Work, Work, Work, Work, Work, Work – Q3 Edition

The Rihanna Classic Is My Life Right Now – This Update Explains Why

Hi folks,

A LOT has been going on since my last update. 

The cutest by far is that my sister Sharon and I were immortalized in cartoon form by Elizabeth Leiba and Louis Ceaser IV!! Liz invited us to be guests on her Ebony Media podcast Black Power Moves a little while back, and we had a great conversation!! She asked the uber-talented Louis to make an episode promo, and voilà!  Toon in to the episode!! 

To be honest though, the last few months have been busy–and quite challenging too.

Mercury has simultaneously been in retrograde, Gatorade, haterade, and microbraids. Want proof? Here you go: 

But seriously. Since my last roundup post things have been…weird. 

• Queen Elizabeth passed.
• The diaspora and Irish Twitter enjoyed a moment of unity as a result.
• A Black DEI “professional” with zero work experience in the field berated other Black DEI professionals for centering Black people in their work. (I know…makes no sense.) It was giving me sunken place energy.
• I realized (again) that I’m suffering from burnout and need to do less.
• I broke my toe. Actually my whole foot. One toe broken and a few fractures. Zero stars. Do not recommend. Still recovering months later. 😥
• Oh, and I was sexually harassed on LinkedIn. Whew.
• For the umpteenth time, I also got censored on LinkedIn. Apparently they thought that the best response to my being attacked on their platform was to silence me. I mean…why would one do anything other than attack the victim all over again? Wow.
• Black creators posted/commented that other Black creators (like myself, lol 🤣) who celebrate their follower count are tacky. I’ve posted my opinion of that opinion, and the TL;DR version is that it’s way tackier to criticize people because they don’t celebrate things the same as you, than it is for them to mark a moment of joy in a way that doesn’t harm anyone else. I don’t look down upon people who do not celebrate their follower milestones, and I don’t want to be looked down upon because I do. 

Speaking of celebrating: quite a few great things have happened in the last few months. Here’s a rundown:

New Season prep for Real Talk on Racism

TBH I still can’t quite believe that I’m on TV for real, for real!! Lol! But I am, and things are progressing great! The best part about it is getting to meet some of my sheroes IRL. Sheroes, you say? Why yes! 

Season 2 will be launching soon, with episodes featuring Madison Butler, Founder of Black Speakers Collection, Lola Bakare, LinkedIn Top Voice in Marketing, and Jacquie Abram, author of Hush Money.

While you’re waiting for those episodes to drop, catch up on last season’s awesomeness, featuring Ashanti Martin, Ellen Wagner, and my sister Sharon Hurley Hall, whose episode went live in July!

Brand Refresh for TIS

It’s very long overdue, but 2 plus years after launching The Introvert Sisters podcast, we finally got an official logo!! Better late than never, right? We’re super happy with it, and very grateful to the folks at Dragonfly Editorial for gifting it to us. Lexy Nesbitt and Daniel Holstine: thank you!!

Check out the podcast – our new home is on Substack – and of course swing by Apple and leave us a review! 

Featured In Forbes

The Gods smiled on me, and I was once again featured in Forbes. I was interviewed by Janice Gassam Asare, Senior Contributor at Forbes, on the topic of the pay gap that Black women experience. On average, we are paid only 58 cents for every dollar paid to our white, non-Hispanic male counterparts. Honored to have been interviewed, and grateful for the opportunity to lend my voice to the discussion. Janice, thank you for the opportunity! 

• Read 5 Black Women Share What Equity Means To Them, by Janice Gassam Asare

Went Viral on LinkedIn

Whereas last quarter I posted (over and over) about Walmart and Juneteenth, this quarter the focus switched to basic LinkedIn etiquette. I wrote at length about Thirsty Tagging and Lazy Linking. Long story short: don’t do it. If you want to get caught up on the shenanigans, here you go:

Thirsty Tagging and Lazy Linking – Part 1

Thirsty Tagging and Lazy Linking – Part 2

Thirsty Tagging and Lazy Linking – Part 3

And I was not alone. Even Queen Elizabeth (iykyk) weighed in a couple of times, to help explain why these extractive practices have to stop.

A few of my posts even went viral! That is always a surprise–a pleasant one. Take a read: 

• Boyfriend Haul
• THIS is why representation matters.
• Follow me for more career tips🤣🤣🤣
• A vibe!!! 😁 🎶 👑 We are born excellent!! 

But wait, there’s more! 😅

I also:

• Launched my business/brand page on LinkedIn. Haven’t quite decided on the full direction, but the good thing is that I got started.
• Recorded an episode of Qweens of Candour with my sister friend Abi Adamson.
• Guested on Women Are Worthy with my sister friend Jacqlyn Charles. It went so well that we decided to collab some more. Check out our other episodes:
  • Nick Cannon’s Problematic Dynasty
  • The Dark-Skinned Dilemma
• Was honored as a SARN Top Voice.
• Opined on the state of DEI.
• Weighed in on the topic of Quiet Quitting.
• Ranted about introversion and inclusion.
• Educated about invisible illnesses.
• Explained (again) why in my work, I focus on Black people.
• Drew a hard boundary.
• Chatted up a storm on Clubhouse (yes, it’s still a thing, lol) with Danne Smith Mathis and my sister Sharon.
• Guested on Chit Chats with Lonni, with my friend Jalonni Weaver, where we talked about thriving after trauma.
• Took a DEI Facilitation course led by  Chris Armstrong, CDE, CMF, ACC and Vince Brantley of Veritas Culture. Highly recommend. 
• Experienced some Black Girl Joy!
• Prepped for the launch of my sister’s latest book: I’m Tired of Racism.

If looking at this list (and it’s only partial!! 😩) makes you exhausted, trust me…SAME!!! Something’s gotta give.

Last quarter I posted my roundup early, and as you can tell, this time around I’m late. And that is partly because I am overscheduled, overwrought, and overwhelmed. The year started out busy, and has continued in the same vein. This work, ALL OF WHICH is unremunerated, is too much for one person, especially for one person with no support system. 

That must change.

It’s at the point now where it is affecting my health.

I have therefore started saying “No.” more, and letting go of some of my side projects. I simply do not have the capacity to continue churning out content at this rate. My goal is to exist softly, and actually be able to enjoy my life. Thankfully, God has recently sent some people (angels) into my life who are helping me to get on the right track. Eternally grateful for their guidance. 🙏🏾 

Wishing us all a successful 4th quarter, whatever that looks like to us. For me, it means doing less. See you in December for the last update of the year!

Like what you read? Show it some love! Leave a like/comment, follow me on social media, and support my work.

Unless otherwise stated, text and images ©Lisa Hurley/Canva