Welcome to Bri Books Season four finale, where we're discussing “Becoming” by Michelle Obama. Thank you for a great season four! In this episode, we’re breaking down “Becoming,” and sharing a few #Becoming101 insights.

Much love to Well-Read Black Girl community and founder Glory Edim, for dedicating their December book club to “Becoming.” Joining the conversation via #WRBGChat was such a treat.

4:00 - “Becoming Me” and the crystalizing moments Michelle experienced as a child that solidified the foundation for who she would “become.”

6:00 - ‘Becoming Us” and the musings of Michelle on mid-career, marriage, motherhood and beyond

7:20 - “Becoming More,” and Michelle molding her FLOTUS platform to her values and priorities

9:00 - #Becoming101: Michelle is teaching us to “become” by dating, by iterating, and by being bougie

Bri Books will be back in early spring 2019! In the meantime, keep the pot boiling at @bribookspod and bribookspod.com and bribookspod.com/newsletter. You can follow along with the conversation on Instagram and Twitter using #BriBooks. Subscribe to newsletter bribookspod.com/newesletter!

You asked. I'm delivering. In today’s episode,  we’re discussing the film adaptation of the Richard Ford novel “Wildlife”, as requested by YOU! Thank you for heeding the call on a recent “Bri Books Bites” asking which of my most recent reads you’d be most interested in chatting about. Thank you to @bethcorinnek, who commented TWICE on Instagram, requesting we dissect the novel and film. I think this episode will encourage you to pick up the novel from your local library or pop into a local theater to support the film.

• 3:00 - Recapping the novel “Wildlife” (more in this episode of “Bri Books”)
• 5:30 - Recapping the experience of watching film “Wildlife”

Both the film and novel communicated the unexpected vulnerability that accompanies blurred lines within a family. It’s that vulnerability--between spouses and between child and parent--that permeates both expressions of this incredible story. #BriBooks recommends “Wildlife” 100%

I’ve shared my bullet journal tips in an IGTV about setting up your bujo is live on @bribookspod and bribookspod.com and bribookspod.com/newsletter. You can follow along with the conversation on Instagram and Twitter using #BriBooks. Subscribe to newsletter bribookspod.com/newesletter!

Today's "Bri Books" is holiday feast-ready. We're discussing "Gut: The Inside Story of Our Bodies Most Underrated Organ" by Giulia Enders. We're mere weeks away from 2019. From now to the end of 2018, our guts will be working overtime. Between work potlucks, family potlucks, holiday parties, our guts are working intensely. This books goes inside (no pun intended) the world of the gut, and I share my "gut checks" and learnings along the way. 

• 0:35 - Today's #BriBooks pick couldn't be more appropriate for end of the year as we wrap up 2018…with lots of food. Between now and the end of 2018, our guts will be working overtime. Between work potlucks, family gatherings and holiday parties, there's so much food and stress packed into the last few weeks of the year when our guts are working intensely.
• 3:00 – How Brionna discovered “Gut: The Inside Story of Our Bodies Most Underrated Organ" by Giuliana Enders” while working at ABC News, and general takeaways and first impressions after finishing “Gut”
• 5:00 - Gut Check #1: Giving our small intestines enough vitamins and minerals (by way of nutrient-rich and nutrient-dense food) is a major key to more small intestine success.
• 5:30 – Gut Check #2: Constipation results from a disconnect between the nerves in the nervous system and the muscles of the gut. The gut is ultimately a creature of habit, and if that habit is disrupted by holiday travel or holiday eats, constipation can arise. A great way to re-establish your gut’s equilibrium is to make sure you’re eating fiber and drinking fluids 2-3 days before holiday travel or before major meals.
• 7:45 – Gut Check #3: There’s a link between the gut and the brain. Emotions like fear and stress reduce smooth muscles in the gut, and make it so the stomach can't stretch adequately, and we feel nauseous or anxious after just a few bites. Let’s all work on connecting with our guts and your brains, remaining mindful of seasonal stress.

Bri Books is not intended as a substitute for medical or health advice, and shouldn't be treated as such. A great secondary research for your deep dive into the world of the gut: "Follow Your Gut: The Enormous Impact of Tiny Microbes" by Rob Knight

PS, I’ve shared my bullet journal tips in an IGTV about setting up your bujo is live on @bribookspod and bribookspod.com and bribookspod.com/newsletter. You can follow along with the conversation on Instagram and Twitter using #BriBooks. Subscribe to newsletter bribookspod.com/newesletter!

PS, I’ve shared my bullet journal tips in an IGTV about setting up your bujo is live on @bribookspod and bribookspod.com and bribookspod.com/newsletter. You can follow along with the conversation on Instagram and Twitter using #BriBooks. Subscribe to newsletter bribookspod.com/newesletter!

Hi, welcome back to Bri Books. On today’s episode I’ll be starting “Bri Books Bites.” I’ll be sharing four recent reads that I think may resonate with you.

• 0:22 - I want to apologize and acknowledge the Bri Books schedule’s been out of whack.
• 1:47 - In lieu of a full episode, I’m starting “Bri Books Bites,” a quick digest of a few of the titles I’ve recently devoured. And there will be a twist. I want you to choose which of the four titles we will feature on the podcast. I’ll tell you all the steps of how to vote.
• 2:30 - This Podcast was inspired by “Just The Right Book Podcast.”

• 4:10 - Book #1: “Wildlife” by Richard Ford. On October 19, the “Wildlife” film starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Williams. When Roxanne Coady mentioned it on “Just The Right Book Podcast,” I knew I, too, had to discuss this title. The book begins in 1960s rural Montana, and we are introduced to a family--mom Jeanette, dad Jerry, and 16-year-old son Joe. It’s wildfire season, but the flames burn through more than the neighboring forests--it burns through the family fabric. What’s left behind after the flames tear through their lives is...interesting. To discuss this book, visit @bribookspod on Instagram, and leave the comment “Wildlife” on the most recent photo.
• 6:05 - Book #2: “The Butcher’s Daughter” by Victoria Glendinning. In the mid-1500s, when King Henry the VIII and his right-hand-man Thomas Cromwell set about abolishing religious houses and monasteries in England, the priests and nuns who were part of the religious order were scattered to the winds. But what happened to the nuns? “The Butcher’s Daughter” sets out to answer the question through eyes of a young woman sent to live at Shaftesbury Abbey. Thanks fo her intellect and the fact that she could read, she was able to be an assistant to the Abbess of Shaftesbury. This plops here in the midst of a landscape of protest and reformation. If you want to discuss “The Butcher’s Daughter,”  visit @bribookspod on Instagram, and leave the comment “Butcher’s Daughter” on recent photo.
• 9:35 -Break!
• 9:53 - Book #3: “Travel As A Political Act” by Rick Steves. I picked this book up while working at ABC News. The author has spent most of his career reaching people how to travel. The book is about finding the lessons that accompany us through travel. For context, Steve’s wrote first edition at end of the Bush administration and the second edition post-Trump election. The book describes how travel as a political act, and is organized into regions and counties including Yugoslavia, Europe, Denmark, El Salvador, Turkey, Iran,Palestine, Israel.
• 11:15 I leaned into being part of global POV and putting global POV into action locally. To discuss this book, visit @bribookspod on Instagram, and leave the comment “Travel” on the most recent photo.
• 11:45 - Book #4: “Martha Stewart's Newlywed Kitchen: Recipes for Weeknight Dinners and Easy, Casual Gatherings.”Martha Stewart’s Newlywed Kitchen: Easy Weeknight Dinners.”  Even though I’m not engaged and I cook for one (or two), I love how this book is organized, and it doesn’t feel like a specialty cookbook. It feels like with forward thought, planning, creativity, flexibility, and grace could be fun. To discuss this book, visit @bribookspod on Instagram, and leave the comment “Newlywed” on the most recent photo.
• Thank you so much!

PS, I’ve shared my bullet journal tips in an IGTV about setting up your bujo is live on @bribookspod and bribookspod.com and bribookspod.com/newsletter. you can follow along with the conversation on Instagram and Twitter using #BriBooks. Subscribe to newsletter bribookspod.com/newesletter!

Today on Bri Books, we’re doing a deep dive into world of bullet journaling: What it is, what it solves, and how to get started.

• 1:00 - Bri Books on IGTV: Bullet Journaling 101!
• 2:00 - Define: Bullet journaling
• 2:30 - What seperates a bullet journal from a notebook you have on your shelf? I love Leuchtturm1917.
• 3:19 - The guiding principle behind bujo is you want the method to work for you. It’s about “tracking the past, organizing the present, and planning for the future.”  You don't want to spend so much time focusing on recording of the doing, that the doing doesn't get done.
• 5:08 - Step One: Index. It’s the Table of Contents of your bullet journal, where you write down page numbers and their corresponding sections.
• 5:30 - Step Two: Write a prayer, a grounding thought, a dream that’s on my mind, 3-5 simple joys in life. Write down three peaceful thoughts and joys you find. You can use those as anchors as you move through your bullet journal
• 6:28 - The prayer lately is John 15:5. Here’s a link. I find that it’s helpful to have something grounding and centering at the top of my journal, to put myself into perspective.
• 6:50 - Step Three: Categories. It’s never too early or too late to start creating categories. It’s a useful practice to keep different areas of life in check and balances.  Categories help me see if things are overloaded or underloaded, i’m able to give myself a gut check.
• 7:18 - Brionna’s story of setting categories and boundaries, and what it solved
• 10:00  Step Four: Logs and Calendar. There are tons of different types of logs--monthly logs, future logs (two or three months out), and a calendar-style log (current and next month)
• 11:08 - Logs are helpful for recording regular operations tasks you want to tick off. Gym sessions, grocery store, financial, books to read,  movies you wanna read, items to purchase next, phone calls that need to be made.
• 11:40 - Step Five: A Spread. A spread is a few pages devoted to a certain project or time period. For example, each week I create a 2-page spread, and write down what’s on my calendar along with a little checklist built on tasks pulled from the….CATEGORIES LIST! The daily and weekly spread keep me honest. It's’ where i break down large projects or tasks into daily chunks. It's’ where i cordon off parts of my day or week to different things. It's’ where i experiment and play on subway. Ifind daily and weekly spreads keep me helpful with everything else i set out with, and be flexible with my time by realizing the space i do have and the types of work i'm able to do throughout the week.

I’ll share the resources, and give you a sneak-peak into how I set up my bullet journal in the Bri Books Newsletter. A few of the resources I found useful: How to Bullet Journal video from official website, Lucy Moon’s 2018 Bullet Journal setup,  Lucy Pebbles Bullet Journal video! The IGTV about setting up your bujo is live on @bribookspod and bribookspod.com and bribookspod.com/newsletter. Thank you!

Hello! Welcome back to “Bri Books.” Today’s guest is style expert, hip hop head, and creator/host of “Poised n Polished” podcast, “the podcast dedicated to people with style like you.” She’s also a proud member of the Beyhive. In the spirit of innovation and new fall inspiration, this episode is all about the Beyonce edition of Vogue magazine. In this episode, we share our earliest fashion memories, the significance of the Beyonce edition of Vogue, our favorite fall/winter trends, fall/winter “Beautylutions,” and Esta’s tips on being a better packer ahead of holiday season travel. “Poised n Polished” podcast, Esta Fiesta newsletter, Instagram, Twitter, blog

• 3:10 - A bit about Esta Fiesta’s work, how we met, and her work as host/ creator of “Poised n Polished”
• 5:05 - Esta introduces herself, in her own words
• 7:10 - This episode of Bri Books is a bit of a change--we’re discussing US Vogue September 2018 issue featuring Beyonce.
• 7:40 - Esta’s earliest fashion memory, and how her family’s focus on being “put together” influenced her approach to style
• 10:15 - Brionna’s earliest fashion memory, the show “Fashion Trance,” and how Brionna learned that fashion experimentation “should be fun.”
• 11:50 - Esta’s first September issue memory
• 13:30 - Brionna and Esta’s takes on the Beyonce edition of Vogue US
• 18:00 - Esta on Beyonce’s deep dive into the realities battling with self-esteem and societal pressures, even if you’re “Beyonce.” Remember, “I’m not too perfect to ever feel this worthless,” as Beyonce said in “Hold Up.”
• 19:15 - Brionna and Esta on A/W Trends: Granny chic is BACK (Gucci, Christian Dior), emerald green is the thing, and global patterns are taking over the world.
• 23:00 - Esta on A/W Trends: Tough, but gentle to the touch.
• 24:20 - Esta’s favorite autumn/winter activity: being in the fresh air! Esta’s autumn/winter style faves: Layers and coats and shoes, oh my!
• 25:20 - Brionna’s favorite autumn/winter activity: Roasting veggies! Brionna’s autumn/ winter style faves: Fashion shoes, and layering
• 29:00 - Esta’s “How to Pack” video, and her top tips for more smartly packing for holiday season
• 29:30 - At the end of every trip, Esta takes inventory of what wasn’t used on her trip--accessories, clothes, everything. She also uses a travel itinerary as backbone for packing
• 30:30 - Esta defines Beautylutions: A resolution, but beauty-focused. Beautylutions evolve over time and as goals are accomplished and shift. Her 2018 beautylution: Clearer skin!
• 31:00 - Esta’s Beautylution for fall: Finding the autumn version of her skincare must-have’s
• 32:40 - Brionna’s Beautylution for fall: Strong, healthy skincare habits (10 minute timer and all!)
• 33:30 - Esta’s #BriBooks: “Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America” by Ayana Byrd and, Lori Tharps
• 35:00 - Brionna’s #BriBooks: “Wildlife” by Richard Ford
• “Poised n Polished” podcast, Esta Fiesta newsletter, Instagram, Twitter, blog

Welcome back to Bri Books! We’re back with part 2, the conclusion to our discussion about the book “Boss Bride” by Charreah K. Jackson.THANKS to everyone who let me know you’re reading or have read Boss Bride! Shoutout to @brownsugarhoney3, @itspaulana, @joimariewrites who are reading Boss Bride.

 Here’s part one of the Bri Books “Boss Bride” recap.

• 1:55 - Now that I’m done reading the book, I wanted to go deeper past top takeaways into what I really noticed about the book.
• 2:15 - Definition of “Boss Bride”
• 3:00 - With self help books, I always bookmark and swear I’ll come back to them. But "Boss Bride" did something different--it weaved together the experience-based stories and the learnings. It’s like memoir-meets-manual.
• 3:45 - On this epi, I'm sharing three deep, integral things I noticed about Boss Bride. The patterns and behaviors that I noticed that are integral to being a "Boss Bride."
• 4:30 - #1: Affirmations. In the book, Charreah dedicates part of a chapter to affirmations. She says, “The increase in activity I experience now is not an accident. All things that come through my door have been awaiting my arrival as well. I’m ready for an onslaught of responsibility, and in that I stay accountable to my spirit, self, health and wellbeing.”
• 5:45 - Affirmations aren’t about making something up out-of-the-blue. It’s about affirming a reality.
• 6:00 - Definition of affirm: To state as fact, assert strongly and publicly. Affirmation is the action or process of affirming something or being affirmed.”
• 6:30 - Having affirmations is about more than saying nice things to yourself. It’s about stating fact.
• 7:50 - I can’t wait to make my own affirmations and decide what I’m affirming. As they say on Tea with Queen and J podcast, ‘What are you affirming to be true and fact?’
• 8:30 - #2: Don’t let grass grow under your feet! Charreah stays busy at conferences, retreats, symposiums, events! It’s a beautiful thing to stay busy and out in the world.
• 9:00 - It reminds me of the Patricia Bright’s YouTube video from 2014, “Dealing with Loneliness.” She says, when you’re lonely, take up a new skill!
• 9:45 - #3: Release judgement on how things should look, and focus on goals, especially with relationships.
• 10:00 - Relationships are heavy and messy, because humans are heavy and messy. Charreah says, “Accepting the vulnerability and giving someone else the power to impact my life, is a process.”
• 10:30 - I read the book “The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions In the Midst of Endless Demands” by Lysa TerKeurst. It spoke about how relationships will always need work, so just jump in now and get to work fixing and building them.
• 12:00 - Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this part two breakdown of “Boss Bride,” thank you to @brownsugarhoney3, @itspaulana, @joimariewrites! I’ll be mailing my book to a friend :)
• 13:00 - You like this podcast? Share with friends!

Welcome to Bri Books! This episode is a book update, about Charreah K. Jackson's “Boss Bride: The Powerful Woman’s Playbook for Love and Success.” It’s so good, I wanted to record a status update. This episode, I share how I discovered Charreah and the book, and two of my favorite takeaways so far. You can follow along with the conversation on Instagram and Twitter using #BriBooks. Subscribe to newsletter at bribookspod.com/newesletter.

• 2:30 - Brionna’s Charreah Story
• 5:00 - The definition of a “Boss Bride”
• 7:10 - Top Takeaway 1: “What is my comfort costing me?” Charreah says, “Trust yourself; “There’s a gap between what we’re called to do and what we feel we are capable of doing.”
• 10: 00 - Top Takeaway 2: Don’t wish away the alone time! Wishing away the alone time can be wishing away opportunities to grow unencumbered.

This section reminds me of 1 Corinthians 7:32, beginning with “ I want you to be free from anxieties.” I often equate singleness with anxiety, but living single can help free us of anxiety. There will come a time to be partnered, but when you’re free to think of yourself and how you relate to the world around you, you don’t want to wish that time away.

Welcome to Bri Books, today we’ll be discussing Franchesca Ramsey’s book, ‘Well That Escalated Quickly’ with Odochi (Ode) of The Five Fifths podcast. You can follow along with the conversation on Instagram and Twitter using #BriBooks. Subscribe to newsletter at bribookspod.com/newesletter.

• 1:07 - What’s Five Fifths Podcast?
• 1:20 - The Three Fifths Compromise dates back to 1787, a compromise reached among State delegates. It decided how would slaves be counted as part of the population. In 1787, the US was trying to determine how a state's population would affect taxation and legislative representation. The “solution” was to count three out of every five slaves as a person, to give the south more electoral votes than if the slaves had been ignored, but fewer than if the slaves had been counted equally. It was in the interest of slave owners and landowners to three out of every five slaves as a person.
• 4:00 - “The Five Fifths podcast is basically showing that every person on this Earth is five-fifths, they’re all whole. Nobody’s humanity can be quantified.” - Ode
• 4:42 - Who is Franchesca Ramsey? In 2011, when “Shit Girls Say” took off on YouTube, Franchesca created her own iteration, “Shit White Girls Say to Black Girls.”
• 5:50 - How Ode’s predominately white private school experience  relates to Franchesca’s “Shit White Girls Say to Black Girls”
• 7:08 - What took us from fans of Francesca’s YouTube work, to being fans of her writing
• 7:45 - Ode: “Seeing her on her own platform, as a dark-skinned woman who looks like me, I felt like she was very relatable.”
• 10:30 - In the book, Francesca traces her YouTube success trajectory. I really loved that Franchesca dindt’ shy away from the reality that it takes a long time to accumulate traction. She’d made over a hundred videos BEFORE “Shit White Girls Say to Black Girls.” It’s not lost on Franchesca that the quality and caliber of work speaks for itself when the time comes.
• 13:20 - After “Shit White Girls Say to Black Girls,” Franchesca was offered a book deal. But she didn’t jump on that opportunity, because she was setting herself UP for greatness instead of jumping ON whatever came her way.
• 15:50 - Discussing the chapter “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? It’s Lena Dunham.”
• 20:15 - Discussion of “Call Out” culture versus “Calling In”
• 20:42 - According to EverydayFeminism.com, the goal of “Calling out” is publically pointing out that someone is being problematic or downright wrong. However, “calling in” aims to get someone to change their problematic behavior.”
• 21:50 - Ode on the problems of call-out culture. “The way that someone responds to a callout should determine how we respond to them. Once you learn something is offensive to a group of people, you have to change your language.”
• 22:40 - Our favorite “Self-Care” rituals and our “Activist Lent” a la Franchesca Ramsey
• 23:20 - Ode’s self-care is being around people with great energy, and going to therapy (shoutout to her therapist, whom she found on https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com)
• 24:40 - Ode’s “Activist Lent” is deep-dive reporting on deaths of black LGBTQ people
• 27:40 - Brionna’s self-care is mani-pedis at The Nail Boutique in Brooklyn. Shoutout to Mola’s Nail Boutique!
• 28:45 - Brionna’s “Activist Lent” is indulging in luxury YouTubers

Connect with Odochi: The Five Fifths Media Patreon, Instagram, Facebook, Spreaker 

You can follow along with the conversation on Instagram and Twitter using #BriBooks. Subscribe to newsletter at bribookspod.com/newesletter.

Hi from Brionna! This isn't your regular Bri Books episode today--Join Junket NYC for Part 1 of the 3 part series: "Our Experiences in Foster Care." We begin with "Entering the System" through  the eyes of a foster child based on our collective experiences. Stay tuned at the end when we talk to our Junket roundtable for more of the real story. Subscribe to Junket's podcast on Apple podcasts here.

Junket NYC website and how to get involved: HERE

Junket NYC Instagram, Twitter

You can follow along with the conversation on Instagram and Twitter using #BriBooks. Subscribe to newsletter at bribookspod.com/newesletter.

Hello from Bri @ Bri Books! Today's episode is a solo show. We still have 202 days left in 2018. Let's make it count by restoring margin and balance to our lives, shall we? Here are the ways I'm working to restore balance, and the podcasts hosted by women of color that are helping me along the way. 

You can follow along with the conversation on Instagram and Twitter using #BriBooks. Subscribe to newsletter at bribookspod.com/newesletter.

• 00:57 - As of June 12,2018, we’ll have 202 days left in 2018. That means as much as we have behind us, we have ahead of us and more.
• 1:10 - If you still get that cringing falling part feeling, don’t worry, it just means you’re human.
• 1:30 - Before we go further, thanks for being here. Subscribe to newsletter at bribookspod.com/newesletter.
• 1:35 - This episode is about restoring margin. What’s margin? According to Pastor Darryl Dash, margin is “a little reserve that you’re not using up. You’re not stretched to the limit. You’re not going from one meeting to the next with no space between. Margin is the space between my load and my limit.”
• 1:57 - The only reason I know about margin because we had a sermon at The Journey Church about restoring balance and allowing God to restore balance. The concept of margin came up.
• 2:16 - It struck a nerve because I acknowledge that I, like most of us, am on overload.
• 2:20 - Let’s break down margins, think a piece of paper. The standard 1” margin would be setting a margin around your life, saying “Everything outside of this isn’t available.”
• 2:40 - Sometimes I live on the 0.2” margin, and I'll let procrastination/ anxiety stop me.
• 3:06 - When it comes to restoring margin, I get a little excited. To that end, I'll be sharing the ways I've been trying to restore margin to my own life, and a few of the podcasts that have been with me along the way. I’m gonna chat about it with a few podcasts I've been enjoying and have been crucial in helping me notice patterns when I Don't have margin, and make those non-negotiable.
• 3:36 - Nobody has to tell you how busy you are. We have the lists--we know the XYZ, and somewhere we’re supposed to fit in the ‘YOU’.
• 3:48 - Margin is basically breathing room. The sermon spoke to me, and I realized I was running on my own steam instead of the Lord’s, and I wasn’t focusing where I was supposed to focus.
• 4:07 - For me, that meant instead of focusing on one aspect of a project, I’m weighing all 10 aspects equally at the same time and weight, which means I'm waffling and moaning about the idea of doing instead of getting down to it.
• 4:30 - One of the 2 places I've started creating margin is when it comes to taking care of myself. I find margin in my life when I Devote time to caring for myself.
• 4:42 - I've mentioned before on this podcast that when my anxiety is in full swing, the first thing I Attack is my body. Here I Am, i’d fall asleep after a day of work, evening of volunteering, and i’d forget to brush my teeth, fall asleep with the lights on, wake up in the middle of the night to do what I should've done hours ago, because I Didn't have margin in my life for taking care of myself.
• 5:15 - “The Naked Beauty” podcast  really got through to me. It’s a podcast hosted by Brooke DeVard, and it’s “an unfiltered talk about beauty trends, tips and products” hosted by Brooke Devard. What Takeaway is that the bare minimum is not allowed.
• 5:40 - what I've learned from podcast is that when things go wrong, we can’t make ourselves optional. But finding margin and making myself not an option but a requirement--for me, that means setting a timer, 20 minutes Ican take care of everything skincare and oral hygiene. Setting that timer and making it a non-negotiable has helped me to restore margin and take care of myself. Here’s a link to the podcast. I can give that to myself at least every day. Building that margin in and making it a non-negotiable has helped me restore a sense of balance to my own life.
• 6:40 - The other way I've restored margin is by giving myself a little bit of a break on my calendar. Does this sound like you?
• 6:50 - you have a regular commitment then there are the one-off engagements, and a host of appointments. And your life admin. Maybe you only have 3 prime hours in the evening and morning around a work or school schedule. So when my schedule’s out of whack and I'm too busy to recharge let alone do the work I'm supposed to do, I realize there’s a cliff for me. I find myself beyond my margin, limit and load when I'm not impeccable with my word.
• 7:35 - The “Side Hustle Pro” podcast episode hosted by Nicaila Matthews Okome featuring Charreah Jackson got me thinking about being impeccable with my word. “Side Hustle Pro” is a podcast that helps creative entrepreneurs grow their passions into money makers. Listening to the most recent episode featuring Charreah Jackson hustle pro restores the reality that we control our time and we control the projects we want to give energy to. Choosing one over the other doesn't mean you can’t accomplish both. It’s just a decision about where you choose to put your energy.
• 8:25 - What I love about the conversation featuring “Boss Bride” author Charreah Jackson is that it reminded me of the old adage Ilove--you can do everything, just not at the same time. Charreah understand sand has devoted her time to helping people understand what they can do, so they can do something else. I can’t wait to read Charreah’s book!
• 8:52 9 - those are the two ways I'm restoring margin: Establishing it taking care of myself, and in my calendar. Establishing these margins now while we still have 202 days left is so important to me. I feel like I've feel what it feels like to live outside of these margins, what it feels like to NOT make time for myself, so we’re not always going past our margins and loads.
• 9:50 - I've had a good time recording this episode. I can’t wait to read together for July, “Boss Bride: The Powerful Woman’s Playbook for Love and Success” by Charreah Jackson. If you’ve already read boss bride, tweet me with #bribooks
• 10:20 - I hope you’ve enjoyed this style of podcast. If you're’ into these deep dive episodes of Bri Books, let me know.
• 11:15 - tweet with #bribooks, and join bribookspod.com/newesletter. 

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN EPISODE

-Sermon on Restoring Balance from "The Journey Church"

-"The Naked Beauty" podcast hosted by Brooke DeVard

-"Side Hustle Pro" podcast hosted by Nicaila Matthews Okome

-“Boss Bride: The Powerful Woman’s Playbook for Love and Success” by Charreah Jackson

This episode features founder of @PodcastsInColor, Berry. Podcastsincolor is the largest directory for and by people of color. The founder, Berry, has recently launched her very OWN podcasts--”Podcasts In Color: The Podcast.” Wow.

You can follow along with the conversation on Instagram and Twitter using #BriBooks.

In this episode: We discuss Berry's top tips and trips for being more professional in your podcasting, a few of our podcast pet peeves, and more. Let's go! 

 Berry is a lover of podcasts, and always credits “The Read” for turning her own to podcasts. She decide to convert her love for the medium into helping others find connection via podcasts. 

Her hope is to one day work in the podcast industry. You can't ask for a better fan or advocate than Berry. She’s helped to create and curate the podcast community. She encourages people to use #podin and #podcastsincolor

Hello, and welcome to Bri Books podcast. This episode is the season 3 finale. In this episode, we’re going through the five most durable, most enduring moments of season 3. I hope you stick around to the end, where I’ll be sharing what’s next with the podcast. I’d love to know, what are the most durable moments of the season? Tweet me at @bribookspod and using #bribooks on Instagram and Twitter. I can’t wait to ideate with you via the newsletter.

• 1:38 – These moments from “Bri Books” are as fresh now as they were when I spoke with the guests. They’re the ones I said, “Mmph!” to while I edited, and the ones that made me smile ear-to-ear when I listened back and put the episodes into the world.
• 2:20 - #5: Ep. 3.2:“From NABJ Convention to First Job” feat. Shauna Beni, on becoming a student-learner during her first job post-college.
• 3:49 – #4: Ep. 3.4: Wesley Lowery discussing his book, “They Can’t Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore, and a New Era in America’s Racial Justice Movement,” and humanizing the symbolism of the protest can be difficult, but Wesley’s book was one of the most enduring pieces of writing. Also, I can’t wait to read “When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir” by Patrisse Kahn-Cullors and Asha Bandele.
• 6:52 – #3: 3.4: “Focus” Feat. Paulana Lamonier. Paulana guest-curated an episode about the book “Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence” by Daniel Goleman. The most durable part of this conversation occurred when we discussed how to cultivate the muscle of focus.
• 10:38 –#2: 3.13: “Top Reads for 2018” feat. Hiwote Getaneh. Hiwote suggested we all read the book “Designing Your Life,” to gain clarity on life and career choices.
• 13:15 – #1: 3.7: A conversation about the book “Drop The Ball” feat. Tiffany Dufu. What makes this moment the most durable is Tiffany’s insistence that how what matters is knowing the pressures you’re putting on yourself, and the ones you’re allowing others to put on you. Trust me, it was a deep conversation and you can listen here (season 3, episode 7).
• 16:40 – UPDATES!  Bri Books will be returning April 3, 2018 for season 4, on a biweekly schedule (every other Tuesday, a new episode will drop). But What about the week in between? Well, dear listener, you’re gonna want to be on the newsletter. Bribookspod.com/newsletter. I can’t wait to ideate with you via the newsletter.

17:22 – As we prepare the 4th season, there will be lots of fun projects coming up. I want to share more with you—behind-the-scenes exclusives with authors, sharing early career, and hear what you’re reading. Think of the newsletter as the literary component to this audio book club. It’ll be a fun format you’ll look forward to. Bribookspod.com/newsletter. Of course, I’m on Instagram and Twitter. Use #bribooks. Here’s to season four! As always, Bri Books lives at bribookspod.com, and we’d love to see what you’re reading. Tweet me at @bribookspod and using #bribooks on Instagram and Twitter.

This epi: “We’re Going to Need More Wine” by Gabrielle Union, featuring @SwirlSuite. CONGRATS to Gabrielle’s New York Times bestselling book!  

Meet Sarita (@vinemeup), Leslie (Vino301 Wine Concierge) and Glynis (Vino_Noire) of the Swirl Suite podcast! The Swirl Suite is “a glam squad of certified wine & spirit professionals who give the tea on what’s happening in the wine world.” Swirl Suite is on Apple Podcasts.

• 3:15 – The place Gabrielle Union holds in our hearts as an actress
• 7:20 – Swirl Suite co-hosts on what they say when prompted with dreaded and incredibly presumptive question, “Why don’t you have kids?”
• 10:19 – A recent series on The Longest Shortest Time podcast recently completed a series “It’s A Real Mother,” about the nuanced ways motherhood creeps into a woman’s earning power over course of her career and life.
• 12:07 – Discussion of chapter “Black Woman Blues,” and our own experiences with colorism and internalized racism across generations
• 14:17 – Brionna’s favorite chapter: “Open House.” “In the chapter, the point she’s making is that her mom exposed her at a younger age what it looks like to go somewhere you’ve never seen. These houses would be humongous and very expensive, but it’s the idea that ‘Your reality can be expanded 100-fold.”
• 5:05 – Sarita’s favorite chapter: “Mittens.” A run-in with prejudiced women on a Chicago sidewalk led Gabrielle to deconstruct the micro-aggression behind what about her could be perceived as “threatening.”
• 19:19 – Rapid-fire questions! #1: How do you handle holiday potlucks?  #2: Most memorable Christmas gift? #3: Least favorite Christmas song? #4: How many glasses of wine at the holiday party?
• 26:55 – What Swirl Suite is looking forward to in 2018?
• Glynis: Debt-free and a trip to Bali!
• Leslie: Planning upcoming vino301, and I’m figuring that out! Excited for that! In 2018, I’ll be efficient and organized.
• Sarita: I finished a production certification class, and I have a new gig! Producing another podcast behind-the-scenes! I offered my services, and they hired me!
• Brionna: I’m excited to put my energy behind the Bri Books podcast, and go full force with what really matters to me. I’m excited for that.

Thanks again for listening, and thank you to the Swirl Suite. Join the newsletter duh. Find Bri Books Podcast on Instagram and Twitter, Facebook, and show me what you’re reading using #bribooks.

The Swirl Suite is “a glam squad of certified wine & spirit professionals who give the tea on what’s happening in the wine world.” Swirl Suite is on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Twitter.

Hello from Brionna! Thank you for inviting me into your 2018. Today’s episode is a collaboration with Hiwote Getaneh, host and producer of "Depth & Candor" podcast. I discovered “Depth & Candor” via @podcastsincolor in 2017 and, after orbiting one another for months, we met at an event she was facilitating (ht @Vinterlude!)

 "Depth & Candor” is a pod “designed to help you live a fulfilling, impactful and vibrant life."

In this episode, we break down the books that we resonated with and were challenged by in 2017, and why they deserve a spot on your reading list this year.

8:00 - Our Top Reads For Your 2018

• Hiwote: “Homegoing” by Yaa Yahzi. “It makes you think of race and power in current political climate, but this made you think of it in a different way.”
• Brionna: “Cravings" by Chrissy Teigen is easily the most approachable cookbook I’ve ever read. I come form a dieting household--Melba toast crackers and Lean Cuisine was de rigueur. (Re)-learning flavors with Chrissy was the highlight of my 2017, and this book will be at my fingertips for the foreseeable future.

15:15 - Our #1 Career Books For Your 2018

• Hiwote: “Linchpin” by Seth Godin. “He focuses on how to add value to the world in a way that’s not corny, and despite your fears. “Linchpin” is about how to stand out in your career, become an expert, and how to share your work with the world. Doing that, despite whatever fear you have.”
• Brionna: “The Big Life,” by Ann Shoket. “Ann's work really shaped how we as millennial women came into ourselves. When Ann was Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen, she guided the magazine and audience through that time. She noticed as more women became career and entrepreneurship focused. She helped lead the brand. “The Big Life” helped me unpack what matters to me, so I’m not busy spinning my wheels worrying about a life I don’t even want.”

17:30 - Our #1 Fiction Books For Your 2018

• Hiwote: “The Thing Around Your Neck,” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. “Everyone knows “Americanah, “but this is an anthology. She tells people’s stories in both Nigeria and in the US. I made my mom read it, my aunts read it.”
• Brionna: “The Engagement Game,” by Joi-Marie McKenzie. “Her journey to get “that answer” unlocks a lot of questions she’s never asked of herself. The character shifts mindsets to get where she wants to be.”

25:40 - The Books We’d Recommend To Our Younger Selves

• Hiwote: “Designing Your Life,” by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. “Their point is, your life can be successful in a million ways. Your only job is to choose the direction you want to go in, and go in that direction with no stress about the things you’re leaving behind. It’s a game changer, and I highly recommend it to anyone thinking of switching careers or figuring out what direction to go in in life.”
• Brionna: “Drop the Ball,” by Tiffany Dufu. “What makes her so relatable to me is that she grew up thinking it was her job as the woman in the house to take care of everyone. The book is about her letting go of that need, how she had to learn to drop the ball. By dropping the ball, she created space for others to pick it up.

Find Hiwote and "Depth & Candor" podcast on Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud. Subscribe to her newsletter here. Instagram @hiwote_g.

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