grownwoman

Shannon Allen

grownwoman with Shannon Allen is a space for women who’ve had to step up, stand tall, and transform their lives when everything was on the line. Hosted by entrepreneur and grown founder Shannon Allen, this podcast dives into the real stories of women who faced health scares, heartbreak, and life-altering moments—and came out stronger. Through raw conversations on resilience, reinvention, and the power of community, grownwoman explores what it truly means to build something meaningful—whether it’s a business, a legacy, or a new way of living. If you're navigating a big shift, reclaiming your power, or just need inspiration from women who’ve been there, this podcast is for you.

  1. Mar 3

    28: (BEST OF) Impact Over Ego: How a grownwoman Leads Through Service & Integrity

    This Best-of compilation explores leadership, advocacy, and quiet authority, particularly the kind of power built through service, discipline, and responsibility (not visibility or titles). Featuring standout moments from guests’ conversations, this episode highlights ethical leadership, servant leadership, and advocacy that’s rooted in doing what’s right, even when no one is watching. These conversations redefine power as integrity, consistency, and impact that extends beyond the self. If you’re navigating leadership, entrepreneurship, motherhood, or community work, this episode offers grounded insight and leading with purpose. Not loud power.Not performative power.Only a grownwoman’s power. KEY POINTS 22: America’s Silent Health Crisis: Asha Walker on Food Deserts & the Fight for Justice 16: The Power of Advocacy in Early Autism Care | Kim Dasinger, Dr. LaToya Green, Dr. Neil O’Pyke 21: From Pageants to Purpose: Jessica Cristobal on Leadership, Motherhood & Mentorship 23: From Poverty to Purpose: Dr. Amira Ogunleye on Breaking Cycles & Building Dreams 20: Helping Kids Thrive Under Pressure: How to Parent High Performers w/ Zana White & Fahim Mujahid 25: How One Author Is Changing the Way Children See Themselves | Anna Nyakana RESOURCES  Shannon Allen  Grown Website | https://www.grown.org/  IG | @shannonwalkerallen 🌱 Stay Connected & Explore More 🔗 Visit the Grown Website Grown.org 📲 Follow Shannon on Instagram@shannonwalkerallen 🎧 Like, Share & Subscribe If this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you think, don’t keep it to yourself! Like, share, and subscribe to grownwoman on your favorite podcast platform. grownwoman is produced by EPYC Media Network

    42 min
  2. Feb 24

    27: (BEST OF) The Breakthrough Season: How a grownwoman Keeps Going

    What happens after the unthinkable? After the loss. After the failure. After life breaks the rules and changes you forever. This Best-of compilation brings grownwoman’s Breakthrough Season, highlighting together the most powerful moments from women and allies who faced irreversible loss and still chose to keep going. Not by bypassing the pain, but by finding meaning, faith, determination, and legacy on the other side of it. This episode is for the grownwoman who has been knocked down but refuses to stay there.  For the one learning how to grieve and lead at the same time.  For anyone asking, “How do I keep going from here?”  This is not just an episode. It is season 2’s emotional backbone and testament to what happens when women choose to move forward anyway. KEY POINTS 18: Honoring D'Sean Perry: Navigating Grief & the Impact of Gun Violence 17: Divorce, Betrayal & the Journey Back to Yourself | Jennifer Medwin & Heather Mennell 19: Hitting a Wall Led to a $24M Deal: Alina Villasante's Fall That Fueled Her Rise 15: The First Responder Suicide Crisis: Carolyn Acosta’s Story of Love, Loss & Warning Signs 26: Ray Allen on The Hall of Fame Mindset That Drove His Success RESOURCES  Shannon Allen  Grown Website | https://www.grown.org/  IG | @shannonwalkerallen 🌱 Stay Connected & Explore More 🔗 Visit the Grown Website Grown.org 📲 Follow Shannon on Instagram@shannonwalkerallen 🎧 Like, Share & Subscribe If this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you think, don’t keep it to yourself! Like, share, and subscribe to grownwoman on your favorite podcast platform. grownwoman is produced by EPYC Media Network

    25 min
  3. Feb 17

    26: Ray Allen on What It Takes to Build a Hall of Fame Life and Career

    In this heartfelt episode of grownwoman, NBA Hall of Famer Ray Allen joins Shannon Allen for a rare, intimate conversation about legacy, purpose, and what it truly means to be a grown ass man in a grownwoman’s world. Ray opens up about the moments that shaped him, from growing up with military discipline, to finding identity outside the game, to being misunderstood on and off the court. He reflects on the pressure of perfection, the silence of sacrifice, and the long road to redefining success beyond stats and championships. Shannon and Ray get real about marriage, family, faith, mental toughness, and what it looks like to support each other through seasons of transition. This isn’t just a story about basketball, it’s a testimony of becoming. Of evolving. Of learning that the game doesn’t define the man. This is the real Ray Allen you’ve never heard before. KEY POINTS   [0:00] Meet Ray, Shannon’s husband and NBA Hall of Famer.   [5:00] Ray reflects on how discipline, travel, and structure shaped his mindset. [7:34] Ray opens up about toxic coaching culture and how to truly build young athletes. [10:48] A deep dive into how hardship builds strength, patience, and purpose. [14:57] Surround yourself with competition that challenges you, not comfort that weakens you. [24:21] How greatness comes from attitude, teamwork, and integrity, not stats. [45:00] His philosophy on conditioning, sacrifice, and pushing beyond physical & mental limits. [50:16] Ray’s vow that became a lifelong discipline. [53:53] How failure, not victory, shapes real champions. [1:05:19] A final lesson in grit, faith, and character. QUOTES  “We all have a story. It’s not about things going right; it’s about knowing how to self-correct when they go wrong.” – Ray Allen “Coaches should inspire, not humiliate. If you yell all game, kids just shut off.” – Ray Allen “Iron sharpens iron. You have to play where you’re not the best, that’s how you grow.” – Ray Allen “Everything you want in life is on the other side of easy.” – Ray Allen GUEST RESOURCES  Ray Allen IG | @trayfour RESOURCES  Shannon Allen  Grown Website | https://www.grown.org/  IG | @shannonwalkerallen 🌱 Stay Connected & Explore More 🔗 Visit the Grown Website Grown.org 📲 Follow Shannon on Instagram@shannonwalkerallen 🎧 Like, Share & Subscribe If this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you think, don’t keep it to yourself! Like, share, and subscribe to grownwoman on your favorite podcast platform. grownwoman is produced by EPYC Media Network

    1h 30m
  4. Feb 10

    25: How One Author Is Changing the Way Children See Themselves | Anna Nyakana

    Anna Nyakana, creator of the Niyah Zuri series, joins Shannon Allen on this episode grownwoman for an empowering conversation about identity, resilience, and rewriting your story through purpose.  Born in Germany to Ugandan and Moldovan parents, Anna shares how her family came to America with two suitcases and a dream… and how struggle shaped her calling. From classical music to publishing rejection letters to building a children’s media empire, Anna reveals how she turned pain into power. She unpacks the meaning of “Niyah Zuri” (“beautiful purpose” in Swahili), the fight for authentic representation in children’s books, and why she walked away from major publishers who wanted to whitewash her characters. Anna speaks candidly about racism, colorism, immigrant identity, and the mindset that helped her build a best-selling book series, animated film, curriculum, and global impact from scratch. If you’ve ever questioned your voice, your worth, or whether your story matters, this segment is for you. Anna is the walking proof that nothing is impossible when you live for your purpose. KEY POINTS  [0:00] Meet Anna Nyakana, the powerhouse behind the Niyah Zuri books and animated series.  [4:37] How Anna’s family traded comfort for opportunity. [9:32] Systemic inequality: At 13, she wrote 13 life goals. She’s now achieved them all. [12:33] Anna on purpose over profit: “I’m not driven by money, I’m driven by impact.” [17:18] Anna’s mantra for persistence and creative problem-solving. [23:17] Niyah Zuri: Turning pain into purpose through storytelling that uplifts children of color. [31:30] After publishers asked her to whitewash her characters, Anna built her own empire. [50:32] Anna teaches kids their purpose matters – and that knowledge is power. QUOTES  “I birthed Niyah Zuri from my pain and created her from my purpose. These kids need to know they matter.” – Anna Nyakana “I became the potential of my environment, not the product of it.”  – Anna Nyakana “Don’t chase your dreams, walk in them.”  – Anna Nyakana “I’m here to save the youth by showing them how to save themselves.”  – Anna Nyakana GUEST RESOURCES  Anna Nyakana Website | annanyakana.com RESOURCES  Shannon Allen  Grown Website | https://www.grown.org/  IG | @shannonwalkerallen 🌱 Stay Connected & Explore More 🔗 Visit the Grown Website Grown.org 📲 Follow Shannon on Instagram@shannonwalkerallen 🎧 Like, Share & Subscribe If this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you think, don’t keep it to yourself! Like, share, and subscribe to grownwoman on your favorite podcast platform. grownwoman is produced by EPYC Media Network

    59 min
  5. Feb 3

    24: "Checking Out" Is Dangerous for Our Democracy | Robin Peguero

    In this episode of grownwoman, Shannon Allen welcomes Robin Peguero, former prosecutor, Harvard-trained attorney, and professor running for Congress in Florida’s 27th district - and his story is the blueprint for what the American Dream could still be.  Born to immigrant parents who met in the U.S. Army, Robin grew up in a working-class home and rose through the ranks of public service. In this powerful conversation, he shares his family’s journey, what’s at stake in today’s divided America, and why restoring democracy, protecting due process, and defending marginalized communities isn’t just political…. it’s personal. Whether you’re a first-generation American, a voter craving change, or someone wondering how we got here, tune in as Robin’s story is a statement on courage, clarity, and conviction. KEY POINTS  [0:00] - Robin on protecting democracy and running for Congress in Florida’s 27th District. [1:37] - Robin shares why due process, immigration, and human rights pushed him to run. [4:23] - Shannon gets personal about her son’s diabetes and why the Affordable Care Act is literally saving lives. [8:04] - Real relief for working families amid rising costs and widening inequality. [14:17] - Why giving up on America isn’t an option and how his immigrant parents’ story defines his hope. [22:30] - Robin calls for fairness, freedom, and accountability. [46:37] - A call to unity, empathy, and moral leadership. QUOTES  “What makes America beautiful is that what binds us is that we all believe in a single idea, shared ideals of equality, freedom, and democracy. We're the first nation to be built around all of us agreeing with these values, as opposed to maybe a similar ethnic identity, right? We are a melting pot.” – Robin Peruago “Hopelessness is how we lose our democracy.” – Shannon Allen “And I think you want a representative who not only just empathizes because they can see the suffering that people are going through and feel it, but who's actually gone through it himself or herself, because that means they're never going to forget. They're never going to betray or sell out the people for corporations.” – Robin Peruago GUEST RESOURCES  Robin Peruago Website | www.robinpeguero.com  RESOURCES  Shannon Allen  Grown Website | https://www.grown.org/  IG | @shannonwalkerallen 🌱 Stay Connected & Explore More 🔗 Visit the Grown Website Grown.org 📲 Follow Shannon on Instagram@shannonwalkerallen  🎧 Like, Share & Subscribe If this episode moved you, inspired you, or made you think, don’t keep it to yourself! Like, share, and subscribe to grownwoman on your favorite podcast platform. grownwoman is produced by EPYC Media Network

    54 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

grownwoman with Shannon Allen is a space for women who’ve had to step up, stand tall, and transform their lives when everything was on the line. Hosted by entrepreneur and grown founder Shannon Allen, this podcast dives into the real stories of women who faced health scares, heartbreak, and life-altering moments—and came out stronger. Through raw conversations on resilience, reinvention, and the power of community, grownwoman explores what it truly means to build something meaningful—whether it’s a business, a legacy, or a new way of living. If you're navigating a big shift, reclaiming your power, or just need inspiration from women who’ve been there, this podcast is for you.