Black Women Amplified Podcast

<p><strong>Black Women Amplified</strong></p><p>Season 8 of <em>Black Women Amplified</em> begins with reflection, gratitude, and a powerful theme for the conversations ahead.</p><p>In this opening episode, host Monica Wisdom thanks the community that helped grow the podcast into a global platform reaching more than <strong>2 million views and listens</strong>, over <strong>7,000 YouTube subscribers</strong>, and a network of more than <strong>48,000 women connected through social media</strong>.</p><p>What began as a simple idea to create a space where the stories, wisdom, and lived experiences of Black women could be heard has grown into something much larger. Black Women Amplified has become a platform for thoughtful conversations about leadership, identity, purpose, and the realities women navigate while building their lives and careers.</p><p>Season 8 introduces a new theme: <strong>She Moves Different</strong>.</p><p>Across industries and communities, women are navigating major shifts. Jobs are changing. Entire sectors are restructuring. Cultural and political changes are creating new uncertainty about the future.</p><p>For women who have spent years building careers, businesses, families, and communities, this moment can feel both challenging and transformative.</p><p>Instead of focusing on simply surviving these changes, this season explores what it means to <strong>thrive through them</strong>.</p><p>That means becoming comfortable with who we are now. Not who we once were, and not who others expected us to be. It means setting new boundaries, aligning our lives with our values, and moving forward with clarity and intention.</p><p>Throughout Season 8, Monica will host thoughtful conversations with women who are charting their own paths, redefining leadership, and living in alignment with their purpose.</p><p>Women who are navigating change with intention.</p><p>Women who <strong>move differently</strong>.</p><p>In This Episode</p><ul><li>Reflecting on the growth of <em>Black Women Amplified</em> and the community that made it possible</li><li>Celebrating more than <strong>2 million listens and views</strong> across platforms</li><li>Introducing the Season 8 theme: <strong>She Moves Different</strong></li><li>Discussing the cultural and economic shifts impacting women today</li><li>Exploring the importance of clarity, boundaries, and intentional living during times of change</li><li>Setting the stage for conversations with women who are building new paths and redefining leadership</li></ul><p>About the Podcast</p><p><em>Black Women Amplified</em> is a global podcast hosted by Monica Wisdom featuring thoughtful conversations with women across business, culture, science, and the arts. Each episode explores leadership, reinvention, identity, and the power of women’s stories.</p><p>Follow the Conversation</p><p>Subscribe to the podcast and share this episode with a woman who may be navigating her own next chapter.</p>

<p>Vanessa Riley on Fire, Sword, and Sea, Women Pirates, Caribbean History, and Reinvention</p><p>In this episode, I sit down with bestselling historical fiction author <strong>Vanessa Riley</strong> while she is on tour for her powerful new novel, <em>Fire, Sword, and Sea</em>.</p><p>We go deep.</p><p>We talk about women pirates in the Caribbean, hidden history, the real cost of piracy, the sugar economy, and how the transatlantic slave trade shaped the world we are still living in. Vanessa shares the extensive research behind the novel, from Port Royal Jail to colonial archives, and how she brings erased stories back to life.</p><p>We also talk about her personal journey. From earning a PhD in mechanical engineering at Stanford University to becoming a twenty-nine-time published author. The pivots. The discipline. The courage. The craft.</p><p>This is a conversation about history, identity, moral choice, love as survival, and what it means to tell stories that were almost lost.</p><p>If you love historical fiction, Caribbean history, women pirates, or conversations about reinvention and creative success, this episode is for you.</p><p><strong>About Vanessa Riley</strong></p><p>Vanessa Riley is an acclaimed historical fiction author known for novels including <em>Island Queen</em>, a Good Morning America Buzz Pick, and <em>Queen of Exiles</em>, an ABC View Lit Pick. She was honored as the 2024 Georgia Mystery and Detective Author of the Year for <em>Murder in Drury Lane</em> and the 2023 Georgia Literary Fiction Author of the Year for <em>Sister Mother Warrior</em>.</p><p>Her work has been praised by The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Publishers Weekly, and The New York Times.</p><p>With more than twenty-five novels to her name, Vanessa combines rigorous historical research with immersive storytelling rooted in the Caribbean, Georgian, and Regency eras. She is also an advocate for diverse voices and Sickle Cell Anemia awareness.</p><p><strong>In This Episode We Discuss</strong></p><p>• Fire, Sword, and Sea book tour </p><p>• Jacquotte Delahaye and women pirates in the Caribbean </p><p>• Port Royal Jail and the real history of piracy</p><p> • The sugar economy and colonial wealth</p><p> • Early forms of enslavement before the transatlantic slave trade </p><p>• Caribbean history and its connection to American history</p><p> • Writing historical fiction with modern language </p><p>• Vanessa Riley’s journey from Stanford engineer to bestselling novelist </p><p>• Publishing over twenty-five books</p><p>• Reinvention and choosing passion over expectation</p><p></p><p></p><p>Vanessa Riley interview, Fire Sword and Sea podcast, Women pirates, Caribbean history, Jacquotte Delahaye, Historical fiction author interview, Black women historical fiction writers, Caribbean piracy history, Stanford engineer turned author, Season 8 Episode 160 podcast, Historical fiction podcast episode</p>

<p>There is a lot happening right now. Culturally. Politically. Personally. And if we are not intentional, the noise will start shaping our reactions, our boundaries, and even our identity.</p><p>In this episode of <strong>Black Women Amplified</strong>, I sit down with Legacy Healing Strategist and founder of Shaping Freedom<strong>, Lisane Basquiat</strong>, for a grounded conversation about boundaries, balance, focus, and leadership in uncertain times.</p><p>This is not a surface conversation about self-care. This is about clarity. Discipline. And protecting your energy without losing yourself.</p><p>Lisane is a board-certified NLP Master Practitioner and teacher, certified professional coach, former corporate executive, and entrepreneur. She also serves as steward of her late brother Jean-Michel Basquiat’s estate, carrying one of the most significant artistic legacies of our time while continuing to build her own work and voice.</p><p>What stands out in this conversation is her steadiness. She understands that boundaries are not emotional reactions. They are strategic decisions. And balance is not passive. It is intentional.</p><p>In this episode, we explore:</p><ul><li>Is balance realistic in a world that feels upside down?</li><li>The hidden cost of over-accessibility in leadership and public life.</li><li>Why focus is a discipline in a distracted culture.</li><li>Listening as a practice, not a performance.</li><li>The impact of inherited family patterns on how we say yes and no.</li><li>How to remain whole while navigating visibility and responsibility.</li></ul><p>If you have ever felt stretched thin, overly responsible, or pulled in too many directions, this episode will resonate.</p><p>This conversation is about staying steady when everything feels loud.</p><p><strong>Learn More</strong></p><p>Lisane will also be hosting an upcoming virtual intensive focused on identifying inherited patterns that shape how we respond and set boundaries.</p><p><strong>For more information about her work and upcoming offerings, visit:</strong></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.shapingfreedom.com"><strong>www.shapingfreedom.com</strong></a></p>

In this episode of Black Women Amplified, we sit down with Jayne Allen, the bestselling author of the acclaimed Black Girls Must trilogy, a series that has captured the hearts of readers around the world. Jayne shares her journey from Harvard-trained attorney to bestselling novelist, turning her brilliance, purpose, and creativity into a powerful storytelling career.<br /><br />You will hear about her collaboration with Malcolm D. Lee, the visionary filmmaker behind The Best Man franchise, and what it was like joining forces to expand one of the most beloved stories in Black culture into a new literary experience. Jayne also opens up about what is next in the Jayne Allen Universe, from new projects to empowering the next generation of authors through her education platform, Book Genius.<br /><br />This conversation is for every Black woman who is ready to own her story, claim her voice, and build a legacy rooted in creativity and courage. In this episode, you will hear:<ul><li>Jayne’s journey from Harvard Law to bestselling author</li><li>The creative collaboration with Malcolm D. Lee on The Best Man book series</li><li>How she built the Black Girls Must Die Exhausted trilogy into a global phenomenon</li><li>The business and purpose behind her storytelling empire</li><li>Insights into Book Genius and how she helps aspiring authors navigate publishing</li><li>What is next in the Jayne Allen Universe</li></ul>About Jayne Allen:<br />Jayne Allen is the bestselling author of Black Girls Must Die Exhausted, Black Girls Must Be Magic, Black Girls Must Have It All, and The Most Wonderful Time. She is also the co-author of The Best Man book series, inspired by the beloved film and television franchise created by Malcolm D. Lee.<br /><br />A graduate of Duke University and Harvard Law School, Jayne is the founder of Book Genius, where she helps authors master the art and business of publishing. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Essence, Good Morning America, USA Today, and more.<br /><br />🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream your favorite shows.<br />Visit BlackWomenAmplified.com<br /><br />Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/black-women-amplified--6590667/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss">https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/black-women-amplified--6590667/support</a>.

Stephanie Perry is a force of nature. What started as her personal leap of faith to move abroad has grown into a global movement of nearly 30,000 Black women redefining what freedom looks like. In this inspiring episode of Black Women Amplified, we dive into Stephanie’s story,  from house-sitting across continents to co-founding the powerful ExodUS Summit, a worldwide community helping Black women create sustainable lives overseas.<br /><br />This conversation is an invitation to dream bigger, live bolder, and take your place in the world. We explore what it means to live abroad with intention and how to build the mindset, systems, and income streams that make global freedom possible. In this episode, we discuss:<ul><li>How Stephanie supported herself while house-sitting full-time across multiple countries</li><li>What it really takes to transition from a nomadic lifestyle to planting roots in Bogotá</li><li>How ExodUS Summit helps women earn money online, retire early, and sustain a life abroad</li><li>The mental, emotional, and practical preparation needed to thrive overseas</li></ul>This isn’t just about moving away. It’s about expanding your vision, reclaiming your time, and living life on your own terms anywhere in the world.<br /><br /> 🌐 Join the Movement:<br />Over 1,500 women have already registered for ExodUS Summit, happening virtually October 10–13.<br /><br />If you’re ready to learn how to fund your freedom and design a sustainable life overseas, this is where your journey begins. 🎟 Sign up at: <a href="http://www.blackwomenamplified.com/freedom">www.blackwomenamplified.com/freedom</a><br /><br />Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/black-women-amplified--6590667/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss">https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/black-women-amplified--6590667/support</a>.