Episodes

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...

What if the thing holding you back isn’t your circumstances — it’s the story you keep telling yourself about your circumstances? Dr. Brandy Peer has spent her career inside that question — and built an entire practice around helping women answer it, dismantle it, and move. In this episode of Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation, Deneen L. Garrett sits down with Dr. Brandy Peer — CEO of BMPowered Consulting, LLC, Identity Architect, speaker, and consultant who has dedicated her career to dis...

She arrived in the U.S. at 27. Never been on a plane. Left her entire family in India. Faked her accent so no one would notice where she came from. Worked harder than anyone in the room — and learned the hard way that hard work without a voice is invisible. Dr. Charu Chopra is a physical therapist of 17 years. For the past 7+, 100% of her patients have been women. She specializes in pelvic floor and breast rehab therapy — and she is one of the most honest, direct voices in women’s health workin...

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...

Deneen L. Garrett is joined by internationally recognized advocate and empowerment coach Kalyn Fahie for a powerful conversation on money, safety, and rebuilding self-trust. Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation — a 100 Best Women’s Empowerment Podcast — continues its LIVE era by exploring what financial power truly means for women who are rebuilding their lives, identities, and futures. In this episode, Kalyn shares the deeper framework behind “Money as Safety” — and how women, particularl...

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 189 In this powerful conversation, Cultural Producer and Artrepreneur Dontae T. Muse joins Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation to explore his journey through creativity, community, and legacy-building in Black art. Dontae shares how getting fired became his catalyst for stepping into purpose, how he built Above Art Studios into a cultural home for creatives, why documenting knowledge became part of his mission, and how he is shaping the future through his roles at the Harlem Fine ...

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...

You Don’t Have to Burn Out to Win: Brandi Hudson’s Blueprint for Soul-Aligned Success Episode 186 ✨ In this powerful episode of Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation, host Deneen L. Garrett sits down with Brandi Hudson, Founder of The Happiest Place Podcast, for a raw and uplifting conversation about redefining success, protecting your peace, and leading with intention. Brandi shares her journey from burnout to brilliance—offering tangible insights for Women of Color ready to live and lead f...

You Don’t Have to Burn Out to Win: Brandi Hudson’s Blueprint for Soul-Aligned Success Episode 186 ✨ In this powerful episode of Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation, host Deneen L. Garrett sits down with Brandi Hudson, Founder of The Happiest Place Podcast, for a raw and uplifting conversation about redefining success, protecting your peace, and leading with intention. Brandi shares her journey from burnout to brilliance—offering tangible insights for Women of Color ready to live and lead f...

Back Yourself: The Power of Standing in Your Truth ~ with Lildonia Lawrence Episode 185 🎧 Episode Summary: In this powerful and affirming episode, I’m joined by well-being coach and activist Lildonia Lawrence, as we explore the vital themes of backing oneself, standing in one’s truth, and embracing rest as resistance. Through her lived experiences and deep work with BIPOC communities, Lildonia shares how identity suppression, racial trauma, and systemic inequities impact well-being — and how re...

🚀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...

REST. REFUSE. RECLAIM.™️ The Blueprint for Boundaries, Wealth & Unapologetic Living Episode 183 In this transformative episode of Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation, we explore the revolutionary power of rest, boundaries, and financial freedom. Black women have long been conditioned to equate worth with productivity, but this conversation is about shifting the narrative—because rest is resistance, boundaries are power, and wealth is reclamation. 💬 "Rest is not a luxury—it’s a revolution....

Hollywood’s Gatekeepers Are Changing ~ How Black Women Are Taking Over Media with Ashley King Episode 165 The entertainment industry is shifting, but for Black women and other marginalized creators, success isn’t about waiting for an invitation—it’s about building your own table. In this powerful episode of Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation, casting director and entrepreneur Ashley King shares the realities of Hollywood, the power of self-initiative, and why community is the key to break...

🎙️ Unstoppable Grit: Tashana’s Journey from Military Jumps to Bodybuilding Glory 💪🏾🔥 Episode 182 🚀 What does it take to go from jumping out of planes to dominating the bodybuilding stage? In this episode, I sit down with Tashana, one of the Ambitious Women from Kris' Krew, an Army Airborne veteran turned 8X all-natural bikini bodybuilding champion, to uncover the grit, mindset, and resilience that fueled her transformation. 💡 Inside this episode: ✅ The mental toughness & discipline that took he...