In The Passenger Seat with Alethea Crimmins
From the front seat of her car, Alethea has motivated millions—reaching hearts around the world and even catching the attention of icons like Rihanna, Kesha, Madonna, and Viola Davis. Now, she’s bringing that same energy, wisdom, and unshakable confidence to the podcast realm—inviting special guests to ride along and share their own journeys of resilience, purpose, and self-discovery.
No scripts, no filters—just raw, powerful conversations filled with gems, laughter, and the kind of motivation that makes you sit up a little straighter. You never know who will be in the passenger seat next, but one thing’s for sure: every ride is a step toward something greater.
So buckle up, tune in, and let’s take this journey together. 🎙️🚗✨
In The Passenger Seat with Alethea Crimmins
Bounce Back, But Make It Fashion
What if every no you’re hearing is quietly saving you for a yes that fits? We sit down with Coach Dawn “The Diva Coach” Thornton—now leading Alabama A&M women’s basketball—to unpack how she turned layoffs, long waits, and public doubt into a platform built on faith, preparation, and unapologetic style. It’s a story that moves from WIC cards and chapel vans to community impact, player development, and a sideline presence that makes confidence contagious.
We go deep on the inner game: trusting God in the valley, protecting your mind from borrowed limits, and choosing environments that stretch your roots instead of choking them. Dawn’s mantra, “Your preparation is your separation,” runs through every chapter—from breaking down film and owning mistakes to pruning people and habits that stall growth. She speaks openly about humility, using assistance without shame, and keeping the glass half full while you wait for the phone to ring. When it finally did, she rebuilt with intention, then jumped—heels and all—when the moment came.
We also explore fashion as leadership. Dawn partners with Black designers and stylists to craft custom looks that amplify culture and spark pride for her players and fans. It’s not vanity—it’s brand, belonging, and belief. Expect practical takeaways on overcoming rejection, building resilient teams, designing a personal brand in women’s sports, and setting a championship standard without losing your soul. If you’re navigating no’s, cutting dead weight, or getting ready to transplant into a bigger pot, this conversation will meet you where you are and nudge you forward.
Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations on resilience, women’s sports, purpose-driven leadership, and bold self-belief. If this episode helped, share it with a friend and leave a review—what’s one no you’re ready to reframe today?
Have a Good Day On Purpose...
YA' Welcome
So that's how you hello, hello, hello, and welcome back to In the Passenger Seat. It's your girl, Alethea Cremmens. Your positivity queen, what's good, everybody? Oh, did you miss me? Because I definitely missed y'all. Okay. I definitely missed y'all. When I tell you that we are in for a treat today, we are in for a treat, baby. Listen, listen, listen. Now you know that this show is not just about surface level success. It is about the mess before the message, the pain before the power, the story before the shine. And today, today, my guest, this woman that I have on this show is the epitome of what this is. She is an example of how you turn rejection into resurrection. This is the person. She is an overcomer. She is a warrior. She is the bounce back queen. She came back. Even when people told her no, she created her own yes. She created her own yes. That is resilience. That is power. And baby, she looks good doing it. She looks good doing it. Okay. And if you don't know why I'm so excited, baby, check out this clip. Check out this clip.
SPEAKER_03:Welcome in the passenger seat, Dawn, the diva coach. Hello. What's up? What's up? What's up? How you doing? What's up, S? What's good? What's good? What's good? How you feeling?
SPEAKER_04:Um I'm actually great. I'm doing really, really well. I'm great. How are you? You look beautiful.
SPEAKER_02:Thank you so much. You're looking good with the vibe. Look, we both. And you're giving that level up, level up, level up, level up, level up. You giving them vibes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Thank you so much. I appreciate that. Thank you.
SPEAKER_02:So for all of those who do not know who you are, tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do.
SPEAKER_04:You know, first off, thank you so much for having me. Um, it's been a great experience. Had a great time meeting you at Essence. Looking dope. Like first time energy going crazy. So I really do appreciate this opportunity and for you all and to invite me into your space. So thank you for that. Um, you know, I am Dawn Thornton, head women's basketball coach at Alabama EM University. I'm a mom, um, I'm a sister, uh, I'm a sorority girl, I'm a member of Delta Stigma Theta Sorority Incorporation. I inspire exactly. I inspire young women to believe in themselves. I serve in the community, and I try my best to motivate everybody that I come in contact with. So I'm just like a real life superhero.
SPEAKER_02:You you really are, like you really and truly are, like you are in real life that girl. I appreciate that. You are that girl in real life. So before the winds, before the storm, you had a crazy run at Prairie View AM. You had championships, NCAA trips, you was upsetting Memphis, Houston, Louisiana, Tech, like you was just out there winning. You were just out there getting it. Okay. Did you know back then that you were building a name that was bigger than basketball?
SPEAKER_04:You know, that's a great question. And yes, I actually did. Um, I got into coaching to be able to impact the lives of young women. Um, you know, I was I felt like my whole life growing up, I was always told what I can't do, where I shouldn't go, what I shouldn't wear, you're too tall, you're too big, you can't do this, you can't do that. And and I felt like basketball gives you a sports, athletics gives you a safe space to where whatever you got going on outside of this sport, it does not matter. So this is one thing that I could focus on, build confidence in, work hard to be able to be the best that I can be, and not worry about everything else, all the noise that's around me. And I know what that did for me on the inside. And so I wanted to be able to project that same energy off on young women and having an opportunity to do that as a coach, someone that loves a sport, I think that that's the reason why I knew then, just as I knew now, and just as I knew when I was in the seventh grade, that this is the only thing that I could ever see myself doing for the rest of my life.
SPEAKER_02:So, even though people said, nah, like that, that's that's not even for you, you can't do this. And I don't know how many times, and just to let y'all know, guys, we are live. So anything that you have to say, anything that you have to add, y'all can come on into the room and let us know. But I have said it so many times, the only person that can tell you what you cannot do is you.
SPEAKER_04:That's absolutely true. We tell like nobody can tell you what you can't do, the disease of me, you your you, your big dictator, you your own dictator.
SPEAKER_02:The disease of me, I like how you put that because yet that that is exactly what that is. Absolutely, but we were conditioned to feel like we had to limit ourselves. We condition ourselves to feel like we can only go also high, right? And then once you get there, you can't go any higher. We were conditioned to feel like that, but you said what I'm going to do, I'm going to take the limits off, I'm going to break barriers. Not only will I break them, I'm going to destroy them because they were never mine to begin with. Let me tell you, how many times were mine to begin with?
SPEAKER_04:How many times have we just like looked in the mirror and just been like, you know what? Oh, I can't do this. I can't wear this. I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't. Like we just just do it. So for me as a coach, that's one thing that I've embraced. And and you know, a lot of times people say, Well, she just wants to model, like she wants to maybe she should be a model. I'm gonna do both. I'm gonna do both. So we just have to do a better job of of speaking affirmation to ourselves so we can go out and be the best version of ourselves. Why can't you do both?
SPEAKER_02:But why, why, why why limit yourself to one thing? Why limit and I don't understand why people do that. I don't understand why people put themselves in a box feeling like I can only be this, I can only be that. You can all why can't I be a basketball coach and a model? Why can't I be a basketball coach, a model, a motivational speaker? Why why can't I be all of these things wrapped up into one? Why do I have to limit myself on one thing just because the world limits themselves on one thing? I don't have to be like the world, I only have to be like me. Absolutely, absolutely I can do anything I set my mind to. I it any anything I set my mind to, I can do it as long as I take the limits off. And I love how you said just do it because one thing I've always said, Nike that shit and just do it, Nike that shit and just do it.
SPEAKER_03:I love that.
SPEAKER_02:Just do it because the only person that's telling you that you can is the person that's looking at you in the mirror. Get those other people's voices out of your head because it's it was never your voice, that was other people, and you still have other people's voices in your head, and when you unlearn, when you unlearn what they tell you and learn that you can, yes, you can, yes, you will, because I believe that I can, then you will become unstoppable. And Dawn, that is exactly what you what you are, and that is the example that you are setting for women and girls across the world.
SPEAKER_04:I just I mean, you you're absolutely right. And and I know that you know, I'm not here to interview you, but the the you just you hit the nail on the head because the other thing that you have to do is protect the space and the people that you surround yourself with. Because there are a lot of people that are afraid of being uncomfortable. I love being uncomfortable, you know, even with my fashion, and I'm sure we're gonna tap into this. I'm sure you're gonna ask me this question. Oh, yes, girl. But my stylist, my stylist does not show me what she's going to, what she's going to dress me in until an hour and a half before I put it on. There's no, there's no, there's no come in and let's do a pre-something. Let's do it. She's gonna bring two fits. If the first one is a hit, we're gonna rock with it.
SPEAKER_02:But I understand why, though. I understand what the disease of me, because if I show you, you gonna find if I show you in advance, you're gonna find all kind of you will stand in that mirror and look and be like, and you will find re oh well. My like hips are too big. Look how this looks. You will find reasons not to wear. So I understand, and I um we we I'm I need a stylist that that that's like just gonna just give give give it to me. 10 minutes this this is what you're gonna wear.
SPEAKER_04:Let me tell you, because listen, every outfit, every outfit that really went viral, that went big, when she put it on me. I was like, see, I don't know about this. She said, she said, trust me, put it on and go.
SPEAKER_03:And at this point, it's like put it on, and then I walked out like, hey, wend the williams on everybody's ass.
SPEAKER_02:And I I I knew I knew that when I met you, I was like, Oh, I gotta have her on the show because I'm telling you our energies is gonna match, and I wasn't wrong because we listen, I do the exact same thing. Like, I'm like, man, my my like I'm I'm about to look like I got some man, should should should should I go change? And it could be like we we don't have time, and my like white be like we we don't have time, and I just walk walk on there, but once I put it on, you own it, you own it, you own it, and that is the secret. Once you have it on your body, own it, and it don't matter what nobody else got to say about you. My favorite mantra, if for all the people that have been following me, y'all already know my favorite mantra is hashtag FTP fuck them people.
SPEAKER_03:FTP it's not about them, it is about you.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, that's absolutely right.
SPEAKER_04:Yep, okay.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, period. So you said I've read in an interview that you had that your lowest point, because we we all have our lowest points, and this is one of the reasons why I just admire you because you've had ups and downs and you've had rejections because people look at the outside, people look at the now, and they don't see the then that got you to the the now, they don't see all the hurdles that got you to the now. When you were sitting in that moment, when you were sitting in that dark place, when you were sitting in the then, what did rejection feel like, and how did you not let that define who you were and who you are?
SPEAKER_04:That's a great, that's another great one. Wow. Um, I trust God with my whole entire life, you know. Everything that I grew up in the church, missionary Baptist, you know, we from down south, so you know how we are when we get to praying about God. Okay, you call all the prayer angels in, you call the pastor everybody. Prayer, everybody around you. But when I went through my lowest point, um, my godmom shared something with me. She was a minister. When I went through my lowest point, I was pregnant with my son, four months, four months old. And my godmom said, when God wanted to change the world, he gave us a son. He gave us a son, and God gave you a son because he knows right now that this is going to change your life as you go through what you're going through. So at that point, my mind pivoted to focusing on motherhood. I got a whole lot of nose, I got a shitload of nose, and my confidence was going down from time to time, and you know, and I had my moments where you know I'm like, God, what you trying? But but I always knew that it, God, what are you trying to teach me? I need to receive that, okay to learn that lesson, I need to manifest on that. Is it that you're trying to get me to be closer to you? Is it that I have gotten so focused on the the wins, the big wins, all the big, all the big things that you are that you named, people are just seeing me do that in the last 365 days. But the truth is, I've been doing this for 10 years, right? But did I focus on that then? Because I was so much younger doing it. I was 30 years old winning championships and killing a game, one of the youngest female head coaches in Division I coaching. But maybe God's saying, baby girl, you need to focus on me. And I put my attention on him, and I will honestly say this to you I have not had to apply for another job since then, and I've had four three being head coaches, they called me. God allowed that to happen because I shifted my focus on him, and so to answer your question, because my faith is so strong, I put my faith and trust in him. And God, wherever you're gonna have me, wherever you're gonna take me, wherever you're gonna send me, if you're telling me sit down, not right now. I trust you, that's what you're gonna always do. You always show up. My God always shows you gonna pre what I see.
SPEAKER_02:I I'm I'm looking the part I need my tambourine, because this is this is one of the moments that because listen, look, I'm I'm I'm trying not to go into a praise work, because you are absolutely right. He always show up. You you are absolutely right, even in your darkest hour, he always shows up, even when you think that there is no way to be made, there will always be a door that is going to be open as long as you keep your eye in the sky and know that your father is going to take care of you. It don't matter what it looked like right now. That's right, it don't matter what it looked like right now, and you didn't sit in the right now. That's right. That was the whole you didn't sit in the right now because a lot of times, a lot of times that's what we do. We sit in the rejection, we sit in the rejection, not knowing that that rejection may just be your redirection. Come on, rejection may just be for your protection. That reject, maybe you had to make that detour, maybe you had to just sit just for just for a little while, just for a little because because it wasn't your time yet. You want it right now, but it's it's not a denial, you're just being delayed, but you being delayed for a reason.
SPEAKER_04:I tell people all the time, he could be telling you you ain't thinking big enough. Now that see, for me, when I'm telling you that my glass is half full, that's how I think. So I understand God's will and my will have to align for whatever it is that I'm saying that I want, right? But sometimes we don't think big enough. And so even if he's telling you not right now, it's never a no, right? It's never a no. Sometimes he's avoiding you from what you can't see that's going that's around the corner because you know, sometimes we think the grass is greener on the other side too, and it's really turf, it's it's really turf.
SPEAKER_03:It's really, it's really it's it's really turf.
SPEAKER_04:It's it's really turf. It is. I just know that once you can develop that type of relationship with God, and and I and I'm a spiritual person, and I'm not like no, oh Lord, thank you. I'm not that, but I am I trust in Him with my whole entire life, and whatever God has for me, I'm gonna just walk in that door and kill that next one and kill the next one and kill the next one. And guess what? And if it's some adversity or if there's a challenge or there's a setback, it ain't gonna be forever. Because, like my favorite rapper says, the sun ain't gonna always shine. That's why I love the married. Y'all better ask Glorilla.
SPEAKER_03:That's why the book of Glorilla, that's why I love tomorrow.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, that is from that is from the book of Glorilla 9 verse six, okay. Then verse six. Y'all need to look into the book of Glorilla because that is where it came from, okay.
SPEAKER_04:Right, that's right.
SPEAKER_02:A setback, but a setback is just a setup for your major comeback. And baby, when you come back, you're gonna come back bigger, you're gonna come back better. And for all those naysayers that that was like, oh what well I well, I knew you you can go ahead on and know. You you can go ahead on and know, but I know too, yeah. I know too.
SPEAKER_04:But you know, let me tell you, God got such a sense of humor right now because the way social media social media platform is guess what? We can monetize our view haters too.
SPEAKER_03:So hey, friends, hey, don't later, no later, okay.
SPEAKER_02:Listen, go ahead and friend listen, I tell hating haters stand for having anger towards everybody reaching success. So go ahead and hate on me. I love that friend. I love that because I know why you're mad, I know why you're mad, because you're angry just because you see, oh well, she she has a little so social media page, but she's not going viral. I don't have to go viral in this world, I don't have to go viral right now because because the setup is building, the setup for my comeback is growing, the setup for my comeback. So, what you're seeing right now in your eyes is a setback. But what I'm seeing is I'm being set up for something greater. You said it took people 10 years, 10 years, and you've been winning, been winning, but the world ain't see it because they wasn't supposed to.
SPEAKER_04:That's a word that that that right there gonna preach. It wasn't about to see, and it's okay, and that's okay, but when it was time we ain't listening. Look on WNBA. We right here on the passenger seat, baby. Come on now, come on.
SPEAKER_02:That's right. When it was time, you just you and I mean literally came out of no, it was like boom, don't dawn, don, don, don, don't. It was like, oh, okay, well, who was gone? And it was like made you look at made you look at you, you made us look at you. You made a statement out the gate because you were a force, but that's how it was supposed to be.
SPEAKER_04:That's how we said, I receive that, I appreciate that.
SPEAKER_02:Of course, because your story is not just about uh basketball, and that's what people see, and they think, oh, well, she's just and I love when they use that word just, just she she's just a head coach, she's just a woman's coach, but it's so much more than basketball, it's about resilience, it's about faith, it's about timing. What's one lesson that you've learned in the valley? What is one lesson that you learned in that valley that you now pour into your players when they hit adversity?
SPEAKER_04:Um I can honestly say that it's gonna happen, right? Whatever it is that you're going through, challenges, adversity, it's gonna happen. In anything that you do, you have to make the type of decision of what the outcome is gonna be. So for me, like as we go through it with basketball, you can get back in the gym and you can work harder. You know, as a coach, you can look yourself in the mirror and you can do things a little differently. Um, but you can also figure out, like, hey, where did I drop the ball? What did I not do that what I should have done? Um, but one thing that I do know is that you're gonna go through it. You get you as long as we live and we have air in our lungs, we're gonna go through something in life. And if it's my mama tell you, my mama tell you, if it don't get you in the wash, sometimes it may catch you in the wrist. So it's just something that you're just gonna have to endure to get through. But just trust God. My my just trust God, he's gonna always work out. And if he and if he says that you can't have it if it's not supposed to happen, because every year I tell people all the time, I'm supposed to win a championship every year, right? And I've been coaching for 19 years. But if I don't win a championship, does that mean I'm not a winner? No, it doesn't. It doesn't, it just means that it's not my time, but I keep working and I keep grinding because I understand that my preparation is always gonna be my separation. I'm gonna always prepare for whatever I need to do so I can separate myself from others. Run run run that back, run that back, run that back. Your preparation is your separation.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, because sometimes you have to separate from things that's right in order to elevate.
SPEAKER_04:That's right.
SPEAKER_02:Sometimes you have to separate in order to elevate, and this is something that you learned firsthand because you had to lose a job. You you you had to you so at one point prayer review does not renew your contract, right? So you had no job, nothing at the same time, you are pregnant, pregnant, single mama, no insurance, no income, like 18 months unemployed. You you you ain't you ain't get getting no government assist, no nothing. It was just you out here by yourself.
SPEAKER_04:But wait now, no, no, no. Let's be clear. Oh, oh girl, home girl did what she had to do. She, I got on wick. Oh, okay, okay. I got food stamps. I okay, I had my baby with what Medicaid, Medicare, Medica, with meta, whichever one it was when you ain't getting insurance, meta them. I had it all, I did it all because you can see, see, here's the thing, right? We talk about decisions. You can sit here, Dawn, and have your four-month pregnancy out here, right? And go through your whole entire retirement to try to live. Or you can take the assistance from the government because you've been paying into them taxes anyway. Give me my assistance because I fell on hard time. I'm looking for a job. I I nobody will call. That's a part of the journey. But guess what? I'm like James Brown. I ain't too proud to beg. I need what I can get so I can get back on my feet. It's okay.
SPEAKER_02:Can can we can we just can we just give a can can we get a little? I need a button that like do because listen, because yes, and there is I need people to know there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting help. There is absolutely nothing wrong. When baby, when I tell you you are speaking to me right now, you you like you are speaking to my spirit because I'm gonna everybody know I'm I'm very open, I'm very honest, I'm very vulnerable. Listen, I was I was hit. Look, I was here. Look, I was on Jennifer Hudson three three times. I was I was getting brand deals, I was everywhere. I was like, oh, okay, like I just knew, and go God said, wait, calm down. Slow down. Oh, because because listen, I think I think you might be losing your focus because it does happen. It does happen because when we are on a high, like we think that that high is going to last always. Now, granted, I'm still who I am, but that but it came a time where I had to be like, okay, and God said, uh-uh, like you just just just like you said, you need to turn your focus back on me because that's not where it is right now. So I have to humble you just a little bit. So because when I left teaching, I I was I was like, I ain't never gonna, I ain't never, but you can't ever say what you ain't never gonna do. Come on, because you don't know when that never might be tomorrow. That's right. When that never, and what I said I was never going to do, I'm right back doing it. Not because I don't have it, but just like you said, you have to make it some kind of way, like you have to make it somehow, and I didn't want to blow through all of my savings, try trying, trying to keep keep up, trying, trying to trying to try to trying to make my myself, not even myself, trying to make other people, but believe that I was bigger than what I was. Granted, I will always be who I am again. Like no, nobody can ever take my achievements from me, but I don't have to keep up with anybody or let anybody feel any type of way. I don't have anything to prove to anyone. So am I back in my in my classroom? Yes, that was a choice that I made. And it's also something that brings me joy. And there is a lesson in everything. And who's to say I can't do all things, I can't do a podcast, I can't be a speaker, I can't be a content uh creator, I can't be a teacher, I can't be all the I can't wear all of these hats. And I am, and there is absolutely nothing.
SPEAKER_04:wrong with that you gotta do what you gotta do to get what you gotta get that's right that's right and that is exactly what you did like how did there's a lot of people that's going through their 18 months that that you went through there was a lot of people that's going through their 18 months their their season right now I know that you said that your faith was one of those things but was there a moment that you felt like you just wanted to lose your mind come completely that you didn't know right from left like did you ever want to say you know what forget this forget basketball forget it all I'm done no mm mm because for me again the glass is always half full right you got it standing right behind you you know how do you have a positive mindset if you self-inflict negative things in your mind so for me it's like it was days it was hard I'm not saying that it wasn't hard you know I had a good support system moved back home with my mama and daddy you know what I'm saying like it was tough but but I kept faith I just knew that I look I started I think I was substitute teaching and doing some stuff or whatever I was doing but I was focused on my son and and taking care of him and God whatever you got for me I know it's gonna be okay because I'm a winner I've always won and and I know when the when the right door opens up I'ma show that next person why I appreciate them so much. So from then every opportunity every door that has opened for me since then mind you I said I never applied for a job oh baby because then then then yeah while you were waiting things were moving things were moving while you was waiting things were moving because then the the phone rings phone rings short of college shorter call so that is when the resurrection started that's where it started that that was when it started how did it feel to finally get a yes after all those years of getting no you know it was it was tough and it was a Christian school and you know I'm a cussing Christian you know the Lord is working on me girl the Lord is working on me because I I'm just like Lord my my mouth but fuck shit stop it so they like you're gonna have to teach Bible class y'all gotta have Bible class you know you got to watch this we had to go to chapel it was so it was such a big adjustment but I'm gonna tell you it was the right time it was the right time because those who know me I'm like this big boot this big ball of energy right and so after you lose your job in coaching sometimes it's natural to be bitter it's natural to you know to be you know kind of like you know feel some be in your feelings feel some type of way so for me to have to transition to a Christian school that was kind of really what the doctor ordered like look God telling me I need to focus on him right and then you sent me this school in Rome Georgia never heard of it never been to Rome and I gotta go to chapel and teach Bible class and and I got to drive the van to all the games humbled my ass real fast. Quick quick but I never complained because I knew that this was just the season this was just another part of the transition Lord I thank you for this yes because I'm I already know you you already know you're about to show out I already know you're about to show out and he just there to dare to he keep showing up he keeps showing out this is what people don't understand about seasons because right now we about to go in into the fall and all those pretty green leaves they're gonna turn brown and eventually they are going to fall off and that is the season that we go through but look what happens in the springtime look what happens in the springtime something new something better and then not only are there new leaves there that from those leaves there are flowers you now are producing something else that was not there before but that season had to happen in order for the growth but you know what here's the bigger part from the same root oh come on from the same root from the same root so you really need to do nothing thank god we don't have to dig up everything and throw it away when something dies right sometimes you just gotta shed it off sometimes you just gotta shake it off you better sometimes you just gotta go through sometimes you need a little bit more water and some somebody gonna shout sometimes sometimes you're in a pot that's too tight because the roots can't spread and it's time for you to get out your comfort zone but you too afraid to start that business you're too afraid to start a podcast you're too afraid to to wear what I wear on the sideline because you worry about what somebody else gonna say about you do you do like Nike and then just do it just do it yeah sometimes you have to transplant you have to transplant you because you wasn't meant for that lipid ass pot you you still trying to make this sunflower grow in this lipid pot and you wonder why you not get because you can't move so you have to you you ain't gotta change anything but the pot but the pot you ain't gotta change your roots you ain't gotta change all you have to change is the pot so what are you or you could change anything or you could or you could cut some of them dead leaves off so true story I was sitting here this is a word like I got a plant I'm just trying to get in the flowers and stuff and I got this plant I just been over watering this plant and I'm like you know I know he needs water he outside he hid and everything and I was like well you know what I'm gonna show this plant some love I'm gonna cut this dead weight off because I was just waiting on the new fly I was just waiting on the new blooms to grow to make it back full right you know what I'm saying so it wouldn't look like because it was full like this plant behind me but I had to cut over half of the leaves off of the plant sometimes we just got to cut it out too right sometimes we got to cut people loose sometimes you got to cut you know cut jobs off sometimes you got to cut that man off sometimes you got to cut that woman off sometimes you got to cut it out too sometimes you got to cut that cancer out because sometimes we we don't realize and it took you a while to realize that because weeds can look like flowers too and you'll fool the right one on the right you'll fool somebody and they'll think that too and that's why it wasn't growing because weeds can look like flowers too and so we keep them there thinking that they're doing a job but they really only holding us down they are they are your anchor who is your anchor I know somebody is listening right now and you are thinking about that dead weight that you are holding on to and all you got to do is else of that shit let it go and then you're gonna be all right and you're gonna be okay and then you're gonna be all right because that's exactly what happened to you because then you went from Charlotte College to Jackson to Jacksonville to UAP to now running running you you are the head and not the tail you are running the show at Alabama ANM at what point did you look look around and say I'm back bitch you know I got a picture I got a picture I actually got a picture when I had a moment I was sitting in the locker room right after the press conference and I was just looking around because we have a lot of great things to offer at Alabama EM our facilities are top tier my president is is the bomb my AD is the bomb everybody really and truly Alabama EM stands for tradition and culture and I sat down and I was just looking around and the photographer they was with me the whole day they just took my picture and I was just looking up and I was just thanking God for that opportunity you know and and I'm like it's time it's time Dawn it's time like you you can't be worrying about how people are going to receive you just jump just jump and we got a tiptoe in this thing just jump just jump and so I just came out the gate ready to jump and when I did that success just started to stack i mean from an academic standpoint basketball we in the community like we doing we we breaking barriers and it's a beautiful thing it's beautiful but not only did you jump you jumped in heels you you you jumped in stilettos where where when was don the diva coach born um i i think my my my dad's sister was one of the first black women to feature in the ebony magazine in i'm sorry in jet magazine um she had a boutique in jackson mississippi i've been wearing her heels she she was um there was some makeup called fashion fair um and she was really really big in the fashion fair she had she sold fashion fair in her black own boutique and I've been around it my whole entire life um I think the diva was really born when I realized that I didn't have to fit in when I went to prom my prom date they one of the he's he he got on one knee and I sat on his knee and we took that picture that way and he was taller than me but he did that because I wasn't even comfortable being that tall standing next to him now the crazy part about it is he got drafted and went to the end the NBA play for the Boston Celtics and everything. So why would a woman have a problem with standing next to a pro player right but my whole life I've just been so insecure about my size about my weight about my shoe size I wear size 13 women's shoe right those another right and I was a 12 in a 12 my mama said she couldn't tell me no more at your age and not the shoe size because she couldn't match because girl I kept my foot kept growing you know but you know I was just so insecure about a lot of little things and then I just I put some clothes on one day and got dressed at you know I was in college at this point and my boyfriend at the time he was like wow you look amazing and that made me feel some type of way because that was the first time that somebody had really given me a compliment that I felt like was really a genuine compliment to me and so you know us like girls you know what we're gonna do we're gonna put it on again okay again and then you did and you did and with when I tell you every time I'm just like damn damn damn like it is it is like you are really out here getting it and you are an example of it doesn't matter what the world thinks that you look like on the outside it doesn't even matter what you think you look like in the mirror put it on put it on you you you have to get out the box get out of the box take the limits off love yourself enough to choose you and do something for you love yourself enough to cherish yourself to to find value in yourself to become the favorite version of yourself and speaking of which we have come to my favorite part of the show the ask alethe segments where you send in your questions to me and we answer them live on the show so oh I'm I'm seeing so so so many comments that say go go go miss dawn shine on yep yep yes you better shine so this is the question it said alethia I keep getting rejected jobs friendships even dating I'm hearing no so much I'm starting to feel like I am the problem how do I keep going when all I hear is no that's a good question that's a good question I think that for me is you have to shift your focus you know sometimes in life we again we talked about God's will align aligning with our will whatever it is that you're asking for whatever it is that you're seeking you know you gotta you gotta trust God in the process and sometimes again it's how you process that that's what the devil wants you to do the devil wants you to think that it's always gonna be a no the devil wants you to to start second guessing yourself or you know there's a lot of things that you know the devil comes in all shape forms passions and and to come to steal kill and destroy right and and kill your confidence right destroy your your motivation and how you feel about your your self your self-love and what that looks like you have to protect your mental you have to protect your body you have to protect your mind and when you do that you just got to trust God and he's he's trying to teach you something I feel like you're gonna get the same test over and over in life until you understand what you're supposed to be learning.
SPEAKER_02:He's trying to teach you something and I don't know what it is but I guarantee you if you trust him with it when the door does open he's gonna make sure everybody know and what people what people need to understand is that rejection has nothing to do with your worth it's about their capacity because sometimes that room is too small for you to fully shine in that's true that sometimes the room is too small for you to fully it's not about your worth you just sitting at the the wrong table but you need to also understand you are the table you're not supposed to sit at that table anyway you're supposed to create your own so get up get up from that table that you don't even belong at and create your own because you have the power to do so so let that rejection light a fire under you let that know light a fire under you and keep going that's right keep going listen listen listen i'm i'm just um i'm just saying i'm just saying i'm just saying so let's talk about the bulldogs in this new era this new era what is your vision for alabama and m and what can swat fans expect when they see don the diva coach on the sidelines this season because i saw you on live earlier and y'all y'all y'all was getting it in y'all y'all was getting it in so what can we expect from the team and what can can we expect from you because I know you're gonna bring it like you know my my silence and I we're gonna get together the first of October um we start we've already let me tell you what's so dope and you have listeners that that may be chat that may be chiming in um everything that I wore last year that was hand painted or that was custom that was made custom for me we got black entrepreneurs tailors uh seamstress um you know um creative design people everybody everything everything that we wore last year was black biggity black black black um I want to be able to do all this in information because yeah we we want to give that same platform to our black community um a lot of times people are styling people for other reasons but right now women in sports is taking off if you see you cannot turn on Instagram and not see something dealing with fashion on the NFL with the women that's involved with the NFL now with the women that's involved with with coaching with the WNBA you're seeing this all over and the reason why is because when I first started coaching let me tell you a little secret when I first started coaching I had at prayer view I had um an administrator tell me don't you shouldn't wear skirts you need to be in some pants you got tattoo on your ankle I need you to cover that tattoo up um and I was in the locker room you know I I cried a lot because I was like you know this is just me you know what I'm saying like y'all know who I am this is what I do you know you hire me knowing these things but I realized I realized sometimes it's okay to give people what they want so you can set you up for what you want and you got to pick your battles wisely right so for me in fashion um this is something that I'm really intentional about this is something I'm really excited about.
SPEAKER_04:So being able to give people an opportunity to highlight their brand is what we do for me. You know my stylist and I I love I love Gucci I probably shouldn't say it but I love Gucci I just I just love it you know and she and I was like you know she came to the house and I was like put me this outfit on put me this outfit and she's like no we're not doing that we ain't wearing it we ain't wearing it they got plenty of money Gucci got plenty of money Gucci don't need you Gucci Gucci don't need you on you don't need to put Gucci on the stage we're gonna put these young people on the stage I said let's do it so right now what to expect for bulldog basketball knowing how we feel about fashion just knowing some of the no's that I've gotten in the past or don't do this you can't wear this and she's making it all about her well we're gonna continue to make it all about me okay we're gonna continue to kill it on the sidelines because my kids love it. It also boosts the confidence of my kids when I can walk in the locker room and they coming in they like okay you know so look good feel good put feel good play good play good pay good that's what we own that's that's what we own okay that's what we are and then of course with the basketball side is the goal is to win a championship every year. The main thing is the main thing I'm not the diva coach if I'm losing so I do hold myself to a high standard as you should as far as what basketball what the outcome of each season should be for me this upcoming year. So um we have a very competitive schedule it's gonna be tough but it's gonna be a great year for us. I'm already going to manifest that speaking that to existence so I'm excited about what God has in store for this program.
SPEAKER_02:Man listen I just want to thank you for just being on this show. I just want to thank you for just shining your light because that that is what you are like you are light in the truest form and I just I just thank you for just being here and just for being who you are and for sharing your light with this world with so many other people that need to hear this women and girls that need to hear this that felt that they wasn't good enough but you are out here saying it doesn't matter how you look it doesn't matter how they feel yes you are yes you can and I so admire this about you and yes you said it in the beginning and I'm going to reiterate it you are in fact a superhero and yeah you are a superhero before I uh close out I ask everybody this question and I'm going to ask you the exact same thing but before I do I need you to tell everybody where to find you on all platforms and where we as an I can get a schedule for these games because I might just pop up on you. Aren't you in Batrouge?
SPEAKER_04:I am in Lafayette but well we're gonna play southern so you're gonna be my special guest I'm gonna bring you in I'm gonna lay it all out for you I'm gonna take care of you bring the wife we're gonna go to dinner then I'm gonna send you that date we we're gonna hang tough we're gonna hang tough soon we're gonna hang tough that's what we're gonna do but those who we're gonna hang tough I'm serious those who want to follow me on social media uh my Instagram is Dawn D A W N the Diva coach um and then you know yes that's it right there shout out to the engineer y'all are so dope over there so yeah anybody want to get in touch with me you can be able to to follow me there send me a DM anything dealing with fashion you got somebody want to make something showcase something here's the plug y'all listening on look use me let me put you on the map let's figure out how we can do a partnership with each other okay would love to be able to expand your brand also but uh with basketball you can always follow a amus.com click on our link for our uh basketball schedule or just google Alabama and women's basketball schedule and pull up on me even if you just drop me a message for those who are listening we come into an area near you coach I'm in the city I love to come to a game I'm gonna put you on my list so that's it now that's love yeah absolutely love listen oh good this we I think you're about to post the website that that is that's it pull up I'll put y'all on the list I got you I'm only gonna take look I'm only taking you and the wife to dinner I can't take everybody to dinner okay so look don't don't do do not be expecting that treatment because what what I'm getting is different from you listen what God has for you it is for you it's for me for you it's not for everybody else okay because favor ain't fair okay I love that I say that all the time God don't play about me friend God at all at all so my last thing because I I want I wanted to get that out of the way because this is what I wanted to ask you so I'm gonna need you to close your eyes and I'm gonna need you to just in vision younger Dawn that Dawn that was in that dark place that Dawn that didn't know how she was gonna make it out that Dawn was like you that who was like God I don't know what what it is but I trust you what would you say knowing who you are now knowing who you are now what would you tell her you will make it you will make it in those darkest moments that I can think about you know trying to find love trying to find a way trying to find an answer I always told myself I will get there if you can think it shall be done and if I could tell my younger self anything else you know maybe not make so many like you know immature decisions but but but you will make it so that young lady who posted and asked about the no and I'm always hearing no you will make it you we always do you have to wake up to make the decision you have to decide you could choose a role to be positive or negative and for me back when I was growing up the younger version of me in my darkest spots and my darkest moments yeah I wanted to come up out of those areas I mean that those moments a lot quicker than then I stayed in them but I knew that I would I never ever lost faith on knowing that I would come out of it I'm going to come out of the storm period I'm gonna come out of the storm so this period period look me and Perianna okay okay Perianna listen you will come out of the storm and that's what I'm gonna tell myself then yesterday today and tomorrow you will I just have to tell you this one comment before I let you go um Amanda underscore underscore candy said dawn was dawn before the sun was rising in the sky come on guy come on Amanda before even the sun came dawn was gone was already because we already knew she was it was coming it's every day the sun won't always shine that's why I love the Lord oh thanks Amanda okay and thank you thank you for being on my show and I know that this is not gonna be the the the the last time I see you that's right okay because after after this do do not leave because because we we gotta but y'all if this has touched anybody which I know it did somebody is waiting on that season right now somebody is waiting on that season right now do not forget that that glow up doesn't always look that cute but know that it is happening it is happening right now sometimes it looks like a rejection sometimes it looks like deep deep oppression sometimes it looks like being broke at your mama house sometimes that is how it looks but baby on the other side of power if this episode has touched you like comment subscribe and keep coming back because baby it's gonna only get better it's gonna only get better so as always keep being great in their face know that you are everything and everything is you and as always you have a good day on purpose