Conversations with Tai

A quiet, introspective sauna session sparked a clear look at loyalty, reciprocity, and how values turn into daily choices. We map practical ways to define, test, and live values like loyalty, joy, courage, and family.If you happen to think through it and want to share some of your values, I would be happy to talk with you about them, share them with me, share how they show up in your lifeLet's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

What if the people who love you are already holding a mirror to your potential—and you’ve been too busy shrinking to look? Today we sit with Mr. James Siler, a recovery pro whose life and work illuminate a simple, piercing truth: you can’t fit a 6’3 life into a 5’9 space. With raw truths and practical wisdom, we unpack how we learn to compress ourselves for acceptance, and how recovery—whether from addiction, fear, or people pleasing—is the steady practice of standing upright in who we are.We talk about belonging as a human need but it doesn’t require self-abandonment.  If you’ve been editing your tastes, your voice, or your dreams to fit into small rooms, this one invites you to bring your full height, your full brightness, and your whole self back into every space you enter.If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a review to help others find it. What’s one place you’ll stop shrinking this week?Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

Progress rarely looks like a steady climb, and Erin’s story proves it with a quiet honesty that a lot of women recognize but rarely say out loud. Mostly Erin focused on cardio as her trusted way of staying active—jogs, hikes, bike rides, long walks —until back pain kept pushing her to the couch and frustration kept pushing her into a loop of “eat a little less, walk a little more.” The missing piece wasn’t to keep doing the same thing, it was to bravely try something new. Erin walked into class thinking she would find a rigid, militant, and rough instructor, but found our strength training class to offer a gently challenge. She has built core stability to protect her back, muscle that can lift more than groceries, and the confidence to move without fear. These changes didn’t come wrapped in perfection or a quick fix. It came with practice, with small shifts, and with a coach who said "just try and see". In that space, perfection softened into patience, and patience turned into progress you can feel.Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

Have you ever considered that your deepest fear might not be of failure, but of success? Join me as I share how I've been grappling with the unpredictability of life as a fitness coach, business owner, and woman of many roles, and the responsibilities that come with potential success. I open up about my own struggle with the fear of success and how it's held me back from being ALL-IN on the business I want to build and the people I want to support.  If you've ever felt like you're teetering on the edge of something great but find yourself hesitating to take the next step, this episode promises to resonate with you. Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

Holidays and seasonal changes can be tough, as our resources and energy are often stretched thin, but could this be the BEST time to set health goals? This episode equips you with the strategy of achieving wellness amidst the chaos. Learn the power of setting short-term, flexible goals and the importance of self-awareness and patience. I'll share how to squeeze wellness activities into your schedule, effectively using even the smallest pockets of time to your advantage. Plus, learn the art of reassessing and re-strategizing your plans should you meet any hurdles along the way.This episode will guide you in crafting a plan to navigate these demanding times and ensure that you're taking the best care of yourself and your loved ones. I'll share my personal experience and insights, and together we'll break down your wellness goals into smaller, manageable pieces. As always please remember, you're not in this alone, and I'm here to support you in your wellness journey.Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

Peace, joy, happiness, and fulfillment aren't just feelings - they're practices. Here's a confession: I recently had a heart-to-heart discussion with my daughter that sparked a revelation about the importance of cultivating these emotions intentionally, not just waiting for them to come around. As we navigate through life's ups and downs, it's vital to have an anchor, practices that we can resort to in moments of stress and overwhelm.If you're feeling swamped with stress & anxiety, you're not alone! I've been there too and I revisit those feelings often. I've learned that the secret to getting out from under the weight of those feelings is that peace doesn't just happen - we have to create it intentionally, daily. In this episode I share some everyday techniques that continue to help me cultivate peace, joy, and fulfillment in my life. From taking quiet walks to journaling to appreciating the small things throughout the day, you'll discover countless ways to cultivate these powerful emotions for yourself. So, join me on this transformative journey of intentionally practicing peace and finding joy in your everyday life. Trust me, this could be the game-changer you've been looking for!Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

Name change. Cover change. Welcome to Season 2 of the podcast formerly known as The BUILDHer Show. After a year of convincing myself that I couldn't just START AGAIN, I finally decided I really could. So, this first episode is just a quick word of encouragement about beginning... or beginning again. I not only changed the name to align with my social media handle but also because I can't BUILD a podcast without YOU and we are truly doing this together, so this just makes sense! Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

Life can be so heavy that we spend a lot of time keeping up and staying above water. What if we made time to ensure that our actions truly (a word I say way too much in this episode) align with who we want to be in the days we are gifted with? Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

Dr.  B is joining me again, this time to talk about worthiness and why it feels like we are constantly hustling for it. If you are constantly people-pleasing, seeking outside validation, devaluing yourself, or overwhelmed because you refuse to ask for help, take a listen to today's episode and let's keep the convo going on awakening to the worthiness we were born with! Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

Today on the show we have a special guest, Dr. Karen Bagley, to discuss the idea of making space for your emotions and feelings.Dr. B is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of VA and also has a background in public health. For 15 years she worked across varied settings before founding  Momentum Psychology and Performance in 2020. Dr. B's mission is to support individual clients via therapy and sport/performance consultation as well as programming and facilitating community-based conversations related to mental and emotional well-being. As a competitive runner in her teens, Dr. B. struggled with some of the same faulty thinking she now helps her clients overcome. She loves being able to connect with people in meaningful ways and her identity as a queer Black woman makes it especially important to help create a space that is warm, welcoming, and affirming for historically underserved and marginalized communities. Dr. B had provided the following online resources:https://providers.therapyforblackgirls.comhttps://www.blackfemaletherapists.comhttps://nqttcn.com/en/https://latinxtherapy.comhttps://drkbeautyhealing.orghttps://therapyforblackmen.orghttps://www.psychologytoday.com Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

Join  me for a conversation with Jade Simmons, a Classical Pianist and motivational storyteller. We discuss purpose, the challenges moms face when trying to live a life built upon the purpose that lives within them, and why it's necessary to share your purpose with the world. Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

If you've been a mom for longer than a a day, chances are you have felt or are constantly feeling some version of mom-guilt. We love our children so much, want to provide the best for them, but we have 80 million other things pulling on us and so often no matter how much we do it just feels like it's not enough. Well, we deserve better. We deserve better than to guilt ourselves into believing that we aren't doing a great job, that we aren't cut out for the business of being a mom, and that everyone else is doing it better. On this episode, let's talk about some ways to get out of the guilt loop.Here are a few journal questions that have helped me along the way:1. Awareness: What am I feeling guilty about? Does what I'm doing or what I've done hurt someone or go against my values? If so, what triggered me?2. Expectations: Are the expectations I hold for myself reasonable for this season of my life?3. Communication: Do the people who truly matter feel the same way about the situation I'm feeling guilty about? (Don't assume, discuss.)4. Self-talk: What self-talk have I noticed that makes me feel worse? What self-talk can I practice that would be helpful?5: How does judging myself so harshly hurt me and the relationships I have with people who matter? Give yourself a break, mama. You're doing a good job!      Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

Time is one of the greatest obstacles we face when working towards our goals. The reality is, there isn't enough of it for EVERYTHING, but there is certainly enough for the things that matter most. Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

Happy New Year! Happy 2022!If you're anything like a lot of people (and myself), you want to be excited about setting some goals for the year, but you feel stuck. Sometimes we get stuck in the process of creating new goals because we didn't quite achieve the old ones we set. In this episode, let's discuss 5 habits that will increase your joy and fulfillment this year. These five habits are a good framework for developing goals and resolutions for the year and beyond.So, if you feel behind, that's ok. Greatness takes time and you're building something great!! Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

In this short episode on the last day of 2021, let's wrap up our convo on burnout and discuss why it truly matters... our kids.When we are honest with ourselves and begin to address our own burnout and the healing we need to do to fight back against it, we can end the cycle of burnout for future generations.Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

Burnout is a real concern that can have devastating effects on every aspect of our lives. For so long, when you hear "burnout" you think of it in terms of work, but what about the burnout we can experience right at home? On this episode, our guest, Zani Tolentino discusses with us how burnout can effect every one,  at work or at home, and women are most susceptible to it. Zani is a Certified Holistic Life Strategies Coach and recovered, life long "over-worker". After suffering the effects of burnout as a new and working mom, she studied natural was to overcome stress. Zani now helps overworked women holistically go from "burnout to zen"!Join us for a conversation between two working moms who have both experienced burnout, constantly work to overcome it, and help you do the same. Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

Today, as we head into the last few weeks of 2021, I want to discuss the  phenomenon of burnout in motherhood. Everyone is susceptible to it, no matter if you work outside of the home, work from home, or if your full-time work is home. Exhaustion and burnout are at an all-time high over the past 2 years and we should all know that we are not alone in our fight against it. In this Episode we'll talk about what burn out looks and feels like, and next week we'll collect some tools for overcoming and preventing it. Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

In this first installation of the 5-minute Sat Chat, let's discuss comparison of the present-day version of ourselves with some past version.You can never go back to the person you were before but you can use everything you learned as that version of yourself to  build the best version of yourself moving forward.Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

In Episode 1, I tell you about myself, how I use fitness as a catalyst for transformation in any area of life, and give you an idea of what to expect from The BUILDHer Show.  Let's connect on IG @buildwithtai Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai

Just a quick intro to give an idea of what to expect from and get you exited about The BUILDHer Show. This podcast has been locked in my mind for so long, behind the walls of doubt and fears. Together we will break down the framework that keeps us stuck, write a new plan, and build a life that feels really good. Let's connect on IG @conversationswithtai @buildwithtai