L'Oreal Thompson Payton

L’Oreal Thompson Payton is a bestselling author, award-winning journalist, author, and certified yoga instructor whose work centers on the power of storytelling as a tool for healing and liberation. Her debut book, Stop Waiting for Perfect: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and Into Your Power, empowers high-achieving women to silence their inner critics and embrace progress over perfection. Her forthcoming memoir, Infertile Black Girl: On Motherhood, Mental Health & the Journey to Healing and Hope, explores the intersections of infertility, maternal mental health, and identity with raw honesty and radical vulnerability.

As a former health and wellness reporter, L’Oreal’s writing has been featured in outlets including The Cut, ESSENCE, SELF, Romper, Well + Good, and New York Magazine. Whether she’s speaking on national stages or guiding gentle yoga flows, her mission remains the same: to support Black women in reclaiming rest, telling their stories, and choosing themselves—on their own terms.