Shades of Strong® | Strength Without Struggle for Black Women

Shades of Strong® | Strength Without Struggle for Black Women


When You're All You've Got | Feeling Unsuppoted As A Black Woman

September 23, 2025

What does receiving support as a Black woman look like when there’s no one to call, no one to reach for, and no one checking in on you?

In this episode, we’re getting real about what it means to be your own support system when you’re literally all you’ve got. Not because you’re too proud to ask. Not because people keep letting you down. But because the support just isn’t there.

I share my personal story of navigating lonely seasons, the grief that comes from having no one to lean on, and how I  learned to show up for myself in the meantime. But I also speak to the ache — the soul-deep longing to be supported for real.

This episode is not about pretending it’s okay. It’s about naming what’s hard, holding space for it, and finding tenderness even in the absence.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

  • The grief of not having anyone to reach for

  • The difference between being strong and being supported

  • What receiving support as a Black woman looks like without a support system

  • The small but powerful ways grace held her through it

  • How to start with what’s real, even when it’s not enough 

Resources to Support You:

Let’s Stay Connected:

  • Subscribe to Shades of Strong on Apple Podcasts or your favorite platform
  •  Share this episode with a sista who’s tired of being the strong one
  •  Leave a review if the episode spoke to your spirit — it helps more Black women find this space
  • Join Shades of Strong on Substack  for deeper convos that don’t always make it to the mic
  • Follow Shades of Strong on Instagram for daily reflections on what it means to be suppoted
  • Be a Guest on the Show
  • www.shadesofstrong.com

Related Episodes

  • Learning to Hold Yourself When No One Else Does
  • When Everything Feels Heavy