When you choose to show up as your full self, you're not just brave—you’re revolutionary.
McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace report (2020) laid it bare: Black women are the least likely group to feel safe being themselves at work. Yet when they do, they model radical freedom—for all of us. Their risk clears the path—and dares the rest of us to walk it.
I write this as a white woman. My experience is not theirs. But my work has been shaped by the wisdom, courage, and generosity of Black women—colleagues, friends, and even a circle of Black women who served as beta readers for my book. They reminded me again and again: authenticity is not abstract. It’s costly.
That’s why my mission is not just to help women “find their voice.” It’s to honor the women who risked it first—and to guide all women to burn the old rules and write new ones.
And the stakes are high. Harvard Business School research shows that Black women often must code-switch or self-censor just to get by—and those hiding in plain sight lose more than visibility; they lose opportunities to lead, to innovate, to thrive.(hbs.edu)
Even more telling, a 2023 Harvard study found that Black women in teams with mostly white colleagues face significantly worse job outcomes—turnover rates and promotion delays are tangible—and not because of performance, but because of isolation and lack of psychological safety.(hks.harvard.edu)
Here’s the real point: authenticity doesn’t come from playing a part. It doesn’t come from softening yourself until you’re palatable, acceptable, “professional.” It comes from showing up louder, sharper, and so undeniably yourself that the conversation changes around you.
That’s why I wrote My Authentic Voice. This isn’t a book for the sunlit, staged “brand you.” It’s for the you who has already risked too much. For the voices that paved the way by refusing to shrink. For the women who rewrite the rules not just for themselves, but for the next women in the room.
Buy My Authentic Voice—not because it’s another self-help book, but because it’s a manifesto for reclaiming your power. https://form.jotform.com/252216077350148
Let’s talk—about bringing this mindset into your team or organization. Because environments that honor authentic rebellions become the ones worth working in. https://tinyurl.com/Contact-Rene
Or, tell me: When has your authenticity been revolutionary in its moment? I’ll share some of your stories in my next essay.
Because authenticity isn’t a business strategy—it’s a call to arms. And every voice matters—especially the ones they tried to silence.