Black Girl Magic is a rallying call for women to come together, connect, inspire, empower, and unite as one! Boss Women Media is the force that creates these magical moments for women. 2021 is the year where women get highlighted. You know the ones that are sitting at the table and who are taking the world by storm.
100 Women Sitting at the Table is all about honoring women who are bucking tradition, making history and fighting for change in the workplace and the world. Over the next several weeks, we will highlight each woman in our year-long campaign and her story.
Meet Brittany Cole, CEO of Career Thrivers
1. Please tell us what your role is and what it entails?
My role is to empower and equip leaders to thrive in spaces where they are seen, heard, and valued. This includes coaching women to leverage your unique personal brand to align your purpose, passion, and desired career path. It also includes partnering with corporations to build a culture of belonging where everyone can thrive. I get to do this work as the CEO of Career Thrivers. Career Thrivers is a leadership development firm that works with corporations to retain, develop, and advance women and Black professionals.
2. How did you land this position?
I chose this work because I’ve seen, learned, and experienced that investing in developing diverse talent isn’t enough. Companies must also be willing to assess, adjust, and apply policies and practices that equip people leaders to build inclusive cultures that prioritize equity so diverse talent can thrive. After serving as a sales, marketing, and DEI leader in corporate while coaching and speaking on the side, I decided to bet on my brilliance and take the leap of faith to build a team at Career Thrivers that gets to do this work every day!
3. What does your everyday “workday” look like?
Every day my workday looks different. Most mornings start with prayer and devotional time. Currently, I’m re-reading Marshawn Evans Daniels devotional, 100 Days of Believing Bigger. I love fashion, so getting dressed is a form of self-care for me. I choose a look that matches my mood and must-do tasks for the day. My workdays include a combination of keynote speaking (mostly from my home office these days), coaching, consulting calls, designing curriculum, being coached, creating content, sharing my book (Thrive Through It) with new audiences, and thinking. I work between my home office, co-working space, or onsite with our corporate partners.
4. What keeps you motivated?
Motivation is all around me! Working with executive leaders that go beyond being DEI champions to becoming contributors to the work is motivating. Seeing coaching clients shift from shrinking to showing up fully and owning their power to choose work they love brings me so much joy! Seeing other business owners thrive through the challenges of entrepreneurship motivates me as well. I believe the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves are powerful, so I keep affirmations and scripture visible in my workspace to keep me motivated. Lastly, my mother’s legacy and belief in me comes to my mind often in moments that I need to be reminded that I can, I am, and I will.
5. Who/what inspires your drive as a woman?
My mother has had the most profound impact on my life. Although she’s no longer with me physically, her legacy lives on in how I live and lead. My mother was a woman of Christian faith that was also ambitious, confident, loving, decisive, wise, and always looking for an opportunity to give. She worked in sales at Blue Cross Blue Shield and then left corporate to create more impact in her community as a social worker. I watched her model the Proverbs 31 woman all of my life as a wife, businesswoman, mother, and servant. Her influence shows up in who I am and everything I get to do.
6. What’s one important thing you’ve learned while being in your role?
I’ve learned to redefine resilience because bouncing back isn’t real. When we experience loss, change, and challenges it’s an opportunity to feel and share our emotions, extrapolate the lessons, and journey forward (not backwards) with authenticity, purpose, courage, and joy. Historically and culturally, as a Black woman, I was taught that resilience is about strength by any means necessary. I used to live and work from that paradigm, but I’ve traded in my superwoman cape. Instead, I’ve learned to lead with vulnerability and the courage to prioritize self-care in the midst of my resilience. This is the premise of my book, Thrive Through It, and it brings me so much joy to share these lessons of redefined resilience with women.
7. If you could switch job titles with anyone in the world for one day, who would it be and why?
There are 3 women that immediately come to mind, and Carla Harris is at the top of the list. I admire Carla Harris so much because she embodies so many of my core values. She’s a picture of what it means to own your career, lead with authenticity, and (as she writes) expect to win! Her voice through videos, keynote talks and books have been mentorship for me in my career. If you want to learn how to thrive in the workplace, her book Expect to Win is a must-read! Swapping titles with her for one day and getting to learn more about wealth management from her lens would be a treat!
8. What do you think is the first word that comes to mind when others describe you? Why?
Thriver. I think this is the first word not only because it’s the name of my company, Career Thrivers, but also because it’s how I want others to feel when I connect with you. For me, thriving is an inside job. Being a thriver is about having a deep sense of who you are, why you’re here, what you’re designed to do, & how to live from that place every day. Regardless of the titles that we rent, we can choose to show up as a thriver in every space we occupy.
9. Where can our followers connect with you on social media?
I would love to connect with you at brittanyncole.com/toolkit. This is a space where you can connect to all my socials (LinkedIn, IG, Twitter) but most importantly it’s a toolkit with free courses, guides, and a recommended library of favorite books and other tools to help you thrive in your career!
10. Any additional information you’d like to add?
It’s such an honor to be included with other powerhouse women for 100 Women at the Table! Thank you Boss Women Media showing us all what it looks like for empowered women to empower women! Keep thriving!
