What if your "professional" client process is actually causing emotional harm? In this powerful episode, Debbie confronts the wedding industry about the systems and language that exclude LGBTQ+ couples, overwhelm neurodivergent clients, and ignore the trauma that many people bring to their wedding day. She shares real stories of couples who felt unwelcome from the very first inquiry form, and challenges wedding pros to move beyond performative inclusion to actually inclusive practices. This isn't about being politically correct—it's about recognizing that love shows up in many forms, and our businesses should be safe spaces for all of them. If you work in weddings, this episode will change how you serve every couple who trusts you with their story.

Can we talk about the lie that you have to go fast to be successful?

Debbie gets real about why slow-burn launching is actually the smartest strategy for anxious creatives who are tired of the crash-and-burn cycle. She shares her own story of spending three weeks perfecting a launch that never saw the light of day, and how she learned to build anticipation over two months instead of panic over two weeks.

This episode will challenge everything you think you know about launching, momentum, and what it means to be "behind." Spoiler alert: You're not behind. You're just using a strategy that wasn't designed for your brilliant, anxious brain.

The Slow Burn Launch Map: Link

Bozoma Saint John's The Urgent Life cracked Debbie wide open—not because it's about ambition, but because it's about love, loss, and the choices we make when we realize tomorrow isn't promised.

In this vulnerable CEO Study Session, Debbie shares how both she and Bozoma learned the hard way that most of us don't ask "What am I doing with my life?" until everything falls apart. This episode explores the brutal but beautiful truth that grief can become your greatest teacher about what actually matters.

We're talking about the difference between building for approval and building for peace, and why sometimes the most urgent thing you can do is slow down enough to get real about what you actually want.

Key Takeaways:

• Grief and loss can be powerful catalysts for reassessing what truly matters in your business and life
• Most entrepreneurs stay busy optimizing everything except whether their work actually serves them
• The difference between building for applause vs. building for your own peace of mind
• How to identify when you're running on autopilot versus operating with intention
• Why "awareness without action is just expensive therapy"
• The importance of asking hard questions before life forces you to through crisis
• How to shift from survival mode to strategic thinking in your business

Questions to Reflect On:

• What are you chasing that doesn't even feel like you anymore?
• What have you been putting on the back burner waiting for things to "calm down"?
• What's the ONE system in your business that would let you breathe instead of holding your breath?

Resources Mentioned:

• Freebie: 5 Essentials Steps for the Overwhelmed CEO
• Panic to Presence: A CEO Self-Check
• Bozoma Saint John's The Urgent Life

Connect with Debbie:

• Instagram: @its.debbiej
• Website: www.itsdebbiej.com
• Email: debbie@itsdebbiej.com

Ever been mad at someone for breaking a rule they didn’t even know existed?

Yeah… same.

This week on A Cup of Honest Tea, we’re getting real about unspoken expectations — the invisible contracts we hold others to, the silent resentments they breed, and the wreckage they leave behind when we don’t find the words to speak our needs out loud.

We’re diving into:

• Why we create invisible contracts (and why they never work)
• How silence slowly breaks trust
• The fears that keep us quiet (and stuck)
• How to actually speak your needs — even when it’s scary
• What accountability on both sides really looks like

If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “They should’ve known…” — this one’s for you.

Grab your tea. Let’s get into it.

This isn’t a strategy session. It’s not tied up with clarity or action steps. It’s grief.In this raw, unfiltered episode of A Cup of Honest Tea, I sit down with the mic and share what it’s been like to grieve in real-time.

Since November, I’ve been navigating an ache that’s lingered in my business, body, and voice. I talk about:

• Letting go of the version of me that built my business

• The identity loss of walking away from something I thought I’d do forever

• The guilt, the doubt, the voices that try to convince you to stay small.

This isn’t about answers. It’s about witnessing what happens in the in-between. If you’re grieving quietly, showing up through exhaustion, or trying to figure out who you’re becoming…This one’s for you.

⚠️ Content Warning: Emotional exhaustion, grief, identity loss.

No CTA. Just come as you are.

This isn’t a typical episode.

No tips. No takeaways. No curated clarity.

Just grief.

And the quiet ache that’s been sitting in the background—of my business, my body, my voice—since November.

In this episode of A Cup of Honest Tea, I open the mic without a plan and share what it’s really like to grieve in real time… while still showing up.

For clients. For launches. For the life I’m still trying to hold together.

We talk about invisible losses, silent unraveling, and the weight of becoming someone new when everything familiar is falling apart.

If you’ve been holding it all in, wondering if anyone sees you—this episode is for you.

It’s not polished. It’s not tied in a bow.

But it’s honest. And sometimes, that’s enough.

Content Warning: This episode explores themes of emotional exhaustion, grief, and identity loss. Please listen with care.

No CTA. Just come as you are.

In this episode of A Cup of Honest Tea, I take you on my emotional rollercoaster of overthinking, crying in bed, questioning my entire life… and then getting humbled by my own uterus. We’re talking about big feelings, why emotions demand to be felt, and how our bodies force us to slow down (whether we like it or not).

So if you’ve ever spiraled over literally everything only to later realize, oh wait… that makes so much sense now, this episode is for you. Grab a heating pad, some snacks, and let’s talk about feeling through the mess.

In this episode of “A Cup of Honest Tea,” I sit down with Alisha Freeman, the creative force behind OneTwentyWestCo, to talk about the magic of collaboration between photographers and planners. Alisha shares her journey from starting as a Day-Of Coordinator to becoming a sought-after event designer, recently rebranding and elevating her business.

We dive into:

• The art of communication and flexibility for seamless collaboration

• How to craft timelines that balance logistics with creativity

• Real stories about creating synergy between vendors and navigating unexpected changes

• Alisha’s advice for couples and vendors on setting priorities, asking the right questions, and maintaining professionalism during tough situations

And yes, we get into the infamous Sepia Gate incident—and how to turn vendor conflicts into client satisfaction. Whether you’re a couple planning your big day or a vendor looking to level up your collaborations, this episode is packed with actionable advice, laughter, and a few hard truths.

Tune in now to hear why Alisha is the planner every photographer dreams of working with—and why her approach can transform any event into a masterpiece.

Follow Alisha's Journey & Expertise:

Instagram: @OneTwentyWestCo

Website: www.onetwentywest.co