Episode 324: The Business of Vaginas with Kimba Williams, CEO of Kushae

There’s no way to sugar coat this week’s episode; this week we are talking about vaginas and down-there-care with Kimba Williams, CEO and cofounder of Kushae. After becoming a mom, she realized things were acting up *down there* and in wanting to detoxify all the products she was buying for her own growing family, she knew she needed natural products to care for herself too. She tells us about her products, bad & good bacteria, and why choosing the right people to help grow your team can really make a difference in the long run. Kimba’s bubbly personality makes this topic easier to talk about, and she shares so much great information that we need to be sharing with all the women closest to us! 

More about Kimba: Kimba Williams is an award-winning pharmaceutical sales executive turned best-selling author, national speaker, and award-winning entrepreneur as the CEO and Co-founder of Kushae - a line of award-winning natural feminine health and hygiene products and has been featured in Forbes, Vogue, Essence, Black Enterprise, NBC News, and more. Kimba is known far and wide as the PitchPro, having won over 15 business pitch competitions and successfully raising over $1.3 Million dollars doing so…becoming one of the first 100 Black women to ever achieve this tremendous feat. 

Kimba is a 3x entrepreneur having had successful businesses in business consulting - teaching women how to pitch for millions as she has; as an education consultant - where she’s helped hundreds of parents and first-generation college students access and navigate the world of college admissions; and currently with Kushae - a line of natural, non-toxic feminine health & hygiene solutions that support women from menstruation to menopause. Created alongside her co-founder, Board Certified OB/GYN, Dr. Barb, Kushae is currently sold online at kushae.com and in stores nationwide, including Whole Foods Market

Though a native New Yorker of Jamaican heritage, Kimba is now a resident of South Florida and an avid traveler, having been to 5 of 7 major continents several times, with a special love for countries in Africa. She enjoys being a wife, mother to 3 sons, loves afrobeat & reggae music, and continues to inspire first-generation students to pursue their collegiate dreams as she once did.

Our Conversation with Kimba

What is Kushae?

Kushae = coochie

“Fixing one kushae at a time.” - Bricia

Bricia’s favorite Kushae product: Feminine Deodorant Spray

What is BV?

The business of vaginas

Kushae products

Team bare, team trim, team au natural

How big is the company?

The retail process

“I’m absolutely imbalanced and that’s okay. Not my ph, but 🤷🏻‍♀️😂.” - Kimba

Why its okay to be selfish

Pick or tip of the week

Bricia is just full of tips for blonde hair! She needed a silk pillow case and found this one from Amazon. Highly recommend for good hair, good skin, and a very luxurious sleep.

Paulina is still working on renovating parts of her home and she has been wanting a smart home for a while. She found these light switches from Kasa Smart home that make it easy to access your lights from your phone.

Links

Shop for down-there products on kushae.com. Take the quiz on their website to see what products are right for you! You can also follow the brand on Instagram @therealkushae

You can also follow Kimba on Instagram @Kimbathenaturaldiva and Twitter @williams_kimba

Episode 321: Not an Angry Mom, I’m a Raging Mom: Owning Mom Rage with Annia Palacios

“Motherhood is hard, but it doesn’t have to be this hard.” - Annia

Have you ever felt so anxious, overwhelmed, tired, or a million other emotions, but what comes out is… anger? This is called rage, in particular mom rage, and our guest this week is explaining these feelings and how we can handle them. Annia Palacios is a therapist who has dedicated her career to working with moms after her own struggle with postpartum depression. During our conversation, we discuss the symptoms of mom rage, the challenges of motherhood that ignite these emotions, and our overall maternal mental health. We also touch on post traumatic stress that parents specifically have felt over the last few years, and how to cope. 

Before the show…

Bricia is alone this week (Paulina is in Oaxaca), but we do have a major announcement this week. Our michelada mix company, I Love Micheladas, is now being carried in select Costco locations in California! We want to shout out our tiny but mighty ILM team who worked so hard to make this all possible, and to our new Costco family for all the love, patience and support. Full list of locations is below. And for our listeners not local to Los Angeles or California, you can also shop our mix at Vallarta, Northgate Markets and 24/7 on ILoveMicheladas.com.

Costco Locations Carrying I Love Micheladas Mix

Azusa

Eastvale

Fontana

Fullerton

Inglewood

La Habra

La Quinta

Monterey Park

Norwalk

Oxnard 

Van Nuys

More about Annia: Annia Palacios is a therapist, coach, mom and stepmom who has dedicated her career to working with moms. She transformed her therapy practice into primarily working with mothers after her own struggles with postpartum depression following the birth of her first child. Through that journey, Annia realized that moms deserved better and shouldn't have to suffer in silence.

Today, Annia's therapy practice is dedicated to helping moms and mom-to-be navigate postpartum depression and anxiety, grief, infertility, and birth trauma. Her coaching work supports mom in managing mom rage and the mental load of motherhood so they can redefine themselves and find balance in life and motherhood.

Annia offers therapy services to clients living in Texas and Florida through Tightrope Therapy and provides coaching services nationwide and internationally via Moms Playbook Coaching.

Our Conversation with Annia

How long does maternal mental health last?

Post Traumatic Stress after Uvalde and other tragic events

Preparing for Safety with our Children

Symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety

Mom rage - what does it feel like and look like?

How to cope with rage

Annia is offering Super Mamas listeners $100 off her signature "Mom Rage" coaching package. You will receive 5 individual 1:1 coaching sessions to help you understand what makes you rage, instantly begin applying coping skills to help manage your unique situations and develop a playbook to help tackle future issues. Just mention that you found

Links

Follow Annia on Instagram - @the.therapy.mom and TikTok @tightropetherapy

You can also learn more about Annia’s practice at TightRopeTherapy.com and her online coaching for moms at MomsPlaybookCoaching.com.

Episode 319: Keeping it Real with the Super Mamas: Paulina’s Quarter Life Tune-Up

You’re probably wondering what is a quarter life tune up is. We often talk about self-care for moms, taking care of your mental health making time to do things you love, but what about our physical health? This week, Paulina talks about what’s going on inside her body and the recent feelings that have made her focus on taking care of herself in all ways. Her personal version of tuning herself up. We also talk about the emotions we have felt over the last few weeks, especially with all the tragic events going on in the world. We have been “feeling our feelings”, as we explain during the episode, and we realize that we all have a different healing process. 

Our Conversation

Size 11W shoes

Paulina’s “rejuvenation” - Bulkamid Urethral Bulking

“I’m doing kegels as you’re telling this story” - Bricia

Two kind of incontinence

Bladder tests

“We talk about self care, massages and stuff. That’s great, but what’s going on inside your body?” - Paulina

After effects of traveling to Uvalde, Texas - listen to their experience

Paulina’s vision of time passing

Why it’s okay to feel the feelings

Pick or Tip of the Week

The last few weeks have been a little heavy so Paulina was looking for some laughs. Her pick is Cristela Alonzo’s new Netflix special, “Middle Classy.” These are the types of shows she loves because she watches them late at night after everyone has gone to sleep and she just laughs. She also loves the Ali Wong Netflix special.

Bricia’s pick is Paws of Fury: the Legend of Hank. While she loved the movie itself (it’s a great summer movie for kids!), you have to tune into the episode to hear why attending the movie premiere was such a cool experience for her son, Eduardo.

Links

Paulina refers to Bricia’s nose surgery story - listen to that episode here to hear why Paulina was freaked out for her own surgery

Nordstrom Rack has the best shoes! Even for Paulina’s size feet LOL

We talked a lot about our life coach, Victor Pierantoni Check out his past episode.

We also reference one of our first episodes with Lily Martinez. Listen to that throwback and let us know if we should have her back on the show!

Episode 318: Parenting from Abundance with Lilliana Vazquez

Our guest this week, Lilliana Vazquez, has held many titles - style expert, former television host on E!, and most recently, mama to her almost one year old son, Santiago. Like most episodes, our conversation is all about parenting but this one is a little different. We’re not only talking about Lilliana’s road to becoming a parent, including IVF treatment and her birth story, but also what is means to parent in abundance. She believes that making sure her own cup is full before anything else helps her be the best parent she can be. We also talk about the difficult feelings surrounding motherhood, advocating for your health (always!) and how good it feels to finally be heard. 

More about Lilliana: Lilliana is known as one of the fashion blogging OGs, and has carried many titles - from blogger to style expert, TV commentator to television host on E!. The enterprising star has curated a career that began from her small blog (CheapChicas.com), which she launched in 2008, to being seen by millions daily on numerous platforms including NBC TODAY, "Extra" to "The Talk," "Rachael Ray," "The Wendy Williams Show" and "Steve Harvey."  Today, she’s at PEOPLE (The TV Show) as a Special Contributor covering all things entertainment, red carpets, runways, and celebrity pop culture news.

Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, to a Puerto Rican father and Mexican mother, Lilliana is a first-generation Latinx who radiates gratitude for the dedication and sacrifices that her family made for her. Among the first in her family to attend college, she graduated from George Washington University, where she earned a double-major in international business and entrepreneurship. Lilliana has always used her platform to advocate for her community, and fight for Latinx representation in media and entertainment, as well as raise awareness on social issues.

In April of 2021, Lilliana announced she was pregnant with her first child, after battling with six years of infertility and IVF. After living this experience, Lilliana wishes to use her voice and platform to break the taboo around infertility and how it affects the Latinx community. In July 2021, Lilliana announced the birth of her healthy baby boy, Santiago “Santi” Merrick McGrath. Lilliana hopes to continue sharing about her journey to motherhood, the lessons, the challenges and hope with other mothers and those who hope to experience motherhood one day.

Vocabulary from this week’s episode

IVF: In vitro fertilization (IVF) helps with fertilization, embryo development, and implantation, so you can get pregnant.

IUI treatment: Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a simple procedure that puts sperm directly inside your uterus, which helps healthy sperm get closer to your egg.

AMH test: AMH, or anti-mullerian hormone is a substance produced by granulosa cells in ovarian follicles. Research shows that the size of the pool of growing follicles is heavily influenced by the size of the pool of remaining primordial follicles (microscopic follicles in “deep sleep”). Therefore, AMH blood levels are thought to reflect the size of the remaining egg supply – or “ovarian reserve”.

Gentle cesarean: A gentle C-section is a cesarean section which is elective and can occur under controlled situations.

Lilliana’s experience: “You can apply the same principles as a natural birth - skin to skin, cord clamping, vernix, and weight & height measurement can be delayed as long as the baby is okay. You can ask for a clear curtain instead of blue so you can watch the birth. You can also ask the doctor to take their time and be gentle; these are all things to discuss with your doctor if you are planning a gentle cesarean.”

Pick or Tip of the Week

Bricia’s pick this week is food! She has everything you can think of in her pantry - oils, salsas, etc. - she just wants to try one of everything. She recently tried David Chang’s products like the chili crunch, but her pick is the noodles. These are restaurant quality noodles come in clutch when you don’t have anything to eat.

Sun protection is Paulina’s tip this week. Coola Organic Radical Recovery After Sun Lotion has really helped her daughter’s recover from summer camp since they’re spending all day in the sun. They lather up before bed and it helps them so much in the morning.

Links

Follow Lilliana on Instagram @lillianavazquez

Episode 308: Advocating for Your Health with Sarah & Boo Simms of Lady & Larder

These ladies are putting our sister relationship to shame! In this episode we interview twin sisters, Sarah & Boo Simms, owners of Lady & Larder. You can thank them for being one of the forces that started the charcuterie board trend that’s all over social media right now! Sarah & Boo are big on family and they talk to us about how they balance their work and personal relationship. They also talk about how they supported each other when Sarah was diagnosed with cancer last year. The story makes us just as emotional now as when we heard it the first time, but it’s a great reminder to not only stay on top of your health, but to also advocate for yourself when you know something isn’t right. Get ready to cry, laugh and take notes because these sisters are dropping serious gems that you won’t want to forget!

More about the Simms sisters: Twin sisters Sarah and Boo Simms are the culinary and creative duo behind Lady & Larder – the Los Angeles based cheese shop credited with starting a global grazing board movement in 2016. The two have deep roots in the California hospitality industry and both share extensive backgrounds in the food and beverage industry – Sarah on the culinary and operations side and Boo in design and marketing. Raised under the notion that the dinner table was (and still is) a sacred place, Sarah and Boo maintain that the only thing bigger than their love of food is sharing it with others.

Lady & Larder was built around their profound respect for American-made seasonal ingredients and an immense appreciation for the role beautiful food plays in creating moments of connection and joy - offering small-batch cheese, natural wine, craft beer, farm fresh flowers, local bread and curated gifts that spark joy. Since their start, Lady & Larder has become the go-to source for those looking to entertain in Southern California - specializing in edible displays, created with seasonal crudités, fruit, cheese and charcuterie. For those looking for something special out-of-state, Lady & Larder also offers DIY cheese and charcuterie board kits, custom virtual classes and an array of seasonal gifts that ship nationwide.

Most recently Lady & Lady was featured as one of Oprah’s Favorite things in 2019, was featured in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Forbes, Los Angeles Magazine, O Magazine, and Martha Stewart Weddings . To learn more, visit ladyandlarder.com and check them out on IG @ladyandlarder.

About Lady & Larder

We are Lady & Larder. We live in Los Angeles, California. We are 100% women-owned. We are twin sisters and best friends. We grew up in the kitchen.

We provide the very best American made cheese and cured meats along with a selection of radically seasonal and impeccably sourced local accoutrements. We believe in supporting a 100% domestic and sustainable food culture, one that will continue to thrive for generations to come. Our goal is simple: use the best stuff we can get our hands on. We have found that the finest ingredients come from small batch producers and we, like you, know there is no substitute for quality. These American farmers, butchers, and cheesemakers are truly the best of the best. We are proud to support their unwavering commitment and dedication to their craft. So, build your board, invite your favorite people over and celebrate these inspiring makers with us. Cheers!

Gems from this week’s conversation

“Do every job you’re in to the best of your ability. Pick up skills, don’t burn bridges, and years later you’ll look back and you’ll realize your toolbox is full.”

“Sometimes people ask you a question and you answer and you’re like, ‘Wow, I know what I’m talking about.’”

“We’re all just out here winging it.” - Sarah & boo on adulting

“As twins, you go through a period where you try to do things individually and figure out how you’re different.”

“We fill in the blank for each other a little bit.” - Boo, on being a twin

“I feel like a more whole version of myself when I’m with her. When I’m by myself, I feel [I’m] lacking.” - Sarah

“With siblings, you’re just a little more raw.” - boo
”Completely raw.” - Sarah

“It’s the best part about having a business together. We get to share all the highs and low. It makes all the victories sweeter when it’s with someone you love and knows how important it is.” - Boo

“It makes us a stronger business owner, a stronger partner, stronger parents if we can set our foundation up and make sure our health is taken care of.” - Sarah

Pick or Tip of the Week

Our collective tip for this week is to schedule your physical! Go to the doctor. Stop pushing off what is necessary for you to do for your health.

Bricia’s pick is the Lady crackers from Lady & Larder. They’re so good and perfect for your cheese boards! You can pick them up in store if you’re local to Santa Monica, CA or order them online.

Paulina tip that everyone should know is that every insurance carrier has a patient advocacy office. If you have questions, comments or complaints, speak up! This is the department you want to talk to and they’ll make things right for you.

Links

Follow everyone on Instagram - @ladyandlarder @lafemmepicure aka Sarah and @boosimms

Boo & Sarah are mirror twins. Sounds pretty cool!

Visit the American Cancer Society website to learn more about what cancers to get screened for at certain ages. It could save your (or a loved one’s) life!

At Sarah’s request, her email is sarah@ladyandlarder.com. If you have cancer, have a loved one with cancer, need resources or connections or just need to talk, please send her an email. She wants to help,

Episode 273: Let’s Talk About Sex, Fertility Awareness, and that Time of the Month with Cindy Luquin of Howl at the Womb

We LOVE to talk about sex! But really, as taboo as it is in the Latinx community, it’s so important that we talk about sexual wellness. This week we talk to Cindy Luquin, founder of Howl at the Womb. We talk about why she created her business, plus we touch on fertility awareness, unprotected sex, basal body thermometers and so much more. These can be uncomfortable topics to discuss but Cindy makes it easy and informational, and we know we’ll be having her back for another chat soon!

Our Conversation with Cindy

What is Howl at the Womb?

Fertility Awareness Methods and Body Literacy

——————————————

How do you feel when it’s your time of the month?

1. Your basal body temp: Use a basal body thermometer to check your basal body temperature (resting/core temperature). You need to track this throughout your cycle because it shifts. When a spike in temperature happens, this is when you ovulate.

2. Check for cervical mucus, AKA wetness in your undies.

3. Your cervix: Insert your fingers into your vagina and check the position of your cervix. It changes positions at different times in the month.

Using apps to predict your cycle

• Read Your Body app

• Kindara app

——————————————

Methods to NOT conceive

Pulling out 🙈

Using a basal body thermometer (like this one)

Cindy’s Liberated Lovers course

When do you start preparing for menopause?

Introducing our little ones to their boundaries and teaching consent

Links

Learn more about Cindy and her Liberated Lovers course at HowlAtTheWomb.com.

Follow Cindy on Instagram @howlatthewomb and be on the lookout for announcements for workshops, classes, etc.

Episode 247: Rediscovering Our Intimacy & Sexual Wellness in the Midst of a Pandemic with Rebecca Alvarez Story, Sexologist & Founder of @TheBloomi

Let’s talk about sex, baby! It is so important to be able to reconnect with ourselves during this tough time so why not start with our bodies. This week we talk to Rebecca Alvarez Story, Sexologist and founder of Bloomi, who comes to remind us of the benefits of tapping into our sexual wellness & intimacy. We cover all things sexual wellness; why stressors from covid could be affecting your sex drive, we talk about the importance of establishing a healthy relationship with sex from a young age, healthy masturbation habits, the cutest sex toys and much more. This is a super fun, informational episode we are sure you'll enjoy!

Before the episode, Paulina mentions that this episode has been previously recorded prior to Bricia’s

More about Rebecca Alvarez Story:  She is a proud daughter of Latinx immigrants and also focuses on diversity initiatives that empower other womxn of color. Rebecca graduated from UC Berkeley with a major she created, Women's Health & Sexuality, and holds a Master's in Sexuality Studies where she studied Female Desire and Arousal. In 2018, she founded Bloomi, the first marketplace for intimate care products with sex-positive content. Rebecca and the Bloomi team will be launching products focused on naturally increasing pleasure and arousal in 2020.

A respected Sexologist and social impact entrepreneur, Rebecca works with womxn, couples and teens to help them navigate a variety of sexual wellness topics and find holistic ways to maximize their sexual agency. She has been named a “Latina Trailblazer” by Forbes for normalizing conversations about sexual wellness. Rebecca currently lives in Oakland, CA with her husband and two daughters.

Our Conversation with Rebecca

Addressing our intimate relationships with our partner & ourselves in quarantine

The Covid baby boom

What can we be doing to de-stress with our partners when it comes to our sex drives?

What is Bloomi?

How to address sexual wellness & privacy with your child

Healthy masturbation tips

Rekindling intimacy with your partner and yourself

How to boost your sex drive

Crystal sex toys

How to choose the proper toys for yourself

Links

Follow Rebecca on Instagram @rebeccaalvarezstory and Twitter @_rebeccaalvarezs  

Follow Bloomi on Instagram and Twitter @theBloomi. Sign up for their newsletter for weekly tips, new clean intimate care products, and more on thebloomi.com.

A few of the sex toys we mentioned:

Crystal sex toys

Yoni Eggs - Are they good or bad for me?

Elvie Trainer

Ora 3

Luna Smart Beads

Arousal Oil

Episode 240: Healthy Vaginas and More with Pelvic Floor Therapist Sara Reardon, @the.vagina.whisperer

Ladies, we just don’t talk about our vaginas as much as we should! 😂 But really, women’s health is so important, especially for when our bodies change after we have kids. This week we interview pelvic floor therapist Sara Reardon aka @the.vagina.whisperer. She's teaching us all about our pelvic floor muscles and why it’s important to keep them healthy. We cover everything from why we can’t hold in our pee after having kids and how to poop correctly, plus what a proper kegel feels like and what we should be teaching our daughters about their vaginas. We don’t talk about vaginal health enough! Get your vag ready for some healthy exercises!

More about Sara Reardon: Sara is on a mission to revolutionize the way we approach women’s health with a radical honesty and willingness to openly discuss often-taboo topics. She is a doctor of physical therapy graduating from Washington University in St Louis and board-certified women's health physical therapist. Sara specializes in the treatment of pelvic floor disorders, including changes that occur during pregnancy and postpartum recovery. She is a pelvic health physical therapist in New Orleans, La. and founder of  The Vagina Whisperer. You can find her on Instagram @the.vagina.whisperer.

Our Conversation with Sara

Why can’t moms hold in our bladders when we’re pregnant and after birth?

What can we do to strengthen our bladder? 

What exercises should we implement to strengthen our pelvic floor?

What is the proper way to poop?

What is Diastisis Recti?

What is the proper way to do a kagel?

The Fourth Trimester

What are some things women can do for regular maintenance?

Are there products we should include or avoid for regular vaginal health?

What are some things women can do after having kids?

What can we teach our kids about vaginal health?

Links

Follow Sara on Instagram @the.vagina.whisperer and learn more about her services at thevagwhisperer.com.

Products recommended by Sara

Squatty Potty for a healthier bowel movement

Magnesium supplement to help softer stool

Slipper Stuff Lubricant

Episode 178: Water healing & Vaginal Steaming with Energy & Sound healer, Rocio Navarro

This week on the show, we have water healer, aquatic bodyworker, holistic healing artist, Vaginal Steam Hydrotherapist, Ceremonialist, Spiritual Counselor, Energy and Sound Healer - Rocio Navarro. She takes us through her journey in becoming a water healer, the water healing experience, the benefits of vaginal steaming, the lowdown on cramping, cranio-sacral therapy, the importance connecting with our womb-self and the value of gaining a state of surrender within oneself, plus so much more.

Before the interview, Paulina and Bricia give us a quick update on their lives. Paulina is having a pretty positive experience with Arian Simone’s Fearless Faith + Hustle: 21 Day Devotional Journey and she’s even following through with one of her New Year resolutions! Yay, Paulina!

Our conversation with Rocio Navarro

How did you begin your water healing journey?

Water Healing

What do people experience while their submerged? What do they discover about themselves?

What are some impactful breakthroughs you’ve experienced as a healer?

How long is a session?

How often would you recommend someone go through this?

Vaginal Steaming

Where did vaginal steaming originate?

What are the benefits?

Who would you recommend it to?

The lowdown on cramping

When is the best time in your cycle to do this?

Vaginal steaming from start to finish-How long, are you naked, does it hurt? What does it feel like?

Cranio-sacral therapy

The importance of our connection with our womb-self

For more information and to contact Rocio, visit her website https://www.rocionavarro.org & follow her on IG @water_healing for updates on her upcoming events. Interested in attending her next Hot Spring Sound bath? Buy tickets here.

Pick or Tip of the Week

Rocio suggests swapping out your Epsom salt bathes for Magnesium flakes/salt during your next bath. It’ll help you sleep and promotes healthy brain function.

Paulina swears by the Melissa oil from DoTerra. She rubbed it onto her baby’s heals every night and it 100% made a difference in calming her down.

Bricia’s tip is to rotate your underwear out every year and purchase 100% cotton (or bamboo) underwear. Think about it. Your 2 year old chonies need to go.

Additional Links

Steamy Chick

Chrissy Teigen