Shades of Strong® | Strength Without Struggle for Black Women
Welcome to Shades of Strong®, the podcast where Black women come to be seen, heard, and supported. Home of Support Languages™ for Black Women, this is your sanctuary for redefining strength, releasing overwhelm, and rewriting the narrative of what it means to be the “strong one.”
Episodes
May 30, 2025 • 6 mins
Let’s talk about protecting your peace — and whether that’s really what you’re doing… or if you’re just getting your lick back in silence.
In this minisode, I’m breaking down the Room to Breathe Support Language™ — the kind of support that shows up as space, quiet, and the ability to step away without guilt. But I’m also naming the moments when we call it “protecting our peace,” and it’s really a low-key way of making somebody else...
Mark as Played
May 27, 2025 • 5 mins
I’m just gonna say it — I get annoyed when I see Black women using the phrase “women of color” when I know they mean Black women.
In this episode, I’m talking about why that bothers me, where I think it comes from, and what it’s actually costing us to keep softening, shrinking, or diluting our language — especially in spaces that are supposed to be built for us.
I share a recent moment that made me want to reflect out loud. Not to ...
Mark as Played
May 13, 2025 • 8 mins
They told us love was supposed to be everything. That if somebody loves you, that’s all you need.
But how many times have you felt loved… and still felt completely alone?
In this episode, I’m talking about that gap — the one between what people say and what they actually do. Because the truth is, love is not enough when it doesn’t come with support.
And I get it. It’s hard to admit that out loud.Especially when you know they care.E...
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May 11, 2025 • 7 mins
Inspired by the new Netflix series Forever, this Mother's Day episode is a soft but honest conversation about what happens when fear leads the way in parenting. When love is present, but support… isn’t.
This isn’t a recap.This is a reflection.
Because a lot of us were raised on protection that looked like pressure. On expectations that felt like love, but left little room to breathe. And now, many of us are trying to re-parent ours...
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April 29, 2025
Today we’re talking about support yourself during the hard seasons—and what it looks like when you have to be your own safe place.
Some seasons are heavy.Some days, getting out of bed feels like a miracle.Some days, breathing through the next hour is the biggest victory you’ll claim.
In this episode, I’m sharing what support looks like when you’re in the thick of a thing — when there’s no map, no quick fix, and no easy way to name ...
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April 15, 2025 • 14 mins
Today we're talking about receiving support as a Black woman—and why it still feels hard, even when it’s soft and real.
What happens when someone shows up for you with tenderness and care… and your first instinct is to flinch?
What do you do when support is being offered—but your body doesn’t know how to let it in?
This episode started with a comment from my daughter…And what should’ve felt like joy, pride, even gratitude—turned in...
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April 10, 2025 • 5 mins
Some days the weight is real, and you’re too tired to carry it, explain it, or make it sound better than it is. For the days when the tears come outta nowhere and your body says, “we can’t keep doing this”...
This is a quiet reminder that you don’t owe anyone a breakdown of why you need rest. You don’t have to clean up your exhaustion or justify your pause. You get to be tired. You get to slow down. You get to be held without perfo...
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April 8, 2025 • 15 mins
Let’s talk about emotional exhaustion as a Black woman—and what it really means to be held.
What if being held didn’t require you to fall apart first?
What if it was something you could reach for before you hit the breaking point?
This episode was recorded at five o’clock in the morning… no mic, no script, no prep—just me, a heavy heart, and a whole lot of truth. Because sometimes the softest, most honest thing you can do is show ...
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April 1, 2025 • 10 mins
What if strength didn’t always have to come after the storm?
In this episode of Shades of Strong, we’re unpacking what it means to embrace both joy and struggle—without letting one cancel out the other. Because too often as Black women, are taught that joy is something we earn after the hard part is over. That it’s the reward, not the right.
But what if we flipped the script?
In this episode of Shades of Strong, we’re unpacking wha...
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March 27, 2025 • 15 mins
What does real support in relationships for Black women even look like?
Because we know love without support is a thing—and it’s exhausting.
This episode is a deep dive into what happens when you start asking for more than love… when you start asking for love that actually holds you — love that actually supports you.
If you’ve ever found yourself feeling unseen or unsupported in a relationship, this episode is for you. Because supp...
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March 25, 2025 • 3 mins
Honoring your capacity is about choosing ease of exhaustion and creating space breathe, reset, and resst.
What happens when the strong one needs a minute?
This short episode is a reminder that honoring your capacity matters—especially for strong Black women who are always doing the most. If you’ve been pushing through, this one’s for you.
This short episode is a reminder that honoring your capacity matters—especially for strong Bl...
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February 25, 2025 • 12 mins
Getting support as a Black woman isn’t always as simple as just asking for it. Because let’s be real—how many times have people tried to “support” you, but instead of feeling lighter, you just felt drained, unseen, or misunderstood?
That’s because support isn’t one-size-fits-all. There are specific types of support Black women need, but most of us aren’t getting them in the way that actually makes a difference.
In this episode of S...
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February 23, 2025 • 5 mins
Setting the tone for the week ahead isn’t about rigid schedules or pushing yourself to do more—it’s about easing into the energy you want to carry with you. Before the world starts demanding things from you, take a moment to breathe, regroup, and move with intention.
What You’ll Get in This Episode:
Why setting the tone for the week ahead shifts how you experience it
How flow can be more powerful than force
A simple way to ...
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February 18, 2025 • 4 mins
Sometimes, even when we know exactly how we best receive support, it’s just not available in the way we need it. And when that happens, it can feel heavy—especially when we don’t know what to do with all that we’re carrying.
That’s where I’ve been these last few days. And today, I just want to share a little bit of what I’m learning about holding space for myself when support feels out of reach.
If you’ve been struggling to find th...
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February 11, 2025 • 12 mins
Getting Support as a Black Woman often feels like a struggle. You’re managing everything, showing up for everyone, and doing it all with a strength that people celebrate—but what happens when the support you receive still leaves you feeling unseen and unsupported?
In this episode of Shades of Strong, we’re breaking down what it means to move beyond surface-level help and start getting the kind of support that truly holds you. From...
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February 9, 2025
Letting go isn’t always easy—especially when you’ve poured so much of yourself into something. But gripping tightly to an outcome that’s already shifting away will only leave you stuck, frustrated, and drained.
This week, we’re releasing the need to control every outcome. No more forcing. No more fighting for what’s already walking away. Instead, we’re making peace with the unfolding and trusting that what’s meant for us will alwa...
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February 4, 2025 • 13 mins
Black women are often celebrated for their strength, their ability to handle everything, and the way they show up for everyone else. But what happens when you’re left feeling unseen as a Black woman—recognized for what you do, but never for who you are?
In this episode of Shades of Strong, we’re unpacking the emotional toll of being unseen and exploring what it means to reclaim your visibility. From the exhaustion of always “being...
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February 2, 2025
Releasing the pressure to be more means letting go of the idea that you have to earn your worth. The constant striving to do more, be more, or fix yourself only leaves you feeling drained and disconnected. That weight was never yours to carry.
It’s time to put down the pressure of chasing, proving, or fixing. Instead, let’s take a moment to regroup and connect with what’s already here. Wholeness isn’t something you achieve - it’s ...
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January 28, 2025 • 12 mins
Reclaiming support for Black women isn’t just about breaking free from society’s expectations—it’s about creating space for what you truly need in your life, relationships, and daily experiences. In this episode of Shades of Strong, we’re diving into the top two Support Languages™ that Black women are craving right now: Room to Breathe and Mindful Care.
These results from our Support Languages™ quiz are more than just numbers—they...
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January 26, 2025
Reclaiming joy as a Black woman is about remembering that you’re not too grown to laugh, play, and feel light again.
When’s the last time you laughed so hard you couldn’t breathe? Or did something just for the joy of it - no agenda, no productivity, just pure fun?
Sis, if it’s been a minute, this episode is for you. Life has a way of keeping us busy, stressed, and always on the grind, but that doesn’t mean it has to steal your j...
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