Episode 22

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Published on:

7th Oct 2026

Is Shape-Shifting a Black Woman's Superpower?

What happens when the Black girl who learned to survive through silence finally decides to speak?

My guest this week has spent her whole career on that. Dr. Ayana Tyler Hardaway is a sociologist and the author of From Crack Mother to Wildflower, and in her book she calls codeswitching "shape-shifting." She says it's our superpower, a gift that got passed down so we could survive.

We did it because we had to, and nobody's wrong for that.

But a lot of us left corporate, started our own thing, and brought all that behavior right into our businesses. You do it long enough and you don't even have words for it anymore. It's just how you move.

So is it really a superpower?

We got a scholar in the house for this one, OK? She went back through her own story, then her mother's, and built a 5-step writing method to help us rewrite our truths and get back to the root of who we really are.

I ain't gonna hold you, it is not sexi work. But if you keep saying you want to show up as yourself and you don't know where to start, start here.

Ugh...this conversation came at the perfect time for me, and you'll hear why.

Take the drab gray blazer off, boo.

About Ayana

Dr. Ayana Tyler Hardaway is an award-winning author, sociologist, educator, and founder of Wildflowers and Co. Her memoir, From Crack Mother to Wildflower: Writing to Transgress, introduces the Sankofa Writing Method.

Connect with Dr. Ayana Tyler Hardaway

Website: https://ayanathardaway.com

The book: https://www.amazon.com/Crack-Mother-Wildflower-Writing-Transgress-ebook/dp/B0DD5HKJK9

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayanathardaway/

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Ready to stop shape-shifting?

Start With SELF is a self-guided identity process. Six modules, one weekend. Get clear on who you are before you decide how to show up. Introductory rate: $97 → https://mellynated.com/self

Come talk to me on Substack. What gift did you put a blazer on? Tell me in the comments. → https://substack.com/@mellynated

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp4tHH05phcnjPgkXdhP1uDtcFaydNPbz

codeswitchrebellion.com

Your identity is the strategy.

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About the Podcast

Codeswitch Rebellion
For the ones who are done performing professionalism
Codeswitch Rebellion is a thought-provoking podcast for Black women who are tired of editing themselves to be seen, heard, or taken seriously.

Hosted by personal branding strategist, Melanie L. Denny, this show explores authenticity, identity, visibility, and personal branding without the pressure to perform professionalism, dilute your voice, or shrink your presence.

Through raw solo reflections and conversations with bold thinkers, creators, and leaders, Codeswitch Rebellion challenges the myths we’ve been taught about credibility, success, and what it means to “sound professional.”

This is a space for reclaiming your voice, honoring your rhythm, and building a brand rooted in who you actually are.

If you’re done code-switching for comfort and ready to show up whole, you’re in the right place.

About your host

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Melanie L. Denny

Melanie L. Denny, also known as Melly D, is a personal branding consultant who helps Black women stop performing professionalism and start showing up with bold authenticity.

Her core belief is simple: your identity is the strategy.

With over a decade of experience guiding professionals and entrepreneurs through visibility, messaging, and positioning, she is known for helping her clients build brands rooted in who they actually are, not who they were conditioned to be.

As the host of Codeswitch Rebellion, Melanie leads truth-telling conversations unpacking identity, authenticity, visibility, and storytelling...and what it means to show up with integrity, authority, and bold authenticity so you can attract better clients and bigger opportunities.