• Why burnout among high-achieving women of color is often called the silent epidemic

• The early warning signs that burnout is building before you recognize it

• Why exhaustion is not a badge of honor in leadership and career advancement

• How hustle culture can disconnect you from your identity and purpose

• Practical ways to redefine success and rebuild a sustainable life

Connect with The Climb

🌐 https://the-climb.org

📺 https://www.youtube.com/@JoinTheClimb2024

📘 https://www.facebook.com/JoinTheClimb1

💼 https://www.linkedin.com/company/97178217

Connect with Dr. Nakia Smith

🌐 https://www.sheisfireforged.com

📧 [email protected]

📱 Instagram: @sheisfireforged

If this conversation resonated with you, listen to the full episode and subscribe to The Climb Podcast.

Share it with a woman who may be pushing through exhaustion without realizing the cost.

Because success should not come at the expense of your health, identity, or peace.

Takeaways:

• Why being excellent at your job does not automatically lead to promotion

• The critical difference between tactical execution and strategic visibility

• Why many high-performing women of color are overlooked for leadership roles

• How positioning, advocacy, and proximity influence career advancement

• Why women of color cannot afford to be excellent and invisible

00:00 – If You’re Excellent But Still Not Promoted

00:25 – Welcome to The Climb Podcast

01:10 – The Career Moment When the “Tap” Never Came

02:42 – Tactical Excellence vs Strategic Visibility

04:05 – What Tactical Really Means

05:06 – What Strategic Leadership Looks Like

06:30 – The “Prize Pony” Career Trap

07:32 – Why High-Performing Women of Color Are Rarely Taught This Shift

08:26 – The Economic Reality: 81 Cents vs 64 Cents

09:30 – Why Positioning Matters More Than Credentials

10:40 – Leadership Is About Proximity and Visibility

11:50 – Why You Cannot Afford to Be Excellent and Invisible

12:50 – What The Climb Is Really About

13:40 – Join the Conversation

If you are a woman of color who is excellent at your job but still not being promoted, this episode is for you.

In this opening episode of The Climb Podcast, Felicia Smith breaks down one of the most misunderstood dynamics of career advancement: the difference between tactical excellence and strategic visibility.

Many high-performing professionals are taught that working harder, delivering consistently, and staying prepared will eventually lead to opportunity. But the reality is more complex.

Organizations often reward execution — but they promote visibility, positioning, and influence.

In this episode, Felicia explains why many women of color find themselves stuck in high-performance roles that never translate into leadership access, and how understanding the rules of positioning can change everything.

This conversation introduces the core mission of The Climb: helping women of color move from being excellent and invisible to strategic and visible.

🌐 Website: https://the-climb.org

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JoinTheClimb2024

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoinTheClimb1

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/97178217

Subscribe to The Climb Podcast and share this episode with a woman who needs the language for what she’s experiencing in her career.

Because leadership isn't just about talent.

It's about positioning, visibility, and access.

And you don't have to climb alone.

The Climb Podcast is where leadership conversations get real.

Hosted by Felicia Smith, founder of The Climb, this show explores the unspoken rules of career advancement — especially for women of color navigating professional spaces where leadership access has not always been equitable.

Each episode breaks down the systems, strategies, and power dynamics that influence who rises and why.

Because the goal isn’t just individual success.

It’s building a pathway so more women can climb.

In this unapologetic and power-packed episode of The Climb Podcast, host Felicia Smith sits down with returning guest and executive champion Dionne Baker to talk about what it really takes to build a career that no one is going to hand you.

If you grew up believing that “hard work speaks for itself,” this conversation will lovingly shake that myth loose. Felicia and Dionne get honest about the unspoken rules of advancement for women of color — from breaking free of “be grateful and keep your head down” conditioning to owning your value, your voice, and your visibility.

Together, they unpack:

• Why waiting for permission keeps you invisible — and how to shift to ownership mode
• The difference between being visible and being valued
• How to advocate for yourself without apology or fear
• The power of community over competition — and why we must stop gatekeeping
• Why being “the only” often means transforming spaces, not just surviving them

This episode is for every woman who’s tired of waiting for recognition, tired of playing small, and ready to start building the career, impact, and legacy she deserves.

Episode Takeaway:

Your next level isn’t given — it’s claimed. Stop waiting to be chosen. Start moving like you belong.

🎙️ Featuring:

• Felicia Smith, Founder of The Climb
• Dionne Baker, Executive Champion, Speaker & Founder of Yvette Garnett Baker Group

✨ Join The Climb Community:

If you’re ready to stop waiting for permission and start walking in your purpose, join The Climb — a free community for women of color rising into leadership.

🌐 www.the-climb.org

📱 Follow us on Instagram & LinkedIn → @JoinTheClimb

In this fireside chat, Felicia Smith sits down with Desiree Goldey, Madjeen Lorthe, and Eliana Cardeno to talk about navigating career pivots with courage and clarity. From layoffs to new beginnings, they explore what it means to redefine success, embrace uncertainty, and step boldly into your next chapter.

Let’s be real — life has been a lot lately. Between work, family, and everything happening in the world, it’s easy to find yourself running on empty.

In this episode of The Climb Podcast, I’m joined by Rika Holmes, founder of Master of Transformation (M.O.T.) Yoga, to talk about what it truly means to recharge — not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Rika shares how yoga, meditation, and sound healing can help us slow down, get centered, and reconnect with our peace. We talk about the power of stillness, the beauty of being intentional with your energy, and why wellness spaces need to make room for Black women — because we belong here too.

You’ll learn:

• How yoga helps you tune into your body and your boundaries
• Simple ways to start a meditation or sound healing practice — no perfection required
• How the chakras connect to your emotions and energy
• Why rest and self-awareness are forms of resistance and healing

Rika even leads a short chakra visualization meditation that will leave you feeling calm, grounded, and lighter — like you finally exhaled.

This episode is your gentle reminder that recharging isn’t optional — it’s essential. You deserve to pause. You deserve to breathe. You deserve to refill your soul.

Connect with Rika Holmes:

Find her on LinkedIn and join her Virtual Sound Bath Sessions every Thursday at 11 AM — details are on her social pages.

Join The Climb Community:

If you’re looking for a space that gets it — a community of women of color redefining leadership and self-care — come join The Climb. Membership is free at www.the-climb.org.

Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn → @JoinTheClimb

In this solo episode of The Climb Podcast, host Felicia Smith takes a powerful pause to talk about something every woman needs to hear: protecting your energy. Drawing from personal reflection and experience, Felicia unpacks what it means to preserve your peace, especially when life—and people—demand more than you have to give.

Grounded in the law of conservation of energy, she reminds listeners that energy can’t be created or destroyed—it can only be transferred. The key is learning how to manage where yours goes, who gets it, and how you recharge it.

Felicia shares:

💜 A personal story about choosing peace over confrontation at work

💜 Why every fight isn’t worth your energy (and how to know the difference)

💜 The hidden emotional cost of doom-scrolling and negative input

💜 How to set boundaries—both with others and yourself

💜 Practical ways to replenish your energy through joy, rest, and mindful activity

This episode is a reminder that not everything deserves your reaction—and that self-preservation is not selfish, it’s sacred.

Plus: Felicia celebrates a major milestone—The Climb community has officially surpassed 100 members! 🎉 She also gives listeners a sneak peek into The Climb Reset Series, featuring high-impact, action-focused sessions like the LinkedIn Glow-Up and Resume Refresh Clinic.

If you’re feeling drained or disconnected, this episode will help you realign, recharge, and rise stronger.

What happens when a return to your roots becomes a pathway to healing and purpose?

In this deeply moving episode of The Climb Podcast, host Felicia Smith sits down with Amma Asamoah—an architect, sustainable design visionary, and founder of The Legacy Project—to explore the power of reconnecting with heritage and thriving on the African continent.

Amma shares her transformative journey to Ghana, where inheriting family land became more than a personal milestone—it became a calling. Through stories of community engagement, cultural exchange, and navigating the realities of development projects, she reveals what it truly means to build legacy, both literally and figuratively.

Together, Felicia and Amma unpack:

The emotional and spiritual impact of returning to ancestral lands

How architecture and sustainability can honor heritage while shaping the future

Lessons in cultural sensitivity, community partnership, and authentic engagement

The healing power of travel, connection, and purpose-driven work

Rooted Journeys isn’t just about geography—it’s about identity, belonging, and the courage to reclaim your story.

Tune in as we explore what it means to return home—not just to a place, but to yourself.

What does it take to rise as a leader when the ladder wasn’t built for you?

In this powerful episode of The Climb Podcast, we shine a spotlight on the Standing on Her Shoulders Leadership Development Program—a groundbreaking initiative designed to equip women of color with the tools, mentorship, and confidence to thrive as leaders.

Our guests, Jasmine Luke and Kimiko Purvis, both members of the inaugural cohort, open up about their personal journeys through the program. They share how mentorship, coaching, and dynamic peer discussions helped them:

✨ Confront and overcome the unique challenges women of color face in professional spaces

✨ Build clarity, confidence, and community in their leadership journey

✨ Develop essential skills that go beyond conventional leadership training

✨ Find empowerment by standing on the shoulders of those who came before them

This isn’t just a leadership program—it’s a movement to mend the broken rung and create pathways for the next generation of women of color leaders.

🎧 Tune in to hear how Jasmine and Kimiko transformed their careers and why investing in leadership development can change the trajectory of your climb.

In this episode of The Climb Podcast, Felicia sits down with Sheryl Whitaker—executive coach, leadership strategist, and author—to explore the realities of being a woman of color in leadership.

With over 35 years of experience in insurance and financial services, Sheryl shares her journey from claims adjuster at State Farm to executive leader and now coach, offering hard-won lessons on resilience, intentionality, and joy.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The systemic barriers women of color often face in leadership roles—and strategies to overcome them
• Why imposter syndrome is so prevalent, and how to navigate it with confidence
• Sheryl’s philosophy of heart-centered leadership and why leading with empathy and authenticity creates lasting impact
• The role of mentorship, self-trust, and joy in sustaining your leadership journey
• How to redefine success beyond titles and accolades, centering fulfillment and connection instead

Sheryl’s candid reflections will inspire you to see leadership differently: not as a destination defined by others, but as a personal journey rooted in authenticity, courage, and joy.

In this powerful episode, Dr. Jackson challenges the narrow idea of success as titles, accolades, or financial gain. Instead, she paints success as something far more personal—rooted in happiness, well-being, passion, and impact.

Her story, from aspiring pediatric neurosurgeon to becoming a leader in education and diversity, reveals the twists and turns that shape our journeys. Alongside Felicia, Dr. Jackson explores the pressures women—especially women of color—face when stepping into leadership, and she offers candid reflections on resilience, adaptability, and the courage to define success on your own terms.

Throughout the conversation, Dr. Jackson highlights pivotal moments that reshaped her perspective, from academia to government leadership, and underscores the power of empathy and supportive networks in creating growth and opportunity.

Listeners will walk away inspired to rethink their own definitions of success, recognize their inherent worth, and pursue leadership that aligns with their authentic selves—ultimately building more inclusive and equitable spaces for all