We Stopped Codeswitching and This is What Happened

You've heard Mel talk about stopping the performance. But what does it actually look like when you do?

In this episode, Mel sits down with career development and leadership coach Torriel Harris for a conversation that gets real about what happened when two Black women decided to stop code switching in their businesses, their branding, and how they show up every single day. Links: Torriel's Command the Room, Sis Program: TikTok about President of Heritage Foundation: / Book a Digital Brand Audit: Join the rebellion on Substack: substack.com/@mellynated Subscribe to the YouTube channel: Be a Codeswitch Rebellion guest for season 2: Timestamps: 0:00 — Introduction & Guest Overview 1:06 — Show Intro 1:45 — Welcome, Torriel Harris 2:17 — Torriel's Work & Why She Chose It 2:52 — Torriel's Journey: New York, California & Back 5:39 — How Her Business Was Born 6:13 — Fear of Niching Down to Black & Brown Women 7:53 — The Business Coach Who Pushed White Male Role Models 9:05 — Dealing With Trolls & Staying in Your Lane 10:12 — The Stats: Promotion Disparities for Women of Color 12:52 — The Movement to Get 1,000 Black & Brown Women Promoted 1 4:03 — Torriel's Personal Journey of Self-Acceptance 15:08 — Rejecting White Standards of Professionalism 16:15 — The Anti-Racist Art Center That Changed Everything 18:32 — Redefining What Professionalism Actually Means 21:17 — "Professionally Dope" — Knowing Your Zone of Genius 22:54 — Authentic Marketing: What You See Is What You Get 24:35 — The Layoff & The Journey Back to Self 27:26 — Self-Acceptance & Personal Branding as Identity Work 33:22 — Torriel's Program: Command the Room Sis 35:32 — Stop Downplaying Your Greatness 37:08 — Black Women Carry the Weight of the World 38:18 — Black Women as Catalysts for Change (The TikTok) 39:23 — Own Your Accomplishments 40:28 — Wrap Up & Season 2 Preview