We were lucky to catch up with Marla Albertie, PhD recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Marla thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We believe kindness is contagious and so we’d love for you to share with us and our audience about the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

The kindest thing anyone has ever done for me was simple yet life-changing: they allowed me to be fully myself. Not the titles. Not the accomplishments. Not the strong version of me that everyone expects to see walk into a room. Just me. Marla.

I cannot point to one single person because, truthfully, there have been many people throughout my life who have offered me that kind of grace. And every single time, it mattered deeply. Because when the world constantly sees you as “the strong one,” “the educated one,” “the leader,” or “the woman who always has it together,” people sometimes forget there is still a human being underneath all of that.

There have been moments in my life where I was carrying unbearable grief while still showing up for everyone else. I am a grandmother raising my grandson after losing my son and daughter-in-law. I am a Black woman who has worked hard for every title behind my name. I run businesses, teach, speak, lead, and advocate. And sometimes people look at all of that and think strength means you no longer need softness, patience, or room to fall apart.

But the people who changed my life were the ones who said, without saying it directly, “You do not have to perform here. You do not have to be perfect here. You are allowed to simply be human.” This is what is saving me.

They allowed me to make mistakes without defining me by them. They allowed me to grieve without rushing me. They allowed me to laugh, cry, question, rest, and grow without placing impossible expectations on my shoulders. There is something sacred about being seen beyond your usefulness to others.

I think that is why it meant so much to me. Acceptance gives people room to breathe. And when people can finally breathe, they can flourish.

That kind of kindness does not just comfort a person for a moment; it changes the way they move through the world. It reminds them they are worthy even when they are tired, grieving, imperfect, or uncertain. It tells them they do not have to earn love by constantly proving their value.

To me, the greatest gift we can give another human being is the freedom to be exactly who they are while they are becoming who they are meant to be.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Dr. Marla J. Albertie, though many people know me simply as “Dr. A.” I am an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist, assistant professor, author, speaker, researcher, entrepreneur, nonprofit founder, veteran, and advocate. But beyond all of the titles, I am someone deeply passionate about people, purpose, healing, and helping others redesign their lives and workplaces in ways that feel more human.

My journey into Industrial-Organizational Psychology did not begin in a textbook. It began through life experience. I served in the United States Navy at a young age aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, where I quickly stepped into leadership roles. Over the years, I worked across different industries, taught students from all walks of life, mentored women and youth, and observed something powerful: people were struggling silently in workplaces that drained them rather than developed them. I became fascinated with understanding human behavior at work, motivation, leadership, workplace well-being, autonomy, and why some people flourish while others burn out.

That curiosity eventually led me to earn my PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and conduct research focused on workplace autonomy and job crafting, particularly among marginalized individuals. My research examines how people, especially Black and Latinx women with lower postsecondary education levels, can reshape their work experiences to feel more empowered, supported, and psychologically healthy. At the heart of my work is one belief: work should not cost people their humanity.

Today, my work exists at the intersection of psychology, leadership, education, healing, and everyday life.

Through Marla J. Albertie LLC, I focus on speaking, authorship, thought leadership, and helping people “live the I/O life” by applying Industrial-Organizational Psychology principles to everyday experiences. My work explores leadership, harmony, psychological safety, resilience, workplace well-being, and personal growth in ways that are both research-based and relatable.

I also lead Truth Speaks Group LLC, which now operates as a research and workforce innovation lab focused on leadership, workplace culture, autonomy, employee well-being, and organizational development. Through TSG, I develop research-informed training programs, leadership development initiatives, certification concepts, and human-centered workplace strategies designed to help organizations create environments where people can truly thrive rather than simply survive.

In addition, I am the founder and Executive Director of I/O For Teens (IO4T), a nonprofit organization dedicated to introducing young people to the science of human behavior, leadership, confidence-building, career development, and Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Many people do not hear about I/O Psychology until adulthood, and I wanted to change that by exposing students to these concepts early in life. Watching teenagers discover their strengths and begin believing in their futures is one of the greatest joys of my work.

I also operate MJA Publishing LLC, where I publish my own books and creative works centered around leadership, autonomy, resilience, career development, healing, and self-awareness. Writing has become an extension of both my research and my personal journey. I believe psychology should not remain locked away inside journals and universities. It should live in everyday conversations and everyday lives.

What sets me apart is that I do not approach this work only from theory. I approach it from lived experience.

I have experienced leadership. I have experienced grief. I have experienced rebuilding. I have experienced being underestimated, overlooked, exhausted, determined, and resilient. I am raising my grandson after losing my son and daughter-in-law to a tragic murder-suicide. That kind of pain changes you. But it also deepens your empathy, your purpose, and your understanding of what people carry behind closed doors.

So when I speak about workplace well-being, harmony, resilience, or psychological safety, I am not speaking from a pedestal. I am speaking from experience. I understand what it feels like to continue showing up while carrying invisible weight. I think people connect with my work because they know it is genuine. It is research-backed, but it is also heart-backed.

One of the things I am most proud of is that I have built a career that refuses to force people to choose between professionalism and humanity. I want people to know they can be accomplished and still be healing. Strong and still soft. Educated and still evolving. Successful and still human.

I am also proud that I have created spaces where people feel seen. Whether I am teaching students, mentoring women, speaking to leaders, working with veterans, or creating content online, my goal is always the same: to help people feel empowered to redesign their lives from a place of truth rather than survival.

At the center of my brand is one core philosophy: harmony over perfection.

I do not believe life is about “having it all together.” I believe it is about learning how to live intentionally, authentically, and sustainably while honoring both ambition and humanity. That philosophy flows through everything I create — my books, workshops, podcasts, courses, research, and nonprofit work.

If there is one thing I want people to remember about me and my work, it is this:

I believe people flourish when they are given the freedom, support, and psychological safety to become who they were always meant to be.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience is a word people often use when they look at my life from the outside. They see the degrees, the businesses, the speaking, the leadership, and the advocacy, and they say, “You’re so strong.” But resilience, for me, was not born in success. It was born in survival.

One of the deepest examples of resilience in my journey came after the loss of my son, Tariq, and my daughter-in-law, Rachel, in a tragic murder-suicide. There are no words that fully explain what it feels like to lose your children and then wake up the next morning, expected to keep breathing, functioning, leading, teaching, and living. A part of me shattered in a way that will never fully go back together. Grief changes the architecture of your soul.

And yet, in the middle of that unimaginable pain, there was my grandson, Gio.

There were moments I remember sitting in silence thinking, “I cannot leave him, either.” That thought alone became an anchor for me. Even on the days when the grief felt heavier than my body could carry, I knew I had to keep going because he still needed love, stability, guidance, and family. He deserved to know joy even after tragedy. In many ways, Gio gave me a reason to keep choosing life one day at a time.

Out of that pain, I created the TDBYKWIS brand in honor of Tariq. YKWIS stood for “You Know What I’m Saying,” a phrase my son used all the time. It was so uniquely him—funny, expressive, full of personality, and rhythmic. Creating the brand was my way of refusing to let his voice disappear from the world. It became more than clothing or merchandise. It became a memory stitched into fabric. Legacy turned into purpose.

I also created the Tariq and Rachel Memorial Fund for victims because I understand firsthand how trauma ripples through families and communities. Sometimes when people experience devastating loss, they feel invisible afterward. I never wanted other victims or grieving families to feel alone in that darkness. If my pain could become a bridge to help someone else survive theirs, then their lives would continue creating impact through me.

What resilience has taught me is this: resilience is not pretending you are okay. It is learning how to carry pain while still allowing yourself to love, hope, create, and serve. Some days, resilience looked like speaking on a stage. Other days it simply looked like getting out of bed, helping Gio with life, or allowing myself permission to cry.

My children are still very much a part of why I keep going. I think about Tariq constantly. I think about Rachel. I think about the life they should have had. Their absence lives beside me every single day. But so does their memory, their love, and their humanity.

And maybe that is the clearest picture of resilience I can give: Sometimes resilience is not rising because you are fearless. Sometimes it is rising because love still calls your name.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I believe one of the biggest things that helped me build my reputation within my field and across different communities is that I have always tried to remain genuinely myself. I never wanted to become a person who only sounded polished, corporate, or impressive on paper. I wanted people to feel like they were connecting with a real human being. Whether I am speaking on a stage, teaching students, mentoring youth, writing, consulting, or posting online, what people see is truly me.

I think authenticity matters because people can feel when someone is performing versus when someone is genuinely passionate about what they do. I have never approached my work as “look how important I am.” I approach it as “how can I help?” And I think people remember how you make them feel long after they forget your credentials.

Networking has also played a huge role in my journey, but not networking in the transactional sense. I believe in relationship-building. Some of the greatest opportunities in my life came from genuine conversations, supporting others, collaborating, volunteering, showing up consistently, and simply treating people with kindness and respect. I have built relationships across academia, nonprofits, business, veteran communities, leadership spaces, and education because I truly care about people, not just connections.

Another thing that helped build my reputation is that I give away a lot of knowledge and value for free. Some people told me early on that I shared “too much,” but I never looked at knowledge that way. I know what it feels like to need guidance, resources, encouragement, or someone willing to open a door for you. So I have always tried to pour into people whenever I could—through mentoring, workshops, social media content, speaking engagements, community work, or simply encouraging someone who needed it.

Ironically, I think that generosity is one of the reasons people trust me. They know I care about impact before profit. Of course, I believe in building successful businesses and being compensated fairly for my expertise, but I also believe some things should simply be shared because they can help change someone’s life.

I also think my resilience became part of my reputation. People have watched me continue showing up through grief, loss, rebuilding, leadership, entrepreneurship, and advocacy. They have seen me remain compassionate even through difficult seasons. That consistency matters.

Most importantly, I think my reputation was built over time through service. Long before degrees, titles, or recognition, I was mentoring, teaching, helping, advocating, and creating spaces for people to grow. Reputation is not built overnight. It is built in the quiet moments when nobody is watching—through integrity, consistency, compassion, and the way you treat people when there is nothing to gain.

At the end of the day, I want people to say this about me:
“She was knowledgeable, yes. But more importantly, she was real. She cared about people. She helped people believe in themselves.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://marlajalbertie.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tspeaksgroup/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Truthspeakscoaching/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlajalbertie/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TSpeaksCoaching
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@truthspeaksgroup
• Other: https://substack.com/@livingtheiolife
  https://medium.com/@truthspeakscoaching
  https://www.ioforteens.org/

Image Credits

Literary Indulgence Festival
Author Nation