February 4, 2025 • 48 mins
This episode delves deep into Britney Laborde's transformative journey through faith, healing, and the challenges of pursuing a career in the music industry. Britney shares her struggles, including a critical cancer scare, her evolution from a musician to an author, and the importance of staying grounded in faith while navigating life's complexities.
• Britney‘s early journey in pursuing her dreams in LA
• The personal challenges she faced in the music industry
• Her powerful experience of being diagnosed with potential lymphoma
• The transformation of declaring her healing and writing her book
• Navigating motherhood as a single mom while maintaining faith
• The significance of community and spiritual support in healing
Connect with Britney and grab her book, "I Am Healed." It’s a valuable read for anyone seeking to embrace their journey toward healing and purpose!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
What's up everybody.
Welcome to let's Dig thePodcast.
We are excited to be here today.
I have a guest in the house.
This is actually our secondtime having a guest.
Everybody, real quick, saywhat's up to my childhood friend
, brittany Laborde.
Brittany, come on, say what'sup sis.
Hey guys, All right so shehappened to be in town
celebrating with some friends.
(00:20):
Matter of fact, my olderbrother just got nominated for
Grammy Shout out and so she'spart of the family.
We knew each other, I mean,since we were kids, 30 plus
years so it's cool to have youhere today and your story has
been wild Just the last coupleof hours.
She's just been kind ofcatching us up on her story and
her life.
And you've written a book,you've battled sickness right,
(00:42):
you've had publishing deals andyou've been in rooms with people
that you never thought you'd bein rooms with.
And, yeah, and god has broughtyou through so many different
things like you have a baby girlyeah right, so you're
navigating singleness, right?
you're like so all right, soyou're focusing on that, but
you're also practicing holiness,right?
So we're gonna talk aboutliving everything today I love
it.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yeah, babe, like I.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Babe, like I mean right?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
First of all, I just need to clarify.
He said y'all known each other30 plus years, but you said your
age before we started.
Do you know him since you wereone?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Before no, yeah, that's what I'm saying, my dad
and her dad go way, way, wayback.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
I just just wanted to make sure you didn't add like
30 plus onto my friend.
Yeah, she thought I wasevangelizing the numbers.
Yeah, okay, so you go backbefore birth, that's before I
was born yeah, that's what I'msaying we go way, way, way back.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
But the crazy thing is growing up.
I was such an introvert that,like most people don't really
remember me, or most most aboutmy personality type.
They may remember me but theydon't know personality type.
They may remember me but theydon't know nothing about me.
Because it's like, yeah, therewas this other brother and it
was like, but what did?
I don't remember like what hisvoice sounded, like that's
because I stuttered so bad I wasactually about to ask you do
(01:55):
you remember his stutter?
Speaker 3 (01:56):
it?
Speaker 1 (01:57):
no, I don't, because I just wouldn't talk.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Yeah, that's why?
Speaker 1 (02:00):
and so it's cool too, because, like you close with my
brothers, yeah, like probablycloser than you are with your
own brothers, very close and soand I'm like I really don't even
know you like that.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yeah, it's crazy, yeah, it's true.
And here you are sitting on ourcouch.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Yeah, and we about to dig, yeah we about to dig.
So just kind of tell her likewhat.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
So we have a little statement and we say so if
you're ready, let's dig.
So today we are going to digwith our friend Brittany.
We're really excited she's here.
She's got a lot of goodness totell about her story, and most
of that is because God is good,and so she's going to share a
little bit about her story.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
So, if you're ready let's dig I love it.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
All right.
So tell us a little bit of justuh, you wrote a book.
You tell us a little bit oflike what started that?
What's that book about?
Give us a little bit about yourbook that you wrote.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah, so my book is entitled I'm Healed.
Um, back in 2013, I moved to LA.
I'm originally from West Palmbeach, florida.
Yeah and um, you know, I justfeel like God called me to write
the book.
Um, I moved out to LA initiallybecause of my publishing deal.
I signed with the writing teamslash production team, called
(03:10):
Unscripted, and so I was freshout of high school and Wow and
moved to.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
LA, yeah, moved to LA , you moved to LA, yeah, yeah,
the wild wild west, exactly thewild west.
The wild wild west, yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I mean, it was just, I think, at an early age.
I mean, I've always known whoGod was and I think that
everything that I've gonethrough he had already set those
things out for me.
So, yeah, things happenedsurprisingly, but it was knowing
that like I was alreadyequipped for everything that was
going to come.
You know what I mean.
(03:43):
So I didn't know I was going tobe an author, I was writing
music, but I didn't even know Icould write music as well as I
did when I signed, Like I justwanted.
I grew up wanting to be like asinger or like sing in some
fashion.
You know, my dad is a singer.
He says don't, I wasn't, Iwasn't a singer, I am a singer.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
He'll make sure you know, yeah, yeah, yeah oh, he's
checking you.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yeah, yeah, that's like no, it's not.
Your dad was a singer.
Dad is a singer okay, like yeah, and you know my dad was very
well known in the Haitiancommunity, um, and grew up again
working with, you know, peter'sdad and um, that's where my
love for music came, my love forworship came, my love for like
just God came in general.
(04:28):
So you know, it just was adomino effect, just of obedience
.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
How long were you in LA Like when you came out?
Speaker 2 (04:38):
For almost 10 years I spent all of my like I turned.
I was turned 21.
Here I turned.
You know what I mean Early 20s,yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Yeah, I was like 19,.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
I think, Wow, what was what was like one of the
biggest challenges that you havefaced being in LA in the middle
of the music industry.
Hollywood young, a girl blacklike all these things, the only
girl in our team, so what do youfeel like could have been like
one of the biggest challengesthat you faced?
Speaker 2 (05:10):
I think just in general, you know when you know
you're in a playground that'snot full of saints you know
you're set apart, you know.
I think the challenge is just,you know, navigating that,
navigating those rooms.
There's a lot of things aroundyou it's weed, it's alcohol,
(05:32):
it's like there's no sessionwithout people smoking weed in
it like there's, you know what Imean, and these are all things
that were like, not to say weedand alcohol, and those things
were foreign to me, as if I Imean, I went to a Christian
school, grew up in a Christianschool, but like you know, you
know, to me the worst you knowwhat I mean.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
So it's, just it became so normalized for you.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
It was like oh, they just doing this.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Oh yeah, this is it.
Like this is the lifestyle,like this is.
I can't operate outside of thisand that was dangerous you know
to see everyone kind ofoperating in that space to where
it's like.
But who are you really?
You know?
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Let's talk about that , like, did you, did you
encounter people um, or some ofthe people that you were in this
with, lose themselves?
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Absolutely.
Yeah, you know one of my teammembers did you know and you
know I wouldn't even be able topinpoint exactly what it was,
because like I said you're in a,in a place full of, in
everything's influential.
Yeah, yeah, you know, it's themusic that you even have to
create yeah you know, um,especially when you're signed as
a songwriter and you havedifferent artists and you know
(06:42):
and are telling you, hey, thisis what this artist needs and
this is the type of record thatthey want, and like make it a
little bit more raunchy, or makea little bit more this, or like
, yeah, and it's like I'm noteven living this right now,
right something that wasn't truefor yourself yeah, like, and
that's part of why I felt likegod had to remove me out of the
situation.
(07:02):
you can't speak to what youdon't know.
You know, so it's easy for youto be influenced by all the
things that are going on aroundyou, but for me, like, my
identity is in Christ, so Idon't know how to operate out of
that.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
What would you say to a young girl, or even to
yourself in that season, like,what would you say to a young
girl who's maybe walking throughsomething like that, where
they're in an environment thatis not like them?
It's influencing them, whetherthey know it or not.
It could be influencing them.
But how would you encouragethat young girl who is set apart
(07:37):
but in the darkness and what?
How would you encourage her tolike, not let it affect her?
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah, it's just stay connected to your source.
Yeah stay connected to godthat's big because if you have
him, you have everything that'sright, like there is no, not to
say that you won't fall right.
I mean, you're human and godknows that about you too.
He made you right.
But at the same time I alwayssay, like people who are and at
(08:04):
the time wanting to to LA, likethey just thought LA is just the
place to be you got to livethere, that's how and that's
attached to your success andthat is almost becomes your
identity, like if you're notthere you won't be anything.
But that's not true.
You know what I mean.
This is just a place you know,um.
(08:24):
So I would just say like stayconnected to yeah.
This is just a place you know.
Stay connected.
It's not um, it's not what youknow, it's who you know.
Yeah, and if you know god forreal, then you will be your
source.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yeah, it's true, you'll have everything you need.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
That's big.
So I'm looking at your bookhere on amazon yeah I'm gonna
take a moment.
Um, this is exciting to kind ofsee this.
This is called I am healed, thetribute to finding the healing
you need in pursuit of yourpurpose, which I want to talk
about this a little bit becauseyou, here, you are this younger
out of high school who waswriting songs.
You went from writing songssongwriter to being an author.
And also let me take a momentright now to just everybody
(08:58):
that's joining us right now onYouTube.
If you're, if you're enjoyingthis conversation already, don't
forget, hit that like button,hit that heart button too.
As well.
We appreciate all the love.
Everybody that's joining us onSpotify, on Apple Podcasts, all
those platforms, don't be afraidto write us a review.
This conversation.
I know it's going to blesssomebody right now because even
as we talk about this, likefinding yourself while finding
(09:22):
healing and finding purpose, isreally big for all of us.
I think so many of us reallystruggle with trying to figure
out why am I here, like why am Iin this room?
I've dealt with the thought ofI've been in situations where
I'm in a room with artists or ina room with producers or in a
room with, like musicians, and Ican see everybody around me.
I'm like okay, this person gotmillions of followers, this
(09:47):
person got thousands offollowers.
This person has all this kindof influence and there's times
I'm asking myself like, but whyam I even here?
What's my purpose here?
Because sometimes we try toattach our purpose to, let's say
, just our gift.
So my gift is music, so I thinkmy purpose has to be just music
here.
But then I realized, like Godhas actually given us so many
other gifts.
There's natural gifts, there'seven supernatural gifts, right
(10:08):
Gifts of encouragement, rightGifts of prayer, gifts of
healing, gifts of just faith.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
You know what I?
Speaker 1 (10:15):
mean Coming in agreement with somebody.
I've been in rooms with peoplewhere someone shared with me
their story and I'm like hey,bro, you believe in prayer?
I was with this girl the otherday.
I wasn't with this girl.
Let me say that.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Let me clear that up.
I was with this girl, the otherday.
Her name was Danny Lee.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
No, no, um.
So our offices at the churchwe're in this industrious space.
It's, um, it's a verycollaborative space where
there's a lot of businesses andentrepreneurs and things like
that that rent out suites.
So our church, right now we'rein a temporary space and we're
renting out some suites andthere's a lounge area where it's
a collaborative space whereeverybody can come in and just
(10:54):
eat or hang out or read or studyor do like different things.
So I was coming in there on aSaturday to grab some stuff and
there's this young lady in there.
She's in there, she's studyingfor her bar right, her bar.
I'm like okay, wild.
And so I walked by and said,hey, how's it going?
I don't ever see people here onSaturday.
What are you doing here?
And she's like, hey, she's likeI'm actually just studying.
I'm like what are you studyingfor my bar?
(11:14):
I was like wow, that's crazy,I'm sorry to 10 hours a day.
Like yo, this is wild.
She's like I, I'm just reallyhoping that I can pass this exam
.
She was like I was like okay,cool.
And then she's like like, whatdo you do?
Like, what are you doing here?
I said I'm a pastor, you know.
Like we have offices here.
(11:39):
She's like, oh, okay.
She's like okay, that's cool.
I was like like cool.
I was like, well, if you'reever looking for a church to
just plug into.
So I kind of just did thatwhole thing, right.
But I didn't just want to forcemyself on her like, hey, come
to our church, like if you everneed a church, right.
But she was like, okay, cool.
So when I left, she's like prayfor me.
I stopped.
I was like what'd you just say?
She was like pray for me.
(12:08):
I was like, okay, I have a giftin praying and interceding.
We're going to pray for youright now.
Cause, again, I walked throughthis room.
I just went to go grabsomething in my office, right.
But the ultimate purpose that Ihave in this room with this
person is to come in agreementwith them with prayer and in
faith and so, like kind of talkabout this right now, and we're
going to put the link here.
This is the link right here,for I'm I'm healed.
I'm going to show you guys thisright now, if you guys can see
(12:29):
it here on on on Amazon butwe'll put the link for you guys
to be able to follow Brittanyand get the book links and all
that stuff.
But I want you to kind of talkabout that Like a young, a young
lady.
You're talented, you're gifted,you know the things that you
have inside of you.
You walk into the room andthere's people in the room that
know, know what they know, theyknow the natural things, but you
(12:51):
know spiritually the thingsthat God has put in you.
Like how do you navigate, likewalking in purpose, when you're
in a room with people that,let's say they don't know you
and you're like man?
I'm not just going to wastetime in this um, I would.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
I would just say, like, when you're placed in
those positions, like god,really, the holy spirit is just
gonna do the work.
You know what I mean?
I'm just a vessel yeah it'sreally like britney is out of,
like that's out of my mind.
I'm really like, okay, god,whatever you want to do in this
space, do it.
You know, because if I say itwas based off of my strength, my
(13:30):
knowledge, my wisdom, I'd belying to you Because, like I
said, like we talked earlier, Iwas like sometimes I say things
and it goes out of my head.
I don't even remember what Isaid, but I only know that that
happens because it's not me,it's only just the Holy Spirit
just using me to speak in thosein those rooms and just in those
circumstances, in those roomsand just in those circumstances.
(13:50):
So I think that you know makingsure that, like I can't not
talk about God.
You want to know who I am.
You're going to know who Jesusis.
Okay, that's just the realityof it.
You know what I mean.
So I can't get away from that.
You want to know who I am.
You're going to know how Godsaved me.
You want to know who I am.
You're going to know who I am.
(14:11):
You're going to know how he'sredeemed me, how he's cared me,
how he's protected me.
So God's going to be in theroom, god's going to be in the
conversation, no matter what,and so I think that's the best
way for me to navigate isletting God be God.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
So why I'm healed Like tell us the story behind
that.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Yeah, so I'm healed was just an affirmation that I
felt like I needed to speak intomy own life, um, back in 2013.
So the year that I moved out toLA, I was.
So we signed to the publishing,um, the publishing label, in
May of 2013.
Um, I had graduated high schoolthe year before and I was like
(14:46):
we're moving to.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
LA Like this, is it, it's happening, you know.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
And July, I woke up one day and I had like a huge
lump in my neck and it kind oflike we didn't, I didn't really
notice it at first.
And then I'm like, okay, thisis noticeable.
Went to my mom about it.
It was like, what do you thinkthis is?
And we went to the doctor andthey checked it out and they're
(15:12):
like, yeah, we're gonna do abiopsy.
We went into surgery.
I think it was like days later,if not like the following day,
and so, um, you know, at firstthey had a idea that maybe it
was lymphoma cancer.
Um, they said that they feltlike it was.
You know, my cells werecancerous and so, um, they were
already kind of like giving mepamphlets like this is how to
(15:33):
treat it, this is all that yeahand I feel like, subconsciously,
I was like I rebuke this injesus name yeah, you know yeah
but I do remember very clearlyum being like you know what.
God, if this is where we'regoing, whatever you're on, I'm
on on.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
And when I look back at it, I was like I was 19.
Wow, but to hear something likethat a doctor tell your mother
that your child has cancer orshe could have cancer or
whatever, and to be in aposition where you can even say,
oh okay, god, let's roll.
Yeah, that's huge.
So you know.
And so you know.
(16:13):
We did the biopsy operation andit came back negative.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
And the doctors are like no, we got to do this again
.
We got to do this again Cause,like we seen what we seen, it
was very clear.
Like I said, they had alreadygiven me the pamphlets.
They might even still be at mymom's house and they were very
clear about that.
And so we, we went back intosurgery.
I mean, it was so long ago now,it feels like, but maybe like a
(16:41):
month or so afterwards and itwas the same report.
Yeah.
So I have like it was like hereand like they, they pulled out
another lymph node in the backand so I was like, well, you
know, we could check that off.
You know, but I was believingGod already, yeah, in advance,
like I'd already believed himfor just the healing that's
(17:04):
amazing In advance, you know.
So I'm healed was justsomething that like from the
beginning, you know, you stoodon that from yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Yeah, and we've been there and we've been there
before.
Yeah, like we've had stories,like situations, especially like
with Dan and Lee, stuff that wejust and with the kids, that we
just had to believe what Godsays and not what people say.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Yeah, and I always encourage women that I walk
through things with.
I'm like.
Say yeah, and I alwaysencourage women that I walk
through things with.
I'm like.
You have to make what God'sword says louder than what the
enemy tries to tell you, becauseour minds and our brains will
tell us something different.
Yeah, our doctors will tell ussomething different, but we have
the truth and the truth is, Iam healed by his stripes.
(17:49):
I am healed Absolutely, and sowe have to, and I cause you,
like as women, like our brainswill just tell us something over
and over and over again and wehave to constantly combat that.
So I have some friends rightnow walking through risky
pregnancies or whatever thathealth scare is.
I'm always telling them, likeyou have to make the word of God
louder, and that only happensby us reading it and by us
(18:11):
saying it more than the enemy issaying in our head.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Yeah, and I love that you said that too, because it
even has to be louder than whatyou see, because the pain was
there, the fatigue was there,the hair loss was there.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
These are.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Then what you feel, what is like tangible, you know,
and so that's a part of it too,like that's a different level
of faith where it's like I knowwhat it is that I feel.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
We walk by faith and not by sight.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
And that's.
That's the faith walk there is.
Literally the Bible sayswithout faith is impossible to
please God, and I think peoplewant to get saved, People want
to believe in God but notbelieve God.
See what I mean People want tobelieve in God, but not believe
him and like he's the truth,like Jesus is the way, and so
(19:05):
the only way to walk out, whatwe walk out is by faith.
If, without faith, there'snothing for us to do.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Because it's only by what we believe, not by what we
see.
So you might see something, youmight feel something, you might
even know something.
Right, because especiallyknowledge to man, right, there
might be things that we know andunderstand naturally, but with
God we live by faith, and so forpeople to walk this faith, walk
(19:33):
out, it's literally justknowing like hey, I don't know
what's ahead, but I know who'swalking with me.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
That's it Right.
Like you know what I mean, andit's just a straight fate, like
faith.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
So it's cool to even hear you Like you hear.
You heard what the doctor said.
You see what's on your body,body you can feel what's
happening in front of you, yeah,but you choose to walk by faith
and believe god's words that weare healed yeah, yeah, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
I didn't know that.
He's bigger than it.
You know he's bigger than allof this yeah, you know yeah if
he said, if I, if he wanted to,he'd all this stuff would be
over right now.
Yeah, he'd end it right now,yeah he has the power to do that
right so my faith is in him,yep um, but if he chooses not to
, so we got to speak to the factthat, like sometimes you ask
(20:22):
him but it may not be his timingyou know um, and just trusting
that you know his time and ourtime is yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
He's on a different time zone I say all the time
he's like what is that he's on adifferent
Speaker 2 (20:34):
time zone.
Yeah, he's like what's time Imean to be?
Speaker 3 (20:35):
real, he's not confined by time, right.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Right, he's like what is that?
What is this word?
Speaker 3 (20:39):
you're telling me child.
But it's true, he's notconfined, choosing to know that
even when he doesn't answer howhe wants to or how we want him
to.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
That we choose to believe that he is still good.
Yeah, yeah, that's good.
And that, even though I havequestions, and I have big
questions, and I may have anattitude about it or I may have
a feeling about it yeah, I mayhave anger about it, I may have,
you know, a lot of hurt, but Ihave to choose to believe.
No, I know God is good Even inthis.
(21:12):
God is good, even in thisreally terrible situation.
It doesn't change who he is andhe is good.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
So so all right.
So you told us you got a babygirl.
Yes, how old is she?
She's three.
She's three.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
She's so beautiful, yeah, that's crazy, so three and
you just turned 31.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
I just turned 31.
So are you like you know.
If you don't mind me gettingtoo much in your business, no,
let's do it.
What's the story Like?
So you're a single mom.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Yes, I am yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
So, like you know, tell us a story like three years
ago, four years ago, what wasthat like?
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Like my father and I, we were best friends in high
school, so we were really reallygood friends and so we were
friends and then later on Ithink around like 2017, we
started dating and I was livingin LA since 2013.
So he lived in back in Floridaand then decided to move to LA,
and so we're like you know what?
Let's do this.
I mean, you've been my bestfriend since I was you know um
(22:13):
marriage, of course, was alwaysat the forefront.
You know what I mean,especially um Haitian household.
Like you're going to live withwho You're with what You're what
?
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Yeah, yeah, so yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Yeah, you know what I mean.
So that was always the goal,like, ultimately, like I thought
that was going to be my husbandand so we got pregnant with
Braylon and it was in a.
We were not in the best space,yeah, and it was a lot going on
was the pandemic, like, and soeven when, like things got
really real in LA, he wasactually out of the country at
(22:51):
the time.
He had just gone on a quicktrip with his friends and I'm
like trying to go through like10 different routes and ride
aids and stuff like that, tryingto get water, and I'm like you
don't really understand.
Like yeah, this is great.
Something's happening out here.
You know what I mean.
So it was just a lot going onin um in general, like mentally,
spiritually, definitely.
(23:12):
You know, um, that was going onand and we just couldn't figure
it out, you know, and um, inthat season, god was doing a lot
in and through me too.
Um, I was actually caring forand this story is kind of um, I
don't know if we want to kind ofgo into this story too, but,
like, at the time, I was caringfor a friend who was diagnosed
(23:33):
with lymphoma cancer.
Wow, and she actually is the,so my ex.
We dated like, I think like2012 for a short period of time,
but that's the mother of hischild.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
And we connected because I always ask God, like
it wasn't that lymphoma, I endedup being diagnosed with lupus
ultimately.
But why the lymphoma?
Like, why did we even have togo there?
Why was that, even inconversation, if that wasn't
what it was?
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
And literally so from 2013 to 2020, I was like, OK, I
don't know what that is, but Iknew that God was going to
reveal it to me and it was inher.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
And I was her caregiver, like she lived in um
in Scottsdale Arizona.
I would drive six hours from LAto go and like care for her up
until the day she passed.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Wow yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
So, um, it was a lot.
That was a very like sensitivetime, but God was moving and I
knew it was so purposefulbecause, like, yeah, you, my
exes, like that's why yeah, youknow what I mean.
Or this is my, this is not even, yeah, like for her it was like
this is the father of my child,like you dated him, yeah, and
you are someone who was likesignificant to him, like I still
(24:49):
like know who his mom is, whohis family is, and stuff like
that.
Yeah, and it was.
You can tell like there was alot of like turmoil within their
relationship too, but like hewas not you know honest with me.
Like you know, there wasinfidelity within our
relationship and so I felt likethere was a lot of things that
God even did through that Like.
(25:09):
And so I feel like there was alot of things that God even did
through that Like.
It was so purposeful.
He needed someone who wentthrough what she went through
was going to bring, like hercloser to God and to be able to
relate to her in a way that,like, as far as her
relationships go um, as far asher you know diagnosis went um,
going through those treatmentstogether and, um, god was in the
(25:31):
center of that relationshipthrough and through and through,
like.
We even had an opportunity,thank god, to to document what
was happening with us and whatgod was doing through us yeah
and um.
God used that's what I'm saying.
God will use sickness sometimes.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Like he'll use the most difficult situations to
really like get his glory.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
And you know, even then we prayed and I prayed and
I advocated for her and I wasthe person, like the doctor,
would be like do you guys haveany more questions?
She looked to me like that waslike my first experience, I mean
, of just feeling like I wasreally on assignment, but like
this was like my child, like Inever knew a love like that,
ever, never.
That was the closest thing tome understanding like what that
(26:18):
parenting love is and thatunconditional love is.
God will see you something sounconventional, so like left
field, and make it so beautiful.
Like people will be like whyare y'all friends?
Like?
And in a short period of time,she got diagnosed in January of
2019.
We remain like.
She started her treatmentimmediately.
(26:39):
She was diagnosed with stagefour.
I didn't know this then, butthey had given her six months.
But I was working at thiscompany and I was like, god, get
me out of here.
I was literally about to bedone with my book.
Well, I had just completed mybook and they were editing my
book.
The day that I got my edits formy book is the day that they
(27:00):
let me go for my job.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
And I was like, well, I'm going to yeah, like, and
this is what it is, and honestly, my heart's desire was always
like entrepreneurship.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
It was always like this it was always just like
speaking about just likeentrepreneurship.
It was always like this it wasalways just like speaking about,
just like I can't not talkabout what god's done for me,
like you know, and so the factthat he gave me that space and
that time- to be able to serveand I served her and she has um
a.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
They had a baby boy together yeah and at the time he
was like two yeah, yeah and youknow navigating that so, yeah,
it was just all purposeful.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
So how's it for you now, like you know, being a
single mom, yeah navigating thatand just like you know what's
the support life for you, likewhat you know, and even that
intertwining with you know umsingleness, right, yeah, like
what does that look like?
Like the future for that, likeyou know yeah, another man into
the picture and yeah raising upa baby girl Like you know.
(27:53):
How have you been navigatingall that?
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Yeah, absolutely.
I think like even when I gotpregnant and we separated, I was
like again I found myself and Ikind of feel like I'm realizing
this now.
I was like, ok, god if it's,what are we doing?
It's me and you.
What are we doing?
If it's what, what are we doing?
Yeah, it's me and you.
What are we doing?
You know, um, and I didn't knowto what capacity he was going
to, um, I mean, he comes from agreat family, but I didn't know
(28:18):
what that would look likeultimately.
You know, um, but all I know islike it's like me and you got
what we doing, you know, and soI moved back to florida and it
didn't make sense to be in LA.
Anyways, la was shut down.
I was working from home.
I was initially working in anoffice, and then we went remote
a hundred percent, um, you know,and it was just so much cheaper
(28:40):
.
I was like, let's move anywhere.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
We want to move to.
I was begging Jesus to move usin 2020.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Yeah, I was like rent is cheap out there.
Like what do you want to do?
California was great for 2020.
Yeah, it was just a lot, so,you know, but I felt like God
had told me it's time for you togo back.
Yeah, and for so many reasons.
Like I got to spend time withmy grandmother, who ended up
passing away shortly after that,my uncle, who shortly passed
(29:08):
away, like right after that.
Like living in LA too.
I mean, when you move at such ayoung age and when you go to
really pursue your dreams andyour goals and things like that,
like I don't think we talkabout the separation from like
your family enough, you know,and like the things that, like
the traditions, like all thosethings kind of like go out the
(29:30):
window because your friendsbecome your family.
That's very true, you know.
So, honestly, I became closer tomy siblings after I got
pregnant with braylon yeah Ididn't really even have much of
a relationship with any of mysiblings at the time.
Yeah, I just lived in a.
Yeah, I just lived in a wholenew world.
Um, and my friends became myfamily.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
We, we're all we had yeah, you know yeah and so that
was just ultimately it, you'reone of.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
You're one of five um , technically I'm one of four,
but, um, I have a little sisterwho my mom adopted um, which is
really her brother's daughter.
So my cousin, um, but I'm oneof five, pretty much, yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
Yeah, youngest.
Yeah, I'm the youngest.
Yeah, that's wild.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Yeah, and, like you know, I'm literally the youngest
, youngest cause.
Ralph is in his forties.
You know um John, and then mysister and I are six years apart
or five years apart.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Wow, yeah, I didn't realize, you guys that far apart
.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Yeah, I'm like.
So when you were little, like Iremember you Cause your
sister's my age.
Yeah, yeah.
So I was like really theyoungest.
So even the fact that, like Samand Timmy and I are as close as
we are yeah, I don't even knowhow that that's so cool.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Yeah, that's crazy.
Yeah, wow, it's really cool Wow.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Wow, it's a.
It's cool to hear your story.
It's cool hearing, like, howyou've gotten to where you are
now.
And it's even interesting foryou to mention.
You know, being young, pursuingyour goals, pursuing your
dreams, pursuing your passion,and in hindsight you're looking
back like man.
What like?
What are the priorities thatreally matter?
Right, family, right, yourenvironment?
(31:08):
You know you're plugged in at achurch too.
Now, right, those are thingsthat you know like when you're
young you don't think much of.
Until you start getting older,you start realizing, like man,
community tribe, like all thatplays a role in the person that
you are right now.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
Yeah, even when I came out to LA, I went to one
church and I probably I think Imoved in on like Monday or
Tuesday.
Yeah, I was at Bible study onWednesday night.
When it was Wednesday night,then we moved it to Thursday,
but then Sunday I was at churchand I stayed at church.
Yeah, I stayed at church.
(31:44):
I even served.
I was part of the praise teamat some point.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Yeah, that's cool.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
God, let me know.
Okay, this is your home right,like when you get off the
airplane, like this is your homeright when I went home and then
like this is your other home,like this is where you need to
remain, this is where I'm goingto use you.
I'm going to like you know whatI mean.
So so much purpose, and then Ialways tell people that too, oh,
you want to move to LA, find achurch, get plugged in, be
(32:12):
around people who are going tokeep you grounded, remember who
you were like, remember whatyou're coming from and don't
lose that.
You have to.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
That's huge Cause it really can.
This city, this environmentreally can swallow you up and it
can actually make you questionand forget everything that you
are and who you were before youcame here.
And so, like, like I can't tellyou how many times we tell
people get grounded in a churchyes, get people that will ask
(32:39):
you where were you last week?
Yeah, are you okay?
What's going on?
What's going on with you?
Something's off, like you haveto have those people that really
, truly care about you and willget in the mess with you
Absolutely.
But if you do not open yourselfup to those relationships and if
you don't seek them out, you'llbe alone by yourself, and the
enemy's favorite place for youto be is by yourself, absolutely
(33:02):
, like isolation is his besttool that he has.
And so, especially in the worldwe live in, with how
complicated relationships can beand how hard it feels to make
connections, like sometimes itdoesn't feel like they come
natural.
Especially out in California isdifferent out here y'all.
But like to just encourageeveryone like open yourself up,
do the hard work to find peoplethat truly care about you and
(33:26):
that will check on you, andwe'll walk in a messy situation
with you.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
That's big.
I think so too, man Like um.
I think people really need toreally work hard at discovering
their purpose.
You know, really knowing whythey exist, really understanding
their assignment.
You know, because I think I'veseen people.
Well, I'm gonna talk for like,just for myself.
I've been in some relationshipsand not even not romantic
(33:53):
relationship, but let's say theywere work relationships or just
, you know, seasonal like likerelationships, like with
friendships or mentors or peoplethat are that was helping me
out, that I knew there was aseason where just the assignment
was just complete and I thinkpeople stay in environments or
people stay in relationships, orthey stay at a job past the due
(34:16):
date, knowing that it's servedit, it's, it's served its
purpose.
Yeah, like the time is just upyeah and I think people really
need to.
I think we as people like andfor me, I want to get better at
it and I think I'm gettingbetter at it at just knowing,
like, why am I here, right?
What am I doing here?
And if, what I'm doing here, isit done?
(34:36):
Yeah, because if it's just done, I can make peace with it.
Because you start feelingtension, you start feeling, um,
you know, friction, yeah, andsometimes it means because, like
, you have to work through it.
Yeah, other times it's becauseyou're just done.
Yeah, like you know.
So I like, how you said, therewas a certain time where you
realized, like, hold up yeahdoors are closing yeah,
(34:57):
literally in a pandemic.
I got this baby girl.
This relationship justdissolved.
Yeah, I'm working from home.
Yeah, it sounds like a seasonis just done.
Yeah, yeah, it literally isthat versus trying to plow
through it and trying to make itwork.
Yeah, and I think people justreally need to really be able to
read the room.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
Yeah, what would you say is because I can understand
the difference in what you'resaying of like there are times
you actually it can feel likethere's tension, but you have to
push through it, like that'sjust you growing, that's you
just learning how to deal withtough relationships or whatever.
And then there's other timeswhere it's like, no, actually I
think this is over.
(35:37):
How would you like encouragesomeone or what would you say to
them if they don't know whatseason they're in, of whether
they need to work through thatadversity or it is actually a
season that's over?
Speaker 1 (35:48):
I think we need to go into something with already an
identified, measurable goal.
People go into relationships orgo into a situation or a
project or a job or somethinglike that, with just no idea of
how they want the outcome to be.
So when it gets tough, when webump our heads, when there's
(36:09):
friction, oh I'm uncomfortable.
Surely I got gotta get out ofthis.
Yeah, but it's like no, no no,no, no why'd you get into it and
has that happened?
yeah, like you know what I'msaying yeah I think so many you
know we, we talked about that.
Like even for you, like youknow, in your career path of
like, if you're gonna come gofrom a to b, what determines
you're done with a?
Yeah, like have you it's.
(36:30):
It's like playing video games.
Right, I remember like playing.
You know mario world.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
Like you don't talk about the a button and the b
button no, I ain't talking, bro,I was like I know you are not
gonna make no, I'm done.
I ain't talking about that'swhat I was thinking of the
controller.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
There's an a and b and I was like I know you're not
about to make this thing rightimagine when you're playing a
video game and you need to go tolevel two, yeah, or you need to
go to a whole nother world.
There's certain things that youhave to pass Right as an
indicator, saying that you aredone Right you hear that little
song yeah Indicator.
(37:08):
Yeah, time to pass.
Yeah, you've graduated.
Yeah that's true, or you'rehere and you died.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
Yeah you died.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
That's the sound that you're not done yet.
Some people just skip, somepeople just pass, or some people
try to find some hack to jumpto the next level.
Yeah, but then start havingimposter syndrome because
they're in a season where theyfeel like a fake or a phony,
because Because you got somestuff you didn't pass in the
last season and then you knowyou don't deserve to be here,
right now yeah, that's good,you're trying to play us all
(37:35):
that's really good, like whatI'm saying, yeah, and so I think
like we need to really go intosomething with already.
Like you know, I'm a visionboard guy.
I love to journal, so I go intoeverything with already.
What do I want the outcome tobe?
And I'm not coming out of thisuntil I see the outcome of what
I envisioned.
Now, unless it was out of thisworld, unless it was me being
(37:59):
pretentious or me fantasizingsomething like that.
Most of the time it ispractical and it is tangible,
right.
So that's what I would say forpeople that are going into
situations that's trying tofigure out is my time up, am I
supposed to be coming out ofthis to figure out?
Is my time up, am I supposed tobe coming out of this right?
Has the purpose, has it beenfulfilled?
Well, really determine, are youdoing what you said you was
going to do?
Speaker 3 (38:19):
right, yeah, you know the accountability, and, above
that, I would even say that youhave to pray about it yep and I
love when actually I pray likegod.
Will you close the door so thatI don't have to?
Yeah, in the sense of make itso obvious I don't question it
anymore, because when you're inthat season of questioning it's
really tough and you don't knowwhich way to go.
(38:42):
I made a recently made adecision to switch salons and it
was really hard for me.
I had a note in my phone sinceOctober so over three months of
pros and cons because I justgenuinely didn't know, like,
what is this move?
I wasn't expecting a move, Iwasn't trying to move, I wasn't
looking for a move, and now Ihave this opportunity in front
(39:03):
of me that is so good I'd bedumb not to take it.
And so I needed, like I neededclarity.
I needed, and finally, when Icame to that moment of clarity,
of like, okay, I have to do this, this is what's going to get me
to build what I want to build,I had such a relief.
The like weight was off myshoulders.
This weekend I finished at mylast one and I love those girls.
(39:25):
I had made great friendships,and so that was actually what
was hard to leave, but once Ifelt that peace, like that peace
will pass all understanding.
So when you know, like you'vemade a decision and you have
that peace run with it.
Know that, that's that.
And if you made a decision andyou don't have peace, know that
that's red alarms and you needto go back and fix them.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
Yeah, definitely pressing back into and just
asking God for that discernmentCause, even when I ended up
getting let go from the previousjob that I told you about
around the time that myassignment was summer.
Speaker 3 (39:59):
Right yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
And my book was literally completed that same
day.
I got my edits back Right.
But, the thing is like beingmindful to being faithful while
you're waiting, yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Because, oh my God, this job, I'm over it.
Okay, I was like I want to quit.
If it was off of my strength Iwould have been gone already,
right.
But at the same time I knowthat sometimes people say, oh
God told me to quit.
No, babe God did not tell you toquit Right know, or even if he
(40:34):
did, it wasn't today right andso I I remember just being in
that season and just asking god,like if I make that, if I quit,
that's my move.
But if you have them, let me go, that's, that's your and I'm
not gonna force them, I'm notgonna do anything.
I'm gonna still be a topperformer.
I'm going to still do my thingRight, but like being faithful
(40:55):
in the little things.
However, when it's time for youto pull me out, it's different.
I know that you're going to pullme out and when I tell you I
remember how I felt when I drovehome that day, giving God all
the glory and all the honor andall the praise.
Speaker 3 (41:16):
And just like, literally, just feeling like
thank you, jesus, like yeah, nowI can do what you really want
me to do.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
You know what I'm saying like here's your book in
your hands.
Now go and go here it is.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:21):
And here's that with the assignment too right
assignment, yeah yeah, and thatthat's an indicator, too, that
god is in it, because, eventhough you lost this job, you
have peace, you have joy and yougot a praise on your lips and
you have purpose.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Yeah, because you got purpose in your box.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Yeah, because if he was like pissed mad, cussing,
fussing, pouting.
I'm like I don't know if god'sin that you just quit.
No, for real, you made thatdecision yourself.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
Yeah, and I'm telling you not quitting also gives you
provision too.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
That's when you can fall in employment.
That's true.
He listened to me for another.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
True, he took care of me for another six weeks.
He took care of me for likeliterally through and through.
I never lacked, even throughthat season.
I went like six months really,yeah.
And honestly, when Summerpassed, ultimately that was her
name Summer.
I don't know if I told you guysthat, but when Summer passed I
went back to Florida.
(42:13):
I mean, I went back to LA thefollowing day after a funeral.
I had a job interview andactually this happened to be a
job that I had applied for aninterview for previously.
They didn't give me the job andthen they reached out to me and
they had me come into interviewthe next day.
That next day I went to go.
I think I had to valet my car.
That was the first time everthat a car declined wow, I got
(42:37):
hired on the spot.
Wow, a six-figure salary wow andI had not lacked and when I
even went through the interviewlike the CEO was like you
interviewed with us before whatare you like what?
yeah, you know, and they're likeyou know, I know I'm having an
(42:57):
interview with you, but likethere was a guy that I spoke to
that already told me to not letyou leave up out of here without
you being a part of thiscompany, so like he was already
speaking my name in rooms that Ihad no idea about and literally
making way.
But that's the thing aboutletting go and letting God for
(43:18):
real and just trusting.
It's not just about, like Imean, he's really a provider,
like he really cares about youyou know what I mean and he
cares about like just the thingsconcerning you.
And when you do get removed outof situations that you know no
longer serves you, but you startto handle God's, business.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
Yeah, yeah, so true.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
And through.
Speaker 3 (43:40):
Yeah, that's so true.
Yeah, man.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
Yeah, god's been moving in your life.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
Yeah, yeah, it's like undeniable and I'm like one
thing about it is like you know,you might hear what I like, my
thoughts, my faith and in in allof these things, but like one
thing you can't deny is likeliterally God's hand in my life.
I can't make it up.
Yeah, I'm here, like you knowwhat I'm saying, and so I think
(44:05):
that just speaks for itself.
Speaker 3 (44:06):
Yeah, that's big, he's amazing so what is next for
you?
You wrote a book.
Book, yeah, raising a baby girl.
Like what do you?
What are you shooting for next?
Speaker 2 (44:17):
Yeah, I'm just in a season Like I said, I just
turned 31 in November but I feellike that birthday God was very
clear about.
Like it's time, yeah, like it'stime for you to really speak
now.
It's time for you to reallytalk about the things you know.
Um, and I remember even likefor my birthday post, um the,
(44:40):
the church, like I sing at thechurch, I'm part of the praise
team and um, they're alwaysgetting great photos of us, like
whether that's, and I'm alwayslike saying y'all catch me when
I'm crying boogers andeverything.
Ugly face crying.
Speaker 3 (44:53):
Ugly face crying yeah .
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
But there's a photo that was taken of me and I just
remember even where I was whenthe photo was taken and I was
just like God, like I surrenderall to you, like I don't want to
live a life apart from you.
I really want you to like use meyou know, and like I remember
(45:16):
and the the photo was me is withme, uh, with a mic in my hand,
and like I mean I was up thereserving, but like I was just you
could tell it was like God,like speak through me, use me
less of me more of you likethat's where I'm at, like, and
you're coming soon, so we don'thave time to play around like,
if we're gonna do this, do,let's do it.
(45:39):
You know what I mean.
And so I think, like I knowthat that's for certain.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
Um, everything else is like may as well be done you
know, I know what I want.
Speaker 2 (45:53):
I mean, I want marriage, of course, like
singleness has not been.
You know the easing, becausegod knows the desires of my
heart.
But yeah, um, being obedient isjust that's big.
It's tough, but big.
Well, you know what's on theother side?
Speaker 1 (46:07):
everything, yeah, yeah so thank you so much for
being here with us.
Thank you for rocking with us.
We're going to post Brittany'scontact or her IG stuff.
The book links guys to thisYouTube channel Also in all the
descriptions too, as well.
Show her, show her some love,get that book, connect with her.
She's good people.
You guys already know what it'slike.
(46:28):
We're here to help everybodygrow deeper relationships with
God, others and themselves.
And that's the biggest thingLife gets better when
relationships do, and so when welearn to have better
relationships with our peers,with our families, with our
siblings, with our coworkers,with our bosses, with ourselves
and, more importantly, withJesus, that's the one that
matters more than anything else.
(46:48):
You get your life right.
With Christ, everything comes inorder.
You guys can already hear rightnow, even from our tone man,
that we are grateful because ofGod's grace.
We're grateful for his mercy,that he has set us free and, in
spite all situations, doesn'tmatter what you're going through
, it doesn't matter if it'smental health, doesn't matter if
it's financial, whatever ishappening, there is no mountain
(47:09):
that's bigger than our God, andso we love you guys.
Thank you for rock with us.
Brittany Laborde, thank you forrocking with us today.
Thank you for having me Jumpingon the channel.
Um, that's it, man.
We love you guys and what we'llsee them next time.
Speaker 3 (47:22):
We'll see y'all next time.
We love y'all, peace.
What's up everybody.
Welcome to let's Dig thePodcast.
We are excited to be here today.
I have a guest in the house.
This is actually our secondtime having a guest.
Everybody, real quick, saywhat's up to my childhood friend
, brittany Laborde.
Brittany, come on, say what'sup sis.
Hey guys, All right so shehappened to be in town
celebrating with some friends.
(00:20):
Matter of fact, my olderbrother just got nominated for
Grammy Shout out and so she'spart of the family.
We knew each other, I mean,since we were kids, 30 plus
years so it's cool to have youhere today and your story has
been wild Just the last coupleof hours.
She's just been kind ofcatching us up on her story and
her life.
And you've written a book,you've battled sickness right,
(00:42):
you've had publishing deals andyou've been in rooms with people
that you never thought you'd bein rooms with.
And, yeah, and god has broughtyou through so many different
things like you have a baby girlyeah right, so you're
navigating singleness, right?
you're like so all right, soyou're focusing on that, but
you're also practicing holiness,right?
So we're gonna talk aboutliving everything today I love
it.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yeah, babe, like I.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Babe, like I mean right?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
First of all, I just need to clarify.
He said y'all known each other30 plus years, but you said your
age before we started.
Do you know him since you wereone?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Before no, yeah, that's what I'm saying, my dad
and her dad go way, way, wayback.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
I just just wanted to make sure you didn't add like
30 plus onto my friend.
Yeah, she thought I wasevangelizing the numbers.
Yeah, okay, so you go backbefore birth, that's before I
was born yeah, that's what I'msaying we go way, way, way back.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
But the crazy thing is growing up.
I was such an introvert that,like most people don't really
remember me, or most most aboutmy personality type.
They may remember me but theydon't know personality type.
They may remember me but theydon't know nothing about me.
Because it's like, yeah, therewas this other brother and it
was like, but what did?
I don't remember like what hisvoice sounded, like that's
because I stuttered so bad I wasactually about to ask you do
(01:55):
you remember his stutter?
Speaker 3 (01:56):
it?
Speaker 1 (01:57):
no, I don't, because I just wouldn't talk.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Yeah, that's why?
Speaker 1 (02:00):
and so it's cool too, because, like you close with my
brothers, yeah, like probablycloser than you are with your
own brothers, very close and soand I'm like I really don't even
know you like that.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yeah, it's crazy, yeah, it's true.
And here you are sitting on ourcouch.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Yeah, and we about to dig, yeah we about to dig.
So just kind of tell her likewhat.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
So we have a little statement and we say so if
you're ready, let's dig.
So today we are going to digwith our friend Brittany.
We're really excited she's here.
She's got a lot of goodness totell about her story, and most
of that is because God is good,and so she's going to share a
little bit about her story.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
So, if you're ready let's dig I love it.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
All right.
So tell us a little bit of justuh, you wrote a book.
You tell us a little bit oflike what started that?
What's that book about?
Give us a little bit about yourbook that you wrote.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah, so my book is entitled I'm Healed.
Um, back in 2013, I moved to LA.
I'm originally from West Palmbeach, florida.
Yeah and um, you know, I justfeel like God called me to write
the book.
Um, I moved out to LA initiallybecause of my publishing deal.
I signed with the writing teamslash production team, called
(03:10):
Unscripted, and so I was freshout of high school and Wow and
moved to.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
LA, yeah, moved to LA , you moved to LA, yeah, yeah,
the wild wild west, exactly thewild west.
The wild wild west, yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I mean, it was just, I think, at an early age.
I mean, I've always known whoGod was and I think that
everything that I've gonethrough he had already set those
things out for me.
So, yeah, things happenedsurprisingly, but it was knowing
that like I was alreadyequipped for everything that was
going to come.
You know what I mean.
(03:43):
So I didn't know I was going tobe an author, I was writing
music, but I didn't even know Icould write music as well as I
did when I signed, Like I justwanted.
I grew up wanting to be like asinger or like sing in some
fashion.
You know, my dad is a singer.
He says don't, I wasn't, Iwasn't a singer, I am a singer.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
He'll make sure you know, yeah, yeah, yeah oh, he's
checking you.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yeah, yeah, that's like no, it's not.
Your dad was a singer.
Dad is a singer okay, like yeah, and you know my dad was very
well known in the Haitiancommunity, um, and grew up again
working with, you know, peter'sdad and um, that's where my
love for music came, my love forworship came, my love for like
just God came in general.
(04:28):
So you know, it just was adomino effect, just of obedience
.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
How long were you in LA Like when you came out?
Speaker 2 (04:38):
For almost 10 years I spent all of my like I turned.
I was turned 21.
Here I turned.
You know what I mean Early 20s,yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Yeah, I was like 19,.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
I think, Wow, what was what was like one of the
biggest challenges that you havefaced being in LA in the middle
of the music industry.
Hollywood young, a girl blacklike all these things, the only
girl in our team, so what do youfeel like could have been like
one of the biggest challengesthat you faced?
Speaker 2 (05:10):
I think just in general, you know when you know
you're in a playground that'snot full of saints you know
you're set apart, you know.
I think the challenge is just,you know, navigating that,
navigating those rooms.
There's a lot of things aroundyou it's weed, it's alcohol,
(05:32):
it's like there's no sessionwithout people smoking weed in
it like there's, you know what Imean, and these are all things
that were like, not to say weedand alcohol, and those things
were foreign to me, as if I Imean, I went to a Christian
school, grew up in a Christianschool, but like you know, you
know, to me the worst you knowwhat I mean.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
So it's, just it became so normalized for you.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
It was like oh, they just doing this.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Oh yeah, this is it.
Like this is the lifestyle,like this is.
I can't operate outside of thisand that was dangerous you know
to see everyone kind ofoperating in that space to where
it's like.
But who are you really?
You know?
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Let's talk about that , like, did you, did you
encounter people um, or some ofthe people that you were in this
with, lose themselves?
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Absolutely.
Yeah, you know one of my teammembers did you know and you
know I wouldn't even be able topinpoint exactly what it was,
because like I said you're in a,in a place full of, in
everything's influential.
Yeah, yeah, you know, it's themusic that you even have to
create yeah you know, um,especially when you're signed as
a songwriter and you havedifferent artists and you know
(06:42):
and are telling you, hey, thisis what this artist needs and
this is the type of record thatthey want, and like make it a
little bit more raunchy, or makea little bit more this, or like
, yeah, and it's like I'm noteven living this right now,
right something that wasn't truefor yourself yeah, like, and
that's part of why I felt likegod had to remove me out of the
situation.
(07:02):
you can't speak to what youdon't know.
You know, so it's easy for youto be influenced by all the
things that are going on aroundyou, but for me, like, my
identity is in Christ, so Idon't know how to operate out of
that.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
What would you say to a young girl, or even to
yourself in that season, like,what would you say to a young
girl who's maybe walking throughsomething like that, where
they're in an environment thatis not like them?
It's influencing them, whetherthey know it or not.
It could be influencing them.
But how would you encouragethat young girl who is set apart
(07:37):
but in the darkness and what?
How would you encourage her tolike, not let it affect her?
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah, it's just stay connected to your source.
Yeah stay connected to godthat's big because if you have
him, you have everything that'sright, like there is no, not to
say that you won't fall right.
I mean, you're human and godknows that about you too.
He made you right.
But at the same time I alwayssay, like people who are and at
(08:04):
the time wanting to to LA, likethey just thought LA is just the
place to be you got to livethere, that's how and that's
attached to your success andthat is almost becomes your
identity, like if you're notthere you won't be anything.
But that's not true.
You know what I mean.
This is just a place you know,um.
(08:24):
So I would just say like stayconnected to yeah.
This is just a place you know.
Stay connected.
It's not um, it's not what youknow, it's who you know.
Yeah, and if you know god forreal, then you will be your
source.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yeah, it's true, you'll have everything you need.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
That's big.
So I'm looking at your bookhere on amazon yeah I'm gonna
take a moment.
Um, this is exciting to kind ofsee this.
This is called I am healed, thetribute to finding the healing
you need in pursuit of yourpurpose, which I want to talk
about this a little bit becauseyou, here, you are this younger
out of high school who waswriting songs.
You went from writing songssongwriter to being an author.
And also let me take a momentright now to just everybody
(08:58):
that's joining us right now onYouTube.
If you're, if you're enjoyingthis conversation already, don't
forget, hit that like button,hit that heart button too.
As well.
We appreciate all the love.
Everybody that's joining us onSpotify, on Apple Podcasts, all
those platforms, don't be afraidto write us a review.
This conversation.
I know it's going to blesssomebody right now because even
as we talk about this, likefinding yourself while finding
(09:22):
healing and finding purpose, isreally big for all of us.
I think so many of us reallystruggle with trying to figure
out why am I here, like why am Iin this room?
I've dealt with the thought ofI've been in situations where
I'm in a room with artists or ina room with producers or in a
room with, like musicians, and Ican see everybody around me.
I'm like okay, this person gotmillions of followers, this
(09:47):
person got thousands offollowers.
This person has all this kindof influence and there's times
I'm asking myself like, but whyam I even here?
What's my purpose here?
Because sometimes we try toattach our purpose to, let's say
, just our gift.
So my gift is music, so I thinkmy purpose has to be just music
here.
But then I realized, like Godhas actually given us so many
other gifts.
There's natural gifts, there'seven supernatural gifts, right
(10:08):
Gifts of encouragement, rightGifts of prayer, gifts of
healing, gifts of just faith.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
You know what I?
Speaker 1 (10:15):
mean Coming in agreement with somebody.
I've been in rooms with peoplewhere someone shared with me
their story and I'm like hey,bro, you believe in prayer?
I was with this girl the otherday.
I wasn't with this girl.
Let me say that.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Let me clear that up.
I was with this girl, the otherday.
Her name was Danny Lee.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
No, no, um.
So our offices at the churchwe're in this industrious space.
It's, um, it's a verycollaborative space where
there's a lot of businesses andentrepreneurs and things like
that that rent out suites.
So our church, right now we'rein a temporary space and we're
renting out some suites andthere's a lounge area where it's
a collaborative space whereeverybody can come in and just
(10:54):
eat or hang out or read or studyor do like different things.
So I was coming in there on aSaturday to grab some stuff and
there's this young lady in there.
She's in there, she's studyingfor her bar right, her bar.
I'm like okay, wild.
And so I walked by and said,hey, how's it going?
I don't ever see people here onSaturday.
What are you doing here?
And she's like, hey, she's likeI'm actually just studying.
I'm like what are you studyingfor my bar?
(11:14):
I was like wow, that's crazy,I'm sorry to 10 hours a day.
Like yo, this is wild.
She's like I, I'm just reallyhoping that I can pass this exam
.
She was like I was like okay,cool.
And then she's like like, whatdo you do?
Like, what are you doing here?
I said I'm a pastor, you know.
Like we have offices here.
(11:39):
She's like, oh, okay.
She's like okay, that's cool.
I was like like cool.
I was like, well, if you'reever looking for a church to
just plug into.
So I kind of just did thatwhole thing, right.
But I didn't just want to forcemyself on her like, hey, come
to our church, like if you everneed a church, right.
But she was like, okay, cool.
So when I left, she's like prayfor me.
I stopped.
I was like what'd you just say?
She was like pray for me.
(12:08):
I was like, okay, I have a giftin praying and interceding.
We're going to pray for youright now.
Cause, again, I walked throughthis room.
I just went to go grabsomething in my office, right.
But the ultimate purpose that Ihave in this room with this
person is to come in agreementwith them with prayer and in
faith and so, like kind of talkabout this right now, and we're
going to put the link here.
This is the link right here,for I'm I'm healed.
I'm going to show you guys thisright now, if you guys can see
(12:29):
it here on on on Amazon butwe'll put the link for you guys
to be able to follow Brittanyand get the book links and all
that stuff.
But I want you to kind of talkabout that Like a young, a young
lady.
You're talented, you're gifted,you know the things that you
have inside of you.
You walk into the room andthere's people in the room that
know, know what they know, theyknow the natural things, but you
(12:51):
know spiritually the thingsthat God has put in you.
Like how do you navigate, likewalking in purpose, when you're
in a room with people that,let's say they don't know you
and you're like man?
I'm not just going to wastetime in this um, I would.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
I would just say, like, when you're placed in
those positions, like god,really, the holy spirit is just
gonna do the work.
You know what I mean?
I'm just a vessel yeah it'sreally like britney is out of,
like that's out of my mind.
I'm really like, okay, god,whatever you want to do in this
space, do it.
You know, because if I say itwas based off of my strength, my
(13:30):
knowledge, my wisdom, I'd belying to you Because, like I
said, like we talked earlier, Iwas like sometimes I say things
and it goes out of my head.
I don't even remember what Isaid, but I only know that that
happens because it's not me,it's only just the Holy Spirit
just using me to speak in thosein those rooms and just in those
circumstances, in those roomsand just in those circumstances.
(13:50):
So I think that you know makingsure that, like I can't not
talk about God.
You want to know who I am.
You're going to know who Jesusis.
Okay, that's just the realityof it.
You know what I mean.
So I can't get away from that.
You want to know who I am.
You're going to know how Godsaved me.
You want to know who I am.
You're going to know who I am.
(14:11):
You're going to know how he'sredeemed me, how he's cared me,
how he's protected me.
So God's going to be in theroom, god's going to be in the
conversation, no matter what,and so I think that's the best
way for me to navigate isletting God be God.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
So why I'm healed Like tell us the story behind
that.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Yeah, so I'm healed was just an affirmation that I
felt like I needed to speak intomy own life, um, back in 2013.
So the year that I moved out toLA, I was.
So we signed to the publishing,um, the publishing label, in
May of 2013.
Um, I had graduated high schoolthe year before and I was like
(14:46):
we're moving to.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
LA Like this, is it, it's happening, you know.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
And July, I woke up one day and I had like a huge
lump in my neck and it kind oflike we didn't, I didn't really
notice it at first.
And then I'm like, okay, thisis noticeable.
Went to my mom about it.
It was like, what do you thinkthis is?
And we went to the doctor andthey checked it out and they're
(15:12):
like, yeah, we're gonna do abiopsy.
We went into surgery.
I think it was like days later,if not like the following day,
and so, um, you know, at firstthey had a idea that maybe it
was lymphoma cancer.
Um, they said that they feltlike it was.
You know, my cells werecancerous and so, um, they were
already kind of like giving mepamphlets like this is how to
(15:33):
treat it, this is all that yeahand I feel like, subconsciously,
I was like I rebuke this injesus name yeah, you know yeah
but I do remember very clearlyum being like you know what.
God, if this is where we'regoing, whatever you're on, I'm
on on.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
And when I look back at it, I was like I was 19.
Wow, but to hear something likethat a doctor tell your mother
that your child has cancer orshe could have cancer or
whatever, and to be in aposition where you can even say,
oh okay, god, let's roll.
Yeah, that's huge.
So you know.
And so you know.
(16:13):
We did the biopsy operation andit came back negative.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
And the doctors are like no, we got to do this again
.
We got to do this again Cause,like we seen what we seen, it
was very clear.
Like I said, they had alreadygiven me the pamphlets.
They might even still be at mymom's house and they were very
clear about that.
And so we, we went back intosurgery.
I mean, it was so long ago now,it feels like, but maybe like a
(16:41):
month or so afterwards and itwas the same report.
Yeah.
So I have like it was like hereand like they, they pulled out
another lymph node in the backand so I was like, well, you
know, we could check that off.
You know, but I was believingGod already, yeah, in advance,
like I'd already believed himfor just the healing that's
(17:04):
amazing In advance, you know.
So I'm healed was justsomething that like from the
beginning, you know, you stoodon that from yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Yeah, and we've been there and we've been there
before.
Yeah, like we've had stories,like situations, especially like
with Dan and Lee, stuff that wejust and with the kids, that we
just had to believe what Godsays and not what people say.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Yeah, and I always encourage women that I walk
through things with.
I'm like.
Say yeah, and I alwaysencourage women that I walk
through things with.
I'm like.
You have to make what God'sword says louder than what the
enemy tries to tell you, becauseour minds and our brains will
tell us something different.
Yeah, our doctors will tell ussomething different, but we have
the truth and the truth is, Iam healed by his stripes.
(17:49):
I am healed Absolutely, and sowe have to, and I cause you,
like as women, like our brainswill just tell us something over
and over and over again and wehave to constantly combat that.
So I have some friends rightnow walking through risky
pregnancies or whatever thathealth scare is.
I'm always telling them, likeyou have to make the word of God
louder, and that only happensby us reading it and by us
(18:11):
saying it more than the enemy issaying in our head.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Yeah, and I love that you said that too, because it
even has to be louder than whatyou see, because the pain was
there, the fatigue was there,the hair loss was there.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
These are.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Then what you feel, what is like tangible, you know,
and so that's a part of it too,like that's a different level
of faith where it's like I knowwhat it is that I feel.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
We walk by faith and not by sight.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
And that's.
That's the faith walk there is.
Literally the Bible sayswithout faith is impossible to
please God, and I think peoplewant to get saved, People want
to believe in God but notbelieve God.
See what I mean People want tobelieve in God, but not believe
him and like he's the truth,like Jesus is the way, and so
(19:05):
the only way to walk out, whatwe walk out is by faith.
If, without faith, there'snothing for us to do.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Because it's only by what we believe, not by what we
see.
So you might see something, youmight feel something, you might
even know something.
Right, because especiallyknowledge to man, right, there
might be things that we know andunderstand naturally, but with
God we live by faith, and so forpeople to walk this faith, walk
(19:33):
out, it's literally justknowing like hey, I don't know
what's ahead, but I know who'swalking with me.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
That's it Right.
Like you know what I mean, andit's just a straight fate, like
faith.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
So it's cool to even hear you Like you hear.
You heard what the doctor said.
You see what's on your body,body you can feel what's
happening in front of you, yeah,but you choose to walk by faith
and believe god's words that weare healed yeah, yeah, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
I didn't know that.
He's bigger than it.
You know he's bigger than allof this yeah, you know yeah if
he said, if I, if he wanted to,he'd all this stuff would be
over right now.
Yeah, he'd end it right now,yeah he has the power to do that
right so my faith is in him,yep um, but if he chooses not to
, so we got to speak to the factthat, like sometimes you ask
(20:22):
him but it may not be his timingyou know um, and just trusting
that you know his time and ourtime is yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
He's on a different time zone I say all the time
he's like what is that he's on adifferent
Speaker 2 (20:34):
time zone.
Yeah, he's like what's time Imean to be?
Speaker 3 (20:35):
real, he's not confined by time, right.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Right, he's like what is that?
What is this word?
Speaker 3 (20:39):
you're telling me child.
But it's true, he's notconfined, choosing to know that
even when he doesn't answer howhe wants to or how we want him
to.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
That we choose to believe that he is still good.
Yeah, yeah, that's good.
And that, even though I havequestions, and I have big
questions, and I may have anattitude about it or I may have
a feeling about it yeah, I mayhave anger about it, I may have,
you know, a lot of hurt, but Ihave to choose to believe.
No, I know God is good Even inthis.
(21:12):
God is good, even in thisreally terrible situation.
It doesn't change who he is andhe is good.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
So so all right.
So you told us you got a babygirl.
Yes, how old is she?
She's three.
She's three.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
She's so beautiful, yeah, that's crazy, so three and
you just turned 31.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
I just turned 31.
So are you like you know.
If you don't mind me gettingtoo much in your business, no,
let's do it.
What's the story Like?
So you're a single mom.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Yes, I am yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
So, like you know, tell us a story like three years
ago, four years ago, what wasthat like?
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Like my father and I, we were best friends in high
school, so we were really reallygood friends and so we were
friends and then later on Ithink around like 2017, we
started dating and I was livingin LA since 2013.
So he lived in back in Floridaand then decided to move to LA,
and so we're like you know what?
Let's do this.
I mean, you've been my bestfriend since I was you know um
(22:13):
marriage, of course, was alwaysat the forefront.
You know what I mean,especially um Haitian household.
Like you're going to live withwho You're with what You're what
?
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Yeah, yeah, so yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Yeah, you know what I mean.
So that was always the goal,like, ultimately, like I thought
that was going to be my husbandand so we got pregnant with
Braylon and it was in a.
We were not in the best space,yeah, and it was a lot going on
was the pandemic, like, and soeven when, like things got
really real in LA, he wasactually out of the country at
(22:51):
the time.
He had just gone on a quicktrip with his friends and I'm
like trying to go through like10 different routes and ride
aids and stuff like that, tryingto get water, and I'm like you
don't really understand.
Like yeah, this is great.
Something's happening out here.
You know what I mean.
So it was just a lot going onin um in general, like mentally,
spiritually, definitely.
(23:12):
You know, um, that was going onand and we just couldn't figure
it out, you know, and um, inthat season, god was doing a lot
in and through me too.
Um, I was actually caring forand this story is kind of um, I
don't know if we want to kind ofgo into this story too, but,
like, at the time, I was caringfor a friend who was diagnosed
(23:33):
with lymphoma cancer.
Wow, and she actually is the,so my ex.
We dated like, I think like2012 for a short period of time,
but that's the mother of hischild.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
And we connected because I always ask God, like
it wasn't that lymphoma, I endedup being diagnosed with lupus
ultimately.
But why the lymphoma?
Like, why did we even have togo there?
Why was that, even inconversation, if that wasn't
what it was?
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
And literally so from 2013 to 2020, I was like, OK, I
don't know what that is, but Iknew that God was going to
reveal it to me and it was inher.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
And I was her caregiver, like she lived in um
in Scottsdale Arizona.
I would drive six hours from LAto go and like care for her up
until the day she passed.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Wow yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
So, um, it was a lot.
That was a very like sensitivetime, but God was moving and I
knew it was so purposefulbecause, like, yeah, you, my
exes, like that's why yeah, youknow what I mean.
Or this is my, this is not even, yeah, like for her it was like
this is the father of my child,like you dated him, yeah, and
you are someone who was likesignificant to him, like I still
(24:49):
like know who his mom is, whohis family is, and stuff like
that.
Yeah, and it was.
You can tell like there was alot of like turmoil within their
relationship too, but like hewas not you know honest with me.
Like you know, there wasinfidelity within our
relationship and so I felt likethere was a lot of things that
God even did through that Like.
(25:09):
And so I feel like there was alot of things that God even did
through that Like.
It was so purposeful.
He needed someone who wentthrough what she went through
was going to bring, like hercloser to God and to be able to
relate to her in a way that,like, as far as her
relationships go um, as far asher you know diagnosis went um,
going through those treatmentstogether and, um, god was in the
(25:31):
center of that relationshipthrough and through and through,
like.
We even had an opportunity,thank god, to to document what
was happening with us and whatgod was doing through us yeah
and um.
God used that's what I'm saying.
God will use sickness sometimes.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Like he'll use the most difficult situations to
really like get his glory.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
And you know, even then we prayed and I prayed and
I advocated for her and I wasthe person, like the doctor,
would be like do you guys haveany more questions?
She looked to me like that waslike my first experience, I mean
, of just feeling like I wasreally on assignment, but like
this was like my child, like Inever knew a love like that,
ever, never.
That was the closest thing tome understanding like what that
(26:18):
parenting love is and thatunconditional love is.
God will see you something sounconventional, so like left
field, and make it so beautiful.
Like people will be like whyare y'all friends?
Like?
And in a short period of time,she got diagnosed in January of
2019.
We remain like.
She started her treatmentimmediately.
(26:39):
She was diagnosed with stagefour.
I didn't know this then, butthey had given her six months.
But I was working at thiscompany and I was like, god, get
me out of here.
I was literally about to bedone with my book.
Well, I had just completed mybook and they were editing my
book.
The day that I got my edits formy book is the day that they
(27:00):
let me go for my job.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
And I was like, well, I'm going to yeah, like, and
this is what it is, and honestly, my heart's desire was always
like entrepreneurship.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
It was always like this it was always just like
speaking about just likeentrepreneurship.
It was always like this it wasalways just like speaking about,
just like I can't not talkabout what god's done for me,
like you know, and so the factthat he gave me that space and
that time- to be able to serveand I served her and she has um
a.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
They had a baby boy together yeah and at the time he
was like two yeah, yeah and youknow navigating that so, yeah,
it was just all purposeful.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
So how's it for you now, like you know, being a
single mom, yeah navigating thatand just like you know what's
the support life for you, likewhat you know, and even that
intertwining with you know umsingleness, right, yeah, like
what does that look like?
Like the future for that, likeyou know yeah, another man into
the picture and yeah raising upa baby girl Like you know.
(27:53):
How have you been navigatingall that?
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Yeah, absolutely.
I think like even when I gotpregnant and we separated, I was
like again I found myself and Ikind of feel like I'm realizing
this now.
I was like, ok, god if it's,what are we doing?
It's me and you.
What are we doing?
If it's what, what are we doing?
Yeah, it's me and you.
What are we doing?
You know, um, and I didn't knowto what capacity he was going
to, um, I mean, he comes from agreat family, but I didn't know
(28:18):
what that would look likeultimately.
You know, um, but all I know islike it's like me and you got
what we doing, you know, and soI moved back to florida and it
didn't make sense to be in LA.
Anyways, la was shut down.
I was working from home.
I was initially working in anoffice, and then we went remote
a hundred percent, um, you know,and it was just so much cheaper
(28:40):
.
I was like, let's move anywhere.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
We want to move to.
I was begging Jesus to move usin 2020.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Yeah, I was like rent is cheap out there.
Like what do you want to do?
California was great for 2020.
Yeah, it was just a lot, so,you know, but I felt like God
had told me it's time for you togo back.
Yeah, and for so many reasons.
Like I got to spend time withmy grandmother, who ended up
passing away shortly after that,my uncle, who shortly passed
(29:08):
away, like right after that.
Like living in LA too.
I mean, when you move at such ayoung age and when you go to
really pursue your dreams andyour goals and things like that,
like I don't think we talkabout the separation from like
your family enough, you know,and like the things that, like
the traditions, like all thosethings kind of like go out the
(29:30):
window because your friendsbecome your family.
That's very true, you know.
So, honestly, I became closer tomy siblings after I got
pregnant with braylon yeah Ididn't really even have much of
a relationship with any of mysiblings at the time.
Yeah, I just lived in a.
Yeah, I just lived in a wholenew world.
Um, and my friends became myfamily.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
We, we're all we had yeah, you know yeah and so that
was just ultimately it, you'reone of.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
You're one of five um , technically I'm one of four,
but, um, I have a little sisterwho my mom adopted um, which is
really her brother's daughter.
So my cousin, um, but I'm oneof five, pretty much, yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
Yeah, youngest.
Yeah, I'm the youngest.
Yeah, that's wild.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Yeah, and, like you know, I'm literally the youngest
, youngest cause.
Ralph is in his forties.
You know um John, and then mysister and I are six years apart
or five years apart.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Wow, yeah, I didn't realize, you guys that far apart
.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Yeah, I'm like.
So when you were little, like Iremember you Cause your
sister's my age.
Yeah, yeah.
So I was like really theyoungest.
So even the fact that, like Samand Timmy and I are as close as
we are yeah, I don't even knowhow that that's so cool.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Yeah, that's crazy.
Yeah, wow, it's really cool Wow.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Wow, it's a.
It's cool to hear your story.
It's cool hearing, like, howyou've gotten to where you are
now.
And it's even interesting foryou to mention.
You know, being young, pursuingyour goals, pursuing your
dreams, pursuing your passion,and in hindsight you're looking
back like man.
What like?
What are the priorities thatreally matter?
Right, family, right, yourenvironment?
(31:08):
You know you're plugged in at achurch too.
Now, right, those are thingsthat you know like when you're
young you don't think much of.
Until you start getting older,you start realizing, like man,
community tribe, like all thatplays a role in the person that
you are right now.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
Yeah, even when I came out to LA, I went to one
church and I probably I think Imoved in on like Monday or
Tuesday.
Yeah, I was at Bible study onWednesday night.
When it was Wednesday night,then we moved it to Thursday,
but then Sunday I was at churchand I stayed at church.
Yeah, I stayed at church.
(31:44):
I even served.
I was part of the praise teamat some point.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Yeah, that's cool.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
God, let me know.
Okay, this is your home right,like when you get off the
airplane, like this is your homeright when I went home and then
like this is your other home,like this is where you need to
remain, this is where I'm goingto use you.
I'm going to like you know whatI mean.
So so much purpose, and then Ialways tell people that too, oh,
you want to move to LA, find achurch, get plugged in, be
(32:12):
around people who are going tokeep you grounded, remember who
you were like, remember whatyou're coming from and don't
lose that.
You have to.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
That's huge Cause it really can.
This city, this environmentreally can swallow you up and it
can actually make you questionand forget everything that you
are and who you were before youcame here.
And so, like, like I can't tellyou how many times we tell
people get grounded in a churchyes, get people that will ask
(32:39):
you where were you last week?
Yeah, are you okay?
What's going on?
What's going on with you?
Something's off, like you haveto have those people that really
, truly care about you and willget in the mess with you
Absolutely.
But if you do not open yourselfup to those relationships and if
you don't seek them out, you'llbe alone by yourself, and the
enemy's favorite place for youto be is by yourself, absolutely
(33:02):
, like isolation is his besttool that he has.
And so, especially in the worldwe live in, with how
complicated relationships can beand how hard it feels to make
connections, like sometimes itdoesn't feel like they come
natural.
Especially out in California isdifferent out here y'all.
But like to just encourageeveryone like open yourself up,
do the hard work to find peoplethat truly care about you and
(33:26):
that will check on you, andwe'll walk in a messy situation
with you.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
That's big.
I think so too, man Like um.
I think people really need toreally work hard at discovering
their purpose.
You know, really knowing whythey exist, really understanding
their assignment.
You know, because I think I'veseen people.
Well, I'm gonna talk for like,just for myself.
I've been in some relationshipsand not even not romantic
(33:53):
relationship, but let's say theywere work relationships or just
, you know, seasonal like likerelationships, like with
friendships or mentors or peoplethat are that was helping me
out, that I knew there was aseason where just the assignment
was just complete and I thinkpeople stay in environments or
people stay in relationships, orthey stay at a job past the due
(34:16):
date, knowing that it's servedit, it's, it's served its
purpose.
Yeah, like the time is just upyeah and I think people really
need to.
I think we as people like andfor me, I want to get better at
it and I think I'm gettingbetter at it at just knowing,
like, why am I here, right?
What am I doing here?
And if, what I'm doing here, isit done?
(34:36):
Yeah, because if it's just done, I can make peace with it.
Because you start feelingtension, you start feeling, um,
you know, friction, yeah, andsometimes it means because, like
, you have to work through it.
Yeah, other times it's becauseyou're just done.
Yeah, like you know.
So I like, how you said, therewas a certain time where you
realized, like, hold up yeahdoors are closing yeah,
(34:57):
literally in a pandemic.
I got this baby girl.
This relationship justdissolved.
Yeah, I'm working from home.
Yeah, it sounds like a seasonis just done.
Yeah, yeah, it literally isthat versus trying to plow
through it and trying to make itwork.
Yeah, and I think people justreally need to really be able to
read the room.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
Yeah, what would you say is because I can understand
the difference in what you'resaying of like there are times
you actually it can feel likethere's tension, but you have to
push through it, like that'sjust you growing, that's you
just learning how to deal withtough relationships or whatever.
And then there's other timeswhere it's like, no, actually I
think this is over.
(35:37):
How would you like encouragesomeone or what would you say to
them if they don't know whatseason they're in, of whether
they need to work through thatadversity or it is actually a
season that's over?
Speaker 1 (35:48):
I think we need to go into something with already an
identified, measurable goal.
People go into relationships orgo into a situation or a
project or a job or somethinglike that, with just no idea of
how they want the outcome to be.
So when it gets tough, when webump our heads, when there's
(36:09):
friction, oh I'm uncomfortable.
Surely I got gotta get out ofthis.
Yeah, but it's like no, no no,no, no why'd you get into it and
has that happened?
yeah, like you know what I'msaying yeah I think so many you
know we, we talked about that.
Like even for you, like youknow, in your career path of
like, if you're gonna come gofrom a to b, what determines
you're done with a?
Yeah, like have you it's.
(36:30):
It's like playing video games.
Right, I remember like playing.
You know mario world.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (36:36):
Like you don't talk about the a button and the b
button no, I ain't talking, bro,I was like I know you are not
gonna make no, I'm done.
I ain't talking about that'swhat I was thinking of the
controller.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
There's an a and b and I was like I know you're not
about to make this thing rightimagine when you're playing a
video game and you need to go tolevel two, yeah, or you need to
go to a whole nother world.
There's certain things that youhave to pass Right as an
indicator, saying that you aredone Right you hear that little
song yeah Indicator.
(37:08):
Yeah, time to pass.
Yeah, you've graduated.
Yeah that's true, or you'rehere and you died.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
Yeah you died.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
That's the sound that you're not done yet.
Some people just skip, somepeople just pass, or some people
try to find some hack to jumpto the next level.
Yeah, but then start havingimposter syndrome because
they're in a season where theyfeel like a fake or a phony,
because Because you got somestuff you didn't pass in the
last season and then you knowyou don't deserve to be here,
right now yeah, that's good,you're trying to play us all
(37:35):
that's really good, like whatI'm saying, yeah, and so I think
like we need to really go intosomething with already.
Like you know, I'm a visionboard guy.
I love to journal, so I go intoeverything with already.
What do I want the outcome tobe?
And I'm not coming out of thisuntil I see the outcome of what
I envisioned.
Now, unless it was out of thisworld, unless it was me being
(37:59):
pretentious or me fantasizingsomething like that.
Most of the time it ispractical and it is tangible,
right.
So that's what I would say forpeople that are going into
situations that's trying tofigure out is my time up, am I
supposed to be coming out ofthis to figure out?
Is my time up, am I supposed tobe coming out of this right?
Has the purpose, has it beenfulfilled?
Well, really determine, are youdoing what you said you was
going to do?
Speaker 3 (38:19):
right, yeah, you know the accountability, and, above
that, I would even say that youhave to pray about it yep and I
love when actually I pray likegod.
Will you close the door so thatI don't have to?
Yeah, in the sense of make itso obvious I don't question it
anymore, because when you're inthat season of questioning it's
really tough and you don't knowwhich way to go.
(38:42):
I made a recently made adecision to switch salons and it
was really hard for me.
I had a note in my phone sinceOctober so over three months of
pros and cons because I justgenuinely didn't know, like,
what is this move?
I wasn't expecting a move, Iwasn't trying to move, I wasn't
looking for a move, and now Ihave this opportunity in front
(39:03):
of me that is so good I'd bedumb not to take it.
And so I needed, like I neededclarity.
I needed, and finally, when Icame to that moment of clarity,
of like, okay, I have to do this, this is what's going to get me
to build what I want to build,I had such a relief.
The like weight was off myshoulders.
This weekend I finished at mylast one and I love those girls.
(39:25):
I had made great friendships,and so that was actually what
was hard to leave, but once Ifelt that peace, like that peace
will pass all understanding.
So when you know, like you'vemade a decision and you have
that peace run with it.
Know that, that's that.
And if you made a decision andyou don't have peace, know that
that's red alarms and you needto go back and fix them.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
Yeah, definitely pressing back into and just
asking God for that discernmentCause, even when I ended up
getting let go from the previousjob that I told you about
around the time that myassignment was summer.
Speaker 3 (39:59):
Right yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
And my book was literally completed that same
day.
I got my edits back Right.
But, the thing is like beingmindful to being faithful while
you're waiting, yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Because, oh my God, this job, I'm over it.
Okay, I was like I want to quit.
If it was off of my strength Iwould have been gone already,
right.
But at the same time I knowthat sometimes people say, oh
God told me to quit.
No, babe God did not tell you toquit Right know, or even if he
(40:34):
did, it wasn't today right andso I I remember just being in
that season and just asking god,like if I make that, if I quit,
that's my move.
But if you have them, let me go, that's, that's your and I'm
not gonna force them, I'm notgonna do anything.
I'm gonna still be a topperformer.
I'm going to still do my thingRight, but like being faithful
(40:55):
in the little things.
However, when it's time for youto pull me out, it's different.
I know that you're going to pullme out and when I tell you I
remember how I felt when I drovehome that day, giving God all
the glory and all the honor andall the praise.
Speaker 3 (41:16):
And just like, literally, just feeling like
thank you, jesus, like yeah, nowI can do what you really want
me to do.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
You know what I'm saying like here's your book in
your hands.
Now go and go here it is.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:21):
And here's that with the assignment too right
assignment, yeah yeah, and thatthat's an indicator, too, that
god is in it, because, eventhough you lost this job, you
have peace, you have joy and yougot a praise on your lips and
you have purpose.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Yeah, because you got purpose in your box.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Yeah, because if he was like pissed mad, cussing,
fussing, pouting.
I'm like I don't know if god'sin that you just quit.
No, for real, you made thatdecision yourself.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
Yeah, and I'm telling you not quitting also gives you
provision too.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
That's when you can fall in employment.
That's true.
He listened to me for another.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
True, he took care of me for another six weeks.
He took care of me for likeliterally through and through.
I never lacked, even throughthat season.
I went like six months really,yeah.
And honestly, when Summerpassed, ultimately that was her
name Summer.
I don't know if I told you guysthat, but when Summer passed I
went back to Florida.
(42:13):
I mean, I went back to LA thefollowing day after a funeral.
I had a job interview andactually this happened to be a
job that I had applied for aninterview for previously.
They didn't give me the job andthen they reached out to me and
they had me come into interviewthe next day.
That next day I went to go.
I think I had to valet my car.
That was the first time everthat a car declined wow, I got
(42:37):
hired on the spot.
Wow, a six-figure salary wow andI had not lacked and when I
even went through the interviewlike the CEO was like you
interviewed with us before whatare you like what?
yeah, you know, and they're likeyou know, I know I'm having an
(42:57):
interview with you, but likethere was a guy that I spoke to
that already told me to not letyou leave up out of here without
you being a part of thiscompany, so like he was already
speaking my name in rooms that Ihad no idea about and literally
making way.
But that's the thing aboutletting go and letting God for
(43:18):
real and just trusting.
It's not just about, like Imean, he's really a provider,
like he really cares about youyou know what I mean and he
cares about like just the thingsconcerning you.
And when you do get removed outof situations that you know no
longer serves you, but you startto handle God's, business.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
Yeah, yeah, so true.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
And through.
Speaker 3 (43:40):
Yeah, that's so true.
Yeah, man.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
Yeah, god's been moving in your life.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
Yeah, yeah, it's like undeniable and I'm like one
thing about it is like you know,you might hear what I like, my
thoughts, my faith and in in allof these things, but like one
thing you can't deny is likeliterally God's hand in my life.
I can't make it up.
Yeah, I'm here, like you knowwhat I'm saying, and so I think
(44:05):
that just speaks for itself.
Speaker 3 (44:06):
Yeah, that's big, he's amazing so what is next for
you?
You wrote a book.
Book, yeah, raising a baby girl.
Like what do you?
What are you shooting for next?
Speaker 2 (44:17):
Yeah, I'm just in a season Like I said, I just
turned 31 in November but I feellike that birthday God was very
clear about.
Like it's time, yeah, like it'stime for you to really speak
now.
It's time for you to reallytalk about the things you know.
Um, and I remember even likefor my birthday post, um the,
(44:40):
the church, like I sing at thechurch, I'm part of the praise
team and um, they're alwaysgetting great photos of us, like
whether that's, and I'm alwayslike saying y'all catch me when
I'm crying boogers andeverything.
Ugly face crying.
Speaker 3 (44:53):
Ugly face crying yeah .
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
But there's a photo that was taken of me and I just
remember even where I was whenthe photo was taken and I was
just like God, like I surrenderall to you, like I don't want to
live a life apart from you.
I really want you to like use meyou know, and like I remember
(45:16):
and the the photo was me is withme, uh, with a mic in my hand,
and like I mean I was up thereserving, but like I was just you
could tell it was like God,like speak through me, use me
less of me more of you likethat's where I'm at, like, and
you're coming soon, so we don'thave time to play around like,
if we're gonna do this, do,let's do it.
(45:39):
You know what I mean.
And so I think, like I knowthat that's for certain.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
Um, everything else is like may as well be done you
know, I know what I want.
Speaker 2 (45:53):
I mean, I want marriage, of course, like
singleness has not been.
You know the easing, becausegod knows the desires of my
heart.
But yeah, um, being obedient isjust that's big.
It's tough, but big.
Well, you know what's on theother side?
Speaker 1 (46:07):
everything, yeah, yeah so thank you so much for
being here with us.
Thank you for rocking with us.
We're going to post Brittany'scontact or her IG stuff.
The book links guys to thisYouTube channel Also in all the
descriptions too, as well.
Show her, show her some love,get that book, connect with her.
She's good people.
You guys already know what it'slike.
(46:28):
We're here to help everybodygrow deeper relationships with
God, others and themselves.
And that's the biggest thingLife gets better when
relationships do, and so when welearn to have better
relationships with our peers,with our families, with our
siblings, with our coworkers,with our bosses, with ourselves
and, more importantly, withJesus, that's the one that
matters more than anything else.
(46:48):
You get your life right.
With Christ, everything comes inorder.
You guys can already hear rightnow, even from our tone man,
that we are grateful because ofGod's grace.
We're grateful for his mercy,that he has set us free and, in
spite all situations, doesn'tmatter what you're going through
, it doesn't matter if it'smental health, doesn't matter if
it's financial, whatever ishappening, there is no mountain
(47:09):
that's bigger than our God, andso we love you guys.
Thank you for rock with us.
Brittany Laborde, thank you forrocking with us today.
Thank you for having me Jumpingon the channel.
Um, that's it, man.
We love you guys and what we'llsee them next time.
Speaker 3 (47:22):
We'll see y'all next time.
We love y'all, peace.
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Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.