What if the real fairy tale starts after the wedding?
In this raw, hilarious, and deeply intimate episode, I sit down with Shellie R. Warren, three-time author, marriage life coach, and doula, for a conversation that unpacks what nobody’s telling you about marriage, friendship, sex, and spiritual growth.
From surviving infidelity and rewriting vows, to understanding your body, your partner, and the post-baby version of you, Shellie drops gems like a damn oracle. Together, she and I explore how marriage is built, not just vowed into existence, and why friendship might be your most underrated sex organ. (Yep, we said it.)
This one is not just an episode, it’s a masterclass in intimacy, integrity, and surviving real life together.
⏱️ In This Episode, We Talk SHIFT About:
00:01 – Why couples wait too long for help and what to do instead
01:54 – The “oil change” model of marriage maintenance
03:52 – Infidelity, forgiveness, and surviving crisis with friendship as your anchor
06:00 – Why most premarital counseling is trash and what needs to change
07:10 – The real reason people get divorced (hint: it’s not the big stuff)
08:47 – Adult intimacy, postpartum sex, and the grief of “sharing your body”
13:37 – Choose a partner who improves you, not changes you
17:48 – The origin of engagement rings and other capitalist romance lies
21:04 – Childhood wounds, spiritual intimacy, and what we inherit
23:40 – Spit, foreplay, and the sex talk nobody had with you
28:15 – Postpartum identity, consent, and navigating dry seasons
31:53 – Redefining marriage after suicidal crisis: Davina’s personal story
34:24 – Why we marry broken and what it means to heal in relationship
39:43 – Soulmates, sobriety, and rewriting the narrative of love
43:19 – When self-expression feels like rebellion, then becomes liberation
52:02 – Suicide, substance abuse, and the sacred nuance of staying
57:48 – Judaism, interfaith values, and raising kids in modern families
01:13:23 – Sex as spiritual practice, abstinence before marriage, and body counts
01:20:25 – How to actually prioritize sex in a busy, committed marriage
01:29:26 – Culture, censorship, and preserving truth for the next generation
💛 Connect with Shellie R. Warren at: issnosipho@gmail.com
🗣️ Cultural note: "Nosipho" (Zulu) means “God’s blessing to those she's around”, and after this episode, you’ll get why.
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