is this November in Mérida. And everything else begins at kinory.co. Connect with the ecosystem: 👉🏾 Kinory → www.kinory.co + @kinory.co on Instagram & TikTok 👉🏾 The Liberation Starther Kit: https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit 👉🏾 Belonging, Abroad the November retreat at Ixchel Balam → Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4oqSFcv 👉🏾 Liberation Starter Kit → https://bit.ly/liberationstarterkit

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out of 5
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About

We Ain't Dying For This: A Black Woman's Guide To Liberation is a community of Black women demanding our collective liberation through radically soft living. We feature the stories of Black women who have set themselves free from the expectations of others and are choosing to live on their own terms.

Information

  • Creator
    Crystle Johnson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Crystle Johnson
  • Show Website
    We Ain't Dying For This