In this uplifting and informative episode of Black Girl Burnout, host Kelley sits down with Kisha, a seasoned traveler and founder of Travel Niche Kisha, who has explored over 70 countries. Together, they discuss how travel can be a radical act of self-care, joy, and rest for Black women.

Whether you're hopping on a plane or dreaming from your living room, this episode offers a refreshing perspective on how travel—both near and far—can reset your spirit. They discuss everything from budget-friendly luxury to embracing rest over hustle while exploring new places.

This conversation is part of our Summer of YES series—an invitation to say YES to joy, rest, and meaningful experiences

[04:00] Travel as Self-Care for Black Women

While working in social work, Kisha shares how travel became her antidote to burnout. Travel isn’t just about escape—it’s a form of healing and restoration, especially for Black women who carry so much weight.

[10:00] “Chase the Deal, Not the Destination”

Kisha reveals her game-changing travel hack: prioritize deals over dream destinations. She breaks down how she’s visited places like Curaçao and Peru for under $300, proving that luxury and joy don’t have to break the bank.

[18:00] Rest as a Travel Intention, Not an Afterthought

Kelley and Kisha discuss the trap of over-scheduling trips and offer tips on curating restful, joy-filled itineraries. From scheduling downtime to savoring slow mornings, they invite listeners to plan for peace, not pressure.

[27:00] Romanticize Your Travel Experience—Big or Small

You can still embrace a travel mindset even if you're not getting on a plane this summer. Keisha explains how to bring vacation energy into your everyday life with intention, local adventures, and a spirit of curiosity.

Are you creating your Summer of Yes?

Whether it’s sleeping in, brunching solo, or finally saying no to that thing, you deserve joy without permission or guilt.

✨ Snap a pic or video of how you're saying YES to joy, rest, and ease

✨ Tag @blackgirlburnout

✨ Use the hashtag #SummerOfYes

📩 Subscribe to the newsletter: blackgirlburnout.com

📱 Follow on socials: IG + TikTok: @blackgirlburnout

🎥 Watch the episode on YouTube and show some love. Don’t let Kelley’s mama be the only one dropping hearts!

If you’re looking for more ways to connect with the Black Girl Burnout community, we’ve got you covered:

• Join our Substack family! Think of it as a modern-day online magazine (Tumblr-coded for the millennial hearts). We share weekly reflections, tips, tools, and deeper insights into each podcast episode—plus personal notes from Kelley’s life.
• Become a paid Substack subscriber for just $8/month (about the cost of a fancy latte) and access exclusive content like digital tools, apps, and free resources that are valued far beyond that.
• Work with Kelley directly: If you’re in New York State, Kelley is also accepting short-term therapy clients with select insurance and private pay options. Sessions are designed to be focused and transformational within 90 days. Book a Consultation.

This week on the Black Girl Burnout podcast, Kelley kicks off June with a powerful declaration: this is the Summer of Yes. In this deeply affirming episode, she explores what it means to embrace radical rest, joy, and ease, especially for Black women who are often taught that they must hustle to be worthy. As she reflects on grief and healing, Kelley also reminds listeners that joy is not the absence of struggle, but the resistance to it. This episode is both a soft invitation and a bold call to action: to reclaim summer not as a season of over-productivity, but as a sacred space to say YES to softness, delight, boundaries, and fun.

• How to shift from survival mode into intentional joy.
• Why rest is not optional—it’s essential.
• Ways to say "yes" to joy and "no" to energy drainers.
• The radical act of celebrating yourself without guilt or apology.

[04:00] Say YES to Radical Rest: Instead of hustling through summer, Kelley challenges listeners to redefine rest as a revolutionary act—and make space for true rejuvenation in everyday moments.

[07:03] Joy Is Resistance: Kelley reframes joy as an act of defiance in a world that conditions Black women to glorify struggle. She invites us to consider how delight can coexist with grief.

[08:11] Boundaries Are Beautiful: Whether it’s people, places, or obligations, Kelley emphasizes the power of saying no to what drains you—and yes to what restores you.

[10:55] Design Your Summer With Intention: Listeners are guided to reclaim their time, whether that’s through slower mornings, sacred Sundays, or committing to just one restful ritual each week.

Are you creating your Summer of Yes?

Whether it’s sleeping in, brunching solo, or finally saying no to that thing—you deserve joy without permission or guilt.

✨ Snap a pic or video of how you're saying YES to joy, rest, and ease

✨ Tag @blackgirlburnout

✨ Use the hashtag #SummerOfYes

📩 Subscribe to the newsletter: blackgirlburnout.com

📱 Follow on socials: IG + TikTok: @blackgirlburnout

🎥 Watch the episode on YouTube and show some love. Don’t let Kelley’s mama be the only one dropping hearts!

If you’re looking for more ways to connect with the Black Girl Burnout community, we’ve got you covered:

• Join our Substack family! Think of it as a modern-day online magazine (Tumblr-coded for the millennial hearts). We share weekly reflections, tips, tools, and deeper insights into each podcast episode—plus personal notes from Kelley’s life.
• Become a paid Substack subscriber for just $8/month (about the cost of a fancy latte) and access exclusive content like digital tools, apps, and free resources that are valued far beyond that.
• Work with Kelley directly: If you’re in New York State, Kelley is also accepting short-term therapy clients with select insurance and private pay options. Sessions are designed to be focused and transformational within 90 days. Book a Consultation.

What if the exhaustion you’re carrying… is actually grief? In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Kelley Bonner opens up about the layered, often invisible nature of grief—and how it has quietly shaped her healing. From the loss of her father to unexpected feelings around legacy, motherhood, and slowing down, this episode is a compassionate invitation to feel what’s real, honor what’s hard, and still choose expansion. Grief doesn’t have to shrink you. It can soften you, grow you, and gently guide you into a more grounded version of yourself.

• How grief shows up beyond death—through broken dreams, career changes, and shifting identities
• Why slowing down can be a sacred and necessary act of healing
• How to listen to your body’s cues during a season of loss
• Gentle tools to transform grief into personal growth

[00:03:00] – Naming the Hidden Grief Beneath Burnout

Kelley reframes anxiety, anger, and burnout as signs of unacknowledged grief.

[00:10:35] – Grief Will Slow You Down (And That’s a Gift)

Kelley shares how loss forced her into stillness, softness, and deeper presence.

[00:14:49] – Grief Expands More Than Pain

Unexpected emotions can rise—career regret, lost dreams, and shifting identity.

[00:22:15] – Three Invitations for Healing Through Grief

In the final section, Kelley shares three powerful practices to process grief: (1) honor the pause, (2) let your body lead, and (3) allow buried feelings to surface gently. Each tip is an invitation to let grief expand—not harden—your heart.

Got a question you’ve been holding onto? Ask me anything, life, healing, boundaries, burnout.

Click to fill out our google form or DM @blackgirlburnout to be part of our upcoming Q&A episode.

If this episode held space for your grief, send it to someone who’s grieving too. Share it in a group chat, post a moment that resonated, or tag @blackgirlburnout on social. We’re not just sharing stories—we’re building a sanctuary. One rooted in healing, softness, and radical self-compassion.

Remember: You’re not broken—just breaking open. Let grief grow you.

📩 Subscribe to the newsletter: blackgirlburnout.com

📱 Follow on socials: IG + TikTok: @blackgirlburnout

🎥 Watch the episode on YouTube and show some love. Don’t let Kelley’s mama be the only one dropping hearts!

If you’re looking for more ways to connect with the Black Girl Burnout community, we’ve got you covered:

• Join our Substack family! Think of it as a modern-day online magazine (Tumblr-coded for the millennial hearts). We share weekly reflections, tips, tools, and deeper insights into each podcast episode—plus personal notes from Kelley’s life.
• Become a paid Substack subscriber for just $8/month (about the cost of a fancy latte) and access exclusive content like digital tools, apps, and free resources that are valued far beyond that.
• Work with Kelley directly:
• If you’re in New York State, Kelley is also accepting short-term therapy clients with select insurance and private pay options. Sessions are designed to be focused and transformational within 90 days. Join the waitlist now.