grownwoman
grownwoman with Shannon Allen is a space for women who’ve had to step up, stand tall, and transform their lives when everything was on the line. Hosted by entrepreneur and grown founder Shannon Allen, this podcast dives into the real stories of women who faced health scares, heartbreak, and life-altering moments—and came out stronger. Through raw conversations on resilience, reinvention, and the power of community, grownwoman explores what it truly means to build something meaningful—whether it’s a business, a legacy, or a new way of living. If you're navigating a big shift, reclaiming your power, or just need inspiration from women who’ve been there, this podcast is for you.
Episodes
August 7, 2025 • 9 mins
When Johanna Gomez felt a rock-hard lump on her breast, she did not panic. She had just put in an offer on a new home. Life felt full. Stable. Promising. But the call came fast: it was breast cancer. She was 37. No family history. Three kids. And no space to fall apart. In this intimate segment, Johanna shares what it was like to hold it all in and to protect her children from the weight of her reality. From shock to strength, this...
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August 5, 2025 • 55 mins
Every grownwoman has that moment—the one that split her life into before and after.
In this special best-of episode, we revisit the breakdowns that came first. The inner pain behind the outward strength. The moments when they could’ve quit… but didn’t. From loss to illness, fear, and failure—this is a reminder that every rise starts in the rubble.
These are the stories that cracked them open.
That called them higher.
That made ...
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July 31, 2025 • 8 mins
When Isa Watson set out to earn her degree at MIT, she wasn’t just chasing a dream—she was chasing who she wanted to be. But nothing could have prepared her for the day she found she no longer cared. Isa opens up about the tragic accident that took her father’s life and left her mother without memory—the crash that made her reckless, but only because she couldn’t afford to grieve. Through the overwhelm and holding her family togeth...
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July 29, 2025 • 59 mins
Today, Shannon introduces the Emmy Award-Winning journalist, devoted mother, and breast cancer survivor, Johanna Gomez. Together, they delve into Johanna's unexpected career path from Miami Dolphins cheerleader to winning an Emmy for journalism, all while juggling motherhood, professional ambition, and life's curveballs.
Johanna credits her Dominican roots for instilling relentless grit & grace and explains how calculated risks l...
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July 24, 2025 • 7 mins
Suzanne McKenzie’s life changed in an instant the day her husband, Ucal, collapsed on the soccer field. In this emotional segment, Suzanne opens up about their love story, the moment she lost him, and the brutal weight of grief that followed. She shares how nothing prepared her for the isolation, the silence, and the disorienting chaos that came after, and why grief doesn’t follow a script. From Joan Didion to grief counseling to t...
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July 22, 2025 • 43 mins
Isa Watson—Founder & CEO of Squad, MIT MBA, tech innovator, researcher, and skydiver—shares her extraordinary journey from small-town North Carolina to the heart of Silicon Valley.
Growing up in a values-centered home, Isa’s early engineering exposure and innate curiosity became the bedrock of her influential career across STEM, business, and social impact. She opens up about how grief, identity, and ambition collided to create Sq...
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July 17, 2025 • 11 mins
At 24 weeks pregnant, Jessica Hurley walked into a routine appointment—and never went back to work. What followed was a nightmare she couldn’t have prepared for: severe preeclampsia, stroke-level blood pressure, an emergency delivery at 25 weeks, and the fight for both her and her son’s lives. In this jaw-dropping and tear-jerking conversation, Jessica opens up about the moment she was told, “It’s you or the baby,” and how the chao...
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July 15, 2025 • 44 mins
In today’s inspiring episode, Shannon welcomes Suzanne McKenzie—creative visionary, founder of Able Made, and the grownwoman leader behind The Ucal McKenzie Breakaway Foundation. She shares her evolution from growing up in Maine to shaping youth empowerment programs and purpose-driven fashion.
Suzanne shares her journey through grief following the sudden loss of her husband and reveals how that life-altering tragedy ignited a mo...
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July 10, 2025 • 8 mins
Carolyn Aronson had a successful salon, a steady career, and every reason to stay comfortable. But something inside her said this isn’t enough. In this powerful segment, the founder of It’s a 10 Haircare opens up about what made her walk away from stability, risk it all, and build a product that now sells over 11 million bottles a year.
She shares how failure became fuel, how purpose drives every product, and why she believes su...
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July 8, 2025 • 78 mins
Jessica Hurley didn’t set out to build a media company. She just said yes to one woman who saw something in her before she could see it in herself. That woman’s belief - her mentorship, her sacrifice, her fierce accountability - lit the match that changed everything.
But it wasn’t until Jessica gave birth to her son Cameron, 15 weeks early, in the fight of both their lives, that she found her fire. What followed was a breakdown, a...
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July 3, 2025 • 5 mins
Shannon sits down with powerhouse entrepreneur Denise Woodard, founder and CEO of Partake Foods—a company born from her daughter's food allergies and fueled by a mission of inclusivity, accessibility, and pure hustle. Denise shares the real story of how she started out pitching cookies from the back of her SUV. She gets honest about what it really takes to build something from scratch as a mom, a woman, and a first-time founder. Th...
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July 1, 2025 • 52 mins
In this powerhouse episode of grownwoman, Shannon sits down with Carolyn Aronson - mother, mogul, and founder of the iconic It’s a 10 Haircare. From foster care in New Jersey to global domination in the beauty industry, Carolyn’s story is one of unmatched grit, purpose, and divine alignment.
She opens up about the roots she didn’t know she had, the parents who raised her with love and intellect, and how her Puerto Rican heritage ...
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June 26, 2025 • 10 mins
In this deeply emotional segment, Mielle Organics founder Monique Rodriguez recounts the tragic loss of her son following a uterine rupture. A former labor & delivery nurse herself, Monique knew exactly what was happening - but her concerns were ignored. She opens up about her fight to save her son, the systemic failures Black mothers face, and how this devastating experience ultimately led her to faith and purpose. This is a story...
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June 24, 2025 • 43 mins
Today, Denise Woodard, CEO and founder of Partake Foods, sits down with Shannon to discuss the importance of storytelling, community support, and perseverance in entrepreneurship.
Denise shares her journey from Fayetteville, North Carolina, to becoming a grownwoman as a successful entrepreneur. Having been inspired by her daughter's food allergies, she started Partake in 2018. Initially, she won a $10,000 pitch competition at “Sta...
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June 19, 2025 • 9 mins
In this moving tribute, Dascha Polanco reflects on the life and legacy of her late partner and musical collaborator, Juan "Xtassy" Abreu - a Latin Grammy-winning producer and the man who helped her reclaim her voice. Through raw honesty and sisterly conversation, Dascha shares what it means to be truly loved, seen, and supported. This is more than a love story - it’s a story of healing, feminine power, and honoring the men who lift...
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June 17, 2025 • 67 mins
In this deeply moving episode of grownwoman, Monique Rodriguez, CEO and founder of Mielle Organics, sits down with Shannon Allen for an honest, inspiring conversation about purpose, perseverance, and the power of faith.
Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Monique opens up about overcoming childhood adversity, navigating grief after the devastating loss of her son, and how she turned unimaginable pain into a multimillion-dollar b...
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June 12, 2025 • 7 mins
Shannon Allen sits down with the twin sisters who rose to fame on '90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days' and built a reality TV empire of their own—Darcey and Stacey Silva. From their very first on-camera moment to becoming the stars of 'Darcey & Stacey,' they open up about what it really took to turn heartbreak, hustle, and sisterhood into a global brand. With raw honesty and signature sparkle, they reflect on how they manifested the...
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June 10, 2025 • 54 mins
In this unforgettable episode of grownwoman, award-winning actress and cultural force Dascha Polanco joins Shannon Allen for a powerful conversation about grief, identity, and unapologetic self-ownership.
From her early days as a young Dominican immigrant juggling motherhood, multiple jobs, and education, to navigating Hollywood while holding onto her truth, Dascha opens up about the highs, lows, and healing that shaped her. She s...
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June 5, 2025 • 9 mins
In this raw and revealing segment, Shannon sits down with Rashmi Airan, whose life was upended after being convicted of a white-collar crime she didn’t even realize she’d committed. Once a respected attorney and mother of two, Rashmi was sentenced to federal prison and given 60 days to prepare for one of the hardest chapters of her life. But instead of retreating into shame, she did something radical—she leaned into vulnerability. ...
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June 3, 2025 • 21 mins
This special best-of episode brings together four extraordinary stories of transformation—each a powerful reminder that pain doesn’t get the last word.
From Karen Guggenheim, who lost her husband in just five days to the flu and chose to build a global happiness movement in his memory, to CeCe Boozer, who found herself navigating the impossible while fighting for her son’s life and ultimately creating a path to healing through lov...
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