Celebrating Cultural Diversity, Personal Branding & Empowered Women: A Conversation With Brittani Sterling

Hi, friend! Welcome to the Passports, Profits and Pixie Dust. I’m Lindsay Dollinger — high school Spanish teacher, dog mom, world traveler, and direct seller. I help women run their direct sales businesses the right way so they can earn the money they deserve, live the life they dream about, and travel the world while doing it.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way… let’s get started.

Today’s blog recaps a powerful, fun, and deeply important conversation I had during a live podcast interview with my longtime friend — the brilliant, stylish, culture-conscious, completely magnetic Brittani Sterling.

If you’re a woman in business…
If you care about diversity…
If you want to build a personal brand that feels true and impactful…
If you want to serve your audience more intentionally…

This one’s for you.

Meet Brittani: Word Nerd, Style Queen & Empowered Woman Extraordinaire

Before I could even introduce her by her job titles, Brittani stepped in with the best introduction ever. She said:

“I’m doing this thing where I don’t introduce myself by vocation anymore, but by wacky adjectives.”

Her words?
Word nerd. Lover of charcuterie boards. Chameleon mom. People lover. Self-improvement junkie.

Tell me that isn’t the best, most human intro ever?!

Yes, she’s also a university librarian.
Yes, she runs a Color Street business with a beautiful mission.
Yes, she’s an Army brat who grew up everywhere from Louisiana to Alaska to North Carolina.

But what I love most?

She is a woman who shows up fully as herself.

Why Diversity, Representation & Cultural Awareness Matter in 2021 (and Always)

A big reason I wanted Brittani on the show was the incredible cultural awareness training she offered my team earlier this year.

She dropped truth bombs that stopped all of us in our tracks — in such a good way.

Here are some key things she shared:

1. We are living in a moment where people are finally claiming all parts of who they are.

We’re not just talking about race.
We’re talking about identity.
Culture.
Family roots.
Traditions.
Ways of speaking.
Ways of being.

People are tired of shrinking themselves to fit someone else’s comfort level.

2. Representation in business isn’t optional anymore.

Whether you realize it or not, your customers notice things like:

Whose faces appear in your marketing
What shade ranges your products assume
Whether your content acknowledges more than one culture or holiday
Whether your feed reflects the world we actually live in

It matters.
It communicates safety, inclusivity, and belonging.

3. Diversity doesn’t have to be complicated.

You don’t need a degree in cultural studies to start being more inclusive.

Brittani offered simple, powerful steps:

• Diversify your social media feed.

Follow creators, influencers, stylists, authors, and educators who don’t look like you, live like you, or share your same experiences.

• Use diverse stock photos.

One of Brittani’s fave sites?
PixieStock.com — a treasure trove of inclusive, gorgeous visuals.

• Think about holidays beyond Christmas.

Hanukkah. Kwanzaa. Lunar New Year. Diwali. Ramadan. Or even simply: “Happy Holidays, however you celebrate.”

• Know your product catalog well enough to support women of all skin tones.

This was a HUGE lightbulb moment for many stylists on my team.

For example:
If a customer with deeper skin asks for a “nude,” some of the standard sets won’t be nude on her at all. But there ARE sets that align beautifully — you just have to know what to recommend.

And that recommendation?
That awareness?
That intentionality?

💥 That’s customer service at its highest form.
💥 That’s allyship.
💥 That’s what makes customers feel seen.

How to Become More Culturally Aware (Even If You’re Starting From Zero)

Brittani laid this out so simply and gracefully. Here’s her checklist:

✔ Read books by diverse authors

The librarian said it, so you KNOW it’s gospel.

✔ Follow diverse creators on Instagram

A tiny change. A massive impact.

✔ Look at your graphics and ask:

“Would someone who doesn’t look like me feel represented here?”

✔ Ask questions. Have conversations.

You can’t grow if you don’t know — and you can’t know if you don’t ask.

✔ Support companies or creators that are doing diversity WELL

Ahem… like PixieStock, WOC groups on Facebook, and creators who intentionally include varied skin tones, sizes, ages, and backgrounds.

Running a Business While Working Full-Time — Brittani’s Reality (and Balance Tips)

Like many of us, Brittani is building her business while working full time as an educator.

Here’s how she does it without burning out:

1. She schedules nearly all of her content.

Batching = sanity.
Scheduling = consistency.

2. She uses “National Day” posts to foster conversation—not just sales.

Did you know National Date Nut Bread Day exists?
Or National Pickle Day?

Her group does — and they LOVE it.

Why?

Because those fun little prompts:

Help women feel connected
Start conversations
Build genuine relationships
Make people laugh (or passionately debate pie flavors 😂)

3. She prioritizes community, not transactions.

Sure, her customers buy nails.

But they also:

Vent about motherhood
Celebrate wins
Share struggles
Laugh about random national holidays
Find a safe space online

And she takes that responsibility seriously.

Personal Branding: Brittani’s Superpower

Here’s the magic about Brittani’s brand:

She didn’t sit down and “create” it.

She just showed up as herself.

Her brand has naturally become:

Her chameleon
Her bold lipstick
Her style
Her humor
Her heart
Her love for empowering women
Her thoughtful cultural awareness
Her “good girl gone real” energy
Her consistency

People tag her anytime they see a chameleon meme.
People recognize her nails.
People remember her bold colors and bold voice.

Her biggest branding advice?

“Just be yourself.
Choose 3–4 things you genuinely love.
Talk about them often.
People will start to think of YOU when they see those things.”

That’s branding.
That’s relatability.
That’s connection.

Where to Find Brittani (You Want To—Trust Me)

Brittani is launching her brand-new podcast GOOD GIRL GONE RÉAL — and she’s dropping the first episode on her BIRTHDAY! 🎉

You can find her online here:

👉 Instagram: @goodgirl.gone.real
👉 Podcast (searchable): Good Girl Gone Réal Pod

Go follow her.
You won’t regret it.
She brings joy, truth, empowerment, cultural depth, and humor everywhere she goes.

Final Thoughts

This conversation was one of my favorites because it perfectly blends:

✨ Business
✨ Culture
✨ Representation
✨ Branding
✨ Empowerment
✨ Friendship

If you’re a woman building a business in 2021 and beyond…
Cultural awareness is not optional.
Intentionality is not optional.
Humanity is not optional.

And showing up as YOURSELF — fully, authentically, joyfully — will always be your greatest business strategy.

Thanks for reading, friend.
Share this with someone who needs it. 💛

Passports, Profits and Pixie Dust Podcast Episode 39: Cultural Diversity and Awareness in Your Biz Featuring Brittani Sterling