Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn

Your Job Shouldn't Cost You Your Health

Angella Fraser & Leslie Osei-Tutu Season 13 Episode 6

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0:00 | 43:20

Licensed Clinical Psychologist Dr. Kimani Norrington-Sands returns with co-host Social Worker Marissa Price to discuss their annual Job Liberation Summit, a virtual event designed to help Black women escape toxic workplaces on their own timeline with support and resources.

• Toxic jobs trigger our brain's fear response, preventing access to the areas of the brain needed for planning

• Chronic workplace stress causes physiologic harm which can lead to  accelerated aging of organs

• Black women often stay in harmful jobs due to financial concerns or fear starting over

• The Job Liberation Summit provides comprehensive resources including financial exit planning, health insurance considerations, and retirement options

• Community support from other Black women provides validation and healing from workplace trauma

• Skills learned at the summit can be applied to other toxic situations beyond the workplace

Register for the Job Liberation Summit happening May 16-18, 2023, with bonus sessions through May 21st. Register here:

https://2025jobliberationsummit.heysummit.com/?ac=KmQBDvM5


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Welcome to Black Boomer Besties

Speaker 1

Hey Ange .

Speaker 2

Hey Liz , how you doing .

Speaker 1

Doing great .

Speaker 2

Yeah , you look good You've recovered from our reunion weekend . Not quite yet .

Speaker 1

But the physical therapist says I'm doing better . That castor oil that you . The castor oil and the dancing all night it's going to work , it's going to work . The castor oil and the dancing all night it's going to work , it's going to work . So I'd like to say welcome to another episode of Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn .

Speaker 2

I'm Angella and that's Leslie , my best friend of almost 50 years . We are two free-thinking 60-something-year-old Black women who've decided to live our lives more boldly and more joyfully , and we invite you to join us along our journey . Today , we have some special guests to the summit that they're going to be hosting , because there is nothing more joy-sucking than being in a job that no longer serves you . We have you guys have seen Dr Kimani Nordin-Sands before . She's been here a few times , been our guest , and the last time she was with us in January , I think it was . We definitely will put a link to that last episode .

Speaker 2

Dr Kimani is on a mission and she clearly has brought others along , because the other guest that we have today is Marissa Price , and they are co-hosting a summit , a job liberation summit . It's a virtual summit and it is going to teach you everything you need to know to leave the job that's no longer serving you . That's no longer serving you , and I'm going to leave it there and I'm going to ask Dr Kimani to introduce yourself and then we'll go

Introducing the Job Liberation Summit

Speaker 2

over to .

Speaker 3

Marissa . Thank you , angela and Leslie , so happy to be here . So my name is Dr Kimani . I'm a licensed clinical psychologist . I've been licensed for over 20 years . I'm also a toxic job survivor so I can definitely relate to being in a soul-sucking job and how harmful that can be . I am now a toxic job liberator for Black women and also the co-founder of the second annual Job Liberation Virtual Summit for Black women with Marissa Price and I have a YouTube channel called Lifting as we Climb Consulting Wellness Services where I talk to Black women no matter where you are in the world , no matter what your job situation is . I talk to Black women to offer support and to share resources Again my YouTube channel is Lifting as we Climb Consulting , wellness Services , all right .

Speaker 4

Thank you and Marissa , yes , I am Marissa Price . I am a social worker . I am a healing practitioner , also a freelancing advocate for Black women , so freelancing was my pathway out of a very toxic , traumatic work experience . Kamani's channel worked as her virtual assistant for a little over a year and then transitioned to my own business as a solopreneur and now co-hosting the Job Liberation Virtual Summit for Black women , providing resources , knowledge , safe community for Black women to be able to make their exit plans on their timelines from jobs that are not serving them right , and this has impacted Black women globally . And so just to see the mark that it has left already and this is our second year hosting it is really profound and something that means a lot to both of us , so I'm very happy to be here . Thank you for having me , yeah .

Speaker 2

Awesome . Listen , I just want to say something right out the gate , out the gate . What I want to kind of highlight , and what Marissa has just said , is the paths that have been created . Right , she talked about leaving . She talked about being virtual assistant . She talked about finding Dr Kimani , because Dr Kimani is out here . She is out here giving the information Marissa found . Her went from virtual assistant now hosting a second summit . These are new pathways that have been created and oftentimes when we think about our jobs , we think about these roles , we think about these kind of set ways of doing things . Especially as older folks like Leslie and I , we have these single ways that we think about doing things . We don't often think about tributaries and new pathways and work and pathways in how we think , and I just wanted to call that out because that's just what I thought . I'm like look at that , she found a way , she found a way , that's all .

Speaker 1

Well , what I want to say before I forget , because you are one of the people I really most admire . I've met you quite some time ago virtually . I've met you quite some time ago virtually , and I've been really following your work because I'm proud of the courage that you always show in sharing a traumatic story and I think the effectiveness to your audience and certainly I'll speak to me personally is that you are a person who has lived trauma and instead of taking that trauma inward and suffering inward , you've spoken about it and re-traumatized yourself and your audience and the people who listen to you and care about you . We feel that Wow .

Speaker 1

So it's really moving to me and if I've not told you that before , I got to tell you . When I visit your pages on LinkedIn and read some of the stories and the things that you tell , it touches me .

Speaker 3

Wow , thank you , I received that . I received that . Wow , thank you , I received that . I received that . And I know , angela , you asked me earlier if I know that I am inspiring others and I was saying how surreal it is for me to think that , on one level , yes , it fills my heart up , it fills my soul to know that I'm helping other black women . At the same time something I'm still struggling with again , I'm in a healing journey because I've left I resigned about two and a half three years ago still in that healing journey . Part of the healing that I'm still dealing with is

Creating New Pathways After Toxic Jobs

Speaker 3

coming to terms with . This is how I'm inspiring people , yet accepting what all that I had to go through to get to this point . Right , and so you know , like you said , angela , like really sit with that and think about coming to terms with that so I don't have to keep going back and questioning like why did this happen to me ? Why did this happen to me ? And I really need to work on that , because this is a very personal , to work on that , because this is a very personal , vulnerable state that I am .

Speaker 3

When I'm on YouTube , I'm often talking about my own trauma and a toxic job and I'm providing space for other Black women .

Speaker 3

So I'm hearing their stories and providing support , because that is part of my healing , because I know that I need to get this toxicity out of my system Right , and part of what I also know that me being vocal about it is my healing too , because as a job , there were so many things that they did . Yesterday I did a video with Elle and I was very open about a lot . I talked about the whole thing that happened to me when I was at this hospital . I laid it all out . I talked about the whole thing that happened to me when I was at this hospital . I laid it all out right , and to be able to talk about it and just to see her expression mirrored back to me was how ridiculous and traumatic it was , and to be able to share that it's therapeutic for me . And I know when she was mirroring back to me , I was like they were trying to break me . They really were trying to break me . They really were trying to break me .

Speaker 3

And so being able to see that and saying you know what ? You tried to break me , but she didn't break me . In fact , you transitioned me to a different position , just like Marissa transitioned to a different position . So now I've transitioned . I've pivoted in different directions to help liberate other Black women , but it's healing for me too . Okay , it's healing for me too , and when ?

Speaker 3

you talk about how , as Black people , or just anybody , when we get used to doing something the same way we go to a job we have like , okay , this is going to happen , I know I got to do this we come these very structured ways of being Neuroplasticity right , and this is what I want Black people to see , black women to see is that , even though you might be in a toxic job now , you are able to pivot and form new connections in your brain .

Speaker 3

So you might think there's no way out for me . I got to stay here . I'm 50 . I got to stay here . There's no way I can go to us because all jobs are toxic . Right , there's other ways for us to be , but developing those new pathways when we're exposed to new information and we start doing things in a different way Now .

Speaker 3

We're developing new pathways in our brain and I'll also , if I could just take a moment , to talk about , just biologically , what happens to so many of anybody , humans , just in general . What many of us are going through in a toxic

How Trauma Affects Brain and Body

Speaker 3

job is that we perceive that the environment is not safe for us . So we see it , since this is not a psychologically safe environment . So in our brain we have the amygdala I know Leslie knows this . We have the amygdala and the amygdala is perceiving oh my God , we're in a dangerous situation . Fight , flight or freeze . Right , we need to freeze , and I think that's what's happening to a lot of Black women , particularly 50 and over , that we get in this .

Speaker 3

Oh my God , this place is unsafe . Oh my God . Look at the job market . Oh my God . Look at the chaos and confusion . Look at my fear of 401k , Look at all these things . So that's causing a lot of fear . So the amygdala takes over . So now you're not able to access your prefrontal cortex . Your prefrontal cortex , that's where planning , organization and judgment happens . So if the amygdala is taking over , you can't even foresee the possibility of leaving a job that you've outgrown .

Speaker 1

Wow .

Speaker 3

That's harming you . Or , let's say , you got laid off , you are in crisis survival mode . So what we hope to do during the summit is to provide a safer space for Black women . Okay , because it's all Black women that we are all there together , similar experiences , but pouring into one another . You could turn down that survival brain as Black women and access the information . So now you can plan , you can organize and you can use your judgment about when is it that I want to leave or , if I've already been laid off , let me see what my options are , because many of us are in this crisis stuck mode and we can't even see what the options are or we shut it down , right . No , I got to stay here .

Speaker 4

No , I'm going to stick it out .

Speaker 3

No , I got to stay here because I retire . That's crisis trauma response mode and being able to call it out for what it is and to normalize it . It's a normal experience .

Speaker 1

It's normal , right , right . The only one thing I want to say about that because , man , I was just thinking about when you really talked about what goes on in the brain when you're in these circumstances I can also say what happens in the body and one of the things that we may feel proud or it's okay . And one of the things that we may feel proud or it's okay . We've been through it this long . I'm 50 years old . I'm 60 years old . I can deal with it just a little while longer . You may not realize , but a constant trauma and flight and fight . It changes your heart Increased cortisol and stress hormones . It remodels your heart and your vasculature . So in bodies like mine , 63 years old , I have a vasculature of an older woman . I don't realize that constant cortisol increases in my body is changing my blood pressure , it's increasing demand on my heart and I wonder , and this fatigue and stress , it becomes a cycle where you're doing your own self-harm . If you say , I'm going to stick it out , for who , for what ?

Speaker 3

That part .

Speaker 1

Yeah , yeah .

Speaker 3

Yeah , and also when you cause , I was thinking about like even weathering . So your organs are aging with all that chronic stress . So you may not even know I'm 54 , right , I don't know how old my organs are , but if I would have stayed in that environment with that chronic stress , I could imagine that my organs would have been much older right Than 54 . So for us to keep in mind there is a physical toll and there's a psychological toll . There's even a spiritual toll , because when I was at that job and all that terrible stuff was happening to me , I would .

Speaker 3

I would literally ask like god why are you doing this to me ?

Speaker 4

why are you doing this to me ?

Speaker 3

I'm a good person , I'm a fantastic employee . This doesn't make any sense . Why you ? Why are you doing this to me ? Why are you doing this to me ? I'm a good person , I'm a fantastic employee . This doesn't make any sense . Why are you making me suffer like this ? What's ?

Speaker 4

happening here . Why would you do that ? And so ?

Speaker 3

I was mad .

Speaker 4

I was like what is going on here ?

Speaker 3

And so my therapist black woman therapist who's also very spiritual she's like listen , I need for you to look at this in a different way . Okay , I don't think that God is punishing you . I think that God is saving you . I think God is rescuing you from this environment because , you don't belong here . You belong somewhere bigger and better . And God is telling you . See , all those signs God's been giving you and you've been ignoring and you've been ignoring you .

Speaker 1

Yes , so you need this .

Speaker 2

Now he's shouting yes .

Speaker 1

Right , you missed the whisper .

Speaker 3

Exactly , and so being able to be in spaces like therapy or good friendships , where you're able to talk to people about what's happening to you , and for somebody to reality test back and say , girl , no , that's not you , that's that place , and I need for you to pay attention to the harm that being in this environment is having on you and for us to listen to that too .

Speaker 2

Wow . So and I one of the things that I want to ask about the summit specifically , because I know you have a lot of speakers coming , you give so much content away , you have your YouTube channel , you have a lot of resources on your website , so for someone who's thinking , I'll just watch everything you've ever produced , I'll just get educated through those channels , why would you tell them to still come to the summit ? What is kind of the space that you've created within the summit ? That would be different , special , would be more transformative than doing it the free 99 way .

Speaker 3

Right . So my YouTube channel is a way it's really a healing space for us as Black women to feel validated . So that's the main purpose of my YouTube channel is , like I see you , I hear you , I feel you , I understand you are not alone , right ? The second thing is that I want my YouTube channel to know that Black women , we have options . We don't have to stay in these environments . And number three is I want to share resources .

Speaker 3

Okay , so I can share some things , but it's a lot of things I'm not an expert in , and so that's why I lean into other Black women . Like you got to help me with something , because when I was at that toxic job trying to transition out

Finding Healing Through Community

Speaker 3

, I knew I needed coaching , so I started working with Black women coaches . I knew I needed help with my financial exit plan , so I started working with Dr Roche Brown as a financial psychologist , because I didn't know how to do that . And so when Marissa and I came together and Marissa came up with the idea for having a summit I'll have her talk a little bit more about that motivation year we thought about what are all the issues that a black woman would need to know and address and get a handle on so that she would have the information . So once she's ready to pivot on her own terms , when she's ready to go or if she's already left , what she'll be able to do .

Speaker 3

We covered all those bases , so it's not like somebody said oh , I got to go on YouTube , I got to go on Google , I got to try to figure it all out . I'm trying to copy it all together and try to figure out . No , you are learning from Black women who have done the thing and they're experts in this area . So that's where they are , the summit speakers . So how do we learn from one another ? I don't know all this information and . I'm humble enough to say I don't know no-transcript .

Speaker 4

Yeah , so the motivation was to have information resources in one place so that , again , if you are in survival mode which a lot of these jobs place us in right , where Dr Kamani shared you don't always have the access , the capacity to make your exit plan , to know that it's in one place , right , and replays are available . So if you do have to step away during a live summit , you can go back and watch the information , but to know that you have that in one place , your exit plan is literally waiting for you when you're able to access it . I think that's the purpose of the summit , it also being in Dr Kamani's chats , right , I had no idea what was happening to me at the time . I was in that toxic job environment and the power of community , I think , is one of the other components of the summit For other people , other Black women globally , to be able to reflect back to you . This also happened to me .

Speaker 3

And it's not you right .

Speaker 4

There's a deep level of healing that occurs when you see that it's not just you and that this is , in fact , like something that has happened to so many of us over and over again due to systemic racism , sexism , right that exists in the world and so that really powerful component of community being in a safe environment . We have privacy considerations , so no attendees will be shown on camera and you can also change your name after registering , because some of these jobs right surveillance is real .

Speaker 4

And so to have that in place to know that you're in a safe environment . Low pressure , no pressure . You can make your plan on your timeline timeline and I think , both of us being mental health professionals why we realize that if you try to rush someone through a process of change , that can create even more trauma , and so to take this on your own pace , on your own timeline , but to know that the information is waiting there for you in one place . I think is the purpose of the summit .

Speaker 2

Yeah .

Speaker 4

Perfect , perfect , perfect , perfect .

Speaker 1

There's something I want to share before you get into that , ange . I've been thinking , certainly since I've known you , dr Kimani . I've said , you know , I don't think that I've really been in a toxic job in my past , through the years , and then it hit me , believe it or not , some of the toxicity was coming from myself and , let me , it was a revelation that was . It's actually recent when I started thinking about you and our conversation A number of years ago . I stayed in a job because it was comfortable , because it was easy . It was not serving me at all .

Speaker 1

I was a single parent . At the time . I was from my own mind . I was afraid . I said , and my friends and I had my people saying you know , you want to go to medical school , you want to do this , you want to do this , why don't you do it ? And I was stuck . I did not know how am I going to survive , how am I going to feed ? I'm a single parent , I support my son and who was going to take care of him ? All of these negative things were in my mind . I was just thinking . A summit like this where all of these people were put together and just showing me steps that it took me years to figure out on my own . Yes that part , yes that part , yes . So what I'm saying is it's like at first I really couldn't identify with not an external source creating havoc , but I was locking myself in a position .

Speaker 3

That's the common In a position .

Speaker 1

The fear . You're locked in and it's like I can't stay here , but I can't get out of it either . Yes , yes and yeah . That just hit me the other day and I was like , wow , Les .

Speaker 3

Yeah .

Speaker 1

And it took years it really took years to break out of that . And I look back and it's like , wow , why didn't I do this sooner ?

Speaker 3

But I was stuck , I couldn't recognizing the fear is a normal part of the process . So how do we embrace the fear as a normal part of the process For us ? We feel the fear and then we go fight , flight or freeze and we think that means stay . No , there are situations that , no , you need to flee right . But in these job situations we have misconstrued the fear meaning stay .

Speaker 3

No , it is not it just means what do we need to do to prepare ourselves , which is why the summit is created to help prepare , so that all the issues that you could think about about replacing your income , multiple streams of income , what's about your health insurance , what's's about your retirement all those big fears are addressed and , as marissa said , you're a community with other black women , so you don't feel like you're alone on this path yeah that right there I , you know , sometimes because Black women we tend to be like MacGyver , you know we can .

Speaker 2

Jamaica , you say you can make life . You know you can figure things out . You can bubble gum this here , put a bandaid on that , put a rug band around that , put some tape up on there and you kind of cobble things together to make them work what this summit is about . How about if you just came to one place where everything that you needed to help you was there ? How about giving yourself that gift ? And that this change that you want to the access beyond the . I think the dates are the 16th to the 18th .

Speaker 3

We have the three bonus sessions too . We'll talk about the bonus sessions . What are those ? So the bonus sessions are in the evening , so after the summit . There's three bonus sessions . So the first one is with Dr Roche Brown . So she is the Black woman financial psychologist who .

Speaker 3

I work with to get my financial exit plan together .

What to Expect at the Summit

Speaker 3

So she's going to be talking about creating that financial exit plan based upon your timeline . When do you want to go ? If you've already left ? What are the financial considerations you need to get in place ? She's also going to talk about what to do about your retirement and what to do about health insurance . So that's that first day , that's that Monday , that Tuesday is oh it's , oh my .

Speaker 4

God , jenna Sutherland , jenna Sutherland , jenna Sutherland .

Speaker 3

And she's going to be talking to Black women 50 and above , about ways that we can pivot , because once we get 50 , that fear gets heightened .

Speaker 1

Oh my .

Speaker 3

God , I'm 50 .

Speaker 1

I cannot do it anymore . Exactly I'm stuck now . It's just too late . I'm vested .

Speaker 3

You know I got my retirement , I'm waiting for my kid to graduate . I got all these things . So Janice is going to be talking about how black women , 50 and above , can pivot . And then the third day is our last bonus session . That's where Jackie Abram and she's going to talk about when you're still in a job and , let's say , you're not able to pivot out right away because most of us , it takes time to create an exit plan . What are the things that you can do to survive being in that workplace until you create your exit plan ?

Speaker 3

So , those are the three bonus sessions after the summit , right ? So you have the regular tier of tickets where you get the six , the eight , tell about the regular , tell about the tiers . I feel like I'm not doing it justice . So , Marissa , talk about the tears okay , yes , yeah .

Speaker 4

So the standard liberation pass will give you access to the Fridays . So Friday is the kickoff with Coach Yolanda She'll be leading us through a guided meditation session and then the two full days , so Saturday and Sunday . Saturday is really about reclaiming yourself , and we have 10 sessions on Saturday , and then we have 10 sessions on Sunday . Sunday is really about making your exit strategy , and so the Liberation Standard Pass gives you access to that replays if you need longer to access the information . To let it simmer a little bit , in addition to the bonus sessions , the three bonus sessions that Dr Kamani just laid out , on the Monday , tuesday and Wednesday , following the weekend of the summit , and , like she said , they're in the evening , they're on Zoom , so more intimate setting , and they're also recorded If you can't actually attend a live session the replays will be sent out .

Speaker 2

Okay , perfect , perfect .

Speaker 1

Wow .

Speaker 2

I want to also kind of call out the care that I hear in the way that this has been planned right . I hear in the way that this has been planned right , the way that you have considered what's creating the fear to come to something like this right . Who allows people to come in and change their names . Who's thinking about that ? Really Like these things should be an indicator to you that these people are mindful of the things that matter to you .

Speaker 1

Do you know what I mean ?

Speaker 4

That's what these ?

Speaker 2

little things . I call them significant smalls . They're these little things that people do to show you that they see you , and so when you said that , I'm like wow .

Speaker 1

Wow , who would think of that ? But you know who would think of that , someone who has experienced that and they know what their personal concerns were and what was some of the barriers that kept them in that situation . So long you know what was really moving to me when you said , marissa , what happens on Friday when it's a guided meditation session ? So , in other words , we want to quiet your mind and allow you to push some things out so that you could receive all of this package that you're about to undertake .

Speaker 4

Yes .

Speaker 1

You know you've got to come in quiet and open .

Speaker 2

Yeah .

Speaker 1

You know , and I love the fact that and prioritizing ourselves .

Speaker 4

Yes , which ? Is really a lot for us as black women because we always prioritize other people over ourselves Right .

Speaker 3

So this is a time for us to prioritize ourselves and get our plans together .

Speaker 2

Yeah , it's like if I could just disclose something that happened before we started recording . Dr Kimani came from a session and she probably was just a minute late , but anyway , apologize for getting here late and so on , and we all recognize that she needed to just pause a little bit , right .

Speaker 2

I mean sometimes you just need to do that before running into the next , and that's what it felt like . It's like , okay , we're giving her space to just do a little woosah , that's what , that's what . Yeah , that is the those . So we're not going to be able to be there live , but we're definitely going to be consumers of this content because , whether you're in a toxic job or not , there's probably stuff that you're going to learn from this that could move you to any other toxic situation that you are in . I won't call out some of the common toxic situations that you may be in that may cause you to have to plan an exit strategy , that may cause you to have to kind of see options that you may not be seeing right now . So there may be other things and I don't want to kind of move anyone too much , but what I hear is toxicity .

Speaker 2

And I know that there are things that will be taught to you in the summit that can be used for other toxic situations that you find yourself in . I mean , is that true ?

Speaker 1

You are completely correct .

Speaker 1

I got to tell you . I love that you said that , because many people who know that I was recently divorced after a long marriage and so many of the feelings of fear , so many of the ideas and the self-doubt and can I do it ? And the increased cortisol levels through this , you know difficulty , especially during the ending of my marriage , whether they're jobs or marriages or relationships with other people or friendships or family situations that we don't know how to get out of . I don't have enough money to live on my own . I may have to pay alimony . What am I going to do ? I have little children . Let's wait until the children are grown . How many times have we heard that ?

Speaker 3

Yes , so the quality of your life while you're waiting for them and the quality of your children's life .

Speaker 1

What are you modeling for them ? By staying in situations that mommy and daddy are not happy ? They're not living their best lives .

Speaker 4

Yeah , yeah , wow .

Speaker 3

I'm so glad you brought up about what are we modeling specifically for ? If you have kids , what are you modeling ? For the kids . So when you think about being in any toxic environment , you have to think what are my kids saying from this ?

Speaker 2

Older kids too . It's not just children at home , older kids too . And do I ?

Speaker 3

want them to believe that it's okay to stay in any environment that's harming them . Yeah , is that what I want them to know , right ? Or do I want them to know ? You clock it for what it is and then you start preparing yourself so you can pivot out , but you need to have a plan . You need to have plans in place .

Speaker 2

Right , right , beautiful , all right , that's how we do it on time .

Speaker 1

You're my timekeeper , I know we're doing okay , we're coming up toward the end , but I just want to make sure that we're going to include all of the links to the summit . We we're going to include all of the links to the summit . We'll give information about how to reach you all personally , as well your contacts and your socials , because even when this summit is over , like I said , I benefit from knowing you and reading your content and and and things that come across my feed . It's very helpful , you know . I see that . The universal extension oh my goodness .

Speaker 2

We just recently got a comment from your episode that you were a guest on in January that said oh , I needed this . Yeah , and I just added well , guess what , you're in luck because it just happened back in January . They were like I needed this and I'm like yeah , yeah , we do .

Speaker 1

We're here for you .

Speaker 3

That's amazing how like the universe provides for when people need things .

Speaker 2

Right .

Speaker 3

Even like how I met Marissa . So Marissa

Bonus Sessions and Resources

Speaker 3

was watching my videos and she was commenting on my videos and everything . And it was at a time that I needed a new VA . And I remember Marissa writing in the chat that she was a VA and I found out how to reach out to her . And you , marissa , writing the chat that she was a VA and I reached out . I found out how to reach out to her and you know I'm researchers . I found out how to reach out to her . I said can we schedule a meeting ? And we started working together immediately .

Speaker 3

So it's like amazing universe . That's how we met . And now Marissa . When she was like I need to transition out of VA service , I was like no right , like oh no , but I am of . I like to support people in their growth yeah , so even though Marissa is a phenomenal VA . I just say you know what ? This is not her path anymore . She wants to grow and I want to support her in growing and we can still work together , but it's in a different capacity that's right but , the universe brought it together .

Speaker 3

I've met so many the way I've met you guys I've met so many black women who are so supportive of me yeah it is absolutely mind-blowing . It is absolutely mind-blowing . I've created a virtual community of black women , some whom I've never met in person . But it's just amazing to know this many black women that I'm now connected to .

Speaker 1

It's true , it's true . And what I was thinking earlier was that you know how the number of likes and subscribers you have . It's really just a small representation of the impact that you have .

Speaker 3

Yeah .

Speaker 1

Yeah , it's really . I mean it's really if you think about it . It's exponential , because I may like a comment , but I'm also speaking to other people and carrying that , so it's . It's just a small representation of that .

Speaker 3

Yeah , yeah , yeah , it's amazing . It really is amazing because I'm such a private person . Honestly , I am such a private person . Like four years ago , honestly , when I was at the Talk to Job , people would send me like LinkedIn requests and stuff . I was like what is this LinkedIn ? What is this Like ? Why do people keep sending me these LinkedIn ? What is this Like ? Why do people keep sending me this book ? What is this ? I don't want anything to do . What is this Facebook ?

Speaker 4

I couldn't stand it . But , look at me now .

Speaker 3

I'm always on social media , like what , like . Who is this person ? But again , like now , I've gone through such trauma that part of my healing I've experienced post-traumatic growth .

Speaker 4

So gone through the trauma healing from the trauma .

Speaker 3

Now I'm at a higher level , doing things I never could have envisioned doing never ever .

Speaker 1

That's how the universe meets you . You take a step and he says all I need you to do is take a step , right , right , and I will meet you where you are and cover you Exactly , I believe that .

Speaker 3

Part of it , too , was I had to shift from fighting right Because my fists were like this I was fighting people .

Speaker 1

That's what we do , right .

Speaker 3

We fight these people , so I had to shift from this . I was fighting people . That's what we do , right Fight these people . So I had to shift from this . So I release , I release it . I release that toxicity , I release it , I release fighting these people and I surrender to God but , God to show me what direction I'm going at . So every day I wake up , God , you let me know what direction you want me to go in .

Speaker 1

Hallelujah .

Speaker 2

Yes .

Speaker 3

Totally different perspective now . Totally different perspective yes , and .

Speaker 1

I'm sure you feel that .

Speaker 2

This is what's called co creation .

Speaker 3

Yes .

Speaker 2

Right , the free will , that part that's co-creating , that is connected to the divine . But it's what are you bringing in ? How are you stepping in ? What are you ?

Speaker 3

saying yes to , what are you saying no to ?

Speaker 2

You know what I mean and seeing how the Spirit leads you in that , it's a phenomenal thing . And so , leslie and I just really want to encourage our listeners to look at the information about the summit that's in the description . We want you to . If you're not in situations that where this resonates for you necessarily , you're probably still watching because you know someone who is feeling this and you feel for them and you know that they need help .

Speaker 2

They're not listening to you anymore . You've told them all , you've tried everything um just send them this link . So they can learn more about the summit . That is your gift to them and um , and get the word out there is , there is , there's help , there's , there's so much um that has been thoughtful about the way that um , dr kimani and marissa work . You , you , you can hear that already

Using Summit Skills in Other Life Areas

Speaker 2

. You're going to be taken care of , you're going to be taken care of . We encourage you to check it out and join the summit .

Speaker 1

Um , it's may 16th through 18th , 18 plus three bonus sessions through the 21st , now Right with the three bonus sessions .

Speaker 2

And yeah , you'll find all the links in our description . And , yeah , anything before we wrap that you want to share , dr Kamani or Marissa , I just love seeing you all in action .

Speaker 3

I mean just to see sisters together for this long and pouring into one another , and just to me it really models sisterhood . I believe in sisterhood . I'm a proud alum of Spelman .

Speaker 4

And .

Speaker 3

I believe in sisterhood and this is the extension . The summit is an extension of sisterhood .

Speaker 1

Yeah , beautiful .

Speaker 3

And I'm just so grateful to both of you . And I'm grateful to both of you that you were both able to pour into me today when you know I was like it's still right A part of the healing journey . Why did I have to go through this ? I'm happy for what I'm doing now , I love what I'm doing right now , but why did I have to go through this so really reminding me that there's an area of healing that still needs to happen ?

Speaker 2

So I receive that . I want to thank both of you for that .

Speaker 1

For sure .

Speaker 2

You're welcome . Absolutely , absolutely .

Speaker 3

Wow .

Speaker 2

Marissa anything else before ?

Speaker 4

we close . Yeah , thank you so much for having me as a guest . This has been a beautiful , healing experience for me , awesome , and yeah , I just want to share . I guess you don't have to do it alone , right ? You don't have to plan your pivot , you don't have to gather the information in isolation , because that can really be a draining process that can kind of sink your ship before you even get it sailing , right .

Speaker 4

Yeah , kind of sink your ship before you even get it sailing , right , yeah , um , so , being in community where we are pouring into each other just as we've , done in this interview right in , in reflecting back to each other that we are so incredibly powerful that's often why we're targeted in these workplaces right , because of our brilliance , because of our power , because we see things much differently than other people , um , and to reframe that as a strength and to get in community with other black women who are on the same journey . Um , it's so special . It's a very special place that we've curated , and we love for you to attend the summit thank you so much .

Speaker 3

I think , mercy you call it truth tellers that black women were truth tellers . I think that's what kind of makes us a target in the workplace , and you know what's so magical about this space right now . I was just literally just thought about this . We have boomers , we have Gen X and we have millennial . So to show across all the generations how we're able to come together and learn from one another and uplift one another for sure .

Speaker 3

It's a beautiful thing well , I can't wait to see you all again can't wait to be here again , yeah this is a great way to close .

Speaker 1

Thank you for listening . This has been another episode of Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn , brooklyn . This has been another episode of Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn .