What does it take to find happiness again after the world — literally — floods around you?

This week on Happy With Tammi Mac, host Tammi Mac welcomes actress Ciera Payton for a conversation that is as honest as it is healing. Known for her powerful portrayal of Wendy Williams and for bringing truth and depth to every role she takes, Ciera Payton now steps out from behind the characters to share her own story — and it's one that will stay with you.

Ciera Payton grew up between Picayune, Mississippi and New Orleans, Louisiana. She was a young college student working a restaurant job on Magazine Street when Hurricane Katrina changed everything. In this episode, she takes us back to that Sunday night — the neighbor's warning, the overnight bag, the eight-hour drive to Baton Rouge, and her five-year-old brother's heartbreaking question about his brand-new bunk beds. What began as an ordinary weekend became the dividing line between the life Ciera Payton had known and everything that came after.

Now, back from Bali and grounded in a hard-earned sense of peace, Ciera Payton reflects on how far she's come — and what it actually means to be happy. Not the Instagram version. The real kind. The kind you rebuild from scratch.

Tammi Mac brings her signature warmth, humor, and emotional intelligence to every moment of this conversation, holding space for Ciera Payton's vulnerability while celebrating her extraordinary resilience.

In this episode:

- Ciera Payton on growing up in New Orleans and what life looked like before Katrina

- The warning that saved her life — and the moment she knew something was terribly wrong

- How Hurricane Katrina became a defining turning point in Ciera Payton's life story

- The philosophy Ciera Payton brought home from Bali — and how it's reshaping her relationship with happiness

- What Tammi Mac was searching for when she created this show — and why your happiness journey matters too

Whether you're in your dark season, approaching your turning point, or still trying to find your way back to yourself — this episode is for you.

Happiness has been a hard word to come by — but it will exist again.

🎙️ Happy With Tammi Mac is part of the Inflection Network

📻 Hosted by Tammi Mac of KJLH radio

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