She may be an award-winning journalist and local news anchor, but that doesn’t exclude Shon Gables of WFAA-TV (Channel 8) from having to multitask like the rest of us.

“My 3-year-old was having a temper tantrum and I had to take her from the gym,” she said during our recent phone chat. “so if I sound winded, you’ll have to forgive me because I’m lifting weights.”

If her transparency level doesn’t surprise you, then WFAA’s morning news program, Daybreak, must be a part of your routine. Since joining the network nearly four years ago, the OK native has regaled viewers with her candor and wit.
Those traits which were also on full display as she joined local entrepreneurs Gail Warrior and Larry Yarrell last week as a panelist on “The Journeys.” The talk-back series was created by Lincoln Motor Company and Uptown magazine to share the unique stories behind prominent African-American’s professionals. Gables elaborated on the points she shared with attendees about her own personal successes and setbacks.

I was glad you mentioned toxic personal relationships and how they impacted you professionally. It’s a struggle that a lot of women deal with.

“As a trailblazer in my family—the first-generation high school graduate, college graduate and journalist—I didn’t have personal mentors to help with the ups and downs of what we go through as women and women of color, so anyone who showed me positive reaction or feedback, I automatically considered them great friends. but not everybody comes to you with an altruistic purpose. I had to learn the hard way that someone smiling in your face doesn’t mean they’re a friend. They may just want to ride the train. I had to lose everything to find out who my real friends are.”

And by “losing everything,” you mean?

“A few years ago, I quit another job without having another one lined up. I was burned out, and instead of trying to explain that to management, I just left. I had to start over, and all I had was me and God. That’s when I got the courage to cut off anything that violated my purpose. I even learned to value ‘the enemy,’ because iron sharpens iron and anyone destined for greatness had better prepare to face a lot of challenges.”

It’s refreshing to see someone in the limelight willingly sharing with others. How important is that ‘give-back’ aspect to you?

“I know what female journalists of color go through, whether they be Latina, African-American, Native American or Asian. I am a sounding board and a big sister for anyone who’s willing to reach out to me via Facebook. I try to prepare them for some of the glaciers in our industry so they don’t go down like the ‘Titanic’ I was [laughs]. That’s a passion of mine because we need more journalists, editors, news directors and general managers of color. The last two of my mentees just got jobs as reporters, and I’m so proud of them.”

So during speaking engagements, what advice do you give to people grappling with career changes, layoffs and other struggles?

“Closed doors can seem like the end of the world, but when you get over your pity party and embrace it, you’ll find that the closed doors can lead to a bigger opportunity. My ‘closed door’ led me to Dallas and a quality of life with my children and husband that we love. Oprah can be Oprah in Chicago, Shon can be Shon in Dallas. You don’t have to go to New York to be the cream of the crop, you can do that wherever you are.”