Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn

Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn

This is what the world needs now: two free-thinking “seasoned” Black women speaking their truth and inspiring others to do the same. Shaped by 45 years of friendship that began at the prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School through the Ivy League, medical school, marriages, divorces, triumphs, parenting queer children, life-threatening illness and many many amazing adventures. Each week, besties Leslie Osei-Tutu and Angella Fraser will push against boundaries in love, culture, careers, faith, politics and out-dated assumptions about women of a certain age. Remember, you’re never too old to change your mind…or your hair! (but more on that later :-)All views are our own and do not reflect the views of our institution/company. Information provided is not intended to serve as medical advice.

Episodes

October 28, 2025 38 mins

A thirty-year-old sweater sparks a surprising truth: when your clothes outlive trends, milestones and possibly lifespan, maybe the smartest style move is to stop buying and start noticing. The Besties celebrate their three-year mark by replaying a fan-favorite conversation that ages well-  filled with stories about closets, boundaries, and the everyday choices that quietly define who they are.

Chapter Markers

0:00 Anniversary Replay ...

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The moment someone says you’re “too much,” you face a fork in the road: get smaller or get clearer. We chose clarity. To mark three years of Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn, the Besties rebroadcast a past episode where a relationship that ended: not because love was absent, but because the container couldn’t hold who Angie was becoming. What followed was a surprising kind of closure, the kind your body recognizes before your bra...

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A FaceTime that wouldn’t connect, a birthday ice cream run, and a red box hidden under a saucer—then four words that change everything: will you marry me? We’re celebrating a surprise engagement that’s decades in the making and unpacking what it means to choose love, with clarity, later in life.

We retrace the moment—how he kept a three-month secret, returned the first ring, and enlisted his sister to find the one that felt right. F...

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Two best friends trade wildcard questions about possibility, mortality, love, and “enough,” mixing belly laughs with clear-eyed truth. We unpack being overlooked, parenting triggers, belonging in medicine, and building a good life rooted in self-agency and joy.

Thank you for listening. We really appreciate you. And we appreciate our Patreon subscribers too. You can join our Patreon Besties Squad Squad for a five or ten dollar monthl...

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September 30, 2025 44 mins

Besties Angella and Leslie, two 60-something year old Black women, reveal their concerns over artificial intelligence and explore how AI can enhance rather than threaten their lives.

They reference an episode of John Hope Bryant’s Money and Wealth podcast entitled “How Black America Can Win with AI” where Bryant and his guests Van Jones and Sheldon Gilbert illustrate how AI can serve as a “survival guide, a playbook and a warning la...

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The Besties explore their fears about moving to Panama while choosing to let joy shine through instead of letting fear take control. This candid conversation reveals their concerns about relocating abroad and how they're working through them to embrace this life-changing adventure.

Chapter Markers:

0:00 Reconnecting and Introduction

2:39 Fears About Language Barriers

15:20 Missing Family and Leaving Children

20:05 Career Identity a...

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Dr. Dianah Lake shares her journey from personal crisis to fitness transformation, creating a holistic wellness program specifically designed for high-achieving women who prioritize everyone else's needs above their own. Her approach addresses not just physical fitness but mental health, hormonal balance, and the unique challenges women face during perimenopause and menopause.

Dr Di Fitness Facebook Page

0:00
Meet Dr. Dianah...

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Angella and Leslie explore how choosing joy over fear transformed their lives, particularly in relationships. They share personal stories about leaving marriages that weren't serving them, despite the comfort of familiarity and fear of the unknown.

Chapter Markers:

0:00 Welcome to Black Boomer Besties

5:02 Choosing Joy Over Fear

13:17 Angella's Marriage Journey

22:00 Leslie's Decades-Long Marriage

33:10 The Beautiful Home ...

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September 2, 2025 46 mins

Michelle Malawer is a money coach for women.  She joins The Besties to explore how unresolved financial issues may create barriers to joy and fulfillment in our lives.

She explains that money struggles affect people at all income levels. Her coaching focuses on understanding the stories and mindsets behind money behaviors, not just numerical solutions.  Michelle recognizes that financial shame often prevents us from seeking help or ...

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Black Girls Go Global is changing the world through their one-week STEAM educational program where young Black women travel internationally to learn about sustainable development. Board members Rolanda Goodwin and Lisa Randolph share how this organization is creating pathways for Black girls in STEAM fields where only 2% of the workforce is African American women.

Visit blackgirlsgoglobal.org (IG: https://www.instagram.com/black_gir...

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When Emory University professor and scholar Dr. Karida L. Brown began researching America's segregated education system, she didn't expect to uncover a radical history of resistance, innovation, and profound courage. Yet after eight years of meticulous archival work across America and South Africa, that's exactly what she found.

Dr Brown’s latest book, "The Battle for the Black Mind" reveals extraordinary st...

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August 12, 2025 35 mins

This week Besties Angella and Leslie explore how to invest now to create a future that their older selves will thank them for. They were inspired by an 82-year-old patient who's maintained friendships since high school and lives vibrantly in her ninth decade.

0:00
Welcome to Black Boomer Besties

2:05
An 82-Year-Old Inspiration

6:20
Future Self Letters and Financial Preparedness

15:40
Health 2.0: Physical Fitness fo...

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Dr. Hervé Damas shares his transformative journey from NFL player to cannabis wellness pioneer, sparked by his mother's cancer recurrence and her powerful challenge to him to find his true purpose. His path through medical school, personal health struggles, and ultimately walking away from a lucrative radiology career demonstrates the power of betting on yourself when facing life's greatest challenges.
References:
Dr. ...

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Dr. Hervé Damas, founder of Dr. Damas CBD, shares his riveting journey from a student at NYC’s prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School (The Bestie’s alma mater) to becoming a successful cannabis pioneer and entrepreneur.  

With a few amazing milestones achieved along the way- All American scholar-athlete, NFL linebacker, college professor, and physician, Dr Damas is truly a modern day Renaissance Man.

Besties Angella and Leslie al...

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When Leslie confesses she approached Angie for career coaching because "I'm not good at too many things”, the statement stops Angie in her tracks, considering Leslie is an accomplished anesthesiologist who returned to medical school at 36 as a single parent.

This moment of disconnect between achievement and self-perception becomes the catalyst for exploring why we struggle to recognize our own worth.

Their honest exchange d...

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Book a free coaching consultation with Angie

The Besties talk about joy A LOT! And want to make sure that people are getting its true meaning, and what it’s not, to stay clear of all the toxic positivity out there.

Toxic positivity occurs when people don't allow themselves or others to experience hard emotions, quickly trying to move them to a "positive" place.

Joy requires going through difficulty and sometimes involve...

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What makes friendships last?  The Besties have not only been blessed with their long-standing relationship, but have many others that are intact since elementary school.

They change, yes, but there are some key components that make them last.  This week’s episode explores the boundaries, curations, and grace that are behind their friendship successes. 

Some topics covered:

• Zero tolerance for gossip and strict confidentiality are cor...

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Besties Angella and Leslie bring you another episode in The Year of the Menopause series with the return of Dr Toni Otway, a Board Certified OB/GYN physician. She discusses that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, yet the connection between menopause and heart health remains dangerously under-discussed. Dr. Otway explains how dropping estrogen levels during menopause dramatically increase women's hea...

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The Besties share their most surprising discoveries from their recent first trip to Panama. They reveal unexpected aspects of Panamanian life that weren't evident from their research before visiting, some are:

• Panama's modern, clean subway 

• Spanish language proficiency is more essential than expected, especially outside tourist areas

• The extent of Panama City's skyline 

• The Albrook Mall is massive and bustling, u...

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Inspired by Rachel Martin's "Wild Card" podcast, this week, The Besties tackle questions they've never publicly addressed before, creating moments of both profound insight and lighthearted humor.

The episode unfolds with vulnerability as they explore, out loud, deeply personal remembrances like when they first realized their parents weren't infallible beings, when they first felt deep pride in themselves, an...

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