BsquaredC Podcast: The Black Woman Corporate Career "Brownprint"

In this episode, Akosua and Nancy reflect on their experiences over the past year, discussing their holiday celebrations, the growth of their podcast, and the challenges they faced during season three.

They emphasize the importance of communication, friendship, and consistency in their collaboration, while also sharing their favorite episodes and key takeaways.

Looking ahead to season four, they announce changes in the podcast's direction, including new team members and a host shift.

The conversation highlights the significance of community and support among Black women in corporate spaces.

Takeaways

Behind-the-scenes work is crucial for podcast success.

Growth comes from curiosity and willingness to learn.

Communication is key in navigating partnerships.

Friendship can be both an anchor and a challenge in collaboration.

Consistency and quality are essential in podcasting.

Mentorship is vital for personal and professional growth.

Sign up for our  newsletter using this link: https://forms.gle/dQoyU5nPueX2uGx69

Nominate yourself or another BOLD black woman you know for a chance to be featured on the podcast: https://bit.ly/Boldnominations.

Follow BsquaredC on our socials with the links below: 

 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/b_squaredcpodcast/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bsquaredc/ 

To all the black women in the corporate world out there, KEEP MAKING BOLD MOVES AND KEEP TAKING UP SPACE🎙️🎊 

If you are in Berlin, reach out to Mo Sosanya for all your culinary dishes on Instagram: @savourcakery and @savourevents.

This month, we’re thrilled to bring you our first-ever combined reflection episode, featuring the return of one of our esteemed past guests, Xolisa Mapatwana! Together with Nancy, they revisit thought-provoking insights from the conversations of the last three episodes with Ashley Kioko, Iretide Oladapo, and Millie Ngicho,

Tune in as Nancy and Xolisa deep dive into: 

•  Forms of mentorship and what it takes to build trust and turn mentors into active sponsors of your career

• The mindset and tools you need to navigate non-linear career journies successfully

• How organisations can actively root out bias in their hiring practices

 Tune in as Nancy and Xolisa explore actionable takeaways to empower your career and create fairer workplaces for all.

If you loved this episode, buy us coffee, wine or water using the link below!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/BsquaredC

Be in the loop and be the first to know about exciting episodes, and empowering content. Sign up for our  newsletter using this link: https://bit.ly/BOLDmailinglist

Nominate yourself or another BOLD black woman you know for a chance to be featured on the podcast: https://bit.ly/Boldnominations.

Follow BsquaredC on our socials with the links below: 

 Instagram:⁠https://www.instagram.com/b_squaredcpodcast/⁠ 

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/bsquaredc/⁠ 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BsquaredCPodcast/ 

To all the black women in the corporate world out there, KEEP MAKING BOLD MOVES AND KEEP TAKING UP SPACE🎙️🎊

This month, we're thrilled to share the inspiring story of Millie Ngicho, a dynamic professional who has forged her career abroad. Inspired by the experiences of foreigners in her home country of Kenya, she leapt to study abroad for international exposure, ending up in the Netherlands. However, her transition from student to professional was far from easy.

Tune in as Millie opens up about:

•  Her journey to the Netherlands and the challenges of transitioning from education to employment

• How she navigated cultural barriers and bias during her job applications and interviews

• The biggest lessons from her career journey so far

  
  

If you loved this episode, buy us coffee, wine or water using the link below!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/BsquaredC

Stay in the loop and be the first to know about our latest initiatives, groundbreaking episodes, and empowering content.

Sign up for our  newsletter using this link: https://bit.ly/BOLDmailinglist

Nominate yourself or another BOLD black woman you know for a chance to be featured on the podcast: https://bit.ly/Boldnominations.

Follow BsquaredC on our socials with the links below: 

 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/b_squaredcpodcast/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bsquaredc/ 

Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheB_squaredCPodcast

Black Communities in the Netherlands

OMEK: http://www.myomek.com

Holland Alumni Ambassadors: Home | Holland Alumni Network

To all the black women in the corporate world out there, KEEP MAKING BOLD MOVES AND KEEP TAKING UP SPACE🎙️🎊

This month, we're excited to share the inspiring story of Iretide Oladapo, a versatile professional who has navigated a dynamic career journey across multiple industries and countries. Early in her electrical engineering studies, Iretide realised she was destined for a different path. With intention and an open mind, she embraced a non-linear career filled with diverse learning opportunities and new challenges.

Tune in as Iretide opens up about:

•  Her transition from engineering to business, including her decision to pursue an MBA

• The mental challenges of transitioning between careers and countries and the role of introspection in her journey

• How she is navigating the lack of support for mid-career professionals that is common across the corporate world

  
  

If you loved this episode, buy us coffee, wine or water using the link below!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/BsquaredC

Stay in the loop and be the first to know about our latest initiatives, groundbreaking episodes, and empowering content. Sign up for our  newsletter using this link: https://bit.ly/BOLDmailinglist

Nominate yourself or another BOLD black woman you know for a chance to be featured on the podcast: https://bit.ly/Boldnominations.

Follow BsquaredC on our socials with the links below: 

 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/b_squaredcpodcast/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bsquaredc/

To all the black women in the corporate world out there, KEEP MAKING BOLD MOVES AND KEEP TAKING UP SPACE🎙️🎊 

This month, we're thrilled to share the inspiring journey of Ashley Kioko, an electrical engineer with a deep passion for renewable energy and climate action. Originally from Kenya, Ashley began her career developing solar panels and always dreamed of living abroad. Today, she's making that dream a reality in the Netherlands, where she works for a start-up developing cutting-edge charging systems for electric vehicles.

In this episode Ashley shares:

• Kenya’s leadership in renewable energy and how she navigated her career into the field early on. 

•  The challenges she faced in adapting to a new country and culture, and the strategies she used to overcome them.

• Her thoughts on climate justice and global accountability in climate action

Join the conversation about the episode on our  LinkedIn and Instagram pages.

Hello everyone,

In this short episode, we would like to bring to you the changes that are coming to BsquaredC from now on and how we will be showing up.

We will now release monthly episodes and reflection episodes after three or four episodes.

Follow and engage with us on the following channels:

LinkedIn: https://tr.ee/fastKIhpE7

Instagram: https://tr.ee/4sFiZDgUc5

YouTube: Black, Bold, Corporate - YouTube

Thank you all for sticking and staying with us through all our seasons and to our new listeners, welcome!

How do you manage your manager? How do you navigate a difficult manager relationship? 

These are the questions we are deep-diving into in our reflection episode this month inspired by our guest this month Eugenia. She leveraged her manager effectively in making a career pivot and it got us thinking, what makes a good manager and how do you deal with a difficult one?

Dive into this conversation as we explore what makes a manager tick, including clarity of vision and being an active listener.  Additionally, we discuss strategies for navigating a “bad” or difficult manager, including understanding the manager's motivations, adapting to their work style, and maintaining professionalism. If all else fails, exit stage left sister! 

Wisdom gems from Nancy and Akosua: 

1. A supportive manager has a clear vision and strategy, actively listens, and protects your scope

2. When navigating a difficult manager relationship, remember to maintain professionalism and set boundaries

3. In the interview process, make a good understanding of the culture and work style of a prospective manager a priority

Helpful articles: https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-manage-your-boss-2024-2?international=true&r=US&IR=T

https://www.forbes.com/sites/heidilynnekurter/2022/08/31/employees-here-are-3-ways-to-effectively-manage-your-boss/?sh=6628400775c4

https://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2014/01/20/6-strategies-to-hanhandldling-a-bad-boss/?sh=5abe04426ea0

Related episode:  https://bit.ly/BsquaredCEugeniaEpIf you loved this episode, buy us coffee, wine or water with the link below!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/BsquaredC

Stay in the loop and be the first to know about our latest initiatives, groundbreaking episodes, and empowering content. Sign up for our newsletter using this link: https://bit.ly/BOLDmailinglist 

Nominate yourself or another BOLD black woman you know for a chance to be featured on the podcast: https://bit.ly/Boldnominations. 

Follow BsquaredC on our socials with the links below: 

 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/b_squaredcpodcast/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bsquaredc/ 

To all the black women in the corporate world out there, KEEP MAKING BOLD MOVES AND KEEP TAKING UP SPACE🎙️🎊 

🌟 This month, we are thrilled to share the inspiring journey of Eugenia Boeh-Ocansey, who is role-modelling authenticity for the next generation in many parts of her life! An engineer by training, Eugenia always had an innate gift for storytelling since childhood. 📚 Becoming a parent ignited a fire within her to fully embrace her passion and role model courage for them in many parts of her life! This led to her pivoting her career from engineering to innovation consulting, where she is tapping into her passion for storytelling and helping teams to connect the technical and business world 🚀

And that's not all! 📖 Eugenia went on to extend her storytelling gift to writing, releasing her first book  entitled "Why Am I Brown." This co-authored masterpiece is dedicated to instilling confidence in her Black children to navigate a world that may sometimes be unkind to them. 🌍

🌈 The book celebrates the rich diversity of brown skin, offering an empowering way for Black parents and others to have racial conversations with their children and reminding them of the incredible power of knowing and embracing one's true identity. 🙌💖

Three wisdom gems from Eugenia:

1. Listen to your inner voice and compass. It is your most reliable and faithful guide.  

2. Be very afraid. Confront your fear and it will lose its power over you

3. Just talk to people and be human. It gives others space to be human too and creates genuine connections beyond hierarchy and other superficial social barriers 

Tune in and be inspired by Eugenia’s purposeful journey and how she continues to drive impact around her. 

You can purchase Eugenia's book, Why Am I Brown via the following link: 

Kindle version: WHY AM I BROWN? - Kindle edition by Bartey, Kabuki, Boeh-Ocansey Walefack, Eugenia. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Follow her page: https://instagram.com/why_am_i_brown?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

If you loved this episode, buy us coffee, wine or water with the link below!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/BsquaredC

Please stay in the loop and be the first to know about our latest initiatives, groundbreaking episodes, and empowering content. Sign up for our  newsletter using this link: https://bit.ly/BOLDmailinglist

Nominate yourself or another BOLD black woman you know for a chance to be featured on the podcast: https://bit.ly/Boldnominations.

Follow BsquaredC on our socials with the links below: 

 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/b_squaredcpodcast/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bsquaredc/ 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BsquaredCPodcast/ 

To all the black women in the corporate world out there, KEEP MAKING BOLD MOVES AND KEEP TAKING UP SPACE🎙️🎊 

🛠️🔍 What's in Your Career Resilience Toolkit? 🌟

Inspired by our guest Rebecca Muriuki, who rose above the challenges in her career to find her path, we've brought back Katekani Mabasa to delve deep into the concept of career resilience and what it takes to cultivate it.

💼 The conversation distinguishes career resilience from its close cousin, staying power. You may need to exercise one or the other at different stages of your career, so it's crucial to recognize which is required and when. However, both tools are similar: cultivating authenticity and having a support system or "board of directors" who can guide your decision-making in pivotal moments. Above all,  Authenticity acts as your career's GPS to success! By embracing your true self, you attract the right opportunities and build meaningful connections that serve as lifelines during times of both major and minor career shifts

Three wisdom gems from this Nancy and Katekani

• A board of directors who advise on different facets of life is fundamental to your career resilience toolkit

• Authenticity is your GPS to career success! 

• While embracing authenticity may mean attracting fewer supporters, those who stand by you will form an unwavering and powerful support network

Related episode:  ⁠https://bit.ly/BsquaredCRebeccaEp⁠ 

If you loved this episode, buy us coffee, wine or water with the link below!

⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/BsquaredC⁠

Stay in the loop and be the first to know about our latest initiatives, groundbreaking episodes, and empowering content. Sign up for our newsletter using this link: ⁠https://bit.ly/BOLDmailinglist⁠ 

Nominate yourself or another BOLD black woman you know for a chance to be featured on the podcast: ⁠https://bit.ly/Boldnominations⁠. 

Follow BsquaredC on our socials with the links below: 

 Instagram:⁠https://www.instagram.com/b_squaredcpodcast/⁠ 

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/bsquaredc/⁠ 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BsquaredCPodcast/

To all the black women in the corporate world out there, KEEP MAKING BOLD MOVES AND KEEP TAKING UP SPACE🎙️🎊

This month, we are thrilled to introduce you to Rebecca Muriuki, an associate director at a Big Four audit firm, AND a powerhouse and dynamic leadership coach who has seen it all in the corporate world!

 When Rebecca entered the corporate world, she felt thrown into the deep end, gasping for air! Despite her academic prowess, she endured multiple setbacks in advancing her career. She found that academics did not prepare her for the nuances and rigors of navigating the corporate world, especially as a Black woman. We know women in general face a glass ceiling to advance their careers, but for Black women, it's the next level! Because of being at the intersection of two marginalized identities, being a woman and being Black, 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠. They cannot even see the other side! 

 Rebecca eventually rose above it all! Through mastering visibility, resilience, and leadership, Rebecca smashed that concrete ceiling and now empowers other Black women to pave their paths to senior positions using her invaluable experiences. 

Her mantra: 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞!✨

Three wisdom gems from Rebecca: 

1. You can intentionally design the career you want, but it requires you to take action and intention

2. Have fun in life. You only live once

3. You go so much further when you go with other people

Tune into the full episode for more on Rebecca’s inspiring story!

Follow Rebecca on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccakmuriuki/

Follow Rebecca’s company on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rebecca-muriuki-consulting/ 

Join Rebecca’s Be The Boss Club: https://www.skool.com/elevateher-leaders-community/about

If you loved this episode, buy us coffee, wine, or water with the link below!

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/BsquaredC

Please stay in the loop and be the first to know about our latest initiatives, groundbreaking episodes, and empowering content. Sign up for our newsletter using this link: https://bit.ly/BOLDmailinglist

Nominate yourself or another BOLD black woman you know for a chance to be featured on the podcast: https://bit.ly/Boldnominations.

Follow BsquaredC on our socials with the links below: 

 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/b_squaredcpodcast/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bsquaredc/ 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BsquaredCPodcast/ 

To all the black women in the corporate world out there, KEEP MAKING BOLD MOVES AND KEEP TAKING UP SPACE🎙️🎊