Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. You are listening to the Vitamin D podcast. I'm your host, Dawn Day and for any new guests, welcome. Vitamin D is a podcast that focuses on helping you live your best life. Today We've got a special guest, but before I get to her, not how with your questions? For you? Who are you? What is your truth? And what do you do when you don't see anyone else representing who you are? Mm hmmm.
Those are some big questions, but they're important here on Vitamin D. We give big questions just as much time in the light as the small ones, and who I am is basically the biggest question any of us can answer. We know who we are and who we can be based on what we see in the world around us, and then what the world tells us implicitly and explicitly. But the kicker, and I'm sure many of you are aware, is that we don't all get the same messages about
who we can be or who we are. This conversation often comes out in the argument about representation in the media. When people see some one who looks like them, who lives like them, who loves like them, they're more likely to take a leap of faith necessary to follow their dreams, whether it be a scientist, a doctor, a lawyer, a politician,
a singer, or just simply a media entertainer. As a black woman, a plus size black woman at that, I know the struggle of wondering if I might be what people are looking for when they think of a heroine or the love interest. Now, through my own personal work, I've been able to come into my authentic self, but don't get its WestEd and I want a constant journey of self discovery. And today I'm happy to talk to a very talented young woman who's found her authentic self.
Today I'm talking with upcoming musical artist Jada Michael. I'm really, really blessed to say that my experience with being queer was actually relatively simple and positive within my own family. Data is based out of Miami and a plus size, queer Black woman who was unapologetic about who she is.
We talk about her popular single Breathe as well as her new single Freak, The importance of loving ourselves and the resilience that it requires, along with the struggle of being authentic and creating your own moment so without further, Ado, it's time for your dose of vitamin D D right with me and get excited about Jada Michael. How you doing today? I'm doing really well. How about you? You know,
I'm amazing, I'm real good. And um, I just I was just thinking about preparing it for this conversation we're gonna have because I think it's it's it's going to be beautiful. And you know, just having the moment to comb through your work is just such a reflection of what vitamin D is all about. Yes, so vitamin D just if you did not know, it's all of it's a pun off my name, and so it's all about
shed and light. So you can't live without vitamin D. And it's just showing our beauty in different ways and just being unapologetically who you are and doing what you do. Absolutely, I'm so that's so sweet of you to say that, because I really appreciate you bringing this kind of platform for this energy to the table because a lot of people are interested in this kind of situation right now as far as the norm being such negative energy and
the media constantly. So you're doing important stuff. Girl. Look, we all got to be a vesta for something one way or another. If we don't choose something, it'll choose us. Held on, Wait a minute, what's what what are you about to do today? Okay, I'm just here with you. It's just us, so I want to welcome you. And um you're listening. Folks are listening right now. Who is data Michael? I saw that question and I love it. You would think it would be an easy question to answer,
but it's so it's so much deeper than that. I can say, Okay, I'm a queer black female and I'm moving in the path towards my happiness and to accomplishing my desires. I guess that's all I can really say. That's the long story short. I love that, and I think the thing that's when I thought about like who is Jada Michael? I saw truth? That's what I saw. You know all of that's the definition of that, but it was the truth. It was a boldness like I'm reading your bio, so I come across your your your
your single freak. I was everything that you said in the bio, how you want to captivate And when she opens her mouth, all of this confidence exudes, this fearlessness. I was zoned in from the tone, and I just thought and I was like, Wow, had I been a few years younger and I saw somebody like you, probably what more I could have done or just how the projection of life because you don't see that first and
foremost a curby girl owning her sexiness, owning herself. No, I'm so really it's been I feel the same way. That's a part of the reason that I've gotten to this place is, um, it's odd as as a black woman there's more representation, but the big girls just don't be getting love. Yeah, it's it's really rough and um, I was talking to someone the other day, but also when big girls and body sexy, there's very particular ways in which is appropriate and overall it's just it's just
the list of rules that's played out. And I'm really really grateful to hear you say that I offered you some sort of inspiration the same way you do to me. And I'm sure for hundreds of girls as well, because it's it's a muth for a Representation is crucial, crucial and underminded constantly. But you know, I think it's also what you gotta taken consideration to. UM, the representation isn't another reason why it isn't there because a lot of
people don't know that they can own it. I think it's all about you, know, how you're stepping into yourself. And that's what I saw when I saw this video. So I saw this carving girl. Girl. There, Wait a minute, I'm in the trance already of just seeing you. And then go and behold there's another female in the video that is your love interest. I don't fight, they're not just It was what I feel like right now, especially when you talk about truth, because I think right now,
this whole that's all it is. The vision is just tuning in. Yeah, you see of things you gotta you gotta work up on. People could talk about, you know, this coronavirus is going off, but guess what if your health was good how long? Yeah, that's very true. There's some weird side effects to the pandemic as far as emotionally and spiritually, the way that it's making people gather
themselves and look at themselves. It's overall like an overwhelming time but really building people up, even myself included the people around me. There's some people who are struggling, but a lot of people people's endurance and ability to have faith in themselves and what they can accomplish has been really affected by this pandemic in people having to push through these uncomfortable a situations for real though, right and you know, we talk about these uncomfortable situations. You coming
out was freak. Was everything, like you said, was against the norm. Now we can go on to the usual field and say, oh my gosh, that is so amazing that you were just bold enough to own your sexuality, to own your cars. But can we go a little deeper real quick? I mean, that's fine, I'm interested in
knowing what was that process like to create that video. Well, there's like the short term answer, and then within the content of the conversation we're having now, I guess technically it was a way longer process because when I'm thinking short term, it's like I wrote a sexy song, make a sexy video, express myself, have fun. But to be able to get to that place of having that come with so much ease, yeah, that was a long time coming. Exist,
that was a long time coming. The con vidence and the ability to embrace my sexuality in a casual way took a really long time because I grew up in an environment. I grew up in Reno, Nevada. It's a really small, predominantly white town. And so that whole representation representation conversation we were having before, I wasn't really getting
a lot of that UM. And even though I've always been a pretty naturally confident person, it was it's very odd to look around you in society and even as a child, you're not aware, and then you keep keep getting these little signs that something about you was unacceptable or less than. It took me a long time at first even really noticed that. I think it played a role in my life, but it took me a while to be like, Okay, well, like society is not really
vibing with the stuff I'm bringing to the table. Okay, you know that's something to deal with. I moved to Miami when I was twelve. Um, it was a whole different atmosphere to be embraced and just be around people
who felt really similar to me. And I kind of got locked up in this process where I felt like I wasn't getting any attention or praise um when I was growing up in Reno, and I felt like I might have been chasing that in a way once I did move to Miami and come into people showing me appreciation, and even then I was like, damn, okay, So like now I'm getting appreciated, people are showing me love, telling me I'm beautiful, this is cool, my friends look like me.
But I'm still kind of chasing an image of having people gratify who I am. So even though yes, I'm getting more gratification, is it from the people I wanted from? Is it from myself? And I just had had a long look in the mirror as far as like understanding why I'm beautiful to myself, understanding that a lot of the definitions of beauty that we've been provided by society are bullshit and I don't even know if I agree
with any of this. So that was like a shocking, scary moment to realize, Okay, like I wasn't confident at first because someone told me to. Maybe in my confident now because someone's also telling me to. It was just like, nah,
this ain't end. I just kind of had to really strip myself there and I kind of pushed myself to like start wearing the clothes that I was like, you know, like a lot of people say, my body type, this isn't for me, but I kind of want to do this, and I would keep pushing to to normalize expressing myself. And I guess that is what basically led to Freak because now I'm at a place in my life where it's mundane almost to express myself. So it's really beautiful
to hear feedback from people with that girl. That was impactful. And that's just what blackness and queerness and femininity is. I out here trying to step into anything. I'm just able to let it down, do what's happening, and people are there, that's what they're resonating with. So I guess it was my whole life building up to free Now that you ask you to mis context, I never really thought about it like that, but yeah, it took a long time for being sexy to be you know, you've
listened to the song. It's it's not it's not about showmanship. It's about me, my girl. We're about to do the most natural thing that you know, humans do. And so I think it's really beautiful that people have been able to bring such empowerment when for me it was just a very casual, you know, experience, as far as expressing myself, but people need it so bad. I think that's why the reaction has been so positive, because it's not it's something unusual to see, to see someone who looks a
certain way coming into themselves. But I'm blessed that. I'm happy that people are are gravitating towards it and like finding inspiration within it for sure. And did you find that you are hesitant having your love interest to be a female? Like, was that your sexuality ever a thing for you growing up? I'm just saying, you know, it's one thing, like I was saying, like being confident your body, but it was you had a couple of layers on that was still your true, very true. I got all
the layers that we got to have to be honest. Um, I'm really really blessed to say that my experience with being queer was actually relatively simple and positive within my own family. UM. I have another sibling who's queer. She came out before me, so my parents were like, you know, kind of got associated towards what that looked like and
felt like. Um, But by the time that I came into touch with myself, I was already burying in tune with my confidence, and the people around me kind of were just like when Jada knows what she wants to do, just just let Jayda go. So I'm really blessed to say that, as far as I've never had anything but really positive experiences with my family about women and and so freak, I didn't really think twice about having a
woman in the video. Um, So that that's such a blessing for me because I know there's a hundreds and hundreds of queer artists out there who have people down their neck telling them like, I don't know if you should do that, And actually worked with people in my past who have told me like like like say she and your songs later, but right now it's not gonna work. And then what did you abide by that at first started? You always say no, I'm gonna do that. I'm gonna
say no, And that's a percent how it was. You know, I lied. I lied. There was one time when I did because I am pan sexual. So it's not like I'm I'm not lying by saying he in a song, because it's not to say that's impossible. Um, but it was it was shocking to experience being told that even like you know it's coming, you know, person, it was different, you know, like I shoot my video and they want to put me in the little ways censure and they want to so you know it's gonna come. But it
was shocking to hear it. But at this point I feel very confident and being articulate about like, nah, I think I'm almost created the energy around me where it's like coming with like business and like designed by sure. But if it's about like what's in the pants of the person in the video, like that's not a conversation,
like we're just gonna leave it. I love that And I feel like a lot of people need to see that more because if it's not why or not you're gonna look at the somebody's actually ill, really, whether you're gonna look at their size, whether they're religious beliefs, it's just your truth. And it's like, as long as you stay true to who you are, how can you lose? Absolutely? Absolutely?
And I feel like there was such a large long period of time and music where the audience wanted to see people in a mold like hot guy, like skinny dancer girl, like they wanted this image. But people are like kind of sick of that they're gonna read you
if you're not being authentic. So I just I just have a gut feeling that if I were to try to fit a mold, especially with me being different, there's not really a mold for me to fit, you know what I mean, Like y'all are trying to to compare me to some big pop hip hop star who you know, really beside star who and girl Lizzo holding it down like where they like, there's not a mold to fit. So that's why I'm just like, authenticity is definitely really
important to me. And just looking at some coming through just on your music, on your YouTube, that was one thing you said, It's like I want to show myself and it was like you said, this was the first time that you came out and you brought that sexy
and you were bold and daring with it. And the fact that it's crossing my desk where I'm at, I'm like, wow, I want to be able to support because it's like I see you and I see the truth in you, and that makes me think, like, Okay, as you were going through these challenges as far as like of I'm sure the setback, So just other people having things to say, how did you know? And this may sound interesting, this may sound because you didn't see representation like you. How
did you discover that you were beautiful? Did you? You said that in your inspiration with your music, how you had to Beyonce, your realna and so forth, and then you threw in there you said that Ella Fitzgerald, and it may be wonder you said your dad had influenced you. Did you grow up with your dad? Yeah? I did.
I did, And a lot of the women on my dad said my mom is white, my dad is black, and a lot of the women on my dad's side of the family were crucial parts and me understanding that just because you know, in a white city, it's really it's weird to not be around anyone who looks like you. I don't care what anyone says. It's it's a it
takes some time to like really sit into that. But I will say as far as where I'm at with it now, as far as like understanding why my body and how my body was sexy, um and even myself, I realized all the contradictions. I am even sexually attracted to plus size women. So it's like, how can I know the bodies are fine because I'm holler the girls who look somewhere go away, but I look so it's like I always had it. But that extra step of the self love definitely came through family and also just
a spiritual process. A big part of my confidence, I says to my sound contradictory, but I think you'll get me. A big part of my confidence and how I look is how little I care about how I look. You gotta camp through. You get that. I love the boogie, I love it all all. But at the end of the day, I really we're talking about vessels. I know that my body is really just a vessel for my my soul and my brain. It's just you know, some
flush so that I can walk and function. So I kind of really try to connect with my body in a simplistic way and it makes me. It's helped me reprioritized my brain as far as like, yeah, there's a ton of things I could look at in the mirror and compare, but there's so many other you know, dark forces and things happening in my life. But just the way my priorities are set up, the way my body looks is really not going to make the list, you know, So,
what are you doing to get everything online? Are you? Is this a meditated What are we doing? There's a lot of meditation. I can attribute a lot of it to learning how to self soothe and just be a independent person in general. Um as far as okay, I was in a relationship for a really long time. I just got out of relationship, and coming out of it makes me realize how much we rely on other things for to create the life that you have instead of
actually providing them for yourself. Say it again one more time. You reach out to other people and other things to create your life instead of creating that life for yourself. Um So, I think just through that process of it's a lot of reading myself, a lot of looking at myself with a mirror and going, girl, what you So,
it's a lot of self conversation. It's a lot of holding my inner self when times are low, supporting myself, you know, just basically creating almost a romantic relationship within myself. It has. It has taught me how to just be very like self sufficient in that way. And I feel like that as I get closer to myself in this relationship, my confidence and my comfortable ability within myself just skyrockets, you know what I mean, beyond accepting to a place
of like, oh I'm feeling myself. But the closer I get to myself, the more you know, the more lit me and her hypothetical me her you know what you said, like we are only here for a finite amount of time.
And it's like you in order to love yourself, if you talk about living your best life, if you're talking about really owning in your gift, like if you got this dream right, if you are the vessel, the conduit, the instrument to get to the dream that you know, that came to you, that keeps you up at night, that gets you excited about your life, who am I not to love on it? It's it's absurd and it's crazy. We are constantly asked and think of it ourselves, what
our weaknesses? What can't we do? What can we do? What can't we do? And we completely ignore the things we can't do Slash have already done. It's it's really sad. You can ask anybody, ask them so what you love about yourself? People are gonna be like, uh my, my, you know, like people don't know how to articulate feeling positive feelings about themselves, and through that process so much other ship comes. Not only the self love and the confidence, but just as far as being able to be like
a resilient person. You know what I mean, because you know those positive truths about yourself absolutely. And it came to me. I was watching this show. You know, I don't get you have to watch too much TV, but I stumbled on the show called The Morning Show, and it made me think. She made a comment and she said, the secret to vitamin D and a lot of things have been common, like numbers, Like I'm like metaphysical, I
believe in God, but a lot of spiritual sense. But I'm starting to be aware because I've decided to be present and have a sound mind. That whole piece be still, which we're gonna talk about in that single breathe in a minute, um, but just being in that moment. And I said, well, wait a minute. When we talk about loving ourselves, is that what you said that your journey is it's about being in that truth. But the only way to being that truth is that you gotta step
in the light. Will hold. I don't wait a minute. It Vitamin D is that light that we're shining on, just like you say you're gonna see the good, the bad, and the ugly. And when you're talking about being better and doing better, it's saying I'm not hiding, and which we can see with any relationship when we see it another person. But data, why do you think sometimes we don't see it with ourselves, right? I mean, I really think it's what we're taught, bra, It's not who tells you,
Who told you that was a priority. You hear a lot about mommy loves daddy if you're talking about traditional heterosexual the things that we're taught a lot as kid. You love you, I love you, a boyfriend, girlfriend, But the whole dialect of talking about yourself as an individual, it doesn't even it's not really even commonplace. It's even shamed in a way that when you do talk about yourself, people will say you're doing it too much, especially as women,
especially as women. You know, it's like the reasons why that is can you know, probably stem from a hundred different things. You know, people, lines and lines of you know, straight white men trying to piece you know, they're the whole other reason that I can get that way. But at the end of the day. Now that we have the information that we have that acceptance of yourself and just acceptance of the way things are, an awareness, it
is more commonplace these kind of conversations. I feel like, I'm I just turned twenty two, and I feel like I've talked to a lot of people and all their crowds who were like I wasn't having those conversations, and that's a big deal. I'm talking to my slightly younger friends about it and the knowledge of like loving yourself and not just like as like a little you know picture that you hang on your door, really like getting down and like treating yourself good, talking to yourself, talking
to your inner child. Like now we're like, all right, we gotta get real because people are depressed and suicidal. People are dying, and people been dying every day, but it's a different way that we're seeing it now. And you're like, yo, I don't have time to be unhappy. I don't have time for you adding negative to negativity to my space. I don't have time to not pursue
my dreams. Absolutely absolutely, And a lot of people I was saying that with social media, it's so you have I'm like a very empathetic person and people have different levels of this. But because of the amount of knowledge that we have coming through us constantly, videos, you know, blogs, we might have our own personal demons. Okay, then everyone has a couple of quote a kind of relationships. You're dealing with families, demons, friends, even your man, your woman,
your partners. And then you're watching thousands of videos of police brutality, and you know, it's like there's too many harsh realities to not be like Nazis. I need to be diligent about it because like might as well get real. I was in a very very dark situation not too long ago this year, and I know myself and a lot of people can resonate with this. I have anxiety, and I know on my anxiety heightens, I can deal with depression. And sometimes when I deal with depression, it
can move into a suicidal place. And I value myself too much to not get serious about my happiness. People want to be like, you know, focused on the little things like the dream, get a little nine to five, like really small minded thinking. And I know if I'm like lazy about my happiness and my dreams, I'm gonna end up like really not okay, and you'll be in a place when you'll be in a dark roman you don't even know the lights are off and that's the
scary part. And I'm not going back there. I've done there, and I'm I couldn't have asked for anything to happen any other way because the lowlo I got to now is the direct reason why the high I'm in now feels so grounded and has the more potential to be more permanent and lasting because it's something that I've had to create and manifest with work. It's not like I'm happy because life is going easy because you don't know
what you've been through. You know what you've been to know what you want to go exactly like I did that.
You know, it's so interesting that you said that because I you know, I'll talked to people at times and I'm like, you know, I come off like I'm motivating, I'm inspiring, but a lot know what I do is to feed myself, and like you said, and sometimes we feel guilty in a selfish way, but it's not because it's almost like you're pouring in my cup, and when I pouring my cup, I can give you my overflowing. When I give you my overflow, I'm not missing it. In fact, I'm so full. I just want to share.
Oh girl, I need I'm writing this down in my head because that's the realty that overflows what we're looking for out here. Bro. That's beautiful though for real to be able to feed yourself through your work is a must, and we're lucky to have like a creative passion that we can feed ourselves spiritually through our work and the way that we're like creating a living. So it's like I'm a value thatt it. I'm a really do all I can to put my eggs in my basket to
see where I can take music. You know you're you're dealing in the same situation to see where you can take this dream. Because if I can have my passion supporting me style what what I do not do? Where can you not go? Imagine that your fewer joy that you give. Like I just did a an episode where I just wanted to my email back and have people ask questions and people are saying, well, things didn't go right or sometimes you know, get into a wrong situation.
But it's like you sometimes have to be in a situation you're in, to know where it is you want to go, because if you're not happy where you're in, it's almost like having a wall behind you. There's only one direction to go, and that's forward. Absolutely yeah, And it's obviously it's always easier said than done. And there's that period of time when you're coming off a hard situation where it's kind of like hard to see it
that way. But the situations that have brought me down the hardest I can talk about them now without a tear high. It's just it's just it really just goes to show you know what time and you know, a little bit of care for yourself can can create. Because the things I can handle now I couldn't. I couldn't handle once. And moving it back to Freak, it's the
same thing. If I even consider doing wearing half the things that I was doing in that video when I was like fourteen, I'd be like, but one, age first, age appropriate first. But I was watching my Beyonce. You know, I just wanted it for myself, but I just felt like it wasn't for me. Yes, but you gotta understand that, like you and maybe maybe because you know I am, and I was born in a different decade than you, so maybe I see it differently, But I say it
probably is a combination of two things. I think time has changed where people can, you know, there's more of a platform to be you in a sense, whether it's you working just working as a workforce, or you know, coming out expressing yourself. But I think too, there's a lot of consideration that you are definitely wise beyond your years.
Like it's you know, like I feel like maybe I was probably in my late twenties of having this mindset that you have and it's just like, my god, where you can go with that, and you're talking about the different situations that you've been in. It made me think about and I mean, girl, I was listening to to how you turn your your Lights down Low, the remix that you did Girl, I gotta I was crying, and then I started going to the actual rep every three minutes,
the thirty seconds to every day and every covers is written. Okay, but I wanna you know, as far as what you wrote and you talked about like owning your beauty and how your beauty is like this poem and how you tell me I don't know if you want to share maybe one of your favorite lines from that, but I made the rest to know how you vote that I was actually the premise of that is um I was doing. UM I was gonna do a little performance for an
eating disorders organization. They were having a conference and they were said to sing some songs, and I'm looking through like inspirational songs and as far as just like body confidence specifically, You're not gonna really find too many songs that lose back to the conversation about self love not being normal. Eyes back here, so you know, self love
songs are impossible to find. So um I just wanted to really say something that could potentially hit home for someone who had an eating disorder, any kind of issue with their body. It's funny you said that, because no one has You're the first person who has ever really like listened to that and brought that up in an interview. I don't think about it too much, but I really appreciate that you that you felt that because it was a vibe and it was a whole vid D that
I'm about to recite. Let me excuse me, listen to this. When she ros, she says, when I look at you. The beauty is like a poem. Someday soon you'll let your head down and your show them the strength that you possess. You shall wear with the s upon your chest. Mm hmm. Man, the strength I answer, if you want to say favorite lines, the strength that you possess is that's a really important message of that because strength, you know, we stigmatize it in a way that you know is unrealistic.
But the strength that women have in them and even people who have to deal with problems of self hate and eating disorders, it's like even the fact that you are moving each day when you're experiencing that, people view their struggles during the day as their weaknesses and who they are. When it's like, but here you are the
next day and you are still feeling those feelings. And here we are the next day and you're moving and you're smiling, and you are packed me and I want to be your friend and we're talking and I'm getting light and energy from you. So you know, it's just like people don't realize that even within being able to endure those weaknesses, their strength within every and every cell of that. And then that's an important part about eating disorders. Do you do what you disorders? Have you have a
history of it? I haven't personally, but I know a disturbing amount of people who have had to deal with that. My mom actually runs an eating disorders rehab center, so I'm really I've never had to experience anything like that, but it's like almost the norm amongst people. So it's very This is sad to say, but it's kind of a normal thing for me, Like I can, I can maybe say that about fifty of my friends have had
or do deal with eating disorders. So it still feels very close to home because even though it wasn't an eating disorder, I did definitely have a lot of self hate with my body. So did you overeat? Was food of a thing for you? Or we just started like this is just naturally my body? Or do you say, like I am, I probably have over eaten sometimes. Oh yeah, I mean, I'm gonna be honest that that that happens. I have my nights. We have our nights. You know
a couple of shots. We have a pizza oncelice terms of three cent. I've had my nights. We are just here for just so. But as far as um, just my body type. That's something I've also always really loved about myself. Like everyone, all the women in my family, we like, I'm I'm tall as hell. I'm six feet tall and the number game is irrelevant, but I'm alost three hundred pounds anny. I have never even been anywhere close to those boxes, you know what I'm saying, when
I'm supposed to look. So I've always known and I was an athlete. I played basketball, I had two a day practices, was very strict about my diet, and I'm big. There are big people out here, and I know I got some skin and little friends who could do some damage on a pizza and a burger, and they're gonna stay that way. It's just that's that's what it is. We are not cloned. It has never been that way. It will never be that way, even if we all had the same diet and exercise. This practice is honey,
and that's the that's the beauty of it. And I've and I love it. I'm not gonna lie. I really I really do love my size, height, height included. I love that you got to just be all bundle of love just loving on you. But you know, just back to that l chick where you're just talking about when we're talking about turn your lights down low that poem
and you're talking about strength. It's so interesting because I think sometimes people think um with strengths and any weakness and always say, you know, strength is when you decide to show your weakness and the light, because I said, what allows a diamond to shine are the multitudes of
cuts that have been placed in it. It's the pressure, and it's that cut of maybe you have some loans, maybe it's that cut that some people may say you're overweight, or that you battle depression, or that you've battled some part of your life that wasn't quote unquote perfect, but those slices and dices, and and because you sustain when you decide to be who you are and own that, the beauty of that and the value of that that
I feel sometimes that people miss. Absolutely people want one thing or the other in happiness and within like within so many things and it's like nothing's black or white, bra like literally nothing one or the other. But yeah, accepting those weaknesses is and not to mention because I do think it's people mix this up. We're still, of course working towards strengthening our weaknesses and over coming them. But the people don't realize that the acceptance is a
part of that process. That would be like no, I'm no more crying, you know, like like i gotta go. I'm a person, all right, Like it's gonna come up, babe, It's gonna come up. That's how deep. That's how emotionally impactful situations do it. It's gonna hit you and you just kind of when you face it, you can enlarge something a problem even though it is a problem so much more when you spiral and you keep going, don't
talk about it, don't think about it. It's the time spent is gonna just double of whether you're not if you don't follow the alternative of just sitting and being like alright, demon like let's stock okay, So how about this is perfect? So what we gotta go next? Of just right? But you thought if we weren't gonna do this today, Jada, don't play with me, Ranny, I'm in the right mindset now, I'm ready for it. Oh you know, I think that's just right on time what you said.
You know, you're in this situation everything is coming at you where it's like wait, I gotta sit still and just breathe. And from my understanding, your track Breathe was one of the ones that kind of up leverage your career. You had a moment to work with the late great Lashawn Daniels, come on, tell me about it, girl. That was like so surreal. I'll think back on it and
think that I'm like delusional, like it didn't happen. But to be in that setting with him creating a track like that was honestly, like you four a guest, it will hold on not somebody's listening has no idea what is Breathe about? Okay, breathe? Um. I think my writing
process it always changes. But a lot of the times I'll hear the track, the track from the producer, try to kind of see what feelings or experiences within myself it reminds me of and go there and I was like, okay, this is I was like, this is a real cool be but like I'm kind of just blank in the head right now. So I'm like, the tracks not giving me anything. Let me kind of switch my mind focus to what's happening in my life. And I just I forget when I wrote that. But me and society and
the people around me. I just felt a lot of panic, a lot of like dread, as far as like thinking tirelessly about the past, stressing like a mother, or about the future. And I just wasn't feeling present within myself and I wasn't seeing people feel present. And I was like, Okay, you know what I talked. I told Lashawan, like, these
are just some thoughts that I'm having. The poem that's at the end of Breathe was something I wrote a long time ago on the A train on the way to school because I was really pissed because I missed my class and I was like, oh, the worst thing,
it never happened to me. I end up getting on the train and at the next stop, someone else missed their stop, and I was watching it all happen as if it had just happened to me, and I was just like, damn, like we all going through it, like we really all are, like have those days where it's like I'm pissed, I'm I'm depressed, like nothing's going right, And I just watched people really not be comfortable with just being It's like there's so many things that we
want to achieve, and that is it. Go get your bread, go get your dreams, but like, look at your body, look at your face, look at the breath that look at the love and the things that you're able to do right now just being on this planet right now. Um for reasons that we all still trying to figure out, and I just wanted to have a song that could really help people connect with the fact that, despite anything
that's going down, like you are, you are being. It's like when you get so into the project, it's like, oh my god, this is crazy, but hold up, I'm even tasting talking loving at the same time that all of this traumatic stuff is happening. So at every moment that there's something happening that's bringing you down in life, the fact that you're bringing life is a positive within itself, Like the breath connects you to that, and that's why we ended up going with just breathe um chorus in
that song. Okay, so how did you get into the likes on the room with Lasan? How did you guys? Me? That was we met through a mutual friend and I can't even remember who it was. Actually, I believe that it was a lawyer of somebody that I had worked with in the past who had also done something for him, happened to had sent him a couple of songs, and I was to be honest and not expecting him to be down to work. I was kind of just more like thinking I'll get some feedback, because I'm always down
for feedback, especially from someone of his level. I was like, you could drag me and I'm gonna feel so blessed to heave and hear it from you. Um. But yeah, he got a hold of the track and he liked it enough to want to collaborate, and I was like booking ticket, physically packing myself like I'm there, and yeah, somehow that happened. It was so educationally, educational, spiritually, musically. It just I did come out of that experience a different person than I went into it. And that's slip
music is looking awesome. I'm so happy with my career choice. That's all I could really think during that whole period. Wow, Yeah, because I mean, like, you know, just knowing like his catalog Beyonce, Lady Gaga, you know, etcetera. And you know, even just like I was tuned into the words and just like you're talking about even at times like this with COVID and everything. Everybody is in this frenzy, this panic, and what we should be doing, we couldn't do it.
And it's like, you know, while the song you were referring to your future in your life that encompasses so much, not only as far as our career, but our love of our destiny, our purpose, our family, what kind of house car and you just said hold off? Says to you said, what did you say? Hold on? You know I wrote it down. You said, there's greatness of your destiny baby steps. Yes, that's the recipe. You can make your baby if you just have to breathe. What stop?
And and just like how you said in the conversation, you said, wait a minute, it's like a breath of life. Like once you start restricting and holding onto things, that's the stress. And that's why when you said like that fearlessness and who you are embodying that confidence, it's just the freedom that exudes absolutely and sending it back to what I was saying about the periods of time when you suppress things that it takes to be able to
release things is a must. Um. So yeah, the breath and to even just you know, obviously you still have to like face what's going going on in your life. But those little moments of this will come and this will go. And you know, sometimes we love that things go. Sometimes we hate it, but either way, that's what it is. And to connect with the timing of life and the
lack of order can sometimes be very peaceful. And knowing that at least at least I got this, I got this, like that's that's gonna be there regardless, and that does mean a lot, right, right, and and and realizing that when you work in that epic flow, like most the things that we think are so beautiful, at least myself, are things that aren't restricted. Like the water makes me happy. You can't stop its flow. It just moves when it needs to move, just like the wind. The sun doesn't
ship Carol, who's out me and outshine? Right? Why we're embodiments of those things, you know, like the earth, the wind, the sun. We are all we are all vibrations that are just here and they're beauty. You know. We go out to me and you we're like, damn, this is beautiful. We see the animals running, well, this is beautiful. Let me watch the Discovery channel. But then we look at we're also products of this life and we're like happy.
Can you give yourself some credit, man, give yourself credit on who you've been, where are you going, and what you're about to do so loud, on the fact of understanding that your location is not your destination. If we got out of that mindset, and that's the beauty of it. And you know, just having this conversation, I think the thing that I value so much is the relationship that
you've established with yourself. The fact that you do see your beauty, the good or the bad, and just to know that you're gonna walk in it and it's gonna be okay, and guess what, you love it that way? Are you a bad chick? You know that you're a bad chick. I appreciate it, man, I was. I used to be off the rails girl. I'm telling you, it wouldn't have been this interview if you were to call me a couple of years back. But you know, here
we are and I'm just the same. I really appreciate you saying that to me because I'm getting all of the same energy and vibrations back from you and the fact that you create the platform. I said it before I'm gonna say it again, and probably when we're before hanging up the platform for these conversations, the right girl clicks on this link and here's this conversation between us. Could be a monumental, like it can be a game changer. I'm just wonder, you know, uh, just some other previous
products I had read across. I was talking to my sister and I was like, Yo, if you had something you wanted to ask her, what would you to ask? And so, are there any other lgbt Q artists that you want to work with? Is that? Is that a thing? Like? Is that annoying for people to constantly make it a thing that you are l g b t Q or is it like, Yo, that's my identity. I'm a black woman, I'm a queer woman. What is that? It actually makes me laugh because it really just shines the light on
how rare it is. Like it's funny, like do you hear white girls? Like what's it like to be like white and skinny? It doesn't make me laugh because but it also excites me and I'm happy to like, I'm al down whatever people want to share or ask me. I'm not going to be defensive about it or anything like that. That's just like how I go. But it's there's a sad part of it when it's like damn, like this is foreign, like this is this is a foreign thing. But I'm happy to be a pioneer of fatness,
a fat pioneer. I'm happy to do it because it's really people keep thinking of, Okay, so here's like people and then here's the other people and all there, and now the other people are kind of just like, but how we other when we've always been here then queer people, there's always been big people, Like this is just you know, the time that y'all now want to know what we gotta say. So people are like, wow, we want to know so bad. But the only reason they ask is
because they haven't been listening. But I will say, I'm very connected to my communities, so I get excited at the idea of working with other black women or queer artists. Um, it's not something I want to be held to. I know. I watch it because people will be quick to be like, oh, like queer cover, like we only want queer music, we only want this, And if anyone wants to restrict me, it's just they're probably gonna end up not being my
fan because I probably will. My exploration of myself I'm sure has a lot of turns that it's gonna take in the future. Um but said, I'm gonna work with all from um from the internet. Yes, yes, ces C S s All. I could just see especial. I adore her, I adore Klanni Um but queer and non queer artists alike. Collaboration is like everything to me. Even though I love being a solo artist, I love to do it. I
was inquired, I was in musical theater, like. I love to work with people and I feel like they're so any one whose music has impacted me in any way, I'll be down to work with them pop rock, house music, trapped like, I just want to be in creative spaces. So girl, crossing my fingers. I've never done a feature. I've never had any really kind of feature before. So I okay, So wait a minute, huh huh. I got life tattooed in my mouth because I speak life. What
are you speaking into existence right now? I don't say, foster your fingers? What do you want, Jada, You're right stitt in Kalani. Let's hop on a track. It's all good, let's catch vibes. I'll roll up and done insane. So now we're just waiting for the manifestation to happen. They man, man, I have a really good instinct. I have a really good instinct that people are gonna want a piece of
what I'm bringing to the table. And I had a lot of doubt with that, like, is my authentic self because you know, at the end of the day, I want to make money as well. Is who I am authentically someone who people are gonna want to see. And the more I come into myself, I just feel like my brand annoying word, but it's something that people could really resonate with and really enjoy. And I wherever that's gonna take me. I I just have a good feeling
about it. So hopefully we'll watch this interview in a couple of years and or have another another interview because we're Vitamin D is about to go off telling me you already right, I have a lot of I don't like to have. I don't know if you're in the zodiac, but I have some score being on me. I can be private, even though I'm very talkative. So even though I don't speak too much on what I want and who I want to work with. That ship is running
in me constantly. So just know, even if I'm not speaking the manifestation, my heart is pumping for it all the time. Well, I'm glad you said that, because you know I had I was thinking, you know, as a lot of things have manifested for me, it's because you know, I really have taken time to really meditate and to do the Asian board, and I was wondering myself. I'm like, Okay, what is the importance? Like why is it so monumental to say the vision board. They're like, oh, because you
gotta see it. But I think also what the thing is is the same thing that spearheaded this conversation. I guess you know what makes why so many other people look at you and wall is all is because of the connection that you have in yourself. And it's like, we have to be honest. We are a physical part of us, and there's a spiritual or energy part of us. Here's the thing when when needs to connect, there is magic.
But let's be real, they exist on different realms, Because how is this somebody that can be in the middle of Reno, Nevada, or wherever area you grew up at where there weren't people that looked like you and knew you, knew where you were going with right. So I'm saying, if your reality isn't in front of you, well let's go down with any relationship. And when we talk about success, that's the relationship with self. All you gotta do is
create the picture because I just gotta see it. So my spiritual because my spiritual knows what it is that I want, but the physical part I haven't seen it. So that's why I think personally that is so important to have that vision board because now I gotta reason to see it. And then because of that, I'm a firm believer that your ears are like an embryo. Now I'm not saying you gotta go to the mountaintop, but it's the same thing that you said and turn your
light down. Now that remix you said, you gotta profess it. You gotta look in your you gotta look in the mirror, and you gotta say yes, absolutely no. I think that's really beautiful. The whole ears is the embryo. That is a must. And it's not to say that things can't happen by chance and come out of nowhere. But I agree, like even in the things I've seen, I've had such a blessed childhood and family experience, Like there are no
words to talk about the gratitude of God. But I have some home girls within the Queer people of Color community, people be going through it and booming right now, Like parents just like not accepting them, not loving them, not there for them. People battling hunger and homelessness, and they're just beaming with light and with opportunities right now. And it's just like, you know that has to say something because her environment, their environment, a lot of that might
not set you up for certain things. But when you create an environment internally can't bread those outcomes that tutor and a solid parental whatever could get you. You can do that for yourself. And and it's just crazy that we're talking about how self love is so like not normal. As you unlock that, you know, like you wonder, like what's the purpose of this stuff, Like, you know, get your job. A lot of people think these kind of conversations are like played out. It's like, girl, like get
your money, grind happiness. You're gonna have bad and happy days. But the outcomes that can come from believing in yourself are too absurd and too powerful for me to not be like, no, I'm gonna invest in myself. It's it's crazy what we can accomplish, like like you said, connecting those realms the best that we can, like sparks, sparks sometimes not you know, life happened sometimes, but what's possible is positive, you know, and and what you're willing to create.
But I'm telling you, you sparked a lot of different light bulbs, even with me, of just one saying that the way the sexiness was there, and and you know, just even with myself, like when it comes down to my own sexuality, I've been attracted to women and man. But to see that you owned it, like let me
just grow. You know, I ain't never said nothing like that, really, I ain't never said, but I appreciate that because there was such a freedom when I saw you on there and it's just like right like co on, like right up on there and you're smoking yo j and you talked about it and it's just because there is a construct that that you're supposed to be this way, but you can still be a woman of a believer or a woman of whatever, because guess what, don't think that
whatever you think that makes me amazing. Don't try to disregard what everything that makes the matter of who I am, because you can't get it without the other. Yeah. Absolutely for real though, and people like to act like you're pushed, like you're really but know, like those type of things, like it just lives within us, that beauty in that light, it is natural. It is. It's not for us, just the way that people be like, oh it's hard out here. There can be a little drop of some something impactful
in there. And that's what we can do, especially during COVID, that's what these little podcasts can do for people. Within a day of um, you can still make the choice to, you know, guide yourself towards something that like can help you. It all comes back to you. Not it sounds kind of like selfish, but at the end of the day, when you love yourself, you love the people around you better. Anyway. Hello, Hello, Dang, dang, get your vitamin D right here. Oh you know, I
was about to ask you. I was gonna say, hey, you know, is there anything that you want to leave people with? But you just let it out on the table. Thank you so much associated your prompt your questions. You're setting me up, You're making me think. I appreciate that absolutely well. Thank you for allowing me to operating my gift. Thank you for me even just highlighting, underlying, exclamating my truth and getting me excited about that. You yeah, almost Lord,
the whole dead get younger. And that's like, I appreciate that. And that's why I was like, you know what, I have to do everything that I can't possible to put you on whatever platform that I can do that, because when I see somebody that looks like me and you are unapologetically bald queen, I'm gonna I'm gonna set you up on there. So best believe they're probably be a time again in are you were you located? I'm in Miami, so girl, we obviously on zoom now so you hit
my line. But now I thank you for not only believing in seeing the value and me, but being able to make the choice. You know, I'm sure you could have got a different round with how you did this and brought anybody on here who was gonna do whatever, but you you making the choice to value people who are out here with a message, and you know that's a must as far as like as corny as it is, but making the world a better place like steps. Uh,
this is what you said. You said it baby steps all the recipe right and and this kind of thing is that? So I really appreciated this platform has been awesome, awesome, Okay, so let's not make sure that no one forgets you're you're single. Lot right now is called Freak, and I understand you just released the remix of it. Is there anything you want to give a shout out or say anything about the single that that for people to check out? Um? I love Freak. The remix is a little bit more
of a Dan five. I feel like people need to pick me up right now. I've never released anything like how this free mouth sounds. But ride with me and I hope that everyone enjoys it and can take something from it. Okay, all right, Well, thank you so much for sitting with me, and I hope that you continue to shine your light. Thank you so much. Hopefully we'll speak again soon once all these manifestations we plan coming too. I don't know about listen, I'm already walking in it.
This is a matter of when it's about to show up. Really, I appreciate this so much. You're so sweet. Thank you for having me. Thank you bye bye. Let me tell you this. I wish I had that kind of clarity when I was in my early twenties. But you know what,
life is a journey and not a destination. I mean, there's always time to grow, to learn, to evolve, and to change, Okay, And after this conversation with Jada, I just hope that it serves as a bike it of light and inspray and empowerment to a lot of other younger women out there in the world today, and that they have a better representation, a guide of what it means to be authentic selves and to have someone out
there that looks just like them. In fact, I hope men and women alike understand the importance of what it means to be who you are, just the way you are, unapologetically. And you know, keep coming back to something I said in the episode. Strength is when you allow your weakness to shine in the light. Nothing in life is black or white. We all have weaknesses, we all have space as we feel we aren't living up to our best selves.
But The moments when we aren't our best selves are so important because they show us that despite these temporary faults, we're still worthsome We're still capable of being our greatest asset. When we accept and acknowledge who we are, just the way we are, we make room to tap into our true potential. If you're interested in keeping up with Jada Michael, you can check your out on social media at the Jada Michael on Instagram and Jada Michael nineteen on Twitter.
You can check out her music on all digital platforms, so be sure to check out her new single Freak Okay. And as always, you can catch us when you get your favorite podcasts each and every Monday with more inspiring conversations and insights. And if you're looking to get even more finem and day in your life, you can follow me on all social media at Dawn day Speaks, That's Dawn and d a i Speaks on all social media. Until next time, always remember you and your greatest asset.