Author, journalist, and small business owner L’Oreal Thompson-Payton visits <i>The Happily Never After</i> to talk about her experience with infertility. L'Oreal pulls back the curtain on excruciating fibroid battles, heartbreaking IVF disappointments, and her battle with post-partum depression. She talks about writing her upcoming memoir, <i>Infertile Black Girl</i>, to be released in 2027.<br /><br />L'Oreal shares how systemic racism, health disparities, and cultural stigma compound the pain, leaving many feeling isolated and unseen. She also talks about the pressure on Black women and girls to be “twice as good,” and how embracing rest can change everything. <br /><br />ABOUT L'OREAL THOMPSON PAYTON<br />L’Oreal Thompson Payton is an award-winning journalist, author, speaker, and founder of Zora’s Place, a Black feminist bookstore and community hub in Evanston, Illinois. She is the author of <i>Stop Waiting for Perfect</i>, <i>Amanda Gorman: Poet and Activist</i>, <i>Violet Goes Voting</i> (September 2026) and the highly-anticipated memoir <i>Infertile Black Girl</i> (Spring 2027). Her byline has appeared in outlets such as <i>Essence</i>, <i>Fortune</i>, <i>New York</i> magazine and <i>SELF. </i>Her work centers Black women and girls, mental health, and the power of storytelling. She lives in Evanston with her husband and daughter. <br /><ul><li>Learn more at <a href="https://www.lorealthompsonpayton.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lorealthompsonpayton.com</a></li><li>Follow L'Oreal at @ltinthecity on all social platforms</li></ul><br />ABOUT <i>THE HAPPILY NEVER AFTER</i><br /><i>The Happily Never After</i> is a podcast that features stories of big endings that led to personal breakthroughs. While endings can hurt, they also provide opportunities to heal and grow, and sometimes, they even set us free. Endings can offer an opportunity to begin anew, in a better way, and that’s what we’re here to talk about.<br /><ul><li>New episodes every Tuesday.</li><li>Follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thatheathermcg/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thatheathermcg⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a> on IG for related content and discussion.</li><li>Read The Happily Never After on Substack at <a href="https://thehappilyneverafter.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thehappilyneverafter.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li><li>Learn more about Heather McG at <a href="https://www.heathermcg.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">⁠⁠⁠www.heathermcg.com</a></li></ul>