Today, I’m proud to celebrate a milestone that’s been a long time in the making…

Our very first cohort of Certified Happy Black Woman® Coaches!

These incredible women spent 6 months with me – learning and embodying the Happy Black Woman® Method, my personal transformation process to help women get unstuck and start creating the lives they really want.

They walked through the process for themselves, strengthened their coaching skills, and prepared to guide other women with clarity, confidence and purpose.

And now, they are officially certified!

It was an honor to present each of them with their physical certificates of completion on stage at Happy Black Woman® Weekend in January.

What this means is that they are now trained and equipped to:

• Coach people to achieve their goals using the Happy Black Woman® Method
• Support their clients with the tools, frameworks and process I’ve developed through years of experience, coaching, teaching and transformation work
• Take their coaching businesses to the next level with a proven methodology and a meaningful mission

They said yes to their calling.

They did the work.

And now they are ready to coach you!

Want to work with a coach trained in the Happy Black Woman® Method?

All of our certified coaches have their own niche and expertise, while using a proven coaching framework that gets real results.

Each coach has completed our 6-month coach training, equipping them to help clients evaluate their lives, ignite their purpose, create their vision, transform their mindset and take inspired action to achieve their goals.

If you’d love to explore working with one of our certified coaches, click here to visit our directory and book a free call: https://happyblackwoman.com/coach-directory

P.S. And if you’re interested in becoming a Certified Happy Black Woman® Coach yourself, our next cohort begins May 13, 2026! Click here to learn more about the program and apply: https://happyblackwoman.com/certification/

The post Meet Our First Certified Happy Black Woman® Coaches! first appeared on Happy Black Woman® | Personal & Professional Development for Black Women.

If your current friends don’t support your goals or resent your success, it’s time to make friends with people who are actually doing amazing things with their lives.

I recently hosted my “Create Your Ideal Life” Workshop in Atlanta and the ladies showed up with honesty, vulnerability and a willingness to learn.

And the sisterhood that quickly formed among the attendees was so beautiful to witness!

We all left with the reminder that growth happens faster in community, not isolation.

Being around other women who are all doing the work to pursue their dreams is truly priceless.

Because of the most difficult things about the path to success is how lonely it can be.

As a business owner, I’ve learned how important it is to put myself out there to connect with other motivated entrepreneurial women who are on a similar path.

I know from experience that life is more fulfilling when you have supportive women around you that you can share victories with, whether it’s quitting your job, landing a new client or publishing your next book.

If you’ve been struggling to expand your social circle, consider these ideas on how to connect with like-minded women and grow your support network.

1. Attend local networking events.

Local networking events hosted by a business or organization are a great way for you to connect with women in your area who have the same interests as you do. Best of all, most of them are free or low-cost! Do a Google search or check online forums, blogs, your local newspaper or your city’s weekly community calendar for upcoming networking events.

2. Go to in-person retreats, conferences and seminars.

Retreats, conferences and seminars are typically multi-day in-person events hosted by organizations, authors, speakers, coaches or mentors over the course of a weekend/week/month in various locations around the world. The great thing about retreats is that you can combine them with a vacation or simply take a weekend away from home to get motivated and recharged to achieve your goals. Our signature 3-day seminar, Happy Black Woman® Weekend, is hosted several times a year. Click here to learn more and register for the next one.

3. Find an online group related to a hobby or interest you have.

I love online groups for the convenience factor. All you do is enter your location and choose a category on Facebook, Meetup or Eventbrite to find groups of people with certain interests or hobbies in your area. Although you’ve probably heard this suggestion before, you might think, “I’m just not a ‘go meet a bunch of strangers’ type of person.” Or maybe you’re even an introvert like me. But if you’re looking to expand your social circle, why not plug in to a community that’s already been created for you? Consider that you’ll also expand your skills and experiences by learning from others in the group.

4. Join a book club.

If you love to read and want to meet other readers in your area, look for a book club! Local libraries, independent bookstores and chains like Barnes & Noble often host book discussion groups. If you wish, you can exchange contact information with others in the club to continue the conversation over coffee or dinner. The point is that you expand your social circle with women who enjoy the same activity that you like to do. You already know you’ll have something in common with the participants, especially if the club is focused on reading certain types of books.

5. Host an informal get-together at your home.

Have you noticed that your phone and face-to-face time with friends has decreased since the convenience of email, Facebook, Instagram, etc? I know I’m guilty of this myself. I definitely have to make the extra effort to schedule lunch, drinks or even just a Zoom session with all of the amazing women I know. Hosting an informal get-together at your home is a fantastic way to expand your social circle because you get to interact more deeply with a select group of women than you would at a crowded happy hour or noisy restaurant. Just go through your email contacts, list of Facebook friends or stack of business cards and I’m sure you’ll discover at least three interesting women you’d like to get to know a bit better.

Do you need to expand your social circle to include people who can support your goals? What is one thing you can do this week to connect with liked-minded women?

The post 5 Ideas to Expand Your Social Circle and Connect with Like-Minded Women first appeared on Happy Black Woman® | Personal & Professional Development for Black Women.

“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” – Henri Nouwen

Have you ever looked up and realized you’ve been so busy taking care of everything and everyone else that you haven’t really taken care of YOU?

So many of us do this without even noticing. We pour into our work, family, friends, community, etc and somewhere along the way, our own happiness starts slipping further down the list.

We tell ourselves we’ll rest later. We’ll make time for ourselves later. We’ll get back to the things we love later. But later doesn’t usually come on its own.

Happiness is not something that just shows up in the middle of a packed schedule and an overwhelmed mind.

The truth is, we have to constantly make space for what we really want.

We have to choose joy, little by little, in the midst of real life.

So if you’ve been feeling stretched thin or like you’ve been putting yourself last for way too long, here are 4 simple ways to start making room for more happiness in your life.

1. Make a list of all the things that make you happy.

Often, we can get so caught up in work, never-ending responsibilities and taking care of day-to-day adulting that we forget what we’re even living for. That’s why one of my favorite exercises that I use with my clients is the assignment to make a list of “100 things that make you happy.” It’s a great way to remind yourself of what you really enjoy doing, especially if you’ve been living under someone else’s agenda for so long that you feel like you’ve forgotten. What truly makes YOU happy? What kinds of things, people, activities, music, memories, places, foods, smells, make you feel alive? By verbalizing what you want to see more of in your life, you will consciously (or subconsciously) seek it out more often.

2. Carve out a few hours of “me time” every week.

I call this “taking yourself out on a date.” Every week, mark off a few hours on your calendar to spend all by yourself – no work, no kids, no chores, no girlfriends, no Facebook. Use that time to do something that makes YOU happy, regardless of what other people might think. For instance, if you love art museums or foreign films or long walks in the park listening to the birds, go out there and have fun doing it! Stop waiting for “someone to go with” because you’re afraid to go to the movies or to dinner at that new restaurant by yourself. Or, just run a bubble bath or take a long drive into the country to have some peaceful time alone to think.

3. Say “no” to activities you no longer enjoy.

Are you overwhelmed with responsibilities at home, at work, or in your personal relationships? Maybe you find it hard to say “no” when people ask you for favors, even if you barely have enough time for yourself as it is. A great way to change this pattern is to start saying “I would love to help if I could, but I can’t” to things you really and truly don’t want to do. Stop working late. Delegate more. Get rid of all current commitments that no longer bring you joy and start limiting any new commitments to people other than yourself. When you do this, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much happier you’ll be with the commitments in your life that you actually DO care about.

4. Let go of unfulfilling relationships.

Maybe there’s a romantic relationship that you’ve allowed yourself to stay in, only out of fear that you won’t find anyone else. Perhaps you’ve grown far apart from your best friend from high school but you feel guilty about not wanting to hang out with her anymore. Or it could be that it’s time to ditch your Negative Nellie co-worker who’s always bringing you down with her constant problems. Even though it can be tough to let go of these kinds of relationships, it’s better for both parties in the long run. Release unfulfilling relationships with truth and love. Because once you get rid of that baggage, you will have more mental and emotional space to cultivate better relationships in the future.

How can you make room for more happiness in your life? What do you need to let go of so you can have more time to devote to the life you really want?

The post 4 Ways to Make Room for More Happiness in Your Life first appeared on Happy Black Woman® | Personal & Professional Development for Black Women.

Many of us have “blind spots” that prevent us from seeing why we aren’t making money in our businesses.

If you’re feeling confused about why your revenue isn’t stacking up quite yet, don’t sweat it.

In this post, I spill the tea on 3 common reasons why your cash flow might be playing hard to get!

Reason #1: You don’t have a revenue goal that makes sense.

It’s really hard to reach your revenue goal when you haven’t actually defined what it is. I teach my clients to get crystal clear on how much money they want to make for the year and then break it down month by month. In addition, your revenue goal should be based on your past performance, your future projections and what feels “doable” for you vs. impossible to achieve. Successful entrepreneurs have specific revenue goals and then reverse-engineer their marketing and sales strategy to make sure they achieve them!

Reason #2: You don’t have a plan that is aligned with your revenue goal.

When many of my clients first come to me, they have a false belief they are going to be able to make 10K per month by selling low-end offers to a small audience. But the reality is that if you want to earn that kind of money, you have to craft a detailed annual, monthly and weekly plan to ensure that you’re selling the right offers at the right price to the right audience with the right marketing strategy and the right sales process.

Reason #3: You don’t have accountability to help you execute your plan.

Even when you have a plan, it’s still not easy to reach your revenue goal. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it, right? The plan needs to be executed consistently so you can see results month after month. Which is why it’s so important to have the right training, coaching and support structures in place. Since my first 6-figure year in 2014, I’ve had access to masterminds, events, mentors and coaching to help me take action every month and adjust my plan when things are not working.

The post 3 Reasons Why You’re Not Making Money in Your Business first appeared on Happy Black Woman® | Personal & Professional Development for Black Women.

One of the biggest challenges Black women entrepreneurs face in making progress on our business goals can be summed up in one deflating, five-word sentence.

I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TIME.

Now, I get it. Everyone is busy.

However, it’s important to know when you’re using your time wisely vs wasting your precious time on things that don’t matter.

Because no matter what your situation is, it’s up to you how to spend the limited time that you DO have.

If you’re been frustrated with your progress in your business, it may be time to take a close look at your calendar and reevaluate your weekly schedule so that you can maximize your productivity.

Here are 6 simple ways to make time for your business, even if you have a demanding full-time job, kids or other responsibilities.

1. Use mornings before work.

I call this the “morning 5 to 9.” Block out a few hours between 5am and 9am to complete tasks for your business. Hint: set your alarm (or multiple alarms) to help you wake up earlier! This may also require you to go to bed earlier, as well.

2. Use evenings after work.

I call this the “evening 5-9.” After work, jump right into your to-do list for your own business. This could also be 7pm-11pm, or any other timeframe. Eat dinner, put the kids to bed, etc, then get to work!

3. Leave work on time.

Now would be a great time to set strict boundaries on how late you work at your day job. If you come in (or log on) at 9am, plan your day so you can end at 5pm so you can work on your business.

4. Use weekends and vacation days.

Reduce (but don’t eliminate!) social time. Take part of your vacation for actual R&R, then use the rest for working on your business. Schedule major projects around holidays, 3-day weekends and times that are clear for you to be out of the office.

5. Maximize your lunch hour and break time.

First of all, take your designated work breaks! Then use some of them to send emails, create content, follow up with potential clients, schedule meetings or simply jot down ideas.

6. Stop watching TV and scrolling social media.

You get a big chunk of “extra time” if you eliminate TV and mindless social media consumption. You should be working while everyone else is watching Netflix and scrolling Instagram!

If you were to implement just one of these time-management strategies, you would create the space for increased productivity and increased revenue.

Just imagine… what would be possible for you and your business if you let go of the limiting belief that you don’t have enough time?

The post 6 Simple Ways to Make Time for Your Business first appeared on Happy Black Woman® | Personal & Professional Development for Black Women.

The first thing I do with each of my coaching clients is help them get clarity on the “big picture” vision they have for their life and business. In this post, I wanted to share part of this powerful process to assist you in planning for success!

Here are 3 key questions to ask yourself as you create your own passion-based business plan for the next 12 months.

1. What does success look like for me in my business?

Imagine what success would look like for you in your business if everything worked out the way you wanted. Ideally, what accomplishments, outcomes or impact do you want to see in your life as a result of your business? For most women, success includes an inspiring combination of being able to use their unique, God-given talents to do what they love, make a difference, leave a legacy and provide for their family. For me, success in my business involves fulfilling my true purpose by using my gifts to make an impact on women’s lives and earning a great income, all while being able to travel the world!

2. What kind of work do I most want to be doing?

This is where you tap into your passion for the work you truly LOVE to do. What part of your business really makes you come alive? Do you prefer to focus on writing books, coaching women, tutoring college students, speaking at conferences around the country, etc. this year? You want to make sure you love what you’re doing, otherwise it becomes harder to attract clients and customers. In my business, I want to be spending most of my time writing, teaching and coaching. For me, those are my primary “zones of genius” where I feel I can make the most impact for the most people.

3. How much money do I want to earn in my business per year?

Be honest: how much money do you want to earn from your business over the course of the year? Notice that I said WANT, not NEED. Many women are struggling in their business because they only hustle to bring in the bare minimum revenue that they need to meet their monthly bills, instead of making more than enough to live their ideal lifestyle. But it’s time for more of us to begin thriving, not simply surviving. Here’s how to do it: start by writing down your annual salary goal, being careful to make it big enough to motivate you to keep taking consistent action, but not too big where it feels impossible and overwhelming. Then, multiply that number by 3 to get the amount of revenue you would need to bring into the business to be able to pay yourself that salary. For instance, if you want to earn $100K in personal income from the business, aim to bring in about $300K in revenue for the year.

Once you know the answers to these questions, your next step is to create what I call a 12-month Money M.A.P. (monthly action plan) that will get you from where you are now to your revenue goal.

Then you can start making intentional, strategic progress, one step at a time.

The post 3 Questions to Create a Passion-Based Business Plan first appeared on Happy Black Woman® | Personal & Professional Development for Black Women.