Coffee No Cream

You know it’s toxic… but somehow you keep questioning yourself instead of the situation. In this episode of Coffee No Cream, Erin sits down with Dr. Kimani Norrington-Sands unpack the subtle (and not-so-subtle) signs of toxic environments—especially the ones that are easy to normalize, excuse, or overlook. From being dismissed and talked over to constantly having to prove your worth, this conversa...

This episode is about something we don’t talk about enough. Not when something happens to you…but when nothing happens… and you still don’t move. A lot of us are not stuck because we lack ability. We’re stuck because of the stories we tell ourselves. Full stories. Detailed. Emotional. Convincing. And none of them are real. In this episode, I walk through four patterns that keep showing up:Comparin...

What do you do when someone tries to quietly move you out of position? In this episode of Coffee No Cream, Erin Braxton sits down with attorney, consultant, and coach Tashun Bowden-Lewis to talk about a workplace moment that said far more than words ever could. Tashun shares what it felt like to be asked not to sit next to the person presiding over a meeting, even though she was the one leading th...

There are moments when something feels off… but nothing was said directly. In this conversation, Dr. Mel breaks down how some women avoid direct conflict with Black women and instead create experiences that slowly wear on you emotionally. If you’ve ever questioned yourself in those moments, this is that conversation. We talk about what’s actually happening, why it shows up this way, and how to rec...

If you’ve been laid off more than once, it can start to get in your head. You begin to question your work, your decisions, and sometimes even your worth. But when something keeps happening in your career, it’s also worth stepping back and asking some honest questions about the environments we’re in, the dynamics we’re navigating, and how we respond to them. In this episode, I’m responding to comme...

Before you accept that next corporate job, there are a few things you should know. In this episode of the Coffee No Cream Podcast, Erin sits down with Celeste Warren, former Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Merck, where she spent 28 years leading global diversity strategy. After four decades in corporate America, Celeste retired and launched her own consulting firm to continue helping or...

Black women know the assignment. We know what we’re not attending. We know what we’re not supporting. We know when to speak. And we know when to be quiet. But while we’re being unbothered and minding our own Black female business, we still have work to do. In this episode, I walk through five shifts Black women need to make to position ourselves for whatever is coming next. Not panic. Not reaction...

This Is the Real America for Black Women. Not the one in textbooks. Not the one in corporate diversity brochures. Not the one that says “we’ve come so far.” In this episode of Coffee No Cream, we connect the dots from Jim Crow to the C-Suite and examine what has actually changed… and what hasn’t. When a woman who integrated her high school under armed protection speaks about corporate leadership t...

In this episode of Coffee No Cream, Erin sits down with Dr. Pamela Buchanan, an ER physician who shares what it’s really like to be a Black woman doctor in America. From being called the N-word by patients during the pandemic to navigating daily micro and macroaggressions in the emergency room, Dr. Buchanan opens up about the emotional toll of practicing medicine in today’s climate. But this isn’t...

So many Black women know something has to change at work. Some are thinking about starting their own business. Some do not know what they want to do yet. But the feeling is the same. What you are doing now is not sustainable. In this episode, Erin shares the real story of her first business FAIL. Not the highlight reel. Not the boss narrative. The truth. Erin talks about how fear ran her business....

In 2025, over 319,000 Black women lost their jobs, while 365,000 white men gained jobs during the same period. As DEI initiatives are rolled back and federal and public-sector jobs are cut, many Black women are being forced to reconsider what stability, safety, and success really look like. In this solo episode, Erin Braxton speaks directly to Black women who don’t want to return to corporate but...

What happens when your body forces you to stop? In this episode of the Coffee No Cream Podcast, we talk openly about stroke, stress, and the health risks Black women face far earlier than many realize. This conversation centers on a stroke at 39 and what it reveals about how stress, pressure, and survival mode show up in Black women’s bodies. Black women are disproportionately affected by stroke,...

What happens when HR isn’t safe, even for Black women who work in HR? In this episode of Coffee No Cream, Erin Braxton sits down with Tai Robinson, an HR professional who shares a Coffee No Cream moment that challenges the idea that HR is a neutral or protective space for Black women. Tai talks candidly about reporting racially charged behavior, being dismissed, and ultimately being labeled “messy...

In Part 4 of The Corporate Code Series, Erin breaks down The Wait Code. So many Black women say they want to leave toxic jobs and make moves, and yet years go by, nothing changes, and we’re still “getting ready to get ready.” In this episode of Coffee No Cream, Erin Braxton breaks down why Black women procrastinate career changes they already know they need to make, and how waiting slowly becomes...

In this final episode of the year, Erin reflects on the moments, conversations, and patterns that defined Coffee No Cream in 2025. From memorable Coffee No Cream moments to stories about stress, workplace dynamics, and hard-earned lessons, this episode brings together highlights from across the year to explore what Black women are really navigating at work. Erin also shares recurring warnings, key...

In this episode of Coffee No Cream, Erin sits down with DEI expert Tammy Triolo to talk about a familiar workplace contradiction: Black women lead, carry responsibility, and drive outcomes, yet are often treated like support staff instead of decision-makers. They unpack how Black women are relied on for emotional labor, problem-solving, and stability at work, while authority, recognition, and perm...

Jobs don’t define Black women, but too often, we’re taught to believe they do. In this solo episode of Coffee No Cream, Erin Braxton breaks down what happens when your identity, confidence, and self-worth get wrapped up in a job title, a degree, or someone else’s opinion of you. Drawing from her own experience leaving advertising, navigating entrepreneurship, and rebuilding from failure, Erin walk...

When Ashley Morgan walked into a CEO’s office for a routine business meeting, the first thing he said was: “You don’t sound Black on the phone.” What happened next was a masterclass in confidence, boundaries, and knowing your value. Ashley is a former corporate leader who rebuilt her career after wrongful termination, EEOC disappointment, a deep confidence collapse, and a long season she calls “ca...

Black Women, It’s Pivot Season, and a lot of us are feeling it. The job market is shifting, DEI is disappearing, the workplace is getting hostile again, and more than 300,000 Black women have lost their jobs this year alone. The pressure, the fear, the uncertainty...it’s real. And for many of us, this isn’t the first time we’ve had to pivot. In this episode, I’m talking you through the exact ways...

In Part 2 of this Make It Make Sense series, we continue the honest conversation about why Black women clash and experience conflict with each other in the workplace. Dr. Kwanza Falaka-Gipson, Dr. Lydia Bullock, and Natasha Williams return to break down the root causes of tension between Black women at work, including insecurity, trauma, jealousy, leadership challenges, and the pressure to prove o...

Why do Black women struggle so deeply with each other in the workplace? In this first part of my Make It Make Sense series, I am joined by three incredible women: Dr. Kwanza Falaka-Gibson, Dr. Lydia Bullock, and Natasha Williams from the UK. Together, we unpack the painful, complicated, and often unspoken truth about Black women’s relationships with each other at work. We discuss: competition, sca...

They said these conversations should happen in private. That talking about how Black women treat each other in the workplace would “put a target on our backs.”But Erin Braxton isn’t backing down. In this powerful solo episode of Coffee No Cream, she responds to real viewer comments, from accusations of being “elite” to painful truths about how Black women sometimes harm one another at work. This e...

In this episode of The Corporate Code Series, Erin breaks down The Access Code, how to protect your time, set real limits, and stop letting work, clients, and even “well-meaning” bosses have unlimited access to you. If you’ve ever found yourself answering emails on weekends, feeling guilty for saying no, or being treated like your free time doesn’t matter because you’re single or don’t have kids,...

In this powerful global edition of Coffee No Cream, Erin Braxton sits down with British researcher Natasha Williams, creator of The Cost of Black Excellence study. From racial micro-aggressions in the U.K. to the shared burnout Black women face worldwide, Natasha opens up about running her own firm, reclaiming her boundaries, and walking away from disrespect, even when it costs money. Together, Er...

Why do so many Black women struggle to charge what we’re worth? In this powerful episode of Coffee No Cream, Erin Braxton sits down with Dr. Kimberly Douglass, a neurodivergent pricing strategist and researcher, to talk about the fear, conditioning, and data behind how we price our work. From “pick your brain” requests to clients who expect free labor, Dr. Douglass breaks down how Black women can...