Shonda Rhimes

“I am not lucky. You know what I am? I am smart, I am talented, I take advantage of the opportunities that come my way and I work really, really hard. Don’t call me lucky. Call me a badass.” - Shonda Rhimes

A Boss With A Capital ‘B’

Shonda Rhimes is truly a tour de force among Hollywood’s movers and shakers. With almost twenty years in the entertainment industry, Shonda continues to be a revolutionary vanguard who is smashing glass ceilings and setting groundbreaking records on the small screen. Where there was no path, Shonda continues to blaze formidable trails as one of the most successful showrunners in the game. As an inspiring writer, myself, there is so much about Shonda Rhimes, I admire and respect. Her profound talent, tenacity, and business savvy motivate me to go after my dreams of abundant writing success.

Representation is so important. As the old adage goes, if you see it, you can be it. It means a lot, as a person of color. to see someone who looks like you making such monumental strides in an industry known to be overwhelmingly white and male. So, I definitely look up to Ms. Shonda Rhimes as my writing mentor, role model, and life coach.

There are so many reasons why Shonda is the ultimate Boss with a capital ‘B.’ Starting with her rise to fame, Shonda’s 2005 TV pilot, Grey’s Anatomy, was an instant hit that is now the longest-running television series in primetime history. Now in its 17th season, Grey’s Anatomy has millions of fans all over the world. Currently streaming on Netflix, the series continues to expand its global fanbase. Over the years, the show has garnered an extremely passionate subculture of enthusiasts. It even has its own lexicon where any hardcore fan will understand how to use McDreamy, McSteamy, and vajayjay in a sentence.

Diverse Representation Matters

Shonda plays such an integral role as an Executive Producer who continues to introduce diverse, layered, complex characters of color in prominent roles where they possess individuality, presence, and agency—breaking the mold of negative stereotypical roles. Shonda lets us know that, yes, a Black man (Richard Webber, M.D.) can be Chief of Surgery as played by the very talented James Pickens, Jr. Shonda also shows us two prominent Black doctors, played by Taye Diggs and Audra McDonald, can own and run a health and wellness center as portrayed in the Grey’s spinoff television series, Private Practice. And week after week we have the great pleasure of watching how these well-rounded, diverse characters handle the pressures of their careers alongside hot and steamy Shonda-style romantic liaisons.

And in her Washington D.C. political drama, Scandal, Shonda uses the real-life crisis manager, Judy A. Smith, to present a high-powered, cunning, and politically savvy Black woman helming her own crisis management firm. With her highly successful series, Scandal, Shonda introduced to the world the enigmatic Olivia Pope, played by the beautiful and gifted Kerry Washington. Through this fast-paced, twisty drama, Kerry Washington was the first Black female lead since the 1968 TV series Julia, starring Diahann Carroll. Let’s do the math. Scandal made its debut in 2012, which is 44 years from the date Julia aired in 1968. Just to be clear, that is over four decades! By its fourth season, Scandal was ranked as one of the top ten television dramas in the United States.

Shondaland or Die

Through her production company, Shondaland, Shonda continues the trend of giving strong, smart women a platform in the arena of television programming, especially women of color. In her legal thriller TV series, How To Get Away With Murder, which first premiered in 2014, we follow the fictional law professor Annalise Keating who works with a diverse cast of First-Year law students entangled in a huge murder plot.

The phenomenal award-winning actress Viola Davis plays the lead. Through her role as the ever so cunning Annalise Keating, Davis became the first Black woman to receive an Emmy for Best Actress in a Television Drama. Yes! Again, Shonda has created a non-stereotypical role for an African-American lead who exemplifies the badassery of her brand. A strong woman in control. A woman with agency. A woman with influence.

Shonda’s Has The Receipts

Shonda Rhimes has created a full body of work that continues to showcase the genius of her writing and creative abilities. Shonda has received several awards that acknowledge the incredible contributions she’s made in the entertainment industry. To name a few, in 2005, Rhimes received the award for Best New Series from the Writers Guild of America, the 2007 Glamour Woman of the Year Award, the 2007 Producers Guild of America Award, the 2016 Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television History, several NAACP Image Awards For Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series, a Golden Globe for Outstanding Television Drama, and the list goes on and on.

Wait. One more mention. Shonda Rhimes has been one of many luminaries celebrated in the 100 of the Most Influential People edition of TIME Magazine. And Shonda was featured not once but twice in the special edition of Fortune Magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business.

Another amazing accomplishment Shonda has realized is that she’s the first woman Executive Producer to have accomplished a trifecta of television dramas (Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, and Scandal) to reach 100 episodes. This accomplishment is a major milestone no other female Executive Producer has ever achieved. A few female Executive Producers such as Marta Kauffman (Friends and Dream On's ) and Mara Brock Akil (The Game, Girlfriends) have achieved this 100 episode milestone for two successful television series but not three. Here, Shonda Rhimes stands in a league all of her own.

Bridgeton Mania

In 2017, Shonda Rhimes made major Boss moves and ended her contract with Disney/ABC. In fierce Shonda-Boss fashion, she left the network and her ten million dollar salary, inking a record-breaking $150 million deal with Netflix. Talk about inspiring? Shonda Rhimes took a stand, clearly recognizing all of what she brings to the table and would not accept less. Love it! I get so much energy from a Black Woman walking in her power and worth.

This highly discussed mega-deal with Netflix sent all the shockwaves throughout the television and film industry. This move is a tremendous flex for Shonda Rhimes. Besides the major bucks, Rhime’s partnership with Netflix gives her more creative power and a much larger production budget as we saw in her Netflix debut of the highly-rated and popular show, Bridgerton. This regency period, Gossip Girl-esque dramedy was anointed with Shonda’s Midas touch reaching over 63 million households in its first month of airing. Bridgerton went on to reach the number one spot in 76 countries and was one of Netflix's Top 10 shows in 190 countries.

This woman cannot be stopped and I’m, so here for all of it!

Year of Yes

If not being an all-around mega-superstar producer is enough, Shonda Rhimes is also the bestselling author of her book, Year of Yes. Her memoir follows her journey of self-acceptance, self-love, and owning her voice. Shonda committed herself to a year of saying yes, after realizing she was declining offers, invitations, and opportunities as a result of unhealed wounds revolving around shame and insecurity. After a conversation with her sister, about her habit of turning down meetings with dignitaries and powerful people from all over the world, it became apparent to Shonda that it was time to deal with her social anxiety issues.

Shonda went on a journey of self-exploration, getting to the root of her no’s. Through this journey, Shonda learned to appreciate who she is and what she has to offer the world through her gifts, talents, and abilities. A large part of her road to self-acceptance was in her amazing weight-loss journey. In the book, Shonda explains how self-conscious and hyper-aware she was about how others saw her as an overweight woman, to the point of using ‘no’ as a way to shelter and protect herself from rejection. But thankfully, Shonda found her way out of this self-defeating cycle, implemented a health regimen, and lost over one hundred pounds.

I find so much inspiration in her physical transformation. When I became a woman of a certain age, I began having issues with my weight. I’ve experienced how being overweight can be so disruptive to your perception of yourself, to the point of not wanting to be seen. I kept my pics off of my Social Media platforms and would also decline certain social invitations because I couldn’t wear the types of outfits my previous size 8 body donned.

But after reading her memoir, I took an honest assessment of my own struggle with body image and took it upon myself to take the steps to achieve the level of health and wellness I deserve. It all comes down to knowing your worth and making a decision to value yourself. We all want to achieve the best versions of ourselves but first, we need to prioritize eliminating self-defeating behaviors. Shonda’s book was a big part of me giving myself permission to be my best self in the world. It also empowered me to cancel my own self-sabotaging behaviors.

Motherhood

I love how Shonda is even a mom on her own terms. She wanted a family but not necessarily a husband. In several interviews about her desire to adopt, Shonda explains she realized that marriage was not for her but she always wanted to be a mom. And in particular, she always wanted a daughter. And now, she has three.

Shonda adopted her first baby girl at age 32, nine months after the tragic events of 9/11. Shonda explains in interviews about adoption that she was in a place in her life where she knew it was time to start a family. So, in 2002, she adopted her first baby girl, Harper. And then in 2012, she adopted her second daughter, Emerson. And in 2013, Rhimes had her third daughter, Beckett, via gestational surrogacy, making Beckett her first biological daughter.

I think it's amazing, with all that Shonda Rhimes does and how busy her life is, she is able to raise a family. As a single mother, this means so much to me. Where there's a will, there is truly a way. In a very poignant and relatable quote by Shonda on motherhood, she said, Mothers are never off the clock, mothers are never on vacation. Being a mother redefines us, reinvents us, destroys, and rebuilds us. As a single mother, this absolutely resonates.

My Shonda Journey

Grey’s Anatomy was the show that inspired me to become a television writer. Shonda’s unique signature on the show, her voice, compelling storylines, and vibrant characters propelled me to become a better writer. I studied the craft. Purchased the courses. and read the craft books. I also immersed myself in everything Grey’s Anatomy, reading every script from the first season. Shonda’s talent and representation, as a Black woman, opened new doors of possibilities for me when it came to how I looked at where my writing could possibly take me. It was a Grey’s Anatomy spec script I wrote that led to my acceptance into the prestigious and highly competitive Disney Fellowship program, which seeks out talented writers from under-represented communities.

Shonda Rhimes is a major part of my writing journey. And in a weird sort of way, when I create a piece, in the back of my mind, I tell myself, I want to make her proud. I imagine her reading my scripts or future novels and giving it her stamp of approval, which would mean the entire world to me. I can go on and on about the many reasons why I admire and simply adore Shonda Rhimes.

Shonda has and continues to be my secret writing instructor, mentor, and life coach. She is the exemplification of what hard work, focus, determination, and unmitigated talent can open the doors to. Just take a look at what she has accomplished, in such a short period of time, in an industry powered by mostly white males who have, for the most part, been the gatekeepers and decision-makers. Shonda has shattered ceilings, broken molds, and blazed her own trail and I am forever grateful for her talent, moxie, and drive. It may be taking me a bit longer to achieve my writing dreams, but I see a path where I may have not seen one before. I thank Ms. Shonda Rhimes for that. I truly do.