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  • 6: Dascha Polanco on Loss, Love & Living Out Loud

    6: Dascha Polanco on Loss, Love & Living Out Loud
    2025/06/10
    In this unforgettable episode of grownwoman, award-winning actress and cultural force Dascha Polanco joins Shannon Allen for a powerful conversation about grief, identity, and unapologetic self-ownership. From her early days as a young Dominican immigrant juggling motherhood, multiple jobs, and education, to navigating Hollywood while holding onto her truth, Dascha opens up about the highs, lows, and healing that shaped her. She shares the heartbreaking loss of her soulmate, her creative rebirth as a songwriter, and the freedom she’s found in shedding shame. This isn’t a Hollywood fairytale - it’s a blueprint for becoming. Raw, radiant, and radically real, Dascha reminds us that owning your power is the glow-up. KEY POINTS 0:00 Dascha Polanco on Loss, Love & Living Out Loud 0:25 How her mother taught her that being poor didn’t mean being dirty. 08:12 Dascha’s early jobs, teen motherhood, and the fight for independence and education. 12:48 Losing her mother young, the urgency to live, and stepping into acting in life. 17:27 Acting as expression: Honoring her parents through her work. 21:25 Portraying “Daya”: Channeling her own lived experiences. 27:51 Asking for help, conducting brief, love, and music.usiness, and reclaiming confidence. 40:07 Honoring her late partner, Juan Abreu 55:06 Dascha on being a grown woman: boundaries, belief, and choosing yourself. QUOTES “You can be poor, but you don't have to be dirty. Soap and water [are] cheap. What you have can still be beautiful—it’s yours.” – Shannon Allen “Acting became a way for me to validate myself—and to validate my parents. Look what I’m doing with the life they gave me.” – Dascha Polanco “My worth is not negotiable. My boundaries are not negotiable. My grief does not make me any less powerful.” – Dascha Polanco GUEST RESOURCES Dascha Polanco IG | @sheisdash RESOURCES Shannon Allen Grown Website | https://www.grown.org/ IG | @swalkerwil 🌱 Stay Connected & Explore More 🔗 Visit the Grown Website⁠ Grown.org⁠ 📲 Follow Shannon on Instagram⁠ @swalkerwil⁠ 🎧 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
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    54 分
  • Facing 20 Years: What Rashmi Airan Learned About Guilt, Grace, and God

    Facing 20 Years: What Rashmi Airan Learned About Guilt, Grace, and God
    2025/06/05
    In this raw and revealing segment, Shannon sits down with Rashmi Airan, whose life was upended after being convicted of a white-collar crime she didn’t even realize she’d committed. Once a respected attorney and mother of two, Rashmi was sentenced to federal prison and given 60 days to prepare for one of the hardest chapters of her life. But instead of retreating into shame, she did something radical—she leaned into vulnerability. She reached out to 200 people who had shaped her life, asking for support, connection, and grace. What she received in return was something she never expected: community, love, and the unshakable truth that she was more than her worst moment. If you’ve ever felt like your mistakes disqualify you from healing or leading, this episode will remind you: your vulnerability is not your weakness—it’s your rebirth. GUEST RESOURCES Rashmi Airan IG | @rashmiairan RESOURCES Shannon Allen Grown Website | https://www.grown.org/ IG | @swalkerwil 🌱 Stay Connected & Explore More 🔗 Visit the Grown Website Grown.org 📲 Follow Shannon on Instagram @swalkerwil 🎧 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
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    10 分
  • 5: grownwoman Stories of Pain Turned into Purpose

    5: grownwoman Stories of Pain Turned into Purpose
    2025/06/03
    This special best-of episode brings together four extraordinary stories of transformation—each a powerful reminder that pain doesn’t get the last word. From Karen Guggenheim, who lost her husband in just five days to the flu and chose to build a global happiness movement in his memory, to CeCe Boozer, who found herself navigating the impossible while fighting for her son’s life and ultimately creating a path to healing through love, research, and radical action. From Rashmi Airan, a former attorney who went from being indicted and incarcerated to becoming a voice for accountability and redemption, to Darcey & Stacey Silva, who turned the loss of their brother into a fashion empire and a mission to honor his legacy with heart. These women didn’t just survive what broke them—they alchemized it into purpose, power, and platforms that continue to inspire. If you’ve ever wondered whether something beautiful can grow from your hardest moments, this episode will answer you loud and clear. KEY POINTS 1: From Grief to Growth, How Karen Guggenheim Reclaimed Her Happy 2: When Motherhood Calls for Radical Sacrifice: CeCe Boozer’s Story 3: What Prison Taught Rashmi Airan About Shame, Strength, and Starting Over 4: Silva Linings: The Grief, Grit and Glam That Followed Darcey & Stacey Silva RESOURCES Shannon Allen Grown Website | https://www.grown.org/ IG | @swalkerwil 🌱 Stay Connected & Explore More 🔗 Visit the Grown Website Grown.org 📲 Follow Shannon on Instagram @swalkerwil 🎧 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
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    21 分
  • Work That Honors the Women Who Raised Us with CeCe Boozer

    Work That Honors the Women Who Raised Us with CeCe Boozer
    2025/05/29
    Today, Shannon and CeCe Boozer explore what it means to be a builder—not just of businesses, but of spaces that care for people with dignity. From starting an assisted living facility as a “pet project” to creating homes for special needs adults, we hear how caregiving, entrepreneurship, and legacy intertwine when your work comes from lived experience. Whether it's watching loved ones struggle through the healthcare system or feeling the shift into empty-nest life, this conversation is an honest reflection on how nurturing doesn’t end when the kids grow up—it just finds new ground to grow in. Together, they unpack the emotional labor of being a daughter, a mother, and a leader in transition. And how, sometimes, doing something completely different is exactly what you're meant to do next. If you’re someone who feels called to build and care for people in ways the system won’t—this one will sit deep in your soul. GUEST RESOURCES CeCe Boozer IG | @3amigosmom RESOURCES Shannon Allen Grown Website | https://www.grown.org/ IG | @swalkerwil 🌱 Stay Connected & Explore More 🔗 Visit the Grown Website Grown.org 📲 Follow Shannon on Instagram @swalkerwil 🎧 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 Grown Woman on your favorite podcast platform. Grown Woman is produced by EPYC Media Network
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    6 分
  • 4: Silva Linings: The Grief, Grit and Glam That Followed Darcey & Stacey Silva

    4: Silva Linings: The Grief, Grit and Glam That Followed Darcey & Stacey Silva
    2025/05/27
    What does it mean to grieve deeply, love fully, and glow anyway? In this powerful homecoming episode, Shannon Allen sits down with her twin cousins Darcey and Stacey Silva, the dynamic forces behind House of Eleven and TLC’s 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days. This isn't just a reunion, it's a reckoning. Together, they reflect on their journey from small-town Connecticut to global television screens, opening up about the loss of their brother Michael, the lessons of motherhood, and the growing pains of love, business, and reality TV fame. This conversation is full of laughter, tears, and truth-telling as the sisters share the highs and heartbreaks behind their hustle. From flipping their dad’s house with no money to facing public scrutiny and personal transformation, Darcey & Stacey embody what it means to be bold, beautiful, and built for evolution. This isn’t just a story of resilience, it’s a reminder that even after loss, love can still lead the way. And when you’re a grownwoman, you don’t just survive - you rise, glow, and reclaim every piece of your power KEY POINTS 0:00 Introducing The Silva twins 04:15 Reflections on raising children and the next generation of entrepreneurial kids. 08:27 A childhood memory of selling household items to buy lunch. 13:03 Divorces, moving to LA, and the unexpected fashion and entertainment journey. 21:19 Creating the House of Eleven, in memory of Michael. 28:21 The leap from acting school to becoming reality TV stars. 31:21 On healing through vulnerability and letting fans into their real lives. 36:14 Vision for House of Eleven's global expansion. 38:07 Their unforgettable moment with Rihanna. 47:05 What it means to be a grown woman—Darcey and Stacey's definitions. QUOTES “Michael’s death—it was painful, but it’s never in vain. People will know his name.” “We were reenacting the scene when we found out our brother had cancer... Everybody was crying. They felt our emotion. That was our reality.” “Keep going. If he could fight, so can we. That’s where Silva Strong came from.” “We were always called ‘the twins.’ People never said ‘Stacey’ or ‘Darcey.’ We grew up thinking we were the same person until our twenties.” GUEST RESOURCES Darcey & Stacey Silva IG | @thesilvatwins House of Eleven IG | @houseofeleven RESOURCES Shannon Allen Grown Website | https://www.grown.org/ IG | @swalkerwil 🌱 Stay Connected & Explore More 🔗 Visit the Grown Website Grown.org 📲 Follow Shannon on Instagram @swalkerwil 🎧 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
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    49 分
  • Happiness Expert Reveals Survival Skill No One Talks About

    Happiness Expert Reveals Survival Skill No One Talks About
    2025/05/22
    In this heartfelt segment, we explore how gratitude can transform even the most overwhelming moments. Join Karen Guggenheim as she shares how leaning into thankfulness, embracing emotional resilience, and serving others have helped her navigate loss, pain, and uncertainty - offering a powerful reminder that gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's a lifeline. GUEST RESOURCES Karen Guggenheim IG | karenguggenheim 🌱 Stay Connected & Explore More 🔗 Visit the Grown Website Grown.org 📲 Follow Shannon on Instagram @swalkerwil 🎧 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 Grown Woman on your favorite podcast platform. Grown Woman is produced by EPYC Media Network
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    7 分
  • 3: What Prison Taught Rashmi Airan About Shame, Strength, and Starting Over

    3: What Prison Taught Rashmi Airan About Shame, Strength, and Starting Over
    2025/05/20
    What do you do when the life you’ve built—your career, your reputation, your identity—collapses overnight? In this unforgettable episode of grownwoman, Shannon sits down with Rashmi Airan, a former attorney and mother whose life took an unthinkable turn. One day, she was practicing law. The next, she was convicted of a federal crime she didn’t fully understand, sentenced to a year in prison, and left to face herself—and her truth. But Rashmi didn’t run. With only 60 days before reporting to prison, she chose to lean into the very thing most people avoid: vulnerability. She reached out to 200 people who had shaped her life. Not to defend her innocence, but to ask for their support and humanity. What she learned in that moment—and in the months that followed behind bars—was that accountability and grace can coexist. When you stop performing and start telling the truth, you don’t lose people—you find out who’s really with you. Now, Rashmi is reclaiming her voice and using her story to lead others through their own reckoning. Her upcoming book, Rise Through It, is a guide to healing, letting go of limiting beliefs, and embracing authenticity for anyone who’s ever felt broken by their choices but determined to come back whole. This isn’t just a story about failure. It’s about the power of falling apart on purpose—and rising as someone more honest, more grounded, and more whole than ever before. KEY POINTS 01:39 Rashmi shares her family background and Southeast Asian culture. 12:23 Rashmi reflects on immigrant experiences and the pressure to excel. 14:12 She discusses her career focus and path to becoming a lawyer. 32:17 Rashmi discloses her FBI investigation and legal troubles. 46:04 She shares her prison experience, insights, and personal growth. 1:00:10 Rashmi on her speaking engagements and upcoming book. QUOTES “I don't pretend to be something I'm not. I just am so honest and truthful about my life.” – Rashmi Airan “I wake up every day and remind myself I'm going to be a convicted felon until the pardon comes. But until I get the pardon, I'm going to be a convicted thug for the rest of my life.” – Rashmi Airan GUEST RESOURCES Rashmi Airan IG | @rashmiairan RESOURCES Shannon Allen Grown Website | https://www.grown.org/ IG | @swalkerwil 🌱 Stay Connected & Explore More 🔗 Visit the Grown Website Grown.org 📲 Follow Shannon on Instagram @swalkerwil 🎧 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
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    1 時間 7 分
  • 2: When Motherhood Calls for Radical Sacrifice - CeCe Boozer’s Story

    2: When Motherhood Calls for Radical Sacrifice - CeCe Boozer’s Story
    2025/05/13
    Welcome to grownwoman! In this episode, CeCe Boozer shares her extraordinary journey of motherhood, faith, and sacrifice. When doctors diagnosed her unborn son, Carmani, with sickle cell anemia, they told her what was best—but deep down, CeCe knew she had to take charge of his life. Following her mother’s intuition, she made the unthinkable decision to bear twins as donor matches to save him. Join CeCe and Shannon as they dive into the power of a mother’s instinct; why you are the expert on your child, not the medical system, and why listening to that inner voice is sometimes the difference between life and death. CeCe also opens up about the pressures of raising sons under the shadow of their famous NBA father, Carlos Boozer, how faith carried her through every challenge, and how her family’s health struggles led her to build assisted living facilities to help others. Listen in for an unforgettable story of resilience, sacrifice, and the power of a mother’s intuition. If you’ve ever had to stand firm in the face of doubt or fight for someone you love, this conversation is for you. KEY POINTS (02:15) CeCe openly shares her fear and vulnerability about her children leaving home. (04:57) CeCe shares her son’s sickle cell diagnosis and the life-changing decision to go through another pregnancy to be her son’s donors. (14:10) She reflects on supporting her children’s dreams and the values she hopes to instill. (30:25) Cece on serving others and maintaining humble, outward-thinking perspectives. (34:50) How CeCe credits her farm upbringing for the discipline and perseverance behind her success. (38:35) CeCe and Shannon discuss raising feminist sons who value and are respectful to women. (42:28) She discusses transitioning from hands-on parenting to a steady source of support as her kids grow. QUOTES “I had stopped saying to myself: ‘I have to do it.’ And I started saying: ‘I get to do it.’” – CeCe Boozer “Being a grown woman means that you encompass all of your founding principles, and that's different for everybody. For me – [it] is love, being a servant spirit, [and] family.” – CeCe Boozer “If your foundation isn't correct, then it doesn't matter what you build on top of it, it's all going to fall.” – CeCe Boozer GUEST RESOURCES CeCe Boozer IG | @3amigosmom RESOURCES Shannon Allen Grown Website | https://www.grown.org/ IG | @swalkerwil 🌱 Stay Connected & Explore More 🔗 Visit the Grown Website Grown.org 📲 Follow Shannon on Instagram @swalkerwil 🎧 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 Grown Woman on your favorite podcast platform. Grown Woman is produced by EPYC Media Network
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    52 分