Mompreneurs: Sharaya J Balances Mom Life and Music After Beating Breast Cancer—Twice

Sharaya J made her mark as a musician and choreographer—now, she’s entering a new chapter. With the launch of Sharaya J Consulting, this mompreneur is shifting her focus to artist development, mentoring the next generation of performers.

In this week’s episode of the Mompreneurs podcast, she sits down with host Nancy Redd to reflect on her illustrious career, overcoming breast cancer while pregnant, and what she’s looking forward to on the horizon.

“I was in this world of music right from the start.“

Music shaped Sharaya’s world from day one. Her father was a member of ‘90s hip-hop group Double XX Posse, and she recalled listening to Sam Cooke, Deniece Williams, and Aretha Franklin at home with her mother.

“My father was either writing music, performing music, or people were coming by and they were in the house doing ciphers, and it was just this musical home, everywhere I turned,” she said.

The NYC ballroom scene shaped Sharaya’s passion for artistry.

As a kid growing up in New Jersey, Sharaya was introduced to the New York City ballroom scene early on—“12 years old, sneaking into balls with my friends.” She was enthralled by the fashion, music, dance—the performance of it all.

Under the wing of the House of LaBeija—the first “house” of ballroom—young Sharaya was embraced in the scene. “We had fathers and mothers of the house, and they embraced me because I was one of the youngest,” she said.

Sharaya stayed true to her passion for performance.

“I always had a real affinity for dance,” she said. “As a dancer and choreographer, that was my first breakthrough into the music world.”

At the height of her dance career—having worked with some of music’s biggest names from Alicia Keys to Rihanna—Sharaya was ready to do more. “I had all these other creative ideas,” she recalled. “I walked into my agency and said, I think I’m going to start focusing on my artistry—working on my writing, working on my lyricism. My heart was calling for something else, something bigger.”

Sharaya manifested her next chapter and doors opened for the aspiring artist. Missy Elliott became her mentor—after meeting at a party—and helped launch Sharaya’s music career. Learning under the Grammy Award-winning icon was a masterclass in becoming a well-rounded artist. “All we did was eat, sleep, and breathe music,” Sharaya said. “She was grooming us to be these untouchable performers and creative artists.”

Since her debut, Sharaya made her mark in music and culture, with high-energy singles like “BANJI” and “Smash Up the Place” showcasing her bold, one-of-a-kind style.

Being a mom “gave me a new breath of life.”

Sharaya shared her powerful journey of becoming a first-time mom while battling her second breast cancer diagnosis.

After overcoming her first bout with breast cancer, the two-time survivor revealed, “I didn’t know that I was going to even be a mom.” Her doctors had even suggested a hysterectomy, but “it just didn’t feel right.”

Against all odds, years later, she became pregnant—an unexpected joy that triggered a recurrence of the cancer. Her doctors advised terminating the pregnancy, but Sharaya decided to trust God and see it through. She began chemotherapy at three months pregnant, completing treatment just days before she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. “He was born April 3rd and my last chemo was March 31st.”

“I was just like, wow, what a wild journey. The idea of fighting for your life and simultaneously creating new life, it opened up a part of my brain like, wow … the things that we are capable of doing, the things that you can do when you set your mind to it, and also the things that you can do when you trust God and the universe to have your back.”

Her next chapter: Sharaya J Consulting.

Mentorship is ingrained in Sharaya. From her mother—“one of my earliest mentors who poured so much into me”—to Missy Elliott, she learned a lot from the women who guided her. It felt natural to pass on that wisdom to the next generation.

“I have been very blessed to have some really amazing female mentors that have been instrumental in helping me navigate this journey,” she said.

In this new chapter, Sharaya is focusing her energy on artist development—helping emerging talent navigate their careers. Leading her own company, Sharaya J Consulting, the artist is now the mentor, offering guidance from both creative and business perspectives.

“I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing—which I like to call ‘purpose work’—because mentors poured into me and gave me these jewels, so I feel like that’s naturally the next step I have to take with upcoming artists,” she said.

Get the full conversation. Watch or listen to this episode of Mompreneurs above.

Catch new episodes of Mompreneurs every week.

Every week, we celebrate beautiful Black entrepreneurs who are simultaneously amazing business moguls and awesome moms. Join host and New York Times bestselling author Nancy Redd as these mompreneurs share their life stories and inspiring advice. Catch new episodes of Mompreneurs every Monday on MadameNoire’s YouTube channel. Or listen to the podcast online on the Urban One Podcast Network.

Sharaya J Opens Up About Motherhood, Beating Breast Cancer