BUILD OUR OWN ROOMS: A SPACE WHERE BLACK WOMEN ARCHITECT THEIR LIVES. TOGETHER.

Why does everything look right on the outside but feel so off on the inside? You checked all the boxes, the degrees, the job, the title, maybe even the business, yet underneath you are exhausted and your time is not your own.In this episode of Build Our Own Rooms, Tiana Symmonds gets real about what it means to feel like a tenant in your own life and how easy it is to mistake external success for true ownership.She shares her personal story of retiring at 46 and facing the uncomfortable truth. Even with all the achievements, something still felt off. That moment became the wake-up call to stop focusing on curb appeal and start rebuilding from within.Tiana introduces a powerful metaphor of building a skyscraper. Many of us are trying to create something lasting, legacy, impact, freedom, but we are doing it on a foundation that is completely depleted. No energy. No capacity. No sustainability. And eventually, that kind of structure cannot hold.Through the idea of a Strategic PAUSE, Tiana explains why stepping back is not falling behind. It is necessary. It is how you restore your energy, reset your internal wiring, and reconnect with who you are beyond titles and expectations.She also shares practical ways to start, including journaling to clear mental clutter and identifying the internal saboteurs that keep you stuck in stress mode. Let’s dive in.In This Episode[00:27] Retiring at 46: curb appeal vs. real cost[01:27] Renting space in your own life[02:47] Ancestors' work wasn't for this tiredness[03:00] Skyscraper legacy vs. building on fumes[05:53] Internal operating system glitch (not your plan)[06:43] Her 2024 layoff [08:04] Vertical Acceleration Plan[08:47] Client story: Danielle flipping from saboteurs to Sage, owning the deed[09:58] Journaling prompts Notable Quotes[02:48] “My ancestors worked too hard so that I can be successful. They didn't work so that I can be this tired.”[05:40] “Most of this, 80 to 90% of this, is a glitch in your internal operating system. We do it to ourselves.”[07:10] “I spent months curing the concrete. I had to fix my own internal wiring.”[09:21] " By owning the deed to her time, she owns the deed to her energy.”[10:06] “Your legacy isn't about how much you can suffer... Your legacy is about the structure you build to last.”Resources and LinksStop paying for career success with your health. Download the "Turn Your Job Into a Client" Blueprint here: https://jobtoclient.com/Podcast⁠Build Our Own Rooms⁠Tiana SymmondsWebsite - ⁠https://www.asktiana.online/⁠LinkedIn - ⁠linkedin.com/in/tosymmonds⁠The Architect’s Drafting Table - ⁠https://thearchitectsdraftingtable.substack.com⁠MentionedStop paying for career success with your health. Download the "Turn Your Job Into a Client" Blueprint here: https://jobtoclient.com/©2025 AskTiana Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of AskTiana Solutions, LLC.©2023 Positive Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of Positive Intelligence, LLC.POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE®, PQ®, CERTIFIED PQ COACH™, PQ COACH™, and P+ logo™ are trademarks of Positive Intelligence, LLC.DISCLAIMERS: The coach identified herein is an independent member of the PQ Coach program, and not an employee, agent, or representative of Positive Intelligence, LLC. The coaching program offered herein is independently owned and operated by the coach and is not affiliated with or endorsed or sponsored by Positive Intelligence, LLC. PROGRAM CONTENT AND MATERIAL DO NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF ANY MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.

Do you ever feel like you’re paying rent in a life that doesn’t even feel like yours? You’re showing up. You’re doing the work. From the outside, everything might look polished and put together. But inside, you’re exhausted, stretched thin, and constantly trying to keep up. In this episode of Build Our Own Rooms, Tiana Symmonds opens up about what it really takes to move from just surviving to actually thriving. And it’s not about pushing harder. It’s about changing how you’re wired and reclaiming your time.Tiana introduces a simple but powerful image, your brain as a seesaw. On one side is the demolition crew, those loud, survival-driven thoughts that tell you you’re behind, not enough, or always in crisis. On the other side is Sage, the grounded, wise part of you that knows how to respond with clarity. For many of us, that seesaw is stuck on survival. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.Through tools like POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE® and small daily “PQ® reps,” Tiana shows how to quiet the noise and reset your nervous system. She also shares the idea of the Strategic PAUSE, creating space through intentional rest so you can stop reacting and start choosing.Tune in to this episode to learn how to step out of survival mode, reclaim your time, and start feeling at home in your own life again.In This Episode[00:00] Introduction[00:27] Recognizing stress and misalignment[01:20] Introducing the seesaw metaphor[03:44] Survival vs. thrive mode[05:03] Fixing the wiring: positive intelligence[06:09] Recognizing saboteurs and taking action[07:15] Brain push-ups and PQ reps[08:36] Practical mindfulness techniques[09:52] Choosing your move from a sage place[09:52] Taking the deed back: strategic pause[11:10] Admin day: intentional time management[12:20] Sanctuary day: strategic nothingness[13:42] Adapting strategic pause for your life[13:42] Invitation to connect and assessment offer[15:02] Closing Notable Quotes[01:10] “You're like a tenant in your own life. “STOP paying rent in stress to a job that doesn't even align with your soul.”[02:31] “Imagine that your brain is like a seesaw... On one side you have the demolition crew... On the other side you have Sage.”[06:05] “The second you feel the 'oh my gosh, I'm not getting this done'... that's the demolition crew acting up. In PQ, they're called saboteurs.”[12:23] “Sanctuary Day is the day for strategic nothingness. No phone. No goals. No hustle.”Resources and LinksPodcastBuild Our Own RoomsTiana SymmondsWebsite - https://www.asktiana.online/LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/tosymmondsMentionedSign up to take the Saboteur Assessment. https://tinyurl.com/SaboteurAssessmentLink Stop paying rent in a life that doesn’t even feel like yours. Download the "Turn Your Job Into a Client".  Blueprint here: https://jobtoclient.com/©2025 AskTiana Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of AskTiana Solutions, LLC.©2023 Positive Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of Positive Intelligence, LLC.POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE®, PQ®, CERTIFIED PQ COACH™, PQ COACH™, and P+ logo™ are trademarks of Positive Intelligence, LLC.DISCLAIMERS: The coach identified herein is an independent member of the PQ Coach program, and not an employee, agent, or representative of Positive Intelligence, LLC. The coaching program offered herein is independently owned and operated by the coach and is not affiliated with or endorsed or sponsored by Positive Intelligence, LLC. PROGRAM CONTENT AND MATERIAL DO NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF ANY MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.

Do you know you can be the most prepared person in the room, hit every KPI, and still feel like you’re just along for the ride? This is the quiet crisis of the high-achiever, executing flawlessly on a path you never consciously chose.In this episode of Build Our Own Rooms, Tiana Symmonds invites Black women, especially her Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latina sisters, to confront what it really means to be a passenger in your own life. Through the powerful story of a client named Jordan, Tiana reveals how brilliant executors often have their true genius, the ability to convene, create equity, and read a room, reduced to invisible labor. The company benefits from the results, but never truly sees the person behind them.This isn’t about working smarter or optimizing harder. It’s about a fundamental power shift, moving from steward of broken systems to architect of transformation. Tiana breaks down the “old blueprint” that keeps you answering questions based on who you used to be, and introduces the idea of the keystone decision, the pivotal choice that places you at the center of your own arch.If you’re tired of waiting for a tap on the shoulder that never comes, this episode hands you the blueprint to take the keys yourself.In This Episode[00:00] Welcome and introduction[00:22] Stop being a passenger in your own life[01:08] The high achiever’s internal conflict[02:26] Jordan’s story feeling unseen[03:52] Jordan’s breakthrough and keystone decision[05:00] How to claim architectural sovereignty[05:00] Step 1 order the invisible labor[06:16] Step 2 upgrade the hardware[06:16] Step 3 architect your role[06:16] You are the author not a passenger[07:29] Closing and community invitationNotable Quotes[01:44] “You can be a high performer and still be completely powerless.”[02:26] “You are answering questions based on who you used to be, not who you are becoming.”[03:30] “She was trying to install a legacy on hardware that was only programmed to execute, not to architect.”[03:42] “Nobody taps you on the shoulder. You have to tap yourself. That part.”[06:16] “You can’t drive a new role… with a glitching internal cognitive operating system.”[06:43] “Stop trying to squeeze into a job description that was never meant for you. It was meant for somebody else.”[07:22] “Your ancestors did not navigate the unknown so you can settle for a map someone else drew.”Resources and LinksPodcastBuild Our Own Rooms Tiana SymmondsWebsite - https://www.asktiana.online/LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/tosymmondsThe Architect’s Drafting Table - https://thearchitectsdraftingtable.substack.com/ MentionedStop paying for career success with your health. Download the "Turn Your Job Into a Client" Blueprint here: https://jobtoclient.com/ ©2025 AskTiana Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of AskTiana Solutions, LLC.©2023 Positive Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of Positive Intelligence, LLC.POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE®, PQ®, CERTIFIED PQ COACH™, PQ COACH™, and P+ logo™ are trademarks of Positive Intelligence, LLC.DISCLAIMERS: The coach identified herein is an independent member of the PQ Coach program, and not an employee, agent, or representative of Positive Intelligence, LLC. The coaching program offered herein is independently owned and operated by the coach and is not affiliated with or endorsed or sponsored by Positive Intelligence, LLC. PROGRAM CONTENT AND MATERIAL DO NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF ANY MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.

RECORDED IN 2025Did you know that in 2025, more than 350,000 Black professionals were forced out of the workforce? That number is not abstract. It shows up late at night on LinkedIn, in open to work banners, and in the quiet panic of applying to everything that moves. In this episode of Build Our Own Rooms, Tiana Symmonds pulls up a chair at the drafting table to name what is really happening for so many high-achieving Black women navigating layoffs, instability, and professional grief. When everything feels urgent, it is easy to look for a savior. A recruiter. A headhunter. Someone to make the chaos disappear. But what you are really searching for is not rescue. It is clarity. Tiana shares the story of Patricia, a strategic leader who stayed up late trying to learn Python, R, and SQL to prove she was technical enough. Tiana calls it plainly. This is not a strategy. It is self-erasure. It is selling an Aston Martin at Nissan Sentra prices.This episode is a call to stop waiting to be picked and start designing. Architects do not beg for permission. They design their value first, then choose the rooms that can hold it. The kettle is on. The blueprint is ready. Let’s get to work.In This Episode[00:00] Welcome and introduction[00:28] Stop looking for a savior[01:13] The reality of job loss and desperation[02:40] Diagnosing the "spray and pray" job search[04:08] Patricia’s story: panic to clarity[05:23] Patricia’s success and the power of clarity[08:00] Key takeaways: be the architect[09:31] Wins audit and community invitation[10:14] Closing and call for questionsNotable Quotes[04:44] “You are a strategic leader, trying to audition for a technical role. Why? You are trying to sell an Aston Martin for the price of a Nissan Sentra.”[08:11] “Stop waiting to be chosen. The passenger waits. The architect designs.”[08:28] “Architects design their value first, then find the rooms that need it.”[08:52] “Patricia thought her value was in coding or her value was in leadership.”[08:52] “Audit your wins... You are selling yourself short because you are measuring the wrong thing.”[09:15] “Your ancestors didn’t work this hard for you to beg for a seat at a table.”Resources and LinksPodcastBuild Our Own RoomsTiana SymmondsWebsite - https://www.asktiana.online/LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/tosymmondsThe Architect’s Drafting Table - https://thearchitectsdraftingtable.substack.com/ MentionedThe Wins Audit worksheet: https://tinyurl.com/TheWinsAudit Stop paying for career success with your health. Download the "Turn Your Job Into a Client" Blueprint here: https://jobtoclient.com/ ©2025 AskTiana Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of AskTiana Solutions, LLC.©2023 Positive Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of Positive Intelligence, LLC.POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE®, PQ®, CERTIFIED PQ COACH™, PQ COACH™, and P+ logo™ are trademarks of Positive Intelligence, LLC.DISCLAIMERS: The coach identified herein is an independent member of the PQ Coach program, and not an employee, agent, or representative of Positive Intelligence, LLC. The coaching program offered herein is independently owned and operated by the coach and is not affiliated with or endorsed or sponsored by Positive Intelligence, LLC. PROGRAM CONTENT AND MATERIAL DO NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF ANY MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.PROGRAM CONTENT AND MATERIAL DO NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF ANY MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.

You built the business. You secured the bag. You became the LinkedIn success story everyone admires. So why do you feel like you’re living in a beautifully designed cage? What if the very freedom you fought for has led to a new kind of confinement, one of loneliness, exhaustion, and lost joy?In this episode of Build Our Own Rooms, host Tiana Symmonds invites you into Architecting a Solopreneurs Annual Blueprint, a deeply personal conversation for high-achieving Black women who left corporate life to build something of their own, only to discover a new kind of isolation waiting on the other side.Through the avatar of Maya, Tiana unpacks the quiet crisis many solopreneurs face. On the outside, Maya is a landmark. Her business is profitable. Her LinkedIn wins shine. But behind the curated success is bone deep loneliness, creative exhaustion and a business that quietly cannibalizes her joy. What was meant to be freedom has become a more beautiful cage.This is not an episode about hustling harder or fixing your systems in isolation. It is about homecoming. About recognizing that you cannot build a sustainable legacy if you are still serving as the primary fuel source for a structure that no longer works.Tiana offers a powerful architectural reframing, guiding listeners to identify what must be demolished, what needs to be audited, and why no empire can be built alone. She challenges you to stop rebuilding the corporate cage with a new logo and instead design a business that can hold both the blueprint and the soul.If you have secured the bag but lost the feeling, this episode is your mirror and your invitation. The kettle is on. It is time to build something that finally feels like home.In This Episode[00:00] Welcome and introduction[00:21] Introducing Maya: the avatar[01:14] Maya’s emotional struggles and loss[02:46] Maya’s resilience and the episode’s focus[04:10] Practical steps for homecoming[08:04] Solopreneur’s annual reset diagnostic[09:20] Closing and community invitationNotable Quotes[01:26] “Your business is making money, but the joy is gone.”[03:48] “If you can architect peace with your past, you can architect a business that actually serves your life.”[05:51] “Is your revenue actually supporting your soul, or is it cannibalizing it?”[07:08] “You spent your life building sanctuaries for everybody else. It’s time to build a home for your own soul.”Resources and LinksPodcastBuild Our Own RoomsTiana SymmondsWebsite - https://www.asktiana.online/LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/tosymmondsThe Architect’s Drafting Table - https://thearchitectsdraftingtable.substack.com/ MentionedThe Solopreneur’s Annual Reset | https://tinyurl.com/SolopreneursAnnualReset Stop paying for career success with your health. Download the "Turn Your Job Into a Client" Blueprint here: https://jobtoclient.com/©2025 AskTiana Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of AskTiana Solutions, LLC.©2023 Positive Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of Positive Intelligence, LLC.POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE®, PQ®, CERTIFIED PQ COACH™, PQ COACH™, and P+ logo™ are trademarks of Positive Intelligence, LLC.DISCLAIMERS: The coach identified herein is an independent member of the PQ Coach program, and not an employee, agent, or representative of Positive Intelligence, LLC. The coaching program offered herein is independently owned and operated by the coach and is not affiliated with or endorsed or sponsored by Positive Intelligence, LLC. PROGRAM CONTENT AND MATERIAL DO NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF ANY MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.

We were raised to "chase the bag," to secure financial safety at all costs. But what happens when that success feels like an invisible cage? In this episode of Build Our Own Rooms, Tiana Symmonds pulls up to the drafting table with a hard truth many Black women know deep down but rarely say out loud. You can have a bank account that’s overflowing and still have a soul that feels completely empty. Both can be true at the same time. We were raised to chase the bag, secure the bag, protect the bag, because for many of us, survival was never optionalTiana names what’s really happening when success starts to feel heavy. We are confusing liquidity with legacy. Liquidity is the salary, the title, the safety net, the curb appeal. Legacy is the joy, the breath, the feeling that your genius is being used for more than just labor. And when we mix those up, we end up sitting on thrones that feel like invisible cages.She breaks down the two traps so many of us fall into. All blueprint and no soul, where the money is good but the spirit is exhausted. Or all soul and no blueprint, where the passion is there but the bills are always loud. Tiana makes it clear, a real legacy needs both. You don’t get to choose. You build both, or the whole thing collapses.This episode is a call to stop building lives that look good from the outside but feel heavy on the inside, and start building something that actually holds you up.In This Episode[00:00] Welcome to Build Our Own Rooms[01:26] Chasing the bag as inherited survival strategy[02:48] Liquidity vs. legacy and why the math isn’t mathing[04:11] Trap one: all blueprint, no soul and the golden handcuffs[05:40] Trap two: all soul, no blueprint and the starving CEO[06:39] Why legacy requires both structure and spirit[07:10] Refusing careers that pay well but kill your spirit[08:39] Respecting your value and releasing scarcity thinking[09:50] Introducing the Legacy and Liquidity Scorecard[10:30] Community invitation and closing reflectionNotable Quotes[02:10] “We are confusing liquidity with legacy.”[05:40] “You can eat passion fruit, but you can’t eat passion.”[06:44] “I will not build a career that pays me well but kills my spirit.”[07:01] “I will not build a passion project that doesn't respect my value and my need for financial safety.”[10:00] “Ancestors worked so you could be successful. They did not work so you could be tired.”Resources and LinksPodcastBuild Our Own RoomsTiana SymmondsWebsite - https://www.asktiana.online/LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/tosymmondsThe Architect’s Drafting Table - https://thearchitectsdraftingtable.substack.com/ MentionedLegacy & Liquidity Scorecard | https://tinyurl.com/LiquidityLegacy Stop paying for career success with your health. Download the "Turn Your Job Into a Client" Blueprint here: https://jobtoclient.com/©2025 AskTiana Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of AskTiana Solutions, LLC.©2023 Positive Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of Positive Intelligence, LLC.POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE®, PQ®, CERTIFIED PQ COACH™, PQ COACH™, and P+ logo™ are trademarks of Positive Intelligence, LLC.DISCLAIMERS: The coach identified herein is an independent member of the PQ Coach program, and not an employee, agent, or representative of Positive Intelligence, LLC. The coaching program offered herein is independently owned and operated by the coach and is not affiliated with or endorsed or sponsored by Positive Intelligence, LLC. PROGRAM CONTENT AND MATERIAL DO NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF ANY MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.

What if the very advice to “be authentic” at work is setting you up to fail? What if, without the right foundation, your vulnerability does not build trust but instead leaks anxiety or builds higher walls?In this episode of Build Our Own Rooms, host Tiana Symmonds tackles a provocative headline, “Authenticity is a playground for narcissists.” Instead of dismissing it, she leans in and uses it as a mirror to reveal an architectural flaw many high-achieving Black women face: trying to be authentic without a structural blueprint.This is not a conversation about being more or less vulnerable. It is about diagnosing why our current mode of operation, whether you are the indispensable Savior or the impenetrable Fortress, is creating a Capacity Crisis or profound loneliness. Tiana introduces two archetypes, Simone and Vivian, who embody the twin traps of chaotic exhaustion and isolated suffocation. You will see yourself in them.Using her foundational C.A.R.E. Framework, Tiana provides the missing architectural plans. She explains how to Connect before you Correct, Acknowledge the human while Accepting the data, Review the work with Respect for the person, and Educate to Elevate your team. The goal is to transform from survival-based leadership into an architectural approach that can hold both blueprint and soul.If you are tired of performing vulnerability or armoring your humanity, this episode is your diagnostic tool. It is time to stop leaking or walling off and start building a legacy you can actually live in.In This Episode[00:00] Welcome and introduction[00:22] Authenticity as a playground for narcissists?[01:26] Introducing Simone: the savior/strong friend[04:11] Introducing Vivian Lorraine: the survivor/first only[06:47] The hard truth: flawed architecture[08:17] Introducing the CARE framework[08:17] C: connect and correct[09:41] A: acknowledge and accept[10:55] R: review and respect[12:10] E: educate and elevate[13:34] Introducing the CARE leadership scorecardNotable Quotes[03:05] “She’s clean. She’s got that Empire State energy... But let’s be real. Simone is drowning.”[05:17] “There’s a cost to being the only and Vivian had to learn decades ago that feelings get you fired.”[11:30] “You have to respect them enough to tell them the truth about their performance. Period.”Resources and LinksPodcastBuild Our Own RoomsTiana SymmondsWebsiteLinkedInMentionedThe C.A.R.E Leadership Scorecard 🎁 The Free Gift: Stop paying for career success with your health. Download "Turn Your Job Into a Client" Blueprint HERE🎟️ The Live Event: I am talking on the week of March 23 at the #TOP100MostPowerfulBlackWomenSummit. I'll be giving away this blueprint during my keynote. Claim your free virtual ticket HERE🏗️ The Build Site: Join the waitlist for The Architect's Circle©2025 AskTiana Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of AskTiana Solutions, LLC.©2023 Positive Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of Positive Intelligence, LLC.POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE®, PQ®, CERTIFIED PQ COACH™, PQ COACH™, and P+ logo™ are trademarks of Positive Intelligence, LLC.DISCLAIMERS: The coach identified herein is an independent member of the PQ Coach program, and not an employee, agent, or representative of Positive Intelligence, LLC. The coaching program offered herein is independently owned and operated by the coach and is not affiliated with or endorsed or sponsored by Positive Intelligence, LLC. PROGRAM CONTENT AND MATERIAL DO NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF ANY MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.

Why do we still believe our worth comes from how hard we work? And who taught us that rest is something we must earn like a reward instead of something we inherently deserve? Those silent rules we inherited, work harder, hold everything together, never pause, have shaped entire generations. But what happens when those rules start breaking us?In this powerful episode of Build Our Own Rooms, Tiana Symmonds gets real about the unspoken burden so many Black women carry… the belief that nonstop labor equals value. She takes us back to the cultural fine print we inherited and how it quietly convinces us to overperform, overgive, and overlook our own needs. Through the stories of Simone, Maya, and Vivian Lorraine, three archetypes many of us know all too well, Tiana shows how brilliance can turn into burnout when our soul and strategy are out of sync.In her warm and grounded way, she walks us through the steps of breaking free: admitting we are overwhelmed, choosing what we truly want, putting on that inner hard hat, and fiercely protecting our peace. This episode is a mirror, a reminder, and an invitation to design a life where we can finally breathe.In This Episode[00:00] Introduction[00:56] The unspoken rule that ties worth to overworking[02:33] The Simone archetype: the exhausted caretaker[03:00] The Maya archetype: the entrepreneurial prison[03:51] The Vivian Lorraine archetype: the dutiful high achiever[05:04] The missing piece: soul and strategy[06:23] Step 1: Admit you’re trapped[07:33] Step 2: Design your own life[08:00] Step 3: Build mental fitness[08:39] Step 4: Protect your peace and achieve sovereignty[10:01] Call to action and closing reflectionsNotable Quotes[00:43] "We know how to make a dollar out of fifteen cents and build something out of nothing. That's our inheritance."[01:28] "From the outside, it looked like I was sitting on a throne. But from the inside it felt like a prison."[03:24] "She built her own room but ended up building a fancier prison."[04:18] "She is living a life that makes her ancestors proud, but she is miserable inside."[04:54] “We are excellent builders... but we've been building with only half the instructions.”[06:25] "Stop lying to yourself. You heard me. Stop lying to yourself. You have to admit you are trapped."[08:37] "Protect your peace. This is the goal where your outside life matches your inside truth. That is what I call sovereignty."[09:57] “Stop negotiating with the ghost of your past.”Resources and LinksPodcastBuild Our Own RoomsTiana SymmondsWebsite - https://www.asktiana.online/LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/tosymmondsMentionedLeave Tiana a Voice Message©2025 AskTiana Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of AskTiana Solutions, LLC.©2023 Positive Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of Positive Intelligence, LLC.POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE®, PQ®, CERTIFIED PQ COACH™, PQ COACH™, and P+ logo™ are trademarks of Positive Intelligence, LLC.DISCLAIMERS: The coach identified herein is an independent member of the PQ Coach program, and not an employee, agent, or representative of Positive Intelligence, LLC. The coaching program offered herein is independently owned and operated by the coach and is not affiliated with or endorsed or sponsored by Positive Intelligence, LLC. PROGRAM CONTENT AND MATERIAL DO NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF ANY MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.

We inherited many things. Wisdom. Resilience. Survival. But we also inherited something else... the belief that rest must be earned and exhaustion is proof of value. In this episode of Build Our Own Rooms, Tiana Symmonds invites high-achieving Black women to sit all the way down and confront the Inheritance of No Rest.This is not a conversation about taking better vacations or booking another spa day. Tiana makes the distinction clear... a break is not the same as a Strategic PAUSE. Vacations help you escape the system for a moment. A Strategic PAUSE is how you redesign it. When you return from rest to the same burning building, nothing has changed.Using her signature architectural metaphors, Tiana walks through why so many women are trying to install a next-level legacy on an outdated Internal Cognitive Operating System and why it keeps glitching. You cannot build a skyscraper on a cracked foundation. Hard work alone is not the upgrade. Clarity is.Tiana introduces three essential phases for sustainable leadership and legacy… Restore, Rebuild, and Renew. From auditing your energy, to writing an un-resume, to creating an architect’s no list, this episode is a must listen for anyone who feels successful on paper but depleted in real life. The kettle is on. The PAUSE is the work. And it’s time to upgrade.In This Episode[00:00] Welcome and introduction[00:22] Challenging the inheritance of no rest[02:42] Why a vacation is not enough[04:17] Restore, rebuild, renew framework[05:38] Restore: auditing your energy[07:06] Rebuild: writing your “and resume”[08:35] Renew: clearing the land with a no list[09:53] Choosing your first domino[10:16] Rest is the work[10:59] Closing and community invitationNotable Quotes[01:36] “My ancestors worked so I could be successful. They did not work so I could be tired.”[02:33] “You don’t need a vacation. What you need is a Strategic PAUSE.”[03:50] “You’ve been trying to install a 2026 legacy on a 1998 internal cognitive operating system.”[04:18] “You cannot build a skyscraper on a foundation riddled with saboteurs.”[07:11] “Who are you when you aren’t performing? Who are you without the title?”[08:24] “No is a complete sentence.”[10:20] “You do not have to earn your rest. Rest is the work.”[10:351] “Your legacy isn’t built on how fast you run. It’s built on how well you stand.”Resources and LinksPodcastBuild Our Own RoomsTiana SymmondsWebsite - https://www.asktiana.online/LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/tosymmonds©2025 AskTiana Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of AskTiana Solutions, LLC.©2023 Positive Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of Positive Intelligence, LLC.POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE®, PQ®, CERTIFIED PQ COACH™, PQ COACH™, and P+ logo™ are trademarks of Positive Intelligence, LLC.DISCLAIMERS: The coach identified herein is an independent member of the PQ Coach program, and not an employee, agent, or representative of Positive Intelligence, LLC. The coaching program offered herein is independently owned and operated by the coach and is not affiliated with or endorsed or sponsored by Positive Intelligence, LLC. PROGRAM CONTENT AND MATERIAL DO NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF ANY MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.

You know her. The woman who answers the 9 p.m. call. The one who says yes before checking her own energy. The fixer, the holder-together, the one everyone relies on for the job, the family, the community. From the outside, she looks like a hero. But on the inside, she feels like a hostage, collapsing under the weight of a fortress she built herself.In this episode,Tiana Symmonds sits at the drafting table to unpack the “capacity crisis” so many high-achieving Black women are silently enduring. She introduces us to Simone, a leader carrying a structure so heavy she’s convinced everything will fall apart the moment she pauses. Tiana reframes this constant overfunctioning for what it truly is… not strength but a trauma response. Through the story of a client who feared she was having a heart attack on a business trip, she exposes the painful truth. You can be indispensable to everyone and invisible to yourself.This episode is a necessary intervention. Tiana makes one thing clear. You cannot be ‘the firefighter’ and ‘the architect’ at the same time. One rushes into burning buildings. The other designs a life that doesn't catch fire. It’s time to put down the hose and pick up the blueprint.Tiana offers a simple path forward, a personal sustainability audit to identify what’s draining you and a “No” list that protects your well-being by design. This is a call to stop being the water source for everyone else and start building a life that sustains you.In This Episode[00:00] Welcome to the drafting table and grounding breaths[00:29] Recognizing old patterns of overworking and self-erasure[01:33] The fixer identity and the illusion of heroism[03:06] Over-functioning as a trauma response and Chi’s story[04:41] Firefighter vs. architect and choosing who you want to be[05:42] The Personal Sustainability Audit and the Architect’s No List[07:46] Community invitation and closing reflectionNotable Quotes[02:02] "From the outside, you look like a hero. (2:06) But let's be real. (2:07) From the inside, you feel like a hostage."[03:49] "She was indispensable to them, but she was invisible to herself."[04:34] "You cannot be the firefighter and the architect at the same time. An architect doesn't run into burning buildings; an architect designs buildings that don't catch on fire."[06:21] "The world will always have fires. But you, you do not have to be the water source for everyone else's thirst."Resources and LinksPodcastBuild Our Own RoomsTiana SymmondsWebsite - https://www.asktiana.online/LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/tosymmonds and https://www.linkedin.com/company/asktianaMentionedThe Personal Sustainability Audit https://tinyurl.com/PersonalSustainability The Architect's No List https://tinyurl.com/TheArchitectsNoList Leave Tiana a Voice Message©2025 AskTiana Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of AskTiana Solutions, LLC.©2023 Positive Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of Positive Intelligence, LLC.POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE®, PQ®, CERTIFIED PQ COACH™, PQ COACH™, and P+ logo™ are trademarks of Positive Intelligence, LLC.DISCLAIMERS: The coach identified herein is an independent member of the PQ Coach program, and not an employee, agent, or representative of Positive Intelligence, LLC. The coaching program offered herein is independently owned and operated by the coach and is not affiliated with or endorsed or sponsored by Positive Intelligence, LLC. PROGRAM CONTENT AND MATERIAL DO NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF ANY MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.

In this episode of Build Our Own Rooms, Tiana Symmonds unpacks the “legacy of labor” many Black women are taught to carry like it’s a birthright. She reflects on childhood mornings that started with chores instead of cartoons, weekends structured around responsibility, and the unspoken rule that rest wasn’t earned, it was suspicious. Work wasn’t a choice, it was the baseline and that conditioning followed her straight into adulthood.That same drive helped her thrive in high-pressure corporate spaces where she built systems, solved problems, and kept everything moving, until her body finally called a meeting her mind couldn’t skip. When she stopped, the stress didn’t disappear, it showed up physically, forcing her to confront what hustle had been masking. Tiana shares what it took to break the cycle: learning to pause on purpose, questioning who her life was really built for, and redefining worth beyond productivity. This episode is your reminder: you’ve already proven you can work. You don’t owe anyone your exhaustion. Rest. Rebuild. Renew. That’s not quitting, that’s choosing something that lasts.In This Episode[00:00] Welcome to Build Our Own Rooms [01:12] The inheritance of busyness and 38 years of labor[02:37] Faith, service, and learning to never say no[03:59] Corporate success, control, and fear of chaos[04:45] When the body collapses after the grind stops[05:23] Why resting while able-bodied is labeled as sin[05:55] Restore: intentional rest without guilt[06:39] Rebuild: questioning who your life was built for[07:10] Renew: finding yourself before hustle culture[07:52] W-2 Freedom Season Scorecard and readiness[08:53] Permission to sit down and let things wait[09:22] Community invitation and closing reflectionNotable Quotes[00:49] “Nobody ever talked to us about how to rest from the time we were little girls, the only words we understood were work, work, work and school, school, school.”[05:23] “Resting when you’re able-bodied is called laziness. That’s the lie we inherited.”[06:06] “If you are tired, lie down. The world is not gonna end.”[06:16] “You have to look at your life and ask, did I build this house for me, or did I build it to make my mama happy?.”[07:21] “You don't have to prove anything to anyone, not the job, not the family, not the ghost of our ancestors, and definitely not even to yourself.”Resources and LinksPodcastBuild Our Own RoomsTiana SymmondsWebsite - https://www.asktiana.online/LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/tosymmondsMentionedW2 Freedom Season ScorecardLeave Tiana a Voice Message©2025 AskTiana Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of AskTiana Solutions, LLC.©2023 Positive Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of Positive Intelligence, LLC.POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE®, PQ®, CERTIFIED PQ COACH™, PQ COACH™, and P+ logo™ are trademarks of Positive Intelligence, LLC.DISCLAIMERS: The coach identified herein is an independent member of the PQ Coach program, and not an employee, agent, or representative of Positive Intelligence, LLC. The coaching program offered herein is independently owned and operated by the coach and is not affiliated with or endorsed or sponsored by Positive Intelligence, LLC. PROGRAM CONTENT AND MATERIAL DO NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF ANY MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.

Why is it that Black women, some with PhD degrees, are still pushed out of rooms they are more than qualified to be inside? Why is your Afro still seen as a risk instead of what it truly is, a statement of power, creativity, and strategy? So how long do we keep knocking on doors that were never designed to fully open for us? Maybe it is time to build our own rooms.In this debut episode of Build Our Own Rooms, Tiana Symmonds pulls up a chair and gets real about what it truly feels like to move through corporate spaces as a Black woman. She takes you back to her early career days, flipping through old photos and laughing through the truth of how much she once tried to shrink just to fit in. From pressed hair to pressed identities, she names what so many of us were taught about professionalism and the quiet cost that came with it.Tiana breaks down the real numbers behind promotions, unemployment, and why Black women are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs yet still the most underfunded. Then she gets practical. She introduces the Funding Blueprint, a curated list of grants and funding opportunities created specifically for Black women entrepreneurs. She also shares the W-2 Freedom Season Scorecard, a simple diagnostic tool to help you know if you are truly ready to move from career to ownership.This episode is a reality check, and a bold invitation to stop waiting on rooms and start building your own. In This Episode[00:00:00] Welcome to Build Our Own Rooms and the drafting table[00:00:31] Corporate memory, hair politics, and code switching[00:01:26] The broken promise of degrees and “professionalism”[00:01:45] The 2024 McKenzie Report[00:02:30] The afro as resistance and proof of brilliance[00:02:45] Building our own homes instead of waiting for access[00:04:09] The rise of Black women entrepreneurs and the funding crisis[00:05:46] The revenue gap and why self funding is unsustainable[00:06:30] The Funding Blueprint[00:06:55] W-2 Freedom Season Scorecard[00:07:43] The community invitation and closing reflectionNotable Quotes[01:13] “We pressed our souls flat, just like we pressed our hair. Trying to fit into rooms that were never built for us.”[01:26] “I thought if I had the degrees,  the work ethic, and the perfect hair,  a seat at the table would be waiting for me.”[02:30] “In that corporate office,  they look at my Afro like it was defiance. But tell me the truth. For us, that Afro is a statement of existence.”[02:51] “When the landlord kicks us out, we build our own homes.”[06:30] “I created the funding blueprint. Stop using your grocery money to fund your dream.”Resources and LinksPodcastBuild Our Own RoomsTiana SymmondsWebsite - https://www.asktiana.online/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tosymmondsMentionedFunding Blueprint W-2 Freedom Season Scorecard©2025 AskTiana Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of AskTiana Solutions, LLC.©2023 Positive Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of Positive Intelligence, LLC.POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE®, PQ®, CERTIFIED PQ COACH™, PQ COACH™, and P+ logo™ are trademarks of Positive Intelligence, LLC.DISCLAIMERS: The coach identified herein is an independent member of the PQ Coach program, and not an employee, agent, or representative of Positive Intelligence, LLC. The coaching program offered herein is independently owned and operated by the coach and is not affiliated with or endorsed or sponsored by Positive Intelligence, LLC. PROGRAM CONTENT AND MATERIAL DO NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF ANY MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.

You’ve followed the rules, built the career, but the promise feels broken. Build Our Own Rooms is the podcast for Black women leaders, especially Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latina sisters, ready to stop being tenants in systems they didn’t design and start building their own. Hosted by Tiana Symmonds, former Amazon leader, this show blends the "Blueprint" (data-driven strategies) and "Soul" (real stories) to help you build your career, business, and legacy with an unshakeable foundation. The kettle is on, let’s get to work!