“People assess, but God anoints. People label, but God names.”
—Kishea Boyd
Sometimes silence doesn’t come from lack of words—it comes from the weight of being overlooked, mislabeled, or quietly disqualified. The moment you start believing those lies, they don’t just quiet your voice; they rewrite how you see your worth.
Welcome to the very first episode of The Identity Midwife Podcast!
Hosted by Kishea Boyd, this podcast was born out of a simple truth: so many women are strong for everyone else, yet quietly wonder who sees them. After two decades of service in the U.S. Coast Guard, Kishea found herself stamped with labels that whispered, “not enough”. Yet what looked like isolation became preparation. Today, she helps women reclaim the truth of who they are without apology and without fear.
In this episode, Kishea shares her personal story of being told she wasn’t enough — and how God met her in the pain of rejection, silence, and shame to reveal her true worth. She dives deep into labels, leadership, faith, and the courage to rise when you’ve been told you can’t.
This is only the beginning. Stay with Kishea each week as she walks with you through faith, healing, identity, and the tender process of becoming whole again. Here, you’ll find a safe space to breathe, unpack the hard stuff, and rediscover who you are right in the middle of real life.
You’ve been located, sis— and together, we’re walking back home to who you’ve always been.
Episode Highlights:
01:00 Voiced Silenced
02:40 Alone But Encouraging Others
05:52 Calling Out Lies About Our Worth
07:30 Value Affirmation
10:16 Next Episode Preview
Resources:
- Coaching Service: https://www.shapedonpurpose.com/services
Quotes:
01:29 “I did the work. I showed up, but somewhere along the way, a label started getting stamped on my evals: not recommended. And when the label keeps showing up every six months, it starts feeling permanent.” —Kishea Boyd
03:03 “That’s how shame works: it convinces you to sit out your own life.” —Kishea Boyd
04:50 “All it takes is one sentence written on a piece of paper repeated often enough to start silencing who you really are. If nobody counters it with truth, you begin to wear it. You start carrying it like it’s part of your name.” —Kishea Boyd
07:36 “People assess, but God anoints. People label, but God names.” —Kishea Boyd
08:27 “Hidden does not mean forgotten. Delay does not mean denial.” —Kishea Boyd
09:12 “You are chosen, you are capable, you are adopted and justified, and the one He justifies, He glorifies.” —Kishea Boyd
Kishea Boyd is a woman whose journey began not with triumph, but with a search—for identity, purpose, and the heart of God in every season. After serving over 20 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, where she honed resilience and leadership, she found her true strength not in uniform, but in faith. Rededicating her life to Christ in 1999 marked a turning point, leading her into ministry, mentorship, and a deeper understanding of who she was called to be. Through the joys of family life with her husband, Quinton, and their son, Kameron, and through the challenges that shaped her, Kishea has learned that God’s love never lets go. Today, she lives to help others rediscover identity, healing, and purpose through Him.
Transcipt:
Hey, sis, I see you. The strong one, the faithful one. The woman who keeps showing up for everyone else while quietly wondering if anyone still sees her. You can breathe now. You’re safe here.
I’m Kishea Boyd, The Identity Midwife. This podcast was created to help you rediscover who you are right in the middle of real life. Here, we talk about faith, healing, identity, and the gentle work of becoming. You don’t have to fix a thing, just lean in. You’ve been located.
Kishea Boyd: Hey, sis, take a breath. You’re safe here. I’m Kishea Boyd, The Identity Midwife. And you’ve been located. I want to talk about the day my voice started going quiet, so yours doesn’t have to. I spent 20 years in the Coast Guard. I came in pretty young, about 18, 19 years old. Wide eyed, full of hope, ready to serve, excited to stand on my own two feet. I had no kids back then, just me and a big dream to make a difference. I was made a third class petty officer. Later, I made second class. I did the work. I showed up. But somewhere along the way, a label started getting stamped on my evals, not recommended. They didn’t say you’re not leadership material, but that’s exactly how it landed. And when the label keeps showing up every six months, it starts feeling permanent, like ink that won’t wash off.
Now, if you ever been in the military, you ever serve, you know exactly what I mean when I say service wide exams. You only get two chances a year in the Coast Guard, at least. You miss one cycle, that’s six months gone. You miss two cycles, that’s a full year of your life. So when someone marks you, not recommend it, that means you can’t even sit for the test. There came a time when I got tired of the fight. I told myself, why even bother?
So one cycle, I didn’t even take the test. I was like, I’m not even gonna waste my time. And guess what? Wouldn’t you know that that was the same cycle that they cleared the list. I was sick. Basically, everybody who simply showed up put their name on the test, got promoted, but I wasn’t in the room. That moment haunted me for a long time because it wasn’t just about missing a promotion. It was like I had quietly agreed with the lie that I wasn’t enough, that I wasn’t good enough. And that’s how shame works. It convinces you to sit out your own life.
Then came isolation. I was stationed at a unit where they assigned me out to this little shack. And because I was a storekeeper, I did shipping and receiving. So it’s cold in the winter, hot in the summer. There was no air, no heat, just me and my thoughts. And one day, a first class petty officer came out there on the surface. She smiled underneath something else. She got all up in my face, cussing, threatening, acting a straight fool. Close enough that I could feel a spit hit in my face, but I just stood there because I knew it was a trap. I knew that if I reacted, I’d be the one that was in trouble. They’d somehow twist it to make it look like I was at fault for being mistreated. And so I’m out there in isolation, there’s no witnesses, just me, four walls, and the sound of my heartbeat. So I swallowed my pride, and I just kept going. Another brick on the pile I was never meant to carry.
And the wild part, I was the encourager. I was the one people came to. Junior enlisted, officers didn’t matter. In the galley, in the hallway on the pier, folks will pull up beside me and just want to talk. It just seemed like everybody was telling me all their business, not pouring out their whole life story, and God will give me words to lift them up. But when it came to myself, I was empty, and that’s how the enemy works. He tries to muzzle the very voice God intends to use. All it takes is one sentence written on a piece of paper, repeated often enough to start silencing who you really are. And if nobody counters it with truth, you begin to wear it. You start carrying it, like it’s part of your name. For me, it bled into everything.
As life went on, I became a mother. I was juggling it all. Life, work, trying to hold it together. But deep down, not enough. I was still whispering. I’d smile, but my heart was heavy. I’d encourage others. But when I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t find the same strength for myself. But here’s the beautiful thing, even when I was hiding, God was still writing. Even when I was numb, he was still whispering. I’d open my Bible and it was like he was interrupting my spiral saying, I’m right here, daughter. I never left.
***If your heart’s been heavy, if you’ve been searching for clarity or peace, I invite you to pause. Encounter Coaching is a one on one space where you can lay it all before Jesus and let him speak. Every encounter is different, but the outcome is always the same. Freedom, healing, and truth. Take the time. Give yourself this moment with the Father. The link is in the show notes.
In Isaiah 50, it says, “He gives me the tongue of the learned to comfort the weary, and that he helps me so I won’t be disgraced.” And there’s another scripture in Psalm 34 where it reminds me that his eyes are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. He was always hearing me. Another one of my favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 33:3, it says, “Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” And those are just anchor scriptures for me. But I didn’t feel mighty. I felt tired, but those verses were God’s way of lifting my chin and asking, Kishea, who told you that? So I asked you the same thing. Who told you that you’re not enough? Who told you that you’re too much? Who told you that you’re unqualified, unwanted, unworthy? Because I promise you, it wasn’t God.
What I learned was this, people assess, but God anoints. People label, but God names. And the God who writes identity doesn’t use red pens, he uses blood and breath. God began to show me that I had been leading all along, encouraging, praying. Midwife and identity, just in places people couldn’t see. Every skipped exam, every tear, every lonely moment in that shack was not punishment. It was preparation. The enemy tried to muzzle me early because he knew my voice would one day be used to call women like you forward. So if you’re listening right now and you feel overlooked, benched or quietly disqualified? Hear me, and hear me clearly. Hidden does not mean forgotten. Delay does not mean denial. In the voice they try to silence, God’s about to turn it back up.
Now, I want to pray over you. Father, for every daughter listening to the sound of my voice, every woman carrying words you never spoke, we hand them back to the enemy right now in Jesus name. We break every agreement with labels that have tried to attach themselves to her life. We forgive those who spoke them. We release them. And Father, I ask that you breathe truth back into her identity. Right now, may God remind you that you are chosen, you are capable, you are adopted and justified. And the one he justifies, He glorifies. You are anointed. You are Beloved. May God breathe life into you again. May he pour a fresh anointing over your head and over your heart. May He fill you with courage and confidence. May every weapon that’s been formed against you be rendered powerless in Jesus name. May clarity return to your mind, and peace return to your soul because you are valued, you are loved, you’re capable, you’re chosen, you’re God’s anointed. He has appointed you for such a time as this.
This isn’t just a cute saying, it’s the truth. So take that baton, daughter. Just like you run in a race, you take that baton and run with it. You are seen, you are known, you are loved.
Next week, we’re going to talk about hidden battles and public smiles. The season where I looked fine on the outside, but my identity was unraveling on the inside. We’re going to talk about relationships, heartbreak, depression, suicidal ideation, and how God kept pursuing me through it all. Because even when I didn’t think my voice mattered, he was showing me that it did. And maybe you’ve been feeling that same way. But sis, listen, God hasn’t stopped calling your name. I’m Kishea Boyd, The Identity Midwife. And sis, you’ve been located. I’ll see you next time.
Before you go, take one more breath. The same God who shaped you still sees you. Every scar, every tear, every wind, nothing about your story is wasted. Today, speak to your heart, share with another woman who needs a reminder that she’s not alone. And when you’re ready to go deeper, everything you need is waiting for you in the show notes. Until next time. I’m Kishea Boyd, The Identity Midwife. And daughter, you’ve been located.