Tea & Transitions

SEASON 3, EPISODE 6

Dandelion Root & Trusting Your Inner Compass

How do we stay rooted in self-trust when the world is constantly shifting around us? What does it mean to build a life that honors our truth, even when that means slowing down, letting go, or starting over?

In our final episode of the season, Afiya talks about navigating career transitions, learning to listen to the body’s signals, and cultivating a deeper sense of wellness and self-acceptance. We explore the power of intuition, the slow unfolding of purpose, and how nourishment, both physical and emotional, can guide us back to ourselves.

This episode is a reminder that your body, your pace, and your path are all worthy. Even if they don’t match the blueprint you once held.

Guest: Afiya “Fi” Williams

SEASON 3, EPISODE 5

Peppermint Tea & Listening To Your Body

What does it mean to care for your body across the seasons of your life? And how do our early influences shape — and sometimes limit — the ways we define wellness?

In this reflective and generous conversation, Talia shares her evolving relationship to food, movement, and care. We talk about going vegetarian, shifting motivations, and listening deeply to what the body is asking for. From napping to coconut oil to rethinking why we change, this episode is full of gentle wisdom about the rituals that help us stay grounded.

This is a reminder that your body is always talking to you. The question is: are you listening?

Guest: Talia Witherspoon

SEASON 3, EPISODE 4

Black Tea & Learning to Belong to Yourself

What does it mean to belong when your life has crossed continents, cultures, and expectations?

In this reflective episode, Lan shares her journey of migration from China to the U.S., the shaping of her values across languages and geographies, and how her understanding of community has shifted over time. We talk about caring for aging parents, letting go of inherited expectations, and learning to center your own needs without guilt.

This episode is a meditation on transitions, chosen values, and the slow, intentional work of becoming yourself on your own terms.

Guest: Lan Guo

SEASON 3, EPISODE 3

Honey Chai Turmeric & Building Community with Care

What happens when you return to the land of your ancestry not as a tourist, but to plant roots, build community, and do the work?

In this episode, Ghanaian American consultant and facilitator Akosua shares what it was like to move to Ghana, full of intention and vision, only to be met with the complexity of culture, expectation, and belonging. From navigating assumptions about her Americanness to adjusting her approach to leadership and community-building, Akosua walks us through the learning, the listening, and the letting go that comes with returning to a place you’ve never quite lived, but always carried.

We talk about diasporic identity, spiritual and cultural integration, code-switching across continents, and how true community takes shape when you stop assuming and start observing. Akosua reminds us that humility is a skill, gratitude is cultural, and belonging is something we build, not just something we expect.

Guest: Akosua

SEASON 3 EPISODE 3 PREVIEW

Episode 3 First Pour: On Community, Crisis & Showing Up

A warm first pour before the full episode brews.

Before we sit down with Akosua next week, your co-hosts Odelia and Vina reflect on what it means to build real community in times of crisis. From meeting your neighbors to showing up at the polls, this is a tea time check-in on local action, shared humanity, and why small is everything.

SEASON 3, EPISODE 2

Lemongrass Tea & Holding Grief in Community

What does it mean to grieve with intention? And how do we hold on to community, identity, and love when so much is shifting around and within us?

In this raw and deeply moving conversation, Dr. Ash opens up about losing her father, becoming a parent, and how grief has shaped her relationship to community and self. We talk about isolation, intergenerational loss, chosen family, navigating grief, and the quiet work of learning new language and tools, not just for ourselves, but for each other.

This episode is an offering for anyone carrying grief while still being asked to carry so much more.

Guest: Dr. Ash

SEASON 3, EPISODE 1

Sencha & Redefining What It Means to Lead

What if the way you’ve always worked is no longer sustainable?

In our season premiere, Laura Saldivar Luna shares the moment her body called for a reset and the journey that followed. From guilt and burnout to clarity and rebuilding, this episode is a powerful reflection on letting go of what no longer serves in order to lead differently.

Guest: Laura Saldivar Luna

SEASION 3 TRAILER

Change is Brewing: Season 3 of Tea & Transitions

Something new is brewing.

Tea & Transitions returns for Season 3 with fresh conversations, honest reflections, and the stories that remind us how change shapes who we are becoming.

This season, we’re joined by six incredible women of color to reflect on the in-between spaces, embrace the challenges that shape us, and honor the communities that carry us through

Season 3 of Tea & Transitions begins soon.

SEASON 2, EPISODE 2

Lotus Green Tea & Motherhood

After a summer hiatus, we're back with episode 2 and an inescapable topic: motherhood. And while many conversations and depictions around motherhood are forced upon us, we are exploring stories from individuals reclaiming their narratives around motherhood. So grab your cup or mug, and join us as we take a look at how we define and redefine motherhood.  

Guests: Deepa Manjanatha and Jennifer Ng

SEASON 2, EPISODE 1

Jasmine Tea & Legacy

What are we holding on to from previous generations? How do we engage the past while living in the present? What legacy do we want to leave behind? In this first episode of Season 2, we navigate these questions and more as we serve up another season filled with sips and stories from the dynamic lives of women of color.

Guests: Christine P. and Elyse Gainor

SEASON 1, BONUS EPISODE

Maintaining Long Distance Friendships

As we grow older, life takes us from one place to the next, often creating physical distance between us and our friends. In this bonus episode, we invite our closest friends for a tea time chat on how we bridge the divide of distance and sustain our strong friendships.

Guests: Alexandra and Kelly

SEASON 1, BONUS EPISODE

Life Goes On with BTS

International global sensation Bangtan Sonyeondan, better known as BTS, have been encouraging individuals around the world to love themselves since their debut in 2013. During the pandemic, many have been drawn to their openness, honesty, and hope during these difficult times. In this bonus episode, we explore the inspirational and joyful role that BTS has played in our lives.

Guest: Paola Pinedo-Vargas

SEASON 1, EPISODE 5

Ceremonial Matcha & Touch

In our last episode of the season, we return to the place we started: touch. As vaccine rollouts continue, and we feel hopeful for the future, we revisit this topic again to see where we are over a year into the pandemic, as we discuss missing the weight of another and attending to our grief.

Guests: Bhumi Patel and Amber Butts

SEASON 1, EPISODE 4

Ancient Red Tea & Race

In this episode, we meet for our weekly tea ritual alongside the heaviness of the increased violence of the past few weeks. Sit with us as we discuss how cross-racial solidarity brought us together as a Viet American woman and a Black woman, and engage our guests in conversations about race, identity, resistance, and friendships. 

Guests: Brittney Enin and Ava Abbey

SEASON 1, EPISODE 3

Mekong Mist & Food 

From what we eat to how we eat it, food is deeply connected to who we are and where we come from. In this episode, our stories remind us of the connections between food, home, and family, and why it's important to hear stories from women of color when we talk about food.

Guests: Chef Mahasin "Mo" Thurman and Ashlee Campbell

SEASON 1, EPISODE 2

Drum Mountain Cloud and Mist & Avatar: The Last Airbender

Revisit (or be introduced to) the wonders of airbending as we explore the importance of focusing on our breath, taking risks, and caring for ourselves, while we savor the complex flavors of Cloud Mist tea. 

Guests: Joyce Hu and Shruthi Gopal

SEASON 1, EPISODE 1

Big Red Robe Oolong & Touch

It's been one year since the first shelter-in-place orders went into effect. Familiar feelings of loss, love and longing thread these stories on 'touch' together as we explore finding joy in simple moments and peace in absence. 

Guests: Eunique Deeann and Wren Lee

EPISODE 0

Tea & Transitions Trailer

Grab a cup of tea and cozy up with this season of Tea & Transitions, where we'll be brewing stories about touch, food, identity and more, from incredible women of color.