In today's final episode of podcast (for now!), "The Hard Truth about Self Advocacy," I'm giving you the recipe for self-advocacy success—the actual step-by-step approach to create a sustainable practice that works even when life gets messy.

When you listen, you'll learn why self-advocacy feels so unnatural (and how to change that). You’ll also get clear on how you can actually learn from failures instead of being discouraged by them.

Last, but not least, we’ll talk about why accountability is the missing piece in your self-advocacy journey.

Here's what's currently getting in your way of advocating for yourself: 1. You're afraid of failure 2. You're fighting external bullshit 3. You have no accountability

 

Connect with Gieselle: ✨ Apply for 1:1 Coaching: https://gieselleallen.com/1-1-coaching/ ✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gieselleallen/ ✨ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gieselle/

This episode shares ALL of the different ways that advocating for yourself will make life better for the folks in your life, so that you can finally see that advocating for yourself is actually one of the best ways you can care for those around you.

In addition to sharing with you how not advocating for yourself is selfish (seriously!) I’ll also be sharing:

🌟 the real reason why your family is so awful about respecting your boundaries

🌟 how one client transformed a decade-long toxic sibling relationship with a single boundary-setting conversation

🌟 ways to ensure you don’t stress down to the team you’re leading

🌟 tips to become a more powerful, effective activist

 

Connect with Gieselle: ✨ Apply for 1:1 Coaching: https://gieselleallen.com/1-1-coaching/ ✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gieselleallen/ ✨ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gieselle/

If you want to know how I went from not realizing advocacy was even possible, to being able to teach others how to advocate for themselves, don’t skip this week’s episode of the podcast.

 

In this week’s episode, “Gieselle enters her Villain Era”, I’ll talk about:

💣 how racism and patriarchal norms impacted my ability to advocate as a wife and partner 

💣 overcoming the trap of being a “good girl” so I could protect my peace

💣 the way advocating for myself actually STRENGTHENED my relationships

💣 allyship and how it changed my ability to advocate for myself

 

….among other lessons I’ve learned over years of building my ability to say “no,” speak up for my needs, and create strong ass boundaries.

In addition to MY story, you’re also getting another gift:

Your ears will be blessed by my former client, lead coach, and friend – Olivia Howard.

Olivia has so much wisdom around the body, intuition, and her own journey of advocating for herself and creating boundaries, that it was just a no-brainer for me to ask her to interview me for this podcast episode.

This episode is close to my heart – I hope you listen and learn so much, including the fact that if I did it, I promise, you can do it too.

 

About Olivia:

Olivia (she/they) is a Magdalene Priestess, Psychic Intuitive, and Somatic Storyteller. Initiated through the Rose Lineage of Mary Magdalene, she has a Masters Degree in English Literature from NYU, is an RYT-200, and has studied somatic and energetic healing for over a decade. Olivia has supported hundreds of women and femmes in their individual and collective healing journeys. A true Scorpio, Olivia's healing ethos is deeply rooted in alchemy: she helps you to make sense of divine and esoteric guidance in your human body. Her work embraces the shadow and the light in equal measure -- forever finding the magic in the mundane and guiding you home to your unique spiritual authority . Olivia is an avid bookworm, enthusiastic storyteller, and general human lover.

 

Connect with Olivia:

Instagram & Tiktok: @_oliviamagdalena

Substack: @oliviamagdalena

 

Connect with Gieselle: ✨ Apply for 1:1 Coaching: https://gieselleallen.com/1-1-coaching/ ✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gieselleallen/ ✨ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gieselle/

In this episode, I’ll be breaking down:

👉🏾 how generational trauma creates a cycle of no one having their needs met (even in the workplace!)

👉🏾 questions you can ask yourself to determine what spaces and individuals ARE safe to for you advocate

👉🏾 ways that you can help others see that your needs aren’t in conflict, or a threat to their desires and needs

 

This episode will challenge your feelings of “it’s not safe for me to advocate for myself”. (in the best way!)

 

Instead, it’ll transform you into someone who knows where, and with whom you can speak up, and who can confidently guide those individuals to lend their support.

 

Connect with Gieselle: ✨ Apply for 1:1 Coaching: https://gieselleallen.com/1-1-coaching/ ✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gieselleallen/ ✨ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gieselle/

Are you craving to feel less pressure, expectations, and perfectionism in your life? ​ Then you should definitely listen to today’s episode of the podcast, “Messy is the New Perfect,” where Shelaya shares her journey to being average…and fucking loving it. ​ During today’s episode, we’ll cover: ​ 👀 how dropping perfectionism has helped Shelaya have better relationships and feel less alone ​ 👀 Shelaya’s surprise secret to stellar performance reviews (trust me, you wanna hear this!) ​ 👀 what helped Shelaya drop performance driven anxiety that she’s experience since she was a kid (you read that right) ​ 👀 why refusing to be exceptional is SUCH a revolutionary act ​ ​ This episode is for anyone who is tired of carrying the weight of representation, or who wants to honor their parents’ sacrifices, without burning themselves out in the process.Matter of fact, this episode is for anyone who is just plain ol’ tired.

 

Connect with Gieselle: ✨ Apply for 1:1 Coaching: https://gieselleallen.com/1-1-coaching/ ✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gieselleallen/ ✨ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gieselle/

In today’s episode, I’ll be covering:

🔥 The Big Plot Twist: You're not failing at self-advocacy - you're just trying to sprint before you can crawl. This episode exposes why diving into the deep end is actually keeping you silent.

💣 The Truth Bomb: Your "growth mindset" might be sabotaging you. Turns out, capitalism's "faster, harder, stronger" mentality is exactly why you're stuck. Mind. Blown.

🎯 The Real Tea: Want to know why some folks seem to advocate effortlessly while you're frozen in meetings? It's not about confidence - it's about safety. Learn how your nervous system is running the show (and how to make it your ally instead of your enemy).

✨ The Game-Changing Approach: Uncover why the smallest, safest steps are actually your secret weapon for becoming a self-advocacy powerhouse.

🌟 The Revolutionary Reality: Speaking up doesn't have to feel like jumping off a cliff. Learn why "boring" baby steps are actually the most rebellious (and effective) way to claim your power.

The episode will flip the script on everything you thought you knew about advocating for yourself. 

It's not about being braver, louder, or pushing harder - it's about being smarter, safer, and more strategic. 

 

Connect with Gieselle: ✨ Apply for 1:1 Coaching: https://gieselleallen.com/1-1-coaching/ ✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gieselleallen/ ✨ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gieselle/

Nicole is such a great example of someone who said, “I matter” and not only changed her future – but the future of her children, and the Black parents and children she supports in her work.

I’m so excited to expand her impact today by sharing an interview I did with her on today’s episode of the Revolutionary Rising podcast.

On this episode, “From Burnout to Boundaries”, Nicole and I discussed:

🎙️ how she broke free from the “immigrant child work ethic” that made her feel she needed to prioritize productivity over her needs

🎙️ why rage can be an important part part of self-advocacy

🎙️ tangible ways that advocating for herself has broken generational cycles for her kids

🎙️ why advocating for yourself is better for your work and everything else

…and so much more.

 

Connect with Gieselle: ✨ Apply for 1:1 Coaching: https://gieselleallen.com/1-1-coaching/ ✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gieselleallen/ ✨ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gieselle/

 

About Nicole:

Nicole’s mission is to centre and champion Black families. After many years in the private sector, a mid-career shift led her back to her roots as a writer, where she founded ParentingWhileBlack.com. Through this platform, she built an online community that amplifies the stories and experiences of parents, guardians, and caregivers raising Black children.

Her background as a corporate leader, work as an education advocate, and training in anti-racism and anti-oppression led her to co-found B.R.A.V.E. (Black Resilient Advocates for Vibrant Empowerment), a non-profit delivers leadership programs for Black and allied youth in schools. With B.R.A.V.E., Nicole partners with educators, administrators, and school communities to deliver weekly workshops that fill the need for visible Black role models in Canadian schools. B.R.A.V.E. spaces foster inclusion and encourage youth to find their voice and embrace their leadership potential. But the best part of Nicole’s world? Her family. She’s the proud mom of two of the universe’s finest humans, she is the partner that needs explaining, the inappropriate Auntie, wildly out-of-pocket Godmother, and mouthy middle sister. Nicole enjoys nothing more than spending time with her obscenely inclusive family and a healthy pour of red wine… usually in that order.

Connect with Nicole:

www.parentingwhileblack.com

IG: @parentingwhileblackvillage

www.brave.org

 

 

In this episode, I’ll be talking about:

✅ what it REALLY means to advocate for yourself (with yourself!)

✅ how this builds confidence in yourself and your boundaries

✅ how this strategy leads to you receiving more yeses when you advocate for yourself with other people

 

…and so much more.

 

This episode is jam-packed with knowledge, and will 100% fundamentally change your success rate in advocating with others.

 

Connect with Gieselle: ✨ Apply for 1:1 Coaching: https://gieselleallen.com/1-1-coaching/ ✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gieselleallen/ ✨ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gieselle/

In today’s episode, we’re talking all about what it really takes to advocate for yourself as a person of color in the workplace – and how to overcome the fear of negative consequences when speaking up.

My client, Naria, joins me to share her powerful journey of learning how to confidently own her worth, set boundaries, and advocate for herself unapologetically.

Here’s what Naria and I are breaking down: ✨ How building confidence in her value helped her overcome anxiety as a Black woman in a predominantly white workplace. ✨ Why “just being grateful” for opportunities was holding her back from advocating for her needs. ✨ How stronger boundaries made her a better leader, partner, and parent. ✨ The process of identifying the boundaries she needed – and how to set them with love and care.

Why should you tune in?

Because advocating for yourself isn’t just about survival; it’s about thriving. Naria learned how to shift her life in just four months, and her story will inspire you to take those same steps toward ensuring your needs and boundaries are met.

This episode also dives into: 👉🏾 The generational impact of self-advocacy and boundary setting. 👉🏽 How to make your BIPOC identity your superpower in the workplace. 👉🏿 Tools to feel safe speaking up, saying “no,” and standing in your power.

 

Connect with Gieselle: ✨ Apply for 1:1 Coaching: https://gieselleallen.com/1-1-coaching/ ✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gieselleallen/ ✨ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gieselle/

 

About Naria:

Naria Frazer is SVP, People Experience & Belonging at an integrated communications agency, where she leads strategies that enhance employee engagement, culture and learning. A Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM), Naria has co-led groundbreaking DEI initiatives, developed inclusive learning programs, and driven talent growth in fast-paced environments. She is passionate about building workplaces where people thrive and organizations succeed.   Connect with Naria: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naria-frazer/

We’re diving into why advocating for yourself as a leader of color can feel so damn hard.

In this first episode, I’ll be: ✨breaking down the reasons why you might specifically struggle with advocating for yourself based on your intersectional identities ✨discussing why it’s not a personal failing or personality flaw if you struggle to advocate for yourself ✨talking about the struggle of speaking up in predominantly white institutions ✨defining what it truly means to advocate for yourself, and what it looks like

But that’s not all! I’m also defining what self-advocacy truly means and why mastering it will transform your career, relationships, and personal well-being.

Why does this matter?

Because thriving as a leader requires breaking free from harmful narratives and stepping into your power unapologetically.

You’re not the first to face these challenges, and you won’t be the last. Let’s work together to rewrite the script.

Connect with Gieselle: ✨ Apply for 1:1 Coaching: https://gieselleallen.com/1-1-coaching/ ✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gieselleallen/ ✨ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gieselle/