Latest / Revolution of Purpose Podcast / Episode 40 with Sipiwe Moyo Following your Dreams To Live Your Purpose

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Episode 40 with Sipiwe Moyo Following your Dreams To Live Your Purpose · Revolution of Purpose Podcast

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What does it take to keep pursuing your dream when the opportunities aren't
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always guaranteed and your best effort doesn't always lead to
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a yes? Actress Sapiwe Moyo joins me to share her
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journey, starting all the way from Birmingham, Alabama, to television
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and film, and what she has learned about believing
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in yourself, handling rejection, and continuing
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to show up for the work that you love. Welcome to the Revolution of Purpose
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podcast. I'm your host, John Street, and each week we bring
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you conversations with thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and individuals who have
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aligned their life with purpose and created extraordinary results.
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So I'm going to live through it and accept it radically with grace and hope
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and love. I would be proud to be in this household. It was an honor.
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I had so much fun. Tune in every Monday for the Revolution of Purpose solo
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show and every Thursday for Revolution of Purpose Conversation. Welcome back
0:54
to the Revolution of Purpose Conversations episode. I'm John Street. I'm your host, and today
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we are talking about the courage to pursue your
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dreams and what it takes to keep choosing that dream as life unfolds.
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My guest today is actress Sipiwe Moyo,
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born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Sipiwe earned her
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Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from NYU's Tisch
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School of the Arts. Her screen credits include Orange Is
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the New Black, Limitless, Widow's Bay, and the film Empire
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Waste. But behind those credits is a story that
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I'm excited to explore, discovering her passion, developing her
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craft, and building a life around work that matters to
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her. We're going to talk about acting, we're going to
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talk about identity, we're going to talk about perseverance and how to keep believing
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in your purpose when you can't control every opportunity or
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every outcome. Puwe, my dear friend,
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welcome to the Revolution of Purpose podcast. I'm so glad
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you're here. Oh, dear John, thank you very much for having me. There's no
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place in the world I'd rather be than here with you.
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Actually, in person with you. That's, that's probably the place I'd rather be.
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That's true. That's true. But hey, this is as close as we can get right
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now. So, and I appreciate it. I am just, I'm just thrilled
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that you're on this episode. And so I have a question
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that I love to ask guests, and I'm especially thrilled
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about asking you this question. What is one thing
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that the young Sappiwe, the pre-theater,
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pre-New York, pre-television and film Sappiwe,
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the young Sappiwe that lives in Indian Springs, Alabama,
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what is one thing that she would look at your life right now and be
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proud of? She would be quite
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in awe, quite honestly, of the
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fact that it, it worked. Like, we did it, you know?
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I think that's what it is. And also, she would
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want to ask me, why do I feel like I
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don't deserve it? We've been working really hard for this for a long time.
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She'd be like, you're old, bitch! How did we
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get so old? And so that's what she could see is
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the time that's gone into it. She is
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still 13 years old. Like, like I can picture
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Sipiwai turning 13 years old. That is how long we've known each
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other. And now that we're both 25, that's 12 whole years.
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So yeah, I don't even know. It's been, it's felt like longer than 12,
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but that's how it is. Yeah. I know. I don't know how that is.
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No, she's, she's proud of me. And she should
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be. I'm sure she is. Young Sepiwe is very proud of all
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that you've done and all that you're going to do because you're just getting started
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and you're following your dreams. I love it. I do want to talk to 75-year-old
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Sepiwe and be like, girl, tell me everything.
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Tell me what's gonna happen. Yeah, yeah, I don't believe you.
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If only we could go in that way. There is a mindset coaching
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technique that I use actually with clients where I have them
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imagine their goals that they want to hit.
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And then I have them remember 6 months to a year
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behind those goals of what action they took to get there. And,
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and you really can start to remember the future that hasn't
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happened yet. And it's a really cool exercise. We'll do that together
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sometime. Very woo-woo. I love it. I know, got a little woo-woo thrown
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in. I love the woo-woo though. So we do share those
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roots. I'm also from Birmingham, Alabama, for those who may not know.
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And, uh, and I kind of want to start there. I want to start in
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growing up in the South in Birmingham,
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Alabama, and like deciding that acting was
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something you loved. Like, I remember you went to Alabama School
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of Fine Arts, and is that what did it? Is that when you realized
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you had the bug acting?
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I think it was before that. I think that I've always
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loved television. And I think
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about this a lot. As the third born in a very busy and active family,
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you tend to spend a lot of time— people just making sure you're fine,
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but not too involved. So the TV was my friend,
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sad as it may sound. Like, there was always someone to
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hang out with and talk to and, you know, home to visit
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on the television. So as long as I can remember,
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I don't think I just watched it. I feel like I also inhabited it.
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I was in the Cosby household. I was with Roseanne and
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them. I was in A Different World. I was the Chipmunks.
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Like, it was just a lot of— it was an unhealthy amount
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of TV. Like, everything they've always said you should not do,
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That's what, that's what I did. I watched a ton of TV.
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I think they noticed that I was pretty expressive. I could do impressions.
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Momoyo, from who I was, my caretaker growing up,
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and I would do these impressions of her when I was 4 that made everybody
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laugh. And then I discovered, oh, you can make people
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laugh by being really, you know,
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precocious and funny. And that was, you know,
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being from Birmingham, Alabama, and going to the schools that I went
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to, I was the only Black girl, or one of two,
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if ever, for many, many, many, many, many years.
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And that was quite isolating in those formative
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years. But as a defense mechanism, as like a preemptive
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defense mechanism, I could make people laugh.
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I actually remember the first thing I ever wanted to do when I was 5
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was be a comedian like Eddie Murphy, which again, who's letting a 5-year-old
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watch Eddie Murphy in the '80s. Hello, where are—
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I was never— I wasn't neglected. I would call it like a— it
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was the '80s and the '90s. It was a different world for us. It was
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a different time. Like, I was fed, I was safe, I would, you know,
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all that other stuff. Like, exposure— they literally had commercials that it's
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10 o'clock, do you know where your children are? It was a different time.
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Yeah, they knew where I was, but what I was consuming with my eyes,
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that's another thing. So that, I think,
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came together also, just liking to be a charismatic
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character and liking to be liked. And then when I was 10,
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I went to Stage Door Manor. My sister, Zondile,
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had gone to boarding school and wanted us to have more ways to connect.
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And so she found this boarding— this camp in Loch Sheldrake,
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New York, and my wonderful immigrant
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parents sent us there to Loch Sheldrake, New York, in the Catskills
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in 1993, in the literal middle of
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nowhere Catskills. My mother came with me just to make sure it was a real
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place, but that's where I discovered theater. That's where I discovered what
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it is to be in rehearsal process and to be in a cast and
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that community that comes from there. I was 10. I played Mother Superior
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in a play called Murder Takes the Veil. And I loved it,
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and I was good at it too. So then you get the, this is
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a way to be liked, this is a way to express myself, and I'm
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good at it. So it had all the makings of something I wanted to
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keep doing. So I just kept finding theater whenever I could.
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Side note, I went to Loch Sheldrake last summer to drive through there just to
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see what it was like, and it— I was like, would I send
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my kids out to these woods? I mean, just think about
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it. You know, of course we were the only Black
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kids at the camp, and it ended up being wonderful. And I
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met like famous people's kids. I met Richard Dreyfuss's daughter. Actually, Richard Dreyfuss
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came to one of the plays. I went there twice. He came to one of
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the plays, and I had no lines because it was always
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that whole thing about who gets the big roles and everything. And I was mad
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'cause I'm like, I'm really good, but the white kids got the big roles and
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I got this. Woman who just sat. She had 5 lines in the whole thing.
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This was a different play called The Nursing. It was called— it was Waiting in
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the Wings, Noel Coward. But I was like, I'm gonna take this role and
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I'm gonna make it everything. I'm gonna give her— and by then now I was
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in the School of Fine Arts the second time I went, so I had a
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whole background for her. This old lady who just sat in a chair
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and watched everything that happened for 2 hours.
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Richard Dreyfuss came up to me. Now I'm 13.
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And he says, excuse me, were you in that play last night? And I'm like,
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how did you know, Richard? I'm the only Black kid here.
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But he goes, no, I wanted to tell you, it was
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incredible, the work that you did. You were so focused and
9:47
present. And that to me was one
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of those— I call them future sprinkles— where I'm like, whoa. I look back on
9:54
that now, I'm like, Richard Dreyfuss, when I was 13, picked me out the one
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person who had the least amount of lines, and I was just there doing my
10:01
own little play inside the play.
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So things like that, it was amazing. And so I was
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driving around the Catskills like last summer, like I said, or maybe it was the
10:12
summer before. I go up there every year for a friend's birthday party. So I
10:16
took a detour to go to Stage Door Manor where I then was able to
10:19
drive onto the campus. And now that I'm a mom, I know how difficult
10:23
it should be for a stranger to get onto the campus of a place,
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but here I am driving in there. And looking at it and looking at how
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obscure it was. And I'm like, wow, this is
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the most random place I could have landed when I was 10,
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but it changed the course of my whole life. And as I'm driving back,
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I see a road that says Leroy Road, which you
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know the significance of that. And then I go a couple blocks and then there
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was another road that said Maplewood Road. I'm like, oh my God. At 10
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years old, my whole life was— I'm sure the streets had the same names back
10:54
in 1993. It was just all written right there. Your husband's
10:59
name is Leroy and you live in Maplewood, New Jersey. Yes.
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And I was just— one of those things where I wish someone else had been
11:05
there to see it because it sounds like I'm making it up. Then I drove
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on back to my house in Maplewood. Wow. Those things, as parents,
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we're so overprotective, but the things that are a little bit crazy
11:16
and risky end up being some of the best things if it works out.
11:20
Absolutely. Well, and I'm sure Clearly it was a,
11:24
a, a very nice camp to be if you were with celebrity
11:28
children, but, but also somewhat isolated,
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as you said, in the Catskills. Yeah, but it was wild. Amazing is that I
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love that it was Richard Dreyfuss that gave you that
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future sprinkle, as you call it, that gave you that encouragement, that,
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that said, I see you, you're putting your,
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your skill, your craft, your passion into this.
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And I recognize it. And that had to mean a lot to you
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at 13 years old. Yeah, I went from having the smallest
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role, which could have meant that I have the least amount of talent
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or I'm the least worthy or the least desirable to
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look at on stage. And I believe, I hope,
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I'll never know that Richard Dreyfuss— I was the only person he singled out
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and said, you know, great job on
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your 5 lines. I mean, I gave her physicality. I really
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went to town on this role that I knew maybe
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nobody would even see. What's funny, I can remember
12:31
you in the performance of Gut Girls at Alabama
12:35
School of Fine Arts. And the fact that I remember that, and you were probably,
12:37
what, maybe 15 then? No, I was probably 13.
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I left there when I was 14. Were you still 13 then? Yeah, I didn't
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stay past 8th grade. That's right, because you went to Indian Springs after Alabama School
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of Fine Arts. Yeah. Wow. That's amazing. So yeah, you, you're quite
12:53
an emotive actress at 13. Like, it was all that Roseanne.
12:58
Yeah. It was all that Three's Company.
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I know that you said, you know, you watched a lot of television and,
13:05
and you had that passion for theater through that. And was
13:09
there a particular actress or a particular actor?
13:13
Was there someone that you really looked up to from
13:17
that time? So many. And I look back
13:21
now because they're doing all these reboots of shows. They're doing a reboot of A
13:24
Different World, or not reboot, but a continuation. And then
13:28
I also was watching, like, listening to the Living Single podcast where they kind of
13:31
go back and they go through— it happened to be this thing going on in
13:34
the '90s where there was actually a lot of Black people on TV. And it
13:38
was just regular everyday Americans, like,
13:42
People trying to figure out how to live their lives as young professionals, a family,
13:46
kids in college. I'm, you know, it was very commonplace.
13:51
And so, and also because of my parents also clearly
13:55
being mavericks in their own ways, I never had limitations
13:59
on what I could do, even though I didn't necessarily see
14:03
anyone just like me. I saw, actually, yes, I did see people like me.
14:06
There would be ladies with locs on Sesame Street. It was just— it all
14:10
had to do with New York too, which I'm sure is connected, but all those
14:14
shows take place in New York. So in terms
14:17
of a specific actor, I can't think of one particular.
14:21
I was obsessed with The Doors for a long time, so I'm not so sure
14:25
how Jim Morrison plays into this, but I think he does. We can come back
14:28
to that. But I was the most fixated
14:32
on him between the ages of 10 and 13, but I consumed a lot of
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TV and film at that time. Interesting. You make such
14:40
an interesting point too about representation
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and how there was positive representation in the '90s. I can
14:48
remember my entire family, we sat down every Thursday
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night to watch The Cosby Show and 227, and then eventually The
14:56
Golden Girls was on the same night. They didn't move to Saturday. But anyway,
14:58
there was like— it was a confusing time for all of
15:02
us. It was that NBC lineup though. They had it made back
15:06
then, and Cheers was on too. But And, but it, it was,
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it was so amazing to see more representation.
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And so do you, do you think that's changed? Is it,
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what is it now? Like if you were 10 to 13-year-old
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Siphiwe watching TV now, is there as much positive
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representation you think for African American families?
15:29
Well, there's a lot of everything now, cuz it's really hard to
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capture anyone's attention with the streaming options.
15:36
I know for me and my girls, like, I have a preteen,
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and so I do make an effort to show her shows like Abbott Elementary,
15:44
which I believe Quinta Brunson— I heard her say in an interview— harkens
15:47
back to that time of generational television watching where
15:52
the mom, the dad, the kids would sit down and watch a show that everybody
15:55
could relate to, and that being a little less common. And so I
15:59
think for people, probably she's similar to my generation,
16:03
is trying to recreate that because maybe there, there isn't as much. On the show
16:07
Widow's Bay that I'm on, I recently made an Instagram post
16:12
because I'm married to a Black man on the show and we are about to
16:15
have a baby and we're very loving and we are employed
16:20
as far as I know. He's definitely— he's a sheriff. But I made a post
16:25
about how that's such a good thing to see, and the response was like,
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amen, you know, like in 2026, it is
16:32
still something remarkable to see a couple of
16:36
Black people who both— both of the people are Black, which, you know,
16:39
everything— I love seeing couples of all kinds, but it's some— like, a family
16:43
like ours that my kids know to recognize may not be
16:47
as easy to find on television these days, which I certainly— if you told 10
16:51
or 13-year-old Sapiwe that it would be harder to see families
16:56
like we did in the '90s, I would have been like, What?
16:58
Definitely not as far along as we could be in
17:02
a lot of ways. But now I think that's by design. I think that
17:06
it happened in the '90s by accident. Nobody was really paying attention. Oh yeah,
17:10
it's a good show. But that's a whole nother
17:14
conversation. There's almost an innocence about it in a way from the '90s.
17:17
Exactly. It wasn't necessarily a marketing ploy. It was, this is a
17:21
good show and it worked. And I think it draw people together in
17:25
a way that maybe we just don't see as much. But like you said,
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we don't see people sitting down as a family watching TV together
17:32
much anymore either. And that's a whole nother discussion.
17:36
So one thing I do want to make sure— there's 2 directions
17:40
I want to go. So one, I would be remiss if I didn't go this
17:44
way, and then we'll dive more into your career. But I'll go anywhere you guide
17:47
me, John Street. You guide me. You guide me.
17:51
Thank you. If only every guest would be so pliable
17:55
and willing to— Oh, you get some runaway trains on here? No, no,
17:58
no, not, not too much. I don't know, maybe I do. You should watch every
18:01
episode and then maybe you'll find out. Um, but, uh, I'm the runaway train.
18:05
It could be. It could be. So, so your parents,
18:09
you mentioned this briefly, but your parents were immigrants and,
18:13
and I know that came from Zimbabwe. Can you share just a little bit more
18:17
about about your parents and what their journey was like coming
18:20
from Zimbabwe to Birmingham, Alabama. And I know, of course,
18:24
your father did amazing work in, in the health industry, but healthcare.
18:28
But yeah, do you mind sharing a little bit about your parents? Because I know
18:31
that's such a big part of your life. They were
18:34
also threading needles themselves.
18:37
Yes, a lot of it has happened by chance, but a lot of it was
18:40
a lot of hard work. My father came to the States, I believe
18:44
in 1968 or so. He got a scholarship
18:48
to go to Geneva College in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through an organization
18:52
for— that gave scholarships to African people coming
18:56
to this country to study. And my mother
19:00
came as a— she was in exile, actually, because my grandfather,
19:04
Joshua Nkomo, was— he was in exile out of Zimbabwe because he was
19:08
a Zimbabwean nationalist leader. Who eventually became vice president.
19:11
Yay! But because of that, there were people
19:15
who wanted to help him and his family. And so
19:19
she came to live with a family called the Krims,
19:22
who are a big movie-producing family in
19:27
the '60s. She came probably in 1970 or so
19:30
and lived in New York. So she had this whole rags-to-riches story too, which is
19:33
really interesting, where she was now living on the Upper East Side. Meeting,
19:37
like, all— like Sammy Davis Jr. and all their glitterati friends.
19:41
And she went to school in Manhattanville in upstate New
19:45
York. And then through just cultural overlap,
19:48
friends, people know each other between New York and D.C., my parents met.
19:52
And then my father was studying medicine at Howard University,
19:56
and he eventually needed to be placed somewhere for his—
20:00
you know, there's these type of visas where if you work in an underserved
20:04
area, then you can have a path to citizenship. And he had a
20:07
choice between Iowa and Alabama, and Alabama was it in
20:12
1975 or 1976.
20:15
Birmingham, Alabama, which at that time, as you may know,
20:19
was a hotbed of political and civil unrest.
20:23
Um, and long story short,
20:27
it came to be the place that became our home and actually was
20:31
very nurturing to my family and extended family who eventually
20:35
all came and joined us there.
20:38
And people don't believe it when I tell them, but Birmingham, Alabama was a great
20:42
place to grow up. I'm glad. And that's
20:45
where I met you, John. Yes, that is true.
20:48
Believe it or not, you keep me rooted to Birmingham
20:53
actually, probably more than anyone else. Even though I have family there, like you and
20:57
I keep in the most consistent touch and
21:00
So that's amazing. I appreciate it. I can remember us as young teens downtown pointing
21:04
out the buildings. That'll be a loft apartment. That'll be a loft apartment. That'll be
21:08
a loft apartment. And Lord, it all came true. You want to talk about apartments?
21:13
A Birmingham visionary, this man right here. He knew before everyone
21:17
else when it was literally— because Birmingham has its history, of course.
21:21
A lot of it was abandoned and derelict for a long time.
21:24
After desegregation and everything. But it's a beautiful
21:28
downtown and John always saw the beauty of it.
21:32
So he would say like in the '90s, in the early,
21:35
probably was in the late '90s, he'd be like, one day this whole place is
21:38
going to be redone and it's going to be loft apartments. And what is it
21:41
now? Loft apartments. Loft apartments. Oh yeah. Up and down and everywhere.
21:46
And James Beard Award-winning restaurants and everything. Downtown Birmingham is
21:50
the place to be. Beautiful. It is amazing. I love it. I'm so thankful.
21:52
For that. So, but talking about vision,
21:57
do you think that when your parents came here and they
22:00
started their, their home here and their family here
22:05
and, and everything, and your dad started his practice here,
22:08
I know that they made Birmingham home and they certainly did
22:12
all they could to help you and your sister succeed, but do
22:16
you think that they saw the level of success success that would happen
22:20
for you in, in theater and acting, and also for
22:24
maybe for your dad, for his practice that he had that served the
22:28
Inslee community for so many years. Please pardon this interruption to your
22:31
podcast episode. This will not take but a minute. Before we continue, I want
22:35
to ask you something. Do you know that you're capable of more, but your life
22:39
right now just isn't fully reflecting the person you can become? Then I
22:43
want to personally invite you to schedule a Shift Mindset call with
22:46
me. This Shift Mindset experience is something
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that I created to help you identify one decision that you can
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make that will shift your life. And when I say that this is a call
22:57
with me, exactly that. This is a live one-on-one personal
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call between you and I. This is not prerecorded.
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This is not a member of my team. It is you and I having a
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real coaching conversation about your life, and it does not cost
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you any money. It is a 45-minute exchange of time. I'll give you
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30 minutes of my best mindset coaching to help you identify
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a decision that will create a real shift in your life. And in exchange,
23:22
I just ask you give me about 15 minutes to show you the coaching
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experiences that I offer. There's no obligation. But there is
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an opportunity to create a meaningful shift in your life
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just from this call. You can schedule yours today at johnstreet.org.
23:38
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someone else to create their best life through also living their own
23:56
revolution of purpose. Now let's get you back to the
24:00
Revolution of Purpose podcast. I, my father was
24:03
extremely hardworking. I mean, he worked,
24:07
I mean, and then he died. Then there was no time where he stopped.
24:11
And so I think he knew and was very confident in his own skills
24:15
and abilities to know that he could make it work. He could make it happen.
24:19
If it was buying a home or putting his kids through school or continuing
24:24
his practice, he knew that by his own sweat and tears he could do that.
24:28
And then he had, coupled with this really huge heart,
24:32
a real desire to uplift the
24:37
community in any way that he could. He cared so deeply for
24:40
his patients. As a matter of fact, an old— a classmate of mine
24:44
who I saw at my high school reunion last spring. I saw you
24:49
then too. He said that when my father died, he got a lot of his
24:53
patients because he went on to become a doctor. This kid from high school that
24:56
I went to school with, shout out. I won't say his name. Can I say
24:59
people's names? What do you— is it sure? No name. Eddie Kim, shout out.
25:03
Roll Tide. And he says that he
25:07
could tell that his patients had been so well cared for
25:10
and they had a certain expectation beyond just come in,
25:14
check your vitals, make sure everything's right. Now you can feel like you're an assembly
25:18
line. It wasn't like that with my dad. He took time with his patients.
25:20
They'd be waiting in the waiting room a long time, but it's because they knew
25:23
that when they got the chance to have face time with him, they'd also get
25:26
that care and attention. And Eddie Kim told me that it was really important
25:29
for him to feel like he was also giving them as much presence as
25:33
he could because he could tell that, you know, and that really meant a lot
25:36
to me, which is another reason I love Birmingham is because we have such a
25:40
a deep connection with our— the people we grow up— grew up with there.
25:44
You're rooted in Birmingham. So I'm rooted, and I think
25:47
that has a lot to do with who I am
25:51
now. I'm still rooted even though so much has changed.
25:55
I still feel like I am from somewhere and I'm loved and cared for,
26:00
even if I don't see it every day. So to speak to the connection with
26:04
my theater work, it would be very
26:07
unlikely for African immigrants to come to this country after
26:12
having grown up in poverty themselves in a lot of ways,
26:15
especially relative to the United States, which is a very rich country,
26:18
from Zimbabwe, to then be like, be an actor.
26:22
Most likely, when people come to this country from another country
26:26
and become professionals, they would like for their kids to have very
26:29
solid and sustainable careers, more traditional,
26:33
so that they can continue to pass that on from generation to generation,
26:36
build a legacy. So that is the other side. My dad's
26:40
big heart, his hardworking, and then he was also a little bit crazy.
26:46
And by that I mean a maverick. Like, he, he just believed in us
26:49
in a way that was sometimes over the top.
26:53
So if I said I want to do theater, he'd be like, yes, sky's the
26:56
limit, go for it, you've got this, you've got it. I know. And I just
27:00
never had any room to doubt that. And so,
27:04
got into the theater school. I went to an academic
27:08
high school, still wanted to do theater school. They let me go. So,
27:11
so much is possible. This whole vision of purpose is a privilege.
27:16
Living your purpose in the way that I have been able to is, I can
27:20
say, a distinct privilege directly related to a father
27:23
who believed in me and was willing to support support me moving to New York
27:28
City when I was 18 to study acting. That's crazy.
27:31
I'm a parent now, and I'm here to tell you that's crazy.
27:34
But he did tell me that if you make a decision and
27:39
you stick with it and you don't give up, it will somehow work out.
27:43
And, and that's what I've done. That is amazing.
27:46
That is amazing. I would imagine that those words and
27:50
that support from your father have
27:54
probably been something that echoes in your ears when you
27:58
don't get the role that you wanted, or you don't get the phone call,
28:01
you don't get the news you had hoped for from your agent or your manager.
28:05
Is it then that you go back to those words and you're like, you know
28:08
what, if I stay consistent and I keep going, it's still going to work out?
28:12
Not the words specifically. They just came to mind right now. I actually haven't
28:16
thought about it for a very, very long time. But I think the ethos
28:20
has rooted also. You couldn't just
28:24
give me that? That was such a beautiful moment. I'm kidding.
28:28
That's what I do, John. Thank you for your honesty.
28:33
You're like, no, but I thought about that before, actually.
28:36
No, you gave me an aha moment. I'm glad
28:40
you did. In your presence, I was able to have that aha. I love that.
28:44
I love that. Well, and the reason I asked about that specific
28:48
phrase that you said is because it, it honestly fits so well
28:53
with what I've been kind of talking about on the podcast lately
28:57
about how we are supported, how when
29:00
we are flowing in our purpose, if we don't give up, like nothing
29:04
can stop us, if we don't quit, then we are supported
29:09
and we are supported by the universe. It's almost like
29:12
a grand cosmic conspiracy working things out for our good. And sometimes
29:17
a door closes to an audition we wanted. Sometimes a door closes to a role
29:21
we wanted, but then it opens in a whole nother magical,
29:24
amazing way that we never would have seen possible, you know?
29:27
And so that's sort of why I'm like, those, those are really powerful words from
29:31
your dad. And like you said, that whole ethos, even,
29:35
you know, no matter what religion somebody comes from, whatever their higher
29:38
power is, whatever they believe, to be God is supporting
29:42
them, no matter what they, they do, as long as they're flowing in their
29:45
purpose. Absolutely. And that's something I've understood.
29:49
And that's the other privilege I've had is this kind of innate sense
29:54
of what is right for me. And what, you know,
29:57
I can be very clear when I know that that's
30:01
what I want. And, or that's what's for me. And in
30:05
that path, then I found different skills
30:08
and tools to help me aid that belief.
30:11
So maybe it was more rudimentary when I was 13, when I went— or
30:15
10 or whatever— when I went to stage door, but I was like, aha,
30:18
theater! And then I keep going, I keep going, I keep going, and then follow
30:22
that. Or when meeting my partner, my husband, I was like, haha, that's the guy!
30:27
Like, it was just— it's so clear to me. And I
30:30
know that it's not maybe necessarily like that for other people, and And sometimes
30:35
I've been like, am I putting my eggs all in one basket? Doesn't matter.
30:37
I don't even know what a basket is. Like, to me, that's just how you
30:41
live life. And so I've always kind of thought of it like,
30:44
rather than a basket, you just don't make it. I think about it like golf.
30:48
Like, you know, if I get really, really close to
30:52
a roll, so much so that I can taste it in my mouth, or even
30:55
get the roll and it doesn't work out, which is what happened when, you know,
30:58
with this Marvel thing, I won't even go into it. I have
31:03
had to reframe it so many times, like, that is not
31:07
actually the failure, that is the indication that I'm on the right path.
31:11
And that has really helped me a lot.
31:14
And then the other thing that gets in the way, you know,
31:19
another dad quote of mine, I was— I do this kind of theater called playback
31:23
theater where you listen to the stories of the audience and then you retell it
31:25
to them. And so when I'm doing that, I'm listening so clearly and
31:29
I'm so present because I really want to make sure I get all of the
31:32
aspects of the person's story. But one time I was at
31:36
a show and I was listening and this thought floated through
31:39
my head. It was like, you should quit acting, just like that.
31:43
I was like, oh! And I told my dad that story. He goes, that was
31:45
the devil. Like, it was like that moment was so empty
31:49
that the devil was like, here's my chance, you know?
31:52
But so he's like, that was the devil, and shut that right down.
31:57
Um, but there's this, uh, Paulo Coelho quote from
32:01
The Alchemist that I, I memorized and took to heart probably
32:04
in my early 20s at some point that says, tell your heart that
32:08
the fear of suffering is much worse than the suffering itself,
32:11
and that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams,
32:15
because that is a moment's contact with, with God and with eternity.
32:19
Probably paraphrasing, but just telling myself, but when the
32:23
devil or those fears or the haters
32:27
or the comments or whatever it is that feels so real in that
32:31
moment. And I still have days like that. Last full moon,
32:34
it was very shadowy, that Virgo moon in August. I remember there's one
32:39
day I didn't want to get out of the bed. But you've got to just
32:41
let that pass because sometimes it's the strongest
32:44
when you're the closest to the next big thing.
32:48
That is the truth. That is the truth.
32:50
Sometimes the The urge to quit is so
32:55
huge when you're about to have the breakthrough. That's the devil. And,
32:59
you know, and that's the devil, you know, but I mean, really,
33:02
like, we're manifesting the reality that we don't—
33:06
that we want to live. So if we're, if we're, if we're
33:10
living a reality that we don't like, it's something that
33:13
maybe we have been manifesting for a week or a month or
33:16
a year or whatever. And so We get to change. Obviously,
33:20
there's things that happen in our reality that are beyond our control, but there
33:23
are so many things we can control. But we just have to realize that
33:27
when we decide that we can control it and we do the right things and
33:31
we say the affirmations and we, we envision the life we want to live and
33:35
we do the things, it doesn't always change overnight. And sometimes
33:40
it's going to take work for that reality to change, but it's that
33:43
process that is changing us to the identity of who we have
33:47
to be to live that new reality. And that's so important.
33:51
And I love, I love that quote because that, that is such
33:56
a beautiful way to, to sort of sum all of that up.
33:59
Yeah. Yeah. What, what, whatever's going to happen and
34:04
whatever there is to be afraid of, you can handle
34:07
it. You can deal with it when it comes, but don't let it stop you.
34:11
Yeah. Do you have a quote or something that you kind of hang on to?
34:15
And when the devil's trying to get at you?
34:19
So, I mean, for me, there's several things. There's one,
34:22
it's a paraphrase of a scripture from the
34:26
Bible. That's one of my favorites. And it's, in our weakness, his strength
34:30
is made perfect. And I'm sure I've said this to you probably during times of
34:34
grief. Yeah. I hear your voice in my head in those times too. What was
34:37
this one? In our weakness, his strength is made
34:41
perfect. And the actual quote is like,
34:44
you know, it's, it's phrased a little differently, but that's sort of
34:49
a paraphrase that I keep with me. And it just reminds me that when
34:52
all I have is weakness, I still have all I need because I
34:56
have the strength of the Creator within me.
34:59
And so if I'm going through a tough time, whether it's loss
35:03
or grief or not getting the success that
35:07
I felt like I would get or not getting the chances I thought I would
35:10
get or whatever that looks like, and I'm at that moment of
35:14
disappointment, of hurt, of being an utter wreck,
35:19
and all I have is weakness, I can be like, I still have everything I
35:23
need because I have God's strength within me. And so
35:27
yeah, that's, that's what keeps me going during those those tough times.
35:30
I love it. Thank you. Gonna make me preach.
35:34
Oh, you know I love it when you preach. And I think that's the next—
35:38
as I've gotten into this more seasoned time in my life,
35:42
I have found community to be the next
35:46
stronghold. You know, I've got my roots, I've got my inner
35:50
strength, I've got, of course, the strength like you just
35:54
spoke about God's strength when I'm feeling weak. But having put
35:58
a lot of energy into building up a community around me, whether it's
36:02
neighbors, friends, and having to overcome the
36:05
fear of being vulnerable with people and being like, I'm having a day, really understanding
36:10
that it's a part of survival. Like, used to be friendship and social life
36:14
when I was younger was like a perk. It's like, yeah, let's party. But like,
36:17
I literally feel like my friendships and my sisterhoods and The
36:21
communities of safety that my kids operate in,
36:25
whether it be school or church, are really a part of my survival.
36:28
I know that there's going to come a day, hopefully not soon, where I'm
36:33
going to need these people, and I just try to be there for them now
36:36
if they need me. But I think that, you know, because I've been
36:40
reading a lot about the loneliness epidemic,
36:43
and it takes effort. You do have to reach out to people,
36:46
and it's scary, especially as we get older and we're more set in our comfort
36:51
zones and ways. It's hard to continue to try to like,
36:55
what's the point? I know all the people I need to know. No, you don't.
36:58
You know? No. And it's a life form. We need that.
37:02
We need it. Absolutely. Well, so P. Ware, we need to
37:06
start wrapping up, but— What? I'm just getting warmed up,
37:09
John. We haven't even talked about the actuals and the factuals.
37:13
The party days. I know, I have so many things to talk
37:17
about your career and all these different things. And we can do a part 2
37:20
episode for sure, because I would love to have you back. But I
37:24
want to ask you this question about
37:28
purpose. What is one thing about purpose
37:32
that you feel like maybe most people don't realize?
37:35
Just a real easy, not deep question at all to end it. You could have
37:39
emailed this to me ahead of time.
37:43
Um, well, I would say
37:47
that you're born with it. You know, I— it is not because
37:52
of the consumerist culture we live in.
37:55
We have been programmed to think that whatever
37:58
it is that will be fulfilling to us or make
38:02
us happy is somewhere out there. You just need to get this,
38:06
buy this, look like this, meet this person,
38:10
attain this level of fame and celebrity,
38:13
and, and then you will reach this mountain called fulfillment and purpose.
38:18
But it's actually quite the opposite. It just doesn't— not as sexy to put on
38:22
commercials— that it— you were born with it. It's just about, you know,
38:26
nurturing that seed and listening to your inner voice
38:29
and following that thing inside, which it then becomes
38:33
very difficult to hear because of all the noise So,
38:36
a lot of the work of purpose is getting quiet and going
38:40
inward and finding, like, not like-minded
38:44
people, but finding energy that aligns with that
38:48
purpose, whether it be through people, activities, or community. So, I would
38:52
say that's— and it's taken me— I have to keep reminding myself of that because
38:56
I want things too, okay? I want fame, I want fortune, I want wealth,
38:59
I want it all. But when I get to that point, will I have fulfilled
39:03
my purpose? I don't know. So the joy of life now,
39:08
for me, looking at the life that I have now from my 10-year-old
39:13
self, it's like I'm married to a wonderful man whom
39:17
I share a partnership and a love that is so deep.
39:21
And, you know, what they call Prince
39:24
Charming or whatever, or like, you know, whatever they're selling to my kids on Disney,
39:28
like, that's happened, you know. For now, thank goodness.
39:32
And then I've got this beautiful family, these 2 girls who
39:36
I just love to infinity and beyond,
39:40
and we've got each other, and we're healthy,
39:43
and we're safe in this home, and we're safe in
39:46
this country for now. And, and that's beyond
39:50
anything you could buy with money. So that's just like, you already— I've
39:55
already— I'm already starting at the top. Everything else is just,
39:58
everything else is just a bonus. So, and my purpose,
40:03
my purpose led me to this place.
40:07
I often tell people, when we work together on purpose finding,
40:12
I'm not telling them what their purpose is. I'm just helping them awaken to the
40:16
purpose that's already within them. And I think that's what your whole life has been.
40:20
You're awakening to this purpose, and you are so much more Like,
40:23
you're an amazing actress and it's beautiful to watch you perform
40:28
and it's beautiful to see your skill and your craft. But knowing your heart,
40:31
I know how much you care about the underdog and I know about
40:35
how much you care about justice and I know how much you care about,
40:39
about, you know, being a woman that your daughters can
40:43
look up to. And I think in all the ways you shine your
40:47
light, I just want to thank you because You're reaching a lot of people that
40:50
maybe you don't even know you're reaching just by
40:53
living your purpose. You're shining a light, and I'm
40:57
so thankful for that. I love you. Let me start by saying that,
41:01
and I'm grateful. And when I hear
41:05
you say that, I know you know me. You're my brother,
41:08
you know. We— you've seen every aspect of— so
41:12
I trust in what you're saying. And so then if fame and fortune and
41:15
all that other stuff comes in the process of me fulfilling this purpose,
41:19
that's great. But to think that I can live
41:22
out loud, not in any kind of a shadow, and not hiding myself or
41:27
being apologetic— living out loud is actually a
41:30
gift. That is— that's your purpose. Your purpose is your gift.
41:34
I tell this to my daughter, who's highly spirited. She's got a lot of big
41:38
feelings, and she doesn't know what to do with them because she's and
41:42
it's very complicated, but I know that this big spirit of hers that
41:46
complicates hers and my daily life is part
41:49
of her purpose. I know that she's going to do amazing things with all
41:53
this extra that she has, you know? And it's about— and that's
41:57
the beauty of being a mother is like, I know that these girls were
42:01
born with this incredible reason to
42:05
be here, and I get to help them navigate and find
42:08
the tools and channel it. And, and that's an incredible
42:12
gift, you know. So there's a lot more good in
42:17
store for us than bad, even if we're afraid and scared and traumatized.
42:21
Do not let that ever get in your way, because that you can deal with.
42:25
We know pain and hardness and suffering, but the good
42:29
stuff, that's really where it's at. And you can't get to the good stuff unless
42:33
you open yourself up to it.
42:36
Absolutely, because it all works together for our good somehow.
42:40
Yeah, that's my favorite one that you sing. Isn't it great?
42:44
Because we can't lose when victory lives within us. So we are believing
42:48
that the things that don't work out the way we want them to are
42:52
growing us into the people we need to become. And the devil has an
42:55
answer for that too. On those days, I'm like, it all works together for our
42:59
good, and it's like You just keep going. You just got to
43:03
keep pushing through. The devil always has a response. Oh, it doesn't matter. You just
43:07
keep choosing. It doesn't matter what happens. It's all going to work for the good.
43:10
Even the worst thing you can imagine, somehow something good can come of it.
43:14
We just always have to be looking for that. I'm an eternal optimist, but I
43:17
prefer it over not being, you know. But I really do
43:21
have that trust. I really do have that faith in, in your, in your podcast.
43:25
Do you talk about your origins and your— 'cause
43:30
things could have turned out really differently for you. From the time that I met
43:34
you to now, the way you've opened yourself up to
43:38
who you truly are, which was always a gift to me, but it doesn't necessarily—
43:42
just 'cause you're a gift to others doesn't mean you understand what's so beautiful about
43:44
yourself. Do you share that story with your listeners?
43:48
I mean, I am out. To my
43:52
listeners and viewers, and I have a husband and that, you know, there's part of
43:56
that story coming from Birmingham, Alabama, but I've never done a podcast episode
44:00
where I just share my story. So maybe that's a really good idea. I might
44:03
should do that. Sean, are you kidding me? Are you
44:06
kidding me? I have been so proud of you.
44:09
It's been an evolution, obviously. I don't know, last 10, 20 years where,
44:13
you know, you, can I say this? You used to date people
44:18
who were in the closet or you were in the closet yourself maybe when I
44:20
first met you. Yeah. Yeah. When you were like a teen. Yeah. And then
44:24
you would— and I remember as an adult seeing you date a guy in the
44:28
closet. I'm like, how is this gonna work? How can he align with
44:32
someone who can't even— and I can tell that was probably— we all have had
44:35
relationships where we take care of little birds. You're gonna be okay. You know,
44:37
let that bird fly or not. You know, that's not your job. Anyway,
44:41
um, yeah, seeing the way that you have opened yourself
44:45
up to who you really are and shared it. My God, what a blessing you've
44:50
been to me in my life. Really saved my life many
44:53
times over. Oh, thank you. You've certainly saved mine
44:57
too. And, uh, and yeah, you're, um, you always have
45:01
this ability to speak wisdom into my life
45:05
out of the blue, right when I need it. Like, you're,
45:08
you're one of the wisest people I know, and I really believe that God just
45:12
uses you in my life for that. You know, Siphiwe,
45:16
thank you again so much for being here today. If someone
45:20
wants to connect with you, they want to follow you, what is the best way
45:24
to follow the journey of Siphiwe Moyo? Find me on Instagram @SiphiweNYC.
45:30
That's me on the gram. You also have a website
45:34
too, right? I do. Siphiwe.com.
45:35
S-I-P-H-I-W-E.com.
45:41
I've got that. Yeah, you can find me. Listen, you can't hide in this,
45:44
in this current climate. So yes, follow me.
45:47
And, you know, let's see, let's see what comes as I follow my
45:51
purpose. Looking forward to Widow's Bay season 2. Keep watching.
45:55
Well, yeah, there is going to be a season 2. Yeah, that's fantastic.
45:58
I'm very excited about that. Well, thank you so much,
46:02
Siphiwe. It has been just a pleasure getting to talk
46:06
with you today. I know we could talk for hours. So we really may have
46:09
to have a a, uh, a second episode, but I'm
46:12
so thankful that you were here with us today. And if you're watching this today,
46:16
just remember, don't give up on your dreams and continue
46:19
to follow that purpose that is within you. Awaken to it,
46:23
live it in every day. I'm John Streit. I'm so thankful
46:27
you tuned into this podcast episode today and keep living your own personal revolution
46:32
of purpose. Thank you. Thank you so
46:36
much for spending this time with me today. If this episode encouraged you, if it
46:39
challenged you, Or have it helped you see your life a little bit differently?
46:43
Would you do me a favor? Subscribe to the podcast, leave a rating
46:47
or review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear
46:51
it. Every share helps us reach more people who are searching for hope,
46:55
purpose, and a life of greater meaning.
46:58
And if you're ready to stop wondering what's next and start living
47:01
with greater clarity and purpose in your own life, I would love to
47:04
meet with you personally. Visit johnstreet.org right now to
47:09
schedule your complimentary live Purpose and Clarity call with me.
47:12
Until next time, remember, your purpose is not something you
47:16
find. It is something you awaken to, and then you choose to
47:19
live it. Go make today another step in your own revolution