Protégé to Pro

Representation gives others the permission to dream more fully and this episode of the Protégé to Pro podcast exposes the role that media, persons of influence, and mentors have in lighting pathways for others to dream. Brittany sits down with Deputy Editor at Black Enterprise, Selena Hill, to recount the role that media and Black Enterprise, in particular, had in lighting her capacity to dream on fire and overall, how giving visibility to people/stories highlights what is possible for others to achieve.

Is “Quiet Quitting” actually quitting? Much has been said on this topic as employees depart from hustle culture and courageously strive for work-life balance. Our Host, Brittany Willis, MBA, gives guidance on how you can evaluate you/your employees' likelihood to engage in “quiet quitting” and how to establish a work culture that can keep you/your team fully engaged. This "Power Session" video episode is also available on the @ProtegetoPro YouTube channel!

Multi-media maven and communications professional, Lyndsay Levingston shares her powerful and inspiring story of breast cancer survival and the acceleration into her purpose to encourage self-care, self-advocacy, and support as she has launched non-profit organization - SurviveHer. Inspired by Lyndsay's testimony, our host, Brittany Willis, MBA extends a call to action to all professionals and small business owners to prioritize ourselves as much as we prioritize and care for our businesses. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month and the ongoing fight, the Protégé to Pro podcast encourages listeners to support Lyndsay's Breast Cancer Awareness Non-Profit - SurviveHer - at imasurviveher.org/donate.

Are Millennials/Gen Z really entitled? Are Baby Boomers out of touch? Workplace Scholar, Dr. Candace, is back on the Protégé to Pro podcast as we highlight Part 2 of our discussion, unlocking insights that will enable people managers and employees alike to more successfully navigate a multigenerational workforce!

Small Business start-up and formation does not stop at DBA vs. LLC. How you operate your business day-to-day could be leaving you open to legal troubles. If you are a small business owner, this discussion with Attorney Marina Banks from Banks Solutions, PLLC is for you. From methods of accepting payments, to contracts, protecting your intellectual property (IP) via copywriting, trademarking, patents, and more - you will want to tune in!

For all the women who have overcorrected for your body so that your mind enters the room before your sexuality or attractiveness does, who have stood in front of a mirror as you changed clothes time and time again to ensure you weren't too "distracting", and for the men who have sisters, friends, and partners who have struggled with the same, this episode is for you. Tune in to this discussion as Brittany speaks with Ebony.com contributing writer, Melanie Martin's, recent article: "Let's Stop Oversexualizing Black Girls and Women" as they address the micro/macroaggression of oversexualization women in the workplace and touch on what is "appropriate".

If you have ever considered launching a product or are currently selling a brand of your own - this conversation is for you. Brittany Willis sits down with the Co-Founders of ConditionHER, Wendy Berry and Eugenia Marshall, who pioneered a revolutionary intimate skincare product thoughtfully formulated for a woman's intimate area - all while juggling careers, family, and the momentary setbacks of start-up life. These "employed entrepreneurs" tell the journey of taking a great idea from a mere thought to a tangible product, highlighting the importance of resiliency and self-advocacy as both women and entrepreneurs and detail how their grassroots marketing efforts have enabled their product's listing across notable platforms such as UrbanOutfitters.com, the Buy from a Black Woman/H&M partnership, and more! Shop directly on conditionher.com with exclusive promo code: PROTEGE.  This episode launches with historical timing as these female Founders pioneer efforts geared at supporting women's wellness at a time when discussion around women's issues is at an all-time high.

What can you do with 200,000 followers and how do you get there? How do you go from posting for leisure to gaining brand partnerships and getting paid to post? Food Blogger (@blackpeopleeats)and Social Media Influencer, Jeremy Joyce, shares how his passion for food transitioned into a meaningful platform to amplify Black restaurant owners, how building businesses and empires are strengthened by community and partnership, and the role that faith has had in his transition into full-time influencer and entrepreneur.

Two things are true about leadership: (1) Nothing works all the time except the leader and (2) People work for people - so hone your leadership skills and ability to develop talent in a way that will transform your business/your team with this week's episode. Our guest, Atasha James, CEO & Co-Founder of Legends Charter School, offers gem after gem for all current and aspiring people leaders on navigating others through change and identifying the key players you need on your team.

Are you ready to own your power and take the next step in your career? Best selling author, TEDx speaker, and workplace scholar, Dr. Candace Steele Flippin visits the Protégé to Pro Podcast to unpack her expert guidance on Getting Your Career in S.H.A.P.E. in 5 digestible steps!  Tune in to learn how to achieve the career you need, want, and deserve!

What does it mean to be authentically Black in Corporate America? Is it possible? What does it require? Join Brittany Willis, MBA and Chief Privacy Officer of Fortune 500 McKesson Corporation, Faith Knight Myers, Esq. - as they mutually explore their journeys of bringing their Blackness into corporate spaces, how they developed the comfort and confidence to show up authentically Black, and listen as they assert why professionalism and Blackness can coexist and in fact, are one in the same.

What does it take to be a 9-5preneur? It is not just the combination of the 9 to 5 and entrepreneurship but it the intersection of a career built on intentionality and the transference of those honed skills into a space where our passions and interests forge a new path. In this episode, Brittany invites Whitney Gates, Brand Marketer and Co-Founder/CEO of WONDRY®, an emerging beverage brand focused on disrupting the wine industry, experiencing explosive growth within retailers like Target. This episode's interview not only provides critical insight on how to balance both successfully and guidance for those 9-5preneurs seeking to make a corporate exit into entrepreneurship full time, it also addresses a range of career, start-up, and entrepreneurial topics geared at fortifying Protégé to Pro listeners of all professional backgrounds.

When we are climbing the career ladder or building brands/companies of our own, we do not have time for insecurities to derail our focus by presenting the fallacy that we are not prepared or worthy of abundance. If we aren't careful, past disappointments and traumas will take their seats alongside us in boardrooms and on investor calls. In this episode, Brittany, alongside Founder of Black Girl Black Coffee and Dean of Sisters Chapel at Spelman College, Rev. Neichelle Guidry, Ph.D., will explore how insecurities can show up in our vocations, the ways in which, if we aren't careful, they can hold us back from career growth and business expansion, and how we can co-exist with prior disappointments and continue navigating to success.

In her pilot episode, Brittany introduces the Protégé to Pro podcast, recounts the critical point of her whirlwind corporate career that took her from settling for burnout and an exclusive career climb to chartering her own path as an entrepreneur/franchise owner, and explores the realities of business ownership during a pandemic and the Great Resignation with Chick-Fil-A Franchise Owner, Kareem Edwards. She ends the episode with her inaugural “Cracks of Gold” segment which will empower listeners to pause and take stock of areas they have to be grateful for despite life's challenges.