Listen, Reader,

As a high-achieving Black woman, you’ve probably carried at least one of these stories. I know I have. So let's get into it:

1. “I have to be strong for everyone—always.”

What it sounds like: “I’ll hold it together. I can’t fall apart.”
​The research: The Strong Black Woman / Superwoman Trope (obligation to be strong, suppress emotion, succeed despite limited resources) is linked to elevated stress and adverse health outcomes. We pay for “strength” with our bodies.
​Reframe: Strength includes softness, rest, and receiving help.

2) “Asking for help makes me look weak.”

What it sounds like: “Therapy is for later. I’ll push through.”
​The research: Stigma plus workplaces that minimize bias keep many Black women from care and community support until burnout hits. Cultures must change—and so must the narrative that we must do it alone.
​Reframe: Help is a leadership skill. Healing is a competitive advantage.

3) “I need to do more to prove I belong.”

What it sounds like: “Let me take one more project… join one more committee… reply at midnight so no one questions my value.”
​The research: Much of what gets labeled “imposter syndrome” in women—especially women of color—is actually a response to biased environments, not a personal flaw.
​Reframe: You already belong. Boundaries are strategy, not selfishness.

4) “My title is my worth.”

What it sounds like: “If I’m not VP/C-Suite, who am I?”
​The research: Black women face daily digs, microaggressions and hurdles that narrow access to advancement and sponsorship, which can push us to over-identify with achievement to feel safe and seen.
​Reframe: Your value isn’t up for negotiation. Roles change; worth doesn’t.

You don’t have to untangle these stories by yourself. They lose power fastest in community—around women who see you, name the systems, reflect your brilliance back to you, and help you design a healthier path forward.

Stay Close. Enrollment for the BYOND Tribe Begins Soon!

With Care,