Pause On The Play
222 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 months ago - ★★★★★ - 55 ratingsPause On The Play® is where you are challenged to examine your beliefs, question your predisposed notions, and consider realities you may be unfamiliar with in order to understand that they too are real. Erica Courdae and co-host India Jackson have real conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion, visibility, mindset, and everything in between.
Topics include imperfect allyship®, imposter syndrome, company culture, and how you can feel more aligned and empowered in your business marketing. Let's go beyond the surface and move into action, today.
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Episodes
Pause & Explore: Rediscovering Your Existing Resources
September 26, 2023 03:00 - 4 minutes - 3.98 MBErica and India discuss their intentions for the shows Pause on the Play® and Flaunt Your Fire®. After nearly 300 combined episodes, they pause to explore how to use them as continued resources and how to stay in the loop about future projects. Ready to dive deeper? Keep in touch and find out what we’re up to at pauseontheplay.com
Decolonizing Health and Nutrition with Dalina Soto
September 12, 2023 03:00 - 50 minutes - 68.8 MBDiet culture is everywhere. What we consider healthy. What we consider unhealthy. The foods that we’re taught are good for us and the ones that we’re told to stay away from. How we think about food, health, and wellness is shaped by a culture steeped in white supremacy culture. There is so much more nuance available to us around food, health, wellness, and culture–not to mention enjoyment–when we break down the binary of good vs. bad foods, healthy vs. unhealthy people. Dalina So...
Accidental Entrepreneurship, Success, and Owning Your Values with Amanda McKinney
August 29, 2023 03:00 - 36 minutes - 50 MBSo often, our goals and the way we feel about success come from what we’re supposed to want, what we’re supposed to do, and how we’re supposed to act and feel once we achieve those goals. But being truly satisfied with our achievements means defining success outside of the “shoulds.” Amanda McKinney joins Erica for a replay from a live conversation within The Pause on the Play Community about success, accidental entrepreneurship, and maintaining a balance between your business an...
Tokenism and Gaslighting at Work with Gabi Day
August 08, 2023 03:00 - 38 minutes - 52.7 MBHow do your identities impact the way you show up at work and how you interact with work culture? How we move through the world is influenced by white supremacy, colorism, and capitalism, and it can have profound impacts on our working life and our physical and mental health. And while none of us can extract ourselves entirely from these systems, it may be possible–even necessary–to say enough is enough and forge a new path. Gabi Day joins Erica for a conversation about identity,...
Bringing the Body Back to the Whole Self with María-Victoria Albina
July 25, 2023 03:00 - 51 minutes - 70.6 MBHave you ever felt like you betrayed yourself? We live in a culture that teaches us to forsake our own wants in favor of serving others. We operate from a place of “I’m fine,” and get stuck in functional freeze, even when from the outside it appears we’re successful. María-Victoria Albina joins Erica for a discussion about resentment and obligation, setting and holding standards, and tending to your nervous system as you pursue embodiment and change. In this discussion: Changing...
Letting Go to Make Space
July 11, 2023 11:32 - 16 minutes - 15.3 MBAs seasons shift, our thoughts may turn to growth and transformation. And it’s worth taking a pause to consider what you might need to let go of in order to continue to grow. Erica shares her thoughts on releasing the ideas and narratives you no longer want to hold, creating space to grow, and affirmations to support you along the way. In this discussion: Identifying and releasing the ideas and narratives that you no longer want to hold Integration and gratitude as you evolve a...
Letting Go of Perfectionism in Goal-Setting with Betsaida Lebron
May 30, 2023 12:00 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MBGoal-setting can bring out the perfectionist in many of us. When our goals don’t account for our imperfect humanity, it leads to burnout and feeling like a failure. Getting stuck in the mentality that there is one course of action or one right way to do things doesn’t honor what we learn and experience along the way, even when things don’t go to plan. Betsaida Lebron joins Erica to discuss setting J.A.N.K.Y goals that allow for imperfection, changing course, and getting outside o...
Your Values Come with You: Shaping Company and Brand Values and Culture
May 16, 2023 07:00 - 24 minutes - 34.4 MBYour values are the foundation for every single thing that you do. Yet sometimes, we think we have to leave those values at the door when we go to work, whether in our own businesses or as team members for others. But your values come with you wherever you go. Erica and India discuss rethinking how your values show up in your business, getting explicit about them, and why being clear on your values helps you build lasting relationships with your team, your clients, and your audi...
Capacity, Responsibility, and Community in Shifting Systems
May 02, 2023 07:00 - 19 minutes - 27.4 MBDoing the work of shifting systems toward equity and equality can take a massive toll physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s easy to feel like you’re not doing enough when you’re working against systems that existed long before you. But it’s important to remember that it’s not your debt to pay. Erica shares a reminder about the debts that we owe, and the importance of doing the work in community. In this discussion: Why you can’t internalize the debts created by preex...
More Than Labels: Aligning Your Clients with Your Values with Cher Hale
April 18, 2023 07:00 - 24 minutes - 33.1 MBWhen you’re working toward creating more equity in your business, it can be tempting to use demographic labels to diversify your client list and work with underrepresented communities. But assessing a potential client for fit is about more than labels. Guest host Cher Hale discusses why she chose to shift her business to working exclusively with underrepresented voices, how she sets and keeps her boundaries around client fit, and how she supports clients on their DEI journeys. ...
Building Your Thought Leadership in the Speaking Industry with Danielle Tucker
April 04, 2023 07:00 - 46 minutes - 63.4 MBGetting involved in the speaking industry is one way to build your thought leadership and support yourself or your business. But that journey isn’t the same for everyone. There is more work that needs to be done to make the speaking industry more equitable. Danielle Tucker joins Erica for a conversation about the speaking industry, building thought leadership, and how people of color can be more visible and get paid well for what they do. In this discussion: Where more a...
Leadership Is An Action, Not A Trait
March 28, 2023 07:00 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBWe tend to think of being a leader as something someone is or isn’t. But a concept of leadership that focuses only on the individual misses the inherently social nature of being a leader. Erica discusses what it means to be in leadership, why leadership is social, and why leaders must consider the collective whole. In this discussion: How the common conception of leadership reinforces white supremacy culture Why leadership is inherently social Why leadership requires acknow...
Towards Liberation: Building a Business Based on Your Values with Jeffrey Shiau
March 21, 2023 07:00 - 52 minutes - 72.2 MBWhile many business owners want to do business differently, there is no one-size-fits-all checklist for building a business that supports collective liberation. But there is plenty of shame, guilt, and expectation around how to do business. Yet shame and guilt can actually stifle our growth and perfection is neither a reasonable goal nor expectation. Jeffrey Shiau joins Erica for a conversation about building a liberatory business, what it means to honor your capacity and the hu...
Beyond Acknowledgment: Connecting with the Land and Environment
March 14, 2023 08:00 - 33 minutes - 46.4 MBMany of us live lives that are disconnected from the land and our environment. The process of learning about the traditional stewards of the land you’re on, and honoring the environment can have impacts that go beyond land acknowledgments. India joins Erica for a discussion about acknowledging and honoring the land, what Erica has learned about gardening, and how she’s evolving in her work and relationships. In this discussion: What Erica and India have learned since research...
Embodiment, Agency, and Choicefulness with María-Victoria Albina
March 07, 2023 08:00 - 52 minutes - 71.6 MBLabels like co-dependent, perfectionist, and people-pleaser get used constantly. We’re told we shouldn’t be those things. But for many of us, those labels stem from survival skills we learned in our early lives. And reliance on labels can actually undermine our ability to heal from these behavioral patterns. María-Victoria Albina joins Erica for a discussion of survival skills, authenticity, embodiment, agency, and choicefulness within the systems of white supremacist patriarchy...
Word Choice Is an Opportunity to Match Your Impact with Your Intent
February 28, 2023 08:00 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBThere are words that we use so often that we rarely stop to consider the impact that they can have. The word but is often used when we discuss things like Black History Month. “It’s important but, it’s the shortest month of the year…” The word but negates what comes before it. When you use the word but you may be negating the lived experiences and realities of others without even realizing it. For the final episode of Black History Month, Erica discusses why we need to be more c...
Celebrating Black Innovation and Joy in Black History Month
February 21, 2023 08:00 - 28 minutes - 38.7 MBBlack History Month often curtails the true scope of Black history to a few key periods of time, but Black history is much more than the history of enslavement or the Civil Rights Movement. Black history is full of innovation and joy, and it’s being made all around us. Erica and India discuss the importance of recognizing and celebrating Black joy during Black History Month, and all year long. In this discussion: Why it’s vital to recognize the throughline of innovation and j...
Community and Interdependence as Counterbalances to White Supremacy
February 14, 2023 08:00 - 18 minutes - 25 MBGetting clarity on how you want to be in community–whether one-on-one, in a group, or taking time to process on your own before coming back to the group–helps create interdependence by fostering a community of choice that benefits that collective whole. Erica digs into showing up as yourself and how fostering interdependence creates counterbalances and safety nets as we navigate liminal spaces, planning for the future as we understand the present. In this discussion: Wh...
Biases in Health Care and Medical Gaslighting: A Conversation with Andrea Nakayama
February 07, 2023 08:00 - 55 minutes - 76 MBSystemic biases can have profound impacts on how we receive medical care and support. Members of marginalized communities may be brushed off, misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and mistreated within the medical system, sometimes with catastrophic effects.Andrea Nakayama joins Erica for a discussion about bias, medical gaslighting, a systems approach to health, and how to advocate for yourself in medical settings. In this discussion: The three tenets of functional medicine How syst...
Reflection Pause: Where We Are and Where We've Been
January 31, 2023 08:00 - 44 minutes - 61.7 MBA new year is often a time of reflecting on the past and planning for the future, but it’s important to remember that where we are right now matters. And as content creators, it matters that you share what’s going on with you and not forget yourself in the process of interviewing others or providing value through teaching. Erica and India get together to share where they are right now and why it’s important for content creators to let their audiences get to know them. ...
Charging Your Worth as a WOC and Being an Imperfect Ally
January 24, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 99 MB“Charge your worth.” It’s a common refrain, but it can carry a different weight for members of the BIPOC Community in ways that make it difficult to resonate with. And unpacking it isn’t always an easy process. In this replay from Elaine Lou Cartas’s Color Your Dreams podcast, Erica, India, and Elaine unpack what it means to charge your worth as women of color and allies, the importance of women of color and allies working together, and how charging what you’re worth impacts how...
A Broader Perspective on the Beginner's Mindset with Parker Stevenson
January 17, 2023 08:00 - 56 minutes - 77.9 MBSometimes it feels like you have to know everything. Or at least pretend that you do. It takes self-awareness and vulnerability to admit that we don’t know what we don’t know. But adopting a beginner’s mindset, and reminding ourselves that there is always something out there to learn, keeps us open to opportunities and connections along our journeys. Parker Stevenson joins Erica for an honest conversation about approaching the world, your business, and your clients with a beginn...
Independence vs Interdependence: What's the difference?
January 10, 2023 08:00 - 44 minutes - 61.5 MBIn the United States, we live with a cultural narrative of hyper-independence. We make it on our own. But there is nothing we do that isn’t in some way supported by someone else. The often invisible labor of others allows us to perpetuate the lie that we are independent. Humans are interdependent by nature and communities can’t exist without interdependence. Erica and India discuss how interdependence shows up in The Pause on the Play Community, in their work, and in their live...
Examining Interdependence vs Individualism
January 03, 2023 08:00 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBParticipating in modern society is interdependent by nature. But in the United States, individualism and exceptionalism are part of the dominant narrative of how we relate to success, failure, and each other. Erica discusses how the winter holidays can be a useful illustration of how interdependence and individualism show up for us in school, work, and in our relationships and communities. In this discussion: Defining individualism and interdependence How the holidays pro...
We Are On Pause Until 2023.
December 06, 2022 08:00 - 3 minutes - 4.95 MBIf you’ve taken in the last few episodes, you may be aware that inside The Pause on the Play® Community, we have a curated exploration called Create Space to Take Care of Yourself. This month, we’re leading by example and taking some time to care for ourselves, so the podcast will be on pause until January 3, 2023. In the meantime, dig into the archives, continue to vote with your dollars, and you’re always welcome to connect with us inside The Pause on the Play® Community.
Reconsider the Holidays and Social Programming
November 29, 2022 08:00 - 48 minutes - 66 MBFall and winter holidays are steeped in traditions for many of us, from Thanksgiving turkey to Christmas lights. Whether they came into our lives with our families of origin or through later relationships, it’s worth considering how those traditions do or don’t align with our values, and if we can reshape them, or shape new traditions that honor our values and the history behind these celebrations. Erica and India discuss Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas in the context ...
Pausing Is A Privilege
November 22, 2022 08:00 - 34 minutes - 47.5 MBCreating space to pause is vital to our well-being and to the ability to make the impact we want to create by participating meaningfully in change. But pausing isn’t accessible in the same ways to everyone. In many ways, the ability to pause is a privilege. Erica and India discuss the intersection of pausing and privilege, with some key examples of how those concepts have shown up in their lives and in the lives of people around them. In this discussion: Why the word “pause” ...
Creating Space To Take Care Of Yourself
November 15, 2022 08:00 - 53 minutes - 73.8 MBMany of us struggle to give ourselves time and space that isn’t taken up with work, family, friends, television, music, anything to distract us from silence. But reconsidering your normal, and living with your values and the impact you want to create, takes time. It requires that we learn how to get comfortable with stillness, and to care for ourselves. India and Erica discuss how they make space to reconsider their normal and to care for themselves, and share their thoughts on ...
Autonomy, Personal Ownership, and Consent: A Conversation With Shannon Collins
November 08, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 89.2 MBWhile many of us are familiar with discussing consent in the context of sexuality, consent shows up in so many other areas of our lives. Consent may seem like a simple yes or no, but there are layers to what makes up true consent, and access to it can be a privilege. Shannon Collins interviews Erica about how consent shows up in everything from health to hair to raising kids, even in our entertainment. In this discussion: How Erica defines consent in this moment How Erica ...
Decolonizing Time and Relearning Indigenous Cyclical Time with Ixchel Lunar
November 01, 2022 07:00 - 52 minutes - 72.3 MBMany of us are accustomed to viewing time as a resource we never seem to have enough of. The pace of our lives pushes us to constantly “make the most” of our time. That pace has a profound impact on us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But other ways of relating to time, outside the colonial paradigm, are possible. Ixchel Lunar and Erica discuss decolonizing time, relearning Indigenous cyclical time, and how to build a relationship with time where it is a friend, rather ...
How To Reconsider Imposter Syndrome
October 25, 2022 07:00 - 19 minutes - 27.3 MBPeople talk about imposter syndrome all the time, in relation to how they feel at work or in social situations or just in life. But do you know where the term comes from? Erica revisits episode three of the podcast and gives her perspective on what imposter syndrome really is and how it can show up in our lives. In this discussion: The popular conception of what imposter syndrome means Why imposter syndrome may have more to do with who you’ve had to be than who you’re becom...
Profit Without Oppression: Getting into Nuance with Kim Crayton
October 18, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 104 MBThere has been a lot of conversation about dismantling systems of oppression over the last few years. But too often, this conversation stalls before turning into action. It’s not enough to have language to explain concepts and systems of supremacy, disrimination, and exploitation or to simply take in information. Kim Crayton joins Erica for a wide-ranging conversation about why she’s done with call outs, why dismantling systems isn’t enough, and how she’s envisioning and creati...
Ditching Business-As-Usual with Racheal Cook
October 11, 2022 07:00 - 54 minutes - 74.8 MBBusiness and work culture are always changing. And with more people pursuing entrepreneurship, whether they’re following their passion or because running their own business is the only way to juggle work and life, there are more opportunities for us to impact how we do work. To create the change we want to witness, and cultures that are more inclusive, more supportive, and more adaptable, we have to learn to reconsider our normal in work and in life. Racheal Cook joins Erica to ...
What We Learned About Creating Partnership Programs with Laura Sprinkle
October 04, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 96.6 MBMany of us are familiar with affiliate partnership programs and how they can help market our businesses and grow our audiences. And partner programs can be an appealing way to bring your offer to a wider range of people without having to use marketing methods that aren’t in alignment with your values. But advice about building an affiliate program can be disingenuous, making it sound overly easy or even exploitative. Laura Sprinkle interviews Erica and India about the develop...
Getting Comfortable Breaking the Rules of Business with Brooke Monaghan
September 27, 2022 07:00 - 42 minutes - 58.8 MBWhen it comes to our businesses, there are a lot of rules and “right” ways to do things that we’re told are just how it’s done if we want to succeed. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can choose to do things differently. Brooke Monaghan joins Erica to discuss how she shows up in her business, reconsiders her normal, and rejects the rules in order to create sustainable, values-driven businesses for herself and her clients. In this discussion: How to begin to differentiat...
Values Hijacking, Capitalism, and Systemic Change with Tara McMullin
September 20, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 91.7 MBMany of us are aware of how our business values can get co-opted by the values and structures of capitalism. What may be less obvious is how our personal values can also be influenced by capitalist thinking. Capitalism is more than an economic system. Capitalism is a fundamental part of our politics, culture, and how we navigate our personal and professional lives. Tara McMullin joins Erica to discuss the far-reaching impacts of capitalism on our lives, the gamification of our v...
Ancestral Trauma, Inner Child Wounds, and Healing with Evelyn Huynh
September 13, 2022 07:00 - 45 minutes - 62.4 MBEvery one of us has an inner child, where our subconscious minds store emotional experiences from childhood. And those experiences and emotions shape the lens we bring into the present. For members of the BIPOC community, inner child wounds often intersect with the ancestral and generational traumas of the community. Healing is not easy work, especially when healing hasn’t always been accessible or normalized in the community. But it is possible. Evelyn Huynh and Erica discuss...
Legal Agreements: Integrating Your Values and Creating Consent with Autumn Witt Boyd
September 06, 2022 07:00 - 51 minutes - 70.4 MBMost of us understand the concept of consent when it comes to bodily autonomy and permission. We know what it means to agree to or decline physical interaction. But consent has implications in many areas of our lives and businesses, and it can become confusing to consider how a broader definition of consent impacts the actions we take in relationship to each other. Autumn Witt Boyd joins guest host India Jackson for a discussion of how consent applies to legal agreements and con...
Conscious Communication in Life and Work with Elaine Lou Cartas
August 30, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 83.2 MBCommunication in the workplace can be fraught. Bringing together groups of people with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives can create situations ripe for conflict and miscommunication. But we can shape workplace cultures where people feel witnessed, appreciated, and respected. Elaine Lou Cartas joins Erica and India for a discussion about creating space for difficult conversations in the workplace, the importance of behavior modeling from leaders, and how con...
Misconceptions of Slang, Tone Policing, and TikTok with EK Powell
August 23, 2022 07:00 - 57 minutes - 79.2 MBTone policing is a way of invalidating what someone is saying because of how they’re saying it. It goes beyond literal tone–too loud, too brash, too animated–and extends to using slang or African American Vernacular English and beyond. It often assumes that the speaker is uneducated, rendering their opinions or experiences as null and void. EK Powell joins Erica to discuss tone policing and respectability politics, how content creators are pushing back and influencing media, and...
Diverse Perspectives: Reconsidering the Meaning of Success
August 16, 2022 07:00 - 46 minutes - 63.9 MBSuccess is difficult to define. Everyone has their own take on what it means, and there is often a difference between how we think about success and how it shows up in reality. India and Erica discuss how they have defined success in the past, how the meaning of success has evolved, and share the perspectives of members of the Pause on the Play® Community. In this discussion: How the definitions of success we’re exposed to early in life create narratives of how we perceive ours...
Integrated Values, Grounded Growth, and Marketing with Amy Jacobus
August 09, 2022 07:00 - 45 minutes - 62.8 MBWhen you decide that you want to make an impact and create change with your brand and your platform, you have to get clear on your values. And those values have to be explicit to you, your team, your clients, and your audience. Amy Jacobus reconnects with Erica to reflect on how refining and implementing her values throughout her company has impacted her business, and how it continues to grow and shape her brand. In this discussion: How reconsidering her normal allows Amy to...
Maroon Communities: The History of Black Brilliance and Freedom with Dr. Crystal Menzies
August 02, 2022 07:00 - 51 minutes - 70.7 MBThere is so much history that we don’t learn in school. Colonial and white supremacist historical narratives rarely acknowledge the history of Black resistance and rebellion, or the free Black communities created by Maroons, some of which still exist to this day. Dr. Crystal Menzies joins Erica to discuss the past and present of Maroon communities, what they have to teach us about communal care and collective responsibility, and why we need accessible, intergenerational educatio...
Common Misconceptions About Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Work
July 26, 2022 07:00 - 34 minutes - 46.8 MBWe often discuss misconceptions that people have around various topics like marketing, community, visibility and branding, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work. And it’s important to regularly revisit these topics, to dig in, debunk, and recenter the myths and misconceptions that come up with them. India Jackson joins Erica to discuss common misconceptions about DEI work, from getting stuck on the right way to engage to why it’s vital to move from consuming information and ...
This Isn't My Norm: Reconsidering Mental Health with Therapist Amenah Arman
July 19, 2022 07:00 - 42 minutes - 58.1 MBReconsidering your normal is essential to clarifying and living your values. But it isn’t a one and done process. Reconsidering your normal is a journey that holds space for where you’ve been and what’s possible in the future. Amenah Arman joins Erica to discuss how reconsidering her normal has impacted how she shows up in her business, in her values, and in her mission. In this discussion: How getting clear on your values helps you evaluate belief systems and come into align...
Are Standard Ideal Client Profiles Racist? with India Jackson
July 12, 2022 07:00 - 32 minutes - 44.4 MBMost business owners have been told at some point that they need to have an ideal client profile. These profiles are meant to be tools to figure out who we’re marketing to and who we’re selling to. But in practice, they create a Frankenstein of demographics that don’t reflect real people. These amalgamations of traits are also heavily rooted in white supremacist structures, ignoring whole humans for what we think are the most desirable pieces. India Jackson joins Erica to disc...
Company of One? Why Company Culture and Values Still Matter
July 05, 2022 07:00 - 26 minutes - 36 MBWhen we are the only person working for our brand, we can have a false sense of not having anyone to answer to, no reasoning that needs to be vetted before we make decisions. But if we don’t create culture for ourselves, are we deprioritizing the importance of having an understanding of our company culture? Erica shares her perspective on why it’s important to establish a company culture, even when you’re a company of one. In this discussion: How to define the scope of your t...
The Integration of Personal and Professional Life with Guest Host India Jackson
June 28, 2022 07:00 - 38 minutes - 53.4 MBLearning for the sake of learning is never the thing. Talking for the sake of talking doesn’t do it either. Conversations and content are the places we start, but they have to become part of how you create action, how you learn and unlearn, so you can move through the world in a more equitable way. India interviews Erica about what she’s integrating in her life and her practice of Imperfect Allyship®. In this discussion: Why confronting perfectionism means digging into the na...
Confessions On Diversity In The Workplace With Damion Taylor
June 21, 2022 07:00 - 39 minutes - 53.9 MBWhat can happen when we take the time to actually talk about the challenges that we're experiencing at work, the way that we're feeling, the things that we're experiencing, and ways that we can do it differently? We need to bring forward the experiences that we’re told, implicitly or explicitly, that we shouldn’t discuss if we want to make progress. Damion Taylor joins Erica and India to discuss how we talk about challenges at work. In this discussion: Why discussions of DEI ne...
Why You Can't Just Operationalize DEI
June 14, 2022 07:00 - 22 minutes - 30.3 MBAs we move away from some of the urgency that surfaced in 2020 around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, it remains vital to continue doing the work. DEI isn’t a box you can check and say you’re done. You can’t schedule learning and unlearning. Erica discusses why DEI is an ongoing project that requires emotional investment and openness and why it can’t just be operationalized. In this discussion: Why DEI has to be the lens through which you do all things Why DEI can’t be an...