Work, Work, Work, Work, Work, Work – Q1 Edition

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

Hi folks,

Popping in to say hello to my day one connections and readers: thanks for sticking around. I see you and appreciate you. Also: greetings and salutations to all my new followers! Thank you, and welcome to my corner of the innanets. 😊

Those of you who have been hanging out with me for a while will remember that my sister Sharon and I ended last year feeling tired. Fast forward to the end of Q1, and I am definitely still there. Thankfully, somewhat less so because I’ve been prioritizing rest. But still…whew. It’s been a LOT.

From the start of the year, through Black History Month, and now as we approach the end of Women’s History Month, I’ve been busy. Busy adulting. Busy writing. Busy advocating. Busy realizing that there is still so far to go. But overall, I feel good! In many ways, being busy is a blessing.

Here’s an update on what I’ve been up to so far this year:

GLOWING UP

Honors

• On Feb. 1, at the beginning of Black History Month, I was featured by pocstock as one of the honorees on their Future of Black America Top 50 Leaders list. I will never not celebrate this. Forever grateful to Steve Jones and the pocstock team for this honor. 
• Grateful also to Alaba Ayinuola, founder of Business Africa Online, for naming me as one of the BAO 30 Inspiring Women Breaking the Bias for Women’s History Month.

Awards

• I am part of the Linked Inclusion™ team that won three Anthem Awards! This is a huge sign that the work we are doing is resonating, and that we are collectively on the right path.

Interviews

• I was interviewed by Linked Inclusion™ as a part of their newly launched BHM365 (Black History Month 365) initiative. Stay tuned for more interviews in this series.
• My interview with Bukzone, an African-owned media platform, also went live. It is good to be seen.

WRITING & COMMISSIONING

In my role at Editor-at-Large of Linked Inclusion™, I kicked things into high gear during Black History Month, curating and creating content in celebration of the culture. Here’s a snapshot:

Black History In The Making Series

• Black History In The Making: Padraic McFreen, Founder and CEO of Linked Inclusion™ Corporation
• Black History In The Making: Tiffini Gatlin, CEO & Founder of Latched and Hooked Beauty
• Black History In The Making: Rwothomio Kabandole, Social Media Lead of No White Saviors

Black History Musings Series

• Black Love: RiRi, Rocky, and Their Epic Romance, by Lisa Hurley
• A WORD! – Celebrating Our Rhetorical Excellence (And Then Some!), by Dr. Sarah L. Webb
• Bemoaning the Performative White Centering of Black History Month, by Sharon Hurley Hall
• Where Are All the Black Speakers? Right Here!, by Madison Butler
• Access Limited: A Brief Examination of Black Health History, Modern Systems and Racial Inequalities, by Padraic McFreen

MORE WRITING, LOL

• Raw, Relatable, Redemptive. A Book Review of “Hush Money” By Jacquie Abram
• Black-Owned Startup Linked Inclusion™ Wins 3 Anthem Awards
• 7 Powerful Ways to Observe Black History Month
• The Hon. Ketanji Brown Jackson, SCOTUS nominee, has just been through the crucible
• I Am Not Your Strong Black Woman
• The Truth About Black History Month
• Black History Month: Hire Us. Respect Us. Pay Us.

SPEAKING & PODCASTING

• Twice As Hard Podcast

My sister Sharon and I joined Janelle Benjamin on her Twice As Hard podcast, to talk about the expectation that Black people – and especially Black women – must work twice as hard in order to be considered equal. In related news, Janelle embodied #WomenSupportingWomen energy and is now a sponsor of The Introvert Sisters podcast. Eternally grateful, because it helps Sharon and I not have to work twice as hard. A beautiful, full-circle moment. 

• Virgin.Beauty.B!tich Podcast

Christopher Kennedy invited me to be a guest on the Virgin.Beauty.B!tch podcast. Along with his host Heather Erlen, we discussed race, equity, and inclusion, but we also talked about beauty, culture, fashion, and—unicorns.

• Black Power Moves Podcast

Sharon and I were also  interviewed by theee Elizabeth Leiba, Host of the Black Power Moves podcast. It’s part of the Ebony Publishing Network. Yes, that Ebony. She’s an introvert too, and we discussed anti-racism, inclusion, empowerment, and self-care. (Yes, we did this late last year, but because the episode went live on Dec. 31st, I consider it a 2022 concern, lol.)

• The Introvert Sisters Podcast

It would be remiss of me to omit my own podcast, right? So here you go. 😀 These are the episodes that Sharon and I have released since moving the podcast over to Substack in January: 

• Exploring Colorism with Dr. Sarah L. Webb
• Introverted, Caribbean, and Black
• Self-Healing Through Affirmations: Tips For Activists
• Where’s My Book Deal?!
• 12 Surprisingly Extroverted Things We’ve Done As Introverts
• B*tch I Got 3 Degrees

Along with Sharon, Liz Leiba, Ashanti Martin, and Madison Butler , I was a panelist on the very first speaking event by the Black Speakers Collection.  The Collection was founded by Madison late last year to address the mythical “pipeline problem” that companies reference when explaining why their speaker panels are not diverse. Newsflash: the BSC is now up to 2300 speakers and growing. There is no pipeline problem. The topic of our talk was how to build an authentic, profitable personal brand. It was a live event, but we’re considering making the recording available. Stay tuned. 

As you can see, it’s already been a full year, and we’re still only in March! Excited to see what the rest of 2022 has in store. 

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

Unless otherwise stated, text and images ⒸLisa Hurley/@happyhappyphoenix