Friendship, Hard Conversations, and Community Healing with Karen and Leia

Some friendships change your life. Others change the lives of everyone around you.

Karen Beckles returns to Ducking Realitea for her third appearance, this time joined by her longtime friend, collaborator, and "chum," Leia Mitchell. What started as conversations between two roommates during COVID slowly evolved into a partnership built on trust, personal growth, and a shared passion for helping people reconnect, with themselves and with each other.

Together they talk about leaving careers that no longer aligned with their values, becoming certified life coaches, navigating entrepreneurship, and why healing doesn't always happen in therapy offices, it often happens over tea, honest conversations, and communities that make people feel seen.

Karen also shares how Let's Gather & Sip grew from intimate gatherings in her apartment into a thriving community event in Alameda, while Leia explains the behind-the-scenes role she plays helping transform creative ideas into sustainable businesses.

This conversation is funny, heartfelt, and full of reminders that healing isn't about having all the answers. Sometimes it's simply about finding people willing to ask better questions.

If you've ever wondered how community gets built, or wished you had people who truly "get" you, this episode is for you.