Mandi is back for a solo BA Q&A, answering a juicy listener question about balancing student loans, grad school, a possible home move, and a new car payment—all while chasing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). She breaks down how PSLF *actually* works, why “qualifying payments” matter so much, and when it can make sense to pause extra payments and redirect cash toward savings and other priorities instead.

What we dive into:

- How PSLF really works and what counts as a qualifying payment.
- Whether you should keep paying loans that are in in-school deferment.
- How to prioritize between:
- Building a 3–6 month emergency fund.
- Saving for moving and homebuying costs.
- Paying down a high car note.
- Why three months of savings may no longer be enough in today’s economy.
- Practical next steps to confirm your PSLF status and get your paperwork right.

Listener Question Highlight
Sydney, a 34‑year‑old nurse working toward PSLF, asks whether she should keep making a $500 monthly student loan payment while her loans are in deferment—or pause to focus on savings, a future move, and her car note.

Links:

Federal student aid and PSLF info: studentaid.gov

Stay Connected
- Email your questions: brownambitionpodcast@gmail.com.
- Send a voice note or DM on IG: @brownambitionpodcast

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This week on Brown Ambition, Mandi is joined by author, activist, and democracy defender Stacey Abrams for a powerful, timely, and deeply grounding conversation about where we are as a country and what we can actually do about it.

Recorded during a moment of collective grief, fear, and exhaustion, this episode centers honesty over platitudes and action over despair. Stacey breaks down her 10 Steps Campaign, explains how authoritarianism takes root in real time, and offers a clear framework for resistance, resilience, and rebuilding without pretending this moment isn’t heavy.

Together, Mandi and Stacey talk about protecting your peace without disengaging, finding joy as an act of resistance, navigating financial shame and career disruption, and why your power doesn’t disappear just because your platform changes.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, frozen, or unsure where to start this conversation is for you.

What We Get Into

• Why this moment feels heavier and why that feeling is by design
• Stacey Abrams’ 10 Steps to Autocracy and how to recognize them in real time
• The 10 Steps to Freedom & Power and how everyday people can activate them
• Why we can’t return to “how things were” and must demand something better
• How to talk to your kids about what’s happening without passing down fear
• What to do when you’re exhausted, caregiving, working, and barely holding it together
• Why joy is not escapism — it’s resistance
• Financial shame, job loss, and why debt is not a moral failure
• Stacey’s unsexy but life-changing money habits
• Building freedom funds, changing lanes, and investing in yourself and others
• Government shutdowns, budgets, and why “business as usual” no longer applies
• Why status is no longer safety and what collective action really looks like

Key Takeaways

• You don’t have to do everything — but you do have to do something
• Your position may change, but your power stays with you
• Nonviolent resistance is effective — and it’s not the same as being passive
• Financial setbacks don’t cancel your dreams; they may redirect them
• Democracy isn’t abstract — it’s about our ability to thrive

Resources Mentioned

• Stacey Abrams’ 10 Steps Campaign
• Assembly Required podcast
• Level Up by Stacey Abrams
• Stacey Abrams’ children’s book series (Stacey Speaks Up)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, I'm revisitng my interview with the brilliant Jasmine Marie breathwork practitioner, founder of Black Girls Breathing, and author of Black Girls Breathing: Heal from Trauma, Combat Stress, and Find Your Freedom. From surviving the corporate grind to creating wellness spaces rooted in cultural relevance, Jasmine gets real about her journey into entrepreneurship, healing work, and what it truly takes to hold space for Black women’s mental and emotional wellbeing.

We talk about everything from the power of a deep breath and surviving burnout, to funding a business on your own terms and growing a team the *smart* way. Jasmine even leads us through a mini oceanic breath session at the end — don’t miss it

We talk about:

- Jasmine’s transition from corporate beauty marketing to breathwork and mental wellness

- Why most wellness spaces *don’t* center Black women's lived experiences — and what she's doing about it

- Building a company without VC funding: how Jasmine bootstrapped and scaled BGB

- The importance of listening to your body (and your breath) when trauma speaks

- Balancing healing work with entrepreneurship and how not to burn out

- Tools in Jasmine’s toolkit: EMDR therapy, acupuncture, daily walks, and more

- Real talk on grief, generational trauma, and creating new blueprints for Black wellness

Join the Movement:

• Visit https://www.blackgirlsbreathing.com to learn more and access free mental health resources

- Follow Jasmine on IG @blackgirlsbreathing

- Subscribe to *Brown Ambition* and leave us a 5-star review if this episode gave you life!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.