Black Woman Leading – Details, episodes & analysis

In this short, but powerful, solo episode, Laura shares her personal practice for creating a personal vision that provides guidance and inspiration for the year.

Laura shares prompts for exploration and also explains the connection between your vision and values.  After clarifying a guiding vision, Laura explains how you can then use that vision to inform your tactical goals, deadlines, and action steps.

Your leadership vision is rooted in your WHY (purpose for this season).  You deserve this dedicated time to clarify this for yourself!

Grab your notebook and pen, let your thoughts flow, and follow along with Laura as she walks you through a guided reflection exercise to create your personal leadership vision for the year.

About Laura
Laura Knights is the Creator of Black Woman Leading® and host of the podcast. She is an executive coach, speaker, facilitator, and licensed clinical social worker with 20+ years of experience creating personal and professional development programs that have touched leaders worldwide.

Her expertise and background in business, human resources, adult education, and social work uniquely equip her to teach others how to deal with both the "head work" and "heart work" required to succeed at work and in life.  She is the Founder and CEO of Knights Consulting LLC,  a leadership development consultancy that provides customized training and coaching programs to create more confident leaders and high-performing teams.

Black Woman Leading® is a research-backed initiative which offers leadership development programming, a podcast, and an annual conference for Black women professionals. Black Woman Leading® is an initiative of Knights Consulting LLC. Learn more at blackwomanleading.com.

Resources:

• Now enrolling for our spring 2025 leadership development programs starting in January 2025.  Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/
• Event: Join us for the 2025 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference +Retreat, May 27-30, 2025 in Virginia Beach! Learn more at bwlretreat.com
• BWL podcast episode S1E3 Getting in Alignment with Yourself (Values Clarification).  Listen on Apple podcast or Spotify

Credits:

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

Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @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 this episode, Laura discusses navigating life changes with Kumari Williams.  Kumari shares her journey as an executive leader, and how she has navigated both personal and professional challenges and changes throughout her career.  She emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence, resilience, and the need for support systems while navigating life transitions. 

Kumari reflects on her experiences in leadership, the significance of consistent self-checks, and the value of extending grace to oneself and others during difficult times.  Overall, Kumari encourages listeners to embrace their humanity and seek help when needed.  She vulnerably shares how she is navigating grief, embracing strengthening her areas of growth, and how she has given herself more space to lean on her personal relationships for support.

About Kumari

At the time of our recording, Kumari L. Williams held the position of Vice President of VIBE™ (Value, Inclusion, Belonging & Equity) at Workday. She was recently promoted to the position of Chief Diversity Officer at Workday. With a passion for fostering inclusive, supportive, and equitable work environments, she serves as a visionary thought leader in the talent domain. Kumari spearheads strategic initiatives, including the Employee Belonging Council, Giving & Doing, and Disability Inclusion programs. Her vision revolves around fostering an environment in which each person feels esteemed, respected, and equipped to unleash their fullest potential.

With more than two decades of experience and a comprehensive track record in developing and executing effective strategies, Kumari brings her invaluable knowledge and insights to her position. Prior to joining Workday in 2021, Kumari worked in various senior leadership positions at HARMAN International and ADP. These roles included serving as the Senior Director of Global Talent Management & Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), Senior Director of Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding, and Director of Client Operations.

Kumari and her devoted husband, originally from Metro Detroit, currently reside in Georgia. They actively engage in their church and community activities alongside their two sons, fostering a strong sense of belonging and purpose.

Connect with Kumari on LinkedIn here. 

Resources:

• Now enrolling for our spring 2025 leadership development programs starting in January 2025.  Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/
• Event: Join us for the Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference +Retreat, May 27-30, 2025 in Virginia Beach! Learn more at bwlretreat.com

Credits:

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

Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @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 this episode, Laura Knights interviews Shayla Atkins, Founder and CEO of Atkins Impact Consulting,  about leading with authenticity. 

Shayla shares her personal journey of code-switching and conforming in the corporate world, and how she eventually found success by embracing her authentic self. They discuss the importance of alignment, clarity, and healing in leadership, and how authenticity is the new leadership currency.

Shayla introduces the concept of SPICE (Savvy, Performance, Image, Communication, and Exposure) as the key skills for effective leadership. She also emphasizes the need for building networks, finding mentors, and creating environments that allow individuals to show up authentically.

About Shayla

Shayla N. Atkins has a proven track record in the private sector earning her the coveted title of award-winning DE&I leader as her team was awarded "The Most Innovative DE&I Team". Her thought leadership, results, and commitment to community service earned her the 2022 Lifetime Presidential Achievement Award presented by President Joseph R. Biden and now as a CEO of a consulting firm, a certified Lean Six Sigma blackbelt, executive coach and organizational effectiveness strategist making a global impact, she challenges the norms, systems, and practices in the corporate landscape to "level the playing field" for every person and business to thrive.

She is the Bestselling Author of "Black Women Lead With S.P.I.C.E." underscoring her belief that “Authenticity is the new leadership currency”. Shayla strives to change the leadership landscape by advancing authentic and effective women into senior leadership through her talks, development programs, courses and books.

Shayla N. Atkins not only boasts education in Organizational Effectiveness and a myriad of certifications (Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt, DE&I Certified, Organizational Change Management, etc.), but she has also nearly two decades of real-world global senior HR leadership experience and emerged as an award-winning authority in leadership development, diversity, equity and inclusion, and workplace culture transformation in leading mid-size and large companies.

Connect with Shayla

• Website: www.theatkinsimpact.com
• Connect with Shayla on LinkedIn
• Get her book on amazon: https://a.co/d/eyJd5In 
• Download her free guide: www.leadwithspice.com

Resources:

• Event: Join us for the Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference +Retreat, May 27-30, 2025 in Virginia Beach! Learn more at bwlretreat.com

Credits:

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

Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @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 this episode, Laura  hosts an alumni panel of Black Woman Leading alums (Shaneka Stanley, Lekeshia Hicks, and Jada Hamm) to discuss the importance of community care in professional development. 

They share their experiences as Black women leaders and the role of community in their journeys,  the importance of “mirrors” and support systems, and the challenges and triumphs of setting and maintaining boundaries. 

They emphasize the importance of showing up authentically, taking up space, and making meaningful connections. They also highlight the power of being a connector and the impact it can have on others.

Guest Bios:

::Jada Hamm

Jada Hamm is a dynamic professional with over six years of experience in consulting, employee relations, policy development, and talent management. Based in Philadelphia, she is actively involved in nonprofits, entertainment, and events industries, holding multiple roles across these sectors.

Jada holds a BBA in Human Resource Management and is currently pursuing further education in strategic management next fall. She is passionate about creating inclusive workplaces and dedicates her time to community service, volunteering with the Community Hero Action Group INC.

Connect with Jada LinkedIn.

::Lekeshia Hicks

Lekeshia Angelique Hicks  is a passionate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Strategist and the founder of Lekeshia Angelique Consulting. An Army veteran and doctoral candidate at Austin Peay State University, she brings a unique blend of academic knowledge and real-world experience to her work.

Lekeshia serves as the Education Committee Chairperson for the NAACP Clarksville-Montgomery Chapter, a Board Member of the Clarksville-Montgomery Public Library, and the Board Chair of The STEAM Institute. Her expertise spans healthcare, technology, and higher education sectors, where she develops customized DEIA solutions.

A dedicated wife, mother, and grandmother, Lekeshia's personal experiences inform her professional mission: to foster environments where diversity is not just recognized, but celebrated. Through her consulting work, speaking engagements, and community involvement, Lekeshia is committed to transforming DEIA principles into actionable, empathetic practices.

Connect with Lekeshia on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn. 

::Shaneka Stanley

Shaneka L. Stanley, MA, MS, SHRM-SCP, is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, Christian, Proud HBCU alum (University of Arkansas Pine Bluff), active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc and soon to be a certified Life and Organizational Development Coach. She engages with leaders of nonprofit organizations across the country as a Senior Human Resource Consultant.  With close to 25 years of experience,  Shaneka is a dynamic leader and genuine influencer who promotes continuous improvement by employing a flexible problem-solving approach that balances business goals with employee needs. She has comprehensive experience in the full HR lifecycle with proven success in aligning business and people strategies, building dynamic teams and transforming cultures.

Shaneka earned her Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in English Education from the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, Master of Arts (MA) degree in Communications & Training from Governors State University and Master of Science (MS) degree in Human Resources Management from Roosevelt University. She has been a certified HR professional since 2006.

Public service is at the core of her being as she serves her community and advocates for positive change. Shaneka is a Founding Board Member of South Suburban Cook County HR Association, a SHRM affiliate chapter located in Chicago’s south suburbs. She serves as the Senior Chair for the PTO at her son's school and she is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, Joliet Area/South Suburban Alumnae Chapter.

Connect with Shaneka on LinkedIN

Resources:

• Event: Join us for the 2025 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference +Retreat, May 27-30, 2024 in Virginia Beach! Learn more at bwlretreat.com

Credits:

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

Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @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

Welcome to Season 6 of Black Woman Leading, the podcast!  

This podcast is an extension of the Black Woman Leading learning experience.  

The theme for season six is “Community Care is Critical.”

In addition to the focused topics we’ll explore this season, the core questions this season will explore how embracing community has fueled our personal and professional growth.

In keeping with our core pillars, the episodes will continue to have a holistic focus on three core areas--leadership development, self-care and mental wellness, and relationship management. We’ll explore these areas through the lens of our theme for season six in both solo and guest episodes.

Laura also shares some highlights about the Black Woman Leading® programs and events.

Tune it to get some quick insights into what we’ll cover this season!  

About Laura
Laura Knights is the Creator of Black Woman Leading® and host of the podcast. She is an executive coach, speaker, facilitator, and licensed clinical social worker with 20+ years of experience creating personal and professional development programs that have touched leaders worldwide.

Her expertise and background in business, human resources, adult education, and social work uniquely equip her to teach others how to deal with both the "head work" and "heart work" required to succeed at work and in life.  She is the Founder and CEO of Knights Consulting LLC,  a leadership development consultancy that provides customized training and coaching programs to create more confident leaders and high-performing teams.

Black Woman Leading® is a research-backed initiative which offers leadership development programming, a podcast, and an annual conference for Black women professionals. Black Woman Leading® is an initiative of Knights Consulting LLC. Learn more at blackwomanleading.com.

Resources:

• Event: Join us for the 2025 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference +Retreat, May 27-30, 2025 in Virginia Beach! Learn more at bwlretreat.com

Credits:

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

Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @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

We are celebrating the completion of our fifth season! 

In addition to the focused topics we explored this season, the theme for season five was Identity.  We explored the questions - “Who are you and who do you want to be?”

The core questions this season were focused on embracing our identity and core values, and amplifying the message that who we are right now is worthy and who we choose to become through our learning and growth is worth the effort.

We have a very special guest joining us for this recap episode — my mother, Elizabeth Ann Rogers!

Since our parents are one of the primary influencers of our identity development, I thought it only made sense to have a major personal influencer of my identity join us for this final episode of the season! Plus, my mom is our number one podcast listener! She listens to every episode and takes notes.  If no one else is listening, I can always count on her to tune in.

In this special recap episode, my mom and I reflect on questions of our evolving identity, and we both share our highlights of season 5. It’s a sweet episode.

Listen to hear our insights about all the good stuff we covered this season! 

Resources:

We are now enrolling for the August 2024 sessions of our Mid-Career and Early Career leadership development programs.  Registration includes a ticket to the May 2025 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference + Retreat. Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/

Credits:

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

Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Te’a Campbell

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• iHeartRadio
• Audible
• Podbay

If you desire to advance to senior or executive levels of leadership, this episode is for you!

In this solo episode, Laura provides an overview of strategic leadership competencies that are critical for career advancement, and shares five functions of strategic leaders–aligning, developing strategy, translating, thought partnering, and sensing–to help you conduct self-assessment to identify your strengths and areas to develop.

Laura  shares the cautionary tale of the Black woman leader who is unable to advance because she is too deep in the “tactical weeds” of her role, and some indicators of if you need to proactively invest in developing your strategic leadership skills.

Finally, she shares some recommended next steps to implement these insights into your career development journey. Tune in and take some time to reflect on your strategic leadership skills.  

Resources:

We are now enrolling for the August 2024 sessions of our Mid-Career and Early Career leadership development programs.  Registration includes a ticket to the May 2025 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference + Retreat. Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/

Credits:

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

Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Te’a Campbell

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• iHeartRadio
• Audible
• Podbay

In this recap episode, Laura shares her highlights from the Black Woman Leading LIVE! Leadership Conference + Retreat that took place in Virginia Beach, May 13-16, 2024.

Black Woman Leading LIVE! is hosted annually.  It is the premier leadership development conference to help Black women professionals learn, heal, and grow in their leadership capacity.

Watch the recap video and join the interest list for the 2025 event at www.BWLRetreat.com

Resources

• We are enrolling for the fall sessions of both the Black Woman Leading Early Career and Mid-Career programs.  Learn more at https://blackwomanleading.com/programs-overview/

Credits:

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

Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Te’a Campbell

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• iHeartRadio
• Audible
• Podbay

In this episode, we welcome Kara Stevens, CEO & Founder of the Frugal Feminista, to discuss uncovering and rewriting your money story.

Your money story is the narrative you tell yourself about money and your rights and relationship to it based on your values, beliefs, and life experiences.  Our money stories are often “borrowed” from the people who raised us. Depending on what was borrowed, you may want to rewrite your money story once you gain awareness and clarity about your own desires and needs.

In the episode, Kara educates on how to identify your money story and the importance of healing our relationship with money if our stories create negative connections to our worth, value or happiness.  She shares her own personal journey, and how an aligned money story can become a vehicle for creating more wealth and freedom in your life.  

Tune into this inspiring episode to gain insights on how to move from a mindset of lack to one of abundance with regard to your relationship with money.

About Kara

Kara Stevens is the founder of The Frugal Feminista, a thriving personal finance and personal development company committed to helping people heal their relationships with money and themselves.

Her relatable financial advice has been featured on Forbes, CNN, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo Finance, ESSENCE, Women’s Day Magazine, The Washington Post, and other nationally recognized media outlets.

She is also the author of heal your relationship with money, The Happy Finances Challenge, and Unmasking the Strong Black Woman. 

Connect with Kara

• Website: https://www.thefrugalfeminista.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frugalfeminista/
• X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/frugalfeminista
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kara-stevens-37882b12/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefrugalfeminista/?_rdc=1&_rdr
• Get Kara’s books here: https://www.thefrugalfeminista.com/shop/

Upcoming events

• Join us for the Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference +Retreat, May 13-16, 2024 in Virginia Beach! Learn more at bwlretreat.com

Credits:

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

Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Te’a Campbell

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• iHeartRadio
• Audible
• Podbay

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Telesa Hart, Chiropractor and Burnout Coach, to help us to explore self-care strategies we can use to regulate our central nervous system.

Your central nervous system includes your brain and your spinal cord. It plays a role in everything you do, and helps you to move, think, and feel. The central nervous system carries your body through its ‘rest and digest’ functions as well as ‘fight or flight.’  

When experiencing different forms of stress, your central nervous system may move out of its healthy functioning state to a dysregulated state, which may contribute to disease and other mental and physical challenges.  When considering many of the stressors Black women face, it’s not uncommon to experience dysregulation in this way. This is why Dr. Hart encourages listeners to integrate a regular self-check into your daily wellness practice.

She provides a brief overview of the functions of the central nervous system, and provides examples of symptoms and signs that may indicate that our system is overloaded.  She shares practical self-care activities we can use to regulate our central nervous system, and also provides insight on when we may need to contact a professional medical provider for support.  

Dr. Hart describes  the link between burnout and central nervous system dysregulation, sharing her own powerful story of burnout and how she overcame a very difficult moment in her life that inspired her work today.

About Dr. Telesa Hart

Dr. Telesa Hart is a passionate chiropractor and burnout coach, dedicated to promoting wellness and nervous system regulation. Born in Ft. Benning, GA, and raised in Germany, Dr. Hart brings a unique perspective to her practice, currently based in Atlanta, GA.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Langston University, a Master of Science in Positive Psychology from Life University, and a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, also from Life University. Dr. Hart's expertise lies in the field of Central Nervous System Regulation, where she combines her knowledge of chiropractic care with a focus on holistic well-being.

In addition to her professional endeavors, Dr. Hart is an avid practitioner of acting and poetry, using creative expression as a means of personal growth and connection.

Driven by her vision for holistic wellness, Dr. Hart aspires to grow The You Center into a global symbol of wellness, addressing the physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental aspects of well-being.

With her unique blend of expertise, creativity, and unwavering commitment to wellness, Dr. Hart continues to inspire and empower individuals on their journey to a balanced and thriving life.

Connect with Dr. Hart

• Instagram
• Facebook

Suicide Prevention Resources

If you're thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7, free of charge. Call or text 988. https://988lifeline.org/

Upcoming events

• Join us for the Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference +Retreat, May 13-16, 2024 in Virginia Beach! Learn more at bwlretreat.com

Credits:

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

Email Laura: laura@knightsconsultinggroup.com

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn

Follow BWL on LinkedIn

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights 

Graphics: Te’a Campbell

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• iHeartRadio
• Audible
• Podbay