In 1936, Victor Hugo Green launched a lifeline.
The Negro Motorist Green Book emerged from necessity, when Black Americans faced severe restrictions, dangers, and indignities while traveling across the United States. Each page of that little green book was filled with places where Black travelers could find dignity, rest, and safety—from hotels to gas stations, beauty salons to private homes.
But beyond directions, the Green Book offered something much greater: a lifeline of community. These carefully curated listings represented more than mere accommodations; they were places of rest, refreshment, and renewal.
Victor Hugo Green didn’t get rich from his work. Neither did many of the business owners listed within it. But the return was powerful:
- Lives preserved
- Communities empowered
- Generations inspired
The ROI (Return on Individuals) was collective safety, cultural preservation, and economic circulation within the Black community.
When Black hoteliers step into leadership, it should be more than just about the brand. It should be about continuing that legacy. The return is still about money, yes, but also about something more valuable: impact.
Investing in People: Hotel Leadership Training and ROI
Investing in people isn't just good business—it's the heartbeat of exceptional hospitality leadership. Think about it: behind every seamless guest experience is a team member who feels valued, supported, and empowered. When we invest in leadership training, we're not just building skills; we're nurturing the souls who create those magical moments for our guests.
The benefits of thoughtful leadership development touch everyone:
- Team members who light up with confidence and purpose
- Guests who feel the warmth of genuinely caring service
- A workplace culture where people stay because they belong
I've seen it firsthand—when hospitality professionals feel truly seen and developed, something remarkable happens. There's an emotional resonance that ripples through every interaction. Those small, authentic moments between staff and guests? That's where the magic lives.
Consider the housekeeper who's encouraged to share her ideas for improving room turnover, or the front desk agent empowered to resolve guest concerns without fear. When we invest in their growth, we're saying: "Your voice matters. Your journey matters. You matter."
This steward-centered approach creates something money can't buy—a team that brings their whole hearts to work. They're not just following procedures; they're creating connections. In an industry where the difference between a good stay and an unforgettable one often comes down to how a guest feels, this emotional intelligence becomes our greatest asset.
Leadership Skills for Customer Service Excellence
Exceptional hospitality leadership requires mastering the art of human connection, where authentic relationships drive unforgettable guest experiences. The most transformative leaders understand that service excellence flows directly from emotional intelligence and interpersonal mastery.
In the ever-changing hospitality landscape, resilient problem-solving becomes an act of creative leadership. When unexpected challenges arise, emotionally intelligent leaders remain centered, modeling composure while empowering their teams to transform potential disappointments into opportunities for connection.
When it comes to customer service, creative problem solving creates service recovery moments that are often more memorable than flawless experiences, ultimately generating deeper guest loyalty, which translates directly into sustainable business success through genuine human connection.
Bold Leadership: Driving Change and Innovation
In the world of hospitality, bold leadership transcends conventional management, combining emotional intelligence with cultural awareness to revolutionize the industry.
When leaders deeply understand the emotional landscape of their teams and communities, they cultivate environments where authenticity and empathy naturally flourish. This emotional foundation becomes the catalyst for meaningful innovation that respects heritage while embracing new possibilities.
For Black hoteliers and owners, three transformative trends are reshaping the industry landscape:
- Digital storytelling and heritage tourism: Black-owned properties are leveraging digital platforms to share the rich historical narratives of their establishments. By authentically showcasing cultural significance through immersive storytelling, these properties create emotional connections with guests seeking meaningful travel experiences that honor Black history and achievements.
- Community-centered ownership models: Innovative collective investment approaches are emerging, where Black communities pool resources to acquire hospitality assets. These models distribute both risk and reward while creating economic circulation within communities, echoing the collaborative spirit that made the Green Book establishments vital sanctuaries.
- Wellness hospitality integration: Black hoteliers are pioneering holistic wellness experiences that incorporate cultural healing traditions alongside modern practices. These offerings create spaces where guests can experience rejuvenation that honors ancestral wisdom while addressing contemporary stressors, particularly those affecting communities of color.
Leaders who approach innovations with emotional intelligence transform service delivery into cultural preservation and community empowerment. This defining characteristic creates hospitality experiences that resonate deeply with guests while honoring the legacy of those who established safe spaces when none existed.
Conclusion: The Lasting Return on Individuals
As we navigate the future of hospitality, let us remember that our greatest return will never be measured solely in revenue, but in the lives we touch, the communities we strengthen, and the legacy we continue. Like Victor Hugo Green, our most powerful impact comes when we blend business acumen with cultural stewardship—creating spaces where everyone belongs, everyone thrives, and everyone's story matters. This is the true ROI—Return on Individuals—that transforms hospitality from service into heritage.
Experience these innovations firsthand by exploring Black-owned boutique hotels across the United States, where heritage, community investment, and wellness integration come alive. Visit ShoppeBlack.com for curated directories and inspiring stories of these transformative hospitality spaces that honor both tradition and innovation.
The saying “reach back to move forward” is rooted in the Akan (Ghanaian) principle of Sankofa, a word from the Twi language meaning “go back and get it.”
This Sankofa ideal is typically symbolized by a bird that bends its neck backwards to grab an egg from its back, symbolizing the significance of recalling and reclaiming the past to create a better future.
While the exact phrase “reach back to move forward” is a modern paraphrasing or interpretation, it captures the essence of Sankofa, that we must look to our roots to progress with wisdom.
This idea sits at the center of what I now understand as legacy. Not legacy as in what you leave behind, but what you bring with you to the table. What you choose to carry and offer—because it shaped you, and now it can shape others for the better.
My Hospitality Story
There was a season where loss rearranged everything. For a time, a hotel room became my shelter. For my family, a temporary landing place in the middle of chaos.
Fast forward a few years, and I found myself relying on a hospitality job to rebuild. For me, that hospitality job was more than employment; it was structure, consistency, and a small but steady return to normalcy.
Those two seasons—first as a guest seeking refuge, then as a staff member offering it—taught me something no classroom ever could: Hospitality is healing work. Done well, it can hold people when life is unraveling. Done poorly, it can compound their pain.
Align Leadership with Purpose
We're in a workforce that is still reeling from what's been lost in COVID, and many are still losing, all while trying to keep up in a rapidly expanding world. The collective grief and disruption continue to ripple through organizations, families, and communities. Job insecurity, career pivots, and the blurring of work-life boundaries have created a workforce navigating unfamiliar terrain. Yet the systems designed to support us have been slow to respond, slower to shift, and often reluctant to acknowledge the depth of transformation needed. Human resources policies, leadership approaches, and organizational structures struggle to adapt to this new reality. Many individuals and institutions are just now realizing: it wasn't just the virus, but everything else it shook loose. The pandemic was merely the catalyst that exposed and accelerated underlying fractures in our social fabric, economic systems, and workplace cultures.
Leadership grounded in Sankofa becomes transformational by cultivating deep self-awareness. When leaders understand their own history and values, they create authentic connections with their teams and inspire collective achievement. This alignment between leadership and purpose is the heartbeat of an engaged workforce.
This is why I’m reaching back to those pivotal, painful moments. I’m not mining them for pity—I’m bringing them forward for a purpose. I’m pulling out the lessons learned from inside the fold-out bed of a hotel room and the behind-the-desk reality of guest services to help leaders see:
Hospitality is more than customer service—it's a ministry of presence.
It's a space where healing happens—or doesn’t. And it’s time we begin treating it that way.
Creating Authentic Connections
The legacy of the Black hotelier is the building of safe spaces when none were offered. In the face of segregation, exclusion, and threat, they created havens of dignity, rest, and refuge. Now, Torch and Table carry those blueprints into today’s industry, where healing and hospitality must meet again.
Today's guests seek more than transactions—they crave experiences that reflect their values and honor their journeys. The Sankofa philosophy allows us to create hospitality experiences that acknowledge where people have been while offering what they need now.
When we integrate cultural elements and historical understanding into the guest experience, we transform ordinary interactions into meaningful exchanges. This isn't just good business—it's healing work that builds bridges between past wisdom and present needs.
Honor the Past While Designing the Future
Reflection isn't a luxury—it's a necessity. By regularly looking back at our experiences, both personal and collective, we extract the wisdom needed to move forward with intention and purpose. This intentional retrospection allows leaders to identify the elements of a journey worth preserving and sharing.
Organizations that create space for this reflection see remarkable results: teams innovate more freely, employees engage more deeply, and leadership decisions align more naturally with core values and mission. When leaders encourage others to bring their full stories—including their struggles and triumphs—to the table, a deeper level of authenticity is unlocked that transforms workplace culture, guest experiences, and community resiliency.
The power of Sankofa lies in its selective nature—not everything from our past needs to be carried forward, but the wisdom, resilience, and insights gained through challenge become invaluable resources. Our wounds, when properly processed, become wisdom. Our struggles, when thoughtfully examined, become strength. This is the essence of legacy work—identifying what elements of your journey can serve as building blocks for others.
Take a moment to ask:
What have you survived that’s worth bringing forward?
There comes a point in every journey when forward movement requires more; it demands a shift. A pivot. And for me, that pivotal moment is now.
For years, One Degree to Victory (ODTV) has been a safe orbit. A space where I've processed pain, witnessed transformation, and held the hands of women climbing out of the rubble. It gave me purpose, clarity, and community. The countless stories shared, tears shed, and breakthroughs celebrated created a foundation that I will forever cherish.
Recently, I've come to realize I want to rise meteorically. And if I or you want to rise, meteorically, we must let go.
We can't ascend while clinging to everything familiar.
We can't reach new altitudes comfortable in our echo chambers.We can't birth something revolutionary without laying something to rest.
So we need to pivot. To shift. Into a deeper purpose that calls others forward.
So we need to pivot. To shift. Into a deeper purpose that calls others forward.
To step through another layer of healing, the kind that burns, clarifies, and frees.
To join others at the table where victory gathers, multiplies, and feeds.
Introducing Torch and Table
More than a rebrand. It's a repositioning.
ODTV was a movement. Torch and Table is a mission.
Here, we talk about leadership, legacy, and liberation – the three pillars that form the foundation of sustainable change. We talk about post-traumatic growth, moving beyond merely personal healing and expanding into the realm of organizational transformation. We explore how individuals can translate their healing journeys into systemic change. About how we collectively build robust and compassionate systems that not only hold space for healing but actively facilitate it. We examine the intersection between personal resilience and institutional reform, recognizing that true liberation requires both internal work and external restructuring.
I'm no longer orbiting the same safe space. I've broken the gravitational pull of what's comfortable—and it’s uncomfortable, yes—but it's also liberating.
This evolution didn't happen overnight. It came through countless conversations with mentors, sleepless nights questioning my path, and bold experiments that sometimes failed spectacularly. But each step, each lesson, each redirection has led me here—to a clarity I couldn't have manufactured through planning alone.
The torch represents illumination. It symbolizes the passing of wisdom from one generation to the next,
embodying the warmth of community that keeps us going when the journey feels too difficult to navigate alone, and ensuring that hard-earned lessons aren't lost to time.
The table represents the gathering, a space where every voice matters and every story has weight. It symbolizes nourishment of bodies, of minds, and spirits hungry for growth. And it embodies the collaborative nature of true transformation, where we recognize that no one succeeds alone.
So come, sit with me.
This is your seat.
This is your invitation.
This is your moment to rise.
In the weeks ahead, you'll notice changes—new content formats, expanded topics, and opportunities to engage more deeply.
I'm investing in creating resources that serve not just individual healing but collective advancement...
Because while personal transformation matters deeply, it's only the beginning.
Every degree toward victory has led me here.
Now, we light fires of purpose—and we gather.
Welcome to Torch and Table.
In a world that often centers on partnership as the ultimate goal, navigating singleness—especially as a woman of color—can feel like an uphill battle. But what if being single wasn’t a waiting room? What if it was a season of power, self-discovery, and radical intention?
Fannie, a clinical social worker with over 15 years of experience and founder of Her Soul Supply, shifts the narrative. She reminds us that singleness isn’t about lack—it’s about empowerment. It’s about reclaiming power in ways that strengthen, restore, and position us for wholeness.
Here’s how you can embrace your singleness with intention and power:
1. Own Your Time, Mind, and Body
One of the greatest myths about power is that it must be taken by force. But true power isn’t about control—it’s about ownership.
"You are the one that has power over your time, over your body, over your mind." – Fannie
Too often, we give our power away by saying “yes” when we should say “no.” By overextending ourselves. By feeling obligated to show up for everyone but ourselves. But when we reclaim our time, protect our peace, and honor our bodies, we step into a new level of self-respect and freedom.
💡 Action Step: Identify one boundary you need to reinforce this week. Whether it’s saying no to extra work, declining an invite, or shutting down negative self-talk—honor your capacity.
2. Break the People-Pleasing Cycle
If you’ve ever found yourself exhausted from constantly being the “strong one,” you’re not alone. People-pleasing is one of the biggest threats to self-empowerment, especially for single women who often feel responsible for fixing everyone else’s problems.
The more we prioritize others over ourselves, the more we deplete our energy and silence our own needs. Over time, this leads to resentment, burnout, and the aching question: “Who’s here for me?”
💡 Action Step: The next time you feel obligated to say yes, pause. Ask yourself, “Is this serving me?” If the answer is no, give yourself permission to say no—without guilt.
3. Fill the Void, Don’t Fear It
Healing from toxic relationships leaves a void—one that can feel overwhelming, lonely, and even tempting to fill with more dysfunction. Fannie calls this the “loneliness epidemic.”
But instead of fearing the void, what if we saw it as space for something new? Instead of rushing to fill the emptiness with distractions, we could choose intention.
Her advice? “Be a joiner.” Find activities that fuel you. Put yourself in spaces where you can meet like-minded people. Stretch your comfort zone and embrace curiosity.
💡 Action Step: This week, seek out one community or activity that aligns with your interests. A book club, a hiking group, a dance class—whatever sparks joy.
4. Express Yourself, Not Your Expectations
Self-presentation isn’t about respectability politics—it’s about authenticity. How we show up in the world matters, but not because we’re seeking validation. It matters because energy speaks before words do.
“People respond to energy.” – Nelieta
When you dress, move, and carry yourself in alignment with who you truly are, you attract the right people, opportunities, and experiences.
💡 Action Step: Take inventory of your wardrobe. Do your clothes reflect your confidence, power, and season of life? If not, start small—add one piece that makes you feel fully you.
5. Choose Experiences That Expand You
Her Soul Supply isn’t just about healing—it’s about immersive growth. Through international retreats, women of color connect, learn, and thrive—not in isolation, but through meaningful experiences that honor culture, community, and ethical travel.
Singleness isn’t about waiting. It’s about becoming. It’s about stepping boldly into spaces that challenge, stretch, and expand you. It’s about living now, not later.
💡 Action Step: Start planning an intentional experience for yourself. Whether it’s a retreat, a solo trip, or simply exploring a new space in your own city—make room for expansion.
From Waiting Room to Garden: The Power of Radical Intention
Your singleness is not a holding pattern. It is a garden—rich with opportunities for growth, healing, and transformation. By reclaiming your power through:
✅ Boundaries
✅ Community-building
✅ Authentic self-expression
✅ Intentional experiences
✅ Community-building
✅ Authentic self-expression
✅ Intentional experiences
…you shift from surviving singleness to thriving in it.
It’s time to step into your power. Not tomorrow. Not when the relationship comes. Now.
🔥 Which of these steps resonates with you the most? Head over to the community and comment now!
🎧Listen to the full conversation👉🏽 https://one-degree-to-victory.mn.co/spaces/16982334/feed
We are thrilled to launch the very first episode of Selfie Sunday in 2025 with a truly inspiring guest, Jessica Wiley, an emerging voice in literature who is redefining empowerment through her journey and new devotional, “Poetic Expressions: Words of Encouragement to Get You Through.” This episode is a window into Jessica’s world, one that transitions from her humble beginnings in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to her roles as an esteemed author and educator.
The narrative of our first guest conversationalist for the year is one of resilience and authenticity. She opens up about her career as a special educator and shares how poetry and music have been her guiding lights through life’s challenges, such as bullying and family adjustments. Her story is a testament to finding one’s voice despite the noise and the importance of maintaining personal boundaries while juggling multiple roles, including that of a mother and a professional.
You’ll hear how she balances preserving personal identity within familial responsibilities, capturing the struggle and the triumphs that come with the many roles we find ourselves in. Communicating the necessity of personal space and embracing imperfections are central themes, highlighting that perfection is not the end goal—growth is.
One of the key takeaways from our conversation is that you, Constant Listeners, are “pregnant with possibility.” It’s up to you to recognize that every experience—be it joyous or challenging—contributes to your personal growth.
Join us for this 🔗 Empowering Episode 🔥Sunday (Yes! #SuperBowl Sunday) @ 5 p.m. CST and become inspired by Jessica’s story—a story steeped in hope, courage, and the transformative power of words.
Connect with Jessica on her🔗 Facebook page and stay tuned for more insightful conversations on #SelfieSunday w/#OneDegreetoVictory.
Remember to Love Yourself a Little More than you did Yesterday! I love ya’ll 💜
