“I know who I am. I love who I am. I’m proud of who I am. And so, I’m not going to back down.”

In this episode, Nick speaks with Tashun Bowden Lewis, a former public defender and current CEO of Bowden-Lewis Consulting Group. Tashun shares her journey from being a high school athlete to becoming the first black chief public defender in Connecticut and her transition into becoming a leadership and executive coach.

What to listen for:

• Human connection is vital in understanding people’s stories
• Open communication is essential for overcoming biases
• Self-identity plays a crucial role in personal and professional growth
• Life’s challenges can lead to unexpected opportunities
• Trusting oneself and having faith can guide through difficult times

“If you are willing to listen to me and not just judge me based on what I look like or what you perceive my income to be, then we can move some mountains here.”

• True progress starts with listening, not judging
• Breaking bias opens doors to real collaboration
• Everyone has value beyond appearances or status
• Empathy can turn divides into opportunities for change
• When we lead with curiosity, collective impact becomes possible

“People deserve dignity and to be treated with respect no matter what has gone on or where they come from.”

• Respect should never be conditional—it’s a basic human right
• Dignity fosters healing, growth, and connection
• Everyone carries a story that deserves compassion
• Treating others with respect reflects our own integrity
• True equality begins with how we see and treat one another daily

About TaShun Bowden-Lewis

TaShun is a criminal defense expert, esteemed speaker, coach, catalyst for change, and the CEO & Founder of The Bowden-Lewis Consulting Group, LLC. With almost 30 years dedicated to working in public defense, culminating in her historic 2022 appointment as the first Black Chief Public Defender for the State of Connecticut, she is an experienced transformative leader with the business acumen and community-focused mindset to deliver results through discipline, integrity, and perseverance.

• https://www.bowdenlewisgroup.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/tashun-bowden-lewis
• https://www.instagram.com/thebowdenlewisconsultinggroup/

Resources:

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Click Here To View The Episode Transcript

Nick McGowan (00:02.126)
Hello and welcome to the Mindset and Self Mastery show. I’m your host Nick McGowan. Today on the show we have Tashun Bowden Lewis. Tashun, how you doing today?

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (00:14.102)
How are you, Nick?

Nick McGowan (00:15.768)
good. I’m excited for you to be here. I’m just going to get the cat out of the bag for you. This is your first podcast episode and I know you’re going to do great and we’ve already talked. We’ve been working together for a little while now and I’m really, really excited to get into your background because even doing the initial work with you, I’ve researched your background. We and you and I have had conversations and there’s a lot of stuff that we’re to be able to get into that. Truthfully, I think some people would have a really hard time wrapping their head around and trying to move on from, from there.

So why don’t you get us started? Tell us what you do for a living and what’s one thing most people don’t know about you that’s maybe a little odd or bizarre.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (00:53.356)
Okay, so again, I’m Tishun Bowden-Lewis and I am currently the CEO and founder of the Bowden-Lewis Consulting Group. And so I do consulting, criminal defense consulting, as well as leadership development, work stop facilitation. I also am a coach. I’m a certified personal and executive coach as well too.

And that’s what I do these days. That’s where I am. And I’m so grateful that it is thriving. Actually, this month, October, will be a year that I’ve been a business owner. And I’m so proud of myself. yes.

Nick McGowan (01:29.131)
as you should be. Now what’s that one thing most people don’t know about you that’s a little odd or bizarre?

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (01:33.837)
Okay, well back in the day though I’m not that old right now but back in the day when I was in high school I played basketball among other sports and And so the coach had an actual play named after me it was called money. So whenever he held the money shot money

That made the ball goes to Tishun and cause I always got it in. was that, that something that people, most people don’t know about me. Let’s say he to high school with me. About me that yeah, that money, money shot. That was Tishun. That was me.

Nick McGowan (02:07.501)
That’s awesome. Yeah, most people don’t get a shot named after them or a play specifically for them. Unless, like, obviously my brain goes to Kobe. Like, the amount of people that are around our ages that would try to throw something out in the trash and yell Kobe. I still do it at times.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (02:13.077)
Yeah.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (02:19.244)
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. For sure. For sure. Yeah.

Nick McGowan (02:27.435)
That’s pretty cool. you were in sports when you were in high school. I’m sure you were in sports before that and all. I was actually having a conversation with somebody yesterday where we talking about sports and like there are the four major sports here in the States and then there are fringe sports and other stuff.

And in the conversation, the guy was saying he did whatever throughout high school. He was like field track or whatever and asked me, what did you play in high school? And I’d really thought about it in a while, but I stopped playing in high school because I didn’t want to deal with the politics. Like I probably could have gotten into college playing baseball, but I didn’t do it in high school because I didn’t want to deal with the politics and all. But you, you went through all that. You had a shot named after you. So well done on that one. And then you actually got into politics.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (02:51.488)
Mm-hmm.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (02:59.34)
Ugh.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (03:08.212)
Yeah.

Thank you, thank you.

Nick McGowan (03:14.399)
So why don’t you take us there? Like what was the transition from being a high school athlete into where you were most recently and then obviously into where you’re at with your company?

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (03:19.456)
Mm-hmm.

You

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (03:28.136)
Sure. So I always wanted to be a public defender. So when I was seven, I don’t know if you remember there was a show on called Good Times back in the day and the baby son, Michael, talked about being an attorney, want to be an attorney. And so I talked to my mom about that. like, you know, what is an attorney really? And at seven, and then we talked about different kinds of attorneys and public defender, a person who assists those for criminal defense,

Nick McGowan (03:39.094)
Yeah.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (03:58.003)
matters who are not able to afford to hire a private attorney. And I knew then at seven years old, that’s what I wanted to do. So that was my path. And I was focused on that. And I was very blessed to be able to achieve that. So I started out in the late 90s as a per diem. I don’t even know how much it was a day. In the public defender’s office, I am in Connecticut.

I moved up throughout the ranks. I was a public defender for almost 30 years. And so from a podium all the way up to in 2022, I became the first black chief public defender for the state of Connecticut. And of course, that’s the pinnacle of my career. And so I was over the entire state, about 40 some odd offices, over 400 in…

30, 35 employees, includes attorneys, social workers, investigators, of course, support staff, clerical staff. And so it was, yeah, the pinnacle of my career. It was an amazing situation. And so that’s how I really got into the whole political situation because of the position I was in. And, you know, it’s eye-opening to be able to go in front of

you know, the state at the Capitol and talk about criminal justice reform or talk about trying to get more funds or just whatever it may be to assist the citizens, the communities, the people that we service. And so it was a pleasure. It was different for me, writing legislation, talking with all the different legislators out there and doing it, you know. It was…

Trial by fire, because I had never done it before, but it was an amazing experience. So that was, I became the Chief Public Defender in 2022 and I was terminated in 2024. So in 2024, in June of 2024, and then I started my business October of 2024 and here I am.

Nick McGowan (06:10.315)
I find it interesting how

That all makes sense and I appreciate that. We can kind of consolidate almost decades pretty quickly. Like there’s a lot of times even history is like, well in this history period of 700 years this happened. They’re like, what? If you think about how long a day feels sometimes or how much stuff can happen over the course of a week, let’s actually break that down a little bit because the fact that you knew you wanted to do something at seven and continued on with it is huge. I know people that wanted to be an astronaut.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (06:18.858)
Yes. Yes.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (06:29.942)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm. Sure.

Yes.

Nick McGowan (06:42.461)
a dinosaur they wanted to be you know whatever at seven I I think I wanted to be a rock star at seven

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (06:51.18)
Yeah.

Nick McGowan (06:52.637)
So there are things that you get into and then you kind of move and you figure out whatever it is. But the fact that you figure that out at seven and then you work through it. I’ve never been to college and I certainly never went to law school or anything like that. But how did that actually shape you getting into the position that you’re in? Because and that’s a major thing we’re going to touch on. mean, that was a short period of time, but I know there was some craziness that happened within that. But what happened over the course of your

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (07:11.082)
Yeah.

Nick McGowan (07:22.493)
I guess, defendership of like helping people and working with them that actually led you to keep sticking with that because from an outsider’s perspective, you’re working with people that are in a really bad spot.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (07:25.164)
Yeah.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (07:37.132)
Thank

Nick McGowan (07:37.415)
some that might have put themselves in a really bad spot or made really bad decisions and choices to put themselves there, others who didn’t and just happened to be along for the ride or whatever. But how did that not deter you from saying like, God, the whole population of humanity is absolute trash and like, how did your heart continue to grow instead of harden? You know what I mean?

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (07:46.188)
That’s right. That’s right.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (07:59.339)
Right, well, here in Connecticut at least, the majority of people who are in the system, the criminal justice system, are black and brown. And so obviously as a black woman, it’s important to be able to help. But it wasn’t just those who look like me, because there are plenty of people of all different races and ethnic backgrounds who happen to come into the system. And so it was my…

It was my background, really. I was raised by my mother and my grandmother. And those two women were my backbone. And everything was about education. Everything was about service, helping other people. So it was a natural situation for me to really want to be a public defender. When I found out what it was and what it meant, it was like a perfect match. My whole life has been about service and helping other people.

Anyway that I can and so the public defender’s situation was yeah, there are many days it was rough. I mean, I’ve done countless trials, murder trials. I’ve done a death penalty trial. I mean the whole thing. Actually, I didn’t get to trial. able to, that person was able to get a life sentence without parole. But so I didn’t go to trial, but we renegotiated that. But I’ve been on those kind of cases. I’ve been on cases that are bone chilling, really.

But everyone, no matter what you are accused of doing, who you are, what you look like, where you came from.

Everyone deserves to be represented and to have a fair process, due process is what it is. And everyone has to have that insurance of that. You know what? No matter what happens, the outcome of the situation that you have someone standing by you who’s going to help you to make sure that everything is done correctly and right and in a fair and reasonable manner. And that’s the whole, has been the whole pull for me for public defenders. We’re supposed to help.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (10:05.556)
to make sure that the process itself is done correctly. We can’t guarantee outcomes. I mean, we want to, but we can’t do that. But obviously, with anything else, when you put your heart into it and you have a passion for it and you really like people, all people, because as an attorney, as a public defender,

Nick McGowan (10:12.915)
Yeah.

Nick McGowan (10:24.04)
Mm-hmm.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (10:29.6)
You know, I wasn’t just the attorney. was the counselor, the therapist, the mom, the confidant, the preacher, the pastor. I was all of that. Some people have never had anybody just listen to them talk about their story, what happened, why. And that is that backstory, those gray areas, I like to say, that make people human. And as a criminal defense attorney, as a public defender,

Nick McGowan (10:34.332)
Hmm.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (10:58.538)
you’re there to be able to champion that story, whether or not, again, the person has done something wrong because yes, the majority of the clients have done something, may not be what they’re charged with, but something has been done that is not, that’s not following the law, you know. But again, it doesn’t mean the person’s supposed to get the maximum penalty. There’s mitigation that happens, right? And as a public defender, as a criminal defense attorney, I’m here to bring that out so that…

It is, you get the total picture, not just the capture of what may have happened that day, that time. And so that’s what kept me going. A human connection. know, people deserve dignity and to be treated with respect no matter what has gone on or where they come from. And that’s what I loved.

Nick McGowan (11:47.24)
Thanks.

at the base level just human rights like everybody deserves to live they deserve to just be alive and do the things and the more that I learn about things like primarily systems I can’t not see them now there are systems everywhere and even to think like I grew up in a spot so my my mom and dad weren’t together they two different houses I would go to my dad’s I go to my mom’s etc. my mom lived in a pretty poor area my dad

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (11:50.944)
Yes. Yes.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (11:56.886)
Yes.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (12:01.163)
Yes.

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (12:13.504)
Hmm? Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Nick McGowan (12:18.486)
lived in a, I don’t know, upper middle class area. They weren’t stupidly rich or anything, but they had money and they could do things. My mom on the other hand didn’t and I remember her saying things about people that were in the area that were honestly just straight-up racist and I learned later that the system that she was in, where she grew up and the time that she was in, formed her to be that way.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (12:24.204)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (12:34.944)
Yeah.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (12:40.04)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yes.

Nick McGowan (12:46.428)
but then also just perpetuated, well, I look down upon these people or anybody that’s slightly different or even people that had more money or whatever. And I had always stood out to me that that’s just not right. There’s something wrong with that. Like, why would you just hate on somebody just because? But there are systems in play that keep people down, keep people segregated, keep people, keep…

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (12:51.19)
Mm-hmm.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (13:00.672)
Mm-hmm.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (13:09.184)
Yes.

Nick McGowan (13:13.456)
like fueling around in this bucket of mess.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (13:16.394)
Yes.

Nick McGowan (13:19.46)
I appreciate that your heart is there to be able to help and serve people and not everybody’s built like that. There are people that are like total service people. I’ve met people in life where they are, bless them, because I can’t. I can’t as much as they do. Like I just can’t. And I love people. But some of them, like they will do anything and everything. And that’s a beautiful piece because those people are meant to be here just like myself, just like you, just like everybody else. We’re meant to be here, but there are biases that come in.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (13:23.488)
Thank you.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (13:36.544)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Nick McGowan (13:49.325)
to play. There people that will frown upon them. People I’m sure that probably just tried to slap them down as hard as they can because of where they came from, how they looked, how they acted, or whatever.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (13:59.338)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Nick McGowan (14:01.989)
I want to tie this to kind of everybody in a way. There are people that go into a corporate office and think, I have this meeting this morning and my God, I hate whoever, or I don’t want to deal with this or I don’t want to deal with that. It can be hard if we don’t know that that’s there. If we don’t know that we have biases or that we’re within a system or even people that don’t understand that they’re racist and they say things and it’s like, yeah, what? So how do we, how do you help those people?

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (14:05.278)
Sure.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (14:11.06)
Yes.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (14:20.907)
Yeah.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (14:27.423)
Right.

Nick McGowan (14:31.865)
understand like how to be able to kind of step back from that and look at the human as the human and understand that you’re just working with another human because it sounds like what you did was you were like I know there’s all this stuff you did whatever these things are but give me the background give me the context who the hell are you

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (14:41.706)
Right.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (14:49.077)
Right, right, right. Honestly, every relationship is based on communication. So it’s about having the honest, open communication and uncomfortable. You that’s now the cliche, uncomfortable conversations, but it’s so true, right? You may be offended by what I say or maybe you’re offended by what you say, but I’m gonna hear you out and please hear me out.

and understand that we have different prisons of knowledge. Just like you were saying, you your background, your environment that you grew up in, even the one that you may live in now, it shapes your perspective. And so your perspective is gonna be different from mine for a variety of reasons. And it doesn’t matter necessarily that, you you may make more money than I do or that you may look differently than me.

If you are willing to listen to me and not just judge me based on what I look like or what you perceive my income to be, then we can move some mountains here. So it’s about the communication, you know, and many people aren’t really open to having a real conversation because that’s, you know, that the term is confirm confirmation bias, right? Even with hit with the facts of what it is, they’re still going to believe what they think to be true.

And that’s most people. You know, they’ve given the facts, but it doesn’t matter. This is what I believe, and I’m not gonna budge on it, and this is what it is. That breakdown right there is what keeps people stuck in these systems and keeps the systems thriving because nobody wants to think that they’re actually wrong.

Nick McGowan (16:29.689)
Yeah.

Well, you are so…

You can challenge some people, and I’ve talked about this on a couple episodes recently, because it’s come to mind more often. You can challenge people from one perspective, but really, you might be challenging five or six, and that’s too much for them to be able to handle at that point. Like, religious. Some people are really religious. I don’t consider myself to be religious at all, but I’m very faith driven and believe in God. I also don’t believe you some bearded dude on a chair somewhere. Like, that just doesn’t make any sense.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (16:49.013)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Nick McGowan (17:04.505)
But there are people that, and that’s an easy thing to use, and I’m not trying to stab at those people at all, nothing like that. But it’s just to say, if you challenge one thing, you then are actually challenging several others. And that can be a lot for people to handle. It sounds like you’re pretty good at being able to say, I’m taking the information in and not judging it, but assessing it. So how do you actually do that? Because that’s a skill set that I think people want to have, but it’s really difficult in those moments.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (17:14.155)
Mm-hmm.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (17:23.935)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (17:32.202)
Right.

Nick McGowan (17:34.439)
the biases come up, the judgments come up, they think I know better because whatever reason. And like money doesn’t matter. I don’t give a shit if you make billions of dollars or you make no money at all. Do you treat people well? I mean, take Elon Musk as an example. He has the most money in the entire world. Like just chip it off and help people, you know? I’m not trying to go down that path, sorry.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (17:34.675)
Mm-hmm.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (17:39.977)
right.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (17:49.898)
Yeah

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (17:54.607)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, no, it’s okay. You know, but I think to answer your question, it’s because I know who I am. And see, that’s the thing. So many people just, they don’t know who they are. They could be 65 and not know who they really are at the core. They know what society imposes upon them to be, whether it be professionally, personally, know, interrelationally. But for me,

I know who I am. I love who I am. I’m proud of who I am. And so, and I’m not going to back down off of that. You know what mean? It’s, I just, I can listen to you. I may not agree with you, but I’m at least listening to you. You know what I mean? But I’m also going tell you what I think. I’m not going to miss my words. I want to tell you what I think. And if you don’t, if you don’t understand, if you don’t get it, then I will.

Nick McGowan (18:44.258)
Yeah.

Nick McGowan (18:48.376)
Yeah.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (18:53.813)
break it down for you you still don’t agree that’s cool I’m fine with that but I’m not going to change to shun just to make it easier for you or to make something more just something that’s going to be something you can digest without having to stop and say you know what let me just take this in

Nick McGowan (18:57.913)
Yeah.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (19:22.507)
Because people aren’t active listeners anymore. They just want to get their point across. That’s it. I got to get what I got to say in. And the art is listening, waiting until the pause to say, OK, well, this is what I think. And I just, again, I know who I am. And I know that what I have to say has value to it. It means something. So I’m going to let you know, no matter who you are.

Nick McGowan (19:52.772)
I think that’s a little bit of your northeast showing. I’m from Philly, so like, we’re gonna tell you what we think. You’re gonna accept it or you’re not. We’re still gonna let you know. But I think an important thing you pointed out that you said just really easily because it’s it’s part of who you are. You are who you are and you are going to listen. I think that’s important because people will say, well, these are my beliefs. This is what I stand for.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (19:54.081)
He laughs.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (20:00.436)
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yes.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (20:12.395)
Yeah. Mm-hmm.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (20:22.41)
Yeah.

Nick McGowan (20:22.741)
and they’ll come attacking people instead of saying I’m confident in myself at least with the information I have right now and then to have a conversation instead of saying I believe these things nothing else can get into my head and if you don’t believe them you are completely against me that takes some of those older books I’m trying to get away from religion out of context

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (20:28.703)
Mm-hmm.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (20:38.389)
right.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (20:48.331)
You

Nick McGowan (20:52.336)
and that’s not exactly what it was but to be able to say like I know who I am however or and along with that I’m still gonna have a conversation I’m still gonna be open I’m still gonna talk and

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (20:57.023)
Mm-hmm.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (21:03.467)
Right.

Nick McGowan (21:04.203)
I agree to disagree in certain ways. There are certain things that I don’t think we can really agree to disagree on, like basic human rights. Like, come on now, if you think people are less than you, we can’t really go any further than that. We have to start there. So you went through, everything you went through with working through all these cases, the nerd in me wants to know about the bone chilling cases because that’s, I like that sort of stuff and like that’s the real life shit.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (21:06.538)
That’s right.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (21:10.463)
Mm-hmm. Right. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yes. That’s what I’m Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (21:25.119)
Yes.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (21:31.709)
Yes.

Nick McGowan (21:34.177)
into a spot where your leadership overseeing an entire state and not too long after that you were let go because something had happened. Do you want to dig into that a bit?

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (21:44.551)
Mm-hmm. Well, I can’t dig too far because I it’s still in litigation You know what I mean? So I can’t go too far into it but just basically because I mean obviously there’s things in the papers things like that you could Google online kind of stuff, but um yeah, I was Determined from the beginning because I was

Nick McGowan (21:49.283)
Sure.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (22:04.747)
a public defender for so many years. So I knew where there were gaps. knew where there were deficiencies. I knew where there were things that needed to be changed. know, typically, someone who’s going to come into a new position is going to give it a year to observe and, you know, see what’s going on. Well, because I’ve been in it for so long, I didn’t have to wait a year to observe to see anything. I knew what was happening. I was in the field, in the trenches. So, you know, and what…

I, my vision was, was relayed at the interview process. You know, like what I wanted to do, how I wanted to do it. I mean, not every single thing, but you know, most of that was already, you know, sketched out. This is who I am. This is what I want to do. And so trying to implement those things became challenging. And, you know, and that’s where there was friction because I’m trying to do my job, right?

It’s very clear Connecticut has state statues that lay out my job description. You can look it up. know, what does a chief public defender do? You know, what are my responsibilities? And I was trying to do that, you know, and it just, when there are things that get in the way of that, again, because I know who I am, I can read and because I am at the core, I’m a fighter.

I’m going to fight for what’s right. And I’ve done that all these years for other people as a public defender, as their attorney. So of course I’m going do it for myself. I mean, I’m to fight for me. I’m going to fight for my ability to do what I know how to do because nothing has been given to me. I earned everything, every single thing. And so, yeah, I’m going to fight for myself and for what’s right.

Nick McGowan (23:24.962)
Yeah.

Nick McGowan (23:34.53)
Sure.

Nick McGowan (23:40.992)
Yeah.

Nick McGowan (23:51.842)
Yeah.

And I know we can’t get in details and all of that. I think what you talked about was that’s critical. Like you again, you know yourself and you’re fighting for the things that are right. And maybe at some point down the road, and I’m sure some point down the road, you can actually get into more details of things. But I think it’s important because you went through all of that. But then once it was done, you didn’t put your tail between your legs. You said, well, I still I’m here to help people and then started your company. So now you’re working with people.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (23:58.828)
in

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (24:08.863)
Mm-hmm.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (24:19.401)
Yes. Yes. Yes.

Nick McGowan (24:22.784)
From personal perspective, leadership perspective, executive perspective, and in just a short little bit here, what do you do with those people and how do you help them based on the experience you’ve had?

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (24:36.779)
Mm-hmm. Well, know, more exciting than being with someone who has lived experience, who understands the pressures of being an exec, a supervisor, the head, a manager, who also understands the power of the pivot. Now, mine was a forced pivot, you know, and I would hope for everybody else it’s a soft one, a chosen one, but you know what? The power of the pivot. Being able to be resilient.

Nick McGowan (24:54.527)
Mm-hmm

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (25:04.447)
being able to rebound, pivot, and still have your values intact. When I work with people, that’s what it’s about. Transitions, understanding who you are, and when you have a transition, whether it’s forced or whether it’s something that you’re doing on your own, you can do it. You know, I’m here to help empower people, to let them know that you can do it your way. You can do it your way and still come out and thrive.

You don’t have to let someone strip you who you are. Because they could take away a title, they could take away the money, they could take away whatever else. But who you are as a person is what got you to that mountaintop, and it’ll get you to the next. There’s not only one mountaintop. And so that’s what my business is about, helping people who are in transition, helping to empower people and equip them with the tools that they need.

Nick McGowan (25:41.194)
Yeah.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (26:04.331)
to transform. I’m big into transformation. I want to make sure that people understand that just because you have an obstacle or something comes in your path doesn’t mean you can’t morph into something bigger and better. And the past is the past, you know? So that’s…

Nick McGowan (26:19.553)
Yeah. Yeah.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (26:24.457)
And I love that. Being able, again, it’s serving, like you said, serving people. That’s my entire life, my life’s work, my passion. So I still can do that. And I’m so grateful for that.

Nick McGowan (26:35.392)
Yeah, and you’re doing it more so.

more of a personal level at this point with these people that are also helping other people. And I’ve seen some of this in action even when you and I first connected like the path to get to us connecting and how you were like you do these things like my god I need these I need help with this stuff and I think that’s awesome because as you kind of just move through you’ll meet different people and different people introduce you and like you’re very open to all of that. So with everything you’re saying and along the lines of all that what’s your

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (26:39.241)
Yes.

Mm-hmm.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (26:49.684)
Yes.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (27:00.031)
Yes. Yes.

Mm-hmm.

Nick McGowan (27:07.522)
for somebody that’s on their path towards self-mastery.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (27:12.447)
Find out who you are.

Don’t let external validation define you or don’t even crave it. Yeah, it’s nice, you know, but there’s a saying, know, give me my flowers, get your own flowers. That’s my saying, get your own, okay? Know who you are and stand 10 toes down in that.

If you are a shifting wave, you let someone come and get into your mind, then that’s how it’s so easy to crawl into a corner or get into a ball in a fetal position and not get back up. Yes, life is going to throw some craziness to you. Because if you had asked me five years ago, would I be a business owner now doing something different than what I was doing? I’d be like,

Nick McGowan (27:58.975)
Hmm.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (28:06.283)
No, I didn’t really, that wasn’t even in my mind. You know what I mean? But there was a bigger plan. You you were saying, talking about religion and things like that. You I believe in God, okay? And it’s about the spiritual aspect of things. And I trust him, I do. And you know what? My life is a living testimony of, yeah, you trust yourself, know who you are, and you trust him.

You’re good. You’re good. And so that’s what it comes down to.

Nick McGowan (28:37.417)
Yeah. Well, that and so for everybody listening, she didn’t say this, but she talked to me about this. Buy yourself flowers. She literally does that weekly. So not only she’s saying this, she actively does those things, even to the point of just the flowers. Well, Tashawn, it’s been awesome having you on. I appreciate you so much. And before I let you go, where can people find you and where can they connect with you?

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (28:52.991)
Yes,

Thank you.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (29:02.161)
definitely. Yes. And so I’m on a few social media sites. I have a website, BowdoinLewisGroup.com, an Instagram, the Bowdoin Lewis Group, consulting group. I’m on Facebook and my LinkedIn as well, too. Just look to Shun Bowdoin Lewis Esquire and I’m there. So I’m always looking to help. So if you would like to partner with me, I’m available.

Nick McGowan (29:27.167)
And we’re going to have all that in the show notes too. Again, it’s been a pleasure to have you on today. I appreciate your time.

TaShun Bowden-Lewis (29:29.524)
Yeah. All right. Thanks, Nick.