Strawberry Letter Subject for Tuesday, March 25th, 2025: “Smother Lover” A woman is concerned that her boyfriend is…just too much.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Nina Sossamon-Pogue.

A former elite gymnast, Emmy-winning news anchor, bestselling author, and resilience expert.

Here’s a summary of the key themes and insights from the episode:

🎙️ Guest Introduction: Nina Sossamon-Pogue

• Former USA Gymnastics team member and Emmy-winning news anchor.
• Author of This Is Not the End and host of the podcast This Seriously Sucks.
• Focuses on helping people navigate life’s toughest transitions with resilience.

🧠 Mental Health & Daily Routines

• Nina emphasizes the importance of gratitude, mindfulness, and limiting early phone use to start the day with clarity.
• Rushion shares his own structured morning routine and how it helps him manage stress and stay productive.

💪 Resilience and Personal Growth

• Nina defines resilience as the ability to adapt positively and grow stronger from adversity.
• She encourages people to reflect on what’s going right, what needs attention, and how to move forward with purpose.

🧍‍♀️ Body Image, Athletics & Social Media

• Nina shares her experience with body dysmorphia and bulimia during her gymnastics career in the 1980s.
• She discusses the long-term impact of being judged by appearance in both sports and television.
• Offers advice to parents and young athletes on navigating body image in the age of social media.

📘 Her Book: This Is Not the End

• Written for people facing major life setbacks—job loss, injury, grief, or personal failure.
• Nina shares five personal “this is the end” moments, including:
  • Not making the Olympic team.
  • Career-ending knee injury.
  • Losing her job as a news anchor.
  • A traumatic accident at age 37.
• The book provides seven strategies and a four-step framework (T.H.I.S.) to help readers move forward:
  • Timeline: Gain perspective on your life journey.
  • Humans: Lean on others—don’t go it alone.
  • Isolate: Focus on the present moment.
  • Story: Reframe your internal narrative to stay empowered and hirable.

🎧 Podcast Highlight

• Nina’s podcast This Seriously Sucks features guests who’ve overcome major life challenges.
• She highlights Joe Delagrave, a Paralympian and coach, whose story of resilience and transformation deeply inspired her.

💬 Closing Thoughts

• • Rushion praises Nina’s authenticity, voice, and ability to connect.
  • Nina encourages listeners to embrace their “this” moment and remember: “This is not the end.”

#BEST

#STRAW

#SHMS

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Strawberry Letter Subject for Monday, March 24th, 2025: “Her Injury Is Not My Fault” A woman is being sued by one of her man’s sidepiece…you won’t believe why. She also asks Shirley & Steve if she should marry this man.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rev. Dr. Adrienne Johnson and Rev. Bill Green.  She has created over 300 women entrepreneurs in Ghana, West Africa and her son leads the Southeast chapter of national non-profits committed to building a more sustainable and equitable local food system.  

Reverend Adrienne Johnson launched Wo Ye Bra in 2017 to keep girls in school who would otherwise stay home because they lack access to sanitary supplies during their periods. To date, she has created over 300 women entrepreneurs in West Africa.

Reverend Bill Green maintains a sustainable and equitable local food system. Responsible for a team of sales and operations professionals in connecting communities to local, fresh food produced by small family-owned farms within GA, AL, SC and TN.

Conduct outreach on behalf of historically underserved farmers with schools, universities, hospitals, retailers, government entities, restaurants and community organizations in order to address food access challenges in metro Atlanta and other major cities throughout Georgia and Alabama. Manage 60,000sf SQF-certified facility, logistics and warehouse team where local food is aggregated from local farmers and distributed to partner institutions. Also leads the development team in raising over $1.9m in local funds from 2022 to 2023. Successfully distributed over five million pounds of food to over 166 community organizations as part of the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program in 2020. Currently leads the USDA’s Local Food Procurement Assistance Cooperative Agreement in collaboration with the Georgia Department of Agriculture delivering over $5m of locally sourced food to Georgia’s eight food banks. Gives public presentations and serves on panels regarding importance of local food systems in nutritional, economic and ecological health.

#BEST

#STRAW

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Strawberry Letter Subject for Friday, March 21st, 2025: "My Mom & My Baby Daddy" A woman writes in for advice about the fact that her baby daddy has been living wih her mom since their breakup...YEARS ago.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Jennifer Barbosa.

CEO and Founder of International Supply Partners (ISP), about breaking into government contracting, navigating a male-dominated industry, and the complexities of supply chain management.

🔑 Key Themes & Highlights

Breaking into Government Contracting

• Barbosa started her business by targeting government contracts, recognizing that the government is the largest buyer of goods and services.
• She explained how RFQs (Request for Quotes) and RFPs (Request for Proposals) allow new suppliers to compete for contracts.

Navigating a Male-Dominated Industry

• She admitted that entering the industrial supply sector was challenging but credited her fearlessness and determination for her success.
• Barbosa emphasized that women entrepreneurs must focus on value and expertise rather than industry stereotypes.

Supply Chain & Procurement Strategies

• ISP specializes in safety, PPE, industrial, janitorial, and construction supplies, ensuring cost-effective procurement solutions.
• Barbosa detailed how understanding supply chain logistics helped her compete with big-box suppliers.

COVID-19 & PPE Pricing Surge

• During the pandemic, PPE prices skyrocketed due to high demand and supply chain disruptions.
• Barbosa explained how manufacturers shifted production to PPE, leading to price gouging and bidding wars.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) in Business

• Barbosa’s company is certified as a minority-owned and women-owned business, but she emphasized that quality and service—not identity—should drive business success.
• She believes that DEI initiatives should not be the sole reason for doing business, but rather a tool for leveraging opportunities.

📘 About Jennifer Barbosa & International Supply Partners
Jennifer Barbosa is a visionary entrepreneur and supply chain specialist, leading International Supply Partners (ISP) in streamlining procurement for businesses and government agencies. ISP is a trusted provider of essential goods, ensuring efficiency, reliability, and competitive pricing.

#BEST

#STRAW  

#SHMS

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Strawberry Letter for Thursday, March20th, 2025 comes from a man who is bothered by how "present" his new wife's ex-husband is in their home.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's Strawberry Letter is from a woman that is just over all of the smells that come along with her man. Listen to hear Shirley, Tommy, & Junior's advice!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Strawberry Letter Subject for Tuesday, March 18th, 2025: “Something Keeps Coming Up Missing” A woman is concerned about how comfortable her man is getting with “borrowing” things.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Strawberry Letter Subject for Monday, March 17th, 2025: “He And His Brother’s Baby Mama” A woman found out her husband has kids with his brother’s baby mama. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.