The UnComfort Zone Podcast

From a young college student with questions to a full-time business woman with some answers!  Enjoy this Season 2 kick-off episode with Ashley Reed, lead practitioner and founder of Body Art Noire, as she brings her story to life so that you can too.  She walks us through her journey by sharing pivotal moments and breakthroughs that have helped her to succeed in opening her yoga studio in a pandemic. Her love of helping bodies and minds heal from emotional, psychological, and physiological stressors is her reason for living (and laboring). Listen to learn more on how she tapped into her power to persist and how you can support her endeavors. ************** Interested in being a guest on the show? Visit: bit.ly/tuzpodcastguest About Phyllis Visit: www.phyllisclarkconsulting.com     Follow me on Instagram Are you a Black woman scholar who needs academic support? Join HERS: Higher Edge Resources & Support Schedule your IMPOSTORISM Consultation HERE! Grab your 100 Confidence Hacks HERE!

Let's face it. It's time for us to start assessing what we truly need to do to access more of our brilliance. Too much time is being spent paying attention to what we wish we had instead of recognizing, acknowledging, and fortifying the skills and competencies that we possess.  In this episode, I offer 3 ways to help you move forward so that you can accomplish goals that you may have left "on the bookshelf". Through the amplification of my challenges of bringing this podcast to fruition, it is my hope you can make determinations for your next "best" move.  Also! We are celebrating our 100th listen! Yep. Listen. Thank you to all those who have supported Season 1. I hope it has served you well ...and I can't wait to bring you even better content, information, and resources as we make plans for Season 2.  Season 2 will feature special guests who dare to tell their stories of discomfort so that others can learn to do the same.  The  illumination of strategies and tips shared coupled with motivation and  encouragement by guests who don’t mind sharing their stories of courage  and commitment while facing up, side, and downhill battles are the  foundation of this platform. It is my hope that those who are served by these stories and “get it done” messages will be motivated to do whatever it  takes to make magic and brand their brilliance in their own “UnComfort  Zone” regardless of the situation or circumstance. If you are interested in becoming a featured guests on the show, please visit: bit.ly/tuzpodcastguest About Phyllis Visit: www.phyllisclarkconsulting.comFollow me on Instagram Are you a Black woman scholar who needs academic support? Join HERS: Higher Edge Resources & Support Schedule your IMPOSTORISM Consultation HERE! Grab your 100 Confidence Hacks HERE!

In this episode, I give you my 12 "high impact practices" and other considerations you need to bring forth ALL (not a little bit) of your brilliance to the forefront. Why 12? Well, there could be more or less but these that I share are also the exact practices and philosophies that have given me the power to harness more of "myself" over the past decade.  They have helped me to become even more present and focused in and on everything that God has called me to do. It is my hope that what I present here can serve you in a meaningful way. When brought together with self love and God-filled intention to be your highest self regardless of situation or circumstance,  Watch for upcoming episodes that focus on each practice! Consider it new ways to think about and utilize old concepts.  Below are my 3 of my favorite practices. Click on each to see additional material associated with each and/or coaches from whom I've learned these powerful practices and frameworks. Listen to this episode to learn the other 9! (Disclaimer: I am not an affiliate partner or being compensated in any way by the thought-leaders I am referring. I just LOVE and have LEARNED soooo much from these beautiful souls! You will too!) 1. Mindset 2. Motivation 3. Personal Branding About Phyllis Visit: www.phyllisclarkconsulting.comFollow me on Instagram Are you a Black woman scholar who needs academic support? Join HERS: Higher Edge Resources & Support Schedule your IMPOSTORISM Consultation HERE! Grab your 100 Confidence Hacks HERE!

Listen. There is way too much work to do to be bouncing around from whim to whim. You were placed here for a specific purpose. It will be up to you (and you only) to figure out your divine assignment aka MISSION and accomplish the goals and objectives it will bring about. In order to accomplish that, it will be necessary to stop it with the "mission creeping". Some call it "mission drifting" but it means the same thing. Your job is to stay the course. Here are 5 ways to this this: In this episode, I offer 5 ways to keep from "mission creeping" ...defined by Webster's dictionary as a gradual shift in objectives often resulting in long-term, unplanned commitment. Below each are a few helpful websites and resources referenced in this episode you can use to advance your learning. 1. Identify your CAUSE (read this piece by Isaac Jeffries) https://isaacjeffries.com/blog/2016/12/5/how-to-find-your-cause 2. Acknowledge your CAPABILITIES https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/strengthsfinder.aspx 3. Know your CORE https://files.darrenhardy.com/web-assets/Core-Values-Assessment.pdf 4. Nurture your COMPETENCIES https://www.123test.com/competency-test/ 5. Make the right CHOICES https://www.criticalthinking.org/files/Concepts_Tools.pdf Step inside this episode with me as I unwrap a few ideas to help you "stay on mission".  About Phyllis Visit: www.phyllisclarkconsulting.com Follow me on Instagram Are you a Black woman scholar who needs academic support? Join HERS: Higher Edge Resources & Support

HIGHER  EDGE Resources and Support, affectionately known as HERS, is a membership community designed to offer a  supplemental layer of care and sisterhood for Black women scholars.  Although Black women have made incredible gains at all levels  of educational participation and currently persist at a rate higher than  other demographics, we face more internal stressors and personal  impediments which can cause barriers such as impostorism, (along with the  intersection of racial and gender biases), to worsen. This community  aims to provide services and support that contribute to the alleviation of such struggles. Towards the end of the episode, the 4 membership levels are described: (A'SISTt Her Network | Pumps & Circumstance | Schol[HER]ship | PerSIStence) and even a few areas of support that are currently offered out of a list of 50. Here are a few more: Educational pathway planning session Literature review session Personal brand audit Presentation development Signature talk conception (I apologize in advance for the wind in the background!)

Part III offers my 5-step action plan aka my "anti-impostorism" framework to help you overcome or even defeat impostorism tendencies.  Disclaimer: This is not the result of a study. Consider them actions that have helped me to gain the upper hand in my life and work when I feel these tendencies bubbling up. There are many more actions and ways to overcome this "thing" that I am currently studying and researching. I can't wait to share it with you in upcoming episodes as it unfolds in my life and in the lives of others.  What I present in this episode is based on my lived experience. It is my hope that it serves, shapes, and helps you thrive.

You weren't given this life to be afraid of it. You are here to serve to the fullest. You can't do that living and breathing your self-limiting beliefs. I must remind myself of this each day.  Part II reviews how I believe my battle with impostorism (IP) began and some pivotal moments, one in particular, that saved me. After analyzing the literature on this construct, I started to evaluate the parts of my life that may have contributed to my vulnerability and made me susceptible to IP. I could NOT believe the root of my affliction, if you will, but it points back to a very specific incident in the first grade. FIRST GRADE!!  It is my hope that through my story, you will be able to identify that point of time in yours and/or help someone else. Once you pinpoint it, you can deal with it so it doesn't deal with you. There is work to be done. You can't fully contribute being held up harboring feelings that keep you stuck, stumped, and invisible.

In this episode, insight is given into this thing commonly referred to as "impostorism" or "impostor syndrome". It is described as a debilitating force that keeps us full of self-doubt, fearful of serving in the capacities in which we are called, and drenched in the belief that we are frauds. Identified in 1978 by Drs. Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes upon the conclusion of a study that included 150 high-achieving women, impostorism is experienced at some point by 70% of professional women and men but more intensely in women. Journey with me into this 3-part series as I unpack impostorism, the behaviors exhibited in those who are most susceptible to impostor feelings, its impact on my personal and professional life, and techniques you can use to defeat it in yours.

In this episode, I expand a little more on why I have decided to make this leap into the podcast universe so that I can dutifully serve those who I have been called. Yes, I'm nervous. Yes, I'm stumped on some things right now. No, I don't have a production team. No, I don't have it all mapped out at every turn but that's ok. What I know for sure is that I am ready to pour into the lives of other women who are ready to receive and I apologize to those I have not been able to serve because of my difficulty in making a decision to do so. That is over now. My full attention is cast upon you, my Simmons College of Kentucky students and colleagues, my family, and my personal growth and development.  "I refuse to get sucked into all of the disarray that the news, media outlets, and social media want us to get sucked into.  I know where I want to place my attention. And even with regard to the social media and news, there are some some critical levels of attention that have to be paid. But, I'm of the opinion, however, that we do need to make better decisions in terms of how that flows in and out of our lives, our psyche, or our eyes, ...our EVERYTHING."

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is out LIGHT, not our darkness, that most frightens us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same".   -Marianne Williamson This episode traverses more into my why and how I want to serve you, the listener. Yes, while this platform is new to me, the messages and content are not. Over the next few episodes, I'll be sharing more and more about myself and expanding on what I have in store for you.

Enjoy this episode which speaks to 5 quick ways to create a brilliant (and authentic) personal brand. I shared this episode several months ago but didn't really get to see it distributed. Here it is again. 

I will NOT give up! For those of you who have been waiting on the relaunch of The UnComfort Zone podcast, you don't have to wait any longer! Yes, I sputtered, stalled, crawled, and even bawled a little due to the some seen and unforseen circumstances but my willingness to persist will always win out over uncertainty. Why? Because I know that I have been called to share via this platform so it will NOT go undone. I am ready to do everything in my power to make this work, share these messages, and attend to the business to which I have been divinely directed.  My service to others is intertwined with the information and resources that will be supplied throughout this podcast journey and it is my hope that you stand ready to receive it.  I thank all those who have been rooting for me and patiently waiting for this relaunch. I do not take it lightly that you are in my corner so please know that I am in yours and can't wait to serve you in this capacity. Even though this is a work in progress, it's time to go. It's time to start. It's time to move.... even during a pandemic. This means that you may witness several changes in production, music, content order, and length but your time will never be wasted as I will do everything I can to deliver content I hope you will find educational, inspirational, and meaningful to your life. 

Full transparency, I need this. I need this 7-day challenge and want to take you along with me.  We all know that 2020 has been completely irregular, right? ...but it has come and now about to exit the back door. What 2020 did, however, was reveal some things to me in a very emphatic way. Now, I've been thinking about all of these things many years but THIS year was different. So they questions that I asked myself, I want to ask you now: So after you “write the vision and make it plain” (Habakkuk 2:2) for 2021, what’s next? Will you analyze or re-analyze your core values to make sure you are internally aligned with what you have envisioned for your life? Will you develop a clear consciousness around your next set of action steps that will be required for your vision? Will you display the courage to do that for which you have been called? Will you make the appropriate commitments to bring your vision to fruition? Will you call forth other creative and innovative means to meet or exceed your goals and objectives? Will you surround yourself with the appropriate community of minds to bring forth the creative vision you will need to serve? Will you engage and sustain measures of cultivation to grow your skills and competencies necessary for your vision? If  you’ve quietly said yes or no to any of these questions, I invite you  to join me in the “Beyond the Vision Board” 7-Day Challenge to reach,  engage with and/or learn from other like-minded women.  This challenge is  for women who want to walk collectively for 7 days to not only think on  these things but to also bring them to life through focused, guided,  and written attention. Again, 2020 was difficult (to say the  least) but as it sunsets, we would be remiss if we did not appreciate  and build upon the new thoughts, the new ideas, the new decisions, new mindsets, new habits, and the new possibilities that the emergence of a  new year prepares to brings to us. *
Register for this FREE challenge at: bit.ly/bvbchallenge Once registered, you'll receive an email with additional directions! Join me. Let's get ready for 2021....together. (Stay tuned! Season 2 of The UnComfort Zone Podcast drops in January with featured guests! Interested in becoming a featured guests on the show, please visit: bit.ly/tuzpodcastguest) ****************************************** About Phyllis Visit: www.phyllisclarkconsulting.com     Follow me on Instagram Are you a Black woman scholar who needs academic support? Join HERS: Higher Edge Resources & Support Schedule your IMPOSTORISM Consultation HERE! Grab your 100 Confidence Hacks HERE!