In this episode, we explore some of the unique challenges Black women face as they climb the corporate ladder. The themes were gathered from hundreds of Black women leaders who have been interviewed for the I Choose the Ladder Podcast. Whether you're a Black woman leader, ally, or simply interested in the topic, this episode offers valuable insight…

In this episode of the I Choose the Ladder Podcast you meet Brenda Battle, a leading voice in healthcare and Senior Vice President of Community Health Transformation and Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer at UChicago Medicine. With over 30 years of experience, Brenda Battle is a trailblazer in healthcare who has worked tirelessly to improv…

In this episode, you meet Jennifer Montague, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer for NiSource, a natural gas and electric utility company servicing 4 million customers under the NIPSCO and Columbia Gas brands. She is responsible for setting direction and managing a leadership team focused on customer experiences in the areas of Custome…

As we step into the new year, I Choose the Ladder Founder & CEO takes you through 12 questions to ask yourself to help clarify your goals for the year.Von I Choose the Ladder

We are seeing layoffs happening all over corporate America, and if we are being honest, these are some scary times for employees. In this episode, I Choose the Ladder Founder & CEO, Watchen Nyanue, helps people managers lead their teams through layoffs. We focus on the ones who stay and the impact of the ones who leave.…

It's that time of the year again when we start planning for the new year. Of course, we make ambitious plans, but we may need to look at our plans through the right lens.In this episode, I Choose the Ladder Founder & CEO Watchen Nyanue takes you through how she plans for her upcoming year and helps you use the right data to ensure that next year is…

In this episode, you meet Rae Livingston. As AbbVie’s Chief Equity Officer, Ms. Livinston leads enterprise efforts to promote a diverse, equitable, bias-conscious, and inclusive culture with internal and external impact. Ms. Livingston serves on the AbbVie Executive Leadership Team. In her previous role, Ms. Livingston served as Vice President, Bus…

In this episode, we learn all about The CLIMB Career Summit and what attendees can expect this year.Enjoy!Von I Choose the Ladder

In this episode you meet Tara August the Senior Vice President of Talent Relations & Special Projects for Turner Sports and Bleacher Report, where she oversees the division’s marquee roster of on-air announcers across both digital and linear platforms. In this role she is responsible for the management of some of the biggest names in sports includi…

In this episode, I Choose the Ladder Founder & CEO discusses practical ways that you can help your team find success.Enjoy!Von I Choose the Ladder

I feel like I say this all the time, but all of your employees don't need the same things. And what got them to your company might not be what keeps them at your company. So in this episode, I talk about some of the areas you should consider as you develop programs and retention strategies for the diverse employees who work for and with you.Enjoy!…

Everyone thinks they want to be a people manager until they actually have to manage people. Ask any current manager, and they will tell you that managing a team is one of the hardest things they have ever done. But ask someone a first-time manager has managed, and they would argue that that's even harder.So in this episode, we talk to aspiring peop…

In this episode, I Choose the Ladder Podcast host Watchen Nyanue shares some tips on what to do when the realization of a dream is delayed or taking longer than expected.Hint: Getting resentful or bitter does not make the list.Von I Choose the Ladder

In this episode, you meet Lori Spicer Robertson. Lori is a creative change agent always pursuing opportunities to transform lives and foster sustainable progress. Formerly, she assumed the role of VP, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Saks Fifth Avenue to design a more inclusive experience for employees, customers, and partners. As a natural con…

In this special crossover episode, I Choose the Ladder Founder & CEO Watchen Nyanue shares tips on how to discuss race at work. As we continue to navigate tragedies that impact our entire society, Watchen shares some best practices she has seen over the years of working with some of the world's best leaders.…

When it comes to leveling up professionally, the focus seems to be on leveling up financially. Still, in this episode, I Choose the Ladder Founder & CEO Watchen Nyanue shares a few other career areas you will need to level up if you plan to pursue leadership roles. Enjoy!Von I Choose the Ladder

In this episode, I Choose the Ladder Founder & CEO Watchen Nyanue discusses the five areas that often hold you back from being able to quickly and smoothly navigate a career change. These challenges are relatively simple to address but not always very easy. So grab your I Choose the Ladder notebook, a pen, your favorite beverage, and get ready to g…

In this episode you meet, Melissa Donaldson. Melissa Donaldson, a self-described business leader with a heart for human capital, is the first chief diversity officer at Wintrust and responsible for developing diversity and inclusion strategies for increasing competitive advantage while positioning Wintrust as an employer of choice and responsible c…

We have seen a few different responses to people feeling disrespected at work in the past couple of weeks.In this episode, I Choose the Ladder Podcast Host, Watchen Nyanue, shares some context around disrespect at work and tips for both people managers and individual contributors on handling disrespect at work.Enjoy!…

In this episode you meet Elizabeth A. Campbell. Elizabeth is a +20 yr marketing veteran with a proven track record of successfully cultivating consumer insight to deliver integrated marketing programs that drive consumer demand. In September 2019 she was chosen to lead McDonald’s Cultural Engagement Team into its next evolution. Her responsibilitie…

As we launch a new season of the I Choose the Ladder Podcast, ICTL Founder & CEO shares updates on everything happening at I Choose the Ladder and some lessons from her first full year of entrepreneurship.Shop the products mentioned in the episode- Planner: https://bit.ly/3HVztNR- Affirmation Cards: https://bit.ly/3i4rm6r…

In this episode you meet Erika Swilley. Erika is the Vice President of Community and Social Responsibility for the Detroit Pistons. Previously she spent time in community relations for the Chicago Sky and Sky Cares Foundation and Golden State Warriors. In her role, Swilley coordinates the philanthropic initiatives of the Pistons and their players. …

In this episode you meet Titi Cole. Titi Cole is the Head of Operations & Fraud Prevention and the Chief Client Officer for Citi’s Global Consumer Bank. In this role, she is responsible for delivering a seamless client experience across service channels, deploying cutting edge fraud prevention technology and enhancing productivity. Titi also serves…

In this episode you meet Amanda C. Jones, an innovative, strategic brand leader with more than a decade of experience at global retail and consumer-packaged good powerhouses. She’s built a track-record of delivering successful multi-million-dollar marketing campaigns for personal care and beauty brands like Olay Skincare, Secret Deodorant, COVERGIR…

In this episode we discuss everything that's required to create goals that work, and we are not talking SMART goals.Von I Choose the Ladder

In this episode, you meet Stephanie Smellie, the Head of Creator Marketplace Partnerships at Spotify. In this role, she leads the company's strategic partnerships with platforms and brands that enrich Spotify's offering to artists, with an eye toward helping them grow, engage, understand and monetize their audiences. Prior to Spotify, she was Vice …

In this episode I Choose the Ladder Founder & CEO, Watchen Nyanue discusses what you should be doing to wrap up Q1. What performance receipts should you be gathering. What meetings should you be having. What progress you need to document.The planner referenced in the episode can be found here --> https://ichoosetheladder.com/products/the-review-pla…

In this episode you meet Terrie S. Sterling. Currently, Terrie is the Chief Nurse for nDorse and serves as Principal and CEO of her own healthcare management services firm. She was recently appointed by Governor John Bel Edwards as Co-Chair of the Resilient Louisiana Commission, along with Don Pierson, Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development. M…

In this episode you meet Nona King. Nona is a career strategist and global marketing leader who coaches young professionals of color to learn practical career planning and job search tools and builds their influential networks to establish and navigate the professional world.After spending over 25 years building an impactful and rewarding career as…

In this episode you meet Lizette Williams. Lizette is a leading marketing and advertising executive with expertise at driving the convergence of brand, culture and tech. She has worked across Fortune 50 companies driving consumer-centric growth strategies focused on cultural relevancy. In 2020 she was named one of “Advertising Woman of the Year” by…

In this episode you meet Veronica Appleton. Veronica is a scholar, practitioner and children’s author. She serves as Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Omnicom agency, The Marketing Arm. Appleton is also a lecturer of intercultural communication at DePaul University in Chicago and subject matter expert for various executive educati…

In this episode you meet Karla Davis. Karla is a high performing leader whose innovative spirit, influence and partnership is helping to change the face of beauty. Karla leads the Integrated Marketing Communications and Media Team for Ulta Beauty, and in her 5 years tenure, she has built the Integrated Marketing Communications function for the comp…

In this episode you meet Monique L. Nelson. Monique is chair and chief executive officer of UWG, the country’s longest-standing multicultural marketing agency. She took the helm of the agency in May 2012, when founder and advertising pioneer Byron Lewis retired. Headquartered in Brooklyn, with offices in Detroit, Atlanta and Miami, UWG maintains a …

In this episode, I discuss some of the major-ish career lessons that I was forced to learn during COVID. There may or may not be a special announcement in there as well, so you should probably listen to it.Happy New Year!!Von I Choose the Ladder

In this episode you meet Tiana Conley. Tiana serves as the Vice President of Global Cereal for the Kellogg Company, where she is responsible for the $6 billion flagship portfolio with treasured brands such as Special K, Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops and Corn Flakes. Prior to joining Kellogg, she was Marketing Director of global tequila at Beam Suntor…

We are getting VERYYYY close to that “new year, new me” phase of the year, where most of us start reflecting on what we accomplished and begin to plan for the next year. For Watchen, that means taking a look at her professional bio and seeing if what is in the bio still accurately reflects the career story that she wants to share with people.So, in…

In this episode you meet Amelia Hardy, the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for Inclusion and Diversity at Best Buy. She joined the company in 2014 and has held various roles including Category Marketing Director- Home Theater & Digital Imaging and Director of Brand Marketing for Holiday and seasonal campaigns. Most recently she was the Sr. …

In this episode Watchen discusses why you need to get into an accountability group. If your goal is to get a raise, promotion, a new job, or a complete pivot, this is one of the things that needs to be very high on your priority list.Enjoy!Von I Choose the Ladder

In this episode you meet Sandra Hurse, Managing Director, Chief Human Resources Officer, GCM Grosvenor. Sandra Hurse is the firm’s Chief Human Resources Officer. She also serves on the ESG Committeeand the Diversity & Inclusion Governing Committee. Prior to joining GCM Grosvenor, Ms. Hurse held various positions at Bank of America, most recently se…

In this episode Watchen shares six simple ways that you can invest in your career development today. It's been proven that people are willing to invest in people who have demonstrated that they have some skin in the game and have first invested in themselves. If you want to be competitive in this changing job market, you have to start by investing …

In this episode you meet Lolly Bowean. Lolly is the program officer for Media & Storytelling at the Field Foundation.Before joining the Field, she worked as a general assignment reporter at the Chicago Tribune for more than 15 years and had a particular focus on urban affairs, youth culture, housing, minority communities and government relations. S…

In this episode I answer some user submitted performance review questions.Enjoy!Von I Choose the Ladder

In this episode you meet Amy S. Hilliard. Amy is an award-winning serial entrepreneur and a former senior corporate executive. A native of Detroit, she is an honors graduate of both Howard University and the Harvard Business School and is also certified in Digital/SocialMarketing by Columbia University. The Hilliard Group, her strategic marketing c…

In this episode I share an update on what's coming up for I Choose the Ladder and answer some of the questions that I get asked the most.Enjoy!Von I Choose the Ladder

In this episode you meet Dannielle Cumberbatch. Dannielle has over 20 years of experience in the digital & performance-based marketing industry. She grew up loving computers and socially was in the middle of everything – sports, academic activities, Girl Scouts © and anything fun. Dannielle credits her tenure within the business to her mix of clien…

In this episode you meet Minyon Moore, Partner at Dewey Square Group and former Democratic National Committee CEO.Minyon is considered one of the nation’s top strategic thinkers with extensive experience in political and corporate affairs, as well as public policy. She leads DSG’s State and Local Affairs and Multicultural Strategies practices with …

In this episode you meet Chastity Lord. Chastity has spent two decades dedicated to DISMANTLING systems of inequity for marginalized communities.Chastity is currently the President and CEO at Jeremiah Program (JP), a national organization committed to disrupting the cycle of poverty for single mothers and their children, two generations at a time.J…

In this episode you meet Ezinne (Kwubiri) Okoro, North America, Head of Inclusion & Diversity at H&M. Ezinne is a global citizen, change agent, diversity leader, and ally. Her professional career began in the financial services industry, though she quickly set her sights to the media and entertainment industries. During her 11-year tenure at Viacom…

In this episode, we discuss the four must have career tools that make a difference in your career.Von I Choose the Ladder

In this episode you meet Judith Harrison, Senior Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion at Weber Shandwick. ⁠ A tireless advocate for the advancement of women and people of color, Judith is one of the most influential, awarded executives in marketing communications.She is a visionary leader dedicated to changing the face of the business through indu…