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As a CEO, my days are incredibly full. I have employees, contractors, and clients to manage and I'm juggling many hats. The stress of having to make decisions on what to wear simply doesn't work with my lifestyle. There’s a reason Mark Zuckerberg maintains a uniform of a hoodie and Steve Jobs wore his black turtleneck. There is an ease that comes with a consistent uniform—it alleviates decision fatigue.

I talk a lot about the power of relationships in business. That applies to your vendors, your team, and yes, even your wardrobe. I don’t just shop. I build partnerships. My relationship with Jeri at Bergdorf Goodman is a prime example of what I call Monogamous Buying . Because I invest loyalty in one person, she invests curation in me. She knows my brand, my body, and my goals. She creates access to experiences, like this incredible cocktail reception and private dinner with

The quality of content at the North American HR Executive Summit (NAHRES) this week gave great insight to current CHRO priorities and was overall exceptional. Several takeaways regarding the intersection of AI, culture, and leadership are staying with me as I reflect on our work at C-Suite Coach. Additionally, it was inspiring to see that so many leaders from amazing companies are championing their people and while leading strategically, are also leading with heart. Both are

The only way to get better at hard conversations is to have them. I used to dread difficult conversations. My nervous system would actually hijack me. My heart would race, I would feel nauseous, and my instinct was to run. It wasn't just nerves; it was a visceral reaction to conflict. I used to wish there was a book or a course that would make that feeling go away. But looking back, I realize that Courage is a muscle, not a mood. You cannot read your way into being good at co

Our continued C-Suite Coach partnership with Zero Bond provides a vital platform for leaders to engage in deep, strategic work. In our recent Women’s leadership brunch, we shared the C-Suite Coach Career Curator framework. * Career Curators treat their professional journey as a collection of high-impact "exhibits." This requires the strategic selection of roles, projects, and networks that align with a core long-term vision. * Every move is evaluated by its ability to add s

I often say that generalizations are a sign of lazy thinking. When you put a person, a market, or a problem into a pre-made box, you stop thinking. You miss the nuance. One of our core values at C-Suite Coach is Be Curious. For me, this is not just a soft skill. It is a survival mechanism that turned into a strategic superpower. For much of my career, I was the Only. The only woman, the only Black person, or the youngest person in the room. I could have generalized those room

The difference between a negligent leader and a conscientious leader is the audit. In my career, I have had to make the hard decision to end things - sometimes it’s client contracts, or contracts with people I’ve had the privilege to work with. I can see the temptation for leaders to say, "Well, it is what it is. I made the best business decision. Their reaction is their problem." I call that the Lazy Leader response. It absolves you of growth and personal responsibility. To

I have facilitated workshops for over 100,000 people. Here is the one thing I never do. In the last decade, I have stood in front of working professionals, business owners, and C-Suite leaders across hundreds of workshops. And in all that time, I have never told anyone what to think. There is a misconception that corporate training is about Prescription. It assumes there is a Right Way and a Wrong Way to lead, to communicate, or to work. I don't believe in Right or Wrong. I b

Where do the world's most powerful women go to be real? There is a specific kind of isolation that comes with high-level leadership. You are always "on." You are always the one holding the vision. That is why Debra Lee’s Leading Women Defined conference is so vital. Debra hasn't just built a conference; she has built a sanctuary. She is incredibly intentional about curating access to the most influential women for the most influential women. It is the only place where you c

The difference between a negligent leader and a conscientious leader is the Autopsy. In my career, I have had to make the hard decision to end things - sometimes it’s client contracts, or contracts with people I’ve had the privilege to work with. I can see the temptation for leaders to say, "Well, it is what it is. I made the best business decision. Their reaction is their problem." I call that the Lazy Leader response. It absolves you of growth and personal responsibility.

Being coachable does not mean listening to everyone. One of my (and C-Suite Coach’s) core values is Be Coachable. I have always prided myself on being open to feedback and looking for ways to improve. But at times, I’ve struggled. I found myself receiving feedback from people who were discounting how hard I had to work to “do the thing”. They were critiquing the one thing I missed, while seemingly blind to the achievements I had made that they had never attempted. It felt li

The answer to "Where are you really from?" is hanging on my wall. As an African-American, I navigate a specific, recurring curiosity. I am constantly asked about my heritage. When I say I am from here, the follow-up is almost always: "But where are you really from? Where are your parents from? Your grandparents?" It is a complex question for those of us whose lineage is entirely, painfully, and triumphantly American. I don't have a connection to another country. My roots are

The most expensive part of my look wasn't the dress. It was the vision. The Studio Museum in Harlem Gala is legendary. For New York’s Black cultural community, it is our Met Gala. It has been on my bucket list for years, and for the 2024 Gala, I wanted to show up fully. I found a stunning LaQuan Smith dress on deep discount (because I love a deal). It was beautiful. It fit. It was good enough. But Good Enough is the enemy of Fabulous. My stylist, Erika, introduced me to Sylvi

When Raquel Oden gives you a strategy, you listen. I was recently connecting with Raquel Oden, a woman I admire deeply for her leadership and vision. We were discussing the shifting landscape of business in 2025, and she gave me a clear piece of advice: "You need to be at Kim Blackwell’s ExcelerareHer conference." She described it as a nexus for women business owners to find new strategies amidst the noise. So, I went. And she was right. Kim has curated a unique ecosystem. It

The difference between a Socialite and a Strategic CEO. Because I’m so passionate about leadership development and the impact of investing in leaders, I see that as the only thing people should know about my brand. But, I’m also a multifaceted person and even if I reject it, an undeniable core part of my brand is what Pauline Brown coined Aesthetic Intelligence. I am a curator of experiences. Whether it is a business dinner or a company workshop, I believe in themes, beauty,

The quickest way to kill a deal before the meeting even starts. I take a lot of meetings. And within the first 3 minutes, I can tell who is going to be a long-term partner and who is wasting their time. It comes down to one thing: The Pre-Work. I am shocked by how many people request a meeting, yet show up having done zero research. They ask basic questions like, "So, do you do 1-on-1 coaching?" (I don't. I haven't for years. It is on my website, my LinkedIn, and in dozens of

I collect Relationships. There is a difference between being a "Collector" and being a "Friend to Artists." A Collector consumes the work. A Friend supports the ecosystem that creates the work. Recently, my friend, the incredible artist Nate Lewis , was preparing to ship a new body of work to Vielmetter Gallery in Los Angeles for a major exhibit. I realized that his New York community, the people who love him and root for him, wouldn't all get to see these intricate, sculptu

You cannot think your way into a new result. I work with incredibly smart leaders. And because they are meticulous, thorough, and conscientious, their default setting is "Analysis Mode." This rigor is usually their greatest strength. When they face a complex problem, they retreat to the whiteboard. They dissect the variables. They run the projections. They build the framework. That deep work is necessary. It is how you mitigate risk. But there is a specific, dangerous tipping

Building and leading a national coaching team for Google over the last eight years has been the most defining chapter of my career. We delivered nearly 5,000 workshops . We navigated a pandemic. We saw the rise of AI. But beyond the stats, I learned what it actually takes to lead people through constant change. Here are five truths I’m taking with me: 1. You can’t lead from a spreadsheet. To know if a program is actually working, you have to be in the room. I personally facil

"The ultimate luxury is actually to be yourself." On Thursday night, New York was frigid. But inside Zero Bond, the room was warm and packed for our C-Suite Coach Leadership Series. We were honored to host Stephanie Oueda Cruz , the Global VP of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Tiffany & Co. Stephanie delivered a masterclass on what it means to lead a legacy brand in a modern world. She argued that in the age of AI, the true differentiator of Luxury is Human Co