Shades of Strong ® | Dare to Do Strong Differently

My strong is soft, feminine, and receptive. Long gone are the days when Black women are overextending and back bending all in the name of being strong, because contrary to poplular belief, Black women get to be be soft and strong. Tap in to this week's encore episode for a conversation with Ivory Benneet on how she's one of many Black women embracing being soft and strong. RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS, LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group. Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Join the My Strong Is global campaign by being a guest on the podcast. Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

My strong is creating an emotioanlly safe space. One of the most harmful things about having emotional walls is missing out on great experiences with those you love and care about. We build these walls with the hope of keeping harmful things out, not realizing that walls not only shut others out, they shut you in. Tap in to this week's encore episode for a conversation on how you can protect yourself without building emotional walls. RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS, LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group. Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Join the My Strong Is global campaign by being a guest on the podcast. Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

My strong is "resolute and standing firmly in my truth" Angela Bassett. They tell us to take risks – take lots of them. They tell us not to settle for mediocrity – fight for the life we want. So, we do! We fight with everything in us – not being easily intimidated. Not letting people walk all over us. We boldly speak up against unfairness and injustices in our personal and business lives. We have the audacity to sit at the table where we've rightfully earned our seats. We fought! We pushed! We refused to be silenced! And…now we've been labeled the ANGRY BLACK WOMAN. Every Black woman in America has been called ANGRY at least once in her lifetime, but Black women ain't out here angry for nothing. Tap in to this week's encore episode as we shine a light on how the angry Black woman label originated, how it's been used for centuries to silence us and why it's okay to be justifiably angry without fear of being judged. RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS, LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group. Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Join the My Strong Is global campaign by being a guest on the podcast. Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

My strong is not strong all the time and I’m okay with that. I cry. I feel. I heal. Letting go of the past and healing from trauma is challenging in and of itself, but when the trauma is a result of unhealthy parental relationships, it becomes even more challenging. In today's episode I chatted it up with Angela Roulette as she shared her journey of freeing herself from the emotional burdens that were keeping her stuck and preventing her from experiencing a life of peace and happiness. Holding on to traumas of the past can be detrimental to your mental and emotinal well-being as evident in Angela's story, but there is hope if you can find the courage to do something about it. Tap in to this week's encore episode to hear Angela's journey to healing from the pain and trauma of unhealthy paternal relationships and how that trauma spilled over into her romantic relationships. RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS, LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group. Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Join the My Strong Is global campaign by being a guest on the podcast. Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

My strong is knowing what I bring to the table. Unlearning people pleasing behavior is challenging, not only because it's a part of the Black female's social fabric, but also because as Black women often existing in predominantly white spaces, pleasing others first is [undoubtedly] a survival mechanism. Hello code switching and shape shifting! The only way to unlearn what's been embedded in you is to love yourself the way you love others and to know with certainty what you're worth and what you bring to the table in whatever room you're in. Tap in to this week's encore episode to hear how we're taking steps everyday to say eff you to the expectations of whiteness and yes to pleasing ourselves even when it makes others uncomfortable. RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS, LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group. Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Join the My Strong Is global campaign by being a guest on the podcast. Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

My strong is honoring the sacredness of friendships. Have you ever found yourself in the middle of friendhsip or sisterhood that suddenly became toxic? Are you able to accept responsibility for the role you played in it? You don't have to answer that (outloud), but the truth is we all play a role (in one way or another) in the toxcity we sometimes find ourselves - even if that role is simply accepting the behavior. Tap in to this week's encore episode as we share our personal experiences of friendships gone wrong, how we recovered from them and how you can avoid the cattiness, betrayal, and judgment that sometimes creeps into our circles by simply being the friend you want to experience. RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS, LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group. Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Join the My Strong Is global campaign by being a guest on the podcast. Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

My strong is healing in a way that feels right for me. We gotta stop telling people that they can choose to be happy when they're in the thick of a traumatic event because sometimes CHOOSING happiness is not possible in that moment. Though well intentioned, our words can be harmful when we're not sensitive to the emotional needs of those we're trying to support. Tap in to this week's encore episode as we talk about how important it is to hold space for others while allowing them to time to heal from tramatic events in a way that feels right for them. RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS, LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group. Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Join the My Strong Is global campaign by being a guest on the podcast. Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

My strong is NOT sociaiizing Black girls to be strong. We're on summer break, but we didn't want to leave you with no SOS, so for the next several weeks we'll be dropping some of our most listened to episodes. Unlike Beyonce most Black women didn't wake up like this. Before we were strong Black women we were little Black girls being socialized to be strong. Tap in to this week's encore episode as we talk about childhold experiences that often thrust little Black girls into the trope of the strong Black woman. RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS, LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group. Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Join the My Strong Is global campaign by being a guest on the podcast. Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

"My strong is honoring my full body yeses, and trusting even the quietest whispers of my no's" In today's episode Tšhegofatšo Ndabane shares how she spent so much time caring for others til she didn't know how to care for herself. She goes on to share how a bout with extreme burnout not only isolated her from her community, but also sat her down and forced her to take a look at how she was treating herself. That awakening is now supporting her in doing life from a place that honors who she is and who she's becoming. Tšhegofatšo offers simple strategies that can be easily integrated in to everyday life so you don't find yourself suffering from burnout and how you can start recovering if you're already there. ... and the icing on the cake is how she supports her friends and family so they're not working themselves into physical and emotional exhaustions. Tap in sis! You don't want to miss this one. About Tšhegofatšo Ndabane Tšhegofatšo is a writer, chief storyteller and strategist at Hustling Writers, and a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology researcher at the University of Cape Town. Her words have been featured in various international publications including Refinery29, Well + Good, Life & Thyme, and Food52, amongst others. When she’s not writing away or sitting with the stories of her clients, she can be found walking, exploring art and nature, or experimenting with a new baking recipe. Connect with Tšhegofatšo on LinkedIn, Instagram, &/or Substack RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS, LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group. Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Join the My Strong Is global campaign by being a guest on the podcast. Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

"I don't know who needs to hear this, but check on your strong friends." How many times have you seen this statement floating around social media? How many times did you actually check on your strong friend? How many times did she say, "I'm good." ... and how many times did you hear I'm good and kept it moving? Listen, we're not here to judge because the reality is your strong friend is usually out here in these streets straight capping. No, seriously. Even you check on her she spouts out some version of "I'm fine" because she's the strong one and that's what she's supposed to say. In today's episode we're talking about hearing what she's NOT saying, aka looking for indicators that your strong friend might need support even when she "looks so happy". Tap in sis, because we have thoughts. RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS, LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group. Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Come be our guest on the podcast. Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

"What if you're having a tough day and you manage to get out of bed? That's worth celebrating." In today's episode Paballo Rampa gives us a peek inside her journey to healing from the Strong Black Woman Syndrome. She paints us a picture of how she spent years dismantling the label that had been thrust upon her and how she is now showing herself love and compassion and creating boundaries that honor who she was created to be. Paballo is adamanat about teaching others how to treat her by showing the world how she consistently and deliberately celebrates herself. Tap in sis because she goes on to take us inside her journey to healing from the ancestral trauma that was contributing to the way she was living life. About Paballo Rampa Pabollo is an initiated black, queer female shaman from South Africa who is also a 2x published author. She also hosts the podcast I am Clapping For You which is about celebrating Africans from all over the world. Pabollo is on a quest to encourage people to celebrate intentionally and consistently, and with the guidance of her ancestors, she has launched a 7-Day Challenge To Celebrate Yourself which is aimed at overachievers and also coaches them through it. Paballo also offers creativity coaching for owners of creative businesses. Connect with Paballo on Facebook and Instagram @Come See Beyond. RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS, LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group. Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Come be our guest on the podcast. Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

Mothers, they're human, they're flawed, and they have their own stories. But their stories don't have to dictate how we live our lives. Mother's Day is peeking over the horizon which means we'll soon be flooded with commercials, social media posts and Hallmark card images of the perfect mother-daughter relationships, but the reality is that's not everyone's story and those images and posts do nothing to help manage the feelings and emotions that arise for those who (for a various reasons) can't celebrate their moms. Tune in to today's episode as publicist & author, Adrienne Allen shares her thoughts surrounding difficult parent/child relationships and gives us a peek inside her journey to lovingly letting her mom go. This message was originally posted on Adrienne's YouTube channel and can be viewed HERE. RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS, LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group. Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Have a question for Shirl and Natty? Fill out our form and we may answer it in a future episode. Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

It kinda feels like we've been living in a pandemic state of mind for decades now, when the reality is it's only been about three years. The world around us seems to be crumbling both on the inside and the outside and some days it feels like it's impossible to pull yourself out of that sunken place. All of your wants and desires suddenly feel meaningless and not worth pursuing and all you want to know is when it gets better, right? The truth is it never gets better. Life is constantly happening -- yeah it eases up a little bit here and there, but it never gets better. But you know what does? YOU do, sis. and The way you respond to it gets better. The way you maintain your peace in the midst of it all gets better and that's what we're talking about this week -- how you can be good when life is no. Tap in to get some insight on how you can find peace when everything seems to be falling apart. RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS, LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group. Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Have a question for Shirl and Natty? Fill out our form and we may answer it in a future episode. Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

Going to a job you hate is a dreadful experience most of us are all to familiar with. You wake up every morning miserable, frustrated, and unmotivated. You know you need to make a change -- you want to quit without notice, but you're not financially able to without having another opportunity lined up. In today's episode we share our own expereinces of being on jobs we hate and offer some suggestions to support you in finding peace if you're getting up every morning going to a job that has you operating from a space of overwhelm and frustration. Tap in and let's start planning your exit strategy. FREE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS, LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group. Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Have a question for Shirl and Natty? Fill out our form and we may answer it in a future episode. Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

Safe spaces for Black women matter because sometimes we need to be around other Black women who get it. In today's episode we talk about the importance of Black women having a safe space to gather and chat it up about the unique challenges we face as a culture and how those challenges are often overlooked and unheard. Having a space where we can pour it all out with people who look like us helps us to connect on a deeper level – it creates space for us to share our stories, our struggles, our experiences with people who know what it’s like to be dismissed and ignored – it provides a sense of togetherness. That's why we've created SOS Safe Spaces where we gather monthly to talk about the everyday happenings of life. Tune in to get all the deets. RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIVE WITH LESS STRESS, LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group. Want to be a part of a [FREE] community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Have a question for Shirl and Natty? Fill out our form and we may answer it in a future episode. Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

Being independent [in the Black female community] seems to be giving strong Black woman vibes and we think it's time to have a conversation. Listen sis, you CAN indeed do all the things. You've undoubtedly proven that time and time again, but the gag is you don't have to. When you try do everything on your own, you may find yourself gradually slipping back in the habits of being strong that you've worked so hard to free yourself from. In today's episode we talk about the importance of finding balance important to find a being independent and being open to asking for and receiving support from others. A few things that came up in our conversation: The thin line between being independent and being strong Being "too" independent and its relationship with unhealed trauma The art of clearly articulating what you need Being vulnerable enough to ask for what you need RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING STRONG DIFFERENTLY Come gather and grow with us in the SOS Sista Circle Want to be a part of a community of sistas supporting sistas through the ebbs and flows of life? Consider being a part of the SOS Virtual Sista Circle where we gather monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join us today at shadesofstrong.com. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

Creating space for vulnerability is a magical thing, but that magic can only happen when Black women are brave enough, courageous enough to become one with their bodies. In today's episode we talk about why we're seeing so much discourse around the phrase strong Black woman and how that phrase contributes to how challenging it can be for Black women to not only sit with their feelings, but also embrace vulnerability as a gateway to wholeness. Tap in to hear how we're learning to sit with our feelings as Black women who grew up during a time when feeling feelings or outwardly expressing an emotion was unacceptable, how we're now doing things completely different as we age out of the traditional way of being strong, and how we're encouraging others to break away from the old school way of [not] feeling the feels. A few things that came up in our conversation: - How vulnerability is often stigmatized in the Black female community - Crying the tears and feeling the feelings of our ancestors - The difference betweem sitting with a feeling and waddling in a feeling - Learning how to sit with your feelings and becoming your own safe place RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING STRONG DIFFERENTLY Come gather and grow with us in the SOS Sista Circle Want to be a part of a community of sistas supporting sistas through the ebbs and flows of life? Consider being a part of the SOS Virtual Sista Circle where we gather monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join us today at shadesofstrong.com. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

Checking in with yourself requires "asking all them questions" and truth be told, some of y'all ain't ready for that. But no worries that's why we're here -- to help you get ready and stay ready. Come on in and get comfortable, sis because we got things to say about the importance of Black women checking in with themselves and how asking yourself a few simples questions can help you cultivate a practice with just a little bit of effort. We're also sharing some insight on how the term Strong Black Woman started out as a way for Black women to empower themselves, and how it gradually morphed into what some now refer to as a burden of strength. Tune in NOW to hear how we check in with oursevles DAILY to be sure that what was meant to be a badge of honor is NOT becoming a burden of strength, and how you can easily integrate these practices into your daily life as ell. A few things that came up during the conversation... - What the strong Black woman looks like on Gen-X women & the generational divide - Reclaiming our identity as Black women - How Black women are carrying around generations of fatigue - Ways we can check in with ourselves DAILY to avoid stress, overwhelm and burnout RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING STRONG DIFFERENTLY Come gather and grow with us in the SOS Sista Circle Want to be a part of a community of sistas supporting sistas through the ebbs and flows of life? Consider being a part of the SOS Virtual Sista Circle where we gather monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join us today at shadesofstrong.com. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

Nancey B. Price, collage artist, writer and performance story teller joined us in the virtual studio to chat it up with us about all things Strong Black Woman and why she doesn't live her life from that space. In today's episode, Nancey gets real about why she hates being called strong and how she's not rocking with the term Queen either. Trust! You don't want to miss this episode because Nancey is boldly and unashamedly sharing why she's throwing the Strong Black Woman Trope back at all the people constantly throwing it at her. Here are a few things that came up in our conversation: - How the terms "Strong Black Woman" and "Queen" removes our humanness - Generational differences and expectations as it relates to being called strong - The trauma of being a strong Black girl - The soft grind and the shifts needed to be able to grind in way that feels good - The Deconditioning, relearning, and redfining needed to live a sustainable life ABOUT NANCEY B. PRICE Nancey B. Price is a self-taught collage artist, writer and storyteller with an appreciation for all things Black, Southern and imaginative. In all of her creative pursuits, she seeks to build worlds in which Black people can exist freely in all their beauty and complexity. With collage as her visual medium, Nancey explores how it feels to center and exalt Blackness and womanhood from the fields of rural America to the stars in the night sky and everywhere in between. Her work has been featured in various publications, including O, the Oprah Magazine, Garden & Gun Magazine, and Black Joy x Reckon. She‘s also exhibited across the country, including Yale Divinity School, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, and the Jepson Center at the Telfair Museums. Nancey uses words and performance to take her audience on a journey of selfhood, spirituality, and ancestry. As the executive producer and host of the podcast, Dreaming In Color, she highlights the importance of dreamtelling in the Black community by creating space for each of her guests to share a dream story and deconstruct its meaning in their waking lives. In her stories of fiction, Nancey invokes magical realism and southern gothic storytelling to build worlds and weave together lives inspired by the folklore of her hometown, Girard, GA. Nancey currently resides in Statesboro, GA and can be seen sharing her creative process on social media (@nanceybprice) and her website (nanceybprice.com). Connect with Nancey via her Online Home, the Dreaming in Color Podcast and on Instagram, and be sure to check out her catalog of artwork. LINKS YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU CLICKED ON Come gather and grow with us in the SOS Sista Circle Want to be a part of a community of sistas supporting sistas through the ebbs and flows of life? Consider being a part of the SOS Virtual Sista Circle where we gather monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join us today at shadesofstrong.com. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you.

Black History Month, the one month some of us love and hate simultaneously -- love because we get to shine a light on the greatness that is Black History and hate because it really didn't have to be this way. In today's episode we BRIEFLY talk abou WHY it didn't have to be this way, how Black history was intentionally and deliberately left out of American history and how we're using the "cookie" [aka Black History Month] they gave us to honor a few of the Black women we love. Check out the bullet points below and see if you can guess who we're highlighting, then tune in as we share how they've each made an in the world, as well as in our personal lives. Can you guess who we're honoring in this episode ? - Civil rights activist and the high-priestest of soul - Singer and actress nicknamed "The Voice" - Singer dubbed "the First Lady of Song? - Poet well known for her poem, "Homeage to My Hip"s LINKS YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU CLICKED ON Come gather and grow with us in the SOS Sista Circle Want to be a part of a community of sistas supporting sistas through the ebbs and flows of life? Consider being a part of the SOS Virtual Sista Circle where we gather monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join us today at shadesofstrong.com. Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself. Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it. Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.