League of Leaders Podcast

Life is going to life, and there is no set path to success. Shaquila Myers started in community work, took a gamble in politics, and worked with some of the top politicians in the state, including Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer aka "Big Gretch." Shaquila talks about leaning into the political game to run campaigns, raise funds, and help introduce legislation. Shaquila shares her role during a time when there were threats to kidnap the governor, as well as the events of January 6, 2021.

Let's talk about following your dreams! Iisha Scott is an award-winning, Certified Broadcast Meteorologist at NBC Chicago. Her career has taken her from the southeast to the Mid-Atlantic and now the Midwest, covering everything from hurricanes and tornadoes to blizzards.

Kevin and Erika host another "spitting bars" episode covering three articles in the news related to ways to transition into leadership, are you ready to lead a diverse team, and ensure you provide non-linear career paths for your team members. The pandemic has taught many leaders they must be agile and always think ahead, as team members are no longer just staying around for the sake of it. Are you positioning yourself for leadership BEFORE the role or opportunities are presented? If not, you should be. Being Black or being a man or a woman alone doesn't qualify you to lead diverse teams, but checking your biases and being open to new prospective, and becoming a DEI practitioner helps. Lastly, gone are the days when your job dictated your career path. Companies are looking for creative ways to give team members opportunities to grow within the organization, reducing the risk of institutional knowledge walking out of the door. Check it out and let us know what you think.

Marketing leader and CEO, Elizabeth Kemp Caulder stops by the League of Leaders to share what it means to lead intentionally and with purpose. Launching the Phoenix Lifestyle Marketing Group wasn't a goal of hers but she took an available opportunity and the bet paid off. Elizabeth shares how men can be better advocates for women in the workplace and act as conduits for change. She talks about her new appointment as head of marketing for Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and the types of projects she's working on and what's next. The group talks about the challenges of leading communications and marketing in Greek organizations accounting for variances in experiences, eras, and stakeholder groups. Elizabeth lets us in on a secret, she's a doomsday prepper!

Spitting Bars! Kevin and Erika kick off 2023 celebrating "Founders' Week" within the NPHC fraternities and sororities, and Deion Sanders' controversial decision to leave Jackson State University to lead the Colorado University football program as head coach and how to determine when it's time for you to transition to your next role. 1) What do you hope to learn in the new role, 2) what type of work do you want to do, and 3) what does success look like to know it's time to enter the next phase of your career journey? Next, Kevin and Erika discuss Jacqueline Baker's book "The Unexpected Leader: Discovering the Leader Within You." Did you fall into leadership or inherit a leadership position? If so, now what? Jacqueline Baker outlines actionable steps to take control of your new leadership role, be an effective leader, and show up for others.

The League of Leaders returns after a professional development and educational break at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois, a new role, and lots of rest, with a new host, Erika Monae! Find out what we've been up to, what's new with the show, and what books we've been reading. We've missed you, but we are back!

Dayton, Ohio-native, now Louisvillian, Dr. Charles C. Davis, Jr., sits down with the League of Leaders to share his journey from an aspiring computer scientist at Eastern Michigan University through many peaks and valleys in the nonprofit sector and public school sector and back to nonprofit life. Growing up in a household full of educators, Charles wanted nothing to do with the career path but could not deny his calling and served in various capacities at Cincinnati and Jefferson County (Kentucky) Public School Systems. Charles has devoted his career to working hard and advocating for educational equity on behalf of students. Charles is a certified diversity professional and currently serves as Director of Comprehensive Services at Evole502, an adjunct professor at the University of Louisville, and owner of CCD Consulting.

[Women's History Month 2021] Detroit native, now Atlantan, Aisha J. Thomas, JD sits down with the League of Leaders to share her path from Detroit's Cass Technical High School with dreams of becoming a medical doctor and finding her way down another path, real estate. Aisha's commercial real estate practice retains a presence in Detroit and has since grown to California and Georgia where she resides. Aisha shares insights on Detroit's resurgence a decade beyond the great recession and its bankruptcy proceedings. Aisha is committed to fighting and advocating for fair housing and opportunities in Atlanta and serves on numerous boards and commissions to carry out the work and implement change. On Juneteenth 2020, Aisha launched AJT Law, a firm focused on contracts, mediations, and landlord/tenant matters. AJT Law has a mission to help clients make sounds decisions before contracts are signed.

Women's History Month 2021: Chicago-native, eductor and entertainment executive Dr. Syleecia sits down with the League of Leaders to discuss how she fell into the music industry, shares her experiences as an author, professor at Berkely College, offers advice on how to monetize your brand, and more. Dr. Syleecia did not see the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason to slow down, but an opportunity to extend her creative endeavors into additional revenue streams and completing her latest book, "The Resilience Factor," and producing web series entitled "The Startup with Dr. Syleecia," and "The Making of a Woman on FoxSoul" for her sister, songstress Syleena Johnson. Dr. Syleecia is a straight-shooter whose north star is the truth and resilience.

Women's History Month 2021: Detroit-native Karinda L. Washington sits down with the League of Leaders on March 13th (known to Detroiters as 313 Day) to discuss her road to making history at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as its Acting Assistant Secretary for Partnership Engagement. Karinda's background in community engagement and building meaningful relationships paved the way for her to run for Detroit City Council two times. While her runs for public office in Detroit were unsuccessful, Karinda had no idea her experiences were setting her up for something greater in public service and community engagement. Showing up for her first professional interview out of college with blue-glitter lipstick and flashy frames, someone took a gamble on her and it paid off. Karinda is the epitome of the saying "your talent will make room for you."