In this live Q&A session, Karamo fields questions from a diverse audience, offering relationship and life advice. The conversation begins with Giselle, who works with her romantic partner as a co‑owner of a company, seeking strategies to improve communication now that the professional hierarchy blurs personal equality. Karamo emphasizes recalling the pre‑work dynamic, articulating clear intentions, and separating business issues from personal connection. Wayne, a year‑long partner, asks how to move from being a "nice guy" to a "good man" and what next steps (engagement, deeper trust) look like. Karamo advises clarifying personal goals, intentional commitment, and using deep, vulnerable conversations as a precursor to formal milestones. Yvette, a 24‑year‑sober mother, shares her struggle to get her adult children to engage in therapy after a history of addiction and perceived abandonment. Karamo highlights the need to release guilt, set mutual boundaries, shift from guilt‑based demands to respect‑based agreements, and involve the children in defining those boundaries. Malik, a 26‑year‑old dealing with a demanding, combative mother, seeks guidance on navigating role reversal where the adult child is expected to financially support the parent. Karamo recommends establishing small boundaries (e.g., asking "who else can support you?"), refusing role reversal without resentment, and later transitioning to growth‑focused conversations that avoid triggering past trauma. Throughout, Karamo intersperses cultural references (Brazil, Portuguese phrases) and maintains a supportive, conversational tone, encouraging callers to be clear about intentions, set boundaries, and replace guilt with mutual respect.
Chapters
Everyone at home, it's time for Q and K with my audience. Audience, anyone got a question for me? Hello, how are you?
Hello, Karamo. My name is Giselle from Brazil and everybody in Brazil love you.
Oh, thank you.
I love Brazil.
Thank you, I love you.
I love Brazil.
So I have a question for you.
Okay.
So my question, I'm in relationship and he's also my boss. We hold the company together.
They so judgmental. He's out there, they didn't get the full story. They're like, ooh.
When we together, he talking to me like I'm his employee. So what we can do to improve the relationship and the communication?
So how long y'all been together?
A long time, more than 6 years.
Oh, more than 6 years. And how long y'all been working together?
Probably like 4 years.
4 years. Only reason I was asking that is because I wanted to establish if there was a moment in this relationship where the communication was good just as equals. You've always been equals, you still are equals, but I just wanna see. So as of right now, there was a time. Tell me about the time where y'all were communicating and Before y'all worked together?
Yeah, the communication was great and everything, the relationship was very good. But now just like a pressure about his company to do things better. Don't forget I'm the boss.
Got it.
You know?
So the reason I asked you that is because I wanted to make sure that you had the clear language of what you got before that is lacking.
Yeah.
And so sometimes to make sure before you go into a conversation with somebody who the relationship has changed, you gotta know what it was that you had before that you wanted so you can be clear. 'Cause you don't wanna just get in there and talk about the boss's stuff. because this is really not about the boss right now.
Yes.
This is, baby, I lost my support system.
Yes, for sure.
I lost the person who used to encourage me. And that's when you're gonna go into it. And then as you dictate, as you share that, now you can then say, now that's, once you do that, baby, it's gonna make our working relationship better. If you focus on the working relationship, he's gonna be stuck here and not be able to see past what he was before. So I wanna make sure you're clear. Talk about how it was two years ago, and then once he gets that, say this can help us work better together. Does that make sense?
Yes, make a lot of sense. So is this why you are the best?
Oh, thank you, man. Thank you.
And kisses to Brazil. Brazil love you.
Thank you.
My cousin love you very much.
Okay, I just came from Rio and I had the best time. Give me something to say. Like, how do I say we'll be right back in Portuguese?
Vamos voltar logo.
Vamos voltar logo. All right, everyone, you keep bringing the questions. I'll keep bringing cake. Thank you for all your questions, everybody.
Stay with us.
Hi, Karamo. What's up?
How you doing?
My name's Wayne.
Hi, Wayne.
I'm from Bethesda, Maryland.
How you doing? Nice to meet you.
Quick question for you.
Yes.
So, little backstory. I have been with my partner for almost a year now.
Congratulations.
In March, it would officially be a year. And as we transition out of the month of love, We had a great Valentine's Day. I just wanted to kind of pick your brain, maybe ask a little advice on what can I do next? I mean, I consider myself a nice guy, but I wanna be a good man.
Well, I would say the first thing is to ask yourself, what is exactly what you want? Where do you see yourself in a year from now? Be clear about that. The intention and having purpose in, in your relationship is what makes a good man. Because when you're just out here just doing it for day to day and saying, let me give you this, do that, there's no intention behind it, there's no purpose. So the question is like in a year, do you wanna see yourselves move in together? In a year, do you wanna see yourselves meet each other's families? What is the next level of commitment that you feel is appropriate for both of you that you can say to them, hey, I wanna be with you and I wanna show you that I'm committed and this is the next step I want us to work to? What is the next step?
Well, we already live together.
Uh-huh.
Oh, y'all moved in fast. They've met my mama. Oh, okay.
You know, so that's a big thing. Hi, Mom. So I mean, I'm ready for the next step. You know, we talk about it on a regular basis.
So you're talking about engagement?
I mean, hey, you know, if it's meant to be, I definitely—
Well, see, but see, that's so— what you just did is kind of fell into that trap that you just said about the nice guy. That's why I'm here. That's why I'm here. So be clear about that. Spend some time with yourself and live in your truth. Say, do I really want a fiancée? Because I've had a fiancée and now I don't.
Ooh.
And when I got that fiancée, I really didn't need that fiancée, okay? 'Cause I knew in my heart that I was just doing this just to do this, knowing damn well this was not the person. I'm not saying this is your story. What I'm saying to you is the clearer you can be about who you are as a man, what you want, being purposeful, intentional about it, is the clearer that the communication will be, the respect would be. So I would just say continue just to be honest and be clear about where you wanna go and take some time. Because even saying like, well, I guess engagement, that's a big and loaded thing.
Yes.
'Cause engagement comes with a lot. So you gotta be clear that that's really what you want because there's other steps that you can say. There's other things you can say. You could say, hey, you know what? Instead, before we get engaged, how about we engage in some conversations where I actually open up to you about things that I've never told anybody? Deepen the trust. That is a goal that people forget, they skip over, that you can work on, especially as men, that it's like, let me talk to you about something that I've never told anybody, and let me see if you can handle my truth, if I can— you can love me and support me, and I can do the same for you. That could be a great goal to work towards. It ain't always gotta be engagement. Thanks.
Just saying.
I appreciate you.
Yeah.
Thank you.
But being curious, you on the right path. You on the right path.
So good luck. My name is Yvette, and I'm and 26. I'm from Philadelphia.
So what's going on? What's your question?
Okay, I am a recovering addict of 24 years. I have cleaned.
Amen.
24 years sober? Amen.
But I need to find out how to get my children on board with therapy so I can repair the damage I did to my children.
Got it, got it, got it.
I need them to come on board.
Got it.
They won't let go of their past.
Yeah, okay then.
But I'm the kind of mom where Help me pay my rent, help me pay my bills, buy me a car, buy me a truck. But you keep bringing up my past. All of 'em tell me I have abandonment issues because I throw the rugs over them. That was 24 years ago. Come on board. How do I do that? They keep running from me when I invite them to therapy sessions or I'm even willing to pay for it.
Yeah, it's interesting to me that they're running Even though it's been 24 years and from what you share that they are asking you for things, which means you're involved in their lives.
Yeah, buying food trucks, companies. Back in 2022, I became a millionaire. So they use me for my money. But when I don't give it, they bring up my past.
Got it. So it's something that they're using against you at this point?
When I say no, only when I say no.
Only when you say no.
Other than that, I'm Mom G.
The thing that I'm gonna tell you is that it's gonna be hard for you because you are suffering from guilt. You have a lot of guilt from your past. You have guilt from your actions. And I get it. You know, I preach on social media, I am 100% sober. It's something that I preach. I wish more people would be 100% sober.
Mm-hmm.
And so when you are sober, you think about those days when you might've drank too much, you might've did this drug, you might've did that drug, and the shame and guilt comes up. And so unfortunately, you have to start doing the work to let go of that guilt and shame. It was 24 years. You've showed up for your children now. And when you let go of the guilt and shame, you can start setting clear boundaries. Because right now the boundaries aren't set. So your children feel like, well, we don't have to actually do what you're asking of us, but you must do what I ask of you. And that's unfair because you're a human being as well. Yes, you're their mother and yes, you made choices in the past, but you are doing the work to make amends now.
Yeah.
So you have to make boundaries with them and say, hey, listen, I love you, I want a relationship, and I want our relationship to be close. But if you want for us to be able to have this mother-child relationship that we both know we can have that can be healthy, you have to do X, Y, and Z.
Mm-hmm.
And then say to them, 'cause it doesn't need to be a dictatorship, you say, what boundaries do you need from me? Allow it to be a conversation of boundaries where now you can hear them, you honor their boundaries, and now if they don't honor your boundaries, You say, this ain't about guilt no more. This is just about now respect of each other. And so you're replacing guilt with respect, which will allow you to see clearer and to start to actually take actionable steps to build the relationship.
But they have shared with me what I did. My sons say they have abandonment issues.
No, no, it's not about sharing what they did. We already know that. Yeah, but I can't help that. They can say boundaries. Boundaries and sharing what you did is 2 different things. I can tell you all day long in the past you did this to me and now I'm hurt, I got abandonment issues. Boundaries is because of my abandonment issues, today I need you to give me a call.
Gotcha.
To show me that you love me.
Got it.
Today I need you to come over and sit with me for an hour. And now they can say, well, Mom, I told you I was abandoned and my boundary was you come and sit with me for an hour, but you didn't do it. And now they have cause to say, listen, you still abandoned me. So that's why I said the invitation is to turn it from guilt to real respect by putting in boundaries. Because the same way they can say, these are my boundaries, you get to say, these are my boundaries as well.
Yes.
And if they don't honor yours, then you say, so see, this is not just a me issue, this is now a you issue.
Gotcha.
Because right now you feel like it's a you issue because of the past, but that's not fair.
Okay.
So new boundaries.
Thank you.
Yeah, good luck and congratulations on your sobriety.
How you doing?
I'm great. You have a great smile.
Thank you, I appreciate it. So my question is to you—
What's your name first?
Malik.
Malik, okay.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. My question is to you is that I'm 26 years old.
Okay.
My childhood wasn't really perfect. It'd been difficult 'cause I have a mother that I really love, I care about, and she kind of gives me like, she's very combative. So being 26 and, you know, going back and forth with her is kind of like, you know, difficult situation with me and her. Coming from a Caribbean household, you know, my mom tends to like, oh, you're 26 now, you gotta take care of me. You gotta spend money on me. You gotta do this, you gotta do that. And it's like, I have my own life to live. So it's like, you know, sometimes it's stressful and I tend to avoid. So that's my little—
So there's something that's at play here and there's a dynamic. So sometimes in parent-child relationship, there's a role that shifts. where parents then say, you know what, you're of an age now that I desire support.
Right.
And for children who felt like they were abandoned or who never had their safe security, when that role shift happens, and it happens to all of us with parents, we feel uncomfortable about that. And we feel like, why? Why would I be shifting to now become your caretaker when I told you that my entire life I didn't feel comfortable, I didn't feel safe, I didn't have the support? And so what happens is that, what happens is that this natural progression where parents feel like, hey, now you come and help me out, I was there for you, You're like, no, no, no, no. We can't transition to a new relationship until the past relationship is healed. And so instead of you arguing with that, when your mother says, who can— I need help with this, I need you to do this, I need you to do that, you're gonna say, not argue, not give attitude, not begrudgingly do it.
Right.
You're gonna say, who else can support you in that? 'Cause what you're establishing is that at this point right now, I need you to find support somewhere else so that we can then work on our relationship, okay? What you're doing is a small boundary so that the role reversal, which your mother is hoping will happen, does— you are stopping it. You're saying, no, no, no, no. But see, when you're trying to stop it with combat, she's just gonna think you're disrespectful. She's just gonna think you're ungrateful. She gonna think all these things in her mind versus what it really is, is that you're saying, before we can go anywhere else, we need to heal this. You feel what I'm saying here?
Yeah.
Have you ever said to your mother, Who else can support you?
No, I haven't ever said that.
Exactly.
Yeah.
I'm telling you, that's the first step. You try that and then it stops the role reversal happening. And then, then you can start to have real conversations about the things you're feeling. So your girlfriend, where your girlfriend at? Is she here?
She is right there.
Hey girlfriend. Listen, next time mom is calling or something, you whisper in his ear, say, just say it real calmly. Tell her who else can support you? Because I promise you, after 2, 3, 4 times of saying that, she's gonna click and she's gonna be like, okay, he's gonna ask me who else can support me, so let me figure out who can support me. And then once those calls stop happening, then you say, hey, is there a way we could talk about how we can grow better as a relationship? You understand? Don't say, I wanna talk about my past, because that's gonna trigger her and she gonna shut down. So you say, can we talk about how we can grow to be better? And in that growth, we're gonna identify the things that hurt me. Trust me, it's gonna work, okay?
Thank you, I appreciate it.
All right, good luck.
All right, you know what? I wanna say thank you to all my cousins in the audience, all right? I appreciate your questions and I always tell y'all, y'all keep bringing the Qs and I'll be bringing Ks.
