The Weight Of The Truth

Summary

Podcast Summary: Keep It Positive, Sweetie — "The Weight Of The Truth"
Host: Crystal Renee Hayslett
Guest: Dr. Charis Chambers ("The Period Doctor")
Air Date: August 9, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode, “The Weight Of The Truth,” dives deep into truth-telling, generational healing, and the courage required to have difficult—but necessary—conversations. Host Crystal Renee Hayslett sits down with Dr. Charis Chambers, a board-certified pediatric and adolescent gynecologist, author, and educator known for making conversations about puberty and periods accessible and empowering. Together, they explore the power parents have in shaping their child’s experience, breaking cycles of shame, and leading with purpose, compassion, and faith.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Balancing Multiple Roles and Honoring Boundaries

(03:08–04:41)

• Dr. Chambers shares how she manages being a new author, physician, mother, and wife:

  "The plate is full. …I’m managing it by being so, again, grateful for everything, but also very careful with what I say yes to." (03:43)

• She stresses the value of “no” as a tool of self-preservation and discernment.

  "I used to think no was always negative. But…the delivery of it, like, with a smile and with...‘Thank you so much, but I cannot right now.’" (04:48)

2. "First Instinct" — Navigating Tough Scenarios

(05:05–09:28)

• Parents say their child isn't ready for “the talk”:
  Dr. Chambers encourages exploring why the parent feels that way, noting it often signals the parent isn’t ready, not the child.
• When someone challenges what she knows to be true:
  She chooses to listen, seeking possible blind spots or new perspectives before replying.

  "If I know it to be true in my lived experience, maybe there is a blind spot." (06:44)

• God redirects your life plans:
  She allows herself to grieve (cry), then shifts to asking about her next assignment from God.

  "Crying…doesn't mean I'm giving up...it means I am a human being that feels and I feel very deeply and I gotta get it out the way." (07:18)

• Choosing between being liked or being honest:
  Honesty is always her first instinct, prioritizing self-respect over popularity.

  "If I am prioritizing being liked, I'm probably not going to be able to like myself after that." (08:48)

3. Dr. Chambers' Calling—Roots and Growth

(09:35–14:18)

• She reflects on emotional awareness as her gift, recalling how noticing others’ feelings shaped her path.
• Her decision to pursue medicine (and specialize in adolescent gynecology) matured in college, influenced partly by her physician father.

4. The Reality of Medical Training

(15:31–19:11)

• Residency is grueling: 80-hour weeks, sacrificing personal well-being, minimal pay, and constant pressure.
• The system often undervalues “bedside manner,” but she finds fulfillment in patient-centered care.

5. Building a Public Platform for Education & Advocacy

(19:20–23:46)

• Dr. Chambers started her social media presence seeking impact and connection after her mother's passing.
• Positive feedback from patients and her community highlighted the need for accessible, trustworthy health education.

  "If I'm talking to my patients and they're constantly saying, nobody explains this like you...maybe this is my gift." (19:49)

6. The Weight of the Work—Tough Days in Pediatric Gynecology

(29:10–31:16)

• Not every patient story is about trauma, but some deeply tragic cases stay with her.
• Dr. Chambers emphasizes that many extraordinary, resilient people are living with unseen hardships.

  "You just look at her and you would never know all she’s carried…It constantly reminds me…You don’t know what people are going through.” (30:03)

7. Generational Cycles & Parent-Child Dynamics

(31:16–35:09)

• Dr. Chambers explains the nuance behind the chapter title: “It’s Not About You, But It Is”—striking the balance between parental influence and centering the child’s experience.

  "If you are not aware of that, you will…be perpetuating misconceptions. You will be passing down generational shame and you won’t even know it." (32:36)

• She warns against “period shame” and using a child’s puberty as a way for parents to relive or overcorrect their own experiences.

8. Motherhood and the Writing Process

(35:21–37:21)

• Dr. Chambers wrote most of her book while pregnant and postpartum, which deepened her empathy for parents seeking to do right by their children.

9. Empowerment and Advocacy in the Doctor’s Office

(52:21–54:33)

• When advocating for better care, Dr. Chambers urges people to describe symptoms in terms of impact on daily life, (e.g., "debilitating") and to come in with clear goals for their visit.

  "A good doctor-patient relationship is a meeting of excellence, of experts. It is collaborative. So I am the expert in medicine, you are the expert in you…We have to meet as two experts." (53:17)

10. Faith, Purpose, and Navigating Uncertainty

(56:30–59:46)

• As her platform and responsibilities grow, Dr. Chambers protects her time and spirit, discerning which opportunities align with her calling.
• She anchors herself in faith when walking into unknown seasons.

  "So much of life is existing in uncertainty and walking by faith…If you knew the whole path, it ain’t walking by faith." (57:40)

• Her definition of purpose:

  "Purpose for me is the impact I can have while being obedient to the calling God has given me…The only purpose I want to be concerned with is the one that God has for me." (59:07)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the courage to say “no”:
  “I say no with gratitude and understanding that this is the manifestation of abundance. It is more than I can carry…And that's okay.” — Dr. Charis Chambers (03:44)

• On honesty vs. likability:
  "If I am prioritizing being liked, I'm probably not going to be able to like myself after that." — Dr. Charis Chambers (08:48)

• On generational shame:
  "Your child’s puberty is not your chance at puberty redo." — Dr. Charis Chambers (33:31)

• On being present for her patients:
  "The system doesn’t reward good bedside manner, but my patients appreciate." — Dr. Charis Chambers (19:01)

• On the need to trust girls’ pain:
  "Your child is not too young for debilitating pain…We have miscategorized [these conditions] as an adult affliction just because that's when we start listening." — Dr. Charis Chambers (42:50)

• On faith in uncertain seasons:
  "So much of life is existing in uncertainty and walking by faith…If you knew the whole path, it ain’t walking by faith." — Dr. Charis Chambers (57:40)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:08–04:41 | Balancing life & honoring “no” as self-preservation | | 05:05–09:28 | “First Instinct” game; honest reactions to tough scenarios | | 09:35–13:49 | Childhood influences; discovering medicine as her calling | | 15:31–19:11 | Residency realities; bedside manner | | 19:20–23:46 | Building a social media platform; impact of education | | 29:10–31:16 | Emotional stories from clinical work | | 31:16–35:09 | Generational cycles and “It’s Not About You, But It Is” | | 35:21–37:21 | Motherhood’s impact on authorship | | 42:50–44:39 | Endometriosis, early pain, and dismissals in young women | | 52:21–54:33 | Advocacy tips for doctor visits | | 56:30–59:46 | Protecting energy, discerning opportunities, and purpose |

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Tone & Final Thoughts

True to the show’s ethos, the episode is warm, honest, and uplifting—never shying from hard truths, but always pointing listeners toward healing, self-worth, and the transformative power of informed connection. Dr. Chambers models the courage and grace required to break patterns of silence and shame, especially concerning puberty, periods, and the needs of young girls. Her insights challenge listeners to honor both their own stories and the unique journeys of their children—with compassion, curiosity, and faith.

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Actionable Takeaways

• Approach tough conversations with curiosity and compassion, centering your child not your own story.
• Describe health issues in terms of their impact on daily life when talking to doctors.
• Trust and listen to girls’ experiences; don’t dismiss symptoms based on age.
• Practice discernment about which opportunities are worth your time and energy.
• Pursue your calling with faith and clarity, even when the path is uncertain.

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Closing Message:

"The conversations we choose to have today can shape generations and tomorrow. Never underestimate the power of asking the question, telling the truth, and leading with compassion."
— Crystal Renee Hayslett (60:40)

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For more, pick up Dr. Charis Chambers’ new book, The Period and Puberty Parenting Revolution, and follow her uplifting work on social media.

Transcript

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

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[Lauren LaRosa]

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[Chris Renee Hazlett]

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[Dr. Charis Chambers]

take you further back to school, is here.

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

And Target has everything families need to help head into the school year feeling confident and ready to do their thing. From school supplies and stylish apparel to accessories kids actually want. Target makes it easy to check every box on your list at a great value. We're talking backpacks starting just $5 and up to 60% off school supplies. Plus, kids can express their style with brands and collabs they love like Love Shack, Fancy Kat and Jack Overtime. Customizable Oalla bottles with stickers, charms and much more. The prices parents want and the brands kids love all in one place at Target. Calling all my sweeties to the forefront,

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I'm your host, Chris Renee Hazlett, and

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

this is the Keep It Positive Sweetie Show.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Welcome to Keep It Positive Sweetie, the place where we heal, grow and learn together. Some of the most important conversations of our lives are also the ones we're least prepared to have. Today we are talking about truth, trust, and the courage to have the conversations that can change generations. Today's guest has dedicated her career to making some of life's most important conversations feel less intimidating and far more empowering. Known to millions as the period doctor, Dr. Charis Chambers is a board certified pediatric and adolescent gynecologist, educator or entrepreneur,

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

and author of the new book the

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Period and Puberty Parenting Revolution. Through her platform and her practice, she's helping families replace fear with understanding and silence with confidence. Kiss family. Please give a very Warm welcome to Dr. Sharris.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Hello, Dr. Sharris.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Thank you for coming by.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Thank you for having me.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes. Congratulations on your new book entitled the Period and Puberty Parenting Revolution. How are you feeling today?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Oh, I'm feeling so blessed. I'm. I think whenever you have something in your heart, in your mind, and then it comes to be a physical thing, you have to relish in the moment and say, okay, okay, Lord, I see what you have done and there has to be a spirit of gratitude.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Absolutely. So I know this is a busy time. You're a newfound author, you're also a gynecologist. But how are you balancing it all? You're a mother as well and a wife. This is something you've added to your plate. So how are you balancing it all?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

The plate is full.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

I literally messaged someone saying that I'm, I'm managing it by being so, again, grateful for everything, but also very careful with what I say yes to. So I as, as you start to have more visibility and especially with publicity around a book, people say, oh, so you're, you're doing things. Can you do more things? I'm like, oh, my goodness, I'm sorry. I'm doing these things. I cannot accept more things. And so with a gracious spirit, I'm saying, oh, thank you so much for thinking of me. I genuinely appreciate it. I. My plate is as full as I can take it right now, so I will have to decline. And that is how I've been protecting myself by saying no to other opportunities that are good, opportunities that used to I would jump at. And I used to not have the discernment that is necessary in this season to say no to those things. But I say no with gratitude and understanding that this is the manifestation of abundance. It is more than I can carry. It is more than I can accept. And that's okay.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

There's so much wisdom in what you just said, and you have to honor your no, thank you is so wise.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Yeah. And I Used to think no was always negative. But I mean, the delivery of it, like, with a smile and with hearts and with. Thank you so much, but I cannot right now.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Exactly.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

And that's okay.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

And sometimes that no isn't forever. It's just right now, I don't have the capacity. Yeah.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

In this season.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I love that. That is so good. So before we get started, we're going to dive into your book, but I want to play a game with you first. The game is called First Instinct. Now, as a physician, you have learned to trust your training, but as a leader, you've also learned to trust your experience. So I'm curious what happens when those two instincts meet? I'm going to give you a few situations.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Okay.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

And you just tell me your first instinct and why. All right. The first one is, a parent says, my child isn't ready for this conversation. What is your first instinct and why?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

My first instinct is to follow up and say, why do you believe that? And can I convince you otherwise? The reason is, many parents, when they really say their child is not ready, they are often suggesting that they are not ready. And if they're saying that their child has anxiety around new things, it is actually in support of having the conversation ahead of the actual event taking place. It actually can be supportive of the narrative, and I think that's helpful. The other thing is, can I convince you otherwise? It's like, are you even open to another perspective? And that's before I spend my good time, because I told you I don't have much.

[Cabenuva Advertisement Voice]

Right.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

So is there an opportunity? Are you open to being convinced otherwise? I think allows me to better allocate my time and efforts to know if they're ready to even have the conversation.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That is so good. I love that. And that you hit on something. A lot of times our parents say that the child isn't ready, but it's really, they're not ready. You know, the kids grow up so fast, and they're like, wait, I actually am not.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

I'm not the one ready.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

No, that's so true.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Yes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

All right, the next one is someone challenges someone, something that you know to be true. What is your first instinct?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

My first instinct is to listen. I love listening. It's my favorite. And I often can better understand their perspective. And so if I know it to be true in my lived experience, maybe there is a blind spot. Maybe there is some other thing I haven't considered. And so I want to better understand people before I respond. Again, it's a better use of My time too, to really understand what the perspective is so that I can challenge it or not.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, that's so good. God redirects a plan you've worked years to build. What is your first instinct? This has happened to all of us.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

This has happened. Honestly, if I'm really being honest, my first instinct is to cry. And I think crying has been cathartic for me. It is what I do when I don't know what to do, it is how I release things. And when I don't give myself the opportunity to have a good cry, I tend to carry more than I need to. So when I. There has been true time and effort and something that I. I've been working diligently toward and there is a divine redirection, there is still a grieving that has to take place. And then the follow up thing is now what would you have me to do? Because if you are redirecting me, what is the assignment? What is the next step? The crying? You know, it doesn't mean I'm giving up. It doesn't mean I don't have faith. It means I am a human being that feels and I feel very deeply and I got to get it out the way so I can get back to what God has for me.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That is so good. I love that. I just had a conversation yesterday with, it was two men and a woman and I was telling the guys that tears are healing.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Oh, absolutely.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

A lot of. I think we're just finally getting to the point where they're okay to cry and they feel they have a safe space to allow themselves to feel those emotions. So it's so true. My first instinct is to cry too. Or why I know.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Now, come on,

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

we've been working on this, right?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

I'm a cry and get to it, right?

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Absolutely. Last one is you have to choose between being liked or being honest. What is your first instinct?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Every time it's being honest. Because if I am prioritizing being liked, I'm probably not going to be able to like myself after that. And I always say I got to be the one to be able to rest my eyes, okay, and go to sleep at night and I'm trying to get to heaven. So I don't need to be liked by people. And it's impossible to be consistently liked by people who are subject to passing whims and fancies. So popular opinion is always changing. I need to love me and like me and I'd rather be honest and go to sleep with a clean heart than to get the approval of someone who's going to change that approval or retract it at a later date.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I love that. That is so good. I want to know. I know that you know now. You have been called to care.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Oh, yes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

At what age did you realize? Or when you look back as an adult and you look back over your life, were there moments throughout your childhood where you see, like, your calling was already evident in your life?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

You know, it's funny because there isn't one moment that I can identify, and I think that's a testament to just God kind of giving you just enough in the moment that you keep walking forward. I can remember in my youngest years, I'm the third child in my family. So when you have older siblings, you are forced to be more of an observer than a leader. And being an observer, I found that I noticed things that people overlooked. I was often very emotionally aware of how actions and words affected other people. And it was almost as if I was, like, in some parts, like, invisible in a room. Like, you could just, you know, you were like this little fly on the wall, and I could see, oh, they didn't like that. You know, I was always that person. And even into medical school where you are just in the room shadowing. Don't say too much because you don't know nothing. You're here to learn. I could see that as well. I could see the patient recoil when the leading physician said something they didn't like. I could see them have questions in their eyes as we're leaving the room, and the physician's like, well, I did my job. I'm like, no, you did. I constantly had that emotional awareness. And so I think I knew emotional awareness was my gift. I didn't know what to do with it. And so as I began to understand my role and my desire for science and medicine, I said, well, what can I do differently with that? And it's funny, because in my training, I was reprimanded for spending too much time with patients. They're like, you're not fast enough. And I'm like, you too quick, because I'm in the room longer because you're not doing what you need to be doing. But you can't say that to your attending. You can't say that to the person who does your evaluation. So I'm like, okay, I'll take that down. So I just got better at it. I got better at my education and counseling. So I think God lets you be aware of certain gifts. And it is kind of that beautiful moment where all of those gifts start to align, you find your place, and you start walking in that path where each step forward gives you that confirmation.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes, I love that. As reading the book, I realized that curiosity also seems to be one of your superpowers. You don't just learn the information, but you pursue understanding, which is very important. How has staying curious shaped the woman that you are today?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

I think it has made me a lifelong learner. So people think that once you get the degrees and, you know, the board certifications, you stop learning. I'm always learning. I'm constantly learning. And I learn from my patients. I learn from their parents. I learn from all these people that I interact with in life because I'll never live their lives. I learned by reading. I learned by, you know, studying the latest research articles. But curiosity, for me, allows you to be the most alive that you are. And as life changes, as science advances, I never want to be left behind. I never want to be someone that's speaking out of a place that is not relevant and accurate. And so my curiosity is tied to my love of learning, and I hope that that never goes away.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes, I love that. So growing up, was there a defining moment, like through grade school, where you knew, this is the direction I want to go. I want to go into medic or. What was that defining moment for you?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

I actually didn't know I wanted to go into medicine until I was in college. So I went to Spelman College not too far from here, and I entered Spelman thinking, I love science and math. Maybe I'll do something in math. Maybe I'll be, like, a math professor. Unclear as to why I thought that was gonna be my life. But as I got to really know math and it just gets harder, I was like, I don't like this. I was like, I do not don't like this. So I majored in biology, and I think just somewhere in my mind, my dad is a physician, and I got to see him be the physician in our town and understand how respected he was and how he was an integral part of these milestones of people's lives. So I did have that perspective. But it wasn't until around my second year that I was like, well, if I'm a thought leader and I'm emotionally intelligent and I love science and I want to be an advocate, medicine allows me to do all of that.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

So let's pursue medicine. And then once I was in med school, I then realized I wanted to do gynecology.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

So that's amazing. So you went to spelman you earned your medical degree, you completed your OB GYN residency, and then you made the decision to specialize further in pediatric and adolescent gynecology. Now, what made you decide that was the specific area that you wanted to go into versus just helping adult women? What made you say, I want to focus on the children?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

So first I want to say that when I heard that people used to leave residency, which is the most grueling, you know, three to five years of your life, and then elect to do more training, I was like, y' all crazy. I was like, I will never be that fool. Like, I was just like, what do you mean? Do you not like getting paid?

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Right?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Do you not like rest? Do you not like balance?

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Some people are professional students, right? They love it.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

I just. I never saw myself doing that. But when I was first experienced, exposed to pediatric and adolescent gynecology, I felt all of my gifts and all of my interests, like, come alive in the room. I was like, I can advocate for her, I can translate for her, I can educate her. I can do this cross generational, like, guidance. I mean, I was beyond thrilled at the way I could show up clinically. And so I never thought that I would be this person that did additional training. But for me, that was the best way for me to show up in that way. Also, in my residency training, life happened. Life happened in a more significant way. So kind of important things. I was diagnosed with a chronic illness in my residency and just realized that the life of an OB GYN in a general sense is very erratic. There's lack of sleep, and all these things that just are not. Don't promote good health.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Absolutely.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

There's a lot of stress in high stress situations. And the idea of specializing felt more appealing. Where I could have more balance in my life and more control.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

And then in my residency, my mother also passed away. And I think when you lose someone and someone who was your rock, who. I felt like God put you on assignment to be my person. Right, right.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Without. And she passed away before I met my husband. So, you know, you're just kind of just feeling like you're just out here. The only thing that kept me motivated was purpose. Like, the only thing that gives me joy is showing up for someone else and doing something that liberates them or heals them so that those things made fellowship and specializing that much more urgent and important.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, that's so good. You talked about how grueling residency was. Take us through some of, like, what that's like, so people can understand what you all go through to get to be the doctors that you are.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Yes. Oh, my gosh. Residency is this strange time where you work, on average, 80 hours a week. So 80 hours a week, and that is improvement. So my father, when he was in residency, there were no work hour restrictions. You just did what you had to do. But then they had some research that came out. It was like, if they never sleep, they don't operate very well. We're actual surgeons, so we do need to have, like, dexterity and know what things are.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

And so 80 hour weeks was just the standard for four years. There were times where I was like, oh, my goodness, I have a golden weekend. A golden weekend is when you have both days off, like Saturday, Friday and Friday and Saturday. I mean, Saturday and Sunday, rather, because that was so rare in residency. I had three total weeks of vacation, including holidays, out of. Well, three total weeks per year. My apologies, but it's just not a lot. So you're like, am I going to see my folks for Thanksgiving? I'm gonna see him for Christmas. How? I'm not gonna. When am I gonna travel meaningfully?

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Right.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

And then you're not getting paid very well. Like, you're getting. Technically, from an hourly standpoint, you're getting paid less than minimum wage. You do 24 hour shifts. So. And I remember being like, how does one stay up for 24 hours? And then your body just adjusts. Not well, but you just learn to. There's shifts where you're just up at night. So there's night float or night shift where you're up for 12 hours at night. You come in at 7pm, leave at 7am and so it's just the strangest thing where your life is work. And the idea is that you need to get so much exposure and see so many clinical scenarios to be trusted with lives in your hands, to be trusted with the lives of a mother and a baby. To be able to do a cesarean section and get a baby out in 45 seconds because it's an emergency, to be able to control bleeding and keep your composure. So those are things that need to be tested rapidly and with repetition. And so there is a reason for it. But it is hard on your body.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Oh, yeah.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

It is hard on your mind. It's hard on your soul. I was talking to a resident because I do work with residents now. I said, you couldn't pay me. Ain't no amount of money you could pay me to go back to where you are. She was like, I know, but I'm sure.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That they love to have someone like you that's leading them versus the people who are saying, you're moving too slow, you need to. You're actually teaching them how to properly care. Because so many doctors don't have good bedside manner.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

So many.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

And now I see why. Because they've been taught, hurry up, keep going.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

The system doesn't reward good bedside manner, but my patients appreciate.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Absolutely.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

And I am there for my patients, and that makes all the difference. I love that I'm out of training and I can just get that affirmation every single day.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I love that. I love that. So there's physicians all over the world that are seeing the same things that you see every day, but not all of them have felt the call to write. Write a book. What made you decide? I want to build my platform and I want my voice to be public.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Yeah. So I started my platform, my social media platform when I was in fellowship. I had been at that point. I'd done four years of medical school, four years of OBGYN residency, and was one year through my two year fellowship program. I was tired. I was very tired. And I just felt like the delayed part of the delayed gratification was just taking a long time. I also was again searching for purpose. My mom had passed and I just needed something to fill my cup. So this wasn't the most, like, selfless endeavor. It was something that was going to make me feel like I was making an impact today. So I said, well, if I'm talking to my patients and they're constantly saying, nobody explains this like you, like, why didn't they just say that? I said, well, maybe this is my gift. Maybe I could leverage this and put this on social media so that more people could see it. Also, I'm texting with people. I went to school with my college classmates, my line sisters. They're like, never mind. Remind me, if I miss a birth control pill, what do I do? I'm like, I've told you this multiple times. Or what is a uti? I'm like, I see there's Google. It's right there.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

It's free.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

But they want to hear it from me.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, because you explain it differently. Trust the source.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Exactly. So it was the trust aspect. I said, well, let me leverage this and just go on social media. So I started just making posts. I would make them as I studied for my oral boards, just on random topics, and it just blew up and I was like, come again? So I started to realize there was a perspective that I had in A desire that I had that was not common. And so then as I was seeing more patients and out throughout my practice, there was so much I wanted to touch on, even in my own time, without somebody being like, girl, be faster. I do not have time to touch on all of this. Seeing that, like this mom brought this daughter in to talk about her period, but I need to talk to this mother because she is having some. I mean, she is grieving, she is sobbing because of the fears that she has in her heart about what her daughter's going to go through. And that's not something that I can code in the medical chart. That's not something insurance is going to understand that I spent 10 minutes talking to her like, your baby's going to be okay. Yes. This is hard. I know you suffered through your periods. Maybe she won't suffer. Can you tell me more? You know, like, I felt this desire to speak to all of these things. Taboos, concerns, fears, traumas, and I don't have time.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

And so I said, I need to write this down. And I love social media, I love making videos. But there's something, so, I don't know, like just temporary, about a 3 minute video or a clip. So I said, I feel like books just live on. Yeah, they live on longer. There. There's something that put your words in a way that they can reference repeatedly. And this is the format.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

So that's how I ended up here.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

So as you began to blow up on social media, you're a resident at the time.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

I'm a fellow.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

A fellow at the time. Okay. So it goes from resident to fellow to doctor.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Yes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Okay. In that order.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Was there ever a moment where your peers, because this was something that people didn't normally do that you saw like any jealousy or like people ahead of you, the doctors, like, hey, you need to like.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

What's so interesting is that when I started this was before, you know, the pandemic, before things really blew up on social media in that way. They just thought I was a little crazy. Like, and I told my, my peers, like my co fellows, because you're in this same boat together as trainees. So I never wanted them to feel like I was just doing random endeavors in like a deceptive way. So I just let them know one day in our little workroom, like, hey guys, I'm going to start an Instagram where I start educating. They're like, okay, like, are you not busy enough, girl? Right. And that was just, that was kind of the, the response. But as the Pandemic started, and people started to leverage social media in that way, and it began to blow up.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

A lot of doctors were.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Yes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Very vocal during.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Very vocal. Y. I had even one of my attending doctors who were like, our bosses was like, can you teach me how to do social media? I was like, oh, my gosh, that's so sweet. For a price, because. What are you talking about? I don't have free time.

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

Hello.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Right. So you could see the shift was happening, but it hadn't happened when I first started. So I think that protected me from any type of jealousy or anything. I don't think anyone anticipated that it would be that big.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Wow.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Which was fun because I didn't either. I just thought I was just doing this little education thing. I didn't think I could make money. I had no real plans to make a business.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Just all kind of happened.

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

I love that. That's so cool. Hey, y'.

[Lauren LaRosa]

All, what's up? It's Lauren LaRosa. And we gotta talk. We gotta get into something that Sprite just dropped, because this is right up my alley. As somebody who's been in audio and hip hop culture for over a decade, this is exactly the kind of thing I geek out about. Okay. It's called the Sprite Living track list. Fifty tracks, handpicked, that shaped hip hop from the ground up to right now. And this isn't just a playlist to bob your head to all cute. This is designed to start real conversation to get people arguing. Y' all know how y' all love to do about the hip hop and the list reminiscing as well. Sending it to their group chats like, yo, do y' all remember when this song was it? And honestly, as a producer of content campaigns like this hit different for me. I spent my life thinking about how the perfect story gets told. How one moment in a song is becomes a moment for the culture. And seeing 50 records that literally define eras of hip hop laid out like this, side by side. Yo. Masterclass. Mwah. Chef Kiss. Now, this list itself, it's incredible. You've got the foundational stuff sitting right next to the new class. Real Then and now vibes. My personal top picks from the pack. I gotta go with Unity, Bodak Yellow, and who's that Girl? Child, you can't tell me nothing about that song because those are just non negotiables for me. But here's the best part. This goes way beyond the kin. Hip hop authorities and tastemakers actually break down the history and the impact behind every single track. On the list. The samples, the influence, why it mattered then, and why it still matters right now. That's the real story. So go run your own list. See how many of these 50 you grew up on, which ones surprise you, and which ones you're sending to your friends. First, check out the full Sprite Living Track List and break down the stories behind your favorite bars@livingtracklist. Genius.com this is the Sprite Living Track List. Obey your thirst.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

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[Podcast Announcer / Host]

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[Chris Renee Hazlett]

into a new school year. Whether it's a favorite notebook, a cool

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

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[Chris Renee Hazlett]

kids are excited about, including Love Shack,

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

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[Chris Renee Hazlett]

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[Chris Renee Hazlett]

a.com now I know that working in your field you see so many different things and it can. There's a lot of weight that you have to carry. What are some of the scenarios that you can share that have really like hit you where you're like, this is a tough day.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Oh, you know, there's, there's so many tough days. I think a lot of people think that in my field I'll see primarily young girls who have been like mistreated and abused and that is a subset of what I do. But there's still a lot of reasons why girls need to see a gynecologist that are not that extreme.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Exactly.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Yeah. Even so, I tend to see those people too. And the amount of things that our youngest folks have seen and experienced, even at the hands of folks who were supposed to protect them. Oh my God, it breaks my heart.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

And I have had to leave rooms because I'm like breaking down. One girl was telling me her story about what she had survived and I am just like uncontrollably crying. And she wasn't. And she was young and I just remember being like, you just look at her and you would never know all she's carried.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

All of the nightmares she has survived and she still looked joyful and had protective folks in her life at that time. But my God, it just speaks to. It constantly reminds me and calibrates my perspective on. You don't know what people are going through. And so there is a lot that I can't share because of HIPAA purposes and, you know, all that. But there's a lot of this world is so dark and it is so, so hard for a lot of people. And then it is so bright and it's so beautiful. And the people who have limitations and disabilities and things will be some of the most remarkable people that I see. So it just, it reminds me continually of the expansiveness of God, the goodness of God and the need, and the mandate for grace.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's good. Thank you. One of the chapters that I loved the title for was it's not about you, but it is. I thought that was probably one of the most honest titles that you could have given that chapter. What inspired that title?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Oh, gosh. So when I first thought about writing my book and when you write books that goes through so many iterations, I was thinking, do I need to do like a ton of parenting profiles and how, what parents experience, how that affects how they show up for their kids? But that isn't the most useful thing. You know, while you could do that and it would be entertaining, when you're trying to create a resource, you want to limit unnecessary rhetoric around mistakes and give as much insight into opportunities and inappropriate guidance. And so when I realized that parents still need to know how powerful their influence is, but they need to know that that influence needs to be wielded in a framework that centers your child. Like, how do you balance it? And that is what it is. It is nuance, it is duality. And that's what this conversation calls for. I also think that's why so many people don't want to have it. Because it takes time, it takes sensitivity, it takes consideration and compassion to say, I understand why you feel that way. It makes sense that you feel that way. This is an appropriate response to that. But the outcome you desire is not on the other side of that. So it's not about you, but it is means center your child. Right? But understand where your lived experience has impact and modify it according to the outcomes you desire. Because if you don't, and if you are not aware of that, you will. You will be speaking from borrowed scripts. You will be perpetuating misconceptions. You will be passing down generational shame and you won't even know it.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I think a lot of us are healing from that as adults. From the pass down generational curses and shame.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Absolutely. And many of the people in our lives who are the main folks that pass that down, did so unknowingly or unintentionally. To this day, if you ask them if they made, period, shameful, they'd be like, no, I just told you not to tell nobody. I just told you you can't talk about it. It's like, that is the same, right? Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That is so true. And something that Alana stayed with and you said your child's puberty is not your chance at puberty. Redo.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Oh, gosh.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Powerful. It matters because a lot of times parents, they take the trauma that they had and then they put it on their child, oftentimes unknowingly.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Yes. And they overcorrect. And it's so clear. It is so clear when that happens. You see a mom that says she's not having a boyfriend until she is 18 and she's not talking to no boys and she's not going to have. And I'm like, can you tell me your story? And their story is often at 14, they fell in love with this smooth talking little, you know, boy on the JB basketball team. You know, you're just like, what? You know what I'm saying? And that derailed them. And so, you know what they.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I'm like, okay, that was me, right?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

That was your right. That's your story. But it's so important to know that your baby is not you. Just because they have your influence and half your genetics doesn't mean they are you. And so to reduce them to only your storyline in this corrective type of way where you're using whiteout on your story and not giving them even the opportunity to write their own story is so unfair. It's just unfair. And it's profoundly limiting. It's almost like if you survived a flood, you teach your kid how to build a boat, Right. If you were in a hailstorm, you teach them how to build a roof, but your child might need a roof. You talking about a boat?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Right?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You know what I'm saying?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Just like protect them, give them what they need. And the only way you'll know what they need is to allow them to live their life.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's so good. Now you are a mother now.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Yes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

How has writing this book? Has it shifted your perspective on anything or has it made you really dial in? But you have a little boy, so.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Yes, I do.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

It'll be a different conversation for him when the time comes for puberty. But has writing this book shaped any different ideas that you had around this?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Yeah, I think that writing actually, I think motherhood impacted the book more than the book impacted My motherhood.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Wow.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Because I actually wrote the majority of this book while pregnant and postpartum. Yeah, that was not my plan. Would not recommend 0 out of 10. So when I got my book deal, I did not know that I was pregnant at the time. I found out, like, a few days later. So I'm like, I inked it. Like, oh, yeah, March 3rd of 2025. Sounds great. Or whatever. My baby was born November 30th of 2024. I was like, I have three months to get my manuscript together. You know, I'd written some of it. But also, being pregnant with your first child, your brain just goes to, oh, yeah, I'm preparing for this baby. Like, what do you know? All the things you need to get together. So a lot of it was writing during, like, the matrescence period, where my brain is literally rewiring. I have no sleep. But what I was able to access that I'd never had access to before was this unquantifiable love that I have for my child that I was able to understand and write in a way that considered it for the parents that would read this book. So instead of me questioning your love for your child, I'm going to write assuming profound and deep love for your child. I'm going to write assuming that your intentions are to give your child the very best life, because that's what I have. Those are my intentions. I'm sitting here on Reddit looking up how I'm supposed to put him to sleep, you know, looking at every possible thing, all the resources in the world. I wanted to treat parents that would pick up my book in the same way as someone whose heart is seeking the right resources. And I think. I don't know that I would have been able to write in that way if I didn't do so as a new mom.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I love that. That's so good. Now, we already touched on generational curses. Is there something, a belief that you may have inherited or something that you're already intentionally passing on to your child? Is there something that you want to pass on to him as he gets older?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Yes. Oh, my gosh, there's so much that I want to pass on to him. I think that my mother did a great job of letting us know as young girls that there were no limits in what we could do. And she did that by living by example. So she was an attorney, and she went to school, and when she was at school talking to, like, her advisors and things, and she told them she wanted to go to law school, they were like, no, like, what makes you think you could do that? You know? But she's in school in the 80s, young black girl from Lagrange, Georgia, and they just didn't feel like they could see that in her. And my mom was very clear in that no one has to see in you what you see in yourself. And I have never for one moment doubted what I could do in this world because of the mother that raised me, because of the family that I have that just leads with encouragement. They are not a limit, you know, limited thinking type of family. And so that is something I want to pass down to my son, that there are no limits in what you can do. What is important is trusting yourself and leaning into, you know, your faith to discover those gifts and then pursue them fully and be a good steward of them.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's so good. I love. That's beautiful. Yes. I love that. I want to talk about the weight of the truth that you carry as a doctor. You've had to have so many uncomfortable conversations with parents and probably children, letting them know the reality of their circumstances.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Oh, yes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Have you always been comfortable with having uncomfortable conversations, or was this something you had to develop

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

for some reason? I have always valued uncomfortable conversations, because uncomfortable conversations are not. They don't create the discomfort. Right. They give you an opportunity to address it. And I've always thought about them as opportunities to modify, to educate, to improve. It doesn't change reality. Oftentimes when I'm telling patients about a diagnosis or putting it in context for their future, future fertility or what have you, I ain't changed nothing. Sometimes they were born with this. I'm like, this been 15 years in the making.

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

Okay.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Right. We are finally able to name it. We're finally able to give. To validate what you. You've suspected. We're finally able to create a plan that aligns with all of the questions and goals and desires that you have. So I have always been more inclined to addressing things than not. I believe it's just because this is reality.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

And, you know, shying away from that and avoiding it makes it no less of a reality. It just robs me or you of the opportunity of doing anything about it. And I've always felt like I had agency in anything. Like there's. There's still something I can do. I don't control everything.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Right.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

But when I do control, I want to be able to do that to the best of my ability. And so I approach these conversations in that same way.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes. I want to talk about the statistics and Science. A lot of times we don't know what the statistics are around young children and the things that they may carry. A lot of times we think it's, oh, this is just what adult women or men go through. What are some of the things that you see arising when it comes to young women that most people may be oblivious to that they're facing now?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

There are so many things that people are oblivious to. But one of the things that I like to highlight, and I do highlight in my book, is the potential for these real conditions that we do just decide in our minds belong to older women than presenting in our younger girls from the onset of menstruation. So the youngest age that I've personally diagnosed with endometriosis was 12. But people think it's got to be in adults now. It's like, now, why do we. Why do we believe that? So when we take it out of the context of reproductive health, we know that there are babies that need heart transplants. We know that there are young babies and children with heart disease. It doesn't mean they have a heart attack from 20 years of smoking. Right, right. It's like, that's not. No, the etiology is not the same. They don't acquire these things in the same way necessarily, but there's still some risk. And so there's some congenital things that affect our young girls. But endometriosis is something that we don't even understand all that well. The idea that it just arises in adult women doesn't make a ton of sense. They have all the parts, so it can be there. What contributes to that misconception is the historical and patriarchal dismissal of women and girls in their pain until it is related to having a baby, until it's related to something that men in society say, oh, that's worthwhile. Having. Having children is a worthwhile endeavor. Let me address it then. So we're often addressing it when women want to have babies, not when they are just wanting to exist and make the cheer team or, you know, go to grad school or all these other things that are of value. Yes. So we used to just say, we don't care until then, or they're too young for this, but that's not true. So your child is not too young to have pms. They're not too young for PMDD even. They're not too young for endometriosis. They're not too young for debilitating pain. They're not too young for a lot of things that we have miscategorized as an adult affliction just because that's when we start listening.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Wow. Ooh, my goodness. Wow. What is. Because I don't. I'm asking in ignorance. When it comes to fibroids, I know there is a connect. There's a connecting with endometriosis and fibroids. Sometimes you hear the two come up at the same time. How early in age can those start to develop? And what is the youngest?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

There's an association between endometriosis and fibroids. People can have both. And there's often a dismissal in that regard, where if someone sees fibroids on ultrasound, they're like, that's your problem. But there can be two things that are true at once. I've seen, Met someone that was like, I have fibroids, I have adenomyosis, and I have endometriosis. I was like, dang, girl.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You know?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

So you can have multiple things. Fibroids do tend to have an onset that is earlier in black women. And so the they'll say, like, oh, the peak age of onset is around 30s or 40s. It can be younger in black women. That's what the research shows. So there's a woman who leads a fibroid organization that I work with. Her fibroids started in her 20s, and everyone kept saying, you can't have that many fibroids in your 20s. Like, that can't happen. It can, I've seen in teenagers, and that's rare, but it is possible. And so having one, a healthy index of suspicion is appropriate, but also, just listening to your patients is important. And when we say listen to women and trust women, we need to extend that same listening and trust to girls.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah. Wow.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Yeah.

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I, I, as we were talking, I was like, I want to know.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Because we do always think, oh, that's in older women, or as you get older, you need to get checked for this. Not understanding. And now with science and having better understanding that a lot of the pain that girls are probably feeling at 12 and 13 was endometriosis, but they didn't have language for it.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

There was a study that showed about a third of people that were diagnosed with endometriosis in their older age said that they had it in their teen years, from their earliest period, and they knew it was debilitating. They told people it was. Yes. It just wasn't. It wasn't valued. It wasn't considered.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Mm. Yeah. I had friends that dealt with it. I never dealt with that. For some reason, like, I was blessed to not deal with that until I got older and I ended up changing my diet and my cramps changed.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Yes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

But it was to the point where. It was to the point where I'd be on my knees, the cramps were so bad, like I couldn't even stand up straight. Cause it hurt so bad. And then when I changed my diet, that's when like, I can literally not take Tylenol. I may have like a little headache, but I can push through.

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

Yes.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

And a lot you talk about it's higher in African American women. And I've heard it's because of like the stress levels, the trauma that is passed down from years versus our Caucasian counterparts. Is there truth to that or how

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

do you feel there's some validity to that? There is no one cause. So it's multifactorial. But that is one of the most consistent things that we see. Because not every black person lives in a lower socio economic kind of setting. Not every one of us has, you know, lower education or whatever. There's a lot of variety there. The one thing that we all experience is racism. Right, Right. You know what I'm saying? Like that's the unifying factor. That's what. What contributes to black maternal mortality. Right. That's why Serena Williams had to go advocate for herself when she had her second pulmonary embolism and they didn't believe her.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's crazy. Yeah.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

That bias is the most consistent factor where diet and education and access and. And incomes vary. That is the unifying thing. And so I do think that plays a role. Obviously there's other things we can change. It's multifactorial, but I think there's truth to that.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Hey, y', all, what's up? It's Lauren LaRosa and we gotta talk. We gotta get into something. That Sprite just dropped because this is right up my alley. As somebody who's been in audio and hip hop culture for over a decade, this is exactly the kind of thing I geek out about. Okay? It's called the Sprite living track list. 50 tracks, hand picked, that shaped hip hop from the ground up to right now. And this isn't just a playlist to bob your head to all cute. This is designed to start real conversation to get people arguing. Y' all know how y' all love to do about the hip hop in the list. Reminiscing as well. Sending it to their group chats like, yo, do y' all remember when this song was it? And honestly, as a producer of content campaigns like this hit different for me. I spend my life thinking about how the perfect story gets told, how one moment in a song becomes a moment for the culture and seeing 50 records that literally define eras of hip hop laid out like this, side by side. Yo. Masterclass. Mwah. Chef Kiss. Now this list itself, it's incredible. You've got the foundational stuff sitting right next to the new class, real then and now vibes. My personal top picks from the pack. I gotta go with Unity, Bodak Yellow and who's that Girl Child. You can't tell me nothing about that song because those are just non negotiables for me. But here's the best part. This goes way beyond the kin. Hip hop authorities and tastemakers actually break down the history and the impact behind every single track on the list. The samples, the influence, why it mattered then, and why it still matters right now. That's the real story. So go run your own list. See how many of these 50 you grew up on, which ones surprised you, and which ones you're sending to your friends. First, check out the full Sprite Living Track list and break down the stories behind your favorite bars@livingtracklist. Genius.com this is the Sprite Living Track List. Obey your thirst.

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

Back to School Shopping is about more than just checking off a list. It's about helping kids feel confident walking

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

into a new school year. Whether it's a favorite notebook, a cool

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

backpack, or the perfect pair of shoes, Target is there to make a big difference. Target is showing up for families this back to school season with a huge variety of school supplies, apparel and accessories that help kids do their thing and express their personal style. And with low prices all season long, parents can feel good about getting everything they need at a great value. Think backpacks start in just $5 and save up to 60% on school supplies. Plus, Target has the brands and collaborations kids are excited about, including Love Shack, Fancy Cat and Jack Overtime, and even personalized Oala bottles with stickers, charms and more. With the prices parents want and the brands kids love, Target has everything you need for back to school shopping all in one place. Because when kids feel confident heading into

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

the school year, parents feel good too.

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[Dr. Charis Chambers]

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[Dr. Charis Chambers]

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[Dr. Charis Chambers]

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[Chris Renee Hazlett]

FDIC AL is there something that we can tell women when they're going to the doctor to how to speak up for themselves? Even young girls who if some college students are watching and they don't have the language, what can they tell their doctor so that the doctor can like because sometimes you can say hey, I'm having really bad cramps or heavy bleeding and they're like oh, they just kind of brush it off. Like how can you make sure that you get the extra care you need? Because so many times we hear women saying oh, they just sent me home with a little prescription. And then two years down the line it turned to something way worse than what it had started off because they didn't get ahead of it.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Absolutely. So a few of the things that I do, even one with my patients that I model for them and then when I go to my doctor I always speak about my symptoms in the context of impact. So it's not, oh, I'm having so much pain. I'm having so much pain that I cannot go to work, that I cannot do my daily activities. So I had like a nerve thing during my pregnancy. I cannot stand while cooking. I have to sit while I'm doing my hair or makeup. And it is debilitating. Debilitating is a good word.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah, toss her around.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Okay. It means it is preventing me from doing. I gotta do. And so even in the medical context, when we talk about conditions and things that are difficult to characterize, when it dips into negatively affecting your daily activities, that is a quantifiable thing. That is something that gets your attention and it often tips it into just an inconvenience, into like a disorder.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Right.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

So that's one thing you can do. Another thing that I like to model to my patients is having written down ahead of time a goal for that visit. So when I went to like my nephrologist, for example, I was like, I need a plan for what I'm going to do from a pregnancy standpoint. I knew I wanted to have a baby. I knew I wanted to be a mother. What does it look like? I need you to address it and give me a clear plan of what the next steps are. And so having a goal for yourself allows you to assess if that goal was met or not. You just walking in there willy nilly, like, hey, what's up? Like, it's hard to know if your visit was successful or not. And it's hard for me as a doctor to know what you want out of this visit. So I tell my patients and whenever I speak, I tell folks, you know, a good doctor patient relationship is a meeting of excellence experts. It is collaborative. So I am the expert in medicine. You are the expert in you, your body, your life, your goals. We have to meet as two experts that are fully showing up to have a collaborative and productive conversation. So I need you to take up space. I need to take up space and we need to make a decision together. So I want, I want patients, college students, young folks to know you need to take up space. Your voice is necessary. It is necessary for us to get the best out.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's good. Thank you. Because I know people are going to have follow up questions after this conversation. So I want to leave them with some things that I'm already thinking about as we're talking. I want to ask, as your influence has grown, what are you most protective of now? Because as you continue to Become more known. There are certain things you have to protect. What are you protecting now?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Oh, gosh. I'm so protective of the people and the opportunities that I like, accept. So I'm a protective of like, my heart and my exposure, I think is the best way to frame that. You know, every opportunity isn't a good opportunity.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Come on.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Right. Every space that wants to hear you speak doesn't want to necessarily celebrate your. Elevate you.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

No.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

There are people that are just trying to feel time. There are people who are looking for a punching bag. There are people who are looking for someone to just dump on.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

And I believe that my work is too important and my calling is too high to put myself in situations where it is not advancing God's purpose and will for my life.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

So protecting what I, you know, me from whatever opportunity, that's hard because when I first started, I mean, if somebody hit my line, I'll be there.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Along the way where.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Let me know where, you know, you can pay me, you know, $5, like, or whatever. I was just happy to do the work. Right. But I have learned that when people value you, they. They value your time.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yes.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

They make sure that it aligns with you, that it's mutually beneficial. And you can tell with how they show up with you, how they handle you, how they're going to partner with you.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Absolutely.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

And so I'm much more protective of that as a result of limited time. But also just having seen it, it's like, wow, I really wish I hadn't done that. What are the signs? How can I better identify good opportunities? And just praying about it, like, hey, God, all this looks good. I can do two. Which two? He'd be so kind as to choose. That'd be great.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I love that. That's good. I wanna ask you spent your career preparing other people for their biggest life transitions. How do you stay open to God preparing you for seasons that you don't even know that are coming up next?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Oh, Lord, it's so hard because the things I say to my patients, like, yes, it's difficult and it's uncertain and your body's changed, you know, but it's okay. People have gone through it. I say that it don't even work on me. Like, I'm opening my own practice right now. Amazing. And oh, God, thank you. And it is amazing, but it is so scary and it is so hard. And I'm making decisions about stuff I never made a decision about, like, specifications. Do you want this to be 26 inches or 24. I don't know. You're like, what are you talking about? What do you mean? Like, I am making these decisions that terrify me. And I was listening to a pastor speak, and he was saying, you don't want clarity. You want certainty. And when I tell you that gathered me, I was like, come again? Because I want certainty that my efforts will be successful.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Yeah.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

And I keep praying to God, like, what is the answer? What is the right? No, you. You want certainty. You want a certain outcome. And so much of life is existing in uncertainty. And walking by faith. And walking by faith. If you knew the whole path ain't walking by faith. Right. It's just not. And so these life transitions, especially in this season where there is elevation, elevation comes with a greater risk from falling. Right? The. The greatest risk of failure is the. The thing that's the most successful, something that ain't successful, you ain't got much failure to be had. You know, just like every time you elevate that fall, it's going to hurt that much more. And so just trusting in God that if I fall, it won't destroy me if. If I make a mistake, God will fix it that he didn't bring me this far, you know, to leave me all of those things. So I have to coach myself in the ways that I coach my patients, understanding that it's easier said than done that giving yourself grace is something that you learn by doing. But, yeah, it's hard. And I'm still. I'm still afraid. I do lots of things afraid. But God is good. And so I just have to lean on that.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

That's perfect. And we could not end on a better note. Thank you so much. Every season, we choose a word to guide our conversations. And this season, the word is purpose. I want to ask you, Dr. Charis, what does purpose mean to you today?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Purpose for me is the impact I can have while being obedient to the calling God has given me. People look at you, and they have so many things they want to do with you and your gifts and skills. And they're like, ooh, this could be purposeful, but the only purpose I want to be concerned with is the one that God has for me. And so I better understand what that looks like when it aligns with what I know God has called me to do and the gifts that he's given me. And I'm so grateful, like, all of this, being here with you, it is me living in my purpose.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

I love it. Thank you so much. I've completely enjoyed this conversation Thoroughly. You are a gem, and I'm so excited for everyone to get your book. I can't wait to share. We're gonna have to make this a part of the Sweetie Social club Book club.

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

Oh, yes, yes, absolutely.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Is there anything else that we can support you in?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Oh, gosh. You know, if you read my book and you love it, just review it. It's so crazy how reviews matter a lot. I didn't realize that. And so if you have something positive to say, keep it positive.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Sweeties, wasn't that good?

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

You know, share this with someone. Write a review, let people know. And if you have someone in your life who has periods or will have periods, show up for them however you can. You don't have to be perfect, but showing up for them can make a world of a difference.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Dr. Charles, thank you so much.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Thank you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So good.

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Sweeties, if today's conversation reminded you of anything, I hope it's this. The conversations we choose to have today can shape generations and tomorrow. Never underestimate the power of asking the question, telling the truth, and leading with compassion. Dr. Charis, thank you so much.

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

And, sweeties, be sure to pick up

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Dr. Chariss new book, the Period and Puberty Parenting Revolution, available now wherever books are sold.

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

And don't forget, KIPS Live is happening

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

Friday at the Buckhead Theater right here in Atlanta, Georgia.

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

Tickets are on sale now, and I

[Chris Renee Hazlett]

cannot wait wait to see you guys there. If today's episode encouraged you, inspired you, or made you think a little differently, be sure to subscribe, leave us a comment and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. Until next time, keep it positive, Sweeties. I'll see you guys this week.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Can't wait.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

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[Podcast Announcer / Host]

Back to school is here. And Target has everything families need to help head into the school year feeling confident and ready to do their thing. From school supplies and stylish apparel to accessories kids actually want, Target makes it easy to check every box on your list at a great value. We're talking backpacks starting at just $5 and up to 60% off school supplies. Plus, kids can express their style with brands and collabs they love, like Love Shack, Fancy Cat and Jack Overtime and customizable owalla bottles with stickers, charms, more the prices parents want and the brands kids love all in one place at Target.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Before we go, I gotta leave y' all with a question. What's a hip hop lyric that changed the way you saw music? Because that's really what the Sprite Living Track List is all about. It's not about crowning winners, it's starting conversations. 50 tracks, generations of artists, endless debates. And Sprite didn't just put lyrics on a can. Nah, they went deeper, bringing together hip hop experts and tastemakers to help unpack the stories and the impact behind every track. Check out the full Sprite Living Track List and break down the stories behind your favorite bars@livingtracklist. Genius.com this is the Sprite Living Track List. Obey your thirst.

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

Hey, you planning a little adventure tonight? Knowing your status is part of staying protected against HIV keeps it hot.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Keeps it light, sexy.

[Podcast Announcer / Host]

So stay naughty and stay informed because

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

keeping it real about HIV prevention is part of the vibe. When you date, stay up to date

[Lauren LaRosa]

on your HIV prevention and sexual health. To learn more, talk to your healthcare provider and visit carefortheculture.com

[Dr. Charis Chambers]

this is an I Heart podcast.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Guaranteed human.