What Mommy Never Told You

A Woman's Guide to the Next Phase of Life

By: Ericka Pittman

Narrated by: Nichole Morgan

It is tough balancing being a woman and a lady. It is even tougher being both domestically and professionally powerful. As society continues to accept women as equal power brokers, the rules of how to define, manage, and sustain it are ever-changing. It seems that success for women is often defined by an imaginary checklist: learn proper etiquette, get good grades in formative school, achieve higher education, and land a good job and or a “good man.”

And then what? What’s next? When the “rulebooks” go away, women are often left to “figure it out” on their own. They must learn to laugh at and redefine what it means to be powerful. For the past 18 years, I have been in a virtual fog about what to do next, who to be next, and how to behave in the next situation. While there are numerous examples of phenomenal women who have achieved unprecedented success in business, and even greater success in work/life balance, there are limited platforms for women embarking on their “next phase” of life.

Throughout the elevation of my career, I found myself relying on my own personal intuition and interpretation of what I saw the boys doing. With fingers crossed, I’d add a “plus up” feminine twist and hope for the best. Oftentimes, I stubbed my toes, acquired a few bumps and bruises, and even made a complete fool of myself—but through these experiences, I learned what works and what doesn’t. If this memoir arms one woman with the courage and know-how for what’s next in her life, then my bruises and scars were well worth it.

We as women need guidance, (and quite frankly, license) to think beyond what conventional teaching has taught us. We need the green light to go in the boys’ world while still being able to kick our feet up with our female counterparts and coexist in both spaces authentically. What Mommy Never Told You provides alternative options in order to create success on your terms once the guidance, direction, and checklists of society expire.

This book is meant to be an exploration of a woman’s journey beyond the general rules and guidelines of adolescence, opening up a broader lens to the possibilities of the next stage in life. To the woman who is looking for the next thing in her life, yearning for the courage to get it done, I say…the time is N.O.W (No other way).

©2023 Ericka Pittman (P)2023 Ericka Pittman

Book for women of all ages

From the first page I found Ms. Pittman’s raw honesty and transparency so refreshing. In business we often keep secret salary negotiation, effective leadership skills, and countless other topics. Ms. Pittman courageously addressed these and other topics in this book with humor, wisdom and candor.
Excellent book!!!!

Inspirational, Open and Informative!

A very well told inspirational story of a woman who refused to be held down by her circumstances and at the same time, it is an very honest, vulnerable cathartic memoir from a professional woman dealing with all the challenges an intelligent, beautiful, driven black woman faces trying to navigate career, love, aging, racism, sexism her sanity and self esteem. Lastly it is a powerful self help book giving many powerful practical principles to help anyone succeed if they follow the core principles she lays out. Even though it’s hard work, she has a gift for making the largest mountain seem easily scalable. She is wears a crown of nobility and deserves all of the glory this life can bring her. I wish her the best in all areas of her life. May she continue to inspire others as she continues to explore her infinite potential.