Thanks for having me! What should you know? I would start with that my mission is to support Black women in curating lives filled with joy, ease, abundance, and psychological safety. That’s why I founded The Great Exhale.

The backstory is that more than any other identity group, Black women are tired, stressed, overlooked, over-extended, and often psychologically unsafe—especially at work.

For example, I remember being told, repeatedly, that I had to sit at the back of the company shuttle. No, I am not making that up. I remember delivering a presentation at work, and watching on as everybody was thanked–except me. I remember participating in a group project, then being asked to take the photo of the group, so I wouldn’t appear in the photo. I remember people touching my hair and being afraid to draw a hard boundary for fear of being dubbed the “angry Black woman,” or worse: being fired. I remember being put on a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) because I did not smile enough.

That’s a small glimpse at my lived experience, and over the years, as I looked around at the high-achieving Black women in my circle, their experiences echoed mine. And the data backs this up: A report by Black Women Thriving states that in their professional lives, fewer than 50% of Black women feel happy at their job. 66% feel emotionally unsafe at work. More than 88% have experienced burnout. A recent study by Boston University revealed that among all women, Black women aged 18-65 have the highest suicide risk. The. Highest.Working While Black and Existing While Black can be challenging, and Black women in particular are collectively exhausted. We’re hanging on by a thread.

As an activist, a part of my remit is to shine a light on issues affecting my community. As a Reiki Master, it is my duty to do whatever I can to help to make things better: to heal, uplift, elevate, and nurture. Out of the intersection between my activism and my healing work, The Great Exhale was born.

I founded The Great Exhale in order to serve and support Black women like myself who are in search of a respite from harmful spaces and organizational cultures. The Great Exhale is a private membership community designed to be a soft, safe, healing sanctuary where Black women around the globe can relax, lay their burdens down…and exhale.

I am an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, and award-winning activist. My work centers Black women, and encompasses self-care, community care, introversion, and Black joy. I am the Founder of The Great Exhale, the award-winning private membership community where Black women can relax, lay their burdens down…and exhale. I am also the Founder of For The Culture And The Coins™, a movement dedicated to inspiring Black people around the globe to build whole-life wealth.

As you can probably tell, I’m a fan of building my own table rather than waiting to be invited to one. That’s how The Great Exhale came into being. I saw a need and decided to fulfill it; I saw a pain point, and stepped up to do my part to make things better. I am unabashedly proud of that.

The #BlackWomanCrisis has been brewing for decades – probably longer – and of late it seems to be coming to a head. Just look at the experiences of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson, actresses Angela Bassett and Taraji P. Henson, former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, and most recently University Vice President Dr. Bonnie Candia-Bailey, who tragically died by suicide as a result of workplace mobbing. The Great Exhale provides some relief from this kind of experience, as well as support, sisterhood, and survival strategies.

In addition to supporting Black women on an individual/personal basis, The Great Exhale is also an ideal strategic partner for organizations that are serious about improving employee retention. Providing/sponsoring memberships to The Great Exhale helps companies to:

 Promote workplace wellness

 Diversify their talent pipeline

 Reduce attrition and turnover

 Increase employee engagement

 Enhance the onboarding experience

 Enrich their benefits and EAP offerings

To get started, companies can reach us at sponsorship@thegreatexhale.com

That’s a lot of detail, but it all really comes down to how the community is enjoying the space. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Here’s what some of our members have had to say:

“There are no words to express how safe and soothing this space is, how important it is…As a mental health advocate and a researcher I can say without a doubt this space is needed, it’s vital, and it will continue to be.” — Chantell F.

“The Great Exhale is a vibe, a balm and an amazing collective. I am in awe of the intelligence, compassion and creativity of this group of Black Women. A few sentences is not enough to explain how groundbreaking this movement is. A safe and secure place for women who look like me is so necessary. The healing, laughter, and collective compassion are black joy in a bottle. – Valerie P.

“#TheGreatExhale what a breath of fresh air it’s been in my new found journey of life…Thanks for seeing me when I lost myself. – Cheryl B

“I signed up at The Great Exhale today. My work here is done, today is already great. If you’re a black woman, ANYWHERE in the world, please join this soft place of sisterhood and support.” – Anya S.

“There are no words to express how safe and soothing this space is, how important it is…As a mental health advocate and a researcher I can say without a doubt this space is needed, it’s vital, and it will continue to be.” — Chantell F.