Stories by Career Sistas

Building a Law Firm from Scratch: Risk, Leadership and Entrepreneurship

What does it take to build a successful business from scratch with everything on the line?
 
In this powerful episode of Stories by Career Sisters, Beverly sits down with Joy Edwards, a Caribbean-born attorney and founder of a growing Atlanta-based family law firm. Together they explore her journey from debate champion in Jamaica to bold entrepreneur and law firm leader in the United States.
 
Joy shares what shaped her path into law, why international law didn’t unfold as planned after law school, and how she made the courageous decision to leave a stable job to launch her own firm.  Joy also reflects on supporting women from underrepresented backgrounds who want to pursue leadership or start their own firms, emphasising that success requires both passion and perseverance.
 
Whether you’re a lawyer, entrepreneur, aspiring leader, or a professional navigating career growth, this episode offers honest insights into ambition, risk-taking and building a purpose-driven business.
 
Tune in for an inspiring conversation about courage, growth, and creating success on your own terms.

Rejected on Paper, Brilliant in Practice: Rethinking CVs (Resumes)

In this episode of Stories by Career Sistas, Beverly sits down with Vivian Sunmola, a Nigerian woman in tech and the founder of an early-stage hiring platform challenging traditional recruitment.
 
Vivian shares her journey into the tech industry through a digital technology apprenticeship, navigating stigma, bias, and underestimation in a male-dominated field. She reflects candidly on what it means to pursue a non-traditional career path, the pressure to prove yourself as a Black woman in tech, and how community, mentorship, and research helped her stay the course.
 
The conversation explores the realities of early-career hiring, from CV bias and seven-second screening decisions to the hidden barriers faced by candidates from underrepresented backgrounds. Vivian explains how watching talented people get rejected not because of lack of skill, but because they couldn’t articulate their experience sparked her decision to build a platform focused on fair access, meaningful feedback, and trust in hiring.
 
She also unpacks why hands-on experience, portfolios, and apprenticeships are becoming increasingly valuable in today’s job market, and why the future of recruitment must move beyond outdated CV models. With insights on building credibility, finding the right spaces, and ignoring the noise around “acceptable” career paths, this episode is packed with practical wisdom for anyone navigating tech, early careers, or entrepreneurship.
 
A must-listen for aspiring, founders, career changers, and anyone passionate about equity, access, and rethinking how talent is recognised.

Your Achievements Can’t Be Taken Away: A Story of Career Reinvention

What happens when you walk away from a career you worked years to build and trust yourself to start again?
In this episode of Stories by Career Sisters, Beverly is joined by Rosemary Kargbo, a former probation officer turned author, publisher, entrepreneur, and housing professional — for conversation about career pivots, transferable skills, faith, resilience, and believing in yourself against the odds.
 
Rosemary shares her powerful journey from studying sociology and psychology, retraining through a Master’s in Criminology, and spending six years in probation , before making the difficult decision to walk away from a role that had become her identity. She opens up about navigating disappointment, systemic challenges, and resource limitations, and how those experiences ultimately shaped her confidence, leadership, and sense of purpose.
 
This episode is for anyone who feels stuck, underestimated, or pressured to follow a linear career path, and for those who want permission to aim higher, take bold steps, and create a career that truly reflects who they are becoming.
 
If you’re facing self-doubt, a career crossroads, or wondering whether it’s too late to change direction, Rosemary’s story will remind you: your past is preparation, not a prison.

From Accounting to Big Tech: Learning Fast and Choosing Differently

In this episode of Stories by Career Sistas, Beverly is joined by Sopé Ogunrombi, a strategy and finance professional in big tech, for a powerful conversation about career pivots, non-linear career paths, identity, and intentional career growth.
 
Sopé shares her career journey from studying accounting under strong cultural expectations to working across investment banking, digital transformation, FinTech, and big tech. She reflects on  how growing up across Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and South Africa shaped her identity, adaptability, and ability to read context—skills that continue to influence how she shows up in corporate environments today.
 
The conversation explores what it really takes to make successful career transitions, including mindset shifts, learning velocity, confidence, and intentional decision-making. Sopé breaks down how she navigated lateral moves without seeing them as setbacks, using a clear framework of capital, credentials, and credibility to guide her choices.
 
The episode also dives into navigating visibility and belonging as a Black woman in corporate spaces, dealing with imposter syndrome, and the role of mentorship, coaching, and community in building confidence and self-advocacy at work. Sopé offers honest advice for ambitious women feeling pressure to follow a “perfect” timeline, encouraging listeners to release rigid milestones and focus on values, skills, and optionality.  Insightful, reflective, and deeply practical, this episode is a must-listen for professionals considering career pivots, MBAs, or major transitions—and for anyone seeking to design a career that aligns with who they are, not just what’s expected.

Menopause at Work: Understanding the Impact

In this episode of Stories by Career Sistas, Beverly is joined by Nancy Boulos, a FinTech professional and workplace menopause champion, for an essential conversation about menopause at work, perimenopause, and how hormonal changes can impact women’s careers, confidence, and wellbeing.
 
Nancy shares her lived experience of navigating perimenopause and menopause while working in a corporate environment. She explains the difference between perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause, and discusses common menopause symptoms such as brain fog, anxiety, sleep disruption, hot flushes, fatigue, and loss of confidence—and how these symptoms can affect performance, focus, and career progression.
 
This episode is for women experiencing perimenopause or menopause, and employers who want to understand the career impact of menopause, how to support women at work, and why menopause awareness, inclusion, and empathy are essential for retaining experienced female talent.

Non-Linear Careers: Leadership, Motherhood, and Making Intentional Choices

In this episode of Stories by Career Sistas, Beverly sits down with marketing leader Sarah Sadiq to explore intentional career growth, leadership, and navigating a non-linear career path.
 
Sarah shares her global career journey—from training as an accountant in Pakistan to pivoting into marketing, working across banking, telecommunications, and FMCG, and later teaching marketing a University in Melbourne. She reflects on career pivots, transferable skills, and how exposure, risk-taking, and community have shaped her professional identity and personal brand.
 
The conversation dives into building a global career, becoming a global citizen, and challenging long-held beliefs about success, leadership, and work. Sarah speaks openly about motherhood and work–life balance, explaining how career pacing and intentional choices allowed her to stay fulfilled while navigating different life stages.
 
A key theme of the episode is intentional networking and career strategy. Sarah shares a powerful real-world example of proactive networking, personal branding, and creating opportunity through preparation, research, and meaningful human connection—offering practical career advice for navigating a competitive job market.
 
The episode also explores mentorship, sponsorship, inclusion, privilege, and representation at work, as well as the importance of building community and “building the table” for others. Insightful and honest, this episode is ideal for professionals, career switchers, women in leadership, and anyone seeking clarity on career development, leadership growth, and designing a career aligned with their values.

Manuscript to Market: The Publishing Reality Check Every New Author Needs

If you’ve ever said “I want to write a book” or you’ve already written one and don’t know what comes next, this episode is for you.
 
In this episode of Stories by Career Sistas, Beverly is joined by Karen Jackson , founder of The Vonnie & Ollie Agency, for an honest, behind-the-scenes conversation about what it really takes to write, publish, and market a book. Drawing on her 20 years of marketing experience across the music industry, book publishing with a Big Five  publisher,  and now entrepreneurship, Karen unpacks the parts of the publishing journey that aspiring authors often underestimate, or misunderstand entirely.
 
We explore the true cost of publishing, why marketing often matters more than most authors realise, and the critical difference between being a writer and becoming a branded author. Karen highlights common mistakes first-time authors make, how to avoid spending money in the wrong places, and why building community and operating with intention are just as important as writing the manuscript itself.
 
The episode also explores advocacy in publishing, the importance and power of underrepresented voices and the stories they carry, as well as why books are one of the  most challenging, yet most meaningful, products to sell in today’s attention economy. Karen closes with practical advice for writers who are sitting on an idea, unsure how to begin, and questioning whether their story is worth pursuing.
 
Whether you’re an aspiring writer, a first-time author, or someone dreaming of publishing a book that truly reaches its audience, this episode delivers clarity, strategy, and encouragement to help you take the next step.

Building Legacy Through Entrepreneurship

In this episode of Stories by Career Sisters, Beverly is joined by Bayo Adelaja, nonprofit CEO, entrepreneur, and founder of Do it Now Now, an organisation dedicated to advancing equity through entrepreneurship, with a primary focus on the Black community in the UK.
 
Bayo shares her journey, from growing up in a Nigerian immigrant family with traditional expectations, to questioning a pre-law path, and ultimately building a purpose-led organisation that has distributed millions of pounds in funding to Black-led social ventures. She reflects on how lived experience, community, and entrepreneurship became her chosen vehicles for change.
 
Bayo also discusses the realities of scaling a non-profit, leading a growing team, navigating leadership transitions, and why continuous learning — including completing multiple master’s degrees and an MBA — has shaped her leadership style.  Listeners will also hear Bayo's honest reflections on fear, public failure, and the importance of practising courage before confidence arrives. From portfolio careers and creative fulfilment to building organisations that outlast their founders, this episode offers thoughtful insights for anyone seeking to build meaningful, community-driven work.

From Classroom to Code: Navigating Discomfort as a Woman in Tech

In this episode of Stories by Career Sisters, Beverly is joined by Julie Koon Koon, a data scientist, university lecturer, researcher, and mentor whose career journey defies linear paths. Julie shares how she transitioned from education into finance and data science, navigating male-dominated spaces where she often felt the pressure to work “ten times harder” to prove her worth. She reflects candidly on the absence of early mentorship, the role of sponsors in her career progression, and how discomfort has consistently been a signal for growth rather than something to avoid. 
 
The conversation explores what it means to build credibility and confidence in tech, challenge stereotypes around women being “too emotional,” and stay true to yourself while operating in highly analytical environments. Julie also offers thoughtful insights on the future of AI, its impact on underrepresented communities, and why AI should be viewed as a tool rather than a replacement for human creativity and empathy.
 
This episode is a must-listen for anyone considering a pivot into tech or finance, navigating corporate growth without clear role models, or learning how to turn discomfort into a career accelerator.

Focus and Progress in STEM: Finding Purpose in a Non-Linear Career

In this episode of Stories by Career Sisters, we are joined by Letetia Addison, a mathematician, statistician, educator, and data science ambassador, for a thoughtful a conversation about purpose, perseverance, and using data to create meaningful impact.
 
Letetia shares how her early curiosity for numbers, supported by her family, shaped a career journey spanning teaching, research, strategic planning, mentoring, and AI driven climate change work. From lecturing at the University of the West Indies to championing representation and ethical data practices in the Caribbean, she reflects on why careers are marathons rather than races, and how unexpected deviations often lead to deeper growth and alignment.
 
Throughout the conversation, we explore the power of mentorship, the importance of diverse voices in data science, navigating uncertainty with faith, and why emotional intelligence and community matter just as much as technical skill. Letetia also discusses the responsibility that comes with using data and AI in ways that serve people and the planet.  This episode is a must listen for anyone interested in STEM, AI, or building a career rooted in purpose, service, and long term growth.

Building Without Permission: Ownership, Endurance, and Scaling Against the Odds

This episode, the second half of the interview with Melesia Adderley, an award winning founder, dives into the unglamorous truth of entrepreneurship. Melesia shares how she built her company Women’s Haven, even when funding was inaccessible, recognition was absent, and the odds were stacked against her.
 
From navigating cash flow challenges and manufacturing constraints to redefining mentorship as practical, hands-on guidance, this conversation highlights what it really takes to build a sustainable, purpose-driven business. Melesia explains why consistency beats visibility, why empowerment starts with ownership, and how building community can be the ultimate growth strategy.
 
This is a must-listen for ambitious current and future founders, operators, and women building portfolio careers and businesses in under-resourced ecosystems who need honesty, not hype.

Discipline & Consistency: The Entrepreneur's Cheat Code for Ownership

In this powerful episode of Stories by Career Sistas, we sit down with Melesia Adderley, the award-winning entrepreneur and founder and president of Women's Haven, a Caribbean health and wellness brand that has scaled internationally. Melesia shares the unfiltered truth of her journey, breaking down the myth of overnight success and replacing it with a practical blueprint for growth. She details how she consciously moved from a "survival to an ownership type thinking" and took calculated risks, like launching the business even without investors.
Melesia reveals why Discipline & Consistency are the "cheat code" for all women with a dream, building success on habits, not luck, and keeping in mind that your efforts will often go unnoticed, but you must build anyway. Tune in for a grounded, motivating, and actionable discussion on achieving true financial and professional autonomy.