Lime, Listen & Learn: The People Leadership Lounge

Leading Without Belonging (And Creating It Anyway!)

What does leadership feel like when you are the only one in the room? Being the only woman, the only Black person, the only immigrant, the only young leader shapes not just how you show up, but how others experience your leadership. It is about navigating power, identity, and belonging while still being expected to carry the weight of leading. In this episode of Lime, Listen & Learn: The People Leadership Lounge, host Abbiola Ballah is in conversation with Geronda Wollack-Spiller to talk about what it means to lead while being the only and what belonging really requires from everyone involved. This isn’t a panel. We’re not here for perfect soundbites. This is a lime, a Trinidadian term that means to hang out, connect, and vibe. Abbiola and Geronda talk honestly about the complexity of leading when your presence is both necessary and misunderstood. The conversation invites leaders to look closely at voice, access, and care, and to reflect on how the way we speak to one another shapes how we work together. Grab your snacks and a drink. Come lime with us! THIS CONVERSATION TOUCHES ON: * Leading while being the only in a space * Belonging as a shared responsibility, not an individual burden * Curiosity as a pathway to understanding and trust * Power, voice, and access in everyday leadership * Holding both logic and vulnerability in hard conversations ABOUT OUR GUEST As a queer Black woman, Geronda Wollack-Spiller (she/her) has become familiar with what it means to be "the only" and has made it into a superpower for understanding the true meaning of belonging. As a result, she helps leaders and teams implement actionable strategies for increasing belonging, enabling everyone to thrive, feel valued, and foster an inclusive culture that promotes growth. She lives in the beautiful state of Maine with her wife and three fur babies! Learn more about Geronda’s work here: Website [https://www.gerondaws.com] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerondawollack/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@leadinginthemoment] ABOUT OUR HOST Abbiola Ballah (she/her) is a people leadership consultant, coach, and facilitator who supports directors & managers navigating the human side of leadership. She is the Founder of Phern Education Studios and the creator of the CLEARER Conversations™ Experience [https://www.pherneducationstudios.com/clearer-conversations-experience], a signature leadership program designed to help people leaders approach hard conversations with care, discernment, and intention. With over 20 years of experience in leadership development, program design, and organizational learning, Abbiola partners with organizations across the health, education, philanthropy, and nonprofit sectors to design and facilitate people-centered leadership experiences that improve communication, support managers & directors through team dynamics, and rebuild trust. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, she brings a global perspective shaped by long-term, cross-cultural work with leaders and organizations. Learn more about Abbiola's work here: Website [https://www.pherneducationstudios.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbiola-ballah/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/pherneducationstudios]

How Leadership Builds (Or Breaks) A Culture of Learning

We often think of development as something leaders can give, like a training, a course, or a resource. But what if growth is not something to hand out, but something to cultivate? What if the real measure of leadership is not in sending people out to learn, but in creating a culture where learning becomes part of the everyday? In this episode of Lime, Listen & Learn: The People Leadership Lounge, host Abbiola Ballah is joined by Laura Jordan to talk about what actually shapes a culture of learning and how leadership can either support or quietly undermine it. This isn’t a panel. We’re not here for perfect soundbites. This is a lime, a Trinidadian term that means to hang out, connect, and vibe. Abbiola and Laura explore what shifts when leaders move beyond providing resources and start paying attention to how learning shows up in day to day work. They talk about the gap between theory and application, the role of emotional awareness, and why understanding people as humans, not just roles, matters when it comes to growth and development at work. Grab your snacks and a drink. Come lime with us! THIS CONVERSATION TOUCHES ON: * Rethinking development as something to cultivate, not deliver * Building learning into everyday leadership behavior * Bridging the gap between theory and application * Emotional awareness as part of learning cultures * Understanding people beyond their roles at work ABOUT OUR GUEST Laura Jordan has a MA in Psychology with a concentration in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Professionally, she enjoys turning broader strategic vision into practical reality. Her passion for onboarding and leadership development often connects her with organizational development projects. She loves networking and learning from others' stories. Laura is a proud military spouse to a test pilot and mother to two amazing children. Learn more about Laura’s work here: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lpsjordan] ABOUT OUR HOST Abbiola Ballah (she/her) is a people leadership consultant, coach, and facilitator who supports directors & managers navigating the human side of leadership. She is the Founder of Phern Education Studios and the creator of the CLEARER Conversations™ Experience [https://www.pherneducationstudios.com/clearer-conversations-experience], a signature leadership program designed to help people leaders approach hard conversations with care, discernment, and intention. With over 20 years of experience in leadership development, program design, and organizational learning, Abbiola partners with organizations across the health, education, philanthropy, and nonprofit sectors to design and facilitate people-centered leadership experiences that improve communication, support managers & directors through team dynamics, and rebuild trust. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, she brings a global perspective shaped by long-term, cross-cultural work with leaders and organizations. Learn more about Abbiola's work here: Website [https://www.pherneducationstudios.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbiola-ballah/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/pherneducationstudios]

Imposter Syndrome, Hard Conversations & Everything In Between

When the plan falls apart, what do you do next? You adapt. You show up anyway. And sometimes, you use the moment to name what’s really going on. That’s what this week’s solo episode of Lime, Listen & Learn: The People Leadership Lounge is about. No guest this time. Just Abbiola Ballah talking through the real weight many managers are carrying and what it looks like to start naming it out loud. This isn’t a panel. We’re not here for perfect soundbites. This is a lime, a Trinidadian term that means to hang out, connect, and vibe. In this solo episode, Abbiola reflects on what we often call imposter syndrome and why it might not actually be yours. She talks about the hidden weight managers carry and why hard conversations do not get easier but they can get clearer. The episode invites leaders to slow down, notice what they are carrying, and think differently about how they move through tension, silence, and misalignment at work. This is not a quick tip session. It is a real talk moment for those leading in systems that were never built with them in mind. So if you are feeling the pressure, avoiding a conversation, or just need someone to name what has been feeling heavy, come lime with me! THIS CONVERSATION TOUCHES ON: * Rethinking imposter syndrome as a learned response * The unseen weight managers carry, especially those in the middle * Naming what is happening instead of internalizing it * Navigating hard conversations with more intention and care * Showing up without needing to get it perfect ABOUT OUR HOST Abbiola Ballah (she/her) is a people leadership consultant, coach, and facilitator who supports directors & managers navigating the human side of leadership. She is the Founder of Phern Education Studios and the creator of the CLEARER Conversations™ Experience [https://www.pherneducationstudios.com/clearer-conversations-experience], a signature leadership program designed to help people leaders approach hard conversations with care, discernment, and intention. With over 20 years of experience in leadership development, program design, and organizational learning, Abbiola partners with organizations across the health, education, philanthropy, and nonprofit sectors to design and facilitate people-centered leadership experiences that improve communication, support managers & directors through team dynamics, and rebuild trust. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, she brings a global perspective shaped by long-term, cross-cultural work with leaders and organizations. Learn more about Abbiola's work here: Website [https://www.pherneducationstudios.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbiola-ballah/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/pherneducationstudios] Join the next cohort of the CLEARER Conversations™ Experience [https://www.pherneducationstudios.com/clearer-conversations-experience]

Leadership Isn't About Having All The Answers

We’ve been taught that good leadership means knowing what to do, having the right answers, and staying in control. But what if it’s less about being certain and more about being curious? In this episode of Lime, Listen & Learn: The People Leadership Lounge, host Abbiola Ballah is in conversation with Emily Pantel, to explore the quiet pressure leaders carry to always have it together. This isn’t a panel. We’re not here for perfect soundbites. This is a lime, a Trinidadian term that means to hang out, connect, and vibe. Abbiola and Emily explore what shifts when leaders make room for questions, not just answers. The conversation moves through curiosity, trust, and vulnerability, and what gets in the way of connection when leadership is driven by fear of not knowing. Grab your snacks and a drink. Come lime with us! THIS CONVERSATION TOUCHES ON: * Letting go of the pressure to have all the answers * Curiosity as a leadership practice * Trust built through small, consistent actions * Vulnerability shaped by identity and context * Creating space for listening, feedback, and self inquiry ABOUT OUR GUEST Emily Pantel (she/her) is the founder of Self Over Should career coaching and astrology, helping overworked professionals build authentic careers by challenging what it means and takes to be successful. Focused on workplace culture reform both at companies and within ourselves, her overarching mission is to co-create a workplace cultural shift in which work is a channel for individual and collective prosperity. Over the past 13 years in HR at global organizations, Emily has served as a trusted leadership coach for new managers, seasoned executives, and entry-level employees alike. LEARN MORE ABOUT EMILY’S WORK HERE: WEBSITE [https://www.selfovershould.com] | LINKEDIN [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilypantel] | INSTAGRAM [https://www.instagram.com/selfovershould] | SUBSTACK [https://www.selfovershould.substack.com]ABOUT OUR HOST Abbiola Ballah (she/her) is a people leadership consultant, coach, and facilitator who supports directors & managers navigating the human side of leadership. She is the Founder of Phern Education Studios and the creator of the CLEARER Conversations™ Experience [https://www.pherneducationstudios.com/clearer-conversations-experience], a signature leadership program designed to help people leaders approach hard conversations with care, discernment, and intention. With over 20 years of experience in leadership development, program design, and organizational learning, Abbiola partners with organizations across the health, education, philanthropy, and nonprofit sectors to design and facilitate people-centered leadership experiences that improve communication, support managers & directors through team dynamics, and rebuild trust. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, she brings a global perspective shaped by long-term, cross-cultural work with leaders and organizations. Learn more about Abbiola's work here: Website [https://www.pherneducationstudios.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbiola-ballah/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/pherneducationstudios]

Leading With Inclusion Without The Label

What does it mean to lead with inclusion when the word itself is under attack? As the language around diversity, equity, and inclusion becomes more restricted, many leaders are being asked to reframe, reword, or stay quiet. The language may be shifting, but the core values have not gone anywhere. In this episode of Lime, Listen & Learn: The People Leadership Lounge, host Abbiola Ballah is in conversation with Minette Norman about the pressure to change how we talk about inclusion and what it means to keep leading with it even when the name changes. This isn’t a panel. We’re not here for perfect soundbites. This is a lime, a Trinidadian term that means to hang out, connect, and vibe. Abbiola and Minette reflect on what happens when language evolves but the work remains. They talk candidly about external pressure, internal doubt, and the tension leaders feel when asked to distance themselves from values they still hold. The conversation invites leaders to stay curious, grounded, and clear about what they are actually fighting for, even when the terminology becomes contested. Grab your snacks and a drink.  Come lime with us!. THIS CONVERSATION TOUCHES ON: * Leading with inclusion when the language is under scrutiny * Navigating pressure to reframe, reword, or stay quiet * Staying rooted in values when terminology shifts * Questioning myths like neutrality and meritocracy * Making small, intentional choices that create ripple effects ABOUT OUR GUEST Minette Norman (she/her) is an award-winning author, speaker, leadership consultant, and former Silicon Valley software executive who spent decades leading global teams. Minette knows that when leaders create inclusive team cultures, performance soars, breakthroughs emerge, and innovation accelerates. As the author of The Boldly Inclusive Leader and the co-author of The Psychological Safety Playbook, Minette is committed to helping leaders unlock the full potential of the people in their organizations. Learn more about Minette’s work here: Website [https://www.minettenorman.com/]| LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/minettenorman/] ABOUT OUR HOST Abbiola Ballah (she/her) is a people leadership consultant, coach, and facilitator who supports directors & managers navigating the human side of leadership. She is the Founder of Phern Education Studios and the creator of the CLEARER Conversations™ Experience [https://www.pherneducationstudios.com/clearer-conversations-experience], a signature leadership program designed to help people leaders approach hard conversations with care, discernment, and intention. With over 20 years of experience in leadership development, program design, and organizational learning, Abbiola partners with organizations across the health, education, philanthropy, and nonprofit sectors to design and facilitate people-centered leadership experiences that improve communication, support managers & directors through team dynamics, and rebuild trust. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, she brings a global perspective shaped by long-term, cross-cultural work with leaders and organizations. Learn more about Abbiola's work here: Website [https://www.pherneducationstudios.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbiola-ballah/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/pherneducationstudios]