In this week’s Episode 53 of We Are Out of Office, co-hosts Veteran Television Executive Producer Nikki T and Bestselling Author Jayne Allen clock in with a joy-fueled, culture-first episode that moves from unhinged internet hilarity to a real conversation about accountability, healing, and the cost of “just going along to get along.”

The ladies kick things off celebrating the chaotic brilliance of Threads (because Black History Month online is truly a different universe), then shout out their recent first-ever interview episode with Candice Marie—the woman behind the viral vertical series “Your Type Might Be the Korean Barista Who Don’t Speak English.” If you haven’t watched Episode 52 yet, they make the case: it’s a must.

From there, it’s I See You, Girl time: Jayne spotlights Alexis Barber and her real-world “alignment edit” experience blending ambition, community, and goals—while Nikki celebrates Charm La’Donna, the powerhouse choreographer/creative director behind major halftime show moments (The Weeknd, Kendrick, Beyoncé Bowl, and Bad Bunny).

Then the episode turns—Jesus Take the Wheel is supersized this week. Nikki breaks down why the America’s Next Top Model Netflix documentary stirred up real anger: the show shaped a generation, but the harm was real—and she’s calling out the difference between “it was a different time” and true ownership. Jayne adds her own lens, unpacking a viral roundtable clash as a case study in generational trauma, emotional triggering, and what happens when accountability shows up without safety or context.

In Health & Healing, both hosts get personal: Nikki reflects on moments she stayed silent in non-melanated spaces to feel “chosen,” and Jayne speaks on growth, past relationship patterns, and the journey of reclaiming full humanity beyond checklists. The through-line is clear: healing requires truth—but truth also needs space.

They wrap with what’s good (including an athlete shutting down a ridiculous interview question) and Jayne’s joyful Detroit love letter: the Wright Museum social content is giving mockumentary brilliance and Black culture excellence.

Final Word: “Own it.”

Questions? Comments? Email us at: weareoutofofficepod@gmail.com or Follow us on TikTok and Instagram at: @weareoutofofficepod

Show Links:

Charm La’Donna Interview w. The Grio

The Real Origins of Betty Boop

Darnell Davis The Wig Engineer

Eileen Gu, the most decorated female free skier, claps back!

Actor Clifton Powell Takes Accountability But Is Interrupted

Airbnb Does Experiences - Life Edit with Alexis Barber in NYC

In this week’s Interview Episode of We Are Out of Office, your co-hosts Veteran Television Executive Producer (The Night Agent) Nikki T and Bestselling Author Jayne Allen (Black Girls Must...trilogy) welcome their first-ever guest, Candice Smith (Candice Marie)—the creator behind the wildly popular vertical solo series: “Your Type is the Korean Barista Who Don’t Speak English.” If you’ve been on the timeline, you’ve seen the slow-burn, real-life K-drama unfolding in public—and yes, we’re just as seated as you are. (“If you know, you know.”)

But this conversation goes beyond the café.

Candice takes us all the way back—sharing how she first moved to Korea in 2005, what it was like to build a life overseas, and how she’s turned her lived experience into a platform and business helping others move abroad through Shy Girls Fly. She breaks down the difference between leaving to escape and leaving to choose joy, and why many of us don’t realize how much freedom is available on the other side of fear.

A major theme lands with clarity: permission isn’t something you receive—it’s something you decide. Candice shares a line that stopped us in our tracks:

“No one gave me permission… they just didn’t give me limits. So I allowed myself.” (00:41:48–00:42:32)

The conversation moves through community, dating, self-trust, and cultural contrast—especially what it feels like as a Black woman to be in environments where you’re not required to constantly prove your worth. Candice reflects on how energy changes when you’re not spending your life convincing people you’re capable—how that frees you to create, build, and live expansively.

This episode is about:

1. Not waiting to be chosen—choosing yourself
2. The courage it takes to move without consensus
3. Why transition can hurt even when it’s your dream
4. Building community abroad (especially among Black women)
5. A real-time reminder that Black women deserve soft, intentional love—and full lives

They close with a powerful image: when you stop waiting for permission and take the leap anyway, you may find yourself on the other side in “a whole garden” of freedom, acceptance, and possibility. (01:07:27–01:08:39)

Find Candice on Social Media:

@ShyGirlsFly on TikTok

@ShyGirlsFly on Instagram

And on the Web:

www.ShyGirlsFly.com

Questions? Comments? Email us at: weareoutofofficepod@gmail.com or Follow us on TikTok and Instagram at: @weareoutofofficepod

In this week’s Episode 51 of We Are Out of Office, your co-hosts Veteran Television Executive Producer (The Night Agent) Nikki T and Bestselling Author Jayne Allen invite listeners into a grounded, grown conversation about timing, agency, and the quiet power of choosing now.

With the out-of-office replies still firmly on, the episode centers on a liberating idea: you don’t need more information, permission, or perfect conditions to move forward—you need to recognize when the present moment is already enough. Nikki and Jayne explore how often we postpone peace, clarity, and action while waiting for things to feel safer, clearer, or more resolved, and how much power is reclaimed when you decide that now is your hour.

The conversation moves fluidly through relationships, work, creativity, and culture, naming how hesitation often disguises itself as preparation. Together, the hosts unpack the difference between patience and delay, reflection and avoidance, and how discernment sometimes sounds like a simple, internal yes.

In Health & Healing, the focus turns to nervous system regulation and self-trust. Jayne reflects on how choosing now reduces anxiety by ending endless internal negotiations, while Nikki speaks to the confidence that grows when you stop deferring your own authority. The episode reframes “right timing” as something you participate in—not something you wait to be granted.

The episode also includes:

1. Insight into why clarity often arrives through decision, not contemplation
2. Honest reflection on momentum, maturity, and emotional readiness
3. Cultural observations about productivity, control, and urgency
4. Reminders that power doesn’t always announce itself—it often whispers

They close with a resonant truth: the present moment becomes powerful the instant you choose it.

This is a calm, affirming, culture-forward episode about agency, self-trust, and the radical joy of deciding that now is enough.

Show Links:

Toni Bravo (@bonitravo) | TikTok

Gullah Geeche Wins!

New Life Working Dogs

Dee Starks aka "Granny Love" on Instagram

Non-Alcoholic Sensori (Black Woman Owned)

Usher and Big Sean Invest Big in Detroit's Kids

Questions? Comments? Email us at: weareoutofofficepod@gmail.com or Follow us on TikTok and Instagram at: @weareoutofofficepod