When Shonda Rhimes first released her memoir Year of Yes in 2015, she gave readers more than another motivational memoir. Instead, she offered them permission. Permission to take up space. To live out loud. To stop shrinking so others could shine. A decade later, that message still resonates deeply. Take a look back on how Shonda’s shows transformed TV forever.

Now celebrating the 10th anniversary of her bestselling book, the Emmy-winning powerhouse is hitting the road for her nationwide “Year of Yes” tour. The creator behind Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and Bridgerton has spent her entire career saying “yes.” To risk, to representation, and to radical storytelling, Shonda Rhimes has shared the formula for her success in TV. From Olivia Pope’s signature power suits to Meredith Grey’s messy humanity, Rhimes has made it her mission to center women (especially Black women) as fully realized, complicated and brilliant beings.

Kerry Washington’s Olivia Pope became a cultural phenomenon. Washington became the first Black woman to lead a network drama in nearly forty years, where she cracked open the door for the next wave of representation. Viola Davis then kicked it off the hinges with How to Get Away with Murder, earning a history-making Emmy and solidifying what Shonda Rhimes had already proven.  Complex Black women deserve the spotlight and the awards. It’s clear that fans resonate with these stories.

According to Rolling Out, the Year of Yes tour kicks off this October at Philadelphia’s Perelman Theater, with Rhimes joined by longtime collaborator Debbie Allen. The intimate event promises real talk on growth, courage, and creativity. Of course, the tour will be delivered with that signature Shonda Rhimes flair.

What makes this moment so powerful is her evolution. The expanded Year of Yes anniversary edition dives into what a decade of vulnerability, power, and purpose has taught her. Beyond building Shondaland into a global empire, Shonda Rhimes has shown us what sustained joy and leadership look like when a Black woman refuses to dim her light.

Shonda Rhimes transformed television, and she changed culture—one bold, brilliant “yes” at a time.

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