Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person

Author Shonda Rhimes is best known for her work in television and other media. As the creative force behind wildly successful television shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, Rhimes built a public image of brilliance, productivity, and fearlessness. Yet, despite her outward success and cultural influence, Rhimes privately struggled with self-doubt, fear, and the pressure to live up to her own achievements—tensions she explores candidly in Year of Yes.

Born in 1970 to a large family, Rhimes grew up in a Chicago suburb and attended Dartmouth College, graduating in 1991. She went on to attend film school at the University of Southern California, which led to her early ventures in film writing: She wrote the made-for-HBO movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge in 1999, which starred Halle Berry. Rhimes then wrote screenplays for two successful feature films: Crossroads in 2002 and The Princess Diaries 2 in 2004 (“Shonda Rhimes Biography.” Britannica).

2005, however, brought Rhimes’s breakthrough with Grey’s Anatomy. The show takes its name from the well-known medical text of the same name and is a romantic drama centered on the life of Dr. Meredith Grey, a surgeon at fictitious Seattle Grace Hospital. Rhimes explained that she was always fascinated with surgery and nonfiction surgery shows featured on the Discovery Channel. Written and produced by Rhimes, the show is praised for its engaging storylines in which characters in the medical setting overcome significant challenges. The show is frequently lauded for its diverse cast and strong female leads. Surpassing 20 seasons, Grey’s Anatomy has received 88 industry awards, including four Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe (“Grey’s Anatomy.” IMDB). Rhimes went on to create the spinoff series “Private Practice” in 2007 and the equally popular shows “Scandal” and “How to Get Away with Murder.” In 2017, Rhimes partnered with Netflix, producing exclusive content, including serials and documentaries of all genres.

The development of her own company—named Shondaland—aided in establishing Rhimes as more than a writer and producer but a cultural figure and activist. By partnering with iHeartRadio, Rhimes has produced scripted and unscripted podcasts. She has grown Shondaland into a brand by partnering with other corporations such as Dove, Microsoft, Peloton, and Mattel.

Importantly, Rhimes views herself as an activist, which has led to her becoming a cultural icon. Rhimes has been lauded for achieving several firsts, such as “the first African American woman to create a top 10 network TV series and the first woman to create three television dramas that have achieved the 100-episode milestone” (Brown, Ayannah. “Westport’s Shonda Rhimes Reflects on ‘Making the World a Better Place’ in Honor of MLK.” Connecticut Public Radio, 20 Jan. 2025.). Through her nonprofit organization The Rhimes Foundation, Rhimes funds advancements in the arts, education, and activism. She has received numerous awards, including “100 Most Influential People” by TIME magazine, the Television Academy Hall of Fame induction, and an NAACP Image Award (“About Shonda.” Shondaland Media).

This context is essential to understanding Year of Yes because Rhimes’s memoir is not just about personal transformation—it is about what it means to change when the world already sees you as powerful. Rhimes writes from the perspective of a woman who has mastered public success while privately struggling with fear, introversion, and self-limitation. Her status as a cultural icon heightens the stakes of her story: Saying “yes” to vulnerability, joy, and presence becomes a radical act when the expectation is polished control. Understanding Rhimes’s influence helps readers see Year of Yes not just as a personal narrative, but as a reflection on identity, gender, race, and power in highly visible spaces.