On June 18, Loni Love delivered a refreshingly honest commencement speech via Zoom at the high school graduation ceremony of her alma mater in Detroit, Michigan. In true Loni Love style, the actress joked about her clash with Beyoncé and made humble boasts, while also laying out a blueprint for how to embrace, accept, and live life to the fullest. No wonder the co-host of "The Real," a two-time Emmy and NAACP Image Award winner, was named "Part-Time Auntie" of the Class of 2020.

That wise yet relatable sensibility is evident in Love's latest book, I Tried To Change So You Don't Have To. In this comedic collection of essays, she writes about resisting the pressure to conform, loving yourself as you are, and accepting your God-given flaws as the key to unlocking your true potential. Her first book focused on no nonsense relationship advice, but this time she applies it to all aspects of life.

In anticipation of the release of Love's second book today, Marie Claire, comedian and co-host of the number one Glacier Award-winning radio show on national television, Cafe Mocha, fills its hilarious pages with embarrassing mistakes, bitter battles, outlandish We spoke with her about her characters and unexpected breakthroughs.

Roni Love: The time has come. I am old. I need to tell people where I've been. That just because I had a humble start doesn't mean I can't accomplish something on my own. I have always tried to use my platform as a way to help and encourage people.

LL: You know, I've told everybody. But at the time of this interview, no one has read it. [But at the time of this interview, nobody's read it. [LL: I didn't read it. Because the quarantine was very difficult. But I've talked to my mother, and she's cool with it. We have a very good relationship. My mother didn't give me wealth or property, but she gave me this story. That's what this book is about. It's a wonderful feeling to have everything published and to be able to look back on my childhood and say that, although there were some dark moments, I was okay.

LL: I think it's because of all the things that have happened in my life. When things are bad, I let them be. Then I know that there was a reason for what happened. That's where my positive and optimistic attitude came from. Yes, (my brother's father) was a bitch who didn't give me a toy for Christmas. I was 4 or 5 years old at the time, and I was really, really hurt. But in the end, his actions made me stronger, and even as a five year old, I thought, okay, let's dry these tears. It's because of that reminder that I try to help other kids. If I want to celebrate Christmas, I make sure I do. I try to buy my own things. That Christmas made me the independent woman I am today. So I'm really grateful to him.

LL: I think I was born 65 years old. [I've always been old. It was very easy for me to write this book; I have a journal that I started when I was 10 years old. That's where a lot of the stories in this book come from. A lot of what I write is exactly how I felt back then. And a lot of it is how I still feel today. There was no stress in thinking about how I felt and why it happened the way it did.

LL: Growing up in the projects I was very raw. There were so many characters. Old people, drug dealers, drug addicts, wine addicts, school teachers, Girl Scout leaders. There were all kinds of people. And none of them were bad people. Not one of them hurt me. I always knew that everyone had something going on. And because of that, everyone saw me as an innocent person. They gave me wisdom, and that wisdom has sustained me throughout my life.

LL: Obama chapter. I had so much fun writing it because it's such a great memory. I never thought I would actually get to go to the White House, not even on a White House tour. I'll never forget the emotion of that day: it was very emotional. The radio show I co-host with Angelique Perrin and Yoyo, "Cafe Mocha Radio," is one of only 11 African American radio shows in the country. There are perhaps only two female-led African American radio shows. Just with the midterm elections, President Obama asked to meet with all 11 of us to discuss amplifying his message. I never thought I would get to meet the first black president. There is one scene I wrote about that I still think is the most spectacular: as I walked through the gate and approached the White House, a Marine opened the door for me in my stride. It was truly amazing.

LL: The most difficult chapter would be the one where I talk about being homeless and how I dealt with my mother kicking me out. That's not an easy thing to remember. Once you go through something like that, you don't want to deal with those feelings again. Trying to help people understand that you are okay now, and trying to write your story in a way that isn't so painful. That part is difficult. I want to give a lesson to mothers, especially mothers with daughters: pay attention to your daughters. Love your daughters.

LL: We all have our faults. If you want to improve your faults, that's fine. But I want you to understand that sometimes our shortcomings are God's call to stand out. Throughout each chapter, you will see that I was trying to change something about myself that did not need to be changed. All I needed to change was my attitude. That is why I came up with this title.

I wish I had this book when I started high school or college. It would have made me think a little differently about life. It helps me to understand that things can work out even if you don't make friends with a group of girls you don't want them around, or even boys you don't want to be with because they are not your type. This book is for women still trying to find themselves.

LL: I just wanted to give you a little one-two punch. I do. I did it in the first book (Love Him Or Leave Him, But Don't Get Stuck with the Tab (opens in new tab)) and I wanted to do it in the second book. Something that would make the reader laugh out loud. I want to put a little laugh at the end of each chapter. As a comedian, I always want to show my sense of humor.

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