Lakeisha Robichaux

Last week I went to Martha’s Vineyard, and it put a few things in perspective.

I didn’t go with deliverables or a packed agenda. It was time to get away, unplug, catch a few vibes, and create memories. 

Black families have been living and visiting on that island for many years. Not as guests, but as owners and builders. They bought the cottages, built churches, and created The Cottagers. They passed the houses down generation to generation so their grandchildren would inherit not just property, but permission. Permission to rest and be at ease. 

I’ve spent over twelve years building Chief of Minds and BizChiefs, teams, systems, partner organizations, leaders, partner growth, and I love it. But I’ll be honest with you, I know how to build better than I know how to be still. Remember when your parents, grandmother, or aunt would say, “sit down and rest your nerves” ( .. lol) (shout out to my grandmother’s Madea, Momo, and great aunt, Aunt Polly, RIH beauties). Well, they were right. Side note: My momma still calls me out on this. 

This is because our family who came before us understood something we’ve somehow forgotten: rest was never the reward for the work. Rest was part of the work. It was how they stayed whole enough to keep going.

So three things stood out. 

1 Rest is stewardship. You cannot pour from a body and mind you refuse to refill. Protecting your capacity is protecting your calling.

2 Legacy is built in the ordinary. Those families weren’t making history. They were making memories. The history came later. Show up for your people now, the meaning reveals itself in time.

3 Presence is the point. I didn’t go to check a box. I went to actually be there. Phone down and in the moments.  

I’m thankful. Thankful for the time, the girlfriend’s trip and QT with my sis, Krystal Hardy Allen . Thankful that God keeps reminding me that stillness is not the opposite of purpose. It’s how you hear it. Sometimes, it is in the pause that He gives fresh perspective for what He’s called you to build next.

This was a MASTERCLASS OF EXCELLENCE IN BUSINESS!

We can’t wait to show you more from last night.

Special thank you to our featured guests:
Lakeisha Robichaux
Tayisha Beard
Terry Simmons

In the words of Terry Simmons -
Collaboration is the new Competition.

Better relationships. Greater capacity. Bigger opportunities.

In that order.

I attended the Local AI Marketing Workshop and one of the biggest takeaways wasn’t about marketing at all, it was about leadership and ownership. We’re at a point where businesses will have to answer a new question:

How do we lead a workforce that now includes AI? A few things were reinforced:

• Augmented Intelligence enhances people
• Artificial Intelligence supports decision-making
• Automated Intelligence executes processes

Knowing the difference changes how you build strategy, develop your people, and prepare for the future.

But keep in mind, technology alone isn’t the competitive advantage, leadership is. Businesses that thrive won’t just adopt new AI tools. They’ll invest in training, governance, ethical implementation, and workforce readiness so their teams know how to work alongside AI and not compete against it (now we’re talking hyper productivity and scaling at a faster rate).

Thank you WAFB Channel 9 , Gary Media, and Bobbie Coates for the invite!

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Essence 2026 is in the book!! Here are a few of my thoughts from this weekend.

If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. That line stopped the room at the Global Black Economic Forum during Essence Fest 2026.

Essence Fest is the original “party with a purpose.” But this year, the headliners were also the conversations happening on the business stages: disruption, AI, workforce development, and what leadership looks like when the ground keeps shifting, and more.

The Global Black Economic Forum didn’t shy away from that. One of the discussions centered on disruption and what it means when AI reshapes roles, and how you should prepare for it. One example that stood out: Morgan State University is introducing three new AI courses into its curriculum. That’s not a small move. That’s an institution building the table before it’s forced to sit at someone else’s.

Here are a few takeaways from the weekend worth building your strategy around:

-Build your own table. Don’t wait for a seat, create the structure, the strategy, and the systems that put you ahead of disruption instead of behind it.
-Make feedback part of your change strategy. If your people don’t have a voice in how change shows up in your organization, you’re managing risk, not leading transformation.
-Invest in AI literacy now. Morgan State University is proof, the organizations moving first are the ones shaping the conversation later.
-Lead with trust. My sis, Carrita Cloud spoke on what trust really looks like, value-based decisions and the kind of brand integrity that holds up in corporate conversations, not just marketing copy.
-Get your positioning right. My girl, Krystal Allen broke down marketing and PR fundamentals for growing businesses, a reminder that visibility without strategy is just noise.
- Shout out to Phelps on a great Essence Reception. The food, music 💃🏽💃🏽, and people were everything!

A question I get a lot: What’s the ROI on a weekend like this?It’s the relationships. Every partnership starts with a conversation, and every conversation starts with showing up.

2026 Baptiste Brunch. All White Affair. Essence

Happy Father’s Day to my daddy and hubby. We love ya’ll down!! 😘😍🫶🏽

I am honored to be included in the Capital Region 500 by the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report. To be recognized among many great leaders, friends, and partners is not something I take lightly.

This recognition is validation that the work matters, and so do the people behind it. This moment belongs to my team at Chief of Minds, my family, and every partner who has trusted us with their organizations.

When you commit to serving, showing up, and building something bigger than yourself, God has a way of honoring the work. Congratulations to every recipient, well deserved! Thank you to the Baton Rouge Business Report for recognizing excellence in our community.

Yesterday I attended the Claude by Anthropic SB Workshop. A huge thank you to the Claude by Anthropic team and a special shoutout to Laura for putting together an incredible experience.

Whether you were brand new to ClaudeAI by Anthropic or have been using it for a while, there was something valuable for everyone. It wasn’t just about technology, it was about helping us work smarter, make better decisions, and create more capacity for growth.

if you know me, you know Claude is my go-to. It’s become a valuable tool at Chief Of Minds and has helped us streamline processes, increase efficiency, and focus more time on high-impact work.

Claude, thank you for investing in the small business community.

Innovation Leadership ChiefOfMinds WorkSmarter AIForBusiness

Happy Mother’s Day to our Matriarch, Brenda White! Momma, thank you for your unconditional love, wisdom, and strength. There are no words big enough to capture what you mean to me. You are my rock and safe place momma. You didn’t just teach me what love is, you show me every single day. I thank God for blessing me with the best mother my Brenni. Thank you for holding our family together with your love and heart! Happy Mother’s Day my Queen, I love you ❤️🥰😘!