Nyesha & Samantha
Nyesha and Samantha are both New York natives residing in Brooklyn with their two year old daughter, Abigail, and Sam’s mother. “Intertwined” is a word that best describes their approach to partnership. They share everything except hats and bras, they even work at the same nonprofit. They feel closest to each other when working towards a shared goal including the launch of their book, “Two Mommies and a Baby.”
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Below is their full interview and some of their goals:
Balancing Act: These two have won Flea Market Flip, written a book, and amassed a 12k instagram following together @twomommiesandababy. When asked how they work together they shared that Nyesha is the big picture person and Sam is ready to get down to business with the action steps. Nyesha brings a very excitable energy which lends her skills naturally to building their social media presence whereas Sam is very methodical and makes sure that everything is working behind the scenes. To highlight their balancing personalities they even shared that Samantha didn’t really talk before dating Nyesha and that a year into things on a date night Nyesha proclaimed, “ok, I’m done talking, it’s your turn.”
Writing their Own Story: When they looked around for childrens’ books awaiting the arrival of their daughter, they realized there weren’t any books with families that looked like theirs. When Nyesha went to a Tony Robbins’ event she had a flash of inspiration, “Two Mommies and a Baby.” This was to become their lives and the two invested in their first book together feverishly typing away. The two had to learn their own styles of writing together and with the help of a child book editor they paired things down to focus on what mattered most- their family and the doula who guided them on their journey into motherhood.
Magnifying What’s Possible: Nyesha and Samantha have a strong presence in the LGBTQ community and take pride in representing women of color to highlight a new narrative of family life. Last year they had their first non-child vacation to The Weekend Soiree @theweekendsoiree where they spoke on the Family Planning panel and had a blast checking out New Orleans and building new friendships. They also try to respond to all fan mail especially like the one they received from a young teen who thanked them for the hope they gave to her. Together, their story ripples throughout their communities and it’s clear from speaking to them that it is this impact that keeps them going in their efforts.
An FAQ on their Life: Sam and Nyesha get frequently asked questions about their lives together including, “are you sisters?” or “who is the mom?” Rather than repeating their answers, they went ahead and put all this information in a podcast. These two are very honest and open about navigating their lives together. One of my favorite glimpses into their lives was how Samantha officially came out to her family when she sent her wedding invite out, which aligns with her practical personality calling into question why people even need to come out. The couple shared that doing this podcast is another way of forging their own bond together.
Shared Goals: Achieving something together is when these two feel closest to each other. Whether it’s saving for a house or reaching a fitness goal these two make it fun and actionable. For example, to keep each other accountable to their workouts, Nyesha posts each of them doing the same dance routine and asking their 12k followers, “who did it best?” This helps maintain momentum towards their goal and engages their broader community in their journey.
Love Coupons & Budgets: Nyesha and Samantha have different love languages. Nyesha likes gifts, while Sam prefers acts of service. For Valentine’s day Sam created a coupon book for Nyesha where each month Nyesha could redeem a new present ranging from a massage, a pedicure, or Nyesha’s favorite- a $100 bill to spend as she pleases, which was particularly fun since Nyesha usually follows a strict budget to curb her spending. Nyesha on the other hand shows her love to Sam by making a budget and timeline for their projects together so Sam can know that things are getting done.
Breastfeeding Graduation: Samantha is a breastfeeding pro. She breastfed Abigail for just over two years and recently launched an e-book called, “10 Things I wish I knew about Breastfeeding.” When it came time to wean their daughter, Samantha framed it to Abigail as a mini-graduation from breastfeeding. This seemed to be a helpful way to name the transition in a way that a 2 year old could understand.
Taking Turns Carrying: Even though it did not work out for Nyesha to carry a child, the intention is very noteworthy. Not every couple gets to take turns being a gestational parent of a child and when it comes to equity in the home, there’s nothing more equal than sharing the load of growing the family.
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The goal of these episodes is to expand the vocabulary for navigating life together. Have questions, thoughts, respectful comments? Leave them below!