Black Woman Leading

In this episode, Laura sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Adams to explore what it truly means to amplify your strengths… not just possess them.

In today's dynamic corporate and technological landscape, many Black women leaders are deeply skilled yet under-recognized. Dr. Adams challenges listeners to move beyond quiet competence and into intentional visibility — leveraging presence, strategy, and even AI as tools to elevate their leadership.

Together, they unpack how Black women can confidently own their leadership identity, strategically identify overlooked opportunities, and use emerging technologies to clarify and communicate their value. The conversation also explores Dr. Adams' frameworks of skill stacking and job stacking, offering a roadmap for building diversified income streams and future-proofing careers without sacrificing wellbeing.

Anchored in Season 8's theme, Leaning Into Joy, this episode reminds us that amplifying our strengths is not about hustle for hustle's sake — it's about alignment, confidence, and redefining success on our own terms.

About Dr. Elizabeth

Dr. Elizabeth M. Adams is a global authority in Responsible AI, guiding societies and institutions through the age of artificial intelligence. An award-winning strategist, TEDx speaker, and LinkedIn Top Voice, she is a trusted source for industry, academia, nonprofits, and government leaders worldwide. As CEO of EMA Advisory Services, she helps organizations align culture, leadership, and innovation with ethical, human-centered AI. Her influence spans global stages, from the United Nations to policy labs in Sweden, translating Responsible AI into scalable, values-driven action. Recognized by Forbes as one of the "15 AI Ethics Leaders Showing the World the Way of the Future," she bridges research, policy, and enterprise to ensure AI leadership is accountable, empowered, and transformative.

Learn more about her work on her website at www.eadams.tech

Connect with Elizabeth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizadams/

Purchase Elizabeth's book, In the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Choosing Purpose Before Code at www.eadams.tech

BWL Resources:

• Join us at the 2026 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. May 11-14, 2026 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com

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

• Check out the BWL theme song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0

• Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg

• 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: [email protected]

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/

Follow BWL on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Youtube: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/

Graphics: Dara Adams

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Stitcher

• iHeartRadio

• Audible

• Podbay

In this empowering episode, Laura is joined by Pamela Gelie, Founder of URise, for a heartfelt and practical conversation on what it truly means to redefine balance…especially as Black women navigating multiple roles, expectations, and seasons of life.

Pamela shares her personal journey of pursuing greater freedom, meaning, and values alignment, including how her search for balance ultimately led to a career pivot. Together, Laura and Pamela explore how balance is not a fixed destination, but a living, evolving practice shaped by our responsibilities, our resilience, and our willingness to honor what we need.

This episode also dives into the complex relationship many Black women have with resilience. While strength is often celebrated, Laura and Pamela discuss how the "Strong Black Woman" trope can sometimes make it difficult to soften, rest, and be fully human—especially in moments when we don't want to bounce back quickly.

Aligned with Season 8's theme "Leaning Into Joy," this conversation invites listeners to consider balance as a pathway to joy; one that prioritizes inner clarity, wellbeing, and intentional living over perfection or constant performance.

About Pamela

Born in France to Afro-Caribbean parents, Pamela grew up between cultures and learned to adapt across worlds. A decade in London shaped her career leading customer experience in global organisations across the UK and France. Those years taught her how to deliver at scale while navigating complexity and multicultural environments.

Illness, mental health challenges in family and discrimination tested her but also built resilience and empathy. Motherhood deepened her drive to create freedom and balance for her kids and the next generation.

Today, she channels her journey and a profound sense of ''Give Back' into URise, the company so founded to turn lived experience into impact. It allows her to blend leadership, purpose and reinvention in equal measure.

Connect with Pamela on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-gelie

BWL Resources:

• Join us at the 2026 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. May 11-14, 2026 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com

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

• Check out the BWL theme song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0

• Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg

• 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: [email protected]

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/

Follow BWL on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Youtube: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/

Graphics: Dara Adams

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Stitcher

• iHeartRadio

• Audible

• Podbay

In this conversation, Laura and Dr. Brandeis Marshall explore the concept of responsible AI and the critical need to reframe our understanding of it. Dr. Marshall's insights shed light on how leaders and everyday users can navigate this complex terrain with a focus on ethics and responsibility.

Key takeaways from this discussion include the importance of informed leadership, mindful AI usage, and the power of community support in driving responsible AI initiatives.

Whether you're overseeing AI in your organization or using it personally, this conversation will reshape how you approach AI ethically, legally, and practically.

About Dr. Marshall

Brandeis Marshall is founder and CEO of DataedX Group™, a data & AI governance consulting agency. Formerly a college professor, she speaks, writes, teaches and consults on how to move slower and build better people-first tech. Dr. Marshall helps cross-functional teams close gaps amongst data strategy, human decision-making competencies and AI adoption activities. She guides them in effectively executing responsible AI and data tactics and implementations. She also founded Black Women in Data in 2020 to broaden awareness, support and retain senior-level Black women whose expertise intersect with the data industry.

Dr. Marshall is the author of Data Conscience: Algorithmic Siege on our Humanity (Wiley, 2022), co-editor of Mitigating Bias in Machine Learning (McGraw-Hill, 2024) and contributing author in The Black Agenda (Macmillan, 2022). She holds a Ph.D. and Master of Science in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Rochester. Dr. Marshall recently obtained her EMBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology.

Connect with Dr. Marshall

• Website: https://dataedx.com/

• LInkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/brandeis-marshall

BWL Resources:

• Join us at the 2026 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. May 11-14, 2026 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com

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

• Check out the BWL theme song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0

• Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg

• 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: [email protected]

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/

Follow BWL on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Youtube: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/

Graphics: Dara Adams

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Stitcher

• iHeartRadio

• Audible

• Podbay

In this solo episode, Laura shares practical strategies for setting healthy boundaries at work without guilt, over-explaining, or burning bridges.

Aligned with Season 8's theme Leaning Into Joy, this conversation explores why boundaries are essential for protecting your wellbeing, preserving your energy, and creating a healthier workplace experience, especially for Black women leaders who may be navigating high expectations and invisible labor.

Laura breaks down three types of workplace boundary categories (time, scope, and emotional), common boundary mistakes, and a simple 4-step method you can use immediately:

1. Name the boundary

2. Anchor it in priorities

3. Offer a choice

4. Close the loop

You'll also walk away with clear scripts, leadership tips for modeling boundaries on your team, and encouragement to start small and stay consistent.

Click here to download the companion worksheet for this episode >>>

Also referenced in this episode >> S2E13 - Setting and Protecting Your Boundaries with Stephanie Ghoston Paul

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.

BWL Resources:

• Join us at the 2026 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. May 11-14, 2026 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com

• 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: [email protected]

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 Kelli Jackson, Founder of Expert Edge Career Management Agency, to discuss the importance of positioning oneself for new career opportunities

Kelli shares her insights on navigating the job market, the significance of storytelling in job searches, and the evolving landscape of leadership roles. She emphasizes the need for strategic job searching, the value of personal branding, and the importance of having a supportive career team. Kelli also highlights the necessity of owning one's job search and recognizing the unique assets each individual brings to the table.

About Kelli

Kelli Jackson is the Founder of Expert Edge Career Management Agency, a pioneering firm that represents and positions senior leaders, executives, and industry experts where market demand is surging.

With over two decades of experience spanning recruiting, talent acquisition, and career strategy, Kelli has redefined how senior leaders navigate career transitions. Rather than teaching traditional job search tactics, she helps clients understand where demand already exists for their expertise and how to position themselves to capture it.

Connect with Kelli

• Website: expertedge50.com

• Instagram, Twitter & Tiktok: @iamkellijackson

• LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamkellijackson/

BWL Resources:

• Join us at the 2026 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. May 11-14, 2026 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com

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

• Check out the BWL theme song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0

• Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg

• 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: [email protected]

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/

Follow BWL on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Youtube: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/

Graphics: Dara Adams

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Stitcher

• iHeartRadio

• Audible

• Podbay

In this episode of the Black Woman Leading podcast, Laura welcomes Dr. Sam March. They discuss the importance of cultivating a growth mindset and how it intertwines with emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and the journey towards harmony in life.

Dr. Sam emphasizes the significance of recognizing triggers, the difference between balance and harmony, and the unique challenges faced by Black women in leadership with regard to the topic. The discussion also highlights practical strategies for flipping negative thinking patterns and the power of gratitude and joy in personal and professional life.

About Dr. Sam

Dr. Sam is a Chiropractor & Wellness Strategist with a passion for whole-person healing. Blending clinical expertise with personal experience, she helps others reconnect body, mind, heart, and soul. Through her work at Lignum Vitae Wellness & her new book, Harmonize Your Life, Dr. Sam guides readers to move beyond physical adjustments and find true inner harmony—the kind that brings lasting peace and alignment, both on and off the table. When she's not serving patients or sharing her message, she enjoys exploring the world and cherishing time with her family.

Connect with Dr. Sam

• Website: http://www.drsammarch.com

• Instagram: http://instagram.com/drsammarch

BWL Resources:

• Join us at the 2026 Black Woman Leading LIVE! Conference & Retreat. May 11-14, 2026 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Save your seat at www.BWLretreat.com

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

• Check out the BWL theme song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0

• Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg

• 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: [email protected]

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/

Follow BWL on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Youtube: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/

Graphics: Dara Adams

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Stitcher

• iHeartRadio

• Audible

• Podbay

In this episode of Black Woman Leading, Laura Knights welcomes Alanna Thomas to discuss the importance of embracing your gifts and what it truly means to lead from the fullness of who you are.

Together, they explore how Black women leaders can reconnect with their God-given gifts and talents, especially in environments that may have misunderstood, minimized, or even shamed those very qualities. Alanna shares insights on how gifts often extend far beyond what's listed on a résumé, showing up instead in patterns of curiosity, intuition, discernment, creativity, and care.

The conversation also names a common tension many Black women experience: carrying invisible labor, being overextended, or feeling pressure to give endlessly without boundaries. Alanna offers wisdom on discerning when gifts are being used in alignment, and when they're being overused or misapplied, along with practical guidance for stewarding gifts with intention, clarity, and care.

About Alanna

Alanna Thomas is the Founder of Lighthouse Leadership Company. Over the past 8 years, she has helped hundreds of leaders increase their confidence and implement growth plans for their teams. Moving organizations from chaos to clarity with her GROW framework has led to her end goal of happier and more aware spouses and parents at home after the workday is over.

Connect with Alanna

• Website: http://www.lighthouseleadershipcompany.com

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealannathomas

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: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l68EqEJjXq0

• Check out the BWL line dance tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eui89AmJwUg

• 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: [email protected]

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraeknights/

Follow BWL on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/blackwomanleading

Instagram: @blackwomanleading

Facebook: @blackwomanleading

Youtube: @blackwomanleading

Podcast Music & Production: Marshall Knights - https://marshallknights.com/

Graphics: Dara Adams

Listen and follow the podcast on all major platforms:

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Stitcher

• iHeartRadio

• Audible

• Podbay

In this conversation,Laura welcomes Dr. Nina Joy Mena to discuss digital detoxing and self-care, particularly for busy professionals and Black women leaders.

The discussion covers the impacts of digital overload on mental health, the necessity of establishing boundaries with technology, and practical strategies for maintaining wellness. Dr. Mena emphasizes the significance of self-care routines and the role of community in fostering joy and resilience. The episode concludes with actionable steps for listeners to prioritize their mental health and well-being.

About Dr. Nina

Dr. Nina Joy Mena, known as Dr. NJoy, is an Atlanta-based psychiatrist, author, podcaster, and motivational speaker dedicated to promoting mental wellness and breaking the stigma of mental illness in the Black community. Double board-certified in General Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, she serves as Chief Medical Officer at CHRIS 180, providing compassionate, trauma-informed care across all ages.

As the founder of NJoy LIFE – Living In Full Empowerment, LLC and host of the Journey to Joy Live podcast, Dr. NJoy inspires resilience, authenticity, and joy through storytelling and community engagement. She is the author of NJoyNAL: Nurturing Authentic Living and Inspire Joy for the Wife Mom Boss: Balancing It All Without Losing Yourself.

An avid runner, Dr. NJoy has completed 46 half marathons and 9 full marathons—her personal form of therapy and reset. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and the devoted wife of Juan Mena and mother of three boys, ages 2, 4, and 14.

Connect with Dr. Nina

• Website: www.drnjoylife.com

• Facebook: @NJoy LIFE

• Instagram: @Dr.NJoy.Life

• Youtube: @DrNJoyLifeMD

• Tik Tok: @Dr.NJoy.Life

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 Black Woman Leading Career Journey Map - https://blackwomanleading.com/journey-map/

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: [email protected]

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 powerful episode, Laura is joined by Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards, Associate Professor at Duke University's School of Medicine and Co-Director of Duke CTSI Center for Research, Community Engagement, Social Impact and Trust (CREST Center), for a timely conversation on rethinking resilience.

Inspired by Dr. Bentley-Edwards' article "I Am Not (Your) Superwoman, Black Girl Magic, or Beautiful Struggle: Rethinking the Resilience of Black Women and Girls," this episode explores the cultural narratives that celebrate Black women's strength while often ignoring the profound physical, emotional, and psychological costs of relentless resilience.

Together, Laura and Keisha unpack the tensions between pride in endurance, cultural expectations like the "Strong Black Woman," and the growing body of research showing how these narratives contribute to health inequities across the lifespan. Dr. Bentley-Edwards offers insight into how expectations of resilience often begin in childhood for Black girls, shaping adult experiences of stress, coping, and wellbeing.

The conversation moves beyond critique toward possibility—imagining models of resilience that center sustainable wellness, community care, and structural accountability, rather than individual endurance alone. Dr. Bentley-Edwards also reflects on what Black women can do in service of themselves and Black girls, and what we must collectively demand from systems, institutions, and leaders.

Anchored in Season 8's theme, "Leaning Into Joy," this episode invites listeners to consider how joy, rest, alignment, and community are not indulgences, but essential counterweights to harmful expectations of strength.

About Dr. Keisha

Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards is an Associate Professor at Duke University's School of Medicine and Co-Director of Duke CTSI Center for Research, Community Engagement, Social Impact and Trust (CREST Center). She is also the Associate Director of Research for the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity. Dr. Bentley-Edwards' research focuses on how racism, gender, and culture influence development throughout the lifespan, especially for African Americans. She is the Chair of the Society for Research in Child Development's Black Caucus. Her research emphasizes cultural strengths, including religiosity, and eliminating structural barriers to support healthy development in communities, families, and students, and in birth outcomes. Her research has been supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, IBM, and the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Bentley-Edwards shares her expertise on the causes and consequences of structural racism and bias on health, education and social outcomes with families, schools, policymakers, practitioners, and the media.

Connect with Dr. Keisha

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

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kbentleyedwards

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 Black Woman Leading Career Journey Map - https://blackwomanleading.com/journey-map/

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: [email protected]

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

As we step into a new year, this solo episode invites you to pause, reflect, and intentionally define how you want to lead starting from the inside.

Laura explores what it means to trust yourself as a leader and to draw from your internal vision, values, capabilities, and ways of knowing to guide how you want to lead in this new year.

Rather than focusing on resolutions or external expectations, this episode centers alignment, self-compassion, and joy as powerful leadership strategies. You'll be guided through reflection and forward-looking practices designed to help you flex your leadership with clarity, confidence, and resilience in the year ahead.

Laura walks listeners through the SELF Framework as both a reset and a call forward. The four-part approach includes Setting Your Vision & Parameters, Excavating Your Excellence, Leveraging Your Environment, and Framing Your Mindset with Self-Compassion.

Laura ends the episode with a new year leadership challenge, inviting listeners to use their reflections from the SELF framework to write a leadership intention statement, identify three leadership strengths to intentionally honor this year, and to commit to one boundary that protects joy and wellbeing. This challenge is designed to be revisited quarterly as your leadership evolves.

Tune in to this episode as an invitation to begin the year aligned, intentional, and deeply rooted in self-trust.

Click here to download the companion reflection worksheet for this episode: https://blackwomanleading.com/leading-from-within-reflection-worksheet/

Also referenced in this episode >> S6E7: Strengthening Mindful Self-Talk: https://blackwomanleading.com/s6e7-strengthening-mindful-self-talk/

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.

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: [email protected]

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