In this episode, Kemi continues the conversation about money, agency, and what it means to build a career in academic medicine and public health that still works for your real life. 

She talks about the tension many women of color feel after years of training, work, leadership, and achievement, especially when the paycheck does not fully reflect the skills, experience, or value they bring. Kemi also names the complicated reality of wanting more financial room without necessarily wanting to walk away from the work, the structure, or the impact of academia. 

This episode is for the woman who is not ready to leave, but also knows something about the current setup needs to shift. Tune in for an honest conversation about money, choice, career satisfaction, and the questions that start to surface when the life you are building requires more room than the system currently gives you. 

 Order Dr. Kemi’s Book:
A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing   

If you'd like to learn more foundational career navigation concepts for women of color in academic medicine and public health, sign up for our KD Coaching Foundations Series: www.kemidoll.com/foundations. 

Text Dr. Kemi directly.

Join in as Kemi opens an honest conversation about money, career satisfaction, and the quiet frustration many women of color experience in academic medicine and public health. 

She reflects on what it feels like to be years into a career, deeply skilled, highly trained, and committed to the work, while still questioning how much control you really have over your financial life. Kemi also shares how her own path into public speaking and coaching began with a desire for more flexibility, more options, and more say over what her work could make possible.  

This episode is for the woman who still values her work, but has started wondering whether the current structure gives her enough room to build the life, stability, and freedom she wants. Tune in for a candid conversation about career, compensation, and the questions many women are thinking but have not always had space to say out loud. 

Order Dr. Kemi’s Book:
A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing   

If you'd like to learn more foundational career navigation concepts for women of color in academic medicine and public health, sign up for our KD Coaching Foundations Series: www.kemidoll.com/foundations. 

Text Dr. Kemi directly.

In this encore episode, Kemi asks why academic medicine and public health keep treating research achievement as proof that someone can lead people. 

After reading Burn It Down by Maureen Power, Kemi looks at how demanding industries can excuse harmful behavior when the person behind it is producing results. She applies that same idea to academia, where a person may bring in grants, hold power, or have a respected title while still missing the skills needed to lead people well. 

This episode is not about toxic people. It is about the systems that move people into bigger roles without teaching them how to communicate, manage staff, set expectations, plan ahead, or manage pressure without passing it down. Kemi shows the cost of those gaps and pushes us to stop treating poor leadership as the cost of getting ahead. 

Tune in for a clear, honest conversation about what happens when people are trained to achieve, but not prepared to lead. 

Order Dr. Kemi’s Book:
A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing   

If you'd like to learn more foundational career navigation concepts for women of color in academic medicine and public health, sign up for our KD Coaching Foundations Series: www.kemidoll.com/foundations. 

Text Dr. Kemi directly.

In this episode, Kemi shares her experience with holding gratitude and grief in the same breath. 

She begins by sharing her experience at the Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival in Oak Bluffs, where she was a featured author. The festival gave her space to feel both awe and being grounded, to make real connections, and to recognize that she belonged in the room.  

However, this joyful experience was overshadowed by the tragic news of the death of Jason Arday, a Black professor at Cambridge, following intense public scrutiny. Kemi speaks honestly about why his death hit so hard for Black academics and names the racism, double standards, and pressure that make the academics dangerous, even for those who still love the work. 

Join Kemi as she reflects on the tension of staying in academia while also protecting your life, spirit, energy, and boundaries. This episode is a space for Black academics who are grieving, processing, and still deciding what it costs to continue. It is also a reminder that staying is not wrong, leaving is not wrong, and nothing is worth your life. 

Order Dr. Kemi’s Book:
A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing   

If you'd like to learn more foundational career navigation concepts for women of color in academic medicine and public health, sign up for our KD Coaching Foundations Series: www.kemidoll.com/foundations. 

Text Dr. Kemi directly.

In this encore episode, Kemi talks about the skill that can immediately set you apart in academic medicine and public health: doing what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it. 

Kemi explains that academic culture often normalizes people saying yes, offering to collaborate, or promising to follow through without actually doing it. She also breaks down why good intentions are not enough and walks through the three tools that make follow-through possible. 

Tune in for insights to become known as reliable, focused, and clear without building a career on exhaustion. 

Order Dr. Kemi’s Book:
A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing   

If you'd like to learn more foundational career navigation concepts for women of color in academic medicine and public health, sign up for our KD Coaching Foundations Series: www.kemidoll.com/foundations. 

Text Dr. Kemi directly.

In this recess episode, Kemi talks about what it means to stay yourself while becoming more visible. 

After her book release and tour, Kemi reflects on the pressure to stay on message without turning herself into a persona. She shares why it matters to be seen as a full person, not only as a physician, surgeon, scientist or even author. For Kemi, authenticity is not about being the same in every room. It is about knowing how to show up in different spaces without losing who you are. 

This episode is lighter, personal, and honest, with reminders about creativity, visibility, rest, and staying connected to who you are outside of your work. 

Recommendations  

• Book: Kin by Tayari Jones  
• Podcast: Lemme Fix It hosted by Franchesca Ramsey and De'Lon Grant 
• Book: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron  
• Journal & Supplies: Archer and Olive  

Related Episodes 

• Episode 89: Recess Recommendations!  

Order Dr. Kemi’s Book:
A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing   

If you'd like to learn more foundational career navigation concepts for women of color in academic medicine and public health, sign up for our KD Coaching Foundations Series: www.kemidoll.com/foundations. 

Text Dr. Kemi directly.

In this encore episode, Kemi looks at the often-overlooked challenge of self-sabotage and how it impacts our ability to adjust to new norms in our professional lives. She candidly shares her own experiences of handling the complexities of changing environments, particularly for women of color in academic medicine and public health. And she outlines practical steps to effectively adjust to new norms, from recognizing automatic reactions to embracing new interpretations of communication styles.  

Tune in for a helpful discussion that equips you with insight to handle your career unapologetically. 

Order Dr. Kemi’s Book:
A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing   

If you'd like to learn more foundational career navigation concepts for women of color in academic medicine and public health, sign up for our KD Coaching Foundations Series: www.kemidoll.com/foundations. 

Text Dr. Kemi directly.

In this encore episode, Kemi explores the concept of self-trust and how it is essential for growing your career, especially for women of color in academic medicine. She reflects on the challenges of defining our value through the eyes of others and offers practical strategies to transition from seeking external validation to fostering a strong sense of self-trust.  

Tune in to discover how to shift your mindset from "I try" to "I do," giving you the confidence to make decisions that align with your true goals and aspirations. This episode is a clear reminder that building self-trust is not just a personal endeavor but a necessary step toward creating a fulfilling career on your own terms. 

Mentioned 

• The Path Made Clear 

Order Dr. Kemi’s Book:
A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing   

If you'd like to learn more foundational career navigation concepts for women of color in academic medicine and public health, sign up for our KD Coaching Foundations Series: www.kemidoll.com/foundations. 

Text Dr. Kemi directly.

In this episode, Kemi talks about the uncomfortable but necessary role feedback plays in making your career stronger. 

She explores why critique can feel so personal, especially when you care deeply about the work you are doing, but no matter how strong your work is, your own perspective will always have gaps. At some point, you need input from people who can see what you cannot. 

This episode is a direct and necessary conversation for anyone who wants their work to get better, go further, and create more opportunities. As Kemi makes clear, not being able to receive and process feedback can become a real career limitation. 

Related Episodes 

• Episode 06: The Key to Making Better Career Decisions 
• Episode 20: Career Advice Audit (Part 1) 
• Episode 21: Career Advice Audit (Part 2) 
• Episode 24: From Career Chandeliering to Informed Believers 
• Episode 78: Discerning True Supporters From Frenemy Energy 
• Episode 151: Upgrading the Mentor-Leader Relationship 
• Episode 154: Discerning Quality Input Through Career Transitions 

Order Dr. Kemi’s Book:
A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing   

If you'd like to learn more foundational career navigation concepts for women of color in academic medicine and public health, sign up for our KD Coaching Foundations Series: www.kemidoll.com/foundations. 

Text Dr. Kemi directly.

In this episode, Kemi explores the changing landscape of academic medicine and public health, highlighting why professionals in these fields crave more variety. She tackles a common myth that leaving academia for a new path is simply an easy escape. Kemi points out that while the temptation to find an easier route is strong, true fulfillment takes hard work and a clear understanding of your personal goals. 

Listen in to discover how to question traditional structures and find ways to pursue your passions both inside and outside of the medical field. This episode is a great reminder that while making a career change can be intimidating, it often leads to deep satisfaction when you take deliberate, focused action. 

Order Dr. Kemi’s Book:
A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing   

If you'd like to learn more foundational career navigation concepts for women of color in academic medicine and public health, sign up for our KD Coaching Foundations Series: www.kemidoll.com/foundations. 

Text Dr. Kemi directly.