Allow Me to (Re)Introduce Myself…
How did we even get here?!
Let’s go back to Monday, March 10, 2025. It was a fairly non-descript beginning of the week. I had a couple of meetings and was looking forward to my last one, one where I was all set to share some information on my current portfolio of projects that I had been working on with my supervisor and her supervisor as well. After a slight delay for a quick phone chat (or so I thought), my supervisor came in to let me know that she wouldn’t be able to attend the meeting. “Ok,” I breathed… “no biggie.” As I sat down with her boss (let’s call her Claire) at the big table in the middle of our suite, ready to share, suddenly, she pulled out a piece of paper. Before she got started, she laid the paper on the table in front of her, and I caught a glimpse of the title. Talking Points for Elimination of Position.
And my heart completely sank.
I sat there with my mind spinning; I couldn’t land on a single thought or emotion. As Claire set up her laptop, bringing up a Zoom meeting with whom I’d soon learn was the head of HR, she began… talking. To this day, I’m not entirely sure exactly what she said. I caught phrases: “internal restructuring…,” “position eliminated…,” “not performance-related…” But most of my energy was focused on sitting and not cracking in front of Claire, with whom my relationship was respectful, but… rocky, mostly due to differences in viewpoints and communication styles. Claire and the head of HR continued while I mostly heard the “adult voice” sound from Charlie Brown. As you all will come to know, questions are my bread and butter; I am always seeking to understand. But this time, my questions were internal, and coming so quickly that I could barely make them out. After a few moments, they slowed down and I could pick a few out of the deluge:
What am I going to do now?
How am I going to afford my life?
I heard that this isn’t performance-related, but you mean to tell me that I’m… replaceable?
That last question is a bit facetious, but… it’s real. I knew how much I was doing to keep our office afloat and resented the idea that my efforts and attentions were so devalued. And while I believed everything would get done, I also knew how much my team was going to struggle, which led to more questions, doubts, and yes - negative self-talk. And yet, at that moment… I was free.
I won’t sit here and unload about all the parts of that job that I didn’t enjoy. There are parts of every job that people don’t enjoy, and given the political climate/pending economic changes, I was truly grateful to have it. However, the spark for the work was gone. Again, for reasons that I won’t go into here, I was miserable. And while I still had all of the questions, and the internal emotional outburst was mounting, I couldn’t help but think of this as an opportunity to do more.
Don’t get me wrong. I called my sister after that meeting ended and cried. I mean, boo-hooed. I was sad and uncertain. I was scared and concerned about my future. And I was frustrated that I didn’t get to leave on my own terms. Besides that, I have always had mission-driven jobs. My experience is in nonprofits, higher education, and the public sector. My calling is to empower people, and I take that seriously. And while I knew my small team felt valued, seen, and nurtured, I also knew I wanted to broaden my scope. My eyes were still teary as I gathered myself and left the office, and when I walked out, it felt like the sun was beaming right on me. The world was still turning. And I knew, even in that most uncertain of moments, I still had a journey to embark upon.
As of writing this blog post, I have been on the job hunt for a month and a half, and the market is tough. There hasn’t been much traction, but I am optimistic. However, through that hunt, I realized that I had a couple of pet projects that I’d always wanted to start, but felt that I’d never really had the time. I started looking through past notes and plans, and what shocked me was how much I had actually done.
“How have I not started any of this yet?”
It was astounding, honestly. All of these blueprints for businesses and initiatives, brought to the brink of fruition. At first, I had a lot of negative self-talk.
“What took you so long?”
“Why go through the trouble of drawing up all of these plans and not following through?”
“What are you waiting for? Why are you afraid?”
But as I kept looking at what I had created, those thoughts changed.
“Girl, you did this? This is amazing!
“What a brilliant idea; these two initiatives would work really well together.”
“I think I can do this.”
And without dragging this out too much further, it all led here. The Leadership Remix is the culmination of those thoughts and ideas. I am a leadership, organizational change, and project management coach and consultant with over 15 years of experience helping individuals and organizations navigate complexity, drive meaningful change, and realize their fullest potential. My journey has taken me from the classroom to the boardroom, across nonprofit, public, and higher education sectors, where I have consistently combined vision-setting with a deep commitment to equity, collaboration, and results.
My coaching and consulting philosophy is rooted in the belief that leadership is relational, contextual, and transformative. As a Black woman, my identity and lived experience have shaped my approach, centering empathy, inclusion, and the power of diverse perspectives in every engagement. I am passionate about co-creating environments where all voices are heard, courageous conversations are welcomed, and authentic growth is not only possible, but expected.
I am currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Human and Organizational Learning at The George Washington University, and I blend research-backed strategies with real-world experience to help leaders and organizations thrive in times of transition and growth.
There are no guarantees that any of this will work, but I am not only confident in what I do, but I also know that I always pull through when my back is up against a wall. Beyond that, I am someone who dreams, loves, and sees a leader in everyone. Work with me, and you’ll see the leader in you, too.
