Cole: As an African American leader, what do you consider to be one of the most difficult obstacles you’ve faced? Boothe: As a Black woman in leadership, one of the most persistent challenges I’ve faced— and seen countless others face—is being misunderstood and targeted for showing up with candor, holding people accountable, or challenging the system. What others call “leadership” or “strategy” in one body, gets labeled “aggressive” or “disruptive” in ours. I’ve also been underresourced and over-loaded— expected to do more with less, and given less time to produce results. There’s a pattern I’ve seen over and over again, not just in my own journey, but in the stories of the thousands of Black women I’ve coached: We’re handed the mess after the talent and treasure have already been burned through. We’re brought in and expected to “make a dollar out of 15 cents.” We show up, unpack the misalignment between an organization’s values and its actions, and try to create real change. Then we get labeled the problem—for naming the problem. This isn’t just my story—it’s a well-documented pattern. I’ve facilitated over 1,000 coaching sessions with Black women leaders, and I’ve heard the same story again and again. And it’s exactly why so many of us are choosing entrepreneurship. We’re not running—we’re reclaiming. We’re building our own tables because we’re tired of being handed broken ones. Cole: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Sistahbiz today, and how do you see Sistahbiz overcoming them? Boothe: One of our biggest challenges is cracking the code on profitability in what’s become a saturated market of “business- in-a-box” and set-it-and-forget-it startup culture. We’re not interested in quick wins or surface-level programming. We’re building real
infrastructure—and that takes time, intention, and innovation. Right now, we’re focused on building a turnkey operation that’s free of key-man risk and bottlenecks. That includes raising the next round of funding for our Suite App, scaling our licensing and certification program to deploy a network of top-tier Black business coaches, and helping our founders move past the six-figure ceiling and toward scalable, million-dollar models. Another challenge is helping founders find patient capital—the kind that respects steady, sustainable growth with real margins, instead of chasing unicorn fantasies that often crash and burn. We’re designing for longevity, not just velocity. Cole: How clear is your vision for what the future of corporate responsibility should look like for Sistahbiz? Boothe: For me, corporate responsibility at Sistahbiz isn’t just about how we show up as an organization—it’s about who we’re empowering to lead and how they’ll show up in the world once they have power. Our vision is rooted in building a world where Black women lead—and lead differently. We know what to do with power. We don’t forget the whole. When Black women have the resources, the seat, and the mic, we lead with justice in mind—not just profit. I see our community of founders building companies that decolonize work standards, reject patriarchal and eurocentric workplace norms, and reintroduce ancient wisdom and common sense about how to treat people, care for the environment, and grow in ways that are sustainable and sacred. So yes, we have a vision for corporate responsibility—but more than that, we’re multiplying leaders who carry that same vision into their own enterprises. We’re not just creating impact—we’re creating a new standard.
27 The Acumen
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