Black Woman Leading Laura Knights

We are celebrating the completion of our first season! A unifying theme emerged from this season - ALIGNMENT. The central message of this season was about acting in integrity towards ourselves, identifying our true needs and desires, and moving forward with intention to create that reality in both our professional and personal lives.
Tune in to this special bonus episode, as Laura provides a recap and shares her personal highlights and takeaways from the season. 
 
Credits:
Learn more about the Black Woman Leading™ learning experience at http://blackwomanleading.com/
Learn more about Laura’s consulting work at http://knightsconsultinggroup.com
Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com
Instagram: @blackwomanleading
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackwomanleading
Podcast Music: Marshall Knights Music
Podcast Production: JourneyGurl Magic Productions
Graphics: Olayinka Ajibola
 
Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:
Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher

Welcome back to a new episode of Black Woman Leading, the podcast! Today we are joined by inner wellness expert Kanesha Baynard. In today's episode, we will be discussing activating our creativity helps our inner and outer wellness.
Kanesha enlightens us on how tapping into our creativity can create a safe haven, an opportunity to pause, be a source of healing, and provide a path towards making the right decisions. While providing an inspirational perspective of creativity as a source of power, Kanesha also provides practical strategies and protocols to infuse more creativity into our productivity, time management, leadership style, and overall professional life.  She also shares insights on some of the tangible benefits that we can experience when we implement the information she shares.
Kanesha shares her professional journey that led her to her current work as a wellness expert and creativity coach, and gives us a peek into some of her personal creativity strategies that have added more joy and balance to her life. She challenges Black women to turn our resourcefulness and ingenuity inward in service of ourselves, just as we have used it to serve and nurture others.  And, she helps us to reframe our creativity as a source of equity and freedom that is accessible to all. 
 
Guest Bio 
Kanesha Baynard is an inner wellness expert, creativity coach, productivity strategist, and author who has been featured on the Dr. Oz Show. She is the founder of the Bold Living Today community focused on helping members disrupt unfulfilling patterns through creativity and navigate transition with confidence and boldness. Kanesha has created several card decks designed to help busy professionals, caregivers, and teens reconnect with activities and behaviors that foster imagination, joy, creativity, and space to refuel.
  
Resources:
Connect with Kanesha: Web: https://www.boldlivingtoday.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/kaneshabaynard/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/KaneshaBaynardCoaching LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaneshabaynard/?locale=en_US Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaneshaBaynard  
Resources mentioned during the episode: Creativebug.com - Online video arts and crafts workshops  
Credits:
Learn more about the Black Woman Leading™ learning experience at http://blackwomanleading.com/
Learn more about Laura’s consulting work at http://knightsconsultinggroup.com
Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com
Instagram: @blackwomanleading
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackwomanleading
Podcast Music: Marshall Knights Music
Podcast Production: JourneyGurl Magic Productions
Graphics: Olayinka Ajibola
 
Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:
Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher

Welcome to Episode 13 of Black Woman Leading, the podcast!  In this solo episode, we explore the topic of ‘Strengthening Your Influence in the Workplace.’
As Black women, we are natural influencers.  From our families and communities, to popular culture, to beauty and fashion, to politics and so on…. we often set the tone as real tastemakers. And this extends into our roles as workplace leaders as well.  
 
To make sure we are on the same page, here is what we mean by “influence” in this episode: 
Influence is the ability to shape behaviors and opinions of others without force or coercion and with the goal of attaining a win-win outcome for all parties involved.  Influence is about driving action and results and is an important tool for a leader.
 
Get out a pen and paper and use this episode as a time of reflection as Laura shares the components of influence and insights on how you can strengthen your influence for strategic impact in the workplace.  
 
Credits:
Learn more about the Black Woman Leading™ learning experience at http://blackwomanleading.com/
Learn more about Laura’s consulting work at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com
Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com
Instagram: @blackwomanleading
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackwomanleading
Podcast Music: Marshall Knights Music
Podcast Production: JourneyGurl Magic Productions
Graphics: Olayinka Ajibola
 
Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:
Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher

“Wellness perks don’t get rid of wellness problems.” 
Welcome back to another episode of Black Woman Leading! In today’s episode, we are joined by psychotherapist and Workplace Wellness Champion, Farah Harris. We will be discussing how women can take better care of themselves at their workplace and what workplace trauma looks like. 
 
Farah talks about work-life alignment, a term that differs from “work-life balance” because alignment is possible by setting your values straight and by working to reach your goals throughout these values. Farah explains that a workplace alignment has 4 key points: authenticity, intentional living, relationships, and overall satisfaction. 
 
Other topics discussed in this episode are:
Recurrent wellness themes in the workplace. How 2020 and COVID have made us see how much we’ve neglected workplace wellness. Signs of a toxic workplace Steps to heal from workplace trauma What organizations and leaders can do to create healthier workplaces  
Guest Bio:
Farah Harris
Farah Harris is a psychotherapist and a Workplace Wellness Champion dedicated to disrupting toxic work environments. She is the owner of WorkingWell Daily, a company committed to addressing work-life alignment, equity and mental wellness.
Her personal mission is to help individuals and organizations decrease symptoms of stress and burnout, elevate their emotional intelligence, and improve morale by implementing strategies to create healthier work culture. As a mental health practitioner and consultant, Farah is aware of the intersectionality between wellness, equity, and inclusion. She is a sought-after expert on topics related to mental wellness, workplace culture, emotional intelligence and self-care.
Her clients consist of CIBC Bank US, CISCO, Bloomberg GOV, LiveNation, Ferrara Candy Company, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Practicing Law Institute. Her work has been featured in media and podcast platforms such as: Forbes, Fast Company, Huffington Post, Essence, Bustle, Inside Edition, Martha Stewart, Thrive Global, and Therapy for Black Girls.
 
Resources:
Learn more about Farah Harris at www.workingwelldaily.com. You can also follow her on Facebook and LinkedIn @farahharrislcpc, on Instagram @workingwelldaily, and on Twitter @workingwelldai1 (Book referenced) - The State of Black Girls: A Go-To Guide for Creating Safe Spaces for Black Girls by Marline Francois-Madden, LCSW https://www.amazon.com/State-Black-Girls-Go-Creating/dp/0578495155 (Book referenced) - The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Derk Kolk, MD  
Credits:
Learn more about Laura’s consulting work at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com
Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com
Instagram: @blackwomanleading
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackwomanleading
Podcast Music: Marshall Knights Music
Podcast Production: JourneyGurl Magic Productions
Graphics: Olayinka Ajibola
 
Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:
Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher

In today’s conversation with Simply Training Solutions leader and founder Summer Alexander, we will be discussing the importance of personal brand and how it tends to have both an internal and external perception. Summer explains that a black woman leading starts with each of us, looking past our limitations, fears, anxieties, and doubts. Only then, by owning who you are, will you be able to help others.  Like most Black Women Leading’s episodes, we will also be speaking about the head-work and heart-work that needs to be done for our personal brands. What tactical, skill, and self-awareness work must we do upon ourselves to change our branding and how others perceive us?  Other subjects discussed during this episode are the pressure of being a black women leader and having a personal brand when we must fight micro-aggressions, racism, among others. 
 
Guest Bio:
Summer Alexander is a learning and development leader and founder of Simply Training Solutions where she provides soft skills workforce development training, curriculum development, strategic planning, and community outreach for governments, corporations, non-profits, and educational organizations. She is also an Equity & Belonging facilitator and the current Director of Community Relations for the Collin County Black Chamber of Commerce.
To connect with Summer, visit www.simplytrainingsolutions.com, or find her on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/summerjalexander/
 
Resources:
So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport (you can find it on Amazon)  
Credits:
Learn more about Laura’s consulting work at https://knightsconsultinggroup.com
Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com
Instagram: @blackwomanleading
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackwomanleading
Podcast Music: Marshall Knights Music
Podcast Production: JourneyGurl Magic Productions
Graphics: Olayinka Ajibola
 
Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:
Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher

In this intimate discussion, four alumni participants of the Black Woman Leading program (Tiffany McClinton, Jhmira Alexander, Tameka Patterson, and Nadia Simmons) share the stories of their growth in self-awareness as Black women leaders working in both corporate and non-profit spaces.
For the purposes of this episode, we use these definitions of self-awareness from this Harvard Business School article:
Internal self-awareness, represents how clearly we see our own values, passions, aspirations, fit with our environment, reactions (including thoughts, feelings, behaviors, strengths, and weaknesses), and impact on others. 
External self-awareness, means understanding how other people view us, in terms of those same factors listed above. 
 
The guests share their truths, their experience in the Black Woman Leading program, and the power of collective healing on their leadership journey.  Additionally, they provide insights on the obstacles they had to overcome and the supports they had to access to strengthen their self-awareness.
Tune in and find yourself in their stories as the universal themes of overcoming limiting mindsets, transforming negative self-talk, seeking community, showing vulnerability, redefining relationships, finding balance, and setting boundaries are explored in our conversation.
 
Guest Bios:
Tiffany McClinton
Tiffany McClinton is a Regional Sales Director for Dell Technologies. She is responsible for leading 7 Account Executives who deliver innovative and practical solutions to state and local government, higher educational institutions, and healthcare accounts in the Atlanta metro area.  She is considered a thought leader by advising customers on Dell’s strategic business and technology plans, as a result of her keen focus on driving internal processes to exceed customer’s expectations. She has spent 13 years  developing talent and creating an environment of inclusion and growth for her sales team. She thrives and is passionate about advocating for the advancement of women in the technology industry. Connect with Tiffany on LinkedIn.
 
Jhmira Alexander
Jhmira Alexander is the President and Executive Director of Public Narrative (formerly Community Media Workshop). Jhmira is a trained journalist who is not only a storyteller but a strategist committed to improving community health and well-being through media and civic engagement. Under her leadership, Public Narrative uses storytelling to implement narrative change strategies related to public safety, health, and education. Connect with Jhmira on LinkedIn or on Instagram @jhmiralatrice
 
Tameka Patterson
Tameka Patterson is an advocate who is passionate about giving voice to the voiceless.  Tameka is currently the Social Services Department Manager at the University of Illinois at Chicago Center for Literacy where she oversees case management, career transitions, and professional learning trainers.  She has over 12 years of experience working in social services across a variety of settings, which includes; case management, adult education, domestic violence, transitional housing, supporting pregnant and parenting teens, and early learning sectors.  As an agent of support and guidance, Tameka has extensive experience in developing communities of practice, designing service delivery models for professional development, implementing continuous improvement cycles that strengthens service delivery for diverse populations, and developing and deepening partnerships with community-based organizations and the City of Chicago.
 
Nadia Simmons 
Nadia is the Supervisor of Data Engineering at RELX. She has several years of professional experience in the Data & Technology field with a niche for research and investigation. She is also the passionate creator of a business designed specifically for motivating students to excel academically. Connect with Nadia @uniquelymeservices
 
Resources:
We are now enrolling for The Black