What do you do when the person you trusted most — your best friend of over 20 years — becomes the source of your deepest pain? And what happens when that betrayal plays out in front of millions of listeners and viewers, costing you not one, but two major platforms at the same time?

In this unforgettable episode of Happy With Tammi Mac, host Tammi Mac sits down with radio and TV personality Ebony Steele for one of the most honest, emotionally raw, and ultimately uplifting conversations this show has ever had.

Ebony Steele spent seven years as co-host of the Ricky Smiley Morning Show, syndicated across more than 80 stations nationwide, alongside her best friend of over two decades, Ricky Smiley. She also co-hosted Dish Nation on Fox. But behind the laughter, the chemistry, and the national platform was a friendship that ran far deeper than any radio deal — and a fallout that nearly destroyed her.

In this episode, Ebony Steele opens up about:

— The painful and public end of her 20+ year friendship with Ricky Smiley and what really happened behind the scenes

— Being removed from both the Ricky Smiley Morning Show and Dish Nation on Fox at the same time

— Battling alcoholism during one of the darkest periods of her life

— Surviving breast cancer and what that fight revealed about her strength

— Why she believes ambition can be the silent enemy of genuine happiness

— How the Ebony Arrington Dance Studio in Birmingham, Alabama became her lifeline and her place of healing

— Her book Queen Bee and the message she wants every woman to carry

— And the exact moment — the turning point — when she chose herself, chose faith, and began the journey back to joy

Ebony Steele is a Tuskegee University graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering, a former Miss Tuskegee, a Birmingham, Alabama native, a breast cancer survivor, and a woman who has rebuilt her life on her own terms. This is her story — and it is one you will not forget.

As Tammi Mac always says: Happiness has been a hard word to come by — but it will exist again.

New episodes of Happy With Tammi Mac drop weekly on the Inflection Network. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

What do you do when the person you trusted most &mdash; your best friend of over 20 years &mdash; becomes the source of your deepest pain? And what happens when that betrayal plays out in front of millions of listeners and viewers, costing you not one, but two major platforms at the same time?
In this unforgettable episode of Happy With Tammi Mac, host Tammi Mac sits down with radio and TV personality Ebony Steele for one of the most honest, emotionally raw, and ultimately uplifting conversations this show has ever had.
Ebony Steele spent seven years as co-host of the Ricky Smiley Morning Show, syndicated across more than 80 stations nationwide, alongside her best friend of over two decades, Ricky Smiley. She also co-hosted Dish Nation on Fox. But behind the laughter, the chemistry, and the national platform was a friendship that ran far deeper than any radio deal &mdash; and a fallout that nearly destroyed her.
In this episode, Ebony Steele opens up about:
&mdash; The painful and public end of her 20+ year friendship with Ricky Smiley and what really happened behind the scenes
&mdash; Being removed from both the Ricky Smiley Morning Show and Dish Nation on Fox at the same time
&mdash; Battling alcoholism during one of the darkest periods of her life
&mdash; Surviving breast cancer and what that fight revealed about her strength
&mdash; Why she believes ambition can be the silent enemy of genuine happiness
&mdash; How the Ebony Arrington Dance Studio in Birmingham, Alabama became her lifeline and her place of healing
&mdash; Her book Queen Bee and the message she wants every woman to carry
&mdash; And the exact moment &mdash; the turning point &mdash; when she chose herself, chose faith, and began the journey back to joy
Ebony Steele is a Tuskegee University graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering, a former Miss Tuskegee, a Birmingham, Alabama native, a breast cancer survivor, and a woman who has rebuilt her life on her own terms. This is her story &mdash; and it is one you will not forget.
As Tammi Mac always says: Happiness has been a hard word to come by &mdash; but it will exist again.
New episodes of Happy With Tammi Mac drop weekly on the Inflection Network. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

Ebony Steele Lost Her Best Friend, Her Career & Herself — Then Found Her Way Back 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/321570f5-0634-4cc3-93ec-b4e1013ded18/transcript

What do you do when your body sends you a warning before the diagnosis even arrives? Actress and Hollywood icon Vanessa Bell Calloway joins Tammi Mac for one of the most honest, warm, and quietly powerful conversations in Happy With Tammi Mac's history.

Vanessa Bell Calloway tells the full story: the night she woke up and simply knew something was wrong, the whirlwind of medical tests, and the moment she heard her breast cancer diagnosis — followed immediately by a voice inside her that said, "Why not you, Vanessa? You're really not that special." That voice, she says, was the beginning of her healing.

In this episode, Vanessa Bell Calloway and Tammi Mac explore what it truly means to find happiness again after your world has been shaken — not through lottery wins or material things, but through therapy sessions that feel ordinary, fresh flowers on a Christmas tablescape, a fuchsia-colored day, and the deep, abiding love of people who show up when it counts.

Tammi Mac also opens up about her own dark journey — the pandemic depression that sparked the creation of Happy With Tammi Mac, the weight gain, the hair loss, and the desperate, burning question that became a show: "How the hell are people happy?"

Together, these two lifelong sister-friends remind us that the worst moment doesn't always stay the worst moment. That looking back with new eyes changes everything. And that happiness — real, rooted, everyday happiness — is always closer than it seems.

This episode moves through three honest chapters: The Dark Journey, The Turning Point, and Finding Happy.

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

🎙️ Happy With Tammi Mac is part of the Inflection Network and is heard on KJLH Radio. New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify — and if this episode moved you, please leave a review. It helps more people find their happy.

What do you do when your body sends you a warning before the diagnosis even arrives? Actress and Hollywood icon Vanessa Bell Calloway joins Tammi Mac for one of the most honest, warm, and quietly powerful conversations in Happy With Tammi Mac's history.
Vanessa Bell Calloway tells the full story: the night she woke up and simply knew something was wrong, the whirlwind of medical tests, and the moment she heard her breast cancer diagnosis &mdash; followed immediately by a voice inside her that said, "Why not you, Vanessa? You're really not that special." That voice, she says, was the beginning of her healing.
In this episode, Vanessa Bell Calloway and Tammi Mac explore what it truly means to find happiness again after your world has been shaken &mdash; not through lottery wins or material things, but through therapy sessions that feel ordinary, fresh flowers on a Christmas tablescape, a fuchsia-colored day, and the deep, abiding love of people who show up when it counts.
Tammi Mac also opens up about her own dark journey &mdash; the pandemic depression that sparked the creation of Happy With Tammi Mac, the weight gain, the hair loss, and the desperate, burning question that became a show: "How the hell are people happy?"
Together, these two lifelong sister-friends remind us that the worst moment doesn't always stay the worst moment. That looking back with new eyes changes everything. And that happiness &mdash; real, rooted, everyday happiness &mdash; is always closer than it seems.
This episode moves through three honest chapters: The Dark Journey, The Turning Point, and Finding Happy.
Happiness has been a hard word to come by &mdash; but it will exist again.
🎙️ Happy With Tammi Mac is part of the Inflection Network and is heard on KJLH Radio. New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify &mdash; and if this episode moved you, please leave a review. It helps more people find their happy.

"Why Not You?" — Vanessa Bell Calloway on Breast Cancer, Resilience & the Unexpected Gift of the Worst Day

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8da11e15-63c3-46d6-90a3-b4dd01080f4b/transcript

What do you do when the people who were supposed to protect you refuse to? Susan Burton found out, and then she chose to save herself.

In one of the most powerful episodes of Happy With Tammi Mac to date, host Tammi Mac sits down with Susan Burton — activist, author, and founder of A New Way of Life reentry organization — for an unflinching, deeply moving conversation about childhood trauma, generational pain, incarceration, sobriety, and what it truly means to rebuild your life from the ground up.

Susan Burton grew up in a household where harm was passed down like an inheritance no one asked for. Her mother, born in 1917 and just one generation removed from slavery, never found the tools to heal from her own trauma — and so the cycle continued. When Susan Burton finally confronted the people who had hurt her and the people who had failed to protect her, she was met with denial, dismissal, and silence. Her mother told her she should have "just crossed her legs." It was, Susan Burton says, the worst moment of her life.

It was also the best.

Because that crushing disappointment — the final proof that no one was coming to save her — became the fuel that pushed Susan Burton into sobriety, into purpose, and into building one of the most impactful reentry organizations in the country. A New Way of Life has helped hundreds of women transition out of the prison system with housing, resources, and real support. Susan Burton also works to help individuals get their criminal records expunged, clearing the path to a genuinely new beginning.

In this episode, Tammi Mac and Susan Burton talk about:

— The generational trauma that shaped Susan Burton's earliest years

— The brutal, clarifying confrontation that cracked her world open

— How drugs and alcohol became her way of surviving pain she had no other language for

— The moment she realized she had to be her own rescue

— A New Way of Life — and the women and men whose lives have been transformed

— The young woman wrongly convicted of murder at 15, exonerated at 20, now thriving — and the car she received just yesterday

— The unexpected peace Susan Burton found in a simple journaling practice

— What happiness, peace, and living in full color actually look like today

Susan Burton's memoir, :Becoming Miss Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women", tells the story this episode only begins to touch.

Happy With Tammi Mac exists because Tammi Mac was suffering from depression and needed to find a map back to joy. She created this show to ask the people who had walked through their darkest moments and come back to the light: how did you do it? Susan Burton is one of those people. This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt like no one was coming — and needed proof that healing is possible anyway.

Happy With Tammi Mac is part of the Inflection Network.

📖 Becoming Miss Burton— available now

📓 The Five Minute Journal — fiveminutejournal.com and Amazon

🌐 A New Way of Life — anewwayoflife.org

If this episode stayed with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Happiness has been a hard word to come by — but it will exist again.

What do you do when the people who were supposed to protect you refuse to? Susan Burton found out, and then she chose to save herself.
In one of the most powerful episodes of Happy With Tammi Mac to date, host Tammi Mac sits down with Susan Burton &mdash; activist, author, and founder of A New Way of Life reentry organization &mdash; for an unflinching, deeply moving conversation about childhood trauma, generational pain, incarceration, sobriety, and what it truly means to rebuild your life from the ground up.
Susan Burton grew up in a household where harm was passed down like an inheritance no one asked for. Her mother, born in 1917 and just one generation removed from slavery, never found the tools to heal from her own trauma &mdash; and so the cycle continued. When Susan Burton finally confronted the people who had hurt her and the people who had failed to protect her, she was met with denial, dismissal, and silence. Her mother told her she should have "just crossed her legs." It was, Susan Burton says, the worst moment of her life.
It was also the best.
Because that crushing disappointment &mdash; the final proof that no one was coming to save her &mdash; became the fuel that pushed Susan Burton into sobriety, into purpose, and into building one of the most impactful reentry organizations in the country. A New Way of Life has helped hundreds of women transition out of the prison system with housing, resources, and real support. Susan Burton also works to help individuals get their criminal records expunged, clearing the path to a genuinely new beginning.
In this episode, Tammi Mac and Susan Burton talk about:
&mdash; The generational trauma that shaped Susan Burton's earliest years
&mdash; The brutal, clarifying confrontation that cracked her world open
&mdash; How drugs and alcohol became her way of surviving pain she had no other language for
&mdash; The moment she realized she had to be her own rescue
&mdash; A New Way of Life &mdash; and the women and men whose lives have been transformed
&mdash; The young woman wrongly convicted of murder at 15, exonerated at 20, now thriving &mdash; and the car she received just yesterday
&mdash; The unexpected peace Susan Burton found in a simple journaling practice
&mdash; What happiness, peace, and living in full color actually look like today
Susan Burton's memoir, :Becoming Miss Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women", tells the story this episode only begins to touch.
Happy With Tammi Mac exists because Tammi Mac was suffering from depression and needed to find a map back to joy. She created this show to ask the people who had walked through their darkest moments and come back to the light: how did you do it? Susan Burton is one of those people. This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt like no one was coming &mdash; and needed proof that healing is possible anyway.
Happy With Tammi Mac is part of the Inflection Network.
📖 Becoming Miss Burton&mdash; available now
📓 The Five Minute Journal &mdash; fiveminutejournal.com and Amazon
🌐 A New Way of Life &mdash; anewwayoflife.org
If this episode stayed with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Happiness has been a hard word to come by &mdash; but it will exist again.

Susan Burton Confronted Her Abusers, Survived Prison & Built a Movement 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5f380c77-29eb-4706-8b65-b4d4011a29a6/transcript

She walks into a room and happiness follows. But Kathleen Bradley — beloved actress, cultural icon, and the legendary Miss Parker — didn't arrive at her radiant joy by accident. This week on Happy With Tammi Mac, host Tammi Mac sits down with Kathleen Bradley for one of the most warm, honest, and genuinely uplifting conversations this show has ever had.

Kathleen Bradley opens up about what 36 years of marriage really looks like — the challenges, the learning curves, the deep and enduring love. She talks candidly about her fiery relationship with her daughter Cheyenne, and the hard-won peace they've found by choosing to release conflict instead of carrying it. She reflects on how her relationship with time has shifted as she's gotten older — why every moment now feels precious, calculated, and worthy of protection.

This is a happiness journey rooted in lived wisdom. Kathleen Bradley shares the lessons her mother passed down ("beauty is as beauty does"), the financial mindset that has kept her grounded through a long career in show business, and the quiet, powerful decision she made to stop spending energy on things she cannot change.

She is, in her own words, a joyful yellow-red. Loud. Bright. Room-filling. And completely, authentically herself.

In The Dark Journey, Kathleen Bradley reflects on real seasons of conflict, family tension, and the emotional weight of watching time accelerate.

In The Turning Point, she identifies the moment she began letting go — of arguments, of grudges, of the need to react to everything.

In Finding Happy, Kathleen Bradley celebrates the mellowed, deepened, grateful joy she lives in today.

Happy With Tammi Mac is the weekly celebrity interview podcast where host Tammi Mac — known from KJLH Radio and the Inflection Network — holds space for vulnerability, resilience, and the real stories behind famous faces. Alongside conversations with legends like MC Lyte, Kelly Price, Tabitha Brown, and James Wright Chanel, this episode with Kathleen Bradley stands as a testament to what happiness can look like after real life.

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

🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Leave a review. 

Happy With Tammi Mac, Kathleen Bradley, Inflection Network, Tammi Mac, KJLH Radio, happiness journey, turning point stories, heartbreak and healing, life after tragedy, rebirth and renewal, vulnerability and strength, grief and loss podcast, MC Lyte, Kelly Price, Tabitha Brown, James Wright Chanel, celebrity interview, inspirational podcast, finding happy, letting go, marriage and love, mother daughter relationship, positive mindset, aging and wisdom, Miss Parker, emotional resilience, uplifting podcast, personal growth podcast, Black voices podcast, celebrity stories, 

Kathleen Bradley, Happy With Tammi Mac, Tammi Mac, Inflection Network, happiness journey, turning point stories, life after tragedy, rebirth and renewal, heartbreak and healing, grief and loss podcast, vulnerability and strength, KJLH radio, MC Lyte, Kelly Price, Tabitha Brown, James Wright Chanel, celebrity interview podcast, finding happiness, letting go, 36 years of marriage, mother daughter relationship, positive mindset, aging gracefully, Miss Parker, emotional healing, uplifting stories, personal growth, Black podcast, inspirational podcast, celebrity stories

 

She walks into a room and happiness follows. But Kathleen Bradley &mdash; beloved actress, cultural icon, and the legendary Miss Parker &mdash; didn't arrive at her radiant joy by accident. This week on Happy With Tammi Mac, host Tammi Mac sits down with Kathleen Bradley for one of the most warm, honest, and genuinely uplifting conversations this show has ever had.
Kathleen Bradley opens up about what 36 years of marriage really looks like &mdash; the challenges, the learning curves, the deep and enduring love. She talks candidly about her fiery relationship with her daughter Cheyenne, and the hard-won peace they've found by choosing to release conflict instead of carrying it. She reflects on how her relationship with time has shifted as she's gotten older &mdash; why every moment now feels precious, calculated, and worthy of protection.
This is a happiness journey rooted in lived wisdom. Kathleen Bradley shares the lessons her mother passed down ("beauty is as beauty does"), the financial mindset that has kept her grounded through a long career in show business, and the quiet, powerful decision she made to stop spending energy on things she cannot change.
She is, in her own words, a joyful yellow-red. Loud. Bright. Room-filling. And completely, authentically herself.
In The Dark Journey, Kathleen Bradley reflects on real seasons of conflict, family tension, and the emotional weight of watching time accelerate.
In The Turning Point, she identifies the moment she began letting go &mdash; of arguments, of grudges, of the need to react to everything.
In Finding Happy, Kathleen Bradley celebrates the mellowed, deepened, grateful joy she lives in today.
Happy With Tammi Mac is the weekly celebrity interview podcast where host Tammi Mac &mdash; known from KJLH Radio and the Inflection Network &mdash; holds space for vulnerability, resilience, and the real stories behind famous faces. Alongside conversations with legends like MC Lyte, Kelly Price, Tabitha Brown, and James Wright Chanel, this episode with Kathleen Bradley stands as a testament to what happiness can look like after real life.
Happiness has been a hard word to come by &mdash; but it will exist again
🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Leave a review.&nbsp;
Happy With Tammi Mac, Kathleen Bradley, Inflection Network, Tammi Mac, KJLH Radio, happiness journey, turning point stories, heartbreak and healing, life after tragedy, rebirth and renewal, vulnerability and strength, grief and loss podcast, MC Lyte, Kelly Price, Tabitha Brown, James Wright Chanel, celebrity interview, inspirational podcast, finding happy, letting go, marriage and love, mother daughter relationship, positive mindset, aging and wisdom, Miss Parker, emotional resilience, uplifting podcast, personal growth podcast, Black voices podcast, celebrity stories,&nbsp;
Kathleen Bradley, Happy With Tammi Mac, Tammi Mac, Inflection Network, happiness journey, turning point stories, life after tragedy, rebirth and renewal, heartbreak and healing, grief and loss podcast, vulnerability and strength, KJLH radio, MC Lyte, Kelly Price, Tabitha Brown, James Wright Chanel, celebrity interview podcast, finding happiness, letting go, 36 years of marriage, mother daughter relationship, positive mindset, aging gracefully, Miss Parker, emotional healing, uplifting stories, personal growth, Black podcast, inspirational podcast, celebrity stories
&nbsp;

Kathleen Bradley: 36 Years of Love, and the Art of Letting Go

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/54b3ce85-d8bf-4e75-9535-b4cd005048ac/transcript

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

New episodes every week. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen.

What does it take to find happiness again after the world &mdash; literally &mdash; 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 &mdash; 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 &mdash; 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 &mdash; 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 &mdash; 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 &mdash; and how it's reshaping her relationship with happiness
- What Tammi Mac was searching for when she created this show &mdash; 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 &mdash; this episode is for you.
Happiness has been a hard word to come by &mdash; but it will exist again.
🎙️ Happy With Tammi Mac is part of the Inflection Network
📻 Hosted by Tammi Mac of KJLH radio
New episodes every week. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen.

Ciera Payton: From Hurricane Katrina to Bali — The Long Road Back to Happy

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c045f5e5-c4fc-4d80-afa6-b4c5012e05cb/transcript

This week, Tammi Mac sits down with actress and public figure Kiki Haynes, and the conversation goes to places that are real, raw, and ultimately full of light.

Kiki lost her father in 2020 — during the height of COVID-19, when travel was terrifying and the vaccine hadn't arrived yet. Her mother, trying to protect her, kept telling her not to come. By the time Kiki finally booked the flight, her father was already gone when she landed.

What followed was five months in New Jersey — helping her mother navigate grief, trying to reshape a house full of memories, suppressing her own mourning to be the strong one, and quietly honoring a promise she made to her father at his funeral: I got mommy. Your baby's gonna be okay.

But this episode also holds something else. Joy. Expectancy. A bamboo season in full acceleration. Kiki describes waking up with tingles, believing her harvest is finally arriving after 40 years of planting seeds in the dark.

This is what Happy With Tammi Mac does. It holds the grief and the gratitude at the same time. It asks the hard question — what was the worst moment of your life — and then walks all the way through to the other side.

Topics in this episode include losing a parent, pandemic grief, caregiver burnout, delayed mourning, the guilt of not being present at the moment of death, faith and renewal, family loyalty, and what it means to be expectant rather than just hopeful.

If you are walking through loss, supporting someone who is, or simply trying to find your way back to yourself — this episode is for you.

Happy With Tammi Mac drops new episodes every week. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and leave a review if this episode moved you. It helps more people find the show.

Tammi Mac of KJLH Radio, is a veteran broadcaster . Happy With Tammi Mac is part of the Inflection Network.

This week, Tammi Mac sits down with actress and public figure Kiki Haynes, and the conversation goes to places that are real, raw, and ultimately full of light.
Kiki lost her father in 2020 &mdash; during the height of COVID-19, when travel was terrifying and the vaccine hadn't arrived yet. Her mother, trying to protect her, kept telling her not to come. By the time Kiki finally booked the flight, her father was already gone when she landed.
What followed was five months in New Jersey &mdash; helping her mother navigate grief, trying to reshape a house full of memories, suppressing her own mourning to be the strong one, and quietly honoring a promise she made to her father at his funeral: I got mommy. Your baby's gonna be okay.
But this episode also holds something else. Joy. Expectancy. A bamboo season in full acceleration. Kiki describes waking up with tingles, believing her harvest is finally arriving after 40 years of planting seeds in the dark.
This is what Happy With Tammi Mac does. It holds the grief and the gratitude at the same time. It asks the hard question &mdash; what was the worst moment of your life &mdash; and then walks all the way through to the other side.
Topics in this episode include losing a parent, pandemic grief, caregiver burnout, delayed mourning, the guilt of not being present at the moment of death, faith and renewal, family loyalty, and what it means to be expectant rather than just hopeful.
If you are walking through loss, supporting someone who is, or simply trying to find your way back to yourself &mdash; this episode is for you.
Happy With Tammi Mac drops new episodes every week. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and leave a review if this episode moved you. It helps more people find the show.
Tammi Mac of KJLH Radio, is a veteran broadcaster . Happy With Tammi Mac is part of the Inflection Network.

Kiki Haynes: The Flight That Came Too Late, the Promise She Made at the Funeral, and How She Found Happy Again 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/aaf77ad8-851d-4f6b-af3a-b4c0010e9951/transcript

He writes his name in all capitals with a period — because MAJOR. means that. And this week, he proves it.

On this episode of Happy With Tammi Mac, host Tammi Mac welcomes the incomparable MAJOR. for a conversation that moves like a gospel song — slowly, deeply, and straight into your chest.

MAJOR. has built a career on music that makes you feel seen. But behind the voice and the artistry is a story of profound love and devastating loss. His worst moment? October 2015 — when his stepfather, Edward Walter Moten, passed away. Edward was MAJOR.'s hero: a humble, God-fearing, quietly powerful man who came into his life through a church connection when Major. was in kindergarten, married his mother, helped raise a blended family of ten children, and never once made Major. feel like anything less than his own.

In this episode, MAJOR. recalls the second-grade moment that changed everything — when Edward knelt down and asked him for permission to marry his mother. He remembers saying yes. Not because he was a kid who didn't know better, but because even then, he knew Edward was the real thing.

MAJOR. also shares something rarely discussed with such tenderness: how his stepfather helped him navigate his complicated feelings about his biological father — a man he didn't meet until he was eight — and ultimately arrive at a place of agape love, compassion, and peace.

Tammi Mac brings her own vulnerability to this conversation, sharing why she created Happy With Tammi Mac after suffering from depression during the pandemic — struggling to perform happiness on air at KJLH radio while barely finding the strength to get out of bed. Her question, which drives every episode: "How the hell are people supposed to be happy when the worst things imaginable have happened to them?"

MAJOR.'s answer begins with breath. With gold. With the quiet certainty that if you're still inhaling, it isn't over.

Segments covered in this episode:

🌑 The Dark Journey — Losing the man who was the foundation of his world

🔀 The Turning Point — Grace, blended families, and choosing to love fully

☀️ Finding Happy — Why breath is proof that there's more to come

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

Happy With Tammi Mac is part of the Inflection Network. New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you never miss a turning point story.

He writes his name in all capitals with a period &mdash; because MAJOR. means that. And this week, he proves it.
On this episode of Happy With Tammi Mac, host Tammi Mac welcomes the incomparable MAJOR. for a conversation that moves like a gospel song &mdash; slowly, deeply, and straight into your chest.
MAJOR. has built a career on music that makes you feel seen. But behind the voice and the artistry is a story of profound love and devastating loss. His worst moment? October 2015 &mdash; when his stepfather, Edward Walter Moten, passed away. Edward was MAJOR.'s hero: a humble, God-fearing, quietly powerful man who came into his life through a church connection when Major. was in kindergarten, married his mother, helped raise a blended family of ten children, and never once made Major. feel like anything less than his own.
In this episode, MAJOR. recalls the second-grade moment that changed everything &mdash; when Edward knelt down and asked him for permission to marry his mother. He remembers saying yes. Not because he was a kid who didn't know better, but because even then, he knew Edward was the real thing.
MAJOR. also shares something rarely discussed with such tenderness: how his stepfather helped him navigate his complicated feelings about his biological father &mdash; a man he didn't meet until he was eight &mdash; and ultimately arrive at a place of agape love, compassion, and peace.
Tammi Mac brings her own vulnerability to this conversation, sharing why she created Happy With Tammi Mac after suffering from depression during the pandemic &mdash; struggling to perform happiness on air at KJLH radio while barely finding the strength to get out of bed. Her question, which drives every episode: "How the hell are people supposed to be happy when the worst things imaginable have happened to them?"
MAJOR.'s answer begins with breath. With gold. With the quiet certainty that if you're still inhaling, it isn't over.
Segments covered in this episode:
🌑 The Dark Journey &mdash; Losing the man who was the foundation of his world
🔀 The Turning Point &mdash; Grace, blended families, and choosing to love fully
☀️ Finding Happy &mdash; Why breath is proof that there's more to come
Happiness has been a hard word to come by &mdash; but it will exist again.
Happy With Tammi Mac is part of the Inflection Network. New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you never miss a turning point story.

MAJOR. | My Hero, My Stepfather, and the Breath That Reminded Me It Isn't Over

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/619bd2c7-af1c-4b37-b8fd-b4b301885032/transcript

For 25 years, the world knew Petri Byrd as the unshakeable presence in one of television's most iconic courtrooms. Serious. Still. Steady. But in this unforgettable episode of Happy With Tammi Mac, Petri Byrd steps out from behind that image and into one of the most vulnerable conversations of his life.

Host Tammi Mac sits down with Petri Byrd for a deeply personal exploration of the year that tested everything he believed about strength, faith, and happiness. In 2021, just as his 25-year run came to a close, Petri's wife Makita suffered a sudden seizure, and the diagnosis that followed changed their lives overnight: a brain tumor.

Petri Byrd recounts the terrifying morning in vivid detail: the stillness before the storm, the frantic 911 call, the battle to get into an emergency room at the peak of the pandemic, and the long, grueling journey through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation that followed. He opens up about silently battling his own depression while being Makita's rock — and the faith that ultimately carried them both through.

Together, Petri and Makita rang the bell when treatment ended. Together, they built Bonding with Bird, a YouTube show born out of their shared experience. And together, they found their way back to something real, not just happiness, but joy.

This episode explores one of the show's most essential questions: What is the difference between happiness and joy, and how do you find your way back to either one when life has broken you open?

If you've ever stood in the dark wondering how anyone finds their way back to the light, Petri Byrd has something to say to you.

Happy With Tammi Mac, partners of theInflection Network, drops new episodes weekly on the Inflection Network. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you never miss a turning point story.

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

For 25 years, the world knew Petri Byrd as the unshakeable presence in one of television's most iconic courtrooms. Serious. Still. Steady. But in this unforgettable episode of Happy With Tammi Mac, Petri Byrd steps out from behind that image and into one of the most vulnerable conversations of his life.
Host Tammi Mac sits down with Petri Byrd for a deeply personal exploration of the year that tested everything he believed about strength, faith, and happiness. In 2021, just as his 25-year run came to a close, Petri's wife Makita suffered a sudden seizure, and the diagnosis that followed changed their lives overnight: a brain tumor.
Petri Byrd recounts the terrifying morning in vivid detail: the stillness before the storm, the frantic 911 call, the battle to get into an emergency room at the peak of the pandemic, and the long, grueling journey through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation that followed. He opens up about silently battling his own depression while being Makita's rock &mdash; and the faith that ultimately carried them both through.
Together, Petri and Makita rang the bell when treatment ended. Together, they built Bonding with Bird, a YouTube show born out of their shared experience. And together, they found their way back to something real, not just happiness, but joy.
This episode explores one of the show's most essential questions: What is the difference between happiness and joy, and how do you find your way back to either one when life has broken you open?
If you've ever stood in the dark wondering how anyone finds their way back to the light, Petri Byrd has something to say to you.
Happy With Tammi Mac, partners of theInflection Network, drops new episodes weekly on the Inflection Network. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you never miss a turning point story.
Happiness has been a hard word to come by, but it will exist again.

Behind the Badge: Petri Byrd on His Wife's Brain Tumor, His Own Depression & the Road Back to Happy

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a8d85caf-15c9-4c0a-92e9-b4aa000da87f/transcript

He spent decades making the world laugh. Then life took everything from him — including his smile.

This week on Happy With Tammi Mac, host Tammi Mac welcomes iconic actor Ernest Lee Thomas — beloved by generations as Raj on "What's Happening!!" — for a conversation that is equal parts hilarious and deeply, honestly human.

Ernest opens up about the near-fatal car accident that triggered depression he never saw coming — a darkness so heavy that this famously joyful man found himself sitting in a film trailer for seven hours, ready to abandon his career, whispering to God: "If this is how it's going to be — just take me."

He talks about what depression actually feels like from the inside when you've never experienced it before. He talks about cutting loose fake friends, misaligned representation, and the people who no longer serve his peace. He talks about the unexpected miracle of a group of children on a film set who reminded him — in one moment — why love is the most powerful healing force there is.

And yes — he talks about the pink suit. And the gas. And the Pepto-Bismol. Because this is Happy With Tammi Mac, where the real and the joyful always share the same space.

This is a turning point story in every sense. Ernest Lee Thomas is 73, wiser than ever, and — after everything — choosing happy again.

Segments in This Episode:

- 🌑 The Dark Journey — Depression after a near-death collision

- 🔄 The Turning Point — The film set moment that cracked the darkness open

- ☀️ Finding Happy — Faith, love, laughter, and letting go

Happy With Tammi Mac is a part of the Inflection Network and hosted by Tammi Mac, also heard on KJLH Radio. New episodes every week. Happiness has been a hard word to come by — but it will exist again. 💛

He spent decades making the world laugh. Then life took everything from him &mdash; including his smile.
This week on Happy With Tammi Mac, host Tammi Mac welcomes iconic actor Ernest Lee Thomas &mdash; beloved by generations as Raj on "What's Happening!!" &mdash; for a conversation that is equal parts hilarious and deeply, honestly human.
Ernest opens up about the near-fatal car accident that triggered depression he never saw coming &mdash; a darkness so heavy that this famously joyful man found himself sitting in a film trailer for seven hours, ready to abandon his career, whispering to God: "If this is how it's going to be &mdash; just take me."
He talks about what depression actually feels like from the inside when you've never experienced it before. He talks about cutting loose fake friends, misaligned representation, and the people who no longer serve his peace. He talks about the unexpected miracle of a group of children on a film set who reminded him &mdash; in one moment &mdash; why love is the most powerful healing force there is.
And yes &mdash; he talks about the pink suit. And the gas. And the Pepto-Bismol. Because this is Happy With Tammi Mac, where the real and the joyful always share the same space.
This is a turning point story in every sense. Ernest Lee Thomas is 73, wiser than ever, and &mdash; after everything &mdash; choosing happy again.
Segments in This Episode:
- 🌑 The Dark Journey &mdash; Depression after a near-death collision
- 🔄 The Turning Point &mdash; The film set moment that cracked the darkness open
- ☀️ Finding Happy &mdash; Faith, love, laughter, and letting go
Happy With Tammi Mac is a part of the Inflection Network and hosted by Tammi Mac, also heard on KJLH Radio. New episodes every week. Happiness has been a hard word to come by &mdash; but it will exist again. 💛

Ernest Lee Thomas: The Man Who Lost His Happy — And Found It Again

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/46cb7e89-cc7f-41a3-ad53-b4a601082d32/transcript

He had just come off Baby Boy. He booked the MC Hammer biopic. He was flying first class, living large, and convinced his moment had finally arrived. Then Kareem Grimes came home — and his bank account told a completely different story.

In this deeply personal episode of Happy With Tammi Mac, actor Kareem Grimes sits down with host Tammi Mac to talk about the financial collapse that followed one of the biggest professional wins of his early career, the silent depression that came with it, and the internal reckoning that became his turning point. Growing up in Inglewood, California, Kareem Grimes was used to being the one people leaned on. So when he hit rock bottom, he had no idea who to turn to — or how to ask.

This episode moves through all three signature segments of Happy With Tammi Mac:

🔹 The Dark Journey — Kareem Grimes opens up about what it felt like to do the work, cash the check, and still come up empty — and why that emptiness opened the door to depression he wasn't prepared for.

🔹 The Turning Point — The exact moment Kareem Grimes made himself a promise he has never broken, and why one brother named Calvin showed up right when he needed it most.

🔹 Finding Happy — From Gucci shades to the Culver City stairs, Kareem Grimes shares what gratitude actually looks like when it becomes your daily practice — and why he's choosing his heaven on earth, right now.

Tammi Mac, the beloved voice of KJLH Radio and host of the Inflection Network's Happy With Tammi Mac, created this show from her own experience with severe depression during the pandemic — unable to rise, unable to explain it, and desperate to understand how anyone finds their way back to happiness. Every guest she sits with is proof that the way back exists.

Kareem Grimes is that proof today.

This is a turning point story about heartbreak and healing, financial vulnerability and emotional resilience, life after what feels like failure — and the quiet, powerful discovery that happiness isn't found in a bank account. It's found in waking up, showing up, and choosing gratitude even when the numbers don't add up.

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

🎙️ Happy With Tammi Mac is available weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the Inflection Network. Previous guests include James Wright Chanel, MC Lyte, Kelly Price, Tabitha Brown, and Judge Mathis.

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone on their own happiness journey.

He had just come off Baby Boy. He booked the MC Hammer biopic. He was flying first class, living large, and convinced his moment had finally arrived. Then Kareem Grimes came home &mdash; and his bank account told a completely different story.
In this deeply personal episode of Happy With Tammi Mac, actor Kareem Grimes sits down with host Tammi Mac to talk about the financial collapse that followed one of the biggest professional wins of his early career, the silent depression that came with it, and the internal reckoning that became his turning point. Growing up in Inglewood, California, Kareem Grimes was used to being the one people leaned on. So when he hit rock bottom, he had no idea who to turn to &mdash; or how to ask.
This episode moves through all three signature segments of Happy With Tammi Mac:
🔹 The Dark Journey &mdash; Kareem Grimes opens up about what it felt like to do the work, cash the check, and still come up empty &mdash; and why that emptiness opened the door to depression he wasn't prepared for.
🔹 The Turning Point &mdash; The exact moment Kareem Grimes made himself a promise he has never broken, and why one brother named Calvin showed up right when he needed it most.
🔹 Finding Happy &mdash; From Gucci shades to the Culver City stairs, Kareem Grimes shares what gratitude actually looks like when it becomes your daily practice &mdash; and why he's choosing his heaven on earth, right now.
Tammi Mac, the beloved voice of KJLH Radio and host of the Inflection Network's Happy With Tammi Mac, created this show from her own experience with severe depression during the pandemic &mdash; unable to rise, unable to explain it, and desperate to understand how anyone finds their way back to happiness. Every guest she sits with is proof that the way back exists.
Kareem Grimes is that proof today.
This is a turning point story about heartbreak and healing, financial vulnerability and emotional resilience, life after what feels like failure &mdash; and the quiet, powerful discovery that happiness isn't found in a bank account. It's found in waking up, showing up, and choosing gratitude even when the numbers don't add up.
Happiness has been a hard word to come by &mdash; but it will exist again.
🎙️ Happy With Tammi Mac is available weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the Inflection Network. Previous guests include James Wright Chanel, MC Lyte, Kelly Price, Tabitha Brown, and Judge Mathis.
Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone on their own happiness journey.

Kareem Grimes: From Baby Boy to Broke : The Moment That Changed Everything  

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/14e0a49a-d596-49ec-ae8a-b4a600decd0f/transcript

Happy with Tammi Mac is a YouTube podcast that shares personal stories from devastating experiences to the transformative moment of HAPPINESS! Journey w/us to HAPPY 😃

Happy with Tammi Mac is a YouTube podcast that shares personal stories from devastating experiences to the transformative moment of HAPPINESS! Journey w/us to HAPPY 😃

Happy with Tammi Mac

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