Brilliance, Boldness, Balance: Building a Better Fractional Staffing Model
- Candice Durham
- Feb 6
- 3 min read
I’m Candice Durham, Co-Founder and CEO of The B Suite. Every year, we open our first newsletter with a CEO note because I don’t believe in “updates” without context (and as Auntie Kamala says, "we exist in the context."
It’s February. It’s Black History Month. So I want to speak plainly.
Being a Black-founded organization that's explicitly "for us, by us" comes with consequences.
The B Suite exists because we got tired of watching historically oppressed people carry institutions—without being resourced, protected, or properly compensated. We’re building a fractional staffing company that doesn’t just “include” Black and Brown leadership for the sake of quotas and blanket diversity. We’re designing a system where that leadership is the point.
Last year, we took stock of where we're meeting our mission and where we're falling short. In that process, we determined that our core values, no longer represented what we want B Suite to be known for.
This year, we’re naming three core values that will shape how we operate moving forward:
Brilliance
Brilliance is our baseline. Not only are we led by the brilliance of Black founders, we are on a mission to advance leadership with lived expertise, proven results, and the ability to step in and add immediate value. Our Suite is full of people who can walk into complexity and produce clarity. We have to let that be known.
Boldness
We are guided by and choose to mirror the boldness of our ancestors. Being a Black-founded organization that's explicitly "for us, by us" comes with consequences. Not just skepticism—sometimes, obstruction. We've experienced the ebbs of being underestimated, being held to unrealistic expectations, and having doors close simply because we refused to dilute or devalue who we are. We boldly choose our path with 100% authenticity and no apologies, even when it's inconvenient.
Balance
Balance is necessary sustainability and wholeness—the foundation of liberation. It is refusing to believe that success requires burnout. It's creating work structures that honor our real lives, real families, real spirits. We believe flexible leadership models can expand access and close wealth gaps, but only if the model is built to protect the people within it.
As we enter 2026, we’re applying these values to the system and structures behind the work.
Because here’s the truth: we’re not interested in being what people want or think we should be. We’re interested in being effective and successful for everyone in our community. We’re building a B Suite that can expand opportunity for our people while meeting the highest bar for execution.
To do this, we’re rethinking:
how we support our Executives,
how we partner with White allies outside of the Suite,
how we scope and staff engagements,
how we price and package support,
how we communicate what we do,
and how we protect the quality of delivery—for clients and for the Suite.
You'll see updates rolling out soon and throughout the first half of the year.
If you’ve been with us from the beginning, thank you. Your support means everything to us. If you’re new here—welcome. Either way, I’m glad you’re reading and hope to connect soon.
Be well,
Candice Durham
Co-Founder & CEO, The B Suite
What’s coming next: A soft launch of our refreshed experience and updated service structure.
Want to talk now? If you’re facing a Q1 leadership gap, you can start here
