PODCAST EPISODE № 62

My Most Traumatic Experience with a Karen

by Anita Charlot

Listen to My Most Traumatic Experience with a Karen:

This was my first major corporate trauma experience…

“ANIIITTTTAAAAAAAAA!!!!!”

Due to her voice’s tone and volume, I froze in fear.

I thought I was in physical danger. Like I had walked out into the street without looking both ways, or when you’re driving and the person in the passenger seat overreacts to a car cutting in front of you.

Yep. That type of fear and adrenaline rush, but I hadn’t.

I wasn’t in danger.

Join me inside the episode as I share with you my first major corporate trauma experience and how it affected me and the trajectory of my business.

See you inside…

What You Learn:

The definition of a Karen
My traumatic experience with a Karen that shaped my corporate career
That if you have dealt with damaging and abusive coworkers, you’re not alone!
How to reach out and work with me to tackle your workplace trauma

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Episode Transcript

This was my first major corporate trauma experience…

“ANIIITTTTAAAAAAAAA!!!!!”

Due to her voice’s tone and volume, I froze in fear. I thought I was in physical danger. Like I had walked out into the street without looking both ways, or when you’re driving and the person in the passenger seat overreacts to a car cutting in front of you.

Yep. That type of fear and adrenaline rush, but I hadn’t. I wasn’t in danger.

Join me inside the episode as I share with you my first major corporate trauma experience and how it affected me and the trajectory of my business.

See you inside…
~~~~~~~

Imagine if that was you hearing your name being yelled like that!

Would that shock you? Would it make you wonder what was going on?

Well, that’s what it did for me.

Neither of those situations had taken place, right? I was not in the middle of the street about to get hit by a car, nor was I in a vehicle driving and about to be sideswiped by another vehicle.

I wasn’t in any danger at all.

And how could I be? I was sitting at my desk.

This was the first time “Karen” yelled my name at the top of her lungs to get my attention, and I’m using air quotes for “Karen”. We all know what the name Karen represents, and if you don’t, Karen is the name that represents the White entitled privileged woman who feels as though she can and should be able to rule over any Black person because they are beneath her.

So I wasn’t in any danger. I was just simply sitting at my desk.

Were we in a warehouse? No. 
Were we working outdoors? No. 
Do we work in a loud environment? No. 
Was that still in the military? No. 
Was I hard of hearing? No!

We were in a quiet office sitting on the executive floor. I sat in the first of six cubes outside of Karen’s office with my five White team members. When I realized that I was in no physical danger and still in the office sitting at my desk, I turned to look at my coworkers who were looking at me in complete shock and disbelief.

We were on the executive floor for Christ’s sake! And one of the most well-respected teams in the office.

What in the hell was going on?

I rushed to her office to see if she was experiencing a medical emergency. None. No, she wasn’t. She simply didn’t feel like getting up or picking up the phone to call me.

She then proceeded to yell at me about something she didn’t like. “It’s wrong, fix it!” with no explanation, instructions, or guidance as to what she expected to see.

So I embarrassingly laughed it off.

When I returned to my desk and it became a running joke of the team. My coworkers would yell my name randomly to see me perform. When they would do this, I dropped whatever was in my hand, whether it was spilling my coffee on my desk, jerking around in my chair, but then I would yell at them while I was laughing at myself.

I loved my team and that job at the company until Karen arrived.

Did my team do anything like speak to her about it or speak to HR about it? No.

It was brushed off and made fun of. Typical.

There was really no point in going to HR about it, so I took the abuse while doing all of her work and trying as best as possible to salvage the reputation of our department. That wasn’t my assigned role, but it was the one I was forced into while she collected the pay until she left.

Listen, I had three SVPs at that company. The first two were great examples of what a true leader looks like, and the last one taught me how to take a licking and keep on ticking.

What I want you to know is that your body keeps score, and traumas like this, and many others show up as depression, chronic pain, and disease until you get in there, identify the trauma, then do the work to heal from it.

Experiences like this caused me to shift the focus of my business.

I’m not the first woman who has experienced workplace trauma, and while it may not be as blatant as my experience with Karen, the side effects will stay with you for years to come.

So it’s time to heal…

…and I just want you to know, I am ready whenever you are.

There are a ton of traumatic experiences that once you sit down and you start to recall them when they come up for you, you will need a safe space to work through them, to heal from them, and to grow through them. And when you’re ready, just reach out. I’ll be here for you.

Until next time.

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My Most Traumatic Experience with a Karen

PODCAST EPISODE № 62

My Most Traumatic Experience with a Karen

by Anita Charlot

Listen to My Most Traumatic Experience with a Karen:

What You Learn:

Featured on the Show:

Episode Transcript

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PODCAST EPISODE № 62

My Most Traumatic Experience with a Karen

by Anita Charlot

Listen to My Most Traumatic Experience with a Karen:

What You Learn:

Featured on the Show:

Episode Transcript

Enjoy the Show?

IF YOU LIKE IT, SHARE IT

Get the free video training..."Can He Handle Your Grind?"

podcast

stay in touch

Get the free video training...
"Can He Handle Your Grind?"