On the forty-first installment of Tristan's Tips, our special guest Tristan Layfield talks about how you as a job seeker can maximize your holiday break. Since many of us get a little more time off around the holidays, it’s a great opportunity to get all your ducks in a row to make some major moves for next year!Connect with Tristan on LinkedIn, IG, FB, and Twitter!Visit our website!TRANSCRIPTTristan: What is going on, y'all? It's Tristan Layfield of Layfield Resume Consulting, and I've teamed up with Living Corporate to bring you all a weekly career tip. This week let’s talk about how you as a job seeker can maximize your holiday break.For many us, searching for a job is a tiring chore when you’ve already been working for 8, 10, or 12 hours. But the holiday season offers us a couple of breaks that we can fully take advantage of to be ready to hit the ground running on our job search next year. Here are a few things you can do to leverage that downtime.First, update your resume. Review and edit everything - your contact info, your summary, your education, the way you sell the results you’ve driven or the value you’ve provided, etc. This is also a great time to analyze a couple job descriptions to identify and incorporate keywords. Since many of your friends or family are off from there jobs this is a prime opportunity for you to get another set of eyes on the document to make sure things sound good and to correct any spelling or grammar errors. If you need help, check out my free resume update checklist at the link in my Instagram bio.Next, update your LinkedIn and build your network. Make sure that your profile represents not only what you’re currently doing and the results you’ve driven but also what you are looking to do in the future. Check out the job seeking settings they have, I talk about these on episode 141 on this podcast. Also, go beyond just your profile. The key to LinkedIn is engagement. That means you should start posting your own posts as well as liking, commenting, and sharing other’s posts.Lastly, take the time to reach out and reconnect with lost connections who may be home or visiting. The holiday season is a great time to rekindle connections with people you may have lost touch with since they may travel back home or back to the area. These people can provide you with a wealth of knowledge as I talked about in my tip on episode 138. They typically have access to knowledge and information that our immediate circles aren’t privy to.Since many of us get a little more time off around the holidays, it’s a great opportunity to get all your ducks in a row to make some major moves for next year!This tip was brought to you by Tristan of Layfield Resume Consulting. Check us out on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at @layfieldresume or connect with me, Tristan Layfield, on LinkedIn!

On the fourteenth installment of The Link Up with Latesha, our incredible host Latesha Byrd, founder of Byrd Career Consulting, talks about how therapy has made her a better entrepreneur, a better professional, a better friend, and better to herself. Having a relationship with yourself is crucial to your growth and development, and it will allow you to build self-awareness as you are constantly improving and working towards achieving your goals. Let's normalize the conversation of going to therapy!Learn more about Latesha on the BCC website or connect with her through her socials! LinkedIn, IG, Twitter, FBStop by LateshaByrd.com!Check out Latesha's YouTube channel!BCC's socials: LinkedIn, IG, Twitter, FBVisit our website!TRANSCRIPTLatesha: What's up, everyone? Welcome to The Link Up with Latesha on Living Corporate. This podcast is for young professionals that need some real advice, tips, and resources to navigate corporate America and dominate their career. If you're looking to upgrade your brand, get the knowledge you need to level up professionally for your future, you are in the right place. I'm your host, Latesha Byrd. So let's get into today's episode. I'm so excited to just share this very important topic with you all today. I am going to be talking about how therapy has made me a better entrepreneur, a better professional, a better friend, and better to myself honestly. [laughs] So, you know, as working professionals or entrepreneurs that are highly driven and ambitious, we have a hard time with giving ourselves grace. I hope that you can relate to this, [laughs] because our mental health is so, so crucial to success. Having a relationship with yourself is crucial to your growth and to your development, and it will allow you to build self-awareness as you are constantly improving and working towards achieving your goals. So what I'm gonna be sharing with you all is my journey with therapy, why I started going to therapy, how I started going, and how it has essentially changed my life. If you follow me on Twitter, I am always talking about therapy. I love going to therapy. It's not easy, now. [laughs] It's not easy. It's not, like--I don't know if I would categorize or label my therapy sessions as fun, but I enjoy going because it stretches me and makes me uncomfortable and makes me call out the biases and the lies [laughs] that I'm telling myself. So I'll start with why I started going to therapy. Actually, let me just--before I talk about why I started going to therapy, I want to just share that, you know, PTSD is real from working as the only person of color, or one of the few, in a predominantly white workplace. I've talked to women particularly--and there's some men as well--you know, black women that have been discriminated against, that are treated unfairly, that are blamed for things that they have--that they've never even touched before. I've heard of women being, you know, let go for things that their co-workers maybe just got a little slap on the wrist for, you know? I have heard stories of us feeling uncomfortable walking into work or feeling like if we share a little bit of ourselves, they will take that and use that against us. I've heard all of your stories, and I've--it really, really hurts, and it angers me to hear the experiences of the trauma, you know, that we have to deal with in the workplace, and I do think that is why going to therapy is extremely important. Know one that you are not alone. You are not alone in this, and it's important to have someone that you can talk to about it. Now, my personal reasons for going to therapy--I'm not going to get into too much detail as to why I started going, but it was really for me based on some deeply rooted issues within my family that I had been experiencing and the trauma that I went through as a child, as a young adult, in college and even, you know, post-graduation from college, and hell, I'm still dealing with some [BLEEP]. [laughs] But we cannot, you know, choose our family, but I also kind of grew up thinking "Okay, well, your family is your family. You have to respect them. You gotta just deal with them, even if it's your parent, because that's how it's supposed to be. You gotta respect 'em." You know? And so I just thought, like, I had to deal with a lot of BS because they, you know, were my family members. So that's why I started going to therapy, just to kind of figure out, you know, how I can relieve some of the stress and the heartbreak that I have experienced. I have a--just to share a little personal anecdote, I have a very distant relationship with my mother because of a marriage that she's--a very toxic marriage that she's been in for about 10 years. So I very--I rarely see her. Actually, I haven't seen her in years. Honestly, I don't talk to her. I want to be in her life, but I have been shunned. And I grew up in a single-parent household. She raised me. So that has been so hard for me to just get--to get through, you know? I love her, and I will be there whenever she needs me, but I've realized in conversations with friends that they said, "Yo, like, your situation, that's not normal, and that's not okay, and we need you to really get some help." There is a stigma in the black community that if you are, you know, going to therapy you're quote-unquote "crazy," right? Or that means that something is wrong with you, but it is so important for us to--and I'll be honest, I thought that. I mean, it was literally ingrained in me, and so I was conditioned to think that if you go to therapy, "What? What's wrong with you?" You know? [laughs] But I've been going now for--let's see, starting in May, so about six months, and it has literally changed my life. So without further ado, let me just tell you all what I have learned from therapy. It has--one, I've learned that I need to give myself more grace, giving myself grace, and also working on self-compassion. My first therapy session I was super nervous. I didn't know what to expect. I was like, "Okay, what if she doesn't like me? What if I don't like her? What if I--" Like, I just had no clue what to expect. [laughs] So, you know, I kind of went in there and she said, you know, "What made you come to therapy?" And I'm like, "Wait, what? I don't--I don't know. I'm here." And she's like, "Okay. Well, just tell me about yourself." So that's kind of how we started. The first thing--the advice that I would give about going to therapy is you definitely will have to be vulnerable and transparent if you want to get the most out of it. Vulnerability is something that I also struggle with as someone that is a leader. Naturally I have a lot of people that look up to me, and my clients and friends, and so showing weakness, showing that you don't have it all together, ooh, you can't do that, right? I have learned though, from watching Renee Brown--I probably have talked about her a lot on previous episodes, but I've learned a lot from her about vulnerability. So check out her TED Talk. She also has a Netflix special, and she talks about, you know, that--she talks about how vulnerability is bravery. So I am learning to be vulnerable, but anyways, in that first session, the main thing that came out was self-compassion and having a relationship with yourself. And I did not have a relationship with myself. Like, I did not. I was kind of going through the day-to-day, going through the motions, you know? Going to my office and talking to clients and working, coming home and working more, and not really checking in with myself to actually ask myself, "Hey, are you happy? How are you feeling?" You know, "How is your energy?" Right? And so that was the first thing I learned was one, I had to give myself self-compassion and know that, one, I'm not going to be perfect. [laughs] The people around me are not going to be perfect, and see, because I did not practice self-compassion, I also wasn't compassionate with others. With my team, you know? With friends. I didn't give other folks grace because I did not lend that to myself. So I've had to learn how to be kinder with the words that I'm speaking to myself and also make sure that I'm constantly checking in to see how I'm feeling, and if I need--maybe I'm working too hard or going too hard and I need to take a break, you know, or maybe I'm having, you know, some negative thoughts. That means that I need to take a step back and say, "Okay, why am I feeling this way?" So it's been really interesting, you know? I love learning more about myself. I feel like I am coming into myself, and I think that becoming is better than being, and I learned the difference between being and the difference between becoming. I journal all of the time now. That took me some time to actually get used to. I mean, I've journaled before in the past. Like, in the morning--I have a stoic journal that was gifted to me by a friend where we have guided journal questions or prompts, but I have now transitioned more into self-reflection, journaling my emotions throughout the day, journaling how I feel about my relationship with myself and then with others. So I've learned to give myself self-compassion. That has, you know, allowed me to be more compassionate with others. That's allowed me to be more empathetic. The way that this has helped me to change my life and business, or business specifically, is because I would go into therapy sessions, and the first thing I would say--when she'd ask me how things were going I would say, "Oh, man. You know, entrepreneurship is so hard." [laughs] Which it is. Like, real talk. Everybody knows it's hard. But I was like, "Man, business, running a business is just hard," and she looked at me and she said, "You understand that this is your business, right?" Like, it's your business. This is what you wanted. This is what you signed up for. You are in control here, so I'm going to need for you why or what's making it so hard and go ahead and start working on making some changes. And she asked me why it was so hard, and I was telling her about the workload, and, you know, she told me how she ended up, you know, just kind of downsizing, and she thought that she wanted to grow a very large company and realized that that's not what she wanted. And it made me take a step back because I was working--I mean, there's 24 hours in the day and your girl was working about 17 hours, sleeping and getting up and working again, going to the office, going to meetings, speaking, you know? I also teach at a university. And, I mean, I would--I was driving myself crazy, and I was unhappy. I was so unhappy. My team was stressed out. And I ended up changing my whole business model, because I realized that I did not want a company where I had to work myself to death and my team had to as well. So the shift that I made, I'll tell you about that. Originally, you know, when I started my company, if you listened to the episode a couple weeks ago, I talk about how I started my company, where it was mostly doing resume writing, and now it's shifted into career coaching. So I've pretty much changed the business model. 75% of my business, approximately 75%, is solely 1-on-1 career coaching and business coaching. Prior to that--and I made the shift a few months ago. Prior to that, you know, it was focused on resume makeovers, LinkedIn makeovers, interview coaching, and we had about 30 to 40 clients--whoo, just the thought of that gives me--[laughs] just the thought of that just kind of gave me a real quick headache. 30 to 40 clients a month. I was keeping my prices somewhat low so they could be competitive in the market, and that's fine if that's how you want your business model to operate. Lower price point means more clients, right? Well, I don't want to say that that's exactly what it equates to, but that was my thought process. And so we were working with about 30 to 40 clients, you know, probably about 15 to 18 simultaneously, and it was hard. Like, it was very hard. I was stressed out. My team was stressed out. It was hard to keep up with everyone. And then I had to take a step back and ask myself, "Is this truly what I want?" "Is this really what I want?" And sometimes you do have to do that, you know? Check in with yourself regularly. And I realized that it wasn't, and so because of that I shifted my business model to career coaching. I had a launch strategy. I built a brand new website. I did that on my own, which I am so proud of, on Squarespace. Check it out - LateshaByrd.com. I'll probably link it in the show notes as well. And so--now don't--I know there's a lot of listeners out there in the tech industry, so if y'all have some tips on my site let me know, okay? I am not [laughs] a coder, but I worked very hard on it. So anyways, I shifted my business model. I had a launch strategy, and I ended up getting 15 coaching clients to start coaching with me from October to December. Most of them paid me upfront for the three months, but I had my revenue goals, and I said, "If I can charge this amount, if I can hit this number of coaching clients, I'm good," and that's what I did. Everything has been so wonderful. I do have a three-month coaching program, so now I will have recurring coaching clients every quarter. So I'll have new coaching clients starting in January. So going from January to March, the next group going from April to June, and starting again in July and then October. I love that because I didn't have that level of organization and efficiency in my business the way that I have now where before I would just enroll coaching clients whenever they wanted to start, and so now everyone is on the same schedule, they're going through the same type of information, and so it has been wonderful. I have gotten so much of my time back, and I also realized that if I am preaching to other people about just living the lifestyle that you deserve but I'm over here stressed out, you know, I'm kind of being a hypocrite, right? And so I had to take a tough look at myself, and I fundamentally decided this was the best thing for me to do. I have gotten so much time back, and because my business is now at this level of, you know, organization, I am able to focus on other areas of my life. So now I'm focused on my physical health, going to the gym and eating healthy. Still working on that. [laughs] And, you know, I think I said my budget, so I'm just trying to work on my finances as well, but because now I have this one area of my life in order, it has allowed me to focus on other areas. Hopefully for those business owners out there that are listening to this, if you don't go to therapy, I highly recommend it. Let's normalize the conversation of going to therapy. Let's talk about what we learned. You know, let's just all focus on mental health, you know? We get a lot of negative content kind of fed to us on a daily basis, and there's a lot of the--you know, we all kind of compare ourselves to each other on social media, things of that nature, but get your mental health in order please, because that is going to hold you back from really just being your fullest and truest and happiest and your best self. Other things that I learned outside of self-compassion - giving myself grace, you know? Asking myself the tough questions and checking in with myself, and making changes was, again, just taking that ownership, you know? Taking that ownership and understanding that I cannot change other people. I can only set boundaries. So I'm working on setting boundaries. Communicating my needs and my expectations in all of my relationships. You can't control what someone else does. You can tell them how you want to be treated, and if they act accordingly or not, then you will know what it is that you need to do. So that is my spiel. If you have any questions about therapy, let me know. You know, this is a very important just time in our lives as we're growing in our careers to make sure that we do have a relationship with self. If you don't have a relationship with yourself, then let's start there, because that's gonna be, you know, the #1 factor to building, as I mentioned earlier, that self-awareness. You have to know who you are, what you need to work on, and who you want to be so that you can know what changes need to be met and so that you can also know where you want to go professionally. All right, guys. I hope this was helpful. I look forward to hearing your feedback and your comments about this. Again, therapy has changed my life. It has made me a better entrepreneur, has made me a better friend, and I'm so incredibly grateful to be on this journey, and I'm really excited to share this with you all. So talk to you all next week.

On the thirteenth entry of The Link Up with Latesha, our incredible host Latesha Byrd, founder of Byrd Career Consulting, speaks about effective career planning - working on your career versus in your career. With 2020 right around the corner, this is a great opportunity for all of us to make some fundamental shifts that we have been maybe kind of putting off in our careers or in our businesses. Hear the five questions Latesha suggests asking yourself that are key to unleashing your career potential next year!Learn more about Latesha on the BCC website or connect with her through her socials! LinkedIn, IG, Twitter, FBCheck out Latesha's YouTube channel!BCC's socials: LinkedIn, IG, Twitter, FBVisit our website!TRANSCRIPTLatesha: What's up, everyone? Welcome to The Link Up with Latesha on Living Corporate. This podcast is for young professionals that need some real advice, tips, and resources to navigate corporate America and dominate their career. If you're looking to upgrade your brand, get the knowledge you need to level up professionally for your future, you are in the right place. I'm your host, Latesha Byrd. So let's get into today's episode. Today on The Link Up with Latesha we are talking about effective career planning - working on your career versus in your career. Now, if I have any entrepreneurs listening, I'm sure you all are very familiar with the term of working in your business versus working on your business and how many entrepreneurs get caught up working in their business--meaning just handling the day-to-day tasks of actually running the business versus actually working on the business, which is centered around, you know, strategizing, planning, really thinking about the future of the company, thinking about scaling strategies and et cetera. However, this is a really important topic for entrepreneurs, but what about working professionals? This is why I wanted to talk about this. I've never heard someone use it in the terms of working in your career versus working on your career, but it's super, super similar, and I've realized through my coaching, as a career [and life?] coach, [that] most of us--I don't want to say most and make that assumption or generalization, but many of us don't really work on our careers, we work in our careers. That being said, we typically just go through the day-to-day of getting the work done, you know? Getting the work done, doing our jobs, going home, right, and then when it actually comes time for evaluations, promotions, talking about, you know, longevity with the company or upward mobility with that company, we could be a little confused or maybe a little bit unclear as to what our future with our company or even in our careers and what that looks like. Now, this can be dangerous, and I think that there should be a balance of 1. having a plan in place, but 2. also being flexible, you know, and knowing that, hey, your desires, your dreams, your goals, those may change over time. So there is a fine line of okay, having a plan, you know, having that being structured, but also having some willingness to change if needed. So how do you actually effectively plan your career, A.K.A. how do you actually effectively work on your career versus working in your career? So I think it's important to 1. just kind of differentiate the two. Working in your career is, you know, essentially going to work each day and doing your day-to-day tasks, completing projects, working with clients, responding to emails, putting together deliverables, you know, implementing processes. Examples of working on your career is again around that career management, career planning. Setting goals, long-term goals. Understanding what it actually takes to be successful in your role. Understanding what it actually takes to get to that next level that you would ultimately like to go in, and that's different than sending out some emails or working on a deliverable. It takes a different--it takes a different mind muscle, if I can say that, meaning you're really gonna have to think strategically about your career from a long-term standpoint than "Okay, what do I have to get done today? What do I need to get done by the end of the week?" So I hope that makes sense, and I wanted to 1. just talk about how do you actually begin to work on your career. You don't want to, you know, work work work every day, and months down the road you look up--or years down the road, to be honest, and look back and say, "First of all, why am I still at the same point?" [laughs] "Why am I still at the same salary 5 years later? Why have I not been promoted? Why are there others that have came in after me at lower levels that are now at higher levels?" Right? That's because you have not taken the time to work on your business. So how do you do that? I want to make sure that you feel that you have complete ownership over your career, that you are in control, and that it's not up to these employers or these companies to tell you what, when, how, where to move. This should all be within your control, and you should be able to understand, like I said earlier, what it takes to get to that level that you want to get to, what do you need to do, but actually what does that level look like. So that takes me to the first thing: I want you to ask yourself, "Where do I see my career in 5 years?" So we are embarking on a new year very, very soon, 2020, which is a new decade. I am super excited about this new decade and this transition in life and age and time in the world. I'm super excited about it. This is a great opportunity for all of us to make some fundamental shifts that we have been maybe kind of putting off in our careers or in our businesses. So thinking about where do you see your career in 5 years, in 2025. What do you see for yourself, for your professional self? Do you see yourself in a leadership role? Do you see yourself traveling the world? You know, do you see yourself leading global teams? Do you see yourself retiring? [laughs] Do you see yourself retiring? Launching that business? Maybe taking that side hustle to a full-time hustle. Hopefully if you are an entrepreneur you listened to my last episode on how I actually took my side hustle to full-time. So then thinking about where you see yourself in your career in 5 years is important, okay? And then hey, maybe 2 years. So 2025, 2022. What about 2021 or by this time next year? So by November of 2020, where do you see yourself in your career? I am going to loop you all in on a secret--it's not really a secret. It's moreso of a method [laughs] that I follow with my clients. So, you know, my objective as a career coach is to help my clients get three things, which I call the three Cs. #1 is clarity, getting clarity on what you actually want for your career, what you want out of your life, how you actually show up, meaning, well, how you want to show up professionally. When you are operating at your best, truest, highest self professionally, getting clarity on what that actually looks like. And then also, once you get that clarity, getting clarity on what it actually takes to get there. So working through that strategy plan, you know? Really putting some goals down and knowing that "Okay, I gotta do Step 1 here first, then Step 2, then Step 3." So having a strategy, having a plan that actually makes sense and is not overwhelming so that you can start to move forward. That's the first C, clarity. So clarity on what it is that you want, and then I would say the other part of this clarity is clarity on what companies are looking for, employers are looking for, based on where you want to go, so that you know what you actually need to do within yourself to actually make that transition happen to land your dream job. So that's for clarity. The second C is confidence. So building up confidence in your skills and your experiences and understanding how what you have previously done and what you currently do is aligned with where you actually want to go and fully believing in that and owning that, because if you are not confident in yourself--I probably say this every single episode, [laughs] but if you're not confident in yourself, these employers are not going to be confident in you. These recruiters are not going to be confident in you. Your team--if you are a leader, your team won't be confident in you. So, you know, #1 clarity, #2 confidence, and then #3 is control. You guys know I love to talk about having that control, feeling empowered, having ownership over your career and really feeling like you have a good pulse on where you're going and what it takes to get there. So those are the three Cs. But in my coaching program--I'm going to break down five key steps that I follow or walk my clients through. So the first thing I already mentioned. Where do you want to be? So thinking about where you see your career in 5 years, in 2 years, even a year from now, okay? And then #2 is where are you right now? And really coming to grips with where you are. If you aren't where you want to be that's okay, but you really have to take a step back and say, "Okay, where am I in my career? Am I in a company that I see myself growing with?" Or "Am I in a toxic work environment and have I just been putting up with BS just because of this paycheck?" You know, you really have to come to reality with that understanding of where you are now. Based on where you are now, what do you need to get to where you want to be? What are those resources that you need? For example, are there certain certifications that you need? Are there certain skills that you need to develop? What about your social capital, you know? Who's in your network? Who do you need to know? This is important to think through in and out of the workplace. In your current company, if you see yourself moving up there, staying there for, you know, the long haul, you need mentors and you really need sponsors. I will be talking about mentors versus sponsors in a future episode, and I was just reading an article last night that was talking about how black women are mentored--we got mentors, but we are not getting sponsored. So, you know, we are not getting promoted to these leadership levels that we should be. However, we are coming in knocking it out the park. Killing it. Most educated, you know? But we aren't getting to those levels of leadership that our white male counterparts are because we are not being sponsored. So more to come on that, but it is important to think about who do you need in your network. You need sponsors. What about outside of your company? You need to know people in your industry outside of work. That's important, because you want to make sure 1. you are staying ahead of the curve in terms of skills that are needed to be innovative in your industry, and you also want to make sure that you are staying competitive. So, you know, again, #1 - where do you want to be? #2 - where are you now? #3 - what do you need to get there? What resources do you need to tap into? Who is in your network that maybe you have not reached out to in a long time, or who is that person you have been stalking on LinkedIn or stalking on social media because they're doing something that you know you want to do or you want to be in that place. Why haven't you reached out to them? Social media makes it super easy to build relationships with folks. It's so important to be super intentional about 1. how you are establishing yourself and your brand online, but how you're going about developing relationships. I have gotten so many clients through Twitter. Follow me at Latesha_Byrd. I tweet a lot of career advice. I've gotten so many clients through Twitter. I've gotten friends through Twitter and even LinkedIn. Instagram not so much for me. Instagram, you know, people I follow I've known since college or, you know, maybe over, you know, the years being involved here in the Charlotte community as an entrepreneur, but a majority of my clients come from Twitter and they come from LinkedIn. That's where I ultimately spend most of my time in the online world. But saying all that to say think about who do you need in your network. We can't do anything without people, and I'm realizing that relationships probably are the most undervalued thing [laughs] when it comes to effective career planning and management. Okay, so what do you need to get there, all right? What are the roadblocks? This is #4. What are the roadblocks that are keeping you from getting there? What I mean by that is--let's say you have a manager that is an ineffective leader. They don't know you. They don't care about you. [laughs] Y'all don't have a good relationship, but your manager is a decision-maker in getting you that promotion. That is a roadblock. Or maybe you know you want to get this certification, you've been planning on taking it, but it's the money thing. Like, you just don't want to dish out, you know, that 1,500, that 2,000, 5,000. Some certification are very, very expensive. Maybe it's money that you need to get certifications or certain classes that you want to take, you know? Conferences that you want to attend. Or maybe it's mental. Maybe it's the mindset. You know, what is holding you back? What are those roadblocks, mental, financial, you know, emotional, spiritual? What are those roadblocks that are keeping you from getting there? If you can identify those roadblocks, then you can start to think through "Hm, what do I need to do to overcome these roadblocks? What do I need to do to knock down these roadblocks?" If your manager--going back to this example--if your manager is not an effective leader, but you know that your manager is a decision-maker, you know what? You may have to really work on establishing a better relationship, and you may have to do some intense managing-up. Maybe there's other folks within the organization that you need to start establishing relationships with. You need sponsors. Maybe you should identify who could be some potential sponsors in your organization that you could start to build those relationships with. Going back to the example of money, maybe it's money, okay? Like, you might have to start saving up. [laughs] Putting away, you know, 100 bucks a week. That might be, you know--for, you know, ladies, maybe we don't--I don't even want to say this 'cause it hurts my heart, but, like, maybe we don't, you know, get our nails done for just a little bit of time. [laughs] When I first quit my full-time job to focus on full-time entrepreneurship I stopped getting my nails done. But, you know, think about where can you cut from a financial standpoint if it is that money that you need. Start saving. Thinking about where you can cut. Maybe you don't go shopping. I love me some Nordstrom, and I really try to stay out of Target 'cause Target is really on the up-and-up with the quality of their clothes and just the prints and just how it--I just love Target. [laughs] You know, I know we see this posts online where it says you go into Target and you come out with a whole cart full. Like, that is so me, so I try to stay out of Target. Maybe, you know, try staying out of Target. That might be the answer to this. [laughs] But seriously, think about what resources do you need to tap into that can help you with overcoming those roadblocks. Get a career coach. I mean, hey, I'm a career coach if you don't know any. [laughs] But seriously, get a career coach. The two most important investments I have made in my career was getting a career coach and then getting a therapist. Actually, getting a therapist was the best decision I've made in my entire life. [laughs] But, you know, start thinking about what do you need to invest in to help you. So I'm gonna run through this 5-step process again, or 5 questions. Like I mentioned, this is a process that I follow or take my clients through. #1 - where do you want to be? Where do you see your career in 5 years, in 2 years, next year? #2 - where are you right now? And being very honest and real with yourself. #3 - what do you need to get to where you want to be? So if you think about a diagram--if you're a visual learner maybe you can draw this out somehow, you know? #4 - what are the roadblocks that is keeping you from getting what you need to get there? And #5 - how do you overcome these roadblocks? One more time. #1 - where do you want to be? #2 - where are you now? #3 - what do you need to get there? #4 - what are the roadblocks that's keeping you from getting there? And #5 - how do you overcome these roadblocks? Last thing I will say here is to set some goals, all right? Start setting them for 2020. I'm not saying that you need to set some goals for, like, Monday of next week, but, you know, take some time this week, over the next couple of weeks, maybe in the morning when you first wake up and you're refreshed, [and] just kind of journal. I'm a huge, huge fan of journaling. I take my journal with me everywhere, and I will legit be, like, in the middle of, you know, reviewing a client's LinkedIn and "Let me pull out my journal real quick," 'cause I have a lot of thoughts and things running in my mind, so I'll just pull it out and whip it out any time, but [laughs] journaling is big for me. It helps me to just kind of get my thoughts all out and do a brain dump so I can kind of try to organize what I'm thinking. But, you know, start thinking about how you want to show up in the world professionally in 2020. Visualize and mentally place yourself into the position of success that you want to be in. In order to do that, you have to know what success looks like to you. It may not be a title. That's perfectly okay. Maybe you don't want to be in this high, visible, you know, leadership role where you're managing large teams, and you may have to come to terms or come to grips with that. I know at one point for me as an entrepreneur, I thought I wanted to, you know, scale my business by having multiple locations and having a team of 50 people and different career coaches and different resume writers, and I realized that that was not how I wanted to define success for me and that wasn't the only way that I could define success for me as an entrepreneur. So I'm scaling my business in other ways - by creating digital products, by building an online brand. The goal is, in 2020, to have a full-fledged online career shop with courses and e-books and guides that will help you navigate your career. And I'm okay with not having a team of 50 people, but you have to think about what success looks like for you, and it's okay to redefine success as needed. Maybe it's not a certain, you know, salary amount. You know, maybe it's the feeling of being able to empower your patients, if you're in healthcare, you know, or being able to empower your clients. Maybe it's just that feeling of knowing that you made a difference in the world. I know that sounds a little cheesy, but seriously, you know? Money is not everything, and so you just want to make sure that you know what success looks like for you. And also - for you, okay? Not what your mom, what your parents, you know, what society is telling you in order to be successful. And when I think about success too, I equate that to happiness and being emotionally stable and happy. Seriously. So I hope that this was helpful. Again, in 2020, we are working on our careers, not just working in our careers. So let's get it, and I will talk to you all soon. Peace.

On the thirty-seventh installment of Tristan's Tips, our special guest Tristan Layfield talks about networking in a way that most of us don’t consider or sometimes downright avoid - reaching out to old high school, college, and work friends that we've lost touch with. Tristan shares how they can open up whole worlds we didn't even know existed and more.Connect with Tristan on LinkedIn, IG, FB, and Twitter!Visit our website!TRANSCRIPTTristan: What’s going on, y'all? It's Tristan of Layfield Resume Consulting, and I've teamed up with Living Corporate to bring you all a weekly career tip. This week, let’s talk about networking, but in a way that most of us don’t consider or sometimes downright avoid.Often times when we hear the word “networking” it brings up images of rooms filled with people that we don’t know and the anxiety of having to participate in small talk for the next two hours. But what if I told you there another way to connect with people that is not only a bit easier for most, but research shows tends to be more beneficial?Many of us overlook the value in reaching out to old high school, college, and work friends that we’ve lost touch with. These connections are known as dormant connections. But the research shows that reaching out these people can open up a whole new world of resources. Just think about it, these people aren’t running the same circles as you which means that they more than likely have access to information and resources that you and your current circle aren’t privy to! They've been meeting different people and learning different things in the last few years, so they can open up whole worlds you didn't know existed.Also, you typically already have had a relationship with these people so it tends to be easier to reach out to reconnect. Just don’t dive into asking for favors right away, take some time to research what they’ve been up to, try to find a way to be of service to them, and simply ask for insight. You’ll be amazed at what they may come back with!This tip was brought to you by Tristan of Layfield Resume Consulting. Check us out on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at @layfieldresume or connect with me, Tristan Layfield, on LinkedIn!

Zach has the pleasure of speaking with Glenn Newman, VMware's Global Diversity & Inclusion Program Manager, in this episode focused around all things D&I. Glenn is a professional with over seven years of diversity and inclusion, campus recruitment, and talent management experience. In his current role at VMware, Glenn is working to take VMware's Power of Difference communities (PODs) to the next level by helping them achieve business and D&I program objectives. He shares with us what he's most excited about when it comes to his role and VMware in 2020 and so much more. Check out Ijeoma Oluo's book, So You Want to Talk About Race, on Amazon!Connect with Glenn on LinkedIn!Visit our website!TRANSCRIPTZach: What's up, y'all? It's Zach with Living Corporate, and you know what we do. I say a little thing, I go on with a joke, and then I say something about how we amplify the voices of black and brown people at work. Shout-out to all of our listeners, our first and last time listeners, you know what I'm saying? The millennials, the Gen X'ers. The--what's after the Gen X'ers? The Baby Boomers, and then also some of y'all Gen Y--them Gen Z's, rather. Excuse me. Gen Y is another word for millennials. You know what I'm talking about. If you're new here, you know what we do. We do this through--we amplify voices through authentic, accessible discussions with black and brown leaders. Today is no different as we have Glenn Newman with VMware. Hold up, now. Glenn Newman with VMware? I gotta go ahead and give just one quick air horn for that. [air horn sfx] Yes. We out here. We out here. We out here. Glenn is a D&I and talent professional with over seven years of diversity and inclusion, campus recruitment, and talent management experience. In his current role at VMware, Glenn is working to make VMware's power of difference communities - they call those pods, y'all - to take them to the next level by helping them achieve business and D&I program objectives. He is also focused on building inclusive manager and leadership capabilities as the company works to increase representation of underrepresented minorities and women by fostering a more inclusive culture, okay, where employees feel like they belong and they can bring their authentic selves to work every day. Okay, now listen, y'all, that was a whole bunch of, like, corporate talk to say Glenn is out here trying to make it better for black and brown folks at VMware to do what they do, okay? That's all that that was saying. But, you know, they gotta--in this D&I space, we have to kind of pretty things up with these, like, really flowery and colorful languages, but that's what he's doing, okay? Now, look, previously Glenn managed the overall recruitment of associates and consultants for BCG--okay, what's up, BCG? Hold up. ["ow" sfx] But this ain't a BCG podcast. I'm just saying. He also had a talent in D&I roles at Travelport, Accenture, Visa, Google--as a contractor--see, I like... you know what? Glenn is an honest dude, man. So he sent me over this copy, right, and on the copy it says "contract" in parentheses. Glenn, you ain't gotta be that honest.Glenn: [inaudible, both laugh]Zach: And he began his career as a communication and change management analyst at Towers Watson. Man. With all of that being said, Glenn, man, welcome to the show. How are you doing? [kids cheering sfx]Glenn: Thank you, thank you. I'm good, I'm good. How about yourself? Zach: Man, I'm doing really well. I'm excited to have you here. You know, we had to take some time, you know, but you back in town and we're having a conversation. I'm excited about it. So let's--you know, we did a little brief intro about you where I kind of gave, you know, your LinkedIn picture, but what else would you like to tell us about yourself?Glenn: I mean, I guess honestly you captured most of it in terms of, like, the bio and kind of what I'm working on at VMware. I mean, outside of that I'm an Ares, so I'm a hothead.Zach: I got you, I got you.Glenn: I like to ask the difficult questions, and I feel like anybody who has worked with me before would definitely tell you that I have a tendency to ask difficult questions, but also ask the questions that other people feel like they probably shouldn't ask or they don't want to ask, and I feel like I help keep people accountable, you know? So I think it's important to be that voice and to have that voice and to push the envelope a little bit. So hopefully I can disrupt for the betterment of others.Zach: Come on, now. Disrupt? I love that, man. So you said you're an Ares. So I'm a Virgo. Actually, you know, Beyonce and I have the same birthday. Glenn: I did not know that. I did know she was a Virgo though.Zach: I'm saying. So, you know, I'm out here as well. I'm trying to disrupt things as well. So okay, okay, okay, so you're a global diversity and inclusion program manager. What does that mean practically, and what prompted you to take this role at VMware?Glenn: Yeah. So I mean, quite frankly, I was looking for a role where I could have an impact, and I really--so a lot of my career has been in campus recruiting and diversity campus recruiting, right, and I really wanted to pivot from more of the acquisition side and the talent attraction into the, you know, development, the retention, promotion, engagement, et cetera, right, of underrepresented groups, and so I was looking for opportunities, and I was interviewing for a few, but quite frankly I wanted to stay in Atlanta, and the good thing about--one of the good things about the VMware role is it allowed me to stay in Atlanta, and I'm thankful for that. I'm always grateful, because I get to work in tech, I get to work at a pretty large, pretty well-known tech company, but I get to do it in Atlanta, and I don't think a lot of people can say that same thing. I think the other part of it is I was really looking to have a seat at the table, and I can honestly say that, you know, my manager who's a director and [my?] VP. Like, they want to know what I think, I mean, but they want to know what everybody else on the--what everybody on the team thinks, and so, like, that's important to me because I've been in places before where my voice didn't matter or it was overshadowed by people who were more senior or people in the business. I mean, you know, you've worked in personal services, so you definitely probably know what that's like. [Well?,] you've worked in personal services, so you know what that's like. And so I think, you know, just throughout my interview process it felt like the right fit for me for a number of reasons. And so yeah, that's what prompted me to join, and I think, you know, since joining, I feel like, you konw, my expectations have been managed well, but I think I have been set up for success and I'm actually doing the work that we talked about doing in the interview, which is good.Zach: That is good, man, 'cause, you know, sometimes it's like you get a job and you think--especially in these D&I roles, right? And I've had these conversations, like, with other folks on the podcast, right? We've talked to Jennifer Brown and we've talked to Amy Waninger. We've talked to other people, right? We've talked to even DeRay Mckesson, and we talk about how, like, these D&I spaces are--they're slowly becoming decolonized, but, like, there's still a lot of, like, work to do to, like, really get stronger representation in these spaces, right? And you end up thinking--you know, you're over here like, "Oh, snap, I got this job, and they're about to, you know, really put me at the seat of the table and give me a voice," and you turn around and you're talking about ["haha" sfx] Like, not. Joke's on you, you know what I'm saying? You don't even have no seat.Glenn: It's so [?] though, and I think, like, just given my personality, and--I mean, I attribute this to professional serv--like, I grew up in professional services, right? Like, from Towers Watson, from working at Accenture for over two years, from the BCG. I mean, those organizations move quickly, right, and they're all about, like, high-caliber work, high-quality work, quick turnarounds, and so I think coming to VMware and industry in general--industry is a bit slower, right? And so I think I have to manage my expectations around what I can get done, what we can done, what the business is ready for, and so I think I'm definitely learning those lessons, you know? And I'm still working to manage my own expectations. [laughs]Zach: That's real. No, no, no. That's real, and it's crazy--it's crazy, man, 'cause sometimes, like I said, it just takes time. I think there's a lot of--and I've had this conversation multiple times too, like, I think it's easy if you don't have, like, black and brown people, like, in these roles, like, it's easy to forget, like, the emotional labor that it takes to do this type of work, right? Like, it's not just like--Glenn: [?]Zach: Right? It's human. Like, you're dealing with human beings, and you're dealing with human beings that look like you, have similar stories to you, that you're really trying to impact, so I definitely get that, and managing expectations is always important. Let's talk about this. Let's talk about this. You know, D&I continues to be, like, an area where organizations are focused on, especially in tech, so what do you believe, right, has been the motivation for VMware to continue to expand their D&I office? Because, like, I feel as if--I don't know. Like, you know, we've had some research--we have whitepapers, you know, on our website, like--oh, by the way. Hey, y'all. Check us out, y'all. We got whitepapers. Like, don't play with us. [straight up sfx] Okay? We got whitepapers. [both laugh] And in our research, everybody knows that a common statistic is that $8 billion a year is being spent, and I would argue wasted, in D&I today and that we're not really seeing tangible results. And especially as you think about, like the economy as it stands today. Like, why do you think, in this point in time, VMware is still expanding this space?Glenn: Well, I feel like a lot of the times we hear about, like, "It's the right thing to do" and "We're doing it for the business," right? So I hear that a lot, and not--and not specifically at VMware, but just in general, and I say that to say I think those are the reasons we're doing it, right? Like, we're doing it because we genuinely believe, right, across the company, especially from a leadership perspective, that it's important and that specifically, like, we call our pods that I mentioned earlier, the power of difference communities--like, we believe the power of human difference allows us to be better, to develop better products, to build better products, to better serve customers, to be better partners, right? And then to innovate. So I think there's definitely a business reason behind it, but then I also genuinely feel like there are leaders who think it's the right thing to do. And I think it's interesting because--you know, like, there's the winning the hearts and minds of change, right? So I think you have to [hit?] people with the pathos for the people who, you know, they relate to that, but then you have to have, you know, the practicality in the business perspective for others as well. [?] The data had showed that people--like, once they connect emotionally to diversity and inclusion, they're better able to kind of buy into it as opposed to just connecting to the business. So I think we definitely we have some more of that, work to do, to continue to pull at people's heartstrings, but then also make it real for them so that they genuinely buy in ,and not just because it's the right thing to do from a business perspective but it's the right thing to do from a human perspective.Zach: That's a really good point, and I do think it's both and, right? I think organizations often fail when they try to do one or the other, because, like, the reality is some folks are just not gonna care, right? But then you got other folks who are like, "Okay, I'ma care as much as it benefits my bottom line, so if you can point to me, like, how this can benefit my bottom line, then I'm all for it," right? I think the challenge--the challenge that I think, something that has yet to be quantified, is, like, the amount of time organizations waste in, like, really calculating turnover. So, like, we know the turnover data is bad, like, in tech. But, like, those numbers have yet to really be fully published. Like, I don't think any one organization has really, like, really, really gone into, like, the comparative analytics on their turnover data, but, like, I think if really one was to look at those numbers alone, they'd be like, "Ayo, we gotta do a better job, 'cause, like, this is crazy." I mean, it's just over here like [chaching sfx] But, like, opposite. Like, in reverse, you know what I'm saying? Like, it would be like that sound, but, you know. [both laugh]Glenn: Like a whomp-whomp-whomp. [both laugh]Zach: Right? You know what I mean. And then over time, you know, organizations are so, like, monolithic. They're so white. They're so straight. They're so male. You know, I'm looking on my job board--I'm looking at the job board, I might see a job--let's just say, like, I'm a person of color, I'm on the job board--because I know that this place isn't inclusive--I'm looking at that job like ["i don't know who this man is" Keke sfx]. [Glenn laughs] You know, sorry to this man. I don't even recognize--man, listen, Glenn, I've been so excited to use this soundboard, man. I've got some new [?]--Glenn: I love that. Oh, my gosh. If you knew how many times I say that, like, in a week. "I'm sorry. I don't want to sound foolish."Zach: "I don't want to sound ridiculous. I do not know who this is." And so let me pivot, right? So you talked about the power of difference and these communities. I really want to--now, look, I'm not trying to have you spill any secret sauce out, you know what I'm saying, but I want to learn more about the strategy of these power of difference [communities] and really--frankly, I want to talk more about this offline too. Like, what's the strategy with these pods? Like, what are y'all trying to achieve? What is this looking like? Like, how did this come about, and what--practically speaking, like, how does it fit into y'all's D&I strategy?Glenn: Yeah. I mean, like, honestly [in our?] D&I strategy overall there are three kind of key pieces. There's the representation piece, where we talk a lot about increasing representation and focusing specifically on underrepresented minorities and women, and what I often tell people is just because we're--just because we're saying we're focusing on does not mean--it doesn't mean that we aren't also working to increase representation of other underrepresented groups, and I say that because I really think it's important for people to know that we're doing both. So it's a yes and, and again, these things are not mutually exclusive. The other part of it is building a culture of inclusion, right? So focusing on culture and what that really means, and then the third piece is thought leadership. So how are we tapping into podcasts like this to let people know that "Okay, VMware is an inclusive place to work," and we're working to make it an even more inclusive place to work, right? And then how are we sharing what we're doing and the impact of the diversity and the inclusion that is having on the business? So I say all of that to say our pods, the power of difference communities, are really our ERGs, right? So employee resource groups or business resource groups, and I think we are at a place where we are really trying to take those ERGs, known as pods, to be more BRGs, right? So how are they [?] business? Meaning how are the programs and the initiatives and the sponsorships and things like that contributing to the business? Whether that be in terms of professional development, of underrepresented groups, so that they develop and have talent moves and move into different roles and are contributing more to the business, whether that means we are attending various recruiting conferences and thinking about building pipelines in STEM and in tech of underrepresented groups, whether that be, you know, high school, college, what have you, you know, experienced professionals, or is that we're partnering with other non-profits in the space to, like, you know, talk about what we're doing and help other companies and partner with other companies? And then--or, you know, like, a lot of companies, especially companies who are B to C, right? So we think about, like, big consumer goods or just any product that sells products directly to consumers, they think a lot about and have a lot of conversations about "How do our products reflect our consumers?" Right? So if you think about some of the large consumer goods or CPGs or those companies, they're really thinking about those things, and so I think for us it's "How are we making sure that we're getting the opinions of our employees who are underrepresented or in underrepresented groups, and how are we leveraging that thought leadership, that knowledge, that know-how, to further develop relationships with our customers to build better products to innovate, right? And so I think ideally we want to get our pods to a place where we're doing more of those things.Zach: That's a really exciting vision, right? Like, so you're thinking--so basically these pods, I mean, they're almost like little--I mean, they're genuinely--if effectively strategized around and activated effectively--are real difference makers, and you have them basically stratified across the business. That's pretty exciting, man.Glenn: Right, right, right. Yeah, and I think--you know, I think it's easier for people in general to make that connection when you're walking into, like, a grocery store and you're picking up a product on a shelf and thinking, "How are people who look like me or are like me thinking about buying this product or consuming this product?" And so for us it's different because, again, we're B to B, and we have to think about it differently. So I do think it's--I do think it's ambitious, but I think it can be done, especially when you think about relationships and building relationships and, then again, innovating.Zach: 100%. Okay, so what are you most excited about when it comes to your role and VMware in 2020?Glenn: That's a good question. I think what I'm really most interested in is--so quite frankly we have--and this is public knowledge--so we have closed the acquisition of Carbon Black, and we are working to close the acquisition of Pivotal, so as a result of that our diversity and inclusion team is gonna be growing, and so I think what I'm--what I'm looking forward to is the growth of our team, which means 1. we can do more, and I think also I'm looking forward to the opportunity to partner more with the business and be more of a diversity business partner. So a lot of tech companies have started developing or creating these diversity business partner roles that sit in the business and/or [audio cut] plans that they then work with the business to execute those plans, right? So I think you can think about it from, like--there's a D&I engagement piece, which is around the pods, and then there's, like, the education piece around unconscious bias and how we--how are we educating our managers, our leaders, our employees, around inclusion and topics like privilege and microaggressions and things like that, right? And then there's sitting in the business and working with business leaders and managers to develop plans to actually move the needle, right, in a different way than on the--you know, the education and the engagement, that side. So I think that's what I'm looking for, to have an opportunity to really partner more closely with the business in 2020 as a result of our team growing.Zach: My goodness gracious. I gotta give you a Flex bomb for all that though. That sounds incredible. [Flex bomb sfx] That sounds awesome, yeah. So I was trying to play the "what it do, baby" before, but it was just too loud, so I'm gonna go ahead and do it right now based off of the fact that what you just said is incredible. [Kawhi "what it do baby" sfx] And shout-out to your acquisition as well. [both laugh]Glenn: Right.Zach: Okay, okay, okay. So, you know, you're talking about what you've been doing at VMware, you're talking about some of the strategic visioning around the pods. Again, it does sound really ambitious, but, like, I don't think--when I say ambitious... sometimes people say ambitious and they're really just hating, right? It's kind of like, "It sounds a bit ambitious, don't you think?" [both laugh] But I mean it's ambitious like, "Wow, this is very positive." Like, this is incredible, and I'm really excited for what y'all are trying to drive. This is my question though. What advice would you have for organizations really at the beginning of their D&I journeys, right? Like, maybe they don't even have ERGs or BRGs. And then what have been the lessons learned for you? That's kind of, like, the B part to that question.Glenn: Yeah. So I think, like, advice, I think for companies who are just starting, I don't know, I think it's like--I don't know. I always go back to, like, the change management, right, part of it, right? So, like, thinking about how are you really pulling in leaders, how are you having it--how are you having your efforts so that they are leader-led, right, and it really sits in the business and leaders are held accountable for. So I think that accountability is super important. And not just leaders, right? So it's like--if VPs and above are the only people who are held accountable, then what happens to other people who are directors, [?], et cetera, who lead teams and [audio cut] they're not held accountable? So I think accountability is big, and I think for companies who are just starting out in general, like, just starting out the company by having an inclusive culture and kind of ingraining that into people and educating people from the time that they join the company, but even before they join the company, like, through the onboarding and through the talent acquisition piece, right? So I think that's the advice I would have, and then really just kind of walk the talk, right? Because I'm one of those people--I really, really value honesty, and I think I'm really good at sensing BS, right? A lot of us are, and I think we know [someone, audio cut] is being honest with us and when they're just kind of, like, giving us the "Well, this is what we're working on," and it's like, "Mm, that's not really what you're working on. Just be honest with me," right? If you have room to grow, say, you know, "These are the two things we're doing. However, we need to be doing these five, and we're working on it," right? Like, I'd rather somebody tell me that than to say, "Oh, well, we have these amazing initiatives," and it's like "Mm, do you really have those initiatives or are you just talking about it and is it just lip service?" So that's my advice. And I think--in terms of, like, lessons learned for me personally, we talk a lot about, like, people of color and underrepresented minorities and black and brown people, right, in corporate America, but, like, I'm not--yes, I'm a black man at VMware, but I'm not just a black man. Like, I'm a gay black man at VMware who is a part of a global team that is not just thinking about bringing in and developing and retaining and promoting more black and brown people, but we're thinking about underrepresented groups more broadly and thinking about making VMware a place where everyone can come and thrive and, I like to say, be safe, seen and connected, or feel safe, seen and connected, right? So I say that to say that a lot of the things that I've learned personally [audio cuts]--I advocate for people who don't look like me or who don't--or who I don't identify with from a, you know, race, ethnic background or other parts of my identity, right? And it's just really interesting because I think by being vulnerable and by being empathetic, I am really able to do that. But it's just interesting how, you know, I can be on a call with people who have a completely different identity than me, but I'm advocating for them. And so I'll give you a real example. A lot of people don't know about the model minority myth, right? So I've read this book by Ijeoma Olu called "So You Want to Talk About Race." I love the book. It's amazing. I would completely, like, totally recommend it. And she has a chapter where she talks about the [model minority myth,] and I think it's important because a lot of people--what the model minority myth is, and, you know, I'm not, like, speaking verbatim here, but it's really around the fact that people think about those who are Asian-American or Asian as the model minority, and they have all of these stereotypes about Asians to include--like, they're super smart. They're really--like, you know, they want to be in, like, STEM. They're really good at math. Like, those kinds of things. A lot of people might think they have a lot of money, but that's not the case. Like, when you look at the data, especially of some Asian-American or Asian cultures, that's just not the case. Like, the degrees or the degree attainment from some of the Asian cultures, those numbers are significantly less than Hispanic/Latinx or African-American and black cultures and black identities, right? So I think that's one of those things, by me just kind of educating myself, reading that book, and then I was on a call, and I literally had to stop someone and say, "Well, you know, actually, the model minority, this is what it is, this is why it exists, and this is why we need an Asian at VMware's power of difference community." It's important because there are also people in this community who aren't rich, who aren't, you know, science, math, STEM, et cetera, majors, and who didn't come from a home where both of their parents were doctors, lawyers, you know, computer scientists, et cetera, and that's what a lot of [audio cuts]--for me and having the opportunity to really advocate for people who aren't like me.Zach: Man, I love that, and you're 100% right. So I'm just gonna start at the top of what you said. So you were talking about the fact that you're not just one thing, right, like, you're not just one identity, and I think a lot of times, like, we really do fail to be, like, intersectional in our D&I work, and, I mean, we just had Lionel Lee, who is a diversity leader over at the Zillow Group, and we were talking about the fact that, like, when you look at a lot of work today in these D&I spaces, they're mostly, like, focused on gender. So, like, even the fact that, like, we're talking about race and gender to me is a win, because a lot of times we'll say things like--we'll kind of dismiss race and then say things like "diversity of thought" or just other--like, just generalized things, but I think you're absolutely right, especially when it comes to the LGBTQ space, because--Glenn: Exactly.Zach: This is what I've learned. So I'm a cishet black dude, right? And as I've been having conversations--and this was, like, earlier, like, last season. We were talking to Janet Pope, who is the diversity and inclusion leader over at Capgemini, and we were talking about how, like, it's important to make sure that you're being intersectional with the LGBTQ spaces, because if you're not, those spaces can end up being, like, largely white, and, like, you end up missing out on a lot of different black and brown experiences within that space.Glenn: You're so right. I mean, like, think about--again, like, going back to a gay black man who works in tech, like, there's not a lot of us, right? Especially when you think about the LGBTQ community in general. So I was at the Pride parade in Atlanta for the first time, and, I mean, it was just interesting for me to, like, think about being the only in a place where there are a lot of people like me, right? So whether there were LGBTQ or allies or what have you, I was still the only black man there, right? Like, and so--and when I say there, I mean specifically with the company who came out to the parade. Like, I'm sure there are others there. There may or may not be, so I don't want to falsely assume, but it was just interesting again, like, looking around and being like, "Okay, Glenn, you're still the only in this group of people who are like you because of intersectionality," right? And I think lately there has been a lot of conversation around intersectionality in terms of, you know, you looking at women of color, specifically black women, and looking at Asian women, for example, and then also again, from an LGBTQ perspective, there has been a ton of conversation lately around the importance of intersectionality, and I was telling the team--because last week, like, one of the reasons we had to postpone this was because I was at Out and Equal, which is an LGBTQ workplace summit. It's, like, a huge--it was amazing. I loved it, and I think there was this undercurrent of people getting on stage and really being advocates and allies and talking about how trans women of color are being murdered and no one is doing anything about it. I don't think enough people are having those conversations. So it will be interesting to see the shift in how people are having more conversations, but then also taking action over the next few years.Zach: Man, this has just been a super dope conversation, man. I really appreciate the fact that you took the time to join us. Before we let you go, any shout-outs? Parting words?Glenn: [laughs] Shout-outs and parting words? Hm. I don't know. Like, honestly, in all seriousness, I would encourage people to read that book - "So You Want To Talk About Race" by Ijeoma Oluo. Like, I think everybody should read it, no matter how you identify, because, like, again, going back to, like, a lesson learned, like, I literally--I mean, of course I knew I had privilege. Like, I'm able-bodied. I'm educated. I went to a really good school. Like, I've had the opportunity to go to really great schools, you know, even in middle and high school, and so I reached out to one of my friends and I was like, "Girl, we got privilege," and, you know, we were having a conversation about it, right? So, like, even though you might be an underrepresented minority or a member of an underrepresented group, I think just realizing those things and being self-aware are helpful. So I would encourage people to read that book and just start to have conversations with people who are not like you to increase your understanding.Zach: Y'all... my goodness, y'all. I just--you know what, man? I gotta--let me see here. Let's see here. What are we gonna do, man? We gotta--I just gotta give a [raucous applause sfx] I gotta thank you, man. I just gotta let you know, bro, 'cause I'ma tell you the truth, man. Sometimes, you know, I have some of these conversations with some of these D&I leaders, and they--you know, they really--and not on Living Corporate though. I make moves, so I talk to people, right? Let me tell you, they'll be talking to me, and in the back of my mind I'm over here like [fraud sfx, Glenn laughs]--it's a fraud. Glenn: Yeah.Zach: But I appreciate you being authentic [and] taking the time to, like, really share a bit, right? Not just about VMware, but about yourself. So yeah, man, so blessings to you, and that does it for us, y'all, on Living Corporate, you know? You know what we do, man. We post this stuff, like, three times a week. We've got these regular interviews, then we've got Tristan's Tips, and then we've got The Link Up with Latesha, all really to amplify black and brown voices at work. Make sure you check us out on Twitter @LivingCorp_Pod, on Instagram @LivingCorporate, and then, you know, just Google us, you know what I'm saying? We out here, right? Like, we--you know, Glenn, like, we're really making moves, man. We got livingcorporate.co, livingcorporate.tv, livingcorporate.org, livingcorporate.net, you know? Livingcorporate... what else? We've got pretty much all of the livingcorporates except livingcorporate.com. Now, livingcorporate.com is owned by, like, Australia, right? So I don't know. I don't know what's going on with that one, but we also have living-corporate--please say the dash--dot com. So just check us out. We out here. Let's see here. What else? Housekeeping, housekeeping. Shout-out to Ellen, who was on mute this entire time, but Ellen was here to make sure that I didn't get Glenn or VMware sued, so shout-out to you, Ellen, and yeah. This has been Zach. You've been listening to Glenn Newman, mover, shaker, D&I leader at VMware. 'Til next time, y'all. Peace.

On the twelfth installment of The Link Up with Latesha, our incredible host Latesha Byrd, founder of Byrd Career Consulting, throws out some tips, tricks, and strategies for making your side hustle your full-time hustle. She also talks a bit about some of the tools and programs she utilizes that help maximize her efficiency at work.Check out the book Latesha mentioned, The E-Myth Revisited, on Amazon!Below is a list of programs and services that Latesha herself uses to run her business:Scheduling: CalendlyCRM: DubsadoTask Management: TrelloClient Storage: G SuiteMarketing: Canva, CreativeMarketAccounting: PayPal, Bench AccountingFind out more about Latesha on the BCC website or connect with her through her socials! LinkedIn, IG, Twitter, FBCheck out Latesha's YouTube channel!BCC's socials: LinkedIn, IG, Twitter, FBVisit our website!TRANSCRIPTLatesha: Today we are talking about making your side hustle your full-time hustle. I know so many entrepreneurs who are hustling on the side and working a full-time job but their goal is to be their own boss. Now, there are some that like doing both the side hustle and the full-time hustle, and to be honest that's what I thought I was going to do. It didn't happen like that. A part of me being able to take my side hustle and make it a full-time hustle was a lot of crying [laughs] and praying and strategizing and believing. I would say that believing, for me, was the hardest thing, and then once I actually really started to believe in myself, in my business and what I was doing, and I was starting to operate at a higher level, that really changed the mold for me. So I thought this would be a cool topic to talk about. A lot of my coaching clients actually have side businesses or are looking to transition from a side hustle to a full-time hustle. I also coach entrepreneurs, and so, you know, I know that I speak mostly on career development and I'm big on career empowerment, career ownership, but I love talking about entrepreneurship, and I thought "Why not start to talk a little bit about business, building a business?" I know some of you all are listening to this podcast where, yes, you are working a corporate job, but you also have your business on the side. I've been there, and I know how that felt, and I just thought I would come on here and share with you all my story of how I was able to turn my side hustle into a full-time hustle, and then just kind of throw out some tips and tricks and strategies that you can start to implement if you do have that side hustle and your goal is to turn it into a full-time hustle. So just to tell you all a little bit about my story - I honestly started my business as a hobby as a career coach. It was something that I was passionate about doing, and the reason or how it came about was that when I was in college I had five internships. I grew up in a single-parent household, so we didn't have a lot of money, so I came to college with a goal in mind that I was going to work my butt off and I was going to take advantage of every single opportunity because I didn't really feel that I had that safety net. There was--for me at least there was no going back home, and so I got really involved on campus [and] had a lot of internships. I went straight into grad school and had a job offer waiting for me post-grad school, so, you know, from I guess the outside looking in, a lot of folks kind of looked at me and said, "Okay, this chick kind of knows what she's doing. She has this internship. She has a job offer, school, everything." Then I would start to get questions. [laughs] Once people kind of caught on to just what I had started to--the brand, I guess... I didn't even know I was building a brand, but the brand that I was building, the reputation I was building for myself, and people started coming to me for career advice. They started coming to me for assistance with getting into graduate school, with help with getting a job, so I started looking at resumes, giving advice, and I realized that this was something that I could monetize, and I said, "All right, the next person to ask me for help, boom, charging them." [laughs] So that's how my business started. It started as a hobby, a passion. I realized I could monetize it, and so I did. Now I've learned so much along the way in terms of getting the skills and the trainings and the experience, the lessons, and just expanding my own skill set or diversifying my own skill set to be able to run a business. You know, those were thing that I of course had to be extremely intentional about as I was building my business. If I could recommend one book to anyone that is really thinking about entrepreneurship and taking that thing all the way, The E-Myth Revisited. For me, it was such a game-changing read, such a game-changing book, because it talks about how a lot of us may start businesses based on a hobby, based on a passion, based on just doing something, and we realize "Oh, this is something that I could monetize," but you don't really learn the fundamentals of actually growing a business, of running a business, and so that book really breaks it down on how to actually do that, how to scale your business, how to really run your business as the CEO that you are. Now, I mean, there are many people as well that don't just start businesses based off of a passion or a hobby. You know, some folks are extremely intentional about solving a business need or solving a business problem, but The E-Myth, such a really great read, you know? We don't learn a lot about entrepreneurship, really nothing at all about entrepreneurship in college, so it is important to think about all of the different skills that are needed to run a business. So kind of going back to, you know, my story, that's how I started my business. Over the last 4.5 years, we've worked with close to 900 professionals in a variety of industries. Business has grown from just a team of one, me, [laughs] to a team of five. Everyone on my team are resume writers, career coaches. I have an assistant. I have someone that helps with business development as well, and, you know, I have so many clients that I've coached over--not just domestically, but also overseas, in Paris, in France--or Paris, France, [laughs] and in Ghana, in Canada, and all over, you know, the U.S. And so in terms of my revenue goals, you know, I have been able to--huge accomplishment on my end, but to exceed six figures last month and, you know, still the goal for my business--I'm being extremely transparent at this moment--the goal for my business is to hit 150K. You know, could I do more? Yeah, but I think that's pretty good, you know? Fourth, fifth year, you know, getting into it. My goal next year is to focus on profit and then cutting as many expenses as possible. Anyways, going back to the first thing that I really had to adjust as I was really thinking about taking this thing all the way in terms of my business. First thing was mindset. It was--you have to think about it in terms of "Is this something I really want to commit to? Am I ready to be fully committed to doing this?" You have to be sure. You know, this really isn't a trial-and-error thing, meaning going from just side hustle to full time is--you know, you want to be pretty sure about it if you are anything like me. Now, I've had friends that have just taken the leap. They've taken the jump. [laughs] But I was really strategic, and I had a plan in place. I am a planner. I've always liked to kind of be in control of my future and, you know, I don't like surprises. [laughs] So I had a plan in place. For me, I knew this was something I had to be fully committed to, and understand that, you know, going from--I think the biggest change for me going from a side hustler to a full-time hustler is that, you know, your lifestyle fundamentally changes. Everything about your lifestyle changes. When you are in charge of yourself, you are in charge of your schedule. You have to decide when you work, where you work, who you want to work with and who you meet with. There's also a lot of decision fatigue that goes into entrepreneurship, so that's something to think about. It takes a lot of energy to run a business, not just from, you know--let's say you are someone that is in, you know, marketing, right? You know, you are developing marketing materials. You may be even doing marketing strategy or SEO strategy for a company, you know? They are likely--maybe you're doing it in-house for a company, or maybe you are working with a company that serves different clients. You know, either way, the company has those processes, systems, tools in place for you to get the work done, or even if you are, you know, managing communication with different teams and groups and clients, you know, these things are being managed by your company. When you are out on your own, there is no middleman, you know? You have to think through those processes and getting all of that in order in terms of dealing with clients, you know? Dealing with, you know, your team. And as an entrepreneur, you're not just doing that work anymore that you were doing with said company. I mean, you are doing--you are the operations person. You are HR. [laughs] You are legal. You are finance. You are customer service, you know? You are the communications person. I mean, of course you will most definitely want to for sure get a lawyer or an attorney, and also make sure you get an accountant, for sure, but there are times where you will need to--you have to know all of the things that are going on with your business until you get to a point where you are starting to hire talent to take on some of that work for you. So what I'm saying there is it takes a lot of energy, maybe a different level of energy, a different level of discipline and motivation, and also self-accountability that goes into entrepreneurship. Now, when you get to a point where you have decided--maybe you started your business on the side [and] you're getting it to a place where you have steady income coming in and you're really thinking about leaving your current workplace. One thing that I want, you know, you all to think about if this is you is what more can you milk from your current job? [laughs] What I mean by that is what are those relationships that you need to nurture, clients maybe you need to make sure you are connecting with again? What are those skills that you want to develop? What about the networking? Who's in your network, or who can you get closer to in your network based on where you are or the access that you have? Just what are those different opportunities? What more do you need from your job? I really was--so when I left corporate, I was actually in a recruiting role, and I managed recruiting for five offices for a public accounting firm up and down the East Coast, and I absolutely loved that job. I thought recruiting was a wonderful field to be in. It was fast-paced. There was a lot of travel, which I loved. I was able to work with a lot of young professionals and give career advice, and I really learned how--how 1. a company actually hires and develops and recruits and trains talent. I had a say so in it, and I was able to help drive strategy in terms of not only how they got talent but how the organization was able to get diverse talent. So I loved that job because I was able to add a lot of value and be a thought leader there, but I was also thinking about "What do I need to get out of my company? What do I need to get out of this job that will make me a better entrepreneur?" You know, more of an expert for my clients? And so I started, you know, asking to attend more conferences, one for networking, but also to develop more skills just in terms of the different sessions that were being offered at the conferences I was going to. Like, one conference I went to in Chicago was a women's conference, and there was a session on public speaking, which was great, because I wanted to do more public speaking. My goal was to become--to brand myself as a speaker. And with that being said, another opportunity for me was to do as many speaking engagements as possible. And so, you know, before I left, whenever a team member needed a speaker for a recruiting event, I always raised my hand to go. So I was able to go to different universities and, you know, do speaking engagements on, you know, any type of career development topic that they wanted the firm to offer, but I also kind of used that under my speaking toolkit and said "Hey, I was in front of this audience," right? And I was kind of building up my speaking brand as much as I could. So that's something to think about. What more can you milk from your current job or just from your current situation? And then I have three things to think about in terms of getting very serious about being more efficient in your business. I'll go ahead and name those three. The three areas are time management, fiscal management, and process management. So starting with time management. You will want to determine how much time you want to spend working in your business versus working in your day job, so keep in mind that you have family responsibilities, and just think about the way your schedule is now, whether it's family obligations, you know, work obligations, volunteer obligations, you really have to get tight with your schedule and know how much time you want to be working in your business, working your day job, and also working on your business, 'cause working in your business and on your business is different. So then in terms of--another piece under time management would be service, products, and offerings. How much time is it taking you to actually do or to put out the offer or to provide that service, you know, that you are monetizing your business off of? You know, for example, you know, thinking about building a course. I did a salary negotiation course last month on--well, I already said it - salary negotiation. But even though that webinar itself was only two hours long--it was about an hour and 45 minutes--whoo, y'all, when I tell you - there's so many steps that go into actually building out a course, and that I learned. So not only did I have to, you know, create the course, I had to create the outline, you know, figure out what the goals were. What did I want? And thinking about what I wanted my audience to walk away with. With all of that being said, you know, building out the outline, thinking about--doing the research, you know? Making sure I'm pulling in industry and relevant data to back my support, to back my findings, you know? Putting it into a PowerPoint or--I didn't use PowerPoint, I used Canva, but--putting it into a presentation template, putting together a workbook. You know, you have the copy that has to go out, and you have to send that out to your audience. So there's so many different steps, and sometimes we don't take into account every single step and, you know, every single moment we're spending to get these things done. So time management. Next is fiscal management, and this is the process that I kind of--that I do actually walk my coaching clients through for those that are looking to launch businesses or thinking about--or looking to scale their business. So fiscal management is the second one. You have to have revenue goals. You have to have revenue goals for your business. It's so key, especially if you're thinking about taking it from a side hustle to a full-time hustle. You know, that's nothing to play with. You want to make sure that you are continuing to bring in money and revenue for your business, so it is important to set some revenue goals, okay? And don't sell yourself short, you know? Also take into account the lifestyle that you want, that you are living, and, you know, one thing that I did is I actually wrote out a budget. I really thought about--or not thought about, but I outlined, you know, my expenses, how much money I am spending on bills, but not only fixed expenses but also variable expenses - food, shopping, entertainment, nails, hair. You know, as a woman, those things matter. We want to look cute. We can't be, you know, taking a discount on [laughs] on that, and so I've really had to think through "How much money do I need to be bringing in each month to keep the lifestyle that I want to live?" I was fully prepared to, you know, be okay with living less, you know, or spending less if I had to--maybe not getting my nails done for a bit, which I actually did stop doing for quite some time. But, you know, other things like that. You may have to make sacrifices, but either way you have to know those numbers. Know how much does it cost for you to live the lifestyle that will make you happy. Happiness is important. And then based on that, you will need to have revenue goals so you can bring in enough to support your lifestyle, right? Especially if you have, you know, a family and children, you will need more money than someone that is single. So you have your revenue goals. You will want to also break those down by services or the products that you are offering, so if your revenue goal is $10,000 and you have something that is--a product that is, you know, $100, you need to make sure that quantity that you're selling is 100, you know? So it's important to think about your revenue goals, break it down by service or products that you are offering, you know? Or maybe you have a multitude of different service offerings or different products, but break your revenue goals by each thing that you are offering. How many customers do you need to be bringing in for that said service or product? That way you also know how you need to be spending your effort in terms of marketing, where you should be marketing or who you should be marketing to. So the first was time management, second was fiscal management, and the third brings us to process management. You have to have systems and tools in order to scale your business. So I know I've mentioned that a couple of times, scaling your business, scaling your business, and some may say, "Well, what does that mean?" So scaling your business--I'm just going to read a definition that I found online, but it means setting the stage to enable and support growth in your company. It means having the ability to grow without being hampered. It requires planning, some funding, and the right system, staff, processes, technology, and partners. When companies scale, they add revenue at a faster rate than they take on new costs. A company that is scaling may gain 50,000 in new revenue, from which they spent only 5,000 on marketing automation tools, versus hiring someone and paying them a $50,000 salary to actually come in and do the work. So it basically means making sure you are operating at your most efficient capacity and capabilities. Scaling is something that is extremely important, especially if you are a company of one, you know? And maybe you don't have a large team in place. So it's important to think through how can you scale or grow your business, because if you are a company of one, you can't do it all. You may need to automate, put those systems in place and tools in place so that way you can get your time back and be able to spend it a little bit more efficiently. So anyways, when it comes to process management, you have to have systems and tools in order from start to finish. I recommend my clients actually write out the steps, write out the steps of an initial contact. So when a client is initially interested in working with you and they want to work with you, where do they go? What do they fill out? What do they complete? How do they get in touch with you? And having a process from the initial contact all the way to, you know, closing the deal or making that sale, providing the service, and then, you know, if there's any follow-up or things of that nature that need to happen post-providing that service, you want to make sure that you have all of those steps in order and think about what are the things that you may be doing over and over and over again that are a little bit recurring that maybe you can--that's something you can automate? What are some canned emails that you are--what are those emails that you are sending over and over again to your clients? So creating some canned emails. I think about, you know, the processes and how can I be more efficient in my business all of the time, and with process management, or for the systems I used, I have a task management tool I use called Trello. It's great. It helps me and my team really stay organized. Sometimes we work with up to 15 clients for, you know, the resume work that we do, and then from, you know, my agency, but then for the one-on-one coaching that I do where I take on about 15 clients, no more than 15 clients at a time, I have to stay organized with that. So Trello [for] task management. I use Dubsado for my CRM. Love, love, love my CRM. And then Google Drive. I am in Gmail. You know, [laughs] Google anything. Google Forms. I--listen... Google. Hey, Google, [laughs] put me on the team. But no, seriously, I use Google for everything. Those are the main systems that I use. The last thing I will say is that once you do make the leap, don't jump right into it. Take a break if you can. You know, take some time off from being in that corporate setting so you can just sit back and--I don't want to say sit back and relax, but just so you can take a breather, you know? We have the rest of our lives to work. You may feel like you want to jump right into it, but you definitely will want to take a break just to kind of get your mind in order and get it clear so that you can be more creative. The last thing that I'll say is make sure you also set some goals. 30-day, 60-day, 90-day goals at the minimum for your business. Be very intentional with that. How many? How much money do you want to work? Of course those revenue goals. How many clients do you want to bring in? Who do you want to--you know, where do you want to spend your money? You know, just being intentional about that and setting some goals. So I hope this was helpful. Like I said, this was all about just entrepreneurship, pursuing your full-time hustle or making your side hustle your full-time hustle. Hopefully you found this helpful. If you want to be your own boss, let me know. If you have questions about entrepreneurship, let me know. I'm happy to really just start exploring more and talking more about entrepreneurship as well as we continue to talk about career development. So that is all I have today for you all on The Link Up with Latesha. You can find me on social media, @Latesha_Byrd, and I will talk to you guys next time. Bye.  

On the thirty-sixth entry of Tristan's Tips, our special guest Tristan Layfield covers three common mistakes you might be making that could be holding up your job search. Many of us apply to dozens upon dozens of jobs only to find ourselves still without an offer - be sure to adapt these points of advice into your job search strategy to help improve your chances!Connect with Tristan on LinkedIn, IG, FB, and Twitter!Visit our website!TRANSCRIPTTristan: What is going on, y'all? It's Tristan Layfield of Layfield Resume Consulting, and I've teamed up with Living Corporate to bring you all a weekly career tip. This week we’re going to discuss a few things that might be holding up your job search.Have you ever been or are you currently feeling stuck in your job search? Many of us apply to dozens upon dozens of jobs only to find ourselves still without an offer. Well there are 3 common mistakes that you might be making that could be the reason why you employers aren’t calling.The first thing is that you’re not clear on what you want. With the name of the game being tailoring, you have to be pretty clear on what you’re looking for. You can’t just take the same resume you’ve been adding to since college and send it to hundreds of jobs. That type of resume spamming very rarely ends in landing a role. On the flip side, if you narrow down what type of job you want, you can tailor your resume, brand yourself on LinkedIn, and ensure you’re communicating exactly what you’re seeking while networking.The next thing is that you’re applying to jobs you don’t want. Believe me I get it. Sometimes the job search is so rough and you just need a win so you start applying to jobs you don’t want to do. Odd are, if you know that, eventually the hiring manager will too. The last thing is that you aren’t being proactive. You’ve probably heard that the best time to find a job is when you don’t need one. While it’s cliché, it’s also quite true. Making connections and finding the right opportunity is easier when you don’t absolutely need it. You’re free to take your time to build relationships and vet out opportunities rather than making blind requests and taking positions that aren’t in alignment with what you want to do.A job search without a strategy is like throwing a dart with your eyes closed, sometimes you might get a bullseye but most of the time you’re just hoping for one. If you want to land a great role, you have you’re going to have put some action behind that hope.This tip was brought to you by Tristan of Layfield Resume Consulting. Check us out on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at @layfieldresume or connect with me, Tristan Layfield, on LinkedIn!

Zach has the pleasure of chatting with Brittani Hunter, founder and CEO of The Mogul Millennial, and they discuss how to go about effectively using your voice at work. They also talk about The Mogul Millennial platform in general, what she's looking forward to in the future, and what initially led her to its creation. Connect with Brittani on Twitter and Instagram!Check out The Mogul Millennial website and follow them on Twitter and Instagram!TRANSCRIPTZach: What's up, y'all? It's Zach with Living Corporate, and again, look, y'all know what we do. We have incredible guests all of the time. Now, this guest is pretty interesting, because, you know, as I've been--as we. Shout-out to Ade, shout-out to Sheneisha, shout-out to Tiffany, shout-out to Tara, shout-out to Taylor, shout-out to Tristan, you know what I'm saying? These are all sounding like random names, but these are all people that actually I work with on Living Corporate. Shout-out to Amy, okay? I see you. We have all--as we continue to really build out Living Corporate, folks, there's one name that continues to come up. Like, "Have you talked to this person? Have you talked to this person? Have you talked to this person?" And I'm like, "Yes, I have. Yes, we've made a connection. Yes, we still need to interview. Yes, but I do know who that is," and it is this individual, and this person is a LinkedIn Top Voice. They're an entrepreneur. They're a writer. They're an educator. They're a public speaker. They're a mover. They're a shaker, you know what I'm saying? They're a snatcher of edges, you know what I'm saying? They out here is my point, and this person is Brittani Hunter. Brittani, welcome to the show. How are you doing?Brittani: I'm doing really good. Thanks for having me.Zach: No, no, no. Thank you for actually being on the show. In fact, let me go ahead and just--just a very modest, you know what I'm saying, cheer, just to welcome you, you know what I'm saying? [cheers sfx] Nothing too crazy. Just something to kind of get us started. For those of us who don't know you--I know I kind of gave a little bit, but would you mind telling us a little bit about yourself?Brittani: Yeah. So like you mentioned earlier, I'm an entrepreneur and also a LinkedIn Top Voice. I am also a proud HBCU grad, so if you went to PVAMU, shout-out to you. I am based here in Texas, Dallas to be exact, and I've been in the entrepreneur space for about 3.5 years, but full-time since January of this year. So January of 2019.Zach: Okay, now, wait, you're not gonna shout-out your HBCU?Brittani: I did. You didn't hear me? Prairie View A&M University. So PVAMU. ["ow" sfx]Brittani: [laughs] Yeah. It's the best HBCU in my opinion, so yeah, shout-out to you if you are a PV grad as well. Zach: Shout-out to the HBCUs. It's so funny, 'cause, you know, no one ever goes, "Shout-out to the PWIs!" But, you know, it's cool. Shout-out to education, and definitely shout-out to HBCUs. My dad went to Jackson State, and my mom [was Miss?] Tougaloo back in the day, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, I came from good stock is what I'm trying to say. [jokingly] You're not the only person out here flexing in your complexion, that's all. Okay, so look, today we're talking about using your voice effectively. You talked about being a LinkedIn Top Voice. First of all, what does it mean to be a LinkedIn Top Voice?Brittani: So every year, LinkedIn, they'll select people that currently use the LinkedIn platform--hence the name LinkedIn Top Voice--and what it is is people that they recognize that are making an impact through the platform, and so an impact on the platform through their content. So yeah, to become a LinkedIn Top Voice essentially means that you're recognized as someone who has influence and a heavy impact on the users, on the thousands and millions of users that are on LinkedIn.Zach: Let's talk about you being selected. Like, what did that process look like?Brittani: It was actually a surprise. So I was literally at my old 9-to-5, um, not doing work, checking my personal email on my phone, and I saw that I had an email from one of the editors. And so LinkedIn has several editors that specifically focus on different subjects, and so the editor reached out and was pretty much saying that they love all of my content, that they, you know, on the back end they've been seeing how much engagement and all the high impressions that my content has been getting, whether that was my blog content--'cause, you know, LinkedIn has the publishing platform that you can publish blogs on. So whether it was that or just my normal, you know, short-form or long-form posts, and they were wanting to see if I was interested in being a part of their LinkedIn Top Voice selection. And so it was pretty much--that was really it. They required for me to write a post, so once they released the list of all of the LinkedIn Top Voices in the different categories--and by the way, I was selected in the category for Management and Culture. So yeah, once they released the article with everybody that was selected, they also released a series of articles from each LinkedIn Top Voice that was selected.Zach: That's really, really cool. You know, what's really interesting about what you shared is that, you know, you said you weren't even expecting it. You were just doing what you were doing, and then it just happened, right?Brittani: Yeah. A lot of people think that there is, like, some type of formal application or if you, like, reach out to someone that works at LinkedIn that you can get it, but it doesn't work like that. If you just keep doing what you're doing and just be focused on--and you're just, like, focused on actually putting out great content, then you'll be noticed, and if you're lucky they'll select you as a Top Voice.Zach: You know what? I just--I just think it's really incredible, and like I said from the top, everybody that I talk to, as I've been talking about Living Corporate, they're like, "You know, you really need to talk to--have you talked to anybody from The Mogul Millennial?" And I'm like... but it's just been, like, an ongoing conversation, and, you know, since then, and really frankly to this day, I'm just really excited that we were able to make this connection, you know what I mean? [to this day sfx]Brittani: Yeah. [laughs] I love the soundbites. I love it, I love it. Zach: No, I appreciate. So look, on your platform you share real talk, right? So the latest piece that I personally read was about black leadership at Fortune 500 companies being at its lowest, yet black celebrity partnerships are booming--and it's so interesting because, at the time of this recording, of this podcast, you know, Jay-Z just announced that partnership that he has with the NFL for the social justice movement thing. Anyway, in it you assert that while exploring the direct and subtle implications of that fact, right? So basically you go into it, right? A lot of your pieces do this, where you have, like, this fairly, like, strong initial statement, and then you really go into the nuances and the implications of whatever you stated, right? As black creatives who are focused on content centered around business, I think there's a line we have to decide when we're going to, like, not cross, right? Like, and show how honest or raw that we're being. What has that journey looked like for you specifically and how you've balanced, like, discomforting truths with managing a brand that extends far beyond your family and close friends?Brittani: Yeah. So I think, for me, what I just try to, like, you know, work at towards every day is just, like, living my truth. When you're not living your truth, you know, you're the one that's mostly impacted, and so whether that was--you know, whether that's me right now as an entrepreneur or me back when I was working the traditional 9-to-5 in the workplace, I'm not going to downplay, you know, what I think or try to sugarcoat, like, my thoughts and my feelings because of someone else, and so I think it's important that when we speak on our truths it also empowers other people to do the same. So specifically through Mogul Millennial, I like to have those types of conversations and so that way, you know, the issue at hand isn't ignored or it's not--you know, it's not watered down.Zach: And so how do you feel like that philosophy could be applied to, like, black and brown professionals in their day-to-day jobs and how they use their voice?Brittani: I think, you know--it's funny. So it makes me think about--like, a really quick story. When I was working at one of my last 9-to-5s, it was a predominantly white workplace, and one of my coworkers who was black, she would just, like, literally turn her personality all the way off, even from, like, the foods that she ate.Zach: Wait. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on. Whoa, whoa, whoa. [record scratch sfx] What you mean the food that she ate?Brittani: Yeah! So she wouldn't eat things like chicken in the office or really be, like, really careful on the types of fruit that she would eat.Zach: The types of--oh, so she wouldn't eat, like, a banana is what you're trying to say?Brittani: That, watermelon. You know, like, the traditional, like, things--[haha sfx, both laugh] Yeah, like, you think about, like, black people, and it was weird. So we would have, like, potlucks at work, and if people brought chicken she would say that she was allergic to chicken, but she loved chicken.Zach: She would say that she was allergic to chicken?Brittani: Yeah. It was like, "Girl, why are you doing this? Just be yourself and people will like you for it," you know?Zach: Can we have, like, a real conversation about this though? Okay, so I was talking to my--my wife and I were talking about this. We talk about this often, and Dave Chappelle did a whole stand-up skit about it, but you know how, like, just racist--anti-black racism is so lazy. So it's like, you really think that chicken and watermelon are, like, exclusive to black people? Do you know delicious watermelon is? Do you know how delicious chicken--like, do you know how many cultures enjoy chicken? We all love chicken. Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm. So she would not eat watermelon. She would not eat bananas. Bananas are--you know, they're a lot of sugar, so if you're watching your weight and you're trying to, you know, kind of cut down on your calories, I can understand--Brittani: Yeah, the carbs and everything. Yeah, I get it, but, you know, from that to, you know, purposely not listening to music that she wanted to in her own personal office.Zach: She had a personal office?Brittani: Yeah. It was just crazy. Like, do what you want to do. Like, be yourself. And so she would say all of the time, like, "Well, Brittani, you're gonna listen to this type of music in the office?" Yes. This is my office. You know, I've earned my role. I'm just as qualified as the next person, and I'm not gonna feel uncomfortable at work and not do things that are true to myself, but the person next to me is, just because we're two different skin colors, come from two different backgrounds, and, you know, upbringings. You know, it doesn't mean that they can do something that I can't. And so one of the things that I learned is that, you know, when you're true to yourself, people, they like the real you. They want to know the real you. You don't have to whiten it to be accepted. So yeah, I highly encourage people in the workplace to not, like, you know, whiten or change who they are just to quote-unquote "fit in," because, you know, people can recognize bull**** and they know that it's not the real you anyway.Zach: That's right. Now, look, this is a clean podcast, but, you know, I respect you, you know what I'm saying?Brittani: Oh, I'm sorry.Zach: No, no, that's okay, but when you said it I was like--[Metal Gear Solid surprised sfx]--you know what I'm saying? Like, "Okay, wait." But no, no, you're absolutely right, people can recognize it, and you just want to be yourself, you know? It's interesting. We had a conversation on Season 1. It was, like, our first episode, with Fenorris Pearson, who was--he was, like, an executive with Motorola and Dell, and he talked about the fact that he went on this plane ride, right, with, like, this very senior white executive, and he said, "Look, we can tell when y'all are putting on airs, and, like, it's fake." Like, "We hate that. It's annoying. We can see right through it. It's awkward. It's clearly not authentic," right? Now, I don't want to shame anybody, because we've been classically--we've been conditioned to put on coverings and participate in respectability politics as a means of survival, so I'm not shaming anybody for doing those things, but at the same time--not but, and we also live in a time when, look, you have a voice. Use it and be yourself, right? Like, if you want to listen to Rick Ross, you know what I'm saying, do that. You want to smoke a Black and Mild on your smoke break? Go ahead and do that. Like, nobody's gonna stop you. Like, it's okay. It's all right. Maybe not a Black and Mild. [both laugh] I'm trying to think of the last time I've seen somebody smoke a Black and Mild, like, in a work setting.Brittani: Oh, God. I don't think I've ever seen that. That's funny.Zach: Like a 'rillo. That'd be like, "Ooh, what's going on?" [both laugh] No, no, no, but anyway, let's talk a little bit about Mogul Millennial, right? You've talked about the fact it's been going on for three years. What have you been most proud of so far, and what are you looking forward to most in the next, like, six to twelve months?Brittani: You know, when I think about, like, everything that I've experienced in these three years, the thing that I am mostly proud of was getting out of my [?] and realizing that I literally cannot do everything. At my last job, I was--I've always been in management roles, so I'm used to being, like, head over something, you know?Zach: Hold on a second. So wait, wait, wait. You said you've always been in management roles?Brittani: Yeah.["ow" sfx]Zach: Okay, I got you. Keep going. Brittani: [laughs] Yeah, so when I started, you know, The Mogul Millennial, it was, you know, just, like, a side project in the beginning since I couldn't dedicate all of my time and resources to it, but yeah, once I decided that I was gonna go full-time with it, I knew that, "Okay, well, Brittani, you can't, like, grow this company. You can't, like, really be as profitable as you want to be, and you're doing everything." So you're doing all of the social media. You're writing all of the blog posts. You're the one trying to pitch yourself and your company to different brands and partners, so you can't do it all, or you can but it's not gonna be really worth anything, or it won't be as good as it could be and as impactful as it could be. And so I really didn't want to at the beginning, I decided to put out a post asking for help, and once I did that, like, our traction increased. I felt like the content got better because we just had, you know, more diverse opinions and thoughts from--like, black millennials literally all over the world were contributing, and so I think that's what I've been most proud of, you know, recognizing that I don't know everything, and that's fine, 'cause now I have people that help me out day-to-day that are so much more better at certain things and more knowledgeable on certain topics, and I've learned a lot as well from those people.[straight up sfx]Zach: No, I feel you. Like, it's tough when, you know, you're at a point, you're grinding, and you feel like you're doing everything, right, like, to the point you're just at your wit's end. You're looking at 'em like ["what more do you want from me?" sfx] You know? It's just like, "I can't." Like, "I have to reach out." That's really important. So, you know, you not only used your voice to create your platform, but you used your voice to extend and expand your platform, 'cause you had to actually use your voice to ask for help.Brittani: Mm-hmm, absolutely. So right now--it was crazy, 'cause when I put out the first post--so since I'm... I have the highest, like, influence on LinkedIn, so, you know, I went to what I know I'm good in. So I put a post on LinkedIn, and literally within the first, like, two weeks, we had over 150 people who were like, "I want to write!" And it was so overwhelming. So between--and remember, I was still working at my 9-to-5. So in-between meetings, like, literally as I was going to, like, meetings, either, like on-site at my job or off-site, or during my lunch break, anything--on the way to the restroom, I was having interviews with these people. 'Cause some people, you know, I had to--I wanted to be accommodating as well, 'cause I wanted to help, and so yeah, it's been good. It's been really good.Zach: So what does it look like, right, to continue and build out this platform, and--actually, let me take a step back. What did it look like when you actually left your full-time job? Like, what did that conversation look like?Brittani: So I had actually planned to leave and was really strategic. So I--I think you and I had talked before and I mentioned that I lived in Houston for a short period of time.Zach: For a little bit of time, yeah.Brittani: Yeah. So originally I'm from Dallas, and I went to school at PV, which is by Houston. Went to PV, came back to Dallas, and was working at a university that's, like, north of Dallas in a small--well, not small... well, yeah, small, but it's [?]. So I was working there at UT Dallas and I remember being approached by my boss's boss--well, no, my boss's boss's boss. So, like, three people above me, to work at the property at the University of Houston, and I denied them, like, three or four times, because the pay wasn't right and I was like, "No, you're not gonna pay me [?]," and I have to move and uproot my life, and so eventually we negotiated back and forth. I got the rate that I wanted plus more, and we--and so yeah, I specifically took that role because I knew that I wanted to quit within a year so that way I could work on Mogul Millennial full-time, 'cause we were doing really well with the site, and so--so yeah, I literally only took the promotion--well, it was like a lateral promotion, so it was the same role but different duties. Zach: But you had got that [cha-ching sfx].Brittani: Exactly, exactly. Making extra money, so I took it knowing that, "Okay, well, I can save money even faster and, you know, quit and be way more financially comfortable."Zach: I got you. So you were, like, kind of scheming on the low, but, like, you know, for yourself though.Brittani: Yeah. I mean, they do it all of the time with us, with [?]. So I had no regrets, no shame. [laughs]Zach: Oh, no, no. Hey, I'm not shaming you, I'm just chuckling 'cause, you know, you negotiated that deal and you're in the background, you know, you're shaking his hand and you're talking about ["hehehe" sfx, both laugh]Brittani: Yep. So no, like, I literally stayed, like, long enough as well. So the year was special because, you know, within a year you can really do--if you're dedicated and persistent you can do some really good damage--well, not damage, but some good improvement. Zach: No, you said what you said. It's okay. [both laugh]Brittani: And then also with the relocation fee, you know, that's why it's important that you read everything. I read in the contract for the relocation [?] I was given that you need to stay for a year. So yeah, I left within a year, and then--so it really just looked like, you know, within that time period for me working at the other location in Houston, was to just save and grow my team, and then also focus on, like, upcoming products and plan out different projects that we're gonna actually be releasing this year, so I'm really excited about that, but it was a lot of hard work. So at my last company I was literally working, like, sometimes, like, 60, 70 hours a week, 'cause I worked in a very busy industry, but at the same time, you know, having a team was really helpful, and then I just worked crazy hours on the weekends, on my lunch breaks, before work, things like that.Zach: That's a blessing. It's a blessing to find folks who are, you know, engaged and willing to support, right? You know, I think we probably need to have you back just around, like, the principles of building a team and getting started, because I think a lot of times, and I'll say this for podcasting, podcasting is notorious for people, like, starting off really big with a splash and then being done after, like, 2.5 months, because the load of, like, getting content, researching, producing, it can get, like, tiring over time, so, like, a lot of podcasts don't even last a year, you know what I'm saying? Let alone--Brittani: It's a full-time job.Zach: It's a full-time job, and so, you know, it's tough. So that's incredible. I'm so excited. I'm so thankful that you've been able to be on this, on our platform. Now, look, again, Brittani, you're the first LinkedIn Top Voice that we've had on Living Corporate. How does that make you feel?Brittani: You know what? It makes me feel good, but it won't be the last. I believe in you guys.Zach: Ow! Had to do my own Cardi B "ow," goodness gracious. Thank you so much, I appreciate that. And, you know, I've gotta give you a Flex bomb just because you've been dropping casual just--[Flex bomb sfx] It's just ridiculous. Like, it's just incredible, but, like, I'm just so thankful that you're able to be here. Before we let you go, any parting words or shout-outs?Brittani: Yeah. So of course shout-out to my team. My editorial assistant, Alex, she came up with the name Mogul Mob and I love it, so shout-out--Zach: Oh, The Mogul Mob? Yeah, Mogul Mob be up in that WordPress putting content together like [Cardi B "bratbratbratbrat" sfx] You know what I'm saying? We out here.Brittani: [laughs] Yeah, so shout-out to them. They are all amazing, even--like, in their own individual lives they do so many great things, from being startup entrepreneurs, small business owners, freelancers, et cetera. Corporate bosses. They are just amazing. But the only other thing that I want to also shout-out or mention is that we gonna be launching our own online course platform through Mogul Millennial. It's called Mogul Genius, so look out for that. It will be released to a private group of people in October, but after that we'll be releasing it to the general public, so yeah.Zach: Look at you. Come on, now. Well, first of all, again, you know what, just shout-out to y'all. I've gotta go ahead and drop these air horns right here--[air horns sfx]--for The Mogul Millennial and, you know what, for Brittani Hunter. Thank you so much for being on our show. Y'all, that does it for us on the Living Corporate podcast. Make sure you check us out on Twitter @LivingCorp_Pod, on Instagram @LivingCorporate, and on our website at living-corporate--please say the dash--dot com. Now, look, if you have any questions or any shout-outs you'd like to place on the show, you can contact us through the website or you can email us at livingcorporatepodcast@gmail.com, or you can just DM us 'cause the DMs are wide open. Now, look, you can check us out online if you just Google Living Corporate. We're at all of the domains. Brittani, do you know we have every single Living Corporate variation besides Living Corporate dot com?Brittani: That's a smart way to go. A lot of people don't do that. I'm so glad that you do so somebody [can't?] steal it.Zach: Thank you. So we've got livingcorporate.net, livingcorporate.tv, livingcorporate.org, but we don't have livingcorporate.com because Australia has livingcorporate.com. They've got, like, some apartment renting company out there.Brittani: Oh, my God.Zach: I'm saying, right? Now, look, one day though the brand is gonna be brolic enough we're gonna go and we're gonna get that domain. I just don't know when that's gonna be, but it's gonna happen. I'm speaking it.Brittani: They'll [?] forget to pay their renewal.Zach: They'll mess up. Yeah, real talk. Playas mess up, and they'll mess up too. [both laugh] You know what I'm saying? We've talked about Australia a little bit. I'm really trying to be careful 'cause I don't want to create no international beef, but I very much so do want the domain, so I'm trying to figure out, like, what the best strategy is. Maybe you and I could have a conversation offline about that.Brittani: Yeah, yeah. I could tell you a story about that. Zach: [laughs] All right, y'all. Well, look, this has been Zach Nunn, and you've been listening to Brittani Hunter, CEO and founder of The Mogul Millennial. Until next time. Peace.

On the eleventh entry of The Link Up with Latesha, our incredible host Latesha Byrd, founder of Byrd Career Consulting, talks about how to take mental health days at work, what that actually means and looks like, and the benefits of doing so. According to a 2018 Glassdoor study, the average American only takes about 54% of their available time off in the previous 12 months - don't hesitate to take yours!You can read Latesha's interview on Forge!Find out more about Latesha on the BCC website or connect with her through her socials! LinkedIn, IG, Twitter, FBCheck out Latesha's YouTube channel!BCC's socials: LinkedIn, IG, Twitter, FBVisit our website!TRANSCRIPTLatesha: What's up, everyone? Welcome to The Link Up with Latesha on Living Corporate. This podcast is for young professionals that need some real advice, tips, and resources to navigate corporate America and dominate their career. If you're looking to upgrade your brand, get the knowledge you need to level up professionally for your future, you are in the right place. I'm your host, Latesha Byrd. How are y'all doing today? I hope that you have had a wonderful week. It is pretty cold here in Charlotte, North Carolina, where I am. It seems that we went straight from summer to winter. So--[laughs]--no cutesy letter jackets, no. You know, we're straight winter coat, peacoat with the scarf and gloves mode, so hope you all--if you love the cold, love the winter, good for you, but I am definitely missing the heat. Anyways, today we are talking about something that is extremely, extremely important, and this is on thinking about our mental health at work and doing what is best for us to make sure that we are really, you know, taking control of our mental health and making that a priority. I was recently asked to be interviewed for Forge. If you are unfamiliar with Forge, it is a personal development publication by Medium. It's pretty cool. Check it out. Forge. And the topic was how to ask for a mental health day. You know, we just celebrated or recognized Mental Health Awareness Day, and so I thought it would be a great idea to just share of the tips and go into a little further detail about, you know, the conversation that we had and some of the things that were actually discussed. And I think that now in 2019, you know, we are understanding, or more so normalizing, you know, the conversation around mental health, you know? It has been a stigma in the black community that if you are going to therapy or if you are depressed or if you are dealing with mental health issues, then, you know, something is wrong with you, right? But, you know, I just started going to therapy this year. It has completely, completely changed my life. I have learned to really build a relationship with myself, and it's allowed me to be a better coach, a better businesswoman, a better friend, a better mentor, a better boss and leader and all of the above. So mental health is something I'm really passionate about, especially as we think about how our mental health affects how we actually show up in the workplace. So I wanted to share just some stats with you all, talk about how to actually take mental health days, what that actually looks like--like, what that actually means and the benefits of it. So I was reading an article on CNBC, and it said that among Americans that are currently employed, 13% say they plan to take a quarter of their vacation days or fewer this year - according to a poll of nearly 2,600 U.S. adults conducted by Bankrate, which also finds that 4% of Americans aren't planning to take any vacation at all, even though their employers offer it. Another stat that was shared from Glassdoor in 2018 was that the average American only took about 54% of their available time off in the previous 12 months. I want you all to take your PTO. Please. You don't have to go on a vacation to take time off. This is where these mental health days can come in. Our mental health is just as important as our physical health. When you think about your mental health, there's a few things that go into that: anxiety, right? That is something that I have had to really try to overcome, especially as an entrepreneur. Stress. That leads to burnout, you know? And it's not just about at work, you know? Dealing with this at work. You know, especially for women, we are the caretakers. We are taking care of everybody, our kids, our parents. Who's taking care of us? It's funny, I was actually scrolling on Instagram this morning, and I saw a really, really interesting quote, and it said, "We expect women to work like they don't have children and raise children as if they don't work." So women, you know, I know we are Superwoman. We play Superwoman really, really well, but we have to take those days off for our mental health. Now, in terms of thinking about your mental health, you know, it's important to understand where the burnout, where the stress--where it's coming from and what may be depleting your energy. For me, I've really started to focus on managing my energy versus managing my time. So I know when I'm best during the day and when I'm not, and I will structure my work around those times where I have the most energy, or the least energy. So if it's something that is requiring a lot of creativity, some innovation, a lot of critical thinking, I will do--I will work on those things when my energy is at the top top top, and I'll save some of those lower-level thinking activities [like], you know, doing administrative work, for when I have, you know, lower energy. It's also important to know what work you're doing maybe that's causing some of the stress. How can you prioritize your work, you know? Is it certain people you're working around? That can be contributing as well to depleting your energy. It's important to understand, you know, the sources and where that is actually coming from. I am not, you know, a mental health professional, so it is important to--you know, I always recommend, again, therapy. Talk to a therapist, you know? Talk to a professional that can help you get, you know, the resources that you need to figure out where it's coming from and how to overcome it or, you know, just how to, you know, live more energetically, especially, you know, as we're thinking about the workplace. So, you know, coming back to the topic of taking a mental health day. I just want to make this clear. Your company is not obligated to know that you are taking a mental health day. To be honest, I don't really think it's any of their business. Now, if you have a very close relationship with, you know, your boss or your manager, and they're extremely supportive, and everyone talks about mental health and they really, really value mental health, yeah, maybe then it's worth a conversation, but you don't need to feel obligated. You can just say that you need to take a day off. If you are in a workplace where, whenever you take a day off, you know, they go, "Well, why do you need to take a day off? What are you doing?" Like, what? Mm-mm. I'm not here, so why are you asking? [laughs] So understand that taking a day off, you're not obligated to tell them, you know? That is up to your discretion, but I will say is that you need to take time off to recoup. Understand the PTO policy for your company. You know, as I shared those stats, a lot of us don't take time off. We also don't take--we don't max out on our time off. Now, if your company has a "use it or lose it" policy I'm gonna need you to use it, [laughs] but it is important to know "If I don't use all of my PTO by this day, will I run out of PTO?" Or I guess not run out, but will it not roll over to the next year? Some companies will let you roll over your PTO to maybe the next fiscal year if you don't use it. Sometimes that amount is capped as well. So definitely understand that, and then just start (booking?) time off regularly. I think something that holds us back from taking time off is that we feel like we have to go on a vacation. Like, we only take time off if we are going out of town, if we're going somewhere, and then we say, "Well, I don't want to spend money," you know? Taking time off could just be sitting at the crib--[laughs]--sitting at the crib not doing anything. Sometimes, you--like, vacations are great, right, but man, y'all know that time when you... sometimes you need a vacation from the vacation, you know what I'm saying? So sometimes vacations are great--well, not sometimes. Vacations are great, you know? It's great to get away, to get out of where you currently are and try something new, new experiences, you know, immerse yourself into a new culture, but I'm telling you, that transition period from coming back from vacation to getting back into the workplace can be a little bit challenging. But all I'm saying is it is good to just take time off and really not do anything. Just schedule days where you just stay at home or where you just don't do much of anything at all. You know, I recommend to set some restrictions for yourself. When you decide to take a day off--no vacation, maybe you're staying at home, but you're taking that mental health day. Don't set up any meetings, don't set up any calls--unless it's, you know, maybe with an old friend or with a family member that you just love and you want to catch up with. Maybe a little grocery shopping here and there if you must, but relax and rest as much as possible. Catch up on your shows. Listen to music. Read a book. Go to a museum. Go to a park. Walk around a park. If you live near a lake go to a lake, or, you know, maybe you could just lay up on the couch and watch your favorite movie with a bottle of red wine. Just do something that doesn't require a lot of energy. Taking that time away will allow your brain to also recoup. You'll see that once you take time off you will come back to work even more productive, you know? Maybe your creativity, your innovative ways of thinking have been a little bit stifled. This is where that taking the time off and not doing anything and giving your brain will help you to come back even stronger. Now, this tip is super important, and that is setting boundaries. Set boundaries with your coworkers. When you are off, they should not be calling you, okay? They should not be texting you. It's important when you're taking time off to just make sure that your work is handled beforehand, having--if you must, you know, have conversations with those that can maybe pick up work for you or just let everyone know--not everyone, but let the right people know where you are with your work, what needs to be done, who needs to contact who, who you're waiting to hear back from, et cetera. You know, it's important to be a little bit more proactive, 'cause you don't want to come back from your day off and then, you know, everything's on fire. So you can be as proactive as possible, that way you can also make sure that things are taken care of while you're gone so you won't have to deal with calls and emails and texts--and if I were you, I would not even respond to them anyways. [laughs] A little bit harder for me since, you know, I run my company and my team needs me all of the time, but I do tell them when I go out of town or if I'm taking a day off like, "Hey, I am off work. If it is not an emergency--if anything is not on fire, please don't call me. Put it in an email. I will get back to you when I can, but other than that..." And they have been great with respecting those boundaries, but you will need to set some boundaries, you know, not only with your coworkers, but also with yourself, you know? So don't do too much where you're exerting a lot of physical energy either. Really, just relax. We're in this society where we feel like we need to be productive all of the time, right, and our productivity and what we achieve is tied to how we identify success, but understand that taking that time off for you will allow you to come back even better. So I hope that this helped. If you want to check out the piece by Forge on Medium, you can find it on my social media - @Latesha_Byrd. So that's all I have for you all, so have a great, great week, and I will talk to you later. Bye!

On the thirty-fifth installment of Tristan's Tips, our special guest Tristan Layfield adds to some of the previous tips he's given us on cover letters by discussing three tips to help tailor and strengthen your cover letter. Unlike resumes, cover letters provide an area to get a little bit more creative, so use that to your advantage to make a lasting impression!Connect with Tristan on LinkedIn, IG, FB, and Twitter!Check out our website by clicking here: Living CorporateTRANSCRIPTTristan: What is going on, y'all? It's Tristan Layfield of Layfield Resume Consulting, and I've teamed up with Living Corporate to bring you all a weekly career tip. This week we’re going to add to some of the previous tips I’ve given you on cover letters by discussing 3 tips to tailor and strengthen your cover letter.Similar to your resume your cover letter should be tailored for each position you’re submitting it to. Since I know most people hate writing cover letters, that’s easier said than done. So I wanted to provide a couple of tips to make tailoring and strengthening your cover letter a little easier.First, use portions of the job description. If you want to get a job, you have to be able to talk to the talk. Take the time to identify and incorporate keywords and phrases from the job description to you ensure you’re speaking their language. Often times you can pick up on which points relate to your experience just by reading the job description.Next, try to tie in the company’s mission or core values. Doing this shows that you’ve done your homework. That you’ve researched and you understand WHY you want to want for this company or organization. It also displays how your skills and experience fit into the larger context of the organization and by proxy how YOU fit into the company or organization.Lastly, try to tell a story. The path you took to gain the relevant skills for this role is unique which is a selling point for you. Use your highlights and accomplishment to build a compelling narrative showcasing how your interest in the role or company came about. Just be careful not to go too farin-depth.Unlike resumes, cover letters provide an area to get a little bit more creative so use that to your advantage to make a lasting impression.This tip was brought to you by Tristan of Layfield Resume Consulting. Check us out on Instagram, twitter, and facebook at @layfieldresume or connect with me, Tristan Layfield, on LinkedIn!

Zach welcomes Cognizant's Maureen Greene James to the show, and she shares what she thinks are the biggest frustrations in the diversity and inclusion space today. In addition to speaking about her unique role as an inclusion leader who's jointly focused on leadership development, she also offers up three points of advice for executives looking to create an inclusive workforce.Connect with Maureen on LinkedIn and Twitter, and check out Cognizant's website, Twitter, and Instagram!Check out our website by clicking here: Living CorporateTRANSCRIPTZach: What's up, y'all? It's Zach with Living Corporate. Now, look, you know what we do, right? I come on here, I say, "What's up, y'all?" And I say it in this smooth way, right? And then I say we're a platform that amplifies the voices of black and brown people at work, but just for those of you who don't know, we are a platform that amplifies the voices of black and brown people at work. Now, if you're new to the space you may say, "Well, how do you actually do that?" Let me tell you how we do that. We do that by having pointed, accessible, and real, authentic interviews with black and brown executives, leaders, movers and shakers, influencers, public servants, educators, activists, creatives, artists, you know what I'm saying? With everybody. And we also interview non-black and brown folks too, for those who are fragile and feel not involved. We got y'all too. You're welcome as long as you are an advocate for black and brown people. And so, look, we do this, and today is no different. We actually have a great guest like we do every episode, but I'm saying this episode really for real. 'Cause sometimes I have a guest and y'all send me messages like, "Okay," but no, but really, this time a super, super dope guest. Our guest is Maureen Greene James. What's up? Sound Man, give me some air horns right here. [air horns sfx] Okay, thank you. Now, look, Maureen, she is an HR professional whose background, experiences and expertise include HR leadership, talent development, diversity & inclusion, employee engagement, communications AND change management. Maureen serves by bringing expertise and experiences in HR leadership, diversity & inclusion, talent and leadership development, employee engagement and change management to Cognizant, serving as the leader--y'all, check it out. Whoa, whoa, whoa. The leader of Diversity & Leadership Development for North America. So all of the states, right? Including the little states on the side. For those of y'all who weren't too good at geography, Alaska and Hawaii. Those spots too, right? She is in charge of all of that, right? Now, to further enhance Cognizant’s commitment to diversity, she plays a key role in the company’s efforts around executive talent & leadership development while staying focused on building a diverse, high performing pipeline of strong women leaders. Maureen has been recognized for her professional accomplishments in Black Enterprise magazine--come on, Black Enterprise--and in 2014 received the “Most Powerful and Influential Woman Award” by the National Diversity Council. I mean, come on. I mean, what can we really say here? I gotta drop at least one Flex bomb. [Flex bomb sfx] Maureen, welcome to the show. How are you doing?Maureen: I am great, Zachary. How are you?Zach: I am really, really well. So, you know, a little bit of behind-the-scenes tea, I'm really glad we're able to sit down. We've been so busy.Maureen: We have. There's been a lot of stuff going on. I've been doing some travel for work. But, you know, it's all good. I'm staying busy, staying focused on all things inclusion and diversity within my organization, as well as, you know, within other organizations that I have the opportunity to be in front of and share my knowledge and expertise [with].Zach: Okay. Well, hold on. So you say you've been traveling, you know, and again, you said your organization as well as, you know, other organizations, so... ["ow" sfx] You know, can you talk a little bit about some of the other organizations that you've been able to share your knowledge and expertise with?Maureen: Sure. So I often have the opportunity to really utilize my platform and my voice to speak with other organizations at conferences and inclusion summits. I've had the opportunity to be in front of MetLife as an organization just to talk about diversity and inclusion. I actually hosted a panel around inclusion not too long ago. I also had the opportunity to work with PwC, which is an organization that obviously I'm familiar with because that's where I was for the past I would say about 11.5 years. So I do spend a lot of time really focusing on diversity and inclusion, obviously within Cognizant, but also making sure that I am sharing the knowledge and expertise as well as learning from other organizations too around what we're doing, what we're all doing in this space to really build an inclusive work environment.Zach: Well, I mean, I just think it's incredible, and that's why we're so excited to have you on the show today. So, you know, I gave a bit of an introduction and we talked about--and just now you talked about some of the speaking you've been doing. I talked about your professional background. But for those of us who don't know you, is there anything else you think you'd like to share about yourself?Maureen: Yeah. So for anyone that doesn't know me, [know] that I'm a really passionate--I don't like to say HR leader, even though that's probably what it says in my bio, but I'm a people leader, you know? Like, I like to get in touch with the people. I like to know what's going on with the people within an organization and what makes them tick, what makes them get engaged with the organization that they work for, and what allows them to feel like they are working within an organization that has a very strong culture of belonging? So those are the things that are, you know, really important to me and the things that I'm passionate about professionally. I recently had the opportunity to speak at an inclusion summit for an organization called ATG - Advanced Technology Group - and, you know, one of the questions that they asked me was around, you know, "So what are the things that people don't know about you?" And I said, "Well, you know, there's some things you don't know about me. I like to kayak. I like to read. I like to learn. I like to hang with my family." And of course my favorite thing in the world is I like to spend time on the beach. But I try to mix all of that, the business and the pleasure together, so taht I have what I like to call work-life--like, some kind of work-life equality. Not necessarily balance, because there's no such thing as work-life balance.Zach: Listen. Now, we could have a whole 'nother podcast about that. I sometimes--[both laugh]--'cause it's not true, right? I think--ugh, anyway... no, no, I'm gonna go ahead and say it! [both laugh] So I sometimes talk about, like, work-life blend, right? And I've even had, like--this was back when I was, like, 23, 23 or 24. I wrote an article on LinkedIn about--I said work-life balance is a myth, 'cause it is, right? Like, we live in a capitalistic society, and the rate of pay has not gone up with the rate of work. So whether you want to accept it or not, right, like, you are--people are now working more than they ever have before and not getting paid commensurate with just the hours. Not even talking about, like, the thought leadership or the quality, just the hours of work that you put in. People at large are not getting paid for/in direct with that, right? So this idea of work-life balance, like, I know the workforce of the future is this whole new topic around, like, just how people are gonna be working differently, because this cannot continue at the rate that it is, and so this whole idea of work-life balance, like you said, I just--I don't think it's real either. So that's awesome though.Maureen: It doesn't exist. Yeah, doesn't exist.Zach: It doesn't exist. And, you know, people will call you pessimistic or whatever, but it's not. It's like, it doesn't--that's not necessarily good or bad, it's just like--but you want to be honest, that way you can actually start creating some boundaries and kind of, like, just start determining what your atmosphere is gonna be. Maureen: Exactly.Zach: Yes, ma'am. So look, let's just get into it, okay? Now, with Trump as president, I'd say we have a stronger focus on diversity and inclusion than ever before, but I'd argue that we've seen a sort of colonization of space where discussions around race are dismissed as elementary, right? Like, gender is amplified and diversity of thought is a north star. So what, if anything, do you think can be done to include more black and brown folks, particularly black and brown women, in these spaces?Maureen: Yeah. So that's a great question, Zachary, and one of the things I see is that when we're talking about diversity and inclusion, we have to really be thinking more broadly around "What does the diversity lens look like?" Right? So there was a point in time when the diversity lens looked like it was all about race and ethnicity, right? And so now women are a bigger and much larger part of the conversation, as it should be, but then there's also the opportunity for us to really be thinking more broadly around, like you say, black and brown folks and black and brown women. So we know that at leadership levels within organizations we don't see enough of us, but there are some things I think that can be done to ensure that we really have a bigger seat at that table. For example, I'd love to see black and brown women really put themselves in positions to be front and center, to be leaders, and that sometimes means for us stepping a little bit out of our comfort zone, right, and putting ourselves in places and in opportunities and on projects where we may not necessarily have every single requirement that let's say is in the quote-unquote job description, but we have a good percentage of it, and so then why wouldn't we go for it? And that's typically something that women on a whole don't necessarily do. And so just think about it from a black and brown perspective. We do it even less because we feel like we shouldn't be doing that, we shouldn't put ourselves front and center for some of those things. So I think that we need to make sure that we're putting ourselves front and center. I also think that we need to be seeking out mentors and sponsors, and the reason I mention both is because there's a difference, right? So a mentor is somebody who's going--you're going to go to for advice and counsel on your career and is it going the right direction and that kind of thing, and people need that. Everybody needs that, especially if you're an emerging manager within an organization, but then if you're at a higher--a little bit of a higher level but not necessarily at that C-Suite level, then you need a sponsor. You need somebody who is going to talk about you when you leave the room in a really good way. You know, not dishing all your business, but talk about you in a really good way to say, "I know that Maureen can do this because I have seen her do XYZ. I know that she can win that client over because she has the skills to do this based on the work that she's done with a similar client, and I have been privy to that." So you really need to have that sponsor who's going to pound the table for you and say, "Hey, this is the woman that you need front and center." So I don't want to spend a ton of time on it, I mean, 'cause I could go on for days, but those are some of the things that I think are really critical for black and brown women to focus on. Zach: So let's do this then, right? And it's interesting 'cause I was just--you know, you see a lot of these thinkpieces out lately, but I was just actually listening in on Dr. Janice, right, and she was talking about how leaning in doesn't always work, right, because, like, what do you do--so, like, we just had you, Maureen Greene James, inclusion and diversity extraordinaire, leader of people, speaker, snatcher of edges, you know what I'm saying? You out here. You just gave us great wisdom and insight on what should happen and what we should do, but what happens when--first of all, how do we do that? How do we have those conversations and put ourselves out there? And then what advice then would you give to the people who are in power, right, which is basically white men and women, on how they can be effective sponsors. Like, how does that happen?Maureen: That's a really good question. So advice I would give to people who are looking for sponsors, what I would say is that you look for someone who doesn't even remotely look like you or sound like you, walk or talk like you, and that's a hard thing to say, right? That's a hard thing for somebody to get their mind wrapped around. So I'll give you a quick story. So when I was working for PwC, there was a point in time where I was looking for someone to really--I wasn't looking for a mentor. I was truly looking for a sponsor, right? Somebody that I knew was going to give it to me straight, that was gonna tell me "Yeah, Maureen, you're not doing a really good job at this," or "Yeah, you're doing great at this, and here's what else you can do to improve in that particular area." And I was also looking for somebody to talk about me behind closed doors when I wasn't in the room. And so I really decided to put myself completely outside of my comfort zone, and I went and had a conversation with somebody who I previously did not necessarily get along with, and I had the conversation for two reasons: one, I wanted to understand what it was about this individual that, for whatever reason, we just rubbed edges. So I needed to understand that just for my own personal understanding, and two, I wanted to understand it from the standpoint of saying, "Okay, so now that I have an understanding of what that is, is this the person that could really be my sponsor?" And so I invited him out to lunch, and we had a great conversation. We talked about that one moment where we bumped heads. It was a few years before, but he remembered it very well and I definitely did not forget it, and at the end of that conversation I simply said to him, "Here's what I'm looking for, and I would like you to be this person to help move me along in my career, to be that person who is going to step in and really be that person pounding the table for me," and he was completely taken aback and surprised but elated at the same time that I asked. And when I tell you, Zachary, that he was probably one of the best individuals that I have had work with me in my career. He was straightforward with me when he needed to be, and he was at the table, you know, singing my praises one, but two really talking about what it was that I could do, how I deliver, how he's seen me deliver. So I really think it's important that we step outside of our comfort zones and we don't look for people who look like us or think like us or who have worked in the same organizations or even in the same industry and sector. This person didn't work in HR. Did work for the company, but didn't work in HR, didn't have an HR understanding, didn't necessarily want it, and that's why they were so critical, because they can give you a different perspective, something that you don't yourself necessarily see because you're in that space all of the time. So that's one of the things I would definitely say is critical. Step outside your comfort zone and look for somebody different.Zach: I love that. And so then on the other side, right, so when you put yourself out there, what advice would you give to your non-melanated, right, counterparts, on how they can make themselves available to be sponsors?Maureen: [laughs] I love "non-melanated." [both laugh] Zach: You like that, huh?Maureen: I love that. I love that. So one of the things I would say is--so I'm going to, you know, really try and step into their shoes for a second, even though that's not necessarily an easy thing to do. I would say it's very difficult for them to feel as though they can put themselves out there. And so the one piece of advice I would give them is just get to know someone. At the end of the day, Zachary, we're all human beings, you know what I'm saying? I mean, we do a lot of stuff alike, okay? We're really not that different, and I really think it's important that we are encouraging our non-melanated counterparts to feel like they can have a conversation with us, but to make them feel like that we have to treat them the way we want to be treated. So in other words, we can't necessarily roll up on them with any kind of, you know, negative thinking around how we think they're going to treat us or how we think they're going to approach us. Just have a conversation with them like you would anybody else. And honestly, you'd be surprised at how open and willing they are to really working with you, but sometimes they feel like they need to be given permission to know you. And I want to go back to something that you said earlier with Trump as president. I think that has created a lot of friction in terms of the way that people just approach each other on a daily basis, right? You know, non-melanated people may think that they can't approach black and brown people, right, or that they shouldn't, but before Trump did we really think that? Did we really have that going on, or were we comfortable just kind of saying, you know, "What's up? Can we talk?" Zach: I wasn't, but, you know, I do believe that it's definitely been more heightened now, right? Like, I think it all depends, right, on your background, right, on your story, kind of where you came from. I know just based on--so my family, coming from the South and, like, horrific experiences that they had, you know, they've really been comfortable, like, in certain situations, and in experiences I've had as well and just in my life. Not even just singing my parents' song. There's always been a bit of hesitation. I definitely believe though--to your point I believe is that it's definitely been--like, it's way more pointed now than it's been in a while, yeah.Maureen: Yeah, which is very unfortunate, because I think people--you know, most people are inherently good and really want to help and want to engage, you know, but I think that, you know, they don't necessarily feel like they can or they should, and so they don't, and so it's almost like they want permission from us. And I think we, black and brown people, need to give a little permission. And it's hard. In this day and time, that's a really hard thing to do. Zach: It is, right? 'Cause, like, there's so much emotional labor, and I think--I know that you know this, but I think it's a huge blind spot, and I think it actually goes into our next question, which is around, like, D&I programs and organizations when they think about diversity and inclusion. I don't think that organizations are effectively factoring in, like, just the emotional labor that goes into being other in majority-white spaces, nor do I think that people really understand--so, like, just black tax, right? Like, we're recording this on the day of Amber Guyger's sentencing, right? And, like, black and brown folks who have been looking at the trials, specifically black people, looking at the trial and, like, seeing this person who was convicted of murder, so... so okay, she did murder this person. [She was] crying, like, crying fake tears--crying what many people felt were fake tears, and, like, that could be triggering to a lot of different folks, the body cam footage being released and, like--so, like, just dealing with all of that and the PTSD-like symptoms that just seeing black death or constant coversage of black death causes. Like, those people still have to go to work, right? Those people still have to interact with people who may shrug their shoulders at that stuff. So I just think, like--to your point about it being hard, I think that it's really easy to undermine or dismiss--I don't think that you can overstate how hard it is to make yourself available. I'm not saying that you shouldn't or that you can't, but I'm just saying, like, I wish that--for me, right, so I know I'm interviewing you, but this is me just talking to you as someone who is in a position, right, as an executive, I wish that organizations would be more thoughtful to that, right? And I think there's just so much work to do. I'm curious to know though what you believe organizations could still be--are still missing when they talk about diversity and inclusion and you have these conversations on the big stages and also in the smaller rooms. Like, what are some themes that you're seeing around organizations and kind of what they still could be developing when it comes to their programming?Maureen: Yeah. So that's a great question. I think some organizations are doing a fairly good job, and then there's some organizations that are, you know--they're trying to get there. They're doing--I'll say they're doing the best they can, right? So one of the things I think is very commendable and courageous is having those bold and courageous conversations, right? I think that that is something that is innovative, it's fresh. It invites everyone to the table to have the deep discussion. At times, they can get really real and dig deeper than anyone wants to go, and they can create emotions out of people that no one expected, but that's necessary to have an understanding of what everyone on all sides of the coin across the entire spectrum of diversity is thinking and feeling. I think where organizations fail--so organizations that do that, I think they're doing great, but I think where those same organizations fail is that after they do that work, what happens next? So what are you supposed to do with those conversations? What are the expectations for the people that are sitting in as a part of those conversations? "Okay, great. We got it." "Okay, I understand how you feel," because this woman was just, you know, convicted of murder. She's gotten 10 years. And yeah, I understand that, but what am I supposed to do with this? There needs to be an afterwards. There needs to be an understanding of "Okay, so here's the way I feel, but here's the reason why I feel this way." And then there should be opportunities for people to bring that into the thinking around how we work, how we hire people in organizations, right? So are we thinking about talent of all colors, or are we thinking about talent of just one color? So in other words, you have to take the conversation from just, you know, engaging people and saying, "Yeah, here's what we did. We brought everybody together. We had a really good conversation, and now the organization is better for it." The organization is okay, but it's not better for it unless the people--unless everybody in that conversation walks away with, "Okay, what can we do next?" And that's the thing I think is missing.Zach: No, I agree with that, right? And I think--so when you talk about D&I programming as a whole, like, it's just not restorative. It's not restorative, and it's also not policy-driven. It's not data-driven, and it's not results-oriented by means of policies being updated. So, like, all of the things you just said--so okay, we had the conversation. Cool. "This is how we feel." Okay. "Now this is what we're gonna do about it, and this is how we, as an organization, are gonna change, and this is what accountability is gonna look like, in light of the conversation and the insights that we gathered." Like, that then makes the emotional labor worth something, but, like, if you're putting in emotional labor and not getting anything in return, like, not only is that, like, exhausting on the inset, but then it's defeating on the outset, right? So that's huge, and again, it really leads us into the next question. Okay, so you're the first--so we've interviewed some folks, right? I'm not a name-dropper. You can go on Living Corporate's podcast--ow--y'all check it out. Y'all can see the people that we've talked to. And we've talked to folks who have been in, like, these global or national positions around inclusion and diversity, but I think that you're the first person we've spoken too who is, like, in their title integrating inclusion with leadership. And so can we talk about--yeah, so that's pretty cool, and I believe that's, like, the next--I really believe that's the next level or the next phase when you talk about kind of reclaiming D&I. I do see, like, more black women and black and brown people being in these positions of inclusion and diversity much more than I have in the past, I don't know, seven or eight years, right? I've seen an uptick. So when I was talking about, like, kind of decolonizing D&I and [I] talked about, like, reclaiming the space, that's part of what I mean. So can we talk a little bit about how you've led the strategy for Cognizant to drive the intersection of those two spaces, and then also what you're continuing to do?Maureen: Sure. So at Cognizant I've had the opportunity to, as you've mentioned, be on both sides, right? So diversity and inclusion as well as leadership development. So within Cognizant, the global leadership development team is really focused on growing leaders at the director and above level, and within doing that it's also focused on making sure that our people at those levels are very diverse across the board. What I would say, Zachary, is that we have a long way to go, right? I don't think we're different from many other organizations out there. We do have a very long way to go in terms of "How do we continue to build this inclusive strategy specifically for our directors and above?" And so while I am focused on everybody across the organization regardless of level, obviously, my leadership development role is only focused on our directors and above, but I make sure to keep a diversity and inclusion lens on that population of people because when individuals see diversity at the higher levels of the organization, it attracts more people, it allows us to retain more diverse people, because now they're able to see levels and opportunities and projects and roles that they can aspire to, and it helps us to grow and develop that population. So it helps to grow the diversity that we do have at the manager and below level into those leadership levels. So it's--we like to say it's a cyclical win-win, right? The attract, retain, and develop pillars, but what I will say to you is that our focus, primarily for the past year and a half or since I've been there, has been around gender diversity. And so I bring a different lens to it, because I'm not thinking about just, you know, "Let's just bring any women in." I'm thinking about "What do the women look like? Where do they come from? Where have they been? What industries? What sectors?" All of those things, but I'm really also making sure that we're building into this diverse lens. So we have some black and brown people, you know, at the higher levels, so we make sure that we're incorporating individuals with disabilities at those levels, right? All of those things. So we're incorporating our LGBTQ+ community. We need to be able to have people at those levels who are going to be th epeople that other individuals in the organization aspire to or other individuals outside of the organization see and now say to themselves "Well, if So-and-so can be a leader in this organization, there's an opportunity for me here. There's an opportunity for me to start somewhere." So that's what the strategy has really been built around, you know? Making sure that 1. we're focused on gender diversity, but we're looking at it across a lens of all of the components of inclusion.Zach: You're bringing intersectionality to the table.Maureen: Absolutely. All day every day. All day every day.Zach: And I think, Maureen, like, for me--everything you said, of course, 100% spot on - I think what organizations don't realize is, for me anyways, right--when I come into organizations, and I've been in a few different places, so I've seen a lot. Like, I've seen a variety of cultures, but I always--when I come in--I consider myself about, like, an A- employee, okay? I feel like I'm great. I'm not, like, the best, but I'm very, very, very good. 'Cause I have other things going on. I've got Living Corporate. I ain't got time... like, I got other stuff, but with all that being said--[both laugh]Maureen: I hear you.Zach: You know what I'm saying. You know, I'ma keep that extra plus for me, but my point is I'm a very strong employee, so when I come into organizations, you know, I have aspirations, I have goals. I typically, without even, like, actively trying to do it, I just end up kind of zooming in on, like, the senior-most black people, and I look and see how they're treated, and I use that as a gauge to feel like "Okay, let me just think. Okay, so this person has a doctorate and an MBA, international experience, interned with the UN, can speak three languages, two more than me, and they're still being treated like this." So what does that then mean for my prospects as someone who's looking to build a five, six, seven-year roadmap here, right? So 100% right in that the treatment--how you treat... I mean, people see those things, right? So let's pause for a second though, 'cause I want to go back to something you said. You talked about the director level, director and up. Have you noticed a pattern of black and brown folks kind of, like, climbing a ladder and getting to the director level or, like, senior manager level even, and just kind of stalling out?Maureen: Yes.Zach: What's the reason behind that?Maureen: Yeah, I wouldn't say--and that's an every organization thing. It's definitely not, you know, a Cognizant thing or--Zach: Exclusive, yeah.Maureen: Yeah, yeah. No, definitely not. What I would say the issue behind that is that people in those roles tend to stall out because the higher you go within the organization, a lot of times you don't see people who look like you, so the people who have the power--Zach: And social capital.Maureen: Yes, to make the decisions to therefore promote a black or brown person into those high level roles aren't necessarily there, so they're looking through one lens, and their lens is typically people they know, people they've worked on projects with before, people they went to school with, people that they're in the same social circles with, those kinds of things, and black and brown people aren't necessarily always in those places. And so I think that that is part of the problem. I think the other problem is we, as black and brown people, sometimes tend to hurt ourselves because we don't necessarily put ourselves in those positions. I can speak from experience. I did it to myself and, you know, almost derailed my career years ago when I decided I didn't want to attend an event that I was invited too. But I responded and said I would, and then at the last minute [I] said, "You know what? No one is going to notice if I don't show up," and so I declined it at the last minute, and sure enough next day I walk into the office and the person who invited me says, "Maureen, we missed you last night." Now, this was not someone who looked me. It was somebody who I thought really wasn't even paying attention to me, but obviously he was, and I made the really poor executive decision to not go because, and you heard me say it, I thought I was not going to be missed. "No one is going to notice if I'm not there." And this man--I don't even know if he even remembers this story, and I always say one of these days I need to remind him, but this individual, when he invited me, he invited me for a reason. So that's why I say we can derail ourselves. You know, if you get an invitation like that--and this was a senior leader--take advantage of that, you know? Absolutely. Don't ever think--and that's the other thing. Don't ever think that people aren't paying attention to you. They are. They are, especially if you are doing great work. Like you said about yourself, you're an A- employee, which I'm sure you're an A++. Even if you remotely think you're an A- player, somebody is paying attention to you, you know? So I think we need to do a better job of putting ourselves in places where we can be seen, but that all goes back to the point of being on those high-visibiliity projects and how do we get there. There has to be somebody at the top that's pounding the table for us to get there. So it's kind of cyclical. It's kind of like you're almost, like, stuck in a...Zach: A loop.Maureen: Yes. Yeah. It's a challenge.Zach: No, it is. It is. Now, you know, we've talked a little bit about programming. We kind of had a meta discussion about D&I, but then, like, I'm curious, right, from a leadership perspective, if you were to give, like, five key traits of inclusive leaders, like, five key behaviors, like, what would they be?Maureen: That's a good question. I would say definitely someone who--an inclusive leader is someone who's a good listener, and I don't mean someone who's just gonna kind of listen and say, "Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh. Okay, next," but someone who's really going to listen to what you have to say, someone who's able to replay that back to you, right? Recap that and say, "Okay, I understand. So tell me, what would you like me to do next? How would you like me to proceed?" So not just listen, but then understand. Get to understand what needs to happen next. Second thing is be a great giver of feedback. It's really, really important to give feedback, because feedback really, truly is a gift, but it's also important to get feedback. So I always encourage leaders that I work with not to feel like they're--because they're in a quote-unquote "leadership role" that they're just supposed to be the people that give feedback. No, it has to be reciprocal, and they have to not only ask for feedback, but then they have to ask follow-up questions so that they can understand what is it that they're doing well or not doing so well so that they themselves can change and evolve their own behaviors. The third thing I would say is an inclusive leader should be somebody who's able to pay it forward. So be able to reach back, reach to the sides, reach wherever and pull somebody along, take somebody along for the journey that they're on, because it helps that individual learn and grow in their own respect, and, you know, I always tell leaders, "You didn't get here by yourself." Let's just be real about some things. You took the same journey that now this individual behind you is also trying to take. So do the right thing, and if you've got somebody that you know wants to move in the same career path or maybe they want to do something different but could use your guidance and expertise, pull them along with you. The fourth thing I would say is an inclusive leader should be somebody who is able to truly bring a team together, and, you know, bring them together--I'm not saying bring them together for lunch. I'm talking about bring them together so that they have a good understanding of who they are as a team, what are the team goals, what are they striving for, and most importantly, as a team, understand what each of them individually are able to contribute and bring to the table, because it is the individual nuances that we all bring to an organization or a team that helps us to be a successful team. That's how we create inclusive products, inclusive services for our clients, is by bringing those innovative and inclusive voices to the table. So an inclusive leader should definitely be somebody who is able to bring a team together. And then the last thing I would say is that an inclusive leader needs to be very mindful of the fact that they are the ones who have the ear of the C-Suite, and so they need to be individuals who can listen and hear what's going on on the ground--so across their teams and other teams--and be able to articulate that and bubble that up to the top so that any issues or concerns that may be rising are things that they're able to squash before it becomes a bigger issue. They've got to listen in on what's happening at the ground level and be able to help manage, to help do some kind of change management or navigate the conversation so that it doesn't become a bigger issue. But if it's getting there, they should be the ones who are able to bubble it up to the top and then say, "Okay, so what can we do to mitigate this?" I think that's really it. Zach: Wow. Yeah, no, absolutely. Thank you so much. You know, you're just dropping bombs, dropping coins, as it were. Maureen: [laughs] Coins, yep. Mm-hmm.Zach: It's really helpful. I was trying not to cut you off 'cause I had, like, a couple of these... [Mario coin sfx] But I was like, "Let me just let her finish." [both laugh]Maureen: I'm sorry, I'm just going on forever.Zach: No, no, no. It's great. No, it's absolutely great. This has been a wonderful conversation, and thank you so much for hanging out with us. I know we went a little bit long. Before we let you go, any parting words, shout-outs?Maureen: Parting words and shout-outs? Parting words are, you know, just be the best human being that you can truly be, you know? Never take for granted where you are, because again, you didn't get here on your own. Really, really important to reach back and help others. And then any shout-outs I would give are simply to all of the people who are in the position, as you are, Zachary, to help get these kinds of messages out. Kudos to you, because this is not easy, you know? Doing what you do is not easy. Having these kinds of deep and courageous conversations isn't easy, so kudos to you, and then shout-outs to all of the people who are driving diversity and inclusion within their organizations, because, you know, we've got some work to do. People love to say to me, you know, "Well, you know, in your role, you're gonna have a job forever. It's job security." Here's the thing - I'm not sure I want to live in a world where the need to have a diversity and inclusion leader is job security, because that means that we are--that means two things. One, the world's continuing to evolve and, you know, the components of diversity continue to change. That's good. But two, it means that we're not doing everything that we could and should be doing to make this a more inclusive and global environment, and so I don't know if I want that job security. I want it to be where it's just very organic, you know? That we're not thinking about, "Well, you know, how do we hire black and brown people? Where do we go to get them?" No! It shouldn't be that way, and I know I've probably gone on way too long, but shout-outs to you, shout-outs to my peeps who are doing this day in and day out and are leading the charge right along with me, so.Zach: Come on, now. Let me get these air horns right here for that. [air horns sfx, both laugh]Maureen: Love that. Love it.Zach: Man, this has just been great, Maureen. Thank you so much. And listen, y'all, that does it for us on the Living Corporate podcast. You make sure you check us out on Twitter at @LivingCorp_Pod, Instagram at @LivingCorporate, and then, you know, you've got our website living-corporate--please say the dash--dot com. We also have livingcorporate.co, livingcorporate.org, livingcorporate.tv, livingcorporate.net. Maureen, we have all of the Living Corporates except livingcorporate.com. We have all of 'em, you know? You know, it's market dissemination. We're really out here. We're trying to make sure we get them SEO clicks.Maureen: Do your thing.Zach: Come on, now. We're trying to. Now, listen, y'all, y'all hear these conversations that we have. If y'all ever have questions y'all want to send in and, like, have us, us being the hosts or our guests, answer them, just send 'em on in. YOu know, DM us, email us at livingcorporatepodcast@gmail.com, you know, and we can just get it poppin' like that. Now, look, if you can't remember all of the different places I just said or where we are and where we're at and what we're doing, just Google Living Corporate. We out here like that. It's been, like, 130 something odd episodes, so we're now at the point where if you just Google Living Corporate, we'll pop up, okay? So you check us out, and until next time, this has been Zach, and you've been listening to Maureen Greene James, D&I leader for North America at Cognizant. Until next time, y'all. Peace.

On the tenth installment of The Link Up with Latesha, our incredible host Latesha Byrd, founder of Byrd Career Consulting, helps us effectively approach getting back into the job search game by sharing five tips that help manage the process a little better. On average, it takes five months to land a position. Don't give up, and keep pushing through the uncertainty!Find out more about Latesha on the BCC website or connect with her through her socials! LinkedIn, IG, Twitter, FBCheck out Latesha's YouTube channel!BCC's socials: LinkedIn, IG, Twitter, FBTRANSCRIPTLatesha: What's up, everyone? Welcome to The Link Up with Latesha on Living Corporate. This podcast is for young professionals that need some real deal advice, tips, and resources to navigate corporate America and dominate their career. If you're looking to upgrade your brand, get the knowledge you need to level up professionally for your future, you are in the right place. I'm your host Latesha Byrd, so let's get into today's episode. So today we are talking about getting back in the game. For those that are searching for their next opportunity, I know just how hard and challenging it can be to push through the uncertainty. I often times relate job searching to the dating world. Like, for instance, let's say you go on a first date, you really hit it off, but he or she has not called you back. So you are sitting there wondering, "What the heck happened?" You know, "We had a good conversation. We have a lot of commonalities." You know, "We just really hit it off. Good vibes, good connections, all of that," but you are still uncertain about whether you should hit that person up or do you wait? You know, do you text first? You don't want to seem too interested, but maybe they're waiting for you, right? And so--[laughs]--dating is a whole game in itself, but the job search process is so similar to it, and so I know from experience--and also as a career coach and a former recruiter--just how hard it can be to really get back into the game and to get focused and to, you know, push through the unknown, you know? When it comes to searching for a job, you are having to just constantly put yourself out there and talk to different companies and, you know, some of them you may hear back from, some of them you may not, or you may, you know, interview, and you get really great feedback, and then it's crickets, right? But for some of those that maybe haven't applied or interviewed or had to search for anything, you know, in a really long time, the question is where do you start and how do you start? What do you need to start? You know, there are so many questions and things that go into it. So I'm here to tell you to, you know, don't give up. Don't give up. Keep pushing. Keep working through the uncertainty. Push through it anyways. On average, it takes five months to land a position. I've done a lot of research on this, on Forbes and CNN Money and all of those sites. The average amount of time that I'm seeing that it takes to land positions is five months. Now, some of my clients are able to land jobs pretty quickly, you know? In a month or two months, but for some, you know, it takes a little bit longer. And it's challenging because waiting to hear back from someone who literally has your future in their hands can be so painful, no matter how well you did in that interview, no matter how bomb your resume is, no matter how bomb your career coach is or even how great your network is. When it comes to landing a position with the company, that is something that you simply won't be able to control. And it likely will take a lot longer than you think to find something, and I'm not saying jumping at the first job offer that you get, but actually finding something worth value, something that is aligned with where you want to be professionally or grow professionally. So I have just a few tips that I wanted to share to help you manage this process a little bit better and to fully get back in the game. #1 - have you tapped into all of your resources? Have you tapped into all of your resources? Take an inventory. Take an inventory of your resources. Often times, we don't tap into people that we already know, such as family, our friends, college classmates or college professors. What about those professional associations or those organizations that you volunteer with in the community? Your peoples at church. [laughs] Your neighbors. The list goes on here, but sometimes we don't think about who we already know, 'cause you never know who knows someone else. So let's say I want to find a job as a management consultant, okay? So my neighbor may not be a management consultant or work for a management consulting firm, but what if his wife's cousin's--I don't know, I'm just--you know, y'all know how that whole wife's cousin's baby momma's hair dresser thing goes, right? [laughs] You just never know who knows someone. And this is a little bit unrelated to the job search, but in terms of a situation that happened to me recently, I was actually tapped for a speaking engagement with a TV or media news company in Virginia, and that connection came from my--this is gonna sound a little tricky, y'all [laughs]--but this came from my father's ex-wife's brother's ex-wife. Right? I didn't even know that she was watching, you know, what I was doing in my business. We had been connected on social media for, you know, a few years now, and it was one of those things where I said, "Man, you never know--" First of all who's watching you, and then number two you never know who knows who or who that person is that could be, you know, get you the key to the gate. So think about who you already know, and you've gotta tell people. Like, you have to tell people that you are actually seeking employment. Let the pride fall where it may, right? This is about utilizing your social capitol. You're not using people. You're not using your friends. You're not using, you know, those folks in your network, because this means that if--if they're able to help you land a job, you could probably help them in some way down the line in the future. So let the pride go and use your connections and ask for help. Ask your connections, as well, to match you with other connections. This is specifically related to LinkedIn. If you all have used the LinkedIn job board for your job search--which I highly, highly recommend, and this is why--because LinkedIn is gonna give you a lot more intel than literally any other job search platform out there. So for instance, if I'm looking--and I'm based in Charlotte, y'all. So, you know, big banking center here. So let's see you're looking at jobs at Wells Fargo and you find a position at Wells Fargo on LinkedIn. LinkedIn will show you who you are connected with that works at Wells Fargo, or it will show you who you're connected with that's connected with someone that works at Wells Fargo. That's why I freaking love the LinkedIn job board, for those connections solely. I had a client actually a couple weeks ago ask me to connect her with a talent acquisition manager at Credit Karma, which is also here in Charlotte. And she just reached out and said, "Hey, I see you're connected with..." She named the gentleman's name and said, you know, "Would you mind facilitating a connection?" And I was like, "What, girl? Heck yes." I have no problem with doing that. I didn't even know him. Now we are acquainted. We just happened to be connected on LinkedIn, but what she did is she was looking at particular companies she wanted to target, and I'm believing she looked for folks in talent acquisition or recruiting and was looking for mutual connections and saw that we were connected. So I was able to facilitate that connection. I reached out to him. I said, "Hey, I have a client who is an accounting operations finance executive. She is wanting to get connected for potential opportunities. Do you mind if I connect her to you?" And he responded immediately, like, "Yes, no problem at all." It is that simple. So #2 - don't be afraid to make new friends or make new connections. This is normal on LinkedIn. This is what LinkedIn is for. Again, LinkedIn is a social networking platform, so you should be socially networking. Look up recruiters. Look up talent acquisition managers. Look up people that are in positions you would ultimately like and just reach out to 'em. You may or may not hear back. It will, you know, take a lot of courage to reach out to them, you know? To say, "Hey, I'm actually interested in working for your organization," and, you know, what have you, because that shows a sign of vulnerability, right? When you have to ask someone for help. That's showing a sign of vulnerability, because that's a quote-unquote weakness, when you need help. I love, love, love Renee Brown. I love her books. I love her TED talk. I love her Netflix special. I just love everything about her. And she talks about vulnerability, and this is something that I talk to my coaching clients about all of the time. You know, vulnerability is--and the way Renee Brown says it, it's like getting in front of a crowd with no clothes on. [laughs] Getting in front of a crowd completely naked, and you are not sure how they are going to respond, but in that vulnerability there is a lot of courage, you know? There is a lot of bravery, because you're pushing through the fear, and you're doing what it takes anyways without even knowing what type of response it is you're gonna get back. So you gotta be brave here. #3 - be specific in what you're looking for. Don't keep it super broad when you're searching for opportunities. Like, for instance, if you are looking at marketing positions, get clear on what type of marketing positions, because there's a whole lot of marketing jobs out there. For example, is it public relations? Is it communications? Is it integrated marketing? Digital media? Et cetera. Quality over quantity is key. If you keep your job search broad or if you are looking for a broad range of roles, because you're not being specific in the key words you're utilizing, whoo--you're gonna be looking at thousands and thousands and thousands of jobs, and that can get really challenging. Well, not challenging, but overwhelming. So be as specific as possible. #4 is get deeper in your craft. Take time to develop more skills. Think about online courses. I love Lynda on LinkedIn. You know, there's Coursera. There's Udemy. There are so many, you know, ways that we can continue to get deeper in our craft and expand our knowledge, you know? I am a--I have a Ph.D from YouTube University, [laughs] so I am always, always, always looking up how to do things or how to develop certain skills on YouTube. It takes some time to get deeper in your craft while you are searching. #5 - brand yourself online. You know, as you are networking socially on this social networking site called LinkedIn, you've got to make sure you're branding yourself. That's gonna bring more attention back to your page. You know, my recommendation is to post three times a week. One of my clients, she is in HR, and she has been posting pretty regularly on LinkedIn, and her tweets--not tweets. Wow, I'm thinking about Twitter. [laughs] I love Twitter, y'all. Follow me. @Latesha_Byrd. But LinkedIn, she posts about three times a week, and some of her LinkedIn posts have gone viral, and through that--through the virality, she gets a lot of attention from recruiters reaching out to her, which is exactly what she wanted. So brand yourself online. You don't have to post, like, you know, all of these long, thoughtful, deep messages, you know? Just start posting articles related to what's going on in your industry, posting questions to kind of get folks thinking. You know, post a quote. You know, again, just post regularly. Start to brand yourself online. Set some boundaries with yourself. I promise you you don't have to spend two hours every single day looking at job boards. Those jobs are not going to grow legs and run away. So if you take a day off from searching for jobs, it is going to be okay. So set some boundaries with yourself. Maybe you only search for jobs three days a week - Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Maybe you do 30 minutes in the morning, you do 30 minutes at night. So, you know, don't go too hard, right? Because that job search fatigue is real and we've talked about that before. Get an accountability partner as well, someone that can hold you accountable, to make sure that you are applying to jobs, that you are networking, that you are posting online. Be very specific in the goals that you share with them, and you need someone that is actually really going to hold you accountable and that's going to encourage you and build you up. The last thing that I want to say here is be patient. Be patient with yourself. I am actually in the process of searching for a home. I'm looking to buy fairly soon, and if you have ever bought a home before, you know just how hard that process could be. And I had a friend that told me, "Delayed is not denied," you know? So again, just be patient with yourself. Finding your next best thing, it really will take some time, and I want you all to make sure that you are giving yourself some grace in this process and not taking every "no" you get or, you know, the silence, don't let that get to you and don't take it personal. You know, sometimes these jobs are filled internally. Another thing is that sometimes jobs are posted as a formality in the process, even though they already know who they are going to hire. They may have to just interview some folks, you know, to show that there was no bias, right? And so just know you never know. You really never know what's going on on the other side. So give yourself some grace. Be patient with yourself. Know that your job is out there. You have to--you have to--believe. So I hope that these tips helped you all today. Remember to push through the uncertainty. Just get out there. And I am always rooting for your success. I hope that you are able to land your dream job soon. And that is all I have. So I wish you all the best of luck as you are applying. If you enjoyed this topic, if you have any questions at all, if there's anything you actually want to hear on this podcast, then hit me up. I'm really easy to find - @Latesha_Byrd. L-A-T-E-S-H-A underscore B-Y-R-D. You can find me on Twitter. You can find me on Instagram. LinkedIn, Facebook, all of the things. So thank you guys so much, and I will talk to you next week. Bye.