Experts say that women were one of the hardest hit by fall out from the pandemic in the U.S. According to one of the latest job reports, women were 100% of the thousands of job losses, with the weight of caregiving and online school weighing heavily on them. But with our country showing initial signs of opening up again—vaccines, businesses cautiously reopening, some to full capacity and mask…
The year was 2008, and my agency team was attempting to convince a couple large brands to try social media as part of their strategic communications plan. It was tough. Platforms like Twitter had only been live for about a year, and many of the marketing clients wanted to know how they’d be able to track sales from their activities. Still others pointed to bigger brands that hadn’t…
It happened again… You’re on a Webex, and it is your turn to add some value to the conversation, and here comes that colleagues that has a way of asserting themselves so it appears that they have far more authority than you. Its belittling, and you’re tired of it. After all, who died and put them in charge, let alone at your expense. Asserting authority is one way…
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…
As I work in my private coaching practice, which blends leadership development and strategic communications, I find it interesting to hear how so many professionals are being required to have dozens of “camera-on” conversations and appearances every day. It isn’t without its awkwardness either—the work-from-home environment has collided simultaneously with online school at home for many of us, and, well, camera-on isn’t always possible. Imagine giving a keynote…
What a historic moment for our country with yesterday’s Inauguration Day! I was absolutely impressed with the young poet laureate who rendered verse at the ceremony. So much so that I tweeted about it, and reflected my conversation with my 8 year old daughter. The tweet about my and my daughter’s reaction to Amanda Gorman, including it with tweets from the amazing organizer and public figure Stacy Abrams…
L. Michelle Smith is the founder and CEO of no silos communications LLC in Cedar Hill, Texas, where her focus is speaking, writing and providing female leaders with culturally nuanced, accessible executive coaching to reach their highest potential. She is also the creator, executive producer and host of “The Culture Soup” podcast. Rolling out recently caught up with the business entrepreneur to discuss her new book, No Thanks:…
Thanks to Mike Roberts for having me on your Snackwalls Podcast for this important conversation about recruiting more women of color in tech. And of course we discuss the gems in the book that reveals what Black women and women of color already baked into our DNA that makes us great candidates to lead in tech as high-performing, over credentialed professionals. #podcast #womenofcolor#womenintechnology Checkout my #snackwalls @sdcs_iointerview with…
The importance of asking for help is often communicated to women. While the ability to seek guidance and assistance in life and career is a highly sought out trait, some find that asking for what you need can be taxing when your requests often fall on deaf ears. L. Michelle Smith, CEO of No Silos Communications LLC, can attest to the power of saying, “No, Thanks,” as…
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…