Romance in Colour

Podcast of The Month: Romance in Colour

Interview by Angela Anderson

Romance in Colour is a podcast of two friends, Tatianna Richardson and Dr. Yakini Etheridge, who both share a genuine love for all things romance. Authentic, fun, and upbeat; the Romance in Colour podcast hosts talk movies, books, and the xennial Black experience with commentary that will for sure have you wanting to hear more.

Tatianna, a romance author and Yakini, a psychologist, both bring a remarkable experience to the listening audience of romance lovers everywhere. Jointly, they have created a podcast mastermind using the romance genre with a smooth entanglement with conversations of race, culture, and diversity inclusion. One cannot leave out the dynamic way in which they discuss the hottest news and topics in TV, media, books, music, and more, all while staying true to themselves and the Romance in Colour brand.

The Heat Seekers Magazine had the opportunity to speak with one of the podcast hosts, Tatianna Richardson. Check out what she had to say about the one-of-a-kind Romance in Colour podcast.

Angela Anderson: How did you get started in podcasting?

Tatianna Richardson: Initially, Yakini and I started this together as a way to reconnect. It was also a place for us to fangirl over Hallmark and Lifetime projects, especially at Christmas. The two of us are addicted to holiday movies. Fast forward to now…our podcast has evolved into a place to hear about real inclusive love, books, movies, and authors who embody those ideals.

AA: Why did you start the Romance in Colour podcast?

TR: We felt like there wasn’t a space at the time for Black women to discuss all the things we liked in Romance. We also wanted to introduce the audience to some of our favorite movies, TV shows, and books.

AA: What inspired the name of your podcast, Romance in Colour (with a U)?

TR: Actually, we just wanted it to look refined, lol. There was also another website with a similar name; we wanted to set ourselves apart. So, there you have it, Romance in Colour, with a U.

AA: Besides the spelling of the name, what is unique about the Romance in Colour platform?

TR: Well, we try and approach looking at romance via the lenses of two Black women in their 40s. We have both been divorced. I have since remarried, and Yakini’s now dating. Our moms definitely influence both of our perspectives. Though we have many similarities, our life experiences are different. Therefore, we have many different perspectives on things to bring to our listeners in our own creative way. Oh, in case you didn’t know, I am Tati (short for Tatianna), and she is Yaki (short for Yakini). Yaki is also a psychologist. She will often break down the science behind romance and relationships. Which I would say is interesting and unique in itself.

AA: Tatianna, share with us some of the behind-the-scenes of creating one Romance in Colour podcast episode.

TR: Now, this is where things get interesting. I’m in Atlanta and Yaki is in New York; therefore, it takes the help of technology to make this happen. We record via the Anchor platform. When we have author interviews, we pre-record those via conferencing apps. We are both busy moms with lives, so we try and work around our individual schedules. Therefore, we have a set day each week; usually, Tuesdays that we record. Then we edit the podcast the following day for a Friday release. It’s a process where we’ve managed to find our flow and make it work to bring our listeners great episodes.

AA: What aspect of your podcast is the most fun for you?

TR: We absolutely love author interviews. Getting to know how people write and why they write is pretty cool! Also, our big holiday episode where we talk about all the holiday projects coming out that feature BIPOC and diversity inclusion is a lot of fun too.

Tati

AA: What can a listener expect when tuning into a Romance in Colour podcast episode?

TR: Each show is structured with a flow that works for us. We start the show with a recap of the previous week’s episode, followed by the hot topics in romance segment, where we talk about romance issues in pop culture. Then we have the topic or author interviews, followed by our watching romance (TV and film reviews), reading romance (book recommendations), and sometimes a listening romance (music) segment. The listener can expect a full show that is entertaining and fulfilling with a common theme of “romance”.

AA: Tatianna, let’s switch gears. It is February, the month of LOVE, so let’s talk romance. What do you enjoy about the idea of romance?

TR: For me, I would say that romance is the glue that holds a relationship together. It’s what draws you to a person.

Yakini

AA: What does romance look like for you?

TR: What does romance look like for me? Romance isn’t always the grand gestures. Sometimes it’s the little things like random flowers or a personal foot massage. It’s the anticipation of fulfilling your partner and their needs.

AA: It has been a pleasure speaking with you. Please share how listeners can tune in to the Romance in Colour podcast.

TR: The Romance in Colour podcast is available on several podcast platforms, including Anchor, Spotify, Stitcher, Apple, and Google.

Stay connected with Romance in Colour via the podcast and on social media. Podcast: www.anchor.fm/RomanceinColour Twitter: @RomanceNColour Instagram: @Romanceincolour