White saviorism shows up in coaching more than many realize, often with good intentions that still do harm.

In this conversation, we define the pattern, explore how it strips power from Black women and other people of color, and offer concrete shifts for coaches who want to lead with accountability, boundaries, and actual allyship.

This isn’t about shame, it’s about awareness, consent, and support that centers the client, not the coach.

In this episode: 

• What white saviorism is (and isn’t) and how it shows up in coaching spaces
• Red flags: tokenizing “diversity,” centering yourself in a client’s healing, over-explaining, assuming proximity to whiteness = success
• Boundaries vs. overreach: staying in your lane as a coach (not therapist, not founder, not fixer)
• Ethical storytelling: why using clients’ trauma for marketing is extractive—and what to do instead
• Inclusive by design: the difference between performative inclusion and intentional, accessible programs
• Real allyship: moving from “I have the answers” to “I facilitate ownership and choice”

Heart Check:

For Black women:

• Where are you centering someone else in your story?
• What boundaries would help you feel more supported, not saved?
• How can you lovingly redirect when a coach oversteps or assumes?

For white coaches:

• Where are you centering yourself in someone else’s story?
• What would it look like to support without ego, without strings attached, and without needing to be the hero?
• Are you listening more than you’re leading?

Keep the Conversation Going

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