Grown and Growing Podcast

Think back: how did you learn about “the birds and bees”? Would you teach your kids in the same way? Or, do you want to do something different? I think we live in a world that REQUIRES a different approach. And that’s where Dr. Lexx comes in. In this episode, Dr. Lexx talks about why s e x positive parenting in a shame-free environment provides so much more than learning about the act itself. I learned so much, and I’m sure you will too.About My Guest:Dr. Lexx Brown-James, LMFT, CSE, CSES is a phenomenal sex therapist and sexuality educator who created The Institute for Sexuality & Intimacy, LLC where she features her education skills, therapy services, keynotes, research and sex positivity training for caregivers. She has a best-selling children’s book These are My Eyes, This is My Nose, This is My Vulva, These are My Toes that is also featured in a curriculum for kindergarteners and first graders in the New York City School District.Dr. Lexx also serves on the board of The American Association for Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) and is primed to be the first Black woman president of the organization in 2024. She has been featured on podcasts like NPR, ScaryMommy, Therapy for Black Girls, and New York Pix 11 news. Her column, Better Sex with Dr. Lexx for SheKnows has been picked up numerous times by yahoo.com and other news outlets. Dr. Lexx has been featured in articles from MindBodyGreen, Essence Magazine, BuzzFeed, and The American Journal of Family Physicians. Connect with Dr. Lexx:Website: lexxsexdoc.comIG: @lexxsexdocFB: @lexxsexdocLI: @lexxsexdocLike. Follow. Share. Website: grownandgrowingpodcast.comFacebook: @GrownandgrowingpodcastInstagram: @GrownandgrowingpodcastYouTube: Grown and Growing PodcastEmail: grown.growingpodcast@gmail.com

Wills and estate plans aren’t just for wealthy people. This. Is. A. MYTH.  67% of all Americans - and 77% of Black people - die with no will or estate plan, and there are so many unintended consequences to this decision. This episode I’m talking to Sahmra A. Stevenson (@officewithoutwalls), an attorney and founder of Stevenson Law Offices, about the basics of estate planning. About My Guest:Sahmra A. Stevenson is the founder and CEO of S.A. Stevenson Law Offices, with offices located in Columbia, Maryland, where she and her staff are focused on fighting for happy families one day at a time. Sahmra approaches her work with a philosophy that whole and complete families begin with whole and complete people. Her practice focuses on the areas of family law litigation, trusts & estates, and business law and formation. In 2016, Sahmra launched Wills On Wheels, Inc., the first mobile and virtual estate planning business model in Maryland.Sahmra has received several awards and accolades, including an induction into the Maryland Bar Foundation in 2014. She has been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers for both Maryland and the District of Columbia every year since 2016. The Super Lawyers Rising Stars list recognizes no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state.Connect with Sahmra A. Stevenson:Website: saslawoffices.comFB:  sastevensonlawofficesIG:  @officewithoutwallsPhone: 301-795-2728Like. Follow. Share. Website: grownandgrowingpodcast.comFacebook: @GrownandgrowingpodcastInstagram: @GrownandgrowingpodcastYouTube: Grown and Growing PodcastEmail: grown.growingpodcast@gmail.com

As women, there is no shortage of things that we worry about. But we’re no good to others if we’re not at the top of the list.  On the podcast, I talk a lot about being in a good mental space, but our physical health is just as important.  In this episode, I’m talking to Dr. Nicole Farmer, NIH physician scientist and internal medicine doctor, about women’s health and how we can ensure we’re health-conscious. And because she’s a researcher, I ask her about the importance of medical research, and how history prevents Black Americans from fully benefiting from clinical advancements. About My Guest:Dr. Nicole Farmer is currently a Physician Scientist at the NIH Clinical Center and the Acting Section Chief of the Dietary Behaviors and Biopsychosocial Health Section. Dr. Farmer is involved in both community-based and patient research exploring the role of cooking in chronic disease prevention and psychosocial health. Prior to joining the NIH, she was a well-established primary care clinician and routinely engaged her patients in nutrition education through cooking classes. Dr. Farmer is an alumnus of Howard University College of Medicine, received her internal medicine training from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and held a prior appointment at Johns Hopkins University Hospital. She has also completed fellowship training in Integrative Medicine from University of Arizona and Duke University. In addition, Dr. Farmer was named a Harvard Macy Fellow in 2021 for her work on incorporating humanities into culinary medicine education and research. Like. Follow. Share. Website: grownandgrowingpodcast.comFacebook: @GrownandgrowingpodcastInstagram: @GrownandgrowingpodcastYouTube: Grown and Growing PodcastEmail: grown.growingpodcast@gmail.com

Spoiler alert:  There's no cheat code...at least not for a sustainable healthy lifestyle.Okay, now that we got that out of the way, in this episode Coach Netra explains what it really takes to have a healthy, sustainable lifestyle, which leads to weight loss and many other benefits. She knows as she has been walking the talk for over 20 years. This episode is full of gems. About My Guest:Arnetra Shettleworth, was born and raised in Miami, FL and now resides in the city of Orlando.  She is a graduate of the University of Florida, with an MBA from Nova Southeastern University and a Certified Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach.  She has had an extensive corporate career in both Retail and Healthcare.  However, her passion and mission lie in helping others reach their personal health and performance goals.As a Nutrition Coach, Arnetra has been able to advise a diverse range of clients.  She has assisted Executive women and men wanting to improve their overall health, reduce disease risk, have better and more sustained energy, while helping them fall back in love with the person they see in the mirror!Her mission is to help clients reach their goals through lifestyle behavior modifications that include: stress management, sleep, consistent exercise and fitness regimen, while establishing a realistic relationship with food.  The objective is teaching others how to achieve the health, performance, and physique they aspire to have, while eating in a sustainable way for a lifetime.Through her company, Butterfly Transformation Nutrition Coaching, she helps clients live and perform at their best!Connect with Coach Netra:InstagramFacebookButterfly Transformation Nutrition CoachingLike. Follow. Share. Website: grownandgrowingpodcast.comFacebook: @GrownandgrowingpodcastInstagram: @GrownandgrowingpodcastYouTube: Grown and Growing PodcastEmail: grown.growingpodcast@gmail.com

To celebrate one year of podcasting, I reflect on what I learned on this journey. Hopefully it helps someone who wants to start something new.Like. Follow. Share. Website: grownandgrowingpodcast.comFacebook: @GrownandgrowingpodcastInstagram: @GrownandgrowingpodcastYouTube: Grown and Growing PodcastEmail: grown.growingpodcast@gmail.com

This is a special episode in two ways. First, it marks the last episode in my first year of podcasting. Second, I’m in conversation with the person who challenged me to launch this podcast, Professional Coach Deborah McIver.This conversation is a sneak peak into what one-to-one  coaching is like - in case you’re considering it - and it’s also the origin story of the Grown and Growing Podcast. It’s a good one!About My Guest:Deborah McIver is the founder and CEO of McIver Enterprises/CORE Concept Consulting. She’s a self-described maverick who is committed to making a positive impact on the lives of others in the areas of business consulting and professional coaching.She has spent the last 25 years of her career developing professionals in the areas of business consulting, strategic planning, leadership development, sales performance and training, personal development, financial management – and she is more passionate than ever.Previously, Deborah has led an impressive career at American Home Mortgage as a top mortgage banking and sales management executive for 16 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Morgan State University.Like. Follow. Share. Website: grownandgrowingpodcast.comFacebook: @GrownandgrowingpodcastInstagram: @GrownandgrowingpodcastYouTube: Grown and Growing PodcastEmail: grown.growingpodcast@gmail.com

For many years, I looked forward to setting New Year's resolutions. I loved picking new goals for the year, and working to bring them to fruition. But cut to mid 2022, and  my hectic personal and professional life had caught up to me. In this episode, I discuss what I'm choosing instead of outlining a list of SMART goals to accomplish in 2023.Sign up for free, virtual Monday Morning Meditation with Ase Yoga and Meditation:aseyogaflow.comLike. Follow. Share. Website: grownandgrowingpodcast.comFacebook: @GrownandgrowingpodcastInstagram: @GrownandgrowingpodcastYouTube: Grown and Growing PodcastEmail: grown.growingpodcast@gmail.com

Yoga. It was something I avoided because it was hard and slow and I felt awkward. Now that I’m older the slow, stretching and stability aspects of yoga appeal to me. But I still didn’t have a place where I felt comfortable. In comes Kia Lee (@yogab4tacos), a new yoga instructor whose approach to yoga seems to be exactly what I need in this period of my life.In this episode, Kia talks about her style of yoga and meditation, and her new studio, Ase’ Yoga and Meditation. I asked a lot and learned a lot. About My GuestKia's love for yoga has spanned for over fifteen years, and it was at Sankofa Yoga and Wellness Center located in Laurel, Maryland, where she completed her 200-Hour Certification.  Kia's vision is to promote all aspects of a journey to wellness, while highlighting indigenous self-care tools that helps bring balance and ease into our daily lives.  She uses compassion and playfulness to help others build awareness and self-confidence.  Her classes are closely linked to music, which guides you to move and flow fluidly.Off the mat, Kia loves to participate in community outreach, travel, read, listen to music, and discover new resale and vintage boutiques locally and abroad.Ase' Yoga and Meditation: aseyogaflow.comKia's recommendations for quality yoga mats:Liforme Yoga MatJade Yoga Mat Manduka Yoga Mat Lululemon Yoga MatGaiam Yoga MatLike. Follow. Share. Website: grownandgrowingpodcast.comFacebook: @GrownandgrowingpodcastInstagram: @GrownandgrowingpodcastYouTube: Grown and Growing PodcastEmail: grown.growingpodcast@gmail.com

Confession: I am not a wine lover. But my guests on today’s episode want to change my mind about that. #MoniqueColeman, a certified sommelier, and #RobertaHatchett, a bohemian lifestyle curator, are the owners of VinBoheme, a wine and decor shop based in Washington, DC. I’ll be honest, I walked away from our conversation with a greater appreciation for the “art” of drinking wine. It was fun and I learned so much. This episode starts with a great discussion and ends with a mini-wine tasting.About My Guests:VinBohême is based in Washington, D.C. and owned by two women of color. The concept of “Vin” represents our love of good wine and “Bohême” is the easeful home life we all desire and deserve. We offer select wines and accessories that make for a warm and inviting home, and feature women, BIPOC and sustainable/low intervention wine and décor makers. Each item is personally selected by us and can be found on our website vinboheme.com.Monique Copeland is co-owner and resident certified sommelier of VinBohême. She is also certified in food and wine pairing and enjoys educating wine lovers looking to elevate their palate with wine at reasonable price points. Roberta Hatchett has spent the last 20 years working in marketing and advertising and has decided to add entrepreneur to her resume. She’s both an aficionado of wine and décor, but holds a special passion for making a house (or apartment!) a home.Wines Featured in Episode:2018 Scotty Boy Big Tang Syrah2021 Where’s Linus? Sauvignon BlancLike. Follow. Share. Website: grownandgrowingpodcast.comFacebook: @GrownandgrowingpodcastInstagram: @GrownandgrowingpodcastYouTube: Grown and Growing PodcastEmail: grown.growingpodcast@gmail.com

Let Target, Walmart and other retailers tell it, the holiday season starts before Halloween. That’s when you’ll see your first Santa sighting. To me, the holiday season starts with Thanksgiving and goes until New Year’s Day. In this solo episode, I’m talking about the holidays mean to me. Like. Follow. Share. Website: grownandgrowingpodcast.comFacebook: @GrownandgrowingpodcastInstagram: @GrownandgrowingpodcastYouTube: Grown and Growing PodcastEmail: grown.growingpodcast@gmail.com