July 17, 2025 • 29 mins
What does it really mean to choose joy in a world full of pressure, expectations, and setbacks? Actress and producer Novi Brown, best known for her breakout role on Sistas, sits down with Deborah Joy Winans Williams for an intimate and soul-nourishing conversation about grounding yourself in purpose, navigating Hollywood with authenticity, and building a life rooted in freedom, love, and intentional joy.
In this inspiring episode of Choosing Joy, Novi shares powerful insights on protecting your peace, finding success on your own terms, and showing up consistently — not just as an artist, but as a fully aligned human being. From mental wellness and mentorship to walking into rooms before you feel “ready,” this conversation is a masterclass in staying true to who you are, no matter what the world expects.
(pink heart emoji)Whether you're an aspiring creative, an entrepreneur, or simply looking for more meaning in your day-to-day, this episode will lift your spirit and challenge you to trust your gut, protect your light, and boldly choose joy.
Chapters
00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
01:15 - Why Novi Brown Shines in Every Room
03:00 - Staying Grounded in Hollywood
06:00 - Navigating Fame & Friendship
08:00 - Relationship Balance & Starting a Production Company
10:45 - Mentorship, Therapy & Mental Health
13:30 - Breaking Down, Choosing Wellness
16:10 - Power of Movement & Getting in the Room
18:40 - Building Community Through Connection
20:45 - Becoming a Broadway Producer
22:00 - Freedom to Travel & Embrace Life
23:30 - Deborah Joy on Motherhood & Joy
25:00 - Quickfire Game: Growing Up, Comedy vs. Drama
28:00 - Final Reflections & Joy That Can’t Be Taken
#NoviBrown #DeborahJoyWinansWilliams #ChoosingJoyPodcast #BlackWomenInHollywood #FaithAndWellness #HollywoodHealing #AuthenticLiving #ActressInterview #MentalHealthMatters #WomenInFilm #BroadwayProducer #JoyIsAChoice #GodIsLove
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, it's Deborah Joy Winman's Williams.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
I know it's a lot of names.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome back to Choosing Joy.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
And I am so, so so excited to have this
beautiful woman sitting next to me.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
You know her from the mega hit show Sisters. She
is so many things, but one thing she isn't is.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
The person in Hollywood that you can't call consistent. She
is stunning in every way. Every time I see her,
she brings light and love in her person.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
She carries it.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I don't know how you do that, but she does
it and just talented through and through. The talent is
the thing that people recognize, but the heart is the
thing that she leads with. And so I am excited
to have the one and only gorgeous woman known as
Gnovie Brown sitting right next to me here choosing Joy.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Girl all the time.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
That's the girl I said I told, no lies, no lies,
no lies.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
It makes me I'm such I gotta take a moment.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
I'm a huge fan.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
Y'all don't understand y'all do understand it, because y'all hear
you're fans too.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
I'm a huge fan. Actress to actress.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Oh gosh, your work is so invigorating, it's so moving,
it's so it's so passionate. And that's exactly the type
of creatives and people I want to be around.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
And you inspire me.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
And as soon as I fangirled over you, you were
just like, hey, girls.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
What's going on. I'm like, I'm your fan. I'm your fan.
So thank you again for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
I truly mean it.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Thank you. I'm so happy you're here.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
And the thing is when I said, I tell no lies,
every time I see.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
You, no vi, you are so consistently you. It is
a beautiful.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Thing walking around in Hollywood, being here for you know,
however long it I guess nineteen years now, I've been
here too long.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
You're doing it. We're doing it.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
But being here and seeing how people can be and how.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
You choose to be, every time I see you is
always a breath of fresh air. You are stunning and
that's something that people can lead with, but you don't.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
You are absolutely beautiful.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
It is something that is in you that you carry
you that is, I guess our forever first lady said
the light that we carry.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Yes, you carry a light. Thank you? What light is that?
Can you give me a secret?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
My mom all day. Your mom's on set today.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
I think having those type of people around you to
help you consistently remind you of who.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
You are is so necessary. You know.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
They mentally and emotionally ground me my community and my family.
They keep me focused on my goals because at the
end of the day, so many things happen to us
all the time, right, constant rejections, constant misleadings of things,
And it could be so easy to want to give
in to that energy, and it's so easy to want
to go to that side.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
But I just see a bunch of hurt.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Artists walking around who are very disappointed and sad. Yeah,
And so for me, I just I know I'm a
little bit newer and will only been professional for about
five or six years now, but I want to be
that little glimmery. I hope that people remember. So when
I do run into somebody who's been in the industry
for twenty or so years, they're like, I remember, I
(03:25):
was just like that.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Oh yeah, I remember that.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
And I just want to stay consistent like that, because
at the end of the day, I'm choosing this career
because I'm happy about it. All the other intricacies are
people things. Yeah, that's not the spiritual thing though that
I'm attracted to. So that's why I'm consistently staying in
my zone.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
I have found that the Holy Spirit will talk to
you through that gut that you have.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
And if you're not connecting, you're not connecting.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
It doesn't mean that you're not meant to be in
someone's space or work with somebody. But there are levels
to relationships, okay, and I you know when you are
here here with me, yes, that means I am really
giving and doing everything to make sure this relationship is
(04:17):
great and it works. I am not doing that for
the fake. I am not doing that for the insincere.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
I don't I don't have to.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
I had to literally tell somebody I don't have to
get on my knees mmm, don't have to bend my
morals mm mm.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Or my integrity to get what I want.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
M I need you to understand that about me.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Absolutely, I'm not going to do what you think I'm
gonna do.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Absolutely, and it's never been that way.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Do you feel like cause I wanna ask you being
on something that's it's such a mega hit, like, sisters,
how have you had to balance that, like your health
and your wellness, your your family, and even relationships, whether
romantic or friendship wise. How have you had to sort
(05:05):
of adjust or or balance those things with such a
heavy hitter connected to your name, so.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Many different things. I'm still learning.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
Yeah, I'm sure it took a learning process for you
as well, right, because now you're.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
In homes of millions and millions and millions of people.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
And the cool thing about being on a black shell,
there's just a difference, the difference. Yes, yes, it feels
like you're in the middle of a barbecue or cookout.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
He would just come up to you in mid conversations. Yeah,
like you don't what I about?
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Yeah, so such as a I'm like what happened?
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Girls?
Speaker 5 (05:41):
You know.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
So that's why I love it. That's number one. It
makes me feel so good.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Number two, I love that it connects families and all
those things. You know. So I know I'm doing my
work as a connector yeah, and as a hopefully as
a healer in some way.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
But when it comes to my own personal life, still
figuring out how to manage everything, you know, because now
for people in my personal life, their perception of me changed.
They don't want to be intrusive because they know how
hard I've worked. So now they're like, oh, I don't
want to call because I know you're going to be busy.
I said, no, no, no, no, that's not it's not how
it works, you know.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
But I had to get over those hurdles with some
of my closes.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
And best friends. I would tell them, hit me up, well,
I don't want to bother you. You never bother You're
part of my life, you know. And so that's been
way better now I've integrated that. Me and my best
friends talking about every day now. But prior to they
were very nervous because they were like, well, you're going
into this situation.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
And I don't want to hinder you.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
And you know, a very very respectful community. So that
I am in a relationship, we're engaged. You know, he's
but he's been in there, he's been here before.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Oh yes, yes.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
But I'm a big proponent for specifically everybody's different, but
I'm a proponent for women kind of separating those things.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Yeah, because tell me why women will.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Do all these amazing things, but it's always like where's
your husband and your child? You know, And my artistry
can't be enough this, you know, how I show up
as a mentor or an educator or whatever, I can't
be enough. So, you know, my fiancee, Malcolm and I
have a production company. We do a lot of things together.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
A lot of people know him in the industry, some
of social media knows him. But this career is for me.
This is my life, you know.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
And I'm saying I built this and I'm continue and
he's helping me continue to build it. Sure, So that's
been It's been good because he's a cinematographer and so
he understands both of our whole world. Get up, go
where are you going today? I'm going here, I'm leaving
on a flight tomorrow all that, you know. So I
got really blessed with that. And then he's super supportive
in what I do, and he's just he's happy because
(07:46):
he sees other people are happy to see me. You know,
He's like, oh, I love how people get so connected
to you and things like that.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
So we get to do that.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
And then obviously on the partnership side, I get to
build a production company with this person because he has
an amazing skill set. And with that, you know, we
did our first short film. We won like five awards already,
so it's really good cynership for us.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
So that's been awesome.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
The relationship with my mom has always been super strong,
you know, I'm just like you. I bring her as
many places as I possibly can bring my mom, so
that's been awesome. And making sure that I have some
type of therapists or counselor around, making sure that I
can dive into that.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
And then last, but not least, mentorship.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
I think mentorship is massive, and the women that I'm
mentored by, there's two different sets of women. There's a
very entrepreneurial woman who's very focused on her career, but
then there's a business family woman.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
So I have both, so I get to see both perspectives.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
You know, I'm surrounded by women who decided not to
get married and have children, and I'm surround by women
who decide to marry and have children. I feel like
because I have a strong community in that way, mentorship,
and I'm very blunt and transparent and consistent as you know,
I feel that's really helped me, you know, maintain as
much balance as I can.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
And then crying, like you gotta cry, girl, it's way
down Yeah, break down a girl. We all do it,
you know, it is a healing. It's so good to
just let it go.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
And when you're frustrated or things don't turn out the
way you expect them to turn out, or they expect it,
they turn out better than you expected to turn out,
you know.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
But yeah, just allowing that.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
And I've definitely had, you know, breakdowns and anxiety, and
I've had oh my god, what if you know, what
if I'm only on this show and this is the
only show that I'm ever on? Oh my god, I
can't believe, you know, I'm freaking out, Like, where's my
next job gonna come from?
Speaker 2 (09:38):
You're just thinking can I will I ever be known
for anything else?
Speaker 1 (09:41):
And still being.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Slightly newer, Yeah, just there's there's a resoluteness in how
you move and how you speak, and it is refreshing
because nobody's changing.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
They can who God created you to be.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
And it's been a struggle. Yeah, So like being an
outspoken black woman. God God forbidden an opinion, shake the table.
Whoa wait a minute now again, Now aren't you grateful?
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Be quiet? Just be thankful? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Yeah, so you know that's the energy they want you
to have Yeah, instead of realizing, well, what about all
those years that we've been training, we've been in class. Yeah,
we've you know, sacrificed this. I don't know about you,
but I spent my entire twenties working.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
That's all I did. I was.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
I was a bartender, waitress, every holiday, Christmas.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Thanksgiving, New Year's. I was working. I was at school.
I was working. I was at school. I was working.
I was auditioning. I was at school, I was working,
I was auditioning. I'm allowed, as.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
A thirty eight year old woman, Yeah, to have my
own opinions about the opinion and be resolute and who
I am because my trajectory and my my pathway is
supposed to be carved out this way for other people
to see something and say, oh, okay, I can do
it this way as well, where I could take I
could tweak it. But yeah, it's very much, especially in
(11:06):
this business. It's such a people pleasing business.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I don't want people to think it's not. It's all
about do you like me?
Speaker 5 (11:11):
Do you like me?
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Do you like me?
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Do you like me? Do you like me?
Speaker 2 (11:14):
And then when they don't like you, then.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
You fall apart. You fall apart. The world is ending.
My god, it's crazy. They don't like me anymore.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
No, I can't.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Live like that.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
I refuse. I refuse. I was never like that in
high school. No, I refuse.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Pressure. I don't understand. What is that?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Who?
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Who? What is that? Have you met my mom?
Speaker 1 (11:35):
What you talk about?
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Have you met my mother?
Speaker 1 (11:37):
That's what I don't want to do it, I said, No, I'm.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Scared of her.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
I don't pressure.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
I got going back to Cassandra, don't I got consequences?
Speaker 2 (11:49):
So the is the is the No? No, okay, you good.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
It's just it's so interesting.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
I feel I feel like the older you get, you're
supposed to be more free, you're not.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Supposed to people.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
And then there's this weird time between your thirties and
I think late forties where you're still trying to figure
out am I following everybody else's idea of who I'm
supposed to be? Or am I really cultivating the light?
And then by the time you're sixty, right, you wake
up and say, oh, screw that. Yeah, but I don't
want to be sixty realizing that. No, I want to
know that now. Yes, I want to live in it now,
(12:23):
and I want to be grateful for everything that I
do today, instead of looking back and saying that, yeah,
twenty years ago I should have said that.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
No, I'm gonna say it today, regardless of how you feel.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
If this is on my spirit today, I'm going to
say it today. I'm gonna I'm gonna look to to
say things in love and.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
With us, because that's what lives in me.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Don't even God is.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Love And if you don't have that, you have nothing.
So many people talk about talking about the.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
Lord, but they don't move in love.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
If you don't have love, Bob says, you have nothing
you so you've got to move.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
You can't talk about it, You got to be about
it it. You know a lot of people talking talking, talking, talking, talking,
And I'm not a person that goes to church every
week at all, But I don't need to be going
into a book to remind me how to treat other
people like that, to me is crazy of itself.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
And if we don't.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
Naturally align, then we need to be mature enough to say, great,
let's not continue whatever this was between, whether it's a
business partnership or relationship or friendship or community endeavors, we're
not aligned and that's.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Okay, or this is as far as we've come.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
And I feel like, especially in Hollywood, you know, it's
very it's so in a lot of industries, it's like this.
As many industries there's you know, there's tears and status
and clicks and all that, and there's nothing wrong with
creating you know, communities and hubs of things.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
But not to the point where you look down.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
On that does not sit right with me, you know,
especially when I know which I'll be going through to.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Get get yeah, get it out. Yeah, you know. Yeah,
it's a group effort here, This is a team effort.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
Like we're sitting here this beautiful production, but there's so
many people behind the scenes right now operating this amazing set,
you know what I'm saying. And those are the people
that are also helping build our legacy and making our
dreams come true.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
I would argue that they are just as important.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Period.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
I think it's hard for artists.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
Who are really, really, really a self centered to recognize
that just because your face is on the camera, that
you're the most important part of this piece.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
I think we all need each other.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
And when you realize that and recognize that you move
like that, and you treat.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
People with respect.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
I like to sit in a makeup chair or a
hair chair, or sit in front of a camera and.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Like, y'all tell me what to do.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Yeah, I don't have that expertise. Yes, you tell me
where I can move, what's gonna look good?
Speaker 1 (14:57):
How I got it? And then I can take my
artistry and.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Work within yours. So it's all a collective effort. My
question I think in this sort of space is what
has been the biggest thing in your life, maybe in
your career, but think about life where you found it
very difficult to choose this, to choose this joy that
(15:22):
you really sort of move with.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Oh, I feel one of the aspects is changing teams,
you know, like changing your manager or agents or whoever
because they're not getting the vision, or some people just
want you to stay where you are.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
I can host, I can do this, I can do that.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
You know, I speak German, I have dual citizenship, Like,
let's figure it out. And the person was not listening
to me, not listening to me, not listening to me,
You're like, okay, I'm only working once a year. Where
are the other opportunities? It's a pandemic.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Introduce me to people what's going on.
Speaker 4 (15:52):
And it was very difficult because I said, well, what
if nobody wants to work with me? You know that
lack of mindset comes in there. Yeah, yeah, what if
nobody wants.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
To But no, no, no, no, you're talented.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
When I think of choosing joy, I think of choosing wellness.
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Speaker 3 (16:54):
But even in those moments where life is it seemed
like it ain't throwing you nothing butter lemons and and
to be honest, twenty twenty five has felt for me
very much.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
So like, okay, God, it's like you give your battles
to the heart the strongest soldier. I'm not that strong
right now.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
I don't hold any another battle.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Tap me out, not another battle. What is happening in
twenty twenty five? Can I can? I can? I have
a soft light? Yeah? Jesus please please so.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
But but how do you find in those very difficult
moments of life, whether it's housing, whether it's food, whether
it's I've been wearing these clothes since you know, nineteen
ninety three, Where where do you find your joy? Where
do you find your peace in those moments?
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Definitely? I mean you have to believe in something.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
So whatever y'all believe in, just believe in that even
more because there is something out there, you know, whether
you call it God, I don't care about the label,
but I do believe period.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
And then the second thing is move.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
You gotta move, You gotta keep moving. Stagnation is going
to kill you. That's atrophy. Your muscles are going to
give out. You're going to get weak, You're gonna get undisciplined,
You're gonna get unfocused, like you have to keep moving.
So I came into the business. It was a pandemic.
Then it was two strikes, so I don't have an option.
I never got to sit down and oh no, I've
(18:33):
never felt that once in my life. So I was like, Okay,
let me go into the rooms that I'm being invited into.
I'm really big on if somebody invites you somewhere, get
your tuck us.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Up and get in the room.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
Let's wash.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
Room second. But because you have to think about it.
Right before you got green Leave, your life was a
certain way. Then you got green leaf and doors started
opening your Okay, let me go walk through this door,
let me walk through, let me show up, let me
show up. This opportunity is having this opportunity and you
don't might not see the opportunity because it's not physically manifested.
It's relationships that you're going to create more opportunities.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Right.
Speaker 4 (19:14):
So I'm just sitting there thinking, Okay, let me keep
going into these rooms. Some other people that I know
don't do stuff like that. They just sit at home,
you know. But you have to understand, this is show business.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
You got to show up.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
You got to show up.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
That's half the business. Your butt in the room.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Yes, and as she as you're saying, there's beautiful people everywhere,
so beauty means absolutely.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
It's almost like it doesn't matter. Right.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
Everyone's fly, everyone got the fly as lawn melody air,
everybody's press. What is going to get you to the
next level? And one of the things that I've done
was I kept going into rooms by myself, not knowing
anybody being awkward, having anxiety to.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Talk to me. I don't know.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
But as soon as I see a face, especially a
black one, I'm like, hey, you know it's hi.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Or you smile at someone and then you engage in
a conversation. Do you know what you have that so
many people don't?
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Girl? You got a party trick?
Speaker 3 (20:14):
I do?
Speaker 1 (20:14):
You got a party trick? You got, girl?
Speaker 3 (20:17):
But you also have you better go talking in some German. Yes,
you better say something. Question nobody out here.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
That is fabulous.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Go in the rooms and talk about yourself. People want
to know. We go to the same rooms with the
same people all the time, and if you're a newer face,
it's more exciting, I think, and tell people what you're
up to. But that's how I got opportunities to then.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Do the Broadway thing. Yeah, because I went into.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
Ye, which is amazing, and we're not just gonna throw
that in there, because you are now a producer and
you and you are one of the producers for the
hit top grossing Broadway show to date.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Othello.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
Yes, I'm part of an investor group.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
Yes, investor group from Ken Davenport and my mentor, Tony
is real. Shout out to both of y'all for allowing
me to be a part of this. And I'm a
theater major, so it's like, you know, it's all full circle.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
And I'm an artist period. I'm an artist who supports
other artists. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
I don't need to just be the person in front
of the camera. So that's why I got really excited
about that. And that's now I'm starting to see opportunities
for myself for creating so behind the scenes.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
You know.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
So just one more question before we play this game,
because I want to play this game with you.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
What do you love most about your life?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Right now?
Speaker 4 (21:43):
That I have the freedom to get up and go
anywhere that I choose to, that's so powerful. I got
up and went to Mexico a week ago because I
could Wow, that's crazy. Yeah, like when you think back,
that is insane.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
And that's the freedom that people are talking.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
Yeah, you know, having that free life, whatever that looks
like for you and however that feels.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
But my friend for TONI who invited me.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
When I met her, I was a waitress, yeah you know,
and now I was like, oh, were sitting here with
our families and we're just up in Mexico.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
This is crazy, you know. So that blessing the best?
What about for you?
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Ooh? The thing that I love about life right now?
I think the joy of being able to be this
woman that makes my son so happy. So and I've
(22:41):
never been the girl that's like, oh my god, I
can't wait to have kids, I can't wait to get
me other that wasn't me. But I knew if I
married the right person, I would want to have kids
with them. And I did, Praise God, married the right person,
love him dearly.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
And I have to.
Speaker 3 (22:57):
Because my son looks just like like I had nothing
to do with it. It's so it's so disrespectful.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
It's so disrespectful.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
But the joy that I see on his face when
I get dressed or when I'm working and He's like, oh, mommy,
you're so pretty.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Oh mommy, oh you you're working? Is it good?
Speaker 3 (23:22):
And he's just happy knowing that I get to help
shape his life. Prayer every night before we go to bed,
I say thank you Lord for the privilege of being
able to be his mother here and to show him you,
to show him how to journey through life with you,
(23:42):
and the joy that you bring. I think it's in
I think it's a I always say this now. I
even said this with my mom. The joy that I have.
The world didn't give it and the world can't take
it away. And so there's that sort of innate joy
that we have, and then there's sometimes where we have
to try to choose it. And my son makes it
(24:02):
easier for me to choose joy every day.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
That's really powerful and I wish all parents and mothers
could feel that way because you.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
Chose the right I definitely have the right.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Partner.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Shout out to you, Shout out to the partner.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Okay, let's play a game. Can we play games?
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Can we play our game?
Speaker 3 (24:25):
And this really is just for me because honestly, I
already know my answer is okay, So this is this
or that number one being an adult has been mostly
rewarding or mostly wishing I had enjoyed being a child
and stop trying to be grown so quick.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
Oh I love the Oh that's so good.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
Okay, that's really good rewarding because I let my inner
child lead.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
That's really great. That's gonna be Look, please please stop
trying to be grown.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
It's I think I learned much later in life because
you just get so excited about not having to listen.
Maybe because I was sheltered, maybe because I was whatever,
which I don't think was wrong, but I think you learned.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
That's like, oh, I've been trying to do all these things.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
This was waiting for me.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Yeah, live your life now, in the present, in the moment,
be who that is and grow Ooh, I want to
get to this one staying grounded through routine or embracing spontaneity.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
I don't think I spilled that right.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Okay, we ain't judging. Please don't yet your day.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Yeah, you are so funny.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
Then we go crisy because me and my man we
have this thing called things before one. We try to
get as many things done before one o'clock, and then
the day is what it is.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Oh I love that.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
I was gonna say, what time does your day start?
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Then?
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Early?
Speaker 2 (26:27):
Six to seven? Yeah, like normal regular time, but.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
The gym, you know, walk your dogs, prep meal, do bills,
pay all the bills. But then you know, the rest
of the day is just like chaotic for artists, yause
today you might have an interview later and then another
screening later.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Yeah, okay, all right, all right, alright, okay, So your
preference acting drama or comedy?
Speaker 5 (27:00):
Yeah, drama.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
I was taking the same thing.
Speaker 4 (27:15):
The only reason why I say comedy right now is
because I'm funny, y'all, and I need to be in
my comedy bag.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Like I got this.
Speaker 4 (27:24):
I love something, and I feel like I have the
rest of my life to do drama.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Do you know what I'm saying?
Speaker 3 (27:29):
Yahah, we get them meaty.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Yeah, but right now I would love to do a
little more.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
You know. It's I said drama ly because I'm trying
to Comedy makes me uncomfortable, and so I'm trying to
push myself to live in the uncomfortable space because I
know this is where you grow.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Yeah, but I don't like being uncomfortable. You would do
good in comedy.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
But I feel like, I gotta just at least be open.
So I'm just trying to be open.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
Because you got the it and it's all about timing.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Well, yeah, what is it?
Speaker 4 (28:05):
I think Marlon Wayne said comedy and horror are cousins,
and it's because there's a there's a truth there that
can't be denied.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Something like that.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
That's really good. It was just so good, you know.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
And and I really like that because one person think
it's funny, the other person doesn't comedy.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Well, Hi, and it is oh my gosh and nob okay.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
So when you walked in, I know you were absolutely
wonderful because I could see it was written all over
your face. I hope you are even better as you leave.
I hope that this place has filled you and given
you another little piece of joy that you can walk
away with. I am so happy you came and sat
with me.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Grateful. I'm so thankful for you. Hi.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
It's Devah Joy Winings Williams.
Speaker 3 (28:55):
Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of
Choosing Joy where we talked the beautiful, talented, amazing actress
Novi Brown. What an authentic, beautiful soul and the thing
that I'm walking away with from her is understanding the
strength in that inner voice. Whether anybody else hears it
or sees it, you know it and you stay true
(29:17):
to that.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Thank you so much for choosing Joy.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Click that like button, subscribe to the channel, and let
us know what else you want to talk about.
Hello, it's Deborah Joy Winman's Williams.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
I know it's a lot of names.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome back to Choosing Joy.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
And I am so, so so excited to have this
beautiful woman sitting next to me.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
You know her from the mega hit show Sisters. She
is so many things, but one thing she isn't is.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
The person in Hollywood that you can't call consistent. She
is stunning in every way. Every time I see her,
she brings light and love in her person.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
She carries it.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I don't know how you do that, but she does
it and just talented through and through. The talent is
the thing that people recognize, but the heart is the
thing that she leads with. And so I am excited
to have the one and only gorgeous woman known as
Gnovie Brown sitting right next to me here choosing Joy.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Girl all the time.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
That's the girl I said I told, no lies, no lies,
no lies.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
It makes me I'm such I gotta take a moment.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
I'm a huge fan.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
Y'all don't understand y'all do understand it, because y'all hear
you're fans too.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
I'm a huge fan. Actress to actress.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Oh gosh, your work is so invigorating, it's so moving,
it's so it's so passionate. And that's exactly the type
of creatives and people I want to be around.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
And you inspire me.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
And as soon as I fangirled over you, you were
just like, hey, girls.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
What's going on. I'm like, I'm your fan. I'm your fan.
So thank you again for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
I truly mean it.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Thank you. I'm so happy you're here.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
And the thing is when I said, I tell no lies,
every time I see.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
You, no vi, you are so consistently you. It is
a beautiful.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Thing walking around in Hollywood, being here for you know,
however long it I guess nineteen years now, I've been
here too long.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
You're doing it. We're doing it.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
But being here and seeing how people can be and how.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
You choose to be, every time I see you is
always a breath of fresh air. You are stunning and
that's something that people can lead with, but you don't.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
You are absolutely beautiful.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
It is something that is in you that you carry
you that is, I guess our forever first lady said
the light that we carry.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Yes, you carry a light. Thank you? What light is that?
Can you give me a secret?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
My mom all day. Your mom's on set today.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
I think having those type of people around you to
help you consistently remind you of who.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
You are is so necessary. You know.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
They mentally and emotionally ground me my community and my family.
They keep me focused on my goals because at the
end of the day, so many things happen to us
all the time, right, constant rejections, constant misleadings of things,
And it could be so easy to want to give
in to that energy, and it's so easy to want
to go to that side.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
But I just see a bunch of hurt.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Artists walking around who are very disappointed and sad. Yeah,
And so for me, I just I know I'm a
little bit newer and will only been professional for about
five or six years now, but I want to be
that little glimmery. I hope that people remember. So when
I do run into somebody who's been in the industry
for twenty or so years, they're like, I remember, I
(03:25):
was just like that.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Oh yeah, I remember that.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
And I just want to stay consistent like that, because
at the end of the day, I'm choosing this career
because I'm happy about it. All the other intricacies are
people things. Yeah, that's not the spiritual thing though that
I'm attracted to. So that's why I'm consistently staying in
my zone.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
I have found that the Holy Spirit will talk to
you through that gut that you have.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
And if you're not connecting, you're not connecting.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
It doesn't mean that you're not meant to be in
someone's space or work with somebody. But there are levels
to relationships, okay, and I you know when you are
here here with me, yes, that means I am really
giving and doing everything to make sure this relationship is
(04:17):
great and it works. I am not doing that for
the fake. I am not doing that for the insincere.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
I don't I don't have to.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
I had to literally tell somebody I don't have to
get on my knees mmm, don't have to bend my
morals mm mm.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Or my integrity to get what I want.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
M I need you to understand that about me.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Absolutely, I'm not going to do what you think I'm
gonna do.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Absolutely, and it's never been that way.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Do you feel like cause I wanna ask you being
on something that's it's such a mega hit, like, sisters,
how have you had to balance that, like your health
and your wellness, your your family, and even relationships, whether
romantic or friendship wise. How have you had to sort
(05:05):
of adjust or or balance those things with such a
heavy hitter connected to your name, so.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Many different things. I'm still learning.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
Yeah, I'm sure it took a learning process for you
as well, right, because now you're.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
In homes of millions and millions and millions of people.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
And the cool thing about being on a black shell,
there's just a difference, the difference. Yes, yes, it feels
like you're in the middle of a barbecue or cookout.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
He would just come up to you in mid conversations. Yeah,
like you don't what I about?
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Yeah, so such as a I'm like what happened?
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Girls?
Speaker 5 (05:41):
You know.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
So that's why I love it. That's number one. It
makes me feel so good.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Number two, I love that it connects families and all
those things. You know. So I know I'm doing my
work as a connector yeah, and as a hopefully as
a healer in some way.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
But when it comes to my own personal life, still
figuring out how to manage everything, you know, because now
for people in my personal life, their perception of me changed.
They don't want to be intrusive because they know how
hard I've worked. So now they're like, oh, I don't
want to call because I know you're going to be busy.
I said, no, no, no, no, that's not it's not how
it works, you know.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
But I had to get over those hurdles with some
of my closes.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
And best friends. I would tell them, hit me up, well,
I don't want to bother you. You never bother You're
part of my life, you know. And so that's been
way better now I've integrated that. Me and my best
friends talking about every day now. But prior to they
were very nervous because they were like, well, you're going
into this situation.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
And I don't want to hinder you.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
And you know, a very very respectful community. So that
I am in a relationship, we're engaged. You know, he's
but he's been in there, he's been here before.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Oh yes, yes.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
But I'm a big proponent for specifically everybody's different, but
I'm a proponent for women kind of separating those things.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Yeah, because tell me why women will.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Do all these amazing things, but it's always like where's
your husband and your child? You know, And my artistry
can't be enough this, you know, how I show up
as a mentor or an educator or whatever, I can't
be enough. So, you know, my fiancee, Malcolm and I
have a production company. We do a lot of things together.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
A lot of people know him in the industry, some
of social media knows him. But this career is for me.
This is my life, you know.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
And I'm saying I built this and I'm continue and
he's helping me continue to build it. Sure, So that's
been It's been good because he's a cinematographer and so
he understands both of our whole world. Get up, go
where are you going today? I'm going here, I'm leaving
on a flight tomorrow all that, you know. So I
got really blessed with that. And then he's super supportive
in what I do, and he's just he's happy because
(07:46):
he sees other people are happy to see me. You know,
He's like, oh, I love how people get so connected
to you and things like that.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
So we get to do that.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
And then obviously on the partnership side, I get to
build a production company with this person because he has
an amazing skill set. And with that, you know, we
did our first short film. We won like five awards already,
so it's really good cynership for us.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
So that's been awesome.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
The relationship with my mom has always been super strong,
you know, I'm just like you. I bring her as
many places as I possibly can bring my mom, so
that's been awesome. And making sure that I have some
type of therapists or counselor around, making sure that I
can dive into that.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
And then last, but not least, mentorship.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
I think mentorship is massive, and the women that I'm
mentored by, there's two different sets of women. There's a
very entrepreneurial woman who's very focused on her career, but
then there's a business family woman.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
So I have both, so I get to see both perspectives.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
You know, I'm surrounded by women who decided not to
get married and have children, and I'm surround by women
who decide to marry and have children. I feel like
because I have a strong community in that way, mentorship,
and I'm very blunt and transparent and consistent as you know,
I feel that's really helped me, you know, maintain as
much balance as I can.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
And then crying, like you gotta cry, girl, it's way
down Yeah, break down a girl. We all do it,
you know, it is a healing. It's so good to
just let it go.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
And when you're frustrated or things don't turn out the
way you expect them to turn out, or they expect it,
they turn out better than you expected to turn out,
you know.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
But yeah, just allowing that.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
And I've definitely had, you know, breakdowns and anxiety, and
I've had oh my god, what if you know, what
if I'm only on this show and this is the
only show that I'm ever on? Oh my god, I
can't believe, you know, I'm freaking out, Like, where's my
next job gonna come from?
Speaker 2 (09:38):
You're just thinking can I will I ever be known
for anything else?
Speaker 1 (09:41):
And still being.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Slightly newer, Yeah, just there's there's a resoluteness in how
you move and how you speak, and it is refreshing
because nobody's changing.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
They can who God created you to be.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
And it's been a struggle. Yeah, So like being an
outspoken black woman. God God forbidden an opinion, shake the table.
Whoa wait a minute now again, Now aren't you grateful?
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Be quiet? Just be thankful? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Yeah, so you know that's the energy they want you
to have Yeah, instead of realizing, well, what about all
those years that we've been training, we've been in class. Yeah,
we've you know, sacrificed this. I don't know about you,
but I spent my entire twenties working.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
That's all I did. I was.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
I was a bartender, waitress, every holiday, Christmas.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Thanksgiving, New Year's. I was working. I was at school.
I was working. I was at school. I was working.
I was auditioning. I was at school, I was working,
I was auditioning. I'm allowed, as.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
A thirty eight year old woman, Yeah, to have my
own opinions about the opinion and be resolute and who
I am because my trajectory and my my pathway is
supposed to be carved out this way for other people
to see something and say, oh, okay, I can do
it this way as well, where I could take I
could tweak it. But yeah, it's very much, especially in
(11:06):
this business. It's such a people pleasing business.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I don't want people to think it's not. It's all
about do you like me?
Speaker 5 (11:11):
Do you like me?
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Do you like me?
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Do you like me? Do you like me?
Speaker 2 (11:14):
And then when they don't like you, then.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
You fall apart. You fall apart. The world is ending.
My god, it's crazy. They don't like me anymore.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
No, I can't.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Live like that.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
I refuse. I refuse. I was never like that in
high school. No, I refuse.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Pressure. I don't understand. What is that?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Who?
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Who? What is that? Have you met my mom?
Speaker 1 (11:35):
What you talk about?
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Have you met my mother?
Speaker 1 (11:37):
That's what I don't want to do it, I said, No, I'm.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Scared of her.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
I don't pressure.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
I got going back to Cassandra, don't I got consequences?
Speaker 2 (11:49):
So the is the is the No? No, okay, you good.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
It's just it's so interesting.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
I feel I feel like the older you get, you're
supposed to be more free, you're not.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Supposed to people.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
And then there's this weird time between your thirties and
I think late forties where you're still trying to figure
out am I following everybody else's idea of who I'm
supposed to be? Or am I really cultivating the light?
And then by the time you're sixty, right, you wake
up and say, oh, screw that. Yeah, but I don't
want to be sixty realizing that. No, I want to
know that now. Yes, I want to live in it now,
(12:23):
and I want to be grateful for everything that I
do today, instead of looking back and saying that, yeah,
twenty years ago I should have said that.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
No, I'm gonna say it today, regardless of how you feel.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
If this is on my spirit today, I'm going to
say it today. I'm gonna I'm gonna look to to
say things in love and.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
With us, because that's what lives in me.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Don't even God is.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Love And if you don't have that, you have nothing.
So many people talk about talking about the.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
Lord, but they don't move in love.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
If you don't have love, Bob says, you have nothing
you so you've got to move.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
You can't talk about it, You got to be about
it it. You know a lot of people talking talking, talking, talking, talking,
And I'm not a person that goes to church every
week at all, But I don't need to be going
into a book to remind me how to treat other
people like that, to me is crazy of itself.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
And if we don't.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
Naturally align, then we need to be mature enough to say, great,
let's not continue whatever this was between, whether it's a
business partnership or relationship or friendship or community endeavors, we're
not aligned and that's.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Okay, or this is as far as we've come.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
And I feel like, especially in Hollywood, you know, it's
very it's so in a lot of industries, it's like this.
As many industries there's you know, there's tears and status
and clicks and all that, and there's nothing wrong with
creating you know, communities and hubs of things.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
But not to the point where you look down.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
On that does not sit right with me, you know,
especially when I know which I'll be going through to.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Get get yeah, get it out. Yeah, you know. Yeah,
it's a group effort here, This is a team effort.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
Like we're sitting here this beautiful production, but there's so
many people behind the scenes right now operating this amazing set,
you know what I'm saying. And those are the people
that are also helping build our legacy and making our
dreams come true.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
I would argue that they are just as important.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Period.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
I think it's hard for artists.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
Who are really, really, really a self centered to recognize
that just because your face is on the camera, that
you're the most important part of this piece.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
I think we all need each other.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
And when you realize that and recognize that you move
like that, and you treat.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
People with respect.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
I like to sit in a makeup chair or a
hair chair, or sit in front of a camera and.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Like, y'all tell me what to do.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Yeah, I don't have that expertise. Yes, you tell me
where I can move, what's gonna look good?
Speaker 1 (14:57):
How I got it? And then I can take my
artistry and.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Work within yours. So it's all a collective effort. My
question I think in this sort of space is what
has been the biggest thing in your life, maybe in
your career, but think about life where you found it
very difficult to choose this, to choose this joy that
(15:22):
you really sort of move with.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Oh, I feel one of the aspects is changing teams,
you know, like changing your manager or agents or whoever
because they're not getting the vision, or some people just
want you to stay where you are.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
I can host, I can do this, I can do that.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
You know, I speak German, I have dual citizenship, Like,
let's figure it out. And the person was not listening
to me, not listening to me, not listening to me,
You're like, okay, I'm only working once a year. Where
are the other opportunities? It's a pandemic.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Introduce me to people what's going on.
Speaker 4 (15:52):
And it was very difficult because I said, well, what
if nobody wants to work with me? You know that
lack of mindset comes in there. Yeah, yeah, what if
nobody wants.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
To But no, no, no, no, you're talented.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
When I think of choosing joy, I think of choosing wellness.
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Speaker 1 (16:51):
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Speaker 3 (16:54):
But even in those moments where life is it seemed
like it ain't throwing you nothing butter lemons and and
to be honest, twenty twenty five has felt for me
very much.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
So like, okay, God, it's like you give your battles
to the heart the strongest soldier. I'm not that strong
right now.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
I don't hold any another battle.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Tap me out, not another battle. What is happening in
twenty twenty five? Can I can? I can? I have
a soft light? Yeah? Jesus please please so.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
But but how do you find in those very difficult
moments of life, whether it's housing, whether it's food, whether
it's I've been wearing these clothes since you know, nineteen
ninety three, Where where do you find your joy? Where
do you find your peace in those moments?
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Definitely? I mean you have to believe in something.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
So whatever y'all believe in, just believe in that even
more because there is something out there, you know, whether
you call it God, I don't care about the label,
but I do believe period.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
And then the second thing is move.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
You gotta move, You gotta keep moving. Stagnation is going
to kill you. That's atrophy. Your muscles are going to
give out. You're going to get weak, You're gonna get undisciplined,
You're gonna get unfocused, like you have to keep moving.
So I came into the business. It was a pandemic.
Then it was two strikes, so I don't have an option.
I never got to sit down and oh no, I've
(18:33):
never felt that once in my life. So I was like, Okay,
let me go into the rooms that I'm being invited into.
I'm really big on if somebody invites you somewhere, get
your tuck us.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Up and get in the room.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
Let's wash.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
Room second. But because you have to think about it.
Right before you got green Leave, your life was a
certain way. Then you got green leaf and doors started
opening your Okay, let me go walk through this door,
let me walk through, let me show up, let me
show up. This opportunity is having this opportunity and you
don't might not see the opportunity because it's not physically manifested.
It's relationships that you're going to create more opportunities.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Right.
Speaker 4 (19:14):
So I'm just sitting there thinking, Okay, let me keep
going into these rooms. Some other people that I know
don't do stuff like that. They just sit at home,
you know. But you have to understand, this is show business.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
You got to show up.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
You got to show up.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
That's half the business. Your butt in the room.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Yes, and as she as you're saying, there's beautiful people everywhere,
so beauty means absolutely.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
It's almost like it doesn't matter. Right.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
Everyone's fly, everyone got the fly as lawn melody air,
everybody's press. What is going to get you to the
next level? And one of the things that I've done
was I kept going into rooms by myself, not knowing
anybody being awkward, having anxiety to.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Talk to me. I don't know.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
But as soon as I see a face, especially a
black one, I'm like, hey, you know it's hi.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Or you smile at someone and then you engage in
a conversation. Do you know what you have that so
many people don't?
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Girl? You got a party trick?
Speaker 3 (20:14):
I do?
Speaker 1 (20:14):
You got a party trick? You got, girl?
Speaker 3 (20:17):
But you also have you better go talking in some German. Yes,
you better say something. Question nobody out here.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
That is fabulous.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Go in the rooms and talk about yourself. People want
to know. We go to the same rooms with the
same people all the time, and if you're a newer face,
it's more exciting, I think, and tell people what you're
up to. But that's how I got opportunities to then.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Do the Broadway thing. Yeah, because I went into.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
Ye, which is amazing, and we're not just gonna throw
that in there, because you are now a producer and
you and you are one of the producers for the
hit top grossing Broadway show to date.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Othello.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
Yes, I'm part of an investor group.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
Yes, investor group from Ken Davenport and my mentor, Tony
is real. Shout out to both of y'all for allowing
me to be a part of this. And I'm a
theater major, so it's like, you know, it's all full circle.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
And I'm an artist period. I'm an artist who supports
other artists. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
I don't need to just be the person in front
of the camera. So that's why I got really excited
about that. And that's now I'm starting to see opportunities
for myself for creating so behind the scenes.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
You know.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
So just one more question before we play this game,
because I want to play this game with you.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
What do you love most about your life?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Right now?
Speaker 4 (21:43):
That I have the freedom to get up and go
anywhere that I choose to, that's so powerful. I got
up and went to Mexico a week ago because I
could Wow, that's crazy. Yeah, like when you think back,
that is insane.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
And that's the freedom that people are talking.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
Yeah, you know, having that free life, whatever that looks
like for you and however that feels.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
But my friend for TONI who invited me.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
When I met her, I was a waitress, yeah you know,
and now I was like, oh, were sitting here with
our families and we're just up in Mexico.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
This is crazy, you know. So that blessing the best?
What about for you?
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Ooh? The thing that I love about life right now?
I think the joy of being able to be this
woman that makes my son so happy. So and I've
(22:41):
never been the girl that's like, oh my god, I
can't wait to have kids, I can't wait to get
me other that wasn't me. But I knew if I
married the right person, I would want to have kids
with them. And I did, Praise God, married the right person,
love him dearly.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
And I have to.
Speaker 3 (22:57):
Because my son looks just like like I had nothing
to do with it. It's so it's so disrespectful.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
It's so disrespectful.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
But the joy that I see on his face when
I get dressed or when I'm working and He's like, oh, mommy,
you're so pretty.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Oh mommy, oh you you're working? Is it good?
Speaker 3 (23:22):
And he's just happy knowing that I get to help
shape his life. Prayer every night before we go to bed,
I say thank you Lord for the privilege of being
able to be his mother here and to show him you,
to show him how to journey through life with you,
(23:42):
and the joy that you bring. I think it's in
I think it's a I always say this now. I
even said this with my mom. The joy that I have.
The world didn't give it and the world can't take
it away. And so there's that sort of innate joy
that we have, and then there's sometimes where we have
to try to choose it. And my son makes it
(24:02):
easier for me to choose joy every day.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
That's really powerful and I wish all parents and mothers
could feel that way because you.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
Chose the right I definitely have the right.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Partner.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Shout out to you, Shout out to the partner.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Okay, let's play a game. Can we play games?
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Can we play our game?
Speaker 3 (24:25):
And this really is just for me because honestly, I
already know my answer is okay, So this is this
or that number one being an adult has been mostly
rewarding or mostly wishing I had enjoyed being a child
and stop trying to be grown so quick.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
Oh I love the Oh that's so good.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
Okay, that's really good rewarding because I let my inner
child lead.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
That's really great. That's gonna be Look, please please stop
trying to be grown.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
It's I think I learned much later in life because
you just get so excited about not having to listen.
Maybe because I was sheltered, maybe because I was whatever,
which I don't think was wrong, but I think you learned.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
That's like, oh, I've been trying to do all these things.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
This was waiting for me.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Yeah, live your life now, in the present, in the moment,
be who that is and grow Ooh, I want to
get to this one staying grounded through routine or embracing spontaneity.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
I don't think I spilled that right.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Okay, we ain't judging. Please don't yet your day.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Yeah, you are so funny.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
Then we go crisy because me and my man we
have this thing called things before one. We try to
get as many things done before one o'clock, and then
the day is what it is.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Oh I love that.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
I was gonna say, what time does your day start?
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Then?
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Early?
Speaker 2 (26:27):
Six to seven? Yeah, like normal regular time, but.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
The gym, you know, walk your dogs, prep meal, do bills,
pay all the bills. But then you know, the rest
of the day is just like chaotic for artists, yause
today you might have an interview later and then another
screening later.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Yeah, okay, all right, all right, alright, okay, So your
preference acting drama or comedy?
Speaker 5 (27:00):
Yeah, drama.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
I was taking the same thing.
Speaker 4 (27:15):
The only reason why I say comedy right now is
because I'm funny, y'all, and I need to be in
my comedy bag.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Like I got this.
Speaker 4 (27:24):
I love something, and I feel like I have the
rest of my life to do drama.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Do you know what I'm saying?
Speaker 3 (27:29):
Yahah, we get them meaty.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Yeah, but right now I would love to do a
little more.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
You know. It's I said drama ly because I'm trying
to Comedy makes me uncomfortable, and so I'm trying to
push myself to live in the uncomfortable space because I
know this is where you grow.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Yeah, but I don't like being uncomfortable. You would do
good in comedy.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
But I feel like, I gotta just at least be open.
So I'm just trying to be open.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
Because you got the it and it's all about timing.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Well, yeah, what is it?
Speaker 4 (28:05):
I think Marlon Wayne said comedy and horror are cousins,
and it's because there's a there's a truth there that
can't be denied.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Something like that.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
That's really good. It was just so good, you know.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
And and I really like that because one person think
it's funny, the other person doesn't comedy.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Well, Hi, and it is oh my gosh and nob okay.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
So when you walked in, I know you were absolutely
wonderful because I could see it was written all over
your face. I hope you are even better as you leave.
I hope that this place has filled you and given
you another little piece of joy that you can walk
away with. I am so happy you came and sat
with me.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Grateful. I'm so thankful for you. Hi.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
It's Devah Joy Winings Williams.
Speaker 3 (28:55):
Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of
Choosing Joy where we talked the beautiful, talented, amazing actress
Novi Brown. What an authentic, beautiful soul and the thing
that I'm walking away with from her is understanding the
strength in that inner voice. Whether anybody else hears it
or sees it, you know it and you stay true
(29:17):
to that.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Thank you so much for choosing Joy.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Click that like button, subscribe to the channel, and let
us know what else you want to talk about.
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