What if you defied the voices convincing you that you must choose between nurturing your children and providing for them? What if you questioned the negative thoughts making you feel guilty about placing yourself at the forefront of your family's agenda instead of relegating yourself to a lifetime of tending to others?

What if you refused to accept that your ambitions must perish for others to thrive?

Right now, you're sitting on a solution that could benefit thousands or even millions of people worldwide, not just in Madison. Yet, you haven't figured out how to reach 100 or a thousand people in your local community, let alone your city, state, or nation. Have you considered whether or not you’re experiencing a process issue?

Being able to confidently acknowledge our worth without apology is partly about making room for both our raw and polished experiences.

So, when we talk about "owning your sh*t" as a part of building your dream life, we're talking about the process of embracing every aspect of yourself, from the messy to the marvelous…

I no longer have the mental fortitude to bridge the gap between the faces and stories I see on screen and my own life. As I face my own dragons and overcome the supervillains in my life, I long for the inspiration that comes with seeing a fantasy or sci-fi version of me doing the same.

But here's the unspoken truth: even when we've planned for the everyday drama, there's an element we rarely anticipate - the potential trauma that can accompany our pursuit of success.

The journey to accomplishing 'impossible' dreams is fraught with challenges, and one formidable obstacle women often face is envy. Envy has the power to disrupt businesses, hinder collaboration, impede personal growth, and strain day-to-day functioning.

Welcome to the third and final installment of the “dirty-girl effect” series. Two weeks ago, I introduced the idea of the dirty-girl effect. In short, I defined it as a process of “dirtying” that women experience in their private and public lives…

“A black woman with a PhD is worse than a woman with HIV.” I didn’t respond. Instead, I looked over at his wife. I wondered about how she felt hearing him say that. She put her head down. I wondered what it meant for her to be married to a man who held that belief. How far could she rise and grow with a partner who felt that way? And then I wondered what it meant for me, a black woman who was, at the time, earning a PhD.

Through conducting dozens of interviews (formal and casual) with high-powered women, reading countless articles and books and reflecting on my own experiences, I learned a lot. And those lessons can be summed up as what I call the “dirty-girl effect.”

“Never accept ‘no’ from someone not authorized to tell you ‘no.’”

“As far as I am concerned, becoming a black woman millionaire is a revolutionary act.” And since I am always “with the shenanigans,” I just upped the ante and asked: Can the women we call Infamous Mothers become millionaires?

Second, I’m learning to own my sh*t. I do this by…

Had he been brave or bold enough to verbalize his thoughts, I would have simply asked this: Impossible for who? 

As someone who coaches and teaches women principles around becoming the heroes in their own stories, I can tell you from experience and practice that many of us can’t leave that connection to chance. The follow through from mindset to behavior has to be intentional.

One of the most valuable lessons I share with any writer is the importance of understanding where your future book will fit into the market.

…When I coach or mentor new CEOs, I often explain to them that they are chief problem solvers…

Motivational speaker and all-around powerhouse, Arletta Allen. We interviewed at almost midnight because she was so busy going viral from a message she delivered earlier that evening, that our meeting had to be pushed back.