For some women, home is a place. For others, it is something carried quietly within them through memory, ritual, and the stories passed from one generation to the next.

For Salwa Petersen, home begins in northern Chad, in the quiet rhythms of the Sahel and in the circle of women who gathered to share knowledge, care, and ancestral ritual. Those early experiences, watching her great-grandmother lead the sacred Chébé hair ritual, became the foundation for a life that would eventually span continents, cultures, and industries.

Leadership is often framed as endurance, output and constant motion, especially for Black and Brown women who have been pushed to carry more than their share for generations. But as Dr. Wendi Williams, President-elect of the American Psychological Association, reminds us in this candid conversation, a different way is not only possible, it is necessary. 

Being an actress might sound glamorous, but it’s also easy to lose yourself in a world that prioritizes performance over peace. For someone who moves between film, Broadway and coaching with grace and purpose, staying grounded requires more than just talent, it takes intention. This conversation isn’t just about career milestones though; it’s about the clarity, faith and wellness practices that keep actress, Tryphena Wade, rooted in the midst of a fasting moving industry.

Virginia is the epitome of a Wellthy Woman—a trailblazer in her own right, a creative activist and an example of what living authentically looks like. Coming from a family of changemakers, her life’s work is rooted in a legacy of equity, justice and shalom—which she defined as a beautiful concept of peace and wholeness.