Presenting: Chiquis and Chill Season 4
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RhodesScholar.org slash Discover25. Rhodes Scholar, celebrating 50 years of learning, adventure, and friendship in 2025. From the producers who brought you Princess of South Beach comes a new podcast, The Setup. The

The setup follows a lonely museum curator, but when the perfect man walks into his life... Well, I guess I'm saying I like you. You like me? ...he actually is too good to be true. This is a con. I'm conning you to get the Dilala painting. You can do this together.

Listen to The Setup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, y'all. I'm Maria Fernanda Diaz. When You're Invisible is my love letter to the working class people and immigrants who shaped me. Season two shares stories about community and being underestimated. All the greatest changes have happened when a couple of people said, this sucks. Let's do something about it.

We get paid to serve you, but we're made out of the same things. It's rare to have black male teachers. Sometimes I am the testament. Listen to When You're Invisible on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember what you said the first night I came over here? Owl goes lower? From Blumhouse TV, iHeart Podcasts, and Ember 20 comes an all-new fictional comedy podcast series. Join the flighty Damien Hirst as he unravels the mystery of his vanished boyfriend. ♪

I've been spending all my time looking for answers about what happened to Santi. And what's the way to find a missing person? Sleep with everyone he knew, obviously. Listen to The Hookup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Hi guys, welcome to season four of my podcast, Cheekies and Chill. Thanks to you guys, the

Those that listen and come back every week, twice a week to listen to my podcast. I am so grateful. Thank you so much for listening. If you've been here since season one, if you came on a little later, if this is your first time listening to my podcast, welcome.

We receive you with lots of love and open arms. I'm excited to have you. I'm excited to have all of you. If it wasn't for you guys listening in, I would not have a podcast and I would not be on season four. So we got to celebrate that. I have missed you guys. I hope that you miss me. And I wanted to start this season talking about what I have in store for 2025 and just be completely 100% honest with you guys the way I always am. That's what Cheeky's and Chill is all about.

And I don't intend to change that even if it is a new year. So I'm going to let you guys know what's on my mind and my heart and what I'm looking forward to. So here we go. It's the first episode. For those of you that don't know, you know, there's Cheeky's and then there's Janae. Janae is my birth name. I think I've shared it plenty of times here on the podcast, but if I haven't, you know,

feel like I've been in a way, not neglecting Janae because I always do my best to like

stay centered and stay true to myself. And I'm both Janae and Chiquis. I mean, I can't change that, but I've been called Chiquis since I was very young, since I was little. And for a long time, that's what I thought my name was until I started going to school. And I was like, oh my God, my name is Janae and not really Janae. It was actually Janie, but that's a whole other story. And we'll get into that. I've talked about it here on the podcast, but

Anyways, my point is that for the past, I don't know, I want to say for sure 10 years, I have been very, very focused heavily on Chiquis and growing my career as a singer and solidifying myself as a recording artist. And I feel like

I've done a pretty good job. Thank God. And thank God for the people that listen to my music and stream it. It may not be crazy ass streams like other artists, but I'm so grateful because the people that follow me on the music platforms are the ones that are definitely listening in. So that means a lot to me. And I'm very grateful. But I feel like in a way I haven't catered as much as I'd like to Janae to like,

who I am at the core of myself.

That sounds weird at the core of myself, but yes, at my core. And anyways, so I just feel like this year it's more about Janae. And to be completely honest with you guys, I don't necessarily know what that looks like fully. And on my New Year's post, I put that. I was very honest. I, you know, there's no other way I know how to be, but I said, hey, I'm starting the new year on the right foot, but 2025, I'm not necessarily ready for you, but I will be.

And that's how I feel. This year already started off with so many things emotionally heavy. I feel like the energy has been dense everywhere. I speak to people and they're all feeling the same way. So I am kind of like at a crossroads. I don't necessarily know exactly what my year looks like. I have plans, plans as far as becoming a mother. And I hope that comes to fruition.

And I'm just praying about that. So that's kind of like the only thing that I'm like, okay, I really want to focus on this this year. And I think maybe until that happens, I'll have more clarity as far as my career goes. But here on the podcast, we're going to continue to do what we have been doing. And it is a podcast about...

health and beauty and spirituality and feeling your best and becoming the best version of yourself. So as I'm doing that myself, tapping into this new soft girl era, should I say, I want to share that with you guys. And on the podcast, I want to have professionals and experts on certain topics, maybe becoming a mother or nutrition, you know, mental health,

there are so many things I have questions about. And I really, really want to tap in to that space on the podcast this year or this season, should I say. I'm going to continue to share my personal life with you guys as I have been doing. Something always happens in my life. And I'm going to continue to be honest and open with you guys because one thing I do have clear and has not changed is the fact that

I am meant to change the world one heart at a time. And my podcast is definitely an essential part of that. So again, thank you guys for listening in and being here and being open to listening to my thoughts, to my experiences, to my aspirations, to this new era that I don't even know what it looks like, guys. I really don't. And I had mentorship the other day and I told my mentor that and

And he said, it is okay to say, I don't know. And I was like, yeah, you're right. Because I've always been the type of woman that's like, I have a plan. I know what my year is going to look like. I know I'm going to go on tour. I know that I'm going to, you know, bring out two albums and I always have a plan and I love schedules and I love to-do lists. And right now for the first time, I think in a long time, if not in my life, I am just taking it day by day.

And if I feel like resting i'm gonna rest and if I feel like getting shit done i'm gonna do that like

I don't know. Something is definitely shifting. And I said this on one of my episodes with Roddy and she's like a spiritual, like amazing woman. If you guys did not listen to that episode in season three, please go listen to it. But I felt a shift. I felt it. I felt it coming. I felt it like the end of last year. And I'm like, something is changing. I don't know what it looks like. And I'm just embracing that right now. And I'm okay with that. And I'm going to share it with you guys as I go.

And that's just the truth. We're going to figure this out together. Dreamed of exploring the world? Road Scholar invites you to turn that dream into reality. As a leader in educational travel for adults 50 and older, Road Scholar offers enriching adventures in more than 100 countries and across the United States. With Road Scholar, you're not a tourist. You're an active learner, immersed in inspiring experiences. To learn more, visit

Hey, y'all. I'm Maria Fernanda Diaz. My podcast, When You're Invisible, is my love letter to the working class people and immigrants who shaped my life. I get to talk to a lot of people who form the backbone of our society, but who have never been interviewed before.

Season two is all about community, organizing, and being underestimated. All the greatest changes have happened when a couple of people said, "This sucks. Let's do something about it." I can't have more than $2,000 in my bank account or else I can't get disability benefits. They won't let you succeed. I know we get paid to serve you guys, but like, be respectful. We're made out of the same things: bone, body, blood.

It's rare to have black male teachers. Sometimes I am the lesson and I'm also the testament. Listen to When You're Invisible as part of the My Cultura podcast network. Available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I started to live a double life when I was a teenager. Responsible and driven and wild and out of control. My head is pounding. I'm confused. I don't know why I'm in jail. I don't know why I'm in jail.

It's hard to understand what hope is when you're trapped in a cycle of addiction. Addiction took me to the darkest places. I had an AK-47 pointed at my head. But one night, a new door opened, and I made it into the rooms of recovery. The path would have roadblocks and detours, stalls and relapses. But when I was feeling the most lost, I found hope with community, and I made my way back.

This season, join me on my journey through addiction and recovery. A story told in 12 steps. Listen to Crems as part of the Michael Lura Podcast Network. Available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Do you remember what you said the first night I came over here? Ow goes lower? From Blumhouse TV, iHeart Podcasts, and Ember 20 comes an all-new fictional comedy podcast series. Join the flighty Damien Hirst as he unravels the mystery of his vanished boyfriend. And Santi was gone. I've been spending all my time looking for answers about what happened to Santi. And what's the way to find a missing person? Sleep with everyone he knew, obviously. Hmm.

Mmm, pillow talk. The most unwelcome window into the human psyche. Follow our out-of-his-element hero as he engages in a series of ill-conceived investigative hookups. Mama always used to say, God gave me gumption in place of a gag reflex. And, as I was about to learn, no amount of showering can wash your hands of a bad hookup.

Take a big whiff, my bra. Listen to The Hookup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. What I keep hearing during my time of like meditation is going back to basics, going back to that why I started everything that I do.

The music, the book, like everything that I do, like I don't want to forget the why. I just, I don't know. Like I feel like spirituality, like a different version of myself is getting ready to like be born. And it's kind of crazy because I want to give life to another human being. So I feel like in order to do that, I want to make sure that I am prepared in every way and that I am my best self.

So I don't know. That's what I'm feeling. And of course I still want to do music. Absolutely. There's still events that we're going to be doing, but I'm not going to go as hard or as heavy and I'm not, don't want to feel pressured in any way. Now more than ever, if I want to say no to something, I'm going to say no and be okay with it. Like that's it. And the first thing I did this year was

in regards to that is, is saying no to some like Grammy events because I did go to the Grammys guys. We were nominated for an American Grammy, you know, I'm so excited. We didn't win, but I was happy to be there. But before that, there were events that were very good for me to be at, you know, networking and, and, you know, being in that space, especially because it's like, you know, it's the American side of things. And, and of course making connections is important, but it's,

I wanted to spend time with my nieces and nephews and my husband. And I did that. And I, maybe my management wasn't too happy about it, but they respected it. But before I'd be like, well, no, I have to be there. Okay, fine. I'll do it. And I don't want to do that this year. I really want to put like my family first, my husband, like I want.

I want to spend more time with my friends. I just, I don't know. Like I even get really like emotional thinking about it because I've been working so damn hard for the past, for my whole life in reality, but especially since my mom passed away 12 years ago. And for sure for the last 10 years that I'm like, I just want to go back to me, to my soul, to what I'm meant to do here and make a difference and do more philanthropy work and

I really, really am craving that and taking a step back from music, not stepping away from

Because some people were kind of like from one of the last episodes in season three, I kind of talked about it, you know, the New Year's one. And people were like, oh my God, Chikis is going to retire from music. And I'm like, no, that's not what I said. I'm taking just a step back, which means I'm able to look in. I want to fall in love again with the process of making art. And I also feel like I want to write different type of music. And I want the sound to be different without thinking of,

and awards and recognition, although all that feels amazing. Don't get me wrong. But now I'm like, I want to sing about something different. I'm in a happy place, thank God, and I hope it stays that way for the rest of my life. But I want to talk about love and about how can I inspire people and all the things that I talk about on the podcast and all that I am like on social media, like how can I bring that into my music? So in order to do that, I need to step back

take a little break. There's nothing wrong with taking breaks. I feel like breaks are definitely necessary because when you're in, like sometimes it kind of fogs your vision. And I feel like it did for a little bit because especially last year we went hard and I told myself I wanted to go hard in 2024. Careful what you ask for because I was like, oh my gosh. And it was very successful and I don't regret anything, but I felt

was mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually exhausted. And I'm like, if I don't take a little break, I'm going to burn out and I'm going to resent my career. And I don't want to do that. I'm still going to be present. I still want to be on social media and share my life and share things with you guys. But

I don't know if I want to necessarily tour as hard as I did the past 10 years, you know? So that's just that. And again, we're going to figure it out together. You know, I'm taking it literally day by day, month by month. You know, right now I feel like I'm on a soul break, on a soul break to kind of become my best soul child. I was talking to my mentor, you know, and we talked about what this year, because last year was fulfillment. I always have like a word for every year. So last year was fulfillment.

This year, it's rejoice. Rejoice, reset, recalibrate. It's kind of like that kind of vibe. And with that comes, yes, I want to take a break from alcohol. I've been wanting to do this for a very, very, very long time. And I take long breaks. I do 40 days. I did 90 days last year. And I

I know that as I'm tapping into this healthier version of myself, not only mentally and spiritually and emotionally, but physically, and I want to prepare my body to have a child, I know what alcohol does. Since I know this, this is how I know that there has to be a change because I know how toxic, how poisonous alcohol is for our bodies.

I want to start doing things that are going to increase my life, not decrease my life. Because guys, whether I want to admit it or not, and I'm better with this now, I'm going to be 40 this year. And I want to live long and I'm going to have hopefully a child, you know? So I'm having a child later in my life, which there is a study. They just sent me this, guys. Anyone that has a child after 40, just saying, has a, I don't know what percentage, but I

a larger percentage of like living till a hundred. I don't necessarily know if I want to live to a hundred, but I'm just saying, you know, that made me feel a little bit better, but I definitely want to have stopped thinking about what makes me happy right now in the moment. And it's like, you know, that instant gratification, like alcohol, because alcohol gives you that dopamine and that serotonin. And it's like, oh my God, I feel really good right now. And it's like, yeah, you know, I want to stop doing that because that's a disservice to myself.

and start thinking about, okay, I know that this will make me happy now, but how is it going to affect me tomorrow and in my future? That's really, really loving yourself. And I'm a person that I'm like, I'm all about self-care and self-love, but that's a huge part of my life that has had a bit of a hold on me. And I'm not going to lie, I enjoy tequila, I enjoy social drinking and all that stuff, but

it's not good for me. And that's my personal opinion. That's my personal choice. And I really, really want to get a hold of that this year. I'm already starting by drinking less. The month of February, I gave up red meat. I gave up coffee and, you know, taking it easy on, you know, the alcohol, like really practicing my willpower. But I need to like, I want to cut it off completely. It's

Again, a lot easier said than done. I love saying that, but it's true. But that is one of my goals this year, guys. You know, like for instance, the gym.

Sometimes there's days when I'm like, oh my gosh, I don't want to go. It's tough. Like my trainer kicks my ass. But then I start thinking now, how am I going to feel after? Because I wake up really early to meditate, to like pray the whole thing, to prep my day before I go work out. So sometimes I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm so tired. I want to text him and tell him, you know what? I don't feel good today. But then I'm like, I say a little prayer. I'm like, God, give me the strength to get out of this bed. And then I'm like, you know what? I'm going to feel so good afterwards. I want to do more of that.

Because yes, a lot of things that are good for us guys don't necessarily feel great in the moment, but afterwards you feel freaking accomplished. And I love that feeling of accomplishment. And I want to get addicted to that feeling, that after feeling, not the right now feeling. Okay, right now I feel good. Right now I'm going to do this. I'm going to drink and I'm going to feel good right now. But then I feel like shit the next day because I don't, honestly, my body's not taking alcohol the way it used to. Like it gives me a headache. Like I'm just like, okay, I think my body's even like rejecting it.

So I really need to tap into that. And I need you guys to help me. So we're going to probably speak to an expert about alcohol so that we can all learn together the effects of alcohol because it's poison, guys.

It really is. And also, if we're not careful, it can make us do really bad things and make bad choices. We'll talk about that in an episode. But that's just me. Personally, that's my choice. I'm not telling everyone to do that. But I think it's important for us to be informed. And that's what I want to do. I want to have those hard conversations and face those hard conversations that perhaps in the past I've been, you know, putting on the back burner or ignoring because I don't necessarily want to know because I kind of know. But if I know more, then hopefully, you know,

I'll be able to just really cut back or cut everything. For 2025, at the end of 2025, I'd like to say I will be a mommy. I have shared a lot here on the podcast how I've gone back and forth, you know, with the thought of becoming a mom for a long time. I didn't want to be a mother.

When I met Emilio, my husband, one of our very first conversations was, hey, I don't ever want to get married again. I don't want to have kids. Are you cool with that? He was like, hell yeah, that's great. Neither do I. And here we are. We're married and planning a baby and I feel good about it. I haven't told a lot of people this, so they're going to find out, you know, with this episode. But

I am excited. And the more and more I think about it, the more excited I get. And I know that I'm going to be a great mother, God willing. And I think this, everything happened the way

It was supposed to happen. I can honestly say I'm excited to turn 40 and to be able to look back on my life and say, wow, I've accomplished so much. I've done so much. I've traveled. I've lived, you know, and now I'm ready to live my life for a little person. And this will be like the biggest thing.

Project accomplishment, whatever you want to call it of my life and i've never felt more ready and Of course i'm scared of course because i'm stepping into the unknown But I also kind of know because i've raised my siblings but at the end of 2025 I hope that I can tell you guys. Oh my gosh Not only am I pregnant but I have a baby because if we start soon guys Then by the end of the year i'll have a little baby

So that is the biggest thing I want to accomplish this year, to be honest. That's the only thing I can really think about right now. And the crazy thing is that I've been working on a children's book. And if you guys haven't seen on my social media, I posted it and it's all kind of coming together. And I did not plan it this way. It's called The Girl Who Sings to Bees.

So it's all kind of just coming together. So I'm just, I'm happy and I am hopeful and optimistic for 2025. It did not start in the best of ways. I had a very heavy heart all of January, a little bit of February, but now you know what? I'm feeling better and I think it's all how we choose to see things and look at things and do our part in the world. And that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to do my part, what I can do.

And that'll be my way of making this world a better place. You know, so 2025, now I'm ready. It's in the beginning of the year. I can't say I was, but it's still the beginning of the year, but still I'm ready. I'm more ready than I was for sure January 1st. And I hope you guys are too. And I hope that you guys are excited for this new season of Chikis and Chill. I think we're going to learn a lot together and we're going to have some tough conversations, but with tough conversations,

comes growth and maturity and more than anything helps us and preps us for becoming our best selves. And anything that is worthwhile, guys, will be uncomfortable. But when we're uncomfortable, that's when we grow. So I am ready to grow and I hope you guys are too. So that is it. That is all I have to share for this episode. And please tell your friends and share it and let them know that like Chikis and Chill podcast is the best podcast ever.

And yeah, I'll catch you on the next episode of Cheekies and Chill. And don't forget, Dear Cheekies on Wednesdays, okay? I love you guys and I'm excited. I'm excited for this new season, this new era that's coming for all of us. ♪♪♪

Do you need advice on love, relationships, health, y más? I'm so excited to share with you that my Cheekies and Chill podcast will have an extra episode drop each week. I'll be answering all your questions. Just leave me a voice message con todas tus preguntas y yo te las voy a contestar personalmente. All you have to do is go to speakpipe.com slash Cheekies and Chill podcast and record your questions. I can't wait to hear from you. ♪♪♪

This is a production of iHeartRadio and the My Cultura Podcast Network. Follow us on Instagram at My Cultura Podcast and follow me, Chiquis, that's C-H-I-Q-U-I-S. For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.