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Imagine transforming the darkest and most painful parts of your life into a beacon of hope for others. That's precisely what Shalonda Jones has done. I had the honor of hearing her riveting story - a tale of overcoming emotional and physical abuse and finding her life's purpose by helping others escape similar situations. Shalonda's inspiring battle through adversity highlights the unyielding strength of the human spirit.
Born in Rochester, New York and raised in Geneva, Shalonda's journey to a purpose-driven life was not an easy one. At the tender age of 20, she had already become a mother. With youth came the longing for freedom and fun, which had to be shelved in the face of adult responsibilities. Amidst these complexities, Shalonda found herself in a relationship riddled with infidelity and violence. Her courage to walk away from this abuse, armed with nothing more than her children and an unbroken spirit, is a testament to her strength.
Yet, Shalonda's story is more than just about survival. It's a testament to the power of purpose and faith. She shares her wisdom on how to navigate life's storms, seek guidance, and find meaning in our paths. Shalonda's firm belief in God played a significant role in her journey to freedom, and she passionately discusses its importance. If you've ever wondered how resilience, faith, and strength can turn pain into purpose, Shalonda's story provides the answer. Join us as we explore this incredible journey - a tale of struggle, survival, and freedom.
Welcome back to a brand new episode of let's Just Talk About it podcast. I'm your host, chuck, and if you're here for the first time, this platform was created to give genuine people just like you an opportunity to share a portion of your life's journey. So, with that being said, I have Shalonda Jones on with me today, but she shares how it was growing up in Geneva, new York, and we also delve into her finding a purpose in life, which is to help rescue women from an abusive relationship. So you don't want to miss this inspiring conversation. As a matter of fact, do me a favor go and grab your husband, your wife, your children, or even call a friend and listen in together to my conversation with Shalonda on let's Just Talk About it podcast. Hey, let's jump right in. Welcome to another episode of let's Just Talk About it podcast. Today, I have special guest Shalonda Jones on with me. So, shalonda, first of all, thank you for being a part of this episode with me.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:Appreciate you, appreciate you, welcome. How's it going today?
Speaker 2:Well, it's been a busy day running around trying to get stuff done for this trip, but I'm good.
Speaker 1:Got you, shalonda? I love to jump right into my interviews to have those genuine conversations with genuine people just like yourself, just to share a portion of your life's journey, because I believe everybody has their own unique journey or story to share. So, first of all, where are you from?
Speaker 2:I'm from Rochester, new York, okay, upstate.
Speaker 1:Shout out to Rochester. Yeah, so being from Rochester, how is it up there?
Speaker 2:It's cool. I like it for the most part. I rather like a warmer climate throughout the whole year. You know, a year, real cold up here, yeah. And it's a lot of people working hard and coming up out of Rochester.
Speaker 1:Got you, so it snows a lot right.
Speaker 2:Yes, wow, ate it.
Speaker 1:So how was it for you growing up in Rochester?
Speaker 2:It was cool, but actually I did not grow up in Rochester. I was born here but my mom moved us away. I lived in Batavia, buffalo, and then, when I was in sixth grade, we moved to Geneva so I graduated from Geneva High School. It was a lot to do, like we have. Sports is really heavy in Geneva. So I ran track. Okay, I was a cheerleader and I also was on a dance team and while I was so you were popular. I wouldn't say it's so small, it's like you know, everybody knows everybody. So it really was like no popular crew at least not that I noticed Got you.
Speaker 1:Got you so when you were grown enough, Shalonda, to be on your own, how old were you at the time when you finally felt like you were grown enough to get out of the house and experience what we call a so-called freedom?
Speaker 2:So I did graduate high school and I went to college for a little while. I only stayed for like a half a year, okay, because school is not really something that keep me, you know. So I would say that I don't think that I was really ready to be on my own per se as to make a life, but I still wanted to be young, work and travel. That was my goal.
Speaker 1:Got you so you weren't in a rush. Pretty much to get out.
Speaker 2:No, I wasn't in a rush. I wanted to have fun. I wanted to enjoy my life. Then my life ended up slowing down. I feel like other people had other goals and dreams for me that I didn't have for myself. Got you and they wanted me to slow down and have a family, and I wasn't quite ready and I did what everybody else wanted me to do. I slowed down and I did start trying to create a family where I did end up having a door order at the age of 20, but I don't think I was ready to be a mother.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yes, I wasn't. I wanted to still travel and see the world.
Speaker 1:Wow. So people wanted to live life through you or just wanted you to have a family.
Speaker 2:I believe that people wanted to live life through me and also they didn't understand the concept of seeing the world and having fun. You know, we're so accustomed to life a certain way Everybody's settling down and having to create a life at a certain age. But mentally I just feel like we're not even ready because we think, oh, you're 20, you're an adult. Now, like I don't feel like I was an adult at 20.
Speaker 1:So what was that experience? Like you having that responsibility now to take care of a young girl.
Speaker 2:It was a lot, but it changed my life. I definitely slowed down and you know, I had to become a woman at that time and I had to, you know, be responsible and I was no longer able to think for just myself. I had to think for this young girl, this baby that was going to become a young lady. So I really had to slow my life down and figure it out.
Speaker 1:Was that kind of frustrating because you felt like you didn't do everything you wanted to do, like you never know who's listening, because so many, I guess, young women are such in a rush to have a child or whatever. So was that frustrating that it kind of slowed you down. You couldn't. You can have the fun or travel the world.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was very frustrating because now I have to figure out OK, I need to find my career how I'm going to make this happen. You know, I was with her father but in all reality, I did not want to be with this person and I knew that I didn't want to be with this person. But, like I said, I was trying to satisfy the people in my life who were in your, trying to tell me this is what you need to do, this is what you need to do and this is a good man, this man loves you.
Speaker 1:Wow OK.
Speaker 2:So it was like it was a lot. I had to make a lot of decisions and we ended up breaking up and that's how I got back to Rochester. Because Geneva is a small town, I didn't want to raise my children there or whatever. It's a lot of drug traffic and just everybody knows everybody. Everybody's in each other's business. I'm a very private person. So, yeah, I moved to Rochester to begin my life and you know, I started in nursing, I got my CNA, I got my PCA, I worked in a school system.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:I worked my butt off.
Speaker 1:Got you, you still accomplished a lot.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I did, but it just wasn't what I wanted in life Got you. You know I wanted to go to Hollywood. You know I wanted to. I wanted to make my name great. Like I feel like I'm very talented and you know, at the time, like I was a dancer in high school, I danced for Hobart and William Smith College when I was in high school Wow. So I feel like if I had somebody pushing me in that area, like I really could have done something, but I had people more so speaking against it.
Speaker 1:Against it yeah.
Speaker 2:Yes, and not really. You know you got to figure out what you want to do in life. You got to pick a career and build somebody else's business and platform. That's what I was taught. You know, you work at a job for umpteen years and build somebody else's business, and that's how you get by in life. You know, but I had other goals.
Speaker 1:You had your own personal goals. Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:I felt like God was leading me in another direction, but I didn't know, because at the time I couldn't hear from God because I was so clouded by everything and everybody else.
Speaker 1:Everybody else's voice.
Speaker 2:Yes, and then, you know, I did end up getting saved and I'm going to tell you, god literally spoke to me. Talk about it, and I'm not even lying. One night I was laying in bed and I heard Shalonda, a loud, deep voice, and it woke me up and at the time I ended up getting married, not to my daughter's father, someone else, and I thought it was him and I, you know, I'm like did you call me? And he's like no, and then it happened again. Wow, it happened twice. And the second time I answered and I'm like I don't know. I believe that this is God calling me out of my sleep.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:And I instantly began to go to church. I instantly, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I knew how to worship. I knew how to pray. God was leading me to the word. And that's when I knew that I had something inside of me that was different and I had to find my way. And that was years and years ago. But I've been on this journey that God has been leading me on to get my story out, my gifts, my talents, like I've been able to be exposed to so many different things that I never thought I could, would just be here in Rochester, wow. So I believe that God, you know, has a purpose for me. Yeah, and I've been through hell. When I tell you I've been through hell, that marriage that I was in I was abused mentally, physically, emotionally. The church that I went to, like it, taught me so much. But the moment I didn't conform, they begin to abuse me and tell me I couldn't hear from God because I was hearing from God. And so much was being exposed to me and I was speaking about it, but I knew that God was telling me to leave because he did not call me for the church. I'm called for a generation, wow. Younger people, you know yes, I'm called for a generation, I'm called for the youth. In my position in the church, I would never be able to reach who God has called me to reach, and not to say that the church is bad.
Speaker 1:The church is good, but you were called to outside of those walls to do something different for the youth Absolutely.
Speaker 2:I was called to be outside of the wall. Yes, and not in the walls, and I had to figure that out. That is a battle. That is a struggle. It's like tug of war. It's like the people in the church are telling me this, but God is telling me this. And then you go to your leader and you're like listen, this is what God is speaking to me. And this is the same person that was telling me God speaks to you differently than anybody. I know that you hear from God, but the moment I said this is not it. Oh, you don't hear from God, you don't know God. Like you say, you know God, god is not speaking to you. Wow. So all of those things have made me even step away from my calling a little bit. I didn't understand what was going on.
Speaker 1:So what do you think your purpose is in life? Because so many people feel like they have no purpose at all, no reason for living. So what's yours?
Speaker 2:So I believe that my calling is for women. I'm a domestic violence survivor Got you.
Speaker 1:Got you.
Speaker 2:I've survived domestic violence, and I mean badly so I believe that my story is going to bring forth healing to the nation. Got you To reveal the enemy and to call forth the women that are in situations that I've been in. Got you, that is my purpose. Got you and now don't get me wrong I'm called for men too.
Speaker 1:But the woman is the primary.
Speaker 2:God has called me for the woman. That is my purpose to help, save and deliver women.
Speaker 1:Got you. So when you talk about your experience with domestic violence, what was that all about? Can you speak about that? Because you never know who's listening and who's going through that situation right now. So can you share a little bit about that?
Speaker 2:Yes, so we were heavy in the church and I believe that God was calling us both, but we were both going in different directions. Got you, I was very, very heavy with God and I prayed every single day. I did not play about it. This person wanted to be in the church but still be a part of the world. Right, when I say a part of the world, meaning he wanted to bring other women into our relationship and he wanted to control me. So he came in and took over a lot of things. Bills, you know responsibilities as a man should taking care of business. He's a business man and all of that. He wanted to control the dynamic of our relationship.
Speaker 1:So that's like emotional abuse?
Speaker 2:Yes, he wanted me to conform to everything that he wanted me to. He wanted me to be home, cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids while he paid the bills. But he was able to cheat he was able to stay out for two, three days at a time. If I said anything about what he was doing I would get beat up. I wasn't allowed to vocalize how I really felt and what was going on with me, because he was doing things that was hurting me. I never agreed that we could sleep with other people and be away from home for days at a time and that basically, I would be a single mom at times, because he wanted to do whatever he wanted to do and it just it broke me down so much to where my self-esteem was just bad, because I felt like I just wasn't good enough. I couldn't understand why I wasn't enough for this person. But I do know now that God was telling me to walk away from this person a long time before I actually did. But it was me who stayed in the situation and made that decision to go through that. But I now know I did have to go through it for a reason. You know. God has taken my pain and make it into my purpose.
Speaker 1:So you have compassion on other women.
Speaker 2:Yes, I've helped so many women, you know older women, older women, have come to me and spoken to me and they're just like, how did you do this? Like what gave you the courage? Women in the church, like how did you move forward? And me moving forward and choosing to walk away. I walked away with nothing, nothing but my children. But I even had to leave them behind for a little while because we did have a child in the marriage, so I did have to leave them for a little while in order to go and get on my feet. But, like I said, I was heavy in the church but I was a full-time nursing student at the time and our agreement was for me to work part-time and me to go to school full-time. And he owned a barber shop, so that was, you know, our income and he had other things that he did and we had the agreement that until I graduate, you know, he would pay everything or whatever. But I couldn't take it anymore. I had literally become a single mom and you know, like days on days, I wouldn't know where he was and people would send me videos or he was posting it on Snapchat and women were hitting me up on Instagram Like is this your man? Because this is my boyfriend.
Speaker 1:How are you feeling at the time?
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh crazy. I was feeling crazy. I had to literally learn how to be okay with where I was. I had to trust God, Like I would print out scriptures. And I would write out scriptures and I would tape them on my wall because I didn't know how to leave. Like I said, I was in school. Now I got two kids. You know what I'm saying and I'm literally trying to figure out my life. I'm trying to go to school. I'm trying to, you know, do right by God and from what I was being taught. If you weren't long suffering in your marriage, something was wrong with you. I was being taught that I was the issue. If your man is cheating on you, you need to do better. You need to cook better, you need to dress better, you need to do your hair better. This is what I was being taught, you know. So I was feeling crazy when I tell you I was literally down to 100 pounds. I had no body to me, I was completely skinny. But he would also get my hair done at the hairdresser and buy me nice clothes. So it covered up. Right right right, but I was actually going through it. I'm a naturally pretty girl. You put some hair on me and you know what I'm saying. I'm a naturally pretty girl. So at the end of the day, people are like you're so beautiful, you're so beautiful and you're skinny, is so big to everybody. So it's like oh, you look so good and I was dying.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're mine.
Speaker 2:I was dying.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:I was literally a walking dead woman. You know, every day that I woke up, I just didn't know if I would make it. This man has pulled guns out on me because I would call out what he's doing Like he has done so much, pulled me by my hair, dragged me down the stairs the last day that we were actually together. I had came home and I found a girl sitting on my bed and I went crazy. And that's when I knew I said Shalonda, you can't live like this, because he is so comfortable to the point where you are finding a woman. And, mind you, this wasn't the first time. It just was the first time I caught a woman in my house. So it's just the comfortability during the day. And then my son was home and I had to talk myself out of there. And then I also dealt with police brutality at the time, because I called the police to come because he was beating me up and I just wanted to get my stuff and the police treated me as if I did something. Wow, they were yelling at me and screaming at me in my house. I'm like this is my house. I really don't have to leave. I'm choosing to leave. They were like, hurry up, get your stuff. And he had a suitcase, but I just need to get my stuff. I'm like I can give you the suitcase back, just let me get it out of the house. No, don't touch my suitcase. So he was being so nasty and the police was like put a suitcase down now. And it was just like, wow, I am literally in this dark place that I don't know how I'm gonna get out. And I left and I went to a family member's house and even that became dark. I started dancing. I didn't know what else to do. You know, and, like I said, I'm a natural born dancer and I prayed. I'm like God, how can I go to school every day? And I don't have money to provide to take care of my kids. I don't have nowhere to live. All I have is a car. Right now I'm working part time. I don't have anything.
Speaker 1:So he had you in like a financial abuse situation.
Speaker 2:He took. You know what I'm saying. I told you he cut the car insurance off. He cut the phone off. You wanna leave me? I'm taking everything and I literally had nothing but my car. He let me take my car. He got his own car and I had my car and you know I had to decide. I said I wanna go to school but I wanna be stable. You know what I'm saying. I've never been a woman Like I said. Once I had my daughter, I changed my whole life. I got stable immediately. I've never been unstable. So it was like new to me to be homeless. You know, I had a part time job. I could pick up as much hours as I could, but that check was only you know coming. You know it wasn't coming fast enough for me to go and apply for an apartment. You know what I'm saying. So, yeah, I went to dancing and, by the grace of God, god blessed me there. It was embarrassing and I tried to keep it as much as a secret that I could, but God blessed me there.
Speaker 1:What do you mean by that? Talk about that.
Speaker 2:So when I say that God blessed me there, I meant some amazing people.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:So God would speak to me and he told me. he said now I have you here, you share your story, you be honest with people about who you are and where you're coming from and what you're going through and I met realtors, I met lawyers, I met carpenters, I met all sorts of people and when I tell you these people will give me jobs, I met a man. He took me in and not to live, but he would say bring your clothes, bring your kids clothes, to the house. I'll put money on my car and you can do laundry at my house. Anytime I needed to shower, he made it available for me and he had a nice, really nice apartment and clean and everything. I was able to shower. I was able to sleep there if I needed to. I was able to wash clothes for me and my children if I needed to. He owned his own painting company. Whenever he had jobs, he would say come meet me here and you can do the cleanup job for me. So I would take all the plastic off, I would sweep the floors and dust and stuff after he gets done painting. And it was such a blessing to me. And then I met a guy. I was telling him about my living situation and I'm like I'm so desperate, I just need somewhere to go. And he was like oh, I have a friend, and he introduced me to his friend. His friend had a two bedroom apartment and he was like, listen, I can help you out. He lowered the rent for me. It was a blessing. Me and my kids were able to move into this apartment and we were comfortable. It was good that God gave me that time to be there and continue to get on my feet and I did have to go into a shelter. But going into the shelter I decided to give up dancing. I went on assistance and I'm like, ok, I don't know what's next, but I'm watching him, leave me. God opened up a door where it's had a three bedroom apartment called Wilson Commencement and it was for women and children. And now at the time I'm still going through the abuse because he's trying to keep my son away from me and anytime I needed him to keep him so I can work or whatever. He made it difficult and try to fight me and just cause all sorts of problems. So I went and got a restraining order. I went and did a petition and he wasn't allowed to come near me and cause those same problems because there was no way he could get in this building and let somebody let him in and all of the women there stuck together.
Speaker 1:Got you Wow. So let me ask you this so, being away from that situation now, do you still deal with the trauma of it today?
Speaker 2:Um. So I would say I do have a lot. I have triggers. You can't do me any kind of way, absolutely. You can't treat me any kind of way.
Speaker 1:Got you.
Speaker 2:I've been at my lowest of my lowest, and I mean anybody, I don't mean just a relationship, I mean anybody family members, friends. I'm not with it. You know, I've been at the very bottom and I have zero tolerance for non-punct. I really, really do. And I'm very honest, straightforward, like I can't deal with certain things. If I feel like you're not bringing me positivity, if you're not helping me and pushing me in the right direction, which I'm going to do the same. Anybody that'll tell you that comes into my life. I am resourceful. Okay, I will help you. So I believe that whoever's in my life should be doing the same thing.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean? Yeah, I'm very big on that.
Speaker 2:And I'm also very, very private, more private than I've ever been. Wow, people don't know where I live. I hate you, you know. People don't know about me and my husband now, like we're very tight knit, we don't be in other people's stuff, we don't let people be in our stuff, like I'm very secure with my kids, like they don't go anywhere besides with me and Got you. Like we're a very tight knit, structured family. Like I'm not one to have everybody in my business. Like I'm not posting my house and posting my car and posting my location. I'm very, very private.
Speaker 1:If you had a chance right now and you meet somebody who's going through the same thing and you see yourself in them, what would you say to this woman right now?
Speaker 2:First of all, fine God. God is the ultimate source of all things. He will restore you, he will cleanse you, he will build you up and he will not judge. He will break you. To build you up. That is my first advice. So find God and get to a place where you can be by yourself. Talk about don't worry about having friends, don't worry about having family, because you have to learn you. You have to build a relationship with you, because when you build, that relationship with you, you're building that relationship with God and you're setting those boundaries. And in order to walk into those doors that God has called you to walk in, you have to get rid of the old. So, in order to heal, in order to transform, in order to break through, get alone.
Speaker 1:Got you Wow.
Speaker 2:That is my advice.
Speaker 1:Wow, get alone.
Speaker 2:That I wish that somebody would have told you. Would have told me Wow, when you're going through and you're in a broken state and you're lost and confused, get by yourself, because I'm telling you all the people that you need to get you in a better place. They're going to come.
Speaker 1:So you're saying you don't have to go look for an individual.
Speaker 2:No, you don't have to go looking for God is going to bring it to you, even in the most shameful place. You know what I'm saying Because, like I said, I went to dancing.
Speaker 1:Wow, I see.
Speaker 2:I went to dancing and I still.
Speaker 1:I was alone. He brought the answer to you.
Speaker 2:I was still alone, but I didn't know that God was going to bring all of these people. I thought I was just going to go hustle real quick. You know what I'm saying I thought I was just going to hustle real quick, and I'm by myself doing it. I ain't have no friends with you.
Speaker 1:I have nobody with me. You in survival mode? Yeah, I was in survival mode yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and when I went home at night, I went home by myself, right, right. I was like I'm going to get all these people into my life for that time. You know, I'm not associated with these people anymore. Got you, but at that time they needed to get me through what I was going through.
Speaker 1:A lot of people in survival mode right now, quiet as it's kept. I know everybody has a season where they just, you know, doing what they have to do until they can do what they want to do. That's survival mode. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, shalonda, I'm loving this conversation. There's one thing you can change in the world right now. What would that be for you?
Speaker 2:If I rule the world, I free all my sons Talk about it. Listen, there's so many people that is locked up and just taken away from their families for nothing. The way the system is set up is so many of our men, our leaders, taken away from us, murdered for senseless reasons, no reasons. I literally would change the whole system because we know why it was set up. We know it was set up to destroy our people. They couldn't keep us in slavery, they couldn't keep us bound, so they found another way to enslave us. In conspiration and they have this police system, they have this court system, they have this jail system. That's all connected and it's keeping our people in bondage. And it's gotten to the point where we're comfortable. You know, the youth, our young boys, they're like oh I can go do that 25. Oh, I can do five years. I can know, you know I want to change the minds of our young leaders, our young men, our young prophets.
Speaker 1:Wow, I like that.
Speaker 2:That's how I feel.
Speaker 1:That's what you would change the system. That's what I would change, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's how much I like that kind of system.
Speaker 1:You're right. A lot of good young guys you know, behind those bars but they don't realize that they have so much in them and to those gate-lock behind them, you know what I mean, and oftentimes it's too late.
Speaker 2:I know some yeah me too. I know some personally.
Speaker 1:Me too.
Speaker 2:And to me it's just like you don't deserve to be here. This is not where you belong. And don't get me wrong, Some have done some very bad things, but some have changed their life and changed their mind. A life sentence for 17-year-olds, you know what I'm saying Like going in as a boy and coming out and you coming out 60, 70 years old.
Speaker 1:Talk about it, you're right.
Speaker 2:That is crazy to me to punish a person for so long when they, you know, made dumb decisions at a young age At a young age 16, 15.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know some that were on their way and on their way to greatness, you know, and was the first to graduate, the first to do sports, one mistake.
Speaker 1:One.
Speaker 2:Yep, they're done.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:No life to ever, live out here ever again. It's sad.
Speaker 1:Let me ask you this who are the three people that have been most influential in your life?
Speaker 2:In my life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, in your life.
Speaker 2:Personally that I know Mm-hmm, my grandmother. She was a different type of person.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:Her spirit. You know, I heard some things that a little you know rocky, back in the day when she was younger. But what I know her as she was such a powerful person. She could do anything with her hands. You know what I'm saying. She could cook, she could sew, she could plant anything. She would make the most beautiful gardens and plant her own fruits and vegetables. And she gave me wisdom. You know, it was just things that she would say to me that has stuck to me and made me think. It made me expand my mind and today I know, if this woman had not been in my life, I would not be the woman that I am today. She helped literally raise me and she just, she just was so powerful and she knew God. So she would always tell me no matter what you do, God is never going to leave you. You might leave God, but God is never going to leave you.
Speaker 1:Who's the next one?
Speaker 2:My husband now.
Speaker 1:Okay, shout out to him. Shout out to husband. Yes, mr Jones.
Speaker 2:Mr Jones. He is a great man. He's been through a lot, but he's very intelligent. He continues to push through, even through what he's been through, and he fell victim to the system. Yeah, and he got a chance to start all over.
Speaker 1:Start all over Me too, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and with that I mean I admire that, Wow, and he's really taken this family and carried us and pushed us and the podcast that you see he is behind that.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:He doesn't like to be on camera. He's right there while we're recording. Sometimes you can see me talking to him, or he'll hand us water or whatever. All the pictures, that's him, all the equipment. He makes sure everything is set and he set us up every week and, yeah, he's definitely helping me in my purpose.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I like it. This is my signature question. If you could go back to the younger Shalonda to talk to her right now, what advice would you give her to prepare for the day?
Speaker 2:Do what God has called you to do, follow your dreams, travel, do what it is that you want to do, because nobody can live through you and nobody can dictate who you are and the choices that you make in life, because everybody's destination is different, yeah, everybody's journey, so I will definitely tell myself Stop listening to people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so what are you up to now? I know you said purpose, but you have a podcast out. You just mentioned it. Talk about the podcast. Let's talk about that so people can tune in to you.
Speaker 2:So my podcast is called Real Talk Podcast. I go live on Facebook every Wednesday at 7.15. Now this has actually been in the making for about three years. I started in the church when COVID began Got you, church had to shut down and I was working for a pastor and he wanted me to start going live and praying and stuff because he realized my gifts and my anointing.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:So I did and it became where he told me that he would help me. But he kind of left me hanging and was like you got to do this on your own. And then so, when he left me on my own, I started to talk about things that were happening in the community. I started talking about the brutality and, you know, the suffering of our people, and he did not like that. And so I decided you know, I'm just going to keep moving forward. I kept moving forward. It grew so I wanted to change the name because I felt like people felt like it was related to a Christian based show. So I decided because I'm a big fan of Queen Latifa- Okay. So I decided I would start a podcast called Ladies First. So I tried it with a couple other people and I got pregnant. It slowed me down a lot and I couldn't think I couldn't. You know, I couldn't create like I used to. So I eventually shut the show down. Of course, I wanted to get back to it and I prayed on it, meditated on it and God gave me something new, something that could be mine, and that's when I started Real Talk podcast. It was just going to be me and one of the girls, but God brought these other two people to my heart and he was like this is going to be your crew, because I was also praying for a team. I thought, you know, it would be good to have people like you know kind of set me up and run the show in the background, but God wanted me to bring this team to the forefront. So we talk about so many different things you know, and things that everybody can relate to. We want to speak in a language where people can understand. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:So do you have any social media where people can find this podcast at?
Speaker 2:Yes, you can find me on Facebook Real Talk Podcast. I also go live on Shalonda Jones on Facebook, where I also have a page on YouTube. It's called the Real Lala Jones.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And we're on there. You can find where I first started the prayer call with Shalonda, and you can also follow me on Instagram the Real Lala Jones, just like YouTube.
Speaker 1:Wow, shout out to you. Shout out to you as we close out. I really enjoyed this conversation, shalonda, with you, and I reached out to you.
Speaker 2:And here we are.
Speaker 1:You went upstate and I'm in Virginia, so yeah, great conversation.
Speaker 2:That is awesome how God connected those dots. And when you reached out to me, I'm like who is this? Because sometimes you know I get people that reach out or you know they'll be like, oh, dm me so I can promote your stuff, right, and I'll DM them and then they'll send me like a list of how much they cost and I'm like I wasn't looking for it. I got that one yet but so it was nice to look on your page and actually see that you were a real person and that's really out here putting in the work. So it was really really dope and I was like the first video I saw was when you said do you have a story to tell? Everybody has a story. I'm like who is this man? Of course I have a story to tell.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:Yes, I thought that was dope.
Speaker 1:Yeah, shout out to you. So, as we close, is there anybody you want to give a shout out to?
Speaker 2:Shout out to my children, my babies, my cache, my oldest, my heart, my love, my best friend, my second, ty Kim. He's nine, my daughter 14, and my youngest, dakota, she just turned one, got you. So shout out to my babies and shout out to Real Talk Piedcats to my crew. Gino, gabe and Mickey and Josie Jones. I love y'all.
Speaker 1:Shout out to the Piedcats. So closing out. What do you want people to know about you?
Speaker 2:I just want people to know that I'm a real person and that I go through real things and I'm trying to get through it like anybody else. But you know I'm out here just trying to share my story and become somebody and help somebody. You know that's what I was called to do. So I just want everybody to know that. You know, if you need me, you can call all me, because I'm here and I'm not afraid to share. I'm not ashamed to share. I'm not afraid to help either. I'm very big on helping people, so yeah, Appreciate you being on Shalonda.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much and again shout out to your podcast.
Speaker 2:I appreciate you. Thank you for having me, thank you for telling my story, thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you, absolutely. Thank you. Talk to you soon. Okay, wow, what an amazing conversation. Shout out to my friend, shalonda Jones, for having this dialogue with me. You know, after listening to her story, it dawned on me that she's one out of thousands of women who's either going through, or have gone through a similar situation just like hers. And, as I always say, you never know who's listening. So if that's you, that after listening to her journey, you now realize that you're not alone, that there's people out here like Shalonda that can help you along your journey to find freedom. So shout out to you, shalonda, as always. Thank you so much for tuning in to let's Just Talk About it podcast, and please check out my website. Just Google let's Just Talk About it podcastcom and then hit that subscribe button to receive all the new episodes every Friday. You can also find me on Facebook. Just type in Chuck LJTAI, which means let's Just Talk About it. So, as always, until next time, don't hold it in, but let's just talk about it. Talk to you soon.
