What happens when you achieve everything you set out to accomplish—only to realize success is costing you the very things you wanted it for?

In Part 1 of this four-part Black Womaning in Corporate America® conversation, host Nicole S. Palmer welcomes Lesa Frye, a certified life and business coach and real estate professional with more than three decades of experience.

Nicole and Lesa explore the difference between achievement and fulfillment, the importance of defining success for yourself, and three questions that can help you reclaim agency over your career and your life.

Coming in Part 2: What happens after you recognize that something needs to change? Lesa shares how she began course-correcting—and why boundaries matter.

🤎 LEARN MORE ABOUT LESA FRYE

Discover Lesa’s approach to creating success without sacrificing yourself or the people you love.

Website: https://lesafrye.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesafrye/

📖 READ THE BOOK

Explore Nicole’s award-winning and bestselling Playing the Game While Black Womaning in Corporate America™:

https://delnicmedia.com/product/playing-the-game-while-black-womaning-in-corporate-america/

🏆 SUPPORT NICOLE FOR TOP HOST 2026

Nicole S. Palmer is competing for the title of Top Host 2026! Support her journey to amplify underrepresented voices and bring more conversations like these to a wider audience.

Cast your free daily vote and learn how to support her campaign: https://tophost.org/2026/nicole-s-palmer

Subscribe to follow all four installments of this November series.

#BlackWomaningInCorporateAmerica #BWICA #LesaFrye #WomenInBusiness #WorkLifeBalance #TopHost2026

Sometimes “fit” has very little to do with performance—and everything to do with how bias gets interpreted as culture.

In the conclusion of our October BWICA™ feature, Jan Buckner Walker draws on her experience as an employment lawyer to unpack coded language, microaggressions, advocacy, performance plans, severance, medical leave, and why Black women should not automatically assume they are the problem when something feels off at work.

She also leaves us with one final reminder: nurture your quiet.

Watch Part 4 of our conversation with Jan Buckner Walker now.

📖 READ THE BOOK

Explore Nicole’s award-winning and bestselling book, Playing the Game While Black Womaning in Corporate America™:

https://delnicmedia.com/product/playing-the-game-while-black-womaning-in-corporate-america/

🏆 SUPPORT NICOLE FOR TOP HOST 2026

Nicole S. Palmer is competing for the title of Top Host 2026! Support her journey to amplify underrepresented voices and bring more conversations like these to a wider audience.

Cast your free daily vote and learn how to support her campaign:

https://tophost.org/2026/nicole-s-palmer

#BWICA #BlackWomaningInCorporateAmerica #JanBucknerWalker

You don’t have to be the first. You can be the first of your kind.

In Part 3 of our October BWICA™ feature, Jan Buckner Walker and Nicole S. Palmer talk about starting again, finding your niche, trusting the perspective only you can bring, and refusing to let self-limiting beliefs decide what’s possible.

Jan also reflects on what happens when you stop asking, “Who would want this?” and start recognizing that your people may already be waiting for what you have to create.

Watch Part 3 now.

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:44 Previously On Recap

02:13 Starting Over After Layoffs

02:43 Finding Your Niche

04:44 Stories That Fuel You

05:17 Stop Self Limiting

06:08 Inspiration Beyond Demographics

07:23 Microaggressions At Work

07:54 Challenging Fit Bias

09:07 Protecting Employees Fairly

11:05 Advice And Closing

#BWICA #BlackWomaningInCorporateAmerica #JanBucknerWalker #BlackWomenInBusiness #Entrepreneurship

Learn more about Jan Buckner Walker and Black Crosswords:

- Website: https://blackcrosswords.com/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kidsacrossparentsdown/

Vote Nicole for Top Host: https://tophost.org/2026/nicole-s-palmer