LELA House

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  • Celebrate Executive Coach Day with SDJ

    Celebrate Executive Coach Day with SDJ

    Hello and Happy Executive Coach Day!

    I’ve created something new to celebrate Executive Coach Day, and I want to share it with you. I hope you’ll love it and spread the word.

    I’m launching a community for Black women academics, from ABD to senior leaders. I call this new community Sistahs on the Doctoral Journey (SDJ), and it’s a space where we support, celebrate, encourage, connect, and build together.

    Imagine:

    • Celebrating your wins, big and small, with women who truly understand the magnitude of your achievements.
    • Finding profound encouragement when imposter syndrome rears its head.
    • Connecting with a powerful network of Black women, from ABD students to senior administrators, who are ready to share wisdom, resources, and unwavering support.
    • Discovering the intellectual and spiritual sanctuary you’ve been craving within our dedicated space for growth and connection.
    • Building your legacy while benefiting from the methods and mindsets of the 19th Century Black women who came before you.

    We will do this through…

    • Pillar channels. Through these channels, you’ll connect with other women in the same stage of the journey as you and tackle the real issues you face day to day.
    • Recorded readings from 19th Century women. I post a weekly video of a reading from a 19th Century text. After watching the video for the week, you can join an asynchronous community discussion on how the lessons from the lineage apply to your work and legacy.
    • Monthly open houses. We have a live virtual meet up once per month to connect with one another, decompress, and build toward our next.
    • Match-ups. You will be matched with another sistah in the community either weekly, biweekly, or monthly (based on your preferences). These match-ups lead to mentorship, collaboration, friendship, and connection. You’ll get to know other community members beyond surface level and form bonds that help sustain you on your doctoral journey.

    The community will launch on July 1, 2026 for $97/month, but if you join the wait list between May 1, 2026 and June 30, 2026, you can unlock the $77/month Founders Rate for as long as you stay in the community. You just need to use the following Coupon Code: FOUNDING77MON.

    You can find out more and sign up at this link.

    There is no pressure for you to join SDJ (although I hope you do, because I think you’ll find it valuable).  Please check it out at the link below and be sure to use the following coupon code, which is good through 6/30/26. 

    FOUNDING77MON

    Sistahs on the Doctoral Journey

    Thank you! I can’t wait to see you inside SDJ! And please share with whoever you think would love this, too!

  • I Made the Mistakes on My Doctoral Journey So You Don’t Have To

    I Made the Mistakes on My Doctoral Journey So You Don’t Have To

    Videography by John Lore of John Lore Photo & Video

    I earned my Ph.D. nine years after I started my coursework. I had many pitfalls and drama. Some of the drama was of my own creation, and most of it was avoidable. My journey took much longer than I anticipated and way longer than I wanted.

    I learned a lot from my experience, though. One of the most important lessons was that, by and large, academia and doctoral programs are not built for Black women. I didn’t see much representation of other women who looked like me, and I felt very alone, despite having a professor in a different department who eventually became a member of my committee. She really helped see me through, but because of the systemic differential in our power dynamic, I didn’t feel comfortable sharing my full self with her.

    I needed someone who operated outside of the academic system who also had firsthand knowledge of the system. I needed someone outside of my institution who could see things differently than I did. I needed someone who had been in my position and understood the journey. I needed someone who could help me get and stay on track and hold me accountable to my goals. I needed a partner who I could trust with myself and my work. In short, I needed a coach.

    So I became what I needed, and now I do this work for Black women in doctoral programs.

    If this resonates, post “I hear you!” in the comments.

    And for a sneak peak into the transformational work I do with clients, check out 10 Strategies for Navigating Your Doctoral Journey + Coaching Workbook.

  • Duolingo to Doctoral Journey

    Duolingo to Doctoral Journey

    My aunt and I were discussing our Duolingo progress the other day. She is studying Spanish, and I’m studying German, and neither of us is anywhere near fluency, despite impressively long daily streaks.

    I like Duolingo for what it is. It’s a fun social app that challenges me to learn a new language. I’m not expecting to gain fluency from it. I’m expecting to learn a little German. To gain fluency, I would need to spend time working on German with other people, especially people fluent in German.

    And if I had my druthers, I’d sit and talk with Dr. Georgiana Rose Simpson, the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in the US. She earned her doctorate in German in 1921 from the University of Chicago, at the age of 55. Fifty-five! She is proof you are not too old to follow your dreams. I won’t dive into her fascinating story today, but I encourage you to check it out here.

    What I will dive into is contemplating how difficult it had to have been for Dr. Simpson. Earning a doctorate is difficult under the best of circumstances. Earning one during the Jim Crow era had to have been unspeakably challenging. Yet she persevered.

    I wonder who supported her on her doctoral journey. I wonder what strategies she used. I wonder who she cried with when the road seemed impossible. I wonder what wellsprings of strength existed inside of her.

    And I wonder what it was like for her to be one of the first Black women on this doctoral journey. Two other Black women also earned Ph.D.’s in 1921–Dr. Sadie T. M. Alexander (the first National President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.) in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Eva B. Dykes (another member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.) in English from Radcliffe College. All three women graduated in June 1921, within days of each other

    I know what my doctoral journey was like. I felt alone and in the dark about many things. I earned my Ph.D. in English in 2009, 88 years after the first trio of Black women to do so, but I wonder if they felt much like I did. I wonder if they had anyone to talk to who really understood what they were going through. I think we too often travel this journey alone when we don’t have to.

    So if you are a Sistah on the Doctoral Journey, please know that you don’t have to travel alone. I’m here to support you and bear witness to all that this journey is for you.

    And I’m here to offer a little help. I’ve been helping people on their doctoral journeys for years, and I’ve created a workbook of strategies and coaching questions to help you navigate your own journey.

    Please click to purchase 10 Strategies for Navigating Your Doctoral Journey + Coaching Workbook. And leave a comment to share how the stories of these Black doctoral pioneers resonate with you.

    Onward.

  • Why do I have so many chins?

    Why do I have so many chins?

    I am part of a writing group that meets on Zoom. We all live in different states, so our regular Zoom meetings are a great way to keep in touch, encourage each other, and get some writing done.

    The other day, after we had set the timer for our writing, I found myself not writing. I didn’t have anything to say about anything. I looked at my friends writing and being productive, and I looked at myself on screen and noticed that I have a bunch of chins. So I wrote about it. I ended up writing a poem.

    Why Do I Have So Many Chins

    Why do I have so many chins, so many chins, so many chins? Why do I have so many chins? It’s a sign of a life well-lived.

    I’ve birthed babies and businesses and read some good books.

    In my younger days I got too many looks

    I’ve lounged and I’ve lazed

    and frittered and wasted

    I can’t even count all the pies I have tasted

    I’ve loved and I’ve climbed

    I’ve been rich; I’ve been broke

    I never, not once, have taken a smoke

    I’ve sat by the bedsides of my sick children and dying mom

    I’ve taught and I’ve learned and got stood up at prom

    I’ve sung and I’ve danced

    I’ve even trapezed

    I once got stopped by Austrian police.

    I’ve cried and comforted

    Been torn down and built up

    And in everything, God fills up my cup

    Why do I have so many chins, so many chins, so many chins? Why do I have so many chins? It’s a sign of a life well-lived.

  • No Sound

    No Sound

    Y’all. My last 2 recorded readings didn’t have sound. I don’t know why. I’m not doing anything differently than I have in the past. I’m looking into it.

    I just wanted to update you, in case you were wondering what is going on with the lapse in readings.

    Have no fear, I have more 19th Century literature by and about black people for you. Satan is just trying to hold a sistah back, and we are having none of that.

    Until next time.

  • Technology Woes

    Hi all,

    I will not post a reading today. I’m having all the technology woes, and I need to take a break. Since I talk about educators making sure to take care of ourselves, I am going to do just that. I’ll rest for now and get back at it later.

    Come next week, however, we will continue reading Chapter 15 of Elizabeth Keckley’s Behind the Scenes.

    Until then, let me know how you’re taking care of yourself this weekend. Either school has recently started or it will start soon, so I know you need a break, too.

  • What I’m Reading Wednesday – No New Collection System Edition

    So I don’t have a list of articles I’ve read in the past week, because I hit my storage limit in Evernote. Yes, I told you this last time. And the time before that. I clearly haven’t figured out how to keep the articles I read. Or if I want to do so.

    At this point, having not yet figured out a new system, I have to ask myself if having a collection system is really what I want. Now there are things that I truly want that I’m not currently making any moves on, but generally speaking, if I want something, I’ll figure out at least how to get started. I’m a great starter. But I haven’t done so yet, so I’m going to coach myself by asking some powerful, clarifying questions. I’ll get back to you next time about what I uncovered.

    Update on Interview with the Vampire. I have released it. It was the right decision.

    Now back to my regularly scheduling posting.

    On to the reading for this week.

    • She Builds: The Anti-Hustle Guide to Grow Your Business and Nourish Your Life – Jadah Sellner
    • A Healing Touch: The Power of Prayer – Melanie Hemry
    • When Women Were Dragons – Kelly Barnhill

    If you’ve read any of these or plan to read them, please leave a comment. I figure most of us could use someone to talk to about what we’re reading.

    And lastly, but very importantly, what are you reading?

    Enjoy your reading this week!

  • What I’m Reading Wednesday – Foiled Again Edition

    What I’m Reading Wednesday – Foiled Again Edition

    So I don’t have a list of articles I’ve read in the past week, because I hit my storage limit in Evernote. Yes, I told you this last time. I figured if I waited until a new month began that my monthly storage limit would reset. But it didn’t. And I kept checking daily, and it kept not resetting. So now, I do not have a list of the articles I’ve read this past week. Rest assured, however, I’ve read articles.

    There was an article about how T-Rexes might have had lips covering their ferocious maws. I read several articles on Inquiry-based education. Oh, and I don’t know what all else, but I read articles aplenty.

    And now I have to find a new way to track the articles I read. Yes, I could do a spreadsheet, but web clipping in Evernote is so much easier. I want something as easy as web clipping in Evernote but without the storage limits. Hopefully I will have settled upon something by next Wednesday. I’ll keep you posted.

    I didn’t make much progress in my books, though. Oddly, I just didn’t feel like reading them. Plus, I’m in a very weird holding loop with my public library. I use the Libby app (which is awesome) to manage my electronic book borrowing, and I find that most books I want are not available, so I put them on hold. And then I get them and I can’t finish them in the 2 weeks I’m allotted, so I put them on hold again. In the past week, I’ve had so many books come to me that I had on hold. I can’t read all of those books in 2 weeks, so then I delay their delivery to me, and I am trying to strategically have them delivered. Who else is going through this? What are your strategies?

    And then there is Interview with the Vampire. I was halfway through the book when I last was actively reading it. It’s a hefty book, too, so halfway is significant progress.. It’s a really good book. But do I want to finish it? I don’t know. I usually don’t have any problem letting books go. If I’m not into them, I stop reading them, because there are so many other things I want to read. I’m struggling to let Interview with the Vampire go, though. So I’m languishing.

    Now back to my regularly scheduling posting.

    Each Wednesday, I will post a snapshot of what I’ve read since the previous Wednesday. It will be a collection of books and articles. Please be advised that I pick up and put down books and interests with abandon. You might find I’ve read deeply on a topic for a month or that I’ll pick up a book that I haven’t read in a year and start back right where I left off. I follow my interests in my reading, and that can be wide ranging.

    If you are interested in seeing more than a snapshot of what I’m reading, you can check out the link to my Evernote notebook cleverly titled “What I’m Reading.” I don’t always remember to clip internet articles to Evernote (and sometimes it won’t let me). NB – And hopefully we will have a new system next week.

    On to the reading for this week.

    • She Builds: The Anti-Hustle Guide to Grow Your Business and Nourish Your Life – Jadah Sellner
    • A Healing Touch: The Power of Prayer – Melanie Hemry
    • Interview with the Vampire – Anne Rice
    • Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You – Elaine N. Aron
    • Dusk of Dragons (Age of the Sorcerers – Book 6) – Morgan Rice (yes, I’ve read books 1-5 and will likely finish this series. That is saying something, because these books end on cliffhangers, and I can’t stand that, but the story is compelling, so I keep coming back for more. I’ve dropped other authors for cliffhangers, so I guess I’m really into it.) – And a note on cliffhangers – My mother-in-law once informed me that cliffhangers are thusly named because some movies back in the day would literally end with someone dangling from a cliff. I had no idea, but I’m better for the knowledge, so I’m passing it along to you.
    • Plus, I read 2 whole books on Monday (I got my reading mojo back), but as I’m not currently reading them, I didn’t include them here. Think small town, white supremacy, romance, and FBI for the first one. Think Highlanders, dragons, and romance for the second. Both books are parts of series. I don’t think I’ll follow the series for the first one, but I really do like dragon books, so I may keep up with the second. It may have a cameo appearance on this list. It’s not my first dragon series and won’t be my last. 🙂
    • If you are interested dragons and elves and assassins and romance and adventure and aliens and werewolves and steampunk and all the things, I recommend Lindsay Buroker to you. She is one of my favorite authors and is extremely prolific. I don’t even have one good starting point for you. She has lots and lots of series. Dive into one and enjoy.

    Evernote “What I’m Reading” Notebook

    If you’ve read any of these or plan to read them, please leave a comment. I figure most of us could use someone to talk to about what we’re reading.

    And lastly, but very importantly, what are you reading?

    Enjoy your reading this week!

  • Virtual Summer Reading Challenge for Adults

    Virtual Summer Reading Challenge for Adults

    Y’all, I’m thinking about hosting a virtual summer reading challenge for adults. I just thought of this this morning, so it’s not fully fleshed out, but below is what I’m thinking about.

    A themed challenge, not just a page count challenge. Some theme ideas follow.

    • Reading through specific genres.
    • Reading through the alphabet.
    • Reading through the states.
    • First and Last (read an author’s first book and their last book)
    • Through the decades (read a book published in each specified decade)
    • All of the above categories but we will only read authors of specific demographics (women, African Americans, etc.)

    There would be prizes, because who doesn’t love prizes. Some prize ideas follow.

    • Coaching session with me. Click to see your coaching possibilities.
    • Amazon gift card.
    • LELA Luxuries. LELA Luxuries are hand-made items (eg: candles and bookmarks) that I make and eventually plan to sell to the LELA House community.

    We also would enjoy synchronous Zoom gatherings. Those might look like a read-in, where we all sit and read together and then have a chance to discuss what we’re reading. If enough people participate, we can form teams and have some friendly competitions.

    I’ve started looking into platforms to host this, but I haven’t stumbled upon anything that feels right quite yet. As I said, however, I only began thinking about it this morning, so ideas are still a-brewing.

    I’d just love to do something fun to read with others and up my own reading game.

    I would charge a nominal fee ($5) to participate. Spending $5 for a chance to get personalized coaching, an Amazon gift card, and swag is a pretty good deal, if I say so myself. I would totally do it. 🙂

    What do you think? Are you in?

    If you’re interested, sign up below. You will not be charged by signing up. This is just my way of learning how many people are interested in participating. I’ll send you more information as summer approaches, and you will have the opportunity to opt out, if you so choose.

    Click here to sign up!

  • What I’m Reading Wednesday – Get out of My Head Edition

    So I don’t have a full list of what I’ve read in the past week, because I hit my storage limit in Evernote. I’ve been saving articles for less than a month, so it doesn’t bode well that I hit my limit prior to the end of the month. I’m not sure how I’ll move forward. I’ll keep you posted.

    Now back to my regularly scheduling posting.

    Each Wednesday, I will post a snapshot of what I’ve read since the previous Wednesday. It will be a collection of books and articles. Please be advised that I pick up and put down books and interests with abandon. You might find I’ve read deeply on a topic for a month or that I’ll pick up a book that I haven’t read in a year and start back right where I left off. I follow my interests in my reading, and that can be wide ranging.

    If you are interested in seeing more than a snapshot of what I’m reading, you can check out the link to my Evernote notebook cleverly titled “What I’m Reading.” I don’t always remember to clip internet articles to Evernote (and sometimes it won’t let me).

    On to the reading for this week.

    Evernote “What I’m Reading” Notebook

    If you’ve read any of these or plan to read them, please leave a comment. I figure most of us could use someone to talk to about what we’re reading.

    And lastly, but very importantly, what are you reading?

    Enjoy your reading this week!