Trials To Triumphs

Author, producer, and philanthropist Nicole Avant knows how to make life count. In her discussion with Ashley, Nicole talks about the importance of choosing happiness in the face of adversity and honoring the legacy of her community. Avant shares her personal journey of finding courage and making intentional choices to maintain joy after the sudden loss of both her parents. Nicole also discusses t...

Actress Kylie Bunbury is intentionally vulnerable enough to discover her true self. In her conversation with close friend Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins, Kylie lets go of her “armor” and reveals secrets from her past to tell her most authentic story.  Kylie opens up about the sexual abuse she experienced growing up, and how she’s healing on the other side of it. Kylie believes that as long as sh...

Attending Howard University transformed Glory Edim’s life. The author and founder tells Ashley how her unique experience at “HU” inspired her to create Well-Read Black Girl, a book club and community for Black women. In this conversation, Glory reflects on her journey with Well-Read Black Girl, from its humble beginnings as a Brooklyn-based bookclub to its growth as a nonprofit organization. Glory...

Political commentator, professor and star of Bravo’s Real Housewives of Potomac, Dr. Wendy Osefo lives life with intention. In her conversation with Ashley, Dr. Osefo talks about growing up with the pressure of her family’s expectations and the pain of always being the new girl. Despite not liking school, Wendy earned four degrees to appease her mother and became the first Black woman to earn a Ph...

Actress Edwina Findley Dickerson learned to embrace the God story of her life. In this powerful conversation, Edwina takes Ashley back to her early days cultivating her faith in Washington, D.C. The If Loving You Is Wrong star describes how God orchestrated divine appointments at critical turning points in her life. Over the years she’s trained her ear to listen for prophetic words and encourageme...

Actress and award-winning fertility advocate Kellee Stewart prioritizes her happiness in every chapter of her life. Kellee shares with Ashley how the painful ending to a long-term relationship was the catalyst for her decision to freeze her eggs. Although this decision was not originally in her plans, she talks about how her fertility journey led her closer to God, to herself and provided an oppor...

Best-selling author Ashley C. Ford was raised in survival mode. In her conversation with ABFJ, she talks about the impact of growing up with an incarcerated father and a fraught relationship with her young, single mother. Without the safety of a nurturing caregiver, Ashley grew up believing she only had herself to count on. Years later during an eye-opening therapy session, Ashley discovered she w...

From a very young age, author and media executive Michelle Hord longed to become a mother. When she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Gabrielle, Michelle was living a dream fulfilled. Seven years later, after losing her daughter at the hands of her ex-husband, Michelle found herself living her worst nightmare. In this deeply moving conversation, Michelle talks to Ashley about her memoir Th...

Hailing from modest beginnings in Rio de Janeiro, ballerina and activist Ingrid Silva discovered her aptitude for dance at the tender age of eight. In her conversation with Ashley, Ingrid describes feeling free the very first moment she stepped on stage. From there, the precocious but shy dancer promised herself she would push past her fears and be brave enough to follow her dreams. Ingrid’s gift...

Author and Poet Arielle Estoria hasn’t always recognized her worth. In her vulnerable conversation with Ashley, Arielle explains how engaging in constant comparison throughout her life made her feel small. While uplifting other women with inspiring words always came naturally to her, Arielle often struggled to encourage herself. Raised as a pastor’s kid, the poet also reveals how ignoring the beau...

In the Season 2  Trials to Triu mphs premiere, Grammy-nominated R&B singer and songwriter Ari Lennox sits down with Ashley during the 2023 Essence Festival in New Orleans. Both DMV natives, they discuss their childhood and humble beginnings as artists navigating survival jobs until landing their big breaks. Ari opens up about her battles with anxiety, some of her lowest moments, and what tools she...

Trials To Triumphs Season 2 Starts August 14th! New Episodes Every Monday! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our host flips the script and answers burning questions from Trials to Triumphs listeners! Find out the three things Ashley would take to a deserted island, how she decompresses after a long day, and where she would’ve worked if she did not pursue acting. Ashley also discusses navigating the entertainment industry as a dark-skinned Black woman, preparing for marriage, and the power of trusting you...

After the former stockbroker was rejected by investors on NBC’s Shark Tank, she channeled her disappointment into an opportunity to reinvest in her beauty brand and Black women. Melissa tells Ashley about growing up in Detroit and being inspired to make products that catered to and celebrated Black beauty. She was determined to succeed after seeing both her mother and father incarcerated during he...

Actor Marque Richardson (Dear White People) no longer operates in “survival mode.” The Netflix star tells Ashley how experiencing homelessness at a young age hindered his self-confidence, impacting his self-worth personally and professionally. An eye-opening conversation with his parents during the early days of the global pandemic led to a greater awareness of his family’s dynamic and of the copi...

Author, professor and researcher Dr. Joy DeGruy encourages Ashley, and each of us, to have “more than hope” for the future, and to honor the determination of past generations by finding our purpose. She believes moving beyond resilience to radical joy is the rightful inheritance of Black Americans. She and Ashley discuss how family has inspired their sense of purpose and why “there are many roads...

A “No” can devastate and feel like a dead-end. But often “No” is simply redirection. In this anthology episode, Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins revisits conversations with Curlbox CEO and founder Myleik Teele, award-winning Actress Danielle Brooks, and Comedian and Executive Producer Robin Thede. Each woman transformed rejection into a pivot and used it to create greater opportunities. The testim...

When actor, writer and director Yvette Nicole Brown left Cleveland for Los Angeles she wanted to be a singer but fell in love with acting. Since then, she’s starred in the popular sitcom  Community  as well as  Drake and Josh ,  The Mayor  and  The Odd Couple . In her conversation with Ashley, Yvette shares how she decided to be honest about her age in an industry that punishes women for turning 3...

When Tabitha Brown became a young mom, she feared her Hollywood dream was over. The actress and vegan food influencer tells Ashley she resigned herself to living a “regular life” in Eden, North Carolina, until God told her He had a different plan. Fueled by a renewed vision, Tabitha returned to LA confident enough to shed unhealthy Hollywood beauty standards (that had led to hiding her Southern ac...

The accomplished artist’s life changed dramatically after she was commissioned to make the official portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama for the National Portrait Gallery. But this was no overnight success. Amy tells Ashley about the sacrifices she made along the way, including working as a waitress for 15 years while honing her skills. She describes feeling eclipsed as she watched friends achiev...

In this anthology episode, Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins reviews some of the lessons her dear friends shared on the show from their motherhood journeys. She looks back at how Actress Aja Naomi King’s son taught her the power of letting go, how teaching her son about forgiveness challenged Grammy winner Kelly Rowland to grow, and how acclaimed actress Sonequa Martin-Green’s children helped her h...

Globetrotter and bestselling author of The Catch Me If You Can, Jessica Nabongo has always valued freedom. The record-breaking traveler and Ashley reflect on their shared experiences of being raised by parents who encouraged their independence at a young age. This sense of autonomy cultivated the boldness Jessica called upon to take major risks, like abandoning a successful corporate career to exp...

Tunde Oyeneyin is no stranger to change. She was a successful makeup artist for 15 years before becoming a Peloton Instructor, Nike Athlete and Author of NY Times Best Selling book, Speak: Find Your Voice, Trust Your Gut, and Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. Tunde chats with Ashley about moving on from what she thought was her dream job and about how a cycling class changed not only...

Best-selling author Nedra Tawwab has a fresh perspective on boundaries. In this eye-opening conversation, the sought-after relational therapist breaks down why setting clear boundaries is an essential form of self-care. She tells Ashley that doing so is less about saying “No” to others and more about saying “Yes” to ourselves. Nedra explains how boundaries define our needs and shows us how impleme...

She won one of the most challenging reality TV shows, but her biggest victory was learning to love and accept her “weird” self.  In this uplifting interview, Maryanne shares with Ashley how being an outsider has elevated her purpose in the long haul.  The challenges she faced growing up as an immigrant taught her to take risks and to “show up” as her true self. As only the second Black woman to wi...