Hey there! Today we’re hosting my very good friend Tajahn Wilson. Tajahn and I discuss why we wish people would ask how we feel more, our preference for deep & emotional conversations, and how we’ve been flourishing since nurturing our sensitive side. We relate over the hypercriticism we dealt with in childhood, being in competition with siblings for resources & attention, and reckoning our parent’s expectations of us with our personal desires. We get to the bottom of why Tajahn is actually in college, and he opens up about his recovery since being hit by a car in 2020.
This episode felt like drinking from cold water on a hot summer day: wayyy more refreshing than I expected it to be. I love Tajahn so much and I know you will too! Until next time, bye for now.
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Hello! And welcome to Wish You Were Here: the show were we open up to each other and cherish human connection. Join me as I connect with the people I love & challenge them to see what’s valuable within themselves. Maybe one day, you’ll be the next guest.
Subscribe & follow this show on whatever platform you’re currently listening and share it with the person you love the most. And make sure you tell them Jai sent you!
Hey there! Today I’m talking with my friend and mentor, Dorothy Colon. We talk about why we like flexing our personal authenticity, why we don’t like being perceived, anxiety disorders, and why Dorothy’s trying to stop being an overthinker. We also get into Dorothy’s experience with pole dancing, how she’s embraced the art form, and how we’re finding safety & comfort in sexuality. This conversation is full of serendipity, and I’m thankful to have found someone I relate to so deeply. I know you’ll enjoy! Until next time, bye for now.
Find Dorothy here:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dapperdiane/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXQUJgO2zwrPqbDulgX7Keg
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Hello! And welcome to Wish You Were Here: the show were we open up to each other and cherish human connection. Join me as I connect with the people I love & challenge them to see what’s valuable within themselves. Maybe one day, you’ll be the next guest.
Subscribe & follow this show on whatever platform you’re currently listening and share it with the person you love the most. And make sure you tell them Jai sent you!
I am delighted and so thrilled to share this next guest with you. Today I’m hosting my dear friend and SPARK baby, Te’Aja McCoy! We discuss the SPARK retreat & the benefits of deep emotional connection, the loneliness we experience in college (and relying on connection for our survival), the hoops she had to jump through to make college a reality for herself, and how Te’Aja got a full ride to 22 colleges and universities!
Te’Aja talks about the inseparable bond she shares with her grandfather, what it’s been like to be away from him since being in school, and the difficult reckoning that comes with losing loved ones. This episode stands out as a favorite for me because of Te’Aja’s incredible storytelling, and it’s definitely one you don’t want to miss. I love y’all! And I’ll be talking to you soon, bye for now.
Find Te'Aja here:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/brwngirlt/
Her poetry account: https://www.instagram.com/thegirlwhowritesshit/
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Hello! And welcome to Wish You Were Here: the show were we open up to each other and cherish human connection. Join me as I connect with the people I love & challenge them to see what’s valuable within themselves. Maybe one day, you’ll be the next guest.
Subscribe & follow this show on whatever platform you’re currently listening and share it with the person you love the most. And make sure you tell them Jai sent you!
Hello everyone! Our next guest is my friend, Kayla Brown. Kayla and I discuss why we’ve been needing to relax more, why we keep waking up with a strange sense of impending doom, and how we tune into our bodies when we need to release stress. We hypothesize about the concept of reincarnation, death, and not understanding what happens to our essence once we pass away. I explore some lessons I’ve learned since losing my father, and we reminiscence about our loved one’s that have passed away.
I’m so appreciative of Kayla’s vulnerability and willingness to ask some really big questions with me. Conversations like this are a great reminder to always be considering new perspectives, so I hope you take a lot from it! Until next week, bye for now.
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Hello! And welcome to Wish You Were Here: the show were we open up to each other and cherish human connection. Join me as I connect with the people I love & challenge them to see what’s valuable within themselves. Maybe one day, you’ll be the next guest.
Subscribe & follow this show on whatever platform you’re currently listening and share it with the person you love the most. And make sure you tell them Jai sent you!
https://www.instagram.com/wishyouwereherepodcast
Happy Tuesday folks. Today I am joined by my friend Benecia! We discuss her deep love of dogs (and how they help her stay calm), how she processes and copes with anxiety, what physical sensations that come with anxiety, and the stress of planning for the future. Benecia talks about the competitiveness of dance and what draws her to the sport, the distinction between dance as art and dance as competition, why we (the audience) should be looking to feel what a dancer is creating for us, and the importance of setting herself apart in dancing (by giving every move her own unique flair).
We explore why Benecia goes to sleep and wakes up to television, her recent interest in Real Housewives of Potomac, and why we like to narrate television shows & movies as we watch them. She also gets vulnerable as she expresses gratitude for her mother, explores the grudges that exist within her family and why she’s working on letting stuff go. I loved this conversation because of how much we relate to one another’s emotional experiences, it truly was a pleasure having her in this space. Enjoy this episode! Bye for now.
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Hello! And welcome to Wish You Were Here: the show were we open up to each other and cherish human connection. Join me as I connect with the people I love & challenge them to see what’s valuable within themselves. Maybe one day, you’ll be the next guest.
Subscribe & follow this show on whatever platform you’re currently listening and share it with the person you love the most. And make sure you tell them Jai sent you!
https://www.instagram.com/wishyouwereherepodcast
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We need to talk... Call the show now at (984) 884-6361.
Start your free trial of Audible books today using this link: www.audibletrial.com/jai. For every free trial created, the show makes $15. So please help us out!
Our next guest is my friend (and resident fly girl✨) Maha Ballard! We discuss the impact Maha’s family has on her life (and what it’s like growing up with 7 siblings), her being exposed to many different ethnicities inside her household, why we can’t decide if we want to have kids, and admitting that we do not, in fact, work best under pressure. She digs into the aftermath of her junior year of college and how she reoriented her life to be more meaningful, the imposter syndrome she’s dealing with (and overcoming), and how much FOMO comes with being a college student.
Maha explains why she began romanticizing the mundane moments of her life, why there is value in taking things slow, and why she takes care to be thoughtful with her words. We express our love of North Carolina and why we don't mind living here, some things in our life bringing us joy, and we take a few moments to express gratitude for the struggles and triumphs we’ve overcome in our lives. This conversation was simply fantastic and a perfect example of the connection I hope to develop through this show. I love Maha and I love YOU for listening. Hope you all enjoy.
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Hello! And welcome to Wish You Were Here: the show were we open up to each other and cherish human connection. Join me as I connect with the people I love & challenge them to see what’s valuable within themselves. Maybe one day, you’ll be the next guest.
Subscribe & follow this show on whatever platform you’re currently listening and share it with the person you love the most. And make sure you tell them Jai sent you!
https://www.instagram.com/wishyouwereherepodcast
We need to talk... Call the show now at (984) 884-6361.
Hiya everybody! Please help me welcome our next guest to the show, Diana Debnam. Join us as we discuss the unexpected benefits that come from getting older, learning to manage the expectations we have of ourselves and others, her family dynamic growing up in Fayetteville, her close relationship with her sister, and her family’s connection to religion.
Diana explains why she values honesty and authenticity in her relationships, why she feels drawn to the healthcare field, and how she dealt with her paranoia regarding catching COVID-19. She also shares the impact of growing up in a predominately white school (particularly during the 2020 presidential election), her plans for navigating post-grad life, and we gush briefly over our love of sports.
I really enjoyed getting to know Diana and was happy to hear how much we relate to one another. Make sure you kick back, relax, and savor this laid-back episode of WYWH. I’ll talk to you next week!
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Hello! And welcome to Wish You Were Here: the show were we open up to each other and cherish human connection. Join me as I connect with the people I love & challenge them to see what’s valuable within themselves. Maybe one day, you’ll be the next guest.
Subscribe & follow this show on whatever platform you’re currently listening and share it with the person you love the most. And make sure you tell them Jai sent you!
https://www.instagram.com/wishyouwereherepodcast
We need to talk... Call the show now at (984) 884-6361.
Happy holidays! This is our final episode in season 1, and it's definitely one with a lot to teach you. Today I'm talking with my former middle school classmate and friend, Carmen Walker.
Carmen & I discuss why she strives to finish what she starts, why it's hard for her to ask for help, the role her family plays as her primary support system, and how we deal with the external pressures from those closest to us. Carmen offers advice on incorporating planning into your everyday routine, prioritizing what makes you feel good, and we explore self-fulfillment as the primary theme in each of our lives.
I have no doubt that you'll walk away with a few gems of your own. Thank YOU for tuning each to each episode this season, y'all's consistency is noticed and appreciated by me. I love you! Stay tuned for season 2 of Wish You Were Here to premiere on January 11. Bye for now.
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Hey there, it's Jai! I've been waiting for you to join me. Welcome to Wish You Were Here, the podcast where we open to each other and cherish human connection. What if I asked, what is it like to be you? Do you know what you'd say?
The guests you'll here from are the people that I most love and adore, and together we explore that very question. Maybe one day you will be next. Now, it's time to dig a little deeper.
https://www.instagram.com/wishyouwereherepodcast
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Music from Free To Use Music Track: Kicktracks - Living For You
Good morning and good evening y'all! Today we have a very special guest (and one of the show's BIGGEST fans), Tú Uyên Nguyen! Tú Uyên and I discuss the ways we invest in our younger peers, what we have to offer in a mentor/mentee relationship, using intentionality and authenticity as a form of self care, our opinions on using Instagram to express our feelings, and aligning our use of time with our priorities.
We hear about how Tú Uyên's childhood life compares to the lives of her parents, her family immigrating to the US from Vietnam (we speculate on the reasoning behind one's decision to emigrate and dealing with discrimination upon arrival), and why she loves cooking for her friends (Tú Uyên notes that in Vietnamese, you say 'I love you' through food). We both open up about our experiences with grief and how death changes our perceptions of the world.
This conversation was so fun-loving and supportive, and I am honored to be sharing it with you all. I hope you enjoy! I love you, and bye for now.
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Hey there, it's Jai! I've been waiting for you to join me. Welcome to Wish You Were Here, the podcast where we open to each other and cherish human connection. What if I asked, what is it like to be you? Do you know what you'd say?
The guests you'll here from are the people that I most love and adore, and together we explore that very question. Maybe one day you will be next. Now, it's time to dig a little deeper.
https://www.instagram.com/wishyouwereherepodcast
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Music from Free To Use Music Track: Kicktracks - Living For You
Hey there! I’m very excited to share with you our next guest and my friend, Julie Kim. Julie joins me as we explore our love of writing (and shared experiences in two creative writing courses at UNC), the way she characterizes her personality (and why she considers herself a 'careful' person), why she loves to ask people questions about themselves, her childhood and life experiences growing up, and her relationship to spirituality. Julie and I compare our enneagram types and astrological signs. We open about our experiences with race in America and the unspoken truths that people of color navigate. Julie tells us why she embraces failure in her life, and I learn that she is a dancer! I hope you can relax and enjoy this chat, it truly was a pleasure. Talk soon.
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Hey there, it's Jai! I've been waiting for you to join me. Welcome to Wish You Were Here, the podcast where we open to each other and cherish human connection. What if I asked, what is it like to be you? Do you know what you'd say?
The guests you'll here from are the people that I most love and adore, and together we explore that very question. Maybe one day you will be next. Now, it's time to dig a little deeper.
https://www.instagram.com/wishyouwereherepodcast
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Music from Free To Use Music Track: Kicktracks - Living For You
Hey there! The best part of this show has been speaking with people who listen as well as they share, and our next guest is no different. Today we've got my good friend, Maxwell Morant. We discuss our love of The Midnight Gospel, Max's exploration of multiple faiths and forms of spirituality, why it's important to him to be seen as a good listener, using breath control and mindfulness to deal with overthinking, and we explore Max's pragmatism (and why he always considers the consequences and implications of his actions). Max opens up about the gratitude he has for his parents, and we recall our past episode with Ty Clayton and the connections he and Max share. We also talk about his membership in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and why he communicates and works so well with his brothers. I LOVED this conversation and I know you will too. I love you and I'll talk to you soon.
*Sidenote: On December 4th, 2021 Maxwell & the men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. will be celebrating 115 years of brotherhood and service. Please join me in wishing them a Happy Founders Day!
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Hey there, it's Jai! I've been waiting for you to join me. Welcome to Wish You Were Here, the podcast where we open to each other and cherish human connection. What if I asked, what is it like to be you? Do you know what you'd say?
The guests you'll here from are the people that I most love and adore, and together we explore that very question. Maybe one day you will be next. Now, it's time to dig a little deeper.
https://www.instagram.com/wishyouwereherepodcast
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Music from Free To Use Music Track: Kicktracks - Living For You
Hello there!!! I've never been more excited to share an episode than I am today. Our next guest is Janora McDuffie. She is an actress (with appearances on Grey's Anatomy, 24, This Is Us, & Criminal Minds), voiceover artist, host, and speaker. I first met Janora last year when she spoke with the UNC-Chapel Hill 2023 Cohort of NC Fellows; I left that conversation knowing two things for certain: a) Janora is one of the most AMAZING storytellers I've ever heard and b) she's truly embraced being a co-creator in her life.
Join Janora and I as we discuss her childhood growing up in Durham, N.C., how she ended up at UNC as a Morehead-Cain Scholar (and her membership in Order of the Golden Fleece and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.), & her pandemic experience in California. We open up about feelings of unworthiness and how we show ourselves that we are enough just as we are. Janora gets real about what it's like being in an interracial marriage and what it means to be married to a police officer. She opens up about her connections to Robin Roberts & Lisa Nichols as we explore where Janora’s true passions and talents lie.
This episode is full of so much fun, laughter, and fascinating discovery -- you won't want to miss any of it. I love you! Thanks for listening & bye for now.
Find Janora Here:
https://www.instagram.com/jmcdeezie/
https://janoramcduffie.com
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Hey there, it's Jai! I've been waiting for you to join me. Welcome to Wish You Were Here, the podcast where we open to each other and cherish human connection. What if I asked, what is it like to be you? Do you know what you'd say? The guests you'll here from are the people that I most love and adore, and together we explore that very question. Maybe one day you will be next. Now, it's time to dig a little deeper. https://www.instagram.com/wishyouwereherepodcast
Music from Free To Use Music Track: Kicktracks - Living For You https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84wNWdDZvls
We need to talk...call or text (984) 884-6361 and let me know: how you been feeling this month?
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Hey there, it's Jai! I've been waiting for you to join me. Welcome to Wish You Were Here, the podcast where we open to each other and cherish human connection. What if I asked, what is it like to be you? Do you know what you'd say?
The guests you'll here from are the people that I most love and adore, and together we explore that very question. Maybe one day you will be next. Now, it's time to dig a little deeper.
https://www.instagram.com/wishyouwereherepodcast
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Music from Free To Use Music Track: Kicktracks - Living For You
Hello there! Today I have the pleasure of speaking with my friend, Corinne Pickering. Cori & I discuss her life growing up with twin sister (and what it’s been like to be away from her), her experiences at UNC and why the spring 2021 semester was so emotional for her, and why Cori values her friendships and connections so deeply. She & I gush over our love of podcasts, and I found out that Cori is a fan of the show! I really enjoyed this conversation and I know you will too. Bye for now.
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Hey there, it's Jai! I've been waiting for you to join me. Welcome to Wish You Were Here, the podcast where we open to each other and cherish human connection. What if I asked, what is it like to be you? Do you know what you'd say?
The guests you'll here from are the people that I most love and adore, and together we explore that very question. Maybe one day you will be next. Now, it's time to dig a little deeper.
https://www.instagram.com/wishyouwereherepodcast
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Music from Free To Use Music Track: Kicktracks - Living For You
Ayo!! Glad to be checking in again. Today I got to talk with the marvelous Maria Summers. We got into her childhood and our reviews of growing up in Greensboro, N.C., what people misunderstand about the first-generation college student experience, what it’s really like to lose weight, how weight loss further complicated her relationship to her body, what she experienced studying abroad in South Korea, and her desire to become an influencer (along with her fashion Instagram page @genzelevated).
I’m so grateful to know Maria! I love how her laugh and energy are so contagious. She’s someone who has had a very clear and positive impact on the people around her. You’ll definitely love Maria and our lovely conversation. I’ll talk to you soon! Bye for now.
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Hey there, it's Jai! I've been waiting for you to join me. Welcome to Wish You Were Here, the podcast where we open to each other and cherish human connection. What if I asked, what is it like to be you? Do you know what you'd say?
The guests you'll here from are the people that I most love and adore, and together we explore that very question. Maybe one day you will be next. Now, it's time to dig a little deeper.
https://www.instagram.com/wishyouwereherepodcast
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Music from Free To Use Music Track: Kicktracks - Living For You
