What if one new thing each month could change the way you think, work, pray, and lead? We invited author, entrepreneur, and fourth-generation business owner Shonda Scott to share the real story behind Give Me A Year and the 12 New Things movement—how small, bold choices create outsized change when backed by faith and follow-through.

Shonda takes us inside the open ocean, where a cause-driven swim turned into a spiritual and mental reckoning. Even as a seasoned swimmer, she met fear in deep water and found a path forward through prayer, focus, and the quiet confidence that comes from doing hard things on purpose. From there, we zoom into everyday tactics: micro-shifts that lower friction—blocking the gym on your calendar, putting on your workout clothes first thing, journaling your progress, asking friends to keep you honest. Each tool anchors a mindset built on hope and action rather than perfection.

We also get practical about entrepreneurship and career pivots in uncertain times. Shonda talks profit with purpose, why passion without a revenue plan is just a hobby, and how to spot the opportunities hiding in a changing market. Her best advice for women walking into high-stakes rooms: stop watching yourself and start serving the work. You earned your seat—now use it to build value and community. Along the way, we explore legacy, from infrastructure projects that outlive us to stories that help the next generation embrace process over instant outcomes.

Ready to give yourself a year and see who you become? Press play, pick your first new thing, and tell us what you’re committing to this month. If this conversation moved you, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can discover the show.

Send us a text with your thoughts, feedback, or questions for the host!

Today on I’ll Just Let Myself In, I’m sitting down with two women I truly love in real life — Porsha Love and Anike, the dynamic duo behind HLY GIRLS. They’re here to share the heart and process behind their newest project, Good News No Gossip — a fresh, uplifting, joy-filled offering to the Christian Hip-Hop space.

We talk women in CHH, the reality of friendship behind the scenes, and what it looked like to create and roll out this album while Anike was pregnant and welcoming new life into the world.

We also get into:

•The intentional joy and humor in their music

•How they guard their hearts + platforms in a culture addicted to gossip and negativity

•What real sisterhood looks like when no cameras are on

•And yes… we talk about the voicemail feature moments with Lecrae, 1K Phew, myself (period!), and others who carry impact in CHH.

This episode is soft, honest, and full of GOOD NEWS.

No gossip — just grace, creativity, and God’s joy on display.

⸻

🎧 LISTEN TO GOOD NEWS NO GOSSIP:

(Insert streaming link)

FOLLOW THE HLY GIRLS:

Porsha Love — @porshalove

Anike — @itsanike

FOLLOW + SUBSCRIBE TO LISH SPEAKS:

@lishspeaks on all platforms

Podcast also airing on Holy Culture Radio, Sirius XM Channel 140.

⸻

If this conversation blessed you, comment “GOOD NEWS ONLY” and share this with a sister who needs encouragement today. 💛

#GoodNewsNoGossip #LishSpeaks #HLYGirls #CHH #WomenInCHH #HolyCulture #I’llJustLetMyselfIn

Send us a text with your thoughts, feedback, or questions for the host!

Change showed up with its own timeline and dared me to loosen my grip. I thought Atlanta was the plan—family nearby, a ministry role I fought to earn, momentum building, and a life that finally felt settled. Then a work policy shift pulled us back to the Northeast, and I had to face the hardest truth of transition: if I refuse the shift, I choose to stall my destiny. What followed is a story about grief, obedience, and a surprising wave of new opportunities that proved fear can blind you to blessings standing right in front of you.

I go deep on the heart-work behind moving from abundance rather than scarcity, and how “let a dead thing be dead” became a necessary mantra. We talk about supporting a spouse without manipulation, setting down the need to understand before trusting, and why consistency travels—do the last thing God told you to do until He clearly changes the assignment. Along the way, I share the scriptures that steadied my steps: Isaiah 43:19 for rivers in deserts, Jeremiah 29:11 for plans and peace, Romans 8:28 for the slow weave of good, Proverbs 3:5–6 to stop leaning on my logic, and Deuteronomy 31 for courage in the unknown. The theme is simple and stubborn: no transition, no destiny.

If you’re navigating a move, a job change, a breakup, or a new calling, this conversation will help you release what ended, bless who can’t go with you, and walk forward with clear eyes. We unpack practical rhythms for staying grounded—doubling down on the Word, widening context beyond a verse of the day, and measuring fruit instead of familiarity. Favor isn’t tied to a zip code; it’s tied to obedience. Lean in with me, and let’s watch God make straight paths out of roads that looked impossible yesterday.

If this resonated, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who’s in transition. Then tell me what you’re letting go of—and what new doors you’re ready to walk through.

Send us a text with your thoughts, feedback, or questions for the host!

The moments that test you most often happen in plain sight: a friend books the role you wanted, a residual check reads one cent, and the phone stays quiet after a big win. Today we sit with actor and creator Atika Greene to unpack what it really takes to keep going when your timeline doesn’t match your talent. From Brooklyn grit to Hollywood realities, we get honest about comparison, craft, and the courage to work in between the work.

Atika shares how theater roots and improv training shaped her approach to “no small roles,” including the mindset behind turning a single line into a memorable beat. We dig into audition strategy and character prep you can actually use—reading context, mapping the who/what/why, and moving the story with intention. We also talk transparently about choosing sobriety beyond a trend. After a dry month stretched past 200 days, Atika breaks down the clarity, social shifts, and confidence that came from networking without a crutch. If you’ve ever felt like you needed a drink to belong in the room, her insights will meet you where you are.

We challenge a major myth: reps aren’t saviors. Agents and managers matter, but they won’t do 100% of the job. Your career moves when you move it—by building proof on social media, pitching yourself, stacking small wins, and staying visible when the buzz dips. We explore the long game too: sci‑fi dreams, Black futures on screen, and writing or producing your own lanes when gatekeepers stall. If imposter syndrome has been loud, you’ll leave with a calmer plan: ten sentences after a long shift, one improv class, a month of posting your craft, and a commitment to keep showing up.

If this conversation fuels you, subscribe, share it with a creative who needs a push, and leave a review to help more people find the show. Your next door might be closer than you think—keep knocking.

Send us a text with your thoughts, feedback, or questions for the host!

In this episode of I’ll just let myself in, I sit down with filmmaker, writer, and actress @segengenesis — one half of the powerhouse creative duo behind the film 7 Miles From Forever, now streaming on Tubi.

Segen and her husband, @richlowebush, not only wrote, directed, and starred in the film, but also brought their shared vision and chemistry to life on screen. In this conversation, Segen opens up about their creative partnership, the process of independent filmmaking, and what it takes to tell stories that truly connect with audiences.

If you love indie films, storytelling, and real conversations with artists shaping culture — this episode is a must-watch.

📲 Follow them on Instagram:
@segengenesis
@richlowebush

Subscribe for more interviews with inspiring voices in film, media, and culture.

#SegenGenesis #RichLoweBush #7MilesFromForever #Tubi #WomenInFilm #BlackFilmmakers #IndieFilm #Storytelling #LishSpeaks #CreativeJourney #BlackWomenInFilm #PowerCouple

Send us a text with your thoughts, feedback, or questions for the host!

Two sisters trace a life of faith, responsibility, health scares and hilarity, showing how honest boundaries and everyday courage reshape identity and family. We walk through eldest-daughter expectations, real reconciliation with parents, and the quiet power of being invited in.

• why the show exists and how confidence is built
• eldest-daughter weight versus freedom to just be
• sorting real responsibility from perceived burden
• faith detours, desert years and messy return
• hospital nights, resilience and choosing joy
• turning forty, homeownership and hard finances
• long friendships, adult sisterhood and expectations
• healing with parents through humility and truth
• legacy, laughter and letting yourself in

If you're listening from Holy Culture, Sirius XM Station 140 on a Monday night at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, we thank you for being there
If you're watching on Holy Culture's YouTube, thank you for watching there
If you happen to be on my YouTube, Lish Speaks, thank you for watching here and make sure that you subscribe. Subscribe. Subscribe. Subscribe. Period
If you're listening on a podcast app, please leave a review. Please go ahead and rate us five stars, thumbs up, all the things. These things help to push the podcast out in the algorithm and allow more like-minded people to find our content. Most of all, what you can do to help us out the most is send this directly to someone who you think will benefit from it, who you think will enjoy it, who you think will be blessed by it

Send us a text with your thoughts, feedback, or questions for the host!

We sit with AJ, a 25-year-old candidate for Georgia Secretary of State, to talk youth, service, voting rights, and why this “back office” role shapes business, licensing, and fair elections. Faith, family, and HBCU roots ground a campaign built on intentional service and practical reform.

• what the Georgia Secretary of State actually does for elections, commerce, licensing, and securities
• how AJ’s family and HBCU experience built confidence and purpose
• the Lifeline Initiative model and why “toxic charity” fails communities
• the 2020 absentee ballot challenge and the mechanics of voter suppression
• why primaries and general elections both matter in 2026
• a service-first philosophy: listened-first leadership and integrity
• legacy as intentional service, not photo ops
• where to learn more, volunteer, and support the campaign

Subscribe to Lish Speaks on YouTube—70% of you watch but aren’t subscribed. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss anything

Send us a text with your thoughts, feedback, or questions for the host!

Have you ever wondered why your spiritual gifts aren't translating into the success you envision? The missing piece might be simpler than you think.

In this enlightening conversation with attorney, entrepreneur, and speaking coach Ashley Kirkwood, we uncover the critical relationship between divine gifts and deliberate skill development. Ashley shares her remarkable journey from a struggling undergraduate student with a criminal record to becoming a Northwestern Law graduate and successful business owner, revealing how both faith and focused skill-building shaped her path.

"Even Jesus, who's literally Jesus, didn't go straight into itinerant ministry," Ashley points out. "He perfected a skill. He was a carpenter." This powerful perspective challenges our tendency to rush into our calling without proper preparation. The divine gifts we receive must be paired with developed skills to create sustainable success.

Ashley doesn't just inspire—she provides practical insights on determining your expertise, packaging your knowledge into sellable offers, and distinguishing between spiritual gifts and marketable skills. She candidly discusses her experience balancing motherhood with entrepreneurship, setting standards that won't be compromised, and building confidence that changes lives.

Whether you're struggling to monetize your talents, feeling stalled in your growth, or simply sensing there's a gap between your potential and your results, this episode offers both spiritual wisdom and strategic guidance. The message is clear: calm down, write that vision, and then get to work developing the skills that will bring it to life. Your supernatural breakthrough may be waiting on your natural preparation.

Send us a text with your thoughts, feedback, or questions for the host!