She Comes With Baggage

Today’s guest is Blair Imani - a historian, educator, and the brilliant mind behind the viral web series Smarter In Seconds. She’s also an LA Times bestselling author of Read This to Get Smarter, and if you’ve ever seen her content, you know she has a one-of-a-kind way of breaking down big, complex ideas with clarity, color, and compassion. The New York Times called her delivery “perky” and “quirky,” but her scholarship runs deep, ...

Today’s guest is Mariah Counts, a genre-blending artist whose dynamic sexuality and musical versatility mirror her personal journey. From her early days as an athlete to her fearless rise in the music industry, Mariah has always led with grit and creativity. Music started as a coping tool through family struggles, grief, and coming out, but has grown into a powerful outlet for connection, performance, and purpose.

In this episode, M...

Today, we’re sitting down with the insanely talented ally Ashamad Heard, a DIY fashion creator, musician, and streamer who’s making waves in the creative world. You might have seen him on Buy It Now or Beast Games on Amazon Prime, but today, he’s here to share his journey - the hustle, the creativity, and any baggage he’s carried along the way.

Follow Ashamad:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notxashamad/
• Tiktok: https://www.t...

Today’s guest is Lexie Peters - a creator and community-builder navigating identity, love, and what it means to show up authentically. From growing up more of a tomboy to finding balance in her masculinity today, Lexie’s story is about embracing all sides of yourself while building meaningful connections.

In this episode, we’re diving into her journey of identity, adjusting to life in a healthy relationship and cohabitating with a p...

This season is full of LGBTQ+ voices and perspectives, but today I wanted to include a conversation with one of my close friends and longtime allies. Michael may not be queer himself, but his story of creativity, identity, and showing up authentically still deeply resonates.

This week on She Comes With Baggage, I’m joined by the brilliant and stylish Michael Amanor—aka Mikestyle—a civil engineer by profession and a travel,...

Today, I’m sitting down with my friend Noa Taieb - a lifestyle creator, entrepreneur, and storyteller. Originally from Paris and now based in LA, Noa has built a platform sharing his journey through content, creativity, and self-discovery. He recently launched Sunny Days, a men’s swimwear and lifestyle brand created by and for the LGBTQ+ community, with a portion of all sales supporting It Gets Better to uplift and empower LGBTQ+ y...

Today’s guest is Melanie Posner - an LGBTQ+ muralist, portrait artist, and creative force based in Los Angeles whose bold, unapologetic work centers around empowerment, identity, and mental health. Through large-scale murals and intimate portraits, Melanie transforms public spaces into canvases of self-expression and healing.

In this episode, we go beyond the canvas to talk about her personal journey—moving to LA, navigating self-di...

Today’s guest is Carolina Gutierrez—an award-winning Colombian actress, advocate, and proud Latina trans woman who is making waves both on screen and off. From her breakout roles to her most recent short Buscando Alma—which just qualified for the Oscars—Carolina’s work is as powerful as her presence. You’ve seen her in NCIS: LA, The L Word: Generation Q, and national commercials, but behind every role is a story of resilience, repr...

Today’s guest is Dexter Mayfield—a dancer, actor, plus-size model, and fierce force of queer joy and self-expression. From his early roots in Dallas to performing with icons like Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift, and Katy Perry, Dexter has built a career that celebrates visibility, movement, and radical self-love.

Whether he's lighting up the stage with Savage x Fenty or judging on Paramount+’s Come Dance With Me, Dexter is rewriti...

Today’s guest is Lauren Abedini—aka KITTENS. She’s a powerhouse DJ, music producer, podcast host, creative strategist, and an unapologetic voice for intersectional feminism. With Iranian-American roots and a deep connection to her identity, Lauren has spent the last decade carving out space not just in music, but across fashion, beauty, and advocacy. Her influence is bold, intentional, and always evolving.

In this episode, we get in...

Today’s guest is Kelly Balch—a queer, nonbinary artist, filmmaker, and intuitive storyteller whose work feels like both a mirror and a portal. With over 15 years behind the lens as a photographer and director, Kelly’s creates mediums for us to be seen and celebrated. From their mythic fantasy book series Aphrodite’s Sister, to their docuseries Beyond the Norms, Kelly weaves stories that celebrate identity and transformation.

In this...

Matt McKenley is a model, actor, and content creator whose bold blend of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle has made waves across TikTok and Instagram. But beyond the aesthetic, Matt shares something much deeper—his journey of growing up gay in a religious household, the process of unlearning shame, and embracing his full, authentic self in both life and online.

In this episode, we’re talking about what it really means to find your voic...

Hey everyone, welcome back to She Comes With Baggage! Where we unpack the real, unfiltered experiences that shape who we are. My hope is that through these deep conversations and laughs, we realize we’re all more alike than we are different.

Today, I’m joined by two incredible guests, Dominic Pérignon and Carter Nelson—creators, storytellers, and passionate advocates for the trans community. Dominic shares authentic experiences thro...

Season 2 of She Comes With Baggage is officially here. The season is going to look a little different as I, Kirstie Pike, am opening up the mic to friends and creatives who inspire me. I truly believe in the power of stories to connect us, heal us, and remind us that we are never alone in the baggage we carry. 

In a time when so many stories are being silenced or overlooked, it's up to us to create new spaces that amplify those...

Hey everyone, welcome back to She Comes With Baggage! This season is going to look a little different as I am opening the mic up to friends and creatives who inspire me…and where we unpack the real, unfiltered experiences that shape who we are. Whether you’re here for the deep conversations, the laughs, or just to feel a little less alone in the baggage you might be carrying, you’re in the right place.

Today, I’m sitting down with t...

Throughout this season, we have opened up and shared some of the baggage we carry, so we thought it is only right to end Season 1 on how we protect our peace. In this episode, we are getting vulnerable about deeper conversations from the fear of abandonment and body dysmorphia, to our experiences during COVID. We hope that in sharing some of our methods we use to protect our health mentally, physically, and emotionally, we can help...

Join us for a hilarious and revealing episode of She Comes With Baggage, where we put our relationship to the test with "How Well Do You Know Me?" This interactive game isn't just about us; it's an opportunity for you, our valued audience, to get to know us better as we ask each other a series of personal questions. Who knows... you might even know some of these about us already! We can't wait to hear your ...

Nearly 70 countries still criminalize LGBTQ+ identities. Join us in this episode as we discuss the complexities of traveling as a queer couple and how we explore destinations where LGBTQ+ rights are still not fully recognized. We are discussing why boycotting may not always be the most effective solution, and sharing insightful tips on navigating non-progressive destinations such as traveling in the Middle East. Excited for you to ...

Kirstie was born and raised in Tennessee aka the Bible Belt. The South is known for religious rhetoric which was instilled in a lot of her life growing up. This week, Kirstie shares her experiences coming out to her family and the hardships she went through when she told her friends. Come on this journey to hear how she moved from Tennessee to California and experienced being fully accepted for the first time.

Are you enj...