BLKGirl Ambition

In this short solo episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the setbacks, disappointments, and behind-the-scenes moments that came with one of BLKGirl Ambition's biggest seasons yet. From signing with the ALIVE Podcast Network and hosting our first-ever IRL community dinner to dealing with lost photos, a butchered magazine article, missed expectations, and lessons in letting go of perfection, this...

What does it actually cost to be the first? In this episode of  BLKGirl Ambition , Niya Baxter sits down with Lisa Osborne Ross former U.S. CEO of Edelman, one of the largest public relations firms in the world, and the first Black person to hold the role for an honest conversation about power, leadership, vulnerability, and the pressure of representation. We talk about: the myth of the fearl...

In this solo episode, Niya reflects on a season of growth, exhaustion, vision, and what it means to keep building even when youre tired. From signing with the ALIVE podcast network to hosting BLKGirl Ambitions first-ever in-person event, The Conversation Dinner Series , this episode is about what happens when vision meets consistencyand community. Stay tuned to the end for a very special message f...

Most of us live and work within systems shaped by fear, bias, and legacy narrativesoften without even realizing it. In this episode of BLKGirl Ambition , Niya Baxter sits down with Theresa Wilsonattorney, TEDx speaker, and equity expertto explore the powerful framework of place consciousness . Not as a limitation, but as a key to understanding how societal structures shape what we can see as possi...

As Season 3 of BLKGirl Ambition comes to a close, Im revisiting one of my favorite conversationsmy interview with Teri Johnson, Founder and CEO of Harlem Candle Co . Teris journey is a masterclass in building something meaningful, staying rooted in your vision, and navigating the realities of entrepreneurship with intention, grace and grit. In this episode, we talk about what it really takes to bu...

When no one has done it before you, youre not just doing the jobyoure figuring out the rules in real time. You rent your job title, but you own your narrative. Summary: What if the reason you feel behind at work isnt you? Most first-generation professionals enter corporate spaces without a roadmapnavigating unwritten rules, hidden expectations, and systems that were never designed to be transparen...

"After 14 years of innovation, delivery, and creativity she was only as good as her last act. Summary: In this solo episode of BLKGirl Ambition , Niya Baxter reflects on the controversy surrounding Black fashion brand Hanifa and founder Anifa Mvembas decision to pause operations after intense online backlash tied to delayed pre-orders. Rather than joining the pile-on, Niya examines the bigger pict...

"I didnt drift into this life. I built it by working backwards from the goal" - Chardiney Jackson In this episode of BLKGirl Ambition , Niya Baxter sits down with leadership strategist and executive coach Chardiney Jackson for a masterclass on designing your career on purpose. Chardiney shares her journey from Analyst to Vice President at JPMorgan not as a story of luck or talent alone, but of vis...

Negotiation confidence comes from clarityknowing your numbers, your value, and your walk-away. Summary: In this episode of BLKGirl Ambition , Niya Baxter speaks with Tai Wingfield about what it really takes to negotiate with confidence, strategy, and powerespecially for Black women in the workplace. They break down how to prepare for negotiations, identify and challenge internal narratives that li...

Everything weve done has been unconventional and thats exactly why it works. If youve only got one idea, stay home. Food is the thread but community, culture, and change are what were really building. Summary: In this episode of BLKGirl Ambition , Niya Baxter sits down with Nina Oduro and Maame Boakye , co-founders of Dine Diaspora and Black Women in Food , to trace how a series of intimate supper...

"Detty December isnt just about celebrationits about economic movement, visibility, and cultural exchange." "Diaspora wars are a distraction. They keep us debating each other instead of building what we actually need." "Once you touch the continent, something shifts. You dont come back the samecellularly, spiritually, or mentally" Summary: In this solo episode of Black Girl Ambition , Niya Baxter...

Highly ambitious women dont demand excellence to impress anyone else. They demand it as an act of self-respect. Outsourcing opinions about your life is the quickest way to end up in the passenger seat of it. Ambition without rest eventually collapses under its own weight. Summary: In this solo episode, Niya Baxter reflects on the evolution of BLKGirl Ambition and the unmistakable patterns shes obs...

"When you really do step out on faith, say no to fear, God will truly blow your mind. - Claire Sulmers We all deserve to be seen, highlighted, acknowledged, and elevated. A lot of people - especially Black women - are like, I am here. Im taking up space. Give me my things. - Claire Sulmers In this episode of BLKGirl Ambition , Niya sits down with Claire Sulmers , Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fas...

"Things dont look the sameespecially for Black women entrepreneurs. Budgets from 2022 dont look the same. We have to pivot to sustain ourselves in a new world"- Callia Hargrove In this episode of BLKGirl Ambition, Niya sits down with Callia Hargrove storyteller, brand strategist, and founder of Backstory Consulting to dive deep into what it really takes to build meaningful brands and meaningful li...

"It's okay to be flexible. It is okay to not know. It's okay if your plans change. To be a human being is to consistently evolve from a cellular level." - Janice Omadeke Summary: One year ago, BLKGirl Ambition launched with a vision to create space for bold, brilliant, badass women to redefine success on their own terms. And fittingly, our first-ever guest, Janice Omadeke, returns for this anniver...

The next generation of African innovators wont wait for validation. Theyre not asking to be included theyre building their own tables." - MJ Jalloh Summary: In this episode of BLKGirl Ambition , host Niya Baxter sits down with Mariama MJ Jalloh , a powerhouse at the intersection of finance, regulation, and technology and the founder of FinTech with MJ . A proud Howard alum and daughter of Sierra L...

"Technology will change fashion whether fashion likes it or not" Fashion doesnt have a diversity problem it has a data problem. If youre not collecting and using data that reflects real womens bodies, youre not designing for us. "Ive chopped my own head off so many times because I realized I get to a point emotionally where the person that I am who made these decisions cant lead this company anymo...

"Luxury is not about a price tagits about how something makes you feel, how it affirms your identity, and how it tells your story. - Teri Johnson I wanted Harlem to be more than a neighborhood on a mapI wanted it to be an experience, a fragrance, a legacy that people could hold in their hands. - Teri Johnson The real art of entrepreneurship is storytelling. If you can make people feel, you can mak...

In this quick solo episode of BLKGirl Ambition , host Niya Baxter gets honest about the power of the pause. She shares a personal update on why shes hitting resetand whats coming next. From building personal brands with intention, to reclaiming narratives through cultural storytelling, Season Two was full of bold, necessary conversations that pushed us to grow. As Niya reflects on the lessons and...

"Personal branding isnt a vanity project. Its strategy. Its insurance. We all need it." - Niya Baxter "You owe it to yourself to show up for yourself. A corporation should never own your entire professional identity." - Niya Baxter Summary: In this solo episode of BLKGirl Ambition , host Niya Baxter gets real about what it actually takes to build a personal brand while navigating the demands of a...

"Were building the African Disney and were doing it our way." - Esther Paul "I want to build a headquarters in Accra that employs hundreds of African creatives. AfroToons isnt just storytelling its economic empowerment" - Esther Paul Summary: In this episode of BLKGirl Ambition , host Niya Baxter sits down with Esther, the trailblazing founder and CEO of AfroToons Animation Studio . Esther shares...

"Perfectionism almost killed me." - Nadia Marie Sasso "I wasn't interested in performing scholarship for institutions. It was about making my community feel seen and heard [through filmmaking] and looking for resonance, not approval" - Nadia Marie Sasso Summary: In this episode of BLKGirl Ambition , Niya Baxter sits down with creative visionary and cultural storyteller Dr. Nadia Sasso for a rich c...

"No one celebrates high performers. They just expect it. Thats why you have to celebrate yourselfloudly and often." Queirra Fenderson "Burnout starts the minute you negotiate away your boundaries. Its a power leakand the water rises fast." Queirra Fenderson "Ambition doesnt have to mean burnout. When you shift from external validation to inner alignment, you unlock a new level of power." Queirra F...

"All the rules are fake. If thats the case, Im going to make my own. And Im going to make them with other like-minded women beside me." - Dara Chike-Obi For the short holiday week, we're re-releasing this powerful episode with Dara Chike-Obi because sometimes the most important lessons come in the form of a pivot. When we first recorded, Dara was the co-founder of GRIO, a baby feeding tech company...

"Humility is not what drives success for Black women in the workplace. Humility holds us back" - Grace Mosuro "Fake it until you make it. Fake it until it feels natural" - Grace Mosuro Build your network before you need it. The people pitching you in rooms youre not in? You meet them now. - Grace Mosuro Summary: In this episode of BLKGirl Ambition , host Niya Baxter is joined by Grace Mosuro, a gl...