Guest Episode

Corporate Lingo Decoded: Speak Up & Sound Strategic at Work (with Jessica Guzik)

By Trill MBA Show — 5 months ago

S9: E20

Episode Summary

What if sounding “smart” at work isn’t about your IQ, but about learning a language that corporate never taught you? In this episode, Felicia sits down with leadership coach and host of The Art of Speaking Up podcast, Jessica Guzik, to unpack how Black women can show up with presence, clarity, and confidence in corporate spaces without losing authenticity.

Jessica and Felicia break down the mindset shifts and tactical phrases that help you stop downplaying your brilliance and start getting heard.

In This Episode, We Cover:

Why struggling to speak up at work is about skills, not smarts
The hidden “corporate lingo” that leaves many women feeling insecure
STAR statements and other frameworks that make your stories land
How internal processors can thrive in fast-moving meetings
The difference between confidence and competence — and why confidence often wins
Practical phrases to buy time, push back, and sound strategic
How to show your thinking process so your expertise is visible
Reframing self-promotion so it feels natural (your work can’t talk — you have to)
Why asking “tell me more” is the ultimate leadership move

Jessica Guzik is a women’s leadership coach and host of The Art of Speaking Up podcast, where she helps high-achieving corporate women build confidence, find their voices, and become wildly effective leaders. Before becoming a coach, she worked as a corporate strategist at McKinsey & Company and held executive-level roles at major consumer brands, including The Walt Disney Company. Her work has been featured in The New York Times and Harper’s Bazaar UK.

Resources & Next Steps

🎙️The Art of Speaking Up Podcast – Listen in Apple | Listen in Spotify
💼 Work with Jess: The Art of Speaking Up Academy
🧰 Free Resources from Jess Guzic Coaching
💼 FMLA Leave & Retaliation Tracker – Protect your job before and after leave. Document retaliation, track every move, and get paid if they play dirty.
💼 Career Coaching with Felicia – Book a personalized strategy session.
📩 Listener Letters – Send your questions to ask@trillmba.com (subject: “Listener Letter”).
🎧 Subscribe & Leave a Review – Subscribe on YouTube and drop a comment to help us grow.
💡 Follow @TrillMBAshow – Stay updated on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Until next time, keep it trill! 🎙️✨

Post Views: 1,447

This Is Me: Choosing Peace After Corporate Burnout with Lisa Hurley Pt. 2

By Trill MBA Show — 8 months ago

S9 Ep 15
In this episode, Felicia continues her conversation with author, activist, and Reiki Master Lisa Hurley, diving even deeper into the emotional work of rebuilding your identity after corporate burnout. If you’ve ever found yourself smiling through exhaustion, shrinking to stay employed, or holding your breath at work just to get through the day — this conversation is your call to exhale and reclaim your truth.

Post Views: 1,465

This Ain’t It: Reclaiming Identity After Workplace Burnout with Lisa Hurley Pt. 1

By Trill MBA Show — 9 months ago

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S9 Ep 14

This Ain’t It: Reclaiming Identity After Workplace Burnout with Lisa Hurley Pt. 1

Have you ever looked around at your job, your life, and thought, “This ain’t it”?

In this deeply personal and energizing conversation, Felicia sits down with author, activist, and Reiki Master Lisa Hurley to talk about her new book, Space to Exhale — a guide to healing from the inside out after the grind of corporate life has worn you down.

Lisa shares her own journey of identity loss, job trauma, and spiritual exhaustion — and how she found her way back to joy, softness, and sovereignty. From navigating layoffs and toxic managers to redefining self-worth outside of titles and roles, this episode is a must-listen for every Black woman trying to hold it together in systems designed to tear us down.

If you’re tired of holding your breath at work, wondering how you even got here, this conversation is your reminder to pause, breathe, and begin again — on your own terms.

In this episode, we unpack:

Why your job title is not your identity
How burnout disconnects you from your purpose
The pressure to “make your parents proud” — and at what cost
The emotional toll of constantly code-switching
What it means to love yourself through the unraveling
How to reclaim your voice, body, and energy after surviving toxic workplaces

Plus: Felicia shares how corporate gaslighting and PIPs shaped her own journey, and why she stopped smiling through the pain. And Lisa? Let’s just say she’s got a fairy wand, a tutu, and some radical truth to sprinkle on your spirit.

This is part one of a two-part series with Lisa Hurley. Make sure to catch Part 2 dropping next week.

Resources & Next Steps:

Click Here to Order Space to Exhale

Want a free copy of Lisa Hurley’s powerful new book, Space to Exhale?

🎁 We’re giving away 5 copies — but to enter, you’ll need to listen to Part 2 of this conversation (dropping June 22, 2025) for the full instructions and giveaway question. 📬 Hint: You’ll be asked to reflect on how you’re making space to breathe in your own life. First 5 thoughtful responses win. Deadline to enter is Sunday, June 29, 2025.

💼 Career Fast-Track System – Felicia’s training session to help you create your promotion plan using the P.I.E. model

💼 Career Consulting with Felicia – Facing challenges at work? Book a career strategy session to get personalized strategies for navigating your career.

📩 Listener Letters – Send your questions to ask@trillmba.com.

🎧 Subscribe & Leave a Review – Love the show? Subscribe on YouTube and leave a comment to help us grow and make more awesome content for you.

💡 Follow @TrillMBAshow – Stay updated with career tips and new episodes on LinkedIn.

Until next time, keep it trill! 🎙️✨

Post Views: 1,093

Career Clarity Unlocked: How to Reinvent Yourself After Workplace Burnout

By Trill MBA Show — 9 months ago

S9 Ep 13
In this episode, Felicia is joined by executive coach and corporate truth-teller Ronnie Dickerson Stewart to explore what happens when you do everything “right” in your career—and still end up feeling stuck, drained, and misaligned. If you’ve ever questioned your path, felt guilty for wanting more, or found yourself saying “this ain’t it,” this episode is your permission slip to do something about it.

Heather Spilsbury CEO of 5050 Women on Boards Demystifying Corporate Boards

Post Views: 1,208

Demystifying The Board Room: How to Position Yourself for Corporate Board Leadership

By Trill MBA Show — 9 months ago

S9 Ep 12
In this episode, Felicia is joined by Heather Spilsbury, CEO of 50/50 Women on Boards, to break down the real deal behind corporate boards, and how you, yes YOU, can secure your rightful seat at the table.
Whether you’ve been eyeing board seats or you’re completely new to the concept, you’ll walk away clear-eyed about what corporate boards do, why they matter, and what it truly takes to serve on one.

Raslyn C Wooten From surviving Target to Thriving

Post Views: 1,286

From Surviving Target to Thriving: Raslyn’s Legal Victory and Career Evolution

By Trill MBA Show — 10 months ago

S9 Ep 10
In this highly anticipated conclusion to our powerful two-part replay, Raslyn C. Wooten continues her incredible journey of surviving and thriving despite facing repeated workplace sabotage at Target. If you thought Part 1 was intense, buckle up—Raslyn’s story only gets more compelling as she details exactly how she navigated the politics, bias, and systemic gaslighting that tried to derail her career.
With Target’s recent dismantling of their $2 billion REACH initiative and the backlash they’re facing, Raslyn’s experiences highlight the critical lesson: performative allyship isn’t just inadequate—it’s damaging.
Join us as we close this replay with strategies you can use right now to protect your career, sanity, and dignity in environments that don’t value your worth.

Raslyn C. Wooten seated She survived 3 PIPs while working at Target

Post Views: 1,088

Target’s DEI Was Always Fake… This Story Proves It!

By Trill MBA Show — 10 months ago

S9 Ep 9
In this powerful replay episode, Felicia brings back one of the most jaw-dropping career survival stories we’ve ever shared. Raslyn C. Wooten takes us through her incredible journey of surviving not one, not two, but three PIPs (Performance Improvement Plans) at Target. Yes, you read that right.
Whether you’re currently navigating a toxic work situation or just want to armor up for your career journey, this replay will remind you: you are not crazy, you are not alone, and you can win — even when the odds are stacked against you.

Breana Jones is pictured She is a black woman with short straight hair Break Rules and Win at work without getting fired

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Break the Rules & Win at Work Without Getting Fired with Breana Jones

By Trill MBA Show — 11 months ago

S9 Ep 8
In this episode, Felicia is joined by marketing executive and leadership strategist Breana Jones to break down one of the most misunderstood concepts in the workplace: power.

Let’s be honest—corporate America wasn’t designed with Black women in mind. So how do we navigate it, win in it, and still protect our peace? It starts with understanding that power isn’t evil—it’s a tool. And knowing how to use it without burning out or getting fired? That’s the real flex.

Post Views: 1,545

Unfiltered Conversations on Identity, Humanity, and Blackness with Andre Thomas

By Trill MBA Show — 1 year ago

S8: Ep Bonus
In this special bonus episode, I sit down with my good friend and fellow podcaster, Andre Thomas, co-host of Healing Race, for a raw, unfiltered conversation about the complexities of identity, race, and relationships within the Black community. Though this episode steps away from our usual career-focused discussions, it touches on the human experiences that shape us—at work and in life.