If you’re a Black woman in the coaching world, you’ve probably done i, maybe without even realizing it at first.

You changing your tone so you don’t get labeled “aggressive.”

You are choosing words that feel “more professional.”

Tucking away parts of yourself to make others comfortable.

That’s code switching... and in white-dominated coaching spaces, it often happens so automatically, it feels like survival.

In this episode of Three Black Women and Their White Coach, we are getting real about the unseen, exhausting ways Black women are asked (directly or indirectly) to adapt in order to belong.

In this episode:

• How code switching shows up without you even realizing it
• The quiet ways this stereotype shapes interactions in masterminds, group programs, and 1:1 coaching
• The unspoken “rules” baked into coaching spaces
• The toll it takes on authenticity, safety, and mental energy
• Why coaching often isn’t designed with Black women in mind
• How white coaches can create spaces where no one feels they have to edit themselves

This week's Heart Check:

For Black Women:

notice the moments you subconsciously code switch and how it feels in your body. Is it protection? Habit? Exhaustion?

For White Coaches:

Ask: Am I creating an environment where Black women feel they can show up fully, without having to adapt who they are?

Time Stamps:

01:06 What Code Switching Really Means in Coaching Spaces

02:21 The Two Main Types of Code Switching You Might Be Doing Without Realizing

03:54 Our Personal Stories of Adapting to Fit In

08:24 Navigating Identity and Belonging as Biracial Women in White-Dominated Spaces

13:10 Why Authenticity Feels Risky for Black Women in Coaching

31:50 How Your Online Presence (Especially Video) Impacts Identity

36:16 Hair, Professionalism, and the Pressure to Look “Acceptable”

39:34 The Armor We Wear: Breanna’s Pencil Skirt at 16

41:21 Unlearning Who We Were Told to Be and Rebuilding Identity

44:54 How to Spot When You’re Code Switching

48:20 The Ongoing Journey of Self-Discovery

58:51 What a Truly Safe Space for Authenticity Looks Like

1:06:48 Heart Check + Final Thoughts

Subscribe now and join us as we build spaces where Black women can show up fully, without shrinking themselves to fit in.

Connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threeblackwomenpod