Black Women Talk Work

Myriha Burce

Black Women Talk Work is the podcast candidly exploring the experiences of Black women at work while highlighting our success stories along the way! Join host Myriha Burce as she interviews women across different industries and at various stages of their careers, offering insightful conversation into career pathing, diversity and inclusion, and reimagining the world of work for us, with candor, authenticity and purpose. read less
BusinessBusiness

Episodes

Ep 28: A Conversation on Music, Film and Filling the Gaps - How Entertainment Executive Lisa Ellis Pivoted from Breaking Top Selling Artists to Producing Groundbreaking Films on Black History
Mar 3 2021
Ep 28: A Conversation on Music, Film and Filling the Gaps - How Entertainment Executive Lisa Ellis Pivoted from Breaking Top Selling Artists to Producing Groundbreaking Films on Black History
This week’s episode features Lisa Ellis, Entertainment Executive and Founder of Provenance Ventures, an integrated multimedia production and entertainment company that creates, develops, and produces content that champions untold stories from underrepresented voices.   A University of Maryland and Harvard Business School Graduate, Lisa has formerly held titles that include President and General Group Manager of Sony Urban Music, Executive Vice President of Sony Music Label Group and most recently, Global Head of Music at SoundCloud. She has worked with some of the biggest names in music including, John Legend, Maxwell, Nas, The Fugees, Mariah Carey, Destiney’s Child and the list goes on.     Lisa was also ranked #3 in Billboard magazine’s “Most Influential Women in Music 2006, 2007, and 2009, as well as ranked #50 in Fast Company Magazine’s “100 Most Creative People in Business” in 2011 and 2012.   With more than 25 years in the music industry under her belt, she made the decision to pivot into film, founding Provenance Ventures, combining her business acumen, previous experience working on soundtracks for box office breaking films, and innate passion for amplifying the untold stories of the Black community and our history.    Listen as we discuss the challenges Lisa faced early in her career as a Black woman promoting pop and rock music and later overseeing the urban music genre, how she preserved and landed countless chart topping, grammy nominated artists and what drove her pivot from music to film.   She also gives us a deep dive into two incredible film projects that she is executive producing, the first Never Caught, which will be the film adaptation of the 2017 book, "Never Caught: The Washingtons Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge" by Erica Armstrong Dunbar, and an upcoming HBO Limited Series titled, "Say Their Names," which will examine the Grim Sleeper murders, occurring over a 30-year period in which Black girls and women were killed in a wave of unsolved murders in South Los Angeles.
Ep 27: A Conversation On Public Speaking, Presence and People Skills - How Public Speaking Coach Sherhara Downing is Making Human Interaction Effortless for Working Women
Feb 17 2021
Ep 27: A Conversation On Public Speaking, Presence and People Skills - How Public Speaking Coach Sherhara Downing is Making Human Interaction Effortless for Working Women
Today’s episode features Sherhara Downing, Public Speaking Coach, Executive Trainer and Founder of Level Comm, a communications agency that teaches customized communication practices and strategies that educate and empower employees to improve performance and productivity.    With a B.A. in Journalism and a M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications, Sherhara chose the path less traveled in the communications field after realizing that her innate talent for public speaking, as displayed in her work as an engaging MC and event host, was in high demand, particularly for those navigating the corporate world. She made the decision to turn her talent into a teachable skill, and thus began her career journey as a public speaking coach and trainer, working with corporations, executives and individuals on communication and interpersonal skills in the workplace.   Since launching Level Comm in 2014, Sherhara has also expanded her offering to specializing in teaching women entrepreneurs to concisely speak with confidence, charisma and credibility.    Listen as we discuss Sherhara’s perspective on the specific communication challenges that Black women often encounter in the workplace, how to find the balance between showing personality and maintaining your power, the pros and cons of code switching, and her top tips and practices for developing strong public speaking skills, whether you're in corporate or being the voice for your own business.
Ep 26: A Conversation On All-Natural, Black-Owned and Purpose-Driven - How BLK+GRN Founder Dr. Kristian Edwards Is Cultivating A Business Free Of Toxins And Making Space For Black Women Artisans
Feb 3 2021
Ep 26: A Conversation On All-Natural, Black-Owned and Purpose-Driven - How BLK+GRN Founder Dr. Kristian Edwards Is Cultivating A Business Free Of Toxins And Making Space For Black Women Artisans
Today’s episode features Dr. Kristian Edwards, Professor of Public Health and Founder of BLK+GRN, an all-natural marketplace by all Black artisans. With a B.A. in the History of Science and History of Medicine from Yale University, a MPH from Yale University School of Medicine, and a Doctorate in Healthcare Management and Leadership from John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Dr. Kristian has dedicated her career to providing knowledge, tools and resources to highlight health disparities in the Black community and help Black men and women lead healthier lives. After discovering a sobering stat that 75% of the products marketed to Black women are formulated with ingredients that are considered toxic and linked to cancer, hormone disruption and reproductive damage, Dr. Kristian made it her mission to make all natural products easily accessible to the Black community, while also providing an online retail space for Black women artisans. In 2017 she founded, BLK+GRN, a marketplace connects Black people with natural lifestyles to high-quality, toxic-free brands that share in the mission of health, wellness and community cultivation. Listen as we discuss how Dr. Kristian’s background in public health has influenced her journey to entrepreneurship and creating BLK+GRN, supporting Black-owned brands and the power of Black consumers, and how when leading your career with purpose at the helm, money and success will naturally follow. Dr. Kristian also sheds lights on how yoga, therapy and her loving family aided her road to recovery after a devastating car accident in July of 2019.
Ep 23: A Conversation On Laughter, Lessons And Legacy - How Actress And Comedian Kim Coles Pivoted On Purpose And Is Helping Others Do The Same
Dec 2 2020
Ep 23: A Conversation On Laughter, Lessons And Legacy - How Actress And Comedian Kim Coles Pivoted On Purpose And Is Helping Others Do The Same
Today’s episode features actress, comedian, author and speaker, Kim Coles. The New York native made her TV debut on "Showtime at the Apollo" in the late 80s, went on to appear on season one of “In Living Color,” before moving on to star as Synclaire James in 90s sitcom "Living Single,” which centered the lives of six Black friends and young professionals living life in Brooklyn for five seasons. Starring alongside Queen Latifah, Kim Fields and Erika Alexander, the iconic show was pivotal in moving the needle on expanding representation of Black women on television.    Since "Living Single," in addition to continuing her acting and comedy career, appearing in series such as “Frasier” and “One on One,” hosting BET’s game show “Pay It Off” and most recently Bounce TV sitcom “In The Cut,” Kim has expanded her life’s work to include helping others find their gifts through storytelling. As a strategic coach, speaker and author of three books, including Amazon Bestseller “Open Your G.I.F.T.S.” Kim is teaching inspiring entrepreneurs to own their authentic stories to inspire others to learn, laugh and leave their own powerful legacy.    Listen as we discuss how Kim found her path to acting and comedy growing up in Brooklyn, her experience breaking into the entertainment industry and conquering rejection, the legacy of "Living Single” for Black women, and how to pivot on purpose to hone all of your strengths, talents and treasures.