Dr. Shekina Farr of Decatur on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Dr. Shekina Farr shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Shekina, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: Have you stood up for someone when it cost you something?
Absolutely, and it changed the entire course of my life.

About fifteen years ago, while serving as an Assistant Principal, I stood up for a colleague who was being treated unfairly. I knew that speaking out might make me a target, but I didn’t expect the full weight of what followed: being professionally isolated, discredited, and eventually blackballed.

At the time, I was rising quickly in the field, leading with excellence and earning respect for the results I was producing. But once I advocated for someone else, I became “a problem.” I learned that in many systems, brilliance is only welcome when it stays quiet. The experience was both devastating and clarifying.

That story became the seed for my upcoming book, Blackballed While Brilliant: Leading Through the Sabotage of Your Shine. In it, I unpack not just my own story, but the broader patterns that keep visionary, purpose-driven leaders, especially Black women, from being fully seen and supported. I created a framework called the SHINE Method™ to help others survive sabotage, heal from betrayal, and still lead with power and authenticity.

Standing up cost me a lot. But it also forced me to forge something stronger: sovereignty. And now, I help others do the same.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Dr. Shekina Farr, the founder of Formidable Woman® University, a leadership ecosystem created to help women and visionary leaders walk in confidence, clarity, and sovereignty across business, career, relationships, and voice.

My work stands apart because it invites leaders to go deeper than performance or appearance. I guide individuals and organizations through the transformation required to lead with integrity, truth, and authority. That passion is personal because of my own story of being blackballed as a young Assistant Principal after standing up for a colleague. The experience shook my identity, but it also laid the foundation of everything I teach now about voice, visibility, confidence and self-leadership.

In addition to executive coaching and certification programs, FWU serves corporate teams through dynamic leadership training, keynote speaking, and The Formidable Woman® Leadership Game – Boundaries Edition. The game is a leadership tool and an interactive experience built around real-life scenarios that challenge participants to explore boundary-setting through reflection, role-play, and strategic decision-making. It creates space for courageous dialogue and builds leadership capacity in a way that’s both transformative and practical.

Right now, I’m preparing for the release of my next book, Blackballed While Brilliant, while continuing to expand the reach of our leadership development platforms. At every level, my mission remains the same: to help leaders rise with clarity, lead with courage, and never dim their brilliance for systems that fear their light.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world imposed its expectations, I was a bold, curious girl with an unshakable sense that I was meant to lead and be seen. I was fiercely independent, unafraid to ask hard questions, and deeply committed to fairness and truth even when it was not easy or popular.

That early version of me did not yet know the limits others would try to place on my voice or the cost that would come with standing up for what I believed in. But she held a core belief that brilliance and integrity were worth fighting for no matter the resistance.

This is why I am so passionate about my purpose. My work today is about reconnecting leaders with that original self, the part that is unfiltered, unapologetic, and sovereign, so they can lead fully and fearlessly without shrinking to fit someone else’s mold.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
For a long time, I tried to hide the pain of being ousted, blackballed and silenced in my early leadership career. It felt safer to keep those wounds private, to wear a mask of strength while processing the betrayal and isolation inside. But that silence came at a price. I realized that hiding my pain kept me stuck and limited my ability to lead authentically.

The turning point came when I decided to face the hurt head-on and use it as a catalyst for growth. I developed the SHINE Method™️ as a way to help myself and others survive, heal, and rise after betrayal or setbacks. Instead of letting pain define me, I chose to make it the foundation of my power and purpose.

That choice shaped everything that came next. It changed how I show up in the world and how I help others find their own strength in vulnerability.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is a part of who I am, but it is not the whole story. As a leader, I choose what to share and how to show up in ways that serve the people I’m leading and the work I’m doing. There is always a private side where I process, reflect, and sometimes struggle with the same doubts and challenges everyone faces.

Being public doesn’t mean being perfect. It means being intentional about my presence while still protecting space to grow and heal away from the spotlight. Over time, I have worked to close the gap between my public self and my true self so that more of my authenticity shines through. But that balance is ongoing and part of the journey of leadership and sovereignty.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people remember me as a leader who refused to shrink in the face of adversity. Someone who stood up for others, even when it came at a personal cost. A woman who forged her own path with courage, clarity, and uncompromising integrity.

More than that, I want my story to be one of transformation and confidence—how my life and presence gave countless women and men permission to be great, to be more, and to be bold. I hope people see that I helped others find their own voice and power, inspiring a ripple effect of formidable leadership.

But beyond professional achievements, I want to be remembered as a loving mom, a cherished helpmate, a loyal friend, a supportive sister, a proud auntie, and a devoted daughter. These relationships shaped me and grounded me, reminding me daily that leadership starts with how we show up for the people we love.

More than titles or awards, I want to be remembered for the lives I touched, the barriers I helped break, and the legacy of sovereignty I left behind.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.formidablewomanuniversity.com

Image Credits
Kimazing Photography