Women of Influence #23: Lardon & Associates Managing Director Donna James

You might know Donna James from her time at Columbus financial and insurance giant Nationwide. Or maybe you or someone you know have been a member of the African American Leadership Academy, which she co-founded. Or perhaps you've served on a board with her, or worked for a nonprofit she's helped shepherd, or encountered her through her advisory work at her firm, Lardon & Associates. In short, James has a long resume and a lot of demands on her time. So when she came in for our Women of Influence podcast, I asked her how she keeps her plate from overflowing: How does she know when it's time to say no to something, and how does she say it? Her answer? That's something she's still figuring out herself.“I probably don’t say no very well," James said. "But I’m still learning. Because my preference is to say yes, and I if I have to say no, say, ‘No, not me, but here’s someone, or here are two or three people, that I think might be interested in doing this. Can I introduce you to them?’ And that has worked out very well.”For more from James, check out the full interviewMentioned in this episode:Let Crate Media help uncover your company's story and amplify your messaging with a branded podcast. Get a free one-hour casting session at crate.media/cbf