Beauty in the Break

A New Chapter for Beauty in the Break

This short Season 2 preview of Beauty in the Break is a gentle reintroduction and a small but intentional shift. Foster and Cesar reflect on what the first year of the podcast made possible, what they’ve learned along the way, and how the show is evolving. This season moves beyond finding beauty in broken moments to also exploring the beauty of breaking barriers, both inside ourselves and out in the world.Starting Feb 3rd, Beauty in the Break will be a weekly podcast, with new episodes every Tuesday. Expect deeper conversations, more guests, and stories that expand what feels possible, shared with more ease, honesty, and room to breathe. Lots more to come, beloved. Thank you for being here.You can also watch the episodes on YouTube.If you are enjoying this show, take a moment to follow Beauty in the Break on your favorite podcast app and leave a review—it really helps!Reach out to the show—send an email or voice note to beautyinthebreakpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow on Instagram and TikTok.Cesar Cardona:Receive his newsletter Insights That MatterGet guided meditation from Cesar on his website Listen to music from Cesar + The Clew on Apple Music and SpotifyFoster Wilson:Buy her poetry book Afternoon AbundanceLearn about her postpartum servicesReceive her newsletter Foster’s VillageCreated & Hosted by: Cesar Cardona and Foster WilsonExecutive Producer: Glenn MilleyThis episode is brought to you by Jamaal Pittman. You can donate to his scholarship at wheelerscholarship.com, supporting college enrollment.Send us a text

What We Learned in Therapy That Everyone Should Know (Revisting)

In this episode of Beauty in the Break, Foster and Cesar bring you 12 unforgettable therapy lessons that reshaped their lives. Drawing from years of individual therapy, couples therapy, Jungian analysis, and parts work, they share tangible wisdom that listeners can apply to their own healing and communication journeys. Whether you’re navigating family dynamics, learning to self-regulate, or trying to let go of old stories, this episode is full of relatable and transformative moments.They also discuss powerful therapeutic tools like Internal Family Systems (IFS), the importance of repair in relationships, and how to show up truthfully without controlling the outcome. If you’re craving real talk about mental health, personal responsibility, emotional intelligence, and how to actually change, this episode is one to bookmark and revisit. In this episode they explore: The parenting mindset shift that changes everything after a mistakeWhat to do instead of chasing “balance” — and why it rarely worksA surprising truth about how you judge others (and what it says about you)The communication formula that protects relationships from resentmentThe healing magic of writing — and the 5-day practice that builds confidenceWhy trying to “be right” might be making you miserableHow to work with your inner child using IFS-style parts workCesar mentions his accident, which is detailed in Cesar’s Accident: The Scars of Rebirth.If this episode spoke to you, you may enjoy How to Feel Seen in Love, where therapist JJ Brake leads our hosts in a live couples session. You can also watch the episodes on YouTube.If you enjoyed this episode, take a moment to follow Beauty in the Break on your favorite podcast app and leave a review—it really helps!Reach out to the show—send an email or voice note to beautyinthebreakpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow on Instagram. Cesar Cardona:Attend his upcoming speaking engagementsListen to music from Cesar + The Clew on Apple Music and SpotifyReceive his monthly newsletter Insights That MatterFoster Wilson:Buy her poetry book Afternoon AbundanceLearn about her postpartum servicesReceive her monthly newsletter Foster’s VillageCreated & Hosted by: Cesar Cardona and Foster WilsonExecutive Producer: Glenn MilleyThis episode is brought to you by Jamaal Pittman. You can donate to his scholarship at wheelerscholarship.com, supporting college enrollment.Send us a text

Finding Your Authentic Voice with Mel Collins (Revisiting)

Award-winning jazz vocalist Mel Collins joins Beauty in the Break for a powerful conversation about healing through music, reclaiming identity, and finding joy in your authentic voice. Mel opens up about her journey from musical theater to jazz after years of vocal nodules, depression, and identity loss. When the discovery of one Ella Fitzgerald CD changed everything, Mel rediscovered her joy—and her calling.Mel talks about navigating two vocal surgeries, aging in entertainment, her identity as a Black American, and how jazz became the liberating art form she was always meant to sing. She shares wisdom for artists, singers, and anyone searching for their path: how to know what’s yours, how to honor your voice, and how grace and pride can carry you through breaking moments.In this episode they explore: The $1.99 CD that saved Mel’s voice and rewrote her futureWhat two vocal surgeries taught her about healing, humility and reclaiming her voiceWhy Mel was expected to be someone else—before they even heard her singThe underestimated power of silent recovery and vocal restRejecting the label ‘African American’ in favor of something more rootedHow artists can stop chasing youth and start owning their power Mel Collins:Follow her on InstagramCheck out her music and hire her to sing! If this episode spoke to you, you will love Find Laughter in Life & Death with actress/producer Jennica Schwartzman. You can also watch the episodes on YouTube.If you enjoyed this episode, take a moment to follow Beauty in the Break on your favorite podcast app and leave a review—it really helps!Reach out to the show—send an email or voice note to beautyinthebreakpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow on Instagram. Cesar Cardona:Attend his upcoming speaking engagementsListen to music from Cesar + The Clew on Apple Music and SpotifyReceive his monthly newsletter Insights That MatterFoster Wilson:Buy her poetry book Afternoon AbundanceLearn about her postpartum servicesReceive her monthly newsletter Foster’s VillageCreated & Hosted by: Cesar Cardona and Foster WilsonExecutive Producer: Glenn MilleySpecial Guest: Mel CollinsThis episode is brought to you by Arlene Thornton & AssociatesSend us a text

The Secret of Joyful Sobriety: Clarity, Freedom & Feeling Alive (Revisiting)

Are you sober curious? What if sobriety wasn’t a loss, but a doorway to something richer, deeper, and more vibrant? In this episode of Beauty in the Break, Foster and Cesar explore the concept of joyful sobriety, a term that flips the narrative from shame and scarcity to celebration and self-connection. Whether you're newly sober or just beginning to explore what it means to be sober curious, they share how choosing to stop drinking (for vastly different reasons) opened up clarity, creativity, spiritual depth, and real emotional presence. From near-misses and cravings to sober parenting and creative breakthroughs, this conversation weaves together lived experience with gentle wisdom. This episode is an invitation into a world where sobriety isn’t about less, it’s about more. More vibrance, more presence, and more of your real self.In this episode:Why joyful sobriety is a radical reframe of the narrative around addiction and alcoholFoster's reason for quitting drinkingCesar’s raw, honest account of waking up at the wheelThe myth of being “less fun” without alcoholThe process that helped Cesar heal from addictionFoster’s revelation about alcohol and creativityCesar’s take on waking up clear without having to check for his kidneysThe question we should be asking ourselves about the role of alcohol in our livesSpecial feature: A beautiful chorus of voices from their joyfully sober friends: Chan Kinchla, Kate Anthony, Megan Stewart, Glenn Milley, Eve Sturges, Johanna Brown, and others.Mention Beauty in the Break at Burden of Proof in Pasadena, and get 20% off your purchase!If this episode spoke to you, you will love The Eating Habits We Didn’t Choose where Foster unpacks her diagnosis of an eating disorder. You can also watch the episodes on YouTube.If you enjoyed this episode, take a moment to follow Beauty in the Break on your favorite podcast app and leave a review—it really helps!Reach out to the show—send an email or voice note to beautyinthebreakpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow on Instagram. Cesar Cardona:Attend his upcoming speaking engagementsListen to music from Cesar + The Clew on Apple Music and SpotifyReceive his monthly newsletter Insights That MatterFoster Wilson:Buy her poetry book Afternoon AbundanceLearn about her postpartum servicesReceive her monthly newsletter Foster’s VillageCreated & Hosted by: Cesar Cardona and Foster WilsonExecutive Producer: Glenn MilleyEditor: Bessie FongSend us a text

Choosing Rest in a Restless World: Life Outside Hustle Culture

What if rest isn’t something you earn, but something you need in order to live fully? In this episode of Beauty in the Break, Foster and Cesar explore the radical and often misunderstood practice of rest in a culture addicted to hustle, productivity, and burnout. Through personal stories, cultural critique, and embodied wisdom, they unpack why rest is not laziness, but a necessary act of self-trust, nervous system regulation, and an act of rebellion against systems that reward exhaustion. This conversation is for anyone feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or quietly longing for permission to slow down.In this episode: Why hustle culture keeps us exhausted and disconnectedHow burnout sneaks in through productivityCesar’s honest and emotional confessionWhy nature never rushes and neither should weHow rest reshapes creativity and clarityBreaking cycles our children inheritAlso mentioned:Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey (The Nap Ministry)Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel KahnemanIn the FLO by Alisa VittiFoster’s dad in How to Be A Rebel with Dr. Reid WilsonIf this episode spoke to you, you will love Say More! Vol. 2: Hustle Culture Sucks where we explore more problems of hustle culture. You can also watch the episodes on YouTube.If you enjoyed this episode, take a moment to follow Beauty in the Break on your favorite podcast app and leave a review—it really helps!Reach out to the show—send an email or voice note to beautyinthebreakpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow on Instagram. Cesar Cardona:Receive his monthly newsletter Insights That MatterGet guided meditation from Cesar on his website Listen to music from Cesar + The Clew on Apple Music and SpotifyFoster Wilson:Buy her poetry book Afternoon AbundanceLearn about her postpartum servicesReceive her monthly newsletter Foster’s VillageCreated & Hosted by: Cesar Cardona and Foster WilsonExecutive Producer: Glenn MilleySend us a text