What’s next for Poncere after successful live show with Michelle Williams, receiving her flowers

WJBF – After another successful and sold out live show, comedian, actress, and mental health advocate Poncere returns to WJBF to talk about what’s next for her and The Poncere Show .

Thank you for coming to Celebrating Black Excellence. After a very successful live show with your special guest Michelle Williams , what’s next for you?

I am so grateful to even have the opportunity to produce another show. We are currently working. We’re in the infancy stages of planning, just trying to figure out what artists we would like to bring to the next show. I don’t have a date yet. Hopefully, I’ll be able to announce that maybe the earlier part of next year, maybe, but I’m actively working on trying to give you guys another show, and I want to keep in line with the mission and what we’ve been doing thus far, which is merging together clean entertainment with transformative dialog that improves our overall well-being and that promotes mental health and wellness. So that’s what’s really near and dear to my heart is a passion of mine, and I want to make sure that we’re just building from the last show.

You have not only been focusing on mental health, but you’ve been focusing on your physical health as well. How important is it to maintain your physical health along with your mental health?

I believe that physical health is very crucial to maintaining good mental health. The two are actually interconnected, and what I mean by that is they directly impact each other. Physical health can have a direct correlation to improving your mental wellness in the sense of when you are engaging in physical activities or just moving your body, that is a way to literally decrease your stress levels. There’s a lot of a lot of research that indicates that when you are working out, the brain releases those natural endorphins that actually help you to feel better. There’s also other research that indicates that when you are engaging in physical activity, it improves your sleep, it improves your cognitive function, and you’re able to focus and you able to improve your concentration. So for me, it is not about looks per se; it’s about trying to make sure I maintain good mental health and reaping the benefits of keeping my body in shape as well.

Absolutely, and you need that because actually you’ve been working. You recently just opened up for Nephew Tommy. So how did that opportunity come about, and how was that experience?

It was a wonderful experience. Nephew Tommy and his team were absolutely welcoming and professional, and they put on a great show for Augusta. So when Nephew Tommy comes back, you all need to be there. So how that opportunity came about is through my good friends at iHeart Media, Minnesota Fattz and Cher Best, as well as Ivy Elam. I don’t know all of the conversations behind the scenes, but my name was mentioned, and I was approved to open up for Nephew Tommy. He approved it, and I am just very grateful for having had that experience. I think that it speaks to the fact that sometimes you don’t know who’s watching you and who’s monitoring your growth. And for me, it’s about staying in that preparation mode so that when the opportunities present itself that you’re ready. So I’m just grateful for the relationships in these communities and working on my craft and my skill set so that when opportunities present itself, that I’m able to walk in those doors. So, I’m just very honored, excited, but I believe it’s all about relationships.

What words of encouragement can you give someone who maybe want to step out on faith, but they’re a little afraid to follow their dreams? What words of encouragement you get somebody who’s watching right now?

I would say for the person that has a dream… When I think about dreams, I think about a vision. Sometimes there are going to be things in your heart that just won’t go away. I believe it is those things that you are supposed to pursue. I believe sometimes fear, fear of the unknown, the doubts, sometimes that negative self-talk can impede us from going after those fears. But I would say to that person, even if you feel afraid, still do that thing afraid. Even if it doesn’t work out the way you had dreamed or planned it would you, at least be proud of yourself for trying, and show yourself grace and compassion because they’re going to be some things that you’ve never, ever embarked on that you don’t know. Sometimes we are doing things, and we don’t necessarily have a blueprint for those things, but I would tell that person to believe in themselves and to surround yourself with people that believe in you and believe in your talents. But I will also caution you not to be overly occupied with getting a validation of others as to get permission for doing the very thing that’s in your heart to do. That’s important. You can’t always wait for someone to be your cheerleader. You have to believe in yourself.

There’s a phrase or a quote on social media: “You miss all the shots that you don’t take.”

Absolutely. Sometimes you just don’t know. Out of all the shots that you’re taking, you don’t know which one is going to be the one that makes it. I think that’s just part of life. I would also add to that: do not compare yourself to anyone else. Your journey is not going to be the same as someone else. You may not make it to the finish line at the same time as someone else. You have to run your race, stay in your lane, and know your why. I think sometimes we are doing things that we don’t even understand why we’re doing it or the purpose for that thing, but you got to be very clear about your vision and be clear about your purpose.

If people want to know more about you, or if they want to follow your journey, can you give us that information?

Absolutely. I would love to connect with you all. Please follow me on Facebook and Instagram @PoncereDaniels . I look forward to connecting with you.

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