What if history is not just something we inherit, but something we actively shape?

Dominique Luster is a storyteller and advocate dedicated to illuminating the rich narratives of the Black diaspora. With more than a decade of experience in cultural heritage and archives, she works at the intersection of history, memory, and justice. After serving as the Teenie Harris Archivist at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Dominique founded The Luster Company in 2021 to help ensure that Black stories are not only preserved, but celebrated.

Through her consulting and speaking, Dominique helps organizations uncover and share hidden histories while amplifying the voices of the Black community. Her clients have included The King Center, the J. Paul Getty Foundation, Denver Public Library, and numerous nonprofits. She is also known for her widely viewed TED Talk on the power of archives and is a sought-after keynote speaker at women's leadership conferences.

In this conversation, Dominique and I unpack the true power of storytelling, memory, and legacy. What begins as a discussion about archives expands into a rich dialogue about identity, entrepreneurship, cultural narratives, and the courage to claim your own story.

Dominique shares how she stumbled into archival work while working at the University of Kentucky, and how history is shaped by who tells the story. From oral histories with Black elders in the U.S. South to challenging the narratives we were taught in school, she explores the tension between fact, memory, and interpretation, and why critical thinking matters now more than ever.

Together, the conversation moves beyond documentation into something even deeper. The "dash" between your birth date and death date represents the story you live and how it will be remembered.

You will also hear an honest exploration of entrepreneurship, including the messy middle that no one talks about. Dominique opens up about doubting her own entrepreneurial identity, leaving her job, crashing, returning to traditional work, and building again with clarity and resilience.

This episode weaves together archives, business, legacy, and mindset into one powerful reminder. If you do not participate in writing your story, someone else will.

You will learn:

Why history is more interpretation than we realize
The difference between documented facts and lived memory
How oral histories preserve dignity, identity, and truth
Why critical thinking matters more than memorizing history
The emotional weight of preserving stories from marginalized communities
What entrepreneurship actually looks like behind the scenes
How limiting beliefs disguise themselves as facts
Why consistency, not intensity, creates real momentum
The importance of protecting your incubation season as a founder
How to intentionally shape your legacy before someone else does

This episode is especially for:

Women of color reclaiming and documenting their narratives
Founders and aspiring entrepreneurs navigating self-doubt
Leaders thinking about impact beyond titles and roles
Anyone questioning the stories they were taught and the stories they tell themselves

History does not just live in textbooks. It lives in recipes, protests, kitchen tables, contracts, businesses, and brave decisions.

And the dash between your dates is yours to write.

Show Notes:

CONNECT WITH DOMINIQUE-

Website: https://www.thelustercompany.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-luster-company

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelustercompany?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

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