Black Woman Leading – Details, episodes & analysis

In this conversation, Laura welcomes Kamilah Martin, Founder & CEO of Katalyst. 

Given the recent stats about Black women exiting the workplace in staggering numbers, Laura & Kamilah explore consulting as an option for Black women in transition. The discussion also touches on the importance of community and support in navigating these transitions.

Kamilah Martin shares her journey from a traditional career path to becoming a leader in consulting and entrepreneurship. She discusses the challenges and rewards of stepping into one's full power, the importance of self-discovery, and the role of consulting as a gateway to liberation. 

About Kamilah

Kamilah is the visionary founder and CEO of Katalyst, a consulting, coaching, and lifestyle company reimagining what freedom, wellness, and leadership look like for women of color in business. Through Katalyst, she leads a global ecosystem that includes an award-winning membership community, transformative retreats, and a consultant referral network that connects mission-driven organizations with experienced independent talent.

With nearly two decades of leadership experience, Kamilah has built Katalyst into a home for women of color stepping out of traditional 9-5 roles into consulting and entrepreneurship—helping them thrive with clarity, confidence, and community.

Connect with Kamilah

• LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/kamilahmartin

• IG: @katalystconsult

• Website: katalystconsult.com

BWL Resources:

• Now enrolling for both the January  sessions of the Early Career and Mid-Career programs.  Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/

• Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube.  Subscribe to the BWL channel today!

• Check out the BWL theme song here

• Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here

• Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/

Credits:

Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com

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

Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Youtube: @blackwomanleading 

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Dara Adams

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Stitcher

• iHeartRadio

• Audible

• Podbay

In this conversation, Laura chats with Black Woman Leading® coaches, Dr. Chinasa Elue & Dr. Karma Hill, to explore the heart work of recovering from a layoff.  

Assessing the personal side of this experience, they explore how integrated elements of misplaced identity, burnout, and grief might deepen the loss of employment for many Black women.

They explore the power of community to support people through career transitions, and share small but meaningful practices that can help people manage stress and begin to recover from a layoff.

About Dr. Chinasa

Dr. Chinasa Elue is an award-winning professor, TedEx speaker, grief coach, and CEO and Founder of True Titans Consulting Group. She provides strategic coaching and consulting to organizations moving forward to make impactful changes in the midst of uncertainty.

Her work focuses on the ways in which we cultivate spaces in society to have authentic conversations about grief in an effort to provide more holistic grief support. She offers grief coaching to support individuals who have experienced grief and loss of all kinds in moving forward with empathy and care.

Dr. Elue is also the host of the Grieving in Color Podcast, a podcast that explores the various ways we navigate our experiences with grief and loss and a place where we find the courage to intentionally heal in our daily lives.

She is also a professor of Educational Leadership and Higher Education at Kennesaw State University. Her research focuses on grief leadership, trauma-informed leadership practices in organizational settings, and the health and well-being of historically marginalized and underrepresented populations. Dr. Elue runs the research lab for the Study of Emotional Intelligence, Leadership Effectiveness, and Well-Being of Educational Leaders. Dr. Elue's work has been featured in USA Today, DiversityInc, Better Homes and Gardens, the Journal of Higher Education, the Journal of Negro Education, the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, and others. She currently resides in Atlanta, GA with her husband, Emeka and two children.

Connect with Dr. Chinasa 

• Website: https://www.drchinasaelue.com/

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/drchinasaelue/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drchinasaelue/

About Dr. Karma

Dr. Karma Hill is a Burnout Prevention Strategist, Executive Coach, and Positive Psychologist dedicated to helping leaders and organizations flourish from the inside out. As the creator of the REST™ Framework—Resilience, Emotional Intelligence, Self-Care, and Trust—she equips executives and mission-driven teams to prevent burnout, lead with purpose, and cultivate psychologically safe, thriving cultures.

With over 20 years of experience in psychology, leadership development, and organizational consulting, Dr. Hill blends evidence-based science with compassionate strategy to reimagine how we work, lead, and live. She serves as President-Elect of the International Coaching Federation Georgia Chapter and is the Founder of Konversations with Karma and Flourish Forum Magazine.

Her research and speaking center the intersections of leadership, well-being, and equity—particularly the lived experiences of African American women leaders navigating burnout in the post-COVID workplace. A sought-after speaker and media contributor featured in Yahoo Finance, VoyageATL, and Women's Herald, Dr. Hill's mission is simple yet profound: to restore wholeness in people, leadership, and organizational systems.

Connect with Dr. Karma

• Website: KonversationswithKarma.com

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillkarma

• IG: https://instagram.com/konversationswithkarma

BWL Resources:

• Now enrolling for both the January  sessions of the Early Career and Mid-Career programs.  Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/

• Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube.  Subscribe to the BWL channel today!

• Check out the BWL theme song here

• Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here

• Download the free Black Woman Leading Career Reset Kit - https://blackwomanleading.com/career-reset-kit/

Credits:

Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com

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

Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Youtube: @blackwomanleading 

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Dara Adams

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Stitcher

• iHeartRadio

• Audible

• Podbay

In this conversation, Laura welcomes Nakisha Muhammad to discuss the leadership competencies of diplomacy and political savvy, through her point of reference as an executive leader.  

Nakisha shares her unique journey from entrepreneurship to her current role as Chief Technology Officer at 1nHealth, chronicling how she learned to honor her own boundaries while navigating the demands of leadership and emphasizing the importance of understanding oneself and others in fostering effective communication and diplomacy. 

Laura and Nakisha share the intricate dynamics of leadership, focusing on integrity, boundaries, and the importance of self-care, while navigating work spaces as Black women. They also discuss the challenges of maintaining personal values in professional settings, the necessity of setting and respecting boundaries, and the strategies for dealing with resistance in leadership roles.  

Overall, the dialogue emphasizes the need for political savvy as a crucial skill for career advancement, and strategies for engaging in difficult conversations while maintaining professionalism.

About Nakisha

Nakisha serves as the Chief Technology Officer at 1nHealth, bringing her cross-industry technology background into healthcare. A serial entrepreneur, Nakisha has founded, operated, and scaled SaaS businesses as well as eCommerce brands. A self-taught developer and technologist, Nakisha has built multiple data-management and data visualization companies, managing developer teams and IT infrastructure. Nakisha's philosophy in software engineering is rooted in a methodology that centers on the user experience first and then building the functionality around the user's needs.

Connect with Nakisha on LinkedIn

Resources:

• Now enrolling for both the August 2025 sessions of the Early Career and Mid-Career programs.  Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/

• Full podcast episodes are now on Youtube.  Subscribe to the BWL channel today!

Credits:

Learn about all Black Woman Leading® programs, resources, and events at www.blackwomanleading.com

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

Email Laura: info@knightsconsultinggroup.com

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Youtube: @blackwomanleading 

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Téa Campbell

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Stitcher

• iHeartRadio

• Audible

• Podbay

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 Woman Leading™ learning experience that starts in August 2021.  Learn more at http://blackwomanleading.com/

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 episode, we discuss building relationships in the workplace with Sheilina Henry, Group Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion for Bloomin' Brands Inc.

Sheilina shares her inspiring story detailing her ascent from a server to the C-suite in the restaurant industry.  She emphasizes the importance of engaging individuals at all levels of your organization, shares insights about rebounding when your trust is violated in the workplace and reveals some of her personal strategies behind cultivating long-lasting professional relationships.  

We discuss tips to assess and build your 'personal board of directors' with reflection prompts to guide you: Where do I want to go? Who's going to mentor me? Who's going to sponsor me? Who's going to push me? Who's going to help me think about things from a different perspective?

Finally, Sheillina shares insights about her personal growth as a Black woman in corporate and the steps she took to navigate tough relationships, reset her own rules, and bring her whole authentic self to work. 

Guest Bio 

Sheilina Henry is the Group Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion for Bloomin' Brands, Inc. headquartered in Tampa, FL. She is committed to creating a diverse workforce in the restaurant industry at all levels, beyond the front lines. Her primary role is spearheading the strategic plan to create a culture of authenticity and genuine connections where over 65,000 team members feel valued without compromising their identities.

Starting as a server and spending decades in restaurant operations, Sheilina's career ascent has taken some unexpected turns, building her toolbox and expanding her network far beyond the Southside of Chicago where it all started.

Resources:

• Connect with Sheilina:
  • https://www.instagram.com/cloudwalker718/ ;
  • https://www.facebook.com/sheilina.stingley/;
  • https://twitter.com/SheilinaSting
  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheilina-henry-07036617/

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

"Seventy-five percent of all physical diseases are linked to unhealthy emotions."

Thank you for joining me on another episode of Black Woman Leading. In today's episode, we will be joined by Dr. Napatia Gettings to discuss the mind-body wellness connection. As western medicine has made a clear division in how we talk about mental and physical health; Dr. Gettings stresses that we must get back to an integrated approach because what impacts us emotionally also impacts us physically and vice versa.

Dr. Gettings breaks down the emotion-disease link and walks us through how chronic stress can manifest as a physical disease in the body. From how cannabis can be used to support mental health, to a walk-through of the major systems of the body, to insights on how to take proactive steps to prevent dementia; Dr. Gettings provides a short master class on the mind-body connection! 

Dr. Gettings shares her personal why and how growing up in an abusive household sparked her passion for claiming her own holistic wellness and helping others to do the same.  We discuss tips to resist "grind culture" and standing in your power and self-agency to check yourself and assess your overall health. Tune in. There is so much powerful information in this episode!

Guest Bio

Dr. Napatia T. Gettings understands that we are all a product of our collective experiences, biological predispositions, and nurturing process. Dr. Gettings has a wide array of clinical and leadership experience that solidifies her expertise in the field of Psychiatry. Her passion for holistic health and wellness includes educating her audience about preventative medicine and integrated wellness. Dr. Gettings' practice within the field of psychiatry includes advocacy, legislative policy, mental health awareness, and patient education. 

Dr. Gettings' mission as a medical doctor specializing in Psychiatry is to bring brain health awareness to the mainstream and dismantle the misconceptions associated with it. As a brain health expert, she advocates for the safe usage of Cannabis as a plant-based treatment modality for brain health conditions. Dr. Gettings is an active member of The American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Association. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and holds double board certifications in both Adult Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She currently resides in Florida with her husband and four children. She is currently practicing at The Broward Community Family Health Center where she is the only psychiatrist serving many patients with chronic mental illness. She is licensed to practice medicine in Illinois, Florida, and California. 

She is the founder and medical director of Clarion Conscience LLC, a Telehealth private practice providing mental health treatment across the nation to those in need. Her clinical work has been featured in many publications and media outlets. Through preventative medicine and education, Dr. Gettings helps her audience make the conscious decision to preserve their health.

Resources:

• Visit Dr. Napatia Gettings website at www.drgettings.com 
• Find Dr. Gettings on all social media platforms
• Find a therapist: psychologytoday.com
• Find a Black woman therapist:  https://therapyforblackgirls.com/
• Instagram account referenced by Laura: @thenapministry 

Credits:

Learn more about the Black Woman Leading™ learning experience at http://blackwomanleading.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 episode, we are joined by Know Full Well Founder, Ashleah Nelson! We are talking about a joy and pleasure-based approach to holistic wellness for Black women. 

Ashleah Nelson is a wellness coach and educator dedicated to shifting wellness inward. Her approach is informed by her experiences as a social worker and sexual health advocate- prioritizing intuitive knowledge, body respect, and pleasure. Through individual coaching and weight-neutral fitness, Ashleah helps Black women reconnect with their intuition in order to nourish a full life.

In this insightful episode, we discuss Ashleah's personal journey towards centering pleasure in her self-care practices.  Ashleah, like many of us, felt the pressure to be healthy by being restrictive in her wellness practices.  Things like over-exercising, counting every single calorie, and eating one too many quinoa bowls to be "healthy"  became her norm (she doesn't even like quinoa!).  She was doing all the things, but she didn't feel good about it. She began to question her approach, and this led her on a quest to prioritize practices that contributed positively to her health AND brought more joy into her life.  

Ashleah challenges us to shift from a mindset of lack to abundance and embark on this pleasure-based journey as well. We discuss how to examine and create new "rules" for yourself, tips for being more connected and present in your body, and her insights on how to create intentional joy practices in your daily life.  

Resources:

• Visit Ashleah's website at www.knowfullwell.co
• You can also find her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/knowfullwell.co/ 

Credits:

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

When was the last time you took a moment to create a vision for the career and life you want?  This is a powerful exercise because we believe that you can be what you can SEE.  

Welcome to Episode 7 of Black Woman Leading, the podcast.

From creating your big vision, to assessing your strengths and weaknesses, to setting goals, building in self-care strategies, and celebrating successes (both big and small); in this episodes, Laura invites you to explore the possibilities of designing a professional journey that honors your gifts, contributions, and vision for the future. 

Get out a pen and paper and use this episode as a time of reflection as Laura 

 walks you through her seven-step Vision Mapping Framework to help you strengthen your sense of self-agency to direct your future growth and development.

Resources:

(Book) 12-Week Year by Brian Moran

Credits:

Learn more about the Black Woman Leading™ learning experience at http://blackwomanleading.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 6 of Black Woman Leading, the podcast.

Talking about money at work is uncomfortable for many people. The wage gap for Black women is well documented.  And although systemic racism and sexism is a key driver of this reality, we wanted to focus on empowerment in this episode and what is within our control when it comes to compensation and salary negotiations.

The guest expert for this episode is Yakentha Britton, the Founder of Level Career. Yakentha helps professionals land their dream jobs through resume editing, recruiting, salary negotiation, and employee relations support. 

Amongst other important points, Yakentha answers a commonly asked question: how do I negotiate compensation?

One of the most common scenarios when looking for a job is settling on a salary, and sometimes people tend to be underpaid because they don't take the time to research. Yakentha explains the importance of investigating beforehand to support your negotiations, and she offers tips for how to do that effectively. 

Other key points discussed in this episode include how to respond when your requested salary amount is rejected, and why it's important to take a pause before accepting a job offer to make sure it's the right decision for you.  

Guest bio:

Yakentha Britton is the Founder of Level Career. She is passionate about supporting professionals that need help in advancing in their careers. With 10+ years' experience in human resources and recruiting, Yakentha understands how to spotlight skills and accomplishments that attract top employers. She specializes in helping professionals land dream jobs through resume editing, recruiting, salary negotiation, and employee relation support. 

You can connect with Yakentha on her website,  Instagram, and LinkedIn.  

Credits:

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

Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com

Instagram: @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