Today we’d like to introduce you to Vonda Page.
It’s an honor to speak with you today. Why don’t you give us some details about you and your story. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in Philadelphia in the 1970s. I had a myriad of amazing Black women teachers — many of whom had advanced degrees from HBCUs and prestigious PWIs. By age 9, I knew our history as Black Americans extended far beyond 1619 Jamestown, VA. I learned that I — like a majority of Black Americans are the descendants of formerly enslaved west African persons who were captured, tortured, raped, beaten and exploited for free labor entertainment. I learned that the people who caused this were heads of cruel and inhumane monarchies whose greed for power outweighed all compassion and empathy. I learned that these folks build up systems and structures to obfuscate, lie, deceive, and indoctrinate a global society of “anti-black” people to believe and accept this was just and ok. I learned that the same systems of oppression are still in existence, under different forms, and disguised with various names and titles. I learned that access to information is privileged to those who can gain access via either wealth, education or close power proximity. The lessons I learned, the slave master is still unable to kill. I know who I am. I never let the challenges and struggles change my mindset or move me from my goals. I’ve always wanted to create business optimization solutions for small biz ceos. I’m doing that and I’m fighting for Black women and girls, too. I founded Radical Change LLC in 2020.
I’m sure your success has not come easily. What challenges have you had to overcome along the way?
The key challenges I have had to overcome were all related to being a Black woman. I didn’t grow poor. I didn’t grow up hungry. I didn’t grow up with an educated teen mom. I didn’t grew up with under funded school system, or illiteracy or having a disability. In sixth grade I was part of a desegregation program. The inhumane treatment I received from many of the male students and the gaslighting, psychological manipulation and outright abuse by the staff and administration was my indoctrination into maneuvering successfully in white spaces. It was the beginning of understanding how white people expected Black people to perform and conform in and to their space. Docile, quiet, invisible, or being the butt of jokes, violence, and violations is what they expect. This was my first opportunity actually seeing the cruelty of whiteness in-person, up-close. Folks will have to read my memoir to hear about some of the despicable and gross things that happened to me throughout my lifetime, and specifically while attending the Austin Meehan Middle School. Thirty years later, I realize that when my daughter was in middle school in predominantly white spaces, she suffered racial trauma as well, which continued up through college with the actual noose was hung up at the University of San Francisco in 2021 and of course they did nothing .The song Invisible Girl by Morgan Reese encapsulates this expertly. Being Black in spaces is the root of all challenges I continue to face.
Let’s talk about the work you do. What do you specialize in and why should someone work with you over the competition?
I am a change leadership and tech optimization advisor. More specifically I am a result mentor for small business CEOs and service paraprofessionals such as, attorneys, therapists and CPAs, consultants. I use I’ll use more than 35 years of experience. I support and streamline the success for. leaders looking to level up and deliver high touch, upscale and exclusive, and expert levels services to their clients, customers, and community in a no nonsense way. I’ve curated a custom experience for a select and selective small business CEOs, looking to deliver unprecedented custom and private in-app experience.
Leaders Learn Radical Change app available in Apple and Google play stores and via the web replaces platforms such as zoom, Google meets, slack, Monday, WebEx, Microsoft, teams, Crowdcast, stream yard, social media, instant messenger’s, social media direct message or chats, What’s app, FaceTime, text messaging, Calendly and even more. I have no competitors. I am not new to this, I’m true to this. I am a true veteran when it comes to business optimization and organizational transitions. I have guided dozens of C suite and senior leaders through technology, adoption processes programs and portfolios for more than 30 years, and have been able to do so successfully by focusing on ensuring the people components are always top priority and concern. Believe it or not today’s small biz ceos want to stand out and streamline their success by offering upscaled and custom client experiences. That’s Radical Change.
What’s your best piece of advice for readers who desire to find success in their life?
my best advice for those looking to find success is to first and foremost. Make sure you have found you. Make sure you understand who you are, and what makes you tick. Do you need rest, rejuvenation, peace, joy, or nourishment? Would you like to be outside, inside, warm, cool, active, still, or neutral? The most important thing for us as humans is to determine what we need and align our actions with those things. I think many of us have been trained to hustle for some imaginary endpoint where we believe happiness lies. However, I believe that everything we need the lies inside of us, and when we allow ourselves to know ourselves and to actually dig in and go for those things which we know we need that is where we will find success. I don’t believe that we find success through education and advanced degrees, bank accounts and material goods followers or influencer deals, or likes or shares or times going viral. I believe we find success when we are living our truth. When we are living the truest version of who we are without The code-switching, without the fear of retaliation, and without the concern of rejection, we are successful when we can outmaneuver the programming and indoctrination we’ve received about what success should be, or what it looks like. Wen we define success for ourselves individually and collectively as black women we can live authentically, and without fear.
Speaking of success, what does the word mean to you?
I think success means satisfaction. Success means satisfaction because each of us have to define success for ourselves, and I don’t think we feel successful until we are satisfied. For me, there’s a big component of success related to safety. And I will not feel satisfied until the safety of black girls and black women are no longer an issue. Success for me means safety and satisfaction for myself, my daughter, and all the black women and girls in the world. A successful existence is one where you can be peaceful and prosperous. However, women and girls are not able to just be peaceful and prosperous because we are unable to remain safe. Black women black girls are not safe in any neighborhood in America. We are not safe from harm. We are not safe from oppression. We are not safe from violence. We are not safe from victimization. Success means me can live out our dreams and hopes, safely. Now, whenever we try, we get feet on our necks, and spit in our faces. It takes a lot to withstand it and it’s wrong. SO for me – the more safety I see for more Black women and girls, the ore successfulI know I will be.
What’s next for you?
November 17-19 I am running a master class it’s titled unleash empathy and begins at 5 PM Pacific time each evening. I’m also hosting dump DEI live a virtual event December 6-8, which will be a conference for executive HR and DEI professionals as well as the practitioners who know that set up frustrated and fatigue, DEI practitioners, equity, advisors, and decolonization Antiracism educators in January. I will be live in Charlotte, North Carolina with The Brand Boss, Lady Sharrell Howard for the brand boss experience which you do not want to miss and in March we are celebrating international women’s history with a special event in Oregon and beginning in the summer Dump, DEI Live the book and tour will commence.
Finally, how can people connect with you if they want to learn more?
The best place to find info is vondapage.com. The best place to connect is on my app: Leaders Learn Radical Change — available in Apple app and Google play stores as well as available via the web. For information on my masterclasses, people should go to https://leadertolegendexclusive.com. For conference or book information go to https://dumpdei.com