Episode 34

The Blueprint to ThriveHER: Healing Beyond Survival with Dr. Sonya McKinzie

Published on: 3rd September, 2025

The Blueprint to ThriveHER: Healing Beyond Survival with Dr. Sonya McKinzie

In this powerful hour-long conversation, I’m joined by Dr. Sonya Alise McKinzie, Founder & CEO of ThriveHER Inc., a transformative organization dedicated to empowering women through mentorship, personal development, and community impact.


Dr. McKinzie has authored and co-authored 24 books, including The Blueprint to ThriveHER and the celebrated children’s story Paisley and the Purple Balloon. Her dedication to service has earned her prestigious recognition such as the 2025 American Mother Inc. of the Year (Georgia), the 2024 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, and an Honorary Doctorate in Humanitarianism.


In this episode, we talk about what it means to heal beyond survival, to create a life rooted in purpose, and to leave a blueprint for others to thrive.


📌 Connect with Dr. Sonya:

🌐 Website: www.thriveher.me

📖 Books: Amazon Author Page | ThriveHER Shop

📱 Facebook: DrSonyaAliseMcKinzie


✨ This is our very first hour-long episode—because the message was too powerful to split into two.

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About the Podcast

Surviving Me
a soul-led podcast where healing gets real, growth gets messy, and every story begins with “I’m healing.”

This isn’t just another self-help show. It’s a safe space to unpack the heartbreak, the triggers, the setbacks, and the glow-ups that come with reclaiming your peace.

Hosted like a diary, each episode is a raw reflection on what it means to navigate pain, rediscover your worth, and love yourself back together—one moment, one lesson, one entry at a time.

About your host

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Dainna Dickerson

Dainna Dickerson is the voice and heart behind Surviving Me, a podcast and healing space dedicated to turning survival into self-discovery. A storyteller at her core, Dainna uses her own experiences of resilience, growth, and transformation to create conversations that are raw, real, and deeply human.

What began as her personal outlet quickly grew into a community, where solo reflections, guest conversations, and Glow Letters connect listeners to the power of survival and the beauty of healing. Through her work, Dainna reminds others that survival is not the end of the story — it’s the beginning of becoming.

As a psychology student, mother, and multi-passionate creative, she weaves together wisdom, compassion, and truth with every episode. Her mission is simple but powerful: to hold space for the messy, to celebrate the breakthroughs, and to guide others toward the freedom of living unapologetically as themselves.

When she’s not recording, you can find her writing, designing healing-centered resources, and building Surviving Me Studio — a growing ecosystem of tools, letters, and stories designed to help others feel seen, supported, and empowered.

🦋 Real stories. Raw healing. Where survival meets self-discovery.