Meet the Host
Dana Tenille Weekes
Survival mode was my path to success.
This went on for decades. It reached a point where success required me to wear armor as if life were a battlefield. So much so that I lived parts of my life solely in a mindset of resistance because of people and systems that refused to acknowledge or contemplate my humanity. I never really put myself first because I was constantly operating in other people’s frameworks without even noticing it. For example, at times, I would second-guess myself so much that it became the first thought in my decision-making.
I carried this stress and unrest into being a nationally recognized lawyer and advocate, as well as being a good daughter and friend.
But the truth was, I was completely detached from my agency and humanity, finding myself in the darkest place of my life in 2020 without fully understanding I was even there.
My journey of rest
After resigning from a global law firm in 2021, I took a year-long Journey of Rest in 2022. It was a transformative experience because I began to hold myself accountable for my role in my own suffering.
I sat in numbness for months. I grappled with the physical and emotional pain I had ignored. I unlearned and deconditioned myself from expectations and popular narratives like “Black Girl Magic,” which I thought served me (but really didn’t). I settled into writing poetry to explore my full humanity.
In doing this self-excavation, I recognized that while I was angry, disappointed, and resentful at others, I was angrier, deeply disappointed, and rightfully resentful towards myself because I was climbing other people’s mountains instead of my own.
On this Journey of Rest, I embraced rest differently, understanding that liberating rest is about how deeply connected I am to my agency. And now, I foster a community that views rest as a form of self-liberation.
Let me be honest. Rest is not a privilege but a right for all of us, and there are everyday ways for us to cultivate the space to do so. You do not have to take a sabbatical from your work, family, or school to begin to rest.
Are you ready to rest and to live a life where you’re climbing your own mountain?
I welcome you to join us and reclaim your right to rest.
My career journey
Dana Tenille Weekes is the host of The Rest of Us, a podcast that explores rest as self-liberation for professionals and advocates who are burning out to the demands of work, loved ones, friends, strangers, and this dizzying world.
For nearly 15 years, Dana worked at two global law firms in Washington, D.C., as a lawyer-lobbyist for higher education institutions, non-profit organizations, civil rights groups, foundations, and Fortune 500 companies.
Her advocacy career has been recognized by The Hill (Top Lobbyists), Chambers USA, Super Lawyers, Legal 500, Professional Women in Advocacy, and The National Black Lawyers.
At the end of 2021, Dana resigned as a Managing Director after waking up one day to realize she did not know the person behind her “success” and dedicated 2022 to a year-long Journey of Rest.
Dana founded Thrive Architects after her journey, a strategic advising and professional development firm building advocacy, organizational health, and well-being platforms for organizations, communities, and people to thrive.
Dana is a poet and serves on the board of Torch Literary Arts, a national nonprofit that amplifies Black women writers in the U.S. and abroad.
She is a graduate of Wellesley College and the University of Virginia School of Law.