Barron Witherspoon: The 7 Myths Holding Black Executives Back | WOC Live
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Podchaser Podchaser Key Takeaways
- Barron Witherspoon shares invaluable insights from his 35-year tenure at Procter & Gamble to help leaders of color break into the C-suite.
- High-potential executives must dismantle common corporate myths, particularly regarding belonging, protection, and valuation.
- Having a single sponsor is never enough; professionals need to build a robust network that carries their stock across all levels of an organization.
- True executive presence requires walking into the room fully seen and fully heard, owning your space with absolute confidence.
- Mastery travels with you wherever you go, and aligning with a clear purpose simplifies your entire career trajectory.
This week on Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation, host Deneen L. Garrett carries The Reclamation Series into the boardroom with Barron Witherspoon Sr., speaker, author, and CEO of The Black Exec LLC. A former Procter & Gamble senior vice president, Barron names the myths that keep high-potential leaders of color out of the C-suite, explains why belonging, protection, and valuation are the three to watch, and shares the one thing to do today to start writing your own path to the top.
Barron spent 35 years at Procter & Gamble, where he served as head of global industry affairs and led Take on Race, a cross-industry effort that included A Million Connected Devices. He is the author of The Black Exec: And the Seven Myths, a three-year Amazon bestseller and National Indie Excellence Award finalist, and The Fallacy of Affinity. He has advised L3Harris, UBS, and Heidrick & Struggles, and gave the commencement address at Tuskegee.
In This Episode
- Horses in his blood: how his great-grandfather's horsemanship led his family to integrate the Tennessee walking horse industry
- What 35 years inside Procter & Gamble showed him, why he wrote it all down, and what he saw speaking to students at Florida A&M
- The myth of belonging for early-career leaders, the myth of valuation later on, and the myth of protection: why one sponsor is never enough
- It's who knows you: building a network that carries your stock, from the C-suite to the executive assistant to the street sweeper
- What executive presence really is: walking into the room like you belong, fully seen and fully heard
- Why purpose simplifies everything, why mastery travels with you, and the one step to take today
Connect with Barron
- Website: theblackexec.com
- Guest Profile: womenofcoloranintimateconversation.com/guests/barron-witherspoon/
- Books: The Black Exec: And the Seven Myths and The Fallacy of Affinity
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Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation
Hosted by Deneen L. Garrett, Cultural Alchemist · Media Architect
A Top 5% of 4M+ Podcasts · Premieres Monday, Nov 16 on In The Black Network and AfroLandTV
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The Reclamation Series: Reclaim Your Voice, Own Your Power
Live Thursdays at 1PM ET on YouTube and LinkedIn.
- Oct 15 — Audrey Davis-Dunning: Get Your Goddess: Reclaiming Your Power
- Oct 22 — Suprit Gupta: Breaking Brown, Becoming Bold
- Oct 29 — Maya Dajon: The Wholeness Beneath the Healing
- Nov 5 — Eva Kennedy: Remember Who You Are
- Nov 12 — Barron Witherspoon: The Black Exec & the Seven Myths (this episode)
- Nov 19 — Joyel Crawford: Show Your Ask: The Cost of Staying Quiet (series finale)
Year-End Lives
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- Dec 3 — Camille Jackson: Building Sacred Ground
- Dec 10 — Charlene A. Berry: Taming the Big 3
- Dec 17 — Felicia Leatherwood: Root Therapy (final Live of 2026)
- Returning January 7, 2027
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Barron Witherspoon and what is his background?
Barron Witherspoon Sr. is a speaker, author, and CEO of The Black Exec LLC. He spent 35 years at Procter & Gamble, where he served as head of global industry affairs and led major diversity and inclusion initiatives.
What are some of the myths holding Black executives back in the corporate world?
Barron highlights several critical myths that keep leaders of color out of the C-suite, specifically focusing on the myths of belonging for early-career leaders, valuation later on, and protection, emphasizing why one sponsor is never enough.
What books has Barron Witherspoon written?
Barron is the author of 'The Black Exec: And the Seven Myths'—a three-year Amazon bestseller and National Indie Excellence Award finalist—as well as 'The Fallacy of Affinity'.
What is 'Women of Color: An Intimate Conversation'?
Hosted by Deneen L. Garrett, it is a Top 5% women's empowerment podcast centering Black women and Women of Color through honest, resilience-rooted conversations about living their Dream Lifestyle NOW.