Patrina’s dear friend, LaFern Batie, joins her for a very special episode today. As the CEO of The Batie Group, a management consulting firm serving organizations around the globe, LaFern uses her extensive Fortune 500 corporate leadership experience to help international organizations and leaders across diverse industries to maximize their collective and individual performance. She and Patrina met at the first annual conference of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR) back in 1998, quickly realized that they are kindred spirits, and, as you will hear today, have been great friends ever since.Patrina and LaFern begin their conversation by going beyond others’ perceptions of them to offer a glimpse of who they truly are, exploring what it means to be a Black woman in America today, and revealing what others would consider are LaFern’s superpowers. LaFern discusses the impact of declaring her own worth, offers her advice for women struggling to find their own voice, and, with Patrina, highlights the importance of finding your own flock. LaFern also shares with us the importance of living in the moment and Patrina echoes the sentiment and shares how her niece exemplifies it. The conversation switches to LaFern’s professional prowess where she offers her definition of an ‘unapologetic leader’ and why she refers to her community members as eagles. This fascinating conversation draws to a close with LaFern sharing what being joyful means to her and her advice for those who may not be feeling joyful in their lives right now. That immediate connection which sparked between these two remarkable individuals at that conference so many years ago is on full display as they share their experiences, knowledge, wisdom, and, above all, joy, with listeners today.Episode Highlights:·   Getting to know who LaFern and Patrina really are·   Being a Black woman in America·   Others’ perceptions of LaFern’s superpowers·   Declaring her worth and the process that led to it·   LaFern’s advice for women struggling to find their voice·   Finding your flock·   One thing LaFern would change from her past·   Patrina’s niece and living in the moment·   Defining an ‘unapologetic leader’·   The reasons why LaFern refers to her community members as eagles·   What being joyful means to her·   LaFern’s advice for those not currently feeling joyfulQuotes:“I know that your energy is absolutely infectious.”“I really like it when people feel comfortable enough that they can let down their guards and really just have an engaging, honest, one-to-one, equally yoked type of conversation.”“Seeing beyond professional accomplishments to this person who’s so committed to getting to the root, to the core, to the heart of who they are, and live from that place, that’s what I think they would find most surprising.”“Honey, I’m a Black woman in America. Superheroes ain’t got nothing on me.”“I believe as a Black woman in this world, we are queens.”“My family knows me to be the master communicator.”“I ask questions and I challenge assumptions.”“I want to leave this space on ‘empty’.”“Just take a baby step…we don’t have to do it all.”“Love should not be tough.”“Ideally, with age comes wisdom, and with wisdom comes freedom, and with freedom comes joy…and so if we’re evolving, then we’re moving into consistently more joyful spaces and experiences. And, for me, that’s the goal.”“We can stand in the place of conductor without having to be seated with the musicians to make sure it all comes together, and, that, I certainly don’t think we need to apologize for.”“It’s all about learning and growth.”“That’s what I love about eagles  - the ability to soar, to be majestic, to be different, and to be captivating.”“I can’t imagine a life without joy.”“Start looking intentionally for seeds of joy that might begin in gratitude.”“You make my light shine brighter!”Links:Joyfully You Life homepageJoyfully You Life InstagramJoyfully You Life FacebookJoyfully You Life TwitterJoyfully You Life linktreeThe Batie GroupNational Association of African Americans in Human Resources