For years, I struggled to balance my career and my business. I’m talking no sales, no sleep, toxic jobs, overworking, and no balance, okay? But in this episode of The Black Woman Bliss Podcast, I’m sharing what finally clicked and how I built a business that served me, created consistent revenue, and ultimately helped me leave my 9-5.This is a deep dive episode for the Black women building businesses after work, during lunch breaks, on weekends, and in between everything else. I’m telling the truth about what it looked like to balance my 9-5 and business, including the toxic work environments, overperformance, identity shifts, systems and the business decisions that helped me move toward my exit point.In this episode, we’ll cover:🤎 How I went from no sales to consistent sales🤎 Why clarity is one of the biggest foundations in business🤎 The mindset shift that helped me stop moving like only an employee🤎 How toxic jobs can drain the energy you need for your business🤎 How I used routines, habits, and calendaring to stay consistent🤎 Why repeatable services, SOPs, and systems helped me scale🤎 How I knew what to double down on before exiting my 9-5🤎 What a real week looked like when I was working full-time and coaching after hours👑 JOIN THE BLACK WOMAN BLISS COMMUNITYThe Community is a space for Black women ready to create aligned careers, businesses, and lifestyles we love. Inside, you’ll get strategy, support, sisterhood, trainings, and community as you step into your Black Woman Bliss Era.https://www.mercedesswan.com/join🤙🏾 SCHEDULE A 1:1 CLARITY AND STRATEGY SESSIONReady to get clear on the business you’re building while working your 9-5? Book a Clarity & Strategy Session so we can identify what’s working, what’s draining you, and the aligned next steps that will help you build with more confidence, structure, and ease.Book your session now: https://hello.mercedesswan.com/shop/8f5a153c-c508-4957-9618-f18677f65f30📊CAREER AND BUSINESS LOVE ASSESSMENTNot sure whether this season needs you to focus on your career, your business, or both? Take the Career and Business Love Assessment to discover where to focus your time and energy next, whether that’s advancing your career, building your business, or creating a hybrid strategy that supports your full Black Woman Bliss Era.https://www.mercedesswan.com/quiz✨ WATCH THE BLACK WOMAN BLISS WEBINARIf you’re ready to get clear on your career, business, and next chapter, watch the Black Woman Bliss Webinar and start creating your aligned vision.https://www.mercedesswan.com/blissSubscribe, leave a review, and share this with a professional sister in love who is building her business while working her 9-5.Chapters00:00 My Journey to Career Liberation02:47 Mindset Shifts for Black Women Entreprenuers05:54 Identifying Barriers to Business Growth09:09 The Importance of Business Clarity and Focus11:56 Navigating Toxic Work Environments15:07 Setting Boundaries and Priorities17:54 Building a Supportive Business Community21:10 Shifting Your Identity as a Business Owner24:11 Productivity Strategies for Balancing Career and Business29:17 Business Structures and Systems36:12 Optimizing Your Time40:46 Creating Repeatable Business Systems44:31 Doubling Down: Focusing on What Works56:05 Balancing Career and Business: Finding Your PathBLOG: https://www.mercedesswan.com/blog/how-to-build-a-business-while-working-a-9-5

Can one pivot change the way you see work, equity, and your worth?

In this powerful episode, Mercedes sits down with Tishayla Williams to talk about the equity pivot and what it means for Black women navigating today’s workplace. As an I/O psychologist and founder of The TW Collective, Tishayla brings a real, unfiltered perspective on performative equity, workplace harm, pay inequity, and the courage it takes to pivot with purpose.

Together, Mercedes and Tishayla explore the hidden cost of ambition, how systems fail Black women, and why creating your own opportunities is often the first step toward liberation. This conversation is honest, validating, and full of the kind of wisdom that reminds you that you are not imagining what you’ve experienced at work and you are not stuck there either.

During this episode, you’ll learn:

• How performative equity shows up when organizations quietly remove their commitments as soon as the political climate shifts
• Why pay inequity is often the foundation of broader workplace inequity for Black women
• How Tishayla’s journey from the Army and social work into I/O psychology shaped her lens on policy, compliance, and systems change
• What it looks like to advocate for yourself when a workplace is not designed to protect or value you
• Why Black women must stop waiting for permission and start creating their own opportunities
• How to think about your career pivot, business, or next move as a path toward greater autonomy and alignment

Pivot with Tishayla Williams

Tishayla Williams is an I/O psychologist and the founder of The TW Collective, where she helps organizations build more equitable workplaces and supports Black women in protecting themselves within them. A former social worker and Army veteran, Tishayla uses her voice and expertise to unpack the hidden cost of ambition, examine policy and systems through an equity lens, and help Black women navigate work with more clarity, strategy, and self-advocacy.

Connect with Tishayla on TikTok: Dr. Tishayla WilliamsLearn more about The TW Collective: https://www.thetwcollective.com/thebackboneframework Email The TW Collective: impact@thetwcollective.com

Read Tishayla's Essence Article: "I Walked Away At My Breaking Point. Now I Help Black Women Protect Themselves At Work" https://www.essence.com/news/money-career/redefining-success-after-burnout/

Step Into Your Black Woman Bliss

You deserve a career, business, and life that actually feels aligned. If you’re ready to stop settling, make your next pivot with intention, and build something that honors your brilliance, Mercedes has support for you.

✨ Join the Black Woman Bliss Community:
https://www.mercedesswan.com/join

✨ Register for the Black Woman Bliss Blueprint Webinar:
https://www.mercedesswan.com/bliss

✨ Work 1:1 with Mercedes:
https://www.mercedesswan.com/connect

Key takeaway from this episode

As Tishayla reminds us, Black women cannot afford to wait for systems to suddenly become safe, equitable, or affirming. We have to advocate for ourselves, create opportunities when doors do not open, and stay willing to pivot toward the life, work, and freedom we deserve.

Transcript: https://www.mercedesswan.com/blog/equity-pivot-black-women-advocate-performative-workplaces

Girl, Q1 of 2026 took me out! This is not how I envisioned my year! Everything from business launches, heartbreak, food poisoning, a doggy cancer diagnosis, and a depressive episode... tapped ya girl out! I decided to take a breather and create this pretty raw yap session! I know sharing the reality of sharing what it looks like and feels like to build a life you love, even when nothing is going right. In this episode, I share more about my mental health journey, how I've been coping with my Dog's Osteosarcoma diagnosis, the different empty cup dynamic that mission-driven Black women face and what my goals are for this quarter. I'm sharing some of the huge lessons I'm learning as a growing business owner and some inspirational thoughts to help you continue to choose your bliss even when life seems out of control!Make sure to subscribe to listen to the podcast anywhere, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and more! Join the Black Woman Bliss CommunityConnect with a supportive group of Black women who are building their dream careers with sisterhood, strategy, and support. The Community features connection circles, group coaching, coworking, and a training portal featuring over 60 lessons!Join now with a 14-day free trial: https://www.mercedesswan.com/offers/eJeeU6Va/checkout Black Woman Bliss Webinar: The Black Woman Bliss Webinar shares my journey navigating workplace-induced anxiety and depression to overcoming it to build a thriving career and business. Learn more about how Black Woman Bliss can help you create a career, business and life you love, even when it doesn't feel so blissful! Register for Free: https://www.mercedesswan.com/bliss Work with Mercedes Swan:Mercedes loves coaching and mentoring Black women who are launching their job search, learning to navigate the workplace with confidence or are planning their 9-5 exit by building a business she loves.Connect with Mercedes here to explore 1:1 Coaching or Mentoring: https://www.mercedesswan.com/connectChapters00:00 Introduction to Black Woman Bliss07:10 Reflections on Community and Support16:07 Coping with Loss and Grief21:10 Black Women with ADHD and Business26:04 Black women with ADHD, PMDD and Depression 31:04 The Importance of Filling Your Cup38:14 Reevaluating Time and Energy Investments46:11 Prioritizing Self-Care and Business Growth53:03 Defining Joy in Challenging Times56:38 Choosing Joy Amidst AdversityTranscripts: https://www.mercedesswan.com/blog/16-ambitious-black-women-with-adhd-depression-grief-and-big-goals