Coffee No Cream

Oct 14, 2026 · 46m

Should you dress down so your insecure boss feels comfortable? Or is that a hill worth dying on?Tai Robinson is back, and she’s not giving you the fairy tale version. After years as an HR director, she’s watched appearance keep people out of leadership, and she’s lived it too. Every time she went job hunting, she straightened her natural hair. Not because she wanted to, but because her goal was the offer, and she had no idea what the person across the table believed.We dig into your comments from Episode 66 with Beverly Dines: dressing better than your boss, the “conform or move on” reality, why her blue hair is “cool” and ours gets called something else, the CROWN Act, what to ask when someone pulls you aside about your attire, and why Tai tells employees please don’t bring your whole self to work.If you’ve ever been told you’re too much, too dressed, or too different at work, this one is for you.Connect with Tai RobinsonLinkedInBook: Surviving Toxic WorkplacesListen to Episode 66 with Beverly Dines☕ Join the Coffee No Cream CommunityWe talk about career, confidence, workplace trauma, healing, and navigating life as Black women, without apology.► ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the private Facebook group ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠► ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Access 2,000+ free educational resources ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠► ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book a Motion Hour with Erin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to figure out your next step⏰ TIMESTAMPS(0:00) Preview(2:53) Tai Robinson returns(3:43) Can a Black woman be too well dressed at work?(7:38) Should you dress down to protect your boss’s ego?(8:33) Conform or move on(13:52) Appearance when you work remote(16:26) Hair, policies, and the CROWN Act(22:16) Her blue hair is “cool,” ours is “ghetto”(29:43) When someone says your appearance is a problem(32:52) Legit feedback or BS? Questions to ask(42:28) Please don’t bring your whole self to work(43:16) 3 things the HR handbook won’t tell you(45:00) Wrap up

Oct 7, 2026 · 52m

The budget ain't budgeting. So what do you do when your business needs a lawyer, a brand, or a marketing plan and the money just isn't there?Nicole Murphy had a short-term property management company that was doing really well. Then COVID hit and the business didn't survive. Instead of going back to a job, she filed for a trademark, found a developer, and built a tech company with no tech background. That company is Barter Black, a platform where Black entrepreneurs exchange products and services with each other using Barter Bucks instead of cash.We get into how the platform works and how Nicole actually makes money on it, why direct trades failed and Barter Bucks fixed it, and why launching with an app was a mistake. She also breaks down how she won over $30,000 in grants, pitch competitions, and accelerators to fund the build. Then we talk about being a beginner again, who to stop telling your ideas to, and what it takes to start when fear has you sitting on a good one.If you've been going without help in your business because you can't afford it, this one is for you.Connect with Nicole and Barter BlackWebsiteSocial Media @barterblack.ioBarterCon, February 19, 2027 in Maryland (only 50 seats): ☕ Join the Coffee No Cream CommunityWe talk about career, confidence, workplace trauma, healing, and navigating life as Black women, without apology.► ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the private Facebook group ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠► ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Access 2,000+ free educational resources ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠► ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book a Motion Hour with Erin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to figure out your next step⏰ Timestamps(0:00) No tech background, built a tech company anyway(2:01) What Barter Black is and how Barter Bucks work(5:30) From idea to trademark to developer(8:48) How Barter Black makes money(10:02) Why direct trades didn't work(14:09) Launching with an app was a mistake(15:26) Funding it with grants and pitch competitions(20:09) Getting started when fear has you stuck(23:37) Being a beginner and failing(32:30) What to tell family and friends(38:14) BarterCon(40:53) The vision for Barter Black(46:46) Where to find Nicole

Sep 30, 2026 · 30m

I started Coffee No Cream at 50 years old.Not because I had everything mapped out. Not because I knew it would work. And definitely not because I had some grand monetization plan. I started because there was something I wanted to do, and I was tired of letting fear, age, and the idea that I'd somehow “missed my window” keep me from doing it.Now I'm 52, Coffee No Cream has grown into a community of more than 13,000 people, and I'm still finding new things I want to try. In fact, the day after this episode airs, I'm starting woodworking classes because apparently I think I'm going to build my own kitchen cabinets. 😂In this solo episode, I'm talking especially to Black women who have reached 40, 50, 60, and beyond and are wondering whether it's too late to start the business, change careers, go back to school, pick up the hobby, revisit an old dream, or simply find something that brings some light back into their lives.Because having a successful life doesn't mean you have to be finished.I'm sharing five things I've learned about starting something new later in life, including why everything you love doesn't have to make money, why being a beginner at this age can actually be an advantage, and why you have to stop letting other people's timelines determine what's still possible for you.I found a new thing at 50. I have no idea what I'll find at 55 or 60, but I hope I keep finding new things for as long as I'm here.So tell me in the comments: What are you starting, learning, changing, or rediscovering in your second, third, or fourth act? ☕ Join the Coffee No Cream CommunityWe talk about career, confidence, workplace trauma, healing, and navigating life as Black women, without apology.► ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the private Facebook group ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠► ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Access 2,000+ free educational resources ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠► ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book a Motion Hour with Erin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to figure out your next step⏰ TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Starting Something New at 50(03:06) Thinking Your Window Has Closed(07:03) I Started Coffee No Cream at 50(11:04) Stop Asking If You're Too Old(12:53) What's Actually Holding You Back?(16:37) Everything Doesn't Have to Make Money(19:16) A Successful Life Isn't a Finished Life(21:17) Give Yourself Permission to Be a Beginner(27:08) It's Time to Give to Yourself(28:44) Finding My Thing at 50

Sep 23, 2026 · 1h 48m

What if doing great work isn’t enough?Beverly Dines became a C-suite executive by age 30, and after leaving corporate America, she built an online community of more than 500,000 people by sharing the career advice most of us never hear, including what is actually being said behind closed doors.In this episode of Coffee No Cream, Beverly and I talk candidly about the unwritten rules of corporate America and what Black women need to understand about navigating them. We get into how race, complexion, presentation and proximity to whiteness can affect career advancement, why Beverly believes Black women should consider “unsexy” industries when making a career pivot, and why simply applying for more jobs may not be the answer.Beverly also takes us inside the C-suite. She explains why being a “culture carrier” can sometimes protect an employee when performance alone doesn’t, why she says companies operate like clubs, and how internal relationships can affect who gets promoted, protected, or pushed out.And we talk about the shift many Black women know all too well: going from pet to threat. Beverly shares what to pay attention to when you feel that change happening and why waiting for undeniable proof may mean waiting too long.But this conversation isn’t only about learning how to play the corporate game. It’s also about building enough power to decide whether you want to play at all. Beverly talks about creating “F-you money,” decentering work, investing in your own expertise, and the advice from her mother that changed how she thought about her career:“You’ve made a lot of white men very wealthy with your operational expertise. If you gave yourself 10% of what you gave them, imagine how successful you’d be.”This is a conversation about understanding the game, recognizing when the game has changed, and creating more options for yourself.Connect with Beverly DinesYouTubeInstagramTikTokBook: Create Your Door by Beverly Dines☕ Join the Coffee No Cream CommunityWe talk about career, confidence, workplace trauma, healing, and navigating life as Black women, without apology.► ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the private Facebook group ⁠⁠⁠⁠► ⁠⁠⁠⁠Access 2,000+ free educational resources ⁠⁠⁠⁠► ⁠⁠⁠⁠Book a Motion Hour with Erin⁠⁠⁠⁠ to figure out your next step⏰ TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Coming Up(00:27) Welcome to Coffee No Cream(03:20) Meet Beverly Dines(03:32) How Beverly Built an Audience of 500,000+(07:06) Becoming a C-Suite Executive at 30(12:31) Learning the Corporate Game(19:00) Did Proximity to Whiteness Help Her Career?(22:51) The Unspoken Rules of Presentation(27:18) Black Women: Look at the “Unsexy” Industries(33:44) Stop “Spraying and Praying” for Jobs(36:09) Decisions Are Made on the Golf Course(38:33) How to Pivot Into a New Industry(46:09) Do You Really Need LinkedIn?(54:41) How to Find “Your People”(1:01:32) What Really Happens Behind Closed Doors(1:02:44) Why Being a “Culture Carrier” Matters(1:04:08) “Companies Are Clubs”(1:10:38) When Black Women Go From Pet to Threat(1:11:13) When You Notice It, It May Already Be Too Late(1:17:50) What If You Don’t Want to Play the Game?(1:18:15) Building “F-You Money”(1:20:44) Trust the Shift When You Feel It(1:26:12) “You’ve Made a Lot of White Men Wealthy”(1:27:50) Black Women, Presentation & Authenticity(1:40:33) Companies Are Clubs, But Where Do You Draw the Line?(1:45:31) Beverly’s Book, Create the Door(1:48:00) Closing

Sep 16, 2026 · 58m

In this episode of Coffee No Cream, Erin Braxton sits down with psychologist Dr. Natalie Jones for a provocative conversation about narcissism, dating, race, relationships and some of the warning signs Black women may be overlooking.What does narcissism actually mean, and how is it different from the way we casually use the word? Dr. Jones breaks down narcissistic traits and explains how she believes race, status and proximity to whiteness can become intertwined with narcissistic behavior. That leads to one of the biggest questions of the episode: when a Black man specifically rejects Black women while placing women of other races on a pedestal, could narcissism be part of what’s going on?The conversation goes much further. Dr. Jones shares what her work in corrections, forensic psychology and domestic violence has taught her about manipulative behavior, red flags in dating, pathological lying, control, verbal abuse and the moments when unhealthy relationships can become dangerous.Erin and Dr. Jones also talk about why Black women may sometimes stay too long, the pressure to “build a man up,” the idea that there is a scarcity of Black men, and whether Black women have been given enough examples of what it actually looks like to be loved well.This conversation includes strong opinions and some uncomfortable subjects, but the message for Black women is simple: pay attention to what you see, stop explaining away behavior that concerns you, and go where you are loved, celebrated, and appreciated.CONTENT NOTE: This episode includes discussion of domestic violence, sexual offending, pornography, and abusive relationships.Dr. Natalie Jones, PsyDWebsiteTikTokInstagram☕ Join the Coffee No Cream CommunityWe talk about career, confidence, workplace trauma, healing, and navigating life as Black women, without apology.► ⁠⁠⁠Join the private Facebook group ⁠⁠⁠► ⁠⁠⁠Access 2,000+ free educational resources ⁠⁠⁠► ⁠⁠⁠Book a Motion Hour with Erin⁠⁠⁠ to figure out your next step⏰ TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Preview(01:02) Welcome to Coffee No Cream(03:09) Meet Dr. Natalie Jones(05:18) What Does “Narcissist” Actually Mean?(08:17) Narcissism, Race and Proximity to Whiteness(11:22) What Dr. Jones Heard From Black Men in Prison(15:00) Race, Identity and All-White Friend Groups(19:02) If He Doesn’t Want Black Women, Is It Narcissism?(23:01) Is It Attraction or the Status Associated With Whiteness(26:56) Dating Red Flags Black Women Should Watch For(27:41) “If You Feel Sorry for Him, It’s Time to Go”(29:13) Pay Attention to His Relationship With His Mother(31:50) Why Dr. Jones Considers Red-Pill Content a Warning Sign(34:22) Are Black Women Too Forgiving When Choosing Black Men?(37:19) When Narcissistic Behavior Becomes Dangerous(38:53) Why Verbal Abuse Is a Serious Warning Sign(39:17) Losing Control, Leaving and Pregnancy(40:46) Weapons, Threats and Escalating Behavior(43:10) Pathological Lying and Living a Double Life(47:42) Does the Perceived Scarcity of Black Men Make Us Accept More?(48:21) “Go Where You Are Loved”(50:21) Do Black Women Have Enough Examples of Healthy Love?(51:00) Tyler Perry and Representations of Black Women(54:33) Letting Go of “Build a Man Up” and “Ride or Die”(55:46) Reality Dating Shows and Black Women(57:19) Where to Find Dr. Natalie Jones(58:00) The “Blue Magic” Story We Didn’t Get To(58:35) Closing

Sep 9, 2026 · 1h 50m

What happens when you grow up as a Black girl surrounded almost entirely by white people?In this episode of Coffee No Cream, I sit down with Tracie Walker to talk about our experiences growing up in predominantly white schools and communities, and the lessons we learned about race, belonging, and what it means to navigate spaces where very few people look like you.Tracie shares how her parents prepared her for those environments, including one message from her father that stayed with her: don’t ever get so comfortable that you forget you’re Black.We talk about being the only Black girl in the room, teachers who treated us differently, encounters with racism as children, the things our parents did and didn’t tell us, and how those experiences shaped the way we move through predominantly white spaces today.But we also wrestle with a bigger question: Did growing up around white people prepare us for the real world, or did it sometimes give us a false sense of acceptance?This isn’t a conversation about regretting where we grew up. It’s about looking back as Black women and recognizing what those experiences taught us, what they couldn’t teach us, and the lessons we had to learn for ourselves.If you grew up as one of the few Black kids in your school, neighborhood or friend group, I especially want to hear from you. What did your parents tell you about navigating white spaces? And what did you have to figure out on your own?✨ About Tracie Walker Follow Tracie on TikTok: @atmarshalsweat (search "thinking out loud") or @SheReadsWellYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThinkingOutLoud-q5s☕ Join the Coffee No Cream CommunityWe talk about career, confidence, workplace trauma, healing, and navigating life as Black women, without apology.► ⁠⁠Join the private Facebook group ⁠⁠► ⁠⁠Access 2,000+ free educational resources ⁠⁠► ⁠⁠Book a Motion Hour with Erin⁠⁠ to figure out your next step⏰ Timestamps(00:00) Growing Up in White Spaces(01:05) Welcome to Coffee No Cream(05:45) Tracie Walker Returns(07:00) Why Our Parents Chose White Schools(10:00) Experiencing Racism at School(22:00) Fighting to Tell Black Stories(26:40) Being Called the N-Word as a Child(35:00) The Advantages and Trauma of White Schools(47:00) Entering a Predominantly White College(55:00) How Our Upbringing Shaped Us(1:02:35) When Black Kids Get “A Little Delusional”(1:10:00) “Don’t Get Too Comfortable”(1:18:30) What Did We Gain and What Did We Miss?(1:35:00) Feeling Different Around Other Black People(1:43:00) Learning About Colorism as an Adult(1:47:30) Black Books, Black Authors and Final Thoughts

Sep 2, 2026 · 1h 15m

We’re back with a brand new episode of Coffee No Cream, and we’re jumping into a conversation that Black women have A LOT of feelings about: code-switching.Executive coach Ashley Morgan is back, and she has a perspective that might challenge the way you think about changing how you communicate in different spaces. Is code-switching always about making ourselves more palatable to white people? Is adapting the way we communicate a betrayal of who we are? Or can it simply be strategic communication, a tool we use to read the room, navigate the system, and get the outcome we want?Ashley argues that we all code-switch. We do it at work, at church, with family, with friends, and in different social environments. The difference, she says, is the story we tell ourselves about why we're doing it.And when it comes to refusing to “play the game” in corporate America, Ashley doesn't mince words: you absolutely have the right not to do it. But if you choose not to navigate the system, then don't complain when you don't get what you want from it.We also get into authenticity, “talking white,” performing for white comfort, power and privilege, being strategic in corporate America, and why Ashley believes adapting her communication doesn't diminish her identity as a Black woman. For her, it's about agency: understanding the environment, knowing what she wants and communicating in a way that helps her get there.So is code-switching really the problem? Or have we been looking at strategic communication all wrong?Watch the full conversation and let me know where you land in the comments.Follow Ashley on ⁠TikTok ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠Download her free ⁠Cascade Communication Guide ⁠ ☕ Join the Coffee No Cream CommunityWe talk about career, confidence, workplace trauma, healing, and navigating life as Black women, without apology.► ⁠Join the private Facebook group ⁠► ⁠Access 2,000+ free educational resources ⁠► ⁠Book a Motion Hour with Erin⁠ to figure out your next step⏰ TIMESTAMPS(0:00) Is Code Switching Really a Bad Thing?(3:48) “We Talk Like White Girls”(6:18) We Change How We Communicate All the Time(10:50) “I Don’t Play Corporate Games”(13:15) Code Switching or Strategic Communication?(16:10) “So What If I Sound White?”(18:05) Are You Still Being Authentic?(20:10) “I Got There Through the Front Door”(25:00) Reframing Code Switching as a Power Move(29:00) Getting Accused of “Talking White”(33:00) Stop Performing for White Comfort(34:27) Using Communication to Get What You Want(38:30) How Strategic Relationships Create Opportunities(42:15) Corporate America Wants You to Feel Powerless(46:00) Do Black Women Need to Be More Calculating?(51:00) The Target That Comes With Wanting More(56:00) Why Are You Changing How You Communicate?(59:00) Taking the Shame Out of Code Switching(1:02:00) Communication, Leadership and Purpose

Aug 26, 2026 · 37m

Black women, if you're experiencing chest pains, headaches, hair loss, anxiety, the Sunday Scaries... I could go on. And you're brushing them off, thinking they're normal. They're not. We're under attack, and we've been under attack.This is the final episode in our Summer Rewind series, and it's the one that ties the physical cost of all of it together. Dr. Kimani Norrington-Sands breaks down what chronic workplace stress can actually turn into: hair loss, rising blood pressure, even PTSD symptoms. Natasha Williams shares her research on what she calls the "taxes" Black professionals pay every day, including the number that stopped me: 63% of the people she surveyed reported being affected by severe health conditions from this. And Sheri tells the story of the stroke she had at 39, including being told by a doctor that she was "too young" to be having one.This isn't about scaring you. It's about naming what's actually happening in our bodies, so we stop calling it normal.Episodes HighlightedEpisode 49 w/Dr. Kimani Norrington-SandsEpisode 18 w/Abby The AttorneyEpisode 9 w/Michele Hardiman-ForbesEpisode 50 w/Natasha WilliamsEpisode 16 w/Valencia DantzlerEpisode 38 w/Sheri GrayEpisode 19 w/Erin☕ Coffee No Cream is a podcast dedicated to Black women sharing the moments, challenges, and lessons that shape our professional and entrepreneurial journeys.📌 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Coffee No Cream Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📚 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Educational Resources⁠⏰ Timestamps(0:00) Why This Episode Exists(3:01) We Come In Already Qualified(6:29) Dr. Kimani Norrington-Sands: Hair Loss, Blood Pressure & PTSD(21:05) Natasha Williams: "Death By A Thousand Cuts"(21:53) Natasha Williams: 63% Of Us Are Affected(25:59) Sheri: The Stroke(27:38) Sheri: "You're Too Young"

Aug 19, 2026 · 42m

Should you stay in corporate, or should you go? That's the question this whole episode is built around.Over 62 episodes, you and your guests have answered this from every angle, how to find the right organization, how to shift from tasks to value, how to build confidence outside of a job title, what burnout actually costs. This Summer Rewind pulls together the strongest career advice from the entire run: Rhonda Joy McLean and Elaine Meryl Brown on building your own table when the one you're at won't make room for you. Celeste Warren on doing real due diligence before you accept a job. Natasha Williams on scarcity mindset and learning the system before you leave it. Dr. Pamela Buchanan on what burnout during the pandemic actually did to her, and what she built after.This isn't a highlight reel. It's the playbook.Episodes HighlightedEpisode 42 w/Rhonda Joy McLean Episode 44 w/Celeste WarrenEpisode 43 w/ErinEpisode 55 w/ErinEpisode 26 w/Natasha WilliamsEpisode 23 w/ErinEpisode 51 w/Bernie FrazierEpisode 27 w/ErinEpisode 41 w/Pamela Buchanan, M.D. ☕ Coffee No Cream is a podcast dedicated to Black women sharing the moments, challenges, and lessons that shape our professional and entrepreneurial journeys.📌 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Coffee No Cream Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📚 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Educational Resources⁠⏰ Timestamps(0:01) Should You Stay Or Go?(1:50) Rhonda Joy McLean: Build Your Own Table(5:42) Celeste Warren: Do Your Homework First(9:42) Celeste Warren: Reading The Org From The Inside(12:53) From Tasks To Value (The AI Tool Tip)(18:09) Natasha Williams: Scarcity Mindset & Getting Out(21:02) Stay In Motion(27:43) Dr. Pamela Buchanan: Burnout & Building After Medicine(37:18) Silence To Strategic Visibility