Hey there! Today we’re hosting my very good friend Tajahn Wilson. Tajahn and I discuss why we wish people would ask how we feel more, our preference for deep & emotional conversations, and how we’ve been flourishing since nurturing our sensitive side. We relate over the hypercriticism we dealt with in childhood, being in competition with siblings for resources & attention, and reckoning our parent’s expectations of us with our personal desires. We get to the bottom of why Tajahn is actua...
Mar 29, 2022•50 min•Ep. 54
Hey there! Today I’m talking with my friend and mentor, Dorothy Colon. We talk about why we like flexing our personal authenticity, why we don’t like being perceived, anxiety disorders, and why Dorothy’s trying to stop being an overthinker. We also get into Dorothy’s experience with pole dancing, how she’s embraced the art form, and how we’re finding safety & comfort in sexuality. This conversation is full of serendipity, and I’m thankful to have found someone I relate to so deeply. I know y...
Mar 22, 2022•53 min•Ep. 53
I am delighted and so thrilled to share this next guest with you. Today I’m hosting my dear friend and SPARK baby, Te’Aja McCoy! We discuss the SPARK retreat & the benefits of deep emotional connection, the loneliness we experience in college (and relying on connection for our survival), the hoops she had to jump through to make college a reality for herself, and how Te’Aja got a full ride to 22 colleges and universities! Te’Aja talks about the inseparable bond she shares with her grandfathe...
Mar 15, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 52
Hello everyone! Our next guest is my friend, Kayla Brown. Kayla and I discuss why we’ve been needing to relax more, why we keep waking up with a strange sense of impending doom, and how we tune into our bodies when we need to release stress. We hypothesize about the concept of reincarnation, death, and not understanding what happens to our essence once we pass away. I explore some lessons I’ve learned since losing my father, and we reminiscence about our loved one’s that have passed away. I’m so...
Mar 08, 2022•59 min•Ep. 51
Happy Tuesday folks. Today I am joined by my friend Benecia! We discuss her deep love of dogs (and how they help her stay calm), how she processes and copes with anxiety, what physical sensations that come with anxiety, and the stress of planning for the future. Benecia talks about the competitiveness of dance and what draws her to the sport, the distinction between dance as art and dance as competition, why we (the audience) should be looking to feel what a dancer is creating for us, and the im...
Feb 22, 2022•49 min•Ep. 50
Hey y’all! Today I’m joined by my wonderful friend, Sieway Hunt. She and I discuss her experience being a Black cheerleader at UNC-Chapel Hill, why she decided to join Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and what she hopes to accomplish within the organization, her close connection to her younger sister and mother, and understanding her value as a role model. Sieway explains why she wishes people asked her more questions, how she’s mastering staying true to herself no matter the people she’s around,...
Feb 15, 2022•52 min•Ep. 49
Start your free trial of Audible books today using this link: www.audibletrial.com/jai. For every free trial created, the show makes $15. So please help us out! Our next guest is my friend (and resident fly girl✨) Maha Ballard! We discuss the impact Maha’s family has on her life (and what it’s like growing up with 7 siblings), her being exposed to many different ethnicities inside her household, why we can’t decide if we want to have kids, and admitting that we do not, in fact, work best under p...
Feb 08, 2022•52 min•Ep. 34
Hiya everybody! Please help me welcome our next guest to the show, Diana Debnam. Join us as we discuss the unexpected benefits that come from getting older, learning to manage the expectations we have of ourselves and others, her family dynamic growing up in Fayetteville, her close relationship with her sister, and her family’s connection to religion. Diana explains why she values honesty and authenticity in her relationships, why she feels drawn to the healthcare field, and how she dealt with h...
Feb 01, 2022•51 min•Ep. 47
Happy Tuesday, everyone! And please join me as we welcome our next guest and friend of the show, Jarrah Faye. Jarrah & I discuss what it feels like being consistently let down by UNC, why Jarrah values being alone, us being sensitive individuals (and why sensitive children need parent’s with patience), her childhood and early emotional experiences with her family, and how seeing her family struggle personally impacts her in adulthood. We open up about the pain of being misunderstood and the ...
Jan 18, 2022•54 min•Season 2Ep. 46
Hello and welcome back to season 2 of Wish You Were Here! I missed y’all like crazy and am excited to get things rolling again. Kicking us off is our next guest, Xavier Nonez! X is a Durham native and recent graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill (where he was an Executive Leadership Council Scholar & Harvey Beech Scholar). Join us as we discuss X’s recent move to San Francisco, why he embraces adventure and learning new things, how he ended up at UNC (and his being a Duke fan prior to attending UNC), ...
Jan 11, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 45
Happy holidays! This is our final episode in season 1, and it's definitely one with a lot to teach you. Today I'm talking with my former middle school classmate and friend, Carmen Walker. Carmen & I discuss why she strives to finish what she starts, why it's hard for her to ask for help, the role her family plays as her primary support system, and how we deal with the external pressures from those closest to us. Carmen offers advice on incorporating planning into your everyday routine, prior...
Dec 24, 2021•47 min•Ep. 44
Good morning and good evening everybody! We've got two more episodes to come out this year (including this one) before the end of season 1. Today I'm getting into three things I'm grateful for: 1) My experience with mental illness, 2) Cooking as a way to give love to my body, and 3) Being exactly the partner my beautiful baby, Victoria Shay, deserves. Stay tuned for our Song Of The Week, 'HOMEGIRL' by Leven Kali ft. Smino (!!) & Topaz Jones. Happy holidays y'all! Bye for now. I do not own th...
Dec 19, 2021•15 min•Ep. 43
Good morning and good evening y'all! Today we have a very special guest (and one of the show's BIGGEST fans), Tú Uyên Nguyen! Tú Uyên and I discuss the ways we invest in our younger peers, what we have to offer in a mentor/mentee relationship, using intentionality and authenticity as a form of self care, our opinions on using Instagram to express our feelings, and aligning our use of time with our priorities. We hear about how Tú Uyên's childhood life compares to the lives of her parents, her fa...
Dec 14, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 42
Hey there! I’m very excited to share with you our next guest and my friend, Julie Kim. Julie joins me as we explore our love of writing (and shared experiences in two creative writing courses at UNC), the way she characterizes her personality (and why she considers herself a 'careful' person), why she loves to ask people questions about themselves, her childhood and life experiences growing up, and her relationship to spirituality. Julie and I compare our enneagram types and astrological signs. ...
Dec 07, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 40
Hey there! The best part of this show has been speaking with people who listen as well as they share, and our next guest is no different. Today we've got my good friend, Maxwell Morant. We discuss our love of The Midnight Gospel, Max's exploration of multiple faiths and forms of spirituality, why it's important to him to be seen as a good listener, using breath control and mindfulness to deal with overthinking, and we explore Max's pragmatism (and why he always considers the consequences and imp...
Dec 03, 2021•58 min•Ep. 39
**This episode has been edited from its original version to exclude sensitive materials per guest's request. Original release date 08/27/21 Helloooo there. Today we have one of my high school best friends, Dionne Williams. Dionne is such a kind, intelligent, & hilarious soul, and this interview demonstrates that perfectly. We discussed the COVID-19 pandemic and young people have been affected, our opinions on the COVID vaccine (and whether or not we have received it), Dionne's hair journey, ...
Nov 29, 2021•47 min•Ep. 14
Hello there!!! I've never been more excited to share an episode than I am today. Our next guest is Janora McDuffie. She is an actress (with appearances on Grey's Anatomy, 24, This Is Us, & Criminal Minds) , voiceover artist, host, and speaker. I first met Janora last year when she spoke with the UNC-Chapel Hill 2023 Cohort of NC Fellows; I left that conversation knowing two things for certain: a) Janora is one of the most AMAZING storytellers I've ever heard and b) she's truly embraced being...
Nov 28, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 38
We need to talk...call or text (984) 884-6361 and let me know: how you been feeling this month? --------------------------------------- Hey there, it's Jai! I've been waiting for you to join me. Welcome to Wish You Were Here, the podcast where we open to each other and cherish human connection. What if I asked, what is it like to be you ? Do you know what you'd say? The guests you'll here from are the people that I most love and adore, and together we explore that very question. Maybe one day ...
Nov 23, 2021•5 min
Hello there! Today I have the pleasure of speaking with my friend, Corinne Pickering. Cori & I discuss her life growing up with twin sister (and what it’s been like to be away from her), her experiences at UNC and why the spring 2021 semester was so emotional for her, and why Cori values her friendships and connections so deeply. She & I gush over our love of podcasts, and I found out that Cori is a fan of the show! I really enjoyed this conversation and I know you will too. Bye for now....
Nov 22, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 37
Ayo!! Glad to be checking in again. Today I got to talk with the marvelous Maria Summers. We got into her childhood and our reviews of growing up in Greensboro, N.C., what people misunderstand about the first-generation college student experience, what it’s really like to lose weight, how weight loss further complicated her relationship to her body, what she experienced studying abroad in South Korea, and her desire to become an influencer (along with her fashion Instagram page @genzelevated). I...
Nov 18, 2021•48 min•Ep. 36
Hello there! Today I am speaking with my good friend and SPARK sister, Karis Price. We discussed her childhood and connection to her family, what it was like growing up Seventh-day Adventist, spending part of her life living in Kentucky, her relationship to her Blackness, and why we believe cancel culture is having a negative impact on our ability to learn/think critically. Karis also gives personalized shoutouts to her best friends and lets us know why they're so special to her. I was delighted...
Nov 14, 2021•57 min•Ep. 35
Yo! How you feeling today?I am feeling very excited because I’ve got another a-maz-ing guest for you to hear from. I spoke with my friend Binta Touray about her aesthetic and style, how she uses visualization to bring her creative ideas to life, what drew her to photography (and how hard she works to make her clients comfortable in front of the camera), and her relationship to spirituality and the unknown. Binta happens to be Victoria’s best friend and I couldn’t be happier about that — Binta ha...
Nov 10, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 34
Hello & happy Sunday! Today I got to have the most PHENOMENAL conversation with the one and only, Emma Amaglo. We discussed how Emma characterizes her life (and why she says it is an honor to be her), why we get frustrated when people make assumptions, what her childhood was like, how immigrating to America influenced the relationship she has with herself & her parents (and how the experience made her more accepting of others), and the complex challenges her parents & family have nav...
Nov 07, 2021•57 min•Ep. 33
Hello there!! Our next guest also comes highly-requested and I’m sooo thrilled to share it with you. Today I talk with my friend Jordan Johnson about her recent experiences buying her own car and moving into an apartment, what’s she learned being financially independent, where she finds creative inspiration when decorating her space, and what it’s really like successfully running her own nail business Rep Yo’ Set. We get pretty vulnerable as we discuss our issues with body image and not having a...
Nov 02, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 32
Hello and Happy Thursday! Today we have one of our most highly requested guests, Peyton Watson. He and I discuss his childhood experiences (and the impact his parents and brother have had on him), what Peyton thinks the purpose of life is, why attending UNC was one of the most important decisions of his life, where his interest in psychology comes from, and how he likes to use his free time. I've known Peyton since my first year of high school, he's got great style and major swag . Peyton is act...
Oct 28, 2021•44 min•Ep. 31
*The audio throughout this out time gets spotty, but I've edited out as much as I can. Please bear with! Hello there! I'm so excited that I got to speak with my former counselor and friend, Sarah-Grayce Coats. We discussed the meaning behind her many tattoos, how she experienced Governor's School as both a student and counselor, what it was like being married and divorced by 22 years old, why she became a teacher (and the relationship dynamics between different teachers), and some of the things ...
Oct 25, 2021•49 min•Ep. 30
Hi there! We've been having some incredible guests, can you believe it?? Today is no different. I had the opportunity to speak with my friend and former classmate, Karly Smith. We discussed her childhood and move to Washington D.C., the deaths of Breonna Taylor & Ahmaud Arbery (and how they made us both fearful to do simple things like walk outside), grief created by the COVID-19 pandemic and how we've handled it, and plans Karly has for her future in the post-grad world. We also get into sp...
Oct 20, 2021•51 min•Ep. 29
Hello, hello, hello! This conversation was much shorter than I'd like [because of some external constraints], but I hope to have our guest back on with us so we can dive even deeper. Today I spoke with my good friend, Sherrod Crum! I have such a deep admiration for Sherrod as an executor and hard worker. We discussed the projects he's started from the ground up, the greatest challenges he's ever faced, why he is so thankful for his family and support system, and how Sherrod characterizes his own...
Oct 18, 2021•37 min•Ep. 28
Hi there! Today I have the honor of speaking with my wonderful & warm friend, Kelsey McDowell! This conversation veered into a therapy session for us both as we explored our emotional expression, the ways we accept (and don't accept) support in our lives, what it's been like transitioning into adulthood, and whether or not attending UNC was the best decision for us. This conversation was incredibly special, and I have a feeling you'll get that same warm feeling I know Kelsey so well for. I h...
Oct 15, 2021•55 min•Ep. 27
Hey there. It didn't feel right releasing a new episode right now. Sometimes there are more pressing things...and my immediate mission is to save a life. Hope you guys enjoy this one, please share it with anyone you feel like needs to hear the message. I love you and I mean that . -Jai -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DIRECT TRANSCRIPT: This is a message to every student & community member that lives on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus; to every pare...
Oct 13, 2021•5 min•Ep. 26
