The Work Rundown theworkrundown

Aleia McDaniel set it off this episode. We talked about self-care and wellness, the difference between joy and happiness, the dangers of the “good girl” trope and the benefits of embracing your hoe-dum, the many forms of activism, Beyoncé, and much more. Light some incense or a candle, grab a pen and notebook, and let Aleia get your entire life together. 

1:49 - Lunchtime Read: 31 Days of Self-Care: A Total Mind, Body, and Soul Reset by Aleia McDaniel 

8:32 - Interview with Aleia McDaniel

1:14:00 - Work Fit Tip: Quarantine Weight Gain Not A Joking Matter 

1:26:10 - Fancy Quote: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”  - Audre Lorde

Aleia McDaniel’s Bio

Aleia’s passions are education, Black women, and teaching them how to empower themselves and live their truths, as she has learned on this journey called life.

Born in the San Francisco Bay Area and raised during the crack epidemic of the 1990s, Aleia developed a passion for service and grit for overcoming insurmountable odds. She took that determination to New York City where she earned two Ivy League degrees. In 2000 she graduated with a Bachelors in Sociology from Barnard College, the women’s college of Columbia University and in 2009, she earned her Master’s in Educational Policy and Social Analysis from Teachers College, also of Columbia University. She has spent the past 19 years as a teacher, instructional coach, consultant and now middle school principal.

Beyond her daily work coaching the next generation of educational leaders, Aleia has led both educational and personal development workshops. Her first novel, Pieces of Her, debuted in the top 100 African Lesbian and Gay Amazon Kindle books, and she has been a staff writer for Elixher, a website and magazine celebrating the black queer experience. She is currently developing her new sanctuary for women, Queen Bees: The High Order of Divinely Chosen Women Lighting Shit Up. You can get on the waiting list for that at bit.ly/qbosubscribe.

She currently resides in Dallas, Texas with her wife, daughter, and two yappy dogs.

For more information about how you can book Aleia for workshops and speaking engagements, contact aleia@aleiamcdaniel.com. Check out her website at https://aleiamcdaniel.com.

Hit is up on Twitter or IG @theworkrundown or email us at theworkrundown@gmail.com.

And remember: Breonna Taylor's killers still have not been arrested. #SayHerName #BlackLivesMatter 

There’s a lot going on in the world today and Black folks are tired. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police, protests continue to sweep the nation and the world. His death is one in a long line of unarmed Black Americans murdered by police.  Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Tony McDade. The list goes on. Writer and activist Shanon Lee joins us to talk about her work and the things weighing us down. We talk about it all, from the #BlackLivesMatter, #SayHerName, and #MeToo movements, to the importance of studying pop culture and how Black women can seek help to lighten our emotional loads.

Black Lives Matter. Say Her Name.

Shanon Lee is a contributor for Forbes and The Lily, published by The Washington Post. Her opinion essays on misogyny and racism are widely circulated and have been shared by notables including bestselling author J.K. Rowling, rap legend MC Lyte and political activist Kevin Powell. Shanon is a mentor-editor for The OpEd Project and is working on a book about misogynoir in pop culture. Visit Shanon online at MyLove4Writing.com and on Twitter and IG @mylove4writing.

Lunchtime Read:

“Research Shows Entire Black Communities Suffer Trauma After Police Shootings” by Tasha Williams for YES! Magazine (published August 3, 2018)

Fancy Quote: “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” – Angela Davis

Resources

44 Mental Health Resources for Black People Trying to Survive in This Country

Why We Need More Culturally Competent Therapists

Therapy for Black Girls 

Hit us up on Instagram or Twitter @theworkrundown or via email at theworkrundown@gmail.com with questions, comments, or just to say "Hey girl, hey!"

We’ve all been disrespected at work—from rude co-workers and petty slights, to microaggressions that leave us wondering if we’ve imagined things and co-workers whose actions make us feel like outsiders. How do you handle these situations? What happens when race, gender, or age complicate the dynamics? Jodi and Shaq share stories about the disrespect they’ve faced at work and tips for how they’ve addressed it.

Lunchtime Read: White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo

Workfit Tips: Shaq shares tips on how to tend to sick finances. Check out The One Week Budget: Learn to Create Your Money Management System in 7 Days or Less! by Tiffany "The Budgetnista" Aliche  

Fancy Quote: “You teach people how to treat you by what you allow, what you stop, and what you reinforce. What are you teaching?”- Tony Gaskins, Jr.

Hit us up on Instagram or Twitter @theworkrundown or via email at theworkrundown@gmail.com with questions, comments, or just to say "Hey girl, hey!"

Writer Nicole Shawan Junior joined Jodi and Shaq to discuss her various careers; the importance of owning her story and addressing her traumas; her journey to finally accepting her life’s purpose; why her father is her superhero; and what she has learned along the way about reinventing herself. Get your notepad and pen ready for this fascinating conversation, because Nicole took us to the altar, to school, and to therapy.

Nicole Shawan Junior is a black, queer & justice-involved counter-storyteller. Her writing appears in Lambda Literary's anthology Emerge, CURA: A Literary Magazine of Art and Action, Gay Mag (Roxane Gay's Medium Platform), ZORA, The Feminist Wire, Color Bloq, For Harriet, and more. An alumna of both the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and the Hurston/Wright Foundation’s Writers Week, Nicole has received literary residencies and fellowships from various arts organizations and institutions including Hedgebrook, the New York Foundation for the Arts, Tin House Summer Workshop,  Lambda Literary, and Sundress Academy for the Arts. Nicole's completing her manuscript-in progress, Cracked Concrete: A Memoir of Crackheads, Cousins & Crime. She’s the creator of both the Roots. Wounds. Words. Writing Workshop & COUNTERpult – a Brooklyn-based reading series that centers the narratives of QT/BIPoC storytellers. Learn more about Nicole at www.NicoleShawanJunior.com.

Lunchtime Read 1:30

The Little Black Book of Success: Laws of Leadership for Black Women by Elaine Meryl Brown, Marsha Haygood, and Rhonda Joy McClean

Interview Begins 4:34

Workfit  Tips 52:07

Article mentioned: 8 Self-Care Projects To Work On During Quarantine

Fancy Quote 56:52

(Inspired by Nicole's essay, "How Queen Latifah’s Debut Album Sparked Joy at a Time When Everything Burned")

Others Essays Mentioned

*men rape us and you let them" by Nicole Shawan Junior

"No One Survives the Smoke" by Nicole Shawan Junior 



Hit us up on Instagram or Twitter @theworkrundown or via email at theworkrundown@gmail.com with questions, comments, or just to say "Hey girl, hey!" 

Special guest Dee joins Jodi and Shaq to talk about FEAR: how it shows up in their lives, examples of how they’ve overcome it, and strategies for smacking fear down. Get your pen and paper ready, because the ladies dropped some gems on this fun and enlightening episode.
Discussion Starts: 8:30
Workfit Tips: 1:13:00
5 Questions We Asked Ourselves About Fear:
1.  Tell us about a time where you did something that scared you or was outside the box?
2.  Why were you afraid? Where did this fear come from?
3.  How did you feel after accomplishing this goal? How did accomplishing it affect or change you?
4.  How does fear often manifest itself in your life?
5.  What are some strategies you’ve used to overcome fear?
Today’s Challenge: Think about something you’ve been afraid of doing and take one small step towards achieving it.
Lunchtime Read: You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
Fancy Quote: “You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Other Books Mentioned:
Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn
Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn
What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About: Fifteen Writers Break the Silence – Edited by Michele Filgate

Jodi and Shaq check in with each other about how they're feeling amid the coronavirus outbreak, and share the strategies they're using to keep it all together.   
Lunchtime Read
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper
Workfit Tips
Without a doubt, many of us are feeling anxious as we navigate the uncertainty of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Jodi and Shaq are feeling it too, and wanted to share some of the tools they're using to take care of their minds and stay grounded. Find some space and kindness for yourself and those around you. 

Insight Timer - Offers free guided meditations.
Headspace - The "Weathering the Storm" option is part of a larger collection in the Headspace app and free for everyone. It includes meditations, and sleep and movement exercises to help you out, however you’re feeling. 
Calm - A meditation and sleep app. 
Supportiv - Group chats where you can speak to people about how you're feeling and what you're going through.  https://www.supportiv.com/blog/how-to-help-others-in-an-era-of-anxiety-and-struggle-collection

Fancy Quote:
"My Black feminism keeps my eyes on the prize, the prize being Black women and girls. My Black feminism insists that we center them, that we talk about them, that we build a world for and with them, and that we fight alongside them.” - Dr. Brittney Cooper, Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower