You Don’t Need Permission to Start

By LaDonna Raeh

There was a time when I thought I had to wait. Wait until I had the right team. Wait until I had a fancy studio. Wait until I had the connections or some big-name co-sign. But you know what I realized?

If I kept waiting for permission, I’d still be on the sidelines—watching instead of doing.

When I launched Life and the Public Figure, my first podcast, it wasn’t because I had it all figured out. It was because I couldn’t ignore the calling any longer. I saw a gap in our culture where we only honored legends after they passed. I wanted to flip that. I wanted to celebrate people while they were still here. And that’s exactly what I did—with a mic, a vision, and a laptop.

That podcast gave birth to LaDonna Raeh Show—and let me tell you, baby, the rest is history still in the making.

Since then, I’ve gone from interning at a radio station (1999) to co-hosting on WVON, producing music videos, interviewing legends, and building a media platform that highlights real people with real stories. Not because someone gave me permission. But because I gave it to myself.

And I want to tell you—you can too.

If you’re reading this, there’s something inside you that refuses to settle. Something you’ve been sitting on. A gift, a message, a business idea, a movement.

Let this blog be your sign:

✅ You don’t need to have it all together

✅ You don’t need everyone’s approval

✅ You don’t even need to be “ready”

You just need to start.

Start messy. Start scared. Start anyway.

And if you’re ready to be heard, seen, or share your journey with the world, I’ve got you.

🎙️ Book an interview with me on LaDonnaRaehShow.com

📺 Subscribe to the LaDonna Raeh Show on YouTube

🎧 Let’s keep building platforms that celebrate life, legacy, and impact.

Because greatness doesn’t need permission.

It just needs a mic—and some faith.