Shameless Reinvention

They are not waiting. They are not asking permission. They are already doing it big. In this episode of Shameless Reinvention, Sharon LaSure-Roy and Sonya Seymour sit down with Chase, Ella, and Nyana, three young women who traveled to the Equal Justice Initiative legacy sites in Montgomery, Alabama and the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma as part of an extraordinary intergenerational journey led by the remarkable Ms. Velma Monteiro Tribble and the incomparable Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole. What they saw, felt, and carried home will move you. They stood in the silence of the Legacy Museum. They looked at things that were hard to look at. They held each other up. And then they came home and wrote about it in a way that stopped us completely in our tracks. In this conversation, Chase, Ella, and Nyana share what it means to speak when silence is no longer acceptable, what Bryan Stevenson said that they will never forget, and how an immersive encounter with history changed the way they move through the world. They talk about broken people helping broken people, the power of community, and the weight of truth when you see it with your own eyes instead of reading it on a page. This is Episode 3 of The Roads We Walk miniseries. If you have not listened to Episodes 1 and 2 yet, go back and start from the beginning. You will not regret it

What does it mean to walk the work forward? In this episode of Shameless Reinvention, Sharon and Sonya sit down with the remarkable Ms. Velma Monteiro-Tribble, a global philanthropist, connector, and bridge builder who has spent decades quietly changing the world, from funding women entrepreneurs in post-genocide Rwanda to organizing a 66-person cultural exchange to the Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Sites in Montgomery and the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma during the 60th jubilee of Bloody Sunday. Velma shares the African proverbs her father used to teach her, why she believes brokenness is the beginning of humanity, and what moved her to tears in the written reflections of the young women she brought on that historic trip. She talks about being the spark rather than the answer, leading without ego, and the moment in a Beijing conference room that changed how she would lead forever. This is a conversation about legacy, love, and the courage it takes to keep walking the work forward. And yes, we end with a truth bomb that will stay with you. Do not miss this one. And if you missed Part One with the extraordinary Dr. Johnetta Betsch Cole, go back and listen first.

What does it look like when a woman refuses to let any single chapter be the whole story? It looks like Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole. Anthropologist. Trailblazer. The first African American woman to serve as president of both Spelman College and Bennett College. Former Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art. Northwestern University alumna. Champion for equity, education, and human dignity for nine decades and counting. In this episode, Dr. Cole sits down with hosts Sharon LaSure-Roy and Sonya Seymour for a conversation that is not a career retrospective. It is an inside look at the journey, the leaps of faith, the moments of doubt, the imposter syndrome that showed up even at the highest levels, and the deep conviction that kept her moving forward anyway. She also shares reflections from a profoundly meaningful journey she led, bringing eight extraordinary young women to the Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Sites in Montgomery and Selma, a trip that became the heartbeat of this entire three-part miniseries. In this episode you will hear Dr. Cole on: Why reinvention is not just a choice but a sacred responsibility for Black women What patriarchy had to do with why Spelman had never had a Black woman president before 1987 The mentors who told her she would put her name in and why she listened What it felt like to almost withdraw from the Smithsonian directorship and what pulled her back Why mentorship must enrich both the mentor and the mentee What she wants every woman who thinks her season has passed to know right now And the one song that carried her through her hardest chapter This is Episode 1 of The Roads We Walk, a three-part miniseries right here on Shameless Reinvention. Next up, Ms. Velma Monteiro Tribble, the woman who organized the EJI journey that brought these eight young women face to face with history. And after that, the young women themselves. Trust us. You will not want to miss a single episode. New episodes drop every Friday at 8:00 AM ET. Follow Shameless Reinvention so you never miss an episode. And if this conversation moves you, share it with a woman who needs to be reminded that her reinvention has no expiration date.

Beyoncé showed up to the Met Gala in a skeleton. Megan Thee Stallion kept the curtain up while the internet had opinions. And somehow Bananito — an AI animated banana with abs and zero loyalty — is doing more emotional processing work for Black women than half the content online. This week Sharon and Sonya are back with no guests, no filter, and absolutely no chill. They break down what Beyoncé's skeleton gown actually said about the cost of being the backbone, why Blue Ivy standing on that carpet was a legacy moment and not a fashion moment, and what the dream deferred looks like when gas is four forty-eight a gallon and the Met Gala happened anyway. Then they get into Megan and Klay — and why the real conversation is never about what was done to a Black woman, only how she chose to say it. Sharon drops the line of the episode: Celebrities are our mirrors. Not our instruction manuals. Plus truth bombs, a Bananito deep dive, and a reminder that rest is a revolutionary act — and that sitting still is not a betrayal. Subscribe. Leave a review. Find us at shamelessreinventions.podbean.com and on Instagram and YouTube at @shamelessreinvention.

What if the person standing between you and everything you're building is an earlier, wounded version of yourself? Sharon's 25-year friend and World Trade Center Arkansas CEO Denise Thomas joins the show to talk about the emotional intelligence work that no credential can replace. They get into the inner child framework, the gift of hawk vision, integrating your shadows instead of hiding them, and why silence is where the real strategy lives. This one goes deep  and it doesn't let you off easy.

The Long Game: Nobody Talks About This Part | Shameless Reinvention Have you ever looked around at where you are and quietly thought: this is not what I planned? This episode is for you. Sharon LaSure-Roy and Sonya Seymour get real about what the long game actually feels like from the inside — not the bumper sticker version, but the daily reality of doing the work when you do not know if the work is working. The waiting. The silence you take personally. The comparison trap. The moment you almost abandon the path right before the turn. This is not a pep talk. It is a truth-telling session. And it just might be the permission you needed to keep going. In this episode: - Why the gap between where you are and where you planned to be is not evidence of failure - What the long game actually looks like in the body and in the daily - The reframe that changes everything: long does not mean lost - Five practical anchors to hold onto when the season will not end - Why isolation is kryptonite and what to do instead TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Cold Open — We see you 02:00 Welcome to Shameless Reinvention 04:00 Naming the feeling: it was not supposed to be like this 12:00 The unglamorous truth nobody posts about 20:00 Long does not mean lost: the reframe 28:00 Five anchors for the long game 36:00 A word for the woman carrying something heavy today TRUTH BOMBS FROM THIS EPISODE "The gap between where you are and where you thought you'd be is not evidence of failure. It might just be evidence of timing." "Long does not mean lost." "Not quitting today is a strategy. Stack enough of those together and you have built something that lasts." "You are not behind. You are becoming." CONNECT WITH US Instagram: @shamelessreinvention YouTube: @ShamelessReinvention Facebook: Shameless Reinvention LinkedIn: Shameless Reinvention Email: [email protected] Website: shamelessreinventions.podbean.com If this episode spoke to you, share it with one woman who needs to hear it today. #ShamelessReinvention #TheLongGame #WomenReinventing #BlackWomenPodcast #CareerTransition #Podcast #PersonalGrowth #Reinvention #WomenWhoLead #KeepGoing #BlackPodcast #PodcastForWomen #Becoming #FaithAndReinvention #NobodyTalksAboutThisPart

You have the plan. You have the research. You have the spreadsheet. So why are you still waiting? In Episode 30, we sit down with Victoria Hairston, a woman who walked through divorce, physical transformation, and a full identity reclamation, and came out the other side not just standing but moving. Literally. She is headed to Panama, and she is not waiting until everything is perfect to get there. This conversation is for the woman who has been almost ready for three seasons too long. The one who keeps adding one more thing to the list before she gives herself permission to go. Victoria's story is proof that the imperfect start is still a start, and that waiting for ready might be the most expensive thing you never put on your budget. We talk about the masks we wear while we are quietly falling apart, what divorce and reinvention can actually set you free from, how to plan an international move with intention and open eyes, and why the first imperfect step is the only one that actually counts. If you have been sitting in the waiting room of your own life, this episode is your invitation to get up. 🎙 Shameless Reinvention is the podcast for women who are done waiting for permission and ready to live out loud. New episodes every Friday. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this with the woman in your life who has been almost ready long enough

This week on Shameless Reinvention, we're talking about faith, freedom, and what it actually means to hold on — through the lens of Passover, Easter, a beloved Game of Thrones character, and a sermon about weight you were never meant to carry. This one is for everybody who has been holding something they don't fully understand yet. Episode 29: Hold the Door. Listen now.

Dr. Tamara Huff is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, founder of Vigeo Orthopedics, real estate entrepreneur, Duke MBA, and incoming chair of the Health Care Systems Committee for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. She started Vigeo in 2019 to increase access to musculoskeletal care in rural America — because the communities that needed it most weren't being served. In Episode 28, she gets real about being the only Black woman in the OR, on building what didn't exist, and what visibility means when the next generation is watching. This one hits different

Have you ever looked back at the woman you almost stayed as , and felt grateful you kept walking? In this episode, Sonya and Sharon get real about the fork-in-the-road moments that changed everything. Sharon opens up about the life she was carefully engineering , all flash, no substance , and the honest reckoning that made her choose herself. Sonya takes us to mile four of the Peachtree Road Race, where one small moment crystallized a truth she had been ignoring for months. And then forward to the man who ran ten unplanned miles just to make sure she crossed the finish line. This one is for every woman who has ever talked herself out of her own instincts. The almost isn't a failure. The almost is data. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with the sisterfriend who needs it today. #ShamelessReinvention #ShamelessTruthBomb #ChooseYourself #Reinvention

Dr. Atiya Abdelmalik, a nurse and community health leader with 25+ years of service, shares how a life‑threatening health crisis forced her to stop pushing and start listening to her body. She healed, rebuilt her career founding HCD Consulting and Leading with Wellbeing and now helps leaders prioritize practical habits like hydration, movement, nutrition, stress management, social connection, and forgiveness. This episode explores reclaiming control, creating the conditions to thrive, and choosing yourself before a crisis chooses for you.

What if your reinvention story deserved a standing ovation? This week, we're using the Oscars and the record-breaking film Sinners as our lens for the boldest conversation we've had yet. Because the story of twin brothers who came home to start over, built something from nothing, and refused to play small? That's not just a movie. That's your life. In this episode, Sharon and Sonya break down your reinvention through five Oscars moments: The Pitch. What's your logline? The one sentence that captures who you're becoming? The Juke Joint. Stop waiting for permission. Build the stage. The Music That Crosses Time. Your past isn't a detour. It was the score. Play it forward. The Long Campaign. Being in the middle of your reinvention is not the same as losing. Choose Your Story Over Immortality. Some offers of security are just a prettier cage. With 16 Oscar nominations, more than Titanic, more than La La Land, Sinners broke every record. And your Best Picture moment? It's still in post-production. The Academy is watching. Shameless Reinvention drops every Friday. Follow, subscribe, and share with a woman who needs to hear this.

The Permission Slip You Never Got You've been waiting for someone to say you're ready. To say you're allowed. To hand you the permission slip that finally makes it official. But what if that moment was never coming and the only signature you ever needed was your own? In episode 23 of Shameless Reinvention, Sharon and Sonya get personal. They wrote their own permission slips out loud, unfiltered, and unapologetically  and they're inviting you to do the same. From releasing the version of yourself that was built for survival (not expansion), to charging your worth without apology, to being seen boldly and in full color this one hits different. This is your reminder: the waiting is the thing that's been holding you back. Not your credentials. Not your timing. Not the market. Just the waiting. Write your permission slip. Say it out loud. And consider this your notice, you're already approved.

Isaiah 43:19 says:  I am about to do something new; Even now it shall come to pass, Suddenly you shall perceive it: I will make a road through the wilderness And rivers in the desert. But what does that new thing actually cost? And how do you hold on when you cannot feel it yet? Rev. Dr. Danielle L. Brown, Senior Pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church, scholar, mentor, and the first woman to lead that congregation in its 117-year history, joins Sonya and Sharon for a conversation that goes all the way in. From teacher to youth pastor to associate to Senior Pastor. From 113 years of 'not yet' to breaking the barrier and building the ladder for everyone coming next.   This is not a sermon. It is not an interview. It is three Jersey women, all of them acquainted with reinvention, all of them still in it, keeping it 100 about faith, silence seasons, calling, and the audacity to keep going when the new thing has not made itself visible yet.   Find Rev. Dr. Brown at Shiloh Baptist Church, Plainfield, New Jersey. Find us at shamelessreinvention.podbean.com, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere you listen. New episodes every Friday.

After eleven years, Jill Scott returned with To Whom This May Concern — an album that felt less like music and more like recognition. In Episode 21 of Shameless Reinvention, we step into the full afterglow and bring our real, unedited selves to the conversation. We both know what it feels like when a space keeps asking you to drill deeper — and the slow realization that what felt like encouragement was actually erosion. We unpack the difference between being called deeper into your gift and being broken down for someone else’s comfort — and why some audiences were never meant to receive what you carry. This is not a conversation about wounds. It is a conversation about the joy of finally recognizing your right audience, your right table, and the specific relief of art that finds you at exactly the right time. This episode includes a personal story about professional erosion, a practical step to identify your right audience this week, and two Shameless Truth Bombs rooted in recognition, calling, and growth. If you have been performing depth for someone who was never going to see it, this episode is your redirect.  

Episode 20: When Life Demands You Love Yourself First - Tricshone Jiles What does it take to advocate for yourself when your life depends on it? Two-time breast cancer survivor Tricshone Jiles knows the answer—and she's not holding back. In this powerful Valentine's week episode, Tricshone sits down with hosts Sonya Seymour and Sharon LaSure-Roy to share her journey of resilience, reinvention, and radical self-love. From navigating two breast cancer diagnoses to maintaining a thriving 19-year marriage while raising three boys, Trischone embodies the shameless courage to put yourself first. Self-love isn't always a choice—sometimes survival demands it. And when life demands you love yourself first? Everything changes. In this episode, we discuss: ✨ How to advocate for yourself in healthcare settings, especially as a Black woman ✨ The real foundation of a lasting marriage through life's biggest challenges ✨ Making the leap after 25 years with one company to bet on yourself ✨ Building Jiles Jewels Inc. to empower breast cancer warriors in Jacksonville ✨ The truth about self-love that nobody tells you How to Connect with Tricshone Connect with Tricshone Jiles:  Jiles Jewels Inc:https://www.jilesjewels.org/] Instagram:@JilesJewels  Facebook:@JileJewels  Email: [email protected] Connect with Shameless Reinvention: Subscribe: https://shamelessreinventions.podbean.com/ Instagram/LinkedIn/Facebook: @ShamelessReinvention Website:https://shamelessreinventions.podbean.com/  Hosts: Sonya Seymour & Sharon LaSure-Roy #ShamelessReinvention #WhenLifeDemands #BreastCancerSurvivor #SelfAdvocacy #BlackWomenHealth #MarriageGoals #CareerReinvention #SelfLove #JilesJewels #WomensEmpowerment #HealthcareAdvocacy #ValentinesWeek Video & Podcast Production: Rolf Taylor, Project Advocacy 

In this episode of Shameless Reinvention, Sonya and Sharon explore how to keep faith, hope, and resilience when both personal lives and the wider world feel like they're falling apart. They name the guilt of focusing on personal struggles, the weight of collective grief, and why both realities deserve attention. Sonya and Sharon offer practical steps: curate your information diet, build daily grounding rituals, choose who you process with, set boundaries, and take small actions — reminding listeners that faith is active, community matters, and tiny steps still create ripples of change.

  Episode 18 is LIVE! 🎙️ The Ripple Effect — Quiet Ripples, Lasting Impact. “When the ground shifts, you discover what you're really made of” In this episode of Shameless Reinvention, we sit down with Christin Zollicoffer — a changemaker who turned an institutional ending into a powerful beginning. After her VP of DEI role at Brown University was eliminated, Christin didn't retreat. She built https://TheStrategyCatalysts.com and redefined what leadership without self-erasure actually looks like. We explore the quiet ripples — the ones that don't trend but transform. How do you lead with both ferocity and humanity? What happens when you stop hiding your highest self? And what does it mean to give others permission to breathe again? This conversation is for anyone who's ever had to choose between fitting in and standing out — and chose themselves anyway. Listen, view & subscribe to full episodes here:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581085133013  Youtube:   https://www.youtube.com/@ShamelessReinvention      Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/49vhHQI     Spotify: https://bit.ly/4jzioNI     #ShamelessReinvention  #TheRippleEffect  #Reinvention  #CareerTransition  #Breathe #Resilience   Hosts: Sharon LaSure Roy & Sonya Seymour Special Guest: Christin Zollicoffer Production Management: Rolf Taylor  

Hosts Sonya and Sharon revisit their episode on the myth of "having it all" and reframe it through their Ripple Effect series. They explore how letting go of performance and modeling vulnerability creates outward ripples that give others permission to breathe, rest, set boundaries, and reinvent. The episode contrasts masks (performing perfection) with mirrors (showing truth), shares practical steps—lighten the load publicly, curate your witnesses, and treat rest as leadership—and issues a simple challenge: identify one pattern to break and ask who benefits when you do.  When you stop pretending you have it all together, something powerful happens. You give someone else permission to breathe. In today's episode of Shameless Reinvention, Sharon and Sonya are revisiting "The Myth of Having It All" - but with a twist. We're exploring the ripple effect of letting go, because your reinvention? It's never just about you. Your daughter is watching. Your team is watching. Your community is learning from the patterns you break and the boundaries you set. Today we're getting real about:  The difference between masks and mirrors  Who taught us the myth (and why we're breaking it)  How rest is actually a leadership act  What it means to leave something beautiful behind Listen now wherever you get your podcasts or click the link in bio!  This one hit different for us, and we think it will for you too. Let us know what ripples you're creating - drop a comment below! 💙 Listen, view & subscribe to full episodes here:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581085133013  Youtube:   https://www.youtube.com/@ShamelessReinvention      Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/49vhHQI     Spotify: https://bit.ly/4jzioNI   #ShamelessReinvention  #PermissionToBreathe #AuthenticityMatters #BreakingPatterns #RippleEffect  #Reinvention  #CareerTransition  #WomenEmpowerment  #Transformation Hosts: Sharon LaSure Roy & Sonya Seymour Production: Rolf Taylor

In this episode hosts Sharon LaShaw Roy and Sonya Seymour interview Dee Seymore, a public health doctoral candidate and founder of Masc-OFF. Dee shares how she turned isolation into connection by creating a safe, welcoming space for Black masculine-presenting women to heal, belong, and thrive. The conversation explores reinvention, community-led public health, mentorship, and the ripple effects of building what you wish existed — including practical lessons on starting, sustaining, and expanding a community-driven movement. Listen, view & subscribe to full episodes here:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581085133013  Youtube:   https://www.youtube.com/@ShamelessReinvention      Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/49vhHQI     Spotify: https://bit.ly/4jzioNI     #ShamelessReinvention  #TheRippleEffect  #Reinvention  #CareerTransition  #WomenOver50  #Transformation   Hosts: Sharon LaSure Roy & Sonya Seymour Production: Rolf Taylor

Hosts Sonya and Sharon reflect on 2025, sharing the lessons they’ll carry into 2026—owning their voices, embracing collaboration, and proving they can do hard things. They name what they’re leaving behind—self-doubt, harsh self-criticism, perfectionism—and speak honestly about reinvention’s messy, nonlinear path, including grief and healing. They close by declaring what 2026 needs from them (confidence, boldness, consistency) and invite listeners to join the “Take It and Leave” challenge to choose one thing to bring forward and one to release. Listen, view & subscribe to full episodes here:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581085133013  Youtube:   https://www.youtube.com/@ShamelessReinvention      Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/49vhHQI     Spotify: https://bit.ly/4jzioNI     #ShamelessReinvention  #TheRippleEffect  #Reinvention  #CareerTransition  #WomenOver50  #Transformation Hosts: Sharon LaSure Roy & Sonya Seymour Production: Rolf Taylor

In this episode hosts Sharon LaShore Roy and Sonia Seymour check in on their reinvention journeys, celebrating progress before perfection. They revisit their signature rewords — reconnect, rest, rebuild, recover, and reach — and share honest, in-progress stories about career rebuilding, health and vocal recovery, family, boundaries, and shifting identities. Listeners are invited to join the Reword Challenge by sharing an authentic moment that represents their season, and to celebrate small wins while embracing the messy, non-linear path of change. Listen, view & subscribe to full episodes here:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581085133013  Youtube:   https://www.youtube.com/@ShamelessReinvention      Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/49vhHQI     Spotify: https://bit.ly/4jzioNI     #ShamelessReinvention  #TheRippleEffect  #Reinvention  #CareerTransition  #WomenOver50  #Transformation   Hosts: Sharon LaSure Roy & Sonya Seymour Production: Rolf Taylor

Episode 15 is LIVE! 🎙️ "The Ripple Effect: How Your Reinvention Story Creates Waves" In this episode, Sharon and Sonya share their personal ripple stories—the partnerships that shaped them, the Black women who kicked doors open before them, and the waves they're creating through honest storytelling. Your reinvention doesn't end with you. It ripples outward, creating permission for others to transform. This is the first episode of our new Ripple Effect series. Starting next week, we bring you guests who've turned loss into legacy and small steps into big impact. #ShamelessReinvention #TheRippleEffect #Reinvention #CareerTransition #WomenOver50 #Transformation #Podcast #ListenNow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581085133013  Youtube:   https://www.youtube.com/@ShamelessReinvention      Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/49vhHQI     Spotify: https://bit.ly/4jzioNI 

Our hosts are in a happy holiday mood, counting down their top 10 things to let go — from waiting for permission and scarcity mindset to perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the fear of who you’re supposed to be — to create space for reinvention and authentic living. They share personal stories, practical steps (pick a few items, take one small action this week), and reading/watch suggestions to help you start releasing what no longer serves you. Want to see Sonya & Sharon as well as listen? Follow the video version here. 

Hosts Sonya and Sharon turn a family potato salad fiasco into a warm, funny exploration of authenticity, reinvention, and building your own life "recipe." The episode mixes Thanksgiving reflections, practical steps for personal reinvention (inventory, improvise, taste as you go), and two finale truths: the plan isn’t the life, and your mess becomes your message.  

Hosts Sonya Seymour and Sharon LaSure-Roy explore the "time, talent, and treasure" framework to help listeners recognize what they have in abundance and how that changes the way they show up. Through real stories, including a medical student’s $5 donation and a retired surgeon teaching with shoestrings, they offer three simple steps: identify your current abundance, name one way to give from it, and take action. The episode’s core message: you already have something that matters. Give from abundance, not guilt, and your contribution, no matter the size, can make a real difference. Preview & Introduction: The lie we've been told:  "If you can't write a big check, you can't really make a difference." The truth:  "You have time, talent, or treasure. And whichever one you have in abundance right now? It's enough." In today's episode, and Sharon  get real about:     •    The $5/month donation that brought us to tears (and why it mattered more than the biggest checks)     •    The retired surgeon who taught life-saving techniques with shoestrings     •    How to identify YOUR abundance in this season     •    Why giving from scarcity breeds resentment—and what to do instead Stop waiting until you have more. Stop apologizing for what you don't have. Your contribution matters—even if it feels small. Which one is YOUR abundance right now? Time, talent, or treasure? Drop it in the comments 👇 #ShamelessReinvention #YouAlreadyHaveWhatYouNeed #TimetalentTreasure #NewEpisode #PodcastCommunity 1: “You Already Have What It Takes”  2: “Don’t Bury Your Gifts”   3: “What’s Your Abundance?”  4: “The Joy of Giving From Fullness”  5: “Show Up With What You Actually Have”  6: “Everybody Matters or Nobody Matters”   7: “Your Move: Three Steps to Start”  8: “Know What You Have. Give It Freely.”

After returning from a family vacation, guest Nanette finds herself unexpectedly out of a job because of a paperwork error. Instead of panicking, she leans into her long-held creative passions, publishing her novel Bad Intentions and pursuing screenwriting and filmmaking. This episode explores loss, freedom, and the power of choosing authenticity over performance—reminding listeners there is no expiration date on reinventing your life and following your art. She filled out a vacation form wrong. They let her go. She became an award-winning screenwriter, filmmaker, and published author. Sometimes the worst thing that happens to you is the best thing that could happen to you.   This week on Shameless Reinvention, Nannette Sandy tells us what happened when she stopped performing for her employer and started living authentically. Her husband said five words that changed everything. Her kids were watching. And she had a choice: play it safe or leap. She leaped. 🎙️ WATCH NOW and hear:   The conversation with her husband that shifted everything   What "stepping out on faith" actually looks like when you have real bills   Why you can't go back to performing once you've tasted authentic living   Her shameless truth bomb for anyone stuck in a job they hate #ShamelessReinvention #CareerTransition #Authenticity #Reinvention #Screenwriter #Author #CreativeCourage

"I just sent a text that said "I'm fine" when I'm not fine at all. Twenty minutes later, I'm recording an episode about authenticity. The irony isn't lost on me. Here's the thing nobody tells you: You can know better and still do the thing. You can understand authenticity intellectually and still perform it away when the moment gets uncomfortable. That gap—between knowing and doing—is where most of us live." 🎙️ EPISODE 8 IS LIVE NOW: The Practice ~ Two friends, Sharon and Sonya, exploring how to stay authentic during crisis. We share three practical habits—micro-moments of truth, the pause, and the witness stance — to help you respond instead of perform, set boundaries, protect your peace, and grow into sustainable authenticity. This isn't another "be your authentic self" pep talk. This is about the messy middle. The part where you've done the work, given yourself permission, and then... everything falls apart. Crisis doesn't cancel your authenticity. It reveals where you're still choosing performance over truth. In this episode, Sonya and I get real about: The Witness Stance — What if you watched yourself like you were watching a friend? No shame, just data. "Oh, I'm doing that thing again. Interesting. What am I afraid of?"Micro-Authenticity — You don't need grand declarations. Sometimes it's just eleven words: "I'm going through a lot right now. I need some space." The Pause Practice — Three seconds. One breath. Between stimulus and response, there's a choice. Most of us have never given ourselves that space. We also talk about the hard stuff: When authenticity feels financially risky. When truth might end a relationship. When being real could actually be dangerous. Because here's what I'm learning: Authenticity isn't a destination. It's a practice. And like any practice, some days you'll nail it. Some days you'll send "I'm fine" and feel like a fraud.  Both are part of the process. So here's my question for you: What's the gap between what you know and what you do? Where are you still performing when you want to be real?

"Fall Into Monday" ~ Dr. Thommi Odom on Permission to Reinvent Dr. Thommi Odom joins Shameless Reinvention to explore how to give yourself permission to pivot, own your story, and show up authentically. She discusses somatic therapy, code‑switching, rest as leadership, and practical steps like "clearing the plate" to reclaim joy and fall back in love with Mondays. Through personal stories and simple exercises, this episode offers encouragement and tools for anyone—especially Black women—ready to stop waiting for permission and begin their next reinvention. Featuring co-hosts Sonya Seymour and Sharon LaSure-Roy.  About: Self-proclaimed Joy Evangelist, Dr. Thommi is a Counselor, an Educator, Clinical Supervisor, a happy wife, and “that friend” who hypes you up when you are down and ready to fight with and for you at any given moment. Using her trauma experience as her superpower and her voice as her weapon, Dr. T is the queen of reframing by empowering her clients and students to disrupt their narrative and begin to tell and live a different story. LInks:  https://restorativeaf.com/  Video Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dvhZjMqwWQ  https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Space-Understanding-Implementing-Harmony/dp/0960034900  https://connectgrowthrive.me/about-thommi-lawson/ 

In this episode of Shameless Reinvention, hosts Sharon and Sonya explore how strategic authenticity — making small, intentional choices that honor who you are — builds lasting legacies. They delve into the stories of Malcolm Jamal Warner (Cosby Show) and Dr. Danielle Spencer (What's Happening!!) to show how choosing substance over visibility opens doors and creates meaningful careers. Through personal stories, shameless truth bombs, and recommendations, the hosts offer practical ways to start being more authentic today, teasing an inspiring interview with Dr. Thommi Odom in an upcoming episode. Episode Highlights: - Contrasting Malcolm-Jamal Warner's deliberate diversification with Dr. Danielle Spencer's choice of substance over spotlightNew "Shameless Truth Bombs" segment with 4 punchy insights - Emphasis on "choosing substance over visibility" as a recurring theme - Real-life examples from both hosts demonstrating strategic authenticity - Actionable homework for listeners Recommendations:  Book (Sharon): Becoming by Michelle Obama Book (Sonya): Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler Music (Sharon): "Cranes in the Sky" by Solange Shameless Reinvention – Episode 6 (transcript) Picture this. It's 1984. And a young actor named Malcolm Jamal Warner lands the role of Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show. Now he could have ridden that wave forever, stayed in the spotlight, chased the next big sitcom role. But Malcolm Jamal Warner made a different choice — he deliberately diversified. While America was watching him play Theo every Thursday night, he was behind the scenes learning to direct. And he wasn't waiting for permission. He was directing music videos like New Edition’s N.E. Heartbreak, Special Ed, and Five Star, then episodes of The Cosby Show itself, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Malcolm and Eddie. He chose substance over visibility. He became a jazz funk musician, a spoken word poet — not because it would make him more famous, but because it was authentic to who he was. Fast forward to 2015, and he won a Grammy not for acting, but for his poetry on Jesus, Children of America, a tribute to the Sandy Hook victims. It was real, raw, and meaningful. He didn’t just chase fame; he built a legacy. With every role after that — from The Cosby Show to Malcolm and Eddie to The Resident to Suits — he was intentional, strategic, and always authentic. He made small, deliberate choices throughout his career that honored all of who he was, not just the version people knew. That’s what being strategic looks like. That’s what choosing substance over visibility creates. Remember little Dee Thomas from What’s Happening? Danielle Spencer was another child star who could have chased the spotlight. After the show was canceled in 1979, she made a choice to pursue something that mattered more than visibility. She went to college, studied marine biology, and began working toward a doctorate in veterinary medicine — not as a backup plan, but to honor her late stepfather’s encouragement. After a tragic car accident that took his life and left her in a coma for three weeks, she eventually returned to acting in What’s Happening Now!! (1985), but on her own terms. She appeared in episodes while attending UCLA, refusing to choose between her past and future. By 1996, she was Dr. Danielle Spencer — former child star and practicing veterinarian with a doctorate from Tuskegee University. She chose substance, meaning, and authenticity over applause. Malcolm Jamal Warner and Dr. Danielle Spencer both built legacies by not chasing what everyone else was chasing. They made small, intentional, day-to-day choices that were authentic — proving that being strategic isn’t selling out, it’s choosing substance over visibility. And that’s what we call shameless reinvention. Hello and welcome back to Shameless Reinvention! I’m Sharon and I’m Sonja — we’re friends, and we’re excited about today’s episode. We’re kicking off a brand-new series about being green — and if you’ve been with us, you know we love talking about reinvention. This series is a little different because we’re going deep on something that might sound simple but is actually revolutionary: authenticity. Before you roll your eyes and think “oh great, another be-yourself pep talk,” we see you. We’re not talking about vague feel-good vibes — we’re talking about authenticity as a strategy, as a tool, as the actual path to shameless reinvention. Being your authentic self isn’t just about feeling good; it’s about being strategic in a way that works — for your career, your life, and your goals. It’s shameless, and it’s necessary. Today, we’re sharing our own stories of how being genuinely, sometimes uncomfortably, authentic led us to places we never expected. Authenticity doesn’t mean being passive. It means making small, intentional, daily choices that align with who you are and where you want to go. You can be authentic and strategic — true to yourself and still build something bigger than what people expect. Strategy isn’t fakeness; it’s intentionality. Ask yourself: what small action today honors who I am and moves me toward the life I want? Malcolm Jamal Warner didn’t wait for permission — he learned to direct and create while still acting. Danielle Spencer didn’t let tragedy define her; she honored her purpose and education while returning to acting on her own terms. Both chose substance over visibility — and that’s what shameless reinvention is all about. Sharon shares her story from retail marketing — connecting with people, running events, and bringing her full personality to work. She showed up authentically, and people noticed. That authenticity opened new doors — leadership noticed, and she was offered a new role in social marketing because she “understood people” and “connected authentically.” She became a voice of the company, shaping its online reputation and guiding major initiatives — all from simply being herself. Sonja shares her story from higher education and healthcare. She deliberately stepped out of the spotlight for a time, choosing a behind-the-scenes role while dealing with personal health challenges. Yet, by showing up authentically every day, she was noticed for her emotional intelligence and integrity. Her manager saw in her what she wasn’t promoting — and offered her a leadership role in the residency program because of her ability to connect, mediate, and lead with empathy. Her authenticity literally spoke her into a new opportunity. Then came the “Shameless Truth Bombs”: Nobody is thinking about you as much as you think they are. Most people are too busy thinking about themselves — so you might as well be yourself. Playing it safe is the riskiest thing you can do. When you hide who you really are, you risk your entire future. Your discomfort is data. If something feels uncomfortable — like being authentic — that’s information, not a stop sign. It means you’re growing. Waiting for permission is giving away your power. Malcolm Jamal Warner didn’t wait to direct; Dr. Danielle Spencer didn’t wait to study veterinary medicine. They gave themselves permission — and you can too. Authenticity is not performative — it’s strategic and real. Reinvention doesn’t come from giant leaps but from consistent small, authentic steps. Ask yourself: what’s one small way I can show up more authentically today? Maybe it’s speaking up in a meeting, setting a boundary, or starting a passion project. When you show up authentically, strategically, and consistently, you create opportunities for reinvention you can’t even imagine. That’s shameless reinvention. This season features guests who embody that truth, like Dr. Tommi Odom — counselor, professor, marathon runner, yogi, executive coach, and lifelong learner — who encourages everyone to “fall in love with Mondays.” She proves that careers, like lives, can evolve through authenticity and reinvention. The hosts close with Books, Beats, and Bold Inspiration: Book: Becoming by Michelle Obama — a masterclass in strategic authenticity. Book: Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler — a lesson in creative authenticity and persistence. Music: “Cranes in the Sky” by Solange — a beautiful, raw anthem for facing discomfort and healing through authenticity. The episode ends with a reflection: authenticity is a strategy. It’s about making proactive, intentional choices that honor who you are. Between now and the next episode, identify one small way to be more authentic. Are you chasing visibility — or building substance? Remember, Shameless Reinvention doesn’t begin with a leap; it begins with one small authentic step. Until next time — stay shameless.  

Hosts Sonya Seymour and Sharon LaSure-Roy close their Breakdown to Breakthrough series by showing how internal work—acceptance, faith, and a reconstructed identity—becomes the foundation for professional reinvention. They reframe career gaps as testimony, offer networking and interview strategies, and emphasize authentic, sustainable comebacks. The episode gives practical steps: clarify non‑negotiables, update your materials, start small, practice telling your story, apply confidently, build accountability, and continue the internal work. Above all, it offers permission to start over at any age and build a career that fits who you are now.

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Welcome to Shameless Reinvention, where we talk about the real work of changing your life. I'm Sonya, she's Sharon, and we're two women who got tired of living according to other people's playbooks. Every week, we're having the conversations about career pivots, relationship boundaries, faith questions, and personal growth that actually matter—the ones that help you build a life that fits who you're becoming, not who you used to be.