Headline: She got promoted and is building a team that will take her company to the next level. Industry: Marketing How it was: She felt stagnant. She’d been at her current title for years, and she was feeling invisible. On the journey: She looked internally and externally and discovered her market value. She also started making more time for herself and her hobbies. Her secret sauce: She shifted…
Headline: She bossed up with a Chief title and expanded responsibility Industry: Legal How it was: Newly promoted to VP only six months ago, she was pretty comfortable. Nothing was broken. But she had forgotten how to dream, didn’t consider her value and was a slave to her calendar. On the journey: She learned that the boss of her time was the boss of her destiny. She reclaimed…
No Thanks for Girls is now available in paperback, exclusively on Amazon! No Thanks for Girls: 7 Ways to Say I’m Strong, Beautiful and Enough is my daughter Joni’s debut children’s book. Amazon released the print edition today, so go get your hands on it! Inspired by my book, No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I’ll Just Include Myself, this colorfully illustrated book is perfect for kids ages…
Headline: She’s making four times what she was making, and doing it for one of the hottest brands out there. Industry: Tech How it was: She has a toxic boss. She feared shining as a gifted speaker and thought leader in the space. She has an amazing story, but it made some people uncomfortable. She knew because it typically came with backlash. On the journey: She learned how…
Headline: Her suite dreams lead her to the top, now reporting to the Publisher at one of the largest newspapers in the U.S. Industry: Media/Journalism How it was: When we first met, she felt stuck, overwhelmed and uninspired. On the journey: This was a surprisingly short journey, but she rediscovered her happy place and opened her eyes to her potential and the recruiters she’d been ignoring. Then she…
Headline: She’s Walking into the C-Suite Now with her head up high and her nails painted a beautiful bright blue. Industry: Healthcare How it was: When we first met, her primary concern was getting to the C-Suite, but how to do that in the fullness of who she was. On the journey: She was “voluntold” to lead a diversity committee, she eventually opted out keeping her eye on…
If you are a woman, chances are that the answer could be “both-and.” Did you know that as a woman and especially a woman of color, you may be predisposed to controlling behavior? Whether that means someone attempts to control you, or you tend to control others, recent stats show that men and women are more than likely to identify their most micromanaging boss as female (Gallup). It…
*Coming Soon* It’s the journal that puts in the real work. Introducing Slay Everyday: 52 Weeks to Rockstar Leadership. It’s a companion to the No Thanks books. Available Jan 2022. Isn’t it time that you mapped out your plan to senior leadership and put it to action, Sis? It’s culturally nuanced, especially for the largest intersectional group out there: women. And it’s guidance from someone who’s lived it…
Clearly, when a journalist compares your thinking to that of the CEO of Microsoft, you’re probably on to something! Thank you Thrive Global, for likely the most thoughtful piece on my book #NoThanks yet. Indeed… solve for Black women…solve for everyone. “L. Michelle Smith, an author, professional speaker and a certified executive & business coach, sat down with me a few weeks ago to speak specifically about the…
You’re finally getting called on to do the “sexy stuff.” You know, you’re beginning to get a bit of the exposure that most experts say will propel your career because your personal brand is finally being amplified. Let me tell you, these grand gestures can be like a drug, if you allow them to be. They will lead you to believe that you are finally being accepted, included…