1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 Has anyone ever called you that? In week two of the 90-day black tax series, Simone unpacks what happens the moment you try to change a pattern you have already named, and the specific word that tends to show up right when you do. Simone traces the accusation back to a clash she names directly, the collision between a collectivist, communal cultural dynamic and the individualistic boundaries needed to function and stay whole while living abroad. She is careful to separate the pattern from the people in it, naming that most of what gets asked of us is asked out of real need, and most of what we give, we give out of love, while also naming a harder truth, that some of what circulates are stories built to extract money while the person abroad quietly absorbs the cost in their own health and peace. The core of the episode is a piece of timing she wants listeners to actually notice: nobody calls you selfish for the first nine years of saying yes, the word tends to surface exactly once, in the exact moment you say something different than expected, and that timing is not a coincidence, it is information. She is honest that she has not fully resolved the harder question underneath it, telling the difference between a boundary that protects something real and one that is avoidance wearing healthier language, and names that changing will make people around you uncomfortable, so finding real community, coaching, or therapy to support the work matters as much as naming the pattern itself. This episode is for anyone who has been met with silence, a look, or a missed phone call the moment they tried to do something different than what was expected of them, and needed to hear that the accusation is not proof of wrongdoing, sometimes it is only proof that something is changing. About Simone W. Johnson-Smith Simone is the founder of Thrive Abroad and The Bridge Concepts, LLC, a Jamaican-born American intercultural strategist, coach, and former U.S. diplomat. She is the International Impact Book Award-winning author of Decoding America &amp;amp; Coming Home to Yourself: The Immigrant Experience, available on Amazon, and host of this podcast, reaching listeners in over 100 countries. #BlackTax #Whitewashed #ImmigrantFinance #DecodingAmerica #ThriveAbroad #FirstGenWealth New to the U.S.? Start here → thebridgeconcepts.org/newcomer Already established, and the financial piece resonated? Get The Black Tax Boundary Kit, a free starting number and three scripts for the conversations that get hard. → thebridgeconcepts.org/black-tax-boundary-kit.html Ready for the fuller plan, built around your specific number? Apply for a Chemistry Call. → https://form.jotform.com/261967575607068 Want the conversation to continue weekly? Subscribe to The Thrive Abroad Brief. → thriveabroad.substack.com The Immigrant Experience in America Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@theimmigrantexperience Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music Support the show on Patreon Visit: thebridgeconcepts.org Follow along: LinkedIn | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook Share your story with us: thebridgeconcepts.org/podcast.html#share-your-story This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. For guidance specific to your immigration status, consult a licensed immigration attorney. For guidance specific to your financial situation, consult a licensed financial professional. The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA) https://immigrantamerican.libsyn.com <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/42462090/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/fed100/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/item/42462090