Success & Leadership

From Setbacks to Comebacks:

How Female & Black Business Leaders Can Bounce Back Stronger

As female and Black small business owners and leaders, we know the road to success is filled with challenges, trials and unexpected setbacks.

Whether it is a project that did not go as planned or facing external pressures, the weight of these moments can trigger stress, anxiety and take a toll on our performance and well-being.

But here is the truth. Setbacks do not define us. How we bounce back or fall forward does.

Becoming a Leader Who Listens Deeply

True leadership does not start with vision, it starts with attention.

To lead well is to hear well. Not only the words spoken, but the energy, hesitation and emotion that live between them. Neuroscience shows that deep listening is not a soft skill, it is a cognitive, emotional and social process that activates multiple brain systems at once.

When you truly listen, your prefrontal cortex (focus and reasoning), insula (empathy and emotional awareness) and mirror neuron networks (social attunement) all work together to help you decode intent, build trust and form stronger social bonds.

This is why researchers such as Dr. Daniel Goleman (Emotional Intelligence) and Dr. Tali Sharot (The Influential Mind) argue that the most effective leaders are not the loudest, but the most neurologically attuned to others.

Break the Procrastination Loop

Ever set a big goal but feel stuck before you even start? You are not lazy you are human.

What we call procrastination is really a protective reflex. When your brain senses a challenging task, the limbic system, your threat detector, fires up and signals discomfort. At the same time, the prefrontal cortex, which handles planning and decision-making, struggles to compete.

Neuroscientists have shown that anticipating a difficult task activates the same pain pathways as a physical threat. No wonder “I’ll do it later” feels so persuasive.

Behavioural psychology backs this up. The Transtheoretical Model of Change describes how people move from contemplation to action through small, visible wins. Procrastination keeps many of us circling in those early stages because thinking about a task masquerades as progress. We plan, we research, we imagine, but the real start never happens.

From Self-Awareness to Self-Mastery. What It Takes to Lead in an AI-Driven World

In a world run by algorithms and accelerating data, the most competitive edge isn’t tech, it’s self-mastery. The true mark of a leader today isn’t how fast they can pivot in a digital marketplace, but how deeply they can anchor themselves in who they are.

Every external innovation demands an internal evolution.

Leadership used to be about knowing more. Today, it's about becoming more. From awareness to exploration, from discovery to transformation, each step up the pyramid is a quiet revolution, a path less visible on the surface, but transformative at the top.

The AI era rewards those who can make complex decisions with clarity, navigate uncertainty with presence and lead systems with a soul.

The Holistic Leader. Empowered by Intentional Wellbeing as a Strategic Advantage

In the modern leadership landscape, a quiet revolution is taking place, not in boardrooms or balance sheets, but within the minds and bodies of those we call leaders.

Gone are the days when success was measured solely by KPIs, revenue or relentless hustle. Today, the most impactful leaders are those who understand a new truth,  you cannot sustainably lead others if you are silently unravelling inside.

This is the age of the holistic leader, the one who treats wellbeing not as a reward after burnout, but as a strategic imperative woven into the culture, rhythms and decision-making of their organisation.

Let’s pause on that idea,  strategic wellbeing.

The Price of the Climb: When Success Cuts Deep

In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery busm not because she wasn’t tired, but because she was tired of giving in. What followed was a national movement, but also, behind the scenes, relentless hardship. She lost her job. She was stalked. She never profited from her protest. This is the part of success we don’t glamorise, the bruises no one applauds, the cuts no one sees.

Entrepreneurship is often sold as freedom. But for women especially women of colour, that freedom often comes at a cost. We scale ladders made of blades: funding gaps, systemic bias, work-life strain and emotional exhaustion. A report from Project Diane found that as of 2021,…

Breaking Free:

Why We Get Stuck and How to Rewire Our Brains for Success

Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you work, you are somehow stuck in the same place? It turns out, getting "stuck" is not just a metaphor, it is a deeply ingrained neurological pattern. The brain is wired to seek efficiency and when certain behaviours become habitual, they become part of a neural loop that keeps us operating within the same constraints.

As this cycle continues, we reinforce these patterns without realising it. Creating self-imposed barriers that dictate our progress. The four reasons we get stuck, lack of connections, unclear goals, fear of risk and comfort zones, are not just external obstacles; they are deeply embedded in the way…

The Art of Achieving Your Goals – Sun Tzu Style

In a world where markets shift overnight, competition is relentless and success belongs to those who adapt quickly, the principles of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War are more relevant than ever.

Sun Tzu wasn’t just talking about battlefields—he was talking about strategy, leadership, discipline and the art of navigating power dynamics. His wisdom applies just as much to today’s corporate boardrooms, entrepreneurial ventures and career accelerations as it did to ancient warfare.

If you want to lead, you must first master yourself.If you want to win, you must know when to advance and when to retreat.If you want to accelerate your goals, you must be strategic, not just hardworking.