The Steve Harvey Morning Show

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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dawnn Lewis.
Summary of the Interview
On Money Making Conversations Masterclass, Rushion McDonald interviews Dawnn Lewis—iconic actress, singer, songwriter, voice actress, philanthropist, and founder of the A New Day Foundation. The conversation traces her extraordinary career, starting from her childhood as a singer, dancer, and actor, through her rise to fame on A Different World, her decades-long voiceover career (including The Simpsons, Futurama, Star Trek: Lower Decks), and her ongoing philanthropic work supporting youth nationwide.
Dawnn discusses the challenges of being a multi-talented artist in an industry eager to box people into one lane, how A Different World both elevated and pigeonholed her, and how animation opened a vast new chapter for her that has lasted more than 30 years. She shares her philosophy on longevity, discipline, relationships, and the responsibility to give back. The interview also highlights her foundation’s programs supporting students, HBCUs, and underserved communities.
Purpose of the Interview
1. Celebrate Dawnn Lewis’s multi-decade, multi-disciplinary career
The interview showcases the depth of her talent—from singing and songwriting to acting, animation, and Broadway.
2. Highlight representation and legacy
Dawnn discusses the cultural impact of A Different World and her groundbreaking role as a Black female captain in Star Trek: Lower Decks.
3. Inspire audiences with her journey from Bed-Stuy to global success
Her story emphasizes perseverance, big dreaming, and ignoring limitations others impose.
4. Promote the A New Day Foundation
Dawnn details programs empowering youth, HBCU students, and underserved communities.
5. Provide insight into surviving and thriving in entertainment
She shares the importance of relationships, versatility, and constant self-improvement.
Key Takeaways
1. She was a “triple threat” long before Hollywood discovered her
Singing, dancing, and acting from age 7–11, she began performing professionally at 10 and even launched her own musical theatre degree program at the University of Miami.
2. A Different World brought fame but also typecasting
While it launched her into global visibility, it also led people to underestimate her songwriting, music, and voiceover abilities.
3. Her voice acting career spans more than 30 years
She has voiced characters on The Simpsons, Futurama, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Craig of the Creek, Fairly OddParents, Mortal Kombat, and many more.
Her entry into animation came from imitating her young niece for a role.
4. Representation matters deeply to her
Seeing Nichelle Nichols on Star Trek inspired her as a child; today, Dawnn is one of the very few Black captains in the Star Trek universe.
5. The industry rewards resilience and relationships
Dawnn emphasizes that her longevity comes from consistently doing excellent work and nurturing her professional network.
6. She founded the A New Day Foundation to uplift youth
Her programs serve teens, HBCU students, and communities nationwide, providing mentorship, laptops, scholarships, and life skills training.
7. Dawnn’s journey is one of intentional growth and constant reinvention
She never stopped expanding—into Broadway, television, songwriting, animation, philanthropy, and leadership.
Notable Quotes
(All quotes from the uploaded transcript.)
On talent and early training
“I was singing, dancing at seven, acting at eleven… doing all three professionally since I was about ten years old.”
“I thought I was going to be a recording artist… I had my own single out. I was charting on Billboard.”
On being boxed in
“I didn’t start getting pigeonholed until I did A Different World… now you’re just an actress.”
On entering animation
“There weren’t very many people of color in the animation world… the director said, ‘Who are you? How come I never met you before?’”
“I get to voice characters they wouldn’t hire me visually to play.”
On representation and Star Trek
“In the legacy of Star Trek, it’s me and Avery Brooks as the Black captains.”
“Seeing Nichelle Nichols made me hopeful… she was my hero.”
On career longevity
“You quiet the naysayers by just showing up and doing the work.”
“God keeps opening doors and giving me what I need to walk through them successfully.”
On giving back
“I am my best investment.” (also used in her foundation’s mission)
“Where you were yesterday is not where you have to end up today.”
@#SHMS #STRAW #BEST
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Listen and Subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning!
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Diane Strand
An award‑winning serial entrepreneur, media producer, speaker, and coach. She is the co‑founder of JDS Video & Media Productions, a seven‑figure production company, and the creator of DigiFest, a major digital‑media and arts festival in Temecula, California.
Diane shares her journey from a dyslexic child discouraged from pursuing the arts, to a Hollywood professional working on television hits like Friends, General Hospital, and Veronica’s Closet, to a successful entrepreneur empowering creative to turn their passions into profitable businesses. She discusses resilience, visibility, storytelling, leadership, the power of the arts, and how she built DigiFest into a hub for digital creators, students, and industry professionals.
🎯 Purpose of the Interview
The interview highlights:
1. Diane’s evolution from Hollywood talent to business owner
Her shift from TV and production work to launching her own media company and coaching others.
2. The mission behind DigiFest
Why she created an annual digital media festival to bridge Hollywood and emerging creators.
3. How the arts empower people personally and professionally
Diane explains how creativity builds communication skills, confidence, resilience, and community.
4. Her framework for turning passion into profit
Through storytelling, visibility strategies, networking, and stepping outside comfort zones.
5. Advice for future generations of creatives and entrepreneurs
Her approach to learning, mentorship, and launching ideas before feeling “ready.”
💡 Key Takeaways
1. Creativity + Storytelling = Universal Power
Diane defines the arts broadly: anything involving storytelling—painting, acting, photography, filmmaking, writing, animation, design, music, digital content.
She emphasizes that the arts are inclusive, accessible to all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
The arts train:
Communication
Confidence
Problem‑solving
Thick skin
Resilience
Adaptability
These skills transfer directly to business and leadership.
2. Overcoming Dyslexia and Early Discouragement
As a child, she struggled with reading and undiagnosed dyslexia.
People—including her parents—told her she shouldn’t pursue the arts. She refused to listen.
Her determination led to winning the role of Betsy Ross in her second‑grade play, igniting her lifelong creative path.
3. A Successful Run in Hollywood
When Showtime rejected her, she went back to school to get her bachelor’s degree, then returned and worked on major productions such as:
Friends
General Hospital
Veronica’s Closet
Hollywood taught her professionalism, creativity, and authenticity—but also that the industry can be cutthroat and subjective.
4. Passion → Purpose → Profits
Diane explains that passion alone isn’t enough.
The real breakthrough comes when passion turns into a purpose, which then creates profits. [
She discovered this when she left Hollywood within 15 seconds of agreeing to start her own production business after realizing reality TV’s lifestyle conflicted with being a present parent.
Her success framework includes:
High visibility
Networking
Leveraging the “Hollywood effect”
Storytelling as authority
Consistency
Constant learning
5. Building a Seven‑Figure Media Company
JDS Productions creates professional video content, marketing media, casting calls, and digital products.
She used door‑to‑door outreach, chamber of commerce networking, public speaking, and visibility strategies to grow.
6. Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone
Diane repeatedly stresses:
Growth happens in discomfort
Saying yes leads to opportunity
Visibility requires vulnerability
Today she speaks on national stages, podcasts, and industry events—something that once required tremendous courage.
7. DigiFest: Her Digital Media Festival
DigiFest was created when the long‑running Temecula film and music festival shut down, and the city asked her to take over. She refused to run a traditional film festival and instead created something aligned with her expertise—digital media.
DigiFest is:
A competition
A networking event
An educational conference
A celebration of digital storytelling
Festival features include:
Workshops (AI, film, podcasting, animation, scriptwriting)
Celebrity speakers (Curtis Young, Colin Egglesfield, Sam Larsen, Justin Guarini)
Film screenings
Performances
Red carpet
Awards
Professional‑student collaboration
It spans three days every April (Fri–Sun) at her 10,000 sq ft studio space in Temecula.
8. Women in Hollywood & Finding Her Voice
Diane acknowledges that Hollywood can be sexist, abusive, and insensitive to women.
She faced inappropriate situations during her work on reality TV—but quickly made clear she “does not play like that.” [
She helps other women and young creatives find confidence, courage, and professional boundaries.
9. Resilience, Ethics, and “Haters”
Diane remains grounded in:
Ethical behavior
Professionalism
Strong documentation
Karma
Leading by example
She believes leadership gets more public as you climb, and criticism is inevitable when you challenge others.
10. Advice for the Next Generation
Her advice is timeless:
“Start before you’re ready.”
If she waited for perfection, she never would’ve launched DigiFest or her company.
Say yes, show up, be visible, and trust that your purpose will reveal itself through action.
🗣 Notable Quotes On dreams and action
“A dream is direction, realization, evaluation, and taking action to create momentum.”
On the power of the arts
“The arts are inclusive. They teach resilience, confidence, and how to get back up.”
On her Hollywood departure
“I said yes within 15 seconds… I wanted something more for me and my family.” [
On growth
“When you get comfortable being uncomfortable, you’re going to grow.”
On DigiFest
“It’s anything that lives in the digital space—from film to AI to podcasting to animation.”
On overcoming discouragement
“I was told I shouldn’t or couldn’t… but I said, ‘Just watch me.’”
#SHMS #STRAW #BEST
Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/
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Listen and Subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning!
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Anthony Tuggle.
Senior executive, transformational advisor, and founder/CEO of Tag Us Worldwide. With more than 30 years of leading global operations at AT\&T and other Fortune 10 organizations, Tuggle shares lessons in leadership, resilience, corporate success, personal health battles, entrepreneurship, and the importance of emotional intelligence in the AI era.
His story blends professional excellence with survival, detailing how he overcame kidney failure, a transplant, dialysis, and even kidney cancer—while simultaneously rising to the executive ranks and later launching his own leadership transformation company.
🎯 Purpose of the Interview
The interview’s goals were to:
1. Highlight Anthony Tuggle’s leadership journey
From a corporate executive managing global teams to the CEO of Tag Us Worldwide.
2. Share actionable insights on corporate success and leadership development
He explains the importance of foundation, consistency, emotional intelligence, and taking care of people.
3. Discuss the importance of DEI and equitable leadership
Tuggle emphasizes why diverse backgrounds, and diverse thoughts build strong companies.
4. Reveal the personal health challenges that shaped his perspective
His story serves as instruction, caution, and motivation.
5. Promote Tag Us Worldwide
A transformation consultancy helping organizations elevate culture and leadership.
💡 Key Takeaways
1. Success Requires Hard Work, Foundation & Intentionality
Success is not accidental.
Tuggle stresses:
Education (undergrad + MBA from Emory’s Goizueta Business School)
Moving 12 times across the country for opportunities
Consistency and showing up
“Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready” is one of his core principles.
2. Leadership = Taking Care of People
Tuggle explains that high-performing organizations have one thing in common:
Leaders take care of people, and people take care of the business.
He built a reputation for developing leaders who now lead in Fortune 50 companies.
3. Understanding the Rules of the Game Matters
Whether you’re an entrepreneur or corporate professional, there are rules:
Professionalism
Performance
Relationship building
Consistency
Respecting organizational culture
Many people fail because they enter the “game” without learning its rules.
4. DEI and Access Are Non-Negotiable for Strong Organizations
Tuggle is a firm supporter of diversity, equity, inclusion, both in culture and thought.
He says he would not be where he is today without people giving him a chance.
5. His Corporate Career Was Truly Global
He managed large teams across:
The Philippines
Costa Rica
Mexico
This global lens influences his approach to transformation and scaling businesses.
6. His Health Journey Defines His Resilience
Anthony Tuggle's story is extraordinary:
• Kidney failure in his 20s
Doctor told him he “should be dead.”
Caused by untreated hypertension.
• 25-year kidney transplant survivor
He received a deceased donor kidney and outlived the typical 10–15-year expectancy—twice.
• Kidney transplant failed again after 25 years
He returned to dialysis (hemodialysis → peritoneal dialysis).
• Kidney cancer diagnosis—found early
While preparing for another transplant, doctors discovered kidney cancer caused by long-term immunosuppressant medications.
He survived it: stage 1, noninvasive.
These challenges fuel his drive, urgency, and refusal to waste life.
7. Faith Was His Anchor Throughout
When diagnosed with kidney failure, he got on his knees and prayed.
He says God told him, “We're not done.”
This became his mantra for survival and purpose. [
8. Tag Us Worldwide: “Together Achieving Greatness”
His company focuses on:
Leadership transformation
Cultural elevation
Organizational outcomes
Preparing leaders for the AI-powered future
Tag Us delivers impact through:
Real-world corporate experience
AI-enhanced strategy
Emotional intelligence coaching
Business transformation frameworks
He blends AI + EQ, insisting companies should never rely on AI alone.
9. AI Won’t Replace Humans—But Humans Who Use AI Will Win
Tuggle led an AI organization for four years, and his stance is clear:
AI is here to stay
The “secret sauce” is people
Leaders must embrace change, not fear it
Emotional intelligence will enhance AI outcomes
10. Legacy = Family + Leadership + Service
He emphasizes shaping his daughter’s worldview and standards.
She graduated with honors from USC’s Marshall Business School.
He believes leaders should create environments where people can win—and that is his mission.
🗣 Notable Quotes (with citations) On success
“I didn’t just wake up and look like this—I put in the hard work.” [
On leadership
“If you take care of your people, they take care of you.”
On preparation
“Stay ready—we don’t have to get ready.” [
On DEI
“You need diversity of color but also diversity of thought.”
On fear
“I faced many obstacles throughout my life… fear becomes motivation.” [
On AI
“Good leaders embrace change. Great leaders inspire change.” [
On resilience
“I am highly favored… I’ve beaten the odds twice.” [
On purpose
“My passion is leadership; my purpose is changing lives.” [
#SHMS #STRAW #BEST
Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and Subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning!
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Rhonda Spratt.
Founder of Bella Luv, a Georgia‑based nonprofit (referred to in the transcript as Ghost Pink / Bella Luv) dedicated to year‑round breast cancer awareness, early detection advocacy, and compassionate support for women undergoing treatment. Inspired by her mother’s experience and eventual passing from metastatic breast cancer, Spratt explains her mission to move beyond October awareness campaigns and create continuous impact through education, community engagement, and personalized care boxes for women in active treatment.
The conversation touches on her personal grief journey, her motivations, the work required to run a nonprofit, her practices for emotional balance, and her vision to normalize year‑round breast cancer education.
🎯 Purpose of the Interview 1. To Share Rhonda Spratt’s Motivation for Founding Bella Luv
Her mother's breast cancer journey—early detection success followed by recurrence due to lack of ongoing screenings—motivated her to create a nonprofit that centers early detection and support.
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2. To Educate Listeners About the Realities of Breast Cancer
She discusses stages, recurrence, survival rates, and the importance of consistent mammograms beyond October.
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3. To Promote Year‑Round Awareness and Action
Spratt stresses that breast cancer does not “take a break” and that communities must stop limiting education and advocacy to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
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4. To Highlight the Work and Impact of Her Nonprofit
Bella Luv has supported 76+ women nationwide with tailored care boxes that meet their personal treatment needs.
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5. To Inspire Others to Balance Purpose, Grief, Community Work, and Personal Wellness
She shares how golf, yoga, and intentional self‑care allow her to manage emotional weight while serving others.
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📌 Key Takeaways 1. Early Detection Saves Lives
Breast cancer’s 5‑year survival rate is 99% with early detection.
Rhonda’s mother survived over 10 years after her first early diagnosis but passed when the cancer returned aggressively and was not caught in time.
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2. Breast Cancer Awareness Should Be Year‑Round
October provides visibility, but many women are diagnosed in every month.
Limiting awareness to one month creates desensitization, not education.
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3. Bella Luv Provides Tailored Support for Women in Treatment
Care boxes include mastectomy bras, aluminum‑free deodorant, skincare, ginger tea for chemo nausea, journals, and motivational items.
Boxes are customized based on the woman’s stage, treatment, and needs.
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4. Running a Nonprofit Requires Community, Consistency & Help
Spratt initially did everything alone and highlights the importance of partnerships, sponsors, and consistent supporters.
Sustainably operating a nonprofit goes far beyond obtaining 501(c)(3) status.
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5. Emotional Balance Is Essential
Supporting women “fighting for their lives” is heavy work.
Spratt uses yoga 3‑4 times per week and golf for mental balance and rejuvenation.
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6. Nationwide Impact From a Georgia Base
Bella Luv has sent care boxes to women across the U.S., including Colorado and Houston.
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7. Personal Loss Transformed Into Purpose
Spratt honors her mother without living in grief, finding healing in helping others.
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💬 Notable Quotes (from the transcript) On early detection
“If you detect breast cancer early, the five‑year survival rate is 99%.”
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On her mother’s recurrence
“She didn’t schedule a mammogram… she was distracted, caught up with life instead of making her health a priority.”
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On year‑round awareness
“Breast cancer doesn’t wait until October to be diagnosed. Women are diagnosed every day.”
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On founding her nonprofit
“I wanted to be more hands‑on… intentionally gift women with items they need as they’re going through breast cancer.”
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On emotional healing
“It is very healing… I get joy from helping other women as they’re going through their healing journey.”
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On running a nonprofit
“You have to ask for help… in the beginning I was a one‑woman show.”
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On women’s identity and mastectomy
“It’s like losing a part of yourself… you feel like a part of your womanhood has been taken away.”
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On faith and purpose
“Faith is definitely driving this… I felt a strong call that I needed to step up and do more.”
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#STRAW #SHMS #BEST
Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Steve Harvey Morning Show for Monday, February 16th, 2026: Steve Harvey's Morning Inspiration | Show Open | Church Complaints | Ask The CLO | Who Is To Blame For Cheating In The Relationship? | Would You Rather | Junior's Black History Month Poem | Nephew Tommy's Prank - "Wet Robe" | Strawberry Letter - "My Peace & Happiness Is Next Door" Pt. 1-2 | JAB - Letter From A Runaway Slave | Comedy Roullette | 4-Day Work Week | Would You Rather | Steve Harvey's Closing Remarks
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