When I got to the Debra Lee part I felt that Sheila had more vitriol for her than she had for her husband or the other mistresses and I can't understand why. It rubbed me the wrong way and I think it may be a difference in generational thinking. It was an intriguing memoir and it was lovely to read about a woman who has worked so hard to build her businesses. A lot of the book was spent talking about her husband and he was a piece of shit during her marriage. It was painful to read about all that she endured and there were so many moments where I was yelling for her to leave him. It felt more a bit more like a tell all to me.

What a great little memoir! Four and a half stars! Sheila Johnson did such a wonderful job of balancing stories from her personal and business life. She truly had to walk through fire, not only in her marriage, but also in her efforts to build the Salamander resort. Her storytelling kept me on edge; I wanted to keep reading, but I also didn’t want it to end! Memoirs are not my usual go to, but this one caused me to move the genre up a notch. Now, who’s ready to discuss?!

I love stories about women, particularly Black women, who against all odds, rise above adversity, break barriers, and create legacies of strength, resilience, and empowerment for future generations. Sidebar: I definitely plan on visiting Salamander Resort & Spa.

I heard about this book on a program I watched and decided to pick it up. I’m so glad I did. Wow! This memoir is so well written and fascinating. I had not heard of Sheila Johnson before that news segment, although I had watched BET in the late 90’s.

Sheila Johnson opens up about the traumatic event that shattered her home life as a teenager and the heartaches and rough patches that have led her to the successful business woman and philanthropist she is today.

While frustrated with her at times for putting up with so much during her 33 year marriage, her story resonates because most readers will relate to her and can easily understand her motivations. She is open, honest and raw and shares so much with the readers. And while I could vividly imagine her resort and home, the photos at the end of the book were an added bonus. What an amazing woman. I absolutely loved it!

It goes to show you that no matter who you are, if you do not know yourself, anyone can come along and make you feel small. Sheila Johnson was a college freshman when she met the young man who would become her husband, her bully and biggest life lesson. Sheila starts her professional career as a musician and then a teacher and then an orchestra conductor (and creator). She helps fund the start of Black Entertainment Television and was a vital part of it's success. But she was also married to the cofounder, her ex-husband, who displayed many toxic traits and seemed to do everything he could to make his former wife feel insignificant. She finally left and began the tough process of rebuilding herself to become the proud business woman and mogul she is now. I recommend this to book to any woman going through a divorce. Johnson has overcome obstacles stemming from low self esteem, over coming emotional abuse, racism and more. Sheila Johnson's story teaches us that no matter who you are, facing challenges head-on can make you stronger.

You realize how awful Bob Johnson is about 3 seconds in, yet are never really satisfied by the why. Would have loved to have a deeper look of the daily life of this black billionaire family (a real rarity), and way less about her overcoming a bad marriage by spending a lot of money on random business ventures.