Cynthia Barnes's Recent LinkedIn Posts

My Bank Called About 'Unusual Activity.' I Said Yes, That's My New Normal. The automated voice was concerned. "We've detected multiple six-figure deposits to your account. Is this authorized?" Authorized? Baby, I INVOICED for it. See, Chase is used to my old pattern: • Direct deposit: $3,846 biweekly • After tax…

They asked me to present my "diversity strategy" to the board. I brought a mirror. That was six months ago. Different company. Different city. Same mahogany table. Last week, it happened again. New CEO. New boardroom. New "commitment to inclusion." This time, I didn't bring a mirror. I brought a spreadsheet.…

Black women with a bachelor's degree earn less than white men with no degree at all. Read that again. A four-year degree. The student loans. The nights in the library. The graduation ceremony. The job applications requiring "Bachelor's required." And still. Less than a man with some college and no diploma. It ge…

My Bank Called About 'Unusual Activity.' I Said Yes, That's My New Normal. The automated voice was concerned. "We've detected multiple six-figure deposits to your account. Is this authorized?" Authorized? Baby, I INVOICED for it. See, Chase is used to my old pattern: • Direct deposit: $3,846 biweekly • After tax…

They asked me to present my "diversity strategy" to the board. I brought a mirror. That was six months ago. Different company. Different city. Same mahogany table. Last week, it happened again. New CEO. New boardroom. New "commitment to inclusion." This time, I didn't bring a mirror. I brought a spreadsheet.…

I charged $2,500 for a strategy that made them $400K. And I said thank you when they paid it. I'd just left corporate. Fifteen years of building frameworks, leading transformations, and saving companies millions. I had the receipts. Just not on paper. So when my first consulting client asked about my rate, I pani…