The Wizard of Oz Within Us All

Reading Time: 4 minutes

As children, my cousins and I immersed ourselves in the enchanting world of The Wizard of Oz, taking on every character with boundless enthusiasm. Our daily adventures spanned from the basement to my mother’s living room, the porch, the yard, and even the neighborhood streets. Our grandmother transformed our connected garages into a single, unified space. She tore down the walls, creating our very own theater. Now, we had a stage for performances and seats for our audience of neighbors.

I took on the roles of Dorothy or the Wicked Witch, while Stephanie nailed it as the Good Witch and Tony reveled in being the Wizard, Robert was a most excellent Flying Monkey. Our nearby cousins eagerly stepped in to complete the cast. Our loving adults crafted a magical childhood, shielding us from the harsh realities of being Black in the late 1950s and ’60s. We left behind the world of Cleveland, Ohio, and ventured into a realm that stretched from Kansas and Oz.

The magic of The Wizard of Oz captivated us then and continues to enchant us well into our adulthoods. Today, my cousin Robert showcases his enduring love with a guest bathroom brimming with Wizard of Oz memorabilia. Similarly, my cousin Tony’s guest bathroom proudly displays a poster declaring, “There’s No Place Like Home.”

Today, as an Executive Leadership and Public Speaking Coach, I harness the transformative power of storytelling in my sessions. Too often, we seek external validation, convinced we’re not enough. We forget that our worth is innate, present from birth. Much like Dorothy and her companions in “The Wizard of Oz”—the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion—we search for fulfillment outside ourselves. Remember their longing: “If I only had a brain, a heart, the nerve, a home.” My coaching helps you realize that everything you seek is already within you.

The prefrontal lobe, the last part of our brain to develop, is where constant comparisons occur. Here, the inner critic—a voice of doubt—tells you that you are not enough and cannot measure up. This negative self-talk is a fabricated story meant to hinder your growth. Remember, this inner critic is like a child, between six and eleven years old, and will never mature. Your challenge is to move beyond this negativity.

Imagine traveling to the land of Oz to meet the great and powerful Wizard. You’ve always feared him, knowing he belittles others and wields his power harshly. But upon arrival, you see through the facade and discover he’s a fraud. Now, picture this Wizard as your inner critic. With newfound tools, you recognize that the negative self-talk is unfounded. And even if some of it holds truth, it’s not the whole story.

Unleash your inner strength by mastering the synergy of your mind, heart, and courage. Embrace the reality that genuine peace and profound understanding are born within you. Take a decisive moment to confront and dismantle your inner critic with two crucial questions: “Is what you’re claiming about me true?” And, “Even if it is, is that the complete truth?”

Now, you’re off to meet your re-crafted Wizard, the unparalleled master of self-love and confidence.

Joia Jefferson Nuri has a keen intuition for helping women of color executives achieve their goals. Her training as a coach in executive Leadership and public speaking has sharpened her ability to understand and support clients clarify their objectives. Joia helps her clients build a toolkit to battle their destructive inner critic, allowing them to rise from their zone of excellence to their zone of genius. Trained in the rubric of positive psychology, her techniques put clients in touch with their inner critic so they can quiet it. As a leadership coach, her ultimate goal is to help clients understand their worth, maximize their abilities, and live the lives they see for themselves. Joia’s signature executive team-building and inner critic workshops assist companies, social change groups, and women’s organizations to maximize their Leadership while aligning their values and practices.

Before coaching, she was a human rights communication strategist for Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover, TransAfrica, The Institute for Policy Studies, and Truly Living Well Center for Urban Agriculture. As a communication strategist, she testified before Congress on Haiti Relief and co-wrote Congressional Testimony for Danny Glover. Joia Nuri has co-written, edited, and coached 14 TEDx Talks, including one for herself. She was honored to be invited to deliver the keynote address in Vienna, Austria, before the 53 nations of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Her communications career at NBC News was one of the first women hired as a technician. Her move to CBS News made her the first Black woman to serve as Technical Director of the CBS Evening News and Face The Nation. She also worked as a senior producer at NPR, PBS, and C-SPAN.

Her public speaking training began with her father, a classical baritone. Later, her training continued with Shakespearean actress Naomi Jacobson. Joia has performed voiceovers for documentaries on Civil Rights icon John Lewis, ballet dancer Misty Copeland, filmmaker Ava Duverney, and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

Joia Nuri’s early career was in network newsrooms, where she was the first Black woman to be Technical Director of the CBS Evening News and Face the Nation. She also worked as a senior producer at PBS, NPR, and C-Span.She applies her experience, intuition, and training to help each client achieve true Leadership. Today, she is coaching government, education, corporations, and philanthropy leaders.

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