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Episode #100 BE THE FIRST: Pressure or Power?

We’ve reached Episode 100! Woohoo

To mark the occasion, what better topic to talk to you about than being the first?

Specifically, let’s talk about how it makes you feel when I tell you the answer to succeeding in a white world is to BE THE FIRST!

Inspiration for this episode comes from one of my clients inside BE THE FIRST who confessed that the idea of being the first really inspired her but it also made her feel pressured.

Is this you? Have you heard me say “Be the first” and felt pressure? Or fear?

If the answer is yes, you’re in exactly the right place. (If the answer is no and the call to be the first lights a fire in your belly, don’t go away. There’s plenty here for you too).

BE THE FIRST isn’t an obligation to act.

It’s a call on you to believe.

  • Believe you are the first
  • Believe there’s no one like you
  • Believe you are one of a kind
  • Believe you are uniquely valuable
  • Believe you can be who you can’t see
  • Believe you’re the one they need
  • Believe you add value to the room just being in the room

This level of belief doesn’t produce pressure. It creates power.

Believing your the first ignites a fire in your belly

You recognise the power you have

You become big

The challenges and obstacles around you become small

No diversity, being excluded, exposure to racism – none of it can stop you.

The next time I call on you to BE THE FIRST and you feel pressure, catch yourself

This isn’t an obligation to act

This is a call to believe

P.S. In BE THE FIRST you learn the BE THE FIRST Mindset and Strategy for progressing your career to the next level and achieving success in a white world. If you’re a mid to senior level black lawyer and you want the promotion, now is the time to join. Doors open on 21st August for 7 days and I have 10 spots available. Email me at caroline@carolineflanagan.com to register your interest and I’ll send you more details.

Questions? Join my webinar next Thursday 21st August 2025 at 1pm UK: BE THE FIRST – Position Yourself for Promotion in 5 Simple Steps. It’s free to attend but you must register. Click this link to sign up: https://caroline-flanagan.mykajabi.com/bethefirst-how-to-succeed-webinar

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Free guide: The Secret Signs of Imposter Syndrome Every Black Lawyer Should Know – featured at the bottom of Podcast episode pages

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The Secret Signs of Imposter Syndrome Every Black Lawyer Should Know

Discover the 60 behaviours quietly driving your overworking, overthinking, playing small, and self-sabotage – and finally understand why before they derail your day or career.

This guide is built specifically for Black lawyers, where these behaviours aren’t just about self-doubt. They’re also survival strategies you’ve developed in spaces where you’ve had to be twice as good to get half as far.

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