Calm & Cultured Collective

My summer reading list is shaping up beautifully. 🦋

I’m currently reading Start With Yourself by Emma Grede and when I tell you this book has me in a chokehold… I mean it. I’m reading the physical copy and listening on Audible during my commute because I genuinely don’t want to miss a thing. Every chapter feels like a conversation about ownership, accountability, growth, and becoming the kind of woman who moves with intention.

Score by Kennedy Ryan is officially on deck because Kennedy never misses.

I just finished Joliet by Rae Lyse and whew… real tears were shed. I read it in two days and honestly cannot believe I had been so disconnected that I didn’t even know this book existed until last week. Beautifully written, emotionally layered, haunting, tender… just unforgettable. Easy 5 stars for me.

I’m saving A Good Cry by Nikki Giovanni and A Harlem Wedding by Tiffany L. Warren for vacation reading because both feel like books that deserve slow mornings, quiet moments, and uninterrupted attention.

Also adding Kin by Tayari Jones to the list because I already know she’s going to make me feel everything.

Reader friends… what’s currently on your nightstand? What are we reading this summer? 🦋

1 week ago | [YT] | 2

Calm & Cultured Collective

🦋 Season One is officially a wrap... and my heart is full.

I just want to pause for a moment and say thank you. Thank you to every person who watched an episode, listened on your drive home, left a comment, shared a clip, subscribed, voted in a poll, or simply spent a little of your time with me and The Collective.

Building Calm & Cultured Collective has been one of the most meaningful things I've done, and it wouldn't feel the same without all of you.

And to every guest who said yes, thank you for trusting me with your stories, your experiences, and your vulnerability. You helped create conversations that mattered.

Now... while interviews are taking a short pause over the next month, I am definitely not disappearing 👀

Coming your way:

🦋 Weekly Vlogs
🦋 Reflections
🦋 Reading + book conversations
🦋 Reality Bites with Angel (because y'all know we're getting into it 😂)

And Season 2? Whew...

Some conversations already in the works:

✨ 5 Money Power Moves Women in Their 50s Need to Make
✨ Honoring Our Health & Adjusting After Sudden Illness
✨ Church Hurt & The Road to Healing

I'm currently lining up guests and preparing for what I believe will be a really meaningful next season.

One question for The Collective:

What conversation do you want us to have next season? 👇🏾🦋

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 11

Calm & Cultured Collective

🦋 I truly enjoyed this book episode.

In it Taisha Ryan and I talk about love, identity, mental health, womanhood, and the courage it takes to tell honest stories, especially the ones that reflect parts of ourselves we’re still learning to understand.

This conversation was thoughtful, emotional, and deeply human. And honestly? I’m still thinking about it.

If you’ve ever loved deeply, struggled quietly, or tried to find yourself while carrying the weight of life, I truly believe something in this episode will resonate with you.

📚 Brown Silk: Love, Identity & the Courage to Tell the Story is available now on Calm & Cultured Collective with Deneen.

🦋 What’s a book that changed the way you see yourself or the world around you?

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

Calm & Cultured Collective

Collective, the discussion honoring our Mothers is continuing. 🦋

This project has been tender, beautiful, and heavy in the best way. It has reminded me how important it is to tell the stories of the women who shaped us, loved us, carried us, prayed for us, and left pieces of themselves in us.

My portion of the series has wrapped, but Angel is continuing the series on her YouTube channel: **Life After The Goodbye**.

Please go support her, subscribe, and continue holding space for these powerful stories.

Because grief does not end when the episode ends.

Love does not end when someone leaves this earth.

And legacy deserves to be remembered out loud.

🦋 Watch Angel’s channel here:
youtube.com/@life_after_the_goodbye?si=7DlOcJxJwg1…

3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 1

Calm & Cultured Collective

There are some conversations you finish recording and they stay with you long after the camera stops.

My sister Lynn’s episode of In Her Honor is one of those conversations.

This episode is also a collaboration with the Life_After_The_Goodbye channel, which makes it even more meaningful. Together, we’re holding space for a conversation about what it meant for Lynn to love our mother not only as a daughter, but also as a caregiver and a friend.

It’s honest, tender, and a real reflection of the love, sacrifice, and grief that can live side by side.

If you’ve ever cared for someone you love, grieved a parent, or tried to stay strong while carrying a lot, I think this episode will speak to you. 🦋

I’d love to hear from you below.

What makes grief most complicated?

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

Calm & Cultured Collective

It’s been a little while since I’ve checked in here, but I’m coming back with something very close to my heart. 🦋

I recently created a special series called In Her Honor , a collection of deeply personal conversations about mothers, memory, grief, caregiving, legacy, and love. These stories are honest, tender, and powerful, and it has been such an honor to hold space for the women who trusted me with them.

We’re beginning with my own story, and I truly cannot wait to share this series with you.

If you’ve ever loved, lost, cared for, or grieved a mother or mother figure, I believe In Her Honor will speak to you in a very real way.

I’d love to hear from you below. 🦋

What part of a mother’s legacy stays with us most?

1 month ago | [YT] | 1

Calm & Cultured Collective

Hey Collective 🦋

I’ve been a bit sick this week, so I haven’t checked in on the community tab like I wanted to, but I wanted to stop by, check in, and share what’s coming next.

The next episode is:
When God Says Go: Faith, Business & the Courage to Walk Away with Antuonette Patterson

This conversation is so powerful. We talk about discerning God’s voice, the courage it takes to be obedient, and the cost of walking away when you know God is calling you elsewhere.

It’s a beautiful and necessary reminder that obedience is not always easy, but it is often where freedom begins.

Thank you for rocking with me, even on the quieter days. 🦋

Have you ever had to walk away by faith?

2 months ago | [YT] | 4

Calm & Cultured Collective

🦋 New episode is live.

I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with sleep physician Funke Afolabi-Brown, MD for a powerful conversation about sleep, rest, and why so many of us—especially women—are running on empty.

We talked about the culture of overworking, how exhaustion impacts our memory and focus, and why sleep is not a luxury… it’s essential.

This conversation really made me pause and reflect on how often we sacrifice our own rest while trying to show up for everyone else.

If you’ve been feeling tired, stretched thin, or simply in need of a reset, I hope this episode encourages you the way it encouraged me.

🎙 The full episode of Calm & Cultured Collective with Deneen is available now on Youtube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

I’d love to hear what resonates with you.

🦋 Join the conversation.

2 months ago | [YT] | 2

Calm & Cultured Collective

If sleep is your superpower, most of us are walking around underpowered.

What’s one thing you’re going to try tonight to sleep better? ⬇️

2 months ago | [YT] | 3

Calm & Cultured Collective

Quick check-in for the women watching:

When did you finally start prioritizing yourself?

A) I still struggle with it
B) After burnout
C) After my kids got older
D) I’m just now learning

Vote below 👇

3 months ago | [YT] | 4