Shows
Overthinking with KarmenForward, Fear, and FatigueThis week on Overthinking with Karmen, we’re not spiraling into “what’s next” — we’re asking why.As summer winds down and the weight of grief, fatigue, and global uncertainty settles in, we’re pausing to acknowledge a hard truth: it’s not just about rest or resetting. It’s about deciding to continue. And that decision — to move forward, to evolve, to choose love over fear — might be the bravest one you make.This spiral is for the tired. The stuck. The ones facing the question: Why should I keep going?The answer might just...2025-07-3008 minOverthinking with KarmenBeyoncé, Baptism, and Beginning AgainThis week, I’m spiraling into rest.After months of non-stop building — the book, the sermons, the business — I finally paused. A spontaneous trip. A sacred moment in the ocean. A realization that rest isn’t failure, it’s part of the strategy.And then I saw Beyoncé live… and something clicked.We talk hustle. We glamorize grind. But what if your breakthrough comes after you sit still long enough to hear yourself again?Let’s talk burnout. Let’s talk baptism. Let’s talk the brave act of beginning again.2025-07-2309 minOverthinking with KarmenEssence Festival, Economics, and the End of an Erassence Fest felt... off. Fewer crowds. Quiet spending. And a familiar echo: “It’s not the same.” But maybe it’s not just the festival — maybe it’s us. The world is shifting beneath our feet, and some of us are still waiting for a band that isn’t coming. From the economy to culture, the signs are everywhere. And in this episode, I ask: if the world as you knew it is sinking, what are you still holding onto? More importantly — who might you become if you finally let go?And yes, this is also your final invitation...2025-07-1107 minOverthinking with KarmenGuidance Counselors, Gen Z, and the Great DriftWhat do you tell students when the future you promised no longer exists?This week, we spiral into the silence — the collective uncertainty around work, purpose, and how to live in a world we didn’t prepare the next generation to inherit. From kids who feel lost, to parents who gave everything but forgot to pass on wisdom, to institutions that no longer serve — this is not just a gap. It’s a drift. A spiritual, cultural, and communal drift.And it’s not too late to course-correct.We explore the cultural shifts, the missed con...2025-07-0907 minOverthinking with KarmenAct II, Authority & Anna WintourAnna Wintour is stepping down… or is she? In this week’s episode, I spiral into what it really means to let go of authority, the illusion of legacy, and why some people can’t release power, even when the moment demands it. From boardrooms to Broadway, faculty lounges to faith communities, we talk about what happens when you become your performance… and forget how to evolve.This isn’t just about fashion. It’s about the fear of Act II.Let’s go deeper.2025-07-0208 minOverthinking with KarmenWar, Noah’s Ark, and DisruptionIn this episode, I unpack the global moment we're in through the lens of prophecy, personal disruption, and spiritual survival. From U.S. military conflict to James Baldwin to Noah’s ark, we’re spiraling into what it means to prepare for uncertainty, live in truth, and stop calling fear “faith.” Because make no mistake: the fire is here. But what survives it? That’s the question.If you're tired of pretending you’re okay, if you're clinging to certainty in a collapsing world, or if you've been asking what God is really doing in this hour — this one’s for2025-06-2508 minOverthinking with KarmenWalking on Water, The Soft Life, and Hard ThingsThis week, the spiral starts with a coaching session… and ends at Juneteenth. From frustration to grace, Karmen unpacks what it really means to want freedom, follow Jesus, and live the “soft life.” Because here’s the truth: disruption is a hard thing. And trust? That might be the hardest thing of all.2025-06-1709 minOverthinking with KarmenPlastic on the Sofa, Black Homophobia, and Supremacy and Certainty.What if some of our most deeply held beliefs aren’t culture... but control?This week on Overthinking, we spiral into the unspoken scripts we call tradition, the fear that disguises itself as morality, and what freedom might look like if we finally stop performing.Don’t press play unless you’re ready to question everything and possibly lose your Black Card.2025-06-1010 minOverthinking with KarmenBreaking the Algorithm, Colman Domingo, and Fitting InColman Domingo said bring your love, your hope, and your dedication—with no guarantee it’ll ever work.This week, I’m spiraling on what happens when you stop chasing the algorithm and start honoring your truth.Because trying to fit in won’t get you free.2025-06-0408 minOverthinking with KarmenDC Black Pride, Chasing Pleasure, and Freedom Ain't FreeThis week, your Overthinker-in-Chief Karmen Michael Smith spirals into a layered reflection on freedom—not just political, but personal, embodied, and spiritual.From a conversation about emotional well-being, to the joy and tension of DC’s Black Pride, to the cost of sexual liberation in a world that polices Black queer bodies, this episode asks:What are we calling “freedom”… that’s actually just well-dressed captivity?Karmen weaves scripture, history, and lived experience into a moving reflection on desire, disruption, and what we’re really chasing when we chase pleasure.2025-05-2709 minOverthinking with KarmenWhat Survives the Fire: Kim Burrell, Tamar Braxton, Orlando Brown, and the Performance of PainThey make us laugh. They make us cringe. Sometimes they make us mad.But what do Kim Burrell, Tamar Braxton, and Orlando Brown all have in common?They’ve all been crowned “too much.”Too dramatic. Too messy. Too unpredictable.And yet… we can’t look away.In this episode of Overthinking with Karmen, your Overthinker-in-Chief Karmen Michael Smith spirals into the performance of Black pain—on pulpits, on stages, on timelines—and asks:What happens when the armor becomes the identity?From the release of his new cinematic sermon What Su...2025-05-2008 minOverthinking with KarmenRaw Dogging, Barebacking & the Return to RealityWhat do Gen Z’s “barebacking” trend, raw dogging flights, and the future of social media all have in common?Spiral with me as we explore the quiet rebellion against distraction, the power of presence, and why the next revolution won’t be posted—it’ll be lived.2025-05-1306 minOverthinking with KarmenE13: Jobs, Dropouts, and Disappearing in AmericaWhat do being unemployed, your cousin dropping out of high school, and feeling invisible all have in common?Spiral with me as we unpack how capitalism confuses labor with worth, why the system ejects those who can’t conform, and why being pushed out might be the first step toward designing a life that’s actually yours.2025-05-0608 minOverthinking with KarmenE12: The Met Gala, Janet Jackson, and Grandma’s HouseWhat do the Met Gala, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation, and Grandma’s house have in common?Spiral with me as we explore how Black aesthetic has never just been about looking good—it’s been survival, sanctuary, and spiritual resistance in a world that never meant for us to thrive.2025-05-0207 minOverthinking with KarmenE11: Unemployment, Ryan Coogler, and Strange EarthquakesWhat do unemployment, Ryan Coogler, and your strange earthqukes have in common?Spiral with me as we explore why real freedom feels terrifying at first, why unprecedented moves often get mistaken for mistakes, and why stepping into a life with no blueprint might just be the real revolution.2025-04-2906 minOverthinking with KarmenE10: Beyonce, Oxtails, and Generational WealthWhy did Beyoncé pull her music off TikTok? Why are oxtails $40 a plate? And why are you giving away your family’s inheritance for free?Spiral with me as we unpack how protecting your legacy—your creativity, your culture, your voice—isn’t gatekeeping. It’s survival. Generational wealth isn’t just about making money; it’s about knowing what’s worth keeping sacred.2025-04-2207 minOverthinking with KarmenE9: DEI, Yoga, and Learning to Live on PurposeWhat do job loss, noisy windows, Instagram fatigue, and skipping a yoga session with Black Q+ men have in common? Spiral with me as we talk about what it means to design a life you're actually living, not performing, and why the ones who really want to find you… will.2025-04-1910 minOverthinking with KarmenE8: Being Stood Up, Missy Elliott, and Rising CostsWhat do a second date that never happened, Missy Elliott’s Coachella performance, and high costs have in common?Spiral with me as we unpack the premium price we’re all paying for presence—how we spend big to be seen, but rarely show up for what matters. And why being rare isn’t the problem, but the world’s inability to value it just might be.2025-04-1510 minOverthinking with KarmenE6: Starbucks, Sugar, and the Death of the Third PlaceWhat do Starbucks, sugar, and the death of the Third Place have in common? Spiral with me as we explore what we actually need from our spaces—and why good coffee might not be enough to save them.2025-04-0806 minOverthinking with KarmenE7: Halle Berry, Star Trek, Paradise on Hulu, and the Illusion of Black ExcellenceWhat do Halle Berry, Star Trek’s holodeck, Hulu’s Paradise, and modern Black excellence all have in common?Spiral with me as we explore how illusion, approval, and identity collide—and why everything that looks like liberation might actually be a well-designed trap.2025-04-0809 minOverthinking with KarmenE5: The Gym, My Mind, and the Battle Between ThemWhat does the gym, my mind, and the battle between them really mean? Spiral with me as we explore why showing up for ourselves—physically and mentally—is the real workout.2025-04-0107 min