Hey sis,

Whew — your girl’s been talking!

Like, a lot.

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Sharing my story, my lessons, and all the things I’ve carried (and reclaimed) with whoever will give me a mic. 🎤

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Lately, I’ve had the chance to sit down with some incredible Black women podcast hosts and share parts of my story, my healing, and the real behind-the-scenes of what it means to reclaim your life.

And whew, the conversations have been rich.

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I’m honored to be in dialogue with women who get it. Women who are navigating similar spaces and stages. Women who are holding complex stories with power and softness. Women like me. Women like you.

Because I know what it’s like to feel alone in the fog, to carry things in silence, or to wonder if you’re the only one trying to figure it out. You’re not. These convos are proof.

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If you’ve got time this week — while you’re driving, journaling, or just taking a moment — I’d love for you to press play on one (or more!) of these. Each one carries a little piece of my journey and maybe even a mirror for yours.

🎧 Here are 5 conversations I’d love for you to hear:

🎧 “Rewriting Burnout: Fighting Back Against the System”

A raw and real conversation about why burnout isn’t your fault — and how we reclaim our power and peace in systems that were never built for us.

Start here if: you need to hear that your exhaustion isn’t your fault — but you can take control of your healing.

🔗 Listen here​

🎧 “The Simmer Before the Burnout”

This one’s for the women carrying too much for too long — the quiet exhaustion that creeps in before everything boils over.

Start here if: you’re running on fumes. Energy on E.

🔗 Listen here​

🎧 “Not Another Burnout Story: How Dr. Nikia Smith Reclaimed Her Life Outside of the OR”

A candid look at the cost of normalized exhaustion — and what it really takes to reclaim your life from systems that benefit when you ignore your limits.

Start here if: exhaustion is your baseline and you’re ready to reclaim what hustle stole.

🔗 Listen here​

🎧 “Imposter Syndrome, Perfectionism & The Exit Plan: Why Staying Isn’t Safe”

We unpack the need to be perfect in systems that exploit it — and why quitting is sometimes the strongest thing you can do.

Start here if: you’ve been treating perfectionism like a superpower — and you’re starting to wonder what it’s really costing you.

🔗 Listen here​

🎧 “Forged by Fire: An Anesthesiologist’s Journey of Resilience”

The moment I realized I couldn’t keep living the life I worked so hard to build — and how hitting that wall became the start of reclaiming myself.

Start here if: you’ve hit that “I can’t do this anymore” moment — and you know something has to change.

🔗 Listen here​

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I hope you enjoy listening.

And if something resonates with you — if it made you feel seen, if it shifted something in you, or just helped you exhale — hit reply and tell me.

🗣️ Which episode? What landed? Let’s talk about it.

Because that’s the whole point.

To remind you that whatever you’re carrying, wherever you are in your journey — you’re not alone. These stories (mine, and theirs) are proof.

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With love,

Nikia