We were lucky to catch up with Donika/Myra Brown/Hollis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Donika/Myra, thanks for joining us today. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?

Donika: The most important lesson I had in a job that has helped me in my professional career is to have a plan but to be open-minded for unexpected circumstances. I remember walking into a session as a trainee with a plan of how the session was going to go based on the case file. I had read and reviewed all the notes from the previous and current treatment team and I knew the interventions I would use. But my client wasn’t haven’t a “typical” day and disclosed suicidal ideation without plan. I didn’t go outwardly into panic but my mind was doing all the turns. With patience and consultation from my colleagues, I was able to adjust my plan that was prepared and give this client the proper care. As a Mental Health Therapist there are so many different ways sessions can go due life’s ups and downs. The most important lesson is even if you are not fully prepared for unexpected circumstances to at least be open so you can handle it with care.

Myra:
The most important lesson I have learned in my job is to ensure that my job is in alignment to the life I want. After having my daughter I realize that I want my day to flow and also have time to just exist and also play with her. After this reflection I shifted into a job where I set my schedule in a way that aligns with the flow of my mind/ body and of course gives time for things I love.

Donika/Myra, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

We, Donika Brown & Myra Hollis, are two Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist’s (LMFT’s). Together we created Black Women Healing Podcast, a podcast that intentionally connects with women across the world. Black Women Healing Pod originally began as Black Women’s Healing Circle at San Diego State University in 2016. The purpose of this circle was to provide an in person space for Black feminine centered individuals to build, grow, explore identities, promote positive and healing within self and other Black women. We started Black Women Healing Pod in 2019 to continue this work but, while making it accessible to those around the World. Also to create a space where all Black Women know that they are not alone and that there is support for them during their mental wellness journey’s. Our listeners have weekly access to topics that Black Women face daily. Our podcast discusses mental wellness in a relatable sense but still informative for continued growth and healing. Overall our podcast is unique because we discuss specific issues that Black Women face and give practical takeaways. In addition to the podcast, we wanted to travel and host Black Women’s Healing Circle in different places. Before COVID we were able to successfully do this by hosting a total of 2 circles in California ( San Diego & Inglewood) & 1 in Louisville, KY. Due to COVID this required redirection of our plan and for the past couple of years we have utilized other avenues to reach our audience. Such as creating our healing workbook titled “ Let’s Heal: A Workbook Designed for Black Womxn With Various Modalities”. This healing workbook uses several different themes such as movement, music, ect to allow our reader space to explore a plethora of ways to explore their own healing at their own pace. This book is currently being sold on Amazon and also being sold at Urbana Goods Storefront in Gardena, CA. We are most proud of the growth of our personal sisterhood. We are both super motivated, work efficiently, and get things done! Getting to know each other through Motherhood, loss of closed loved ones, and overall new chapters and transitions have allowed us to support each other on another level and we have become sisters. Some advice to young women on this journey would be to utilize your support system and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Go to networking events, do your own research, take breaks as needed, and keep positive energy around you.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The Pandemic is a testament to how much we love and care about our work with the podcast. It illustrates our resilience because a huge portion of our podcast was having in person events. In addition to hosting our own events, we had been invited to several different conferences around the country and we were super excited to share Black Women Healing Circles in person. We literally had events lined up for the entire year of 2020. While it felt defeating initially, we used this opportunity to create other ways to connect to our audience. Over the past two years we have held a few virtual Black Women Healing Circles, created a healing workbook, and sold out of our limited “Healing on the Daily” glass mugs. We have done all of this while continuing to release new episodes of our podcasts weekly with new and exciting guests. We have pushed ourselves to bounce back which speaks to our resilience.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Succeeding in this field of podcasting takes a lot of consistency and patience. Podcasts hosted by your everyday people typically don’t grow overnight and so you need some things to keep you motivated for the long haul. That being said, being co-hosts have taken away some of the difficulties that would probably be even more challenging if doing them alone. Some of the struggles were figuring out how to even get a podcast started. Knowing the basics of starting a podcast is key. We did a lot of research, read articles, went to workshops, and created a detailed plan for our podcast. Regardless if you are starting a podcast alone or with a partner you really should take the time to do your research to learn the best way to get started rather than jumping and doing it is what will help podcasts to thrive long term.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: bwh_pod
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Blackwomxnhealingpod/

Image Credits
Jeff Henderson https://www.instagram.com/shotbykarra/