Tamisha Williams Consulting

Feels good to be home.

Just off the road from co-leading an incredible leadership team retreat in Cali.

Got to catch up with the wife and Little One for a bit.

Then launched the TeachAAPI summer cohort of Cultural Humility in the Classroom.

June is not what I anticipated it would be like. I'm embracing this new season, which is bringing with it aligned and inspiring work.

Even though I'm not taking the month off as I anticipated, I'm being intentional about centering family time, getting outdoors, and reading for pure joy.

Going with the flow.
Adjusting when needed.
Living and loving life. 🫶🏾

How are y'all out there?

I got some feedback this week, y'all. And I did EXACTLY what I coach my clients not to do...

I led with intention and didn't focus on impact. 🤦🏾‍♀️

And I NOTICED it happening, but the words were already out and running before my sage brain could sn**ch them back. 😬

My survival brain saboteurs went into full go mode. The Pleaser (triggered by conflict) went into cleanup mode for the Controller (triggered by other people's mistakes).

And instead of:

✨👄✨ "Thank you for sharing how you and ___ experienced me. I see how my tone was hurtful and confusing. Moving forward, I'll be more mindful of how I'm giving directions. I'd love an opportunity to speak directly with ___ if that's helpful."

I said:
👄 "So just to give a little context about what was happening at the time..."

Oof.

THAT shift only happens when you:
👉🏾 listen with curiosity
👉🏾 breathe and reconnect mind and body
👉🏾 pause to focus on impact over intent

After everything settled, I DID get to a response that honored impact. But in that moment y'all... it was a journey. 😅

Everybody has moments out of alignment with how they want to show up. The key 🗝️ is to assess, practice the redo, and keep building that muscle memory.

I pulled two cards yesterday that reminded me to stay in practice. Because I can't facilitate authentically what I'm not grounded in myself.

Grateful for community that creates space for clearing the air, recovery, and repair. 🫶🏾

If this resonated, drop a 🫶🏾 or share a moment when YOU caught yourself mid-reaction. I'd love to hear how you navigated it.

For most of my career, I was fluent in people-pleasing.

I said yes when I was overextended. I stayed in situations, professional and personal, longer than was healthy because I was afraid of the discomfort that comes with disappointing others. I called it dedication. Looking back, it was depletion.

Leaving a six-figure role in the middle of COVID, when everything felt uncertain, was one of the clearest acts of faith I've ever taken. While some were confused about my decision, I had never felt more grounded, more called, or more certain. I knew that following a path toward health, peace, and integrity was the right move, even when it didn't look like it on paper.

✨ More of my story, the one about choosing God's will over other people's expectations, is in my contribution to Stepping Out Unshaken, a beautiful compilation led by Dr. Valarie W. Harris and created with contributing authors who believe in the power of faith, reflection, and transformation. ✨

I wrote it for every woman leader who has confused overextension with excellence. Who has stayed too long, said yes too often, and wondered why she's exhausted.

Sustainable leadership starts on the inside. And sometimes the most courageous leadership move you'll make is choosing yourself.

🚨 There is a limited pre-order window. Pre-order now through June 19th. 🚨

Paperback $25 | Hardback $35 | Shipping included. 🔗 LINK IN BIO or https://square.link/u/16VDSt0R

This is your reminder to step away from the screen today.

▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️

One of my Abuntu principles is Attune To Your Inner Compass. Your inner compass does not speak in Slack notifications. It speaks in slow walks. In laughter. In the way your shoulders drop when you finally exhale.

Sustainable leadership includes knowing when to take a break and log off.

Go touch some grass. Or dirt/clay. Or water. Literally.

Richmond keeps reminding me why I love this place... And at the heart is community. 🖤

I went to one event. Saw these two. Then an hour or so later... pulled up to a completely different event. And there they were again. 😂

I love when my communities collide. BLCK Street folks showing up at MBL. MBL members at InUnison. InUnison women in NAWBO circles. NAWBO members over at HQ. It's not a coincidence, it's the culture here.

And here's what I've learned: seeing familiar faces in new rooms doesn't mean I'm just running in the same circles and only connecting with the same people. It means I've found my people, we're all moving with intention, growing in a variety of spaces.

That's the heart of my Abuntu principle, Assemble Your Crew.

It's not just about who you know. It's about cultivating community that is loving, supportive, and affirming.

Community that cheers you on, challenges your thinking, holds you accountable, opens doors you didn't even know existed, and helps you dream bigger than you thought possible.

✨ Your crew doesn't just sustain you. They expand you. ✨

Shoutout to these two. I'm grateful our paths keep crossing. 🙏🏾

Who's a part of your crew? Drop their name or tag them below 👇🏾

.rva


networking

Our affirmation for the week is...
I choose progress over perfection.

This is an especially good one for me right now. This week has included just enough mini disruptions to my schedule which have impacted how much I've been able to get done. 🙄

I try to negotiate with myself creative ways to squeeze more work time in, KNOWING it's not gonna happen.

So at the end of the day, I have to remind myself that I did my best and I at least made progress.

I also realize that I'm waiting for the perfect conditions to do some things, but at this time, I need to move forward with 'good enough'. And that's going to require me adjusting a few expectations.

So this morning, I'm choosing progress over perfection. Not sitting in "I wish I could have," or "If only," land, but instead choosing:

✨ Steady action, assessment, and adjustment.
✨ Navigating setbacks with hope and possibility.
✨ Replacing disappointment with the celebration of small wins.

This is one of the principles I come back to again and again in my own Abuntu framework; Activate Your Plan.

Not the perfect plan. Not the fully-formed, all-conditions-met plan. The one that's good enough to move you forward today.

That small step? That's the activation.

🫶🏾 If you need a little nudge this week, this affirmation card is from my Abuntu Affirmation Card Deck. It includes 52 affirmations designed to help you pause, reflect, and take one small step forward. Link in bio to grab yours.

🔗 AffirmationCardDeck.com

Mahogany put on her Observation Binoculars and we went looking for worms in the rain. 🐛🔭😆

Everything is a lesson when you're me, so of course there's a whole coaching moment in here, about slow movement, staying deliberate, and trusting the quiet seasons.

New newsletter is up and it's for anyone wondering if anything is actually happening in their slow season.

Spoiler: it is. 🐌🤎

Link in bio 🔗 or head to tamishawilliams.com

This week's affirmation is, "I embody hope and creativity."

This affirmation is encouraging us to see possibilities over impossibilities. To see a way through, instead of only seeing the barriers.

Hope and creativity are not about ignoring our denying the challenges we face. Rather, they empower us to get unstuck with renewed energy.

🤔 Where have you been stuck in problem-focused thinking instead of possibility thinking?

💡 What creative approach to a current challenge haven't you tried yet? Brainstorm the unconventional. The weirder the better. Get out of your routine and find possibility in the unexpected.

▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️

This week's card is your gentle nudge to shift from "I don't see a way out" to "I haven't tried that yet."

If you want a physical reminder sitting on your desk, in your bag, or being passed around your team, the Abuntu Affirmation Card Deck is 60 cards of exactly this kind of grounded, practical encouragement.