OWN YOUR BRAND SHOW with Victoria Odekomaya

Every Room Isn't My Room: Jordan Coleman on Leadership & Healing | Ep 71

• Victoria Odekomaya | LiMStudios Network • Episode 71

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This episode centers on healing as the foundation of leadership, not a side path. Victoria sits down with Jordan Coleman, founder and CEO of A Seat at the Table, to unpack how trauma-informed leadership programs are helping women of color move from support roles into executive positions. Jordan shares the story behind her eight-week cohort that intertwines professional development with deep mental health work through therapists and grief coaches. They explore how release nights, confidentiality agreements, and intentional reflection lead to real outcomes—like promotions, advanced degrees, and renewed confidence among mothers balancing caregiving and careers.

Together, they dive into hard but necessary conversations about gatekeeping, scarcity, and imposter syndrome, with Jordan’s guiding principle—“every room isn’t your room”—as a reminder to protect energy, choose rooms strategically, and lead with clarity. Beyond leadership, her team addresses period poverty through empowering “period parties” in schools, advocates for funding identity-based work without mission drift, and celebrates sisterhood through her annual rooftop event honoring unsung women leaders. The episode offers a blueprint for entrepreneurs and professionals alike: heal deeply, lead intentionally, and build community that sustains you.

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ABOUT

Victoria Odekomaya is a Nigerian American entrepreneur, speaker, and content marketing strategist on a mission to help business owners grow their business, brand, and legacy through the power of storytelling and strategic content marketing.

She’s the founder of LiMStudios, a full-service creative agency and state-of-the-art content studio in Indianapolis where strategy and storytelling come together through high-quality content production and marketing implementation. She’s also the creator of Boss Ladies Magazine and host of The Own Your Brand Show, a video podcast to help business owners grow their business, brand, and legacy through strategic content marketing and authentic conversations about the entrepreneurial journey.

Each week, Victoria breaks down practical content marketing strategies in her solo “Own Your Brand” episodes and sits down with entrepreneurs in her Behind the Brand series to uncover the stories, struggles, and systems behind their success. Because when we get real about the wins AND the struggles, we realize we're not alone and that's when real transformation happens.

Follow her journey through LiMStudios, Boss Ladies Magazine, and The Own Your Brand Show and join the movement to amplify voices, build legacy, and make impact.

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Jordan Coleman:

I am the founder and CEO of A Seat at the Table, which is a nonprofit here in Indiana. First of all, I think that if you're a business owner, whether you like it or not, you're a leader. I wanted women to feel seen, to be heard, and to have a seat. What I didn't know is that mental health was a part of that work. So originally I just thought, hey, we need to knock down these doors. We need to go to corporate spaces and tell them we deserve a space. But we weren't addressing the trauma that women have gone through. We've seen women go from being in supportive roles, moving into executive leadership roles, going to therapy after they finish, going back to school, getting their degree. We have some parents that struggle with having kids that are autistic and now settling in their motherhood and learning how to navigate that space. So it's liberating to watch. But not only from that perspective, it's transformational. Like I tell people all the time, I don't have to push data because it speaks for itself. You come and you sit in this space, you feel it, you see it, and it just works. It does. Our mission, we use this like catchphrase, we help women get to the table, stay at the table, have power at the table, and bring other women alike to the table. But there's a caveat right there in getting and staying at the table that there's a struggle. That's mental health. That is challenging those thoughts, those systems. And it's not just workplace trauma, it's personal. Like if you had a father that told you, hey, you'll never be great, you'll never be anything, that's ingrained in you. So I have to get that up and out to help you get to that next phase. And so, and there are women that want to do the work. There are women that are white, that are dedicated, and they want to support women of color. They want a community. And so those are the women that are mine. That those are the ones that I want to be a part of what we're doing, and I want to work alongside them to support them.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Welcome to another episode of the Own Your Brand Show. I'm your girl, Victoria O'Dacomaya, and today we're going to be talking about leadership, overcoming barriers in leadership and business. Look, if you are stuck or stretched or overwhelmed trying to lead and build a business, this episode is for you. And I have an incredible guest with me, Jordan Coleman. We're going to be unpacking this topic and maybe sharing even some ways, life experiences, and ways that we can overcome some of this. So without much ado, let's get into it. How are you doing today? I am great. How are you? I'm good. I love the yellow. Thank you. I love the color. Well, so um tell us a little bit about you. For those that don't know who you are, which I doubt, but okay.

Jordan Coleman:

So I am the founder and CEO of A Seat at the Table, which is a nonprofit here in Indiana that shatters the glass ceiling for women of color. So we really dive deep into leadership, um, mental health work. Um they are, they work congruently. So mental health is leadership work. Um, we also work with girls, and so we do girls programming, and then we work in the space of period poverty, so making sure that girls have access to chemical-free feminine hygiene products. And so that's a little bit about the work that I do and um just my title and who I am. But I'm a mother, I'm a wife, you know, I'm your I'm your normal girl.

Victoria Odekomaya:

So I love it. So I was at your event, the one you did last year, which by the way, your husband is also the name husband, you know, you have both the same things. I have his name for Jordan too. Well, wait a minute, before we get into it, like if people call you guys like when you're both uh like how do you know which who they're calling?

Jordan Coleman:

Yes, so normally it's boy Jordan and Girl Jordan. Oh, I see. And then sometimes so his name is spelled G-E-O-R-D-A-N. So they'll say Jordan with the G, and I'm Jordan with the J.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Ah, so we find a way, we find a way. Wow. I thought that was interesting, but um, I've I've seen what first end the impact that you have, you make, you know, in the community, especially around um giving feminine um hygiene products, right? I can't I grew up in a in a country where that's not easily accessible. And so that was such a touching moment for me to see that wow, you're doing all of this work. But um, so I I say all of this to say thank you for the work that you do. You know, but I know it's hard. And that's what we're gonna be talking about today. It is, it is. So, leadership. Yes. So we were talking a little bit before we started, and how, you know, first of all, I think that if you're a business owner, whether you like it or not, you're a leader. You are, you know, and but for people of color, like that look like us, right? That can be very different, like, you know, big access, you know. And I was saying also that when I started my business, you know, I was like, I live in Greenfield, I'm like, you know, small town, all the things, and like you think that you've heard it all, but then when you start trying to build the business and connecting with people, you're like, wait a minute, what wow, you know, so this is real and it's still happening today. Share with us some of your experiences.

Jordan Coleman:

Oh, that's a great question. So um, starting early on, it was hard. Um, I felt like I was a needle in the haystack because there wasn't a lot of people doing the work that I was doing. Yes. I tell people I was popular before DEI became a thing. Um I was saying that women of color needed a seat at the table way before that, before George Floyd, before Brianna Taylor, before the social unrest actually happened. I was screaming, hey, something is happening here and we need to do something about it. So that's really how I birthed the whole entire organization. Um, I wanted women to feel seen, to be heard, and to have a seat. What I didn't know is that mental health was a part of that work. So originally I just thought, hey, we need to knock down these doors, we need to go to corporate spaces and tell them we deserve a space. Yes. But we weren't addressing the trauma that women had gone through. And so I think early on, for me, it was just, I was I was that person. I was boots on the ground, I was advocating, I was telling women, I had women reaching out to me, like, hey, I have an issue with HR, can you help me write a complaint? Can you help me just formulate an email? How do I navigate this? And so that was really like the grassroot work. I really thought, like, oh, we're gonna hire attorneys, we're gonna help women do all of this, and that's still not far-fetched. But as we have evolved, we've moved into a different space. But even, you know, I and I say this and it's hard because sometimes people think in my work it's just about people that don't look like me. But it's not always that.

Victoria Odekomaya:

That's true.

Jordan Coleman:

Sometimes it's women that look exactly like me that are holding the doors, that are making sure that I can't get into the gate. Yeah, yeah. And so honestly, I think for me, that was the most emotional part about what I did. And it's like I'm fighting for you, but you're behind me, shooting me with every single bullet to stop me. Yeah. And stabbing me in my back. And so I had to overcome that and keep pushing. Um, so for me, I think that to me is the peak. It's like if I can destroy that within us and create a high level of sisterhood and unity, I think we can fly.

Victoria Odekomaya:

I think so too. You know, because um I was just at an event and I recognized that there wasn't a lot of us out there at that particular event. But the moment I saw a few people, I immediately gravitated towards them. You know, so there's something about you know that sisterhood that you talked about. But when you find out that these are the same people that are gatekeeping and holding, you're like, oh my God. Oh yes. Oh yes. You know, wow. So why do you think this is the case? Like, you know.

Jordan Coleman:

So I think for me, from my perspective and what I have experienced, a lot of women who have matriculated into that role, into that high-paying, that high-profile role, it's far and in between. I don't think they are intentionally a lot of times trying to gatekeep. They are so afraid they're gonna lose their seat if they open up the door for us. And so teaching them that if you just open that door, we are with you. We're gonna hold it with you, we're gonna make sure that you're supported, but we have to stop holding the seat and working with our heads down and not looking left and right. Because if that happens, these seats are gonna be taken over by women that don't look like us. And then now we have another problem that's gonna set us back further. That's right. And so I think that to me is the biggest barrier. I think that's the reason why. Now you have some. They just that that is just what they do, and that's their space. Um, but I think with some mental health work and some healing, I'm optimistic that we can get them out of that space. But yeah.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Yeah, because there's enough to go around for everybody. Oh my goodness. You know, it's not just like, well, I'm over here, you know, it's just about me, you know, but like I feel like, you know, there's a lot of conversations that's been happening around when you see people that look like you, yeah, you know, it just empowers everybody. So like I feel like we just need to be more open to see, like, well, I need to get more people like me, you know, I you know, in the table, at the which idea I have to say, I love the name of your organization. Right. How did you come up with that? Is it because of the work that you're doing?

Jordan Coleman:

Or well, so um, when I was working in corporate and I was like, okay, we're gonna start this off as a conversation. I don't know where it's gonna go. And I went to the National Urban League Conference. And so I heard Tamika Mallory speak, and she was talking about like boots on the ground, you know, just being out in the community. I was going through discrimination at work at the time and just experiencing that glass ceiling. And I'm like, man, I just I'm a person I don't want to complain, I want to do. And so I was like, how do I do? What does that look like? So I was in my hotel room, I was jotting down notes, and I'm like, okay, so this is what I think. And it just came to me, it was like a seat at the table. And I was like, okay, okay, God, this is what you want. We are going to do a seat at the table. And literally, my husband had a friend that made logos. I reached out to him. We got connected, and he's like, All right, let's draft something. We went through probably about 10 drafts. It was a lot. Originally, I had a sunflower, not even what I have now. Even down to like our edit before we got to the final, it was a lady, like her legs, but she didn't have pants on or anything. I was like, hey, we have to make her a lady because I don't want people confused. But we got to a nice logo.

Victoria Odekomaya:

I really like your logo too, by the way. So, how long have you been doing this for?

Jordan Coleman:

So I started in 2018. Oh, wow. So 2018, we officially became a nonprofit in 2021. Oh, wow. Okay. So you went through the pandemic. Uh-huh. How'd that go? Oh, hard. Hard. So our work is, I tell people all the time, we're not virtual work. We are touch, feel, be in the same room, experience, emotions, all of that. That is hard to do virtually. And so when everyone's like, hey, let's pivot, let's go virtual, I just I felt stuck. I couldn't figure out how to do it. Um, and even still to this day, we don't do much virtually. We do a few things, but all in all, we are still very much in person, coming to a space to feel each other, to see each other and build community. But the pandemic was hard for me. Um, I think we kind of sat down for almost a year and then we came back out at the end of the pandemic. That's good, that's good.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Because a lot of your work, like you said, is physical, and there was like that whole thing. That was a disconnect. Yeah, yeah. It was a disconnect. Wow. So um tell us a little bit about some of the actual work you're doing to you know empower, you know, ladies in your organization.

Jordan Coleman:

Yeah, so the biggest thing that we do is our eight-week women's cohort. We have over a hundred women on our waiting list right now that are interested in being a part. Um, so we select about 25 each class, and again, it's eight weeks, and four of those weeks are strategically focused on mental health. It's a leadership cohort. It's so funny when the ladies start, they're like, wait, you said this was leadership. Like, why are we talking about our feelings? And I'm like, because that is leadership. Like, and watch how I get you there. So literally, we have we work with a grief coach, therapist, and we bring them in and we we make these women dig deep. Like, hey, you have to take a look in the mirror, and I press, I push, and I challenge them to see themselves. And actually, we just had release night this week, and so they were like, it's the last night of their um mental health, and it's a lot of tears, it's a lot of emotion, but the freedom that happens is transformational. We've seen women go from being in supportive roles, moving into executive leadership roles, um, you know, going to therapy after they finish, going back to school, getting their degree. Um, we have some parents that struggle with having kids that are autistic and now settling in their motherhood and learning how to navigate that space. So it's just it's liberating to watch. But not only from that perspective, it's transformational. Like I tell people all the time, like, I don't I don't have to push data because it speaks for itself. You come and you sit in this space, you feel it, you see it, and it just it works. It does.

Victoria Odekomaya:

It's incredible. Wow. So so you you you have a grief coach, you have counseling, and then you said 25 women. Wow.

Jordan Coleman:

And so they also do leadership development. So we take them through mental health work. Right. And then after that, it's like, okay, boom, now you're ready for me to develop you as a leader.

Victoria Odekomaya:

You know, I think I like that pro I like that um order because like if you don't break down all the things that is stopping you, how can you be you you can be like your own real self to lead other people?

Jordan Coleman:

Exactly. So that was a part of our like our mission. We use this like catchphrase, we help women get to the table, stay at the table, have power at the table, and bring other women alike to the table. But there's a caveat right there in getting and staying at the table that there's a struggle, that's mental health.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Yeah.

Jordan Coleman:

That is challenging those thoughts, those systems, those and it's not just workplace trauma, it's personal. Like if you had a father that told you, hey, you'll never be great, you'll never be anything, that's ingrained in you. So I have to get that up and out to help you get to that next phase. And so we're seeing that. And like, you know, the tears are real, the pain is real, and that's okay though. This is a safe space. We are a sisterhood, you know, we protect our women, so we have NDAs, we have certain things in place to make sure stories are kept safe.

Victoria Odekomaya:

But yeah, it's it's hard work. Wow. Let's talk a little bit about imposter syndrome. You probably see that a lot. Yeah. And what do you think that's you know, so rampant?

Jordan Coleman:

You know, I think this this is a very interesting topic, and I talk about it a lot with um board members and close friends. I think it's twofold. One, there's a generation of women right now that are in that millennial age whose parents still were kind of pushing that narrative, you know, that you don't want to be heard, you want to kind of be seen, you want to be quiet. And that just produces a natural imposter syndrome because you you never found your voice. Yeah. And so you show up in a space because you're supposed to be quiet and you're supposed to be poised. But what's your voice sound like? If you don't ever raise your voice and you never were taught how to use it, when you get in spaces that challenge it, you become somebody else.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Right.

Jordan Coleman:

And so that's one lane. I think the other lane, um, it's just the the world that we live in when you're in these corporate spaces, even entrepreneurship. Sometimes, you know, you see another entrepreneur doing well, and you're like, okay, well, how can I do that? Or how do I look like that? And if I change this, and you you see yourself pivoting. And if you just I tell people, just hold the course. I promise you, hold your voice, hold the course, stay true to who you are, you'll you'll go far.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Wow. That is that is deep because I I you only need to get on social media for a little bit before you see all the people that seem to be making you like, you know, like, oh my god, like they just did this. You know, and then you begin to, you know, question yourself. You're like, well, I'm not enough. I'm not doing you know, all the things. And even though you're in you're doing great or like you're you're you're in a position of strength of power, you don't even feel like you belong there. Oh yeah. I I felt like that before. Wow.

Jordan Coleman:

Especially in rooms that don't look like me.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Yeah.

Jordan Coleman:

And it's even more challenging when I step into rooms that don't look like me and I'm doing the work that I do for women of color. Yeah. That is hard, and they're looking at you like, well, why don't you do it for everybody? Or you know, why don't you change? And it's like, it's not that I don't support everybody, but there is something very specific to what I am called to get. And so staying true to that, now we do have we're we're launching a cohort for allies. And so that's gonna look different, but again, like this work is just it it's it's it's a passion.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Yeah, I feel like I mean, women of color, they just have a specific set of uh experiences that is so different from every other woman. Yeah. So and I think that's why your program is so special because it's like if we say women, yeah. But women of they have, you know, the experience is different.

Jordan Coleman:

Yeah. I mean, even from a woman that is born in the US to an immigrant woman, it you can still put them in the same room and there are still a lot of similarities. There are a lot of, there's a community that's organically built. If and we tried this, we did an event called the Safe Space, and we were doing it congruently for a while, and we were trying to bridge the gap between white women and black women. Well, what we found were black women were angry and white women were hurting, and they were fearful at the same time. So you have this room of women that want to be allies, but to bridge the two, that wasn't working. And so we had to take a step back and say, wait, we need to reevaluate. Yeah. Hence why we started to focus our efforts on the women of color. Let's heal. Yeah. Because we can't even bring them to the table yet.

Victoria Odekomaya:

No, I was getting to say that, like, you know, we can, because you have to heal first. You have to heal. You know, and then you said the white women were hurting, you know, it's like, and fearful, because now they don't want to say anything that may even add more.

Jordan Coleman:

And and they can't speak for all white women. True. And so it, you know, that may be your experience, but that doesn't mean that that's who they are. So that's also unfair for me to create a space where that projection is happening. And so, yeah, that's why we were like, okay, you know what? We're gonna heal women of color, and then we'll create a cohort for allyship, and then we'll bring them back together in a healed way that it's more positive and it works together.

Victoria Odekomaya:

I was gonna say that I was like, you probably should do another cohort where they now come together. Because there's an important it's important to have that conversation. You know, I can see the fear in you know, people like trying not to tiptoeing around black women. I can't say certain words, you know, like I mean, I in my mind I feel like they're putting in effort in there, but a lot of it is also educating them to say these are the things that you you know you can do or not do, or you know what I mean, all the things. Um, but so I think that your next program to bring them together is so powerful. Yeah, yeah, we need to like really help.

Jordan Coleman:

I'm excited about it. You know, we're on we're on phase two now. Yeah, and so I I'm like, okay, we we have gotten five cohorts under our belt for women of color, and so now ready to bring in the allyship one and continue to do the work and bridging the gap. And so there and there are women that want to do the work. There are women that are white, that are dedicated, and they want to support women of color, they want a community. And so those are the women that are my women. That those are the ones that I want to be a part of what we're doing, and I want to work alongside them to support them.

Victoria Odekomaya:

So, yeah. Right. Okay, so let's talk a little bit about sustainable growth. Because I'm thinking in my mind, I'm a mom, and I know you your mom, your wife, you're probably a sister, right, you know, daughter. Um, but then you're doing all this work as a business, but also really, you know, like for so many other people, you know. So you're wearing multiple hats. Yeah.

Jordan Coleman:

How do you handle all of it without being bunt out? That is a great question. Um, sometimes I do great, sometimes I don't. Uh, I think I'm still learning, I'll be honest. One thing I I will say is I've learned to one, give myself grace. Sometimes a no is a no. And I just have to lean into that. Like, for example, my daughter had softball a couple weeks ago, and I had to choose between the softball game or being somewhere else, and I had to choose her because at this point, this is more important.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Yes.

Jordan Coleman:

Um, and you know, I think as we grow and as we learn, we just kind of learn how to pivot. I have a great family too. My husband's very supportive. So he fills in the gap when I can't do it. I have a mom who fills in the gap, my dad, same way. So I have a community that is there and they help us. But even aside from that, for my personal, like, you know, self-care and caring for myself, you know, I I get massages every month.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Okay.

Jordan Coleman:

And so that was something I added in at the first of the year where I was like, okay, no, I really need to find a moment just to exhale. I can't keep telling women to do that if I'm not doing that. Yeah. Um, I go to therapy. And so I go to therapy twice a month where I just, and sometimes it's just a good girlfriend talk with my therapist, like, this is what's happening. Like, how do I navigate that? Um, and I just try to create spaces of rest. Um, sometimes I used to work, and like this is bad to say to two or three in the morning.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Oh my.

Jordan Coleman:

Oh, yeah, consistently. And then the first of the year happened, I said, no more. I'm not doing it anymore. So now I'm done. I'm out of my office by I would say seven at the latest on most days. 7 p.m. Yeah, which is still kind of late. But it's a it's better than 2 a.m. It is, and even like on the days where um, you know, me and my daughter will have dinner together, if my husband has a game, or I find the time. Yeah, and so I think that's the biggest thing. Like, you have to find the time or you will burn out.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Yeah.

Jordan Coleman:

Especially the work that I do. You're carrying so many women's traumas. And you have to realize, like, this is heavy. Yeah. Like maybe today I need to shut down and I just need to take a nap. I need to rest. Um, I also am now taking naps. I used to not do that. And so now it's like, okay, no, I'm tired. No, I need to take a nap today. Um, and you know, I I think that's a big part. I take walks. Um, that's another thing that I've committed to myself, especially now that it's nice. Yeah. I try to get outside and get some fresh air and take a walk with my dog and come back home. And it doesn't have to be long, just a minute. So right.

Victoria Odekomaya:

So you said something about saying no. That's gonna be hard. Oh, yeah. How do you how do you decide to say no? Every room's not my room.

Jordan Coleman:

Say it again. Every room is not my room. And early on, I did not understand that. I wanted to be everywhere, and there were times where I would be so down on myself, like, oh, I wanted to be at that event. Why couldn't I go? Or why didn't I know about it? Or I couldn't get my schedule to fit to make it work for me. And then I started to understand strategy. And I started to understand every room didn't deserve my presence. Oh, and so now I I say no. I I root on from afar. If I don't have the time, the bandwidth to be in that space. There are other times like people reach out to me to speak or to do something, and I clearly will say this isn't my topic. That's not my expertise, but I know a woman that it is. And so I will recommend somebody else. And sometimes people, and I understand they want me, but it's like I I'm not the best fit. And I've done that many of times, and it shocked a lot of people where it's like, oh, even like I did a magazine shoot a while ago and I reached out to the guys, like, hey, I have someone that I think would be great for this shoot. Can you please consider? And he responded back and said, Absolutely, please send their information over to me. So that also to me goes hand in hand. The saying no also is an opportunity to open doors for somebody else. So yeah.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Yeah. And like we were talking about earlier, like when you get to that part, you gotta make room for more.

Jordan Coleman:

You have to make room for I have to say no, but my no doesn't mean I can't send someone or I can't advocate for someone else. Because I have to balance my life, but this young woman may have more of capacity and bandwidth to be in the space. So can I give the tickets to her or can she speak instead of I speak? So yeah.

Victoria Odekomaya:

So I think it takes a lot of courage, and confidence to to get there. Because, you know, like, you know, when you're coming, when people come from a mindset of scarcity, that's when you're like, ooh, I gotta do it, you know, like, you know. But like even the way you're talking, I'm like, okay, girl, like, you know, because not everybody's there. Yeah, you know, but I I applaud you for that. Thank you. Because I think you see it as self-care, I do, you know, and also opening doors for people, and it's very intentional. You know, you're like, I don't have, and then I think I love where you say you don't have to be in other rooms. Like, I feel like, oh, look, I you know, I think you just, oh my goodness, so powerful.

Jordan Coleman:

Yeah. Once you learn that every room doesn't deserve your presence, I like that.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Yeah, every room doesn't deserve your presence.

Jordan Coleman:

And and that's not to shade say there's any shade to anyone, but maybe my my energy, my presence just can't be in this space at this time. Right. Maybe it's too much for me. Maybe I'm too much for it. It who knows? But I just need to make a pivot and choose a different space. Um, and I had a young woman in one of our cohorts, that was her one experience that was keeping her stuck. I pulled her to the side and I said, Hey, I need you to stop showing up in every single room.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Right.

Jordan Coleman:

And I said, So I need you to be strategic, pick certain rooms, but choose you first. Yes. She did it and now she moved, she changed job, she's in a higher-paying role. I'm just watching her flourish, she's winning events, like awards and different things. She has just turned all because of intentionality that she chose herself and became selective about the rooms that she was in.

Victoria Odekomaya:

It's important. I think so too. Um, I'm thinking about the way I like to do my things. Like, I usually would have a goal. This is what I'm trying to achieve. Yeah. And so anytime I have an opportunity or anything comes my way, I'm always thinking, is this gonna get me closer to my goal? Yeah. And that's usually what helps me say no or yes to any opportunity. Because if we there's gonna be a lot of distractions, and some of them are really good. They are maybe not now, because this is where I'm going, this is what I need. Yeah.

Jordan Coleman:

And you know, I was a part of the Goldman Sachs program, the One Million Black in Business Women in Business, and that was one thing they talked about. They wanted you to track your time wasters. And you had to do it, I think it was for about a week. And when I did that, I was like, oh my goodness, I'm wasting so much time. Social media was one spot. Because I would make our posts and then I'm scrolling, looking, and then I'm kind of and I'm like, whoa, wait a second. Yeah. When I saw the numbers for that, and then events. It was just unnecessary. I'm here, I'm there, I'm this networking event, I'm at this dinner, I'm at this conversation. And then my husband keeps me busy because his job has a lot of networking that goes along with it. And so it's like our weeks are literally jam-packed with opportunities to the point where we're like, yeah, no, we can't do that. No, we're unavailable for this. And so, you know, I I think it's just it's strategy to your point. Um, and sometimes I go from the angle of goal, like, what goal am I trying to reach? Sometimes it's just like, do I want to be in that room today? Do I feel like people in today?

Victoria Odekomaya:

That's that's true. Yeah. Wow. I really like that. I feel like I I just want to clarify this for people that are listening right now. You know, I do a lot of networking, and you know, from a marketing standpoint, it's their you know, way of meeting people. That's not what we're talking about here. Like if you, it's part of your goals or strategy to meet people, go to networking, absolutely do that. Absolutely. But you don't need to be everywhere and anywhere just because, right? I think it also forces you to be intentional too. So that when you're in those spaces, you're making the most of those opportunities. Absolutely. Absolutely.

Jordan Coleman:

Yeah, you have to be intentional because if not, people will drain you. Yeah. So you have to, and I will even say, even if you're, you know, you that is your goal to be at more events, I would say get the list for the quarter and pick which ones are the ones that are most important. One, events cost money. So, like, that's the budget thing. And time, and you know, resources. Are you bringing business cards? Are you bringing flyers? Are you bringing things with you? Right. You know, that costs, you know, and I I I like to go and invest, I like to get my hair done, my nails done. Those are all things I have to consider. Right. If especially if it's a gala. And so all of those things I think you have to kind of gauge like, does this fit in my budget? Does this fit my time? And is this worth what I'm trying to pursue? Right. And if you could say yes to all of them, by all means go. But if not, and it's like, I really don't have the time to do all of the prep work to do it. Because there's been times I've showed up at an event and I didn't have time to prep the way I wanted to. And now I'm disappointed because now my standard isn't met, and now I'm in this space and I'm not feeling as confident. So yeah, you you have to be intentional.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Yeah, and I think in order to be intentional, you have to know what you want. Yes, yes. And then you need to know who you're who you are. So it goes back to that whole leadership thing getting to know who you are, you know, getting rid of all the mental, you know, situations that we have to be able to think clearly of what do I need? Yeah. Yeah. That's so powerful.

Jordan Coleman:

And then understanding their ear their levels, right? When I first started out, I wanted to be in every room. Right. Now I would say to you, like a lot of people want me to be in rooms. So now that looks different. So whereas my intentionality was, does this room deserve me? Sometimes the deserving is, does someone in this room need me to show up for them? So I have to also think about it from that perspective that there may be a woman that graduated out of my cohort. It might be her event. It may be, you know, someone I'm connected to, but my presence matters just for them to continue to show up and do what they have to do. So it it shifts from time to time where it's like, okay, I gotta kind of gauge like what the importance is for me. But yeah.

Victoria Odekomaya:

So I am getting the sense that, well, it's obvious to me here that everything that you do is about bringing women to the table, helping them stay at the table, and also, you know, beyond that. Because what you just said now is a practical example of doing that. Yeah. Wow. It is showing up for them to be like, look, I'm here for you.

Jordan Coleman:

I'm here for you, yes. Um, I have a great staff member. She also shows up for them. She prides herself, she goes to all the events where I'm like, okay, I have to figure out which ones I can make. Right. Um, and I try to balance it. But she does. She goes and they'll do workout events to crafting events, all the things, and she's there, she's present, and I love having someone on my team that can do that for me. But yeah, you do have to be intentional. And they, but here's my thing, they also deserve my presence sometimes. And sometimes they just need to know they have a community. And I hope that my presence shows that I am not holding a gate and I'm not gatekeeping, and I'm giving access, and hopefully that shows and comes across in me showing up.

Victoria Odekomaya:

So all right, so for women out there that are like, well, I'm not at that level yet. I still need to like scout out and go to all these events and things like that. Like, what can you say to them? If you want to look at the camera and just kind of pour into them, yeah.

Jordan Coleman:

So I would say be intentional. Um, figure out what room is your room, figure out what event is your event. Every event looks different, depending on the space you work in. Who are you trying to be connected to? That was really big for me in the beginning. There were certain women in this city I wanted to be connected with them. And so think about that. And then be bold and brave and walk up to them and make that connection. Um, and hopefully set up a meeting, a coffee, a virtual session where you know that it was worth your time. So yeah.

Victoria Odekomaya:

I love that. Be bold. Yes. You gotta, man. Well, like this is this is so good for so many reasons. I I love again, I think we've used the word intentional so much today already. I think a lot of us, a lot of people do are not intentional. No, they're not. You have to be intentional.

Jordan Coleman:

Because we live in a world of um just we want to be everywhere. We we live in a world of social media where content creation sometimes can overshadow true networking. Yeah. And I hate to say that because there's no shade to my content creators. I love them.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Well, I'm a content creator, but I you know, I understand what you're saying.

Jordan Coleman:

Yeah, so it's just I think it's the intentionality of being present. It's not just a photo op. Right. There's true heart. There are sometimes I go to events, I never take a photo. And it's not because, oh, I didn't want to. It was just so great. I didn't have an opportunity to even do that. I was in the room, I was intentional, and I try to be intentionally present. And I think that's missed sometimes because we get in these rooms, we want group photos, and we want to take a picture. And what What what really happened from there? Right. Did did you really make that connection? Did you really you were seen? Right. But were you impactful?

Victoria Odekomaya:

Ooh. Real good.

Jordan Coleman:

And so I think that's also I push back on a lot of women with that. Like you were seen. There's a difference between being seen and being impactful. Um, the one thing my mom always tells me is Jordan, you're a quiet storm. People don't know that you're coming, but oh, once you come, you come. I come. And so I, you know, and I stand strong in that because I'm not loud. But once I speak, people truly listen. Right. And I think that took time and it's an art. And a lot of women can lean into their power, especially me. Like, I tell people I'm an introvert by nature. Really? I am. I really, really am. Like, I am not a people's person. I have to like hype myself up. And so once I get into a space, like for me, I try to dress very like different, artsy. There's things about me that, and I learned this early on in my corporate career. Like, okay, if I put on a different blazer or if I wear different glasses, or maybe a unique brooch, people would just attract to me. So for all my introverts out there, be creative in what you wear because it pulls people to you. You don't have to do the work, they just naturally attract to you. Um, and so yeah, I would say for that angle, like that is uh has been a win. It has helped so many women that I've been in contact with. If you are an introvert, be creative with your clothing.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Yeah, I love your glasses, by the way. I was like, oh, that's so cool. Um but when we talked a little bit about intentional in terms of content creation, too, it's so important. Like, I feel like no matter what it is, yeah, you have to, why am I creating this content? What what is the reason? What impact am I, what story am I trying to say out there? So there is, yeah, you have to have a reason for everything, I feel like. But I think I'm here, I'm I'm sure some people are like, well, you can't plan everything. You can't. Are you saying we should be, you know, plan every like maybe not, but like just have a reason for doing what you're doing. Absolutely.

Jordan Coleman:

There are times where I, for example, we did a community service event with the corporation um this past week. And afterwards, someone's like, hey, you want to go grab cocktails and something to eat? That wasn't planned. I was just like, Yeah, sure, let's go do it. So there are moments where I step out of the plan side and I just intentionally, but it still was intention, right? Right. We had a goal, we were talking about things and we were able to connect. Right. Sometimes it's just we need to connect. Right. Like, hey, I need to see your face, you need to see mine, right? And that's enough. But again, you have to, there's levels. I just don't want women to show up to everything, and then by Christmas, they're burnt out because they've been to every single event, every Christmas party, every summer soiree. And now it's like, oh, well, yeah, what did I gain?

Victoria Odekomaya:

I was gonna I was gonna say that. What did I gain from this? Yes, or the money, all the time, and all the things, especially as a business owner. What is the result? You know, what is the return on the investment? That's right, the ROI. Yeah. Wow, this is so good. So I know we've been talking a little about events, but you have an event coming up. I do, I do. Tell us about that. And we have to actually tell people why they need to be at this event. Yes. But tell us about the event first.

Jordan Coleman:

So this is our annual event. Um, this is our fourth year. Really excited about it. Um, we started um it at the vineyard. So it's always Sisterhood at or sisterhood on dot dot dot. Okay. And so Sister at the Vineyard was our very first one, and then we did Sisterhood at the conservatory, which is the one that you came to.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Um we did that. Can I can I just gush about that event first of all? Like it was amazing. I love the space, the planning, the like everything was so good.

Jordan Coleman:

Thank you. I can't take credit for that. My team, like everyone comes together, my board, we had a decorator, she was amazing. Wow. Um, just vision. I just say, hey, this is what I see. Can we put it together? And it just came to life from there. So I'm grateful to have people around me that come and they support and they just they execute. Look at that leadership right there. Not taking all the glory but giving it back to the team. No, it's amazing. Seriously, they my team is amazing. And you have to think, at that point, I literally was I had no paid staff. Wow. So all those people were volunteering. Oh my god. Now, our decorator, we did pay her to do the work the event, but you know, everybody else that was showing up, putting table things together and you know, setting things up, those were volunteers. Those are people that believe in our mission and they want to support. So I I really am grateful. I can't do the work without the people that see the value in what I do.

Victoria Odekomaya:

So I feel like you have built a great and solid community of sisterhood.

Jordan Coleman:

I have, I I have, you know, it presents its challenges, you know, just like when you get sisters together. Right. You have moments, but all in all, no, seriously, everyone loves each other, they support, especially seeing all of our women go through our cohort. There is just a unique community that is happening there. I really wish I can make you guys a fly on the wall because I'm just like, this is beautiful. Yeah. Um, and even moment to moment, even when it's challenging, they lean into each other, they support each other. They even graduate from the cohort and they still hang out, they go support each other's events. And to me, that is the goal. That is, besides getting you to the table, I can do that with my eyes closed. But giving you a community.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Wow. Yeah. Have you ever thought about the legacy of what you're building?

Jordan Coleman:

I have a little bit. And so this is powerful. It is, it is. Um, yeah, I I think right now I'm in a space of what does this look like? The the current funding landscape is very hard, I'll be honest. We are in a space right now where it's like we serve women and we serve women of color. Our government system doesn't love that. And so we're trying to figure out like how do we sustain during this time. Um and I've been very honest with my funders, I'm not moving off of my mission. Like we support women of color. Right. Now we have period poverty, if that is more appealing to those that don't want to support that, and that does support all girls and all women. But this work specifically is really leaning into that space. Right. Um, and we're trying to find ways to add in more value and do things, but uh it just works, and that's where the true change is happening. And so I don't want to, you know, throw away the good if if I don't have to.

Victoria Odekomaya:

No, good. I love that you're standing your ground because your work, what you're doing, is so impactful. You're liberating generations upon generation. And sometimes we may not even see this in our own lifetime, but I bet there will be a day where the women that you're working with, their children and their children's children, will say, Look, my grandma did this. And that really set, you know, like just opened up opportunities. Yeah, that is so powerful. Breaking those generational curses. Yeah. Now tell us about the event.

Jordan Coleman:

We we went off track about it. So the event is um Sisterhood on the rooftop this year. So we are on a rooftop in Fisher's. It is on top of First Internet Bank. Okay, yeah. Um, we are super excited about it. Um, it is going to be cocktail chic, so come and you know your cute dress. Oh, yeah. Or your suit. Hey, I'm a suit girly, so I am too, but yeah. I do love a good cocktail dress. Um, it is August 16th from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Okay. And nominations are still available if people want to nominate women um in the community because that's where it comes from. Like it's not just my team that says, oh, here are the women. No, we want people to nominate. I want to hear about the women I don't know about, the ones that are working silently, quietly, or making great impact that have not come across my desk. And so pushing that out there and making sure we get those nominations. Um, and then you know, we'll honor a legacy award winner that we do pick as a board, and then our woman of the year as well. So that is incredible.

Victoria Odekomaya:

So, how can people get information to attend this event, get their tickets and things like that?

Jordan Coleman:

So they can go to our website directly. It's www.asatindi.org. And on there you can find all of our events. So everything that we have, even down to our cohort, that information is on there um about our organization, our mission. It's a great way just to get some more information about what we do and how we do it.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Okay, so a couple of things, but before we get there, um the website, we're gonna put all the details in, but it's a seat at the table, basically asatindi.com, right? Or sorry about that, but we'll put all the details in there. But two things. Why should people attend this event? You know because you know we've talked about how you kept united to the intentional, all of that, right?

Jordan Coleman:

So I think the biggest thing with this event and what I have learned, and I am learning to accept and be excited about, is we are there is no other place in the city that celebrates women like we do. And once I heard that last year from our woman of the year, which was Nicole Wilson, she is, she's awesome. Um, when she said that, I was like, wait, really? Like, I didn't I never thought to put two and two together. I just literally started like, I just want to honor women. I wanted to honor the women that weren't making IBJ and that weren't making some of those 40 under 40 and things like that. I wanted to give space because there's still great women in the community that need to be seen, that need to be heard. Um, we had a great um red carpet, well, it's blue carpet for us. Blue carpet, yes. Um blue carpet host last year. And after she did the event, she called me and she said, Jordan, she's not from here, she's from Michigan. Well, she's in Michigan.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Okay.

Jordan Coleman:

And she said, Um, I just want to tell you, I have never been to an event where I felt so seen and I felt so valued.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Wow.

Jordan Coleman:

And she was like, Whatever you need from me, I will come back, I will do it for you. Now, this young woman, she's on TikTok, she has almost a million followers. Wow. And I was, I sat back and I'm like, okay, something great is happening here and I need to tell the story more and more. So thank you for actually asking me that. But no, I think it's a space where we celebrate women like nobody else.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Look, and I appreciate that. I feel like that's something that we definitely have in common, right? We don't celebrate each other enough. Yeah, we I'm the kind of person where I want to shout at the top of the roof of like, this woman is incredible. That's the whole reason why I do this podcast. It's like for people to get to know you and your heart and the work that you do. It's the reason why I started the magazine to like the boss, just because I'm like, there's so much story. And the thing about it is like when you're when we're in community together and we're doing life together, we inspire each other. We do, we do, you know, and just imagine the ripple effects. Oh yeah, oh yeah. So get your tickets. Get your tickets, seriously. But then tell us how can we support you?

Jordan Coleman:

Oh, that's a great question. Um I I would say number one is follow us on social media and share. I think sometimes people get so caught up in money, money, money. Sometimes the story sharing our story goes a lot further than what you ever imagine. Um, and I will say that I've had people reach out to me that you wouldn't imagine, like through social media posts and like, I'm like, how did you get my information? Like from famous people to regular people, like it's just like, oh wow. Like so it works when the story's being told. Yes. Um, and then I obviously I would say obviously financial support. We are in a space right now where funding is being just challenged.

Victoria Odekomaya:

That's what it is, yeah.

Jordan Coleman:

It's challenged. Um, and I'm trying not to say that because I'm trying to stay in faith and be positive. Um, but it is getting hard. And so what right now we're just at the space where we're like, okay, we're gonna call on our community support. They believe in us, they believe in the work that we're doing. And so hopefully we can get people to rally behind that. And so, yeah, I would say follow us on social media, share our story, and then if you have any donations, you can go on our our page. There's an Amazon wish list for our period poverty. That's true. You can always donate to that. We have lots of community partners right now that are in need. We partner with schools. I didn't even talk about that, but tell us about it, right? So we do period parties, and so we go into the schools. Um, because what we have realized, a lot of girls in middle school who have not started yet, they are afraid. And our mom's having conversations nine times out of ten, the schools that we are at, no, they're not. And so they don't even know, they don't know the difference between a liner, a pad, a tampon. Like, so what we do is we go in and we normalize it. We have a party, we have snacks, we have girl talk, we play games, and then they go home with a month's supply of feminine hygiene products. Wow. Yeah. And so we give them a full month that includes um wipes, no tampons for our middle schoolers, but wipes, pads, liners, and then panties. We have a partnership with iSupport Girls that donates the Victoria's Secret panties to us. And so they get a whole little kit to take home. Victoria's Secret Panties? That's that's the highlight of the party. They're like so excited about that. But yeah, so we've been doing that for about well, we've been in the school. We just officially started calling it period parties this year. Okay. Um, but for two years that we've been doing those partnerships. And so that is actually growing by leaps and bounds. We have a lot of schools reaching out, wanting us to come. We also do high schools too, but it's just it's a little bit different. They have already started, so we're not talking about like making it normal. Right. However, now we're talking about deeper issues.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Yeah.

Jordan Coleman:

Yeah, no.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Right. Because it can be very scary. Remember when I started too, like, you have no idea what to do. You're like, oh my God. You know. But you know, I'm curious, like, if you ever talk to boys about it. I have two boys and I have to educate them, like, I didn't think about it. You know, because I mean, just for them to understand, because I can imagine, well, I there was a story a long time ago where, you know, the girl started unexpectedly, and she just, you know, stood up and there was blood all over the place, and the boys are like, ha ha ha. Just because they, you know, like yeah, they don't know. And I think that it would be helpful for them to just understand what that means and what that means for women too. And some people you have cramps, oh, you know, mooch, all the things, right?

Jordan Coleman:

Just no, I haven't thought about boys, but that is a great point. I didn't even think about that. Just the respect. Yeah. It's not, I think it's just teaching them like, hey, girls, go through something different than what you go through. If you see something, be a friend. Right. Don't make a joke out of it. And so yeah, no, I think that's that's an interesting angle to think about. But yeah, the girls, I would say a lot, especially our middle schoolers, they just don't know. I mean, even when we let them, they do a like hands-on experiment where they open up the tampons and put them in the water, and and they're like, this is gross. And and we're like, okay, but this is what it is. And so, but you know, I'm like tampons older in life, let's focus on just the basics. But even like our last one that we did, I think that was like three weeks ago, a young lady said, Hey, I'm actually not scared to start my period anymore. And I'm like, Yes, we we we made the goal. Like that was that's the number one thing, like to just normalize it. And so what we say is it's a part of being in the sisterhood.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Like it's okay. Yeah, so yeah. So with that, I have to think about. So when I turned 40, a lot of things started happening in my body that I never really did before. I'm like, oh my, yeah, I'm like, what's going on? But I'm seeing how being educated before that time helps you be prepared.

Jordan Coleman:

Yeah.

Victoria Odekomaya:

Right. So I see that that's what you're doing for the little kids, right? But I have to ask, do you have anything for the older ladies that are like getting ready to like, you know, peri menopause and all the like your body starts changing and all the things?

Jordan Coleman:

Yes, Perry is real, from what I hear. Um so actually, this has brought come up a few times in conversation. And so I have said, you know, this is something we need to explore. We haven't started yet, but it's something that I think we need to add on. I don't know, Dr. Stephanie Young. Okay. So she's um on social media, she's a great person to follow. If she, if you want to know more about Perry menopause and all the things she posts about it a lot, she's here in a DM. Oh good. Um, and so I will, you know, give that shout out to her.

Victoria Odekomaya:

So have have on the con you know the podcast too.

Jordan Coleman:

Yeah, I'll share information with you. But she is someone that is just spreading the news about it, talking about it, talking about symptoms, what to do, how to overcome it. Um yeah, and I think she's even doing a retreat, if I'm not mistaken. I don't know if it already happened or if it's coming up.

Victoria Odekomaya:

So yeah. Wow, that's so good. Wow, so to summarize, um, it sees at the table, some of the ways that you can help them sharing on social media, just share the stories. Share all of, you know, the I I I I think you have a pretty active social media too. Yeah. Um, and then also the donations, the monetary donations, or maybe even your time too, you know, volunteering that goes a long way. I mean, it's not news for what uh about what women are going through right now with the political political system. Um, so every little bit goes a long way. And you know you're doing it for a good reason. So also um the event, uh the sisterwood at the rooftop, uh, it's happening on August 16th. August 16th. So get your tickets. Make sure you get your ticket and come, you know, hang out with women that are in an intentional space too. You know, but thank you so much for coming on. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. This is amazing. Uh well, until next time, make sure you get your tickets. Make sure you follow on social media. I'll put all the things in here. But make sure that you're taking care of yourself. It starts with you, you know. Make sure you have, you know, um time for yourself. Make sure your your mental health is, you know, it's being checked out because you are a leader, whether you like it or not, whether you know it or not, and you are impacting someone's life too. So until next time, keep leading.

Jordan Coleman:

I thank you all for tuning in. Um, I thank you for this opportunity, and I thank you for the work that you're doing and just being a great woman in the community and an advocate. So continue to watch the podcast and support. So thank you. Thank you.

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Victoria Odekomaya

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