The Hidden Ingredient

Church Girls, Grown Conversations (PART 1)

Jess sits down with her close friend Shonna for a conversation that sounds like years of voice notes, inside jokes, and late-night check-ins—just said out loud. What starts as reflections on church, small groups, and shared roots turns into a real-time unpacking of friendship, community, and how people actually grow together.

They discuss what it means to build community and friendship over time, emphasizing the importance of showing up quietly, asking tough questions, staying present through challenging relationships, insecurity, and change. This episode isn’t about having it all figured out. It’s about the friends who know your history, your patterns, and your heart—and still keep you in the group chat. Pull up a chair. This one feels familiar.

Doing the Work: Boundaries, Dating, and Choosing Yourself (Part 2)

In Part 2 of this candid conversation, Jessyca and Marriage & Family Therapist Janae go deeper — into boundaries, dating, self-trust, and what it really looks like to choose yourself without guilt.

They unpack listener questions around parenting, interracial relationships, family tension, and how to protect your relationship from outside noise. Janae offers therapist-level insight on the difference between privacy and secrecy, how to communicate without condescension, why confidence in your choices matters, and how boundaries are built over time — not overnight.

The conversation also turns personal, touching on dating fatigue, rejection, ghosting, and how modern dating (especially apps) can quietly impact mental health. Through humor, honesty, and lived experience, this episode reminds us that growth isn’t linear, clarity matters more than closure, and doing “the work” often means getting comfortable with discomfort.

Learn More About Janae Tipton

• Website: janaebreahn.com 
• IG: @JanaeBreahn 
• TikTok: @JanaeMFT
• Psychology Today Profile

 

 

What “The Work” in Relationships Actually Looks Like (PART1)

What “The Work” in Relationships Actually Looks Like: A Marriage & Family Therapist’s Take on Love, Listening, and Control 

In this episode of Breaking Bread, Jessyca sits down with her longtime friend Janae — a Marriage & Family Therapist (MFT) — for an honest conversation about love, relationships, and the work nobody really prepares you for.

They unpack what it actually means when people say “relationships take work,” from learning how to listen (not just hear), to accepting people for who they are right now, not who we hope they’ll become. Janae breaks down the difference between boundaries, rules, and standards, why so many couples argue about symptoms instead of root issues, and how control often shows up in unexpected ways — especially for independent women.

Through real stories, humor, and therapist-level insight, this conversation explores dating, communication breakdowns, conflict, growth, and the realities of building healthy relationships in a hyper-connected world. It’s candid, validating, and a reminder that love isn’t just about chemistry — it’s about awareness, accountability, and choosing to do the work together.

Stick around — this is just Part 1.

Learn More About Janae Tipton

• Website: janaebreahn.com 
• IG: @JanaeBreahn 
• TikTok: @JanaeMFT
• Psychology Today Profile

 

 

Brick by Brick: Faith, Business, and Becoming with Michael Brooks

In this episode, Jessyca sits down with Michael Brooks of Middle Tennessee Construction for a powerful conversation about purpose, consistency, and the mindset behind real success. From laying one brick at a time to trusting the uncertainty of growth, they explore the role of faith, integrity, and personal evolution in both business and life. Together, they unpack relationships, ambition, emotional discipline, and what it truly takes to build a life you love—brick by brick.

The Making of My Mama (Part 2)

In Part 2, we sit at the kitchen table and talk about legacy, love, and the quiet strength that runs through the women in our family. It’s a conversation about motherhood, becoming, and the pieces of my mother I now recognize in myself.

 

Check out some of the books we reference

• Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
• The Hidden Messages in Water by Masaru Emoto

Hope you enjoy!

The Making of My Mama

In this episode, my mom takes us back to Grove Hill — a four-room house, peach trees, propane tanks, and the kind of childhood stories you can feel in your bones. Together, we peel back the layers of where we come from and how those early memories shape who we become.

Breaking Bread : Trailer

Welcome to my kitchen table — where the stories are real, the laughter is loud, and the conversations feed the soul.

Let’s break some bread.