Black Woman Leading

We invited Dr.  LaKeischa McMillan for this episode to discuss hormone health, perimenopause, menopause, and everything in between!   Research indicates that perimenopause (the pre-menopause stage) is starting earlier for many women, with Black women transitioning even earlier than other races with symptoms starting as soon as the early 30s.  This impacts our mental and physical health, as well as...

In this episode, we welcome Dr.  Adia Harvey Wingfield, sociologist and leading race and labor expert, to discuss her new book, "Gray Areas: How the way we work perpetuates racism and what we can do to fix it." Adia breaks down her research findings about "gray areas"--the relationships, networks, and cultural dynamics integral to companies that exist apart from the specific expectations and dutie...

Welcome to Season 5 of Black Woman Leading, the podcast!  This podcast is an extension of the Black Woman Leading learning experience.   The theme for season five is "Who are you and who do you want to be?" In addition to the focused topics we'll explore this season, the core questions this season will center on embracing our identity and core values, and amplifying the message that who we are rig...

We are celebrating the completion of our fourth season! Our season theme was "Thrive, Sis, Thrive!" In addition to specific topics this season, our core questions always explored what it looks like for Black women to THRIVE and not just survive at work and in life.  And as usual, we uncovered a number of organic themes that consistently resurfaced across multiple episodes– giving yourself permissi...

In this insightful solo episode, Laura shares insights to help you strengthen your delegation skills.  Delegation is the act of redirecting tasks and initiatives to other team members.  If you want to keep advancing as a leader, delegation is a skill you must master.  Yet, it's a skill that many people say is a challenge for them.   In true BWL fashion, rooted in her 18+ years of working with lead...

In this episode, we hear lessons from the C-Suite with Toshie Davis, Chief Financial and Administration Officer at OneTen. Toshie shares her story of pursuing purpose and passion via a career pivot from the corporate sector to nonprofit administration. She gives a behind-the-scenes look at her day-to-day responsibilities as a C-suite leader and how she contributes to the powerful work at OneTen, a...

In this episode, we welcome Aiko Bethea, CEO & Founder of RARE Coaching & Consulting, to discuss overcoming toxic productivity.  Our BWL community attracts many high achievers. They are often the "firsts" in their families and communities…the first to graduate college, the first to be on their level of leadership, the first one that people call when they need help…and the list goes on. In the work...

Often when we think of grief, we think about the loss of a loved one.  However, grief is present in all our life transitions….including our career transitions.   Perhaps you spent years of education and training for a particular career path, only to later discover that that path is not what you want to do.  Or, perhaps you had to abruptly leave a toxic workplace and there is some lingering residue...

In this intimate discussion, three alumni participants of the Black Woman Leading THRIVE  cohort (Crystal Coats, Brenda Hudson, and Yaphet Bryant)  share their stories of navigating both personal and professional transitions.  They share how they leaned into community and other supportive resources during these times, and the self-care strategies they implemented to care for themselves in the proc...

In this powerful episode, we welcome author, Elizabeth Leiba,  to talk about taking up space as Black women in every area of our lives.  From work, to relationships, to LinkedIn; Elizabeth shares her insights on why using our voice and increasing our visibility is critical for Black women leaders.   She also shares some of her personal journey of taking up more space in the professional landscapes...

It's a first…we have a man as a guest on the Black Woman Leading podcast!  And it's none other than Laura's husband, Marshall Knights.  Laura and Marshall will celebrate 20 years of marriage and 26 years of partnership this year. In this special episode, they talk about the leadership and self-awareness lessons they've learned from their relationship together and from parenting their children, Mar...

Season 4,  Episode 006 -Healing Hurt Caused by Other Black Women at Work with Dr. Carey Yazeed As Black women, we may be familiar with experiencing unsupportive or toxic experiences in the workplace at the hands of others.  But what about when the toxic behavior directed towards us is from someone that looks like us – another Black woman. In this episode, Laura talks to Dr. Carey about this sensit...

In this episode, we turn our attention to thriving in our bodies and physical health.  Laura welcomes our special guest, Bridgette Duncan, Founder of Slam Duncan Wellness. Bridgette shares her body movement journey and how her work in Pilates, stretch therapy, and breathwork has been a life-giving force not only for herself but for the Black women she works with in her practice.  She exposes us to...

Here at Black Woman Leading, we are all about asking for help and building your support team in your personal and professional life.  You may have a self-care team that includes a doctor, therapist, and other providers.  Or, a professional development team that includes your manager, colleagues, executive coach, or others.  You might even have personal care time like a house cleaner, babysitter, o...

In this episode, we hear lessons from the C-Suite with Sandy Clark, CEO of StoryCorps. Sandy shares about her experience being an "accidental manager" and how this professional journey spurred  her to come from behind the curtain and step into full visibility as a leader. She shares a personal story about the consequences of staying too long in a role, and the heart work and head work she's had to...

In this enlightening episode, Dr. Maiysha states that 100% of people have been impacted by trauma. She takes us on a journey into the mind to uncover how our past experiences impact our trauma responses and communication defaults in our personal and professional lives. Dr. Maiysha provides a mini master class and shares the difference between positive stress, toxic stress, and trauma.  She teaches...

Welcome to Season 4 of Black Woman Leading, the podcast!  We are so excited to be back!   This podcast is an extension of the Black Woman Leading learning experience.   The theme for season four is "Thrive, Sis, Thrive!" Through our episodes this season, we will be reflecting on questions like - "What does it look like for Black women to thrive in every of their lives?   And for this thriving to b...

We are celebrating the completion of our third season! Our season theme was "Own Your Story, Amplify Your Voice." Additionally, we uncovered a number of organic themes that consistently resurfaced across multiple episodes– leading from the inside-out, exploring new paradigms, self-advocacy, and taking care of our bodies. Tune in to this episode to get a high-level summary of all the wisdom shared,...

In this first episode of the new year, Laura invites you to revisit your "rules."  Your rules are your personal codes, spoken and unspoken,  that govern how you live your life. Rules help to give us order, provide safety, provide ways of knowing as we navigate the world, and help us to feel in control of our lives. Although many of our rules are helpful and support us to be our best selves, some o...

In this intimate discussion, three alumni participants of the Black Woman Leading ELEVATE  cohort (Latoya Butler, Kendra Thomas, and Meghen Demons) share their stories of growth throughout their leadership journey. They share the "growing pains" they endured and resources that helped them to overcome as they navigate their careers as Black women leaders working in both corporate and non-profit spa...

In this episode, we hear lessons from the C-Suite with Kimberly Moore-Wright, Chief Teammate Officer and Head of Enterprise Diversity Truist Financial Corporation Kimberly shares how both heart work and head work have been critical to her "off the beaten path" leadership ascent at Truist, and she gives a behind-the-scenes look of her day-to-day responsibilities in her role.  Additionally, as the per...

In this episode, Laura answers pressing questions from our community on topics related to delegation, leading your team through organizational change, dealing with "Mom guilt," advocating for salary/promotion increases, and dealing with fear about leaving an organization. Tune in as Laura shares her wisdom and provides actionable insights to address these leadership challenges. Resources: S1E4: Na...

At Black Woman Leading® we are all about exposing Black women to new opportunities and empowering them to increase their options. So we were so excited to welcome our special guest, Stephanie Perry, Founder of vaycarious.com, to discuss the option of taking a career sabbatical, or an extended period of time away from work.    In this insightful episode, Stephanie and Laura vision and explore the p...

R esearch indicates that minority populations disproportionately experience insufficient sleep and sleep disorders.  We know that sleep is a fundamental health and wellness need for us to thrive as human beings, so we wanted to talk about Black women and our relationship with sleep.   We welcome our special guest, Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell, Sleep Specialist and the Founder of The Solution is Sleep...

In this engaging episode, we explore the term "imposter syndrome" with speaker and writer, Jodi-Ann Burey.   The term "imposter syndrome" is often used to communicate a sense of inadequacy that an individual may feel in a professional setting.  After reviewing the original research that birthed this term, Laura and Jodi-Ann discuss why the term is an inaccurate portrayal of the experience of Black...