You Cannot Accept Yourself Until You Do This (ft. Blair Imani) | Rooted Recovery Stories

Healing doesn’t always begin with answers. Sometimes it starts with the questions no one ever thought to ask.

Before she became the voice behind Smarter in Seconds, Blair Imani was navigating a deeply personal journey through mental health, identity, and belonging, quietly and in plain sight. In this powerful conversation, Blair shares the story most people haven’t heard: the one that came before the platform, the book deals, and the viral success. From early struggles with depression and institutionalization to navigating faith, queerness, and sobriety in public, Blair opens up about what it really means to heal in real time. Not perfectly. Not all at once. But bravely and out loud. This episode isn’t just about one woman’s recovery. It’s about what it means to live at the intersection of identities, expectations, and survival and how choosing joy, setting boundaries, and speaking hard truths can transform not just a life, but a legacy.


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Get Help:
Promises Behavioral Health – mental health, trauma & addiction treatment
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Website: ⁠https://www.promisesbehavioralhealth.com
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Episode Cast:

Patrick Custer - Host
Insta:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (  / thepatrickcuster⁠⁠  )
Tiktok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠(  / thepatrickcuster  )
YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠‪@thepatrickcuster‬
Facebook: (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  / patrickcuster  )

Blair Imani - Guest
Website: https://www.blairimani.com/
Insta:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/blairimani/...)
Tiktok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠(https://www.tiktok.com/@blairimani?la...)
YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠‪@blairimani‬
Facebook: (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  / blairimani  )

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.


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

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00:03:21 - Mental and Emotional Health
00:04:47 - Struggles with Self-Expression
00:07:29 - Realizing the Need for Change
00:12:40 - Healing and Growth
00:13:36 - Cultural Influences on LGBTQ+ Spaces
00:17:09 - Intersectionality and Emotional Regulation
00:19:55 - Navigating Faith and Identity
00:23:18 - Personal Growth and Self-Acceptance
00:26:00 - Advice for Embracing Change
00:29:12 - Finding Joy in the Journey
00:30:08 - Origin of Smarter in Seconds
00:35:11 - The Success of Smarter in Seconds
00:39:03 - Addressing Ignorance through Education
00:41:17 - The Power of Social Media for Good