From Peloton to Prime Time w/ Tunde Oyeneyin

Keep it Positive, Sweetie

Crystal Renee welcomes Tunde Oyeneyin to the Keep It Positive, Sweetie Show to talk about stepping into acting as Madison Truitt on Tyler Perry’s Sistas, joining a series in its 10th season, and what it takes to be ready for a fast, one-take set. Tunde shares how she and Chris first connected through Peloton and later met in person, then reflects on pivoting publicly—from 16 years in cosmetics to cycling after a life-changing first class, to becoming a New York Times bestselling author, and now a series regular. They discuss ambition, being a successful Black woman who’s sometimes misunderstood, balancing strength with vulnerability, and choosing not to shrink your life for a relationship. Tunde also talks about soul care, guarding her peace as visibility grows, and upcoming projects, including Sports Illustrated Swim.

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2026-03-08 44 min Transcript

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Transcript

00:00:00
Speaker 1: Calling all my sweeties to the forefront.

00:00:03
Speaker 2: I'm your host, CHRISTOPHINEE.

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Hazen and this is the Keep It Positive Swedish Show. Welcome to the Keep It Positive Sweetish Show, a space where we slow down, reflect and grow through honest conversation. Today's episode features a powerhouse author, athlete, and now leading actress. I'm so excited to be sitting down with my sister, Toonday o Yinayan Tonday is a New York Times bestselling author, peloton instructor, global Nike athlete, motivational voice, and now a series regular on Tyler Perry's Sisters. Known for leading with intention in what she calls soul care, Tunday has inspired millions through movement, and now she's bringing that same death and authenticity into storytelling on screen, stepping into the role of Madison Trud, a confident entrepreneur navigating ambition, identity, and connection. She represents a woman learning to balance with vulnerability beyond the titles and accolades. What sends out most about toun Day, it's her commitment to growth, not just as an athlete or an actress, but as a woman who continues to show with the honesty and purpose today's conversation isn't just about a new role. It's about preparation, courage, and what it feels like to be seen while still becoming kids. Family, please give a very warm welcome to my sister Tonday Tunday. First of all, radiating, I'm just trying to keep up with you, honey.

00:01:31
Speaker 2: As soon as you walk through the door, I was.

00:01:32
Speaker 3: Like, I'm just trying to keep up with you.

00:01:35
Speaker 2: Look stunning.

00:01:36
Speaker 1: I were white because I thought you were gonna wear white.

00:01:38
Speaker 3: You know, because women, we have the plan and that we deviate the plan based on how we feel. In that morning.

00:01:43
Speaker 1: Absolutely, I was going through and I was like, should I wear this? Norman?

00:01:47
Speaker 2: Switch this up? I was like, just keep it how I was.

00:01:49
Speaker 1: So we went with what we how we scheduled it. But you look beautiful. Yes, thank you. How are you feeling?

00:01:55
Speaker 3: I feel blessed. I'm super excited to be here. I woke up this morning was like, I get to talk to christ our story is it's I think it's just it's crazy how we are here, and I'm sure we'll get into it, but it's just a crazy story of meeting and then now being in this moment.

00:02:10
Speaker 1: For sure, now We're definitely gonna get into that because I want people to know how we met and all the good things. But before we get started, I want to do a quick, rapid fire little game with you, you know, just a little icebreaker.

00:02:23
Speaker 2: I love a game perfect all right.

00:02:24
Speaker 1: So I want to know ride playlist or silence to reset.

00:02:30
Speaker 3: Ride playlist or silence to reset.

00:02:34
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:02:35
Speaker 3: Oh god, that's so difficult because it depends on what I what energy I'm trying to call it. I love silent, yeah, but this more. I have a pop ride next week, and this morning I got ready listening to that pop playlist. So part of it is resetting, but then it's not truly resetting because it's also me kind of doing work because I'm like, let me make sure this flow right. So it's kind of to.

00:02:59
Speaker 2: Yeah, love that.

00:03:00
Speaker 1: A cardio day or strength day. We just talked about working out.

00:03:05
Speaker 3: I would rather lift over, yes, but I love a good run saying yes.

00:03:11
Speaker 1: Peloton Live Ride nerves or filming a scene nerves, Oh.

00:03:15
Speaker 3: Pelton Live Ride nerves any day, there's not I'm not nervous when I'm when I'm teaching Peloton, I'm excited. Yeah, And when I'm filming I'm excited, but it's also a nerve of just like making sure I'm doing my due diligence and showing up for the person that the entire production crew exactly, so it's not just me in that moment.

00:03:32
Speaker 1: That's yeah, big difference. Glam on set or ath leisure off camera?

00:03:36
Speaker 3: Glam on set or at leisure off camera? Can I do both? Can I be an athleisure?

00:03:45
Speaker 2: You can?

00:03:45
Speaker 3: My face beat period? Yeah, that's my core.

00:03:49
Speaker 1: Can What is a song that instantly shifts your mood?

00:03:53
Speaker 3: There's a song it's by Georgia Smith and it's called Final m.

00:04:01
Speaker 2: I love that.

00:04:01
Speaker 1: That's no you this must okay, put me on you must.

00:04:07
Speaker 2: Because I love her? Yeah, got it?

00:04:09
Speaker 1: And then the last one is one affirmation you whispered to yourself before a big moment.

00:04:14
Speaker 3: My mother used to always say a prayer over me when I was a little girl. She would always say, may whatever ya tune day say be the right thing to say. Yeah, and whatever your tune day say, be the right thing to say. And what that prayer did for me was when I would walk into a room or into a space, I would know that nothing that I was going to do was going to be wrong. Even if what I did was technically wrong, it would actually be right because in some way that wrong would prove itself right later. And so before I have, before I go on stage, or before any really really big moment, I always say, may whatever I say be the right thing to say.

00:04:49
Speaker 2: I love that. I love that.

00:04:51
Speaker 1: That is mains all right. So we are warmed of First, I talk about how we met. So I remember kJ and I used to ride to you. This is which is crazy twenty twenty during COVID.

00:05:01
Speaker 2: kJ was living in Los Angeles.

00:05:03
Speaker 1: I was in Atlanta, and we would do the you know how you can like FaceTime on the screen.

00:05:08
Speaker 2: Yes, so we would FaceTime each other. We lock in it.

00:05:10
Speaker 3: How many did y'all use that feature? Not many people use it?

00:05:12
Speaker 1: Yes, I love it and angibience and I would do the same thing. She's on sister's well place, Pam. She and I would do the same thing. But we would ride to you when we were trying to just stay in shape because I gainst.

00:05:22
Speaker 2: So I gave the COVID twenty pounds.

00:05:25
Speaker 3: Yeah, okay, I think mine was a COVID fifteen. Yeah, it was, you know, it was. It was a time.

00:05:29
Speaker 1: It was a time where I was wearing sweatpants every day, and when it actually we could actually leave the house, I was like, oh, and put some clothes on. Can't put any clothes on because I can't fit.

00:05:37
Speaker 3: Down Listen, didn't need to put any clothes on them. Yes, and that's why nobody knows they were included, know exactly.

00:05:43
Speaker 2: So I went and got me a pelow Time.

00:05:44
Speaker 1: Everyone's like Pelot Time was all the rave and it was you and Ali love that really just like you just grabbed me and I was like, I like these two girls and you inspired me. And the way you talk to us through through the screen, I was like, man, I just feel like I knew you and I really drew to you. But then we met through our friend Alyx Tuson, who's also on Fill.

00:06:03
Speaker 2: The time we were at a cookout.

00:06:05
Speaker 3: And that's not when we met wed a woman Eva. We met the woman in power Woman, strength of a woman.

00:06:16
Speaker 1: You.

00:06:16
Speaker 3: And it's so funny because my manager Kim is here and we were joking about this last night because you walked past me with such a regal radiance. You smelled good, your skin was beaming. The outfit was like like little did I know like that was just that was you, just like, you know, barely doing your thing right because I didn't know you at that time, but you just you were. You didn't even walk past me, you floated past me. And I grabbed your hand and you grabbed my hand back, and it was just the natural things that black women do. We just did our thing where we were boach, just praising and showering flowers over each other.

00:06:56
Speaker 1: And so that's where we met when it was that was the moment because that was we were just talking about the outfit.

00:07:01
Speaker 2: I didn't runze. That was the moment. That was the moment.

00:07:04
Speaker 1: And then we met again, yes at the cookout, Yes, and thatsn't really connected. And then I got a call saying we're going to do a table reading, a chemistry read with Tune Day for this character of Madison is coming on.

00:07:16
Speaker 2: Sisters. I was like, oh, I know.

00:07:18
Speaker 1: One tune Day. I was like to day tune Day and they were like yes. I was like, oh my goodness. I couldn't say anything. And then finally when I saw you on the screen, I was like, finally I can text her and say, oh my gosh.

00:07:29
Speaker 3: And I have to say this because that meant so much to me in that moment because I get the audition and then I get the callback and they tell me that it's going to be with you and Devo, and one, I was so nervous, and two I was also just so excited for the callback. But I was just nervous to be like, I was like, can I do my callback with somebody that's less intimidating than the stars of the show, like give me the you know, the person who opens the door? I don't know, but extra And so I was nervous to go into that scene. But when I saw that beam of a smile and the support that I felt through the zoom, like I just felt wrapped in love. And I felt so safe in that audition. And I remember you text me or when you called me after, and I was like, God, it's so good. So it just felt. Yes, it was so supportive, and I thank you so much for that moment.

00:08:23
Speaker 1: Absolutely, take me back to the moment you got the audition, you put it on tape, you get the callback. Was this something that you always wanted to do? Like or that she was like, I'm going to get this. How did you go into this moment?

00:08:34
Speaker 3: Oh, gosh. There's two parts of that question, like how did I feel with the callbacks? And then did I always see this for myself? I mean I was excited.

00:08:42
Speaker 2: I was.

00:08:42
Speaker 3: I was excited for the callback. I was nervous for the callback. I was in disbelief for the callback, and it kind of I took myself back to my mother's prayer made whatever I say be the right thing to say, and I just reminded myself that they liked something that they saw the first time. Definitely, now I need to go in there and just claim it as mine. Do the same thing again. I kept just telling myself, do the stage, do the same thing again. I will never forget. I just left my acting coach's place. Whenever I got the call that I booked the gig, my manager called me. And anytime my manager, whenever there's an agent, she says, can I three way in s her ex agent's name, and it's always good news, good news, goodness. I'm bad. So she said, can I can I plug Fatmata in? And I was like, oh my god. I remember I was standing in the CBS, and I remember I was taking mental snapshots in that moment because I knew that what was coming next was about to change my life. So it was like snapshotting. I remember the lady that at the register. I remember everything in that moment. Is this something that I saw for myself. I can't say that I did. But Chris, So, I don't know if there's any I don't know if there's all all the blessings that are in my life right now, everything that is present in real time right now, I don't know if I saw any of this. I knew that I was capable of doing great things with my life, but did I know that this is how the story would unfolded. I know that these would be parts of it.

00:10:14
Speaker 2: No.

00:10:15
Speaker 3: I think that my greatest gift is that I moving trust, even when I don't believe. I Trustah, I trust. I would I do a monthly newsletter. I'm shure this with you before, but I write it monthly newsletter. And I just kind of happened to go back to old newsletters. I was trying to find something and I stumbled across my May twenty twenty three newsletter. And in that newsletter I had talked about I had just booked a small part on a show. It was just like I shot for like two days. It was it and it was amazing and I had the greatest experience. And in the newsletter, I said, I'm good to start beefing up my time with my acting coach, like this is something I really want to just put my feet in and see what happened. And it was. That was May of twenty twenty three, May of twenty twenty five, So exactly two years later, I was on set shooting Season ten assistans. Wow, And so it's just like, did I see this exactly No, not maybe not for a grand amount of time, but a few years ago I said, I'm going to try and I've put in trust. I don't even know if that makes sense. I like put trust in Like I just I've put in trust into myself. This is something that I can try to do.

00:11:52
Speaker 2: Yes, and you're doing it. You are doing it.

00:11:55
Speaker 1: You talked about ten seasons, ten seasons, coming into a show that has been on spills a legacy of it's on it. What did it feel like stepping into that and where you're like, oh my goodness, like this is something that I'm stepping in that's huge, And how did you walk into that space?

00:12:10
Speaker 3: Well, first and foremost I think you and the other for women, and all the actors on the show, the entire ensemble for creating legacy for me to easily be able to step into and walk aside alongside with you. So thank you. Yes, I think for any show to be in its tenth season is profound, any show, much less a show that is telling black stories, female stories, and so it really is a monumental moment in time. I think kJ said this yesterday when you know, we were sitting down, we were in an interview, and she said, like, thank you, like person interviewing us, thank you for continuing to be interesting.

00:12:59
Speaker 2: Calling us to say we want to talk to you fans.

00:13:02
Speaker 3: Thank you for continuing to be interested. I'm just so lucky, lucky that I that I get to join the legacy that is already in motion.

00:13:14
Speaker 2: Yeah, I love that.

00:13:15
Speaker 1: Now you have transformed bodies, millions of bodies from the bike and from your workouts on Peloton. What did it feel like to transform into a different space publicly of your own?

00:13:26
Speaker 3: What did it feel like to transform into a different space publicly on my own? I think I'm in transition now, but I think that I've also become familiar with with pivoting publicly, Yeah, between the pivot, like I'm a public pivot. I started in the cosmetic world and move from Texas to LA to pursue my dream of becoming a makeup artist. Yes, I was in that world for sixteen years.

00:13:58
Speaker 2: Honey, it comes.

00:14:02
Speaker 3: In handy so much like not having to pay for a glam is really Listen, I uh, yeah, So I was in the makeup world for sixteen years. I loved that world. I loved that job. I loved what I what I did until I didn't. I often say, I, you know, I was in the cosmetic world. I was an educator, So I was a trainer. I would fly around the country trying to make up artist on everything from their artistry skills into how to teach and talk about a product and also how to sell it. And so there were so many people that would have, you know, literally push, shoved and killed to have taken my position.

00:14:42
Speaker 2: Absolutely, I fought for that.

00:14:44
Speaker 3: Position, and I We'll never forget the day I was on my break at work. I took a very long break in the restroom. Never go to the restroom, you sit on the stall doing nothing.

00:14:55
Speaker 1: I've done that, listen, just to escape, just to get away.

00:14:58
Speaker 3: That's where I was. I went to wash my hands and look at myself in the mirror. I splashed water on my face. I said, two day, do you love this job or do you love the title? Do you love the job or do you love the respect they give you when you walk into a room. Yeah, And that was just this real honest moment where also I felt guilt. It was something that was difficult for me to admit to myself at that time because I had prayed for this job, I had worked hard for this job, and now I was saying that I didn't want the job, and so there was guilt in that, and it was just it took me time to acknowledge that I love sharing the story because whenever I share this next story, it puts me back in gratitude because I remember where I was, and it reminds me to be so grateful for where I am. I was on a business trip. I'd flown from LA to New York. I lived in law from LA to New York for a cosmetic conference and I was like super on my was where you know the watch you have to try to close the ring on the walk to work out, and I was like on a super kick. Okay, I remember one of my friends. I took the watch off one day because one of my friends was getting married. She was like, you're not wearing that watch my wedding. Oh You're like, oh, you're not doing it. So I took the watch out. I don't wear it anymore. But when I was wearing the watch, I wanted to close my rings. I'd flown seven hours, landed in New York, went downstairs to the hotel gym to work out. Wow, treadmill was busted. Couldn't get a work out and there was like a hula hoop in the gym. I don't know what they wanted us to do with that. But so I had never taken a cycling class before, but I remembered at the time Kelly Ripper was always talking about how she would go cycling. Sometimes Beyonce would show up, Roland would be there, and so I was like, what is this indoor cycling? You going to go try it? Maybe Beyonce will be there. So I went to the cycling class completely judged myself for paying forty dollars for a forty five minute experience, But three minutes into the class, I'm in this state of U four it. Yes, where like have you ever done something and within your first time doing the thing, or maybe even meeting a person, you feel so connected as though you've been there before. Yes, I felt like I'd been there before and I was returning to where I was always supposed to be.

00:17:24
Speaker 4: Maybe.

00:17:25
Speaker 3: And so I leave the cycling class and walking back from the class to my hotel, my walk turns into a skip. My skip turns into a hop, and within a matter of five seconds, I feel this wave of blue energy moved from my fingertips into my toes.

00:17:39
Speaker 2: Chris.

00:17:40
Speaker 3: So that was my very first cycling class. After that class, walking home that day, I had this blue light vision, this divine download of information where within a matter of five seconds, I knew that I'd be cycling for the rest of my life. Not only that, but within this vision, I see myself on a platform, so I know I'm going to be teaching it, yeah, and be on that Without even knowing what peloton was at the time, I knew I was going to be able to impact the lives of millions of people by virtue of a bike.

00:18:11
Speaker 2: Wow.

00:18:14
Speaker 3: I say that to say I was in this space where I felt guilt about no longer being in love within that relationship cosmetics. Then I have this profound vision where I know it's what I'm supposed to do. Lots of imposter syndrome came in, lots of voices of after that vision, when I got back to LA and actually tried to pursue what I said to myself, you don't look like walk like, talk like, move like an instructor. I battle with my weight my entire life. And so I thought to myself, nobody's gonna look at you and be motivated, and they're gonna say, what is this girl doing up here?

00:18:50
Speaker 1: Like all the things, all the.

00:18:52
Speaker 3: But all the things you tell yourself, right yeah, and so insert the first pivot, going from cosmetic world into cycling. Insert Hey, I decided I wanted to tell my story, so I wrote a book. It became a New York Times best Yes you did, thank god. That was the second pivot. While still, you know, doing the full time job. From that pivot, I've done jobs in hosting. I am a twenty twenty six Sports Illustrated rookie. And then now insert like this acting you sisters, and so, yeah, I think that I've become to answer your question. Finally, I've become comfortable publicly pivoting. I think that I'm really fortunate that I have a really just beautiful, devoted base of people that no pun intended ride with me, literally, and so I'm just fortunate and lucky. And I think that so much of what I do, like so much of the pivots that I've found myself in, placed myself in. It's just it's due to the support, Like I feel the hands on my back oftentimes, like the number of women, specifically black women that come up to me and they say, we see you keep going. I'm rooting for you. I'm proud of you. This is so much bigger than you. You're doing it for all of us. My daughter sees herself in you, my sister. You help change her, Like it's not just me, It's not just me, It's not just me. Every single time I try on a new hat, I try on I try out a world that I have no business being in. I remind myself to dare to have the audacity to trust because this is bigger than just YouTube day.

00:20:39
Speaker 1: Wow, that's amazing, And that was the perfect way to answer that question. So I love the backstory. Because we need people need to hear that they do. It comes to a lot of people feel the guilt of like, I'm appreciative where I am, but I don't want to be here anymore, And how to move past that and then honor the next space that you're in. Yeah, I love that, Yes, exactly. Do not let fearsteer. Let's get into miss Madison through it. Hello. So you came in I think it was episode four of the new season, and just everybody's like, oh my goodness, who is this beautiful woman? You are so poised, you're confident, you're a boss, and I think you joked about saying I am Madison. So when you got the character break down and you started studying the scripts, how did you step into that and were how were you able to use tune day to build out Madison right?

00:21:31
Speaker 3: And let me let me be very specific saying I am Madison as she is written today. We don't know where she will go?

00:21:38
Speaker 2: Okay, thanks?

00:21:40
Speaker 3: Yeah, I relate to Madison in she in that she has focused the last several years, she has focused on her career. She has put business at the forefront, and while it's paid off right, like she's now seeing the fruit of the work. She's also in this pivot moment in her life where she's wondering, did I like miss the other stuff? Do I have still have time for love? Do I still have time for children? And so I relate to Madison. I'm forty years old, just celebrated my fortieth last December, and I'm in this space where I love the world that I'm in. I am blessed with incredible friendships and opportunities. And Hella, Hella, she wants love. She does, and so yeah, I was able to pull a lot and we'll see as the season progresses, but I was able to pull a lot of what I'm going through in my own world and put it into the character. Maybe not all of her, but a lot of her I find in myself. Yeah, And I think what's beautiful too about the way that Madison is written. We're in this space and time where women are bosses. I think I read something recently where the number of single female owners for the first time homeowners, the number of single female homeowners is greater than male owners or single for the first time in history. And so it goes. It just goes to show like women are the faces and the head of these businesses, and so I think that it's relatable in many ways.

00:23:29
Speaker 2: It's so relatable.

00:23:30
Speaker 1: It's so funny you gave that statistic because when I bought my latest house, I come on.

00:23:35
Speaker 3: The latest, latest, more than what.

00:23:39
Speaker 2: More than what I had.

00:23:43
Speaker 1: An older woman actually a friend of mine. It was her mother who said, are you really gonna buy that big house? Like no man's like basically telling me it's gonna be even harder to find a man. Being that, I went ahead and bought this house, and I was like, you know, I'm not gonna wait, you know, because what if that never happens? You know, So I don't want to be in like a holding pattern. There are things that I'll like be like I'm waiting for my husband on that, But like where I live, that's my sanctuary, you know. That's where I'm like my safe place where I can let my hair down.

00:24:14
Speaker 2: Like I don't want to wait on that.

00:24:15
Speaker 1: You know, I still got to live, and I still got to go to sleep at night, so at least go to sleep in the house.

00:24:20
Speaker 3: You want to come on in an comfortable bed of us were I think When I was younger, of girlfriend of mine told me and she was speaking to herself at the time. She was saying that she wasn't going to buy because if she were to buy, if she were to meet a man, a man wants to he won't be able to see where he can insert himself because there's nothing else to build, because you've already done it, and a man wants to come in and be.

00:24:47
Speaker 2: Able to provide.

00:24:50
Speaker 3: And so I held onto that thought for so long. And I remember when I bought my home. I mean I were winding and keep it all the way, you know, real with you. When I was younger, I you know, you asked me, did you have all these these plans. I knew I was capable of greatness, but I don't know that I desired or long to do it on my own. I always said, I want to worked like three days a week. I want to be a successful man. I always thought I would be a kept woman, but that was somewhat the plan. She never said she was a gold digger, but I thought that the man would be you know, he would.

00:25:24
Speaker 2: Think raised.

00:25:27
Speaker 1: You were too, So we were kind of raised that way to think that way, right, Yeah, And then reality said and I was like, oh.

00:25:34
Speaker 3: It's not to say that I don't want a man to step in and be a man, like please step in and be a man. But that shouldn't be at the cost of me minimizing or downplaying who I am and what I'm capable of. For you to do right.

00:25:50
Speaker 2: That is so true.

00:25:51
Speaker 1: And I said in the understanding and the confidence of knowing that whoever God brains into my life will know, he'll see where he can fit himself, and he'll see where. Okay, she's lacking in this area. Come on, let me build in this area.

00:26:05
Speaker 2: You know.

00:26:06
Speaker 1: It may not be the house, you know, but I see something else it's cracking over here that let me mend this and and.

00:26:10
Speaker 2: Fix this up.

00:26:11
Speaker 1: So I feel like the right person would do that.

00:26:14
Speaker 2: Yeah, I love that.

00:26:15
Speaker 1: But I'm so happy that Madison touches on that because so many women are dealing with that.

00:26:20
Speaker 2: And that's what I love about sisters.

00:26:21
Speaker 1: Sisters touched on so many stories that people are actually living real. Have you had people walk up to you and say, oh, my goodness, I see so much of myself and you or heard the stories of like I haven't experienced.

00:26:32
Speaker 3: I haven't experienced that yet with Madison, I don't know that we've seen the evolution of her enough yet, but I see it when it happens. Yeah, with you, Chrystal, I see when it happens with men. I seen Yeah, so many interactions when people say I see Danny and myself. Yes, yeah, I absolutely understand that.

00:26:49
Speaker 2: Yeah, I love that.

00:26:50
Speaker 1: Shout out to our writers and directors is Courtney Claudey and Ourmiani for helping us build out these stories something that powerful, ambitious and self assured women. We often get labeled as those things before we're actually understood. And I feel like we carry this persona in which we have to because wearing a lot of hats in order to be successful. But how do you feel when sometimes you don't feel understood as a successful Black woman?

00:27:19
Speaker 3: How do I feel when I don't feel understood as a successful black woman? Oh?

00:27:27
Speaker 4: I feel hurt. Yeah, I feel hurt because I feel hurt because.

00:27:38
Speaker 3: I know my intention. Yeah, And when anyone puts out anything and it is not received in the way they hope for it to be received, it's easy to feel hurt or disappointed. I feel hurt, But then also there's reflection in that I think to my stuff, like how could I have set that differently? How could I have managed that differently? How could I have handled that differently? Differently? And so on the same breath that I feel hurt, I often ask myself, like real questions of what heart did I play in the misunderstanding? And sometimes it's not right, sometimes it's not. Sometimes people will misunderstand due to jealousy or something else hidden in them. But it doesn't mean that I don't Also in that moment, ask myself if there's something that I put out unintentionally mm hmm.

00:28:41
Speaker 1: For sure you said that Tyler's fast paced shooting sourminded you of peloton, no.

00:28:47
Speaker 2: Second takes, no second chances.

00:28:50
Speaker 1: How did your preparation help you from writing to stepping on to set knowing that you get one shot?

00:28:57
Speaker 3: Well? I think that like in order to have a competency in anything, like to feel in order to be confident in anything, Rather in order to feel confident in anything, there has to be competency when you put in the time the work, like learning the craft or like studying. For me, it was like learning those lines, feeling the character, feeling the scene at that point. Again, like I keep going back to this word trust, Like if you're prepared you can be confident because you trust the work that you put in. And so while everything is fast, and while I wish I could redo things for sure and try to get and do it differently, I'm going into it. I know that I'm also as I am as prepped as I can given the circumstance, Like given whether it's the time allotment or anything else outstanding, Like I am as prepped as I can be in any time I go into anything, whether it's on set or behind the scenes, Like I feel more confident the same.

00:30:06
Speaker 1: Absolutely, that's so important, same question you oohen for me in the beginning, See Tyler was directing in the beginning, so that was an added like pressure level of pressure. Yeah, it's like I want to make them proud, like I gotta make sure I get this right and rising to the occasion for this man who gave me an opportunity. So in the beginning, it was I was new to this.

00:30:30
Speaker 2: It was a dream come true.

00:30:31
Speaker 1: So I'm living out so many different emotions at once, you know. And I believe that once I settled into who Fatima was, got used to the fast paced, trusted myself, stopped second guessing, stopped judging, the character. That's when I was able to really just live in the scene, feel it and react, versus like, Okay, I've gotta remember these lines and I've got to make sure I get it right, and I only got one chance.

00:30:54
Speaker 2: It can be a lot of pressure.

00:30:56
Speaker 1: But once you just relax, and Tyler always says that, just relaxed, tell the story, know, And I think once I did that, everything just started to come to life and I was able to enjoy it, you know, versusly be like Okay, yes, yes.

00:31:10
Speaker 2: There was a lot of those moments in the beginning. Yeah.

00:31:12
Speaker 3: I remember at the end, the end of shooting, my energy was very different than the beginning the beginning, just like I feel like I felt like I started to breathe a bit more, understand who Madison was, helped a bit more.

00:31:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure, for sure, I love that.

00:31:34
Speaker 1: I want to know, at what point did you realize this wasn't a role, but it was actually a part of our cultural conversation.

00:31:44
Speaker 3: At what point did I realize that this was not a role in part of our culture? I would say, honestly, just watching season nine, like watching season nine and everything that Karen went through, and it's just so relatable and so real the story unfortunately that so many black women who are going through childbirth live and she did such a beautiful job portraying that story. And it was so beautifully written by Courtney. Yeah, I think that that set me up for.

00:32:25
Speaker 2: What I was coming into absolutely.

00:32:27
Speaker 1: And we talked about how fast paced everything is. Tell people what the environment feels like because we're all moving around, But what does the environment feel like on set? And when you like left set, going back to your dressing room the first day, right, how did you feel.

00:32:43
Speaker 3: Everything is fast? So, like Crystal, I know how I knew how that ended. It worked because I was a makeup artist, right, and so I'd worked on set like I knew action, cut step it. Yeah, this was something else, baby. I remember like my first day on set, ARMANI director welcomes me. Everybody cheers, welcome Madison. We did our first scene. I think my first scene was with Devo. He yelled cut. He came in, he gave me a note. We redid the scene. He said, cut. Great job. That is the first and only time you would get a second dat. You're like, and then you know, cut to later in that day. Manti, who plays Rich we're getting ready to for our scene, and it's just you know, to know what scene is coming up, and then to remember, okay, tuneday you would have just have come from the juice bar. You were sad when you left. Go back into this sad space because you know, we're shooting in different different places places. Once scen you're shooting, you're super happy and excited. The next thing you're shooting, you're mad. The next thing you're shooting your sad. And so to remember energetically where we were. And then we've got these curtains up where each actor is in within their own you know, tent of a curtain changing and he and I are playing our lines off of each other as through a curtain as we're changing, walking out, dapping it up, look at each other in the ice saying you got this going out there delivering the scene quickly changing. Somebody's touching the wig, somebody's redoing a lip, somebody's pulling up a spanks, scams whoever, you know. So it was just there was everything was go, go, go, go go, and then you you're done for that moment of the day. And then I would go back to the dressing room or back to my little Airbnb and prep for the next day. And then it was just like washing off that previous day, letting it go. And then so I honestly now that I'm saying, this is the first time I'm actually really pressing this. So thank you for this derby session. But I I think that that's why I was so emotion the last day, because I went through that ten days of filming NonStop, in putting, inputting, and putting things into my brain, asking my brain to shuffle things and store more, store more, store more, not dealing with the emotions of that day, whether it was like a high or a loone, not dealing with the emotion of the day, going into the next day being on, not dealing with the emotion of that day. So it was just like stacking. So then you get to the tenth day, finally I was able to breathe. Yes, finally I was able to say good job. Yeah. It's almost like during the game, like if you're playing basketball. While you're playing, you're not saying good job to yourself. You're saying, no, focus on the game, keep going, let's focus on like, you know, the next quarter that's ahead, right, You can't celebrate until it's over, or else somebody else is going to score. I couldn't celebrate, not that there was somebody else to score in this metaphorical situation, but I wasn't able to celebrate. I just needed to finish the game. And then so finally when we wrapped, I was finally able to let everything out, and I was just so proud of myself, Crystal, because it was being hard and I was so scared and I was it was there was just so much unknown, and I think what was the most beautiful gift that I was given within this experience has been just like the support of the other castmates, Like everyone was warm. You going into season ten, like you don't know who's gonna be, who to be gonna be, who, who are you not supposed to talk to, Who you're not supposed to look in the ass? You know, like you just don't know. And I walked into what was just like a beautiful environment. I remember I came back and I told my Peloton teammates, I was just like everybody was so kind and the the energetically, it started from.

00:36:51
Speaker 2: The top and it trickles down.

00:36:53
Speaker 3: Throughout the entire production team. No one was above any task, and no one was unwilling to help and resolve and and get the job done. It was just I remember my first day. This was before my first day. This was like during onboarding. I had to do an hr onboarding meeting and the onboarding meeting started with the prayer. I texted my boss at Belt and.

00:37:17
Speaker 2: I said, they started with the prayer. Yeah. I was like I like it.

00:37:21
Speaker 1: This was I just was like, wow, yeah, he starts every morning with it.

00:37:25
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:37:26
Speaker 3: And I have to say this too, just like seeing so many black people working.

00:37:33
Speaker 1: Like everybody says that, they're like, I've never seen this many black people working.

00:37:37
Speaker 3: When you come to that Tyler Perry studio, girl and you're driving in the security, the policeman they hello to you black, the person behind them black. You get to the gate, the guy with the dog was about to special car.

00:37:49
Speaker 2: Black.

00:37:50
Speaker 3: You drive the day the gate, the person that smiles that you black. You walk in the door, one white guy back right, the cafeteria, the golf cart, the camera, Like it was just beautiful to see so many people of color working during a time when most people in the ent entertainment world, within this business are not.

00:38:16
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's steadily changing and evolving, and it's just I'm so grateful because a lot of people, a lot of our peers are not working, so to be there and to see us working, and shout out to Tyler for constantly creating new projects and keeping us employed, thank you so much, and creating something that the fans want to see. He has a core audience that loves everything he puts out and I'm just grateful to be in the number. Come on experiously, Yes, thank you Tayler. BT has created this safe space called We Got You Sis where we build activations and we keep the conversations going beyond the screen into our culture and community. Have you had a chance to sit on any of those activations next week?

00:38:59
Speaker 2: Next week? Okay, so you are in for a treat.

00:39:01
Speaker 1: Let me tell you it's where the fans will now probably you'll probably this will probably the experience where you get to sea fans that will sell you. I see me and you, and I'm so happy that you're on the show. But the questions that they ask when we have these activations are so touching and lets us know that the stories that we're telling are important. You know, a lot of times we look on the screen and we don't see ourselves, you know, and it can feel defeating, It can feel like we're still climbing and uphill battle to like make it in this industry with TV and film.

00:39:32
Speaker 2: But I love what we're doing.

00:39:33
Speaker 1: I love that BT has this so that we're able to actually talk to them and hear how the show is impacting them.

00:39:40
Speaker 2: Yeah, love it.

00:39:41
Speaker 1: So I'm excited for you for you to get that. You talk a lot about soul care. When you walk into rooms that feel collectively the energy of black women supporting each other, what does that nourishment do for your own soul?

00:39:55
Speaker 3: What does it do for my home? So it makes me feel Yeah, it makes me feel my soul, I feel not alone, makes me feel seen, It makes me feel of use, makes me feel good.

00:40:17
Speaker 2: Yeah. I love that. Okay, let's we're going to close that.

00:40:21
Speaker 1: But as you continue to evolve, what do you feel in this season is most important to protect for Tunday Because you're pushing more and more. You've been yeah, you've been on the bike, now you're on the TV. The expansion is expanding and you're like, oh, like, what is Tunday protecting? You know.

00:40:43
Speaker 3: It's really funny because a friend of mine. One of my teammates, his name is Maddie. Almost like something negative someone had said about me online. Other people chiming and chiming and more people like it. I'm like, oh my god, Like all these people agree, but this person's nasty thing that they say. And he said, toun day, as your star continues to rise, it's because you're only going to continue to expand. Yes, he goes, more of the more and more of this unfortunately is going to come in only going to to expand as you expand. And he said, you have to protect your space. Oftentimes in class, I always say you are the gatekeeper to your own peace. And now I'm in this moment where I'm I'm being tested like to remind myself of the words I put on as to remind myself of that, like I have to be the own I have to be the gatekeeper to my own peace. And that means like not allowing, like not putting myself in situations where I see negative thoughts or words about me, and then also being in a space of not allowing myself to accept negative thoughts.

00:41:59
Speaker 2: You know what I mean?

00:42:00
Speaker 3: Yeah, And so wow, I trust that I know who I am. Shame on me if I allow a stranger to have me consider anything different.

00:42:17
Speaker 2: Yes.

00:42:17
Speaker 3: Yeah, and so in this season, you know, yeah, I'm just I have to remind myself that I know exactly who I am.

00:42:31
Speaker 1: Yeah. I love that you actually answered my next question. So my next question was, I don't keep it positive? We often choose light and positivity even while we're still becoming. And what does keep it positively mean to you in this season of your life? I feel like you just answered it. Yes today, Thank you so much. Yes, this has been a beautiful conversation like I knew it would be. I appreciate you taking time to talk with me, and I know our audience is going to enjoy this.

00:42:57
Speaker 2: Yes.

00:42:57
Speaker 1: Is there anything else that you have coming up that we can support?

00:43:01
Speaker 2: Is your book still on the shelves?

00:43:02
Speaker 3: Can we still apsolutely? Let us know the thing, bun Day, find your voice, trust your gut, get from where you are to where you want to be. There's something I've been working on for the last year, a project that is finally going to come to light. I can't share it, ye, but it's coming. And then Sports Illustrated Swim will be out soon. I can't share much there either. Looking out Instagram tag.

00:43:30
Speaker 1: We're going to have it on the screen. Make sure you guys follow Tunday. We will support everything. We get the book. Make sure you get the book now. We're going to keep it a New York Times bestseller. That is incredible. Thank you so much, my goodness, you are doing all the things. I'm inspired trying to keep up with you.

00:43:44
Speaker 3: Let's go, We're trying to.

00:43:45
Speaker 2: Keep up with each other about that. I love it. Thank you so much, thank you.

00:43:51
Speaker 3: Wow.

00:43:52
Speaker 1: This moment was so special, and it's a reminder that girl doesn't ask us to become someone new. It simply asked us to trust who we are. Because coming watching Tunday step into this chapter with discipline, purpose.

00:44:04
Speaker 2: And heart its power for the witness.

00:44:06
Speaker 1: You reminded us that positivity isn't about perfection. It's about presence and choosing to grow even when the path feels unfamiliar. Thank you, guys so much for tuning into this special episode of the Keep It Positive Sweeties Show. It's season ten for Kips' ancestors, so make sure you watch new episodes every Wednesday on Beet at nine to eight Central. Be sure to subscribe and share this episode with someone who needs it And if you need advice, positivity, or just want to share something with the kIPS family, please email us at Keep It Positive Outcomes at gmail dot com. As always, stay blessed, stay encouraged, and keep it positive.

00:44:42
Speaker 2: Sweetie, See you guys next time. Love y'all,

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