4 Challenges Minority Entrepreneurs and Professionals Face In The Business World

Dr. Nika White • January 16, 2020

Happy 2020!

With every new year, we bring new resolutions and goals into our lives, our communities, and our businesses.

Even as my resolutions evolve with each year, my goal is always to work diligently towards Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in organizations and businesses.

For 2020, I am proud to announce another step towards this goal as I have been selected to serve as one of the newest National City Directors for Walker’s Legacy for Greenville, SC!

For a quick background, Walker’s Legacy is a global platform for professional and entrepreneurial multicultural women. It’s named in honor of Madam C. J. Walker — the first self-made female millionaire in US history, who was also an African American woman. Her story is truly incredible. Make sure to check out the new Netflix series about her coming out in March!

I am excited to begin this journey with 9 other dynamic trailblazing women! I’m also grateful to implement the Walker’s Legacy mission in my local community and aid in furthering the Walker’s Legacy mission through impactful programming, organizational collaboration, and partnerships.

Being in this world of DEI and thinking of all Madam CJ Walker’s achieved through adversity, I wanted to kick off the year by reflecting on the challenges that minority, under-represented, and female entrepreneurs face as they pursue their goals.

1. The Perception of Being Superhuman
As an African American woman, something that is not often talked about is the notion of having to be “superhuman” as a career professional and entrepreneur.

For example, there are often mistakes and trials that happen in the growth trajectory of trying to get to the next level of a career. Failures. Setbacks. Business problems. Monetary issues. Oftentimes with minorities, people aren’t quite as forgiving when mistakes are being made.

On the other hand, with populations who are not part of the minority population, mistakes are more celebrated and seen as “taking risks” or “being bold”. With minorities, this can bring up judgment and negative views towards failure. For us, everything has to be perfect.

This notion of being “superhuman” is where the minority career professional and entrepreneur has to have a perfect resume, massive achievements, and zero mistakes in order to accomplish the same success, accolades, or public appeal as an entrepreneur from the privileged group.

The risk factor here is that this keeps the minority business professionals (such as women of color) from really feeling as though they can try different things that can lead to promotions, advancement, and opportunities. This can lead to them being guarded in their efforts and contributions.

And many times, when people are looking for new projects or hire prospects – the decision-makers are looking for those risk-takers and “bold” movers.

I hope in the future, we can encourage a culture where minority talent can be viewed and perceived at the same level as others and not need to be “superhuman”— so they can be bolder, take more risks, and process the journey of entrepreneurship and career growth in a more equitable way.

2. Code-Switching
Code-switching is a hot topic in the DEI world and something that minority career professionals and entrepreneurs face often—usually daily.

According to the BBC , code-switching is when “a person in a minority group tones down some of the most obvious elements that associates them with their community in order to fit into a more mainstream group.”

In reference to people of color in a business setting, Harvard Business Review shares , it’s when someone is, “embracing the dominant culture or vernacular among certain groups (like co-workers, for example) and switching to a more authentic self when around friends and family.”

Code-switching happens often in the workplace. Someone may feel they have no one to confide in or speak authentically to. They may change their speech patterns and vernacular, how they reference things in their personal life, and their general attitude and mannerisms. It can feel like constant acting and performing.

Many women of color experience this and see it as not being able to be authentic to who they are. Code-switching is often a survival mechanism. It’s a way not to be judged, outcasted, or chastised in community or at work.

My previous article “Masking In The Workplace and Why It Can Be Detrimental to D&I” also talks about “covering” which is in the same circle as “code switching”. This shares how people change or “cover” their authentic self when they show up to work and can therefore not operate at their maximum, authentic self. This is detrimental for the individual and detrimental for the business or organization.

We need to bring clarity and awareness to managers, supervisors, and leaders in regards to code-switching and authentic communication. When people can stop code switching and covering who they truly are, they can show up as their most effective, productive, and authentic selves.

3. Barriers To Entry
Being a minority entrepreneur comes with inherent barriers to entry that create roadblocks and boundaries towards success.

These include barriers to networks, resources, and mentors and lack of access to capital, key resources and stakeholders, and more.

For example, capital is one of the larger barriers to entry. Take a look at a couple of these powerful statistics.

  • “A 2014 Babson College report found that less than 3 percent of venture-capital-funded companies had female CEOs.” per Business News Daily .
  • “Statistics compiled from CB Insights reports by Project Diane indicate that between 2012-2014, startups led by African-American women comprised less than 0.2% of all the venture deals in that time period.” ( Fast Company )

Lack of access to mentorship is another enormous hurdle. In the dominant narrative of white-male representation of success, an entrepreneur or business owner can find so many examples of mentors and “success stories” of people who look, act, and talk just like them. But in many cases, for minority and women entrepreneurs, it can be very hard to find a mentor who “looks” like you.

  • “Almost half-of female founders (48 percent) cite a lack of available mentors or advisers as holding them back,” according to Inc Magazine .

On the other side of the spectrum, when a minority person does achieve success, they may feel isolated, alone, or like a fraud since there’s less representation at the top. This can lead to feelings of “imposter syndrome”.

Imposter syndrome is “the belief that one is inadequate, a failure, or a fraud despite proof of success,” per this great Fast Company article on women entrepreneurs.

Because of these hurdles and challenges, these minority business owners are often working *in* their business as a “tactician” since they don’t have as much access to those assets that make business growth and navigation evitable.

When you are in that “working in the business” position, it can be hard for you to grow or succeed in the marketplace. You’re just too close to your work and too busy doing the work rather than getting to strategic planning opportunities that fall to the wayside.

If we can lower these barriers to entry and decrease resistance towards success, it will offer better and smoother opportunities and pathways towards success.

A book which is a fantastic resource for women of color to learn strategies and tips for breaking through these boundaries and moving up is, “ The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table ” by Minda Harts.

4. The Issue of Intersectionality
Diversity is an expansive and complex topic. An important element of it is that there’s not just one dimension of diversity that defines someone’s identity. There are multiple layers that interweave with each other.

You can be an entrepreneur who is identified as a woman of color—but there are many other elements of disparity. Being of a different race is one, but then there is gender identity, sexual identity, age, income and wealth, your location, your educational level, and so many other attributes where identity intersects.

These layers of intersectionality can add up and create more of an oppressive situation, which is why we must do this work of DEI to create space for authenticity and pathways towards success.

To create a future with better models, we must critically examine why there’s not more representation and intersectionality in these leadership roles.

How Can We Support These Challenges?
The way to help solve these challenges is to first bring awareness and discussion, then most importantly, provide support and take action.

Outside of the challenges listed, many of us, even minorities ourselves, have some sort of privilege. Whether it’s the color of our skin, the town we live in, our status and position in a business, or our income—we can use that privilege as a resource for others.

I love the sentiments in this Harvard Business Review article:
“Ordinary privilege is actually an opportunity. Research repeatedly confirms that those with ordinary privilege have the power to speak up on behalf of those without it, and have particularly effective influence when they do.

For so many of us looking for an opportunity to fight bigotry and bias in the workplace or in our  broader culture, we may be missing the opportunity staring back at us in the mirror: using the ordinary nature of who we are as a source of extraordinary power.”

No matter your type of privilege, there is massive value in being a resource and champion in order to directly support underserved and minority communities — whether it’s through mentorship or coaching, creating public discussions on understanding their lived experiences, expanding and offering out networks, and building relationships with people of color.

We must get out of our bubbles and expand our networks.

Make sure to check my blog from last year on “ 7 Ways Leadership Can Support D&I Initiatives ”.

I saw a meme recently that said something along the lines of “Don’t tell me every day that you support me, but then pass up every opportunity to support me.”

Let’s actually use any privilege we have to support those with less privilege than us.

MOVING INTO 2020
As I move into 2020, and step into my role as National City Director for Walker’s Legacy for Greenville, SC, I continue to fight for, educate, and work on the issues and challenges that women, minorities, and under-served populations face in their journeys of entrepreneurship and business.

My work in DEI over the past years has led me to create and address so many opportunities in my local geography and led to this opportunity with Walker’s Legacy.

This role will be a type of mentoring experience for the women who need a level of support and who want to connect with other women around this whole sense of women supporting each other and creating this sense of community – in a real environment so they don’t have to mask/cover.

To learn more about Walker’s Legacy and my role or to share strategies, support, and education, please click here.

Feedback and the Nervous System - Why Some Conversations Lead To Growth And Others Lead To Silence

By Nika White • March 16, 2026
Two leaders can say the same words and produce entirely different outcomes. One conversation invites reflection. Another produces compliance. A third produces quiet withdrawal. The difference is rarely the phrasing. It is the state of the person delivering it. Before a listener processes meaning, their body processes safety. If tension, urgency, or frustration is present, the nervous system prioritizes protection over learning. The person may nod, agree, or apologize—but understanding has not actually occurred. Earlier in The Human Shift, The Body Knows Before the Mind Does , we explored how the body registers experience before the mind interprets it. Feedback follows that same sequence. Presence communicates before language does. Reframe Feedback is received through regulation before it is received through reasoning. One Grounded Practice Before offering feedback, take 30 seconds to orient yourself to the environment: Look around the room. Name three neutral objects you can see. Slow your exhale once. Then begin the conversation. Grounded delivery increases learning far more than refined wording. Closing Reflection What state are others experiencing when they receive guidance from you? Contextual Depth Signal In leadership coaching, feedback rarely fails because leaders lack clarity. It fails because the emotional tone of the interaction determines whether the brain processes information or threat. In the shift, Dr. Nika White P.S. Think about your last feedback conversation — how regulated did you feel before it started?

Competence and Control - When Capability Quietly Becomes Over-Management

By Nika White • March 9, 2026
High-capacity leaders often step in before others struggle. They refine the message. They fix the slide. They solve the problem before it fully forms. The intention is almost always supportive. But the impact accumulates differently. When leaders consistently intervene early, teams stop developing judgment. Initiative declines. And the leader’s workload increases—not because the team lacks ability, but because the team lacks ownership. Control rarely announces itself as control. It appears helpful. Earlier in The Human Shift, Capacity Is Not Infinite , we discussed capacity as information. Control is often a response to leaders sensing the system might falter and unconsciously compensating. The leader becomes the stabilizer. And stabilizers eventually become exhausted. Reframe Support strengthens capability. Preemption weakens it. One Grounded Practice The next time a team member brings you a solvable problem, pause before offering a solution and ask: “What options are you considering?” Then wait. Do not refine immediately. Do not redirect quickly. Allow their thinking to complete before yours begins. Leadership capacity grows when others experience themselves as capable. Closing Reflection Where might your helpfulness be preventing someone else’s development? Contextual Depth Signal In organizational advisory work, many leadership bottlenecks are not skill issues but ownership issues. When leaders shift from solving to supporting thinking, both performance and energy improve. In the shift, Dr. Nika White P.S. Where do you feel most necessary right now—and is it because of structure or habit?

The Cost of Constant Readiness - Why Urgency Quietly Reshapes Leadership Judgment

By Nika White • March 2, 2026
Many leaders live in a state of readiness they no longer notice. They check messages before standing up in the morning. They anticipate disagreement before a conversation begins. They prepare responses before anyone finishes speaking. At first, this feels like responsibility. Over time, it becomes physiology. The body learns to expect interruption, so it stops settling. Attention shortens. Everything begins to feel slightly time-sensitive—even when it isn’t. This isn’t only about workload. It’s about nervous system posture. Earlier in The Human Shift, The Shift from Bracing to Grounding , we explored bracing—the body preparing to endure pressure. Constant readiness is a quieter version of the same pattern. Leaders aren’t reacting to the present demand. They’re reacting to a predicted one. And prediction changes perception. When leaders remain perpetually ready, they begin interpreting more situations as urgent than they actually are. Conversations compress. Listening becomes strategic instead of receptive. Discernment narrows. Reframe Urgency is not always information. Sometimes it is anticipation that the body hasn’t updated yet. One Grounded Practice Today, before responding to a non-emergency message or request, pause for one full breath cycle. Not to delay action. To confirm necessity. Notice: • Did the situation actually require speed? • Or did your body simply expect it? Grounding begins by distinguishing immediacy from importance. Closing Reflection Where in your leadership are you responding to expectation rather than reality? Contextual Depth Signal In my coaching work, leaders often discover their decision fatigue is less about volume and more about constant readiness. When urgency is recalibrated, clarity returns quickly—without reducing responsibility. In the shift, Dr. Nika White P.S. What in your work currently feels urgent—and what might simply be asking for your presence?

Inclusion Isn’t Exhausting — Disconnection Is

By Nika White • February 24, 2026
Inclusion Isn’t Exhausting—Disconnection Is: Why fatigue around inclusion often signals something deeper than disagreement When people say they’re tired of inclusion work, they are rarely describing values. They are describing an experience. Often it sounds like resistance on the surface. But beneath it, something more specific is happening: Disconnection from meaning. From impact. From each other. Sometimes from themselves. Inclusion becomes exhausting when it is treated as an initiative rather than an environment. When language expands but daily experience doesn’t change. When expectations increase faster than people’s capacity to understand or embody them. The effort then feels performative instead of relational. Earlier in The Human Shift, Culture Is What People Carry Home We explored how inclusion fatigue often emerges when people cannot locate inclusion in lived interactions—only in messaging. Without experience, even well-intended work begins to feel like compliance. The fatigue isn’t coming from caring too much. It’s coming from not knowing where caring actually lands. Reframe Fatigue is not a failure of values. It is a signal of misalignment. And misalignment does not ask for abandonment. It asks for reconnection. One Grounded Practice Instead of asking, “How do we do inclusion better?” ask: “Where are people most disconnected right now?” Listen specifically for: moments people feel unseen moments people feel cautious speaking moments effort does not match impact This shifts the conversation from strategy to experience—and experience is where inclusion either exists or does not. Closing Reflection If inclusion were measured by everyday interactions instead of organizational intention, what would you notice first? Contextual Depth Signal In my equity and leadership advisory work, organizations often regain momentum not by adding new initiatives but by reconnecting daily behavior with stated purpose. When inclusion becomes experiential rather than instructional, energy returns quickly. In the shift, Dr. Nika White P.S. Where in your environment right now does inclusion feel most like a requirement—and where does it feel like belonging?

The Stories We Tell Under Pressure

By Nika White • February 16, 2026
Under pressure, leaders tell stories quickly. About intent. About risk. About who can be trusted. About what’s possible. These stories shape behavior long before policies or plans do. Often, they go unexamined solidifying into assumptions that guide decisions and culture quietly. Reframe Stories don’t just explain reality. They create it. Especially in moments of uncertainty. One Grounded Practice The next time tension rises, ask: “What story am I telling myself right now—and what story might someone else be telling?” This question opens space for curiosity instead of certainty. Closing Reflection What story is guiding your leadership right now—and does it still serve? Contextual Depth Signal Working with leadership narratives (especially under pressure) is a core part of my coaching and facilitation work. When stories shift, behavior often follows. In the shift, Dr. Nika White

Accountability Without Shame

By Nika White • February 9, 2026
Many leaders associate accountability with discomfort—and assume that discomfort is necessary for change. But there’s a difference between discomfort that leads to growth and shame that leads to withdrawal. Shame narrows attention. It triggers defensiveness. It interrupts learning. And yet, many accountability practices rely on it—often unintentionally. True accountability doesn’t require humiliation or fear. It requires clarity, dignity, and repair. Reframe Accountability is not about control. It’s about alignment. And alignment happens best when people feel safe enough to stay present. One Grounded Practice Before offering feedback, pause and ask: “Is my goal correction, or connection that allows correction to land?” This shift often changes: Tone Timing Impact Accountability rooted in dignity sustains trust rather than eroding it. Closing Reflection Where might accountability become more effective if shame were removed from the equation? Contextual Depth Signal This distinction is foundational in how I support leaders navigating performance and culture. Accountability without shame strengthens trust and resilience—especially in moments that matter most. In the shift, Dr. Nika White

Culture Is What People Carry Home

By Nika White • February 2, 2026
Culture doesn’t end when the meeting does. It lingers in the body long after the workday is over showing up in dinner conversations, sleep patterns, patience levels, and the quiet exhaustion people struggle to name. We often talk about culture in abstract terms: values, engagement, and belonging. But culture is experienced somatically. It’s how it feels to speak up. How it feels to make a mistake. How it feels to be seen—or overlooked. When work consistently requires people to brace, perform, or self-monitor, the cost doesn’t stay at work. It travels home with them. Reframe Culture is not what organizations intend. It’s what people absorb. And what people absorb shapes how they show up everywhere else. One Grounded Practice Ask yourself: “How do people likely feel at the end of a typical workday with me?” Not how you hope they feel. Not what the values statement says. What their nervous system might carry. This question alone can shift how leaders present themselves in small but meaningful ways. Closing Reflection What might change if culture was measured by what people carry home, not what’s written on the wall? Contextual Depth Signal This lens (culture as lived experience) is central to my work with organizations. When leaders begin here, culture change becomes less performative and far more honest. In the shift, Dr. Nika White

The Body Knows Before the Mind Does

By Nika White • January 26, 2026
Before leaders articulate misalignment, the body often registers it first. Sleep disruptions. Tightness before meetings. A low-grade fatigue that doesn’t resolve with rest. These are not failures of resilience. They are signals of adaptation. The nervous system is constantly scanning for safety, threat, and load. When demands exceed capacity, the body adjusts—sometimes through tension, sometimes through withdrawal, sometimes through control. Leadership cultures that reward composure often train people to override these signals. But ignoring the body doesn’t eliminate its intelligence. It just delays the cost. Reframe The body is not an obstacle to leadership. It’s an early warning system. Leaders who learn to listen sooner tend to retain more choices later. One Grounded Practice Once a day, pause and ask: “What sensation is most present in my body right now?” No analysis. No fixing. Just notice. This simple practice builds the muscle of attunement, allowing leaders to respond to strain before it hardens into burnout or reactivity. Closing Reflection What has your body been signaling that your mind has been negotiating with? Contextual Depth Signal This work (helping leaders recognize and respond to bodily signals) is central to how I support sustainable leadership. When leaders trust this form of intelligence, decision-making becomes clearer and cultures become more humane. In the shift, Dr. Nika White

Capacity Is Not Infinite

By Nika White • January 20, 2026
High-capacity leaders are often rewarded for stretching. Carrying more responsibility. Absorbing more tension. Operating as the stabilizer when systems feel strained. Over time, this becomes identity: I ’m the one who can handle it. But capacity is not limitless and treating it as such eventually erodes judgment, creativity, and relational presence. Honoring capacity is not about doing less; it's about doing more. It’s about leading sustainably. When leaders ignore capacity signals, they don’t just risk burnout; they lose access to discernment. Decisions become reactive. Boundaries blur. The work begins to feel heavier than it should. Reframe Capacity is not a measure of worth. It’s information. And leaders who listen to it lead longer and better. One Grounded Practice This week, experiment with this question: “If I were stewarding my capacity—not spending it—what would change here?” Notice: • Where you’re saying yes by default • Where rest is postponed rather than planned • Where responsibility has quietly become self-abandonment Stewardship is a leadership practice, not a personal failure. Closing Reflection What is your capacity asking of you right now? Contextual Depth Signal In my leadership programs and advisory work, capacity stewardship is treated as a strategic skill—not a personal preference. Leaders who learn to work with capacity create more resilient teams and more humane outcomes. In the shift, Dr. Nika White

The Shift from Bracing to Grounding

By Nika White • January 12, 2026
Bracing is one of the most common and least discussed leadership patterns I see. It shows up quietly: A tightening in the chest before a meeting... A subtle urgency in decision-making... A readiness to withstand rather than to engage... Most leaders don’t recognize bracing as something they’re doing. They experience it as who they need to be in order to perform. Bracing becomes synonymous with responsibility, strength, and composure. And yet, bracing is not a leadership trait. It’s a nervous system response. Bracing is what happens when the body senses pressure and prepares to endure it. It’s adaptive. Intelligent. Protective. Especially for leaders who operate in high-stakes environments where mistakes feel costly and steadiness is expected. The problem isn’t bracing itself. The problem is living there. Grounding is the shift that allows leaders to remain connected to themselves while meeting the moment. It doesn’t reduce standards or urgency. It changes how those standards are held. When leaders are grounded: Authority feels embodied, not force Decisions include more discernment and less reactivity Others experience safety without the leader having to perform calm Reframe Bracing narrows leadership capacity. Grounding expands it. This isn’t about eliminating stress. It’s about not allowing stress to hijack presence. One Grounded Practice This week, notice when you brace—not why. Pay attention to: The moment just before a difficult interaction The impulse to speed up or tighten control Physical cues like shallow breath or jaw tension Instead of correcting it, try this: Place one hand on your body (chest, stomach, or thigh) and slow your exhale by two counts. That’s it. Grounding often begins with the body, not the mind.  Closing Reflection Where might grounding serve you better than bracing right now? Contextual Depth Signal This shift—from bracing to grounding—is foundational in my coaching and leadership work. It’s where leaders begin learning how to stay present and authoritative under real pressure, rather than relying on endurance alone. In the shift, Dr. Nika White