When Growth Gets Messy (Part 2 with Blair Imani)

Before Blair Imani became a trusted voice in education and inclusion, she was navigating the vulnerable, often unseen side of public learning. In Part 2 of this Mental Health Awareness Month series, Mind Amendment host Patrick Custer sits down with Blair to explore the cost of visibility, the power of accountability, and the quiet courage it takes to keep showing up when you’re still healing. This episode takes us behind the viral series Smarter in Seconds, not just the content, but the context. From breaking down bias to owning past missteps, Blair offers a masterclass in how real impact is made: not through perfection, but persistence.

 

In Part 2, Blair opens up about:

• The unexpected origins and evolution of Smarter in Seconds
• The personal toll of educating while healing and why she kept going
• Learning to lead with compassion, not shame, in conversations about privilege
• How calling in (not calling out) changed her relationships and her reach
• Why admitting we’re wrong is one of the most radical forms of growth
• This is a conversation for anyone who's ever felt like they had to be flawless to be worthy and a reminder that growth doesn’t cancel who you’ve been; it builds who you become.

Listener Challenge: Try explaining something you're passionate about without using any of the usual jargon. Make it make sense to someone who’s never heard it before.

This is your mind. This is your moment. What will you do with it?

 

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 __________________ 

 Get Help: 

 Promises Behavioral Health – mental health, trauma & addiction treatment 

 Insta: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/promises_bh/ 

 Website: ⁠https://www.promisesbehavioralhealth.com

⁠ __________________ 

Cast: 

Patrick Custer - Host 

Insta:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thepatrickcuster/ 

Tiktok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thepatrickcuster

YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠ 

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/patrickcuster

 

Blair Imani - Guest 

Website: https://www.blairimani.com/

Insta:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/blairimani/?hl=en

Tiktok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@blairimani?lang=en

YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/blairimani

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/blairimani/

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 About Blair Imani:

Blair Imani is the creator of the viral web series, Smarter In Seconds, LA Times bestselling author of Read This to Get Smarter, and co-host of the podcast Thoughts About Feelings. The New York Times praises Blair Imani’s unique ability to create “progressive lessons with vibrant visuals and a perky, quirky delivery.” Her scholarship spans intersectionality, gender studies, race and racism, sociology, and United States history. She is also a historian, having written Making Our Way Home (2020) and Modern HERstory (2018). 

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She has had the opportunity to present at renowned universities and companies including Oxford, Harvard, Meta, Sephora, and Gates Ventures. Blair Imani serves on the Board of Directors of the Tegan and Sara Foundation. She has collaborated with and interviewed influential people across a variety of fields including Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem, and Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw.

Blair Imani believes in the transformative power of education and that self understanding is the key to recognizing our interconnectedness. She is very rapid to be known publicly as “the Smarter in Seconds lady,” and feels it is an honor to be a part of so many people’s learning experiences. She consistently promotes the value of mutual respect across differences, asserting that meaningful progress requires creating spaces where diverse perspectives are honored and dehumanization is not tolerated. Empathy and respect are not just important values but essential tools for challenging oppressive systems.
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In 2025 she was awarded the Activist with Impact Award by REACH LA, an organization dedicated to celebrating LGBTQIA+ people of color through wellness, HIV/AIDS prevention, and personal development.

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Produced and Edited by "The Cast Collective" in Nashville, TN! 

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