Meet KiYada Upshaw | Podcast Host & Mental Health Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with KiYada Upshaw and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi KiYada, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
One thing about the the mental health industry that outsiders are probably unaware of is that God and therapy are not separates. Often times people think that you have to choose one or the other; however, that is quite untrue. You need God and therapy in order to navigate your mental health journey.

What should our readers know about your business?
Grow Black Girl, Grow is a community and podcast dedicated to uplifting women and girls of color by providing them with the mindset tools they need to grow and heal. Each season is centered around a life theme I have or currently am going through. In each episode I share personal experiences, along with interdisciplinary studies to women and girls who may not have access to therapy, are scared to go, or whatever their reason is that is stopping them from going into an office with a trained professional. By nature I am a teacher, and I break things down for the listener so they are able to take away as much as they need to get started on their mindset journey.

I am most proud of being vulnerable on the podcast. I used to be afraid to talk about my mental health struggles because there just wasn’t enough research or at least people that looked like me who could relate when I was younger. In addition to being afraid to share my faith with others. I used to hear in church go out and make disciplines, go witness to someone, tell them your testimony. I truly never understood how to do that until now. I am so unashamed of my faith and my mental health struggles and I want to share this with anyone who is not only willing to listen, but ready to take action and have more highs than lows in life.

I am definitely not where’d I’d like to be business wise. However, its not easy when there are so many changes in the market, moving parts in my personal life, in addition to being a first generation entrepreneur. So many things against me so to speak, but prayer has been really huge in my current success. I am so thankful that God has and is leading me to individuals who believe in the work that I am doing and they have been willing to help me. I overcome the challenges by having faith and continuing to do the next best thing. It’s so easy to get caught up on the big picture and where you want to be, trust me I am working on not being a microwave person, too. I believe if you sit quiet long enough, the Holy Spirit will give you the next step and that is good enough for the moment. It’s one step closer to getting to the big picture. The biggest lesson i’ve learned is that the destination is temporary, it’s the journey that is the best part. The journey is where you’ll grow the most and be able to impact the most people from the experiences you’ve encountered.

What I want people to take away from my brand is it’s not only for women or people of color; this brand and community is really for anyone who needs a jumpstart to their mindset and faith journey and is ready to put in the thought work.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oooo this is tough. I just moved to DFW in 2018 so I haven’t had much time to explore the city since the pandemic happened.

If I had to base things off of pre-pandemic experiences, I would say hit up Yolk for brunch. I absolutely LOVE Yolk. My husband and I used to go there way too much before the littles were born. Definitely cannot pass up Klyde Warren. I am a lover of food truck food, and I also enjoy the community activities they would put on. I used to go to the free Yoga classes on Saturday mornings. Lastly, visit Yardhouse or 54th street for dinner.

In my opinion, just being in this city life is exciting. Coming from Louisiana where’s there’s not much to do outside off New Orleans, this environment is full of opportunities and experiences I did not have and now I get to give that to my kids. I’ve found some awesome places for family time since having them.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First person who deserves a shoutout is God. Without him, the vision the clarity, the opportunities wouldn’t be there. Next, I want to shoutout my husband. He has been so supportive of all my endeavors, even when he doesn’t understand half the things I tell him just so that I can verbally process my thoughts to someone. And lastly, I want to shoutout my inner circle. To all the people that answer my text and my phone calls and continue to encourage me on days when I am unsure if I am doing the right thing, you help me to keep going and confirm all the things God has told me. Thank you!

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