Black Woman Leading

Middle management may be the hardest seat in any organization: accountable to the leaders above you, responsible for the team below, with authority that is real but limited. And roughly 80 percent of an organization's people are led from that exact seat. Kelli King-Jackson, an executive coach with more than 800 hours coaching Black women in predominantly white spaces, joins Laura to reframe the middle as one of the most powerful positions in an organization, once you learn to influence rather than simply manage. She breaks down the real difference between influence and manipulation, how to manage up by understanding what your leaders actually care about, how to build trust with your team by "sharing the code," and what introversion, neurodiversity, and AI all mean for the way Black women lead from the middle right now. In this episode: Why the middle is uniquely hard, and uniquely powerful, for Black women, and how to stop experiencing it as only a squeeze Influence versus manipulation: managing up by learning how your leaders are persuaded, and translating for the team below Building trust downward by "sharing the code," plus what introversion, neurodiversity, and AI now require of leaders in the middle About Kelli Kelli King-Jackson is the founder of Kelli King-Jackson, LLC, a social impact firm focused on coaching, leadership assessments, strategic advising, and facilitation. With more than 25 years of experience across nonprofits and philanthropy, she has coached Black women and femmes leading in predominantly white spaces for over 800 hours. Kelli is an ACC‑level coach, a 21/64 certified philanthropic advisor, and co‑founder of The Bayou Collective in Houston. Connect with Kelli Website: https://www.iamkelli.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kkingjackson BWL Resources: Join Black Woman Leading, The Collective - a membership community. Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/the-collective/ Join us at the 2027 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. June 1-4, 2027, Clearwater Beach, FL. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Take the free Future-Ready Leader Assessment - https://futureready.blackwomanleading.com/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

Deme Jackson had the receipts: an HBCU grad, a decade advising C-suite leaders, a nonprofit founder. And still, after repeated layoffs and real workplace trauma, her confidence had fallen behind her competence. In this episode, she and Laura name a gap so many high-achieving Black women live in: you can have done all the work and still not feel like the woman your résumé describes. Deme shares how a toxic corporate experience chipped away at a confidence she once took for granted, how a trusted coach reminded her she did not need to relearn confidence but catch up to it, and how community, visibility, and radical self-work helped her rebuild. She also opens up about founding the Lotus Club and turning her own healing into a lifeline for other Black women navigating workplace trauma. In this episode: The difference between self-esteem and self-confidence, and why layoffs and toxic workplaces damage both How a trusted mirror in community helped Deme catch up to the confidence that never actually left Closing the gap between skill and confidence, and what it means to be bold before you fully feel ready, her Bloom Boldly season About Deme Deme Jackson is a communications executive, strategist, and entrepreneur whose career began on a production set. She spent her early career in film and television production before pivoting into strategic communications, where she has spent over a decade advising C-suite leaders and leading crisis communications for notable brands including the City of Dallas, Motel 6, Chili's, and Drybar. In addition to serving as a Public Information Officer for one of the top 10 municipalities in the country, she founded F.U.E.L., the city's first Young Professionals Employee Resource Group. That experience, paired with her own encounters with being overlooked and undervalued as a Black woman in the workplace, led her to found The Lotus Club, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting Black women navigating workplace trauma through healing, empowerment, and community. Deme also founded Deme & Co., a boutique communications consultancy serving executives, entrepreneurs, and public figures. She is a 2025 recipient of the Pearl C. Anderson Rising Star Award and a proud Clark Atlanta University alumna. Outside of work, she's an avid cook and collector of African American cookbooks, a hobby that reflects her love of storytelling and preserving culture through food. Connect with Deme Website: http://www.thelotusclub.co Instagram: @bloomwithtlc, @astoldbydeme LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/demejackson/ BWL Resources: Join us at the 2027 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. June 1-4, 2027, Clearwater Beach, FL. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Take the free Future-Ready Leader Assessment - https://futureready.blackwomanleading.com/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

At a career crossroads, by choice or by circumstance? Natina Hill, affectionately known as the Pivot Muse, joins Laura with a real strategic framework for making your next move, especially urgent in a moment when over 600,000 Black women have been economically impacted and AI is reshaping what our skills are worth. A serial entrepreneur, ed-tech founder, and self-described polymath, Natina is candid that she is one of the 600,000, having lost significant contract income to the DEI rollback. She and Laura walk through the pivot she teaches: start with the heart work of naming the grief and fear (because fear restricts movement), then move to the head work of taking honest inventory of your mastered skills, skill-stacking them into new roles, and using AI tools as your free personal strategist. It is a grounded, hopeful, practical roadmap for anyone who got the rug pulled out and wants to turn this season into a strategic one. In this episode: Why every strategic pivot starts with a mindset shift, and how to sit with the grief of a layoff before you try to move (heart work before head work) The inventory-and-skill-stacking method: naming what you have mastered over your career, and what actually energizes you, then repurposing it into your next role How to use AI as a free strategist to research how your industry is changing, translate your experience, and find the roles you are missing, plus how to protect your kids by learning it yourself About Natina Natina Marie Hill is affectionately known as the pivot muse, a perfect name to describe her life and career journey. She attributes her success to learning how to strategically navigate in and out of life's most challenging and rewarding situations. She's a Rochester, New York native and an Atlanta transplant since 2000. Although she's ventured down many paths, her career has been rooted in business and tech advocacy. Hill is the EdTech Founder of AI STEAM Lab and Future Hackathon™, innovation labs supported by Microsoft that advances AI literacy and fluency in underserved communities. With more than 25 years of experience and through her nonprofit organization, Hill Innovation Learning Labs Foundation, she is developing training and workforce development solutions to help individuals and organizations thrive in a digital world by confidently navigating emerging technologies and preparing for the future of work. Hill is also a serial entrepreneur, speaker, and creative. She owns Hill Consulting & Strategy Firm, PenHaus Media, and melanin muse®, where she directs and produces everything from films, global travel journeys, to large conferences. Hill is proud to serve as an advisory board member for the Women Entrepreneurial Opportunity Project (WEOP). Connect with Natina Website: https://aisteamlab.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natinamariehill/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natina.marie BWL Resources: Join us at the 2027 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. June 1-4, 2027, Clearwater Beach, FL. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Take the free Future-Ready Leader Assessment - https://futureready.blackwomanleading.com/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

Most money advice is tactical: budget this, invest that. Dr. Billina Shaw brings something almost no one else does, a psychiatrist's lens. A Yale-educated, triple board-certified psychiatrist turned financial wellness strategist, she joins Laura to go underneath the numbers to the behavioral and psychological roots of how we relate to money. Fresh off her own pivot, laid off from a federal role and ninety days into full-time entrepreneurship, Billina gets vulnerable about discovering that her own anxiety wasn't about the bills, it was about worth and identity. She and Laura name financial trauma and how it shows up, especially for Black women carrying the "slave and save" mentality, and walk through her Aligned Health and Wealth framework: aligning with purpose, identifying with abundance, abolishing limiting beliefs, and acting with authority. A grounding, judgment-free conversation about building wealth from the inside out. In this episode: What financial trauma is, the three forms it takes (history, household, and her story), and how it quietly drives overspending, hoarding, and avoidance Why budgeting alone never fixes it, and how positive reinforcement and abundance, not shame, actually change our relationship with money The Aligned Health and Wealth framework, and why disentangling your worth from your work is the first inside-out move About Dr. Billina Dr. Billina Shaw is a Yale-educated, triple board-certified psychiatrist turned financial wellness strategist who helps women build aligned wealth from the inside out. Through her coaching practice, Freely Flourish Financial™, she draws on her behavioral health expertise and signature framework to help high-achievers untangle the beliefs and behaviors holding back their personal growth and that of their wallets. A physician and former federal behavioral health Senior Medical Advisor, she brings rare depth to a simple idea: true prosperity starts with alignment. Connect with Dr. Billina Website: www.freelyflourishfinancial.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-billina Instagram: @drbillina BWL Resources: Join us at the 2027 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. June 1-4, 2027, Clearwater Beach, FL. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Take the free Future-Ready Leader Assessment - https://futureready.blackwomanleading.com/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

Neuroscience strategist Keyshawn Hughes joins Laura to explain what's actually happening in the brain when we communicate, and why so many of us feel more connected online yet lonelier than ever. The founder of Neuro Savvy Leadership breaks down her memorable framing of a world running on "dopamine hits" while starving for "oxytocin drips," the slow, in-person bonding that real relationships require. She and Laura explore how threat and reward show up in our tone and body language, what happens neurologically when Black women go silent or shrink in unsafe rooms, and how to build the self-awareness and strategy to communicate with confidence. A fascinating, practical bridge between brain science and everyday connection. In this episode: Dopamine hits versus oxytocin drips: why digital busyness leaves us lonely, and how to rebuild real connection What fight, flight, freeze, and fawn look like at work, and how to move out of them safely Practical tools to communicate clearly and advocate for yourself without shrinking or over-explaining About Keshawn Keshawn Hughes, M.S. is a NeuroLeadership Strategist, Executive Coach, and Founder of NeuroSavvy® Leadership, equipping HR and corporate leaders with neuroscience-backed tools to boost productivity, retention, and engagement. With a Master's in Strategic Communication, she has facilitated over 400 leadership engagements since 2021, helping organizations build thriving cultures. Keshawn's upcoming book, NeuroSavvy® Storytelling, shares strategies that move people to believe, align, and take action. Based in Atlanta, she brings the same heartfelt approach to life with her husband and child who inspire her daily. Connect with Keshawn Website: http://www.keshawnhughes.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NeuroLeaderKHughes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keshawnhughes/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keshawnridgelhughes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@keshawnhughes1576 BWL Resources: Join us at the 2027 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. June 1-4, 2027, Clearwater Beach, FL. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Take the free Future-Ready Leader Assessment - https://futureready.blackwomanleading.com/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

What does it take to lead well when the ground will not stop shaking? In this solo episode, Laura introduces the Future-Ready Leader Model, a tree-based framework for leading from the inside out, through your roots, your trunk, and your branches. Roots. Your internal foundation: Self-awareness, emotional regulation, values, and grounding. Trunk. Your strategic positioning: The clarity and intentional choices that keep you standing. Branches. Your expansive impact: The influence, relationships, and reach beyond your role. You were not designed to only lead when things are easy. Future-ready leadership is not about becoming someone different. It is about going deeper into who you already are, and growing anyway. "You can have the most impressive branches in the room. But if your roots are shallow, one hard wind takes you down." Take the free Future-Ready Leader Assessment. Fifteen questions, about five minutes, and you get your profile, your scores across all three dimensions, your strengths, your growth edge, and three next steps. https://futureready.blackwomanleading.com/ About Laura Laura Knights is the Creator of Black Woman Leading® and host of the podcast. She is an executive coach, speaker, facilitator, and licensed clinical social worker with 20+ years of experience creating personal and professional development programs that have touched leaders worldwide. Her expertise and background in business, human resources, adult education, and social work uniquely equip her to teach others how to deal with both the "head work" and "heart work" required to succeed at work and in life. She is the Founder and CEO of Knights Consulting LLC, a leadership development consultancy that provides customized training and coaching programs to create more confident leaders and high-performing teams. Black Woman Leading® is a research-backed initiative which offers leadership development programming, a podcast, and an annual conference for Black women professionals. Black Woman Leading® is an initiative of Knights Consulting LLC. Learn more at blackwomanleading.com. BWL Resources: Now enrolling for both the August sessions of the Early Career and Mid-Career programs. Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/ Join us at the 2027 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. June 1-4, 2027, Clearwater Beach, FL. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

After nearly 30 years in public service, Dawn Pinnock stepped into an entirely new sector as president and CEO of the Center for Urban Community Services, and had to rebuild something she had spent decades earning: her professional relationships. In this episode, she and Laura break down what it takes to recalibrate how you connect when you are deeply established in one world and starting fresh in another. Dawn shares the exact process she used, taking honest stock of her track record, gathering candid feedback from longtime supporters and even former opponents, and turning those themes into a story she could lead with. It is a masterclass for anyone pivoting, by choice or by layoff, who worries the social capital they built no longer counts. In this episode: Why being "known but not networked" is a real distinction, and how to translate a strong reputation into new rooms Dawn's first-90-days playbook: honest self-assessment, feedback focus groups, and positioning yourself as a learner who still brings value How the relationships you build internally with your team become the springboard for the ones you build outside About Dawn Dawn M. Pinnock has spent nearly 30 years in public service driving change. As President and CEO of the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS), she leads one of the city's most effective social service organizations, supporting over 50,000 people each year on their path to housing stability and long-term well-being. Before joining CUCS, she served as Commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS). In this role, she created the city's first community-based hiring model, advanced family-forward policies for more than 320,000 employees, managed 22 million square feet of city-owned and leased office space, and made New York greener through fleet electrification and large-scale energy efficiency upgrades. Pinnock serves as a Trustee and adjunct professor at Metropolitan College of New York, and in 2026 was appointed to Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Commission on Government Efficiency, a newly formed Charter Revision Commission tasked with modernizing city government. Connect with Dawn Website: https://www.cucs.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cucs/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cucs_nyc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CUCSnyc BWL Resources: Now enrolling for both the August sessions of the Early Career and Mid-Career programs. Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/ Join us at the 2027 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. June 1-4, 2027, Clearwater Beach, FL. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

Fear never fully goes away, so what if the goal was never to get rid of it? Caressa Bell, a Gulf War veteran, former Fortune 50 executive, and author of Manufactured Fearlessness, joins Laura to reframe fearlessness as something you build, not something you're born with. Drawing on the moment she deployed to war with a newborn at home, Caressa shares how "moving even when you're not ready" became the practice that carried her through a military career, two decades in corporate leadership, and the leap into entrepreneurship. She and Laura dig into leading yourself before you lead others, reading what's really happening "beyond the veil" in a room, and why so many of us are far more ready than we let ourselves believe. A galvanizing conversation for any Black woman standing at the edge of a bold move. In this episode: Why fearlessness is manufactured: how to feel the fear, look back at everything you've already done afraid, and move anyway "Beyond the veil": reading the unspoken dynamics in a room so you can lead and position yourself strategically Why you have to lead yourself first, and how knowing your gifts and triggers is the foundation for leading others About Caressa Caressa Bell is an Executive Strategist, Leadership & Transformation Coach, Gulf War Veteran, and former Fortune 50 Executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience spanning military service, corporate transformation, and entrepreneurship. Throughout her career, she has led billion-dollar portfolios, enterprise-wide transformation initiatives, and teams of more than 200 professionals. Today, through her work, speaking, and upcoming book Manufactured Fearlessness: Own Your Leadership, Own the Room, she helps leaders build the courage, clarity, and confidence to Lead Yourself. Lead Others. Leave a Legacy. Connect with Caressa Join the waitlist for Caressa Bell's upcoming book, Manufactured Fearlessness: Own Your Leadership, Own the Room, and be the first to receive launch updates, exclusive content, and release announcements: https://www.iamcaressabell.com/manufactured-fearlessness Website: http://www.iamcaressabell.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caressabell/ Instagram: @claritywithcaressa BWL Resources: Now enrolling for both the August sessions of the Early Career and Mid-Career programs. Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/ Join us at the 2027 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. June 1-4, 2027, Clearwater Beach, FL. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

Starting a new role is one of the most pivotal, and most vulnerable, moments in a career. Dr. Ciera Graham joins Laura with a clear, intentional framework for building and activating a strong professional reputation from day one. Drawing on her own journey, Ciera unpacks how to make a strong first impression, build the right relationships early, and manage your visibility and narrative so the right people understand your value. Whether you are stepping into a new job, a new team, or a new level, this conversation offers a practical roadmap for establishing credibility on purpose. In this episode: How to make a strong first impression and establish credibility in a new role Building the right relationships and networks early, before you need them Managing your visibility and reputation so your value is seen About Dr. Ciera Dr. Ciera Graham is an experienced higher education professional, business owner, and an accomplished career coach. She received her bachelor's degree in Sociology and a Master's in Community Counseling from Washington State University, and a PhD in Sociology in August 2015 at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Graham has been described as tenacious, innovative, forward thinking, impeccable executor a leader who leads with gratitude, and someone empowered to create a win-win situation for everyone she meets. She owns her own business, Dr. C Graham Consulting in which she provides career consulting services to entry to mid-level professionals. She has over 15 years of experience in the career development and coaching space. Her specialty is helping millennials and Gen Zers assess their skills, define their strategy, and engage in storytelling to ultimately secure and succeed in the job of their dreams. She also was invited by the CEO of Career Contessa to join their exclusive coaching network, a title only given to the top career coaches in the country. She is a past career columnist for Career Contessa, Best Colleges, The Seattle Times and the Everett Herald, and current contributor to the University of Washington Professional & Continuing Education department. She enjoys writing on topics focused on career and leadership development for Black women and navigating the workforce as a millennial. She has appeared on the following podcasts: Career Contessa, Your Career GPS, and Find your Dream Job. Connect with Dr. Ciera Website: http://cieragraham.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcieragraham/ Instagram: @drcgrahamconsulting BWL Resources: Now enrolling for both the August sessions of the Early Career and Mid-Career programs. Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/ Join us at the 2027 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. June 1-4, 2027, Clearwater Beach, FL. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

Dr. Kiki Ramsey brings a positive psychology lens to one of the most important relationships we have: the one with ourselves. In this conversation, she and Laura explore what it means to create your own happiness rather than waiting on circumstances, titles, or other people to deliver it. Kiki shares her leadership journey and the science-backed practices that help Black women cultivate joy as a discipline rather than a destination. It is a grounding, hopeful conversation about tending to your inner life with the same intention you bring to your goals. In this episode: Why happiness is something you build, not something you wait for Positive psychology practices for cultivating joy in everyday leadership How a strong relationship with yourself becomes the foundation for everything else About Dr. Kiki Dr. Kiki Ramsey is a renowned Positive Psychologist, ICF Master Certified Career Coach, International Keynote Speaker and Best Selling Author. With a commitment to making a positive impact in the world, Dr. Kiki founded The Positive Psychology Coaching and Diversity Institute (PPCaDI), a leadership development firm that specializes in diversity and leadership coaching and training. Dr. Kiki is known for her innovative approach to coaching, and DEI called Positively Diverse Leadership, which is an evidence-based approach rooted in positive psychology that fosters the intentional use of strengths to help leaders build better working relationships and communication skills to become more inclusive leaders. This unique approach allows Dr. Kiki to help leaders and organizations create more inclusive and happy work cultures that foster belonging for all. As a leader in her field of positive psychology and DEI, Dr. Kiki has worked with a diverse range of clients, including top-level executives in Fortune 500 organizations and business owners, coaching and delivering keynote addresses for corporations, conferences, and events around the world. Dr. Kiki's dedication and expertise have earned her the recognition of being named Top 50 Women Leaders in Georgia in 2023, 2024 and 2025 by Women We Admire. Connect with Dr. Kiki Website: http://www.ppcadi.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkikiramsey/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkikiramsey/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kiki.ramsey/ BWL Resources: Now enrolling for both the August sessions of the Early Career and Mid-Career programs. Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/ Join us at the 2027 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. June 1-4, 2027, Clearwater Beach, FL. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

Mecca Anderson joins Laura to challenge the assumptions we carry into our personal and professional relationships. Too often we operate on autopilot, repeating old patterns and making unintentional missteps that quietly cost us trust, connection, and opportunity. Mecca shares her own leadership story and her approach to rewiring how we relate to the people who shape our lives and careers, from being more intentional about the connections we build to noticing the small habits that get in our way. It is a candid, practical conversation about relating to others, and to ourselves, with more awareness and less default. In this episode: The common, unintentional relationship mistakes that quietly undermine trust and connection How to move from autopilot to intention in both personal and professional relationships What it looks like to rewire long-held patterns and show up differently About Mecca Professor Mecca Anderson is a lawyer, law professor, and speaker with more than 15 years of experience spanning civil litigation, criminal prosecution, judicial clerkships, legal entrepreneurship, and appellate practice. She began her legal career clerking at the Supreme Court of Georgia before building a career representing injured clients, teaching future lawyers, and serving communities across Georgia. She currently focuses her practice on personal injury litigation as Of Counsel with Maxwell Tillman + Coleman. Whether advocating for injured clients, teaching future lawyers, speaking to audiences, or mentoring professionals, Professor Anderson explores the intersection of relationships, professionalism, leadership, and human behavior, helping others build careers and lives grounded in trust, purpose, and meaningful connection. Connect with Mecca Website: https://www.johnmarshall.edu/facultystaff/mecca-anderson/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mecca-anderson/ Instagram: @mecca.profesquire and @professormec TikTok: @professormec BWL Resources: Now enrolling for both the August sessions of the Early Career and Mid-Career programs. Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/ Join us at the 2027 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. June 1-4, 2027, Clearwater Beach, FL. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

Who are you being as a leader right now, and did you ever actually choose her? In this solo episode, Laura opens Season 9's work on the relationship with yourself by guiding you through a leadership identity audit. This is not about casting a vision for who you want to become. It is an honest, present-tense look at who you already are. Most of us never consciously designed our leadership identity. We built it in survival mode, in rooms that required it, and we kept performing it long after the room changed. The audit gives you a simple framework to examine what you are carrying, tell the difference between what still serves you and what is just familiar, and reclaim the choice of who you lead as now. In this episode: Why an identity audit is different from vision or goal-setting, and why that distinction matters The three audit questions: what you built to survive, what is still true versus just familiar, and what you are ready to release How honesty with yourself becomes the foundation for every other relationship you cultivate this season About Laura Laura Knights is the Creator of Black Woman Leading® and host of the podcast. She is an executive coach, speaker, facilitator, and licensed clinical social worker with 20+ years of experience creating personal and professional development programs that have touched leaders worldwide. Her expertise and background in business, human resources, adult education, and social work uniquely equip her to teach others how to deal with both the "head work" and "heart work" required to succeed at work and in life. She is the Founder and CEO of Knights Consulting LLC, a leadership development consultancy that provides customized training and coaching programs to create more confident leaders and high-performing teams. Black Woman Leading® is a research-backed initiative which offers leadership development programming, a podcast, and an annual conference for Black women professionals. Black Woman Leading® is an initiative of Knights Consulting LLC. Learn more at blackwomanleading.com. BWL Resources: Now enrolling for both the August sessions of the Early Career and Mid-Career programs. Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/ Join us at the 2027 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. June 1-4, 2027, Clearwater Beach, FL. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

Welcome to Season 9 of Black Woman Leading, the podcast! This podcast is an extension of the Black Woman Leading programs and events. In this opener, Laura sets the table for a new season built entirely around relationships, the full ecosystem of connections that either sustain us or drain us as leaders. Coming out of Season 8's work on joy and wholeness, she frames this season as what we build from that grounded place: authentic relationships with ourselves, our teams, our communities, and the people in our personal lives who make our leadership sustainable. At the heart of the season is one question. How do we cultivate and curate relationships that do not require us to decenter our own experience, abandon our values, or shrink ourselves to belong? Laura shares where the season is headed and why real relationship, the kind that fuels great leadership, always starts with a grounded, boundaried, fully present you. About Laura Laura Knights is the Creator of Black Woman Leading® and host of the podcast. She is an executive coach, speaker, facilitator, and licensed clinical social worker with 20+ years of experience creating personal and professional development programs that have touched leaders worldwide. Her expertise and background in business, human resources, adult education, and social work uniquely equip her to teach others how to deal with both the "head work" and "heart work" required to succeed at work and in life. She is the Founder and CEO of Knights Consulting LLC, a leadership development consultancy that provides customized training and coaching programs to create more confident leaders and high-performing teams. Black Woman Leading® is a research-backed initiative which offers leadership development programming, a podcast, and an annual conference for Black women professionals. Black Woman Leading® is an initiative of Knights Consulting LLC. Learn more at blackwomanleading.com. BWL Resources: Now enrolling for both the August sessions of the Early Career and Mid-Career programs. Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/ Join us at the 2027 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. June 1-4, 2027, Clearwater Beach, FL. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Cree Scott, clinical psychologist, founder of Serenity Psy Consulting, and our guest for Episode 21. Dr. Scott recorded with us in November 2025 and passed away in December. Her episode aired posthumously in March 2026, timed to the launch of her book. Her wisdom, her warmth, and her work live on. Rest well, Dr. Cree. Twenty-eight episodes. One theme. And more wisdom than could have been anticipated when Season 8 began. In this solo season finale, Laura reflects on the conversations, themes, and light bulb moments that defined Season 8 of Black Woman Leading. Rather than revisiting episodes one by one, Laura organizes her reflections around five powerful themes that emerged across the season — themes that collectively paint a picture of what it truly means to Lean Into Joy as a Black woman leader. The five themes Laura explores are Joy as Resistance and Reclamation, The Identity Reckoning, The Body, Burnout, and the Strong Black Woman Trope, Career Navigation in a Shifting World, and Connection, Community, and Leading Beyond Yourself. Along the way, she weaves in moments from guest conversations across the season, naming what landed, what shifted, and what she will carry forward. Laura also does something she has not done all season: she answers the Leaning Into Joy questions she asked every guest. What is her definition of joy? What does leading with joy look like at this stage of her career? Has she ever had to re-learn joy after a difficult season? And what is bringing her joy right now — and how does she protect it? The episode closes with a warm send-off to the Season 8 community and a first look at what Season 9 will explore: the art of cultivating relationships that are authentic, boundaried, and rooted in who you actually are — with yourself, your team, your community, and the people in your personal life who make sustainable leadership possible. Season 8 was about reclaiming joy. Season 9 is about building from that place of wholeness. Stay tuned! About Laura Laura Knights is the Creator of Black Woman Leading® and host of the podcast. She is an executive coach, speaker, facilitator, and licensed clinical social worker with 20+ years of experience creating personal and professional development programs that have touched leaders worldwide. Her expertise and background in business, human resources, adult education, and social work uniquely equip her to teach others how to deal with both the "head work" and "heart work" required to succeed at work and in life. She is the Founder and CEO of Knights Consulting LLC, a leadership development consultancy that provides customized training and coaching programs to create more confident leaders and high-performing teams. Black Woman Leading® is a research-backed initiative which offers leadership development programming, a podcast, and an annual conference for Black women professionals. Black Woman Leading® is an initiative of Knights Consulting LLC. Learn more at blackwomanleading.com. BWL Resources: We are now enrolling for the August cohorts of our Early Career and Mid-Career Leadership Development programs. Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/ Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/ Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

What does it really mean to reset? Not to give up. Not to start over from scratch. But to pause with intention, get honest with yourself, and realign your career with who you actually are and where you actually want to go. In this solo episode, Laura walks listeners through the Black Woman Leading Career Reset Framework, a five-area reflection process designed to help leaders regroup, restore, and realign with clarity and purpose. Drawing from the Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit, this episode brings together head work and heart work to support leaders who are navigating transition, burnout, or simply a quiet sense that something needs to shift. Laura addresses the real moment we are in. With hundreds of thousands of Black women navigating layoffs, restructuring, and a shifting professional landscape, a reset is not a sign of defeat. It is an act of wisdom. And whether you are grieving a loss or quietly relieved by a change, this episode meets you where you are. Together, listeners will move through five areas of reflection: Burnout and Wellness, Career Clarity, Mental Wellness and Self-Care, Relationships and Support, and Leadership Identity. Each section includes honest questions, practical prompts, and coaching insights drawn from Laura's years of experience as an executive coach and leadership strategist. Aligned with Season 8's theme Leaning Into Joy, this episode reframes the Career Reset as one of the most joyful acts of self-leadership available to us. Because joy is not a destination waiting on the other side of the grind. It is a practice. And choosing to reset is choosing yourself. Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/ About Laura Laura Knights is the Creator of Black Woman Leading® and host of the podcast. She is an executive coach, speaker, facilitator, and licensed clinical social worker with 20+ years of experience creating personal and professional development programs that have touched leaders worldwide. Her expertise and background in business, human resources, adult education, and social work uniquely equip her to teach others how to deal with both the "head work" and "heart work" required to succeed at work and in life. She is the Founder and CEO of Knights Consulting LLC, a leadership development consultancy that provides customized training and coaching programs to create more confident leaders and high-performing teams. Black Woman Leading® is a research-backed initiative which offers leadership development programming, a podcast, and an annual conference for Black women professionals. Black Woman Leading® is an initiative of Knights Consulting LLC. Learn more at blackwomanleading.com. BWL Resources: Join us at the 2026 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. May 11-14, 2026 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

In this episode, Laura sits down with Suezette Yasmin Robotham, bestselling author, global talent and culture executive, executive coach, and keynote speaker, to explore one of the most important and often unasked questions in leadership: who are you when the titles fade away? Drawing from her book Beyond Titles: Fearlessly Leading as Your Authentic Self, Suezette brings two decades of experience shaping leadership at some of the world's most recognized organizations, including Google, Meta, Gartner, and Salesforce, to a conversation that is equal parts practical and deeply personal. Together, Laura and Suezette unpack what it really means to lead from the inside out. They explore how values serve as an anchor in seasons of transition, uncertainty, and burnout, and what it looks like when a leader is quietly out of alignment with what matters most to them. Suezette also introduces a powerful reframe around skills-based identity, challenging leaders to stop defining themselves by the roles they've held and start recognizing the transferable strengths they carry into every room. The conversation takes a turn into heart work, addressing the internal fears that keep people tethered to titles long after those titles have stopped serving them. And in one of the episode's most powerful moments, Laura and Suezette speak directly to the reality that over 600,000 Black women have been laid off in recent months. With honesty and grace, Suezette holds space for two women who may be listening at the same time: the one who is grieving, and the one who is quietly relieved. This episode is for every leader who has ever wondered whether they are enough without the credential, the corner office, or the LinkedIn headline to back them up. The answer, Suezette makes clear, has always lived inside you. Aligned with Season 8's theme Leaning Into Joy, this episode is an invitation to release performative leadership and step into something more grounded, more courageous, and more authentically yours. About Suezette Suezette Yasmin Robotham is a best-selling author, global talent and culture executive, executive coach, and keynote speaker with two decades of experience shaping leadership in an AI-accelerated world. She has led talent and leadership strategy at Google, Meta, Gartner, and Salesforce, and advises global organizations on building cultures rooted in clarity, accountability, and trust. A TEDx speaker and featured voice in the award-winning SeeHer Multiplicity docuseries, Suezette is known for helping leaders move beyond performative leadership and lead with discernment, courage, and alignment. Known for her warmth, wit, and unflinching honesty, she is the mentor we all wish we had in the room. Connect with Suezette Website: www.suezette.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suezette/ Instagram: @suezette TikTok: @suezetteyasminrobotham BWL Resources: Join us at the 2026 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. May 11-14, 2026 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

In this episode, Laura sits down with Shaquanna Chappelle, executive presence consultant and speaker, to break down what executive presence really is and what it isn't. While executive presence is often framed around image, polish, or performance, Shaquanna invites us into a deeper understanding: true presence is built from the inside out. Drawing from her journey from wardrobe stylist to confidence and presence expert, she shares how she realized that what many leaders were struggling with wasn't how they looked, but how they felt about themselves. Together, Laura and Shaquanna explore the often-unspoken confidence gap, how insecurity, fear, and limiting beliefs can quietly undermine even the most capable leaders. They discuss the critical role of self-trust in leadership and how rebuilding that trust can transform how we show up, communicate, and influence others. Shaquanna also introduces her approach to helping leaders define their unique executive presence positioning, emphasizing that presence is not about imitation, but about alignment: understanding who you are, how you lead, and how you communicate your value authentically. Aligned with Season 8's theme Leaning Into Joy, this episode invites listeners to release performative expectations and step into a more grounded, confident, and empowered version of leadership. About Shaquanna Shaquanna is a sought-after speaker and executive presence consultant trusted by Forbes School of Business & Technology, Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, Sentara Health, and more. Known for her high-energy keynotes on fear, insecurity, and self-imposed limits, she empowers professionals to tap into their confidence and show up in their full power. As an in-demand image and style expert, she believes confidence starts within. Her book, Get Up and Get Dressed, guides women to eliminate self-doubt and embrace their full potential. Through her Pursuing A Powerful Presence method, Shaquanna creates safe, engaging spaces that help leaders build self-trust and accelerate career success. After hearing Shaquanna speak, professionals are able to combat insecurities and reach a new level of confidence that commands the room. Connect with Shaquanna Website : http://www.shaquannachappelle.com/presence LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaquannachappelle/ BWL Resources: Join us at the 2026 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. May 11-14, 2026 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

In this episode of Black Woman Leading, Laura is joined by Blessing Uchendu, licensed clinical social worker and somatic leadership coach, to explore what it means to reclaim your power through the body. With over two decades of clinical experience, Blessing challenges a common assumption in leadership development—that growth is simply a mindset shift away. Instead, she introduces a deeper truth: your nervous system is shaping how you lead, how you respond, and how you experience the workplace. Together, Laura and Blessing unpack the power of somatics, a body-based approach to awareness and healing, and why it is especially critical for Black women leaders. In environments where microaggressions, constant visibility, and systemic pressures are present, the body often carries what the mind has learned to push through. Blessing reframes somatic work as a form of reclamation, a way for Black women to reconnect with their bodies, their boundaries, and their internal signals after years of conditioning that may have required disconnection for survival. Through both clinical insight and real-world application, she shares how understanding and working with the nervous system can transform not only individual wellbeing, but also leadership effectiveness, team dynamics, and workplace culture. Aligned with Season 8's theme Leaning Into Joy, this episode invites listeners to slow down, tune in, and consider how reconnecting with the body can unlock a more grounded, empowered, and sustainable way of leading. About Blessing Blessing Uchendu is a licensed clinical social worker and somatic leadership coach who's on a mission to change how we think about what makes a great leader. With over 20 years of clinical experience, she's done with the idea that better leadership is just a mindset shift away. Through her practice, Freshwater Counseling and Consulting, she partners with organizations to help leaders understand something most leadership development skips entirely: your nervous system is running the show. When you learn to work with it, everything changes — how you show up, how you connect, and how your team performs. Follow her on LinkedIn for her takes on somatic and nervous system-informed leadership at work. Connect with Blessing Website: https://www.freshwatercc.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blessinguchendu/ BWL Resources: Join us at the 2026 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. May 11-14, 2026 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

In this episode, Laura sits down with Alysia Lee, President & CEO of the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund, to explore what it means to lead through community, creativity, and shared power. Alysia brings a unique leadership lens shaped by her background as a musician and composer, offering insight into how artistic practice (listening, collaboration, and responsiveness) translates into her approach as a first-time CEO. At the heart of the conversation is Alysia's approach to Ubuntu community-led leadership—a model that challenges traditional, expert-driven systems and instead centers collective wisdom, shared ownership, and trust. She shares how community voice is not just consulted, but embedded in decision-making at the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund, including real examples of how community input has shaped funding strategies and organizational direction. Alysia also offers a candid look at the inner work required to lead differently. Moving from having the answers to facilitating collective insight requires unlearning, humility, and a willingness to sit in uncertainty. She speaks openly about what it takes to quiet the instinct to control and instead cultivate environments where others can contribute meaningfully. The conversation also explores the realities of leading within complex stakeholder ecosystems, including youth, community members, funders, and policymakers, and how to navigate differing expectations while maintaining alignment and trust. About Alysia Alysia Lee is the President & CEO of the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund, where she leads one of the nation's most innovative public philanthropic organizations dedicated to advancing racial equity and youth leadership. Under her leadership, BCYF has transformed traditional grantmaking by centering community voice, investing in grassroots leadership, and designing systems that prioritize justice, sustainability, and abundance. A nationally recognized thought leader, Alysia works at the intersection of philanthropy, youth development, education, and the arts. She brings a rare blend of operational discipline, visionary thinking, and values-aligned leadership to her work. She has built and managed high-performing teams, navigated complex government partnerships, and launched initiatives that expand access and deepen impact across sectors. During her tenure, BCYF's compliance rate has increased from 30% to over 90%, and the organization launched Baltimore's first-ever Youth Master Plan. Alysia is the Founder of Sister Cities Girlchoir, an El Sistema-inspired choral program that has empowered hundreds of girls across multiple cities through a blend of musical excellence, social justice, and youth development. She is also a proud Kennedy Center Citizen Artist and an in-demand guest conductor, with recent engagements including the LA Master Chorale, Mendelssohn Chorus, and Boston Children's Chorus. Her choral composition "Say Her Name" is published by Hal Leonard, and she has been commissioned by the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and Portland Lesbian Choir. She formerly led statewide arts education policy at the Maryland State Department of Education and currently serves on the Board of Chorus America. Alysia is a sought-after national speaker and facilitator, with recent engagements at the U.S. Department of Education, Carnegie Hall, state arts agencies, and universities across the country. As a Black woman leader, she leads with lived experience and a deep commitment to justice, creating space for new models of power and partnership. Whether managing multimillion-dollar investments or conducting on stage, Alysia is known for turning bold ideas into measurable results. She leads with integrity, builds with courage, and brings people together to do what hasn't been done before. Connect with Alysia Website: bcyfund.org On socials @bcyfund LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alysiadlee/ BWL Resources: Join us at the 2026 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. May 11-14, 2026 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay

In this episode, Laura is joined by Dr. Cornelia Shipley-Bearyman, Founder & CEO of 3C Consulting, to explore what it means to intentionally cast your future, not just react to your present. Drawing from her work in leadership, culture transformation, and her recent PhD in metaphysics, Dr. Cornelia breaks down how our mindset, language, and belief systems shape the realities we experience, both personally and professionally. She invites listeners to consider how the way we think, speak, and interpret our circumstances directly influences what becomes possible in our lives. Together, Laura and Dr. Cornelia explore how many Black women have been conditioned to center survival, resilience, and overperformance; and how that conditioning can quietly limit our vision for what's possible. Through a powerful reframing, this episode challenges listeners to move from reactive survival to intentional creation. At the heart of the conversation is Dr. Cornelia's belief: "You will see what you say." She unpacks how language acts as a shaping force and how small shifts in how we speak about ourselves, our work, and our future can open new pathways for growth, opportunity, and alignment. Aligned with Season 8's theme Leaning Into Joy, this episode invites listeners to reclaim authorship over their future by grounding in intention, expanding their thinking, and reconnecting to the internal power that shapes external outcomes. About Dr. Cornelia Dr. Cornelia Shipley Bearyman is the Founder and CEO of 3C Consulting, where she advises senior leaders and HR teams on building accountable, inclusive cultures that drive sustainable performance. She brings over two decades of executive and advisory experience working with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and governing bodies on culture transformation, leadership capacity, and systemic inclusion. Dr. Cornelia holds a PhD in Metaphysics with a concentration in Conscious Business and Leadership, an MBA in Strategy, and a BA in Communication. She is the author of the Amazon bestselling book Design Your Life and is a frequent keynote speaker on conscious culture creation and leadership accountability. Connect with Dr. Cornelia Website: drcornelia.com Women Thrive & Win Skool Community: https://bit.ly/ 3Q1tgsV LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corneliashipley/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/drcorneliasbearyman FB: https://www.facebook.com/corneliashipley 3C Consulting LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/3cconsultingllc/ BWL Resources: Join us at the 2026 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. May 11-14, 2026 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube. Subscribe to the BWL channel today! Check out the BWL theme song here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0 Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/ Credits: Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/ Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com Connect with Laura on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/ Follow BWL on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading Instagram: @blackwomanleading Facebook: @blackwomanleading Youtube: @blackwomanleading Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/ Graphics: Dara Adams Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher iHeartRadio Audible Podbay