🔥 Invitation or intrusion: In Community #86

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“Your voice is needed. Your story is needed. Your perspective is needed.” – Luvvie Ajayi Jones 

How often do we rush to show up in our careers without asking if we’ve truly been invited in?

Maybe you’ve landed a role or a project that looks like a win on paper, but something inside tells you it’s not quite right. Maybe you’ve been asked to represent your community, perspective, or team, but without being given real space to shape the story on your own terms.

That feeling of dissonance? It’s more common than we think – and it’s a sign that the work isn’t rooted in genuine connection. Whether it’s your brand or business or whether you’re the brand or business, you know the feeling when it hits.

Last week, when I wrote about how shift happens, one of my questions was about what success feels like, not just what it looks like.

Here’s something to think about:

What if success felt like an invitation – being welcomed in rather than just showing up.

What could this look like?

The recent Ralph Lauren Oak Bluffs collection is one powerful example of what happens when an invitation is received – and accepted.

Oak Bluffs isn’t just a scenic spot on Martha’s Vineyard. It’s a sanctuary where Black families have gathered for over a century – a legacy of connection and resilience born out of necessity.

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Ralph Lauren didn’t just drop a collection. They partnered with Morehouse and Spelman – two institutions deeply trusted across generations – and co-created with the community. They honored history rather than borrowing it.

Too often, people and brands treat work like a checklist. But community-building work is a continuum. It demands respect, accountability, and time.

This is why Luvvie Ajayi Jones’s words hit home. The best-selling author and speaker reminds us that it’s not enough to be seen – we have to be heard and valued for the whole story we bring.

In your career, this means pausing before jumping into every opportunity. Ask yourself:

👉🏽 Am I truly invited to contribute and am I inviting others along?
👉🏽 Is this work honoring the depth of my experience and perspective?
👉🏽 Am I building something with potential for change here, or just checking a box?

That pause is where your power lives. It’s where you reclaim agency and decide how and where to show up authentically.

When your work is rooted in real invitation, acknowledgement, and respect, it doesn’t just feel better – it leads to deeper impact, stronger relationships, and trust that lasts.

So, who do you know who deserves to be celebrated for inviting you in? Make sure to thank them and ♻️ forward this to them.

Let’s spread the ✨ vibes farther faster.

In community,

Fahad