Meet Shamerra P Saunders | Actress-Talent, Published Author, Wellness Educator- Juice Inventor, Singer- Song Writer, Host & Voice Over.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shamerra P Saunders and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shamerra P, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?

Risk as a Teacher

Risk has been one of the quiet teachers of my life and career. It has shaped my strongest decisions, refined my confidence, and turned even failure into instruction. I have learned that risk is not simply a leap into the unknown; it is the discipline of listening, adjusting, and continuing forward with intention.

Roots of Resilience
My first lessons in risk began in childhood. As a preacher’s daughter, I became familiar with hearing “no,” but I also learned that a no does not have to be an ending. With patience, purpose, and persistence, it can become the space where the right yes is prepared.

Grace in the Setback
As I grew older, I learned to see failure differently. Some losses became successful failures because they gave me wisdom I could not have gained any other way. Each setback sharpened my vision and prepared me for a stronger, more beautiful yes.

Risk With Intention
In adulthood, risk became less about proving myself and more about growing with intention. Every no became information: a reason to refine the plan, strengthen the strategy, and return to the work with greater clarity. Risk taught me to measure not my worth, but the reach of my vision and the depth of my commitment.

The Work Beneath the Leap
Behind every risk was preparation: the written plan, the late night, the early morning, the quiet return to the drawing board. Risk has required faith, discipline, and courage. Most of all, it has taught me that each beginning carries the lessons of the one before it.

What should our readers know about your business?
What sets me apart from others is my wellness journey. There are people in the world losing weight all the time. Right. And then there’s the Merra-Mirror story. Let’s start with my name. Shamerra means prepare for battle, friend, nighttime conversationalist and protector. While all those definitions are cool and all, they come with great discipline, nurturing its foundation and boundaries. Cultivating knowledge, wisdom and personal growth to comprehend the belief to concur and deviate such a strategic blueprint. Teaching women to do the same and witnessing the duplication afterwards is inspiring. It’s as if I’m watching the same story but a different name.

I’m most proud of The Merra- Mirror On The Wall Curriculum. A story really. Which turned into a wellness journey, would you believe that I use to weigh 262 lbs and lost 137 lbs. naturally, without surgically methods and only visiting the gym one time on a guest pay with my home girl. In the year 2018, May 1 to be exact that would be the last time ever being morbid obese.

I am most excited about my natural weight-loss. Most people quickly opt for the easier, less doing work option-but not really knowing the long term affect it causes on their original baseline and its frame.

I got to where I am today because at the age of 17 being a young single mother at the time, I needed to work and go to school so the county assistance office referred me to The Earn Center where the Manager knew I write poetry and had created baskets for all occasions. He showed me how to make a mission and vision statement, and I haven’t looked backed since, then working in corporate jobs, with people in high places every time I updated my training for corporate companies, I also updated my personal skills. Every research paper, every training session, every hour sat in classes, after many years of experience with working professionally it became a part of my makeup.

Fast forward to now teaming up with great business colleagues, advisors, and faculty such as our Peer Support Assistant Deanna who runs our remote office and our Weight Goal Manager Tameka who helps keep track of weight, and our Fork It Up Game challenger points. Our school runs on a gamified system. and accountability cohort. The amount of time and energy you ladies have shown. All the late-night trainings, and early morning class sessions, Deanna was first our YouTube subscriber her and her wonderful mom on The QJS Show. Deanna, you have been so supportive even through your time of birthing Primrose and Tameka moving on up in the world was one of the first 14 women who helped built the Pilot to our school back in 2023 To our students Jakeya and Crystal thank you for your hard work, dedication, consistency, Vulnerability, transparency and Congratulations on your weight-loss. Jakeya losing 24.9 ibs through our school. And you will read on about Crystal.

And a special thank you to the best producer in the entire world Rdot. Thank you for seeing me and seeing us. Thank you for seeing the vision God prepared. Thank you for helping to keep our brand for the school consistent. Listening to all my million ideas, plots, pitches and helping to produce our show in a few countries such as Mexico, Malayasia, Canada, Tanzania, Germany, India, Brazil and a few states such as California, Atlanta, Ohio and Philadelphia.

Was it easy it sure was n’t easy, if it was easy, everyone would do it. I’ve overcome the challenges by pushing through. Truth be told I always wanted to give up, but something would never let me quit. Resiliency is in my blood line dating all the way back to my great- great- great grandfather who was an Irish farmer in the south. I attended Community College of Philadelphia for my sociology degree and for 3 years I would park my car, turn down the music and for 5 minutes I would yell, scream and quit in the rear-view mirror and then wipe my face, grab my book bag and walk into class, like I just wasn’t quitting 10 minutes prior.

The lessons I’ve learned along the way are 3 simple things. 1. Never allow anyone to give you. a wooden nickel, not even from out the pocket of my own Father. 2. There’s no need to eat it all, eat some now and save the rest for later. 3. It’s harder to hit a moving target my favorite Uncle Marty showed me to keep moving and creating action.

I would love the world to know that our brand has created not one, not two but five babies out of our Juicing 101 methods. Which Crystal happen to birth two, and she also helped 2 other ladies have babies from what we taught her and the first women to have a baby through our Juicing 101 curriculum was me 6/2020 and her name Waverly Addison Rigby or WAR for short. Crystal was such an outstanding student, The late- latest thing to know about our brand were not only a juicing company but a whole wellness academy. We have individual and group memberships for young ladies 16 and up to women who need an accountability school to help assist with weight=loss and gaining wellness. We also teach a 6-week Juicing 101 Mastery classes where you keep ownership of your recipes created and learn how to start your juicing line business. Open to all ages.

Teaching women the 101 mechanisms and its educational benefits between the relationship with women, food and her body. We’ve also published The Merra Mirror On The Wall Curriculum Vol 1: Class is in session and The Merra Mirror On The Wall Curriculum Vol 2: Living with the mirror on Amazon,com

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh my hanging out with my actor/talent sisters Amanda, Kirah and I on one of our many monthly meetups. Especially after having auditions, self tapes and getting off set on our new hit show. All month we’ve been booked and busy. and the weekend is here We would link up and go walk on the pink stars, enjoy the movie premiers, walk around afterwards and enjoy a little Hokey Pokey ice cream. Then find our way to Mr. Temo. Tempting Tacos for everyone. Meet us there 6714 Hollywood Blvd.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It all starts with Jesus Christ—I’m nothing without Him. From there, everyone deserves a little credit for this journey, even you reading now and those who will read later. The good influences, and the “never again” moments, all matter. Even the lousy times and the smallest details count, because what you choose to do, with or without, shapes what you gain or lose. Life’s a draw—a calculated one. Sometimes you’re the draw, sometimes the wild card. Whatever move we make, it should be the best one, even if it means shifting left and then steering back on course. Everyone deserves recognition—the derailments, the pauses, the pushes forward, backward, and side to side. We’ve all danced our way to where we are or where we’ll end up. Having no direction is careless, so every person has played a part in shaping me. What I choose next becomes part of the plan, just like this magazine. Some readers may know me, others may be meeting me for the first time, but it’s all in the plan. I may be a lot to take in, but so might you. I’m simply real about who I am, who I no longer am, and who God is shaping me to become. Everyone truly deserves a little credit in my story.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/the-merra-mirror-school

Youtube: @merramirrorschool

Other: Patreon.com @The Merra Mirror School

Image Credits
Photo credits: R.Bridges Photography. PH Studios. Logo: Rdot, Number 4 Fresh Blend Irish LLC. , Number 4 Fresh Blend. Irish 6, 199, 462 Pro Day with guest speakers Mrs. Lynette Jenkins Coach Battles with Victories Faces sharing her expertise on Sovereignty Vision Board Parties designed specifically for our school and Patrice Hrabowskie sharing her expertise on “Gaining Confidence while losing weight.” Both guest Facilitators were amazing and impactful moments in our journey together.