Dr. Chelsey Green on Leading The GRAMMYs, Finding Your Voice & Protecting Creators

What does it mean to find your voice—and trust it enough to use it?

In this powerful Black Music Month conversation, Nicole S. Palmer sits down with Dr. Chelsey Green: artist, educator, advocate, and the first Black woman and youngest person ever elected Chair of the Recording Academy® (The GRAMMYs®).

From her early roots in church and classical music to leading at the highest levels of the music industry, Dr. Green shares how creativity, courage, and community shaped her journey. Together, Nicole and Chelsey explore what it means to lead with purpose, advocate for equity, protect creators in the age of AI, and remain connected to joy in a culture that often rewards burnout.

More than a conversation about music, this is a conversation about visibility, voice, wellness, faith, and the courage to believe in yourself before anyone else does.

Whether you’re an artist, entrepreneur, executive, educator, or simply someone trying to navigate life with authenticity, this episode is filled with wisdom you’ll want to revisit again and again.

In This Episode

00:00 Podcast Welcome00:41 Meet Dr. Chelsey Green02:17 Music Roots and Calling04:53 Village and Mentors05:35 Path to the GRAMMYs Board09:06 Equity and Representation10:47 Black Music Month and Voice12:50 AI, Music, and Creator Rights18:29 Inspiring the Next Generation19:17 Rebuilding Community20:44 The Power of In-Person Connection21:34 Choosing Joy Over Burden23:08 Workplace Breakdown and Perspective25:54 The System Versus Self29:13 Presence, Therapy, and Gratitude32:09 Living an Abundant Life Now33:11 Believe and Trust Yourself35:43 When the Inner Voice Wins36:40 Where to Find Dr. Green37:20 Final Thanks and Outro

Connect with Dr. Chelsey Green

Website: https://www.chelseygreen.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drchelseygreen/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreenProjectTGP

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ChelseyGreenProject

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4gYJdJNkyrYyocVfI9LZUM

Continue the Conversation

What resonated most with you from this episode?

Was it the conversation around AI and creator rights? The reminder to prioritize joy? The challenge to trust your inner voice? Or Dr. Green’s reflections on leadership, community, and purpose?

Join the conversation in the comments and share this episode with someone who needs the reminder that their voice matters.

And if you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and follow Black Womaning in Corporate America® for more conversations at the intersection of leadership, visibility, wellness, and navigating systems not built with us in mind.

Want to go deeper? Explore the book that inspired the podcast, Playing the Game While Black Womaning in Corporate America®, available wherever books are sold.

Learn more at BlackWomaning.com.

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In this episode of Black Womaning in Corporate America, host Nicole S. Palmer continues April’s focus on burnout and self-regulation by revisiting a past “story time” that reveals burnout patterns through chronic unresponsiveness.