Episode page (includes audio version of the episode): https://smashingsuccessstories.com/let-your-light-shine

This quick burst of motivation is our kick-off for the Mindset series!

The first full-length episode of the series airs on Thursday, July 2nd, 2026. 

Motivational Minute episodes go live every Monday. Full-length episodes go live every Thursday.

Check out Smashing Success Stories on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smashingsuccessstories/ 

Smashing Success Stories is BACK on Threads! https://www.threads.com/@smashingsuccesspod

Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you'd like to further support Smashing Success Stories, a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available: https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories

Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories 

Music credit to Purple Planet Music: www.purple-planet.com

#SmashingSuccessStories

SOUND WARNING - I get pretty shouty in this episode, if you're wearing headphones and/or driving be mindful of these timestamps:

11:13
16:27-18:13
21:32-22:09
25:27-27:19
and pretty much through to the end lol

I'm passionate about this topic. I mean, this podcast is part inspiration, part passionate rants about systems of oppression :) 

Key points discussed in this episode:

• The importance of looking forward instead of living in the past
• The impact of nostalgia on our minds and emotions
• Reverence for the past can be a powerful tool as long as it isn’t holding us back, and we aren’t using it as an excuse to move forward
• There are plenty of applications where tried and true methods have worked and still work, but were abolished because of factors (such as greed)
• Progress 
  • Benefits
  • Where we run into issues
• THE SOLUTION

References:

• Midnight in Paris (film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1605783/ 
• Bag lady by Erykah Badu: https://youtu.be/OqN0jsSeqPo?si=5YkU9jM5Who914Ep
• Rafiki “it’s in the past” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZfGTL2PY3E 
• PBS Terra and Floodlight News cover the surge in data centers and the harm they cause to communities:https://youtu.be/5p426fSlYH4?si=nzAEzxn0Gw7D5DFW
• Exploiting workers - slave labor used for Cobalt mining in the Republic of Congo for use in cell phones (especially newer devices) and electric vehicles: 
  • https://humantraffickingsearch.org/resource/modern-slavery-the-true-cost-of-cobalt-mining/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%28ROI%29%20PMax%20-%20DSA%20xCO%20xAC%20xGT&utm_id=22450466552&utm_content=&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23504083602&gbraid=0AAAAADq-eHw-uNzbdAvJ5VCwLsYOAfbCo&gclid=CjwKCAjwidXQBhAZEiwA4egw6N-OhxtMX7r4aZ8wel32dxcikjyWlUvgNUHl3V--9aM0Yl1WrfHFHBoCezIQAvD_BwE 
  • https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/02/01/1152893248/red-cobalt-congo-drc-mining-siddharth-kara 
  • Even the Department of Labor acknowledges this!! This is from 2024! https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ILAB/DRC-FL-Cobalt-Report-508.pdf
• Tuskegee Syphilis Study, a program that caused immense harm to the black community of Tuskegee. Later, President Clinton issued a public apology and The National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care at Tuskegee University was created. 
  • https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/about/index.html 
  • https://www.thehastingscenter.org/newly-released-documents-from-untreated-syphilis-study-ethical-just-and-respectful-use-of-archival-materials/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=16567452402&gbraid=0AAAAACdtXhhig6ZOOByZ8Z2zO0PFJRT8j&gclid=CjwKCAjwidXQBhAZEiwA4egw6BRpmSHLPKUTPCS8iXCv3B1SMCx94rXOUJUwKjrvoz6VOXhJfDxEPhoClwQQAvD_BwE 
• European settlers and the catastrophic effect on land that was well-maintained by First Nations’ civilizations - I thought of the Three Sisters planting method and how, over time, it became less of a common practice even though it was viable and sustainable 
  • With the loss of farmland and the introduction of European staples including sugar, flour and butter, this ancient diet was almost completely replaced. The results were catastrophic. (source: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220801-the-sacred-sisters-of-ancient-america )
• Agricultural yields quote from PubMed Central® (PMC) - a free full-text archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9288846/ 

THE SOLUTION:

1. BE INVOLVED in groups and communities
2. Have a clearly defined goal
3. Innovate without causing harm
4. Considerations when working on a technology, solution, construction etc - is this project: 
   • Ethical
   • Collaborative
   • Beneficial to many
   • Shared
   • A win all around
   • Beneficial and not destructive
   • Inspiring
5. How to prepare for inevitable change: 
   • Acknowledge that we often push back on change BUT we also ultimately adapt
   • Understand that progress is gonna happen whether we like it or not
   • Recognize the role we play, fight against the things that harm us and embrace the things that benefit us
   • As always, with all things, stick tight to our communities, help where we can, lift each other up, and stay strong, stay together through life’s ups and downs

Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you'd like to further support Smashing Success Stories, a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available.

Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here.

Music credit to Purple Planet Music: www.purple-planet.com

#SmashingSuccessStories 

This quick burst of motivation is focused on progress and the dangers of getting caught up in nostalgia.

This is a taste of the full-length episode Progress, which goes live on Thursday, June 25th, 2026.

Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available.

Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here.

Conversation with Courtney Bowman AKA Raleigh Cheesy on going viral #BroCruise, authenticity both online and offline, being vulnerable, and what her definition of success is for her business and her daughters

Raleigh Cheesy can be found on:

• https://www.raleighcheesy.com/ 
• https://www.threads.com/@raleighcheesy 
• Information about #BroCruise
  • Bless ThreadsReporter for this incredible chronological documentation of the saga! https://www.threads.com/@threadsreporter/post/DWfyYRNlam3 
  • BurbNBougie also did a chronological breakdown on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ontJpkOz_U 

Courtney and I also discussed a conversation from Nicole Byer’s podcast Why Won’t You Date Me episode with Esther Perel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPuYv9qpSZI&t=3946s

Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you'd like to further support Smashing Success Stories, a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available: https://ko-fi.com/smashingsuccessstories

Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/c/SmashingSuccessStories 

Music credit to Purple Planet Music: www.purple-planet.com

#SmashingSuccessStories 

This quick burst of motivation is all about authentic, and the concept itself is simple yet so many folks struggle with this. Just be yourself. Like, for real. It's honestly that straightforward. Just be yourself.

Thursday's episode - going live on Thursday, June 18th - will be our first conversation with a guest! Looking forward to sharing this one with you :)

Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available.

Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here.

Music credit to Purple Planet Music: www.purple-planet.com

#SmashingSuccessStories 

Main concepts covered in this episode:

• What is Judgment? 
• Contributing Factors
• Staying In The Solution

Resources discussed in this episode:

• TED Talk: Could Heavy Metal Music Help Maintain Your Mental Health? Mark Deeks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDL3rnGgi8s 
• Bonus additional resource – Beth Roars did a video called Metal Music Makes You Calmer? Your Brain on Metal: https://youtu.be/fPL6SxdgYEs?si=BakQ67wZQ8sVgpXB 
• The Man In The Arena: https://www.worldfuturefund.org/Documents/maninarena.htm
• Our Flag Means Death – I was not able to find the scene referenced in this episode on YouTube, but it’s from Season 1, Episode 5: “The Best Revenge Is Dressing Well” - in brief, Stede and Ed are in a room full of aristocrats and Stede tells Ed that this is a fickle crowd.
• Juicy by Biggie music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JZom_gVfuw
  • Correction 12:53 from “some days” to birthdays. The full lyric is:
    Birthdays was the worst days
    Now we sip Champagne when we thirsty
• Joshua Bell experiment: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/pearls-before-breakfast-can-one-of-the-nations-great-musicians-cut-through-the-fog-of-a-dc-rush-hour-lets-find-out/2014/09/23/8a6d46da-4331-11e4-b47c-f5889e061e5f_story.html?utm_term=.751bc9d3d16f 
• Eartha Kitt interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlUjHu3H_L4 
• Tracee Ellis Ross:
  • https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/tracee-ellis-ross-gets-candid-about-dating/ 
  • Interview with Oprah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vMCUv2DihY 
• Stanzi’s video The Trial of Chappell Roan: https://youtu.be/QpteSrUNjpo?si=IyEVd1wXt0_uWwIv 
• Think and Grow Rich – borrow from a library/Libby, or buy from Bookshop.org, who funnels sales to independent bookstores: https://bookshop.org/p/books/think-and-grow-rich-napoleon-hill/d6ed9b9530e2600b?ean=9781585424337&next=t 
• Skin horse quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/304174-the-skin-horse-had-lived-longer-in-the-nursery-than 
• The Power of Vulnerability TED Talk by Brené Brown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o 
• Hayao Miyazaki’s founder of Studio Ghibli thoughts on artificial intelligence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngZ0K3lWKRc 

PERSONAL INVENTORY GUIDE: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AZlSNEBwXiNvQx8TogT4ljFyGkA5eGP4vLF3H59yr4/edit?usp=sharing

Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available.

Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here.

Music: www.purple-planet.com

#SmashingSuccessStories

This quick burst of motivation is focused on facing judgment, which can often be a barrier between us and what’s meant for us.

This is a taste of the full-length episode Judgment, which goes live to the public on Thursday, June 11th. 

Support is always appreciated! Likes, comments, and subscriptions are welcome! If you’d like to further support Smashing Success Stories, a one-time and/or monthly Ko-Fi donations are available.

Patrons get exclusive content and credit in videos; Patreon information can be found here. Patreons on every paid tier get full-length episodes including the Motivational Minute every Sunday before public access.

Music: www.purple-planet.com

#SmashingSuccessStories

This episode addresses a simple concept that often can be difficult to execute – HOW TO GET STARTED.

The key concept is simple: DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT

High-level overview:

• Just get started
• Know that there will be barriers to face
• Mistakes will be made
• Excuses and insecurities are loud

We are going to tackle this with a three step process:

1. Acknowledge
2. Accept
3. ACTION

This quick burst of motivation is focused on getting started – every great journey starts with the first step!

This is a taste of the full-length episode Just Get Started 

Music: www.purple-planet.com

#SmashingSuccessStories

Welcome to Smashing Success Stories! This podcast has been created and is dedicated to spreading a message of hope in a direct, authentic way.

This pilot episode discusses why this podcast exists, and lays the foundation for how we move forward – focused, driven, and inspired to act while being kind to ourselves.

Smashing Success Stories is a project that will continue to evolve as we progress forward, just like we all do on an individual level 

I’m glad you’re here, and I’m glad we’re doing this together ♥

Music: www.purple-planet.com

#SmashingSuccessStories