Episode 056
A conversation about change and leadership during Black History month
with Anika Wilson
I am joined by the beautiful Anika Wilson as we discuss leadership, being a woman of color and how I fear the angry black woman. As always this is a conversation about topics that really matter - and today's is about how subtly and insidiously racial prejudices and stereotypes are... and what the heck I can do about them.
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“If a black woman starts ranting and raving in the way that we talk culturally using our hands or anything else, we're a threat. And God forbid we say something valuable or we do something valuable, oftentimes it's stolen. In order to be credible in this society either I have to have a lot of money for marketing or I have to have letters behind my name for someone to feel that I have a right to say whatever I want to say. That's our true journey.” -Anika Wilson
“If you get to know someone that doesn't look like you, you will learn that you actually want those same things. You want a good life. You want safety for your children. If you're a faithful person and you believe in God or whatever you believe in, it's the same things that you want for your children, the same things you want for your career, the same things you want for your life. The difference is, the pathway to those things is completely different because for blacks it's like qualifying for track and field in the Olympics. Where there's a hurdle and another hurdle. After you jump over that hurdle, then there's another hurdle. And the stronger you are, the more people put hurdles in your way.” -Anika Wilson
“Educate yourself and immerse yourself in the culture. Talk to people at church, at work, just ask them questions about themselves, their families, or how they grew up, because believe it or not - all blacks aren't the same.” -Anika Wilson
“For me, black women specifically are born leaders. And I say that because leadership is about resilience. It's about what you learn from what you experience, what you learn from adversity and how you overcome it.” -Anika Wilson
“Unfortunately leadership development is not offered to women like me. The fact is that black women aren't afforded leadership development so we continue to be under compensated. We continue to be overlooked. We continue to be discounted and misunderstood because we're not given the structure that everybody else has been given. And I can say the same in business development.”-Anika Wilson
“Don't let anyone impact your leadership abilities. If someone tells you that you're supposed to do such and such, but your heart tells you you're supposed to do something. Follow your intuition, your intuition is your gift, and that is your protection. So honor your authentic self, create your own identity and blaze the trails with it. And don't look back.” -Anika Wilson
Anika Wilson, is a respected thought leader, executive coach, trainer, speaker, podcast host, conference curator, and business consultant. Anika specializes in systematic solutions through strategic planning for organizations. Her integrative approach to life, business, and leadership incorporate her lived experiences, education, and passion for excellence. She believes that everyone has the potential to work, live and lead their lives, businesses, and families with excellence with the Strategic Success Solution.
Anika has always been a trailblazer for a woman well before my time. Her passion for advocacy began at the age of 14. Leadership was an early calling in college as she served as the president of two Criminal Justice professional fraternal organizations, committing to a career in law enforcement. She was promoted rapidly in the Florida Department of Corrections. She pivoted into the clinical world of mental health, child welfare, and long-term care.
After working in social services and government for two decades, she founded Nobody Greater, LLC. At Nobody Greater, she educates, empowers, and equips women with tangible resources to restore their faith in purpose, passion, and people through optimal business solutions. Advocating for others is not solely a business, it’s her lifestyle of choice. Understanding the complexities of life, love, pain, hardship, and lack of resources, she ensures that no one suffers in silence, no one is left behind and no one is lost in the shuffle of life.
At Nobody Greater, you never walk alone.
Connect with Anika Wilson:
http://nbg.infiniteresourcenetwork.com/
https://nbg.infinitewomensnetwork.com/about
http://www.facebook.com/nobodygreaterinc
http://www.instagram.com/nobodygreaterinc
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anika-wilson-nbg
http://www.anchor.fm/anika-wilson
Dominating As A Leading Woman of Color Panel:
https://www.candicesmiley.com/
Black History Resources:
https://teachers-ab.libguides.com/c.php?g=707821&p=5038933
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/resources.html
https://facingcanada.facinghistory.org/black-history-month-resources
https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans
https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/a35181062/black-history-facts/
https://people.com/human-interest/black-history-month-facts-and-history-what-to-know/
https://www.biography.com/tag/black-history
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history
https://www.history.com/news/free-school-breakfast-black-panther-party
Additional Resources:
https://www.imfluaxion.com/team-1
Episode Transcriptions:
https://www.candicesmiley.com/podcast-archive
We love our collabs! Check this out!
https://www.awakeningthewisewoman.com/a/2147504394/p9ZFkwiZ
Awakening The Wise Woman:
https://www.awakeningthewisewoman.com/she-awakens
Rachel Shumway - How to BadAss It By Your Boundaries Starter Kit:
https://www.thebadassacademy.com/
Terminal Value Podcast (featuring Candice Smiley):
Terminal Value Podcast
https://www.terminalvalue.biz/
https://www.terminalvaluepodcast.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV5a4QbT-dXhpgb-8HJHdGg
**
“21 years ago I survived a sexual assault from my boyfriend.
14 years ago I decided not to kill myself.
11 years ago I was left with 350 k worth of bad debt.
9 years ago I walked away rather than endure sexual coercion and harassment from my boss.
7 years ago I welcomed my beautiful daughter into the world.
5 years ago I left my marriage to fall in love with myself.
3 years ago I allowed myself to fully heal and reconnect with my feminine;
2 years ago I rebuilt my life, moved into my own tiny home and found my Lifetime Love.
Last year, I started my podcast and welcomed my baby boy earth side."
Candice is a mom, podcaster, social marketer and essentialist who loves to engage in interesting conversations with other influencers and entrepreneurs. Her favourite conversations are the ones that take courage to engage in. (Check out her podcast, Create the Ripple Podcast)
She has learned the power of saying no, listening to your own heart and speaks openly about subtle abuse as it occurs in relationships - personally and professionally. She’s become a voice for listening to your own truth and speaking it clearly, powerfully - at home, at work and in your life. She spends her time living - in a tiny home (250 sq ft), traveling, speaking and sharing candidly with others how to live life after betrayal, to trust themselves, to speak up for themselves and set powerful boundaries.
After a narcissistic partner cheated on her with multiple women, left her (and the country!) With over 350 thousand dollars worth of bad debt, Candice was forced to rebuild her life, her credit and her trust in herself. Coming out of this, she encountered her own “Me Too” moment dealing with sexual coercion and harassment in her professional life; saying no resulted in her being the target of gossip that tarnished her reputation.
Deeply affected by the gaslighting and the experiences, she adopted a minimalist lifestyle, leaned on her personal network and practiced radical personal forgiveness, acceptance and responsibility. The journey was not without its impact and Candice shares powerfully about dealing with anxiety, depression, shame and learning to let go.
When grief rocked her world a little less than 2 years ago, Candice knew it was time to stop her life, hit the pause button and finally do the deep work to heal her heart, self and mindset. Emerging from this place, Candice has begun to embrace her fierce and receptive feminine nature. The journey to be and embrace all the parts of herself has led her to the place to start her wildly successful Create the Ripple Podcast; Trust the Niggle and Tell the Truth - where she features other amazing guests who are not afraid to do the hard work of personal development, listen to their own minds/heart and then speak up and out for those things that matter; to themselves and to make a difference in the world.
Candice loves her essentialist lifestyle for the beauty and freedom it offers her. She can never resist the urge to take off her boots to walk barefoot into a clear mountain lake or stream. When she is not connecting or writing, she can be found disappearing into the backcountry trails of Canada with her life-love Mark and losing herself exploring waterfalls and mountain trails. She is a quiet introvert who adores eating clean foods and reading a great book.
For Website and Social Links:
https://candicesmiley.carrd.co/
DISCLOSURE: I USE MY WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TO CREATE THE INCOME THAT SUPPORTS MY LIFESTYLE. WHEN YOU FOLLOW ME POSTS/ARTICLES/PAGES/ESSAYS MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO
Special thank you to Angel Carrola Hennig for making this podcast happen
@faithinsmallhands
@angelcarrolahennig