When people talk about you in the rooms you’re not in, are they saying what you want them to say? You can be excellent, meet every deadline, and deliver results—but if others don’t know how to describe you, or your name isn’t the one raised when opportunities come up, you’re leaving opportunities on the table. That’s exactly why I’m doing something different with this episode. I want to take you behind the curtain and show you what happens inside my Personal Branding Strategy Sessions. The sa...
September 11, 2001, is a date that lives in infamy. But the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center that day were an intensely personal experience for my family. For my father, Peter Griffith, the loss of his wife and my mother, Joan Donna Griffith, in that tragedy had an immediate and long-lasting effect that has reshaped our lives. In the second half of our conversation on the Branding Room Only podcast, you’ll hear our candid discussion about the events of that day, the overwhelming gr...
We’re molded by those who support us along the way. These people come in the form of mentors, teachers, friends, and family. And for many of us, no figures are more essential than our parents. My father, Peter Griffith, was born in Barbados and immigrated to Brooklyn, NY at 14 years old. For 20 years, he was married to Joan Donna Griffith (a.k.a. Mommy) and raised two kids. Then, the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, took her life…but not her legacy. In the fi...
Conferences offer incredible opportunities to network, learn, and strengthen your personal brand—but only if you’re prepared to make the most of them. With the right approach, you can expand your mindset, build valuable connections, and uncover new insights. To help you get there, I’ve put together a step-by-step guide using one of my favorite tools: an acronym! In this episode of the Branding Room Only podcast, you’ll discover how to maximize your personal brand impact at conferences. We’ll ...
Rest isn't a bonus. It's a necessity for clarity, creativity, and longevity. In a world that praises busyness and normalizes burnout, stepping back is often the most powerful way to propel yourself forward. And it doesn’t mean you have to disappear completely, either. During my recent break, I intentionally balanced meaningful, soul-filling engagements with genuine rest and joy. So in this episode of Branding Room Only, I reflect on my summer sabbatical and offer a refreshing take on what it ...
Too many professionals—especially in the legal field—spend so much time focused on delivering excellent work that they forget to build a personal brand that reflects it. That oversight becomes clearer with each career transition, leadership aspiration, or missed opportunity to stand out. That’s why I had to bring this episode back. Sonya Olds Som is an experienced executive recruiter, former practicing attorney, and someone who has worked at the highest levels of legal talent strategy and sea...
Even the most brilliant professionals I know still ask me this question. Whether you're brand new to personal branding, rebuilding after a transition, or just realizing your reputation deserves more attention, this episode is your starting point. You already have a personal brand. The question is, are you actively shaping it or is it being shaped for you by default? As my mother used to say, "You can be the wind or you can be the leaf." This episode is about becoming the wind. In this episode...
Presenting a strong personal brand as a leader is paramount, but it's about more than just perception. It's about how you operate and the value you bring. Lonita K. Baker understands this connection intimately. Her impactful career has spanned multiple sectors and roles, from public defender to prosecutor to representing Breonna Taylor's family, and now serving as Professor of Practice at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law and past president of the National Bar Association. L...
Your network often sees your magic before you do. J. Kelly Hoey, author of Build Your Dream Network, proved this when her colleagues had to convince her that networking was actually her superpower. As my very first podcast guest, Kelly set the tone for what Branding Room Only is all about: clarity, candor, and community-centered insight. Kelly's brand is grounded in helping others succeed through meaningful connections. Her approach has transformed careers for countless entrepreneurs and lead...
Taking a sabbatical isn't about disappearing from your business or your personal brand—it's about giving yourself the chance to make both better than ever. I've been taking what I call a summer sabbatical for the past five years, and it's become one of the most important things I do all year to strengthen my brand. I know not everyone can take two months off, which is why I also believe in what I call the "sorta” sabbatical—a more accessible approach that's just as effective when done with in...
You know how some birthdays feel bigger than others? My son just turned 13, and it hit me hard—in the best way. In this deeply personal episode of Branding Room Only, I reflect on seven powerful lessons my son has taught me. These lessons have shaped not only how I parent, but how I lead, communicate, and show up in the world. From courage and joy to boundaries and the boldness to ask for what you want, his influence, even at this young age, already runs deep. Because sometimes the most meani...
Independence Day is on the horizon, and what better way to celebrate the spirit of freedom and new beginnings than revisiting a conversation with a true pioneer! Michele Coleman Mays redefined leadership and advocacy during her distinguished career. She has served as the Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary for The New York Public Library and had key roles at Allstate Insurance Company and Pitney Bowes Inc. During our conversation, she shared her unique lens on personal brandi...
Nina Blackshear has turned career pivots into an art form. As the owner and principal of Nina Blackshear Coaching and Consulting, she's a certified executive coach and in-house corporate attorney. Her unconventional path, from law school to real estate, to fundraising, to employee relations, to marketing communications, and back to law, has become her greatest professional asset. Her specialty is helping others overcome impostor syndrome, intense perfectionism, and the burnout that results fr...
We don’t know the faces or names of many enslaved Black people in American history. Some left a small mark of their existence in the very bricks of the buildings their hands built, yet they remain voiceless because their story has been hidden away. Historians like Annette Gordon-Reed know that through sharing the stories of enslaved people, we remember their humanity and preserve historical truth in the process. She’s a Harvard University professor and the award-winning author of The Hemingse...
Reframing isn’t just for resumes, it’s a core skill if you want a career (and personal brand) that’s built to last. Whether you're navigating a career transition or making sure you’re ready for unexpected opportunities, the key is staying proactive long before you need to. Lisa Rangel, CEO of Chameleon Resumes, has helped clients in more than 88 countries future-proof their careers and land fulfilling, high-paying roles. With her META Job Landing System, Lisa combines resume writing, brand ma...
We're officially halfway through the year, and let's be real—these past few months have been a lot. Maybe you started with clear goals and that "this is my year" mindset, but then life did what it does–the unexpected showed up, sidelining your intentions. Or maybe you've been laser-focused and hit every milestone. If so, congrats! But even then, it's time to pause. In this solo episode of Branding Room Only, I’m diving into my powerful five-step mid-year evaluation, which I call RESET, ...
From the military to the music world, Paula Boggs has made her mark by bravely navigating new spaces and pioneering career paths for herself. After serving at the Pentagon and in the White House as an army officer, she spent a decade at Starbucks as its Chief Legal Officer before leaving to write and perform music with the Paula Boggs Band. As you listen to our conversation, you’ll be inspired and in awe. Her story is one of resilience, adaptability, and breaking barriers. And she inspires ot...
So many leaders are burned out—checking all the boxes, meeting expectations, and still feeling stuck. Pallavi Jain wants to change that. As a seasoned HR executive and the creator of the Lead From Within program, she helps people step out of survival mode and reconnect with who they truly are—and how they want to lead and be known. In this episode of Branding Room Only, Paula Edgar sits down with Pallavi to explore why personal branding starts with self-leadership. They trace Pallavi’s path f...
Mother’s Day can stir a wide range of emotions—love, grief, reflection, and gratitude. In this deeply personal episode of Branding Room Only, host Paula Edgar shares a heartfelt tribute to her late mother, Joan Donna Griffith, whose love and wisdom laid the foundation for Paula’s leadership, personal brand, and purpose-driven life. Through powerful stories, Paula honors the legacy her mother left behind and reflects on the lessons she's now passing on to her own daughter. This episode is a re...
In this first ever live episode of Branding Room Only, Paula Edgar sits down with Deborah Enix-Ross—international law leader, past president of the American Bar Association, and proud Harlem native—for a powerful conversation on what it means to build a brand with purpose, lead with integrity, and honor the communities that shaped you. Recorded in front of a full room of rising legal leaders at the Metropolitan Black Bar Association’s Leadership Academy, this episode brings Deborah’s story to...