Debunking the Myth of A Superwoman

Frederica Tokponwey
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Are you the woman everyone calls strong? The one who shows up, takes care of everyone else, and makes it look like you have it all together, even when you don't? I'm Frederica Tokponwey, a retired law enforcement sergeant, coach, and author of Overcomer Unleashed: Persevering Beyond the Myth of a Superwoman. I recorded these episodes in 2022 with my cape still on. This is where my journey began. Through real stories of faith, grief, healing and identity, we challenge what it means to be "the strong one." Ready to stop pretending and give yourself permission to heal? You're in the right place.

Episodes

  1. Trailer

    Welcome to Debunking the Myth of A Superwoman

    Debunking the Myth of a Superwoman is for the woman who has spent years being the strong one. Showing up. Holding everything together. Taking care of everyone else. Looking like she's okay, even when she's not. I know that woman because I was her. I'm Frederica Tokponwey, retired law enforcement sergeant, social worker, coach, and author of Overcomer Unleashed: Persevering Beyond the Myth of the Superwoman. Behind my strength were wounds I hadn't healed, grief I hadn't processed, shame I didn't talk about, and a belief that being strong meant I had to keep going no matter what it cost me. I recorded these episodes in 2022 with my own cape still on. I left them here on purpose, because this is where the journey began, and you deserve to see the beginning, not only the breakthrough. These are real conversations about the things we carry. Faith, healing, identity, forgiveness, relationships, purpose, and what happens when the strong woman finally admits, "I'm tired." You can be strong and still need help.You can love God and still have wounds that need healing.You can survive incredibly difficult things and decide that survival is no longer enough. Being strong doesn't mean you have to carry it alone.

    Welcome to Debunking the Myth of A Superwoman

  2. 09/09/2022

    How I Showed Up as a Supermom Through my Daughter's Lens.

    I never let my daughter see me cry. Becoming a widow left me vulnerable and uncertain of my future. But I believed my child needed me to show up unscathed, so I suppressed my emotions and wore the cape at home too. In this conversation, my daughter shares what it was like to be raised by a supermom, through her own eyes. By hiding my tears, I taught her to hide hers. I thought I was protecting her. I was wrong. If you've been hiding your hurt to keep your children safe, this conversation is for you.

    How I Showed Up as a Supermom Through my Daughter's Lens.

  3. 08/26/2022

    When It's Over

    What happens when the applause stops? In this episode, I welcome my first guest, two-time Olympian and 1992 Olympic silver medalist LaVonna Martin-Floreal. We competed as children, became Lady Vols together at the University of Tennessee, and have been friends for more than 40 years. LaVonna opens up about life after the medals, when the recognition and accolades fade, and how hard that transition is for someone who has lived at such a high level. I share my own "when it's over" moments: how my life changed when I became a widow, and what it took to retire from law enforcement and learn how to be a civilian again. If you're standing at the end of a title, a career, a marriage, or a season that once defined you, this conversation is for you. Hear more of LaVonna's journey on her podcast, Taking a Deep Breath.

    When It's Over

  4. 08/12/2022

    Healing beyond Trauma

    Grief came for me more than once. I lost five family members. I lost my husband. And I lived through sexual abuse. For years, I kept showing up as the strong one while it all sat unhealed beneath the surface. In this episode, I share my story of grief and abuse, and what it means to find healing beyond trauma. Surviving what happened to you was never meant to be the end of your story. If you've been carrying something you've never fully faced, this conversation is for you. A note of care: this episode includes discussion of sexual abuse and the loss of loved ones. Please listen gently. ______________________________ Resources: www.rainn.org www.psychologytoday.com ______________________________ Music by: Zetella

    Healing beyond Trauma

  5. 07/28/2022

    Grieving Out Loud

    People don't like to talk about grief. They change the subject, tell you to be strong, and hope you'll feel better soon. I lost five family members and my husband, and I learned how lonely loss becomes when no one will speak of it. In this episode, I grieve out loud. I share each loss, how it happened, and how debilitating the grief truly was. I also tell the truth about my faith in that season, when I felt abandoned and even cursed by God. I was raised in a Christian home where we petitioned God for everything and never sought therapy. I talk about that too. If you've been holding your grief in so everyone else can stay comfortable, or wondering where God went in the middle of it, this conversation is for you. A note of care: this episode includes detailed discussion of the deaths of loved ones. Please listen gently. Resources www.psychologytoday.com www.therapyforblackgirls.com

    Grieving Out Loud
  • 1 Trailer
    4 Episodes

Trailer

About

Are you the woman everyone calls strong? The one who shows up, takes care of everyone else, and makes it look like you have it all together, even when you don't? I'm Frederica Tokponwey, a retired law enforcement sergeant, coach, and author of Overcomer Unleashed: Persevering Beyond the Myth of a Superwoman. I recorded these episodes in 2022 with my cape still on. This is where my journey began. Through real stories of faith, grief, healing and identity, we challenge what it means to be "the strong one." Ready to stop pretending and give yourself permission to heal? You're in the right place.

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