🎧 Tune in for an episode about Relationship + Culture
👩🏽🤝👩🏻 A + V talk about their relationship outlooks using their *current* experiences.
☕️ A gives the tea on her third date (spoiler alert: it was impressive 🥹✨) and V shares a little about her Telugu culture and a lot about her first experience with Therapy 👥
you'll want our autograph by the end of this episode 👀
no seriously, thanks for joining us on this ride. we'll see you in season 4
xoxo - A and V out
Time Stamps: (FYI: stamps are rough estimates)
0:08 — ASMR ft. Lacroix
0:39 — V doesn’t have cashapp—so here’s her venmo: @Vennela_vellanki
1:07 — intro
1:40 — check in: one wise thing we’ve heard/read?
5:44 — V reflects on A’s share
6:42 — I’m sorry mom. xo -A
7:15 — V shared her check in quote
8:32 — savor any summer sadness
10:35 — sadness vs. indifference
11:37 - V pretending like she’s not part of the “generation these days”
12:44 — What happened in August? The run down
13:15 — The TEA on Trip #2 to see Mr. Miami
14:33 — A takes the TEA to therapy
15:30 — V goes to LA
15:12 — Pray for V’s knots and the masseuse
19:09 — Akouo gets a new clinic in Louisiana
20:30 — V the tour guide 📍
22:05 — A’s confession time
23:00 — Food makes A happy 🥘
23:23 — A meets the parents
25:55 — “the famous Adah”
26:42 — hometown interviews, healthcare edition 🏥
31:03 — A’s favorite moment visiting V
32:06 — V picks the food, A eats it
32:50 — V’s impressed A can put the food down
30:30 — V’s southern accent comes out + V taps in to her inner Oprah
35:45 — what it means to be heard 👂🏽
(43—driving scene—is this too loud?)
36:30 — small town feels
36:56 — The story behind the name AKOUO and what it means
37:40 — OUR VIRAL MOMENT @ PJ’s 🌎
38:15 — V goes to MICHIGAN w/ A
39:41 — A + V biggest concern about spending time together
40:25 — OUR TEA after spending 2 weeks together
41:38 — V is 23 NOT 32
41:44 — A takes care of V
42:43 — NY V vs. MI V
43: 50 — Welcome to Lansing, V tells all: her *almost* car crash confession
44:40 — “She gon’ learn today…”
44:33 — A + V: the honeymoon was over 🎬
48:? — V gets excited to spill the TEA on living with A
49:17 — “people who know me already know…” -A ****
49: 30 — the SASS begins
52:01 — there’s strength in weakness
56:42 — mom and dad, listen to V spill the tea on church
58:50 — A talks about her #delulu after a break up
1:01 - V’s confession corner: we lost track of what number this one is
1:06 — THE LAYERS of unspoken concerns EXPOSED
1:12:50 — the TEA on our 1st big fight
1:18:00 — golden nugget: the solulu to A’s delulu
1:18:25 — the one thing we do NOT do is… 🚫
1:21:40 — the end of an era for A
1:23:10 — our newfound realization ✨
1:25:57 — persuasion, starring A 🎭
1:27:00 — golden nugget: he power of choosing unconditional love
1:28: 45 — the shameless plug; follow us
Cringe, this one's a doozy! #bestintentions but also be real with yourself because we're sure you will probably relate
Time Stamps: (FYI: stamps are rough estimates)
0:30 - V shares her thoughts on living and dying
2:11 - interrupted by a RUDE motorcyclist + PSA: in a new recording “studio”
03:11 - A’s reflection on the paradox
05:51 - Golden nugget: the more you live, the more you got to lose
08:16 - realizing that we got deep real fast, no check-in necessary!
09:10 - what happened in July: feel free to do the dishes and get your oil changed during this
10:40 - ft. Cop car 🚓
11:10 - Siri spills the tea on Mr. Miami…in front of A’s mom (it’s family friendly don’t worry) 🫢
14:33 - mind yo’ business Siri
15:35 - Mr. Miami makes an appearance in Lansing…at A’s family reunion!
18:18 - V and her never-ending bootcamps
19:52 - A and Mr. Miami: but A just wants tah have fun
20:55 - V to A: Ah, to be young and in love… 🥰
23:30 - A and V relationship realities
24:43 - sorry Jesus, my parents are here
25:30 - A realizing, “relationships are tough” 🥵
28:54 - I want him and I don’t 🫠
29:40 - good morning texts are actually lazy…bring in the video messages, step it up folks
30:35 - yellow flags
32:15 - why be vulnerable to something that might be fleeting?
33:05 - what does best intentions really mean?
35:00 - A dealing with her many versions+communication is 🔑, as they always say
36:35 - Save your flags for your therapist ⛳️
38:05 - this isn’t a game
39:29 - no V is not high here…she’s just on another wave length…go with it
40:57 - partner vs. family
43:27 - shifting gears a bit: we got accepted to present at IIRP! (Technically in August)
44:40 - V completely ignores A and continues to mess up the timeline…but is in rant mode
44:55 - it’s all about the money, money, money
45:42 - sponsorship requests—seriously, if you wanna sponsor us, or want us to sponsor you….
46:35 - we are our biggest cheerleaders
47:07 - V’s dynamic with the rents
50:25 - V confession corner: privilege check oof…best intentions y’all, pretty please
50:57 - “I have many dollars in my pocket” - cringeworthy content here
54:48 - golden nugget: stop everything and listen!!
57:46 - our parents probably are right
58:42 - 20s are all about investment, and what you invest in is your choice
1:03:16 - realizing that we got a little bit away from July…
1:04:29 - the line between reality and fantasy is blurred for this generation…but this isn’t entirely a bad thing 🤞🏽
1:06:52 - A and V Outro
Bonus: Drinking Game idea — drink every time Adah says no to V in this episode…
Consider this your reward for listening to episode 1: This one's all about the summer feels--full of love, fun, and tea from therapy ;)
Time Stamps: (FYI: stamps are rough estimates)
:00 - getting set up
1:14 - check in with some gratitude — A has a reality check after 3 days with V…yikes
3:00 - TEA from Adah’s therapy
4:00 - A and V get all the chips on the table with a side of salsa
5:04 - and we’re still on Adah’s 3rd reason for gratitude: shoutout to the nieces
6:00 - V’s turn: confession number 3 (see ep 1 for the previous 2)
7:11 - realizing we’re stuck with each other so we gotta have those difficult convos (since we can’t break up)
9:00 - promise we’re almost done cheesing about each other…for now….
10:30 - accepting we needed a long intro so that you could know where we are in our relationship…and how much we love each other
10:55 - we told you this is unedited…
11:15 - V saying a lot of nothing…feel free to day dream here
12:00 - V again with the confessions (#4)
13:00 - shoutout to Kevin again!
13:41 - confessions: we hate finances
14:29 - A gets into it…continue to multitask here; maybe grab some morning coffee or evening tea :)
15:30 - intro to Mr. Miami…the start of summer love
16:00 - shoutout to Gigi! 🫶🏼
17:00 - Mr. Miami got the bag
17:35 - V digging for the TEA
18:00 - A chasing the money… scratch that, memories
19:08 - A at that hotel, motel, holiday inn
20:53 - He got jokes 🤭
21:00 - A—the savior of men 😇
22:17 - A learning that relationships can be friendships ; big girl realization
22:45 - A wants to be wifed up! 👰🏻
23:46 - back with the gratitude: dear God
24:25 - different strokes for different folks…
26:00 - V’s confession #5…she ain’t bitter…
27:30 - why do we like obsessing over high school so much lol
28:30 - back to gratitude…sensing a pattern yet?
30:30 - V’s existential crisis…it’s not always the hormones :/
31:30 - routines are GOOD 👍🏼
32:32 - V spills some TEA
33:25 - relationships = work ? 🚧
35:01 - A and V…same but different
36:30 - so you wanna be an entrepreneur/co-founder?
38:15 - Adah really spills the tea on how much she hates money lol
38:58 - golden nugget: sit down, be humble
40:20 - find friends / mentors in your field!!!
41 - V’s moment: I can be a money gal
42:30 - A and V realize…marriage don’t mean neglecting the 💸
43 - we’re just ordinary people, this time we’ll take it slowwwww
47 - A and V chatting like they’re celebrities already
48 - V’s acceptance: the first time sucks
49:30 - shoutout to all the virtual teachers!
50 - V, the writer
54:00 - PSA to reflect, A and V get preachy…best intentions lol
The start of a journey is always slow and a little unsteady...but stay patient because it only goes up from here!
Time Stamps: (FYI: stamps are rough estimates)
:58 - bare with us we’re trying something new lol…A and V catch up, feel free to multitask here
2:40 - Adah get starstruck by Vennela’s family (sister, cousin, and BF)
3:33 - reflecting on V’s master’s capstone presentation
4:11 - Celebrating from a place of gratitude and honor (one of Adah’s favorite memories)
5:15 - Kairos moment AKA when V asks a question about Adah’s hectic travel schedule that A doesn’t end up answering lol
6:30 - V wishing Adah would pick up the speed because she speaks slowly 🙄
8:25 - WHO CARES?
8:35 - V really trying to close this whole kyros tangent out
9:45 - V reflects on her own summer and realizing that endings…literally mean new beginnings…(not a new concept lol)
11:11 - V flexing and A validating but bringing back the dang kairos moments
11:50 - V describes her presentation in grave detail
12:48 - V accepting that kairos moments exist!
13:38 - A now wondering how long V will talk without actually saying anything
14:00 - A digging for the TEA in V’s work life
15:30 - V discovers another kairos moment! + purpose of this podcast
16:05 - V’s existential crisis with her college friends
17:03 - clearly Adah had no idea where V was all of May 🙄
18:00 - V admitting she’s a tad fake…
19:58 - motivation + gratitude
20:35 - V realizing she’s the greatest gift for this entrepreneur trip and doesn’t know how it could have happened without her
22:? - A sees V and her growth
22:44 - Super Mario makes a guest appearance
23:34 - golden nugget number 1: stop what you’re doing and listen to this
29:29 - A and V visioning how to be co-founders, co-creating their future
30:13 - the need for goals and intentions
30:58 - V’s confession #2 (this one’s a yikes)
31:35 - how do we money??
32:00 - V’s mindset shift….what am I capable of? I’m just…Ken??
32:45 - A wishing V’s parents would set her up
33:35 - V realizes she’s *KENough*
34:55 - reminiscing about a *normal* life
35:40 - A realizing V never fully committed to Akouo till now…
36:06 - V is SHOOKETH 😲
36:46 - Duality
37:20 - real talk with A
37:56 - A’s big sis moment aka, her time to shine, enough with the gloating V
40:27 - A coaching V into realizing another kairos moment! *shoutout to Barry!!!*
41: 37 - A obsessing over her high school work
42:12 - shoutout to seedsofpeace (Gesine!)
43:00 - V’s got enough validation…wrap it up A lol
43:23 - shoutout to Kevin and Jeff!
44:28 - V taking stake of all her different identities
44:55 - golden nugget #2: stop everything and listen!
46:00 - A reflecting on how Akouo has grown…practicing her preaching
47:42 - full circle moment: we really are our parents
48:33 - blessings on blessings on blessings
49:30 - golden nugget #3: stop everything and listen!
52:18 - A finally answering V’s question (from 5:15)!
53:15 - to nap or not?
53:45 - still trying to drag May out
54:03 - shout out to Paige!!!
54:30 - V realizing how aging works
55:00 - A going on another tangent about her last words to V’s dad…wrap it up A
57:00 - we promise it’s almost over
57:18 - A, you already said this
58:27 - isn’t this exactly what A already said?
59:30 - congratulations, you made it through May! Continue listening for our mission and vision and see you in June!
Welcome to the Tea with A and V. We're your hosts, Adah and Vennela, coming at you from Lutcher to Lansing with our first ever unscripted, un-edited, and recorded in-person SEASON 3!
Listen to each episode one by one or back to back! This season (or album, as we'd like to call it) is all about what happened in summer, what we faced, who we loved, and how we grew (as individuals and as co-founders).
We lean into vulnerability and share our stories in hopes that you feel a little less alone and a little more relieved while hearing us balance the complexities of who we are and how we show up.
So pull out those reminder lists and follow us on Insta, FB, and Tik Tok to keep up with all our updates!
Album drop: September 8
For more information on who we are and what we do, check out our company website: www.akouoconsulting.com
When do you feel tension in your everyday?
How often do you wonder about what others are up to, what they are thinking, feeling, doing, experiencing? Do you find yourself being curious or skeptical about their intentions?
Press play and listen to A and V talk about the power of being curious in their final episode for this season. You’ll hear them story-tell about the impact curiosity has had on them individually and why curiosity is a pillar of Akouo. Together they’ll share how leaning into curiosity has allowed them to have difficult conversations within themselves and with each other.
Takeaways:
• Curiosity is the birthplace of understanding, compassion, and empathy.
• Remain curious if you want to see a change in yourself and those around you.
• Curiosity is looking at people through the lens of hope.
• Practicing curiosity can be an antidote to feelings of anxiousness.
In this episode, A and V discuss why the conflict between Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez has gotten so much attention and what insights it has provided for V herself.
Whether you’re up to date on the drama or not, once you listen, you’ll walk away with a new perspective on viewing the content on your social media feed.
This episode encourages listeners to notice what gets their attention and what needs might be met by their feed's content. Getting to know the world around you can be fun, but getting to know yourself can be healing.
🚨Spoiler Alert 🚨
We give away a lot of details so be advised.
We’re back at it again to talk about You (Netflix) season four, through the lens of a listener. We may not be psychologists or therapists but we are listeners and we made sure to not only approach this season as a viewer, but also consider how the show was impacting us internally.
Press play and listen to us delve in to the following takeaways:
To gain a better understanding of the episode here is a list of helpful terms we use and how we define those terms:
Duality: When two contradicting or different emotions, ideas, thoughts, or identities exist at the same time.
Identity: It's who you are; how you view yourself; the roles you play in relationships with others. How you define yourself. The adjectives you would use to describe yourself to another
Narrative: The story you tell yourself about others and the world around you. The story you tell yourself about yourself.
Savior Complex: When someone believes that they must sacrifice themselves (could be mentally, emotionally, physically, or in terms of their resources) on behalf of another without necessarily the consent of the person or people they are trying to save.
Victim Mentality: When someone thinks or feels that bad things keep happening to them, and are unable to see the role they play. So, they refuse to take ownership and only blame others and outside circumstances.
Witnessing: When you observe an individual's thoughts, reflections, and ideas while suspending judgment. It is the space where you acknowledge and allow another to be human while meeting them with Grace, Mercy, Kindness, and Gentleness (GMKG). This means any response you give to the person who is sharing must come from a place of GMKG. The focus is on the other person and not yourself.
Have you ever wondered if the choices you make give you energy?
Maybe you’ve noticed certain things drain your energy?
Perhaps you've struggled with sticking to your goals or felt guilty when you don’t meet them.
We've been there, too. And we recently stumbled upon some insight that's given us clarity.
We are big believers in learning through reflection and conversation with other people who might relate or provide different perspectives---it's helped us learn more about ourselves in the process. Press play and listen up as we share, explore, and reflect on our takeaways from an episode from On Purpose with Jay Shetty where he interviews Marianna Hewitt, founder of Summer Fridays.
Sneak Peak at what we learned:
1. Everything we do gives us something, and how we process it is up to us
2. It’s important to pay attention to and distinguish between your energy drainers and energy givers
3. Goals are what you get out of something, and intentions are what you put into something
4. You'll have to listen for this one ;)
To find the podcast episode we are reflecting on, click here: https://youtu.be/NZZ0A0OWlkE
This episode is short and sweet with a ton of substance. Adah and Vennela share how being restorative doesn’t mean just being understanding of others, it’s actually about creating space for all— including yourself.
Press play and remember to to rate, leave a review, and share this episode with someone you’re close to in your community
How do you define love? How about forgiveness? Are your definitions similar or different from those of the people around you?
Inspired by Jay Shetty’s 8 Rules of Love, Adah and Vennela ponder these very questions on air.
Listen and discover how their definitions were molded from a young age, differ from each other, and are still being shaped as they continue to grow.
Has your mind ever been blown by an experience that made you confront a part of yourself that you would rather avoid?
Do you find yourself assuming the worst when deep down you really want to practice best intentions?
Living in NYC has had its perks for A and V, but sometimes it brings out these extremely crappy feelings. Listen as Adah and Vennela discuss the thought process that goes on in V’s mind after an unexpected encounter with a stranger.
You’ll learn why our minds bombard us with fear and why those fears turn to unimaginable thoughts.
And we’ll teach you how to make peace with yourself and prepare for those unexpected but inevitable moments.
Press play and gain a new perspective on why you do what you do. Who knows, you might even identify some boundaries of your own
Is the thing that makes you successful also the thing that gets you in conflict?
From boomers to zoomers, we’re all navigating similar life’s questions, and yet showing up differently. Why is that?
Press play and listen up as Adah and Vennela, a millennial and gen Zer, open up about their experiences. You’ll hear them share their observations and reflections on their values and identity, while also exploring how vulnerability can serve as a strength, but comes with a cost.
Human-beings are complex. We can have multiple emotions existing at the same time. This also means that one person can also make us feel so many different things: proud, happy, excited, and even hurt.
In this episode, Vennela shares with us how a conversation with her father impacted her thoughts, and how her thoughts influenced her feelings, which then got transferred to her boyfriend. So, if you’ve ever felt an emotional hangover after treating someone you care for with not-the-best-intentions, then you’re in the right place.
Listen as we explore the realities of life, love, and the little versions of us that throw tantrums.
Seconds anyone?
We’re back and ready to serve up the tea once again. Listen as we apply our conflict resolution skills to the shows we watch, books we read, and lives we live.
Cheers!
How does Akouo compare to therapy?
In this bonus episode, A and V interview Nnamdi, one of Vennela’s close friends and a client of Akouo. Nnamdi has been with us since the fall of 2021 and was wiling to open up and share with our listeners about what his experience has been like with his 1:1 sessions. So, if you been on the fence about checking out our services or are curious about how these conversations go, then this is the episode for you.
For more information or to schedule your free 30-minute intake, visit www.akouoconsulting.com, and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram (@Akouo Consulting).
Have you ever watched a show and had it resonate with something so deep within you that it made you reflect on your own life? In this episode A + V talk about Love, but not the kind that you are thinking of--nope. They talk about Love from the Netflix series, ‘You’. So, press play and prepare yourself as you get a front row seat to a conversation where A + V delve into why Love is relatable. You’ll hear them spill the tea on the good, the lovely, and the ugly. You’ll also learn about the Four Phases of the Human Experience and how we live through it on the daily, without even realizing.
And don’t worry if you’ve never seen the show because they give a brief description of the scene without ruining the entire thing (just in case you want to watch it). For more information on what we do at Akouo, visit www.akouoconsulting.com, and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram (@akouoconsulting).
Like what you’re hearing so far? Podcast episode ideas or general feedback? Click HERE to share your thoughts.
* This episode was inspired by a debriefing session that V and I had while we were both binge watching You.
From democracy to conflict style, listen and learn more about Peter Arvo, the newest member of Akouo Consulting. Peter brings a unique perspective to Akouo and we’re so excited to introduce him to our listeners even when his responses totally and completely catch your hosts, A & V, off guard. As the first interview episode, brace yourself for a complex yet meaningful conversation with a dash of humor. You’ll want to listen to the whole episode–especially the ending. We guarantee you’ll laugh and crave for more…Good thing this is just part one of a two part series. Be on the lookout for a follow up episode in March where we’ll dive a little deeper into the last question: what’s one thing you want to tell our listeners about conflict. For more information on what we do at Akouo, visit www.akouoconsulting.com, and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram (@akouoconsulting).
Like what you’re hearing so far? Podcast episode ideas or general feedback? Click HERE to share your thoughts.
It’s the difference between leaning in to challenges and avoiding them. Listen as your hosts describe the concept of a growth mindset, coined by psychologist Carol Dweck, how it shows up in their life, and why it’s relevant to conflict resolution. Hear Vennela talk about her journey from fixed mindset to growth mindset and how having the right community and support around her of like-minded individuals helps her maintain it. Adah shares how she had the support and community but needed to make a choice, and was only able to make that choice after a ‘Storge Strategy’ session. For more information on what we do at Akouo, visit www.akouoconsulting.com, and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram (@akouoconsulting).
Definition of growth-mindset taken from: https://www.edglossary.org/growth-mindset/
Like what you’re hearing so far? Podcast episode ideas or general feedback? Click HERE to share your thoughts.
