Gettin’ Grown – “Story Therapy”
Date: September 23, 2025
Hosts: Jade Verrett & Dr. Keia Clarke
Network: Loud Speakers Network
Episode Overview
This episode, titled “Story Therapy,” centers on joy, reminiscence, and self-care for Black women living through “heavy times.” Dr. Keia and Jade ditch the usual routine to focus on sharing core memories that summon happiness, humor, and gratitude, providing listeners a gentle escape from negativity and anxiety. Special kitchen table guests Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson join to lend their wisdom on adulthood. The hosts introduce a “story therapy” game, diving into word association and storytelling—exploring everything from Halloween costumes to candy-fueled childhoods, while threading laughter, vulnerability, and cultural commentary throughout.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Acknowledging The Weight of The World (03:02 – 06:27, 15:18 – 17:30)
- Jade reflects on her birthday, feeling “enveloped in love like a quilt.”
- Both hosts discuss the importance of “quilt friends”—those who wrap you in secure, enduring support.
- They admit to feeling “heavy” in the face of constant bad news and grief, and intentionally seek moments of joy.
- Quote [03:13, Jade]: “I don’t want duvet friends. I want quilt friends.”
2. Advice from Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson: Letters to Our (30 and 40 Year Old) Selves
(Kitchen Table segment: 06:42 – 14:03)
On Your 30s
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Michelle Obama [07:44]:
- Emphasizes there’s no “right answer” to life—it's okay to be uncertain and to make mistakes.
- “Be easier on yourselves. As you enter this phase of life, you are just getting started.”
- Values working hard, practicing compassion and empathy, and learning from failure.
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Craig Robinson [09:45]:
- Advises prioritizing what you love over what pays most.
- Urges not to become too rigid or afraid to try new things as you get older:
- “Try as many things as you can. If you are a hard worker and a successful person, you’ll be able to bounce back from any kind of change.”
On Your 40s
- Craig [12:44]:
- “Don’t stop working out because it’s hard to get going again once you stop.”
- Michelle [13:01]:
- “Maintain your connections with friends…prioritize that.”
- Jade & Keia resonate with the importance of friendship and muscle-building with age.
Host Reflections
- The hosts note how freeing it is to know “it’s okay not to have it all figured out.”
- Quote [11:56, Jade]: “I don’t have to be a fully formed project. I’m more like a loft, you know what I mean? With concrete floors and slightly construction.”
3. Introducing “Story Therapy” (17:11–19:11)
- The hosts decide to play a game where they prompt each other with words and share whatever stories come up—no deep lessons, just joy and nostalgia.
- Quote [17:24, Keia]: “No agenda, no deep lessons. Just the simple pleasure of remembering good times.”
4. Story Therapy Game Highlights: Prompt, Memory, Connection
a. Halloween Costumes (19:12 – 21:44)
- Jade jokes about rejecting a brand partnership—“niggas know I don’t wear a jack-o’-lantern sweater.”
- Remembers “Trilloween” party, going as “a blood” in a brown jumpsuit with red hair.
- Keia recalls lazy group costumes in college—dressing as “hoes from different area codes.”
- Quote [21:27, Keia]: “We wrote our area codes and we were the hoes from different area codes.”
b. Sneakers (22:44 – 26:35)
- Keia’s story: hunting down “cool grey Jordan 11s” in college, traveling via branded “Valiant Express” bus for an early drop.
- “Coming back to campus with the sneakers the day before they were supposed to come out…it felt like a flex.” [25:51, Keia]
- Jade reminisces about her stint at Foot Action, “passing out sneakers like Nino Brown”—admitting to youthful sneaker “scamming.”
- Quote [27:07, Jade]: “When I worked at Foot Action, we was robbing them blind … I was passing out sneakers like Nino Brown. It was a good time.”
c. New Year’s Eve (28:31 – 30:47)
- Jade recalls a “super Puerto Rican” New Year’s in Teaneck, NJ—cocktail dresses, pernil, arroz con gandules, “way buying” through the streets.
d. Swimming Pools (30:54 – 33:43)
- Keia’s memories of her grandpa (DeeDa), a Black church pastor who was also a certified lifeguard—cannonballing into the parsonage pool.
- Both reflect on the age and timelines of their grandparents, how generational contexts shape expectations.
- Quote [33:43, Keia]: “My mom has never been my age and not had children … there are certain things she does not know what it’s like.”
e. Bodega Candy – Now & Laters, Sprees, Childhood Snacks (42:14 – 53:00)
- Jade: Now & Laters “will rip the back of my teeth off.”
- Classic bodega order: “Pickle, Mr. Goodbar, a roll of Sprees, and a Pepsi.”
- Deep-dive into regional chips (barbecue Dipsy Doodles, Crunch Taters) and Drake’s cakes.
- Keia: Butter crunch cookies, peach rings, sour Skittles—risked her childhood peanut butter allergy for Nutter Butters.
- Quote [52:03, Jade]: “I was a child who enjoyed candy like I was born in 1937 … give me those peanut butter bars.”
f. Clubbing, Parties, and Changing Chapters (55:01–62:34)
- Fond recollection of “club seasons”—dancing every Thursday at Desire in the Village or commuting from UConn for wild NYC weekends.
- Iconic moments: dancing with Special Ed, trying to escape Dougie Fresh in a club.
- Clubs like Bed and Duvet, “outside, teeth chattering, cold,” wearing bubble dresses and open toes in the snow.
5. Finding Joy, Practicing Gratitude, & Black Womanhood (63:00–65:25)
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Both women reflect on how recalling stories helps process grief and sustain happiness.
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Self-care is not indifference—it’s “filling our cups first.”
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Quote [63:46, Keia]: “Yeah, life is hard, but it’s not all hard … We have lots of laughs, lots of good memories, lots of love.”
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Encouragement to Listeners:
Play “story therapy” with loved ones, make your own rules, and reconnect through shared storytelling.
6. Celebratory Moment: Student Loan Forgiveness (67:36–72:56)
- Keia announces, after working with The Student Loan Doctor community, her public service loans ($165k) were fully forgiven.
- Offers hope and resource info to others; the process took less than 60 days.
- Quote [69:44, Kia]: “I feel like I got a new job … Your colon is clear in many ways.”
- Reframes this as a divine, affirming miracle for Black women working within systems not built for them.
7. Petty Peeves & Black Woman Realness (73:10–79:48)
- Jade on city construction ramping up at back-to-school: “Why do you decide the first couple weeks of school to bring out every crane?”
- Hilarious rant about people beefing with Tabitha Brown over career advice: “Go to cosmetology school. Go learn to clean grout.”
- Keia: lashes are $9 a pair and toothpaste is $10—“All I want to do is have healthy gums.”
- Quote [79:13, Kia]: “Everything is expensive. And I don’t understand what we’re supposed to do.”
Notable Quotes
- [03:13, Jade] “I don’t want duvet friends. I want quilt friends.”
- [07:44, Michelle Obama] “Be easier on yourselves. As you enter this phase of life, you are just getting started.”
- [09:45, Craig Robinson] “Try as many things as you can.”
- [11:56, Jade] “I don’t have to be a fully formed project. I’m more like a loft…”
- [17:24, Keia] “No agenda, no deep lessons. Just the simple pleasure of remembering good times.”
- [25:51, Keia] “Coming back to campus with the sneakers the day before they were supposed to come out…it felt like a flex.”
- [52:03, Jade] “I was a child who enjoyed candy like I was born in 1937…”
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 03:02 – “Quilt friends,” birthday reflections, and safe spaces
- 06:42 – Introduction of Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson, letters to 30 and 40 year old selves
- 15:18 – Starting “Story Therapy” game
- 19:12 – Halloween costumes
- 22:44 – Sneaker flex stories
- 28:31 – New Year’s Eve memory
- 30:54 – Swimming pool childhood tales, generational context
- 42:14 – Bodega candy, chips, and snack nostalgia
- 55:01 – Clubbing and wild party memories
- 63:00 – On joy, grief, and self-care (“filling our cups first”)
- 67:36 – Keia’s student loan forgiveness announcement
- 73:10 – Petty peeves: construction, capitalism, Tabitha Brown
- 79:13 – “Everything is expensive” rant
Tone & Style
- Warm, hilarious, and deeply Black—infused with cultural in-jokes and irreverence.
- Vulnerable but resolute in prioritizing Black women’s joy and sanity.
- Feels like a conversation among lifelong friends, constantly looping between roasting, affirmation, and practical advice.
Takeaways for Listeners
- Storytelling as Self-Care: Recounting joyful personal memories provides escape and healing during challenging times.
- Adulthood Is Ongoing: Even Michelle Obama admits there’s no perfect path or age where things are “figured out.”
- Joy is Radical: Finding joy and laughter in Black womanhood can be a radical act of resistance and survival.
- Seek Help, Share Resources: Don’t be afraid to ask for help in navigating systemic issues—student loan forgiveness is possible.
- Community: Whether it’s through “story therapy,” club memories, or simply prioritizing friendships, nurturing your community is essential.
“We have lots of laughs, lots of good memories, lots of love…and I’m grateful for our community, for this platform that’s afforded us opportunities that we never expected.” — Keia [63:48]
Listen Next Week
Stay tuned for more “kitchen table” conversations, live show recaps, and special guests as Jade and Keia keep gettin’ grown and spreading Black woman joy.