Lady Erin Love

Hello Lovelies, ...Part 3 Continued You know the story. The cause is noble. The mission is powerful. The language is poetic. The social media is full of smiles and hashtags. The leadership? Charismatic. Credentialed. Community-rooted. But behind closed doors? There’s a different reality. One few talk about. One that has broken the spirits of so many who came with the purest intentions. Let’s talk about it. When the Mission is a Mask They say the work is for the people—women, youth, resilience, sustainability, justice. But what happens when that “work” becomes a stage to elevate egos? When the NGO is less of a movement and more of a monarchy? You walk in thinking you’re joining hands with leaders of change. Turns out, you’re just fuel for their proximity to power, donors, and platforms. You’re the strategy. They’re the spotlight. Control is the Currency The culture isn’t loud. It’s subtle. Quiet. Calculated. You’re praised for going above and beyond—until your brilliance shines too brig...

Hello Lovelies, I'm unleashing. I'm releasing! Letting it all out and go as I continue to FLOW!  No More Sleeping with the Enemy Part 2: The Cost of Professional Soul Ties By Lady Erin Love I’ve done it too many times. You probably have too. Showed up with excellence. Delivered brilliance. Covered cracks that weren’t mine to fill. Spoke up while others stayed quiet. Stayed when I should’ve exited. Why? Because the mission looked like mine. Because the leaders looked like me. Because the dream felt familiar. But here’s the truth: I was sleeping with the enemy. Not literally—energetically. Contractually. Strategically. Emotionally. Spiritually. And it almost cost me everything. The Seduction of Being “Chosen” There’s something intoxicating about being invited into the inner circle of an organization “on the rise.” You’re told your voice matters. Your leadership is needed. Your ideas are revolutionary. Until you actually start leading. Until your clarity expos...

Hello Lovelies, Part 1: Behind the Mission Statement By Lady Erin Love For nearly eight months, I poured my expertise, heart, and strategy into an organization with a bold public mission. I joined not as a junior hire, but as a senior leader brought in to build structure, funding systems, and a sustainable path forward. I did that—and far more. But what I couldn’t predict was the pattern that followed: a slow unraveling of integrity behind closed doors. A silence that speaks louder than any slogan. A cost too many women, especially Black women, are asked to carry in exchange for proximity to purpose. When Passion Becomes a Liability I led global development strategy, built a funding pipeline with over 50 qualified opportunities, and coordinated more than 20 submissions to world-class funders. I filled gaps left by disengaged leadership. I activated dormant centers for profitability. I mentored, trained, onboarded and led consultants. I raised urgent concerns when internal dysf...

Hello Lovelies, I walked into the opportunity with wide eyes and a ready spirit. A startup claim to have ambitions to shift systems and integrate equity. On paper, it was everything I’d been preparing for—fusing my background in chasing disasters, public-private partnerships, and sustainable development. My role? To build the engine while the car was already speeding down the highway. So I thought!🥴 And I jumped right in. I showed up with strategy decks, grant roadmaps, government engagement playbooks, brand positioning language, development targets, and cross-continental funding relationships. Within weeks, I produced more than most teams deliver in six months: grant applications submitted, strategic partnerships initiated, core messages clarified, and team members mobilized. The momentum was real. But then came the reality. Behind the ambition was something much more fragile: leaders who were enamored by titles, unready for discipline, and allergic to accountability. The vision was ...