The Culture Soup Podcast®️: Recent Episodes
L Michelle Smith
The Culture Soup Podcast is where tech, culture and business collide. Each episode, L. Michelle Smith interviews foremost and emerging thought leaders in the space, with topics driven by hot conversations on social media.
What if the most sophisticated leadership training you ever received happened before you turned 15, and it happened in church?In this fireside chat recorded live at Greater Life Church in Dallas, L. Michelle Smith joins Pastor Stephen G. Brown for a conversation that moves between sermon and scholarship, between science and story. Drawing from her bestselling book Call & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church, L. Michelle traces the origins of her keynote career back to a Sunday school floor at Good Street Baptist Church, where she learned to stand in front of a room and deliver. This is not nostalgia. It is a leadership masterclass grounded in neuroscience, positive psychology, and the lived wisdom of Black excellence.In this episode, you will hear:- Why real team bonding requires going through something real together, and what the science of social cohesion and oxytocin reveals about how trust is actually built in high-performing teams.- The story of Trudy Bourgeois, former Fortune 500 executive, who was deliberately left behind by her new leadership team at the Kentucky Derby, and what she did next.- Why resilience is pliability and not strength, and how the name-it, tame-it, reframe-it framework turns adversity into a passport for growth.- How hope theory, neuroplasticity, and the music ministry of the Black church connect to what the most rigorous leadership research is only now beginning to name.- What it means for the future of leadership development that the generations who need these formation lessons most have largely left the building.Go deeper:Free leadership toolkit: soaracademy.nsccoaching.coThe Circle (community for leaders): lmichellesmith.com/thecircleSpeaking requests: lmichellesmith.com/speakingFlightPath newsletter: soaracademy.nsccoaching.co/subscribeHeart-Centered Leader Assessment: SOARacademy.nsccoaching.co/a/CallandResponseSubstack: lmichellesmith.substack.com#HerNextPowerMove #HeartCenteredLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #CallAndResponse #BlackChurch #CultureSoupPodcast #GreaterLifeChurch #PastorStephenBrown #Resilience #SocialCohesion #BlackLeadership #FaithAndLeadership #LeadershipLessons #BlackExcellence
Episode Summary:What if the most sophisticated leadership training you ever received happened before you turned 15 — and it happened in church? In this powerful conversation recorded live at Greater Life Church in Dallas, L. Michelle Smith joins Pastor Stephen Brown for a fireside chat that is equal parts sermon, scholarship, and strategy session. Drawing from her bestselling book Call & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church, L. Michelle traces the origins of her own keynote career back to a Sunday school floor at Good Street Baptist Church, where she learned to stand in front of a room and deliver — or get coached until she could.This is not a nostalgia trip. It is a leadership masterclass grounded in neuroscience, positive psychology, and the lived wisdom of Black excellence.In This Episode:L. Michelle walks us through the moment a 25-million-impression keynote made her trace her gifts back to a 14-year-old junior deacon. She unpacks why community is her favorite leadership lesson in the book — and why it has nothing to do with pizza Fridays. She shares the science behind social cohesion, oxytocin, and why teams that have never truly failed together have never truly bonded.She tells the story of Trudy Bourgeois — former Fortune 500 executive, mentor, and one of the book's featured leaders — who was deliberately left behind at the Kentucky Derby by her new senior leadership team. What Trudy did next is a clinic in dignity, resilience, and showing up when you have every reason not to.L. Michelle also breaks down what resilience actually means — it is not about being strong, it is about being pliable — and introduces the name-it, tame-it, reframe-it framework that turns adversity into a passport for growth.From her grandmother in Louisville, Arkansas playing records beside the railroad tracks, to the science of hope theory and neuroplasticity, L. Michelle connects the hush harbor to the Harvard research and makes the case that what the Black church has always practiced, science is only now catching up to name.She closes with a challenge to the room and to every leader listening: the interpersonal and communication skills forged inside the Black church building — the junior usher boards, the choir loft, the adult Sunday school — cannot be replicated on a screen. And if the generations who need them most have left the building, the work now is figuring out how to bring those lessons to where they are.Key Concepts Covered:Social cohesion and oxytocin — why real team bonding requires going through something togetherResilience as pliability, not strength — the skyscraper modelName it. Tame it. Reframe it. — a three-step framework for processing adversityHope theory (positive psychology) — goals thinking, pathways thinking, and agency thinkingNeuroplasticity and the leadership intelligence hidden in the music ministryWhat Gen Z and younger millennials leaving the church building means for the future of leadership developmentFeatured in This Episode:Cynt Marshall, former CEO of the Dallas MavericksTrudy Bourgeois, former Fortune 500 executive and leadership mentorBooks Mentioned: Call & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church by L. Michelle Smith Available now wherever books are sold. Book signing available at Pan Africa Connection, Dallas.Connect with L. Michelle:Website: lmichellesmith.comThe Circle private leadership community: lmichellesmith.com/thecirclePodcast: Her Next Power Move + The Culture Soup Podcast®Coaching: cal.read.ai/coachlmichelle/30-min
"It was important to me to not just go on a hunch..." LMSWatch this clip from my recent book tour stop at Texas Christian University's Brite Divinity School with my friend and classmate, Rev. Dr. Shonda Jones as she probes about my research methodology for my new bestseller Call and Response.No pressure at all...right? I always get a little nervous when I'm speaking to a well-credentialed scholar, but I have to say that this book has been extremely well received from academia, with some universities buying the books in bulk.Shoutout to all the PhDs giving this book praise! I am honored and humbled.You can watch my full conversation with Dr. Shonda and most of the Q&A on The Culture Soup Podcast on YouTube, or listen on any podcast platform.
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 long before someone earns a title. The conversation was sponsored by the TCU Brite Divinity School and the TCU Bob Schieffer College of Communication, my graduate alma mater and where I currently serve on the Board of Visitors.We explored the idea that the Black Church has functioned as a leadership laboratory for generations. Not simply as a place of worship, but as a place where people learned to speak with conviction, collaborate across differences, regulate emotion under pressure, and lead with both authority and empathy.Grateful to TCU for hosting a rich, honest exchange. If your campus or organization is thinking about the future of leadership, I would love to continue the conversation.
Show Notes: Call & Response at TCU — A Conversation on Culture, Leadership, and LegacyAt Texas Christian University’s Carr Chapel, L. Michelle Smith returned to her alma mater for a powerful conversation on Call & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church, joined by Rev. Dr. Shonda Jones, Executive Vice President and Dean of Brite Divinity School.What unfolded was more than a book talk. It was a rich exploration of how culture, history, and applied science intersect to shape leadership in profound and often unrecognized ways.Drawing from both personal story and rigorous research, Michelle shares how her leadership journey began long before corporate boardrooms, tracing back to her formative years in the Black church, where young people were given real responsibility early. That early formation became the foundation for the leadership capabilities she would later see reflected in high-performing Black executives across industries.The conversation explores:The Black Church as the original leadership incubator A space where communication, accountability, resilience, and community-building were not taught theoretically, but practiced in real time.The research behind the framework Insights drawn from 155 high-performing Black leaders, combining qualitative interviews with quantitative data to identify the most impactful leadership lessons.Resilience redefined Moving beyond endurance to a more nuanced understanding grounded in neuroscience, including the process of naming, processing, and reframing adversity.Culture as a leadership engine How traditions like storytelling, music, and intergenerational connection shape leadership capacity and emotional intelligence.A critical leadership gap The declining participation of younger generations in the Black church and what that means for the future leadership pipeline.Heart-centered leadership in a changing world In a time marked by workplace disruption, AI acceleration, and shifting expectations of leaders, the need for leaders who can combine performance with empathy, courage, and community-building has never been greater.Throughout the conversation, one idea becomes clear: the leadership lessons cultivated in the Black church are not confined to the church. They are transferable, teachable, and urgently needed across corporate, academic, and community spaces.This conversation is an invitation to rethink where leadership is formed, how it is practiced, and what it will take to develop leaders with both strength and heart in the future.Key TakeawayLeadership is not only learned in formal institutions. It is shaped in culture, reinforced through experience, and now, increasingly, understood through science.Learn MoreCall & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church Explore the book and leadership resources at: lmichellesmith.com
If you couldn't be in the room, now's your chance to be a part. TOMORROW at noon, Thursday, March 5 we'll be streaming video of the kickoff to the Call and Response book tour that happened at the Barnes & Noble bookseller at Hillside Village on multiple platforms. It will be featured here on Linkedin, so grab your colleagues, family and friends and bring a journal: Cynt Marshall and I will be holding class, a different kind of Sunday School, not about religion, and not on a Sunday. It's all about a leadership revival during a time where harsh leadership trends, values misalignment, character failures and more are breaking trust at every level in business and beyond. Return to heart-centered leadership with us on The Culture Soup Podcast, because episode 199 is the live recording of that Feb 11th book event. It's guest hosted by my friend and former colleague Neil Foote of Foote Communications. Settle in for the hour, and light up the chat. I'll be in the chat live to answer your questions. The video and audio will also stream across all podcast platforms beginning at noon as well. Call and Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church is a collaboration between Amistad Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing and JVL Media, the brainchild of the incomparable Viola Davis, Julius Lennon and Lavaille Lavette. Purchase your copy or audiobook ahead of the stream and follow along as we go!
The Culture Soup Podcast®Live from Barnes & Noble: Call & Response — 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black ChurchIn this special live episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®, L. Michelle Smith celebrates the launch of her newest book, Call & Response: Ten Leadership Lessons from the Black Church, recorded live at Barnes & Noble in Cedar Hill, Texas.Joined by trailblazing executive and former Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall, L. Michelle explores how leadership principles rooted in the Black church tradition translate into powerful lessons for modern leaders in business, community, and culture.Blending storytelling, neuroscience, positive psychology, and leadership strategy, this conversation highlights how cultural traditions can shape resilient, innovative, and heart-centered leadership.In This EpisodeValues as a Leadership North StarL. Michelle shares the three values that guide her leadership and decision-making: faith, family, and freedom. Values act as non-negotiables that help leaders determine when to say yes—and when to say no.Community: The Antidote to IsolationStrong leadership cultures are built on connection. Drawing from neuroscience, L. Michelle explains how human bonding and trust strengthen teams and create environments where people move together with shared purpose.Collaboration and Emotional IntelligenceGreat collaboration requires emotional awareness, cultural understanding, and trust. The conversation highlights how early experiences in community environments—like church choirs—can sharpen the emotional intelligence leaders rely on in the boardroom.Creativity and InnovationInnovation often emerges from constraint. Leaders who cultivate calm, focused thinking create the mental space needed for insight, creativity, and new ideas.Resilience That Builds StrengthResilience isn’t simply pushing through adversity. L. Michelle shares a powerful practice for navigating challenges:Name it – Identify what’s happening and the emotions attached to itTame it – Process the experience rather than suppress itReframe it – Discover the opportunity or lesson within itA Leadership FrameworkThroughout Call & Response, L. Michelle introduces three pillars of leadership growth:Self Work – mastering purpose, mindset, and personal leadershipRelationship Work – building trust, collaboration, and communityWorld Work – using leadership to create meaningful impactLearn MoreTo learn more about Call & Response: Ten Leadership Lessons from the Black Church, visit:lmichellesmith.com/callandresponseThere you can explore the Call & Response leadership curriculum, designed for corporations, universities, and ministries, and submit a speaker request to bring L. Michelle Smith to your organization or event.
In the first episode of year seven of the Culture Soup Podcast, L. Michelle Smith sits down with equity strategist, author, and Waymaker Change Group founder Tara Jaye Frank for a timely and deeply personal conversation about leadership, grief, obedience, and self-preservation.They explore the making of Tara’s new book, You Are Before the World: Lessons on Doing Good Without Being Undone, including why she chose to self-publish, how the aftermath of the 2024 election reshaped her work, and what it means to redefine helping in ways that no longer wound the helpers.This conversation unpacks the emotional and spiritual labor carried by Black women, the reality behind the 92 percent, and why boundaries, integrity, and trust matter more than performance. Together, they reflect on surrender, mission-driven work, and remembering who you were before the world placed its demands on you.This episode is for leaders, helpers, creatives, and change agents who are asking how to continue doing good without losing themselves in the process.
In the first episode of year seven of the Culture Soup Podcast, L. Michelle Smith sits down with equity strategist, author, and Waymaker Change Group founder Tara Jaye Frank for a timely and deeply personal conversation about leadership, grief, obedience, and self-preservation.They explore the making of Tara’s new book, You Are Before the World: Lessons on Doing Good Without Being Undone, including why she chose to self-publish, how the aftermath of the 2024 election reshaped her work, and what it means to redefine helping in ways that no longer wound the helpers.This conversation unpacks the emotional and spiritual labor carried by Black women, the reality behind the 92 percent, and why boundaries, integrity, and trust matter more than performance. Together, they reflect on surrender, mission-driven work, and remembering who you were before the world placed its demands on you.This episode is for leaders, helpers, creatives, and change agents who are asking how to continue doing good without losing themselves in the process.
In this third installment of the Leadership Revival Series, L. Michelle Smith brings the journey full circle. After exploring history & culture in Part 1 and applied science in Part 2, today’s episode takes us into the final pillar of the Call & Response Leadership Revival Framework: leadership theory.This episode weaves together research, lived experience, and a deeply personal full-circle story that became a turning point in the creation of Call & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church (Amistad Books/HarperCollins, Feb 2026).You’ll hear:Why leadership theory is finally naming what many leaders have lived for generationsHow self-work, relationship work, and world work become the backbone of leadership with heartA powerful reading of L. Michelle’s essay, “When You Receive the Language for What You’ve Lived”A moving sidebar featuring her early connection with Abby West, now VP & Editorial Director at Amistad BooksA special clip from Episode 161, “The Sound of Progress,” exploring storytelling, sound, community, and cultural leadershipHow one unexpected conversation led directly to the acquisition of Call & ResponseThis is the episode where everything clicks — the moment theory, story, science, and culture meet in a single, resonant truth:Leadership isn’t changing. It’s returning.To community.To connection.To courage.To heart.And this episode marks that return.IN THIS EPISODEPart 3 of the Leadership Revival SeriesLeadership theory explained through a cultural, scientific, and human lensWhat it means to “receive the language for what you’ve lived”Why narrative and sound have always been leadership technologiesHow L. Michelle’s relationship with Abby West helped bring Call & Response to lifeThe moment everything came full circleABOUT THE BOOKCall & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black ChurchBy L. Michelle SmithAmistad Books / HarperCollins | JVL MediaReleases February 10, 2026Pre-order & learn more: lmichellesmith.com/callandresponseFOLLOW & CONNECTWebsite: lmichellesmith.comInstagram: @lmichellespeaksLinkedIn: L. Michelle SmithJoin SOAR Academy for leadership tools & resources
he Class of 2025 is shaken. Join me and Leilani M. Brown as we unpack how today’s grads can shift with intention—despite a wobbly job market. Practical tools, straight talk & career clarity await. Let’s talk about your giant steps forward.
???? Episode SummaryThe job market isn’t giving today’s college seniors much to smile about—and that includes the Class of 2025. On this timely and powerful episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®, L. Michelle Smith welcomes leadership expert and author Leilani M. Brown for a heart-to-heart on what it takes to launch strong, even in uncertain times.
With candor, warmth, and serious know-how, Leilani unpacks what students, families, employers—and even leaders—need to understand about the transition from campus to career. You’ll hear about the emotional toll of today’s job market, what matters most to Gen Z job seekers, and how both individuals and organizations can shift with intention.
???? Show ShoutoutsPeople Mentioned
- Leilani M. Brown – Guest, author, CEO of Giant Steps LLC
- L. Michelle Smith – Host, author, executive coach
- Leilani’s son – Class of 2025, mentioned as a source of inspiration
- Parents & college students – Broad shoutout to listeners navigating this landscape
Organizations & Institutions
- Giant Steps LLC – Leilani’s consulting and leadership firm
- Spelman College – Both Leilani and L. Michelle are alumnae
- Howard University – Mentioned in context of the HBCU community
- The Culture Soup Podcast® – In its 8th year, hosted by L. Michelle Smith
- The Circle – L. Michelle’s leadership growth and coaching community
- NSC Coaching – Executive & personal coaching firm founded by L. Michelle
- SOAR Academy – Digital learning platform for leaders
Books
- From Campus to Career – Career launch guide for young professionals by Leilani
- Your Giant Steps – Leilani’s latest book on professional clarity and growth
- No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I’ll Just Include Myself – L. Michelle’s bestselling book
Cultural/Professional Themes
- Class of 2025 – Core focus of the episode
- Grit, grace, gumption – Leilani’s leadership mantra
- Purpose, performance, people – Three pillars for career success
- “The kids are not alright” – Referenced as a cultural truth
- “You’re not stuck—you’re shifting” – A powerful Leilani quote echoed by L. Michelle
???? Learn More Leilani M. Brown – leilanimbrown.com * L. Michelle Smith & The Culture Soup Podcast® – lmichellesmith.com/theculturesouppodcast * Join The Circle* – lmichellesmith.com/thecircle
In this episode, I welcome back my dear friend of more than 25 years, Valorie Burton — bestselling author of 14 books, CEO of the Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute, and my mentor coach.
Valorie joins me to talk about her newest release, Rules of Resilience: 10 Ways Successful People Get Better, Wiser, and Stronger, dropping September 16, 2025. Together we explore why resilience is more than a buzzword, how it looks in real life (hint: sometimes messy), and why it’s a system you can strengthen with intentional practices.
✨ What You’ll Learn Why resilience isn’t about being “tough” but about getting back up — even when it’s messy. * How cognitive distortions like catastrophizing can derail you, and the tools to counter them. * The critical link between values, purpose, and resilience. * Why resilience should be taught in schools and practiced in organizations. * How Valorie applied her own rules while writing the book, facing down her inner “gremlins.” * The bonus rule: paying resilience forward* to your peers, family, and future generations.
What happens when the organization that once spoke truth to power… goes quiet?
In this candid and courageous conversation, host L. Michelle Smith sits down with her friend and media powerhouse Errin Haines to talk about the urgent state of Black journalism, the legacy (and future) of NABJ, and what leadership must look like when both journalism and democracy are under attack.
Errin shares deeply personal stories—from reporting in Ferguson to launching The 19th—and outlines her bold vision for NABJ’s next 50 years. They discuss press freedom, AI, innovation, media accountability, and the hard truth about corporate sponsorship and advocacy.
This isn’t just a conversation.
It’s a call to action.
Talk to Me Nice with Minda Harts—Cracking the Code on Trust at Work The Memo author and workplace whisperer Minda Harts joins us this episode!
In this heart-forward, thought-deep convo, L. Michelle and Minda explore what it really takes to build trust at work—beyond buzzwords, beyond DEI jargon, and definitely beyond performative leadership.
Minda drops gems from her new book Talk to Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace, offering a toolkit to decode how trust actually operates across teams, leadership, and culture. From the neuroscience of oxytocin to the erosion of trust in a matter of moments, they break it all down with candor, warmth, and a few Beyoncé references for good measure.
This episode is for anyone who’s tired of saying “I don’t trust my manager” without knowing how to say it better—and for leaders who want to actually earn that trust back.
Welcome to the kickoff of the Leadership Revival—a new series on The Culture Soup Podcast that takes you behind the scenes of Call & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church.
In this premiere episode, host L. Michelle Smith sets the stage with the “Front Matter”—a soulful introduction to the journey ahead. She reflects on how the book came together not just through writing, but through living. And how its three foundational pillars—history, science, and leadership research—form a scaffolding that holds it all together.
This episode features:
- A clip from a past interview with Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr., whose work anchors the historical context of the book.
- The debut of our Footnotes segment, exploring how enslaved people worshipped in secret, building the spiritual and cultural foundation of what would become the Black Church.
- A personal behind-the-scenes look at the transformational journey of writing Call & Response.
The Culture Soup Podcast® – Women’s History Month EpisodeGuest: A’Lelia Bundles, Award-Winning Author & Journalist
Show Notes - The Culture Soup Podcast-Ep 189In this episode, host L. Michelle Smith takes us on a reflective journey back to 2018, when she first launched The Culture Soup Podcast. She shares how an unexpected speaking career and a chance encounter led her to create both a podcast and a book, despite corporate challenges.
She then shifts focus to the present, discussing the impact of recent executive orders on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), particularly in the corporate and federal sectors. With canceled sponsorships and shifting priorities, Michelle emphasizes resilience in times of uncertainty, urging leaders to embrace change as an opportunity for growth.
Additionally, she delves into the power of artificial intelligence (AI) in leadership and decision-making, highlighting its potential beyond content generation. She teases upcoming AI workshops designed to help leaders integrate AI into their businesses strategically.
Tune in for an engaging discussion on navigating change, leveraging AI, and strengthening resilience as a leader in today’s fast-moving world.
In this episode, I take time to reflect on 5 lessons I've learned over the past five years of running my professional private coaching practice. We are celebrating NSC Coaching's 5th anniversary all this month, and we are also observing International Coaching Week. Listen for what I learned along this journey so far about perseverance, determination, focus, relationships and other important lessons that you can take away for your journey as well. I also tease a big announcement that's forth coming. It's a special episode, so tune in!
In 2019, I did what many corporate types would call "the unthinkable."
I walked away from opportunities at a Fortune 10 after being "surplussed" without a job lined up. Sure, I had opportunities externally. Yes, I had a seedling of a business that I had started, but I wanted to take the time to think through my next step methodically.
I had a mission that only a few were aware of, and that drove me to seek out the one thing that I needed to activate it.
Could I do it and remain in corporate?
I had interested organizations telling me that I could do both-pursue my calling to author books and speak across the country and internationally and work for them.
But I knew that would eventually cause friction. I'd lived it already.
That one piece was missing that would activate my mission, and a scroll through Instagram and an ad from a longtime sisterfriend and former client would ultimately become the the gateway to my destiny.
I let that sisterfriend turn the tables on me this week, and I thought it would be great to finally share my story: how I went from there...to here, five years later with a thriving, global executive and personal coaching and consulting practice, a publishing journey that has been extraordinary and the speaker tour that began in 2015 and has yet to end.
What took me from a 25+ year-long career in strategic communication, agency side, agency owner, and client side to here?
I pass Valorie Burton, MAPP, MCC the mic on my show, The Culture Soup Podcast ® as she featured me in her global preview call for The Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute. That is where I earned my certification that would tee me up for credentialing at the world's most respected coaching organizations, International Coaching Federation. I began with her Coach Training Intensive (CTI).
So it's befitting that I allowed Valorie to throw back the covers on my purpose-driven story.
My pen as my sword, my speaking as my munitions, evidence-based coaching, I discovered, would ultimately become my armor.
Join me and Val for this inspiring and powerful conversation about what it actually takes to take on coaching as a profession in this special, extended video edition of The Culture Soup Podcast ® brought to you in part by The CaPP Institute. We're continuing to celebrate the five years anniversary of NSC Coaching, and six years for the podcast with this exclusive rebroadcast of "Conversation with a Coach", and it streams everywhere Thursday afternoon.
Where have I been? What have I been up to, you ask? This episode will catch you up, and drop some Nuggets that you probably weren't expecting.
The Culture Soup Podcast LIVE: Yes Please! A C-Suite Chat
We're kicking off a series that will take us into fall...
The Culture Soup Podcast®️ presents A C-Suite Chat, where we highlight voices from my new book, Yes Please! 7 Ways to Say I'm Entitled to the C-Suite.
This episode, we are featuring Kecia Kelly DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, SVP and Chief Nursing Officer at one of the largest healthcare networks in the nation.
Dr. Kelly and I discuss
This special episode is dual streamed and sponsored by The Culture Soup Podcast(r) and PR Yourself Podcast with Leah Frazier who is my guest host for today's show. It is a replay of the DFW Book Signing for Yes Please! 7 Ways to Say I'm Entitled to the C-Suite. It was recorded before a live audience. Listen to part one of the Fireside chat between myself and Leah and then tune in to Part 2 on TCSP After The Show, exclusively on Apple Podcasts. It includes more of the conversation, my reading from the book and the Q&A, which took a surprising and delightful turn. TCSP After the Show is available on a subscription basis. Subscribe today! #YesPleaseBook #TCSPAfterTheShow #TheCultureSoupPodcast
Yes Please! Release Day Launch Event
Be a part of the crucial conversation as award-winning, best selling 3X author L. Michelle Smith is joined by guest host Condace Pressley, host of Perspectives/WSB-Atlanta for an in depth fireside chat about the new book Yes Please! 7 Ways to Say I'm Entitled to the C-Suite: Secrets Women of Color Need to Know Now to Find their Happy and Win in an Exclusive Corporate Culture.
We will also welcome special guest Dr. Jeff Gardere, "America's Psychologist" who penned the foreword for the new release.
Yes Please! is a leadership development tool and coaching guide that is grounded in applied positive psychology and neuroscience that supports women of color in finding happiness in the midst of the uniques challenges they face as women of color.
YesPleaseBook #LiveEvent #BookLaunch #WomenLeaders
Ever finally get that sponsor and your high hopes are dashed because they just didn't deliver?
My conversation with Dr. Christopher Butts, Learning & Development and DEI expert and a voice in my upcoming book Yes Please! 7 Ways to Say I'm Entitled to the C-Suite...we delve into the idea of sponsors who just aren't cutting the mustard and more reasons why Black women are stalled on their way to the C-Suite in droves.
Check out part 2 of my conversation, and be sure to preorder the Kindle version of the book on Amazon leading up to pub day on Jun 15.
Also, don't miss next week's episode where special guest host Condace Pressley of WSB-TV in Atlanta turns the mic around on me and special gues Dr. Jeff Gardere, America's Psychologist for a lively conversation about the book!
TheCultureSoupPodcast #YesPleaseBook #WomenLeaders
I grabbed some much needed catch-time with my friend Dr. Christopher Butts, Learning & Development and DEI Expert to talk about themes from my upcoming book, Yes Please! 7 Ways to Say I'm Entitled to the C-Suite. He is one of the expert voices in the book, and we discuss the pitfalls of sponsorship, especially for Black women and other women of color and what allies can do to step up fill these crucial gaps. We get pretty specific too. I hope you're ready.
Everyone is so concerned about getting that elusive sponsor, but what happens after you get one?
I talk about it with Dr. Diana B. Allen, women-in-tech empowerment advocate and senior cyber security expert in part 2 of our conversation which began in Ep 177.
We get down to business with this conversation, and you won’t want to miss it. It will stream live on LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and TheCultureSoup.com Thursday and the audio will stream wherever you get you podcasts.
Also, if you are on Apple Podcasts, don’t forget to subscribe to our bonus content called TCSP After the Show & Duets. We’ll be posting another one of our favorite shows to the archive with a guest we all know and love.
Subscribe to find out who it is. One hint—-he can find out all about your great granddaddy and where your people originated. It’s a classic.
Check it out!
Let's take a look back at my conversation with one f the world's most loved historians, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. This takes us back to Episode 51 where we discuss his hit show Finding Your Roots and his journey to the show.
Let's talk CULTURE...and when I say culture--I mean the ARTS!
I'm throwing it back to one of my favorite episodes as I wrap up a year-long engagement with one of my favorite clients, Lyric Opera Chicago and round the corner on my last term on the board of Opera America. One of the most acclaimed mezzo sopranos of our time is joining me on The Culture Soup Podcast®, and I’m so proud to call her friend!
She debuted at the Metropolitan Opera, She’s sung for multiple Presidents. She is on the faculty at Juilliard. She even sang at the home going of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and she is on a mission to tell the story of Black people in opera.
Meet the prolific and lovely Denyce Graves-Montgomery! She is the Founder of the Denyce Graves Foundation of which I am an advisory board member, and she is dedicated to telling the stories of Black people in Opera that you’ve never heard before.
Tune in on Thursday to hear our conversation where we talk about the importance of seeing Black people in all aspects of Opera…from the stage to the composers, librettists and directors. We also talk about the importance of telling Black stories and seeing Black artist play characters that aren’t historically cast that way.
It’s on this throwback episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®.
You probably saw the huge dustup over the two phenomenal women's NCAA basketball players who engaged in the same kind of trash talking that men do in sports and somehow wound up trending for days.
...and how one player was held to a different standard?
Some would argue that even the First Lady stepped it in.
Why was all of this even a topic of conversation?
I discuss this issue along with other hot topics in personal development, advocacy and cause-driven storytelling with one of my "Day Ones," Lola Vinson, professional women's personal development coach and communications expert.
Join us on Thursday for The Culture Soup Podcast, live here on LinkedIn and across all my socials as well as streaming everywhere you get your fine podcasts--ask Spotify, Alexa or Siri to play the show.
They've got ya!
womensleadership #personalcoaching #womensissues#TheCultureSoupPodcast
Women+ leaders in tech have access to sponsors, at the same rate as their male counterparts.
That isn't the issue.
It's that once women have sponsors, what happens next is often very different.
There is also some discrepancies in titles between the genders.
Both become obstacles for women leaders who are looking to walk in their power in rooms and at tables as they aspire to E- and C-Suite roles.
That's a preview of just a couple of the findings in new research from Dr. Diana B. Allen, Empowerment Champion and Senior Cyber Security Expert. She is also yet another of my fantastic ELC Strategic Pathways sisters.
Catch part one on of her episode of The Culture Soup Podcast on Thursday!
podcastsofLinkedin #womenintech #womenleaders
In this current touch-and-go environment, both economically and socially, what should leaders consider now?
I speak to inclusive leadership & psychological safety expert Sacha Thompson, ACC the founder of The Equity Equation and faculty member of SOAR Women’s Leadership Academy about it.
Join us Thursday March 16, streaming everywhere podcasts play, and live at noon across all of my social platforms.
And don’t forget to subscribe to the bonus content, TCSP After the Show & DUETS. Sacha and I are members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated...and we have a little Soror talk.
Mid- career, mid life...and in the middle. I'm talking about my generation... Gen X.
So much attention is paid to the Boomers and the Millennials and now Gen Z...but make no mistake, we are trending upward--that is when we place some intention behind it.
Today, I'm talking to fellow ELC adjunct faculty member Adrion Porter who is a Gen X expert when it comes to mastering the middle. He is also faculty for SOAR Women's Leadership Academy and kicks off a series where I'm introducing each of my team members to you so that you'll know what to look forward to as you apply and enroll. Have you done that yet? Chop chop! lmichellesmith.com/soar
Adrion joins Thursday on The Culture Soup Podcast.
PLUS: Subscribe to our bonus content! Brand new episodes of TCSP After the Show & DUETS is avaiable beginning Mar 9.
BONUS CONTENT IS HERE! Beginning this month, you will be able to subscribe to gated content from the show. In fact, the conversations may surprise you. Since most of my shows spur additional conversation about some of the most random things, I intend to share. Introducing TCSP After the Show and DUETS. You may have guessed what both are all about, but you'll need to subscribe and listen to the trailer to hear details. I'll give away this much: during one of them, since many of my guests are musically inclined or music fanatics (after all music is culture and deeply a part of my brand), we will pick and random tune and sing it together. After the Show... well, that's where it gets deep... or totally off the rails. We'll also have special offers on services and products including my books and unfettered access to archived episodes. Curious? There is much more to come... so stick around for more deets!
What if you could predict the success of a company based on stock price and revenue based on the mindsets of their leaders?
It's already happening, and there are huge implications for all of us, but especially women and women of color.
It's everything you haven't yet learned about fixed and growth mindsets...and put some machine learning with it. Prepare to have your mind blown.
This week's episode is all about the message that keeps on giving. It's the message that organization after organization continues to ask for. It's all about knowing your value and how it's a powerful tool in your life and leadership aspirations. We dive in deep as I broadcast from Washington D.C. at the Executive Leadership Council's Mid-level Management Symposium where I delivered the talk twice--once as a keynote in a standing-room only session of about 200+ professionals and once virtually to hundreds more.
Be enriched.
Ever considered how language can be leveraged to dictate the rules of a culture?
Tonight's episode of The Culture Soup Podcast® is a Coaching Corner episode, and we discuss exactly how that it happens in world events and the workplace and what that works to the detriment of those who are not centered.
We also take a deeper dive into today't #YesPlease Ask Me Anything question: How do you get opportunity to pursue you instead of the other way around.
Get your journals ready to explore your actions on both topics, and I will also share some of NSC Coaching news and the latest on my recent and upcoming speaking and book signing experiences.
Episode 172 drops later tonight. Ask Siri, Alexa, Google or Spotify to play the latest episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®, so simply look for it on any of the great podcast platforms.
Thanks for your patience. We had to navigate some tech issues, but we're here!!
tech #culture #executivecoaching
Today's show begins with a special message from me from the #NABJNAHJ22 Convention as I prepare for my booksigning this afternoon at Caesar's Palace. Then we dive deep on a topic that seems to have some people in their feelings. That topic is the browning of America.
Let's face it, some people just despise the thought that our country is changing, but the numbers don't lie, so what does that mean for media and the way people consume it? That is shifting too. But with today's touchy environment, how has it impacted how this message is being received in the corporate realm?
I talk to my friend, media and marketing insights expert Adriana Waterston . She discusses how the temperature has shifted even in the corporate towers. While there has absolutely been a desire to do more with their content as it pertains to inclusion, some have resisted what's real—and that's the data.
The data doesn't lie.
We also learn what these multicultural audiences are saying about the content they are seeing and how it impacts their feelings. It's from some research that you will learn more about in my upcoming book, Yes, Please! 7 Ways to Say I'm Entitled to the C-Suite: Secrets Women of Color Need to Know Now to Find Their Happy and Thrive in an Exclusive Corporate Culture, as we look at the power of positive emotion to impact one's success.
If you're a longtime listener, you know that when it gets a little crazy in our culture, I phone a friend.
Episode 170 is no exception. I don't know about you, but after putting $112 dollars in my tank, hearing more of my friends and family contract Covid, still tearing up about Buffalo and Uvalde and the many mass shootings since, and watching parts of the January 6 hearings...it was time to dial up a bestie.
Eva Green Wilson, my soror and sisterfriend for more than 25 years joins me on The Culture Soup Podcast®️ tonight as we discuss how the wheels have literally come off the wagon in our world.
Join us as we explore everything from the January 6 hearings, the pandemic, monkey pox, wars and rumors of them, the sweltering heat across the country, gas prices and inflation, anti-Blackness, gun violence, bored-in-the-house-and-being-in-the-house bored and parenting through it all.
We even answer the burning question: which are we ready for now, zombies or locusts... because it's getting Biblical out there.
And I wouldn't be a good coach if I didn't close the show by asking what's the opportunity in it all. The answer may surprise you.
Eva Wilson, J.D. is an entrepreneur, creator and mom and the founder of The SocaMom Summit. She is the best-known Caribbean parenting blogger and has even been seen on Oprah...yes, THAT version of the show.
Ask Alexa and Siri to play the latest episode, or stream it whereever you find your favorite podcasts. This special, extended edition starts streaming this evening after 6 p.m. CT.
tech #business #culture
e're carrying a very heavy load as leaders these days, so I'm speaking directly to you on Thursday's episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®️, The Coaching Corner.
We're going back to our roots with all audio streams for the summer, and we are kicking off with three hot topics that are important to you as high-performing leaders:
✔️Dealing with the barrage of gun violence and the trauma we all feel as leaders as a result of the tragedies ✔️Annual reviews—what to do when you receive a scathing one and you suspect that its personal, and finally ✔️ Discussing what's really behind the hesitancy to return to the workplace—what’s behind companies who are pushing for it and what leaders are saying
We'll even touch on the Juneteenth holiday and what leaders are grappling with nationwide when it comes to how to commemorate or celebrate it despite a tremendous knowledge gap on the topic.
It's just you and me, keeping it
What does it take to be a bosswoman in radio?
Kim Nelson-Ingram has her own approach, and it is high octane. She is at the helm at one to the nation's top syndicated morning shows, The Ricky Smiley Morning Show, and she sometimes does two cities in one day, even as a busy mom and wife!
But she had a great mentor who modeled that for her, none other than the legendary Tom Joyner, The Fly Jock himself. Hear the story of how she landed in radio and took flight with Mr. Joyner on the first Black syndicated radio show...and continues the voyage with none other than the hysterical Ricky Smiley.
I also share about my adventure on the very first broadcast of that show and how Mr. Joyner touched my life--guess which huge music icon I got to interview for the TV station??
Part two of my conversations with Kim airs this evening on The Culture Soup Podcast®, streaming in more than 70 countries and nearly every continent on Thursdays.
I have all the women in tech on this podcast, including Siri, Alexa and Google.
When Kim Nelson-Ingram graduated from Florida A&M University, she wanted to be in TV, but little did she know that her first job search would land her in some incredible roles in the world of radio, making history too, and eventually as a children's book author with a vision for more.
Her message is simple, and she's lived by it: You can BEE anything. It's a mantra that comes from an unlikely source.
Meet my friend Kim. She is the author of an inspiring new children's book you'll want to get your hands on and she is the Executive Producer, the woman in charge, of The Ricky Smiley Morning Show.
We talk about all the behind the scenes of publishing a children's book and some inside skinny on big-time syndicated radio, including some shoutouts to syndicated radio legend Tom Joyner.
When is the last time you saw a therapist?
If you haven’t seen one since the pandemic, gentle nudge.
All this week my social campaigns have been discussing languishing, the blahs, brain fog and I’ve provided some guidance on what you can do; however, there is nothing better than sitting with a licensed therapist to really get underneath what is bothering you.
So that’s what we are doing on episode 165, and I didn’t have to look very far. My friend of more than 20 years, fellow singer and leader at a well- known non-profit Tina L Robertson, LCSW-S graced the show and we talked about what’s ailing us all in the midst of our current crisis sandwich. She is a licensed clinical social worker and practicing trauma therapist.
In this two part series, we discuss everything from "TikTok psychology" and the need to label everyone with some ailment that actually requires a diagnosis or professional designation (ie narcissism to bipolar or sociopath) and even the trend of unqualified coaches, counselors and therapist who are now swarming the Internet.
She even provides tips on how to know the real ones from the others.
Can a date gone wrong simply be a mismatch, or do we instantly resort to to "cut-off" culture or brand them with one of the many popular terms that are swirling? You know, from one of the several attachment styles to a ghost or brand crumber.
Is that really imposter syndrome you are feeling, or is it simply self doubt?
Tina helps us all to take several seats in the name of a profession that is sorely needed right now and in the quest for better mental health.
Tune in Thursday for part 1 of this conversation on The Culture Soup Podcast®
The Culture Soup Podcast LIVE: Ep 164: What Women of Color Should Do Now
In celebration of hashtag#WomensHistoryMonth, The Culture Soup Podcast® streamed LIVE on LinkedIn and my other social channels with a panel with some amazing, high-performing women of color discussing this critical juncture in which we find ourselves in the current cultural context.
From the pandemic to race and equality, the future of work to wars and rumors of them, what should women of color do now?
Join us as we discuss what's on our minds and what organizations should be considering when it comes to their diverse leadership as we navigate perilous times.
I was joined by my friends Bernadette Brown, Christina Steed, M.A. (She/Her/Ella), TeNita Ballard, MBA, Shakria Hall, MBA and Juliana J. Bolden representing 5 different industries to discuss these topics and share from their experiences.
Riddle me this:
If you wouldn't ask an abused spouse to fix their abusive partner, why would we ask BIPOC and other underrepresented groups to help the companies that do not center them to become an anti-racist workplace or even build diversity, equity and inclusion programs?
Someone else built the system, so why can't they dismantle it?
And if what author John Graham Jr. proposes in his book Plantation Theory is true, why would so many members of marginalized groups try?
And is there trouble in store for the allies who take up the mantle to do the real work?
If you don't want to go deep with us, don't listen, but we explore all of this on Thursday in part 2 of our Black History Month series on The Culture Soup Podcast®, now heard in more than 70 countries worldwide, on all but one continent, and I'm not even sure they have Internet there.
Is it possible to have the freedom and security you need and desire as a Black leader in Corporate America if the very structure was built on ideologies that other you?
It's a very special Black History Month two-part episode of The Culture Soup Podcast® today as I welcome my friend John Graham Jr. back to the show to talk about his new book Plantation Theory: The Black Professional's Struggle Between Freedom and Security.
I share the moving story of how we met and when we first discussed his book, and as always, John and I go deep on our topic, and he offers solutions, on Episode 162 of The Culture Soup Podcast®.
WARNING: If you are sensitive or fragile around the topics of race, this episode may rattle you, but this is how we learn and grow.
Join us for part one this Thursday, Feb 10. Part two will air Feb 24.
It's available wherever fine podcasts stream or visit theculturesoup.com for more information on the show.
Shhh... hear that?
It's the sound of progress.
When Abby West (she/her) worked for the likes of People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly and Essence, you couldn't have told her that one day she would be leading the charge for digital audio content for creators of color at one of the most cutting-edge content and tech companies on the planet. In fact, like most of us, back then, she didn't even know what that role actually was. Mostly, it didn't exist yet.
But she stepped out on faith and had a conversation with a mentor who helped her see her skill set in a different light. Now, she is the head of multicultural content for Audible. Abby met back in 2016, and we sat down recently to discuss the power of the medium, and what special magic creators of color bring to it—storytelling and the spoken word.
Culturally, people of color have owned this space, now she has the joy of bringing it to life one project at a time for one of the largest audio platforms in the world. Go behind the scenes with me and Abby on The Culture Soup Podcast®️ this Thursday.
Read about one of her latest projects that is just being released here:
Ras Baraka’s Audible Original, The Book of Baraka
https://www.audible.com/about/newsroom/newarks-40th-mayor-reinvents-the-political-memoir-in-the-book-of-baraka
It's been a while, but the show streamedLIVE this afternoon, We talked about what it takes to set a goal and then systematically smash it. Bring your leadership dreams and aspirations with you and let's hack them. I speak on the topic, have a series of journal prompts
Does your workplace culture smell?
It just might, and it didn't just happen.
There's been a lot of conversation about why people are quitting their jobs. In fact, you know that I choose to refer to it as The Great Opt Out because what The Great Resignation ignores is the insight that people have more options than ever, thanks to the democratization of the Internet.
I took some time to speak to "The Workplace Doctor" herself, Natasha Bowman, JD, SPHR about other nuances leaders should be aware of in the workplace. Is it possible that the pandemic revealed the true toxicity of the workplace? And what can companies do to address the whole person instead of simply throwing free food, a couple days off and a happy hour at it?
We'll talk about it on Thursday's edition of The Culture Soup Podcast®. It streams tonight everywhere you find fine podcasts.
tech #business #culture #workplace
Do you have a "side resume"? Mohammed Farshori says that everyone should have one in order to bolster their #personalbrand.
In today's episode of The Culture Soup Podcast, I speak with the global culture expert about why it matters that you aren't just living out your purpose at work. We discuss the importance of understanding your purpose and then not playing small about it. Mohammed is walking his talk as he is spreading messages of unity and compassion in communities and bringing people together.
His latest project is something that binds us—faith. He is helping lead the effort to launch one of the first employee resources groups at a Fortune 100 focused on how people connect spiritually. It's so ironic that when I met Mohammed, I was involved in a similar effort, and he still has the selfie he took with Rev Run.
We talk about what inspires us including what connects us.
My guest, Leslie Short, believes the answer lies in the concept of culture and not necessarily segmentation.
Ring a bell? In my last days in integrated marketing, I was applying the same principal (inclusion marketing). Leslie is now applying it to people resources in organizations.
My conversation with Leslie Short Founder of The Cavu Group couldn't have been more timely, as themes from my latest message to DE&I decision makers in North Texas recently at the #DCEODiversity Equity & Inclusion Symposium.
Leslie and I talk about what it means to decode and deprogram DEI, and we go deep on topics that will help disseminate the values and culture of real change throughout organizations everywhere— if only leaders are willing to look at the whole person and do the real work.
You will also hear Leslie's amazing story, from international ballet dancer, to brand marketing agency founder, to the mastermind behind the @FUBU and Shark Tank's Daymond Johns' brands, to her founding of The Cavu Group a DEI consultancy. Put up your dukes, too—she is also a feather-weight boxer!
Are you controlling? Is someone trying to control you?
If you are a woman, chances are that the answer could be "both-and." In today's episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®, we explore this idea, and it's interactive with journaling prompts throughout.
Ready to get coached?
I take you through 5 journaling prompts throughout today's discussion on this episode, and you will be able to explore why you may not be respecting the boundaries of others or perhaps others may be breaching your own boundaries.
Breached boundaries break down relationships because it erodes trust.
It's all related to a free digital tool for you that I developed. It's the NSC Boundary Breakers Tool. It's part assessment, part-5-day-personal journaling exercise, and executive coach all in one virtual box. It will get underneath whether you're the controller or if you are being controlled, or both.
There is even a Trust Erosion Metric that may lead you to insights about your relationships and why there are snags in certain processes.
You know, you have to let go of a lot to get to that C-Suite.
Who's ready? Tune in late tonight. We stream everywhere. Ask Alexa or Siri.
When I met Nicole Britenriker, it was for one of the many speaking opportunities at a business networking event. Sure, it was all about sports, and her posture did hint toward an athletic pedigree, but little did I know that she spent most of her sports career as a university standout and elite international volleyball champion. Now, she sits in the front office of one of the most impactful organizations in sports, the National Basketball Association. Her journey to now is fascinating, and for those of you looking to break into sports and not necessarily on the field or on the court, this episode will appeal to you. Find out how this high-performing, Millennial professional parlayed her time on the court into the career of her dreams all while advocating for people of color, women and other underrepresented groups. This all-video episode streams tonight on The Culture Soup Podcast. Ask Alexa to play the show, watch on Apple Podcasts, YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Ready to set some goals and celebrate wins?I brought The Coaching Corner episode back in June as an all-video episode that would air on Thursday when the marquis episodes air...only once monthly. This month, because my plate is extremely full, I posted an audio episode.In fact, you'll get to hear everything that my little company is into currently as well as set some goals with me. You see, I've started list number two, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to bring you along with me so that you could set goals of your own--the way that will move you forward faster. We will also learn the power of reflection--on your accomplishments both personal and professional and the lessons that you may have learned along the way.I
We are at a very interesting inflection point in our society. The Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus is here and wreaking havoc on the unvaccinated, and we have a large number of people who are unvaccinated. With school starting this fall, this has many of us questioning--have we learned from the past? We may need some of the lessons that we learned in 2020, so I'm turning back the clock to a conversation with American's Psychologist, Dr. Jeff Gardere.
It's pretty handy for me as well since I just took some time off for myself and went on holiday with my family. With two books on the way, I'll continue to work while you enjoy.
ICYMI, we're finding the good in the bad.
One of the most acclaimed mezzo sopranos of our time is joining me on The Culture Soup Podcast®, and I’m so proud to call her friend!She debuted at the Metropolitan Opera, She’s sung for multiple Presidents. She is on the faculty at Juilliard. She even sang at the home going of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and she is on a mission to tell the story of Black people in opera.Meet the prolific and lovely Denyce Graves-Montgomery! She is the Founder of the Denyce Graves Foundation, and she is dedicated to telling the stories of Black people in Opera that you’ve never heard before.Tune in on Thursday to hear our conversation where we talk about the importance of seeing Black people in all aspects of Opera…from the stage to the composers, librettists and directors. We also talk about the importance of telling Black stories and seeing Black artist play characters that aren’t historically cast that way.We also get into the issue of how the Black community can deem artists in this art form or the genre itself “not Black enough.”What is Black?What’s Black about the Opera?We have answers, and you may be surprised.It’s on the next episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®.We’re everywhere the best podcasts stream!
While I put some final touches on my daughter's debut children's book, No Thanks for Girls: 7 Ways to Say I'm Beautiful, Strong and Enough, we're embracing a #ThrowbackThursday on The Culture Soup Podcast®.This one has layers of significance to the #NoThanks series:1) I chat with fellow National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) member and friend Charisse Jones of USA TODAY who covers retail and workplace issues about her coverage of the historic election of Vice President Kamala Harris and the implication for women leaders, especially those of color and Black women in particular.2) If you picked up No Thanks, The Remix, you know that the story of Kamala's election to VP tees up one of the bonus chapters that highlights ways to handle micro-aggressive bullies. Pick it up on Amazon if you haven't already: https://lnkd.in/egPuFvj3) You may also know by now that No Thanks has been selected for NABJ's Outstanding Book Award which is a part of their Author's Showcase that happens at their annual convention and career fair. Charisse will be the journalist who interviews me before convention goers during the showcase, and I'm absolutely thrilled about it.So it seemed befitting to revisit this episode, which kicked off 2021 for the podcast.Ask Alexa, Siri or Spotify to play the latest episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®, and you'll be streaming with the best. It will air with a special pre-show monologue--unscripted as always--from yours truly.
Larry Lundy and I talk sports in today's episode that streams this afternoon—from back office to the playing field—and how social issues have impacted it all. We also discuss breaking into sports, no cleats required. Jobs in the corporate offices may have your name written all over them.
But who can talk sports without mentions of Lebron James, Naomi Osaka, Emmitt Smith and more?
We have it all on today's edition of The Culture Soup Podcast®.
We also have a new show open, and you get to see my non-scripted, one-take monologue unfold before your eyes...
As the kids say, "Who dis?!"
Let your eyes and ears take it all in this week.
tech #business #culture #sports
When was the last time you allowed yourself to dream—intentionally?
Tonight, I'm hosting a very special The Culture Soup Podcast®. It's a video edition, and it will resemble The Coaching Corner episode, which I've decided to make a once monthly recurring episode during the Thursday timeslot.
We are living through a time of unprecedented change. What would happen if you took the change by the horns? Times of turbulence may seem like the time to hunker down and just wait it out... but if you know anything about my story, you'll know that there is always an opportunity in the storm to thrive and not simply survive.
If you're ready to allow yourself to dream and put a plan to it, join me tonight and bring your journal. Let's have a session with VIDEO.
In the bonus edition of No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I'll Just Include Myself, The Remix, we go back to the plantation, and you may wonder why a business book does that.
It was necessary. If you want to understand the mindset of the primary microaggressive bully for Black women as identified by a large percentage of them responding to a survey I issued, you need to know where she comes from and why she thinks the way she does. This is a generational problem that never healed, and now it has morphed into something even more covert.
To frame up the discussion, I introduce the idea of my friend Shannon Lanier and his famous ancestors. He is the 6th great grandson of Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings. This is just one American family, but what he learned could help us all today.
Want to know how it all connects to the book?
HINT: It call comes down to one person and the one decision that s/he makes. It
You have to listen!
We are streaming late tonight, so be on the look out for it to drop.
And don't forget to get No Thanks, The Remix, exclusively on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735470651?ref=ab_qro_dp_d_re_ad_1_1
This goes out to all the boss ladies out there!
And it's about the boss lady who was the first millionaire in U.S. history. Did you know that Madam CJ Walker hosted one of her first Mary Kay-like conventions in 1917?
Do you know what date that was in history? Just on the heels of the so-called “Spanish Flu” the only other pandemic in American history, and much like the #bossbabes of today, she had to weather the storm with her business during her era’s own #covid19.
Other “did you knows”? Alex Hailey of the legendary book turned mini-series Roots was the first to option the story of Madam Walker, but he died before he could produce it.
Maya Angelou was one of the names floated to play in the movie. Ooooooohhhh... it gets deeper! This conversation with @aleliabundles will blow your mind! She is the author behind the book that inspired the @Netflix original #SelfMade with Octavia Spencer and Blair Underwood! And you know that series came with its own controversies. Hear about them straight from the source and why composite characters may work for Hollywood, but not always for the good of black history.
It streams later today on The Culture Soup Podcast®.
I've been grinding away during launch week, but we still have a fresh new bowl of soup for you! This time, I'm in conversation with my brother from another mother in HOTlanta, The @brandprenuer
himself, Nick F. Nelson (brand / pre / nuer).
We talk about what it was like going through the thick of the pandemic with our corporate executive and small business personal brands as they considered how to position themselves during that unimaginable time, and I also asked Nick to read some tealeaves as businesses begin to look at operating at full capacity and companies begin to invite workers back to their headquarters.
What's a brand to do? How then, should a brand act? Are you going to wait and see? Or will you be intentional? We talk about where a plan will get you...and how far taking bold steps will take you.
And as always, we go to church. Stay up late with us tonight. The show will begin streaming after 9 p.m. CT./10 p.m. ET.
Look for the full episode on Youtube this weekend.
See you online.
LMS
personalbranding #podcasts #alphaphialpha #atlanta #dallas #entrepreneurs #tech #business #culture
While I continue to prepare for the launch of No Thanks, The Remix and the online course and discussion guide, I thought this conversation was still particularly timely.Woke-washing. Pink Washing. Pride-Painting.You’ve seen it in marketing and advertising, or maybe you don’t know what any of it is. Either way, you need to tune in for this #TBT episode later today. I’m talking to the global practice lead for consumer brand marketing at one of the largest communications and integrated marketing agencies in the world, FleishmanHillard. She and her teams are on a mission to ensure that brands “don’t borrow culture.” Holding up the banner for authenticity, my friend Candace (Candy) Peterson speaks with me about the leadership imperative and how it can have a positive impact for brands that do their homework to understand culture, align with key values and then move forward with well-thought out campaigns. It’s a heavy lift in this digital age, but it isn’t impossible. We’ll dive into some best practices for all you marketers out there attempting to stay out of hot water. No one wants to get dragged on Twitter.
While I'm in the lab, preparing for the release of the new No Thanks, The Remix Online Course and Discussion Guide, I thought it'd be a great time to throw things back to Episode 58.This is one half of the powerhouse podcasting duo that is Reid This Reid That. If you are curious about the vegan lifestyle, this episode is for you. I talk to one of the gurus out there, TV and Radio journalist Jacque Reid. She making vegan sexy and cool again.It's more than just a diet. You need to hear this. Eat better, do better....feel better.A healthier you will be a better you in life and work.
We're happy to bring you this new episode that was held hostage to technical difficulties for a bit! We unleash it later today!It was great reconnecting with my friend Gina McCray who happens to be the sitting CEO of one of the oldest employee resource groups in corporate America--The NETwork National Integrated Communications Professionals of AT&T.We sat for a bit to discuss the importance of these organizations, especially in the context of times like these--muddling through bad news headline after bad news headlines whether it is about the pandemic and the disproportionate rates at which Black professionals are impacted, or the string of black lives lost at the hands of police only for starters.She also shared with me how this organization managed through the tough times of 2020 on the heels of an incredible 2019 when the org celebrated their 50th anniversary.I also have a special tribute to our friend, former Network National CEO Latya Taylor during the show's monologue that you won't want to miss.You'll want to hear from Gina.
Making up for lost time, we're flashing back on a Friday because the Thursday spirits worked against us. Technical difficulties did us in, so we're aiming for next Thursday to bring you Gina McCray from The Network National of AT&T. Until then, enjoy the incredible Cheryl Grace talking about my new book, No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I'll Just Include Myself. The Remix drops in May.
I had the pleasure to chopping it up with my friend, the President of D Partners, Gillea Allison this afternoon. She is a media executive, a master marketer and a changemaker.I grew up in Dallas and recall seeing her flagship magazine on the racks in line at the grocery store. Was this really my Dallas?Well, within the last three years, Gillea and her team have transformed D Magazine and all of its brands across platforms to reflect a truer picture of my city. They did it in the digital age...in fact, the pivot to move all their live events online during Covid-19 was a feat that Gillea was born for.You see, she spent some of her career doing digital and social media on a team that changed the way we all do social media today... she worked for the Obama campaign.We also talk about what working moms face during this season of uncertainly, and how important it is for women and women of color to lead these conversations and companies through this time of unprecedented change.Yes, there are lessons to be learned from Big D, and I'm proud to bring this conversation to all 38 countries that listen to my show.It airs Thursday on The Culture Soup Podcast. You can even tell Spotify to play us with their new voice command integration. #podcast #tech #culture #business
Did you miss the NSC Spring Cleaning Audiocast? Great news! We are airing the audio on a special bonus edition of The Coaching Corner for The Culture Soup Podcast. Sis, we've been through and are going through a lot. It's been hard to see clearly or stay on the path to any goal because I know there has been anxiety and stress simply because of the times we are living in. You've been stretched to the limit.But I have good news, you can still reach your 2021 goals despite it all. How? What if I told you that recalibrating your work-life integration right now is a great way to begin. Then eliminating those things that zap your energy and detoxing your relationships are also key?Are you already feeling more freed up just thinking of it?I want to invite you to experience that will supercharge your efforts, removing the blocks that are slowing you down and providing the fuel to get you well on your way to accomplishing your goals.Introducing NSC Spring Cleaning Group Coaching for executive leaders and business owners. We will take 12 weeks to engage and inspire one another to go for their day dreams, methodically, systematically and strategically, and we are going to be data-based and results oriented–all while grounded in applied positive psychology.The program includes: Benchmark assessments to zero in on your strengths and perceptions of others. 8-point work-life integration exercise Take stock and take action tools Energy zapper zappers Procrastination killer activation Business relationship detox…and moreGrab a colleague or a friend to sign up for this spring refresh. Recharge, re-center and re-affirm yourself in time to attack the second half of 2021 with a renewed commitment to your wellness and success.Register now.
How far we've come, but we still have a long way to go.
I reminisce over the past year with one of my good friends, political pundit Matt E. Stevens who is the founder of The Matt Minute in Politics.
We talk about what is going on in this incredibly intense season we find ourselves in as Americans-- the state of the pandemic, vaccines, federal and state-level politics, voter suppression, the civil rights crisis and the Minnesota police on trial for the killing of George Floyd and more. We reflect...we also emphasize self care during these trying times.
It airs later today on The Culture Soup Podcast®️. Be sure to tune in.
Now available on Audible and Amazon Music. Just ask Alexa to play The Culture Soup Podcast®️.
This week, in observance of #EqualPayDay, I'm throwing it back to one of my favorite episodes with The Negotiator herself, Jacqueline V. Twillie.She is a pay equity warrior, and it is her sole mission in life to close the gender pay gap.Take a listen to hear how she is doing that, one client at a time and with her amazing books. Her latest is called Don't Leave Money on the Table.How we became friends and her powerful story is coming up on the next episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®.https://lnkd.in/esiQzw2#genderpaygap #genderequalityday #women #womenofcolor #leadership #salary #negotiationtips Ep 42: The Culture Soup Podcast with Jacqueline Twillie TEASER
This marketing and media executive got his start in non-profits, but when I met him, he was reviving the Sprite brand for The Coca-Cola Company with the power of hip-hop culture to reach different generations.If anyone has put the scaling power of culture to the test, it's James Cuthbert, and it has not only found him working for some of the most iconic brands, it is has landed him at the helm of hip hop legend L.L. Cool J's new content, ecommerce and experience brand, ROCK THE BELLS.Hear the story of how this former SVP of Marketing from BET (BET Networks, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc.) leans into the power of culture in marketing and into B.E.A.S.T. mode as a leader... and how both have served him over his career.I'm so excited for James... how we met on the speaking circuit and became friends and his powerful story is coming up on the next episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®.
We're taking it back to this very episode last year with Dr. Anantha Babbili, professor of Media, Communication and Global Leadership from Texas A&M Corpus Christi when the lockdown had just hit. Where were you and what were you thinking? Let's reminisce.
I'm guilty of it.You probably are too.When #Linkedin or any of these social media platforms prompts you for a description of the photo you're posting or prompts you for a caption file, I've breezed right past it.Sure, you may have your pronouns on your profile. You may have even posted something in solidarity with the #BLM movement last year... but how are you addressing accessibility in your personal realm?What if I told you that 70% of you have invisible disabilities? And that ALL of us will be considered a part of the community at some point in our lives?My guest this afternoon is a champion for change in the space. In fact, she is working for one of tech's Big Five to get it done with #AI. You want to hear from Heather Dowdy. She is walking out her mission......and it all started when she was 6 months old when she asked for pizza from her two deaf parents.We talk about it all, even #BASL or Black American Sign Language. Didn't know it was a thing?We put swag on everything, and have been for years.This is probably one of the most meaningful, intriguing and cutting edge episodes of The Culture Soup Podcast®.Don't miss it! #socialmedia #culture #tech #leadership #podcast #business #accessibility
Want to be a leader?How about a founder?Who you partner with matters, and I'm not just talking about a co-founder. John Tomlinson, Co-Founder of Equalizer Games knows this all too well. His Co-Founder is his wife, Kathy Tomlinson. Your spouse or significant other can help make or break your leadership dreams.This college football coach-turned techprenuer and I talk about being a founder and how relationships can impact your journey as well as what it takes to start up a tech company even get funding.John has a Cinderella story to tell of grit and glory, and it's a story still in the making, thanks in no small part to another significant partner Arlan Hamilton of Backstage Capital.Who you link up with MATTERS. #TribeIf you need to get motivated and inspired, listen to tomorrow's show, where ever you get your podcast on.We're talking tech, sports culture and business on The Culture Soup Podcast®. If you haven't caught on yet, get on board. You're missing out.Now on Audible.
I get questions all the time about the The Executive Leadership Council (ELC). It has been embedded in my career journey since 2007, and it became a part of my origin story as chronicled in my new book No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I'll Just Include Myself in 2016.Well, this week, I sit down with one of the officers at the ELC to lift the veil a bit on the organization and how you too can get involved.Meet my friend, colleague, client and brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Christopher Butts, EdD (he/him/his). He is the VP and Chief Learning Officer of the ELC.We discuss how the organization is reaching new audiences and increasing its accessibility, all while growing its ability to impact the leadership pipeline--filling it with the best and brightest Black leaders in corporate.You won't want to miss this one!Now also available on Amazon Music and wherever else fine podcasts stream.Shout the show out to Alexa!
I've decided to coin a phrase: "The Heartpreneur"She is someone who not only pours their heart into their work, but she pours it out to others. Many people don't understand why you would give away value, but Leah Frazier understands why.It is a part of her why. At the heart of it is empathy and a very high emotional intelligence quotient (EQ). It's part of the "it" factor of a rockstar leader, and as one of Dallas' top public relations gurus, she wields it for the win.Not in the name of funnels, no, the customer journey isn't at the forefront of her mind. But, man, when that customer does show up to do business, the blessings are 10X.Being an entrepreneur is not just a faith walk, it's a heart walk. The next episode of The Culture Soup Podcast® drops today, and you don't want to miss Leah's story. She's even written a book about her journey, and she has bared her soul about having to start all over.Only a Heartpreneur gets the power of her story, even when it hurts to tell it--and that is where she finds her value.You can too... take a listen. It drops this afternoon. #leadership #culture #business #tech #entrepreneur #podcast #books
The Coaching Corner episode is back for the new year. This time, I discuss how to lead in a new video-centric business environment. Enjoy the video! It is a replay of the multistream that we did earlier on Youtube and Facebook.
LMS
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 exhausted. You’re exhausted because after last summer’s promises, pledges and performances, we are realizing that not much has changed in the corporate space.While we are happy to see Roz Brewer take her rightful seat as CEO of Walgreen’s, finally a Black woman at the helm of a Fortune 500, things remain the same in the middle of the leadership pipeline: Black women professionals are stuck or leaving in droves.So I called on my friend, diversity, equity and inclusion expert Sacha Thompson, M.Ed, MBA, CPDC (she/her). Sacha and I have a conversation about what women of color face now and what corporations should consider in the wake of all things 2020 and 2021.This special, extended episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®️ begins streaming Thursday. You don’t want to miss it. #leadership #diversity #inclusion #culture #socialmedia #speakers
Social media is not only "Culture Soup", it's a double-edged sword. You can get found or get found out. The choice is really yours.I had a compelling conversation with my sister in tech Stephanie Humphrey, technology and lifestyle expert about how your digital footprint can be a boost to your reputation and brand, or it can kick you squarely in your backside.We've seen examples of this within the past few weeks in the wake of the cultural and political upheaval that 2020-2021 have ushered in. We have the hard conversation on tomorrow's show, but we also explore Stephanie's journey from Lockheed Martin to entrepreneurship.You've probably seen Stephanie on the third hour of Good Morning America (GMA3) as their tech contributor, or you may see her frquently in your Linkedin timeline. She is an author and a speaker, and I'm thrilled to have her join me on The Culture Soup Podcast® on Thursday.
Our 2021 premiere episode is a special Inauguration Day edition which will actually begin streaming today, into tomorrow when the show typically airs, each Thursday.I had the honor of discussing my sorority sister, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris' historic new role as the second most powerful person in the United States--only a heartbeat from the Presidency.I'll be speaking to Charisse Jones, workplace writer at USA TODAY about the implications this historic ascension to a heartbeat away from the Presidency has for Black women and other women of color in positions of power across the corporate spectrum and beyond.Charisse is a new friend and fellow National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) member. She penned an article just after the election about this very topic, and it encouraged me to reach out and talk to her about it because I cover off on the core theme of her story in No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I'll Just Include Myself. (https://lnkd.in/eZvM6pm)
Ready to get serious about your brand? Join me for the next installment of our #NoThanks Rockstar to Rockstar Fireside Chat series, a rebroadcast of the live multistream from Wednesday.Strategic communications is the one ingredient that leadership development is lacking, and there is no way to be a rockstar leader without the real goods on the topic from the people who know.Sis, you say you want to stop dimming your shine, right?It's why I turned to Ted Rubin when it was time to talk personal branding in my new book No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I'll Just Include Myself. He is a marketing guru, and so many people turn to him for solid counsel on what he has coined "Return on Relationship."After all, if you want to lead, you need to understand that core concept and how to properly engage with your community, online and off. You can't lead if you don't know how to wield today's tools to communicate the problem you solve.You really should pick the book up before the holiday: nothanksbook.com.
This is our last show of the year. We are taking a much needed break after a 2+ yearlong sprint.
Until next year...
Leading up to our next #NoThanks Rockstar to Rockstar Fireside Chat Live on multistream, we're teeing it up with another way to build your brand... public speaking. Beside that fact that everyone feels they can do it simply because they can talk, we upend other myths.. that speaking is all about the speaker...and that s/he is speaking to everyone in the room.
Quite the opposite. Meet Lisa Vanderkwaak, one my private practice's strategic partners. She is a speaker coach for executive women who want to get serious about using their voice to expand their business.
Sis, grab your lunch. Take a break from election madness. Secure your headphones and a quiet spot to listen and engage in this conversation between myself and Trudy Bourgeois, one of the expert voices and influences in my new book No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I'll Just Include Myself.Trudy says you can indeed "create your own equality," even in times like these. In fact, you're going to need to if you want to say, No Thanks: I'll Just Include Myself.Join me at Noon CT TODAY right here on #LinkedinLIVE and across most all of my social media platforms as I stream with one of my mentor coaches.She appears three times in the book, and is in one of the most important anecdotes to my journey of discovering my value--the key to overcoming the biases and other fears that hold us back.Yes, it happened late in my career, so that means it isn't too late for you either.Be sure to join us each week for these discussions LIVE until we all disperse for Turkey Day.Get the book here: nothanksbook.com
Ready to go beyond pat answers on how to handle bias and microaggressions in the workplace?Join me and Dr. Jeff Gardere, America's Psychologist for this special #NoThanks Rockstar to Rockstar Fireside Chat focused on privilege and how we can flip it to move forward despite biases.Join us at a new time and date: Thursday, October 29 at 4 p.m. CT/5 p.m. ET.Previously live on Linkedin, Youtube and Facebook where you can catch the video.
In the run up to the launch of the audiobook of my new book, No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I'll Just Include Myself, I am featuring the voices of the expert and executive leader voices that are in the book. It's also a preview of the #NoThanks Rockstar 2 Rockstar Fireside Chat Series that is currently underway. This podcast informed the book as much as it expanded my reach. And if you check out the chapter that talks about betting on your own brand, this conversation with CMO of Photofy Ted Rubin will provide all the inside skinny you need to hold you down until Ted joins me for a live chat across social.
Leading up to the release of my audiobook for No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I'll Just Include Myself, I'm reaching back and re-racking voices from the book and conversations that provide even more insight to the book. This one is also the precursor to another #NoThanks Rockstar to Rockstar Fireside chat. This one with none other than the fabulous Trudy Bourgeois. Get your value on. Ready?
How do we move past the tropes and biases to still ascend into executive leadership?We have answers.The rebroadcast of the #NoThanks Rockstar 2 Rockstar Fireside Chat with Cheryl Grace is now streaming on The Culture Soup Podcast®.If you missed it, you'll want to listen wherever fine podcasts stream.
If you want inside scoop on my new book, No Thanks, this is a great place to get it. It also teases the upcoming Rockstar to Rockstar Fireside Chat with Cheryl Grace on Tues. Oct 6 at 12:35 p.m. CT. Be sure to register: https://lnkd.in/eTHQVh7
As we continue to celebrate the launch of my book, No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I'll Just Include Myself, I'm bringing back conversations with voices that are featured therein. If you haven't listened intently before to the podcast, now is the time. This is the context and the inside scoop that you're craving. Sheryl joined me this week on the local NBC affiliate to discuss her tips in the book about how to shine as a black woman despite the roadblocks of bias against us in the workplace. Find out more about how she manages to bet on her own brand and still walk high as one of the most powerful women in Corporate America.
Covid and politics and elections, oh my! I don't know about you, but all this has caused it's quite a thing at my house. How about yours? Are you frustrated? I am. It's not all unicorns and rainbows Just ask my 8 year old, who makes a cameo because...that's how it is, and I'm known to keep it real. How are you coping? Do you have hope? We end the show on a high note because, we really, direly needed to. Listen up. We're going to make it through this. But we've gotta work together. Oh, and shout out to all the "non-voters." You're full of crap. Go VOTE!
Today's episode of The Culture Soup Podcast® takes a cue from today's #nscrockstarleadership tip of the day: be intentional about your personal brand.
My guest is someone who is absolutely leaning out to lean in. Shannon LaNier isn't only a news anchor for Houston's CW39, he is also the ancestor of Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Heming, and a dedicated husband and father.
And you best believe he is leveraging all three. Recently, he was in an extraordinary spread in Smithsonian Magazine that had side by side photos of him and his presidential forefather...and the resemblance was remarkable even to him. They looked back at the book he co-authored about his journey to meet his extended family.
He is also Daddy Duty 365 on his own podcast and IG... and that platform goes viral frequently.
Sometimes they call rockstar leaders nuts.When Jamie Roberts told friends and colleagues he planned to launch a radio station in the #1 media market, they told him he couldn't do it. They really thought he was nuts when he planned to do it in the middle of a pandemic.But he did it, and he's doing it! 108soul.com is a reality. If he had asked me, I would have told him he could do it, probably syndicate too. How did I know?Jamie is the radio executive who believed in me and provided me with the insights to launch my podcast, The Culture Soup Podcast®, which raced to #6 on Apple Podcast Business/Business News in it's 4th month and is now heard on every continent, including 38 countries.What we have in common is an entrepreneurial mindset, which is the premise that undergirds my new book, No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I’ll Just Include Myself. It works for us when we work for others as well as for ourselves. We aren't afraid to take change by the horns.This is a two-part series that kicked off Tuesday at 8 pm CT. It continues on today during our marquis episode.Today we talk love, marriage and business.
Sometimes they call rockstar leaders nuts.When Jamie Roberts told friends and colleagues he planned to launch a radio station in the #1 media market, they told him he couldn't do it. They really thought he was nuts when he planned to do it in the middle of a pandemic.But he did it, and he's doing it! 108soul.com is a reality. If he had asked me, I would have told him he could do it, probably syndicate too. How did I know?Jamie is the radio executive who believed in me and provided me with the insights to launch my podcast, The Culture Soup Podcast®, which raced to #6 on Apple Podcast Business/Business News in it's 4th month and is now heard on every continent, including 38 countries.What we have in common is an entrepreneurial mindset. It works for us when we work for others as well as for ourselves. We aren't afraid to take change by the horns.This is a two-part series that kicks off tonight at 8 pm CT. It continues on Thursday during our marquis episode. Join us... there is a lesson in the comedy if you're willing to listen.
It's back to school, but not the way any of us like it. In the pandemic age, how has university life changed? How are students coping? My friend and colleague is guest host. He turns the tables on me to ask what students should be thinking and doing now to step up and lead.
Throwing it back to our Valentine's Day Bonus episode...as I highlight the people in the acknowledgements in my new book No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I'll Just Include Myself. Enjoy!
Revisiting Episode 76 with Valorie Burton. It also inspired the way I approached my new book, No Thanks: & Ways to Say I'll Just Include Myself: A Guide to Rockstar Leadership for Women of Color in the Workplace. It's a coaching tool! You can coach yourself right into the C-Suite if you do the work. Listen in to this conversation between myself and my sisterfriend and mentor coach to understand how it works. She is about to release her 14th book. Look for it!
It’s a special "Coaching Corner" episode of The Culture Soup Podcast with a live reading from my new book and some discussion on the topics. The book is No Thanks, I’ll Just Include Myself: A Guide to Rockstar Leadership for Women of Color in the Workplace. Want to support the launch of No Thanks on social media? Order the book, then post a photo of yourself with the book or your device. Write a caption with your on challenges in the workplace as an over-qualified, high performing woman of color with her eye on executive leadership. Or share your very own rockstar leadership advice on with the hashtag hashtag#NoThanks.
Diversity in Action: Moving from Middle Management to the C-SuiteI'm dropping gems with this amazing panel about how to actually and literally be yourself in the corporate workspace that does not center people of color. This is how it’s done and I get extremely granular on the topic in my book No Thanks, 7 Ways to Say I’ll Just Include Myself: A Guide to Rockstar Leadership for Women of color in the Workplace. This is only the headline, not the complete how-to. Get the book!
My new book is launching soon. Aug 10, look for No Thanks, 7 Ways to Say I'll Just Include Myself: A Guide to Rockstar Leadership for Women of Color in the Workplace. Preorder your download for Kindle today on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3jSOrJ7. Paperback preorder will happen next week. I wanted to celebrate by revisiting Ep 44 with Natasha Bowman, the Workplace Doctor, who shares her story of triumph over health struggles and workplace struggles to become one of the foremost experts in the HR and DE&I space. If you are an overqualified woman of color, you can probably relate.
Today's #TBT is my powerful chat with Tiffany Hendra, former Housewives of Dallas cast member. It's all about walking in your power. And I make an announcement as I'm walking in mine. As always...fresh monologue here for you. Be sure to go by lmichellesmith.com to get on the bandwagon. BTW, do you have a list?
A wonderful brand awareness tactic for your personal branding efforts is to get out and speak. But is everyone cut out to be a speaker?It is an indeed learned and honed craft.The key is to not only refocus your mission to message delivery, but you need to take the focus off of yourself (or even your company, if that is your situation) and place it squarely on the people you're speaking to and what immediate, applicable value they can take away.I know from personal experience, and from preparing C-level executives to do just that, but I want you to meet my friend and now strategic partner from Alberta, Canada, Lisa Vanderkwaak, who is focused on developing rockstar women executive speakers.And believe us, there is a difference between rockstar speakers and speakers---there are a ton of those. You'll want to listen to our conversation about what makes an incredible speaker. We also preview what's to come on Friday, when I have all the NSC Coaches LIVE and multicasting across Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Periscope and YouTube.
Dr. Jeff Gardere is back on this #ThrowbackThursday to talk about something that is as American as apple pie: privilege. It's time we actually understood it.
When your college roommate and sorority sister grows up to be a full on BOSS and a hero, you must share her with the world. She is decorated military and now the Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Operating Officer at one of the largest health/hospital networks in the country. She has leadership lessons for us from the front lines of fighting a pandemic and insights into a day in the lives of her teams. This is straight talk about covid-19, and you’ll learn a bit about her amazing story rising to the senior executive ranks. Best of all, she is a bestie, and my sister. We’ve been through it together, and the love is real. Dr. Kecia M. Kelly is my special guest on the podcast tomorrow afternoon. Don’t miss it! #tech #business #culture. Kecia Michelle Kelly
If there is anything that this movement is teaching us, it is that we can no longer be silent. How are you impacting change where you live? In your house? In your pocketbook? In your career? Systemic racism is pervasive and in the corporate workplace, it's a part of the furniture. How can you leverage this moment in time to get what is rightfully yours? I'm calling back this episode with my friend who can tell you how exactly to make that ask. Get yours, ok?
Sips Tea ☕️ But what will @dallascowboys owner Jerry Jones do? He’s quiet as a mouse on this topic of social justice, and Clarence Hill, Jr says “That’s not like him.” Even I said, “Come on out to the picnic, Jerry! It’s a good move!” He also says that the @nfl got “punked” by @nascar with their bold removal of the confederate flag from all their events. We talk leadership lessons in all of it.What will team owners do in response to Roger Goodell’s “urging” of the rehire of @kaepernick7? Will the @redskins do something about their brand now that systemic racism is front and center? I mean, even Aunt Jemimah is being retired, so why not?And what will football look like in 5 years? We talk about all that, AND we talk the safety issues surrounding a new season in the face of #covid19. No one is playing, but the sports world keeps this guy busy! You can read his column daily in the @fortworthstarinstgramand hear him on @espnradiodallas. Who’s ready to talk sports culture? Tomorrow at noon on The Culture Soup Podcast®️. Did I mention that my @nabjofficial family is dope? #tech#business #culture #sports #football#nfl #race #socialjustice
Part 2 in my series What Does the Civil Rights Movement Mean for the Workplace? continues tomorrow with a very special guest. Lafern K. Batie and I met last March outside Atlanta, Georgia at the CaPP Institute coaching intensive. She was one of my trainers, and in our first interaction, we became fast friends. I consider her to be one of my mentor coaches because she taught me a lot of what I know today. She is also a personal and executive coach who specializes in leadership and business strategy, and I had the pleasure of speaking to her about how she is advising leaders at this key moment in time.If you think this movement is simply about policing and murder in the streets, think again. It is about systemic racism which permeates every institution in our society, and while we are in this window, it’s time for those of us with the ability to impact leadership to counsel corporate leaders on how to change things for the better in the workplace. Find out what LaFern has to say about it when we get down to brass tax on The Culture Soup Podcast®️. We also cover what black professionals should be thinking about and doing right now. You may be surprised at what secrets you may not know and keys to getting exactly what you want... and we don’t hold back. Listen tomorrow at noon wherever fine podcasts stream. #tech#culture #business
The winds of change are blowing. How will we take this opportunity to change the corporate workplace for the better? I explore it in this episode of the Coaching Corner.
We have never seen a time such as this in our lifetime. What does it all mean? We are experiencing a pandemic, the bubbling over of systemic racism and massive worldwide protests and a catastrophic failure in leadership...all at once. What more can we take? I speak with @jarretthill creator of the @fantipodcast and pop culture and political reporter about what is happening in our country... and how big pain can give way to big change, depending on how we react to this incredible upheaval and crisis. We talk race relations, leadership, intersectionality and the implications all this has for the workplace. If you recall, this is the man who outted Melanie Trump for plagiarizing Michelle Obama. It’s another good one.
Here we go again with names and hashtags.In times like these, you have to call your longtime girlfriend, because if the pandemic wasn't enough, they're killing black people again. Socamom® and Socamom Summit founder, children's book author and Caribbean parenting expert Eva Greene Wilson, JD and I have a raw conversation about what it is like to be black in America, raise children, especially sons, have a husband and father and spend your entire life worried about their safety. This insightful conversation will give you a glimpse into what a privilege it is in America to be white. There are just certain things that our friends of the lighter persuasion just don't have to worry about. If you wondered what it is like to be black in the U.S., take a listen to this conversation. For our allies out there, we love and appreciate you, but will you please hold your cousins accountable?Oh yes, in addition to talking about her wonderful new online event, we discuss Karen. Who is she, and why does she matter? It's all on tomorrow's edition of The Culture Soup Podcast®. I didn't name it that for nothing.PS. #blacklivesmatter✊
When a global pandemic hits, things change, and they can for the better if you just put your mind to it. Five of technology, business and opera's finest minds discuss how covid-19 will bend but not break because it is determine to lead with technology and not just use it as an "in the meantime" tool. This fascinating discussion is applicable to any industry or business plotting what's next in their realm. Have you put your thinking caps on?
If you missed it, here’s your chance to listen to this walking encyclopedia, @henrylouisgates. You’ll hear a covid-19 story that you haven’t heard before just as the show gets started. If you have watched @findingyourroots, you know how interesting and downright riveting he is. Imagine what it is like to sit with him in person and listen to him rattle off everything you’d ever want to know and never thought you wanted to know about the ancestry and genealogy in the US and around the globe. I had the honor of producing a show along side the amazing people at PBS, live on at headquarters at AT&T where he presented 3 of the officers with their very own “books of life.” I wanted to share a bit of his magic with you, and he graced me with his presence on my show. It’s another #ThrowbackThursday while I prep for a couple keynotes upcoming today and tomorrow. ENJOY!
The Coaching Corner is going through some changes. Leaving Linkedin Live? You'll want to hear this! It seems appropriate, since the order of the day seems to be change on Planet Pandemic. How are you getting ready? We talk about Career Transitions. Get ready.
There is power in the telling of a story. It’s even more powerful when it is personal and centers on culture. It’s the only kind of story @natashasalford tells, for herself and for @thegrio. She is the People’s Journalist and the Millennial Executive and on Thursday’s show, we discuss everything from how covid-19 is impacting black businesses, being black and Latina, her very own Coronavirus scare while managing life with lupus, to leadership and more. You’ll even hear us discuss the outlet’s newest offering in podcasting, @dearculturepod and a bit about The Grio’s new Facebook Watch series. Just two @nabjofficial sisterfriends chopping it up like we can and do. You should check it out! #tech #culture#business
SO MANY GEMS DROPPED! Did you know that Madam CJ Walker hosted one of her first Mary Kay-like conventions in 1917? Do you know what date that was in history? Just on the heels of the so-called “Spanish Flu” the only other pandemic in American history, and much like the #bossbabes of today, she had to weather the storm with her business during her era’s own #covid-19. Other “did you knows”? Alex Hailey of the legendary book turned mini-series Roots was the first to option the story of Madam Walker, but he died before he could produce it. Maya Angelou was one of the names floated to play in the movie. Ooooooohhhh... it gets deeper! This conversation with @aleliabundleswill blow your mind! She is the author behind the book that inspired the @netflix original #SelfMade with @octaviaspencer! And you know that series came with its own controversies. Hear about them straight from the source and why composite characters may work for Hollywood, but not always for the good of black history. This conversation is
YOU KNOW, I haven’t slown down since the slowdown. I canceled my daughter and my trip to Disney, but I never took the actual time off. I literally went into overdrive supporting people, their brands and their careers in light of Covid-19. But a conversation with my own mentor coach revealed that I needed some self care in a hurry. It seemed time to take a break, and while doing so, I’m reaching back and do something I've been needing to do: pay tribute to a Black Media Titan without whom, this platform may not even exist.— Earl Graves, Sr. We are reaching back to episode 35 with SVP of Digital from Black Enterprise, Alfred Edmond, Jr, to talk all things black media to give us all a much needed break from Covid-19. Be Well.
When Lamar Tyler sets his mind to something, it gets done, let me tell you! When I first met him and his lovely wife Ronnie, I was extremely impressed. Let me first say that the bloggers of today are not cut from the same cloth as the ones my teams first worked with in 2008...I’m talking about Lamar and Ronnie, Patrice Yursik, aka Afrobella, Luvvie Ajayi...I think you follow me. These bloggers weren’t just “bloggers”—they were true, business-minded, digital media Svengalis. Proof? Look at them now. They continually built more, and you know them ALL by first name. Lamar has truly carved out an incredible niche and has an on-fire, online community with a cult-like feel—because he delivers value at every-last-turn.
We talk about this pandemic and how it is impacting you as a leader--of your home, of your work or your business. This is heavy, everyone. It's talk about it LIVE on The Culture Soup Podcast® On #LinkedInLIVE
To add insult to injury, college grads not only have their commencement ceremonies in limbo or delayed until the fall, but every senior year event has been cancelled. Not only do they face being locked down at home or in their small apartments, that awesome job market these GenZers were told to look forward to is now up in smoke. Now, they are entering a very crowded job market, with veterans and other professionals freshly unemployed because of the financial fallout from the slowdown. Things look bleak...but do they really?I sit down in a history-making conversation with my long-time friend, fellow NABJer, fellow university faculty member and former employee Neil Foote, who is the national president for National Black Public Relations Society (NBPRS) and lecturer at the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas. He is also President of Foote Communications who has supported well-known clients like Reach Media, owned by To Joyner.This conversation is being shared with both of our classes, and we wanted to let you in on it. Neil teaches Media Entrepreneurship and I teach Writing & Editing for Strategic Communications. What makes our conversation history-making? It will be the first time I hand over the mic to my friend, and he will interview me. This has never happened on the show, but I wouldn't think of doing this with anyone but Neil, who was my Vice President of Development and Strategy when I ran my agency back in the early 2000s.You won't want to miss this rich exchange about what students can do to shift their mindsets to win despite looming obstacles in the job market.If you have a college student at home, tell them to take a listen. There is hope, and we will get through this.
It has already started: the first wave of layoffs, furloughs and surplusses have happened and there is more to come. How do you look for a job in this environment? What industries are hiring? How can you prepare for inevitable change brought on by the pandemic. Ready to FINALLY get your LinkedIn presence tight? It’s time. Tune in to hear my friend Tristan Layfield as he returns to talk about careers in crisis. It’s Thursday on The Culture Soup Podcast®️. Stay well and stay smart, my friends. OUR SERIES ON Covid-19 will continue as long as it is needed.
When I asked Zara Green to come on the show, I had no clue that she had been exposed to COVID-19. She is self quarantining with her husband, SVP of Digital at Black Enterprise, Alfred Edmond Jr. She has a lot to say about how this crisis is impacting our relationships, every one of them. Unless we understand our priorities and our temperament, our relationships are in trouble. So what's your priority?
I’m talking pandemics and mental health with America’s Psychologist, Dr. Jeff Gardere. We'll explore how to find peace in a time of uncertainty. We’ll talk telemedicine and how this new age of social distancing is forcing mental health professionals online and more. How about a little therapy on The Culture Soup Podcast®️.
There are people in your life that have such an amazing impact on you, that when it is happening you are aware, but as time passes and you look back, your mind is blown.
What happens when #EmployerBranding is crossed with #DEI? I'm not making a funny. It's the cocktail every company needs in order to get serious about their internal culture and brand. Straight. No chaser. Tomorrow, #TSCPCoachingCorner is back at a NEW TIME: catch me chatting it up with special guest John Graham Jr. who is an expert in the area of employer branding, culture and diversity, equity & inclusion. He is also my brother in all ways other than biological... Like, literally--we are members of the first and finest (A Phi A and AKA) and we share the same birthdate. If you remember him from Episode 18 of The Culture Soup Podcast(r), you'll remember the lively conversation we had about h#employeeadvocacy. You won't want to miss this.
With midterms, media appearances, spring break and speaking opps upon me, we throw it back to episode 13 with Jason Caston, founder of Composio.co...a platform to make self publishing a cinch. Many many gems dropped on this episode. Take a listen. See you LIVE on Linkedin next Tuesday!
She is the quiet storm behind some of the biggest multicultural integrated marketing and communications programs on the planet and what’s more she is my sisterfriend! She is an adjunct Professor at DePaul University and the creator and host of the @firstsoverforty podcast and she is a storyteller #fortheculture. We talk about the importance of multicultural marketing, developing your cultural intelligence, appropriation, @tiktok and so much more.
We are throwing it back to Episode 30. Seems like lightyears ago, but there’s still money on Facebook. Have you found it yet? Folks swear by the FB groups. Learn how to build your own FB Group funnel with small business expert Bella Vasta. She's been known to make a smooth 10K in less than two weeks with different techniques. Also find out how the word NO is fuel for the real go-getters out there. Are you one? This #ThrowbackThursday is brought to you by NSC Coaching because I just turned in my coaching graduation packet and I’m celebrating this milestone!
Some guests don’t need an introduction, but they definitely deserve your attention. My conversationwith Rock N Roll Hall of Famer, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Winner , hip hop legend, adoring husband Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons and his lovely wife Justine Simmons is so awesome! We will talk about their new book #OldSchoolLove. It’s exactly what this world needs today. I know I am looking forward to it. These are my friends—-heck, I consider them extended family—but I’m so blessed that they are taking time out of their busy, busy schedule and book tour to come on my show. Tune in for this wonderful chat with one of the entertainment world’s most incredible couples.
We're throwing it back to last summer when I spoke with former Baltimore Raven standout Jacoby Jones who is now pouring into the young men at Lane College, an HBCU in Jackson, Tennessee. It's his alma mater, and its a great full-circle story.
Today's topic is employee advocacy and how to make it work together with your personal brand. Many times the two clash, so we'll have some insights for the brands that are trying to leverage the concepts and the leaders who are trying to build their brands simultaneously.
Because there are times in life when you probably actually need therapy, but you simply call a friend to talk it out. Whew! This moment in time is one of them. I have political pundit Matt Stevens on. He's a YouTuber, but more importantly, he's my friend of more than 14 years. He tries to help me untangle what on EARTH is happening in our country.
May the force be with you.
ARE YOU EMPOWERED SPIRITUALLY? Yes, I know that is a personal question, but being spiritually grounded is the key to success. It forces you to answer some key questions: what do you believe? It even reveals questions about your identity your value and ultimately your purpose. Well, I’m bringing on a fellow entrepreneur and coach to talk about her powerful story—- her journey from modest means to being one of the most influential women on the Internet and TV, with a bit of a stop on @bravotv . You thought you recognized her, didn’t you? Yes, she is a season one cast member of @realhousewivesdallas, and you will be overwhelmed by her positivity, her grit, her faith and her mission. @tiffanyhendra and I made fast friends last fall as we shared the stage at #StyleCON @stylecongirl in Dallas. And when I tell you like minds and hearts find each other? We did just that. I want my global @theculturesoup community to meet her. Be inspired. Be empowered. It’s happening Thursday. #tech #culture #business
Life Coaching for Successful Women author Valorie Burton talks about the transformative power of knowing the right questions to raise.
I'm talking to the author of The Memo...and this summit was a long time coming. You want to hear this conversation. Minda Harts is on The Culture Soup Podcast. You also have a chance to get a autographed copy of the book. Listen to the end for details.
Who wants to be a millionaire? Or how about just making #revenue fast by building your clientele quickly for your #smallbusiness? Who wants to avoid debt? Tune in tomorrow at 4 p.m. CT on#TCSPCoachingCorner on #LinkedInLIVE with Jaylen D. Bledsoe, Chairman of The Bledsoe Collective. He was able to make his first million at the young age of 15 years old. Needless to say, he is now a multimillionaire. He has some tips for us on this show which is all about how to get more clients fast, especially in service oriented businesses. It's the Tuesday episode of The Culture Soup Podcast which also streams whereever you get your finest podcasts.
WHO’S READY FOR SOME MARKETING INSIGHTS AND TRENDS FROM ACROSS THE POND? Meet the editor of @rockstarcmo @iantruscott from Great Britain. He stays on the pulse of everything cutting edge in marketing by amplifying the voices of the rockstar execs around the globe. I’ve been extremely fortunate to be featured a few times, but I want you to hear what he’s hearing from CMOs about what the new decade holds for business. He’s talking to me on Thursday’s show. Be sure to tune in! #tech #culture #business
The latest issue of RocstarCMO is here: https://rockstarcmo.com/the-future-starts-here-issue/
The diversity issue of RockstarCMO is here: https://rockstarcmo.com/the-people-are-people-issue/
Ian also suggests this article from Sydni Craig-Hart here: https://rockstarcmo.com/tales-from-the-tour-bus-sydni-craig-hart/
This week, as we roll into the holiday season and I take some time off, we look back at our Women's History Month series and the episode with my mentor-coach Trudy Bourgeois. Buckle up and get ready for some real talk about how to do you the right way.
Happy New Year! I'm pleased to reach back into the crates and bring you one of my faves...Mr. Nick Nelson, the Brandprenuer himself, takes us to church on personal branding. Enjoy!
This holiday edition celebrates music. It's a #ThrowbackThursday, so we are taking it all the way back to the very first episode with The Queen of Soul's Favorite Soprano, Audrey Dubois Harris.
SOMETHING HUGE happened while I was preparing for the #LinkedinLIVE broadcast... and it is just perfect for our Culture Soup Moment as I bring back my friend author, political commentator and podcast host Toure! Are you ready? He’ll talk about how he is getting personal and reformatting @toureshow, his political-cast @democracyish and a new YouTube series he’s embarking on. It’s all Thursday on #theculturesouppodcast
This week's showwe have Tristan Layfield talking transitions and change. He’s the career and resume guru. You don’t want to miss it! Set a meeting maker.
WOKE-WASHING. Pink Washing. Pride-Painting. You’ve seen it in marketing and advertising, or maybe you don’t know what any of it is. Either way, you need to tune in for the brand new episode on Thursday. I’m talking to the global practice lead for consumer brand marketing at one of the largest communications and integrated marketing agencies in the world, FleishmanHillard. She and her teams are on a mission to ensure that brands “don’t borrow culture.” Holding up the banner for authenticity, my friend Candace (Candy) Peterson will talk with me about the leadership imperative and how it can have a positive impact for brands that do their homework to understand culture, align with key values and then move forward with well-thought out campaigns. It’s a heavy lift in this digital age, but it isn’t impossible. We’ll dive into some best practices for all you marketers out there attempting to stay out of hot water. No one wants to get dragged on Twitter.
Today’s #ThrowbackThursday #Thanksgiving Edition is my Mama’s Pick. In lieu of an editor’s pick, it is one of my most important listener’s selections: my mother! We take it back to August when I had marketing legend Dorinda Walker on the show. She is a fellow @LEAD360 faculty member and downright world beater. You have GOT to hear her story. Talk about unprecedented resilience! It was a joy to discuss #blackwomensequalpayday, what happens when your brand shines too brightly for your employer and what really needs to happen at companies to ensure equity and inclusion... I also do a tribute to Actress Gabrielle Union on today's episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®️
Social media is culture soup. Have you noticed that black church culture is extremely popular on the interwebs? If not, just pay attention during the Thanksgiving holidays. There is one meme that we just can’t shake. I talk to award-winning, national recording artist, worship arts minister and entrepreneur Gaye Arbuckle about why this is. We also talk about her being discovered by gospel legend James Cleveland, her unforgettable moment singing for two Presidents and the world’s favorite First Lady, her Instagram, feel-good gospel wake up call hashtag#GetYoNote and of course, the times we spent singing together. Meet my sister in Christ, Gaye Arbuckle. Find out what it is like when music is at the center of your career, your ministry and entrepreneurial pursuits and how she uses social media and technology to keep it all ... well, orchestrated. It’s on Thursday’s edition of The Culture Soup Podcast®️
If we can deplete supplies of chicken sandwiches and clear the shelves of sweet potato pies, what would happen if we withheld our influence and dollars? We could kill industries, but we are too busy consuming to know it. Nielsen SVP Cheryl Grace joins me on Thursday’s show to talk black influence and the black dollar. Tune in for our regular edition wherever fine podcasts drop. Oh, and HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY REV RUN! The show wouldn't have a name if it weren't for the keynote that happened where he was a prime subject of discussion! #tech #culture #business #theculturesouppodcast
Well, it's a wrap. We went live for the first time on LinkedIn with the Coaching Corner Episode, and by all accounts, it was good. A little snag with audio, but you won't know of it here. We peel back the onion on personal branding. Listen in... and my friend Shannon Lanier from CW39 in Houston joined.
This #ThrowbackThursday is not only about Hidden Figures, it has a hidden gem in it. There's news for you in this edition that includes an editor's pick harkening back to March 2019, Women's History Month. We take a look back at the Hidden Figures event sponsored by the North Texas Black Sports Professionals Network--the first time the show recorded live...because it will happen again in a very special format. You have to listen to find out. Cheers!
You know, one of the best ways to get to know someone is to be in the trenches with them. In this case, it was the trenches of the beauty business. If you don’t know who this is, you need to. She is the driving force behind the revival of one of the most iconic brands in black beauty culture, and I’m proud to say that I got a piece of that action. My former agency took the brand onto the pages of Essence and Sophisticates and also onto social media back in 2008, one of the first multicultural hair care brands to venture onto Twitter and Facebook. But we needed a great product to share. Teneya Gholston ensured that. Thursday, you’ll hear a couple of girlfriends chopping it up about the beauty business and what it took to resurrect @cremeofnature from a nearly certain gloomy fate. Teneya is a Sr. Director of Marketing at Revlon, but she isn’t just your run-of-the-mill corporate type. She used her talent as a stylist in the salons, learned the corporate ways of business and has parlayed that in to an incredible and award-winning career. I’m blessed to call her former client and friend, and she puts the BOSS in #bossbabe. OH, and we’ll giveaway some products too! Tune in Thursday, and be certain to tell a friend. #tech #culture #business #theculturesouppodcast
We are still celebrating the podcast's birthday! I'm going get some gluten free cake! So I'm re-racking one of the most downloaded episodes of all time, and you may be surprised at which one it is. Happy listening! Enjoy!
It's hard to believe that we just made a lap around the sun in the name of tech, culture and business, but we have! Walk down memory lane with me and listen to a surprise guest...our first true reprise...who is also celebrating an anniversary. Who could it be? You'll have to listen to know. Happy Wednesday, and surprise!! A bonus episode is here...Turn UP! Thank you for making us one of the top business podcasts on Apple Podcasts in the U.S. and internationally. We couldn't have done it without you.
Who is ready to go all in on the vegan lifestyle? I talk to one of the gurus out there, TV and Radio journalist Jacque Reid. It's more than just a diet. You need to hear this. Eat better, do better....feel better.
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I had the extraordinary privilege of chatting it up with this amazing man this morning, Harvard professor Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr, the foremost anyone on culture, ancestry and black heritage. Yes, he is a friend! But I was a fan first, having cited his writings throughout my masters theses back in 1995. Today, I got to have a conversation with him for The Culture Soup Podcast®️. I hope you will tune in on Thursday to hear us chop it up about one of my favorite topics—- how the human genome makes all the same and some of the cultural traditions and beliefs that may have ya thinking otherwise or even thinking we might be more this than that. Chances are, there is more of something else in you than you originally thought! Finding Your a Roots is airing through 2020 on @PBS every Tuesday night beginning this week. Check your local listings, and subscribe to The Culture Soup Podcast®️. It streams wherever fine podcasts are available. #tech #culture #business
In celebration of the fact that Toure just signed NSC Group to manage his speaking and other paid appearances, and because he drops Dr Henry Louis Gates, Jr's name a round a bit, I'm re-racking episode 46. Great nuggets here about the writing process and how to hack writer's block.
Whew... my sisters, we deal with a lot, don’t we? Turns out the stress of being a double-outsider on the job (Catalyst) has a physical impact on our health, and if that isn’t enough, even some of our beauty and eating habits are impacting our well being. Coach Gessie is on a crusade to inform women of everything that’s ailing them thanks to the power of the Internet, and she is kicking up enough dust to get the attention of national media outlets consistently. What is her why? She’s lived out the worst of the health effects stemming from out of control fibroids. Hear her amazing story of overcoming and learning better. Now she is sharing with other women. You don’t want to miss this and a special tribute to Botham Jean...and a bit of commentary from yours truly.
When Lamar Tyler sets his mind to something, it gets done, let me tell you! When I first met him and his lovely wife Ronnie, I was extremely impressed. Let me first say that the bloggers of today are not cut from the same cloth as the ones my teams first worked with in 2008...I’m talking about Lamar and Ronnie, Patrice Yursik, aka Afrobella, Luvvie Ajayi...I think you follow me. These bloggers weren’t just “bloggers”—they were true, business-minded, digital media Svengalis. Proof? Look at them now. They continually built more, and you know them ALL by first name. Lamar has truly carved out an incredible niche and has an on-fire, online community with a cult-like feel—because he delivers value at every-last-turn. I joke social media is a drug (that soup is laced
t’s Easter, ya’ll! Especially when it comes to the resurgence and resurrection of black media in the digital age. The Internet has breathed new life into some of the older names in the media landscape and given birth to the younger players in the game. But you need to know strategy to survive, according to Rolling Out publisher and media titan Munson Steed. And these consumers are on the hunt for the good stuff. If you can produce great content on the many platforms where they frequent and socialize it he says, you can win. Sage advice from one of the best in the business, on the next episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®️. It airs Thursday wherever fine Podcasts stream. Download, share and tell a friend! We are now #11 on Apple Podcasts’ Business/Entrepreneurship Category and rolling strong into our year anniversary!
LIFE’S A BEACH... or it's a cabin in the mountains if you are my new friends Calvin L. Butts, Jr. and Carrington M. Carter of East Chop Capital. They are investing in real estate in some of the hottest vacation venues on the east coast, and business is booming! They are putting the human touch back into the popular AirBnB model, and their properties are some of the hottest tickets in town—if your town is Martha’s Vineyard, The Pocono Mountains or Hilton Head and before long, Belize. The Getaway Society blends tech, culture and business, and how they came together to make this happen is simply a divine connection. You see, Calvin is an angel investor. You’ll want to hear more about their ventures, advice on how to attract investors like him, and why real estate is an incredible area to invest in on Thursday’s episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®️.
I'm off today. I'm still celebrating my birthday, but I wanted to take you back to one of my favorite episodes where a listener volunteered for laser coaching. We also shared a replay of the Women's Opera Network webinar on networking. A rich discussion on both ends. Enjoy!
THIS IS META. Listen, this won’t be your surface conversation about D&I. This brother goes deep... and only the businesses who are serious about real change will even begin to understand where he’s coming from and how he is activating for real change. @jeffreylbowman and I see eye-to-eye on several things, and that is that real change starts from the inside out. Find out how his journey as a tech founder is placing squarely on the frontlines of tackling this age-old problem. #tech #culture #business
Completely geeked to have this marketing legend on the show—fellow LEAD360 faculty member and downright world beater, Dorinda Walker. You have GOT to hear her story. Talk about unprecedented resilience! It was a joy to discuss #blackwomensequalpayday, what happens when you brand shines too brightly for your employer and what really needs to happen at companies to ensure equity and inclusion... on tomorrow’s episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®️! Welcome to all my new listeners! #tech #business
This week, I dig into the crates to uncover a gem of a conversation between me and my girlfriend Valorie Burton. It's a throwback to Ep 17 in February. It's worth a revisit as you read her new book It's About Time: Placing the Meaningful Over the Urgent. Enjoy!
He’s a “Daddy on Duty 365” by day and a TV news anchor by night. I’m talking about Shannon LaNier, Houston’s CW39 main anchor, and I was so glad to see him again in Miami at #NABJ19. He’s being celebrated as a doting, dedicated but most importantly involved dad who captures his parenting shenanigans with is three beautiful kids while his wife works by day. Needless to say the 60 second Instagram videos get a LOT of attention. His most popular ones: where he is struggling to do his girl’s hair...and by the way, he’s getting pretty good at it. This is Internet #culture at its best, and proof positive that you can have a personal brand that renders you even more authentic than you might be if you were JUST doing your job. I talk with Shannon about the impact of doing one thing right and consistently on social media and how it makes your online footprint more human and ultimately results in rich opportunities. Tune in on Thursday for this awesome conversation with my friend, fellow National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) member, and yes, my brother, yet again from Alpha Phi Alpha. The Culture Soup Podcast®️ airs every Thursday wherever fine podcasts stream. #tech #business
I started my first agency with only two paychecks in the bank. That was my capital. Laughable to some, but I wasn’t even certain that I wanted to start a business. I “fell” into entreprenuership after deciding to freelance. I’d made VP before the age of 30. I was young. Why not? In short order, my staff and I would celebrate reaching our million dollar milestone. We weathered some storms too. In fact, when the recession hit, I didn’t take a paycheck for an entire year to avoid layoffs. (But that’s another leadership story for another post.) In business, I’ve lived it. So what does it take to get more clients fast for your service-oriented business? ✅ Consistency ✅ Innovation ✅ Speed ✅ Diversification ✅ Systems ✅ Determination All good on strategy, LMS, you say, but what about the tactics? We’ll get into that. This is a rebroadcast of this #30MinuteMentor Masterclass which aired a few weeks ago. The video is on-demand at The30MinuteMentor.com. JIt is based on my recent Black Enterprise Magazine article, “Dear Sis,” which has been picked up and republished across multiple outlets. But we go a bit deeper. Hear more about my successes and fast fails. Register for the on demand video here: https://lnkd.in/esGXwWJ
Because I’m committed to getting YOUR brand right, you need to meet this guy, Nick F. Nelson, aka The BRANDPRENEUR. We go deep—on answering the question what problem you solve, to understanding your audience, to the power of images in telling your story. Nick is a fellow LEAD360 faculty member, and he hosted the Masterclass right next door to mine at this year’s Lead 360 Combine. Find out what he told them, including what key takeaway in marketing he learned in church.
When it's the intersection of #workplace culture, #tech and business, you turn to "The Workplace Doctor" herself, Natasha Bowman, JD, SPHR. My fellow LEAD360 Faculty member joins me for a compelling conversation about tenacity in the face of staggering odds, how#MeToo and #TimesUp left some women out and how she navigated a collision between her personal brand and the corporate workplace that seemed to be working at first. It got sticky...but she's real, so she shares. Tune in on Thursday for the next episode of#theculturesouppodcast.
We're reaching back into the crates and pulling the most downloaded episode of all times with this employee advocacy guru, and my friend John Graham, Jr. A special tribute to Jinja beverage company founder Reuben Canada is also included at the end of the episode. RIP, Reuben, your friends, John and L Michelle.
The volume increased on the equal pay conversation with P&G’s sizable monetary gift to the champion US Women’s Soccer Team. But how does that impact hashtag#women in workplace? I asked my friend Jacqueline V. Twillie the question on this week’s episode. She is one of the warriors in the trenches everyday with professionals and companies trying to solve for the issue. She’s getting results. Find out how she is doing it, and some advice she has for women to increase their credibility in the workplace around the topic and improve their negotiation skills to stave off the issue. It’s coming up on Thursday on The Culture Soup Podcast™️. Find it wherever fine podcasts stream. hashtag#tech hashtag#culture hashtag#business hashtag#equalpay hashtag#paygap hashtag#genderquality
We’re celebrating PRIDE on this episode of podcast with a man who has pioneered in pop culture and has the resume to prove it. Patrick Riley has produced for the likes of Oprah and Wendy Williams, but is also an author and a publicity guru. We talk about strides for the LGBTQIA culture in pop culture and his latest projects.
That live FREE on-air laser coaching happens on this episode, and it turns out that this marketing pro wants to hack a challenge she is having around networking. Perfect timing, because this show also shares the replay of the Women's Opera Networking webinar recently that covers off on the subject. You'll want to take notes. We go deep. My client walked away with a plan. You should too.
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We unmask privilege just in time for July 4th. After all, what is more American than privilege? Find out what question I posed to Dr. Jeff that made him call it the most provocative question he’s been asked for a while. And before you guess that we went all in on white privilege, well, let me just say that the term itself is layered. You need to listen to this episode... there may be a lesson in privilege for you.
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We’re throwing it back to last spring this Thursday, when Darryl M. Bell and I took on the campus of @thelanecollege at their first ever leadership conference. ICYMI, It was the second time the podcast recorded live, and it was the first ever double episode. It was also the show that catapulted the show to number 6 on Apple Podcasts Business/Business News with a great tailwind from the first live recorded episode that rounded out women’s history month the week before with the Hidden Figures in Sports on behalf of the Black Sports Network of North Texas. Travel back down memory lane with me this Thursday and relive these compelling conversations with one of the stars of the best television sitcoms to ever air on television, A Different World, and the President of Lane College, Dr. Logan Hampton. We also detail a very moving visit to the National Civil Rights Museum. First show will drop after midnight ET, the other will drop at noon on Thursday. Spread the word!!
We’re throwing it back to last spring this Thursday, when Darryl M. Bell and I took on the campus of @thelanecollege at their first ever leadership conference. ICYMI, It was the second time the podcast recorded live, and it was the first ever double episode. It was also the show that catapulted the show to number 6 on Apple Podcasts Business/Business News with a great tailwind from the first live recorded episode that rounded out women’s history month the week before with the Hidden Figures in Sports on behalf of the Black Sports Network of North Texas. Travel back down memory lane with me this Thursday and relive these compelling conversations with one of the stars of the best television sitcoms to ever air on television, A Different World, and the President of Lane College, Dr. Logan Hampton. We also detail a very moving visit to the National Civil Rights Museum. First show will drop after midnight ET, the other will drop at noon on Thursday. Spread the word!!
NFL Pro Bowler and former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones is having a full-circle moment as he returns to his alma mater to coach the football team. He says his job isn’t just football. It’s a mission to pour into young men as someone did for him. And by the way, this guy has to be one of the smartest men alive. Check out what he says about the awesomeness of women! It’s coming up Thursday on The Culture Soup Podcast™️. @digital_12 #hbcus #tech #business #culture #sports #football @thelanescollege
Black media is an American gem. These outlets have delivered an important perspective and have served as the archives of our accomplishments. There are only a few, national, black-owned publications out there. One of the most noted, is Black Enterprise. I bring on my friend Alfred Edmond Jr. We've been friends for more than a decade...and yes, we met on Twitter. We talk about the importance of legacies like that of BE, Ebony and Essence on this episode, and also look forward to Black Enterprise FWD.
If you haven’t figured out that you can’t get very far doing it alone, I’m here to tell you that it helps to have a robust personal board of directors specific to your journey. I won’t list everyone who is on my team, but this is one person who I not only want to share with you, but I need you to support his new podcast. Not the wildly popular one The Toure Show. I’m talking about his brand new one Free MFA. Not only do I have a fantastic literary editor, I’m blessed to have THE Toure as my book coach. You’ll remember him from Rolling Stone, MSNBC, Vibe and so much more. Toure is creating a space for serious authors who are working through the process with agents, major publishers and the entire writing process. You can self publish, and that is admirable, but Toure delves into the inside scoop on engaging in the big leagues. My journey began late last year, and I’m thrilled that he’s joining me as I plug along. So of course, it was my pleasure to bring him onto The Culture Soup Podcast™️’s new episode The Coaching Corner and share his wisdom with my audience...talk about his new show...and by the way, his unique writing rituals and even plug his new book coaching service. You won’t want to miss this!
Silly season arrived early, hasn't it? In fact, it came and never left in 2016. I talk to my friend and political commentator Matt Stevens about what to look forward to in this upcoming election, how social media has changed the game completely, and the importance of having everyday people involved in the political dialogue. It's all about the culture of politics and what it takes to cover it in this age of "fake news."
Did you know that you have influence? No, I didn't confuse you with that person in your newsfeed who is always hashtagging the word "ad" in exchange for dollars from some brand. I'm telling you that you have social real estate...social capital that you should take seriously. Don't want to take it from me? Take it from LinkedIn heavy-weight, social media trainer and personal branding expert Cher Jones. She a fellow LEAD360 faculty member who will be speaking at the Combine June 6-7. I met Cher virtually on LinkedIn while she was sharing some killer content about this very topic. She's a woman after my own heart because she walks the talk. You'll want to hear what she has to say about owning your personal brand on this Thursday's episode of The Culture Soup Podcast™️.
There is a woman behind the scenes, working with professional athletes as they navigate the various transitions--from college to pros--from pros to an afterlife in business--and she is a clinical psychologist. She also specializes in military transitions. This fascinating conversation with my friend Dr. Yolanda Bruce Brooks is worth a listen on Thursday. What can you learn from this discussion? You may be surprised. You won't want to miss it.
There's money on Facebook. Have you found it yet? Folks swear by the FB groups. Learn how to build your own FB Group funnel with small business expert Bella Vasta. She's been known to make a smooth 10K in less than two weeks with different techniques. Also find out how the word NO is fuel for the real go-getters out there. Are you one?
Calling all corporate and small business types: Your professional coach is in. Find out my why and my what, and tune in every 2nd Tuesday each month for The Coaching Corner. I make a special offer on this broadcast. How would you like to be coached, live on the show? Take a listen.
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THE FAKERY! Yes, the light drives out the darkness like authenticity drives out the falsities—- even on social media. Did you know that there are doctors who are not MDs trying to sell medical services? Did you know there are eye doctors taking derm patients? It’s a wonderful day to get butchered in the name of aesthetics if you aren’t looking out for yourself. Dr. Dina Strachan is a Board-certified, Harvard and Yale educated medical doctor and dermatologist in NYC. She is the real deal, and she is committed to pointing out the blurred lines on social media when it comes to her profession. She will share some advice on how to diss out the fakery before you’re fooled. She has also written a best-selling book on entrepreneurship for doctors and derms and anyone else setting up a private practices (... nudging all my #coach friends) She is also my friend. Listen to our chat on Thursday on @theculturesoup!
Entrepreneurship is romanticized these days, especially on social media. I talk with my friend and Smart Hustle Magazine editor Ramon Ray about that trend, and we keep it
Former marketing exec turned beauty entrepreneur says it is time for #MUAs to step from behind the brush and share their other talents. Celebrity makeup artist @melissahibbert and I talk about how social media has spawned a new era of entrepreneurship for independent #beauty mavens. It is how she and I connected, and it’s beautiful! She talks about her journey and her new book #FaceYourBeauty. Don’t miss it on Thursday! #tech #culture #business
We talk to the head of Denny's restaurants in this episode, and you may be surprised at who you meet. John C. Miller is the former president of Texas-based, super-regional chain Taco Bueno and is now the CEO of Denny's. Find out with the IHOP nemesis is doing to engage their multicultural audience and franchisees in the digital age with swiftly shifting demographics. We had this chat on Equal Pay Day, so there's something here about women leaders and equal pay.
When two colleagues met at an agency and felt the urge to do multicultural marketing the right way, they went with their intuition. They made the leap into entrepreneurship, and just two years later, their business is a formidable competitor in the space. I'm talking about Roy Broderick, Jr. and Eshena D. Roman of Intuition Consulting of ATL. I've worked along side them, and they have a something to say about doing it for the culture.
In part 2 of this double episode, I speak with the president of Lane College, Dr. Logan Hampton, about HBCUs, their place in American culture; their significance to black students, the importance of role models coming on campus to speak to students; the Lane College Leadership Conference and much more.
On my visit to Lane College, I got to know and speak with an actor from one of America's most iconic TV shows, A Different World; a show, which along with The Cosby Show cemented Thursday night as Must See TV. Darryl M. Bell who played Ron Johnson on the show is also a producer and entrepreneur, and he has a point of view on all things tech, culture and business. Listen in as Darryl and I get to know one another in less than 48 hours as we both headlined the Inaugural Leadership Conference at the Historically Black College or University, Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee--where we both that the pleasure of presenting keynote addresses.
This episode is part 1 of a double header that hits today. The second episode will drop at noon EST and feature Dr. Logan Hampton, the president of Lane College.
This episode also pays tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who is also and HBCU alum, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha ( the fraternity of Darryl, Dr. Hampton and Chief Joy (mentioned in this episode). It is the brother organization of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc--my sorority and the sorority of Corretta Scott King) as today marks the anniversary of his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee at the Lorraine Motel--now the site of the National Civil Rights Museum. Learn more about our visit there the same day as our fireside chat at lmichellesmith.com in the Musings from the Roads section.
Thrilled to bring you this "Instant Replay" of the Hidden Figures sports panel complete with an enthusiastic LIVE audience from the Lincoln Experience at The Star at Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters. I had the distinct privilege of hosting and moderating this amazing panel of SHEROES in sports: Danyel Surrency Jones, CEO POWERHANDZ; Andrea Williams, COO College Football Playoff and Nicole Lynn, NFL Agent. This special episode is brought to us by POWERHANDZ and The Black Sports Professionals of North Texas. It culminates our Women' History Month series "Authentically SHE." Listen, and be inspired!
“Nobody puts baby in a corner. If I can’t be myself, I don’t want to be there.” — Cheryl Grace, one of the most powerful women in media. (@powerful_penny)
And hey, it’s how I feel and you should too if you don’t already. This is the very soul of inclusion. Because authenticity really is about the various ways you show up and are not ignored, overlooked or written off as “not one of us.” Your personality, your style, the way you approach a situation, the way you work is all a part of that package. And if the space is not accommodating and pressing you into a monolithic culture, you kindly move out of the space. Grace says at that point she discovered, you can no longer bring value or be effective. A moment of silence while we all reflect on our present state if being in the workplace... now, plan to come along for this #womenshistorymonth series on The Culture Soup Podcast™️
S O M E C O N V E R S A T I O N S are simply soul food. Wonderful chat with career coach @trudybourgeois who is the CEO of the Center for Workforce Excellence (CWE). She poured into me at the @elcinfo Strategic Pathways sessions at their leadership week a few years ago, and it was life changing. You will get to meet her in March when we kick off our Authentically SHE Series for Women’s History Month. She will have amazing advice for listeners on how to keep it real in the workplace while building your personal brand. AND! We will be giving away FIVE copies of her latest book EQUALITY: Courageous Conversations about Women, Men and Race to Spark Diversity & Inclusion Breakthrough. [SWIPE] More info on that to come. CWE is also a proud sponsor of #thecultureouppodcast
Everyone who stops in on our show is a VIP, but sometimes we have V-VIPs. This is one of them, and she is kicking off our hashtag#womenshistorymonth series “Authentically She.” Sheryl Adkins-Green is the global Chief Marketing Officer @marykayus. She is the epitome of what it means to empower women to live boldly and authentically as she lives out the mission of Mary Kaye Ashe, adding jet fuel to the business of an army of women entrepreneurs around the world and keeping us all beautiful! I can’t wait for you to listen to this episode!
You’re going to need another drink for this one. There is a battle brewing on the interwebs and it involves your social real estate. Are you ready? In this special, extended episode, my frat brother and fellow critical thinker joins me to go oh-so deep on the friction between personal brands and employee advocacy, I just don’t think there is anything left to say about it. Brand marketers... it’s on you. Employees, you need to be smart about it because it is your time, according to John Graham Jr., but it is a dance. How to strike balance? Find out what John has to say in this hour-long special edition of #theculturesouppodcast #tech #culture #business
If you want to hear two girlfriends just talking about life, writing books, speaking and just being our best selves for our families and for us, you won’t want to miss my conversation with the fabulous @valorieburton. She will be on the show Feb 21, so mark your calendars and tell a friend! #tech #culture #business#theculturesouppodcast
Our Valentines Day episode explores online dating, relationship coaches and how the Internet is facilitating and influencing how we date and interact with each other around the topic. Aaron Jordan Jr is a veteran marketer and radio personality who has parlayed his knack for giving relationship advice into a career in speaking and writing books. He says his work is divinely inspired. Get to know "Mr. Know Your Worth" on today's episode.
One question. Just one question on Facebook, and Risha Grant saw a firestorm light up on every social media feed that she has. What got everyone so fired up? Nothing fires up social media like a conversation about race. We're going to have one on this episode, and it isn't for the faint of heart. No one is spared. We only have one request, and that is that you listen. Simply. Listen. It is the only way we will get any closer to understanding. This extended version of the show is in honor of Black History Year. Enjoy!
This is the last of a series of episodes that focus on career development, personal branding and enhancing your digital footprint. Today, we talk to Tristan Layfield who is a career coach and entrepreneur. He can help you get your resume optimized for better results, coach you on your approach to LinkedIn and coach out out of some tight spots on the job. He was kind enough to share some of his wisdom with us too. You won't want to miss it.
Jason Caston may be a bonified church geek, but he has parlayed a successful career as a faith-based Internet platform strategist for some of the largest churches and orgs out there into much more. He is now an author, a speaker a tech startup founder. He can also help you get your book published. In this episode, you can find out how to do that for free. Inspired? Take a listen!
Ted Rubin has some wisdom and insights to share about building your personal brand, especially on social media and balancing it with employee advocacy. He also gives advice to companies looking for the best way to engage their employees on advocacy platforms. Oh, and he has an opinion...a little bit. :) So, join us. Grab a cocktail and settle in for a rich listen.
This is a very candid and authentic conversation with my new friend @mikobranch cofounder of @miss_jessies about courage, entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment. The hardships that come with owning your own business are sometimes silent lessons that no one goes through but the owner. Find out where she and her sister TiTi drew their strength, and learn what advice she has for upcoming and striving bosses. Oh, yes, and listen to the end for the product giveaway. #teamnatural. #tech #culture#business #theculturesouppodcast
Did you know that the first woman millionaire in the United States built her empire on black hair care? Madam CJ Walker is likely the first Mary Kay, but instead of makeup, her focus was on haircare for a segment of women who needed a self esteem boost. Imagine that you have no clue how to take care of or manage your hair. Now imagine that someone not only shows you, but shares with you how to start your own business and share the good news with others? I speak with her biographer and heir, A'Lelia Bundles. Her journey to tell the Mme Walker story is amazing and it is now about to be a Netflix series and is now the product line is rebooted at national beauty retailers.
While the Women in the Workplace study from McKinsey and the LeanIn organization call black women "double outsiders," these women of color are creating their own spaces with entrepreneurship. Meet one of my kindred spirits who has carved out a niche with her own marketing and web design agency...and a new project that she announces exclusively on our show. It's what spurs a whole conversation between the two of us about social media and relationships.
Audrey DuBois Harris returns for an encore on the podcast for a special bonus episode to talk about her new album Joy to the World: A Christmas Celebration as well as continue our conversation on bringing inclusion to the opera. We also giveaway a signed autographed copy to one lucky listener.
T H I S G U Y makes it his business to make you laugh. I’m just glad to call him a friend. In fact, I owe a lot to him because he took time to talk me through this podcast thing, and the thing lives because of his wise advice. I want you to meet him too. Jamie Roberts is on the rise as a comedian, and he is an accomplished radio exec in the country’s No. 1 market. You know a friend who runs towards you, not away, when you say you have an idea or a dream... and they help you make it happen. You won’t want to miss this one. Put it on your holiday list to listen!
This week, we’ll speak with Eva Green Wilson, of SocaMom.com®. She is an award-winning parenting blogger and a speaker. Most importantly, she is one of my besties! The story of how we met and became friends is epic. I think you’ll love her as much as I do.And by the way, we bonded over a good curry and ginger beer at carnival in Atlanta. We talk about how her whole family has gotten in on the blogging scene, and talk about parenting in the Internet age...and a whole lot more!
This beauty doesn’t have to speak to be heard, but she has something to say. Introducing to few, reintroducing to many Lauren Maillian, best-selling author and brand strategist and all-round #BAWSE. Her story is incredible, and you can hear it on #theculturesouppodcast
A full-circle moment is really the headline of DJ Niena Drake's life, and she bucks all the negative women stereotypes. She sits at the intersection of tech, business and culture, and while she is spinning for some of the biggest celebrities and brands, she is spreading sunshine and pouring into the lives of striving young people.
Happy Thanksgiving! We have a bonus episode for you! What a JOY chatting with this young man who is already killing the acting game at the ripe old age of 11 years old!! He’s had roles on Underground, Cloak and Dagger and now @netflix’s All About the Washingtons.... which is where I met him and his family— at the LA premiere party in August. Maceo Smedley’s special episode airs on Thanksgiving Day.
Ep 4 features pop culture and politics journalis & host from NBC BLK, MSNBC, NY Times and Essence writer, @JarrettHill. He talks plagiarism, First Ladies, speeches, empathy, living in your purpose and even white supremacy. It’s a juicy one.
He is the man who wrote the book on social media for social good. During a time where negativity seems to constantly swirl on social media, you'll want to hear what Chris Strub is doing to bring sunshine back to your newsfeeds all while helping people in need.
This bonus episode is offered in celebration of the final day of Opera Week, 2018. It is also special because the conversation is also on YouTube uncut, and can be seen exclusively at http://theculturesoup.com.
Jaylen Bledsoe, CEO of Bledsoe Global Group became a millionaire by the age of 15. He has been making millions for his client ever since! Talk about #blackexcellence! And we will. Find out what Black Single Mom Magic has to do with it! It drops Nov 1. If you are still new to this, listen and subscribe. #theculturesouppodcast
Our premier episode features the story of The Queen of Soul’s Favorite Soprano. Aretha loved Puccini as much as she loved church music and soul, and when she discovered Audrey DuBois Harris mixing classical and gospel on a TV show one day, she just had to contact her. Her heart-felt performance at Franklin’s funeral was one last request fulfilled for The Queen’s family, and when you rewatch with that in mind, you’ll know why she put her whole heart and talent into it. All the way from Montreal, Canada, don’t miss Harris’ story and what’s next for the Julliard alumna...on the first episode of #theculturesouppodcast
Getting to know you...getting to know all about you. This episode provides context and background on the show, the show's creator and host and what to expect when the show drops Thursday, Oct 25! That's in only 2 Days! Are you subscribed? Listen up... and tell a friend to come along for the journey.