We were lucky to catch up with Yvette Bodden recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Yvette thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

This platform was born from my unfiltered journey. After surviving a painful divorce and a bout of depression, navigating single motherhood, and rebuilding myself from emotional turmoil, I realized something crucial: too many of us are silenced by shame, guilt, culture, or fear of judgment. I launched Awakened-Woman.com and later the AW Confidential Podcast to break that silence wide open.

This isn’t about surface-level empowerment. This is about handing the mic to women (and men) who’ve lived, lost, healed, and found their voice again, the ones who know that vulnerability is strength, and that truth doesn’t always come tied in a bow. It comes raw. It comes real. And that’s exactly how it needs to be heard.

My mission is meaningful because I am my audience. I’ve cried in silence, hustled through heartbreak, and clawed my way into spaces where our stories were either missing or watered down. That stops here. AW exists to disrupt, empower, and remind every listener that their story, no matter how messy, is sacred and powerful.

We’re not just building a brand; we’re building a movement. One truth bomb at a time.

Yvette, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Yvette Bodden, an author, podcast host, founder of Awakened-Woman.com, and unapologetic truth-teller. At my core, I’m a storyteller. Not the fairytale kind, it’s the raw, lived-it, burned-down-and-rebuilt-it kind.
I launched Awakened-Woman.com in 2018 after a divorce that left me emotionally drained and spiritually disconnected. Writing became my lifeline, a way to make sense of the pain and turn it into purpose. The site averages over 200,000 monthly impressions with readers from more than 30 countries. The articles cover a wide range of topics on healing, love, resilience, relationships, empowerment, and identity, and resonate deeply, especially with women navigating life’s storms. In 2020, the AW Empowerment Series was created. It is a collection of features with women who are making a mark in their industries.

But I didn’t stop there. I launched the AW Confidential Podcast to give my voice a sound and give others a seat at the table. It’s a society & culture show where we go beyond fluff and filters. I’ve had the honor of interviewing powerhouse guests from Broadway, NFL executives, artists, actors, athletes, creatives, and changemakers; all dropping AW Truth Bombs that challenge the status quo.

What do I offer?
Content that empowers. Conversations that shake you. A platform for voices often overlooked, especially anyone who’s ever been silenced by shame, guilt, or fear. Whether it’s a podcast episode, an Instagram reel, a raw article, or a live, I create spaces where truth can breathe and transformation can begin.

The problem I solve?
I encourage the dismantling of shame, silence, guilt, and superficiality. My work helps women (and men) feel seen, like their story matters, their voice belongs, and their comeback is valid.

What sets me apart?
I am the audience I serve. I don’t speak from a pedestal. I speak from lived experience. I’m bilingual, Dominican, NYC-raised, and corporate-bred, which gives me a unique lens on identity, culture, and reinvention. I don’t sell empowerment, I live it. Every interview, every truth bomb, every post is rooted in authenticity and community.

What I’m most proud of?
I’ve built the platform by just showing up in my truth and inviting others to do the same. I’ve been nominated for the Latin Podcast Awards and Bella Boss Podcast of the Year, collaborated with powerful women across industries, and secured brand sponsorships, all while raising my daughter and staying grounded in purpose. In 2019, my book, “Journey to Becoming the Best Self,” was published by Black Rose Writing, and I’ve just completed my second book.

What should people know?
AW Confidential isn’t just a brand, it’s a movement. We’re here to disrupt, uplift, and connect. If you’re tired of curated perfection and craving real talk, this is your space.

Because at AW, nothing is confidential. And everything is possible.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I had to unlearn? That silence is survival.
Growing up, there were things we didn’t talk about, pain, trauma, dysfunction. We swept it all under the rug because that’s what generations before us did. It was survival, not healing. But what no one tells you is that silence comes at a cost: your voice, your truth, your freedom.

For years, I carried the weight of guilt that wasn’t mine to hold. I made shame my roommate. I became fluent in suppressing my pain to keep the peace. And in doing so, I buried the most powerful parts of myself.
Unlearning those patterns wasn’t instant. It took deep reflection, radical self-honesty, and the uncomfortable work of rewiring beliefs that had been passed down like inheritance. But once I understood that much of that shame was never mine to begin with, I started releasing it, bit by bit.

Truth became my weapon. My liberation. And when I reclaimed my voice, I stepped into power I didn’t know I had.
Because here’s the real lesson: silence may feel safe, but truth is what sets you free.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

I launched my platform with $500, a secondhand laptop, and a mission bigger than money.

There was no investor, no safety net—just me, a 9-5 to pay for the dream, and a deep belief that women needed a space where truth wasn’t just welcome—it was the foundation. That initial $500 covered the basics to get Awakened-Woman.com live. The laptop I used wasn’t new, but it held space for every story I needed to tell.

I bootstrapped everything. That meant sacrifices—both financial and personal. But it also meant freedom. It taught me resilience, sharpened my skills, and forced me to learn every part of building a brand from scratch: content creation, social strategy, design, production, you name it.

The mission kept me going when the money wasn’t there.

In the past year, I’ve started to monetize through partnerships, brand collaborations, and podcast sponsorships—reinvesting every dollar back into the platform to expand our reach. Right now, we’re focused on building multiple revenue streams to fuel sustainable growth. It’s a work in progress, but it’s rooted in purpose.

One thing I’ve learned?
Investing in yourself isn’t a luxury—it’s a declaration. And it’s always worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.awakened-woman.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awconfidential
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AWinspires
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvette-bodden-1b9b6724
• Twitter: https://www.x.com/aw_confidential
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awconfidential

Image Credits

Photo credit: Ylva Erevall Photography (logo podcast/pink top)
Photo credit: Sam Popp Photography (book and pic with AW jersey in studio)
Photo credit: Jesus Presinal Photography (black leather jacket, blue dress)