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Ep. 0016 | Lift as You Climb: Faith, Family & Leadership
23 Plays10 days ago
In this episode of The GR8TNESS Router, host Zena C. reconnects with her graduate school roommate turned powerhouse scholar, entrepreneur, and global speaker — Dr. Cierra M. Robinson.
A proud St. Louis native and three-time HBCU alumna, Dr. Robinson shares her journey from winning fifth-grade oratorical contests to shaping the future of higher education and entrepreneurship. With honesty and humor, she opens up about faith as foundation, family as fuel, and resilience as a non-negotiable.
Together, Zena and Dr. Robinson explore the role of authenticity in leadership, the hustle born from legacy, and the calling to lift as we climb. This is more than a conversation — it’s a masterclass in purpose, perseverance, and planting seeds for generational impact.
💫 Whether you’re an entrepreneur, student, or leader-in-the-making, this episode will remind you that knowing who you are and whose you are is the true blueprint for success.
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Connect with Dr. Cierra Robinson on LinkedIn
Visit LaidOffLemonade.com to learn more about Zena C's book
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Transcript
Introduction to The Greatness Router Podcast
00:00:08
Speaker
This is the Greatness Router, where we connect purpose to process one conversation at a time.
00:00:23
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of The Greatness Router. I'm your host, Zena C, and y'all are in for a
Guest Introduction: Dr. Sierra Robinson
00:00:31
Speaker
treat. I know I say this every episode, but I truly adore every person I bring to the stage, and this episode is no different.
00:00:40
Speaker
Today, y'all get to meet my... graduate school roommate from Howard University, the Dr. Sierra M. Robinson. I'm so excited to just bring her to the stage and to help sing her praises and then just be a facilitator to this journey that she has been on, this journey of greatness. So today's guest is a powerhouse in media, business, and education.
Dr. Robinson's Educational Background and Achievements
00:01:08
Speaker
Sierra Robinson is an entrepreneur, ah public speaker, and a media scholar dedicated to shaping the future of branding, leadership, and strategy. a proud St. Louis native.
00:01:19
Speaker
She's got the academic credentials to back it up, earning her degrees from the Jackson state, the Howard university, all before diving into her PhD studies at the Morgan state. Yes, y'all that is three HBCUs.
00:01:34
Speaker
And she has a degree from each one of them I'm so, I'm just so proud. um She's not just studying leadership. She's living it as a Ronald E. McNair fellow.
00:01:45
Speaker
Thurgood Marshall College Fund Hennessy Fellow, and WBENC Young Entrepreneur Scholarship. I mean, scholar. She's actively pushing the boundaries of business and media.
00:01:57
Speaker
Beyond the classroom, however, Sierra has helped shape the future of education as a student member of the Maryland Higher Education Commission and has been recognized as one of the DMVs.
00:02:08
Speaker
That's DC, Maryland, and Virginia, y'all. one of their top 30 under 30. She's a force in professional circles too, holding memberships with the American Marketing Association, IABC, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. Hey, Soror.
00:02:23
Speaker
Hey, Soror.
Welcome and Gratitude from Dr. Sierra Robinson
00:02:24
Speaker
She's a scholar, a leader, and a motivator on a mission to educate, empower, and elevate. Dr. Sierra Robinson, welcome to the show.
00:02:34
Speaker
How are you today? Thank you for having me, Miss Scott. Absolutely. Thank you. you hear I'm grateful for the opportunity. It's always any platform that I'm affiliated with or presented with the opportunity to share my story or just to share insight. I'm grateful and humbled by any opportunity that presents itself. And thank you for having me as my roommate. That's like surreal because you're making moves and share your greatness with the world. Everybody don't know, but I've always known such a lot about you. So I'm thankful.
00:03:02
Speaker
Oh, I love you so much. Y'all, this is going to be a hilarious interaction. I'm just, when CC and Z get together, it's going to be interesting. But to y'all, she's Dr. Robinson. And Dr. Sierra, are we doing Dr. Sierra? Are we doing Dr. Robinson? Have you decided?
Interview Preferences: Dick Gregory's Boldness
00:03:18
Speaker
I'm going to go Dr. Robinson. got to hold that legacy to my family. Dr. Robinson's in the building. All right. So I have a couple of of icebreakers and I like these icebreakers to show your personality to our audience. Cause at this point we're sharing audience. It's not just mine. This is mine and yours. And we love y'all. So I want to ask you a couple of icebreaker questions.
00:03:41
Speaker
the You ready? but All right. So if you could have a one hour interview with any media mogul, past or present, who would it be?
00:03:52
Speaker
And what's the first question you would ask? Hmm. Hmm. Past and present. Past or present. You can choose. Like it can be any media mogul, past or present, like the alive or ancestor, whomever.
00:04:08
Speaker
are we talking to? Hmm. I don't know. I may have to go like for me, I like and like Dick Gregory. o and know you get the full transparency. that I probably go Dick Gregory.
00:04:26
Speaker
What would you want to ask him? um What made you be so bold and transparent in who you are as a person? Because you know I exude that daily, but you know everybody don't have that. Everybody's not cut from that cop. That's true.
00:04:42
Speaker
Yeah, so I'll go Dick Gregory. I'm here for Dick Gregory. um I have a Bible Tales book by dick cra Dick Gregory, which is absolutely hilarious because he's going through all of the different Bible Tales from his perspective as a person. He's just like, hold up.
00:04:56
Speaker
yeah let's Let's break this down. Y'all got that entrepreneurship side of him too, so I also chose it because of that. Big fact. And you know I cut up, so... Big fact. Look, y'all if y'all
Advice to Younger Self: Keep God First
00:05:06
Speaker
are in for a treat. Okay. So you've achieved so much at a young age. Okay.
00:05:11
Speaker
What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self that's just starting out? It's the same advice I give myself now because it was always instilled in me. Keep God first.
00:05:24
Speaker
Mic drop. Yeah. It's always going guide you wherever you go. Keep God first. Mic drop. that that's and And that is self-explanatory. That being said, i agree. And we're going to hop into the purpose behind your
Discovering a Passion for Communication
00:05:36
Speaker
work.
00:05:36
Speaker
Okay? So if you had to pinpoint the moment that you knew what you're doing right now was your calling, what would it be? If I had to pinpoint the moment that I knew this was my calling, ah her I would say for me,
00:05:52
Speaker
I've always been in communication. So for me, i would say the moment I started doing oratorical contest in St. Louis, Missouri, I had the opportunity to present in New York on and ring the bell as a student at an oratorical competition i won first place.
00:06:06
Speaker
And I knew was for me to like always talk or be bold and be who I am authentically am. Like that's just me. So I knew it then. Like if I always am talking, sharing and being my authentic self, I will always win in life. I felt like I cannot lose if I am who I am. And I always knew that.
00:06:23
Speaker
So for me, during that moment of growing up, having that foundation of just being myself, knowing who I was, always knew that I would be in like some form of talking, expressing myself, being me. So I would say,
00:06:36
Speaker
That was my fifth grade, for sure, fifth grade. Okay. Okay. Come through with the young gems. Yeah. Yeah. Just being myself in fifth grade, being able to do those oratorical contests and communicate with um just anybody. Just tell who I am. Because it was just about, tell us who you are. was like, tell us about yourself, oratorical contests.
00:06:55
Speaker
Okay. I love it. Especially in today's times where these young people... are at a deficit. They don't necessarily know who they are. They don't necessarily know what they like. they They know what they've been told, but that that's a big difference between you know fifth grade you and then we'll say fifth grade children now. like it's a It's a complete, you know there's a chasm there. So that's beautiful that that was your that is your foundation. Yeah, for sure.
00:07:26
Speaker
Thank you for sharing that. So let's talk about a pivot point. um Was there ever a time where you almost chose a different path? than what you're doing right now. Yes. I remember clear as day. I came to Jackson state university.
00:07:40
Speaker
I said, I wanted to work for, Arizona. I'm a big Whitney Houston fan. less i' not to whitney hughes Let's start there. I'm a big Houston fan. i was happy And I said, want to be it work for Arizona records. I want to be, um, a person to do branding and, uh,
00:07:59
Speaker
recruitment, find artists. That's what I want to do. A&R for Arista Records. That's what i want to do. And when I got to Jackson, I was still PR. I was like, yeah, i'm going to do A&R for Arista Records. And um PR, I'm going to take that ride. This is the ride I'm going.
00:08:13
Speaker
And when I got there, I was just writing. I joined the Blue and White Flash. I was writing for the newspaper. I was like, yeah, but don't know if I want to work in the music industry. After I started being at Jackson State, attending like the Fannie Lou Hamer gravesite.
00:08:31
Speaker
I had this teacher, Dr. Charles Chipplin, who was just so, so wonderful. He was big on black history. And I am very much so into like who I am andtuive too intuitive to where I come from. My grandma was from Hines County, Mississippi.
00:08:43
Speaker
So I said, oh, I want to know more about like history, like where I come from, things like that. And after like learning about um those things and attending Clarksdale, Mississippi, and ah just learning about Natchez, Mississippi, when Jackson State was founded, I said, music is not it.
00:09:01
Speaker
Telling what story is it. And so I started writing for the paper and want to tell anything that was going on. So I just chose the writing background, communication side of it, yeah. I love that for you. I love that you allowed yourself the space to pivot. yeah um I love that you had your mind made up just to allow your life experience to be like, you know what?
00:09:26
Speaker
This might not be the only direction I can i can entertain right now. You see what i did there? only direction I can entertain. yeah I can appreciate that. that That's beautiful.
00:09:39
Speaker
Okay.
Sources of Resilience: Faith, Family, and Identity
00:09:40
Speaker
So let's talk resilience and process. um What keeps you in the game when things are not going smoothly? Okay. So for me, it's faith.
00:09:51
Speaker
um It's my family. It is um my dog, Pearl. I love my dog, everybody. here right without you But i feel like for me, ah i guess I said before having that spiritual foundation, being my authentic self and having a family that supports me unconditionally flaws and all, but also having that, um knowing who I am. I said this before, many times before um knowing who I am and whose I am, you know, I believe that knowing who I am has allowed me to build these relationships, grow as a person, but also knowing whose I am. I belong to the, I'm a child of God. I know,
00:10:27
Speaker
who I am and what I, ah you know, present as a person, but also in the same token, who I represent, you know? So I want always be able to push on through anything and at any adversity because of those things.
00:10:41
Speaker
I love, I love, I love, I love. Okay. That sounds dope. I can appreciate it. Yeah. You know, focused, laser focused in here. yeah Just a little tight, you know saying? A little resilient. Also, let's just keep real. Is this thing trying to be broken in her life? I got to have little coin. Got to get my life together along the road.
00:11:01
Speaker
Yeah, Dr. Robinson has been chasing the, I can't even say you've been chasing the coin. She has been securing the bag since I have known her. Like, and that's, that's a beautiful thing. Huh?
00:11:12
Speaker
Yeah. i have to do scholarships and things like that. I have to keep pushing the the day. That's where my strength comes from. Not only just getting a coin, but also being able to have a coin to make an impact. Everybody wants to make an impact, but there also takes capital to do that. Helping people, staying motivated, navigating those challenges. Those are things that allow me to reach my goals. You know what saying? So those,
00:11:30
Speaker
Funding allows me and provides me with the guidance and you know things like that, the encouragement to also do these things. So at the end of the day, it allows me to be a support to others, my family, to pour into my community.
00:11:41
Speaker
Because I've always been told we lift as we climb. So that's that's just that's the fundamental basics of it. Okay. Okay. So I have a, I have a question and I've always had this question.
Influences of St. Louis Upbringing
00:11:51
Speaker
It's beyond even the ones I have on this paper.
00:11:53
Speaker
What has been, and it goes off of what you're saying, of course, but who was your influence or what was your influence to, to know that I need resources or to know that I need to secure the bag in order to do X, Y, and Z. Was there a specific person or event in your life that is just like, you know what, I'm not going back to here because I need to make sure that I have, you know, this, not even amount, this level secured before I can move forward.
00:12:23
Speaker
I'm a first generation college student. My grandmother was from St. Louis, Missouri. If you're from St. Louis, you can't spell hustle without STL. And we are big on hustling, getting out the mud. So for us, that is who we we are bred to be hustlers. We get out here, we make it happen.
00:12:38
Speaker
My family don't come from it. You know, so at the end of the day, we've made it for ourselves. So we have to go out here and get it. So that's one thing I've always been instilled to me. you go out here you put forth the work you get it at the money and you get it done there's no excuses my grandma didn't tolerate excuses you know that's just how it was and my mom was one of those people who always supported us whether it wasn't financially whether she had it or not she made it happen so that's one thing i pride myself on is just like i don't want to be a burden i want to be able to do it on my own and be very independent in the same token i also knew watch my surroundings you know i always seen like hey
00:13:12
Speaker
This won't be my story. This won't be my final say. You know, I see greatness in myself. Like you said, chasing greatness. So like that that's just what I've always known. My surroundings has always been my motivation to push. It's never hindered me.
00:13:24
Speaker
Wow. And all these years we've talked and we've been cool and we've been like family. I've never we've never had that level of of conversation. But that's what's.
00:13:36
Speaker
Yeah. You got to know where you come from to know where you're going. And I've always like, you know, I'm a vivid person who goes back to St. Louis or go back, you know, um going back to visit my family because it shaped me who I am. My resilience alone has led me to go to college. And, you know, my grandmother who set the standard to go out and, you know, get an education and put their foot put forward. And, you know, that fueled my ambition in itself.
00:13:58
Speaker
So. I can appreciate a Shout out to the to the fam. Yeah. Yeah. Y'all got this shining star over here. Listen, and just so you know, everybody knows this, but i' ah we don't want a future goals come. I'm going to get to something else that helps shape my re resilience later on in life. And I'm going to get to that, too.
00:14:18
Speaker
is OK. Yeah, he has so it's a part of you. I never forget it when you first told me. Now I don't, what did I say? When you told me, said, didn't know at the moment, you know, my career path of what I want to do now has changed. You know what I want to be.
00:14:35
Speaker
But I remember when you first told me what your dad was when he worked and I said, oh, I'm going to be an HBCU. Oh, you're right. shifted to the narrative immediately. I eternalized that in my mindset and put into action and and pure intention. Mm-hmm, sure did.
00:14:52
Speaker
Oh, Cece. ah You remember now, don't you? remember. I remember it now. Look, y'all, Howard was a long time ago. it It wasn't, but it was a long time ago. and we we We had adventures in grad school.
00:15:03
Speaker
In Gizmo. Oh, my gosh. Gizmo was up OK, y'all. So sidebar. This is what happens when you you put roommates on a call together. So Gizmo was the name.
00:15:16
Speaker
It was the second name of my pickup truck. So my pickup truck had the first name of it was was Nemo. But then they had to get a. a new engine dropped into it and started acting a little different, a little funky.
00:15:29
Speaker
So I renamed it to Gizmo because depending on the type of oil or the type of gas or whatever, well, that's a real, real, real story. But depending on whatever you put into it, it would either perform properly or it would, um you know, go a little gremlin-ish.
00:15:45
Speaker
um But yeah, so that that's why she's saying Gizmo. I had a pickup truck in DC when we were at Howard. I know, it's just a pickup and go. great times. Oh my gosh. I love that pickup truck.
00:15:57
Speaker
But even taking that whole, that looking at that concept metaphorically, or even looking at it from a a different angle, we are what we eat.
00:16:08
Speaker
Like what you feed yourself, you become, you know what I'm saying? So if you're eating healthy, your body starts to feel better. If you're listening to um to books or you're fueling yourself with with music that is inspirational, you'll start to feel that. you know i'm saying If you're surrounding yourself with people who are speaking life into you, you start to feel that. so i i just I like how you brought that full circle. That was real sneaky. That was real marketing sneaky of you.
00:16:36
Speaker
That was a good time to tell you. True testament of our are our perseverance and self-determination. Wow. My pickup truck. yeah Anyway. All right. Let's talk about lessons for other people.
00:16:49
Speaker
What is one mindset shift or practice that has helped you to succeed? One mindset or practice that helped me succeed ah in all facets of life? You you can choose.
00:17:03
Speaker
We can do business. We can do personal. We can do... For me, it's like my family sacrificed. My mother sacrificed her support. So that always has helped me with limited resources.
00:17:14
Speaker
But also... how I balanced it and maintain my drive as an independent person to better understand like collectively where I was going. It it reinforced, you know, my intentions to survive and like make everything action and make it happen.
00:17:30
Speaker
Okay. Yeah. Okay. So, so your, your upbringing of growing up with limited resource, alleged limited resource, cause you, you grew up in love and that is abundant. Let's be, let's be very clear.
00:17:44
Speaker
Um, and, and love will offset a lot of stuff. Um, but you having that and seeing that growing up, that became fuel for you moving forward.
00:17:56
Speaker
Yeah, it amplified my success totally. The family support, you know, one thing about it, we may not have much, but we have each other. So in our sense saying no, ah our family saying is that all our family reunions is on a big banner. We all we got.
00:18:09
Speaker
And that's, we live by that. It's leading to honor our each of us and our family and its legacy. It came from one of my cousins our family. He used to always say, we all we got. And so it was our family thing, like growing up.
00:18:20
Speaker
So for me, having no matter amount of success or being so-called independent in this space, I was never truly alone in the process growing up. Like I never got to this space by myself. I had family, I had support. Yeah.
00:18:31
Speaker
I had the rich legacy of my grandma and the Miles family, you know, and then having the foundation of a cousin who obtained a PhD, my third cousin. So for me, ah seen people and their resilience and watched a lot that went on around that shifted my success in its total thing, not just personal goals, but career as well. It was just a deeper um duty to achieve at the highest level.
00:18:54
Speaker
I love how perceptive you are as a person. you i love how you watch and you study the people around you. um Especially, i pre I presume you did it a lot when you were younger, um which has also helped shape how you think and how you process information now.
00:19:13
Speaker
But even for our listeners, like, taking the time to to do an audit or to observe those people that are in your circles. I actually used to do, maybe maybe I'll re-release it. I had a a worksheet that people could do called Audit Your Circles.
00:19:30
Speaker
And it's when you take an audit of the three circles closest to you, who's in your inner circle, the ring around that, and then your outer circle, the people that you are just acquaintances with. Don't get re-releasing, baby. Y'all have to teach Zena about hustle and Marketing, we give away free gifts all the time. That's a workshop.
00:19:49
Speaker
Workshop. is workshop yes It is. I feel like this podcast is low-key an entry point in a workshop too, which is why I feel comfortable. Say what?
00:19:59
Speaker
We give them out for free audit time all the time. Look, y'all, she's so mad at me because I i give away because it's those are entry-level things to me. But I also recognize that... Say what?
00:20:11
Speaker
but Such an abundance in it. She just gives it all away. God bless her. Truly do. She just gives it all away. Oh my gosh. Let's do these. I have more. have more. have more, but this one is like a, a, it it should be walked through. I will be, I'll be completely honest.
00:20:28
Speaker
That exercise should be walked through. um But you can do it self-guided and you can do it on your own, but regardless, it's still important to know the the limitations and the parameters around you so you know what that lay of the land
Auditing Personal Circles for Growth
00:20:43
Speaker
is. And I don't think that people even see that, which is why I'm okay giving it away because you you have to recognize the boundaries or the limitations of the or the rules of what of the game you're playing. And I don't even think people recognize the rules of engagement.
00:20:59
Speaker
Mm-hmm. you know, of life, of business, of school, whatever that may be. So I think that even that becomes a valuable nugget or seed to plant in order for me to be like, yeah, you know, you can bring me to, look, I will come do a workshop. Let's, let's be very clear. i will people bring her if you're watching this leadership development, all these things you're listening to, she's your person.
00:21:24
Speaker
Trust me. I appreciate you. She's like my height woman. Yeah, I will. And I'm really her height, huh? I said, I have no potatoes out here and get it.
00:21:34
Speaker
Yes, that's what we do. Look, I have never heard her say that STL is in hustle, but it hit home. Like, oh, well, that makes sense. Never thought of it that way, but that completely makes sense. don't know where you pulled that from. It's one of our things back home.
00:21:52
Speaker
You know, yeah I like to tell people all the time, St. Louis, we got a little tricks and trades of us. I'm telling you, we from the show we said, we'll show you better than tell you. Oh, okay, Nellie. Oh, we from the show. Country Grammar.
00:22:05
Speaker
That was my album. I'm not going to front. Country Grammar was my, was my jazam. Yes. Yes. All right. So let's talk about your process, babe.
00:22:16
Speaker
So how has your thinking evolved or advanced over time? How has my thinking evolved and advanced over time as a communication person, as a career person, as a child of God?
00:22:30
Speaker
um in one of those capacities or just overall? You choose. Look, I'm not, this this conversation can go, because the answer can be different different for each one of those. So which direction do you want to walk in I'm going walk with you.
00:22:44
Speaker
Okay. So for me, let's think, my thinking has evolved in and many times, especially as it relates to like over time and in my communication scholar as a practitioner, I feel like Intellectually, we grow. right We deepen our foundations from gaining my PhD to understanding like rhetoric and discourse and different nuances that come about.
00:23:05
Speaker
But even in my master's program, I feel like I learned a lot about strategic marketing and messaging and things like that. But I feel like my perspective is always going to change because I'm ever evolving as a person, that makes sense. Yeah.
00:23:18
Speaker
and whether it's navigating empowerment for women or ah learning the new ins and outs of communication, whether it be like now AI is in. As a career professional, we're learning the evolution of ai and how it's navigating and working with you through communication.
00:23:32
Speaker
So there's always going to be a shift in understanding those things, right? um So I have learned to be like more intentional about these changes, especially as I move into the area of higher education, because I come from a communication entrepreneurship background.
00:23:44
Speaker
um I'm more or less more intentional about being an advocate for um underrepresented communities and historically Black colleges. So for me, it shifted from corporate and government contracting to more advancement to a personal level of the things I'm more passionate about for personal. okay um So for me, that's one thing I've learned, like more inclusivity, like, you know, um my environment and the systematic changes that we're facing now in academia and in today in general, look at our economy politically.
00:24:15
Speaker
So that's something I feel like my impact should be about and like mentorship and institutional change as far as like HBCUs and level ah leveling up as a culture in general, um being in the forefront of black culture and HBCUs and where are we going academically.
00:24:33
Speaker
combining my entrepreneurial endeavors in that, whether it be about awareness or inequities in the black community and social and economic things like that's something I'm always going to like, pride myself on changing.
00:24:45
Speaker
As far as like my religious, like my religious faith and my walk with God, as I said, up it's forever evolving. I'm learning daily. I'm growing within ah Christ. I'm from personal clarity to just understanding my alignment.
00:25:00
Speaker
And so um that's something I feel like I'm forever going to grow in my faith, especially um professionally and personal for aspirations. um It's always just going to be rooted in integrity for me and compassion. So I'm committed committed to that walk with God. So that's where I am. So in overall, um I'm just going to focus on um where I'm going next and um ah continue to lift as I climb, as I continue to walk in unwavering faith. Like that's just being me, being my authentic self. As I said, um walking toward a more aligned and impactful life. That's what I see myself doing. That's honorable.
00:25:39
Speaker
um One thing that I want to circle back on, and it's kind of like I scraped it. And because I haven't asked the right question. So that's the thing with with with Dr. Robinson. If you don't ask the proper question, she is not going to give you the answer you're looking for. even though she knows what you're asking, what you want her to to respond on. Like, that's just that's just how she is.
00:26:01
Speaker
So mike it's an entrepreneurship question because with you coming from the background that you do and coming from the the landmarks and the the native land that you come from, how has... Actually, I have two questions, but the first one is how...
00:26:19
Speaker
Has your your thinking on on entrepreneurship and and planting that anybody can do it mentality been beneficial in your in your growth and in your programming? like that that's just Entrepreneurship has always just been a thing for you. I guess my real question is why?
00:26:37
Speaker
Let's touch on why entrepreneurship is like the thing to get into.
Entrepreneurship Driven by Independence and Impact
00:26:43
Speaker
As I said before, like economic growth and just knowing like, you know, I'm not tied to a nine to five. I'm tied to self-reliance, self-resilience, like getting it on my own and having that the evolution of entrepreneurship overall, the thinking has grown. It wasn't always embedded in me. I remember at Howard, I had always knew that I can make money, sell Flamin' Hot Cheetos at school, just different things, you know. Those type of things that you like at Flame Hot Cheetos. I don't know guys remember those Fruitopia drinks. I used to sell those.
00:27:11
Speaker
I sold everything. Not you being the candy lady at school. I did not. So um for me, ah it evolved over time, meaning like for me, it was all about financial independence. Like I wanted to make my own money. I wanted to be different. I want to be innovative in a way. Now the new word innovative. I called it creativity back then.
00:27:28
Speaker
um But also evolved now to more of like community impact, same generational wealth building amongst my family. um having that foundation of being able to understand it myself because they possibly didn't understand it the way I understand it. Shaping that allowed me to solve problems for myself. you know Having that ah autonomy over my life, my finances, and being able to share it with whoever and whomever allowed me to like want to go to entrepreneurship incubator courses and pitch competition, which I've won plenty of pitch competitions. Yes, she did. and yeah I had the honor of of planning a couple of them and she blew them out the water. I'm very proud. um
00:28:08
Speaker
Just having that economic empowerment for our community and building a legacy, that it was always like a mindset for me, being particularly beneficial for my family. and um But then moving on to higher education, having wanted to do curriculum designs and innovation um lab for, you know, so many schools are doing, um oh, we have an entrepreneurship hub, but do we really know what entrepreneurship hub is? Do we really know what innovation is? Are we taking the right approaches?
00:28:33
Speaker
How can this curriculum benefit this? Or having a person who's actually been through it. we Remember we did Center for Entrepreneurship Research Center at Howard. Right. um and First getting the ground up. I was the first fellow there. And I was like, a lot more higher education institutions need to have these initiatives. And then Howard was one of the first ones in ah Entrepreneurship Leadership Institute, Eli. You know, they had a school of business. So I was like, we need this at the School of Communication. And then it came through the School of C because entrepreneurship is not limited to business.
00:29:02
Speaker
Yes. Entrepreneurs who are creatives, who are in STEM, who are in the arts, you know, the willingness to have. shake up those conventional modes allowed us and allow me to want to be more invested in within the entrepreneurship arena, especially um because it's critical, especially for me, of ah like self-development, self-determination. I always knew, like ultimately, I wanted to have a legacy and build something and have financial gain. As I said many times before, it's about you know building generational wealth and um breaking those barriers. For me, I just knew I could
00:29:33
Speaker
encourage other people to do it if they seen me do it if that makes I love that. I love it. It's literally walking by example or living living by example. like um This isn't a matter of do as I say, not as I do. This is like, no, I'm literally actively doing it.
00:29:49
Speaker
And i'm sharing you I'm sharing steps along the way so you can do it too. That's that's super dope of you. um My next question was, what was your dissertation topic?
00:30:02
Speaker
Oh, so I focus on entrepreneurship, by the way, everybody, of course. And I tried to merge it with, ah with um, um, higher ed because I am higher ed by, um, background.
00:30:16
Speaker
So I did navigating the dual paths, um, a phenomenological study of African-American women entrepreneurs in HBCUs and MBA programs. So I still stuck to my true calling of higher ed because that's my degree background, but I wanted to incorporate African-American women entrepreneurs at HBCUs and MBA programs. So that was my dissertation topic. And I kept with it in the realms of what I knew and what I was comfortable with and how it would make a bigger impact because of what I was actually reviewing at the time.
00:30:45
Speaker
Wow. So you were studying or your your your expertise is in women entrepreneurs or women that either attended an HBCU or are attending an HBCU or MBA program.
00:30:59
Speaker
MBA program students. And are starting or plan on starting their own business. They have two years of experience as ah entrepreneurs. So they have those two years of experience. I am curious as to what those findings look like. Yep. Yep.
00:31:14
Speaker
And when I did my dissertation, it was like they talked about those systematic barriers, the challenges they face, the lack of mentorship. So, yep, that that was something I was curious on because at the time I didn't have all of those resources or things at the moment, you know. So for me, I wanted to make sure I, you know, had that.
00:31:30
Speaker
So I wanted to know, like, how are these women navigating who have been entrepreneurs who work in the field? So, yeah. that would be one hellified think tank.
00:31:42
Speaker
Yeah. And and that's more research to be done on policy. And that is something, um as I work through my chapter five, when I finished up, ah talk about recommendations of what the future looks like for those types states.
00:31:54
Speaker
Yep. Oh my goodness. Not only is she an entrepreneur, she is a consultant y'all. So make sure y'all tap in. she She has all the little nitty gritties. have a do We can do for the community.
00:32:08
Speaker
Do it for the community then. I love it. Okay. So let's talk about what's next for you. What are you, what, what is blooming? What, what are you seeding? What are you looking to, to reap in this next chapter? Because you have a lot going on. You have a lot that's like sparkling right now. And I'm so happy to be able to share in that with you on, on that, that side of your life. But what, what is public facing? What's next for you?
00:32:39
Speaker
How can we support you? Like, what do you have? What's popping? Currently I graduated in May. I've ah we're on the, we're, we're, you know, I'm an entrepreneur, but we always, we, we keep a job. We, but we keep, you know, i still work within academia. That's what I do. I mean, entrepreneurship is always going to be embedded in you. It's not just, I'm not a full-time entrepreneur as I once was. So now I'm in higher ed. So my ultimate goal is to be an HBCU president.
Aspirations to Become an HBCU President
00:33:02
Speaker
I'm passionate about HBCUs. I,
00:33:04
Speaker
Again, you guys know I attended three HBCUs. I want to see us go to the next level. I want to be a HBCU president. I have mentors who've been HBCU presidents who are HBCU presidents. Shout out to all my mentors who guided me on this journey.
00:33:17
Speaker
ah I'm working to secure whether it be within higher ed student success, entrepreneurship incubators. i actually have been interviewing for several opportunities to be working.
00:33:28
Speaker
Innovation incubator directors, whether it be entrepreneurship um entrepreneurship incubators um who are starting to look to development it within those universities. So that's really what I've been working on. But I also at the end of the day, I still speak.
00:33:41
Speaker
um I've always been like public speaking. I've done it at WeBank. I've done it. I'm actually traveling internationally. I internationally, too. I traveled to Toronto for international conferences. Nice. um So I'll go there and then I'm doing Amsterdam for another conference on leadership and entrepreneurship. okay well I've stayed the course on truly who I am as an entrepreneur, but I also am aware of my alignment and my impact and what is going to take me to reach the next level. So for me, blooming in those different opportunities of higher education and building that legacy of
00:34:13
Speaker
um change and resilience among higher ed, specifically within AHBCUs is where I truly allow within my passion. So that's where I'm um' um leaning more to in this in the phase of life. I call it in my season.
00:34:28
Speaker
um So innovation, entrepreneurship, academia in the higher ed level is where i see myself and allow myself to be ah because it's bridging both my gap the bridging both of my passions of business development, entrepreneurship, and higher ed.
00:34:41
Speaker
So And having that student engagement allows me to um have a bigger impact. I love this. So if, if one of our listeners, one of our, our, our people from the, the audience, if they wanted to get in contact with you, they can find you on LinkedIn, right?
Connecting with Dr. Robinson
00:34:57
Speaker
ah definitely. For sure. That's where I'm planning. No other social media at the moment. I removed myself from social media like five years ago. guys Sometimes you have to, sometimes you have to, but I'll reinvent, I'll re reintroduce myself when I say, hello, I'm Dr. Robinson or something, who knows? Um,
00:35:12
Speaker
But what's being planted and seated in this foundation is long term growth and building my connection there on LinkedIn and having um the support of my fellow other HBCU graduates, as well as friends and um building those partnerships and growing. So I'm on LinkedIn. Add me support. You know, I'll be there. I'm there. I'm here um existing in this space to grow it. So, yeah, that's where I'm at.
00:35:38
Speaker
I love it. So before I get into my last question, I have this one. So how many stamps are in your passport? Is that a personal question? Oh my gosh. Okay. So I feel like you had to order more books. I do have passport three.
00:35:52
Speaker
um Wow. with Three. um I, it's easy for me to say where I haven't been the more I've gone. Wow. That's impressive. Yes. It's easier.
00:36:03
Speaker
ah lived abroad in China for five years. So I was able to tap all over on that side. ah Yeah. that's It's easier for me to stay. with i'm not I'm not upset with that. and and they don't and And we don't have to disclose all of it. I just knew that you are a world traveler and I wanted people to know like Yes, this this young this young lady from from St. Louis is now like global trotting the world. And it's it's a beautiful thing to to observe as a friend because it's just like, yo, she said she was going to do this. And she's really like doing it times like 10. And it's amazing. Listen, listen.
00:36:43
Speaker
We both said we was doing something. I remember when you said you was to write a book. I'll never forget that. And I sure knew got my lemonade book. Y'all make sure y'all go out get that lemonade book for real. And let me let me say this. It is so good. I said, let me let me let me go ahead and get this book because my friend wrote book and she knows I'll forget something.
00:36:58
Speaker
And I told her, Zina, if I ever forget something, you told to say, please remind me. My memory is like this. When it comes to like things I know I'm supposed to do, I'll be like so passionate about many things, but I'm more passionate about my friends and seeing them win.
00:37:09
Speaker
I said, Zina, don't let me forget to get that book. Yeah. And then I ordered that book and I was like, she wrote the most sweetest message in the book. So I was excited about it. And then my mom was like, oh, this is nice. I said, yeah, let that sit there. That's me.
00:37:22
Speaker
you know ah yeah Now my dukes trying to take the book. Yes. you know So I'm just thankful that you know you've poured into all of us as friends and told us to chase our greatness. Look, she's still put pushing greatness and is she's showing it through her work of her book and you know, sharing it with everybody. Cause I got my book.
00:37:40
Speaker
Yeah, got yours. I am so tickled right now. Thank you. And and to to piggyback off of what Dr. Robinson is saying, um I try not to plug my stuff during my guest um interviews just because I want it to be about them. But my friends like to deflect it right back onto me or we'll say reflect it back onto me.
00:38:00
Speaker
So yes, everybody, I do have a book. It is titled Laid Off Lemonade and it is about turning your setbacks into triumphs. How to turn it into something. Say what now? Where can they get it?
00:38:10
Speaker
Oh, visit, visit laid off lemonade.com and all the information is there. So it's straight to the point. It's a cute little book. It's a nice coffee table book. um And how I designed it, I designed it for it to be shareable. Like you don't necessarily get this book for yourself unless you just like, Oh, I love Xena. Let me get this book. It's for her. Yeah. Thank you. Appreciate you. liify it's It makes an impact.
00:38:34
Speaker
I can solidify that. I appreciate that, but it's definitely for gifting to someone. You don't know what to say to them. No worries. I got you. And that's just how I am. Like, look, oh, so you can't, you you can't translate this. I got you. Bring me in.
00:38:47
Speaker
Tap me in. I got you. I got you. So the book is a way for you to show support to someone when you don't have the words to do so. So thank you for, for sharing that space. It's intentional movement for us all. And we're all walking in our purpose and aligning in our calling and just an ensuring that we take this journey every step, making us closer to our transformation and leadership roles that we intended on being in our greatness. And so i I thank you for sharing your greatness with us all and starting this podcast.
00:39:18
Speaker
Thank you, love. This podcast is so fun. I am getting to show the human side to all my doctor friends. Because like when people feel when they meet you and there's like, oh, she's a doctor. He is a doctor. Oh, therere they're too they're beyond us. And I mean, they put in some work and some process for sure, but they're still humans. Yeah.
00:39:39
Speaker
like you These are humans. Let's let's or eight PhDs and from HBCUs and African-American women. That's that that's what I want people to know. Look that up straight like that. OK. All right. So here's my last question. i See, and and well, before I ask my last question, is there anything I didn't cover that you want to address? You want to you want to bring to the people?
00:40:01
Speaker
and No, not at this time. Okay. i' I'm going to translate that to go start your business. Yeah. Yeah. Just go start your business. ah Chase your greatness and just be be your authentic self.
00:40:15
Speaker
Yep. I know who I am. Know who you are. That's the beauty of of roommates, y'all. Like you, like your your sisters, your family from different families, but you're still family. Like this is this is something I was going to bring up earlier when you were talking about family, family, family. My family is my backbone.
00:40:32
Speaker
But one thing I want to point out to y'all is that when we were at Howard, we were all at Howard by ourselves for the most part. Some people have still had like family in the areas and and close-knit friends, but those friends, our classmates, we became a family.
00:40:48
Speaker
Yeah. Friends of their family's house. remember going to our, you know, one of our friends house and met her sister, but they're all family now. They're family. and And that's something that I think that we we take for granted or we overlook that your friends can become your family. Yes.
00:41:04
Speaker
You know, I will never compare to Dr. Robbins' mom. I will never even try. However, what I do recognize is I know her mama. Her mother who I am, you know, and and i'm I'm in her back corner. Like, I mean, I'm always in Dr. Robinson's back corner and vice versa. So the the people you meet along your journey are going to be i important.
00:41:28
Speaker
and how you nurture those those relationships is going to be important. So yes, make sure you audit those circles. Make sure you start your business. Make sure you stand on business and you really take ownership of your ah most authentic self because that is your superpower.
00:41:45
Speaker
ah But that's another conversation for another day. Y'all would have to hire me for that one. um Please. Y'all missing some gems, but I would tap in just FYI. Like you said, everyone's family. I still have the same friends from hot college and undergrad. I build those solid friendships that I i know they're my family.
00:42:03
Speaker
For sure. For sure. For sure. All right. So here's my last question. You ready? u All right. What's one thing people don't know about you that's public facing? That's public facing that they don't know about me. Yeah. Like something that you are comfortable sharing to the audience. Like, oh, this is a little tidbit about me.
Personal Announcement: Engagement
00:42:22
Speaker
Anything? hu Well, I mean, since I'm not on social media, I am engaged. That's something. Oh, yeah, she is, y'all. am engaged. And, yep. Congratulations. Thank you. I get married this year. So that's new.
00:42:35
Speaker
That's big. that all that That's probably the the thing that's not posted on social media. But if you, like, zoom in or something, you probably know that I had a ring on. But, yeah, I mean. Not if you zoom in. That's the best they get me out on social media. kept a lot of things, you know.
00:42:52
Speaker
yeah I love it. i I am sending love to you and your fiance. I have not had the pleasure of meeting this gentleman yet, but I send him my love for loving my friends um and for you finding love. like that's That's big. I'm i'm grateful for for that. Everybody knows I'm a little razzle dazzle. If anybody can put up my razzle dazzle.
00:43:13
Speaker
not I'm a little razzle dazzle. We just been with my razzle dazzle when I've been loud, Lord. I've always been loud. I'm eat
00:43:22
Speaker
It's appreciated though. And and clearly you're allowed in the right times in the right spaces because you are doing the speaking. You are doing the work. You are doing the teaching. You are doing the curating. You are creating spaces for young HBCU alum and and students to find their purpose and to monetize it and and build legacies upon it. So, I mean, that that's a pretty, you you kind of have to have a big voice for that.
00:43:50
Speaker
So I definitely want to give you your flowers and say thank you for standing in that gap and creating these spaces for our young people to thrive and to learn and to flourish. So you keep doing the work, keep standing on business, keep, you know, I can't even say chasing your greatness. So I will say owning your greatness because you do. Because we're standing in it and and we're in the midst of it all. I receive it, Lord.
00:44:15
Speaker
And I love it. So is there anything that I did not cover that you want to put anything else? Look, no, you're pretty great at your job. Listen, I'm just here. Just do look, look, anybody got the greatest. disease I'm just here. Look, just bit the vessel. I'm just the vessel here. Just hold Well, um again, thank you for joining me um and to our audiences. Thank you for for joining us. Thank you for making it this far in our conversation.
00:44:41
Speaker
You know, if you're interested in connecting with Dr. Robinson, i will have the information in the description below, ah but you can definitely go and find her on LinkedIn for sure. um I appreciate your attention and it is one of the greatest gifts that you can give somebody, undivided attention, um next to unconditional love. So I just want to give thanks to you, our listeners, as well as to you, Dr. Robinson, for joining us on this episode of The Greatness Router.
00:45:09
Speaker
Peace, love, light. I hope y'all have a beautiful day. And follow The Greatness Router.
00:45:19
Speaker
And that's a wrap on this episode of The Greatness Router. If you found some value in today's conversation, be sure to subscribe, rate, and definitely share. It helps more people connect to the journey of greatness.
00:45:32
Speaker
Until next time, keep moving with purpose.