WOMAN Shanda
EDITOR S NOTE
This month’s issue is personal. Not just because I’m your Editor, but because I’m also this month’ s cover girl, standing in front of you not just as a publisher, but as a woman who’s still learning, growing, and unlearning some of the things that kept me tired, overextended, and silent for too long.
The August issue is about clarity, boundaries, and self-worth, three things every woman needs to protect her power and her purpose.
In “Sis, That’s Not Support”, we strip away the sugarcoating and talk about what support really is and what it’s not. In “She Said What She Said”, we honor the power of words; those sentences that reached into our spirit and refused to let go. In “Soft Life, Strong Woman”, I share a truth I had to learn the hard way, strength doesn’t have to mean suffering. Rest isn’t laziness; it’s leadership. For Black Women especially, embracing ease is not just self-care, it’s an act of resistance.
Sis, I want this month’s issue to feel like a deep exhale. Like a conversation with a friend who reminds you that you’re not crazy for wanting more peace, more realness, and more joy in your life.
You deserve support that shows up, words that build you, and a life that feels as good as it looks. And if no one else tells you this month, I’m proud of you, I’m rooting for you, and I’m clapping with a full heart.
Here’s to living softer, standing stronger, and loving ourselves better.
Continued Blessings,
Shanda Campbell, Editor-At-Large
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Sis, That s Not Support
IdentifyingWhatReal SupportLooksLike
Let’s be honest Sis, sometimes the people we think are rooting for us are just sitting in the stands with popcorn, waiting to see if we win or if we fall. And that’s not support.
Support is more than clapping when you succeed. It’ s more than commenting “Yasss!” on a social media post. Real support shows up in the process, not just the victory lap. It’ s consistent. It’s intentional. It’s action.
The Illusion of Support
Some people will:
• Watch your stories but never share your business
• Ask about your dreams but never offer help
• Say “I’m so proud of you” but never buy the book, attend the event, or click the link
These aren’t bad people, but their role in your life may not be what you think it is. Sometimes they are spectators, not supporters. And recognizing the difference will save you a lot of disappointment.
• What Real Support Looks Like
True supporters:
• Show Up Consistently – They don’t just appear for photo ops. They come to the events, the meetings, and the hard conversations.
• Invest in Your Growth – Whether that’s buying your product, connecting you with opportunities, or simply sending a word of encouragement on a tough day.
• Advocate for You in Rooms You Aren’t In –They speak your name in opportunities, vouch for your character, and make moves that benefit you even without credit.
• Celebrate Without Jealousy! They clap with a full heart when you win, even if their own dreams haven’t happened yet.
She Said What She Said QuotesThat ChangedOurLives
Words have power. Not the kind of casual, “girl, you look cute” power (though we’ll take that too), but the kind of power that plants seeds, shifts perspectives, and reshapes destinies.
Every one of us has a moment when something someone said pierced straight through the noise and landed in our spirit. Sometimes it was a single sentence from a friend, a grandmother’ s wisdom, or even a quote we read in a book or heard in a speech that refused to let us go.
Quotes That Changed Us!
1. “If you don’t see the door, build one.” (Maya Angelou) A reminder that opportunities are not given, they are created.
2. “Sis, you are the table.” (Maya Angelou) It’s not about having a seat, it’s about knowing your worth and the value you bring.
Write them down. Put them on sticky notes. Say them out loud until your spirit believes them again.
Shanda
Campbell
Speak Woman Magazine Editor-At-Large
Soft Life, Strong Woman Redefining
Rest for Black Women
For generations, Black Women have been told that our strength is our superpower, and it is. But for far too long, that strength has been weaponized against us, used to excuse neglect, dismiss our exhaustion, and uphold unrealistic expectations. We’ve been expected to carry entire families, communities, movements, and corporations; often with little acknowledgment and even less help. We’ve been praised for our “grind,” applauded for pushing through pain, and honored for how well we suffer in silence. But what happens when the “strong Black Woman” narrative becomes a prison?
A New Era of Softness
More and more Black Women are saying no more to survival mode and yes to softness, ease, and peace. Not because we’ve lost our power, but because we’ve redefined it.
Welcome to the soft life: a lifestyle rooted in intention, boundaries, joy, rest, and restoration. It’s not about luxury or laziness, it’s about liberation.
“I’m not less of a leader because I rest. I’m a better one because I do.”
Shanda Campbell, Editor-at-Large
Soft Life, Strong Woman Redefining Rest for Black Women
What the Soft Life Really Means
The soft life isn’t always about spa days and aesthetics, it’ s about emotional safety, unlearning hustle trauma, and releasing the need to prove your worth through pain. It means:
• Saying “ no” without guilt
• Asking for help (and expecting to receive it)
• Creating a life that feels good, not just looks good Replacing urgency with presence
Prioritizing you even when no one claps for you Rest is not a reward. It’ s your birthright.
Strong ≠ Suffering
Strength has often been tied to our ability to endure but enduring everything is not the goal. Wisdom is knowing what to walk through and what to walk away from.
A strong woman:
• Sets boundaries before breakdowns
• Values her peace like a paycheck
• Refuses to carry what’s not hers
Restores her spirit without apology We are reclaiming strength as something sacred, not sacrificial.
Soft Life, Strong Woman
Redefining Rest for Black Women
Rest Is Revolutionary
Let’s be clear: Black Women resting disrupts systems.
In a world that benefits from our constant labor, choosing rest becomes an act of resistance. It re-teaches our bodies that we are more than machines. It sends a message to our daughters that they are worthy of softness too. And in faith? Rest is biblical. “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
How to Practice a Soft Life (Even in a Busy One)
Here are small ways to embrace softness daily:
• Honor your ‘no.’ Let it be complete and confident.
• Schedule silence. Even 10 minutes of stillness can change everything.
• Do nothing productive. Yes, nothing.
• Start your day slow. Light a candle. Breathe deeply. Stretch. Pray.
Let people show up for you. Rest includes receiving.
You Are Worthy of Ease
Softness doesn’t make you weak. Needing rest doesn’t mean you ’re failing. Saying “I need help” doesn’t cancel your strength. You can be powerful and peaceful. Resilient and rested. Fierce and feminine. You don’t have to choose.
You are allowed to live a life that doesn’t hurt.
And if no one else gives you permission, we will.
SWM
