Meet Zesarae Bodie

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Zesarae Bodie. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Zesarae below.

Zesarae, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?

It’s not just that I’m often the only woman of color in the room. It’s that I also chose to work in a field, sexual health and intimacy, that still makes people uncomfortable. That combination means I’ve had to learn how to navigate double silence: the kind that comes from being visibly different, and the kind that comes from doing work most people were taught to whisper about or just outright ignore.

Even now, my work doesn’t get the same respect, celebration or recognition as others. Sexual wellness, especially for midlife women of color, is still seen as “extra,” not essential. But I know better. I see the emotional disconnection, the identity loss, the generational silence we carry. And I also see what happens when we finally feel seen, heard, and supported.

Effectiveness, for me, has come from refusing to ask for permission. I’ve learned to validate my own path, even when others don’t fully understand it. I also have learned to seek out and surround myself with mentors and supporters that value me and the work I do. I no longer water down my message to make it more palatable. And I’ve built a space, Intimate Health Solutions, that centers healing, not hiding.

I’ve learned that success doesn’t always look like applause. Sometimes, it looks like a random woman reaching out to me online and saying, thank you for doing this work. That’s enough for me. That’s my source of power.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am the founder of Intimate Health Solutions, a virtual coaching practice that centers sexual wellness and intimacy, especially for midlife women of color navigating trauma recovery, emotional disconnection, and identity shifts. Founded on the principles of occupational therapy, my work blends neuroscience, somatic healing, and cultural truth-telling to help women reclaim their bodies, their desires, and their voice.

What excites me most is witnessing what happens when women realize they’re not broken. That they’re just disconnected from their own needs after years of surviving, caregiving, and performing. My Reclamation Framework™ is the heart of what I teach: it guides women through regulating their nervous system, reconnecting with their truth, and reclaiming their pleasure and power. And I don’t do this work one-on-one, instead, I lead small, intimate cohorts of women through this process together. I believe and know that community is part of the medicine.

This year, I released my first book: Not Your Auntie’s Intimacy Book. It’s a body-wise guide to desire, healing, and identity for women who’ve been taught to disappear. If you’ve ever asked, “Where did I go?”, this book is your map home. I’ve also created The Reclaim Circle, a free online community where women come as they are to support and heal. Because for women of color in midlife, intimacy isn’t just about relationships, it’s about liberation.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1.Body Wisdom over Hustle Culture
One of the most powerful shifts in my journey was learning to listen to my body, not just intellectually, but somatically. I had to unlearn the belief that burnout/exhaustion was a badge of honor. What truly moved me forward was slowing down, learning my nervous system, and honoring rest as a strategy for success, not a reward.

Advice: Start now. Learn how your body says “no” before it screams. Get curious about the difference between your true yes and your performance yes. That’s where clarity lives.

2. Radical Self-Permission
Working in sexual wellness as a woman of color meant entering rooms that didn’t reflect me and doing work most people avoided. I had to stop waiting for validation or applause. I had to give myself permission to speak the truth, even when it made people uncomfortable.

Advice: If your work doesn’t “fit in,” it’s probably because it’s carving a new lane. Don’t shrink to be palatable. Sharpen your message and speak it clearly to those who need it. That’s who you’re building for.

3. Holding Space, Not Just Giving Solutions
Early in my career, I thought expertise meant having all the answers. But what transformed my impact was learning to hold space, especially for women navigating shame, trauma, or silence around their bodies. Real healing doesn’t only come from fixing; it comes from being witnessed and being a witness.

Advice: Practice being present without rushing to offer a solution. In your relationships, your sessions, your content, it’s ok to take a pause. Listen for what’s not being said. That’s where the real work begins.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Yes…absolutely!! I’m always open to collaboration, especially with folks who are disrupting traditional wellness models, centering the lived experiences of women of color, or creating culturally rooted, body-based healing spaces. If you’re a therapist, coach, creative, health professional, or community builder doing aligned work and want to co-create meaningful experiences, let’s talk.

I’m especially interested in partnering on events, group experiences, panel conversations, podcast interviews, and cross-platform education that centers intimacy, nervous system healing, and identity reclamation.

If you’re reading this and feel a “yes” in your body, please reach out. You can connect with me directly through my website www.intimatehealthsolutions.com or on Instagram @intimatehealthsolutions. Collaboration doesn’t have to be complicated, it just has to be built in shared values and real impact. Let’s create something together!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.intimatehealthsolutions.com
• Instagram: @intimatehealthsolutions
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IntimateHealthSolutions
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zesarae-bodie/
• Other: https://www.notyourauntiesintimacybook.com