The Refined Collective Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Chinae Alexander on Failure, Vulnerability, and People. May 01, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, I am talking with the wonderful Chinae Alexander. She’s a Brooklyn-based entrepreneur, lifestyle personality, writer, speaker, wellness expert, and YouTuber who is currently in the process of writing a book and creating a podcast. Chinae opens up about failure, vulnerability, and self-love in this episode and I cannot wait for you to hear what she has to say.

People as Motivation

Chinae grew up an only child and moved often. As a result, she learned how to have real conversations with adults and confidently step into a room where she knows nobody.
As an adult, she is fascinated by others’ stories and passionate about telling those stories, establishing empathy, and working things out together.
“ People tell me things and want to talk to me about their lives and they want to listen about my life and we get to share this stuff in a world that so greatly wants us to push each other away.”

The Power of Vulnerability

Chinae encourages everyone to realize that from vulnerability comes strength. “Exchanging stories in this world is a powerful thing.”
We talk about the #MeToo campaign, something Chinae inspired me to use my voice in. It’s important to share your stories no matter how insignificant they may seem to you. People need to know they aren’t alone.
Chinae shares a slash & burn analogy with me as we talk about how sometimes you need to experience destruction in order to regrow.

Self-Love Over Body Positivity

Chinae was overweight throughout college and held so much confidence during that time. Out of an appreciation for herself, she got into fitness. However, once she got into the best shape she had ever been in, she felt that confidence leave her. “ I don’t need to gain the weight back, but I need to get the mindset back.”
She expresses that 24/7 body positivity just isn’t realistic. We should instead strive for self love, and we show ourselves some grace in the moments we aren’t feeling positive. “It doesn’t make you a failure if you aren’t positive about your body all the time.”

Chinae leads as a person through encouraging people to live their lives, use their voices, tell their stories, and foster understanding. I’ll leave you with some advice she would share with her younger self: “Consistently press into being good” and “Your plan is not yours.”

Thanks for listening, tribe. This episode was sponsored by Branch Basics, a brand created by women with the goal of revolutionizing the home with non-toxic cleaning products. These products bring simplicity and functionality into your life and I’m all about that. They gave me a special code to share with you for 20% off your first order: (refinedcollective). Thanks, Branch Basics!

XO, Kat Harris

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A Woman's Worth--Not Letting Your Inner Critic Win with Emily Sexton Apr 24, 2018

Show notes

"My vision in life is to meet women in their most insecure moments and flip that script for them," says Emily Sexton. She went into college wanting to be a backup dancing for Britney Spears, went to work at a Swiss investment bank after graduation, and is a successful female entrepreneur. Her boutique, The Flourish Market, features products made from artisans all over the world. A 2 a.m. Pinterest scroll sparked the idea for a fashion truck or a “boutique on wheels,” and now she has a Flourish Market shop in Raleigh, North Carolina where this amazing lady is living her message.

Emily has artisans from all over the world sell their products through Flourish Market, some are from third-world countries. Her hope is that these women in the first-world can learn from the women in the third-world countries represented in her shop.

She remembers opening Flourish Market on Black Friday and not having any discounts, but having women buy products anyway. She says, “Women aren’t necessarily looking for deals; they’re looking for a purpose.”

This episode is possible because of all of our patreons! If you would like to sign up to pledge monthly donations to help make The Refined Collective Podcast continue and grow, I would be so grateful. You can pledge as little as $5 a month!

XO,

Kat Harris

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Am I really WORTHY with Joanne Encarnacion: body diversity, motherhood, and self-worth Apr 03, 2018

Show notes

The Refined Collective is back this week with the lovely Joanne Encarnacion. She is a wife, mother of two, and editor and founder of gofitjo.com, a blog dedicated to redefining health and wellness, and it a newly integrative health and life coach. You guys, Arianna Huffington named her one of San Francisco’s top 20 wellness role models. How amazing is that? In this episode we get real about moving through struggles both within and with others, and body diversity.

Joanne talks about how she felt the need to prove herself as an adult in this world because she was a mother at 21. “I was trying to find my self-worth in this space called the universe.”

I’m going to leave you with something Jo said that is just so powerful:

“The moment that we are able to give space for others to really just be- and I don’t want to say ‘be themselves’ because people are still trying to figure out what that is- but just to be, just to feel as if they can take up space in the world, we would all be able to live relentlessly.”

I mean, how great is that? You’re here and you’re worthy.

Joanne has so much more goodness to share. Check out the episode and let us know what you think! And thank you to White Rabbit NY for sponsoring this episode of The Refined Collective Podcast. And to our Patreon Supporters thank you for being on the journey with us!

XO,

Kat Harris

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Leaning In: Wellness, Transition, and Marriage with Lauren Scruggs Kennedy Apr 03, 2018

Show notes

This week I’m talking to my longtime friend from Dallas, Lauren Scruggs Kennedy, who now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Jason. Lauren has a lifestyle brand with an intentional social strategy. She focuses on her health and wellness journey, personal development, faith, and navigating marriage.

The First Steps to Wellness

Lauren has been on a journey of recovery after an accident involving an airplane propeller back in 2011 that left her with one eye and one arm.
She learned to say no to outings without feeling the pressure to people-please. Instead, she takes the time to intentionally think on if she has the time.

The Learning Curve of Marriage

She gets real about the conflicts that happen in marriage. She and Jason had productive fights, but she had to learn how to open up about her struggles and frustrations, particularly regarding her accident because when the accident happened she didn’t know Jason. In a way, this made her relive the struggle.

I can’t talk about this episode without mentioning the advice Lauren would give her younger self, because this is advice for her younger self, your younger self, and all of our present selves. “Live fully in who you are.”

Thanks for tuning in! This episode was sponsored by Branch Basics, a brand created by women with the goal of revolutionizing the home with non-toxic cleaning products. These products bring simplicity and functionality into your life and I’m all about that. What’s amazing is you use one product to create everything from hand soap to laundry detergent. They gave me a special code to share with you for 20% off your first order: (refinedwoman). Thanks, Branch Basics!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Open Up + Show Up: Anxiety, Race, and Healing Community with Nikia Phoenix Mar 18, 2018

Show notes

On this first episode of The Refined Collective podcast, I welcome Nikia Phoenix--founder of Black Girl Beautiful, content creator and model--to leave the pressure to be perfect at the door and have a meaningful dialogue with me, and all of you. She’s talking with me from sunny Los Angeles where the birds are chirping loud enough for us to hear.

Her love for others radiates from everything she does, including Black Girl Beautiful—her love letter to women of African descent.

We talk about moving through anxiety and healing community. One of the most profound moments of the episode was when we transitioned into talking about race. Nikia says, “When it comes to talking about race, we don’t want to offend. We are so PC that instead of actually opening up and saying something that may be a bit off, we just don’t say it it all. And in not saying it we’re missing a teachable moment.”

I am so honored to have shared this episode with Nikia Phoenix and hope you have enjoyed listening.

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