That Part with Naa Yirenkyi and Verta Maloney

That Part with Naa Yirenkyi and Verta Maloney: Finding Love & Yourself in Your 50s

Finding Love & Yourself in Your 50s with Marchetta Daniels
Season 2, Episode 3 | That Part by 45 LemonsWe asked the Black women in our lives a simple question: If you could talk about anything on a podcast, what would it be?Marchetta Daniels chose love, reinvention, and finding yourself after 50.What unfolds is a conversation about far more than romance. Verta, Naa, and Marchetta explore aging, identity, confidence, second chapters, and what happens when you stop living by timelines that were never really yours.Together, they unpack the stories society tells women, especially Black women, about desirability, visibility, and what is supposedly “too late.” They talk about self-trust, joy, purpose, softer love, and the freedom that can come with knowing yourself more deeply.Because after 50 is not simply about starting over.Sometimes it is about arriving.Arriving at clearer boundaries, fuller self-knowledge, and the reminder that becoming does not have an expiration date.
Video Version: https://youtu.be/BPtyGnQPKKQ?si=KUaXOtzPOW8qjTOD  
Learn more about Naa & Verta here:
Email: thatpart@45Lemons.com Website: www.45lemons.com/thatpartInstagram: @fortyfivelemons

That Part with Naa Yirenkyi and Verta Maloney: Coming Home to Yourself After Grief and Loss

Coming Home to Yourself After Grief and Loss with Darnese DanielsSeason 2 of That Part continues with another question answered by the Black women in our lives: If you could talk about anything on a podcast, what would it be?This episode is Darnese’s answer.Darnese Daniels joins us for a conversation about grief, not just the moment of loss, but what comes after. The part no one really prepares you for. The quiet. The identity shift. The version of you that no longer exists and the one still taking shape.Verta and Naa sit with what it means to come home to yourself after grief and loss. They explore how grief changes the way you move, love, and see the world, and how, for many Black women, that process happens while everything else keeps going.From the pressure to keep holding it all together to the unspoken ways grief reshapes your sense of self, this conversation moves through loss, truth, and the slow work of becoming.Because grief does not just take something from you. It tells the truth about you.And coming home to yourself is not about going back. It is about claiming who you are now.Season 2 continues to bring new voices into the room while staying rooted in what That Part has always been. Real conversation. Cultural truth. And the things we don’t always say out loud.
Video Version: https://youtu.be/aZfsFEU2EYc?si=pg-O_AxQVIZ8e7Ab
Learn more about Naa & Verta here:
Email: thatpart@45Lemons.com Website: www.45lemons.com/thatpartInstagram: @fortyfivelemons

That Part with Naa Yirenkyi and Verta Maloney: Realigning with Self After Motherhood

Realigning with Self After Motherhood with Jihan J
Season 2 of That Part begins with a simple but powerful shift. We asked Black women in our lives one question: If you could talk about anything on a podcast, what would it be?
This episode is the first answer.
Jihan returns and brings us into a conversation about realigning with self after motherhood. Not as a dramatic reinvention, but as an ongoing reckoning with identity, change, and what it means to come back to yourself after becoming everything to someone else.
Verta and Naa explore the tension between devotion and disappearance, the unspoken expectations placed on Black women, and what it looks like to find yourself again after years of holding it all.
From the emotional weight of being needed to the subtle ways we drift from ourselves over time, this conversation moves between the personal and the professional with honesty and care.
Because motherhood changes you. But it should not erase you.
Realignment is not about becoming someone new. It is about remembering who you have always been and who you are becoming.
Season 2 brings new voices into the room while staying rooted in what That Part has always been. Real conversation. Cultural truth. And the things we don’t always say out loud.
Learn more about Naa & Verta here:
Email: thatpart@45Lemons.com Website: www.45lemons.com/thatpartInstagram: @fortyfivelemons

That Part with Naa Yirenkyi and Verta Maloney: Procrastination Is Protecting Something

Procrastination Is Protecting Something  
This episode is for anyone who has ever called themselves lazy while quietly carrying too much.
In Episode 8, Verta and Naa reframe procrastination not as a character flaw, but as emotional data. Sometimes we delay because we don’t care. Sometimes we delay because we care too much. And sometimes what looks like avoidance is exhaustion, misalignment, fear of being seen, or perfectionism dressed up as productivity.
They unpack the shame spiral — the “shoulds,” the urgency culture, the hustle trauma — and explore how delay can function as protection: from visibility, rejection, burnout, or making the wrong decision. But they also name the turning point — when protection becomes pattern, and pattern becomes self-betrayal.
Instead of productivity hacks, they offer better questions: Is this delay protecting my alignment — or my fear? If I don’t do this, what will it cost me?
Because avoidance can feel like safety in the moment. But over time, it becomes self-betrayal.
From unfinished conversations sitting heavy in the body to ideas that feel too close to the heart to release, this episode moves beyond productivity and into deeper self-exploration — inviting intentional choices that shape our relationships, creativity, and healing.
Learn more about Naa & Verta here:
Email: thatpart@45Lemons.com Website: www.45lemons.com/thatpartInstagram: @fortyfivelemons

That Part with Naa Yirenkyi and Verta Maloney: Things We Don’t Say Out Loud

The Things We Don’t Say Out Loud
This episode is for anyone who has learned to read the room before speaking, who knows the truth before it is ever named, and who has carried wisdom quietly to survive.
In Episode 7, Verta and Naa explore the power and cost of silence. From workplaces where “professionalism” replaces honesty, to families and communities where certain truths are never spoken, they unpack how silence can function as strategy, safety, resistance, and harm.
They reflect on the unspoken knowledge Black women carry, the emotional labor of discernment, and what happens when silence becomes the culture instead of the choice. From being performance reviewed out instead of given real feedback, to ghosting ourselves in order to belong, this episode examines how unaddressed truths shape our bodies, our leadership, and our relationships.
They also ask what it looks like to speak with intention rather than fear. To choose silence when it protects us, and to speak when truth is required for healing and accountability.
Because not everything sacred has to be said. But some things need air to breathe.
Learn more about Naa & Verta here:
Email: thatpart@45Lemons.com Website: www.45lemons.com/thatpartInstagram: @fortyfivelemons

That Part with Naa Yirenkyi and Verta Maloney: Joy Is a KPI

This episode is for anyone who knows something is off when the work gets done but the joy is gone.
In Episode 6, Verta and Naa make the case for joy as a real metric, not a soft add-on or a vibes-only bonus. They unpack why joy has been squeezed out of so many workplaces and lives, and what it costs us when productivity is the only acceptable emotion.
From the difference between happiness and joy, to who actually gets permission to be joyful, they explore how creativity, laughter, and delight are not distractions but essential indicators of wellness. At work and beyond. They also talk honestly about burnout, overfunctioning, and what it takes to build lives where joy is part of the infrastructure, not the reward at the end.
Because you can’t track joy in Jira. But you can always feel when it’s gone.
Learn more about Naa & Verta here:
Email: thatpart@45Lemons.com Website: www.45lemons.com/thatpartInstagram: @fortyfivelemons

That Part with Naa Yirenkyi and Verta Maloney: Relearning Connection at Work

Pick Up the Phone: Relearning Connection at Work (and Beyond)
This one’s for anyone tired of being left on read—in the group chat, in the meeting, or in real life.
In Episode 5, Verta and Naa explore how “not my problem” energy became the norm and what it’s costing us. From unread emails to sitting next to someone who won’t name the issue they have with you, they unpack how burnout, fear, and digital convenience have quietly made us worse teammates—and sometimes worse humans.
They also ask: What would it look like to bring care back to work, not as a performance, but as a practice? Their answer lives in third spaces, intergenerational grace, and the ten seconds of courage it takes to simply check in.
Because liberation isn’t about doing everything alone. It’s about building systems that remind us we never had to.
Learn more about Naa & Verta here:
Email: thatpart@45Lemons.com Website: www.45lemons.com/thatpartInstagram: @fortyfivelemons

That Part with Naa Yirenkyi and Verta Maloney: Liberation Is a Strategy

Liberation Is a Strategy
In Episode 4, Verta and Naa unpack what liberation looks like when it is not just a dream or a destination, but a strategy. A lived practice. A choice. From global shifts in leadership to the quiet decisions in your daily calendar, this conversation traces the ways Black women around the world are modeling new ways of living, working, and leading.
They explore liberation as rest, rhythm, refusal, and redesign. From saying no without guilt to trusting ease as strategic, this episode is about softening the grind and reclaiming the moments that make life feel more whole. Verta and Naa reflect on their own practices of liberation, from travel and rest to family legacies, and offer questions for you to consider as you design your own freedom.
Whether you are working, resting, caregiving, or creating something new, this episode is a reminder that you do not have to wait for permission. Liberation is not just a vibe. It is a viable way to move through the world. And it starts with how you live your life, right now.
Learn more about Naa & Verta here:
Email: thatpart@45Lemons.com Website: www.45lemons.com/thatpartInstagram: @fortyfivelemons

That Part with Naa Yirenkyi and Verta Maloney: The Canaries in the Coal Mine

Black Women Been Told Y’all: The Canaries in the Coal Mine
Guest: Jihan Johnston-McGlotten: Strategist, Researcher, Cultural Technologist, and Mother
In this episode, Verta and Naa sit down with the brilliant Jihan Johnston-McGlotten, a Black woman navigating nine months of unemployment after a layoff. Together, they unpack what it means to be pushed out of the workforce while still holding on to creativity, clarity, and community.
They explore the deeper truths behind layoffs, the pressure to produce, and the silence that often follows when Black women speak up. From systems that gaslight to the gut instincts that guide us, this is an honest conversation about being the early warning signal — and the brilliance that comes when we choose ourselves anyway.
JIHAN'S BIO:
Jihan Johnston-McGlotten is a strategist, researcher, and cultural technologist whose work connects technology, gaming, media, and culture to create human-centered, impactful experiences. With over 15 years of experience, she helps organizations, brands, and communities navigate AI, interactive media, gaming, and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) in ways that are meaningful, inclusive, and culturally informed.As the founder of BeatBotics, a forward-thinking creative technology and media startup, Jihan leads the development of digital experiences that are innovative, equitable, and globally relevant. Her PhD research focuses on HCI and human-centered technology, giving her a unique perspective on how people interact with AI, digital platforms, and interactive media. A mother and global thinker, she blends research, strategy, and cultural insight to translate complex technology and media trends into actionable strategies that resonate across communities.Known professionally as The Real Jihan J, she delivers keynotes, workshops, and strategic advisement for brands, nonprofits, and educational institutions, connecting people, technology, gaming, and culture to foster innovation, inclusion, and authentic human connection.
Learn more about Naa & Verta here:
Email: thatpart@45Lemons.com Website: www.45lemons.com/thatpartInstagram: @fortyfivelemons

That Part with Naa Yirenkyi and Verta Maloney: This Job Is Not Your Whole Story

This Job Is Not Your Whole Story
In this episode of That Part, Verta and Naa unpack the ways work can swallow our sense of self — especially for Black women. They talk about detaching worth from output, grieving professional betrayal, and reclaiming identity beyond our job titles. From stats to side-eyes, from layoffs to liberation, this episode reminds us that rest is not quitting and your story is bigger than your resume.
Learn more about Naa & Verta here:
Email: thatpart@45Lemons.com Website: www.45lemons.com/thatpartInstagram: @fortyfivelemons