Coffee No Cream

What happens when a white coworker crosses every line, and you still keep your cool? In this episode of Coffee No Cream, host Erin Braxton sits down with Dr. Kwanzaa Falaka, a federal-contractor program manager and founder of Girlfriend Therapy, who shares the shocking moment an older colleague tried to physically confront her at work, and what she learned about protecting her peace, her power, an...

In this episode, part 2 of the Corporate Code Series, Erin Braxton gets real about how easily work, coworkers, and even friends can live rent-free in your head. Outline The Head Code. She shares how Black women can protect their peace, rebuild real confidence through motion, and master the quiet clapback, the art of staying unbothered, strategic, and focused.👉 Listen to Episode 22, The Boundary C...

Boundaries aren’t just protection, they’re STRATEGY. In Part 1 of The Corporate Code Series , Erin Braxton breaks down how Black women can set boundaries at work to protect their peace, preserve their energy, and stop being drained by coworkers who see them as their therapists or emotional crutches. This episode dives into:✅ Why boundaries matter for survival and success.✅ How emotional dumping...

Friendships in the workplace can feel complicated, especially for Black women. In this panel, Erin Braxton, Abby the Attorney, and Tracie Walker open up about their personal experiences with workplace friendships, performative allyship, microaggressions, and the ways racism, sexism, and colorism shape professional relationships. From “nasty nice” coworkers to being excluded on work trips, this can...

Black Women — what’s next after leaving a toxic job? In this special Q&A episode, I’m answering YOUR direct questions from the comments: ✅ “I just left a toxic job — what now?” ✅ “How do you become an entrepreneur?” ✅ “How did you learn tech, and what steps did you take?” I’m sharing my personal journey — from being fired, broke, and embarrassed… to building a business, learning tech, and c...

As Black women, we carry so much stress and toxicity in the workplace, and too often, we stay longer than we should. In this episode of Coffee No Cream, I’m talking about how to know when it’s time to go, the signs to watch for, and how to prepare yourself for higher ground. I share my own Coffee No Cream moments from the advertising world and toxic clients, plus practical tools you can start usin...

In this powerful episode, immigration attorney AbbyTheAttorney (known as @AbbyWinters80 on social media) shares her harrowing journey through systemic racism at a Georgia law firm - from a racist assistant who refused to work for "that little Black girl" to discovering a conference room filled with Confederate memorabilia. Abby opens up about the physical and mental toll of workplace dis...

In this shocking episode of Coffee No Cream, Stephanie Davis shares one of the most extreme workplace racism incidents we've heard yet. While working at a cellular phone store in Jefferson County, Missouri, Stephanie faced not one but two devastating attacks - first finding KKK graffiti spray-painted across her workplace, then being falsely accused of threatening violence by a white coworker j...

When a white paramedic told Valencia Dantzler "you will never be at my level," she didn't lose her cool - she got strategic. In this powerful episode, elite neuro-encoding specialist Valencia shares her Coffee No Cream moments from her time as an EMT in North Carolina, including workplace racism from coworkers and being kicked out of a fire station by a captain. Valencia reveals the...

Black women, we need to have an honest conversation about how we treat each other. 💯 In this episode, I'm diving deep into the ways we police, judge, and tear each other down - and why we need to do better. ✊🏾 From workplace dynamics to social media behavior, from speech policing to celebrating each other's downfalls, it's time to examine our own actions and ask ourselves: are we lifting each o...

In this solo episode, I'm getting real about undercharging and the psychological damage it causes. From a $1,000 insult to learning my worth - this is the conversation Black women NEED to have about money, value, and self-respect. 🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Why undercharging messes with your psyche AND your bag The real cost of taking projects that underpay you How I went from imposter syndrome to confiden...

Tracy Walker (@atmarshalsweat) shares her jaw-dropping Coffee No Cream moment from her first law office job - and the strategic response tactics she's developed over years in corporate America. In this episode, we dive deep into:✅ The "practically white" comment that changed everything (4:44)✅ Tracy's "level of unbotheredness" strategy (27:15)✅ How to handle workplac...

Stop waiting for someone else to give you a chance. It's time to give yourself one. In this episode, I'm sharing the skill that changed my life - the art of learning how to do something. From teaching myself clothing manufacturing to building a six-figure web development business, I'll show you how to break free from fear and start betting on yourself. What You'll Learn: Why most j...

Are you exhausted from constantly trying to prove your worth at work? In this deeply personal episode, I share my raw, unfiltered journey from toxic corporate environments to building a successful six-figure business - and the costly mistakes I made along the way. ✅ How to recognize when you're "swimming upstream" in the wrong environment✅ The difference between proving yourself vs...

If you're a Black woman who's been dismissed, interrupted, or silenced in the workplace, this episode is for you. Executive coach Karen Donaldson returns with her powerful ACT Framework to give you the exact words to say when someone tries to shut you down. What You'll Learn: ✅ The ACT Framework for workplace advocacy (Advocate, Communicate, Thrive)✅ Exact scripts for when someone sh...

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Michele Forbes, VP of Talent Acquisition, to discuss the devastating physical impact toxic workplaces have on Black women's bodies. From chest pains and migraines to panic attacks and depression, we share our raw experiences of how workplace racism and microaggressions literally make us sick. Michele opens up about a soul-crushing performance review wh...

In this eye-opening episode of Coffee No Cream, host Erin Braxton sits down with longtime friend and veteran nurse Sheryl Davis to discuss a shocking coffee no cream moment that challenges everything you'd expect about racial bias in healthcare. Sheryl, a seasoned nurse with over 30 years of experience, shares the surprising story of a Black patient who refused treatment from her - not because...

Have you ever found yourself code-switching so well at work that people forgot who you really are? In this powerful episode of Coffee No Cream, I sit down with retail veteran Nadine Foster to discuss what happens when your professional persona works a little TOO well. Nadine shares her eye-opening story about working with a white manager who became so comfortable around her that she started saying...

In this eye-opening episode, host Erin Braxton sits down with Shequana Hughes, CEO and system strategist at Business Balance Systems, for what starts as a conversation about being a Black woman in the SaaS tech industry but evolves into something much deeper and more uncomfortable. What began as a discussion about tech discrimination became a raw conversation about why Black women entrepreneurs of...

In this eye-opening episode, filmmaker and Share Platform CEO Erin Norman shares her jaw-dropping Coffee No Cream moment from a 2008 Hollywood pitch meeting where a producer asked, "Do black people really watch horror movies?"We dive deep into the ongoing debate: Should black women continue educating others when they get it wrong, or are we too tired to keep explaining? Erin brings a ref...

At 30 years old, Dr. Lydia Bullock had everything corporate America said she needed: a doctorate degree, multiple workplace awards, and four years of proven results. So why was she still being offered lateral moves instead of advancement? The statistics tell the story: According to LeanIn. Org's Women in the Workplace study, for every 100 men promoted to manager, only 54 Black women advance. Lydia...

HR expert Monique McKinney shares her Coffee No Cream Moment when her white male boss labeled her 'loud and aggressive' in a performance review after previously giving her high marks. Learn how to document, protect yourself, and fight back against discriminatory reviews that disproportionately target Black women in the workplace. Chapters(0:00) Intro/Welcome(01:57) Erin's Story on Bias...

In this powerful episode, communication expert Karen Donaldson shares her "Coffee No Cream Moment" when a receptionist refused to believe she was THE Karen Donaldson despite repeatedly identifying herself.

Welcome to the premiere of "Coffee No Cream," a podcast unapologetically dedicated to Black women in business! Host Erin Braxton (CEO of The Rebel Geek LLC) shares her personal "Coffee No Cream moment," - facing racial bias and disrespect from a long-term client despite delivering exceptional digital marketing services. In this powerful first episode, Erin reveals how this chal...

Join Erin Braxton for "Coffee No Cream," - where successful Black women share real experiences navigating professional spaces. No complaining. No dwelling. Just strategies to help Black women thrive in business. Each episode features a candid conversation with an awesome Black woman sharing one of her Coffee No Cream moments - the story of how she navigated bias and achieving success des...