Life is a Highway

Imagine a busy highway full of cars, each trying to reach their destination quickly. This highway is like a career path – it has lanes and exits leading to different places.

For newcomers in the workforce, their career journey begins in the right lane. They feel a bit nervous, unsure of how to navigate their way through, so they stick to the designated speed limit. But with time and experience, they gain confidence and start passing others who are still in the same lane.

The middle lanes are for those who have been on the road for a while. They're comfortable and confident in their skills. They plan their exit strategy, knowing that it is important to take the right turn at the right time. But they also need to be aware of their surroundings - avoiding sudden lane changes and being gracious to others on the road.

And finally, there's the left lane - the lane for the experienced drivers who know the road so well that they don't even have to think about it. They're keeping the traffic flow going, glancing in their rearview mirror from time to time to ensure other drivers are aware of them.

But the thing is, every lane on the highway serves a purpose. And the journey's success depends on the decisions made by the people behind the wheel.

Often, companies focus on hiring only experienced drivers, neglecting the fact that the right lane is where the growth opportunities exist. Hiring entry-level and junior talent can be beneficial for both parties. They bring fresh ideas and a thirst for learning while keeping the road flow moving. So let's not overlook the importance of the starting lane – because it's where the journey begins.

Passion and Purpose

The journey of pivoting from Dentistry to Brand Marketing has been GHETTO — part choice, part happenstance. Perhaps it’s that - the unknowns and chaos - that allow me to confidently navigate spaces that repeatedly remind me why I’m unfit. That ideology assumed for me is a measure and standard to which I don’t subscribe.

It was not until the great resignation and a misunderstanding with a friend that I started to really move in purpose for a purpose. Being groomed while unaware of what was happening. I moved with a conviction, I’ve had since I was a kid. 

What remains consistent in my journey of creating spaces and places for folks to thrive is, ‘What can I bring to this, so a homie doesn’t have to struggle like I did?’  The TLDR; how do I continue to elevate, validate, empower, and foster community in the space that need it most? How can I give voice and power to the me’s out there that don’t know because no one has stopped to share. While Google and the internets are very accessible, if you don’t know what you are looking for, how do you start?

We grow more trees with seeds that are watered and cultivated in rich soils. These streets are WILD, and fatigue is real. If life allows you the space and affords you the time, clarify your why. Your why will anchor the ship as you move through the storms. And with every storm that passes, we weather, we learn –  triage with calm and reflect on what is needed for the next inevitable storm.

Moving the needle or leaning heavily on the perception?

It's no secret that I've been actively interviewing for the last nine months. After tailoring hundreds (600+) applications landing me to various final rounds, I am met with 'we are moving forward with someone who is closely aligned with our needs or with more experience.'

It's likely your first question is, how did you get that far? You're not alone. I am too.

I find this response intriguing. In a culture of receipts to get you the job, where are the jobs creating the opportunity for receipt?

There is truth to having experience, but data tell us that the experience is often mostly homogenous and ranked in a particular order. There is this idea of doing things differently, yet, how is difference being exercised in real-time when progress is looking more and more like history books?

In these conversations, I focus on lived experience and skills directly related to the roles and responsibilities -- often familiarizing hiring teams across various industries and organizations on something related yet executed differently.

As I navigate the interview process and reflect, I'm left asking myself, 'how do I enroll buy out of the 'system' grooming hiring teams to focus on KPIs? I wonder what supporting decision makers to listen with the intent of understanding how various skills impact the result rather than focusing on the nuance of years.' Especially in marketing where a 4-year degree is nice but unnecessary. It's important to note that some of our most successful leaders in marketing majored in other subjects.  

There is a consensus that where there's a will, there's a way, but often will is not enough. There has to be an interest in giving a hand up and removing the idea that everyone is looking for a handout. This brings us back to the equality and equity conversations - which are currently trending downwards.

It takes a special person to exercise a WE mindset when we've been programmed to focus on ME. And while I am not suggesting we become martyrs to the cause, if we are leaving doors open for a select few, intentional or not… are we looking to move the needle or leaning heavily on the perception of the masses?

You can teach how to create a marketing brief. 

You can teach how to build a case for buy-in with stakeholders across various organizational levels. 

What can’t be taught is leadership, that is modeled in behaviors.

What can’t be taught is experience that is a direct results of opportunity. 

Notes on Heros…

Hero {he·​ro} a person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

They say never meet your heroes. I say meet your heroes but remember that they are human. Perfect as much as they are imperfect. Knowledgeable in spaces as they are unfamiliar with others.  

I wonder if the better advice is to marvel at the work of many and practice things of those you admire most.

I took notes and added my ‘Ghetto-ness’ cause I believe it's ‘God-es-ness.’  

I took notes and added my hymn. Maybe the ancestors are waiting for me to sing triumphantly on a vibe.

I found my voice. 

I found my gift. 

To give back while I’m given.

To build wide as I build deep.

To lend an ear and create space. 

Perhaps, I am Hero.

Perfect as much as I’m imperfect. Knowledgeable in spaces and unfamiliar with others.  

A student to a Culture Scholar

I met a Culture Scholar. 

Well, let's take a step back; I didn't really know him as a culture scholar, but what I did know is that he finessed words and expressions validating my New Jersey accent, mixed with City swag and a love for culture that lives in my marrow, but robbed by the necessity to assimilate - endure - the certainty that culture is us and we are culture.

That is a lecture I want to be present for. A book I can’t wait to read.

I met a Culture Scholar. 

He said, ‘Create the content .’

So I created a piece.

Fine Art Painted with Large Brushstrokes

This idea of culture for those outside of culture is fine art painted with large brushstrokes - which leaves a canvas messy.  You can see a thing, but it’s left unrecognizable.  It wants to be, but it’s lost in layers of judgment by folks who don’t value its nuance. Perhaps, culture would benefit from more contributors and less critique.  

If we should critique, let the critique expand our thinking. In ways that open minds emotively, to understand better, to welcome in.