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…
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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…
I kicked off my national media tour with the crew from Rolling Out AM Wake Up Call! Thanks for having me on, Munson Steed and the hosts, Romeo, Tiara and Minnie. We discussed my new book No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I’ll Just Include Myself. It will be available later this week on BlackBookstore.com and right now at nothanksbook.com. The audiobook drops very soon,…
Here’s the deal: that our hair is even a topic at work, positive or negative, is microagressive. Policing, monitoring even providing runway commentary at work is unnecessary, and it is annoying at the very least. Others have to dye their hair purple to get this sort of attention at work. This is the second time that sisters at this news station faced this scrutiny publicly. First with Demetria…
Last night’s VP debates put our superpowers as women of color on display. It showcased a professional black woman’s ability to navigate spaces that were not built with us in mind with grace, resilience and no nonsense. Kamala represented us well. We do this masterfully everyday. We’ve cultivated this even when the lights aren’t shining on us on the national stage. And yet, the moderator was largely protected…
(Excerpt from Medium: I Binge on Documentary Style Podcasts, Not Netflix, by Dennis Shaio) Twitter Corner In each newsletter, I recommend a Twitter user to follow. This week, I recommend L. Michelle Smith (@LMichelleSpeaks). I discovered L. Michelle via Ian Truscott’s Rockstar CMO podcast. In the episode, Ian and L. Michelle discuss “the current social unrest in the US, the Black Lives Matter movement and her journey as…