October 13, 2025 • 58 mins
What if every no you’re hearing is quietly saving you for a yes that fits? We sit down with Coach Dawn “The Diva Coach” Thornton—now leading Alabama A&M women’s basketball—to unpack how she turned layoffs, long waits, and public doubt into a platform built on faith, preparation, and unapologetic style. It’s a story that moves from WIC cards and chapel vans to community impact, player development, and a sideline presence that makes confidence contagious.
We go deep on the inner game: trusting God in the valley, protecting your mind from borrowed limits, and choosing environments that stretch your roots instead of choking them. Dawn’s mantra, “Your preparation is your separation,” runs through every chapter—from breaking down film and owning mistakes to pruning people and habits that stall growth. She speaks openly about humility, using assistance without shame, and keeping the glass half full while you wait for the phone to ring. When it finally did, she rebuilt with intention, then jumped—heels and all—when the moment came.
We also explore fashion as leadership. Dawn partners with Black designers and stylists to craft custom looks that amplify culture and spark pride for her players and fans. It’s not vanity—it’s brand, belonging, and belief. Expect practical takeaways on overcoming rejection, building resilient teams, designing a personal brand in women’s sports, and setting a championship standard without losing your soul. If you’re navigating no’s, cutting dead weight, or getting ready to transplant into a bigger pot, this conversation will meet you where you are and nudge you forward.
Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations on resilience, women’s sports, purpose-driven leadership, and bold self-belief. If this episode helped, share it with a friend and leave a review—what’s one no you’re ready to reframe today?
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SPEAKER_02 (00:00):
So that's how you hello, hello, hello, and welcome
(00:22):
back to In the Passenger Seat.
It's your girl, AletheaCremmens.
Your positivity queen, what'sgood, everybody?
Oh, did you miss me?
Because I definitely missedy'all.
Okay.
I definitely missed y'all.
When I tell you that we are infor a treat today, we are in for
a treat, baby.
Listen, listen, listen.
(00:44):
Now you know that this show isnot just about surface level
success.
It is about the mess before themessage, the pain before the
power, the story before theshine.
And today, today, my guest, thiswoman that I have on this show
is the epitome of what this is.
(01:07):
She is an example of how youturn rejection into
resurrection.
This is the person.
She is an overcomer.
She is a warrior.
She is the bounce back queen.
She came back.
Even when people told her no,she created her own yes.
She created her own yes.
(01:27):
That is resilience.
That is power.
And baby, she looks good doingit.
She looks good doing it.
Okay.
And if you don't know why I'm soexcited, baby, check out this
clip.
Check out this clip.
SPEAKER_03 (01:59):
Welcome in the passenger seat, Dawn, the diva
coach.
Hello.
What's up?
What's up?
What's up?
How you doing?
What's up, S?
What's good?
What's good?
What's good?
How you feeling?
SPEAKER_04 (02:17):
Um I'm actually great.
I'm doing really, really well.
I'm great.
How are you?
You look beautiful.
SPEAKER_02 (02:22):
Thank you so much.
You're looking good with thevibe.
Look, we both.
And you're giving that level up,level up, level up, level up,
level up.
You giving them vibes.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (02:37):
Thank you so much.
I appreciate that.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (02:41):
So for all of those who do not know who you are,
tell us a little bit about whoyou are and what you do.
SPEAKER_04 (02:50):
You know, first off, thank you so much for having me.
Um, it's been a greatexperience.
Had a great time meeting you atEssence.
Looking dope.
Like first time energy goingcrazy.
So I really do appreciate thisopportunity and for you all and
to invite me into your space.
(03:10):
So thank you for that.
Um, you know, I am DawnThornton, head women's
basketball coach at Alabama EMUniversity.
I'm a mom, um, I'm a sister, uh,I'm a sorority girl, I'm a
member of Delta Stigma ThetaSorority Incorporation.
I inspire exactly.
(03:31):
I inspire young women to believein themselves.
I serve in the community, and Itry my best to motivate
everybody that I come in contactwith.
So I'm just like a real lifesuperhero.
SPEAKER_02 (03:43):
You you really are, like you really and truly are,
like you are in real life thatgirl.
I appreciate that.
You are that girl in real life.
So before the winds, before thestorm, you had a crazy run at
(04:05):
Prairie View AM.
You had championships, NCAAtrips, you was upsetting
Memphis, Houston, Louisiana,Tech, like you was just out
there winning.
You were just out there gettingit.
Okay.
Did you know back then that youwere building a name that was
bigger than basketball?
SPEAKER_04 (04:27):
You know, that's a great question.
And yes, I actually did.
Um, I got into coaching to beable to impact the lives of
young women.
Um, you know, I was I felt likemy whole life growing up, I was
always told what I can't do,where I shouldn't go, what I
shouldn't wear, you're too tall,you're too big, you can't do
(04:47):
this, you can't do that.
And and I felt like basketballgives you a sports, athletics
gives you a safe space to wherewhatever you got going on
outside of this sport, it doesnot matter.
So this is one thing that Icould focus on, build confidence
in, work hard to be able to bethe best that I can be, and not
(05:11):
worry about everything else, allthe noise that's around me.
And I know what that did for meon the inside.
And so I wanted to be able toproject that same energy off on
young women and having anopportunity to do that as a
coach, someone that loves asport, I think that that's the
reason why I knew then, just asI knew now, and just as I knew
(05:34):
when I was in the seventh grade,that this is the only thing that
I could ever see myself doingfor the rest of my life.
SPEAKER_02 (05:40):
So, even though people said, nah, like that,
that's that's not even for you,you can't do this.
And I don't know how many times,and just to let y'all know,
guys, we are live.
So anything that you have tosay, anything that you have to
add, y'all can come on into theroom and let us know.
But I have said it so manytimes, the only person that can
(06:02):
tell you what you cannot do isyou.
SPEAKER_04 (06:04):
That's absolutely true.
We tell like nobody can tell youwhat you can't do, the disease
of me, you your you, your bigdictator, you your own dictator.
SPEAKER_02 (06:13):
The disease of me, I like how you put that because
yet that that is exactly whatthat is.
Absolutely, but we wereconditioned to feel like we had
to limit ourselves.
We condition ourselves to feellike we can only go also high,
right?
And then once you get there, youcan't go any higher.
(06:34):
We were conditioned to feel likethat, but you said what I'm
going to do, I'm going to takethe limits off, I'm going to
break barriers.
Not only will I break them, I'mgoing to destroy them because
they were never mine to beginwith.
Let me tell you, how many timeswere mine to begin with?
SPEAKER_04 (06:54):
How many times have we just like looked in the
mirror and just been like, youknow what?
Oh, I can't do this.
I can't wear this.
I can't, I can't, I can't, Ican't, I can't.
Like we just just do it.
So for me as a coach, that's onething that I've embraced.
And and you know, a lot of timespeople say, Well, she just wants
(07:15):
to model, like she wants tomaybe she should be a model.
I'm gonna do both.
I'm gonna do both.
So we just have to do a betterjob of of speaking affirmation
to ourselves so we can go outand be the best version of
ourselves.
Why can't you do both?
SPEAKER_02 (07:31):
But why, why, why why limit yourself to one thing?
Why limit and I don't understandwhy people do that.
I don't understand why peopleput themselves in a box feeling
like I can only be this, I canonly be that.
You can all why can't I be abasketball coach and a model?
(07:53):
Why can't I be a basketballcoach, a model, a motivational
speaker?
Why why can't I be all of thesethings wrapped up into one?
Why do I have to limit myself onone thing just because the world
limits themselves on one thing?
I don't have to be like theworld, I only have to be like
me.
Absolutely, absolutely I can doanything I set my mind to.
(08:18):
I it any anything I set my mindto, I can do it as long as I
take the limits off.
And I love how you said just doit because one thing I've always
said, Nike that shit and just doit, Nike that shit and just do
it.
SPEAKER_03 (08:35):
I love that.
SPEAKER_02 (08:39):
Just do it because the only person that's telling
you that you can is the personthat's looking at you in the
mirror.
Get those other people's voicesout of your head because it's it
was never your voice, that wasother people, and you still have
other people's voices in yourhead, and when you unlearn, when
you unlearn what they tell youand learn that you can, yes, you
(09:02):
can, yes, you will, because Ibelieve that I can, then you
will become unstoppable.
And Dawn, that is exactly whatyou what you are, and that is
the example that you are settingfor women and girls across the
world.
SPEAKER_04 (09:16):
I just I mean, you you're absolutely right.
And and I know that you know,I'm not here to interview you,
but the the you just you hit thenail on the head because the
other thing that you have to dois protect the space and the
people that you surroundyourself with.
Because there are a lot ofpeople that are afraid of being
uncomfortable.
I love being uncomfortable, youknow, even with my fashion, and
(09:38):
I'm sure we're gonna tap intothis.
I'm sure you're gonna ask methis question.
Oh, yes, girl.
But my stylist, my stylist doesnot show me what she's going to,
what she's going to dress me inuntil an hour and a half before
I put it on.
There's no, there's no, there'sno come in and let's do a
pre-something.
Let's do it.
She's gonna bring two fits.
If the first one is a hit, we'regonna rock with it.
SPEAKER_02 (09:59):
But I understand why, though.
I understand what the disease ofme, because if I show you, you
gonna find if I show you inadvance, you're gonna find all
kind of you will stand in thatmirror and look and be like, and
you will find re oh well.
My like hips are too big.
(10:21):
Look how this looks.
You will find reasons not towear.
So I understand, and I um we weI'm I need a stylist that that
that's like just gonna just givegive give it to me.
10 minutes this this is whatyou're gonna wear.
SPEAKER_04 (10:39):
Let me tell you, because listen, every outfit,
every outfit that really wentviral, that went big, when she
put it on me.
I was like, see, I don't knowabout this.
She said, she said, trust me,put it on and go.
SPEAKER_03 (10:56):
And at this point, it's like put it on, and then I
walked out like, hey, wend thewilliams on everybody's ass.
SPEAKER_02 (11:16):
And I I I knew I knew that when I met you, I was
like, Oh, I gotta have her onthe show because I'm telling you
our energies is gonna match, andI wasn't wrong because we
listen, I do the exact samething.
Like, I'm like, man, my my likeI'm I'm about to look like I got
(11:37):
some man, should should shouldshould I go change?
And it could be like we we don'thave time, and my like white be
like we we don't have time, andI just walk walk on there, but
once I put it on, you own it,you own it, you own it, and that
is the secret.
Once you have it on your body,own it, and it don't matter what
nobody else got to say aboutyou.
(12:00):
My favorite mantra, if for allthe people that have been
following me, y'all already knowmy favorite mantra is hashtag
FTP fuck them people.
SPEAKER_03 (12:11):
FTP it's not about them, it is about you.
SPEAKER_02 (12:17):
Okay, that's absolutely right.
SPEAKER_04 (12:19):
Yep, okay.
SPEAKER_02 (12:23):
Okay, period.
So you said I've read in aninterview that you had that your
lowest point, because we we allhave our lowest points, and this
is one of the reasons why I justadmire you because you've had
(12:46):
ups and downs and you've hadrejections because people look
at the outside, people look atthe now, and they don't see the
then that got you to the thenow, they don't see all the
hurdles that got you to the now.
When you were sitting in thatmoment, when you were sitting in
(13:08):
that dark place, when you weresitting in the then, what did
rejection feel like, and how didyou not let that define who you
were and who you are?
SPEAKER_04 (13:24):
That's a great, that's another great one.
Wow.
Um, I trust God with my wholeentire life, you know.
Everything that I grew up in thechurch, missionary Baptist, you
know, we from down south, so youknow how we are when we get to
praying about God.
Okay, you call all the prayerangels in, you call the pastor
everybody.
Prayer, everybody around you.
(13:46):
But when I went through mylowest point, um, my godmom
shared something with me.
She was a minister.
When I went through my lowestpoint, I was pregnant with my
son, four months, four monthsold.
And my godmom said, when Godwanted to change the world, he
gave us a son.
(14:08):
He gave us a son, and God gaveyou a son because he knows right
now that this is going to changeyour life as you go through what
you're going through.
So at that point, my mindpivoted to focusing on
motherhood.
(14:28):
I got a whole lot of nose, I gota shitload of nose, and my
confidence was going down fromtime to time, and you know, and
I had my moments where you knowI'm like, God, what you trying?
But but I always knew that it,God, what are you trying to
teach me?
I need to receive that, okay tolearn that lesson, I need to
(14:50):
manifest on that.
Is it that you're trying to getme to be closer to you?
Is it that I have gotten sofocused on the the wins, the big
wins, all the big, all the bigthings that you are that you
named, people are just seeing medo that in the last 365 days.
But the truth is, I've beendoing this for 10 years, right?
(15:14):
But did I focus on that then?
Because I was so much youngerdoing it.
I was 30 years old winningchampionships and killing a
game, one of the youngest femalehead coaches in Division I
coaching.
But maybe God's saying, babygirl, you need to focus on me.
And I put my attention on him,and I will honestly say this to
(15:35):
you I have not had to apply foranother job since then, and I've
had four three being headcoaches, they called me.
God allowed that to happenbecause I shifted my focus on
him, and so to answer yourquestion, because my faith is so
(15:57):
strong, I put my faith and trustin him.
And God, wherever you're gonnahave me, wherever you're gonna
take me, wherever you're gonnasend me, if you're telling me
sit down, not right now.
I trust you, that's what you'regonna always do.
You always show up.
My God always shows you gonnapre what I see.
SPEAKER_02 (16:15):
I I'm I'm looking the part I need my tambourine,
because this is this is one ofthe moments that because listen,
look, I'm I'm I'm trying not togo into a praise work, because
you are absolutely right.
He always show up.
You you are absolutely right,even in your darkest hour, he
(16:36):
always shows up, even when youthink that there is no way to be
made, there will always be adoor that is going to be open as
long as you keep your eye in thesky and know that your father is
going to take care of you.
It don't matter what it lookedlike right now.
That's right, it don't matterwhat it looked like right now,
(16:58):
and you didn't sit in the rightnow.
That's right.
That was the whole you didn'tsit in the right now because a
lot of times, a lot of timesthat's what we do.
We sit in the rejection, we sitin the rejection, not knowing
that that rejection may just beyour redirection.
(17:20):
Come on, rejection may just befor your protection.
That reject, maybe you had tomake that detour, maybe you had
to just sit just for just for alittle while, just for a little
because because it wasn't yourtime yet.
You want it right now, but it'sit's not a denial, you're just
(17:43):
being delayed, but you beingdelayed for a reason.
SPEAKER_04 (17:47):
I tell people all the time, he could be telling
you you ain't thinking bigenough.
Now that see, for me, when I'mtelling you that my glass is
half full, that's how I think.
So I understand God's will andmy will have to align for
whatever it is that I'm sayingthat I want, right?
(18:08):
But sometimes we don't think bigenough.
And so even if he's telling younot right now, it's never a no,
right?
It's never a no.
Sometimes he's avoiding you fromwhat you can't see that's going
that's around the corner becauseyou know, sometimes we think the
grass is greener on the otherside too, and it's really turf,
(18:28):
it's it's really turf.
SPEAKER_03 (18:29):
It's really, it's really it's it's really turf.
SPEAKER_04 (18:33):
It's it's really turf.
It is.
I just know that once you candevelop that type of
relationship with God, and and Iand I'm a spiritual person, and
I'm not like no, oh Lord, thankyou.
I'm not that, but I am I trustin Him with my whole entire
life, and whatever God has forme, I'm gonna just walk in that
(18:53):
door and kill that next one andkill the next one and kill the
next one.
And guess what?
And if it's some adversity or ifthere's a challenge or there's a
setback, it ain't gonna beforever.
Because, like my favorite rappersays, the sun ain't gonna always
shine.
That's why I love the married.
Y'all better ask Glorilla.
SPEAKER_03 (19:13):
That's why the book of Glorilla, that's why I love
tomorrow.
SPEAKER_02 (19:16):
Okay, that is from that is from the book of
Glorilla 9 verse six, okay.
Then verse six.
Y'all need to look into the bookof Glorilla because that is
where it came from, okay.
SPEAKER_04 (19:32):
Right, that's right.
SPEAKER_02 (19:45):
A setback, but a setback is just a setup for your
major comeback.
And baby, when you come back,you're gonna come back bigger,
you're gonna come back better.
And for all those naysayers thatthat was like, oh what well I
well, I knew you you can goahead on and know.
You you can go ahead on andknow, but I know too, yeah.
(20:06):
I know too.
SPEAKER_04 (20:08):
But you know, let me tell you, God got such a sense
of humor right now because theway social media social media
platform is guess what?
We can monetize our view haterstoo.
SPEAKER_03 (20:18):
So hey, friends, hey, don't later, no later,
okay.
SPEAKER_02 (20:30):
Listen, go ahead and friend listen, I tell hating
haters stand for having angertowards everybody reaching
success.
So go ahead and hate on me.
I love that friend.
I love that because I know whyyou're mad, I know why you're
mad, because you're angry justbecause you see, oh well, she
(20:54):
she has a little so social mediapage, but she's not going viral.
I don't have to go viral in thisworld, I don't have to go viral
right now because because thesetup is building, the setup for
my comeback is growing, thesetup for my comeback.
(21:18):
So, what you're seeing right nowin your eyes is a setback.
But what I'm seeing is I'm beingset up for something greater.
You said it took people 10years, 10 years, and you've been
winning, been winning, but theworld ain't see it because they
wasn't supposed to.
SPEAKER_04 (21:39):
That's a word that that that right there gonna
preach.
It wasn't about to see, and it'sokay, and that's okay, but when
it was time we ain't listening.
Look on WNBA.
We right here on the passengerseat, baby.
(22:00):
Come on now, come on.
SPEAKER_02 (22:03):
That's right.
When it was time, you just youand I mean literally came out of
no, it was like boom, don'tdawn, don, don, don, don't.
It was like, oh, okay, well, whowas gone?
And it was like made you look atmade you look at you, you made
us look at you.
(22:23):
You made a statement out thegate because you were a force,
but that's how it was supposedto be.
SPEAKER_04 (22:31):
That's how we said, I receive that, I appreciate
that.
SPEAKER_02 (22:35):
Of course, because your story is not just about uh
basketball, and that's whatpeople see, and they think, oh,
well, she's just and I love whenthey use that word just, just
she she's just a head coach,she's just a woman's coach, but
(22:56):
it's so much more thanbasketball, it's about
resilience, it's about faith,it's about timing.
What's one lesson that you'velearned in the valley?
What is one lesson that youlearned in that valley that you
now pour into your players whenthey hit adversity?
SPEAKER_04 (23:20):
Um I can honestly say that it's gonna happen,
right?
Whatever it is that you're goingthrough, challenges, adversity,
it's gonna happen.
In anything that you do, youhave to make the type of
decision of what the outcome isgonna be.
So for me, like as we go throughit with basketball, you can get
(23:42):
back in the gym and you can workharder.
You know, as a coach, you canlook yourself in the mirror and
you can do things a littledifferently.
Um, but you can also figure out,like, hey, where did I drop the
ball?
What did I not do that what Ishould have done?
Um, but one thing that I do knowis that you're gonna go through
it.
You get you as long as we liveand we have air in our lungs,
we're gonna go through somethingin life.
(24:04):
And if it's my mama tell you, mymama tell you, if it don't get
you in the wash, sometimes itmay catch you in the wrist.
So it's just something thatyou're just gonna have to endure
to get through.
But just trust God.
My my just trust God, he's gonnaalways work out.
And if he and if he says thatyou can't have it if it's not
supposed to happen, becauseevery year I tell people all the
time, I'm supposed to win achampionship every year, right?
(24:27):
And I've been coaching for 19years.
But if I don't win achampionship, does that mean I'm
not a winner?
No, it doesn't.
It doesn't, it just means thatit's not my time, but I keep
working and I keep grindingbecause I understand that my
preparation is always gonna bemy separation.
I'm gonna always prepare forwhatever I need to do so I can
separate myself from others.
Run run run that back, run thatback, run that back.
(24:50):
Your preparation is yourseparation.
SPEAKER_02 (24:54):
Yeah, because sometimes you have to separate
from things that's right inorder to elevate.
SPEAKER_04 (25:03):
That's right.
SPEAKER_02 (25:03):
Sometimes you have to separate in order to elevate,
and this is something that youlearned firsthand because you
had to lose a job.
You you you had to you so at onepoint prayer review does not
(25:24):
renew your contract, right?
So you had no job, nothing atthe same time, you are pregnant,
pregnant, single mama, noinsurance, no income, like 18
months unemployed.
You you you ain't you ain't getgetting no government assist, no
(25:45):
nothing.
It was just you out here byyourself.
SPEAKER_04 (25:51):
But wait now, no, no, no.
Let's be clear.
Oh, oh girl, home girl did whatshe had to do.
She, I got on wick.
Oh, okay, okay.
I got food stamps.
I okay, I had my baby with whatMedicaid, Medicare, Medica, with
meta, whichever one it was whenyou ain't getting insurance,
meta them.
I had it all, I did it allbecause you can see, see, here's
(26:12):
the thing, right?
We talk about decisions.
You can sit here, Dawn, and haveyour four-month pregnancy out
here, right?
And go through your whole entireretirement to try to live.
Or you can take the assistancefrom the government because
you've been paying into themtaxes anyway.
(26:33):
Give me my assistance because Ifell on hard time.
I'm looking for a job.
I I nobody will call.
That's a part of the journey.
But guess what?
I'm like James Brown.
I ain't too proud to beg.
I need what I can get so I canget back on my feet.
It's okay.
SPEAKER_02 (26:47):
Can can we can we just can we just give a can can
we get a little?
I need a button that like dobecause listen, because yes, and
there is I need people to knowthere is absolutely nothing
wrong with getting help.
There is absolutely nothingwrong.
When baby, when I tell you youare speaking to me right now,
(27:12):
you you like you are speaking tomy spirit because I'm gonna
everybody know I'm I'm veryopen, I'm very honest, I'm very
vulnerable.
Listen, I was I was hit.
Look, I was here.
Look, I was on Jennifer Hudsonthree three times.
I was I was getting brand deals,I was everywhere.
(27:33):
I was like, oh, okay, like Ijust knew, and go God said,
wait, calm down.
Slow down.
Oh, because because listen, Ithink I think you might be
losing your focus because itdoes happen.
It does happen because when weare on a high, like we think
that that high is going to lastalways.
(27:55):
Now, granted, I'm still who Iam, but that but it came a time
where I had to be like, okay,and God said, uh-uh, like you
just just just like you said,you need to turn your focus back
on me because that's not whereit is right now.
So I have to humble you just alittle bit.
So because when I left teaching,I I was I was like, I ain't
(28:21):
never gonna, I ain't never, butyou can't ever say what you
ain't never gonna do.
Come on, because you don't knowwhen that never might be
tomorrow.
That's right.
When that never, and what I saidI was never going to do, I'm
right back doing it.
Not because I don't have it, butjust like you said, you have to
(28:44):
make it some kind of way, likeyou have to make it somehow, and
I didn't want to blow throughall of my savings, try trying,
trying to keep keep up, trying,trying to trying to try to
trying to make my myself, noteven myself, trying to make
other people, but believe that Iwas bigger than what I was.
(29:05):
Granted, I will always be who Iam again.
Like no, nobody can ever take myachievements from me, but I
don't have to keep up withanybody or let anybody feel any
type of way.
I don't have anything to proveto anyone.
So am I back in my in myclassroom?
Yes, that was a choice that Imade.
(29:29):
And it's also something thatbrings me joy.
And there is a lesson ineverything.
And who's to say I can't do allthings, I can't do a podcast, I
can't be a speaker, I can't be acontent uh creator, I can't be a
(29:49):
teacher, I can't be all the Ican't wear all of these hats.
And I am, and there isabsolutely nothing.
SPEAKER_04 (30:00):
wrong with that you gotta do what you gotta do to
get what you gotta get that'sright that's right and that is
exactly what you did like howdid there's a lot of people
that's going through their 18months that that you went
(30:20):
through there was a lot ofpeople that's going through
their 18 months their theirseason right now I know that you
said that your faith was one ofthose things but was there a
moment that you felt like youjust wanted to lose your mind
come completely that you didn'tknow right from left like did
(30:43):
you ever want to say you knowwhat forget this forget
basketball forget it all I'mdone no mm mm because for me
again the glass is always halffull right you got it standing
right behind you you know how doyou have a positive mindset if
you self-inflict negative thingsin your mind so for me it's like
(31:06):
it was days it was hard I'm notsaying that it wasn't hard you
know I had a good support systemmoved back home with my mama and
daddy you know what I'm sayinglike it was tough but but I kept
faith I just knew that I look Istarted I think I was substitute
teaching and doing some stuff orwhatever I was doing but I was
(31:27):
focused on my son and and takingcare of him and God whatever you
got for me I know it's gonna beokay because I'm a winner I've
always won and and I know whenthe when the right door opens up
I'ma show that next person why Iappreciate them so much.
So from then every opportunityevery door that has opened for
(31:48):
me since then mind you I said Inever applied for a job oh baby
because then then then yeahwhile you were waiting things
were moving things were movingwhile you was waiting things
were moving because then the thephone rings phone rings short of
(32:08):
college shorter call so that iswhen the resurrection started
that's where it started thatthat was when it started how did
it feel to finally get a yesafter all those years of getting
no you know it was it was toughand it was a Christian school
and you know I'm a cussingChristian you know the Lord is
(32:29):
working on me girl the Lord isworking on me because I I'm just
like Lord my my mouth but fuckshit stop it so they like you're
gonna have to teach Bible classy'all gotta have Bible class you
know you got to watch this wehad to go to chapel it was so it
(32:50):
was such a big adjustment butI'm gonna tell you it was the
right time it was the right timebecause those who know me I'm
like this big boot this big ballof energy right and so after you
lose your job in coachingsometimes it's natural to be
bitter it's natural to you knowto be you know kind of like you
(33:12):
know feel some be in yourfeelings feel some type of way
so for me to have to transitionto a Christian school that was
kind of really what the doctorordered like look God telling me
I need to focus on him right andthen you sent me this school in
Rome Georgia never heard of itnever been to Rome and I gotta
go to chapel and teach Bibleclass and and I got to drive the
(33:35):
van to all the games humbled myass real fast.
Quick quick but I nevercomplained because I knew that
this was just the season thiswas just another part of the
transition Lord I thank you forthis yes because I'm I already
know you you already know you'reabout to show out I already know
you're about to show out and hejust there to dare to he keep
(33:58):
showing up he keeps showing outthis is what people don't
understand about seasons becauseright now we about to go in into
the fall and all those prettygreen leaves they're gonna turn
brown and eventually they aregoing to fall off and that is
the season that we go throughbut look what happens in the
(34:21):
springtime look what happens inthe springtime something new
something better and then notonly are there new leaves there
that from those leaves there areflowers you now are producing
something else that was notthere before but that season had
(34:43):
to happen in order for thegrowth but you know what here's
the bigger part from the sameroot oh come on from the same
root from the same root so youreally need to do nothing thank
god we don't have to dig upeverything and throw it away
when something dies rightsometimes you just gotta shed it
(35:04):
off sometimes you just gottashake it off you better
sometimes you just gotta gothrough sometimes you need a
little bit more water and somesomebody gonna shout sometimes
sometimes you're in a pot that'stoo tight because the roots
can't spread and it's time foryou to get out your comfort zone
but you too afraid to start thatbusiness you're too afraid to
(35:25):
start a podcast you're tooafraid to to wear what I wear on
the sideline because you worryabout what somebody else gonna
say about you do you do likeNike and then just do it just do
it yeah sometimes you have totransplant you have to
transplant you because youwasn't meant for that lipid ass
(35:46):
pot you you still trying to makethis sunflower grow in this
lipid pot and you wonder why younot get because you can't move
so you have to you you ain'tgotta change anything but the
pot but the pot you ain't gottachange your roots you ain't
gotta change all you have tochange is the pot so what are
(36:08):
you or you could change anythingor you could or you could cut
some of them dead leaves off sotrue story I was sitting here
this is a word like I got aplant I'm just trying to get in
the flowers and stuff and I gotthis plant I just been over
watering this plant and I'm likeyou know I know he needs water
he outside he hid and everythingand I was like well you know
what I'm gonna show this plantsome love I'm gonna cut this
dead weight off because I wasjust waiting on the new fly I
(36:31):
was just waiting on the newblooms to grow to make it back
full right you know what I'msaying so it wouldn't look like
because it was full like thisplant behind me but I had to cut
over half of the leaves off ofthe plant sometimes we just got
to cut it out too rightsometimes we got to cut people
loose sometimes you got to cutyou know cut jobs off sometimes
(36:52):
you got to cut that man offsometimes you got to cut that
woman off sometimes you got tocut it out too sometimes you got
to cut that cancer out becausesometimes we we don't realize
and it took you a while torealize that because weeds can
look like flowers too and you'llfool the right one on the right
(37:15):
you'll fool somebody and they'llthink that too and that's why it
wasn't growing because weeds canlook like flowers too and so we
keep them there thinking thatthey're doing a job but they
really only holding us down theyare they are your anchor who is
your anchor I know somebody islistening right now and you are
thinking about that dead weightthat you are holding on to and
(37:38):
all you got to do is else ofthat shit let it go and then
you're gonna be all right andyou're gonna be okay and then
you're gonna be all rightbecause that's exactly what
happened to you because then youwent from Charlotte College to
Jackson to Jacksonville to UAPto now running running you you
(38:00):
are the head and not the tailyou are running the show at
Alabama ANM at what point didyou look look around and say I'm
back bitch you know I got apicture I got a picture I
(38:21):
actually got a picture when Ihad a moment I was sitting in
the locker room right after thepress conference and I was just
looking around because we have alot of great things to offer at
Alabama EM our facilities aretop tier my president is is the
bomb my AD is the bomb everybodyreally and truly Alabama EM
stands for tradition and cultureand I sat down and I was just
(38:45):
looking around and thephotographer they was with me
the whole day they just took mypicture and I was just looking
up and I was just thanking Godfor that opportunity you know
and and I'm like it's time it'stime Dawn it's time like you you
can't be worrying about howpeople are going to receive you
just jump just jump and we got atiptoe in this thing just jump
(39:10):
just jump and so I just came outthe gate ready to jump and when
I did that success just startedto stack i mean from an academic
standpoint basketball we in thecommunity like we doing we we
breaking barriers and it's abeautiful thing it's beautiful
(39:30):
but not only did you jump youjumped in heels you you you
jumped in stilettos where wherewhen was don the diva coach born
um i i think my my my dad'ssister was one of the first
black women to feature in theebony magazine in i'm sorry in
(39:55):
jet magazine um she had aboutique in jackson mississippi
i've been wearing her heels sheshe was um there was some makeup
called fashion fair um and shewas really really big in the
fashion fair she had she soldfashion fair in her black own
boutique and I've been around itmy whole entire life um I think
(40:19):
the diva was really born when Irealized that I didn't have to
fit in when I went to prom myprom date they one of the he's
he he got on one knee and I saton his knee and we took that
picture that way and he wastaller than me but he did that
because I wasn't evencomfortable being that tall
standing next to him now thecrazy part about it is he got
(40:41):
drafted and went to the end theNBA play for the Boston Celtics
and everything.
So why would a woman have aproblem with standing next to a
pro player right but my wholelife I've just been so insecure
about my size about my weightabout my shoe size I wear size
13 women's shoe right thoseanother right and I was a 12 in
(41:01):
a 12 my mama said she couldn'ttell me no more at your age and
not the shoe size because shecouldn't match because girl I
kept my foot kept growing youknow but you know I was just so
insecure about a lot of littlethings and then I just I put
some clothes on one day and gotdressed at you know I was in
college at this point and myboyfriend at the time he was
(41:24):
like wow you look amazing andthat made me feel some type of
way because that was the firsttime that somebody had really
given me a compliment that Ifelt like was really a genuine
compliment to me and so you knowus like girls you know what
we're gonna do we're gonna putit on again okay again and then
(41:44):
you did and you did and withwhen I tell you every time I'm
just like damn damn damn like itis it is like you are really out
here getting it and you are anexample of it doesn't matter
(42:05):
what the world thinks that youlook like on the outside it
doesn't even matter what youthink you look like in the
mirror put it on put it on youyou you have to get out the box
get out of the box take thelimits off love yourself enough
(42:28):
to choose you and do somethingfor you love yourself enough to
cherish yourself to to findvalue in yourself to become the
favorite version of yourself andspeaking of which we have come
to my favorite part of the showthe ask alethe segments where
(42:50):
you send in your questions to meand we answer them live on the
show so oh I'm I'm seeing so soso many comments that say go go
go miss dawn shine on yep yepyes you better shine so this is
the question it said alethia Ikeep getting rejected jobs
(43:18):
friendships even dating I'mhearing no so much I'm starting
to feel like I am the problemhow do I keep going when all I
hear is no that's a goodquestion that's a good question
I think that for me is you haveto shift your focus you know
(43:43):
sometimes in life we again wetalked about God's will align
aligning with our will whateverit is that you're asking for
whatever it is that you'reseeking you know you gotta you
gotta trust God in the processand sometimes again it's how you
process that that's what thedevil wants you to do the devil
(44:03):
wants you to think that it'salways gonna be a no the devil
wants you to to start secondguessing yourself or you know
there's a lot of things that youknow the devil comes in all
shape forms passions and and tocome to steal kill and destroy
right and and kill yourconfidence right destroy your
(44:26):
your motivation and how you feelabout your your self your
self-love and what that lookslike you have to protect your
mental you have to protect yourbody you have to protect your
mind and when you do that youjust got to trust God and he's
he's trying to teach yousomething I feel like you're
gonna get the same test over andover in life until you
(44:49):
understand what you're supposedto be learning.
SPEAKER_02 (44:53):
He's trying to teach you something and I don't know
what it is but I guarantee youif you trust him with it when
the door does open he's gonnamake sure everybody know and
what people what people need tounderstand is that rejection has
nothing to do with your worthit's about their capacity
(45:14):
because sometimes that room istoo small for you to fully shine
in that's true that sometimesthe room is too small for you to
fully it's not about your worthyou just sitting at the the
wrong table but you need to alsounderstand you are the table
you're not supposed to sit atthat table anyway you're
(45:36):
supposed to create your own soget up get up from that table
that you don't even belong atand create your own because you
have the power to do so so letthat rejection light a fire
under you let that know light afire under you and keep going
that's right keep going listenlisten listen i'm i'm just um
(46:01):
i'm just saying i'm just sayingi'm just saying so let's talk
about the bulldogs in this newera this new era what is your
vision for alabama and m andwhat can swat fans expect when
(46:22):
they see don the diva coach onthe sidelines this season
because i saw you on liveearlier and y'all y'all y'all
was getting it in y'all y'allwas getting it in so what can we
expect from the team and whatcan can we expect from you
because I know you're gonnabring it like you know my my
silence and I we're gonna gettogether the first of October um
(46:44):
we start we've already let metell you what's so dope and you
have listeners that that may bechat that may be chiming in um
everything that I wore last yearthat was hand painted or that
was custom that was made customfor me we got black
entrepreneurs tailors uhseamstress um you know um
(47:05):
creative design people everybodyeverything everything that we
wore last year was black biggityblack black black um I want to
be able to do all this ininformation because yeah we we
want to give that same platformto our black community um a lot
of times people are stylingpeople for other reasons but
(47:27):
right now women in sports istaking off if you see you cannot
turn on Instagram and not seesomething dealing with fashion
on the NFL with the women that'sinvolved with the NFL now with
the women that's involved withwith coaching with the WNBA
you're seeing this all over andthe reason why is because when I
(47:48):
first started coaching let metell you a little secret when I
first started coaching I had atprayer view I had um an
administrator tell me don't youshouldn't wear skirts you need
to be in some pants you gottattoo on your ankle I need you
to cover that tattoo up um and Iwas in the locker room you know
I I cried a lot because I waslike you know this is just me
(48:10):
you know what I'm saying likey'all know who I am this is what
I do you know you hire meknowing these things but I
realized I realized sometimesit's okay to give people what
they want so you can set you upfor what you want and you got to
pick your battles wisely rightso for me in fashion um this is
(48:33):
something that I'm reallyintentional about this is
something I'm really excitedabout.
SPEAKER_04 (48:38):
So being able to give people an opportunity to
highlight their brand is what wedo for me.
You know my stylist and I I loveI love Gucci I probably
shouldn't say it but I loveGucci I just I just love it you
know and she and I was like youknow she came to the house and I
was like put me this outfit onput me this outfit and she's
like no we're not doing that weain't wearing it we ain't
(49:00):
wearing it they got plenty ofmoney Gucci got plenty of money
Gucci don't need you Gucci Guccidon't need you on you don't need
to put Gucci on the stage we'regonna put these young people on
the stage I said let's do it soright now what to expect for
bulldog basketball knowing howwe feel about fashion just
knowing some of the no's thatI've gotten in the past or don't
(49:20):
do this you can't wear this andshe's making it all about her
well we're gonna continue tomake it all about me okay we're
gonna continue to kill it on thesidelines because my kids love
it.
It also boosts the confidence ofmy kids when I can walk in the
locker room and they coming inthey like okay you know so look
good feel good put feel goodplay good play good pay good
(49:43):
that's what we own that's that'swhat we own okay that's what we
are and then of course with thebasketball side is the goal is
to win a championship everyyear.
The main thing is the main thingI'm not the diva coach if I'm
losing so I do hold myself to ahigh standard as you should as
far as what basketball what theoutcome of each season should be
(50:05):
for me this upcoming year.
So um we have a very competitiveschedule it's gonna be tough but
it's gonna be a great year forus.
I'm already going to manifestthat speaking that to existence
so I'm excited about what Godhas in store for this program.
SPEAKER_02 (50:19):
Man listen I just want to thank you for just being
on this show.
I just want to thank you forjust shining your light because
that that is what you are likeyou are light in the truest form
and I just I just thank you forjust being here and just for
being who you are and forsharing your light with this
world with so many other peoplethat need to hear this women and
(50:42):
girls that need to hear thisthat felt that they wasn't good
enough but you are out heresaying it doesn't matter how you
look it doesn't matter how theyfeel yes you are yes you can and
I so admire this about you andyes you said it in the beginning
and I'm going to reiterate ityou are in fact a superhero and
(51:07):
yeah you are a superhero beforeI uh close out I ask everybody
this question and I'm going toask you the exact same thing but
before I do I need you to telleverybody where to find you on
all platforms and where we as anI can get a schedule for these
(51:31):
games because I might just popup on you.
Aren't you in Batrouge?
SPEAKER_04 (51:36):
I am in Lafayette but well we're gonna play
southern so you're gonna be myspecial guest I'm gonna bring
you in I'm gonna lay it all outfor you I'm gonna take care of
you bring the wife we're gonnago to dinner then I'm gonna send
you that date we we're gonnahang tough we're gonna hang
tough soon we're gonna hangtough that's what we're gonna do
(51:57):
but those who we're gonna hangtough I'm serious those who want
to follow me on social media uhmy Instagram is Dawn D A W N the
Diva coach um and then you knowyes that's it right there shout
out to the engineer y'all are sodope over there so yeah anybody
(52:19):
want to get in touch with me youcan be able to to follow me
there send me a DM anythingdealing with fashion you got
somebody want to make somethingshowcase something here's the
plug y'all listening on look useme let me put you on the map
let's figure out how we can do apartnership with each other okay
would love to be able to expandyour brand also but uh with
(52:40):
basketball you can always followa amus.com click on our link for
our uh basketball schedule orjust google Alabama and women's
basketball schedule and pull upon me even if you just drop me a
message for those who arelistening we come into an area
near you coach I'm in the city Ilove to come to a game I'm gonna
put you on my list so that's itnow that's love yeah absolutely
(53:05):
love listen oh good this we Ithink you're about to post the
website that that is that's itpull up I'll put y'all on the
list I got you I'm only gonnatake look I'm only taking you
and the wife to dinner I can'ttake everybody to dinner okay so
look don't don't do do not beexpecting that treatment because
(53:29):
what what I'm getting isdifferent from you listen what
God has for you it is for youit's for me for you it's not for
everybody else okay becausefavor ain't fair okay I love
that I say that all the time Goddon't play about me friend God
(53:52):
at all at all so my last thingbecause I I want I wanted to get
that out of the way because thisis what I wanted to ask you so
I'm gonna need you to close youreyes and I'm gonna need you to
just in vision younger Dawn thatDawn that was in that dark place
(54:16):
that Dawn that didn't know howshe was gonna make it out that
Dawn was like you that who waslike God I don't know what what
it is but I trust you what wouldyou say knowing who you are now
knowing who you are now whatwould you tell her you will make
(54:41):
it you will make it in thosedarkest moments that I can think
about you know trying to findlove trying to find a way trying
to find an answer I always toldmyself I will get there if you
(55:03):
can think it shall be done andif I could tell my younger self
anything else you know maybe notmake so many like you know
immature decisions but but butyou will make it so that young
lady who posted and asked aboutthe no and I'm always hearing no
(55:25):
you will make it you we alwaysdo you have to wake up to make
the decision you have to decideyou could choose a role to be
positive or negative and for meback when I was growing up the
younger version of me in mydarkest spots and my darkest
moments yeah I wanted to come upout of those areas I mean that
those moments a lot quicker thanthen I stayed in them but I knew
(55:49):
that I would I never ever lostfaith on knowing that I would
come out of it I'm going to comeout of the storm period I'm
gonna come out of the storm sothis period period look me and
Perianna okay okay Periannalisten you will come out of the
(56:09):
storm and that's what I'm gonnatell myself then yesterday today
and tomorrow you will I justhave to tell you this one
comment before I let you go umAmanda underscore underscore
candy said dawn was dawn beforethe sun was rising in the sky
(56:34):
come on guy come on Amandabefore even the sun came dawn
was gone was already because wealready knew she was it was
coming it's every day the sunwon't always shine that's why I
love the Lord oh thanks Amandaokay and thank you thank you for
(57:01):
being on my show and I know thatthis is not gonna be the the the
the last time I see you that'sright okay because after after
this do do not leave becausebecause we we gotta but y'all if
this has touched anybody which Iknow it did somebody is waiting
(57:21):
on that season right nowsomebody is waiting on that
season right now do not forgetthat that glow up doesn't always
look that cute but know that itis happening it is happening
right now sometimes it lookslike a rejection sometimes it
looks like deep deep oppressionsometimes it looks like being
(57:42):
broke at your mama housesometimes that is how it looks
but baby on the other side ofpower if this episode has
touched you like commentsubscribe and keep coming back
because baby it's gonna only getbetter it's gonna only get
better so as always keep beinggreat in their face know that
(58:03):
you are everything andeverything is you and as always
you have a good day on purpose
So that's how you hello, hello, hello, and welcome
(00:22):
back to In the Passenger Seat.
It's your girl, AletheaCremmens.
Your positivity queen, what'sgood, everybody?
Oh, did you miss me?
Because I definitely missedy'all.
Okay.
I definitely missed y'all.
When I tell you that we are infor a treat today, we are in for
a treat, baby.
Listen, listen, listen.
(00:44):
Now you know that this show isnot just about surface level
success.
It is about the mess before themessage, the pain before the
power, the story before theshine.
And today, today, my guest, thiswoman that I have on this show
is the epitome of what this is.
(01:07):
She is an example of how youturn rejection into
resurrection.
This is the person.
She is an overcomer.
She is a warrior.
She is the bounce back queen.
She came back.
Even when people told her no,she created her own yes.
She created her own yes.
(01:27):
That is resilience.
That is power.
And baby, she looks good doingit.
She looks good doing it.
Okay.
And if you don't know why I'm soexcited, baby, check out this
clip.
Check out this clip.
SPEAKER_03 (01:59):
Welcome in the passenger seat, Dawn, the diva
coach.
Hello.
What's up?
What's up?
What's up?
How you doing?
What's up, S?
What's good?
What's good?
What's good?
How you feeling?
SPEAKER_04 (02:17):
Um I'm actually great.
I'm doing really, really well.
I'm great.
How are you?
You look beautiful.
SPEAKER_02 (02:22):
Thank you so much.
You're looking good with thevibe.
Look, we both.
And you're giving that level up,level up, level up, level up,
level up.
You giving them vibes.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04 (02:37):
Thank you so much.
I appreciate that.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (02:41):
So for all of those who do not know who you are,
tell us a little bit about whoyou are and what you do.
SPEAKER_04 (02:50):
You know, first off, thank you so much for having me.
Um, it's been a greatexperience.
Had a great time meeting you atEssence.
Looking dope.
Like first time energy goingcrazy.
So I really do appreciate thisopportunity and for you all and
to invite me into your space.
(03:10):
So thank you for that.
Um, you know, I am DawnThornton, head women's
basketball coach at Alabama EMUniversity.
I'm a mom, um, I'm a sister, uh,I'm a sorority girl, I'm a
member of Delta Stigma ThetaSorority Incorporation.
I inspire exactly.
(03:31):
I inspire young women to believein themselves.
I serve in the community, and Itry my best to motivate
everybody that I come in contactwith.
So I'm just like a real lifesuperhero.
SPEAKER_02 (03:43):
You you really are, like you really and truly are,
like you are in real life thatgirl.
I appreciate that.
You are that girl in real life.
So before the winds, before thestorm, you had a crazy run at
(04:05):
Prairie View AM.
You had championships, NCAAtrips, you was upsetting
Memphis, Houston, Louisiana,Tech, like you was just out
there winning.
You were just out there gettingit.
Okay.
Did you know back then that youwere building a name that was
bigger than basketball?
SPEAKER_04 (04:27):
You know, that's a great question.
And yes, I actually did.
Um, I got into coaching to beable to impact the lives of
young women.
Um, you know, I was I felt likemy whole life growing up, I was
always told what I can't do,where I shouldn't go, what I
shouldn't wear, you're too tall,you're too big, you can't do
(04:47):
this, you can't do that.
And and I felt like basketballgives you a sports, athletics
gives you a safe space to wherewhatever you got going on
outside of this sport, it doesnot matter.
So this is one thing that Icould focus on, build confidence
in, work hard to be able to bethe best that I can be, and not
(05:11):
worry about everything else, allthe noise that's around me.
And I know what that did for meon the inside.
And so I wanted to be able toproject that same energy off on
young women and having anopportunity to do that as a
coach, someone that loves asport, I think that that's the
reason why I knew then, just asI knew now, and just as I knew
(05:34):
when I was in the seventh grade,that this is the only thing that
I could ever see myself doingfor the rest of my life.
SPEAKER_02 (05:40):
So, even though people said, nah, like that,
that's that's not even for you,you can't do this.
And I don't know how many times,and just to let y'all know,
guys, we are live.
So anything that you have tosay, anything that you have to
add, y'all can come on into theroom and let us know.
But I have said it so manytimes, the only person that can
(06:02):
tell you what you cannot do isyou.
SPEAKER_04 (06:04):
That's absolutely true.
We tell like nobody can tell youwhat you can't do, the disease
of me, you your you, your bigdictator, you your own dictator.
SPEAKER_02 (06:13):
The disease of me, I like how you put that because
yet that that is exactly whatthat is.
Absolutely, but we wereconditioned to feel like we had
to limit ourselves.
We condition ourselves to feellike we can only go also high,
right?
And then once you get there, youcan't go any higher.
(06:34):
We were conditioned to feel likethat, but you said what I'm
going to do, I'm going to takethe limits off, I'm going to
break barriers.
Not only will I break them, I'mgoing to destroy them because
they were never mine to beginwith.
Let me tell you, how many timeswere mine to begin with?
SPEAKER_04 (06:54):
How many times have we just like looked in the
mirror and just been like, youknow what?
Oh, I can't do this.
I can't wear this.
I can't, I can't, I can't, Ican't, I can't.
Like we just just do it.
So for me as a coach, that's onething that I've embraced.
And and you know, a lot of timespeople say, Well, she just wants
(07:15):
to model, like she wants tomaybe she should be a model.
I'm gonna do both.
I'm gonna do both.
So we just have to do a betterjob of of speaking affirmation
to ourselves so we can go outand be the best version of
ourselves.
Why can't you do both?
SPEAKER_02 (07:31):
But why, why, why why limit yourself to one thing?
Why limit and I don't understandwhy people do that.
I don't understand why peopleput themselves in a box feeling
like I can only be this, I canonly be that.
You can all why can't I be abasketball coach and a model?
(07:53):
Why can't I be a basketballcoach, a model, a motivational
speaker?
Why why can't I be all of thesethings wrapped up into one?
Why do I have to limit myself onone thing just because the world
limits themselves on one thing?
I don't have to be like theworld, I only have to be like
me.
Absolutely, absolutely I can doanything I set my mind to.
(08:18):
I it any anything I set my mindto, I can do it as long as I
take the limits off.
And I love how you said just doit because one thing I've always
said, Nike that shit and just doit, Nike that shit and just do
it.
SPEAKER_03 (08:35):
I love that.
SPEAKER_02 (08:39):
Just do it because the only person that's telling
you that you can is the personthat's looking at you in the
mirror.
Get those other people's voicesout of your head because it's it
was never your voice, that wasother people, and you still have
other people's voices in yourhead, and when you unlearn, when
you unlearn what they tell youand learn that you can, yes, you
(09:02):
can, yes, you will, because Ibelieve that I can, then you
will become unstoppable.
And Dawn, that is exactly whatyou what you are, and that is
the example that you are settingfor women and girls across the
world.
SPEAKER_04 (09:16):
I just I mean, you you're absolutely right.
And and I know that you know,I'm not here to interview you,
but the the you just you hit thenail on the head because the
other thing that you have to dois protect the space and the
people that you surroundyourself with.
Because there are a lot ofpeople that are afraid of being
uncomfortable.
I love being uncomfortable, youknow, even with my fashion, and
(09:38):
I'm sure we're gonna tap intothis.
I'm sure you're gonna ask methis question.
Oh, yes, girl.
But my stylist, my stylist doesnot show me what she's going to,
what she's going to dress me inuntil an hour and a half before
I put it on.
There's no, there's no, there'sno come in and let's do a
pre-something.
Let's do it.
She's gonna bring two fits.
If the first one is a hit, we'regonna rock with it.
SPEAKER_02 (09:59):
But I understand why, though.
I understand what the disease ofme, because if I show you, you
gonna find if I show you inadvance, you're gonna find all
kind of you will stand in thatmirror and look and be like, and
you will find re oh well.
My like hips are too big.
(10:21):
Look how this looks.
You will find reasons not towear.
So I understand, and I um we weI'm I need a stylist that that
that's like just gonna just givegive give it to me.
10 minutes this this is whatyou're gonna wear.
SPEAKER_04 (10:39):
Let me tell you, because listen, every outfit,
every outfit that really wentviral, that went big, when she
put it on me.
I was like, see, I don't knowabout this.
She said, she said, trust me,put it on and go.
SPEAKER_03 (10:56):
And at this point, it's like put it on, and then I
walked out like, hey, wend thewilliams on everybody's ass.
SPEAKER_02 (11:16):
And I I I knew I knew that when I met you, I was
like, Oh, I gotta have her onthe show because I'm telling you
our energies is gonna match, andI wasn't wrong because we
listen, I do the exact samething.
Like, I'm like, man, my my likeI'm I'm about to look like I got
(11:37):
some man, should should shouldshould I go change?
And it could be like we we don'thave time, and my like white be
like we we don't have time, andI just walk walk on there, but
once I put it on, you own it,you own it, you own it, and that
is the secret.
Once you have it on your body,own it, and it don't matter what
nobody else got to say aboutyou.
(12:00):
My favorite mantra, if for allthe people that have been
following me, y'all already knowmy favorite mantra is hashtag
FTP fuck them people.
SPEAKER_03 (12:11):
FTP it's not about them, it is about you.
SPEAKER_02 (12:17):
Okay, that's absolutely right.
SPEAKER_04 (12:19):
Yep, okay.
SPEAKER_02 (12:23):
Okay, period.
So you said I've read in aninterview that you had that your
lowest point, because we we allhave our lowest points, and this
is one of the reasons why I justadmire you because you've had
(12:46):
ups and downs and you've hadrejections because people look
at the outside, people look atthe now, and they don't see the
then that got you to the thenow, they don't see all the
hurdles that got you to the now.
When you were sitting in thatmoment, when you were sitting in
(13:08):
that dark place, when you weresitting in the then, what did
rejection feel like, and how didyou not let that define who you
were and who you are?
SPEAKER_04 (13:24):
That's a great, that's another great one.
Wow.
Um, I trust God with my wholeentire life, you know.
Everything that I grew up in thechurch, missionary Baptist, you
know, we from down south, so youknow how we are when we get to
praying about God.
Okay, you call all the prayerangels in, you call the pastor
everybody.
Prayer, everybody around you.
(13:46):
But when I went through mylowest point, um, my godmom
shared something with me.
She was a minister.
When I went through my lowestpoint, I was pregnant with my
son, four months, four monthsold.
And my godmom said, when Godwanted to change the world, he
gave us a son.
(14:08):
He gave us a son, and God gaveyou a son because he knows right
now that this is going to changeyour life as you go through what
you're going through.
So at that point, my mindpivoted to focusing on
motherhood.
(14:28):
I got a whole lot of nose, I gota shitload of nose, and my
confidence was going down fromtime to time, and you know, and
I had my moments where you knowI'm like, God, what you trying?
But but I always knew that it,God, what are you trying to
teach me?
I need to receive that, okay tolearn that lesson, I need to
(14:50):
manifest on that.
Is it that you're trying to getme to be closer to you?
Is it that I have gotten sofocused on the the wins, the big
wins, all the big, all the bigthings that you are that you
named, people are just seeing medo that in the last 365 days.
But the truth is, I've beendoing this for 10 years, right?
(15:14):
But did I focus on that then?
Because I was so much youngerdoing it.
I was 30 years old winningchampionships and killing a
game, one of the youngest femalehead coaches in Division I
coaching.
But maybe God's saying, babygirl, you need to focus on me.
And I put my attention on him,and I will honestly say this to
(15:35):
you I have not had to apply foranother job since then, and I've
had four three being headcoaches, they called me.
God allowed that to happenbecause I shifted my focus on
him, and so to answer yourquestion, because my faith is so
(15:57):
strong, I put my faith and trustin him.
And God, wherever you're gonnahave me, wherever you're gonna
take me, wherever you're gonnasend me, if you're telling me
sit down, not right now.
I trust you, that's what you'regonna always do.
You always show up.
My God always shows you gonnapre what I see.
SPEAKER_02 (16:15):
I I'm I'm looking the part I need my tambourine,
because this is this is one ofthe moments that because listen,
look, I'm I'm I'm trying not togo into a praise work, because
you are absolutely right.
He always show up.
You you are absolutely right,even in your darkest hour, he
(16:36):
always shows up, even when youthink that there is no way to be
made, there will always be adoor that is going to be open as
long as you keep your eye in thesky and know that your father is
going to take care of you.
It don't matter what it lookedlike right now.
That's right, it don't matterwhat it looked like right now,
(16:58):
and you didn't sit in the rightnow.
That's right.
That was the whole you didn'tsit in the right now because a
lot of times, a lot of timesthat's what we do.
We sit in the rejection, we sitin the rejection, not knowing
that that rejection may just beyour redirection.
(17:20):
Come on, rejection may just befor your protection.
That reject, maybe you had tomake that detour, maybe you had
to just sit just for just for alittle while, just for a little
because because it wasn't yourtime yet.
You want it right now, but it'sit's not a denial, you're just
(17:43):
being delayed, but you beingdelayed for a reason.
SPEAKER_04 (17:47):
I tell people all the time, he could be telling
you you ain't thinking bigenough.
Now that see, for me, when I'mtelling you that my glass is
half full, that's how I think.
So I understand God's will andmy will have to align for
whatever it is that I'm sayingthat I want, right?
(18:08):
But sometimes we don't think bigenough.
And so even if he's telling younot right now, it's never a no,
right?
It's never a no.
Sometimes he's avoiding you fromwhat you can't see that's going
that's around the corner becauseyou know, sometimes we think the
grass is greener on the otherside too, and it's really turf,
(18:28):
it's it's really turf.
SPEAKER_03 (18:29):
It's really, it's really it's it's really turf.
SPEAKER_04 (18:33):
It's it's really turf.
It is.
I just know that once you candevelop that type of
relationship with God, and and Iand I'm a spiritual person, and
I'm not like no, oh Lord, thankyou.
I'm not that, but I am I trustin Him with my whole entire
life, and whatever God has forme, I'm gonna just walk in that
(18:53):
door and kill that next one andkill the next one and kill the
next one.
And guess what?
And if it's some adversity or ifthere's a challenge or there's a
setback, it ain't gonna beforever.
Because, like my favorite rappersays, the sun ain't gonna always
shine.
That's why I love the married.
Y'all better ask Glorilla.
SPEAKER_03 (19:13):
That's why the book of Glorilla, that's why I love
tomorrow.
SPEAKER_02 (19:16):
Okay, that is from that is from the book of
Glorilla 9 verse six, okay.
Then verse six.
Y'all need to look into the bookof Glorilla because that is
where it came from, okay.
SPEAKER_04 (19:32):
Right, that's right.
SPEAKER_02 (19:45):
A setback, but a setback is just a setup for your
major comeback.
And baby, when you come back,you're gonna come back bigger,
you're gonna come back better.
And for all those naysayers thatthat was like, oh what well I
well, I knew you you can goahead on and know.
You you can go ahead on andknow, but I know too, yeah.
(20:06):
I know too.
SPEAKER_04 (20:08):
But you know, let me tell you, God got such a sense
of humor right now because theway social media social media
platform is guess what?
We can monetize our view haterstoo.
SPEAKER_03 (20:18):
So hey, friends, hey, don't later, no later,
okay.
SPEAKER_02 (20:30):
Listen, go ahead and friend listen, I tell hating
haters stand for having angertowards everybody reaching
success.
So go ahead and hate on me.
I love that friend.
I love that because I know whyyou're mad, I know why you're
mad, because you're angry justbecause you see, oh well, she
(20:54):
she has a little so social mediapage, but she's not going viral.
I don't have to go viral in thisworld, I don't have to go viral
right now because because thesetup is building, the setup for
my comeback is growing, thesetup for my comeback.
(21:18):
So, what you're seeing right nowin your eyes is a setback.
But what I'm seeing is I'm beingset up for something greater.
You said it took people 10years, 10 years, and you've been
winning, been winning, but theworld ain't see it because they
wasn't supposed to.
SPEAKER_04 (21:39):
That's a word that that that right there gonna
preach.
It wasn't about to see, and it'sokay, and that's okay, but when
it was time we ain't listening.
Look on WNBA.
We right here on the passengerseat, baby.
(22:00):
Come on now, come on.
SPEAKER_02 (22:03):
That's right.
When it was time, you just youand I mean literally came out of
no, it was like boom, don'tdawn, don, don, don, don't.
It was like, oh, okay, well, whowas gone?
And it was like made you look atmade you look at you, you made
us look at you.
(22:23):
You made a statement out thegate because you were a force,
but that's how it was supposedto be.
SPEAKER_04 (22:31):
That's how we said, I receive that, I appreciate
that.
SPEAKER_02 (22:35):
Of course, because your story is not just about uh
basketball, and that's whatpeople see, and they think, oh,
well, she's just and I love whenthey use that word just, just
she she's just a head coach,she's just a woman's coach, but
(22:56):
it's so much more thanbasketball, it's about
resilience, it's about faith,it's about timing.
What's one lesson that you'velearned in the valley?
What is one lesson that youlearned in that valley that you
now pour into your players whenthey hit adversity?
SPEAKER_04 (23:20):
Um I can honestly say that it's gonna happen,
right?
Whatever it is that you're goingthrough, challenges, adversity,
it's gonna happen.
In anything that you do, youhave to make the type of
decision of what the outcome isgonna be.
So for me, like as we go throughit with basketball, you can get
(23:42):
back in the gym and you can workharder.
You know, as a coach, you canlook yourself in the mirror and
you can do things a littledifferently.
Um, but you can also figure out,like, hey, where did I drop the
ball?
What did I not do that what Ishould have done?
Um, but one thing that I do knowis that you're gonna go through
it.
You get you as long as we liveand we have air in our lungs,
we're gonna go through somethingin life.
(24:04):
And if it's my mama tell you, mymama tell you, if it don't get
you in the wash, sometimes itmay catch you in the wrist.
So it's just something thatyou're just gonna have to endure
to get through.
But just trust God.
My my just trust God, he's gonnaalways work out.
And if he and if he says thatyou can't have it if it's not
supposed to happen, becauseevery year I tell people all the
time, I'm supposed to win achampionship every year, right?
(24:27):
And I've been coaching for 19years.
But if I don't win achampionship, does that mean I'm
not a winner?
No, it doesn't.
It doesn't, it just means thatit's not my time, but I keep
working and I keep grindingbecause I understand that my
preparation is always gonna bemy separation.
I'm gonna always prepare forwhatever I need to do so I can
separate myself from others.
Run run run that back, run thatback, run that back.
(24:50):
Your preparation is yourseparation.
SPEAKER_02 (24:54):
Yeah, because sometimes you have to separate
from things that's right inorder to elevate.
SPEAKER_04 (25:03):
That's right.
SPEAKER_02 (25:03):
Sometimes you have to separate in order to elevate,
and this is something that youlearned firsthand because you
had to lose a job.
You you you had to you so at onepoint prayer review does not
(25:24):
renew your contract, right?
So you had no job, nothing atthe same time, you are pregnant,
pregnant, single mama, noinsurance, no income, like 18
months unemployed.
You you you ain't you ain't getgetting no government assist, no
(25:45):
nothing.
It was just you out here byyourself.
SPEAKER_04 (25:51):
But wait now, no, no, no.
Let's be clear.
Oh, oh girl, home girl did whatshe had to do.
She, I got on wick.
Oh, okay, okay.
I got food stamps.
I okay, I had my baby with whatMedicaid, Medicare, Medica, with
meta, whichever one it was whenyou ain't getting insurance,
meta them.
I had it all, I did it allbecause you can see, see, here's
(26:12):
the thing, right?
We talk about decisions.
You can sit here, Dawn, and haveyour four-month pregnancy out
here, right?
And go through your whole entireretirement to try to live.
Or you can take the assistancefrom the government because
you've been paying into themtaxes anyway.
(26:33):
Give me my assistance because Ifell on hard time.
I'm looking for a job.
I I nobody will call.
That's a part of the journey.
But guess what?
I'm like James Brown.
I ain't too proud to beg.
I need what I can get so I canget back on my feet.
It's okay.
SPEAKER_02 (26:47):
Can can we can we just can we just give a can can
we get a little?
I need a button that like dobecause listen, because yes, and
there is I need people to knowthere is absolutely nothing
wrong with getting help.
There is absolutely nothingwrong.
When baby, when I tell you youare speaking to me right now,
(27:12):
you you like you are speaking tomy spirit because I'm gonna
everybody know I'm I'm veryopen, I'm very honest, I'm very
vulnerable.
Listen, I was I was hit.
Look, I was here.
Look, I was on Jennifer Hudsonthree three times.
I was I was getting brand deals,I was everywhere.
(27:33):
I was like, oh, okay, like Ijust knew, and go God said,
wait, calm down.
Slow down.
Oh, because because listen, Ithink I think you might be
losing your focus because itdoes happen.
It does happen because when weare on a high, like we think
that that high is going to lastalways.
(27:55):
Now, granted, I'm still who Iam, but that but it came a time
where I had to be like, okay,and God said, uh-uh, like you
just just just like you said,you need to turn your focus back
on me because that's not whereit is right now.
So I have to humble you just alittle bit.
So because when I left teaching,I I was I was like, I ain't
(28:21):
never gonna, I ain't never, butyou can't ever say what you
ain't never gonna do.
Come on, because you don't knowwhen that never might be
tomorrow.
That's right.
When that never, and what I saidI was never going to do, I'm
right back doing it.
Not because I don't have it, butjust like you said, you have to
(28:44):
make it some kind of way, likeyou have to make it somehow, and
I didn't want to blow throughall of my savings, try trying,
trying to keep keep up, trying,trying to trying to try to
trying to make my myself, noteven myself, trying to make
other people, but believe that Iwas bigger than what I was.
(29:05):
Granted, I will always be who Iam again.
Like no, nobody can ever take myachievements from me, but I
don't have to keep up withanybody or let anybody feel any
type of way.
I don't have anything to proveto anyone.
So am I back in my in myclassroom?
Yes, that was a choice that Imade.
(29:29):
And it's also something thatbrings me joy.
And there is a lesson ineverything.
And who's to say I can't do allthings, I can't do a podcast, I
can't be a speaker, I can't be acontent uh creator, I can't be a
(29:49):
teacher, I can't be all the Ican't wear all of these hats.
And I am, and there isabsolutely nothing.
SPEAKER_04 (30:00):
wrong with that you gotta do what you gotta do to
get what you gotta get that'sright that's right and that is
exactly what you did like howdid there's a lot of people
that's going through their 18months that that you went
(30:20):
through there was a lot ofpeople that's going through
their 18 months their theirseason right now I know that you
said that your faith was one ofthose things but was there a
moment that you felt like youjust wanted to lose your mind
come completely that you didn'tknow right from left like did
(30:43):
you ever want to say you knowwhat forget this forget
basketball forget it all I'mdone no mm mm because for me
again the glass is always halffull right you got it standing
right behind you you know how doyou have a positive mindset if
you self-inflict negative thingsin your mind so for me it's like
(31:06):
it was days it was hard I'm notsaying that it wasn't hard you
know I had a good support systemmoved back home with my mama and
daddy you know what I'm sayinglike it was tough but but I kept
faith I just knew that I look Istarted I think I was substitute
teaching and doing some stuff orwhatever I was doing but I was
(31:27):
focused on my son and and takingcare of him and God whatever you
got for me I know it's gonna beokay because I'm a winner I've
always won and and I know whenthe when the right door opens up
I'ma show that next person why Iappreciate them so much.
So from then every opportunityevery door that has opened for
(31:48):
me since then mind you I said Inever applied for a job oh baby
because then then then yeahwhile you were waiting things
were moving things were movingwhile you was waiting things
were moving because then the thephone rings phone rings short of
(32:08):
college shorter call so that iswhen the resurrection started
that's where it started thatthat was when it started how did
it feel to finally get a yesafter all those years of getting
no you know it was it was toughand it was a Christian school
and you know I'm a cussingChristian you know the Lord is
(32:29):
working on me girl the Lord isworking on me because I I'm just
like Lord my my mouth but fuckshit stop it so they like you're
gonna have to teach Bible classy'all gotta have Bible class you
know you got to watch this wehad to go to chapel it was so it
(32:50):
was such a big adjustment butI'm gonna tell you it was the
right time it was the right timebecause those who know me I'm
like this big boot this big ballof energy right and so after you
lose your job in coachingsometimes it's natural to be
bitter it's natural to you knowto be you know kind of like you
(33:12):
know feel some be in yourfeelings feel some type of way
so for me to have to transitionto a Christian school that was
kind of really what the doctorordered like look God telling me
I need to focus on him right andthen you sent me this school in
Rome Georgia never heard of itnever been to Rome and I gotta
go to chapel and teach Bibleclass and and I got to drive the
(33:35):
van to all the games humbled myass real fast.
Quick quick but I nevercomplained because I knew that
this was just the season thiswas just another part of the
transition Lord I thank you forthis yes because I'm I already
know you you already know you'reabout to show out I already know
you're about to show out and hejust there to dare to he keep
(33:58):
showing up he keeps showing outthis is what people don't
understand about seasons becauseright now we about to go in into
the fall and all those prettygreen leaves they're gonna turn
brown and eventually they aregoing to fall off and that is
the season that we go throughbut look what happens in the
(34:21):
springtime look what happens inthe springtime something new
something better and then notonly are there new leaves there
that from those leaves there areflowers you now are producing
something else that was notthere before but that season had
(34:43):
to happen in order for thegrowth but you know what here's
the bigger part from the sameroot oh come on from the same
root from the same root so youreally need to do nothing thank
god we don't have to dig upeverything and throw it away
when something dies rightsometimes you just gotta shed it
(35:04):
off sometimes you just gottashake it off you better
sometimes you just gotta gothrough sometimes you need a
little bit more water and somesomebody gonna shout sometimes
sometimes you're in a pot that'stoo tight because the roots
can't spread and it's time foryou to get out your comfort zone
but you too afraid to start thatbusiness you're too afraid to
(35:25):
start a podcast you're tooafraid to to wear what I wear on
the sideline because you worryabout what somebody else gonna
say about you do you do likeNike and then just do it just do
it yeah sometimes you have totransplant you have to
transplant you because youwasn't meant for that lipid ass
(35:46):
pot you you still trying to makethis sunflower grow in this
lipid pot and you wonder why younot get because you can't move
so you have to you you ain'tgotta change anything but the
pot but the pot you ain't gottachange your roots you ain't
gotta change all you have tochange is the pot so what are
(36:08):
you or you could change anythingor you could or you could cut
some of them dead leaves off sotrue story I was sitting here
this is a word like I got aplant I'm just trying to get in
the flowers and stuff and I gotthis plant I just been over
watering this plant and I'm likeyou know I know he needs water
he outside he hid and everythingand I was like well you know
what I'm gonna show this plantsome love I'm gonna cut this
dead weight off because I wasjust waiting on the new fly I
(36:31):
was just waiting on the newblooms to grow to make it back
full right you know what I'msaying so it wouldn't look like
because it was full like thisplant behind me but I had to cut
over half of the leaves off ofthe plant sometimes we just got
to cut it out too rightsometimes we got to cut people
loose sometimes you got to cutyou know cut jobs off sometimes
(36:52):
you got to cut that man offsometimes you got to cut that
woman off sometimes you got tocut it out too sometimes you got
to cut that cancer out becausesometimes we we don't realize
and it took you a while torealize that because weeds can
look like flowers too and you'llfool the right one on the right
(37:15):
you'll fool somebody and they'llthink that too and that's why it
wasn't growing because weeds canlook like flowers too and so we
keep them there thinking thatthey're doing a job but they
really only holding us down theyare they are your anchor who is
your anchor I know somebody islistening right now and you are
thinking about that dead weightthat you are holding on to and
(37:38):
all you got to do is else ofthat shit let it go and then
you're gonna be all right andyou're gonna be okay and then
you're gonna be all rightbecause that's exactly what
happened to you because then youwent from Charlotte College to
Jackson to Jacksonville to UAPto now running running you you
(38:00):
are the head and not the tailyou are running the show at
Alabama ANM at what point didyou look look around and say I'm
back bitch you know I got apicture I got a picture I
(38:21):
actually got a picture when Ihad a moment I was sitting in
the locker room right after thepress conference and I was just
looking around because we have alot of great things to offer at
Alabama EM our facilities aretop tier my president is is the
bomb my AD is the bomb everybodyreally and truly Alabama EM
stands for tradition and cultureand I sat down and I was just
(38:45):
looking around and thephotographer they was with me
the whole day they just took mypicture and I was just looking
up and I was just thanking Godfor that opportunity you know
and and I'm like it's time it'stime Dawn it's time like you you
can't be worrying about howpeople are going to receive you
just jump just jump and we got atiptoe in this thing just jump
(39:10):
just jump and so I just came outthe gate ready to jump and when
I did that success just startedto stack i mean from an academic
standpoint basketball we in thecommunity like we doing we we
breaking barriers and it's abeautiful thing it's beautiful
(39:30):
but not only did you jump youjumped in heels you you you
jumped in stilettos where wherewhen was don the diva coach born
um i i think my my my dad'ssister was one of the first
black women to feature in theebony magazine in i'm sorry in
(39:55):
jet magazine um she had aboutique in jackson mississippi
i've been wearing her heels sheshe was um there was some makeup
called fashion fair um and shewas really really big in the
fashion fair she had she soldfashion fair in her black own
boutique and I've been around itmy whole entire life um I think
(40:19):
the diva was really born when Irealized that I didn't have to
fit in when I went to prom myprom date they one of the he's
he he got on one knee and I saton his knee and we took that
picture that way and he wastaller than me but he did that
because I wasn't evencomfortable being that tall
standing next to him now thecrazy part about it is he got
(40:41):
drafted and went to the end theNBA play for the Boston Celtics
and everything.
So why would a woman have aproblem with standing next to a
pro player right but my wholelife I've just been so insecure
about my size about my weightabout my shoe size I wear size
13 women's shoe right thoseanother right and I was a 12 in
(41:01):
a 12 my mama said she couldn'ttell me no more at your age and
not the shoe size because shecouldn't match because girl I
kept my foot kept growing youknow but you know I was just so
insecure about a lot of littlethings and then I just I put
some clothes on one day and gotdressed at you know I was in
college at this point and myboyfriend at the time he was
(41:24):
like wow you look amazing andthat made me feel some type of
way because that was the firsttime that somebody had really
given me a compliment that Ifelt like was really a genuine
compliment to me and so you knowus like girls you know what
we're gonna do we're gonna putit on again okay again and then
(41:44):
you did and you did and withwhen I tell you every time I'm
just like damn damn damn like itis it is like you are really out
here getting it and you are anexample of it doesn't matter
(42:05):
what the world thinks that youlook like on the outside it
doesn't even matter what youthink you look like in the
mirror put it on put it on youyou you have to get out the box
get out of the box take thelimits off love yourself enough
(42:28):
to choose you and do somethingfor you love yourself enough to
cherish yourself to to findvalue in yourself to become the
favorite version of yourself andspeaking of which we have come
to my favorite part of the showthe ask alethe segments where
(42:50):
you send in your questions to meand we answer them live on the
show so oh I'm I'm seeing so soso many comments that say go go
go miss dawn shine on yep yepyes you better shine so this is
the question it said alethia Ikeep getting rejected jobs
(43:18):
friendships even dating I'mhearing no so much I'm starting
to feel like I am the problemhow do I keep going when all I
hear is no that's a goodquestion that's a good question
I think that for me is you haveto shift your focus you know
(43:43):
sometimes in life we again wetalked about God's will align
aligning with our will whateverit is that you're asking for
whatever it is that you'reseeking you know you gotta you
gotta trust God in the processand sometimes again it's how you
process that that's what thedevil wants you to do the devil
(44:03):
wants you to think that it'salways gonna be a no the devil
wants you to to start secondguessing yourself or you know
there's a lot of things that youknow the devil comes in all
shape forms passions and and tocome to steal kill and destroy
right and and kill yourconfidence right destroy your
(44:26):
your motivation and how you feelabout your your self your
self-love and what that lookslike you have to protect your
mental you have to protect yourbody you have to protect your
mind and when you do that youjust got to trust God and he's
he's trying to teach yousomething I feel like you're
gonna get the same test over andover in life until you
(44:49):
understand what you're supposedto be learning.
SPEAKER_02 (44:53):
He's trying to teach you something and I don't know
what it is but I guarantee youif you trust him with it when
the door does open he's gonnamake sure everybody know and
what people what people need tounderstand is that rejection has
nothing to do with your worthit's about their capacity
(45:14):
because sometimes that room istoo small for you to fully shine
in that's true that sometimesthe room is too small for you to
fully it's not about your worthyou just sitting at the the
wrong table but you need to alsounderstand you are the table
you're not supposed to sit atthat table anyway you're
(45:36):
supposed to create your own soget up get up from that table
that you don't even belong atand create your own because you
have the power to do so so letthat rejection light a fire
under you let that know light afire under you and keep going
that's right keep going listenlisten listen i'm i'm just um
(46:01):
i'm just saying i'm just sayingi'm just saying so let's talk
about the bulldogs in this newera this new era what is your
vision for alabama and m andwhat can swat fans expect when
(46:22):
they see don the diva coach onthe sidelines this season
because i saw you on liveearlier and y'all y'all y'all
was getting it in y'all y'allwas getting it in so what can we
expect from the team and whatcan can we expect from you
because I know you're gonnabring it like you know my my
silence and I we're gonna gettogether the first of October um
(46:44):
we start we've already let metell you what's so dope and you
have listeners that that may bechat that may be chiming in um
everything that I wore last yearthat was hand painted or that
was custom that was made customfor me we got black
entrepreneurs tailors uhseamstress um you know um
(47:05):
creative design people everybodyeverything everything that we
wore last year was black biggityblack black black um I want to
be able to do all this ininformation because yeah we we
want to give that same platformto our black community um a lot
of times people are stylingpeople for other reasons but
(47:27):
right now women in sports istaking off if you see you cannot
turn on Instagram and not seesomething dealing with fashion
on the NFL with the women that'sinvolved with the NFL now with
the women that's involved withwith coaching with the WNBA
you're seeing this all over andthe reason why is because when I
(47:48):
first started coaching let metell you a little secret when I
first started coaching I had atprayer view I had um an
administrator tell me don't youshouldn't wear skirts you need
to be in some pants you gottattoo on your ankle I need you
to cover that tattoo up um and Iwas in the locker room you know
I I cried a lot because I waslike you know this is just me
(48:10):
you know what I'm saying likey'all know who I am this is what
I do you know you hire meknowing these things but I
realized I realized sometimesit's okay to give people what
they want so you can set you upfor what you want and you got to
pick your battles wisely rightso for me in fashion um this is
(48:33):
something that I'm reallyintentional about this is
something I'm really excitedabout.
SPEAKER_04 (48:38):
So being able to give people an opportunity to
highlight their brand is what wedo for me.
You know my stylist and I I loveI love Gucci I probably
shouldn't say it but I loveGucci I just I just love it you
know and she and I was like youknow she came to the house and I
was like put me this outfit onput me this outfit and she's
like no we're not doing that weain't wearing it we ain't
(49:00):
wearing it they got plenty ofmoney Gucci got plenty of money
Gucci don't need you Gucci Guccidon't need you on you don't need
to put Gucci on the stage we'regonna put these young people on
the stage I said let's do it soright now what to expect for
bulldog basketball knowing howwe feel about fashion just
knowing some of the no's thatI've gotten in the past or don't
(49:20):
do this you can't wear this andshe's making it all about her
well we're gonna continue tomake it all about me okay we're
gonna continue to kill it on thesidelines because my kids love
it.
It also boosts the confidence ofmy kids when I can walk in the
locker room and they coming inthey like okay you know so look
good feel good put feel goodplay good play good pay good
(49:43):
that's what we own that's that'swhat we own okay that's what we
are and then of course with thebasketball side is the goal is
to win a championship everyyear.
The main thing is the main thingI'm not the diva coach if I'm
losing so I do hold myself to ahigh standard as you should as
far as what basketball what theoutcome of each season should be
(50:05):
for me this upcoming year.
So um we have a very competitiveschedule it's gonna be tough but
it's gonna be a great year forus.
I'm already going to manifestthat speaking that to existence
so I'm excited about what Godhas in store for this program.
SPEAKER_02 (50:19):
Man listen I just want to thank you for just being
on this show.
I just want to thank you forjust shining your light because
that that is what you are likeyou are light in the truest form
and I just I just thank you forjust being here and just for
being who you are and forsharing your light with this
world with so many other peoplethat need to hear this women and
(50:42):
girls that need to hear thisthat felt that they wasn't good
enough but you are out heresaying it doesn't matter how you
look it doesn't matter how theyfeel yes you are yes you can and
I so admire this about you andyes you said it in the beginning
and I'm going to reiterate ityou are in fact a superhero and
(51:07):
yeah you are a superhero beforeI uh close out I ask everybody
this question and I'm going toask you the exact same thing but
before I do I need you to telleverybody where to find you on
all platforms and where we as anI can get a schedule for these
(51:31):
games because I might just popup on you.
Aren't you in Batrouge?
SPEAKER_04 (51:36):
I am in Lafayette but well we're gonna play
southern so you're gonna be myspecial guest I'm gonna bring
you in I'm gonna lay it all outfor you I'm gonna take care of
you bring the wife we're gonnago to dinner then I'm gonna send
you that date we we're gonnahang tough we're gonna hang
tough soon we're gonna hangtough that's what we're gonna do
(51:57):
but those who we're gonna hangtough I'm serious those who want
to follow me on social media uhmy Instagram is Dawn D A W N the
Diva coach um and then you knowyes that's it right there shout
out to the engineer y'all are sodope over there so yeah anybody
(52:19):
want to get in touch with me youcan be able to to follow me
there send me a DM anythingdealing with fashion you got
somebody want to make somethingshowcase something here's the
plug y'all listening on look useme let me put you on the map
let's figure out how we can do apartnership with each other okay
would love to be able to expandyour brand also but uh with
(52:40):
basketball you can always followa amus.com click on our link for
our uh basketball schedule orjust google Alabama and women's
basketball schedule and pull upon me even if you just drop me a
message for those who arelistening we come into an area
near you coach I'm in the city Ilove to come to a game I'm gonna
put you on my list so that's itnow that's love yeah absolutely
(53:05):
love listen oh good this we Ithink you're about to post the
website that that is that's itpull up I'll put y'all on the
list I got you I'm only gonnatake look I'm only taking you
and the wife to dinner I can'ttake everybody to dinner okay so
look don't don't do do not beexpecting that treatment because
(53:29):
what what I'm getting isdifferent from you listen what
God has for you it is for youit's for me for you it's not for
everybody else okay becausefavor ain't fair okay I love
that I say that all the time Goddon't play about me friend God
(53:52):
at all at all so my last thingbecause I I want I wanted to get
that out of the way because thisis what I wanted to ask you so
I'm gonna need you to close youreyes and I'm gonna need you to
just in vision younger Dawn thatDawn that was in that dark place
(54:16):
that Dawn that didn't know howshe was gonna make it out that
Dawn was like you that who waslike God I don't know what what
it is but I trust you what wouldyou say knowing who you are now
knowing who you are now whatwould you tell her you will make
(54:41):
it you will make it in thosedarkest moments that I can think
about you know trying to findlove trying to find a way trying
to find an answer I always toldmyself I will get there if you
(55:03):
can think it shall be done andif I could tell my younger self
anything else you know maybe notmake so many like you know
immature decisions but but butyou will make it so that young
lady who posted and asked aboutthe no and I'm always hearing no
(55:25):
you will make it you we alwaysdo you have to wake up to make
the decision you have to decideyou could choose a role to be
positive or negative and for meback when I was growing up the
younger version of me in mydarkest spots and my darkest
moments yeah I wanted to come upout of those areas I mean that
those moments a lot quicker thanthen I stayed in them but I knew
(55:49):
that I would I never ever lostfaith on knowing that I would
come out of it I'm going to comeout of the storm period I'm
gonna come out of the storm sothis period period look me and
Perianna okay okay Periannalisten you will come out of the
(56:09):
storm and that's what I'm gonnatell myself then yesterday today
and tomorrow you will I justhave to tell you this one
comment before I let you go umAmanda underscore underscore
candy said dawn was dawn beforethe sun was rising in the sky
(56:34):
come on guy come on Amandabefore even the sun came dawn
was gone was already because wealready knew she was it was
coming it's every day the sunwon't always shine that's why I
love the Lord oh thanks Amandaokay and thank you thank you for
(57:01):
being on my show and I know thatthis is not gonna be the the the
the last time I see you that'sright okay because after after
this do do not leave becausebecause we we gotta but y'all if
this has touched anybody which Iknow it did somebody is waiting
(57:21):
on that season right nowsomebody is waiting on that
season right now do not forgetthat that glow up doesn't always
look that cute but know that itis happening it is happening
right now sometimes it lookslike a rejection sometimes it
looks like deep deep oppressionsometimes it looks like being
(57:42):
broke at your mama housesometimes that is how it looks
but baby on the other side ofpower if this episode has
touched you like commentsubscribe and keep coming back
because baby it's gonna only getbetter it's gonna only get
better so as always keep beinggreat in their face know that
(58:03):
you are everything andeverything is you and as always
you have a good day on purpose
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