The job market isn’t giving today’s college seniors much to smile about—and that includes the Class of 2025. On this timely and powerful episode of The Culture Soup Podcast®, L. Michelle Smith welcomes leadership expert and author Leilani M. Brown for a heart-to-heart on what it takes to launch strong, even in uncertain times.

With candor, warmth, and serious know-how, Leilani unpacks what students, families, employers—and even leaders—need to understand about the transition from campus to career. You’ll hear about the emotional toll of today’s job market, what matters most to Gen Z job seekers, and how both individuals and organizations can shift with intention.

People Mentioned

• Leilani M. Brown – Guest, author, CEO of Giant Steps LLC
• L. Michelle Smith – Host, author, executive coach
• Leilani’s son – Class of 2025, mentioned as a source of inspiration
• Parents & college students – Broad shoutout to listeners navigating this landscape

Organizations & Institutions

• Giant Steps LLC – Leilani’s consulting and leadership firm
• Spelman College – Both Leilani and L. Michelle are alumnae
• Howard University – Mentioned in context of the HBCU community
• The Culture Soup Podcast® – In its 8th year, hosted by L. Michelle Smith
• The Circle – L. Michelle’s leadership growth and coaching community
• NSC Coaching – Executive & personal coaching firm founded by L. Michelle
• SOAR Academy – Digital learning platform for leaders

Books

• From Campus to Career – Career launch guide for young professionals by Leilani
• Your Giant Steps – Leilani’s latest book on professional clarity and growth
• No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I’ll Just Include Myself – L. Michelle’s bestselling book

Cultural/Professional Themes

• Class of 2025 – Core focus of the episode
• Grit, grace, gumption – Leilani’s leadership mantra
• Purpose, performance, people – Three pillars for career success
• “The kids are not alright” – Referenced as a cultural truth
• “You’re not stuck—you’re shifting” – A powerful Leilani quote echoed by L. Michelle

• Leilani M. Brown – leilanimbrown.com
• L. Michelle Smith & The Culture Soup Podcast® – lmichellesmith.com/theculturesouppodcast
• Join The Circle – lmichellesmith.com/thecircle

What happens when the organization that once spoke truth to power… goes quiet?

In this candid and courageous conversation, host L. Michelle Smith sits down with her friend and media powerhouse Errin Haines to talk about the urgent state of Black journalism, the legacy (and future) of NABJ, and what leadership must look like when both journalism and democracy are under attack.

Errin shares deeply personal stories—from reporting in Ferguson to launching The 19th—and outlines her bold vision for NABJ’s next 50 years. They discuss press freedom, AI, innovation, media accountability, and the hard truth about corporate sponsorship and advocacy.

This isn’t just a conversation.

It’s a call to action.

Welcome to the kickoff of the Leadership Revival—a new series on The Culture Soup Podcast that takes you behind the scenes of Call & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church.

In this premiere episode, host L. Michelle Smith sets the stage with the “Front Matter”—a soulful introduction to the journey ahead. She reflects on how the book came together not just through writing, but through living. And how its three foundational pillars—history, science, and leadership research—form a scaffolding that holds it all together.

This episode features:

• A clip from a past interview with Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr., whose work anchors the historical context of the book.
• The debut of our Footnotes segment, exploring how enslaved people worshipped in secret, building the spiritual and cultural foundation of what would become the Black Church.
• A personal behind-the-scenes look at the transformational journey of writing Call & Response.