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July 14, 2026
Special guest appearance with author Ericka Spradley
Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 6:30 – 8 PM
Title: Winning the Wrong Game: An Evening with Ericka Spradley
Are you accomplished yet exhausted? Capable yet constrained? Successful yet unfulfilled?
Join us for a transformative evening with Ericka Spradley as she introduces her part-memoir, part-manifesto, Unwilling. This talk is a dedicated invitation for the high-achieving woman who has mastered the art of doing it all, only to realize that doing so is costing her more than it gives.
In this session, Ericka deconstructs the trap of the modern overachiever: the tendency to confuse compliance with character and the habit of negotiating against our own well-being to maintain the status quo. You will explore why being “unwilling” isn’t an act of rebellion, but it’s actually the result of rewards that come with saying yes to yourself.
This event is for you if:
- You’ve reached the pinnacle only to find the view, just like your productivity, has produced exhaustion in the absence of fulfillment.
- You’ve been conditioned to fear the social cost of saying no, viewing boundary-setting as an act of aggression rather than an act of self-love.
- You’ve reached a point where your professional wins are starting to feel like personal losses in terms of your health, joy, and presence.
Join us to discover why choosing to be “unwilling” may be the most powerful professional and personal decision you ever make. Ericka will share insights from her journey, read selections from the book, and sign copies following the discussion.
About the Author:
Recognized by LinkedIn as a Top Career Development Voice, Ericka Spradley, is the Founder of Confident
Career Woman and Ericka GPT, her AI Career Coaching Agent. She is a 5x author, Career Management
Strategist, and Coach who is deeply committed to supporting women in their pursuit of success by
offering mentorship, guidance, and expertise that helps them navigate the challenges they face in the
workplace. Not only does she equip women to excel at work and know their worth, but she also aims to
provide a powerful platform that fosters: career advancement, leadership, growth, confidence, work-life
balance, and self-advocacy for all employees across the organization.
Ericka brings 10+ years of experience as a leader, entrepreneur, and coach, with published content on
Forbes.com, Black Enterprise.com, and Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global platform. In addition, Ericka
partners with employers via their Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Business Resource Groups
(BRGs) to help them better develop, promote, and retain employees.
Nia Imani at The Bookhouse
100 Things to do in Winston-Salem Before You Die
Jeffrey L. Smith received a BA degree in Public Administration from Elon University. In 1986 he returned to
Paul is a Winston-Salem native, a graduate of R.J. Reynolds High School and Wake Forest University, where he got his first taste of the media as an announcer for the student-run station, WAKE Radio. He has earned advanced degrees in liberal arts and journalism/mass communications from Johns Hopkins University and UNC-Chapel Hill. Paul has worked as a journalist for 30 years. Locally he has worked for The High Point Enterprise, the News & Record of Greensboro and the Winston-Salem Journal. Paul has been affiliated with 88.5 FM WFDD, public radio for the Piedmont and High Country, for the last 10 years. He also currently serves as an adjunct professor of the practice in Journalism at Wake Forest University.