Deep Dive with Sheila Johnson on Walking Through Fire

Kelly Corrigan Wonders

Kelly Corrigan Show

Society & Culture

4.9 • 3.3K Ratings

🗓️ 26 August 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Sheila Johnson, co-founder of BET and the first African American woman to become a billionaire, sat down with Kelly at the Aspen Ideas Festival to talk about the power of rebuilding after devastation. From scrubbing floors to help her family get by after her father walked out, to being fired from her own company by her husband during a brutal divorce, Sheila reveals how she transformed repeated setbacks into stepping stones toward success and ultimately created a thriving hospitality business while discovering true love in her third act. Sheila's book is Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Triumph. Recorded at the Aspen Ideas Festival (June 2024). To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Why are businesses like HelloVet choosing Apple products and services?
0:04.8	So we started the business two years ago.
0:07.2	We had a few people who were used to PCs and this was their first foray into Macs.
0:12.5	But it's been super smooth getting everyone onto those devices and everyone seems really, really happy.
0:18.0	Find out how Mac can help you run and grow your business at apple.com forward slash
0:23.6	HelloVet.
0:29.6	Welcome to Kelly Corrigan Wonders.
0:33.7	I'm Kelly Corrigan, and today I'm wondering about resilience and reinvention with Sheila Johnson,
0:39.1	who I was on stage with at the Aspen Ideas Festival.
0:42.3	Sheila is a total pioneer.
0:44.1	She's the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television.
0:47.0	She's the first African-American woman to become a billionaire.
0:49.9	And she owns three professional sports teams.
0:52.9	But her path to success was anything but smooth.
0:56.5	After being fired from her own company by her husband during a brutal divorce, she rebuilt her life and created salamander hotels and resorts.
1:05.8	Sheila's book Walk Through Fire, A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Tri triumph, tells the story of growing up after her father
1:12.3	walked out on her family, building media and hospitality businesses from scratch, and facing
1:18.4	down everything from toxic relationships to racial hatred. Here is my conversation with Sheila
1:24.2	Johnson recorded at the Aspen Ideas Festival.
1:26.8	Music conversation with Sheila Johnson recorded at the Aspen Ideas Festival.
1:33.6	Okay, hi, everybody.
1:34.8	Welcome.
	...

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