Impact Innovators with Felicia Ford

052 | Failure is Knowledge: How to Get Seen & Heard with Terryl Humphrey

Twelve hours in evacuation traffic. Uncertain of what would be waiting for him back home. And yet, Terryl Humphrey still showed up.
"Excuses are the tools of incompetence," Felicia says—a phrase that shaped how she approached this conversation. But what does it really take to keep moving forward when everything is stacked against you?
Terryl, a Marine Corps veteran turned media entrepreneur, shares how he built one of the most consistent podcast platforms, producing over 893 episodes and growing his brand from $0 to $100K in 90 days. But his journey started long before that—with a single video during the pandemic, a realization that visibility is everything, and a commitment to amplifying voices that deserve to be heard.
In this episode, he breaks down:
The reality of obscurity: Why so many businesses and entrepreneurs struggle to get seen, and how to make sure your message reaches the right people.
What most people get wrong about storytelling: Why just "sharing your story" isn’t enough—and how to connect with your people.
The moment that changed everything: From growing up in a single-parent home to training as a Marine to building a platform that reaches thousands—how each experience shaped his ability to create impact.
The mindset shift that makes visibility easier: The difference between waiting for an opportunity and creating one.
"You have to start with something. You have to plant the seed and let the foundation build before you see the growth."
If you've ever felt like your work isn't reaching the people who need it, this episode will challenge you to think differently. Press play to learn what it really takes to get seen and build momentum.
Next Steps: 
Connect with Terryl Humphrey: https://www.terrylhumphrey.com/
Get Strategic Edge Magazine: https://media.feliciafordandco.com/
Join Momentum Lab by Felicia Ford & Co.®: https://lab.feliciafordandco.com
Connect with Felicia: www.threads.net/@friendscallmefe 
 
#marketing #podcast #visibility #mindset #momentum #failureisknowledge #dream

051 | Big Brands, Bigger Moves: The Brand Partnership Playbook with Kemuel C. Brown

Hey Change Maker,
We're on the heels of the 50th episode with another conversation centered around collaboration - but this time, in exploring if you're ready for someone to manage those brand partnerships for you. And as we learn today, you want to ensure your brand is structured enough to hold its own first. If you’ve ever wondered how to bring strategy and creativity together, you’ll love this conversation
In this episode of Impact Innovators, I’m joined by Kemuel C. Browne, founder of FYI Management Group, where you get to hear about the systems and sequencing that support healthy and thriving brand partnerships.
Because bringing in the right partners isn’t just about who you align with—it’s about whether your systems and processes are ready to support the weight of that alignment.
You'll learn:
Why partnerships work best when they’re interdependent—not dependent.
How the sequence of your decisions affects long-term sustainability.
The role of systems and structure in making sure partnerships amplify your brand instead of distracting from it.
Your business isn’t just growing—it’s evolving. And as you scale, the question isn’t just who can I bring in, but what do I need in place before I do?
If you’re thinking about scaling, outsourcing, or strengthening your brand’s foundation, this episode will help you put the right pieces in place—before making your next big move.
Next Steps: 
Connect with Kemuel and Fly Young Intellectual
Join Momentum Lab: https://lab.feliciafordandco.com
Get Strategic Edge: https://media.feliciafordandco.com 
 

050 | The Cost, The Conflict, and The Truth... Lucinda Cross, Dr. Rhonda Simmons, Lena West

Let's Celebrate, Change Maker!
 
We're 50 Episodes in and you're growing, connecting and thriving! For this special episode, we're bringing three separate conversations centering collaboration. Grab your notebook, pull up a chair, you're in for a good one!
Your vision is clear, your momentum is strong, and the impact you’re creating is undeniable. But even the most powerful leaders know—growth at the highest level doesn’t happen alone.
Collaboration isn’t just about working together. It’s about aligning with the right people, in the right rooms, at the right time—where influence is built, strategies are executed, and expansion is inevitable.
In this 50th episode of Impact Innovators, we’re bringing you three powerhouses who have mastered high-level collaboration, scaled their influence, and led through transformation:
Lucinda Cross – Leading movements, elevating visibility, and making bold leadership moves.
Dr. Rhonda Simmons – Navigating leadership, balance, and the courage to set boundaries that create success.
Lena West – Commanding the room, shifting power dynamics, and making sure strategy turns into results.
This conversation is about what it really takes to build with the right people—and how these leaders have done just that.
Next Steps: 
Connect with Lucinda Cross - www.lucindacross.com 
Connect with Dr. Rhonda Simmons - www.tsefi.org 
Connect with Lena West - https://ceorising.co  
Join Momentum Lab: https://lab.feliciafordandco.com
Get Strategic Edge: https://media.feliciafordandco.com 
Celebrate National Black Girl Month: www.nationalblackgirlmonth.com 
 
#Connection #Community #Collaboration #BlackWomen #PowerMoves #50

049 | Black Wealth, Bartered and Built with Nicole Murphy

Barter Black: How Nicole Murphy is Reshaping Business Growth Without Cash
Scaling a business is hard enough—doing it alone makes it even harder. Enter Nicole Murphy, founder of Barter Black, a platform designed to help Black entrepreneurs exchange services, build networks, and grow without financial strain.
In this episode, Nicole shares:
How the pandemic led to the creation of Barter Black
The game-changing role of customer discovery in refining her platform
Why "Stop trying to be the Chief Everything Officer" is the advice every founder needs
How bartering can help you preserve cash flow while getting what you need
Nicole’s insights are a wake-up call for solopreneurs trying to do it all alone. If you’re serious about scaling, building wealth, and creating a support system, this episode is a must-listen.
#growyourbusiness #barter 
Next Steps: See Nicole in Strategic Edge: media.feliciafordandco.com/power-moves
Connect with Felicia: www.threads.net/@friendscallmefe
Get Year End Power Moves: https://bit.ly/yearendpowermoves 
Get Your Free Resources: www.feliciafordandco.com/resources 
 
 

048 | Feminine Power Perfected: The Kept Wife Strategist with D'Ionna Washington

Black wealth doesn’t start with a paycheck—it starts with who you build with.
For too long, Black women have been expected to carry it all—lead, build, and make it work, no matter the cost. But what if wealth, legacy, and long-term stability weren’t about doing more but about expecting more?
In this episode, D’Ionna Washington, The Kept Wife Strategist, joins me for a conversation that goes beyond relationships into exploring power partnerships, financial security, and why stability is foundational.
We discuss:✔️ Why financial security in relationships creates infrastructure. ✔️ How provision in love translates into power partnerships in life.✔️ Why Black women shouldn’t have to build alone.
Wealth involves exploring who carries the weight and how we structure what lasts.
If you’ve ever been told to “be strong” instead of being supported, this conversation will challenge everything you thought you knew about love, leadership, and legacy.
Listen now.
#BlackWealth #PowerPartnerships #StrategicRelationships #LegacyBuilding
 
Next Steps: 
Connect with D'Ionna: www.destinationdionna.com
Read D'Ionna's Story: https://media.feliciafordandco.com/power-moves
Connect with Felicia: www.threads.net/@friendscallmefe
 

047 | Tech Equity, Served Bold with a Side of Grit with Desiah Barnett

Change Maker, this is a story that may leave you speechless. 
How Do You Open Doors That Were Never Built for You?
If you lead an organization, there’s a point where strategy alone isn’t enough—you need access. You need the right partners, funding, and a way to prove that your work isn’t just meaningful, but essential.
But what happens when traditional systems weren’t designed with you in mind? When the gatekeepers aren’t looking your way?
That’s where Desiah Barnett’s story forces a different conversation.
She didn’t wait for an invitation. From foster care to securing government contracts in 30 days, she built a tech education pipeline that’s creating real workforce opportunities for youth who are often overlooked.
💡 Inside this episode, we unpack:✔️ How she navigated the system to land city contracts and why your impact story is non-negotiable.✔️ Why mentorship is the real solution to breaking cycles of poverty—and how she structured it for scale.✔️ What it takes to introduce high-level stakeholders to your work and secure investment in your mission.✔️ How she formed a winning team and built an app for Visa—without corporate backing or deep industry connections.
This is a case study in making the system work for you.
If you're leading a nonprofit, running a social enterprise, or securing funding feels like an uphill battle, this is your episode to rethink what's possible. 
Next Steps: 
Ready to position your brand for serious funding and long-term sustainability? The strategies Desiah used to land government contracts and scale impact aren’t just for her—they’re for any leader ready to step into their next era.
Get Year-End Power Moves —designed to help change makers like you secure funding, expand partnerships, and move with strategy in any quarter. Download it now and start making the right moves.
 
 

046 | The Rose Gold Standard: Mindset and Strategy of a Luxury Brand with Omar McGee

What separates good from iconic? For Omar McGee, founder of Rose Gold Reserve, it’s a fearless mindset and the ability to blend authenticity with ambition. “You can’t win if you’re scared to take the shot,” Omar reflects. “It’s not about arrogance; it’s about knowing you’ve done the work.”
In this episode of Impact Innovators, Omar shares how he built a luxury brand that’s not just celebrated but trusted by celebrities and tastemakers. But creating a masterpiece like Rose Gold Reserve—crafted through a three-year collaboration with master blender Christian Eiroa—requires more than vision. It demands mastery, a willingness to challenge the rules, and an uncompromising dedication to quality.
Join us as Omar, an HBCU alumni shares his journey from running a school that sent 500 students to college to carving out space in the exclusive world of luxury cigars. Discover how he overcame systemic roadblocks, scaled his brand without sacrificing exclusivity, and why he believes, “My audio matches my video. It’s authentic. It’s real.”
You’ll learn:
The secrets to building strategic partnerships that elevate your brand.
How to scale a business while preserving its core values.
Why mindset—not just skillset—determines success.
Listen in to uncover the mindset shifts, strategic moves, and actionable lessons that Omar McGee used to create a brand trusted by tastemakers and celebrated for its precision.
 
Next Steps: 
Get Strategic Edge: https://media.feliciafordandco.com/power-moves 
Connect with Omar: www.instagram.com/therosegoldreserve
Connect with Felicia: https://media.feliciafordandco.com/connect 
 
 

045 | SPEDucated and Focused: The Future of Special Education with Diana R. Williams

The education system is evolving, but are we truly meeting the needs of every child? When traditional methods fall short, how do leaders and educators step up to the challenge? And what about the unseen factors that make or break a student’s success?
In this episode, Diana R. Williams, a one of a kind leader in special education leadership who has built frameworks and strategies helping administrators and parents serve students better is here with us. From her experience co-founding a Brooklyn charter school to her innovative SPEDucated Leadership Framework, Diana shares how the collective effort to creating inclusive systems that serve the whole child—academically, socially, and emotionally can lead to a huge difference in the day of a child.
You’ll learn:
The myths surrounding special education—and the reality parents and educators must understand.
How school leaders can build better systems and support their staff.
Why trauma-informed care is essential for meeting today’s challenges in education.
From Diana, "We have to extend grace—to children figuring out their bodies, to parents who are scared, to teachers trying their best, and to leaders who are burnt out."
This conversation is for anyone invested in creating a better future for our children. 
#parents #children #educators 
 
Next Steps: 
Read Diana's Story in Strategic Edge: https://media.feliciafordandco.com/power-moves
Work with Felicia Ford & Co.®: https://media.feliciafordandco.com/work-with-us/
Join the Movement: http://silentdangers.com/join-the-movement 
 

044 | The Stories We Tell, the Cultures We Build: The New Quo w/ Christina Blacken

Hey Change Maker,
Does this sound familiar? The meeting starts like it always does—polite exchanges, someone cracking a joke to loosen the tension. The agenda is clear, and the goals are ambitious. You should leave this room feeling energized, aligned, ready to move forward.
But halfway through, it’s obvious: something’s missing.
Ideas get lost in translation. Questions stay unasked. People agree, but you can’t help but notice the hesitation. You know the work your team is capable of—you’ve seen it—but these moments of disconnection feel like a weight, holding everything back.
And then, the patterns emerge.
It’s the unspoken dynamics. The hesitation to trust. The stories people tell themselves about their place in the room—about you, about the work, about each other. It’s nothing anyone says outright, but it shapes everything.
“Your brain is always trying to categorize: is this person, this moment, a reward or a threat? Those split-second assumptions? They shape trust, communication, and collaboration before you even realize it.”
This week on Impact Innovators, Christina Blacken reveals how these unseen dynamics affect everything you’re building. She’ll guide you through how to surface and rewrite the stories holding your team back—creating trust, connection, and a foundation for the year ahead.
You’ll learn:
How unconscious biases show up in team dynamics and how to shift them.
The power of story rituals and how they shape organizational culture.
Christina’s three-step framework—awareness, attunement, and action—for rewriting the narratives holding your team back.
Next Steps: 
Read Christina's story in Strategic Edge Magazine: https://media.feliciafordandco.com/power-moves 
Align Your Numbers, Empower Your Team: https://bit.ly/yearendpowermoves 
Connect with Felicia: www.threads.net/@friendscallmefe 

043 | New Year, New Strength: Perfectly Imperfect with Fred Cadoshia

Change Maker,
For you, navigating a world that demands conformity while striving to inspire others can feel like an uphill battle. When your work revolves around lifting others and leading with heart, how do you stay strong amidst storms of self-doubt, external pressures, and societal expectations?
Fred Cadoshia, CEO of Perfectly Imperfect, welcomes the storms with stepping stones. In this episode, Fred shares the raw truth of his journey, from witnessing bullying as a child to creating a global movement that empowers people to embrace their imperfections and reclaim their worth. Through powerful stories and candid reflections, Fred offers a roadmap for turning adversity into action and creating a life—and brand—that serves with purpose.
This conversation is a call to action for you to lock in on your personal growth and self-awareness as you continue to serve. 
Next Steps: 
Read Fred's Story in the Golden Hour Edition at https://media.feliciafordandco.com/power-moves
Get Year End Power Moves at bit.ly/yearendpowermoves 
Connect with Fred at www.facebook.com/fredcadoshia