In this episode of Theo’s Coffee Break, I sit down with thee Shayna “Akanke” Marie who is a poet, art activist, creative entrepreneur, and quiet force behind so many of Grand Rapids’ truth-telling spaces.

As the founder of Akanke’s Room, narrative strategist at The Diatribe, and collaborator on projects like A City Within A City, GRMiFi (Media Initiative & Film Incubator), and Reaching Beyond Bias; Shayna has built rooms where art and activism meet healing and transformation.

In this coffee break session we talk about:

• When poetry first became her language
• Building Akanke’s Room as a sanctuary for truth-telling
• Balancing art and entrepreneurship as a creative woman of color
• Her role as an “accidental historian” in Grand Rapids’ collective memory
• What she’s learned from years of working with youth
• And how she sustains hope while carrying the weight of community work

This conversation is as much about wisdom as it is about witness. I hope it reminds you of the power of words and the rooms we choose to build for one another.

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and follow so you never miss out on one of our coffee break sessions!

Now that we are a listener supported show, you can buy me a coffee and join the Café Crew at buymeacoffee.com/theoscoffeebreak for $5/mon.

Every donation will directly impact our coffee table and our goal here is to build this coffee table together with you.

Do you want to join the coffee table, or know someone who would be a great guest? Send me an email to theoscoffeebreakpodcast@gmail.com

Your voice, input, and curiosity is what shapes this table, and I’m here ready to listen with an open mind. Feel free to reach out via email or find me on Instagram at @theoscoffeebreakpodcast

Thank you for being here with me at our coffee table today. I’m so excited to keep growing this podcast with you: one story, one conversation, and one sip at a time.

So until next time… take good care of yourself. And remember: the coffee’s always on and ready to pour here at Theo’s Coffee Break. But most importantly...

You are always welcome at my coffee table.

For me, a coffee break has never been just about coffee...

I've always seen it as another way to connect with family, catch up with friends, or even connect within the community, workplace, or even with myself.

In this reflective solo episode, I have decided to share how my earliest memories of coffee at my grandparents’ kitchen table and childhood home shaped my understanding of love, care, and presence with those around me and myself.

In remembering my Grandma VanderVeen’s playful tease about red hair and freckles, my Grandpa’s quiet moments reading the newspaper while I read the comic section, and those special morning routines with my dad before he headed off to work became more than habits, they became memories of how I see love in action.

This episode is shared in memory of my beloved Grandma and Grandpa VanderVeen, whose presence and coffee table taught me that even the smallest coffee cup could carry the greatest meaning in my now every day life.

Take a deep breath, pour yourself a cup (or whatever centers you), and let’s sit together at the coffee table.

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and follow so you never miss out on one of our coffee break sessions!

Now that we are a listener supported show, you can buy me a coffee and join the Café Crew at buymeacoffee.com/theoscoffeebreak for $5/mon.

Every donation will directly impact our coffee table and our goal here is to build this coffee table together with you.

Do you want to join the coffee table, or know someone who would be a great guest? Send me an email to theoscoffeebreakpodcast@gmail.com

Your voice, input, and curiosity is what shapes this table, and I’m here ready to listen with an open mind. Feel free to reach out via email or find me on Instagram at @theoscoffeebreakpodcast

Thank you for being here with me at our coffee table today. I’m so excited to keep growing this podcast with you: one story, one conversation, and one sip at a time.

So until next time… take good care of yourself. And remember: the coffee’s always on and ready to pour here at Theo’s Coffee Break. But most importantly...

You are always welcome at my coffee table.

Have you ever felt like you couldn’t do anything right like no matter how hard you tried you were made to feel like you are never enough?

This episode was created for the ones who’ve been micromanaged in love, guilted by those they trusted, and told that keeping score was the only way to protect yourself.

Today, we lay it all out on the coffee table for us to discuss:

• The quiet damage of over-correction disguised as love
• Why “keeping score” only drains your joy
• How real love creates space and trust, not checkboxes intended to cultivate fear

Because love isn’t about tallying wins and losses, it’s about freedom to be yourself.

🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
☕ Look up Theo’s Coffee Break podcast to learn more .

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and follow so you never miss out on one of our coffee break sessions!

Now that we are a listener supported show, you can buy me a coffee and join the Café Crew at buymeacoffee.com/theoscoffeebreak for $5/mon.

Every donation will directly impact our coffee table and our goal here is to build this coffee table together with you.

Do you want to join the coffee table, or know someone who would be a great guest? Send me an email to theoscoffeebreakpodcast@gmail.com

Your voice, input, and curiosity is what shapes this table, and I’m here ready to listen with an open mind. Feel free to reach out via email or find me on Instagram at @theoscoffeebreakpodcast

Thank you for being here with me at our coffee table today. I’m so excited to keep growing this podcast with you: one story, one conversation, and one sip at a time.

So until next time… take good care of yourself. And remember: the coffee’s always on and ready to pour here at Theo’s Coffee Break. But most importantly...

You are always welcome at my coffee table.