Dripping in Building Leaders: Leadership with Empathy and Accountability featuring Riunita Martin

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Mr. Al Pete 

Good day, good afternoon, good evening, my people. It is Mr. Al Pete from the Mighty NPN Network. Hopefully everybody is good and great. Hopefully week has been good and your weekend, regardless if it passed or is coming up, is going to be much, much better. But we are here. We are here. Dripping in Black season seven. Yes, man. We are rolling, rolling and rolling and rolling. But we want to get some announcements real quick before we get into our our our person of the day. please make sure that you swing through and get some drip.

 

Get some drip, dripping and black merch. All right. Go to dripping in black.com. But if you want to go and get the drip at the drip shop, go to D I B K Dripshop.com and go pick up some shirts, pick up some mugs, and all that stuff. All right. So again, drippin'tblack.com. You want to go check out the other episodes that will lead you to the drip shop. Make sure you grab that and get it going and get your swag up, okay? Rocking with us. And I am the special guest host, Mr. Al Pete.

 

one of two shots out to Dominic Lawson that'll be sharing that space with me as well. So I will be one of the guests. Well one of the hosts, I'm sorry, for the season that's coming up. And I'm thankful to the Dripping in Black family for having me on. Okay. So without further ado, let me get this name correct because I was saying it, I was kind of pronouncing it throughout the day. Riunita

 

Riunita Martin (01:27.074)

That's it. That's it. You nailed it.

 

Mr. Al Pete (01:31.325)

Sound I need some sound effects, some claps and I and I say that because you know the name holds so much weight. So I just want to make sure while we're giving you this excellence and giving you your praise for the work that you do in in your respected community, we have to start off respectfully and make sure that the name is stated correctly. Okay. So Riunita Martin, how are you today?

 

Riunita Martin (01:52.608)

Thank you.

 

Riunita Martin (01:57.196)

I'm doing fantastic. I'm glad to be here. Thank you so much, Al. Al Pete, right? Mr. Al Pete.

 

Mr. Al Pete (01:59.68)

Yeah. No, no. Lord, see now see

 

Riunita Martin (02:07.341)

I was told not to forget the mister.

 

Mr. Al Pete (02:12.081)

Lloyd. I I was gonna say something, but I'm chilling. I'll say it when when we cut it off or whatever. But I I I appreciate it. I'm looking forward to this conversation for sure. All right, let me get to this bioaction. So Riunita Martin is the author of Build the Leader, Transform the Tro Trajectory. She's the founder of Lead Engage Inspire Academy and creator of the L E I Leadership Method.

 

Riunita Martin (02:19.181)

Absolutely.

 

Mr. Al Pete (02:37.099)

She's a coach and HR strategist with a decade of experience designing people strategy, implementing organizational change, and developing leaders through coaching. She has over 20 years in corporate business, working across five industries. And she is the host and creator of Leading Beyond You podcast. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and is a certified professional in human resources and has a certification in psychology of leadership.

 

Riunita Martin (02:44.51)

Yeah.

 

Mr. Al Pete (03:05.619)

And it's a certified coach and change management professional. Riunita knows firsthand what it takes for leaders to move beyond theory and actually change the way change the way they lead day by day. All right. So let's go into the first part, the podcasting part. are we going to say that you are a a a new person into the podcasting space?

 

Riunita Martin (03:22.849)

Ha ha ha

 

Riunita Martin (03:30.487)

I am brand new. I'm about to do episode three. So I'm working on episode three. So I'm very new to the podcasting atmosphere I should say. I've

 

Mr. Al Pete (03:34.891)

Yep. Okay.

 

Mr. Al Pete (03:40.786)

Indeed. Well, congratulations to being added to the well being in the podcasting space. over here at Dripping in Black, we know about that podcast podcasting space very well. Hence you're you're being on it. So congratulations on releasing the the the podcast. And I know that takes a good little bit of energy to be able to release something new amongst the things that you're working on. So

 

Riunita Martin (03:51.415)

Yeah.

 

Riunita Martin (03:56.855)

Thank you.

 

Mr. Al Pete (04:08.113)

share your experience about the podcast and like how has that been for you?

 

Riunita Martin (04:12.555)

It's actually been great. It's been wonderful having meaningful conversations. I've been on a few myself and it's different being on the other side of the table where you're actually asking the questions and leading the conversation. So but we've had some really, really good conversations and I've had some really good feedback and I think that people are taking well to the concept of leading beyond you.

 

Mr. Al Pete (04:38.995)

Okay. Good dealy, good dealy. And from my understanding the the podcasting is is it a is an extension of the work that you're doing now when it comes to the coaching, when it comes to the strategies, correct?

 

Riunita Martin (04:52.973)

Yes, it is a leadership podcast. So we talk about all things leadership. we talk about the good, the bad, how to fix it. So we talk about all those things, on a podcast. And the guests, all of them have

 

twenty, twenty-five years so far, the ones that I've had have had twenty to twenty five years of experience. for me it doesn't matter the years of experience, it just matters that, you know, you are in that space, that leadership space. So the conversations have been from had a pretty good range. I'll say the conversations have had a really good range of experience and background.

 

and knowledge and wisdom. the last one that we did it was last week actually. And amazing conversation with the leader who

 

Mr. Al Pete (05:38.003)

Was it with Rhonda Banks? Rhoda Banks, I'm sorry, okay.

 

Riunita Martin (05:40.192)

Rhoda Banks Rhoda Banks Yes, yes. Twenty five years. So she had a lot of wisdom to share. it was an amazing conversation and I've gotten a lot of great feedback from that one as well. It's what is the first one? She had over twenty five years of experience. the first person, Akeisha. And she said she doesn't like to tell anybody that, but she had over twenty five years of experience. So it was a really great conversation with her as well.

 

Mr. Al Pete (06:04.583)

Okay. Sounds good. And I was I I listened to that episode with with Rhoda. her testimony w that she spoke on at the beginning was was inspiring, but it was a part in there where she was speaking on well both of y'all was speaking on I think and please forgive me if I get this incorrect, but people don't remember you from the intentions. They rem they remember you from the from the impact. Yeah.

 

Riunita Martin (06:30.363)

right, p right, right. People people don't really, you know, notice the intention. Well, they do notice it, but they are more impacted by the impact. So it's not about what you intend to do, it's about your actions and how you actually did it. Mhm.

 

Mr. Al Pete (06:45.675)

Mm.

 

Riunita Martin (06:46.463)

Yeah, she said that a lot. She talked about that a lot. It was a a huge learning experience for her. and starting out young in leadership and growing into it. And I just thought it was really great that she was able to share all those vulnerable moments that she had. They were teachable moments for her. Mistakes that were made and things that she had to learn from through her intentions that she thought was okay, but they were not good to the people that she led because the impact was different.

 

Mr. Al Pete (07:13.043)

Right. And that and and it's cool to me ca and I'm definitely gonna I'm gonna be revisiting that episode again because I'm I feel like I'm going through and this is a personal part, but I feel like I'm going through a moment where I I'm wanting to know more about leadership, but I feel like I don't have that that that personal whatever to be kind of transparent in that regard. And I felt like when I was listening to the episode it was very transparent and I think for me as

 

wanting to be more of a strong leader. it felt good to hear somebody like mention that. And it started making me think a lot about what how I you know, I guess reluctant or a servant leader in the space that I'm in. But it was good to hear those testimonies for sure. So but let me ask you this. So in your role when it comes to leadership, like bring us to the to the to the beginnings of your your leadership. Your

 

I guess your trajectory. Like like w like where where to start from and how did you get into it? Like give us that spill.

 

Riunita Martin (08:14.017)

Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

 

Well, I started in I mean many years ago. So let me not name let me not give the actual years, but I I started I let me let me not give the years. I know

 

Mr. Al Pete (08:26.601)

Well hold on, hold on, pause. You d you d you hold on now. You done gave you done gave everybody else their years. We we go we gonna skate off we we gonna skate away from your years. Fair enough, fair enough, fair enough.

 

Riunita Martin (08:39.627)

No, no, no. So but no, I started out

 

I was fortunate when I started in corporate America. I was able to work for two Fortune five hundred companies. My first two jobs were with two Fortune five hundred companies. So I was fortunate to have that type of experience to work for these huge companies and I learned a lot and that was in telecommunications. And I spent eleven years in telecommunications and that was the second role in in Fortune 500. But I spent eleven years in that second role and learned a great deal.

 

imagine a company being so big that you go through tons and tons of leaders. You are around tons and tons of leaders and you also have the opportunity to work across the business in other areas with lots of leaders. So I learned a lot. I was able to absorb. I was a sponge, so I was able to absorb a lot. And I realized in that space that my career

 

later on would be in HR. At the time I wasn't in HR, but I knew that that's what I wanted to do, because I had had so

 

much interaction with people, so much interaction with leadership and and HR as well. So I knew then that I wanted to be a leader and I wanted to be on the side where I could have a voice for the people. And I knew that that would be the place for me and that would be in HR. So I started there in telecommunications with HR. And from there I was able to go through four other industries and work in HR as well. And so I was able to learn

 

Mr. Al Pete (10:03.771)

Yeah.

 

Mr. Al Pete (10:10.815)

Okay.

 

Riunita Martin (10:18.159)

How those industries worked, but also I was able to learn more and more about HR and grow in that particular field. But also I was able to again experience more and more of leadership, whether it was done well or whether it was not done so well, but I was able to also shape who I wanted to be.

 

by those experiences and know that, you know, I wanna be a certain way. I'm gonna have certain standards and when I lead people, this is what I plan to do. I'm gonna do it the right way because I had seen it done the wrong way more than I could account and more than I wanted to experience. So it's one of those things where you say, Hey, I'm not gonna treat people the way I've been treated or I'm not gonna, you know,

 

not advocate for people the way people didn't advocate for me. So you want to get into that role to where you can bring positivity and make a change because no one did that for you.

 

Mr. Al Pete (11:15.049)

Yeah, that was mentioned in the podcast as well when you mentioned about and forgive me for kind of not, you know, quote unquote, but you were saying like think about like how

 

you know, how you would treat it from the other people that that you've been up under and like don't ba basically like learn from that and don't do what they did, but use it as a learning tool or whatnot. And I I am a victim of that. I feel like basically I mean n the current boss that I have now, she's great. But it was before that it was like and I feel like my leadership stance ha I have learned from other people.

 

Riunita Martin (11:29.857)

Mm-hmm.

 

Mr. Al Pete (11:56.244)

what not to do versus like what to do. So I wanna ask that question. Can you share like a strategy that you have regarding that type of situation? Like how do you teach someone a a potential leader to be thinking like, you know, don't be the bad leader because people remember like the the unf you know the unfortunate ones. So is there like a one quick strategy that you kind of give us for somebody to be thinking about that?

 

Riunita Martin (11:56.301)

Mm-hmm.

 

Mr. Al Pete (12:25.183)

You know, that's not thinking about you know, they just do things and the impressions that they leave.

 

Riunita Martin (12:32.609)

Well, for me it's knowing who you are as a person and making sure that who you are as a person translates to you being a leader. Because some people think that there's a difference and they think that okay, I can be one person at home and then I can be another person at work. And that's just not true. Whoever who you are is who you are. You should be the same in both places. But people think that because they feel that the title is what

 

They need to change, meaning when they get a title, they have to be a certain person at work because of that title. But if you just take who you are and you don't look at the fact that you are moving into a title, but you're moving into more responsibility, and that responsibility is to steward people, then you think about things before you make decisions. You think about people before you make decisions. You think about people before you speak to them a certain way. And you also think about things from a more, I guess, grounded place.

 

Than a place of okay, this is just a business decision. Because not all decisions are just a business decision, they also affect people. So if you're grounded in who you are and you know who you are, and you let that translate into the responsibility that you have with other people, I think that you would be much better with making decisions and you would think about things longer before you make quick decisions that affect people.

 

Mr. Al Pete (13:56.876)

So corre okay.

 

Riunita Martin (13:57.848)

So that's my strategy. Know who you are, stay grounded, and let that translate into stewarding people the right way.

 

Mr. Al Pete (14:07.059)

Now so what if we come across somebody that feels like the stay grounded is is business is business, that you know, that whole attitude.

 

Riunita Martin (14:14.561)

And there's a lot of people like that. And and and that's fine. It it's fine to a certain extent because, you know, business is business, but you can't take a business decision and

 

say, hey, I made a business decision. It was a bad one. And I really don't care how it impacts you. But then you can also make a bad dis you can make a business decision. It appacts it impacts someone pretty badly, but you can also have empathy with explaining it, empathy with delivering the message, and also some care about the aftermath of when it happens. That's the difference. It's still business. It's still the decision that had to be made, but it was how you handle the decision, how you presented it.

 

and how you cared about the person after the decision was made, knowing the impact that it was going to have on them. That's the difference.

 

Mr. Al Pete (15:03.261)

Sure. And I and that's what I like to hear, the whole empathy and care part. I feel like and granted, no you know, the the the logistics and stuff like that is important. I think it's tremendously great, you know, that you're taking the lead to coach a n a a whole plethora of people to be leaders. And I feel like that's I I welcome that tremendously because I just in my mind I feel like

 

Riunita Martin (15:07.275)

Yeah.

 

Mr. Al Pete (15:27.305)

Nobody wants to be coached, nobody wants to be educated, nobody wants to d to do anything. But the fact that you you mentioned empathy and care, which are like, you know, two of a few like attributes and pillars that I look for in other people to a certain degree and with myself, like I exhibit those things. I feel like that stuff exists. So I I I I lean towards that a lot more because, you know, it's it's one like you said, it's one thing to to kind of let people know what the business is.

 

Riunita Martin (15:29.197)

Yeah. Yeah.

 

Mr. Al Pete (15:56.758)

But then like the way that you deliver it. It can just be simply the tone. It can be the way that you educating those people. It can be all those things, but the empathy and care should should be in place. So do you agree with that? Like the empathy and care part, like like okay, okay. Yeah. Cause I've seen some situations where people

 

Riunita Martin (16:11.681)

No, I agree with that. Absolutely. Absolutely. One hundred one hundred percent.

 

Mr. Al Pete (16:22.089)

You know, it it go left. It go left because we feel like the the person isn't attentive to like our needs. Not saying they have to get deep into it. But then I feel like the w now that I'm talking about it, it feels like the HR and even the coaching avenues that you have allow for those empathies and those cares to kinda exist, correct?

 

Riunita Martin (16:22.561)

Yeah.

 

Riunita Martin (16:42.145)

Yeah, it it's it could be hard for some people. I know I've heard a lot of people say it's just hard for me to do that or it's it's hard for me to show like I feel it, you know, or you know, I I I may feel bad or I think about it as in, gosh, I hate that happened, but it's just hard for me to show it because they aren't used to that. But that's something that you can develop, you know, and that's something that you can learn through, you know, execution, through through doing it, through learning to do it.

 

Mr. Al Pete (16:44.65)

Yeah.

 

Riunita Martin (17:12.259)

And practice practicing it on a regular basis. but also that's something that you have to want to do as well. If you don't want to do it, you're not going to do it. And like you said before, there are a lot of people that don't. They want to just go with the style that they have, whether it works or it doesn't work, it doesn't matter. As long as it works for them, then that's what they're gonna go with. And those people are people who unc are uncoachable. You can't coach those type of people because they don't want to do anything different.

 

they don't want to change their mindset to be able to have any different type of action. You gotta first change your mind. Once you change your mind, you can change anything else. But if you don't change your mind first, nothing happens. And some people have this mental block and it's because they have been taught a certain way for so long and they're not going to adjust that. You know, some people came up in organizations and in times where they had some tough leaders who led them and that's how they were taught. Like, you know

 

Mr. Al Pete (17:48.627)

Mm-hmm. All right.

 

Riunita Martin (18:11.855)

You put your head down, you be quiet, or you know, you go in and you make sure that they show you respect and you know you throw your authority around and you make sure that they do what you tell them to do and get the job done. And that's what they know and that's what they do. But that doesn't work. That doesn't work for everyone and in this day and time it's certainly not working because you have so many generations of people now. And different generations, you know, you've got to deal with them a different way. And that is not one of the things that's working.

 

Mr. Al Pete (18:39.229)

Yeah. I think about my students on on week. Well, you said that, yeah. So I I mean I I I'm a professor at HBCU and just seeing like the mentality of these students is interesting. I'm like, boy, you know, sometimes you know, I I I guess I can be the old man in the room and I'm just like

 

Riunita Martin (18:42.477)

Ha ha ha.

 

Riunita Martin (18:47.878)

okay.

 

Riunita Martin (18:58.935)

Ha ha ha.

 

Mr. Al Pete (19:00.111)

Lord, whoever's gonna manage you is gonna have a very like 'cause I know for me, my style of being taught, like, you know, I it was always being the mannerisms was there, like making sure that you respect the person of authority, you know, that type of thing. So it it kinda left for me I felt like it was I I didn't have room to be able to say something or

 

Riunita Martin (19:12.866)

Mm-hmm.

 

Mr. Al Pete (19:24.975)

Or even have room to even give a thought or opinion. Or even say if I need a help. So I come from that type of situation. But the way things are now people man, people leave high and dry. So

 

Riunita Martin (19:37.698)

that and you made a great point. That is exactly the point that I'm making. I've I've come from that era. I I came from that era as well where, you know, there were times where, you know, your opinion didn't matter. You know, it's just do as I say and do as I tell you. And, you know, you didn't have that opportunity to voice your opinion. And if you did, like I said, it no one listened. I've been there too, but we can't be we can't continue to do that with the generation that we have my son is a Gen Z. And so I know there you know it's just very different.

 

for for his his his generation they're very different and i work with i've led a team that i had all all of the generations on so i had to adjust for all of them because they just work differently and you have to be willing to make that adjustment and there are a lot of people that that don't want to do that

 

Mr. Al Pete (20:10.921)

Yeah.

 

Mr. Al Pete (20:32.075)

Interesting. Interesting. So what what brings you joy out of doing this work? you know, we're talking about being a coach, we're talking about being a HR strategist. so you're basically listening to people's, you know, situations, problems,

 

You're giving them solutions to do it. I mean, now you're a podcast host. I mean you're an author of books. So it's so it's all these things, you know, that you're that you've been doing. But like what brings you joy out of doing the work that you do?

 

Riunita Martin (21:07.595)

Seeing a change for the better. seeing a change for the better no matter what area that's in brings me joy. So to be able to coach someone and see them move from where they were to where they want to be, even if it's a few steps, that brings me joy. Because that means that they had to change their mind about something and they had to do something different to get to that point. Which means, you know, that took a lot.

 

And you know, I can celebrate that that took a lot for them to be able to do that. And it's just like with anything else, whether it's a small change or it's a big change, just seeing the change for the better brings me joy. Because you don't see it a lot. And there's not a lot of people who care to be a part of the change. It's you know, they're on their own. They're gonna have to figure it out on their own. I don't or I

 

have time for that or you know they're an adult, let them figure it out or, you know, nothing's going to change. But you can be a part of change and change does happen. You know, you just have to want to be a part of it. And I do.

 

Mr. Al Pete (22:17.909)

Thank you.

 

Riunita Martin (22:18.956)

You're welcome.

 

Mr. Al Pete (22:19.751)

I don't never listen, I don't I I don't I don't be around people like this. Like, you know, I don't be around it as often. So it's it's very enriching to hear that somebody will, you know, takes the time to be like, Let me let me help you, let me coach you, let me assist you, let me let's let's let's strategize this. You know what I'm saying? Like, so I'm sure you've had situations where you've had probably some of the worst, but then when they go through like a program or go through like a course that you have, or they read your book, or they listen to a, you know, a podcast or whatever, and they come out on

 

Riunita Martin (22:36.277)

Right.

 

Mr. Al Pete (22:49.745)

On the other side from like a beautiful thing. And I it it I get the spirit that that that's what enriches you in your spirit.

 

Riunita Martin (22:56.811)

Yes. Yes, that's it. Absolutely. I was raised that way. My mom was always that way. And I just feel like, you know, it's four of us and we've all picked up those traits and that's what motivates all of us actually. It's just seeing people come out on the on the better end of something. Because we know what it's like to have been on the end on the bad end and the not so great end. But we, you know, we were able to do it. So we want to see other people do it as well.

 

Mr. Al Pete (23:23.347)

I like it, I like it. Now, let me clear this up, just from com like from thought. Like, so you know, it's psychology that you're that's that's the the nucleus of the base. and you have coaching, but is there a therapy component that you work in or is just strictly coaching and strategies?

 

Riunita Martin (23:41.235)

no. It's just yeah, just strip strictly like individual coaching or leadership coaching. but nothing with therapy.

 

Mr. Al Pete (23:48.957)

Okay. Have you thought about going into therapy, actually?

 

Riunita Martin (23:53.225)

actually thought about that when I was working towards my degree, but I was like, it's gonna take too long. So I was like, okay, I don't think I wanna do that. It's gonna take too long. but I don't know. Even now I thought about it like, hey, you know, maybe so, but then I I came back and said, No, I just wanna stay the course. I like the course that I'm that I'm in. I like the the realm that I'm in of just, you know

 

Mr. Al Pete (23:56.105)

Okay.

 

Mr. Al Pete (24:02.047)

For sure. Yeah.

 

Riunita Martin (24:19.241)

individual coaching and leadership coaching or not necessarily therapy. Yeah.

 

Mr. Al Pete (24:24.383)

I gotcha. And I was one of my questions I wanted to ask, I was thinking about it prior to, but I was gonna ask like, you know, how d how how do you get your cup refilled? Because your your cup is going Did we do we lose her?

 

Mr. Al Pete (24:47.924)

Okay.

 

Mr. Al Pete (24:52.075)

Make sure I ruin my question.

 

Mr. Al Pete (25:49.471)

There we go.

 

Mr. Al Pete (25:54.225)

You'll mute.

 

Riunita Martin (25:57.381)

I'm throwing away my laptop, Sean. Okay, I'm sorry. I have this problem. I have this problem every time I'm in Riverside. I just don't know whether it's my laptop or Riverside.

 

Mr. Al Pete (26:00.555)

Don't throw it away.

 

Riunita Martin (26:21.544)

You still recording? Okay.

 

Riunita Martin (26:29.391)

Okay, gotcha.

 

Riunita Martin (26:52.377)

I know. We gotta figure it out.

 

Riunita Martin (27:09.255)

Okay. And I've never been able to like look to tell but okay, okay.

 

Riunita Martin (27:21.455)

No, no, I go to website.

 

Riunita Martin (27:30.085)

Yeah. No, I told ya I got a a nitro, Ace of Nitro. Like I said, it's it's a gaming laptop and that's why it just blows my mind. But

 

Riunita Martin (27:46.673)

Okay.

 

Mr. Al Pete (27:48.517)

yeah.

 

Riunita Martin (27:50.095)

Okay. Sorry, yeah.

 

Mr. Al Pete (27:51.819)

No, you good, no worries, no worries.

 

Mr. Al Pete (28:08.405)

So I was gonna ask the question, I know we I just asked you about the the therapy aspect, therapy versus the coach, but like who like who pours into you? 'Cause you're giving a lot of energy to people. Like who like what it what are your like do you have a a a coach or a mentor or mentee that pours into you? Okay.

 

Riunita Martin (28:28.432)

Yes, I do.

 

I actually have a coach and I have a mentor and I've had them throughout my entire career. sometimes I've had one or the other and sometimes I've had two at the same time, but I've made sure to have at least one, whether it's a a coach or a mentor, so that like you said, somebody can pour into me and I'll I can also have those conversations with them because there's a lot of conversations I can't have with you know, with other people sometimes, especially HR related. So I try

 

to make sure that I have somebody on my team that has that same background so that we can have those conversations.

 

Mr. Al Pete (29:05.489)

Right, right. another personal thought that I have, when I was listening to the podcast, it basically was saying some people feel intimidated by the title when it comes to like sharing their feelings and their thoughts and whatnot.

 

I do feel like the titles that you have makes it way easier for somebody to come to you and want to talk to you. Like Do people come to you a lot about that? Like like come to you and say, Hey, I can talk to you about it, but when they come when they boss come around, they get very quiet. Do you get that a lot?

 

Riunita Martin (29:42.331)

I do get that a lot. I do get that a lot. But believe it or not, there are probably I I'm gonna say I don't I don't know for sure, but I'm gonna guess and say that there are more people that are willing to come to an HR professional and speak to them than they are to speak to their actual manager or the actual direct reporter, direct leader. And that's really good. Yes.

 

Mr. Al Pete (29:58.806)

Well H, yeah. Yeah.

 

Mr. Al Pete (30:06.387)

Well, that's because of the confid I'm about to say 'cause that's for confid well, when I think of HR, I'm thinking strictly of confidentiality. Like if I go in there and that business come out, we're gonna have a we we gon a problem. We in the parking lot. So but I f

 

Riunita Martin (30:13.105)

Yeah yeah yeah yeah.

 

Riunita Martin (30:22.692)

Glad you feel that way though. I'm glad you said that because there are a lot of people that don't see it that way. There are a lot of people that don't want to come to us either. But I do believe that there's more that do than don't. But gosh, I see so many comments and I'm in so many different groups and things, and I hear so many horror stories. And I've heard people tell me this personally as well. What like I would never go to HR or you know, I don't trust, you know, I don't trust the HR person or I don't trust anybody in HR and they don't think.

 

that anything is confidential and I'm like, wow, imagine that. But we get it. Yeah.

 

Mr. Al Pete (30:58.109)

I can I can I can see that. I can see that for sure. But I know for me when I was in corporate w corporate America, going to HR was way more comfortable than going to like my my boss. So, but I still feel like, you know, once people get to understanding that that's that's a very good medium that 'cause people, you know, there's that that's that place for you to be like the mediator.

 

Where you can you can be like, Okay, well let me give you the real the logistics, but at the same time too show the the empathetic part. And I I you know, me being selfish, I wish it was more spots like that. I wish there were more spaces that were held that hold that type of like that accountability, but like that empathy. So Yeah, so I

 

Riunita Martin (31:22.5)

Right, right.

 

Riunita Martin (31:41.477)

Right, right. And truthfully, while it's good that they come to us, truthfully they should be able to go to both. That's just truthfully. They should be able to go to their leader as well as the HR and get the same result, meaning that whatever they say is still gonna be held to the highest of confidentiality and they're gonna receive some type of care or

 

empathy for whatever their situation is, if it's the you know, that type of situation that requires that. they should be able to go to both. Mm-hmm.

 

Mr. Al Pete (32:15.445)

For sure. For sure. Okay. well resetting the room, dripping the black, Mr. Alpete from Mighty MPN Network. We are here talking with Riunita Martin, author, coach, strategist, psychologist, not therapy, coaching. Psychology. The field is in psychology. I'm I'm about to have your email blow it up quick. Nah.

 

Riunita Martin (32:31.354)

No.

 

Riunita Martin (32:35.116)

Yeah, I got a degree in. I'm not a psychologist at all. No, I'm like that don't do that. Don't do that.

 

Mr. Al Pete (32:43.667)

Like two two more questions and then we'll let you get out of here. so what's n what's next for you? Like what's next? What would you like to see in the in the in the space in the in the the African American space? Like what would you like to see regarding the work that you do?

 

Riunita Martin (33:03.462)

What what's next? My book is new. So it's it's not even two weeks it it'll be f two weeks on Friday that it was released. So thank you. So it's new and so for me I'm hoping to take that message that's in that book out to as many people as possible. when it comes to you said the African American community, what I wanna see for us I wanna see us be able to

 

Mr. Al Pete (33:06.783)

Okay, okay. okay, congratulations. Okay.

 

Mr. Al Pete (33:25.972)

Mm-hmm.

 

Riunita Martin (33:32.283)

be in spaces and not feel like we don't belong there. I want us to be able to be included. I want us to be in spaces where we don't feel that we don't have psychological safety and the person next to us who doesn't look like us do.

 

That's what I would like to see because I've been in those spaces. I know what that feels like. And I know that that's not a fair, fair space to be in, and it's not a great feeling to have. So that's what I'd like to see. I like to see us in those in spaces where we feel like we belong, because we do, and we receive the same psychological safety that everyone else receives that do not look like us.

 

Mr. Al Pete (34:18.283)

Good, good, good. I love that answer. I love that answer. Especially when it comes to the the psychological space that you meant. I I feel like that resonates with me. Like I stated, I would I would love to see more spaces where we can hold space for the people. especially for like the leadership standpoint, 'cause I don't know, maybe, you know, shout out to Dripping of the Black Productions for s you know, for having me interview you. But like I'm just having these revelations on my end because I have a lot of questions regarding leadership. And

 

Riunita Martin (34:32.71)

Right.

 

Mr. Al Pete (34:48.197)

I go in certain spaces and I feel like I don't I feel like I can't ask these questions or even wonder or think or so it I would love for to see more of that because it's something it's a barrier between me and said thing or whatnot that has me thinking the same thing that you just mentioned. Like I'm thinking like at this point I'm thinking, there's nobody I can go to. And that and that that's a kind of that's that's the feeding to me.

 

Riunita Martin (35:11.95)

Right. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

 

Mr. Al Pete (35:16.981)

That's that's a defeating feeling that I'm like, I don't wanna get on that. But at the same time too, you don't wanna be alone in that. And I feel like everybody needs some form of guidance, in that walk. So, good stuff, good stuff.

 

Riunita Martin (35:30.64)

I agree with that. Yeah. And w I'd like to see more of us in in those roles as well, in in leadership roles.

 

Mr. Al Pete (35:35.871)

But but I feel like get I feel like getting in those roles, we need people like you to be able to balance that out. Because I'm sure I'm not the only person that's thinking like, everybody don't care about nobody in this world. I know somebody gotta care.

 

Riunita Martin (35:48.817)

no, you're not. You're not. And there are statistics that say that you're not. You're not the only one. leadership is at a all time low right now. and it's been tanking for the last two to three years and

 

Mr. Al Pete (35:53.201)

Shesh. That's bad.

 

Riunita Martin (36:03.204)

we've we've got to do something about how we're leading because the leadership crisis that we're in is now causing a workforce crisis because employees they don't want to be at work. They don't want to be at work because they're in environments that they don't feel is safe. They don't feel that they're being led well so they don't give any input. So it's it's just causing a a a trickle down effect of poor leadership.

 

Mr. Al Pete (36:21.66)

Wow, really?

 

Riunita Martin (36:32.868)

which is leading to, you know, poor performance on employees' parts. which, you know, leads to overall organizational poor performance. So we've got to do something because it starts at the top. So we've got to do something from the top down to get in a better place.

 

Mr. Al Pete (36:37.685)

Mask crazy.

 

Mr. Al Pete (36:42.037)

For sure.

 

Yeah.

 

Mr. Al Pete (36:50.611)

And do you feel like a lot of people don't realize that? Like I in my mind I be thinking, y'all don't they do realize it? Like the

 

Riunita Martin (36:54.712)

I do. I I believe I believe that people that are that know about that are in the moment or they feel this or they're going through this, they know about they know about it. But I think the bigger picture of how bad this is, I don't think people are truly aware of how bad it is. Because no, go ahead.

 

Mr. Al Pete (37:13.065)

And then when I and when I ask this, I'm sorry, but like I'm talking about like leadership. Like do you feel do you feel like leadership like the I'm talking about like the board members? The board members, the C O O

 

Riunita Martin (37:21.352)

you talk like right. yeah, executive leadership? they know. They they're aware. You y y this is the thing. You have to know that you have to know that there's no way for leadership, even middle management, to be in a place of

 

Mr. Al Pete (37:28.499)

What is

 

Riunita Martin (37:42.041)

Of not performing for so long that executive leadership does not know.

 

So you you can't be in a place of poor performance, poor leadership for five, ten years and think that no one knows. Of course, executive leadership knows. But they're protecting those people for some reason. And that's what we've got to figure out why, and what that's what we have to change. Why are you protecting those people? Because there's no way that you should have that type of situation for so long, and no one has stepped.

 

Stepped in and done anything about it. And I know that this happens. I've been in those environments where you have decades of poor leadership from the same people, and no one in executive leadership will step in and say, these people need to be removed or these people need to be developed or trained. And if they don't make a change, then we need to make a change with them. They do absolutely nothing. So, yes, it

 

Yeah. They know. They're aware. They they can't go that long without being without having some type of protection or someone saying that they just don't want to do anything about it. Yeah.

 

Mr. Al Pete (38:53.002)

And I

 

Mr. Al Pete (39:00.115)

Right.

 

That's wow. Okay. That that thank you again. Thank you more more again for you being a person that you are. But at the same time I can imagine you get a little get probably some pushback from those type of people, right?

 

Riunita Martin (39:10.896)

Yeah.

 

Riunita Martin (39:18.262)

of course. Absolutely. Yeah. It's one thing to know, but that's another thing to do something about it. So, you know, people can know but if they don't do anything about it, you know, what wha what does it matter? Just knowing and not doing anything, you know, it's the action, it's what matters. But when there's no action, people lose hope.

 

Mr. Al Pete (39:28.96)

Yeah.

 

Mr. Al Pete (39:36.885)

Yeah.

 

Riunita Martin (39:37.455)

It's like, okay, we're not gonna get nothing's gonna get better here. No one is coming in and saying, hey, can we talk to you about this? Can we ask you what's going on? Can we, you know, get this feedback? Or no one's questioning anything, no one's asking no one's asking the employees how things feel, how things are going, the atmosphere that they're in. So if you're not getting any of that, you know, you can quickly lose hope.

 

Mr. Al Pete (40:03.935)

I love it. I I'm sorry, I'm having a moment. I'm just kind of sitting here processing like like that's that's that's powerful. That's powerful. And I again I appreciate you again for being you know, taking that liberty to be able to lead like develop people into that space where they're thinking a little bit more about the the communities that they serve, the the institutions that that

 

Riunita Martin (40:10.552)

it's fine.

 

Mr. Al Pete (40:28.575)

that breed people often that people come in and out of institutions. You know what I'm saying? So regardless if it's a a a college or unfortunately like a you know jails or prisons, whatever the case may be, but like you're really developing those people to be able to go out there and be like strong leaders. So I honor that tremendously. Woo okay. W We can all ooh, can you say it again? We can all do better. We can all do better.

 

Riunita Martin (40:33.508)

Right.

 

Riunita Martin (40:42.074)

Right.

 

Riunita Martin (40:49.35)

Thank you. We can all do better. Thank you. We can all do better. We can all do better.

 

Mr. Al Pete (40:57.917)

Love it. All right. Last question. Well, one more question and then the last question. the industry part, is there industry that you would like to get into the to be able to develop these like develop leaders in regard to that? Like or have you kind of touched the roundabout industries that that we're we're familiar with?

 

Riunita Martin (41:17.722)

Well yeah, like I said, I've I've been through five, so I don't have one in particular that that I I favor over the other, honestly. so for me it it really doesn't matter about the industry. It just matters about the person and what it is that they want to achieve. So I don't I don't have to know or be I guess I don't have to know their industry or have been in their industry. I just need to know what it is that they want, where they are and where they want to go.

 

and then figure out a strategy to get there.

 

Mr. Al Pete (41:47.691)

Gotcha.

 

Mr. Al Pete (41:51.231)

Let me bookmark this where it says where it's on your website it says contact us

 

Riunita Martin (41:56.39)

Hit the button.

 

Mr. Al Pete (42:00.192)

Yeah. Well listen, I I appreciate this conversation. to my people, please make sure that you go to leiacademy.org. Thats L E I Academy dot org

 

it's a one stop shop. You can get to the podcast on there. You can get information about the lead track course. You you can get the the book, the workshops, all the things. It's a one stop shop. So please make sure even when you go to the podcast part, you click it, it's gonna take you right over to YouTube. So by the time you get over there, it's gonna be three episodes, beautiful episodes. The first two have been great. Rhoda, I definitely love that that particular episode. but

 

You have one stop shop if you want to get any information regarding like HR strategies, just being a better leader, which eventually will just make you a better person, which I I love. All right. So you have a book. You you are a podcaster, you are all the things, all the great things. have you ever been on a cover of a magazine or any type of publications work?

 

Riunita Martin (43:11.648)

No, but if you're speaking it, I'm gonna claim it. no, I have not.

 

Mr. Al Pete (43:14.121)

Well well listen you have not. Okay, so you me you mentioned if if I'm speak it, then we're gonna make it bring it to existence, correct? All right. All right. Well let's let's let's claim it. Let's let's let's claim it right now.

 

Riunita Martin (43:21.876)

There you go. There you go. I'll claim it, for sure.

 

okay, all right.

 

Mr. Al Pete (43:35.519)

Don't tell nobody don't don't tell nobody don't tell nobody I'm a I'm a I'm a magician, okay? Like

 

Riunita Martin (43:35.91)

I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready.

 

I wasn't ready. I was not ready for that. This is amazing.

 

Let me write down the date that this happened.

 

Mr. Al Pete (43:51.28)

Right, okay.

 

Riunita Martin (43:54.394)

You that's one of those things you gotta tell your mama.

 

Mr. Al Pete (43:56.852)

Right, right, right, right. But listen, with all with all jokes aside, over here at Dripping in Black, we want to make sure that we highlight excellence, specifically black excellence. And just from this conversation, you definitely exhibit that and and just the many lives that you touch, inside, outside of our culture, it it speaks it extreme volume. This has given me a lot of hope.

 

Riunita Martin (44:14.128)

Thank you.

 

Mr. Al Pete (44:25.343)

Like I said, from a leadership standpoint, I feel like I'm I'm like, how do I go by doing this, this and the third? And just having this conversation here has brought a lot of a lot of hope and positive thoughts to me and hopefully the people that's watching this this podcast and read your book and book you and all the things will get as much as po positivity and enrichment and empathy and care and accountability, all the things. So I I

 

Riunita Martin (44:25.52)

Thank you.

 

Riunita Martin (44:43.376)

Mm-hmm.

 

Mr. Al Pete (44:51.945)

We appreciate you and we honor you with this magazine cover. Yeah. And you will get you will get a physical copy of this. So you can be able put it up. Yeah, you can put up you can put it up in the background or whatever you wanna do with it. But yeah, you can put it up. It's it's beautiful.

 

Riunita Martin (44:55.728)

Thank you so much. This is amazing. It looks great. Fantastic. thank you.

 

Riunita Martin (45:09.976)

It is. Thank you so much. This is great. Thank you. I appreciate it.

 

Mr. Al Pete (45:13.151)

No problem, no problem. All right, before you get out of here, can you please let the people know where they can find you at?

 

Riunita Martin (45:19.022)

Yes, my website is leiacademy.org or you can email me at info at leiacademy.org

 

Mr. Al Pete (45:29.277)

Sounds good. Sounds good. All right, hold tight. We're gonna close this out. Or do you have anything else and any closing words you would like to share? Is there anything that I missed in regards to the book or anything that you wanna kinda shout out real quick before we get out of here?

 

Riunita Martin (45:42.023)

No, I just want to say thank you. I appreciate this opportunity and thank you for listening and thank you for your input as well. I I really enjoyed the conversation. It was really good dialogue. So I'm glad I was able to get you to thinking as well. We both were thinking. That's a good it's always good to get the other person thinking as well. So thank you for this opportunity.

 

Mr. Al Pete (45:59.274)

I love I listen, I love to think. I love to think and I love to talk about thinking. Now, but at the same time too, I love action as well. So we could do all the thinking and all the talking, but that action I like I like putting the putting action to to motion. So I appreciate this for sure. Indeed. All right, my people. Beautiful interview, beautiful interview. Hopefully you got some wisdom and courage and and positivity from it.

 

Riunita Martin (46:04.612)

Yeah.

 

Right.

 

Riunita Martin (46:15.896)

Yeah, thank you. Thank you so much.

 

Mr. Al Pete (46:27.149)

some empathy, some care, all the adjectives that I mentioned throughout this, but hopefully it has poured into your soul. So we greatly appreciate Miss Reunita Martin. I yeah, I had to make sure I say that right. Reunita. Reunita Martin. Thank you so much for being on. So my people, Dripping in Black, my dripping in black family, thank you so much for tuning in. I am Mr. Al Pete from the Mighty MPN network. one half of the the duo that we'll be doing the the things

 

This season, shouts out to Dominic Lawson, shouts out to Dripping the Black production, UCG, everybody in the gang. So come on, more announcements real quick. Drippinginblack.com. Go there, check out all the other interviews, the clips, etc. etc. So make sure you do that. Make sure you subscribe to the YouTube channel as well. Please make sure you subscribe to there. Follow follow Dripping in Black on Instagram, all the places. And when you want to get that drip, go to the drip shop. Go to D I B K Drip Shop.

 

That's D-I-B-K-Dripshop.com. All right. Y'all be good. Be great. Be good to yourselves and be good to others. It's Mr. Al Pete and stay black and stay excellent. To the top.

 

Riunita Martin (47:54.382)

Mm.

 

Mr. Al Pete (48:07.699)

Ref rephrase it. What do you mean?

 

Mr. Al Pete (48:29.867)

Okay, so each sentence so at the end somebody has to say brilliantly black.

 

Mr. Al Pete (48:59.06)

Ha ha ha.

 

Riunita Martin (49:00.001)

Look at it, look at him.

 

Mr. Al Pete (49:02.643)

I mean I I I got you. Well I mean

 

Mr. Al Pete (49:08.307)

That's good I I mean I know for me if I was to say it I'd be like, you know,

 

You know, I'm a dope person. I do this, this, this, this that's what makes me brilliantly black.

 

Mr. Al Pete (49:21.355)

I don't know, I'm just cut that that was a freestyle, so

 

Mr. Al Pete (49:30.258)

I know. I'm on it.

 

Riunita Martin (49:32.592)

He said I'm on it.

 

Mr. Al Pete (49:34.631)

I got homework. I got homework to do.

 

Riunita Martin (49:36.319)

I see he like I just came from school and I got home.

 

Mr. Al Pete (49:42.761)

I came from teaching now, I'm getting tall. Okay, cool.

 

Riunita Martin (49:44.315)

Hey look, look, let me tell you something real funny. You're gonna laugh at this. My friend, she got a little boy, he's three years old. He just started like pre-K this year. And they get out of pre-K like at what, 12 or something like that. So she had to she picked him up the first day. She picked him up off the bus. And then she has to take him to daycare the rest of the day, because you know she's working. She picked him up, she said he started hollering, crying, and she was like, What is wrong? And he was like, I already been to school. Well, I gotta go again. We're three years old.

 

Mr. Al Pete (50:03.498)

Right.

 

Mr. Al Pete (50:16.107)

Hey, that's a fair that's fair.

 

Riunita Martin (50:17.88)

She said he just fell out hollering like, I already been to school.

 

Mr. Al Pete (50:23.295)

And he gotta go back again? Yeah. I understand completely. That man said he won him a j a Capri Sun and and and right, Capri Sons and Ninja Turtles.

 

Riunita Martin (50:31.898)

Are you ready to go in house?

 

Riunita Martin (50:36.39)

Boy, that was so funny. Three years old, these kids.

 

Mr. Al Pete (50:43.251)

Lord doesn't matter t you tell him we when he he when he gets sixteen it's gonna get worse. Let alone when he get in college.

 

Riunita Martin (50:48.814)

He said already already been in school. He ain't trying to go back.

 

Mr. Al Pete (50:53.363)

Right. That's hilarious.

 

Mr. Al Pete (51:00.715)

All right. So hold on. Am I square, am I saying it or okay, okay.

 

Okay. My second day in class.

 

Riunita Martin (51:10.493)

what what do I have to do?

 

Riunita Martin (51:17.158)

I thought I had to answer the question: what is brilliantly black? Okay, because you know I got I got a one line in my name. That's all I'm gonna say. And that's gonna that's gonna be it. That's easy.

 

Riunita Martin (51:30.022)

I think that's the easy way for us to do it.

 

I'm I'm ready.

 

Riunita Martin (51:40.196)

I'm gonna let him ask the question.

 

he got asked question, right? Okay.

 

Mr. Al Pete (51:44.09)

what question?

 

Mr. Al Pete (51:48.267)

So I'm asking you what is what is okay, all right, gotcha. I'm ready.

 

Riunita Martin (51:50.075)

Brilliantly black. I'm gonna make it real easy for you. I'm just gonna say one my name.

 

Mr. Al Pete (51:54.667)

Okay. You ready to squap?

 

Mr. Al Pete (52:02.763)

Well, I gotta say that I gotta say the question.

 

Riunita Martin (52:07.426)

I just gotta say my okay, all right.

 

Mr. Al Pete (52:10.527)

Gotcha.

 

Riunita Martin (52:26.608)

I'm just saying my name.

 

Riunita Martin (52:42.042)

Ryanita Martin.

 

Riunita Martin (52:53.326)

Okay. So say tell me exactly what am I saying? Brilliantly black or

 

Riunita Martin (53:05.422)

Okay, got it, yeah, I get it. Okay.

 

Riunita Martin (53:20.708)

Reanita Martin, brilliantly black.

 

Riunita Martin (54:12.197)

Yeah, I got it.

 

Riunita Martin (54:26.117)

Okay.

 

Riunita Martin (54:39.942)

I have podcast that I that I did with Rhoda. Rhoda has a podcast. Yeah. And I was on her podcast, so I'll send you the link to that if you want to take some things out of that. And we had a really good conversation.

 

Mr. Al Pete (54:51.989)

Sweet.

 

Mr. Al Pete (54:57.888)

real quick square, did was there was there a beat that you want me to wrap over? You s did you want to send me something or you want me to pick it and all that?

 

Mr. Al Pete (55:07.999)

Gotcha. All right. Ten four.

 

Mr. Al Pete (55:12.916)

Info.

 

Mr. Al Pete (55:21.663)

Yeah, sure. Okay.

 

Riunita Martin (55:28.72)

Yeah.

 

Riunita Martin (55:37.222)

Yeah.

 

Riunita Martin (55:44.9)

Did it? He here.

 

Mr. Al Pete (55:45.481)

No, I'm on. I'm still good.

 

Riunita Martin (55:50.352)

He just real still. He's still thinking. He's still thinking. I see the wheels turning. I see the wheels turning. That's really good though. That's good. We had a really good conversation. It was good. It was good.

 

Mr. Al Pete (55:53.065)

Right.

 

Yeah, that was good.