BlackWomenWork

Hi, Nicole! What do you do and how would you describe it to someone unfamiliar with the space?

I’m a senior communications manager at Reddit, where I lead our consumer work. I spend a lot of my time on Reddit finding unique ways our users are connecting with one another in various communities on the platform—this could be anything from parents asking for advice or support, to uncovering fan theories from the hottest shows, or highlighting communities that have made a big impact off-platform. Once I identify these moments, I pitch them as story ideas to journalists at media outlets. So a lot of my time is spent on the platform, and talking with and pitching reporters.

What attracts you to what you do?

I’ve always been passionate about storytelling. I don’t like talking about myself but I like listening to and hearing other people share their own journeys—their passions, what drives them. Communications is a field where you can do that in a number of ways. Reddit’s users are real people with real interests and passions, and in my role I have the unique opportunity to dive deeper into the “why.” And, also, every company needs communications. (laughs)

Is there a thread in retrospect that you feel has lead you to where you are?

I never even thought about PR or communications as a career. In college, I actually studied broadcast journalism and thought I wanted to be on TV or radio delivering the news of the day. People say connections and networking are everything and it’s the way I fell into the line of work I’m doing now. My first job out of college, I worked at a political think tank in D.C. where I was able to use my TV and radio background to book experts in-house on broadcast interviews. That was really my first experience understanding how to craft a story angle and pitch media outlets around certain moments. So I kind of just fell into more of a PR role and it took a deep hold.

And how did you know that PR is what you wanted to do?

I think I loved, and still love, the storytelling element and the fact that most of the work you’re doing is done behind the scenes. There’s also a very human element that comes with doing consumer communications because you’re pitching and crafting story ideas that stem from the trends and events that your friends and loved ones care about and sometimes you have the opportunity to highlight moments that have had an impact on someone’s life.

Have you ever had to overcome self-doubt as a result of your identity running into the requirements of the job?

For sure. I’ve definitely experienced imposter syndrome throughout my career. I don’t think that’s a unique feeling but it is definitely something we, as black women, can feel the higher up we climb in our careers where there aren’t a lot of people that look like us in certain rooms. While it can be very intimidating, I try to look at it as an opportunity to be a unique voice and representative in a space.

As I listen to you, what you’re saying resonates 100 percent. But would you agree, also, that there is something a bit empowering to having your identity play into your strengths of your position?

Absolutely. It also goes without saying that as black women, we don’t have the luxury of not thinking about our identity in the workplace. With that, I think it’s important to call out any issues or concerns you may have as that unique voice in the room. There have been moments in my career where I’ve had to flag if something felt tone deaf or problematic, or certain decisions didn’t feel like the right path to take. It’s important for me to say something in my line of work because we, as communications professionals, are the external voices for a brand or company. I think it’s harder to speak up in those situations when you’re new to a role or just starting out in your career but there’s a quote that one of my favorite motivational speakers, Carla Harris, says that I read everyday to try to overcome this fear: "If you’ve been invited to the room, you belong in the room.”

Any final thoughts bouncing around?

My hope is that as black women continue to get into more positions of power and influence, certain stigmas we currently face in the workplace will fade away. Having more black women and other diverse voices in the room is an opportunity to solve business issues and see ideas and challenges from a different lens. And I’m so happy you’re doing this project and I’m excited to read other experiences black women have faced in their own careers, so thank you!

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Hey, Portia! I’m so glad you’re speaking with me. What do you do and how would you describe it to someone unfamiliar with the space?

I work in social media and communications at a consulting firm, working as an account lead. I develop social media content for the client and assist with various marketing initiatives within the firm.

Right now, my client is a federal government agency and focuses on initiatives to protect women against violence. It’s a pretty cool initiative. The position requires a security clearance; a very Washington, D.C. thing to talk about, but it basically gives you permission to access information that isn’t available to the public.

I’ve been in this role for just two months. Before that, I was doing social media strategy and managing video content at a professional membership organization.

Is there a moment when you realized that you wanted to be in social media?

No, I don’t think there is a specific moment. I studied business in undergrad and I focused on marketing. When I graduated, I worked at Target as an analyst. It was really structured and I wanted more room to be creative. I started looking for new jobs and the following role is when I got into social media. This was like ten years ago, before people were “pinning”, before Instagram. The social media landscape was basically just Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. So I don’t think there was a clear moment because social media was so new at the time. I just stumbled into it, and now it’s this huge thing.

What would you say are the positives and the negatives of the space you’re in?

Well, a positive is that social media is a field people are deeply interested in and still trying to fully understand. There are a lot of job opportunities. A negative is that a lot of companies don’t fully understand social media and the impact it has. Very few companies aside from apparel brands, cosmetics, grooming companies -- essentially the brands you see all over Instagram -- truly understand its value. So it can be hard to walk into meetings and ask a client, “OK, so what would you like to do? What’s your budget?” and they say “Oh, we haven’t thought about it.” You know, Nike knows their social media budget, and they’re very thoughtful about what they want to do and how they want to leverage social media platforms to enhance their brand.

I think the mistake a lot of brands and companies make is spending all this time making the product, thinking that if it’s a good product, people will just show up and use it. That’s not the case. You need to invest in channels that will motivate people to purchase your product or service.

In your experiences, what makes you uniquely suited to do what you do?

I come in with a perspective of a Black woman -- “the diversity perspective.” (laughs) I have saved my former employers a lot of heartache and pain by calling out the lack of people of color in major campaigns. Now, people feel a little more comfortable about speaking out when they perceive a lack of representation, but it wasn’t always like that.

But even still, there are plenty of times we don’t speak up when we see something because we’re women of color in predominantly male, predominantly white spaces. It’s important to speak up, though. I was working on a campaign for a previous employer, and pretty much all the photos showed white volunteers helping Black people. I had to raise my hand like, “This isn’t OK.” Just having a different voice in the room ensured that idea didn’t make it out to the public. We have shifting demographics that should change the way companies showcase their products and services. To make sure people see themselves represented.

Also, another way I’m well-suited for what I do is that I’m always willing to try things. I don’t want to be stagnant and use the same formula every time. I’m always willing to do research to inform a new approach, which isn’t always easy but I feel I have to try.

What is your support system like?

Oh man -- thank God for Black women and sisterhood! It’s baffling to me that I have friends who are in the nonprofit sector, academia, small firms, big firms, and we all have similar experiences. It’s crazy to think that we all still have to constantly speak up for ourselves, to prove ourselves. They’re questioning you and talking over you, not paying you what you deserve. The best resource I have is a group of Black women who can support each other, pray for each other, express our frustrations. No matter what industry, they can share insights and perspective that I can relate to. Of course, that includes my mom. I always like to talk with her and get her perspective. I don’t know where we would be if we didn’t have each other.

You also always need a work bestie! Your work bestie may not be your bestie in real life, but they’re who you can go to in the middle of the day and vent and express frustration, bounce ideas off of them, and know that you’re in a safe space. That’s so important. When you’re in a space where there isn’t another Black woman or a woman of color, it can really be a struggle.

I like that you’ve highlighted having a safe space because we can’t show up as Black women and state how we’re feeling, and definitely not in the way we want to say it.

No, you can’t! But I always tell my friends, go for those stretch jobs where you’re qualified but it’s just a bit beyond reach, and just walk in like a mediocre white man. (laughs) He’d have no problem speaking up and telling that employer what he’s done and why he’s so right for the job. You just have to realize that while they may question you, and they likely will, you have to keep showing up as yourself and pushing in.

I love it. Tell me what excites you about the future.

I get really excited when I think about how Black women are gaining more confidence to take up new spaces. We’ve seen through generations that we were working just to earn some money for ourselves and that was supposed to be enough. Just working for someone else, generating a profit for them. We’ve come so far in such a short amount of time, and I’m excited to see what we can do in this current generation and future generations. Black women are so hard working. We’re the most educated group in America, and we mentor and coach each other. I just love seeing the sisterhood grow where we’re creating opportunities to support each other and helping one another win.

I also think it will be interesting to see how technology intersects with marketing. There’s some really interesting stuff coming out with artificial intelligence and augmented reality. I’m definitely curious to see how marketing gets further integrated into our normal everyday lives.

For the world as a whole...time will tell. (laughs) It’s a little crazy right now. But as long as we’re investing in each other, spending our black money and our black time on each other, I think we’ll continue to thrive.

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