Erin McGee, Management Consultant

Hi, Erin! Thank you for doing this! Let’s start by having you describe what you do. 

I’m a management consultant which for me means that I work closely with the C-suite of Fortune 1000 companies. I do a lot of work with Chief Financial Officers and finance leads. My primary objective is helping with cost take-out. That is inclusive of headcount reduction, future-proofing technological capabilities and redesigned processes. For example, it might entail going in and working with several people who work with the CFO to conduct an assessment of what may be redundant and areas where technology might provide unseen business advantages. As a result, I might suggest a redesign of accounts receivable amongst a set of other recommendations. The CFO would then indicate which of those recommendations they’re interested in, and then we implement it. 

Do you like what you’re doing? 

In consulting, the work will be one of three things: people, technology, or process. I like the process and technology parts. Those are the spaces for me where I can really step into the work — I just get it. Where I waver and have to confront my views on capitalism is the people part, and implementing recommendations such as reducing staff by half. In my last project, I reduced four jobs that were moving to China. You could say “Well, it’s only four.” But I had to talk to those people every day. It doesn’t feel great. 

What would you say is your favorite part of what you do? 

I really enjoy the people I get to work with. We have a lot of fun. I’ve worked with this set of coworkers for six and a half years. With that group of people, I do feel that I can be my authentic self at work and all of the things that come along with that, which I think is rare. 

Can you describe your career path? 

In undergrad, I was a business major, and I got my master’s degree in accounting. I’m a CPA (certified public accountant) and I started my career at Ernst and Young doing tax accounting. After two years, I wanted to do something different, and consulting allows you to do something new all the time. A friend of mine worked at a boutique consulting company and so I started working there. I loved it — I loved that it was smaller, and I loved that it was something different every day. Eventually that company was bought out by the company I’m at now. 

What do you think are the necessary conditions for feeling fulfilled and being yourself at work?

It takes time. You have to get to know and trust leadership. For example, the people I’ve been working with, we used to get into arguments related to diversity and inclusion (D&I) — things like what it means to have privilege. When I would have my end-of-year review, they would give me a glowing report. They would say “Erin really pushed the needle on this and helped us understand this issue.” Knowing that they support me means a lot. In this new company, I know that these four guys can block and tackle for me if someone doesn’t value D&I work or my bringing it up. They’ll allow me to grow in my role and contribute towards interesting and rewarding projects. 

How do you apply D&I to the work that you do?

It’s done more internally. In consulting, we have client work and internal initiatives. On the internal side, I try to do a lot of D&I related to recruitment, retention, and promotion. I’m the recruitment chair for New York University. I do things like identify student groups, or implement blind interviews for prospective hires. For retention, I organize working groups, lunch and learns, and cultural celebrations to learn more about our colleagues’ and their backgrounds. We’ll do Diwali soon, and Passover and Hanukkah. I think it’s interesting and creates safe spaces for people to talk about who they are. 

What about on the client side? How do you apply D&I to that part of the work? 

It’s really hard. A colleague of mine has dealt with situations where a client wants to cut senior leadership, many of whom are people of color and replace them with new leaders, all of whom are white men. To persuade executives away from doing that, she’ll present the legal risks — that replacing senior employees of color plays into potential accusations of ageism, or racism. She would highlight all of the institutional knowledge those senior-level individuals will take with them. Ultimately they’re a client, though, so if they aren’t into a more D&I aligned recommendation, there isn’t much that we can do.  

What else do you do to feel fulfilled?

I used to play rugby, but now I’m too broken. (laughs) I do a lot of reading. I hang out with my boyfriend and we’ll read books together. I’m in the process of trying to buy a condo so that’s taking up time. I love going to museums, and working out. I’m hoping to learn how to cook soon. I also love to travel, I just got back from a 2 week trip to Japan. That’s what I do with my spare time. 

What are you excited about for the future? 

I’m excited to have more control over my career. I think in the next few years, doors will open up and I will eventually make the pivot out of consulting and into whatever my next move may be.  I’ve thought about going to a tech startup. I’m also very interested in big data and continue to toy with the idea of going back to school to become a data scientist. And, also, just elevating my personal life — being a homeowner, getting engaged, continuing to grow my relationships with friends, being close to family. I feel like my life sounds boring (laughs), but that’s really what I’m looking forward to.

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Raychl Speigner, Philanthropy Consultant & Entrepreneur

Hi, Raychl! Thank  you for doing this. So what do you do and how would you describe it to a layperson? 

I’m a philanthropy consultant with my own business, Speigner Grant Solutions. In short, I help and educate nonprofits on how to raise money. Recently I started another business, Philanthropy Impact Strategies, focused on sports philanthropy where I work primarily with athletes’ foundations. 

You don’t see many black women in philanthropy. How did you get into this space?

Well, first I worked in the athletic development department in college. While there, I was exposed to the role major donors played in collegiate sports. Also, my major in undergrad was sports and leisure humanities, and so I interned with the community relations office working with sports teams, which I really enjoyed. Then once I graduated college, I worked at another college and got into higher education philanthropy, writing grants, etcetera. 

 What made this work appealing to you? 

I loved the community relations team I interned with in college and they loved me. (laughs) I had actually gone to school to be a sports agent but then I fell in love with community affairs work. I realized the impact nonprofits had, and I wanted to be a part of that. 

And how would you describe the impact you’re seeking to have? 

I want more organizations and nonprofits to be impactful in their work. Tracking metrics, evaluating their data, making sure they remain in service of their mission and maximizing their work. I want to ensure they’re well positioned to serve the community. I consider this both a personal and professional impact I’m seeking to make -- they definitely tie into one another. 

There’s a thread I’m hearing, which is that you’re very driven by doing good. Why is it important for you to focus on mission-oriented work? 

It goes back to my first internship. Seeing the impact players had on kids and the community. How the faces of kids would light up when their favorite athlete surprised the class with bookbags, or visited to read a book to them. It completely changed the attitudes of the kids for that moment, and it’s something they will remember forever. And so I got to see the potential impact directly and that is really where I started thinking, I could do this. 

How do you feel you’re well-suited to do what you do? 

I’ve worked in both nonprofit and sports industries, which gives me a very unique skill set that not many have. I know what it takes to fundraise and make an impactful statement, and I use that to help players build out their programming within their nonprofits or foundations. I educate them on fundraising.

Is there anyone you consider an inspiration?

My family in general. I come from a family of strong women. And as a whole, my family really pushed the importance of education. I think also as an entrepreneur, it’s great because my mom understands and supports me finding other ways to make money besides a traditional “9 to 5”. My job isn’t a standard set up, and I feel really lucky that I have a family that gets that and can see the value in me doing something in a different way. So, yeah, they’re my biggest inspiration. 

You’ve just touched on another aspect of what you do, which is entrepreneurship. What was it like to start your own business? 

It was easy at first because I was planning it while still working at my old “9 to 5”, so by the time I was ready to start my own business, I had already laid a lot of the foundation. I started planning it out as far back as 2015 but wasn’t anticipating that I’d be a full-time consultant until some years later. But in 2017, I started to feel that my previous job wasn’t a good fit anymore, and I left. I wasn’t ready to start a job search because that’s a whole process in itself, and since I’d been planning my business on the side for at least a couple of years by that point, it just made sense for me to jump into it full-time. 

Once I had started my business, marketing myself was the hardest part. In my first year, most of my clients were referrals. Once I needed to build my clientele, I got out there and I was like, “Oh, I don’t know how to do this.” It felt like I was starting my business all over again. It was also a lot about shifting my mindset, and walking into a room or an event and showing people your value. That was one of the biggest challenges I had to overcome. I’m coming up on my two-year anniversary and I still feel like I’m working to determine the best events to attend, how to make new connections. I do wish I had worked to build those skills earlier.  

Speaking of what you might have done differently, what advice would you give someone looking to start their own business?

Try to cut your personal expenses as much as you can. You definitely can’t live life the same way as when you had a “9-5,” I’m going to be honest. (laughs) I was trying to live that same lifestyle and you just can’t. 

You should feel okay to cut back on services if you get to a point where you realize you have a broad set of offerings. Remember that you can always subcontract services out, too, if you don’t have the bandwidth or expertise to provide a particular service a client might want. 

I would definitely suggest getting an accountant. They can help you plan your expenses, anticipate tax issues. In any new business, there are months where you may not have income, so having an accountant help you budget in a way where you can be okay when that happens is so important. 

Also, trust your gut. If you’re on a call with a prospective client and it doesn’t feel right, go with that feeling. It’s probably not a good fit. Just like in an interview, a red flag is a red flag. Every opportunity isn’t going to be for you. 

Those are great tips. Let’s close on a high note. What accomplishment are you most proud of? 

Launching Philanthropy Impact Strategies. I love working for nonprofits, but sports philanthropy is what I went to school for. I just launched and I’m excited. It’s something I have talked about since 2011. I keep looking at my website. I can’t believe it’s real! And of course my second proudest accomplishment is my other business, Speigner Grant Solutions. It feels good just knowing that I can do anything if I put my mind to it.

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Portia Newman, Educator & Doctoral Student

Portia! I’m so glad you’re talking with me. Can you share what you are doing right now? 

I’m a full time student, getting my PhD in education leadership, policy and justice. I’m also  working in the graduate school working on professional development and mentorship programs. I also started an education consulting business on the side. All of that, and I’m also really into wine and decided I want to be a sommelier, so in my free time I study wine. My goal is to host tastings where we also hold critical conversations about race and equity.

Wow, that’s a lot! Let’s start with the consulting business. Tell me more about that. 

I started a year ago to focus on racial equity work in order to revolutionize education for kids. It’s fairly new and I haven’t told too many people about it. I’ve had about 5-6 clients in the last year. I conduct DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) trainings, lead DEI workshops, support organizations—primarily schools and nonprofits—in strategic planning. I typically get contracts by word of mouth, and I’m part of a hub of diversity trainers, so I also connect with clients through that group. I just finished a proposal for a small teacher collective doing talent acquisition work, and I’m constantly writing for one of the organizations, doing education blog writing. Additionally, I’ve been working with an organization to develop an early introduction to DEI for small nonprofits who are new to or really early in their diversity efforts. 

That’s incredible. When did you realize that you want to start your business? 

About three and a half years into my last role at an education reform organization, I got to a place where I realized I’m actually really good at my job. I was one of two black people in a leadership role, which was humbling, but it sometimes felt frustrating. I had all these ideas about the direction of the work. At one point I told my colleagues that we could bring in additional revenue if we create a professional development program to train other organizations but that was met with opposition because they said this was something we didn’t have the capacity to do. But I knew it was a good idea. I said, “Um, are you sure? I’m pretty sure people need this service.” (laughs) 

So a colleague of mine and I tried it out anyway. We found a client who hired us to build and facilitate a training for them. I was really proud because as I’d said it would, it worked. But I was annoyed because all of this work I’d put in was outside of the normal scope for my role. I did all of this additional work but my organization got paid instead of me. I could have that extra income!

After that I thought, I’m not going to keep giving you all my ideas. Which is why I started my business after leaving my last organization. And it’s been cool because it’s been an opportunity for me to hire the homies. (laughs) I have projects and they have a skillset and can fill in the needs for different scopes of work, and we can all get paid. Or they will call me to say I have this job I need to do, and I think you should step in and be a part of this. So it’s been great.  

Let’s talk a bit more about your desire to be a sommelier. When did you realize you had this interest in wine, and how did you come to connect it to your professional work? 

I feel like this was very organic. I use to have a supervisor, and when we went on work trips, after the day was done we would always go drink wine together. I realized, I actually really like wine. For some background, I grew up in a small town and wine wasn’t a thing unless it was a five-dollar moscato. 

At present, there are a little over 100 sommeliers and  fewer than five in the world who look like me. Only about 20 are women. We as people of color have a limited presence in this space. We’re growing the grapes, harvesting and processing them, having people buy our land from us to grow their grapes. So I started to do my research. I found that there are a number of Black- and brown-owned vineyards and wine companies—Brown Estates, Ceja Vineyards, the McBride sisters and Andre Mack. We’re starting to have more of an influence. Being a sommelier is how I’d like to be a part of that movement. 

Also, wine is a way to build community and forge connections. So many Black people haven’t had access to different types of wines. And as a matter of access and inclusion we know that in graduate school, for instance, there are these mixers or events where wine knowledge would be beneficial, so a big part of my interest in learning more about wine is being able to educate my cousins and the homies so that when they’re in these different settings, they aren’t only familiar with the five-dollar wines. (laughs)

I want to take a step back. Sometimes we look back and in retrospect, we are able to identify moments that are so clearly connected to where we are today. What do you feel are those circumstances or those moments for you? 

Being from Wilson, North Carolina. It’s absolutely who I am. Born, raised—everything about how I was brought up is connected to Wilson. So I would say the first big moment is just being shaped by where I call home.

I also credit going to UNC-Chapel Hill for college. It changed my life. I don’t think in high school, I realized my own potential. I knew I was going to go to college, but when I was applying to schools, I just kind of  applied to Chapel Hill because I saw the people in my class doing it. But it ended up changing everything about how I understand the world. 

I often joke that I’m “first-generation everything.” I was the first to go to college, to get a master’s degree, to pursue a PhD. Just first at so many things. When I went to UNC, there were so many people unlike anyone I had ever met before, and there were so many things I didn’t even know about. I thought the only way to be great was to be a doctor, so that’s what I was going to do, and I failed chemistry (laughs). 

So I talked to the dean, Dean Harold Woodard. He said, “You love kids. You should be a teacher.” I was like, “Um, no, that’s not the move.” (laughs) He told me not to come back to his office until I actually thought about it. And I did! I thought about it, and it started to feel right to me. I’m so glad I chose to be an educator. It has afforded me so many opportunities. To lead, to connect, to serve. It’s something I never would have considered as a child. It gives me a personal connection to the work that I do. I already know that I’m a lifelong educator. Seriously, I don’t get tired. I mean, I do physically, but every day after all these years I still wake up and I’m excited. I’m always thinking, OK, what else can I do? How can I make things better for young people?  

That’s beautiful. 

You know, my grandfather is 91-years-old. He has very little formal education. He can’t read a book. I would be foolish not to take advantage of the opportunities that come my way—if not for me, for him.  

Do you remember those hats? The “#1 Grandad” hats? I remember my mom got one of those for my grandfather and she would say, “Portia, you need to go read this to him.” I was young and just like “Mom. Really?” I didn’t realize until I was older that he actually couldn’t read it. This PhD is going to be for him. 

I’ve considered the other degrees I’ve earned and the other things I’ve done to be for my cousins. They’re for my god-kids, whoever else’s kids I claim. I want them to know they can be educated, drink wine and do whatever they can imagine. I want them to see that they can be the first to do something, until eventually someone comes and does it with you, and another, and another. Until there is a world where we are everywhere, and there isn’t anything holding us back from opportunities. We’re just propelled forward.

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