There is something powerful about returning to a university campus to talk about leadership. At Texas Christian University, our conversation around Call and Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church (Amistad Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing and JVL Media) was not just about a book. It was about formation. It was about where leadership really begins. About the spaces that quietly shape courage, discipline, and voice…
On this episode of Gen X Amplified, I am joined by bestselling, award-winning author, Fortune 100 C-Suite advisor, and certified global executive coach, L. Michelle Smith. (https://www.lmichellesmith.com/) L. Michelle is the founder and CEO of no silos communications and the creator and host of The Culture Soup Podcast®, heard in over 70 countries. She has spent over 25 years helping leaders do the deep, transformational work that moves…
We told you we would talk about church one day! This chat with best-selling and award-winning author L. Michelle Smith did not disappoint. In this episode, we talked with L. Michelle Smith about our experiences with the Black Church, how it has influenced us personally and professionally, and how her new book, Call and Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church, has helped leaders and aspiring leaders…
When your press badge doesn’t protect you. In my latest episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®️, Errin Haines shares what it was like reporting on the ground in Ferguson—rubber bullets flying, tear gas in the air—while law enforcement made no distinction between journalists and protesters. “Me having on a press badge or identifying myself as press—that did not protect me.” This is bigger than one city or one…
🎙️ Episode 191 of The Culture Soup Podcast marks the beginning of something special: the Leadership Revival series. As we step closer to the release of Call & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church, this new podcast series pulls back the curtain on the making of the book—blending soul, scholarship, and story. In this debut episode, I reflect on the deep historical roots of Black Church…
“Just be grateful.” “Everything happens for a reason.” “It could be worse.” Maybe you’ve said it. Maybe you’ve heard it. But here’s the truth: Positivity, when used to silence pain, becomes a barrier to growth. In the latest episode of Her Next Power Move, I explore the trap of toxic positivity and how it disguises itself as motivation—while denying us the space to feel, grieve, and grow. Based…
Have you ever felt like you’re on the edge of burnout—but still expected to lead through it? In this week’s episode of Her Next Power Move, I unpack the neuroscience of resilience and how you can literally rewire your brain to bounce forward. This isn’t about powering through—it’s about transforming through. 🎧 Tune in now and grab the FREE downloadable infographic to help you make the mindset shift.…
Some days, we hold it together with one deep breath and a quiet prayer. Grief comes in waves, not always from loss of life—but from the fading of dreams, jobs, roles we once found meaning in. And yet, beneath the ache, there’s a whisper: You are still becoming. There’s beauty in the breaking. There’s strength in the pieces. In the newest episode of Her Next Power Move, we’re…