Embracing Only: Workplace Culture & Career Development for BIPOC Leaders

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we are featuring one of the most impactful moments from episode 47, with guests Fabia Ogunmekan, Zanele Khanyile, and Mai Khidir. How do you navigate power structures in male-dominated workspaces? That’s what we’re exploring in this episode.

Fabia is a lawyer and corporate executive passionate about the pursuit of development in Africa. Zanele is a strategic collaborative leader with experience in cooperative banking, corporate governance, and small enterprise development. Mai is driving change forward via the Al-Sudaniya mentoring program. They are all How Women Lead Fellowship graduates.

This episode is just a short snippet that highlights the best and most powerful learning moment from a past episode. You can listen to the full episode (filled with more wisdom) here: Episode 47: Embrace your fierceness.

Key Discussion Points:

01:00 Navigating Power Structures: Mentorship, sponsorship, female allyship, and having a strong support system are all integral to navigating power structures in male-dominated workspaces.

03:48 The Value of Mentorship: Don’t underestimate how important it is to be surrounded by inspiring women who can support and help move you forward.

04:42 Mentorship vs. Sponsorship: We need to do more than just help shape other women's journeys. We need to raise our hands and pull them up in the invisible spaces they don't have access to yet.

07:26 Moving Beyond Mentorship: A formal mentor-mentee relationship is a structured process. Sponsorship moves beyond this.

In Summary: Fabia, Zanele, and Mai urge us to move beyond mentorship and into sponsorship. Don’t just guide others behind closed doors, fully support those individuals and help them access spaces they don’t have access to yet.

Resources from this episode:

Follow Fabia on Linkedin.

Follow Zanele on Linkedin.

Follow Mai on Linkedin.

If you happen to be a woman of color and you are looking for a community of like minded women, join Olivia here: https://www.mysistersshoulders.com/

Ready to make a change?

→ If you are struggling to navigate your corporate career but are ambitious and have goals you want to accomplish quickly, Olivia is the coach for you.

Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit oliviacream.com.

→ If you are ready to leave corporate or you want to start a profitable side brilliance, Archita can guide you through a successful transition to entrepreneurship.

Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit architafritz.com.

Connect with your hosts:

Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website.

Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website.

Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website.

_________

Produced by Ideablossoms

Olivia Grant-Cream is a U.S. Veteran born and raised in Jamaica, and is one of the first Black female Engineer Officers of a major Coast Guard cutter to graduate from the United States Coast Guard Academy. Olivia has spent the past decade working in the healthcare industry in Human Resources, and is passionate about changing the face of Corporate America. Recently, she started a coaching practice to help under-represented high performers discover their why and win in the workplace. Olivia is also writing a book - "The Only: A survival guide for under represented employees in Corporate America."

In this episode, Olivia challenges our listeners to ask the right questions in the pursuit to discovering their individual 'why', especially when part of an underrepresented community. She also reflects on her experiences in the U.S. Coast Guard and how we should empower ourselves with our intentions.

Episode 28: From First Black Woman Engineer Officer in The U.S. Coast Guard to Corporate America

About Embracing "ONLY"

Welcome to Embracing Only, the podcast dedicated to empowering women in the workplace by sharing inspiring stories from diverse women who’ve defied the odds in their careers.

Each episode spotlights women in leadership, providing insights into their journeys and the leadership skills they’ve developed along the way. With a focus on career development for women of color, we offer actionable career advice for women to help them navigate challenges and thrive professionally.

Join us as we create a supportive community for women to rise, claim their power, thrive as "an only" in the workplace, and lead with purpose.

Ready to make a change?
→ Struggling with your corporate career but have big goals?
Reach out to Olivia on LinkedIn or visit oliviacream.com.
→ Ready to leave corporate or start a side venture? Archita can guide your next steps.
Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit architafritz.com.

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the "Embracing Only" podcast, we delve into strategies for women to thrive in corporate spaces with leadership consultant, executive coach, and trailblazer in women's leadership strategy, Kisha Wynter. Discover the importance of investing in yourself and how to navigate corporate politics with confidence and integrity.

Kisha has over two decades of corporate experience and as the visionary founder and CEO of Wynter Rich Enterprises, she has a rich track record of developing and training leaders in over 50 countries. Her firm is dedicated to guiding organizations and creating inclusive cultures where every individual can thrive regardless of their background. Kisha is the author of Your Power Unleashed which is based on her company's proprietary framework, The Diva Method.

Key Discussion Points:

01:58 Addressing Systemic Biases Within Organizations That Prevent Women from Getting Ahead: The same traits that are labeled ‘too aggressive’ for women are praised in men. It takes courage to address this as you may face backlash.

08:33 The Physical Symptoms of a Toxic Workplace: Workplace harassment and bullying can lead to physical symptoms that impact daily life.

14:44 The Importance of Allies: Transformation can not just sit on the backs of women of color. The burden must be shared with people who can help us be heard.

19:52 The Diva Method: Kisha’s leadership framework focuses on the internal work needed for individuals to advance professionally and how to navigate organizational politics.

26:24 Developing Leaders: Organizations promote amazing individual contributors to leadership roles without preparing them or giving them the tools necessary to lead.

28:48 From Invisible to Credible: You can’t wait for an organization to invest in you, you have to invest in yourself and work on your communication skills.

In Summary: Kisha Wynter urges us to invest in a coach and stop using diminishing language in the workplace. She challenges us to make allies to support transformation in the workplace.

Resources from this episode:

Your Power Unleashed: How Savvy Women Use Courage to Get Promoted, Get Paid, and Find Fulfillment by Kisha Wynter

Diminishing Language Cheat Sheet

Follow Kisha on LinkedIn or check out her website.

Ready to make a change?

→ If you are struggling to navigate your corporate career but are ambitious and have goals you want to accomplish quickly, Olivia is the coach for you. She can help you reach your goals.

Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit oliviacream.com.

→ If you are ready to leave corporate or you want to start a profitable side br

Ready to make a change?
→ Struggling with your corporate career but have big goals?
Reach out to Olivia on LinkedIn or visit oliviacream.com.
→ Ready to leave corporate or start a side venture? Archita can guide your next steps.
Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit architafritz.com.

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the Embracing "Only" podcast, we delve into navigating bias and embracing identity in corporate spaces with Dr. Delia Grenville, an executive leader, integral coach, and TEDx speaker. Discover how you can take control of your success and find the right environment for growth, all while holding space for those who come after you.

Delia is a strategic powerhouse with a PhD in industrial and systems engineering. She's an award-winning technologist and innovator and was honored as the Woman of Color STEM Technologist of the Year. Today, she's the founder and CEO of Slyn Consulting and Workplace Respect Network and focuses on individual and organizational transformation.

Key Discussion Points:

02:59 Embracing Your Identity: Being comfortable in your values, having a stand for who you are, and knowing what you'll tolerate is empowering because then, no matter what room you walk into, nobody can tell you who you are.

15:36 Recognizing Bias: When you see bias in a space, believe it. Don’t let it destroy or distract you.

24:50 Finding the Right Corporate Environment for Growth: There are infinite opportunities in corporate, and you don’t have to be loyal to a single company. If the space you are in is preventing you from growing, find a new space.

29:36 Stop Gaslighting Yourself: Pay attention to the stories you are telling yourself. Are these facts, or are they an emotional response to a situation?

35:59 Holding Space as an “Only”: Sometimes, your mere presence in a space opens a door and holds the space for the people coming behind you. Your mission is to take up space so that space can expand for others.

40:53 Taking Control of Your Success: Your success starts and ends with you. You are one decision away from changing your narrative.

In Summary: Delia Grenville encourages us to stand true to who we are, recognize bias, and find the right environment for us to thrive in. She urges us to challenge the narratives we tell ourselves, take up space, and take control of our success.

Resources from this episode:

Follow Delia on Linkedin or check out her website.

Check out this picture of Delia in Grade 1: https://www.instagram.com/p/CrzB-J-PX4z/

To Live List Podcast: https://www.deliagrenville.com/podcast

Rants + Ramblings On Life and Wellness by Delia Grenville

If you happen to be a woman of color and you are looking for a community of like minded women, join Olivia here: https://www.mysistersshoulders.com/.

Connect with your hosts:

Follow Archita on Linkedin or check out her website.

Follow Olivia on Linkedin or check out her website.

Follow Embracing Only on Linkedin,

Ready to make a change?
→ Struggling with your corporate career but have big goals?
Reach out to Olivia on LinkedIn or visit oliviacream.com.
→ Ready to leave corporate or start a side venture? Archita can guide your next steps.
Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit architafritz.com.

In this episode, we have the pleasure of interviewing retired Air Force Colonel, Kim "KC" Campbell, a fighter pilot who served in the Air Force for over 24 years. During her service, she flew 1,800 hours in the A-10 Warthog, including more than 100 combat missions protecting troops on the ground in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Kim was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism after successfully recovering her battle-damaged airplane after an intense close air support mission in Baghdad.

As a senior military leader, Kim led hundreds of Airmen both at home and abroad, and enabled them to succeed in their missions. She knows what it takes to be a successful leader, to inspire and empower high-performance teams to achieve success. Kim is passionate about leadership and feels strongly that leaders earn trust by leading with courage and connecting with their team.

In this episode, Kim shares her combat experience and leadership lessons that will motivate and inspire your team to be more confident when faced with adversity or uncertainty. She provides practical ideas and examples to improve trust and help your team prepare to face challenges in their personal or professional lives. Kim emphasizes the importance of preparing, practicing, and planning for contingencies to ensure we are able to respond in the face of adversity. And if we make mistakes or fail, then we need to fail forward by learning from our mistakes and figuring out what we can do better the next time.

Through her new book, Flying in the Face of Fear: A Fighter Pilot’s Lessons on Leading with Courage, Kim shares distinctive leadership techniques and principles different from what you might find in most leadership books. She teaches how to cultivate a wingman culture on your team, develop a fighter pilot mindset for failing forward and embracing risk, and create your own flight plan to find balance and fulfillment. Join us as Kim shares military combat stories and fighter pilot lessons learned that will provide the skills you need to prepare for adversity and debrief for success.

The key takeaways from this episode are:

• Fear is a natural response to stress, and it's important to face it in order to come out stronger on the other side.
• Effective leadership involves building trust, showing vulnerability, and listening to team members at all levels.
• Visualizing, rehearsing, and practicing for difficult situations can help create positive outcomes.
• Leaders should strike a balance between a strong overarching mission and clear, achievable goals for each team member.
• Leaders should encourage a culture of constructive feedback and dissent, cultivate self-awareness and self-care, and foster a culture of mutual support and recognition.

You can purchase Kim’s book using the link below, https://amzn.to/3kwA4zq

About Embracing "ONLY"

Welcome to Embracing Only, the podcast dedicated to empowering women in the workplace by sharing inspiring stories from diverse women who’ve defied the odds in their careers.

Each episode spotlights women in leadership, providing insights into their journeys and the leadership

Ready to make a change?
→ Struggling with your corporate career but have big goals?
Reach out to Olivia on LinkedIn or visit oliviacream.com.
→ Ready to leave corporate or start a side venture? Archita can guide your next steps.
Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit architafritz.com.