Fancy

By Francheska “Fancy” Felder Bringing someone new onto your team is exciting. You start thinking about the work you can finally share, the ideas you'll have time to explore, and the things that might move a little faster with another person helping. Then you realize you have to explain how everything works. The things you do automatically now need instructions. The standards you carry in your head need to be communicated. And the person you brought in to help needs you to make time to help...

There are moments in business when you encounter leaders who don’t just talk about vision — they embody it. In this episode of CEO Chatter LIVE, I sat down with Dr. Vonnya Pettigrew, CEO of Root Branch Media Group, inside her breathtaking waterfront studios in Baltimore. Nearly 20 years into entrepreneurship, Dr. Pettigrew has built more than a media company — she has built a legacy, making history as the first African American woman in Maryland to purchase an entire block along Baltimore’s...

I’ve been in this visibility space for some time now. Back in 2021, I attended EpicCon hosted by Aprille Franks and found myself in the hot seat—unknowingly at first. I had walked in late and volunteered, not fully realizing what the moment required. By the time it was over, I felt exposed, a little defensive, but also open in a way I hadn’t expected. Once I understood the intention behind it, I allowed myself to receive the feedback for what it was: an opportunity to grow. Later, while...