I’m living my dream… again!

And the best part is I get to dress up every day to do it…

 

Life After Sports

I had a full life before becoming a mom; I was an Olympic athlete that traveled the world and competed on the largest stages. I always knew I wanted to complete my athletic career before becoming a mom but I wasn’t sure about life after motherhood.

Would I want to be a stay-at-home mom?

Would I become so absorbed in motherhood that I would put everything on the back burner?

Could I really live like that?

Well before I had an opportunity to figure it all out, God blessed my husband and I with Deucey.

The first year of motherhood is still somewhat of a blur…I can’t remember much about how I managed to balance it all, but what I know for sure is that my drive to do great things never died.

The mere fact that MommiNation exists is a testament to just that! As the founder of this incredible platform for black moms, I was able to strike the perfect balance of creating, networking and engaging people outside of my home while being authentic and integrating my new role as a first-time mom.

I’m also a firm believer that in order to be my best self I have to feed my passions daily. I have to walk fully in my purpose so that my family can get the best version of me. Adding MommiNation to my list of accomplishments has definitely helped me to walk in my purpose; however, I wasn’t done just yet!

So what next?

Central Ave

I had no idea how it was going to happen, but I knew I wanted to be on TV again! I was prayerful about it, I manifested it and then one day I received a call from my agent informing me that I’ve been invited to audition for a new show!

Keep in mind, I’ve never auditioned for anything ever in life! The only job I’ve ever had was running and although I was commenting track and field for NBC, this wasn’t a gig that I had to audition to get.

I was excited, nervous, anxious… everything!

Make a VERY long story short, I auditioned with six other people who were all extremely talented and experienced. But God! You can only imagine the overwhelming joy I felt when they offered me the opportunity to co-host the highly anticipated show by movie producer Will Packer, Central Ave, alongside the beautiful Julissa Bermudez!

Worth the Wait

It’s been over a year in the making but I’m finally on set!

Not only do I have the incredible opportunity to work with some of the best producers and talent in the business, but Julissa and I are also the FIRST two women of color to host a news magazine show. Our show is much like Entertainment tonight, we investigate stories and dig deeper than most outlets but we always have a “Central” angle! Usually, one that is diverse, authentic and different.

Here are a few clips from our show that give you a sneak peek on what makes Central Ave, CENTRAL AVE!

I hope you will tune in to Fox every night for the next 5 weeks and support us.

Here are the local listings and you can also watch every episode on YouTube.

Now, to you!

I want you to be the Mommi that still goes for it!

And here are five ways that I think you too can continue to walk in your purpose and live your dreams:

1. Create your vision board

This is such an important practice! You have to see the things you want for yourself. They need to be tangible. Thought out. You need to commit time to doing the work *in my Iyanla voice*. The best part about creating a vision board is that it challenges you and pushes you to be clear about what you want to accomplish. It holds you accountable and is a constant reminder of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it! I’d love for us to do a MommiNation vision board series for 2020, stay tuned!

2. Speak the things you want out loud, often!

Don’t be afraid to say the thing you want out loud… often! You have to speak it as though it’s not an idea or a dream but a reality. You ARE the TV host, you ARE the Olympic champion, you are the MOMMI!

3. Stay encouraged

Great things never happen overnight, they never come easy so you will have to fight for your dreams! You will hear no, you will run out of money, you will lose support but you have to believe so strongly in what you’re doing that it doesn’t shake your confidence. You have to believe when no one else does and constantly push forward. One of my favorite nuggets of advice from my sports physiologist is to FAIL FORWARD. As long as you learn from it and keep pushing forward you’re still on your way to your goal!

4. Find your village

As a Mommi, this will be paramount! You will need a NATION that you trust to fill in the gaps. It’s impossible to be everywhere at once so you’ll need people that buy into your vision and support you.

5. Let Go of Mom Guilt

Which leads to this one. When you aren’t there, it’s natural to feel Mommi Guilt, but it’s ok. As long as you know you’re doing the best you can at all times you have to remember that your success is your family success. The best advice I can give you for this is to always be present! Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing be fully present! Be present with you kids, be present at work and be present with your partner.

Mommi,

You’re incredible, you can achieve anything you put your mind to! Whether it’s being the best full time mom you can be or the CEO of the next big company you have everything inside of you that you’ll need to achieve it. Walk in your purpose… EVERYDAY!

 

Love Mommi

Sanya