Hey y’all. So this voice note... whew. It came out of a moment that really lit me up emotionally, spiritually, and energetically. Something happened earlier this week that stirred up some divine rage and reminded me just how important it is to protect your vision, especially in its early stages.
I’m talking about what happens when you share your sacred work with people who are misaligned, disconnected, or just... not tapped in. And how, in trying to be polite or open or generous, we sometimes override our own resistance.
This voice note is a real-time processing moment. I didn’t plan to say some of what I said, but it needed to come out.
So as always, take what resonates, leave what doesn’t. But if you’ve ever felt the sting of unsolicited advice, the discomfort of being misunderstood, or the pressure to make everyone feel okay at your own expense—this one’s for you. Let’s get into it.
My role in the revolution is facilitating healing, and I’m very clear on that. There are moments in this voice note where I catch myself completely off guard. It feels like an ancestor who prays, cusses, smokes a cigarette on the porch, and watches over the neighborhood, is speaking through me. I was like, what grandparent was this?!
So boom. Earlier this week, I had an interaction with a non-Black human who showed a real lack of curiosity and depth when I shared my baby, The Mediocre Black Woman. And as I recount the situation to y’all, I realized I didn’t actually want to tell her about this project. I just didn’t clock the resistance in real time.
She looked at me and said, “You seem like a very creative person.” Then she paused, and we just stared at each other for a moment. I said, “Are you asking me what my projects are?” She said, “Yes, I want to know what you do.” I think she was used to people automatically filling the space. But my intuition already clocked it and yet I took the bait anyway.
Whew, anyway and from what I’ve seen this week, I wasn’t the only one having moments like this. Have you ever noticed that the people who’ve rarely publicly put themselves out there in a vulnerable way often have the most to say? That conversation sparked this voice note.
In this episode, I talk directly about the fact that God gave me the vision. Just like God gave you yours. And we have to fiercely protect our visions, especially in the incubation period, at all costs.
When you're running around searching for feedback and validation from everyone but yourself, you open the door to misaligned people. And when misaligned people speak over your vision, it can send you into unnecessary confusion and doubt. For my very literal peeps, I’m not saying you should never get feedback. What I am saying is that you can kill your creation before it even begins by handing it to people who aren’t equipped to hold it.
There have been so many times where I’ve let people talk me out of my instincts or convince me to carry more than is mine. And too often, it’s people who aren’t ready to support the very things they’re asking you to carry.
And back to the part about this being a non-Black person. Yes, it matters. Because this person tried to convince me that my role in collective change is to build bridges between all people and in a very specific way without understanding the vision. Yet again, passing the buck to the marginalized and often unprotected. And can we be real? In God’s infinite wisdom, God DID NOT give me the idea of a platform for Black women just to let a white woman, unsolicited, affect how I cultivate it. Be fucking for real.
And what’s wild is, the podcast and brand I had before this, created for all women, didn’t receive the support that The Mediocre Black Woman has. But of course, as soon as I decided it was time to center Black women after the election, here comes everyone flocking to my work. “When you’re black, you’re never really lonely.”😂
I don’t mind people showing up, as long as it’s respectful, and as long as it still centers Black women. Because that’s who this is for. And every day, I make the intentional choice not to center individuals who already take up prime media real estate and space in everyone’s minds’. I created this to center Black women, those who rarely center themselves.
So again, keep your shit sacred. Trust that God planted the vision inside of you for a reason. I hope this voice note moves you toward more confidence and deeper self-trust in your own vision. I know it sparked something in my soul! Aṣẹ and Amen, I know that’s right!
TMBW’s Black Friday Is Officially Here!
🖤 Black Friday Feature: Valencia Dantzler of Ease Over Exhaustion
Need a nervous system reset? Meet Valencia Dantzler, the brilliance behind Ease Over Exhaustion. She’s a Burnout Recovery Strategist, Elite NeuroEncoding Specialist, and African Tourism Expert who knows what it means to reclaim your life amidst burnout and then help others do the same.
Before she joins me on The Mediocre Black Woman Podcast next Tuesday, I want y’all to get familiar. This is your official introduction.
Valencia is passionate about helping high-achieving women release chronic stress, rewire the brain, and return to ease. Start here on our Black Friday Blog. Get to know what she’s about. Because when she joins me next week on the podcast, we’re diving deep.
🖤 How I'm Spending My Black Friday
I know some of y’all are probably wondering how I’m spending my Black Friday.
Well… later tonight, I’m sitting down with the one and only
—a brilliant Black creator and the mind behind Weekend Forever right here on Substack. We’re turning our podcast recording into a girls’ night vibe. She’s bringing her favorite beverage, and I’m making myself an affogato (that’s ice cream with coffee poured over it, my sister and her fiancé put me on).We’re going to laugh, reflect, talk life and creation, and shape an episode that doesn’t just sound good but feels good. That’s how I’m spending my Black Friday, uplifting a Black creator, pouring into one another, and creating something that’s aligned and expansive.
So now I wanna know: What y’all doing this TMBW Black Friday? Tap in and let me know in the comments.
🙏🏾 Jasmine Wheeler: Housewife Turned Healer
Y’all. One of my dearest friends did something beautiful and brave. Jasmine Wheeler, aka
, answered the call to create and launched her Substack, a space for those seeking God in ways that don’t always fit inside traditional boxes.Her writing is raw, real, and refreshingly human. Jasmine reminds us that spirituality doesn’t have to be performative to be powerful. It belongs to the honest, the curious, the weary, and the hopeful.
If you’ve ever felt drawn to God but struggled to find a path that resonates, this is your invitation. Read her words. Let them sit with you. And if it feels like home, stay a while.
Spades & Shade: A Reflective Tarot Series for Black Women to Return to Themselves
And if you’re in your own season of shedding, searching, or returning to yourself, I want to invite you to join me in Spades & Shade.
It’s not just a tarot course. It’s a reflective series for Black women who are ready to trust themselves more deeply. To see their truth in the cards. To find clarity, not just answers. We start today, July 18th. You don’t need to be “ready.” You just need to show up.
Tap in here to join us. And if you register by July 18 at 3:30 PM CT, use the code CUTTHAT for $22 off, after that the discount ends.
We’ve had such a rich week full of connection, creation, and clarity. Also, I’ve officially been laid off for a week. It’s my anniversary! Made for you and me. LOL! Wishing you a safe and restful weekend.
xoxo,
Goddess Thea
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