Joy sits down with creator Lavelle for a candid conversation about the real work behind hitting 1 million TikTok followers, why he's kept his relationship private, and his next chapter chasing scripted TV. They also get into taking rejection personally in the industry, self-care as a full-time creator, and the viral imitation crab video that changed everything (9 million views, no regrets).
0:00 — Welcome, Lavelle joins Too Personal
0:48 — The Barry University Kiki (fellow alumni bond)
3:46 — Hitting 1 million TikTok followers
6:04 — "Who doesn't work?" — dispelling the creator-labor myth
13:31 — Community vs. a viral moment
21:23 — What's next? Finding the "blurry" next chapter
22:49 — Taking rejection personally in the industry
28:29 — Talking "Big Guy" — protecting the relationship
36:44 — What grounds him off-camera
39:12 — Solo dinners, self-talk, and needing silence
43:49 — The acting dream and scripted TV goals
47:34 — Advice for creators building a community from scratch
52:20 — The imitation crab saga (9M views)
55:01 — Defending home cooks from comment culture
59:45 — Follow Lavelle + sign-off

Joy sits down with creator Lavelle for a candid conversation about the real work behind hitting 1 million TikTok followers, why he's kept his relationship private, and his next chapter chasing scripted TV. They also get into taking rejection personally in the industry, self-care as a full-time creator, and the viral imitation crab video that changed everything (9 million views, no regrets).
<ul>
<li>0:00 &mdash; Welcome, Lavelle joins Too Personal</li>
<li>0:48 &mdash; The Barry University Kiki (fellow alumni bond)</li>
<li>3:46 &mdash; Hitting 1 million TikTok followers</li>
<li>6:04 &mdash; "Who doesn't work?" &mdash; dispelling the creator-labor myth</li>
<li>13:31 &mdash; Community vs. a viral moment</li>
<li>21:23 &mdash; What's next? Finding the "blurry" next chapter</li>
<li>22:49 &mdash; Taking rejection personally in the industry</li>
<li>28:29 &mdash; Talking "Big Guy" &mdash; protecting the relationship</li>
<li>36:44 &mdash; What grounds him off-camera</li>
<li>39:12 &mdash; Solo dinners, self-talk, and needing silence</li>
<li>43:49 &mdash; The acting dream and scripted TV goals</li>
<li>47:34 &mdash; Advice for creators building a community from scratch</li>
<li>52:20 &mdash; The imitation crab saga (9M views)</li>
<li>55:01 &mdash; Defending home cooks from comment culture</li>
<li>59:45 &mdash; Follow Lavelle + sign-off</li>
</ul>

Finally, a podcast that gets brutally honest about the toughest conversations we need to have. The groundbreaking new show Two Personal facilitates thoughtful dialogue on hot-button topics. TV Personality Joy Taylor tackles these conversations head-on, getting candid in a way typically reserved for your inner circle. With equal parts humor and wisdom, Joy chats about culture and social issues. Unafraid to explore complex topics like racism, sexism, and mental health, she advances these conversations with nuance and compassion.

Two Personal with Joy Taylor

Lavelle on 1 Million Followers, Life Off Camera & What's Next

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/78a347aa-3282-4ac5-837c-a72300032082/clips/67706286-1462-4ca7-82d1-b4900067a924/transcript

AD (@itsAD) sits down with Joy for a wide-open conversation covering his path from the streets to rap to podcasting to building his own streaming lane and everything that's come with it. He talks candidly about fatherhood, including moving his daughter in full-time for high school and raising his nonverbal, autistic son Astro, plus how he's learned to tune out a famously toxic fanbase. Joy and AD also get into the viral "pay my bills" debate, the Daejon Love catfishing scandal, the WNBA dildo incident, and what it actually takes to build (and keep) an audience online.

00:00 — Open

00:20 — Welcome AD

01:09 — From the Streets to Streaming: AD's Intro

01:40 — Dealing With "Sell Out" Accusations

02:50 — Shoutout to His Son Astro & Raising a Nonverbal Kid 

03:44 — The Truth About IRL Streaming

06:11 — The Viral "Pay My Bills" Take

08:57 — Why Joy Will Never Be Financially Dependent on a Man

11:00 — What Real Partnership Looks Like

12:50 — Why It's "Hard to Keep a Man" (Debate)

16:00 — The WNBA Dildo Incident

18:16 — Breaking Down the Daejon Love Scam

23:00 — Moving His Daughter In & Everyday Dad Life

28:14 — Raising Astro: Keeping It Real Without Oversharing

30:00 — Hard Work vs. Internet Shortcuts

38:44 — From Gang Culture to Podcasting: Breaking Barriers

44:00 — Building a Loyal (Toxic) Community

48:50 — Body Standards, BBLs & Self-Acceptance

49:31 — New Commercial & His Health Glow-Up

52:23 — "If You Ran the World" — The Pit Bit

58:14 — Where to Find AD

59:00 — Learning to Handle Hate: Joy's Radio Roots

AD (@itsAD) sits down with Joy for a wide-open conversation covering his path from the streets to rap to podcasting to building his own streaming lane and everything that's come with it. He talks candidly about fatherhood, including moving his daughter in full-time for high school and raising his nonverbal, autistic son Astro, plus how he's learned to tune out a famously toxic fanbase. Joy and AD also get into the viral "pay my bills" debate, the Daejon Love catfishing scandal, the WNBA dildo incident, and what it actually takes to build (and keep) an audience online.
00:00 &mdash; Open
00:20 &mdash; Welcome AD
01:09 &mdash; From the Streets to Streaming: AD's Intro
01:40 &mdash; Dealing With "Sell Out" Accusations
02:50 &mdash; Shoutout to His Son Astro &amp; Raising a Nonverbal Kid&nbsp;
03:44 &mdash; The Truth About IRL Streaming
06:11 &mdash; The Viral "Pay My Bills" Take
08:57 &mdash; Why Joy Will Never Be Financially Dependent on a Man
11:00 &mdash; What Real Partnership Looks Like
12:50 &mdash; Why It's "Hard to Keep a Man" (Debate)
16:00 &mdash; The WNBA Dildo Incident
18:16 &mdash; Breaking Down the Daejon Love Scam
23:00 &mdash; Moving His Daughter In &amp; Everyday Dad Life
28:14 &mdash; Raising Astro: Keeping It Real Without Oversharing
30:00 &mdash; Hard Work vs. Internet Shortcuts
38:44 &mdash; From Gang Culture to Podcasting: Breaking Barriers
44:00 &mdash; Building a Loyal (Toxic) Community
48:50 &mdash; Body Standards, BBLs &amp; Self-Acceptance
49:31 &mdash; New Commercial &amp; His Health Glow-Up
52:23 &mdash; "If You Ran the World" &mdash; The Pit Bit
58:14 &mdash; Where to Find AD
59:00 &mdash; Learning to Handle Hate: Joy's Radio Roots

From the Streets to Streaming: AD Opens Up on Fatherhood, Fame & Toxic Fans

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/78a347aa-3282-4ac5-837c-a72300032082/clips/820c5fa6-5023-4ca1-be7f-b4ba009d757e/transcript

Joy and Hayley are back and Joy is NOT done addressing the $5,000/month debate that went viral last week. She breaks down exactly why "I'm not the average woman" isn't the flex y'all think it is, then the girls dig into the wildest scam story of the year: the man who posed as an NFL player, scammed 26+ women out of $1.3 million, and got caught because he wore his fake team helmet to the beach. Plus: Hayley's turned-up birthday week, and a "Never Two Personal" listener story about a husband, a secret sugar mama, and a wedding.

00:00 Open

00:25 Welcome to Two Personal

00:34 We Went a Little Viral Last Week

00:44 The $5K/Month Debate, Round Two

13:19 Beauty Tax: What Men Don't See

16:44 The NFL Scammer Story: Mr. Daejon Labrayae Love

31:17 Hayley's Birthday Week: Turned Up

36:31 Never Two Personal: The Sugar Mama Ex-Husband

42:30 Outro

Joy and Hayley are back and Joy is NOT done addressing the $5,000/month debate that went viral last week. She breaks down exactly why "I'm not the average woman" isn't the flex y'all think it is, then the girls dig into the wildest scam story of the year: the man who posed as an NFL player, scammed 26+ women out of $1.3 million, and got caught because he wore his fake team helmet to the beach. Plus: Hayley's turned-up birthday week, and a "Never Two Personal" listener story about a husband, a secret sugar mama, and a wedding.
00:00 Open
00:25 Welcome to Two Personal
00:34 We Went a Little Viral Last Week
00:44 The $5K/Month Debate, Round Two
13:19 Beauty Tax: What Men Don't See
16:44 The NFL Scammer Story: Mr. Daejon Labrayae Love
31:17 Hayley's Birthday Week: Turned Up
36:31 Never Two Personal: The Sugar Mama Ex-Husband
42:30 Outro

Free DaJon Love: The NFL Scammer Story + Joy Taylor Defends the $5K Debate

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/78a347aa-3282-4ac5-837c-a72300032082/clips/c9492228-a1ab-4beb-a633-b4b800cdd451/transcript

Traci Thomas, creator and host of The Stacks Podcast joins Joy for a conversation that starts with "why can't the children read?" and doesn't let up. They get into why comprehension, not decoding, is the real crisis; why "talking shit about books" is good for books; the messy state of publishing for Black authors; parenting accountability; and Traci's favorite (and most controversial) book takes. Plus: Traci announces her six-week Understanding Shakespeare class starting September 23.

 

00:00 – Open: "Books Are Niche Because People Don't Read Them"

00:24 – Welcome + Meet Traci Thomas, Host of The Stacks Podcast

01:15 – Why Can't the Children Read? 03:19 – "I'm Too Hard on Everyone" (Joy's Confession)

04:26 – Pushback: It's Not That People Won't Read

05:28 – Hot Take: Talking Shit About Books Is Good for Books

07:51 – ACOTAR, Spice, and Reading as a Group Sport

10:04 – Bring Back Reading Goosebumps to Your Kids 13:31 – Growing Up in a House That Made You Read

15:02 – Shoutout to Dub: When "Can't Read" Means Something Different

17:00 – "You Guys Are Failing as Parents" 19:49 – Joy's Grandfather, the Army, and Illiteracy as a Control Tool

22:00 – "We Live Like Animals": Coming Home From Japan

25:18 – The Lost Art of Looking It Up

29:00 – "I Choose to Become the Villain You're Forcing Me Into"

30:02 – Books Aren't Niche, You Are

31:01 – Black Women Are the Most Likely People to Buy a Book

34:00 – "You're Not Famous Enough to Write a Book" 

35:00 – Guns, the Second Amendment, and Reading as Power

38:09 – Talking to Strangers and Learning to Trust Again

40:28 – I Wear the Black Hat: Our Obsession With Villains 42:00 – The James Baldwin Hot Take 44:56 – Books Are the Only Entertainment With No Ads

46:55 – Brick Your Phone, Save Your Brain

 50:20 – Stop Crying on the Internet: The Texas Teacher Video

53:08 – "Your Kid Is Not Special" (The Auntie Speech) 

54:10 – Understanding Shakespeare Class + The Stacks Pod

Traci Thomas, creator and host of The Stacks Podcast joins Joy for a conversation that starts with "why can't the children read?" and doesn't let up. They get into why comprehension, not decoding, is the real crisis; why "talking shit about books" is good for books; the messy state of publishing for Black authors; parenting accountability; and Traci's favorite (and most controversial) book takes. Plus: Traci announces her six-week Understanding Shakespeare class starting September 23.
&nbsp;
00:00 &ndash; Open: "Books Are Niche Because People Don't Read Them"
00:24 &ndash; Welcome + Meet Traci Thomas, Host of The Stacks Podcast
01:15 &ndash; Why Can't the Children Read? 03:19 &ndash; "I'm Too Hard on Everyone" (Joy's Confession)
04:26 &ndash; Pushback: It's Not That People Won't Read
05:28 &ndash; Hot Take: Talking Shit About Books Is Good for Books
07:51 &ndash; ACOTAR, Spice, and Reading as a Group Sport
10:04 &ndash; Bring Back Reading Goosebumps to Your Kids 13:31 &ndash; Growing Up in a House That Made You Read
15:02 &ndash; Shoutout to Dub: When "Can't Read" Means Something Different
17:00 &ndash; "You Guys Are Failing as Parents" 19:49 &ndash; Joy's Grandfather, the Army, and Illiteracy as a Control Tool
22:00 &ndash; "We Live Like Animals": Coming Home From Japan
25:18 &ndash; The Lost Art of Looking It Up
29:00 &ndash; "I Choose to Become the Villain You're Forcing Me Into"
30:02 &ndash; Books Aren't Niche, You Are
31:01 &ndash; Black Women Are the Most Likely People to Buy a Book
34:00 &ndash; "You're Not Famous Enough to Write a Book"&nbsp;
35:00 &ndash; Guns, the Second Amendment, and Reading as Power
38:09 &ndash; Talking to Strangers and Learning to Trust Again
40:28 &ndash; I Wear the Black Hat: Our Obsession With Villains 42:00 &ndash; The James Baldwin Hot Take 44:56 &ndash; Books Are the Only Entertainment With No Ads
46:55 &ndash; Brick Your Phone, Save Your Brain
&nbsp;50:20 &ndash; Stop Crying on the Internet: The Texas Teacher Video
53:08 &ndash; "Your Kid Is Not Special" (The Auntie Speech)&nbsp;
54:10 &ndash; Understanding Shakespeare Class + The Stacks Pod

Why Can't Kids Read? Traci Thomas Gets Real About Illiteracy and Why America Doesn't Read Anymore

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/78a347aa-3282-4ac5-837c-a72300032082/clips/f24d7ddb-9ad3-47b2-ad4c-b4b201090a7f/transcript

Lavelle on 1 Million Followers, Life Off Camera & What's Next

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