Join Kristen Briggs, founder of the Black Women Educators' League (BWEL), as she sits down with Black women leaders who are transforming education and nonprofit spaces every single day. Each episode features authentic discussions about the real experiences of leadership in the skin we're in as guests share stories, wisdom, and practical insights gained from their leadership journeys. #LetsTalkSis is providing space for the nuanced conversations that can only happen when Black women come together, share our stories, and empower ourselves and each other to lead as we are, authentically.
Your stress responses aren't character flaws—they're survival strategies in systems designed to overwhelm you.
In this episode, Kristen sits down with Dr. Allisyn Swift, Executive Director of the Coalition for Compassionate Schools. Dr. Swift shares her leadership journey and breaks down the crucial difference between coping and healing—and why it matters mightily for Black women in education.
Dr. Swift invites listeners to reframe our stress responses not as weaknesses, but as adaptations we've developed in response to systems that weren't designed with our wellbeing in mind. Through their conversation, she unpacks how urgency-driven environments impact our wellbeing and offers a framework for moving beyond just surviving to actually addressing what we need to heal and thrive.
📍 Learn more about the Coalition for Compassionate Schools at https://cforcs.org/ (https://cforcs.org/)
📍 Learn more about the Black Women Educators League at www.bweleague.org (about:blank)
4 Sept 2025
“To Whom Much is Given…” (w/Darlisha Barnes)
"...much is required."
Your gifts come with responsibility.
In this episode, Kristen sits down with Darlisha Barnes, founder of Gathered Coaching and Consulting, LLC. Darlisha shares her journey to leadership, including her growth from a more passive team member to an active leader who learned to recognize patterns that were no longer serving her, embrace her gifts, and walk fully in her purpose.
Darlisha's leadership story showcases what it looks like to lead with our values at the center of everything we do and make decisions to "choose our own nest"—selecting spaces, places, and people that align with our values and empower us to live them fully.
This conversation explores what it means to recognize that your gifts come with responsibility and understand that you have agency to make choices that honor who you are and what's best for you and those you serve.
📍 Learn more about Gathered Coaching and Consulting at www.gatheredcoaching.com
📍 Learn more about the Black Women Educators League at www.bweleague.org
🎙️ NEW episodes of #LetsTalkSis drop every Thursday!
14 Aug 2025
The Power of Knowing What You Deserve (w/ Guerschmide Saint-Ange)
"I will not choose self-abandonment ever again."
In this episode, Kristen sits down with Guerschmide Saint-Ange, Chief Operating Officer at the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA). Guerschmide shares about her leadership journey, including the pivotal moment she said no to an appealing opportunity because it didn't meet what she knew she deserved—and how choosing herself opened the door for something even better.
In this conversation, we explore what it means to break cycles of settling for "close enough" and sacrificing your wants and needs in hopes of being 'seen.' From understanding that psychological availability matters more than just flexibility to recognizing that happiness isn't her job's responsibility, Guerschmide maps out what it looks like to know what you deserve and refuse to settle until it's yours.
📍 Learn more about the Black Women Educators League at www.bweleague.org
🎙️ NEW episodes of #LetsTalkSis return Thursday, September 4!
7 Aug 2025
The Wisdom of Choosing You (w/ LaMecca Coates)
"You can't pour from an empty cup."
In this episode, Kristen sits down with LaMecca Coates, founder of Inspire Ed, and veteran educator and leader. Through their conversation, LaMecca shares about a pivotal moment in her career when operating with integrity meant risking her job security - and how that experience taught her the profound wisdom of choosing yourself.
Drawing from her journey across public, private, and nonprofit educational spaces, LaMecca reveals what happened when she was transparent about exploring new opportunities, only to have her contract rescinded. But as she learned, when you operate with authenticity and know your worth, doors close and better ones open - sometimes within hours.
This episode explores what it looks like when we stop sacrificing ourselves for institutions that won't do the same for us, get clear on what we need in order to be our best selves before walking through any door, and recognize that choosing ourselves isn't selfish - it's the wisdom that comes from understanding we can't pour from an empty cup.
📍 Learn more about Inspire Ed including the upcoming Educator Wellness Retreat at www.inspireedlc.com (about:blank)
📍 Connect with LaMecca on LinkedIn or via phone at 202.600.9388 and be sure to follow InspireEd on socials @inspireEdLC!
📍 Learn more about the Black Women Educators League at www.bweleague.org and be sure to join our mailing list to stay up to date on upcoming events, new resources, and more!
🎙️ NEW episodes of #LetsTalkSis drop every Thursday!
31 Jul 2025
Setting Your Own Bar for Excellence (w/ Travonnie Mackey)
What if performance reviews didn't suck?
Performance reviews can become spaces of clarity and growth instead of anxiety and guesswork—and as Black women, we have the power to transform these conversations whether we're sitting across the table or leading them, creating the affirming professional experiences we've always deserved.
In this episode, Kristen sits down with Travonnie Mackey, co-founder and Chief Program Officer of EmpactWork LLC. Through their conversation, Travonnie shares her journey to leadership - including a key moment where she decided she would create her own criteria for success, no longer allowing that to be defined by anyone else.
Drawing from pivotal moments throughout her career as a math teacher, instructional coach, leadership development expert and now co-founder and executive coach, Travonnie has learned that there are multiple ways to reach excellence in leadership and work and our responsibility is to create spaces that nurture and support diverse perspectives.
This episode explores what it looks like when we stop performing excellence in the dark, demand the specificity we deserve, and become the managers we always needed.
📍 Learn more about EmpactWork LLC, download Empact’s white paper and access additional resources developed by their team at www.empact.work (http://www.empact.work) .
📍 You can follow Travonnie’s work on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/travonnie-mackey/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/travonnie-mackey/)
📍 Learn more about the Black Women Educators League at www.bweleague.org (http://www.bweleague.org)
🎙️ NEW episodes of #LetsTalkSis drop every Thursday!
24 Jul 2025
The Sauce Lives With You (w/ Monica Lewis)
"The sauce lives with you."
True leadership isn't about harmonizing with everyone else's expectations—it's about owning your unique expertise, trusting your inner voice, and standing firm in your authentic self, even when it means respectfully disagreeing with the status quo.
In this episode, host Kristen N. Briggs sits down with Monica Lewis, founder of Education Catalyst for Change, LLC.
Through their conversation, Monica shares her story of leadership as she came to understand that "keeping the peace" when it disturbs your own isn't worth the price it costs. Drawing on her background as a dancer, Monica reminds us that "no one knows the routine except you" - your lived experience, your approach, your perspective is yours alone.
This episode explores what it looks like when we stop seeking external validation to prove we belong, trust our expertise even when it means disagreeing with the status quo, and recognize that our unique combination of skills and wisdom can't be replicated by anyone else.
📍 Learn more about the Black Women Educators' League at www.bweleague.org. Be sure to follow-us on social media @bweleague and sign-up for our newsletter for updates on events, resources, and more!
📍 Learn more about Education Catalyst 4 Change at https://www.ec4change.com/ (https://www.ec4change.com/) and connect with Monica on LinkedIn at
📍 You can learn more about the Surge Fellowship mentioned on the show at https://surgeinstitute.org/ (https://surgeinstitute.org/)
17 Jul 2025
You Are Your Own Best Thing (w/Dr. Meredith Chase-Mitchell)
They got to see what it looks like to stand up.
In this powerful premiere episode of BWEL Presents #LetsTalkSis, host Kristen N. Briggs sits down with Dr. Meredith Chase Mitchell as she takes us on her journey of finding her voice as a leader.
Meredith reflects on her growth from staying silent in uncomfortable moments to boldly advocating for Black students - and herself. When anonymous social media pages revealed the experiences of Black students at her predominantly white institution during the 2020 uprisings, Meredith found the courage to co-found a Black faculty affinity group and champion vital change for staff and students - standing as a glowing example of what it looks like to speak the truth, even if your voice shakes.
From that pivotal moment to embracing the revolutionary act of not delaying joy, Meredith shares how she learned to stop shrinking herself for others' comfort, and how that bold choice creates space for others to do the same.
This conversation explores the power of finding your voice, the importance of celebrating yourself daily, and why your individual journey is perfectly timed for you. It's for every Black woman who's ready to stop waiting for permission to take up space and start embracing the truth that you are your own best thing.
📍 Tarana Burke and Brene Brown's book mentioned in this episode is titled "You Are Your Best Thing."
📍 Learn more about the Black Women Educators League at www.bweleague.org (www.bweleague.org). Be sure to follow-us on social media @bweleague and sign-up for our newsletter for updates on events, resources, and more!
📍 Learn more about Dr. Chase-Mitchell and Classroom Culture at www.classroom-culture.com (https://www.classroom-culture.com/) and on social media @classroomculture . Stay tuned for the Culture Lab fellowship coming fall 2025!
🎙️ BWEL Presents...#LetsTalkSis The Podcast NEW episodes every Thursday this summer! Be sure to LIKE, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE!!
3 Jul 2025
Introducing BWEL Presents...#LetsTalkSis
Kristen Briggs, founder of the Black Women Educators' League, introduces a podcast featuring intimate conversations with Black women leaders transforming education and nonprofit sectors, offering insights on leadership and community building.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 19 / 100
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26
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YouTube
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Engagement
32
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