Episode 20

full
Published on:

23rd Sep 2026

The Strong Black Woman Narrative Is Stunting Your Growth

You post the win. The launch. The client result. The 40 under 40.

You skip the part where you were crying in the car.

Because you a strong Black woman. You got this.

But what if being the strong one is the exact thing keeping your brand from growing?

This episode is about the strong Black woman narrative...where it came from, what a 2025 study found, and how we can tell start telling the true story.

I walk through how the Strong Black Woman shows up in your business.

Links:

Research I mentioned:

The strong Black woman stereotype and identity shifting among Black women in academic and other professional spaces (Hall et al., 2025) → https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12145493/

The Giscombe Superwoman Schema Questionnaire (Dr. Cheryl Woods-Giscombé) → https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7220093/

Ready to stop performing?

Start With Self is a self-guided identity process. Six modules, one weekend. Go back to who you were before the degrees, before corporate, before you learned how to shrink. Introductory rate: $97 → https://mellynated.com/self

Which of the five is running your business right now? Come tell me on Substack, where we go deeper on every episode: https://substack.com/@mellynated

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp4tHH05phcnjPgkXdhP1uDtcFaydNPbz

Listen to more episodes: codeswitchrebellion.com/listen

Your identity is the strategy.

Timestamps:

1:31 The strong Black woman thing

1:55 Most disrespected, most resilient

2:59 76.8% of us claim it

3:16 The Superwoman Schema

4:30 Nobody checks on the strong one

5:45 The Black woman rest era

6:10 The stronger you are, the more you shift

8:20 You don't ask for help

9:36 You can absorb it

10:11 You can't say business is hard

11:25 You help everybody for free

12:25 Stay positive through everything

13:47 "Girl, I'm blessed"

14:08 Tell the real story

15:38 Ask for help

16:30 The takeaway

All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for Codeswitch Rebellion

About the Podcast

Codeswitch Rebellion
For the ones who are done performing professionalism
Codeswitch Rebellion is a thought-provoking podcast for Black women who are tired of editing themselves to be seen, heard, or taken seriously.

Hosted by personal branding strategist, Melanie L. Denny, this show explores authenticity, identity, visibility, and personal branding without the pressure to perform professionalism, dilute your voice, or shrink your presence.

Through raw solo reflections and conversations with bold thinkers, creators, and leaders, Codeswitch Rebellion challenges the myths we’ve been taught about credibility, success, and what it means to “sound professional.”

This is a space for reclaiming your voice, honoring your rhythm, and building a brand rooted in who you actually are.

If you’re done code-switching for comfort and ready to show up whole, you’re in the right place.

About your host

Profile picture for Melanie L. Denny

Melanie L. Denny

Melanie L. Denny, also known as Melly D, is a personal branding consultant who helps Black women stop performing professionalism and start showing up with bold authenticity.

Her core belief is simple: your identity is the strategy.

With over a decade of experience guiding professionals and entrepreneurs through visibility, messaging, and positioning, she is known for helping her clients build brands rooted in who they actually are, not who they were conditioned to be.

As the host of Codeswitch Rebellion, Melanie leads truth-telling conversations unpacking identity, authenticity, visibility, and storytelling...and what it means to show up with integrity, authority, and bold authenticity so you can attract better clients and bigger opportunities.