163 episodes

Welcome to the Shades of Strong Podcast, where we're on a mission to redefine the strength of Black women. Our journey began with the understanding that historically, Black women have been denied "permission" to prioritize their own care. Our needs were consistently pushed to the bottom of our endless to-do lists, leaving us feeling drained and undervalued. But that's all changing now.

If you're exhausted from the constant struggles, stress, and emotional overwhelm that come with carrying the world's burdens, you're not alone. Join us for empowering conversations, stories of resilience, and the celebration of authentic Black womanhood. In each episode, we dive deep into the issues that matter most to Black women, challenging stereotypes, and rewriting the narratives that have held us back for too long.

Our incredible guests, from diverse backgrounds, share their personal journeys, insights, and strategies for personal growth, offering a healing space for self-empowerment and the celebration of strength.

From navigating the workplace to embracing self-care, we cover it all. Tune in to be inspired, uplifted, and to connect with a community that understands your journey. Shades of Strong Podcast: Redefining strength, rewriting narratives, and amplifying the voices of Black women.

Shades of Strong ® | Redefining Strength, Rewriting Narratives, and Celebrating Authenticity Shirley Hubbard

    • Education
    • 4.8 • 43 Ratings

Welcome to the Shades of Strong Podcast, where we're on a mission to redefine the strength of Black women. Our journey began with the understanding that historically, Black women have been denied "permission" to prioritize their own care. Our needs were consistently pushed to the bottom of our endless to-do lists, leaving us feeling drained and undervalued. But that's all changing now.

If you're exhausted from the constant struggles, stress, and emotional overwhelm that come with carrying the world's burdens, you're not alone. Join us for empowering conversations, stories of resilience, and the celebration of authentic Black womanhood. In each episode, we dive deep into the issues that matter most to Black women, challenging stereotypes, and rewriting the narratives that have held us back for too long.

Our incredible guests, from diverse backgrounds, share their personal journeys, insights, and strategies for personal growth, offering a healing space for self-empowerment and the celebration of strength.

From navigating the workplace to embracing self-care, we cover it all. Tune in to be inspired, uplifted, and to connect with a community that understands your journey. Shades of Strong Podcast: Redefining strength, rewriting narratives, and amplifying the voices of Black women.

    Black Women Embracing Being Soft and Strong [A Summer of Encores]

    Black Women Embracing Being Soft and Strong [A Summer of Encores]

    My strong is soft, feminine, and receptive. 







    Long gone are the days when Black women are overextending and back bending all in the name of being strong, because contrary to poplular belief, Black women get to be be soft and strong. 









    Tap in to this week's encore episode for a conversation with Ivory Benneet on how she's one of many Black women embracing being soft and strong. 













    RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS,

    LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM





    Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group.



    Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today.









    Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo



    Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself.



    Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it.









    Join the My Strong Is global campaign by being a guest on the podcast.



    Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE



    Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.







                   

    • 48 min
    Tearing Down Emotional Walls [A Summer of Encores]

    Tearing Down Emotional Walls [A Summer of Encores]

    My strong is creating an emotioanlly safe space.







    One of the most harmful things about having emotional walls is missing out on great experiences with those you love and care about.  We build these walls with the hope of keeping harmful things out, not realizing that walls not only shut others out, they shut you in. 









    Tap in to this week's encore episode for a conversation on how you can protect yourself without building emotional walls.













    RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS,

    LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM





    Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group.



    Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today.









    Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo



    Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself.



    Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it.









    Join the My Strong Is global campaign by being a guest on the podcast.



    Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE



    Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.







                   

    • 35 min
    Black Women Ain't Out Here Angry For Nothing [A Summer of Encores]

    Black Women Ain't Out Here Angry For Nothing [A Summer of Encores]

    My strong is  "resolute and standing firmly in my truth" Angela Bassett. 







    They tell us to take risks – take lots of them. They tell us not to settle for mediocrity – fight for the life we want. So, we do! We fight with everything in us – not being easily intimidated. Not letting people walk all over us. We boldly speak up against unfairness and injustices in our personal and business lives.









    We have the audacity to sit at the table where we've rightfully earned our seats. We fought! We pushed! We refused to be silenced!







    And…now we've been labeled the ANGRY BLACK WOMAN. 



    Every Black woman in America has been called ANGRY at least once in her lifetime, but Black women ain't out here angry for nothing. Tap in to this week's encore episode as we shine a light on how the angry Black woman label originated, how it's  been used for centuries to silence us and why it's okay to be justifiably angry without fear of being judged.











    RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS,

    LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM





    Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group.



    Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today.









    Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo



    Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself.



    Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it.









    Join the My Strong Is global campaign by being a guest on the podcast.



    Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE



    Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitte...

    • 56 min
    Healing From the Pain and Trauma of Past Experiences [A Summer of Encores]

    Healing From the Pain and Trauma of Past Experiences [A Summer of Encores]

    My strong is  not strong all the time and I’m okay with that. I cry. I feel. I heal.



    Letting go of the past and healing from trauma is challenging in and of itself, but when the trauma is a result of unhealthy parental relationships, it becomes even more challenging.  In today's episode I chatted it up with Angela Roulette as she shared her journey of freeing herself from the emotional burdens that were keeping her stuck and preventing her from experiencing a life of peace and happiness. 



    Holding on to traumas of the past can be detrimental to your mental and emotinal well-being as evident in Angela's story, but there is hope if you can find the courage to do something about it. 



    Tap in to this week's encore episode to hear Angela's journey to healing from the pain and trauma of unhealthy paternal relationships and how that trauma spilled over into her romantic relationships.











    RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS,

    LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM





    Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group.



    Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today.









    Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo



    Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself.



    Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it.









    Join the My Strong Is global campaign by being a guest on the podcast.



    Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE



    Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and ca...

    • 35 min
    Unlearning People Pleasing Behavior [A Summer of Encores]

    Unlearning People Pleasing Behavior [A Summer of Encores]

    My strong is knowing what I bring to the table.



    Unlearning people pleasing behavior is challenging, not only because it's a part of the Black female's social fabric, but also because as Black women often existing in predominantly white spaces, pleasing others first is [undoubtedly] a survival mechanism. Hello code switching and shape shifting!



    The only way to unlearn what's been embedded in you is to love yourself the way you love others and to know with certainty what you're worth and what you bring to the table in whatever room you're in.



    Tap in to this week's encore episode to hear how we're taking steps everyday to say eff you to the expectations of whiteness and yes to pleasing ourselves even when it makes others uncomfortable.











    RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS,

    LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM





    Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group.



    Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today.









    Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo



    Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself.



    Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it.









    Join the My Strong Is global campaign by being a guest on the podcast.



    Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE



    Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

    • 37 min
    Be the Friend You Want to Experience [A Summer of Encores]

    Be the Friend You Want to Experience [A Summer of Encores]

    My strong is honoring the sacredness of friendships.



    Have you ever found yourself in the middle of friendhsip or sisterhood that suddenly became toxic? Are you able to accept responsibility for the role you played in it? 



    You don't have to answer that (outloud), but the truth is we all play a role (in one way or another) in the toxcity we sometimes find ourselves - even if that role is simply accepting the behavior.



    Tap in to this week's encore episode as we share our personal experiences of friendships gone wrong, how we recovered from them and how you can avoid the cattiness, betrayal, and judgment that sometimes creeps into our circles by simply being the friend you want to experience.











    RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU IN DOING LIFE WITH LESS STRESS,

    LESS WORRY, AND LESS EMOTIONAL OVERWHELM





    Come gather and grow with us in the SOS SAFE SPACES support group.



    Want to be a part of a community of Black women supporting Black women through the ebbs and flows of life? Come gather with us monthly to chat it up about all the things that concern us, while holding each other accountable with love — accountable for how we see ourselves, treat ourselves, walk through the world, and how we allow others to treat us. Join SOS SAFE SPACES today.









    Cultivate a daily practice of nurturing yourself with Nurture Yourself Bingo



    Nurturing yourself does not have to be difficult, but it does need to be consistent, so why not make it fun. Nurture Yourself Bingo is divided into five categories – one category per card. Each category has twenty-four activities to support you in a daily practice of nurturing yourself. All you need to do to get started is print the cards, laminate them, and start nurturing yourself.



    Do one activity daily, marking a X in the squares as you go until you get bingo. Once you get bingo, do something to celebrate yourself. If you get bingo on more than one card at the same time, up the celebration. Alternatively, you can work on one card at a time and/or do more than one activity a day. It’s your practice, do what feels right for you. Whatever you decide, we've got FIVE CATEGORIES & 124 WAYS for you to do it.









    Join the My Strong Is global campaign by being a guest on the podcast.



    Listener Survey: Share your feedback with us HERE



    Connect and share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and catch up with all things Shades of Strong at www.shadesofstrong.com.

    • 47 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
43 Ratings

43 Ratings

Tangee26 ,

Glad I said YES to Guarding Your Yes!

I had an excellent experience being on the most recent podcast, “Guarding Your Yes.” It was a pleasure conversing with Shirley. She had great questions for us to truly tap in and engage in a worthwhile discussion related to black women. We discussed as she said, “all the things,” that in this moment are impacting the lives of all women of color. I give thanks for holding space for her to listen and for others to listen too. So many of my cohorts, followers, and friends tuned in and had nothing but positive feedback for Shirley and I. I believe this podcast session alone touched many and I am excited what this movement, My strong is ___, will continue to do!

star31381 ,

Love this podcast!!

Thanks so much ladies!

BeStill84 ,

My sistahs , my tribe

Heeey Queens,

So I love you both so much. I can’t wait until God brings women like you all into my physical circle!! You both speak to my heart and I’m grateful God brought you both in my virtual life!I first fell in love with Shades Of Strong while listening to the episode-Behind the Mask of Angry Black Woman!! I now have an iPhone so I faithfully listen to you all on apple podcast!!!

My voice gets stronger and stronger with every episode I listen to!! I’ve been silent for waaaaaaaaay to long but not anymore!! Call me angry if you want ,so what!!!

Subscribe now!!! You won’t be disappointed!!!

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