As a woman of color, you've been proving yourself for years. It's exhausting, and it hasn't gotten you where you want to go.

You said yes to every stretch project. You finished the degree and the certification. You trusted the people who promised to speak up for you. And when the opportunity still didn't come, you started wondering if maybe you're just not good enough.

You know you’re ready for a move up in your career… you’re just not exactly sure where or how to get there. Or maybe you have your eyes set on that director level role - but you keep hearing "not quite ready." (despite having better experience than the guy who ends up getting hired)

Either way, you're tired of it, and you’re ready to get the career you deserve.

Hi, I'm LaToya.

LaToya Sharmaine smiling and holding a Real Talk with LaToya mug

I help Black women and women of color figure out which careers actually fit them, and then get the job.

Find the career direction that actually fits your talents, passions and skills (not just the ones your white boss thinks you're qualified for)
Get seen as the obvious choice for director-level roles and above (not just the person who trained whoever got the job)
Stop blaming yourself for barriers that were beyond your control (it was never a hustle problem)

My clients are all like you, so I know your situation all too well…

You've been trying. You worked harder. You took on more. You added another certification, and maybe you're eyeing a second one. You rewrote your résumé, then rewrote it again, then sent it into the void (no responses, huh).

And honestly? All your hard work got you nowhere. Not because you didn't try hard enough, but because all of those fixes assume that you already knew exactly what the problem was.

But when you’re in the thick of it, you can’t see the forest for the trees (or rather, can’t see the actual reasons you’re not getting hired). And they often aren’t what you think (ie. another ChatGPT resume revamp doesn't fix it)

I know, because I've lived it

I started in HR as an HR Assistant, supporting the Director of HR. It was also the first time I’d worked in an office with so many other women of color. Before that, I was often the only one.

I took on more than someone in my position normally would: running new employee orientations, building presentations, and facilitating service training across campus. I believed that if I kept working hard and showing what I could do, advancement would follow.

Then I was told a new job description was being written to reflect the work I was actually doing. My supervisor said it would be a game changer, and that she’d go in there and fight for me because I deserved it.

After the committee reviewed my position, a colleague pulled me aside. Most of the committee had supported a higher classification. But my supervisor, the same person who said she was in my corner, had described my job as purely administrative. Even though I had someone reporting directly to me.

My role came back classified much lower, and my salary potential took the hit. She told me she’d really tried. I believed her, until other people confirmed what happened.

That was the moment my eyes were opened. Why tell me to my face that you’re advocating for me, then say something completely different behind closed doors?

It wasn’t the only time. I was pulled aside and discouraged from applying for roles because I supposedly wasn’t qualified or wasn’t a good fit. In one case, I later learned someone had actually been waiting for me to apply.

I worked two, three, sometimes four times as hard just to be recognized. It’s exhausting.

Getting looked over and underestimated happens with women of color all the time. And it is my mission in life to help you succeed despite it.

What I figured out

Being good at your job, working hard and taking on more doesn't automatically lead to advancement. And other people have far more influence over your career than you think, especially the ones making decisions about you when you're not in the room.

I've also seen it from the hiring side.

In HR and talent acquisition, I've been in conversations with managers and executives where people's qualifications, potential and readiness for advancement were being discussed. I've heard assumptions made about women of color that had nothing to do with their actual performance or contributions.

Most candidates have no idea this is happening, or how it shapes their opportunities. Someone can be doing everything right and have no idea the people deciding their future see them very differently.

And sometimes it isn't about you at all. It's the wrong organization.

Or the wrong role in an otherwise right organization.

Or leaders who were never taught how to hire, manage or develop people.

That's why I don't automatically tell someone who's struggling to advance to rewrite her résumé, work harder, or get another credential. Sometimes those things are necessary. But first, we look at how you're positioned, and at the environment and decision-makers around you.

I believe you have to understand the person and their unique environment, before you prescribe the path. Because you can get really good at pursuing the wrong thing.

It's also very hard to see this from the inside. That's why doing it alone keeps you spinning.

Why you can trust me with this

I have more than 15 years of experience in HR and talent acquisition, including at Morehouse School of Medicine and the University of West Georgia. That means I know how hiring decisions actually get made, and I know what to do about it.

I hold a Masters of Public Administration in Human Resources, so I understand how organizations hire, promote and develop people from the inside
My Bachelors was in Business Administration, so I understand the business side of what director-level hiring managers are looking for
I have a Strategic Talent Acquisition certification, so I know exactly how employers find, screen and choose people
I am Hogan Advanced Feedback & Assessment certified, so I can help you understand your strengths, what motivates you, and how you show up under pressure
I am also a Certified Life Coach,, so you get structured, professional coaching that helps you find the stuck points you can't see yourself (this isn’t just cheerleading or advice from a biased friend)
I’ve worked with over 100 clients, so you're working with someone who has seen what works (and what doesn't) for women in your exact spot

Here's what I want for you.

I want you to know exactly which jobs you should be going after.
I want you to say what you bring without shrinking it.
I want you to get considered for the roles you've already earned.
And I want you to stop automatically blaming yourself when you hit a barrier that was never yours.

I want you to recognize what you're capable of, understand your options, and make career decisions with a full picture of yourself and the factors affecting your progress, instead of just working harder at what hasn't been working.

Sometimes that means going for the promotion. Sometimes it means a new organization or a whole new direction. And sometimes it means seeing that where you are will never give you what you're looking for, no matter how hard you work (and helping you figure out what is next).

More random facts about me:

I'm a verbal processor who loves a voice note. Sometimes I find the answer halfway through recording. Do I stop? Of course not. You're going on this journey with me.
I was basically raised by my grandparents. That explains the old soul and the sayings that should come with candy from the bottom of an older lady's purse. Those strawberry candies with the chewy center? My favorite.
I crack myself up. If I start laughing halfway through a story, give me a minute. I've already reached the punchline in my head.
I almost always have a song for the situation, and I may break into it without warning. Please know the melody before joining in. Don't mess up my flow.
My son likes having me sit in the living room while he beats video games. I'm happy to be his audience. Everybody needs somebody to witness the victory.

Let's figure out what's next

If you're thinking "oh my word, FINALLY someone who understands me," See how we can work together.

Work With Me