Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: This is Be Better Than youn BS with Resha Grint. And around here, we get rid of the BS Game. Changing women, Raw stories, real truth about what it takes to lead, win, and stay sane in the process. If you've ever had to fight for your seat at the table, this space is for you. This is now media television.
Welcome to be Better Than your BS Life and business are about more than titles and wins, and they're about how you show up and the culture you create around you. Sports taught me that early. Discipline, teamwork, and knowing how to pivot under pressure. And that's why I do this show. I'm Reisha Grant, the people's champ, and I'm here to bring you real conversations with leaders, change makers, and everyday people who are shaping culture in powerful ways. My guest today is Kenya Moore, lead legal contract consultant at AT&T and former chief of staff. Kenya has built a career on helping leaders drive meaningful change while staying true to their authentic core. From managing complex contracts to shaping people strategy to serving on the culture team, she's focused on creating spaces where employees feel seen, valued, and motivated outside of corporate life. She's a classically trained dancer who says ballet is a sport.
She is an avid traveler and a passionate advocate for giving back. This is a conversation about leadership, resilience, and the impact of building culture from the inside out. Let's get to it. Now, every athlete knows you cannot step on the court without warming up first. So the pregame mindset is also important in your personal and professional life. So before all the titles and the responsibilities, Kenya, tell us, who were you in the beginning, before you became this magnificent person that you are?
[00:01:47] Speaker B: Oh, thank you. Thank you so much.
[00:01:49] Speaker A: I.
[00:01:50] Speaker B: When you was reading my background, I'm like, wow, who is that? Like, that's me. Oh, my God, that's awesome. But thank you for having me, and thank you for asking the question. It's a great question because sometimes I have to step back and think about who I was before entering the workforce. I've been in this game for over 25 years. And so when I think back where I started, I'm like, wow, what was that starting lineup? And who was I? And when I think about that, I took a moment and said, you know what? I was just a recent high school graduate who had just somehow became a mom, and all of a sudden, I had to keep a whole human alive.
And I was like, what am I going to do? I'm a new, young single mom, and I have to take care of my child. I Have to make sure we, you know, stay sufficient in terms of living. And yet the only thing I had was a high school diploma and my dancing under my umbrella. Cause that's where I was going. And so my lineup was just me, my daughter, God, and my mother.
[00:02:45] Speaker A: Did you have time to even think about, like, once you got pregnant? Did it. Well, I don't even want to say. Did it change your trajectory? Of course it changed your trajectory. But what were your thoughts at that time about, okay, this has happened, I have this kid, I still want to do abc.
[00:03:02] Speaker B: Yeah. So it was definitely one thing I had to sit back and think about. It definitely changed the course of. Obviously, at my point, I was thinking about Dan's. Yes. My plan B was criminal justice. So it definitely wasn't something corporate related.
But I had to take a moment to think about. I talked with my mother. I came from a background of strong women. We never.
My great grandmother, my grandmother, my mother. It was never a case where you just sit and look, you sit and do. And so this was just like a moment of. I wouldn't call it a setback, but it was just an obstacle or a challenge that I had to overcome. So in terms of what I had to do, I had to create a plan, a game plan. What's my action plan? What do I gotta do? And so in that case, my mother came to me and she said, well, if you're at this point, you either need to go to school, finish school, or you need to work. One of the two options. And so I tried to go to school.
I say try because I did. I enrolled in, like, a local university with my plan B degree, criminal justice. So a lot of times people wonder how I went from dancing to criminal and to all that great stuff. We could talk about that.
[00:04:05] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:04:06] Speaker B: But I did that. And I end up having to stop college because it was just too much in terms of, like, attending every day. I became sick a lot. Very fatigued. I was taking public transportation back and forth. So it just came a lot. And so then I said, okay, well, can't do the school thing, so I guess I gotta do this work thing.
[00:04:25] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:04:27] Speaker B: And so my mom actually was very critical in that piece. She helped me and said, hey, what I'll do is I'll get you an apartment. I probably wouldn't have the courage to do what she did. Cause she literally co signed for me an apartment without a job. I don't know if I trust my kids that much. Parents can be great like that.
[00:04:42] Speaker A: Yes. Yes.
[00:04:45] Speaker B: I think she knew what was burning inside me? And so with that, I simply got the apartment. And next thing I know, I was applying for jobs. And that is when I started entering this whole workforce kind of life that I actually had to clock in and do some things well.
[00:05:00] Speaker A: And I really want, I want to get to that, but I want to ask a question that I think will be so helpful to our viewers. As a young mom that is trying to figure out life, what would you say to someone watching this right now who is saying, yes, I got pregnant, I don't know what my next step looks like. What would you say to that person right now?
[00:05:19] Speaker B: I would say, don't overthink it. Take a moment to just kind of. And I say, don't overthink because you gotta think about it.
[00:05:27] Speaker A: Right?
[00:05:27] Speaker B: But if you overthink it, you'll talk yourself right out of it. You'll create more anxiety, more challenges within the situation itself. So I would recommend taking a step back, thinking about where you want to be, because in some cases, it's not how you get there, it's getting there. And so sit down and create that action plan for you at whatever age you are. It may look different from your friend or someone you worked with in the past, but just sit down and take a moment to think about it. And I'm an advocate of prayer. I always say, whether it's prayer, whether it's meditation, whatever your higher beliefs are, sit down and have a moment in a conversation with that and then lean on your support system, whoever that looks like and what that is.
[00:06:06] Speaker A: So let's go back to business. What actually sparked that first interest in business, especially away from criminal justice?
[00:06:14] Speaker B: Yeah, so it was actually being in the workforce.
Over a course of time, I moved. I started off in a call center for a rental company, and then I moved into where I am now in terms of AT and T. And I was still in a call center. And it wasn't, it was basically going through like my day to day. I had decided to enroll back in college through my tuition reimbursement and love.
[00:06:38] Speaker A: Big corporations for that.
[00:06:40] Speaker B: Right.
And so those are things you think about when you create an action plan. What can the companies offer me and bring back to me? And so I remember sitting, one of our VPs at that time came in to visit and I was, I had the luxury of her sitting with me. I was nervous to death.
But I remember her saying, oh, you're going back to school and you're doing all that? And I'm like, yeah, I'm trying to you know, give, you know, whatever. And so then she says, well, why haven't you stepped out in leadership? And she had this very distinct, high pitched, authoritative voice, if all that could even go together.
[00:07:11] Speaker A: Right.
[00:07:12] Speaker B: And when she said that, she was like, why haven't you done it? I was like, you know, I don't know, I'm kind of, you know, I like that over here. It's a little. And she's like, girl, you just gotta have faith. And I was like, okay. And so when an opportunity came up to go into leadership, I, you know, of course I prayed on it, but then I heard her voice saying, you just gotta step out on faith. And so I actually went in and that was my first taste at seeing leadership, seeing strategies being built, being at the decision or being at the table with decisions. And that's where it just kinda like.
[00:07:42] Speaker A: I love, I call them like our silent warriors. And the reason I call them silence, because we'll forget about them. Like they, they may not have made this major impact that you talk about every day, but there's that one thing at the, at the time that you have got to have it that you will think back on 20 years ago and say, that was actually a turning point.
[00:08:03] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:08:03] Speaker A: That was actually something that made me think it planted a seed that grew, you know, that grew later. And I. So I love that that that's part of your story.
Now, if you could describe your personal culture during those early years, the energy you bring in the room, the impact when you leave the room, what would three words would you use?
[00:08:23] Speaker B: I would say, obviously, faith, determination and creative and being. Well, you said three, but creative.
And I say creative. But that also kind of includes awkwardness. Being okay with being. I was very awkward in a sense.
[00:08:39] Speaker A: Let's talk about being awkward a little bit. I like that. I like that because that is so scary for people. Like, you know, that maybe you're awkward or you're a little different or maybe even described as weird. But it can be a strength. Can you speak to that?
[00:08:53] Speaker B: I am team weird. I am so team weird. I am. Okay, I have finally got to there in my life. But to your point, earlier in life, I always knew I was a little different. Whether it was good, bad or indifferent, however, But I always felt like I was out of place. Even when I was hanging with like, you know, the cool kids and the popular kids. I was like, okay, this is weird. But then when I go over here, it was like, still like I was just one who kind of had connections with everybody. Explain your weird My weird is just feeling like a sense of like. And here, this is probably the better way to explain it. There's a Janelle Monae song, and she says, I'm always left or center, and that's right where I belong. It's not necessarily being forefront and being the popular one or whatever, or being the overly weird one. It's just being okay with just being authentically who you are being.
I may say something very weird one day and be like, nobody got that joke. It's fine. It's totally fine. Or I may say something overly intelligent that sound like I was in rooms with scholars, but it's just being okay with being mean.
[00:09:55] Speaker A: Well, and it's in your early years, it's really scary to go out there and be yourself, because, you know, people gonna talk noise, they're gonna say all the things, and we go home and internalize those things. And then as we get older, especially at the big ages we are now, we're like, whatever. I don't care what you think, you know, but it takes a while to get there. There's really.
You need all those years to really get where you're going. So looking back, what BS did you have to push through to even believe you belonged in the spaces that you are now?
[00:10:27] Speaker B: Now, that's a really great question. Cause I think I believe a lot of us, you know, struggle with that question and kind of. And I would say imposter syndrome is real. That is a real thing.
And it is definitely coined as BS once you get past the imposter syndrome. But it's definitely one of those things that I've had to overcome. And still I'm a work in progress. I remember when I first moved into management, I had a real life case of that. I literally got promoted. I was in my office, and I remember Deliverables coming in. And at the time, I was a data analyst. And of course, you know, everybody wants data, whatever the case might be. And I remember sitting in that office and I was like, what have I done?
[00:11:12] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:11:13] Speaker B: Oh, my God, I am not qualified for this. I do not. You know, I just. Everything started going through my head. I called my sister in tears, called my sister. I said, I don't know what I've done. They gonna fire me. And she said, girl, calm down. And it's my little sister. You know, again, we come from a women, a strong group of women. So we always. And I remember her saying this to your point, remembering things people say, that was pivotal. I remember her saying, God doesn't call the Qualified. He qualifies to call.
Okay, little sis, get in there and do what you need to do. And I remember getting off the phone, I hung up, wiped those tears off my eyes, and I started speaking positive to myself, Girl, you got this.
You deserve this. And all that. And that's where that imposter syndrome kind of subsided. But it comes back here and there. Yes, but it's. And it's that BS that you gotta always kind of, you know, it's here. I can recognize it now. And so I know how to deal with it.
[00:12:05] Speaker A: And I think that's the biggest part, is recognizing it because it doesn't matter where your career has been or your life has taken you. It always pops up. And every single interview that I have done up to this point, imposter syndrome, has come up. Well, except for one. But we will be right back. Up next, we're diving into the big moves, the pivots and the plays that changed everything for Kenya. Hold up. We're just getting started. More truth, more strategy and less bs. Coming up next on Be Better Than your bs Right here on Now Media Television.
This is Be Better Than youn BS with Resha Grant. And around here, we get rid of the bs.
Welcome back to Be Better Than youn bs. Want more of what you're watching? Stay connected to Be Better Than youn BS and every NOW Media TV favorite, live or on demand, anytime you like. Download the free Now Media TV app on Roku or iOS and unlock non stop bilingual programming in English and Spanish on the move. You can also catch the podcast version right now from our website at www.nowmedia.tv. from business and news to lifestyle, culture and beyond, Now Media TV is streaming around the clock. Ready whenever you are.
I'm here with Kenya Moore, a culture leader and consultant who knows what it means to make bold moves in her career. Now every career has that one bold move, that risk, that pivot, the play that changes everything. Let's talk about yours. Now, you made the lead from chief of staff to leading legal contracts. What was the play behind the pivot?
[00:13:42] Speaker B: Oh, wow. So that one was very thought through. A lot of times, I would say sometimes I've ended up in roles that was just sporadic and just opening like, oh, let me try it. This one was one of my more strategic thinking players.
From going from a chief of staff role where there's tons of experience, valuable lessons, you're in the rooms where the decisions are being made.
It was just. That was a life changing role for me. So it was almost like to leave that role, it had to be something that I had to be extremely passionate about. And so when the legal consultant role opened up for me, I was, it kind of brought me back full circle in a sense, if you remember talking about. I was like, oh, my background, my plan B was criminal justice. Yes.
Brought me back full circle. I was like, wow, okay, here's my opportunity. Like, I worked in conjunctions, our own projects where I had to work with legal teams and kind of do some of the litigation behind it and whatnot. But this was an opportunity to get back in that world and do it at a full time capacity. And so it was very strategic. I had, you know, I remember talking to my boss about it when I was doing the chief. I was like, listen, you know I love you, girl. I said, but this is one of those things that I feel like, you know, I'm being brought back to where my original intentions were. And it's not by, you know, it's not by mishap, it's by intentional divine purpose. So that is one of those roles that I went to.
[00:15:04] Speaker A: That's great. That's great. Cause when I saw it, I was like, chief of staff seems like it's so much more fun and to worry about all this legalese and. But I know the thing about chief of staff though is people.
It's really, really about people. And people are the culture of any company. So do you miss or do you get to still work with that amount of people or do you miss like really being engaged?
[00:15:28] Speaker B: I miss it. I will say that I still kind of like my successor. I'd still ping and be like, hey, are you okay over there? You're good. And so. But no, I miss it because it was one of those roles where you do have such tremendous impact. You are changing, you're working with people, you're being an influencer in a sense, not in a social media way, but you're influencing, you're inspiring, you're keeping your leader together, you're helping and strategize with your leader. So it was definitely many legs to that component piece. And you, and you actually get to see real time, the work that you are doing that contributes to the overarching business priorities. Right? Whereas now I still contribute to those business priorities, but it's in a more basically siloed way. In a sense. It's more like I get the focus on the risk mitigation. I get the focus on making sure I am having the company at the forefront of decisions and we're making sure we're protecting those decisions being made so that the company can prevail further.
[00:16:27] Speaker A: So if I were gonna make a career change, a title change, or any of those things, what would you tell me to do? What's the first thing I should think about?
[00:16:37] Speaker B: I would say take title out of it for a minute.
Cause we always get so caught up in title.
[00:16:43] Speaker A: Stuck on it.
[00:16:43] Speaker B: Yes.
A lot of people contribute a title to their success, and it's one of the things I've had to learn the course of time is because I was one of those, oh, I just want to do. I want C suite, da da da. All that great stuff. But what I've learned is I've gotten older. It's about fulfillment and it's about passion, and it's about doing something that you'll want to do as you wake up. Every day is not going to be a great day, but if it's something that you're doing that you want to do, you'll find a way to do it. And so I would say take the title out of it and go and really zone in on what makes you happy, what drives you. Because the biggest thing is you want to add value, you want to add impact, and whatever those roles align with what your quality is, your transferable skills are, go for that piece of it. And that role may look like I'm clown to whatever the case might be the title. I'm just saying a title may look weird, but if you look at that description that's resonating with you. And so I tell people all the time, think about, take the title out for a second.
[00:17:40] Speaker A: I'm so glad you said that, because even when I was starting my business, I'm like, I'm gonna be a CEO. Get to be a CEO. So about a month in, it's like, okay, so this, this does not mean chief executive officer. This means chief everything officer.
[00:17:56] Speaker B: It's so much pressure with them titles too.
[00:17:58] Speaker A: Yes, it really is. I mean, we just go in, do the thing. I think it would even help with the imposter syndrome and all of those things. So when you're consulting with leaders, how do you balance driving results with helping them to stay true to their authentic core?
[00:18:10] Speaker B: It all. It's about the relationship you build with them.
I would say, in order to have a leader that's comfortable with listening to you, it's about building trust.
[00:18:20] Speaker A: Right.
[00:18:20] Speaker B: And that takes some time. I think. People go in and they're like, oh. Right away they feel like they have to be able to talk to their Leader and just throw everything on the table and the leadership list.
It doesn't happen that way. You have to give your leader time to get to know you. You have to give that time for you to get to know your leader, and then you kind of work on that relationship. And that way, when you do decide to provide insight or strategies or whatnot, they understand where it's coming from for you.
[00:18:50] Speaker A: I don't think you can stress leadership enough, quite honestly, in the sense that the world is going through a lot of craziness right now, and I think it's very scary to be a leader right now.
Do you have any advice for how to lead through challenging times?
[00:19:10] Speaker B: So this takes me back to actually being a dancer, and one of the things or one of the transferable skills that I feel like transferred into corporate America with me early on was being able to perform under pressure.
And basically, it's the same way with corporate America. Anytime there's changes, anytime there is, whether it's from external or internal, you have to be able to work and adapt. You can take a moment to, like, have your, you know, whatever, you know, break down. I always have a rule of giving myself 24 hours, whether that's giving myself 24 hours to, like, you know, vent, cry, whatever the case might be. But I say don't stay there too long.
[00:19:50] Speaker A: Right.
[00:19:50] Speaker B: Because things are not gonna change just because you're not happy with it. You have to figure out what's the next step. How do you remain in the game? How do you stay valid and valuable in the game? And so just take. Don't sit in what it is. Say, okay, well, this is what it is.
Where is my next performance needing to be?
[00:20:07] Speaker A: Exactly. And I think 24 hours is so important because sometimes you need to sit in the stillness. That is resilience. Even though we see resilience as the constant movement, sometimes we need to sit, be still, so we can actually hear what that voice is saying to us about what next looks like. Exactly. So I think it's super important to sometimes let go of what was so you can grab on to what can be.
[00:20:31] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:20:32] Speaker A: And I'm saying that for everybody out there, but I'm also saying it for me, because there are so many things happening, so many changes that are super important to what our next looks like, and it's hard to see it when you're constantly moving. So I love that. 24 hours, y'.
[00:20:48] Speaker B: All.
[00:20:48] Speaker A: Give it 24 hours.
So tell me the biggest lesson you've learned about the difference between managing people and Truly leading them.
[00:20:57] Speaker B: Yeah, definitely. One of the differences that people.
Well, what I've shared with people is managing is do as I say, whereas leading is influencing, inspiring. So you do have to do, you know, the things that I'm asking you to do. But here's why. Let me help you understand how you connect to the overarching at risk.
Because people. When people have a tendency to know the why behind why they're doing things, they tend to do it better.
They tend to do it with intentions. They tend to do it with value. And I always tell people, when you have a good leader, your people will work for you.
[00:21:35] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:21:36] Speaker B: They want to see you succeed because they want to succeed. So it's about inspiring, it's about sharing, letting people know the why behind things. And that transparency is a game changer. But if you're just operating on. Just do it because I said so.
[00:21:50] Speaker A: Yes. Yeah, That's.
[00:21:51] Speaker B: Well.
[00:21:51] Speaker A: And I think servant leadership is a big deal. Leading by example.
I can tell you to do something. I can show you how to do something. I can get out here and do it with you. And you brought up sports, which is my love language.
But in sports, I realized when I was coaching kids, when I got out there with them, we had so much more fun. If I made them run suicides, I ran with them. I'm not gonna say I ran with them all the time. Cause I had some years on them by then. But getting out there saying, you know, what if I win, y' all running some more because I'm, like, 30 years older, I should not be winning. But it is. It's super important to show, even as a leader, I'm still rolling up my sleeves. I'm out here with you. This is not a you thing. This is an us thing. As a part of the culture team that you once led, what playbook were you writing to make sure that the employees felt seen and heard and valued? Because I think it's super important that. That we continue to make people feel like that so they can go and do the thing that they're there to do.
[00:22:49] Speaker B: Yeah. I think also a lot of times people think or look at culture, you know, nonprofit, any type of groups in that nature, they dismiss the business aspect of it. So I think it was just sociable. And so one of the things that I made part of my agenda when I oversaw or manage these teams is the help them understand this is not, yes, we are here to have fun. We're here to socialize. We're here to make everybody feel great. But we need to help them understand kind of the business, you know, how the business inside works. And so my particular style is always kind of giving people a balance. And what people don't realize is that when you add those components, it's also developing your team. So culture teams are often kind of, you know, disguised or, you know, I would say misconceived as being fun.
[00:23:40] Speaker A: Right.
[00:23:40] Speaker B: But when you kind of have a purpose and a strategy and a vision and agenda, it brings it all. It ties it all together. So that's kind of how my style of it.
[00:23:49] Speaker A: And I love that you said that, because you're right. People join a lot of that stuff to kick it like, we're gonna have fun. But if you don't tie it to the business value, it won't be there long. Yeah, company will definitely get rid of it. Coming up, we're moving into the post game, the highlights, the hard knocks, and the lessons Kenya carries forward.
Hold up. We're just getting started. More truth, more strategy, and less bs. Coming up next on Be Better Than your BS right here on NOW Media Television.
This is Be Better Than youn BS with Resha Grant. And around here, we get rid of the bs.
Welcome back to Be Better Than youn bs. I'm here with Kenya Moore. And now it's time to dig into the post game. This is where we look at the wins, the losses, and the lessons that make a leader who they are today. So let's look at the highlights and the hard knocks because this is where the lesson lives.
So what is the BS that you're still working through? You told us what got you through that time, but what are you still having to deal with?
[00:24:51] Speaker B: I would say the biggest thing for me at this point or at this stage in my career is being intentional with setting boundaries now, because a lot of times, I think you said it earlier, you mentioned we often equate success and satisfaction with constantly being busy.
And that's bs.
Being busy is not satisfaction, is not value added. It just means that you're doing something. So for me, at this game, it's going back to accepting roles that bring passion to me. I feel like I can contribute to. It's about setting those intentional boundaries of being still and understanding that balance so that I can continue to work, pour into people, whether it's at work or whether it's in my personal life. But I would say it's definitely about getting away from that notion of being busy is being productive.
[00:25:40] Speaker A: Right. So how do you set boundaries? I'm always interested in how People set boundaries because you have some people. Like, my sister came out setting boundaries like she is. She can lead a master class on setting boundaries. I don't think I've done a good job of it in my life. So how do you. How do you do it?
[00:25:56] Speaker B: I'm a work in progress, I would say. And I think naturally, you know, as ambitious women we do, it is a struggle because we always want to be doing the next thing. So I'm definitely a work in progress, but I've gotten a lot better. And I would say it was probably the passing of my mother that made me very intentional about it, because I just realized that life was, you know, it was short, and it's not a guarantee. And so you don't want to keep being so busy that you miss out on life and miss out on the important things. And so that was one of the things that kind of put me to the stop. It was like, okay, you know, let me pause. And so that definitely helped me. And now it also helps with saying no. A lot of times we don't like to say no.
[00:26:34] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:26:35] Speaker B: But being okay with saying no and not feeling bad about it. And I think it's. As I've gotten older, to your point, if, you know, as we get older, we get that unfiltered stage, and it's like, girl, I said no. I'm not giving you a rationale behind it.
I'm protecting my peace right now.
[00:26:49] Speaker A: Exactly.
I love it. I still have to work on it. I always want to say no with an explanation because I want people to walk away feeling okay. And it's like. It hit me like a ton of bricks a few weeks ago. I was like, just, no, I'm not doing it. I don't want to do it. I don't care what you think.
[00:27:08] Speaker B: Right.
[00:27:09] Speaker A: And it really took a while because, like I said, my sister just, no, I'm not doing that. And she's moving on about her business.
[00:27:14] Speaker B: It's always one of us in the family that masters it as soon as they come out.
[00:27:18] Speaker A: Yes. You try to talk to her, it's a wrap. Yes.
What has been a culture leader taught you about people that really surprised you?
[00:27:28] Speaker B: There are so many personalities when you're dealing with culture, and that is one of the things that I've had to kind of. I mean, it's one thing in a work capacity, because you know that, but when you think that people are all there to, like, for the fun or for the positive that come, and then you realize it's like, maybe Everyone didn't come to the table to actually do this. So it's like, it's real. Rethinking that and trying to find ways to connect with people, I think it's been. The biggest thing for me is finding ways to connect with people's different personalities.
And especially when you go from being on their side, on the opposite side of leading. And so it's one thing to be, oh, let me tell you about, and y' all peers, but then going on that leader side and having to, like, readjust that thinking process so. And get to learn to know them in a different perspective. So I would say that has been one of the more interesting things. I've kind of went research, like, personnel. All of a sudden, I became a psychologist. I'm like, let me. How do I relate to this person?
[00:28:26] Speaker A: Exactly.
[00:28:27] Speaker B: And so, yeah, it's just. It's definitely.
[00:28:28] Speaker A: That says a lot about you, the fact that you were actually researching it instead of whatever. I don't even have to deal with you, you know? But I think it's super important because.
[00:28:36] Speaker B: Everybody'S still end game.
They still want to get the goal well.
[00:28:40] Speaker A: And I always think there's. You may be the only person in that other person's day that even smiled at them, that said hello. And it means so much to people just to have somebody acknowledge them and acknowledge their ex.
And because so many people live in isolation and there's something going on in their life or their family and to be able to come to work and somebody actually tried to understand me, that's a huge win. That is everything. So I want to talk about this stat that came out.
It came out, what, earlier this month or last month, that floored me. 319,000 black women lost their job between, what was it, February and July. And this is through the Bureau of Labor Statistics. I cannot say the word statistics, but this is through the labor of bureau statistics.
[00:29:29] Speaker B: Right?
[00:29:31] Speaker A: And I just. I could not.
Well, I'll be honest. First of all, it pissed me off because I'm like, what is happening? What is going on? And so I just really want to talk about that a little bit and see if you have any words of encouragement, because sisters are going through it out here. They are going through it, trying to figure out what's next. Because we talk a lot about hopping over obstacles, about kicking indoors and climbing over mountains, and all the things that we're taught as black women. But this is not something we can really just kick through.
So how do we get through it?
[00:30:04] Speaker B: I mean, it's definitely Something you have to acknowledge. You know, we all see it. We all have heard it. It's definitely something you have to. You have to sit with your family.
To your point, you became angry. We all had some feeling that we came when we saw that statistic, especially being women of color.
You have all of these thoughts like, is it a target? Is it this or is it that? And so I was, you know, for me, it was sitting with that feeling, sitting with it and kind of understanding, what does this mean? Because currently I'm not in that position, but it could be me at any day. And so what would I tell myself or tell a girlfriend who's gotten in that position? And, you know, it's about, again, sitting with yourself. And then kind of.
I hate to say it, but we are a group of women that we have a reputation of getting stuff done, just picking up and just going. And I think at that time, we have to really take a moment to understand what the trajectory looks like.
[00:30:57] Speaker A: Right?
[00:30:58] Speaker B: We have to. Whether it's entrepreneurship, whether it's. I think we're a group of the most educated individuals, whether that's going back and getting more education or getting certifications. But it's all. It's about creating an action plan. And I go. I go back to that all the time, is that we have to always have that plan B and not solely depend on what is being in front of us or being, I won't say handed to us because nothing is handed, but what we work for and not devaluing ourselves, because that change has come.
[00:31:27] Speaker A: Right?
[00:31:28] Speaker B: So I'm a firm believer on sitting with it, getting it done and moving on and taking the pieces up. But again, sitting with that feeling, we have to acknowledge it.
[00:31:37] Speaker A: And I think. I mean, not. I think, I know that those women will come through this. And I say those women, we will come through this. Because I feel like I am a part of the people that lost their job because thriving business, thriving career pretty much dwindled to nothing. So even though I didn't work for, you know, a company and I'm not included in that actual stat, I lost my job.
So, you know, being able to. Being able to sit in, it was hard. I mean, it was real hard. I didn't sit. I was.
Man, I was having conversations with God that weren't. That did not sound like the ones they taught us about in church.
[00:32:18] Speaker B: Right.
[00:32:19] Speaker A: So I do know. I mean, even just by nature of us sitting here and being here, I'm coming through.
[00:32:24] Speaker B: Through it. Yeah.
[00:32:25] Speaker A: And so you have to. You have to remember that it is going, it is going to happen. But you do get to be pissed off about it.
[00:32:33] Speaker B: And I'll even ask you, like as you said in there, and it was a hard time and you had. It was the hard time and that thinking and that conversation with God that probably prompted and motivated you to even be here today.
[00:32:45] Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
[00:32:45] Speaker B: And so again, it's just use all. That's why I said sit with your feelings. Because whether it's soft, whether it's hard, whether it's good God, what is going on. Cause we all had them conversations with him, but it's being in that sitting in that is what's gonna drive you to your next steps. Yeah, yeah.
[00:33:03] Speaker A: So true. Everything she just said.
So what role has authenticity played in your success?
And how do you keep it real in the corporate world? Because I think sometimes it's really difficult to do.
[00:33:14] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
I remember a great leader saying, you bring yourself to the office, but not all of you.
[00:33:21] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:33:21] Speaker B: And we always want to say, I just want to be real. I always say real is overrated. Like, I'm just being honest.
[00:33:27] Speaker A: I love that perspective.
[00:33:29] Speaker B: Being real is so overrated. But for me, from my personal perspective, I do bring a lot of Kenya to the table, but there are pieces that I reserve for home.
And it doesn't mean I'm not being authentic, but I do believe there's a time and a place for everything.
And work is not a place where I'm going to talk to you like I'm talking to a best friend. That's just a total different kind of situation. And so, yes, while you wanna bring the core of you, your values, your beliefs, your non negotiables to work, there are pieces of you that you're gonna scale back on.
[00:34:00] Speaker A: So is that what you say to the other, the generations under us? Because they're out here a little different. Yeah. Right.
They're bringing everything to work. And I see the value in some of it because, and I say this lovingly, but because they get to live at home for a long time, they can say some things that we can't say because we're out here paying all these bills. Right.
But how do we speak to them? Because they do show up different and they do say whatever they want to say and they're bringing every last bit of it into the office.
Yes.
[00:34:35] Speaker B: And it's funny you're asking that question because I, I'm a Gen Xer proud.
[00:34:40] Speaker A: Me too.
[00:34:40] Speaker B: Proud, proud Gen Xer. But I do have a millennial daughter and I do have a Gen Z daughter, I believe that's.
[00:34:48] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:34:48] Speaker B: And they are interesting. And when it comes to how.
[00:34:51] Speaker A: Interesting.
[00:34:52] Speaker B: Yeah. When it comes to how they look at. And look at work and, you know, value their work, life balance. And so they are teaching me and it goes back to that boundary set. I've learned a lot from them because they're like, you need to take time. You need to be able to, you know, breathe. You know, it's funny just listening to them, but I do say, because I do work with millennials. Actually, one of the young ladies who sat next to me, her and my daughter was literally the same age. And I even connected them to have a brunch, but I actually talked to them and said, hey, okay, listen, you can't do that, girl. You can't be. And it's being relatable. Honestly, it's not about lecturing. And I found that to be the best way to, you know, relate to the generations that are. It's being relatable. Don't. Don't lecture.
[00:35:36] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:35:36] Speaker B: Be relatable. Talk to them. Talk to them. And it helps them.
[00:35:39] Speaker A: Relationship is super important. And I think it is incumbent upon us that we are taking the next generation and we're feeding into them.
[00:35:49] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:35:49] Speaker A: Like, it's super important that they have somebody they can talk to, because I do. Also, the workplace looks different now. For them. It might not. It's just what it is because they're just entering it. But for us, we know that there's been a lot of, a lot of changes happening, and I think it's important to help them navigate that change.
[00:36:05] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:36:06] Speaker A: Listen, y', all, we will be right back in our final round. We're going into overtime with the lightning round. Fun and rapid fire questions. Oh, God.
Hold up. We're just getting started. More truth, more strategy, and less bs. Coming up next on Be Better Than youn bs right here on Now Media Television.
This is Be Better Than youn BS with Resha Grant. And around here, we get rid of the bs.
Welcome back to Be Better Than youn bs. Don't miss a second of this show or any of your NOW Media TV favorites. Streaming live and on demand whenever and wherever you want. Grab the free Now Media TV app on Roku or iOS and enjoy instant access to our lineup of bilingual programs in both English and Spanish. Prefer a podcast? Listen anytime on the Now Media TV website at www.nowmediatv covering business, breaking news, lifestyle, culture, and more. Now Media TV is available 24 7, so the stories you care about are always within reach.
Now we have reached overtime with Kenya Moore. And it's time for fun. We want to see the personal side of the powerhouse leader. Okay. Morning person or night owl?
[00:37:20] Speaker B: Morning person, definitely.
[00:37:21] Speaker A: Really? Does that get on everybody's nerves?
[00:37:23] Speaker B: No. In the house.
[00:37:25] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:37:25] Speaker B: Nope.
They're used to it.
[00:37:28] Speaker A: What's your go to hype song before a big meeting or event?
[00:37:32] Speaker B: I would say back in the day. I won't say back in the day. Cause it's not too far. But ti's motivation. That is one.
[00:37:38] Speaker A: That's my song.
[00:37:39] Speaker B: And then I think the second one, if it had a runner up, would be Beyonce's formation.
[00:37:44] Speaker A: Love it. We need to hang. Okay. If you weren't in your current career, what path would you be on?
[00:37:49] Speaker B: Oh, I would probably. If I wasn't a dancer, I would probably be in the courtroom, trial, your big case, or being an Olivia Pope in a White House somewhere as a chief of staff.
[00:38:00] Speaker A: I love that.
Okay. You call ballet a sport?
[00:38:04] Speaker B: I do.
[00:38:05] Speaker A: Why?
[00:38:06] Speaker B: I do. Because it takes a lot to be a dancer. It takes strength physically and mentally. It takes perseverance. It takes discipline.
It takes knowing the dance moves. You know, most times you think of sport, you think of plays. Yes. You gotta know those choreography. It's a brain thing. So it's definitely a sport. And I don't care what nobody say no.
[00:38:29] Speaker A: After you told me that, I thought about it, and I said, I have to agree with her. I think the reason that it's not thought of as a sport is probably because the competition is really with yourself and maybe trying to get to whatever level of the.
Oh, what do you call. What do you call the lead dancer in ballet?
[00:38:48] Speaker B: I can't think of principal.
[00:38:49] Speaker A: Yes. Trying to get to that level.
So there's competition, but I think initially everybody's like, well, you know, it's not like you're ballet dancing against another group. Oh, you are. You are.
[00:38:58] Speaker B: You are. There is competitive dancing. I am learning, and I was in it for many years. Okay. So, yes, there is competitive dancing where people compete all over, both domestically and internationally.
[00:39:11] Speaker A: So I just learned something. You just put me on game because I just. I've gone to ballets, and I see the ballet, but I don't think about it outside of that realm. But when I actually think about what goes into it.
Supreme sport. Yes. There's no way I'm gonna be on my tiptoes, dancing, jumping, kicking.
I think it's amazing. When I go to a ballet, I'm like, what you all do with your bodies is Insane. So I do see the sport in it from that. But I was thinking about the competition.
I had been schooled. I will send you.
[00:39:41] Speaker B: I will send you links to competitions, and it. It gets fierce.
[00:39:45] Speaker A: Okay. I wanna check it out.
Okay. Coffee, tea, or something stronger?
[00:39:50] Speaker B: I am coffee. Black.
[00:39:52] Speaker A: Oh, wow.
[00:39:52] Speaker B: I'm a black coffee drinker.
[00:39:53] Speaker A: See, that's about as strong as it can get. I'm the tea drinker. I do not like coffee. I think coffee is one of those things you had to adopt in, like, college or your young years. Cause I cannot drink it.
[00:40:04] Speaker B: Yeah. I actually wake up, have one as soon as I have my long coffee, and I have one on the way to the office, and then I have one when I get to the office.
[00:40:11] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:40:11] Speaker B: Kenya. And I tell people all the time, I have not had my second cup.
[00:40:15] Speaker A: Cup of coffee.
[00:40:16] Speaker B: So that's a warning for you.
[00:40:17] Speaker A: So, yeah, I think your doctor gonna make you pull back on the caffeine.
[00:40:22] Speaker B: I think they're gonna make you pull.
[00:40:23] Speaker A: Back on the caffeine.
[00:40:24] Speaker B: She's like, well, Kenya, can you just go down to one cup? I'm like, we'll see.
[00:40:28] Speaker A: She is not there yet. What's one app you cannot live without?
[00:40:32] Speaker B: Believe it or not, TikTok.
[00:40:33] Speaker A: Really?
[00:40:34] Speaker B: I am a tiktoker. I love that app. It is, like TV for me. It's, like, content. I actually did a couple videos.
So, yeah, TikTok.
[00:40:43] Speaker A: Right now I have the app, and I've not done one video, and I only look at it when somebody sends me something. So I'm about to try to jump into that water.
[00:40:51] Speaker B: But it is so much fun. Once your algorithm pick up all. Oh, God. It's a game changer, believe me.
[00:40:56] Speaker A: All right.
Who will play you in the movie of your life?
[00:41:01] Speaker B: Oh, this will be an. Because I think about the dancer, and I think about the, you know, being a. I would say Zoe Saldana, because, believe it or not, she was a dancer. Okay. Actually, some of her early work center stage. She was a dancer in that one. But then if you look at some of her other roles that she's played, like Columbia, I think. What is it? Columbiana or something? And then it's. But then even the latest one, Lioness, where she loves. She's like a bad a. I don't.
[00:41:30] Speaker A: Want to say it.
[00:41:31] Speaker B: You know, she's just that girl. So I would say because of the dancer side and the combination of being a BAE Day.
Yeah.
[00:41:40] Speaker A: No, Lioness is great. I'm waiting for the next season to come on, so I hope it's renewed. What's your guilty pleasure?
I'm sorry? What's your guilty pleasure? TV show or movie?
[00:41:52] Speaker B: Oh, this is funny. You're gonna laugh.
It's my guilty. My favorite movie that I sometimes feel guilty of saying out loud is Babs.
It is, it is. And I think, because it's like the ultimate glow up, right? And it was so funny because they were two women. To your point or your question earlier about staying true to themselves?
[00:42:12] Speaker A: They were true. They were definitely that.
[00:42:14] Speaker B: But, like, because of that and staying true and seeing that, the end goal, it worked out for them, like, in a weird kind of quirky way, but it worked out for them. And it's just. I always tell people it's not how you get there, it's getting there.
And a lot of people don't have. Like, we're so caught up in that traditional path, sometimes it's a little crooked and, you know, however we get there.
[00:42:36] Speaker A: And it's funny you say that. I wouldn't call it a favorite movie, but if it's on, I'm watching it.
If I'm scrolling and it's on. And I think the funniest part of it is when Halle Berry does that dance in the line, like where everybody's warming up.
[00:42:48] Speaker B: Yes, yes.
[00:42:49] Speaker A: And she does the dance, and I'm like, she killed dancing badly. Better than anybody that I know, she killed it. What's one item on your bucket list you're determined to cross off?
[00:43:00] Speaker B: Oh, this one is interesting. Cause I always say I'm kind of. I'm at a point in life where I didn't really sit down and makeup bucket list because I was oftentimes not your adrenaline junkie. So I was very safe.
But over a course of time, I think I'm getting more kind of like, risky in a sense. Okay, so as far as what's on my bucket list, I would just basically say to continue being able to take risks more and be. And not overthink it. And so it's not one single thing that I have to cross off. It's actually adopting that mindset that I.
[00:43:33] Speaker A: Would have to take.
I love it. I love it. I'm still trying to jump out of a plane.
[00:43:36] Speaker B: I'm not doing that.
[00:43:38] Speaker A: So you're not gonna join me? Okay.
[00:43:41] Speaker B: I parasailed. I did do that.
[00:43:43] Speaker A: Oh, really?
[00:43:44] Speaker B: On a birthday trip. I woke up that morning and was like, I wanna parasail. I wanna do it. We have to do it right now. Because if I stop, if I think too much, I'm gonna talk Myself out of it.
[00:43:53] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:43:53] Speaker B: Was it scary?
[00:43:54] Speaker A: It looked so scary and so freeing.
[00:43:56] Speaker B: It was freeing until that wind started blowing and I was like, whoa, hold on. Excuse me. Yeah.
[00:44:01] Speaker A: So, yeah, pulled me back in.
[00:44:02] Speaker B: Pull me back on in. But it was freeing. It was okay.
[00:44:05] Speaker A: If you could instantly live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be?
[00:44:09] Speaker B: Turks and Caicos. That's my soul. Made of an island. I literally cried when I left there.
[00:44:14] Speaker A: Really? I keep saying, I want to go, but I've not been there.
[00:44:16] Speaker B: It's as beautiful as everyone says it is. And it's so peaceful.
[00:44:20] Speaker A: Are there things you could do, though, if, like, you just decided to live there? Because some of those places are so beautiful that they kind of get boring after.
[00:44:28] Speaker B: After a while, I'm boring.
I think I'm at a place for being boring. I mean, I'm okay with that. You know, I'm okay with relaxing. I've done enough, you know, anxiousness and busy stuff that I'm okay with being bored right now. I hear you. It's a place that you gotta get to.
[00:44:43] Speaker A: Yes. Cause when I go out of town, I always tell myself, like, I'm going to the club. I'm going to. I never make it. I got the clothes, everything. I never make it to the club. It's like, I'd rather sit on the patio with a nice glass of wine.
[00:44:56] Speaker B: That's me right there.
[00:44:57] Speaker A: Watch the world.
[00:44:58] Speaker B: If I have an itinerary or you have an itinerary, I'm not going.
Too much pressure.
[00:45:04] Speaker A: You need a vacation from the vacation.
[00:45:06] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:45:08] Speaker A: What's a mantra, a quote or a phrase that you live by?
[00:45:13] Speaker B: I would say, greater is he that is in me. It's a part of Bible scripture. But greater is he that was in me. And it's something I always take into meetings with me when I get nervous or anything of that nature. I always have to remember I'm a child of God, and He does not instill fear in us.
And so I have to remember that. That he lives in me. I love it.
[00:45:30] Speaker A: That is on my mirror at home. So when I look up, I remember that every day. I have probably five things that are up there that I just need to. I need to try to carry with me. Now, I'll admit I forget them sometimes during the day, things happen, and it's like, okay, let me try to go back to the mirror. What's a word that you would use to describe yourself.
[00:45:54] Speaker B: At this point in life?
I would say content.
I love.
Took a while to get there. It Took a lot to get there. It took a lot of therapy to get there.
Just going through life challenges, whether professionally or personally, it took a lot to get there. So I'm finally at a place of contentment, and I'm at a space where I'm happy about it. And whatever happens, I just, like I said, greatest. Hey. My faith has gotten strong, and so I'm just ready for it. I'm excited about where the world is leading me right now.
[00:46:28] Speaker A: So what would you say to a young Kenya? What would you have said, like, looking back over your life and maybe going through the most difficult time?
[00:46:35] Speaker B: What advice would you give yourself, Girl, keep going, girl. Just keep going. Because what's in front of you is not where you're going to be.
Just keep going. Just keep pushing and believing.
[00:46:47] Speaker A: I love that. For everybody just to keep pushing and believing. That was someone.
Ask your colleagues what it's like to work with you. What do you hope they would say?
[00:46:56] Speaker B: Kenya brings out the best in everyone, and that's what's been told to me. So it's not me, like, trying to get my own self on the back, but it's one of the things that has been said on a numerous occasion. So I kind of like to believe that it actually is something.
And it's often saying Kenya brings out the best in everyone. And it's just simply because going back to relating people and understanding their work styles and how they, you know, connect with others and bringing out the best in them. And sometimes I think that's the. Maybe the superpower that I have is that I'm not so unrelatable, that I can't relate to the executives or I can't relate to a new person or a new employee coming. God has blessed me to be able to connect with the world.
So sometimes it can be super overwhelming. But sometimes I feel like I. It's my.
[00:47:43] Speaker A: It's the.
[00:47:44] Speaker B: It's the blessing that he's gave me, and he's gave it to me for a reason.
[00:47:47] Speaker A: So that is great, because people need it. They need it. I don't care. Personally, professionally, people need to feel like there's somebody in this world that they can connect with.
[00:47:56] Speaker B: Absolutely. Absolutely.
[00:47:57] Speaker A: So what's the daily routine? What is the thing that you have to do every single day to get your day to day?
[00:48:03] Speaker B: Every single day. Besides drinking my black coffee.
[00:48:04] Speaker A: Besides drinking your black coffee. Because we got to give people healthy tips. Kenya out here.
[00:48:11] Speaker B: Okay, y' all strike it. Move it from the. No. Every day, I have to, obviously start with prayer and I have to really sit down and understand what the goal is for the day, and that's me setting those boundaries and being intentional. So I do things of value and not just busy work.
So definitely sitting down and understanding what the end goal is for, you know, for the day, I would say on Wednesdays, going to my dance class is like going to my therapy session.
[00:48:38] Speaker A: Okay, so you're still dancing?
[00:48:39] Speaker B: I'm still dancing.
[00:48:40] Speaker A: Is it still ballet?
[00:48:41] Speaker B: No, it's actually somewhere a little riskier Dance, fun dance.
But it's still choreography. I think that's the piece that I love is the choreography and being able to do things. But I do that, and I make sure I make it because it's like going into that dance room or going into there, everything wipes away again. It's like a form of therapy for me. Thank you so much for being here.
[00:49:05] Speaker A: Kenya. This has been an incredible conversation. Where can people follow your work and continue to learn from your expertise?
[00:49:11] Speaker B: I'm definitely on LinkedIn, so follow me on LinkedIn. If you send me a friend request, I'll definitely accept it. I am actually getting into this new social media outside of TikTok.
I'm getting into this world of Instagram, so I am trying to be more visible there. So I am. I'm changing up the ID, but it's K Moore 9702@ Instagram, and then I think that's about it. Right. And Facebook.
[00:49:38] Speaker A: Okay, well, thank you so much for sharing your journey with such honesty and insight. From your beginnings as a dancer to your powerful role in shaping workplace culture, you've shown us that leadership is about more than titles. It's about resilience, authenticity, and making sure people feel seen and valued. Kenya reminded us of something powerful. Your authentic core is your compass. Too many folks in the corporate space twist themselves up trying to be who they think the room wants. The power move is showing up as your full self every time. So next meeting, stop and ask, am I being me or am I performing? The answer will tell you everything about where you're headed. I'm Resha Grant, and this has been Be Better Than youn bs. Thanks for watching. We will see you next time. It.
