Self-Advocacy Hacks for a Toxic Workplace

How can you advocate for yourself when you’re operating in a broken system? We’re gearing up to face even more unprecedented times in 2026. And recent research shows, unsurprisingly, that inclusive and DEIB policies continue to be phased out while hostile work environments expand. Many of us are all too familiar with the lack of resources out there to help us cope with all this, especially options specific to Black women and Women of Color, who face the brunt of this ongoing shift.

That’s the landscape that prompted Sarah Boyd to found The Formation, an app that serves up “real talk, real resources, and real tight-knit community” for Black women navigating the realities of corporate America. She joins me to break down her evidence-backed recommendations for how we should protect ourselves while we fight the bigger fight of fixing our broken systems.

Start documenting everything and finding your career clarity as we cover:

• How corporate changes are impacting Black women and Women of Color;
• Why you need to keep your work receipts—all of them;
• How to frame your stretch work and find your ideal audience;
• The innate gap-filling gift so many women have, and how to maximize it.

Related Links:

• Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahwilliamsboyd/
• The Formation community - https://www.weareyourformation.com/
• The DISRUPT program - https://www.weareyourformation.com/our-program
• Women in the Workplace 2025 - https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/women-in-the-workplace
• Language Bias in Performance Feedback 2024, Textio - https://textio.com/feedback-bias-2024
• “Get Unstuck: Make a Plan to Move Your Career Forward”, LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/learning/get-unstuck-make-a-plan-to-move-your-career-forward
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

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