Interview with Sheila Newsom

Monika: Today I have the sheer pleasure of meeting Dr. Sheila Newsom, an American physician, published author, public speaker, successful entrepreneur, experienced producer, and lifelong student. Sheila can boast a military background, including graduation from West Point and service as an Airborne Ranger. She spent 22 years in private practice focusing on nephrology and critical care. She is is the founder of Finding Metis, an in-home ketamine therapy service, and the author of A Calling from the Bones (2018), a biographical book that covers different aspects of her transition. Hello Sheila!

Sheila: Monika, I am honored that you would ask me to contribute.

Monika: Our road to womanhood is usually long and winding. Was it the same in your case?

Sheila: The first forty-two years of my life I constructed the persona of an alpha male. I was raised in West Texas within the bosom of a close and loving family. My parents were intelligent, supportive, hardworking people who were not afraid to display affection. My father owned the local grocery store that was the heart and soul of the community. Yet, paradoxically I see them now as an elegant pair, a power couple living in the bardoland.

Interview with Jaime Erin Fivecoat

There are women whose quiet strength speaks volumes, whose presence brings warmth, and whose journeys radiate resilience and grace. Jaime Erin Fivecoat is one of them. A retired benefits manager from Taylors, South Carolina, Jaime now dedicates her life to advocacy, compassion, and service. With an open heart and a determined spirit, she devotes her time to four organizations, supporting people struggling with addiction, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, uplifting transgender individuals, and working to combat the stigma surrounding obesity. Her work, much like her personal journey, is driven by deep empathy and unwavering optimism. Jaime transitioned later in life, after decades of love, work, and quiet self-reflection.

 

She speaks of her journey not with regret but with gratitude, for the experiences that gave her strength, for the love of her devoted wife Karen, and for the newfound joy she discovered in finally becoming the woman she was always meant to be. Her voice carries not only the wisdom of lived experience, but also the tenderness of a woman who knows how precious authenticity truly is. Whether she’s advocating in the halls of Congress or facilitating a peer support meeting, Jaime stands as a beacon of hope and dignity. Her story reminds us that it’s never too late to live fully, love deeply, and shine brightly as yourself. It is my great honor to share with you this inspiring conversation with Jaime Erin Fivecoat.

Interview with Georgia Lee McGowen

Georgia Lee McGowen is a writer, blogger, and the author of the autobiographical book Dear Mom and Dad: You Don't Know Me, But … published in 2012, a work that reflects both her courage and her devotion to sharing her personal journey with honesty and heart. At 71 years old, she continues to work full-time as a Kitchen and Bath Designer in Mesa, Arizona, approaching life with curiosity, energy, and a deep appreciation for every opportunity that comes her way. Georgia’s journey into living authentically as a woman began in her mid-sixties, making her transition a gradual and deeply personal process rather than a sudden revelation, and her story highlights the complexities and rewards of embracing one’s true self later in life. A devoted Christian and passionate historian of famous lives, she reflects on her experiences with honesty, compassion, and a wry sense of humor, offering insights that resonate not only within the transgender community but also with anyone navigating the challenges of identity, acceptance, and personal growth. Her memoir and public speaking explore the delicate balance of gender identity and spirituality, emphasizing acceptance, perseverance, and the pursuit of meaningful relationships.

Interview with Grace Anne Stevens

Grace Anne Stevens is an American writer, speaker, trainer, blogger, and design engineer whose life story bridges high technology, education, and deeply human transformation. With over four decades in the tech industry, Grace built and led successful teams in both startups and large corporations, holding Director and Vice President roles in engineering and program management, and earning two patent awards along the way. She received her Bachelor of Engineering in 1969, and later, driven by a lifelong commitment to growth and teaching, returned to school to earn a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology at the age of 62, complementing her work with extensive training in the Internal Family Systems model.

 

Grace’s journey is also one of courage, honesty, and alignment with her true self. She transitioned at the age of 64 while actively working in two professional environments, an experience she often describes as a profound blessing, marked by acceptance rather than loss. Alongside her tech career, she spent six years counseling and facilitating psycho-education groups in a substance abuse clinic, helping people better understand themselves and their relationships. She is the author of the autobiography No! Maybe? Yes! Living My Truth, a book that blends memoir with reflection and has inspired many transgender women to ask the essential question, whose life am I living. Through her writing, public speaking, university lectures, and ongoing blogging, Grace continues to be a thoughtful voice of reason, compassion, and lived experience, someone who believes deeply in change that happens one person at a time.

Interview with JoAnne Wheeler Bland

Monika: Today's interview will be with JoAnne Wheeler Bland, a woman and a transgender activist, a practicing attorney for 44 years, former Special Justice on the Kentucky Supreme Court, former Vice-President of the Kentucky Fairness Alliance, current Board Member on the Fairness Campaign Coordinating Committee (in Louisville, Kentucky), a current member of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education's Committee on Equal Opportunity (the Diversity Committee).

In addition, JoAnne was a keynote speaker for the 27th Annual Kentucky Governor's Equal Employment Opportunity Conference whose topic was "The Transgender Worker", frequent guest speaker at Women's and Gender Studies at Kentucky Universities, and she participated as a guest speaker at numerous Kentucky Universities (on the issue of Transgender) and at PFLAG Meetings across Kentucky.

She studied theology for 13 years, and was a former United Methodist Certified Lay Speaker, evangelist and teacher, church choir member, architect, and interior layout designer, interior decorator, consultant to Kentucky School Districts on Transgender students and to Kentucky Courts on issues of Transgender, advising parents, adults, and children regarding transgender issues. Hello JoAnne!

 JoAnne: Thank you for interviewing me.