The Great Exhale™

The Great Exhale™ is a private membership community for Black women. It is a soft, nurturing online space where we can relax, lay our burdens down…and exhale. The goal is for us all to manifest lives filled with joy, ease, and abundance. 🙏🏾 

The Great Exhale is a movement centering us, where we can:

🤎 Be in community with a supportive sisterhood...

🤎 Be free from having to constantly code switch...

🤎 Divest from the tyranny of overwork...

🤎 Be as excellent or as average as we choose...

🤎 Share our lived experiences, and have them validated by folks who understand...

🤎 Enjoy a softer, happier, more fulfilling life...

Ready to exhale? Join us today: www.thegreatexhale.com

Founder

Lisa Hurley Official | HappyHappyPhoenix

Black Speakers Collection

Keynote Speaker & Panelist

The Anthem Awards

Presented by IADAS and founded by The Webby Awards in partnership with GLAAD, NAACP, Feeding America, NRDC, WWF and Born This Way Foundation, the Anthem Awards honors the organizations, brands and people creating a world where purpose & mission-driven work becomes the status quo for all business across society.

Juror 

The Book Academy

Led by New York Times bestselling author Luvvie Ajayi Jones, The Book Academy is a comprehensive course designed to guide students from the initial idea to the final reality of a published book. Luvvie's journey as an author has been both remarkable and inspiring, with four New York Times bestsellers to her name in just eight years. Her books have not only changed her life but have touched the lives of countless readers, empowering her to retire her mother, achieve financial success, and gain access to new opportunities.

Founding Member

The DG Sentinel

The DG Sentinel is an independent, non-partisan media site, queer-led and run by a majority-minority staff. The Sentinel is supported by the international nonprofit, Dweebs Global, which provides free career development support and mental health mentorship to over 35 countries worldwide.

The DG Sentinel uplifts local and marginalized voices around the world. It covers topics from gritty mental health personal stories to passionate tales from people actually living through war and disaster. It features articles on chronic illness, exposés on political issues beyond the Western world, international debates on race, doctor-patient relationships, and much more. The DG Sentinel invites readers to a global community, making them well-informed, empathetic, and equipped to do good in the world.

Advisory Board Member

The Introvert Sisters

WINNER, SILVER ANTHEM AWARD: DEI PODCAST
The Introvert Sisters (TIS) podcast is hosted and produced by Lisa Hurley and Sharon Hurley Hall, two INFJs with a lot to say. The show aims to destigmatize introversion, celebrate the amazingness of introverts, and advocate for greater inclusion and belonging of introverts in the workplace. TIS is also a forum for amplifying broader, intersectional issues affecting racialized people who identify as neurodivergent and introverted. In this role I: 

- Host and produce a lifestyle podcast created by and for introverts
- Lead Marketing and Publicity strategy to expand the show's visibility & reach
- Lead Social Media strategy, with a focus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook
- Develop and implement editorial best practices
- Interview guests
- Manage guest bookings
- Research guests and develop interview questions
- Create episode concepts, outlines, show notes, and blog content

Co-Founder & Co-Host, The Introvert Sisters Podcast

Black Excellence Society

Formerly known as FTC, The Black Excellence Society is the world’s premiere Black talent incubator community.

The mission of The Black Excellence Society, the LVMH of communities, is to create equitable professional pathways for communities of color through collectivism. This includes everyone from traditional business professionals to self-made entrepreneurs.

While The Black Excellence Society was constructed out of a social necessity for equity, the message is driven by our members’ individual missions to catapult change in their respective industries. The mission remains the same…

Push. The. Culture. Forward.

Member

For(bes)The Culture

For(bes) The Culture (FTC) is a Black Excellence Society whose mission is to create equitable pathways for E(lit)e Black and Brown professionals. It is a hub for elite leaders of color who are breaking down barriers and impacting culture globally to connect, collaborate and change. 

FTC provides a platform that fosters professional development, social consciousness, civic engagement, intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship, social and cultural outings, personal and professional workshops and seminars, mentoring, tutoring and networking.

Newell Brands

•	Conceptualize, write, and edit e-commerce content for Amazon A+, promotional emails, websites, and landing pages. 
•	Write SEO-optimized product content for household brands, including Calphalon, Mr. Coffee, Oster, and Crockpot.

Copywriter

Lisa Hurley is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, and award-winning activist. Her work centers Black women, and encompasses self-care, introversion, and Black joy.

Ms. Hurley is the Founder of The Great Exhale™, a private membership community where Black women can relax, lay their burdens down...and exhale. Additionally, she is an Anthem Awards judge, a member of Forbes BLK, the Co-Founder of The Introvert Sisters podcast, and an Advisory Board Member of the DG Sentinel. 

A powerful voice on LinkedIn, Lisa has been honored as one of The Business Anecdote’s Top 20 Entrepreneurs to follow on LinkedIn. She is also ranked in the Top 20 of Taplio's 100 Best LinkedIn Influencers, and is a Favikon Top 10 LinkedIn Creator in Inclusion and Diversity worldwide. 

Originally from Barbados, Ms. Hurley is one of a handful of Barbadians to have been featured in Forbes, and on the Nasdaq screen in Times Square. As a result of her activism, she has been featured and quoted in Essence, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, and Adweek. In addition, Lisa has been honored by Hush Loudly as an Introvert to Watch, and as one of pocstock’s Future of Black America Top 50 Leaders. 

Known for her warmth, wisdom, and wit, Lisa is a sought-after speaker and panelist. 

Her signature keynotes include:

✅ 5 Quiet Ways Introverts Can Win

✅ Black Joy: How To Speak It Into Existence

✅ 6 Reasons Why Black Women Need Safe Spaces

✅ Exponential LinkedIn Growth: 7 Tips For Building Influence

✅ Free Is Cancelled: 3 Strategies To Make Sure You Always Get Paid


BOOK LISA TO SPEAK: bit.ly/BookLisaHurleyToSpeak

JOIN THE GREAT EXHALE™: bit.ly/JoinTheGreatExhaleToday

———————
See the Latest Updates about The Great Exhale: https://linktr.ee/thegreatexhale

See my Latest Updates: https://linktr.ee/lisahurley

Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thelisahurley

Follow me on IG: https://www.instagram.com/happyhappyphoenix/?hl=en

According to nerd wallet the estate tax starts at $12.92 million (confirmed by multiple other sources as well.)  It is a progressive tax that starts out at 18% ABOVE $12,920,000.  

So that means, if you have an estate of $12,919,000 there is no tax assessed, yes it is that astronomically high tax free. 

But Alex, what is the highest rate for the estate tax you ask? 40% at $1,000,001 above $12,920,000. 

What does this look like in practice? 

Say your very wealthy grandfather passes away and has an estate worth $14,000,000. Let’s play it out: 

0-12,920,000= 0 tax

12,920,001-12,930,000= $1,800 (18% tax on $10,000)

12,930,001-12,940,000= $2,000 (20% on $10,000)

12,940,001-12,960,000= $4,400 (22% on $20,000)

12,960,001-12,980,000=$4,800 (24% on 20,000)

12,980,001-13,000,000= $5,200 (26% on 20,000)

13,000,001-13,020,000=$5,600 (28% on 20,000)

13,020,001-13,070,000= $15,000 (30% on 50,000)

13,070,001-13,170,000= $32,000 (32% on 100,000)

13,170,001-13,420,00= $87,500 (34% on 250,000)

13,420,001-13,670,000= $92,500 (37% on 250,000)

13,670,001-13,980,00= $97,500 (39% on 250,000)

13,980,001-14,000,000= $7,999.60 (40% on 19,999).  

For a grand total of $356,299.60.  

That is a 2.5% tax on $14,000,000 in an estate. 

People that rich are seriously complaining about a 2% tax on a $14,000,000 estate.  

They never talk about the actual numbers of the tax because that shows just how ridiculous their position is.  It’s an absurd position to hold, but they distract you with other nonsense to try and make you side with the ultra wealthy.

Lisa Hurley

I write a lot about LinkedIn etiquette. The scourge that is #ThirstyTagging. The equally bad #LazyLinking. The even worse "Content Colo.niz.ing." (If I can find the links to my old posts about those topics, I'll drop them in the comments.) But what I loathe even more than those behaviors is Dirty Deleting. I also despise when people *only* engage with your content to criticize it.

It's astounding to me. The vibes are very haterish.

In theory, nothing is wrong with “correcting” someone. And nothing is wrong with disagreeing with someone and engaging in fruitful discourse about it. But if the ONLY time you show up in somebody’s comments is with your cape of pedantry flying, I give you full side eye.

I write about Black and brown people doing great things in the world - silence.
I write about Black people being systemically unalived - silence.
I write about launching The Great Exhale™ - silence.
I write about Black women going missing - silence.
I write about my health issues - silence.
I write about pay inequity - silence.
I ask for testimonials - silence.
I celebrate a win - silence.
I post a meme - silence.

But Lordt Yeeeezussss let there be one typo. Let there be information they don't agree with. Let there be a hint of me calling a non-Black person to task, or *gasp* implying that said people are in the wrong.

The peanut gallery finds energy to emerge in FORCE to highlight my supposed error, or to try to prove me wrong. And they are invested in it. Whew, chile...It’s fugly.

I wish these people would show up with as much energy and investment to help end racism.

I wish these people would show up with as much energy and investment to PAY Black and brown people for our expertise.

I wish these people would show up with as much energy and investment to stop the weedy overgrowth of pale, monochromatic panels.

But no. They are out here policing my apostrophes. And then dirty deleting their comments when I call them on their tomfoolery. 

Wow.

P.S. If it doesn’t apply, please scroll on by. And if it does apply, I give you side eye. Do better. 

Cofounder breakup is one of the leading causes of business failure.

At 19, I met Ambrose Cooke  and after a few years, we would go on to found Fanbytes and see it to a successful acquisition.

Here are 5 things I’ve learnt about cofounders and how not to f**k them up 👇👇

👉 Your cofounder is kinda like your therapist.

In the beginning, I thought we’d focus on just having work conversations.

That was naïve thinking, there were many nights when we’d just talk about life and confide our biggest fears.

If you can't see yourself sharing such information, think twice.

👉 Have low ego.

If you cofound a business, there'll always be a visionary and an integrator. 

Unfortunately, the visionary will get most of the press and accolades just because of visibility.

This could lead to tension but not in our case.

In fact, Ambrose takes a huge amount of pride in being Mr Integrator and being Mr Spreadsheet and playing to his strengths.

We both knew what we were good at and uplifted the other's strengths.

This low ego approach to relationships helped to win in the long run.

👉 Work on something small first.

Fanbytes was not the first thing we tried. 

I came to Ambrose with a previous idea called Bandzie which failed but through that, it became clear we could work together.

Rather than jumping head first into working together, experiment with less ambitious projects.

Date a bit before getting married.

👉 Expect each other to evolve and hold each other accountable for growth.

One thing for certain, as you work together, you will need to emotionally and professionally mature.

A lot of partnerships dissolve because one grows and the other is just not able to grow.

During Fanbytes, we had constant check-ins about what new skills we needed to learn and ensure that each other was rising to the new challenge.

👉 Write down exactly what you want out of this and how.

Early on, we sat in a Pret and spoke in distinct detail about how we wanted to build this business.

Whenever there was a deviation, we went back to the plan. 

Most relationships sour because over time, cofounders have different ideas of what success looks like.

Have the hard conversation about what success looks like individually for you.

Having a cofounder is like marriage but people rarely spend the meticulous time required to get it right.

It’s the biggest decision you’d make on your startup journey.

Don’t mess it up.

For more practical tips on building an entrepreneurial career, follow me @Timothy Armoo

**TW: assault** Some of y'all are missing the whole point. I don't care how many "Black woman in distress" calls are later revealed to be a case of crying wolf. Those are in the minority.

🖤  My first instinct is and always will be to believe Black women, because so few of us are believed. 
🖤 My first instinct is and always will be to protect Black women, because so few of us are protected. 
🖤 My first instinct is and always will be to advocate for Black women, because so few of us are advocated for. 

Are there scammers? Absolutely. But there are far more un-believed, unprotected, endangered, harmed, assaulted, and unalived Black women that nobody even cares about. 

Nobody cares. 

Instead, all the whatabouters, devil's advocates, and pick meshas come out in force to lambaste and excoriate sistas in distress. 

I have been one, and that's how I know. I have been a sista in distress. For real. I have, alas, been assaulted more than once, and folks showed a lot of concern for guess who? For the people who assaulted me. 

Not for me. 

So: I will always default to sounding the alarm. Black women deserve that much.

P.S. Please also consider some of the possible thinking behind why some Black women create/report extreme scenarios of victimization...I would hazard a guess that it is at least partially because when we whisper, nobody hears us. People only pay attention when we scream. Then accuse us of being angry. But, you know...carry on. 

LinkedIn Advisor's Report on B2B Marketing Trends:

What is your thoughts on how brands will market with content?

Bottom Line:
Success in marketing comes from strategic adaption to trends and acceptance of emerging technology.

P.S>
Data and information is gathered from polling LinkedIn Advisors as experts in the marketing field. 

#LinkedIn #LinkedInMarketing #ContentMarketing  

Why self-diagnosis has to be viewed with compassion... 

Some people are autistic. They are born that way, and it won't (can't, in fact) change over the course of their lives. They may be diagnosed by a professional, but likewise they may not. Either way, they are still autistic. Being autistic is to be different. A different type of brain, different type of understanding, different type of communication. Though it is a disability, especially in our ableist society, it is not a 'tragedy'. It simply is. We have to assume there have always been autistic people, even centuries ago. Maybe some of them became famous. None of them knew they were autistic, but they still were. They still existed as autistic people living autistically. 

But we talk of diagnosis. Some autistic people, and many more non-autistic people, are obsessed with it, viewing diagnosis as the be-all-and-end-all. They think there has to be a gate, manned by experts, formally confirming that yes, you are autistic. The alternative, they fear, is an influx of non-autistic people thinking they're autistic when they're not, stripping support away from true autistics, picking up autism as an identity, a fad. 

However, many autistic people cannot get through the gate. It's too difficult, expensive, or even guarded by experts who have no expertise. The gate is horribly flawed, the people guarding it imperfect, biased. Thousands of autistic people - autistic from birth, diagnosis or not - do not know they are autistic. Even if they suspect it, they may feel hesitant to allow themselves to accept it or share it, fearing the gate-keepers. 

But why should they? Why should thousands, potentially millions of autistic people deny their own reality based on not being able to get through that narrow, hard to pass gate? How much harm is being done by this gate and its guards? 

Even if, should the gate vanish, some non-autistic people decide they're autistic, surely that is nowhere near as big a problem or as harmful as the multitudes of people who are currently locked outside the gate? 
These individuals should be able to say they are autistic without having to pass through the gate of diagnosis. They should have the right to understand themselves without an expert having the time to get around to agreeing with them. Otherwise we're condemning autistic people to never having the opportunity of truly knowing themselves, unless they are lucky enough to pass the test to traverse the gate.

Frankly, screw that.

Support self diagnosis and self realization of neurodivergence.

#autism #autistic #autismsupport #autisticadults #autismacceptance #disabilityawareness #untypical #authorlife #writerscommunity #publishedauthor #audiobook 

Running this one back for those of y'all who missed it. In addition to celebrating the launch of The Great Exhale™'s new logo and brand identity (no I will not stop talking about it, lol 😂💅🏾 ), I also celebrated the company being featured recently in Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter, founded by Curator-In-Chief, Sharon Hurley Hall (she/her).

Here's an excerpt:

"Of late, I’ve noticed that many Black people are no longer trying to get into spaces that weren’t made for them - they’re creating their own. I’ve talked recently about a couple of DEI spaces, and my sister Lisa has founded The Great Exhale™. I’ve seen many other spaces surfacing.

The ability to be fully yourself without pretence and without hyper-vigilance is a gift. There’s an online meeting I attend that’s just for Black women. And because of that, there are things we don’t have to explain - the background to who we are. Instead, we can just get to the essence of what we really want to talk about.

We also know that we won’t experience the kind of harm that comes as standard in many white-dominated spaces..."--Sharon Hurley Hall


👆🏾👆🏾 THIS is the main reason why I founded The Great Exhale™. Black women need spaces where we can feel and be safe. If you're a Black woman and this resonates with you, join us today. The sistas are in there living their best lives, relaxing, supporting each other...and exhaling. 

Link to the full piece is in the comments, and so is the link to subscribe to the newsletter. And by subscribe, I mean get a paid subscription.

To quote Sharon, all the linky goodness is in the comments. 😊

#TheGreatExhale
#BlackBusinessMonth
#Solopreneur 








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About The Great Exhale™

The Great Exhale™ is a private membership community for Black women. It is a soft space designed for Black women around the globe to collectively relax, lay our burdens down…and exhale. The goal is for us all to manifest lives filled with joy, ease, and abundance. 🙏🏾 

If you are a Black woman who wants to:

🤎 Be in community with a supportive sisterhood…
🤎 Divest from the tyranny of overwork…
🤎 Be free from having to code switch…
🤎 Be as excellent or as average as you choose...
🤎 Openly share your lived experiences and have them validated by folks who understand…
🤎 Enjoy a softer, friendlier, more fulfilling life…

…then The Great Exhale is for YOU. Join us today. Membership starts at $40/month. Link is in the comments. 🔗🔗


Tfw you just submitted your last deliverble before VACATIONNNNN!! 😁😁😁💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾🎊🎊🎊

Sometimes you just gotta do #FootwerkFriday on a Thursday to celebrate the vibes!! 💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

P.T.O. = Prepare The Others.
P.T.O. = Peace. Tranquility. Om.
P.T.O. = Plane Ticket Organized. 

#SheReady!! 😁🎊💃🏾
#TheGreatExhale









✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
😎🤎 Hi, I’m Lisa, Founder of The Great Exhale™. I invite you to:
💨 Follow The Great Exhale™  here on LinkedIn 
💨 Join The Great Exhale™ community (link in comments)
👉🏾 Follow my hashtags:
#TheGreatExhale
#ExhaleSis
#HappyHappyThoughts 
🔗 Support my work using the links in the comments 👇🏾👇🏾 ✨✨





💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨
About The Great Exhale™ 

The Great Exhale™ is a private membership community built exclusively to center Black women. It is a soft space designed for Black women around the globe to collectively relax, lay their burdens down…and exhale.

We have created a virtual forum where Black women can:

🤎 Enjoy community with a supportive sisterhood…

🤎 Embrace ease and divest from overwork…

🤎 Liberate themselves from code switching…

🤎 Be as excellent or as average as they choose…

🤎 Share their stories with like-experienced™ people…

🤎 Be seen and validated by folks who understand…

🤎 Live a softer, happier, more fulfilling life…

Members benefit from community support, empowering content & events, exclusive learning journeys, authentic connections with like-minded women, and more. Membership starts at $40/month. 

Join Us Today. Learn more at itsthegreatexhale . com

Lolol!! This is facts!! #LookieLookie 🤣🤣  

Anybody who has ever heard a Jamaican talking will have heard the way that they ‘andle their haitches! 😁🇯🇲🙌🏾 The usage in dialek/creole/patois is inverse to the usage in English, or as some Jamaicans might say: Henglish! 😁😁

It can be hilarious to the non-Jamaican ear, so since today is #StandupSaturday, let’s “henjoy” the moment.

On the flip side: Caribbean creoles are valid linguistic forms - in fact they are full languages - so make your comments with that in mind. 🪑🪑🪑

Ok…now that the ground rules are set, have fun! 😁🇯🇲🙌🏾

P.S. I am Jamaican born so ion want to hear anything from nunna y’all 😂😂

P.P.S. My Bachelor’s degree is in Linguistics, French, and Spanish, so again: ion want to hear nuttin from nunna y’all 😂😂

P.P.P.S. “Allies,” this is not your moment to drop jokes and ill-informed commentary. 










💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨
😎🤎 Hi, I’m Lisa, Founder of The Great Exhale™, a private membership community designed for Black women around the globe to collectively relax, lay their burdens down…and exhale.

If that sounds like you, join The Great Exhale™ community today! 🙌🏾😊🤎💨 (Link is in the comments.)

#ExhaleSis
#TheGreatExhale
#HappyHappyThoughts

Dear white friends, colleagues, and contacts –
CHANGING THE WHITENESS OF OUR CHANGE WORK
 
For those of us making a good living…
 
🔻working in – and/or writing about – organization development (OD), change, leadership, or coaching in Western industries, and…

🔻working only or mostly with white colleagues and white clients…

HERE’S A CHALLENGE.
 
Record yourself reading the statements below, leaving a 30-second silence after each. Or print off the list and tape it to a mirror. Stand in front of the mirror and listen to or read the statements…one at a time. Pause after each statement and reflect…while looking yourself in the eyes.
 
1. All the theories and methods I reference in my work have been conceived by white scholar/practitioners…who’ve done research with white populations…yet they’ve asserted that conclusions apply generally. 
2. The data I use to help form analyses and proposals for organization changes is almost exclusively from white dominated sources: markets, industries, executives, managers, and employees. I avoid my responsibility to eliminate racism by not including Black- and other Global Majority-specific data…e.g., anti-Blackness and racism in markets and industries, Black and other Global Majority employees’ very different workplace experiences and perceptions.
3. In coaching executives and managers, I avoid asking clients to think about how white dominance and skin color differences affect their organizations’ psychosocial and power dynamics, relationships, and work outcomes…and how creating openness and safety to discuss experiences based on skin color differences could improve work relationships, outcomes, and workplace satisfaction.
4. I avoid asking executives and managers to think about white dominance and related power and authority dynamics in their organizations because I need their support to achieve what I’m contracted to do…and I fear I won’t get that if they believe their positions are threatened by the change process.
5. My white colleagues and I argue that anti-Blackness and racism “aren’t the only anti-s and isms”. I’d advise my clients that any conversations about anti-s, isms, and phobias should be wide-ranging…”not just about racism”…so white employees can feel safe and comfortable. 
6. I avoid all these conversations about white dominance, anti-Blackness, and racism because I don’t have the skills — that Black and other Global Majority practitioners do — to facilitate them and to contain whatever emotions arise.
7. If I’m honest, I see that my actions and non-actions help sustain white dominance of the industries in which I work.
8. If I’m honest, I see that I’m helping embed structural inequities and injustices, anti-Blackness, and racism.
9. I fear that if I risk breaking out of my comfort, complacency, and complicity, I’ll be judged as being naïve…unskilled…anti-Black…racist.
10.If I commit to learning with new Black and other Global Majority colleagues, I could change my work…and my life…for the better.

As I attempt to disembark the struggle bus 😩😩, today’s #SundaySalutation is a reminder to myself and to you, that we need to give ourselves grace. We also sometimes need to give others grace. 🙏🏾🙏🏾

It’s also a reminder, during #SuicidePreventionMonth, that depression, and the masking thereof, manifest differently in different people. So dig deeper, look deeper, and practice actually being a member of this mythical village that so many of us refer to. If it takes a village, then show up and be a villager. 








💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨
😎🤎 Hi, I’m Lisa, Founder of The Great Exhale™  a private membership community designed for Black women around the globe to collectively relax, lay their burdens down…and exhale.

If that sounds like you, join The Great Exhale™ community today! 🙌🏾😊🤎💨 (Link is in the comments.)

#ExhaleSis
#TheGreatExhale
#HappyHappyThoughts

11,300 PEOPLE DIED SINCE SUNDAY in one city. 

You did not read that number wrong.

Another 10,000 are missing.

I came back to LinkedIn just to say that you and everyone else need to be talking about this.

In Derna, Libya, flooding caused two dams to burst and it destroyed 2 square miles of land, a port, five bridges, and 2217 buildings.

Experts also say that MOST of the deaths could have been avoided if the government had listened to experts and improved the safety of the dams. 

2 million euros in 2012 and 2013 dedicated to improve the dams seemingly vanished and the dams weren't maintained. 

That is almost 4 9/11s. (And I saw wall to wall coverage of that this Monday.)

It is 11,300 people who had lives, just like the Queen of England or Paul Walker or whatever pretty victim the nightly news spends 3 years talking about. 

It's early to know the best places to send money, but for now, please spread awareness. 

People are people everywhere. And this is beyond tragic. 

Yet I see so little coverage of it in the West.

🌎💕

Picture of a volunteer pausing in Derna to ponder the devastation. Credit: AP. 

PAY BLACK SPEAKERS!

Currently away on a speaking engagement, checked my email and noticed there was a speaking engagement request. Read up to ‘we don’t have a budget but…’ then I deleted the email. Then I knew I had to run this one up again to remind man… it’s getting beyond a joke!! I’m ready for the smoke 💨. Pay black experts/speakers! 

♻️ As Black History Month approaches as a speaker I’ve been asked to do dozens of talks, some paid and some unpaid. Like most of you I wanted to cuss out the brazen companies who don’t want to pay but instead I ended up writing a diplomatic line that I copy and paste to reply to such requests that I’m sure will come in handy for you. I suggest you send the diplomatic response and save the non-diplomatic response for your private discussions with friends but bwoy I know it’s tempting to just tell them two bad wud!! 

As a black man when I’m placed in such spaces it’s highly likely that I will revisit some form of trauma. You will absolutely compensate me for that discomfort. Secondly, you can not celebrate black people of you don’t value them enough to pay them for their expertise. In fact, it contributes further to the social and financial inequality we are fighting thus contradicting your entire event. Pay them. 

PS. To those companies who thinks it’s a good idea to say ‘it’s great exposure’ to pacify the request, don’t bother. It’s insulting and disrespectful. Exposure cannot pay bills and clearly if you found me, exposure really isn’t an issue. 

You’re welcome… 

➡️➡️➡️

If you want to level up your speaking and want to join our waiting list for our next speaking Masterclass DM me the word ‘SPEAKER’. 
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#entrepreneur #publicitycoach #media #press #pr #creativeentrepreneur  #personalbranding #coach #course #presscourse #businessowner #publicity #speaker #speakingengagement #blackhistorymonth  #businesscourse #personaldevelopment #publicityexpert #podcast #creativeentrepreneur #blackexcellence✊🏾 #businesscoach  #influence #personofinfluence

THE CASE FOR SUPPORTING BLACK-OWNED VENTURES

”There will undoubtedly be a problem with the notion of funds targeting just Black founders. But the truth is, we were excluded for so long that very few are aware or have the networks to make access to mainstream funds seem possible. 

In the UK, there was a time when those from African and Caribbean communities were unable to access home loans and credit facilities. Because racism. So they became self-reliant and leveraged rotating savings and credit associations (ROSCAs) - microfinancing before it became mainstream. Pardna and susu are probably the most common and helped many first-generation Black heritage expats to this country raise money to buy homes. ROSCAs also operated in South Asian communities as chit or committee. However, these microfinance funds need more funding bandwidth to scale and grow ventures.”

So I wrote a thing.

Beyond the headline I would love if you could take a few moments and dive into why this specific niche of business ownership is important to many of us. And how it sits alongside other intiatives around wealth creation.

You don't have to agree with it. 

Differentiating opinions are important. This kind of frisson can help us to be better innovators and even get so see things we may have missed.

But before you comment, sit in the shoes of those for who this is a very important and pertinent matter.

Open article: The Case for Supporting Black-Owned Ventures — David McQueen | Executive Leadership Coach - Inclusive Leadership - Leadership Programmes - Keynote Speaker - Board Facilitation - Senior Leadership Teams - Executive Boards - Executive Committees | UK - International by davidmcqueen.co.uk

https://davidmcqueen.co.uk/journal/the-case-for-supporting-black-owned-ventures

Y’all know what time it is!! It’s #FootwerkFriday and we’re dancing into the weekend! 💃🏾🕺🏾🎊💃🏾🕺🏾🎊💃🏾🕺🏾🎊

One thing about us, we gon’ ack alllll the way out!! Lolol! I love the vibes of this wedding reception. 😁🩷🎊

This is a celebration of Black love, and Black joy, and I’m here for it! And Black comfort too, lol! Sis in the black socks under her dress had the right idea! 😁🤣

Happy Fri-yayyyyy! 😁😁😁🎊🎊🎊🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾








💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨
😎🤎 Hi, I’m Lisa, Founder of The Great Exhale™  a private membership community designed for Black women around the globe to collectively relax, lay their burdens down…and exhale.

If that sounds like you, join The Great Exhale™ community today! 🙌🏾😊🤎💨 Membership starts at $40/month. (Link is in the comments.)

#ExhaleSis
#TheGreatExhale
#FootwerkFriday
#HappyHappyThoughts

Tickets are on sale 10am on Monday 25th September on the British Film Institute (BFI)  website.

The screening will be 3pm on Wednesday October 5th

Did you know about the wild disparities in publishing? It’s been said that “diverse books don’t sell.” And… YIKES, what does that even mean? It’s just not true! 

Our art shouldn’t have to be trendy to be worth sharing. Our words shouldn’t have to be tied to trauma to have value! When we support historically excluded authors through preorders and purchases, we’re letting the industry know that there’s power in investing in our voices, and it moves us one step closer to making our stories more accessible to everyone. 📕 

This is one small way to do a little good today!

Source: PEN America, “Reading Between the Lines: Race, Equity, and Book Publishing.” 

P.S. “A Heart on Fire” is available for pre-order wherever you get your books!

Today The Great Exhale™ is 3 months old! (It’s my baby, so like any new parent I’m counting in months, lol).🎉🎉🎉

It’s already been quite a ride. Sometimes it feels like hanging on by the fingernails to a roller coaster that’s gone completely out of control; other times it feels calm and peaceful…the way I feel when I’m floating in the Caribbean Sea.

Solopreneurship is definitely not for the faint of heart.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that – the first two syllables of “solopreneur” notwithstanding – one is often not going completely solo. Thank Gawdt. One of the people who has stepped in and stepped up is Latrice Torres, SHRM-SCP, our Executive Director of People and Culture. More on that in another post, but suffice it to say that I am #Grateful. 🙏🏾💚😊

Another person who has lent support is Kelly Fuller. I don’t have enough character count to list all the ways that she has kept me going this year. Again: #Grateful. 🙏🏾💚😊 Actually, she’s the person who sent me the lovely gift pictured here to celebrate the rebranding of The Great Exhale. So sweet!! I love it so much. Mint green is my new favorite color, thanks to the brilliant mind of Rose-Ann Reynolds, the designer behind our new logo. 🙌🏾🙌🏾 

My Bajan bredrin Steve Jones has also been a huge support too, so big ups and nuff tanks to him as well. 🙏🏾🇧🇧😊

💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨

Big tings a gwaan Part 1 - MASTERCLASS LOADING!!🎉🎉🎉

Our very first masterclass is taking place later this month, and surprise surprise, it’s titled “Get Yo Money!” 💰😂💰 Both Latrice and I believe that #FreeIsCancelled, so we’re going to be talking about how to level up your comp. Part of #TheGreatExhale is being able to exhale financially. 💯💯💯 So stay tuned, and I’ll post full details about it soon. 

Big tings a gwaan Part 2 - OUR STORE IS LAUNCHED!!🎉🎉🎉

The merch is merching, y’all!! Get on it! 😆💃🏾😁 We have many of the usual suspects as well as a seasonally appropriate windbreaker that is very cool if I do say so myself. Head over to the site and check it out! And then check it out! Lol! 🛒🛒🛒

Happy 3-month anniversary to me! 🎉🎉🎉☺️☺️☺️🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾








💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨
😎🤎 Hi, I’m Lisa, Founder of The Great Exhale™ a private membership community designed for Black women around the globe to collectively relax, lay their burdens down…and exhale.

If that sounds like you, join The Great Exhale™ community today! 🙌🏾😊🤎💨 (Link is in the comments.)

#ExhaleSis
#TheGreatExhale
#HappyHappyThoughts
#BlackFounders 

Hi everyone, I know this is a long shot, but my cousin has been missing since Thursday. He was last seen in the Baltimore, MD area, and could be under mental or emotional distress.

If you have seen him or have any advice on tracking down a missing person, please DM me. 

Taplio

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