Choose to Awaken with the WUE Nation!

On March 29, 2020, Spirit of A Woman, LLC, launched the Wake Up Everybody (WUE) Virtual series in partnership with community healers, thought leaders, coaches, medical and mental health professionals, educators and artists from across the nation. WUE was created to provide community members, from across the country and abroad, with an opportunity to keep their mental, emotional,  physical and spiritual well beings balanced and whole as they navigated the impact of the devastating impact of the COVID-19 global health crisis. 

WUE was  originally designed as a 30 day offering that would provide “temporary” covering and support for participants until the quarantine period ended, however, the producers and community members quickly realized that the WUE journey would last much longer than they originally anticipated. 

The series was created by Shawnee Benton Gibson, CEO, of Spirit of A Woman (SOW) Leadership Development Institute, who was inspired by the lyrics of the song  “Wake Up Everybody” by Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. The song, which was popular in the 70s, speaks of issues that we are still glaringly relevant today; (racism, war, poverty, sickness, political strife, corruption, etc). The WUE Virtual series was designed to “WAKE UP” the masses by providing empowering messaging, holistic healing tools, guidance for daily living and strategies for addressing the injustices, pain and imbalance that exists in the world. 

All of the “Wake Up Everybody” sessions take place 5 days a week (every Sunday, Tuesday, & Thursday from 7:00am - 8:30am EST and every Monday and Wednesday from 7:00am -7:30am EST.) over Zoom and Facebook Live. Every session is facilitated by powerful and prolific presenters from various backgrounds and areas of discipline. Each facilitator guides participants through an interactive experience that fosters education, conversation, new insights, empowerment  and expansion. 

The WUE Family invites you to join our phenomenal community so that you can share, heal and grow as part of the collective. You are free to join as a community participant, as a session facilitator and/or a member of the admin team to support the magic that happens behind the scenes. We hope to hear from you. 

Sunday, June  8th -  "The Write to Bloom"

Facilitated By: Nijah Wilson & Chioma Sheri

This workshop offers a generative space to explore poetry as a tool for personal and collective transformation. Through reading, reflection, & writing, participants will engage with themes of healing, identity, resistance, & growth. Designed for all writers, the workshop emphasizes creative expression as a pathway to deeper self-awareness & communal connection. Bring your full self, an open heart, & your creative flow—because creativity lives in all of us. We are all creators.

Join us as we heal in community—through words, truth-telling, & creative expression. You’ll be invited into a space of care & imagination, guided by thoughtful prompts, with opportunities (never pressure) to share what you create.

Hosted by two poets connected by spirit, words & intention—this workshop is rooted in creating safe, affirming spaces where voices can bloom freely & fully.

Monday, June 9th - "Exploring The Wisdom In Kahlil Gibran’s ‘The Prophet’, On Work - Part 1"

Facilitated By: Zakiyyah (Zee) Taalib Bey

In this session, we will begin our exploration of the theme of work through the lens of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, focusing on his powerful assertion that “Work is love made visible.” Together, we will reflect on how our labor can be an expression of love, purpose, and service, rather than merely a means of survival. Through open dialogue and personal insight, participants will unpack the ways in which societal conditioning, burnout, and disconnection have shaped their relationships to work, while also imagining what it looks like to engage in work that feels aligned, sacred, and fulfilling. 

Tuesday, June 10th - "Move Now or Miss the Moment: Wealth Is Shifting Without Us"

Facilitated By: Alicia Holmes

We are standing at the edge of a historic wealth shift—driven by AI, crypto, and the next generation of innovation. For women, and especially for women of color, this moment offers a rare chance to move from surviving to owning. In this powerful session, Alicia Holmes shows why waiting is the riskiest choice of all—and how everyday investors can begin building real, lasting wealth through tech and crypto now.

Because the future isn’t coming—it’s already here. And this moment is wealth.

Wednesday, June 11th - "B.O.S.S. MOVES"

Facilitated By: Shayna Hewitt

Understanding how to create wealth is one of the biggest challenges holding many people back. In this session on Wake Up Everybody, we’ll explore how Myron Golden’s Boss Moves book breaks down wealth-building into clear, actionable strategies. I’ll guide you through key principles that shift your mindset, build your confidence, and empower you to take ownership of your financial future—once and for all.

Thursday, June 12th - "Words Are Not Just Sounds, but Declarations of Your Beliefs" 

Facilitated By: Meika Joseph

What you believe shapes the movie of your life. Your beliefs provide the script you follow—your roadmap to perform, create, and win your personal Academy Award for best storytelling. But who wrote that script? Was it your family, childhood experiences, or unhealed trauma? What beliefs are directing and scripting the story of your life today?

Sunday, June 15th - "The Brain of a Child-The Heart of a Mother Part 4"

Facilitated By: Tara Gibson & Tier'a Berry

This session builds upon the prior discussion of raising a child with epilepsy, emphasizing the transformative impact of initiatives like Seize The Cure. This program empowers parents and caregivers by providing essential tools, resources, and support to navigate the challenges of epilepsy, while fostering resilience, hope, and a strong sense of community.

This session centers on the unique experiences and critical considerations of navigating pregnancy, postpartum, and epilepsy. This conversation will highlight the physical, emotional, and systemic challenges that individuals with epilepsy may face before, during, and after childbirth. We will explore how pregnancy can impact epilepsy and how epilepsy, in turn, may influence reproductive decision-making, prenatal care, birth planning, and postpartum recovery. The session will also address healthcare, and the importance of establishing and leveraging robust support systems, including peer groups, advocacy organizations, and community resources during this vulnerable period.

Our Facilitators!   

Nijah Wilson is a dynamic professional with decades of experience in real estate, finance, management & strategic planning. With a career built on structure & forward momentum, she is now on a personal quest to slow down & reconnect with herself—embracing a softer, more intentional life rooted in authenticity, rest & presence.

Nijah is passionate about the health & well-being of Black women. She serves on the board of an organization solely dedicated to this mission & is also a member of another organization committed to improving the lives of Black women & girls through advocacy. As a certified yoga instructor, she leads workshops for women that integrate breathwork, meditation & movement to support healing & self-discovery.

She writes, dances, hikes & worships the sun—honoring joy as both ritual & resistance.

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Chioma Sheri is a human, storyteller, poet, creative cultivator, sometimes performer, all times learner, lover of God, & bearer of laughs. She is driven by the potential of language and deeply believes in the power of storytelling and community record-keeping, specifically with regards to how we hold and support stories from Africa and the diaspora. Her poetry has been published in places like Love Now Media, Brittle Paper, and featured on the Healing Verse Poetry Line and the AFIA podcast. She is also a 2024-2025 finalist of The Jennifer Weiner Fellowship for her fiction writing. You can find her researching, walking, holding space with sistafriends, acting like a chef, or making herself laugh.

Zakiyyah (Zee) Taalib Bey has been a participant in the WUE community since its inception (since day 2, to be specific). She is an active contributor to the WUE admin team. Now she is spreading her wings and contributing as a Facilitator drawing from a wealth of life experience.

Zee becomes actively involved in any community she finds herself in. Over the years she has organized or/and assisted in organizing countless festivals, celebrations, Black History and Kwanzaa events and more. Zakiyyah is a Griot (Storyteller), Edu-tainer. She has also been Furaha (Happy in Swahili) The Cultural Clown.  Zakiyyah's openness and desire to BE of assistance have Blessed her to have several life altering experiences. Of particular note are accompanying The Middle Passage Monument to its final resting place in the Atlantic Ocean aboard a replica of an 18th Century Cargo Vessel, i.e. a slave ship. And most recently she spent her 61st Juneteenth birthday on Goree' Island, Senegal.

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Alicia Holmes, Financial Coach and Educator, founded Journey to Wealth in 2016 with the goal to provide women of color with the tools to create a mindset shift, get out of debt, and build their net worth — with a focus on the game-changing benefits of investing in innovative technology. Since then, her vision has expanded and she has co-founded a DAO (a decentralized organization) called Disruptor DAO. Disruptor DAO is a community-led entity with a shared mission focused on educating and securing a place in the future of Web3 for Black and Latinx women.

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Shayna "Shay" Hewitt is a visionary in the world of arts, a health and wellness professional, and a thought leader in community service. Each day, she aims to be the driving force behind a paradigm shift in the art and wellness industry, where creativity, self-care, and community engagement converge synergistically, creating a ripple effect of inspiration, innovation, and social responsibility that attracts a like-minded collective. Shay is a thought leader in her community, driving positive change through strategic insights and collaborative efforts. Her expertise spans volunteer management, grassroots organizing, and social impact strategy, resulting in tangible improvements. Shay empowers others through mentorship and public speaking, emphasizing the pivotal role of community service in inclusive societies.

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Meika Joseph has been a Professional and Personal Performance Coach for over 12 years. Today, she is a THOUGHT HEALER. She co-owns a wellness studio in Brooklyn called, The Crystal Raven. As a thought healer, she heals the thoughts that dominant the mind and creates unwanted habits. She works with clients to turn their thoughts into Reality and give them power to create a new vision of life. Through her methods, she has guided hundreds of people to successfully break through otherwise impenetrable barriers in their professional and personal lives. Her experiences include: training and developing individuals to use tools that will interrupt thoughts on their own. Her clients range from parents, entrepreneurs, to CEOs. She has a profound commitment that all of humanity experiences the freedom, power, and clarity to be successful and fulfilled in their lives, to enjoy the ripple effect a new vision has on their families, work, personal creativity and communities.     

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Class, elegance, dignity, intelligence, talented, educated and grace: ALL words that come to mind when describing TJ Vida. Tara J. Gibson was born and raised in the Bronx and is of Puerto Rican and Irish descent. Her Latin roots in collaboration with her childhood nickname and her “full of life” personality influenced the creation of her stage name TJ Vida, which means TJ Life. TJ Vida is a woman who has not only made a name for herself in entertainment as a R&B and pop singer ,songwriter, actress, and radio personality but also an activist and humanitarian as well. In addition to the many roles she has in her everyday life, Tara Gibson also has a M.A. Degree in Forensic Psychology. In 2017, Tara Gibson created an Organization called Seize The Cure which tied her passion for entertainment and finding a cure for epilepsy together. This was inspired by her son Maliq who suffers from Refractory Epilepsy and the challenges that came with having a child with a life threatening and changing condition. With the help and encouragement of the Epilepsy Foundation of Metropolitan NY, local musicians/artists, and local businesses and organizations, Tara Gibson aka TJ Vida presented the first ever Seize the Cure Epilepsy Awareness forum/concert in the Bronx, NY. With the intention of only holding one event, the success and passion that was shown left such a lasting impression on the Epilepsy Community, it resulted in the continuation of events and workshops. What is now called SEIZE THE CURE 4 EPILEPSY, has rapidly grew in programs to help spread not only Epilepsy Awareness but seizure safety as well through workshops, trainings, events, and the SEIZE THE CURE Radio Show.

In addition to the successful unforeseen growth of SEIZE THE CURE, her music career began to finally blossom after a long hiatus due to harsh disappointments when starting out in entertainment. She decided to use her music to collaborate her passion about Women’s Rights and Domestic Abuse. As a rape survivor the subject is very sensitive to her and touches home. Its something in which she kept silent about through most of her life and with her now having the platform of music to let her voice and thoughts be known, she has found the confidence to tell her story, not in shame or grief, but with hope to help, motivate and inspire other victims to not be afraid to reach out and ask for help and guidance. She has spoken at several forums, events, interviews and interventions on the matter.  In 2021, Tara Gibson decided to leave everything behind and start a new life. She moved to Florida and took time to focus on building her life from scratch in a new place with a new culture. The emotional challenges that were endured that led to the abrupt transition only made Vida stronger and she decided to take on her passion by re-birthing TJ Vida. Tara Gibson wanted to know who TJ Vida was. For all her life, her music and potential came with limitations due to her loyalty to personal commitments resulting in her never experiencing the identity that came with her stage name. While continuing to grow as an artist as she develops her style as a musician, she is now recording and releasing music as a solo artist with her slogan ‘Same Name New Lane” signifying her transformation. TJ Vida is riding a wave of confidence and excitement in life. She is learning to love herself, put herself first and apply her personal growth to her music and passions for all are connected. She is continuing her education and studying for her Doctorate degree in Forensic Psychology, still spreading the words of awareness, and inspiration in Domestic Abuse and bringing people and professionals together in search of treating epilepsy with hopes of not only helping her son but others as well, and working on establishing her brand and crafting her elusive yet heavily anticipated solo music career. TJ Vida is an amazing woman who wears her heart on her sleeve and can make anybody a believer.

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Tier’a V. Berry, is a proud New Yorker born and raised in Rochdale Village, Queens. With a deep passion for working with children and helping families, Tier’a’s journey in youth development began at a young age. Initially aspiring to be a teacher, she discovered her true calling while working at a community program in The Bronx. This amazing experience opened her eyes to endless possibilities. Embracing her role as a community leader in The South Bronx, Tier’a accumulated over 15 years of experience in youth development, equipping her with invaluable skills, knowledge, and a genuine love for serving the community.

In the face of a life-altering experience that impacted her family, Tier’a found herself trying to figure out life on a new path in her journey. With the heaviness of losing her job, a separation from a long, lifetime relationship and seeming to have to pick up the pieces, she was fueled by determination and a desire to not lose it all.

Waking up in a new chapter full of encouragement and support she recognized her passion and curiosity in digital marketing. Currently she serves as Lead Creative & Branding, LeVian Diamond with The Diamond Writers.

Along her journey, Tier’a has also embraced a career as an author and public speaker, specifically as an Epilepsy Awareness Advocate and Inspiration Speaker and by selling self designed and published multi purpose notebooks on Amazon to help support daily living for the family. 

In 2024, Tier’a debuted as a Diamond Writer contributing author in the release of She Is with Transparent Gems Inc. and has self published two guided journals. All three books can be found on Amazon.