Perception Is Reality: Whether You Like It or Not

Perception Is Reality: Whether You Like It or Not

You can work hard, mean well, and be excellent at what you do—and people can still walk away with a perception of you that's quietly shaping your opportunities. In this episode, Felicia tackles one of her favorite (and most uncomfortable) topics: the gap between your intentions and your impact. Because here's the hard truth in leadership: people don't respond to your intentions. They respond to how they experience you. And for women of color navigating spaces where our leadership is evaluated differently, perception isn't always fair, accurate, or true—but it influences trust, credibility, sponsorship, and opportunity all the same. Felicia opens up about the feedback that held her back early in her career (the "work, work, work" robot who never stopped at the water cooler), unpacks the dangerous perception gap between how you see yourself and how others experience you, and makes the case that real growth requires introspection—the willingness to ask, "What role am I playing in this?" In this episode, we cover: * Why your intentions don't equal your impact—and why that's not a failure * The "perception gap": collaborative vs. indecisive, direct vs. harsh, humble vs. unconfident * Your "hallway file" (aka leadership brand) and why peers shape it just as much as leadership * The myths that keep women stuck: "My work speaks for itself," "They know my heart," "If it's not true, it doesn't matter" * How introspection helps you separate what's bias and projection from what's actually yours to own Three shifts to manage perception with intention: 1. Stop asking what you're sending—start asking what's being received. Communication isn't complete when you speak; it's complete when understanding happens. 2. Audit your leadership brand. Ask three people you trust: "When you think of me, what are the first three words that come to mind?"—and be brave enough to listen. 3. Be intentional about your narrative. If you don't tell your story, someone else will. Your Reflection Challenge: Before the next episode, ask three people one simple question: "What is it like to work with me?" Don't defend it. Don't explain it. Just listen. Because awareness is where growth begins. You can't control every perception—but you can be intentional about the one you're creating. If this resonated, share it with a woman who's wrestling with perception at work, and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. Remember: we're not just climbing careers. We're building ladders for the sisters coming behind us. 🔗 Connect with The Climb The Climb is a leadership and professional development organization dedicated to helping women of color navigate the workplace, increase visibility, build confidence, and grow into leadership and managerial roles. Through leadership development programs, community, coaching, and honest conversations, we help women move from executing work to influencing outcomes. 🌐 Website: https://the-climb.org [https://the-climb.org] 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JoinTheClimb2024 [https://www.youtube.com/@JoinTheClimb2024] 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/97178217 [https://www.linkedin.com/company/97178217] 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jointheclimb [https://www.instagram.com/jointheclimb] 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoinTheClimb1 [https://www.facebook.com/JoinTheClimb1]

You're In The Room... But Are You In The Conversation?

For years, we've told women to get a seat at the table. Get the degree. Build the expertise. Work hard. Earn the opportunity. But what happens after you get there? What happens when you're sitting in the room, listening to the conversation, and realizing that attendance and influence are not the same thing? In this episode of The Climb Podcast, Felicia Smith explores one of the most overlooked leadership lessons for women of color: learning how to move from being present in the room to becoming part of the conversation that shapes outcomes. Because leadership isn't just about access. It's about contribution. It's about influence. It's about understanding when to speak, what to say, and how to bring value in ways that move conversations—and organizations—forward. Drawing from her own experience navigating executive spaces, Felicia shares the realization that simply showing up isn't enough. The goal isn't airtime. The goal is influence. If you've ever left a meeting feeling like no one noticed you were there, struggled to find the right moment to speak, or watched someone else receive credit for an idea you were thinking, this episode is for you. ✨ WHAT YOU WILL LEARN • Why attendance and influence are not the same thing • The hidden difference between being present in a room and shaping outcomes • Why technical expertise alone doesn't translate into executive influence • How women of color unintentionally make themselves invisible in leadership spaces • The three levels of meeting participation: Attendance, Participation, and Influence • A practical framework to help you contribute strategically in every meeting • Why leadership is measured by contribution, not presence 🔗 CONNECT WITH THE CLIMB 🌐 Website: https://the-climb.org [https://the-climb.org] 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JoinTheClimb2024 [https://www.youtube.com/@JoinTheClimb2024] 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/97178217 [https://www.linkedin.com/company/97178217] 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jointheclimb [https://www.instagram.com/jointheclimb] 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoinTheClimb1 [https://www.facebook.com/JoinTheClimb1] 📣 IF THIS EPISODE RESONATED Share it with a woman who has earned her seat at the table but is still figuring out how to use her voice once she's there. Because leadership isn't measured by attendance. It's measured by contribution. It's measured by influence. It's measured by whether your presence changes the conversation. And that's a skill we can all learn. Because we are not just climbing careers. We are building ladders.

Best of Season 6: The Truth We Don’t Say Out Loud

The conversations women of color have quietly been carrying for years… finally said out loud. We talked about burnout. Visibility. Leadership. Career stagnation. Communication. Identity. And what it really means to grow as a woman of color inside systems that were never fully designed for us. For this Season 6 finale, we pulled together the moments that hit the hardest—the truths, lessons, and conversations women told me they needed the most. Because throughout this season, one thing became clear: Some of the advice many of us have followed for years… is also the thing quietly slowing our careers down. IN THIS EPISODE • Why working hard is not always enough to move forward • The difference between access and advancement • Why visibility and positioning matter more than many women realize • The emotional toll of constantly proving yourself • How burnout quietly catches up to high-performing women • Why leadership requires a different strategy at every level • The realities women of color navigate in workplaces every day CHAPTERS 00:00 – The Career Advice Quietly Holding You Back 01:04 – Welcome to the Best of Season Six 02:29 – Nobody Taught Us How Power Works 04:15 – The Cost of Constantly Proving Yourself 07:35 – Survival vs. Identity: Who Am I Becoming? 11:09 – The Truth About Leadership, Burnout & Growth 13:20 – Visibility, Positioning & The Broken Rung 17:40 – Why Dependability Isn’t Enough 22:05 – From Execution to Leadership 27:18 – Burnout, Career Gaps & Reinvention 31:42 – The Lessons Women Needed Most 36:15 – We Are Not Just Climbing Careers 38:02 – Closing Reflection + Season Seven 🌐 CONNECT WITH US 🌍 Website: https://the-climb.org [https://the-climb.org/] 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JoinTheClimb2024 [https://www.youtube.com/@JoinTheClimb2024] 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/97178217 [https://www.linkedin.com/company/97178217] 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jointheclimb [https://www.instagram.com/jointheclimb] 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoinTheClimb1 [https://www.facebook.com/JoinTheClimb1?utm_source=chatgpt.com] IF THIS SEASON RESONATED Subscribe. Share it. Send it to another woman trying to figure out how to move forward. Because leadership isn’t just about climbing. It’s about learning how to navigate rooms, sustain yourself, and build ladders for others along the way

The Career Advice That’s Quietly Holding You Back

What if the advice you’ve been following is the very thing slowing your career down? You’ve been working hard. Saying yes. Being dependable. Keeping your head down. And on the surface — that sounds exactly right. But in the Season 6 finale of The Climb Podcast, Felicia Smith delivers the honest conversation most people won’t have with you: the advice that got you here is incomplete. And if you don’t recognize that, you can spend years doing everything right — and still feel completely stuck. The rules shift when you move to the next level. And this episode gives you the three shifts that actually move you forward. ✨ What You Will Learn * Why high performers are not always the ones who get promoted * The difference between advice that gets you access vs. advice that drives advancement * Why dependability alone will never make you look like a leader * Shift 1: How to move from effort to visibility — and why your work needs a voice track * Shift 2: The difference between an intentional yes and a career-stalling yes * Shift 3: Why execution mode keeps you stuck — and how to move into positioning * The question you should be asking yourself right now about where you are in your career ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Cold Open: What If the Advice You’re Following Is Holding You Back? 01:00 – Welcome to The Climb Podcast 03:00 – Season 6, Episode 10: Bringing It All Together 05:30 – Somebody Should Have Told Me: When Doing Everything Right Isn’t Enough 09:00 – Why Dependability ≠ Leadership 13:30 – Truth Is: That Advice Was Designed for Access, Not Advancement 18:00 – Why Hard Work Alone Won’t Get You Promoted 21:30 – The Three Shifts That Actually Move You Forward 22:00 – Shift 1: From Effort to Visibility 27:45 – Shift 2: From Yes to Intentional Yes 33:10 – Shift 3: From Execution to Positioning 39:00 – Final Thought: Different Level, Different Strategy 42:00 – Season 6 Wrap + What’s Coming in Season 7 🔗 Stay Connected with The Climb 🌐 https://the-climb.org [https://the-climb.org/] 📲 @JoinTheClimb 📣 If This Episode Resonated Share it with a woman who is working hard and doing all the things — but not seeing the results she deserves. Because we are not just climbing careers — we are building ladders.

How to Tell Your Career Story After a Gap with Karriema Calhoun

WE’VE BEEN TAUGHT TO THINK ABOUT CAREER GAPS AS A CHOICE. Something planned. Something intentional. Something we can easily explain. But the reality is different. “What we found… women lost their jobs.” And now many are navigating something they didn’t expect— figuring out how to move forward while carrying the weight of a gap they didn’t plan. In this episode of The Climb Podcast, Felicia Smith sits down with resume expert Karriema Calhoun to break down how to: ✔️ Reframe your experience ✔️ Position your value ✔️ And confidently tell your story—without feeling like you’ve lost momentum ✨ WHAT YOU WILL LEARN • Why career gaps are more common—and more complex—than we admit • How to explain a gap without making it your identity • What recruiters are really looking for (and how fast they decide) • Why confidence shows up on your resume • The biggest mistakes hurting your chances (Canva + AI misuse) • How to leverage volunteer work, entrepreneurship, and training • When to use a functional resume vs. traditional format • Why your resume must speak before you do ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 – The Truth About Career Gaps 02:00 – Welcome + Episode Setup 05:00 – What’s Really Happening in the Job Market 08:00 – Why It’s Taking Longer to Get Hired 11:00 – The 8-Second Resume Rule 15:00 – Confidence (or Lack of It) on Your Resume 19:00 – Resume Mistakes That Cost You Opportunities 23:00 – Should You Include a Gap? 27:00 – Entrepreneurship + Resume Red Flags 31:00 – Functional Resume Strategy 36:00 – Why Canva Resumes Don’t Work 40:00 – The Truth About ChatGPT + Resumes 45:00 – How to Reframe Your Experience 49:00 – Using Cover Letters to Stand Out 53:00 – Final Thought: The Gap Is Not You IF THIS EPISODE RESONATED Send this to someone navigating a gap right now. Because this moment? It’s not the end of your story.