May 2, 2025 • 57 mins
This week, Mandi sits down with the brilliant Jasmine Marie breathwork practitioner, founder of Black Girls Breathing, and author of Black Girls Breathing: Heal from Trauma, Combat Stress, and Find Your Freedom. From surviving the corporate grind to creating wellness spaces rooted in cultural relevance, Jasmine gets real about her journey into entrepreneurship, healing work, and what it truly takes to hold space for Black women’s mental and emotional wellbeing.
We talk about everything from the power of a deep breath and surviving burnout, to funding a business on your own terms and growing a team the *smart* way. Jasmine even leads us through a mini oceanic breath session at the end — don’t miss it
We talk about:
- Jasmine’s transition from corporate beauty marketing to breathwork and mental wellness
- Why most wellness spaces *don’t* center Black women's lived experiences — and what she's doing about it
- Building a company without VC funding: how Jasmine bootstrapped and scaled BGB
- The importance of listening to your body (and your breath) when trauma speaks
- Balancing healing work with entrepreneurship and how not to burn out
- Tools in Jasmine’s toolkit: EMDR therapy, acupuncture, daily walks, and more
- Real talk on grief, generational trauma, and creating new blueprints for Black wellness
Join the Movement:
- Visit https://www.blackgirlsbreathing.com to learn more and access free mental health resources
- Follow Jasmine on IG @blackgirlsbreathing
- Subscribe to *Brown Ambition* and leave us a 5-star review if this episode gave you life!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
At what point were you like, I'm going to teach
women how to breathe and how to heal themselves, and
this is what I want to do.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
This is not something I ever said I want to
do this. It was something that came to me, like
the purpose was put on me. I always say the
breath tells on you. I can look at someone's body
and see what they may be dealing with emotionally, just
where the breath is trapped. Right, Some people, even in
attempt to take a full inhale next sale, can't. Most
people have this huge fear that if they allow themselves
(00:27):
to go to the bottom, they won't be able to
get it back up.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Heyba, fam, I feel the need to be doing this
right now, and you're going to find out why. I
am taking some deep breaths, some deep soothing breaths today
because I happen to have an incredible woman here to
join us today. And her name is Jasmine Marie. Jasminrie
is the author of a recently published book called Black
(00:55):
Girls Breathing, Heal from Trauma, calmbat, Chronic Stress, and Find
You or Freedom. But Jasmine has in her own right
such an incredible career entrepreneurship, business financial Journey, which I
hope you're cool with me getting into because we are
called Brown Ambition. We do love centering women of color
at the conversations about wealth building and thriving and how
(01:20):
it can all work together. And in this book, Jasmine
offers tools, some personal experiences as well from her training,
from her life and just tools that we can use
to cope.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
And I don't know.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
I mean, it's I'm writing a book right now, y'all
know that, ba fan, But it's hard to predict and
you can't predict when your book is going to come out,
what's going to be happening in the world. And all
I can say is it was divinity that made you publish,
that got you to publish this book at a time
like this when if there's one thing we need it
is a wu freakin saw.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Also, she's my sister from Atlanta. Grady baby in the house.
Oh stop, we're from Atlanta. To stop it. If you
were born at.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Grady, you can say you were born you were born
in Atlanta. Wait, hater, I was born at South Fulfon
County Hospital.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Get out of here. Are we going to start? Listen?
Speaker 1 (02:20):
If it's not my black card. People try to come
from my Atlanta card every time. What number texted you
before this interview? What number was it?
Speaker 3 (02:29):
What was it?
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Let's hear and while you're checking, I will remind you
I have lived in New York for fifteen years now.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
I just left New York.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Oh but yeah, four or four baby, I've had that
same number since high school.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
I think I won't. I won't give it up pride
out of my cold dead hands. Anyway, that got dark.
Welcome Jasmine Marie to the Breath Fish and Podcast.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
How are you me?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
I'm okay today, I'm okay. Yeah, I'm okay.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
I have to say I have two little ones. I
know that you don't have kids, and I'm jealous. And
I have two little ones. They are five and two.
And the morning routine I tell my husband is taking.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Years off my life. Years is stressful.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
And no matter how much you prepare, it can be
very stressful to wrangle too tiny humans to get them
out the door. And this morning I was doing a lot.
I was doing this. I was doing one, two, three, four,
Mommy needs to breathe more. And I was just saying
that while my to just picture my two year old
screaming and screeching in my hands like a cat you
(03:37):
try to give a bath to, just kicking like he's like,
I'm going to kick her in the nose because I
don't want this diaper changed or my socks on my feet.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
But breathing. Man.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
And I have to say, I knew obviously I was
going to speak to you today, but it was such
a good reminder for me in that moment when usually
I would get so stressed and then the time it
takes for that stress to leave my body after I
do drop off. It's just anyway, I just wanted to
(04:08):
say that because I even in that moment, it was
so helpful to me.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
So talk to me.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
About your breathwork journey. How did you get You have
a background in business, I know, but at what point
were you like, I'm going to teach women how to
breathe and how to heal themselves, and this is what
I want to do.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yeah, you know, it's interesting, and you mentioned this a
bit before we started today, But this is not something
I ever said I want to do this. It was
something that came to me, like the purpose was put
on me, and it was a fight to not want
to do this, you know, like so like you said,
I started in business. I was working at a global
(04:48):
CpG company in haircare and beauty. Young black girl like
was taken my taking up space but wearing my braids.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
I thought I was so revolution.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
For raised though was and that is it was, you
know yeah, but at that company that really didn't care,
They're like, oh yeah cool. And was just so taxed
from that job. I mean I lived and breathed work.
I think that was so common amongst my peers in
New York City at the time, and found myself super
stressed in looking for tools and happening upon one while
(05:25):
volunteering for my church at the time who had just
launched a community center and the pastor's personal breath worker
was teaching classes.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
So I took the pastors I listen. I heard that
the pastor had a personal breath worker.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yes, yeah, okay, yes, yes, and I yeah, I fell
in love with the tool. I fell in love with it.
Just gave me the space to make more clear and
conscious decisions. Nothing changed in my life. Everything actually worsened
around the time. There wasn't any like huge shift, right,
It was just giving me more age and see to
(06:00):
respond differently to have a different relationship with my body
and also my nervous system. And with that training, practice
it for six years. After six years of personal practice.
Literally you know, got the download that I, you know heard,
take the training, and I took the training and followed
that journey and then.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Yeah, that's the training.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
So was it breathwork training? Yea, yeah. But we're not
going to give the teachers names because they were Unfortunately
there was a big wuha around in twenty twenty with
their practices and how they went about it and at
not being what's the word experience. It wasn't relevant, the
tools weren't relevant to our community. Yet they were teaching
(06:46):
this work. Give it much energy because the work I
use is from working with tens of thousands and corporate spaces,
specifically with the black community, juvenile thet tension centers. Like,
I've just been in the work in a way that
the industry hasn't seen the work. And that's the data
and value that I go off on when it comes
to my practice now. But yeah, after my training, I
(07:11):
in the group training, it came to me black girl's
breathing and I just I was like, okay, hen this
was what I introduced, Oh, I'm going to do Black
Girls Breathing. And we had our first virtual and in
person sessions January twenty nineteen. And it was interesting, right
that timing right before COVID, the virtual really took off. Yeah,
(07:32):
and we got lots of exposure from that from that work,
and it grew significantly in a pace that I didn't
grow my care plan. So it wasn't like I wasn't
taking care of myself. It was just that, like most
of us, experience, that trajectorates, you know, catches us off
guard a bit, and we're having to really check in
how do I care for my body at this level?
(07:53):
And that was some learning that lagged for me, and
so I had the effects of you know, that secondary
trunk and exposure from the work that I wasn't necessarily
using the tools to care for myself and ended up
impacting my own health further. But yeah, that's how I
got a breath work. I did a whole merry go round.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Yeah, there's a lot of things I want to touch on,
but I want to go back. You said that when
you started this breath work through your pastor and the
fact that he had a breath work teacher just stuck
out to me because I mean, growing up in the South,
it's like, you know, if there's no problem God can't fix,
and like it's sort of almost limiting, can feel isolating
sometimes if you're just told to pray it out, you know.
(08:34):
And the fact that there's an acknowledgment that there's tools
that we have to handle life's challenges and yes, of
course faith, but that these tools can living tandem with
that faith is an important message. I think just want
to highlight that.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Now.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
I want to know about you pre this, because you've
had a couple different lives. You use a very scary
way to describe yourself with I think it's scary because
usually it's like serial killers. But then somehow we started
saying serial entrepreneurs. So I always get a little when
I hear it. But you're a businesswoman, So can you
talk about your your career in business and what you
(09:10):
were doing before BGB.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
So, immediately after leaving my corporate job in New York City,
I started a marketing consultancy. I was working with mid
sized businesses VC firms. I helped launch the first co
living space in the Southeast. I did all the marketing
research for all of that, and the marketing strategy.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
A co living space is that you know, co working was.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Like booming, yeahing was really booming in New York City
and San France. You know, I have all these tech
hubs where the spaces are smaller and there's more community,
right shared spaces, and so this VC wanted to launch
one in the Southeast and I worked on that project.
That was one of my one of my clients there.
I just built my portfolio. I would say it was
(09:57):
successful to me at the time because it replaced myself
galary and I kept the same lifestyle for me. That
was success. I used all those learnings to launch my
second business that didn't do well. It failed to left
me with debt. And that was a millennial and I
feel like I was too early because there's people doing
it now. But I'm a millennial in gen Z consultancy
where I wanted to work with HR departments and helping
(10:20):
to engage and retain that demographic. So working with campus
recruiting all of that too. Really excited though, and made
some amazing connections that I ended up using for BGB
once I launched that. But yeah, that's my entrepreneurial journey,
lots of ups and downs and learnings, not anything that
I happened upon. I think others saw it in me,
(10:41):
for I ever saw that in myself. I wanted. I
am a great worker. I'm a great number two person.
I love to be behind the scenes, which is seems
weird given where I am now, but that's my comfort
right well. I can put my head down and work,
and so that's not where life took me. I remember
I actually had a NBA mentor at NYU and I
(11:04):
was telling him my postgrad plans. I was like, yes,
and I'm gonna work on this project and already have
this brand idea and product idea and mine I'm gonna
pitch this when I get in there. I'm gonna make
director in five years. And he was like, so, you're
gonna be an entrepreneur and I was like, where did
she get that from. I was like, no, I'm going
to rise the ranks in this corporate environment. And he
(11:26):
was like okay, and then I'll never forget. I circled
back to him after I left this started my first company.
I was like, thank you for telling me that. I
don't know what possessed you to see that in me
and tell me and see that in me. But thank you.
And so I think the others saw before I did that.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I wish someone had said that to me, because I
had the same attitude. We're not made for corporate. Well
you said you left corporate. Was it because you felt
like you had sort of reached that limit of what
you could accomplish there and you were just ready to
do it on your own terms.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah. It was very interesting. Is I actually got a
new director, black woman, and so I had this a
most of director and I saw her and her life
and and not in a way that was you know,
like oh, that's a bad life, but the reality of
being a director as a black woman. I saw what
she was experiencing and I said, I don't want that.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
And that's not even that high up, like I mean,
it's mid right.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Well, I think for this corporate structure.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
It was yeah, you're right, there's different structures.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Yeah, she was over many global brands, okay, gotcha, So
it was high up and I just saw her experience
and I was just like, I don't want that. And
there were other things that were going on at the
time as far as the stress levels of the job.
That just it was of no interest to me anymore. Also,
you know, personally just you know, young and dumb relationships, right,
(12:56):
and left New York City to whatever.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
But no, let's go to that whatever. Take me to
whatever land.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Whatever land is.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
It's a part of the journey.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Journey, Yes, that's so a part of the journey. But
I left in New York City. Actually it didn't really
leave for the relationship. It was the job. We weren't
together the time. I moved back to Atlanta briefly, and
then we did get back together, and I moved to
Tennessee to work on the relationship, and you know, see
where it could take us.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
But gave it a shot, tried gave it a shot.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Were some there were, of course, looking back, right, and
we can all do this, and sometimes we need to
be careful when we do that. Look back with new information.
And I mentioned this in the book, not punishing ourselves
for new family our former selves, right, of course, looking
back and see the ways in which I was choosing
out of my wounded place, choosing a partner out of
(13:52):
my wounded place. What a relationship looked like to me,
or you know, an ideal partner or missing some of
the red flags because of conditioning, growing up right, and
some of those childhood bombs. So looking back, if like wow,
like you know, like young and I'm like, oh, there's
so many blinders, but they are grateful for the lessons
(14:13):
never have to repeat those mistakes again, which is you know,
the gold and.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
That's the human experience.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Life is just one series of blind leaps of faith
and just like learning from those experiences and then having
the wisdom to like to look back and not judge
or shame yourself, but to use that information and like
how can we grow? It's kind of like in your business, right,
I mean every business that the businesses that you've launched,
like you said, like you were able to use contacts
(14:43):
from the one that wasn't as maybe financially successful into
now your third business and you're learning things now for
what could be your next business or the next iteration
of BGB. And I feel the same. I think it's
all one. But it's just a story we tell ourselves, right.
It's like can say we've failed in business, or we
failed relationships, or oh I learned a lot, and it's
(15:05):
that reframing. I know you get that because you talk
about it in the book, and it's just harder sometimes
to do that with ourselves.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
The one thing I will add, though, is that I
wish for black women specifically and black women and men
to be able to have the opportunity to learn differently.
I do think our learning, unfortunately just systemic. You know,
(15:30):
racism has come with so much trauma. I don't want
us to have to have that much of a pain tolerance.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Hey, ba fam, We're going to take a quick break,
pay some bills, and we'll be right back. All right,
ba fam, We're back.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
And so and that's just due to the trauma individual, societal, generational, right.
But I want us to be able to learn with
less pain. Sometimes you don't have its have to have
as much pain with those the learnings. And so that's
my only wish.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Yeah, oh girl, I get it. I got two little
kids I'm raising. I am deep in that. Am I
this amazing because I had to suffer and like, should
I make sure that they have a little friction in there,
you know? And I think that's such a such a Yeah,
I take that point. I agree. It's it's that balance.
I mean, yeah, one hundred percent. Well, let's pivot into
(16:25):
We talked a little bit about your your business journey.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
But where did that.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Entrepreneurial spirit come from? I know you said a professor
in business school was the one who saw the entrepreneurial
drive from you. But growing up in the a or
round about, like, where did that? How did your upbringing
lead you to this path?
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Do you think you know? I don't.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
I will say maybe subconsciously. My grandfather who was entrepreneurial
and he really wanted to buy some land up in
Michigan where he's from, and couldn't make certain decision at
the time. We have a whole family. He was raising
my great great great it pics four times great grandfather.
(17:08):
It's an interesting story. My mom wants to write a
book round it, so I want to it completely. But
ended up leaving moving to Arkansas and getting land and
rice fields that are still in the family name. Wow,
but it goes to the boys, so you have to
have the you know, the lastame with the boys.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
But oh, is that law in Arkansas or it's.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Just I think that was just how it is written. Whatever,
trust or what have you like, you know, to make
sure it stays in the family, stays in the family name,
and so there's that. But my grandfather never had the
opportunity because of racism. Right. He was so smart. He
would write, he would write. My grandfather would pick up
(17:53):
books and just write different op eds on them. He
would submit them to the paper. You know what I
mean to have his little authod's. He was just such
Oh wow, man. He worked in a factory. You know,
that's the the extent of what the world would allow
him to, you know, expand to in his world. But
(18:15):
I think all of this is his things he's planted realized. Yeah,
I never really again, I never really saw myself going
into entrepreneurship. I don't have And here's the thing I
want to say too. I see a lot of people
jumping into entrepreneurship because of their wounds. A lot of
us haven't been seen in traditional settings, and we end
(18:38):
up wanting to get into especially like I want to say,
this kind of business wellness. It's like I wasn't seen.
I want to make space for other people to feel seen.
And I don't necessarily recommend that being the place and
that you build, you're going to experience ten times more
trauma intensel you don't like, Yes, I experence, maybe some
things in the workplace, but I look like even younger
than I am walking up to these corporations pitching them.
(19:00):
What do you think that I experienced them? I was
at a recently, at a networking event. I was like,
I realized that I don't even like telling people what
I do before, you know, anything, because it's so unbelievable
that I don't like feeling that energy, that projection, and
it's mostly like this face that people make out I
laugh with what, oh, okay, you know what.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
That's fine, doesn't sound like a real business to them,
or like.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Like I'm real, Like oh, I wrote a book and
people are like, oh, it's on Amazon, and I'm like,
it is, you know, but also in bookstores across the country.
But I don't feel the need to do all that.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
I feel very comforted, you know, not going to the
right networking events. But I know that that no, I
mean not a dig I.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Go I've I would say that my experience as a
young appear even young than what I appear, innovative minded
black woman, I face a lot of that going to
these environments. Having had large corporate partners, the leading banks
(20:06):
in the world, writing checks to black girls breathing like
I'm going to face some of that, right, So yeah, anyways,
I don't know how I got that entrepreneur journey, but yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
I brought you there.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Well, I mean no, I think that's often something that
guests will say, especially you know, I mean, are you
still living the solopreneur kind of like life or do
you have a team?
Speaker 2 (20:29):
And if you have a team, I have a team, Okay,
And even that I think people get to I recommend
people lean team, lean team until it makes sense to
expand all your sense systems in process. I think sometimes
entrepreneurs get caught up in like having this big team
and like do you need that? We have text acts,
we have you know, systems, like only have what you need.
(20:52):
We've been around for six years, right, I've seen COVID,
I've seen you know, money EI shrinking and have been
able to grasp in those periods. So there's just lots
I've seen and I'm like, just you know, work on
what works best for you. Don't look into the appearance
(21:14):
of things. Is that's how a lot of people get
caught up. And I've talked to other founders who should
have reduced you know, a long time ago, but we're
so caught up in how things looked and how that
would appear, you know, I'm like, no, you do, it's
best for that for that P and L.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Yeah. I mean my team is I have a virtual assistant,
I have an editor for the podcast, and then I
have me myself and I and a bunch of systems
and tools. And that's just how it's going to be
for a while, and I'm good with that. It's a
huge responsibility to bring on staff. It's it's like, well damn.
I mean that's especially in the first you know, a
(21:53):
few years of business. I know you know this well,
but the financial volatility of it all. I mean there's
months I have launched my business where it's like, are
we going to do the mortgage and the daycare this month?
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Like without dipping into in a retirement fund. We don't
want to do that.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
How did you I mean, I know your first business
you said it was a marketing consultancy, but how were
you like funding your businesses? Was it personal funding to
start with? Have you ever brought on investors?
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (22:24):
So first business, there was no need for any kind
of investment money right, service based business priging retainers to
and then also you know, being specific with my ideal clients,
like these clients can afford certain retainers monthly for two
years plus, and I may take on a smaller project
(22:44):
here and there, but I have that consistent income. So
that was the basis for the first business. I didn't
really need that much startup capital for that. For BGB,
I started off with like five thousand of my own
personal savings and have since we've gotten grant funding. I
have no investors. I made the decision when was it
(23:06):
twenty twenty three to stop pursuing and having conversations around
funding with investors.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Oh okay, yeah, it.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Didn't make sense. It didn't make sense. I mean, I
think a huge part of being a black founder is
tailoring your exposure level to just like the BS, like
if you, I don't have to expose myself to I'm
not walking into these meetings mostly with there being a
curiosity for what we're doing. That's mostly I'm having to
(23:38):
pitch against their defensiveness. Already They've already made up in
their minds the extent of what this could be what
it is, and that's where I'm walking into.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
You know, it's got to be a shitty feeling.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Yeah, and so I'm like, I don't have to. I'm like,
let's just yeah, have cash be cash flow positive, watch
that P and L and you know, have partnerships, have
A we have B two C and B to B
listening to customers using our data to influence what we
do next. Like, let's do that. And that was the
best decision that I made. I mean because the freedom
(24:12):
of not having investors. You know, we've taken on some
impact loan investment money, so low interest funding right here
in Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Through like a community banks.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Or quasi governmental is called Impact Atlanta. And there's probably, yeah,
you know, an impact Houston or I don't know, I'm
making other there is an impact in Choice. But these
orgs are quasi governmental. They have private and public funding
to help fund innovation in those cities, and so they're
looking for different products, whether that's you know, retail, whether
(24:45):
that's residential so mixed use housing and spaces. Like they're
just investing to ensure the city keeps up and appears
like one that is innovative and leading. So all cities
have that. I would encourage people to look into that
and begin, you know, creating those those relationships. Yeah, that
is the journey of background of business.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
How are you liking Atlanta as the home for your
business and like the entrepreneurship community there? How are you
finding those like connections locally? I know you mentioned a
little bit the networking, but you know, on the whole,
what's it been like.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
I will say that I'm still trying to excuse me
to find my way here in Atlantis, being from here,
having a market city in here. So one of our
market communities is in Atlanta. We have several all over
the US, like we have eight or nine key markets
where our community members are. It is one of those.
But I will say that for the very recently have
(25:45):
we secured both a corporate partner and some funding here
in Atlanta. All of that in the past has been
in New York.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Okay, when did you move back? Was it recent?
Speaker 2 (25:56):
No, I've been The second move back to Atlanta was
what point eighteen twenty eighteen, So I've been back for
but finding my way when it comes to community here,
because you know, it's just different. I go to my
my networking in New York where I do have professional contacts,
haven't gone to school there, and just feeling more free
(26:17):
in certain ways and some leggings, you know, go to
the co working space and some leggings and a sweatshirt,
and no one is like trying to you know, see
and use that to see, like is there a business
successful the Atlanta It's kind of a different approach. It
is very you know, people will look at the service
level to try to determine and see get information about
(26:40):
your success as a business. It's kind of interesting, still
finding my way in Atlanta, but grateful for this recent
support that has made me be like, Okay, let's see
here even more as far as me staying here and
continue to build from here.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Do you feel like Atlanta is a bit more are
like superficial in terms of like the like I always
be real because I haven't. I haven't been there as
a business owner. My brother works in corporate and he
also is a filmmaker in Atlanta. He lives on the
East Side, and you know, I think he has found
such a great community in the in the art film
(27:18):
sort of like space. But that's just my only sort
of window. Sometimes I want it to be good for
us because I might want to go back to Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
So I'm just like people. I find my people. I
think you have friends and great relationships here. Just speaking
on a business perspective, that could be different, you know,
with it having the entertainment and music industry down here.
Of course it's going to be a little bit more superficial,
right because you have that those components seeding into the
(27:49):
overall culture down here. But I would say there's a
lot of interest in our tech scene of growing that here.
You know, our elected officials, I love that they look
like me, you know, especially our mayor mayor of Atlanta.
So there's lots of building. I'd say there's opportunity. You
just have to I'm still finding my way. I have
(28:10):
my poor people, but again I'm trying to be more.
That's my goal for coming out and do the networking thing.
But I do go to the networking things and walk
away feeling like, okay, you know, okay, like they don't. Yeah,
that's usually my taguway.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Okay, what kinds are you? I'm just curious too, because
I mean I live in Westchester, which is outside of Manhattan,
and I haven't, you know, to be completely transparent, I
haven't really built I wouldn't say a community of other
entrepreneurs here.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Definitely.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Friends neighbors have been important to me. But when you
think about networking and like the types of events you
go to, what do you find the what's the purpose
for you? Like, what's the best case scenario outcome for
you building that community?
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Genuine connection? You know, you do business. Most times you're
doing business, there's some rapport relationship there, right, any kind
of partnership, there's a familiarity. Repeat. Business is done with
people that like you. That's just the reality. They like you,
they like being around you, they like the value you bring.
So those are the attributes you're looking for and need's
(29:18):
networking situations and and these things aren't immediate. Ask It's
okay to grow slow, get to know people. Oh yeah, yeah,
be able to help them, see how you can help
expand Right, I'm I'm rud of everybody black, right, So
I've done that in business in all ways that I
could use my influence to ever do that. But yeah,
(29:42):
those are usually my goals when I'm going to networking situations.
You know, I'm going to everything from tech events to
shareholder meetings. For some of these, uh you know, oh
why tech?
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Well, is there a tech component to BGB or are
you hoping to expand in that space?
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Oh okay, thank gotcha.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Yeah. So, yeah, we have the web up. We also
have our in persons that will be more consistent after
our breathwork facilitators graduate this may and choosing some to
lead our markets where I don't you know, it's not
sustainable for me to.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
Let's talk about that because I want to know. I
know we've talked a lot on the background, but how
are you getting more? Yeah, talk about training breathwork facilitators.
How does that all work? And then what's your vision
that there will be BGB sort of like like you said,
trainers and all your key markets eventually so we can
go get a session.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, So okay, we started with that, that
combo of having both virtual and in person sessions and
so getting to a place now that our community has
grown to be able to have a consistent breathwork facilitator
in that city hosting sessions. So that's a key part
of our our one million impact plan that we launched
(30:58):
back in twenty twenty one. But yeah, so training facilitators now,
I'm excited about that one that launched because of an
issue I was having with hiring facilitators who said they've
gone through trauma and formed training, but then getting them
into an environment like the ours and them not being
aired feeling overwhelmed, right, thinking not only of just the demographic,
(31:21):
but the volume. You know that you're going to be
hosting other people feeling that energy, feeling a lot of
people's trauma. So training arose from fatigue of hiring and
training people and them still not feeling ready because of
training programs they were going through. So that's why I
wanted to the training program, mostly to be able to
(31:42):
hire myself, also noticing their need for someone that looks
like me, with my unique experience. I didn't have a
blueprint for this work.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
You know.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
There was a time when I had reached back to
one of my former teachers, like, you know, like, oh
my gosh, you know, like I don't know what to
do in these situations I'm learning because they don't provide
the tools, And in some way it's no fault to them,
because of who their clientele was. What could they provide me?
Speaker 3 (32:09):
You know?
Speaker 2 (32:10):
But I remember her saying like, Yeah, you've reached a
point where we're going to have to create the blueprint
for yourself. Right, there's no one in front of you
doing this at this volume of this demographic fake your learnings,
you know, and so data has been a huge part
of that, right. I talk about research a lot. We've
done a lot on the back end behind the scenes
with research, but being able to capture the data of
(32:33):
what this work is doing over time with this demographic
is important to be able to showcase those results. So
using that data to influence how we continue to do
this work and also our training program.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
Hey, ba fam, We're going to take a quick break,
pay some bills, and we'll be right back. Welcome back,
be a faan, Let's get back to the show. Well one,
I want to know how the breath work sessions work.
I think I had my idea because meditation and breath
work became really important to me postpartum. I've been a
(33:11):
high functioning anxiety girly and only because I don't think
life had gotten stressful, too stressful, But when I hit
my max, when I really got to a challenging, challenging
time post number one, and then I had my second
baby in twenty twenty three, and the last year twenty
twenty four and twenty twenty three, A just really through
(33:34):
your girl, really challenged, you know. And when it came
to trouble sleeping and falling asleep really and having these
like anxiety attacks that would sort of paralyze, they were
I call them like quiet anxiety attacks because they weren't.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
I don't think there weren't.
Speaker 1 (33:52):
I think about Randall Pearson from This is Us, you know,
Sterling K. Brown's character, where he would be crying in
the shower and it would be a panic attack. But
for me, they've manifest it's like just body paralysis and
just all the panic is inside. You can't see it,
but it's happening, like my brain's on fire, but no
one else knows it. And I have found I don't
(34:13):
have I don't have like a routine or a practice,
but breath work and meditation have become a really important
part of my routine and I usually will do it
through an app or just make it up on the
fly like I did. Then the kids are driving me
batshit crazy in the morning.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
So if we go to a.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
BGB session, what does that look like and how do
you see us incorporating it into our day to day?
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Yeah, So if you come to a BGB session, we're incorporating,
you know, reflection, being able to connect with the mind,
and then using the brain using the breath to connect
to the body. So that mind body connection is something
that a lot of athletes and those in the sports
industry talk about. It's really effective being able to connect
(34:58):
your breath with your body and tap into your body
locating emotions where emotions sit in the body, because our
emotions have physiological effects and so distressed and so does trauma.
Trauma doesn't live in the brain, that lives in the body.
We can't outthink our trauma. We have to allow our
bodies to help process the emotions and all the embedded emotions.
(35:20):
So using the breath to bring that up and that
can result in a variety of responses. We use a
lot of the tools I mentioned in the book when
it comes to auditory releases, so screaming, it's really great
incorporating that with the breath work, and then ensuring that
we have just a safe container for people to leave
(35:42):
out of such an experience like that, because it is
intense and right, you're not only having your experience, but
experiencing other people's.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
Because you're in groups in person. So this ain't This
ain't what I've been doing. This ain't listening to Chelsea
Jackson Roberts on Peloton app at night, although I love Chelright.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
Yeah, it's like a release.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
You're almost it's the it's almost like you're focusing a
little bit on Well, I don't know. I don't want
to tell you, but it sounds to me like there's
an exhale, like there's a release.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
That's interesting. I've never done anything like that.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
You said you're in Rochester, outside of my car, Westchester.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Yeah, yeah, we have a community New York.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
I'm gonna have to find one.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
Once we once I graduate, my peeps and they'll be
doing it consistently. So I can say this new era
which is teaching and being able to help guide and
not take on all that weight myself, but teach others
how to make space for it, because it is something
that people can burn out from very quickly, very quickly.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Yeah, and it's because you're all these people. You're in
a room and you are like if they're releasing such
intense emotions. But it's not like a therapy session, right,
We're not speaking, there's no back and forth. You're just
being led through sort of a exercise.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Speaks right, So that could be traumatic too, people's bodies speaking,
temporary paralysis, people you know, having a snake right, like
the body is speaking, and tell always say the breath
tells on you. Right I can, and this is from
years of practice with lots of demographics. Right, I can
look at someone's body and see what they may be
(37:27):
dealing with emotionally, just where the breath is trapped. Right,
Some people, even in attempt to take a full inhale
next sale, can't right just from the just the there's
such an embedded fear of you know, the emotions coming up,
and a feeling that most people have this huge fear
(37:47):
that if they allow themselves to go to the bottom,
they won't be able to get it back up. Right,
And there's been lots of confirmation around that. Right, you
have a break up, don't don't sweat about it too long.
Right when we're in that state where we need to grieve,
and a lot of well, don't stay down too long.
There's this spear around being exposing ourselves to our own
emotions and our own depth and things that we've repressed
(38:10):
and avoided for a while. So, yeah, that experience in
and of itself. And then a lot of people don't
have words to their trauma, that your experience. They don't
have words for that right, they don't even know how
to verbalize because it's been a subconscious thing or thing
that they may not have mentally taken account of, but
their body did and held on to it, held on
(38:31):
to that experience. So in ways, you know, we are
having dialogue and communal dialogue like one would talk in
therapy and having that back and forth with each other.
But then that other component of you know, have you
ever heard of person well who's recently lost themselves find
lost someone finally allow themselves to go to the depth
(38:52):
of that grief. Like that's something that internally we can
feel the weight of everyone in the room.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
So, yeah, there was this moment when I was in
my darkest place and you know, the past year and
maybe I'll get there again. It resonates with me talking
about the deepest well of our emotions and almost feeling
like the fact that I was in there, feeling it,
unable to escape it, finally having to like touch that
flame that in a way, I guess I thought I
(39:21):
was broken for having gotten that low and what I've
learned since then, And what I've been talking about since
then for myself is just how important it was for
me to be that low and to see how I
could get out of it. But how like it was
okay to sit there for a while, examine those feelings,
(39:42):
get to the core of them. And it wasn't like
for sure, It wasn't just like, oh I had this
really cathartic cry and then I was fixed. It was
those are some really challenging feeling So I'm going to
need to actually sit with these for days, weeks, months
and work through them. And then for me, it kind
(40:02):
of comes down to when do I have time to
fall apart because I am a mom and I have
so many people relying on me financially, emotionally. I need
to be a well for my children. And I had
done therapy, like I did five years of therapy. I
was on my little Zoloft. You know, we got my
little meths. We're all open to that now, but just
there was so many things that were hitting back to
(40:24):
back to back that I finally sort of reached my
limit and I had to tap into new tools. And
I know you've spoken about breath work as being one
of those tools and your toolkits, and it was so
liberating for me to realize that I can go to
those places emotionally because I had the tools I know
(40:44):
to get out of them. Breathwork is one of those
tools for me. Another one that I've talked about is
DBT therapy, so dialectical behavioral therapy, which is very like
skills based. You know, what are some actual things I
can do to decrease suffering in this moment, I wonder
(41:05):
from you, like what are their tools or can you
just talk about the tools that are in your toolkit
or the tools that you hope that more black women
are able to That was a very long winded question,
but yeah, no.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
I would say my experience with EMDR as someone who
has gone through traditional talk therapy and hit a plateau
to where this kept dropping me like, oh, you have
the tools, don't You don't mean And I'm like, actually,
processing is therapeutic to me out loud right, like I
know the steps I did to remedy this, but just
you having you stick across from me and listen to
(41:41):
me and see me as a person who goes out
in the world as a black person who doesn't always
feel seen is therapeutic. Feeling seen is there, so them
not necessarily getting that, but me doing AMDR therapy, which
is that subconscious brain wiring. So it's eye movement process
and you're literally using eye movement. It's insane. And when
(42:04):
I tell you can process so much in five sets,
you can process three years of talk therapy in five
sessions of EMDR with the EMDR therapist, it's amazing. I
want all black women to tap into this because a
lot of us again have that subconscious trauma. And what
it's doing is it's reframing the brain's connection to that trauma.
(42:25):
So it's like it's like if this was the trauma
and this is the brain stick to that memory, it's like,
whoop boop, let's go let's go rewire, you know, let's
rewire to a different thought when it comes to that.
And so that trauma isn't isn't attached to this negative
leaf or a pattern. Let's help the brain do that
without the talking, with what it naturally does, right, just
(42:48):
enhancing eye movement.
Speaker 3 (42:49):
Right, Yeah, I've heard of the MDR.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
It's amazing. I highly recommend another. And I'd say to
you it was funny I was like, I wanted to
the virgoidomy, wanted to, you know, snapshot, and the therapist
saying this, she was like, I've never had anyone's brain
process as fast as you do. And I was like,
it's a breath work. Like I've done so much subconscious
book with the breathwork. She was like, I think so too,
you know to where yeahs, yeah, I mean before that,
(43:17):
all the years of practice and then meeting this tool
and seeing its response and right now preparing for in
preparation for the training, hosting the training, I started getting
acupuncture and working within you know, the medicine practitioner and
I have adored that, and same thing. He's like, your
body is responding so well to this. It's me preparing
(43:40):
for the fact that I just launched a book, and
that's heightened stress. It's natural heightened stress. Right, you have
something that you've never done before. It's natural, It's okay,
But how do I use a tool to help me
like rebalance that need some more tricks, you know, in
the toolbox. So acupuncture has been so helpful, highly highly
highly recommend. Also just the physiological effects of acupuncture, especially
(44:04):
for women and balancing hormones, because stress doesn't just impact
you know, our anxiety, it impacts our hormones, and so
helping to balance those hormones and ensure that we're not
being impacted, you know, I having a productive system isn't
being impacted by our stress levels. It's really important. So yeah,
(44:27):
that's been a great tool for me.
Speaker 1 (44:29):
Okay, acupuncture, I haven't tried that.
Speaker 2 (44:33):
I'm doing painless though. The needles don't stand. He's just
getting the pressure points. So there's different types of acupuncture
you can do. You don't have to do the traditional
one where you see people with the needles, you know
what I mean, being tooked and they're just lying.
Speaker 3 (44:45):
There's all different levels of it.
Speaker 1 (44:47):
Okay, I don't mind a little pain if it's gonna
work just like you could.
Speaker 3 (44:52):
Does it hurt good? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (44:54):
I feels like little pricks. The kid he does, he's
just okay. Point so there's no need for the needles
to actually stand there. I mean, this is a different
type of acupuncture, older, older type. Yeah, and it's okay
to not feel the pain that the results worked just
the same. Trust.
Speaker 3 (45:13):
Okay, that's something to think about.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
Daily walking. Daily walk low impact movement low impact movement,
and there's recently some research that was written. I've got
to find that article again. But how nature walking helps
with processing trauma because when we're nature walking, we're looking
left right, which mimics what an AMDR process. Yes, yes,
(45:36):
so I was like, my gosh.
Speaker 1 (45:38):
Yeah walking with walking or I don't run as much anymore.
But when I did run, I was training for a
triathlon and they wouldn't let you use ear earbuds, you
couldn't listen to music, and that really taught me how
to run just kind of based on and just get
into the rhythm of my body and my breath. And
(45:59):
so when I want I try to walk if I'm
doing it for mental health, like sometimes just walking and
walk the dog, I'm gonna listen to something. But I
have found like walking without something in my ear to
listen to, which I think some people, I mean even
sometimes myself. I'm like, why can't I just do the
dishes and listen to my thoughts? But is that important
to you to just have like quiet walking time or
(46:21):
do you find yourself gravitating toward like listening to something.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
I have lots of time in general, Okay, at least
for lots of reflective and quite like I feel even
working throughout the day, I'm not having a bunch of
stuff playing, you know, I just really continue to my senses.
What's going on when I'm eating, I'm not watching TV,
I'm not on my phone. I like to eat. I
like to enjoy my food, right, Just little things that
I do throughout the day that help my brain not
(46:45):
get so attached to multitasking and distractions. And so I
feel like I make a good enough amount of time
for quiet time every day. But in my walking, it
really depends. Sometimes I'm gonna listen to a really good podcasts.
Sometimes I just want to listen to like the birds
and leaves rustling, you know what I mean, not in
(47:05):
the park, And so it really depends. I'm always asking
myself what I need in the day, and for you know,
it changes. That's the way we can be flexible with
our tools is just being kind to ourselves that one
day's tools may not look like the other.
Speaker 1 (47:21):
Fond yes that part, yeah, and replacing some I know.
The word that keeps bouncing around in my head is
maladaptive because I think that there I certainly have to
maladaptive habits that served me as a kid, and you
know that I just kept doing as an adult that
maladaptive is just like, ain't good for you. It actually
(47:42):
hurts you in the long run. And trying to replace
those with healthier coping strategies is it's hard. It's hard,
and sometimes you find yourself going back and into some
old habits or yeah, just some practices that you're like, damn,
I thought I thought I had that one under control.
Speaker 2 (48:03):
This is just part of the process that's so proud us.
There's no such thing as a straight wide and our
feeling and just being able to Like my friend recently
mentioned about leaning into love, just leaning into love and
always when it comes to ourselves like self love, Yeah,
leading into where the love goes. I think too, we
(48:23):
can self sabotage being happy and having a joyful moment
if things have been rough for a while. Talk about
that we don't even know some of us don't know
how to enjoy the happy moments when they are here
because we've just been so used to the down moments,
and so when that happens, sometimes we subconsciously self sabotage
by engaging in something that doesn't feel good. Just because
(48:44):
it's what our bodies used to. So just leaning, even
you know, as uncomfortable as can feel, sometimes leaning all
the way into the love and the goodness, practicing that
it's a practice.
Speaker 1 (48:57):
That's a practice too, Yeah, and that it's also a
good reminder too that yesterday's tools may not work today.
And having kids really help me see that, because first
of all, different I used to have this mantra of
like different baby every day because yesterday the binkie would work,
but today it's like I don't want that make It's
like I really want you to walk around the kitchen
island a thousand times with me in a very specific
(49:20):
hold or its music one day and you se desperately
and I can see my husband really struggles with this.
Speaker 3 (49:27):
He's like, but this isn't working anymore. What am I
going to do?
Speaker 1 (49:29):
You got to ask that, You got to ask them.
You got to be patient and let them show you
what they need in this moment. And I think we're
very similar as adults, and you know, some days, what
what I like to have all the tools. At the
beginning of this ye oh last year, as I was
going through this like deep journey, I was like, I
want to know what all the tools are, and I
(49:50):
want to have I want to have them at my
fingertips so that I can reach toward them and not
have so much pressure for that to be the one thing.
A bath may relax me for an hour, but I
may need to journal on top of it. I may
need to book a massage. I may need to do
a meditation, you know, the next day, the next week, whatever,
(50:16):
and just kind of being open to like, yeah, the
the changing of that, and there's not one magical routine
that will fit everyone. Yeah, being open to surprise, yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:31):
Yeah, and the yummy surprises too, things working out better
than we expected or fitting better than me into you know.
Speaker 1 (50:39):
Yeah, well would you mind if I can? This is
like your talent now right every you're like lind Ma
and will Miranda when everyone's like can you freestyle? And
it's like Jasmine, will you do a meditation with or
breath work with me or with ba Fan?
Speaker 3 (50:52):
Do you have time a little bit.
Speaker 2 (50:54):
Of oceanic breath to close this out?
Speaker 1 (50:56):
That sounds wonderful oceanic breath okay.
Speaker 2 (51:00):
And the practice sounds just like its name, So mimicking
our breasts to sound like the ocean it was can
close our eyes and just envision that. But you're gonna
be opening your mouth as wide open as possible.
Speaker 3 (51:15):
And you're gonna mm hm really okay.
Speaker 2 (51:17):
For increased airplot Yeah.
Speaker 3 (51:19):
Oh it's so tight you don't have.
Speaker 2 (51:21):
To force it. We can easeful.
Speaker 3 (51:23):
Oh okay.
Speaker 2 (51:28):
Exhaling out of the mouth.
Speaker 3 (51:32):
Okay, that was just for practice. I want I'm doing
it now.
Speaker 2 (51:37):
Exhaling out of the mouth, inhaling, exhaling, we're really allowing
our lungs to fill up as much as possible on
that inhale, then depleting the lungs on that exhale. Really
(52:02):
getting our bodies used to what a full inhale on
exhale feel like from the body. I promise if you
do like five rounds of this in the morning, you'll
feel it and it'll really activate that parasympathetic.
Speaker 3 (52:21):
Very tingly up here? Is that normal? Very tingly? I
love you know.
Speaker 1 (52:27):
I think with breath often it's like breathe in through
the nose, out through the mouth. I've never done that
full mouth inhale.
Speaker 2 (52:33):
Yeah. There's so many different types and patterns of breath work,
so many outed in well.
Speaker 1 (52:39):
Thank you so much, Jasmine for coming on Brown Ambition.
Thank you for writing this book and for giving me
a different way to look at a tool that I
thought I already kind of knew. No, I don't. There's
so many layers to it. I can't wait to explore more.
Where can people find you and find BGP and join
that community our books?
Speaker 2 (52:56):
Yeah, yeah, you can find at Black Girlsbreeding dot com.
We have some free resources on our website, our mental
health toolkit. You can join our paidcommunity app dot Black
Girls Breathing dot com, Sunday Bomb. We have guided HD
breathwork meditations. I'm really loving the rest series that we
(53:17):
dropped to really help us practice rests. A lot of
us need help and it's okay, it's not un learning.
So those videos are there to guide us. Audio meditations,
we have live sessions and communal dialogue, expanded content, all
the things. And the book is available wherever you buy
your books and audio books. I am recommending that people
(53:39):
go to black on bookstores to purchase their copies and
also get the second copy from Barnes and Noble. Going
stores to have that shelf space is a huge honor.
Not a lot of black authors get it. Even if
you have a publisher.
Speaker 3 (53:52):
Amen.
Speaker 2 (53:53):
So it has shelf space. The book has commented, shelf space.
I'm super excited about that.
Speaker 3 (53:58):
Tell your library to care.
Speaker 1 (54:00):
Shout out to the Greenberg Library.
Speaker 2 (54:02):
It's night.
Speaker 1 (54:04):
It was in their new nonfiction section. I was like,
am I interviewing her? I think I am, so I
grabbed it.
Speaker 2 (54:12):
That's the thing about books. It will go farther than
you ever expected. To be honest, You're like, oh yeah,
but yeah, and and then you can follow black girls
breathing my personal accounts that girl and this poor j Marie,
and that's that's all things black girl's breathing in and.
Speaker 3 (54:30):
Me, thank you Jazmine Marine having me.
Speaker 1 (54:35):
You know you're from the South when you got the
Jazzmine Marie. I'm Amanda Lee. So it's the thing. It's
a Lea Marie.
Speaker 2 (54:41):
First, you what, I didn't have a name. I went
home without a name. So the doctor told again remember
a grady baby.
Speaker 3 (54:49):
So I don't know.
Speaker 2 (54:49):
Okay, it was working back there, but they told my
mom I was a boy and so I was quintin.
Speaker 3 (54:55):
So she didn't check the hardware make sure when I
came out.
Speaker 2 (55:01):
That they had off the you know the what is
it called the ultra sound all that kind of stuff
showed I was a boy. I don't know if it's
my hand, I don't know, but they told me, yeah,
it must have been, and came out a girl. And
and first she named me Aubrey. And my my mom's
best friend at the time was like, absolutely not that ugly.
So I went home and no offense the Aubrey's out there.
(55:22):
They just didn't like it. Remain I was like, she's
not an Aubrey.
Speaker 1 (55:25):
I mean, I think Drake kind of ruined operates for everybody,
so you know, probably better off.
Speaker 2 (55:30):
Wow. And I was like, I was a joke with
my mom said, I wonder if that had a traumatic
experience on you know, maxists the baby not having a day.
Speaker 1 (55:39):
Oh God, you can't do that to moms. Then she's
going to be like, listen, I did the best I
could find somebody else.
Speaker 3 (55:46):
To blame my momice.
Speaker 1 (55:49):
At a certain point, I'm like, okay, I'll tell my
therapist how you did that.
Speaker 3 (55:54):
Jasminmory. Okay. So thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (55:56):
Brand Ambition BA fan go check out her book literally
at the library.
Speaker 3 (56:00):
Check it out.
Speaker 1 (56:01):
Also, go purchase a copy. This is the kind of book.
It makes such a great birthday gift. Mother's Day gift
is you know, got Mother's Day coming up? My mom's
birthday is coming up. Might give her a copy. Thank
you again for sharing your light with us and all
the success. Thank you, okayva fam, Thank you so much
(56:21):
for listening to this week's show. I want to shout
out to our production team, Courtney, our editor, Carla, our
fearless leader for idea to launch productions. I want to
shout out my assistant Lauda Escalante and Cameron McNair for
helping me put the show together. It is not a
one person project, as much as I have tried to
(56:43):
make it so these past ten years. I need help, y'all,
and thank goodness I've been able to put this team
around me to support me on this journey and to
y'all be a fam. I love you.
Speaker 3 (56:54):
So so so so much.
Speaker 1 (56:56):
Please rate, review, subscribe, make sure you're signed up to
the newsletter to get all the latest updates on upcoming episodes,
our ten year anniversary celebrations to come, and until next time,
talk to you soon via bye
At what point were you like, I'm going to teach
women how to breathe and how to heal themselves, and
this is what I want to do.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
This is not something I ever said I want to
do this. It was something that came to me, like
the purpose was put on me. I always say the
breath tells on you. I can look at someone's body
and see what they may be dealing with emotionally, just
where the breath is trapped. Right, Some people, even in
attempt to take a full inhale next sale, can't. Most
people have this huge fear that if they allow themselves
(00:27):
to go to the bottom, they won't be able to
get it back up.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Heyba, fam, I feel the need to be doing this
right now, and you're going to find out why. I
am taking some deep breaths, some deep soothing breaths today
because I happen to have an incredible woman here to
join us today. And her name is Jasmine Marie. Jasminrie
is the author of a recently published book called Black
(00:55):
Girls Breathing, Heal from Trauma, calmbat, Chronic Stress, and Find
You or Freedom. But Jasmine has in her own right
such an incredible career entrepreneurship, business financial Journey, which I
hope you're cool with me getting into because we are
called Brown Ambition. We do love centering women of color
at the conversations about wealth building and thriving and how
(01:20):
it can all work together. And in this book, Jasmine
offers tools, some personal experiences as well from her training,
from her life and just tools that we can use
to cope.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
And I don't know.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
I mean, it's I'm writing a book right now, y'all
know that, ba fan, But it's hard to predict and
you can't predict when your book is going to come out,
what's going to be happening in the world. And all
I can say is it was divinity that made you publish,
that got you to publish this book at a time
like this when if there's one thing we need it
is a wu freakin saw.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Also, she's my sister from Atlanta. Grady baby in the house.
Oh stop, we're from Atlanta. To stop it. If you
were born at.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Grady, you can say you were born you were born
in Atlanta. Wait, hater, I was born at South Fulfon
County Hospital.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Get out of here. Are we going to start? Listen?
Speaker 1 (02:20):
If it's not my black card. People try to come
from my Atlanta card every time. What number texted you
before this interview? What number was it?
Speaker 3 (02:29):
What was it?
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Let's hear and while you're checking, I will remind you
I have lived in New York for fifteen years now.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
I just left New York.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Oh but yeah, four or four baby, I've had that
same number since high school.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
I think I won't. I won't give it up pride
out of my cold dead hands. Anyway, that got dark.
Welcome Jasmine Marie to the Breath Fish and Podcast.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
How are you me?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
I'm okay today, I'm okay. Yeah, I'm okay.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
I have to say I have two little ones. I
know that you don't have kids, and I'm jealous. And
I have two little ones. They are five and two.
And the morning routine I tell my husband is taking.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Years off my life. Years is stressful.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
And no matter how much you prepare, it can be
very stressful to wrangle too tiny humans to get them
out the door. And this morning I was doing a lot.
I was doing this. I was doing one, two, three, four,
Mommy needs to breathe more. And I was just saying
that while my to just picture my two year old
screaming and screeching in my hands like a cat you
(03:37):
try to give a bath to, just kicking like he's like,
I'm going to kick her in the nose because I
don't want this diaper changed or my socks on my feet.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
But breathing. Man.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
And I have to say, I knew obviously I was
going to speak to you today, but it was such
a good reminder for me in that moment when usually
I would get so stressed and then the time it
takes for that stress to leave my body after I
do drop off. It's just anyway, I just wanted to
(04:08):
say that because I even in that moment, it was
so helpful to me.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
So talk to me.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
About your breathwork journey. How did you get You have
a background in business, I know, but at what point
were you like, I'm going to teach women how to
breathe and how to heal themselves, and this is what
I want to do.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yeah, you know, it's interesting, and you mentioned this a
bit before we started today, But this is not something
I ever said I want to do this. It was
something that came to me, like the purpose was put
on me, and it was a fight to not want
to do this, you know, like so like you said,
I started in business. I was working at a global
(04:48):
CpG company in haircare and beauty. Young black girl like
was taken my taking up space but wearing my braids.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
I thought I was so revolution.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
For raised though was and that is it was, you
know yeah, but at that company that really didn't care,
They're like, oh yeah cool. And was just so taxed
from that job. I mean I lived and breathed work.
I think that was so common amongst my peers in
New York City at the time, and found myself super
stressed in looking for tools and happening upon one while
(05:25):
volunteering for my church at the time who had just
launched a community center and the pastor's personal breath worker
was teaching classes.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
So I took the pastors I listen. I heard that
the pastor had a personal breath worker.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yes, yeah, okay, yes, yes, and I yeah, I fell
in love with the tool. I fell in love with it.
Just gave me the space to make more clear and
conscious decisions. Nothing changed in my life. Everything actually worsened
around the time. There wasn't any like huge shift, right,
It was just giving me more age and see to
(06:00):
respond differently to have a different relationship with my body
and also my nervous system. And with that training, practice
it for six years. After six years of personal practice.
Literally you know, got the download that I, you know heard,
take the training, and I took the training and followed
that journey and then.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Yeah, that's the training.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
So was it breathwork training? Yea, yeah. But we're not
going to give the teachers names because they were Unfortunately
there was a big wuha around in twenty twenty with
their practices and how they went about it and at
not being what's the word experience. It wasn't relevant, the
tools weren't relevant to our community. Yet they were teaching
(06:46):
this work. Give it much energy because the work I
use is from working with tens of thousands and corporate spaces,
specifically with the black community, juvenile thet tension centers. Like,
I've just been in the work in a way that
the industry hasn't seen the work. And that's the data
and value that I go off on when it comes
to my practice now. But yeah, after my training, I
(07:11):
in the group training, it came to me black girl's
breathing and I just I was like, okay, hen this
was what I introduced, Oh, I'm going to do Black
Girls Breathing. And we had our first virtual and in
person sessions January twenty nineteen. And it was interesting, right
that timing right before COVID, the virtual really took off. Yeah,
(07:32):
and we got lots of exposure from that from that work,
and it grew significantly in a pace that I didn't
grow my care plan. So it wasn't like I wasn't
taking care of myself. It was just that, like most
of us, experience, that trajectorates, you know, catches us off
guard a bit, and we're having to really check in
how do I care for my body at this level?
(07:53):
And that was some learning that lagged for me, and
so I had the effects of you know, that secondary
trunk and exposure from the work that I wasn't necessarily
using the tools to care for myself and ended up
impacting my own health further. But yeah, that's how I
got a breath work. I did a whole merry go round.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Yeah, there's a lot of things I want to touch on,
but I want to go back. You said that when
you started this breath work through your pastor and the
fact that he had a breath work teacher just stuck
out to me because I mean, growing up in the South,
it's like, you know, if there's no problem God can't fix,
and like it's sort of almost limiting, can feel isolating
sometimes if you're just told to pray it out, you know.
(08:34):
And the fact that there's an acknowledgment that there's tools
that we have to handle life's challenges and yes, of
course faith, but that these tools can living tandem with
that faith is an important message. I think just want
to highlight that.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Now.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
I want to know about you pre this, because you've
had a couple different lives. You use a very scary
way to describe yourself with I think it's scary because
usually it's like serial killers. But then somehow we started
saying serial entrepreneurs. So I always get a little when
I hear it. But you're a businesswoman, So can you
talk about your your career in business and what you
(09:10):
were doing before BGB.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
So, immediately after leaving my corporate job in New York City,
I started a marketing consultancy. I was working with mid
sized businesses VC firms. I helped launch the first co
living space in the Southeast. I did all the marketing
research for all of that, and the marketing strategy.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
A co living space is that you know, co working was.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Like booming, yeahing was really booming in New York City
and San France. You know, I have all these tech
hubs where the spaces are smaller and there's more community,
right shared spaces, and so this VC wanted to launch
one in the Southeast and I worked on that project.
That was one of my one of my clients there.
I just built my portfolio. I would say it was
(09:57):
successful to me at the time because it replaced myself
galary and I kept the same lifestyle for me. That
was success. I used all those learnings to launch my
second business that didn't do well. It failed to left
me with debt. And that was a millennial and I
feel like I was too early because there's people doing
it now. But I'm a millennial in gen Z consultancy
where I wanted to work with HR departments and helping
(10:20):
to engage and retain that demographic. So working with campus
recruiting all of that too. Really excited though, and made
some amazing connections that I ended up using for BGB
once I launched that. But yeah, that's my entrepreneurial journey,
lots of ups and downs and learnings, not anything that
I happened upon. I think others saw it in me,
(10:41):
for I ever saw that in myself. I wanted. I
am a great worker. I'm a great number two person.
I love to be behind the scenes, which is seems
weird given where I am now, but that's my comfort
right well. I can put my head down and work,
and so that's not where life took me. I remember
I actually had a NBA mentor at NYU and I
(11:04):
was telling him my postgrad plans. I was like, yes,
and I'm gonna work on this project and already have
this brand idea and product idea and mine I'm gonna
pitch this when I get in there. I'm gonna make
director in five years. And he was like, so, you're
gonna be an entrepreneur and I was like, where did
she get that from. I was like, no, I'm going
to rise the ranks in this corporate environment. And he
(11:26):
was like okay, and then I'll never forget. I circled
back to him after I left this started my first company.
I was like, thank you for telling me that. I
don't know what possessed you to see that in me
and tell me and see that in me. But thank you.
And so I think the others saw before I did that.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I wish someone had said that to me, because I
had the same attitude. We're not made for corporate. Well
you said you left corporate. Was it because you felt
like you had sort of reached that limit of what
you could accomplish there and you were just ready to
do it on your own terms.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah. It was very interesting. Is I actually got a
new director, black woman, and so I had this a
most of director and I saw her and her life
and and not in a way that was you know,
like oh, that's a bad life, but the reality of
being a director as a black woman. I saw what
she was experiencing and I said, I don't want that.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
And that's not even that high up, like I mean,
it's mid right.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Well, I think for this corporate structure.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
It was yeah, you're right, there's different structures.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Yeah, she was over many global brands, okay, gotcha, So
it was high up and I just saw her experience
and I was just like, I don't want that. And
there were other things that were going on at the
time as far as the stress levels of the job.
That just it was of no interest to me anymore. Also,
you know, personally just you know, young and dumb relationships, right,
(12:56):
and left New York City to whatever.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
But no, let's go to that whatever. Take me to
whatever land.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Whatever land is.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
It's a part of the journey.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Journey, Yes, that's so a part of the journey. But
I left in New York City. Actually it didn't really
leave for the relationship. It was the job. We weren't
together the time. I moved back to Atlanta briefly, and
then we did get back together, and I moved to
Tennessee to work on the relationship, and you know, see
where it could take us.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
But gave it a shot, tried gave it a shot.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Were some there were, of course, looking back, right, and
we can all do this, and sometimes we need to
be careful when we do that. Look back with new information.
And I mentioned this in the book, not punishing ourselves
for new family our former selves, right, of course, looking
back and see the ways in which I was choosing
out of my wounded place, choosing a partner out of
(13:52):
my wounded place. What a relationship looked like to me,
or you know, an ideal partner or missing some of
the red flags because of conditioning, growing up right, and
some of those childhood bombs. So looking back, if like wow,
like you know, like young and I'm like, oh, there's
so many blinders, but they are grateful for the lessons
(14:13):
never have to repeat those mistakes again, which is you know,
the gold and.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
That's the human experience.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Life is just one series of blind leaps of faith
and just like learning from those experiences and then having
the wisdom to like to look back and not judge
or shame yourself, but to use that information and like
how can we grow? It's kind of like in your business, right,
I mean every business that the businesses that you've launched,
like you said, like you were able to use contacts
(14:43):
from the one that wasn't as maybe financially successful into
now your third business and you're learning things now for
what could be your next business or the next iteration
of BGB. And I feel the same. I think it's
all one. But it's just a story we tell ourselves, right.
It's like can say we've failed in business, or we
failed relationships, or oh I learned a lot, and it's
(15:05):
that reframing. I know you get that because you talk
about it in the book, and it's just harder sometimes
to do that with ourselves.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
The one thing I will add, though, is that I
wish for black women specifically and black women and men
to be able to have the opportunity to learn differently.
I do think our learning, unfortunately just systemic. You know,
(15:30):
racism has come with so much trauma. I don't want
us to have to have that much of a pain tolerance.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Hey, ba fam, We're going to take a quick break,
pay some bills, and we'll be right back. All right,
ba fam, We're back.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
And so and that's just due to the trauma individual, societal, generational, right.
But I want us to be able to learn with
less pain. Sometimes you don't have its have to have
as much pain with those the learnings. And so that's
my only wish.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Yeah, oh girl, I get it. I got two little
kids I'm raising. I am deep in that. Am I
this amazing because I had to suffer and like, should
I make sure that they have a little friction in there,
you know? And I think that's such a such a Yeah,
I take that point. I agree. It's it's that balance.
I mean, yeah, one hundred percent. Well, let's pivot into
(16:25):
We talked a little bit about your your business journey.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
But where did that.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Entrepreneurial spirit come from? I know you said a professor
in business school was the one who saw the entrepreneurial
drive from you. But growing up in the a or
round about, like, where did that? How did your upbringing
lead you to this path?
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Do you think you know? I don't.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
I will say maybe subconsciously. My grandfather who was entrepreneurial
and he really wanted to buy some land up in
Michigan where he's from, and couldn't make certain decision at
the time. We have a whole family. He was raising
my great great great it pics four times great grandfather.
(17:08):
It's an interesting story. My mom wants to write a
book round it, so I want to it completely. But
ended up leaving moving to Arkansas and getting land and
rice fields that are still in the family name. Wow,
but it goes to the boys, so you have to
have the you know, the lastame with the boys.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
But oh, is that law in Arkansas or it's.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Just I think that was just how it is written. Whatever,
trust or what have you like, you know, to make
sure it stays in the family, stays in the family name,
and so there's that. But my grandfather never had the
opportunity because of racism. Right. He was so smart. He
would write, he would write. My grandfather would pick up
(17:53):
books and just write different op eds on them. He
would submit them to the paper. You know what I
mean to have his little authod's. He was just such
Oh wow, man. He worked in a factory. You know,
that's the the extent of what the world would allow
him to, you know, expand to in his world. But
(18:15):
I think all of this is his things he's planted realized. Yeah,
I never really again, I never really saw myself going
into entrepreneurship. I don't have And here's the thing I
want to say too. I see a lot of people
jumping into entrepreneurship because of their wounds. A lot of
us haven't been seen in traditional settings, and we end
(18:38):
up wanting to get into especially like I want to say,
this kind of business wellness. It's like I wasn't seen.
I want to make space for other people to feel seen.
And I don't necessarily recommend that being the place and
that you build, you're going to experience ten times more
trauma intensel you don't like, Yes, I experence, maybe some
things in the workplace, but I look like even younger
than I am walking up to these corporations pitching them.
(19:00):
What do you think that I experienced them? I was
at a recently, at a networking event. I was like,
I realized that I don't even like telling people what
I do before, you know, anything, because it's so unbelievable
that I don't like feeling that energy, that projection, and
it's mostly like this face that people make out I
laugh with what, oh, okay, you know what.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
That's fine, doesn't sound like a real business to them,
or like.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Like I'm real, Like oh, I wrote a book and
people are like, oh, it's on Amazon, and I'm like,
it is, you know, but also in bookstores across the country.
But I don't feel the need to do all that.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
I feel very comforted, you know, not going to the
right networking events. But I know that that no, I
mean not a dig I.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Go I've I would say that my experience as a
young appear even young than what I appear, innovative minded
black woman, I face a lot of that going to
these environments. Having had large corporate partners, the leading banks
(20:06):
in the world, writing checks to black girls breathing like
I'm going to face some of that, right, So yeah, anyways,
I don't know how I got that entrepreneur journey, but yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
I brought you there.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Well, I mean no, I think that's often something that
guests will say, especially you know, I mean, are you
still living the solopreneur kind of like life or do
you have a team?
Speaker 2 (20:29):
And if you have a team, I have a team, Okay,
And even that I think people get to I recommend
people lean team, lean team until it makes sense to
expand all your sense systems in process. I think sometimes
entrepreneurs get caught up in like having this big team
and like do you need that? We have text acts,
we have you know, systems, like only have what you need.
(20:52):
We've been around for six years, right, I've seen COVID,
I've seen you know, money EI shrinking and have been
able to grasp in those periods. So there's just lots
I've seen and I'm like, just you know, work on
what works best for you. Don't look into the appearance
(21:14):
of things. Is that's how a lot of people get
caught up. And I've talked to other founders who should
have reduced you know, a long time ago, but we're
so caught up in how things looked and how that
would appear, you know, I'm like, no, you do, it's
best for that for that P and L.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Yeah. I mean my team is I have a virtual assistant,
I have an editor for the podcast, and then I
have me myself and I and a bunch of systems
and tools. And that's just how it's going to be
for a while, and I'm good with that. It's a
huge responsibility to bring on staff. It's it's like, well damn.
I mean that's especially in the first you know, a
(21:53):
few years of business. I know you know this well,
but the financial volatility of it all. I mean there's
months I have launched my business where it's like, are
we going to do the mortgage and the daycare this month?
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Like without dipping into in a retirement fund. We don't
want to do that.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
How did you I mean, I know your first business
you said it was a marketing consultancy, but how were
you like funding your businesses? Was it personal funding to
start with? Have you ever brought on investors?
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (22:24):
So first business, there was no need for any kind
of investment money right, service based business priging retainers to
and then also you know, being specific with my ideal clients,
like these clients can afford certain retainers monthly for two
years plus, and I may take on a smaller project
(22:44):
here and there, but I have that consistent income. So
that was the basis for the first business. I didn't
really need that much startup capital for that. For BGB,
I started off with like five thousand of my own
personal savings and have since we've gotten grant funding. I
have no investors. I made the decision when was it
(23:06):
twenty twenty three to stop pursuing and having conversations around
funding with investors.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Oh okay, yeah, it.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Didn't make sense. It didn't make sense. I mean, I
think a huge part of being a black founder is
tailoring your exposure level to just like the BS, like
if you, I don't have to expose myself to I'm
not walking into these meetings mostly with there being a
curiosity for what we're doing. That's mostly I'm having to
(23:38):
pitch against their defensiveness. Already They've already made up in
their minds the extent of what this could be what
it is, and that's where I'm walking into.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
You know, it's got to be a shitty feeling.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
Yeah, and so I'm like, I don't have to. I'm like,
let's just yeah, have cash be cash flow positive, watch
that P and L and you know, have partnerships, have
A we have B two C and B to B
listening to customers using our data to influence what we
do next. Like, let's do that. And that was the
best decision that I made. I mean because the freedom
(24:12):
of not having investors. You know, we've taken on some
impact loan investment money, so low interest funding right here
in Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Through like a community banks.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Or quasi governmental is called Impact Atlanta. And there's probably, yeah,
you know, an impact Houston or I don't know, I'm
making other there is an impact in Choice. But these
orgs are quasi governmental. They have private and public funding
to help fund innovation in those cities, and so they're
looking for different products, whether that's you know, retail, whether
(24:45):
that's residential so mixed use housing and spaces. Like they're
just investing to ensure the city keeps up and appears
like one that is innovative and leading. So all cities
have that. I would encourage people to look into that
and begin, you know, creating those those relationships. Yeah, that
is the journey of background of business.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
How are you liking Atlanta as the home for your
business and like the entrepreneurship community there? How are you
finding those like connections locally? I know you mentioned a
little bit the networking, but you know, on the whole,
what's it been like.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
I will say that I'm still trying to excuse me
to find my way here in Atlantis, being from here,
having a market city in here. So one of our
market communities is in Atlanta. We have several all over
the US, like we have eight or nine key markets
where our community members are. It is one of those.
But I will say that for the very recently have
(25:45):
we secured both a corporate partner and some funding here
in Atlanta. All of that in the past has been
in New York.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Okay, when did you move back? Was it recent?
Speaker 2 (25:56):
No, I've been The second move back to Atlanta was
what point eighteen twenty eighteen, So I've been back for
but finding my way when it comes to community here,
because you know, it's just different. I go to my
my networking in New York where I do have professional contacts,
haven't gone to school there, and just feeling more free
(26:17):
in certain ways and some leggings, you know, go to
the co working space and some leggings and a sweatshirt,
and no one is like trying to you know, see
and use that to see, like is there a business
successful the Atlanta It's kind of a different approach. It
is very you know, people will look at the service
level to try to determine and see get information about
(26:40):
your success as a business. It's kind of interesting, still
finding my way in Atlanta, but grateful for this recent
support that has made me be like, Okay, let's see
here even more as far as me staying here and
continue to build from here.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Do you feel like Atlanta is a bit more are
like superficial in terms of like the like I always
be real because I haven't. I haven't been there as
a business owner. My brother works in corporate and he
also is a filmmaker in Atlanta. He lives on the
East Side, and you know, I think he has found
such a great community in the in the art film
(27:18):
sort of like space. But that's just my only sort
of window. Sometimes I want it to be good for
us because I might want to go back to Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
So I'm just like people. I find my people. I
think you have friends and great relationships here. Just speaking
on a business perspective, that could be different, you know,
with it having the entertainment and music industry down here.
Of course it's going to be a little bit more superficial,
right because you have that those components seeding into the
(27:49):
overall culture down here. But I would say there's a
lot of interest in our tech scene of growing that here.
You know, our elected officials, I love that they look
like me, you know, especially our mayor mayor of Atlanta.
So there's lots of building. I'd say there's opportunity. You
just have to I'm still finding my way. I have
(28:10):
my poor people, but again I'm trying to be more.
That's my goal for coming out and do the networking thing.
But I do go to the networking things and walk
away feeling like, okay, you know, okay, like they don't. Yeah,
that's usually my taguway.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Okay, what kinds are you? I'm just curious too, because
I mean I live in Westchester, which is outside of Manhattan,
and I haven't, you know, to be completely transparent, I
haven't really built I wouldn't say a community of other
entrepreneurs here.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Definitely.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Friends neighbors have been important to me. But when you
think about networking and like the types of events you
go to, what do you find the what's the purpose
for you? Like, what's the best case scenario outcome for
you building that community?
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Genuine connection? You know, you do business. Most times you're
doing business, there's some rapport relationship there, right, any kind
of partnership, there's a familiarity. Repeat. Business is done with
people that like you. That's just the reality. They like you,
they like being around you, they like the value you bring.
So those are the attributes you're looking for and need's
(29:18):
networking situations and and these things aren't immediate. Ask It's
okay to grow slow, get to know people. Oh yeah, yeah,
be able to help them, see how you can help
expand Right, I'm I'm rud of everybody black, right, So
I've done that in business in all ways that I
could use my influence to ever do that. But yeah,
(29:42):
those are usually my goals when I'm going to networking situations.
You know, I'm going to everything from tech events to
shareholder meetings. For some of these, uh you know, oh
why tech?
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Well, is there a tech component to BGB or are
you hoping to expand in that space?
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Oh okay, thank gotcha.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Yeah. So, yeah, we have the web up. We also
have our in persons that will be more consistent after
our breathwork facilitators graduate this may and choosing some to
lead our markets where I don't you know, it's not
sustainable for me to.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
Let's talk about that because I want to know. I
know we've talked a lot on the background, but how
are you getting more? Yeah, talk about training breathwork facilitators.
How does that all work? And then what's your vision
that there will be BGB sort of like like you said,
trainers and all your key markets eventually so we can
go get a session.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, So okay, we started with that, that
combo of having both virtual and in person sessions and
so getting to a place now that our community has
grown to be able to have a consistent breathwork facilitator
in that city hosting sessions. So that's a key part
of our our one million impact plan that we launched
(30:58):
back in twenty twenty one. But yeah, so training facilitators now,
I'm excited about that one that launched because of an
issue I was having with hiring facilitators who said they've
gone through trauma and formed training, but then getting them
into an environment like the ours and them not being
aired feeling overwhelmed, right, thinking not only of just the demographic,
(31:21):
but the volume. You know that you're going to be
hosting other people feeling that energy, feeling a lot of
people's trauma. So training arose from fatigue of hiring and
training people and them still not feeling ready because of
training programs they were going through. So that's why I
wanted to the training program, mostly to be able to
(31:42):
hire myself, also noticing their need for someone that looks
like me, with my unique experience. I didn't have a
blueprint for this work.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
You know.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
There was a time when I had reached back to
one of my former teachers, like, you know, like, oh
my gosh, you know, like I don't know what to
do in these situations I'm learning because they don't provide
the tools, And in some way it's no fault to them,
because of who their clientele was. What could they provide me?
Speaker 3 (32:09):
You know?
Speaker 2 (32:10):
But I remember her saying like, Yeah, you've reached a
point where we're going to have to create the blueprint
for yourself. Right, there's no one in front of you
doing this at this volume of this demographic fake your learnings,
you know, and so data has been a huge part
of that, right. I talk about research a lot. We've
done a lot on the back end behind the scenes
with research, but being able to capture the data of
(32:33):
what this work is doing over time with this demographic
is important to be able to showcase those results. So
using that data to influence how we continue to do
this work and also our training program.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
Hey, ba fam, We're going to take a quick break,
pay some bills, and we'll be right back. Welcome back,
be a faan, Let's get back to the show. Well one,
I want to know how the breath work sessions work.
I think I had my idea because meditation and breath
work became really important to me postpartum. I've been a
(33:11):
high functioning anxiety girly and only because I don't think
life had gotten stressful, too stressful, But when I hit
my max, when I really got to a challenging, challenging
time post number one, and then I had my second
baby in twenty twenty three, and the last year twenty
twenty four and twenty twenty three, A just really through
(33:34):
your girl, really challenged, you know. And when it came
to trouble sleeping and falling asleep really and having these
like anxiety attacks that would sort of paralyze, they were
I call them like quiet anxiety attacks because they weren't.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
I don't think there weren't.
Speaker 1 (33:52):
I think about Randall Pearson from This is Us, you know,
Sterling K. Brown's character, where he would be crying in
the shower and it would be a panic attack. But
for me, they've manifest it's like just body paralysis and
just all the panic is inside. You can't see it,
but it's happening, like my brain's on fire, but no
one else knows it. And I have found I don't
(34:13):
have I don't have like a routine or a practice,
but breath work and meditation have become a really important
part of my routine and I usually will do it
through an app or just make it up on the
fly like I did. Then the kids are driving me
batshit crazy in the morning.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
So if we go to a.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
BGB session, what does that look like and how do
you see us incorporating it into our day to day?
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Yeah, So if you come to a BGB session, we're incorporating,
you know, reflection, being able to connect with the mind,
and then using the brain using the breath to connect
to the body. So that mind body connection is something
that a lot of athletes and those in the sports
industry talk about. It's really effective being able to connect
(34:58):
your breath with your body and tap into your body
locating emotions where emotions sit in the body, because our
emotions have physiological effects and so distressed and so does trauma.
Trauma doesn't live in the brain, that lives in the body.
We can't outthink our trauma. We have to allow our
bodies to help process the emotions and all the embedded emotions.
(35:20):
So using the breath to bring that up and that
can result in a variety of responses. We use a
lot of the tools I mentioned in the book when
it comes to auditory releases, so screaming, it's really great
incorporating that with the breath work, and then ensuring that
we have just a safe container for people to leave
(35:42):
out of such an experience like that, because it is
intense and right, you're not only having your experience, but
experiencing other people's.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
Because you're in groups in person. So this ain't This
ain't what I've been doing. This ain't listening to Chelsea
Jackson Roberts on Peloton app at night, although I love Chelright.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
Yeah, it's like a release.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
You're almost it's the it's almost like you're focusing a
little bit on Well, I don't know. I don't want
to tell you, but it sounds to me like there's
an exhale, like there's a release.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
That's interesting. I've never done anything like that.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
You said you're in Rochester, outside of my car, Westchester.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Yeah, yeah, we have a community New York.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
I'm gonna have to find one.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
Once we once I graduate, my peeps and they'll be
doing it consistently. So I can say this new era
which is teaching and being able to help guide and
not take on all that weight myself, but teach others
how to make space for it, because it is something
that people can burn out from very quickly, very quickly.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Yeah, and it's because you're all these people. You're in
a room and you are like if they're releasing such
intense emotions. But it's not like a therapy session, right,
We're not speaking, there's no back and forth. You're just
being led through sort of a exercise.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Speaks right, So that could be traumatic too, people's bodies speaking,
temporary paralysis, people you know, having a snake right, like
the body is speaking, and tell always say the breath
tells on you. Right I can, and this is from
years of practice with lots of demographics. Right, I can
look at someone's body and see what they may be
(37:27):
dealing with emotionally, just where the breath is trapped. Right,
Some people, even in attempt to take a full inhale
next sale, can't right just from the just the there's
such an embedded fear of you know, the emotions coming up,
and a feeling that most people have this huge fear
(37:47):
that if they allow themselves to go to the bottom,
they won't be able to get it back up. Right,
And there's been lots of confirmation around that. Right, you
have a break up, don't don't sweat about it too long.
Right when we're in that state where we need to grieve,
and a lot of well, don't stay down too long.
There's this spear around being exposing ourselves to our own
emotions and our own depth and things that we've repressed
(38:10):
and avoided for a while. So, yeah, that experience in
and of itself. And then a lot of people don't
have words to their trauma, that your experience. They don't
have words for that right, they don't even know how
to verbalize because it's been a subconscious thing or thing
that they may not have mentally taken account of, but
their body did and held on to it, held on
(38:31):
to that experience. So in ways, you know, we are
having dialogue and communal dialogue like one would talk in
therapy and having that back and forth with each other.
But then that other component of you know, have you
ever heard of person well who's recently lost themselves find
lost someone finally allow themselves to go to the depth
(38:52):
of that grief. Like that's something that internally we can
feel the weight of everyone in the room.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
So, yeah, there was this moment when I was in
my darkest place and you know, the past year and
maybe I'll get there again. It resonates with me talking
about the deepest well of our emotions and almost feeling
like the fact that I was in there, feeling it,
unable to escape it, finally having to like touch that
flame that in a way, I guess I thought I
(39:21):
was broken for having gotten that low and what I've
learned since then, And what I've been talking about since
then for myself is just how important it was for
me to be that low and to see how I
could get out of it. But how like it was
okay to sit there for a while, examine those feelings,
(39:42):
get to the core of them. And it wasn't like
for sure, It wasn't just like, oh I had this
really cathartic cry and then I was fixed. It was
those are some really challenging feeling So I'm going to
need to actually sit with these for days, weeks, months
and work through them. And then for me, it kind
(40:02):
of comes down to when do I have time to
fall apart because I am a mom and I have
so many people relying on me financially, emotionally. I need
to be a well for my children. And I had
done therapy, like I did five years of therapy. I
was on my little Zoloft. You know, we got my
little meths. We're all open to that now, but just
there was so many things that were hitting back to
(40:24):
back to back that I finally sort of reached my
limit and I had to tap into new tools. And
I know you've spoken about breath work as being one
of those tools and your toolkits, and it was so
liberating for me to realize that I can go to
those places emotionally because I had the tools I know
(40:44):
to get out of them. Breathwork is one of those
tools for me. Another one that I've talked about is
DBT therapy, so dialectical behavioral therapy, which is very like
skills based. You know, what are some actual things I
can do to decrease suffering in this moment, I wonder
(41:05):
from you, like what are their tools or can you
just talk about the tools that are in your toolkit
or the tools that you hope that more black women
are able to That was a very long winded question,
but yeah, no.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
I would say my experience with EMDR as someone who
has gone through traditional talk therapy and hit a plateau
to where this kept dropping me like, oh, you have
the tools, don't You don't mean And I'm like, actually,
processing is therapeutic to me out loud right, like I
know the steps I did to remedy this, but just
you having you stick across from me and listen to
(41:41):
me and see me as a person who goes out
in the world as a black person who doesn't always
feel seen is therapeutic. Feeling seen is there, so them
not necessarily getting that, but me doing AMDR therapy, which
is that subconscious brain wiring. So it's eye movement process
and you're literally using eye movement. It's insane. And when
(42:04):
I tell you can process so much in five sets,
you can process three years of talk therapy in five
sessions of EMDR with the EMDR therapist, it's amazing. I
want all black women to tap into this because a
lot of us again have that subconscious trauma. And what
it's doing is it's reframing the brain's connection to that trauma.
(42:25):
So it's like it's like if this was the trauma
and this is the brain stick to that memory, it's like,
whoop boop, let's go let's go rewire, you know, let's
rewire to a different thought when it comes to that.
And so that trauma isn't isn't attached to this negative
leaf or a pattern. Let's help the brain do that
without the talking, with what it naturally does, right, just
(42:48):
enhancing eye movement.
Speaker 3 (42:49):
Right, Yeah, I've heard of the MDR.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
It's amazing. I highly recommend another. And I'd say to
you it was funny I was like, I wanted to
the virgoidomy, wanted to, you know, snapshot, and the therapist
saying this, she was like, I've never had anyone's brain
process as fast as you do. And I was like,
it's a breath work. Like I've done so much subconscious
book with the breathwork. She was like, I think so too,
you know to where yeahs, yeah, I mean before that,
(43:17):
all the years of practice and then meeting this tool
and seeing its response and right now preparing for in
preparation for the training, hosting the training, I started getting
acupuncture and working within you know, the medicine practitioner and
I have adored that, and same thing. He's like, your
body is responding so well to this. It's me preparing
(43:40):
for the fact that I just launched a book, and
that's heightened stress. It's natural heightened stress. Right, you have
something that you've never done before. It's natural, It's okay,
But how do I use a tool to help me
like rebalance that need some more tricks, you know, in
the toolbox. So acupuncture has been so helpful, highly highly
highly recommend. Also just the physiological effects of acupuncture, especially
(44:04):
for women and balancing hormones, because stress doesn't just impact
you know, our anxiety, it impacts our hormones, and so
helping to balance those hormones and ensure that we're not
being impacted, you know, I having a productive system isn't
being impacted by our stress levels. It's really important. So yeah,
(44:27):
that's been a great tool for me.
Speaker 1 (44:29):
Okay, acupuncture, I haven't tried that.
Speaker 2 (44:33):
I'm doing painless though. The needles don't stand. He's just
getting the pressure points. So there's different types of acupuncture
you can do. You don't have to do the traditional
one where you see people with the needles, you know
what I mean, being tooked and they're just lying.
Speaker 3 (44:45):
There's all different levels of it.
Speaker 1 (44:47):
Okay, I don't mind a little pain if it's gonna
work just like you could.
Speaker 3 (44:52):
Does it hurt good? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (44:54):
I feels like little pricks. The kid he does, he's
just okay. Point so there's no need for the needles
to actually stand there. I mean, this is a different
type of acupuncture, older, older type. Yeah, and it's okay
to not feel the pain that the results worked just
the same. Trust.
Speaker 3 (45:13):
Okay, that's something to think about.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
Daily walking. Daily walk low impact movement low impact movement,
and there's recently some research that was written. I've got
to find that article again. But how nature walking helps
with processing trauma because when we're nature walking, we're looking
left right, which mimics what an AMDR process. Yes, yes,
(45:36):
so I was like, my gosh.
Speaker 1 (45:38):
Yeah walking with walking or I don't run as much anymore.
But when I did run, I was training for a
triathlon and they wouldn't let you use ear earbuds, you
couldn't listen to music, and that really taught me how
to run just kind of based on and just get
into the rhythm of my body and my breath. And
(45:59):
so when I want I try to walk if I'm
doing it for mental health, like sometimes just walking and
walk the dog, I'm gonna listen to something. But I
have found like walking without something in my ear to
listen to, which I think some people, I mean even
sometimes myself. I'm like, why can't I just do the
dishes and listen to my thoughts? But is that important
to you to just have like quiet walking time or
(46:21):
do you find yourself gravitating toward like listening to something.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
I have lots of time in general, Okay, at least
for lots of reflective and quite like I feel even
working throughout the day, I'm not having a bunch of
stuff playing, you know, I just really continue to my senses.
What's going on when I'm eating, I'm not watching TV,
I'm not on my phone. I like to eat. I
like to enjoy my food, right, Just little things that
I do throughout the day that help my brain not
(46:45):
get so attached to multitasking and distractions. And so I
feel like I make a good enough amount of time
for quiet time every day. But in my walking, it
really depends. Sometimes I'm gonna listen to a really good podcasts.
Sometimes I just want to listen to like the birds
and leaves rustling, you know what I mean, not in
(47:05):
the park, And so it really depends. I'm always asking
myself what I need in the day, and for you know,
it changes. That's the way we can be flexible with
our tools is just being kind to ourselves that one
day's tools may not look like the other.
Speaker 1 (47:21):
Fond yes that part, yeah, and replacing some I know.
The word that keeps bouncing around in my head is
maladaptive because I think that there I certainly have to
maladaptive habits that served me as a kid, and you
know that I just kept doing as an adult that
maladaptive is just like, ain't good for you. It actually
(47:42):
hurts you in the long run. And trying to replace
those with healthier coping strategies is it's hard. It's hard,
and sometimes you find yourself going back and into some
old habits or yeah, just some practices that you're like, damn,
I thought I thought I had that one under control.
Speaker 2 (48:03):
This is just part of the process that's so proud us.
There's no such thing as a straight wide and our
feeling and just being able to Like my friend recently
mentioned about leaning into love, just leaning into love and
always when it comes to ourselves like self love, Yeah,
leading into where the love goes. I think too, we
(48:23):
can self sabotage being happy and having a joyful moment
if things have been rough for a while. Talk about
that we don't even know some of us don't know
how to enjoy the happy moments when they are here
because we've just been so used to the down moments,
and so when that happens, sometimes we subconsciously self sabotage
by engaging in something that doesn't feel good. Just because
(48:44):
it's what our bodies used to. So just leaning, even
you know, as uncomfortable as can feel, sometimes leaning all
the way into the love and the goodness, practicing that
it's a practice.
Speaker 1 (48:57):
That's a practice too, Yeah, and that it's also a
good reminder too that yesterday's tools may not work today.
And having kids really help me see that, because first
of all, different I used to have this mantra of
like different baby every day because yesterday the binkie would work,
but today it's like I don't want that make It's
like I really want you to walk around the kitchen
island a thousand times with me in a very specific
(49:20):
hold or its music one day and you se desperately
and I can see my husband really struggles with this.
Speaker 3 (49:27):
He's like, but this isn't working anymore. What am I
going to do?
Speaker 1 (49:29):
You got to ask that, You got to ask them.
You got to be patient and let them show you
what they need in this moment. And I think we're
very similar as adults, and you know, some days, what
what I like to have all the tools. At the
beginning of this ye oh last year, as I was
going through this like deep journey, I was like, I
want to know what all the tools are, and I
(49:50):
want to have I want to have them at my
fingertips so that I can reach toward them and not
have so much pressure for that to be the one thing.
A bath may relax me for an hour, but I
may need to journal on top of it. I may
need to book a massage. I may need to do
a meditation, you know, the next day, the next week, whatever,
(50:16):
and just kind of being open to like, yeah, the
the changing of that, and there's not one magical routine
that will fit everyone. Yeah, being open to surprise, yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:31):
Yeah, and the yummy surprises too, things working out better
than we expected or fitting better than me into you know.
Speaker 1 (50:39):
Yeah, well would you mind if I can? This is
like your talent now right every you're like lind Ma
and will Miranda when everyone's like can you freestyle? And
it's like Jasmine, will you do a meditation with or
breath work with me or with ba Fan?
Speaker 3 (50:52):
Do you have time a little bit.
Speaker 2 (50:54):
Of oceanic breath to close this out?
Speaker 1 (50:56):
That sounds wonderful oceanic breath okay.
Speaker 2 (51:00):
And the practice sounds just like its name, So mimicking
our breasts to sound like the ocean it was can
close our eyes and just envision that. But you're gonna
be opening your mouth as wide open as possible.
Speaker 3 (51:15):
And you're gonna mm hm really okay.
Speaker 2 (51:17):
For increased airplot Yeah.
Speaker 3 (51:19):
Oh it's so tight you don't have.
Speaker 2 (51:21):
To force it. We can easeful.
Speaker 3 (51:23):
Oh okay.
Speaker 2 (51:28):
Exhaling out of the mouth.
Speaker 3 (51:32):
Okay, that was just for practice. I want I'm doing
it now.
Speaker 2 (51:37):
Exhaling out of the mouth, inhaling, exhaling, we're really allowing
our lungs to fill up as much as possible on
that inhale, then depleting the lungs on that exhale. Really
(52:02):
getting our bodies used to what a full inhale on
exhale feel like from the body. I promise if you
do like five rounds of this in the morning, you'll
feel it and it'll really activate that parasympathetic.
Speaker 3 (52:21):
Very tingly up here? Is that normal? Very tingly? I
love you know.
Speaker 1 (52:27):
I think with breath often it's like breathe in through
the nose, out through the mouth. I've never done that
full mouth inhale.
Speaker 2 (52:33):
Yeah. There's so many different types and patterns of breath work,
so many outed in well.
Speaker 1 (52:39):
Thank you so much, Jasmine for coming on Brown Ambition.
Thank you for writing this book and for giving me
a different way to look at a tool that I
thought I already kind of knew. No, I don't. There's
so many layers to it. I can't wait to explore more.
Where can people find you and find BGP and join
that community our books?
Speaker 2 (52:56):
Yeah, yeah, you can find at Black Girlsbreeding dot com.
We have some free resources on our website, our mental
health toolkit. You can join our paidcommunity app dot Black
Girls Breathing dot com, Sunday Bomb. We have guided HD
breathwork meditations. I'm really loving the rest series that we
(53:17):
dropped to really help us practice rests. A lot of
us need help and it's okay, it's not un learning.
So those videos are there to guide us. Audio meditations,
we have live sessions and communal dialogue, expanded content, all
the things. And the book is available wherever you buy
your books and audio books. I am recommending that people
(53:39):
go to black on bookstores to purchase their copies and
also get the second copy from Barnes and Noble. Going
stores to have that shelf space is a huge honor.
Not a lot of black authors get it. Even if
you have a publisher.
Speaker 3 (53:52):
Amen.
Speaker 2 (53:53):
So it has shelf space. The book has commented, shelf space.
I'm super excited about that.
Speaker 3 (53:58):
Tell your library to care.
Speaker 1 (54:00):
Shout out to the Greenberg Library.
Speaker 2 (54:02):
It's night.
Speaker 1 (54:04):
It was in their new nonfiction section. I was like,
am I interviewing her? I think I am, so I
grabbed it.
Speaker 2 (54:12):
That's the thing about books. It will go farther than
you ever expected. To be honest, You're like, oh yeah,
but yeah, and and then you can follow black girls
breathing my personal accounts that girl and this poor j Marie,
and that's that's all things black girl's breathing in and.
Speaker 3 (54:30):
Me, thank you Jazmine Marine having me.
Speaker 1 (54:35):
You know you're from the South when you got the
Jazzmine Marie. I'm Amanda Lee. So it's the thing. It's
a Lea Marie.
Speaker 2 (54:41):
First, you what, I didn't have a name. I went
home without a name. So the doctor told again remember
a grady baby.
Speaker 3 (54:49):
So I don't know.
Speaker 2 (54:49):
Okay, it was working back there, but they told my
mom I was a boy and so I was quintin.
Speaker 3 (54:55):
So she didn't check the hardware make sure when I
came out.
Speaker 2 (55:01):
That they had off the you know the what is
it called the ultra sound all that kind of stuff
showed I was a boy. I don't know if it's
my hand, I don't know, but they told me, yeah,
it must have been, and came out a girl. And
and first she named me Aubrey. And my my mom's
best friend at the time was like, absolutely not that ugly.
So I went home and no offense the Aubrey's out there.
(55:22):
They just didn't like it. Remain I was like, she's
not an Aubrey.
Speaker 1 (55:25):
I mean, I think Drake kind of ruined operates for everybody,
so you know, probably better off.
Speaker 2 (55:30):
Wow. And I was like, I was a joke with
my mom said, I wonder if that had a traumatic
experience on you know, maxists the baby not having a day.
Speaker 1 (55:39):
Oh God, you can't do that to moms. Then she's
going to be like, listen, I did the best I
could find somebody else.
Speaker 3 (55:46):
To blame my momice.
Speaker 1 (55:49):
At a certain point, I'm like, okay, I'll tell my
therapist how you did that.
Speaker 3 (55:54):
Jasminmory. Okay. So thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (55:56):
Brand Ambition BA fan go check out her book literally
at the library.
Speaker 3 (56:00):
Check it out.
Speaker 1 (56:01):
Also, go purchase a copy. This is the kind of book.
It makes such a great birthday gift. Mother's Day gift
is you know, got Mother's Day coming up? My mom's
birthday is coming up. Might give her a copy. Thank
you again for sharing your light with us and all
the success. Thank you, okayva fam, Thank you so much
(56:21):
for listening to this week's show. I want to shout
out to our production team, Courtney, our editor, Carla, our
fearless leader for idea to launch productions. I want to
shout out my assistant Lauda Escalante and Cameron McNair for
helping me put the show together. It is not a
one person project, as much as I have tried to
(56:43):
make it so these past ten years. I need help, y'all,
and thank goodness I've been able to put this team
around me to support me on this journey and to
y'all be a fam. I love you.
Speaker 3 (56:54):
So so so so much.
Speaker 1 (56:56):
Please rate, review, subscribe, make sure you're signed up to
the newsletter to get all the latest updates on upcoming episodes,
our ten year anniversary celebrations to come, and until next time,
talk to you soon via bye
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