Charla and Lauren have had their fair share of experiences with going to the doctor. Recently, some of their friends have been dealing with fibroids- abnormal growths that can develop in a woman’s uterus. In this episode, Dr. Debra Hardy-Cartwright talks about what it means to advocate for yourself as a black woman in the hospital. She shares personal experiences as the first black female OBGYN in her hospital in Annapolis, MD and gives advice on what to do when you’re not being...

What does it mean to be a woman? It’s a question that Charla and Lauren hadn’t thought too much about until their conversation with Ericka Hart. As a a sex educator, activist, writer, model, and plant mom Ericka Hart has spent her career working to dismantle anti-black and beauty standards that persist in our culture. Ericka shares exactly what led her to this work and some of the internal battles she had to overcome in order to flourish.    You can find more about The SLBW...

In our season 2 premiere Charla and Lauren talk about their struggle with confidence. Producer, playwright and journalist Bim Adewunmi has always believed in herself to a certain degree. In this episode, Bim sheds light on her confidence journey and talks about how she made a choice that seemed uncomfortable and a bit scary.  You can find more about The SLBW at https://www.instagram.com/theslbw/  Follow SLBW on Twitter and Instagram @theslbw Find Bim Adewunmi @bimadew on Twitter and...

We're coming back November 14th! 

 We’re still on hiatus! But in the meantime, you should check out fellow Stitcher show, Unladylike. We’ll be back with Season 2 in November! 

In this season 1 finale, Charla and Lauren reminisce on the journey to making this show and how in some ways, it’s one step on the road to being their own bosses. Actor, Comedian and writer Kerry Coddett shares her own complicated and hilarious journey in entrepreneurship. Throughout the episode, Kerry talks about how advocating and believing in yourself is applicable to any field.  We’ll be back with Season 2 after a brief break. In the meantime, feel free to keep up with us on our...

When Charla and Lauren decided to do a podcast, they wanted it to be a space where they didn’t have to apologize for who they were. That’s why when they had a live event to kick off the show, Morgan Jerkins felt like a perfect guest. In this episode, Morgan discusses how her writing is an extension of her truest experiences and what it took for her to truly be secure in who she was in all facets of her life.  You can find more about The SLBW at https://www.instagram.com/theslbw/  You...

Charla and Lauren have used Twitter to follow people they admire while learning information that they might not have found elsewhere. That’s why watching our guest Jamilah Lemieux challenge the status quo has been a thrilling longtime activity. In this conversation Charla and Lauren find out exactly how she has been able to fight the trolls while also maintaining a sense of self. They also get into topics like abortion, motherhood and what it really means to get older.  You can find more...

There’s something freeing about realizing that no one really knows what they are talking about. Charla felt a particular sense of freedom when she discovered comedy. The same can be said for actor, writer and comedian Marina Franklin, who knows that standup saved her life. In this episode we talk about how comedy shaped Marinas’ world, how the industry hasn’t really changed that much and the courage it took for her to do something she’s been hungry to do for a long time.   You can find...

Therapy is a staple in Charla and Lauren’s life. They use it as a way to not only deal with major life incidents, but everyday maintenance. Dr. Joy Harden Bradford knows that finding a mental health professional who speaks to the experiences of black women can be tough. That’s why she created the podcast Therapy for Black Girls and an online directory to find black therapists in your area. In this conversation, we dig into ways to dismantle the stigma of mental health particularly when it...

Lauren loves astrology and Charla does too; but in a more cautiously optimistic way. One of the things they like the most about it is how it has become a tool for black women to navigate the world. This uptick in interest is something astrologer Mecca Woods has noticed. She explains some of the basics of astrology, gives insight into Charla and Laurens’ chart and talks about how in the end astrology shouldn’t make us feel bad.  You can find more about The SLBW...

This was a tough one for Charla and Lauren to chat about. Maybe it’s because so often when we talk about sex and power, black women are seen as peripheral to mainstream stories. That’s why actor, writer and director Numa Perrier wanted to create her movie Jezebel. In this episode, we talk about what happens when a black woman takes power over her own sexuality and how we can feel more free to talk about these two things at the same time. You can find more about The SLBW at...

When there’s an obstacle between you and your dreams, what steps do you take to conquer it? A life changing quote covers Charla’s desktop background while Lauren readjusts where fear lives in her mind. Living your best life despite the fear is something our guest, Cleo King, has been doing for her whole career. Having credits in some of the best TV shows and movies out there (Pineapple Express, Magnolia, The Hangover) Cleo has been around the business long enough to know that overcoming fear...

Relationships, whether you’re in one or not, are a tough thing to navigate. Charla and Lauren have the bad date stories to prove it. Cultural critic and writer Demetria L. Lucas, who has spent plenty of time talking about love, sex and dating, joins in discussing how to mine relationships particularly as a black woman. This deeply personal conversation with Demetria centers on the social pressure to be in a relationship and what happens when things don’t turn out like you thought they...

After a long day of work, Charla and Lauren love to chill. Sleep keeps Charla balanced, Lauren loves a good bathtub session and our guest Tarriona ‘Tank’ Ball is all about some ice cream. But when does that tub time, sleep and ice cream turn from self care to self indulgence? Tank talks through how she balances the two while also sharing the confirmations that ground her band ‘Tank and The Bangas’ on the road to success.  You can find more about The SLBW...

What happens when the standard of black beauty isn’t quite black? Charla and Lauren discuss how social media has affected their journey to self love. Xosha Roquemore (Precious, The Mindy Project) highlights her personal experiences online in this hilarious and thoughtful conversation centered on what it means to be beautiful in a culture that can sometimes ignore true #blackgirlmagic.  You can find more about The SLBW at https://www.instagram.com/theslbw/  Follow SLBW on Twitter and...

When Charla and Lauren first met, they were two of three black women in their department. They share stories of being in a white workspace with lawyer, tech executive and advisor Bari A. Williams. Bari, who has built a career around advocating for diversity in Silicon Valley, dishes advice on how to overcome barriers that black women deal with on a constant basis when trying to simply do their job.  You can find more about The SLBW at https://www.instagram.com/theslbw/  Follow SLBW on...

The Secret Lives of Black Women comes out July 25th! Each week, Charla Lauriston and Lauren Domino center the stories of love, sex, work, fame and more by asking, how do the black women we admire most make it through? Subscribe now to get the first episode on July 25th. Follow the show @theslbw on Instagram for more information!

Coming Soon!