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Cringe, Courage & Community: Aye Yo Sis! Fest Was the Mental Reset We All Needed
- Crystal Jordan
- Sep 8
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 8
By Crystal Jordan
Auesomely You Magazine
Published: 9/8/2025
Pillar Focus: Mental Health & Emotional Wellness
On a sunlit Saturday in Atlanta, a small but mighty circle of women gathered at The Gathering Spot for Aye Yo Sis! Fest — an intimate, sensory-rich experience rooted in sisterhood, storytelling, and emotional restoration. While the flyer promised music, fashion, and fierce vibes, what unfolded was something far more sacred. This wasn’t a pop-up event—it was a spiritual reawakening for Black women who are tired of performing strength and desperate to experience softness.
At Auesomely You Magazine, we don’t just cover events. We document cultural reckonings. Under our Mental Health & Emotional Wellness pillar, Aye Yo Sis! Fest became a sanctuary for release, a mirror for reflection, and a reminder that you do not have to unravel in silence. It was a soul-level homecoming.
A Healing Agenda With Intention
The day started with sacred movement:
Coach Stix led a full-body workout that wasn’t about burning calories—it was about shaking off emotional residue. Akilah Roberts of Plant Lady Co. facilitated a sensory workshop that brought us back into our bodies—gently, intentionally.
EB & Flow wrapped us in sound bath healing that felt like a whispered “I love you” to our nervous systems.
This wasn’t about wellness as a trend. It was about remembering our bodies as temples—as sacred texts carrying both trauma and triumph.
Rest Is Resistance: The Panel Wisdom
The panels were not conversations—they were interventions.
🏨 Cat McPhaul, manager at The Rest Spot, spoke on behalf of a founder who understood what the world often forgets:
“This space was created because Black women needed somewhere to rest—not after burnout, but before it.”
“Rest is not a reward. It’s a non-negotiable for our survival.”
Christina Rice, founder of OMNoire, reminded us that our homes reflect our heads:
“Decluttering your home is a way to reset your life. When your space is clear, your mind is clear.”
William Winfield offered one of the most quietly radical reminders:
“No. Is. A. Full. Sentence.”
“If we're so fixated on being perfect, no one's going to want to purchase anyway—because we see right through that.”
Sharinda, 'The PTO Nomad,' broke open the silence around corporate trauma:
“Using your PTO isn’t laziness. It’s self-preservation.”
“As business owners, we still need to serve our community—even when we're not being paid.”
( Marketing Panel) : The Panel That Preached
Cringe, Consistency & Content Creation
What started as a branding panel turned into a confessional booth for every woman who ever questioned her enoughness.
Destiny Darcell, the brilliant illustrator behind the event visuals, admitted:
“I had to get over the cringe. I didn’t see Black women illustrating like me. I didn’t know if it would be received. But I posted anyway. I showed up anyway. And now? I am the face of my art.”
“Just working that creative muscle—even when you hate what you’re making—will take you far.”
One panelist Kiana “V.” Ware also introduced a powerful framework for those feeling lost or stuck creatively—The Three C's:
"Consistency, Connection, and Clarity."
They explained that when you lack clarity, return to what you're most connected to. That connection will guide your message, your movement, and your next move. Clarity isn’t found in overthinking. It’s found in doing, showing up, and trusting your own alignment.
“Courage comes first. Confidence comes later.”
LaShana West, who moderated with holy intuition, pushed us to go deeper:
“We gotta release the ego. You’re afraid of how you look. But someone is out there praying for someone who looks exactly like you.”
She didn’t say, "Just post content." She said, "Create healing."
“Make cringey the new sexy.”
“Content is king and queen—but it's also healing.”
This was not your typical marketing conversation. It was creative therapy.
Marketing With Soul: Jaylin Bolden Took Us to Church
And then came Jaylin Bolden, founder of Marketing and Mimosas, who delivered not a keynote—but a word.
“I didn’t have the perfect brand kit. I had five conversations a day. I had Staples.”
“My business didn’t grow because I waited. It grew because I walked into rooms like I belonged in them.”
Every woman in that room straightened her spine.
Jaylin didn’t offer tips—she offered testimony:
“I met the founder of Pop Up and Create Lashana West! in a Staples. She saw me doing the work before the world was watching. That’s why I’m here.”
And then she closed the loop:
“Your next opportunity is already looking for you. But you’ve got to show up to be found.”
Aye Yo Sis! Was Built From Brokenness , And Rebuilt Us - Enjoli Lauderdale- Founder of Aye Yo Sis!
By the time Enjoli walked on stage barefoot, no one needed to be convinced.
We felt her before she even spoke.
“Aye Yo Sis! was born from my own brokenness. I needed a space to feel seen. To not be ‘the strong one.’ To just be.”- Enjoli Lauderdale- Founder of Aye Yo Sis!
“This isn’t a brand. It’s a heartbeat. It’s a hand on your back whispering, ‘I got you.’”
She wasn’t just thanking us. She was covering us.
This wasn’t about building a business. It was about building a soft place to land.
Final Word from Auesomely You Magazine
This wasn’t a festival. It was a freedom portal.
Every workshop, every panel, every vulnerable share was a sacred act of collective healing.
Aye Yo Sis! Fest reminded us that mental wellness isn’t a buzzword. It’s:
Crying in public without apology.
Saying no without explanation.
Creating while you're still healing.
Resting before the crash.
And most of all?
It’s being in rooms where your wholeness is welcomed—not just your highlight reel.
We left lighter. Louder. And finally, seen.
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Thank you for capturing so many impacftul moments! 😍