Celeste Warren: She Belongs. She Leads. She Elevates.

In this powerful episode of She Shines with Coach KG, host Karen “Coach KG” Gilliam sits down with Celeste Warren for an honest, inspiring conversation about identity, purpose, leadership, and impact. Celeste opens up about the moments in her career when she was made to feel like she didn’t belong, and how she learned to protect her peace, trust her voice, and fully own her brilliance.

She shares the story behind her “next chapter” after 28 years in corporate leadership, including her transition into entrepreneurship and the heart behind her nonprofit, Destination STEM, which helps create opportunities for students of color and those in need to thrive in STEM fields. Celeste also reflects on the influence of her parents, the lessons she’s learned about equity, and why elevating others is central to her purpose.

From navigating unfair feedback to redefining what it means to lead with authenticity, Celeste’s story is a reminder that belonging is something we claim, leadership is something we live, and purpose is something we choose every day. If you need encouragement to stand in your worth and keep shining, this conversation is for you.

Celeste Warren's contact info:

Website:   www.CRWDiversity.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celestewarrenllc/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@celestewarren-equity

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CXPNHNqZE/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/crwdiversity 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 1:17

Well, hello there, beautiful people, and welcome to another episode of She Shines with Coach KG. I am your host, and today we have a phenomenal woman whose life and leadership beautifully reflect today's theme. Today's theme is She Belongs, she leads, she elevates. This podcast is where women discover their essence, they own their brilliance, and inspire others to do the same. So please join me in welcoming our guest, Celeste Warren.

SPEAKER_05 2:15

Hello, hello, how are you?

SPEAKER_01 2:18

Hello there, Celeste. So glad to have you with us.

SPEAKER_03 2:23

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 2:25

Well, I just appreciate you um accepting the invitation to join us. And I'm gonna let you, I'm gonna talk a little bit about you, but then I would like them to hear it from you of who you are. So this is Celeste Warren. She is our guest today, and she is a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant. She's also a TEDx speaker, a nonprofit founder, a mentor, and mother. She's also an auntie, an activist, and an unwavering advocate for creating opportunities where everyone has the chance to thrive. Celeste, wow, your resume speaks volumes about you. So let our listeners know from you who you are.

SPEAKER_06 3:35

Well, I first and foremost I'm a woman of faith. So that's very, very important to me. Core to my foundation. Um a mom, wife, those are two important, important roles I have. And then um I'm just trying to walk in my purpose. I'm someone who believes in having um uh uh an equitable, fair practices across organizations, across institutions, in the education system, across society in general. And so um I've been on this journey for a while, but in this next chapter, um I am literally walking in my purpose, and I am so happy to be able to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

Yes. And okay, to my listeners, did you hear a very familiar phrase? Next chapter. That is where Celeste is now. As a matter of fact, today, Celeste is an anniversary.

SPEAKER_06 4:49

Today is my one-year anniversary in my next chapter. It was a year ago in July, um, that uh last year that I retired from um the company I was working with. I'd been there for 28 years, and the last 10 years, I was the chief diversity and inclusion officer. And so um struck out on my own and uh and enjoying this journey, learning a lot, learn, but loving it.

SPEAKER_01 5:18

Absolutely. Because one thing I believe is that when you are doing what you were designed to do, you will never work another day of your life. You live to fulfill your purpose, and that's what you are doing, Celeste. So, congratulations on your milestone. We here at She Shines with Coach KG also hit a milestone on Friday, our one-year anniversary. And so uh we are glad to be celebrating with you, and also um the Celeste Warren LLC is yours, but you also have uh Destination STEM Incorporated, and uh tell us a little bit about that.

SPEAKER_06 6:18

Destination STEM Inc. was created five years ago. We're celebrating our fifth-year anniversary. My daughter Christina and my son Steven, we um happened to be having a conversation, and I was seeing from my vantage point how there was a lack of representation across the um healthcare, across STEM-related fields, science, technology, engineering, mathematics. And so, from their perspective, they were at that time in um undergraduate and uh in college, and they were seeing a lack of uh professors and other um students who look like them in those fields as well. And so um, you know, we were sitting there talking about it, and I said, well, let's do something about it. And that's basically how Destination STEM was created. It's a nonprofit that is designed to help students of color and those in need to acclimate them to the STEM fields, um, bring we we provide education, awareness, different programming, and also very importantly, scholarships to high school seniors who are going to be pursuing STEM-related degrees in college. And it has been a wonderful, wonderful journey. So that is uh something that is very near and dear to my heart. Still walking in my purpose in another sort of swim lane, but um, it's all about making sure that we have equitable and fair practices, this time in education, and making students aware of the possibilities and seeing beyond their neighborhoods and their their surroundings and and opening up their um potential.

SPEAKER_01 8:08

Awesome, awesome, awesome. Wow. Just to be able to say that you are working with your adult children um in something that is making a difference, that too is uh admirable. So thank you for sharing that. So before we jump into your incredible journey, I always like our listeners to also know who is Celeste Warren when she's not speaking or consulting, mentoring, or changing lives. What who is the Celeste Warren? Well, any other time.

SPEAKER_06 8:50

Oh uh, I do a lot of volunteering. Um, I'm a member of the Lynx Incorporated, and so um the Lynx, for those of you that are not familiar with it, it is the largest service-oriented organization for with uh women, uh black women. Okay. Um we have been um working across a lot of different facets, and so there's volunteering work that's done there um during during my time off. Um I I uh also I work out to try to stay healthy um as well. Um gotta, you know, we have to keep that cholesterol down, that high blood pressure down. Come on. Yes. Things that kind of in my family they run in my my family and my my generation, generations and generations. So I have to do things that combat that. And so that means uh um I try to eat healthy, although I have a sweet tooth, so I'm not even gonna try to lie about that.

SPEAKER_02 9:53

I'll raise my hand.

SPEAKER_06 9:54

I try to offset it by trying to work out a little bit. So um that's that's what I do. And then I love reading, I like murder mysteries. Oh I like uh um you know uh Mary Higgins Clark and um Mary Burton and some Beverly Burton and Mary Barton. So I like a lot of those authors and I read that on the treadmill, and also I get the audio books and when I'm driving because it just you know relaxes me. Yes. Yes, done it, so I like to figure it out. And then recently, it's like I like um just laying on the couch watching movies, especially when my kids come over and we're watching, you know, watching movies and things like that. We like stupid movies and good mysteries. And uh I've recently started watching the old um Agatha Christie. Um Miss Marple, um Hercule Pierre, and and those uh those those movies that I watched the old version and then I watched the latest updates, you know, the reboots to see how differently they are. So um yeah, I just discovered, believe it or not, as you know, loving mysteries. I just kind of discovered uh Agatha Christie, which is crazy because she's probably you know, some people say she's the best, you know, mystery writer in in the world. But uh yeah, it's been it's been uh it's been a nice second chapter of being able to walk in your purpose and then do these other things as well.

SPEAKER_01 11:22

Absolutely, totally well rounded, Celeste, because you do have to take that time for yourself and do the things that you enjoy. That's where you get recharged and restored just to get off the grid, so to speak, and and do what you love. So I love hearing that. I love hearing that. Well, let's go through your journey. And the first segment is she belongs. And that is our first word today for you. You shared when you and I talked that throughout your career there were moments when you were made to feel like you didn't belong. You you were marginalized and you were labeled maybe too brash, and you often felt like you had to work twice as hard just to receive half the recognition. So the question I have for you, Celeste, is what did those experiences teach you about your own worth?

SPEAKER_06 12:39

Yeah, you know, and and we all go through it. We've all had those times in our careers where we felt like, you know, should I be in this room? Was I am I worthy to be in this room? And coming up through my career, um, I had to really start to really value me as an individual, as a professional, as a practitioner, and then further along in my career as a leader. And um it it it was so um, it was it was just a winding journey, you know, because when you are you walk into a room and people are looking at you as soon as you walk in, you feel all these eyes on you because you're the only, you're the only woman, or you're the only a person of color, or you're the only woman who's a person of color. And so you walk in the room and all these eyes are on you immediately. There's this pressure.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 13:41

And so there's this pressure to say, and you're guarded around what should I say? How do I speak up? I have to make sure that I'm speaking, you know, correctly. I'm articulating what I need to say correctly. Um, because you just feel like you're being judged 24-7. And you're being judged over things that others that are in the my majority would never be judged over. What I'm wearing, my hair, um, you know, my makeup, uh uh, you know, how I speak, if if I was on target, do I speak concisely or do I run my mouth? Am I too quiet? All of these things, you know, come come into play. And I can remember having different performance reviews, you know, those durated performance reviews at the end of the year. Yes. And managers would say sometimes things that have nothing to do with the priorities that we set at the beginning of the year and the objectives.

unknown 14:46

Right.

SPEAKER_06 14:46

Did I get them done? Did I achieve them? And did I get them done the right way? You know, collaboratively, um, etc. And it would be things like, well, you know, um you were kind of quiet in in such and such meeting, and everybody was kind of wondering, were you mad? Were you angry? Or um, you know, you you didn't show up or you didn't come to some meeting, and everyone was kind of wondering, you know, well, where's she at? Well, why is she not here? What's she doing? And so it was all focused on the feedback, it was focused on the wrong things.

SPEAKER_01 15:22

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 15:23

And it was it just to to sit there and think that you're gonna have a good conversation, a constructive conversation and feedback around your performance, around what you've accomplished, around how you accomplished it. And to hear this craziness about things that don't really matter in your mind, and at least they didn't in my mind. Right. Um, it was uh it was disheartening. And so um you start to, well, I started to kind of, whenever that happens, I go inside a shell, I go inside myself and I kind of disengage a bit. And and now looking back over my career and understanding more about myself, you what I was doing was protecting my peace.

unknown 16:13

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 16:13

So I during that time of going, sort of withdrawing a little bit, and just saying, okay, I need to step back a little bit and just kind of assess what was just what just happened. And so I I learned as I went on in my life and became more empowered. And I believe me, in Large cases, I had to empower myself. It wasn't someone empowering me.

SPEAKER_01 16:39

Right.

SPEAKER_06 16:40

But I, you know, you at some point you just say, enough is enough. I need to be me. I'm not gonna operate off of a foundation of fear and um a foundation of not really being sure of myself. And so I wanted to build confidence in who I was, I wanted to um be me and feel like I could be my authentic self in the workplace and not worry about repercussions and someone analyzing every little thing or twitching my face or whatever. And so I, you know, I gained my sort of confidence as time went on. And so it to a point where when I'm sitting down with someone and they start having that feedback around you were quiet in this meeting or this or that, or blah, blah, blah. I had the courage to say, these are my objectives for the year. What I want to hear is how I did on those objectives.

unknown 17:42

Good.

SPEAKER_06 17:42

Did I accomplish it? Accomplish them. And here's, you know, you walk into your performance review, you learn to walk into performance review with your receipts. There you go. Being able to say, here's what I did here, here's what I accomplished here, here's what the results were. And, you know, feedback that I received from people that I was working with throughout the year was very favorable. And then to, you know, to be to make sure it's balanced and say, and these are some of the things that my colleagues had said to me, people I work on projects with have said to me that I need to work on. Do you agree with that as my manager? And not taking control of a conversation. That's exactly what you do. Going this this down this avenue of just unnecessary nonsense. Yes. We as black women are evaluated on unfairly.

SPEAKER_01 18:36

Absolutely. Oh my goodness. I dreaded every performance review. And um, I think one of the very last ones I had, Celeste, again, they spoke to what I now call the persona. They didn't speak to the essence, the spirit of who I was. And I am a communicator. And so in this position, I had clients that I visited and worked with. Well, in the performance review, I was told I was too social. And what is that? Yeah, I basically I was supposed to go in, follow the game plan, and leave. No, that is not me. And I refuse to sign the performance review. Good for you. And I because I didn't agree with it. So I I know exactly what you're talking about. And we talk a lot here on She Shines and in my coaching that the persona has been curated from external forces, our parents, our other family members, teachers, bosses, and women, well, people, but mostly women, don't know who they are, but truly are. Like you said, be authentic. So we now talk a lot about becoming and becoming the essence of who you are and not change based on other people's perception. That's it. So I like the fact that how you took control in in that performance review. And we know because she mentioned earlier, Celeste mentioned that in July of last uh 2025, yeah, last year, you made a courageous leap. My goodness. So what gave you that confidence, Celeste? Well to choose purpose over comfort.

SPEAKER_06 21:12

Yeah, you know I you ever know when you're people always say and they write books about it and talk about it and speak about it, when the bird is is it's time for them to leave the nest. Yes, when um you feel like you can't expand your wings any further. And it's time for you to now move out of the nest. And that's kind of how I was feeling the last few years that I was in, the roles I was in. I loved being a chief diversity inclusion officer, loved the role because I truly felt within an organization, a global organization, I was living my purpose at that time. And enjoyed the work that I was doing and enjoyed the um the impact that I was making, not just on people, but on business, parts of the business, etc. And there comes a point in time when you say, okay, how much more can I do? How much more do I need to do, and can I do it in the in where I'm at, in this place where I'm at in my life right now?

SPEAKER_01 22:27

Right.

SPEAKER_06 22:28

And um, I felt that it was time for me. I joked with um with some colleagues that I was talking to about my move, you know, last year. And I, you know, it was sort of this convergence of all kinds of different things, what was happening externally in the environment, um the the the anti D and I rhetoric that was out there at that time, what was happening. Happening, you know, from um um all different aspects of the journey that I was on.

SPEAKER_01 23:04

Right.

SPEAKER_06 23:04

And I thought to myself, you know what, it's time for me to now expand my wings a little bit further, further than what I can in the confines of working uh in an organization. And so that's when I decided to begin sort of preparations. And I actually um started really working through and thinking through a strategy, probably about three or so years prior. I wasn't sure exactly when I was gonna make the leap, but I wanted to make sure when I did it that I had my ducks in a row, you know, from uh from uh um uh from uh who I was and and you know my confidence level from uh um where I had come in my journey from uh uh learning and understanding and continuing to grow as a professional and as a leader in my functional discipline. And then, you know, there's the financial aspect of it as well. I still had caught kids in college and uh they were going into postgraduate work as well, so I had to think about that. And so just making sure you're making all of the preparations. I got the LLC, went through all of the legalities of that, even though I wasn't working, you know, in it, but still went ahead and got the LLC. So when I was ready to make that move, I didn't have to worry about waiting, waiting and waiting to get all of that stuff done. And um, and so um I just made the decision and started preparing and bringing in my successor, working with her, um, and and uh and then made the made the preparing the organization, if you will. Right. And then um decided to, you know, then and then moved on. And um, yeah, it's it's it's and now I'm still learning, I'm just a year into this, that into this uh entrepreneurship journey and still learning a lot from different people. And um if if it wasn't for that preparation ahead of time, both personally and also um professionally, I don't know kind of if I would have even made the move and what I would have done afterwards. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

Um I I love to hear the progression that you've gone through. And one of the things I admire about you what as you talk, you are so open about perception, and particularly the perception that confident black women are somehow self-serving. So how did you stop seeking permission to belong and begin fully owning your shine?

SPEAKER_06 25:49

I had to stop listening to years and years, decades, because I I worked for another global organization before um before MERC. Uh-huh. But decades stopped listening to decades of what was being thrown at me by people who truly didn't know me.

SPEAKER_01 26:17

Right.

SPEAKER_06 26:18

And um and were talking in stereotypes and uh talking about me like uh or lumping me in categories that you can't lump me in a category. I am who I am, and on any given day, I can be what I need to be to to uh to get to work and do what needs to be done. Right. And so um I can remember an instance when I first got into the role as the chief diversity and inclusion officer, and I I, you know, there were whispers around, oh, she's a black female, and she's only gonna do stuff for um women and for those uh persons of African descent. And and for a while, I let that sort of get in my head a short while. Shortwhile.

unknown 27:18

Good.

SPEAKER_06 27:19

And so I kept saying to myself, okay, well, if I do things that are advantageous for women, and I, or if I do things that are advantageous for those of African descent, then I'm gonna be, it's like I'm self-serving. And and I was giving credence to that talk, and I didn't need to. Right. So I had to have a long conversation with myself and you know, and talking with uh some people that I trust. And and and and it and it was like, okay, you're supposed to be working and empowering and elevating the voices of all identities across all the dimensions of diversity that exist within the human, within humans. Right. So you can't not include women or not include those of African descent because that's how you identify. You're supposed to be working on behalf of everyone.

SPEAKER_01 28:26

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 28:27

And if people believe that you're being self-serving if you enter into any of those arenas, then that's on them. There you go. And so I had to, I mean, I had to really just kind of chastise myself, even to say, why are you even listening to what these people are saying? Because they are trying to to um to sort of uh put a chink in your armor. They're trying to sabotage you. Yes, they don't want you to be successful. So they want you to have all of these insecurities, they want you to not fight for these groups. And so um I had to really just kind of chastise myself and and and really sort of give my own self a trip to the uh to the table and and uh or have a come to Jesus meeting. The come to Jesus meeting. And that's exactly what it was. And once I got over that, once I stopped that talk, that self-talk, I was able to kind of move forward very freely, very freely. And it was very, it was excellent for me. It was very, very good for me.

SPEAKER_01 29:38

Awesome. I I love it, I love it. Well, the second part is that she leads. We've we just talked about celeste belonging. Now she leads, and leadership is often shaped long before we receive any title. So you described in our conversation your father as the dirt and your mother as the fire. Your father brought the calm, and your mother brought passion.

SPEAKER_02 30:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 30:10

So, how do both of these influences in your life show up in your leadership today?

SPEAKER_06 30:20

My um father was the first black teacher and first black principal in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. And so every day he would come home, and my mom would ask, How was your day? We would be sitting at the dinner table, and my siblings and I would get a front row seat of hearing from my father the challenges and the obstacles that he faced in a system that at that time wasn't designed for him. Okay. And so he would start talking about the obstacles and the barriers and the challenges that he faced that day. And my mom would be getting all worked up and say, Well, you should have done this and you should have done that. My father was from that small steel mill town where we grew up, grew up. Okay. So my mother was from Pittsburgh. She was from the north side of Pittsburgh. So she had that fire in her. And um, and so hearing the conversation, and my father would say, Well, you know, this is what I did. Here's what I did to overcome it. And so he was a very disciplined, very direct, because he could have a conversation with you know any of his students, and they would feel like, you know, he whooped them upside the head. And he didn't need to do that, even though back then, you know, they had the paddles member.

SPEAKER_02 31:38

Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 31:39

Yep. And so, um, but but it was that that disciplined, um, calm, direct person that he was on top of my mom's fire in that passion. And together, that became my sort of arsenal of in my toolbox and the lovers that I have, and that's all part of me. I can be just as passionate about something as my mother, but I also have that equal calmness and discipline of my father. And that has shaped me throughout my my career, um, making sure that my messages come across. Now, the person who I'm talking to may not receive it, they may not agree with me, but at least I can deliver it in a way where they can hear it. And we can walk away and say we agree to disagree. But they've heard a different perspective.

SPEAKER_02 32:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 32:43

Sometimes I have to pull on the passion of my mother, and sometimes I have to pull on that discipline, that quiet discipline of my father.

SPEAKER_01 32:50

Wow. Uh definitely. You were shaped with those influences that help you lead. And you're still now in your own way, but still you have that influence of the calmness of your father and then that passion of your mother. I I love that. I just love it. Well, many people uh misunderstand diversity, equity, and inclusion. And some people, uh I think you even mentioned this, believe equity means giving advantage to certain people. Would you share, Celeste, the powerful illustration of the three people um standing behind the rock, right? They're standing on the rocks. On the rock, okay. And explain what equity really means.

SPEAKER_06 33:54

Yeah, in my book, The Truth About Equity, what it really is, what it isn't, and why everyone wins when we get it right. I use the analogy, uh, the cartoon where it was created by Deloitte, and it shows in the first illustration, there are three illustrations. In the first illustration, there are three individuals that are each standing on one rock and they're facing a fence. The person on the right can't see over the fence with the one rock. The person in the middle can barely see over the fence, and the person on the left can clearly see over the fence. So they've each been given one rock, but they still, some of them still can't see over that fence. In the middle illustration, the person on the right's been given two additional rocks, the person in the middle has been given one additional rock, and the person on the left still has one rock. And in my analogy, the rocks are acts of equity. They're things that they were given that allow them to see over the fence, to have access to opportunities.

SPEAKER_02 35:03

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 35:04

And the fence, in my analogy, are all of those isms: racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, homophobia, all of those things that they didn't crop up overnight. And it took, you know, years and years, centuries, decades for them to, they they're just you know ingrained in a lot of institutions and and organizations and et cetera. And so what's happening is the work that we're doing in equity, giving those rocks, which are more short-term and midterm strategies. The person that's standing on one rock in both those illustrations, they're looking to their right and they're saying, Well, they have three rocks, they have two rocks, and I just have one. That's not fair. You're giving them preferential treatment over me. And the thing is, they don't see the fence, they don't see the isms, they don't know how those isms manifest themselves to their colleagues to the right. And so they um that the work that needs to be done is explained to them. Well, you still have your rock because you've been able to see over the fence. The rock wasn't taken from you, so you couldn't see over the fence. You still have your rock. Your colleagues needed additional rocks so they could see over the fence, so they could have access to the things that you already have access to. So nothing was taken away from you. They weren't given preferential treatment over you, they were given what they need to succeed. And so we need to be having that conversation to help them to understand that. And here's how that fence, those isms manifest themselves to your colleagues to the right. Here's what the microaggressions that they face. Here's the marginalization that they face, here's the being talked over in meetings, here's the being looked over in opportunities. They need to understand what that looks like. So the work that needs to be done is we need to put the acts of equity in place. We need to tear down the fence, which is the harder work, and then we also need to continue the dialogue with that person that was standing on one rock so they don't feel like that the work that we're doing is not for them. So once they understand, we need to get them to be active allies, not passive listeners and watching what's happening. We need them to be active allies. We need them to get in the boat, grab an oar, and help us to row up the river. Because eventually we want to get to that third illustration where the rocks are gone, the fence is torn down, and everyone can see the beautiful mountains ahead. Everyone has access to opportunities because the opportunities are based on what they bring to the table, the value. Yes. And um, and we don't need the rocks and the acts of the acts of equity. We don't, we've torn down the fence. We have had those conversations and those dialogues so everyone understands the role that they need to play in order for us to get to that that uh that third illustration. But we're not there yet. We're still in that second illustration. And I'm not saying that we have to, you know, especially as as um people in underrepresented groups, that we have to educate that person that was staying one only one rock. But we do need to have a dialogue, maybe provide them with resources, books, you know, watch this movie or here's an article or whatever. But if but we need to engage them with conversation so they can hear different perspectives.

SPEAKER_01 38:56

Oh, oh, I love that. I love that illustration. Um, coming from uh a background where I was multicultural coordinator at a high school and a diversity trainer in the school district, that that speaks volumes to me to me. So thank you so much for sharing that. Well, lastly, she elevates. We've talked about that, she belongs and she leaves. Now she elevates. One thing that stands out about your career, Celeste, is that success has never been just about you. You intentionally uplift others. Whether you're mentoring, whether you're working with destination STEM, or you're creating opportunities. You've made elevation a part of your purpose. But where did that passion come from?

SPEAKER_05 40:02

I think the passion came from seeing so many in underrepresented groups not being able to achieve whatever their aspirations may be, whether in their professional life or in their personal life.

SPEAKER_06 40:22

Not because they didn't have the skills, the capabilities, the competency, the strengths to be able to achieve it, but because someone didn't really pay attention and look at them and see them for what they could contribute. Absolutely. And for whatever reason. That's really, really important because so many times you see uh individuals who are passed over, who are ignored or ignored, and there's no really good reason except they don't fit in. And be able to lift them up. And and one of the things that just really, really irritates me, when I was coming in early in my career, I can remember I went into a different uh part of the company, a different um, it was a holding company, so there were a lot of different companies within the umbrella organization. And I was new to this particular um company. And there was a uh black woman who wouldn't give me the time of day. And I was young in my career, and she was, you know, one of the senior leaders at in that in that organization, and just wouldn't talk to me, wouldn't, wouldn't give me words of encouragement. And I'm not saying that, you know, just because she's black and I'm black, that she had to. Right. But why wouldn't you want to?

SPEAKER_01 42:26

That's it.

SPEAKER_06 42:27

You know, that's it. And so it was like she had reached this level and pulled the ladder up with her instead of leaving the ladder there and helping people to move forward. And and I I just will never ever forget that how how I was treated and how I felt and how disheartening it was to see someone who looked like me treating me that way. And because that was one of those things that I said, I will never, ever, ever do that.

SPEAKER_01 43:01

Yes, because uh, you know, I've said this, you got to be careful who you hang around. Um, I used to tell the students in high school, I said, you know, you can choose either the basement people or the balcony people. I said, I'm gonna tell you about the basement people. Now I'm not talking about the man cave that people have today. I'm talking back at grandma's house, the basement was that funky place, nobody wanted to go in. And I said, basement people have a tendency to pull you down. Misery loves company. And so basement people will do that. And then there's the balcony people, and the balcony people will pull you up. And I remember one time I said that, and a young man raised his hand and he said, Miss Gilliam, but a balcony person can also push you. I said, Ooh, good point. I said, but let me tell you something about balcony people pushing people down. Eventually, they will follow themselves. Yes, yes. And he went, whoa. So you're looking for that person who will support you. And Celeste, I know every woman who's listening today, if they could remember one thing about supporting other women, what would you want it to be? I know you've said you've said stay relevant, support each other, don't compete, stay in the fight, never give up. So, what speaks deeply in your heart right now?

SPEAKER_05 44:55

For me, where we are. As women, we need to make sure that we're taking care of ourselves and we're also living in our purpose.

SPEAKER_03 45:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 45:12

That I think is so critically important. If we aren't doing those two things, it can manifest itself in a lot of different ways, both from a mental health standpoint and also from a physical standpoint.

SPEAKER_01 45:27

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 45:28

So protect your peace, do what you need to do to do that. And then find a way to walk in your purpose. Each of us were put on this earth for a purpose and a plan. And there's a plan for everyone. And what God has for you, it is for you.

SPEAKER_01 45:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 45:44

So really stay in your purpose. Find out what your purpose is. Stay in that purpose. And uh I guarantee you your life's journey will be one that is rewarding for you and others.

SPEAKER_01 45:58

Yes, absolutely. Well, the listeners know when we come toward the end, we have the signature. So it's time for the shoot. She shines fire round. I have no doubt you will just ace this. So just answer with the first thing, Celeste, that comes to mind.

SPEAKER_05 46:27

Belongs means being loved. Good. Leadership is something that shouldn't be taken for granted. Equity is not an ugly word. Authenticity requires courage.

unknown 47:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 47:01

Yes. One word your father would use to describe you. One word your mother would use to describe you.

SPEAKER_05 47:15

Crazy. The biggest myth about DEI. The biggest myth is that it can be taken away.

SPEAKER_02 47:31

And it can't.

SPEAKER_06 47:33

Because trying to stop diversity, equity, inclusion is like trying to stop the waves from hitting the shore. It just can't be done.

SPEAKER_01 47:43

I love it. Complete this sentence.

SPEAKER_06 47:47

I shine brightest when I shine brightest when I'm inspiring individuals to reach their full potential.

SPEAKER_01 48:02

Wow. And then I have a signature question. Every guest answers this question. When you hear the words she shines, what do they mean to you?

SPEAKER_06 48:22

They mean that I'm the best version of myself that I can possibly be for others, for my family, for my friends, for my colleagues, for those I haven't met yet and hope to meet soon. That's what it means to me.

unknown 48:39

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 48:41

Oh my goodness. Celeste, I want to thank you from the bottom of a grateful heart. I want to thank you because you have reminded us that belonging isn't something we wait for others to give us. It's something we choose to embrace. Thank you for showing us that leadership isn't about titles, it's about influence. And I want to thank you for living a life that intentionally elevates others. To everyone listening, I hope today's conversation with Celeste reminds you that you already belong. You have the ability to lead. And when you rise, don't forget to elevate someone else along the way. Any closing comments, Celeste?

SPEAKER_06 49:54

I just want to say thank you. Thank you for the invitation, for being able to have this conversation. And I just hope that it inspired at least one person. And if it did, that one person that inspired, if it was you, go out and inspire someone else.

SPEAKER_01 50:14

Yes. She she talks my language the whole time. So remember to all my listeners, we rise, we reclaim, and we radiate. So keep shining until next time. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 50:35

Will you derive or let your spirit break free? You got power inside you more than you can see. Time to realign, reclaim what's meant to be.