Summer Owens S.O. What! https://summerowens.com/ S.O. What! Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:26:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5 https://i0.wp.com/summerowens.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/cropped-Summer-Owens-S.O.-What.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Summer Owens S.O. What! https://summerowens.com/ 32 32 152051023 Transformative Leadership and Breaking Barriers: The Journey of Rose Flenorl https://summerowens.com/transformative-leadership-and-breaking-barriers-rose-flenorl-journey/ https://summerowens.com/transformative-leadership-and-breaking-barriers-rose-flenorl-journey/#respond Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:00:18 +0000 https://summerowens.com/?p=24852 What Does It Take to Break Barriers? Rose Flenorl’s story is a powerful example of transformative leadership in action. Growing up in Clarksdale, Mississippi, as the oldest of four, Rose was determined to make her mark. Her ambitious goal? To become the first African American woman inducted into the Ole Miss Student Hall of Fame. […]

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]]> https://summerowens.com/transformative-leadership-and-breaking-barriers-rose-flenorl-journey/feed/ 0 24852 A Life of Service, Faith, and Purpose: Cary E. Vaughn’s Inspiring Journey https://summerowens.com/faith-centered-leadership-and-community-service-cary-vaughn-journey/ https://summerowens.com/faith-centered-leadership-and-community-service-cary-vaughn-journey/#respond Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:30:50 +0000 https://summerowens.com/?p=24845 A Story of Faith-Centered Leadership and Community Service Growing up in North Memphis, Cary Vaughn faced adversity early in life. Raised in the shadow of his father’s alcoholism and the pain of losing him at a young age, Cary could have allowed these challenges to define his life. But instead, they became the driving force […]

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]]> https://summerowens.com/faith-centered-leadership-and-community-service-cary-vaughn-journey/feed/ 0 24845 Leading With Faith and Responsibility: A Leadership Journey That Redefines Success https://summerowens.com/leading-with-faith-and-responsibility-leadership-journey/ https://summerowens.com/leading-with-faith-and-responsibility-leadership-journey/#respond Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:00:45 +0000 https://summerowens.com/?p=24829 A Conversation That Makes You Think Some conversations leave you thinking, and that is exactly what happened during my recent S.O. What! Success Stories conversation with Mickell Lowery. Yes, he has the titles. Yes, he has built a strong and credible career across corporate America and public service. But what stood out to me most […]

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]]> https://summerowens.com/leading-with-faith-and-responsibility-leadership-journey/feed/ 0 24829 Choosing Purpose and Resilience with Laurie Powell https://summerowens.com/laurie-powell-leadership-resilience/ https://summerowens.com/laurie-powell-leadership-resilience/#respond Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:00:28 +0000 https://summerowens.com/?p=24818 Some conversations stay with me because they press on something I know many of us are working through, even if we don’t always say it out loud. My recent S.O. What! Success Stories conversation with Laurie Powell was one of those moments. It made me think about what leadership really looks like when things feel […]

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]]> https://summerowens.com/laurie-powell-leadership-resilience/feed/ 0 24818 From Teen Mom to Purpose-Driven Leader: A Success Journey That Redefines the Narrative https://summerowens.com/chanielle-talbird-teen-mom-success-journey/ https://summerowens.com/chanielle-talbird-teen-mom-success-journey/#respond Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:00:33 +0000 https://summerowens.com/?p=24805 People love to label you by your lowest moment. Teen mom. Statistic. Setback. But when I sat down with Chanielle Talbird, I did not see a label. I saw leadership. And what stood out most in her teen mom success journey was not her brand, her books, or her growing influence in Memphis. It was […]

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]]> https://summerowens.com/chanielle-talbird-teen-mom-success-journey/feed/ 0 24805 Love Yourself: When Purpose Becomes Personal https://summerowens.com/love-yourself-when-purpose-becomes-personal/ https://summerowens.com/love-yourself-when-purpose-becomes-personal/#respond Thu, 12 Feb 2026 04:50:33 +0000 https://summerowens.com/?p=24781 Over a decade ago, I created the Love Yourself Event because I saw a need. During Valentine’s season, while many celebrate romance, others quietly struggle. Some feel lonely. Others question their worth. Many carry silent battles. So, I decided to create a space that focused on self-worth instead of relationship status. And that helps to […]

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]]> https://summerowens.com/love-yourself-when-purpose-becomes-personal/feed/ 0 24781 Leading When the Spotlight Is Unforgiving: What Steve Mulroy Shared About Resilience https://summerowens.com/resilient-leadership-under-pressure-steve-mulroy/ https://summerowens.com/resilient-leadership-under-pressure-steve-mulroy/#respond Sat, 10 Jan 2026 05:00:11 +0000 https://summerowens.com/?p=24755 Some leadership lessons are learned quietly. Others are learned with the entire world watching. My conversation with Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy reminded me how often leadership is misunderstood. Many people see the title before they ever see the person. What stood out to me was not the position Steve holds, but the consistency […]

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]]> https://summerowens.com/resilient-leadership-under-pressure-steve-mulroy/feed/ 0 24755 Choosing Resilience After Tragedy: What Tiran Jackson Taught Me About Moving Forward https://summerowens.com/choosing-resilience-after-tragedy-tiran-jackson/ https://summerowens.com/choosing-resilience-after-tragedy-tiran-jackson/#respond Sat, 27 Dec 2025 05:00:07 +0000 https://summerowens.com/?p=24743 Some stories stay with you long after the conversation ends. Not because of dramatic moments or timelines, but because of the depth of truth behind the words. That is what I experienced in my conversation with Tiran Jackson. Tiran is a leader, speaker, and resiliency expert, but more than that, he is someone who understands […]

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]]> https://summerowens.com/choosing-resilience-after-tragedy-tiran-jackson/feed/ 0 24743 Merry Christmas- Memories, Meaning, and Me https://summerowens.com/merry-christmas-memories-meaning-and-me/ https://summerowens.com/merry-christmas-memories-meaning-and-me/#respond Thu, 25 Dec 2025 15:35:49 +0000 https://summerowens.com/?p=24750 Merry Christmas. This one feels different. This is the first Christmas I am truly aware of how much of a gift it is just to be here. Surviving cancer has a way of slowing everything down and turning your heart up real loud. Today, gratitude feels heavier and sweeter at the same time. I keep […]

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