COMING UP ON "BEHIND THE WOMAN..." >> I'M TOMMI BILLINGSLEY AND I'M THE FOUNDER OF THE FEARLESS QUEENS.

I'M GOING TO SAY I WAS GROWING UP IN THE CRACK ERA AND YOU SEE THE COMMUNITY STARTED TO PLUMMET.

I HAD MADE A DECISION THAT I WANTED TO BE THE CHANGE THAT I NEEDED TO SEE.

FEARLESS QUEENS IS A WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT COMPANY.

I NEED TO BRING BACK WHAT I'M LEARNING AT SCHOOL, BACK TO MY PEERS.

WE ARE SO POWERFUL ON OUR OWN, BUT WE ARE LIKE MAGICAL WHEN WE ARE TOGETHER.

I DON'T GO WITH THE FLOW.

I AM THE FLOW.

♪ ♪ TEXT A FRIEND, GO TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND MAKE A POST BECAUSE "BEHIND THE WOMAN" IS ON.

I'M YOUR HOST, Dr. JUHANNA ROGERS AND ON TONIGHT'S EPISODE, WE ARE GETTING TO KNOW TOMMI BILLINGS LE, FOUNDER AND C.E.O.

OF FEARLESS QUEENS, AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS EMPOWERING BLACK WOMEN IN OUR COMMUNITY.

LET'S TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TOMMI AND THE VERY IMPORTANT WORK SHE IS DOING HERE IN SYRACUSE.

>> I'M TOMMI BILLINGSLEY AND I'M THE FOUNDER OF THE FEARLESS QUEENS.

GREW UP ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

I'M GOING TO SAY I WAS GROWING UP IN THE CRACK ERA AND YOU SEEN THE COMMUNITY STARTED TO PLUMMET, YOU KNOW; BEING THIS YOUNG GIRL JUST, YOU KNOW, BEING A CHILD, FREE AND LOVING AND CARING BUT ALSO BEING ABLE TO WITNESS THAT THINGS WERE PRETTY ROUGH.

A LOT OF MY FRIENDS DIDN'T HAVE LIKE WHAT I HAD.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE BOTH PARENTS.

THEY WERE LIVING IN SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES.

SO THESE WERE MY PEERS.

SO I WAS INFLUENCED BY MY PEERS WHO I HUNG OUT AND I GOT INVOLVED AND I WAS A MESS.

I WENT THROUGH A REALLY, REALLY MESSY TIME RUNNING THE STREETS ON THE SOUTH SIDE, THEN I CAME TO LIKE THESE REALIZATIONS THAT I GOT TO GET OUT.

LIKE WHAT DO I DO?

AND THE ONLY THING I COULD THINK OF DOING WAS TO SEPARATE MYSELF THE BEST THAT I COULD.

HARDEST THING EVER TO DO.

WHEN I STARTED TO, YOU KNOW, ENCOUNTER THE CHANGE AND I MADE A DECISION IN MY LIFE, I AM GOING TO BE SOMEBODY, I'M DETERMINED.

I WAS LIKE IN SCHOOL.

I GOT MY G.E.D.

I WENT TO COLLEGE AND I WENT TO HANG OUT WITH SOME OF MY BUDDIES, MY GIRLFRIENDS I GREW UP WITH AND THEY SEEN ME LIKE CHANGING.

AND THEY WOULD ALWAYS SAY THESE THINGS TO ME LIKE YOU'RE ALWAYS SO HAPPY AND JOYFUL.

HOW DO YOU BE DOING ALL THESE THINGS THAT YOU DO?

I REALIZED THAT SO MANY OF MY PEERS HAD LACKED SHELFY-- SELF-ESTEEM.

SO I WAS RIGHT IN THE MESSAGE OF LEARNED HOW TO FEEL.

I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT MY BUSINESS TO TEACH OTHER PEOPLE HOW TO FEEL AND I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT MY BUSINESS TO TEACH OTHER PEOPLE TO STOP MAKING OTHER PEOPLE FEEL BAD.

FEARLESS QUEENS IS A WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT COMPANY.

WE FOCUS ON SISTERHOOD, COMMUNITY SISTERHOOD.

OUR MISSION IS TO TEACH, UPLIFT, ENCOURAGE AND EMPOWER WOMEN TO LOVE THEMSELVES SO THAT WAY THEY WILL BE ABLE TO LOVE ON THE COMMUNITY AND WE DO THAT BY FOCUSING ON PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THEN WE DO POWER UPS AND OUR POWER UPS ARE FOCUSED MAINLY ON OUR PERSONAL AND SELF DEVELOPMENT.

WE ARE SO POWERFUL ON OUR OWN.

BUT WE ARE LIKE MAGICAL WHEN WE ARE TOGETHER.

LIKE DO YOU SEE US?

WE ARE IN THE ROOM.

WE'RE TAKING UP SPACE.

>> Juhanna: THANK YOU.

I AM SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE LIKE BESTOWING US WITH YOUR PRESENCE.

TOMMI BILLINGSLEY.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME.

SO WE MET WHEN I WAS WORKING AT SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY CENTER.

AND I HAVE BEEN LIKE, WE HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT BECAUSE ONE OF THE REASONS I STARTED DOING "BEHIND THE WOMAN" IS BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD TALK ABOUT SYRACUSE ALL THE TIME.

BUT IT WOULD BE VERY NEGATIVE LENS.

AND WHEN I TOLD PEOPLE WHERE I WORKED ON THE SOUTH SIDE, THEY WOULD BE LIKE OH MY GOSH, YOU GO THERE?

YOU WORK THERE?

LIKE WHAT?

LIKE THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY THAT IS IN THAT AREA THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS GET RECOGNIZED OR TALKED ABOUT.

YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THOSE TOPICS OF CONVERSATIONS LIKE BEING FROM SYRACUSE AND NOT BEING FROM SYRACUSE AND I GET IT BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH POTENTIAL THERE.

AND LIKE I THINK YOU ARE AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.

YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT?

>> I LIKE TO THINK WHEN I FIRST STARTED OFF, YOU KNOW, I GREW UP IN SYRACUSE, RIGHT.

I'M FROM THE SOUTH SIDE.

I ACTUALLY GREW UP AT THE SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY CENTER FROM LIKE A NEWBORN.

MY FATHER WOULD TAKE ME OVER IN THE BA SSI NET OR WHATEVER THOSE THINGS ARE CALLED,.

>> 80s BABY.

>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS BUT IT WAS A CARRIER.

>> AND I BE GOING THERE FOREVER.

AND YOU KNOW, GROWING UP IN THE COMMUNITY AND SEEING THOSE THINGS AND ONCE UPON A TIME, ENGAGING IN THE CONVERSATION, LIKE THERE IS NOTHING GREAT HERE HAPPENING.

THINGS THAT SHIFTED SO FOR ME, I HAD MADE THE DECISION I WANTED TO BE THE CHANGE THAT I NEEDED TO SEE SO I WAS GOING TO DO LIKE WHATEVER IT TOOK TO EXUDE THAT LOVE ON TO THE COMMUNITY AND CHANGE THE LANGUAGE AND NARRATIVE WHAT HAVE PEOPLE ACTUALLY THINK AND SEE, YOU KNOW, OF US, INDIVIDUALS FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF SYRACUSE, EAST SIDE, NORTH SIDE, WEST SIDE.

WHATEVER THE BLACK COMMUNITY I SHOULD SAY HAS BEEN ABAMAZING JOURNEY BUT ALSO A STRUGGLE BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE USED TO THAT CONVERSATION.

THEY'RE USED TO THAT EXPERIENCE.

SO COMING OUT AND TALKING ABOUT BEING THE CHANGE THAT WE NEED TO SEE WAS SOMETHING REALLY NEW FOR THE COMMUNITY AND IT WAS LIKE WHAT GIRL?

WHAT YOU TALKIN' ABOUT?

OKAY, WE HEAR YOU BUT I WAS LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT?

I I KNOW THAT IT'S POSSIBLE AND THAT'S HOW I ENDED UP MEETING YOU AND MEETING SO MANY OTHER AMAZING WOMEN AND MEN THIS WERE ALL LIKE YO', WE GOT TO MAKE SOMETHING DIFFERENT HAPPEN AND WHAT CAN WE DO AND WE ALL JUST STARTED TO TO DO IT.

AND JUST MAKE THE MAGIC HAPPEN, YOU KNOW.

>> Juhanna: WHAT WAS THAT CATALYST, THAT MOMENT FOR YOU THAT PUSHED YOU TO SAY YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M GOING TO SHIFT MY FOCUS.

I'M GOING TO BE WHAT I WANT TO SEE?

>> SO MANY THINGS THAT GOES INTO THAT LIKE THAT MADE ME SHIFT, THE BIGGEST THING WAS LIKE I DECIDED TO GO TO COLLEGE AND WHEN I WENT TO COLLEGE I ATTENDED LeMOYNE SO I'M UP THE HILL.

I'M GOING TO SCHOOL, GETTING MY DEGREE AT FIRST THE DREAM WAS LIKE WORK IN CORPORATE AMERICA, THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO, I'M GOING TO BE IN CHICAGO, I'M GOING TO BE LIKE WORKING AT SOME FORTUNE 500 COMPANY.

AND EVERY DAY I STILL HAVE TO DRIVE THROUGH THE COMMUNITY EVERY DAY, YOU KNOW, I'M FROM THIS COMMUNITY, I'M PICKING MY CHILDREN UP FROM THE COMMUNITY CENTER.

I'M DROPPING MY BABY OFF AT SCHOOL THAT'S STILL IN THE COMMUNITY AND I WAS JUST LIKE JUST ONE DAY I WAS LITERALLY RIDING IN MY CAR AND I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT GIRL?

FORGET THAT CORPORATE AMERICA.

YOU NEED TO BE WORKING HERE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

I NEED TO BRING BACK WHAT I'M LEARNING AT SCHOOL.

BACK TO MY PEERS.

BECAUSE MOST OF MY PEERS, THE CONVERSATION THAT I WOULD BE HAVING IS LIKE WHAT YOU TALKIN' ABOUT.

YOU KNOW, I SEE SO MANY OF MY FRIENDS, SO MANY PEOPLE THAT I'VE GROWN UP WITH HAVING SIGN ANYTHING OUTSIDE-- HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF THE NORM OR WHAT IS ACTUALLY NOT A HEALTHY NORM BUT IT'S BECOME THE NEW NORM.

>> Juhanna: WHAT THEY'RE USED TO.

>> EX-- EXACTLY BECAUSE THAT'S THE EXPERIENCE THAT THEY HAVE.

FOR ME THE SHIFT WAS TO TEACH, TO TEACH THAT THERE IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT YOU CAN DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE OUT THERE FOR US.

>> Juhanna: AND YOU FEEL LIKE SOMETHING I STRUGGLE WITH, HOW DO YOU STAY GROUNDED IN THAT, RIGHT?

BECAUSE AS YOU WERE FINDING WHAT IT IS TO BE YOUR CALLING, IT'S TAKING YOU-- I MEAN YOU'VE GONE ON WOMEN'S RETREATS.

YOU WERE TAKING FOLKS ALMOST LIKE YOU DESCRIBED GOING FROM THE SOUTH SIDE TO LeMOYNE TO GET EXPOSED TO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

YOU ARE TAKING PEOPLE TO BE EXPOSED AND CREATING FABULOUS EVENTS.

YOU ARE PARTNERING WITH S.U.

WHAT KEEPS YOU GROUNDED.

>> MY SELF CARE, MY LOVE FOR MYSELF.

REAL TALK.

BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO COME BACK OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, I STARTED ON MY SELF LOVE JOURNEY ABOUT 25, AND YOU KNOW, ON THAT JOURNEY IT HAS BEEN MY ONION.

HAVE I TO PULL BACK SO MANY DIFFERENT LAYERS, SO MANY DIFFERENT TRAUMAS AND HEALINGS THAT I HAD TO GO THROUGH, MIND SET SHIFT I HAD TO GO THROUGH AND I LEARNED IN THE PROCESS THAT PROXIMITY IS EVERYTHING AND CHAT THE CHANGING OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT IS EVERYTHING SO IT'S A PART OF SHIFTING THE MIND.

SO IT WAS LIKE STAYING GROUNDED WAS LIKE OKAY, GIRL, YOU THOUGH THAT YOU GOT TO BE TRAVELING AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE AFFIRMING YOURSELF CONSISTENTLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE EVERY DAY ALL DAY, YOU KNOW, ON LOVING YOU AND JUST TAKING CARE OF YOU AND TAKING YOUR TIME WITH YOURSELF AND, YOU KNOW, JUST ALLOWING MYSELF TO REALLY JUST BE POURED INTO AND REALLY, BEFORE I COULD EVEN ALLOW ANYONE ELSE TO POUR INTO ME, IT WAS ME HAVING TO LEARN TO EMPOWER TOMMI LIKE FIRST.

LIKE I WAS LITERALLY HAVING THESE WHOLE FULL OUT EMPOWERMENT CONVERSATIONS IN MY CAR.

>> Juhanna: YOU EVEN DO THEM, I SEE THEM DO THEM IN YOUR CAR BECAUSE YOU POST IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA SO I WILL BE SITTING THERE AND YOUR FACE COMES ACROSS THE SCREEN AND YOU ARE HAVING A VERY SURREAL MOMENT AND THAT IS VERY VULNERABLE.

THAT IS VERY LIKE-- EVERYBODY CAN'T DO THAT.

I'M SITTING HERE LIKE I DON'T KNOW... >> IT WOULD BE LIKE HAVING DOWNLOADS, RIGHT?

AND FOR SO LONG, I WOULD HAVE THESE DOWNLOAD AS-- DOWNLOADS ALONE WITH MYSELF.

SO IT GOES INTO THE FEARLESS QUEEN, RIGHT.

I WOULD BE LIKE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH MYSELF OFTEN IN THE CAR LOOKING AT MYSELF IN THE MIRROR OR STRAIGHT UP TALKING TO MYSELF.

AND THEN IT WAS LIKE WAY ABOUT OF WE HAD FACEBOOK LIVE, WAY BEFORE ANY OF THESE THINGS WERE EVEN POSSIBLE, I WAS JUST LIKE GOT THE PHONE ON THE SMART PHONE FIRST CAME OUT WHERE YOU COULD ACTUALLY SEE YOUR FACE ON THE SCREEN AND I STARTED RECORDING MYSELF.

I STARTED RECORDING, YOU KNOW, I HAVE SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT AND IT JUST SO HAPPENED IT HAPPENED ON TUESDAY SO IT TURNED INTO LIKE A THING.

TALK ABOUT IT TUESDAY.

NOW WHERE I'M AT VERSE WHERE I STARTED OFF, YOU KNOW, ON MY JOURNEY OF ALLOWING MYSELF TO BE MY FULL INTENTION OF TAKING CARE OF MYSELF AND FACING MY FEARS THE CONVERSATION WAS DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS ME SPEAKING AND AFFIRMING MYSELF.

I'M STRONG, WORTHY, POWERFUL, AMAZING.

I'M BEAUTIFUL, I'M INTELLIGENT.

HAVING THAT CONVERSATION.

>> I'M STRONG, I'M BEAUTIFUL, I'M INTELLIGENT, I'M POWERFUL, I'M WORTHY.

>> I'M HUMBLE.

I'M UNIQUE, I'M TER RISK, I'M FANTASTIC.

ALL THE THINGS THAT I KNOW THAT I NEEDED TO SAY AND HEAR, YOU KNOW, AND FEEL AND I CREATED HER.

>> LIKE THIS WOMAN RIGHT HERE.

>> I CREATED HER.

I DON'T GO WITH THE FLOW.

I AM THE FLOW.

PERIOD.

DISWHRJ YOU ARE THE FLOW.

WE COULD ALL FLOW TOGETHER.

>> WE CAN DEFINITELY FLOW TOGETHER.

ESPECIALLY IF WE ARE LIKE MINDED AND WE ALLOW OURSELVES TO OPEN UP TO RECEIVING ABUNDANCE THAT WE DESERVE, RIGHT?

THAT OUR HEARTS TRULY DESIRE.

>> Juhanna: YOU ARE SPEAKING TO ME RIGHT NOW.

I DON'T KNOW IF THE AUDIENCE IS GETTING IT BUT YOU ARE GIVING US A WHOLE WORLD AND I THINK AS WOMEN, RIGHT-- I THINK WHAT YOU SAID IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE CREATING THIS SPACE TO GIVE OURSELVES WHAT WE NEED.

>> GIVE PERMISSION TO BE YOU.

YOU KNOW, LIKE THE CONVERSATIONS IN THE CAR.

PEOPLE PROBABLY LOOKING AT ME LIKE I'M CRAZY BECAUSE I'M IN THE CAR TALKING TO MYSELF ALL THE TIME.

THE PARKING LOT, DIFFERENT PLACES AND I'M TALKING TO MYSELF SO THE CAMERA MADE IT EASIER ON ME.

>> Juhanna: BECAUSE NOW PEOPLE ARE LIKE, SHE MUST BE TALKING TO SOMEONE ON THE PHONE.

>> LOOK, I'M RECORDING MYSELF.

>> Juhanna: BUT I THINK THAT'S A REAL MOMENT BECAUSE AS MOMS, YOU HAVE TWO BEAUTIFUL GIRLS AT HOME, WE LOOK FOR THOSE MOMENTS.

I WILL PULL MOO MY GARAGE AND I WILL SIT IN THE CAR FOR 10 MINUTES LIKE SOME WOMEN IT'S LIKE I GO TO THE BATHROOM AND CLOSE THE DOOR.

>> I DO THAT, TOO.

>> Juhanna: BECAUSE WE JUST NEED THAT MOMENT OR IT'S LIKE I'M GOING TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE BUT I'M REALLY JUST DRIVING AROUND THE BLOCK JUST TO GIVE YOURSELF THAT MENTAL SPACE, RIGHT AND SO FOR YOU WHAT YOU ARE SHARING WITH ME AND HOPEFULLY THE VIEWERS WATCHING THIS TOO, IS DON'T JUST TAKE THE MOMENT.

>> EMBRACE THE MOMENT.

TAKE THE MOMENT BUT EMBRACE THE MOMENT AND I'M GOING TO SAY ALLOW YOURSELF TO BASK IN IT AND KNOW THAT IT'S A PART OF DOING THE WORK IT'S LIKE THAT THING WHERE YOU LEARN WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR YOU TO BE IN THE SPACE.

WE ALL WANT TO BE HAPPY.

WE WANT TO BE FLOURISHING, AND FEELING GOOD AND HAVING PEACE.

WHAT DOES THAT FOR YOU?

FIND THAT.

>> Juhanna: I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU BACK THOUGH BECAUSE WHEN WE MET, RIGHT, WE WERE STILL BECOMING.

WE STILL PROBABLY ARE IN SOME ASPECTS.

>> I KNOW I AM.

WE WERE YOUNG.

I'M STILL HOLDING ON TO YOUNG BUT I THINK IT'S... YOU WEREN'T ALWAYS WHERE YOU ARE.

>> NO.

>> Juhanna: TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT NOT JUST BEING FROM THE SOUTH SIDE BECAUSE THAT'S JUST ONE GEOGRAPHICAL BUT YOUR OWN PERSONAL TESTIMONY TO GETTING TO THIS MOMENT THAT IS NOW THIS WOMAN THAT IS BASKING IN THE MOMENT TALK ABOUT THE TIMING AND TOMMI THAT IT TOOK TO GET YOU HERE.

>> TOMMI, YOUNG TOMMI WAS JUST LIKE A WHOLE MESS, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS A WHOLE MESS I WAS LIVING IN MESS, YOU KNOW.

LIVING IN A LOT OF TRAUMA AND HURT.

AND PAIN AND I KNEW THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO STAY THERE.

SO I STARTED TO JUST DO LITTLE THINGS, DIFFERENT THINGS TO BRING ME FROM UP OUT OF THAT BUT BACK THEN IT WAS LIKE MY MESS WAS NORMAL LIKE I SAID.

IT WAS A COMMUNITY.

>> Juhanna: IT'S WHAT YOU WERE USED TO.

>> MY FAMILY'S MESS IT WAS THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR'S MESS.

IT WAS THE CENTER OR WHEREVER, THE CORNER STORE.

SO I STARTED OFF REALLY ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES, REALLY NOT BELIEVING IN MYSELF.

AFRAID OF DOING THINGS DIFFERENT BUT JUST DOING IT AFRAID.

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN DOING EIGHT DOING IT AFRAID.

SINCE I WAS A YOUNG GIRL.

SOME WOULD SAY I WAS REBELLIOUS.

I WOULD ALWAYS GO AGAINST... >> Juhanna: THE GRAIN.

I WAS LIKE NAH.

I WANT THIS OVER HERE, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T ALWAYS THIS WAY.

IT HAS BEEN A PROCESS IT HAS BEEN-- I HAD TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF UPS AND DOWNS.

>> Juhanna: DO DID YOU HAVE MENTORS?

>> I HAD SOME.

MORE MENTORS THAT WERE VISUAL LIKE I CAN SEE THEM FROM A DISTANCE BUT NOT REALLY LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE UP CLOSE ON ME.

IF ANYTHING.

MY FATHER, YOU KNOW, MY FATHER IS OH MY GOD, IS VERY CONSERVATIVE AND JUST HE WAS LIKE MY FIRST LIKE SUPERHERO, RIGHT?

DAD AND REALLY THE FIRST WHO EMPOWERED ME AND TO LOVE MYSELF AND BELIEVE IN MYSELF.

I HAD MY DAD AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

Mr. O'DELL, NOBLE JENNINGS, TIMOTHY, I SHOULD SAY, JENNINGS BEY AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OTHER INDIVIDUALS FROM MISS HAITI USED TO READ US STORIES AT THE PARK.

SO I'VE HAD SOME ROLE MODELS, I WOULD SAY BUT NOT REALLY ANY UP CLOSE MENTORS BESIDE ONE TEACHER, MISS BAKER.

>> Juhanna: MISS BAKER.

>> MISS BAKER.

>> Juhanna: WHAT GRADE?

>> EIGHTH GRADE.

>> Juhanna: AND WHAT DID MISS BAKER DO?

>> SO MISS BAKER LIKE, SHE LOVED ME.

MISS BAKER LOVED ME.

AND SHE SHOWED ME THAT SHE LOVED ME AND I WAS STRUGGLING, YOU KNOW AS A YOUNG TLG TEENAGER WITH, WHAT SHOULD I DO, WHO SHOULD I BE?

WHERE SHOULD I GO?

WHAT'S GOING ON?

WHAT'S NEXT.

AND SHE WOULD JUST BE LIKE BILLIE-- SHE CALLED ME... MY NAPE IS TOMMI MY NAME IS TOMMI BUT SHE CALLED ME BILLIE AND SHE LOVED ME AND TREATED ME SO GOOD AND SHE WOULD HAVE TALKS WITH ME.

SHE WAS A MENTOR.

SHE WOULD TELL ME, YOU KNOW, TOMMI, YOU ARE SUCH A GREAT LEADER.

HAVE YOU SO MUCH POWER.

YOU GOT TO CHANNEL IT THE RIGHT WAY AND MAKE SOMETHING OF YOURSELF, YOU KNOW, AND I NEED YOU TO QUIET DOWN IN MY CLASSROOM AND STOP TALKING SO MUCH BECAUSE YOU ARE DISTRACTING ALL THE OTHER STUDENTS.

AND I HAVEN'T SEEN HER IN A FEW YEARS BELIEVE IT OR NOT BUT WE STAYED CONNECTED AND I WOULD ALWAYS GO AND VISIT HER AND I GOT TO SAY SHE WAS PROBABLY ONE OF MY FIRST MENTORS.

>> Juhanna: IT'S IMPORTANT AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS LIKE SHE WAS DIRECTING YOU.

YOU ARE BRILLIANT, ALMOST LIKE THE METAPHORS OR AFFIRMATIONS YOU ARE DOING IN THE CAR.

YOU ARE BRILLIANT.

YOU ARE BOLD.

HAVE YOU SO MUCH POTENTIAL.

BUT I NEED TO YOU QUIET DOWN IN MY CLASS, RIGHT?

>> SHE WAS MOLDING ME.

>> Juhanna: MOLDING YOU.

AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO SIT DOWN AND HAVE THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE I THINK YOU ARE MOLDING PEOPLE UP.

>> I LIKE TO THINK SO.

YOU ARE MOLDING PEOPLE UP.

EVEN SHARING YOUR STORY RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE SOME FOLKS HOPEFULLY FROM YOUR COMMUNITY, OUR COMMUNITY, WATCHING THIS AND AS WE WRAP UP OUR CONVERSATION, WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO TAKE AWAY AT THIS MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE FROM YOUR STORY.

>> TAKE YOUR TIME.

GIVE YOURSELF GRACE.

DEFINITELY BELIEVE THAT THE IMPOSSIBLE IS POSSIBLE.

AND THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW THAT NORM THAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW CAN BE SHIFTED AND CAN BE DIFFERENT AND CHANGE BASED OFF WHAT YOU TRULY WANT AND DESIRE.

IT'S CHOICE.

YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH IT'S HARD, BUT IT'S STILL A CHOICE.

AND WE ALL HAVE THAT POWER TO CHOOSE.

>> Juhanna: THE POWER TO CHOOSE.

>> DO IT AFRAID.

DO WHAT IT IS THAT YOU TRULY WANT TO DO.

BE BETTER, BE MORE, BE GREATER.

>> Juhanna: BE BETTER, BE MORE, BE GREATER.

AND FOLLOW TOMMI BILLINGSLEY AT FEARLESS QUEENS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

TALK ABOUT IT TUESDAY.

WE ARE ALL GOING TO BE IN OUR CAR, I'M SERIOUS.

I'M SO SERIOUS.

>> TALK ABOUT IT TUESDAY.

EVERYBODY SHOULD TUNE IN.

TALK ABOUT IT TUESDAY.

HAVEN'T DONE A TALK ABOUT IT TUESDAY IN A WHILE BECAUSE I'VE HAD A LOT OF OTHER WORK GOING ON.

TO WILL ME ON INSTAGRAM,.

>> Juhanna: YOU CAME IN HERE EVEN TODAY AND YOU HAD YOUR POSTS AND I WAS LIKE SHELLING MYSELF SO WHEN I SAY YOU REALLY EMPOWER ME TO PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE, UNAPOLOGETICALLY.

>> I SAY DO IT BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE A STORY TO SHARE.

WE ALL HAVE TO TAKE UP SPACE AND NOT WORRY ABOUT WHO IS WATCHING.

I'M SHINING.

>> Juhanna: YOU ARE SHINING.

I SEE YOU GIRL.

I WANT TO THANK YOU, TOMMY FOR JOINING US TONIGHT ON BEHIND THE WOMAN.

PLEASE KEEP SHINING.

SHARE, REWATCH THIS EPISODE WITH FRIENDS.

YOU CAN VISIT US ONLINE AT WCNY.ORG/"BEHIND THE WOMAN."

MY NAME IS Dr. JUHANNA ROGERS AND ON BEHALF OF "BEHIND THE WOMAN" AND THE TEAM, THANK YOU AND KEEP SHINING.

HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.

♪ ♪ >> NEXT WEEK ON "BEHIND THE WOMAN,".

>> ON TONIGHT'S EPISODE, WE ARE MEETING LAURA JACK.

>> I WORK FOR COLGATE UNIVERSITY AND I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS.

IT'S WEIRD THAT SUCH A HORRIBLE AND DIFFICULT TIME BECAME A MOMENT FOR ME.

AT THE TIME I WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY PERSON OF COLOR ON THE PRESIDENT'S CABINET.

A LOT OF INSTITUTIONS WERE HAVING CONVERSATIONS THAT WERE NOT HAPPENING BEFORE.

DIVERSITY AROUND THE TABLE GIVES YOU BETTER DECISIONS.

IN THE FOUR YEARS I HAVE BEEN HERE, I HAVE HAD MOMENTS WHERE I'M LIKE YEP, THIS IS WHY I'M HERE.