Today we’d like to introduce you to Portia Shipman.
Hi Portia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
TIMELINE OF A REMARKABLE LIFE
1960s–1970s | Greensboro Roots
Born and raised in Greensboro, NC, Portia grew up in a home filled with love, culture, and complicated emotions. Her childhood was marked by moments of joy — and moments that left deep scars. These experiences would one day become the foundation of her books and her advocacy work.
1979 | A Wife at 17
At just 17 years old, right after high school, Portia became a wife.
Too young to fully understand love, marriage, or self — she found herself trying to navigate adult responsibilities before she even had a chance to discover who she was.
It was the beginning of a journey of love, heartbreak, emotional wounds, and lessons that would stretch across four marriages and four divorces.
1980–1989 | Motherhood & Maturity
She became a mother, eventually raising four beautiful children.
Motherhood taught her strength, patience, resourcefulness, and resilience — even when she was drowning in her own storms.
1989 | The Birth of a Legacy
At 29 years old, with one-year-old twins on her hip, Portia entered the home-care field.
She helped her mother, Gladys F. Shipman, a civil rights icon, build Shipman Family Home Care, Inc.
Together, they grew it into one of the largest home care agencies in North Carolina.
For 22 years, Portia devoted herself to the company — believing she would inherit leadership as her mother’s partner. But that promise was never kept.
1989–2007 | The Betrayal
After giving decades of loyalty, creativity, and sacrifice, Portia was left out of the family business entirely. The betrayal shattered her emotionally and financially — but it awakened her strength. “I learned I was stronger than my circumstances.”
This was the moment she realized that Shipman Family Home Care was never her destiny — just her training ground.
2000–2005 | Youth Empowerment Pioneer
While juggling motherhood and business, Portia also founded one of Greensboro’s most beloved youth programs:
• The Castle Youth Center
• Club 550 Teen Entertainment
Hundreds of teens found safety, laughter, mentorship, and creative expression under her leadership.
2008 | Advocacy Born from Tragedy
The murder of her dear friend changed the trajectory of Portia’s life.
She founded:
The Sherri Denese Jackson Foundation for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, Inc. This is were she found her purpose.
For 14 years, she fought for survivors, changed how domestic violence was addressed, and became a national voice — featured on:
• TV One
• ID Discovery
• Oxygen Network
Sherri’s story — and Portia’s advocacy — is still broadcast today.
2012 | 2019 Rebuilding from Scratch
Portia opened Reliable Home Care Services, determined to start anew.
But while visiting Africa at the invitation of the Nigerian Government, her company was wrongfully shut down. Instead of breaking her, it transformed her.
2018 | Spiritual Awakening
During her time in Africa, Portia answered a spiritual calling.
She embraced her heritage and became an ordained Yoruba High Priestess. Her journey shifted from survival to destiny.
2014–2025 | Ms. Queen’s Party Bus
In 2014, she opened Ms. Queen’s Party Bus, a joyful and iconic business that brought fun, celebration, and unforgettable experiences to the community for nearly 11 years. Closed in early 2025, it left behind powerful memories for the many families who celebrated with her.
2015 | The Birth of a Global Movement
Portia launched the Paint the City Purple Campaign™ (PTCP) — a worldwide movement to end domestic and gender-based violence.
Later, she created the global platform:
PaintTheCityPurpleCampaign.info
All managed through her company, Portia Shipman Enterprises LLC.
September 2021 | A Mother’s Death, A Daughter’s Strength
Portia’s mother, Gladys F. Shipman, the President/CEO and civil rights icon passed away after a short illness.
She died under the care of the three siblings who worked with her.
Portia and her two other brothers were left with nothing but memories, excluded in the most painful way.
This betrayal forced her deeper into truth, forgiveness, and spiritual alignment.
2019 & 2025 | Becoming an Author
Portia wrote two deeply personal books:
September 2019— “Those Sandals”
A raw exploration of childhood trauma, identity, relationships, and generational wounds.
November 2025 — “The Purple Light: The Power to Rewrite Your Story” Her triumph over betrayal, heartbreak, loss, and self-discovery — and a roadmap for survivors to reclaim their lives.
Both books are managed through Portia Shipman Enterprises LLC.
2022 | Political Leadership
Portia ran for Greensboro City Council — District 2, elevating issues such as:
• Domestic violence reform
• Housing equity
• Community safety
• Economic justice
She remains a respected voice in advocacy and policy.
2025 | Historical Achievement
On Saturday, November 15, 2025, Portia received her Honorary Doctorate in Humanities (D. Hum) for decades of advocacy, community leadership, entrepreneurship, and global impact.
November 17, 2025: That same year, she helped establish the second Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) in Guilford County — led by three African American women, her daughter Torri and friend and advocate Stacie including her Domestic Violence Intervention Academy (DVIA) a 26 weeks accountability program for male and female domestic violence offenders order by the court. DVIA will be opening on January 28, 2026.
2026 & Beyond | Portia Shipman Enterprises Expands
Under Portia Shipman Enterprises LLC, Portia manages:
• Her global PTCP Campaign™
• Her books
• Her international speaking engagements
• Her home care enterprises
• And the Domestic Violence Intervention Academy (opening officially in 2026)
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Today | A Legacy Still Rising
Portia is:
• Mother of four
• Grandmother of eight
• Loved by bonus children and lifelong friends
• A global advocate
• A spiritual mother
• A timeless businesswoman
• A woman who rebuilt after betrayal
• A woman who found herself again after four marriages
• A woman whose joy is now sacred and non-negotiable.
Dr. Portia states, “I am a seasoned, well-preserved Black woman who refuses to take ‘no’ for an answer.
My legacy will live long after I am gone — and I am at peace with that.”
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve lived a life that has not been easy. My obstacles didn’t come to destroy me — they came to prepare me. And looking back now, I can see how each challenge shaped the woman I am today.
1. My Childhood Trauma
Growing up, I carried wounds that I didn’t even understand until I became an adult.
There were emotional scars, family issues, and moments that forced me to grow up far too fast.
I learned early that sometimes the people who should protect you are the ones who hurt you most.
2. Becoming a Wife at 17
Right after high school, at only 17 years old, I became a wife.
I stepped into adult responsibilities without ever having the chance to learn who I was.
I was a child trying to survive in a grown woman’s world — and that experience changed the course of my life forever.
3. Four Marriages, Four Lessons
I have been married four times.
Each marriage taught me something different — about love, about pain, about loyalty, and about myself.
Some brought betrayal. Some brought heartbreak.
All of them forced me to grow, set boundaries, and eventually choose myself.
4. Raising Four Children Alone
I raised four beautiful children as a single mother.
There were nights I didn’t know how I would make it.
Bills, stress, exhaustion — I carried it all.
But I kept going because I wanted my children to have stability, love, and a better life than I had.
5. Being Mistreated by My Own Family
The truth is, I was mistreated by people who shared my blood.
Jealousy, disrespect, and exclusion became familiar.
It hurt deeply, but it taught me how to stand alone and still stand strong.
6. The Betrayal at Shipman Family Home Care
I worked beside my mother for 22 years helping build one of the largest home care agencies in North Carolina. I believed her when she said I would be her partner.
I trusted her word. But after all that time and sacrifice, I was left out — with nothing. That broke me.
It forced me to walk away from the business I loved and start discovering who I really was.
7. Losing My Mother With No Closure
My mother passed away in September 2021 after a short illness.
She died under the care of the three siblings who worked with her.
My two brothers and I were left with nothing but memories.
We were betrayed in the worst way, and grief came with pain I never expected.
8. Losing My Business While in Africa
In 2012, I opened Reliable Home Care Services.
But while in Africa — invited by the Nigerian Government to share my work — the business was shut down without warning.
I came home to nothing.
That loss could have taken me out, but instead it pushed me toward a spiritual awakening.
9. Anxiety, Hardship, and Starting Over… Again
After each loss — the business, my marriage, my mother — I faced anxiety, depression, and financial struggle. There were days I felt alone with everything on my shoulders. But I kept going. Even while hurting, I helped others through their storms.
10. Running for Office Without Support
In 2022, I ran for Greensboro City Council, District 2.
I had no political machine behind me. No powerful family backing me. No favors owed. Just my voice and my purpose. And even without winning, I gained respect, visibility, and influence.
11. Public Judgment From My Personal Life
Four divorces.
Spiritual growth.
Speaking my truth.
People judged me for things they didn’t understand — but I kept walking in the woman God called me to be.
12. Pouring Into People Who Didn’t Pour Back
I’ve helped people who later betrayed me.
People I supported who left me when I needed them.
People who took, but never gave.
Those moments taught me discernment and the value of protecting my peace.
13. Becoming Everything I Needed as a Child
My biggest obstacle was becoming the woman I needed when I was young: strong, fearless, spiritual, loving, clear-minded, compassionate, and unshakeable. Healing required me to confront every part of my past — even the parts that hurt the most.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I wear many hats, but every one of them is rooted in service, transformation, and healing. At my core, I am a humanitarian, a healer, a community builder, and an advocate who helps people rewrite the most painful chapters of their lives.
Professionally, I am the CEO and founder of Good Times Home Health Care, Inc., where we provide compassionate, high-quality care for the elderly, the disabled, and individuals who deserve dignity in their most vulnerable moments. I also operate Good Times NEMT Transportation with my bonus son, ensuring safe and reliable medical transportation for our community.
Through Portia Shipman Enterprises LLC, I manage and lead all my major projects, including:
• The Paint the City Purple Campaign™ — my global movement to end domestic and gender-based violence.
• My books:
• Those Sandals (2018)
• The Purple Light: The Power to Rewrite Your Story (2025)
• My international speaking platform and spiritual work as an ordained Yoruba High Priestess.
• The Domestic Violence Intervention Academy (DVIA) — opening in 2026, becoming one of the only African American–operated court-approved intervention programs in Guilford County.
I am known for my unshakeable resilience, my ability to turn pain into purpose, and my gift for helping others heal from trauma, violence, and generational wounds. I’ve built a reputation as someone who doesn’t fold under pressure — I transform it. I am most proud of the moments when my work has directly changed lives:
• Survivors breaking free from abuse
• Families receiving the care they deserve
• Teens finding safety and mentorship through my youth programs
• Communities uniting under the PTCP global movement
• Readers discovering healing through my books
• And building multiple businesses after losing everything — more than once
What sets me apart is simple:
I am a woman who has lived the story I teach.
I’ve survived:
• Childhood trauma
• Four marriages and four divorces
• Family betrayal
• Losing a business
• Losing my mother without closure
• Starting over again and again
• And rebuilding my life not once, but multiple times
I don’t speak from theory — I speak from experience.
I don’t lead from ego — I lead from purpose.
I don’t just talk about empowerment — I embody it.
My strength comes from my lived truth, my spiritual calling, and my refusal to let circumstances define me.
My compassion comes from knowing what it feels like to hurt, to be overlooked, to be betrayed, and still rise. And my legacy comes from turning every wound into wisdom and every setback into a steppingstone.
What sets me apart is that I didn’t let my pain break me — I let it build me. And now I use everything I’ve survived to lift others higher.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
People can work with me in several meaningful ways. You can partner through Good Times Home Health Care, Good Times NEMT, or Portia Shipman Enterprises LLC, which manages my books, programs, and global advocacy work. Website: goodtimeshomehealthcare.com
You can support or collaborate with my Paint the City Purple Campaign™ Domestic and Gender-Based Violence Global Initiative. Website: paintthecitypurplecampaign.info
Join our efforts to end domestic and gender-based violence, or connect with us as we launch the Domestic Violence Intervention Academy (DVIA) in 2026. Website: DVIA.info
I’m also available for speaking engagements, media interviews, community partnerships, and creative collaborations.
Supporting my books, sharing my mission, donating to our initiatives, or simply spreading the word helps us reach more people who need hope and healing. Website: PortiaShipman.com
If your heart aligns with healing, justice, empowerment, and global impact — then we can build something powerful together. #iampurple
Contact Info:
- Website: GoodTimesHomeHealthCare.com
- Other: PortiaShipman.com
