Black Woman Leading

In this episode, we hear lessons from the C-Suite with Kimberly Moore-Wright, Chief Teammate Officer and Head of Enterprise Diversity Truist Financial Corporation

Kimberly shares how both heart work and head work have been critical to her “off the beaten path” leadership ascent at Truist, and she gives a behind-the-scenes look of her day-to-day responsibilities in her role. 

Additionally, as the person who oversees well-being initiatives at Truist, she shares her insights on the organization’s responsibility to create an environment where people can thrive.

Kimberly shares how “discomfort as an opportunity for growth” has been a consistent theme on her leadership journey.  She also provides tactical wisdom on how she has learned to lean into her team, practices boundaries, and how she intentionally schedules activities throughout her week to build relationships and broaden her vantage point both in and out of her organization. 

Guest Bio:

Kimberly Moore-Wright is chief teammate officer and head of enterprise diversity at Truist Financial Corporation. In this role, she is responsible for all aspects of human resource management, including teammate relations and talent acquisition, talent management, learning and development, teammate experience, payroll, total rewards, enterprise diversity, and human capital systems. She also oversees the Truist Leadership Institute. She is a member of the company’s executive leadership team. 

In 2019, Moore-Wright was named chief human resources officer of Truist. Prior to that, she served as director of Marketing and Digital Sales with a Truist predecessor. She began her career in the company’s Leadership Development Program and held various roles after graduating, including retail services  officer, market leader, credit training instructor, retail credit training manager, Community Bank & Lending Group training manager, and director of Retail and Commercial Marketing Strategy. 

Connect with Kimberly on LinkedIn

Credits:

Learn more about the Black Woman Leading®  learning experience and upcoming retreat at https://blackwomanleading.com

Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/

Email Laura: [email protected]

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Olayinka Ajibola

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• iHeartRadio
• Podbay

In this episode, we hear lessons from the C-Suite with Kimberly Moore-Wright, Chief Teammate Officer and Head of Enterprise Diversity Truist Financial Corporation

Kimberly shares how both heart work and head work have been critical to her “off the beaten path” leadership ascent at Truist, and she gives a behind-the-scenes look of her day-to-day responsibilities in her role. 

Additionally, as the person who oversees well-being initiatives at Truist, she shares her insights on the organization’s responsibility to create an environment where people can thrive.

Kimberly shares how “discomfort as an opportunity for growth” has been a consistent theme on her leadership journey.  She also provides tactical wisdom on how she has learned to lean into her team, practices boundaries, and how she intentionally schedules activities throughout her week to build relationships and broaden her vantage point both in and out of her organization. 

Guest Bio:

Kimberly Moore-Wright is chief teammate officer and head of enterprise diversity at Truist Financial Corporation. In this role, she is responsible for all aspects of human resource management, including teammate relations and talent acquisition, talent management, learning and development, teammate experience, payroll, total rewards, enterprise diversity, and human capital systems. She also oversees the Truist Leadership Institute. She is a member of the company’s executive leadership team. 

In 2019, Moore-Wright was named chief human resources officer of Truist. Prior to that, she served as director of Marketing and Digital Sales with a Truist predecessor. She began her career in the company’s Leadership Development Program and held various roles after graduating, including retail services  officer, market leader, credit training instructor, retail credit training manager, Community Bank & Lending Group training manager, and director of Retail and Commercial Marketing Strategy. 

Connect with Kimberly on LinkedIn

Credits:

Learn more about the Black Woman Leading®  learning experience and upcoming retreat at https://blackwomanleading.com

Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/

Email Laura: [email protected]

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Olayinka Ajibola

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• iHeartRadio
• Podbay

In this episode, Laura answers pressing questions from our community on topics related to delegation, leading your team through organizational change, dealing with “Mom guilt,” advocating for salary/promotion increases, and dealing with fear about leaving an organization.

Tune in as Laura shares her wisdom and provides actionable insights to address these leadership challenges.

Resources:

• S1E4: Navigating Salary Negotiations with Yakentha Britton (Black Woman Leading podcast)
• S3E8: Preparing for Performance Evaluations (Black Woman Leading podcast)

Credits:

Learn more about the Black Woman Leading®  learning experience and upcoming retreat at https://blackwomanleading.com

Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/

Email Laura: [email protected]

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Olayinka Ajibola

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• iHeartRadio
• Podbay

At Black Woman Leading® we are all about exposing Black women to new opportunities and empowering them to increase their options. So we were so excited to welcome our special guest, Stephanie Perry, Founder of vaycarious.com, to discuss the option of taking a career sabbatical, or an extended period of time away from work.  

 In this insightful episode, Stephanie and Laura vision and explore the possibilities for using a career sabbatical for rest, self-discovery, adventure, and ease. Stephanie shares how her life changed after taking a one-year sabbatical to travel for a year (for just $1200 per month!).  From that experience, she chronicles how that experience led her to the work she does today to help Black women embrace more ease by taking a career break or moving abroad. 

Laura also shares her insights from taking an annual one-month rest sabbatical in December, and the journey to creating that option for herself.  And they discuss how even entertaining the idea of a sabbatical requires heart and mindset work for many Black women to disconnect our identities from work and labor.  

As Stephanie states, if you love your job, you still need a sabbatical! She champions making sabbaticals practical and accessible for more Black women, and the need for Black women to consider this expanded opportunity for ease and rest. Tune in with an open mind as Stephanie helps us explore our options with regard to the financial, practical, and emotional logistics of taking a sabbatical.

Guest Bio 

At age 41, Stephanie Perry quit her job as a hospital pharmacy technician to travel the world for a year on her savings. She visited 12 countries in 12 months all on just $1200 per month. Now she's a year-round house sitter and pet sitter who helps Black women embrace more ease by taking a career break, house sitting or moving abroad on her YouTube channel.

Connect with  Stephanie

• Website: https://vaycarious.com
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/stephanieperry
• IG: https://instagram.com/vaycarious
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/vaycarious
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/vaycarious

Credits:

Learn more about the Black Woman Leading®  learning experience and upcoming retreat at https://blackwomanleading.com

Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/

Email Laura: [email protected]

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Olayinka Ajibola

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• iHeartRadio
• Podbay

Research indicates that minority populations disproportionately experience insufficient sleep and sleep disorders.  We know that sleep is a fundamental health and wellness need for us to thrive as human beings, so we wanted to talk about Black women and our relationship with sleep.  

We welcome our special guest, Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell, Sleep Specialist and the Founder of The Solution is Sleep LLC, to provide more insights on this topic. In this enlightening conversation,  Laura and Dr. Holliday-Bell discuss the heart and head work of our relationship with sleep, including the connection to overcoming generational trauma and negative mindsets about sleep and resting. 

Dr. Holliday-Bell provides insights on the specific causes of insufficient sleep she sees in her Black women patients, and educates us on some of the short and long-term effects of chronic, insufficient sleep. She also shares her personal story of dealing with insomnia that led her on the quest to become the sleep expert she is today, and provides tips for creating healthy sleep habits and routines.

Guest Bio 

Angela Holliday-Bell, MD is Physician, Certified Sleep Specialist and Sleep Coach. I created The Solution is Sleep LLC to provide transformative, targeted and customized sleep coaching based on proven therapeutic techniques to help my clients take back control of their sleep lives

Connect with  Dr. Holliday-Bell

• Website - https://www.thesolutionissleep.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-angela-holliday-bell-466a1321b/
• Instagram  - https://www.instagram.com/thesleep_md/
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesolutionissleep

Credits:

Learn more about the Black Woman Leading®  learning experience and upcoming retreat at https://blackwomanleading.com

Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/

Email Laura: [email protected]

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Olayinka Ajibola

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• iHeartRadio
• Podbay

In this engaging episode, we explore the term “imposter syndrome” with speaker and writer, Jodi-Ann Burey.  

The term “imposter syndrome” is often used to communicate a sense of inadequacy that an individual may feel in a professional setting.  After reviewing the original research that birthed this term, Laura and Jodi-Ann discuss why the term is an inaccurate portrayal of the experience of Black women because it does not account for the full environmental landscape that Black women have to navigate in the workplace and beyond.  Jodi-Ann offers a pointed take on reframing imposter syndrome and turns the responsibility of fixing imposter syndrome back to leaders and organizations. 

Additionally, Jodi-Ann provides rich insight on the power of Black women’s agency and why she embraces the term “disrupter.”  Ultimately, she encourages us to use more affirming language that more fully encompasses our experiences as Black women. Tune in and be enlightened!

Guest Bio 

Jodi-Ann Burey (she/her) has a mission to disrupt “business as usual” to achieve social change. She is a sought-after speaker, writer, and creator who works at the intersections of race, culture, and health equity. Jodi-Ann is also the creator and host of Black Cancer, a podcast that explores the cancer journeys of everyday people of color which was featured on POPSUGAR and NBC - Dallas.

Connect with Jodi-Ann:

• Website - https://jodiannburey.com/
• Personal LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaburey/
• Jodi-Ann’s TED Talk - The Myth of Bringing Your Full Authentic Self to Work
• Jodi-Ann’s podcast -https://www.blackcancer.co/

Credits:

Click here to complete our survey for Black women early career professionals.

Learn more about the Black Woman Leading®  learning experience at https://blackwomanleading.com/program/

Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/

Email Laura: [email protected]

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Olayinka Ajibola

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• iHeartRadio
• Podbay

From side hustles to those who desire to trade their 9-to-5 in for the CEO title, our community has shown increased interest in learning more about entrepreneurship.  In this episode, our special guest, Dr. Shakenna Williams, Executive Director of the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College and Founder of Babson’s Black Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, comes to share her insights on why Black women are increasingly pursuing entrepreneurship and how they can do it successfully.

Dr. Williams shares about Babson’s unique approach to supporting Black women entrepreneurs, shares advice on navigating entrepreneurship while working a full-time job, and outlines practical first steps for those just getting started.

Further, Dr. Williams shares a bit of her journey as a Black Woman Leading, and vulnerably shares how she overcame professional challenges with her four-part system for effective self-advocacy and negotiation skills.  Tune in and be inspired as we explore entrepreneurship as one an option for further economic and personal empowerment.

Guest Bio 

Dr. Shakenna K. Williams is the Executive Director of the Center of Women Entrepreneurial Leadership (CWEL) and founder of the Black Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (BWEL) at Babson College. She is an adjunct faculty member in Babson’s MBA Program, owns Kenna Business Solutions, and previously served as Deputy Academic Director and Lead Faculty Director of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program.

With her passion to propel women entrepreneurs to new levels of success, Dr. Williams is the proud recipient of the Babson Entrepreneurial Thought and Action Award, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Changemaker Award, and the African American Female Professor of the Year Award. She authored The Mark (excerpt) and is writing her first book, Hooked: Entrepreneurial Leadership Skills Learned While Fishing with My Dad.

Dr. Williams received her doctorate from Capella University (dissertation, Talent Management and Retention in Small Family-Owned Businesses: A Multiple-Case Qualitative Study), her MBA from Oklahoma City University, and her B.S. (Finance; Investments) from Babson. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The Links, Incorporated, and the Academy of Management. Dr. Williams cherishes being a foster mom, and loves to travel, spend time with family, cook, and paint.

Learn more about Babson’s Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership:

• CWEL Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/babsoncwel
• CWEL IG - https://www.instagram.com/babsoncwel/ 

Connect with Dr. Williams here:

• Personal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drshakennawilliams/ 
• Personal IG: https://www.instagram.com/drshakennawilliams/ 

Credits:

Click here to complete our survey for Black women early career professionals.

Learn more about the Black Woman Leading®  learning experience at https://blackwomanleading.com/program/

Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/

Email Laura: [email protected]

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Olayinka Ajibola

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• iHeartRadio
• Podbay

The end of the year is a common timeframe for companies to facilitate annual reviews.  In this tactical episode, Laura shares points to help you reflect on the last year of your professional journey, and prepare to communicate the contributions you’ve made in your annual review. Laura provides a practical approach for you to guide the narrative of your review meeting and confirm your “asks” to advocate for yourself in the workplace.

Download the BWL performance evaluation prep packet here >> https://bit.ly/bwlpefreebie

Credits:

Learn more about the Black Woman Leading™ learning experience at http://blackwomanleading.com/

Email Laura: [email protected]

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Join our mailing list and download a free Black Woman Leading journey map!

Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Olayinka Ajibola

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• iHeartRadio
• Podbay

So many of our listeners and BWL community members are leaders across the domains of their life–work, family, community, and so on.  They spend so much time investing in the development of others, supporting the growth of others, and serving the needs of others.  Yet, sometimes they struggle to give this same level of care and priority to themselves.  If this resonates, this episode is for you!

Our special guest, Tanisha Chea, President of Sir Grout Franchising and Mrs.North America 2022,   shares her “spirit of YES” approach and gives listeners a peek behind the scenes of her own YES journey as a corporate leader, pageant winner, community leader, wife, and mom.  In this episode, we want to highlight the need for you to also prioritize and say YES to yourself.  YES to your interests. YES to your dreams. YES to your desires. YES to your care.

In this dynamic conversation, we explore many of the reasons that we struggle to YES to ourselves, including dealing with fear, guilt, and being disconnected to our own voice and desires. Tanisha vulnerably shares how she navigated these very obstacles to pursue her dreams.  Additionally, she shares her approach to activating her support system on the journey. Tanisha’s story encourages us to “try on” new versions of ourselves, push past fear, and take the leap to try something new and say YES to ourselves.

Tune in, and catch this inspiration to say YES to you!  

Guest Bio 

Tanisha was named President of Sir Grout Franchising in December 2021. Prior to leading Sir Grout, Tanisha was the Vice President of Global Innovation of Krispy Kreme. Tanisha and her husband also own and operate a children’s franchise concept, IDEA Lab Kids – a S.T.E.A.M Enrichment center for kids ages 4-14. With an avid love of the art and science of Marketing, Tanisha Chea has enjoyed a successful corporate career leading marketing for such companies as KFC, Taco Bell and Carrabba’s Italian Grill where she served as the Chief Marketing Officer.

Tanisha also serves as Mrs. North Carolina America 2022 and recently competed at Mrs. AMERICA where she placed in the Top 15. Tanisha champions her message, “The Spirit of YES!” as a Global Partner with Dress for Success and volunteers her time as a stylist and career coach around the globe. 

Tanisha holds both a Bachelors of Arts in Public Relations and an MBA in Marketing from Clark Atlanta University. She and her husband Kosal have twin 4 year old boys, Zealand and Rhodes and reside in Charlotte, NC.

Connect with Tanisha:

• https://www.instagram.com/TanishaChea/
• https://www.instagram.com/Mrs.NorthCarolina/
• https://www.instagram.com/idealabkids_ballantyne/
• Website: www.TanishaChea.com

Credits:

Learn more about the Black Woman Leading®  learning experience at https://blackwomanleading.com/program/

Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/

Email Laura: [email protected]

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Olayinka Ajibola

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• iHeartRadio
• Podbay

In this episode, Laura welcomes two members of her personal self-care team to the show - her chiropractors, Dr. Twila Blossom Jones and Dr. Danielle Jones.

In this enlightening episode, the doctors share some of the physical manifestations of stress that they consistently observe in their Black women patients.  They go on to provide red-flag indicators that our bodies are communicating with us about wellness changes we may need to implement.  

Moving beyond awareness, they share practical activities to our connect without bodies and provide some of their personal strategies to maintain an aligned mind-body connection.

Guest Bios

Dr. Twila, has an enthusiasm for helping people to become the best version of themselves. She has chosen her passion for health and wellness as a platform to impact the masses to live at levels of optimal health. She uses her expertise and training as a chiropractor, former NCAA Division I Track & Field athlete, and former math educator to accomplish this mission. She attended the University of South Florida, where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications, Agnes Scott College (post-baccalaureate program), and Life University, where she earned her Doctorate of Chiropractic degree. Dr. Twila is a chiropractor that loves to get to the cause of the dysfunction and pain in the lives of her patients so that they are thriving throughout every aspect of their lives. Dr. Twila is married to Travis Jones. They live in Stone Mountain with their three children, Twila Adrian, Taylor and Travis Demarco.

Dr. Danielle Jones is a chiropractor. She has been around medical providers her entire life. She began shadowing doctors at 8 years old because she wanted to learn and choose the right specialty path when the time came. She later found a love for preventative and rehabilitative medicine. She is dedicated to being authentic and open minded in order to offer what’s best for patients. ​ Dr. Jones always says, “A provider’s main priority should be ensuring each patient get’s the best care available by considering all options.” She has worked both as a solo provider and in multidisciplinary settings which has made her a more well rounded provider. ​ “My main career goal is to help and serve as many people as I can by decreasing the overuse of steroids and opioids and improving health through non-invasive treatments. Becoming a chiropractor has allowed me to do just that.”

Connect with Dr. Twila Blossom Jones:

• Website
• Instagram: @100chiropractic_snellville

Connect with Dr. Danielle Jones:

• Website
• IG: @therealdaniellejones

Credits:

Learn more about the Black Woman Leading®  learning experience at https://blackwomanleading.com/program/

Click here to join our mailing list.

Learn more about our consulting work with organizations at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com/

Email Laura: [email protected]

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Olayinka Ajibola

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• iHeartRadio
• Podbay