Meet Trailblazer Ivana Grant and Shavon Morris

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ivana Grant and Shavon Morris.

So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a creative at heart. Since having my daughter, I have become an entrepreneur and I started my own stationary business. This summer, I wanted to take on a new challenge and I was excepted into a Podcast Incubator program. It was sponsored by House of Pod and many more emerging Podcast revolutionaries. It was a special opportunity for women of color. I love the group of women I met and I learned so much. This Podcast was birth during that month-long intensive.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
This has not been a smooth road by far. I originally started the incubator program with another idea and a completely different team. Two weeks in the program, the team decided that it was not good timing for them to be apart of something so time consuming. I didn’t want to give up, I was so invested in the experience and the things I was learning. In the midnight hour I came up with a new idea and contacted my best friend to see if she would like to host it with me. She had recently been unemployed and was looking for a new creative outlet as well. Thus, The She Segment was born. We seek to inspire women and feature their stories.

My advice would be to never give up. Never back down. Keep fighting to create your lane and work hard at whatever you believe in, even when you think that others may not believe. Believe in yourself.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of
My best friend and I love to create. She has a background in television/video production. I have dabbled in many things from graphic design to painting. We met in college and have experienced so much life together since then. Now both married with kids, we are both on a journey of discovering our artistic selves in this new season of life.

Our experiences have inspired us to create a platform where other women can share their experiences. The hardest thing about going through tough times is feeling like you are alone. The She Segment Podcast is meant to provide a space for women to hear other women’s stories and be inspired. We want women to know that they are not alone.

In addition to the Podcast our goal is to create a She Community. We want to incorporate gatherings and discussions around the episode topics. We held our first one in Denver and it was great! We can’t wait to host many more in various States. We also are trying to grow our community through our online group. The point is to connect women from all over with one another.

The She Segment Podcast is about celebrating sisterhood.

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
I think the biggest barriers to female leadership today are men in leadership not willing to share the space. I also find that older women in leadership seem to feel threatened by younger women that show promise. Overall, depending where you are at the limitations put on you by those that are above you can literally stop you from growing. It frustrates me because it is always because they feel threatened and instead of taking what could be a great opportunity to pour into the next generation of leaders, they control the things around you that will only let you go so far and then they just let you stay there. I wish more people in leadership sought to be teachers instead of feeling threatened by those coming up behind them.

Contact Info:

• Website: shesegmentpodcast.club
• Email: shesegmentpodcast@gmail.com
• Instagram: She Segment Podcast
• Facebook: The She Segment Podcast Community

Image Credit:
Wedding photo by Rose Akharamen

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