It’s been a couple of days since this whole Amanda Seales thing hit the timeline and I have some thoughts.

First, let me say that I always want us to win. As Issa says “I’m rooting for everybody Black”.

It’s easy on the surface to think I was upset with Amanda for ignoring me or know acknowledging me and other Black women who are building foundations in the podcast industry.

I can admit that no one likes to feel disregarded but it goes deeper than that.

I’ve been building my company for four years. It hasn’t been easy. I didn’t know a lot about business or podcasting when I started.

I was (& am a talker). I loved telling and hearing stories. I took a talent that I have and turned it into an opportunity.

When you’re a Black woman anything you try to do professionally is met with skepticism.

A sample of the questions I received:
-How do you know how to do that?
-Is that a real job?
-Why would anyone support this?

Outside of a small investment to get started I received no money to build this. I had to figure it out on my own.

It took years find mentors that would take my vision seriously.

It will take even more years to find my vision in full - because no one funds Black women. Let alone Black women selling ideas and not widgets.

But, I press on. In large part because of the support I have been given by the one community that shows up for me continuously... Black women.

From my family members who download podcasts (even when they don’t listen)

To mentors that took me under wing & lifted me up

To colleagues who support me publicly & privately to grow & get better

To online sisterhood forged by threads, memes, DMs & everything in between

Black women show up. They have for me and I try my hardest to do so in return.

Which brings me back to Amanda. She planted her flag like a lone survivor on newly discovered island. But in reality, she was standing in the middle of Miami Beach on a Saturday in July.

Black women will support you by reaching out publicly & privately to tell you the truth. They will try to help you course correct & support you all the while.

They will even root for you when you are unwilling to accept their help. When you are wrong & (accidentally) hurtful.

But, at some point you have to own what you have done. You hurt people. Even if you didn’t intend to.

Imagine how it feels to be a Black woman and get discounted every single day by EVERYONE.

White men
White women
Black men
Hell... we are put last in every aspect from venture capital investment to dating.

It’s relentless. But, Amanda doesn’t have to imagine it. She lives it too. And that’s what makes this worse.

She knows how hard it is to be a Black woman & still she did this. She dismissed all of us that came before her with a simple keystroke.

She knows she is in error & instead of admitting it, she blocked her comments & left her post up. It continues to do harm.

At this point, I hope she will do better. I hope she admits that she was wrong. And will attempt to make it right. No excuses.

I’ll be here and ready to help if she asks. It’s like I said, I want ALL of us to win.

To my friends, mentors, colleagues & social media fam - thank you. If this whole mess reminded me of one thing, it’s how lucky I truly am even in the struggle. I hope you know I’m here for you to.