How to Trust the Timing of Your Life ft. Gia Peppers

Summary

Podcast Summary: She’s So Lucky – “How to Trust the Timing of Your Life” ft. Gia Peppers
Release Date: June 9, 2026
Host: Les Alfred
Guest: Gia Peppers – On-air personality, journalist, founder

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Episode Overview

This episode explores what it means to trust the timing of your journey, stay committed when things take longer than planned, and embrace your gifts even when there’s no outside validation. Les Alfred is joined by Gia Peppers, a journalist and host who has carved out her own multi-hyphenate career. Their honest conversation details Gia’s intentional path, overcoming setbacks, the importance of inner healing, and the founding of her new community for faith-driven creatives.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Redefining Success, Shining, and Wanting More

Timestamps: 00:01–10:22

• Opening Thoughts:
  Les introduces Gia, noting her intentional career and commitment to a vision before it was public. Gia reflects this admiration back, emphasizing the importance of being unapologetic about your ambitions.

• Allowing Yourself to Shine:
  Both reflect on overcoming internalized messages about hiding your light and being “too much.”
  Les: “Is it bad to want more? Am I doing too much? Am I not doing enough?... I think it’s okay to want more and to see potential for myself.” (02:09)

• Performance vs. Authentic Purpose:
  Gia describes her shift from equating applause with self-worth to rooting confidence in purpose and faith:
  Gia: “Now I’m in a space of what does it look like to shine from a place of no validation, but, like, the yes from God, the yes from me to keep going, and the yes from the years of work I have put in.” (04:34)

• Shining to Inspire Others:
  Gia reflects that the purpose of shining today is about sparking other people’s potential, not external praise.

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2. Critique vs. Creation, Social Media, and Perception

Timestamps: 10:22–19:21

• Room Culture & Critique:
  Gia discusses the superficial importance of being “in the room,” cautioning against letting critique overshadow creation.
  Les: “Are we critiquing more than we’re creating?” (15:34)
  Gia: “What’s the critique to create ratio?” (15:41)

• Empathy for Creators:
  Gia points out we’re often critical without recognizing the humanity and struggle behind the brands and people we see online:
  Gia: “Nine times out of ten, they aren’t horrible people... These are people.” (16:07)

• Advice Against Hyper-Criticism:
  Gia: “My biggest critique right now is of us... We have to just make space for people to fly and to look like beginners... and to call them lovingly.” (17:20)

• Young People in the Spotlight:
  Reflections on how young creators like Kai Cenat need grace and space to learn publicly.
  Host: “So, like, give them space to figure it out and to learn.” (18:20)

• Faith as an Anchor:
  Both discuss faith as a stabilizing force in a confusing world.
  Gia: “There is a reason why you are here at this moment, at this very time, with your gifting and your skill set and your experience.” (19:21)

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3. Gia’s Healing Journey: Setbacks, Therapy, and Inner Work

Timestamps: 20:23–35:52

• Early Ambition & Rejection:
  Gia shares her lifelong passion for entertainment and journalism, the relentless hustle, and the crushing setback of losing a major podcast deal after almost a year of auditions and pilots.
  Gia: “After six months of auditioning, three months of piloting ... we finally get the call... We decided not to go forward with the show ... $5,000 for your time... I said, Lord, come down and fight me, because you just want to fight.” (29:59)

• Spiritual Healing & Therapy:
  Her recovery involved returning to faith, embracing Psalms 23, and entering therapy:
  Gia: “I realized that pain was the first step for me, understanding that I was looking for the world to see me because I couldn't really see myself.” (30:18)

• Detaching from FOMO & Divine Timing:
  Gia: “Now my relationship to no is different. Now I’m like, okay, it’s not my time, it’s not that time. Now I don’t even have FOMO.” (32:20)

  Host: “That’s always the proof that the work is working.” (34:58)

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4. Social Media, Mental Health, and Returning to Self

Timestamps: 35:52–38:55

• Millennial Overload:
  They discuss the unique psychological weight of social media for millennials, who span pre- and post-phone eras.
  Gia: “We’re the first group of people to ever be able to open a phone and see 5,000 lives within a scroll. That’s not normal...” (35:58)

• Protecting Mental Space:
  Gia: “We have to actively guard our hearts, our spirits, our minds in a different way. And I think we're going to see less and less social media use from us.” (37:42)

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5. Allowing Expansion: Creativity & Multiple Dreams

Timestamps: 44:33–50:58

• Exploring New Old Passions:
  Gia is leaning back into music, acting, and other childhood dreams, noting the importance of letting go of attachment to outcomes:
  Gia: “Allowing myself to have more than one dream looks like trying for a lot of different things... Just knocking the rust off of, like, the gifts that I've always loved to explore and not have anything attached to it other than to share the gifts.” (47:07)

• Generational Adaptation:
  They joke about millennials surviving “unprecedented” times and the whiplash between youthful optimism and adult realities.

• Making it Up as You Go:
  Gia: “We're finally all collectively realizing there are no rules, just vibes. So you might as well make it up as you go along.” (48:59)

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6. Creatives of Faith: Building a Supportive Creative Community

Timestamps: 51:02–67:38

• Why the Community Exists:
  Gia launches Creatives of Faith, a space for faith-driven creatives to support each other in prayer, encouragement, accountability, and professional development.
  Gia: “The creative community, and especially those who are Christians and believers... loneliness has killed more dreams than anything else has. I think people feel unseen and overlooked and unsupported way more than they feel like they even want in their lives.” (52:39)

• Community Offerings & Structure:
  The intention is true nurturing—masterclasses, spiritual support, co-working, accountability, not just “audience” or “customers.”
  Gia: “My hope is that people leave this group and they're like, yeah, I met a couple creatives that, like, I was able to build out this dream with from this moment.” (58:11)

• Honoring Value & Entrepreneurship Realities:
  Open conversation about pricing, the struggle between accessibility and fair compensation for time and expertise:
  Gia: “It kills me to be a part of that group. I've been sitting on this community for literally five years. God gave it to me in the pandemic. And I was like, Lord, no, not now. Because people gonna think that I'm trying to take their money...” (60:14)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the difference between performance and purpose:
  Gia: “I don't have a need to perform for people anymore. Now I'm like, okay, so if I'm not performing, what does that look like?” (04:07)

• On critique culture:
  Les: “What are we doing if it’s more critique than it is creating?” (15:44)

• Gia’s heartbreak after a failed deal:
  Gia: “I've been sitting on this community for literally five years. God gave it to me in the pandemic...But I've learned…when that thing comes out your account and you like, what, I haven't watched Amazon prime all year, let me delete that. Like, you start to pay attention to it. One, people pay for what they care about. But two, my time is valuable...” (61:19)

• On what you control:
  Les: “There’s those moments where something happens that you know at one point would have bothered you and then it doesn’t anymore. And that’s always the proof that the work is working.” (34:58)

• Gia on fear of showing up as a beginner:
  Gia: “I am worried that I will say the sound that I want to release won’t be what people hear. So it’s like you know what your intention is, but the impact you cannot control. And so it’s just an exercise in me releasing control, allowing it to be what it is, adjusting if I need to and looking like a beginner. Like, I’ve. I don’t love it.” (65:40)

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Key Takeaways

• Trusting the Timing: True success and fulfillment often take longer and look different than expected. Divine timing is real—if you're not “there” yet, keep building.
• Inner Healing is Fundamental: Accomplishments won't feel complete without self-worth and peace rooted in inner work—not applause.
• Shining Authentically: The purpose of “shining” is not for validation, but to unlock other people's potential and show what’s possible.
• Community Matters: Loneliness stalls more dreams than talent or resources ever could. Support, prayer, and nonjudgmental connection are vital, especially for faith-driven creatives.
• Resist Critique Addiction: Celebrate and support creation—especially amongst women and marginalized voices—rather than defaulting to harsh criticism.
• Multi-dream Living: You’re allowed to have (and pursue) many dreams in many seasons.
• Releasing Control: Letting go of the need for perfect impact—focusing on intention, service, and presence.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:01 — Introduction of the episode and guest
• 02:09 — Internal struggles with ambition and shining
• 04:34 — Gia on moving from outward validation to self-approval
• 15:34 — Critique culture and its dangers
• 19:21 — Faith as creative anchor
• 29:59 — Gia’s lost podcast deal and the healing journey that followed
• 35:58 — Social media’s unique challenge for millennials
• 44:47 — Expanding into new/old passions again
• 51:17 — Founding Creatives of Faith and the need for genuine connection
• 60:14 — Pricing, value, and accessibility in building community
• 65:40 — Being ok with looking like a beginner and letting go of control

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Final Thought

This episode is an honest, encouraging look at building a life and career with intention—not just chasing external benchmarks or timelines, but doing the inner work to trust yourself, your faith, your voice, and your unique journey, even during the quiet or difficult seasons. Gia’s open-hearted storytelling offers reassurance: you can make your own luck, starting with honoring yourself and your timing.

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Connect with Gia:

• @GiaPeppers on all socials
• Creatives of Faith: creativesoffaith.com
• Healed Girl Era Podcast

Connect with She’s So Lucky/Les Alfred:

• Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts

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Transcript

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

The following podcast is a dear media production. On the podcast, I've been exploring what it looks like to know that you are meant for more and to expand what you think is possible for you. And I'm really excited to continue exploring that in today's episode. But today I'm sitting down with Gia Peppers, an on air personality, journalist, and host who has built her career across radio, television, and digital, showing up in spaces like Hot 97, ESPN and beyond. But beyond the resume, Gia is someone who's been incredibly intentional about her path, staying committed to her vision even in the moments where it wasn't fully visible yet. She's spoken openly about what it means to keep going, to trust your timing and to believe in what you're building before the world catches up to it. Because it's one thing to want more, it's another thing to stay committed to the vision when it's taking longer than you expected, when you feel overlooked, when there's no clear proof that it's working yet. So in this episode, we get into how to trust that you're meant for more and how to keep showing up in the in between moments when nothing big is happening, but everything is being built.

[Gia Peppers]

You're doing Such amazing work, Ms. Ness. Alfred. Like, you are, but I'm not even trying to be funny. Like, even if we weren't live, I would tell you this. What you're building is really inspiring and, like, I love how you are also unapologetic about what you want. And I'm like, inspired. Thank you. Take up your space.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Thank you.

[Gia Peppers]

Like, it's really dope to watch.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Thank you. I honestly feel the same way about you, though. And it's what I was excited to talk to you about today because we do monthly themes on the show. And so for this episode, the theme that I'm really exploring and playing around with is this idea of letting ourselves shine and not dimming it.

[Gia Peppers]

Love that.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

And just fully embodying our gifts. And I think that you are somebody who does that so beautifully.

[Gia Peppers]

Thank you. Truly. Thank you.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

You do.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Wow.

[Gia Peppers]

Look, let's explore it because I've got thoughts. I've got so many thoughts.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

I do, too. And it's something that I feel like I shied away from for a very long time of like, ooh, do I sound too ambitious? Am I being greedy for, like, wanting more? Is it bad to want more? Am I doing too much? Am I not doing enough? And maybe it's also an age thing too, being like, no, actually, I think it's okay to Want more and to see potential for myself and to want to live up to that potential.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

How do you feel about that?

[Gia Peppers]

Well, my good sis, we are definitely on the same wavelength with that. It's so interesting because I've been just watching so many of the millennials who grew up on the Instagrams and Snapchats, MySpace, Black Planet, like, all the things. And I feel like a lot of people stepped away from Most of humans Q1 to get their thoughts together. We built all this, all this little social media stuff. You know, the millennials, the people who invited us to be Facebook people because we weren't in college yet. We built this social network thing. We've been essentially performing our lives for the better part of a decade plus, and people are tired and I am people. It's so funny that you say shining, because when I first got into the industry as a journalist, I was so green. But that greenness allowed me to be confident where no hadn't gotten me yet. Where this one idea that I had for myself didn't come, but I was just so confident that I could get there that, like, sure, why not shine? And as the years passed and the dream got, like, closer but further away, it started to, like, really shape and break down my confidence, my inner belief, the faith that I had in those things coming together. And then during the pandemic, when every stage was shut down, I had to do my work. I finally got to a space where I was like, oh, there's no applause here to distract me from my work. There's no stage that I could do that could help me outperform these feelings that I have. I have real issues with God right now that let me go pray this out. I have real mental things that I've been avoiding. Let me go into therapy. And like, that started my journey of understanding what it actually is that I wanted for myself. What happened when I put too much hope in anything but God and my understanding of divine timing and why I felt like once I really started doing my healing work, I don't have a need to perform for people anymore. Now I'm like, okay, so if I'm not performing, what does that look like? And so I'm in this weird space of trying on new mindsets, trying on new things, allowing myself to not be a one trick pony or a person that only believes that I can do one thing because I've never been that person. It just got easier to be a journalist. That's what went off first. So that idea of shining now feels totally different. I'M in a space of what does it look like to shine from a place of no validation, but, like, the yes from God, the yes from me to keep going, and the yes from the years of work that I have put in. That's why you inspire me. Sometimes I'm, like, too humble. I watch interviews with Maya Angelou all the time. Dr. Maya Angelou is, like, one of my north stars. And she talked about how, like, modesty and timidity are actually not what we think they are. It's not the flex you think, like, you should own who you are. And so I'm learning how to do that. I'm learning how to take up space from a space that's not like, look at me, look at me, look at me. Like. And more like, no, this is who I am. Yeah.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

And I'm here.

[Gia Peppers]

Yeah. Right? And I'm not going anywhere. But if I do, it could be cool. Like, I don't know, you know, Like, I'm just open to, I guess, more of the journey.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Now I want to come back to what you had just said about kind of your perception of shining and the current definition of bad, because it feels so aligned with where I'm also at. Especially when we do work that is so public facing, and there is so much related to perception that I would get applause and shining kind of confused with one another. Like, what do people, like, yes, what do people want me to do? And now it's like, no, but what do I want to do?

[Gia Peppers]

What?

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

As opposed to, like, who is shining a light on me? What is shining out of me?

[Gia Peppers]

Come on, you better. That's what it is. No, seriously. Yeah, I think that's. Again, I feel like that is an internal shift happening with all millennials, especially millennials who made this whole space. It's so weird to get young women and even young men and they, them, all the gangs, everybody else that it's so amazing to get people who come up to me and they're like, you're on my vision board. And I'm like, that's weird because I'm still, like, envisioning who I am. So who do you think I am? It's always so interesting because you just. We just keep our head down. You do the work, you show up to the spaces, you put the anxiety down. You. You do your best. Sometimes anxiety comes with you. You say, hey, anxiety, please get in the backseat. We trying to have fun today. It's such a constant grind and understanding what it really costs when. When people say, hey, you're on My vision board, it's like, wow, why? Like, why? What did I do? But then this part of me is like, this version of me is like, yeah, no, you did a lot. You did a lot to make people be like, I want to do that. I believe the true purpose of shining at this point in my life is to unlock people's own potential and own potential models of what they can do and be. And now, if I can shine from that place, it's a different level of purpose. It's not like I'm waiting for a yes from anybody. Like, I've never had an agent in my entire life. It is something that I absolutely would want for myself. However, I've done a lot with them and incredibly well. So I'm just like, cool. But there are certain levels that, like, really only agents can make that call and be like, yeah, no, we need her on that. That's a streaming talk show. Or, like, it's levels to it. And that's why I'm like, it's still a hope for me, but now I hope differently. So I used to be like, oh, please, God, let this happen. Please, please, please, please, please. And if it didn't happen, it would throw me off of everything. I'd be gone for months. People be like, dang, what happened to her? And then I realized it was such a waste of energy and waste of brain space that I now look at it like, huh, okay, Lord, I'm curious about why you don't. Why I'm not there yet. But in the meantime, I continue to do my work. I'm going to. I'm going to continue to build. And sometimes the work is away from Instagram and away from the things. Sometimes that's inner work. Sometimes that's girl, finally get a gym routine. Now I'm really just looking at my life from a lens of. We've come this far, but where do we want to go now? What do I want to say now? I know the rooms. I know the people. What rooms haven't I been in? And what is a room even? Like, if we really talking about it, everybody want to be in these rooms. And it's like, it's really nice. It's okay. I'm. Yeah, it's like first world problems. I have been in the rooms. I get it. Like, people are like, girl, please, you. You only say that because you've been. Yes, okay, but also, those rooms are not making or breaking careers. You can still make your path without the room. And at some point, the room will come to you. When I see the conversations online, I don't even know how I got here. But when I see the conversations online about, like, every time there's something good that happens, especially in our community, is immediate backlash from people who weren't in there. And I'm like, friends, at some point you're gonna get in there, you're gonna want people to celebrate with you and not feel ashamed that you were in there. So I'm all for conversation and critiques, but let's do it with love. And let's also realize that sometimes it's just timing. And when you get in that room, you gonna want people to be like, yes, cute dress. Instead of being like, oh, really? Everybody in that room is a part of that. Da da. Like, like, dang, we gotta have fun. And this is the problem with those rooms. Like, it's like, okay, but you, your first tweet, you said your first thread said that you wanted to be in it, but now you dragging it.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Would you have the same opinion if you were invited that you currently have?

[Gia Peppers]

Like, what are we doing? Nothing scares me more than because the time we're in the juxtaposition of so much breaking down. We have the power to build up things and we are a part of the tearing down of so many spaces. So I'm like, we gonna, Are we gonna. We're going to aid in this. Like, at some point, there won't be any spaces that we continue like this. So yes, let's have the combos, but maybe let's have it on, like, planet. Maybe we need, like an inner group because it's just scary where, like, we're being attacked from so many angles. What else are we doing? If we're contributing to the breakdown of these iconic brands, iconic moments, critiques are necessary, but how we do it I think is really important.

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[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Something that I've also been thinking about because I do think that there is such a critique culture right now. And I'm like, are we critiquing more than we're creating?

[Gia Peppers]

Come on, what's the critique to create ratio?

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Because if it's more critique than it is creating of anything, then what are we doing is off balance.

[Gia Peppers]

And I think people have made whole brands out of critique, which. It works, child. I mean, child, it works. If that's you, how you do, that's what you want. But like, I get very leery of people whose energy only vacillates in the negative.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Yeah.

[Gia Peppers]

Because at some point you're going to want to be inspired and build something. And it's really hard to do that when you're fighting your inner demons, your inner thoughts and the whole world. Like, you got both, baby. One thing you and I both know, it's a fight to do anything in this industry. Always it's a fight. I got time to critique you. I'm trying to answer this email. I'm trying to figure out where my paycheck is. I'm trying to figure out why this invoice ain't been processed. Like, I just, I don't have time to speak on everything. Do I have critiques? Sure. Do I need to call people? Yes. Do I know these people and have I known them for a long. That's another thing. These are people behind these brands. Nine times out of ten, they aren't horrible people. They might be busy people that got a little overwhelmed and don't know how to Manage it in the way that they thought they did. They might be people who are working with 10% of the budget they had last year. These are people. So I wish we also would realize that, like, you're in somebody's dream right now and you are going to help it grow by with love. Or you can try to tear it down. So then the next person who even attempts to make a dream is like, nah, I'm good.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Because, well, people are going to be

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

too afraid to try.

[Gia Peppers]

That's what I'm saying. Like, what are we doing? Yeah, like, literally, that's what I'm.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

That's.

[Gia Peppers]

That's like my. That's my biggest critique right now is like, of us, not every child. I can critique the world. How much time you got? But, like, of us. Yeah, we have to just make space for people to fly a little more and to look like beginners and to call them lovingly. Hey, you might want to, like, try this instead of, like, you're whack. Everything you do is whack. Your. Your family's whack. Like. Like, let's. Let's chill out.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Yeah. Because nobody wants to be on the receiving end of that.

[Gia Peppers]

Nobody.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

No.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

I don't care who you are.

[Gia Peppers]

I don't care who you kaisernat had that hate wall. I was like, brother, take that down.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

That can't be good for your spirit.

[Gia Peppers]

That's why he's on his journey now to, like, imagine he only, what, 20?

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

He's so young.

[Gia Peppers]

So young.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

22, 21. I need a baby.

[Gia Peppers]

The baby on a journey. Because y' all done done so much. He should be having fun. Yes. Kai needs some work on, like, knowing people culturally. But he's a baby. No, none of them know people culturally. Like, they didn't.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Right? They don't.

[Gia Peppers]

They don't have to know. Exactly.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

So, like, give them space to figure it out and to learn.

[Gia Peppers]

Like, an OG should have called him and said, hey, bro, like. And I'm sure an OG did prayerfully. OGs did. But in the meantime, let's leave a baby alone.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

He got.

[Gia Peppers]

Y' all hate him so much. He has a wall for y'. All. What are we doing? Yeah. Millions of dollars a day. Leave that boy alone.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Let him read his books and share

[Gia Peppers]

his share his journey.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

I'm excited.

[Gia Peppers]

I hope he goes on a Eat, Pray, love and comes back and is, like, from this energy level and my faith with God, I no longer like. It's interesting to see also how many people are getting back into their faith bag and understanding like this time we live in a dystopia.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Well, I think it's because so much around us doesn't make sense.

[Gia Peppers]

It doesn't make sense.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

It doesn't make sense. It's senseless. And so it's like any sense of peace, of understanding, of if it's connection to faith, like to help us find some sort of peace amidst the chaos that we're all collectively feeling. It's like such an anchor right now.

[Gia Peppers]

I honestly don't know who I would be without my faith. It is the anchor. It is the thing that has kept me. I'm launching a community for creatives of faith this month. I want for people to know that there's something bigger that's out here that's like, you know, if you, whether you believe in God or not, there is a reason why you are here at this moment, at this very time, with your gifting and your skill set and your experience. And the less that we distract each other with these types of conversations, the more that we can actually like, build out what it is we're supposed to do and be and become. I feel so passionately about people getting in their bag and whatever that bag looks like. Yeah, get in there and stay in there and enjoy it. Move in there, get it. Get you a Barney sized bag. See what comes out. Barney used to be like endless.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

That's where I can pull anything out.

[Gia Peppers]

What is this? Who? I love this. Ooh, this is a stuffed animal. Ooh, this. A million dollars. Like, give me all of it.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Especially that.

[Gia Peppers]

That's that part. Please. We want a million dollars. Thank you.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

I would love to rev that you had briefly touched on, which was a bit of a healing journey that you were on, particularly during the pandemic when there weren't as many events and stages and spaces. If you could take us back to that time and that experience of what were you feeling during that time and through that season? Where has that led you?

[Gia Peppers]

So in order to get to that area, we have to go back. Because I was always like this kid whose room was my safe space because that's where I could dream the loudest. I grew up in D.C. in Maryland. Shout out to the DMV. And I loved being in my room to the point where they couldn't put me in time out because I was hosting shows with my, my stuffed animals and performing to sold out crowds of nobody but everybody in my mind. I had everything in my room. I was a baby that couldn't sleep. So my mother would let me stay up and Watch Arsenio hall with her. And, like, my first phrases were like,

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

woo, woo, woo, woo, woo.

[Gia Peppers]

Like, I was. I am a child of. I love the culture. Growing up in Chocolate City, black people mean so much to me. And, like, you know, there's so. So many things we could say about that, but I am a dreamer. I'm a lover of story. I'm a lover of people making it from A to Z. And I'm like, I want to know how you got from X to Zito. Because them last few steps, like, that's. Those are my favorite things. Watching people become stars, step into their moment, meet their moment, miss their moment, like, and be able to actually talk about it. And so I remember I was like a kid who. So I grew up singing, dancing, and acting. And, like, so I love all of that. I'm an entertainment girly. My sister and I went to Debbie Allen Dance Academy out here for several summers, and that was the first time where I felt like I could have a real career in entertainment. My mother's a dentist. Sis was Cheryl Lee Ralph my whole life In Sister Act 2, she was like, the choir and the competition is out. Like, that was her life story. I used to watch that scene, be like, lauryn, bro, they don't get it. Like, it was so real. Now my mother's in the choir and she sings. I said, sis, look what I unlocked for you. Ok? You so full of it, girl. Now you want to be in the choir? No. But back then, coming up, she was like, you gonna get a job? So, no, this ain't. Dreams are hobbies in dc, you had a couple of people that made it. But she was like, you gotta get a job, right? What are you gonna do? But when I came out to Debbie Allen, we were across the street from Milk Studios in Culver City, and Gabrielle Union was doing a photo shoot one day in between rehearsal. And then the next day, the guys from you got served came. Rest in peace. To Dave Scott, the choreographer, you Got Served came and was teaching class and would teach us class. We were in class. David, Debbie Allen had Diana Ross's children in our class. Evan Ross was in my class. Like, it was real for me. And I was like, oh, honey, I'm going to do this. Like, mommy or not. Love you down, sis. You my girl. But you don't get it. This is what's available to me. And I went back and I remember the summer. It was a hot summer in D.C. we was in one of my aunt's houses, and Free came on and introduced Herself in Fighting Temptations, the music video. And I said, oh, this is it. This is what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna go get a drozen degree to get mommy to be happy, but I'm gonna still do it on the side. So that way, when I get to 106 in park, I can introduce myself. Yeah, 106 in park didn't happen. But I did start interning as soon as I got out of high school, like, my first summer out of college. My dad's a journalist. He taught me the importance of interning. And he was like, I don't care what they say. You don't need no masters. You don't need all that. You can do it. But what matters is, like, just getting in the industry. And so I interned at WPGC in D.C. with Johnny Simpson. I was waking up at 3am to get to the studio by 4:30 to clean all his mics, and I was getting breakfast, and I was doing all these different things. I was. I broke the mic for the first time. It was the first season of Real Housewives of Atlanta. And you remember how black folks felt about it that first year. They were like, oh, it's bad for black women. They are. And this was before the pajama party child. They just didn't like it.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Yeah, it was tame. Yes.

[Gia Peppers]

They didn't even do nothing. No, they were just arguing. Kim Zolciak and Sheree and them. They wouldn't even, like, Charay pulled that girl's wig. And that's literally the worst that happened in season one. And boy, have times have changed. But he didn't want to talk about it. So I was like, well, I watched the show. So my first summer on air, he would let me do segments about, like, the concerts that were happening and Real Housewives of Atlanta. So it worked for me. Then after that, I interned for Big Tigger and eventually met Free and Donella and all these people. And it was all so real for me. Donnie taught me that in the era where, like, it was very much, I want to work for Diddy and, like, making the band. And, like, that era where everybody was like, you gonna die unless you get to the corner of the cheesecake, unless you get to juniors. And I was like, I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to have to do anything to harm the other person. Like, I just want to be a kind person and do my work well. And Donnie taught me that, like, it didn't matter if it was Jill Scott or The mayor of D.C. at the time, or a janitor. He understood the importance of making a space and your power to make a person feel better once they left your presence. And that was. I was like, oh, I can do this. And so from there, I just kept working hard. I moved to New York. I went to Rutgers University for college. I started interning for Wendy Williams and Live With Kelly and all these different things. I did everything I could. I utilized that time. I didn't do $2 Tuesdays because I had to get to the studio in New York by 4:30am So I was like, I never was that girl. So when I graduated and it was a recession and there was no jobs, I was like, huh? I have literally interned. I've done the steps.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

You did everything you're supposed to do.

[Gia Peppers]

Like, I was in musical theater still, and I did theater arts as one of my minors and all these things. And I was just like, the world should be open for me. Where's the world? And it was really tough. But I learned how to hustle. New York taught me how to hustle. And so I started working in New York for all these different brands. Hot 97, Essence, anybody that would let me hold a mic. Music exclusives was a blog. I. I started doing my own shooting. And then I auditioned for the Washington Wizards to be there in arena host for four Seasons. So I was hosting home games and then working in New York. I was on a train every day. So I was like, I'm doing this. No one's working as hard as me. This is the dream. It's gotta happen for me. So Fast forward to 2019 now. I've been doing this for seven, eight years. Like, at nine years, at least. Something. I don't know, child. I was tired. But I remember it was a long time in and I finally get this big audition for this big streaming. To have their first, like, huge internal push for a weekly podcast. They auditioned every talent in New York. I made it through every round. We're meeting with the heads of these different PR brands, and they had just launched, like, a major podcast that had this huge takeover in Times Square. First millions of dollars in their deal. So I was like, oh, I'm out. Like, this is it. This is why I work so hard. This is why I sacrificed. Yeah. And we did six months of auditioning, three months of piloting. After I got the gig, all my friends were like, that contract looks so weird.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

I don't.

[Gia Peppers]

I don't love that. I. I had to back out and I was so blind. So what ended up happening is after six months of auditioning, three months of piloting, I had signed the deal. We had. We were promised six figures. After three months of piloting, we don't get any responses to our emails. And we're like, hey, what's going on? Like, it's me and two other co hosts at this time. We're like, hey, what's going on? Just checking in to see, like, where's the, where's our checks? At least for the first couple of months at work, like, what's going on? We signed deals. Yeah. And two weeks later, after getting no responses, we get an email back from, like, somebody who didn't even work on our team because they had also bought on all new producers for this show. So nobody had worked internally. So no one could tell us where our checks were because they didn't know where their checks were. Just be mindful. They bring on a new team, make sure you know who's running things at the top of this because they can let everybody go and nobody has answers. Yeah. So that's where we found ourselves. Six, three months into a contractual deal and me nine months into a process of believing that this was why I was on trains at 4am Working in the two different offices in two different states every month. This is why I put my body, my mind, my spirit on the line. This is gonna be it. Yeah. We finally get the call. I will never forget. It's All Star Weekend 2020. This is February 2020 before the World shuts down. Get the call. Me and my friend Courtney was managing me at the time, and they're like. So we decided not to go forward with the show. We decided not only is the show not happening, we're only gonna give you $5,000 for your time. We had turned down events, we had turned down other brands from different streaming networks because we had signed a deal. Yeah. So we're like $5,000. You had a six figure deal. You could at least perforate it to the three months to reflect. At least 30,000, right? At least 30,000. They get us on calls with people we've never talked to from their legal team internationally. Me and my manager and my best friend was a lawyer, and they're like, yeah, you can take us to court, but it's going to cost you more in legal fees to come for us. Yeah.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

They have all these resources. You can't fight it.

[Gia Peppers]

We took our $5,000. And when I tell you that night, me and God, I said, lord, come down and fight me, because you just want to fight. I've been doing my things. Like, I've been nice to people. People ain't even nice in this industry. Lord, I've been nice to people. I've been showing up. I've been doing my things. I've been going hard. I've been trying. God, what am I Like, what. What am I doing wrong? I was so upset. And I just remember feeling like I should just quit. This is it. I'm done. Thank you for your time. This is horrible. You hate me. We good. And something in me just told me to learn Psalms 23 again by heart. And I just remember, like, pacing the room, literally repeating it until my spirit felt it. Until I understood that, like, I don't lack anything. And it took a long time for me to recover from that wound. Years. But I finally got into therapy, and I realized that pain was the first step for me, understanding that I was looking for the world to see me because I couldn't really see myself. There were so many times where I was. I would look at photos and videos of me when I was in a deep depression during those years, and it would feel like it wasn't even me. When I was really, really sad, I would open my phone and be like, how does that work? Like, totally removed from it. For the height of my career, a lot of that time felt like gray space. Like, just looking at it, like, almost with the tone of gray over it. I wasn't present. I wasn't able to really feel what it felt like to work for those moments. I was just so focused on the next thing. And that one version of that one dream that nothing else could felt real. Like, it was like, oh, this is not E News. This is not Access Hollywood. This is not bet. This is not anything. So I can't enjoy it. And that was the hardest realization in these past five years. Thank God for therapy. Thank God for prayer. Thank God for internal work. Thank God for curiosity. I learned that, like, one, I served an infinite God under an open heaven, who creates the stars in the grains of sand in the ocean. It's infinite for me. I don't have one dream. Who am I to just be like, lord, that one dream, bro, that's it. Who am I?

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

There's no such thing as that.

[Gia Peppers]

There's no such thing. Who am I to think that God only has one thing for me to do on this earth? So now I look at it like, all right, Lord, where do you want me today? How am I showing up in that? Am I Am I being present? And then I'm enjoying my days off set. I used to just be like, I'm only working for the set. I'm only working for the camera. So I would go through my phone and be like, wait, I don't have a picture for three weeks. Like, if I wasn't working, I wasn't even paying attention. And I'm so grateful for that time. So that healing journey was really hard. It was ugly work. That's why I started Healed Girl Era podcast, because I was like, I can't be the only one who's like, in this era of feeling like there's something not clicking and there is more and there are people who are experts at this. Let me figure it out. And it's been a great tool for me to like, heal out loud because it has been life affirming work. It has made me stand up tall within myself and say, oh, that's interesting. Like, I didn't know that that about myself. Okay, I knew that. Like, it's just been an amazing journey. So the healing journey is hard and grueling and disgustingly tough. And it's the most important work any of us will ever do. Because the piece that I have now around my life, the ability for me to. For me to be able to turn the lights back on in my own head, in my own mind, only came because of the hours that I prayed, cried, journaled, went to therapy, looked myself in the face and said, no, this isn't it. I don't want this version of life for you. I don't want you to look like one thing and then be something totally different when you're by yourself. And so me marrying those two people has been like getting rid of the no's and the ways the nose hit me. Now my relationship to no is different. Now I'm like, okay, it's not my time, it's not that time. Now I don't even have fomo. Beyonce had that event last night. I was like, oh, me would have been like, nowhere was my invite. Now I'm like, wow, look at all

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

those people that got to me.

[Gia Peppers]

That looked amazing. Good for them. That hair is everything. Yes. That was a good show. I don't worry about anywhere that I'm not anymore. I'm present, I'm here, I'm focused, I'm okay. God is good. My family's good. This world is absolutely crazy. I have my health, I have my mind, and that's enough. Today I'm gonna keep working until it looks bigger, but that's enough today.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Thank you so much for sharing that. But it was a good story and it's a very necessary story and I'm very appreciative that you shared it because I feel like it's something that both I and everybody listening needs to hear. Because I think a lot of us have our versions of that.

[Gia Peppers]

Yes.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Even what you just shared about, about not having FOMO with the sacred event. I do feel like there are those moments where something happens that you know at one point would have bothered you and then it doesn't anymore. And that's always the proof that the work is working. And we need those little signs that the work is working. Because your day to day, you. You don't always realize it until you have those moments when you're like, oh, I would have reacted so differently to this previously.

[Gia Peppers]

Like, I would have been like, I've got to text my friends. Like, why didn't we get invited now? None of us cared. Girl, the world is on fire. If you invite me, I'mma show up and kill it. If you don't, I'mma be fine. I just need to make sure that, like, please pay your invoices to your people. Please, please. First, there's so many other things to worry about. Now I don't. I look at everything as divine timing. It's divine. If I was supposed to be there, I'll be there. If not, I'm not. Yeah.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Yeah. Trusting that timing.

[Gia Peppers]

And it's hard. It's hard.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

It's really hard.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Yeah.

[Gia Peppers]

But it's not impossible. No. I, I hope that as millennials and I, and I say this with so much love, it's like we're the first group of people to ever be able to open a phone and see 5,000 people's lives within a scroll. That's not normal in the human brain is actually not built to inhabit that much energy within a 10 minute time span. We are living against a flood of messaging at all times and we've had it the worst and the deepest and the most consistent in our lifetime. We were the last kids to be like, yeah, you could go outside till 6pm and you know, during summer days and winter, no one's looking for you. Are you gonna come home? Like, we didn't have phones. We know what it's like pre phone and post phone. And I think so many of us are returning to life without a phone because we know the peace that we had just as little children. So now I'm like, I don't even worry about anything outside of me right now because I understand that we are the first generation of people to have to deal with sorting out so many different messages. Like, looking at people's timelines and what it does to us mentally. Like, oh, my God, she did that today. Wow. That. I guess I didn't do enough. Like, no, no, that's not true. Like, we have to actively guard our hearts, our spirits, our minds in a different way. And I think we're going to see less and less social media use from us. I think every generation is going to go through their 10 years. Yeah, Gen Z is going to get theirs. Gen Alpha is going to get theirs. Where it's like, why am I posing? I have nothing to share.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Using it differently just Right, right.

[Gia Peppers]

Like, I think there's a new cadence of people who are, like, figuring it out, but I just feel like, you know, it's okay to take a beat sometimes. We're the first people to have to use our brains this much.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Yeah.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Even decision to be inundated.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Inundated instantly.

[Gia Peppers]

But we don't even know, like, when we pass. This is morbid, but. But when we pass, I feel like scientists are going to look at our brains and be like, what is. Like, there are new brain patterns that we are forming. We're not supposed to do this much or know this many people or care to stay in touch with this many

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

people or know what this many people are thinking and know what this many people are thinking of us. We're not supposed to know any of that.

[Gia Peppers]

We're not supposed to know. Our parents growing up knew the 100 people they grew up with and went to high school with. Maybe the extra 200 that they met in college, then the 40 on they work, then the 50 in church, and that was it. Yep.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

There was a simplicity to it.

[Gia Peppers]

I was talking to my aunt and my dad and my grandmother, and they can remember, like, legit high school names and who was there when they got into an argument. And, like, my dad could remember the girl that, like, didn't, like, my aunt. And like, I was like, probably knew

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

their phone numbers too, because you had to remember it.

[Gia Peppers]

And I was like, I don't remember. Like, I, like, I would literally have to sit down and, like, go through journals to remember, like, names of every person that was like, yeah, I worry about. So I do worry about our brain sometimes. Yeah. And so sometimes if you need that break, girl, put that phone down. We're literally not supposed to be able to take up this much information at once.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

This episode is sponsored by Cotton I feel like once summer hits, everything shifts a little bit. Your schedule, your plans, how much time you're spending outside. And for me, what I wear also has to keep up with that because I don't want to be thinking about what outfit I'm wearing every day, or moving between things, or even just dealing with the heat. I want to feel comfortable and put together. And what I realize is that that really comes down to the fabrics that I'm wearing. And that's why I've been more intentional about choosing pieces made from cotton. Especially in the summer, breathability is everything. Cotton keeps you cool, it's lightweight, and it actually lets your skin breathe, which makes such a difference when you're going from being outside during the day to cooler nights. It's also really easy to style, whether it's a simple cotton dress, a tee and denim, or button down like I'm wearing today. But I also love to throw on over a swimsuit. Your everyday basics can look at effortless, but still feel put together when they're made from quality fabrics. I've also been paying more attention to the quality of my garments, and I noticed that my cotton based pieces just last they hold their shape, they don't wear out the same way, and they're just something that I can continuously reach for without getting tired of them. Even things like denim or T shirts. I've started to check the fabric tag because when it's cotton, you can feel the difference. I love that it's a natural fiber, it's soft, it's comfortable on your skin, and it feels like just the right choice for everyday wear.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

It's one of those small upgrades that

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

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[Host (She's So Lucky)]

There was something that you mentioned earlier that I would really love to come back to. At the beginning when you were talking about exploring other things, you referred to yourself as a one trick pony, which I think is not true. Thank you. Appreciate it.

[Gia Peppers]

At all.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

I'm curious what else you're exploring or what your curiosity is, is pulling you towards or what it is you want

[Gia Peppers]

to try and dabble. Everything, girl. Everything. I feel like we're all in our everything here. I just want to try it. Yeah. Getting back into the music game for me has been really amazing. Just for me right now. I don't know if I'm ever going to share it. I maybe. But like, no, sorry, Lord, you right. I am going to share it. You didn't give me these gifts for just me. I have to remember that, like it's okay to share things. My biggest thing is like I removed myself from the outcome. Like putting so much on the outcome, what that success looks like, whatever. So yes, singing, acting, my bones a little different for dancing. But even just enjoying performing again is something I really, really am working to get back into just acting class and all of those good things. And I am in my founder era. So like founding this community has been quite the test. But it's. It's a. It's a journey for me where I'm learning how to be stretched and not give up. Because usually if I'm stretched, I'm like, that's it. Clearly I'm not meant to do it. Let someone else do it now. No, like, learn you. It's okay to be a beginner. Like we were saying, allowing myself to be loved. I've had a boyfriend now for the past year and a half, which is very new to me. Child, I was single for 400 years. And so just allowing somebody to love me is very different. Like, what do you mean? You want to come to pick me up from the airport at 4am? Why? You're right. You need. You need something. Why? No, Because I love you. I'm just gonna help you because I want you to be okay. Like, oh, okay, sure, that's fine. If you must. If you must go there and imagining what life could look like with children, marriage, figuring all those things out. So like allowing myself to have more than one dream looks like trying for a lot of different things. Understanding that I can still go for the career that I've been building, I still have hopes of being a part of an amazing, you know, network television moments. However, Access Hollywood is closed. E News is closed. So, like, you just learn to be like, lord, okay, it's really. It's really you, like, at this point.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Lord, it's really you create something new.

[Gia Peppers]

Exactly. So I'm just, like, you know, at the core of it, this looks like essentially allowing myself to expand my own view of what looks possible for me by just showing up and the things that naturally call me. And so I think journalism took off first, so I just let all those other things go. So I'm just knocking the rust off of, like, the gifts that I've always loved to explore and not have anything attached to it other than just to share the gifts.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

It's funny that you say that, because I've been recording a lot of episodes kind of in this chunk while I'm here in la, and there has been a theme with several of the conversations I've been having with people, also just conversations I'm having with myself of all of us going back to what we originally wanted to do. That full circle moment of childhood when you said getting back into music and dance and acting, it made me think about that story of you performing in your bedroom. Like you're getting back to that version of yourself.

[Gia Peppers]

And I think that, like, during that pandemic time and even as the world as we knew it, shout out to millennials, because I just want us to live through one president at a time. But it's done. The possibilities. No vibe. No vibes of understanding, like, future. Just vibes of just, who cares?

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

That's why we're so funny. That's why millennials are so funny. Because we're coping.

[Gia Peppers]

We're coping.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Generational coping.

[Gia Peppers]

Generational coping. Generational gifs to go along with the coping. Like, it's just a mess because we were supposed to be able to have housing with two and a half kids and a white picket fence. And.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

And I think what's also been so. I mean, we've definitely have had lots of unprecedented times from childhood, but also for people our age, it's like our 20s were such a time of hope. Yes. That to see even in the, you know, we've been adults for coming up on two decades, a little less than two decades. And the swing from that first decade of adulthood to the second decade has been whiplash.

[Gia Peppers]

Truly.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Truly.

[Gia Peppers]

And it's like, what? Yeah. Everything we learn, you go to school, you get your degree, you get a Good job. You get married, you go on and do your things. Dating. What? Like, everything is not what they had said. Nothing. And so I think we're finally all collectively realizing there are no rules, just vibes. Just vibes. So you might as well make it up as you go along. Like, if you are going to live this life where everything that you think is going to happen is changed, then you might as well just actually go for the thing. Because a lot of the things that we became, I think, were reflections of what was popular, echoes of what other people were saying. We were asked to be influencers when we didn't even know what that meant. Like, what are we really talking about? You wanna see what I have an influence over that? Interesting. You want people to follow you. Where am I going now? I feel like we're in a space where it's like, okay, it's not gonna work out exactly how I thought, but if I can bring myself back to the original driver's seat I was in, then maybe things could be better than I thought. And that's where I'm at. Like, I think so many of us are there. Like, we were allowed in those four years since the pandemic, which is now six years. But in those four years, I think for me, we were really allowed to return to self in a way, because the world was slowed down. That every other thing outside of us became muted. That none of that was really it. It was something. It was an amazing thing. It's the thing that took you on the journey to return to self. But I've been here the whole time waiting for you to pay attention to me, the original self. And so I'm excited to see what it looks like when people actually, like, take themselves seriously at what they really

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

wanted and unapologetically lean into what they want without, like, what you should want.

[Gia Peppers]

That outside influence that should want is real heavy.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

I want to talk more about the community that you're building as well. I would love to hear from you what you think is missing in terms of the kind of support that you want to offer creatives and why this community is important for you to build.

[Gia Peppers]

Yes. So the name of the community is Creatives of Faith, and the tagline is Keeping Creatives on Assignment from God. The illest creative of all time. I'm very 80s for saying illest, but

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

I'm sticking with it. I'm sticking with it.

[Gia Peppers]

We live in a time where we have so many different distracting things that are happening online. That online can be a space where dreams are actually Doused out when we really need that to be a space where dreams are sparked and relit again. And I remember when I was in that, like, dark night of the soul in. In that moment where my career and what I thought would be my career at that point changed. I remember how defeated I felt, how alone I felt, how I felt like none of it was worth it, how I was really done. I was really done. Like, I was like, oh, no, we good? Like, whatever. Cool. Like, I'm good. I'll just go do whatever it is that I'm supposed to do now, because clearly it's not this. And in that moment, had I not had friends who were like, no, that's not really what you want for yourself. This is a hard moment. This really sucks. But let me pray with you. Let me help you through this. Let me, like, be a place. You could be a mess. I won't keep you there. You can be messy right now, but, like, let's. Let's rock to this.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

We won't stay there.

[Gia Peppers]

We won't stay.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

We'll have a moment of it and let's go.

[Gia Peppers]

And I think the creative community, and especially those who are Christians and believers in Christ, God, Holy Spirit, the understanding of it, I think that loneliness has killed more dreams than anything else has. I think people feel unseen and overlooked and unsupported way more than they feel like they even want in their lives. A lot of us are connected to so many people and don't have real friends. A lot of us are connected to, so do so much for so many people, and nobody really looks at what you're doing. And so that's one of the hopes for this, is that it is a space where you can come in and if you have a big pitch meeting and you have to walk into a Netflix, you're like, y', all, I'm nervous. Please pray for me. Somebody can drop in a word for you. Someone can literally, like, I've prayed for you. Like, just that, covering for you to move in this space with excellence, with support, with. With the fact that none of us are meant to do this alone, this life alone, this journey alone, like, anything alone. And I think so many of us are in silos trying to put all the hats on, using ChatGPT, Claude, everything, trying to do it. And you do need a human voice sometimes. You do need a look from someone else to say, like, yo, I see you. You're doing good. And so creatives of faith in its infancy. The will be a space where we come together on a Daily basis. It doesn't have to be every day, but like on a daily basis we talk about what God is teaching us in those moments. We talk about what we're excited about, what we're creating. We'll have co working sessions and it's a virtual community, so you just tap in when you have the time. If you want to share that, you know you're promoting something and you want people to come through, that's something. But then also the opportunity to just to create more space for creativity and faith to be actually together. Because faith to me and creativity are intrinsically connected. When I think about like the illest creative of all time, I love flying because you get to be in the clouds and every time I open it, it's a different view. And I'm like, lord, yo, you be snapping like only you could be like, oh, I. This hour the wind is going to take the clouds over here and the next hour the sun is just going to hit it on the right degree

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

depending on what time. It's all completely different. It's totally different.

[Gia Peppers]

And then on, on top of that, how amazing is it that we are not only creators, we are creation. So I'll be thinking about little stuff like, Lord, my fingerprints are different than less, yours are different than hers. Like all of our, like, what do we actually. There's so much evidence of the fact that we are made in God's image to be whatever it is he's called us to be. But if you get to be a creator, what a privilege because you get to do things and bring things into the world that God gave you the gift, the rights, the resources to do. And so that's the space we'll live in is like really identifying ways to, to understand creativity and faith. We'll have masterclasses led by amazing creatives who are doing work. Kev on stage is going to be our first teacher. He's going to teach us how to take social understanding and how to use your social media to get where you really want to go.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

There's leveraging social media.

[Gia Peppers]

No good. No one better to learn from. What are you talking about, friend? You have deals with like big brands, you've gotten shows on BET and all of these different things from posting from starting on Facebook. What are we talking about? I've got a few other people in the works. And then we'll have Bible studies where we'll actually sit and focus on the Word and understand what that is. And I love that the spaces that exist for faith are there because they are Brilliant and life affirming. And then I love the spaces that exist for creativity because there's nothing like being in an audience filled with hungry, hungry creatives or, like, not energy that

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

you can feed off of together.

[Gia Peppers]

Nothing like it. But I'm always in the audience for those or hosting, and I'm like, yeah, but what you said, you pray well. Tell me the prayer. I would actually love to know the prayer.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Yeah.

[Gia Peppers]

Teach me how that works for you.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

A little deeper.

[Gia Peppers]

Let's go deeper. Because I think sometimes in those spaces, it feels like it's taboo to go there because we're. This is a faith space. So, no, we don't want to know about your panel meeting that went crazy at Netflix or Warner Brothers. No, we don't want to know what the terminology you use on your sets to get it moving again. Like, no, in this creative space, we don't really want to know what Bible verse, but I actually do. Yeah. So I know I'm not the only creative that wants that. Yeah. And so that's my hope, is that it's a space where faith and creativity come together and are normalized in this collaboration because it was made so. So that we would be vessels for what it is that we are creating from God himself. And so it's a new thing. I'm still a beginner. I'm still learning how this all works. It's very tough. But creative faith.com is where you can sign up to learn more about it. And Creators of Faith Instagram is where you can, like, follow. So we can, you know, let you all know we're in the beta testing, y'. All. So whoever the first a hundred members will be, they'll have the, like, one rate for the lifetime of the group, and then it might change. So we're beta testing it all, child. It's a lot. It's a lot less.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

I'm like, lord, you saw you're stepping into your founder era.

[Gia Peppers]

Yes. But I'm like, I. It's. It's the place that I've needed the most in my career. I have friends that I love talking to all the time. And I know people don't always have that. Yeah. My hope is that people leave this group and they're like, yeah, I met a couple creatives that, like, I was able to build out this dream with from this moment. I would love for somebody to be like, that prayer gave me peace and I didn't stumble in this interview that, you know, like, I just want that space for us to be able to support Each other. The Internet is. Is a wild place. It could be nasty, it could be tough. But over here, we gonna be supportive. Over here, we gonna act like we got some sense. Over here, we gonna shine the light that God gave us within for each other before we take it back in the room. And so, yeah, that's the hope.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Right on theme with shining, shining. I'll also make sure that we link it in the description so that people can join. They can check it out. But what I so appreciated about your intention with creating this community, because community is a really big buzzword for a lot of things, for a lot of brands and initiatives. And when a lot of people use the word, like, they just mean customer. And that's okay.

[Gia Peppers]

Yeah, there's.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

For a lot of business. Listen, a business is a business to make money, and I get it. But the true point of community is to have an actual nurturing space. Space where there is a sharing and a synergy and connection amongst one another. And because that is the. The why of what you're doing, I think that it's really important to call that out.

[Gia Peppers]

Yeah, that. That.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Yeah. Community is the right word for it. Because a lot of things that people call communities, I'm like, this is an audience.

[Gia Peppers]

Yeah.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

It's customers.

[Gia Peppers]

Yes. It's like a deeper dive for you in your life.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Yeah.

[Gia Peppers]

And. And I. You know, Les has been so hard for me to even, like, get a price point, because let's be honest, being a creative. Especially now, like them inclusive contracts that we all ate off of during 2020 on gone. Even the people in the offices that

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

were doing it, they're not there anymore.

[Gia Peppers]

They've all been let go. There are now probably close to 500,000 black women out of work. It kills me to be a part of that group. I've been sitting on this community for literally five years. God gave it to me in the pandemic. And I was like, lord, no, not now. Because people gonna think that I'm trying to take their money, and they gonna think, da, da, da. But I've learned that what I absolutely want to give people is this opportunity to come and be seen and loved and held, but also to take it seriously. And when that thing comes out your. Your account and you like, what, I haven't watched Amazon prime all year. Let me delete that. Like, you start to pay attention to it. One, people pay for what they care about. But two, my time is valuable, and the people who are coming on are valuable. And in order for me to gift them honorariums and things like that. Like, it takes money. I'm not gonna have nobody come up on here and not give them nothing.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

You know what I'm saying?

[Gia Peppers]

If we're trying to build this space, we have to invest. And you can take. That's a tax write off, y'. All. Y', all. That's a subscription.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Absolutely.

[Gia Peppers]

That's a tax write off. I believe in the importance of showing up for things you care about consistently, but also time is money. And how we care about each other is by consistently showing up in that space, but also honoring the person that's sharing their gift. So, like, for the masterclasses and the people who are coming on to share, I want to be able to give them something.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Yeah.

[Gia Peppers]

I would hate for somebody to feel like we took advantage of them and didn't feel that they were worth something. Like, if you're going to share with me something from your mind and how you built it, I want to be able to give you something. And so that is the main. The main crux of it, other than the hosting fees. Being an entrepreneur is so hard.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Is very. The thing is expensive. It's very expensive. Yeah.

[Gia Peppers]

What I don't know.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

People realize because a lot of entrepreneurship gets glamorized. The thing about it, we all have bills, but if you have a business, the business also has bills. So you have twice as many bills.

[Gia Peppers]

And I'm like, I want to, baby. There will. There's a. There's a free option, and there's a free trial. You just won't get as much as the people paying for it are. And communities. I was looking because I'm building it on Mighty Community. I've been doing, like, my research. I'm in Mighty Community school, essentially, and there are some girls charging a hundred dollars a month. And I'm like, girl, that's crazy. Mine is nowhere near that. But I do struggle with that. It's something that I struggle with consistently. And I have to have mentors be like, your time and what you're building is worth investment. Like, even from you, you do have to take it more seriously. And so this is what it is. And you have to own that. You have to be better at that. And so for people who are building things, you know, breathe, friends. This is tough. It's a weird game. But with Healed Girl era, I spent so much money. I did it myself. I didn't really have consistent brand partners. That's one of the reasons why I've been taking a break. Because within the real things that are happening in this World. My paychecks aren't as crazy as they used to be. Booked, busy and blessed is no longer how I identify myself. Thank God, because I would hate for that to be just my only identity. But yeah, it's been a struggle to be able to maintain my own life and give people things. And so when I've seen people make great strides on Patreon and with their community support, I'm like, okay, people do care if you're willing to share. And so, you know, it's something that it's like, again, I'm a beginner, so I'm learning in real time and I would love to hear your community's perspective on that. What do y' all think about that? It's weird. Yeah, it's.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

I've been considering whenever we're creating something new or building something, there's. There's two parts of it that we're really getting from it. Yes, we are creating this thing for the end user to create and benefit from. And also you're building yourself while you're building something. And it's like the ultimate personal development school stretch. Strengthen the muscle. Talk about it difficult, like when you're at the bottom of the squat and you gotta push yourself the back up. But like, that's also where you get stronger. But when you're in it, it's like, girl, because.

[Gia Peppers]

What do you. What do you mean? I have to like, keep going. Like, I just can't give up. Like, I thought I was good, but you can give up, but you're going to regret it. You're really going to regret letting one more project sit on the side. And we'll also have accountability check ins. And that's my favorite part. We're going to have accountability check ins eventually. Barter boards and jar boards and collab boards. But like, it's important that we get these things out because I know so many creatives, I. E. Me, that have sat on things for years. Yep.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Just because.

[Gia Peppers]

Yeah. And then you finally see one that goes out and you like, dang, I had that idea for years. Let us not do that anymore. Let us, Let us see each other for real. Hey, girl. How's that, how's that project going that you said that you was going to put out six weeks ago? Like, my friends have been helping me on this journey.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Where is Creatives of Faith?

[Gia Peppers]

Like so many of my friends, I had a soft launch in D.C. in December. Have you seen any post? No, because I'm scared. And they're like, gia, share it.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

So it's Just what are you scared of when you say you're scared?

[Gia Peppers]

I'm scared that I won't do it. Right. What does right, right for me looks like I'm scared that the people. One, we live in a very. A very.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Come on.

[Gia Peppers]

Very with the D.C. accent, a very sensitive time. But also we live in the reality that, like, Faith is an interesting space right now because you have people who are co opting it in one way on one side, and then people who are actually like trying to do the opposite on a different side. Left, right, whatever you want to call it, we live in this time that calls for real conversations around Faith and what's happening. And I am worried that I will say the sound that I want to release won't be what people hear. So it's like you know what your intention is, but the impact you cannot control. And so it's just an exercise in me releasing control, allowing it to be what it is, adjusting if I need to and looking like a beginner. Like, I've. I don't love it.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

That's hard.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

That's hard.

[Gia Peppers]

Don't love it. But I'm like, I know what it's like to not try. And that's even worse.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

It's the wor. Not trying is the worst feeling.

[Gia Peppers]

It's the worst.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

It's worse than failing. It's worse than getting rejected.

[Gia Peppers]

And as a creative and as a dreamer, I notice that my worst feelings of anxiety and spiral usually come when I'm not creating. So if that energy that I have is not being used towards putting out into the world what I'm supposed to be saying, sharing, doing, it will live inside of you somewhere. It'll fester and it'll fester. It'll usually bubble into something that is not great for your spirit. And so I am like, okay, it's scary, but you had said you was gonna do it, let's do it. Yeah, it's weird. People might not get it, but keep

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

trying, but the people who it's meant for will get it.

[Gia Peppers]

Exactly.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

And the people who. Who hear the intentionality, they hear it. And there are also going to be people who maybe have a lot of hurt and they can't hear past their hurt. So you can say it as perfectly as it can be said, but they're only gonna hear from that hurt. That's not for you or anyone else to be able to navigate. That's for them to go on their healing journey as we talked about, or not. Or just continue hearing from the hurt and just be Hurt.

[Gia Peppers]

We can't carry it all.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Yeah.

[Gia Peppers]

Like, we can't fix it. If we're trying to fix everybody else. We won't have the time to fix ourselves. And that's what I'm also learning is like, as I'm just taking up more space and allowing myself to be more seen instead of hiding. Which is why I was like, it's so interesting that you say shining because I've. I've actively been more of a hider than shiner in my own perspective of it. Yeah.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

I feel like I perceive you so differently.

[Gia Peppers]

Yeah, I know that.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Perceive you as like human ray of sunshine.

[Gia Peppers]

Thank you. Literally, I try to be kind to people. Yeah. I do my best. But when I actually think about how many times I sidestepped my own spotlight, it's. It was.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

You feel it.

[Gia Peppers]

Yeah, I know. I know when it happens, like, I'm like, why did you overthink that? I'll enter rooms and be like, oh, my God, I said the wrong thing. Oh, my God, she hates me. And it might have nothing to do with you. That was the biggest thing my therapist said, friend, you making up stories that nobody else might think about unless they bring that to you. You gotta stop doing that to yourself. I definitely think it's all like a part of this journey to take up more of my space. And so as I continue to build up creatives of faith, I'm still going for these other careers. I'm still creating spaces for heal grow era. So it's like, now I have to put back on my hat, my thinking hat, and take off all the different hats and be a full adult. Just crazy.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

But it also is a really beautiful season of exploration and seeing you being able to shine in new ways.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Thank you.

[Gia Peppers]

We bring it full circle.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Yeah.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Thank you so much for joining me. I feel so fed by this conversation.

[Gia Peppers]

You do?

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

I do.

[Gia Peppers]

I'm so tired. I don't even know what I said, but I hope it was good.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

So much goodness. So much goodness. I know it helped me. I know it helped our clovers, our lucky girls listening.

[Gia Peppers]

I love this. I love what you've built. I am so proud of you. And as a clover on the side, like, you know, like, I don't miss. I don't get to every episode, but the ones I do hear, like, you are doing such great stuff. I saw what you posted today on Threads. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The young woman said yes, that it has helped her expand her life vision. Like, yeah, just. I just pray that this is, like, all that you want it to be all that you're working for it to be. I can't wait till you out here in every Webby and the Emmys girl. Yes. You're doing the things and we need you and we appreciate you. So thank you for the. For the ways you show up. Ms. Nez Alfred. Thank you you.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

I receive that and I appreciate that. Please let the girls know where they can find you, how they can stay

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

in touch with you.

[Gia Peppers]

You can find me at Gia Peppers on all socials and if you want, you can sign up for like newsletters and all the different things. You can also follow Creatives of Faith or Healed Girl Aeropod. But the Gia verse is very big and we're just gonna keep growing her. So just start with Gia Peppers, follow

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

it all and we'll make sure it's

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

all linked in the description.

[Gia Peppers]

Thank you, Gia. Thank you.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

I hope you enjoyed today's conversation with Gia Peppers and that it inspired you to stay aligned on your path and to trust the timing that is right for you. If you want to keep the she's so Lucky party going and make sure you're subscribed to she's so lucky on Spotify, YouTube and Apple so that you catch new episodes when they release every Tuesday.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of she's so Lucky. If you're ready to create your own luck, hit that subscribe button wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube so you don't miss an episode and head to the show Notes for resources, links and discount codes. And if you are really feeling lucky, we would appreciate your rating and your review. It really helps us be able to improve the show, to get great guests and to understand what you want to hear more of. Thank you for tuning in and I'll see you next week.

[Host (She's So Lucky)]

Hi, I'm Mary Alice haney. And I'm Dr. Thais Aliabadi. Dr. A, as she is known, is a world renowned OB GYN and together we're launching a new podcast, SheMD, to empower women to become their own health advocate. We're providing women with the knowledge and tools to to really own their own health. With celebrity guests and today's leading experts. We're dropping episodes every Tuesday, so listen and subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.