Is Toya Talks only for Black Women?

I am a black woman therefore I speak from the experiences of a Black Woman. Where the experiences of Black Women are similar and familiar it’s easy for Black Women to identify with me. I always advocate for Black Women because we aren’t always chosen first and are often under-represented in spaces where we should be present and seen. But I do have women of different races and backgrounds including men who write to me thanking me for the value Toya Talks brings. Toya Talks allows you to put your career into perspective and encourages you too think about how you navigate the office politics in the pursuit of career success, providing you with proactive solutions and that objective transcends to all irrespective of race, gender, creed or background.

Isn’t being assertive at work setting yourself up for problems in the workplace?

Being a Black Woman asserting yourself, being confident or even forth-right is laced with all types of stereotypes and preconceived negativity. The reality is you can continue as is or you can accept that these stereotypes exist and rather than subdue you, you take control. These stereotypes are used as a weapon to subdue and oppress you from questioning things or even stunt your career growth, but when you learn to use the governance process and become a career politician using the Toya Talks platform you strategically navigate the hurdles created by those stereotypes.

Can men benefit from the Toya Talks platform?

Most definitely. I find the experiences of men in the workplace is much different especially Black Men. I regularly receive emails from Black Men sharing their experiences and how they have used the learnings from the Toya Talks platform and adapted it to their work situations and yielded positive results.

What four words would best describe the Toya Talks platform?

Educational
Career Defining
Success Driven
Safe

Is there such a thing as being a rich employee?

I am yet to meet a rich employee, but this does not mean that one does not exist. It also depends on how you define rich. Some people are rich in knowledge and passion for their careers, in monetary terms these things are priceless. But I do believe in reaching your full earning potential and this comes from understanding how to navigate the workplace and grow in your career, this could be in one organisation or several. I didn’t reach my full earning potential in one role; it came from different roles and as my experience grew so did my salary and job title. I reached a crossroads in my career and made the decision to go into contracting and becoming a consultant and I have never looked back. I encourage people to explore the things they love and are passionate about, this may come from their career financially fuelling their passions. What is important is ensuring you are on the path of knowing and reaching your full earning potential and Toya Talks provides you with the tools to do so.

How do black women break the stereotypes e.g. angry Black Woman?

Can stereotypes be broken? Can racism ever be eradicated? Both are forms of control developed by the oppressor to maintain their privilege and ‘control’. Taking back control requires an acknowledgment that stereotypes, racism and discrimination exists and not allowing these things to deter you from what your focus is. It’s easier said than done. Such negativity does affect you and the way you approach things it plays into your mental health, it’s not easy and having experienced discrimination and bullying in the work place I know first hand the mental gymnastics I had to go through to get to where I am today. These are some of the reasons Toya Talks was created, to educate and give you the tools to break down the barriers that are put in place to prevent you from success and also safeguarding your mental health. Success is a choice but how you get there has to be strategic especially success in the work place, it is achievable irrespective of the stereotypes that continue to exist and evolve.