Your Excellence? Not Enough.
Your Work Will Not Speak for Itself. That’s Your Job.
Without wombs? No mothers. No babies. No humanity.
And yet. Black women are 90% more likely to die from the most preventable gynecologic cancer in America. Not because of biology. Because of a system that’s decided Black women’s bodies are good for raw material—not for care.
Dr. Kemi Doll knew this. She had the data. The research. And had stacked more receipts in peer-reviewed journals than most academics collect in a lifetime—funded by the NIH, PCORI, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. And that’s just the preview.
Still, she kept working. Quietly. Brilliantly. Inside the institution.
Until a colleague tapped her on the shoulder one evening and told her she was working too hard. Making everyone look bad. 👀
And instead of shrinking—Dr. Kemi had a revelation.
If she didn’t open her mouth and tell the story of why this work mattered, somebody else would write that story for her; she’d become a footnote in her own life’s work.
📣🔥Your excellence? It doesn’t come with a mouthpiece. That’s your job.
Closed mouth don’t get fed — yes. But it’s deeper than that. Your work will not explain itself. It will not walk into the room and make the case for why it matters. It will not tell the decision makers what they’re looking at, why it’s significant, why they should be paying attention.
You have to speak. With your actual mouth. Out loud.
When Dr. Kemi finally understood that speaking about her excellence is part of her assignment—when she stopped keeping her intention secret and started naming out loud what she was building and why—her research stopped being well-funded and prestigious science, it also became a groundbreaking movement. Black women could locate themselves inside it. We could see ourselves in it. And we have a better shot at survival because of it.
That’s how ECANA was born. From a social media post and a survey. From a woman who decided her excellence deserves a voice.
Just this week I was in a private session with a coaching client. Her work was already excellent—honestly, had always been excellent. What was missing was the language for it. The ability to walk into a room and articulate her excellence so clearly, so undeniably, that the people holding the bag had no choice but to acknowledge her value in dollars and cents. We built that language and clarity speaking about her excellence together through The Whole Damn Talk. She left her meeting with several zeros beyond her name, on a very well deserved check.
That’s what speaking your worth actually looks like. Not shouting louder. Just speaking clearer. Sharper.
“If you don’t write the story of what your excellence means, somebody will write it for you. And all of a sudden you’ll be a footnote.”
Are you the footnote or the author?
Dr. Kemi’s book, A Terrible Strength is out now → Get Your Copy.
It is the most important thing you can put in the hands of every woman you love. Starting with your mother. And yourself. If you have a womb — this book is for you. If you love someone with a womb — this book is for them.
Get a copy. Gift a copy. Make it the thing you give this Mother’s Day that actually matters.
And while you drive to brunch or wherever your plans take you today, pop this in your ears and get ready for full-on WOW. Dr. Kemi isn’t just brilliant and excellent at her work, she’s deeply human and honest and had me howling during a damn good time.
This was hands down one of my fav episodes. And also one of the most selfishly important. After we spoke, I booked an appointment with my doctor and came prepared with all the guidance Dr. Kemi shared. I asked questions. I put love and care for this Black body at the center of my appointment.
I'm asking you to do the same for your body. Listen. This episode might save a life.
🎧LISTEN: Madame Speaker Says - Apple| Spotify| iHeart| Amazon Music
Happy Mother’s Day
💐❤️
Magogodi