Explore every episode of the podcast The Foundational Years

Hello everyone!

It is only 1/2 the Foundational Years Podcast today! Ladan and I decided to also do solo episodes so you can get to know us and our stories individually! In this episode, I’ll be covering all the basics of who I am, what I do & how we got here. I hope this is a pleasant listen for you! See you every other Monday 

🎧 Listen now and start designing a career that works for you.

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Send us a question to @emp.our or info@empour.org 

Follow along with us on our journeys as friends and founders: 

@ladanoutloud

@hali.jama

Are you feeling overwhelmed by layoffs, job insecurity, and systemic barriers, especially as a Black woman or woman of colour in the workforce? In this episode, we share raw insights on the current job market, the disproportionate impact on Black women, and practical strategies to build career resilience and community support.

Key Topics:

• The alarming increase in layoffs, with 600,000 layoffs reported in January 2026 alone, and their disproportionate impact on Black women

• Data showing Black women’s unemployment rate rising by 7.8% by late 2025, despite higher educational attainment

• The shift in corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) departments, and how layoffs are affecting Black and Latina women

• Personal stories of leaving corporate roles due to pay disparities, overqualification, and toxic work environments

• The importance of building safety nets, including side hustles, side savings, and career communities like Our Society

• Strategies for proactive career management: asking for opportunities, creating backup plans, and leveraging community networks

• The psychological toll of job insecurity and ways to prioritize mental health and well-being

• Practical tips for financial safety nets, including savings, side gigs, and community financial tools like money pots.
  The power of reaching out, asking questions, and building relationships with industry leaders and peers

• How to create community, support each other, and flip systemic barriers into opportunities

Timestamps:

02:00 - Impact of layoffs on Black women and demographic disparities

04:00 - Personal stories of career shifts and overcoming pay gaps

08:30 - Building safety nets: side hustles, savings, and community support

12:00 - Navigating workplace politics and microaggressions

15:00 - Creating networks through Our Society and industry insights

20:00 - The importance of asking for opportunities and direct outreach

26:00 - Building career security amid systemic instability

30:00 - Community empowerment and mutual aid among Black professionals

Resources & Links:

• Our Society — Join a community with access to weekly networking and learning

Connect with EmpOUR:

• TikTok & Instagram: @emp.our

• email: info@empour.org

Connect with Ladan:

• TikTok & Instagram: @ladanoutloud

Connect with Hali:

• TikTok & Instagram: @hali.jama

How do you design a career that aligns with your passions, protects your health, and adapts to change? This episode breaks it down.

This week is a solo episode with 1/2 the hosts. Ladan, shares her journey from managing autoimmune illness at 17 to building a global career as a People & Culture strategist, career designer, and entrepreneur. Through intentional planning, skill-building, and passion-driven choices, she moved across academia, tech, nonprofits, and international leadership, including a fully funded master’s and doctoral degree.

In this episode, we cover:

• How to design your career intentionally and stay adaptable

• Building skills and relationships that create real safety nets

• Preventing burnout while pursuing ambitious goals

• Why working strategically in your 20s pays off long term

Perfect for ambitious professionals, students, first-generation folks, and entrepreneurs, this conversation offers practical tools to build a career that supports both success and well-being.

🎧 Listen now and start designing a career that works for you.

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Send us a question to @emp.our or info@empour.org

Follow along with us on our journeys as friends and founders:

@ladanoutloud

@hali.jama

This is a space for honest conversations about building careers, community, and lives we’re proud of, all while we’re still figuring it out.

We’re both first-gen, deeply ambitious, and learning in real time. We don’t have everything mapped out, but we’re sharing what we’re learning along the way, the wins, the missteps, and everything in between.

And today, we’re starting from the beginning: how we met, our journeys, and why we decided to build EmpOUR and this podcast out loud.

Takeaways:

- First-gen experiences

- Goals for the year

- Building a community platform

- Prioritizing health and wellness

- Career and entrepreneurial goals

- Work-life balance

- Setting boundaries in the workplace

Submit A Question:

@emp.OUR

info@empour.org

Socials:

@ladanoutloud

@hali.jama