August 1, 2025 • 65 mins
What happens when a Brooklyn girl who society labeled a "statistic" refuses to accept limitations? Meet Lakeasha "Shine Shine" Williams, the powerhouse whose transformational journey from teen motherhood to bestselling author is redefining authentic leadership.
In this soul-stirring conversation, Lakeasha reveals the profound story behind her "Let It Go" devotional series that topped the charts on release day. She doesn't just talk about transformation – she embodies it. Growing up during the crack epidemic of the 1980s, raising children while pursuing education, and eventually turning around one of the lowest-performing schools in her district, LaKeisha's life demonstrates that your past doesn't determine your destiny.
"When you live right every day, you never have to perform," Lakeasha shares, cutting through leadership clichés with hard-earned wisdom. Her refreshing take on authenticity challenges us to embrace every facet of ourselves rather than conforming to narrow expectations: "I can be this AND that, not this OR that." This philosophy has powered her approach to leadership development, where she focuses on healing the person before tackling organizational challenges.
The conversation takes a vulnerable turn when Lakeasha discusses stepping away from career success to address her own depletion. "You cannot pour from an empty cup," she reminds us, explaining how her own healing journey birthed resources now helping thousands. Her mantra "Speak what you seek until you see what you said" offers a practical approach to maintaining faith through difficult seasons.
Whether you're struggling with personal healing, seeking authentic leadership principles, or simply need inspiration from someone who's defied every statistical prediction, Lakeasha's story proves that with faith and determination, transformation is always possible. Join the 30-day transformational journey with Lakeasha on Instagram @coach_shine_on_lakeasha or visit BrickHouseUnlimited.com to access her books and upcoming Leadership Masterclass.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hey there, I'm Jacqueline Cox, but you might
know me as ListenLinda.
Um, where do I even begin?
I guess you could say I wearmany hats Podcast host,
entrepreneur, Mrs Illinois, usa,and so much more but it all
started with a simple passion totell stories and empower others
(00:26):
.
Building a platform wasn't easy.
There were days when I wonderedif anyone was even listening.
But then something amazinghappened.
I realized the power of myvoice.
Suddenly, my words werereaching people, touching lives,
making a difference.
Now I see my mission clearly tocreate spaces where every voice
(00:59):
can be heard, thank you, andtogether we can make our voices
echo far and wide.
To be a guest on Listen Linda.
Contact Jacqueline Cox onFacebook Messenger.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Hey, hey, hey, fam.
It is Friday, friday, fridayAugust 1st, 9 amam Central
Standard Time and we are backlive with Arthur, number 4 and
our 25 awesome authors of 2025series and the one and only
(01:36):
Lakeisha Shy Shy Williams baby,you were the first author we
signed at Listen, linda Pubpublishing and y'all remember we
produced four projects in 11days, all released on her
birthday, and I'll hit numberone on that day.
(01:57):
Clock it, clock it.
Oh, this is a major, majorlegacy.
Now, before we get started,y'all know how I do I got to
praise the Lord and Savior everyday before we get it started.
So let's bow our heads and pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you forthis moment, thank you for
(02:18):
Lakeisha's story, the power inher pen and the transformation
her words ignite.
May this conversation blessevery soul under the sound of my
voice, speak life through thesewords and activate destiny in
Jesus mighty, mighty name.
Amen, amen, amen.
All right, lakeisha, babe, youhonored the calling, so I want
(02:43):
to say congrats again on yourbirthday.
Drops to let it go, let me grab, let me grab, let me grab.
Okay, the Let it Go devotionale-book.
(03:10):
All went.
Number one, okay, we all madesure we pulled together
everybody from under the ListenLinda umbrella on down to
Shasha's umbrella.
We made it happen.
Okay, we want to thankeverybody for showing up, so
tell everybody what that feltlike for you.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Oh wow, it was surreal.
Um, I knew that I wanted tocelebrate my milestone birthday,
turning 50, and I don't look it, I tell y'all time, girl, you
look good.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Don't look it Girl.
I tell y'all time, girl, youlook good.
Girl, I want to be like you,that's so funny.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
So I knew that I wanted to celebrate it in a
major way.
I did not know exactly what Iwas going to do or how I was
going to do it, but I knew thatI wanted to represent me, was
going to do it, but I knew thatI wanted to represent me.
(04:08):
You know who I was andeverything that I have been able
to not only accomplish but,most importantly, overcome in my
50-year journey and things thatI still look forward to, and so
it ultimately culminated intothe Let it Go series, as well as
the Leadership Unlimitedmagazine, and it just couldn't
(04:30):
have been no greater achievement, and I definitely want to
sincerely thank you for helpingme through that process and
journey and making sure that wewere able to get it done in
record time, and it really istruly a labor of love to
celebrate, you know, 50 yearsand the next 50 years to come.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Amen, amen.
Now I want to just give you afew comments that I saw, like on
goodreads.
Um, as, as far as like your letit go 30 day devotional because
, you know me, I deep dive, I gointo it, I'm going to figure
out what's going on, what's thetea.
So your let it go 30 daydevotional is your gold standard
(05:19):
work on healing and it walks,you know folks day by day, day
to lead to their own, you know,self-healing journey.
Now Goodreads shows it at aperfect 5.0 rating, right With
readers calling it amazing.
One review said it was amazingand another one said absolutely
amazing.
When describing LeadershipUnlimited magazine.
(05:42):
About your legacy story too,that devotion hit hearts in your
Leadership Unlimited magazine,curated for your 50th birthday.
Readers also said Lakeisha hasdone it again.
Praise your timeline, thepositive affirmations and then
walking in faith.
(06:04):
I wanted to ask you let me seeyou came through right as our
first signed author andproducing those four powerful
projects in 11 days.
How did you stay focused as faras like just basically pacing
yourself?
You know cause.
(06:25):
I know this has been a longtime coming.
You know, and I know it wasn'teasy trying to cause, you know
me, I got the crack whip and thebull honey.
I want to know, dealing with meand, just like the pressure,
trying to get it all, how didyou stay focused and move so
fast and to be able to produceso much quality in your work?
Speaker 3 (06:50):
I think when you live right every day, you never have
to perform.
And so when I think abouteverything that came with Let it
Go including the magazine onceagain, let it go including the
magazine once again.
(07:11):
Even though we were able to getit done in 11 days, it really
and truly was already together,right.
And so that was definitelyGod's sin.
And the funny thing is right.
I was talking to my children.
Again, if you know my story,then you know I have millennial
sons and I was trying to getsome feedback from them, like
what should I do?
How should I do it?
And they were like Ma, use yourstory, use your story.
(07:31):
And so to your question.
It was already laid out therefor me, right, I just needed a
vessel, which you came alongright in order to help me bring
everything to fruition.
So we talk about the 30 daydevotional that essentially was
(07:55):
crafted like two years ago,right?
So I had those thoughts on mymind and in my heart.
Again, I just didn't know how tolet it go, right, I didn't know
how to let it go, how to put itout there, and again, for me
it's one in the same, becausethe magazine is a reflection of
(08:20):
my life and everything that Ibelieve.
And so, even when we talk aboutthe different parts, the
questions, the interviewquestions that you asked of me,
again it was just it's mespeaking my truth, me being my
authentic self.
And when you are in that spaceand you're allowed you hear me
using that word allowed, right,because we know how society is.
(08:43):
You hear me using that wordaloud, right, because we know
(09:09):
how society is.
Society likes to box you intothis is who you are, my true,
authentic self.
Just like with the photo shoot.
Again, that's who I am, that'swho I am.
So you don't get to define me,right.
And with the tributes, thecrazy thing with the tributes is
in my mind I was like, oh, itwould be nice to get you know 50
because I'm turning 50.
But I had subconsciously saidto myself I would be happy for
(09:34):
20.
Girl, even after the magazinewas published, I was still
getting tributes in yeah,because you told me like I keep
getting them.
I was still getting tributes inAfter I already had the magazine
in hand.
People were still sending metributes.
And again, that just speaks tothe many lives that I've touched
(09:57):
over the years.
And so, just to you know, wrapit all up.
I'm just going to say that whenyou walk in your authenticity
and you live based on God'spurpose for your life, it shows
up.
And that's how you show up inthe world, to other people, and
so you never know who you areimpacting, but continue to be
(10:18):
you and again, live out yourpurpose, and people resonate
with that.
They resonate with authenticity, they resonate with
vulnerability.
Right, and that's what Let itGo is all about.
And so leadership, as I've said, multiple yourself so you can
be a better person for yourselfand then impact others in a
(10:39):
better way.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Exactly, I 100% agree with that.
If you start with you first anddo the internal work, light is
going to exude that and people,everything is attracted to light
.
So it's going to come naturallybecause you're being who you're
supposed to be magazines anddifferent things and I can truly
(11:26):
say you are one of very few umwho have actually um came in and
not try to be somebody else inthe process and it was just it
was.
It was like a breath of freshair.
You know, like, okay, now Idon't have to coach you so much
through trying to pull out ofyou what's already in there,
(11:50):
because some people it's not, Idon't you know what.
I take that back.
I don't think it's more so ofpeople not trying to be who they
are.
I really just think people areafraid of what other people may
think about their story, aboutabout their journey, about who
they are authentically.
So what they do is they try tomask behind something that
(12:11):
they're not to appease otherpeople.
And one thing about Shine,Shine, clock it, clock it, baby,
Clock it.
I was like whoo Sweet, she didthat, baby, Okay.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Listen, one thing people will always say about me
is I don't care about theopinions of others.
Yes, I do not care about theopinions of others, right?
Because God made all of usdifferent for a reason.
We all have different paths,mistakes, and all flaws and all.
I own, all of it.
I am who I am, no matter whereI am and no matter who I'm
around, and if you know me right, then you know that about me.
(12:54):
And so when I say I don't care,I don't care.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Girl.
She did not care, honey.
She was like show that leg,show that leg.
I was like okay.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Yes, I was, because, again, when we speak about
vulnerability, right To yourpoint, vulnerability is about
you revealing it right,revealing it all.
And when I say revealing it all, I'm talking about, like, the
core essence of who you are.
And again, people, like society, like to say they want you to
(13:32):
choose, you can be this or that.
And my perspective on life is Ican be this and that, like I
don't have to choose.
Right, because when God made us, when God made me, he knew what
he was doing right and he madeall of this right.
So he wanted me to be smart andbeautiful and sexy and kind and
(13:56):
community-driven andgoal-oriented and have such a
soft heart a soft heart but alsoa don't mess with me attitude.
Right, like he made me in hisimage.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
And so who are you to try to tell me not to embrace
all that I am?
So for me it's this and that,not this or that.
Now I want to reach into yourroots for a second.
So you grew up Brooklyn, bk.
During the height of the crackepidemic in the 80s that I know
it, you know dealing with liketrauma and survival at a young
(14:45):
age.
How did those early years shapeyour belief in healing and your
calling into leadership?
Like what did God begin toteach you as a little girl,
watching all that pain aroundyou?
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Um, I really, when, when I get asked this question,
I really Don't ask me thisquestion.
I really I didn't ask you myquestion, did I?
I really?
Because, again, when you thinkabout society, it's like mental
(15:20):
health is real and I understandtrauma, and so my message is
that we're not responsible forour traumas, but we are
responsible for our healing, andthat's the space that I'm in,
right?
And so when people think aboutmy beginnings, when they think
about me being a teen momneither one of my parents
(15:41):
graduated from high school whenthey think about all of those
things, again, according tosociety's standards, I'm not
supposed to be who I am today,right?
So people oftentimes ask meshine, shine, how was born in
Allendale, south Carolina.
But just the other day I was,you know, talking about my
(16:07):
grandmother, who had the courage, in the 60s, to leave the South
, to leave an abusive marriagebecause she wanted a different
life, and that's how my familystarted out in New York City.
And then for my parents toraise children here, and once
upon a time, to raise childrenhere, and once upon a time we
(16:27):
lived next door to a crack house, but they also knew that we
were not of that, right, like,that's where we live, but that's
not who we were, and so thatmessage was most definitely
ingrained in me as early as Ican remember that this is not
your life and sometimes whathappens is being an educator for
almost 30 years and workingwith children.
(16:48):
I oftentimes tell parents don'tput your limitations onto your
child, because the mind is apowerful thing, and we want
children to know that there'sdifferent ways of being.
And even if you didn'texperience like my parents
didn't experience certain things, but they knew it was a
different way of being.
(17:09):
And so that message of hope iswhat ingrained in me at a very
early age.
So I know when Barack Obama waspresident, michelle used to say
that all the time, but I coinedthat phrase first.
Like I'm in the business of hope.
I'm in the business of hope,and that's what my parents gave
(17:32):
me at a very early age.
You can be anything that youwant to be.
It may sound cliche, butchildren need to hear that over
and over again and you do needto find ways to immerse them in.
You know different things.
So as a child, you know I alsoattended an elementary school
(17:53):
again poor neighborhood, poorschool district but I had a
principal who was ahead of hertime and I was on stage doing
many different things.
I was in a band, I was dancing,I was in plays, you know.
So, again, it was cultivated inme at home and then when I went
to school, I had a principalwho was ahead of her time.
(18:18):
So when I think about mygrandmother and my parents and
my principal, I was insituations where, from a very
early age, the seed was plantedin me that you are from
greatness and that is theexpectation that we have of you.
And I grew up, you know, withGod, and my mother, definitely,
you know, made sure that we knewand understood that we were the
(18:38):
children of, we were God'schildren and we were blessed and
we were meant to do greatthings here on this earth.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Now.
Thank you for that.
So I want to get into someother things with you real fast.
So with the 30 day devotional,I want to hold it up again for
you guys who have not seen thisbeautiful cover with this
beautiful lady on there.
What devotional.
(19:08):
It takes readers step by stepthrough personal healing journey
, right Through a personalhealing journey, one intentional
day at a time.
How did your all healing storyinspire the structure and the
tone of that devotional, Like?
What was the moment when yousaid this needs to go into print
and into people's hands?
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Again.
I first started thinking aboutthis a couple of years ago when
I decided to walk away from myschool at its height.
You know, I took a school thatwas ranked number 29 out of 32
schools in the district and bythe time I left we were number
(19:55):
one in the district for mathgains, number two in the
district across elementaryschools for ELA gains, my cohort
grade was top 10 in thedistrict for ELA performance and
top seven in the district formath performance, and every way
that a school could be evaluatedwe were off the charts.
I walked away from that rightand that was a.
I didn't realize it at the time, but I felt like I lost my baby
(20:16):
and that took me on a tailspinof a healing journey that I did
not know I needed Right.
But again, we know thateverything, everything is for
our greater good.
Everything is for our greatergood.
So, going through that process,I did begin to journal and you
(20:39):
know and I reflected on, youknow what happened to me at
different points of my life.
You know being pregnant at 16,going through a divorce, having
to move my children into theprojects, finishing up with
school, while dragging them fromone side of Brooklyn to the
other side of Brooklyn to go toclasses as well, just fighting
(21:02):
to purchase my first property.
I just reflected back on all ofthose times where, again, it
was like, how did I make itthrough?
And so at this point, a coupleof years ago, I did take a step
back, because, going througheverything that I went through
(21:24):
in my life in these 50 years, Ialways just kept going Right.
And so then I began to ask myquestion.
I began to ask that question tomyself right, like what is it
that you need?
Like, what is it that you need?
What is it that you need topour into yourself?
So the Let it Go journal rightis not just for the people Like,
(21:49):
it was my healing journey.
It was actually my healingjourney, which is why, at being
in the leadership space for over20 years again, I can do all of
the leadership stuff right thedata analysis, professional
development, team building.
That's the easy part of the job.
But when it comes to peoplebeing the best versions of
(22:13):
themselves, you have to healright, and healing is I don't
believe it's a one and doneright.
I believe that life be lifingright and, as trials and
tribulations come into your life, what are we doing as a people?
I mean, we see the mentalhealth statistics, right.
(22:34):
We see people crashing out allthe time, right?
Speaker 2 (22:40):
I crashed out on your tail in a minute.
I'm still going.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
And unfortunately, we see that in the most egregious
ways as well, right, so it'sdefinitely something that's
needed and we need as many boldleaders as possible so that we
(23:05):
can empower change.
And so, again, just based onwho I am authentically, I knew
that me going through thisprocess and going through this
journey, I couldn't keep it tomyself because I'm not a
gatekeeper, right?
And I believe that if somethingis good for me, then that means
it's good for you and it's goodfor her and him and everybody.
So let me get this word out, asfar as I could get it out, and
(23:25):
help as many people as I canpossibly help so that we can,
overall, improve our society.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Absolutely, I'm 100 percent with you on that,
absolutely, um, I'm 100 with youon that.
And and when you, when you gaveme the material, I was like
this remember I told you I said,oh, we got go this coming out.
This is because I was sooverwhelmed with like, and to be
honest with you, I think I was,I was more so overwhelmed.
(23:54):
I just want to read it too,like I want to get this inside
of me.
So I got it first, I saw itfirst, but it helped me, like
even like now I understand, likewhy publishers do what they do
too, because we, we get to go inand actually get those nuggets
(24:15):
before a lot of people.
And for me, it was at a time inmy life when I was doing your
project where I needed that.
So you gave it to me.
It helped me.
It helped me and I was like,yes, I want to be a part of this
.
Absolutely, thank you so muchfor even considering me.
(24:37):
I was like because there's somany different publishers out
here and you know so many peoplethat publish you know so many
people that do these things soand you're like really close
with them.
So I'm like, I'm like I knowwe're cool, like you know me and
we're cool.
But for you to say I want trustyou.
That meant so much to me andit's still good and I'm very,
(25:02):
very appreciative Because youknow, I had just started.
I didn't just start publishing,but I had just started the
company Right.
So I was very fresh, you know,on the scene I had only did my
own stuff in my you know, a fewof my family, but in my magazine
, of course.
But um, for you to say you knowwhat, jackie, I believe in what
(25:24):
you're doing and I trust your,your vision, and I want you to
come help me with this.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
That really that changed the game, and guess what
?
That's what leadership is,though?
Right, like we have to trustother people.
We have to know what we knowand know what we don't know, and
then we have to trust.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Yes, so it was phenomenal for me.
I appreciate you and the bodyof work that you created.
Before we get into more withLakeisha, we're going to take a
break, get like a minute or sobreak from a word from our
sponsor, and then we'll comeright back.
The sponsor is me, though, sojust so, y'all sponsors, okay,
(26:01):
so I donate right here at thebottom of your, your commercial.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Come on here too, sis , have you ever survived
something that was supposed totake you out?
Have you walked throughsomething so heavy, so painful,
that you didn't even recognizeyourself after, but somehow you
made it through?
Through the Rain is for womenwho've been through the storms,
all women who face uniquechallenges and triumphs.
(26:25):
This is about what we wentthrough and how God pulled us
through.
This ain't just another book.
This is real talk, real healingand real ministry For all women
who've been through it andstill got the strength to speak.
Your tears, your triumphss,your testimony they all matter.
(26:46):
You don't have to be a writer,sis.
I got you from ghost writing toone-on-one consults.
I'll help you get your storyout the way it's meant to be
told with grace and power.
Your story has power.
Let it do the ministry.
Come join us through the rain.
We're waiting on you, sis.
Spots, payment plans areavailable.
Dm me today and let's walk thisjourney together.
It's time to turn your paininto purpose, your struggle into
(27:08):
strength.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
A word from our sponsor.
So that is the Through the Raindevotional.
We're coming out with theanthology, but I decided to go
ahead and do a devotion.
I have 30 women come in andactually be able to tell their
truths through the rain and howGod delivered them through their
storms and their seasons intheir lives.
So if you want to be a part ofthat, contact me on Facebook, dm
(27:36):
me.
I'm there all day, every day.
That is my job Facebook.
So contact me on Facebook.
Dm me.
I'm there all day, every day.
That is my job.
Facebook.
So contact me on Facebook.
That's the best way to contactme.
If you want to be a part of it,spaces are limited.
I have people signing up now,so come in.
For $300.
You get a list of things youcan do, but you also be able to
get your chapter in thebestselling book and also be
(27:57):
able to help someone else, helpyour other.
You be able to heal from thethings that God has brought you
through.
So getting back to because yousee I said that real fast and
I'm trying to get back to myquestions Getting back to
defining healing and leadingfrom experience, because that
(28:17):
were what where we kind of leftoff.
You went beyond surface levelhealing like, into leadership
teaching here and especially forwomen, stepping into identity
and purpose.
How did your own journey fromtrauma in Brooklyn to life
coaching and executiveleadership um executive
(28:39):
leadership strategy inform yourmessage about healing, lifting
others up and walking in yourlegacy.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
I'm sorry, can you repeat that again?
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Okay.
So the question part was howdid your own journey from trauma
in Brooklyn to life coachingand executive leadership
strategy inform your messageabout healing, lifting up others
and walking in your legacy?
Speaker 3 (29:09):
Again, I'm going to reference the authenticity part,
and I think that sometimes,when people quote unquote, make
it right, because success ismeasured in many different ways.
For me, it is right, but let'sgo with what society likes to
typically see as success stories.
(29:29):
Oftentimes, unfortunatelyespecially for us as a people we
want to forget about the traumafrom our childhood and growing
up.
However, we grew up right, wewant to forget about that and we
want to just focus on I havethis title, I have these degrees
, I'm doing this, I'm doing that, but I think, in my opinion,
(29:54):
right, that was, that is mystrength, that's my strength and
that's what I use to help me inthe work that I'm doing today.
It gives me the ability to seepeople for who they are, and I
don't care if you are the CEO,right.
I don't care if you are theprincipal, I don't care if you
(30:16):
are the president.
We're human beings first,absolutely, and that's what I
see right.
So I see you as a human beingand my form of leadership,
development, support is to helpyou.
And so, in this leadershipspace, again, that's what I
found in me trying to supportpeople in their organizations.
(30:40):
It wasn't necessarily aboutsetting goals and writing action
plans.
It was about how do I help thisindividual with the blockage
that they have and them notrealizing and understanding that
they have to let it go, becauseanytime we don't live on this
(31:01):
planet by ourselves.
So everything is group sport,right, because at some point,
even if you're an IT personworking in the office, at some
point you got to deal withpeople.
You got to communicate withpeople, right.
So, whether you're running ateam in a nonprofit or, you know
, you're in a school and you'redealing with with your school
community, people have to dealwith people.
(31:23):
And when I'm a sports girl,right.
And so I'm like, when you thinkabout football which you know
we'll be back to football seasonso when you think about
football, you need everybody onthe team.
The quarterback is not the onlyone that that's out on the
field.
You need your defensive end,your offensive end, you need
your special teams, you needyour tight ends, your running
(31:46):
back.
You need everybody.
In order for you to win in life, you need to make sure that
individuals are in a good spaceso that they can be the best
versions of themselves, and whenthey're able to do that, then
you're going to get the qualitythat you want to get in your
(32:08):
different organizations, and soleadership development for me
became and that's how I live mylife right.
That's how I feel like I'vebeen able to overcome my traumas
from Brooklyn and be, you know,as successful as I am today,
because I have not removedmyself, and so it was just a
matter of how do I package thatand share that message with
(32:32):
others so that they too canunderstand.
If you want your organizationsto do well and, by the way, I
have the receipts as well soclock that t right.
I have that.
This works.
This works.
You could turn around schools,you could turn around
organizations, but you have todo it with the people.
You have to do it with thepeople, and far too often we
(32:57):
have forgotten about that and weforgot about the most important
lesson of what makes atestimonial a testimonial You've
had to have gone through thefire, been tested right, but you
persevered, you remainedresilient, you got through it,
you learned your lessons andthen your willingness to share
(33:18):
it with others, and soleadership for me is the
willingness to share with others.
So everything that I am and allof my 50 years have helped me
to be the person that I am todayand the person that I will
become.
So I haven't forgotten and it'sjust.
It's woven into the fabric ofwho I am and how I work and how
(33:43):
I show up in the world.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Absolutely, and your life and your message.
To me it echoes 2 Corinthians 1, 3, and 4.
God comforts us in all ourtroubles so that we can comfort
others with the comfort weourselves receive.
Right, I get that, likethroughout doing your thing.
That's what echoes to me, um,um.
(34:08):
So how did God comfort you andhow are you using that comfort
to speak into other women'slives?
Because that really is theheartbeat of your ministry to me
, like, anytime I do any projectwith anybody, for some reason,
when I'm reading something orI'm helping them with something,
it's always a verse that comesto me.
(34:28):
And even dealing with people,right, I try to figure out like,
okay, so, cause I alwaysbelieve, like it's something in
that Bible that can resonatewith everybody's story and with
yours.
To me, that's what it gave.
It gave second Corinthians, one, three and four.
So you know again.
I want to ask you again, justin case um, how are you using
(34:52):
that you know, the comfort thatGod gave you to speak into other
women's lives or other people's?
Because I don't want to box itin with just women, because even
though my ministry is women,right, yours is everybody, cause
I'm checking I could put someon Instagram, baby.
And I'd be like, what did I do?
(35:12):
I go on there If I tag LakeishaSean, sean Williams or a coach,
he showed my stuff, you couldbelieve I got 500.
I'd be like, ooh yeah, I'mpopping today and I go man, it's
all for Lakeisha Shanshan.
I'd be like, go ahead, girl,you got much to make me go child
(35:34):
.
And it's not just women, right,it's not just men, it's young
kids.
It's you know, kids as young as16, 17,.
I'm seeing on their life.
They're all the way into 80sand 90s.
And it's not just men, I mean,it's not just women, it's men
too.
So how do you use that Like?
(35:55):
I know how I do it, but how hasGod's you know comfort been
able to help you to speak intoother people's lives the way you
do?
Speaker 3 (36:04):
So for me, what I had to learn, like I told you a
couple of years ago, when Istarted on this particular
project of Let it Go, I actuallylike I had to live it first.
So I live this, I lived this,and even though you know I have
gone through differentchallenges throughout my life
(36:26):
the most recent one a couple ofyears ago, when I wrote this
like I was actually conscious ofwhat I was going through, and
sometimes God does that right,like that's how he works, like
he wants you to be still and hewants you to pause and he wants
you to know that, no matter what, he has you.
(36:48):
And so I had to, I had to leanon him and I had to trust him
and I had to understand that I'malso a human being as well.
Right, and it is important, itis critically important for all
of us to know and understandthat you cannot pour from an
(37:09):
empty cup.
You cannot pour from an emptycup.
You have to make sure that yourcup is filled and what others
get is your overflow, right?
So you don't get to have what'sin my cup, because what's in my
cup is for me, because I cannothelp anybody else if I don't
(37:32):
first know how to help myselfand pour into myself and love on
myself and make sure that I amwell.
And I think for a little bit Iforgot about that and I believe
that God wanted to make surethat I was reminded that, hey,
you're empty, you're depleted,and I was.
(37:54):
I was and people didn'tunderstand, like, why are you
walking away from your school?
And my thing to folks wasnumber one mental health is real
and I'm being vulnerable andI'm being honest with myself
about the space that I'm in andI do feel depleted and I need to
take care of me.
It is important for me to takecare of me.
(38:18):
They tell you that all the time.
When you get on a flight right,god forbid something happens
you have to put your oxygen maskon first before you can help
someone else.
And I have forgotten thatmessage and God wanted to remind
me of that message.
Message and in him reminding meof that message, let it go was
(38:42):
born because I also lean intothe understanding and I know
that I'm covered and I know thateverything and I mean
everything is for my greatergood and things don't happen to
you, they happen for you and so,even with tears in my eyes, you
know I can.
I'm still submitting, I'm stillsubmitting to God's will.
(39:04):
Like what do you want it to beLike?
That's what I want to submit to, and that's what I want to lean
into and that's what I want towalk into and that's why I'm
able to share my message Rightand like you call it my ministry
the way that I do.
Right, because I understand thatand I know that we have to, and
(39:28):
so I had said this before and Ijust, I just love the saying we
have to speak what we seekuntil we see what we said.
We seek until we see what wesaid.
So, even in yeah, I'm going torepeat that again but even in
the midst of my stuff, I'm stillspeaking life into me, I'm
(39:51):
still praying every day, I'mstill working on what I know God
has in store for me.
Because, again, we have tospeak what we seek until we see
what we said.
And not everybody canunderstand that, but isn't that
(40:12):
what faith is?
Isn't that what faith is Right?
And so, although people willtalk all the time about you,
know they would like toaccomplish this, they want this
and that, whatever in their life.
But you got to have the faithand you got to believe and you
got to pour into you and I trulybelieve that when you're able
(40:36):
to understand that, believe that, when you're able to understand
that and also know that our jobhere on this earth and this is
the way I raised my two sons Isaid God doesn't care if you go
to a church, a synagogue, amosque, a temple, the kingdom
hall, he doesn't care.
God cares about how you impactothers, he cares about how you
(40:57):
treat other people, and so Icannot do what I'm doing without
positively impacting otherpeople, and so I'm going to
forever be in that space.
Right, I'm going to make surethat I continue to take care of
Lakeisha, aka Shine ShineWilliams.
(41:18):
Right, I'm going to take careof me.
I'm going to fill my cup,because the overflow is what I
can then give to others andshare with others.
Because this is not about thislife is not just about me, right
?
This life is not just about mychildren and my granddaughter
with her business, serenity NailCollege.
Right, it's not just about us.
(41:38):
I want to take as many peoplewith me as I possibly can and
I'm not Harriet Tubman, but I ama history person, and when I
think about the way she livedher life.
She was already free, shedidn't have to go back, but it
was important to her to go backand get as many people as she
(42:02):
possibly could.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
And those are the the behaviors, if you will, that I
subscribe to I had to throw thatup, I hope I spelled it right
but serenity nail polish.
Y'all check Lakeisha's page formore information on how to
purchase.
Okay, and donating to thisyoung CEO, this baby girl, okay,
(42:26):
and we'll make sure we put thatout there.
But, yes, absolutely, I 100%agree with everything you're
saying.
Now I know with Let it Go, 30Day Devotionalional, you got a
passage in okay, so I want youto look, look through it really
fast and give us one spiritualtruth that you hope that people
(42:49):
take away after experiencingyour project.
Okay, so one.
Okay, so one.
Go go through your 30 days andjust pick one and give us an
excerpt from it.
Okay, okay just so y'all get asneak peek of what y'all.
(43:10):
Okay so, and they just give youa bunch of fluff about their
books.
But on the list on linda liveokay, we don't play that, we
gonna get y'all a little snippet.
You know what y'all need to get.
Okay, coming through here.
Speaker 3 (43:27):
So so what's resonated with me is day 19,
right, which is miracle making,and the scripture for this day
is for I know the plans I havefor you declares the Lord plans
to prosper you and not to harmyou, and that's from Jeremiah 29
, 11,.
Even in brokenness, miraclesunfold.
(43:48):
Gratitude multiplies yourawareness of what's already good
.
Speak life over your future.
It's already pregnant withpromise absolutely phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (44:01):
Phenomenal, and that's a word, and anybody who
knows you know I named my sonafter jeremiah 11.
My oldest son is Jaden Jeremiah, and everywhere, everywhere,
throughout my journey of justeven becoming pregnant with him
I'm going through that processJeremiah 29, 11 always came up
(44:22):
Everywhere I go.
If I see a scripture, that'swhat was up I go to church
pastor preaching about it.
So I was like this it has tomean something and that means it
was God's promise over my lifeand that I had to trust in him
because I knew that he had aplan for me and he had a plan
for my son.
So that was his confirmation ofyou know.
(44:44):
Basically, what you're sayingis definitely real.
If we want things to happen inour lives, um, if it's in god's
will, it will manifest.
But we have to, and we have toknow that if things, just
because we want these thingsright, doesn't mean that it's
always in our best interest.
(45:04):
So if it's not happening or itnever happens, that because
that's because god has somethingso much greater for us, right,
like I posted something theother day that I it was a memory
of mine, um, keish, and it was,uh, from nine years ago or
eight years ago, where it wasthis little girl in our, in our
references all the time.
She has this teddy bear littlesmall teddy bear and she's
(45:28):
hugging this teddy bear andJesus is kneeling down in front
of her.
Now he has this big, huge teddybear and she's hugging this
teddy bear and jesus is kneelingdown in front of her.
Now he has this big, huge teddybear right and he got it behind
his back and he's telling herto give him hers and she's
saying, no, I want it.
But she does not understand themagnitude of what he has for
her.
If she just sacrificed thatsmall teddy bear, she has
(45:52):
something so much greater, butshe's so afraid to let it go let
it go that she that she justmay miss that month.
So we don't want to be like thatlittle girl and miss that a lot
of times.
We want to hold on to peopleand we want to hold on to things
and we want to hold on tothings and we want to hold on to
memories, but we don'tunderstand that things, these
(46:30):
things can happen for us,because we don't have that, what
, that degree or that accolade,or the, the popularity, or you
know, I only got what?
Not even 7 000 followers onfacebook, but it's somebody only
got a thousand.
But then there's some peoplethat got 30 000, but it's not
about how many followers youhave.
It's not about the popularitythat you receive.
(46:52):
It's not always about theaccolades.
That I'm not.
I'm not down in people who gettheir accolades because you work
hard for them.
So I don't want, I'm not one ofthose people that downplay
people or saying you don't goget what you.
You doing it all for Kyle,you're doing all for accolades.
No, no, set the foundation foryour kids.
(47:13):
Okay, to show them that it's itis possible to achieve those
things, but don't let thosethings overpower who you are.
Don't become the accolade.
Don't become that.
Don't make it all about that.
What you want to do is takethat and show people just how
good God is.
That is the key, and once youdo that and you give all glory
(47:35):
to him, the blessings willoverflow.
I had one person tell me.
The other day, I think, Iposted on Facebook.
I'm tired of telling youcongratulations.
Speaker 3 (47:46):
Oh, I did see that.
Speaker 2 (47:48):
I am tired of telling you congratulations.
I said, well, you're gonna haveto delete me.
I think I blocked that personlike you're gonna delete me.
If you are sick and tired of meshowing my accolades or me
showing the things that God isdoing for me constantly in my
life, I'm sorry.
(48:08):
That's why he keep doing it forme, so I can keep giving him
the glory.
And if people don't know what'sgoing on, that they don't know
that it's possible.
So you're going to know thatit's possible with Jacqueline.
Listen, linda Cox.
Okay, you're going to know whattime it is over here, but I
want people to know what time itis because I want people to see
what time it is, because I wantpeople to see Look, two years
(48:35):
ago this girl had a 20 pagepoetry book that she just did in
an author challenge forBookleaf Publishing and she took
that book.
She turned it into ministry.
And it can't always be nightclock, that T.
You can go find it on Amazon.
Uh, that was a small, smallplug.
But that turned into mountainscan't rise without earthquakes.
(48:56):
That turned into you know me,you know um participating in an
anthology.
She said yes herself,unapologetically.
Right.
That turned into me doing myown podcast, you know, listen l
going syndicated 27 countries inless than a year.
That's because I was whatLakeisha letting it go, being
(49:20):
authentically me and meetingpeople where they are.
I've never been somebody whotried to carbon copy what
somebody else is doing.
I've always believed in beingwho I am, my big personality, my
flamboyant self.
I stepped onto the sceneshaking my neck and I ain't
going to stop because somebodysays, oh you, christian, you're
(49:42):
not supposed to talk like that.
Or oh you, christian, but yourradio station plays R&B.
I play music for the soul.
Your radio station plays R&B.
I play music for the soul.
I play music for the soul andI'm reaching people where they
are Because I'm going to bringin those people that listen to
R&B.
And then I'm going to throw insome gospel, and then I'm going
to throw in some word Becausethey're going to say, well, she
(50:05):
young like me, she woo, woo, woo, but she believes in this.
So let me see what's today.
That's how you bring people togod.
That's how you minister topeople.
You have jesus met people wherethey were.
Speaker 3 (50:18):
That yes, yes he didn't.
Speaker 2 (50:20):
He didn't stay confined in the church walls and
and shut people away who werenot like him.
That's the point of savingsouls.
That's what ministry is about.
So when we take out thejudgment and we take out the
constant criticism and churchhurt and shame and clothing it
(50:44):
in tough love because love isnever tough, love is never tough
you can't.
I don't understand how peopleput that together.
Lakeisha, tough love, what doesthe Bible say love is?
I didn't see tough in that,right.
(51:08):
Okay, so we have to learn howto intentionally love people.
Meet them where they are, don'tjudge people and and don't
conform, uh, what you feelchristians should be in that box
because god, I didn't see godcome down and get nobody.
No gap, right that part I am,I'm going to be who I am Because
(51:35):
guess what?
That I'm being who he called meto be.
He picked me because of who Iam.
Speaker 3 (51:43):
He picked Ruth because of who she was.
That's what they say.
God doesn't call the qualified,he qualifies the called.
That's what they say.
Speaker 2 (51:51):
God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the cool
.
I was 35 years old, getting apresidential lifetime
achievement award for my, for myauthenticity, for my work, for
my ministry and my podcast andmy literature and my volunteer
works in my community that Idon't always pick up a camera
(52:11):
and show, but the mayor, themayor knew who I was because he
wrote my letter ofrecommendation.
So, evidently, just becauseeverything is not filmed and
seen doesn't mean it's not beingdone.
But at 35 years old, I was ableto achieve things that people
in, in, in, in, in, like you say, coming from where I came from,
in the foster care system.
(52:31):
They have the caseworkers who,who judged me, who talked about
me, who called me fast, you knowthe teachers who said I was
never going to get out ofcollege and they had, like this,
even though I got good grades,ok, well, I didn't.
I didn't get the best grades inhigh school, to keep it real,
because I ditched a lot.
(52:51):
But point I'm making is I, whenI took my act, I scored higher
than anybody in my class andthey made me take it again
because they were like, yes,they made me, they knew I was
smart, but they was like ain'tno way.
This girl don't never come toschool.
But when I did it again, theysaw that I had a gift right, and
(53:12):
so those same people that theywere putting on a pedestal ended
up being exactly who theythought I would become.
So you really have to watchwhen you put your mouth on
people.
You really have to watch whenyou judge people, because those
same teachers, those samecounselors, are now my friends
(53:32):
on Facebook, they yelling to therooftop that they just knew
that I was doing everything Isaid I was going to, that I am
today Right, it took God to, andthat's why I try to tell people
all the time.
Sometimes you have to believein the things that you don't see
, because, look, nobody did thisfor me, but god, he took me
(53:53):
through that refining this fire.
He took you.
Lakisha, somebody they astatistic, right, they make they
tried to make you a statistic.
Oh, she's a single.
You know, teen mom.
You know she.
You know, living in theprojects, I live there too.
Hun, um, shout, shout out toRoosevelt, ashland, okay, 1410
building.
(54:13):
But you know we, we, we werestatistics.
I was a foster kid.
You know my mom and dad were ondrugs.
My grandmama, you know, justnow that I moved from from
household to household,different things happened to me.
I wasn't supposed to make it,you know I was.
I was a model, you know I didlike videos and I did.
You know I did a few, you know,fashion magazines or whatever,
(54:37):
but it was always oh, she justthis.
We just don't put her in thisbox.
She's just a pretty face.
Not knowing that, I had theintellect and the math, you know
, in the mind of a mastermind.
But people don't see thatbecause they don't see beyond
the surface, right, and we're somuch more than because we look
good girl, but we see muchbetter than that.
(54:59):
Right, don't stop being cutebecause people mad.
Speaker 3 (55:02):
Exactly.
I say that all the time Likehello, my face goes everywhere,
my face and my body goeseverywhere I go.
Hello, what you want me to do,you know what I?
Speaker 2 (55:11):
had somebody to tell me.
I had somebody to tell me itwas a mentor of mine and she
told me.
She said, you know you can getan SBA loan, you can get all
these different grants, but yougot to tone it down Because you
know, if you go in there and youall dolled up some people, they
may be intimidated by that.
You know it's a lady that worksthere and she might be
(55:34):
intimidated by it because youtoo cute, you got to tone it
down.
I'll say, if I got to tone downhow fat and this has always
been me right If I got to tonedown how fat I am to a piece of
iron, that ain't the grant forme, child, because I ain't.
We're looking busted just toget nothing from nobody.
What's this?
Do that make so a lot?
And that's why I want toclarify we always must hold
(55:56):
ourselves to the utmost standard, whether people accept it or
not.
You have to be who you are andyou have to come in exactly who
you are and not worry aboutjudgment or what people may
think about you, because at theend of the day, like theekisha
says, god don't call itqualified.
He going to qualify?
He going to put you in thoserooms.
(56:18):
I wasn't supposed to get thatlifetime achievement award and,
baby, when I did, the noses wasin the air, honey.
They could not take it in thatroom.
But when I got up there,because they couldn't understand
why I me so young, I was theyoungest person in the room
receiving it and they could notunderstand it because they had
never heard of me, they didn'tknow who I was and they didn't
understand why I was receivingit.
(56:40):
Until I got on that stage and Itold my testimony and y'all can
clock it on YouTube.
By the time I got done tellingmy story, all those people that
was turning their nose up at mewas standing up giving me a
standing ovation.
You don't know somebody's story.
You don't know what peoplebring into this world and that
(57:01):
is why I do what I do and that'sthe reason why Lakeisha does
what she does and that's whyeverything that's coming to
Lakeisha, shasha and Williamsbaby, 50 years, 50 years.
She's been in ministry in myeyes for over 30.
Pouring into her community,pouring into these kids, pouring
(57:21):
into these schools, taking herschool from the bottom all the
way to number one.
She did that.
She did that.
A black woman, a blackstatistic statistic.
Single mother of two from theprojects, and if she can do it
and god can work through her, hecan definitely do the same
(57:42):
thing for you guys mm-hmm so Iwant you guys, lakisha, uh,
before we we head out, Idefinitely I want to leave you a
verse to meditate on, andthat's Isaiah 61 and 1.
He has sent me to bind up thebrokenhearted, to proclaim
(58:02):
freedom from the captives andrelease from darkness for the
prisoners.
Lakeisha, that's the heartbeatof your work, that's you, isaiah
61 in you.
Okay, Now I want to thank everysingle person under the sound
of our voices for showing upwith so much love.
And, lakeisha, your energy isalways immaculate and I love
(58:27):
talking.
I talk your ears off, put meoff the phone a few times, but
you are just getting started.
Follow her, support her andlet's keep lifting these
powerful kingdom voices, likeLaKeisha.
Next week we will come throughwith Arthur number five.
(58:48):
Until then, let your healinglead you, let your legacy
breathe and keep shining.
Shine, yes, lakeisha.
Before we go, close us out inprayer, please.
Speaker 3 (59:05):
Father God, I come to you today.
Thank you for this opportunityto again share the message that
you have poured into me andqualifying me to serve this
ministry and help as many peopleas I possibly can, and working
with Jacqueline Cox and pairingus up together so that we can be
(59:27):
that much more powerfultogether.
And I just want you to blesseveryone who was able to join us
this morning and who will alsosee this taping later.
I wanted to reach them and helpthem to get to their next
levels of being.
I want to say thank you everyday for everything that you do
(59:47):
for me, jacqueline and everybodyelse.
In Jesus' name, I pray Amen.
Speaker 2 (59:53):
Amen.
Now I don't know if I got thewebsite right.
Is this the correct website?
Speaker (59:59):
Brickhouseunlimitedcom yes.
Speaker 2 (01:00:01):
Okay, so you all can find Lakeisha and everything she
has going on.
All your books are on there.
Yes, yes your books is on there.
If you want to get a signedcopy or if you want to um find
them, they're also on amazon.
She has to let it go emotional.
She has to let it go 30-dayjournal.
She has leadership unlimited,as well as the.
(01:00:26):
I know and we didn't touch onthis a lot, but she also has a
children's book.
What's the name of yourchildren?
Shine on Brown Girl.
Shine on Brown Girl.
And also, before we end, I knowwe ended in prayer, but before
we end, can you give peoplewhat's to come for Lakeisha
(01:00:49):
Williams, what's to come?
You know, what projects do youhave coming up?
Speaker 3 (01:00:54):
so right now I'm currently still going through
the let it go um 30-daydevotional with the people, so
you can join me live onInstagram.
Um, I'm either going on 7 30 to8 in the morning or during
lunchtime, it just depends onwhat I have going on that day.
Speaker 2 (01:01:14):
What's your Instagram ?
Speaker 3 (01:01:16):
My Instagram is coach underscore shine on Lakeisha.
So I'm doing a 30-daytransformational journey with
the viewers live and in person,Again being vulnerable, sharing
some real things that I'mdealing with currently just to
help us as we navigate throughthis, because this is a
(01:01:40):
self-healing guide to help youget to your transformation and
at the end of this, it's goingto lead us into a leadership
masterclass where I'm going toget more in depth with the
leadership development servicesthat I hope to provide to school
(01:02:00):
entities, business entities,individuals, Because, again,
I've said this more than onetime and I'll continue to say
leadership is not about a titleone time, and I'll continue to
say leadership is not about atitle.
If you're a mother in your home, you're a leader in your church
community, you're a leader inyour community, you're a in your
general community, you are aleader.
So my goal and my vision is toempower bold leaders to
(01:02:24):
implement change within oursociety.
And so, yes, if you'rewondering, in our society.
Speaker 2 (01:02:34):
And so, yes, if you're wondering, is this for me
?
It is absolutely for you.
All right, y'all heard it herefirst.
What?
Even if you didn't, you heardit here, the best.
Okay.
So go to IG and in the morningshe comes on and she, she does
the um, let it go devotional andshe does the Let it Go
devotional.
After that she will be doing amaster class.
So make sure you follow her onIG.
Coach underscore shine onLakeisha for more information,
(01:02:58):
or you can contact her atBrickHouseUnlimitedcom.
Purchase the books, purchasethe magazine.
Okay, now you understand aboutthis magazine, honey.
Look, keisha.
Keisha did her thing thing inthis magazine.
So you definitely want to makesure you grab the magazine.
She has a full photo shoot inthere.
(01:03:21):
She has the timeline from whenshe was born all the way up
until she is now.
So she gives you thatwalkthrough, that journey, that
visual of how she became who sheis and you know the steps it
took to get there.
She also gives tips on how youcan be successful in leadership.
So it's a lot of different gemsshe's dropping in these projects
(01:03:44):
that she released, and I cannotwait to see what else Lakeisha
has for us.
You know if God put it on myspirit that she needs to do a
podcast, so hopefully she willshine with Lakeisha podcast,
okay, so, um, and if she do, shecome right here with me.
So, uh, I'm just, you know,cause she is like your ministry
(01:04:07):
is, is phenomenal, and I thinkif you, if you't have to do it
with me, just with anybody, butif you just elevate it and get
it past the United States, I seeyou there, you know.
So hopefully we'll hear morefrom Shanshan Lakeisha podcast
in the future.
I'm putting that.
(01:04:27):
See how you manifest up.
I'm putting that.
So, if you got again, if youwant to reach Lakeisha, you can
find her on IG coach underscoreshine on Lakeisha Facebook,
lakeisha Williams.
And if you want to, you know,make sure you purchase all of
her projectsbrickhouseunlimitedcom.
And until next time, yeah.
(01:05:06):
Rule baby Mary J Blige, BirdieSmile.
It's just those rainy days.
Spend a lifetime trying to washaway, until the sun comes out
and shines again.
Speaker 1 (01:05:23):
Smile for me.
Smile for me On all those rainydays.
Spend your lifetime trying towash away Until the sun shines
and I see your face.
Smile at me.
Hey there, I'm Jacqueline Cox, but you might
know me as ListenLinda.
Um, where do I even begin?
I guess you could say I wearmany hats Podcast host,
entrepreneur, Mrs Illinois, usa,and so much more but it all
started with a simple passion totell stories and empower others
(00:26):
.
Building a platform wasn't easy.
There were days when I wonderedif anyone was even listening.
But then something amazinghappened.
I realized the power of myvoice.
Suddenly, my words werereaching people, touching lives,
making a difference.
Now I see my mission clearly tocreate spaces where every voice
(00:59):
can be heard, thank you, andtogether we can make our voices
echo far and wide.
To be a guest on Listen Linda.
Contact Jacqueline Cox onFacebook Messenger.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Hey, hey, hey, fam.
It is Friday, friday, fridayAugust 1st, 9 amam Central
Standard Time and we are backlive with Arthur, number 4 and
our 25 awesome authors of 2025series and the one and only
(01:36):
Lakeisha Shy Shy Williams baby,you were the first author we
signed at Listen, linda Pubpublishing and y'all remember we
produced four projects in 11days, all released on her
birthday, and I'll hit numberone on that day.
(01:57):
Clock it, clock it.
Oh, this is a major, majorlegacy.
Now, before we get started,y'all know how I do I got to
praise the Lord and Savior everyday before we get it started.
So let's bow our heads and pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you forthis moment, thank you for
(02:18):
Lakeisha's story, the power inher pen and the transformation
her words ignite.
May this conversation blessevery soul under the sound of my
voice, speak life through thesewords and activate destiny in
Jesus mighty, mighty name.
Amen, amen, amen.
All right, lakeisha, babe, youhonored the calling, so I want
(02:43):
to say congrats again on yourbirthday.
Drops to let it go, let me grab, let me grab, let me grab.
Okay, the Let it Go devotionale-book.
(03:10):
All went.
Number one, okay, we all madesure we pulled together
everybody from under the ListenLinda umbrella on down to
Shasha's umbrella.
We made it happen.
Okay, we want to thankeverybody for showing up, so
tell everybody what that feltlike for you.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Oh wow, it was surreal.
Um, I knew that I wanted tocelebrate my milestone birthday,
turning 50, and I don't look it, I tell y'all time, girl, you
look good.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Don't look it Girl.
I tell y'all time, girl, youlook good.
Girl, I want to be like you,that's so funny.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
So I knew that I wanted to celebrate it in a
major way.
I did not know exactly what Iwas going to do or how I was
going to do it, but I knew thatI wanted to represent me, was
going to do it, but I knew thatI wanted to represent me.
(04:08):
You know who I was andeverything that I have been able
to not only accomplish but,most importantly, overcome in my
50-year journey and things thatI still look forward to, and so
it ultimately culminated intothe Let it Go series, as well as
the Leadership Unlimitedmagazine, and it just couldn't
(04:30):
have been no greater achievement, and I definitely want to
sincerely thank you for helpingme through that process and
journey and making sure that wewere able to get it done in
record time, and it really istruly a labor of love to
celebrate, you know, 50 yearsand the next 50 years to come.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Amen, amen.
Now I want to just give you afew comments that I saw, like on
goodreads.
Um, as, as far as like your letit go 30 day devotional because
, you know me, I deep dive, I gointo it, I'm going to figure
out what's going on, what's thetea.
So your let it go 30 daydevotional is your gold standard
(05:19):
work on healing and it walks,you know folks day by day, day
to lead to their own, you know,self-healing journey.
Now Goodreads shows it at aperfect 5.0 rating, right With
readers calling it amazing.
One review said it was amazingand another one said absolutely
amazing.
When describing LeadershipUnlimited magazine.
(05:42):
About your legacy story too,that devotion hit hearts in your
Leadership Unlimited magazine,curated for your 50th birthday.
Readers also said Lakeisha hasdone it again.
Praise your timeline, thepositive affirmations and then
walking in faith.
(06:04):
I wanted to ask you let me seeyou came through right as our
first signed author andproducing those four powerful
projects in 11 days.
How did you stay focused as faras like just basically pacing
yourself?
You know cause.
(06:25):
I know this has been a longtime coming.
You know, and I know it wasn'teasy trying to cause, you know
me, I got the crack whip and thebull honey.
I want to know, dealing with meand, just like the pressure,
trying to get it all, how didyou stay focused and move so
fast and to be able to produceso much quality in your work?
Speaker 3 (06:50):
I think when you live right every day, you never have
to perform.
And so when I think abouteverything that came with Let it
Go including the magazine onceagain, let it go including the
magazine once again.
(07:11):
Even though we were able to getit done in 11 days, it really
and truly was already together,right.
And so that was definitelyGod's sin.
And the funny thing is right.
I was talking to my children.
Again, if you know my story,then you know I have millennial
sons and I was trying to getsome feedback from them, like
what should I do?
How should I do it?
And they were like Ma, use yourstory, use your story.
(07:31):
And so to your question.
It was already laid out therefor me, right, I just needed a
vessel, which you came alongright in order to help me bring
everything to fruition.
So we talk about the 30 daydevotional that essentially was
(07:55):
crafted like two years ago,right?
So I had those thoughts on mymind and in my heart.
Again, I just didn't know how tolet it go, right, I didn't know
how to let it go, how to put itout there, and again, for me
it's one in the same, becausethe magazine is a reflection of
(08:20):
my life and everything that Ibelieve.
And so, even when we talk aboutthe different parts, the
questions, the interviewquestions that you asked of me,
again it was just it's mespeaking my truth, me being my
authentic self.
And when you are in that spaceand you're allowed you hear me
using that word allowed, right,because we know how society is.
(08:43):
You hear me using that wordaloud, right, because we know
(09:09):
how society is.
Society likes to box you intothis is who you are, my true,
authentic self.
Just like with the photo shoot.
Again, that's who I am, that'swho I am.
So you don't get to define me,right.
And with the tributes, thecrazy thing with the tributes is
in my mind I was like, oh, itwould be nice to get you know 50
because I'm turning 50.
But I had subconsciously saidto myself I would be happy for
(09:34):
20.
Girl, even after the magazinewas published, I was still
getting tributes in yeah,because you told me like I keep
getting them.
I was still getting tributes inAfter I already had the magazine
in hand.
People were still sending metributes.
And again, that just speaks tothe many lives that I've touched
(09:57):
over the years.
And so, just to you know, wrapit all up.
I'm just going to say that whenyou walk in your authenticity
and you live based on God'spurpose for your life, it shows
up.
And that's how you show up inthe world, to other people, and
so you never know who you areimpacting, but continue to be
(10:18):
you and again, live out yourpurpose, and people resonate
with that.
They resonate with authenticity, they resonate with
vulnerability.
Right, and that's what Let itGo is all about.
And so leadership, as I've said, multiple yourself so you can
be a better person for yourselfand then impact others in a
(10:39):
better way.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Exactly, I 100% agree with that.
If you start with you first anddo the internal work, light is
going to exude that and people,everything is attracted to light
.
So it's going to come naturallybecause you're being who you're
supposed to be magazines anddifferent things and I can truly
(11:26):
say you are one of very few umwho have actually um came in and
not try to be somebody else inthe process and it was just it
was.
It was like a breath of freshair.
You know, like, okay, now Idon't have to coach you so much
through trying to pull out ofyou what's already in there,
(11:50):
because some people it's not, Idon't you know what.
I take that back.
I don't think it's more so ofpeople not trying to be who they
are.
I really just think people areafraid of what other people may
think about their story, aboutabout their journey, about who
they are authentically.
So what they do is they try tomask behind something that
(12:11):
they're not to appease otherpeople.
And one thing about Shine,Shine, clock it, clock it, baby,
Clock it.
I was like whoo Sweet, she didthat, baby, Okay.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Listen, one thing people will always say about me
is I don't care about theopinions of others.
Yes, I do not care about theopinions of others, right?
Because God made all of usdifferent for a reason.
We all have different paths,mistakes, and all flaws and all.
I own, all of it.
I am who I am, no matter whereI am and no matter who I'm
around, and if you know me right, then you know that about me.
(12:54):
And so when I say I don't care,I don't care.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Girl.
She did not care, honey.
She was like show that leg,show that leg.
I was like okay.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Yes, I was, because, again, when we speak about
vulnerability, right To yourpoint, vulnerability is about
you revealing it right,revealing it all.
And when I say revealing it all, I'm talking about, like, the
core essence of who you are.
And again, people, like society, like to say they want you to
(13:32):
choose, you can be this or that.
And my perspective on life is Ican be this and that, like I
don't have to choose.
Right, because when God made us, when God made me, he knew what
he was doing right and he madeall of this right.
So he wanted me to be smart andbeautiful and sexy and kind and
(13:56):
community-driven andgoal-oriented and have such a
soft heart a soft heart but alsoa don't mess with me attitude.
Right, like he made me in hisimage.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
And so who are you to try to tell me not to embrace
all that I am?
So for me it's this and that,not this or that.
Now I want to reach into yourroots for a second.
So you grew up Brooklyn, bk.
During the height of the crackepidemic in the 80s that I know
it, you know dealing with liketrauma and survival at a young
(14:45):
age.
How did those early years shapeyour belief in healing and your
calling into leadership?
Like what did God begin toteach you as a little girl,
watching all that pain aroundyou?
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Um, I really, when, when I get asked this question,
I really Don't ask me thisquestion.
I really I didn't ask you myquestion, did I?
I really?
Because, again, when you thinkabout society, it's like mental
(15:20):
health is real and I understandtrauma, and so my message is
that we're not responsible forour traumas, but we are
responsible for our healing, andthat's the space that I'm in,
right?
And so when people think aboutmy beginnings, when they think
about me being a teen momneither one of my parents
(15:41):
graduated from high school whenthey think about all of those
things, again, according tosociety's standards, I'm not
supposed to be who I am today,right?
So people oftentimes ask meshine, shine, how was born in
Allendale, south Carolina.
But just the other day I was,you know, talking about my
(16:07):
grandmother, who had the courage, in the 60s, to leave the South
, to leave an abusive marriagebecause she wanted a different
life, and that's how my familystarted out in New York City.
And then for my parents toraise children here, and once
upon a time, to raise childrenhere, and once upon a time we
(16:27):
lived next door to a crack house, but they also knew that we
were not of that, right, like,that's where we live, but that's
not who we were, and so thatmessage was most definitely
ingrained in me as early as Ican remember that this is not
your life and sometimes whathappens is being an educator for
almost 30 years and workingwith children.
(16:48):
I oftentimes tell parents don'tput your limitations onto your
child, because the mind is apowerful thing, and we want
children to know that there'sdifferent ways of being.
And even if you didn'texperience like my parents
didn't experience certain things, but they knew it was a
different way of being.
(17:09):
And so that message of hope iswhat ingrained in me at a very
early age.
So I know when Barack Obama waspresident, michelle used to say
that all the time, but I coinedthat phrase first.
Like I'm in the business of hope.
I'm in the business of hope,and that's what my parents gave
(17:32):
me at a very early age.
You can be anything that youwant to be.
It may sound cliche, butchildren need to hear that over
and over again and you do needto find ways to immerse them in.
You know different things.
So as a child, you know I alsoattended an elementary school
(17:53):
again poor neighborhood, poorschool district but I had a
principal who was ahead of hertime and I was on stage doing
many different things.
I was in a band, I was dancing,I was in plays, you know.
So, again, it was cultivated inme at home and then when I went
to school, I had a principalwho was ahead of her time.
(18:18):
So when I think about mygrandmother and my parents and
my principal, I was insituations where, from a very
early age, the seed was plantedin me that you are from
greatness and that is theexpectation that we have of you.
And I grew up, you know, withGod, and my mother, definitely,
you know, made sure that we knewand understood that we were the
(18:38):
children of, we were God'schildren and we were blessed and
we were meant to do greatthings here on this earth.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Now.
Thank you for that.
So I want to get into someother things with you real fast.
So with the 30 day devotional,I want to hold it up again for
you guys who have not seen thisbeautiful cover with this
beautiful lady on there.
What devotional.
(19:08):
It takes readers step by stepthrough personal healing journey
, right Through a personalhealing journey, one intentional
day at a time.
How did your all healing storyinspire the structure and the
tone of that devotional, Like?
What was the moment when yousaid this needs to go into print
and into people's hands?
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Again.
I first started thinking aboutthis a couple of years ago when
I decided to walk away from myschool at its height.
You know, I took a school thatwas ranked number 29 out of 32
schools in the district and bythe time I left we were number
(19:55):
one in the district for mathgains, number two in the
district across elementaryschools for ELA gains, my cohort
grade was top 10 in thedistrict for ELA performance and
top seven in the district formath performance, and every way
that a school could be evaluatedwe were off the charts.
I walked away from that rightand that was a.
I didn't realize it at the time, but I felt like I lost my baby
(20:16):
and that took me on a tailspinof a healing journey that I did
not know I needed Right.
But again, we know thateverything, everything is for
our greater good.
Everything is for our greatergood.
So, going through that process,I did begin to journal and you
(20:39):
know and I reflected on, youknow what happened to me at
different points of my life.
You know being pregnant at 16,going through a divorce, having
to move my children into theprojects, finishing up with
school, while dragging them fromone side of Brooklyn to the
other side of Brooklyn to go toclasses as well, just fighting
(21:02):
to purchase my first property.
I just reflected back on all ofthose times where, again, it
was like, how did I make itthrough?
And so at this point, a coupleof years ago, I did take a step
back, because, going througheverything that I went through
(21:24):
in my life in these 50 years, Ialways just kept going Right.
And so then I began to ask myquestion.
I began to ask that question tomyself right, like what is it
that you need?
Like, what is it that you need?
What is it that you need topour into yourself?
So the Let it Go journal rightis not just for the people Like,
(21:49):
it was my healing journey.
It was actually my healingjourney, which is why, at being
in the leadership space for over20 years again, I can do all of
the leadership stuff right thedata analysis, professional
development, team building.
That's the easy part of the job.
But when it comes to peoplebeing the best versions of
(22:13):
themselves, you have to healright, and healing is I don't
believe it's a one and doneright.
I believe that life be lifingright and, as trials and
tribulations come into your life, what are we doing as a people?
I mean, we see the mentalhealth statistics, right.
(22:34):
We see people crashing out allthe time, right?
Speaker 2 (22:40):
I crashed out on your tail in a minute.
I'm still going.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
And unfortunately, we see that in the most egregious
ways as well, right, so it'sdefinitely something that's
needed and we need as many boldleaders as possible so that we
(23:05):
can empower change.
And so, again, just based onwho I am authentically, I knew
that me going through thisprocess and going through this
journey, I couldn't keep it tomyself because I'm not a
gatekeeper, right?
And I believe that if somethingis good for me, then that means
it's good for you and it's goodfor her and him and everybody.
So let me get this word out, asfar as I could get it out, and
(23:25):
help as many people as I canpossibly help so that we can,
overall, improve our society.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Absolutely, I'm 100 percent with you on that,
absolutely, um, I'm 100 with youon that.
And and when you, when you gaveme the material, I was like
this remember I told you I said,oh, we got go this coming out.
This is because I was sooverwhelmed with like, and to be
honest with you, I think I was,I was more so overwhelmed.
(23:54):
I just want to read it too,like I want to get this inside
of me.
So I got it first, I saw itfirst, but it helped me, like
even like now I understand, likewhy publishers do what they do
too, because we, we get to go inand actually get those nuggets
(24:15):
before a lot of people.
And for me, it was at a time inmy life when I was doing your
project where I needed that.
So you gave it to me.
It helped me.
It helped me and I was like,yes, I want to be a part of this
.
Absolutely, thank you so muchfor even considering me.
(24:37):
I was like because there's somany different publishers out
here and you know so many peoplethat publish you know so many
people that do these things soand you're like really close
with them.
So I'm like, I'm like I knowwe're cool, like you know me and
we're cool.
But for you to say I want trustyou.
That meant so much to me andit's still good and I'm very,
(25:02):
very appreciative Because youknow, I had just started.
I didn't just start publishing,but I had just started the
company Right.
So I was very fresh, you know,on the scene I had only did my
own stuff in my you know, a fewof my family, but in my magazine
, of course.
But um, for you to say you knowwhat, jackie, I believe in what
(25:24):
you're doing and I trust your,your vision, and I want you to
come help me with this.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
That really that changed the game, and guess what
?
That's what leadership is,though?
Right, like we have to trustother people.
We have to know what we knowand know what we don't know, and
then we have to trust.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Yes, so it was phenomenal for me.
I appreciate you and the bodyof work that you created.
Before we get into more withLakeisha, we're going to take a
break, get like a minute or sobreak from a word from our
sponsor, and then we'll comeright back.
The sponsor is me, though, sojust so, y'all sponsors, okay,
(26:01):
so I donate right here at thebottom of your, your commercial.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Come on here too, sis , have you ever survived
something that was supposed totake you out?
Have you walked throughsomething so heavy, so painful,
that you didn't even recognizeyourself after, but somehow you
made it through?
Through the Rain is for womenwho've been through the storms,
all women who face uniquechallenges and triumphs.
(26:25):
This is about what we wentthrough and how God pulled us
through.
This ain't just another book.
This is real talk, real healingand real ministry For all women
who've been through it andstill got the strength to speak.
Your tears, your triumphss,your testimony they all matter.
(26:46):
You don't have to be a writer,sis.
I got you from ghost writing toone-on-one consults.
I'll help you get your storyout the way it's meant to be
told with grace and power.
Your story has power.
Let it do the ministry.
Come join us through the rain.
We're waiting on you, sis.
Spots, payment plans areavailable.
Dm me today and let's walk thisjourney together.
It's time to turn your paininto purpose, your struggle into
(27:08):
strength.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
A word from our sponsor.
So that is the Through the Raindevotional.
We're coming out with theanthology, but I decided to go
ahead and do a devotion.
I have 30 women come in andactually be able to tell their
truths through the rain and howGod delivered them through their
storms and their seasons intheir lives.
So if you want to be a part ofthat, contact me on Facebook, dm
(27:36):
me.
I'm there all day, every day.
That is my job Facebook.
So contact me on Facebook.
Dm me.
I'm there all day, every day.
That is my job.
Facebook.
So contact me on Facebook.
That's the best way to contactme.
If you want to be a part of it,spaces are limited.
I have people signing up now,so come in.
For $300.
You get a list of things youcan do, but you also be able to
get your chapter in thebestselling book and also be
(27:57):
able to help someone else, helpyour other.
You be able to heal from thethings that God has brought you
through.
So getting back to because yousee I said that real fast and
I'm trying to get back to myquestions Getting back to
defining healing and leadingfrom experience, because that
(28:17):
were what where we kind of leftoff.
You went beyond surface levelhealing like, into leadership
teaching here and especially forwomen, stepping into identity
and purpose.
How did your own journey fromtrauma in Brooklyn to life
coaching and executiveleadership um executive
(28:39):
leadership strategy inform yourmessage about healing, lifting
others up and walking in yourlegacy.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
I'm sorry, can you repeat that again?
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Okay.
So the question part was howdid your own journey from trauma
in Brooklyn to life coachingand executive leadership
strategy inform your messageabout healing, lifting up others
and walking in your legacy?
Speaker 3 (29:09):
Again, I'm going to reference the authenticity part,
and I think that sometimes,when people quote unquote, make
it right, because success ismeasured in many different ways.
For me, it is right, but let'sgo with what society likes to
typically see as success stories.
(29:29):
Oftentimes, unfortunatelyespecially for us as a people we
want to forget about the traumafrom our childhood and growing
up.
However, we grew up right, wewant to forget about that and we
want to just focus on I havethis title, I have these degrees
, I'm doing this, I'm doing that, but I think, in my opinion,
(29:54):
right, that was, that is mystrength, that's my strength and
that's what I use to help me inthe work that I'm doing today.
It gives me the ability to seepeople for who they are, and I
don't care if you are the CEO,right.
I don't care if you are theprincipal, I don't care if you
(30:16):
are the president.
We're human beings first,absolutely, and that's what I
see right.
So I see you as a human beingand my form of leadership,
development, support is to helpyou.
And so, in this leadershipspace, again, that's what I
found in me trying to supportpeople in their organizations.
(30:40):
It wasn't necessarily aboutsetting goals and writing action
plans.
It was about how do I help thisindividual with the blockage
that they have and them notrealizing and understanding that
they have to let it go, becauseanytime we don't live on this
(31:01):
planet by ourselves.
So everything is group sport,right, because at some point,
even if you're an IT personworking in the office, at some
point you got to deal withpeople.
You got to communicate withpeople, right.
So, whether you're running ateam in a nonprofit or, you know
, you're in a school and you'redealing with with your school
community, people have to dealwith people.
(31:23):
And when I'm a sports girl,right.
And so I'm like, when you thinkabout football which you know
we'll be back to football seasonso when you think about
football, you need everybody onthe team.
The quarterback is not the onlyone that that's out on the
field.
You need your defensive end,your offensive end, you need
your special teams, you needyour tight ends, your running
(31:46):
back.
You need everybody.
In order for you to win in life, you need to make sure that
individuals are in a good spaceso that they can be the best
versions of themselves, and whenthey're able to do that, then
you're going to get the qualitythat you want to get in your
(32:08):
different organizations, and soleadership development for me
became and that's how I live mylife right.
That's how I feel like I'vebeen able to overcome my traumas
from Brooklyn and be, you know,as successful as I am today,
because I have not removedmyself, and so it was just a
matter of how do I package thatand share that message with
(32:32):
others so that they too canunderstand.
If you want your organizationsto do well and, by the way, I
have the receipts as well soclock that t right.
I have that.
This works.
This works.
You could turn around schools,you could turn around
organizations, but you have todo it with the people.
You have to do it with thepeople, and far too often we
(32:57):
have forgotten about that and weforgot about the most important
lesson of what makes atestimonial a testimonial You've
had to have gone through thefire, been tested right, but you
persevered, you remainedresilient, you got through it,
you learned your lessons andthen your willingness to share
(33:18):
it with others, and soleadership for me is the
willingness to share with others.
So everything that I am and allof my 50 years have helped me
to be the person that I am todayand the person that I will
become.
So I haven't forgotten and it'sjust.
It's woven into the fabric ofwho I am and how I work and how
(33:43):
I show up in the world.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Absolutely, and your life and your message.
To me it echoes 2 Corinthians 1, 3, and 4.
God comforts us in all ourtroubles so that we can comfort
others with the comfort weourselves receive.
Right, I get that, likethroughout doing your thing.
That's what echoes to me, um,um.
(34:08):
So how did God comfort you andhow are you using that comfort
to speak into other women'slives?
Because that really is theheartbeat of your ministry to me
, like, anytime I do any projectwith anybody, for some reason,
when I'm reading something orI'm helping them with something,
it's always a verse that comesto me.
(34:28):
And even dealing with people,right, I try to figure out like,
okay, so, cause I alwaysbelieve, like it's something in
that Bible that can resonatewith everybody's story and with
yours.
To me, that's what it gave.
It gave second Corinthians, one, three and four.
So you know again.
I want to ask you again, justin case um, how are you using
(34:52):
that you know, the comfort thatGod gave you to speak into other
women's lives or other people's?
Because I don't want to box itin with just women, because even
though my ministry is women,right, yours is everybody, cause
I'm checking I could put someon Instagram, baby.
And I'd be like, what did I do?
(35:12):
I go on there If I tag LakeishaSean, sean Williams or a coach,
he showed my stuff, you couldbelieve I got 500.
I'd be like, ooh yeah, I'mpopping today and I go man, it's
all for Lakeisha Shanshan.
I'd be like, go ahead, girl,you got much to make me go child
(35:34):
.
And it's not just women, right,it's not just men, it's young
kids.
It's you know, kids as young as16, 17,.
I'm seeing on their life.
They're all the way into 80sand 90s.
And it's not just men, I mean,it's not just women, it's men
too.
So how do you use that Like?
(35:55):
I know how I do it, but how hasGod's you know comfort been
able to help you to speak intoother people's lives the way you
do?
Speaker 3 (36:04):
So for me, what I had to learn, like I told you a
couple of years ago, when Istarted on this particular
project of Let it Go, I actuallylike I had to live it first.
So I live this, I lived this,and even though you know I have
gone through differentchallenges throughout my life
(36:26):
the most recent one a couple ofyears ago, when I wrote this
like I was actually conscious ofwhat I was going through, and
sometimes God does that right,like that's how he works, like
he wants you to be still and hewants you to pause and he wants
you to know that, no matter what, he has you.
(36:48):
And so I had to, I had to leanon him and I had to trust him
and I had to understand that I'malso a human being as well.
Right, and it is important, itis critically important for all
of us to know and understandthat you cannot pour from an
(37:09):
empty cup.
You cannot pour from an emptycup.
You have to make sure that yourcup is filled and what others
get is your overflow, right?
So you don't get to have what'sin my cup, because what's in my
cup is for me, because I cannothelp anybody else if I don't
(37:32):
first know how to help myselfand pour into myself and love on
myself and make sure that I amwell.
And I think for a little bit Iforgot about that and I believe
that God wanted to make surethat I was reminded that, hey,
you're empty, you're depleted,and I was.
(37:54):
I was and people didn'tunderstand, like, why are you
walking away from your school?
And my thing to folks wasnumber one mental health is real
and I'm being vulnerable andI'm being honest with myself
about the space that I'm in andI do feel depleted and I need to
take care of me.
It is important for me to takecare of me.
(38:18):
They tell you that all the time.
When you get on a flight right,god forbid something happens
you have to put your oxygen maskon first before you can help
someone else.
And I have forgotten thatmessage and God wanted to remind
me of that message.
Message and in him reminding meof that message, let it go was
(38:42):
born because I also lean intothe understanding and I know
that I'm covered and I know thateverything and I mean
everything is for my greatergood and things don't happen to
you, they happen for you and so,even with tears in my eyes, you
know I can.
I'm still submitting, I'm stillsubmitting to God's will.
(39:04):
Like what do you want it to beLike?
That's what I want to submit to, and that's what I want to lean
into and that's what I want towalk into and that's why I'm
able to share my message Rightand like you call it my ministry
the way that I do.
Right, because I understand thatand I know that we have to, and
(39:28):
so I had said this before and Ijust, I just love the saying we
have to speak what we seekuntil we see what we said.
We seek until we see what wesaid.
So, even in yeah, I'm going torepeat that again but even in
the midst of my stuff, I'm stillspeaking life into me, I'm
(39:51):
still praying every day, I'mstill working on what I know God
has in store for me.
Because, again, we have tospeak what we seek until we see
what we said.
And not everybody canunderstand that, but isn't that
(40:12):
what faith is?
Isn't that what faith is Right?
And so, although people willtalk all the time about you,
know they would like toaccomplish this, they want this
and that, whatever in their life.
But you got to have the faithand you got to believe and you
got to pour into you and I trulybelieve that when you're able
(40:36):
to understand that, believe that, when you're able to understand
that and also know that our jobhere on this earth and this is
the way I raised my two sons Isaid God doesn't care if you go
to a church, a synagogue, amosque, a temple, the kingdom
hall, he doesn't care.
God cares about how you impactothers, he cares about how you
(40:57):
treat other people, and so Icannot do what I'm doing without
positively impacting otherpeople, and so I'm going to
forever be in that space.
Right, I'm going to make surethat I continue to take care of
Lakeisha, aka Shine ShineWilliams.
(41:18):
Right, I'm going to take careof me.
I'm going to fill my cup,because the overflow is what I
can then give to others andshare with others.
Because this is not about thislife is not just about me, right
?
This life is not just about mychildren and my granddaughter
with her business, serenity NailCollege.
Right, it's not just about us.
(41:38):
I want to take as many peoplewith me as I possibly can and
I'm not Harriet Tubman, but I ama history person, and when I
think about the way she livedher life.
She was already free, shedidn't have to go back, but it
was important to her to go backand get as many people as she
(42:02):
possibly could.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
And those are the the behaviors, if you will, that I
subscribe to I had to throw thatup, I hope I spelled it right
but serenity nail polish.
Y'all check Lakeisha's page formore information on how to
purchase.
Okay, and donating to thisyoung CEO, this baby girl, okay,
(42:26):
and we'll make sure we put thatout there.
But, yes, absolutely, I 100%agree with everything you're
saying.
Now I know with Let it Go, 30Day Devotionalional, you got a
passage in okay, so I want youto look, look through it really
fast and give us one spiritualtruth that you hope that people
(42:49):
take away after experiencingyour project.
Okay, so one.
Okay, so one.
Go go through your 30 days andjust pick one and give us an
excerpt from it.
Okay, okay just so y'all get asneak peek of what y'all.
(43:10):
Okay so, and they just give youa bunch of fluff about their
books.
But on the list on linda liveokay, we don't play that, we
gonna get y'all a little snippet.
You know what y'all need to get.
Okay, coming through here.
Speaker 3 (43:27):
So so what's resonated with me is day 19,
right, which is miracle making,and the scripture for this day
is for I know the plans I havefor you declares the Lord plans
to prosper you and not to harmyou, and that's from Jeremiah 29
, 11,.
Even in brokenness, miraclesunfold.
(43:48):
Gratitude multiplies yourawareness of what's already good
.
Speak life over your future.
It's already pregnant withpromise absolutely phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (44:01):
Phenomenal, and that's a word, and anybody who
knows you know I named my sonafter jeremiah 11.
My oldest son is Jaden Jeremiah, and everywhere, everywhere,
throughout my journey of justeven becoming pregnant with him
I'm going through that processJeremiah 29, 11 always came up
(44:22):
Everywhere I go.
If I see a scripture, that'swhat was up I go to church
pastor preaching about it.
So I was like this it has tomean something and that means it
was God's promise over my lifeand that I had to trust in him
because I knew that he had aplan for me and he had a plan
for my son.
So that was his confirmation ofyou know.
(44:44):
Basically, what you're sayingis definitely real.
If we want things to happen inour lives, um, if it's in god's
will, it will manifest.
But we have to, and we have toknow that if things, just
because we want these thingsright, doesn't mean that it's
always in our best interest.
(45:04):
So if it's not happening or itnever happens, that because
that's because god has somethingso much greater for us, right,
like I posted something theother day that I it was a memory
of mine, um, keish, and it was,uh, from nine years ago or
eight years ago, where it wasthis little girl in our, in our
references all the time.
She has this teddy bear littlesmall teddy bear and she's
(45:28):
hugging this teddy bear andJesus is kneeling down in front
of her.
Now he has this big, huge teddybear and she's hugging this
teddy bear and jesus is kneelingdown in front of her.
Now he has this big, huge teddybear right and he got it behind
his back and he's telling herto give him hers and she's
saying, no, I want it.
But she does not understand themagnitude of what he has for
her.
If she just sacrificed thatsmall teddy bear, she has
(45:52):
something so much greater, butshe's so afraid to let it go let
it go that she that she justmay miss that month.
So we don't want to be like thatlittle girl and miss that a lot
of times.
We want to hold on to peopleand we want to hold on to things
and we want to hold on tothings and we want to hold on to
memories, but we don'tunderstand that things, these
(46:30):
things can happen for us,because we don't have that, what
, that degree or that accolade,or the, the popularity, or you
know, I only got what?
Not even 7 000 followers onfacebook, but it's somebody only
got a thousand.
But then there's some peoplethat got 30 000, but it's not
about how many followers youhave.
It's not about the popularitythat you receive.
(46:52):
It's not always about theaccolades.
That I'm not.
I'm not down in people who gettheir accolades because you work
hard for them.
So I don't want, I'm not one ofthose people that downplay
people or saying you don't goget what you.
You doing it all for Kyle,you're doing all for accolades.
No, no, set the foundation foryour kids.
(47:13):
Okay, to show them that it's itis possible to achieve those
things, but don't let thosethings overpower who you are.
Don't become the accolade.
Don't become that.
Don't make it all about that.
What you want to do is takethat and show people just how
good God is.
That is the key, and once youdo that and you give all glory
(47:35):
to him, the blessings willoverflow.
I had one person tell me.
The other day, I think, Iposted on Facebook.
I'm tired of telling youcongratulations.
Speaker 3 (47:46):
Oh, I did see that.
Speaker 2 (47:48):
I am tired of telling you congratulations.
I said, well, you're gonna haveto delete me.
I think I blocked that personlike you're gonna delete me.
If you are sick and tired of meshowing my accolades or me
showing the things that God isdoing for me constantly in my
life, I'm sorry.
(48:08):
That's why he keep doing it forme, so I can keep giving him
the glory.
And if people don't know what'sgoing on, that they don't know
that it's possible.
So you're going to know thatit's possible with Jacqueline.
Listen, linda Cox.
Okay, you're going to know whattime it is over here, but I
want people to know what time itis because I want people to see
what time it is, because I wantpeople to see Look, two years
(48:35):
ago this girl had a 20 pagepoetry book that she just did in
an author challenge forBookleaf Publishing and she took
that book.
She turned it into ministry.
And it can't always be nightclock, that T.
You can go find it on Amazon.
Uh, that was a small, smallplug.
But that turned into mountainscan't rise without earthquakes.
(48:56):
That turned into you know me,you know um participating in an
anthology.
She said yes herself,unapologetically.
Right.
That turned into me doing myown podcast, you know, listen l
going syndicated 27 countries inless than a year.
That's because I was whatLakeisha letting it go, being
(49:20):
authentically me and meetingpeople where they are.
I've never been somebody whotried to carbon copy what
somebody else is doing.
I've always believed in beingwho I am, my big personality, my
flamboyant self.
I stepped onto the sceneshaking my neck and I ain't
going to stop because somebodysays, oh you, christian, you're
(49:42):
not supposed to talk like that.
Or oh you, christian, but yourradio station plays R&B.
I play music for the soul.
Your radio station plays R&B.
I play music for the soul.
I play music for the soul andI'm reaching people where they
are Because I'm going to bringin those people that listen to
R&B.
And then I'm going to throw insome gospel, and then I'm going
to throw in some word Becausethey're going to say, well, she
(50:05):
young like me, she woo, woo, woo, but she believes in this.
So let me see what's today.
That's how you bring people togod.
That's how you minister topeople.
You have jesus met people wherethey were.
Speaker 3 (50:18):
That yes, yes he didn't.
Speaker 2 (50:20):
He didn't stay confined in the church walls and
and shut people away who werenot like him.
That's the point of savingsouls.
That's what ministry is about.
So when we take out thejudgment and we take out the
constant criticism and churchhurt and shame and clothing it
(50:44):
in tough love because love isnever tough, love is never tough
you can't.
I don't understand how peopleput that together.
Lakeisha, tough love, what doesthe Bible say love is?
I didn't see tough in that,right.
(51:08):
Okay, so we have to learn howto intentionally love people.
Meet them where they are, don'tjudge people and and don't
conform, uh, what you feelchristians should be in that box
because god, I didn't see godcome down and get nobody.
No gap, right that part I am,I'm going to be who I am Because
(51:35):
guess what?
That I'm being who he called meto be.
He picked me because of who Iam.
Speaker 3 (51:43):
He picked Ruth because of who she was.
That's what they say.
God doesn't call the qualified,he qualifies the called.
That's what they say.
Speaker 2 (51:51):
God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the cool
.
I was 35 years old, getting apresidential lifetime
achievement award for my, for myauthenticity, for my work, for
my ministry and my podcast andmy literature and my volunteer
works in my community that Idon't always pick up a camera
(52:11):
and show, but the mayor, themayor knew who I was because he
wrote my letter ofrecommendation.
So, evidently, just becauseeverything is not filmed and
seen doesn't mean it's not beingdone.
But at 35 years old, I was ableto achieve things that people
in, in, in, in, in, like you say, coming from where I came from,
in the foster care system.
(52:31):
They have the caseworkers who,who judged me, who talked about
me, who called me fast, you knowthe teachers who said I was
never going to get out ofcollege and they had, like this,
even though I got good grades,ok, well, I didn't.
I didn't get the best grades inhigh school, to keep it real,
because I ditched a lot.
(52:51):
But point I'm making is I, whenI took my act, I scored higher
than anybody in my class andthey made me take it again
because they were like, yes,they made me, they knew I was
smart, but they was like ain'tno way.
This girl don't never come toschool.
But when I did it again, theysaw that I had a gift right, and
(53:12):
so those same people that theywere putting on a pedestal ended
up being exactly who theythought I would become.
So you really have to watchwhen you put your mouth on
people.
You really have to watch whenyou judge people, because those
same teachers, those samecounselors, are now my friends
(53:32):
on Facebook, they yelling to therooftop that they just knew
that I was doing everything Isaid I was going to, that I am
today Right, it took God to, andthat's why I try to tell people
all the time.
Sometimes you have to believein the things that you don't see
, because, look, nobody did thisfor me, but god, he took me
(53:53):
through that refining this fire.
He took you.
Lakisha, somebody they astatistic, right, they make they
tried to make you a statistic.
Oh, she's a single.
You know, teen mom.
You know she.
You know, living in theprojects, I live there too.
Hun, um, shout, shout out toRoosevelt, ashland, okay, 1410
building.
(54:13):
But you know we, we, we werestatistics.
I was a foster kid.
You know my mom and dad were ondrugs.
My grandmama, you know, justnow that I moved from from
household to household,different things happened to me.
I wasn't supposed to make it,you know I was.
I was a model, you know I didlike videos and I did.
You know I did a few, you know,fashion magazines or whatever,
(54:37):
but it was always oh, she justthis.
We just don't put her in thisbox.
She's just a pretty face.
Not knowing that, I had theintellect and the math, you know
, in the mind of a mastermind.
But people don't see thatbecause they don't see beyond
the surface, right, and we're somuch more than because we look
good girl, but we see muchbetter than that.
(54:59):
Right, don't stop being cutebecause people mad.
Speaker 3 (55:02):
Exactly.
I say that all the time Likehello, my face goes everywhere,
my face and my body goeseverywhere I go.
Hello, what you want me to do,you know what I?
Speaker 2 (55:11):
had somebody to tell me.
I had somebody to tell me itwas a mentor of mine and she
told me.
She said, you know you can getan SBA loan, you can get all
these different grants, but yougot to tone it down Because you
know, if you go in there and youall dolled up some people, they
may be intimidated by that.
You know it's a lady that worksthere and she might be
(55:34):
intimidated by it because youtoo cute, you got to tone it
down.
I'll say, if I got to tone downhow fat and this has always
been me right If I got to tonedown how fat I am to a piece of
iron, that ain't the grant forme, child, because I ain't.
We're looking busted just toget nothing from nobody.
What's this?
Do that make so a lot?
And that's why I want toclarify we always must hold
(55:56):
ourselves to the utmost standard, whether people accept it or
not.
You have to be who you are andyou have to come in exactly who
you are and not worry aboutjudgment or what people may
think about you, because at theend of the day, like theekisha
says, god don't call itqualified.
He going to qualify?
He going to put you in thoserooms.
(56:18):
I wasn't supposed to get thatlifetime achievement award and,
baby, when I did, the noses wasin the air, honey.
They could not take it in thatroom.
But when I got up there,because they couldn't understand
why I me so young, I was theyoungest person in the room
receiving it and they could notunderstand it because they had
never heard of me, they didn'tknow who I was and they didn't
understand why I was receivingit.
(56:40):
Until I got on that stage and Itold my testimony and y'all can
clock it on YouTube.
By the time I got done tellingmy story, all those people that
was turning their nose up at mewas standing up giving me a
standing ovation.
You don't know somebody's story.
You don't know what peoplebring into this world and that
(57:01):
is why I do what I do and that'sthe reason why Lakeisha does
what she does and that's whyeverything that's coming to
Lakeisha, shasha and Williamsbaby, 50 years, 50 years.
She's been in ministry in myeyes for over 30.
Pouring into her community,pouring into these kids, pouring
(57:21):
into these schools, taking herschool from the bottom all the
way to number one.
She did that.
She did that.
A black woman, a blackstatistic statistic.
Single mother of two from theprojects, and if she can do it
and god can work through her, hecan definitely do the same
(57:42):
thing for you guys mm-hmm so Iwant you guys, lakisha, uh,
before we we head out, Idefinitely I want to leave you a
verse to meditate on, andthat's Isaiah 61 and 1.
He has sent me to bind up thebrokenhearted, to proclaim
(58:02):
freedom from the captives andrelease from darkness for the
prisoners.
Lakeisha, that's the heartbeatof your work, that's you, isaiah
61 in you.
Okay, Now I want to thank everysingle person under the sound
of our voices for showing upwith so much love.
And, lakeisha, your energy isalways immaculate and I love
(58:27):
talking.
I talk your ears off, put meoff the phone a few times, but
you are just getting started.
Follow her, support her andlet's keep lifting these
powerful kingdom voices, likeLaKeisha.
Next week we will come throughwith Arthur number five.
(58:48):
Until then, let your healinglead you, let your legacy
breathe and keep shining.
Shine, yes, lakeisha.
Before we go, close us out inprayer, please.
Speaker 3 (59:05):
Father God, I come to you today.
Thank you for this opportunityto again share the message that
you have poured into me andqualifying me to serve this
ministry and help as many peopleas I possibly can, and working
with Jacqueline Cox and pairingus up together so that we can be
(59:27):
that much more powerfultogether.
And I just want you to blesseveryone who was able to join us
this morning and who will alsosee this taping later.
I wanted to reach them and helpthem to get to their next
levels of being.
I want to say thank you everyday for everything that you do
(59:47):
for me, jacqueline and everybodyelse.
In Jesus' name, I pray Amen.
Speaker 2 (59:53):
Amen.
Now I don't know if I got thewebsite right.
Is this the correct website?
Speaker (59:59):
Brickhouseunlimitedcom yes.
Speaker 2 (01:00:01):
Okay, so you all can find Lakeisha and everything she
has going on.
All your books are on there.
Yes, yes your books is on there.
If you want to get a signedcopy or if you want to um find
them, they're also on amazon.
She has to let it go emotional.
She has to let it go 30-dayjournal.
She has leadership unlimited,as well as the.
(01:00:26):
I know and we didn't touch onthis a lot, but she also has a
children's book.
What's the name of yourchildren?
Shine on Brown Girl.
Shine on Brown Girl.
And also, before we end, I knowwe ended in prayer, but before
we end, can you give peoplewhat's to come for Lakeisha
(01:00:49):
Williams, what's to come?
You know, what projects do youhave coming up?
Speaker 3 (01:00:54):
so right now I'm currently still going through
the let it go um 30-daydevotional with the people, so
you can join me live onInstagram.
Um, I'm either going on 7 30 to8 in the morning or during
lunchtime, it just depends onwhat I have going on that day.
Speaker 2 (01:01:14):
What's your Instagram ?
Speaker 3 (01:01:16):
My Instagram is coach underscore shine on Lakeisha.
So I'm doing a 30-daytransformational journey with
the viewers live and in person,Again being vulnerable, sharing
some real things that I'mdealing with currently just to
help us as we navigate throughthis, because this is a
(01:01:40):
self-healing guide to help youget to your transformation and
at the end of this, it's goingto lead us into a leadership
masterclass where I'm going toget more in depth with the
leadership development servicesthat I hope to provide to school
(01:02:00):
entities, business entities,individuals, Because, again,
I've said this more than onetime and I'll continue to say
leadership is not about a titleone time, and I'll continue to
say leadership is not about atitle.
If you're a mother in your home, you're a leader in your church
community, you're a leader inyour community, you're a in your
general community, you are aleader.
So my goal and my vision is toempower bold leaders to
(01:02:24):
implement change within oursociety.
And so, yes, if you'rewondering, in our society.
Speaker 2 (01:02:34):
And so, yes, if you're wondering, is this for me
?
It is absolutely for you.
All right, y'all heard it herefirst.
What?
Even if you didn't, you heardit here, the best.
Okay.
So go to IG and in the morningshe comes on and she, she does
the um, let it go devotional andshe does the Let it Go
devotional.
After that she will be doing amaster class.
So make sure you follow her onIG.
Coach underscore shine onLakeisha for more information,
(01:02:58):
or you can contact her atBrickHouseUnlimitedcom.
Purchase the books, purchasethe magazine.
Okay, now you understand aboutthis magazine, honey.
Look, keisha.
Keisha did her thing thing inthis magazine.
So you definitely want to makesure you grab the magazine.
She has a full photo shoot inthere.
(01:03:21):
She has the timeline from whenshe was born all the way up
until she is now.
So she gives you thatwalkthrough, that journey, that
visual of how she became who sheis and you know the steps it
took to get there.
She also gives tips on how youcan be successful in leadership.
So it's a lot of different gemsshe's dropping in these projects
(01:03:44):
that she released, and I cannotwait to see what else Lakeisha
has for us.
You know if God put it on myspirit that she needs to do a
podcast, so hopefully she willshine with Lakeisha podcast,
okay, so, um, and if she do, shecome right here with me.
So, uh, I'm just, you know,cause she is like your ministry
(01:04:07):
is, is phenomenal, and I thinkif you, if you't have to do it
with me, just with anybody, butif you just elevate it and get
it past the United States, I seeyou there, you know.
So hopefully we'll hear morefrom Shanshan Lakeisha podcast
in the future.
I'm putting that.
(01:04:27):
See how you manifest up.
I'm putting that.
So, if you got again, if youwant to reach Lakeisha, you can
find her on IG coach underscoreshine on Lakeisha Facebook,
lakeisha Williams.
And if you want to, you know,make sure you purchase all of
her projectsbrickhouseunlimitedcom.
And until next time, yeah.
(01:05:06):
Rule baby Mary J Blige, BirdieSmile.
It's just those rainy days.
Spend a lifetime trying to washaway, until the sun comes out
and shines again.
Speaker 1 (01:05:23):
Smile for me.
Smile for me On all those rainydays.
Spend your lifetime trying towash away Until the sun shines
and I see your face.
Smile at me.
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