The Secret Life of TK Dutes

What happens when Black Americans leave the U.S. and build a life abroad? What does it mean to integrate into a new culture while still finding community and belonging? Here’s a preview of a live conversation with three Black creatives living in Mexico City: multidisciplinary artist and healer Iyeyinde, chef and entrepreneur Ron Dutes, and artist and educator Vivianne Njoku. Come back for more in the next full length episode of TSLOTKD, where our guests break down "expat" life, migration, gentrification, cultural integration, language, and building cross-cultural community - and what Black life in Mexico City can teach us about the difference between forced integration and actually belonging. ¡Nos vemos la próxima vez para «La vida secreta de TK Dutes»! Credits: Hosted and produced by Keisha “TK” Dutes. Live audio recorded by Mike Brown. Post-production support by C. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

You just had to be there. When podcast producer-turned-restaurateur Tiara Darnell closed her groundbreaking soul food restaurant, Blaxicocina, in Mexico City, she was forced to ask the same question TK was wrestling with: Who am I after the thing I thought would define me? Together, they reflect on leaving careers that no longer served them, building community from scratch, the rise and fall of Blaxicocina, and why sometimes choosing yourself means letting an old dream end so a new one can begin. This side quest explores reinvention, creative risk, and the freedom that comes from refusing to keep life on the hardest difficulty setting. Support the Show ✨Want the full conversation?✨ The complete extended interview with Tiara will be available on Patreon. Support independent audio storytelling and unlock bonus episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and more at: Patreon.com/SecretLife ofTK Leave a Message Call/Text The Secret Lifeline and leave a message for a future episode: ☎️(929) 551-4363 🎙️ The Secret Life of TK Dutes is hosted and executive produced by me, Keisha TK Dutes. 🙏🏾 Special thanks: Tiara Darnell, Mike Brown (Producer), C. (Engineer), Faybeo’n Mickens (Marketing), Pat Mesiti-Miller (Theme Music), 👉🏾 Follow Tiara online: @Blaxicocina & https://blaxicocina.com/ 👉🏾 Follow Mike Brown on IG: @theartoflettingopodcast 👉🏾 Follow TK on IG: @tastykeish | @philosfuturemedia 👉🏾 Go behind the scenes on Patreon: patreon.com/c/SecretLifeofTK ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What does it mean to live beyond expectation? In this special Pride Month side quest, TK shares an exclusive excerpt from conversation with artist, producer, educator, author, and creative force DJ CherishTheLuv. Together, they explore queerness not simply as identity, but as a practice of becoming- of questioning inherited beliefs, rejecting limiting systems, and allowing yourself to grow into all of your possibilities. From gender expansiveness and chosen love to creativity, healing, family expectations, and releasing generational burdens, this conversation is an invitation to live a life that is bigger than the boxes we were handed. Inspired by the spirit of Audre Lorde, this excerpt asks: What if queerness is also a way of imagining a freer life? What happens when we stop carving ourselves into shapes that make other people comfortable? How do creativity, healing, and self-discovery help us become who we're meant to be? This episode also features a moving message from Jordan Knoxx, who shares how music helped bring her back to life during one of the darkest periods of her journey. Support the Show Want the full conversation? The complete extended interview with DJ CherishTheLuv is available on Patreon. Support independent audio storytelling and unlock bonus episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and more at: Patreon.com/SecretLife ofTK Leave a Message Call The Secret Lifeline and leave a message for a future episode: (929) 551-4363 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 The Secret Life of TK Dutes is hosted and executive produced by me, Keisha TK Dutes. Special thanks: DJ CherishTheLuv, Mike Brown (Recordist), C. (Engineer), Faybeo’n Mickens (Marketing), Pat Mesiti-Miller (Theme and credits music). 👉🏾 Follow DJ CherishTheLuv on IG: @DJCherishTheLuv 👉🏾 Follow TK on IG: @tastykeish | @philosfuturemedia 👉🏾 Go behind the scenes on Patreon: patreon.com/c/SecretLifeofTK ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What if healing isn’t about going back to who you were- but becoming someone new on purpose? What if your life is not something to survive, but something to re-create? In this minisode, I sit down with super multi-hyphenate creative (DJ, author, Broadway producer), CherishTheLuv to talk about creativity as survival, healing, and rebirth. From a life-altering head injury to breast cancer and remission, Cherish shares how losing memory, identity, and certainty led her into a deeper relationship with music- and ultimately, herself. We talk about what it means to take ownership of your body and your story, how trauma can reshape not just your life but your sense of self, and how creativity became the tool that helped her rebuild from the inside out. For Cherish, music became the bridge back. For me, her story was a mirror. If you would like to SEE (yup it’s video!) the RAW full conversation between me and DJ CherishTheLuv, become a contributing member of my patreon- we got into religion, our queerness, and how making room for our creativity opens us up to love. For the full conversation, join us at patreon.com/secretlifeoftk. I would love to hear from you- call me on The Secret Life Line at ‪(929) 551-4363‬ and leave me a message! That and a 5 star rating and reviews help because your experiences help people feel like they're not alone. The Secret Life of TK Dutes is hosted and executive produced by me, Keisha TK Dutes. Special thanks: DJ CherishTheLuv, Mike Brown (Producer), C. (Engineer), Faybeo’n Mickens (Marketing), Pat Mesiti-Miller (Theme and credits music). 👉🏾 Follow DJ CherishTheLuv on IG: @DJCherishTheLuv 👉🏾 Follow Mike Brown on IG: @theartoflettingopodcast 👉🏾 Follow TK on IG: @tastykeish | @philosfuturemedia 👉🏾 Go behind the scenes on Patreon: patreon.com/c/SecretLifeofTK ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

After Episode 3, A Season of Loss with Tah Whitty, I got a voice note from our listener/friend Z - and I had to share it. Your messages mean everything, and you can always leave me one at ‪(929) 551-4363‬. Because of the messages and feedback from folks I wanted to share an excerpt of producer, Amanda B. Nazereno's award winning podcast Six Degrees of Cats, where she asks about Our Feline Fictive Kin: Are Cats Full Fledged Family? If you’re thinking about companionship, chosen family, or just living life on your own terms- this one’s for you. Follow @6degreesofcats on IG and keep your ears peeled for a certain someone featured in another episode- Beyond Taylor Swift: Who Are Cat People? ;) Big thanks to Z for the call, Amanda (+ Binky, Snuggles, and Peanut!), and the Cat Museum of NYC for including us in their pet loss grief guide: https://www.catmuseumnyc.org/resources/grieving-a-pet ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★