Kristi & Tanqueray On the Rocks

In this episode:
Kristi & Tanqueray focused this episode's conversation on Tall Poppy Syndrome, a phenomenon where successful women, particularly in leadership, are criticized or undermined for standing out. You'll hear Kristi & Tanqueray's personal experiences and frustrations with the gender gap in leadership and what strategies are useful for overcoming workplace bias, including building allies, fostering open communication, and creating mentorship programs. Get ready to drill down on the importance of advocating for oneself, emotional intelligence, and cultivating inclusive, psychologically safe leadership environments for future generations.
Key Takeaways:
"You have to have a psychologically safe environment to have conversations that challenge the status quo." - Kristi Straw
"I'm going to take a moment to challenge myself. There were moments in which I thought to myself, 'I'm not feeling safe.' I need to have open dialog about this. For these particular issues that I'm experiencing here at work... I need advocacy, I need mentorship. I need you to help me build the table and the chair so that I can feel like I am a part of this. But in those moments... I have not asked for those things." - Tanqueray Edwards
"If we are serious about leadership, creativity, innovation, and growth, we have to root out these biases, and we have to do it together." - Kristi Straw
Contact your hosts:
Kristi Straw - https://lighthouseleadershipconsultants.com
Tanqueray Edwards - https://www.tredwardsconsultancy.com/contact

In this episode:
Kristi & Tanqueray explore the importance of authenticity, intentional community building, and self-directed growth, especially for leaders transitioning from corporate roles to entrepreneurship. The hosts emphasize that showing up as your true self attracts supportive relationships and strengthens professional networks. They share insights on transforming corporate setbacks into business-building wins, highlighting that personal growth starts as soon as one commits to a new path. Overall, the episode underscores the power of community and resilience in navigating both corporate and entrepreneurial journeys.
Key Takeaways:
"Show up as your authentic self—it attracts the right people and repels the rest." - Kristi Straw
"Self-directed leaders thrive by using setbacks as a springboard for growth." - Tanqueray Edwards
"Find a network of people that are going to support you." - Tanqueray Edwards
"Transformation starts the moment you make a commitment—growth begins long before the event starts." - Kristi Straw
Contact your hosts:
Kristi Straw - https://lighthouseleadershipconsultants.com
Tanqueray Edwards - https://www.tredwardsconsultancy.com/contact

In this episode:
Kristi & Tanqueray discuss the critical challenges organizations face as they adopt artificial intelligence (AI) and automation strategies. They delve into how the rapid technological changes, like AI, are transforming the workforce, highlighting the human element often left behind in this transition. Emotional intelligence (EQ) emerges as a central theme, with both hosts stressing how crucial it is for leaders to develop empathy and soft skills to navigate these shifts successfully.
Key Takeaways:
"I often say this right, you know, we know that if we have emotionally intelligent leaders, better engagement scores happen. People will stay five years longer at an employer. Yet time and time again, companies will blow cash on tech splurges or golf outings, but they'll skip the EQ training despite knowing it drives performance and retention." - Kristi Straw
"When implementing AI, organizations must consider what happens if it doesn't go well. Who gets left behind? I'm thinking about that in light of being in Charleston, South Carolina right now, a block from where I am sitting, some longshoremen are, on the picket lines and are demanding that their jobs not all be automated and their roles don't all go away." - Tanqueray Edwards
"Emotional intelligence isn't just a soft skill, it's a survival tool." - Kristi Straw
Contact your hosts:
Kristi Straw - https://lighthouseleadershipconsultants.com
Tanqueray Edwards - https://www.tredwardsconsultancy.com/contact

In this episode:
Kristi & Tanqueray discuss shedding corporate habits, redefining success beyond the “ladder” mentality, and embracing more fulfilling, multifaceted career paths. With plans for an exciting Season 2, including guest appearances and a series on microaggressions from women of color’s perspectives, they encourage listeners to stay curious, unlearn outdated mindsets, and—above all—put down the cape and prioritize well-being.
Key Takeaways:
"Success isn’t a ladder; it’s more dynamic and fluid, about alignment, impact, and fulfillment rather than constant upward climbing." - Kristi Straw
"This season for me really has been all about unlearning—not just corporate habits, but mindsets and expectations that don’t serve me anymore." - Tanqueray Edwards
"I’ve learned to lead with kindness and good intentions, not the sharp, rushed energy that sometimes defined corporate life." - Tanqueray Edwards
"You don't have to stay in one lane. You are multifaceted, multi-talented, multi-passionate—and you don’t have to stay in just one lane." - Kristi Straw
Contact your hosts:
Kristi Straw - https://lighthouseleadershipconsultants.com
Tanqueray Edwards - https://www.tredwardsconsultancy.com/contact

In this episode:
Kristi & Tanqueray explore the theme of resilience, particularly in the context of job loss and role elimination. Tanqueray shares her experience of handling the emotional impact after her role was eliminated in a major hospitality brand, emphasizing the importance of composure and self-reflection during such challenging moments. Kristi adds her perspective, discussing her own reactions to leaving a toxic work environment and how she found excitement in new beginnings despite the difficulties faced. This episode reminds us that resilience is not merely about enduring hardship, but also recognizing one's agency to pivot and move forward positively.
Key Takeaways:
"My resiliency has been exactly what you see sitting here today. Grateful. Grateful to have been cast out, grateful for much of the silence that followed, and grateful for those who have followed me and have reached out and said, "Don't change." - Kristi Straw
"I found myself questioning my worth which surprised people around me. I heard people say things like, 'You have so much self-esteem.' However, what you see externally isn't always the reality." - Tanqueray Edwards
"I took a deep breath, and decided to move through this difficult and unexpected moment by putting my integrity to the forefront of the situation." - Tanqueray Edwards
"It came to a point of, OK, y'all don't want us here. Fine. We're going to go start our own thing. We're going to build our own stampede. We're going to build our own following. We are going to do it a different way. We might struggle. We might fail. We might have to try six times. But the mental health struggles or the challenges and the pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps that we may experience on our own, on any of our darkest days are worth it compared to the narcissism and the gaslighting and the toxicity and the egotistical nature that runs rampant from women and men in corporate America." - Kristi Straw
Contact your hosts:
Kristi Straw - https://lighthouseleadershipconsultants.com
Tanqueray Edwards - https://www.tredwardsconsultancy.com/contact