Podcast
Choosing Joy
Hosted by iHeartPodcasts · EN
Each week, actor and singer Deborah Joy Winans Williams invites inspiring women into candid, heart-led conversations about joy—what it means, how they choose it daily, and why it matters. Through personal stories, shared insights, and warm humor, Choosing Joy creates a space where vulnerability meets strength and every episode offers encouragement to embrace joy intentionally—even in life’s uncertainties.
15episodes
Episodes
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Gabourey Sidibe Interview | Confidence, Colorism & Creating Joy in Hollywood | Choosing Joy Podcast
Sep 2100:48:23Tap to summarizeIn this radiant episode of Choosing Joy, host Deborah Joy Winans Williams sits down with the one and only Gabourey Sidibe—award-winning actress, director, and mother—to talk about choosing self-worth, navigating colorism, and embracing joy in a world that often tells you you’re not enough. From her unexpected journey into stardom with Precious to raising twins and reclaiming her own story, Gabby opens up with humor, honesty, and an unshakable spirit. She shares how her mother’s influence, her unconventional path into Hollywood, and her deeply grounded sense of self have kept her centered through fame, criticism, and cultural expectations. This conversation goes beyond celebrity—into what it means to love yourself loudly despite the noise. Expect laughter, real talk, a few tears, and a reminder that every person deserves good things. Whether you're an artist, a parent, or just someone trying to find peace in your own skin, this episode is for you. ✨ This is Choosing Joy at its most soulful and powerful. Chapter Markers 00:00 – We All Deserve Good Things 03:00 – Gabby’s Unexpected Journey into Hollywood 06:00 – Spirituality, Serendipity & Precious 09:00 – Gabby’s First Time on Set 12:00 – What Hollywood Really Is 1 5:00 – Colorism, Casting, and Identity 18:00 – Exhaustion, Projection & Protecting Joy 21:00 – Gabby on Self-Love and Her Mother 24:00 – Marriage, Kids & Redefining Want 27:00 – IVF, Motherhood & Living Fully 30:00 – The Power of Storytelling #GaboureySidibe #ChoosingJoyPodcast #DeborahJoyWinans #SelfLove #Colorism #HollywoodTruths #BlackMotherhood #BlackWomenInFilm #IVFStory #Precious #EmbraceJoy #ConfidenceJourney #BlackExcellence #WomenInHollywood #ActressInterviewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Deborah Kerr Winans Interview | Joy Honors Her Mother’s Legacy While Navigating Alzheimer’s With Faith & Love
Sep 1200:19:01Tap to summarizeIn this intimate and profoundly moving episode of Choosing Joy, host Deborah Joy Winans Williams sits down with her mother, Deborah Kerr Winans, to share a deeply personal story of love, legacy, and faith in the face of Alzheimer’s. What began as a conversation meant for family became something much more—a testament to the power of memory, God’s grace, and choosing joy in the midst of unimaginable challenges. Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2020, Deborah Kerr Winans may not remember everything, but she never forgets her children, her faith, or the goodness of God. From growing up in Detroit and becoming the first in her family to earn a college degree to raising four children with fierce love and intention, this conversation honors a mother’s journey, strength, and unwavering belief. It’s a story about what remains even when memory fades—love, faith, and joy. ✨ Whether you’re a caregiver, a daughter, or someone facing hard truths about health and aging, this episode will wrap you in warmth and remind you: You’re not alone. And joy is still possible. Chapters 00:00 – Why This Conversation Matters01:00 – Living With Alzheimer's: A Daughter's Reflection03:00 – How the Diagnosis Changed Everything05:00 – Sitting in Gratitude, Not Just Grief07:00 – What My Mom Remembers Most09:00 – Holding Faith in the Middle of Memory Loss11:00 – Raising Us with Intention & Love13:00 – Faith, Detroit, and Family Values15:00 – A Mother's Unshakable Joy17:00 – The Gift of Her Legacy19:00 – Final Reflections, Birthday Song & A Blessing #DeborahJoyWinansWilliams #ChoosingJoyPodcast #DeborahKerrWinans #AlzheimersAwareness #FaithAndFamily #LegacyOfLove #BlackWomenCaregivers #ChoosingJoyInGrief #MotherDaughterLove #SpiritualHealingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Deborah Joy Winans Williams on Choosing Joy for Real—Not Just Performing It | Choosing Joy
Sep 400:24:50Tap to summarizeWhat does choosing joy really mean when you’re living through pain, pressure, or exhaustion? In this deeply personal solo episode, Choosing Joy host Deborah Joy Winans Williams sits down—not as an actress or celebrity, but as herself—to answer your questions, share her heart, and reflect on what joy looks like when it’s uncomfortable, spiritual, and hard-won. Deborah opens up about motherhood, mental health, faith, grief, self-worth, and how she learned (and is still learning) to choose joy daily—not just on stage, but in real life. From the lessons of her Winans family legacy to her girls' trip epiphany with Merle Dandridge to the quiet prayers that sustain her, this episode is a soulful, grounding invitation to go deeper. Whether you’re a woman of faith, an artist in progress, a mother in motion, or just someone trying to pour from a not-so-full cup—Deborah’s raw honesty and wisdom remind us that joy isn’t a mood... it’s a decision. Chapters 00:00 – What Choosing Joy Means to Me01:00 – Unpacking My Relationship with Joy03:00 – What Life Has Taught Me About Grace05:00 – The Power of Choosing Yourself07:00 – A Girls' Trip That Changed Everything09:00 – How My Faith Guides My Work11:00 – My Morning Routine of Gratitude13:00 – 6AM Prayer, Grandma Winans, and Simplicity15:00 – Staying Grounded in a Chaotic World17:00 – What My Family’s Legacy Taught Me19:00 – How My Uncle Bebe Changed My Perspective21:00 – Seeing People as Ministry23:00 – Navigating Motherhood, Germs & Balance25:00 – Rest, Vitamins, Vaseline & Olly Multis 27:00 – Playing Charity on Greenleaf29:00 – Grace for Imperfection & Finding Your Way31:00 – Advice for Young Women in Music & Acting33:00 – Final Reflections & Your Invitation to Joy #DeborahJoyWinansWilliams #ChoosingJoyPodcast #GreenleafCharity #BlackWomenInFaith #JoyIsAChoice #FaithAndMotherhood #ChristianWomenPodcast #WomenInEntertainment #HealingWithGod #SoulfulStorytellingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Gia Peppers Interview | Healing, Grief, & Owning Her Power | Choosing Joy
Aug 2500:35:32Tap to summarizeWhat happens when your purpose feels too heavy to carry? When the grief, burnout, or self-doubt start whispering louder than your confidence?In this heart-centered and life-giving episode of Choosing Joy, Emmy-nominated journalist, media personality, and host of Healed Girl Era Gia Peppers sits down with Deborah Joy Winans Williams for one of the most raw, uplifting, and spiritually rooted conversations of the season.From growing up immersed in Black excellence in D.C. and Maryland to navigating loss, therapy, and self-reinvention, Gia shares the full spectrum of her journey. She opens up about losing her grandmother, surviving depressive episodes, and how therapy and faith helped her find joy again.Whether she’s talking about being on 106 & Park, the inspiration behind Healed Girl Era, or why joy must be an intentional daily choice—Gia reminds us: healing is possible, even in the middle of the storm.✨ This episode is a love letter to every woman figuring it out in real-time. To every woman choosing herself, one sacred step at a time.Chapters 00:00 – Intro & Sponsor Message00:46 – Why Gia Peppers is That Girl02:00 – Growing Up in the DMV & Black Excellence04:00 – Howard University Influence & Community Impact06:00 – Her Dad’s Legacy in Journalism08:00 – Early Dreams of Hosting & Performing10:00 – Inspired by Free on 106 & Park11:30 – Interning with Donnie Simpson & Black Radio Roots13:00 – Navigating the Cutthroat Industry with Kindness14:30 – The Power of Representation for Black Girls16:00 – Teen Girlhood, Beauty, and Identity Today18:30 – Choosing Joy in the Midst of Transition20:30 – Letting Go of Self-Doubt with Therapy23:00 – Choosing Grace Over Pressure25:00 – Joy as a Choice, Not a Feeling26:30 – How the Pandemic Revealed Deep Emotional Shifts29:00 – Grief, Loss & Losing Her Grandmother31:00 – Breaking Generational Silence Around Mental Health33:00 – Creating the Healed Girl Era Podcast35:00 – Finding Purpose in Her Own Voice37:00 – Vulnerability, Impact & Stepping Out in Faith39:00 – Learning to Rest and Rebuild41:00 – What Choosing Joy Looks Like Now43:00 – Final Reflections & A Prayer for JoySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →ROE Interview | Trusting the Journey, Embracing Her Sound & Thriving in Her Skin | Choosing Joy
Aug 14, 202500:34:10Tap to summarizeWhat does it mean to thrive in your skin—not just as an artist, but as a woman, a mother, and a soul who’s lived many lives before the world even saw her?In this soul-nourishing episode of Choosing Joy, genre-bending singer-songwriter ROE joins Deborah Joy Winans Williams for an honest and vibrant conversation about identity, motherhood, music, and trusting divine timing. Known for her songwriting with Mary J. Blige, Usher, and more, ROE is now stepping boldly into her own spotlight.From her Crenshaw roots to navigating motherhood and music as an independent artist, ROE shares how she learned to pause, reflect, and create art that feels as true as her own breath. With a warm spirit and razor-sharp creativity, she invites us into her world—and even blesses us with a live snippet of her upcoming single, “In My Skin.”✨ This episode is for anyone figuring it out in real time. Anyone who’s put a dream on hold. Anyone choosing presence over pressure and joy over perfection.📌 Chapters 00:00 – Wellness Sponsor Message00:36 – Meet ROE: The Voice Behind the Hits01:30 – Musical Roots in South LA & Crenshaw Sundays03:00 – From Theater to Singing to Songwriting05:00 – ROE’s Genre-Bending Identity07:00 – Writing for Others vs. Finding Her Story09:00 – Melody First: ROE’s Creative Process10:30 – Motherhood & Pivot to Songwriting12:00 – Wellness, Balance, and Priorities14:00 – Faith, Family & Trusting the Timing16:00 – Living to Write vs. Writing to Live18:30 – Choosing Joy as an Independent Artist21:00 – Stage Mishaps & Letting Go of Perfection23:00 – Social Media & Holding Mystery25:00 – On Balance, Presence & Purpose26:30 – ROE’s Favorite Song: “In My Skin” (Live Snippet!)29:00 – “This or That” Game & Final Reflections33:00 – Closing from Deborah Joy#ROE #ChoosingJoyPodcast #DeborahJoyWinansWilliams #BlackWomenInMusic #InMySkin #WomenInEntertainment #SongwriterToSinger #AuthenticArtist #HealingThroughMusic #FaithAndMotherhood💬 What part of ROE’s journey moved you most—her motherhood pivot, her genre-bending honesty, or her stunning live performance?Let us know in the comments below!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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