Community Support Episodes

What happens when a creator stops waiting to be discovered and starts architecting her own visibility? In this episode of Women of Color Live, host Deneen L. Garrett chats with her longtime podcast coach and mentor, Danielle Desir Corbett — Founder & CEO, 6x grant-funded and award-winning travel creator, host of The Thought Card, and podcast marketing coach. Danielle was the single voice Deneen locked into back in 2020 when she launched her show, and six-plus years later, this conversation goes ...

When Life Lifes: A Real-Time Pivot with Oryn Stewart What if the most powerful asset you possess for your next chapter is precisely what you've been told to leave behind? In this episode, we close out The Execution Series: Power, Pivot & Purpose with a demonstration of true leadership. When the unexpected happens and plans change, real leaders adapt. In this instance, life intervened. Our scheduled guest was unable to join, and instead of canceling, we executed a real-time pivot strategy. Oryn ...

Own Your Voice and stop letting your communication style hold your career back. In this episode, Tanya Spencer — founder of FCK Being Stuck Coaching and Master of "Bad-Asshery" — breaks down the Likability vs. Competence matrix, why credentials alone aren't enough, and how to reclaim 200 hours of non-promotable work. This is the conversation that shifts how you show up in every room.

"She didn't shrink to fit the room. She expanded what the room could hold." In the third installment of our May series, She Who Mothers: Redefining Legacy, Love & Lineage, host Deneen L. Garrett sits down with Violette Omotosho — Senior Relationship Manager, Pastoral Leader, Speaker, and Writer — to explore what it means to lead with your full self intact. For over 15 years, Violette has navigated the intersection of faith, corporate leadership, and cultural identity — without leaving any part...

"She didn't wait for the system to catch up. She built a new one." In this episode of our May series, She Who Mothers: Redefining Legacy, Love & Lineage, host Deneen L. Garrett sits down with Muji Bekomson — Medical Laboratory Scientist, Founder of FEMME Health Companion, and Top 50 Voice in African Tech — to explore what happens when a woman stops waiting to be heard and starts building what should have existed all along. When a doctor dismissed Muji's severe symptoms with "just get pregnant,...

What happens when a child grows up carrying grief she has no language for — and discovers at age 12 that she can read minds? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Rima Desai — transformational life coach, spiritual healer, and Masters-trained counseling psychologist — takes us all the way back. Born in Mumbai, India, Rima lost her mother at age 6 in a moment that shattered her entire world. She grew up in a home heavy with silence, in a culture where grief was never spoken aloud — and where ...

"She who mothers, prepares. She who mothers, builds a world without borders for her lineage." In the kickoff to our May series, host Deneen L. Garrett sits down with Lynelle Baker-Hall — Senior Government Advisor, entrepreneur, and author — to explore what it truly means to mother a legacy without borders. After experiencing the loss of her mother, Lynelle transformed grief into a global mission: the Plan B philosophy. Today, she shares how she is passing this legacy of freedom down to her adu...

"You don't wait for permission. You become it. And when you become it — everything rises to meet you." In the final installment of our Women Who Build: Legacy in Real Time series, we're diving deep into the architecture of influence. How do you take years of high-level expertise and turn it into a global platform? Host Deneen L. Garrett sits down with Trish Lindo — a FAMU graduate and storytelling strategist who spent over a decade at media giants like CNN, Yahoo!, and Oprah.com. As the Founder...

Two hundred episodes. And we're just getting started. Episode 200 of Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation is here — and it arrives exactly the way it should: with a conversation that goes straight to the heart of what this podcast has always been about. Identity. Legacy. Leading as your full self. Deneen L. Garrett sits down with Kaila James — senior strategic global leader, cultural architect, and recording artist — for a milestone episode that doesn't celebrate by slowing down. It celebr...

Santana Inniss walked away from corporate, looked around at the women being left behind, and decided to do something about it. In this episode, the Founder of The Glow Initiative (Glowi) joins Deneen L. Garrett to share how she is ending barriers to professional coaching and what it really means to build a legacy that opens doors for others. In this episode of Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation, we explore: The Corporate Pivot: The specific decision that shifted Santana from the corporate...

You were built to lead. So why does the path keep feeling out of reach? In this episode of Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation, Deneen L. Garrett sits down with Gia Warren — strategic operations and program management leader, MBA, and global executive with leadership experience at Lumen, Intel, Amazon, and AT&T — for a conversation about what it truly means to be built to lead. Gia shares the decision that shifted how she sees herself, what she had to unlearn on the road to operational ex...

Stop shrinking. Raise your standards. Your experience doesn’t expire — it compounds. In Episode 194 of Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation, host Deneen L. Garrett sits down with luxury personal brand strategist Cheryl Pullins for a masterclass in visibility and positioning. This is a mandate for the woman 50+ who is ready to be seen, positioned, and paid at the level she has earned. Building a luxury brand isn't about "fluff"—it’s about the architecture of your authority. In this episode,...

Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation — a Top 20 podcast on the 100 Best Women’s Empowerment Podcast list — is entering a new era. In this episode, Deneen L. Garrett is joined by Leon Thomas (The Leon Thomas Group) to share the shift from a traditional podcast format to a LIVE weekly experience. Why go live? What changes? And what does this mean for Women of Color — especially Black women 50+ — seeking conversations centered in leadership, visibility, wealth, and legacy? This conversation ...

EPISODE 192 — Alcohol as a Coping Mechanism: Grief, High-Functioning Binge Drinking & Life Beyond the Binge Full episode notes: https://www.womenofcoloranintimateconversation.com/high-functioning/ High-functioning doesn’t always mean okay. Sometimes it’s a mask for grief, binge drinking, and survival. In this episode of Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation (a 100 Best Women’s Empowerment podcast), host Deneen L. Garrett sits down with Colleen Clifford — author, speaker, coach, and commercia...

In this powerful return conversation, Victoria Finch — known as The Heart Healer — joins host Deneen L. Garrett for an intimate, deeply reflective dialogue on inner child healing, emotional freedom, leadership, and the power of community. Victoria shares the origin of her healing work, the childhood moment that shaped her life’s mission, and how decades of trauma recovery, hypnotherapy, and personal healing now inform the way she supports women at pivotal turning points. Together, Deneen and V...

Episode 190 In this intimate and deeply necessary conversation, we’re joined by Dr. Wendy Ashley — a nationally recognized Black and biracial clinician, professor, author, change agent, and Department Chair of the MSW program at Cal State Northridge. Her current book is a bold act of reclamation: a vulnerable exploration of biracial identity, anti-Blackness, white supremacy, and light-skinned privilege — and the healing that becomes possible when we stop suppressing our truths. Together, we u...

Episode 188 Audio Disclaimer: This conversation was originally recorded for CAA Conversations. CAA later shifted to a panel-only format and chose not to release individual interviews. I’m proud to share this important dialogue independently. n this conversation, I speak with Melanie Brister—arts marketing strategist, global PR expert, and cross-industry collaborator whose work spans museums, fashion, film, and Broadway. Together we explore how storytelling, partnerships, and creative strategy ...

Episode 187 This episode was originally recorded for CAA Conversations in alignment with their content structure at the time. When CAA shifted to a panel-only format, they chose not to release individual interviews. I’m proud to share this dialogue independently because Black women’s stories, artistry, and cultural labor deserve to be heard. 3 of 3 recorded. In this final installment of the “Black Women in Art: Restorying the Canon” series, I speak with educator, children’s author, entrepreneu...

🚀Bold, Visible & Unstoppable: The Power of Community for Women of Color Entrepreneurs 🔥 Episode 184 Kris & Krew Part III Episode Description: Community isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the backbone of success for women entrepreneurs. In this episode,Kris Gordon I tripod es us to Ambitious Women Eternity Sledge and Sonya Z. Phillips as they break down the power of visibility, the importance of relationships in business, and the resources available to help women of color thrive. 🎙️ Key Takeaways: ✅ Wh...

🎙️ Collaboration is Queen: Unlocking Success Through Sisterhood (Part II) Episode 179 💡 The Power of Self-Advocacy, Authenticity & Collective Success 🔥 “Dear beautiful Black woman, I just want you to know you are more than enough. Do not fear success because it’s already yours.” 🔥 💬 What does true collaboration look like? How do Women of Color own their power unapologetically? In this episode, we dive into the strength of sisterhood, self-advocacy, and strategic partnerships—because when women ...

Episode 178: The Power of Our Stories – How Personal Narratives Inspire, Empower & Drive Success (Part I) In this powerful episode, we bring together a dynamic group of Ambitious Women making waves in their industries. From marketing and media to finance and culinary arts, these trailblazers share their unique journeys, insights, and the passion driving their success. ✨ Key Takeaways: ✅ How personal narratives shape success and resilience ✅ The importance of financial literacy and generational ...

What Your Comfort Costs Us-The Power of Pause and Rest with Dr. Gabriela Alcalde Episode 168 In this episode of "Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation," host Deneen L. Garrett welcomes Dr. Gabriela Alcalde, a creative and anti-supremacist leader from Lima, Peru. Dr. Gabriela shares her personal journey as an immigrant and the significant impact it has on her perspective. As a mother experiencing the transition to an empty nest, she reflects on the emotional shifts that come with this new pha...

WOC: Get From Stuck to Vision with Dr. Sharon Arrindell Episode 165 In this episode of Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation, Dr. Sharon Arrindell shares her journey as a speaker, counselor, and best-selling author dedicated to empowering women and couples. Dr. Sharon discusses her mission to help couples transition from feeling like roommates to experiencing true romance, as well as assisting women in moving from a place of feeling stuck to discovering their purpose and wholeness. She opens...

Shifting from DEI to Intentional Inclusion with Kelli Lester Episode 166 In this episode, we welcome Kelli Lester, co-founder and partner of Onyx Rising, a consultancy focused on transforming individual, team, and organizational behaviors. Kelly shares her deep commitment to inclusive leadership and innovation, which she refers to as "love in the workplace." She emphasizes her journey in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space, highlighting her role as a voice for the voiceless and the impor...