As I welcomed the luminary Chanelle to the microphone, we traversed the heartfelt paths woven by the narratives within "She Said Yes." Our exchange paid homage to the tapestry of life experiences shared by a chorus of women, each narrative a beacon of hope and healing for listeners far and wide. Chanelle, the architect of this anthology, illuminated the intricacies of crafting a project that echoes with authenticity,
Chanelle Wesley Coleman graced us with her insights, painting a vivid picture of the artful dance between branding and storytelling under the "She Said Yes" spotlight. Her strategic finesse in designing platforms for each woman's story to shine forth threw into sharp relief the raw courage required to bare one’s truths. Our conversation explored the delicate harmony of collaborative creation, where the virtues of humility and empathy are not just desirable but essential for the symphony of voices to resonate in unison.
As the curtains drew to a close on our episode, we reflected on the transformative embrace of servant leadership, where the shadows of ego give way to the luminescence of serving others. From the echoes of Christ's footsteps to the visceral connections forged in the performing arts, our discourse celebrated the power of a servant's heart. With a final prayer extending hopes of prosperity and well-being to our listeners and the courageous women storytellers alike, we sealed this chapter on empowerment, leadership, and the poignant art of personal narrative.
As I welcomed the luminary Chanelle to the microphone, we traversed the heartfelt paths woven by the narratives within "She Said Yes." Our exchange paid homage to the tapestry of life experiences shared by a chorus of women, each narrative a beacon of hope and healing for listeners far and wide. Chanelle, the architect of this anthology, illuminated the intricacies of crafting a project that echoes with authenticity,
Chanelle Wesley Coleman graced us with her insights, painting a vivid picture of the artful dance between branding and storytelling under the "She Said Yes" spotlight. Her strategic finesse in designing platforms for each woman's story to shine forth threw into sharp relief the raw courage required to bare one’s truths. Our conversation explored the delicate harmony of collaborative creation, where the virtues of humility and empathy are not just desirable but essential for the symphony of voices to resonate in unison.
As the curtains drew to a close on our episode, we reflected on the transformative embrace of servant leadership, where the shadows of ego give way to the luminescence of serving others. From the echoes of Christ's footsteps to the visceral connections forged in the performing arts, our discourse celebrated the power of a servant's heart. With a final prayer extending hopes of prosperity and well-being to our listeners and the courageous women storytellers alike, we sealed this chapter on empowerment, leadership, and the poignant art of personal narrative.
Janelle, it is great to have you again. Oh, gentry's journey. Thank you so much for the opportunity and your time. I don't take it lightly. I'm gonna go ahead and open with scripture the peace of God that surpasses all comprehension regarding your hearts and your minds, in Christ Jesus, and it comes from Philippians four and seven. Now, how are you today, madam?
Speaker 2:I'm doing very well and, caroline, I just wanna thank you again for allowing me to be able to grace your platform. It's definitely a pleasure. I always love connecting with you.
Speaker 1:And I love connecting with you as well. This has been a journey since we have met, but it's been okay, it's been a good journey. It has been a good journey. Now can you? You were the visionary one, but she said yes, unapologetically. Empowerment guide. Tell me how. What was your experience in curating and organizing the anthology?
Speaker 2:That's a good question. What I wanna say? It was an amazing opportunity to connect with so many powerful women from across the globe. It was very organic. It was a space that was definitely a place that helped to add to me, not just professionally but also personally. I had an opportunity to develop so many relationships with the women, gain so many powerful insights. It really helped in regards to networking and collaborating and just being able to find like minded women who are women of faith, women who've gone through various challenges in various circumstances, who were all dedicated to coming into this space to be able to pour into women. So I'm just very excited about what God has just allowed to be able to transpire from that event.
Speaker 1:And that's great. That is wonderful because there were such a variety of talented women talented in their own right, on some of it professionally who came and were a part of this, and the way we were able to get to know these women were from the meetings that we had not that everyone can always attend all of them because we all have busy schedules, but that's how I was able to connect with the women and I thank you for that, for allowing us to be able to connect with one another. Now the anthologies out. It has done very well. It was number one bestseller nationally and internationally, which is two feats that are not easily accomplished. But what was your unique contribution regarding the genre and or the subject matter of the anthology?
Speaker 2:That's a good question, carolyn.
Speaker 2:I think with she said yes, it was something that was very near and dear to my heart.
Speaker 2:It was something that I wanted us to be able to curate, that was going to be able to provide tips, tricks and strategies for women of faith who wanted to be able to level up in every area possible, and when you have women, again, who are both professionals, entrepreneurs, all the different roles that they have undertaken in their life, and they're coming to a space that's dedicated to motivate and inspire. So those were some of the categories that we went after women's inspiration, being able to provide something that was going to be motivation, was going to be empowering, something that was going to also promote healing, because not many people are struggling with battles that they don't talk about, things that they are just quietly still mending from, and so it was something that was very therapeutic, something that was authentic, so it helped to be able to fit women in so many various fields, but it was definitely Christian, living women's inspiration, all of those various types of things that were going to be able to do something that was going to be able to uplift and encourage.
Speaker 1:And that it has been. I've heard some good and read some great reviews on the anthology and you'd like to hear that. You definitely like to hear that because a lot of people can't or won't for some reason, tell their story. Maybe they just don't know how, maybe they don't have a platform to do that where it would resonate with people. But this is one way really to get out 31, different women's stories and how those 31 stories can potentially touch. Even if it just touched one person, there's still 31 people that have been touched in some form or fashion. Now how did you go about maintaining the cohesive theme or narrative throughout the anthology? I know everyone has a unique story, but how did you determine that it fit what you were trying to resonate with the public?
Speaker 2:That's another good question, carolyn. I wanna say it's just understanding what the blueprint it is. We know, when you are a visionary, you have an idea of where you want things to kind of go, who you're speaking to. Knowing who your audience is, knowing some of the problems that your audience faces is important and being able to find people who can speak to those speaking points. And what I'll reference is my conversation with Kate Thurman. She was one of the contributors and she said yes.
Speaker 2:Initially, when I met Kate, kate had one narrative that she was kind of thinking about speaking on and writing into that particular thing. It was more or less where she was at this moment and how she's living an empowered life right at this moment. And I just tried to talk to her about taking us back to the space that she was in prior to becoming empowered, because so many times people look at you, at your space that you're in now, and they just assume that things have always been this way for you and it's being able to find someone in your journey to say I wasn't where I was. It took some travel, navigating through some pains and aches to be able to get to this point, but it's possible for you to be able to do it as well.
Speaker 2:And so initially when I talked to her, she was kind of thinking about exiting the anthology from the conversation. Yes, she was. She was thinking like this is a little bit overwhelming. I don't know if I wanna do this part.
Speaker 2:But then she went to church and her apostle was speaking and something that he said hit her in a way that she caught me back the following week and I didn't even know that she had those moments where she was doubting whether or not she should be a contributor. But something that he said just resonated with something that I had said to her previously in the call and she was like it was like a totally different person, the person I talked to the first time and the person that I talked to the second time totally different person, and it was just like we're both on the same sink. And so, although initially she intended for her story to be one way, since she's done, her story sees now the power and insight of being able to take someone through your journey, through your aches, through your pains, and then taking them on the other side of that journey.
Speaker 1:And I guess we can safely say that was the purpose of basically the anthology. Sometimes you have to live through some things, grow through some things, and then you determine what you're really willing to share and that you want other people to know and possibly grow from. So that's an amazing testimony. Now, when it comes to the anthology, you have some people who are a little bit more experienced and then you have some emerging voices. How do you balance between people who are kind of established and the emerging voices?
Speaker 2:I like that question too, so I would say this I try to treat everyone the same way that I want to be treated. I wanted it to be an opportunity to be able to promote each person, whether they were newly a new aspiring author, or whether it was somebody who already had an established platform. I wanted to be able to provide support, to be able to help people craft their stories, and I think that's very important just being able to myself be teachable and I feel like I know everything, being more in a position to be a guide, to be able to help. Although we're talking about she said yes as a brand, I also thought it was important to be able to allow people to have the space to be able to grow their own business and brand alongside of.
Speaker 2:She said yes, it's powerful to have 31 women speaking on this one platform, but I also thought it was important to be able to allow the women to be able to showcase their own platforms as well. So that was something I was very intentional about, and I wanted people to know and to understand how to build their brand and how to take their message forward from this, because sometimes you're wondering what's the next steps, whether you are a seasoned author, or whether you are newly, or you're ready to be, published author. Those can be intimidating steps. What do I do next? Okay, I had the anthology, we did the anthology. What do I do next? I wanted she said yes to already have built in mechanisms into it that would already allow the women to understand and to discover their next.
Speaker 1:And that's wonderful. And, if I have not mentioned it, chanel Wesley Cole and I hope I have that correct is the visionary, or that she said yes in biology. So that's why we have her on to speak on being a visionary and to be inclusive as to what goes on with being a visionary. You don't just find the people. It's a lot of work that goes into this anthology into any anthology.
Speaker 1:Now, with that being said, when it comes to design and engaging, visually appealing trailers, flyers, how does that all come about? I know you are a creative, so how do you balance that, how do you make that appealing, and what ideal and processes do you go through so that it will be visually appealing to the public?
Speaker 2:OK, so one thing I do. I do want to shout out our amazing publisher, laquita Parks, who's an amazing friend of mine, absolutely, absolutely. She's the person who designed our cover, for she said yes both the cover and the jacket and the spine of the book. She did a phenomenal job. I truly appreciate the fact that she was able to incorporate the pictures of all of the authors on the book. That was something that was really important to me. It is a constant professional, just someone who's just really amazing and she's a creative and her own right. So I'm always thankful for her vision and her mission as well because, like I said, all of our things align. So I'm just thankful again for Laquita and I just want to make sure I shout her out as well as Payprovee Publishing. If you are looking for a publisher, then they can definitely go ahead and check her out at wwwpayproveepublishingcom.
Speaker 2:And as far as the ads and different things, it was important for me to be able to make sure that there was representation of each author inside of any charter that we were doing I wanted everyone to see that they were a part of.
Speaker 2:She said yes, I wanted everyone to see themselves as a guide.
Speaker 2:I wanted them to be able to be just as invested into she said yes, and I wanted them to see that she said yes was as invested as they were.
Speaker 2:I wanted it to be a mutual exchange and I also wanted to be able to stimulate the reader base to understand, to come and meet these women, to be able to engage with them, because these are some powerful women, women that I really truly respect and admire. Each one has their own skill sets, their own creative genius, especially in their own field and in their own rights, who are just truly dynamic women of faith again, who are being willing to be transparent and have uncomfortable conversations. Sometimes, things that we don't like to talk about are things that we definitely need to talk about, and so a lot of people were sharing things for their first time and some people, although it might not have been their first time, still difficult to be able to provide those shares, and so I wanted the platforms, the things that would be created, both with the graphics and ads, to be able to share parts of those stories and glimpses of these women, to be able to help the audience to be able to identify and to be able to relate with the authors.
Speaker 1:And once you share your personal story or pieces of your personal story, that is tough, that is very tough. So I guess I'm speaking for myself you have to really sort of undress, walk away, rethink, are you there for that part of you to be revealed in the totality.
Speaker 1:So it is a struggle, or can be a potential struggle, for a writer or creative to put their life on paper for anyone to read. Yes, but that's a brave step to make as well. And you are able to tell your story, because no one as much as I hear your story or Laquita's story. I still can't tell it the way you guys tell it. Our story is ours to tell.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that is remarkable and it's very brave, because some of the shares that I have read and I have heard, I'm just still mesmerized by them. But it just lets the audience know these are some powerful women and they're brave women and they have been through some of the things that you have been through, absolutely, absolutely, yeah. So can you tell us about how do you navigate challenges and conflicts during the creation process? Now, I know Laquita is probably one of the best people in the world to work with. Yes, I guess it's saying her. But when it comes to some of the input from the authors on how they want their work depicted or displayed, are there any challenges with that? I'm sure there is, but how do you smooth that out, because everybody has their own vow process, so how do you navigate that portion of it?
Speaker 2:I think with anything that's worth in each journey that you're on is going to have some sort of challenge. Not necessarily necessarily mean personality, class or thing, but there's going to be some type of challenge that you're going to be faced with. And I think it's always important to be humble in dealing with things, not taking things personally, allowing the events that transpired in the day to kind of settle with the day. I think when you have a servant leader focus, it's easier to stay in touch with what you're there to do. Yes, you could be the visionary, but you're there to serve. You're there to be able to help the co-authors bring this piece of work into fruition. And so if you come into a project in this space with the capacity that you're there to serve, it keeps you from getting on a high horse, it keeps you grounded. You have to have a space where you can talk freely, where you can kind of debrief on the things, you can kind of vent out any frustrations that you may have. If you have such a person, then I will always recommend for that person not to be attached to the project Because, again, sometimes people can, if they quote you, they misquote you, they may tend to put on extra things that you didn't say. So for myself, I always try to vent to my circle, which is like my family, if I have a frustration with any project or if I have a question about something or if I'm trying to check the temperature in myself, because sometimes you have to check yourself first. You've got to start there. That's the most important thing. Yeah, you have to be willing to check your own attitude. At the door.
Speaker 2:I try to treat people the same way that I want to be treated and whenever you're dealing with conflict, I always try a sandwich approach. You start off with the compliments things that you truly enjoyed about the experience or what was going on Then you address the situation or the circumstance, the thing that needs to change, and then again you end on a positive note, because that way you leave a good taste in a person's mouth. You know what I mean. What you're saying. You're always seasoning those words With.
Speaker 2:Salt is a purifier, it provides flavoring, but it also cleanses and it also helps to fight off the ward against various elements. So, like I said, that's kind of what I try to do when I'm dealing with a challenge and, like I said, any project that you have is going to have challenges, and that's how you know something worthwhile and meaningful Christ, in his challenge of trying to bring redemption to the world a very noble thing and Christ was met with challenges. So if he is God and he's doing all these major things to save mankind and he is faced with challenges, then who do we think we are, that we're not going to encounter some sort of disparity, something that's going to go off not according to plan, but it teaches you a lot about yourself and you learn a lot about others.
Speaker 1:And that is very true.
Speaker 1:Who are we to think that we're going to come through here and we're just going to slide through untouched, not going to have one? When you mentioned this sandwich, I had a manager many years ago who implemented that with her family her husband and her daughter and she was like what are you talking about this sandwich? And she said well, you know, you start out with, you know. Hey, I really do love you, you know, but I was a little disappointed in your actions on yesterday and I got this note from your teacher, you know, saying what a bright student you are and that I know, but we can't have you being disruptive in class. And she said but remember I love you. She said so, you know, you have the substance that you want to put between the bread that is really tasty and you want to call it with something good because you don't. Everyone is different, so you have the sandwich approach should go with any and everyone no matter, you know how things may not be jelling, but when you say, hey look, I appreciate you.
Speaker 1:You know, you know this, this is going to be an amazing thing that we're doing, no matter what we're doing. And but if you could just kind of tweak this, that any other rethink this situation and see how you want to reword it, and it's going to be really great at the end. You know that does, as opposed to people walking around bitter like I was telling you about my situation, you know. But then I went honey, if this is going to make them happy, let's do this. You know, because I have bigger fish to fry and absolutely you have to kind of take yourself out the equation after you've been hit with it. You know, because when you get that first blow, you're like what are you getting? You know, like you say, servant leader, and when I heard that term a couple of years ago I really dissected it and I was like you first have to be a servant before you can be a leader.
Speaker 1:And we know leadership the best way to lead is to get out front, but to be a servant. You know what it takes to get the ball moving, to keep the ball on the field, to keep things in there you had had. You know how to work the situation. So if you want to be a servant, then you can become a leader. Show the people that, hey, I am right here with you, absolutely anywhere. I'm not sitting on the sideline or just taking a break. I am here with you. We're both working through this process together. We're all working through this process together. So that's where I feel servant leaders and I hear that a lot. I've heard it a lot in the political arena and I was like, oh, y'all stole that, leave that alone, leave that alone. I don't know, but in order to lead people, you must be a servant, you must be willing to serve, and they need to see that. It needs to be demonstrated.
Speaker 2:You know what it's like this, when you're in school, you know, or just any situation if a person tells you okay, well, don't yell. And then they turn around and start yelling. You know what I mean. Then you start, the other kids are yelling. They're like well, why are you yelling? Well, you're not modeling the behavior that you want us to do, so you're modeling what you want them to do. You know what I mean. When people now I can't follow everyone, I'm going to say that I can't follow everybody, but if I'm going to follow someone, I'm much more apt to respect and to work hard for someone who feels as if they're right alongside me doing the work that they want me to do. When they do it that way, I'm really invested. I have no problem. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Submit into what is your asking me to do.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean and I'm pulled on. I can find community in that and I mean just going back to Christ. He's the same thing he led us by serving.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I mean now that that is servant leadership. It's not just a coin phrase with me. I need to see it demonstrated. I don't want someone asked me to help with the project and I'm like, sure, no problem. Well, I look around, they're gone. I'm like what? This is not how my vision helped to be. I'm supposed to be an helper, not the long wolf on this. And so when they return, I had completed my portion honestly I had and they were like, oh, you coming back. I was like no, you left me, I'm leaving you. I said, but my part's done. No, that's not servant leadership. You don't leave your help.
Speaker 2:You have to.
Speaker 1:You got to be in tension with your help. You have to be in the trenches with them, you know, and just like I was telling my manager, I said oh, you know, I got your fat, Don't worry about it. And you know, because she was worried about how I was going to receive it and I was like, is that all I said? We're friends, you know, I got you. You know, don't worry about it. She said, well, I appreciate you guys. I appreciate you because I know that they have upset you and you know, I don't like that. I don't like the fact that you're upset. This is, this is so doable in less than 30 seconds. This can be rectified and I'm going to do that.
Speaker 1:And I'm willing to take ownership, and that's one thing about me. I'll take ownership on my stuff Good, better and different because, guess what, I stand behind it. It was an error and you know it was truly unintentional, and anyone who read it read it that oh she, it turned into provider to provide it. Stop it. And if that's going to just throw your entire day off, something is already going on.
Speaker 1:Yes, you need to check yourself on that, you know, and I kind of laughed it off when we finished and and I just told her I got you whatever you need because she is a great manager. Now, if she was not a great manager, I'd be like for real, you, for real, she's a great manager. So I have to give her kudos for for being that. And she's just not in this moment and that's why I said I hate that they upset you about this and I truly did. You know. So that's what servant leadership is all about. When you have a good manager, a good director, good supervisor, whatever you have, I have seen people come forth and, you know, do things for them to keep them lifted up because they know that that leader will have their back. And the opposite when you know your leader does not have your back, they only grab and you walking around yeah, I didn't see them. I didn't see them. You know I was too busy doing my job because guess what? Right, they never see me. They've never seen me in the struggle.
Speaker 2:They never have offered help in the struggle.
Speaker 1:So you have to be a servant leader to have that community and that commitment from people.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:I do love that term. Now I know you have put on how many summits. Tell us about your summits.
Speaker 2:You know what? The summits have been really amazing. We've done two this year. My goal is to do four. We're going to see how that's going to go. The summits have been something that has been really amazing. Again, I have to mention Laquita Parks and I have to also mention Dr Velma Bagby and Dr Kevin Bond Just amazing people.
Speaker 2:The first time that I said, okay, hey, you know, I want to do a summit, I'm thinking about it and I'm talking about Carolyn, it was an insane amount of time, it was crazy. Anybody in their right mind would have been like you know, that's a terrible idea. You want to do what, when, how, where? Would have totally talked me out of the idea. But Laquita was crazy enough to say girl, yeah, you should do it and I'll do it with you. You know it takes a special kind of individual to do that. And from there the things just kind of sparked. Laquita introduced me to Dr Velma Bagby, who was our emcee for the summits, and then also Dr Kevin Bond, who was our technical support and just an amazing confidant. Just beautiful people. And, like I said, the she said yes to herself Unapologetically.
Speaker 2:Summits were born. Our first summit was planned, I want to say, in less than 85, no more than six weeks, and I think I may be giving it more time than what it did. The first time we had about 35 to almost 40 speakers and we had to cut down on the amount of speakers. It was crazy, but it was so phenomenal. People who I had never met before, some people that I did know, but that was very few and in between, so it was really impactful. And our second summit that we did, I think there was like 12, I think it was like 12 women, 12, I have to count it again to look at the disease, but again it was planned in a short amount of time and just impactful. And through that that's how I got a chance to meet you personally, carolyn. So I'm always excited to be able to connect with you in that respect.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much. I received an invitation to the first summit and I didn't. I wasn't able to listen to all of it, but I listened to a good little bit and I enjoyed it. I was like, wait, dr Dr Velmer ran at MC. Baby, you weren't going over your time, you were a point, you know. But it was great. And then the second summit, I was invited to speak and I do count it an honor to be able to participate and it went well. I'm like you said. You know when you're on the outside looking in, you don't know about all that goes into anything. You know you just be gone. Oh, they could have done this, they could have. Then I just said, it went very well. I learned a lot. It was a powerful summit and you know, and thank you all for having me, thank you for having me. Now you are a playwright as well. Yes, about that arm of you, you got so many branches.
Speaker 2:That's the problem with being a creative Carolyn you can't stop.
Speaker 1:You can't stop.
Speaker 2:You can't. It's really, really hard to hone it in. Sometimes I have to try to make myself turn it off. You know what I mean, because the ideas is constantly are coming. I love, I love being an author. You know, I love speaking.
Speaker 2:I want to say, being a playwright is, I don't know, it's very it's different in the respect that you're writing. So you, you, of course, you still, you're still storytelling, but you're setting the scene, you're, you know you're creating these characters, but then the characters have to come to life. You know, if the words don't grip you, if the words don't evoke emotion, and you know you have to provide, almost like a roller coaster experience, with highs and lows, and these you know twists and turns, in order to be able to capture people's attention. Because, I'll say this, I like writing and reading. You know people reading your work. You really don't know what people think about what you're about, what you've written, because you don't go home with them for them to tell you, and unless they reach back out to you, you'll never know. One way or the other, you know how it resonated with them. But one thing that's either will instantly, you know, tell you you got something good or tell you to shut it down. Don't do it again.
Speaker 2:Is, you know, doing something dramatic on stage? People's attention spans are very short. You have to grab their attention within the first 60 seconds or less and the struggle is there to keep it there. Because you know you have phones, you have people talking coming in and out, people going to go get something to eat. You know it's just a lot of distractions in the space. So you really have to be able to hone in on that. And it's one thing writing a script. It's when I first, any time I write a play I write. I always share it with my circle first. They always see my stuff first and I ask them. You know what are their thoughts, and that's my daughter, my sister, my cousin, who I call my cousin, mama and my niece. Those are the people who look at my scripts and they'll tell me that they love me, but they love me enough to also be honest with me, and you need that you need that accountable and tell you the truth too.
Speaker 2:So they're very real with me about what they think about what I'm writing. You know things that they think and if I feel like it's something I think is a good thing, I'll keep it. Or, you know, whatever the case may be, but doing it is one thing. I feel a layer of you know protection with them. But then when you give your script to people who are going to be your actors and actresses, it's a little bit like walking into a room naked, because you know you don't really know what people's response is going to be in a course, you want them to love the character and to be able to pull in the emotions. And still, although I feel like my family is going to tell me things, you get people's raw emotions to things when they're looking over what this person is supposed to be saying and this storyline and how this is supposed to transition here and those things. And I want to say, of course we're finite and we're human, sure, but it's something about seeing someone take your words and put them into motion and really personify this person and this being making the person come alive.
Speaker 2:I'm thinking back to one of the practices that we have for the last play I did, which was the beautiful truth about an ugly lie. We were going just in rehearsal and we got to this one point Before long. We're all crying. You know what I mean when you can make somebody forget who you are and you totally embody this person and it's so believable. You know what I mean when you have the audience in the palm of your hands.
Speaker 2:Like I said, you can lose them just as quickly as you can catch them.
Speaker 2:You can lose them, but there's nothing like having that instant gratification when you're up performing and people either they're laughing when you wanted them to laugh or they're crying when you wanted them to cry, or they're just taking in the characters.
Speaker 2:We always do this thing at the end, where I try to call out who's the character that they just really fell in love with. The actors and actresses always work hard to try to be that character that everybody found to be the most memorable, or to try to at least tie, but it just gives you the right something to work for. It's like it's nothing like it having people when they see your play, oh my goodness, and then they talk to you afterwards and they're talking to the actresses and the actors as if they are really those people, and so it's like I said, it's something like you really feel like a creator. At that moment, you really do, like I said, although you're a fine knight, I think that's the closest you can really get to it, because it's like you feel like you actually made this person come alive in a sense, although it's just a fictitious role.
Speaker 1:Sure, but that's what you want. You want people to be able to connect with the play, with the actors, even if it's just a poem, because some people can tell their poetry or someone else's poetry, they can recite it in such a way that is just breathtaking. It makes you want to go do some research. And I mentioned this to you.
Speaker 1:I went to a concert several years ago and someone I truly wanted to see, I loved her music, and it was an intimate set and we were not in an arena and we had front row seats and I'm a seat bougie. I'm bougie, I've been taught, I've been taught baby my words don't just be bougie and getting a good part of this work. So the performer was performing and she was doing her song, but I don't know what happened. But it was not the fire in there, it was not I'm not saying it was her, because she was doing her thing, but it was. And by me sitting on the front row, you know I don't want anyone to feel bad. So I'm just trying to really get into the performance. And the guy I was with at the time he pulled his money. I started counting it. What are we?
Speaker 2:doing here today.
Speaker 1:And so I looked into it. He was counting that money. Yes, no, it was so boring. It was so boring and I can't tell you what went wrong with the performance. And I'm sitting there trying to smile and vibe with the music and pretend like I'm really into it, when I really wasn't. But because she was performing, I wanted her, we right there, I could have touched her toes. We are right there. And he was so boring. He pulled this way, started counting it and I couldn't elbow him and said what are you doing? It's as you know. And so when we got in the car, I was like what was that? He was like I just couldn't get into it. I said so you pull out your money and just start counting it. I mean, come on, can you go and find it? It was the equivalent of a female who's bored with something, who pulls out a nail file and starts filing her nails.
Speaker 2:I'm telling you he was letting it be known. I mean it's serious. When you're on stage, you know what I mean. You are there to entertain, you are there to engage and you have to always check the pulse of the crowd.
Speaker 1:She tried to do a comeback. I mean, she tried to step her too. You know, she was popping her finger and it just wasn't resonating. You don't know what went wrong. I really don't, and I felt bad for her. But she's a professional, you know she made it through. But I can't tell you anything else about the rest of that concert. I can't tell you anything else?
Speaker 1:about it and I honestly felt bad. You know I don't get any glory out of people failing or falling. That does not help me, and whether I know you or whether I don't, you know, because I really tell people what they did their best, you know they did. How did they do that? Look, it's easy for us to sit on the outside and look in, but we don't know what goes into this. That are the others, so I'm just going to give them grace. And I saw her perform later on, several years later, and she was marvelous, had the entire arena rocking. So you know, you just don't know, you just don't know. Maybe she had a bad experience prior to coming on and that vibe, I was going to suggest that it could have been.
Speaker 1:It could have been, and I've heard performers say that that they've had an argument backstage and didn't that? Now you want me to go perform, how you know. And you're like man, you know, because we're on the outside looking at, we don't know what goes on behind the curtains, behind the stage, you know. So I'm thinking that may have been. That's the only thing I can credit. That too, you know. But like I say, I give people grace and I never tell anybody it was a horrible concert, because I have been to some horrible concert, but because she worked. She tried so hard, you know, to win the audience back, but we were gone before she even really, you know finished her first song.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm fortunate, but, like I said, so again years ago and she was back on her grind. So you know we have to keep the players involved in a calm space and I've seen people purposely agitate someone before they're about to speak, before they're about to go to where they're supposed to be having a good time or doing a presentation, and I'll be like that's not the time to be having a little argument. We can kind of wait on that.
Speaker 1:I gotta tell him this now, and you'd be like whoa Lord you know you ain't gotta tell him that right.
Speaker 2:You just wanted to tell him that right.
Speaker 1:This foolishness can wait. But you know, I don't think people understand the power of their words and the power of their energy, because it can all be contagious. Whether you get positive energy, you can give someone that positivity. If you're a negative, true that negativity is going to come on. Or people are gonna say, well, I'm gonna bow out, for now I'm going to bow out. So I think we need to be cognizant of that and respect the people who are out there to perform. Well, you know, no matter what it is, even in being an author, you know, if you don't like it, you don't have to bash it, pass it on.
Speaker 1:Right, that's true, that's true. You don't have to do that because everything is not for everyone. But you know, let's just be mindful, let's just be mindful of how we do that Now. Do you see another anthology in your future?
Speaker 2:Absolutely Great question. Yes, I see several anthologies in the near future, and the thing about it is, carolyn, I said I was gonna pull them off at the top of the year and you know how you get that hesitation. I kind of had so much going on and so I'm still planning to launch the first one or two within the first quarter of the year. So I have another month well, another month to get it off.
Speaker 1:Girl.
Speaker 2:And you get that one going. I'm telling you if, if, because if I don't, I'm gonna talk about myself. Like girl, you know what's going on this first quarter, you know. But, like I said, I just I do have new projects and things that I'm doing and sometimes, like I said, and again, it's being a creative.
Speaker 2:And I was talking to a good girlfriend of mine well, two girlfriends of mine this weekend and they were telling me like girl, we just came from this play at this church, like honey, you need to come down here. Girl, like you would just do good, her play was all right, but you could really do some stuff. I'm like you know what? And so got my mind thinking and I'm like you know what I need to write. Sometimes you can just get that itch, but you're like what, I gotta do this? And so I'm like, okay, I do need to get back and do some writing and I got. That's part of the thing I want to say with being a creative. Again, you really do have to pace yourself, cause you could just go down a rabbit's hole with creative stuff.
Speaker 1:And I can see that because one it's like a train. You know you have to connect the cars, you know you can't leave anyone behind. And then you think about oh, we can add one more, you know, we can do this, we can add one more, we can get this done, you know. So I can see one idea sparking another idea. And I'm you know, I'm a baby creator, but still you can see how well, maybe I should do this and maybe I should do that. And I wonder how that would work when you don't know until you try.
Speaker 2:So true, so true. You don't know until you try.
Speaker 1:So you have a summit coming up again, or two.
Speaker 2:Two is before the year is out. I'm gonna try to just go ahead and go crazy. Karinla, I'm gonna stick to my four. I said I was gonna do four, one a quarter. I'm gonna see what happens with that. I'm gonna try to stick to that, even if I don't do it on a big. You know the scale that I wanted to do it on. On this first one I might just do something and then gear up for that second one to be bigger and kind of just build out from there. But I'm gonna do it definitely with the anthologies and, like I said, I have some personal books and things that I'm trying to get out as well, but I do wanna get these plays off as well. So, like I said, it's a lot, it's a lot. Hey, your shopping cart is full.
Speaker 1:Yes, it is.
Speaker 2:It really is Okay. She is booked and busy. That's what she is.
Speaker 1:And that's a good thing. That's a good thing. Now, how can the audience reach it?
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely. They can connect with me a couple of ways. They can follow me on my website, wwwshesetyesthereselfcom. They can also reach me by email she said yes to herself at gmailcom. They can also go to the page or on Facebook she said yes to herself unapologetically and they can also find me a Chanel Coleman Wesley across multiple social platforms.
Speaker 1:Okay Now, if they want to be a part of any of your future endeavors, do you have an invite out at this point in time or they're just going to kind of have to kind of watch? You, watch your social media to see just what you're going to do and when.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they can definitely watch it. I'll definitely put some stuff out on both of my websites so that they'll be able to connect with this. So if they look back to she Said yes, or wwwshesetyesthereselfcom, that's wwwshesetyescom then they will be able to connect, like I said, with the various things that we have going on with the summits and with the anthologies. Okay, that sounds great.
Speaker 1:That sounds great and I'm sure Ms LaCouida Parks appreciates that. Shout out Pay for view. Without paying, there is no progress. Without progress, there's no victory. Did I get that wrong? Did I get that wrong? You got it? Pay for a big pop? I should be paying for it, yeah. So thank you so much, chanel, I do. Thank you for your time. I appreciate you coming on the platform of Gentry's Journey and you have a great day. But before we go, if you would pray us out, I would appreciate it Absolutely and before I would pray.
Speaker 2:Carolyn again, thank you so much for having me on this platform. It was a pleasure.
Speaker 1:I enjoyed having you and, as I say to the listening audience, this is Chanel Wesley, and she is visionary, for she said yes unapologetically. So follow her platform so that you can stay in touch, because I'm sure she's always looking for you and she's always looking for you and she's always looking for talent, and even if you don't think you have talent, she'll pull it out you. So please follow her. And Chanel, I think that's all I have. So if you have something else, that'd be perfect. This would be the perfect time.
Speaker 2:Now that can just connect with me. And again, like I said, thank you so much for you having me on the platform and thanks to the listeners who are taking time other days to be able to connect All right same.
Speaker 1:So if you pray us out, it'd be good.
Speaker 2:Yes, ma'am, father God, we come before your throne of mercy and grace. On this day, lord God, just thank you for life, for health, for strength. Lord God, we thank you for a reasonable portion, lord God, of having our needs met. Lord God, we thank you for your wisdom and for your mercy. Thank you, father God, for the connection with Caroline.
Speaker 2:If I pray, father, that you will bless her, lord God, cover her from the crown of her head, lord God, so the souls will be fed up. Pray, lord God, that you will bless her in her coming in, in her going out, in her rising up, in her lying down. Pray, lord God, that you bless her with connections and that you bless her with opportunities. Lord God, bless her with finances. May it stretch to cover all the various needs that she stands in need of. Bless her in her health. Bless her mentally, physically, emotionally, relationally. Father God, I pray that you bless the listening audience, father God, that you would go and meet their needs, whatever they may be. Father God, I pray that you will give them guidance and direction, lord God, and I pray, father God, that you'll be with all of the contributing authors. If she said yes, I pray.
Speaker 2:Father God that you will bless them in their various endeavors. Lord God, may you cause them to ride upon the high places of this earth. Lord God, and I pray Father God that most importantly, lord, when this life is over, that we will all wear crowns. Pray this prayer in the worthy name of Jesus, amen.
Speaker 1:Hey, man amen. Thank you so much, chanel. You have a wonderful day and I'm sure we will speak again.
Speaker 2:We definitely will.
Speaker 1:How can we not? Okay, okay, thank you so much. Have a great day.
Speaker 2:You too.