Congratulations, you’ve been accepted into the inaugural class of Therapy for Black Girls University. Whether packing for a new year on campus, thinking through your gap year, enrolling in a community college, or grabbing your stoles for graduation, TBG U is here to help you thrive at this stage of your life and beyond.
Can you believe it’s been one year since the launch of TBG University? It feels like just yesterday when the TBG team first conceptualized the idea of a platform that provided support and community for college-aged Black women. Today, we’re celebrating by reflecting on the genesis of TBG U and sharing some behind-the-scenes insights. Zariah Taylor, our Podcast Production Intern joins Jayna Ellis, TBG U Coordinator & Podcast Host to share a little bit about themselves and their journey working at TBG, their hopes for TBG U’s future, and a sneak peek of some of the exciting things you can look forward to in the next year.
Where to Find Zariah
Where to Find Jayna
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Our Production Team
Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Maya Cole Howard
Producers: Fredia Lucas & Ellice Ellis
Production Intern: Zariah Taylor
TBG University Host & Coordinator: Jayna Ellis
Congratulations, you've been accepted into the inaugural class of Therapy for Black Girls University. Whether packing for a new year on campus, thinking through your gap year, enrolling in a community college, or grabbing your souls for graduation, TBGU is here to help you thrive at this stage of your life and beyond. Hi.
I'm Soria Taylor and I'm the TBG podcast production intern. We'll return to Jana right after the break.
Can you believe it's been one year since the launch of TVG University. It feels like just yesterday when the TBG team first conceptualized the idea of a platform that provided support and community for college aged black women. Today, we're celebrating by reflecting on the genesis of TVGU and sharing some behind the scenes insights.
Hi.
I'm Zaria, the podcast production Internet Therapy for Black Girls, and today I'm joining Jana for the one year anniversary celebration. I'm a nineteen year old sophomore attending Expelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. You may recall hearing my name credited at the end of some of your favorite TVG podcast episodes. In our conversation, we share a little bit about ourselves and our journey of working at TVG, our hopes for tbgu's future, and a sneak peak of some of the exciting things you can look forward to in the next year. Here's our conversation.
Well, Hi, Sara, Hey girl, how are you.
I'm good? How are you?
I'm doing well. I'm so excited to talk with you today.
I know, it's so weird being on the guest side, Like I'm so used to being on the production side that I'm like, oh my god, I'm nervous.
I know.
Right, So today is a very special episode. We are celebrating our one year anniversary Therapy for Black Girls University, and yeah, we're just gonna have a girl talk, just chat a little bit. So first starters, can you give our listeners a brief introduction about yourself and what do you do with TBG.
Yeah. So, my name is Zaria Taylor.
I am a sophomore documentary filmmaking major and philosophy minor attending Spilman College in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm also from Atlanta, Georgia, and at TBG, I serve as the podcast production intern. I've been working here since summer of twenty twenty three. And then my internship just kept getting extended, so they just can't let me go. So yeah, that's what that's what I do here.
We're never gonna let you go basically period.
Jane.
I know our audience is probably already familiar with you, but for the girlies who've been living under a rock, can you reintroduce yourself?
Yeah, So my name is Jana Ellis. I I am twenty two years old originally from Columbus, Ohio. I'm a recent graduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and I work with Therapy for Black Girls as the TVGU courtinator here. So it's a little bit about me.
So we touched on this a little bit, but I'd love to know when you started working for TVG and why you wanted to be a part of the team. I actually don't think i've heard this story, so I'm very curious.
Well, okay, let's go back to college. So it was my junior year spring semester, and I remember sitting in my apartment. I was like, oh my gosh, I haven't had an internship. Like I was actually like a late bloomer with it getting my internships and like getting on that path because while I was in college, I was so focused on like grades, not remembering that there's a world that you need to experience and like have professional experience with. And one of my mentors sent me the link to apply for TVG and my therapist as well the same day. So I was like, oh my god, I love TVG. I want to do this, And the stars were aligned with two people that are always impact my life sending me the same link. And so I applied in twenty twenty two to be the graphic design intern. And I did that and during the summer, and then during my senior year of college, I had to complete this project to graduate, and so I reached back out to the team and I put myself out there. I was like, I really enjoyed working with the team and I want to come back to graduate, so like what can we do? And I came back in twenty twenty three as the communications intern. I definitely think it's been a journey, but I smile every time I see the application being posted for students to apply, because it's just a surreal experience overall. But what about you, Like when did you start working for TVG and like why did you want to be a part of the team.
Yeah.
So TVG for me started in the summer of twenty twenty three as a summer internship. I saw the application on Instagram, actually posted by one of my friends, and I was like, this just seems like the person internship for me, because it really was an intersection of all the different things that I'm already interested in.
I love media production.
I've been on this kind of path in like the journalism and media industry since I was in high school, and particularly in high school, I did a lot of podcast stuff. I particularly worked for a publication called Vox atl here in Atlanta, and they had their own podcast studio, and that was what really introduced me to all of the audio industry type things. And I had my own podcast while I was in high school, and then naturally, when I transitioned to college at Spelman, I started working for Spellman's official podcast called The Blue Record, and so I just had a lot of experience, so I knew it was something that would be easy for me to do in terms of like the actual day to day job responsibilities. But TBG is also a brand that I have been familiar with since around twenty sixteen. And so it's really rare for me to find internships with companies that I'm actually like, oh my god, like I actually am fans of y'all, Like I know the brand and everything. So it was like, oh my god, this is a really big opportunity. And of course my work has always been around uplifting the experiences of black women and the wellness of black women, and so I knew it was something that I was going to be really passionate about, I was going to be really good at. And as I was filling out my application, I just had foresight that, like, I'm going to get this opportunity, Like it just felt too perfect to not work. So I applied, I did the interview, and I'm here so and like I said, my internship got extended. So that's pretty much my story of how I got involved with TVT.
I love it.
So tell us a little bit more about your experience as an intern while being like a full time student at Spilman College.
Yeah.
So, in my interactions with the other TVG team members, they assume that it must be like so hard for me to balance both, But I'll be honest, it isn't really not that difficult for me. I think I'm just like an overachiever and I don't feel right not being busy. I have to have so much things going on and I'm just used to it. Since high school, I've been doing like way too much stuff, and so it's never been difficult for me to manage. I will say that it does require a lot of organization, a lot of discipline. I'm really locked in with Notion and Google Calendar, Like without those, I really would not know what to do with my life. Like I was telling my mom the other day, if Notion went down one day, I would not know what I'm doing with my day because I literally, like day to day, have a to do list of all the tasks that I need to get done. And so with that, it hasn't been really too difficult for me to balance both.
So yeah, interesting, because I definitely feel you when you say like it doesn't feel right when you're not busy, Like I definitely felt that in college. I felt that my core and that needs to be unpacked at a certain time. But I am always just in awe of like the balance, Like you're just able to be in so many spaces and so many projects at one time while also recognizing that you have a personal life, you have an academic life, you have professional goals, and so it's always just so impressive and inspiring for me to watch you do that. So it's super cool to watch.
Thank you, thank you.
And I also wanted to add I feel like it doesn't feel like work when it's something that you're passed. So I will always make time for the things that I'm interested in, and so therefore I've never felt like overwhelmed with the amount of work that I have because it's just like I enjoy doing this.
It's like almost a hobby for me.
So yeah, now, Jane, now going back to you, I really want to know, like what your reaction was when you first got told by Doctor Joy that she wanted you to be the host of tvgu I feel like that must have been such a big moment for you, So I'd love to hear about that.
Yeah, it was definitely like a oh okay, like right, got it, Like that was my thought process when she told me that, And I think it was naturally going to be a nerve wracking thing for me to do. One. I have no formal experience of being a podcast host too. I am always like consistently working through how I want to be perceived, like social media and perception and like branding. It's just like how people view you is something that I'm always working through. And so I was just overwhelmed and initially, but then once I took a step back, and I was like, you know what, Jay, this is the best opportunity to fight those fears and those thoughts that you have about what you're not able to do and just open up your mind to all aspects of yourself. And so I think I just got into like my I can never quote the Slange quote perfectly, but it's just there's just so many versions of me, so many, so many. It's just like I just needed to tap into that. And it's an ongoing process but so grateful for it. But the initial reaction was oh ooh, like super uncomfortable, but also honored, Like doctor Joy sees something in me, and I see something in myself, you know what I mean, Like you need to you need to go for the bag, like go for it. So that's what I would saying, Yeah, I love that. And so we're one of the younger girlies on the team. But what has been your experience being the youngest like on professional team.
Yeah, I'm honestly never really aware of it until somebody asked me my age and I tell them I'm nineteen. Like I get like, oh, like the shocks reactions from people because I do realize, like I literally just graduated high school two years ago, Like I understand why that might be a shock to some people, But I will say I've never felt all for like any sort of negative feeling because of my age. I feel like team members and you may be able to attest to this too, like are always looking for our perspectives as members of gen Z, and I'll just say, like, it's really funny my interactions with the team at large versus my interactions with you, Jena, because I feel like anytime we have like one on one meetings, we're so un serious and it's like aside that we don't really get to see in the regular team meetings, so we have to be like business professional vibes. There are certain moments where I become more conscious of the fact that I'm younger, Like we had a team checking question where it was like, oh, what is like the biggest technological advancement that you've witnessed and everybody was mentioning all these different things, and I was like face id on the iPhone, like I really don't know anything else. So yeah, I would say I'm never like too too conscious of it, but there are moments where I'm like, yeah, yeah, I.
Yeah, for sure, we're like unseerious serious. That's like the best lay.
It like scratchet right, Y's like.
The perfect blend. It's the perfect blend. And I feel like that's what I appreciate legen Zy, Like it's serious, but it's not that serious, Like it doesn't have to be that serious all the time.
So yeah, period, period.
Now Jane, going back to you, I love to know besides podcasting, what are some of your other passions and interest.
Yeah, so back to what I was saying before, Like I think just entering this Postcrid era life has shown me like you have only seen one side of yourself. You have so many things to discover, and it's been daunting but so inspiring. And so for the past two years or really like getting excited and like more candid and free flowing with it has been photography. So my friend group were big on like getting the dispo cameras and getting the film and like the arty pictures. But I took a moment and I had a conversation with my friends and I was like, you know, when I was a kid, I would look through because we're not too young. We've seen physical pictures. We remember how you print out pictures and like you have a scrap book or like a photo book. And I remember being young and like looking through photos every other month and like seeing the same pictures. But like the act of touching a picture was monumental for me. And so I've gotten back into printing pictures and like making books and like putting all of my experiences like into a collage and like writing on the back with a sharpee, like the date and like what we were doing, and it's just like cool for me. I really like documenting time and like memories. But photography has been something that I have enjoyed, just being the artsy girl with it. Also just taking a picture for yourself and not post seeing it, just taking a picture to pick a picture. But outside of that, it's definitely been like traveling and just seeing the world has been a new passion of mine and like an interest of mind since graduating.
Going back to your point, about the photos. I really feel like we need to bring back physical media. Like I've been thinking about that a lot lately because I recently started my vinyl collection and like I have cassettes and like CDs, and even though it's stuff that I can clearly listen to on Spotify, I'm just thinking like if all of this technological stuff went down, like what it will be left. So I think it's really important to have that physical manifestation of your memories with your friends.
That's really cute.
Literally, And that also just reminded me like in addition to the physical pictures that I had, we also had CDs, like boxes of CDs like fifty pounds or the CDs, and so I just my children would know what a CD looks like, dhs looks like, a picture in your hand, what that feels like. They'll know that.
So yeah, agreed, as they should, So, Zaria.
How do you balance working on the podcast with other aspects of your life such as like class and your personal commitments? Like walk me through that.
Yeah, So going back to my earlier point, like I said, I am totally locked in with Notion and Google Calendar. I plan my day outs like a tea like I know everything that I have to do before it happens, Like I even plan weeks in advance, Like I am so type A with that, and I feel like without it, I would just be lost. So that's my first major key. And then I would say also setting boundaries around the times when you're working, in times when you're like spending time for yourself or self care or social stuff. And I mean that like very strictly. I have times on my calendar where i have a few hours blocked out and I'm like, this is my me time, to the point where I turn offlications on my outlook, on my Gmail, on my Asana, So that way, I am not even being tempted to think about work because this is my me time. And if my brain is split both ways, I'm not going to be able to fully put effort into my work and I'm not going to be able to fully put effort into my self care. So having those strict boundaries around this is work time and this is self care time. If conversely, like when it's work time, I'm turning off my Message, I'm turning off my Instagram because I just want to make sure that I can give my all to what it is that I'm doing. And then I'll also say that you have to be real with yourself sometimes when you have a lot of work on your plate to recognize that maybe you're not going to be able to get all of this done by the deadline or by when it's supposed to be done. But you have to be able to prioritize all the different things that are on your plate. So for me, obviously school is my number one priority. I have a scholarships, and I don't play about my scholarship and I don't play about my minimum GPA. So class work is going to always be my first priority. And then I would say TVG is number two just because I'm getting paid for it. Like clubs and eboards and all of these different things that I'm a part of. I'm passionate about them, but you're not paying me, so it definitely goes below. And so when I have work from all these different places on my plate, I have to make sure that those two things are being prioritized, and everything else comes I don't want to say last, but they come after. And then also, like going back to the point about just being real with yourself and having the self awareness, to know that if you can't get stuff done by a certain time, you.
Just have to communicate it.
If you know that you're not going to be able to get stuff done, like being evasive about it would just make you look bad. So if you know that you're not going to get something done, definitely communicated in advance. So I would say those are all of my major keys when it comes to that work life balance.
I love the strict boundaries. I feel like we talk about boundaries a lot, and we talk about boundaries with oneself, but we don't really talk about how sometimes it's unrealistic to be honest about the strict boundaries with yourself. And so it's refreshing to hear someone say like, oh no, like I'm serious, Like I turn off my notifications, I turn off this, I turn off that. That's really refreshing to hear someone actually live that out.
Thank you alrighty.
So I want to transition into talking a little bit more about TVGU as a brand and so, Jana, since you are the mother of TVGU, I would love to hear in your own words, what is TVG University and why is it important to you?
Not mother, but yeah, so to me TVG University and it's most basic terms, the space for gen Z and college aged women to exist the umbrella of mental health, wellness and awareness. And we do that through culturally relevant topics conversations that really resonate with us. And so for me, it's important because in college, in high school, even and even now, there are so many conversations that are niche and like nuance that I never got the opportunity to be in the room with. So I think for me it's inspiring to be a part of this brand and know that there's someone that's being impacted positively through our conversations, whether that be on social media, on TikTok, on our podcast, on the blogs, and they'll be able to see themselves in our content and relate their live situation to what we're speaking about and move in a better way, like have an insight on their life that they didn't have before they interacted with TV University. So I just think it's important that we just make community and make space for women our age that do deal with mental health issues and mental health concerns and personal development and life and just all the things of being like a twenty something or a college aid something like it's hard, it can be really difficult at times, and it's just imperative that there are spaces for black women to convene and converse and relate and laugh and have joy. I just think that's all important. And so that's my little mini synopsis of it.
Elevator pitch.
Hi, I'm Soria Taylor, and I'm the TBG podcast production intern. We'll return to Jana right after the break.
Zaria, why do you think TVG University is needed for our generation?
Yes? So I will say this.
When I think about exist brands that are marketed towards gen Z black women, I tend to find that there are more so lineal and for people who don't know, is the lineal is Millennial and gen Z. And so I feel like what we're missing is a place that is specifically for gen Z, like gen Z talking to gen Z. I don't feel like we have a lot of platforms like that for college students to speak to other college students, especially in the audio and podcasting space. And when I do find platforms that are more so gen Z based, it feels like it's a lot of like yapping, like not informative or information based. And I feel like that's where we're coming into the conversation. It's not just a bunch of people on a mic just talking. Like we're bringing important conversations into the audio space. And a lot of times we'll have guests who will come onto the podcast and they'll be like, I wish I had this, I wish I had this conversation, or people don't talk enough about this, And so I feel like that shows that we're definitely bringing something new and needed. And also I think what's missing is that we have a lot of content towards gen Z that is lecture based, and I feel like our content is more so coming from a compact s't angle to college students and the struggles that we experience. It's not telling people what to do or feeling very like I guess like teacher e like we already experienced that in our classes.
We don't need that.
We need something that is by us for us, basically in us talking to us, peer to peer type vibe. So that's definitely why I feel like tvgu is important because we're bringing all of that to the table.
I agree, and.
So Jana, while we're on the topic of the podcast, I love to know do you have a favorite podcast episode that we've recorded, and why does it stand out to you?
Oh that's such a hard question and I think about it often, like what is my fav Like, I don't know, off of like instinct, I would have to say Black Girls in Art Spaces, it's my favorite one so far, and leaving room for all episodes. I love all episodes.
I promise they're like your kids.
So my children a mother, as you said, but I really just enjoyed Black Girls and Art Spaces because I have always been interested in like how do you have a career in the art world? Period? And I think again, like to our points, just like we're bringing conversations that need to be had for young women who wouldn't necessarily have the tools to have them. So I think for me, talking with Casey was just super informative and enlightening. You know, I wasn't even an art major, but I was like, oh my gosh, like I could have been one if that's what I wanted to do. It was really nice to see Casey living in her passion, her insurants, her hobby and making a career off of it and hearing her thought process behind it all was super cool.
I love that.
What about you, I'm curious do you have a favor.
Ooh, that's a hard question.
I'll say probably major and magic at USC And I'll say the reason is because the guest she was somebody who, like I saw go viral on Twitter, and so to actually be able to like talk to her and hear.
Her side of things, I just really loved her.
I knew of her, and so because of that, it was really exciting to actually be able to like craft interview questions to hear her side of the story and her perspective.
So I would say that's my favorite.
That's so real. I like that one too. She was cool. Yeah, love he So we've seen this weekly report trend on TikTok in recent months, and for those who are unaware, this is what you have been reading, eating, playing, obsessing, over recommending, and treating yourself too in the past week. So, Zaria, what's your weekly report?
Yeah, So let me just preface this by saying, I'm one of the girlies who is unaware, Like I have never heard this academ before, and so you mentioned it, like, I'm just I'm not on the TikTok streets like that. I have to protect my piece. So this is my first time hearing of this, but I'm gonna give it a try. For reading, I have been, and I'm ashamed to admit this. I have been in the Colleen Hoover book talk streets.
I haven't.
I've heard so many like bad things about Colleen Hoover and her writing, but I read it ends with Us, and I'm not gonna lie.
I read it all of one night. I was serious, I got down. I did not play with that book. I was hooked. I'm not gonna lie. And sometimes you need some.
Good guilty pledgure reads, even though you know, like the writing is really bad and trash, sometimes the drama is just top tires. So I've been into that. And also I've just been lately into reading really trashy romance novels. So I'm currently like halfway through to All the Boys I've Loved before, Like I'm really into that right now. I need like that escapism. So that's what I've been reading. So what are you reading, Jana?
So I have been reading Mamy by Jessica George. I haven't been in my romance novel bag, but I just have been in my When you're like young and like you're learning your life. It's just a book that's for the girls. It's like the early twenties, you're like learning who you are. It's a really good book and it's taken me a long time to get through. But we're gonna get through it this month, that is my goal. But overall the read is pretty good period period.
What have I been eating?
I don't know if I'm talking about when I just ate. I had some Nashville Hot chicken with fries. It was really good.
I'm not gonna lie.
Yeah, in general, like I've been getting so much ubri The cafeteria life on campus is just not for me, and I've had to like navigate trying not to shame myself for spending so much money on food because at the end of the day, like I have to listen to what my body needs and I need to adjust my budget accordingly knowing that. So for all the girlies who may be navigating the same thing, like just no, like you have to listen to your body.
So that's what I've been eating. What about you?
No shame with Uber Eats orders, no shame door Dash orders. I have been in my Caesar salad with a fry and a coke bag for the past two months, like it's been bad and so yeah, I love a caesar salad at a fry. I'm there, Like anywhere we can go to a diner, five star restaurant McDonald's if they have it my house, like anywhere, I will take it. I love caesar.
Salad, no, for real, I will bust down a caesar salad. They're so good.
Yes, I love a caesar salad. So playing. I am a gamer girl. I'm not gonna lie. I'm like a nerd. And recently I've been really into the Simspore. I've been SIMS fan since I was very young, but man, like the mod life, the custom content life, like I've been in it, like the SIMS four Like I just be living at my fantasies in that game. So love the SIMS four down that's really about you, so real.
So I took it in a more of a music approach. So I, of course, when we're not listening to music, we're listening to podcast therapy for Black Girls University period. But I have been back into like my Bryson Tiller era. He recently announced his tour for this summer. I will be in attendance. So I just had been in like my high school chop soul like background music while I do work. It's a great album for background music. But I also have been getting it back into my jazz bag and so my grandfather would be so happy to hear this. But I've been listening to Black Messiah by DiAngelo and the Vanguard again top Tier if you ever need like a jazzy chill album.
Alrighty, So next is obsessing, right, So we talked about this a little bit, Jana, But I am obsessed with Love Is Blind. I am in the Love Is Blind streets real bad. I watched the first season and I thought it was okay, and then I just stopped watching it. Then I kept seeing all this stuff on social media about eighty and class. I was like, let me tune into this most recent season, and I am just gagged by all of the drama that's coming up. I'm in the Reddit, I'm literally trying to get all of the tea. I'm in the Instagram comments trying to figure out what's going on, what happened off camera. I went back and I rewatched all the old seasons too, Like I am so obsessed. It's really top tier drama. So I'm definitely obsessing over Love Is Blind.
But I'm happy that you're on the Love is Blind train. I'm so happy. Yeah, you're welcome. I have been obsessing over Lagree pilates. That has been my hobby, like my new like fitness hobby. Like I've changed my workout plan completely from like going to the gym and like lifting weights and like, you know what I mean. I was like in that gym culture quote unquote, and I was just like, you know what, I want to trial agree. I want to be a Palateis princess. I'm a little bit late to the Plate's train, but that's one thing that I have been obsessing over for sure. It's so much fun, it's so hard, it's great. I love her.
I want to get into ladies. But it's a little intense for me, Like I don't know, it's intense.
It's intense. It's intense.
So in terms of recommending, I'm going to piggyback off of you for like the exercise train, I've been really interested in doing like water exercises recently, like stuff in the pool. Here at Spilman we have a pool and they have like different courses and we call it aquadivas, like we have a bunch of different like zoomba in the pool, and I don't know, it's really relaxing, Like I just feel like I'm in my little mermaid fantasy. It's just really fun to play around in water and it's really relaxing. But you're also getting your work out on. So I would definitely recommend that for the girls who are in their workout journey and they're just feeling miserable because I've been there, but this is helping me connect to my inner child. It's just something so relaxing about being in the water. So that's what I'm recommending. What about you, Jana, I have.
Been recommending that, if possible, get a massage and please take care of your body, take care of your muscles, like I have tried to incorporate that like once a month into my regimen. Now. Is it expensive, yes, yes, yes, we do have to budget for that. We do have to make sure that there's money set aside for it. However, it is the best gift to your body. And once I realized this is the only body I have, you should probably take care of it. You should probably stretch more. You should probably get a massage, should probably drink more water, You should probably do all these things. And so I've been incorporating, like even while putting a lotion, like getting deeper in the tissue, just being more intentional about how we take care of our body.
Yes, I love that so much. I'm so big on we only have one body, like and just take care of it. I love that so much. Hi, I'm sorry, Taylor, and I'm the TBG podcast production intern. We'll return to Jana right after the break. So moving on to now, lastly, treating yourself. So what have I been treating myself too. I'm a tourist, so I just spend money for no reason, like it doesn't need to be an occasion. I will make an excuse to spend money on anything, so I would say, recently, I've been treating myself to vinyls. Like I said, I just started my vinyl collection and the girlies didn't tell me how expensive they are, Like this is really my expensive hobby. I went to the record store the other day and I don't even want to say on audio how much money I spent. I'm very embarrassed about it, but I will always make money for myself.
So I did treat myself period, But what about.
You, Jana, I have been treating myself to close. It's always closed. It's it's that it's actually sick. It's really bad. It's sometimes embarrassing, but yeah, close, Sprick's coming. Oh I need clothes? Oh this weekd I need something? Oh I neat socks. I need choose to me, there's always space.
That was me for the TVG Live event.
As soon as I saw the memo of the time, I was like, let me go ahead and look up what I'm gonna wear, Like I can't be meeting all the team members and not look the best.
So the way I got my outfit today, like the way it's already the.
Way mine's was delivered today. I'm about to open this package right after the stage.
We're on the same page. I was like, ooh, yeah, I need an outfit for my work trip. Oh I need outfit for after Like I love it. I love the reasons why I need more clothes, Like, yeah, it's great. So I love our weekly report, super cute, super fun. Thank you for indulging in that, Zaria. So what podcasts do you enjoy listening to when you're not working with TBGU.
Yeah, so, of course my obligatory answer would be TVG of course, like the Girls Know. But outside of that, the first ever podcast that got me obsessed onto podcasts is The Read, which I know is like a basic answer, but I absolutely love The Read. I literally was listening to that when I was in elementary school, which is so inappropriate. But I've been a long term refan and then as a result, I'm a fan of other podcasts that are in that universe or that friend group, So The Friend Zone, Jade, and XD Getting Grown. I think I didn't miss any, but those are all podcasts that like when they come out, like I need to be on that episode as soon as it drops.
So those are the podcasts I enjoy listening to period. Yeah.
So, Jana, I'm wondering who do you dream of collaborating with, either as a guest on TBGU or in other aspects.
Of your work.
I really enjoy learning from, like the media industry. What we've seen and heard from, like the interviews we've had with some of the media girlies, is that there's so many gaps and it's all open for interpretation. As to like how do you get in the space, what do you do? What's the day to day? How to get involved? And so I am manifesting a couple ideas, but just to give everyone's inside a little bit, I really want to collaborate with an actress, like a young actress of course, and like learn being in the industry that young, Like how is that? How is it being a blacklack women in the industry, a young black woman in industry at that? Hopefully they're a student, so like how do you balance like being a student with that? It's just like the day to day, as we've learned from talking with Sidonias, when you're in the limelight, like your life is just perceived to something different than what it really could be. And so just wanting to understand their career path and like how they got to where they are. I think is something that you know, as a person that watches movies and watches TV shows and engages with media every day, I'm just naturally curious, like, so what's your life, Like, let's talk, Let's have a conversation. As someone who is an audience member, say the least, but that's what I will say. I just really like talking with the girls who are in the media. It's just so interesting and they're so creative as well so talented, because that's what I would say.
Yeah, yeah, we can definitely chat online because I have some actress records. Okay, Stormy read call us.
Yeah, I was trying to give the energy a Stormy reading. I was like, oh, yeah, storm read for sure. Yeah, so, Zaria, what media did you watch, read, or listen to when you were younger that inspires your work today and what do you want to do post grad?
Yeah?
So I touched on it a little bit earlier when we were talking about the podcast I listened to. But when I was younger, I was very much watching stuff that I had no business watching at my age.
I was never like a Nickelodeon, Disney girly.
I was on like HBO, Like I was really watching some stuff that I should not have been watching, Like I was on Game of Thrones when I was like in elementary school, Like it was real bad. But I feel like from watching adult stuf while I was younger, it's kind of informed. I guess my writing style, Like I was the head of the game. I don't want to brag that I was like doing my writing and stuff, So I would say that's definitely informed just.
My talents, and you're ahead of the game.
Thank you, thank you. It's nicer when you say when I say about myself, I feel like, hello, ay keep it, thank you, Jana. And I also used to watch like a lot of commentary YouTubers, and I think that informs my love of pop culture, which definitely plays into my work at TBG, like you have to stay ahead of the game on what's going on. And to that point, also, I was scrolling through black Twitter like I'm a very very young age and I'm still into it now, like I'm a little bit too obsessed with Twitter, Like it's real bad actually, but like I said, I feel like it informs my work as somebody who has to be up on what's trending, and then of terms of what I want to do postgrad, I would really be satisfied with anything that is like in media, particularly media that caters to black women. So I'm kind of already doing that now and I tell people all the time. Everybody who knows me knows this. My dream, dream, dream job is to work for Parkwood Entertainment with Beyonce. So listen, if somebody from our team is listening to this, Okay, her publicist Vett, if you are listening to this, like call me, call me please. So that's like my dream dam job. I don't care what I would be doing, but yeah, that's what I would love to do postgrad. But generally, like the media jobs, this is where I'm at, This is what I love to do. So as we are preparing to close out, I would love to hear from you, Jana.
What does TBG use future you look like to you?
An intense question. So overall, TBGU is going to be engaging with more girly is our age, having more real conversations about the lives that we live, having more conversations like these where we're just having a chat, like I feel like sometimes professional gapping it can feel disengaging and it can feel like you're not included in that space. And so really making a priority that when people think of this brand and people think of the Little Sister brand of TBG is oh yeah, I feel like I can relate. That feels like my older sister, like giving me advice. It feels very digestible. But overall, like just having more content that relates to pop culture that brings us back to being aware about who we are and who we want to become. Having fun. I feel like fun is really important to me in this twenty second era of my life. It's so important, Like having fun conversations is so so important in a serious world, and so making sure that black girls can have fun and learn within that fun space, I think is the best way to like summarize how I see us moving forward. But yeah, definitely just engaging more in the community, gauging with more experiences, more voices, learning from other women, ourselves, and just moving forward in that way. That's what I think.
But what about you, Yeah, so double tapping on everything that you just said.
And also I think I.
See tvgu being the go to hub for just young black women, young college students. And I also say, I would really love to see us being like a pipeline for young Black women who are in college and studying psychology. You're hoping to become therapists. We already have like becoming a therapist content on the regular podcast, but I think there is space for us to really talk about what does that look like when you're actually in the muddles of being in college and kind of navigating through that experience. And then of course I would love to see more like campus activations for TVGU. I definitely see that in our future, more in person stuff, more engaging on the ground with the girlies who are on campus, and definitely like being more active on our.
Social media pages.
I'm really looking forward to some upcoming ideas that we have for the TVGU social So all of that is super exciting to me.
So you you gave more details. You're cooking it. Listen, we in the lab, we'd have been in the lab. I was trying to be cute with it, but we have been alert. Sorry, So Zaria, can you give us a little bit more of a sneak peek at what we have coming off this year?
Okay, I don't know if the girls are ready, but I'll go ahead off with them, you know, just just a little some sum So we're definitely looking forward to doing some more format breaking podcast episodes. I won't elaborate, but we're definitely trying to keep the girls on their toes and I'll let them know what's coming. And then we're definitely, like I said, looking forward to doing more things on social media. We have some upcoming series coming up segments, so I'm really excited about that. And then I would also say some more visually appealing elements, some more video content.
You can definitely look forward to that from us.
So yeah, yeah, what she said?
Yeah, alrighty, So I think we are at the end. This has been such a good conversation with you, Jana, and so in a switch of roles, I'm gonna ask you where can we keep up with you? And one of your social media handles.
Okay, so you can keep up with me on Instagram at jina dot ls so j A y n A dot e L l I S. I'm also on LinkedIn because we're getting professional, So follow me on LinkedIn. It's my name, Jana Ellis and yeah, connect with me there. What about you?
You can find me on Instagram at yours truley Zaria so that's y O U R S t r U L y z A r I A H. And then I'm also on LinkedIn, like I said, Beyonce's publicist call me. I'm on LinkedIn at Zaria Taylor.
So yeah, period.
Well, I have enjoyed catching up with you. Talking with you has been such a dope episode. I've been so excited for the future.
Of TVGU same z's thank you, Jana.
Of course, I want to thank Zaria once again for joining us for this episode. To learn more about the work she is doing or to do more research on this topic, be sure to visit Therapy for Black Girls dot com slash TVGU. This episode was produced by FRIEDA. Lucas, Elise Ellis, and Zaria Taylor. Editing is by Dennison L. Bradford.