07 Burnout in Black Women | Sis, Sit Yo Ass Down with Burnout Coach Keonna Knight

Exploring Burnout in Black Women with Keonna Knight

Today, we're discussing Burnout in Black Women! If you’ve been pushing through workplace burnout, ignoring your body’s signals, or believing that rest is something you have to “earn,” this episode is going to heal your soul! As Black women, we carry generational stories of overwork, perfectionism, and being “the strong one.” But what if the most revolutionary thing we could do for ourselves is to sit our ass down? In this powerful conversation with burnout coach and former teacher turned CEO, Keonna Knight, we explore the truth about rest, resilience, and why Black women deserve lives rooted in ease, joy, and abundance.

In this episode, we discuss...

✨ The top 4 burnout signs to look out for

✨ How generational trauma and identity shape our relationship with rest

✨ Why saying your sacred no can be a radical act of self-love

✨ The connection between self-worth, rest, and ease in our careers and businesses

✨ How play, joy, and community are essential tools for healing burnout

✨ Why rest is not just personal, it’s strategic, cultural, and transformational

🍵 About Keonna Knight, Courage & Burnout Coach

Keonna Knight, M.Ed., is a courage coach and burnout expert with 6+ years of experience creating unique wellness events for Black Women. This former East Oakland educator turned CEO has created transformative experiences for over 1,500 Black women and visionary leaders to stop over-functioning and start living lives rooted in rest and wellness. Her credentials: a trained therapist, yoga + mindfulness instructor, and successful business owner who gets 9 hours of sleep each night, anchors every offering in God, and loves sharing belly laughs and Thai food with people who feel like home.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healwithkeonna

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@healwithkeonna

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keonnaknight/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@healwithkeonna  

✨ Explore More: The Come Home Rest Retreat

Keonna is hosting Come Home: A Rest Retreat for Black Women in Richmond, VA (October 10–13, 2025). It’s a transformational Christ-centered experience designed to help you reset and reclaim your rest. 💌 Learn more and secure your spot: https://goodbyeburnout.org/restretreat

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As a member, you’ll get:

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Start free or upgrade for deeper access and walk boldly into your Black Woman Bliss Era.

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Transcripts

 Mercedes Swan (00:38)
Hello loves, this is Mercedy Swan, the Career Love Coach and host of the Career Love Podcast. This podcast is my love letter to the 9.8 million Black women in the workplace and a safe space for Black women who want to change the world by building a career, business, and lifestyle they love.

Today we're talking about rest and I think it's the irony is not lost on me that I did not have a good night of sleep. So hopefully this conversation is going to be the rest that I need in the reflection and just reinvigorating because Keonna Knight is amazing and I just love what she is doing for Black women in her work. ⁓ I guess got connected or found out about her work on LinkedIn and it is just so exciting.

And the episode is called, Girl, Sit Your Ass Down, Sit Your Ass Down, because ⁓ we've been doing too much, okay? So we're talking about Black women, guilt, generational trauma and stories that, and even in the workplace, that really impact our relationship with rest, which I know I have so many stories that I could tell, but this podcast isn't just about me. And we're also gonna talk about things like the burnout cycle, like what...

prioritizing wellness really is beyond just surface level things and how this can be really transformational and you know it's not gonna be anything that I do without strategy being included. So with that being said, I'm really excited to introduce Keonna. So she has a master's in education, she is a courage coach and burnout expert and she has over six years of experience creating these amazing wellness spaces for Black women and like.

Like what she's doing is just amazing. Cause I was like, okay, I have to go to the next one. Okay. ⁓ and so from her background and experience, is a former East Oakland educator turned CEO. And she has created these transformative experiences for over 1500 Black women, which is amazing. ⁓ and visionary leaders and her goal is to help.

Black women stop over-functioning and really start to live lives rooted in wellness and rest. ⁓ I know there's so much else that she does and that she talks about. She's a total vibe, okay? I'm sure you can tell already, okay? So I'm gonna give her the opportunity to share more about her story and her passions and her purpose and things like that. But I have been making a practice to start off with a hot take. And the hot take for today is what is the wildest thing?

that you've ever done to make sure that you got your nine hours of sleep. And I love that you are very specific about the nine hours. So go for it.

Keonna (03:05)
I

It's interesting because rest is such a part of my life that like nothing is a high take at this point for me personally. I think one of the things that I have done when I realized, I'm like, ooh, I have not been getting a lot of sleep in the ways, like again, nine plus hours is always like, that's what my body needs, so that's what I'm gonna get. I just canceled all of my meetings for one week.

Mercedes Swan (03:12)
I'd love to see it.

Keonna (03:34)
⁓ I canceled everything. I sent them a message and I was like, hey, I am so excited to connect with you and I need to rest. And they were all like, girl, yes. Like if anything people responded like you're reminding me that I have agency and that even though there are other things that I've said is important that I have to do, what I really have to do is take care of this vessel.

and honor my needs. Now I am a CEO, so I have more agency to be able to make those decisions. I've also done that when I was a teacher. I was like, we're going to have a self-care day-to-day students, which meant I didn't lesson plan. So we're going to do whatever we feel led to do while I relaxed and while you relax. So yeah, think honor my sacred no. I'm saying no. I'm not meeting with you today because I'm going to be laying or sitting my ass down.

Mercedes Swan (04:23)
We're good.

We're good. I love that. I remember when I was in high school, we called it mental health days where we were just like, and my mom was just, she loved that for me. She was like, okay. And you know, I was absolutely one of those like ambitious, you know, in the magnet program kids. And you know, so that, that, that part of like trying to get that rest in there was there at an early age for me. So I love that. And I'm also in a space where I'm like, you know what?

I am the energy is a little off. Like, let me go ahead and clear that calendar. I just, I shut the whole calendar down. So I feeel you with that. So, ⁓ for you ladies listening, you know, that might be your hot take. Okay. I know it might be scary, but clear that calendar off.

Keonna (05:05)
And

if it's scary, it's good. If it's scary, it's good because when we're talking about rest in a world where grind culture is what is in our faces, is what we've learned, is what we've been conditioned to believe is how we achieve success, if it's not scary, it's probably, you're probably not being that bold.

Mercedes Swan (05:09)
Mmm.

Keonna (05:27)
Or you just gotten used to it and maybe you're already at point. Like now, cancelling everything is not as scary because I've done it so much. And so it's like, if you feel that like, I almost want to pee my pants, you're doing it, This is good. This is that bold thing that's going to help you to really reclaim your rest

Mercedes Swan (05:34)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Yes, you might just be acting on your values, you know what saying? let's dive a little bit into you and your journey to getting here because yes, the first time you start to do those things that prioritize you and your wellness and your rest, it does feel a little bit scary. So tell us a little bit more about your journey and your specifically with the rest and maybe what shifted and changed over the years and maybe your first connection with really realizing that you were.

Keonna (05:46)
Okay. ⁓

and

Mercedes Swan (06:12)
burnt out in that journey. Yeah.

Keonna (06:14)
Yeah, so I went to school to be a teacher.

And I believed that I would be a teacher for the rest of my life. And I got into the classroom and I was doing all of the things. I'm like, I'm the servant leader. I'm going to be the counselor. I'm going to be the parent. I'm going to be the nurse. I'm going to be the, like, I'm going to be all of the things. I'm going to make sure all the lessons are gamified. I'm going to do after school tutoring. had no life. I was exhausted. I was tired. I was calling my mom all the time like, girl, I'm so, like, this is so not what I thought it was going to be in literally three months into teaching.

Mercedes Swan (06:41)
you

Keonna (06:49)
teaching, this career that I was supposed to do for the rest of my life, I was burnt out. I'm like, I thought I was going be this revolutionary change agent in this system, and I feel beat down by it. And so I felt like I literally had a choice. I can keep doing this, or I can do it another way. And I was like, I'm rather going to quit, or I'm going to sit my ass down. Like, I'm going to really, this idea of like,

And I don't even think self-care was something that I was thinking about. But in my mind, it was like, I need to be of service. And being of service means putting yourself last. It was just this thing. It was like the two connected. And so I'm like, I've done that. That didn't work. It's time for me to try something else. I was like, I'm going to be selfish. I'm going put myself first. Let's see what happens. OK? And girl, when I tell you, I'm

Mercedes Swan (07:23)
you

Keonna (07:44)
like okay I'm giving y'all 80 % or less every day. I'm gonna find my thing. At that point it was yoga. I decided to get my whole yoga teacher certification. I'm like I'm gonna get I'm have something that's for me. I built community and so was like

Mercedes Swan (07:48)
you

Keonna (08:01)
I can't be answering y'all phone calls after night. I got things to do. I set very strong boundaries. So I'm like, parents, you cannot be texting me at any point. Students, after school tutoring will be on these days after that. Like I need you to really be engaged during the day, because baby, when I got a clock, I got a clock out. And I thought that doing all those things before would lead me to a place where everything just crumbled and fell apart.

But actually the opposite happened. Like not only was I more well, but my students were like, Ms. Knight, something about you is just different. Like I had a different level, like an energy alightness. We were doing yoga on Fridays. I was more creative with my lessons, like less behavioral problems. Like when I tell you at the end of that year, the principal was like, will you be Dean of Students? Like she was like, promote me. I was giving less.

Mercedes Swan (08:42)
you

Period.

Keonna (08:55)
And my principal said, I want to promote you. want to, whatever you're doing, I want you to share this with other people. And so that's when I realized like, okay, I want to share this with other teachers. I started doing workshops around like self care and like, how do we really like break free from burnout? I didn't use the words burnout, but I knew that feeling of deep exhaustion on a soul level. And I just kept sharing that with people and they're like, girl, nobody taught us this. Like this is juicy.

Mercedes Swan (09:22)
Nobody taught us this.

Keonna (09:25)
Like

they knew we were going to go into this experience that would be challenging for us, but they didn't teach us how do I sustain myself and my work. And so here I am like, hey, this is everything I learned. Here are the strategies, here are the tools. I'm a teacher, so I'm making it relevant to them. I'm not just creating a lecture about well-being. I'm like, this is what it looks like. This is how you can do it. Real life scenarios like.

And I was like, my gosh, this is what I've been called to do. I'm still called to teach, but it's around this space of rest, this space of like, burnout is too often normalized in our culture. And we are uprooting and we're curing and we're healing people before it happens so that we can live in a world where when people are burnt out, it goes, ⁓ my goodness.

We really need to make sure we take care of this person. Oh yeah, you too? Yeah, girl, me too. Like, mm. Like, shifting culture. There are so many other stories, but that was my first burnout experience that made me say I'm never doing this again. What they taught me was a lie. I need to find out what the truth is. And now that I know what the truth is, I'm about to share with every single person I'm start with Black woman. I'm gonna start with Black woman.

Mercedes Swan (10:37)
Period.

There was so much of that story that was so deeply moving, but also kind of heartbreaking because I think so many, particularly Black women, we choose careers and paths because we want to change the world, right? We've been a product of not seeing the world work out for us. And so we go into these paths, whether that's teaching or being a therapist or a coach or all of these things, nonprofit work and government.

Keonna (11:01)
Mm.

Thank you.

Mercedes Swan (11:06)
These things that we want to change the world and some of that is absolutely a product of what we've learned and what's expected of us. But sometimes we are doing it to ourselves and then we can't do the work that's transformational and whatever the space is, right? As a teacher, I love that you kind of went through that journey to like recognize that there were pieces in that that you had, you know, autonomy over like the ability to shift and change. And I think that so many of us don't.

think that we do, just kind of like, okay, well, guess if I'm going to pursue my passion, I guess this is just what it is. ⁓ And so I hope that that is really heard and understood because I think that would allow more of us to operate in our gifts and our passion every day. So.

Keonna (11:52)
Yeah and can I say something related to that because there was an experience that I had that really shifted that for me that like fear around

Mercedes Swan (11:54)
I'm gonna pee.

Bye.

Keonna (12:01)
But I can't, can't, if I leave this job and this might happen or just the fear, I lost my grandmother. My grandmother, me and her, were like, I saw my grandma more than I saw my friends. Like, ace, boom, coo. Like, that was my girl, okay? Not just my grandma, that was my girl. Like, losing her, I really felt like when she was gone, her spirit was like, do not do what I did.

Mercedes Swan (12:15)
That's your girl.

Keonna (12:29)
Because I noticed that once she, after she passed, it was like, now she gets to rest. Now she gets to heal. Now she, I don't want my healing and my rest in the afterlife. I want it now. I'm claiming it now. I'm claiming it now. And I felt like she was almost telling me in my spirit. It was like,

I want you to heal. I want you to live. Capital letters live. And so as I showed up in the world, I went into jobs, like you said, nonprofit. I was a manager at a nonprofit. I went into that role. They paid me well. We had Fridays off. All the things that were supposed to be good. And I still felt in my spirit, it's a no.

And so having to say thank you, I got a good job, but this is not the living that I am called to. This is not the calling that is on my heart and my spirit. So I have to release this to make room for what is mine. So that experience really helped me to realize like, I'm not playing with y'all. Like, don't, your systems, the ways that you trained me to try to show up in the world.

to find worth in my work. Baby, I'm already worthy.

I'm about to do what I am called to do. ⁓ I'm going to accept that there may be challenges and I know I'd rather be challenged in my purpose than be challenged in a space that is toxic or a space that isn't, it's not mine. It's not my space. So I had to name that because I think for some people, maybe they haven't had an experience that has shaken their road up yet. And I pray that they never have to experience that, that they just hear someone else's testimony and go, you're right. I'm not waiting until a health scare.

Mercedes Swan (13:55)
Yes.

and

Keonna (14:14)
I'm not waiting until I end up in the hospital. I'm not waiting for losing someone. I'm not waiting for tragedy to say I matter. My rest matters. My healing matters. I'm gonna live now. Starting today, you've been waiting for a sign. Today is your, today's the first day. Happy birthday. Happy birthday. Okay, let's celebrate because you're about to walk into a new season. ⁓

Mercedes Swan (14:31)
So great.

Keonna (14:37)
And I'm grateful that I felt that because it created a faith, is why I'm a courage coach teaching Black women. It's just not around the burnout piece, but you having the boldness to walk in your calling consistently to show up big, as big as you are in the world. My grandmother gave me that.

Mercedes Swan (14:58)
Mmm, I love... my God, was holding it together over here, because there are all different things that you said I could respond to, but I want to really honor and thank you for sharing so much about your journey with your grandmother. And I think that our generational experiences ⁓ are connected to that and how we show up today. And also that we do because of their work and their story, we get to show up differently. We get to learn, even if we don't see it.

Keonna (15:00)
Mm-hmm.

and

Mercedes Swan (15:27)
that way in the moment. So I just thank you for sharing that. It my heart like this and beautiful. So I wanna ask this next question, cause I do think this is connected because some of us as Black women, we do feel that guilt, right? About resting, right? There's so much to do or I have to show up this way or have to be this way or I can't do what I wanna do. And so I think at least for me and you could totally have a different experience too. I know we all have different experiences with rest and.

Keonna (15:29)
Yeah.

Mercedes Swan (15:55)
and if that is guilt or something else. But for me, that ⁓ inability to rest was really tied up in some of the childhood stories that I would have, right? Of, okay, this is what we're doing and you gotta get this done and you have to show up a certain way in our household or when we go to church or in school. And just all of these stories wrapped up in really just not being able to take a breather that I continue to push on with. And so,

I would love to hear from your perspective of having worked with so many Black women, is this a common thing and what creates this in us? What are the stories or how do we get where we are where we are full grown adults and have the inability to rest?

Keonna (16:39)
Yeah, there is a very strong correlation between self-worth and rest. And we have been brought up in a world and communities and families that taught us the more you give, the more you smile, the more you help, the more you achieve, that makes you a good girl. That makes you good. And then it becomes a part of our identity.

I'm the helper. I'm the therapist in the friend group. I'm the one everyone can count on. I'm the person that drives people to their appointments. I am the sister that people can rely on. I am dot dot dot. And so this isn't just habit and practice. This is identity. I'm the glue in the family. I'm the one. I'm the strong person. I'm the one people come to when they need to crown their shoulder.

And so I don't think it's not ironic or coincidence that often when I share in the past, I was a perfectionist over achieving people pleaser, people were like, yeah, me too. Cause it's like, I think we should acknowledge that if there are a lot of people having a very similar identity, it's not because it's actually who they are. It's because it's something that they all were taught. So we were all taught the same thing.

Mercedes Swan (17:49)
That good?

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Keonna (18:05)
If

you want to achieve here, you need to look like this, act like this, show up like this, don't do this, don't do that. Work 10 times as hard, give 110%, as if you can give more than 100%. We all, many of us, not everybody, some people may have been protected from that. Many of us have received that message in and said, this is who I am. And so it's way harder to break a habit when you've made it a part of your identity.

I am the perfectionist. I am the overachiever. I am the, I am the, I am the... And so at the root of it is that our self-worth is so ingrained with this sense of identity that's rooted in work, effort, hard labor, giving, service.

Mercedes Swan (18:57)
I think some ways this is connected to this topic that I had just seen like bubbling up online. I mean, it's probably been maybe a year ago actually, but it was this idea of like, why do so many of us as Black women identify as empaths? And it can't be that all of us are empaths. And it just really resonated from that because I think that's part of it of like,

Keonna (19:11)
Hmm.

Mercedes Swan (19:19)
we just, you know, if it was punitive, like you have to show up and be perfect. You have to go to churches and you have to clean whatever, do whatever, be, you know, whatever the standards of, you know, the family, in my case, the matriarchs, like girl, you better get out. But, you know, it was connected to that of like this feeling that we always have to kind of be ahead and figure that out. And I think...

we had to monitor so much around us that I think we do take that into the workplace and our businesses and how that impacts us because we are hyper aware of everything and it's not serving us in our rest. And so I was just making that mental connection while you were talking, but I think it's so true. It can't be all of us that have these identities. If it is, then why is that? ⁓

Keonna (20:10)
And even why and the power and the beauty is that it does not have to be that way. The beauty is that we actually have power to reclaim our identity. And I feel like so much of my work, but also my existence. My desire.

Mercedes Swan (20:18)
Mm-hmm.

Keonna (20:29)
is to walk in the world so opposite of what they said we need to be that like how is it how can you be wealthy and still sleep so much?

Like how can you show up with such a bonus in these white spaces? I do not co-switch. How can you show up as authentic as you are in these people's faces and they're still rooting for you? That doesn't feel right. It doesn't. The power.

Mercedes Swan (20:42)
you

Yeah.

Keonna (21:03)
of having your identity from me and Christ. My identity does not come from the world. My identity comes from Christ. My identity comes from knowing I am fearfully and wonderfully made. So what y'all told me was a lie. And so now I'm rooted in truth. And so also giving hope to that person who feel like, but I've been this for so long. There are people in my community who are 60 plus who are like, I put down the strong Black woman schema.

As long as you are breathing, there is time for you to let it go and pick up something new. And my heart is so big for a Black woman who say, fuck it.

I'm done. I'm done. I'm not doing that anymore. I'm picking up something new that's actually rooted in who I am. I'm going to play. So I have a bold community right now. We're in play. And even though we're just talking about like tapping into the inner child and our higher self and like, you know, values aligned, ⁓ just play joy, like.

learning how to cook, I'm learning how to swim right now. Like doing all these things is actually us regathering and remembering ourselves before we received all this conditioning and discovering who we actually are. And to me, that's the real gift is when it's like, I'm actually not that, like I'm not a people pleaser. If anything, I probably should care more. And that's okay.

Mercedes Swan (22:35)
Far from

Keonna (22:36)
identity that is not a

Mercedes Swan (22:37)
it.

Keonna (22:37)
part of my identity. have a big heart but this ⁓ that is no no I believe in your capacity to take care of yourself there is there is a higher power protecting you I can I can show up for you I can be present with you but I am not your god I will not be I release and so we all have the power to also shift pivot.

transform, evolve, remember and that's what's exciting. It's not just well guess it's gonna be who I am. No! Now you know and now it's time to get back rooted into the truth.

Mercedes Swan (23:19)
Beautiful. Thank you. I think we go on and on because of me over here making all my little connections. ⁓ But it was, I think that connection with play that we don't get to explore. When I pivoted from my last job, and now I'm full-time entrepreneur, right? But when I pivoted from my last job to the I...

Keonna (23:27)
Thanks.

Get it, boo.

Mercedes Swan (23:47)
I had gone through this discovery of having an ADHD diagnosis and I did not want to mask anymore. I didn't realize that I was masking. My whole thing is like trying to be as authentic as I can, you know, changing systems, right? And that doesn't always work out in human resources, but that's fine. But I went to DEI and I love that you talked about like this concept of play because sometimes we talk about like the rest and we make it really serious. Like, I gotta be in my meditative state and I got...

You know what saying? I'm sure you know. And so, ⁓ like one of the things for me was like to play and like I have, she's kind of covered right now, but I got my little stuffed animal Oswald over there. I got my little nerdy pins over there. I got my little switch games that I play in my time off that is my source of rest.

Keonna (24:27)
I hope.

Mercedes Swan (24:34)
I have all my little knickknacks over there and little gifts and just things that spark joy. It's a cute little cup from my fiance. Just all sorts of cute stuff over there. I'll send you a picture, but I'll also put it in the podcast. But there were just all of these different ways that I was trying to reconnect and not be so serious. And I think that's such an important part of that. And I think...

Keonna (24:41)
No.

Mercedes Swan (24:54)
because like, you know, you do have those stereotypical pieces of what you think about ADHD. Like, oh my god, that person's like hyperactive and silly and like all over the place. And it's like, and that is okay if that's how I'm feeling today. If I'm feeling a little bit silly and I want my stuffed animals and I want my little toys and whatever, like I'm gonna do me and rock out with my obsession with owls. Everywhere. It's everywhere. There's a little picture over here. Anyway, so.

Keonna (25:01)
you

Let's see the out. Yeah. said, oh, OK. OK.

Mercedes Swan (25:22)
But like I love that because I say all of that to say I love that and it's been some of the work that I've been really thinking about like what does it look like to like prioritize you know people talk about like that that inner child but I think that sometimes it's like okay it might not be that just means that you like dessert like we don't have to infantilize like our desires to be at play and so yes all of the things 10 out of 10 and I love

Keonna (25:43)
Yeah.

Can we

also just take a moment to appreciate the word knickknack? Like, knickknacks? I love that so much because it's often like things that don't have a lot of value. It's like, that's a knickknack? I feel like play is literally like embracing the knickknacks. It's like seeing the joy in the knickknacks. need, so often we like...

Mercedes Swan (25:51)
Exactly.

Yes.

appreciate it.

Keonna (26:13)
We want to do all the things that seem important. But what I found is in playing with the knickknacks and doing all the things that seem not as important, that's when I get the genius idea. That's when I'm most relaxed and I feel most rested. That's when I feel this joy. It's like, this serves no purpose, quote unquote. This serves no purpose.

Mercedes Swan (26:24)
Jonathan!

Keonna (26:34)
Those are the things we need to do more of. Do the quote unquote purposeless things, the knick-knacky type things. Do it just because. More of that in this season, not like, and I'm gonna play and experience joy. Still from this intellectual, like, no, just go outside and grab a jump rope. It don't need to be for a reason.

Mercedes Swan (26:42)
period.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Keonna (26:58)
Just

do it. Like, just do it. It doesn't have to be this big thing or connect to some larger thing. Just do the knick-knacky type thing. So when you said the word knick-knack, I was like, I love these knick-knacks.

Mercedes Swan (27:11)
I

Wait till you see my little knickknack shows over there, okay? You're gonna be like, okay, girl. You know, I'm never gonna get to my other questions, so that's fine. But you were saying like, just go outside. I remember there were two times that I went like out in the rain. Because I live in the country out here, like in the middle of nowhere, literally two streets and some cows across the street. Like that's how country it is. And I love it. Yeah, I didn't think I would love it because I'm from Orlando. Like I was like, I love this. Okay. But there was one time I was in my like,

full burnout, like depressive state. I went outside and I sat in the rain and my fiance was so worried. And I was like, you should be worried. It's rough out here. Second time I did it though, I was like, ⁓ let's go have some fun. And that was, think maybe like three months ago or something. I was like, I'm gonna go outside and just like enjoy the rain. It was raining heavy. It rained for like an hour. And I was just running outside with the dogs and the puddles and my rain boots. And it was just like this glorious thing of like play. And like, we just gotta go do some weird stuff. Like it's okay.

Keonna (27:56)
Thank

You

Thank

Mercedes Swan (28:09)
You let the neighbor stare at you sis, like go outside and just have a good time. Yes, truly.

Keonna (28:12)
Well, probably Breaking Joy, actually. Truly. I love

that. May everyone listening, the next time it rains, and maybe, okay, maybe it's not when you just got the fresh silk press, but maybe you oughta know. But you know, you like, you know what?

Mercedes Swan (28:27)
Yeah, it was a throw. I'm not gonna hold y'all. I wouldn't go on out there with my so-

Keonna (28:36)
It's perspective, because you can look at rain and go, ⁓ I got to trudge through this or up, or you can look at it and like, look at this opportunity for play. That reframe has changed my life. Everything that I do.

Like I just told you before, this retreat is happening. I could go, oh my goodness, I have to market, I have to put together graphics, I have to create an Instagram account, I have to be active on social media. Or I could be like, ooh, I get to play. I get to invite sister friends to come home. What?

I get to frolic and joyfully rest as I create beautiful experiences that invite people in. It just feels like a warm hug. What a gift. It's like this shift in perspective. So I love that one of the moments was like you were experiencing this burnout, this depression, this overwhelm. And it's like a, and the other one is like a, you know, this surrender, this like, and the other one is like frolicing joyful puddles slash like yes.

Mercedes Swan (29:36)
Yes, there's levels

to that.

know you're a burnout coach, right? So I want to talk a little bit about the burnout cycle and like from your standpoint, like.

what's happening when you are experiencing burnout, what's the journey and the state that you're going through, and maybe even how is that connected with what you are doing with your retreat, yeah.

Keonna (31:03)
Yay. So I never really think of a cycle as much as I always say there are four signs and it spells out don't. So D, you feel disconnected from yourself, others and your purpose. That is a huge sign. You don't want to go out to brunch with your friends. The weekends you're like, I just need to sleep because I need to recuperate.

Mercedes Swan (31:11)
⁓

Keonna (31:28)
You don't want to even drive in the car without listening to music because you don't want to hear your own thoughts. Your why. You used to like work and now you just dread going in. That's D. Disconnected. O is overwhelmed. Someone could put something on your calendar and it's just one thing but I don't want to do this. Like you suddenly feel this like I ⁓ just really don't.

I'm so like, you feel overwhelmed by life, by work, by then your friend texts you or then somebody called you, then your job. It just feels like this ongoing hamster will. You're overwhelmed. And is the piece, and I said before, self-worth and rest are very like, there's a strong core, like strongly related. And it's feeling not enough. It feels like no matter what you do, it does not feel like it's enough. Dang, I really wish I was a better daughter. ⁓ I should have called my grandmother.

Why didn't I call my grandmother? my goodness. I feel like I'm supposed to be leading on this project, but they gave it to this person. my gosh, I need to prove. It feels like no matter what you do, it's not enough. And then T is you're tired always. I tell people like you take a nap, you wake up tired. This is not physical exhaustion. You are exhausted on a soul level. And so D-O-N-T don't. I often tell people it's like,

You know, pay attention when you find yourself experiencing some of these things. and, and don't see it as like, well, it's, I'm gonna wait until I experience all four to do something about it. Like, ⁓ if you find yourself in one of them, okay. is enough. You just experienced one of them and go, need to, I need to make a shift. I need support.

Mercedes Swan (33:03)
The D is enough. From personal experience, the D is enough.

Keonna (33:17)
Um, and so, um, come home a rest retreat for Black women, October 10th to 13th here in Richmond, Virginia. Um, and I just have to say briefly, I went to a silent retreat at this location and I remember having this life-changing experience. It's something about being away from home.

and in this environment where you're just being poured into, where you don't have to perform, where there's nobody calling your name, where there's nobody needing things of you, you just get to be. It was so powerful. And I remember looking around and being like, I really wish there was more Black women here. Like, I really wish there were more people of color here. And they were talking about, this is the most diverse retreat we've had. And I'm thinking, OK. I'm like, OK.

Mercedes Swan (33:54)
you

Diversity? Sorry, let me...

Keonna (34:07)
I just would love to see more of us. I'm like, at some point there will be a diverse group for this retreat, but it's specifically for Black women right now. And so that exact same location, that's where this retreat is gonna happen. When I tell you it is in this area where there is majority white home, not white homes, ⁓ white folks who live in this area, very nice homes, kind of out in the cut.

Mercedes Swan (34:10)
Yeah.

Keonna (34:36)
You take a turn and you go kind of up this hill and there are all these beautiful trees and there's a dining hall and there are all these lodges and there's a hammock. Like it's so restful just being there. You feel like you're in Colorado somewhere, but you're just in the middle of Richmond. ⁓ And this experience one

It's not even just for the person who is burnt out, but it's for the person who you have a calling on your life. It's going to require your faith. It's going to require your rest. It's going to require community. It's going to require divine strategy. There are lots of people who have been praying around clarity and it's like, you are going to get your answers, but not because they're like elusive. It's because you need to sit still to hear them.

You need to sit still to actually get exactly step by step what needs to happen, or at least that first step. You need to be surrounded by Black women who can be like, girl, yep, me too. Yep, me too. I'm also the person that's the strong one. I'm also the person that's the therapist friend. I'm also releasing that. You get to walk an expectation around you being poured into. There is no request for you to do anything outside of be and show up and listen and flow.

And the gift is that it's Christ centered. And there are people who have, um, hurt and trauma related to people in churches. I am grateful that I have a unique experience of learning about God and Jesus just straight from the Bible. Not from somebody who taught me just from being in the Word. And I'm like, the peace, joy, and freedom that I have in my life as a result of being in relationship with Christ and God.

It's when I tell you I had a diagnosis, severe anxiety, I don't have any anxiety anymore. When I, the transformation and breakthrough that will happen, this is not acute. If you just want acute, like I just want to get away from my family, this ain't for you. Because here, you will leave a different person. Those identities that I talked about before, you will have laid them down. You will have to reintroduce yourself to your family in the best way possible.

Mercedes Swan (36:46)
Don't come here, girl.

Keonna (36:57)
to your fiance, to your boo. Hey boo! This is the joyful, the powerful, the less anxious, the less overwhelmed version of me. This is the I'm in my call in version of me. And so people will be set free. They will rest. You are getting nine plus hours of sleep every night here.

There is no child calling for you. There is no person saying, what are we making for lunch or dinner? All the meals are cooked. You just got to show up. You can be silent the entire time. We'll have silent tables, silent seats. That means I don't want to talk. I don't want to be anything outside of whatever I am. I don't want to perform. I don't want to open the door for somebody. Beautiful. You just show up. You have space to do that here. ⁓ Pain and praise classes, stretching praise.

masterminds around sustainable race, sustainable faith. I have divine strategy, divine strategy around continued provision around your calling. There will not be people who are in their businesses over here broke and embracing poverty mindset anymore. You will release that and walk in abundance in all the ways. It's going to be.

It already is such a powerful experience from the speakers to like the instruction. Even like one of the things that I'm doing today is making some updates to the website because the things that God has told me, I'm like, it's more than this. I need y'all to understand what you're getting into. And it's restful. So we're doing all these things in a very restful, playful, joyful way. Rest, through play.

Mercedes Swan (38:30)
them.

Keonna (38:40)
Ras through community, through sisterhood, through nourishing meals. Ooh, that food hits. That food hits, okay? You need get spiritual food, ⁓ physical food, food through just conversation. ⁓ It will be healing and you will leave with friends. You will be a grown person who said, dang, I really wish I had more sister friends.

Mercedes Swan (38:47)
You

Keonna (39:06)
mutually like mutually beneficial, powerful, like iron sharpens iron friends. You're going to meet them here. And I'm so excited to welcome people home. Like it's, called come home for that reason. You get to come home to yourself, to God, to community, to your power, to rest. And so that is, that is the relationship between burnout and come home and. ⁓

Burn out prevention through joy, through play, through rest, through community is what's happening here.

Mercedes Swan (39:38)
I'm so excited for you and all of the ladies who sign up there's it's so there's so much like I've taken from that but ⁓ I just yeah, I can just tell this is gonna be really transformational space so If you're listening out there I'm gonna make sure that the link to the retreat so you can sign up and get plugged in and attend is in the show notes and just just for my analytical ladies here when do they have to sign up they want to go

Keonna (39:58)
Thanks. ⁓

So if you want a payment plan, you want to sign up by September 15th, if you're ready to pay in full, by September 25th. So by September 25th, that's 2025, because somebody might be listening to this in 2030. And they're like, yeah, sign up. The dates may be different. We'll still have it, but the dates will be different. Yes, and October 10th and 13th is in Richmond, Virginia. There are people coming from all over. So some people are like, oh, it's not in my state.

Mercedes Swan (40:21)
I'm gonna go.

Keonna (40:34)
It's not, and calm down. ⁓ You have the flight, grab that flight and head on over. We welcome you, we're excited to have you. And you're already family, so no need to pretend, no need to perform, no need to prove, just show up and come get the healing that's already yours.

Mercedes Swan (40:36)
Get out, yeah, exactly.

you.

So it'll be there and I hope you all go. Because I think we need it. We need it right now really especially. We always need it but right now it's been, you know, there's so much out there so thank you. So I mentioned earlier before the camera started rolling that I had stalked a couple of your posts, okay? And I love that you shared, there was a post that you made about the different types of Black women and how they might be like sacrificing rest or they may not be connected to that and like how they show up in the world.

Keonna (41:01)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Mercedes Swan (41:24)
So I would love to be able for some of the Black women to like recognize themselves and maybe some of those types or archetypes, however you kind of want to talk about it. Maybe, and I said I'm strategy based, like I want the, I want the the feels and the philosophy, but I also want like people to take actionable things from whatever they watch, the podcast, a video, TikTok, whatever, I don't care. So what would you say to them based on where they are in their journey and what they can do differently to?

Yeah, have different outcomes or get more rest or not be burnt out, all of the above. Whichever way you want to take that, please do.

Keonna (42:01)
Yes.

So the first thing that I will say is I have a free quiz and rest blueprint that will tell you what archetype you are. So they might be people pleaser, overachiever, et cetera. It's on my website, heelwithkeonna.com. H-E-A-L with K-E-O-N-N-A.com. That's there. So if you're like, I don't know if I'm a people pleaser. I don't know if I'm an overachiever. Like.

you can find out. Am I the loner? Like you think that you have community, but actually you're not vulnerable with anybody. You know, you will find out kind of what ⁓ archetype.

This is not your identity. These are just habits or things that you have done that you have identified with that you can release yourself from. So naming that. So I will say that that REST Blueprint is there. so strategies, support is all there. When I just think about strategies for Black women as it relates to REST, the first thing I will definitely say is, so one of the things that I often teach in my community

and people that I coach is your sacred no, not just your no, but your sacred no. And so the sacred no is you have taken a moment to like sit with this. It could be something as small as someone saying, hey girl, you want to go to this party with me? And immediately you go, yuck. Your spirit is like, ew, why would I ever want to be seen in the club? How dare you even invite me? And you say, ⁓ let me think about it.

Your sacred note, your sacred note is where you honor what you feel, what is showing up for you. And you also honor the invitation. Thank you so much for inviting me.

I appreciate that. I want to spend quality time with you. I'm not interested in going. Can we maybe like grab a book and read in the park sometime next week? Like you're inviting people into more values, values aligned activities. ⁓ sometimes you're sick, you know, as you say no to yourself. And so I want to invite you.

You're going to have lots of thoughts that'll tell you, text that person, call that person. Is this person okay? you should have went to this thing. ⁓ you didn't go to this thing. The biggest sacred no that you will ever give will be to yourself. Say no. No, actually. No, they'll be okay. No, I don't need to do all those things. No, I don't need to create a new service for my business. I don't need to redo my entire website. No, no, that's enough. Where I am, what I have is enough.

Mercedes Swan (44:37)
Yeah.

Keonna (44:43)
It's enough. And even as I said that I was like, do I need to redo my website? I didn't get any instruction on that. I was like, that didn't come up. ⁓ But I've done, redone my website, my entire website multiple times just because it's just not right. Being able to have a secret no and say no, I am not changing this website, the colors, the branding, the no.

Mercedes Swan (44:48)
you

Let me think about that.

Hmm.

Keonna (45:08)
to focus on doing the work. All the visual branding stuff, y'all be all right. I think it's good. We good for the next several years. So the secret, no. I will also say doing an energy audit. So writing down how you spend your time from when you wake up to when you go to sleep. I want you to take a look. You say, oh, I value my family. I value play. I value freedom. I value ease. When you look at that list of all the things that you're doing, does it show?

Because how you use your time actually communicates what you actually value. So if all you're doing is working and giving your time away to other people, what you really value is work.

Mercedes Swan (45:41)
period.

Keonna (45:48)
And so taking some time to see where can I put more of what I value into my day. ⁓ for me as a believer, like Joshua one is very clear, meditate on the word day and night. And so, ⁓ your spiritual practice is essential before you do anything else. You start your day rooted and grounded in who you are and whose you are. That is non-negotiable, non-negotiable. and then I would also say it is okay to release people.

It is okay to let people go. It is also okay to have help. I call it a care team. Often the people who help the most people are the folks who need the most help. I don't care if you have a degree as a therapist. I don't care if you were a social worker for 10 plus years. You need somebody that you go to to share what is on your heart and spirit. You might need somebody to clean your house for you.

You keep on looking at that one closet that you need to go on TaskRabbit.com and get somebody. That's not a sponsor, sponsor ad. I'm just like, you need to go ahead and get some help. You keep saying I can't afford it. And that's the last thing I would say. Stop saying you can't afford.

Mercedes Swan (46:54)
mean, actually, let's go ahead and reach out. ⁓

Keonna (47:06)
I can't afford help. can't afford coaching. I can't afford all these different things. You're saying, you're telling yourself, I don't have access to anything that can help me. So you will stay exactly where you are for a very long time. It is way like as a person who ran my business for four years, no help, just me.

It was not until I said, okay, let me find a business coach. Like let me go to a marketing consultant. Like let me start seeking out support. Let me invest my time into doing the Goldman Sachs program. Let me actually put my energy into getting support so that I can actually up level and let me invest my time first, my attention and my money into getting the support based on what I need. So if you're saying, my gosh, I'm so tired.

you're willing to pay money so that people can help you make more money, but not to actually address your exhaustion. Get the help that you need. Not what the social media gurus are telling you that, you need to focus on sales. No, you need to focus on yourself. You need to get your things in order so that you can show up whole. Those are the things that I would offer.

Mercedes Swan (48:08)
you

Keonna (48:18)
And the last thing actually, so one of the things that I teach is good work versus hard work. Stop saying hard work or that you're doing hard work because hard work gives, it takes more than it gives. It leaves you exhausted. ⁓ Good work is energizing. It centers rest and play. Like good work fuels you. So I want to also invite you to watch how you're naming the work that you do. And if you find yourself doing a lot of things that feel hard, maybe it's not aligned.

Mercedes Swan (48:30)
Mm.

Keonna (48:48)
And I'm willing to go back and forth with somebody about that. So like, but it's just a season where it's going to be hard. No, why? Why does it have to be a hard season? Who told you that? Who told you that this needs to be? You can put work in. I've had days where I'm working until 1 AM, and I'm like, ooh, I'm having to tell myself to sit down because I'm so hyped. There is a difference. It's the same amount of work getting done, but the energy is different.

Mercedes Swan (48:52)
I'm sorry.

Cool.

Yeah.

Isn't it?

Mm-hmm.

Keonna (49:18)
So watching how you're speaking about the work that you're doing, watching how you're speaking about yourself, stop agreeing with everything somebody tells you. Like, no, you get to decide who you are.

There's so much, but this is why coaching, community, retreat, there is an abundance. Even the people that I already work with, I'm always like, there is so much more I have for you. ⁓ And so, ⁓ yes, those are bits to start with. ⁓ But if you need more support, I'm here.

Mercedes Swan (49:42)
Yes.

She's here and all of her information is in the show notes. So go ahead. She's speaking to you. And I will say that there are pieces in my journey right now that are very closely connected to some of the things that you were talking about. Off camera, I was talking a little bit about transformation and things that I've been working on and just bringing myself back into alignment with what I want. And oddly enough, mean, all things come together, right? Divinely, but.

Keonna (49:55)
here.

and then.

Mercedes Swan (50:19)
You know, the topic that I've just finished talking about in the community as well as social media is this topic of worthiness and you brought that up. And I think so much of what you've just said is sometimes we do not ever broach that, talk about it, think about it, getting the cleaner, getting the support, getting the coach rethinking what we're doing, not launching that service, saying no is...

Keonna (50:40)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Mercedes Swan (50:44)
based in worthiness because we

don't think that we are worthy of whatever it is that we want or that experience and that's why has to be hard because we're not worthy of ease. If somebody else built it and they had to hustle, why, well, why can't I have ease? Well, sis, yes you can.

Keonna (50:50)
you

tuh. And yes, I claim that with you. I'm standing in agreement with you. I love that. Thank you for naming that. Because so many people don't even notice that they're doing it. And often it's folks who pour into other people who do it the most. Because they are, I can figure this out on my own.

Mercedes Swan (51:20)
Mm-hmm.

Keonna (51:21)
I can figure this

Mercedes Swan (51:21)
Mm-hmm.

Keonna (51:21)
out on own. It's like, okay, they're the DIYers. They're like, okay, Keonna, I know that you've been doing this for however many years. And I'm gonna just watch all your podcast episodes. I'm watch all your videos. gonna watch, I'm gonna take all the notes. They're trying to find their own path. And I'm gonna grab a little bit of here, grab, and I'm like, yes, you gonna get there, but you're building a house by hand.

Mercedes Swan (51:37)
is here.

Yeah. And that, and like, we don't talk about it, but like that's the same energy that comes into the hustle. Because if you don't, if you're hustling all the time, trying to figure all this out, you're not centering yourself. Like you can't figure out what you want. Here comes the D. I need to stop saying that. Here comes the disconnect. Like here comes that like not knowing my purpose and my passion where you can't, like even if you are building, like what are you building? Is it for you? Is it what you want? Is it sustainable?

Keonna (51:54)
Mm-hmm.

I'm sorry. ⁓

Yeah.

Is this the second?

Mercedes Swan (52:13)
period. So there's just a lot. ⁓ Well go check out that quiz ladies because I think some of you might need it. Okay I'm gonna go find the quiz too. I'll call myself out. Get into your orbit. In that way too. But as we wrap up, like I said I've been in your LinkedIn post girl. You're like you need to sit down. Sit your ass down sis. Okay you need to breathe, you need to chill, you need to go to the retreat. You don't want take a quiz. You need to say the sacred no or whatever it is.

Keonna (52:14)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Mercedes Swan (52:43)
And so as for wrapping up, I would love for you to share, you know, one piece of advice for the Black woman who is listening today who needs to be sat. Okay, what would you say?

Keonna (52:52)
The first thing that came in my spirit is actually watch who you listen to. I think we have too much access to different voices, opinions, theories, ideas, and your brain is overwhelmed with all these different things. Somebody telling you go get it. Somebody telling you to sit down. Somebody's telling you to focus on you. Somebody telling you to focus on community. Somebody's, and you are, you're double-minded.

You have all... ⁓ So you're constantly playing tug of war with yourself because you don't know who to listen to. Who you need to listen to is that there's an inner witness, inner voice, there is a knowing, a Holy Spirit inside of you that tells you exactly what to do. ⁓

There have been places that I've gone and I'm like, my gosh, wait, I got that instruction before I even arrived here. I didn't even know that. But it was because I did know. You have a knowing. So discernment, discernment as you navigate social media, as you navigate hiring people. I always tell people, listen, if you don't feel excited, enthusiastic, about to do a backflip about working with me, don't even do it. Because there will be a lot of people who will sound good.

Mercedes Swan (54:01)
Mm-hmm.

Keonna (54:05)
but the transformation that they're saying is not going to be the transformation that you receive. And so discernment is crucial. ⁓ and the whole point of resting, ⁓ not the whole point, but one of the points, there's a lot of points resting is also that you can be still enough to hear what is for you to get divine wisdom, to get divine strategy, to, to just be and allow for your body to, to refuel, reenergize itself. And so, ⁓ yeah, watch who you're listening to.

And if there is somebody that you're listening to currently that you have made their voice louder than your own, I would invite you to put them down for a week and two as you go for that walk, silence as you're in your car, silence. I know you might be afraid to hear your own thoughts, but this is also good practice because you'll get to notice the thoughts that don't belong to you and you get to take them, go ahead and send them back to where they came from. ⁓ That's my advice. Yeah.

Mercedes Swan (55:02)
Hmm. Keonna, are you talking to the audience or are talking to me? No.

Keonna (55:09)
I know us as Black women, we educate and give Black information. This is not actually the season of getting more information. This is the season of us actually doing the thing that we know we're supposed to do. And so getting quiet is the best thing that you can do right now so that you can receive divine instruction for your life because what worked for them may not work for you. And that's like when I'm coaching people, I always tell them.

Mercedes Swan (55:11)
Exactly.

Mm-hmm.

Keonna (55:31)
I'm coaching you so that you can hear yourself. I don't want you to ever need me. Because I'll be gone doing my own thing in Bali somewhere. You better have your tools and your way of tuning into your deep knowing that you can be moved. I'm here for accountability. I'm here to help you decipher between what is that voice and what is other things. so, girl, if I'm talking to you, hey, what's up here?

Mercedes Swan (55:38)
Yeah.

No,

but I really, mean, legitimately, was it, I don't know. was August, beginning of August, I started a social media. I'm disconnected. And I set up things where it's like, hey, I got an auto responder. I'm scheduling stuff, but I'm not consuming any more content because to your point, like, you know, I love to be entertained and love the content. And I feel like in so many ways, some of this stuff is just, it is about the play for me. Like I love TikTok just because of how

Keonna (56:05)
I'm not alone.

Mercedes Swan (56:25)
cool and you learn all the different things. But like overload is like okay, and because you can't just see a feed of all the things that most of the time that you really wanna see or that's gonna fill you up, you wade through all of the other stuff and that has been a contributor to me kinda taking this fast in this moment to really focus on self. And I hear you say like hey, it is about not listening or really being intentional about who you're listening to.

Keonna (56:35)
Hmm.

you

Mercedes Swan (56:51)
but also so that you can listen to yourself. I've been hearing just so many people, including myself, okay, I call myself out all the time. ⁓ But you know, it's just that idea of like listening to your intuition and we doubt ourselves and we say, did I hear that? Did I know that? Did I see that? And just sometimes it's listening to yourself, but also maybe a little bit faster. Cause for me right now, I'm like, okay, girl, you heard that a couple months ago. Like you need to lock in, like get it together, okay? Let's trust yourself.

Um, and so I'm glad that, you know, I have gathered myself in so many ways coming up to this episode where I can really see both sides of it having just kind of been through it. So I really thank you so much for this really insightful. You are a powerhouse of listening to you and all of your knowledge. And like I said, I know those ladies are going to have an amazing time at that retreat and when you transform. So as we close, I don't know if there's anything else that you want to share.

with the podcast of anything else about the retreat, anything about what you're doing or goals or how to connect with you as you wrap up.

Keonna (57:54)
Yes, so one last thing because this has been transformative for my like in my experience you talked about fasting from social media I recently did a three-day Esther fast no food no water

for three days. Mind you, I have been in the past, the person, baby, two hours a night eating them hangry, okay? Headache, listen, my mom knows, my boyfriend knows. Somebody get her some food, okay? But I felt in my spirit, like really one of my sister friends invited me into it. But also I felt God being like, fix your eyes on the promise and not the fear.

So these fearful thoughts pop in our heads all the time. You're going to end in the hospital. You're going to die. And they're usually really extreme. ⁓ Usually, you cannot start that business, girl. You will be homeless within two weeks. Like, it's usually really extreme. And so ⁓ this practice of fasting, really, I had to rely on God in a way that I had not relied on God in a while. It was...

Mercedes Swan (58:43)
Yes, I'm not normal, no.

Keonna (59:03)
so powerful, it allowed me to not just hear from him, but to walk through the world now with an energy of like, y'all just cannot touch me. Like, and so ⁓ I talked before about the spiritual aspect of like,

making sure you are, you have a wall of protection around you, but also that you're fortified, that you're anchored, that you're walking with a power and authority that you already have, but that we, that becomes weakened because we're looking to the world to be our sustainer, our provider. And so specifically there's a person listening who has been afraid around finances.

Like you just, you're struggling to trust in God and you don't want to release control because you have been the one who has been in control and allowed some level of stability and safety in your own life. And you're being called to let go more, but you don't want to, you don't want to, you don't want to release. You don't want to step in because it feels scary. ⁓

If you're being led, I would invite you into a fast It doesn't have to be the fast that I did, but to make a sacrifice that supports you and really anchoring into God as your provider. ⁓ Because the business idea was not yours. So it only makes sense that you get instruction from where it came from.

Mercedes Swan (1:00:37)
you

Keonna (1:00:41)
And sometimes we need to deny ourselves in order to receive what is going to be that thing that really makes it all boom, bam, pop. So I don't know who you are. My bad for being in your business, but also not because it will transform your life. um, so yeah, that was the last thing that I felt like I needed to share because there's somebody listening, um, who may have needed to hear that. And if that's you, sis, thank you for listening. I'm glad to be in community with you.

Mercedes Swan (1:00:56)
Be in business.

Thank you. We are all listening. I'm listening. And so I hope that our audience is too. And thank you so much. Like really thank you so much. This is amazing conversation. Thank you so much for spending this time and energy and space. And I'm really grateful. Yeah. And I'm really grateful to have had this conversation for myself, but also for this community. And I can't wait to get it out there.

And to our listeners of the Career Love Podcast, I really hope that this episode helps you enter your Black Woman Bliss era. This is what this entire podcast is about, okay? So take these nuggets, you know, don't...

don't close your ears to it, right? Because it's not necessarily what you wanted to hear right now. I think if you're listening to this, there's a reason and there's some pieces that you can take from this. And like I said, go in the show notes, get what you need. And if you have something to say, you have a response, something that's kind of bubbling up for you, you better comment and we want to hear, okay, we're coming together to work on these things as a collective, because I think it helps us move forward and closer and closer to liberation each day. So.

Keonna (1:01:55)
Mm-hmm.

Bye. ⁓

Mercedes Swan (1:02:13)
If you

would like, if you like this episode and you know somebody else in your network, another professional sister in love would appreciate this. Please share and engage with this podcast episode. until next time, me and Keonna wish you much success in building a career, business and lifestyle you love. Bye.

Keonna (1:02:32)
Bye!