October 29, 2025 • 37 mins
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A slower economy, tighter budgets, and unpredictable algorithms don’t have to stall your growth. We take a clear-eyed look at what’s changed and map a calmer, smarter path forward—one that keeps your mission intact while giving you permission to change the route. If buyer anxiety is stretching sales cycles and your marketing feels scattered, this conversation gives you practical ways to streamline, clarify, and sell in any economy.
Connect with me at Dr. Angelina Davis on Instagram or LinkedIn, and visit excelconsulting.com for resources to support your journey.
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hello and welcome to the Black Girls Consult 2
podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Angelina Davis, and I am so gladto be back on this mic.
You know, it has been a minutesince we've had a real just deep
conversation about what's beengoing on in the industry, uh
what's been going on in mybusiness and in the world of
(00:22):
podcasting, especially, and whatmay be going on in your life
right now.
And so I want this episode to bejust a really laid back session
to chat through some of what hasreally been changing as we get
closer and closer to the end ofthis year.
If you listen to this episode inreal time, then it is October of
(00:44):
2025.
So we are moving closer andcloser into the holiday season.
I don't know if it is like thisin your area, but where I live,
everything is starting to turnover to not quite Christmas yet,
but definitely the Thanksgivingflair.
So a lot of plans for familymeals and a lot of beautiful
(01:07):
decorations outside.
There's still some Halloweenstuff out, but you know, more
and more people are leaning intothe holiday season.
And right now in our economy,things have been a little bit
all over the place.
I wouldn't necessarily say it'sbeen turbulent.
I think it's just beenuncertain.
(01:27):
And that uncertainty is leadingto a lot of anxiety for a number
of people.
Right now, we're in the midst ofa government shutdown.
And so there are a lot of peoplethat work for the government or
different agencies, such as TSA.
I went flying uh last week to govisit my older daughter in
Connecticut.
And it was a long line gettingthrough TSA when we were at the
(01:52):
Atlanta airport, and I know thatwe're feeling that all over the
country, from people having toshow up to work and not be paid.
So there is a lot of uh anxiety,I feel like a lot of us have,
not just for those who areactually actively going through
those difficult moments, butthen also those of us who may
(02:12):
not be facing that right now,but concerned about loved ones
that are, or worried about whatthe future may hold.
So that uneasiness definitelyrattles, uh, I would say most
people.
I know it rattles me a bit.
And that has a huge impact onthe entrepreneur space and the
business market and how clientsare feeling about buying and at
(02:35):
just how we're showing up now.
And then with so much changingin the online space, all of the
algorithms are algorithmingright now.
They're doing their own thing.
And so, for many, many of theplatforms that you may have
trusted to get your message outthere and to market your
business are just not performinglike they used to.
(02:56):
And that presents anotherchallenge of either finding a
new way to market and promoteyour business, or alternatively,
learning how to navigate many ofthese challenges and have them
work in your favor.
So there's a lot.
There is a lot.
And in this episode, I want usto begin to unpack some of that
because I want you to walk awayfrom this episode feeling
(03:18):
better.
I needed to have this sessionwith myself the other day
because I was starting to reallystress out over some things.
And I had to step back andreally put my, you know,
coaching and strategist hat onand put myself in the chair.
I call myself to the front ofthe of the owl and really do
(03:40):
some deep dive and deep work onwhat I am trying to accomplish,
where I'm trying to go, and howI am going to get there.
Because I think for many of us,we have goals and uh missions
that still need to beaccomplished and will be
accomplished.
We're not changing those.
But the one thing that came tome when I was thinking through a
(04:05):
lot of the things that have beengoing on right now in my life is
that the mission and goaldoesn't change, but the path to
get there was never set instone.
And although if you're like me,you're very disciplined and
you're used to laying out a planand following it to the T, not
getting distracted, trying tostay focused, trying to stay,
(04:27):
you know, moving forward becausethat's what we always encourage
our clients to do.
Sometimes there comes a momentwhere we do have to make a
shift.
And that shift is notnecessarily pivoting and
changing to something totallydifferent.
It is literally just looking foranother path and another route
to get to the same goal ormission.
(04:49):
And so I want to talk through alittle bit of what I've been
thinking about.
And I'm hoping that maybe thisconversation helps you think
through some of what you've beenexperiencing in your business as
well.
They say the odds are stackedagainst us as women, especially
women of color, trying to thrivein the consulting world.
(05:09):
But rather than wait for a seatat the table that may never
come, what if we build our owntable?
What if we channeled our talentsinto guiding each other towards
the success we deserve?
Welcome to the Black GirlsConsultant Podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Antonina Davis, and I've walkedthe path from healthcare
consultant to a mentor for womenlike you, ambitious,
(05:30):
unstoppable, and ready to makewaves in the consulting world.
This podcast is yourgoal-to-spot for all team
entrepreneurial consulting.
For us as women, especiallywomen of color, think of it as
your weekly coffee date with afriend who's here to ditch out
real talk of building a solidbusiness, elevating your thought
leadership, and mastering thatall-important mindset.
(05:52):
And let's not forget, we'redoing all of this while
balancing day jobs, family life,and running teams.
Yes, we can do it all.
So if you're ready to dive intohow you can grow a thriving
consultancy or get strategiesand insights that actually fit
your busy lifestyle, then you'rein the right place.
Grab your coffee, tea, or hey,even a glass of wine.
(06:14):
I won't judge.
And let's get started.
Okay, so things are a littledifferent than they have been in
the past.
We are in a space right nowwhere money is not easily
(06:34):
flowing.
And what I mean by that is thatthere are a number of
opportunities that don't existright now due to, for instance,
government and business ratherbudget cuts.
So maybe many of the requestsfor proposals that you
previously saw have been closed,or maybe there are not as many
that are currently available.
(06:56):
Uh, I've even noticed uh fromgoing to a conference very
recently that attendance at someof the live conferences is down.
And I know from speaking toother colleagues that a lot of
this is because there is not thefinancial uh backing from
employers or businesses to fundthose trips and the attendance,
(07:17):
because that goes up into thethousands of dollars.
Also, uh, what we're seeingright now is just people being a
little bit more cautious when itcomes to their buying and trying
to make better decisions.
I think we all are becausethings are so chaotic right now
in the US.
(07:38):
If you're listening to this inthe US, so that changes a lot
for a growing and developingbusiness of any type.
And definitely when it comes toconsulting, where you are often
not selling a tangible uhproduct, then it can be even
more challenging because whatit's going to do is force you to
(07:58):
be able to communicate this needmore clearly so that it's
recognized as a must-have,something that is urgently
needed and required, andactually get someone to move
forward and take action to workwith us.
So the dynamic of selling inthis particular area of era that
(08:18):
we're in right now is changing.
However, I want to give all ofus uh kind of like a reminder
that, and I posted this uh as athread very recently as a joke,
but seriously, if you havethousands of people spending
their hard-earned money to gosee someone like Ray J, which
(08:42):
look, I love Brandy's brother,and I love Ray J and all his
shenanigans are definitely overthe top.
But I think we can all agreethat that's not necessarily an
urgent must-have, but it's areminder that people will make
space and room for the thingsthat they truly want to do, want
to accomplish, and want toachieve.
(09:03):
And that's true for consumers,that's true for businesses,
that's true for corporate andenterprises.
Across the board, if somethingis needed and if you're able to
make a convincing uh argument orlay out uh a reason and a
rationale for why someone needsto move forward with working
(09:23):
with you, then it is going tohappen.
So I want to just right now haveus to just take a deep breath.
Inhale, exhale, and know thatyes, things are a little
different, but we are still outhere thriving and moving
forward.
So I don't want uh to scare usat this moment, but just a
(09:46):
reminder that we need to startthinking a little bit
differently when it comes to howwe are moving forward and
growing our businesses.
One of the things that I've beenthinking about a lot lately is
how do I accomplish my end goaland just look at the different
ways to get there.
So for me, it's increasing thenumber of successful women
(10:07):
entrepreneurial consultants thatachieve longevity in this space.
That has always been my goalfrom the very beginning.
So everything that I do and haveoffered from this podcast to
courses to coaching to whateverit may be, strategy sessions, et
cetera, have all centered aroundhelping women entrepreneurs get
(10:28):
to uh their uh desired levels ofsuccess.
And what I hope to be is part ofthat journey.
For some, it's been part of thatjourney and getting started.
For others, it's been part ofthat journey that has taken them
to leaving their nine to fiveand going into their business
full-time as entrepreneurs.
Uh, so whatever role that I havebeen able to play along that
(10:50):
journey, I have been so blessedto do so.
And that is why I do this.
Um, and as I thought about that,it really made me step back and
consider how do I want to andneed to show up moving forward?
Because I'll be honest, it hasbeen a lot to try and keep a lot
of things afloat, multipleoffers and uh different levels
(11:13):
of clients, different platformsfrom podcasts to LinkedIn to
Instagram to you know, email.
I have been doing quite a bit.
And so I've been in the seasonvery recently of thinking of how
to streamline and to scale backso that I can be more focused
and intentional in creating theoffers and the content and the
(11:39):
messaging and all the thingsnecessary for the business uh at
a higher level.
So sometimes moving forward isnot about adding more to your
plate, but it's actually abouthow much you can remove.
That was a hard thing for me tolearn because I have always been
one to put the most into theday.
(12:00):
As a matter of fact, my friendsknow if you call Angelina on a
weekend, probably by 10 a.m., Ihave already done like 20 things
and been out the house sinceearly morning.
And I used to, you know, notthink twice about that.
It was just how I have lived forso long, just getting the most
done possible in a short periodof time.
(12:23):
But we're not meant to run likethat forever.
That is meant for short stints,uh, maybe when you have a
certain project that you'reworking on or a certain goal
that you're trying to achieve ona short time frame.
But on the longer horizon, forus to be sustainable and have
sustainable businesses thatachieve longevity, we need to
begin to focus in on thosethings that move the needle the
(12:46):
farthest and not necessarily uhwaste so much time on things
that are not impacting ourbottom line directly.
So as you're thinking about yourbusiness, I want you to think
about some of the things thatyou can cut out right now.
Are you doing too much to tryand show up online?
(13:06):
Meaning, are you on too manyplatforms instead of just
focusing on one or maybe two?
Are you trying to offer too manythings to too many people
instead of focusing on oneparticular ideal client or
audience and tailoring youroffers to optimize the lifetime
value for that uh individualclient that you're serving?
(13:29):
Are you focused on what is gonnahelp you grow your uh authority
and brand in your space?
Or are you spreading yourself sothin that people don't really
know what to come to you for?
If you are leaning into doingthat deeper work, that will pay
(13:51):
off.
It's gonna pay off tremendouslybecause this is the part that I
think many of us forget, and Ihad to remind myself of too.
It is very easy to get startedin business.
So that's why you see a lot ofpeople they get started, they
tend to work with similaraudiences and offer similar
products or offer similarservices and promise similar
(14:13):
outcomes because that part, thatinitial start, that initial
journey is the easier part ofthe journey.
It's not completely easy.
I'm not saying that it'ssomething that doesn't take a
lot of effort, but compared towhat's required to get to the
other side, where most peopleare trying to get to and what
they're trying to reach, it iseasier.
(14:34):
So what is missing are thoseoffers and those services that
cater to those individuals thatare a little bit further along,
that have reached what SethGodin would say is the dip, the
space where they are starting torun into those difficulties and
they are not able to see easilyhow to get to the other side
(14:56):
where they're thinking aboutwhether or not they should give
up or if they should pivot.
Think about how you can leaninto these other areas of
practice.
How can you show up beyond whereeverybody else is competing?
Because there are so many peoplein that space that are looking
(15:17):
for help.
And to be honest, more thanlikely that's where you're
better suited to serve thoseclients because you do have that
higher level expertise thatyou're not putting to use fully
right now.
So it's not about completelyabandoning what you've been
doing, but think about how youcan elevate your offers and your
(15:40):
services to cater at the nextlevel.
And although that is going tonarrow the pool of people that
are going to meet your criteriain order to be an ideal client,
you are also going to narrow thecompetition.
So, yes, there are fewer people,but there are fewer people that
(16:02):
you have to compete with aswell, making it a bit easier for
you in the long run.
So, in this environment wherepeople are more skeptical and
more unsure and they are morecautious with their spending,
they are expecting a lot more.
We have to start thinking abouthow we can not just provide the
(16:22):
fluff, not just tell people whatthey want to hear and the
million-dollar dreams, but howcan we take them on a journey to
their next step where we canprove through data and outcomes
a return on investment for whatthey are actually investing in?
(16:43):
That is going to be the keyright now in this particular
economic environment.
So I want you to think aboutscaling back, conserving your
energy, focusing in on thosethings that truly are going to
move the needle, and thenfocusing on how you can elevate
and begin to address those gapsin your market that you see that
(17:07):
are not currently beinganswered.
And oftentimes it actually maybe the place where you just
were.
(17:50):
Now, something else that hasbeen a huge frustration of mine
and other clients as well, andeven colleagues, is the
difficulty of marketing yourbusiness in order to reach more
people.
So no matter if you're workingin the consumer space, if you're
working business to business, orif you're working in kind of
(18:12):
like with corporate enterprises,you still have to get your name
out there.
People still need to know whatyou offer and how you are able
to serve them.
And if you're unable to get thatinformation in the right hands,
it's going to be very difficultfor you to land more clients.
So this is how we begin to relyvery heavily on referrals
(18:33):
because when we can't get themarketing to work, the
alternative is to lean back onpeople that we know in our
networks.
And we should do that.
That is always something we wantto do.
That should always be a part ofthe plan.
But you still need to have a wayto attract clients to your
(18:53):
business without the generosityof others.
I always like to remind myclients of this because when we
rely solely on referrals, we putourselves in dangers or harm's
way.
Think about what we're facingright now.
Like I said in the comingeconomy, the uncertainty that is
surrounding everyone.
Well, if you're leaning solelyinto one or two clients that
(19:14):
have been with you for a verylong time and you have acquired
them through referrals, what ifthey face difficulty?
Right?
They're going to have to scaleback or cut back.
What are you going to do?
Or maybe you finish a projectand they decide not to go in
that direction and they want tomove a different way.
And although you have done greatwork and they love you and they
(19:34):
want to continue to work withyou in some capacity, maybe
you're unable to serve them inthe new direction or path that
they're about to take.
So what do you do in thoseinstances?
You need to have a pipelinethat's continuing to grow so
that you don't have to gothrough the dreaded feast or
famine mode that most peoplewill tell you is inevitable in
(19:55):
consulting.
I don't believe that it has tobe.
I do think that we can preparefor those moments.
It doesn't mean that you won'thave ups and downs and ebbs and
flows in business.
That happens in any business.
But what I'm saying is that youdon't have to watch everything
dry up because it takes a longtime to build that momentum
back.
So there needs to be some way tocontinue to market your
(20:19):
business.
Marketing is just a part ofbusiness.
It's something that we have toplan and set aside resources and
time for in some capacity.
So many of us have leaned intoplatforms such as LinkedIn, or
maybe we have leaned intoSubstack more recently.
Maybe you are still on Instagramor other other social media
(20:41):
channels, YouTube.
And the one thing that's beenhappening in many of these
instances, probably less so withYouTube, is that the algorithms
have been changing a lot.
We know Instagram, for instance,has changed.
I feel like they change everyother day.
So it's hard to know how tosuccessfully navigate this space
(21:02):
unless you are dedicated, you'rededicating your time solely to
understanding that platform andknowing how to navigate it.
So that would be hiring somebodywho could uh begin to do that
work or help you with that work.
But then part of the challengewith that is that even if you
hire someone who is an expert inthat area, they still need your
(21:23):
messaging.
They still need to understandyour positioning, they still
need to be able to effectivelycommunicate your values.
So what I've watched and seenare a number of consultants.
I was actually speaking to acolleague uh not long ago that
had invested over$10,000 inadvertising and it had not been
fruitful.
(21:44):
And of course, part of thefrustration goes to the person
that was hired.
And I do believe that sometimeswe can not have the best
contractors that we're workingwith.
But many times the problem isnot the contractor.
It's the fact that you may nothave an optimal message that
(22:08):
resonates with your market.
And not having an optimalmessage and not having an
optimal positioning will put youat a disadvantage because then
you're just making content, butthat content is not strategic,
nor is nor is it aligned orpurposeful.
So, what I like to teach myclients uh to do because I know
(22:28):
that as consultants, there is alot of work to be done.
So you're trying to serveclients, you're trying to uh
still take care of yourfamilies, and uh if you if you
have families or loved ones, ormaybe you just want the free
time to vacation and do otherthings, you need help in order
to get these things done.
So I teach the expert messagingmodel, and I want to share this
(22:51):
with you because you can takethis and you can use this right
now to get your messaging doubtin so that you can begin to hand
this work off to others if youneed to, or you can use it as a
reference uh for yourself.
But the expert messaging modelis broken down into four
different uh components or areasof which you need to focus.
(23:14):
One is your personal code.
So I want you to think aboutthis it as your core beliefs,
your values, the things thatdefine you as an individual.
The one reason why you need tooutline this uh more
strategically is because youneed to think about what others
need to know about you in orderto align with your business or
(23:36):
with your service.
So, what do you want to shareabout who you are and what you
believe in and how you approachyour work that will help them
connect with you and resonatewith you as a person first?
Because as a consultant, wereally do have to lean on a
personal brand more than abusiness brand, right?
(23:57):
Because people are relying onyour expertise, what you have
lived through, the knowledge andthe experience that you hold,
all of those things are whatthey are trusting in.
That is what they are believingin and buying.
So, with that being the case,they need to know more about
you.
So that's one aspect of it.
Now, when you get to the othercategories or the other areas to
(24:20):
focus on, the next isphilosophy.
So because you are sharingstrategy and you are doing a lot
of the critical thinking andanalysis around their
businesses, then they need tounderstand how you solve
problems.
What's your approach?
What's your actual philosophy onyour industry?
How do you see things uhcurrently that may be happening
(24:43):
in your industry?
Do you agree with it?
Do you disagree with it?
What is the way that you wouldapproach that problem or those
issues?
Those are things that are goingto help to set you apart.
Another aspect of this isoutlining the proof.
And this is more than justtestimonials.
This is literally the tangibleevidence that will demonstrate
(25:06):
that you know what you're doing.
The reason why this is importantis because remember, I always
like to remind people that asconsultants, what we are selling
in all actuality is somethingthat's intangible.
So what we have to do is toconvert that into something
that's more tangible for peopleto grasp.
(25:28):
Because most often people thinkabout buying a product,
something that they can hold intheir hands, something that they
can feel.
And so we need to translate whatwe do into something that they
will better understand.
And so this is how we do thatthrough the proof aspect.
And so you have to think throughthis process.
How do you begin to communicateyour education and
(25:51):
accomplishments and tie thatinto the work that you're able
to do for them as a consultantmoving forward and why they
should find value in that?
And then the last is yourprescription.
So these are the solutions thatyou're offering and that you're
crafting for many of yourclients.
And this often leads into havingmore of a productized model in
(26:11):
the future, but really it's justthinking about your
one-of-the-kind solutions, yourframeworks, the way that you are
approaching things that's vastlydifferent from what others are
speaking to in your industry andin your market.
When you begin to outline thesethings, your personal code, your
philosophy, proof, and theprescription, that messaging
(26:33):
model will create a template forothers to work from.
So even if you are using acontractor or you're
outsourcing, you're giving themwhat they need to use as talking
points, what they need to use tocreate content, what they need
to use to make sure that whatthey are communicating in the
content that they're creating orwhat they're putting out in
(26:55):
emails or whatever work they'redoing for you, that they can do
that in alignment with yourbrand and with what you are
trying to communicate right nowin this current climate.
So this is important for you tokind of get the ball moving.
And if you're doing this foryourself, it makes it super easy
because now you have somethingto refer to.
(27:16):
You don't have to drum up ideasevery time you turn around and
you want to post on LinkedIn oryou need to send an email to
make sure that you're doingfollow-up and continuing to
communicate with those you mayhave connected with via
networking or maybe on yourinterest list as a potential
future client or any of thosethings.
You can lean back on thisdocument and use that moving
(27:40):
forward to make everything a loteasier for you.
And this is all part of thatsimplification I was talking
about that was going to help youto work at a higher level.
So, this is another thing thatis helpful right now and that
I'm even finding helpful rightnow.
I'm going back right now, aswe're talking, I have been going
back the past, I would say,month or so, just going through
(28:02):
a lot of my positioning for myoffers and for my business,
things that I'm communicatingand really tailoring it to the
climate that we're in right now,that I stated before, is more
sophisticated, more skeptical,and uh ready to see and hear
more meaningful uh outcomes.
(28:23):
So, in order for us to do that,we have to think through this
process and intentionally buildthat in.
And I've been thinking about howdo I make things align with the
urgency that they're feelingright now?
How do I speak to theiruncertainties and anxieties that
they have currently?
How do I get to know my idealclient better as they are right
(28:45):
now?
And I think that's part of thedisconnect that many of us are
feeling is that we are going offof how we may have understood
our clients years ago in somecases, or even months ago.
Things are changing so rapidlywith the growth and the spread
of artificial intelligence andother modern tools with the
(29:06):
economy, with so many dynamicschanging at a rapid pace.
It's important that we continueto improve our messaging,
optimize our positioning so thatwe can land the clients that we
need.
So, right now, if you have notdone this work, I need you to
lean into this space becausethis right here is going to be
(29:28):
what is going to help you uhreally navigate through any type
of economic uncertainty or evena downturn, if that were to
happen.
We're not wishing that, but ifit even if that were to happen,
you're going to be able toovercome that because you're
prepared.
And this is all a part of havinga more resilient business, of
which, as women, especially aswomen of color, we have to be
(29:52):
more resilient.
We have to think and be ahead ofthe game when it comes to a lot
of these things, because theseare the areas.
That takes us down, to be honestwith you.
This is how we end up oftentimesnot being able to survive the
market and the challenges.
So this is just another area tolean into to make sure that
(30:12):
you're able to marketeffectively, that you're able to
reach more people, reach youraudience, and connect with your
current audience on a greaterlevel, because you do have
buyers right now that you havealready talked to at meetings,
that you've already networkedwith, that you have already been
communicating with, that onlyneed a slight push in order for
them to buy.
And this is a part of thebusiness.
(30:35):
You have to market and sell yourexpertise.
So let's make sure that we aredoing that.
Last but not least, I really dowant to just touch on the fact
that I have had to spend moretime just taking care of myself
and finding time to mothermyself.
(30:58):
And many of us are mothers.
And if we aren't mothers, we'reaunties.
And if we're not aunties, thenwe are best friends.
That's always holding it downfor everybody.
How do I know that that's thetruth?
Because I know you.
I know that you are someone thatis always giving, always giving
to other people, always the onethat everybody goes to with all
(31:20):
of their struggles and all theirneeds, even outside of your
business.
So I know that you need to taketime for yourself to listen to
your body, to listen to howyou've been feeling.
For instance, for me, I havebeen feeling very tired lately.
The other day, I went to sleep.
Well, actually, I got home and Iwent and showered and I got
(31:45):
ready for bed.
It was dark already because, ofcourse, it's getting closer to
winter time here where I am.
And I didn't even look at theclock, got into bed, looked to
set my alarm, thinking that itwas much later than it was, and
it was 7:59.
Like it was literally beforeeight o'clock.
(32:06):
And if you know me, that ishighly unusual.
I am one that doesn't go tosleep typically until probably
like one, sometimes even two inthe morning, because I'm always
up doing more work or doingother things.
So I was exhausted.
And in that moment, I toldmyself, because I was debating,
oh my gosh, it's so early.
(32:26):
You don't need to lay down thisearly, like this is not you.
But the part of me that has beenworking toward mothering myself
better, nurturing myself better,uh really made me go to sleep.
And that night I got like ninehours of sleep, which I haven't
gotten probably in years, years,and felt so much better as a
(32:51):
result.
I want you to take the time tostart listening to your body,
listening to what you need rightnow.
Do you need that time off tojust have a day thinking about
absolutely nothing but maybe Idon't know what food you want to
eat or if the sky is blue orpurple?
Like, do it.
Give yourself the time and thespace to recharge.
(33:14):
That is what is going to helpyou show up even better for your
business and for your clientsmoving forward.
Also, I want you to spend timedoing the mental work to remind
yourself how doggone badass youare because you are great at
what you do.
And sometimes it doesn't feellike that when things may not be
(33:37):
going our way and things aremore difficult than they have
been in the past because maybethings were easy before and now
they it just seems like althoughit's working, it's just working
with a lot of effort.
Remind yourself.
Nothing has changed about theexpertise you hold, about how
talented you are, how gifted youare, how much you are able to
offer.
(33:58):
Nothing has changed about that.
You just need to remind yourselfof that because sometimes you
won't have that externalvalidation.
And so that internal supportneeds to be there.
And this is why I like to justdo so much work uh with clients
in that area, especially when itcomes to uh, you know, you hear
me talk about this often if youfollow me on other channels, but
(34:19):
corporate conditioning andcorporate trauma, because
there's so much that we'velearned over time from our life
in corporate or working a nineto five or even in academia or
through our academic journeythat worked then, and that's why
we have been successful, butthat is also part of the reason
why navigating thisentrepreneurial journey has
(34:39):
become more challenging.
And when we recognize the sourceof that, the fact that it is not
a failure on our end, but it's aresult of what we have been
trained to do for so long, ittotally changes the game and
opens the door to so many morepossibilities.
So I want you to take time tonurture and mother yourself, to
(35:02):
make sure that you areappreciating and acknowledging
the gift that you bring, andthen also recognizing those
things that are showing up inyour everyday journey that have
been successful for you in thepast that may not necessarily be
working for you right now, andconsider how you can adjust and
being open to change, being opento learning new things, being
(35:25):
open to being the student again.
I have definitely been onethat's I'm a lifelong learner,
so I I tend to lean into thatspace probably more than others.
Um, I'm not saying that you haveto just go out and buy 10
billion courses and do all thosethings, but just be open to how
you're approaching everythingright now because the world is
changing and you are changing asa person, and it's okay to be
(35:51):
uncertain about that.
It's okay to be uneasy withthat, but to also know that
you're resilient and that you'regoing to navigate all of that
with grace and eventually withease.
And we're going to come out onthe other side of this, more
successful and happier andthriving because, like I said
(36:12):
before, what is my mission andmy goal?
My goal and my mission is foryou to have a sustainable
business, not just to start abusiness, to sustain it, to
achieve longevity.
That's the part that we'remissing.
We have a lot of women.
If you look at any stats uh thatyou can find about uh women,
especially women of color whostart businesses, a lot of us
start, very few of us make it tothe other side and make it to
(36:35):
our destination.
So we are all about achievingthe goal, achieving the mission.
So stay focused on that.
And until next time, take care.
We'll talk soon.
Thank you for tuning in to theBlack Girls Control 2 Podcast.
If you enjoyed today's episode,be sure to leave your review on
Apple Podcasts, subscribe, andshare it with a friend.
(36:55):
We're on a mission to increasethe subscription and longevity
of women in consulting.
And you can help us do justthat.
Also, I'd love to hear from youto let's connect at Dr.
Angelina Davis on Instagram orLinkedIn.
You can spell at consultant.comfor more information to support
your consulting journey.
(37:15):
Until next time, keep breakingglass filling.
Hello and welcome to the Black Girls Consult 2
podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Angelina Davis, and I am so gladto be back on this mic.
You know, it has been a minutesince we've had a real just deep
conversation about what's beengoing on in the industry, uh
what's been going on in mybusiness and in the world of
(00:22):
podcasting, especially, and whatmay be going on in your life
right now.
And so I want this episode to bejust a really laid back session
to chat through some of what hasreally been changing as we get
closer and closer to the end ofthis year.
If you listen to this episode inreal time, then it is October of
(00:44):
2025.
So we are moving closer andcloser into the holiday season.
I don't know if it is like thisin your area, but where I live,
everything is starting to turnover to not quite Christmas yet,
but definitely the Thanksgivingflair.
So a lot of plans for familymeals and a lot of beautiful
(01:07):
decorations outside.
There's still some Halloweenstuff out, but you know, more
and more people are leaning intothe holiday season.
And right now in our economy,things have been a little bit
all over the place.
I wouldn't necessarily say it'sbeen turbulent.
I think it's just beenuncertain.
(01:27):
And that uncertainty is leadingto a lot of anxiety for a number
of people.
Right now, we're in the midst ofa government shutdown.
And so there are a lot of peoplethat work for the government or
different agencies, such as TSA.
I went flying uh last week to govisit my older daughter in
Connecticut.
And it was a long line gettingthrough TSA when we were at the
(01:52):
Atlanta airport, and I know thatwe're feeling that all over the
country, from people having toshow up to work and not be paid.
So there is a lot of uh anxiety,I feel like a lot of us have,
not just for those who areactually actively going through
those difficult moments, butthen also those of us who may
(02:12):
not be facing that right now,but concerned about loved ones
that are, or worried about whatthe future may hold.
So that uneasiness definitelyrattles, uh, I would say most
people.
I know it rattles me a bit.
And that has a huge impact onthe entrepreneur space and the
business market and how clientsare feeling about buying and at
(02:35):
just how we're showing up now.
And then with so much changingin the online space, all of the
algorithms are algorithmingright now.
They're doing their own thing.
And so, for many, many of theplatforms that you may have
trusted to get your message outthere and to market your
business are just not performinglike they used to.
(02:56):
And that presents anotherchallenge of either finding a
new way to market and promoteyour business, or alternatively,
learning how to navigate many ofthese challenges and have them
work in your favor.
So there's a lot.
There is a lot.
And in this episode, I want usto begin to unpack some of that
because I want you to walk awayfrom this episode feeling
(03:18):
better.
I needed to have this sessionwith myself the other day
because I was starting to reallystress out over some things.
And I had to step back andreally put my, you know,
coaching and strategist hat onand put myself in the chair.
I call myself to the front ofthe of the owl and really do
(03:40):
some deep dive and deep work onwhat I am trying to accomplish,
where I'm trying to go, and howI am going to get there.
Because I think for many of us,we have goals and uh missions
that still need to beaccomplished and will be
accomplished.
We're not changing those.
But the one thing that came tome when I was thinking through a
(04:05):
lot of the things that have beengoing on right now in my life is
that the mission and goaldoesn't change, but the path to
get there was never set instone.
And although if you're like me,you're very disciplined and
you're used to laying out a planand following it to the T, not
getting distracted, trying tostay focused, trying to stay,
(04:27):
you know, moving forward becausethat's what we always encourage
our clients to do.
Sometimes there comes a momentwhere we do have to make a
shift.
And that shift is notnecessarily pivoting and
changing to something totallydifferent.
It is literally just looking foranother path and another route
to get to the same goal ormission.
(04:49):
And so I want to talk through alittle bit of what I've been
thinking about.
And I'm hoping that maybe thisconversation helps you think
through some of what you've beenexperiencing in your business as
well.
They say the odds are stackedagainst us as women, especially
women of color, trying to thrivein the consulting world.
(05:09):
But rather than wait for a seatat the table that may never
come, what if we build our owntable?
What if we channeled our talentsinto guiding each other towards
the success we deserve?
Welcome to the Black GirlsConsultant Podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Antonina Davis, and I've walkedthe path from healthcare
consultant to a mentor for womenlike you, ambitious,
(05:30):
unstoppable, and ready to makewaves in the consulting world.
This podcast is yourgoal-to-spot for all team
entrepreneurial consulting.
For us as women, especiallywomen of color, think of it as
your weekly coffee date with afriend who's here to ditch out
real talk of building a solidbusiness, elevating your thought
leadership, and mastering thatall-important mindset.
(05:52):
And let's not forget, we'redoing all of this while
balancing day jobs, family life,and running teams.
Yes, we can do it all.
So if you're ready to dive intohow you can grow a thriving
consultancy or get strategiesand insights that actually fit
your busy lifestyle, then you'rein the right place.
Grab your coffee, tea, or hey,even a glass of wine.
(06:14):
I won't judge.
And let's get started.
Okay, so things are a littledifferent than they have been in
the past.
We are in a space right nowwhere money is not easily
(06:34):
flowing.
And what I mean by that is thatthere are a number of
opportunities that don't existright now due to, for instance,
government and business ratherbudget cuts.
So maybe many of the requestsfor proposals that you
previously saw have been closed,or maybe there are not as many
that are currently available.
(06:56):
Uh, I've even noticed uh fromgoing to a conference very
recently that attendance at someof the live conferences is down.
And I know from speaking toother colleagues that a lot of
this is because there is not thefinancial uh backing from
employers or businesses to fundthose trips and the attendance,
(07:17):
because that goes up into thethousands of dollars.
Also, uh, what we're seeingright now is just people being a
little bit more cautious when itcomes to their buying and trying
to make better decisions.
I think we all are becausethings are so chaotic right now
in the US.
(07:38):
If you're listening to this inthe US, so that changes a lot
for a growing and developingbusiness of any type.
And definitely when it comes toconsulting, where you are often
not selling a tangible uhproduct, then it can be even
more challenging because whatit's going to do is force you to
(07:58):
be able to communicate this needmore clearly so that it's
recognized as a must-have,something that is urgently
needed and required, andactually get someone to move
forward and take action to workwith us.
So the dynamic of selling inthis particular area of era that
(08:18):
we're in right now is changing.
However, I want to give all ofus uh kind of like a reminder
that, and I posted this uh as athread very recently as a joke,
but seriously, if you havethousands of people spending
their hard-earned money to gosee someone like Ray J, which
(08:42):
look, I love Brandy's brother,and I love Ray J and all his
shenanigans are definitely overthe top.
But I think we can all agreethat that's not necessarily an
urgent must-have, but it's areminder that people will make
space and room for the thingsthat they truly want to do, want
to accomplish, and want toachieve.
(09:03):
And that's true for consumers,that's true for businesses,
that's true for corporate andenterprises.
Across the board, if somethingis needed and if you're able to
make a convincing uh argument orlay out uh a reason and a
rationale for why someone needsto move forward with working
(09:23):
with you, then it is going tohappen.
So I want to just right now haveus to just take a deep breath.
Inhale, exhale, and know thatyes, things are a little
different, but we are still outhere thriving and moving
forward.
So I don't want uh to scare usat this moment, but just a
(09:46):
reminder that we need to startthinking a little bit
differently when it comes to howwe are moving forward and
growing our businesses.
One of the things that I've beenthinking about a lot lately is
how do I accomplish my end goaland just look at the different
ways to get there.
So for me, it's increasing thenumber of successful women
(10:07):
entrepreneurial consultants thatachieve longevity in this space.
That has always been my goalfrom the very beginning.
So everything that I do and haveoffered from this podcast to
courses to coaching to whateverit may be, strategy sessions, et
cetera, have all centered aroundhelping women entrepreneurs get
(10:28):
to uh their uh desired levels ofsuccess.
And what I hope to be is part ofthat journey.
For some, it's been part of thatjourney and getting started.
For others, it's been part ofthat journey that has taken them
to leaving their nine to fiveand going into their business
full-time as entrepreneurs.
Uh, so whatever role that I havebeen able to play along that
(10:50):
journey, I have been so blessedto do so.
And that is why I do this.
Um, and as I thought about that,it really made me step back and
consider how do I want to andneed to show up moving forward?
Because I'll be honest, it hasbeen a lot to try and keep a lot
of things afloat, multipleoffers and uh different levels
(11:13):
of clients, different platformsfrom podcasts to LinkedIn to
Instagram to you know, email.
I have been doing quite a bit.
And so I've been in the seasonvery recently of thinking of how
to streamline and to scale backso that I can be more focused
and intentional in creating theoffers and the content and the
(11:39):
messaging and all the thingsnecessary for the business uh at
a higher level.
So sometimes moving forward isnot about adding more to your
plate, but it's actually abouthow much you can remove.
That was a hard thing for me tolearn because I have always been
one to put the most into theday.
(12:00):
As a matter of fact, my friendsknow if you call Angelina on a
weekend, probably by 10 a.m., Ihave already done like 20 things
and been out the house sinceearly morning.
And I used to, you know, notthink twice about that.
It was just how I have lived forso long, just getting the most
done possible in a short periodof time.
(12:23):
But we're not meant to run likethat forever.
That is meant for short stints,uh, maybe when you have a
certain project that you'reworking on or a certain goal
that you're trying to achieve ona short time frame.
But on the longer horizon, forus to be sustainable and have
sustainable businesses thatachieve longevity, we need to
begin to focus in on thosethings that move the needle the
(12:46):
farthest and not necessarily uhwaste so much time on things
that are not impacting ourbottom line directly.
So as you're thinking about yourbusiness, I want you to think
about some of the things thatyou can cut out right now.
Are you doing too much to tryand show up online?
(13:06):
Meaning, are you on too manyplatforms instead of just
focusing on one or maybe two?
Are you trying to offer too manythings to too many people
instead of focusing on oneparticular ideal client or
audience and tailoring youroffers to optimize the lifetime
value for that uh individualclient that you're serving?
(13:29):
Are you focused on what is gonnahelp you grow your uh authority
and brand in your space?
Or are you spreading yourself sothin that people don't really
know what to come to you for?
If you are leaning into doingthat deeper work, that will pay
(13:51):
off.
It's gonna pay off tremendouslybecause this is the part that I
think many of us forget, and Ihad to remind myself of too.
It is very easy to get startedin business.
So that's why you see a lot ofpeople they get started, they
tend to work with similaraudiences and offer similar
products or offer similarservices and promise similar
(14:13):
outcomes because that part, thatinitial start, that initial
journey is the easier part ofthe journey.
It's not completely easy.
I'm not saying that it'ssomething that doesn't take a
lot of effort, but compared towhat's required to get to the
other side, where most peopleare trying to get to and what
they're trying to reach, it iseasier.
(14:34):
So what is missing are thoseoffers and those services that
cater to those individuals thatare a little bit further along,
that have reached what SethGodin would say is the dip, the
space where they are starting torun into those difficulties and
they are not able to see easilyhow to get to the other side
(14:56):
where they're thinking aboutwhether or not they should give
up or if they should pivot.
Think about how you can leaninto these other areas of
practice.
How can you show up beyond whereeverybody else is competing?
Because there are so many peoplein that space that are looking
(15:17):
for help.
And to be honest, more thanlikely that's where you're
better suited to serve thoseclients because you do have that
higher level expertise thatyou're not putting to use fully
right now.
So it's not about completelyabandoning what you've been
doing, but think about how youcan elevate your offers and your
(15:40):
services to cater at the nextlevel.
And although that is going tonarrow the pool of people that
are going to meet your criteriain order to be an ideal client,
you are also going to narrow thecompetition.
So, yes, there are fewer people,but there are fewer people that
(16:02):
you have to compete with aswell, making it a bit easier for
you in the long run.
So, in this environment wherepeople are more skeptical and
more unsure and they are morecautious with their spending,
they are expecting a lot more.
We have to start thinking abouthow we can not just provide the
(16:22):
fluff, not just tell people whatthey want to hear and the
million-dollar dreams, but howcan we take them on a journey to
their next step where we canprove through data and outcomes
a return on investment for whatthey are actually investing in?
(16:43):
That is going to be the keyright now in this particular
economic environment.
So I want you to think aboutscaling back, conserving your
energy, focusing in on thosethings that truly are going to
move the needle, and thenfocusing on how you can elevate
and begin to address those gapsin your market that you see that
(17:07):
are not currently beinganswered.
And oftentimes it actually maybe the place where you just
were.
(17:50):
Now, something else that hasbeen a huge frustration of mine
and other clients as well, andeven colleagues, is the
difficulty of marketing yourbusiness in order to reach more
people.
So no matter if you're workingin the consumer space, if you're
working business to business, orif you're working in kind of
(18:12):
like with corporate enterprises,you still have to get your name
out there.
People still need to know whatyou offer and how you are able
to serve them.
And if you're unable to get thatinformation in the right hands,
it's going to be very difficultfor you to land more clients.
So this is how we begin to relyvery heavily on referrals
(18:33):
because when we can't get themarketing to work, the
alternative is to lean back onpeople that we know in our
networks.
And we should do that.
That is always something we wantto do.
That should always be a part ofthe plan.
But you still need to have a wayto attract clients to your
(18:53):
business without the generosityof others.
I always like to remind myclients of this because when we
rely solely on referrals, we putourselves in dangers or harm's
way.
Think about what we're facingright now.
Like I said in the comingeconomy, the uncertainty that is
surrounding everyone.
Well, if you're leaning solelyinto one or two clients that
(19:14):
have been with you for a verylong time and you have acquired
them through referrals, what ifthey face difficulty?
Right?
They're going to have to scaleback or cut back.
What are you going to do?
Or maybe you finish a projectand they decide not to go in
that direction and they want tomove a different way.
And although you have done greatwork and they love you and they
(19:34):
want to continue to work withyou in some capacity, maybe
you're unable to serve them inthe new direction or path that
they're about to take.
So what do you do in thoseinstances?
You need to have a pipelinethat's continuing to grow so
that you don't have to gothrough the dreaded feast or
famine mode that most peoplewill tell you is inevitable in
(19:55):
consulting.
I don't believe that it has tobe.
I do think that we can preparefor those moments.
It doesn't mean that you won'thave ups and downs and ebbs and
flows in business.
That happens in any business.
But what I'm saying is that youdon't have to watch everything
dry up because it takes a longtime to build that momentum
back.
So there needs to be some way tocontinue to market your
(20:19):
business.
Marketing is just a part ofbusiness.
It's something that we have toplan and set aside resources and
time for in some capacity.
So many of us have leaned intoplatforms such as LinkedIn, or
maybe we have leaned intoSubstack more recently.
Maybe you are still on Instagramor other other social media
(20:41):
channels, YouTube.
And the one thing that's beenhappening in many of these
instances, probably less so withYouTube, is that the algorithms
have been changing a lot.
We know Instagram, for instance,has changed.
I feel like they change everyother day.
So it's hard to know how tosuccessfully navigate this space
(21:02):
unless you are dedicated, you'rededicating your time solely to
understanding that platform andknowing how to navigate it.
So that would be hiring somebodywho could uh begin to do that
work or help you with that work.
But then part of the challengewith that is that even if you
hire someone who is an expert inthat area, they still need your
(21:23):
messaging.
They still need to understandyour positioning, they still
need to be able to effectivelycommunicate your values.
So what I've watched and seenare a number of consultants.
I was actually speaking to acolleague uh not long ago that
had invested over$10,000 inadvertising and it had not been
fruitful.
(21:44):
And of course, part of thefrustration goes to the person
that was hired.
And I do believe that sometimeswe can not have the best
contractors that we're workingwith.
But many times the problem isnot the contractor.
It's the fact that you may nothave an optimal message that
(22:08):
resonates with your market.
And not having an optimalmessage and not having an
optimal positioning will put youat a disadvantage because then
you're just making content, butthat content is not strategic,
nor is nor is it aligned orpurposeful.
So, what I like to teach myclients uh to do because I know
(22:28):
that as consultants, there is alot of work to be done.
So you're trying to serveclients, you're trying to uh
still take care of yourfamilies, and uh if you if you
have families or loved ones, ormaybe you just want the free
time to vacation and do otherthings, you need help in order
to get these things done.
So I teach the expert messagingmodel, and I want to share this
(22:51):
with you because you can takethis and you can use this right
now to get your messaging doubtin so that you can begin to hand
this work off to others if youneed to, or you can use it as a
reference uh for yourself.
But the expert messaging modelis broken down into four
different uh components or areasof which you need to focus.
(23:14):
One is your personal code.
So I want you to think aboutthis it as your core beliefs,
your values, the things thatdefine you as an individual.
The one reason why you need tooutline this uh more
strategically is because youneed to think about what others
need to know about you in orderto align with your business or
(23:36):
with your service.
So, what do you want to shareabout who you are and what you
believe in and how you approachyour work that will help them
connect with you and resonatewith you as a person first?
Because as a consultant, wereally do have to lean on a
personal brand more than abusiness brand, right?
(23:57):
Because people are relying onyour expertise, what you have
lived through, the knowledge andthe experience that you hold,
all of those things are whatthey are trusting in.
That is what they are believingin and buying.
So, with that being the case,they need to know more about
you.
So that's one aspect of it.
Now, when you get to the othercategories or the other areas to
(24:20):
focus on, the next isphilosophy.
So because you are sharingstrategy and you are doing a lot
of the critical thinking andanalysis around their
businesses, then they need tounderstand how you solve
problems.
What's your approach?
What's your actual philosophy onyour industry?
How do you see things uhcurrently that may be happening
(24:43):
in your industry?
Do you agree with it?
Do you disagree with it?
What is the way that you wouldapproach that problem or those
issues?
Those are things that are goingto help to set you apart.
Another aspect of this isoutlining the proof.
And this is more than justtestimonials.
This is literally the tangibleevidence that will demonstrate
(25:06):
that you know what you're doing.
The reason why this is importantis because remember, I always
like to remind people that asconsultants, what we are selling
in all actuality is somethingthat's intangible.
So what we have to do is toconvert that into something
that's more tangible for peopleto grasp.
(25:28):
Because most often people thinkabout buying a product,
something that they can hold intheir hands, something that they
can feel.
And so we need to translate whatwe do into something that they
will better understand.
And so this is how we do thatthrough the proof aspect.
And so you have to think throughthis process.
How do you begin to communicateyour education and
(25:51):
accomplishments and tie thatinto the work that you're able
to do for them as a consultantmoving forward and why they
should find value in that?
And then the last is yourprescription.
So these are the solutions thatyou're offering and that you're
crafting for many of yourclients.
And this often leads into havingmore of a productized model in
(26:11):
the future, but really it's justthinking about your
one-of-the-kind solutions, yourframeworks, the way that you are
approaching things that's vastlydifferent from what others are
speaking to in your industry andin your market.
When you begin to outline thesethings, your personal code, your
philosophy, proof, and theprescription, that messaging
(26:33):
model will create a template forothers to work from.
So even if you are using acontractor or you're
outsourcing, you're giving themwhat they need to use as talking
points, what they need to use tocreate content, what they need
to use to make sure that whatthey are communicating in the
content that they're creating orwhat they're putting out in
(26:55):
emails or whatever work they'redoing for you, that they can do
that in alignment with yourbrand and with what you are
trying to communicate right nowin this current climate.
So this is important for you tokind of get the ball moving.
And if you're doing this foryourself, it makes it super easy
because now you have somethingto refer to.
(27:16):
You don't have to drum up ideasevery time you turn around and
you want to post on LinkedIn oryou need to send an email to
make sure that you're doingfollow-up and continuing to
communicate with those you mayhave connected with via
networking or maybe on yourinterest list as a potential
future client or any of thosethings.
You can lean back on thisdocument and use that moving
(27:40):
forward to make everything a loteasier for you.
And this is all part of thatsimplification I was talking
about that was going to help youto work at a higher level.
So, this is another thing thatis helpful right now and that
I'm even finding helpful rightnow.
I'm going back right now, aswe're talking, I have been going
back the past, I would say,month or so, just going through
(28:02):
a lot of my positioning for myoffers and for my business,
things that I'm communicatingand really tailoring it to the
climate that we're in right now,that I stated before, is more
sophisticated, more skeptical,and uh ready to see and hear
more meaningful uh outcomes.
(28:23):
So, in order for us to do that,we have to think through this
process and intentionally buildthat in.
And I've been thinking about howdo I make things align with the
urgency that they're feelingright now?
How do I speak to theiruncertainties and anxieties that
they have currently?
How do I get to know my idealclient better as they are right
(28:45):
now?
And I think that's part of thedisconnect that many of us are
feeling is that we are going offof how we may have understood
our clients years ago in somecases, or even months ago.
Things are changing so rapidlywith the growth and the spread
of artificial intelligence andother modern tools with the
(29:06):
economy, with so many dynamicschanging at a rapid pace.
It's important that we continueto improve our messaging,
optimize our positioning so thatwe can land the clients that we
need.
So, right now, if you have notdone this work, I need you to
lean into this space becausethis right here is going to be
(29:28):
what is going to help you uhreally navigate through any type
of economic uncertainty or evena downturn, if that were to
happen.
We're not wishing that, but ifit even if that were to happen,
you're going to be able toovercome that because you're
prepared.
And this is all a part of havinga more resilient business, of
which, as women, especially aswomen of color, we have to be
(29:52):
more resilient.
We have to think and be ahead ofthe game when it comes to a lot
of these things, because theseare the areas.
That takes us down, to be honestwith you.
This is how we end up oftentimesnot being able to survive the
market and the challenges.
So this is just another area tolean into to make sure that
(30:12):
you're able to marketeffectively, that you're able to
reach more people, reach youraudience, and connect with your
current audience on a greaterlevel, because you do have
buyers right now that you havealready talked to at meetings,
that you've already networkedwith, that you have already been
communicating with, that onlyneed a slight push in order for
them to buy.
And this is a part of thebusiness.
(30:35):
You have to market and sell yourexpertise.
So let's make sure that we aredoing that.
Last but not least, I really dowant to just touch on the fact
that I have had to spend moretime just taking care of myself
and finding time to mothermyself.
(30:58):
And many of us are mothers.
And if we aren't mothers, we'reaunties.
And if we're not aunties, thenwe are best friends.
That's always holding it downfor everybody.
How do I know that that's thetruth?
Because I know you.
I know that you are someone thatis always giving, always giving
to other people, always the onethat everybody goes to with all
(31:20):
of their struggles and all theirneeds, even outside of your
business.
So I know that you need to taketime for yourself to listen to
your body, to listen to howyou've been feeling.
For instance, for me, I havebeen feeling very tired lately.
The other day, I went to sleep.
Well, actually, I got home and Iwent and showered and I got
(31:45):
ready for bed.
It was dark already because, ofcourse, it's getting closer to
winter time here where I am.
And I didn't even look at theclock, got into bed, looked to
set my alarm, thinking that itwas much later than it was, and
it was 7:59.
Like it was literally beforeeight o'clock.
(32:06):
And if you know me, that ishighly unusual.
I am one that doesn't go tosleep typically until probably
like one, sometimes even two inthe morning, because I'm always
up doing more work or doingother things.
So I was exhausted.
And in that moment, I toldmyself, because I was debating,
oh my gosh, it's so early.
(32:26):
You don't need to lay down thisearly, like this is not you.
But the part of me that has beenworking toward mothering myself
better, nurturing myself better,uh really made me go to sleep.
And that night I got like ninehours of sleep, which I haven't
gotten probably in years, years,and felt so much better as a
(32:51):
result.
I want you to take the time tostart listening to your body,
listening to what you need rightnow.
Do you need that time off tojust have a day thinking about
absolutely nothing but maybe Idon't know what food you want to
eat or if the sky is blue orpurple?
Like, do it.
Give yourself the time and thespace to recharge.
(33:14):
That is what is going to helpyou show up even better for your
business and for your clientsmoving forward.
Also, I want you to spend timedoing the mental work to remind
yourself how doggone badass youare because you are great at
what you do.
And sometimes it doesn't feellike that when things may not be
(33:37):
going our way and things aremore difficult than they have
been in the past because maybethings were easy before and now
they it just seems like althoughit's working, it's just working
with a lot of effort.
Remind yourself.
Nothing has changed about theexpertise you hold, about how
talented you are, how gifted youare, how much you are able to
offer.
(33:58):
Nothing has changed about that.
You just need to remind yourselfof that because sometimes you
won't have that externalvalidation.
And so that internal supportneeds to be there.
And this is why I like to justdo so much work uh with clients
in that area, especially when itcomes to uh, you know, you hear
me talk about this often if youfollow me on other channels, but
(34:19):
corporate conditioning andcorporate trauma, because
there's so much that we'velearned over time from our life
in corporate or working a nineto five or even in academia or
through our academic journeythat worked then, and that's why
we have been successful, butthat is also part of the reason
why navigating thisentrepreneurial journey has
(34:39):
become more challenging.
And when we recognize the sourceof that, the fact that it is not
a failure on our end, but it's aresult of what we have been
trained to do for so long, ittotally changes the game and
opens the door to so many morepossibilities.
So I want you to take time tonurture and mother yourself, to
(35:02):
make sure that you areappreciating and acknowledging
the gift that you bring, andthen also recognizing those
things that are showing up inyour everyday journey that have
been successful for you in thepast that may not necessarily be
working for you right now, andconsider how you can adjust and
being open to change, being opento learning new things, being
(35:25):
open to being the student again.
I have definitely been onethat's I'm a lifelong learner,
so I I tend to lean into thatspace probably more than others.
Um, I'm not saying that you haveto just go out and buy 10
billion courses and do all thosethings, but just be open to how
you're approaching everythingright now because the world is
changing and you are changing asa person, and it's okay to be
(35:51):
uncertain about that.
It's okay to be uneasy withthat, but to also know that
you're resilient and that you'regoing to navigate all of that
with grace and eventually withease.
And we're going to come out onthe other side of this, more
successful and happier andthriving because, like I said
(36:12):
before, what is my mission andmy goal?
My goal and my mission is foryou to have a sustainable
business, not just to start abusiness, to sustain it, to
achieve longevity.
That's the part that we'remissing.
We have a lot of women.
If you look at any stats uh thatyou can find about uh women,
especially women of color whostart businesses, a lot of us
start, very few of us make it tothe other side and make it to
(36:35):
our destination.
So we are all about achievingthe goal, achieving the mission.
So stay focused on that.
And until next time, take care.
We'll talk soon.
Thank you for tuning in to theBlack Girls Control 2 Podcast.
If you enjoyed today's episode,be sure to leave your review on
Apple Podcasts, subscribe, andshare it with a friend.
(36:55):
We're on a mission to increasethe subscription and longevity
of women in consulting.
And you can help us do justthat.
Also, I'd love to hear from youto let's connect at Dr.
Angelina Davis on Instagram orLinkedIn.
You can spell at consultant.comfor more information to support
your consulting journey.
(37:15):
Until next time, keep breakingglass filling.
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