Break Concrete: Black Women At Work: Recent Episodes
Cheryl-Lyn Bentley
Break Concrete is a podcast show exploring the unique experiences of Black women professionals as they navigate race and gender in the workplace and break through the concrete wall to professional advancement.
It’s no secret that the tech industry has a diversity problem. Dr. Dédé Tetsubayashi, a product equity, inclusion and tech ethicist, joins to discuss how the lack of representation within tech adversely impacts product equity and user experiences, and how tech companies can be more inclusive. Dr. Dédé also shares how she educates and empowers individuals, groups, and communities through incluu, a Black-woman-owned consultancy transforming organizations to be more inclusive in product design and processes.
Topics Covered:
- How Dr. Dédé got started in the field as a technologist
- Causes for gender and racial gaps in the tech industry
- Barriers to entry for black women in tech
- Resources to support your professional development in tech
- The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) in our everyday lives
- How AI perpetuates racial and gender biases
- How to make AI systems more inclusive
- Why Dr. Dédé founded incluu
- How incluu addresses gender and racial biases in the tech industry
- How incluu helps organizations develop trusting relationships with communities of color
- The business argument for diversity and inclusion
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc054.
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From a newly immigrated nanny to CEO, Jackie Glenn has embraced life’s challenges with boldness and humility, always being true to herself and giving back to those who come after her. It’s this commitment to helping others, which led Jackie to write her instructional biography, Lift As I Climb: An Immigrant Girl’s Journey Through Corporate America. Jackie discusses how she climbed her way up the corporate ladder and the character gems that brought her and other immigrants professional success in the American workplace.
Topics Covered:
- Why Jackie decided to write Lift As I Climb: An Immigrant Girl’s Journey Through Corporate America
- Workplace challenges Jackie faced as an immigrant in the U.S.
- How your accent can impact you in the workplace
- Defining authenticity
- How to turn your unique attributes into an advantage
- Jackie’s experience moving to the U.S. as a young single Black woman from a predominantly Black country
- Confronting microaggressions in the workplace
- Getting out of your head
- Resilience in the workplace
- How to address being passed over for a promotion
- Soliciting feedback from others
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc053.
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Women of color face unique gender and racial barriers to their professional advancement and are less likely to move into leadership roles. In today’s bonus episode, we speak to the women of The FLI Collective, a lifestyle podcast that deals with the experiences of being first generation and low income in academia. We examine some of these challenges and discuss strategies for advancing women of color, including when we should pursue stretch opportunities and how we lead and bring others along with us. Welcome Drs. Marlette Jackson, Edritz Javelosa, Nidia Ruedas-Gracia, Miranda Stratton, and Courtney Pena!
Topics Covered:
- Defining FLI - first generation, low-income college graduate
- Navigating privileged spaces as a class migrant
- What stops women of color from applying to jobs
- Why women discount their qualifications when job hunting
- The power of networking
- Defining stereotype threat
- What women of color should do when considering a new job
- How women of color lead and navigate leadership
- Recognizing the invisible labor women of color managers undertake
- Why women of color are not promoted into senior positions
- How to self-advocate in the workplace
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc052.
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Stuck on how to turn your passion project into so much more? After more than a decade in accounting and finance at companies like Morgan Stanley, Viacom, and Johnson & Johnson, Beth Diana Smith left her six-figure salary and the corporate world to launch her own interior design firm, Beth Diana Smith Interior Design. Her style is modern and eclectic with luxurious finishes and custom furnishings. Above all, her work is client-centric as she helps each homeowner hone in on their own style and create a space that inspires them and enhances their lifestyle. Beth chats about how she turned her side hustle into her full time gig.
Topics Covered:
- Cultivating your skills and passion in a different industry while working full time
- How Beth transitioned from a career in accounting and finance to interior design
- Steps to take when launching a new company
- Lessons Beth learned in launching Beth Diana Smith Interior Design
- Planning for entrepreneurship
- Where Beth gets inspiration for her designs
- Developing your personal style
- Identifying design faux pas
- Tips for working with clients during the coronavirus pandemic
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc051.
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With rising costs of living, steadily increasing debt, and stagnant wages, middle class Americans may find themselves living paycheck to paycheck. But is there even a Black middle class? Imari Smith, a doctoral student in Duke University’s Joint Program in Sociology and Public Policy, argues that the Black middle class is a “subaltern middle class”, just one tier of a marginalized group. The Black middle class has never reaped the benefits of their middle class status and continue to be subjected to the same harms faced by Black Americans of lower economic status.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc050.
Topics Covered:
- Defining middle class and wealth
- The hollowing of the middle class
- Drivers of increasing household debt
- Defining the “subaltern middle class”
- How middle class status insulates from adversity
- Barriers Black families face to accumulating wealth
- Closing the wealth gap
- Building Black Americans’ assets and wealth
- Identifying who should benefit from reparations
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Every year women perform thousands of hours and trillions of dollars of unpaid work. You’ve likely heard of the invisible daily household work women perform, but what about unpaid community activism performed by Black and Brown women? Dr. Nina Banks, an associate professor of economics at Bucknell University, argues that this collective activism places additional burdens on women of color that often go unrecognized and uncompensated. Through recognizing how Black women challenge racial oppression in their communities, we can reconceptualize Black women’s labor and their impact on the economy.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc049.
Topics Covered:
- How the lack of diverse economists impact theories around social outcomes
- How Black economists contribute to the field
- Understanding women’s invisible work
- Acknowledging Black women’s hidden and unpaid work and why it has been overlooked
- Examples of Black women’s unpaid work
- Recognizing community activism as work
- Dr. Banks’s research about the first African American economist, Sadie T.M. Alexander
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Many employers require their employees to follow workplace dress codes. Employers can regulate employees’ clothing, makeup, hairstyles, nails, and more. Your employer might even be able to regulate your weight. Although the line between discriminatory and simply burdensome may seem blurry, today, Professor Stacy Hawkins, Vice Dean and Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School, joins to explain just how far a company dress code can go before crossing into unlawful discrimination.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc048.
Topics Covered:
- Defining authenticity
- The importance of bringing your whole Self to the workplace
- How authenticity impacts productivity and company culture
- Identifying discriminatory workplace dress codes
- Hair discrimination in the workplace
- How workplace standards of professionalism discriminate against women of color
- How companies can embrace employee authenticity instead of conformity
- Promoting authenticity in the workplace
- Leading with authenticity
- Deciding when to conform to workplace norms
- How employees can hold their companies accountable for promoting authentic workplaces
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After spending over a year working from home, returning to the office and readjusting to your company dress code can be challenging. Today, Doreen Pierre, a Brooklyn based fashion writer, visual content creator, and events producer chats about how restrictive dress codes inhibit us from bringing our true Selves to work. Doreen’s work centers people of color and queer communities and has been featured in The Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Virgin Media, DapperQ and more.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc047.
Topics Covered:
- Exploring the connection between fashion and identity
- How Doreen embraces the many aspects of her identity through fashion
- Fashion as protection
- The importance of authenticity in the workplace
- How dress codes reinforce problematic standards of professionalism
- How company dress codes may exclude workers
- Supporting employee authenticity
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Are you guilty of performative allyship? Today’s guest, Dr. Maxine Davis, a scholar, activist, and author, breaks down the pitfalls of performative allyship and how even well-meaning professionals can perpetuate oppression and social harms in the workplace. In early 2021, Dr. Davis authored an article in Nature Human Behavior, Anti-black practices take heavy toll on mental health. We chat about Dr. Davis’s own experiences with anti-black practices in the workplace and recommendations for a more inclusive workplace.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc046.
Topics Covered:
- Defining cultural appropriation and how it shows up in the workplace
- How cultural appropriation causes harm
- Distinguishing cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation
- Defining performative allyship and how it shows up at work
- Tips for moving beyond performative allyship
- How professionals in helping professions can perpetuate oppression and social harms
- Finding a mental health therapist/social worker
- How to hold organizations accountable to move beyond performative allyship
- Dr. Davis’s experience with anti-black practices in academia
- Why it’s difficult for some to talk about race and interrogate their practices
- How institutions can address anti-Black practices
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Far too often, we operate in workplaces where women of color leaders are lacking. However, that’s not because women of color lack leadership skills. Nor is it because of a lack of interest. Break Concrete is kicking off Season 4 with Dr. Marlette Jackson, a scholar, diversity and inclusion consultant, and co-author of the Harvard Business Review article, Does Your Definition of Leadership Exclude Women of Color? Dr. Jackson interrogates common leadership values and norms and how they exclude women of color. We talk about how organizations can expand their definition of leadership and assign value to qualities often overlooked or criticized when held by women of color.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc045.
Topics Covered:
- Barriers women of color face in career advancement
- Understanding invisible labor and how it impacts women’s careers
- Common leadership values and why companies should reexamine attributes of leadership they value
- Who is left out of common definitions of leadership
- Expanding our definition of leadership
- Defining cultural capital, resistance capital, and navigational capital
- Reimagining the workplace through a communal vs. individualistic lens
- Challenging problematic norms around leadership and getting buy in
- Questions organizations should ask when seeking leaders in the workplace
- Why we should look for unconventional leadership skills when hiring
- Problems with seeking company “fit”
- How to measure success when diversifying leaders in the workplace
- Retaining diverse leaders in the workplace
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Motherhood and mothering can be complicated, but Tomi Akitunde has built a much needed resource for Black moms: mater mea also known as Black Mom Google. Tomi is an award-winning journalist who founded mater mea, the #1 destination for thoughtful, high quality content that celebrates, supports, and empowers Black moms. mater mea helps Black moms get the answers to their motherhood, life, and career questions through sincere storytelling, expert advice, and community. In today's Mother's Day special episode, Tomi opens up about her experiences with infertility, why she decided to create an online space for Black moms, how she confronted insecurities as the founder of mater mea, and more.
Topics Covered:
- Why Tomi started mater mea, an online magazine for Black moms
- How mater mea grew to be known as the “Black Mom Google”
- Why Tomi created a space for Black moms specifically
- How mater mea builds community for and empowers Black moms
- Challenges Tomi faced as an entrepreneur
- Tomi’s experience dealing with infertility
- How Tomi has dealt with imposter syndrome and gaslighting culture
- How for years Tomi had been hiding behind mater mea and why she wrote Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself to confront her insecurities as the founder of mater mea
- Tomi’s relationship with her mom
- Celebrating Black motherhood
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Understanding that Black women experience higher rates of chronic stress and anxiety, Jasmine Marie, a breathwork practitioner, founded black girls breathing, a safe space for Black women to nurture their mental, emotional, and spiritual health through guided meditation, breathwork, and community. In 2020, as racial tensions mounted and many Black women struggled with higher unemployment rates, increased childcare responsibilities, feeling less supported at work, and the devastating health impacts of COVID19, Jasmine adjusted her business structure to provide free and accessible mental healthcare to hundreds of Black women. In this final episode of Season 3, Jasmine shares how she helps women own their bodies and reclaim their power to heal themselves through black girls breathing.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc043.
Topics Covered:
- Defining breathwork
- Understanding the health benefits of breathwork including stress and anxiety reduction
- How Jasmine was introduced to breathwork and built black girls breathing
- Barriers for Black women in accessing breathwork and mental health therapy
- How Jasmine combines breathwork, meditation and community with black girls breathing
- Incorporating breathwork into your daily routine
- What to expect when trying breathwork for the first time
- Deciding whether to try breathwork individually or in a group setting
- Selecting a breathwork instructor who speaks to your needs
- Jasmine’s crowdfunding campaign to provide free breathwork sessions to Black women for one year
- How Jasmine collects and uses data about Black women with house of bgb
- Jasmine’s vision for black girls breathing
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It’s no secret that problems around diversity, equity, and inclusion permeate all sectors, including the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Whether it’s disparate funding for Black and women-led organizations, failure to promote women of color to leadership, or foundations using money as a weapon to dictate the direction of organizational efforts, Kishshana Palmer breaks it all down. Kishshana is an international speaker, trainer, and coach with nearly two decades of experience in fundraising, marketing, and talent management. She is also the founder of The Rooted Collaborative, a global community focused on the holistic evolution and advancement of female leaders of color in the social impact sector.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc042.
Topics Covered:
- How Kishshana started in fundraising and development
- Adopting a more collaborative approach to fundraising
- Defining donor-centric fundraising and its shortcomings
- Disparities in funding between white-led, minority-led, and women-led organizations
- Increasing support for minority-led and women-led organizations
- Setting priorities when fundraising
- Using fundraising to build power and amplify marginalized voices
- Re-centering how we think of money when fundraising
- Challenges facing the nonprofit sector with regard to diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Why Kishshana started The Rooted Collaborative and how she hopes to redefine philanthropy
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Dressing the part is only one step in your journey toward professional success. Equally important is understanding and controlling your image, which includes your communication, your personal brand, your wardrobe style, and more. In today’s episode, Krysta McGowan, the founder and visionary behind Critique Consulting, an image consulting firm, discusses how an image consultant can positively impact your career. Through Critique Consulting, Krysta provides services such as brand development, wardrobe styling, and personal shopping to professional women across the country.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc041.
Topics Covered:
- Defining image consulting
- How image consultants can help you with enhancing your personal image and wardrobe styling, personal shopping, communications, and professional development
- Why Krysta started Critique Consulting and how she built her company
- Understanding your body type and shape
- Finding clothing that accentuates your body (patterns, prints, shapes)
- How company culture and corporate aesthetics influence norms around professionalism
- How Krysta coaches and empowers women of color to embrace and accentuate their physical attributes in the workplace
- Natural hair politics in the workplace
- Developing and defining your personal style
- Timeless staples for your professional closet
- Common fashion faux pas that women should avoid
- Costs to hire an image consultant
- How Krysta is working with women through COVID-19
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Cries for equal treatment and representation billow across all fields, including the fashion industry, and especially in the booming modest fashion industry. Yet, although Black women have made significant contributions (in fact, some may argue that they are the backbone of modest fashion), many go unrecognized and unseen. In today’s episode, sisters Rayya and Sumayah Ansari, join to discuss how they created spaces for themselves and other Black Muslim women in fashion. Rayya is a popular modest Muslim fashion blogger and influencer who speaks about current events and style. Sumayah is the owner of A.SumayahShop, which offers “modest chic” clothing for the contemporary woman.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc040.
Topics Covered:
- Defining modest fashion and misconceptions and myths about modest fashion
- The intersection of fashion and religion
- How Rayya and Sumayah became fashion influencers and how they get inspiration
- How Rayya created her own space in fashion
- Why Sumayah opened A.Sumayah shop and how her fashion stands out in the market of modest fashion
- Spotlighting Blackness in the modest fashion industry
- The (in)visibility of Black Muslims
- What the hijab represents
- How modest fashion became a multi-billion dollar industry and the increased visibility of Muslims in fashion
- The push for diversity and inclusion in the fashion industry
- Contributions of Black Muslim women on trends in modest fashion
- How Black women have been excluded in the modest fashion industry
- How Rayya and Sumayah #breakconcrete
- The pay gap between Black and white influencers
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“As a Black Muslim woman, it gets very exhausting to exist in a world that projects onto you.” In this episode, Vanessa Taylor, a Philadelphia-based writer and the founder and editor-in-chief of the Drinking Gourd, a Black Muslim literary magazine, discusses the paradox of Black Muslim womanhood - being simultaneously hypervisible and invisible. Within that nuance, Black Muslim women carve out spaces where they embrace their multiple identities as Black, Muslim, and women while resisting the impulse of others to reduce their multi-dimensionality. Vanessa chats about this spirit of resistance: how Black Muslims challenge anti-Blackness within the Muslim community and Islamophobia within the Black community, and how she, as a Black Muslim woman, navigates her multiple identities to take up space and create spaces where she and other Black Muslim women can thrive.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc039.
Topics Covered:
- Why Vanessa converted to Islam
- The history of government surveillance of Black Muslims and Islamophobia in the United States
- The paradox of hypervisibility and invisibility of Black Muslims
- How Muslims have created their own spaces to resist surveillance
- Questions of authenticity and legitimacy of Black Muslimhood
- Anti-Blackness within the Muslim community
- How Black Muslim women navigate their multiple identities (race, gender, religion) to take up and create their own space
- Defining modest fashion and Black women’s contributions to modest fashion
- The co-optation of Black Muslim style
- Why Vanessa developed the Drinking Gourd
- The meaning of the title the Drinking Gourd
- How Vanessa breaks concrete
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From as early as childhood, we have been taught to be generous with our time and energy. Any hint of selfishness is frowned upon. Even with our careers, we learn that being a team player is critical to our success. Today, Dr. Marcuetta Sims, a licensed psychologist specializing in helping Black women and people from marginalized identities heal from trauma, develop a healthier sense of Self, and enhance their overall wellness, discusses the costs of this generosity. Dr. Sims has created an online platform empowering Black women to care for themselves, The Art of Being Self-ish. She is also the founder of the The Worth, Wisdom, and Wellness Center. We chat about setting boundaries in personal and professional settings, addressing violations of those boundaries, and reframing underlying beliefs that cause us to deprioritize ourselves.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc038.
Topics Covered:
- Defining selfishness
- How selfishness may serve the collective good and help us to develop a healthy sense of Self
- Why Dr. Sims started the online platform, The Art of Being Selfish
- Understanding and setting boundaries
- Consequences of failing to set boundaries
- Communicating your boundaries to others
- Counteracting feelings of guilt when putting yourself first
- How to say “No” and prioritize your interests
- Recognizing your limitations and asking for help
- Addressing violations of your boundaries in the workplace
- How remote work can challenge our boundaries
- Being selfish about salary negotiations
- Reframing inhibiting underlying beliefs
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Research suggests that Black patients experience better health outcomes when treated by Black doctors. In today’s episode, Dr. Marilyn Gaston, a physician and researcher, and Dr. Gayle Porter, a clinical psychologist, join to chat about their trailblazing careers spent working to improve the physical and emotional health of families, especially those who are poor, minority, and underserved. They also share how they successfully build trusting relationships within communities of color. Drs. Gaston and Porter are the authors of the groundbreaking book, Prime Time: The African American Woman’s Complete Guide to Midlife Health and Wellness and have designed Sister Circles, which have proven effective in helping women develop stress management techniques, improve nutrition, and increase physical activity.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc037.
Topics Covered:
- Why Drs. Gaston and Porter pursued medicine despite a dearth of Black female doctors
- Dr. Gaston’s contributions to sickle cell research
- Advancing community-centered medicine
- Why Black patients may have better health outcomes when treated by Black doctors
- Building trust in doctor-patient relationships
- Drs. Gaston and Porter’s efforts to educate the Black community about the COVID-19 vaccine
- Common pre-existing health conditions in Black women and their causes
- Common stressors affecting Black women
- How chronic stress impacts our physical and mental health
- How professional relationships can contribute to stress
- Dr. Gaston’s and Dr. Porter’s experiences being the first and only in academic and professional settings
- How Drs. Gaston and Porter have dealt with racism and sexism in the workplace
- The importance of assertiveness training
- Why the health of women in mid-life have been overlooked
- Why Drs. Gaston and Porter decided to write Prime Time: The African American Woman’s Complete Guide to Midlife Health and Wellness and how it was received
- How Prime Time Sister Circles are helping Black women improve their physical and emotional health
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Recognizing that traditional workspaces cause mental, physical, and financial harm for many Queer Transgender Black and Indigenous People of Color, Bianca Shaw, a Licensed Social Worker, co-founded TRIBE Co-Create, a cooperative business focusing on connecting Black and Brown small business owners, creatives, and doers in the Bronx, New York. Bianca has dedicated her career to amplifying the voices and power of marginalized communities and through TRIBE, she has created a healing space for the community that also promotes innovation. We chat about how traditional workspaces and values around productivity may cause harm and why Bianca believes people of color, particularly Black people, need their own spaces.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc036.
Topics Covered:
- How workspaces can be detrimental to our health
- How capitalism and individualism influence our work structures and views around productivity and value
- The impact of workplace stress on our health
- The intersection of race, class, and gender in the workplace
- Why people of color need their own spaces
- The healing and transformative potential of Black spaces
- Whether spaces exclusively for and by people of color are segregationist
- The difference between a cooperative and co-working space
- Why Bianca created TRIBE Co-Create and the challenges she faced
- Business principles of TRIBE Co-Create
- How TRIBE competes with gentrification in the Bronx
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If you’re a woman of color, you have more than likely experienced being the “only” in a professional setting. Perhaps, you were the only woman in a male-dominated boardroom or the only person of color on your company’s professional staff. In today's episode, Latisha Roberson, a Human Resources Executive with over 18 years of experience developing and implementing talent programs for non-profit organizations and Fortune 500 companies, chats about some of the unique challenges of being an only in the workplace and how she has leveraged her status as an only. Latisha is also the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Lead with Latisha LLC, which empowers women to navigate and ascend in their careers with confidence.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc035.
Topics Covered:
- Latisha’s experience being the “only” in the workplace
- Finding and building a supportive professional network and community
- Building camaraderie in the workplace
- Responding to offensive conduct and microaggressions in the workplace
- Managing when or whether to call out microaggressions
- Setting boundaries at work
- How to decline participating in workplace diversity initiatives when they detract from your professional responsibilities
- Navigating internal and external pressures of being the only in the workplace
- The value of having a business mentor or sponsor
- Leveraging your status as the only in the workplace
- The impact Kamala Harris’s Vice Presidency may have on how corporate America views Black women
- How companies can better incorporate diverse talent in the workplace
- Creating feelings of belonging in the workplace
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We’ve all heard the expression “black don’t crack,” referring to Black women’s youthful appearance and ageless beauty. But underneath this beautiful exterior, Black women are aging much faster than their peers of other races. In today’s episode, Dr. Daphne Watkins, a Diversity and Social Transformation professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, chats about her experience as a young black female faculty member (who earned her PhD at age 24), and the stressors associated with her youthfulness, perceived youthfulness, and the facade of strength Black women often carry. We discuss the impact of stress on Black bodies and reconsider how we approach the concept of “black don’t crack” to embrace our vulnerabilities and humanity as Black women.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc034.
Topics Covered:
- Aging differences in melanated skin
- Dr. Watkins’ experience as a young Black doctoral student and faculty member
- Stress associated with youthfulness and perceived youthfulness in the workplace
- Changing the narrative around what leaders look like in academia
- Defining weathering and biological aging in Black people
- Stressors contributing to weathering/premature aging of Black bodies
- Stress associated with preserving a facade of strength
- Exploring reverse age discrimination in the workplace
- How employers can avoid age-related bias against younger workers
- Dr. Watkins’ research interests around the intersection of diversity and age
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Feeling stuck in your career? Unclear about next steps? It’s 2021 and it’s time to find fulfillment in the work you do. Through Her Career Doctor, Dr. Tega Edwin helps women who are unhappy at work gain clarity about who they are so they can find a fulfilling career that allows them to live on purpose, thrive in their zone of genius, and get paid their true worth. Dr. Edwin has an extensive background in counseling, ranging from school counseling, mental health counseling, to career counseling. We discuss how women can identify their values and define their interests to find careers that are aligned with who they are.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc033.
Topics Covered:
- The difference between a career coach, career counselor, career consultant, and career strategist
- What to look for and questions to ask when searching for and selecting a career expert
- Why Dr. Edwin created Her Career Doctor
- The difference between a career and a job
- Top reasons why women are unhappy in their careers and stay in unfulfilling careers
- Overcoming fear and taking action to make a career change
- The missteps people take when changing careers
- Defining the discovery and attainment phases of finding an aligned career
- Identifying your values and defining your interests (30)
- How to transfer your skills to a career in alignment with your values and interests
- Strategies to effectively research, network, and market yourself
- Resources for your career search
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Anxious about next steps in your career? Treading water financially? Can’t seem to achieve the right balance between personal and professional success? Frustrated over student loans accrued for that degree that was supposed to prepare you for life and everything else? Life can be unpredictable. Jobs can evaporate. After we’ve reached one pinnacle, there seems to be yet another challenge ahead. Break Concrete is kicking off Season 3 with the brilliant Dr. Natalia Peart, who is also the author of the powerful book, Future Proofed: The New Rules of Success in Work & Life for our Modern World. Dr. Peart presents a roadmap to gain clarity and thrive in a fast paced world. Leave that “I will be happy when ___” thinking behind and start living a life of true happiness, fulfillment, and self-defined success today. Listen to the episode to learn how you can schedule one complimentary session to get "future-proofed" with Dr. Peart today.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc032.
Topics Covered:
- What it means to be future proofed
- Understanding the old blueprint for success, why it failed us, and Dr. Peart’s new blueprint for success
- How women and people of color are disproportionately impacted by changes in the professional landscape
- How we can adapt to a rapidly changing world to become more autonomous
- Important skills to cultivate in a rapidly changing world
- Understanding the “I’ll be happy when. . . .” syndrome and finding happiness in the now
- Embracing success as a lifestyle
- Integrating professional and personal success
- How to develop an agile mindset
- Understanding both/and thinking - seeing the challenges and the opportunities
- How the stories we tell ourselves shape our success
- Defying limiting beliefs
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Do you deal with being an only in the workplace? Do you regularly confront stereotypes about your gender or race? Do you find yourself balancing a hyper-competitive or unforgiving work environment? Workplace triggers making you feel like you are not good enough or do not belong abound. In this final episode of Season 2, Dr. Adia Gooden discusses what imposter syndrome is, how it shows up and holds you back from reaching professional success, and strategies that you can use to overcome imposter syndrome and cultivate unconditional self-worth. Dr. Gooden is the Director of Community Programs and Outcome Measurement at the Family Institute at Northwestern University. Through therapy, Dr. Gooden guides people to understand their emotions and experiences, identify their values, address unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, and embrace their full selves.
*Find links and show notes at* https://breakconcrete.com/bc031.
Topics Covered:
- Defining imposter syndrome
- How imposter syndrome plays out and hinders professional success
- The impact of minority status and racial trauma on feeling like an imposter
- How stereotypes influence feelings of being an imposter
- Identifying work environments that trigger feelings of being an imposter
- How women compensate in challenging work environments
- The relationship between perfectionism and imposter syndrome
- Defining unconditional self-worth
- Strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome
- Tips for managers and workplace leaders to validate employees and reduce feelings of being an imposter
- Resources: Check out Dr. Adia’s course on overcoming imposter syndrome on InsightTimer
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Are you gatekeeping white supremacy and patriarchy without even realizing it? In this episode, Danielle Slaughter identifies three ways in which most people unintentionally serve as gatekeepers. Danielle is a doctoral student (on hiatus) in the Rhetoric and Composition program at Georgia State University, the founder of Mamademics, a blog sharing Danielle’s experiences navigating motherhood and academia, and the creator of Raising an Advocate, a social justice advocacy resource website. We discuss harmful impulses to access power, privilege, and resources, which in turn uphold systems of oppression.
*Find links and show notes at* https://breakconcrete.com/bc030
Topics Covered:
- Reasons Danielle started her blog, Mamademics, and how her colleagues in academia received it
- How protecting your child’s innocence gives white supremacists a head start
- When and how to talk to children about race and racism
- Resources for teaching and learning about diversity, race, and racism
- Identifying how we gatekeep for white supremacy and patriarchy and how we can stop doing so
- Defining and defying respectability politics
- Defining tone policing
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For over 20 years, Zakyah Ansari has been a champion for Black and Brown voices. As Advocacy Director with the New York State Alliance for Quality Education, the leading organization working to fight for educational equity in New York State, Zakiyah knows that organizing is a long-term game. We chat about how Zakiyah built a career in organizing, how she drives and sustains momentum, and how she has secured a seat at the table for herself and other Black and Brown parents in state politics.
*Find links and show notes* at https://breakconcrete.com/bc029
Topics Covered:
- How Zakiyah started organizing
- Key factors in successful organizing and momentum building
- Defining culturally responsive education and understanding its importance
- Suggestions for increasing teacher diversity
- Defining school choice and why Zakiyah supports a moratorium on charter schools
- The impact of school privatization on communities of color
- Reasons Zakiyah started Journey for Justice Alliance and its mission to give Black and Brown voices a platform to be heard
- How we can amplify Black and brown voices in education
- How Zakiyah raises her daughters to #breakconcrete
- How Zakiyah has created a seat at the table amongst politicians, policymakers, and educators
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Work is what you do to survive. It can’t be what you do to sustain or connect with your intimate partner. As a professional woman, you may constantly be chasing the elusive balance between work, home, and intimacy. In today’s Bonus Episode, Dr. Erica Holmes, a licensed clinical psychologist, educator, community consultant, and author of Dating With Purpose: A Single Woman’s Guide to Escaping No Man’s Land, talks in detail about how we can gain insights into our dating behaviors and practices to progress towards healthier intimate relationships. Wondering why you show up differently at work than you do in your personal relationships? Or maybe you constantly cycle through the same relationship patterns? Perhaps you are a workaholic and work inevitably seeps into your personal life. This Bonus Episode has nuggets for women at every stage in their relationships.
*Find links and show notes* at https://breakconcrete.com/bc028
Topics Covered:
- Defining a healthy intimate relationship
- What it means to date with purpose
- The influence of gender socialization on dating
- Connecting in intimate relationships
- Common dating behaviors and identities
- How our professional identities may influence our intimate relationships
- Why some women show up differently in intimate relationships than they do in their professional lives
- How to identify and learn from how you show up in intimate relationships
- Breaking patterns in intimate relationships
- When you should consider ending a relationship
- Identifying deal breakers and essentials in a relationship
- Setting expectations for the division of household labor
- Finding a partner who supports your professional success
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Imagine going to the hair salon and not having to endure painfully long waits. Imagine traveling anywhere in the world and finding a skilled stylist knowledgeable about your hair type and texture leaving you with beautiful healthy hair. Jihan Thompson left a successful career as a magazine writer and editor to found Swivel Beauty with her co-founder, Jennifer Lambert, to do just that. Swivel Beauty is a mobile app that enables women of color to discover and book the best stylist and salon for their hair type and desired hairstyle. Since its launch, Swivel Beauty has been featured in Oprah Magazine, Fast Company, and the New York Times.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc027
Topics Covered:
- Why Jihan ventured into entrepreneurship
- Jihan and her co-founder’s journey launching and building the Swivel Beauty app
- Swivel Beauty’s competitive edge over other booking apps
- How to use the Swivel app
- Cities where you can find Swivel Beauty
- Finding funding for Swivel Beauty
- Advice for women of color founders seeking investors
- How Jihan and Jennifer rebounded from fumbles
- Jihan’s vision for how Swivel Beauty will change the hair and beauty industry for Black women
- Swivel Beauty’s future plans for growth
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Emily K. Graham is a millennial on the rise. She is the first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at FleishmanHillard, a public relations company. Previously, Emily served as FleishmanHillard's youngest Senior Vice President and Partner. By age 32, Emily had already charted a trailblazing career, leading communications efforts for companies such as Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, and Merrill Lynch. We discuss Emily's rapid rise in corporate, how she continues to #breakconcrete as a young Black woman in communications, and her commitment to helping other young women advance professionally.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc026
Topics Covered:
- Emily’s experience being one of the youngest public relations executives at her firm
- How Emily created her own blueprint for success
- Emily’s path in public relations and communications
- Emily’s experience with the “pet to threat phenomenon” and how she managed it
- Emily’s experience with white male mentors
- Emily’s commitment to the professional development of other young women
- How Emily learned she was underpaid and what she did about it
- Advice for other women to make sure they’re not leaving money on the table
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Let's talk about the additional work and labor that goes into mothering Black children. In today's episode, I am joined by several brilliant professional Black women who are also mothers. They share their experiences navigating race and gender for themselves and their children and how they raise their children to show up, take up space in the world, and #breakconcrete.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc025
Topics Covered:
- How to talk to your children about racial justice
- Educating your children about how to respond to racism and sexism
- How to maintain your mental and emotional health while processing the news
- Normalizing Blackness at home
- Teaching your children to own and love their Blackness
- The value of representation
- Inspiring your children to break concrete
- Competing priorities when identifying a school and/or daycare for your child
- Finding diverse and affirming social circles for your children
- Managing perceptions of your children
- The additional labor and tax in mothering Black children
- Work life balance and the concept of “having it all”
- Resources for Black mothers and children
Today's Guests:
- Alana Brown
- Alliah Agostini Livingstone
- Enuma Menkiti
- Jennifer Njuguna
- Kia Ghee
- Megan Mack
- Natane Singleton
- Nwamaka Ejebe
- Tenita Schwartz
- Tiffany Wadell Tate
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How do we change deeply-rooted traditions that were never intended to serve the interests of marginalized groups? Kimberly Mutcherson, the Co-Dean of Rutgers Law School in Camden, NJ, represents a trifecta of firsts for Rutgers Law: the first African-American, woman, and LGBTQ individual in this role. She is an award-winning professor whose scholarship focuses on bioethics, reproductive justice, and family and health law. We discuss her leadership in a predominantly white male institution, diversity in legal academia and the workplace, and how she works to advance justice and fairness while challenging legal traditions.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc024
Topics Covered:
- Dean Mutcherson's journey to become Dean of Rutgers Law School
- The value of representation in her childhood and in breaking concrete
- Reflections on being appointed the first Black person, woman, and LGBTQ dean
- What Dean Mutcherson attributes to her success
- Underrepresentation of faculty of color in legal academia
- Dean Mutcherson's leadership as a Black woman dean
- Fostering diversity within legal academia and in the workplace
- Dean Mutcherson's role as an academic activist
- Lawyers’ responsibility to advance and uphold justice
- How Dean Mutcherson talks to her children about fairness, justice, and race
- Successes and failures of the LGBTQ rights movement
- Improving the professional trajectory of Black women in the workplace
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What impact does structural racism have on health outcomes for Black women? Ashlee Wisdom, a writer and healthcare professional, joins to discuss her mission to eliminate racial health disparities through her digital platform, Health in Her HUE. Health in Her HUE connects Black women to culturally competent healthcare providers and health content that centers Black women’s lived experiences. Earlier this year, Serena Williams, selected Ashlee and Health in Her Hue as part of her philanthropic partnership with Vital Voices Global Partnership, which invests in leaders who drive global change.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc023
Topics Covered:
- Ashlee’s motivation for launching Health in Her HUE and challenges she faced when launching
- Health disparities in Black women, the underlying causes, and improving health outcomes
- The impact of institutional racism and provider bias on Black women’s health outcomes
- Ashlee’s and Health In Her HUE’s relationship with Serena Williams
- The prevalence of maternal mortality in Black women
- How Health In Her HUE provides culturally relatable health information
- How Health In Her HUE centers Black women’s lived experiences
- How Health In Her HUE is educating women during the coronavirus pandemic
- Ashlee’s plans to continue building out Health In Her HUE to meet the needs of Black women
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“We have to defy lies and embrace the truth of our humanity.” In this episode, Dr. Cheryl Tawede Grills, a clinical psychologist and the past president of the Association of Black Psychologists, joins to discuss how we can recognize and cope with racial stress and trauma at work and beyond. We talk about the impact that racial stress and trauma has on our mental, emotional, and physical health, as well as on our relationships with others, and how we can emancipate ourselves from ubiquitous messaging regarding Black inferiority.
Topics Covered:
- How Dr. Grills began researching racial trauma and stress
- Defining trauma, racial trauma, and collective trauma
- The impact of trauma on our mental, emotional, and physical health
- Signs and symptoms of racial trauma
- Dealing with racial stress and trauma at work and strategies to cope
- The erasure of Black women’s experiences of racism and racial trauma
- How we internalize the myth of racial inferiority
- Emotional emancipation circles and how they can help to increase our consciousness
- How to deal with anti-Black racism
- Resources: Association of Black Psychologists; Dr. Grills’ TEDx Talk, Emancipation from Mental Slavery
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc022
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Erika Stallings is no stranger to uncomfortable conversations. In fact, she invites them as she fearlessly confronts workplace and healthcare inequities and leads the dialogue around hereditary breast cancer for Black women. Erika is a writer, health advocate, and attorney. She has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, O Magazine, and NPR. Her most recent article appears in The Cut, Racism at My Job Literally Gave Me PTSD. We chat about Erika’s advocacy on behalf of Black women both in the workspace and in healthcare, and her article, When Black Women Go From Office Pet to Office Threat.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc021
Topics Covered:
- Why Erika began writing about race and the workplace
- Erika’s article in ZORA, When Black Women Go From Office Pet to Office Threat
- Erika’s experience of the office pet to office threat phenomenon in her own career and how she handled it
- The importance of having a personal board of directors and the value of peer mentorship
- How Erika balances speaking out against workplace injustices and workplace retaliation
- Erika’s efforts to increase awareness of hereditary breast cancer among women of color
- BRCA2 gene mutation and its risks for developing cancer
- Options available for individuals with BRCA gene mutation
- Erika’s decision to get a preventative mastectomy
- Erika’s courage in talking openly about inheriting BRCA2 gene mutation
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Ready to change your day to day? Jessica Hylton-Leckie shares how she left a career in law to pursue her passion to become an award-winning photographer, videographer, and home chef. Jessica is the CEO and creator of Jessica in the Kitchen, a food blog that focuses on sharing hundreds of nutritious, whole foods based delicious recipes. Her work has been featured on numerous websites and magazines, including Essence, delish, The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, and Yahoo! We chat about how Jessica changed careers to build a successful brand as a food blogger, advice for women thinking of switching careers, and her suggestions for delicious summer recipes.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc020
Topics Covered:
- How Jessica became involved with food blogging
- How Jessica established her authority in the industry
- Skills Jessica had to learn in her new career
- Jessica’s decision to change careers
- Challenges Jessica faced when starting off as a young entrepreneur
- Advice for women thinking of changing careers
- How Jessica stays motivated and where she draws inspiration
- Generating income as a food blogger
- How Jessica grew her brand
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How does centering the experiences of Black girls protect their innocence and childhood? In this Bonus Episode, Ashley Sawyer and Damala Denny from Girls for Gender Equity join to discuss GGE’s efforts. GGE is an inter-generational nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening local communities by creating opportunities for young women and girls to live self-determined lives. We explore how GGE works to dismantle systems of oppression in order to empower Black girls and help them #breakconcrete. We also discuss GGE's vision for the 2020 presidential election.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc019
Topics Covered:
- GGE’s empowerment of young women of color
- GGE’s National Agenda for Black Girls
- How the Black Girl Bill of Rights declares the rights and privileges that Black girls and women deserve
- Defining the adultification of Black girls and how it impacts school outcomes
- Why Black educators matter
- Stereotypes about Black women and girls and how these stereotypes impact relationships
- Disproportionate discipline of Black girls in schools
- How GGE is centering the experiences of Black girls in the 2020 presidential election
- Ashley’s and Damala’s hopes and wishes for the upcoming elections
- The importance of safeguarding Black girls’ childhood and innocence
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How does a Black female CEO create the learning environment for Black children to thrive? Anne Williams-Isom, the past CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone, talks about how she showed up and carried out HCZ’s mission to break the cycle of generational poverty in Central Harlem. We explore Anne’s role as CEO of an organization tasked with educating young people of color and how she, as a professional woman, raises her Black daughters to show up and break concrete.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc018
Topics Covered:
- How Anne carried out HCZ’s mission to break cycles of generational poverty
- How Anne helped Black girls break concrete as a Black female educator
- How Anne equipped her staff with the cultural competence to work with Black girls
- The value of representation as a Black female CEO
- Anne’s leadership as a Black woman CEO
- Showing up authentically in the workplace
- Dealing with racism and sexism when leading a mission-driven organization
- How Anne talks with her children about race and their difference
- Anne’s next chapter following HCZ
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At every turn, Chris-Tia Donaldson has faced and passed life’s tests with grit and grace. She is the founder and CEO of the nationally-distributed beauty brand, Thank God It’s Natural, which manufactures natural hair and skin care products. She is a two-time Harvard graduate and also the author of This Is Only A Test: What Breast Cancer Taught Me about Faith, Love, Hair and Business. We chat about Chris-Tia’s experience in corporate work settings as a Black female professional, how she cultivated the confidence to push past being underestimated, her journey building TGIN, her battles with breast cancer, and the lessons she has learned along the way.
Find links and show notes at https://breackconcrete.com/bc017
Topics Covered:
- Chris-Tia’s motivation for writing This Is Only A Test
- How the strong Black woman or “Superwoman” image proved to be a double-edged sword for Chris-Tia
- Having the confidence to push past being underestimated
- Lessons learned from attending Harvard College
- How Chris-Tia defied respectability politics and grew into her authentic Self
- Lessons Chris-Tia learned when writing her first book and launching her haircare line
- Fear of failure
- Advice for women of color entrepreneurs
- Chris-Tia’s journey with breast cancer and the work the TGIN Foundation does to raise awareness of disparities in breast cancer treatment for Black women
- What sustained Chris-Tia through her cancer treatments
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Break Concrete is back for a second season on Tuesday, July 28, 2020 with more discussions exploring how Black women navigate race and gender in the workplace. But we also take a more intimate look at how successful Black women got to where they are today. We will be releasing episodes every Tuesday starting next week. See you on Tuesday!
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc016/
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In this Summer Special, we teamed up with our British sisters from the Black Women Working podcast and we're talking Bs: burnout, British work culture compared to the U.S., and Black Lives Matter. Black Women Working is a podcast show that highlights the workplace experiences of Black women in the U.K. We chat about how the current events ranging from remote work, coronavirus lockdowns, and racial unrest can lead to burnout, and how some of these issues are showing up and impacting Black women in the U.S. and the U.K. We also take a look at the difference in work culture between the U.K. and the U.S. and how Black women professionals can find a happy work life balance.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc015
Topics Covered:
- Defining, recognizing, and dealing with burnout
- How coronavirus, lockdown, and racial unrest can contribute to burnout
- How we internalize pressure to grind
- The landscape in the U.K. and U.S. around coronavirus and lockdowns
- The difference in work culture in the U.K., Europe, and the U.S.
- The landscape in the U.K. and U.S. around policing of Black and brown communities
- The global reaction to Black Lives Matter
- Finding a happy work life balance
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What does it take to achieve professional success? In Episode 14, the Season 1 Finale, Dr. Ella Bell Smith, Professor of Management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and nationally recognized managerial consultant and expert on women’s workplace issues, joins to share pearls of wisdom about how Black women break concrete. She is the co-author of the widely acclaimed book, Our Separate Ways: Black and White Women and the Struggle for Professional Identity. We chat about a range of factors critical to Black women’s professional success from engaging in difficult conversations with supervisors about race and gender to preserving and showing your authentic Self at work, developing your professional identity, and building professional and personal relationships that support your career aspirations.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc014
Topics Covered:
- Push back she faced within academia for her research on Black women
- Challenges of tokenism
- Responding to microaggressions at work
- How to have difficult conversations about race and gender with supervisors
- Dr. Bell’s formula for professional advancement
- Preserving and bringing your authentic Self to work
- The concept of the concrete wall and Black women’s experience breaking through
- Strategizing when and how to make your exit
- Changes in your relationships as you climb the corporate ladder
- Finding love, a life partner, and balance
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In Episode 13, Titilayo Tinubu Ali, founder of Own Your Expertise, discusses how she helps talented women kick start their businesses and live a life of freedom and independence. Own Your Expertise is a leadership program that helps professional women of color claim their voices, communicate their strengths, and step into greater visibility at work and beyond. Titilayo coaches emerging leaders and entrepreneurs to land their first clients, turn their first profits, and develop their personal brand.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc013
Topics Covered:
- Freedom that independent consulting can grant women professionally and personally
- How to capitalize on your strengths and skills
- Identifying market opportunities
- How to start building your personal brand
- Moving past limiting beliefs
- Helpful mindset shifts to temper perfectionism
- Knowing the right time to launch your business
- Clarifying your market niche
- Creating a business to align with your values and lifestyle
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No more foraging for the perfect foundation, bronzer, to accentuate your beautiful brown skin. In Episode 12, Shemika Harmitt, an accomplished beauty publicist, chats about her Indie brand, Prime Beauty Cosmetics. Since its launch, Prime Beauty has received an outpouring of support from celebrities and influencers such as Cardi B and Nyma Tang as the brand redefines beauty standards and offers inclusive products for women of color. We discuss inclusivity in the beauty industry, Shemika's journey launching Prime Beauty, and tips she has for others starting their own business.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc012
Topics Covered:
- How and why Shemika founded Prime Beauty Cosmetics
- How Prime Beauty Cosmetics celebrates women of color
- Inclusivity in the beauty industry
- Challenges faced after launching Prime Beauty Cosmetics
- Finding beauty products for deeper skin tones
- The demand for bronzers accentuating deeper skin tones
- Research and marketing strategies
- Where Shemika draws inspiration
- Advice for others starting their own business
- Funding your business
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“There is no sin and shame in being anxious and fearful.” In today’s episode, Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett, a national award-winning psychologist, professor, and leading expert on anxiety disorders in African Americans, discusses how she helps Black women and girls overcome anxiety, panic, and fear. She is the author of the relatable, yet instructive book, Soothe Your Nerves: The Black Woman’s Guide to Understanding and Overcoming Anxiety, Panic, and Fear. We discuss work-related stressors impacting anxiety in Black women, how to recognize the symptoms of anxiety and panic, and strategies for managing and treating anxiety, panic, and fear.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc011
Topics Covered:
- Causes of anxiety in Black women
- The underdiagnosis of anxiety in Black women
- Recognizing signs and symptoms of anxiety, panic, and fear
- Understanding isolated sleep paralysis also known as witch riding
- Strategies for managing and treating anxiety and replacing worry
- Connecting stereotype threat, imposter syndrome, tokenism and anxiety
- Questions to ask when selecting a therapist
- Role of sister circles, positive affirmations, prayer and faith in calming anxiety
- Resources for finding a culturally competent therapist: Therapy for Black Girls, Association of Black Psychologist, Anxiety and Depression Association of America
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In this Bonus Episode, Arlan Hamilton, founder and managing partner of Backstage Capital, chats about how she got started in venture capital and her commitment to working with underrepresented founders. Backstage Capital is a seed investment fund dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by backing high-potential startup founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBTQ. Completely self-taught and lacking money and connections, Arlan has upended Silicon Valley, tapping into the innovation, intelligence, and drive of underrepresented founders. She has been lauded by Forbes as “pioneering” and her personal story going from homeless to running a multi-million dollar venture fund continues to awe. She recently published the inspiring book and business guide, It's About Damn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated Into Your Greatest Advantage.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc010
Topics Covered:
- Arlan’s journey into venture capital and drive to change the landscape
- Disparities in funding for founders who are people of color, women, and LGBTQ
- Myths of meritocracy in venture capital
- The business model of private equity
- Why investing in diverse founders makes good business sense
- The distinction between privilege and entitlement and the privilege Arlan holds
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Let’s talk about centering the needs of Black women. In this episode, Anne Price, the first woman president of the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, talks about narrowing gendered racial wealth inequities. Spoiler alert: One way forward is to center Blackness. Anne breaks down various myths about the wealth gap and encourages us to reevaluate our thinking. We discuss Anne’s recent report, Don’t Fixate On the Racial Wealth Gap: Focus on Undoing Its Root Causes.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc009
Topics Covered:
- Defining wealth, the racial wealth gap, and the women’s wealth gap
- How race and gender intersect to create gendered racial wealth inequities
- Wealth and Black female entrepreneurship
- Deconstructing narratives of wealth and personal responsibility
- Addressing the root causes of racial wealth inequities
- Historical and structural barriers to wealth for the Black community
- Proposals for narrowing gendered racial wealth inequalities
- Centering blackness to achieve economic liberation
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Let’s talk about money. In Episode 8, Ericka Young, a recognized expert in financial coaching and the President and Founder of Tailor-Made Budgets, discusses practical tips for managing personal finance, including budgeting and debt reduction. She offers pragmatic advice for professional women and couples to get their finances in order. Ericka is also the author of the best-selling book, Naked and Unashamed: 10 Money Conversations Every Couple Must Have.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc008/
Topics Covered:
- What to look for when seeking a financial coach
- Steps to creating a budget and helpful apps to do so
- Personal finance and prioritizing your finances
- Building an emergency fund and where to invest
- Money things to consider before going back to graduate school
- Attacking repayment of student loan debt
- Improving your credit score
- When and how to approach tough money conversations with your partner
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“If you are Black, you are different and everybody sees your difference.” In this episode, Jennifer McClanahan-Flint, founder of Leverage to Lead Group and Programs, and executive career coach and career strategist, discusses how she helps ambitious women of color navigate workplace bias, compensation, and their trajectory to build careers with audacity, not apprehension. We explore how Jennifer works with women to leverage their difference, make strategic career choices, and more.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc007/
Topics Covered:
- The role of a career coach in helping to propel your career forward
- Leveraging your difference and building audacity
- Disrupting bias in the workplace
- Strategic negotiations; negotiating compensation
- On dealing with overwhelm
- Recognizing when it is time to pivot
- Asking for and getting what you want
- Preparing for entrepreneurship
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In Episode 6, I am joined by the audacious Rukayatu Tijani, creator of the First Generation Purpose Project, an initiative designed to help first generation professionals and entrepreneurs navigate life and career by utilizing their grit and tenacity. She is also the founder of Firm for the Culture, an exciting new virtual law firm providing trademark services for social entrepreneurs and innovative founders at flat fee accessible rates. We chat about Ruky’s journey navigating the politics of workspaces and maneuvering her past and present.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc006/
Topics Covered:
- Navigating the politics of workspaces as a first generation professional
- Balancing the past and the present
- Ruky’s immigrant background
- Setting healthy financial boundaries
- How to be intentional and strategic in finding mentors and sponsors
- How she stays grounded and centered
- How Ruky used therapy and faith to navigate new spaces and the changing dynamics of her identity
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As an upwardly mobile professional, you may face unique challenges ranging from survivor's guilt to maintaining healthy relationships with loved ones from the past to creating support networks with people in your present. In Episode 5, Dr. Akua Boateng, a licensed professional counselor, discusses how therapy can help Black female professionals take ownership of their emotional health, cope with challenges faced in the workplace and beyond, and work towards a more authentic existence.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc005/
Topics Covered:
- The difference between various mental health professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, counselors, clinical social workers)
- Debunking the stigma around mental health treatment in communities of color
- Overcoming survivor’s guilt as an upwardly mobile professional
- The underdiagnosis of depression in Black women and recognizing signs of depression
- Self-care and prioritizing your Self
- Cultivating safe and positive spaces
- What to look for when seeking a therapist
- Resources for finding a Black therapist: www.therapyforblackgirls.com and Psychology Today
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A positive experience of beauty should be accessible to every woman. In this episode, Kelli Joy Richardson Lawson, Founder and CEO of JOY Collective, and Orlena Nwokah Blanchard, President and COO of JOY Collective, join me to chat about how they are mobilizing across the country to end hair discrimination based on hair texture and hairstyles in public schools and workplaces with the CROWN Act.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc004/
Topics Covered:
- The CROWN Act and the movement to ban hair discrimination
- Defining hair discrimination and hair bias
- Findings from the 2019 Dove CROWN study about the magnitude of racial discrimination women experience in the workplace based on natural hairstyles
- Distinctions between hair texture and hairstyle
- Stereotypes about natural hairstyles
- Defining beauty, hair inclusivity
- Intergenerational discussions around natural hair and beauty
- States passing the CROWN Act
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Ever heard that you don't look like the professional that you are? In Episode 3, Dr. Tsedale Melaku discusses the labor and cost of being included in white institutional spaces and how we can redefine diversity to improve the experiences of Black women in corporate workspaces. She is also the author of the fantastic book, You Don't Look Like A Lawyer: Black Women and Systemic Gendered Racism.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc003/
Topics Covered:
- Leaning in as a Black woman
- The labor and cost of being included in white institutional spaces
- Moving past intent to impact when dealing with racial and gendered aggressions, assaults, and discrimination
- Being mistaken for a subordinate role
- The value of sponsorship and mentorship
- Redefining diversity
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Feeling like you leave your true Self at the door when arriving at the office? In Episode 2, Shifting as a Black Woman in America, Dr. Kumea Shorter-Gooden describes how Black women shift to respond to and cope with racial and gender bias in the workplace. She is also the author of the captivating book, Shifting: The Double Lives of Black Women in America.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/bc002/
Topics Covered:
- Her experience integrating an all girls school in the South
- Intersection of race and gender in shaping Black women’s experiences
- How Black women shift to respond to and cope with racial and gender bias
- Dispelling myths about Black women
- How stereotypes impact our work relationships
- Leadership as a Black woman professional
- Naming discrimination, bias, power, and privilege
- Assimilation and authenticity in the workplace
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Welcome to Break Concrete! We all recognize "the glass ceiling" the invisible barrier impeding women's professional advancement. For Black women, sexism shaped by racism creates additional hurdles many have regarded as a concrete wall. In Season 1, listen to incredibly brilliant and talented women share their experiences, exchange lessons they have learned throughout their journeys, and encourage us to continue rising.
Find links and show notes at https://breakconcrete.com/
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