Gettin’ Grown – "It Gets Greater Later" (September 16, 2025)

Hosts: Jade & Keia (Loud Speakers Network)
Special Guest: Crystal Jean
Notable Guests (Segment): Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson

Episode Overview

This episode of Gettin’ Grown revolves around birthdays, transitions, and personal growth—a joyful celebration of entering new decades, with Jade crossing into her 40s and Crystal on the verge of another year. The hosts share candid reflections on aging as Black women, the lessons of their 30s, and hopes for the future, all with their signature blend of humor, honesty, sisterhood, and self-care. Through stories of community, family, therapy, and self-discovery, the trio mines wisdom from their lives and those of Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, who chime in with advice for navigating your 30s and 40s.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Birthday Celebrations & Live Tour Community

• Vibe Check: The episode opens with celebration—Jade and Crystal’s birthdays and the successful summer live tour run (03:02 – 04:28). Chicago, Memphis, LA, and NYC all get a loving shout-out for their unique Black communities and the energy experienced at each tour stop.
• Community Building: Listeners and guests are thanked for creating safe, honest, and vulnerable spaces (“community is a part of our DNA”—Kia, 05:13).
• Quote:
  • “You two really know how to cultivate the same atmosphere that you have on your show, which is rare. It really felt like community with strangers.” – Crystal Jean (04:28)
• Notable Mention: Dr. Wendy’s appearance in Chicago and the candid, sometimes intimate audience Q&A that typified the safe space of the shows (05:44 – 06:14).

2. Reflections on Aging: It Gets Greater Later

• A Shift in Perspective: Drawing from Bevy Smith’s mantra (“It gets greater later”), the hosts lean into reimagining aging, challenging the idea that success should be achieved by a certain age or that one isn’t “doing it right” if milestones take longer (07:56 – 08:32).
• Themes for Entering 40s: What are you looking forward to? What are you grateful for as you approach this new chapter? (08:32 – 09:02)
• Notable Quote:
  • “There’s this convention around us feeling like we have to do things by a certain time… the older I get, the more I realize that’s some bull.” – Kia (08:08)

3. Lessons from the 30s: Learning, Healing, and Unlearning

• The Wisdom Huddle: All three women pick a word or phrase to encapsulate their 30s, spinning personal stories and hard-won lessons:
  • Kia: "Learning" or “self-study”—the 30s shifted to deeper self-knowledge rather than just learning about the world (11:55 – 12:57).
  • Crystal Jean: "Healing in chaos"—the front half of her 30s was messy, but therapy and personal growth radically changed the second half (13:02 – 14:24).
  • Jade: "Unlearning"—moving away from inherited habits and patterns that no longer served her, and carving out boundaries and a new sense of self (15:21 – 16:41).
• Quote:
  • "It's okay to leave childish things... It's okay to leave destructive patterns... especially when you know peace." – Crystal Jean (14:28 – 15:01)
• Peace is Priceless: Trading chaos for peaceful sleep and mental health is framed as invaluable (“there is nothing you could offer me that I would say, okay, I’ll trade my peace of mind for that”—Crystal Jean, 15:09).

4. Letters to Our Younger Selves

• Wisdom for the Past: The group revisits a favorite prompt: “What advice would you give to your 20- or 30-year-old self?” (16:41 – 19:40)
• Crystal’s Advice: Know your worth, go to therapy, and stop tolerating what you don’t deserve (18:08 – 19:40).
• Jade’s Advice: Tighten up the focus, invest in yourself, but also don’t rush—there’s time (32:14 – 32:53).

5. Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson: Special Reflections

• Segment: What would you tell your 30-year-old self?
  • Michelle Obama: Don’t stress about being perfect; there is no right answer for most big life stuff. Be morally grounded but open to mistakes and lessons (“Be easier on yourselves as you enter this phase of life… Embrace challenges and grow from them”—Michelle Obama, 21:45 – 23:41).
  • Craig Robinson: Prioritize doing what you love over chasing money; don’t get too conservative with age—keep trying new things (23:41 – 25:33).
• Advice for 40s:
  • Craig: “Don’t stop working out, because it’s hard to get going again.”
  • Michelle: “Maintain your connections with friends in your 40s... Prioritize that.” (26:39 – 27:14)
• Hosts’ Reaction: Feeling affirmed by hearing that pressure can be off and that growth continues (“What a gift… it just takes the pressure off.”—Kia, 25:41).

6. Reclaiming Agency in the 40s

• Choosing Your Standards: Jade, Keia, and Crystal revel in their 40s as a time when they get to set their own priorities, standards, and boundaries—especially as Black women raised with many rules (53:00 – 53:27).
• Agency & Self-Definition: No longer bound by others’ “shoulds,” they express the freedom of choosing what’s a big deal and what isn’t.
• Quote:
  • “I have complete agency. I can decide what I want my life to be—and that’s something that definitely has come with 40 and accepting it.” – Kia (53:09)

7. Faith, Therapy, and Unlearning Programming

• Spiritual Growth: Conversation weaves through relationships with God, therapy, and moving beyond limiting “church” programming—framing faith as personal and freeing, not restrictive (53:40 – 55:10).
• Therapy and Mental Health: Crystal shares how therapy, antidepressants, and recovery from alcoholism transformed her life. All speak to the power of self-work and extending grace to the younger self and others (68:29 – 71:56).
• Quote:
  • “So many of us hurt people while also doing the best we could with what we knew... holding both those at the same time is hard.” – Crystal Jean (45:31)

8. Parenting, Family, and Generational Growth

• Re-Parenting and Breaking Cycles: Jade shares about evolving relationships with her parents and setting healthy boundaries, as well as being a cheerleader for her daughter. Growth is noted both in her generation and in her parents (48:50 – 51:26).
• Body Image & Self-Acceptance: Funny and moving stories about realizing height/body differences in college (“I didn’t know I was tall until college”—Kia, 39:01), and teaching the next generation (Noah) to embrace their differences.

9. Looking Forward: Hopes & Gratitude

• Jade: Inspired by an aunt embracing new love at 72, Jade looks forward to embracing life’s changes with openness and joy (65:09 – 68:06).
• Crystal: With her dog Laney grounding her, she’s prioritizing her own well-being, setting boundaries, and letting go of toxic relationships (68:22 – 73:24).
  • “Every time people are like, would you go back to your 20s?… No… only if I could go with everything I know right now” (71:56).
• Kia: Contentment, gratitude, and valuing the wisdom earned through struggle; celebrating self-knowledge and non-comparative living (73:40 – 76:13).

10. The Power of Community & Chosen Family

• Emotional Wealth: The episode closes affirming the importance of chosen family, love for friends, and community as an essential resource—especially through life’s uncertainty and change (79:32 – 80:26).
• Quote:
  • "It’s beautiful to be in love with your friends… I walked into this birthday feeling wealthy in community, and I think that was the most beautiful feeling." – Jade (79:32)

Memorable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On letting go of old patterns:
  • “It’s okay to leave childish things… especially when you now know peace.” – Crystal Jean (14:28)
• Michelle Obama on 30s:
  • “There isn’t a right answer to most things... Be easier on yourselves as you enter this phase of life.” (21:45)
• Craig Robinson on 30s:
  • “Figure out what you love doing rather than how much you want to earn... Do not be afraid to try new things as you get older.” (23:41)
• On boundaries in adulthood:
  • "I have complete agency... I can decide what I want my life to be." – Kia (53:09)
• On chosen family:
  • "The entire concept of chosen family and who those people are to me is priceless. All of this can crumble and fall at any moment. You need people." – Crystal Jean (80:13)
• On generational cycles:
  • "It’s also beautiful to watch your parents develop... To see your parents also transition through different stages of life." – Jade (48:50)
• Crystal’s gratitude for therapy:
  • “I’m just feeling very grateful and excited to build on the momentum that I already started to establish.” (73:24)
• Jade on embracing change:
  • “I just want to be that comfortable in embracing that change.” (68:06)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 03:02-04:55: Birthday celebration, summer tour gratitude, reflections on community
• 07:56-09:00: Setting up “it gets greater later”—redefining aging and success
• 11:16-16:41: Lessons from the 30s—learning, chaos & healing, unlearning
• 21:35-25:33: Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson answer “What would you tell your 30-year-old self?”
• 26:39-27:14: Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson on advice for the 40s
• 39:01-43:49: Body image, self-acceptance, and family stories
• 53:00-55:10: Agency, rewriting rules, and redefining faith
• 68:22-76:13: Looking forward—what each host is excited about in new decades
• 79:32-80:26: The richness of chosen family and friendship

Closing Notes

The episode is a warm, affirming hug for anyone feeling pressure about timelines, transitions, or expectations. Jade, Keia, and Crystal Jean offer wisdom won through therapy, setbacks, healing, and community, reminding listeners that growth isn’t linear, comparison is fruitless, and that it truly does get greater later—with love, laughter, and chosen family leading the way.

End-of-Episode Self-Care Takeaways: (84:31 – 85:10)

• Moisturize your mind by minding your business.
• Moisturize your insides by drinking water daily.
• Moisturize your skin—'cause black will crack if it’s dry!

[This summary omits ad reads and non-content banter.]