Have you ever been told it’s imposter syndrome…When deep down, you knew something else was going on?

In this conversation, I sit down with Beverly Vanterpool, founder of Career Sistas and author of Build Your Table, and we talk honestly about what it means to navigate professional life when the system was never designed with you in mind.

This is not a loud conversation. It’s a clear one.

We speak about those moments when you realise you’re not struggling because you lack confidence, but because you were never invited into the room.

We talk about sponsorship. About visibility. About being over-mentored and under-advocated for.

We talk about redundancy not just as loss, but as an inflexion point. The kind that forces you to ask yourself: What gives me money? What gives me joy? What do I actually want?

Beverly brings both strategy and steadiness to this conversation. She doesn’t pretend the system is fair. She asks a better question: How intentionally are you choosing to move within it?

If you’re building your own table right now, or questioning whether you still belong at someone else’s, sit with this episode.

You are not behind. You are not imagining it. And you are not alone.

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Learn more about Build Your Table: https://beverlyvanterpool.com/build-your-table-find-career-clarity-make-bold-pivots-and-thrive-even-when-the-system-isnt-built-for-you

Connect with Beverly: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beverlyvanterpool/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanterpoolb

Career Sistas: https://www.careersistas.com

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If this conversation met you where you are, share it with someone else who might need to hear it too.

In this episode of In Her Own Name, host Lillian Ogbogoh is joined by Danielle Cudjoe-Michalski, a certified coach, strategist, TEDx speaker, and the founder of Thinking Light Coach. With over 20 years of experience in STEM and corporate leadership, Danielle brings both professional insight and lived experience as a neurodivergent woman to the conversation.

Together, they explore what it means to lead without masking, how to create workplaces that are truly inclusive, and why language, visibility, and belonging matter more than ever.

This is a conversation about leading with authenticity, building with intention, and honouring the full value of neurodiverse minds. If you’ve ever felt the need to hide parts of yourself to succeed, this episode is a reminder that your difference is your strength.

In this powerful conversation, Lillian Ogbogoh is joined by Danielle Cudjoe-Michalski, certified coach, strategist, TEDx speaker, and founder of Thinking Light Coach. With 20 years of experience in corporate STEM and her own lived experience as a neurodivergent woman, Danielle brings clarity, insight, and honesty to a conversation many shy away from.

Together, they explore:

• What true neuro-inclusion looks like in the workplace

• Why masking takes a toll on identity and leadership

• How Danielle reclaimed her voice, and her brilliance

• The founding of GSK’s Neurodiversity Network

• Coaching, resilience, and building systems that see people fully

If you’ve ever felt like you had to “fit in” to be respected, or if you’re looking to lead from a place of authenticity, this episode is for you.

🔥 Notable Quotes:

“We’re not broken. We’re built differently. And that difference is full of value.”

“There’s something powerful in just giving people the language to name what they’ve been carrying in silence.”

“Inclusion shouldn’t be a performance. It should be felt.”

📌 Connect with Danielle

• LinkedIn: Danielle Cudjoe-Michalski

• Thinking Light Coach: LinkedIn | Linktree

• TEDx Talk: Watch on YouTube

• Instagram: Thinking Light Coach

In this deeply resonant episode, journalist, educator, and anti-racism activist Sharon Hurley Hall joins Lillian Ogbogoh to unpack the layers of systemic racism and the legacy of colonialism. With clarity, compassion, and hard-earned wisdom, Sharon shares how the murder of George Floyd shifted her path, catalysing the creation of her newsletter, book (I’m Tired of Racism), and the Share Anti-Racism community.

From confronting the invisible weight of everyday racism to redefining resilience, reclaiming rest, and challenging colourism, Sharon speaks truth to power with grace and candour. She also reflects on the intergenerational blessings that sustain her: language, knowledge, and the unshakeable fibre of survival.

Whether you’re seeking to understand how to advocate meaningfully, looking to unpack internalised bias, or need to hear from a woman doing the work without apology, this episode will stay with you.

• Website: www.sharonhh.com

• Newsletter: www.antiracismnewsletter.com

• Book: I’m Tired of Racism – Available via Amazon, Apple Books, B&N

• LinkedIn: @sharonhurleyhall