Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn
This is what the world needs now: two free-thinking “seasoned” Black women speaking their truth and inspiring others to do the same. Shaped by 45 years of friendship that began at the prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School through the Ivy League, medical school, marriages, divorces, triumphs, parenting queer children, life-threatening illness and many many amazing adventures. Each week, besties Leslie Osei-Tutu and Angella Fraser will push against boundaries in love, culture, careers, faith, politics and out-dated assumptions about women of a certain age. Remember, you’re never too old to change your mind…or your hair! (but more on that later :-)All views are our own and do not reflect the views of our institution/company. Information provided is not intended to serve as medical advice.
Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn
Take That Sabbatical: Inspiration from an Introvert
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Rolonda Goodwin is a self-described introvert who is not new to stepping out of her comfort zone. She has shared her stories of survival on stages and in her books. Again, with her corporate career on a steady upward trajectory as a beloved and accomplished technology leader, she has decided to take one of her biggest boldest steps yet: a year-long sabbatical.
In this episode the Besties learn about the forces that propelled Rolonda to follow her heart to reimagine her future.
Visit Rolonda's website to book her as a speaker or to purchase her books - https://linktr.ee/rolondagoodwin
Cisco Connected Black Professionals- www.linkedin.com/groups/1197667/
Toastmasters International
https://www.toastmasters.org/
Visit Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn website for behind-the-scenes extras.
Hey Les. Hey Ange. Welcome to a new episode of Black Boomer Boomer Baskies from Brooklyn. From Brooklyn. Woo woo. We have an amazing. All of our guests are going to be amazing, okay? Period. But this one, this one right here, you will see. You will see why she's here. The um the mastery that she has over calm, over um being connected to her audience because she is a speaker. Let me just start with this is Rolanda Goodwin. She is a dear friend. We came to know each other while we were both um colleagues at Cisco. In particular, we were a part of an organization called Connected Black Professionals. And that is an employee research resource group at Cisco that focused on the needs of Black, global Black employees.
SPEAKER_01And um You've spoken about that on our podcast. I know you've mentioned it. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So Rolanda is someone that I came to know through that organization. It was one of the biggest blessings in my life is to co-lead that organization and to be a part of um helping the larger Cisco, the C-suite Cisco, to see us more broadly and to listen to the grievances and the joys that we had in the company. So let me just tell you a little bit about who this person is. Rolanda grew up in Bolivia, North Carolina, and she is the eldest of three siblings. Her parents were hard workers who instilled in her the value of strong work ethic and the importance of taking care of family. She's such a great auntie. She graduated from South Brunswick High School with honors and later attended North Carolina AT State University. Why did I not know that you were an Aggie? My son is having the best experience there. We'll talk about that later. Awesome. Where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor's of Science in Electrical Engineering. She later obtained her MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. Rolanda has over 25 years of experience working in the high-tech industry, having worked for Motorola, Scientific Atlanta, and currently Cisco Systems. She has experience working in and leading teams in manufacturing, engineering, and technical services. I don't want to miss this. Rolanda is the author of Wisdom Brings Success, a 31-day journey to reflect and revise. I'm going to stop there because the rest we will put in the speaker notes. But I like to give people their flowers. I like for everyone to know them deeply and respect. You know, put some respect on her name. Yeah. She has earned it. And so with that, I'm going to start with tell me your story, Rolanda. Tell us your story.
SPEAKER_02Wow. That's a loaded question, Angela.
SPEAKER_01And uh oh, we're full of loaded questions. Yes, yes. It's how we roll.
SPEAKER_02You uh you you've read a lot of it in in my bio, right? And so I I grew up in a very rural area in in southeastern North Carolina. Um it just family was all around me at all times, right? Um, but being the eldest of three, you you have that older child syndrome, right? Where you you you take on all the responsibilities and uh uh you're you're looked at as you know as being the example for everyone. And and that's how I uh grew up, right? And I I loved school, I uh really loved math and science, and my dad really instilled that in me. So it was before STEM was a thing, I was in STEM. So um, and because of him, I was encouraged to go to school for uh engineering. So I was uh always do well in school. However, when I was 17 years old and a senior in high school, I found myself pregnant. So I was a teenage mother, and that was a time that um really could have taken me far off of my trajectory in where I wanted to go, but but with God's grace and with my family's support, I was able to go on and uh finish school. I graduated third in my high school class and wow, um went on to North Carolina AT and uh really had the time of my life. If I had to do it all over again, I I do it, I do it all over again. And I I learned so so much and met folks and you know started in the work world after uh graduation and uh everything and moved to Texas, just my son and I. Texas, okay. Yeah, right outside of San Antonio uh when I was working for Motorola and was just my son and I, and um eventually relocated to Atlanta, and that was a good move. That's where I met my husband, and um and we came together as a blended family. So I have a beautiful uh bonus daughter.
SPEAKER_04Nice.
SPEAKER_02Um, and it came back kind of full circle to North Carolina and relocated back here in 2016, just a couple of hours away from my parents at this point, which was really good. And uh unbeknownst to me, I did not know that my dad was very, very ill or was starting to get ill at that time.
SPEAKER_00And he was in North Carolina, so you came back.
SPEAKER_02I came back not knowing, but I but I knew it was something that was concerning him, and I I really didn't know and eventually found that out. So, anyway, all was in God's timing and and getting back to North Carolina and being able to be a help to my family.
SPEAKER_00So awesome, that's beautiful. So we actually met in Atlanta when you were at the Atlanta office, yes, and so um I was telling Leslie that um we had driven down, I think it was when the black VP was was hired on. I um I'm forgetting his name right now. And um Karen Scott and I drove down, and my son, who's now a junior at AT, because that car ride, Karen told him all about all about her school. You know, she's like a walking poster child for AT.
SPEAKER_01He used to be on their marketing team.
SPEAKER_00I know, absolutely. And so it was during that ride, and um so I was convinced that that's where he was gonna go. And um, and we went down and that's where we met, but we didn't really start to get to know each other until you um you moved to to RTP. Um so I I remember when um you started doing some healthy living, and I was wondering whether it had to do with your dad and you trying to help him or you trying to, did that did you be were you triggered by your dad's um health in starting to live a healthy lifestyle?
SPEAKER_02I would say that years back, I remember my dad was the inspiration to start it living healthier because I remember back when I was a child, he was like, no, we're just gonna eat chicken and fish and turkey and stuff like that. And so that was kind of maybe the seed that was planted. But uh, you know, I've always been drawn to alternative health, but I have not always lived it. Let's let's say so I've I've struggled and gone uh back and forth. But I would say a turning point in my life was when I was diagnosed with Graves disease in um I think it was February 2019. Oh, and so that was when I started not uncommon in our communities. Yes, that's when I started to look at other things because the first thing my doctor wanted to do was just cut my thyroid out, which I would not allow. And so I would say that's what kind of sparked the healthier living Angela. And then I was able to uh take some of that back to my dad when he was still living and in juicing and doing things for him.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And in my case, it was the overactive uh thyroid, there Leslie. And so it was all of yeah, all of the things that came with the very fast metabolism, the anxiety, the uh drastic weight loss, all of a sudden. Yeah, yeah. My my symptoms kind of came up very fast, and it just was uh I know it was scary. It varies, yeah, but it was very oh, it was extremely scary.
SPEAKER_00Wow, yeah, wow. Well, thank God for good doctors. Yeah, yeah. Thank God for good doctors. Um, so there's a particular reason why I was like, oh my god, I have to have Rolanda on the podcast. I don't know if I want to get to it yet. I don't know if I want to get to it yet, but I think we're gonna I think we're gonna go there. So, folks, I go on to Facebook and I hadn't been on it for a while, you know, during COVID. I didn't really have any interest in social media and um just kind of popping up every once in a while. And I went on and I saw that Rolanda had posted probably the week before that she was taking a year-long sabbatical. And I was like, if that is not um bolder, older living, I don't know what is. I need to get find out what's behind this. She needs to come onto our podcast and tell the world what, what, what, what the what? I love it. So, like, tell us all the all the juiciness about how this came about and what your plans are and um yeah, all of that.
SPEAKER_02Well, I can't say it was one thing. Um, I think it was you when I think back, it's probably about three different things that happened over the course of a few uh you know, several months. One thing, turning 50. Hello, that that is um um, I turned 50 during the the pandemic. I'm 51 now. Um coming into that decade for me, you know, when I think of my 40s, I feel like that was me coming into more of my authentic self and being okay with that. Um, and when I look at 50, I'm like, wow, this is it, it's like another level of boldness and courageousness that I that I feel uh within myself. So I was an awareness. And awareness, yes, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00And I'm glad you say that because I think for some people it may go in the other direction. They start to slow down, they start to um, and and that is what we want to like stop it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, it doesn't have to be that way. Absolutely, absolutely. But not only does it not have to be that way for many of us. Uh I just turned 61, it isn't that way, but I'm getting a bad press. So the press isn't advertising that 61-year-olds are still working full time and enjoying life outside of work and enjoying family and coming into our own. Thank God you realized that earlier on. Yes. So you're living it. So continue. Go ahead. Thank you.
SPEAKER_02And and then that leads me to the second, the second uh thing that occurred. So um in February 2022, my dad passed away uh due to stomach cancer and um chronic kidney failure, uh chronic kidney disease.
SPEAKER_03Wow.
SPEAKER_02Um, my dad was someone that took care of everybody, not just his immediate family. He helped a lot with his his siblings. He was the older uh sibling as well. Um the community, he was uh he was an electrician, so even outside of his job, he would do things for people in the community, he would loan money to people in the community. So um, and when he got ready to start really enjoying his life, he had already retired, but to him, enjoyment was buying his first new truck and stuff like that because he would always put himself last. By the time my dad was able to start enjoying a lot of the fruits of his labor, he had already started getting ill. Oh wow, and so um he did not have the energy to enjoy things like that. So that stuck out to me that life is short.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_02So that's the the second thing.
SPEAKER_00Yes. Remember, there are not that many shopping days till Christmas. Yeah, there are not that many shopping days till Christmas.
SPEAKER_02Yes, and so I was like, whoa, do I, you know, I really started looking at my life and wanting to make sure that I started to experience things more and enjoy um things more. And so it leads me to the the last point. The third thing was I had a mentor within Cisco that is actually uh, she was getting ready to start her sabbatical and leveraging the same program that I'm leveraging. And so I had someone that I could reach out to and talk to and to learn of her experience and to see if this is something that I should do. And one of the last things she left with me was Rolanda, go with your gut. And I knew what that meant. It's in my gut, I'm not gonna rest until I respond to do what I need to do. So those were the three things that that led me down this road. And it was not an easy uh decision to make as I'm a senior manager, I'm a leader of leaders. I knew that doing something like this would be disruptive to the organization. So I wrestled with it for a few months. And uh finally in December, uh late December, uh mid-December, I said, let me talk to my uh my direct manager about it. And he chose you.
SPEAKER_00You chose me. Yeah, that's that's beautiful, and you know, um, it is your father gave you that because he showed you a um how not to, you know, to that you can make other choices. And I know that it was through a sacrifice that you were able to make another choice. Do you know what I mean? Um, so that's that's beautiful. I love it.
SPEAKER_01What I'm hearing also is the ability to trust your gut because so often in so many different areas, um, we have this gut feeling or in our minds, but we downplay it and we quiet it and we're afraid of what other people will say when we are able to do that, but step out boldly and and speak to what our gut is saying. It's almost shocking sometimes that we hear the yes. Yes, yes, that we hear the yes. It's like we sh, I don't think that we should shut ourselves down, yeah, before uh, you know, other people respect our gut, other speak people respect our opinions and what we know for sure. And I don't think that we should be the ones to say no to our dreams or our ideas. Right.
SPEAKER_00Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01You know, even that imposter syndrome that I was just speaking to Ant about yesterday, that it kind of showed up in my life, and here I am seeming so confident or whatever, but it showed up recently. You know, the outside is waiting to hear from us, and our ideas to them may be great and brilliant and well supported, but if we don't present them, yeah, yeah, we'll never have an account.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and yeah, that reminded me of another thing that I um I really appreciate Rolanda for is um she has a way of she has a gift for um uh motivating people, right? And um she probably has known that she has had this gift, but what I love about one of the things that I love about her is that she shares those gifts, and that's what we always want to encourage people to listen um your light, your light should not be under the table, your light should shine, and so whenever she posts on Facebook, she posts her little inspirational um um moments, and every time that I see those, first of all, I always stop to to to listen. Um but they always, always deliver something that you know, you just like, okay, putting that in my toolbox. That one, that one's that's like a life lesson right there. And so why did you start doing why did you start doing those?
SPEAKER_02Oh gosh, when did I start? Um and why? Yeah, I was in Atlanta during that time. I had just gone through um a uh Toastmasters um to because I I'm very well I grew up being very shy. I am introverted. Some people don't believe that, but I I really am. I'm very introverted, so it takes energy to do this. So I I started as uh as a result of going through Toastmasters and wanting to, well, I just said, let me start doing some videos because you know on the inside that you're supposed to do something, but your personality for me, I felt like my personality didn't match that. I I knew that I had things to say, but my personality, I'm introverted. But what I'll tell people now is do not get into um, don't let your personality paralyze you when you know that there is something, you know, a part of your purpose is to share knowledge and wisdom.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And so I had to get over that fear, right? And I just started doing a video here and there. And once I saw the response to that, I was like, wow, well, maybe there is something I really do have to share.
SPEAKER_01That's called historical encouragement, but you do it anyway.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I want I want to capture that hashtag. What was it? Um, don't let your hashtag, don't let your don't let your personality paralyze you. Don't let your personality paralyze you.
SPEAKER_02Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_01Hashtag all right Rolanda, what is Toastmasters?
SPEAKER_02Yes, Toastmasters is an organization that helps you with, I would say, in the simplest form with your public speaking. Um, it it kind of trains you and how to talk off the cuff, how to uh be conscious of overusing filler words like um uh you know, things like that. And so it uh you have to get in front of an audience and and do that. So that I would say that's one of the biggest things that helped me to feel more comfortable in uh doing isolate speaking.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, is it a course? Um open to the public or something, is it's it's very reasonable cost.
SPEAKER_02It is uh uh something that's global. Uh I would I think it's a global organization. Yeah, it's very reasonable. There tends to be uh groups locally around you. So if you went probably on Google and searched Toastmasters in your in your area, okay, a group would come up and you can join it. And you kind of you work through a workbook in in different scenarios. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Okay. I might see some public speaking in my future.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I think so, Liz. Yeah, incorporate. There's always a Toastmasters group that um you can join. I was always so tempted to do it, but I never officially did it. But you know, you kind of it becomes some of uh Toastmasters' teachings kind of become the culture of um of organization. So it's always like um you get it by osmosis.
SPEAKER_01Um so I have a question before you get in. And yes, because I'm still thinking of what you spoke about in your introductory remarks, where you grew up thinking about STEM before it was called STEM. Um if you can just describe some of the challenges you went through as a uh black and female in an area where you probably were a real uh minority minority. Um, I too grew up thinking about science and technology and math. And there weren't one, there weren't many people in my family that understood the rigors that were associated with that type of discipline, because I come from a family of teachers and educators. But um, you tell me about how you navigated an area that might have been um, you might have been the only one in that arena.
SPEAKER_02Well, I tell you, because I went to uh a historically black college and university, I would say it didn't hit me all of a sudden yet. So I was, you know, going from high school and had a very good experience. We had a mixed high school and everything, no major issues there. Went to college, um, was around primarily black folks that look like me. Well, and then then I graduate. Or I would have to say, actually, my the my first challenge was I was doing uh an internship uh over the summer uh with the company I will not name, but if I was it in uh Illinois and uh in the Midwest, and it was a group of college students there. And uh that was my very first time encountering racism right in my face because we had all gone out to to eat as a group of young black college students that had a great internship opportunity, and so we didn't have a good experience in that uh particular restaurant. Um, but fast forward, um, it wasn't until I started working uh in corporate America to I'm looking at, oh wow, for many, many years I was the only, uh either the only woman or the only black person on a team. So that's where you just really start to see, like, wow, it's just me. And you know, how do I navigate through this? And how do I build effective relationships and how do people see me? So you start questioning your yourself then. So that was earlier on, and and for many, many years, I that was what it was until um gosh, probably very recently. And uh, when I became, I I knew that when I became a leader and had an opportunity to impact diversity, that I was gonna be purposeful of spreading the net wide and and looking for uh making sure that we have a diverse pool of candidates and things like that. So that became my brand as a leader is that I was gonna do that in um the organization that I'm in. I I really impacted the uh the diversity there and um hired hired diverse candidates, and I that is something I'm very proud about. Wow.
SPEAKER_00I I um I wanna jump in with something that um uh this is me being controversial again, right? So the idea of um imposter syndrome um and my sister um kind of brought this to my attention, put the seed of, oh I can I can I can see I can see that. So we talk about imposter syndrome and um in general what it means is that you feel like um you haven't earned the right to be in the room, right? You know, or it's it's kind of like why am I why am I um you don't see yourself you're you're questioning there's a difference between imposter syndrome and organizations, companies, um, groups of people who are not inclusive. Feeling as a black woman and um I study mechanical engineering, right? So that was my so we're all STEM people. Um and I was one of five black people, regardless of gender, in my university my year, five engineering students at this huge at Penn, this huge um Ivy League university. There were five of us. And so the idea that um, you know, what Rolanda just described, just to make my point really clear, uh, of how she felt, that is more how she was made to feel because of the the the the the the the structure that was created. Right, the other ring. That is not imposter syndrome. She deserved to be there, she didn't feel welcome, we didn't feel welcomed in our spaces because of racism, because of institutionalized racism. Let's not get that confused with imposter syndrome, right? It is it is not the same, and I just wanted to kind of put that out there, let people come after me, or let's discuss this further.
SPEAKER_01Well, what imposter syndrome then might be a late result of years and years of living in that environment.
SPEAKER_00Well, I kind of think of them as separate because imposter syndrome, in my understanding, is where it's a it's a it's an internal thing. It's something that you're struggling with, but everyone outside thinks you're great. That is imposter syndrome to me. Right. Um, institutionalized racism is everybody doesn't think you're great. You have to be the one saying, hey, look at me. I'm pretty also, you know what I mean? So it's it's very different. And I want to, I want to just have us be careful as black women to make that distinction per you know, personally and as as our how we internally talk to ourselves. What is this? Is it is it imposter syndrome? Yeah, or is it or am I feeling um racism or sexism or ageism as we get older? Is that what it is, or is it something else? And so I just wanted to um just make sure that I made that um made that point. That's a good point. Yeah. And then I wanted to ask you about about fear. Leslie and I talk about that a lot, about fear. It shows up, right? Um, people say to uh, you know, to be fearless. No, no, it's not fearlessness, you know, it's doing it afraid. Exactly. It's doing it afraid.
SPEAKER_01And so we were given the the emotion, the gift of fear. Right. Exactly for a reason.
SPEAKER_00Save my life many times. I will not be fearless when that bear is coming. I will not. Um, so there have been several things um throughout your life, it seems, where fear um could have crippled you, might have crippled you, but God, you know. Um, so what how do you feel about fear? And is there anything that you can share with us about that?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Um, even going through this whole thought process, there was fear. And um, I I recognize that as being something that kind of held me back and a part of why I struggled with the the timing of it. But what I've learned from very wise people is that, and just as Leslie said, fear is normal. Fear, fear can come. But I made a decision that uh, regardless of fear, I was still gonna do it. Even me going through this, uh Angie, um there are risks built into me doing this. One risk is that uh once my year is up, I may not find a a role in in my current company, and I may have to, you know, move on. And so there was the fear of, oh my gosh, I'm taking myself off of the the trajectory that I had planned for myself to to move up this. Wow, I'm gonna I'm gonna put this in quotes up the corporate ladder. So it was a big fear for me um to do this. Yeah, and but I'm a person I journal all the time.
SPEAKER_01I went back you and my girl over there.
SPEAKER_02I I journal all the time, and you never know. It's something fun to do if you journal all the time is go back a few months and see what you you've written down. And I I uh picked up my journal and I started going back through it, and I looked at an entry I did uh in July of last year, and I wrote about the sabbatical and the I I I could I put it here because I thought you'd be interested in I would love to read just a couple of things, yes, please. Yes. Um well you guys can edit, so I'll just read the whole thing that it's not that long. So this is July 5th, uh 2022. For the last few months, I have been pondering, taking a leave from work. I have when I have tried not to think about it, my spirit won't let it go. The one thing that would keep me from doing it is fear, fear of something catastrophic happening that would eat into our savings, fear of this hurting my career trajectory. But on the flip side, what if what if I gain new perspective about myself? What if I find something I love? What if my lifestyle becomes healthier? I can't live my life being fearful and being so risk averse that I give myself no room to live and experiment. Sometimes the things that comfort you can also smother you.
SPEAKER_01That's when I I feel that in my toes. Yes, you know, absolutely. Yeah. Oh, I'm so proud of you.
SPEAKER_00Thank you.
SPEAKER_01It's it's a it's a beautiful thing.
SPEAKER_00It's a beautiful thing. Um I've got to ask you to talk about your book. Um that's like, you know, huge. Um, so yeah, just whatever you want to share about your book. Of course, we're gonna put information about how people can can get it, but you know, you woke up one morning, or did you, and say, I'm gonna write me a book today. No, I I wish it was like that.
SPEAKER_01Um I'm gonna be a published author. Right.
SPEAKER_02With my bad self. Yeah, yeah. With my bad self. I um, you know, I I when I was younger, I loved to write. So I, you know, I would write poems, I would, you know, just write different things down. And again, one of those things I had to to uh, I was scared to do it, but I I uh met someone in Atlanta, and one thing that she did was to help people uh get their their books out. But um I wisdom brings success is actually my third book. Um the first book I wrote, I I would say was very personal and was very um it was me overcoming um child molestation uh when I was younger. So that book was called More Than a Conqueror, and that was uh out uh I was in Atlanta during that time. But anyway, fast forward, um, I started working with someone on on this particular book, and uh so I also had a collection of poems I had laying around. And so I was like laying around. Let me just kind of pull these together. And so I I pulled them together, and uh, that was my second book, which is called Seasons. So that was that was just a collection of poems. Wisdom brings success really speaks to that professional development side of me. So one of my passions is career development, uh, professional development, coaching others through that. And so I I got the idea of to have a book that's kind of like a devotional, I would say, yeah, but it uh has 31 entries. So I was a person, I I used to read the book of Proverbs uh many years ago. Okay, and I would read one proverb a day, so that was the 31. So it's kind of like the same concept, yeah. Um, and so it just has uh it in the entry may start with a quote or or something, and then it has some commentary, and then the last part would just be a call to action or an action that you can do. And so it's it's meant to cause you to reflect on each uh entry and uh take an action regarding that.
SPEAKER_00You know, I'm just thinking about your um your team. They're gonna cry. I know they'll get over it. And you already said yes, you already left, so the the you can um I'm not gonna worry about making you feel guilty because it the deed is already done. But I know, I know, because I know Cisco, uh, I know that they're like, oh my god.
SPEAKER_02Let me tell you, I um, well, I'm in, I'm only into my second week, but um, yes, I uh a few of the team we cried together because um there are folks that I I built some incredible relationships with. There were people that I mean, sometimes you don't know until you get them ready to leave a thing how much you may have impacted it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02So I had people telling me that I was the best manager that or best leader that they had worked for. Um, it was just I mean, I was just a I was a mess, really listening to the people sharing. I was so humbled, I was so humbled um by by by what people were saying, and just this massive support that I received. And I would have to say, um uh, so we had like a lunch in the RTP area, and a few of the local people came. And one of one of the guys that uh uh works in my organization, he used to work directly for me. Uh, when everything was almost over in eating, he's he's usually on the quiet side, right? Uh uh African-American young man, and he came up to me later and he said, Rolanda, I want you to know that you changed my life.
SPEAKER_04Oh my God.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, it's that kind of validation that lets you know that you're um following God's purpose. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02And I'm like, if I if I have changed one life, if I have imparted something that was and he was my one, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Every everything else is gravy. Everything else is gravy. Wow. You know what? I got it.
SPEAKER_01It's not an interview that's supposed to make me all misty. I told you, come on.
SPEAKER_00I told you who we're dealing with over here. I told you. Oh wow, yeah, Rolanda. You know it's funny, but um let's I don't know if you saw this, but last night I was um looking, I did a search on your name, Rolanda, because I was looking for the email that I sent you. And um it it brought up this email that you sent me um when I was leaving Cisco and I'm not gonna read it um because now I'm gonna cry. But it started with, and this is why I love you. That's what you wrote to me because I was saying goodbye to CVP and I had attached a letter that I sent to all the uh senior leaders who had helped me, and um I talked about um you know how sometimes people want to run from the diversity label or the black label. And uh in fact, that is what uh uh empowered me at Cisco is wearing those labels and being proud of it and being helpful to my colleagues who shared some of the same experiences that I did. And you um so you gave that to me, and I know that I cried when I received it the first time, and it just came out. I'd never seen it since then. Wow, I'm not sure why the email, it was like the second one. Wow, and it started with and this is and this is why I love you. So oh my gosh, it's a beautiful thing. We it is listen, we've got to tell people who they are to us and what they do. We don't do enough, and sometimes we think, oh, they're too up there, they're too this, they don't need that from me. Or they don't want to, yeah. Who am I? Yeah, yeah. Now that's imposter syndrome. Yeah, who am I? I don't matter what what do you know? There, I can't bless them. They're the ones who are blessing me, and there's so much evidence to the contrary, you know what I mean? So brave.
SPEAKER_01That's almost a great way to end.
SPEAKER_02We're we're about at the end, but um, no, no, no, no, no, can can I can I say this before we end?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, uh, and I'll say this really quick. Um, you can take as much time as you need. It's our show.
SPEAKER_02But you know, when I when I think of people that inspire me and and Angela, I have to say that you're one of those uh folks as well because you made your bold move a few years ago. I did. And I was watching. And I remember us having um the conversation in the cafeteria when you had when you were saying that there were these job offers that you had that you could have stayed, but you were wrestling with uh going out on your own and doing something different. And I just remember that conversation. And and then very soon afterwards, I knew that you know, that was when you had made your decision.
SPEAKER_04Right.
SPEAKER_02And that was inspiring to me because it was like you were going on your trajectory way, and then a bold move. And so I thought about you even in this one. I was trying to make my decision of people I could pull from.
SPEAKER_04Right.
SPEAKER_02Uh, and so you were one of those folks. So thank you for being courageous and being an example for thank you.
SPEAKER_01Well, that's my blessing right there. That's my blessing. Oh, this is so wonderful. So, Rolandka, I'm gonna just put it out there and say, We need to have you back. We need to have you back either like toward the end of your sabbatical or toward the middle or something. Yes, towards the middle. I need a little bit more of you, and I want to know a little bit more about what what's going on, what you're up to, and how you're branching out. And um, this doesn't look like introversion to me.
SPEAKER_00I know, or you know, it looks like it looks like what an introvert is. It's like we have these kind of there, introverts are like this, and extroverts are like this, and you know, right.
SPEAKER_02All this means is after this is over, I'll go in a corner and be quiet. That's over.
SPEAKER_01Or write another book, or you know, yeah, yeah. Whereas uh Anthony would be on the phone, like, did you get that interview with the yeah?
SPEAKER_00This was this was wonderful. I want to just uh you know, we we pray before we started. So I just want to thank God that um our prayers were answered because this wasn't amazing. Um, we got to know you better, we got to share you with our audience. We know that someone loves you. Yeah, for sure, for sure. And you know, we have our website, so we can when you send me pictures or when I pull pictures down from Facebook, we'll put them on um our website to show people what you're up to.
SPEAKER_01That would be wonderful, absolutely. Yes, all right, all right, guys. This was another wonderful episode of Black Boomer Best.
SPEAKER_00From Brooklyn, whoop, whoop. Thank you for listening. See you next time.
