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I was talking with a doctor friend, my bestie, and she reminded me of something both humbling and empowering: eating unprocessed foods, exercising, and reducing the toxins on your body does not guarantee you’ll never get sick. Diseases like cancer can develop for many reasons—genetics, environment, age, or purely unknown factors.

But here’s the important part: living a non-toxic lifestyle puts your body in the strongest possible position to fight back. It doesn’t promise immunity, but it builds resilience. And resilience is everything.

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The danger of always saying yes is that it slowly teaches you to disappear. Every time you say yes when your whole body is saying no, you’re prioritizing someone else’s desire over your own. On the surface it looks kind, generous, or accommodating. But underneath, it’s often rooted in fear—fear of disappointing someone, fear of conflict, fear of what might shift if you simply said, “No, that doesn’t work for me.”

For a long time, I said yes because I didn’t want to hurt someone else’s feelings. I assumed that my no would somehow damage the relationship, create tension, or make me seem selfish. But what I eventually realized is that constantly saying yes is its own quiet form of self-abandonment. It teaches the people around you that your time, your energy, and your peace are always available for the taking. And the hard truth is that when you do that long enough, you start to believe it too.

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Parenting has been one of the wildest, sweetest, most humbling experiments of my life. I only have a 4- and 6-year-old, so I’m nowhere near “expert” status—far from it. But I’ve gotten a few clear wins, and honestly, I want to share them because parenting can be hard, and when something actually works? I’m shouting it from the rooftops.

First big win: my kids clean their own bathroom. And they do it without fussing. A mom once asked me how I pulled that off, and I realized it’s because I give them agency. I let them know what needs to get done and by when—sometimes by the end of the day, sometimes by a certain hour—but I don’t stand over them demanding they do it right that second. And I let them do it by themselves, I’m not standing over them correcting them. They get to think of the best way to get the job done and do it! My kids like to feel like they have a say. If they think they’re making the choice, everything goes smoother. I’ve learned that for them, timing is everything.

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For years, people swore meditation was the key to inner peace, but the moment I sat down, closed my eyes, and tried to “empty my mind,” my thoughts went full dissertation. I wasn’t drifting into bliss; I was mentally reorganizing closets, replaying conversations from three years ago, planning things to do with my sons, remembering I needed to text someone back, and wondering why my foot suddenly itched. Traditional sit-still meditation? Absolutely not. My mind was doing laps.

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I’ve been thinking a lot about what it really means to live wholistically, and for me, that journey has become increasingly uncomfortable over the past few years. Wellness has been swallowed up by capitalism, turning practices meant to free us into products meant to be sold. And while BLK + GRN was created to offer safer, healthier options, I’ve struggled deeply with the psychology behind encouraging people to “buy now” when so many are navigating real financial crises.

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Ganiyat Salami is a visionary entrepreneur and the creative force behind ÈYÍ DÁRA, a premium hair care brand redefining what it means to care for textured and natural hair. With a Master’s in Applied Molecular Biology and an MBA, Ganiyat brings together scientific precision and business insight to craft luxurious, natural products that honor the beauty and versatility of Black hair.

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Monique Kofsky, biochemist, mom, and founder of Butter & Lye, started her skincare brand with a clear mission: to create safe, effective products for people who were tired of misleading labels and harmful ingredients. After reading numerous articles about personal care products marketed to Black women, Monique realized that many of these products contained harmful or undisclosed ingredients. Frustrated by the lack of trustworthy options, she asked herself a simple question: why was she still putting these products on her body? Unable to find solutions she could fully trust, she decided to create her own.

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Natasha Norris is not just a skincare entrepreneur—she is a trailblazer, a veteran, and a champion for self-care and empowerment. After dedicating 26 years of her life to serving in the U.S. Navy, Natasha faced a personal challenge that would shape the next chapter of her life: struggling with problematic skin and the impact it had on her confidence. She realized firsthand how much our skin affects not just our appearance but also how we feel about ourselves. From this experience, Skincare by CMG was born—a plant-based skincare line rooted in healing, self-love, and empowerment.

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Founded by Haitian professional cosmetologist Francisca Francois, Aeva Beauty was born from over a decade of hands-on experience in the beauty industry and a deep desire to fill a glaring gap. After more than ten years behind the chair and beauty counters, Francisca saw what so many women with deep melanin tones already knew—there simply weren’t enough products that truly celebrated and complemented their skin.

That realization became her motivation. In 2018, Aeva Beauty came to life—an inclusive beauty brand dedicated to dark-skinned Black women. For Francisca, Aeva Beauty isn’t just a brand—it’s a mission, a movement, and a love letter to the richness of deep complexions that deserve to be represented, celebrated, and catered to with care.

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Beauty is more than skin deep—it reflects how people care for themselves, their health, and their communities. Joy of Beauty was founded with this philosophy at its core, creating products thoughtfully formulated for sensitive skin and health-conscious individuals, including those living with chronic illnesses, diabetes, or sensitivities to harsh chemicals.

Because the skin is the body’s largest organ, it absorbs much of what it comes in contact with. Many conventional skincare products contain harmful ingredients that can disrupt the body’s natural balance, affect mood, and cause irritation or health concerns—especially for those who are health-sensitive. Joy of Beauty offers a safer alternative. Every product is made from natural, plant-based ingredients that nourish and support a cleaner, more balanced lifestyle.