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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Alison Brock McGill, Nonprofit Strategist and Entrepreneur

Hi, Alison! Thank you for doing this interview. Can you share what you do?

I try to succinctly say that I’m a nonprofit consultant. In reality, that can mean a variety of things. At a high level, I work with nonprofit organizations to address any number of problems or areas for opportunity. I got into this work independently when I left a job in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ventured out on my own in 2016. I started working with small-scale, nonprofit organizations focusing on fundraising and development, capacity-building, strategy, and growth. Over time, one of those client projects evolved into a full time opportunity. 

I’m now working full time as a consultant at Promise54, a talent solutions and advising firm within the education space. We work with all players within that landscape, including charter schools, district school systems, family foundations, and education nonprofits. Primarily we focus on talent-related issues, approached through a lens for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). So that looks like anything from performance management, developing competencies, assessing compensation, and also thinking about DEI belief statements, strategies, and capacity-building. We take on a variety of projects for a variety of clients. It is a startup nonprofit, which has unexpectedly been my wheelhouse for the past three years. 

When you reflect back, was there a pivotal point where you made the decision to focus your career on nonprofit or service-based work? 

It was around the time I was considering applying to business school, which was in 2008 or 2009. I was living in Atlanta, working at Cartoon Network in a very different capacity than what I do now. It was a for-profit company, doing for-profit work. I had a lot going on in my personal life, and realized I wanted to do things I believe are fulfilling. 

My grandmother — my father’s mother — was living in a nursing home and dealing with early-stage dementia. I was visiting her once a week, and I struggled with losing her mentally. I was mentoring this girl through Big Brothers Big Sisters. Her name was Diamond. I was feeling very exposed to how different her upbringing was from my own. My mother was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and so I got involved in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as a volunteer. I was also training for half-marathons. 

So I would be at my desk, and although I should have been working, I was actually planning fundraisers, organizing activities for me and Diamond, or coordinating with my uncle around when I’d see my grandmother next. So I was doing things that I felt were making a difference in the lives of people close to me. I was supporting another nonprofit in Atlanta called The Jerusalem House, that was doing a lot of work for homeless families dealing with AIDS. This ended up being what I discussed in business applications — wanting to create change. 

I joined Management Leadership for Tomorrow [MLT], which really helped me hone my story. When I went to Haas Business School, I concentrated on social impact and marketing. My first job out of school was in CSR, and from there I moved into nonprofit consulting. 

Did you have any individuals or any organizations who were especially supportive to you along the way? 

MLT was super helpful. My cohort would have monthly sessions with a coach to help process what was going on internally and to get that thinking on paper for our business school applications. So we would have a number of homework assignments that we had to bring to coaching calls and if you had done the homework then the coaching calls were great. I trusted the process, so if they said to write journal entries every month, then I would do it and it wound up being helpful. 

In business school, I plugged in really quickly with organizations like Net Impact, which cultivates students and professionals interested in social impact. I was an officer for our campus chapter of Net Impact, and I helped lead a board matching program which paired graduate students with local nonprofits as non-voting board members, who would support their designated nonprofit with projects. I also became president of another organization on campus called Challenge for Charity, and spent a year rallying my classmates around two different nonprofits in the Bay Area, driving volunteerism and fundraising. 

I had two informal mentors: Kelly McElhaney, who led Haas’s Responsible Business program, and Nora Silver who was in charge of the nonprofit resource center and served as the on-campus sponsor for the Net Impact Board Fellows Program. Nora helped me get a fellowship with Points of Light Foundation as a graduate fellow, where I worked on their ReImagining Service initiative, a program to help for-profit entities think more creatively about volunteerism as a core competency for their employees. I spent time going through a bunch of data from a survey they administered a couple years prior called the Civic 50 where they engaged and highlighted fifty companies that were especially civic-minded. I had to pull trends and practices, which would be used in a series of case studies for other companies to learn from. 

All of these individuals and organizations were very helpful when I was seeking jobs post-graduation, and based on my experiences while at Haas, I leaned into opportunities at nonprofits. 

Given your background, what qualities do you feel make you uniquely suited to do what you do? 

I do find that there is something unique and meaningful in having worked in the for-profit sector and then moving into the nonprofit space. I am a person who believes in taking some of the practices and procedures and mindsets that are used and applied to corporate spaces, and applying them to the nonprofit sector. 

It’s interesting, because I’ve been reaching out to friends and speaking with my husband to figure out what they think I’m good at. They all say “You’re always doing something creative and you’re always in charge.” The creative thing is interesting to me. Being in charge makes sense for how I’ve seen myself, but I don’t think I’ve made space for myself to really lean into my creativity. 

I also realize I love puzzles. I think it’s because I have a unique ability to organize things and put the pieces together. In strategic planning, for example, I can see how the different components fit together. Other people may get distracted or get stuck in their silos, and only care about their side of things — thinking about programming and not operations, or the budget and not programming. So I think that may be a superpower. 

I’ve also come to notice that I feel a lot of things, and I pick up on people's energy. I used to internalize it but I’m trying not to do that as much. I’m a pretty intuitive person, though. When it comes to solving problems that I care about at my core, I think that being able to connect the dots and layer in a real sense of empathy positions me to hopefully make meaningful and sustainable change. 

When thinking about your future, what are you excited for? 

My friend brought me to an event and they had a healing room where this Reiki master led me through a brief personal session. In that session, I said I wanted to manifest more rest and more peace. I want to relax the anxiety that is linked to all of the pressure I put on myself to do well in every part of my life, all the time. I want to release the guilt that comes with not being able to be a superhuman all the time. I think I just want to be more selective about the kinds of projects I’m taking on in 2020. I want to focus more on leadership, youth development, and travel. These are the things that I care about and that I’m excited to more intentionally bring into my life.

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Lena Levy, Pharmaceutical Business Strategist

Hi, Lena! How would you describe what you do for those who are unfamiliar with your industry? 

I work for Merck and Company. Merck is a pharmaceutical company, and we make life-saving medicines for patients globally. Within Merck, I work as a director in the company’s Corporate Strategy Office. I work on critical cross-functional enterprise projects that fuel the growth of the company. 

What brought you to pharmaceuticals?

I was really drawn specifically to Merck as a pharmaceutical company because patients are at the core of everything they do. Whether it’s the scientists in the lab discovering new medicines or our doctors teaching healthcare professionals about the benefits of a new product — patients come first. We’ve been able to do a lot for the world, from launching the first Ebola vaccine to creating life-saving cancer and HIV medicines. And sometimes we fail, meaning that not every product that we discover will go to market. For example, we had an Alzheimer’s disease medicine that was in a Phase III trial and despite all of the time and money put into that product over the years, ultimately it failed. But I’m proud that my company will always tackle the hardest problems, such as neurological diseases, to solve in medicine and that we will keep trying until we get it right. There are few other industries where you can say that what you do saves lives. 

Functionally, what do you like most about what you do? 

I like that I get to work across the enterprise. I work with every part of the organization and have developed a deep understanding of the inner workings of the company. When you consider medicines being administered to patients, you don’t think about all of the hard work that went into getting that medicine into the hands of a healthcare professional. I have the opportunity to work with scientists in the lab, with engineers in our product manufacturing plants, and with marketing and sales professionals who come in contact with our patients, physicians, and health care providers. So I get a great understanding of how it all comes together. And that’s what I love about what I do. 

How is having a global understanding of the organization helpful?

I have to be an impartial party and think about what is in the best interest of Merck, and how the business can grow. We have to touch as many lives as possible, so I need to know the core, inner workings of the entire company to craft the best strategies and execute critical projects. The Corporate Strategy Office helps our Board and Executive Committee make the best decisions to place Merck in a position of strength for today and tomorrow. 

What allows you to do what you do well? 

I’m really good at adapting to my environment. Before I came into Merck, I had no pharmaceutical experience and I knew that it would be a challenge. So many people have been at Merck for decades, however I knew that I could come in and really learn from their experience. As an example, I never had an appreciation for the complexities of the regulatory process for pharmaceutical products. We are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, and by other regulatory agencies outside of the U.S. However, I have been able to sit and understand the full product life cycle from pre-discovery through to market launch and have a greater appreciation for what different parts of Merck do. So I listen and adapt to my environment which has set me apart from others. 

Can you share a moment you have experienced in your career that was especially meaningful?

I would say the period when I worked at Deloitte was a defining one in my life. I wouldn’t be as successful in the workplace without the foundation and teachings Deloitte gave me. I would definitely say that I learned how to be in the corporate world, and how to do that fairly adeptly. There was a moment when I was at Deloitte that comes to mind, specifically. I started in the federal practice, which made sense. I had a public policy degree, and was working in Washington, D.C. I was able to get on a project that had a commercial partner who saw a lot of potential in me, and we discussed the idea of me switching to the commercial practice. Typically, most practitioners in the commercial practice had an MBA and I didn’t  have one. I was placed on a commercial financial services project and set out to prove myself. Eventually, I presented a business case to the head of the commercial practice on why I should have the opportunity to join Deloitte commercial. 

I didn’t know of anyone else who switched from federal to commercial, because it was assumed that if you didn’t have an MBA, you would not be able to do the work well. After presenting my business case, I was allowed to switch to the commercial practice, continued to be a high-performer and took on a national leadership role. This experience made me realize that my degrees and diplomas aren’t what make me good at my job. It’s me. 

Have you had any mentors? 

I have mentors and people I can go to for advice. They don’t typically look like me so they can’t fully comprehend what I deal with in the workplace, though they can still provide guidance and advice. 

I have a high degree of admirability for Merck’s CEO Ken Frazier, particularly how he’s shaped his life. He’s an African American CEO of a Fortune 500 company — actually, a Fortune 50 company. He’s the grandson of a slave and his father was a janitor. He’s faced a lot of obstacles in his life and he shares those moments publicly, which I appreciate. It makes me proud to work for the company. He also has very high standards, because he has probably always had to be perfect. He doesn’t know me, but I really admire him. 

I think my perception of Mr. Frazier was further solidified when he stepped down from Trump’s manufacturing council after the Charlottesville incident. He discussed that decision at Merck as a matter of conscience, not business. Once it was announced, other CEOs expressed that they would have wanted a head’s up that he was going to step off the council. Mr. Frazier said, “Why would you need a head’s up? This decision was mine.” And ultimately, I think he was able to make that decision as a matter of conscience because he is a person of color. So often in the workplace, people of color have to hide who they are. When he had a moment to show himself, he demonstrated a level of integrity which I think is telling of who he really is. 

How would you recommend identifying potential resources and supports? 

I think it’s hard because I don’t believe in formal mentorships. It’s hard for it to be genuine if you’re just paired up with someone by the company. I wish I could say there’s some prescriptive method, and here’s how you do it.

I would say be genuine to yourself and you will naturally find people you’re drawn to and who are drawn to you. At the same time, you have to network and through that networking within your company you can find a relationship that might be able to build toward a mentor-like relationship. That person has to be willing to invest in you, to get to know you, to know your character. So instead of finding a mentor, find a deliberate network and identify who in your web you can work with. Send a note introducing yourself, and ask that person to coffee. And when you do, have something you specifically want to talk about. You can say “Here’s who I am, I know you’ve done this project or had this accomplishment…” Be thoughtful.

Do you have any useful advice you’d like to share that has been helpful in your professional space? 

It may be negative, but hard work doesn’t always pay off, and you shouldn’t be disappointed by that. Don’t let it knock you down. You will have situations where you’ve worked really hard and everyone loves you, and you still don’t get the results you want, or the recognition from leadership. You may think it’s you, or that you could have done something differently, but never stop being who you are.

While I’ve learned that I have to work very hard just to be in the running, one thing that can make a significant difference is learning who the decision-makers are in your organization. Who are the influencers? Who do you need on your side? If you’re not aware of those dynamics, you may just remain a hard worker that doesn’t progress. I wish I had known that a lot sooner, because I truly thought if I worked hard, I would get results. But this isn’t college. It’s not a test. The corporate world doesn’t work that way. 

What are you most excited about? 

I’m excited about my professional future just in general. I’ve learned a lot along the way, and I’ve gained a lot of really great tools. I realize that I am actually pretty smart, and it took a long time to feel that way. I felt insecure because I didn’t have an MBA. In college, I majored in international studies with a focus on public policy, so I thought I didn’t belong in the business world. I can say now that not only do I belong in this world, but I’m mastering it. So, honestly, I’m really looking forward to being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company someday. That’s my aspiration. And if I’m not, I know that I’ll be on the executive committee or a senior vice president somewhere, and I’ll work hard to get there. I believe in my own capability and have stopped doubting myself. 

Is there anything we missed or didn’t discuss that you would want to impart on someone seeking to move into the corporate world?

I would just offer that when you enter a workplace, be humble, and be willing to learn from others. I say this because I’ve noticed a generational mindset shift where the moment someone in their first year of working sets foot in the office, they think they should be leading meetings. They feel entitled to meet executives. And if they don’t get to do those things, they’re dissatisfied or unhappy. When I first started, I had to learn to print and staple documents for clients. I was reading through PowerPoint presentations to make sure the page numbers were correct. And guess what? That experience actually serves me today. Today, I’m reviewing those decks but now they’re going to the board, and the CEO. The same skills I learned when I was 21 years old, and I’m still putting them to use today. Be willing to take on any tasks no matter how menial or trivial. You’ll look back and be grateful for those experiences.

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Alana Cheeks-Lomax, D&I Tech Executive

Hi, Alana! I’m so glad you’re sitting down with me. Can you share what you do right now? 

Right now, my job is senior manager of global diversity and inclusion at Microsoft. In terms of my role, I’m responsible for managing Microsoft’s diversity and inclusion data reporting strategy including the development of measurements and analysis of diversity data to support Microsoft’s global D&I strategy for organizational impact.  

Are there any pivotal steps or especially meaningful experiences that led you to this work?

I think it’s important to recognize that we are the sum of our experiences. I think all of my experiences have led me to this point. In college, I wanted to be a doctor, and decided not to go that route. I was still interested in healthcare though, but not as a provider, and so I was thinking about how I could still make an impact in that space. I decided to go to graduate school for healthcare policy, and when I graduated, I ended up at Deloitte. 

At Deloitte, I had the opportunity to do a lot of strategy with healthcare clients and healthcare equity. I was thinking about issues like how care is delivered, and in terms of equity, whether the right conversations were being had to ensure all patients receive the same standard of care. Even then, I knew I wanted to continue doing equity work. I started carving out side projects where I could have a voice as a thought leader in D&I. I knew that when I left Deloitte, I wanted my next step to be working in D&I in tech. So when this role at Microsoft came up, it was the perfect culmination of a bunch of experiences. 

I will also say that in between college and graduate school, I did AmeriCorps. I think that was really important because I was seeing how policy influences people, and that position helped shape how I think about equity work. I bring that mindset to a corporate space where a lot of people haven’t had the on-the-ground experiences that I had, that really takes policy from being a one-dimensional discussion. Ultimately, Microsoft was looking for someone who had these multidimensional experiences -- public, private, direct service, policy -- all rolled into one. So it worked out. 

That’s awesome. So, I’m kind of cheating because you and I are friends and I know you started a kind of affinity group while at Deloitte. Can you share more about forming that group? 

Yes, actually, it was called Communities of Color from Coast-to-Coast, or C2C. It’s actually a perfect group to discuss for Black Women Work because C2C was designed to create spaces for Black women, particularly safe spaces. Whether you’re in government, public sector, private sector, academia -- there’s typically not a safe place to learn and make mistakes. Making mistakes in front of mixed company can set us back in terms of promotions, higher pay, getting placed on better projects. 

When my former colleague Jessica Lynch and I brought the idea to leadership, they didn’t think it was necessary. It was like, “Oh, this is cute.” (laughs) Once we put the word out that we were having events, it was like the floodgates opened. Really quickly, we had hundreds of people join our listserv and wanting to be part of the conversation. We realized that people all over the company were having the same conversation over and over, and no matter how long they had been at the firm. I’m happy we could create that space at Deloitte, also, because it provided a foundation for people to just be more comfortable at the firm. Now they had a place to go. So many times, you’re the only one and there’s not a lot of leadership that looks like you. We want people to create conditions where people are allowed to climb the ladder and succeed.

What about you as a person makes you especially adept at what you do?

My lived experience as a Black woman. You know, just because I’m a Black woman, I’m not an expert in everything related to D&I. But I think I have an ability to learn and understand more because of where I’m coming from. I have an appreciation for this work, and ultimately that mindset of inclusion is what makes us better and stronger. Of course, there are plenty of business cases out there demonstrating what D&I means for teams and companies. But I have a real, vested interest in this because it’s a part of our everyday lives as Black people, and so D&I needs to be in every aspect of what we do. 

Are there influential people you’ve looked to for inspiration? 

There are two people: my mom and my grandmother. My grandmother doesn’t have a high school education. She grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, and came to New York because she wanted to make a better life for herself and her family. She had two kids, and had divorced my grandfather which was super unheard of back in the day. I’m inspired when I look at her tenacity and drive to do and to be for her family, and what she instilled in my mom. My mom wanted to go to law school and do all these big things. She just felt capable of being this powerful Black woman. They’ve been a shoulder to cry on, rely on, they’re always there for me. I want to make them proud, and do the same for future generations. 

Can you share what you’ve learned about connecting and networking across your peers? 

I actually didn’t even realize the value of networking until I got to Deloitte. In college, you’d hear certain professors talk about it, but I only realized the value of networking as social capital later when I started working. I realized my peers could share valuable information, too, and could help me out. My role at Microsoft is a perfect example because a friend of mine I’ve had for years reached out and said “This is your job.” He knew I had been looking for a new role, we’d talked about what I wanted to do, and he said “I have the perfect job for you.” And that’s how I got to Microsoft.  

It’s great to have a group to learn and grow with -- people you can move through life with. When I think of our group chat, we can connect so quickly if we need something. We can say “I need help connecting with this person” or “I need help with this specific thing at work” and it’s done.  Peer networking is so important and useful. It’s also important to network downward as part of building your network. 

Can you share more on networking downward?

Sure. You should expand your network naturally. The more people you have in your network, the better. But I think sometimes people assume someone who is younger or who has less experience isn’t valuable to connect with. A lot of the folks I connect with such as my mentees, for example, have been able to connect me with people in their networks that wouldn’t typically be in mine. They also have a much fresher perspective. I’m in the thick of life, and they’re right out of school. They’re bound to have a different view, and that could be useful. I’ll share a practical example, too. At Deloitte, as a manager you would have to staff your projects. Being connected to analysts you can tap to build your project can mean the difference between whether you’re able to have a really strong team or not. 

Can you identify a time where you felt that you had really stepped into your own? A career-defining moment, maybe?

Oh, that's a good question! I feel like I’ve had multiple moments like that. Honestly, at every stage you feel like, “Oh, this is it!” (laughs) I do think that Coast-2-Coast was a big moment for me, when I took a stance with my colleagues to really tell leadership what we needed and what we wanted from them, from the firm. I felt that I was really taking the reins. 

How did you go about doing that? That’s so bold!

I emailed the CEO of Deloitte about Black Lives Matter, as a representative of Coast-2-Coast. I figured if I got fired, then I would know that this just wasn’t the company for me. I think I’ve always been an activist but around the time where it was back-to-back -- Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, the Pulse shootings. You remember that crazy few months? And so leadership had sent an email to staff saying “Pray for Pulse” and “Pray for Orlando.” They offered counselors. Nothing came out about the shootings. That was frustrating. And it was crazy, because after those few days when so many Black people were being killed by police one after the other, every Black person I saw at work was in a daze. So my message to leadership was that you can’t triage what tragedies you will and won’t recognize, because it affects us. I just had a moment where I really felt that if they couldn't respect the request, then I needed to leave. And they responded with an apology and a promise to review protocol. I took that as a win. They heard us. 

What are you excited about for your future? 

In the “work” bucket, I’m excited about the new space I’m in. I’m excited for a new opportunity to make an impact and drive change. The universe, God -- they work in so many ways to put you where you need to be. I need to be here. I’m looking forward to trying a new city, Seattle, where I’ll be moving soon. Making new friends and getting out of my comfort zone. It’s easy to be comfortable but I know that when I’m uncomfortable, that is where the growth is. 

In other parts of my life, I’m excited about exploring other opportunities and new spaces. The things I think about for my future have no alignment with what I’m doing now. (laughs) I want to have a TV show, write a book -- so many things. Sometimes I wonder how I’ll get there, but I know if it’s meant for me, it will happen.

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Tiye McLeod, Media Strategy Director

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Hi, Tiye! How would you describe what you’re currently doing?  

I have spent seven and a half years working in advertising, specifically in media planning. In layman's terms, media planning is when a brand such as Coke comes to agencies like mine with a budget they’re prepared to spend on marketing efforts. We will then work with and advise the brand to figure out a target audience, potential places for innovation, which media platforms to use, and performance metrics. My team would then go into the media marketplace and seek out spaces for the brand -- spaces like Refinery29, Instagram, or Facebook -- to divvy up that budget across multiple forms of media including print, TV, social media. So we’re making recommendations on placement. That’s been the majority of my career. In the last couple of months I have made a slight shift to be involved on the strategy side, where the approach is more of a holistic, top-line framework. We’re looking at consumer insights, sociological research, media innovation. It’s not so in the weeds, or execution-focused, in comparison to what I was doing before.  

How would you describe the path to get to where you’re at now? 

In the summer before my junior year, I interned at a multicultural advertising agency in Atlanta, my hometown. It was called Images, though it’s no longer in operation. It was Black-owned, and Black-run, and there were so many disciplines represented in just that one agency. There were so many things to do and it didn’t feel routine. That’s when I thought, OK, I could do this. Later in college, I was in the journalism school and had the option to focus on advertising, and my next internship was a media company called Time Inc. (which was recently bought by Meredith Corp) in NYC which published top magazines such as People, Time, and Essence. My specific role was in the research and insights department. That was another, very different aspect of the work that I appreciated

By the time I graduated, I had figured out that New York City was the epicenter for the advertising and media industry, and I wanted to move there. I was open to a pretty wide range of opportunities. Like a lot of students fresh out of college, I was like, someone just give me a job! (laughs) I took just about 4 months off after graduation, and after that time some friends of mine were at Howard’s School of Communications. They invited me to this job fair at their school, which I now know is really popular and well-known. My friend and I decided to go crash it, and there were recruiters there from UM (Universal McCann) -- where I currently work -- which is how I made my connections.

Yes to crashing job fairs! That’s amazing. So what do you think makes you uniquely positioned to do what you do?

My identity plays a big role. Growing up I was exposed to so many different cultures, and now so much of my role is analyzing cultural trends. I’m a first generation American, with Jamaican parents. I grew up in the South as a person of color, and a woman. I have a diverse group of friends, and diverse interests. All of this allows me to think differently, to be able to step into tasks in different ways, from different perspectives. 

You’re in a very corporate, commercial space. Do you feel that there is a greater good in the work that you do? 

Yes, definitely. I have worked with clients focused on greater good. I used to work on the Johnson & Johnson account, and they are very much into corporate social responsibility. Another account I’ve worked on was CVS Health, a company striving to be more than retail pharmacy but also to be sector leaders -- they banned tobacco five years ago, for example. They also had a campaign called Beauty Unaltered which centered around the fact that they do not digitally retouch the images of models in their stores/campaigns. So I have been a part of those initiatives, which makes me feel like my moral compass is pointed in the right direction.

As you envision it at the moment, what excites you about the future of your career? Or, more broadly, the future of the space you are in?

The U.S. population is growing more and more diverse. In 2040, it’s predicted that the country’s  population will be majority minority. In the field that I’m in and in so many other spaces and sectors being a person of color means that you have foresight into what’s coming. In that way we’re set up so well for the future. I’m interested to see what strategies and initiatives brands will use to appeal to minorities and other historically overlooked groups.

There’s also an exciting but more daunting trend, which is the huge role technology has in our society today. When I started my career, Snapchat didn’t exist! When you thought of social media, you really just thought of Facebook. Now it’s TikTok, tomorrow it will be something else. It is exciting but it also adds a bit of uncertainty in this field.  

Is there a time you feel that your identity influenced how you were perceived at work or shaped how you experienced work? 

I had a managing director who was a Trump supporter. They were the “But her emails!” type. That was a challenge, just to be around that kind of attitude. I’ve had a supervisor who just didn’t understand me and who I am, and so they were very aloof with me. I used to be more interested in proving myself, but you get to a point in your career where people know how capable you are and that you’re good at what you do. You feel more comfortable letting other parts of yourself come out. There are so many different facets of me, and that is how I’m able to bring my unique perspective to what I do. I feel lucky that I can now say that I feel that I can be myself at work.  

When did you feel comfortable being yourself?

I think I can actually pinpoint it. A brand I worked on, a dairy-alternative, was looking to more explicitly target Black people because a lot of us are lactose intolerant. I was able to step in and through my identity, I had a lot of intuition and could share a lot of anecdotes. For example, in a brainstorm session, we started discussing a potential angle related to Black parenting practices -- specifically, exploring unique aspects of how Black mothers parent. And I immediately said, “Haircare!” Black mothers connect with their children through doing their hair. I was able to bring that into the discussion by tapping into my own life story and cultural understanding. 

I think a lot of times white people don’t want to think of you as a color -- they say “I don’t see color” or “we’re all one race.” But I grew up as a Black woman in a Black household,  and my experience is different than yours. And while our experiences are both valid, they aren’t equally valued in professional spaces. So being able to step in with my identity as this special insight that only I had felt good.

Is there anything else you considered as we’ve spoken that you want to get out? 

One thing that has been very popular is diversity, equity, and inclusion, or “DEI”. Recently I attended a session facilitated by a white man and a Black woman who were in human resources. They were talking about mentorship, finding someone like yourself who can guide you. It reminded me of early in college and later when you start your career, and everyone talks about mentorship in this very specific way. As though there’s this Black angel in a gown who will emerge and guide you in your career, like a fairy godmother. But I have found a lot of great allies in white women, other people who aren’t “like me”. I think it’s so important for young Black women to keep that in mind as they seek out mentors. Don’t just seek out Black people, or other Black women. First, that’s unfortunately just hard to do. In many spaces, we aren’t represented in large numbers yet. But also there are other ways to find affinity with people. You can relate to people in so many different ways. The most important thing is to find someone who is in your corner.

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