It's About DAMN Time

This one sat in my notes for six months.I didn’t record it because I didn’t have the courage. Not because I didn’t have the words.This episode started with a logo. A conversation. A misunderstanding. And a video that may or may not have been about me.But that wasn’t the point.The point was the sting.The point was realizing that maybe I wasn’t being attacked. Maybe I was being exposed.Because what if the reason I’m always looking for applause, downloads, compliments, awards, and “you’re dope” messages… is because I don’t trust my own voice?What if I’ve been outsourcing my self-worth?In this episode, I sit with the uncomfortable question:Do I even like me?Not love. Like.We talk about:Seeking validation like it’s a dopamine hitDownplaying compliments while still needing themGiving so much to others that you feel valuableLiving in the future and never celebrating progressThe difference between liking yourself and loving yourselfShowing up for yourself as proofThis isn’t a lesson.It’s not a clean five-step fix.It’s a confession.Because love doesn’t come before like.And maybe it’s about DAMN time we learn how to like ourselves first.It’s About DAMN Time SegmentIt’s about DAMN time I stop needing the cosign to believe I’m enough.D.A.M.N. ChallengeAsk yourself this week:Do I like me?If the answer is yes, name three real reasons. Not surface. Not cute. Real.If the answer is no… sit with that. No shame. Just honesty.Connect with Me🔗 Follow me on all platforms: @DaWholeDamnShow🎧 Follow It’s About DAMN Time: @ItsAboutDamnTimePod💥 Cop the DAMN University merch right here → Shop now

What does it look like when you’re talented, proven, and STILL out here dodging opportunities?My friend Jada Durden pulled up for a real conversation about playing small. We talk about betting on yourself, imposter syndrome, anxiety, and why some of us will literally run away from paid work even when we’ve already earned the right to be in the room.Jada breaks down her whole journey. State job to blogging. Blogging to bylines. Social media to marketing manager. Shreveport to Lake Charles to New Orleans. And even with all that, she still had to face the same thing we all face.It’s not always a lack of skill. Sometimes it’s fear of being seen.What we get into (key topics)Playing small even when you’ve already proven you’re goodImposter syndrome vs anxiety and vulnerability“We have not because we ask not”How Jada quit her state job during COVID and bet on herselfBuilding a career through relationships, networking, and support systemsMoving cities as an adult and starting over sociallyThe mindset shift from “Can I?” to “Why not me?”Doing it for the plot. Doing it scared. Doing it anywayIt’s About DAMN Time segmentIt’s about damn time we stop shrinking when the opportunity is literally looking for us.D.A.M.N. Challenge (listener call-up)This week, pick one thing you’ve been dodging and take the smallest real action:Send the email.Submit the pitch.Follow up.Ask for the rate.Say yes before you talk yourself out of it.Then tell yourself the truth: you’re not unqualified. You’re uncomfortable. There’s a difference.Guest infoJada DurdenFind her on all platforms: @LovingThisLifeJadaFood, travel, day trips, and life in New Orleans.Connect with Me🔗 Follow me on all platforms: @DaWholeDamnShow🎧 Follow It’s About DAMN Time: @ItsAboutDamnTimePod💥 Cop the DAMN University merch right here → Shop now

There comes a point where always being the hero starts costing you your life.In this episode, I talk about what it really means to always show up for everyone else — and what it’s taken from me over the years.For three years straight, I set goals.For three years straight, I missed most of them.It wasn’t laziness.It wasn’t lack of ambition.It was misdirected energy.I realized I was investing more time into saving other people than I was building the life I say I want.And when you’re always Mufasa in everyone’s story…you forget how to be yourself in your own.We talk about:The hidden cost of always being the dependable oneWhy reliability and accessibility are not the same thingThe guilt that keeps you stuck in “hero mode”How survivor’s guilt shaped my boundariesWhy being the “bad guy” might actually save your lifeThere’s a difference between being kind and abandoning yourself.You can be the bad guy in someone’s story for a moment…or be the bad guy to yourself forever.It’s about DAMN time we stop confusing self-sacrifice with love.It’s About DAMN Time SegmentIt’s about DAMN time we stop being the bad guy to ourselves just to be liked.D.A.M.N. ChallengeChoose one moment this week to protect your time.No explanation.No over-justifying.No guilt spiral.Just choose you.Sit with the discomfort.Notice what doesn’t fall apart.y7hyFMu3Ji3bUwvrOXp8📲 Connect with Me🔗 Follow me on all platforms: @DaWholeDamnShow🎧 Follow It’s About DAMN Time: @ItsAboutDamnTimePod💥 Cop the DAMN University merch right here → Shop now

Questioning Everything Was Just the StartThis wasn’t a planned episode. This was me hitting record because I couldn’t keep carrying everything in my head.Lately, I’ve been tired. Not just physically. Mentally. Spiritually. Creatively. And it had me asking some uncomfortable questions. About the podcast. About my direction. About whether I’m burned out or just done.Somewhere in all of that, one question kept coming back up:What’s my why? And maybe more importantly… is it even mine?In this episode, I talk through burnout, pressure, comparison, and the boxes we put ourselves in trying to be liked, understood, or validated. I don’t have a neat answer. I’m not teaching a framework. I’m just being honest about what it feels like to realize the way you’ve been moving no longer fits.If you’ve ever felt disconnected from something you once loved, or stuck trying to live up to expectations that aren’t really yours, this one’s for you.No perfection. No polish. Just a real moment in the middle of a shift.It’s About DAMN Time SegmentIt’s about damn time I stop moving for everyone else and start defining my why for myself.D.A.M.N. ChallengeTake some time this week to discover or rediscover your why. Not the one that sounds good. Not the one that makes other people comfortable. The one that actually belongs to you.Write it down. Sit with it. Let it change if it needs to.📲 Connect with Me🔗 Follow me on all platforms: @DaWholeDamnShow🎧 Follow It’s About DAMN Time: @ItsAboutDamnTimePod💥 Cop the DAMN University merch right here → Shop now

Everybody talks about loyalty.Nobody talks about growth.In this solo episode, I freestyle my way through a realization I’ve been avoiding for a while. The people you’re closest to might not be the people helping you move forward. And that doesn’t make them bad people. It just means your life has shifted.I break down why trying to get everything from one group will burn you out, how over-pouring into others can stall your own progress, and why it’s okay to build different cliques for different parts of your life.This isn’t about cutting people off. It’s about getting honest about what you need.Because loyalty without growth eventually turns into resentment.And it’s about damn time we talked about that.In this episode, I get into:Why being the “captain” of your clique can quietly hold you backThe difference between pouring into people and being pulled upWhy you don’t need one clique. You need the right onesHow your environment impacts your motivation, discipline, and goalsThe mistake I keep making with the relationships that actually push me forwardWhy balance beats grind culture and comfort every timeIt’s About DAMN Time SegmentIt’s about damn time you stop expecting one group of people to meet every need in your life.The D.A.M.N. ChallengeThis week, identify the cliques you actually need.Not who you’ve been loyal to. Not who’s always around.Who makes you better?For me, that’s:A fitness cliqueA creative cliqueA fun, blow-off-steam cliqueFigure out yours. Then start watering the right relationships.If this episode had you thinking about your circle, your growth, or your balance, share it with someone who might need to hear it too.Let’s build better environments. Let’s get 1% better every day.📲 Connect with Me🔗 Follow me on all platforms: @DaWholeDamnShow🎧 Follow It’s About DAMN Time: @ItsAboutDamnTimePod💥 Cop the DAMN University merch right here → Shop now