About this episode

MJ Acosta-Ruiz joins Joy Taylor to discuss the pressures faced by Black and Latina women in sports media, navigating burnout, and the importance of setting boundaries.

MJ Acosta-Ruiz joins Joy Taylor for one of their most personal conversations yet. The longtime friends discuss the pressure of succeeding as Black and Latina women in sports media, navigating burnout while building successful careers, and unlearning the perfectionism and people-pleasing habits that many women inherit from childhood. MJ opens up about balancing multiple high-profile roles across ESPN, NFL Network and NBA TV, the emotional toll of constantly striving for excellence, and what it means to show up authentically in spaces that weren't built for you. They also dive into identity, representation, generational expectations, and why giving yourself grace might be the hardest lesson of all. If you've ever felt overwhelmed trying to do everything perfectly, this conversation is for you. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Joy Taylor

Guest: MJ Acosta-Ruiz

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ESPN, NFL Network, NBA TV

More episodes of Two Personal with Joy Taylor

• Episode 20: Scott Pelley, Truth & The Conversations We Need To Have · June 9, 2026 · 41 min
• Episode 19: Jameela Jamil On Trauma, Rage, Healing & Why Women Are Exhausted · June 4, 2026 · 1h 20m
• Episode 18: You Can't Have It All, And That's Okay · June 2, 2026 · 22 min

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