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Your Pivot Is Not Failure
Episode 36214th April 2026 • TonyTidbit: A Black Executive Perspective • TonyTidbit ™
00:00:00 00:57:47

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Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/your-pivot-is-not-failure-

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Success is not always linear, and sometimes the most powerful move a leader can make is to pivot.

In this episode of A Black Executive Perspective Podcast, Tony Tidbit and Chris P. Reed sit down with TaShun Bowden-Lewis, Founder and CEO of The Bowden-Lewis Consulting Group, to unpack what it really means to navigate a forced pivot with clarity, courage, and control.

Drawing from her journey as an attorney, executive leader, and the first Black Chief Public Defender in Connecticut history, TaShun shares powerful insights on leadership identity, executive resilience, emotional intelligence, self-worth, professional reinvention, and the importance of protecting your peace when life shifts unexpectedly.

This conversation explores what happens when your title disappears, how to recover from career disruption, why Black executives carry a different weight in leadership spaces, and how to stay valuable in a changing workplace shaped by uncertainty and AI.

This is a real conversation for anyone facing transition, career pressure, reinvention, or the challenge of leading through adversity without losing themselves in the process.

What you will learn

  • Why a pivot is not failure, but evolution
  • How to separate your identity from your title
  • Why peace, self-awareness, and boundaries matter in leadership
  • How to stay adaptable and relevant in a changing workplace

▶︎ In This Episode

00:00 Pivoting with power

02:00 Meet TaShun Bowden-Lewis

07:08 Why the strategic pause matters

10:16 When your title becomes your identity

16:00 How to recover after a forced pivot

22:02 Self-worth, peace, and executive resilience

27:16 AI, adaptability, and staying valuable

32:00 Building The Bowden-Lewis Consulting Group

46:09 Emotional intelligence, boundaries, and leadership

50:05 Final thoughts, your pivot is evolution

53:14 Tony’s Tidbit

54:01 The LESS call to action

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This episode was produced by TonyTidbit ™ . Copyright © 2024 A BLACK EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced without prior written permission. For permissions, email podcast@ablackexec.com .

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