shonda rhimes on ‘call her daddy’
For ambitious girlies trying to carve their own path, what better guide than the woman who trailblazed a new land for all of us. The modern icon, Ms. Shonda Rhimes.
I’m not a formal member of Daddy Gang, but I loved this one. Alex Cooper and Shonda Rhimes were a great conversational pairing. It was an hour of two powerful women dissecting leadership and creative ambition with warmth and candor. Both of them truth-telling about failure, growth, and the courage to be bad before you’re great.
Shonda shared how she, like all of us, didn’t know what she was doing when she first became a leader. She talked about being completely lost as a first-time showrunner and learning on the job. Reminding us that you earn mastery through repetition. Through showing up awkwardly, doing the thing, and getting better each time.
Like Shonda, I have friends who are contemplating becoming mothers on their own. During this interview, Rhimes was forthcoming about what that journey required. She talked about how awkward it was to navigate conversations with her parents about adoption, surrogacy, and sperm donors. You’re not alone, bb. The language around it is complicated. But like Shonda, you’ll figure it out. You’ll get there.
Alex asked Shonda about one of her most iconic lines: “Whenever you see me succeed in one area of my life, it most certainly means I am failing in another.” Shonda explained that giving herself permission to stop chasing perfection made her both more peaceful and more effective. Success isn’t the absence of failure, girliepop. It’s the acceptance of trade-offs. It’s understanding what you’re choosing and why.
And then never apologizing for it.
As we all continue on our own journeys of building something great, reject the pressure to be perfect from day one. Expect failures. And bet on the compound return of showing up consistently. Leadership is a muscle. Creativity is a cycle. And confidence is an earned language, bb.
Your thoughts about this interview with Shonda Rhimes? I’d love to know!
Until next time ✨
