Conversations with Leaders

As 2017 comes to an end host, Skyra Rideaux, reflects on what transpired this year - what she accomplished and what she wished she would have accomplished. She realized that her journey this year was one she never expected to take. She decided to share some of the things that she learned with you. In order to do that, she asked two of her closest friends to come on the show and interview her. This episode is a reflection of 2017 and a discussion about what 2018 holds.

This episode is a little different. Instead of bringing in a guest Skyra shares a recent experience that had a huge impact in her life. In September of this year, Skyra had the opportunity to give a TEDx talk. Her topic? A talk about what it’s like to be a black woman in a predominately white space. She chose this topic to give people a better understanding of what that experience is like. As Skyra worked on her piece, she started to have doubts. She was really scared that the story and the message she wanted to share wasn’t important enough to put herself out there. In fact, she wasn't just scared, she was terrified. She almost quit...twice. But she kept working. Skyra reminded herself that there are other people who are having similar experiences and it’s important for them to know they are not alone. She also knew that it’s important for those who are not African American women in high level positions to understand what it's like to walk in that space when there are no other people who look like you or who have experienced the world as you have. So this episode is Skyra's TEDxVermilion talk entitled "The Courage to be Unapologetically Black." After you listen, please share your thoughts and comments. Head over to the Facebook page and leave a comment or email Skyra directly at skyra@skyrarideaux.com.

Have you ever wanted to serve your community by working in local government? This week's guest never did. In fact, she wanted to steer clear of being involved in any form of politics. But in this episode, Dr. Shanea Nelson talks about how her career path challenged her to impact others through the role of Director of Community Development for Lafayette Consolidated Government. Dr. Nelson also does a GREAT job of really breaking down what this complex department does so that we can understand the full scope of what she and her staff do to build up our community.

Skyra Rideaux talks with Ruben Henderson, Assistant Director of Student Engagement and Leadership at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. For years Ruben has made it a priority in his life to volunteer with community organizations that he believes in. Because of his passion for giving and his dedication to his community Skyra is not surprised at how his career has unfolded. Ruben spends his days working with college students, helping them explore their individual skills and talents and allowing them to find their own voice as a leader. And he doesn’t just work to get them engaged in University life, he understands that sometimes we all need a little push to find out what we are made of.

Chris Waters, Founder/Executive Director,Three Sixty Collective by Skyra Rideaux

In this episode, I speak with my dear friend, Robin Leblanc. She shares the journey she took that helped her build a successful business. And let me tell you, she ended up in a very different place than when she started out, but through it all she remained very passionate about helping others. One of my favorite takeaways from this conversation is how Robin describes her leadership style. She leads by doing. She discovered at a young age how important it is to take action and that her action created action in others. So listen up, and then go do something!