This episode's guest, Lutze B Segu, MSW guides us towards the concept of internal abolition, freeing ourselves internally in order to fully engage in the lives we deserve. We've been trained to be "chronic overlovers" who serve our communities without providing service to ourselves first. Lutze challenges this old belief and shows us how to center our own health and freedom. She also gives us insight into the world of social work and how social workers can empower, and not enable, their clients. Pearls of wisdom from Lutze: "Healthy people create healthy communities" - @feministgriote "What is my sacred yes? How do I center my needs, my wants and my pleasures?" - @feministgriote "What does it mean to be a happy black woman in the US?" @feministgriote You can learn more about Lutze at the following sites: Her Site: http://thefeministgriote.com/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/feministgriote

Happy New Year! We're launching 2016 with the 12th episode of the Black Female Leaders podcast. In this episode, we chat with Nikita Mitchell, Senior Manager, Strategy and Planning for Americas Sales* at Cisco, about what it takes to be an authentic leader in the corporate world. Nikita earned her MBA from UC Berkley's Haas School of Business and was the 2015 recipient of the Edie Hunt Award for inspirational leadership from the Forte Foundation. *Nikita's title has recently been updated since the recording of this podcast. We're excited about her leadership in this role! Nuggets of wisdom from Nikita: 1. "When I show up as my full self, I do my best work" - @nikitatmitchell 2. "Do, everyday, the best version of this that you can." - @nikitatmitchell 3. The difference between a mentor and a sponsor, and why it's important to have both types of people on your support team. How to gain the confidence to make hard decisions despite having a desire to please everyone. You can learn more about Nikita and her career in the private sector at: www.nikitatmitchell.com www.twitter.com/nikitatmitchell

LC Johnson, creator of Black, Married and Hustling, joins us on this episode to share how she started her successful speaking career. She shares practical tips on how to choose speaking topics, start on the speaking circuit and negotiate payment that you deserve. Resources: Black Married and Hustling (www.blackmarriedhustling.com) More about LC Johnson (http://www.lcjohnson.me/) Yes She Speaks Free Training (http://www.yesshespeaks.com/free-training/)