The Breakfast Club: Woman Run The World

Episode Date: February 25, 2026
Main Focus: Loren LaRosa Recaps Her Experience on the Femmitforward Cruise & Discusses Women’s Empowerment, Fashion, Career Journeys, and Navigating Conflict in Media
Featured Guest: Crystal Renee Hazlett (Actress, Tyler Perry Studios; Host of "Keep It Positive, Sweetie" podcast)

Episode Overview

This episode of The Breakfast Club spotlights Loren LaRosa, fresh off the Femmitforward Cruise—a voyage dedicated to celebrating, networking, and empowering Black women. Loren offers a behind-the-scenes look at impactful moments from the cruise, especially her dynamic sit-down with Crystal Renee Hazlett. Through candid conversation, rapid-fire fun, and serious insights, Loren and Crystal explore sisterhood, supporting women in media, fashion, professional growth, and authentic handling of workplace conflicts, including the often-public dynamics of The Breakfast Club team.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Loren’s Centered Post-Cruise Mindset

• Loren returns from the Femmitforward Cruise feeling rested, inspired, and intentionally at peace ([03:00]).
• She emphasizes the cruise was a space for Black women to connect and encourage each other, and she wants listeners to feel that uplifting energy.

"I'm in a very centered space, and I want you guys to be able to really experience the cruise with me."
— Loren LaRosa, [03:30]

2. Female Representation, Networking, and Fandom

• Crystal discusses being “new in the podcast space” yet feeling genuine support and excitement from the community on the cruise.
• Both women celebrate seeing so many beautiful, high-achieving Black women in one space.

"It's so many Black women, and like, we just here, we about to get on this boat and just, like, do stuff that we be doing. And you know what else? Cause y'all know we be doing the things. Okay, we be doing the things, right?"
— Crystal Renee Hazlett, [05:44]

• Loren spotlights how podcast audiences (the “low riders” and Crystal’s fans) show up for them, making live podcasts and gatherings an exciting next step.

3. Rapid-Fire Segment: Getting to Know Crystal

• Heels, sneakers, or slides? ("Heels.")
• Group chat style? ("Voice note queen.")
  Both laugh about the need to speed up voice notes and their overuse of podcast-length audio messages ([09:45]).
• Favorite get-hyped song? ("Dolce—Girl Get Up" and "Lil Baby—All In")
  Loren reflects on how the lyrics inspire her daily:

"Girl Get Up by Dolce has been my theme song recently …when the 'it girl black' comes on. I be feeling that, like, yeah, y'all be trying to really play with us when we out here doing it up."
— Loren LaRosa, [12:35]

4. The Reality behind Media Careers

• "What's glamorous vs. what's chaotic?"
  Loren jokes about the unpredictable nature of interviews, comparing the Breakfast Club team to playing spades, where everyone has a known role ([17:10]):
  • "Charlotte's gonna go into the mental health stuff… Envy's gonna say 'take us back to the beginning,' Jess is gonna be funny, and I'll bring in the trending news."

"Even though we make it look so easy… I always am like, oh, I’m about to ask this, and when I ask this… you just don’t know what you’re going to get from a person."
— Loren LaRosa, [17:35]

5. Fashion, Self-Presentation, and Confidence

• Loren and Crystal celebrate creative expression through style—whether designer or not.
• Anecdote: Jayvon James, Loren’s stylist, always says, “Stop saving outfits. Every day is your day!” They joke about “showing up” even when tempted to just blend in ([19:20]).

"You saving these outfits, girl. Every day is your day."
— Jayvon (recounted by Loren), [19:25]

6. Loren’s Unexpected Rise at The Breakfast Club

• Loren is open about the persistence, adaptability, and time she invested to become a permanent figure on The Breakfast Club:
  • Originally brought in for a single day’s guest host slot.
  • Worked for months without pay, focusing on adding value and learning.
  • Her break came when Jess went on maternity leave and recommended Loren as a replacement ([22:00]).

"When people talk about like, doing things for free, it’s like, okay, I'mma do it until they pay me. I didn't think I was going to be paid... If I can come in every day and learn and be around this—until whatever else happens, I'm going to do that."
— Loren LaRosa, [27:32]

• Emotional moment: Loren’s mother cried with joy when Loren finally became a paid contributor, recognizing the culmination of risk and sacrifice.

7. Navigating On-Air Conflict & Empathy Among Women in Media

• Loren addresses the public/viral conflict with co-host Jess Hilarious during the “live HR meeting” phase:
  • She channels empathy for Jess, recalling her experience being temporarily replaced at TMZ when tending to her sick mother.
  • Discusses the industry’s pressures and the optics of Black women being pitted against each other.
  • Stresses supporting one another even amid uncomfortable transitions.

"For me, it was like, if I were in her place, how would I feel?... I had to have a certain empathy for Jess… I was actually her partner in that. But she just wasn’t at the place where that was something she wanted to… and I couldn’t force that."
— Loren LaRosa, [35:00]

• Loren and Crystal agree: media structures often create “there’s only room for one” scenarios for Black women, making it difficult not to see each other as competitors.

8. Women’s Conflict Resolution & Sisterhood

• Loren is clear: she chose to handle adversarial moments with transparency, honesty, and a refusal to make it “me vs. you.”
• She highlights that public resolution demonstrates to listeners and viewers, especially women, that it’s possible to work through issues and celebrate each other’s strengths.

"Even if we walk away from this not liking each other at all… I want to show people that, like, you can have an issue, but we don’t have to allow it to, like, you know what I mean? ... At the end of the day, you gonna go through some things that only I will understand…we look like each other."
— Loren LaRosa, [39:30]

• Loren and Crystal discuss the importance of showing real, multifaceted Black women on mainstream platforms—not just “all in white, smiling”—and making space for authenticity.

"They cutting platforms, they taking Black people out of media … They don't want people like me and Jess..."
— Loren LaRosa, [44:00]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On empowerment and authenticity:
  “We don’t all got to be in white smiling and don’t really care for each other. We know how to work it with us.”
  — Crystal Renee Hazlett, [45:00]

• On refusing to let drama define your journey:
  "I worked really hard to get here. I can’t let this situation control and change everything I worked for. It cannot. I have so many other places to go."
  — Loren LaRosa, [46:10]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:00-04:00: Loren sets the tone, describes her restful, inspired state after the cruise.
• 05:44: Crystal raves about the energy, abundance, and support among Black women on the cruise.
• 09:45-13:00: Rapid-fire questionnaire—style, communication, hype songs.
• 17:10-18:00: The “glamorous chaos” of interviews and the dynamic of The Breakfast Club team.
• 19:20-20:00: Upside of dressing for yourself and the importance of showing up.
• 22:00-29:00: Loren details her professional journey to becoming a regular on The Breakfast Club.
• 35:00-46:30: Deep dive into public conflict resolution, empathy, supporting women, and changing the narrative around competition.
• 44:00-46:10: Advocacy for more authentic representation of Black women in media.

Conclusion

This episode delivers a heartfelt, unfiltered look into Loren LaRosa’s recent growth—both professional and personal. Through a lively and honest exchange with Crystal Renee Hazlett, listeners gain a blueprint for thriving as a Black woman in media, the power of sisterhood, and the importance of giving grace during transitions. Loren’s candidness about unpaid labor, navigating conflict, and the celebration of “doing it up” with personal style is both relatable and empowering—a testament to the idea that, indeed, women do run the world.

Crystal's podcast “Keep It Positive, Sweetie” is also available on the Black Effect Podcast Network.