The Power Of Sisterhood And Black Women Masterminds

Nika White • January 23, 2023


After running my business for nearly six years, I was in a place where I needed community. I often speak about the role community plays in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), but I don’t often speak about the ways to find it.  In 2022, I had the joy and privilege of joining a Black women-centric business mastermind called Sistas Driving Impact. The group was started on LinkedIn by the founder of Holistic Inclusion Consulting & Author of The Inclusive Organization, Netta Jenkins. Netta describes the group as “a movement of Black women” with the purpose of “growing with each other as sisters, celebrating wins, learning from losses together, and acquiring financial freedom through collaboration”.

Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the nation with the number of Black women-owned businesses growing by 50% between 2014-2019. Yet, how many of us had to build our businesses alone? The truth is, for years, I did many things on my own, too. I learned how to find clients, negotiate contracts, get book deals, and the list goes on. I did it alone and although I don’t regret those challenging yet rewarding accomplishments, I wish I had sought a group of like-minded people to support me earlier on in my business.

Sistas Driving Impact is full of brilliant Black women who have taught me the power of sisterhood and all the ways we are anything but each other’s competition. In fact, we are each other’s sounding boards, cheerleaders, friends, mentors, and allies.

Today, I’ll share the experiences and insights from amazing Black women in my group and their take on the benefits of having masterminds dedicated to Black women.


Trade Secrets, Negotiation, And Selling “The Right Way”


When I asked the ladies, “What are you getting from this group that more Black women founders and entrepreneurs could benefit from?” Many said psychological safety, trade tips, and advancement knowledge.

This group is “affirmation that I am approaching my business the right way, and thinking about ways to scale it,” said Dr. Tana M. Session, strategist, speaker, and fellow consultant. Many Black women in business don’t have that affirmation. Oftentimes, they don’t have anyone to look to that’s on their level. For Tana and myself, sisterhood looks like affirming that yes you are on the right path and sowing encouragement to keep going.

What we also need are practical tools. Fellow mastermind colleague and co-founder of Mission Equality, Sharon Hurley Hall said, “On a practical level, guidance on templates, pricing, negotiation, sales, and more adds to the store of knowledge I bring to my own business.” When in these groups, how are we building each other’s knowledge? How are we sharing the mistakes in business that another woman can learn from? How are we providing valuable information so we all can succeed?

The mentality of giving our best secrets away to women who are on our level may seem like we’re giving in to the competition. But in a world where Black women entrepreneurs often don’t receive this knowledge, we’re stepping in as aunties, mentors, friends, and allies to share the vital information that will lift another woman’s brand and ultimately support her success. It’s a privilege and joy to be of service to each other and, therefore, to ourselves.
 
Being Cheerleaders, Promoting Each Other’s Books, And Lifting Ourselves Up


Women, in general, have not always been each other’s support systems. We as women are taught to fight and tear each other down for the sake of making it in the competitive “man’s world.” But, what about the opposite? What happens when a group of Black women becomes the loudest supporters of each other’s work? What impact does that have on these women, their businesses, and our community?

When asked, “How has another woman in this group helped you grow and get the word out about your work?” DEI consultant Kim Crowder begins by saying, “I could go on for days about this. How the women in this group have helped me grow has been exponential.” She says, “We have bought each other's books, posted about them on social media, and frequently comment on one another's posts. We actively look for ways to support the other members, which is priceless.”

There’s no price on sisterhood, camaraderie, or giving. Lifting each other up is a way to affirm and add value to the experience of another Black woman entrepreneur and, essentially, put wind under her wings. Sharon Hurley Halls agrees and remarks, “Bonding with Black women founders is both about sisterhood and possibility: knowing that others like me are doing it and are lifting as they climb.”

In a world often about competition amongst each other and within white supremacy, how can we develop ourselves, our businesses, and our goals and then share those learnings with other women? What happens to us? The answer is we lift as we climb. We all grow stronger, bolder, and more successful. 


Being Each Other’s Mentors, Opening Doors, And Finding “Inspiration Beyond Measure”


Although most of the women in my mastermind are at similar levels, there is still so much to learn from each other. Some women have taken on the role of mentor and guide. Janelle Benjamin, the founder of consulting firm All Things Equitable, is “getting camaraderie, sisterhood, protection, joy, and so much professional wisdom.”

Benjamin continues by saying, “I’m ultimately getting executive coaching from folks who have been through it all and learned from their own mistakes, so now I don’t have to make the same ones.” As founders and business owners, how refreshing would it have been to have someone who’s been there before guide you at the beginning of your journey to avoid painful mistakes and pitfalls? Black women who have been there before are elevating each other without judgment or deceit, but instead with a genuine spirit of mentorship, guidance, and sisterhood. We truly embody what author, speaker, and consultant Yolanda Renee Collins says is “like talking to my sister who is also my business advisor.”

When asked to call out another woman in the group who had offered a hand, lifted a woman up, and opened doors for opportunities, Sharon Hurley Hall said, “I can’t let the opportunity pass to thank Janelle Benjamin for stepping in to support The Introvert Sisters podcast when we most needed it–that bought us another season.” Then, Janelle Benjamin passes it on to me and says, “Nika, you had me on your podcast, Intentional Conversations, and I was able to discuss the Abercrombie & Fitch documentary on Netflix.”

Even opportunities to speak on national TV helped one woman lift another. Dr. Tana M. Session said, “I noticed Natasha Bowman being featured on several morning news stations across the country in 2022. She graciously shared the name and contact information for her publicist, who I have been working with for the past three months.”

Doing the work of guiding, mentoring, and lifting is what Kim Crowder describes as “both encouraging and healing.” How can we continue to lift each other into the future? Black women's mastermind groups should become more pervasive and available to propel our professional and personal lives to unimaginable heights.

“Community Is About Legacy, Healing, And Holding”


While we rewrite the narrative that women, especially Black women, tear each other down in the name of white supremacy and patriarchy, we’re invited to rethink Black sisterhood as a way to heal, bond, and create a lasting legacy.

Aiko D. Bethea, the founder of Rare Coaching and Consulting, describes it well when she says “white supremacy is about white supremacy and not [about] me being less than” while “community is about legacy, healing, and holding. Without this, what is the point of walking this earth?” Allowing the dominant culture to dictate how we’re going to move in the world is a looming and unfortunate threat to the community and legacy of Black women founders.

But there’s hope that through sisterhood we will lift as we climb and grow together. Like Dr. Tana M. Session says, “Having a group of equally–or more so–successful Black women has been refreshing and just what I need at this point in my career”. Masterminds like this one have the potential to change the trajectory of Black woman-owned businesses and create lasting wealth, success, and prestige for all of us.

Final Thoughts


For me, this mastermind has affirmed the immense value of finding sisterhood amongst Black women founders. We knew we had each other, but perhaps we didn’t know how to channel our connection for the betterment of our businesses and each other. The word “ally” which is often used in DEI now has body, form, and teeth. The women in this mastermind are each other’s cheerleaders, guides, mentors, and true success partners. The relationships we’ve forged will be hard to break. The growth we encourage in one another will be hard to ignore. We are destined for greatness–together.





Read more from The Human Shift on Substack, where I share long-form essays on leadership, culture, and how we work and live.

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