🗣 Nice for what? Invest in yo'self.

🎉 Yo! Did you miss the HR rants and radical candor? 😏 I’m bizaaaaaack.

My peeps! Has it been that long? Don’t answer that. 

It’s always nice to take a reset break when 1) Life is life’n 2) you move across multiple states (Hey Houston!) and 3) you want to plan the next season of 🔥 content that empowers your audience to sound off.

I have also been chatting with many of you and truly enjoy the conversations. From talented HR individuals to 9-5ers feeling stuck to the side hustlin’ creatives - you all have the secret sauce and your unique stories are the anchors to your success out in the world.

To all the new subscribers, I’m sending a huge YO! and thank you for joining the collective.

THIS IS WHERE YOUR HUSTLE MEETS YOUR FLOW. 

🗣 Special Sound Off: Big shoutout to some special co-founders that inspired today’s newsletter. This goes out to Morgan Williams, Catalina Coleman, and Kim Rohrer. Y’all did the big one with Peak HR. 👏🏽

If this email was forwarded to you, tap in and join the cool collective.

⛽️ Fueling creativity + community + connections ⛽️

The construct of traditional education made me cringe.

What else is a teen mom supposed to do after high school? Go to college. Per my family, this was the expectation but not the hard rule. My mom was pretty great at giving me the autonomy to make decisions (good or bad) and learn from them.

In this early season of life, I was STRESSED. I hadn’t had the best start to college or the best experiences with teachers overall (I’m sure they were stressed too). Ironically, I loved to learn but the structure kept leaving a negative vibe that I couldn’t shake regardless of my effort to stay locked in. I decided to jump into the workforce full-time and lean into experience that I could hang my hat on.

While I was naive to the fact that organizations aren’t solely responsible for your development, I knew they should create systems to enable your success. After all, I was subscribed into their product - the people experience. I was loyal to a fault and wouldn’t opt-out because the lack of college degree and confidence kept me paralyzed in toxic work environments for the tenure. A rookie mistake.

What I have learned over the years is that we CAN be the drivers of our success and we HAVE to invest in ourselves - even when resources seem slim to none.

During challenging times in life/work, I may have lost sight of that growth mindset. When the fire goes out, you have to find a way to create that spark.

💡 A growth mindset coupled with curiosity will accelerate your career development, with or without company resources.

I’m going to share my new playbook for what has helped me grow in unlikely spaces + places.

There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, but I’m sharing some game changers. How can I invest in myself outside of workplace resources?

🌱 Community

Community is essential EVERYTHANG (with the A)! When I have felt deflated, drained, or lost in learning - community has been my support system. Everyone needs support and a place where they feel like they belong (and can comfortably talk their sh*t!) Bonus points if you’re able to be vulnerable and honest in a space where people care enough to keep it real.

Here’s where you can start:

1. Find a community that aligns with your values and is active.

2. Check out the size of the community and evaluate your preferences. I prefer smaller communities where the accessibility to peer learning seems within reach and not lost in translation.

3. Ask yourself what do you want to gain out of the community.

My fave pick is the HR community, Safe Space.

🌱 Free.99 education + cohorts

I was a huge fan of Youtube University (LOL) where I could learn new skills in my spare time and at my own pace. While we have to be cognizant of what we consume from the digital streets, the resources available are in abundance.

Here’s where you can start:

1. Aside from Youtube, you can find budget friendly options through UDEMY(which is always running a sale).

2. If you have some budget to spare, check out cohorts that align with your growth and development goals. For example, I want to learn from people I look up to in HR that are doing the work IRL.

3. My inbox will probably slap me for saying this, but sign up for newsletters. I have learned so much from my favorite newsletters in HR, leadership, and sneakers.

My fave pick is a cohort I’m currently participating in, Peak HR Learning.

🌱 Events (virtual included)

I used to spiral into a panic when it involved IRL networking/relationship building + events. I KNOW the struggle. However, events are a great place to learn.

Here’s where you can start:

1. Check out webinars (there are a ton out there) that focus on areas of learning you’re interested in. Even if you can’t join live, register and watch the recording.

2. Sign up to volunteer in your local communities and/or youth mentoring programs. You’d be surprised how much you learn from being of service to others.

3. When in doubt, ask your extroverted friends to bring you to events you’re interested in and let them do the heavy social lifting.

🌱 Peer Learning + shared Experiences

I love learning from talented people in my network. This includes peer learning in (and outside) of HR. Sharing lived experiences also fosters belonging and inclusion.

Here’s where you can start:

1. Connecting with people on Linkedin and having virtual coffee chats has been surprisingly fun. Not only have we exchanged shared experiences, but also held each other accountable to our learning goals. Don’t be afraid to send someone a message if you want to connect.

2. I’ve learned that mentoring doesn’t have to be from an Executive level. It truly can be from your peers or anyone who you consider a subject matter expert.

3. Don’t sleep on podcasts and books (audiobooks included). Many of the podcasts I follow add some enlightenment to similar experiences that I resonate with.

My fave pick is the I Hate it Here Podcast.

🪴 We could all use affirmations, right?

Even Grammy award-winning rapper Lil Jon talks about the importance of affirmations to combat negative self-talk. Grab one [or as many as you need] of these affirmations below. Don’t forget sharing is caring.

1️⃣ Investing in myself is not selfish; it is essential for my overall well-being.

2️⃣ Investing in my personal development opens doors to new opportunities and experiences.

3️⃣ Saying no to things that drain me allows me to say yes to things that nourish me.

4️⃣ Curiosity fuels my desire for growth every day.

5️⃣ Learning different parts of myself is part of my evolution.

🎙 Sounding off in the HR/POPs group chat.

Listen. HR peeps are getting burnout more and more (blink twice if you need help). It is mission critical to invest in your learning and development, but also your wellbeing. This is a big reason why I include affirmations, because words are powerful.

What are you saying to yourself every day? Are you pouring into yourself just as much as you pour into those employees?

This is a reminder to fill your cup (literally and figuratively because we all need to drink more water TBH). Reply and let me know how I can support you.

⚡️QUICKSTRIKE HR SOUND BITES

The HR/People Operations landscape is evolving. Check out some of the happenings below.

• I sat down to have a candid conversation with the amazing Julie Turney. Take a listen here.

• This week I’ve been reading Born to Create by Anne Jacoby. Anyone and everyone can be creative - I knew I wasn’t crazy in thinking so.

• We are in Q2 and I am doing a quarterly audit of our ‘moments that matter’ at work to enhance our People experience. PYN is my fave tool right now.

👟 SNEAKER INDUSTRY SOUND BITES

You could say sneakers + streetwear is my thing. If you enjoy sneaker culture - this section is for you.

• On Linkedin, I jumped into how New Balance’s recent success is attributed to better collaborations with Black voices front and center. Hey JOE, you did it!

• In March, I tossed some birthday sneakers into the e-cart. I grabbed these WMNS Nike Air Max Plus.

• Sneaker brand, Saysh, rolls out an ‘intentionally sexist return policy’. Tap in to see why we’re clapping.

🎧 A SONG I DIDN’T SKIP ON MY PLAYLIST TODAY

Not a specific song, but a mix. I love a good R&B playlist and it’s my way of creating the mood of escapism. That was very Pisces of me to say. 😎

🎤 Outro musings. 

The intersectionality we face as women can be challenging AF. The point is - we don’t have to only choose certain pieces of our identity to feel whole. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. 

This space is for y’all. If you made it this far, thank you for reading today.