The Climb

Strong is not the same as well. In this episode of The Climb Podcast, host Felicia Smith sits down with Ebony Grover — founder and CEO of LYLAS (Love You Like a Sister) — for an honest conversation about the cost of...

As women of color, many of us weren't just taught to work hard—we were taught to survive. We learned how to stretch a paycheck, help family when they needed us, and celebrate career milestones. But too often, no one...

Have you ever left a meeting wondering, "How did they come to that decision?" Or watched someone get promoted and thought, "What am I missing?" Many of us assume the answer lies with the people involved. But what if the...

Emotional Intelligence Part 4: Relationship Management You've probably heard the advice: "Work hard and your work will speak for itself." While performance absolutely matters, leadership requires something more. It...

<h1>Emotional Intelligence Part 4: Relationship Management</h1><p>You've probably heard the advice:</p><p>"Work hard and your work will speak for itself."</p><p>While performance absolutely matters, leadership requires...

Leadership isn't just about understanding yourself. It's about understanding the people around you. In Part 3 of our Emotional Intelligence series, we're exploring Social Awareness —one of the most overlooked leadership...

<h1>Leadership isn't just about understanding yourself.</h1><p>It's about understanding the people around you.</p><p>In Part 3 of our Emotional Intelligence series, we're exploring Social Awareness—one of the most...

<h1>Knowing yourself is only the beginning.</h1><p>The real test of leadership is what you do with that knowledge when emotions are running high.</p><p>In Part 2 of our Emotional Intelligence series, we're talking about...

Knowing yourself is only the beginning. The real test of leadership is what you do with that knowledge when emotions are running high. In Part 2 of our Emotional Intelligence series, we're talking about...

<h1>Everyone wants to talk about leadership.</h1><p>Leading teams.</p><p>Managing conflict.</p><p>Influencing decisions.</p><p>Driving results.</p><p>But before any of that comes self-awareness.</p><p>And if we're...

<p>You can work hard, mean well, and be excellent at what you do—and people can still walk away with a perception of you that's quietly shaping your opportunities. In this episode, Felicia tackles one of her favorite...

<p>For years, we've told women to get a seat at the table.</p><p>Get the degree.</p><p>Build the expertise.</p><p>Work hard.</p><p>Earn the opportunity.</p><p>But what happens after you get there?</p><p>What happens...

<p>The conversations women of color have quietly been carrying for years… finally said out loud.</p><p>We talked about burnout.</p><p>Visibility.</p><p>Leadership.</p><p>Career...

<p>What if the advice you’ve been following is the very thing slowing your career down?</p><p>You’ve been working hard. Saying yes. Being dependable. Keeping your head down.</p><p>And on the surface — that sounds...

<h2>We’ve been taught to think about career gaps as a choice.</h2><p>Something planned.</p><p>Something intentional.</p><p>Something we can easily explain.</p><p>But the reality is different.</p><p>“What we found… women...