Further Forward

In this episode of Further Forward, Ashley sits down with Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha for a conversation that moves between ambition, motherhood, leadership, Black maternal health, racism in healthcare, joy, faith, and what it means to bet on yourself.Dr. Amutah-Onukagha shares how she built the life she once envisioned, why discomfort is part of growth, and how Black women and birthing people can reclaim joy while still demanding better care, better systems, and better outcomes.This is a conversation about preparation, power, advocacy, and remembering that everything you need is already within you.About Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha: Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha is the Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine.Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is the Founder and Director of the Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice (CBMHRJ), and of the Maternal Outcomes of Translational Health Equity Research (MOTHER) Lab. In addition, she is the founder of the largest conference on Black maternal health in the United States, held annually in April. In its 9th year, the conference has recently attracted participants fromover 46 states and 10 countries. An active scholar, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha’s research investigates maternal health disparities, infant mortality, reproductive justice, and women's health, as experienced by Black women. She also serves as the inaugural Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for theuniversity’s Public Health and Professional Degree Programs. A well-published author, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha’s research has been presented in nearly 100manuscripts, 8 book chapters, a best-selling book on Amazon, and a textbook on culturally responsive evaluation. Her research has also been featured across a series of platforms, including, The Lancet, TedX, Boston Globe, Washington Post, USA Today, MSNBC, and most recently in the New York Times. Shealso serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Women’s Health Issues. Dr. Amutah-Onukagha recently served as the Principal Investigator of two multi-year studies on maternal mortality and morbidity funded by NIH and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She is an active co-investigator on several other research studies with collaborators across the country.Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha is a nationally recognized public health scholar and leader whose work centers on advancing equity in maternal and child health. She has received numerous honors for her contributions to maternal health, including the Heroes Among Us Award from the Boston Celtics (2025),the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the March of Dimes (2023), and the Academic Excellence in Maternal Health Award from IRTH App (2023). In 2022, she was awarded the John MacQueen Lecture Award by the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, and in 2020 she was named one of the Top 40 Under 40 Minority Leaders in Healthcare by the National Minority Quality Forum.In November 2025, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha began her term as Chair-Elect of the Maternal and Child Health Section of the American Public Health Association, reflecting her national leadership in the field. She also recently held a federal appointment on the Advisory Council on Infant and Maternal Mortality. In 2024, she was appointed to serve as the Inaugural Health Equity Think Tank Director for Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc, an international organization with over 125,000 members. In 2026 she was inducted into the National Academies of Practice as a Distinguished Fellow of Public Health. Globally, she serves as a Health Equity Advisor for Salzburg Global, an independent non-profit organization headquartered in Austria.A deeply community-engaged leader, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is a founding member of Birth Equity Justice Massachusetts and serves on the boards of the Neighborhood Birth Center in Boston, Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project, and the Ariah Foundation. She is also the President and Founder of Amaka Consulting and Evaluation Services, LLC, a minority- and women-owned public healthresearch and evaluation firm dedicated to advancing equity and evidence-based practice.Dr. Amutah-Onukagha received her Master of Public Health from The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services before completing her Ph.D. in Public Health from the University of Maryland. She also completed the Kellogg Health Scholars postdoctoral fellowship with anemphasis on community-based participatory research and health disparities.Stay connected to the work! https://stateline.org/2026/04/03/its-a-safe-space-mobile-midwifery-clinics-meet-patients-where-they-are/https://www.blackenterprise.com/more-black-fathers-active-roles-birth-process/https://apnews.com/article/maternal-mortality-black-fathers-racism-1c6e39018a907eac6daf241acb8a3c41https://www.theflowspace.com/physical-health/prevention-longevity/ndidiamaka-amutah-onukagha-equity-black-maternal-health-3022690/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/09/12/metro/doula-access-massachusetts-birth-boston/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/nyregion/doulas-childbirth-medicaid.htmlhttps://www.fiercehealthcare.com/special-reports/fierce-healthcares-2025-most-influential-minority-executiveshttps://www.forbes.com/sites/evaepker/2025/04/30/to-improve-black-maternal-health-look-to-an-untapped-resource-fathers/https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/04/11/safety-bundles-may-reduce-pregnancy-related-deaths-particularly-among-black-womenhttps://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/mother-lab-tufts-university-maternal-health-care/Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell. 📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/ 🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr  🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.

We're conditioned to believe that every problem can be solved by doing more.More effort.More discipline.More productivity.More hustle.But what if that's exactly what's keeping us stuck?In this first episode of Season 2, Ashley explores the difference between slowing down and stopping, why hustle culture can disconnect us from ourselves, and how a surprising health challenge taught her that observation creates options.If you've been feeling overwhelmed, stuck, burned out, or unsure of your next move, this conversation is for you.Topics include: Slowing down without giving up  Burnout and hustle culture  Learning to trust yourself  Blood sugar, health, and behavior change  Sustainable wellness habits  Personal growth and self-awareness  Why observation creates optionsDon't forget to follow the podcast and share this episode!Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell. 📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/ 🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr  🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.

Season One of Further Forward is officially complete. ✨This little mini episode is part reflection, part thank you, and part look ahead at what’s coming next.Over the last year, this podcast has become so much more than I expected. What started as a space for honest conversations has evolved into something deeper — conversations about growth, identity, courage, grief, ambition, healing, belonging, becoming, and what it actually means to build a meaningful life.Season Two is going deeper.Thank you for listening, sharing, reviewing, messaging me, and growing alongside me in real time. Every download, every conversation, every kind word has mattered more than you know.Listen now wherever you get your podcasts — and let me know:What conversations resonated most this season?What do you want more of in Season Two?Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell. 📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/ 🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr  🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.

This week on Further Forward, Ashley sits down with Rachel Lee, founder of Ice Bath Boston, for a conversation about anxiety, burnout, nervous system regulation, recovery, high performance, grief, and what it actually means to feel safe in your own body again.Together, they explore: why so many women are operating in chronic overload  the connection between breath, stress, and emotional patterns  how nervous system regulation differs from “just relaxing”  why recovery doesn’t have to mean doing less  the role of cold exposure and breathwork in healing  inherited patterns, trauma responses, and rewiring behavior  micro-moments of recovery that actually fit into real life  the difference between coping and true regulation Rachel also shares the deeply personal story that led her to this work after years of anxiety, medication, and grief — and why she believes nervous system regulation is a skill anyone can learn.This conversation is science-backed, honest, thoughtful, and deeply human.Connect with Rachel: https://icebathboston.com/https://www.instagram.com/icebathboston/About Rachel: Rachel is the founder of Ice Bath Boston & Breath, where she helps professionals and parents break free from anxiety, breathlessness, and pain by rewiring the nervous system through breathwork, ice baths, and interoceptive awareness. She finds where stress hides in the body and delivers actionable tools to make the body tell the mind it's safe. A published academic breathing specialist with 5+ certifications from leading programs around the world, Rachel is deeply committed to the science of helping people feel safe in their bodies and live with greater calm, focus, and confidence. She believes nervous system regulation is a foundational life skill that everyone deserves to learn.Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell. 📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/ 🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr  🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.

This week on Further Forward, Ashley sits down with mental health speaker and somatic coach Ivy Watts for an honest conversation about anxiety, perfectionism, nervous system healing, motherhood, generational patterns, and what it actually means to do “the work.”Together, they explore: the hidden cost of constantly pushing through  how trauma and conditioning live in the body  why healing isn’t about becoming perfect  the difference between reacting and responding  the pressure Black women often carry to stay strong  how movement can help regulate the nervous system  why avoiding discomfort creates its own kind of suffering Ivy shares her journey from struggling silently as a top-performing athlete to becoming a mental health speaker and creator of Squat & Reset, a somatic fitness experience designed to help people build capacity for stress without losing themselves in it. This conversation is a reminder that healing isn’t linear, self-care doesn’t have to be elaborate, and no one is coming to save us — but we can learn to hold ourselves differently through hard things.Connect with Ivy: https://www.ivywattsspeaks.com/https://www.squatandreset.com/https://www.instagram.com/ivywattsspeaks/About Ivy: Ivy Watts, Somatic Fitness Coach & Mental Health Speaker, looked like she had it all together, but behind the scenes, she was silently struggling with anxiety and crippling self-doubt. Through grief, single motherhood, and a series of major life transitions, Ivy lost herself until utilizing somatic practices to rebuild self-love, access deep joy, and live with authenticity and aliveness.Now, as a Mental Health Speaker, Author and Somatic Coach, Ivy empowers others to prioritize self-care and rise into their best selves. Through her keynotes, workshops, somatic fitness classes and self-help book, You Are Worth Fighting For, she has impacted over 200,000 individuals, from students to corporate professionals, equipping them with the tools to manage stress, cultivate self-love, and thrive.Ivy provides a unique approach to fitness - combining nervous system regulation and strength training to help people release stress that is keeping them stuck and step into joy, alignment and self-love. Her work centers unapologetic joy, and her approach is playful yet grounding, designed for those who are done pushing through and ready to live with more presence, clarity, and authenticity.Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell. 📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/ 🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr  🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.

The health advice nobody wants to hear…Ashley sits down with Nicole Pichette, founder of Live Well Collaborative, to unpack what actually moves the needle when it comes to health— and why so many of us avoid it.From the frustration of traditional medicine to the rise of “quick fixes,” they explore the gap between what we know and what we actually do. Nicole shares her journey from primary care to integrative medicine, and breaks down the six foundational pillars of health that most people overlook: fueling your body, movement, sleep, stress, substances, and community.But this conversation goes deeper than habits.If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by wellness, stuck between doing “everything right” and still not feeling right, or unsure where to start, this episode will meet you there.Visit Nicole's WebsiteFollow Nicole on Instagram About Nicole: Nicole Pichette is a board‑certified primary care nurse practitioner since 2013 who now focuses on integrative and holistic lifestyle medicine. Her approach weaves the best of conventional science with targeted habit shifts, so you get practical, evidence‑based guidance that honors your physical, mental, emotional, and energetic health. Through her personalized, comprehensive programs at Live Well Collaborative, she helps motivated adults cut through conflicting health advice, streamline treatments, and build sustainable routines that improve chronic concerns, calm the mind, and boost energy using integrative and lifestyle approaches. Nicole's focus is on the core foundations of health (nutrition, movement, sleep, stress/nervous system, and energetics) to reduce symptoms and prevent chronic disease, as well as support hormones, a resilient metabolism, and sustainable energy for the long term. Additionally, she is a Menopause Society Certified Provider, Diplomat of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Yoga Alliance RYT‑200 teacher and Usui Level II Reiki practitioner. Nicole is the clinician for someone who wants one trusted person managing their whole health picture: hormones, metabolism, fatigue, gut health, nervous system, lifestyle, energy work, and beyond. Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell. 📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/ 🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr  🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.