As a follow up to the article I wrote about the career dilemma that many DEI practitioners and adjacent disciplines are feeling because of the shift in the political landscape… I’m calling it–this is The Quiet Crisis of 2025. Since I shared the post and the survey that was within, I’ve had conversations with several of these leaders. Some of them are very afraid although they’ve been told…
Not to be ominous, but the writing is on the wall. Maybe you’ve seen it in the sudden restructures, the quiet budget cuts, the shifting priorities that once placed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) leadership at the center of the corporate agenda—but now leave it on the outskirts, uncertain, fragile. Maybe you’ve felt it in the whispers of your colleagues, the ones who once stood beside you in the…
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Episode 157 of The Culture Soup Podcast® is extra special for a few reasons. While the show’s tag is “with L. Michelle Smith & Friends,” it is rare that you meet those friends of mine who I’ve known for a couple of decades or more. Leslie Short is one of those people, and throughout the show, I shout out someone who has meant the world to me. It…
Mansplaining and Whitesplaining happen in broad daylight in rooms, virtual or not. There are witnesses. So how is it that so many people get away with it? Is anyone willing to step up and face this phenomenon head on? One of the main reasons why we don’t speak up for ourselves and others is because we don’t have a plan. Planning is your No. 1 way to tackle the…
Companies are going all out for #BlackHistoryMonth, and it’s…awkward. I wouldn’t be the first to say that in the current cultural context, watching Black History Month unfold in social media news feeds is a bit surreal. If you are Black, you may be in one of two camps: you are either loud and proud and a bit defiant in your celebration of Black Excellence, or you are completely…
My brothers… Please be careful. You sound like the All Lives Matter crew when you question why Black Women require advocacy. You too can be an ally if you open your minds, and it would mean a lot. It’s amazing how many Black men get a little frazzled when they learn that I’m an advocate for women and women of color. They start asking questions like: “what about…
Let’s talk about the relationship between White women and Black women in the workplace for a moment. It’s time. Let’s keep it 💯. I had the privilege of going live on The Back Pack Show LIVE with Chris Brogan and Kerry Gorgone talking about my new book No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I’ll Just Include Myself. I broke news there about the remix of #NoThanks that is upcoming. It’s…
If you read my new book No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I’ll Just Include Myself, you know there is a nice dash of Black Church culture in it and historical nuggets about my home church. Yes, that is who you think it is in the middle. Some of you will recognize the man on the right as the legendary and very young Dr. C.A.W. Clark. My parents…
Professional speaker and business coach L. Michelle Smith says Black women in corporate America are taught to blend in. “If I stand out, if I shine, I get backlash,” Smith says. “I heard from women who lost their positions because the shine got too bright.” That’s why Smith says she wrote her latest book, “No, Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I’ll Include Myself,” which Smith describes as a “hardcore leadership…