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Speaker 1: Hello, it's Deborah Joy Winman's Williams.
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Speaker 2: I know it's a lot of names.
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Speaker 1: Welcome back to Choosing Joy.
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Speaker 3: And I am so, so so excited to have this beautiful woman sitting next to me.
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Speaker 1: You know her from the mega hit show Sisters. She is so many things, but one thing she isn't is.
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Speaker 3: The person in Hollywood that you can't call consistent. She is stunning in every way. Every time I see her, she brings light and love in her person.
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Speaker 2: She carries it.
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Speaker 3: I don't know how you do that, but she does it and just talented through and through. The talent is the thing that people recognize, but the heart is the thing that she leads with. And so I am excited to have the one and only gorgeous woman known as Gnovie Brown sitting right next to me here choosing Joy.
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Speaker 2: Girl all the time.
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Speaker 3: That's the girl I said I told, no lies, no lies, no lies.
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Speaker 4: It makes me I'm such I gotta take a moment.
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Speaker 1: I'm a huge fan.
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Speaker 4: Y'all don't understand y'all do understand it, because y'all hear you're fans too.
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Speaker 1: I'm a huge fan. Actress to actress.
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Speaker 4: Oh gosh, your work is so invigorating, it's so moving, it's so it's so passionate. And that's exactly the type of creatives and people I want to be around.
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Speaker 1: And you inspire me.
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Speaker 4: And as soon as I fangirled over you, you were just like, hey, girls.
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Speaker 1: What's going on. I'm like, I'm your fan. I'm your fan. So thank you again for having me.
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Speaker 2: I truly mean it.
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Speaker 1: Thank you. I'm so happy you're here.
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Speaker 3: And the thing is when I said, I tell no lies, every time I see.
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Speaker 1: You, no vi, you are so consistently you. It is a beautiful.
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Speaker 3: Thing walking around in Hollywood, being here for you know, however long it I guess nineteen years now, I've been here too long.
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Speaker 2: You're doing it. We're doing it.
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Speaker 1: But being here and seeing how people can be and how.
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Speaker 3: You choose to be, every time I see you is always a breath of fresh air. You are stunning and that's something that people can lead with, but you don't.
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Speaker 1: You are absolutely beautiful.
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Speaker 3: It is something that is in you that you carry you that is, I guess our forever first lady said the light that we carry.
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Speaker 1: Yes, you carry a light. Thank you? What light is that? Can you give me a secret?
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Speaker 2: My mom all day. Your mom's on set today.
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Speaker 4: I think having those type of people around you to help you consistently remind you of who.
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Speaker 1: You are is so necessary. You know.
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Speaker 4: They mentally and emotionally ground me my community and my family. They keep me focused on my goals because at the end of the day, so many things happen to us all the time, right, constant rejections, constant misleadings of things, And it could be so easy to want to give in to that energy, and it's so easy to want to go to that side.
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Speaker 2: But I just see a bunch of hurt.
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Speaker 4: Artists walking around who are very disappointed and sad. Yeah, And so for me, I just I know I'm a little bit newer and will only been professional for about five or six years now, but I want to be that little glimmery. I hope that people remember. So when I do run into somebody who's been in the industry for twenty or so years, they're like, I remember, I was just like that.
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Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I remember that.
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Speaker 4: And I just want to stay consistent like that, because at the end of the day, I'm choosing this career because I'm happy about it. All the other intricacies are people things. Yeah, that's not the spiritual thing though that I'm attracted to. So that's why I'm consistently staying in my zone.
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Speaker 3: I have found that the Holy Spirit will talk to you through that gut that you have.
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Speaker 1: And if you're not connecting, you're not connecting.
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Speaker 3: It doesn't mean that you're not meant to be in someone's space or work with somebody. But there are levels to relationships, okay, and I you know when you are here here with me, yes, that means I am really giving and doing everything to make sure this relationship is great and it works. I am not doing that for the fake. I am not doing that for the insincere.
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Speaker 1: I don't I don't have to.
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Speaker 4: I had to literally tell somebody I don't have to get on my knees mmm, don't have to bend my morals mm mm.
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Speaker 2: Or my integrity to get what I want.
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Speaker 1: M I need you to understand that about me.
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Speaker 3: Absolutely, I'm not going to do what you think I'm gonna do.
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Speaker 1: Absolutely, and it's never been that way.
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Speaker 3: Do you feel like cause I wanna ask you being on something that's it's such a mega hit, like, sisters, how have you had to balance that, like your health and your wellness, your your family, and even relationships, whether romantic or friendship wise. How have you had to sort of adjust or or balance those things with such a heavy hitter connected to your name, so.
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Speaker 2: Many different things. I'm still learning.
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Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm sure it took a learning process for you as well, right, because now you're.
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Speaker 2: In homes of millions and millions and millions of people.
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Speaker 4: And the cool thing about being on a black shell, there's just a difference, the difference. Yes, yes, it feels like you're in the middle of a barbecue or cookout.
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Speaker 2: He would just come up to you in mid conversations. Yeah, like you don't what I about?
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Speaker 1: Yeah, so such as a I'm like what happened?
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Speaker 2: Girls?
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Speaker 5: You know.
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Speaker 4: So that's why I love it. That's number one. It makes me feel so good.
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Speaker 2: Number two, I love that it connects families and all those things. You know. So I know I'm doing my work as a connector yeah, and as a hopefully as a healer in some way.
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Speaker 4: But when it comes to my own personal life, still figuring out how to manage everything, you know, because now for people in my personal life, their perception of me changed. They don't want to be intrusive because they know how hard I've worked. So now they're like, oh, I don't want to call because I know you're going to be busy. I said, no, no, no, no, that's not it's not how it works, you know.
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Speaker 2: But I had to get over those hurdles with some of my closes.
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Speaker 4: And best friends. I would tell them, hit me up, well, I don't want to bother you. You never bother You're part of my life, you know. And so that's been way better now I've integrated that. Me and my best friends talking about every day now. But prior to they were very nervous because they were like, well, you're going into this situation.
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Speaker 2: And I don't want to hinder you.
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Speaker 4: And you know, a very very respectful community. So that I am in a relationship, we're engaged. You know, he's but he's been in there, he's been here before.
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Speaker 3: Oh yes, yes.
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Speaker 4: But I'm a big proponent for specifically everybody's different, but I'm a proponent for women kind of separating those things.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, because tell me why women will.
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Speaker 4: Do all these amazing things, but it's always like where's your husband and your child? You know, And my artistry can't be enough this, you know, how I show up as a mentor or an educator or whatever, I can't be enough. So, you know, my fiancee, Malcolm and I have a production company. We do a lot of things together.
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Speaker 2: A lot of people know him in the industry, some of social media knows him. But this career is for me. This is my life, you know.
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Speaker 4: And I'm saying I built this and I'm continue and he's helping me continue to build it. Sure, So that's been It's been good because he's a cinematographer and so he understands both of our whole world. Get up, go where are you going today? I'm going here, I'm leaving on a flight tomorrow all that, you know. So I got really blessed with that. And then he's super supportive in what I do, and he's just he's happy because he sees other people are happy to see me. You know, He's like, oh, I love how people get so connected to you and things like that.
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Speaker 2: So we get to do that.
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Speaker 4: And then obviously on the partnership side, I get to build a production company with this person because he has an amazing skill set. And with that, you know, we did our first short film. We won like five awards already, so it's really good cynership for us.
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Speaker 2: So that's been awesome.
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Speaker 4: The relationship with my mom has always been super strong, you know, I'm just like you. I bring her as many places as I possibly can bring my mom, so that's been awesome. And making sure that I have some type of therapists or counselor around, making sure that I can dive into that.
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Speaker 2: And then last, but not least, mentorship.
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Speaker 4: I think mentorship is massive, and the women that I'm mentored by, there's two different sets of women. There's a very entrepreneurial woman who's very focused on her career, but then there's a business family woman.
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Speaker 2: So I have both, so I get to see both perspectives.
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Speaker 4: You know, I'm surrounded by women who decided not to get married and have children, and I'm surround by women who decide to marry and have children. I feel like because I have a strong community in that way, mentorship, and I'm very blunt and transparent and consistent as you know, I feel that's really helped me, you know, maintain as much balance as I can.
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Speaker 2: And then crying, like you gotta cry, girl, it's way down Yeah, break down a girl. We all do it, you know, it is a healing. It's so good to just let it go.
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Speaker 4: And when you're frustrated or things don't turn out the way you expect them to turn out, or they expect it, they turn out better than you expected to turn out, you know.
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Speaker 2: But yeah, just allowing that.
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Speaker 4: And I've definitely had, you know, breakdowns and anxiety, and I've had oh my god, what if you know, what if I'm only on this show and this is the only show that I'm ever on? Oh my god, I can't believe, you know, I'm freaking out, Like, where's my next job gonna come from?
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Speaker 2: You're just thinking can I will I ever be known for anything else?
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Speaker 1: And still being.
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Speaker 3: Slightly newer, Yeah, just there's there's a resoluteness in how you move and how you speak, and it is refreshing because nobody's changing.
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Speaker 2: They can who God created you to be.
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Speaker 3: And it's been a struggle. Yeah, So like being an outspoken black woman. God God forbidden an opinion, shake the table. Whoa wait a minute now again, Now aren't you grateful?
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Speaker 1: Be quiet? Just be thankful? Yeah?
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Speaker 4: Yeah, so you know that's the energy they want you to have Yeah, instead of realizing, well, what about all those years that we've been training, we've been in class. Yeah, we've you know, sacrificed this. I don't know about you, but I spent my entire twenties working.
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Speaker 2: That's all I did. I was.
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Speaker 4: I was a bartender, waitress, every holiday, Christmas.
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Speaker 2: Thanksgiving, New Year's. I was working. I was at school. I was working. I was at school. I was working. I was auditioning. I was at school, I was working, I was auditioning. I'm allowed, as.
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Speaker 4: A thirty eight year old woman, Yeah, to have my own opinions about the opinion and be resolute and who I am because my trajectory and my my pathway is supposed to be carved out this way for other people to see something and say, oh, okay, I can do it this way as well, where I could take I could tweak it. But yeah, it's very much, especially in this business. It's such a people pleasing business.
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Speaker 2: I don't want people to think it's not. It's all about do you like me?
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Speaker 5: Do you like me?
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Speaker 2: Do you like me?
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Speaker 1: Do you like me? Do you like me?
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Speaker 2: And then when they don't like you, then.
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Speaker 1: You fall apart. You fall apart. The world is ending. My god, it's crazy. They don't like me anymore.
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Speaker 2: No, I can't.
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Speaker 1: Live like that.
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Speaker 2: I refuse. I refuse. I was never like that in high school. No, I refuse.
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Speaker 1: Pressure. I don't understand. What is that?
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Speaker 3: Who?
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Speaker 2: Who? What is that? Have you met my mom?
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Speaker 1: What you talk about?
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Speaker 2: Have you met my mother?
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Speaker 1: That's what I don't want to do it, I said, No, I'm.
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Speaker 2: Scared of her.
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Speaker 1: I don't pressure.
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Speaker 4: I got going back to Cassandra, don't I got consequences?
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Speaker 2: So the is the is the No? No, okay, you good.
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Speaker 1: It's just it's so interesting.
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Speaker 4: I feel I feel like the older you get, you're supposed to be more free, you're not.
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Speaker 2: Supposed to people.
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Speaker 4: And then there's this weird time between your thirties and I think late forties where you're still trying to figure out am I following everybody else's idea of who I'm supposed to be? Or am I really cultivating the light? And then by the time you're sixty, right, you wake up and say, oh, screw that. Yeah, but I don't want to be sixty realizing that. No, I want to know that now. Yes, I want to live in it now, and I want to be grateful for everything that I do today, instead of looking back and saying that, yeah, twenty years ago I should have said that.
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Speaker 1: Yeah.
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Speaker 2: No, I'm gonna say it today, regardless of how you feel.
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Speaker 3: If this is on my spirit today, I'm going to say it today. I'm gonna I'm gonna look to to say things in love and.
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Speaker 1: With us, because that's what lives in me.
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Speaker 2: Don't even God is.
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Speaker 3: Love And if you don't have that, you have nothing. So many people talk about talking about the.
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Speaker 1: Lord, but they don't move in love.
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Speaker 3: If you don't have love, Bob says, you have nothing you so you've got to move.
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Speaker 4: You can't talk about it, You got to be about it it. You know a lot of people talking talking, talking, talking, talking, And I'm not a person that goes to church every week at all, But I don't need to be going into a book to remind me how to treat other people like that, to me is crazy of itself.
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Speaker 2: And if we don't.
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Speaker 4: Naturally align, then we need to be mature enough to say, great, let's not continue whatever this was between, whether it's a business partnership or relationship or friendship or community endeavors, we're not aligned and that's.
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Speaker 2: Okay, or this is as far as we've come.
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Speaker 4: And I feel like, especially in Hollywood, you know, it's very it's so in a lot of industries, it's like this. As many industries there's you know, there's tears and status and clicks and all that, and there's nothing wrong with creating you know, communities and hubs of things.
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Speaker 2: But not to the point where you look down.
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Speaker 4: On that does not sit right with me, you know, especially when I know which I'll be going through to.
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Speaker 2: Get get yeah, get it out. Yeah, you know. Yeah, it's a group effort here, This is a team effort.
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Speaker 4: Like we're sitting here this beautiful production, but there's so many people behind the scenes right now operating this amazing set, you know what I'm saying. And those are the people that are also helping build our legacy and making our dreams come true.
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Speaker 1: I would argue that they are just as important.
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Speaker 2: Period.
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Speaker 1: I think it's hard for artists.
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Speaker 3: Who are really, really, really a self centered to recognize that just because your face is on the camera, that you're the most important part of this piece.
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Speaker 1: I think we all need each other.
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Speaker 3: And when you realize that and recognize that you move like that, and you treat.
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Speaker 1: People with respect.
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Speaker 3: I like to sit in a makeup chair or a hair chair, or sit in front of a camera and.
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Speaker 1: Like, y'all tell me what to do.
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Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't have that expertise. Yes, you tell me where I can move, what's gonna look good?
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Speaker 1: How I got it? And then I can take my artistry and.
00:15:00
Speaker 3: Work within yours. So it's all a collective effort. My question I think in this sort of space is what has been the biggest thing in your life, maybe in your career, but think about life where you found it very difficult to choose this, to choose this joy that you really sort of move with.
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Speaker 4: Oh, I feel one of the aspects is changing teams, you know, like changing your manager or agents or whoever because they're not getting the vision, or some people just want you to stay where you are.
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Speaker 2: I can host, I can do this, I can do that.
00:15:39
Speaker 4: You know, I speak German, I have dual citizenship, Like, let's figure it out. And the person was not listening to me, not listening to me, not listening to me, You're like, okay, I'm only working once a year. Where are the other opportunities? It's a pandemic.
00:15:50
Speaker 2: Introduce me to people what's going on.
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Speaker 4: And it was very difficult because I said, well, what if nobody wants to work with me? You know that lack of mindset comes in there. Yeah, yeah, what if nobody wants.
00:16:00
Speaker 2: To But no, no, no, no, you're talented.
00:16:03
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00:16:54
Speaker 3: But even in those moments where life is it seemed like it ain't throwing you nothing butter lemons and and to be honest, twenty twenty five has felt for me very much.
00:17:10
Speaker 1: So like, okay, God, it's like you give your battles to the heart the strongest soldier. I'm not that strong right now.
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Speaker 2: I don't hold any another battle.
00:17:21
Speaker 1: Tap me out, not another battle. What is happening in twenty twenty five? Can I can? I can? I have a soft light? Yeah? Jesus please please so.
00:17:33
Speaker 3: But but how do you find in those very difficult moments of life, whether it's housing, whether it's food, whether it's I've been wearing these clothes since you know, nineteen ninety three, Where where do you find your joy? Where do you find your peace in those moments?
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Speaker 2: Definitely? I mean you have to believe in something.
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Speaker 4: So whatever y'all believe in, just believe in that even more because there is something out there, you know, whether you call it God, I don't care about the label, but I do believe period.
00:18:08
Speaker 2: And then the second thing is move.
00:18:10
Speaker 4: You gotta move, You gotta keep moving. Stagnation is going to kill you. That's atrophy. Your muscles are going to give out. You're going to get weak, You're gonna get undisciplined, You're gonna get unfocused, like you have to keep moving. So I came into the business. It was a pandemic. Then it was two strikes, so I don't have an option. I never got to sit down and oh no, I've never felt that once in my life. So I was like, Okay, let me go into the rooms that I'm being invited into. I'm really big on if somebody invites you somewhere, get your tuck us.
00:18:44
Speaker 2: Up and get in the room.
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Speaker 1: Let's wash.
00:18:52
Speaker 4: Room second. But because you have to think about it. Right before you got green Leave, your life was a certain way. Then you got green leaf and doors started opening your Okay, let me go walk through this door, let me walk through, let me show up, let me show up. This opportunity is having this opportunity and you don't might not see the opportunity because it's not physically manifested. It's relationships that you're going to create more opportunities.
00:19:13
Speaker 2: Right.
00:19:14
Speaker 4: So I'm just sitting there thinking, Okay, let me keep going into these rooms. Some other people that I know don't do stuff like that. They just sit at home, you know. But you have to understand, this is show business.
00:19:24
Speaker 2: You got to show up.
00:19:25
Speaker 1: You got to show up.
00:19:26
Speaker 2: That's half the business. Your butt in the room.
00:19:29
Speaker 4: Yes, and as she as you're saying, there's beautiful people everywhere, so beauty means absolutely.
00:19:36
Speaker 2: It's almost like it doesn't matter. Right.
00:19:39
Speaker 4: Everyone's fly, everyone got the fly as lawn melody air, everybody's press. What is going to get you to the next level? And one of the things that I've done was I kept going into rooms by myself, not knowing anybody being awkward, having anxiety to.
00:19:58
Speaker 2: Talk to me. I don't know.
00:20:00
Speaker 4: But as soon as I see a face, especially a black one, I'm like, hey, you know it's hi.
00:20:06
Speaker 2: Or you smile at someone and then you engage in a conversation. Do you know what you have that so many people don't?
00:20:12
Speaker 1: Girl? You got a party trick?
00:20:14
Speaker 3: I do?
00:20:14
Speaker 1: You got a party trick? You got, girl?
00:20:17
Speaker 3: But you also have you better go talking in some German. Yes, you better say something. Question nobody out here.
00:20:30
Speaker 1: That is fabulous.
00:20:31
Speaker 4: Go in the rooms and talk about yourself. People want to know. We go to the same rooms with the same people all the time, and if you're a newer face, it's more exciting, I think, and tell people what you're up to. But that's how I got opportunities to then.
00:20:45
Speaker 2: Do the Broadway thing. Yeah, because I went into.
00:20:47
Speaker 3: Ye, which is amazing, and we're not just gonna throw that in there, because you are now a producer and you and you are one of the producers for the hit top grossing Broadway show to date.
00:21:04
Speaker 1: Othello.
00:21:05
Speaker 2: Yes, I'm part of an investor group.
00:21:07
Speaker 4: Yes, investor group from Ken Davenport and my mentor, Tony is real. Shout out to both of y'all for allowing me to be a part of this. And I'm a theater major, so it's like, you know, it's all full circle.
00:21:18
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:21:18
Speaker 2: And I'm an artist period. I'm an artist who supports other artists. Yeah.
00:21:23
Speaker 4: I don't need to just be the person in front of the camera. So that's why I got really excited about that. And that's now I'm starting to see opportunities for myself for creating so behind the scenes.
00:21:34
Speaker 2: You know.
00:21:34
Speaker 3: So just one more question before we play this game, because I want to play this game with you.
00:21:39
Speaker 1: What do you love most about your life?
00:21:41
Speaker 2: Right now?
00:21:43
Speaker 4: That I have the freedom to get up and go anywhere that I choose to, that's so powerful. I got up and went to Mexico a week ago because I could Wow, that's crazy. Yeah, like when you think back, that is insane.
00:21:57
Speaker 2: And that's the freedom that people are talking.
00:22:00
Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, having that free life, whatever that looks like for you and however that feels.
00:22:05
Speaker 2: But my friend for TONI who invited me.
00:22:07
Speaker 4: When I met her, I was a waitress, yeah you know, and now I was like, oh, were sitting here with our families and we're just up in Mexico.
00:22:14
Speaker 2: This is crazy, you know. So that blessing the best? What about for you?
00:22:20
Speaker 3: Ooh? The thing that I love about life right now? I think the joy of being able to be this woman that makes my son so happy. So and I've never been the girl that's like, oh my god, I can't wait to have kids, I can't wait to get me other that wasn't me. But I knew if I married the right person, I would want to have kids with them. And I did, Praise God, married the right person, love him dearly.
00:22:57
Speaker 1: And I have to.
00:22:57
Speaker 3: Because my son looks just like like I had nothing to do with it. It's so it's so disrespectful.
00:23:06
Speaker 1: It's so disrespectful.
00:23:08
Speaker 3: But the joy that I see on his face when I get dressed or when I'm working and He's like, oh, mommy, you're so pretty.
00:23:18
Speaker 1: Oh mommy, oh you you're working? Is it good?
00:23:22
Speaker 3: And he's just happy knowing that I get to help shape his life. Prayer every night before we go to bed, I say thank you Lord for the privilege of being able to be his mother here and to show him you, to show him how to journey through life with you, and the joy that you bring. I think it's in I think it's a I always say this now. I even said this with my mom. The joy that I have. The world didn't give it and the world can't take it away. And so there's that sort of innate joy that we have, and then there's sometimes where we have to try to choose it. And my son makes it easier for me to choose joy every day.
00:24:05
Speaker 4: That's really powerful and I wish all parents and mothers could feel that way because you.
00:24:11
Speaker 2: Chose the right I definitely have the right.
00:24:14
Speaker 1: Partner.
00:24:17
Speaker 2: Shout out to you, Shout out to the partner.
00:24:20
Speaker 1: Okay, let's play a game. Can we play games?
00:24:23
Speaker 2: Can we play our game?
00:24:25
Speaker 3: And this really is just for me because honestly, I already know my answer is okay, So this is this or that number one being an adult has been mostly rewarding or mostly wishing I had enjoyed being a child and stop trying to be grown so quick.
00:24:58
Speaker 1: Oh I love the Oh that's so good.
00:25:03
Speaker 3: Okay, that's really good rewarding because I let my inner child lead.
00:25:07
Speaker 1: That's really great. That's gonna be Look, please please stop trying to be grown.
00:25:13
Speaker 3: It's I think I learned much later in life because you just get so excited about not having to listen. Maybe because I was sheltered, maybe because I was whatever, which I don't think was wrong, but I think you learned.
00:25:26
Speaker 1: That's like, oh, I've been trying to do all these things.
00:25:30
Speaker 2: This was waiting for me.
00:25:32
Speaker 3: Yeah, live your life now, in the present, in the moment, be who that is and grow Ooh, I want to get to this one staying grounded through routine or embracing spontaneity.
00:25:54
Speaker 1: I don't think I spilled that right.
00:25:56
Speaker 2: Okay, we ain't judging. Please don't yet your day.
00:26:09
Speaker 1: Yeah, you are so funny.
00:26:13
Speaker 4: Then we go crisy because me and my man we have this thing called things before one. We try to get as many things done before one o'clock, and then the day is what it is.
00:26:22
Speaker 2: Oh I love that.
00:26:24
Speaker 1: I was gonna say, what time does your day start?
00:26:26
Speaker 2: Then?
00:26:27
Speaker 1: Early?
00:26:27
Speaker 2: Six to seven? Yeah, like normal regular time, but.
00:26:31
Speaker 4: The gym, you know, walk your dogs, prep meal, do bills, pay all the bills. But then you know, the rest of the day is just like chaotic for artists, yause today you might have an interview later and then another screening later.
00:26:46
Speaker 3: Yeah, okay, all right, all right, alright, okay, So your preference acting drama or comedy?
00:27:00
Speaker 5: Yeah, drama.
00:27:13
Speaker 2: I was taking the same thing.
00:27:15
Speaker 4: The only reason why I say comedy right now is because I'm funny, y'all, and I need to be in my comedy bag.
00:27:22
Speaker 2: Like I got this.
00:27:24
Speaker 4: I love something, and I feel like I have the rest of my life to do drama.
00:27:27
Speaker 2: Do you know what I'm saying?
00:27:29
Speaker 3: Yahah, we get them meaty.
00:27:31
Speaker 2: Yeah, but right now I would love to do a little more.
00:27:35
Speaker 1: I love that.
00:27:36
Speaker 3: You know. It's I said drama ly because I'm trying to Comedy makes me uncomfortable, and so I'm trying to push myself to live in the uncomfortable space because I know this is where you grow.
00:27:51
Speaker 2: Yeah, but I don't like being uncomfortable. You would do good in comedy.
00:27:55
Speaker 3: But I feel like, I gotta just at least be open. So I'm just trying to be open.
00:27:59
Speaker 2: Because you got the it and it's all about timing.
00:28:04
Speaker 1: Well, yeah, what is it?
00:28:05
Speaker 4: I think Marlon Wayne said comedy and horror are cousins, and it's because there's a there's a truth there that can't be denied.
00:28:13
Speaker 2: Something like that.
00:28:14
Speaker 1: That's really good. It was just so good, you know.
00:28:17
Speaker 4: And and I really like that because one person think it's funny, the other person doesn't comedy.
00:28:23
Speaker 1: Well, Hi, and it is oh my gosh and nob okay.
00:28:29
Speaker 3: So when you walked in, I know you were absolutely wonderful because I could see it was written all over your face. I hope you are even better as you leave. I hope that this place has filled you and given you another little piece of joy that you can walk away with. I am so happy you came and sat with me.
00:28:46
Speaker 2: Grateful. I'm so thankful for you. Hi.
00:28:53
Speaker 1: It's Devah Joy Winings Williams.
00:28:55
Speaker 3: Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of Choosing Joy where we talked the beautiful, talented, amazing actress Novi Brown. What an authentic, beautiful soul and the thing that I'm walking away with from her is understanding the strength in that inner voice. Whether anybody else hears it or sees it, you know it and you stay true to that.
00:29:17
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for choosing Joy.
00:29:20
Speaker 3: Click that like button, subscribe to the channel, and let us know what else you want to talk about.
Speaker 1: Hello, it's Deborah Joy Winman's Williams.
00:00:03
Speaker 2: I know it's a lot of names.
00:00:04
Speaker 1: Welcome back to Choosing Joy.
00:00:06
Speaker 3: And I am so, so so excited to have this beautiful woman sitting next to me.
00:00:13
Speaker 1: You know her from the mega hit show Sisters. She is so many things, but one thing she isn't is.
00:00:24
Speaker 3: The person in Hollywood that you can't call consistent. She is stunning in every way. Every time I see her, she brings light and love in her person.
00:00:36
Speaker 2: She carries it.
00:00:37
Speaker 3: I don't know how you do that, but she does it and just talented through and through. The talent is the thing that people recognize, but the heart is the thing that she leads with. And so I am excited to have the one and only gorgeous woman known as Gnovie Brown sitting right next to me here choosing Joy.
00:01:02
Speaker 2: Girl all the time.
00:01:04
Speaker 3: That's the girl I said I told, no lies, no lies, no lies.
00:01:09
Speaker 4: It makes me I'm such I gotta take a moment.
00:01:11
Speaker 1: I'm a huge fan.
00:01:12
Speaker 4: Y'all don't understand y'all do understand it, because y'all hear you're fans too.
00:01:16
Speaker 1: I'm a huge fan. Actress to actress.
00:01:20
Speaker 4: Oh gosh, your work is so invigorating, it's so moving, it's so it's so passionate. And that's exactly the type of creatives and people I want to be around.
00:01:29
Speaker 1: And you inspire me.
00:01:30
Speaker 4: And as soon as I fangirled over you, you were just like, hey, girls.
00:01:34
Speaker 1: What's going on. I'm like, I'm your fan. I'm your fan. So thank you again for having me.
00:01:38
Speaker 2: I truly mean it.
00:01:39
Speaker 1: Thank you. I'm so happy you're here.
00:01:41
Speaker 3: And the thing is when I said, I tell no lies, every time I see.
00:01:45
Speaker 1: You, no vi, you are so consistently you. It is a beautiful.
00:01:51
Speaker 3: Thing walking around in Hollywood, being here for you know, however long it I guess nineteen years now, I've been here too long.
00:01:59
Speaker 2: You're doing it. We're doing it.
00:02:01
Speaker 1: But being here and seeing how people can be and how.
00:02:04
Speaker 3: You choose to be, every time I see you is always a breath of fresh air. You are stunning and that's something that people can lead with, but you don't.
00:02:15
Speaker 1: You are absolutely beautiful.
00:02:17
Speaker 3: It is something that is in you that you carry you that is, I guess our forever first lady said the light that we carry.
00:02:23
Speaker 1: Yes, you carry a light. Thank you? What light is that? Can you give me a secret?
00:02:29
Speaker 2: My mom all day. Your mom's on set today.
00:02:32
Speaker 4: I think having those type of people around you to help you consistently remind you of who.
00:02:37
Speaker 1: You are is so necessary. You know.
00:02:41
Speaker 4: They mentally and emotionally ground me my community and my family. They keep me focused on my goals because at the end of the day, so many things happen to us all the time, right, constant rejections, constant misleadings of things, And it could be so easy to want to give in to that energy, and it's so easy to want to go to that side.
00:03:02
Speaker 2: But I just see a bunch of hurt.
00:03:04
Speaker 4: Artists walking around who are very disappointed and sad. Yeah, And so for me, I just I know I'm a little bit newer and will only been professional for about five or six years now, but I want to be that little glimmery. I hope that people remember. So when I do run into somebody who's been in the industry for twenty or so years, they're like, I remember, I was just like that.
00:03:26
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I remember that.
00:03:28
Speaker 4: And I just want to stay consistent like that, because at the end of the day, I'm choosing this career because I'm happy about it. All the other intricacies are people things. Yeah, that's not the spiritual thing though that I'm attracted to. So that's why I'm consistently staying in my zone.
00:03:45
Speaker 3: I have found that the Holy Spirit will talk to you through that gut that you have.
00:03:53
Speaker 1: And if you're not connecting, you're not connecting.
00:03:56
Speaker 3: It doesn't mean that you're not meant to be in someone's space or work with somebody. But there are levels to relationships, okay, and I you know when you are here here with me, yes, that means I am really giving and doing everything to make sure this relationship is great and it works. I am not doing that for the fake. I am not doing that for the insincere.
00:04:22
Speaker 1: I don't I don't have to.
00:04:24
Speaker 4: I had to literally tell somebody I don't have to get on my knees mmm, don't have to bend my morals mm mm.
00:04:32
Speaker 2: Or my integrity to get what I want.
00:04:34
Speaker 1: M I need you to understand that about me.
00:04:36
Speaker 3: Absolutely, I'm not going to do what you think I'm gonna do.
00:04:39
Speaker 1: Absolutely, and it's never been that way.
00:04:42
Speaker 3: Do you feel like cause I wanna ask you being on something that's it's such a mega hit, like, sisters, how have you had to balance that, like your health and your wellness, your your family, and even relationships, whether romantic or friendship wise. How have you had to sort of adjust or or balance those things with such a heavy hitter connected to your name, so.
00:05:14
Speaker 2: Many different things. I'm still learning.
00:05:16
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm sure it took a learning process for you as well, right, because now you're.
00:05:21
Speaker 2: In homes of millions and millions and millions of people.
00:05:24
Speaker 4: And the cool thing about being on a black shell, there's just a difference, the difference. Yes, yes, it feels like you're in the middle of a barbecue or cookout.
00:05:33
Speaker 2: He would just come up to you in mid conversations. Yeah, like you don't what I about?
00:05:38
Speaker 1: Yeah, so such as a I'm like what happened?
00:05:41
Speaker 2: Girls?
00:05:41
Speaker 5: You know.
00:05:41
Speaker 4: So that's why I love it. That's number one. It makes me feel so good.
00:05:46
Speaker 2: Number two, I love that it connects families and all those things. You know. So I know I'm doing my work as a connector yeah, and as a hopefully as a healer in some way.
00:05:56
Speaker 4: But when it comes to my own personal life, still figuring out how to manage everything, you know, because now for people in my personal life, their perception of me changed. They don't want to be intrusive because they know how hard I've worked. So now they're like, oh, I don't want to call because I know you're going to be busy. I said, no, no, no, no, that's not it's not how it works, you know.
00:06:12
Speaker 2: But I had to get over those hurdles with some of my closes.
00:06:15
Speaker 4: And best friends. I would tell them, hit me up, well, I don't want to bother you. You never bother You're part of my life, you know. And so that's been way better now I've integrated that. Me and my best friends talking about every day now. But prior to they were very nervous because they were like, well, you're going into this situation.
00:06:31
Speaker 2: And I don't want to hinder you.
00:06:32
Speaker 4: And you know, a very very respectful community. So that I am in a relationship, we're engaged. You know, he's but he's been in there, he's been here before.
00:06:42
Speaker 3: Oh yes, yes.
00:06:46
Speaker 4: But I'm a big proponent for specifically everybody's different, but I'm a proponent for women kind of separating those things.
00:06:56
Speaker 2: Yeah, because tell me why women will.
00:07:00
Speaker 4: Do all these amazing things, but it's always like where's your husband and your child? You know, And my artistry can't be enough this, you know, how I show up as a mentor or an educator or whatever, I can't be enough. So, you know, my fiancee, Malcolm and I have a production company. We do a lot of things together.
00:07:16
Speaker 2: A lot of people know him in the industry, some of social media knows him. But this career is for me. This is my life, you know.
00:07:23
Speaker 4: And I'm saying I built this and I'm continue and he's helping me continue to build it. Sure, So that's been It's been good because he's a cinematographer and so he understands both of our whole world. Get up, go where are you going today? I'm going here, I'm leaving on a flight tomorrow all that, you know. So I got really blessed with that. And then he's super supportive in what I do, and he's just he's happy because he sees other people are happy to see me. You know, He's like, oh, I love how people get so connected to you and things like that.
00:07:53
Speaker 2: So we get to do that.
00:07:54
Speaker 4: And then obviously on the partnership side, I get to build a production company with this person because he has an amazing skill set. And with that, you know, we did our first short film. We won like five awards already, so it's really good cynership for us.
00:08:07
Speaker 2: So that's been awesome.
00:08:08
Speaker 4: The relationship with my mom has always been super strong, you know, I'm just like you. I bring her as many places as I possibly can bring my mom, so that's been awesome. And making sure that I have some type of therapists or counselor around, making sure that I can dive into that.
00:08:23
Speaker 2: And then last, but not least, mentorship.
00:08:26
Speaker 4: I think mentorship is massive, and the women that I'm mentored by, there's two different sets of women. There's a very entrepreneurial woman who's very focused on her career, but then there's a business family woman.
00:08:39
Speaker 2: So I have both, so I get to see both perspectives.
00:08:43
Speaker 4: You know, I'm surrounded by women who decided not to get married and have children, and I'm surround by women who decide to marry and have children. I feel like because I have a strong community in that way, mentorship, and I'm very blunt and transparent and consistent as you know, I feel that's really helped me, you know, maintain as much balance as I can.
00:09:00
Speaker 2: And then crying, like you gotta cry, girl, it's way down Yeah, break down a girl. We all do it, you know, it is a healing. It's so good to just let it go.
00:09:11
Speaker 4: And when you're frustrated or things don't turn out the way you expect them to turn out, or they expect it, they turn out better than you expected to turn out, you know.
00:09:20
Speaker 2: But yeah, just allowing that.
00:09:22
Speaker 4: And I've definitely had, you know, breakdowns and anxiety, and I've had oh my god, what if you know, what if I'm only on this show and this is the only show that I'm ever on? Oh my god, I can't believe, you know, I'm freaking out, Like, where's my next job gonna come from?
00:09:38
Speaker 2: You're just thinking can I will I ever be known for anything else?
00:09:41
Speaker 1: And still being.
00:09:43
Speaker 3: Slightly newer, Yeah, just there's there's a resoluteness in how you move and how you speak, and it is refreshing because nobody's changing.
00:09:56
Speaker 2: They can who God created you to be.
00:09:58
Speaker 3: And it's been a struggle. Yeah, So like being an outspoken black woman. God God forbidden an opinion, shake the table. Whoa wait a minute now again, Now aren't you grateful?
00:10:14
Speaker 1: Be quiet? Just be thankful? Yeah?
00:10:17
Speaker 4: Yeah, so you know that's the energy they want you to have Yeah, instead of realizing, well, what about all those years that we've been training, we've been in class. Yeah, we've you know, sacrificed this. I don't know about you, but I spent my entire twenties working.
00:10:30
Speaker 2: That's all I did. I was.
00:10:31
Speaker 4: I was a bartender, waitress, every holiday, Christmas.
00:10:35
Speaker 2: Thanksgiving, New Year's. I was working. I was at school. I was working. I was at school. I was working. I was auditioning. I was at school, I was working, I was auditioning. I'm allowed, as.
00:10:46
Speaker 4: A thirty eight year old woman, Yeah, to have my own opinions about the opinion and be resolute and who I am because my trajectory and my my pathway is supposed to be carved out this way for other people to see something and say, oh, okay, I can do it this way as well, where I could take I could tweak it. But yeah, it's very much, especially in this business. It's such a people pleasing business.
00:11:09
Speaker 2: I don't want people to think it's not. It's all about do you like me?
00:11:11
Speaker 5: Do you like me?
00:11:12
Speaker 2: Do you like me?
00:11:12
Speaker 1: Do you like me? Do you like me?
00:11:14
Speaker 2: And then when they don't like you, then.
00:11:16
Speaker 1: You fall apart. You fall apart. The world is ending. My god, it's crazy. They don't like me anymore.
00:11:23
Speaker 2: No, I can't.
00:11:24
Speaker 1: Live like that.
00:11:25
Speaker 2: I refuse. I refuse. I was never like that in high school. No, I refuse.
00:11:31
Speaker 1: Pressure. I don't understand. What is that?
00:11:33
Speaker 3: Who?
00:11:33
Speaker 2: Who? What is that? Have you met my mom?
00:11:35
Speaker 1: What you talk about?
00:11:36
Speaker 2: Have you met my mother?
00:11:37
Speaker 1: That's what I don't want to do it, I said, No, I'm.
00:11:39
Speaker 2: Scared of her.
00:11:41
Speaker 1: I don't pressure.
00:11:44
Speaker 4: I got going back to Cassandra, don't I got consequences?
00:11:49
Speaker 2: So the is the is the No? No, okay, you good.
00:11:53
Speaker 1: It's just it's so interesting.
00:11:55
Speaker 4: I feel I feel like the older you get, you're supposed to be more free, you're not.
00:11:59
Speaker 2: Supposed to people.
00:12:01
Speaker 4: And then there's this weird time between your thirties and I think late forties where you're still trying to figure out am I following everybody else's idea of who I'm supposed to be? Or am I really cultivating the light? And then by the time you're sixty, right, you wake up and say, oh, screw that. Yeah, but I don't want to be sixty realizing that. No, I want to know that now. Yes, I want to live in it now, and I want to be grateful for everything that I do today, instead of looking back and saying that, yeah, twenty years ago I should have said that.
00:12:32
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:12:33
Speaker 2: No, I'm gonna say it today, regardless of how you feel.
00:12:36
Speaker 3: If this is on my spirit today, I'm going to say it today. I'm gonna I'm gonna look to to say things in love and.
00:12:43
Speaker 1: With us, because that's what lives in me.
00:12:45
Speaker 2: Don't even God is.
00:12:46
Speaker 3: Love And if you don't have that, you have nothing. So many people talk about talking about the.
00:12:51
Speaker 1: Lord, but they don't move in love.
00:12:53
Speaker 3: If you don't have love, Bob says, you have nothing you so you've got to move.
00:12:57
Speaker 4: You can't talk about it, You got to be about it it. You know a lot of people talking talking, talking, talking, talking, And I'm not a person that goes to church every week at all, But I don't need to be going into a book to remind me how to treat other people like that, to me is crazy of itself.
00:13:16
Speaker 2: And if we don't.
00:13:17
Speaker 4: Naturally align, then we need to be mature enough to say, great, let's not continue whatever this was between, whether it's a business partnership or relationship or friendship or community endeavors, we're not aligned and that's.
00:13:30
Speaker 2: Okay, or this is as far as we've come.
00:13:32
Speaker 4: And I feel like, especially in Hollywood, you know, it's very it's so in a lot of industries, it's like this. As many industries there's you know, there's tears and status and clicks and all that, and there's nothing wrong with creating you know, communities and hubs of things.
00:13:47
Speaker 2: But not to the point where you look down.
00:13:50
Speaker 4: On that does not sit right with me, you know, especially when I know which I'll be going through to.
00:13:59
Speaker 2: Get get yeah, get it out. Yeah, you know. Yeah, it's a group effort here, This is a team effort.
00:14:05
Speaker 4: Like we're sitting here this beautiful production, but there's so many people behind the scenes right now operating this amazing set, you know what I'm saying. And those are the people that are also helping build our legacy and making our dreams come true.
00:14:19
Speaker 1: I would argue that they are just as important.
00:14:22
Speaker 2: Period.
00:14:22
Speaker 1: I think it's hard for artists.
00:14:24
Speaker 3: Who are really, really, really a self centered to recognize that just because your face is on the camera, that you're the most important part of this piece.
00:14:35
Speaker 1: I think we all need each other.
00:14:38
Speaker 3: And when you realize that and recognize that you move like that, and you treat.
00:14:42
Speaker 1: People with respect.
00:14:44
Speaker 3: I like to sit in a makeup chair or a hair chair, or sit in front of a camera and.
00:14:48
Speaker 1: Like, y'all tell me what to do.
00:14:50
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't have that expertise. Yes, you tell me where I can move, what's gonna look good?
00:14:57
Speaker 1: How I got it? And then I can take my artistry and.
00:15:00
Speaker 3: Work within yours. So it's all a collective effort. My question I think in this sort of space is what has been the biggest thing in your life, maybe in your career, but think about life where you found it very difficult to choose this, to choose this joy that you really sort of move with.
00:15:25
Speaker 4: Oh, I feel one of the aspects is changing teams, you know, like changing your manager or agents or whoever because they're not getting the vision, or some people just want you to stay where you are.
00:15:37
Speaker 2: I can host, I can do this, I can do that.
00:15:39
Speaker 4: You know, I speak German, I have dual citizenship, Like, let's figure it out. And the person was not listening to me, not listening to me, not listening to me, You're like, okay, I'm only working once a year. Where are the other opportunities? It's a pandemic.
00:15:50
Speaker 2: Introduce me to people what's going on.
00:15:52
Speaker 4: And it was very difficult because I said, well, what if nobody wants to work with me? You know that lack of mindset comes in there. Yeah, yeah, what if nobody wants.
00:16:00
Speaker 2: To But no, no, no, no, you're talented.
00:16:03
Speaker 3: When I think of choosing joy, I think of choosing wellness. Here's a word from our sponsor. Back to school season means new schedules, supplies, and carpool rides.
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00:16:54
Speaker 3: But even in those moments where life is it seemed like it ain't throwing you nothing butter lemons and and to be honest, twenty twenty five has felt for me very much.
00:17:10
Speaker 1: So like, okay, God, it's like you give your battles to the heart the strongest soldier. I'm not that strong right now.
00:17:19
Speaker 2: I don't hold any another battle.
00:17:21
Speaker 1: Tap me out, not another battle. What is happening in twenty twenty five? Can I can? I can? I have a soft light? Yeah? Jesus please please so.
00:17:33
Speaker 3: But but how do you find in those very difficult moments of life, whether it's housing, whether it's food, whether it's I've been wearing these clothes since you know, nineteen ninety three, Where where do you find your joy? Where do you find your peace in those moments?
00:17:54
Speaker 2: Definitely? I mean you have to believe in something.
00:17:57
Speaker 4: So whatever y'all believe in, just believe in that even more because there is something out there, you know, whether you call it God, I don't care about the label, but I do believe period.
00:18:08
Speaker 2: And then the second thing is move.
00:18:10
Speaker 4: You gotta move, You gotta keep moving. Stagnation is going to kill you. That's atrophy. Your muscles are going to give out. You're going to get weak, You're gonna get undisciplined, You're gonna get unfocused, like you have to keep moving. So I came into the business. It was a pandemic. Then it was two strikes, so I don't have an option. I never got to sit down and oh no, I've never felt that once in my life. So I was like, Okay, let me go into the rooms that I'm being invited into. I'm really big on if somebody invites you somewhere, get your tuck us.
00:18:44
Speaker 2: Up and get in the room.
00:18:49
Speaker 1: Let's wash.
00:18:52
Speaker 4: Room second. But because you have to think about it. Right before you got green Leave, your life was a certain way. Then you got green leaf and doors started opening your Okay, let me go walk through this door, let me walk through, let me show up, let me show up. This opportunity is having this opportunity and you don't might not see the opportunity because it's not physically manifested. It's relationships that you're going to create more opportunities.
00:19:13
Speaker 2: Right.
00:19:14
Speaker 4: So I'm just sitting there thinking, Okay, let me keep going into these rooms. Some other people that I know don't do stuff like that. They just sit at home, you know. But you have to understand, this is show business.
00:19:24
Speaker 2: You got to show up.
00:19:25
Speaker 1: You got to show up.
00:19:26
Speaker 2: That's half the business. Your butt in the room.
00:19:29
Speaker 4: Yes, and as she as you're saying, there's beautiful people everywhere, so beauty means absolutely.
00:19:36
Speaker 2: It's almost like it doesn't matter. Right.
00:19:39
Speaker 4: Everyone's fly, everyone got the fly as lawn melody air, everybody's press. What is going to get you to the next level? And one of the things that I've done was I kept going into rooms by myself, not knowing anybody being awkward, having anxiety to.
00:19:58
Speaker 2: Talk to me. I don't know.
00:20:00
Speaker 4: But as soon as I see a face, especially a black one, I'm like, hey, you know it's hi.
00:20:06
Speaker 2: Or you smile at someone and then you engage in a conversation. Do you know what you have that so many people don't?
00:20:12
Speaker 1: Girl? You got a party trick?
00:20:14
Speaker 3: I do?
00:20:14
Speaker 1: You got a party trick? You got, girl?
00:20:17
Speaker 3: But you also have you better go talking in some German. Yes, you better say something. Question nobody out here.
00:20:30
Speaker 1: That is fabulous.
00:20:31
Speaker 4: Go in the rooms and talk about yourself. People want to know. We go to the same rooms with the same people all the time, and if you're a newer face, it's more exciting, I think, and tell people what you're up to. But that's how I got opportunities to then.
00:20:45
Speaker 2: Do the Broadway thing. Yeah, because I went into.
00:20:47
Speaker 3: Ye, which is amazing, and we're not just gonna throw that in there, because you are now a producer and you and you are one of the producers for the hit top grossing Broadway show to date.
00:21:04
Speaker 1: Othello.
00:21:05
Speaker 2: Yes, I'm part of an investor group.
00:21:07
Speaker 4: Yes, investor group from Ken Davenport and my mentor, Tony is real. Shout out to both of y'all for allowing me to be a part of this. And I'm a theater major, so it's like, you know, it's all full circle.
00:21:18
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:21:18
Speaker 2: And I'm an artist period. I'm an artist who supports other artists. Yeah.
00:21:23
Speaker 4: I don't need to just be the person in front of the camera. So that's why I got really excited about that. And that's now I'm starting to see opportunities for myself for creating so behind the scenes.
00:21:34
Speaker 2: You know.
00:21:34
Speaker 3: So just one more question before we play this game, because I want to play this game with you.
00:21:39
Speaker 1: What do you love most about your life?
00:21:41
Speaker 2: Right now?
00:21:43
Speaker 4: That I have the freedom to get up and go anywhere that I choose to, that's so powerful. I got up and went to Mexico a week ago because I could Wow, that's crazy. Yeah, like when you think back, that is insane.
00:21:57
Speaker 2: And that's the freedom that people are talking.
00:22:00
Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, having that free life, whatever that looks like for you and however that feels.
00:22:05
Speaker 2: But my friend for TONI who invited me.
00:22:07
Speaker 4: When I met her, I was a waitress, yeah you know, and now I was like, oh, were sitting here with our families and we're just up in Mexico.
00:22:14
Speaker 2: This is crazy, you know. So that blessing the best? What about for you?
00:22:20
Speaker 3: Ooh? The thing that I love about life right now? I think the joy of being able to be this woman that makes my son so happy. So and I've never been the girl that's like, oh my god, I can't wait to have kids, I can't wait to get me other that wasn't me. But I knew if I married the right person, I would want to have kids with them. And I did, Praise God, married the right person, love him dearly.
00:22:57
Speaker 1: And I have to.
00:22:57
Speaker 3: Because my son looks just like like I had nothing to do with it. It's so it's so disrespectful.
00:23:06
Speaker 1: It's so disrespectful.
00:23:08
Speaker 3: But the joy that I see on his face when I get dressed or when I'm working and He's like, oh, mommy, you're so pretty.
00:23:18
Speaker 1: Oh mommy, oh you you're working? Is it good?
00:23:22
Speaker 3: And he's just happy knowing that I get to help shape his life. Prayer every night before we go to bed, I say thank you Lord for the privilege of being able to be his mother here and to show him you, to show him how to journey through life with you, and the joy that you bring. I think it's in I think it's a I always say this now. I even said this with my mom. The joy that I have. The world didn't give it and the world can't take it away. And so there's that sort of innate joy that we have, and then there's sometimes where we have to try to choose it. And my son makes it easier for me to choose joy every day.
00:24:05
Speaker 4: That's really powerful and I wish all parents and mothers could feel that way because you.
00:24:11
Speaker 2: Chose the right I definitely have the right.
00:24:14
Speaker 1: Partner.
00:24:17
Speaker 2: Shout out to you, Shout out to the partner.
00:24:20
Speaker 1: Okay, let's play a game. Can we play games?
00:24:23
Speaker 2: Can we play our game?
00:24:25
Speaker 3: And this really is just for me because honestly, I already know my answer is okay, So this is this or that number one being an adult has been mostly rewarding or mostly wishing I had enjoyed being a child and stop trying to be grown so quick.
00:24:58
Speaker 1: Oh I love the Oh that's so good.
00:25:03
Speaker 3: Okay, that's really good rewarding because I let my inner child lead.
00:25:07
Speaker 1: That's really great. That's gonna be Look, please please stop trying to be grown.
00:25:13
Speaker 3: It's I think I learned much later in life because you just get so excited about not having to listen. Maybe because I was sheltered, maybe because I was whatever, which I don't think was wrong, but I think you learned.
00:25:26
Speaker 1: That's like, oh, I've been trying to do all these things.
00:25:30
Speaker 2: This was waiting for me.
00:25:32
Speaker 3: Yeah, live your life now, in the present, in the moment, be who that is and grow Ooh, I want to get to this one staying grounded through routine or embracing spontaneity.
00:25:54
Speaker 1: I don't think I spilled that right.
00:25:56
Speaker 2: Okay, we ain't judging. Please don't yet your day.
00:26:09
Speaker 1: Yeah, you are so funny.
00:26:13
Speaker 4: Then we go crisy because me and my man we have this thing called things before one. We try to get as many things done before one o'clock, and then the day is what it is.
00:26:22
Speaker 2: Oh I love that.
00:26:24
Speaker 1: I was gonna say, what time does your day start?
00:26:26
Speaker 2: Then?
00:26:27
Speaker 1: Early?
00:26:27
Speaker 2: Six to seven? Yeah, like normal regular time, but.
00:26:31
Speaker 4: The gym, you know, walk your dogs, prep meal, do bills, pay all the bills. But then you know, the rest of the day is just like chaotic for artists, yause today you might have an interview later and then another screening later.
00:26:46
Speaker 3: Yeah, okay, all right, all right, alright, okay, So your preference acting drama or comedy?
00:27:00
Speaker 5: Yeah, drama.
00:27:13
Speaker 2: I was taking the same thing.
00:27:15
Speaker 4: The only reason why I say comedy right now is because I'm funny, y'all, and I need to be in my comedy bag.
00:27:22
Speaker 2: Like I got this.
00:27:24
Speaker 4: I love something, and I feel like I have the rest of my life to do drama.
00:27:27
Speaker 2: Do you know what I'm saying?
00:27:29
Speaker 3: Yahah, we get them meaty.
00:27:31
Speaker 2: Yeah, but right now I would love to do a little more.
00:27:35
Speaker 1: I love that.
00:27:36
Speaker 3: You know. It's I said drama ly because I'm trying to Comedy makes me uncomfortable, and so I'm trying to push myself to live in the uncomfortable space because I know this is where you grow.
00:27:51
Speaker 2: Yeah, but I don't like being uncomfortable. You would do good in comedy.
00:27:55
Speaker 3: But I feel like, I gotta just at least be open. So I'm just trying to be open.
00:27:59
Speaker 2: Because you got the it and it's all about timing.
00:28:04
Speaker 1: Well, yeah, what is it?
00:28:05
Speaker 4: I think Marlon Wayne said comedy and horror are cousins, and it's because there's a there's a truth there that can't be denied.
00:28:13
Speaker 2: Something like that.
00:28:14
Speaker 1: That's really good. It was just so good, you know.
00:28:17
Speaker 4: And and I really like that because one person think it's funny, the other person doesn't comedy.
00:28:23
Speaker 1: Well, Hi, and it is oh my gosh and nob okay.
00:28:29
Speaker 3: So when you walked in, I know you were absolutely wonderful because I could see it was written all over your face. I hope you are even better as you leave. I hope that this place has filled you and given you another little piece of joy that you can walk away with. I am so happy you came and sat with me.
00:28:46
Speaker 2: Grateful. I'm so thankful for you. Hi.
00:28:53
Speaker 1: It's Devah Joy Winings Williams.
00:28:55
Speaker 3: Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of Choosing Joy where we talked the beautiful, talented, amazing actress Novi Brown. What an authentic, beautiful soul and the thing that I'm walking away with from her is understanding the strength in that inner voice. Whether anybody else hears it or sees it, you know it and you stay true to that.
00:29:17
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for choosing Joy.
00:29:20
Speaker 3: Click that like button, subscribe to the channel, and let us know what else you want to talk about.
