Kylene Dyana Redmond - Black Diabetic Girl

[00:00:00] Rob Howe: Welcome back. We have an awesome episode for you guys today. It's Black History Month 2022. And so we brought on the goat herself, Kylene from Black Diabetic Girl. We chop it up for about an hour, ranging from everything from how she got her start, from her diagnosis story, to what she would tell current and future Black Diabetic Girls. It is an episode that you can't miss. And there's even a little bit of inside information before Eritrea came to diabetics doing things, a conversation that she had with Kylene. So you can get a little bit of the background as well. We know Eritrea loves the tea. I like to spill it, but I like the whole, the black diabetic girl effect, like how Kylene has impacted not just the space in so many different ways. So, yeah. And we've been a big advocates for sharing your story and for, you know, having that vulnerability exchange with people. And there could not be a better example for us to find than Kylene. So be sure to check her out on Black Diabetic Girl on Instagram, blackdiabeticgirl.com, and be sure to support those initiatives and get in touch with her as well if you have questions about this podcast. So thank you, Kylene, for coming on and enjoy this episode with Kylene from Black Diabetic Girl. Welcome back to another episode of Diabetics Doing Things. We are telling the amazing stories of people with diabetes from all over the world. Our very special guest today, you know her on social media as Black Diabetic Girl, but

[00:01:21] Kylene Redmond: we know her as kyleen kyleen welcome to the show thanks guys it's great to be here you know this

[00:01:27] Rob Howe: is actually our first recording in 2022 so we have been like plotting and building and we figure we better start off on the right foot and have you as our first recorded guest in 2022 hello i like history month girl you know we had to bring you i was like okay listen we're not trying i'm gonna start it correct we haven't recorded with anybody else so we're gonna warm up with kyle let's do it

[00:01:50] Kylene Redmond: And that means that everybody else is listening. If you come behind me, you have to be better than me. So good luck.

[00:01:56] Rob Howe: I sound like the ceiling is like we just we just raised it. You know, I mean, that's good. We got to continue to improve all the time. So it's big. So just like we always kind of started and we have been friends in the diabetes community for years now. And I think that that's going to come through through this interview. But just just to get started on the diagnosis piece. And I know that you have a very specific and very relevant diagnosis story because there's been some misdiagnosis in your life, like many people with diabetes. So would love to hear about your various diagnosis stories.

[00:02:28] Kylene Redmond: Sure. So those that don't know, I was actually diagnosed as type 2 when I initially went into urgent care. I went thinking that I had a urinary tract infection because I was going to the bathroom all of the time. and you know well those that like to self-diagnose you know how you walk in and you tell them you know what's wrong with you that was me I walked in like this is what's wrong with me let's get it together and the gentleman the doctor came back and he was like no so you don't have a urinary tract infection but you are diabetic you know um he didn't get into like the specifics of what type right away he was just like you know oh you're overweight and you know this happens in black families often. And I had my dad with me. So, you know, he's like, my dad was like, oh, I'm type 2, you know, I'm diabetic, whatever, whatever. And so the gentleman just went with that. And I was like, okay, I mean, and I didn't know any better. So it was a, okay, well, what we got to do to fix it, you know, what do I do? And so it did not get better. It got worse. I ended up in the hospital several times after that, passed out at work, at home, went into DKA, was diagnosed with pancreatitis, but still no correct diagnosis, right? I go to, well, not the urgent care, let me state that. The urgent care is not where I work. I ended up going to the hospital where I work and I'm in the unit and I'm talking to one of the doctors that I know and I'm like yo something is really off like I've never my asthma is crazy but I don't come to the hospital this much like Jesus um and so we got to talking and she was asking me what like how the visit went I played it out to her and she said I'm gonna ask him to do some other tests because there are multiple types of diabetes and I was taken back like oh and so so long and behold she the on-call doctor was like so you're type 1 and I was like well what is that explain to me please and it's been a lot better since then but you know it was just my issue with the urgent care provider was you literally just ran with the fact that I'm an adult I'm a black woman and in your state you know and I'm overweight so this is this is how we diagnose people that doesn't work like you didn't ask any you didn't ask nothing you know you didn't ask do I have a HIP does my family have a history of diabetes like you just ran with it and also you didn't give me anything to work with you know you just sent me out there and the endocrinologist at the time that I had wasn't any help I'm like well I'm doing everything that you said to do you know you said workout you said to change my diet you said to do this and do that and I did those things however I was still feeling like trash I still was getting sick and you know nothing was changing I'm like well what y'all want from me because something wrong and so

[00:05:40] Rob Howe: So yeah, well, you bring up like a couple of really good points, like at face value, when, when, when doctors and practitioners look at patients at face value, there are things that can be missed. And especially with a diagnosis of type 2 versus type 1, like there's so many nuances, like it has the same name diabetes, but as we know, those of us who have lived with it for years and have been active in the community. Like there's, there's various different elements to each of them. Um, and, you know, I think like back in the, back in the day, the old people were like, well, do you have the good kind or the bad kind? I was like, well, tell me which one is which cause I don't know. Um, but I think, you know, one of the things that I would, I would encourage, I don't know if you're listening to this podcast, you probably already have been, had your, had your diagnosis, like, you know, corrected and whatnot, but, uh, make your, if you get diagnosed with diabetes and they don't do an antibody test, do the antibody test just to be, just in case, just in case. Um, so yeah. Uh, well from there though, like, you know, what, what was that? Once you got the information that you needed, did you feel like you actually like were, were managing it pretty well? And like, Phil, it felt like that you, you know, once you had all the right information and the right tools that you were able to get back on track.

[00:06:54] Kylene Redmond: I do. Um, it was a battle because then I was diagnosed with pancreatitis. They put me on, on a medicine that in the intro or whatever, of course, it was like not for people with type 1 diabetes, but because they didn't diagnose me as such, you know, and I'm trying to figure out how to do something. My doctor, the endo at the time was like, oh, you know, we'll try this. Well, that landed me with pancreatitis. So that battle of trying to get out of like all of those flare-ups and still manage correctly. It was, I'll say like that first year was kind of a battle, you know, just trying to get my body back out of hypo flare-ups and those sorts of things. But after that, like, I feel like that was like my honeymoon stage, right? Like after that, then life was good, you know. We were moving and shaking, you know. We lived with a nice A1C, you know. So I got a, I got a good endocrinologist and life was great. And yeah, you know, I don't have any outside of hepatitis. I have zero complications.

[00:08:09] Rob Howe: Um, you know, so talk to me a little bit about, you mentioned you have a great endocrinologist now, uh, what, what was that process like? And did you, did you have to fire a doctor? Did you, you know, did you, did you go on a search? You know, what, what was that like? Because I think that's a really challenging, um, journey to go on as a patient, especially for the first time, like really advocating for yourself to say, Hey, I need different,

[00:08:32] Kylene Redmond: different levels of care. So those that don't know, I work in healthcare. So my journey is a lot different from a lot of people. Um, we, I've worked with providers, right? So at the time my original endo was not a doctor at our practice. And so black lady at that, I need everyone to know because people always say go to a black provider. Well, it was the black provider that failed me. And my urgent care provider was a black man and he failed me initially. Right. Um, so I did fire her, you know, because she just wasn't listening. I'm like, listen, ma'am, I'm doing everything with everything. So fired her. My PCP was the one who, you know, I was telling her, but we have a very good relationsHIP. And I was like, so listen, I need an endocrinologist unless you want to keep doing it. And I know you don't want to. So put me on. And we went down the list and she was like, I know you personally. I know who will be a good fit, who won't be a good fit. And so she said, this specific provider. And I was like, oh, I know him. I work like we work professionally. And so I called his office. He was not taking the patient at the time. And I was like, oh, no, no, no. so I had to pull a little I work here what's up and we've been good he's literally been my endo since 2011 and I always tell him he can't go anywhere and if he ever retires that I'm going with him if he moves back home like we stuck we are stuck like glued there's no you know I'm sorry for his wife and his kids but he gotta he can't go we we I'm coming with him And I'm sure because the other patients were the same way, but I stand by firing your doctor if they are not giving you what you need. If you are spinning your wheels, it's okay. The process can absolutely be frustrating, but once you get that right fit, the reward is so much like it, that journey will be worth it, you know, and people have to remember that just because one doctor works for you doesn't mean that they'll work for somebody else. So be okay with it. You know, sometimes you gotta let them go. They work for you.

[00:10:55] Rob Howe: I love, I love that because, and I think this is really important. We haven't talked about this a ton on the podcast in the past, because I think it, you know, it requires a little bit of a level of experience too. And honestly, like I didn't feel like an adult until I had to decide to change practitioners, you know what I mean? Where I'm like, I'm really not getting what I need here. And I need an endocrinologist that I was very similar to you. I had a great relationsHIP with my PCP, with my primary care physician. She'd been friends with our family for many years. It was, it was, you know, it was great, but her practice was changing. And she's like, look, Rob, you really need an endocrinologist. We can't just do this this way anymore. And I was like, okay. So went on that journey, but I think it's really interesting. And I, and this never, I don't know. It's a, it's a complicated, complicated concept because when you look at the sports world, like you can say, okay, well, there are good coaches or there are bad coaches or good players or bad players because you have a way to measure them. But when you're in a career, and for me, when I was an athlete in college, I just assumed my coach knew what he was doing. My first job, I assumed my boss had it all laid out and they knew what they were doing. Most of us are just trying to figure it out. And not all of us are the best in the business, or not all of us will be right for every patient. So I think it takes a lot of maturity and it It really takes a lot of courage to dig your feet in and say, you know what? I need more from my care team and I'm going to go look for that. And it can be scary, but you know, you're spending your money. You're, you know, you're paying those insurance premiums and you're, you know, advocating for your own care. And that starts with a relationsHIP with your endo.

[00:12:32] Kylene Redmond: For sure. I tell people that all the time, like, listen, if that don't work for you, if you get, if you've gone into that appointment with an open mind and you're being honest, and you're not receiving that back, go ahead and find you a new doctor.

[00:12:48] Rob Howe: Maybe I needed to hear this today, guys. Yeah, yeah. We were talking offline a little bit about Airtree. I had an endo appointment today. And maybe this is our answer to her challenge. It's the universe. So I don't know. Like, I don't know a lot of things that you're saying are really resonating with me of just like, if they're not serving the needs or just almost even dismissing them, then maybe it's time to like look for someone else even if you have been there for a while because like that's totally you know doable sometimes you can outgrow your endocrinologist like that's possible so yeah maybe if somebody else needed to hear it like i did today go get a new endo buddy

[00:13:25] Kylene Redmond: you know now now make sure you know some of y'all might need to talk to your insurance company first but do your due diligence is what i always tell people like do your due diligence

[00:13:37] Rob Howe: 100%. Absolutely. So you got your new endo in 2011. Things are starting to go well for you. I've heard you say before, when you started Black Diabetic Girl, you were looking for other people like you and you were having a hard time finding other Black Diabetic Girls. So kind of walk me through the creation of your channels and your platform and your brand and where that came from and what that opened you up to in the world of diabetes?

[00:14:06] Kylene Redmond: So this is going to sound really crazy. It came from the page became a page because I don't want y'all nosy people on my personal page. So because my personal page is private, right? And I was like, oh, I don't want these people in my business for real. So I got to make a new page because I tried it, right? Like I made my page public and I was like, I don't know how I feel I don't like this I don't I don't like this so I made a new page and I was like okay we're gonna we're gonna not use that because I don't want these people you know it was one of those I don't want the people in my business right so I made that and then I was like well how am I find people I want something I'm very like I'm not a around the bush type of person I'm like straightforward. And so it was, okay, well, what I'm looking for people. And if I want people to find me and I know what type of people I want to find me, let's, let's keep it real. And so then I was like, oh, we could do something with Kai. And I was like, nah. And so black diabetic girls are, well, that's what I am. So here we are. Right. I'm sorry, Leslie. I know you wanted that that name however I got it um and so that was how the page started and it was like instantly I started people started to find me quicker than I was finding them um I have a really good girlfriend that works in PR and she was like listen use these hashtags and this is how you'll find people people will find you and I was like girl whatever but she didn't lie because they would find me and then I started finding them and so that was the birth of Black Diabetic Girl um the brand of Black Diabetic Girl kind of fell into my lap I just wanted friends I really just wanted friends right like I solely just wanted friends to talk about diabetes with my cousin this type 1, but we are polar opposites. He's very quiet about it. Like you don't know, you just like people don't know, you know, unless you're in our family or you just so happen to see his Dexcom, you don't know. So I'm like, I don't want to talk to him. Plus we are very competitive when me and him like a debate. So I'm like, this is not what I want. And so I found friends. Like I was like, yes, okay. The brand part fell into my lap. That literally fell into my lap. Who everyone sees me today as is exactly who I am. I am very outspoken across all boards, at work, everywhere, right? I am very outspoken. I say what I'm feeling, how I'm feeling respectfully, and we're gonna keep it moving and so one of my the same girlfriend was like listen you it's a it's a market for this and I'm like bye girl like this your job so I know that this I don't friend stop um and she was like no I'm serious and I was like you know me yo no I'm good like I make really good money at my job I don't need nothing else right so that was my whole mindset like I'm good listen, I'm good. And she's like, no. But I guess her guess was right. You know, she was clearly, she was right. But it was very much like, I was very much like, no, no, no, you can do whatever. Her, my sister, if it was, I can tell you and I tell everyone, if it was not for Nikki and Tricia, there would be none of everything else that Black diabetic girl does. There would be no Black diabetic girl there would be no dope diabetic girl there would have been no podcast nothing right um and my home girl was just like this thing you need to run with it and so we made a t-shirt and everybody wanted it and I was like oh y'all really want this and they were like yeah so I did those who have been like from the beginning know that like there was no website I was cold like hey send me a paypal cash at me and i will run you your shirt like we have the whole spreadsheet type of business like it was that and i was like oh they called my home girl like listen i'm gonna drop these t-shirts off to you i need you to print them up people want them right and And we were like, oh, we, we, they want these. Okay. So we made it. I started literally with three t-shirts, Black Diabetic Girl, Make Excellent Cheap Again, and Diabetic Girls Do It Better. And here we are today. Here we are.

[00:19:07] Rob Howe: First of all, I think that's a few things. Like number one, I love the title, like where black diabetic girl as a title, like same with diabetics doing things. It was just like, I didn't know if I would change it. I thought it sounded okay at first. And here we are seven years later, you know, like, uh, and, and also just like listening to and having the right people in your, in your life to, to, uh, you know, build you up and to say, Hey, I think you have something here. I think you should, you should do this. Like people are going to want this. Like having friends like that is such a, I don't know about rare, but it's such an important thing for somebody's life in somebody's life. And like these people don't have diabetes, right? They're just someone recognizing what you're doing and supporting you there. I think of some of my friends too, like the first few years of this, just like random emails, texts. One of my good friends bought me an Amazon gift card to buy a podcast, Mike, you know, like little things like that makes such a huge difference. It really does. It definitely does.

[00:20:03] Kylene Redmond: Like she literally would go into my Instagram page and she was like, listen, this is what we need to do you need to do xyz like she literally found like a person to um design everything like i did nothing in the beginning i could i was so like nah girl i don't have no time for this like no and like we argued i wanted the very outside of that pre-sale i wanted diabetic girls do it better to be the first shirt that I sold and she was like are you crazy and I was like I don't want to offend anybody and I was like oh and you know if somebody says I'm crazy I'm be like who are you talking to like we we literally went back and forth um about it probably for like 45 to an hour like we were going head to head like I'm not putting black diabetic girl off your first like

[00:20:58] Rob Howe: I love that you're bringing up that portion because there is a bit of me that asks, like, what was it about the word Black that made you think would offend someone?

[00:21:08] Kylene Redmond: So while I do say whatever I want to say out of my mouth, right, I also have friends that are not Black people, right? At the time, one of my really good friends was a white girl. And I was like, yo, I don't want to offend this. Like, oh, and then I was like, I don't want to offend anybody. Right. Because again, for me, and this is so crazy that this was my thought process, but this was the thought process. It was because if somebody says something crazy to me, they not going to be ready for the wrath that responds. So let's keep it very, this is what you get. And she was like, why do we care? Girl, they can try you if they want to. Like, we don't care.

[00:21:54] Rob Howe: put this out and i was like oh sorry sorry you screaming siri got scared you don't scare siri

[00:22:01] Kylene Redmond: why she gotta talk when i need her to talk you know so i was like oh but you know i always tell her yo you were right i always tell people it wouldn't be none of what it is today without those two women pushing me outside of my box and knowing like you worried about the wrong

[00:22:19] Rob Howe: things this man like that's not so while we're talking about the black diabetic girl and the logo and the shirt and all that there I know that there was a response where some people wanted the white diabetic girl shirts so did they get the smoke I or did you make the shirts I actually

[00:22:38] Kylene Redmond: don't know I don't think I was in the community then there is not a white diabetic girl shirt um Kylene Dyana Redmond will never make a white diabetic shirt um my response to that was very much you can go and buy this diabetic do a girls do a better t-shirt like yo there you go um some people wanted to smoke and they did get the smoke because at that time i wasn't as known as I am now. So I didn't really, you know, it was like, oh yeah, like, oh, I'm gonna run you all the smoke. So some of them that tried me in my DM, I was like, but why do you need this? Explain to me why you need this. Like, why do you need people to know that you're a white diabetic girl? Once I explained to them and some other women, you know, were like, listen, are you crazy? this is why we did xyz the majority of them were i apologize okay i understand like i get it there were a few that tried my hand and i was like baby this is not what you want i promise you i'm not some of the other people that i'm because at this time i'm seeing it right because i'm not a part of it i'm like baby this is not what you want over here like i know that y'all talk trash to some of these other people and they don't say too much oh I'm not her girl like I was you know at that time I was like honey which I'm like honey this is not the smoke that you want and you know they were very much like talking it and I was like where you live at because we catch flights like where you live because we were coming to me that address they didn't know you're from the DMV they don't know i was like no like they are really trying me hard and but in my dm trying me and i was like oh this is not what you want like homegirl i can catch a flight to you and then i was like you know what i'm gonna mind my business like block um i learned about the block button and so i blocked but after that i don't know if she maybe told her friends that oh she talked back because I haven't yet to be tried again like that. And I would like to keep it like that because I'm a very peaceful person.

[00:25:00] Rob Howe: I, you know, I think that there is, I mean, there are some people who just need to learn some lessons. And there's some people that, you know, probably benefited a lot from some of the smoke that you put in those DMs. And hopefully, you know, they have learned their lesson and they're living their life. That's what I'm afraid.

[00:25:15] Kylene Redmond: I'm afraid that they, because we're all human. I don't know why you think that you can come to me and talk to me any kind of way that I'm 80% sure you're not going to do it if we start each other that person. Don't do that keyboard bullying crap with me. I'm not a fan of it. I told you why. If you would like to make one, hey, do you make one? But I'm not doing it. Why am I making a white diabetic girl shirt?

[00:25:44] Eritrea Fasil: I think it's so interesting. Sorry, Rob, to cut you off. Well, I was going to, I was going to loop you into, because I know you as a runner of the smoke as well. You are, do not come for Eritrea in the DM. She will let you know. She will give you the smoke. And I also like to run it like publicly. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. That's my thing. Just be careful. And you know, I wanted to know like how you two got to know each other in the community. And Eritrea, you mentioned that you were a little bit later to join in the community. Do you remember when you discovered Black Diabetic Girl and Kylene? Okay. So first of all, you read my mind, but secondarily, I wanted to say that. So my, cause I think it's so interesting that Kylene has this, or right now when we're talking about like this experience, it's very like, don't mess with Kylene when she's in my opinion, one of the nicest people I've ever met in the diabetic online community. Like as a person who is of color, but it's had a really hard time identifying as a black woman. I've always felt like really shunned by that community or sometimes not accepted. And when I first joined like the diabetic online community and I found Kylene's account, she was the first person I ever talked to from the diabetic online community. And I remember that she was like, yeah, you were very like, because I remember I went through our DMs before this conversation. I went back to our very first DM and I sent you a DM and I was like, hey, thank you so much for connecting with me. I've been looking for other black girls to talk to. And you said, hey, sis, it's so good to connect with you. Let me follow you back. Anything you need, let me know. And you were just immediately someone for me to talk to that maybe, you know, because obviously we're different skin tones or different body types, all that. But I still felt a connection there. And then I remember when there was all this stuff happening with like Black Lives Matters and I was trying to raise money and do these things. And I reached out to Kylene and Kylene was like, let me add you to the black people of color group me. Like, let me add you to our community. Let me bring you in. Like there was just so much love there for me, a stranger. And I had never felt that accepted before. So it was just, I don't know. I just feel so grateful. And also Kylie knows, and I just kind of told Rob, but I wouldn't work at diabetics doing things if Kylie wouldn't have co-signed Rob. Because as a woman of color, I am in a way afraid of white men. Like it's just, you know, a predatory thing. I don't know what you want from me. I don't know you, sir. and before I took our meeting because Rob did ask to have a meeting I texted Kylene and I was like what do I do girl and I still have the voice note because she was like he cool sis don't worry he wears nice shoes I was like I am deceased like she was just like he cool I promise he ain't like the rest of them and he wears nice kicks and I was just listen a lot of people think because I

[00:28:32] Kylene Redmond: I, you know, as a Black woman, right, you know, we already have a different guard up, right? And so because I am very outspoken, I'm loud, and I'm loud because I'm tone deaf, right? So fun fact that a lot of people don't know about me. And so I talk loud so I can hear myself, right? And so, you know, people automatically assume, oh, she's aggressive, she's mean. And I'm like, yo, I cry at the drop of a dime. I'm like, I am a baby for real, but now then the Capricorn will come out. But no, I was like, for me, I've never been that person that's like, oh, we got to write white people off. You know, like some people are like, nope, nope, nope. But I'm like, nah, you know, we, I had gotten to know you, you know, not as much as how I know you now, but you know, I was like, nah, he cool. Like he's, I've seen him stand behind what he says and he says what he means and he stands by it. You know, he's not like some of the other people in our community that are like, I got your back, but then they quiet, you know, I was like, no, no. Talk to him. Like, don't base your opinion off of what other people are saying. I was like, girl, you better do it. You better do it. I'm glad I did.

[00:29:44] Rob Howe: Well, thank you. Yeah, for real. You bring up a good point, though. Like, we really didn't know each other that well then. I think it was mostly just like accounts in the community. You hadn't been on the podcast or, and we hadn't really talked face to face or, or, you know, in a one-on-one scenario. So, uh, I'm glad that that's the message that I put off. And I think, you know, I hope that we continue to do that. I think you're right. Like, to me, it's not about like, I don't know. I, I just believe that we grow together and it's not like a, you know, it's not a competition. I think I look at the diabetes community as a space, especially, you know, when I first started and definitely at that time, uh, you know, when we had AeroTrea joined the team as like, we build stronger together. And there's no reason why we all can't eat. We all can't, you know, be part of this. And, and I think a big part of that too, you know, coming out of that, like hiring Eritrea at that point was, you know, trying to do things a little bit differently. And, you know, we, I am a one man operation and I am a white man and I have had immense levels of privilege all throughout my life, starting with just the people who I was lucky enough to be born to my parents just, you know, they're just a one since day one. Um, and I think that we need to have, you know, more, you know, more people here that are, uh, that are different and that make it accessible. And I know that there are people connected to diabetics doing things now that would not be here if not for Eritrea. And as a result, if not for Kylene's endorsement, so, uh, gotta, gotta, gotta give, uh, gotta respect. You know what I mean? Like I stand on the shoulders with giants i've said this before and um you know this is you know without you guys you know this is just another why do with a podcast i mean oh it is nothing to hold a conversation with somebody

[00:31:31] Kylene Redmond: right like it's nothing to hold a conversation with with the person and you move from that hold your conversation and if it i always yo yo if my gut don't feel right then it's a no you know like conversations don't hurt yeah you don't lose nothing from a conversation so you know i was like girl talk to the man see what he got to say and um what you want then leave and i pressed for that

[00:31:56] Rob Howe: conversation too i was like very buttoned up i was very honest okay anyway so kylan you're such a big opinion leader in the community like i feel like you're constantly just really you're just so on the nose like we call that leadersHIP we call that leadersHIP yeah a key opinion leader as i'm learning is the phrase, but like you recently had a tweet go viral or what I mean, Rob like to call diabetes viral. And the tweet said, I want to talk about what a diabetes influencer means and why it has such a negative vibe. Oh yeah. The people were not happy. They were going crazy. There was, there was a lot. Like I remember, so I saw that post and because I like all your posts, I see, they pop into my feed early. So like at that point it only had a couple of likes. You'd only posted a few minutes ago so i saved it uh because i was like if i come back to it i want to see what people say and i had no idea it was gonna go me either i did not think that

[00:32:53] Kylene Redmond: it was gonna move like it moved like i had to hide the post because people were coming back it was just too much like it got too far and i'm you know anytime i post something that's like controversial. I feel like somebody's gonna say something, you know. I put my little disclaimer like, yo, don't come here disrespecting because my block game is real and all my friends will eat you alive, right? And they were really like going in it. Like people were like angry, like some diabetic people were angry and I'm like, what you mad for? Like, what you really mad for? Tell me why you mad. Because if I told you that I was like a Starbucks influencer, you would like me. If I told you that like I was a subway influencer, you would like me. You would not be mad at me. If I was the influencer for skincare, you would not care. Right. But because people want to say, oh, well, they're a diabetic influencer. Now, all of a sudden I'm a bad person. Let's talk. I was like, let's talk about it.

[00:34:02] Rob Howe: and my friends were like really why it's such a nuanced conversation though and i think with the people who are on this call specifically you guys because i am small fry lie again but y'all are the like as far as influencers goes like is there merit to the conversation that because it's technically a chronic illness influencing that we have a larger responsibility

[00:34:27] Kylene Redmond: be? That's a good question. Here's my take on it, right? The word influences mean that I influence you in some shape, form, or way, good, bad, whatever, right? While I might not be influencing you on how to take care of yourself, because I am not a doctor, right? However, I've used whatever product and you want to know about it so you want me to tell you about it because you in my dms asking me if i use x y and z like so i don't i feel like people okay so here's my issue with it right they think we all lie about everything that we use do whatever right so they automatically turn off with, oh, they just paying you to whatever. But all of us don't get paid. I need people to understand that. They are constantly yelling, I just want to send you a product. Can you post about it? Like, I don't make no money. Like, I don't make big money from talking about whatever product I'm posting about. And I think that that's where people have that misconception of we getting paid, not this one over here. I'm not one that's getting paid for me, right? but you also are asking us questions about it like you're really like so does premier protein make your blood pressure your blood pressure lord your blood sugar rise no i use it as this okay okay well oh i see you're using the dexcom here how does that work oh do you you like the favorite one that i get all the time now is do you use um exercise mode with tandem and i'm like i don't but now it makes me think okay well let me try it but people don't like it's time like so there's an

[00:36:25] Rob Howe: exercise mode girl see look at this there's an exercise mode on that part but here's my problem

[00:36:31] Kylene Redmond: tandem i hope y'all listen because i got i have um suggestions oh my god stop because i need a timer i always forget to turn it off so you turn on exercise mode but you're going about your business and well, I'm waking up the next day still in exercise mode. Yep. Exactly.

[00:36:54] Rob Howe: But I've just been influenced. So I wrote it down. So like, I do want to, like, I want to touch on that because you become a functional expert, a key opinion leader, right? You're using a product and people look at you. And like you said, you're not a doctor. I think I also have been unknowingly to me. I just thought it was very important that I never give medical advice just because I really do believe having a relationsHIP with your endocrinologist and your care team is ultra important. Um, so I want to go back to the, like what you said about some people thinking that sponsor content is just lying or like that you would never, that you would never say what you really think if you're being paid to do it. Cause I had this really interesting, uh, conversation in the comments on YouTube. Somebody commented on a thing, uh, on a video and said, Hey, I wish you would have disclosed that this was a sponsored video earlier in the video, because then I would have moved on. And I said, and I, and I had time and I was, I was a little bit upset. And I, and then I had to, I was like, okay, deep breath. Like, let's just see what this person means. Cause I was like, you know, you always think, I think I have the, um, you know, we work really hard at this stuff and we spend time and give of ourselves and, um, you know, sometimes don't make money and sometimes do, but you know, I'm telling you right now, diabetes, uh, diabetes money has not changed my life. Um, and, and I'm, I would say probably one of the top earners, which is just, it goes to show where we're at. But, um, so anyway, this person said, you know, I wish you would have disclosed this earlier. And I asked, okay, well, what, well, what, what is, what'd you take issue with? And like, what did you think of the video? And he's like, honestly, I thought the video was good that you were good on camera. And then you had like good explanations, but I don't trust sponsored content because I know that this brand is never going to pay you to say something that's maybe not as good or highlight a feature of a product that's not very good or your experience with it. And I was like, I hear that. That's not necessarily how I think. And it made me think like, okay, well, people still have a lot of mistrust around products. And that I think is, I didn't do that and I have no control over that. And so he's like, yeah, your video was fine. I went to go find a video of somebody who was willing to tell me more of the cons of this product so I could make a decision. And I was like, okay, cool. Fair. I I went from being like really upset at this person to seeing their perspective of it. And the, I, okay, maybe, maybe that's something I can do better. Cause that's also what I want to do. Like, okay. If there are people that think that way, I need to make a video maybe that could help them and reach them where they are. Um, and kind of back to the overall, like the influencer conversation is, I think the, the reason that people get upset about healthcare influencers or insurance companies or diabetes these companies or pharma or whatever the case is because of all of the inequality that exists in the world around those systems. And that is a hundred percent fair. I think the, where it does get a little dicey is that people think that when you sign a, you know, we're going to talk about you being on a Dexcom ad because I saw you in my endos office and how cool is that?

[00:39:52] Kylene Redmond: Me too. I am not up in my own endos office, nor does he care. I was so excited to say, I was in a commercial. He was like, okay, right. That's great. So, so your A1C is the data. Right. He was like, so send me the data. And I'm like, but I'm on a, you want me to send it to you since y'all don't have, and he's like, that's nice. I'm, I, that's great. However, I like move

[00:40:22] Rob Howe: on. And I was like, dang. Wow. You're in those. He was like, listen, we won't get to the business.

[00:40:27] Kylene Redmond: He did not care. He was like, listen, stop trying to distract me, Kylene. I was like, yo, like, sir, I'm excited. You excited? No. Okay.

[00:40:36] Rob Howe: And you know, I was excited. Like somebody that I know, somebody that I'm familiar with is on, you know, that could have just been anybody, but now it's somebody that I know. It's nice to see a type 1. And we'll talk about more Dexcom later, I guess. And I can save it till then if you want to fix it, Rob. But it's nice to see a black woman wearing a CGM where the person is type 1. Like, I think that we are just so tired of being typecasted or stereotyped into only being type 2 and that certain bodies have to be type 2. And that, you know, if you've got a little bit more weight on you, there's no way you're type 1. So I was so happy when I saw you in my endo's office. And I was like, yes, this is my girl. My endo thought I was losing my mind.

[00:41:18] Kylene Redmond: But yeah, Tiara was she like was like she had on a black dot Betty girl sweatshirt. And she was like, no, that's my like that's my homegirl right there. And her and I was like, you know her. And she's like, yes, for me. Right. I was like, yo, people should be excited to know that it's not paid actors in this. Like we are real people that people know. Like that was for me the exciting part when I saw everybody else that was there, regardless of the type that they were. I was just excited to know that y'all really use people that have the disease. I was excited for that because it's easy for you to go and hire actors and actresses and move along. And but they get, you know, like, OK, great. But to see people that we know. Oh, yeah, I was excited.

[00:42:12] Rob Howe: and you know to come back to the point though like they you they didn't sign you up for that and then make you sign a contract that said you will never speak ill of vexcom you'll never you'll never criticize pharma and you'll never criticize the insurance industry you'll never criticize the healthcare industry that that doesn't happen and at least that has not been my experience and so

[00:42:29] Kylene Redmond: either it was not like they they actually like to hear like i tagged them right um i went off because you can no longer get things directly from Dexcom. It's through whatever your supplier is. And mine was Edgepark. Oh, they suck. I'm sorry. If you're an Edgepark person listening to this, I want to fight you in the street. I hate you. Hey, hands down. I'm with you. We're going to stay at Neck and Next. We're going to pull up. We ride at dawn. I literally put a story up and I was like, yo, I tagged everybody. Dexcom, Edgepark. This is ridiculous. this is trash and Dexcom immediately was in my DMs like can we get your number to whoever because we want to know more about this I went on a rant on the phone I felt so bad for that lady because I was like this is ridiculous like I calmed patients down because of people like the Edgepark thing like I was like no no no this is trash no and then I was like I'm so sorry oh it's not really your fault but like they they want that like when i hold conversations with them they're like so you know you have issues yeah i do my dexcom got stuck and it will come off like i don't not not post that stuff i post about it and i tell them i'm like good day like you need to know how you gonna fix it if i'll tell you about it right well and you know i think

[00:44:01] Rob Howe: that that's that's so important to hear from people like you as well so the person in the ad is also holding them accountable on the phone is like using the products. I feel that same way with Medtronic. Like the other day I had a weird pump notification and something I had never seen before. I called customer service and I shared the story about it, not because it was sponsored, but because like, Hey, I'm a patient too. And you know, I also don't get special treatment. Like somebody asked me, he's like, Hey, did the lady on the phone know who you were? And I was like, no, but she knew, she knew that she had my patient profile and she knew, you know, she walked me through like making sure everything was disconnected and safe. And we tested it. And then we got through. And, you know, it made me also remember, you know, the things about like, you mentioned earlier, like skincare, or, you know, or protein, or whatever the case may be, those aren't things that decide life or death for most people, you know, and, and, you know, in a lot of ways, the reason that healthcare is so tightly regulated is because it's very dangerous. And it, you know, and everyone is different. And diabetes is a disease with so many inputs, like even the smallest little change can be a really, really big disaster. But, you know, I guess the thing that I like, I guess we kind of close the book on this influencer conversation. Like the more I live, the more I know that what people with diabetes need is just what people in America need, which is more access to healthcare, more money, uh, and more, uh, you know, information, uh, critical information. I think, especially, you know, in the black community, I've seen a lot of posts from some of the big companies this week about, you know, black patients are less likely to hear about pumps and less likely to hear about CGM. So something as simple as including you in an ad and seeing a black woman with type 1 wearing a CGM could be the difference between somebody getting a CGM and somebody not getting one.

[00:45:41] Kylene Redmond: And that's so important. Right. That's true. And it is like if we're quiet, then no, these people won't know us. You know, for me, I'm also a very I'm a bigger picture person. Like I remember my why I know why I started. And so it was because we needed represent, you know, like I needed friends, representation. So it's me being a quote unquote influencer because people, we don't name ourselves that like y'all name, not y'all, but y'all named us influencers. I didn't roll over and say I'm an influencer. Like you all named me an influencer. So my voice means something. And we go, listen, we don't talk to everybody because we know that we don't see equal representation. so while y'all mad we still hey you don't have to like the post keep moving you don't have to like me I'm gonna always be honest if I don't like it I don't like it I worked with a company and I was like this is not not y'all this not for us and I told them I walked away from a good amount of money I was like yeah y'all no I don't know who y'all tested this stuff on or how but y'all need to go back to the drawing board. Like, thanks, but no thanks. I don't want no parts of it. And they respected it and we kept on moving, you know? So we all aren't bad. We all don't just take money. Like I could have taken that change and kept it moving, but I did not.

[00:47:05] Rob Howe: Yeah. And I think again, going back to the why, you know, and you know, what's interesting as I was preparing for this conversation, the reason that you started your platform is very similar to the reason that I did is I just didn't see myself in the people that were representing diabetes. And, um, you know, I, unfortunately that's changed. I don't think I, I think that's largely in part of a lot of just social media adoption and hashtags and, um, you know, give a little bit of credit to like beyond type 1, as well as we're kind of starting up this diabetes online kind of Instagram and a world and kind of uniting that at the time. Um, but now you see people, uh, who a lot more kinds of people who are influencers or who are, you know, voices in the community. And I think that's, uh, that's really important. You know, one day I'm going to throw my phone into the ravine and I'm going to, uh, you know, shut the gate on my farm or something, wherever I'm at in the world. And I, you know, hopefully at that point, there'll be more people to carry the torch on. Um, but, uh, yeah, it's, it's, um, it's been interesting. It's, it's, it's interesting to say like how things change from day one to day a hundred to day a thousand as well. Um, so with that in mind, I'd love to just kind of talk some like quick, quick fire questions for you. I'm excited. I haven't heard these. Yeah. You know, I keep a little trick in my sleeve every now and then. So what's something unexpected that you have found or has happened to you from sharing your story? Like what, what's something that came to you that you didn't expect?

[00:48:33] Kylene Redmond: Oh, so many people to say, oh, that's my story too. I really wasn't like I didn't expect you know you've most of the time you feel like your story is that's it right and so I was like oh that didn't happen to other people um but when I you know anytime someone would hear my story and I get all of the that happened to me like that's my like copycat copy paste like that is it and I'm like oh I mean I'm not surprised anymore more yeah more than we talk to people but definitely like in the beginning i was like

[00:49:14] Rob Howe: oh okay i'm not alone you know what's funny i i remember this from like maybe a year ago it might have been longer time what is time these days but like we were having a conversation and you were in the comments i think too and it might have been with with me the clark buckley or me the clark now um we were talking about halli berry and and we were like i guarantee you she was diagnosed type 2, because there was a lot of conversations about her being type 2 for years. And now all of a sudden she's Lada. And I just was like, man, if Halle Berry is getting misdiagnosed, like what hope is there for the rest of us? Like, uh, you know, like this is such a common thing. It's crazy. It's definitely crazy. I don't talk about Halle. We don't like her. Halle come on the pod. Halle come on the pod. She won't talk about diabetes. I'm sorry to like, even like distract the conversation, but she like won't, I don't know. There's so many rumors about her that she won't eat and she just like believes in exercise and won't take insulin so it's just

[00:50:09] Kylene Redmond: like disappointment i kind of blame some of that to like culture too right because you have to look at look at her age right look at how old she is and we all know that black culture is very much like especially back in the day is we don't talk about it we very much you know listen you they said you need to exercise or take your cinnamon or do xyz you know what i mean like so and and then we also like i stand by like i don't have to talk about it if i don't want to that's fair

[00:50:44] Rob Howe: that i guess that's fair that's valid let's talk about that because i think it it is i call it a vulnerability exchange because like it is it takes courage and work to say hey this is my story here you go. And, you know, sometimes like, especially in the beginning, like not that much comes back, you know, but you start to, people start to share and there's that exchange, but like you're making very private parts of your life, very public. What, what has, you know, I don't know, would you do anything differently? Would you, would you share more early? Would you, would you share less or the things that you've shared that you feel like maybe you, in hindsight, you might not have been as prepared to share?

[00:51:28] Kylene Redmond: No, and I don't think that I would change anything. Maybe like talking earlier, but everything happens when it's supposed to happen. I don't think that would change anything because I know the impact that it has had even on one person. I know the impact of me using my voice, me telling my story, me taking... Instagram name and turning it into a t-shirt, right? Like I know the parts that that has played. Like I get the messages from moms that are like, I am so glad my daughter has someone that they can see, you know, from the grown women that are like, I'm so glad that you talk about being diagnosed as an adult because they don't care about us as an adult, you know, like they focus on children. And so I'm glad that you're talking about work life and diabetes. So I don't, I wouldn't, nah, it's, we're going to keep everything the same.

[00:52:28] Rob Howe: I love that.

[00:52:30] Kylene Redmond: Yeah.

[00:52:31] Rob Howe: What would you give, like, kind of like the final sort of quick fire question. And I, the way I worded it, I think it's fun too. It's like, what advice would you give to current and future black diabetic girls? Because like, as you know, like the black guy, you might not be a black diabetic girl today, but tomorrow that could totally change. And for people who are diagnosed today, they're going to look for other black diabetic girls and they're going to find you. What advice do you have

[00:52:57] Kylene Redmond: for current and future black diabetic girls? Okay. So for current ones, right. I think that I would say it's not one size fits all sis. It's not one size fits all. And you have to do what's right for you. You can take the advice, but that's exactly what it is, advice. You know, you figure it out. You ask your questions and you work with your people and get it moving, right? I also would tell them, you don't have to tell a soul about your story. Do not feel obligated. Do not, you move how you choose to move. If you want to be loud and proud, baby, be loud and proud. If you want to be proud and quiet, be proud and quiet. For the women or young girls who will be diagnosed tomorrow and thereafter, baby, we welcome you with open arms, right? Like it's a different sisterhood. You know, it's a different place where we got you. If you want to be got, we got you. You know, we will help you. We will give you what we want to give you. we will give you what you need. If you don't need nothing, we got you. We won't give you nothing. If you need something, we're going to give it to you. It's not the end of the world. And you, you know, as I am with everything, right? Like you got this.

[00:54:30] Rob Howe: What, what difference do you think that would have made for you on day one? If somebody would

[00:54:35] Kylene Redmond: have told you that? If somebody would have told me, girl, you better ask questions. don't you just let these people tell you oh you diabetic because of that would have changed life like i would not you know have pancreatitis i would be able to enjoy life how i want to enjoy it um without having to worry about flare-ups but yeah i wish somebody just would have like no ask some more questions you know hey girl don't you settle for that like yeah but see that's why

[00:55:07] Rob Howe: you're making a difference. And, you know, sometimes like that sacrifice, uh, it's hard to be a trailblazer. And I, you know, and I think a lot of that in the diabetes community, even around the influencer conversation is like, we're sort of just learning as we go. And, um, and, you know, that that's part of that journey too. And like you said, you know, it's, it's unfortunate that it happened sort of the way it did, but that led you to be able to help other people avoid that going on, going down the road. So, um, you know, it's just, uh, you know, I, people ask me early on, like, would you, Hey, you've like got all this like cool stuff going on. Like, would you give diabetes back? Uh, if you, if you could, and I was like, heck yeah, do that. Like sign me up. I'll sign it up. I'll, I'll turn it all away tomorrow. Where's my refund. Give me that refund. But, uh, you know, because we are here and because, um, you know, we were going down this journey and other people can benefit from it. I think we're leaving the world a better place than, then we found it. And that's, that's what's super important.

[00:56:03] Kylene Redmond: And also we met Pete, like some of my very best friends are because I am diabetic. So if I never had diabetes, right. I would not have the friends that I have, you know? So it's like, Ooh, I don't want it because it's expensive and it's draining and it's tiring. But then the plus side to it is I have the Tierra's and the Amelia's and you know all of you all and everybody else like it's like oh i don't know yeah you know it's like

[00:56:38] Rob Howe: dang because i mean all i got is eritrea you know so i mean it's like you know i am not your only

[00:56:44] Kylene Redmond: diabetic friend like we we know he has friends don't let him play you i got multiple group chats i got yeah listen this that's that's where all the fun takes place in the group chats right

[00:56:56] Rob Howe: you know i love our group me if you're not in our group me and you're a black person let me and

[00:57:02] Kylene Redmond: kylie know because you need to be in there but don't let me know because i my keep the group me is on mute so i pop in and pop back out y'all holla at my home girl so she can put y'all in there because i i have too many group me chats so everything is muted group me is muted it's just

[00:57:21] Rob Howe: a good space for people who are of color who are joining the diabetic online community so if you are a person of color, if you are a black person and you'd like to more community, definitely DM me, you can DM Kylen. She'll just send it to me and I'll be happy to add you. Well, and you know, we kind of with that involved, I want to close with this, uh, National Diabetes Awareness Month last year, Kylen, you put together a large kind of panel, so to speak of, of people from the community, um, from really all over. Uh, and we had like a two hour zoom conversation about important topics in the community. And we were talking about stigma. We talked about nonprofits. We talked about brands. We talked about what people really need. And it was just like an open forum. And lots of folks who are friends of the podcast and who are friends of the community were there. I wanted to ask you what you took away from that. And also, because you had some heavy hitters in there, people that are tough to book. And even me, Eritrea, knows my calendar is a mess. And I made sure that on that Saturday at 2 p.m., I was in my chair ready for that conversation. So you carry a big stick. But what did you walk away from that conversation with?

[00:58:33] Kylene Redmond: So for me, honestly, I walked away from a... My friends say that I don't give myself enough credit, right? And I'm not a person that talks about myself. So I walked away from that, knowing the people that I had in that room and the influence that they have in our community, that it was on a Saturday, it was in the afternoon, it was not paid. And these people all showed up because I asked them to. um so I walked away one one of the things that I walked away with I say that to say like I walked away from like okay girl you got to stop down rating yourself like stop down playing yourself because people show up because you ask them to right the second thing I walked away from it the other thing that I walked away from that conversation was man it's so much work to do in this community on various levels. Like we know the, I know the, the top ones, affordability, accessibility, education, right? I can't change that, not by myself. However, representation, inclusion, the things that I, my voice can make an impact on, that's where I have to start and so it was it literally was okay y'all like yeah we we got some work to do like we we got work to do and either we gonna do the work or we not gonna do the work I also it reminded me it just reminded me of like my wives honestly like I this this is why you're here like this is because we need to see more people we need people to stop shaming people. You know, we need to talk to each other. Like, it's okay to talk to people with type 2. It's okay to talk to people with a lot of like, you don't have to downplay their story or their

[01:00:34] Rob Howe: illness. Like, well, I, for me, I, it made me think like, you know, I'm in the, I'm doing the right stuff. I'm in the right place. Because if those conversations were happening a few years ago, or even before I was involved in the community, I wasn't aware of them. And I felt very grateful to be a part of that group of, and you're right. Like I came away with it too. Like there's so much stuff to do. It's easy to get overwhelmed if you try to attack all of it at once. So, you know, I came away as well, like really focused on how can we hit one or two really good points and do it well. And then we'll go into some of these other ones. Um, and you know, in that room specifically, uh, man, I don't know if I'd ever been in a zoom with like 15 between black people with diabetes, discussing diabetes community topics, like that just didn't exist. And that was just a special thing to be a part of. Just discussing like the real world and like the realities of people with diabetes and what we live with and what we go through every day. So I wanted to, you know, give you props as well. And thank you for making me a part of that.

[01:01:34] Kylene Redmond: And I can't even take all that credit by myself, right? Like Tierra and Amelia, when I, when you talk about your group check, I know I drive them crazy. Like I'll text them two, three o'clock in them on and like, yo, I want to do this. What do y'all think? Let's do this or let's put this on or let's do that. Like we literally had like two or three conversations prior to that with just list of names of people we really wanted in this room who we know are adults that can hold conversations because that was our first priority. We want adults, people who can literally hold a conversation, like open-minded conversations. You're not in here. We don't do no drama. Right. So we went down, we, that was all this. Then it was, we don't want it to be all black people. We don't want it to be all type ones. Like we literally were going like down, down, down, like, okay. Yes. Okay. Not this conversation. Yes. No. Yes. Like it, we were running it down because we knew we had a previous conversation like um when we had our podcast where we talked to some it was all women but we just had that conversation of type ones and type twos and we the information that we took away from that one we knew how powerful this one could be so we had we it was everything for us to make sure we had the right people in the conversation. So shout out to my girls. Cause I know I drive them crazy. Shout out to the dope diabetic girls. I drive them crazy. Love y'all. It's real with them.

[01:03:19] Rob Howe: Well, Kylene, thank you for keeping it real with us today as well. And for, and for being a supporter of what we do at Diabetics Doing Things and for your contributions to more than a diabetic as well. You know, just appreciate you and all that you bring to the community and to the table. For those listening, blackdiabeticgirl.com, blackdiabeticgirl on Instagram, dopediabeticgirlspodcast. You know, Kylene is out there. She might be in your endos office on a Dexcom ad. If so, be sure to shout her out. So thank you so much for joining us today and for having the conversation.

[01:03:51] Kylene Redmond: No, thank you guys for having me. You know, I love y'all. I am a fan of the podcast. So yes, thank y'all.

[01:03:58] Eritrea Fasil: Thank you.