Scared? Do it Anyway

Success rarely arrives in a straight line. For Sherri Shepherd, it started with comedy club auditions that ended in silence, a jail stint over unpaid tickets, and a “Friends” cameo that paid her less than a week’s rent. “I used to sit on a park bench with my peanut butter sandwich and just want to scream, ‘I was on Friends!’” she said on The Tamsen Show.

She wasn’t discovered. She fought for it. Shepherd’s former agents had to beg casting directors to let her audition, especially for roles they weren’t considering Black actresses for. That’s how she landed the iconic part of Rhonda on Friends.

But what stands out isn’t just the hustle, it’s the humor. Even when recounting sleeping on couches or putting garbage bags over her car window during L.A. rainstorms, Shepherd weaves comedy through the chaos.

Her message now? You don’t need perfect conditions to start. You need belief, a little delusion, and people who see your light before the world does. “Somebody once told me, if you're scared, do it scared,” she said. That became her lifelong mantra.

If you’re in your own season of stuckness, listen to this episode of The Tamsen Show. It might just be the seed you didn’t know you were waiting for.