“Yes” sounds simple until it asks you to be seen, be bold, and be honest about what you actually want. We start season two of Black Girls Lit with Shonda Rhimes’ Year of Yes (10th anniversary edition) and a table full of Crystal Head Vodka cocktails, then we get into the real work behind the slogan: turning “yes” into an ongoing practice that you come back to again and again. We talk about the moments that changed our lives for real: leaving teaching, stepping into entrepreneurship, moving across the country, saying yes to adulthood, and learning how to choose ourselves outside the roles we carry for everyone else. We also get specific about what intentional living looks like day to day, because freedom has a price and boundaries are a form of self-respect. If you’ve ever struggled with confidence, public speaking, perfectionism, or caring too much about how you’re perceived, this conversation will feel like a mirror and a push. The pandemic reflections go deeper than nostalgia. We name COVID as a hard season while also unpacking what it revealed about routine, accountability, home life, and the need to separate rest from work when everything happens in the same space. Then we zoom out to one of the most lasting takeaways from Rhimes’ story: representation matters because you can’t be what you can’t see. Diversity isn’t a debate topic, it’s the fuel for imagination, especially for our kids and our communities. Take the lit challenge with us: make one intentional yes this week, share it with us, and let us celebrate you. If you enjoyed the conversation, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more bookish baddies can find the table. We like to know HOW LIT you were for this episode. Send us a text!! Let us know how you feel about this 📖 & 🍸. Support the show ✨ Loved the vibe? Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs to laugh, live free, and have a good drink. Follow us on Facebook and IG @BlackGirlsLit_Podcast for behind-the-scenes sips, book pairings, and all the lit energy.