There is something both terrifying and exciting about pressing reset in life. It might be switching careers, ending a relationship, or having a baby that makes your chest tighten and tells you, I can’t do this.
But you can, and you can reinvent yourself to become stronger. On Safe Place for Brown Girls, Dshawn Russell shared her story and showed how moments of change can reveal strength, clarity, and purpose you never knew you had.
Below is a sneak peek of what you’ll hear in our conversation in episode 23 of the podcast.
Making the Leap and Making It Right
Dshawn’s journey is full of bold decisions. From launching Southern Elegance Candle Company after a career in education to starting over after a divorce at fifty, her life has been shaped by major pivots.
As she wisely said, sometimes you have to make a decision and then make it the right one.
We often wait for the perfect choice and get stuck in fear of making a mistake. But life is rarely perfect. Most decisions must be made with the information you have at the moment.
Dshawn shared that living in a small town meant her options as an entrepreneur looked very different from someone in a big city. Rather than seeing those limits as obstacles, she made choices that fit her life and then worked to make them succeed.
Facing the Fear of the Unknown
Fear often keeps us from making big moves, even when we feel stuck or unhappy. Her advice is simple: do it scared.
There will never be a time when every variable is in your favor or every outcome is clear. Playing it safe keeps you stagnant, but growth requires risk and the courage to pursue what feels right for you.
Building Confidence and Trusting Yourself
Trusting yourself begins with letting go of criticism and comparison. It is easy to measure your life against others who have different resources, relationships, or opportunities.
Dshawn recommends valuing your own achievements and making decisions based on your circumstances, not someone else’s. Confidence does not mean always being right.
It means trusting that even if you make a mistake, you can adapt and make it right.
“I always trust the decisions that I make. Even if I make a bad one, I trust myself enough that I am going to fix it,” Dashawn said.
Faith in your ability to adapt is the real source of empowerment.
Reframing Failure as Growth
Dshawn sees failure not as a verdict on your worth but as a chance to redirect and learn.
When things do not go as planned, you have the opportunity to reassess, adjust, and move forward. Every step is part of growth, and every pivot is a path to new opportunities.
Change is not only possible, it is necessary.
Dshawn’s journey shows that every woman can reinvent her life, even when it feels risky or scary. Take bold steps, trust your intuition, and make decisions that are right for you.
Listen to episode 23 of Safe Place for Brown Girls and get inspired to take the next step to reinvent yourself.
Connect with Dashawn Russell through Southern Elegance Candle Company and check out her upcoming podcast, Grit and Good Sense, where she’ll dive deeper into resilience, growth, and thriving through change.