In this powerful episode of the Day One Podcast, Assata Michelle Thomas, founder and CEO of Assata Michelle Enterprises, shares the deeply personal origin of her new book, Forward Only: Speak Power. Live Change, reflecting on a dark season in her past when she was facing potential jail time.

We discuss how this circumstance, many years ago, long before the leadership roles and recognition she holds today, set the path to her destiny. During that challenging period, she began speaking affirmations over herself, declaring truth over circumstances that did not yet reflect the future she believed God was preparing her for.

She opens up about how difficult it was to speak life during that time, and how there were moments she chose not to speak at all because she understood the weight and power of words. In those moments, she surrounded herself with people who spoke affirmations over her, helping her stay aligned with where she was going rather than where she was.

This episode is a reminder that transformation doesn’t begin when everything looks better; it often begins when you decide to speak differently.

We also discuss the courage required to redefine relationships that cannot accompany you into new seasons. Growth demands clarity, boundaries, and the willingness to move forward — even when it means leaving certain connections behind.

• How affirmations shaped her future long before success

• Speaking power during life’s darkest seasons

• Why silence can sometimes protect your future

• The role of community in personal transformation

• Redefining relationships as you grow

• Living “forward only” — even before you see results

Assata M. Thomas is the founder and CEO of Assata Michelle Enterprises and the author of Forward Only: Speak Power. Live Change. A nationally recognized reentry strategist and systems-change leader, she brings over two decades of experience advancing equity, public safety, and workforce access for people impacted by the criminal legal system.

Today, she serves as Executive Director of Reentry for the City of Philadelphia, leading citywide strategy and cross-sector collaboration. Her leadership is grounded in lived experience and the belief that language, intention, and forward movement shape both personal transformation and systemic change.

If you are navigating growth, redefining relationships, or learning to speak life over your future before you see it, this episode will remind you that your past does not disqualify you. It may be the very thing that prepared you.

Listen now and take your next Day One move.

Connect with Assata Michelle Thomas:
www.assatamichelle.net

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