Embracing Only: Workplace Culture & Career Development for BIPOC Leaders

IM39: Speaking Truth to Power & Surviving Retaliation in the Workplace with Dr. Kim McLear

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the Embracing "Only" podcast, we are featuring one of the most impactful moments from episode 34 with guest Dr. Kim McLear. We explore what it means to be a truth-teller, the emotional cost of retaliation, and how choosing courage over fear can break generational cycles of harm. Kim is an author, speaker, and social designer who works at the vibrant intersections of the arts, tech, wellbeing, civic engagement, and justice. She served 20 years of distinguished public service as a senior officer in the U.S. Coast Guard and bravely exposed three of the largest abusive cover-ups of racism, sexual assault, and retaliation in modern U.S. military history.This episode is just a short snippet that highlights the best and most powerful learning moment from a past episode. You can listen to the full episode (filled with more wisdom) here: Episode 34: Choosing to Challenge workplace bullying and retaliation.Key Discussion Points:00:59 Claiming the Label “Whistleblower”: Whistleblowing is not dishonorable. It’s an act of integrity rooted in American history.03:29 The Audacity to Be Your Full Self: It is powerful and takes courage to show up authentically in spaces where your gender, the color of your skin, sexual orientation, or your accomplishments are considered threatening.05:30 Navigating Fear and Survival: Sharing stories of abuse and psychological violence is important not only for the storyteller but for the countless others who don’t survive the system.09:05 Centering Courage Over Fear: It is both a responsibility and a gift to use our voice to make the path easier for those who follow.In Summary: Dr. Kim McLear shares how choosing truth over fear can change a system. She reminds us that being your full self in environments not built for you is radical, courageous, and essential.Resources from this episode:Follow Kim on LinkedIn or visit her website. If you happen to be a woman of color and you are looking for a community of like minded women, join Olivia here: https://www.mysistersshoulders.com/ Ready to make a change?→ If you are struggling to navigate your corporate career but are ambitious and have goals you want to accomplish quickly, Olivia is the coach for you. She can help you reach your goals. Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit oliviacream.com.→ If you are ready to transition out of Corporate and want to start building a profitable portfolio career as a business owner, board member or more, but you’re unsure of the next steps, Archita can guide you through a successful transition to entrepreneurship.Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit architafritz.com.Connect with your hosts:Follow Embracing Only on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website._________Produced by Ideablossoms

IM38: Entrepreneurship, Creativity, and Redefining Education with Priyanka Lugani

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the Embracing "Only" podcast, we are featuring one of the most impactful moments from episode 10 with guest Priyanka Lugani. Through intuitive decision-making, self-study, and a deep connection to nature and ancient wisdom, she shares how you can lead with your truth, make peace with mistakes, and reimagine what success looks like on your own terms.Priyanka  is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Alma Deli, a plant-based food brand based in London, which is pushing the boundaries of connecting the ancient wisdoms of the world with food, travel, art, spirit, and science. Today, Priyanka advocates for systemic change across health, education, and food.This episode is just a short snippet that highlights the best and most powerful learning moment from a past episode. You can listen to the full episode (filled with more wisdom) here: Episode 10: Women Leaders on a Mission - Feeding Clean Food to the World.Key Discussion Points:00:59 Choosing Freedom & Self-Expression: Self-expression and freedom of choice are two of the core pillars of entrepreneurship.02:43 Success Without a University Degree: University is not the only path to success, but you have to have a growth mindset and be open to learning in different forms.05:30 The Role of Family Support: Having an emotional and financial support system does give you more freedom to fail, learn, and experiment. 06:35 Finding Your Source of Inspiration: You can find inspiration from so many places in your daily life. In Summary: Priyanka Lugani shares her journey from fashion to holistic healing, emphasizing the importance of self-expression, support systems, and inspiration drawn from health, nature, and ancient wisdom.Resources from this episode:Follow Priyanka on LinkedIn or visit her website. If you happen to be a woman of color and you are looking for a community of like minded women, join Olivia here: https://www.mysistersshoulders.com/ Ready to make a change?→ If you are struggling to navigate your corporate career but are ambitious and have goals you want to accomplish quickly, Olivia is the coach for you. She can help you reach your goals. Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit oliviacream.com.→ If you are ready to transition out of Corporate and want to start building a profitable portfolio career as a business owner, board member or more, but you’re unsure of the next steps, Archita can guide you through a successful transition to entrepreneurship.Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit architafritz.com.Connect with your hosts:Follow Embracing Only on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website._________Produced by Ideablossoms

93: The Devil Emails at Midnight: Unmasking Bad Bosses & Broken Systems with Mita Mallick

Episode Highlight: In this episode of the Embracing “Only” podcast, we welcome back bestselling author and corporate change-maker Mita Mallick. With her signature candor, Mita shares wisdom from her upcoming book The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses, which explores 13 “devil boss” archetypes, drawing on personal stories and real-life failures turned into lessons in leadership. Mita is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author on a mission to fix what's broken in our workplaces. With a background spanning global brands like Unilever, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson, Mita brings deep insight into marketing, HR, and organizational transformation. Key Discussion Points:02:58 Why Good People Become Bad Bosses: Stress in the market, pressure from above, or personal issues at home can cause leaders to act out in harmful ways.06:29 Beloved but Incompetent Leaders: Mediocre men keep getting promoted based on potential, while overqualified women of color are passed over.12:30 Diversity Under Attack: As corporate DEI commitments backslide, Mita challenges companies to stand firm and urges employees to "vote with their wallets”.16:48 Internal vs. External Consistency: If your external brand doesn't match your internal culture, expect to be called out.21:39 Building a Personal Safety Net: Loyalty is dead. Women of color must protect themselves in workplaces that don’t always protect them.29:08 Burnout & Overfunctioning: Women of color are told to "work twice as hard" to get half as far. This is exploitation masked as opportunity.33:24 The Midnight Email Culture: What does it say about a company when leaders only respond between 10 PM and 1 AM?In Summary: Mita Mallick encourages us to reimagine leadership in modern workplaces. She challenges leaders to prioritize coaching and development, create inclusive environments, and maintain genuine commitments to diversity and ethical practices.Resources from this episode:Find Mita's books here: https://www.mitamallick.com/bookFollow Mita on Linkedin or check out her website.Check out our first episode with Mita here: https://embracingonly.com/episodes/debunking-corporate-myths-to-transform-your-workplace If you happen to be a woman of color and you are looking for a community of like minded women, join Olivia here: https://www.mysistersshoulders.com/.Ready to make a change?→ If you are struggling to navigate your corporate career but are ambitious and have goals you want to accomplish quickly, Olivia is the coach for you. She can help you reach your goals. Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit oliviacream.com.→ If you are ready to transition out of Corporate and want to start building a profitable portfolio career as a business owner, board member or more, but you’re unsure of the next steps, Archita can guide you through a successful transition to entrepreneurship. Reach out to her on Ready to make a change?→ Struggling with your corporate career but have big goals? Reach out to Olivia on LinkedIn or visit oliviacream.com.→ Ready to leave corporate or start a side venture? Archita can guide your next steps.Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit architafritz.com.

IM37: How to Master Self-Selling and Salary Negotiation with Adelle Thompson

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the Embracing "Only" podcast, we are featuring one of the most impactful moments from episode 74 with guest Adelle Thompson. If you've ever felt limited by salary bands, imposter syndrome, or undervaluation, this short but potent episode is your call to action.As a certified life coach, with over 12 years of experience in HR and recruitment, Adelle teaches career-driven individuals & early entrepreneurs to build a winning career strategy while working to overcome their own self-doubt. This enables them to pursue a career they love and earn more doing it.This episode is just a short snippet that highlights the best and most powerful learning moment from a past episode. You can listen to the full episode (filled with more wisdom) here: Episode 74: Mastering the Art of Selling Yourself.Key Discussion Points:00:59 Identifying Your Key Competencies: Self-selling starts with knowing what you're uniquely good at, and sharing these competencies with confidence to build credibility.02:19 Selling Yourself with Integrity:  Selling is talking about what you're good at and how that thing is valuable to someone else.05:16 Redefining Negotiation: Adelle reframes negotiation as a daily skill, especially for women juggling roles at work, at home, and everywhere in between.08:09 Permission to Pivot Softly: You don’t have to leap off a cliff to pivot. You can make incremental changes toward your bigger goals without destabilizing your life.In Summary: Adelle Thompson highlights the power of knowing your value and reframing negotiation as a life skill. She encourages women to own their strengths and advocate for themselves with confidence.Resources from this episode:Follow Adelle on LinkedIn or visit her website. If you happen to be a woman of color and you are looking for a community of like minded women, join Olivia here: https://www.mysistersshoulders.com/ Ready to make a change?→ If you are struggling to navigate your corporate career but are ambitious and have goals you want to accomplish quickly, Olivia is the coach for you. She can help you reach your goals. Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit oliviacream.com.→ If you are ready to transition out of Corporate and want to start building a profitable portfolio career as a business owner, board member or more, but you’re unsure of the next steps, Archita can guide you through a successful transition to entrepreneurship.Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit architafritz.com.Connect with your hosts:Follow Archita on LinkedIn or check out her website.Follow Olivia on LinkedIn or check out her website.Follow Embracing Only on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website._________Produced by Ideablossoms

IM36: How to Reclaim Your Power as a Woman of Color in Leadership with Deepa Purushothaman

Episode Highlight: On this episode of the Embracing "Only" podcast, we are featuring one of the most impactful moments from episode 42 with guest Deepa Purushothaman. This is a must-listen for every woman of color navigating the tension between success and self-erasure in systems never built for us.Deepa spent more than 20 years at Deloitte helping clients transform and grow. She was the first Indian-American woman and one of the youngest people to make partner in the firm's history. Deepa is an author and the founder of multiple businesses. In 2022, her debut book, The First, The Few, The Only, was published by HarperCollins to international acclaim.This episode is just a short snippet that highlights the best and most powerful learning moment from a past episode. You can listen to the full episode (filled with more wisdom) here: Episode 42: 500 stories of THE FIRST, THE FEW, THE ONLY.Key Discussion Points:00:59 The Pressure to Conform as a Female Leader of Color: The pressure to conform often intensifies once women of color reach senior leadership, making it harder to reclaim authenticity at the top.03:12 Choosing What Not to Compromise: Identify a short list of non-negotiables: values you won’t trade in for professional acceptance.04:26 Confronting Internalized Guilt: Women of color often internalize blame when they experience bias, but the root cause is rarely personal. It’s structural.08:45 The Health Toll of Conformity: 2 out of 3 women that Deepa interviewed were suffering from mysterious chronic illnesses - fatigue, migraines, infertility, and more - linked to the psychological toll of erasure.In Summary: Deepa Purushothaman emphasizes the importance of identifying and holding firm to one's non-negotiables in the workplace and being aware of the subtle indoctrinations that can lead to self-erasure.Resources from this episode:The First, The Few, The Only by Deepa PurushothamanFollow Deepa on LinkedIn or visit her website. If you happen to be a woman of color and you are looking for a community of like minded women, join Olivia here: https://www.mysistersshoulders.com/ Ready to make a change?→ If you are struggling to navigate your corporate career but are ambitious and have goals you want to accomplish quickly, Olivia is the coach for you. She can help you reach your goals. Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit oliviacream.com.→ If you are ready to transition out of Corporate and want to start building a profitable portfolio career as a business owner, board member or more, but you’re unsure of the next steps, Archita can guide you through a successful transition to entrepreneurship.Reach out to her on LinkedIn or visit architafritz.com.Connect with your hosts:Follow Embracing Only on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, or check out the website._________Produced by Ideablossoms