Ep. 29 | Podcast Updates & Mental Health Awareness Month Insights

We're all about connecting and growing as a collective, so we're rolling out the red carpet for your voice to be heard—quite literally—with our new voice messaging feature. And if typing is more your thing, hit us up with a text through Buzzsprout's new FanMail feature; your insights may just star in our future episodes!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month so, have you taken the time to check-in with yourself and your community? Let's talk about it.

- Read this episode's blog post!
- Watch this episode on YouTube!

Recommended listen: [Solo Episode] Mental Health Check-In: Challenges of Entrepreneurship and Life Updates (Part 1) by Balanced Black Girl

Are you a creative, solopreneur or entrepreneur who’d like to be featured on The Prolific Hub Podcast? Let us know here!

Snag a discount on Aliya’s favorite brands with these Referral Codes

Theme Music:
She No Dull Beat by Nana Kwabena
Festivities in Belize by RAGE Productions

Chapters

• 1:31 Podcast Update and Interaction Features
• 20:08 Exploring EMDR Therapy Experience

Transcript

Aliya Cheyanne: 1:31

Hey friends, aaliyah Cheyenne here. Welcome back to the Prolific Hub podcast. And why did I just do that, oh gosh. Anyway, today is going to be super quick, super short, more of a bonus episode than a full one. I'm excited to share some updates with you, just about different areas of the show, what's upcoming, and then we're going to touch a little bit on mental health month, because May is mental health month. So this is just a quick, solo episode to share some exciting updates with you.

Aliya Cheyanne: 2:08

As you know, I am always, always, always asking for folks to engage with the show. I want to hear your feedback. If it's great and positive, I love that. If you have constructive criticism about how the show could be better, I want to hear that too, and I'm always looking for more ways to interact and connect so that I can hear more from all of you who are tuning in and listening. So yeah, so I've talked about our podcasting host platform in the past, called Buzzsprout. They're a really great hosting platform for independent podcasts, and by hosting I mean basically, the way that it works is that you upload your show to a hosting platform and they then distribute the show to different places that folks can listen to it, whether that's Spotify, whether that's Apple Podcasts, whether that's directly through the hosting platform, buzzsprout, and there are a bunch of other platforms available for folks to listen to podcasts. So, yeah, so when I say hosting platform, that's what I mean, and yeah, they're a really great platform and they've introduced a new tool that I'm super excited about called Fanmail.

Aliya Cheyanne: 3:30

So with Fanmail, it allows listeners the ability to text the show text, the host. The way that it works is, if you look in the episode description for this show, you'll see a link that says send us a text, and you'll be able to click that and it'll open your messaging app and you'll be able to write a text like you would normally to anyone else and send that into the show. The little pop-up that comes up when you hit that link is an ID number that the platform uses to identify this specific show, and they have some pre-populated text in there that says do not remove. That's very important, don't remove it. That's very important, don't remove it. It's a way to link your text message with this specific show. So if you do remove that, I won't get it. So keep that in. Send your message On my end. I'll be able to see it when I log into Buzzsprout and I won't see your full phone number, I'll see the last four digits. I won't know who you are unless you say hi, my name is so-and-so. But I will be able to see your message and I will be able to respond to it on the show. So I'm super excited about that feature. I tested it out for myself just to kind of see what it looks like for someone texting, what it looks like for me on the back end, and it's super cool. It's another way to interact, you know, if any other way hasn't felt doable or possible, like sending a text is super easy. So I hope to hear from you all like I would love, love, love, to get some messages. Let me know what you think about the show, the direction that we've taken, and just any feedback you have about any of your favorite episodes, any constructive criticism you have about how to make the show even better, some other things you'd want to hear, maybe some things you miss about past episodes. I haven't been doing segments as much and that's something that we used to do on the show in the past and I've been thinking about ways to bring that back. Of course, I've pivoted to solo episodes and interviews with special guests, and I think, for the most part, that format will continue, but I'm very curious about any other just feedback. You have thoughts, encouragement, tips, tricks, anything. So please feel free to send notes in if and when you can, if and when you want to. And again, you can look in the episode description of this episode and you'll see a link that says send us a text and that's how you access the feature. It'll open your messaging app. You'll be able to send a message into the show. So I'm really excited to hear from you all into the show. So I'm really excited to hear from you all.

Aliya Cheyanne: 6:42

Another quick update in terms of ways to connect is that I found a really cool platform with a free plan to accept voice messages for the show. So if you want to send in a voice message that you know, with any thoughts or encouragement or feedback you have about anything, or maybe you want to send in just anything you would like me to talk about or cover, that's also a feature that is now available for this show that I'm super duper excited about, and I'll have the opportunity to play those on the show, which is really, really cool. So if you would like to send a voice message in. You can also access that feature in the show notes of this episode and I definitely will look forward to hearing from you on that. So that's something that's really cool. Another exciting update, so it's.

Aliya Cheyanne: 7:41

You know, I'm always kind of doing research about podcasting and how to make it better, and apparently one great way to do that is to have blog posts for each episode that you do. It's not something that we've done for the show in the past. That we've done for the show in the past. It has been something that I've wanted to do. I just haven't necessarily had the capacity to make it happen until recently, so I'm excited to share that. My website is live in general, aliyashayancom, and on the website there is a section dedicated to a blog and the blog is dedicated to this podcast. So now I've been able to add blog posts for several past episodes. I will be adding blog posts for future episodes, but now there is a blog available for this show and I'm super excited about that. So there is a link to the blog section of my website for our podcast episodes, and I'm super excited about that too.

Aliya Cheyanne: 9:49

Some folks are not super into, you know, maybe like listening to a podcast or watching it on YouTube. Some folks prefer to read and it does help with search engine optimization and people's ability to find shows, so I'm excited to have that available and to be able to have a new means to you know, share and market this podcast and the episodes, and I hope you'll check the blog out. Maybe you have a favorite episode from the past that you may not want to listen to right now, but you'd love to read a summary about it. Just a little recap. The blog is a great place to do that, so I hope you all will check out the blog and take a look at that.

Aliya Cheyanne: 10:41

So, yeah, a bunch of updates, and I will just say in short that I have been doing my best to try to streamline some of the aspects of creating a show and running a show, and that is taking up a little bit of time, so I apologize for dropping this episode later than expected. I think we've gotten into a rhythm of episodes being available like first thing on Mondays, and I think last week it still dropped on Monday, but it was like a day late. Not a day late, it was like later in the day, and then now this episode is not dropping on a Monday. This episode is not dropping on a Monday. So I am yeah, I'm just trying to get some processes and systems in place to just make it more smooth, and I'll talk about this more on the next episode, which is going to be just focused on, you know, aspects of this show and running this show, and I'll get into that more on the next episode. But I'm hoping that I'll have a smoother system going forward so that I'll have, like, more consistent days for when episodes are dropping, because I love that you all come to spend time with me. I love spending this time with you and I'm hoping that we can continue to grow this connection. I'll be able to hear from you. I'm hoping that we'll continue to build community and trust with this show, showing up on time and as planned and as scheduled. So thank you all for bearing with me and being patient.

Aliya Cheyanne: 12:34

And, yeah, so I am currently in the process of bulk recording a bunch of incredible interviews with guests. Doing those interviews are demanding in the sense that I do quite a bit of research in advance. These are really great episodes that I love doing for the show, but they're also opportunities for me to have one-on-one conversations with people that I really admire and look up to. So I like to be prepared to do that. So that takes time. That takes time to just research, prepare the kind of questions I want to ask and really move the conversation in a way that I think is not just valuable to you all listening, but absolutely is valuable to me too, because I do this show for the both of us. I am also seeking inspiration and guidance and wisdom and advice about navigating the space of building your own business and building your own brand, and I like to get as much out of those conversations as possible, and I'm hoping that they are also valuable and encouraging to you. But in doing so they do require a lot of time and energy to do so.

Aliya Cheyanne: 14:07

I am bulk recording those, I am bulk preparing for those, I am bulk editing those I am bulk preparing for those, I am bulk editing those. It's been a lot, but I'm really excited about just the way things are shaping up, and one thing that doing this has allowed for is that when I'm ready to end one season and start another, now I'm in a space where, at least between this season and the next one, I don't have to take a huge gap or a huge break from burnout or anything like that. In the past between previous seasons we've been gone for a year, been gone for like six months, whatever the case may be, and that's just. I think that's hurt the show in a lot of ways but has allowed myself and also previous hosts of the show to like just kind of take a breather in between. That we've needed, and ideally I don't want to be in a space where I'm consistently taking that long of a gap between seasons, and what bulk recording now has enabled me to do is transition smoothly from one season to the next, and I'm hoping that that just continues. So, yeah, stay tuned.

Aliya Cheyanne: 15:31

I have some incredible guests and some incredible conversations and interviews lined up and I'm excited to share that with you all. So thank you for being patient. And, yeah, especially as we're getting to a place where we're wrapping up season three, like this is more of a bonus episode. This is not really a full episode. It is nearing the end or wrap up of season three, but season four will follow right behind and I'm so thrilled that you've stuck with me, stuck with the show, despite all of the changes, and I am excited to continue just growing with you and thank you so much for spending this time with me and listening. I really appreciate it. So that's that. Yeah, so I think that was those were the main.

Aliya Cheyanne: 16:27

Just sort of updates, y'all. Like you know, we have fan mail now, so text me. We have voice messages available now, so send me a voice message for the show. And, yeah, the blog is available now, so check out the blog. Read more about past episodes. You can be sure to find blog posts for future episodes going forward. And, yeah, just continue to support the show I know I sound like a broken record every single episode that you really liked. Please take a moment to leave a rating for the show, to take a couple of seconds to just write a review and share your thoughts, because that helps to amplify the show, that helps more people to find the show, and I appreciate it a lot. And if there are past episodes that you've really enjoyed, please make sure you're sharing it with your networks, with your friends. As with future episodes, if you enjoy any of the conversations that are coming up in the next couple of months and beyond that, please be sure to share those as well. And yeah, so, thank you all so much. So thank you all so much.

Aliya Cheyanne: 17:54

Just to wrap up, may is Mental Health Awareness Month and I did an episode previously the one before this that I spoke a lot about just some transition and turmoil and stuff that I was dealing with and processing and that was coming up for me and that's not unique to me. Everyone is always dealing with stuff and going through stuff and mental health matters all year round, but particularly this month it's an awareness month, so it's an invitation to check in with yourself and, if you have community, check in with community and, yeah, just allow yourself to acknowledge what might be going on, allowing yourself the self-care practices that you might need to. Today because it also dropped today and it's an episode of Balanced Black Girl and I'm going to link it in the show notes, but in it the host, les, talked a lot about just some mental health struggles she has been going through how she's reevaluating the way she shows up in other people's lives and the way they show up in hers, just some transition with her entrepreneurial path and her business, and I just felt like that episode was really. I just resonated a lot with it for a number of reasons and I wanted to recommend that you, after listening to this episode, head on over there to listen to that one, if you haven't already. I think if you liked the previous episode of the Prolific Hub podcast, you will likely like this episode that I'm referring to of Balanced Black Girl and all of the episodes. It's a really good podcast that actually my sister, tasia, put me on to. That I've really enjoyed weekly and I think it was a really good episode.

Aliya Cheyanne: 20:08

So one thing that Les mentioned in that episode that I've also talked about in previous episodes is moving more into my body with my emotions and my feelings and not just keeping all of it in my head. And she also mentioned somatic practices, practices that fully pull you into your body, and she talked about different types that she's experimenting with. But one thing I did not mention on the previous episode, especially talking about the therapy component, was different practices in therapy that I've done or I've tried. And yeah, I mean talk therapy is great and it's helpful and that's always been a tool for me. But I've also tried different types of therapies over the years, like some have worked for me, some haven't. I have tried hypnotherapy, like many years ago it really wasn't particularly my thing, but one practice that has helped me on and off, especially when I first started therapy years and years ago and more recently, was EMDR.

Aliya Cheyanne: 21:42

So EMDR stands for eye movement, desensitization and reprocessing, and different sides of my body while I was processing an event and working through the emotions of it. I don't remember the name of the device, but basically the way that it works is that my therapist at the time was holding this device in her hands and it had these two little extensions. I don't have the exact terminology for these, but he had these two little extensions that she attached to both of my wrists. So one extension was on one wrist, one extension was the other and she would press a button on her end that would either stimulate the attachment that was on my right wrist or stimulate the attachment that was on my left wrist, and she would go back and forth, stimulating each of them one after the other while I was processing a traumatic event, to help me desensitize the emotions and the feelings around that traumatic event. And I did that for a while in the beginning and it did help me quite a bit to process the particular thing that I was processing and I've heard other people in different walks of life also talk about how EMDR has impacted them. Again, it works for some people. It might not work for others, but generally as a practice it's been helpful to many people and it is something that I've used in the past and it is something I used more recently.

Aliya Cheyanne: 23:27

More recently this took a different format. It wasn't a little piece of equipment that was like buzzing or stimulating either side of my body. It was a rapid eye movement and I don't know if the actual name of it in therapy is called flash or if it's something else, but it was like a rapid eye movement where I was looking in one direction and then looking in the next and my therapist was counting and when she would say flash, I would blink rapidly when she said flash and it's not something that I've done repeatedly, but I will say, for that particular moment and for those couple particular sessions, it did help me to just kind of process and bring up some stuff. It had to get a little worse before it got better. So it helped. It made me realize that I was burying some things and burying some emotions and then I quickly went to a place where I just had to bring it all up and kind of purge it and then I could get to the stage where I felt a little bit more desensitized from the traumatic experience and incident. So I say all that to say EMDR is something that I have used in my therapy journey.

Aliya Cheyanne: 24:47

It is a way to help connect the mental, intellectual aspect of feelings and thoughts and emotions and a way to actually, like, bring it into your body and your parasympathetic nervous system, because you're activating different aspects of it to make the traumatic thing feel less traumatic and more like just a memory that's not necessarily attached to pain or associated with pain. So it is one of many, many, countless methods of support, but it is an experience that I wanted to share a little bit about, especially after listening to this particular episode of Balanced Black Girl that I am recommending. So, yeah, I mean, as always, just check in with yourself, not just this month but all the time, and you out the means to alleviate that feeling and find the support that we need. So if you're listening and this feels like you or this feels like someone you know, then I encourage you to explore that and if you feel like the right party for that person, that you know, who you may be thinking of listening to this episode, then I encourage you to support them in the way that you can, in the way that you know best and in a way that you have capacity for, because I feel like in this day and age and in this society, it is man capacity is running thin for all of us. So, yeah, guys, so this is just a bonus episode.

Aliya Cheyanne: 26:55

This is not a full-on episode, but I did want to share those updates with you that I shared at the top of the episode and I did want to touch on mental health a little bit. I am going to link that episode of Balanced Black Girl in the show notes that I am referring to. I highly recommend that you tune in and listen to that and the show in general, because it's really great, because it's really great and, yeah, I look forward to having you all back next week and I hope to hear from you, either with voice messages, with the visit to the blog, with a fan mail, like sending a text into the show, yeah, like writing reviews, rating the show and just let me know what you think. Oh, and the last thing which you've probably heard in the introduction, throughout the middle of the show and at the end, is that there's also another way to support the show. If you really like what you're hearing, the guests that you have on, and if you have the capacity to, you can also support the show with a monthly subscription. So the same hosting platform that's now offering fan mail, like this ability to text into the show Buzzsprout. They also have a feature enabled on their platform that allows listeners to subscribe to the show and support it with a monthly subscription for as low as three bucks, and your support means the world to me.

Aliya Cheyanne: 28:31

I have a number of things that I would love to do with the show and grow it, not just the backend aspects of running it, but one of the things that I would really, really, really love to do is be able to offer honorariums to guests who come on. Typically, when guests go on shows, especially maybe shows that don't do huge crazy numbers or whatever the case may be for the most part, it's free. It's free to the extent that people are lending their time and their energy, but with wanting to highlight creatives and entrepreneurs, it ain't easy out here. So people like that lending their time to me is a big deal to me, and I would love to be in a place where I could start offering small honorariums to guests who come on the show, like thanking them for their time and being able to support them in some capacity, and in that way, that's something we can all do together to make possible. And, yeah, that's one of the ways that I would really love to use those subscriptions.

Aliya Cheyanne: 29:43

So, if you support the show, if you support the guests who come on, who've come on in the past and the ones who will be coming on in the future, that's a great way to do it. So if you can obviously I know child inflation times a heart I get it. So if you can't, I get it. But if you are one of the lucky few who can, please consider it, because it would mean a lot and it would be a way to support the guests who come on to the show. So, with that, thank you for tuning into this very quick solo episode that was mostly updates and a little bit of mental health, and we will be getting back to regular episodes next week and, yeah, some incredible guest interviews will be coming up in the very near future. So please stay tuned for that and, yeah, I'm excited to have spent this time with you. Thank you for tuning in and I will catch you on the next episode. Bye.