Power Tools for Designing Your Life with Tonya Comer

Power Tools for Designing Your Life with Tonya Comer

From Zen Success by Charissa Sims

April 12, 2026 · 51 min

About this episode

Tonya Comer shares her journey of overcoming self-doubt and building a successful career while empowering women to reclaim their truth.

Tonya Comer's story is one of rising—with grace, grit, and purpose. From the projects of Pittsburgh, Tonya climbed into broadcast journalism, corporate America, and ultimately, entrepreneurship. She built an award-winning interior design firm and was named one of the Top 20 African American Interior Designers in the United States. Behind the accolades and ambition was a woman shackled by shame and self-doubt. Her own self-sabotage led her to rock bottom. And it was there she found the path to transformation. Through years of inner work to heal the wounds of abuse, bullying, poverty, and abandonment, she developed life tools that rebuilt her from the inside out—tools she now shares with women everywhere. Her book In High Heels on a Ladder: The 7 Power Tools for Designing Your Life is the winner of the 2024 Nautilus Gold Award for Business & Leadership. As a transformational speaker and coach, Tonya helps high-achieving women remove their masks, reclaim their truth, and rise in authentic power—ready to lead, create meaningful impact, and build their legacy. For more information, go to her website here!

People in this episode

Host: Charissa Sims

Guest: Tonya Comer

Topics covered

  • personal development
  • entrepreneurship
  • interior design
  • transformation
  • women empowerment

Keywords

  • transformation
  • self-sabotage
  • interior design
  • women empowerment
  • life tools

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nautilus

Books & works: In High Heels on a Ladder: The 7 Power Tools for Designing Your Life

Places: Pittsburgh

More episodes of Zen Success

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Zen Success podcast page.