“Inclusive leadership is just good leadership. You cannot lead a team where you don’t recognize that you have a lot of differences,"says Dr. Carmen Bell-Ross

Black Businesses Matter

Black Businesses Matter
“Inclusive leadership is just good leadership. You cannot lead a team where you don’t recognize that you have a lot of differences,"says Dr. Carmen Bell-Ross
May 05, 2025 Season 9 Episode 114
Larvetta Loftin

We would love to hear from you! Text "BBMFAM" to (312) 300-1300.

Episode  114:


Guest Name:  Dr. Carmen Bell-Ross


Guest Business:  SP Grace


EPISODE SUMMARY 

In this episode of the Black Businesses Matter Podcast, we chat with Dr. Carmen Bell-Ross, the Founder of SP Grace, a management solutions company dedicated to delivering high-quality, results-driven strategies for businesses, schools, industries, and local communities.

Dr. Carmen takes us on a journey through her childhood in Detroit, where her curiosity about people and cultures first took root. Her early exposure to languages like German and Spanish inspired her to pursue bachelor's degrees in International Studies and Spanish, followed by a master's in Educational Psychology. She later completed doctoral studies in both Educational Psychology and Management and Leadership, an achievement that reflects her lifelong dedication to learning and leadership.

With over two decades of experience, Dr. Carmen has built a career as a leadership consultant, workforce development specialist, executive coach, keynote speaker, and researcher. She shares how she empowers leaders to align their values with meaningful outcomes through professional development programs in leadership, communication, workforce readiness, diversity, equity, inclusion, and more.

In this episode, she also explores the importance of inclusive leadership and diversity of thought, explaining how both can shape better decision-making and boost a business’s bottom line. Dr. Carmen offers valuable insight into her workforce development services, particularly her work with incoming college students, highlighting the importance of building a strategic approach to the college search process.

If you're passionate about leadership, equity, or cultivating meaningful impact through education and workforce development, this is the episode for you!


 IN THIS EPISODE, I TALK ABOUT…

  1. What was Carmen like as a child? 
  2. The importance of inclusivity 
  3. What makes a good leader? 
  4. Gen Z and the Workforce 
  5. Why SP Grace  
  6. BBM Brag Moment   
  7. What brings them joy? 
  8. Why do black businesses matter? 

Stream and download the Black Businesses Matter Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Stitcher, Pandora, and Spotify!

Connect with them

Connect with them on their website: 

https://spgrace.com

Connect with them on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/spgracellc?igsh=MWF0aTBzdzI5N2xjNQ==

Connect with her on linked in:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-carmen-bell-ross-9378467?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app


Support the show

To connect further with me:
Visit my website: Thel3agency.com
Connect with me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thel3agency
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larvettaspeaks/
Connect with me on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/thel3agency
Be sure to follow our podcast on Instagram. I can't wait to see you join us and take the pledge of #blackbusinessesmatter

Episode Artwork “Inclusive leadership is just good leadership. You cannot lead a team where you don’t recognize that you have a lot of differences,"says Dr. Carmen Bell-Ross 1:03:50 Episode Artwork All Butter’d Up mission is to give us practical ways to implement self-care in our daily lives, ”Says Lorè Enjoli 1:01:14 Episode Artwork “I just waited for my turn in regards to finding what that unique disruption would be into this industry into this market place,” Says Deida Massey 1:05:12 Episode Artwork “Come up with your exit strategy right now so we can put things in place ” says Sanja Noble 1:08:57 Episode Artwork “ Deals are not made unless you’re in front of somebody because people do business with people they know like, trust”, says Sarah Ware 1:08:36 Episode Artwork “I wake up and go to bed with ‘ how can I move the community forward?’,” Says James Parker 1:11:26 Episode Artwork “I don’t create things if I’m not passionate or in love with it” says Kudzai B. Mutasa 56:22 Episode Artwork “I like to demystify the law, I like to take complex issues and break it all down,” says Katrice Matthews 1:11:11 Episode Artwork “We’re not here to win each other over we’re just here to provide a perspective ” says Larvetta L. Loftin 43:44 Episode Artwork “ We don't measure ourselves by traditional standards why would we I’m not the traditional wine maker” Says Rick Nesbitt 1:01:07 Episode Artwork “You have to put goals out there for yourself ”says Melinda Herron 1:20:00 Episode Artwork We are not babysitters we are EDUCATORS” Says Tonia Evens and Tamera Fair 51:13 Episode Artwork “I didn’t know I could be me because I never saw me,” says Yvonne McNair 43:00 Episode Artwork “Soft skills are all the unsaid things that will dictate a company’s culture,” says Kevin Davenport 49:50 Episode Artwork Special Episode: The Evolution of Entrepreneurship 58:30 Episode Artwork “I really wanted to set out to make a digital tool that impacts the majority of the operations in the company” Says Noelle Curtis 1:13:00 Episode Artwork “We have to travel outside of our comfort zone to be able to expand our mind, that is where true creativity lives ,” Says Elle Davis 1:09:46 Episode Artwork “The common thread between clients is that they are all sick and tired of being tired,” Says Renee Hastings 52:00 Episode Artwork “Black Businesses Matter is a movement,” says Larvetta Loftin 34:21 Episode Artwork “Find out what you want to do in life and find a person who aligns with that,” says Dice Granberry 53:44 Episode Artwork “Whether the mentor is two years older or ten years older it’s about their experience level,” Says Lauryn Hill 52:26 Episode Artwork “I want to be a part of the platform that celebrates black women,” Says Michelle Metcalf 49:16 Episode Artwork “It is so important to me to not only work within my community in community health but work in women's health because women are the caregivers,” Says Fallon Flowers 1:02:22 Episode Artwork “It’s a fact that diverse businesses contribute to your bottom line” Says Vincent Williams 1:15:25 Episode Artwork “Knowing that if I help one person or just put an idea in one person's mind, that's worth it” says Karen Williams 50:27