What happens when your purpose feels too heavy to carry? When the grief, burnout, or self-doubt start whispering louder than your confidence?

In this heart-centered and life-giving episode of Choosing Joy, Emmy-nominated journalist, media personality, and host of Healed Girl Era Gia Peppers sits down with Deborah Joy Winans Williams for one of the most raw, uplifting, and spiritually rooted conversations of the season.

From growing up immersed in Black excellence in D.C. and Maryland to navigating loss, therapy, and self-reinvention, Gia shares the full spectrum of her journey. She opens up about losing her grandmother, surviving depressive episodes, and how therapy and faith helped her find joy again.

Whether she’s talking about  being on 106 & Park, the inspiration behind Healed Girl Era, or why joy must be an intentional daily choice—Gia reminds us: healing is possible, even in the middle of the storm.

✨ This episode is a love letter to every woman figuring it out in real-time. To every woman choosing herself, one sacred step at a time.


Chapters 

00:00 – Intro & Sponsor Message
00:46 – Why Gia Peppers is That Girl
02:00 – Growing Up in the DMV & Black Excellence
04:00 – Howard University Influence & Community Impact
06:00 – Her Dad’s Legacy in Journalism
08:00 – Early Dreams of Hosting & Performing
10:00 – Inspired by Free on 106 & Park
11:30 – Interning with Donnie Simpson & Black Radio Roots
13:00 – Navigating the Cutthroat Industry with Kindness
14:30 – The Power of Representation for Black Girls
16:00 – Teen Girlhood, Beauty, and Identity Today
18:30 – Choosing Joy in the Midst of Transition
20:30 – Letting Go of Self-Doubt with Therapy
23:00 – Choosing Grace Over Pressure
25:00 – Joy as a Choice, Not a Feeling
26:30 – How the Pandemic Revealed Deep Emotional Shifts
29:00 – Grief, Loss & Losing Her Grandmother
31:00 – Breaking Generational Silence Around Mental Health
33:00 – Creating the Healed Girl Era Podcast
35:00 – Finding Purpose in Her Own Voice
37:00 – Vulnerability, Impact & Stepping Out in Faith
39:00 – Learning to Rest and Rebuild
41:00 – What Choosing Joy Looks Like Now
43:00 – Final Reflections & A Prayer for Joy

What happens when your purpose feels too heavy to carry? When the grief, burnout, or self-doubt start whispering louder than your confidence?In this heart-centered and life-giving episode of Choosing Joy, Emmy-nominated journalist, media personality, and host of Healed Girl Era Gia Peppers sits down with Deborah Joy Winans Williams for one of the most raw, uplifting, and spiritually rooted conversations of the season.From growing up immersed in Black excellence in D.C. and Maryland to navigating loss, therapy, and self-reinvention, Gia shares the full spectrum of her journey. She opens up about losing her grandmother, surviving depressive episodes, and how therapy and faith helped her find joy again.Whether she’s talking about  being on 106 &amp; Park, the inspiration behind Healed Girl Era, or why joy must be an intentional daily choice—Gia reminds us: healing is possible, even in the middle of the storm.✨ This episode is a love letter to every woman figuring it out in real-time. To every woman choosing herself, one sacred step at a time. Chapters 00:00 – Intro &amp; Sponsor Message 00:46 – Why Gia Peppers is That Girl 02:00 – Growing Up in the DMV &amp; Black Excellence 04:00 – Howard University Influence &amp; Community Impact 06:00 – Her Dad’s Legacy in Journalism 08:00 – Early Dreams of Hosting &amp; Performing 10:00 – Inspired by Free on 106 &amp; Park 11:30 – Interning with Donnie Simpson &amp; Black Radio Roots 13:00 – Navigating the Cutthroat Industry with Kindness 14:30 – The Power of Representation for Black Girls 16:00 – Teen Girlhood, Beauty, and Identity Today 18:30 – Choosing Joy in the Midst of Transition 20:30 – Letting Go of Self-Doubt with Therapy 23:00 – Choosing Grace Over Pressure 25:00 – Joy as a Choice, Not a Feeling 26:30 – How the Pandemic Revealed Deep Emotional Shifts 29:00 – Grief, Loss &amp; Losing Her Grandmother 31:00 – Breaking Generational Silence Around Mental Health 33:00 – Creating the Healed Girl Era Podcast 35:00 – Finding Purpose in Her Own Voice 37:00 – Vulnerability, Impact &amp; Stepping Out in Faith 39:00 – Learning to Rest and Rebuild 41:00 – What Choosing Joy Looks Like Now 43:00 – Final Reflections &amp; A Prayer for Joy

Each week, actor and singer Deborah Joy Winans Williams invites inspiring women into candid, heart-led conversations about joy—what it means, how they choose it daily, and why it matters. Through personal stories, shared insights, and warm humor, Choosing Joy creates a space where vulnerability meets strength and every episode offers encouragement to embrace joy intentionally—even in life’s uncertainties.

Each week, actor and singer Deborah Joy Winans Williams invites inspiring women into candid, heart-led conversations about joy&mdash;what it means, how they choose it daily, and why it matters. Through personal stories, shared insights, and warm humor, Choosing Joy creates a space where vulnerability meets strength and every episode offers encouragement to embrace joy intentionally&mdash;even in life&rsquo;s uncertainties.

Choosing Joy

Gia Peppers Interview | Healing, Grief, & Owning Her Power | Choosing Joy 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/42b91606-d4d9-4501-a9b8-b3440156c665/transcript

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