Episodios

  • Who Are You Outside of the Roles Your Play

    Who Are You Outside of the Roles Your Play
    Jan 6 2026

    I’ve been sitting with this question lately: Who are you outside of the roles you’ve had to play?

    What do you say when someone asks, “Who are you?”

    Do you lead with “mother,” “caretaker,” “child of God,” “strong Black woman”?
    Do you find yourself naming all the things you do for everyone else… without naming you?

    Most of us have never been asked, “Who are you outside of the roles you’ve had to perform just to be accepted, or safe, or taken seriously?” And if we were asked, we wouldn’t even know where to begin.

    In this episode, Shirl reflects on a powerful video clip that cracked something open and got her asking herself that exact question.

    She talks about what happens when our identity gets built around survival, family expectations, and being the one who always holds it all together. And how slowly… silently… we start to disappear into the roles we’ve been praised for.

    Shirl also shares how this moment inspired the creation of her new storytelling series: 26 Black Women — a space to tell the truth about what being strong has cost us.

    If you’ve ever wondered who you are outside of who you’ve had to be, this one’s for you.

    Who Are You Outside of the Roles? Why the Question Still Hurts. What You’ll Hear In This Episode:

    • Why the question “Who are you?” is harder than it seems

    • How our stories are shaped by survival, not choice

    • What it means to tell the truth beyond the roles we play

    • Why Shirl created the 26 Black Women Storytelling Series

    • A soft invitation to tell your truth — out loud

    Submit your story for the 26 Black Women Storytelling Series → https://forms.gle/VsfFMjNjMt6eVLJp7

    Resources to Support You:
    • Schedule a 1:1 Support Session
    • Get the Guide: “You Know Your Support Language™—Now What?”
    • Take the Support Language™ Quiz. and learn how you actually receive support best.
    • Get Support Right in Your Inbox: Gentle words, real-life reflection, and soft reminders every week

    Let’s Stay Connected:

    • Subscribe to Shades of Strong on Apple Podcasts or your favorite platform
    • Share this episode with a sista who’s tired of being the strong one
    • Leave a review if the episode spoke to your spirit — it helps more Black women find this space
    • Join Shades of Strong on Substack for deeper convos that don’t always make it to the mic
    • Follow Shades of Strong on Instagram for daily reflections on what it means to be suppoted
    • Be a Guest on the Show
    • www.shadesofstrong.com

    Shirl is the creator of Support Languages™ and host of Shades of Strong® — a movement shifting the narrative from Strong Black Woman to Supported Black Woman™ through language, rest, and real support.
    Más Menos
    Menos de 1 minuto
  • 2025 Had Hands… But It Also Had Layers

    2025 Had Hands… But It Also Had Layers
    Dec 30 2025

    2025 had hands… but it also had layers. This 2025 reflection for Black women holds space for all of it — the joy, the grief, the growth, the tiredness that doesn’t always go away with sleep. In this season of goal-setting and high expectations, this episode offers something different: a pause.

    Because before we move into “new year energy,” there’s power in naming what this year truly held — not just what you survived, but what shaped you.

    In this deeply personal check-in, Shirl holds space for everything this year brought with it — the beauty, the heartbreak, the quiet resilience. It’s not a list of to-dos or a highlight reel. It’s a short conversation about what it means to survive a year that asked so much of you… and still show up with love in your heart.

    Just truth, reflection, and an invitation to lay some things down before you step into 2026.

    If you’ve been feeling unseen, unheld, or just plain tired, this episode with created with you in mind.

    In this episode, Shirl reflects on:

    • Why both the hard and the healing matter

    • The emotional cost of being “the strong one” again

    • The quiet things you might still be carrying into the new year

    • Five questions to help you release what no longer serves you

    • A reminder that you don’t have to earn rest, support, or peace

    Why We Needed This 2025 Reflection for Black Women

    This isn’t about pretending 2025 was easy — it wasn’t. But this 2025 reflection for Black women is about telling the truth about what it asked of you and how you kept showing up. It’s an honest, layered moment to release what you’re not taking into 2026.

    Resources to Support You:
    • Schedule a 1:1 Support Session
    • Get the Guide: “You Know Your Support Language™—Now What?”
    • Take the Support Language™ Quiz. and learn how you actually receive support best.
    • Get Support Right in Your Inbox: Gentle words, real-life reflection, and soft reminders every week

    Let’s Stay Connected:

    • Subscribe to Shades of Strong on Apple Podcasts or your favorite platform
    • Share this episode with a sista who’s tired of being the strong one
    • Leave a review if the episode spoke to your spirit — it helps more Black women find this space
    • Join Shades of Strong on Substack for deeper convos that don’t always make it to the mic
    • Follow Shades of Strong on Instagram for daily reflections on what it means to be suppoted
    • Be a Guest on the Show
    • www.shadesofstrong.com

    Shirl is the creator of Support Languages™ and host of Shades of Strong® — a movement shifting the narrative from Strong Black Woman to Supported Black Woman™ through language, rest, and real support.
    Más Menos
    Menos de 1 minuto
  • Don’t Forget to Put You on the List

    Don’t Forget to Put You on the List
    Dec 23 2025

    When it comes to holiday support for Black women, it often looks like doing everything for everyone else — with little space to be supported yourself.

    In this short but powerful Support Snippet, Shirl offers a tender nudge to come back to yourself. To stop waiting until everything’s done to take a breath. And to remember that being supported isn’t something you have to earn.

    If you’ve been running on fumes, putting everyone else first, or quietly holding a lot behind your smile — this one’s for you.

    What You’ll Hear in This Holiday Support Episode for Black Women

    • Why this time of year feels especially heavy for strong Black women

    • A reframe on what support actually looks like during the holidays

    • A quiet invitation to make room for you — even if just for five minutes

    Take This With You

    Support doesn’t have to be big, expensive, or aesthetic.
    It can be five quiet minutes.
    It can be saying no.
    It can be choosing you without guilt.

    Resources to Support You:
    • Schedule a 1:1 Support Session
    • Get the Guide: “You Know Your Support Language™—Now What?”
    • Take the Support Language™ Quiz. and learn how you actually receive support best.
    • Get Support Right in Your Inbox: Gentle words, real-life reflection, and soft reminders every week

    Let’s Stay Connected:

    • Subscribe to Shades of Strong on Apple Podcasts or your favorite platform
    • Share this episode with a sista who’s tired of being the strong one
    • Leave a review if the episode spoke to your spirit — it helps more Black women find this space
    • Join Shades of Strong on Substack for deeper convos that don’t always make it to the mic
    • Follow Shades of Strong on Instagram for daily reflections on what it means to be suppoted
    • Be a Guest on the Show
    • www.shadesofstrong.com

    Related Episodes

    • When Black Women Are Well, Everybody’s Well
    • When You’re All You’ve Got

    Shirl Hubbard is the creator of Support Languages™ and host of Shades of Strong® — a movement shifting the narrative from Strong Black Woman to Supported Black Woman™ through language, rest, and real support.
    Más Menos
    Menos de 1 minuto
  • Reclaiming Rest, Wellness, and Your Whole Self w/ Tara Pringle Jefferson

    Reclaiming Rest, Wellness, and Your Whole Self w/ Tara Pringle Jefferson
    Dec 16 2025
    Rest isn’t something we earn — it’s something we deserve. In this episode of Shades of Strong, I’m joined by writer and self-care coach Tara Pringle Jefferson, author of Bloom How You Must: A Black Woman’s Guide to Self-Care and Generational Healing, for a deeply nourishing conversation on reclaiming rest and wellness as a Black woman. Together, we unpack what it looks like to release the pressure to do it all and instead move toward wholeness — physically, emotionally, spiritually, and creatively. Tara shares the story of how she came to self-care through burnout, and how interviewing over 100 Black women helped her reimagine what support, joy, and spaciousness actually look like in our lives. We’re talking generational exhaustion, self-care as legacy, and the difference between surviving and truly being well. This one will breathe life into you if you’ve been feeling overextended, under-supported, or just plain tired of being “strong.” In this episode, we talk about: How Tara’s doctor literally prescribed her restWhat Bloom How You Must really means (and why the title matters)The quiet ways our mothers and grandmothers modeled self-careSeven dimensions of wellness every Black woman should considerWhy community care and self-care are not either/orHow to start listening to your body again (and completing the stress cycle)Stories from Tara’s interviews with 100 Black womenWhat reclaiming rest and wellness actually looks like in real life If you’re ready to stop just functioning and start flourishing, this episode is for you. Links and Resources Mentioned: Purchase Tara’s Book: Bloom How You Must Connect with Tara On Instagram. Join the Self-Care Suite Support this work: Loving what you’re hearing? Share this episode with a friend, rate the show, or tag me on social (@shadesofstrong) with your favorite moment. Other Ways to Be Supported: Schedule a 1:1 Support SessionGet the Guide: “You Know Your Support Language™—Now What?”Take the Support Language™ Quiz. and learn how you actually receive support best.Get Support Right in Your Inbox: Gentle words, real-life reflection, and soft reminders every week Let’s Stay Connected: Subscribe to Shades of Strong on Apple Podcasts or your favorite platform Share this episode with a sista who’s tired of being the strong one Leave a review if the episode spoke to your spirit — it helps more Black women find this spaceJoin Shades of Strong on Substack for deeper convos that don’t always make it to the micFollow Shades of Strong on Instagram for daily reflections on what it means to be supportedBe a Guest on the Showwww.shadesofstrong.com Related Episodes Finding Support in the PauseWhen Black Women Are Well, Everybody’s WellLearning How to Hold Yourself When Nobody Else Does Shirl Hubbard is the creator of Support Languages™ and host of Shades of Strong® — a movement shifting the narrative from Strong Black Woman to Supported Black Woman™ through language, rest, and real support.
    Más Menos
    Menos de 1 minuto
  • How We Friend: A Conversation About Support and Sisterhood w/Alyson Brown and Mia Brinson

    How We Friend: A Conversation About Support and Sisterhood w/Alyson Brown and Mia Brinson
    Nov 25 2025

    We talk a lot about what it means to be a good friend. But what happens when the support we’re giving doesn’t match what the other person actually needs?

    In this episode of Shades of Strong, I’m joined by best friends Alyson Brown and Mia Brinson for a heartfelt, unfiltered conversation about support in Black female friendships. From the challenges of being the “strong one” in your circle to the quiet grief of friendship breakups, this is a layered conversation about what it really means to show up — and be shown up for.

    Both Alyson and Mia took the Support Languages™ quiz and got Mindful Care — the language of intentional check-ins and nurturing presence. We explore how that plays out in real life, especially when friendships shift, stretch, or fall apart.

    Whether you’ve ever felt unseen in your friendships, questioned if you’re giving too much, or struggled to receive the love you so easily give… this episode is for you.

    In this episode, we talk about:

    • Why support can still miss the mark, even with good intentions

    • What Mindful Care looks like in real friendships

    • The grief and growth that come with friendship breakups

    • The role of communication, boundaries, and emotional capacity

    • Why knowing your friend’s Support Language matters more than you think

    • And what it looks like to be fully seen — and still fully loved

    Connect with Alyson Brown and Mia Brinson

    • Follow Alyson and Mia’s podcast, Navigating Sisterhood, on YouTube

    • Connect with Alyson and Mia on Instagram.

    Support this work:
    Loving what you’re hearing? Share this episode with a friend, rate the show, or tag me on social (@shadesofstrong) with your favorite moment.

    Other Ways to Be Supported:
    • Schedule a 1:1 Support Session
    • Get the Guide: “You Know Your Support Language™—Now What?”
    • Take the Support Language™ Quiz. and learn how you actually receive support best.
    • Get Support Right in Your Inbox: Gentle words, real-life reflection, and soft reminders every week

    Let’s Stay Connected:

    • Subscribe to Shades of Strong on Apple Podcasts or your favorite platform
    • Share this episode with a sista who’s tired of being the strong one
    • Leave a review if the episode spoke to your spirit — it helps more Black women find this space
    • Join Shades of Strong on Substack for deeper convos that don’t always make it to the mic
    • Follow Shades of Strong on Instagram for daily reflections on what it means to be supported
    • Be a Guest on the Show
    • www.shadesofstrong.com

    Related Episodes

    • Finding Support in the Pause
    • When Black Women Are Well, Everybody’s Well
    • Learning How to Hold Yourself When Nobody Else Does

    Shirl is the creator of Support Languages™ and host of Shades of Strong® — a movement shifting the narrative from Strong Black Woman to Supported Black Woman™ through language, rest, and real support.
    Más Menos
    Menos de 1 minuto
  • A Black Woman’s Dream, Delayed but Still Divine

    A Black Woman’s Dream, Delayed but Still Divine
    Nov 4 2025

    At 56 years old, I’m walking into a Black woman’s dream I’ve carried for decades — sitting in New York, preparing to speak with agents and an editor from one of the Big Five publishing houses… about my book.

    This moment didn’t come fast, but it came faithfully.
    And in this short, heartfelt episode, I’m reflecting on what it means to finally say yes to the calling — after years of wrestling, resisting, and wondering if it was too late.

    Because this isn’t just about publishing a book.
    It’s about legacy.
    It’s about healing.
    It’s about breaking patterns for every Black woman who’s ever whispered, “I don’t want to be strong anymore.”

    So if you’ve ever questioned the timing of your dream…
    If you’ve ever felt like you missed your moment…
    This episode is a gentle reminder that what’s for you is still for you.
    It may be delayed — but it is never denied.

    This is a Black woman’s dream.
    Delayed, yes.
    But still divine.

    Other Ways to Be Supported:
    • Schedule a 1:1 Support Session
    • Get the Guide: “You Know Your Support Language™—Now What?”
    • Take the Support Language™ Quiz. and learn how you actually receive support best.
    • Get Support Right in Your Inbox: Gentle words, real-life reflection, and soft reminders every week

    Let’s Stay Connected:

    • Subscribe to Shades of Strong on Apple Podcasts or your favorite platform
    • Share this episode with a sista who’s tired of being the strong one
    • Leave a review if the episode spoke to your spirit — it helps more Black women find this space
    • Join Shades of Strong on Substack for deeper convos that don’t always make it to the mic
    • Follow Shades of Strong on Instagram for daily reflections on what it means to be supported
    • Be a Guest on the Show
    • www.shadesofstrong.com

    Related Episodes

    • Finding Support in the Pause
    • When Black Women Are Well, Everybody’s Well
    • Learning How to Hold Yourself When Nobody Else Does

    Shirl is the creator of Support Languages™ and host of Shades of Strong® — a movement shifting the narrative from Strong Black Woman to Supported Black Woman™ through language, rest, and real support.
    Más Menos
    10 m
  • Have You Checked On Your Strong Friend?

    Have You Checked On Your Strong Friend?
    Oct 24 2025

    We say it all the time — check on your strong friend — but do we really know what that means?

    In this Support Snippet, Shirl goes deeper than the surface-level reminder and speaks directly to what it looks like when strong Black women go quiet. When the one who always holds everyone else down suddenly pulls back. When the “I’m fine” doesn’t really mean fine anymore.

    If you’re the strong one, or you love someone who is, this short but powerful episode will help you think differently about how support shows up, who it’s for, and what’s hiding in the silence after we stop over-functioning.

    Because here’s the truth:
    The strong friend gets tired too.
    And when she stops showing up the way she always has — it’s not drama.
    It’s a signal.

    In this episode, you’ll hear:

    • What it really means to check on your strong friend

    • Why many strong Black women feel invisible when they stop doing

    • The emotional weight of being “the dependable one”

    • How silence can signal the need for support

    • A gentle reminder that strong women deserve to be held too

    Whether you’ve been the strong friend, ignored the strong friend, or realized that you are the strong friend… this conversation is for you.

    Because shifting from being a strong Black woman to being a supported Black woman?
    That’s the real work.
    And it starts with noticing.

    Need space to unpack your own strong friend fatigue?

    Shirl is holding space for Black women who are ready to rest, reflect, and receive support without guilt.
    Book a 1:1 Support Session HERE.

    Other Ways to Be Supported:
    • Schedule a 1:1 Support Session
    • Get the Guide: “You Know Your Support Language™—Now What?”
    • Take the Support Language™ Quiz. and learn how you actually receive support best.
    • Get Support Right in Your Inbox: Gentle words, real-life reflection, and soft reminders every week

    Let’s Stay Connected:

    • Subscribe to Shades of Strong on Apple Podcasts or your favorite platform
    • Share this episode with a sista who’s tired of being the strong one
    • Leave a review if the episode spoke to your spirit — it helps more Black women find this space
    • Join Shades of Strong on Substack for deeper convos that don’t always make it to the mic
    • Follow Shades of Strong on Instagram for daily reflections on what it means to be supported
    • Be a Guest on the Show
    • www.shadesofstrong.com

    Related Episodes

    • Finding Support in the Pause
    • When Black Women Are Well, Everybody’s Well
    • Learning How to Hold Yourself When Nobody Else Does

    Shirl is the creator of Support Languages™ and host of Shades of Strong® — a movement shifting the narrative from Strong Black Woman to Supported Black Woman™ through language, rest, and real support.
    Más Menos
    6 m
  • Tired of Being the Strong One? The Hard Truth Behind Letting Go

    Tired of Being the Strong One? The Hard Truth Behind Letting Go
    Oct 21 2025
    Are you tired of being the strong one? The one everyone depends on but rarely checks in with? That’s what we’re getting into today… ewhat happens after you finally lay that weight down — when you stop over-functioning, stop fixing, stop pretending you’re okay… and the phone stops ringing. What happens when you finally stop?When you set the boundary? When you pause the all the doing? It’s quiet. But instead of peace, you’re sitting in discomfort. Maybe even grief.Because what shows up after the pause — that silence, that stillness — can feel personal. In this episode, I’m talking about the uncomfortable part of rest.The identity crisis that shows up when you’re no longer being needed every day.And the emotional shift that happens when you’ve built your worth on being dependable — and now you’re not sure who you are without it. If you’ve ever said, “I’m tired of being the strong one,” this episode will hit home. I’m diving into what it feels like to stop over-functioning, to rest, and to wrestle with who you are when being needed isn’t your identity anymore. If You’re Tired of Being the Strong One, Here’s What You’ll Hear: Why rest can feel like grief when your identity was built around being needed What it really feels like to stop over-functioning The weight of being invisible when you stop doing everything What the “but then what?” moment reveals about your support needs Why the pause is not failure — it’s the beginning of your becoming If you’ve been asking yourself: Who am I if I’m not the strong one anymore? Why do I feel so off when I finally rest? What if nobody notices I’ve stopped showing up? This episode is for you. And if you’re sitting in that “but then what?” space — and it feels like too much to carry alone, let me hold space for you in a 1:1 Support Session. These sessions aren’t about fixing. They’re about slowing down and making room for the version of you who’s ready to be held too. Book Your Support Session HERE . Other Ways to Be Supported: Schedule a 1:1 Support SessionGet the Guide: “You Know Your Support Language™—Now What?”Take the Support Language™ Quiz. and learn how you actually receive support best.Get Support Right in Your Inbox: Gentle words, real-life reflection, and soft reminders every week Let’s Stay Connected: Subscribe to Shades of Strong on Apple Podcasts or your favorite platform Share this episode with a sista who’s tired of being the strong one Leave a review if the episode spoke to your spirit — it helps more Black women find this spaceJoin Shades of Strong on Substack for deeper convos that don’t always make it to the micFollow Shades of Strong on Instagram for daily reflections on what it means to be supportedBe a Guest on the Showwww.shadesofstrong.com Related Episodes Finding Support in the PauseWhen Black Women Are Well, Everybody’s WellLearning How to Hold Yourself When Nobody Else Does Shirl is the creator of Support Languages™ and host of Shades of Strong® — a movement shifting the narrative from Strong Black Woman to Supported Black Woman™ through language, rest, and real support.
    Más Menos
    10 m
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_DT_webcro_1694_expandible_banner_T1