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

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📱 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.

In this heartfelt episode, Kelley invites us to redefine expansion. What if the quiet seasons in your life—the ones that feel like stillness or even failure—are actually seasons of rooting? Drawing wisdom from nature, Kelley shares that true bloom only comes when the roots are strong. With personal reflections, cultural critique, and deeply practical insights, this episode explores how Black women can opt out of performative growth and instead root into authenticity, softness, and sustainable joy.

• Why rooting is essential before blooming—and how it can be a form of powerful expansion
• How to recognize when you’re asking the wrong questions and reframe them for deeper alignment
• Three practical ways to build roots in your daily life: community, movement, and money
• Why performative success (aesthetic, financial, social) often leads to burnout
• How Kelley is embodying rooted expansion in her own life and creative work

[00:00:22 – 00:02:09] Rooting is unseen but essential — Just like in nature, real growth happens beneath the surface. True expansion starts with internal clarity, not constant visibility.

[00:05:00 – 00:09:00] Ask deeper questions — Instead of chasing aesthetics or metrics, ask what your soul is truly craving: peace, visibility, joy, or ease.

[00:20:00 – 00:28:00] Live, don’t perform — Whether it’s friendships, fitness, or finances, choose presence over perfection and connection over curation.

[00:18:37 – 00:37:18] Hold contradictions with grace — You can love who you are and still want more. Expansion doesn't have to cost your well-being.

If this episode touched something in you, share it with a friend, text it to a sister, or post a screenshot to social and tag @blackgirlburnout. We’re not just building a podcast—we’re creating a movement. One rooted in peace, softness, and collective bloom.

You don’t need to perform your way into bloom. You only need to root.

• Happy Mammoth and use my code BGB for a great deal: www.happymammoth.com
• Revolve and use code BGB for a great deal: https://www.revolve.com/bgb



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

• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @blackgirlburnout — Each platform offers something different, so come vibe with us where it feels right for you.
• 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:
• Book a 90-minute Clarity Catalyst Coaching Session — a deep-dive roadmap session to bring clarity and strategy to your next life move (not therapy, just powerful support).
• 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.