Do yall want to hear how I tripled my salary in 2 yrs in the D&I field? Or..

How I have 5 degrees with <$100k in debt? Or..

How I went frm operating on lab rats (nothing is wrong w/bench research...sorry PETA) to manifesting my dream career & owning 2 companies?

So....I used to work in labs operating on rats to figure out how to reduce their hypertension. Like I had to take their blood pressures with little blood pressure cuffs on their tails. Harvest their hearts & ganglion nerve and their kidneys (sorry PETA). That’s my background.

College was hard AF. I transferred sophomore yr from community college (don’t let anyone shame you for choosing to go to@community college first) & into all upper class courses. I had 6 classes a day like biochemistry, organic chemistry, genetics ALL AT THE SAME TIME. I struggled

I graduated with a 2.8 didnt get into med school. But my last semester of my senior yr I applied to grad school bc one of my favorite physics teachers (s/o Dr. Presley) told me about the field of public health. So boom I was getting my masters in a city where I didn’t know anyone

After my masters I landed a big girl job in a new city. First time having a salary and I thought I was wealthy making $50k annually. For me at that time I was so happy. I was severely underpaid and didn’t even know it. My rent was $1600 to go from paying $600 to $1600 hurt lmao

I made something shake with that salary though. In 2 yrs I Made friends. Bought a car, bought my first home and got into my doctoral program. And raised my credit score from 500 to 625 I was still only making less than $60k

Now here comes the turning point. I had finally got a raised. They only gave me $60k I had been working there for 3 yrs & they only gave me $10k. I countered the offer and they only gave me an extra $3k the minimum of the range I asked for. Mind you I was a senior level employee

Mind you I was working on my doctorate and they knew this bc they were helping to pay for it. by that point I was also the only Black person bc the other Black ppl quit. In the 3 yrs I was there 4 ppl all Black women quit. Before me 3 Black women had quit.

After being overworked & underpaid I resigned. I didnt hav a job set up but took a leap of faith bc I wasnt settling. It was bc of my experiences w/ discrimination MicroAggressions & pay inequity I decided to do my doctoral research on the microaggressions Black women face @ work

I finished my doctoral degree and baybeeeeh that was a STRUGGLE. I’d been applying for jobs in the D&I field but bc I didn’t have “formal” experience in the field, f 2 yrs I couldn’t get a job anywhere. I’d get interviews but wasn’t extended any offers.

Then I started to build my network on LinkedIn and twitter. I redid my resume and cover letter over and over and over again. I got more interviews but still nothing. I finally got an offer and these people tried to play in my face. They offered $77k and at this time I had a PhD.

I told them I needed more & they said they couldn’t give me more. So I declined the offer. Do you know what it took to decline an offer after not working for TWO YEARS?! I was broke broke & technically that was more than I’ve ever made but I knew it was less than I deserved

So I went back to applying. Until I met @bossy_britt & heard her story about @RebrandCC that woman changed my life honestly truly. I was broke but she gave me a discount to purchase a consultation call w/her. She poured into me when I was down & imposter syndrome had me like

I had a stronger resume/cover letter I used the knowledge she gave me to revamp my LinkedIn & low & behold a recruiter asks to interview me for a position in D&I. paying less than I wanted but more than that other job so I took it! I needed the money.

The whole time I was networking my butt off writing out affirmations & calling myself a DEI strategist even though I wasnt yet. I had ppl reaching out to work w/me as a consultant & a year after accepting that position I am now a strategist by title with my own consulting company

if you’re trying to change careers

- email me so we can make a transition plan to the D&I field

- book a consult with @bossy_britt to get your resume right

- write out your goals/what you want life to look like be very specific even if it doesnt seem possible atm

- network