Her Next Power Move

Writing "Call & Response" was an incredible journey. The conversations I had with dear friends like Cynt Marshall were so powerful, and sometimes, we got in a few laughs. You've probably heard "the red hooker shoes" story before? She tells this story from the platform, in media interviews and even in her debut book "You've Been Chosen: Thriving Through the Unexpected." In fact, it was in my first...

Show Notes for Episode 11 — “Emotional Regulation Isn’t Suppression” Her Next Power Move with L. Michelle Smith, MS, ACC, CPEC You’ve probably heard the advice: “Keep your emotions out of it.” But what if that’s the exact opposite of what great leaders do? In this episode, I explore the science and strategy behind emotional regulation—how it differs from suppression, why it matters to leadership,...

What if fear wasn’t your enemy… but your engine? In this soul-stirring episode of Her Next Power Move , I invite high-performing leaders to sit with fear—not to silence it, but to listen. You’ll learn how to use anxiety as a signal for alignment, growth, and resilience, instead of allowing it to derail your leadership. I’ll unpack: * The neuroscience behind fear and motivation * The difference bet...

🎧 Episode 9 Show Notes Title: It’s Lonely at the Top: Combating Isolation in Leadership Host: L. Michelle Smith, MS, ACC, CPEC Summary: Leadership can be deeply fulfilling—but it can also be profoundly lonely. In this episode, we explore the quiet cost of success: emotional isolation at the top. Drawing from neuroscience, positive psychology, and real-life leadership coaching, L. Michelle unpacks...

In this episode of Her Next Power Move , L. Michelle Smith, MS, ACC, CPEC, dives into the powerful concept of cognitive distortions and how they can shape our perceptions and reactions. Learn how to identify these thought patterns and, more importantly, how to reframe them to build a mindset rooted in growth and resilience. Key Highlights: * Understand what cognitive distortions are and why they m...

What happens when positivity becomes pressure? In this powerful episode, I unpack the fine line between authentic optimism and the subtle trap of toxic positivity. If you’ve ever felt pressured to "just stay positive" in the face of real adversity, this conversation is for you. Drawing from research by Dr. Susan David, author of Emotional Agility , and the latest insights from positive psychology,...

Now streaming on Her Next Power Move… Resilience isn’t just something we’re born with—it’s something we can build . And in this episode, we explore how. Join L. Michelle Smith as she breaks down the science of neuroplasticity —your brain’s ability to adapt and change, even in the face of adversity—and why that’s good news for high-performing leaders navigating uncertainty. You’ll learn: * What neu...

🎙️ Episode 5 — Finding the Message in the Mess Now streaming on Her Next Power Move Description: Grief isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s dressed in power suits and full calendars,masked by resilience,muted by responsibility. But what if I told you growth lives here, too? In this episode, we explore post-traumatic growth —the quiet yet radical process of becoming whole again after a seismic shift....

Joy Goddess. That’s what Langston Hughes called her. Because A’Lelia Walker didn’t just exist—she illuminated. She knew how to create an experience that put people in their feelings. Sound familiar? She made spaces sacred, turned gatherings into history, and brought the Harlem Renaissance to life. She mastered personal branding before it was ever even a phrase! And now, her great-granddaughter, th...

In this episode, I take time to reflect on 5 lessons I've learned over the past five years of running my professional private coaching practice. We are celebrating NSC Coaching's 5th anniversary all this month, and we are also observing International Coaching Week. Listen for what I learned along this journey so far about perseverance, determination, focus, relationships and other important lesson...

In this episode, I take time to reflect on 5 lessons I've learned over the past five years of running my professional private coaching practice. We are celebrating NSC Coaching's 5th anniversary all this month, and we are also observing International Coaching Week. Listen for what I learned along this journey so far about perseverance, determination, focus, relationships and other important lesson...

Where have I been? What have I been up to, you ask? This episode will catch you up, and drop some Nuggets that you probably weren't expecting. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lmichellesmith.substack.com/subscribe

This special episode is dual streamed and sponsored by The Culture Soup Podcast(r) and PR Yourself Podcast with Leah Frazier who is my guest host for today's show. It is a replay of the DFW Book Signing for Yes Please! 7 Ways to Say I'm Entitled to the C-Suite. It was recorded before a live audience. Listen to part one of the Fireside chat between myself and Leah and then tune in to Part 2 on TCSP...

Let's take a look back at my conversation with one f the world's most loved historians, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. This takes us back to Episode 51 where we discuss his hit show Finding Your Roots and his journey to the show. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lmichellesmith.substack.com/subscribe

Let's talk CULTURE...and when I say culture--I mean the ARTS! I'm throwing it back to one of my favorite episodes as I wrap up a year-long engagement with one of my favorite clients, Lyric Opera Chicago and round the corner on my last term on the board of Opera America. One of the most acclaimed mezzo sopranos of our time is joining me on The Culture Soup Podcast®, and I’m so proud to call her fri...

Women+ leaders in tech have access to sponsors, at the same rate as their male counterparts. That isn't the issue. It's that once women have sponsors, what happens next is often very different. There is also some discrepancies in titles between the genders. Both become obstacles for women leaders who are looking to walk in their power in rooms and at tables as they aspire to E- and C-Suite roles....

In this current touch-and-go environment, both economically and socially, what should leaders consider now? I speak to inclusive leadership & psychological safety expert Sacha Thompson, ACC the founder of The Equity Equation and faculty member of SOAR Women’s Leadership Academy about it. Join us Thursday March 16, streaming everywhere podcasts play, and live at noon across all of my social pla...

Mid- career, mid life...and in the middle. I'm talking about my generation... Gen X. So much attention is paid to the Boomers and the Millennials and now Gen Z...but make no mistake, we are trending upward--that is when we place some intention behind it. Thursday, I'm talking to fellow ELC adjunct faculty member Adrion Porter who is a Gen X expert when it comes to mastering the middle. He is also...

BONUS CONTENT IS HERE! Beginning this month, you will be able to subscribe to gated content from the show. In fact, the conversations may surprise you. Since most of my shows spur additional conversation about some of the most random things, I intend to share. Introducing TCSP After the Show and DUETS. You may have guessed what both are all about, but you'll need to subscribe and listen to the tra...

What if you could predict the success of a company based on stock price and revenue based on the mindsets of their leaders? It's already happening, and there are huge implications for all of us, but especially women and women of color. It's everything you haven't yet learned about fixed and growth mindsets...and put some machine learning with it. Prepare to have your mind blown. This is a public e...

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lmichellesmith.substack.com/subscribe

This week's episode is all about the message that keeps on giving. It's the message that organization after organization continues to ask for. It's all about knowing your value and how it's a powerful tool in your life and leadership aspirations. We dive in deep as I broadcast from Washington D.C. at the Executive Leadership Council's Mid-level Management Symposium where I delivered the talk twice...

Ever considered how language can be leveraged to dictate the rules of a culture? Tonight's episode of The Culture Soup Podcast® is a Coaching Corner episode, and we discuss exactly how that it happens in world events and the workplace and what that works to the detriment of those who are not centered. We also take a deeper dive into today't #YesPlease ( https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/?keywo...

Today's show begins with a special message from me from the #NABJNAHJ22 ( https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/?keywords=nabjnahj22&highlightedUpdateUrns=urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6960987819079073792 ) Convention as I prepare for my booksigning this afternoon at Caesar's Palace. Then we dive deep on a topic that seems to have some people in their feelings. That topic is the browning of America. Let's...

If you're a longtime listener, you know that when it gets a little crazy in our culture, I phone a friend. Episode 170 is no exception. I don't know about you, but after putting $112 dollars in my tank, hearing more of my friends and family contract Covid, still tearing up about Buffalo and Uvalde and the many mass shootings since, and watching parts of the January 6 hearings...it was time to dial...