Set Intentional Objectives: How to Drive Your Career, Not Ride Shotgun

If you’re winging it with vague goals (or whatever your manager “cascaded” down), you’re driving your career with a blindfold on. Felicia breaks down what objectives really are, why they’re the engine of promotions and pay, and how to use them to drive your internal reputation, not just fill a form for HR. You’ll learn the differences between KPIs, OKRs, and MBOs, plus how to turn objectives into your personal brand soundbite all year long.

Time Stamps:

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Editing and Sound Design by Chris Mann of Podshaper

What if sounding “smart” at work isn’t about your IQ, but about learning a language that corporate never taught you? In this episode, Felicia sits down with leadership coach and host of The Art of Speaking Up podcast, Jessica Guzik, to unpack how Black women can show up with presence, clarity, and confidence in corporate spaces without losing authenticity.

Jessica and Felicia break down the mindset shifts and tactical phrases that help you stop downplaying your brilliance and start getting heard.

Jessica Guzik is a women’s leadership coach and host of The Art of Speaking Up podcast, where she helps high-achieving corporate women build confidence, find their voices, and become wildly effective leaders. Before becoming a coach, she worked as a corporate strategist at McKinsey & Company and held executive-level roles at major consumer brands, including The Walt Disney Company. Her work has been featured in The New York Times and Harper’s Bazaar UK.

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Season 9, Episode 19 | Trill MBA Show
Host: Felicia Ann Rose Enuha

Felicia breaks down the Competing Values Framework (CVF) so you can identify your company’s dominant culture and adjust your strategy to thrive—without compromising your integrity. You’ll learn how internal vs. external focus and stability vs. flexibility create four culture types (Create/Adhocracy, Collaborate/Clan, Control/Hierarchy, Compete/Market), what they sound like day-to-day, and practical ways to show up, get resourced, and get promoted in each.

Dimensions

Four Culture Types

(Pro tip: Keep this page handy. As you map your company’s CVF quadrant, jot three things you’ll start/stop/continue to align your strategy—and set a 30-60-90 day check-in with yourself or your sponsor.)

Desk Politics EXPLAINED: Why Your Seat at Work Matters

In this client chronicles episode, Felicia unpacks a corporate case study that’s all too familiar: a smart, hardworking Black woman lands the job she thought would launch her career — only to discover she’s been strategically sidelined. Lisa, an MBA with top credentials and sky-high drive, joins a major CPG company and is placed on what looks like a solid marketing assignment. But what she doesn’t realize is that the brand she’s managing has no budget, no visibility, and no path to promotion.

As Felicia walks us through Lisa’s journey, we learn how praise without power can keep you stuck, how corporate desk politics silently shape your trajectory, and why not understanding company culture can cost you more than your confidence — it can cost you years. This episode is a masterclass in spotting quiet career sabotage, especially for high-achieving Black women navigating overwhelmingly white spaces.

If you’ve ever taken a job that looked good on paper but left you feeling stuck, overlooked, or confused about why your career isn’t moving — this conversation will give you clarity, validation, and strategy.

FMLA Leave & Retaliation Tracker – Protect your job before and after leave. Document retaliation, track every move, and get paid if they play dirty.
Career Coaching with Felicia – Book a personalized strategy session to navigate your career.
Listener Letters – Send your questions to [email protected]
Subscribe & Leave a Review – Subscribe on YouTube and leave a comment to help us grow
Follow @TrillMBAshow – Stay updated on Instagram and LinkedIn

Until next time, keep it trill!

When your manager is Black but still toxic, how do you protect yourself without losing your mind — or your job?

In this episode, Felicia shares the cautionary tale of “Sherry,” a high-performing Black woman stuck under a micromanaging, insecure Black manager who didn’t choose her — and made her pay for it.

From bogus feedback to HR gaslighting, this Client Chronicle breaks down exactly how to document workplace harassment, push back with policy, and stay ten steps ahead when your boss is quietly trying to push you out. If you’ve ever been told to “show more strategic thought leadership” with no real support, this episode is for you.

1. When your manager didn’t choose you, it changes everything.
If your new boss didn’t hire you, they may carry resentment or biases that impact your working relationship. Acknowledge this dynamic early, and take intentional steps to build trust—or protect yourself accordingly.

2. “Strategic thought leadership” is often a smokescreen.
Vague feedback like “we need to see more strategic thinking” is often code for “we don’t want to promote you”—especially when no real stretch assignments are offered. Call the bluff by asking for project opportunities that allow strategy to be demonstrated.

3. Know your policy before you push back.
When Sherry’s micromanaging manager demanded access to her calendar, she didn’t start a fight—she checked the handbook. Ask HR policy questions without naming names. Protect yourself while staying professional.

4. Documentation isn’t petty—it’s power.
By keeping receipts and documenting harassment patterns, Sherry turned herself from a target into a liability for her manager. Her paper trail made it impossible for HR to ignore what was happening.

5. Be the professional—let them show their ass.
Sherry stayed calm, followed protocol, and held the line. Her boss played herself. When ego enters the chat, don’t match energy. Match receipts, policy, and poise.

FMLA Leave & Retaliation Tracker – Protect your job before and after leave. Document retaliation, track every move, and get paid if they play dirty.
Career Coaching with Felicia – Book a personalized strategy session to navigate your career.
Listener Letters – Send your questions to [email protected]
Subscribe & Leave a Review – Subscribe on YouTube and leave a comment to help us grow
Follow @TrillMBAshow – Stay updated on Instagram and LinkedIn

Until next time, keep it trill!

How to Survive a Toxic Boss: Tara’s Story of Strategic Career Moves

In this throwback episode, Felicia shares the true story of Tara — an ambitious Black woman navigating a toxic boss, an insecure manager, and a messy workplace power structure. Through sharp strategy and smart relationship-building, Tara not only survives her bad manager but makes bold career moves that protect her peace and position her for long-term success.

If you’ve ever had to deal with a difficult boss or manage up in a toxic work culture, this episode is for you.

Career Fast-Track System – Felicia’s training to help you plan your promotion using the P.I.E. model
Career Coaching with Felicia – Book a personalized strategy session to navigate your career
Listener Letters – Send your questions to [email protected]
Subscribe & Leave a Review – Subscribe on YouTube and leave a comment to help us grow
Follow @TrillMBAshow – Stay updated on Instagram and LinkedIn

Until next time, keep it trill!

This Is Me: Choosing Peace After Corporate Burnout with Lisa Hurley Pt. 2

What happens after you say, “This ain’t it”?

In this episode, Felicia continues her conversation with author, activist, and Reiki Master Lisa Hurley, diving even deeper into the emotional work of rebuilding your identity after corporate burnout.

Lisa opens up about the survival strategies that nearly broke her — from creating a persona to navigate toxic workplaces to being gaslit after George Floyd’s murder. Together, she and Felicia unpack what it really means to choose peace over performance and let go of a path that was never yours to begin with.

If you’ve ever found yourself smiling through exhaustion, shrinking to stay employed, or holding your breath at work just to get through the day — this conversation is your call to exhale and reclaim your truth.

Plus: Lisa shares the unexpected moment she broke character at work — and how it changed everything. This is your invitation to stop surviving and start choosing yourself.

This is the final episode in our two-part series with Lisa Hurley.
Make sure you listen to Part 1 if you haven’t already.

Want to win a copy of Lisa Hurley’s book Space to Exhale?
Listen to the full episode and email your answer to: [email protected]

Q: What are you going to do this week to remember to breathe?
First 5 thoughtful responses win. Deadline: Sunday, July 6, 2025 11:59 PM EDT

Career Fast-Track System – Felicia’s training to help you plan your promotion using the P.I.E. model
Career Coaching with Felicia – Book a personalized strategy session to navigate your career
Listener Letters – Send your questions to [email protected]
Subscribe & Leave a Review – Subscribe on YouTube and leave a comment to help us grow
Follow @TrillMBAshow – Stay updated on Instagram and LinkedIn

Until next time, keep it trill!

This Ain’t It: Reclaiming Identity After Workplace Burnout with Lisa Hurley Pt. 1

Have you ever looked around at your job, your life, and thought, “This ain’t it”?

In this deeply personal and energizing conversation, Felicia sits down with author, activist, and Reiki Master Lisa Hurley to talk about her new book, Space to Exhale — a guide to healing from the inside out after the grind of corporate life has worn you down.

Lisa shares her own journey of identity loss, job trauma, and spiritual exhaustion — and how she found her way back to joy, softness, and sovereignty. From navigating layoffs and toxic managers to redefining self-worth outside of titles and roles, this episode is a must-listen for every Black woman trying to hold it together in systems designed to tear us down.

If you’re tired of holding your breath at work, wondering how you even got here, this conversation is your reminder to pause, breathe, and begin again — on your own terms.

Plus: Felicia shares how corporate gaslighting and PIPs shaped her own journey, and why she stopped smiling through the pain. And Lisa? Let’s just say she’s got a fairy wand, a tutu, and some radical truth to sprinkle on your spirit.

This is part one of a two-part series with Lisa Hurley. Make sure to catch Part 2 dropping next week.

Resources & Next Steps:

Want a free copy of Lisa Hurley’s powerful new book, Space to Exhale?

We’re giving away 5 copies — but to enter, you’ll need to listen to Part 2 of this conversation (dropping June 22, 2025) for the full instructions and giveaway question. Hint: You’ll be asked to reflect on how you’re making space to breathe in your own life. First 5 thoughtful responses win. Deadline to enter is Sunday, June 29, 2025.

Career Fast-Track System – Felicia’s training session to help you create your promotion plan using the P.I.E. model

Career Consulting with Felicia – Facing challenges at work? Book a career strategy session to get personalized strategies for navigating your career.

Listener Letters – Send your questions to [email protected].

Subscribe & Leave a Review – Love the show? Subscribe on YouTube and leave a comment to help us grow and make more awesome content for you.  

Follow @TrillMBAshow – Stay updated with career tips and new episodes on LinkedIn.

Until next time, keep it trill!

Career Clarity Unlocked: How to Reinvent Yourself After Workplace Burnout

In this episode, Felicia is joined by executive coach and corporate truth-teller Ronnie Dickerson Stewart to explore what happens when you do everything “right” in your career—and still end up feeling stuck, drained, and misaligned.

Ronnie shares her deeply personal journey from the C-suite to building a purpose-driven business, revealing the exact moment she realized the career she worked so hard to build was no longer aligned with who she was becoming. From burnout and grief to clarity and transformation, this conversation is a masterclass in learning how to listen to yourself, break toxic career conditioning, and design a work life that actually fits.

If you’ve ever questioned your path, felt guilty for wanting more, or found yourself saying “this ain’t it,” this episode is your permission slip to do something about it. This is how Black women in corporate reclaim their power—and their peace.

Resources & Next Steps:

Follow Ronnie Dickerson Stewart on LinkedIn to stay updated on her upcoming book and career tools.

Learn more about her executive coaching and strategy work at ohheycoach.com.

Career Fast-Track System – Felicia’s training session to help you create your promotion plan using the P.I.E. model

Career Consulting with Felicia – Facing challenges at work? Book a career strategy session to get personalized strategies for navigating your career.

Listener Letters – Send your questions to [email protected].

Subscribe & Leave a Review – Love the show? Subscribe on YouTube and leave a comment to help us grow and make more awesome content for you.  

Follow @TrillMBAshow – Stay updated with career tips and new episodes on LinkedIn.

Until next time, keep it trill!

Demystifying The Board Room: How to Position Yourself for Corporate Board Leadership

If you’ve ever thought corporate board leadership was reserved for only a select, mysterious few—this episode is here to set the record straight. Felicia is joined by Heather Spilsbury, CEO of 50/50 Women on Boards, to break down the real deal behind corporate boards, and how you, yes YOU, can secure your rightful seat at the table.

This episode demystifies the process of joining corporate boards, unpacking everything from foundational basics to insider insights about what boards genuinely seek in new members—especially diverse talent.

Heather shares candid, real-world stories and experiences from her own career journey—highlighting why it’s essential to show up authentically, leverage your existing career experiences, and amplify your value unapologetically. Whether you’ve been eyeing board seats or you’re completely new to the concept, you’ll walk away clear-eyed about what corporate boards do, why they matter, and what it truly takes to serve on one.

Resources & Next Steps:

Connect with Heather Spilsbury directly on LinkedIn

Learn more about board readiness programs through 50/50 Women on Boards

Career Fast-Track System – Felicia’s training session to help you create your promotion plan using the P.I.E. model

Career Consulting with Felicia – Facing challenges at work? Book a career strategy session to get personalized strategies for navigating your career.

Listener Letters – Send your questions to [email protected].

Subscribe & Leave a Review – Love the show? Subscribe on YouTube and leave a comment to help us grow and make more awesome content for you.  

Follow @TrillMBAshow – Stay updated with career tips and new episodes on LinkedIn.

Until next time, keep it trill!