
Refusing to Shrink: What It Really Takes to Lead on Your Own Terms
I have paid a hefty price for navigating corporate politics differently, all in an effort to maintain my integrity and keep myself safe.
I have paid a hefty price for navigating corporate politics differently, all in an effort to maintain my integrity and keep myself safe.
Around six years ago, my marriage ended very suddenly and unexpectedly — over breakfast, no less. I had thought I had it all… I had a choice: give in, or go all in. I chose to go all in… That decision has shaped my work ever since. It fuelled my determination to encourage women to rewrite the rules.
Working at major publishing houses, I was often the only Black woman in the room... Rather than allow these experiences to discourage me, they became my fuel.
When my father tragically died when I was only 5 years old, my mother sent me to live with relatives in Europe, as she did not have the means to take care of me. It was a very hard time for me, but I turned to education.
I was told that my function as a woman in the art world was to marry a wealthy man and be it. Needless to say, I showed that one can build a successful business
After being told a few times to slow down, and that I was ‘too ambitious’, I decided to turn that experience into something empowering for others.
I had to unlearn a lot, especially the belief that success looks a certain way, comes at a certain time, or requires permission from anybody but me.
The world does not need saviours; it needs structural change, radical accountability, and leadership that reflects the realities of the people it serves.
We need to redefine leadership—not as a title, but as a responsibility to lift others. True change happens when disruption becomes the norm, not the exception.